Saturday, January 30, 2016

'A lifelong fan of the Bears (except Jay Cutler)' disses quarterback from beyond the grave

A lifelong Chicago Bears fan didn't let a little thing like death keep her from throwing some serious shade at the team's current quarterback Jay Cutler.

From her grave, the late Elizabeth Porter Bowman made it known that she was not a huge fan of 32-year-old Cutler, and even mentioned him in her obituary.


According to the 78 year-old woman's obituary published in the Chicago Tribune, Bowman was surrounded by her children when died in Northbrook, Illinois on January 9. 



"Betsy was an elementary school teacher and later a tutor, but her passion and focus was being a dedicated and involved mother and grandmother," read her obituary. 

"She was a woman of loyalty, integrity, opinion, curiosity and intelligence.

"A lifelong fan of the Cubs, Blackhawks and Bears (except Jay Cutler)."

The oft-maligned Cutler — who has been playing for the Bears since 2009 and lives in Chicago with his wife, Kristin Cavallari, and their three children — has heard the boos before.

But, as far as we know, not from the great beyond.

Cutler was the only athlete mentioned in the obit, but it's not clear why Bowman held such a grudge against the quarterback. 

The Bears or Cutler have not commented about Bowman's final words. 

Friday, January 29, 2016

Matt Harvey admits to having 'three-way' and sex on the diamond (VIDEO)

Remember the days when a sit down with a sports star usually meant stats and offseason training?

Well, kiss those days goodbye.

Matt Harvey appeared on the Bravo talk show "Watch What Happens: Live" on Thursday night and the New York Mets pitcher titillated hosts Connie Chung (remember her?) and Bravo reality guru Andy Cohen with naughty tidbits about his sex life.


New York's new man about town not only told the former TV news anchor about doing it on a baseball field ("in college" yawn) but admitted having having a three-way — and we're not talking about about contract discussions with Fred Wilpon and Sandy Alderson.
After claiming he uses women's deodorant, the talk actually got to baseball — or at least the locker room — when he was asked which Met had the biggest member.

"Can I plead the fifth on this one?" he asked his hosts.

No questions about Ms. Met's rack though.

Anyway, Harvey was finally quizzed on if he regretted asking to be put back into Game 5 of the World Series last year.

"Not for a second," he said.

But when Chung asked if Harvey thought Terry Collins regretted putting him back in, he said "You'd have to ask him."

Harvey's going to need a case of Lady Speed Stick after this stink fest. 

And at least Derek Jeter gave out gift bags ... probably.

Anaheim Ducks' Clayton Stoner hit with hunting ban for killing grizzly bear

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Clayton Stoner has been banned from hunting for three years and fined $10,000 for killing a grizzly bear on British Columbia’s central coast nearly three years ago.


Stoner acknowledged through his lawyer Wednesday that he had breached the provincial Wildlife Act during the hunt in May 2013. Lawyer Marvin Stern said his client mistakenly believed he was qualified to participate as a resident.

The hockey star wasn’t in the Abbotsford courtroom, but Stern pleaded guilty on Stoner's behalf to hunting without a license. Provincial court Judge Brent Hoy accepted that Stoner thought he was qualified as a resident, but the law had still been breached.

“If one hunts, then one must do so responsibility,” he said.

Stoner, who was with the Minnesota Wild at the time, had been widely criticized by animal rights groups after pictures of the NHL player holding the severed head and paws of the bear were made public.


But the bigger issue to many wildlife and nature advocates was hunting in general.

The incident had reignited passions over the hunting issue that has long divided British Columbia. The provincial government hands out 300 licenses each year and hunting generates more than $300-million in annual revenue for the state.

The government did drop four other charges against Stoner, including knowingly making a false statement to obtain a hunting license, hunting out of season and unlawfully possessing dead wildlife.

Stoner, who’s originally from Port McNeill on Vancouver Island, owns a home in Langford, B.C. To obtain a commercial trophy license, a hunter must reside in B.C. for at least half of each of six months in the previous year.

