Danica Patrick involved in another race crash, blames new NASCAR rules

Danica Patrick’s 2017 Daytona 500 ended even earlier than usual after she was one of the drivers involved in a "treacherous" 17-car collision which included eventual race winner Kurt Busch who managed to stay on the track.

But afterwards, of course, it was Patrick who was loudest in finding a scapegoat.

To be fair, with 15 of 40 drivers out of the race with about a quarter of the 200 laps remaining, the No. 10 Ford driver in her fifth full season might be correct in laying the blame on NASCAR’s new staged racing. 

Big crash! @JimmieJohnson, @KevinHarvick, @DanicaPatrick and others involved. #NASCAR #DAYTONA500  https://t.co/EEwW62QOHv

— FOX SPORTS: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) February 26, 2017

Starting this season, the races are divided into three stages with points awarded to the top drivers from each stage, counting toward their championship total.

“The stages are definitely going to add to it because not only is it creating a reason to push at certain points in the race that aren’t anything but the last 20, but you’re also seeing it shuffling the grid up,” Patrick said after being cleared by the in-field medical staff – a new requirement for those who don’t finish.

But that wasn’t the only rule she said is leading to so many drivers falling short of the finish line. Following an accident, teams that must return to pit road have a five-minute time limit for repairs. If cars cannot be fixed and return to the track at minimum speed within that time, they’re out of the race.

Prior to this season, teams had an unlimited amount of time to fix their cars and could eventually return to the track to try and earn even just a few points out of the race.

“What you’re seeing is the product of the five-minute clock,” Patrick continued. “You’re seeing a product of the new rules of having to go to the in-field care center if you don’t finish the race. … I’m totally fine. I drove my car back to the garage. I never would have come to the in-field care center if not for the new protocols, so I’m all for being all well, but it’s probably a bit much.”

She explained that on a superspeedway track like Daytona International, drivers assume multi-car wrecks have “a real high chance of happening.

“That’s the name of the game. It’s what makes it exciting, too, for the fans.”

Transgender boy wins Texas girls state wrestling title amid controversy

A 17-year-old transgender boy won the Texas state girls wrestling title on Saturday in a classification he doesn't think he belongs in and amid a controversy that goes beyond being called a boy or a girl or which bathroom to use.

Namely, the use of hormone treatment in sports.

Mack Beggs has said he would rather be wrestling boys, but state policy calls for students to wrestle against the gender listed on their birth certificates meaning the junior from Euless Trinity was forced to compete as a girl.

Beggs, who reached the state tournament after two opponents forfeited, unwillingly became the pawn in a transgender controversy throughout the event after questions about whether or not his testosterone treatments — to help the transition from female to male — gave him an unfair advantage competing against girls.

The shaggy haired wrestler improved to 56-0 after beating Chelsea Sanchez 12-2 in the 110-pound weight class to go undefeated and win the championship.

The Beggs family has said he wanted to compete against boys, but University Interscholastic League deputy director Jamey Harrison, who reportedly has not addressed Beggs directly, said their organization had not received a request to change divisions from any athlete at this competition.

This debate was further pushed to the news forefront this week after the Trump administration announced an end to federal protections that allowed transgender students to use facilities based on their gender identity, leaving states and school districts to determine their own policies.

A mixture of boos and cheers filled the gymnasium as Beggs fell to his knees after his championship victory. The new state champion then hugged his coach and walked off the mat.

  

Beggs later broke his silence by thanking his teammates. 

  

"I wouldn't be here today if it weren't for my teammates," he said. "That's honestly what the spotlight should have been on is my teammates. The hard work that I put in in the practice room with them beside me - we trained hard every, single day."

Attorney Jim Baudhuin tried and failed to get injunctions before both the district and regional meets to prevent Beggs from competing while he transitions because he is taking testosterone. Baudhuin, who is the parent of a wrestler at another school who has never faced Beggs, told The Associated Press earlier this week he doesn’t blame Beggs for the situation, but faults the UIL which oversees athletics in Texas public schools.

