As the saying goes, ''dress to impress!'' These hot dog toppings will surely impress your cookout crowd. The Most Delicious Ways to Dress Up Your Hot Dog Beyond Ketchup and Mustard Don't get us wrong, ketchup and mustard are certainly a delicious combination on a hot dog . It's the classic duo for such a classic cookout dish. But after being inspired by the Chicago dog, where the hot dog toppings are lavish and ketchup is pretty much illegal, we felt inspired to try a few unique hot dog combinations of our own. So if you're looking to impress your guests at your next backyard BBQ, here are 16 hot dog toppings to try after throwing those hot dogs on the grill. Oh, and if you're the one cooking, this is the #1 Way to Cook a Hot Dog, According to a Chef . 1. Avocado and bacon Who said avocado was only meant for toast ? Give your hot dog a breakfast spin by slicing (or smashing) an avocado to go on your dog. Sprinkle on some bacon crumbles, and, if you have it, maybe some Everything But the Bagel seasoning . It's bound to be the breakfast that you never thought you needed! 2. Chili and coleslaw Chili dogs are obviously a ballpark staple, but instead of sprinkling some cheese on top, give it a sweeter twist by spooning some coleslaw on top. 3. Baked beans and chips This particular dog combo makes an ode to good ol' Boston with some delicious baked beans . Give the hot dog an extra crunch by sprinkling on some chips, making the perfect combo of salty and sweet . 4. Sauerkraut and brown mustard While sauerkraut and brown (or ground) mustard are typically seen paired with brats, they're also a delicious combination for the classic hot dog. If you need something a little extra, you could also melt on some Swiss cheese. 5. Gravy and fries We bet you've never tried poutine on a hot dog, have you? Give your hot dog a poutine flare by adding some salty fries and smothering them in gravy. If you want the true poutine experience, add in a few cheese curds as well! 6. Pickles, tomatoes, and onion If you've ever been to Chicago, then you know exactly where I'm going with this. The classic Chicago hot dog starts with pickles, tomatoes, and chopped (uncooked) onions, but the fun doesn't stop there! Make sure to add some relish, celery salt, mustard, and of course, serve it on that famous poppyseed bun. 7. Buffalo sauce and blue cheese Craving chicken wings, but only have hot dogs? Or maybe you just love that spicy and creamy combination of Buffalo sauce and blue cheese. Whatever the case may be, this unique hot dog will certainly be a crowd-pleaser for all of those spicy food lovers out there. 8. Pimento cheese and pickled jalapeños While you could use any desired cheese to make a cheese dog, pimento cheese adds a unique comfort food twist. Sprinkle on some pickled jalapeños for a delicious combo of cheesy, tangy, and spicy all at once. 9. Sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions Sautéed mushrooms and caramelized onions aren't just meant for burgers, you know! These toppings work very well on a hot dog, too. If you're feeling extra adventurous, why not add some Swiss cheese and steak sauce to the mix, like what we did on our Smashed A.1 Swiss Burger recipe ? 10. Avocado and salsa Looking for some lighter options for toppings? Salsa and sliced avocado are the perfect summer condiments to add to your grilled hot dog. Or make an easy guacamole by combining the salsa with some smashed avocado. Try your hand at a simple homemade guacamole , too, while you're at it! 11. BBQ sauce and onion rings Onion rings, or crispy onions, are a staple with gourmet burgers  especially when sprinkled on top of some tangy barbecue sauce. So why wouldn't the same work for a hot dog? 12. Chili, cheese, and chips Ever heard of a walking taco, which is when you dump some chili or taco meat into a potato chip bag and top it with cheese? Well this is kind of like a walking taco, but on a hot dog! Spruce up the chili cheese dog by adding some crinkled potato chips on top. 13. Peppers, onions, and cheese For this hot dog combo, we're traveling down to Philadelphia and grabbing the toppings that come on a classic Philly Cheesesteak ! Saute up some peppers and onions and add some melted cheese for a Philly-inspired dog. Or if you really want to go the classic cheesesteak route, add some Cheese Whiz to the hot dog! Trust us, it's the way to go. 14. Cheese and fries Speaking of cheese sauce, we can't forget the delicious combo of cheese fries ! Turn your favorite appetizer into a meal by adding fries and cheese sauce to your hot dog. 15. Baked beans and bacon Bacon and beans are the perfect pairing already. Put them on a hot dog though, and you got yourself a winning combination! The sweet beans with the salty bacon will be a hit at your next outdoor BBQ. 16. Mac & cheese and bacon If you can put mac and cheese in a grilled cheese, or even on a burger, you can certainly put it on a hot dog! Mix it up with some salty bacon, and you've got yourself one glorious meal. But before you fire up the grill and make these hot dogs, make sure to keep these grilling mistakes in mind .


Getting a car to safely leave the ground is tough. You have to have an appropriate place to do it and know how to pull it off without wrapping your car around a tree when you land. The Team O'Neil Rally School put together a quick video showing you how to handle different kinds of jumps in your car, and how to keep it moving after you've touched down. The most important aspect of hitting a jump in your car is commitment. If you're not accelerating at a steady pace and begin to lift off or brake, there's a chance your car could nosedive, causing it to land grille first into the road. How fast you should be going depends on the size of the jump, as well as your car's weight balance. A front-engined car is more likely to nosedive than a rear-engined car, for instance, because a lot of the weight is at the front of the car. If the jump you're approaching goes through a turn, you should already have the car pointed through the curve before you take off. If you don't, you'll land facing the wrong direction, and you might not have the time or space to correct yourself when you're back on the ground. As your confidence starts to build, the jumps will get bigger and bigger, and everything will start to happen faster. Odds are you'll never land pointed exactly where you want to go-it's tough to line up any jump perfectly. So quick reaction time is key once you regain contact with the ground. This should go without saying, but don't try this on your local back roads. If you want to learn how to jump a car safely and correctly, find a closed course with lots of open space and runoff. Or better yet, just go to the Team O'Neil Rally School and let them teach you. This way you'll learn it the right way, and you won't put any unnecessary wear and tear on your car.


PHILADELPHIA (AP) Jeff Samardzija saved a depleted bullpen. The right-hander tossed three-hit ball over six scoreless innings, Buster Posey, Pablo Sandoval and Kevin Pillar homered in a five-run fifth and the short-handed San Francisco Giants beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 Wednesday night. The Giants were down three relievers after a flurry of moves before the trade deadline but Samardzija (8-8) handcuffed Philadelphia for his fifth straight road win. ''He did a terrific job,'' Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. ''He had great command, life on the fastball, a cutter. He gave us what we needed. It couldn't work out better.'' San Francisco finished July 19-6, the best record in the majors, and gained ground in the NL wild-card standings after entering 2 1/2 games behind. ''We're playing winning baseball,'' Samardzija said. ''I like our mentality right now and how we're approaching each day.'' The Phillies fell a half-game back of Washington for the top spot in the wild-card race and were a half-game behind the Cubs, who could move ahead of the Nationals into the top spot with a win at St. Louis. Vince Velasquez (3-6) took a three-hitter into the sixth before walking Mike Yastrzemski. Posey then ripped a 2-1 fastball out to left field for only his sixth homer in 273 at-bats this season. Adam Morgan replaced Velasquez, and Sandoval went deep to right for his 14th homer. Brandon Crawford followed with a single and then Pillar connected, sending his 13th homer out to left to make it 5-0. ''I don't think Morgan had his best stuff,'' Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said. Tony Watson replaced Samardzija to start the seventh and walked Bryce Harper before J.T. Realmuto hit a double. But the Phillies only managed one run on Adam Haseley's RBI groundout. Reyes Moronta worked the eighth and Will Smith pitched the ninth. The Giants traded former closer Mark Melancon to Atlanta, left-hander Drew Pomeranz and minor league righty Ray Black to Milwaukee, and righty Sam Dyson to the Twins. ''It was a busy day, had to say a lot of byes, but they kept their focus and won a game,'' Bochy said. Bochy joked before the game that Sandoval was available to pitch a couple of innings. The cleanup hitter hasn't allowed a run in two innings of mop-up duty over the past two seasons. Velasquez pitched out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third by striking out Yastrzemski and Posey, but they got to him in the sixth. ''I fell behind in the count and that led to the homer,'' Velasquez said. ''That's where you tip your cap to a great hitter.'' APPEAL DROPPED Phillies closer Hector Neris plans to drop his appeal of a three-game suspension for intentionally throwing a pitch at David Freese on July 16. He'll begin serving Thursday. MAD BUM STAYS The Giants kept 2014 World Series MVP Madison Bumgarner even though he'll be a free agent after the season. Following a recent run of success, the team is contending in Bochy's final season before retirement. ''He means so much to me,'' Bochy said. ''To have him here the rest of my tenure here, it's pretty cool. It makes me feel really good to have him beside me.'' NEW ARRIVALS Giants: Acquired 2018 All-Star 2B Scooter Gennett from the Reds, INF Mauricio Dubon from the Brewers, OF Joseph McCarthy from the Rays, RHPs Daniel Winkler and Tristan Beck from the Braves and OF Jaylin Davis, RHPs Prelander Berroa and Kai-Wei Teng from the Twins. Phillies: Acquired OF Corey Dickerson from the Pirates for a player to be named and $250,000 in international signing money, and RHP Dan Straily from Baltimore for cash. Straily was assigned him to Triple-A. Dickerson is hitting .317 this season. TRAINER'S ROOM Phillies: RHP David Robertson said he needs season-ending surgery to repair a flexor strain and he's getting a second opinion to determine if he needs Tommy John surgery for the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. UP NEXT RHP Dereck Rodriguez (4-5, 4.99 ERA) starts for the Giants, and Jake Arrieta (8-8, 4.51) goes for the Phillies in the series finale Thursday. --- More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports


