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Showing posts with label sports. Show all posts

Adidas wants to be the coolest gym teacher ever

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Addidas
This week sportswear maker adidas debuted a new wearable device, co-developed withInteractive Health Technologies (IHT). Called the adidas ZONE for IHT Spirit, it’s the first wrist-based wearable device developed specifically for physical education class use.


Currently, IHT supports 1,500 teachers in 800 schools across the country and during the 2015 school year, 600,000 children were connected to the IHT Spirit System. With the help of the new wearable, IHT is on track to hit their 2016 target of interacting with one million students nationwide on a daily basis.


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The ZONE is a wrist-worn, heart rate monitoring device that integrates into the existing IHT Spirit System – a cloud-based curriculum for physical education (PE) – that allows teachers to efficiently track each student’s performance in PE class, creating individualized workouts and goals for students based on their personal fitness levels. The product is built to meet the needs of teachers across the country, durable enough for multiple students to wear during PE classes, and can sync quickly, using NFC technology. Heart rate training is accompanied by pedometer data, IHT’s PE 3 project-based curriculum, and the adidas Challenges program which uses cloud-based software.


Stacey Burr, VP and general manager of adidas Digital Sports said that “in working with IHT, we found a partner that shared our vision of inspiring the next generation to lead healthy lives by making sport and fitness a life-long pursuit. We’re firm believers that healthy habits are easier to keep the earlier you start, so introducing tools and resources at the school-level offered the perfect place to lay such an important foundation.“


Adidas can boost kids’ performance…if they still have PE classes

It’s unclear how the program will help those subject to the alarming trend of PE classes being reduced or eliminated from school curriculums across the US that adidas aims to address. It is, after all, likely that the wearable and curriculum will be more readily adopted by school already invested in sports than those without resources or funding.


I also can’t help wondering about the privacy of the data, as adidas asks you to “imagine 12 years from today, when your 1st graders receive their high school diploma and along with it, are handed their entire wellness portfolio correlated to their academic, attendance and fitness success. A legacy created for students and their families while meeting the daily needs of school administration and compliance.”  Would such data be attached to college and job applications of the future? What are the consequences for future health insurance?

It’s also worthy considering that unless a lifetime warranty is available – that’s unclear at this stage – a device targeting K-12 students is likely to require repeat purchases. The device retails at $139, and is also available for schools to buy for students in PE through package pricing. 

2016 Daytona 500: Start time, lineup, TV/radio schedule, live streaming

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saturday daytona start



DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daytona 500 race day atDaytona International Speedway is on the horizon, and we’ve got all the information you need to get ready for Sunday's 58th running of the “Great American Race and the start of the 2016 NASCAR season.
START TIME: Gerard Butler, star of the upcoming movie London Is Falling, will instruct drivers to start their engines at 1:19 p.m. ET Sunday, followed by new baseball Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. waving the green flag at 1:31 p.m.
RACE DISTANCE: The Daytona 500 is 200 laps around the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway for a total of — you guessed it — 500 miles.
NATIONAL ANTHEM/FLYOVER: The 82nd Airborne Division’s All American Chorus from Fort Bragg will sing the national anthem, followed by a flyover from the famed U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds.
TV/RADIO SCHEDULE: FOX will broadcast the race on TV and has a pre-race show beginning at noon ET. The Motor Racing Network (MRN) and Sirius/XM Radio will call the race on the radio.
LIVE STREAMING: FOX is offering a live stream through its FOX Sports Go app.
WEATHER: Beautiful. The National Weather Service is calling for mostly sunny skies with a high of 74 and calm winds with no chance of rain. Can’t beat that.
LAST TIME: Joey Logano held off Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. on a green-white-checkered finish to win his first Daytona 500 one year ago. And in July, Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Coke Zero 400 after a lengthy rain delay and Austin Dillon’s horrifying crash behind him.


