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Petchdam guns for ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Title against Rodtang
Jul 20. 2020Petchdam Petchyindee Academy and Rodtang Jitmuangno
By THE NATION
Make no mistake about it. When “The Baby Shark” Petchdam Petchyindee Academy steps into the ONE Championship ring opposite rival Rodtang “The Iron Man” Jitmuangnon later this month, all bets are off and the two will throw all pleasantries out the window.
The two top Muay Thai stars will figure in a five-round showdown for Rodtang’s ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Championship in the main event of ONE: NO SURRENDER, scheduled for Friday, 31 July in Bangkok.
It is ONE Championship’s first live show since February. The event, which will be held in a closed-door, audience-free venue, features some of the most exciting martial arts talent from Thailand.
But before they climb up the ring apron, Petchdam and Rodtang are throwing tons of mutual respect each other’s way.
“Me and Rodtang are good. I have a lot of respect for him, he has a lot of respect for me. I am happy to compete with my brother,” said Petchdam. “At the same time, I am confident heading into this matchup. I want his belt. Whether by points or by KO, I’m going to win this fight.”
Speaking with global media ahead of the matchup in an exclusive Zoom session last Thursday, 16 July, Petchdam expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to once again compete for a prestigious ONE World Title, and touched on the monstrous challenge that lies before him in facing a man who is arguably the best in Muay Thai, pound-for-pound.
“I am so glad that I can compete in ONE Championship again, after having had no events for a few months. I’m taking on Rodtang [Jitmuangnon] for the World Title, and I hope the fans will enjoy our fight. Thank you to the fans for all the support. I’m preparing very hard for this fight, because we know each other very well. It’s going to be fun,” Petchdam told reporters.
“Rodtang is tougher now than the last time I faced him. He’s beaten all the top Muay Thai fighters, so I need to work hard and be ready. Rodtang is a great fighter, and he does a lot of good things in the ring. But I’m also going to do my best in this fight. I want to take the World Championship belt from him, that is my goal.”
Both Petchdam and Rodtang each have their own strengths, and are vastly different offensive forces. Petchdam is much more kick heavy, using his length and athleticism to stifle his opponents, while Rodtang prefers the brute force approach, often testing his foes’ mettle by inviting them into organized chaos. Both styles are exciting, to say the least.
Having faced Rodtang twice before, with each man having one win apiece in their intense rivalry, Petchdam knows exactly what he’s getting himself into with this rubber match, and has adjusted his training accordingly.
“Out of everything, I have to worry about Rodtang’s punching. He is very fast and aggressive, everyone knows it. To underestimate that would be a mistake. He’s one of the most powerful punchers in the sport and is very dangerous,” Petchdam concluded.
ONE: NO SURRENDER is ONE Championship’s first live event since February. The promotion deliberated carefully on safety protocols necessary, and made the adjustments to its operations.
In the evening’s co-main event, defending ONE Featherweight Muay Thai World Champion Petchmorakot Petchyindee Academy will put his World Title on the line against legendary “The Boxing Computer” Yodsanklai IWE Fairtex.
Also on the card is a ONE Super Series Kickboxing Super-Bout between striking superstars Superbon Banchamek and “The Killer Kid” Sitthichai Sitsongpeenong. ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Stamp Fairtex will also see action in a mixed martial arts contest against promotional newcomer, Sunisa Srisen.
Marquez suffers broken right humerus in the Gran Premio Red Bull de España
Jul 20. 2020
By THE NATION
A fall at Turn 3 at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto has resulted in a broken right humerus for reigning World Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), who will travel to Barcelona for surgery.
After mounting an incredible comeback in the Gran Premio Red Bull de España following an earlier run off track, Marquez suffered a highside at Turn 3 and came down heavily on his right arm. As a result, the eight-time World Champion has suffered a transverse diaphyseal fracture to his right humerus. MotoGP™ medical staff have confirmed there is no other serious head or thoracic trauma, but Marquez will remain under observation for 12 hours.Marquez will then travel to the Hospital Universitari Dexeus in Barcelona on Monday the 20th of July and is aiming to be operated on by MotoGP™ Traumatology Specialist Dr Xavier Mir and his team on Tuesday the 21st of July.Recovery time is as yet unknown, but the Repsol Honda Team will provide an update after the operation.
Quartararo scorches to first MotoGP™ win amid drama for Marquez
Jul 20. 2020
By THE NATION
The Frenchman takes a sublime victory ahead of Viñales and Dovizioso, with the reigning Champion crashing out and breaking his humerus
MotoGP™ is back. In a day of drama, thrills and spills, Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT) claimed his first MotoGP™ victory – and France’s first since 1999 – in a truly stunning and dramatic Gran Premio Red Bull de España, putting an Independent Team Yamaha on the top step for the first time in MotoGP™ and taking the Petronas Yamaha SRT team’s first win. The Frenchman capitalised on a Lap 5 mistake from race leader Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) as he suffered a run off, and Quartararo didn’t look back – pulling the pin to stamp some authority on Round 1 for the premier class.
We witnessed a stunning comeback from the number 93 after his mistake, with the reigning World Champion unleashing unbelievable pace mid-race – but he then suffered a huge crash at Turn 4 with four laps remaining, breaking his right humerus and soon heading for surgery. Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) put in an impressive performance to bank 20 points and take second in the wake of the drama, with Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati Team) completing the podium after a late lunge on Jack Miller (Pramac Racing).
Viñales got a storming launch from the middle of the front row and grabbed the holeshot into Turn 1, with Miller getting his Ducati off the line like a rocket to initially go P2. The Australian was wide though which let Marquez come through into second after a fairly average getaway, with polesitter Quartararo slotting into P3 at Turn 2 as he then got the better of Miller.