Video provided by GeoBeats When plans were revealed for the world's first 360-degree rooftop infinity pool in London last week, people around the world couldn't contain both their excitement and their confusion. The pool, which is set to be atop a 55-storey skyscraper named Infinity London, could potentially be in construction as early as 2020. "We felt like we broke the internet," Alex Kemsley, the pool's designer said afterwards. The biggest question everyone was asking was: How do you get in and out? Although Kemsley, Compass Pools ' pool designer and technical director, had shared an initial explanation, it still wasn't entirely clear in the eyes of many. After INSIDER asked for further clarification, Kemsley shared a design of the top of the building and explained in more detail how it all worked. "Essentially, it's a tube in a tube," Kemsley said. An outer tube rises up from the floor and fills with water from the pool, which is being displaced. The water that has filled the tube then drains out and goes back into the balance tank - every commercial swimming pool has a balance tank that ensures the water level stays the same regardless of how many people are getting in and out of the pool, displacing water as they go. There's then a dry, inner tube, which contains the spiral staircase and is entered via a door on the floor below. "You can't open the door until the outside tube has drained," Kemsley explained to INSIDER. He imagines it would take about 30 seconds for the whole process to take place, from the outer tube rising to a person getting into the pool. At the top, the outer tube sticks out above water level by about 30cm, "just so that the water doesn't then splash back down the tube." The top step of the spiral staircase is roughly water level so once you're at the top, you just have to hop over the edge of the tube and into the pool - there'll also be an option to climb down some indentations in the outer tube if you prefer to enter the pool more gently. The staircase has also been designed so that the top step is nearest the centre of the pool so there's no possibility of falling off the edge of the building. When it's time for the staircase to go back down, the inner tube containing the staircase goes down first, the door shuts, the outer tube then fills with water, and the tube retracts, placing water back in the pool as it does. Capeesh? Some people had also expressed concerns that entering a pool via a tube wouldn't be safe, but Kemsley believes there's nothing to worry about. "It's all linked to the PLC [programmable logic controller, 'a computer which interfaces with all sorts of things like pumps and switches and lights'] using what's called an interlock," he explained . "You have water sensors in the tube meaning that doors and mechanical devices can't move unless there's a safety switch triggered, so that stops the building flooding. "Also, the floor below is what we call a wet floor, so if any water gets in there it simply drains down through tubes, through the building out into the street or drainage system. That means there's no risk of the floors below flooding." Equally, some people had concerns about what would happen if there was a fire in the building. "It's probably one of the safest buildings on the planet if there's a fire because we have a built-in water reservoir linked to the sprinkler system," assured Kemsley. "It's very, very simple to put out a fire in terms of opening the taps." Kemsley also addressed the point that birds could drop faeces in the pool. "Yes, potentially they could poo in it. But this pool poses a lesser risk of birds pooing in it than a pool at ground-level, and certainly than pools near the seaside, so it's not really a risk that concerns us. "In case a pigeon does poo in it, you have automatic dosing systems that monitor the chemical levels and a chemical, normally chlorine, would kill the bacteria from any pigeon poo." Another question some people had was whether you could splash people on the ground form the pool. However, the building is, in fact, going to be tapered, meaning pedestrians below would be safe from any particularly energetic swimmers. While there won't be a traditional lifeguard as there's nowhere for a high chair to go, there'll be someone in the pool who'll also control the staircase. What's more, there will be underwater cameras linked to machine learning that can detect if someone's underwater for a period of time or in danger, which automatically triggers the staircase to come out. "A lot of thought has gone into the safety side of things," Kemsley confirmed. Kemsley also told INSIDER that there will be no swimming during thunderstorms, but swimming in the rain will be allowed: "It's going to be 30 degrees Celsius in there," he said. "Swimming in the rain is great, the steam will be rising." The whole Infinity London project started life in 2017, and Kemsley is now in talks with hotel chains and developers in the UK and Dubai to make it happen. RELATED VIDEO: An instagram-worthy villa in Bali covers their entire pool in a floating display of flower petals


NASCAR announced eight practice holds for the Xfinity and Gander Outdoors Truck Series today at Kentucky Speedway. All the holds will be served at the end of each series' final practice session. Xfinity Series 15 minute holds Joey Gase and Mike Harmon   out of garage late Noah Gragson , Jeremy Clements and Jeff Green   failed inspection twice at Daytona 30 minute hold Chad Finchum   failed inspection three times at Daytona Gander Outdoors Truck Series 15 minute holds Tyler Ankrum and Jeb Burton   failed inspection twice at Chicago


Watch full first round highlights from the 2019 PGA Championship.


The family of a black man who was fatally shot by a white police officer in South Bend, Indiana, said they delivered a petition on Tuesday to the city's mayor, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, asking him to recommend that the officer's pay be revoked. Eric Logan, a 54-year-old father of seven, was leaning inside a vehicle when South Bend Sgt. Ryan O'Neill approached him and asked if the vehicle belonged to him, authorities said. The officer, a 19-year veteran of the South Bend Police Department, said Logan came toward him with a knife and refused to drop it before he fired shots. "It's unfair to the Logan family, it's unfair to the taxpayers of South Bend, Indiana, and his friends as well that this officer is receiving his pay from taking a life from this community," Vernado Malone, Logan's friend and founder of Justice for South Bend, said during a press conference on Tuesday. The shooting drew national attention to South Bend -- home of the University of Notre Dame -- last week when Buttigieg skipped a handful of scheduled campaign stops to meet with angry community members in his hometown. The police department suspended O'Neill with pay in the wake of the June 16 shooting, but Logan's family said the mayor has the power to override that decision. Logan's family has also filed a lawsuit against the officer and the city, seeking undisclosed compensatory and punitive damages. "We are asking the mayor and he has a duty to make a recommendation that Sgt. O'Neill be placed on leave, pending investigation, without pay," Malone said. "The mayor has said he's with the Logan family, and he wants change in this community. This here is the time, mayor." Buttigieg does not have the direct authority to unilaterally make such a decision, according to his office, but Malone said the family wants the mayor to at least make the recommendation on their behalf. "This is the time, Mayor Pete, to step up and make your own demands and changes," he said. "You don't need a police board or anybody else. We are asking you, as our mayor, to obey this demand that we will be giving you today." Buttigieg addressed calls for him to intervene in an interview with ABC News on Tuesday, saying the decision would have to come from the public review board. "It's a board of safety. It's five civilians appointed by the mayor, who meet and receive evidence and in a transparent and accountable process, decide on matters like this," he said. "I know that some people imagine that a mayor sits up there in the office and decides who's in trouble, who's fired, who goes up and who goes down." "But we have a legal system here and it's constraining and it's frustrating," he added. A judge has appointed a special prosecutor to further investigate the deadly shooting to decide if criminal charges are warranted. The local Fraternal Order of Police claims Buttigieg is prejudging O'Neill for political gain and called for him to recuse himself from any decision making. "Mayor Buttigieg has repeatedly shown that he's more concerned about boosting his own presidential political campaign than ensuring a fair investigation about an incident where a veteran police officer was forced to defend himself when a dangerous felon attacked him with an eight-inch hunting knife," Harvey Mills, president of the South Bend Fraternal Order of Police, said in a statement. "If he wants to honor the oath he took, Mayor Buttigieg will recuse himself from this matter by taking no part in any decisions, conversations, or other aspects of it." A crowd-funding campaign, created by the organization, had raised nearly $80,000 as of Tuesday evening to support O'Neill's legal defense. ABC News' Justin Gomez contributed to this report.


Looking to satisfy your appetite for Dominican fare? Hoodline crunched the numbers to find the best affordable Dominican restaurants around Jersey City, using both Yelp data and our own secret sauce to produce a ranked list of where to fill the bill. 1. El Sol Del Caribe Topping the list is Greenville's El Sol Del Caribe , situated at 150 Sterling Ave. With 4.5 stars out of 46 reviews on Yelp, the Dominican spot has proven to be a local favorite for those looking for a budget-friendly option. Open seven days a week, this casual restaurant serves a rotating menu of daily specials, like carne guisada (beef stew) over mashed yucca or pork ribs with okra. 2. Casa Latina Restaurante Next up is Casa Latina Restaurante , also located in Greenville, at 112 Ocean Ave. Yelpers give the affordable Latin American and Dominican spot, which serves meat and seafood dishes for dine-in and take-out, 4.5 stars out of 16 reviews. Yelpers are buzzing about the goat dishes and oxtails. The business also offers delivery service. 3. Mi Casa Restaurant And then there's Mi Casa Restaurant in Bergen-Lafayette, with four stars out of 21 Yelp reviews. The budget-friendly go-to specializes in Caribbean comfort food, like stewed oxtail, tripe soup and mofongo. Head over to 372 Communipaw Ave. to see for yourself. This story was created automatically using local business data, then reviewed and augmented by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged his players to forget about last season's successes, and concentrate on writing an even better chapter in their ever improving book during the 2019/20 campaign. Despite finishing runners-up to Manchester City in the Premier League, the Reds finished last year in memorable fashion when they got their hands on their sixth European Cup. Those are memories that will last a life time for players and fans alike, however, Klopp wants his side to focus their concentration on the future and not the past. Speaking to Liverpool's official website , the charismatic German said: "We have to use the information from last season. We had games where we had issues and could have done better. Look at the Dortmund game, we conceded two goals from set-pieces we didn't train them. "We have to make sure the things that we were good at last season, such as defending set-pieces, we are good at again. And the things we were not good at, we will have to improve. "We will not use [the memories of last season] in this sense of showing videos from the Barcelona game when we play any other team. "We have to write the next chapter of the book of this special team. I know the boys know, so I don't have to remind them. They are special. It's so difficult to get from the situation where I came in, to the situation where we are now." Finishing the Premier League on 97 points was a huge achievement for Liverpool and as a squad they have come on leaps and bounds under Klopp, however, despite their incredible achievements, it still wasn't enough to win their first top flight title since 1990. Many fans have expressed frustration of lack of incomings in the summer transfer window but the former Borussia Dortmund boss has been quick to reiterate on numerous occasions that the squad, as it is, has the ability to achieve something special. The German's first piece of silverware on Merseyside has only made Klopp and his squad hungrier for more success, and with seven trophies up for grabs during in the 19/20 campaign, starting with an imminent Wembley trip against Manchester City in the Community Shield, the Champions League winners have the chance to start their season off in style.