USA TODAY
James: Joey Logano hopes to finally get over championship hurdle
STARTING LINEUP: Rookie Chase Elliott, taking over the No. 24 from the retired Jeff Gordon, will start on the pole for Sunday's race. Matt Kenseth will officially start second but will have to drop to the back prior to the green flag due to driving a backup car. Jimmie Johnson, AJ Allmendinger, Brian Scott and Ryan Newman will also drop to the rear of the field before the green because of crashes that required backup cars.
Here's the starting lineup for the 2016 Daytona 500:
  1. Chase Elliott
  2. Matt Kenseth
  3. Dale Earnhardt Jr.
  4. Kyle Busch
  5. Joey Logano
  6. Jamie McMurray
  7. Ryan Blaney
  8. Kurt Busch
  9. Kevin Harvick
  10. Carl Edwards
  11. Denny Hamlin
  12. Ty Dillon
  13. Kasey Kahne
  14. Kyle Larson
  15. Greg Biffle
  16. Danica Patrick
  17. Chris Buescher
  18. Brian Vickers
  19. Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
  20. Matt DiBenedetto
  21. Austin Dillon
  22. Michael Annett
  23. Trevor Bayne
  24. Landon Cassill
  25. Brad Keselowski
  26. Jimmie Johnson
  27. Regan Smith
  28. Martin Truex Jr.
  29. David Ragan
  30. AJ Allmendinger
  31. Clint Bowyer
  32. Casey Mears
  33. Bobby Labonte
  34. Aric Almirola
  35. Brian Scott
  36. Michael Waltrip
  37. Paul Menard
  38. Ryan Newman
  39. Michael McDowell
  40. Robert Richardson Jr.

12 Professional Athletes Who Changed Their Careers to Become Successful Politicians

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12 Professional Athletes Who Changed Their Careers to Become Successful Politicians 
We have prepared a list of world-famous athletes who busted the stereotype that sportsmen were not the brightest bulbs in the chandelier and could only use their body and skills to be successful. This dozen of political figures were once athletes. However, they managed to change their careers and save their status of high achievers. Let us see how the two different worlds of sports and politics can cross paths and what can come of it.
 Kevin Johnson

Kevin Johnson

Today, Kevin Johnson is a Mayor of Sacramento, the capital city of the U.S. state of California. He was elected in 2008 and became the first African-American to hold this position. Once, Kevin Johnson was a professional basketball player in the NBA, being a three-time NBA All-Star and a record-holder. However, the basketballer was highly concerned about the issues of homelessness and gang violence and decided to take control over them and run for the position of the Mayor. Being a B.A. in Political Science, Johnson launched nine important initiatives only in his first term.

Jon Runyan

Jon Runyan

Now-U.S. Congressman, Jon Runyan, was elected for the position in 2010. However, not many folks know that he is a former professional athlete. Runyan is known for being the Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive tackle and an NFC champion. Today, the professional sportsman is the U.S. Representative from New Jersey’s 3rd District. He is a Republican who cast his vote for the offshore oil drilling and Patriot Act.
 Arnold Schwarzenegger

Arnold Schwarzenegger

It is hard to find a person who does not know the world-famous bodybuilder Arnold Schwarzenegger. The former Mr. Universe and Mr. Olympia is also in trend due to his acting career. In 2003, Schwarzenegger was elected as the Governor of California and held the position until 2011. While for Arnold Schwarzenegger politics turned out to be not his most famous occupation, the former sportsman passed the nation’s first greenhouse emissions cap.
Tom Osborne

Tom Osborne

A famous football player, Tom Osborne, received various awards during his sports career and was a successful coach. However, the former wide receiver decided to try his hand in politics, and in 1995, he was elected as the U.S. Representative from Nebraska’s 3rd District. He held this position for eight years. However, he had only one of his bills become a law.
 Steve Largent

Steve Largent

Steve Largent is a popular football player, whose career stood out because of particular praise. He was called the best Seattle Seahawks player of all times and is the one to hold six major receiving records. In 1994, Largent was elected as the U.S. Representative from Oklahoma 1st District. His political career ended in 2002, supposedly, due to his answer to a tricky question where he was on 9/11.
 Dave Bing