“For an NHL player ... they’re going to be out of the province for at least seven months,” Cryder told the court. “He hasn’t, in fact, qualified as a resident.”

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Iowa fight song inexplicably blares from vacant Niagara Falls building for 8 hours a day (VIDEO)

Even though the school sits over 800 miles away, over the last six straight months and for reasons unknown, the University of Iowa fight song has reportedly played on a loop out of a vacant downtown Niagara Falls building for eight hours a day — every day.

The horns and drums start up every afternoon around the same time — lasting from about 3 p.m. until 11 p.m. — and the inexplicable music is driving neighborhood residents crazy with its constant play.


The haunting monotone recording has even prompted an investigation from the mayor and local police.
“I can’t override it. I turn my TV up, turn my stereo up and close the windows,” Kevin Robertson, a tenant and chef at a building across the street, told The Buffalo News. “It is definitely being done with malice.”

Robertson, who said he's complained to police and judges, told the newspaper he hears the Hawkeyes song playing in his head and it's driving him "crazy."

The owner of an upscale bistro across the street estimated that the song plays about 500 times a day.

“They play it for 50 seconds over and over again. I could sing it to you almost by heart,” Shawn Weber said. "It's ridiculously annoying."


The building's owner, Joe Anderson, reportedly hasn't responded to complaints so far.

Niagara Falls Mayor Paul A. Dyster and Police Superintendent E. Bryan DalPorto said they are aware of the spooky problem. Dyster added that it will come before the city council at its next meeting on Feb. 8.

“I can tell you we are not happy about it," Dyster said. "It seems like a deliberate attempt to disrupt other businesses on the street."

Sounds more like a Twilight Zone episode to me.

Undefeated high school wrestler lets opponent with special needs win (VIDEO)

An undefeated Massachusetts high school wrestling champion didn't let his ego get in the way of making another grappler's wish come true.

Norton High School wrestler Deven Schuko — who, until this match last weekend, was undefeated throughout his senior season — was beaten by an overwhelmingly underdog opponent from Dighton-Rehoboth Regional High School team.

That opponent? A special needs student named Andy Howland — a hard-working young man who was the beneficiary of Schuko's grand gesture of sportsmanship.


"He wanted a match, and I wanted to tangle with him," said Schuko after being pinned moments after the two wrestlers shook hands on the mat.


Schuko said he was more than happy to reward Howland for his hard work and dedication over the course of the season, reported Paul Burton of Boston’s WBZ-TV:

"We shook hands, and we locked up, and he was a tough kid. And he bulldogged me over to my back. I couldn’t stop the power. I’ve been in sports all my life and wrestling, I believe, is most demanding and for someone like Andy to wrestle and stick with it, I wanted to make his day."

"Deven Schuko, he's a class act," Norton wrestling coach Pat Coleman said of his top-ranked co-captain's unselfish gesture.

And Schuko's 27-1 record shouldn't come with an asterisk. It should probably come with a heart.

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Australian rugby star facing huge fine, ban for lewd act with dog (VIDEO)

If you thought the antics of Johnny Manziel recently caught on video were shocking, wait until you see the obscene actions that were captured on tape of Australian rugby star Mitchell Pearce.

The Sydney Roosters bad boy make the Browns quarterback look like a choirboy.


Pearce is set to be stripped of the club's captaincy and fined up to $50,000 after video emerged of him forcing himself on a woman, peeing in his shorts and simulating a lewd act with a dog on Australia Day.

The Roosters halfback could be permanently banned from the NRL.


In the video obtained by A Current Affair, a clearly inebriated Pearce is seen making advances towards a female partygoer and being reprimanded for urinating on a couch at a home in Sydney.

After being rejected by the woman, he can be seen picking up a small  Maltese terrier and simulating a lewd act on the dog as its owner tries to snatch it away.

(WARNING: Sexually perverse video)
This latest incident follows the infamous "woman in the yellow dress" scandal from 2014, which saw Pearce evicted from a Sydney pub after allegedly groping a female patron.