Video by MSNBC Some of the Trump administration's top officials had "red flags" appear during the transition team's vetting process, which was outsourced to the Republican National Committee (RNC), according to internal documents leaked to Axios . The documents show that many of the controversies Trump's Cabinet members were eventually ousted for were already known to the transition team. The vetting documents for former Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, who resigned following numerous controversies regarding his spending, ethics and management style, had a section titled "allegations of coziness with big energy companies," according to documents released by Axios . Former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price resigned after facing backlash for using his private jet for official business. Vetting documents for Price flagged "criticisms of management ability," Axios reported. Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson raised a red flag for his "deep" ties to Russia, according to Axios. The Trump transition team fired former Gov. Chris Christie (R-N.J.) days after President Trump's surprise victory. It was then headed by Vice President Pence, who outsourced political vetting to the RNC, Axios reported. Axios reported that sources on the RNC vetting team said Trump officials asked them to do an initial "scrub" of candidates' records before meeting with Trump. In many cases, it was the only vetting available to Trump when he announced his picks, Axios reported. An RNC official pointed The Hill to a statement RNC spokesman Mike Reed shared with Axios, defending the team's work. "It is not abnormal for a presidential transition team to utilize the national party committee as a resource in putting together background briefings on potential nominees and executive branch staff," he said. "These over 2-year-old documents were initial pre-interview briefings put together to inform the transition team of top-line issues of note in the candidates' background. Individuals selected for high-level administration jobs would have gone through more thorough background checks by lawyers, law enforcement agencies, and ethics officials before formally assuming their role." The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment. The vetting team often put a candidate's harsh criticism of Trump near the top of the file, which didn't stop the president from meeting with or sometimes hiring an official, Axios reported. In a statement to Axios, White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said, "President Trump has done more to improve the lives of the American people in two years - than past presidents have done in eight - and no disgruntled, establishment, D.C. swamp creature's cowardly leaks can change that." Christie looked over the team's vetting dossier for him in an interview with Axios reporter Jonathan Swan. "It's fascinating," Christie said. "And by the way, the interesting part of this, which shows you how disorganized they were, was they had an entire vice presidential vetting file on me." "That's what makes this even funnier that they would go through this," he added. Christie said that before he was fired from the transition team, he turned over a 30-volume set of transition planning with four Cabinet recommendations for each position. "The longer-term consequences for the president and for the country was that he didn't have the very best people in front of him to be able to make a full and fair decision about, and then he paid the price for that later on with people like Scott Pruitt, with people like Mike Flynn," Christie said.


Anyone who knows me understands three things about me: I like my music loud, my women with great butts, and heavy bench pressing. I'll get to music and butts another time. Today we need to talk about pressing heavy weight. My love of benching spawned from my love of football, which I developed at the age of ten. As a running back, it quickly became apparent to me that I needed speed and power in my lower body so I could outrun everyone and brute strength in my upper body so I could stiff-arm the oncoming tacklers. This philosophy led to many nights under a barbell pretending to be a mix between Arnold Schwarzenegger and Barry Sanders. I had poor form when I was younger because I never had proper coaching, but it didn't matter. Natural hormones pumping through my body coupled with less stress allowed me to heal quickly and grow fast. Unfortunately, as I got older, trying to keep up the benching volume while adding more big lifts to training sessions became difficult. In fact, three years ago I tore my left pec muscle and thought I would never bench press heavy again. When it first happened I wasn't sure what to think. As I was going into the concentric phase of the movement, it sounded like a wet towel ripped, and it didn't hurt very badly as I was able to get the bar up to the pins. I knew something bad had happened so I immediately halted my workout. If you're working out and you think you hurt yourself you should: Stop all exercise immediately. Don't "test" the possible site of the injury. You could easily do more damage.Write your symptoms down as they present themselves. A detailed account of what happened can help diagnose the problem and help determine treatment later.Do your own research and talk to people you trust, but definitely go to the doctor.Fight for imaging! Insurance can be a pain in the butt. They don't always want to pay for things. Have a candid conversation with your doctor and make sure you work together to get the proper tests done. The next day I woke up to a three-inch black and blue mark on my left bicep. That's the tell-tale sign of a tear. While this sounds like a nightmare, I was lucky. Based on the relatively small size of the black and blue, the fact that I could get the bar up to finish the lift, no change in perceived structure, and no pain, I knew that it was a minor pec muscle tear. I had avoided a complete tear of the tendon from the bone. Although I felt confident of my self-diagnosis, I took my own advice and went to the doctor, where he performed simple range-of-motion tests similar to what my physical therapist friends and I had done. We landed on the same conclusion: it was a minor pec tear, but there was nothing minor about that to me. Like you, I'm not the average person who doesn't care about whether I can perform at a high level. I explained to the doctor that I was a performance coach and that lifting is a major part of my life. Although it seemed I had solid strength and very good range of motion, I wanted an MRI. The MRI included imaging of my shoulder as well as my pec because of the site of the tear. The tech explained to me that the focus would be at my armpit, not right at my pectoral muscle. This ended up being advantageous as we were also able to rule out any tears in my shoulder and parts of my rotator cuff. Knowing that my shoulder was good, it was time to get back to training. I wrote myself a program that was both realistic and manageable. I knew the hurdles would be both mental and physical. My exercise choice reflected that idea and I kept my expectations low. [pagebreak] 1. Patiently get your confidence back Right before my pec tear, I was deadlifting high three hundreds, squatting heavy, and doing pullups without a problem. I knew if I was going to get back there I had to show myself I could do the simple things well. The first thing I did was book five physical therapy sessions. This was for massage work only. I wanted to make sure that I had freedom in my shoulder. I didn't want to test my range of motion in the gym. Hands-on work with a great therapist helps tremendously. During my first month back to training I did pushups instead of chest pressing with dumbbells or benching with a barbell. I substituted pulldowns for pullups because I didn't want to stretch my pec muscle too much too soon, and all overhead pressing was light dumbbell work coupled with rotator cuff strengthening. This was a critical period. Simply not experiencing pain while consistently exercising 4-5 times a week showed me that I was healed. I had gotten confidence back in my range of motion and knew I could start to lift heavier. Regardless of the injury, you need to be mentally prepared to get back to exerting yourself. If you don't trust your body you'll never move forward, or worse, you could hurt yourself again. 2. Traditional bodybuilding splits can be useful for reactivation. My normal programming consists of full body training 3-5 times a week. However, splitting up muscle groups allowed me to take my time on each area of my body, rest longer periods between sessions, and get higher volumes of work in for each joint action. This kind of training isolates the area in need. Ultimately, the body works as one unit to accomplish movement, but breaking down training into segments offers information about potential imbalances and weakness. After avoiding training for a prolonged period of time it's possible that you'll need to reestablish activation in certain muscle groups. The human body is really great at compensating. While I was "protecting" my pec and shoulder it's feasible that my thoracic spine got tighter and my hips unbalanced. Doing splits for a few weeks helped me to get power back to where I needed it. 3. When starting something new or reestablishing your strength, a linear program is ideal. Nothing in life is purely linear. You never know what life is going to throw at you. However, building strength and getting to PRs require confidence, excellent technique, and momentum. In February of last year I began The 4-Week Guide to Starting Strength and it laid the foundation for me to compete in my first powerlifting event and hit squat (395 pounds), bench (290 pounds), and deadlift (450 pounds) PRs. At 34 years old, a body weight of 160 pounds, and recovering from a pec tear, I'd say it worked well. The program is linear in that you simply continue to add weight to the bar every workout. This sounds daunting at first but the trick is to start at very conservative weights and nail the technique for every lift and establish consistency in training. This approach builds the momentum and confidence you'll need to get to your personal best. The volume at which you will squat, bench, and deadlift will help dial in your form. It's really during this period and working out with Dr. John Petrizzo, a brilliant physical therapist and starting strength coach, that I started to view the bench press differently. Simple cueing such as "drive the bar back" and "push through the floor" helped me to focus more. Regardless of what your goals are, you're going to need a plan. Recovering from an injury or simply getting stronger requires confidence in your abilities. These abilities are developed with consistent activity and a program that allows you to see progress. Applying these three simple ideas to your personal habits can have a great impact on your recovery or future results.


