Last month I became fascinated in Russell Crowe’s divorce auction, in which he sold dozens of pieces of movie memorabilia from his career. This included an old leather jock strap he wore in Cinderella Man, and this story took a damn turn.
John Oliver is getting a koala chlamydia ward named after him after buying Russell Crowe’s old jock strap
Story of the year.
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
The jock strap sold for $8,540 — way above any estimations from auctioneers, which prompted questions over just who bought the thing. It turned out to be John Oliver and the Last Week Tonight, who bought the jock strap as a gift. But Crowe had the last laugh.
Over the weekend Crowe announced that he would be using the funds for a series of philanthropic works, one of which is to unveil “The John Oliver Koala Chlamydia Ward,” which will reside at Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital.
The disease is a serious problem among koalas in Australia, and Oliver’s money is being put to good use in developing vaccination techniques — but it’s still hilarious to think about. Oliver responded in kind, being moved by the announcement and mock-cancelling his show, saying that the ward is everything he wanted to achieve with the HBO show.
An incredible resolution to one of the weirdest stories of the year.
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