He was fined $20,000 and suspended for an NRL match in May after he was arrested following a wild drinking session with teammates.

The Sydney Roosters issued a statement: “The Sydney Roosters are aware of an incident involving Mitchell Pearce. The Club has advised the NRL’s Integrity Unit. The Club will conduct an internal investigation and will be making no further comment at this time.”

Pearce is also likely to be banned from traveling to the UK for next month's World Club Challenge.

Lucky for the NFL, nobody will ever confuse that with Cleveland's Dawg Pound.

Mammoth bones dug up during Oregon State football stadium renovation (PHOTOS)

Construction workers building an extension to Oregon State University's football stadium uncovered some large bones believed to belong to a very large animal from prehistoric times — namely a mammoth. 


On Monday, the crew digging in the north end zone in Reser Stadium in Corvallis discovered several large bones believed to be 10,000 years old. 

Fortunately, the university has its own in-house expert who examined the find and discovered — unhappily for OSU fans — it wasn't some giant beaver.

"There are quite a few bones and dozens of pieces," said Loren Davis, the university's associate professor of archeology.


The startling find was witnessed by members of OSU football team as excavation workers huddled around the unearthed bones sticking out of the dirt.

The project is part of the stadium’s expansion and renovation project before the start of the 2016 football season. It’s unclear if the archaeological find will delay construction.


"Some of the bones are not in very good shape, but some are actually quite well preserved," said Davis. "There don’t appear to be any signs of human bones or artifacts at the site. Further testing will be needed to determine the bones’ exact age."

According to the professor, the bones included the remains of mammoth, bison as well as some kind of camel or possibly a horse. 

Davis said his students will work their way through the pile to find any additional bones. 

"It’ll be a great learning experience for them, to learn how to identify extinct animal bones," he added. "It’s really an amazing find."


Advice columnist duped by Keith Hernandez 'Seinfeld' plot

Here's one advice columnist who definitely isn't a master of her domain — or at least of pop TV culture.

One sneaky reader wanted counsel from syndicated advice columnist Amy Dickinson and used a well known Seinfeld episode — the one when Jerry meets former MLB star Keith Hernandez and gets taken advantage of — as a real-life dilemma for the Dear Amy writer to offer some urgent guidance.


 And "Feeling Foolish" actually received a serious response back from the duped columnist:


Here's a snippet from the two-part Hernandez episode, which was first shown in 1993 — and rerun thousands of times since.



Now on to my own personal issues:

Dear Amy: I've recently run into problems with a pesky upstairs neighbor. He's a mailman ...



Tuesday, January 26, 2016

Hound dog goes for walk and finishes seventh in half-marathon (PHOTOS)

An Alabama hound dog turned doing her business into an hour-and-a-half chore — and even got a medal for it.

Two-and-a-half-year-old Ludivine snuck out of her backyard and made her way unnoticed to the starting area of the Trackless Train Trek Half Marathon in Elkmont, Alabama, about a quarter mile away from her home on Saturday.

And the unregistered runner kept up with the pack, finishing the race in seventh place. 


The dog, without her owner's knowledge, mingled with the participants at the start before keeping pace and finishing the entire 13.1-mile race. 

Ludivine crossed the finish line in an unofficial time of 1:32:56, placing seventh overall in the race. 


The floppy-eared pooch's owner, April Hamlin, told Runner's World that all she did was open the door and Ludivine — who is prone to roaming the woods and local town — ended up running the race "on her own accord."

Hamlin was able to watch the action as it unfolded because she received texts and photos from friends volunteering at the race.

And everyone around her farm knows Ludivine.


"My first reaction was that I was embarrassed and worried that she had possibly gotten in the way of the other runners."

The fact that Ludivine ran the entire 13.1 miles was surprising to her owner who said "she’s actually really lazy."

After all, she is a hound dog.

Tim Horvath said he ran most of the race with Ludivine, who kept up with him despite her several stops along the way to sniff out a dead rabbit, mingle with some mules and cows and meet with another dog near the course.