However, the Desmosedici grunt saw Miller get up the inside of Quartararo down into the Dani Pedrosa corner, as Viñales got out the seat around Turn 8 in an early scare for the number 12. Francesco Bagnaia (Pramac Racing) was then past Quartararo on Lap 2 as the Frenchman initially fell back, but he was back through at the final corner on that lap as Marquez and Viñales went toe-to-toe at Turn 4, before Marquez managed to make the move stick at Dani Pedrosa corner. Was this the break?
Lap 5 would prove a game-changer and say no. Going through Turn 4, we witnessed something we’ve seen so many times before – a miraculous save from the reigning Champion. Somehow, the number 93 picked his HRC machine up from an almost certain crash and managed to keep it upright through the gravel, coming back on the track in 16th. A huge moment, but it was far from race over for Marc Marquez. Far, far from it…
At the front, Viñales was leading for a couple of laps, but Quartararo had got the better of Miller and was soon right on the tailpipes of the number 12 Yamaha. A mistake at Pedrosa corner was then followed by another one heading intoLorenzo corner on Lap 9 after the pace had slowed into the 1:39s, and as Viñales went wide, Quartararo and Miller were through. Slightly further back, however, attentions we starting to turn to Marc Marquez.
In just five laps, Marquez had managed to get himself from P16 to P10 and was lapping around a second quicker than most of the leading group. Lap 12 saw Marquez set a 1:38.3 – the fastest lap of the race – that was a good 0.4 faster than Quartararo, and even more than the riders in the podium hunt. Lap 13 soon passed and doing the passing was Marquez. He’d got the better of Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Tech3) and a struggling Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) to move up into P8, and a podium finish seemed well within his grasp. At the Lap 15 stage, Quartararo’s lead snuck past the two-second mark for the first time, but the shark music was playing as the cameras started to show an orange missile quickly making its way towards the back of the fight for the podium places.
With 10 to go, Marquez was a second quicker than third place Viñales, and the reigning Champion getting back into a podium position now seemed a formality rather than a possibility. With eight laps to go, Marquez was just two seconds away from the podium as he hunted and passed Franco Morbidelli (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Bagnaia, Dovizioso… suddenly, Marquez had Miller and Viñales right in front of him.
Quartararo was over five seconds clear, but all eyes were on Marquez vs Miller. Six laps to go, Turn 13 was Marquez’ chosen passing place on Miller but the Australian bit straight back at Turn 1. A man on a mission, Marquez was straight back up the inside at Turn 2 and made the move stick. Now, Viñales was next on the list – and he would prove the rider right behind Marquez when the eight-time Champion ran off track at Turn 4.
Coming across the line with four laps remaining, Marquez was plotting his move into P2. However, there was about to be another twist – and a vast one at that. Coming out of Turn 3, Marquez was launched off his RC213V in a vicious way. Tumbling heavily through the gravel, the reigning Champion was taken to the medical centre – and has a broken right humerus.
Back at the front, Quartararo crossed the line to take an incredible maiden MotoGP™ victory, making some history and converting some searing premier class pace into a winner’s trophy. Viñales was able to grind out a P2 despite struggling with his front tyre from “lap seven or eight”, and the battle for the final podium spot went down to the final lap. With two to go, Dovizioso made his move on Miller at Turn 6 to hold P3, with Morbidelli then almost crashing after colliding with Miller on the inside of the corner. This allowed Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) through in P5 – the Spaniard in the fight all race – but Morbidelli would eventually get the better of Espargaro at the last corner, on the last lap. Viñales took P2 from Dovizioso, with Miller leading Morbidelli and Espargaro over the line. P2-P6 were covered by just 2.3 seconds.
Bagnaia couldn’t keep up the pace in the latter stages as the Italian slipped out of contention and finished P7, with Oliveira placing P8 – his equal best result in the premier class. Danilo Petrucci (Ducati Team) crossed the line ninth, with Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu) closing out the top 10.
There were only 15 finishers in a brutal MotoGP™ race in Jerez. Johann Zarco (Reale Avintia Racing), Alex Marquez (Repsol Honda Team), Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) – who recovered from an incident in the opening stages to sometimes sit as the fastest man on track – Tito Rabat (Reale Avintia Racing) and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Bradley Smith completing the points. Rossi suffered an issue and was out of the race with seven to go, with Iker Lecuona (Red Bull KTM Tech3), Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing Team Gresini) and Joan Mir (Team Suzuki Ecstar) also not finishing.
There aren’t enough superlatives to describe what we just witnessed in the MotoGP™ class as 2020 kicks off in style, but with some serious drama on the side. Tune in again next weekend for the Gran Premio Red Bull de Andalucia!
3 Andrea Dovizioso – Ducati Team – Ducati – +5.946
Fabio Quartararo: “The best moment of my life for sure. I haven’t realised it yet. It feels so strange without the fans, I would love them to be here to cheer with them. But honestly, this race was for them, for all the people affected by coronavirus and for my family, my brother always supporting me, my parents…
“It was a really tough race because first of all, I didn’t do a very good start. I was fifth behind Pecco and Jack and I knew that behind the Ducatis, it’s so difficult to do our corner speed, especially on the last sector. I overtook Pecco in the last corner, also Jack. Then I saw Marc’s mistakes and then it was difficult to catch Maverick. He did a small mistake in Turn 6 and then I did my own mistake but honestly it felt so strange because yesterday in FP4, the grip was really good.
“After the Moto2 race we know the grip is normally low, but I didn’t expect that much. If you check the pace from yesterday and today, it was almost one second slower. So it was difficult to understand the track, but the most important thing is that we had our first victory today.”