Huffington Post contributor is caught cheating in half-marathon after taking shortcut and using a bicycle

A Harvard-educated lifestyle blogger was caught cheating in the Fort Lauderdale A1A Half Marathon when an alert viewer found an incriminating photo of the runner after she faked finishing in second-place.

Jane Seo was disqualified after a race analyst, Derek Murphy, realized a picture of her watch did not match the total amount of miles included in the race.

Murphy found a photo of the smiling 24-year-old Huffington Post contributor after she just crossed the finish line, beaming proudly with her bogus second-place medal, he said in his analysis site, Marathoninvestigation.com.

He then zoomed into the picture to see Seo's Garmin GPS watch had been missing miles and figured the numbers just didn't match up. Seo didn't admit to the scam until the evidence was presented to her — but not before attending the awards ceremony to collect her second place trophy!

Seo had a total of 11.65 miles with a time of one hour, 22 minutes and seven seconds. About one and half miles were cut from her run which should have totaled 13.1 miles, Murphy said. The race investigator also analyzed her pace and found her results showed she had been running at a faster speed for the remaining 11 kilometers, when most runners begin to slow down.

As he further analyzed her time, Murphy said Seo cut the course about 3/4 of a mile from the turnaround meaning she cut a total of one and half. After the race Seo logged data into Strava, a mobile app for runners, which did not include any GPS data, Murphy wrote.

The deceitful Seo — who once wrote an article titled: How I Learned to Love Running, One Race at a Time — admitted to the fake news finish and said she covered her tracks by cycling the distance and submitted another entry that showed she completed the race. 

Seo has since then claimed she wasn't feeling well during the race, posted an apology to Instagram and deleted an account of her "run."

And the bike just happened to be conveniently placed there.

Tennis star Eugenie Bouchard fulfills Super Bowl bet with fan after Falcons blew game

Canadian tennis star Eugenie Bouchard was seen on a date with an unfamiliar young man at a New York Nets game Wednesday night — the result of a bet she made with the lucky fan on Twitter during the Super Bowl.

Lucky... if you consider watching the Nets anything but torture.

With the Falcons leading the Patriots by 25 points during the game, John Goehrke, a 20-year-old Pats fan, tweeted at Bouchard “If patriots win we go on date?”

Bouchard, who has been trolled by bigger names like the Mets' Matt Harvey in the past, responded to the tweet with a confident, “sure” on a bold wager that Goehrke really had nothing to lose.

Anyway, by now we all now know the Patriots came back to win and we also get to find out that Bouchard is a woman of her word.

Just met my 'Super Bowl Twitter Date' John 😊 On our way to the @BrooklynNets game! @punslayintwoods pic.twitter.com/DHRgY46smd

— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) February 16, 2017

The couple were seated courtside and even go to throw t-shirts into the stands during an intermission.

It must have been a night to remember for Goehrke who can go now back to staring at the Sports Illustrated swimsuit model's photos and troll more celebrities.

OMG 😳😳😳 so honored to be in @SiSwim pic.twitter.com/9HgivK45Rq

— Genie Bouchard (@geniebouchard) February 15, 2017

At least one sure bet was the Nets. They lost 129-125 to the Bucks.

Former Knick Charles Oakley arrested after fighting, getting tossed out of Madison Square Garden

On Wednesday night, Charles Oakley showed everyone the same bruising style that he displayed for decades on the basketball court while the New York Knicks met the Los Angeles Clippers — only this time the retired NBA star did it in street clothes and in the stands at Madison Square Garden.

The former New York Knick forward, known for his physical type of play that made him an all-star and helped the Knicks reach the NBA Finals in 1994, adding another bizarre chapter to what has already been an ugly Knicks season after getting physically removed from his MSG seats and arrested — reportedly on the orders of Knicks owner James Dolan.

Soooooo Charles Oakley just got into a fight at he Knicks game. pic.twitter.com/klZBD89VI7

— Ian Schafer (@ischafer) February 9, 2017

Moments after being arrested and released from Midtown South police station at around midnight, Oakley said that the Garden security asked him to leave because Dolan, who was seated just a few feet away, did not want him there.