Despite the controversy still swirling around this year's Kentucky Derby finish , there was a brief hope in the aftermath of that race that the Preakness Stakes might be a prime beneficiary of the increased attention on horse racing. Instead, owner Gary West decided to take his ball and go home with Maximum Security, the horse that finished first in the Derby but was disqualified for interference. And with de facto Derby winner Country House out of training while being treated for a minor illness, it's probably going to be months before either horse gets a chance at redemption. But as delicious as a rematch would have been between Maximum Security and Country House along with War of Will, the horse that Maximum Security interfered with around the second turn at Churchill Downs, the 144th Preakness will instead have to brand itself as one of the most wide-open runnings in recent memory. MORE: 2019 Preakness Stakes: Post positions, draw, jockeys and odds Handicapping the Preakness Stakes: 5 long shots that could win at big prices Are 20 horses too many for the Kentucky Derby? It depends on who you ask While the lack of star power isn't great for the sport or likely for NBC's television ratings, it's an intriguing and challenging race from a handicapping perspective. Unlike most editions of the Preakness, where a horse who ran well in the Derby is the clear favorite, only four horses from Kentucky stayed on the Triple Crown trail. They're led by Improbable, the Bob Baffert trainee who ran a solid but unspectacular fifth (moved up to fourth via disqualification) and War of Will, who had a clear run at the top of the stretch after the bumping incident with Maximum Security but flattened out in the stretch to finish eighth (placed seventh). The other two Derby runners, Win Win Win and Bodexpress, were compete non-factors. Improbable was made the 5-to-2 favorite on the morning line with War of Will the second choice at 2-to-1 . Both of them figure to be overbet by the public because of familiarity and, in Improbable's case, blind support for a Baffert barn that has won the Preakness seven times. It's certainly possible that these are simply the two best horses in an unusually weak Preakness field and will justify their short odds on race day. But as a bettor, it's hard to find much value in a horse like Improbable, who laid just off a fast pace in the Derby, had no real traffic trouble and simply wasn't fast enough to hit the board. With that in mind, I'm gravitating toward the horses who didn't run in the Derby. Most of them, admittedly, missed the Derby for one reason   they ran poorly in prep races this spring and couldn't accumulate enough points to get in the starting gate at Churchill Downs. But two newcomers entered Saturday stand out as legitimate contenders: Owendale and Anothertwistafate, who ran 1-2 in the Lexington Stakes at Keeneland on April 13. For much of the spring, Owendale didn't look like much of a Triple Crown prospect. Though he impressively won a conditional allowance race at the Fair Grounds in January, he was essentially eliminated from the Derby conversation after fading to eighth in the Risen Star stakes. But a change in strategy paid big dividends in the Lexington, as jockey Florent Geroux took him off the pace after Owendale had shown early speed in his previous starts. And despite fairly slow fractions, Owendale was able to make a sweeping move around the far turn that carried him to the lead, winning by a commanding 1 3/4 lengths. Owendale, who ran a 98 Beyer Speed Figure that day, has trained well since the Lexington, clocking a five-furlong breeze for trainer Brad Cox in 59 1/5 seconds on May 11. In other words, he's shown he's fast enough to win this race. Anothertwistafate also ran well that day, losing some ground in traffic on the far turn before rallying to finish second. He should be laying close to the pace in the Preakness. At 10-to-1 on the morning line, Owendale represents the best value in the field. Though it's certainly possible his strong performance in the Lexington was a one-off, it was both a visually impressive performance and one that would place him in the race's top-tier from a speed figure standpoint (Improbable and Win Win Win previously posted career-best Beyer figures of 99). If he repeats that effort or improves, he'll be in strong position to win the Preakness. Though a monster payout like the Derby is difficult in a 13-horse field , several long shots have a chance to hit the board. Among them are Signalman, who was one of the nation's top 2-year olds last fall; the local horse Alwaysmining, who has won six in a row at nearby Laurel Park; and Warriors Charge, the other Cox trainee who has never run in a stakes race but dominated his last two races at Oaklawn Park. If Owendale wins, throwing those horses into exactas and trifectas along with the two favorites could generate a nice score on the exotics. Preakness predictions 1st - Owendale 2nd - War of Will 3rd - Anothertwistafate (Using Improbable, Signalman, Alwaysmining, Warriors Charge in exactas and trifectas.) Though it's unfortunate and unusual for a Kentucky Derby winner to miss the Preakness   it's only happened four times in the last 59 runnings   that doesn't mean the race will be a dud. Instead of the Maximum Security-Country House rematch everyone wanted, we instead get a unique betting opportunity. In a race that is usually good to favorites and horses who ran in the Derby, this seems like an ideal year to go against the grain. Follow USA TODAY Sports' Dan Wolken on Twitter @DanWolken This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Preakness predictions: Who to bet on for Saturday's wide-open Triple Crown race


WASHINGTON   After the release seven weeks ago of special counsel Robert Mueller's report, House Democrats demanded millions of pages of evidence they said were crucial to understanding both Russian election meddling and the president's conduct. The House Judiciary Committee scheduled a hearing to question Attorney General William Barr, who blacked out portions of the report. Democrats subpoenaed former White House counsel Don McGahn, a key figure who described President Donald Trump's potential obstruction of justice, for another hearing. And they've negotiated with Mueller himself to testify so Americans could hear directly from the people involved. After all that, the committee will hear from its first witnesses Monday: a panel of cable television regulars who weren't. So far, nearly every attempt by House Democrats to air evidence about Trump's conduct during the investigation that shadowed his presidency has run   for now, at least   into a wall. Barr refused to appear and defied a subpoena to provide Congress the full report. McGahn defied his subpoena under a White House claim of executive privilege, as have other former aides who spoke to investigators about the president's actions. And Mueller said the report should speak for itself. House Democrats have launched a series of wide-ranging probes of Trump and his administration, and the pace of those inquiries has sparked complaints from his fiercest critics and his most stalwart allies. A growing faction of 59 lawmakers urged a start to impeachment proceedings. House Republicans, who note Mueller found no conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia, have said they should already be over. "There's been no evidence that would necessitate an impeachment," House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Louisiana, said Wednesday. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California insists that Democrats have a plan to build a case against the president and that they are pursuing it methodically. The Judiciary Committee has held Barr in contempt. The full House will vote Tuesday to authorize the panel to ask a federal court to enforce the subpoenas against Barr and McGahn. Two federal judges have already upheld subpoenas for Trump's financial documents, although the president appealed. "We know exactly what actions we need to take and while that may take more time than some people want it to take, I respect their impatience," Pelosi said Wednesday. Whether that plan ends in impeachment or not, she said, the six committees investigating Trump should gather evidence to build the strongest possible case against Trump.With Mueller's criminal inquiry over, the investigations of Trump have entered a new and decidedly more political phase approaching the 2020 election. Trump has blasted the multiple inquiries as partisan harassment and threatened to defy all subpoenas. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-California, said Tuesday that Democrats had a plan long before they reclaimed the House in January to impeach Trump. "They only care about politics," he said. But that resistance may only have intensified Democrats' frustration and added to calls for more dramatic steps. "It's basically painting Congress in a corner so that the only answer that they'll have to his stonewalling and his breaking of norms is to open up impeachment proceedings," said Kent Greenfield, law professor at Boston College and former clerk for Supreme Court Justice David Souter. "The education function is crucial to shore up the Democrats' view and argument next year that the president is unfit and isn't taking the job seriously." Experts said there are risks for Democrats, too. Testimony from McGahn and other officials would let Americans hear about Trump's conduct from people who witnessed it. But if the probes don't turn up compelling evidence that people can see for themselves, voters could have questions about whether the investigations were worthwhile or legitimate. "I see tension over the desire to seek impeachment, but the concern is that if it comes to nothing and then serves only to energize the base that supported Trump," said John Marston, a former federal prosecutor and now a partner at Foley Hoag. "Revealing facts and evidence that show what you're doing actually makes sense and is not just political   and is legitimate." Hearings to explain Mueller report Mueller said May 29 that his 448-page report should speak for itself and his testimony isn't necessary . But Democrats are eager to question him and may subpoena him, even if Mueller sticks to simply reading from the text. Unable so far to obtain testimony from key figures in Mueller's investigation, House Democrats will begin a series of hearings this week with stand-ins to illustrate its findings. The House Judiciary Committee on Monday will feature John Dean, a former White House counsel who testified to the Senate in June 1973 about the Watergate cover-up under President Richard Nixon. Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, D-N.Y., said Monday's hearing is meant to analyze episodes of possible obstruction in the Mueller report. "I think John Dean is definitely theater," said Thomas Alan Schwartz, a professor history and political science at Vanderbilt University. "On the other hand, I think this is part of a larger attempt to create a specter or aura around Donald Trump as you move into 2020 that would contribute to his political defeat." But Greenfield said Dean's appearance could demonstrate how a White House counsel could testify if he felt the president was engaged in wrongdoing. The Mueller report described Trump repeatedly asking McGahn to remove Mueller , which legal experts have said is one of the strongest episodes of possible obstruction. McGahn defied his subpoena at the request of White House lawyers who argued that his conversations with Trump should remain secret under executive privilege, to ensure the president gets candid advice from aides. "It's hard to say that Don McGahn is protected by executive privilege if John Dean wasn't," Greenfield said. The House Intelligence Committee also plans a series of hearings about Russian interference in the 2016 election, to explain the difference between counterintelligence and criminal investigations. A hearing Wednesday will feature Stephanie Douglas and Robert Anderson, who are each former executive assistant directors of the national security branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Chairman Adam Schiff, D-California, has focused on Trump's exposure to foreign influence for negotiating a real-estate deal in Russia during the campaign. Trump's former personal lawyer Michael Cohen has been imprisoned for charges that include lying about the project to Congress. Trump has called Cohen's testimony "shameful" and argued that the real-estate negotiations weren't a crime because he was in business while campaigning, and that the talks continued because he might have lost the election. Some Democrats have complained that the process is moving too slowly, but haste carries other risks. "They may certainly be frustrated in part because they may feel that the clock is running out on them," said Costas Panagopoulos, a political-science professor at Northeastern University. "Part of this is politics and gamesmanship. But part is also the genuine reluctance on the part of the speak to move in a direction that could backfire on the party or put the country through a very, very difficult process." Court fights over subpoenas The House scheduled a vote Tuesday to authorize the Judiciary Committee to enforce subpoenas to Barr for the unredacted Mueller report and millions of pages in underlying evidence, and to McGahn. The Justice Department offered last week to resume negotiations to release more documents associated with the report, but only if the committee revoked its contempt threat, which Nadler declined. Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, the top Republican on the committee, said the panel has made unreasonable demands. "When Judiciary Democrats wield subpoena power like a sword instead of a plow, their investigations bear little fruit," Collins said. Trump has already sued to block subpoenas for his financial records. Two federal courts sided with lawmakers , saying their demands were legitimate. Trump has appealed both decisions, a process likely to stretch at least through the summer. In another matter headed for litigation, Oversight Chairman Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, said the panel will vote this week on whether to hold Barr and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross in contempt for defying a subpoena for documents about a citizenship question added to the 2020 Census. The legal process is unlikely to be speedy, but it comes with its own political benefits. "The name of the game is not speed," Greenfield said. "The name of the game is to win a series of news cycles between now and November 2020." More on President Donald Trump's conflicts with Congress: 'Slow-motion constitutional car crash': Trump, Congress battle over investigations with no end in sight 'We're fighting all the subpoenas.' Congress and Trump prepare to battle over wide-ranging probes Robert Mueller, in first public remarks, says charging Trump was 'not an option we could consider' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: House investigations of President Trump hit a wall of delay; demands for records, witnesses are mostly on hold