MotoGP™ podium L-R: Viñales, Quartararo and Dovizioso
Marini storms Jerez for first Moto2™ win of 2020
The Italian holds firm in the face of pressure as Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Nagashima and Martin complete the podium
Sky Racing Team VR46’s Luca Marini clinched an impressive victory at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España after holding off a charging Tetsuta Nagashima (Red Bull KTM Ajo) in the final half of the race, the Italian taking the chequered flag for a fourth career Moto2™ win and his third in seven races. Nagashima was on the podium once more after his Qatar GP win, joined this time by teammate Jorge Martin (Red Bull KTM Ajo).
Poleman Martin took the holeshot, with impressive rookie Aron Canet (Inde Aspar Team Moto2) moving into second from Row 2 of the grid. However, it was a nightmare start for HDR Heidrun Speed Up’s Jorge Navarro as the Spaniard crashed out on the exit of Turn 1 after a firm touch from Marco Bezzecchi (Sky Racing Team VR46), and further down the field, there were some elbows from Sam Lowes (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) and Marcel Schrotter (Liqui Moly Intact GP) down the start-finish straight, in fourth and fifth by the end of Lap 1.
At the end of Lap 2, Marini started to make his way to the front, first moving past Canet for second place. But World Championship leader Nagashima was keen to not let the Italian get the jump on him and he quickly followed him through, with Marini then hitting the front with 20 laps to go thanks to an extremely smooth move through Turn 8. Once again though, it didn’t take long for Nagashima to stay on the leader’s tail by diving past Martin at the final corner on the very same lap.
Now in the lead, Marini seemed to decide it was time to pull the pin and see if anyone could match his pace, immediately pulling out a half a second advantage in just one lap as the lead group began to stretch. Teammate Bezzecchi went down out of third place just moments after squeezing in front of Martin at Turn 8, too, before Schrötter crashed out one lap later, this time out fifth place at Turn 11. It was beginning to turn into a race of attrition in the baking hot, tricky conditions at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto.
With 13 laps remaining, were we starting to see a repeat of Qatar as Nagashima set a new fastest lap of the race? Not this time, as the laps ticked by with Nagashima only managing to close in by half a tenth and Marini holding firm. The battle for the podium was getting closer than ever though, with Martin coming under all sorts of pressure from Lowes, with the Brit cutting the gap down to less than a second in the fight for the final podium place.
Suddenly though, Nagashima reeled Marini in by 0.439 seconds with only five laps to go and Sky Racing Team VR46 held their breath. It wasn’t to be though, and Marini kept cool under the pressure to take his first win of the year; Nagashima forced to settle for second.
Martin took the final place on the podium, with Lowes in fourth and Canet ending up in fifth in only his second intermediate class race. He was five seconds clear of teammate Hafizh Syahrin, with the Malaysian enjoying his best performance since returning to the class from MotoGP™ as he took sixth.
ONEXOX TKKR SAG Team’s Remy Gardner took seventh ahead of Lorenzo Baldassarri (FlexBox HP40), with the Italian unable to make it three consecutive Moto2™ victories in Jerez after success in 2018 and 2019. Completing the top ten were Enea Bastianini (Italtrans Racing Team) and Xavi Vierge (Petronas Sprinta Racing), with Stefano Manzi (MV Agusta Forward Racing), Hector Garzo (Flexbox HP 40), Augusto Fernandez (EG 0,0 Marc VDS), Nicolo Bulega (Federal Oil Gresini Moto2) and Simone Corsi (MV Agusta Forward Racing) rounding out the points.
That’s it from the Spanish GP but not from Jerez – rejoin us next weekend for another stunner in Andalucia.
Moto2™ podium
1 Luca Marini – Sky Racing Team VR46 – Kalex 39:23.297
2 Tetsuta Nagashima – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex +1.271
3 Jorge Martin – Red Bull KTM Ajo – Kalex +4.838
Luca Marini: “It was a very good race, I think in Qatar it could have been the same if we didn’t have the problem with the front, like Jorge and Tetsu were also so strong in Qatar. I think we had to really work a lot on race pace and we started well from Friday. I need to improve a bit in qualifying, but the second row was quite good for the race. It was very hot, although not like for MotoGP!”
Moto2™ podium L-R: Nagashima, Marini and Martin
Arenas wins a classic Moto3™ melee to the line
The Spaniard doubles down in 2020 as the final corner serves up some drama for the lightweight class
It’s 50 points from 50 for Moto3™ Championship leader Albert Arenas (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3) after the Spaniard emerged victorious from the stunning and dramatic lightweight class race at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España. On the last lap, title challenger John McPhee (Petronas Sprinta Racing) crashed on the exit of Jorge Lorenzo corner on the final lap, with Ai Ogura (Honda Team Asia) and Tony Arbolino (Rivacold Snipers Team) slicing through to stand on the Jerez rostrum.
Off the line, polesitter Tatsuki Suzuki (SIC58 Squadra Corse) got the perfect launch, as did second-place Andrea Migno (Sky Racing Team VR46), but it wasn’t the same story for McPhee as the Petronas Sprinta Racing rider got swamped and ended up in P8 on the opening lap from the front row of the grid. Turn 1 saw two fallers as Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) and Carlos Tatay (Reale Avintia Moto3) tangled, thankfully unhurt, as Suzuki started to push at the front. A three-tenth gap would soon get swallowed up by the classic Moto3™ freight train though.
The riders were line astern but coming down the back straight, it was almost disaster for Arbolino. The Italian was in the slipstream and went to the inside, caught the grass and the bike spat him out the seat. A scary, scary moment that could have ended more than just Arbolino’s race, but thankfully it was a lucky escape. In the early stages though eyes were on Sergio Garcia (Estrella Galicia 0,0) as the Spaniard proved a man on a mission – going from the back of the grid to P10 on the opening three laps.
Arbolino was the fastest man on circuit though as he slotted himself into P2, undeterred by his moment and splitting the Sky Racing Team VR46 bikes of leader Celestino Vietti and Andrea Migno. With the top 17 riders split by two seconds – Moto3™ was well and truly back. Vietti was the man who held the lightweight class baton for a number of laps, with Arbolino and Arenas looking feisty behind the number 13 sophomore as the positions inside the top 10 continued to change corner by corner.