“I was there for four minutes,” Oakley said late Wednesday night. “I didn’t say anything to him. I swear on my mother. They came over and wanted to know why I was sitting there. I bought the ticket. I said why do you guys keep staring at me. Then they asked me to leave. And I said I’m not leaving”

Sources at the Garden and NYPD dispute Oakley’s account of the altercation, saying the scuffle was provoked by the former Knick yelling at his longtime nemesis Dolan.

Oakley was asked by several members of Garden security to leave, and then was seen shoving the phalanx of security guards and appeared to take a swipe at one. He even handed his watch to someone seated next to him before being escorted out. 

The white-haired Oakley was charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault by the NYPD, including criminal trespass. A source said that Oakley declined legal representation because he was only hit with a desk appearance ticket. He was released from the Midtown South precinct at around midnight by police and snuck out the back door and into a black SUV, avoiding the waiting press outside.

Still a fan favorite, Oakley has a contentious history with Dolan and has been excluded from invitations and tributes reserved for former players. Oakley claims the owner doesn't like his outspoken criticism of the team and that the team’s slogan — “Once a Knick, Always a Knick” — hasn’t applied to the former All-Star under Dolan's reign.

The Knicks probably could have used old Oak out on the floor. They lost again, 119-115.

Conquering The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu

Article and Photos by Tony Mangia

Centuries ago the Incans built a network of advanced trails connecting their realm through a vast number of pathways stretching from sections of South America as vast and varied as the continent itself. Through the mountainous terrain of Peru, from Ecuador to Chile and east to Argentina, this nearly 25,000 mile web of stone stairs and walkways were centered around and directed towards the capital city of the great empire— Cusco, Peru.

It's no wonder why these scenic paths leading into the magical archaeological site at Machu Picchu or “The Lost City of the Incas” are some of the most requested mountain treks for modern hikers too.

This beautiful 43km (26.71 miles) section of mountain trail to Machu Picchu connects the important Incan archaeological sites of Runcuracay, Sayacmarca, Phuyupatamarca, Wiñay Wayna (Huinay Huayna). This four-day trek to Machu Picchu is a hiker’s delight and has become known worldwide as “The Inca Trail.”

This medium level hike is by far the most famous trek in South America and is rated by many to be in the top 5 in the world. It manages to combine beautiful mountain landscapes, awe-inspiring cloud-forest, and subtropical vegetation and, of course, a stunning mix of Inca paving stones ruins and tunnels. But the mystery and majesty of Machu Picchu, the final destination of the trail, is the real topper.

Another hike is known as “The Lares Trek” which is only a three-day excursion, but does traverse some higher peaks than the Inca Trail.

The Inca Trail — often called “Km82” because it starts 82 kilometers from a railway station between Cusco and Machu Picchu — can be hiked year round although April till October are probably the best months since the weather is drier. June, July and August are in the high season when the Inca trail can become fully booked so be sure to make the Inca trail reservations at least four to six months in advance. The Inca Trail is closed each year during the month of February to allow conservation work to take place. The months of January through March are in the wet season so hiking the trail can be a little more wet and slippery.

Any group on this trek will arrive late morning at the Inca ruins of Machu Picchu on the fourth day — just before the limited amount of bused in crowds arrive at the popular tourist spot. The trek itself is rated moderate and any reasonably fit person should be able to handle the climbs and descents. It is fairly challenging nevertheless, as it has the serious altitude changes (altitudes of 4200m (13779.53 ft) are reached), and the climate changes along the length of the trail. Most important, if arriving from sea level, is planning to spend at least 2 full days in Cusco prior to commencing the trek to assist acclimatizing yourself with the higher altitude. And spending time in Lima won’t help because that city is only about as high as Denver and won’t really help. During my trek I saw one women being rushed down a mountain path carried like a backpack after she reportedly had a heart attack and one of the men on a three-day trek passed out from altitude sickness but was game enough to spend his first day flung like a sack of potatoes over the back of donkey up the mountain path. So, although the distance of The Incan Trail is not that great, and even non-hikers can complete it, don’t underestimate acclimating yourself with the altitude even if you consider yourself an experienced hiker or exceptionally fit. Compare it to doing a marathon — only up and down crooked staircases with about half the oxygen to breathe.