JERSEY CITY, N.J.   To mere mortals like us, playing for a potential $15 million check would cause the toughest of competitors to tense up. Even if you have a lot of money, that's a lot of money. So no one would blame Justin Rose if he admitted to being a bit nervous at Liberty National, being ranked 11th in the FedEx Cup standings entering the week, with the reality of a first-place $15 million payday being possible. Except, that's the opposite of what Rose says his approach is this week. He says he has nothing to lose even after he shot a second-round 68 to build on an opening six-under 65, putting the Englishman in the mix entering the weekend. How could you have nothing to lose when there's all that money on the line? "I've won a tournament at the beginning of the year, and it'd be just really nice to add one at the end of the year to bookend things," Rose said. "I'll just be free-wheeling this weekend, which is great. I just want to put myself in a position come East Lake to where I have a chance." What he has the chance to do is become the first back-to-back FedEx Cup champion in the playoffs' existence. Perhaps the pressure could mount at East Lake when that possibility becomes more real, but Rose was smiling and joking after his round Friday. RELATED: FedEx Cup: Everything you need to know with all the changes for 2019 Even after a year in which he contended twice in the majors but didn't convert shooting a final-round 79 at the Open Championship to slide to T-20, and shooting a closing 74 at the U.S. Open to finish T-3 after playing nearly flawless golf for three rounds  Rose thinks success in the FedEx Cup would be a nice bonus, but not necessary to make this a great year. Perhaps he's right. His victory at the Farmers Insurance Open in January was great, and then he has gone on to make every cut except one (the Masters). Probably not where he set his goals, but a good year for most players. And obviously good enough for Rose to where he's satisfied with his results. Rose says he really likes the way East Lake, the site of the Tour Championship, fits his eye, as evidenced by finishing second last year to earn the $11 million FedEx Cup bonus. Though that bonus is upped by $4 million, and the prospect of becoming the only back-to-back FedEx Cup champ has presented itself after a stellar start at Liberty National, Rose won't start to think about it yet. "I'm way closer with my game than I was at the U.S. Open and at the Open Championship, so that's exciting," he said. "The new [FedEx Cup] system is set up to where no one can run away with it. This golf course affords you the chance to make birdies with it being a little softer right now. I'm in great position, so it'd be nice to have a couple good weeks and put myself up at the standings." RELATED: 9 interesting facts you should know about the construction of Liberty National WATCH: GOLF DIGEST VIDEOS See the video.


Plano will see hot temperatures today, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Today's high will be 94 degrees, while Friday's will be 89. Also expect a chance of rain coming in a few days. The greatest chance of rain is predicted on Saturday at 66 percent. Skies will be mostly cloudy through Friday and partly cloudy on Sunday. Winds will continue to be fairly calm through the week, with the highest speeds today at only 11 mph. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Jordan's King Abdullah drew a red line on the plan that the Trump administration is expected to unveil to attempt to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, telling White House senior adviser Jared Kushner Wednesday it must be based on a two-state solution that gives Palestinians a capital in East Jerusalem. Kushner is traveling in Morocco, Jordan and Israel this week to meet with officials and drum up support for the long-awaited plan's economic portion, which will be unveiled during a June conference in Bahrain. King Abdullah, who acts as custodian of Muslim holy sites in Jerusalem, has not committed to attend the conference. In his discussions with the President's son-in-law, the King "stressed the need to step up all efforts to achieve comprehensive and lasting peace on the basis of the two-state solution, guaranteeing the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines, with East Jerusalem as its capital, living side by side with Israel in peace and security, in accordance with international law and relevant UN resolutions," the Royal Hashemite Court said in a statement. The statement served as a message to Kushner and his team, who have stressed that they do not feel bound by previous formulas that drove peace talks, including the idea of two states. Their approach is expected to focus on investment in Palestinian territories before dealing with political issues. For the King and Jordan, which shares a border with Israel and where more than 60 percent of the population are estimated to be of Palestinian descent, the administration's approach to the conflict has significant ramifications. "It's very important," said Aaron David Miller, a vice president at the Wilson Center. "The King has a fundamental stake in making sure that whatever Kushner is proposing doesn't expose him," Miller added, citing Jordan's "large Palestinian population and the King's special role and status in Jerusalem." Jordan's population and shared border with both Israel and the Palestinian territories means the King has far greater stakes in the outcome of the plan than any other Arab leader, given the possible upheaval it could create. On Tuesday evening, activists and members of the Muslim brotherhood called for a protest outside the US Embassy in Amman to reject Kushner's visit and what President Donald Trump has called the "deal of the century." Jordanian security forces prevented protesters from reaching the embassy, forcing them to hold their demonstration in an area nearby, where the crowd chanted against the peace plan and some held up handwritten signs, including some that read "No to the deal of the century," and "Go back home Kushner." "If the political part of this plan turns out to be a betrayal of the Palestinian narrative, it exposes Abdullah in a way that no other Arab leader is exposed," Miller said. That's why the King adhered in his statement to Kushner to the outlines of the deal that have guided Palestinian expectations and international negotiations for years, Miller said. "it is standard operating procedure for the King and it also happens to be the Arab consensus," Miller said. Palestinians have already rejected the Kushner plan and the idea of attending the Bahrain conference, arguing that the Trump administration has been extremely biased in favor of Israel. Palestinian leaders point to a series of US moves, including recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and moving its embassy there, closing Palestinian diplomatic offices in Washington, and ending aid to United Nations agencies that fund education and health programs for Palestinian refugees. The economic aspect of Kushner's seeks a multi-billion dollar investment from countries in the region to spur the Palestinian and surrounding economies, should a peace agreement be reached, an administration official previously told CNN. Kushner made a similar trip to the Middle East earlier this spring with the same goal. The US officials do not plan on sharing details of the political portion of the plan during the trip, the administration official said, but they will listen to input from the foreign officials on those thornier issues.


Browns head coach Freddie Kitchens doesn't particularly care whether running back Duke Johnson wants to stay or go. Kitchens said on NFL Network that he doesn't think Johnson's comments about wanting to be traded are as meaningful as the media have made them out to be. "I've said this numerous times: No disrespect to you guys, but the media creating something more than, it was just a comment," Kitchens said. "He wants to be traded, you know. I want to win the lottery, alright So it doesn't matter. He's a Cleveland Brown. He's under contract. He's going to be used to the best of his ability and what benefits the team. And that's what we're going with. As far as the media-driven controversies, there's no controversy on our team." Johnson does want to be traded , but the Browns don't appear particularly interested in letting him go. Barring some team coming up with a surprising trade offer, it appears that Kitchens and G.M. John Dorsey are going to keep Johnson in Cleveland.


Nick Bosa, the defensive end drafted Thursday by the San Francisco 49ers, acknowledged scrubbing his Twitter account of political messages. He knew they'd cause a stir. He'd tweeted about his support for the U.S. president and his antipathy toward Colin Kaepernick, the former 49ers quarterback who protested systemic racism and police brutality by kneeling during the national anthem. In 2016, Bosa wrote that Kaepernick was a "clown." Like the president, Bosa criticized Kaepernick's protest without acknowledging what Kaepernick was protesting: the killing of black and brown people by police. Kaepernick, who led the 49ers to the Super Bowl in the 2012 season, has not played since the 2016 season when he started to express his First Amendment-protected political views. He accused the league's 32 teams of colluding to keep him out of the sport and settled his grievance against the league in February. Bosa, who was the second player selected in this year's NFL draft, is getting a pass. "I think Bosa's comments reflect both naivete as well as privilege, and that's the privilege of not having had to confront some of the experiences that Kaepernick was referring to and therefore being blinded to that," said Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, a UC Berkeley psychology professor and expert in cross-race relations. Some will argue that Bosa is entitled to his opinions and, because this is a free country, he can freely support an ignorant president. But freedom of expression wasn't the narrative around Kaepernick's protest. He was accused of disrespecting the flag and the military by kneeling. On Friday, the morning after Bosa was drafted, the president stood by his comment that there were "very fine people on both sides" of the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., in 2017. The Unite the Right rally brought together neo-Nazis and white supremacists to protest the removal of a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee. This was the rally where an avowed neo-Nazi plowed his car into counterprotesters, killing Heather Heyer and injuring 35 other people. On Friday, the president referred to Lee as a "great general." Here's what I know: Fine people don't support neo-Nazi rallies or march alongside white supremacists. And fine people don't speak glowingly about a Confederate general who enslaved free black people during the Civil War. Bosa's social media posts are a microcosm of what's not happening in this country: candid and informed conversations on race. There are so many people expressing views like Bosa's because of the "us versus them" mentality adopted by the president and his enablers. The tendency to belittle, mock and dismiss those who express different views is why a protest for racial justice can be met with virulent outrage. The division is widening. This is why it's so dangerous to have a president parroting white supremacist ideology. On Friday, at his introductory news conference at Levi's Stadium, Bosa addressed his controversial use of social media, including referring to Kaepernick as a "clown." "It's not like I'm saying his stance and what he was doing   that's not what I was … talking about at all," he said. "It was a specific thing that happened, and me, a young kid, (had) a thought popping into my head and   boom   decided to tweet it out. Bad decision. I respect what he's done. If it empowers anybody, he's done a good thing. So I apologize for that." Dave Zirin, the Nation's sports correspondent, said that what's been lost in the conversation about Bosa is that his views are aligned with the NFL owners sitting in luxury suites. According to a 2017 report by the Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, 94 percent of franchise owners are white while 70 percent of NFL players are black. Yes, the NFL is a brutal league that makes billions for white owners from the pain and suffering of black men. "Once again, this is just another example of when people say sports and politics shouldn't mix   what they're really saying is that sports and a certain kind of politics shouldn't mix," said Zirin, the author of "Game Over: How Politics Has Turned the Sports World Upside Down." "If you're talking the politics that Nick Bosa has been talking, then that's hunky-dory, because it's the politics that's shared not just by ownership but by members of the media as well, and not to mention coaching staffs and front offices." That's why Bosa has a job chasing quarterbacks in San Francisco while Kaepernick was chased out of the league. San Francisco Chronicle columnist Otis R. Taylor Jr. appears Mondays and Thursdays. Email: otaylor@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @otisrtaylorjr