Dave Bing

Today, Dave Bing is a Mayor of Detroit, Michigan. However, back in the 70s, he was the best basketball player of Detroit Pistons. Being a seven-time All-Star guard in the NBA, Bing is in the list of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players. The next Bing challenge was to succeed in his political career. In 2009, he was elected for his position, however, during his term, Detroit was named to be the largest city in U.S. history to declare bankruptcy.
 Jack Kemp

Jack Kemp

Jack Kemp was a famous professional football player. In 1971, after substantial volunteer work, he was elected U.S. Congressman of New York 39th district. Jack Kemp passed away in 2009, never establishing the Jack F. Kemp Institute of Political Economy at Pepperdine University. After the sportsman’s death, his son, James Kemp, created the Jack Kemp Foundation that is located in Washington D.C.
 Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley is a famous American basketball player who won the world championships with the New York Knicks twice. He also won a gold medal as a member of the Olympic basketball team and was the 1965 NCAA Player of the Year. His person was insomuch legendary that in 2014, Harry Webber made a bronze statue of Bill Bradley and erected it at Princeton University. Back in 1979, Bradley, being a tax and economy expert, was elected U.S. Senator and held this position until 1997. In 2000, he decided even to run for presidency but failed to win.
 J.C. Watts

J.C. Watts

Julius Caesar Watts is the most popular politician from Oklahoma. He was the first Republican African-American congressman to be elected to statewide office in Oklahoma and held the position of the U.S. Representative from the Oklahoma’s 4th district, obtained in 1995, for eight years. J.C. Watts was even called the fourth most powerful Republican in the list of the House politicians. However, before starting the career of a politician, Watts was a famous quarterback of Ottawa Rough Riders and Toronto Argonauts.
Jim Bunning

Jim Bunning

Jim Bunning is a former Major League baseball pitcher who also decided to switch his career to politics. He was named All-Star nine times and pitched a perfect game in 1964. Bunning was into politics back in the late 70s, serving two years in the city council of Fort Thomas, Kentucky. Then, the famous sportsman was elected U.S. Representative from Kentucky’s 4th district. In 1999, he joined the U.S. Senate and was ranked by National Journal as the second-most conservative U.S. Senator  after Jim DeMint.

Heath Shuler

Heath Shuler

Heath Shuler is a former NFL quarterback. However, his professional career as a footballer was not very successful. He was even ranked the 17th biggest “sports flop” and the 4th biggest NFL Draft bust. Back in 2007, he was elected U.S. Representative from the North Carolina’s 11th district. He is remembered for being a tough opponent who fought against same-sex marriages, abortion rights, and gun control. Heath Shuler became a remarkable politician.

Lynn Swann

Lynn Swann

Lynn Swann is a former wide receiver who played for Pittsburgh Steelers for eight years and won a lot of awards for his great sporting performance. He is a four-time Super Bowl champion and Walter Camp Man of the Year. In 2002, Lynn Swann was appointed Chairman of the American President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. In 2006, he decided to run for the position of Governor, but then officially removed his candidacy.

Three Reasons Why 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Are Useless

