Most Recent: Sports
Posted on Tuesday, December 2, 2008 at 3:15 PM
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Tal PinchTagged as: Sports, Travel, Winter, Dogs, Alaska, Jackson Hole, Dogsledding
Mush You Huskies
Your typical winter vacation revolves around either sun or ski. While we're plenty fond of either wintertime option, let's go over a winter getaway alternative that, if nothing, else will put a few hairsicles on your chest. With outdoor adventure always expanding, a number of leading dogsled packages are looking for a few good mushers.
With good reason, a number of sledding packages are operating in Alaska. One of the foremost among them comes courtesy of Alaska Brooks Range tours, offering some of the most isolated and authentic dog sled tours 60 miles north of the Arctic Circle. The three- and five-day packages offer, among some other basic amenities, a nice sauna ready to greet you once you're done.
Granted, that's a long trek to make for some huskies. Not quite as far as the Arctic Circle is Jackson Hole, Wyoming, which offers a variety of scenic tours. Particularly Jackson Hole Iditarod Dog Sled Tours, which started their half-day and full-day tours in late November. While this Iditarod is noticeably no frills, the Spring Creek Ranch, a nearby luxury resort, offers similar tours but with a spa and award-winning dining.
Not to worry East-Coasters. You don't necessarily need to fly cross-country to hit the sled trails. More local options include the Lodge at Moosehead Lake in Maine, which offers a nice selection of amenities, our favorite being the lounge-like pub on-site. Now THAT is how we like to end a long day of dog sledding.
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Posted on Wednesday, November 19, 2008 at 11:44 PM
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Tal PinchTagged as: Timex Ironman Race Trainer, Central Park, Watches, Technology, Electronics, Outdoor, Timex, New York Marathon, New York, Sports
Timex Gives You a Chance to Get Ready for Next Year's Marathon
The New York Marathon a few weeks ago really got us motivated to finally get out there and run; no, really. But considering you already missed this year's installment, you?ll need to look elsewhere to complete your 26.2 miles. You could probably start (and get some nice travel in to boot) with the Hong Kong, Miami, Dubai, New Orleans, and Marrakech marathons in January and February. By next fall, you can use the competitive Chicago Marathon to gear up for the New York edition, the event most closely associated with the words ?maybe next year.? You can always sign up for charity on the marathon?s web site.
If you're ready to start training, Timex?s Ironman Race Trainer has made your marathon prep a lot easier. On the surface, the kit revolves around the new sports timepiece featuring the requisite stop watch, chronograph, 50-lap memory, and all tangible training information. Working with a wireless chest monitor, you can also track distance and heart rate.
What truly sets this kit apart is its wireless communication with your Mac or PC via a USB Timex Data Xchanger. From there, you can sync your watch and all pertinent training information with the special TrainingPeaks software, which thoroughly analyzes everything from the range of your heart rate to how you allocate your time walking versus running to your diet. No high-tech features to speak of, like GPS or remote tracking, but with a $220 price tag, there isn't a more efficient way to closely organize your evolution into a marathon mad man. Of course, a good pair of running shoes, like the light and resilient Saucony ProGrid Jazz 12 or the Asics Gel Evolution 4, should help too.
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Posted on Wednesday, November 5, 2008 at 3:51 PM
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Tal PinchTagged as: New York City, Life in New York, Golf, Callaway, New York, Sports
Grand Central to Become Golf Simulator for a Day November 7th
Plenty of New Yorkers look to spontaneously spend their lunch break swinging at some golf balls, but the west-side range at Chelsea Piers has a long wait to contend with (usually at least an hour or two). Nevertheless, we have found out that one of New York?s favorite landmarks will be providing a much-needed golf simulator sponsored by Callaway.
In what they hope will make for the ultimate casual Friday, Callaway Golf is marking the upcoming launch of their FT-iQ driver by setting up a first-class golfing simulation on November 7th at Grand Central Terminal?s Vanderbilt Hall. From 7am to 7pm, the simulator will allow golfers to test out the new FT-iQ drivers while taking a moment out of their day to enjoy what we?d all rather be doing anyway.
Aside from the driving ranges and demonstrations, Callaway will even be holding a long drive contest. It?s not the same as a mid-day round of golf, but with most of New York?s surrounding golf clubs closing for the winter season and an impromptu Manhattan driving session hard to come by, Callaway?s all-day mid-town golf simulator might be worth a look.
As for the FT-iQ, Callaway is heralding it as the longest, straightest driver ever and the finest club they?ve ever made. Boasting 35% less spin, the new square-headed titanium club has been getting strong reviews so far. And if you have to pull yourself away from the office to test drive it yourself, well then that?s just what you?ll have to do.
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 at 12:27 PM
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Tal PinchTagged as: Wall Street Journal, Sports, Football, Fantasy Football, Sports Gambling, Poker, Daniel Negreanu, Raj Rajaratnam
Fantasy Football Stakes Get Higher. A Lot Higher
When it comes to the escapist madness that is fantasy football, we thought we wouldn't see stakes much higher than the $5,000 buy-in implemented in the Las Vegas auction league featuring big-time poker pros like Daniel Negreanu, Gavin Smith, and Erick Lindgren. Considering the passion for fantasy among this crew known for throwing several thousand dollars at prop bets practically every day, this probably wasn't even the only league they entered. Negreanu in particular is known for competing in leagues that draft 16-year old prospects. But the Wall Street Journal has uncovered a separate league that puts these Vegas sports-book rats to shame.
The league has existed since about 2002 and pays its top three finishers $1 million in prizes. How does a league pay out $1 million? Quite easily, considering league participants include many of the scions of Wall Street. That includes all-star hedge fund figure Paul Tudor Jones (net worth $2.5 billion), Boston Celtics part-owner Jim Pallotta, and Galleon Group founder Raj Rajaratnam (net worth $1.8 billion).
The 10-team league is based primarily in New York and has been making rumblings around Wall Street for the past couple of years, particularly now that most of the people gossiping have fallen on tough times. The $100,000 buy-in certainly shames the $5,000 Vegas game, but the $600,000 first-place prize tends to justify the expense, assuming you know your pro football.
Of course, all the winnings are donated to charity. Rajaratnam, who won in 2004, donated his winnings to tsunami relief. Spots in the league are sparse but do pop up every once in a while. League founder Stanley Druckenmiller, for example, left the league last year to submit a bid to buy the Pittsburgh Steelers and play real-life fantasy football. He was replaced by John Griffin, the manager over at Blue Ridge Capital. You?ll need someone to drop out of the league and open a spot before you get any consideration in what looks to be the world's highest-stakes fantasy football league. In the Vegas league?s defense, they have a post-draft party at the Palms.
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Posted on Monday, October 20, 2008 at 5:57 PM
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Tal PinchTagged as: Favorites, Favorite Things, Sports, Triathlon, Ironman, Dave Scott
Favorites: Dave Scott
In the world of Ironman triathlons, there is everyone else and then there is Dave Scott, the six-time Ironman World Champion and self-confessed
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