The Flex calendar September 2008

Flex, Sept, 2008 by George De Pirro

1 MON

Take a break from all your hard work and enjoy Labor Day.

2 TUE

3 WED

The American Revolution officially ends with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in 1783.

4 THU

U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz wins his seventh gold medal at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, Germany, the most gold medals won by an athlete at a single Olympics.

The NFL season opens with Washington visiting the champion Giants.

Casey viator was only 19 when he won the 1971 Mr. America title; today he turns 57.

5 FRI

6 SAT

UFC 88: Breakthrough pits former world light-heavyweight champion "The Iceman" Chuck Lidell against unbeaten light-heavy "Sugar" Rashad Evans at Philips Arena in Atlanta.

7 SUN

Expect to see nasty tricks aplenty in the WWE's Unforgiven pay-per-view, live from Cleveland, Ohio.

8 MON

The October issue of FLEX goes on sale today.

9 TUE

10 WED

11 THU

Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers using two hijacjked airliners kill 2,974 people in New York City in 2001. A third airplan is flown into the Pentagon, while the fourth hijacked craft, Flight 93, goes down in a field in Pennsylvania.

12 FRI

13 SAT

The Atlantic City Pro, held at the Trump Marina Casino Hotel, offers some of the last chances to qualify for Olympia Weekend events.

14 SUN

Francis Scott Key pens "The Star-Spangled Banner" in 1814, a poem that in 1931 would become U.S. national anthem.

15 MON

In 1954, Marilyn Monroeis filmed laughing while her skirt is blown up by air from a subway vent for the movie The Seven Year Itch.

16 TUE

"Sugar" Ray Leonard knocks out Tommy Hearns and captures the middleweight title in 1981.

17 WED

18 THU

19 FRI

20 SAT

Ubiquitous West Coast promoter Jon Lindsay hosts the NPC Tournament of Champions in Anaheim, California. An IFBB pro figure title will also be decided.

The runner-up at the 2005 (and only) Olympia Wildcard Showdown, Brian Chamberlaine, celebrates his 34th bithday.

21 SUN

22 MON

The first day of fall.

Abraham Lincoln issue preliminary Emancipation Proclamation in 1862.

23 TUE

24 WED

Happy birthday to Vickie Gates, three time Ms. International.

The Mr. Olympia Press Conference mouths off at 1 PM in the Orleans Showroom. It's your chance to "Meet the Olympians" at the Mardi Gras Ballroom, beginning at 7 PM.

25 THU

The most anticipated time of the year is here! Olympia Weekend in Las Vegas has arrived.

26 FRI

Prejudging for the Mr. Olympia and finals for the Ms. D and Fitness O start at 7 PM in Orleans Arena. Prejudging for the women's Olympia events is earlier in the day at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

27 SAT

Mr. Olympia and Figure Olympia finals commence at 7 PM at Orleans Arena, capped by the Olympia Victory Gala. Daytime activities at the expo include Olympia Sport Martial Arts Championships, Olympia: 202 Showdown and the Flex Bikini Model Search Finals.

28 SUN

The Olympia Superstar Seminar closes out Olympia Weekend at 11 AM in the Orleans' Mardi Gras Ballroom.

29 MON

30 TUE

James Dean dies in 1955 after his Porsche 550 Spyder crashes into another car near Cholame, California.

BY GEORGE DE PIRRO Senior Editor