The Evolution Of Helmets

Here's Exactly How Far Helmets Have Come In 100 Years, In 150 Seconds

(Jalopnik.com)

A Great Read Behind An Impressive Win

Katie Ledecky and the Eternity of 11 Seconds

800-meter Freestyle

In her final Rio race, Ledecky broke her own world record and left her opponents far, far behind, winning by nearly half a pool length.

(NYTimes.com)

Did You Know - Koenigsegg Agera RS Edition

The amazing geeky details of the Koenigsegg Agera RS engine

Koenigsegg has been running a series of posts about how the company designs and assembles the Agera RS. It turns out that even the little engineering details of the Agera RS engine are pretty fascinating, as Koenigsegg recently revealed in a new in-depth look at the 1,160 horsepower engine.

For instance, many other companies add various extra rings and other complexity to their high horsepower engines, but Koenigsegg says that the block and heads are so stiff, the company can use much more basic gaskets. Apparently this adds to long-term reliability since simple head gaskets can handle more heat cycles.

The company also talks about how it creates a more effective catalytic converter system to make such a monstrous engine meet strict emissions standards. To do this, two converters are used. One small one after the turbo wastegate, and a short one with a wide diameter in the main exhaust pipe. At start-up, exhaust is sent only through the wastegate where the small cat heats up fast. This way emissions can be kept low while the main cat is still below operating temperature. This also allows the use of the short, wide cat in the main pipe, which keeps the exhaust free-flowing and the engine making as much power as possible.

(AutoBlog.com)

I Agree With These Suggestions

Here are 8 changes we'd like to see for the 2020 Olympic golf tournament 

Team format

This addition seems to be universally desired across the media and fan landscape, and rightfully so. A major complaint heading into Rio was that the Olympic format didn’t differ from the usual play see on the top world tours. As team competitions are a rarity in golf, implementing this facet adds a uniqueness to the event, fueling the desire to tune in. 

Conversely, the Rose-Stenson showdown illustrated the benefits of stroke play. Bringing in a team component doesn’t have to come to the detriment of the individual competition. Similar to college golf, the Olympics can hold a concurrent aggregate total to determine a team winner. 

However, this does warrant a caveat. Mentioned above, we want the top 30 or 40 players, no matter their country of origin. But it would be unfair if the team event solely factors the top two scores from a country. The United States and Great Britain, with dozens of representatives, would be at a huge advantage. 

In order to make sure one or two nations don't dwarf the tournament, each country can only select four individuals whose scores will account for the team total, with the best two counted. Using our Koepka example from above, that means he could play as an individual, but, theoretically, his score would not go towards the United States' total, even if his score was the best of the bunch. Some of the bigger nations would likely protest, but some form of level playing field needs to be enacted, and this achieves that ideal. And aside from South Africa and Australia, very few countries would have four players in the field, so the US and Great Britain would still be rewarded for their depth. 

Step up the uniforms

The garb from Great Britain received its share of snickers on social media, yet give them credit: At least the clothes were original and specifically designed for the Olympics. Some players – most notably Jhonattan Vegas & Thornbjorn Olsen -- were wearing their usual wardrobe, with their respective country’s flag haphazardly plastered on the chest. The plain hats Stenson flaunted for Sweden weren’t much better. Other Olympic sports don’t have such fashion hiccups. 

Yes, asking for better style seems like a ridiculous complaint. However, if golf wants to be taken seriously in the Summer Games, it better dress the part. 

Complete list (GolfDigest.com)

They Should Have Awarded This Medal, Too

If the Olympic Golf Competition Had Been a Team Event, Here's Who Would Have Won

In a mythical team event, Sweden and the U.S. would have shared gold. Stenson (14 under) and his countryman David Lingmerth (six under) finished at a cumulative 20 under, tying the total score of Matt Kuchar (13 under) and Bubba Watson (seven under). Great Britain -- with Justin Rose (16 under) and Danny Willett (even par) -- would have grabbed silver. And congrats to Sergio! He may not believe he has the game to win a major championship, but paired with Rafa Cabrera Bello, the Spaniards would have taken the bronze. 

(Golf.com)

This Is Why I Love Golf, Too

The 9 reasons I love golf

1. The anticipation for the years to come.

6. Pulling off a shot/Having a great hole.

8. Discovering new courses.

Complete list (PGA.com)   

The Suspension Is Odd, But Valid

Badminton player Kento Momota banned from Rio Olympics for… gambling?

So what happened?
 
Momota got suspended.

Why?

Momota was suspended for gambling.

Now, I think we can agree: gambling on your sport is a serious mistake, and betting on your own team is an even more serious mistake, especially if you play for the Sacramento Kings. But Momota did not bet on himself. As far as we know, he did not even bet on badminton.

He just bet.

Specifically, he played baccarat in a casino.

And the IOC kicked him out for THAT?
 
Nope. The IOC couldn’t care less. Momota was not banned by the IOC. He was also not banned by the Badminton World Federation. He was banned by his own country. Gambling is illegal in Japan.

(SI.com)