JC Tretter has done a great job for the Cleveland Browns in his two seasons in the pivot. His work has not gone completely unrecognized despite being an egregious snub for the Pro Bowl last year. Touchdown Wire listed Tretter in the ranking of the top 11 centers in the NFL . Tretter checks in at No. 10 on the list. Mentioned as "one of the league's best bargains at his position" since signing with the Browns after a solid tenure with the Green Bay Packers, Tretter earned a nice write-up, Tremendously agile at 6'4" and 307 pounds, Tretter gets into his pass sets as you'd expect from an offensive tackle-quickly, consistently, and with his head on a swivel to help to either side. He can pick up unpredictable defenders against blitzes and stunts, and as a run blocker, he keeps a low pad level and high leg drive to overcome any inherent strength issues. Philadelphia's Jason Kelce, a Cleveland native, sits atop the list. MORE: Dale Earnhardt Jr., sister Kelley open up about childhood relationship: 'We saved each other' Report: Nets likely to sign Kyrie Irving to 4-year, $141 million deal What would the Sixers look like without Jimmy Butler, Tobias Harris? Roundup: Illinois Legalizes Recreational Marijuana; Trump Threatens Iran; San Francisco Bans E-Cigarettes Bears Pro Bowler Akiem Hicks reflects on his fallout with Saints


As training camp creeps closer, we take a look at the Indianapolis Colts safety position and its best player. Name: Malik Hooker Position: S Height: 6-foot-1 Weight: 214 Age: 23 Year Drafted: 2017 (first round) Background Coming out of Ohio State, Hooker was the Colts' first-round pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. It was the first selection made by current general manager Chris Ballard since he took over the reigns in January of that year. Hooker flashed his rookie season nabbing three interceptions in seven games but eventually lost his season to a torn ACL against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Though his numbers might have been down in 2018, Hooker was still a very solid player for the Colts. Opposing offenses rarely targeted his deep half of the field. 2019 Outlook If all goes well, Hooker should have his best season yet. The biggest area of worry is with injuries. He's battled with different ailments ever since he arrived in Indianapolis but now has a clean bill of health entering training camp. Though the Colts like to use two-high safety looks in the secondary, there is a chance they use Hooker more in his expected role as a free-ranging single safety. This could allow for more opportunities to make plays on the ball. Hooker is immensely talented and has yet to reach his ceiling, but we could see him take steps toward that in 2019. Bottom Line The Colts secondary is extremely young and while Hooker is entering his third season, he fits in that group. If he stays healthy, a big year will be ahead for the rangy safety. MORE: 5 possible landing spots for former Cowboys WR Dez Bryant This stunning photo sums up Manny Pacquiao's win over Keith Thurman Phil Simms: 'Multiple' teams were set to take Daniel Jones before No. 17 Steelers HC Mike Tomlin says he isn't looking back on Bell/Brown situation Broncos training camp: Live updates from Day 3 of practice


Lionel Messi has has stated that he believes he has under performed so far at the Copa America, despite Argentina making it through to the semi-finals of the tournament. The Barcelona star has admitted himself that he has not been at his best, scoring just the one goal in the tournament so far. That goal came from the penalty spot to equalise against Paraguay in a 1-1 draw. Goal reported that  Messi has said: "The truth is that it's not been my best Copa America, not what I expected." Messi went on to say that the poor playing surfaces could be the reason for this underperformance: "It is difficult to play, the pitches are bad. It is a shame that all the pitches are like this in a Copa America." Despite Messi's underperformance and the country's unconvincing performances, they have still managed to make it to the semi-finals.  Argentina have not been at their best so far in the tournament losing 2-0 to Colombia, drawing with Paraguay, before beating invitees Qatar 2-0 to squeeze out of the group stages. They perhaps put in their best performances in the quarter finals, where they beat Venezuela 2-0. On Tuesday, Argentina play the hosts Brazil with the opportunity to reach the final for the third straight time. In the last two finals Argentina have been on the losing side, so if they are able to get past Brazil they will be looking for revenge. They lost both finals to Chile on penalties. Messi has often not been as good for his country as he has been for Barcelona , but a Copa America triumph may put to bed any doubt regarding the 32-year-old's greatness.


INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Kelsey Mitchell scored 20 points, Tiffany Mitchell added 17 points and the Indiana Fever pulled away late to beat the Minnesota Lynx 86-75 on Saturday night. The Fever (8-15), who trailed 41-21 midway through the second quarter, had a 9-0 run take an 82-71 lead on Stephanie Mavunga's layup with 1:45 left in the game. The 20-point comeback was the largest in the regular season in franchise history. Led by Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana's reserves totaled 55 points while All-Stars and starters Candice Dupree and Erica Wheeler combined for four points on 2-for-8 shooting with neither playing more than 12 minutes. Indiana took the lead for good during a 25-5 run to open the third quarter. Kelsey Mitchell capped the rally at 63-53 with a step-back 3-pointer. Twice in the fourth quarter, the Lynx (10-11) cut the deficit to two. Minnesota had an 18-0 run in the second quarter and had its big lead before going into the break with a 48-38 advantage. Sylvia Fowles had 17 points to lead Minnesota, which lost its fourth in a row. Temi Fagbenle and Napheesa Collier added 14 points each.


The city of Jerusalem has ordered its public kindergartens not to allow foreigners and minorities into its facilities. The notice came from the city's Emergency and Security Division, according to the Ma'ariv newspaper. It urged kindergartens to block entrance to certain groups for security reasons. "Do not allow the entry of foreigners into the kindergarten grounds as a rule entry is not permitted for minorities, in any such case you must notify the area security officer," the document read. It was distributed more than 18 months ago, Ma'ariv explained. According to the +972 Magazine , the Hebrew usage of "minorities" is a widely-understood euphemism for Arabs used in Israel. The Racism Crisis Center sent a letter to the Jerusalem Municipality last week warning that the instructions were illegal, the magazine added. The Center also demanded the notices be changed. Ma'ariv reported that the municipality responded to the Center, explaining that "security protocols for educational institutions are determined by the Israel Police and the Education Ministry." The city said it would amend the wording of the notice, but did not clarify whether the amendments would remove the order to discriminate based on nationality or ethnicity. Knesset member Aida Touma-Sliman, who is a member of the Jewish-Arab Hadash party, lamented the existence of the notice. She tweeted, "Minorities, even if they are citizens and residents of the state, are [considered] dangerous foreigners by default." Last year, Israeli lawmakers under the guidance of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu passed the controversial " nation state " law. The legislation declared that only Jews have the right to self-determination in the country, downgraded Arabic from an official language to one of "special status," declared Jerusalem to be Israel's "united" capital and enshrined the country as the "historic homeland of the Jewish people." Opponents branded the bill racist, and say it is evidence that Israel has become an apartheid state in which Arabs, even those who are Israeli citizens, are considered foreigners. +972 Magazine explained that the legislation's opponents fear it could be used to justify racist and discriminatory policies that are taken to the country's Supreme Court. President Reuven Rivlin showed his displeasure with the law by signing it into law with his Arabic signature. Last week, Netanyahu's Likud party won parliamentary elections , giving the veteran leader a path to a fifth term in office, even though he is facing corruption charges. Netanyahu allied himself with far-right parties in the lead up to the election, including those that openly encourage violence against and even the forced removal of Palestinians living in the West Bank. Related Articles Kushner's Middle East Peace Deal Asks All Sides to Compromise, but Maintains Israel's Security 3D-Printed Heart Created by Israeli Researchers in World First: 'This Heart Is Made From Human Cells' Pete Buttigieg Told by Protesters to "Open Your Heart to Palestine" After Pro-Israel Statements


