In this day and age, it’s not uncommon for an athlete’s accomplishments to be questioned. Usually the inquiries and tests revolve around performance-enhancing drugs, not the athlete’s sex.
South African Caster Semenya is the exception. After running faster, toning up and vocalizing in deeper tones, race officials questioned her changes and asked Semenya to submit to a series of gender tests to prove that she’s a female, including visiting a gynecologist.
In spite of the flap, Semenya has continued to break records this week’s world championships while her family has jumped to her defense.
As the controversy continues, Semenya will likely keep breaking records. Visit Predicto.com to stay in the loop. When you sign up, you’ll get to vote on surveys just like this and you’ll also get news updates about whether your predictions are right or wrong. You can also become a fan of Predicto on Facebook!
The Predicto TV crew wanted to attend a sporting event this summer, but didn’t want to do the predictable and see the Yankees. Instead, we did something where the players are allowed to smash into each other, knocking the other team over is part of the game and the penalty box is always busy. This is the world of women’s roller derby, and Predicto TV was invited to meet the national champion New York Gotham Girls. At a recent bout, two undefeated teams of danger-loving ladies faced off: the Bronx Gridlock in their taxicab-style uniforms, against the Manhattan Mayhem, dressed up like escapees from Rikers Island. We were treated to two hours of fun and excitement, as the Bronx dominated the action and handed Manhattan a painful loss.
We met Ginger Snap, the Gotham Girls league president and also a blocker/pivot on the Gridlock. “Everybody has a different reason for being here,” Ginger says. “It’s a combination of sport and fantasy and having your own name, but also the competition and the camaraderie… we do this all together, and you can hit somebody on the track, but you have to buy them a beer afterwards.” Gridlock pivot Dainty Inferno says, “You don’t have to be the biggest hitter, because I’m certainly not, but being able to get up from a hit, and being able to take it, over and over and dish it out, that’s the biggest thing. To get up, and keep going.” The crowd of about 2,000 that packed the Hunter College arena saw a thrilling bout, and we caught the vibe of fun and entertainment. All of the Gotham Girls answer our Predicto questions, so watch Episode 36 of Predicto TV now!
Life has been anything but easy for Michael Vick lately.
Once on top of the world, the then-star quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons and the NFL’s highest paid player fell into the shadow of disgrace after a police raid in April of 2007 discovered he was operating a dogfighting ring in his home. He pleaded guilty in August 2007, and was meted 23 months of federal prison time on top of an indefinite suspension by the NFL beginning November 2007.
Several years and court appearances later, Vick is about to return to football at last and is getting ready for the next season. It is his hope that he will be able to spark some kind of improvement in the Philadelphia Eagles, his new team, over the duration of his one-year contract.
And change he must bring – the Eagles have not landed, but have skidded, crashed and burned their way recently through a tough 9-win season that fans and pundits would never have foreseen had Vick been part of the lineup. There are many people who believe that the Eagles would not have had to endure that kind of hardship had someone of Vick’s caliber been around.
So now he’s with the Eagles. And questions abound: Does Vick still have that same levels of fitness and skill that he had before the scandal? Will his recent absence from the NFL affect his game? Will fans still back the Eagles given everything that has happened since?
And, most importantly: can the Philadelphia Eagles improve on their 9-win season from last year, now that Michael Vick is on board to support Donovan McNabb and the crew?
This is not the first time high-profile athletes have been in the news for all the wrong reasons. Remember Kobe Bryant? Or how about Rasheed Wallace and the ‘Portland Jail-Blazers?’ Then there’s the whole doping controversy that only recently surrounded major league baseball and some of its biggest names.
There are always reasons why a player can’t function the way he used to following a long absence. A lack of fitness is one. Lost practice time is another. Then there’s the factor of being ‘left behind,’ as your contemporaries all start stepping up and raising their game. If Michael Vick is to have any hope of making it big again, he has to beat down those demons and push himself back up to the top of the league. Most certainly, he has the talent to be able to do it. He also has a lot to prove, and with that chip on his shoulder, he has the fuel to prove it.
All this looks good on paper. The question that remains is how it will all play out. If the Eagles improve on their last season with the help of Vick, then the shamed quarterback may have found redemption. Anything more – the playoffs, the Superbowl, possibly even an NFL championship, would be reaching.
But reach he ought to, for there are no other ways. Anything else, and the shadow of the dogfighting ring may continue to haunt him, his career, and his future indefinitely. Already the Eagles are 0-2, with Vick expected to be out for the next game, and fans are expressing their distrust towards the signing.
Imagine pursuing your passion of becoming a sportscaster, getting a prestigious gig with ESPN and traveling to watch some of the biggest sporting events in the country.
Erin Andrews had that dream, but it quickly turned into a nightmare when videos of the commentator — somehow filmed by a peeping Tom at some of her hotel rooms — surfaced last year and went mainstream this week, with stills even being put on the front page of the New York Post.
Andrews is obviously upset, but evidence indicates that the videos may have been created by one of her own colleagues at ESPN, as the tapes depict a naked Andrews at multiple hotels parading around her room getting ready for gigs. Some say that only someone who had the same schedule or knowledge of her itinerary could have accomplished such a feat.
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If there’s one thing the Los Angeles Clippers will never be accused of, it’s being contenders for the NBA Finals. Most Angelenos probably even forget that they have another basketball team when the Lakers bring home so many championship trophies.
