Naked Power Walking and other X Games events

ESPN will be in Charlotte next week to scout the city as a possible Summer X Games site. As the Observer's Jonathan Jones reported last weekend, ESPN officials will be checking out Charlotte Motor Speedway June 4 and 5. If the X Games were to come to Charlotte, the speedway complex would host many of the events.

Social media are buzzing with the recruitment of the X Games to Charlotte. The Queen City is one of four finalists to host the games for three years beginning in 2014, competing with Detroit, Chicago and Austin, Texas.

Supporters have created a Facebook page to show Charlotte's backing for the games as well as a Twitter account. A petition has been posted at Change.org, urging people to sign to show their support. It had about 300 signatures as of this morning.

Tweeters are having some fun with the whole thing. Using the hashtag #xclt, Charlotteans are tweeting tongue-in-cheek ideas for what X Games events would be uniquely fitting for Charlotte. Among the possible competitions: Naked Power Walking; Driving to a Charlotte Destination Without a GPS or Map; and Going to Amelie's at Midnight Without Looking Like a Hipster.

Our suggestion for a uniquely Charlotte X Games event: Bruton Smith vs. Jerry Richardson in a dash for cash.  What's yours?

-- Taylor Batten