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Three Reasons Why 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans Are Useless
Every five years, the government tries to teach Americans how to eat properly and what kind of food to put in their mouths. Eat more vegetables. Do not abuse sweets. Stay away from fast food. All these recommendations are based on the best available and most up-to-date nutritional science for leading a healthy life and are familiar to us from childhood. But what do we really know about healthy nutrition for sure? Do we really believe in the absolute invincibility of the dietary recommendations?
Earlier this month, the Department of Agriculture and Health and Human Services issued the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans—a 571-page report containing the nationwide standard for national food programs. The guidelines were first issued in 1980 and are updated every five years. A group of fourteen appointed high-competent scientists and doctors have been working on the report that designed to help people make healthy dietary choices and give health-care providers, public health agencies, and educational institutions a pillar for creating their federal nutrition policy. That means that the nutrition plan your doctor recommends you or your child’s school lunch menu were likely to be developed on the basis of these recommendations.
In short, this time, the guidelines urge Americans to cut back on sugar and sodium, eat less red meat and food that contains saturated fats, and focus on vegetables. And now you can safely drink up to five cups of coffee per day without a twinge of conscience! Moreover, the doctors said that you should eat as little cholesterol as possible, so eat egg yolks (according to the doctors, they are not high in saturated fat) and wash them down with another steaming cup of Americano.
As you can see, the new Dietary Guidelines look more than controversial: along with some well-known food recommendation we used to follow, it includes a number of points that provoked a lot of healthy debates. Some public health experts express concern that the guidelines contain mixed recommendations that could be interpreted by people differently. So, while you are thinking whether the suggestions are right or wrong, we want to tell you why these guidelines (or any other ones) are useless in some sense.This Year's Advice Could Not Necessarily Be Next Year's Advice

This Year’s Advice Could Not Necessarily Be Next Year’s Advice

You must be aware of it: there is no guarantee that the next Dietary Guidelines will include the same recommendation as the current ones do. Furthermore, it seems like the guidelines are created with the help of the Price is Right wheel that turns every five years and gives a new portion of nutrition advice. For example, we used to think that cholesterol was the devil in the world of healthy nutrition, so we needed to limit our intake to 300 milligrams a day—slightly less than the amount in two eggs. But the latest guidelines dropped the previous recommendation calling dietary cholesterol a “nutrient of concern for overconsumption.” We used to think that meat is the most important source of protein and kids should eat it every day. But now we are recommended to abandon consumption of red meat or processed meat because according to recent studies, there is a strong link between this food and the number of incidents of heart diseases and cancer. Drink less coffee. Now drink more coffee. Abandon coffee. Eat meat. Be vegetarian. Drink five, or wait, six, no, eight glasses of water a day.
And the worst thing for people obsessed with healthy diet is that each recommendation is based on a study of a very competent medical institution. It is no wonder that the 2012 Food and Healthy Survey by the International Food Information Council found that for half of Americans it is much easier to deal with their taxes than to compose their healthy diet and follow food safety practices.Keep Calm and Enjoy Your Meal

Keep Calm and Enjoy Your Meal

All this noise around food you should or should not eat can cause serious stress, and last Monday’s steak for dinner can cause a sense of guilt for the entire next week. Throw it out of your head! Everyone has a list of healthy eating habits in his head which he relies on to some extent. And we are sure that there is no mentioning of the possibility that the classic English breakfast of omelet with bacon will immediately kill you. Perhaps, just in perspective.
There is a list of unbreakable rules for people having a healthy lifestyle: minimum sugar and junk food, more plant food and whole grains; no overeating and no starving; fresh water instead of Pepsi, etc. Of course, there could be some variations and deviation from the system, like vegetarianism, veganism, religious diets, and other nutrition practices, but the core idea of them all is balance. The latest Dietary Guidelines are not the Bible but simply some general recommendations that depend on global statistics data and scientific research and influence the United States food-related laws and regulations.
Instead of immediately changing your already healthy habits and following the next big diet trend, it is more important to focus on what really counts. Advertising agencies make a huge amount of money on fanatics, so do sports clubs, retailers, catering companies, and many, many others.It Reeks of Industry Interest While Displacing Public Needs

It Reeks of Industry Interest While Displacing Public Needs

The government will never tell you not to eat red meat or drink Coca-Cola, and the only reason is industry interest.
The first chapter of the guidelines actually only recommends people to eat less or more of the particular kinds of food and gives some advice, but none of these recommendations appear in the executive summary. Just the recommendation to eat less red meat was enough to anger the meat industry, especially beef producers, whose large-scale operations were accused of taking a big toll on water and land. Later, federal officials promised not to include environmental factors in their guidelines. The cattle industry does not like the government telling Americans to stop eating meat, so food manufacturers and food producers insisted the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Heath and Human Services avoid the “not to eat” wording. As a result, many experts claimed that the guidelines are based on out-of-date science and research from years past. An author of Food Politics and former chair of the Department of Nutrition at New York University Dr. Marion Nestle believes that there is a great deal of money at stake when it comes to what the guidelines say.