"She would run off to romp through streams and into yards to sniff around for a while," said Jim Clemens, another runner who finished the race in fourth place.


And to think Ludivine was in position to win the race — if only all those critters didn't distract her along the way.

Monday, January 25, 2016

Girls basketball team is kicked out of league for being 'too talented'

The Everybody Gets a Trophy police have struck again — and this time it's a Minnesota girls basketball team who are the target of a wussification warrant.



The Rogers Area Youth Basketball Association (RAYBA) girls' high school team said they were told by the North West Suburban Basketball League that they would be no longer welcome to play league games because they are "too talented" and cited the girls' "skill level."

The team said the news came in a letter just the day before they were due to play in a showcase 3-on-3 tournament and while the girls were on a three game winning streak.

"The Northwest Suburban Basketball League decided RAYBA does not fit into the league," the letter read. "The main reason they made this decision is because other teams do not want to play RAYBA due to the skill level."

But coach Jason Hanauska says that by banning his team, the league will stop talent from developing.

“If we had any talent in the league, this is where we would've found out and that's what really makes us mad.” Hanauska said.

"We found out on Friday they were not going to be allowed because according to the league our girls were too talented," he told Fox 9.

"Three teams were threatening to I guess either forfeit the games against us or flat out quit the league. So for some reason they kicked us out."


And the players and their parents echoed Hanauska's thoughts, calling the decision "absurd."

"Are we supposed to play worse just to make them happy?" One player said.

Another of the girls' mothers told the station, "Do we take the (NFL’s) Patriots or Cardinals, who are going to the championship game, and kick them to the curb because they’re too good?"

Maybe not the best team references for mom to use — after the NFL's championship games Sunday — but you get the point.

The Northwest Suburban League have yet to comment on the situation.

Officials from the league are due to meet with Hanauska on Monday to discuss the situation.

Excited Panthers fan falls out of stands after Kuechly pick-six (VIDEO)

After Carolina Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly put the finishing touch on Sunday’s NFC Championship Game victory over the Arizona Cardinals with his fourth-quarter pick-six, a fan came flying out of the stands.


Kuechly was trotting along the back of the end zone, high-fiving everyone when the pumped up dude fell over. The All-Pro and a security guard helped shaken the fan up, but he seemed alright.



The Panthers are heading to the Super Bowl, so here's a suggestion — put seatbelts on the first row seats at Levi's Stadium.

Saturday, January 23, 2016

Transgender athletes can compete in Olympics without having gender reassignment surgery: Report

The International Olympic Committee has reportedly adopted a new policy which will open the field of competition to transgender athletes who will be able to participate in events — even without having gender reassignment surgery.


According to OutSports, the IOC upgraded its guidelines in November from its "Consensus Meeting on Sex Reassignment and Hyperandrogenism," which allow for broader policies already adopted by other regulatory sports organizations including the NCAA. 

The new transgender guidelines have not been confirmed by Olympic officials, but are available on the organization's website and expected to be adopted in time for the 2016 Summer Olympic games. 

The updated language specifically says:
“To require surgical anatomical changes as a pre-condition to participation is not necessary to preserve fair competition and may be inconsistent with developing legislation and notions of human rights. It is necessary to ensure insofar as possible that trans athletes are not excluded from the opportunity to participate in sporting competition.”
Simply explained, the previous requirement of surgery was probably intended to prevent transgender female athletes with testicles, and thus higher testosterone levels, from competing in women’s Olympic games.

Prior to the updated guidelines, the Stockholm Consensus adopted in 2004 required transgender athletes to change their gender both physically and legally in order to compete in the Olympic games. In addition, transgender female athletes had to undergo two years of post-surgery hormone replacement therapy prior to competing. 

Joanna Harper, chief medical physicist, radiation oncology at Providence Portland Medical Center, was one of the people at the Consensus Meeting on Sex Reassignment and Hyperandrogenism. She is also transgender, and said her opinion was important in determining the new guidelines.

