Hey, remember a few weeks ago when you bought a British football team? No, you weren't drunk at the time, but when the US Treasury and the Federal Reserve board voted to bail out insurance giant AIG, it effectively bought a piece of Manchester United, the popular club AIG paid £56.5 million ($99 million) to sponsor in 2006. Finally, a reason for Americans to care about soccer!

But seriously: If you're in a footie-playing country, a game is a great way to experience life as a local. You may not recognize all the songs whistling past your ears towards the players (nor the colorful language) but you're in for a great game.

This month, Man U takes on West Brom and West Ham United at home and Everton away; British readers, any tips for Americans enjoying their first game ever?

Related Stories:
· US Government Announces AIG Bailout [CBC.ca]
· AIG Still Sponsoring Manchester United [Yorkblog]
· Manchester Travel coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: tunis marsh]]]> egw 2008-10-06T11:30:39-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/26/42226/9995

Rugby fans would already know that the 2008 Rugby League World Cup will be held up and down the east coast of Australia between October 25 and November 22. It turns out that Qantas offshoot Jetstar is the official airline for the championships--which apparently aren't important enough to be sponsored by a non-budget airline)

The reason we're excited is nothing to do with the rugby itself, but with Jetstar's competition to win a holiday package to the grand final of the cup. They've put their Jetstar Rugby League Game online for us all to play, and yes, we just wasted some precious minutes getting slightly addicted.

In the game you have to use your arrow keys to help your little guy make a try. Starting in Sydney and (if successful) moving on to Melbourne, Rockhampton, Gold Coast and Brisbane, your job is to navigate past other rugby players, referees, sea gulls, ice cream sales people and in true Aussie style, a few (naked) streakers running across the field. After the game you can fill in a form to win the Jetstar contest, but to be perfectly honest we're more into this virtual rugby than the real life game.

Related Stories:
· Play Jetstar Rugby League [Official Site]
· Bruno the Bear Online Game [Jaunted]]]> amandak 2008-09-26T10:00:34-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/22/61822/3290

Getting bored of sitting on a plane or train on your travels? Then you might need to head to Lisses, near Paris, for a session of parkour.

You might not know its name, but you've definitely seen parkour in action: That simultaneously crazy yet graceful art of jumping off buildings or climbing up walls made famous by Daniel Craig in the first chase scene of "Casino Royale." Lisses is the town where the whole parkour craze began and word is that on the last weekend of the month, a free training session takes place for novices.

Just meet at the famous Park du Lac--for example, this coming weekend should see some action--but don't forget to check first if your travel insurance will cover a broken leg caused by jumping off a staircase onto a wall.

Related Stories:
· Crazy Travel Experiences [news.com.au]
· Paris Travel coverage [Jaunted]]]> amandak 2008-09-22T09:05:31-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/8/172446/4081

So Tom Brady is done for the season thanks to a torn ACL, and his New England Patriots are trying to regroup. While some will consider this the most epic event in sports since OSU won a national championship in 2002, most of you who care about such things are likely gonna need a drink.

Boston is awash in pro-Pats pubs, but what if you find yourself in enemy territory? Find a friend and drown your sorrows at one of these Boston-loving bars.

Related Stories:
· In New York: Pat O'Brien's [Official Site]
· In Los Angeles: Sonny McLean's [Official Site]
· In DC: Murphy's [Official Site]
· In Seattle: Floyd's Place [Official Site]
· Elsewhere in the US [Murphy's Patriots]]]> pbb 2008-09-08T17:25:37-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/8/85937/97356

Is it just us, or has the US Open gotten a hell of a lot trendier in recent years?

In the past, courtside interviews were limited to country club celebs like Regis Philbin and Donald Trump. But this year, the stands have been full every day with A-listers like Natalie Portman, Will Ferrell and Common. Queens has never had it so good.

For further celeb-spotting, the US Open website has a day-by-day gallery of famous faces who have attended matches this year. As for tennis, the tournament wraps up this afternoon, with the Tropical Storm Hannah-delayed men's final between Roger Federer and Andy Murray.

Related Stories:
· US Open Photo Gallery [Official Site]
· Where is the US Open? [Jaunted]
· Back of the Envelope Eating Guide: Where to Grub at the US Open [Jaunted]

[Photo: US Open]]]> BS 2008-09-08T10:15:24-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/4/225744/1513

To fans of the New England Patriots, a new season means a new chance to go undefeated and make Eli Manning's Boy Scout face go far, far away. For us, it's an opportunity to see if Foxboro retailers' bid to liven up the town around Gillette Stadium actually works.

The regular-season home opener for the Pats is Sunday. Since Patriot Place hasn't opened yet, if you hit our hot spots now maybe you won't need glove warmers--'cause you'll be holding hands with someone who isn't Pat Patriot!]]> egw 2008-09-05T15:00:22-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2008/9/1/231154/8183

Anyone who has been to Boston--or has met anyone from the city--knows that watching the local sports teams play is something akin to a religious ceremony for most Bostonians. And those that worship at the temple of the New England Patriots now have a little more space to love in.

As the NFL season gets underway, the Pats are unveiling the anchors of the massive new Patriot Place complex, a 1.3-million-square-foot shopping, dining and entertainment district that gives fans a reason to stay in Foxboro after the game.]]> BS 2008-09-02T10:30:21-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/