How to Avoid Dangers of Sitting

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How to Avoid Dangers of Sitting
We all know that being a coach potato is bad, we even know in detail why it is bad. From every corner we hear that we should live our lives and move away from our PCs, tablets, and phones. Sitting too much has already earned the title of one of the 21 century’s most dangerous diseases. Of course, it is not a clinical kind of disease, just a simplified term to name a bunch of health problems that happen due to a sedentary lifestyle. So how can you avoid these unpleasant consequences without changing your job for something more active or throwing out all the chairs you have?
First of all, why is sitting so bad for you? During long centuries of evolution, human beings were designed to move. Our ancestors used to walk (or at least stand) nearly the whole day. This seems hardly possible now unless your job requires such a position, which is also not good. The important thing is you should not stand (still, that is better than sitting), you have to move, change positions. And here are some tips you can use as a start.
Now you have no excuses such as “I cannot afford going to the gym,” since many health-improving exercises do not require special sports equipment. Try NEAT—a non-exercise activity thermogenesis. In other words, you should start stretching, bending, and turning. This will help you release muscle tension and quicken your blood flow. Secondly, shorter exercise sessions are more preferable than one long one. Plan your daily activity in such a way that you do some moving at least each 1.5 hours. This may be walking, simple exercises, stretching, running, or whatever you like. Your main goal is to move as much throughout the day as possible.
And the last important thing: start integrating sports into your ordinary life. Feeling stressed and lonely without an evening TV-show? OK, you can watch it, but instead of sitting on a sofa with a pack of snacks, get up and walk around, or tidy up your house, or make short sessions of squatting during the commercial break. Whatever you choose, do it regularly, and you will avoid all the dangers of sitting.

Best Sports Movies for Your Bucket List

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Best Sports Movies for Your Bucket List
 Despite the modern tendency towards one-time movies, cinematography is still rich in films that will live forever, and this list includes a lot of movies about sport. Here are the greatest sports movies of all time that will stay popular for eternity and will always be remembered both by critics and viewers all over the world.

When We Were Kings (1996)

The 1996 Leon Gast’s documentary When We Were Kings is always mentioned in the list of best sports movies. And it is hardly surprising. All boxing fans would certainly agree that the personality of Muhammad Ali is legendary and iconic. It means a lot to see him preparing for the match, especially when we are talking about the one with George Foreman. Leon Gast shot his documentary back in 1974. However, it took him more than 20 years to get the financing to show his masterpiece to the world. And we thank the director a lot for not giving up. His great film When We Were Kingsreceived an Oscar, and the fight between two great boxers will be forever captured on film. Moreover, the director managed to portray the striking personality of Muhammad Ali by showing him all—his feelings, his thoughts, and his attitude towards the things that are not even connected with sports.When We Were Kings undercovers the true love of people and their strong faith in their hero who just cannot be defeated.

The Pride of the Yankees (1942)

Sam Wood managed to create one of the best sport films in the history of cinematography. The Pride of the Yankees tells the story of life and sports career of the first legendary baseman Henry “Lou” Gehrig. This New York Yankees’ player went down in history as the one who participated in 2130 games without having a rest for 14 years. The movie The Pride of the Yankeesmade Gehrig’s name famous all over the world and stays one of the most inspiring and sentimental stories about the baseman.