"The new IOC transgender guidelines fix almost all of the deficiencies with the old rules," Harper said wrote in an email to OutSports. Hopefully, organizations such as the ITA will quickly adapt to the new IOC guidelines and all of the outdated trans policies will get replaced soon.

"The waiting period for trans women goes from two years after surgery to one year after the start of HRT," Harper added. "This matches up with the NCAA rules and is as good as anything. The waiting period was perhaps the most contentious item among our group and one year is a reasonable compromise."

This decision will allow female athletes with naturally elevated levels of testosterone to also compete. 

While the proposal won't disrupt the playing field right away, it might open doors for transgender athletes like Chris Mosier, who last year qualified for the US Sprint Duathlon team, to compete against men in the Olympics.

Mosier has not undergone gender reassignment surgery but now fulfills the hormone replacement guidelines.
Caitlyn Jenner won a gold medal at the Montreal Summer Olympics in the Men's Decathlon event forty years ago when she was then known as Bruce Jenner.


If she were to compete today — if she had undergone one year of hormone replacement therapy — she could compete in the women's event.

Jerry Seinfeld takes some credit for Yoenis Cespedes signing with Mets


Nobody was happier that the Mets signed outfielder Yoenis Cespedes to a three-year, $75 million deal on Friday night than the team's most famous fan — Jerry Seinfeld.


And the New York comedian summed up the Metsies' enthusiasm over the news with a pair of tweets: 
It even sounded like he helped seal the deal with the Cuban star.




Not that there is anything wrong with that.

Friday, January 22, 2016

Oilers' Matt Hendricks blocks hockey puck with groin, shows off shattered cup (VIDEO)

You can say Matt Hendricks took two for the team Thursday night in Dallas, after blocking a a hockey puck with his crotch.


Men. Get ready to cringe.



The Oilers' forward reportedly collapsed in the tunnel on his way to the locker room for medical attention, but returned to the ice after missing a few shifts.

And if you don't think it was a solid hit, Hendricks later tweeted a photo of his busted cup as proof — thanking Bike and Russell Athletic for "saving my bacon tonight" in the post.

Thankfully, there was no mention of crushed nuts.
"Good thing that company makes a solid product … that’s a vital area," Hendricks told the Edmonton Journal after the Oilers’ 3-2 loss to the Stars.

"I was hurting but I got out unscathed,” said Hendricks, who claims he was lucky not to take it in the testicle.

"We’ve all been hit there before, all the fellas anyway, but this was scary, instant pain."

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Seeing China's Mysterious Li River By Boat Is A Trip Back in Time

Article and photos by Tony Mangia

China can be a frustrating and exhausting place for even the most laid-back traveller. With all of the pushing and shoving, the smog, crowding and communication barriers, it’s easy to have your enthusiasm smothered as you tour this great country. So it’s no wonder if a short boat cruise away from it all might just be the antidote for your frayed nerves?

Well… yes and no.


I set off for a few days in Yangshuo from Guilin via a Lijiang River tour boat after three weeks of bouncing around overcrowded Beijing and Xi’an.  After touching down in Guilin — luggage lost by China Air — with no planned itinerary, I began my quest for sanctuary. And, like just about anywhere else in China, nothing seems to be easy as it sounds.


The Li River, as it is more commonly known, is a winding band of mostly clear water in southeast China that flows  about 430 kilometers down from Cat Mountain in Xing’an County north of Guilin into the West River. I would be traveling between Guilin and Yangshuo, an 83 kilometer liquid ribbon which traverses through thousands of mystical and scenic mountains rising like giant bumps in the land. The banks of the Li feature spectacular landscapes and dozens of small towns and villages which still have an old-style architecture.



The reflections of the magical mountains ripple in the greenish water as numerous waterfalls spill from the cliffs replenishing the river in the rainy season.



And in the month of May, when I started my little excursion, it is the beginning of the monsoon season — or as it more poetically known — ‘plum-rain weather.’


And it isn't as pleasant as it sounds.

