Sport

There is something enchanting about NASCAR that caught the attention of Shawne Merriman long before he entered the NFL. Growing up in Maryland just outside of Washington, D.C., the retired NFL linebacker said he watched races on TV. He followed superstars Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Richard Petty and remembers buying NASCAR-themed toys, but there was never an opportunity to meet the drivers or develop a personal connection to the sport….

<!– –> VISIT CNBC.COM VISIT CNBC.COM Home Entrepreneurs Leadership Careers Money Specials PRIMETIME Money Money 8 Hours AgoCNBC.com As European soccer leagues kick off this month and the transfer window comes to a close, it will be hard for any of the typical last-minute market drama to compete with Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain paying Barcelona $263 million for one player. That fee is more than double the previous world record. The…

NASCAR’s Bristol night race was full of hot tempers and dented fenders when it was just another race in a long regular season. With segment points, a victory guaranteeing a spot in the postseason and only three spots left, drivers expect to be especially aggressive to try to get to Victory Lane in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race. The August race at the .533-mile track in Bristol, Tenn.,…

It’s not hard to imagine a tension-filled scenario on Feb. 9, the first day of opening ceremonies of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. SEE MORE: From the August 15, 2017, issue of Variety President Donald Trump and the North Korean regime of Kim Jong-un might well still be exchanging harsh, rhetorical threats, as they did last week, while the U.S. military ratchets up strength and Kim’s government…

Image copyright Reuters Image caption Mo Farah wins gold in Men’s 5000m, London 2012 Five years ago this month, the London Olympic Games – seen as a great success for Britain – came to a close. At the time, the country was promised that the end of the Games would not mean the end of the success story, that there would be a lasting legacy for sport participation. But, in…

NASCAR’s Bristol night race was full of hot tempers and dented fenders when it was just another race in a long regular season. With segment points, a victory guaranteeing a spot in the postseason and only three spots left, drivers expect to be especially aggressive to try to get to Victory Lane in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race. The August race at the .533-mile track in Bristol, Tenn.,…

NASCAR’s Bristol night race was full of hot tempers and dented fenders when it was just another race in a long regular season. With segment points, a victory guaranteeing a spot in the postseason and only three spots left, drivers expect to be especially aggressive to try to get to Victory Lane in Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race. The August race at the .533-mile track in Bristol, Tenn.,…

It’s not hard to imagine a tension-filled scenario on Feb. 9, the first day of opening ceremonies of the upcoming Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. SEE MORE: From the August 15, 2017, issue of Variety President Donald Trump and the North Korean regime of Kim Jong-un might well still be exchanging harsh, rhetorical threats, as they did last week, while the U.S. military ratchets up strength and Kim’s government…

Two NASCAR Camping World Truck Series teams were penalized following the LTi Printing 200 last weekend at Michigan International Speedway. The No. 99 MDM Motorsports Chevrolet failed post-race inspection and was handed an L1-level penalty. Under section 20.4.12.b of the NASCAR Rule Book concerning the truck bed cover it states, “Vent holes at the bed top must be configured for air intake only.” In his first NCWTS start of the…

See more of the story Ryan Mielke’s one smart 11-year-old. In the waning minutes of every game in Da Beauty League, dozens of kids in hockey garb press against each railing at the Zamboni entrance inside Edina’s Braemar Arena. “Haula, Haula, Haula!!!” they scream, waving hats, shirts and Sharpies in desperate attempts to get NHLers to stop for an autograph. “Guentzel, Guentzel!!! Bjugstad! Parise!!! Buff!!!!” But one night, Mielke and…

It was the fictional fashionista, Derek Zoolander, who asked himself, “Who am I?” as he peered poignantly into a puddle that bore his own reflection in the 2001 cult classic Zoolander, only moments after losing the male model of the year award to his arch rival, Hansel. In defeat, he lost his identity. If he wasn’t the best model on the planet anymore, then who the hell was he? The…

Toronto FC is now Major League Soccer’s third-most valuable team, worth $280 million. Much of that value has been built on the back of aggressive player spending, and this year’s trio of designated players – Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore (pictured above, left and right) and Sebastian Giovinco – are by far the league’s most expensive. (Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) When MLS kicked off its 2017 season this past March, it expected…

Toronto FC is now Major League Soccer’s third-most valuable team, worth $280 million. Much of that value has been built on the back of aggressive player spending, and this year’s trio of designated players – Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore (pictured above, left and right) and Sebastian Giovinco – are by far the league’s most expensive. (Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) When MLS kicked off its 2017 season this past March, it expected…

NASCAR points leader Martin Truex Jr., driver of the Denver-built No. 78 Toyota of Furniture Row Racing, is close to clinching the regular-season title and add to his playoff-point-leading total when the postseason begins Sept. 17 at Chicago. Truex, who has finished first and second in the last two races, has a 129-point lead over second place Kyle Larson heading into Saturday’s night race at Bristol, Tenn., the 24th race…

There are multiple ways to interpret the idea of NASCAR being a team sport. There is an individual car’s team – including the driver, crew chief, pit crew and so on – but there’s also the larger racing team, which serves as an umbrella over all the cars the company may field. Members of the individual car’s team, say Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 78 Toyota crew, will do anything to…

Two years ago, Darlington Raceway added a unique aspect to the Southern 500. In addition to reviving its Labor Day weekend date after an unpopular stint in the spring, NASCAR celebrated the return of a stock car tradition by hosting a throwback weekend. The first two events were widely popular, with fans (in throwback regalia) returning in droves to the venerable South Carolina speedway. During that time, many…

Céline Dion: Grammy-winning singer, fashion icon and now, enthusiastic hockey mom. The star, 49, was spotted Monday at a private hockey game in Terrebonne, Quebec — where she cheered on her 16-year-old son René-Charles Angélil. Dressed in a hockey jersey with “Angelil” written across the back, Dion looked like the proudest of mothers. In a video captured by Instagram user Maximilien, Dion can even be seen standing on her feet in the stands…

There are multiple ways to interpret the idea of NASCAR being a team sport. There is an individual car’s team – including the driver, crew chief, pit crew and so on – but there’s also the larger racing team, which serves as an umbrella over all the cars the company may field. Members of the individual car’s team, say Martin Truex Jr.’s No. 78 Toyota crew, will do anything to…

A Swiss hotel singled out Jewish guests and told them they had to shower before stepping into the pool — prompting outcry from Israel and Jewish advocacy groups Tuesday. “To our Jewish Guests, Please take a shower before you go swimming. If you break the rules, I am forced to cloes (sic) the swimming pool for you. Thank you for your understanding,” said the sign, posted at the Paradies Arosa…

“We are all looking for answers.” Those are the words of the legendary Australian cycling coach Gary Sutton, but they represent the sentiment of the entire Australian cycling community. Cyclists, coaches and fans are in shock after the death of the much-loved former track cyclist Stephen Wooldridge. In a sport often riven with division, no one ever had a bad word to say about Wooldridge. The 39-year-old won gold at…