"RBI Game Six" Viral Video Makes Unemployed 24-Year Old A Sought-After Star...
For legions of baseball fans, Bill Buckner's through-the-legs mishap at first base in the 1986 World Series remains the ultimate error. For one jobless 24 year old, the historic gaffe -- and an obsession with a Nintendo videogame nearly as old as himself -- provided a venue for online fame and an unlikely ticket out of unemployment.
The Gimmick
Conor Lastowka earlier this month uploaded an eight-and-half minute video to his Web site that paid tribute to the Red Sox veteran's agonizing error. "RBI Game Six," opens with the familiar strains of some long-abandoned theme music from network TV over the roaring thunder of a packed stadium. The unmistakable voice of broadcast legend Vin Scully intones, "five-three Red Sox and Wally Backman a strike."
The Wall Street Journal | AARON RUTKOFF | April 28, 2006 09:03 AM