This was almost the site of the second American Civil War

As you may have gleaned from our Twitter account (follow us!), we took a trip to Barclays earlier this week. Very space age, the food is better than at any arena we’ve ever been to. But it was troubling to see that half of the paying crowd was made up of Heat fans. That kind of thing made sense when the Nets belonged to New Jersey, but where’s your team’s home court advantage Brooklyn? Making the crowd look even less supportive of their hometown squad is this telegram shared by CBS by way of Baseball Prospectus (subscription required) in which the president was told in no uncertain terms to come celebrate the Dodgers making it to the World Series, or else. (more…)

Gotta be in shape to hide all those eggs. via Facebook

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…for gym owners. Everyone swears that 2013 will be THE year that they will get into kickass shape. Will they? Or  will they just be in a rush to get rid of what all of the holiday booze and delicious simple carbs did to their waistlines and give up after a month? Either way, gyms love to capitalize on this get-fit phase that always happens at the start of a new year, which can be very good news for us brokesters who normally can’t afford to invest that much in elliptical machines. Here are some more affordable – or at least, more affordable than usual – options for the new year. (more…)

Who run the court? Girls

The Knicks and Nets square off at Barclays again tonight, but unlike their first meeting when both teams couldn’t stop winning, they seem to be moving in opposite directions now. The Knicks dusted themselves off and blew out the defending champion Heat by 20 points and are owners of the best record in the Eastern Conference, while the Nets have turned in a couple of uninpsired performances at home against perennial doormats the Golden State Warriors and team of no note the Milwaukee Bucks. What’s behind the Nets’ malaise, missing their center, Brook Lopez, or missing their secret weapon, Beyonce? (more…)

It’s been a tough season for Gang Green. via FARK

It’s been a tough season for the Jets, from owner Woody Johnson taking a loss in the presidential election to the continued irrelevancy of human meme Tim Tebow to failed media boycotts. Their 4-6 record barely tells the story of the year, not nearly as much as this fact does: tickets to a Thanksgiving game against their arch-rival New England Patriots are selling for as low as $31 on ticket resale websites. (more…)

You’ve got a few more hours to make it yours

So you might have heard that the subway is underwater. In that case, how the hell are you supposed to get around? Fortunately, our bike giveaway with Dutch bike-masters VANMOOF is running for a few more hours. And if you’re sitting at home watching Chris Christie shake his fist at the flood, why not try to win the bike? (more…)

That sleek VANMOOF look.

We know you brokesters love your bicycles, so we’ve got good news: we’re giving one away. No, we didn’t scrounge up a vintage Huffy with pegs and streamers (that’s so last year). We got our hands on a sweet new game-changing commuter bike from one of the coolest and most conscientious bike makers around: VANMOOF.

VANMOOF, headquartered in the Netherlands (yeah, the country that managed to essentially ban cars from one of its towns), is dedicated to bringing bicycles back to power. In this vein, it has produced the ultimate city bike: the VANMOOF 5. It’s made of light-weight aluminum, so you won’t get a sweaty back after riding over the Manhattan bridge; it’s got an integrated chain lock, so you’ll never lose it; and it’s outfitted with super-bright, pedal-powered Philips lights that are nicely integrated in the frame. The only thing you ever have to do to see and been seen, is hit the switch.

Did we mention this thing looks awesome? Don’t just take our word for it. VANMOOF has won serious design awards for its bikes, including the prestigious Red Dot award and the Dutch Design Award; and the VANMOOF 5 has received the EUROBIKE and BikeExpo awards, among many others.

One of you lucky readers is going to take this baby home. So what are you still doing here? Opt into the contest by giving VANMOOF your email below and earn extra entries by following them on Facebook & Twitter and sharing the contest with your friends.

The VANMOOF Giveaway!

This post is sponsored by Vanmoof.

Helping city dweller's move around town fast, confident and in style

Via Toothpaste for Dinner.

The Freelancers Union has been making huge moves lately to help you get and stay healthy, probably because everyone knows the freelancers’ life is based on a diet of caffeine, 11pm dinners and near-fatal quantities of screen glare. It’s already getting ready to open the country’s first medical center just for freelancers in downtown Brooklyn Nov. 5; now it’s adding free yoga and wellness programs just for independent workers too.

Two free yoga sessions will be held in McCarren and Prospect parks in the next two weeks; plus, the union will host a free workshop on “balancing your business and your health” featuring the head of the freelancers union and the doctor  who will be running the new medical center. Because look at you, all pale in that computer glow. Get healthy! (more…)

Just don’t suggest signing Eddy Curry. For basketball AND bikini reasons.

So you saw the Knicks pass on Jeremy Lin or the Nets blow the Dwight Howard deal and fumed to your friends that you could do a better job as GM of either club. That kind of drunken angry sports radio boasting is usually empty, but for once, you can put your money where your mouth is. The Bikini Basketball Association is a thing that apparently exists, whether you like it or not. And while they have seven teams lined up, apparently the New York Knockouts are still without a GM. So sports fan, do you have what it takes to bring New York its first professional basketball championship since 1973?

USA is simply the best at beach volleyball. Follow in their footsteps.

Did your nonstop watching of the Olympics only highlight your own growing waistline as you dip your Santitas in queso between the Mustafina’s uneven bars routine and Canadian superduo Benfeiro & Fillion’s synchronized diving bronze medal performance? How often have you thought “I could do that!” while watching the pint-size Mary Whipple scream and nag the Women’s Eight to a gold medal on Dorney Lake? Well, as it turns out, Brooklyn is the birthplace of more than 100 Olympic athletes across 25 sports, so opportunities abound for the general public to train like — and perhaps become — an Olympian.

Sure, you could plop down $85 for a one-hour beginner’s riding lesson at the Jamaica Bay Riding Academy or $129/month for once-a-week lessons at the Brooklyn Fencing Club in Gowanus, but those are a bit pricey. With that in mind, I set out to find the freest and least expensive ways to train your way from eating the crushed powder in the bottom of an off-brand Smile-O’s to being on the front of a box of Wheaties. (more…)