With 12 to go, Arbolino led for the first time but soon, reigning Junior World Champion Jeremy Alcoba (Kömmerling Gresini Moto3) and Championship leader Arenas were at the front, with CIP Green Power’s Darryn Binder now second from 21st on the grid – something we’re very used to seeing from the South African as he made some incredible trademark progress. And after a sluggish start, McPhee was now second behind Arenas – the top two from Qatar – as the riders approached the final 10 laps.
As Garcia was handed a long lap penalty for exceeding track limits though, his dream of the fairytale, 2016-echoing-victory-from-the-back seemed to fade, and the fight went on without him.
With eight laps remaining it really was anyone’s to win, with the top 12 joined at the hip in a classic Moto3™ encounter, but Red Bull KTM Tech3 duo Ayumu Sasaki and Deniz Öncü seemed to be closing in on the leading group – as was Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), joining them in reeling in the freight train.
With four to go, McPhee made his move. An aggressive pass on Arenas at Turn 11 was followed by a two for one purchase at Turn 13 on Arbolino and Binder. With two to go, McPhee led but now Arbolino and Arenas were getting impatient. Arbolino struck for the lead as disaster struck for Binder, who slid out so close to the end.
On the final lap, McPhee was back in the lead as the number 17 dived up the inside of Arbolino, but down the back straight the Italian was tucked back into the slipstream and hit back at Pedrosa corner. Arenas then got past McPhee at Turn 9, and finally Jorge Lorenzo corner – the last corner – awaited. And drama followed.
McPhee dived up the inside but ran slightly wide, with Vietti then touching Arbolino on the exit, who in turn made contact with McPhee – who crashed with the finish line in sight. There was no such drama for Arenas, who crossed the line after a perfectly-judged final corner for his second win of the season and to increase his Championship lead.
Ogura had a wonderful final handful of laps to finish second for his second podium of the season, with Arbolino forced to settle for P3 after going into the last corner first. Migno claimed P4 as he picked up his first points of 2020, as teammate Vietti finished P5 to also earn his maiden points haul of the season. Raul Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) was a protagonist in the lead group for the entirety as the Spaniard collected P6 after finishing P10 in Qatar, with Suzuki and SIC58 teammate Niccolo Antonelli finishing 8th and 9th despite coming across the line less than a second behind the winner – that’s how close it was again in Moto3™. Jaume Masia (Leopard Racing) completed the top 10.
Ayumu Sasaki (Red Bull KTM Tech 3), Stefano Nepa (Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3), Romano Fenati (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team), teammate Alonso Lopez and Jeremy Alcoba completed the points.
All it all it was another incredible race, and we expected nothing less from the Moto3™ riders as they now get set to do it all again at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto in seven days time. Can Arenas continue his 100% win streak in 2020? We’ll find out shortly…
Moto3™ podium
1 Albert Arenas – Gaviota Aspar Team Moto3 – KTM 39:26.256
2 Ai Ogura – Honda Team Asia – Honda +0.340
3 Tony Arbolino – Rivacold Snipers Team – Honda +0.369
Albert Arenas: “Incredible. This race was amazing, really hard, because of the heat and the tyre, the rear soft was so slippery at the end but I knew I had a good feeling when the tyre came down and I could stay fast in the corners despite the spin. But I’m so happy for the team, we made a last minute change before the race, I had a different strategy in Warm Up, I went out the pits and alone, I think I was 24th, bit backwards but I was working for the race. We refined that and… incredible. The last lap I said ok the podium is a good result, but I knew that if I did the right things at the right moment the victory was possible. Tony closed the door really well but I had made an outside overtake in thef final corner so I knew it was possible, then I saw McPhee was too fast and I waited… incredible, man. Thanks everyone, I’m really happy.”
Moto3™ podium L-R: Ogura, Arenas and Arbolino
‘El Diablo’ on his way to his first premier class win
This year the story was different for Quartararo
The top two debrief
The first French winner for 20 years
Viñales stormed the start and came home second
Dovizioso left it late to pounce for the podium
#RacingForThem: a minute of silence
#RacingForTeam: the MotoGP™ grid holds a minute of silence in honour of those affected by and still very much continuing to battle Covid-19.
