NASCAR Chase Adds 13th Spot

Anyone notice a 13th spot in this years NASCAR Chase? All major news outlets including Yahoo Sports picked up on this debacle a couple of weeks ago.

It all began at the last pre-Chase race in Richmond on September 7th. With six laps to go both current leader Ryan Newman and Jeff Gordon were in place to clinch spots in the Chase with Newman ready to claim a wild card spot and Gordon ready to claim the 10th guaranteed spot. On this lap Clint Boyer spun out, many of whom called this spin intentional which we will get to in a second. On the restart Newman lost the lead and his wild card spot in the Chase to Martin Truex Jr. and Jeff Gordan lost enough spots to turn over his tenth guaranteed position in the Chase to Joey Logano. This one spin out and resulting restart took out Newman and Gordon from the Chase and ultimately replaced them with Truex and Logano. We often see NASCAR race finishes full of wrecks as drivers go all out to win races but this one car spin out caused quite a controversy that was just beginning.

First, Truex was penalized which ultimately dropped him from the Chase and allowed Newman back in however Boyer was never mentioned or penalized probably because he did not qualify for the Chase anyways. Second and the most damning news I have read from multiple sources was that radio communications between Front Row Motorsports and Penske Motorsports spoke of fixing race positioning to allow Logano to move up and make the Chase. Last but not least NASCAR then announced they would add a 13th spot to the Chase for Gordan after what had just unfolded in the days prior.

Talk about a dirty and fixed sport when you have the governing body making these changes and the drivers and owners making deals to manipulate spots via spin outs and more. Live reporters never inquire about fixes but check out the video above for more insight and how big this mess became.

Taking a Dive in the NFL

Although we already know NFL teams and their players do this, a couple of weeks ago former Chicago Bears player Brian Urlacher admitted that NFL defenses including the Bears would occasionally fake injuries to slow fast-paced offenses. Shortly after this admission the NFL sent a reminder notice to all 32 teams to remind them that faking injuries can warrant disciplinary action. I think the NFL and its fans will now be scrutinizing injured players a little more than before. Momentum in sports can change in the blink of an eye and may ultimately change the course of game.

Did Bobby Riggs Throw the Battle of the Sexes Tennis Match?

Forty years later multiple news sources including Yahoo Sports have found new information that the 'Battle of the Sexes' tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Bill Jean King was fixed. This historic match between 55-year-old tennis star and former champion Bobby Riggs and then 29-year-old phenom Bill Jean King would settle the bragging rights for the gender that won however it might have been a sham all along.

Riggs was known as a hustler in his early days often losing early matches on purpose to then come back and beat his opponents handily. As years went by he became associated with those that had Mafia ties. Because of his past and associations, London betting parlors didn't take action on this match.

Earlier that year Riggs already easily beat the number one female tennis player so how could he possibly lose to King, the current number two female tennis player? Odds makers installed Riggs as the favorite and according to most very few put any money on King. Of course the unthinkable happened and King defeated Riggs in straight sets 6-4, 6-3 and 6-3.

Forty years later a golf pro in Tampa by the name of Hal Shaw has come forward with new information on this questionable match. Fearing retribution Shaw kept his secret until now and decided to finally set the record straight. According to Jay Busbee at Yahoo Sports, "Shaw recently told ESPN's Outside the Lines that he heard several notable Mafia figures, including Santo Trafficante Jr. and Carlos Marcello, discussing how Riggs would throw the match in order to pay off more than $100,000 in gambling debts."

Many questioned this match as it unfolded and maybe the truth has finally been revealed, it was fixed.    

The Ladies of MMA on the Juice Too

MMA fighters often claim high usage rates of steroids, PED's, TRT usage and more among their fellow fighters which I wouldn't be surprised about being such a physical sport. What does surprise me is the number of female fighters doing the same. Carina Damm has recently been linked to this seedy side of the sport for a second time. Damm was the first female MMA fighter to be suspended in the United States for steroid use after testing positive for Nandrolone back in 2008. Just recently she submitted a pre-fight urine sample that was found to be some other substance than urine for her bout this past June against Jessica Eye which she lost via unanimous decision. Damm was fined $550 and suspended six months by the Ohio State Athletic Commission. Just like her last suspension, Damm went back to fight in her native Brazil who seem to have lax testing standards and do not have to honor suspensions from other countries. With Cris Cyborg and Carina Damm found guilty and several female fighters drawing suspicion I wonder how rampant steroid and PED usage is in Women's MMA?