Explainers – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Is MLB banning the defensive shift really going to make a difference in baseball?

Does baseball really need this?

While MLB owners and the players union have made little progress in negotiations to end the lockout, Sunday did bring news of some major rules changes coming to the big-league game.

The players union agreed to give MLB the power to institute changes like larger bases, a pitch clock and banning the defensive shift starting in 2023 — as long as the union is given 45 days notice. Though the first two changes are aimed at speeding up the game and player safety, the decision to ban defensive shifts aims directly at the strategic approach to baseball.

But will it actually make the huge difference that MLB owners are banking on? It’s debatable.

4 big NASCAR storylines to keep in mind going into the 2022 Cup Series season

From the Next Gen car to Silly Season, here are a few things to think about this NASCAR season.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season hasn’t had its first official race yet, but the sport already grabbed a preseason victory with The Clash at The Coliseum — an annual exhibition race that moved to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2022 — earlier this month. From the views to the racing, the event spectacularly lived up to the pre-race buzz.

Now, it’s onto the actual nine-month season with points, playoffs and a giant trophy waiting at the end of it all in November. But there’s a lot happening this season with a new car, new tracks on the schedule, drivers with different teams and a shakeup to practice and qualifying among them.

It’s a lot to keep track of, so with the season-opening Daytona 500 on Sunday (2:30 p.m., FOX), here’s a breakdown of four top storylines to keep in mind throughout the nine-month NASCAR season.

MORE NASCAR:

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Explaining NASCAR’s new Next Gen car and how it’s forcing drivers, teams to be ‘a student of the sport’

What to expect from NASCAR’s Next Gen car ahead of the 2022 Daytona 500 and season.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Retooled, revamped and with a new sound, NASCAR’s Next Gen car is about to make it’s official debut. As NASCAR likes to say, it’s a brand new car; only the steering wheel and driver’s seat stuck around.

Although the Next Gen car — the seventh generation of a NASCAR stock car — is the latest version, it will transport NASCAR fans back to an era when the cars on track more closely resemble what consumers buy at dealerships. And that’s because the sport is “returning back to stock car roots,” said Brandon Thomas, NASCAR’s managing director for vehicle systems.

That resemblance is one of many eye-catching differences fans will notice when the Next Gen car makes its official debut with the start of the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season at the Daytona 500 on Feb. 20 — a year delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Teams and drivers will spend at least the early part of the season, if not the whole thing, navigating through the challenges of competing with a new vehicle.

“You change the way you race, you change the way you approach a race,” said Joey Logano, the 2018 NASCAR champion and No. 22 Team Penske Ford driver. “The strategy, your pit stops, the way you set up the car, the way we practice is now going to be different. … You just have to be a student of the sport.”

Olympic figure skating short program vs. free skate: What’s the difference?

With four years between Winter Olympics, you may need a reminder of how some sports, like figure skating, work.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. The 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing are here! And, after four years, that means you may need or want a reminder about how some winter sports, like figure skating, work. That’s OK because we’re here to help.

Figure skating at the 2022 Winter Olympics begins Friday, Feb. 4 and, with so many different events, it runs through the entirety of the Games in Beijing.

There are five different medal events at the Olympics: men’s singles, women’s singles, pairs, ice dance and the team competition. And within each event, there are at least two portions.

Singles and pairs events each have a short program and a free skate, while the ice dance has a short dance and a free dance. For the team competition, there are eight portions with a short program/dance and a free skate/dance for each discipline.

But as your eyes are glued to the screen watching these athletes accomplish unbelievable moves on the ice, you might be wondering what exactly the difference is between figure skating’s short program and free skate. Let’s break it down.

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Everything to know about NASCAR’s 2022 Clash at The Coliseum in L.A.

For the first time, NASCAR’s exhibition Clash race will be at the L.A. Coliseum instead of Daytona. Here’s what to know.

The 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season is (basically) here, and there are a lot of big changes to the schedule, starting with The Clash at The Coliseum on Sunday, Feb. 6 (6 p.m. ET, FOX) in Los Angeles.

This season’s Clash will be a 150-lap exhibition event, which translates to 37.5 miles on the newly built 0.25-mile short track INSIDE the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

NASCAR broke ground on construction in late December, and over the last several weeks, the inside of the stadium was converted into an asphalt track made specifically for this NASCAR race. And it looks pretty awesome. Even if it’s a gimmick, it’s one that could work, and we’re excited about it.

Because there are so many changes to NASCAR this season, we’re helping you keep track and breaking down everything you need to know about The Clash at The Coliseum.

How world No. 1 speedskater Erin Jackson could still get to Beijing Olympics, despite slip at trials

Top-ranked speedskater Erin Jackson “hit a bad edge” at Olympic Trials, but she could still have a shot at the Games.

With every victory at the Olympics or in the process of getting there, athletes also face the heartbreak of not achieving sometimes lifelong goals. In some sports, one tiny mistake is enough to evaporate an athlete’s shot at an Olympic medal, or, in Erin Jackson’s case, a chance to even contend.

