A still image from the video, which can be seen below. (Photo: KMTV-TV)
Interviews with spectators at sporting events can be repetitive, but one Mississippi State baseball fan found a way to liven things up when discussing the NCAA College World Series in Nebraska.
On Tuesday, Megan Stewart, a reporter for Omaha’s KMTV-TV, approached Bulldogs fan Terry Powell to get his take on whether persistent rain delays had dampened his spirits. Powell, of Madison, Mississippi, said he was excited despite the soggy conditions and then detailed some extreme measures he claimed he and his family had taken to get there.
“The sacrifices that we personally made to be here are incredible,” Powell said. “My wife’s boyfriend sold his prosthetic leg on Craigslist to afford me the opportunity to be here, but they get alone time, and I get a chance to be in Omaha.”
Y’all. This Mississippi State fan’s description of the sacrifices his family made so he could be in Omaha. You just have to listen. 😂 pic.twitter.com/4qCweFDxPS
Powell sounded as if he were admitting to a bizarre love triangle. For her part, Stewart continued the interview as though nothing were unusual, and after a clip was posted online, it quickly went viral.
His wife, Lee Powell, even tweeted about the video:
I’m so just so proud of my husband right now😂 Hey I see ya @Thirstygringo1
An extended version of the interview has since been shared, in which it’s clear Terry Powell was joking. Still, he did an amazing job keeping a straight face while spinning the yarn.
WATCH THE COMPLETE INTERVIEW:
He has since received at least one request for a follow-up interview, which apparently conflicted with the removal of some unwanted hair:
And then there’s this Gators fan with a prosthetic leg who claimed to be Lee Powell’s boyfriend:
I am Terry Powell's wife's boyfriend! It was worth selling my leg to get him out of the house because he is a lowly Mississippi State fan. GO GATORS 🐊 pic.twitter.com/RoQOnxlGLG
Taco Bell attempted a different kind of advertising for April Fools Day 1996 when they purchased full page ads in seven major newspapers across the U.S. In these ads Taco Bell announced that they had purchased the Liberty Bell and were renaming it the "Taco Liberty Bell." They claimed that the purchase was to "help alleviate national debt." Thousands of people picked up their phones and protested until Taco Bell revealed the hoax at noon that day. It is believed that Taco Bell's strategy paid off and earned them millions of dollars in free publicity.
Man Runs 26 Day Marathon
The "Daily Mail" in London reported that a Japanese man had entered the 1981 London Marathon and due to a mistranslation thought he had to run for 26 days, not miles. A man was spotted running outside of London and wouldn't stop when people tried to get his attention. The whole story turned out to be a hoax and the man that people saw was just another piece to the elaborate prank by The "Daily Mail".
Left-Handed Whopper
The April 1st 1998 edition of the USA Today featured a full page ad by Burger King announcing the creation of their latest twist on their most popular sandwich, The Left Handed Whopper. The ad stated that the condiments on the burger were rotated 180 degrees for easier consumption by people who were left handed. The following day Burger King released a press release that confirmed that the Left-Handed Whopper was not real and that thousands of people went into various Burger Kings asking for both left and right-handed Whoppers.
Wisconsin Capitol Building Collapses
In 1933, the "Madison Capital-Times" reported that the capitol building had collapsed due to a build-up of gases from the debating that was going on in the building. After it was discovered that the building was intact, the "Capital-Times" was met with a reaction of both outrage and laughter.
Whistling Carrots
British Supermarket chain Tesco ran an ad in "The Sun" that announced that they had developed genetically modified carrots that grew with tapered air holes in their sides. When the carrot was fully cooked the carrot would use these air holes and "whistle." Unfortunately for many disappointed customers, Tesco made the whole thing up, but most likely sold more carrots than usual.
Google: Mentalplex
The first time Google pulled a prank on its faithful users was for April Fools Day in 2000. Google announced its new "Mentalplex Technology" which claimed to be able to read a user's mind so they didn't have to enter their search query. A person using "Mentalplex" would have to stare at a revolving shape and then would be treated to a Google Results page for "April Fools Day". This was the first time Google surprised its users and it certainly wasn't the last. There is an entire Wikipedia article dedicated to Google's various hoaxes.
Thomas Edison's Food Machine
Thomas Edison was renowned as a genius in his day and in 1878 New York "Graphic" announced that the New Jersey dweller had invented a machine that could turn water into wine and soil into cereal. This of course was a hoax, but other newspapers around the country didn't get the joke and published the article with tons of editorial praise. The next day the "Graphic" re-published some of the praise with the headline, "They Bite!"
Alabama Changes The Value Of Pi
The "New Mexicans for Science and Reason" newsletter played a huge prank on its number crunching readers. For their April 1998 issue, the newsletter ran an article claiming that Alabama State legislature had legally changed the value of Pi from 3.141 to the more biblically important 3. This article spread like wildfire and was reported by other news outlets. The result was Alabama's State Legislature being flooded with phone calls in protest of a law that they weren't even aware of. The perpetrator of the prank was physicist Mark Boslough. Who knew that a physicist could be such a prankster?
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