Granado supreme to beat Ferrari and Aegerter to the first win of 2020
Jul 20. 2020
By THE NATION
The Brazilian is the first FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup points leader of the season after a stunner at Jerez
He’s been on top for much of the weekend and on race day it was no different: Eric Granado (Avintia Esponsorama Racing) seems well and truly the man to beat in 2020. The Brazilian laid down the gauntlet in the opening race of the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Cup at the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, picking his way past the fast-starting Lukas Tulovic (Tech 3 E-Racing) early on to pull away for a dominant first victory of the year. Reigning Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Trentino Gresini MotoE) put in a typically measured ride to emerge second from an almighty fight for the podium, with rookie Dominique Aegerter (Dynavolt Intact GP) making good on his form to complete the top three in his first ever MotoE™ race.Granado got a good launch from pole position, but not as good as second place Tulovic as the rookie grabbed the holeshot into Turn 1. Granado soon found his way back past the German to lead the MotoE™ field over the line on Lap 1, however, and from there, the Brazilian immediately started gapping the gaggle of riders behind. Meanwhile, the experienced Alex de Angelis (Octo Pramac MotoE) was informed he had two long lap penalties for jumping the start.On the opening three laps, P2 to P10 were split by just 2.3 seconds as an electric Energica Ego Corsa train formed behind Tulovic. But that’s not to say the German wasn’t looking comfortable, as the rookie stayed calm and collected in the opening exchanges despite pressure from Ferrari. Soon enough the more experienced Italian was through though, taking P2 at Turn 1 with two laps to go.Aegerter, meanwhile, hadn’t had the best opening exchanges. The Swiss rider had dropped to P7 on Lap 1 but with two laps remaining, he was a rookie on the move and made it up into fourth as he dived underneath Alejandro Medina (Openbank Aspar Team) at Dani Pedrosa corner on the penultimate lap. Tulovic and Ferrari lay ahead, and the chance at his first MotoE™ podium…Heading onto the last lap, Granado’s lead was nearly three seconds, but the battle for P2 and P3 was still between six riders as the squabbles continued. Ferrari was holding P2 but at Pedrosa corner, Aegerter made his move up the inside of Tulovic and the Swiss rider set about cutting down the gap to the Italian ahead. He was just about able to show a wheel to Ferrari at Jorge Lorenzo corner as the grid thundered through for the final time, but the reigning Cup winner held onto P2.Granado began his 2020 campaign in fine style; a three-second win over the six-lap dash an impressive display and the victory his third in a row given his double in Valencia last season. Ferrari kept his trademark consistency for second, with Aegerter taking his first podium at the expense of Tulovic taking the same as the German finished fourth.Matteo Casadei (Ongetta SIC58 Squadracorse) finished less than a second away from the podium in P5, as Jordi Torres brought his Pons Racing 40 Energica Ego Corsa home in P6 – a solid effort from the rookie. Medina lost out on the last lap as he and Torres ran wide at Pedrosa corner, with Xavier Simeon (LCR E-Team), Josh Hook (Octo Pramac MotoE) and Mike Di Meglio (EG 0,0 Marc VDS) completing the top 10 in Jerez.Can anyone catch Granado when the MotoE™ riders return next weekend at the Gran Premio Red Bull de Andalucia? We’ll shortly find out – but what a way to start 2020 in the electric class!
MotoE™ front row
1 Eric Granado – Avintia Esponsorama Racing – Energica – 10:55.542 2 Matteo Ferrari – Trentino Gresini MotoE – Energica – +3.044 3 Dominique Aegerter – Dynavolt Intact GP – Energica – +3.299
Eric Granado: “It was a great weekend, I’m very happy with the pace all weekend, my team did a great job, I think I learned from last year when I made so many mistakes; I wasn’t consistent and I crashed in so many races. Today I was trying to not make any mistakes. At the start I wheelie’d, I don’t know why, we never had that feeling before! I think because of the new torque but I’ll work to not do that again! After that I tried to overtake Tulovic as soon as I could and do a clean lap. It was good, I could get a gap and then control it. I’m very happy and I want to say thanks to my team, everyone supporting me in Brazil, and MotoGP for making it possible for us to go back racing. I’m very happy to be here again on top of the podium!”
MotoE™ podium L-R: Ferrari, Granado and AegerterThe grid head into Turn 1 – with Tulovic taking the holeshot
Ferrai opened his 2020 account in P2
Aegerter took an impressive rookie podiumGranado celebrates his third win in a row and taking the points lead after the season opener
One day after hinting at retirement, suspended pitcher says he’s staying with the Yankees
Jul 20. 2020
By The Washington Post · Jake Russell · SPORTS, BASEBALL
Suspended New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German cast doubt on the future of his baseball career with social media posts on Friday. He then apologized for the confusion Saturday, emphasizing how much the sport means to him.
On Friday, German posted a photo of himself in a Yankees uniform with a caption written in Spanish that translates to, “Everyone makes history on both sides, I think I did mine at Yankee Stadium, if (I) decide not to come back I will proud of my effort during an 11-year career. God bless everyone who has supported me.”
He also published an Instagram story in Spanish that says, “I’ve left baseball. Thanks everyone.”
German reversed course on Saturday, stating in a new Instagram story that Friday’s posts were a “mistake.”
“To my teammates, the Yankees organization, and our fans, I am very sorry for the unsettling post last night,” German wrote. “This past year has been very tough for my family and myself, for which I take full responsibility. Not being with my teammates while they get ready for the season, knowing that I have let them down, has taken a toll on me and last night I let my emotions get the best of me.
“Baseball is my life and I promise I am not walking away,” German continued. “I am using this time to get stronger, become a better person and father, and I can only hope that I will get to join my teammates once again and make them proud. Thank you to everyone, especially the Yankees organization, for their support. Please forgive me for this mistake.”
German, 27, was placed on administrative leave by Major League Baseball on Sept. 19 following allegations of domestic violence against his girlfriend at his Yonkers, N.Y., home. German missed the remainder of his club’s regular and post seasons as the team advanced to the American League Championship Series. He ended his season as the Yankees’ win leader (18-4) and with the best winning percentage in baseball (.818). MLB suspended him for 81 games in January. German has faced no criminal charges for the incident.
The fourth-year pitcher from the Dominican Republic was set to return to the Yankees on June 5 before the novel coronavirus pandemic dramatically altered MLB’s season. The Yankees are set to launch the league’s new, 60-game 2020 season on Thursday against the Washington Nationals. German still has 63 games remaining on his suspension and will miss the 2020 season.
Yankees Manager Aaron Boone said before Saturday’s exhibition game against the New York Mets that he’s still a bit in the dark on German’s situation.
“It’s very unclear,” Boone said. “Obviously I have seen the Instagram stuff, but I don’t have much more clarity. I know there hasn’t been much between the club and him about what exactly is going on.”
Max Scherzer and the Nats fall to Phillies in an exhibition that feels … strange
Jul 19. 2020Bryce Harper rounds first after hitting a three-run homer off Max Scherzer on Saturday night at Nationals Park. CREDIT: Washington Post photo by John McDonnell.