But locals and national fans may soon take notice of L.A.’s other team. See, the Clippers are in serious talks to get the Detroit Pistons’ Allen Iverson into their ranks to join first-round draft pick Blake Griffin, who handed the some Lakers a defeat in a recent summer league game.
What do you think will happen: Iverson in a Clippers jersey? Traded to another team? Staying put in Detroit? Well, sign up with Predicto.com to get the answer to this and other pop culture, entertainment and sports questions, as well as the chance to vote and win prizes. You can also become a fan of Predicto on Facebook!
LeBron James joined the Cleveland Cavaliers to much fanfare in 2003, and was hailed as the greatest “straight out of high school” recruit the NBA had seen in a while. What’s currently out of sight, however, is James getting schooled by an underclassman.
It happens to the greatest basketball players, but stories say that Nike reps snatched the tapes of present videographers and may be causing a blackout online. No videos of the incident are on YouTube and those who did post them claim they were taken down within minutes of being posted.
Who do you agree with? And will Nike’s alleged blocking of the video prevent their poster boy’s humiliation? And does LeBron really have anything to be ashamed of? Find out what happens here by visiting Predicto.com and signing up to vote in polls just like this on the latest happenings in sports, entertainment and pop culture. You can also “fan” us on Facebook!
Albert Pujols has 30 home runs this season. The only other St. Louis Cardinal to have such an impressive streak of hits prior to an All-Star game was Mark McGwire, though his 37-homer run in 1998 has an asterisk attached.
Pujols now has several months left to catch up with McGwire, who went on to have 70 home runs in that year’s derby with Sammy Sosa.
Find out if Pujols will score bragging rights this season or if he strikes out by visiting Predicto.com. Sign up to vote in surveys about the hottest topics in sports, pop culture and entertainment, and don’t forget to become a Predicto fan on Facebook!
The basketball world was buzzing this week over the NBA Draft, and Predicto TV got to meet five of the hottest young players in the game. We were invited to the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue and dialed up some hoops prediction questions for the newest NBA stars. Blake Griffin, the #1 draft pick for the Clippers, isn’t worried about Shaq O’Neal going to Cleveland: “I guess if he’s in the Eastern Conference, I won’t have to play him as much, so that would be nice.” At the #2 pick, the Grizzlies got Hasheem Thabeet, who told us he got advice from Celtics star, Ray Allen. (He told me to) “stay focused and be ready for this. It’s going to be so challenging at first, but you’re just going to have to work at it when you get out there.” Predicto TV also spent some time with Jordan Hill, Brandon Jennings and Tyler Hansbrough. Watch Episode 26 of Predicto TV…where predictions happen!
Shaquille O’Neal a Cleveland Cavalier? If the rumors buzzing around the sports world are true, Shaq could be saying sayonara to the Phoenix Suns and joining LeBron James’ team, which came close to making the NBA Finals this year.
Shaq has plenty of playoffs experience, having earned four championship rings during his time with both the Los Angeles Lakers and Miami Heat. King James is reportedly excited about the prospect of the 17-year NBA veteran joining the lineup, as stories were circulating about James’ rumored departure from Cleveland.
Which uniform will Shaq wear when the season starts? Stay logged in to Predicto.com to find out the answer to this and other hot topics in sports. Don’t forget to sign up today so that you can vote in Predicto surveys.
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Last year, the Boston Celtics decisively beat the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. This year, many wonder if they’ll make it past the first round of this year’s playoffs.
What changed? Chalk it up to one player: Kevin Garnett. Last season, he was traded to the team from the Minnesota Timberwolves and became a part of Boston’s mighty “Big Three.” The triumvirate of awesome players–Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce–helped the Celtics win their first championship in 22 years.
This season, Garnett suffered a debilitating knee injury that kept him out of the latter half of the regular season and threatens to keep him out of the postseason entirely. The Celtics have been struggling without him, and now have to contend with the Chicago Bulls in the first round.
The Bulls have their own awesome player in Derrick Rose, a 19-year old rookie who is gaining buzz as the second coming of a guy whose name rhymes with Bickel Dordan. So far, the Bulls have won Game 1 of the series. The Celtics definitely have a chance to come back, but will they?
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In this day and age, it’s not uncommon for an athlete’s accomplishments to be questioned. Usually the inquiries and tests revolve around performance-enhancing drugs, not the athlete’s sex.
Life has been anything but easy for 
Imagine pursuing your passion of becoming a sportscaster, getting a prestigious gig with ESPN and traveling to watch some of the biggest sporting events in the country.
If there’s one thing the Los Angeles Clippers will never be accused of, it’s being contenders for the NBA Finals. Most Angelenos probably even forget that they have another basketball team when the Lakers bring home so many championship trophies.
LeBron James joined the Cleveland Cavaliers to much fanfare in 2003, and was hailed as the greatest “straight out of high school” recruit the NBA had seen in a while. What’s currently out of sight, however, is James getting schooled by an underclassman.
Albert Pujols has 30 home runs this season. The only other St. Louis Cardinal to have such an impressive streak of hits prior to an All-Star game was Mark McGwire, though his 37-homer run in 1998 has an asterisk attached.
Shaquille O’Neal a Cleveland Cavalier? If the 
What changed? Chalk it up to one player: Kevin Garnett. Last season, he was traded to the team from the Minnesota Timberwolves and became a part of Boston’s mighty “Big Three.” The triumvirate of awesome players–Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce–helped the Celtics win their first championship in 22 years.