In March 2011, Aaron Gleeman of NBC Sports asked why there aren't more former MLB players working as general managers. Roughly three years later, SB Nation's Tom Ziller wrote "former players aren't getting a ton of front office opportunities" in the NBA. The reality of the situation is athletes with noticeable and undeniable stellar physical attributes almost always get second chances if they stumble during initial opportunities. That's not always the case as it pertains to former players who become general managers or other types of executives. This isn't to suggest men and women who exchange cleats or sneakers for front-office roles should be exempt from criticisms when they get major decisions wrong. In fact, some of the greatest athletes of the past 60 years turned out to be downright lousy executives who did more harm than good for organizations. History has shown building championship-caliber rosters can be more difficult than winning on playing surfaces. Couple that with a lack of patience among owners and fans, and it's easy to comprehend why so many tremendous players don't make it as execs. Elgin Baylor Still respected as one of basketball's all-time greats, Elgin Baylor made 11 All-Star teams from 1959 through 1970. He also won NBA Executive of the Year in 2006. How, then, did Baylor land here? As ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz wrote in 2009, Baylor worked as vice president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Clippers from 1986 through the fall of 2008, and, per Arizona Sports , the Clippers suffered through 20 losing seasons and tallied an overall record of 607-1153 during his time as a team executive. From Arnovitz: "However you grade his performance, Baylor will likely go down simultaneously as one of the most enduring   and least notable   executives in the history of sports." The harsh reality is Baylor became synonymous with one of the most dysfunctional organizations in North American pro sports. Bobby Charlton Manchester United phenom Sir Bobby Charlton is one of the world's greatest-ever footballers and the man who won the 1966 Ballon d'Or. In 1976 Charlton took over as a director at Wigan Athletic, per The Telegraph's Robert Philip , and the club was welcomed into the Football League in 1978 . By 1984, though, Charlton returned to United as an ambassador and director. He never again accepted a major role with a different club. Joe Cronin As time goes on, history likely will forget Hall of Famer Joe Cronin was one of the finest shortstops of his era and a seven-time All-Star. Instead, the man who took over as Boston Red Sox general manager in 1947 is viewed as a reason the franchise failed to racially integrate the roster, and for why a team that lost the 1946 World Series failed to make the postseason up through and past Cronin's last year on the job in 1958, per Mark Armour of the Society For American Baseball Research . According to ESPN's Gordon Edes , Cronin once passed on Willie Mays. Charlie Gehringer Charlie Gehringer was a member of the 1935 Detroit Tigers that won the World Series, and he earned American League MVP honors after taking the batting title that season. Per the Chicago Tribune , Gehringer served as the franchise's general manager from 1951 through 1953, and the Tigers posted losing records in all three of those seasons. "I did not enjoy it. I had been away for nearly 10 years and I didn't know the leagues. I was more or less forced into it," Gehringer later said of the job, per Ruth Sadler of the Society for American Baseball Research . Wayne Gretzky You don't have to be some hockey expert to know Wayne Gretzky is the sport's greatest player. Arguing the point is silly. Similar to Mario Lemieux, who prevented the Pittsburgh Penguins from relocating to Kansas City, Gretzky officially became a managing partner with the Phoenix Coyotes in 2001, as Michael Farber of Sports Illustrated wrote, in part to keep the financially struggling team from potentially moving. "The Great One" appointed himself coach ahead of the 2005-06 season, and he tallied a record of 143-161-24 over four years before parting ways with the organization . Ken Harrelson Depending on your age, you know Ken "Hawk" Harrelson as the one-time All-Star who led the American League in RBI in 1968 , a commentator for the Chicago White Sox for over three decades or a combination of the two. Per Rob Ogden of the Chicago Sun-Times , Harrelson called the MLB general manager position "the worst job in baseball" in 2016. It's easy to understand why he'd feel so passionately about the matter. Back in 1986, his one and only year spent as White Sox GM, Harrelson fired Tony La Russa, a decision for which he labeled himself a "fool" in 2014, as ESPN's Doug Padilla wrote. Harrelson also traded Bobby Bonilla , who became a six-time All-Star, before quitting that September. Brett Hull Hall of Famer Brett Hull twice won the Stanley Cup, and he scored one of the most controversial title-clinching goals in modern history . Hull already had a role with the Dallas Stars in the fall of 2007 when the club promoted him to interim co-general manager, and Dallas reached the 2008 conference final. Things went downhill from there. The Stars signed Sean Avery in one of the worst acquisitions in league history, and the team's failure to make the postseason the subsequent spring cost Hull and Les Jackson their gigs as co-GMs in May 2009 . Derek Jeter As Clark Spencer and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald wrote, Derek Jeter earned the right to become an owner and also the chief executive officer of the Miami Marlins in September 2017, so it's early days into this experiment. Many have, however, been left unimpressed since that time. Luther Campbell of the Miami New Times called Jeter "worse than Jeffrey Loria as Marlins owner" in October 2018 following the ousters of stars Christian Yelich and Giancarlo Stanton, and dealing J.T. Realmuto to division rivals the Philadelphia Phillies also didn't sit well with members of the fan base. As of June 26, the Marlins were well in last place in the NL East. Magic Johnson All Magic Johnson, a five-time champion player and arguably the greatest point guard and all-around player in history, had to do as Los Angeles Lakers president of basketball operations, a job he earned in 2017 , was surround LeBron James with enough talent to qualify for the postseason after King James took his talents from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the West Coast in the summer of 2018. Yes, James dealt with injury woes throughout his first not-so-Showtime campaign, but Johnson's failures to acquire Anthony Davis or any other noteworthy player ahead of the February trade deadline ultimately sank the Lakers and his tenure with the organization . Last April, Chris Herring of FiveThirtyEight explained why he believed Magic was never the right man for the job. Michael Jordan Michael Jordan may be the G.O.A.T. player (debate on your own time), but his executive skills haven't led the Charlotte Hornets to anything resembling the success His Airness enjoyed with the Chicago Bulls. M.J. became a part owner of what was then known as the Charlotte Bobcats in 2006, per NBA.com , and the organization has made only three playoff appearances since 2010 under the club's current majority owner . The draft mistakes over the past 13 years stand out in a big way. Adam Morrison in 2006 . D. J. Augustin in 2008 . Gerald Henderson in 2009 . Michael Kidd-Gilchrist instead of Bradley Beal or Damian Lillard, among others. Malik Monk over Donovan Mitchell?!? Ouch. Joe Kinnear As the Telegraph's Luke Edwards humorously pointed out in July 2013, Joe Kinnear wasn't always the most truthful individual during his stint as Newcastle United director of football, but Kinnear did win the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup while playing for Tottenham Hotspur. He announced he'd accepted the role at Newcastle in June 2013 but resigned the following February after a pair of disappointing transfer windows. Soon after Kinnear's departure, Metro's Paul Mannion wondered if Kinnear was ""the worst director of football in history:" "From the minute Kinnear announced his return on national radio, abusing the club's fan base and continuing his trend to confuse players name, he has been nothing but an embarrassment. It's been two transfer windows since he claimed 'judge me on my signings' but no player ever put pen to paper on a permanent deal. Who can blame them. [sic]" Billy Knight Two-time All-Star Billy Knight remains the third all-time leading scorer in the history of the Indiana Pacers . The Atlanta Hawks promoted Knight to general manager in 2003, and following a lengthy postseason drought he piloted the club to the playoffs in the spring of 2008. Unfortunately his bad draft decisions hovered over the franchise until he and the Hawks parted ways in the summer of '08. He drafted Marvin Williams when Chris Paul was available in 2005 , and the Hawks selected bust Shelden Williams the following year. Kevin McHale Kevin McHale was a three-time champion worthy of the Hall of Fame and also a decent head coach . It's as an executive, though, where he came up short. The Minnesota Timberwolves named McHale general manager in 1995, and the hiring of Flip Saunders coupled with drafting Kevin Garnett seemed to indicate Minnesota was headed in the right direction. Trading Ray Allen, one of the greatest shooters in history, for Stephon Marbury the following year proved costly for McHale, as did the Joe Smith contract plan . ESPN.com offered the following after McHale's time with Minnesota concluded in June 2009: "There was McHale the gifted teacher, beloved by players and staff for his relentlessly positive demeanor and an unending eagerness to share his wealth of basketball knowledge. Then there was McHale the mistake-prone executive, vilified by fans for a series of blunders and the failure to make his team into a consistent championship contender." Mike Milbury Long before he was talking about NHL games on NBC Sports, Mike Milbury spent 12 years with the Boston Bruins, and he was part of the Boston rosters that lost the 1977 and 1978 Stanley Cup Final series to the Montreal Canadians. In 1995 the New York Islanders named Milbury, already the team's coach, general manager, and, well, let's just say he disappointed in the role through 2006. In 2010, Bleacher Report's Bradley Karp listed five mistakes credited to Milbury. Not to be outdone, The Hockey Writers recalled 10 Milbury blunders in February 2017 . Matt Millen "My brother is a lions [sic] fan, and we aren't allowed to say Matt Millen's name inside the house." "Legit exactly the same with my uncle. He immediately starts cussing about it and gets super sour. Anytime Millen is mentioned or on screen he goes and mows his lawn in a fit." Those are just a couple of Reddit endorsements regarding former Detroit Lions team president and general manager Matt Millen. The four-time Super Bowl champion as a player is widely regarded as one of the worst executives in the history of North American pro sports, a man who sank the Detroit Lions to an overall record of 31-97 from 2001 through 2008, since Pro-Football-Reference "credits" him with Detroit's 0-16 2008 season even though he was fired in September of that year. Just search " Matt Millen worst GM ," and you'll come upon literally hours of reading material. Chris Mullin Hall of Famer and five-time All-Star Chris Mullin unquestionably deserves credit for building the Golden State Warriors roster that stunned the Dallas Mavericks in the opening round of the 2007 postseason for what NBA.com referred to as "maybe the greatest playoff upset in NBA history." The one-off of a No.8 seed toppling the conference's best regular-season side wasn't enough for Mullin to keep his job for long. Losing Baron Davis to free agency in the summer of 2008 along with other poor decisions and the Warriors falling in the standings resulted in the club choosing a different direction in 2009 . Jim Paxson Just the mention of Jim Paxson's name sends shivers down the spines of Cleveland Cavaliers fans. The two-time All-Star was already with the Cavs when he became team general manager in June 1999 , and Cleveland accumulated a record of 185-307, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN ), until the franchise fired Paxson in April 2005. At least he knew to tank so the Cavs could draft LeBron James in 2003. John Paxson We keep it in the Paxson family to focus on one half of the #FireGarPax social media movement mentioned by fans of the Chicago Bulls on a daily basis. John Paxson won three rings as a player with the Chicago dynasty of the 1990s, and it's not the fault of the executive who has been with the organization since 2003 that Derrick Rose's body betrayed him. As Ricky O'Donnell of Blog A Bull has written multiple times , Paxson, still the team's vice president of basketball operations, hasn't offered much evidence that he has the answers to right the ship. Recently, Patrick Sheldon of Da Windy City suggested even the Bulls don't trust the club's current rebuilding process. Willis Reed We'll always remember Willis Reed as a two-time NBA champion and, of course, for that one iconic on-the-court appearance . After coaching the New Jersey Nets for a couple of seasons, Reed accepted a front office role with the organization following the 1988-89 campaign, and his Nets made the playoffs every year from 1992 through 1994. The shine quickly disappeared from the apple, though, and he was moved to senior vice president of basketball operations in 1996. Doc Rivers Doc Rivers will likely do just fine as a coach as long as he lets somebody else make the decisions behind the scenes. The 57-year-old one-time All-Star worked as both head coach and vice president of basketball operations for the Los Angeles Clippers from 2013 through 2017 until he was demoted to just coach, and while the Clippers have remained playoff mainstays, they haven't yet taken the figurative next step toward a title. In August 2017, the SB Nation NBA staff posted a history of what it called Rivers' "uncreative and lackluster" job as an executive. Bart Starr Bart Starr will forever be a legend as long as the Green Bay Packers and pro football exist, but the Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl MVP made for one lousy general manager. Along with accumulating a losing record during a dark period for the storied franchise, Starr's Packers suffered a different type of humiliation when defensive tackle Bruce Clark, selected fourth overall in the 1980 NFL Draft , opted to play in Canada rather than for Green Bay. The club dismissed Starr in December 1983 . Isiah Thomas Just how awful of an executive was Isiah Thomas, one of the greatest guards in NBA history? In May 2015, Rodger Sherman , then of SB Nation, explained why "hiring Isiah Thomas is the worst thing a basketball team can do." Tenures with the Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks , among other organizations, ended poorly, and the idea that a man accused of sexually harassing an employee, somebody who, as Howie Kussoy of the New York Post wrote, won over $11 million after filing a lawsuit, was given the privilege of running WNBA franchise the New York Liberty boggles the mind. For the benefit of all involved, Mr. Thomas, please stick to analyzing games on NBA TV. Wes Unseld Hall of Famer Wes Unseld was named Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player for the 1968-69 season, and the five-time All-Star earned MVP honors for his play in the 1978 NBA Finals. In 1996 he became general manager of the then-named Washington Bullets, and the team made the playoffs that season. Then came curious decisions, like trading Chris Webber for Mitch Richmond and Otis Thorpe and dealing Ben Wallace for Isaac Austin. His run as Washington general manager ended in 2003 . Norm Van Brocklin Norm Van Brocklin was one of the greatest pro quarterbacks of the 1950s, a nine-time Pro Bowl selection who won a pair of championships and earned MVP honors in 1960. From 1970 through 1974 , he served as both head coach and general manager of the Atlanta Falcons, but only two winning seasons in five years and a lousy '74 campaign ultimately cost him the job. The outspoken "Dutchman" wasn't particularly popular among those he coached, per Dave Mangels of Bleeding Green Nation : "As a coach, the qualities that made him a great player didn't apply, but the qualities that made him despised by some of his teammates made him hated by practically all his players. The intensity that drove him to success on the field made him a tyrant on the sidelines." Larry Wilson Elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1978, safety Larry Wilson made eight Pro Bowl squads during his career that spanned from 1960 through 1972, and he was First-Team All-Pro every year from 1966 through 1970. Per Pro-Football-Reference , he spent 14 seasons as director of pro personnel and, later, general manager and vice president with the Cardinals franchise. The club made one playoff appearance over that time. As explained by the Associated Press (h/t Huron Daily Tribune ), he oversaw "Cardinals Charities, special events, team travel and training camp at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff" after serving as GM until he retired in April 2003.