The Wrestler (2008)

What happens to a person who has nothing to lose? The world-famous Darren Aronofsky’s sport movie The Wrestler shows an aging wrestler Randy “The Ram” Robinson. He once was one the most famous wrestlers, but his life turns upside down when he has a heart attack during one of his fights. Despite the doctors’ recommendations and threats of death, Robinson decides not to give up and continues fighting anyway. The Aronofsky’s drama is intense and shows the world of wrestling as it is. The film shows all the details of this severe kind of sports and the people who literally have nothing to lose. The intense drama The Wrestler shows you what it is like to be a person whose whole life is sports.

Chariots of Fire (1981)

The list of the best sports films cannot do without the world-famous Hugh Hudson’s drama Chariots of Fire. The film was Oscar-nominated in seven categories and won four of them, including the Best Picture. The British film managed to outdistance all its strong competitors. The historical drama is a story of the rivalry between two athletes—Jewish Harold Abrahams and Christian Eric Liddell—who fought for the Olympic Gold Medal in 1924. TheChariots of Fire film shows not only the sporting competition but the rivalry between two absolutely different people that have different ideologies and religions. Hugh Hudson created a masterpiece, showing not only the world of sports but the characters of two strong athletes, their ups and downs, and the hard times for Europe when World War II is only about to come.

Rocky (1976)

It is hard to find a person who does not know the film Rocky. Among all thegreat sports movies about boxing, this one has truly become a legend. The intense, sensitive, and soulful John G. Avildsen’s drama had inspired us. So it was not a surprise when the film got its Best Picture Oscar. The Rocky film shows a broken-down boxer, who decides to use his last chance to succeed and fights for the title of the World Heavyweight Champion. Sylvester Stallone, who was then an unknown actor, managed to succeed in his role and won the hearts of the viewers and the Oscar prize, of course. While it seems that the film became popular because it was released back in 1976, the movie is adored even by the younger generation. Why? Because it has an incredible atmosphere and shows Rocky’s irresistible desire to prove that he is a person who can win Carl Weathers, the unconquerable boxer that thinks he is an undeniable winner.

Senna (2010)

Asif Kapadia’s documentary film Senna can be easily called a non-negotiable masterpiece. The film tells the story of a great motor-racing champion Ayrton Senna and his racing career in Formula One. The critics predicted the film to be a failure; however, on the very day when it was shown for the first time, they had to take their words back. The film won the hearts of the audience and was granted the status of standard documentary. The three-hours Senna film shows ten years of the champion’s life and consists of the documentary chronicle and narratives of the people who knew Ayrton Senna personally. The film perfectly shows why Senna was a special and remarkable person. Even his eternal rival, Alain Prost, said that Senna was the best person he had ever met in his entire life. Ayrton Senna was a hero, who was competing not to get an award but to prove that he can go beyond limits. The emotional documentary Senna shows a man who loved racing and never gave up.

Raging Bull (1980)

Martin Scorsese created a legend—he shot one of the greatest films about boxing, Raging Bull. The movie is about a popular professional boxer Jake LaMotta, who performed in the 40s. The film Raging Bull shows the sportsman’s fights with his competitors and undercovers his major rival—himself. Jake LaMotta’s uncontrollable and scandalous nature caused the boxer a lot of trouble in his personal life and sporting career. Raging Bullshows that the skilled professional fighter wasted his talent on constant confrontations with his managers, total consumption with jealousy to his wife, going on a binge and ruining matches. Martin Scorsese managed to show the boxer as he was and let the viewers plunge into the story using black and white filming, which conveyed the atmosphere of the documentary. The film is hard and harsh and, nevertheless, true-life. Robert De Niro, the leading actor of the Raging Bull film, created an incredible character, who is tortured by his own nature, and was a perfect fit for the role of Jake LaMotta, regardless of the sportsman’s age (the film shows 20 years of the boxer’s life). Moreover, De Niro portrayed the sportsman who is worth sympathy. Jake LaMotta watched Scorsese’s film. As a result, the film Raging Bull helped the popular sportsman understand how wasteful and careless he was with his life.

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