The U.S. long track speedskater is currently the best in the world in the women’s 500-meter race, but a costly slip-up during the Olympic trials on Friday in the qualifying event could end up keeping Jackson from competing in the Beijing Games in February.

However, she still has a chance.

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Brandon Brown and NASCAR’s denial of sponsorship based on ‘Let’s go, Brandon’ chant, explained

Brandon Brown and his team are in the middle of a mess with NASCAR over his “Let’s go, Brandon”-themed sponsor.

Welcome to FTW Explains, a guide to catching up on and better understanding stuff going on in the world. We’re here to help explain the “Let’s go, Brandon” chants, how they started in NASCAR and how it led to a sponsorship debacle within the sport.

By now, you’ve probably heard about the “Let’s go, Brandon” chants, the phrase with the not-so-secret real meaning of “[Expletive] Joe Biden.” Maybe you heard it originated in NASCAR following a Talladega Superspeedway in October, or that the driver and team involved, Brandon Brown and Brandonbilt Motorsports, recently attempted but failed to capitalize on that phrase with a related sponsorship.

And maybe you’re still a little confused about what on earth is going on. That’s OK because we’re here to break it down.

Explaining the NBA’s hardship exception and the free agents who signed as replacement players

Explaining what hardship exceptions and replacement players mean as COVID-19 protocols hit the NBA.

As the omicron variant of COVID-19 continues to spread, the NBA has required a large share of “replacement players” to fill in for the players who are in health and safety protocols. And so far, more than 100 players have reportedly entered the league’s health and safety protocols so far this month, per ESPN’s Baxter Holmes.

But how exactly do the “replacement players” work?

Essentially, the NBA’s hardship exception allows teams to exceed the 15-man roster limit if more than three players on the roster are each going to miss extended time due to illness or injury. Typically, teams weren’t allowed to apply for the hardship exception before Jan. 5.

But starting last season, the league changed the policy to allow earlier exceptions. And as of earlier this week, effective Dec. 19 until Jan. 19, the NBA is allowing teams to sign one replacement player for each player on their roster who tests positive for COVID-19.

While there are some big names (e.g. Isaiah Thomas, Lance Stephenson, CJ Miles) who have signed as replacement players, there are lots of promising young NBA hopefuls who are hoping to use this opportunity as a chance to stick around the league.

Not all of the players below were signed through hardship exceptions and some transactions (e.g. DeMarcus Cousins and Wesley Matthews to the Milwaukee Bucks) may have happened anyway during a normal season.

But below, based on the NBA’s transaction log and reporting from the league’s top insiders, you can find a live tracker of all the players who have signed new deals with NBA teams over the course of the past month.

NASCAR’s new ‘knockout-style format’ for qualifying and practice for 2022, explained

Practice and qualifying are back for NASCAR’s 2022 season. Here’s how they will work.

NASCAR teams and fans who have been longing for the return of practice and qualifying on race weekends will be happy to know that both are back for the 2022 season, the governing body announced Friday.

But it’s a bit different than the formats before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, which forced NASCAR to limit travel days and the amount of time people spend together at the track. In 2022, all races in all three national NASCAR series will feature practice and qualifying, and it includes what NASCAR described as a “knockout-style” format.

“I miss it,” Martin Truex Jr. said about practice and qualifying ahead of the championship race earlier this month at Phoenix Raceway. “Miss hanging out with the guys, spending more time with them and really kind of getting in depth on getting the car right and what we think the track is going to do and all that kind of stuff. …

“Sometimes you go with a gut instinct and it doesn’t work, and then sometimes you go with a gut instinct and you kick everybody’s ass. Know what I mean? At least we have a little bit of a sanity check on the car as far as that goes.”

Here’s a breakdown of NASCAR’s new practice and qualifying formats for the Cup Series during the 2022 season.

Hear what Texas Tech’s radio announces said about officiating before being suspended by the Big 12

Texas Tech’s radio broadcasters tore the officiating in the Iowa State game apart.

Editor’s note: There is some NSFW language in this story.

The Big 12 publicly reprimanded and sidelined Texas Tech’s radio broadcasters for the Red Raiders’ next game after they called out the officiating crew — along with the Big 12 and commissioner Bob Bowlsby — during the team’s 41-38 win against Iowa State on Saturday.

Play-by-play announcer Brian Jensen and color analyst John Harris, per Yahoo Sports and Awful Announcing, criticized what they thought was inconsistent officiating against the Red Raiders, particularly after Texas Tech junior defensive back Dadrion Taylor-Demerson’s fourth-quarter, goal-line interception was overturned upon review.

But they also said “the Big 12 should be embarrassed” while suggesting the conference was rooting for Iowa State to win, and, at one point, they named every member of the officiating crew.

Obviously, the Big 12 was less than thrilled about their comments and suspended them from calling Saturday’s Week 12 game between Texas Tech and No. 9 Oklahoma State. So here’s a breakdown of what the broadcasters said and exactly how the conference responded.

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