A mother was left stunned when she found a black bear playing with toys in their swimming pool at their home in Suffield, Connecticut. The kids complain in the background as the bear plays with their "stuff" while the mother watches on as the bear wandered into their garden and went for a swim on July 10.


IMSA announced today an expansion of its Green Racing program and an extension of its affiliation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA) and SAE International. The governing body stated that it will "aggressively pursue Green Racing protocols established by [the EPA and SAE International] along with its expansion of its own set of initiatives known as IMSA Green." The goal is to significantly "reduce the Championship's carbon emissions and overall environmental footprint in an attainable fashion." This is intended to be a proving ground for manufacturers to showcase advances through IMSA's seven sanctioned championships. IMSA's own initiatives include tire usage reductions and the development of alternate-blend fuels. Future programs could include an entire event weekend providing the public with information on relevant, advanced technologies that produce clean and efficient production vehicles they might drive in the future. Besides introducing a hybrid powertrain in the top racing class with DPi 2022, IMSA's future plans could include the adoption of ETCR (fully electric TCR platform) combined with an ePrototype platform. IMSA president Scott Atherton stated: "By taking a fresh look at the Green Racing protocols, and IMSA Green, we are taking steps to ensure sportscar racing continues to thrive in a rapidly changing mobility landscape which is focused on a reduced carbon emission future. In doing so, IMSA can showcase that racing can be used to develop and validate innovations while remaining exciting and sustainable for decades to come and be attractive to automotive partners, participants, sponsors and most importantly fans." IMSA believes the 2022 debut of its next generation DPi car could lead to the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship becoming the first racing series to attain Green Racing Cup status, the highest level of environmentally responsible racing through implementing innovative engine and fuel technologies. "We are pleased to be working with IMSA to expand the series' work on sustainability," said Chris Grundler, director of EPA's Office of Transportation and Air Quality. "With this agreement, IMSA is committing to a wide variety of actions that will lead to reduced air pollution, less fuel use, and will move the racing community towards more sustainable practices." "SAE is thrilled to continue our partnership with IMSA," said Mark Chung, SAE International's CMO. "We look forward to working with IMSA in increasing utilization of Green Racing Protocols and how that will translate to their many partners to advance the technology of the broader mobility industry." IMSA is also exploring the implementation of solar energy within the pits and paddock to help offset traditional energy sources. "Green Racing is a great platform to educate our stakeholders and fans about what IMSA's environmental mission is all about and how it is directly tied to the priorities of nearly all of our 19 automotive partners," said Atherton. "There are simple, reasonable practices we can implement immediately to get this program making a difference along with more aggressive initiatives to be implemented in the future.


What good is 3,000 yards from scrimmage if your team finishes with a record of 5-11? That's a question New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley recently asked himself and a thought he'll be bringing with him into the 2019 season. "I think I can be a lot better. And not just by stats - I think that's where a lot of people get confused. For me, it's not about stats," Barkley told ESPN on Friday . "I break it down like this - why have 3,000 yards and go 5-11? What does that really mean? What did you really do for your team? "I would love to have the most yards in the league and beat [Ezekiel Elliott] and beat [Todd Gurley] and all that. That's how I am, that's how I operate. But at the end of the day, I end up with the most all purpose yards and we didn't make the playoffs. "I'd rather have 1,200 yards or 1,400 yards and less touchdowns, and [Sterling Shepard] goes for 1,000, [Evan Engram] goes for 1,000 and Golden Tate goes for 1,000 and we're 13-3 or 11-5 at the end of the year and competing for a championship." Barkley has always been mature beyond his years and that's why the Giants have put such faith in him, which was highlighted by the decision to trade wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. to the Cleveland Browns. In Beckham's absence, Barkley now becomes a team leader in just his second season - a role Barkley fully embraces. Barkley certainly sounds the part and has lived it over his first season, but going into 2019, the Giants need to start putting wins on the board instead of just talking about it. And that pressure now falls squarely on the shoulders of the 22-year-old. MORE: Angler defies odds, lands truly enormous halibut Is Tacko Fall an NBA player? Here is the case for why... and why not 8 things the NFL could give the NFLPA so the union agrees to an 18 game season Chiefs TE Travis Kelce reacts to news that Tyreek Hill won't be suspended Ranking the Packers' position groups from weakest to strongest


Berkeley will experience mild temperatures today, according to drone-powered weather forecasting service Saildrone . Temperatures will reach 69 degrees today and 64 on Thursday. The immediate forecast also has mostly cloudy skies in store for today. Skies will partly clear up on Thursday, remaining partly cloudy through Friday. Winds will remain light throughout the week, with the highest speeds on Thursday at only 10 mph. This story was created automatically using Saildrone's local weather forecast data, then reviewed by an editor. We also incorporate historic weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Click here for more about what we're doing. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback.


Anyone who thinks they could be a race car driver because they have a driver's license - and it's just like coasting down the highway but faster, right? - will probably change their minds after seeing just how ridiculous some steering wheels are. Retired NASCAR and IndyCar driver Danica Patrick explained in detail just how complicated it really really is. As an analyst for NBC for the 2019 Indianapolis 500 , Patrick brought a steering wheel on air with her recently and broke down the complexities of it, and it's kind of bonkers. Seriously, look at this thing. It's like a video game controller on steroids, and you have to use it while driving well above 200 miles per hour and inches apart from other race cars and the wall. YouTube screenshot: Motorsports on NBC If you're a diehard racing fan, this likely doesn't come as too much of a surprise. But if you're a casual fan, new to the sport or are only somewhat aware the Indy 500 exists, this will blow your mind. After seven seasons in IndyCar, Patrick raced for six full-time in NASCAR before returning to her open-wheeled roots for last year's Indy 500 for a career finale. She explained how much things had changed between her 2011 and 2018 Indy 500s, including cars not having a clutch pedal anymore. Instead, the clutch is two paddles on the back of the steering wheel. Patrick also broke down what some of the buttons on the front of the steering wheel do - everything from reverse to how to change the screen on the digital dashboard, in case drivers don't have enough to look at as they're pushing 230 miles per hour. The 2019 Indy 500 is Sunday at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on NBC. The green flag is set to fly around 12:45 p.m. ET. MORE: 'Jeopardy' fans ripped James Holzhauer for how he said Dr. Dre's name but here's why he did it Kevin Durant's contributions are stamped indelibly into Warriors' culture Former NFL great Mark Gastineau has a GoFundMe for the fight of his life How the Bulls can help the Lakers facilitate an Anthony Davis trade Despite losses, Steelers among most improved teams for 2019


Brooks Orpik isn't the only player hanging up his skates Tuesday. Michael Russo of The Athletic passes on the news that veteran forward Matt Hendricks will call it quits on a long professional career, joining the Minnesota Wild's player development department instead. Hendricks, 38, was originally selected by the Nashville Predators in the fifth round of the 2000 draft, and had a long and winding road to the NHL. Four years at St. Cloud State landed him nothing but a minor-league contract, and the hard-working forward had to grind through games for the Milwaukee Admirals, Florida Everblades, Lowell Lock Monsters, Rochester Americans, Hershey Bears, Providence Bruins and Lake Erie Monsters before ever sniffing the NHL. That first chance came with the Colorado Avalanche during the 2008-09 season, and Hendricks would never look back. Still a journeyman at heart, the fourth-line center would end up playing for Colorado, Washington, Nashville, Edmonton, Winnipeg and Minnesota during his 607-game NHL career, recording 116 points and 722 penalty minutes along the way. Considered a natural leader everywhere he went, Hendricks was never much of an offensive player but continued to play important minutes for every team he went to. Never able to capture the Stanley Cup, he'll retire with just 39 playoff games under his belt.