At the beginning of the 20th century, Australia decided to do something against its nature, ban gambling.
The result was the rise of the SP Bookie, illegal bookmakers based in pubs, barber shops, pool halls and anywhere people wanted them.
The result was a cat-and-mouse game between the police and the bookies; if the cats weren’t interested in capturing the mice and were willing to take bribes.
Titus has three live shows coming up in May in Melbourne. You can get tickets here.
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The Rise of the SP Bookie Part 1 – Sports Bizarre

Mick Molloy and Titus O’Reily are always on the lookout for a bizarre story. The harder to believe, the better.
Yet all these stories are true, even if many of them shouldn’t be.
Every Monday they delve into the world of sport with Sports Bizarre, and every Wednesday they turn their eye to the Animal Kingdom in Animal Bizarre.
From teammates who swapped wives to a crypto-investing hamster, one thing we guarantee if they are all bizarre.
You can also become a member of Bizarre Plus and receive a bonus episode every week, plus other benefits.
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Comedy

Sports

Titus and Mick cross the animal kingdom in this episode from a two-foot-tall cow to raccoons who ruin a gender reveal party.
They then pay a classy tribute to Mr Gox, the crypto-trading hamster who passed away unexpectedly. 
Titus has a live show in Melbourne on 7 June. You can get tickets here.
If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus.
Click here to join today
As a member, you’ll get:

A weekly bonus podcast
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The Crypto-Trading Hamster - Animal Bizarre

One of the most challenging athletic feats in human history is to swim the English Channel.
It’s 34 kilometres of open sea between England and France, which also happens to be the busiest sea lane in the world, with water temperatures hovering between 14 to 18 degrees Celsius in summer.
For your swim to be officially recognised, wet suits or any thermal protection are not allowed. It’s just you against the ocean.
Tides will also sweep you kilometres off course, you’ll almost certainly be stung by jellyfish, and even while swimming, the churning waves can make you seasick.
So why does anyone do it? Who was the first? And just how dangerous is it? Mick and Titus look at the history of swimming the English Channel.
Titus has a live show in Melbourne on 7 June. You can get tickets here.
If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus.
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A weekly bonus podcast
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Swimming the English Channel Part 1 - Sports Bizarre

Mick and Titus pay their respects to Magawa the rat who dedicated his life to detecting landmines. Plus, they discuss the Bahraini seagulls that are too fat to fly; loud cicada sex parties and the monotreme with four penises.
Titus has three live shows coming up in May in Melbourne. You can get tickets here.
If you’d like more Animal Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus.
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The Seagulls Too Fat to Fly - Animal Bizarre

By the 1930s, SP bookies were everywhere, with investigations discovering that every pub had an SP bookie, and the rare one that didn’t wasn’t economically viable.
After the radio had changed everything, the next bit of technology was about to change the life of the SP bookie in ways they couldn’t begin to imagine, the telephone.
Titus has three live shows coming up in May in Melbourne. You can get tickets here.
If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus.
Click here to join today
As a member, you’ll get:

A weekly bonus podcast
Access to all past episodes
Exclusive behind-the-scenes access
A fortnightly newsletter
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The Rise of the SP Bookie Part 2 - Sports Bizarre

In their first episode of Animal Bizarre, Mick and Titus discuss a bear that invaded a Japanese military base, penguins that get too cold and a woman breastfeeding a cat on an aeroplane. 
They then cover a man who while fleeing a swarm of bees jumps into a lake, only to be eaten by piranhas.
Titus has three live shows coming up in May in Melbourne. You can get tickets here.
If you’d like more Sports Bizarre, become a member of Bizarre Plus.
Click here to join today
As a member, you’ll get:

A weekly bonus podcast
Access to all past episodes
Exclusive behind-the-scenes access
A fortnightly newsletter
Access to the members-only chatroom
Ability to vote on future episodes
Early access to any live show tickets

Follow Sports Bizarre on:
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Facebook
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YouTube
  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Rise of the SP Bookie Part 1 – Sports Bizarre

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