Acclimating to the altitude in Cusco

My two days and nights in Cusco getting acclimated to the altitude were spent mostly walking around the crowded city taking pictures of the colorful locals and locale. The late-April weather was warm (80F) and the sun was bright. It’s good to avoid drinking alcohol (it’s easier to get looped in high altitudes) and decided to put off eating that Peruvian delicacy cuy — otherwise known as guinea pig until after the trek. Yup, those cute little pets of every first grade classroom. Ended up they were delicious with yucca and tomatoes but bony — like eating a giant chicken wing. Anyway, trekkers don’t want to take any chances with your stomach (nothing worse than food poisoning or diarrhea on a four-day mountain hike) so it is best to taste one of the little guys or any “street food” as a celebratory dinner when you get back.

Groups were introduced to each other after we unpacked at the Prisma Hotel in Cusco. A comfortable little place where we could take our last hot shower before the four day trek. There was the Lares Trek group and mine — the more desirable Inca Trail group. Ours included three women and a man from Chicago, a pair of young couples from Germany and Great Britain, two women from Britain, an older couple from Australia, a teen aged woman fro Norway and me. Our lead guide was Elias who was accompanied by his group aides: Edison, Eddie and Eddie 2 (no kidding).

The day before the trek began we got accustomed to the altitude — and climbing. We visited the Sacred Valley outside Cusco — a small village where local artisans weaved and dyed wool for clothing and blankets before heading off to see the Pisa Ruins which were teeming with tourists and more stairs than I’ve ever seen before. And if I thought making it to the top of these stairs (about 20 minutes of climbing) was tough, it was only a sampler of the miles of stairs I was about to see on the Inca Trail.

That afternoon we visited more ruins at Ollantaytambo — where we would be staying overnight —and were treated to a lively and colorful street festival in the town square where everyone wore costumes and masks while a statue was paraded through the narrow town streets. An amazing swirl of people, color and music permeated the whole scene and left an image of Peru one will never forget.

Siena coach walks through imaginary post-game handshake line after brawl against Rider

In a bizarre scene after the Rider vs. Siena matchup Tuesday night in Albany, Siena head coach Jimmy Patsos ended up walking down an empty post-game handshake line extending his arm and shaking the hands of imaginary players from the Rider squad. 

  

The two Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference rivals had just finished a game highlighted by fights, ejections and even Patsos going at it with Rider coach Kevin Baggett. 

After Siena's 78-68 win, Patsos followed protocol by walking the traditional line shaking the hands of the non existent Rider team grabbing air.

Classic video of Siena coach Jimmy Patsos shaking hands with air as Rider walks off without showing sportsmanship. pic.twitter.com/WHtmc9WTEq

— Zach Bye (@byesline) January 18, 2017

Things started to get out of hand with 2:03 to play when a fight broke out involving Siena's Marquis Wright and Rider's Anthony Durham. Patsos and  Baggett then got into it, with Baggett ultimately attempting to walk into the Saints' huddle and having to be forcibly restrained by his assistants.

ICYMI: here's video of Anthony Durham of Rider punching Siena's Marquise Wright in the face. Wow. What a sequence to end the game tonight. pic.twitter.com/jJuyZASliU

— Zach Bye (@byesline) January 18, 2017

The two players were ejected from the game and both coaches were each dealt technical fouls.

Then, with 10 seconds remaining in the game, Baggett called a timeout where it seems as though he instructed his players to walk off the court at the end of the game without shaking hands. The Bronco players followed their orders and, after the horn sounded, walked off the court leaving the handshake line vacant.

Despite all the noise and confusion, Patsos formed a handshake line without his own players and went through the routine.

Was it good sportsmanship or rubbing it in? Who cares? It's funny.

Siena wins 78-68. Rider walks off, no handhakes. Jimmy Patsos does the handshakes on his own, anyway. pic.twitter.com/iV4Ko2zmWo

— Michael Kelly (@ByMichaelKelly) January 18, 2017