Move over Sosa - the Dominican Rep. has a new Star

Reuters ^ | 6/4/03 | Manuel Jimenez

[jriemer]

Dominican Republic hails its first Miss Universe

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (Reuters) - Newly crowned Miss Universe (news - web sites) Amelia Vega of the Dominican Republic was the toast of her Caribbean nation on Wednesday, with President Hipolito Mejia leading the cheers for the 18-year-old beauty.

Vega, a 6-foot high school student and daughter of a former Miss Dominican Republic, won the pageant on Tuesday in Panama City.

"I followed all of this incredible event, which is a great plus for the Dominican Republic," Mejia told reporters on Wednesday.

"She's beautiful and intelligent and a national pride," Mejia said, adding that Vega, the first Miss Universe from the Dominican Republic, would probably boost tourism, a critical industry in the country of 8 million people.

Vega beat out 70 other women for the title.

As soon as her name was announced, people in Santo Domingo began to party on the streets, driving around and waving national flags and posters of their pageant queen.

For some, the win was viewed as a consolation for a country that was hit last month by a banking scandal that saw the collapse of a leading private bank with losses estimated at more than $2 billion.

"Amelia's win is a balm for all the sorrows our country has been going through," said Teresa Medrano, manager of the Miss Dominican Republic contest.

Miss Universe, jointly owned by property tycoon Donald Trump and NBC Television and launched by a swimsuit company 52 years ago, draws a global television audience estimated by organizers at 600 million people in 176 countries.

[jriemer]

Sammy Sosa is so Twentieth Century...

[Lance Romance]

Vacation planned. However, I am a bigger fan of Sammy's cousin. Boxer Victoriano Sosa. One tough SOB at 135lbs.

[TheConservator]

She puts the cork in my bat!

[Cacophonous]

OK, but can she hit a curve ball? Of course, with those curves...

[HEY4QDEMS]

The Top Ten by David Letterman


Top Ten Sammy Sosa Explanations


10. "My mind was clouded by the anabolic steroids"

9. "Damn Al-Qaeda"

8. "I may be a strong guy, but those bats is heavy"

7. "I wanted to catch the premiere of 'American Juniors' -- man, those kids can sing!"

6. "Hans Blix checked my bat for three months without finding any cork"

5. "Wanted to do something to take the heat off my girlfriend, Martha Stewart"

4. "Threat of rain necessitated a more buoyant bat"

3. "If you hit home runs you get paid $20 million a year, dumb ass"

2. "I was Punk'd"

1. "Pete Rose bet me I wouldn't do it"

[JohnnyZ]

More pix.

[Guillermo]

Miss Universe?

Isn't that a bit exclusionary?

[JohnnyZ]

More pix.

Of the chick, not Sosa.

[jriemer]

[jriemer]

[jriemer]

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Central & South American women are flat-out the sexiest in the world. Lots of hot, rural dirt-poor women available just waiting for a man.

[jriemer]

Miss Universe? Isn't that a bit exclusionary?

I don't she's qualified to be Mr. Universe...

[ServesURight]

Mega-dittos. The women there are very confident in their sexuality and comfortable displaying their full-figured and curvy bodies in public.

Unlike the Hollywood-like bimbos you see who have to take botox and silicone injections to make themselves look even remotely pretty and are too concerned with maintaining their Calista Flockhart skeleton figure.

[Guillermo]

No, it excludes non-earthlings...

[JohnnyZ]

Mmmmmmm . . . . .