Nike's Secret Olympic Weapons; UEFA Wants You to Keep it in Your Shorts
Today in Sports: U.S. track and field gets more aerodynamic, a soccer player has an underwear problem, and who will hire Erin Andrews?
- Nike unveiled new uniforms for the U.S. track and field team that it claims can shave up to 0.023 seconds off a 100-meter sprint time, and make big differences in 200 and 400-meter times as well. The aerodynamic suits are made from recycled water bottles and are dimpled, like a golf ball, with special patches for the forearm and lower leg, which Nike says are the fastest moving parts of the body. Sure, they look a little weird, but half of success is in your head anyway, right? If the sprinter thinks they might run faster, that might make them run faster, even if they can't really run faster. Got that? [AP/Fox Sports]
- The NCAA has deregulated text messages between coaches and recruits, ending previous limits on the number of electronic messages that school officials could send to prospective athletes. The new rules include Facebook and Twitter messages in a step that "recognized the evolving nature of communication with students." Now someone just has to teach Coach K how to use his BlackBerry. [Sports Illustrated]
- Denmark's Nicklas Bendtner will be punished by UEFA for pulling down his "lucky" shorts and revealing his underwear after scoring two goals in Wednesday's match against Portugal at the European Championships. He would have gotten away with it too, if the drawers in question didn't contain an ad for the British sports gambling company Paddy Power. Not only are players not allowed to display advertising during international matches, the Danish football association is already sponsored by a rival bookmaker making Bendtner's mover a double commercial foul. UEFA is going to wait until Monday to decide how Bendtner will be disciplined. But, according to the Danish Football Association, one thing has been decided: "We have spoken to the player and he will not play in those [underpants] against Germany on Sunday." [Daily Mail]
- Erin Andrews' contract with ESPN runs out in two weeks, but Deadspin is reporting that the popular sideline reporter will not find a lot of job options outside of her current network. Her attempts to branch out and do things other than sideline reporting have been met with a lukewarm response and at least one rival TV executive says, "It doesn't have anything to do with the scandal stuff. That's what gives her a higher profile. I just don't think she's that talented." That also might be the kind of thing you would say if you wanted to drive down an asking price and hire someone away from a rival network, but interpret those comments however you want. [Deadspin]
- Some NASCAR people are expressing concerns about the newly resurfaced track at Michigan International Speedway that's helping cars shatter qualifying records and pushing top speeds up to 218 miles an hour. Unlike the superspeedways at Daytona and Talladega, the race at Michigan this weekend will not use restrictor plates, which could result in one of the fastest races the sport has seen in a long while. Many of the drivers remained unconcerned, but as five-time champion Jimmie Johnson put it: "Granted, I haven't hit the wall yet to see how the car reacts with the SAFER barriers." [ESPN]
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