Bills hire first full-time female assistant coach in NFL history

Rex Ryan took a big step towards to bringing more women into the NFL after the Buffalo Bills announced Wednesday that they hired Kathryn Smith as a "special teams quality control coach." 

While the title sounds very specific — but at the same time vague — the hire does make Smith the first-ever full-time female NFL assistant coach in the league and turns feet-loving Ryan into a special footnote in sports history.


“Kathryn Smith has done an outstanding job in the seven years that she has worked with our staff,” Ryan said in a statement released by the team. “She certainly deserves this promotion based on her knowledge and strong commitment, just to name a couple of her outstanding qualities, and I just know she’s going to do a great job serving in the role of Quality Control-Special Teams.”


Smith started her career with the Jets, joining the organization in 2003 as a game day and special events intern. She became a college scouting intern in 2005, a player personnel assistant in 2007 and assistant to the head coach in 2014. She followed Ryan to Buffalo in 2015 after the Jets fired him.

The NFL has already seen women break down gender barriers after the Cardinals hired Jen Welter as an assistant coaching intern for training camp last year. Welter was believed to be the first female coach in NFL history, but Smith will become the first full-time NFL coach.


“I consulted with Bruce Arians on this since he was really the first NFL head coach to make this kind of move when he hired a female linebackers coach through the summer,” Ryan said in the statement. “You can see the success some of these young ladies are having in the coaching profession, such as the young lady that is an assistant to Coach (Gregg) Popovich at the San Antonio Spurs, and realize how exciting this is for women like Kathryn Smith as well as the Bills organization.”

Ryan was referring to Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon.

“Kathryn has been working in a football administrative role and assisted the assistant coaches for years,” Ryan added. “She has proven that she’s ready for the next step, so I’m excited and proud for her with this opportunity. She will work with Danny Crossman and Eric Smith involving a number of responsibilities.”

One big step for women and one new pair of tiny feet for Rex.

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

High school girl's basketball teams have seasons suspended for ugly brawl (VIDEO)

Two Indianapolis high school girls basketball teams which engaged in a benches-clearing brawl Saturday night — a melee that reportedly involved punching, pushing, shoving and stomping — will now have their seasons, and postseasons, cancelled after the state school athletic board took a firm stand against the seemingly increasing rash of violent sports incidents.


Ben Davis High School and Pike High School were in the fourth quarter when one player was fouled; a cell phone video taken during the game then shows a fight break out, with benches clearing and fans rushing the court.



"I know that everyone has seen the video and there is going to be the day that somebody gets catastrophically injured," said Indiana High School Athletic Association commissioner Bobby Cox, who handed out punishments to both teams on Monday.

The IHSAA ended both teams' seasons and they have been suspended from playing in February's state tournament.

Last year, the IHSAA suspended the seasons of two boy's basketball teams after another wild brawl on the court.

The coaches involved will be required to take a role-modeling and behavior course from the national federation and every student athlete in the basketball program will be required to take the sportsmanship course.

Both teams, who reportedly engaged in trash-talking throughout the matchup, will be on probation with the association next season.

The violent game will stand as a double-forfeit, and it is up to school administrators to discipline individual players involved in the scuffle.

China's Scooter Culture is Changing the Environment in Many Ways

Article and Photos by Tony Mangia


The first thing visitors probably notice on the city streets of China is the vast number of mopeds and scooters flying down the streets. Not surprising since almost an estimated 200 million of them are buzzing through the traffic-clogged roadways everyday.


With the prices of cars too high and the hoards of bicycle riders declining rapidly, there is now an explosion of electric bikes and scooters spreading around China — with another 150 million more of them expected to be rolling by 2018. Even those who can afford automobiles are trading the four-wheelers in for the e-bikes to make zipping around traffic less of a chore.

So when tourists aren’t dodging the Frogger-like obstacle course on the congested streets and sidewalks, they might actually take the time to do a little scooter-watching.

And the two-wheeled trend is cool  — without trying too hard to be.


