Friday June 19, 2020

As Pro Sports Return, Some Stars Say Not So Fast

 

 

United States Women’s National Team star Megan Rapinoe will be noticeably absent from the N.W.S.L. Challenge Cup when the National Women’s Soccer League resumes play later this month. Rapinoe is refusing to play on the grounds of safety, and her team, OL Reign, will be without her for the month-long tournament taking place in Salt Lake City, Utah.

The 34-year-old soccer star is one of the biggest names in the game, having led the USWNT to victory in the 2019 Women’s World Cup. “I understand her motivations,” her coach Farid Benstiti was quoted as saying in the The New York Times, “but I am disappointed and frustrated that she will not be with us to compete in this tournament. Megan is important to the group, and we could have achieved something big if she had joined the rest of the group. She will be missed by the team and also by women’s football.”

Rapinoe isn’t the only member of the USWNT who is refusing to play, according to Yahoo Sports, but she is the only one who has been named so far. Players have voiced concerns about safety and testing protocols, isolation from their families during the required quarantine, and the risk of injury in a compressed schedule where most games will be played on artificial turf — the latter of which has been an ongoing concern for players even before the Coronavirus pandemic hit. Rapinoe tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee while training on a turf field before one of the national team’s victory tour games, and also tore the meniscus in her left knee in 2017.
Read More

 

Friday June 5, 2020

Drew Brees Fumbles… Again

 

 

In October of 2018, New Orleans Saints fans cheered as their beloved quarterback Drew Brees broke Peyton Manning’s record to become the all-time leading passer in NFL history – and on a touchdown pass no less. We celebrated this accomplishment but with a more scathing view in Go Rylan Brees.

The headlines read, “Drew Brees Gives Inspiring Talk To His Kids After New NFL Record”. Except he didn’t give an inspiring talk to his kids. He gave it to his three sons as his daughter watched, held in the arms of her mother. “Hey boy, hey boys!” Brees exclaimed. “You can accomplish anything in life that you want to work for, right?” (watch here)

I was stunned when I first saw it, unable to believe how rampant sexism still was in this sensitive climate – not just in sports, but the media too. I couldn’t believe no one picked up on it or told that story. But thankfully Drew Brees’ fumble on Wednesday did not go unnoticed, when a statement he made in an interview with Yahoo Finance went viral and became headline news. Read More

 

Tuesday May 12, 2020

Fire and Iceland

 

Skogafoss Waterfall

 
When it came time for busy actress Alysia Reiner — star of such hit shows as Orange Is the New Black, Better Things, and The Deuce — to plan a family vacation last December, it was not one that included much rest. While many people choose a warm beach or tropical climate over the holidays, Alysia and her husband, fellow actor David Alan Basche, along with 11-year old daughter Livia, packed up for frigid but beautiful Iceland — in fact, it was her daughter’s idea!

Livia has always loved volcanoes. “Since she was tiny, she was slightly obsessed”, Alysia told Style of Sport. “I suggested Costa Rica, but she came up with Iceland”. Perhaps volcanoes are not what first come to mind when you think of Iceland — it’s more glaciers and the famous Blue Lagoon — but actually Iceland has some the most geothermal activity in the world. There are approximately 130 volcanoes, both active and inactive. Many of them are underneath the surface of the earth and underwater, which is how those incredible hot springs were formed.
 

Skaftafell 5 hour Glacier Hike with Iceland Rovers Tour Company

 
Known as the “Land of Ice and Fire”, Iceland is a natural wonderland where the freezing forces of arctic weather are in constant battle with the explosive heat of the earth. The result is a dramatic landscape of stark contrasts — fields of moss-coated lava, plains of black sand, explosive geysers, mountainous glaciers, and of course, those blue thermal hot springs. All of which make for a very adventurous vacation. Read More

 

Sunday April 26, 2020

Kassia Meador: Sound Surfer

 

 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY SARAH LEE

Back in early October, I attended a press event for Kassia + Surf in NYC. The company and its namesake founder were introducing a new line of wetsuits made from recycled neoprene and salvaged tires, along with a collection of other eco-conscious surf apparel. Considered perhaps the best female longboarder ever, Kassia Meador’s graceful and effortless surfing style is legendary — cross stepping and tiptoeing up to the nose of the board, hanging out there in a crouch, or maybe topping it off with a twirl.