By The Washington Post · Jesse Dougherty · SPORTS, BASEBALL
WASHINGTON – In an alternate reality – any reality but this one – there was every reason for the game to be loud and well-attended.
No matter that it was a preseason exhibition Saturday night. It was the Washington Nationals’ first home matchup since winning the World Series in October. It was D.C.’s first professional sporting event since the novel coronavirus pandemic started. Bryce Harper and his Philadelphia Phillies were in the opposite dugout.
But it wasn’t loud. It certainly wasn’t well-attended. With no fans inside Nationals Park, and nothing but music and fake crowd noise, this was a glimpse of baseball in 2020. It was quiet and weird, with the soft relaunch beginning once Max Scherzer fired a first pitch curveball to Andrew McCutchen.
The stadium clock read 6:05 p.m. The temperature was a smothering 97 degrees. The Phillies eventually won, 7-2, with Max Scherzer giving up seven runs across the first and second innings.
“You just have to accept it,” Scherzer said of the circumstances. “It seems like every day there’s a challenge, and you just have to overcome it.”
Since July 3, when summer training began, teams have test driven a new set of health and safety protocols. Players and coaches are not allowed to spit. Pitchers have to carry their own baseball to the mound before each inning. Masks are required for everyone when inside club facilities. Coaches, staff members and umpires have to wear them at all times.
Those were some ways the game looked different Saturday. Another was a set of three blue tents down each foul line, a measure to limit numbers and overcrowding in dugouts. Each area is equipped with massive fans to increase ventilation and keep reserves cool. And in the second inning, they craned their necks to watch Harper’s three-run homer sail over the right-center wall.
Instead of crashing into blue seats, the ball bounced off an advertisement for pet food. It was one of five large signs in place where fans usually sit. The only sound, once the fake crowd noise softened, was scattered claps and cheers from Harper’s teammates. The blast gave the Phillies a 7-0 lead. It came after shortstop Didi Gregorious went deep in the first while wearing a mask.
Scherzer gave up six hits, seven earned runs, walked two and struck out six in five innings. He threw 88 pitches and was pleased with throwing his off-speed pitches in the zone. He is expected to start the season opener against the New York Yankees on Thursday.
“I wanted to make sure I really had a feel for the zone before Opening Day,” Scherzer said. “Hey, I got beat around a little bit, but that’s good. You have to work out of the stretch, have to make pitches in those types of situations. That’s what happens in the regular season. It’s not always going through lineups and everything’s easy.”
Earlier Saturday, news broke that the Toronto Blue Jays cannot play in Canada this season. The Blue Jays, scheduled to host the Nationals on July 29, will now decide between Buffalo and Dunedin, Fla., for their home in 2020. In Atlanta, Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman told reporters that a recent battle with coronavirus included a 104.5 fever. That led him to say a prayer: “Please don’t take me.”
These are just some of the reminders that MLB is attempting to play through an ongoing pandemic. The on-field product, though appearing as a shade of normal, should offer similar clarity.
When the Nationals held a moment of silence for John Lewis, D-Ga., the civil rights leader who died late Friday after spending more than three decades in Congress, it was interrupted by a beeping truck on a nearby street. When Scherzer didn’t like a call in the third, his protest to plate umpire Larry Vanover – “Come on, Larry!” – was heard from the 400 level. When Starlin Castro hit a foul ball in the fourth, Nationals catcher Tres Barrera, as if he were in Little League, jogged up the concrete steps to retrieve it.
He scanned the ground before realizing it landed square inside a cupholder. It’s funny what can happen without the obstruction of outstretched arms.
“The energy in the stadium that’s usually there isn’t there, per se,” said Nationals shortstop Trea Turner. “But with the crowd noise, I think it helps cancel out hearing the other team say things.”
Manager Dave Martinez rolled out a strong approximation of an Opening Day lineup. He went with veteran Asdrúbal Cabrera at third base, though it’s still possible that he goes with rookie Carter Kieboom against the Yankees. They struggled against Phillies ace Aaron Nola, who threw two four-out innings, in the third and fifth, to add to his workload.
The notable omission was center fielder Victor Robles, who made his first appearance at the park after completing a 14-day quarantine. Robles was one of six players who may have been exposed to the virus on one of two MLB-chartered flights from the Dominican Republic to Miami on July 1.
And because D.C. had required 14 days of isolation for anyone potentially exposed to coronavirus, the Nationals were considering alternate sites until Friday morning. The city permitted Nationals to go straight from home to work while quarantining, though it did describe that as a potential risk to the club and general public.
Deciding to play the season in Washington was a box the Nationals had to check. Saturday’s scrimmage was, too. Next, the Nationals have an exhibition in Baltimore on Monday, inviting a fresh round of questions: What will traveling entail? What will the accommodations be at Camden Yards? Will the team get tested before boarding the bus or once it gets there?
Those are just a few immediate challenges. Many more await.
15 women accuse former Redskins employees of sexual harassment and verbal abuse
Jul 17. 2020Emily Applegate, photographed this week, said her year working for the Redskins was “the most miserable experience of my life.” MUST CREDIT: Photo by Celeste Sloman for The Washington Post
By The Washington Post · Will Hobson, Liz Clarke · NATIONAL, BUSINESS, SPORTS, FOOTBALL A few months after Emily Applegate started working for the Washington Redskins in 2014, she settled into a daily routine: She would meet a female co-worker in the bathroom during their lunch breaks, she said, to commiserate and cry about the frequent sexual harassment and verbal abuse they endured.
They cried about the former chief operating officer’s expletive-laced tirades, Applegate said, when she recalled him calling her “f—–g stupid” and then requesting she wear a tight dress for a meeting with clients, “so the men in the room have something to look at.” They cried about a wealthy suiteholder who grabbed her friend’s backside during a game, Applegate said, and the indifference the team’s top sales executive displayed when she complained.