Whether on the 10-lane wide stretches of Beijing or dirt paths outside Yangshuo, the electric scooter culture — which really kicked off right before the 2008 Olympics — of China is widespread and growing. The 500 watt motors usually top out at around 40km/h — about the same pep as a 50cc gas engine — but without the noise or harmful emissions.

The similar factory designs give the e-bikes a sameness that screams for some personal flair. So the scooters are often tricked out with special decals, an upgraded paint job or even a little gold glitter to give the owner a special identity. Call it the Mods meeting Mao. But in the end, mostly, the two-wheelers have one main function — to get the riders around.




Even the wet weather isn’t a factor as hordes of riders find an array of ingenious ways to stay dry and scoot along. Apparently there’s no storm a colorful poncho, plastic shield or well placed umbrella can’t handle.




And sometimes a little hint of innovative fashion sticks out from underneath all the scooter monotony.


Young women who color-coordinate their outfits with their bikes ride alongside weary workmen hauling everything from pigs heads to air conditioners and everything in between. While customized surgeon masks (for the smog) outnumber helmets (there are no headgear laws) — sunglasses, face shields and fancy hats are all part of the e-bike style.


  Moms stand their kids on the floorboards for their morning lift to school. Girls in miniskirts ride sidesaddle, head slumped over their boyfriends’ shoulders and it’s not uncommon to see a family of five lined up on a single seat of a scooter flying down the bike lane.


That’s not to say the scooter explosion in China is not without its critics. Many claim the swarms of scooters and mopeds crowd the streets, disrupt traffic and cut off cars and traditional bicyclists. They say the 30km/h speed limit does little to prevent the two-wheeled menaces from causing additional accidents and nudging pedestrians from the crosswalks and sidewalks into the paths of incoming traffic.


Beijing actually banned the e-bikes in 2002, only to change their minds in 2006. The Chinese government threatened new regulations in 2009 to curb the influx of e-bikes on the streets — rules that would have made them the legal equivalent of a motorcycle, only to reverse their decision in 2010.

There are also environmental concerns surrounding the electric bike phenomenon. While the e-bike doesn’t emit greenhouse gases, it takes electric charges from power plants that do. And the recycling and disposal of the millions of used batteries is leaving a giant ecological footprint. The lead-acid battery production has been increasing by double-digit percentages and, in part to meet demand for e-bikes, China is manufacturing nearly 50 million of them each year. And that is one big foot. 
All of those eco repercussions mean mostly nothing to the Chinese consumer since it takes only about 1 yuan (15 U.S. cents) to charge an electric bike’s battery for the whole day. And when one-way city bus fare costs more, it looks like the e-bike has the common man’s vote.


So if you make it to China and the thought of actually straddling an e-bike (you’ll need a license) and jostling handlebars with the locals isn’t your cup of tea, grab a Snow beer and sit back. Watching the scooters and their riders is a fun way of getting to see a way of life in China.

More photos:

Monday, January 18, 2016

You may not want to see what one of these fighters is about to reveal (PHOTO)

Travis Browne and Matt Mitrone both stood in the octagon after their Sunday night bout at UFC Fight Night 81. And one of them was about to reveal something pretty shocking.


WARNING: This might be one of the most gruesome black eyes you will ever see:




And if you couldn't guess by the raised arm and bulging eyeball, Mitrione lost by TKO at 4:09 of the third round.

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Tyson Fury storms ring to demand fight with Deontay Wilder after KO (VIDEO)

In a scene that was more WWE than WBC, Tyson Fury stormed into the ring and demanded a fight with Deontay Wilder after the heavyweight beat Artur Szpilka with a stunning knockout at Barclays Center Saturday night.

Fury, who beat Wladimir Klitschko in November, was in Brooklyn to watch WBC champion Wilder beat the Polish fighter — who was still sprawled out on the canvas — when Fury hopped into the ring.


And after Wilder won Saturday's fight with a devastating ninth round knockout, the British loudmouth jumped through the ropes, slammed down his jacket and stormed around the ring.

With Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis looking on, Wilder and Fury then squared up with the Brit taking the microphone and shouting, "There's only one Tyson Fury. What have you got to say about that Deontay?"

"We all know Fury, you are just a phony, this is just an act," responded Wilder. "You know where I am, you know what time, you know what place, I ain't scared of nobody, I'll come to your back yard."

After getting in the winner's face, Fury crowed, "Any time! Any place! Anywhere. I'll fight you in your back garden.

"Like I did Klitschko, I'll beat you, ya bum, You're a bum."
Security stepped in to separate the two fighters and Wilder hit back at Fury, saying: "You can run around like you're a preacher all you want but you step in the ring, I promise you I will baptize you.

"This is an act. You're not a real fighter. This is an act. I don't play this. You should be an actor. This ain't WWE. 

"I would love to fight him next. Unfortunately I have other mandatories due. Make the date Tyson, I promise you." 

Fury dramatically gestured toward the crowd as he was booed by the fans and then escorted out of the Barclays Center by security.


A fight between Wilder and Fury may not have been signed yet — but you have to admit there is finally some interest being hyped in the heavyweight division.

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Ronda Rousey and Tina Fey teaming up for 'Do Nothing Bitches' film: Report

Losing hasn't stopped Ronda Rousey from winning these days. At least when it comes to starring roles in Tinseltown.

Even after taking a beating at the hands of Holly Holm at UFC 193, Hollywood is continuing its love affair with the darling of MMA and now, according to Deadline.com, a pitch has been made to Universal Pictures for a comedy entitled "Do Nothing Bitches" starring Rousey alongside Tina Fey. 


The article was then plugged by Rousey on Twitter: "The logline is being kept under wraps," reported Deadline.com's Mike Fleming Jr., "But is a female-empowerment tale dealing with wealthy pampered wives who get a rude awakening at a camp where Rousey plays the no-nonsense instructor."

Just betting Holm isn't one of the housewives.



The story was inspired by Rousey's infamous video where she discusses the criticisms she has received regarding her body being "masculine," a label Rousey dismisses with the "Do Nothing Bitches" term. 

(WARNING: NSFW language):


Rousey recently had her rematch with Holm postponed so she could recover from injuries suffered in the November bout. And it sounds like she will be hitting her marks more than her heavy bag in the upcoming months. She's hosting Saturday Night Live Jan. 23 and has a Super Bowl spot with Amy Schumer coming up for the big game.

And don't forget the lead role of the  upcoming reboot of that Patrick Swayze classic Road House.

Slap to face sparks Monmouth-Iona postgame scuffle (VIDEO)

The Monmouth Hawks have been tearing up social media with their hilarious sideline celebrations all season long but, on Friday, those slapstick antics sparked a confrontation complete with a real slap.

The Hawks defeated the Iona Gaels 110-102 in a thrilling MAAC battle, but it was what happened after the game that became the big story.


Here are some clips of the incident, starting with one that shows center Chris Brady being slapped by an Iona player during the handshake line:




Things escalate and it appears an assistant coach is caught in the altercation and pulled to the ground by a member of a coaching staff:



Earlier this week, Iona coach Tom Cluess had some harsh words about the Monmouth celebrations after a big play or basket, so maybe this choreographed display of exuberance on Friday contributed to the postgame drama.



Or maybe Iona didn't find this little skit so funny:

And the Hawks won for the ninth time in their last 10 games, so don't expect the sideline show to end anytime soon.

Friday, January 15, 2016

Islanders' Adam Pelech takes skate blade to the face (VIDEO)

Sharp objects and slippery surfaces are never a good combination but, when it comes to hockey, the two are just part of the game.

And nobody realizes that more then New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech. Especially after the young player chased down New York Rangers center Derek Stepan after a defensive zone turnover and came up with a nasty cut from Stepan's foot Gitsu.


Stepan was racing to the net as a fallen Pelech swiped at the puck only to have his face make contact with the inadvertent skate.




Pelech did leave the bench for a portion of the period, but managed to return — thankful that it wasn't a whole lot worse.