Sports

Scribe:  Lucy Osbourne

Email:  lucy@thethinkering.com

It’s the end of an era.  Usain Bolt the fastest man in the world and arguably the most dominant sprinter of all time has announce his retirement and ran his final race in London on Saturday night.  However, it wasn't the text book ended that he had envisioned. 

As he made the final turn running the anchor leg of the 4x100 meters bolt shouted out in pain as his left leg failed just about half way the leg.  The race was won by a British sprinter which brought about the largest roar of the night.

The Jamaican team doctor said his preliminary findings is that Bolt suffered an acute muscle cramp accenting an end to a dominant career.  

Scribe: Samuel Otis

Email: samuel@thethinkering.com

Tiger Woods was MIA on Wednesday from Wednesday mornings DUI hearing in a Florida court. His lawyer entered a not guilty plea on a charge that occurred on Memorial Day. His attorney Douglas Duncan said Woods will begin a diversion program on 25 October.

According to new court documents under the program Woods would be allowed to serve 12 months probation in exchange for pleading guilty to reckless driving and having the DUI dropped.

Its not unusual for a defendant not to appear for this type of hearing.

Woods had no alcohol in his system but his speech was slurred and he was completely unaware of his location. He admitted to have taken a Vicodan and a Xanax. The athlete has not competed since February and has won 14 majors and 79 PGA Tours lifetime.

Scribe:  Lucy Osbourne

Email:  lucy@thethinkering.com

In 2016 quarterback Colin Kaepernick gained national attention when he kneeled against the oppression of non-white races.   He did this during the singing of the national anthem, prompting racists to say he was protesting against the US Military. 

I was a soldier and I did not feel that way. 

He is now a free agent and still a special athlete.  He was drafted second round in 2011 by the San Francisco 49ers.   He currently does not have a team while the Baltimore Ravens are considering his employee. 

He currently has a passer rating of 88.9

Do you believe the player standing up against racial oppression is the only reason he does not have a team?

Scribe:  Samuel Otis

Email:  samuel@thethinkering.com

Op/ED

The NBA has never been more exciting than is today with rookies like Josh Jackson and Markelle Fultz joining veterans like LeBron James and Steph Curry should make for an abundance of highlights.  It reminds me of when I was a boy watching basketball with intensity.  Not because I loved the players themselves, but because I had gifts and talent of my own and watching always sparked that little voice in my head to say, “I can do that.”

As a 10-year-old, I watched, Artis Gilmore, Julius Erving, David Thompson, Larry Keenan and George Gervin compete in a dunk contest.  It was around 1976, and it you are old enough to remember, there was a backboard breaker at the time, Daryl Dawkins that made the game wickedly exciting.    By the way, (Dr. J) Julius Erving, 6-6 won the contest. 

Scribe:  N. Tru Bass

Email:  ntb@thethinkering.com

The New York Giants practiced in shoulder pads for the first time during training camp on Tuesday.   Pundits are pushing Ben McAdoo up the ladder as he prepares for a winning season.  The already fairly smooth offense has been bolstered with two credible full backs in Jacob Huesman and Shane Smith.   Huesman was formerly a quarterback turned fullback which could make for some interesting red zone reps down the stretch. 

Eli Peyton and Brandon Marshall are continuing to congeal as they are far from perfecting a synergistic situation, but could clearly have just that by mid-season. 

Scribe:  N. Tru Bass

Email:  ntb@thethinkering.com

Saturday night was an exciting evening for combat sports fans.  UFC 214 featured a rematch of Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier which was a competitive bout until the third round when jones went high with a round kick to the head of Cormier that disoriented the light heavyweight champion.  Jones then went in hard with a flying knee attempt as the champion went down to the canvas where the new light heavyweight champion began to ground and pound and in seconds it was clear Cormier could not respond.  Big John McCarthy called the fight after no response to the barrage of punches coming down on him from John Jones. 

The former champion responded kindly, on Sunday sending both referee John McCarthy and Jones Jones messages of thanks and apology.   

Scribe: N. Tru Bass

Email: ntb@thethinkering.com

If you are a fan of combat sports, this is the quarter for you. With the anticipated battle of Boxing vs. MMA in the Mayweather vs. Conner bout scheduled for 26 August and the entrée. The appetizer has to be the the Cormier vs Jones battle that has been put off more than twice, but scheduled again on Saturday.

Cormier said in a recent interview, “This is the biggest fight,” he continued. “If you’re a sports fan, a fan of combat, you’ve got Jon and I and you’ve got Floyd [Mayweather] and Conor [McGregor] and then you’ve got [Gennady] Golovkin and Canelo [Alvarez]. How could it be better?

Scribe:  N. Tru Bass

Email:  ntb@thethinkering.com

This has been an interesting off season for the National Basketball Association.   In the latest player salvo, with talks of Kyrie Irving leaving the second best team in the league LeBron James has stated the he will not waive his no-trade clause for any teams for the upcoming season.  Basically saying that he is committed to the team until next years $ 35.6 million player option for the 2018-2019 season. 

The only three players who now have no-trade clauses are Carmelo Anthony, Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James.  These players all could elect to challenge unrestricted free agency before next season. 

Scribe:  N. Tru Bass

Email:  ntb@thethinkering.com

British Heavyweight Boxing Champion Anthony Joshua drops by boxing legend Floyd Mayweather’s Boxing Gym in Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday as he makes an attempt to get on the Mayweather vs Conner undercard. 

The boxer met with another heavyweight boxer Marcellus Williams while hanging out in Vegas.  He too pictures with fans and talked boxing.   The two champions met back in May when Joshua began to jockey for position on the 26 August undercard saying, “get me on the undercard! and continued, That’s legendary shit, that fight will go (down) in history.”

The fight is scheduled to be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Mayweather’s adopted hometown.   

Scribe:  N. Tru Bass

Email:  ntb@thethinkering.com

Major League Baseball held it annual All Star Game on Tuesday, but the game is not the story.  The Atlanta Braves racing phenomenon, “The Freeze” is a super athletic character that gives a chosen fan a huge head start and races him down and always beats him to the finish line to further entertain the rest of the Crowd. 

Until last night. 

“The Freeze” could not catch the fleet footed fan. 

On interesting writer suggested whomever beats The Freeze should have to race him in a head to head race.   And if he is again successful he should get the privilege and responsibility of the suit. 

Its impressive to see this guy run down very fast running fans, but I have to admit it was equally fun to see The Atlanta Braves, The Freeze lose one. 

What do you think?  

The Freeze in Better Times