Composite image of multiple screenshots. MUST CREDIT: Obtained by The Washington Post courtesy of Emily Applegate
But most of all, Applegate said, they cried about the realization their dream job of working in the NFL came with what they characterized as relentless sexual harassment and verbal abuse that was ignored – and in some cases, condoned – by top team executives.
Applegate is one of 15 former female Redskins employees who told The Washington Post they were sexually harassed during their time at the club. The other 14 women spoke on the condition of anonymity citing a fear of litigation, as some signed nondisclosure agreements with the team that threaten legal retribution if they speak negatively about the club. The team declined a request from The Post to release former female employees from these agreements so they could speak on the record without fear of legal reprisal. This story involved interviews with more than 40 current and former employees and a review of text messages and internal company documents.
Team owner Daniel Snyder declined several requests for an interview. Over the past week, as The Post presented detailed allegations and findings to the club, three team employees accused of improper behavior abruptly departed, including Larry Michael, the club’s longtime radio voice, and Alex Santos, the team’s director of pro personnel.
In a statement, the team said it had hired District of Columbia attorney Beth Wilkinson and her firm, Wilkinson Walsh, “to conduct a thorough independent review of this entire matter and help the team set new employee standards for the future.”
“The Washington Redskins football team takes issues of employee conduct seriously . . . While we do not speak to specific employee situations publicly, when new allegations of conduct are brought forward that are contrary to these policies, we address them promptly,” the team said.
The allegations raised by Applegate and others – running from 2006 to 2019 – span most of Snyder’s tenure as owner and fall into two categories: unwelcome overtures or comments of a sexual nature, and exhortations to wear revealing clothing and flirt with clients to close sales deals. Among the men accused of harassment and verbal abuse are three former members of Snyder’s inner circle and two longtime members of the personnel department:
Michael, senior vice president of content and “the voice of the Washington Redskins.” Seven former employees said Michael routinely discussed the physical appearance of female colleagues in sexual and disparaging overtones. In 2018, Michael was caught on a “hot mic” speaking about the attractiveness of a college-aged intern, according to six former employees who heard the recording. Michael declined an interview request and retired Wednesday.
Santos, the club’s director of pro personnel, was accused by six former employees and two reporters who covered the team of making inappropriate remarks about their bodies and asking them if they were romantically interested in him. In 2019, Santos was the subject of an internal investigation after Rhiannon Walker, a reporter for The Athletic, informed club management Santos had pinched her, told her she had “an ass like a wagon,” and repeatedly asked her to date him, Walker said in an interview with The Post. Nora Princiotti, a reporter for The Ringer who formerly covered the team, also said in an interview that she was harassed by Santos. Santos, who was fired this past week, declined to comment.
Richard Mann II, assistant director of pro personnel, who in one text message obtained by the The Post told a female employee he and his colleagues debated whether her breasts had been surgically enhanced and in another text message told another female employee to expect an “inappropriate hug . . . And don’t worry that will be a stapler in my pocket, nothing else.” Mann, who also was fired last week, declined to comment.
Dennis Greene, former president of business operations, implored female sales staff to wear low-cut blouses, tight skirts and flirt with wealthy suite holders, according to five former employees, including Applegate. Greene’s 17-year career with the club ended in 2018 amid a scandal over the revelation he had sold access to Redskins cheerleaders – including attendance at a bikini calendar photo shoot in Costa Rica – as part of premium suite packages. Greene declined to comment.
Mitch Gershman, former chief operating officer, who Applegate said routinely berated her for trivial problems such as printer malfunctions while also complimenting her body. Two other former female employees supported Applegate’s account of her sexual harassment and verbal abuse by Gershman, who left the team in 2015.
“It was the most miserable experience of my life,” Applegate, now 31, said of her year working as a marketing coordinator for the club, which she left in 2015. “And we all tolerated it, because we knew if we complained – and they reminded us of this – there were 1,000 people out there who would take our job in a heartbeat.”
Gershman, in a phone interview, denied Applegate’s allegations.
“I barely even remember who she is,” Gershman said. “I thought the Redskins was a great place to work . . . I would apologize to anyone who thought that I was verbally abusive.”
No woman accused Snyder or former longtime team president Bruce Allen of inappropriate behavior with women, but they expressed skepticism the men were unaware of the behavior they allege.
“I would assume Bruce [Allen] knew, because he sat 30 feet away from me . . . and saw me sobbing at my desk several times every week,” Applegate said.
Allen, who was fired at the end of last year, did not reply to interview requests.
While Applegate and others did not accuse Snyder of acting improperly with women, they blamed him for an understaffed human resources department and what they viewed as a sophomoric culture of verbal abuse among top executives that they believed played a role in how those executives treated their employees.
Snyder routinely belittled top executives, according to three former members of his executive staff, perhaps most intensely Greene, the former sales executive, whom Snyder mocked for having been a male cheerleader in college. After one executive staff meeting, according to one former employee, Greene said Snyder had ordered him to do cartwheels for their entertainment.
“I have never been in a more hostile, manipulative, passive-aggressive environment . . . and I worked in politics,” said Julia Payne, former assistant press secretary in the Clinton administration who briefly served as vice president of communications for the team in 2003.
Payne did not witness or endure sexual harassment, she said, but she supported what many other former employees said about the culture under Snyder.
“With such a toxic, mood-driven environment, and the owner behaving like he does,” said Payne, “How could anyone think these women would go to HR?”
– – –
On the first day of working for the team, new employees are given a manual that describes the organization’s core values.
“Congratulations on becoming a member of an elite team of people involved in a franchise with a tremendous past and a promising future,” the handbook states. “The level of media and public scrutiny of the Washington Redskins magnifies any inappropriate or unprofessional behavior, so a high level of professionalism is required from all employees.”