The press event was hosted at Mndfl, one of the new breed of meditation studios that have popped up over the last few years, and a featured part of the morning would be a sound bath meditation led by Kassia herself. If you have never experienced a sound bath, it is style of meditation that uses vibrational sound waves produced by chimes, gongs, drums, and crystal bowls as a relaxation technique. As you “bathe” in these tones, it facilitates a shift in your brainwaves to a state of deep relaxation and rest. For those who are new to meditation or have found it a challenge, a sound bath is a great place to start. Focusing on these vibrational tones can help tune out distractions to attain that deeply meditative state many of us find so elusive. Read More

 

Monday April 20, 2020

Hooping It Up

 

SABRINA IONESCU

Last weekend was a big one in professional basketball. Though there were no live games, both the NBA and WNBA featured major stories. In the WNBA draft, “virtual” this year, the number one pick went to the New York Liberty who selected Sabrina Ionescu. Over on ESPN, The Last Dance, the much-anticipated documentary series on Michael Jordan and the 1990’s Chicago Bulls debuted.

Basketball fan or not, undoubtably the name Michael Jordan is familiar to you, but likely not that of Sabrina Ionescu. Here’s why it should and likely will be soon.

Star point guard at the University of Oregon, Sabrina Ionescu is the first player in NCAA Division I history – male or female – to record 2,000 career points, 1,000 career assists, and 1,000 career rebounds. She also finished her college career with a record 26 triple-doubles (that’s points, assists, and rebounds). Even more impressive is that she achieved this milestone just hours after delivering an unforgettable eulogy at Kobe Bryant’s memorial service in front of tens of thousands at the Staples Center (watch here).
Read More

 

Thursday April 9, 2020

Mini Home Gym

 

Image Map

CLICK ITEMS ABOVE FOR SHOPPING LINKS

Working out at home with gyms closed, you need to have some training gear. Many of us don’t have a lot of extra room — nor do we want to buy big or expensive pieces of equipment during this shelter-at-home period. Here are a few multi-functional, space-saving essentials to power up any home workout!

 

ROW 1: NO KA’OI TRIANGLE LOGO MAT $212. For yoga and other floor workouts, you need an exercise mat. We love these bright ones from No Ka’Oi that come in an array of vibrant colors. With the perfect cushioned base for yoga and other floor routines, this no-slip, textured mat rolls up for easy stashing and portability.

NIKE FREE METCON 3 $120. We could all use a little inspiration, and a new pair of shoes will get you pumped for that workout! The Nike Free Metcon 3 combines flexibility with stability for support and speed from weight lifting to agility drills.

ROW 2: TANGRAM SMARTROPE ROOKIE $39.95. New from Tangram comes the Rookie – designed to be lighter, easier to use, and even more fun. LED-embedded, it displays your workout data in mid-air, and has a freely adjustable rope length for both children and adults. The Rookie syncs to your smartphone to automatically record exercise data like jump counts, calories, duration, and goal achievement. Read More

 

Saturday December 28, 2019

Great Performances: The Best of 2019

 

 

From Team USA’s Women’s World Cup Win to the Washington Nationals’ first World Series Championship to record shattering times in both the Men’s and Women’s Marathon… 2019 was filled with many an epic sport moment! Here are the 12 pinnacles of the year that had everyone talking… including you!

Team USA wins the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup!

Defending their 2015 title, Team USA won their fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup on July 7th in Paris, defeating the Netherlands 2-0. Scoreless at the half, Team USA took the lead on a penalty kick by Megan Rapinoe at the 62-minute mark, followed up by a second goal by midfielder Rose Lavelle just before the 69-minute mark.

The tournament generated as much attention for the quality of play as the inequality of pay. Despite the US women being ranked number 1 in the world, the US men’s team, currently ranked 30th, earns more when they lose than the women do when they win (Vox Media). In response to this pay disparity, 28 members of the women’s national team sued the US Soccer Federation for gender discrimination on March 8 to coincide with International Women’s Day. Crowds could be heard chanting “Equal Pay” throughout the tournament during the games in which the US played.  Read More

 

Monday October 28, 2019

Longines Global Champions Tour

 

THE NEW YORK CITY STOP OF THE LONGINES GLOBAL CHAMPIONS TOUR

 
Last month, on a perfect fall Friday in New York, I hopped on the ferry to Governors Island for the inaugural Big Apple stop of the Longines Global Champions Tour. It was a short walk to the grounds, where a showjumping ring had been constructed, situated in front of breathtaking views of the Statue of Liberty and the lower Manhattan skyline.

Along for the ride happened to be Bruce Springsteen. His daughter, Jessica Springsteen (above), is one of the top riders in the sport. Like the rest of us, he was en route to watch her and many more of world’s best show jumpers compete. Read More

 
 

BACK TO TOP