During the expo hall last Tuesday at SES San Jose, I sat down with Matt Cutts for a 5 minute, impromptu chat on the air. Foolishly, I issued a challenge that anyone who sumo-wrestled me at the WebMasterRadio party on Wednesday night (Jim’s got great photos here) and won would earn the right to a free link from SEOmoz. This story has a bit of a nasty ending so parents, please put the kids back in the crib.
On Wednesday night, I was taken to dinner by the folks at Ask.com, which deserves (and will receive) its own blog entry. We feasted on a half dozen appetizers, 6 bottles of wine and plenty of fine seafood, plus dessert. At 11pm, when I arrived at the WebmasterRadio party, I found myself in an immediate confrontation with none other than famous SEO (and friend), Thomas Bindl.
While donning my pseudo-sumo suit, pictured below, I found myself feeling a tad queezy from the full stomach and hot padding. Needless to say, by the end of the match, I’d be in even worse shape.
I think I wore the blue suit, above
The first match felt short – I dove at Thomas’ feet, he danced around and my left arm and leg touched the yellow line. The second match, I raced for Thomas full-bore, he sidestepped and didn’t even need to touch me – I simply ran right out of the arena. On the third match, I cautiously approached Thomas, shoved him, and was shocked to see him fall out of the ring. The fourth match, I made the mistake of feet diving again and was quickly dispatched – a 3-1 victory for Thomas.
After removing the suit, I made my way quickly to the men’s room and proceeded to re-distribute some of the fine meal Ask had purchased. Luckily, the attendent in the men’s room was selling mouthwash and gum!
Two rules to remember – never pseudo-sumo on a full stomach, and never underestimate a German who owns lederhosen (specifically, these ones). Here’s your link, Thomas:
BTW – In case you’re wondering, this is indeed a link that constitutes an editorial “vote” for the quality and relevance of Thomas’ site.