While there is a section discussing sexual harassment, many former employees said, if there is a process for handling sexual harassment complaints, it’s never discussed in the club’s brief onboarding process.
The team’s human resources staff consists of one full-time staffer – who also performs administrative duties at team headquarters – responsible for more than 220 full-time employees, according to several former employees.
“There’s no HR,” said one former veteran female employee who left in 2019. “And there was never a reporting process, nor was one explained to new employees about how you should report something.”
In a statement, the Redskins pointed out the team hired a new human resources manager in 2019, and this employee works with the team’s legal department on any issues involving employee conduct.
Former women employees said the first few weeks at Redskins Park also often came with an informal, but invaluable, orientation administered privately by veteran female employees who warned them to avoid certain people and places, such as the staircase near the entrance to team headquarters.
Lined at the top with transparent plexiglass, the stairs descend from the lobby to the locker room and training area, and someone standing at the bottom can look up the skirt of a woman standing at the top.
One former female member of the executive staff learned this lesson early in her tenure, she said, when she looked down to see a male trainer, two floors down, staring right back up, walking step for step with her.
“He even leaned to get a better angle,” the woman said. “He wasn’t even trying to hide it.”
For many women, their jobs with the team were their first out of college. Several expressed a sense of shame, and said they realized they had accepted behavior years ago they now realize was inappropriate, such as an unwanted shoulder rub or a compliment about their legs.
“It was my first job, so I kind of normalized it,” said a woman who worked for the club for several years and departed in 2019. “And it was happening to every single one of my female co-workers under the age of 40.”
Training camp in Richmond, Va., in August was a hotbed of improper activity, several women said. Some encouraged younger female staffers to avoid the Tobacco Company, a bar and restaurant in a stately brick building frequented by team officials.
“I was propositioned basically every day at training camp,” said one female employee who worked for the team in the mid-2010s for several years. The overtures came in the form of a whispered invitation from one coach at the Tobacco Company to his hotel room, she said, as well as emails and text messages from other male staffers, also disclosing their room numbers and offering invitations for late-night visits.
Attending the annual NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, former female employees said, also heightened the likelihood of unwanted attention and propositions at places such as Prime 47, a steakhouse and bar popular with league officials and journalists.
I have never been in a more hostile, manipulative, passive-aggressive environment . . . and I worked in politics. . . . With such a toxic, mood-driven environment, and the owner behaving like he does, how could anyone think these women would go to HR?
At the 2019 combine, Rhiannon Walker, new to the Redskins beat for The Athletic, arrived at Prime 47 to learn that Santos, the club’s scouting director, had been asking her reporting colleagues if they thought she might be interested in him, she said in a phone interview this week. They tried to discourage him – outside of the ethical concerns, Walker said, her colleagues knew she was in a committed relationship and wouldn’t ever date a married man – but Santos was undeterred, she said she was told upon arriving.
Santos approached, she said, and the conversation started innocently. He showed her photos of his wife and young daughters on his phone, Walker recalled, reading from notes she later provided to her company’s lawyers describing the incident. Then Santos told Walker she had “worn the f—” out of her jeans the day before, she said, and asked if she would date him, if they were single.
“I told him that I do have a girlfriend, and he does have a wife, so we don’t need to play hypotheticals here,” Walker said. “I was pretty blunt.”
Santos kept attempting to flirt for several minutes and told Walker he would “wear me down with his charm,” she recalled. Then he pinched her on the hip, in full view of other team employees and reporters, she said. Walker felt humiliated, she recalled, and concerned some people who saw what had happened would think she had welcomed the attention.
“It felt like pretty much the worst thing in the world,” Walker said. “He didn’t care. He thought it was funny.”
Walker later filed a complaint with the team. In a statement, The Athletic supported her account, and confirmed the company’s attorneys spoke with Redskins management about Walker’s allegations.
“The Athletic unequivocally stands by Rhiannon Walker’s account of the harassment she endured from Mr. Santos,” the company said.
Soon after her incident with Santos, Walker said, she learned of another reporter who alleged she had endured similar harassment: Nora Princiotti, who covered the team for the Washington Times in 2017.
Princiotti, in a phone interview, said on two or three occasions, Santos pulled his SUV alongside her as she was walking out of Redskins Park, and offered commentary on her body and wardrobe.
“He told me I had a great ass for a little white girl,” Princiotti said. “The general sentiment was that I should wear less clothing.”
Like Walker, Princiotti said she was struck by how brazenly Santos acted, as well as other team employees who commented on her looks. Princiotti said one male member of the communications staff once told her she had a nickname around Redskins Park: “Princihottie.”
“It was gross and also just a terrible pun,” she said. “There was an overwhelming sense that no one would ever do anything about this stuff.”
Walker informed Tony Wyllie, then the team’s vice president of communications, about Princiotti’s allegations, she said, and Princiotti confirmed she spoke to Wyllie about Santos. Wyllie, who left the team in 2019, declined to comment for this story. A few weeks later, team lawyers informed The Athletic that Santos had been disciplined but declined to specify how, Walker said.
Santos was fired last week, after The Post informed the team of allegations raised by other former female staffers. One former female staffer said she received a text, one night after work, in which Santos told her he had wanted to kiss her that day in the break room. Another former female employee said Santos told her, as she was walking into the office one day, she had a “nice butt” and asked her to turn around for him.
“I am done with the NFL,” the woman said. Her experience with the Redskins “has killed any dream of a career in pro sports.”
– – –
Santos was fired along with his top scouting assistant Richard Mann II, who sent flirtations, sexual texts to two former female employees they provided to The Post.
In an exchange with one former female colleague, Mann joked about getting an “inappropriate hug.” In two exchanges with another female colleague, Mann informed her he and his colleagues were discussing whether her breasts had been surgically enhanced – “real or fake is the debate,” he texted – and offered to bring her lunch for a favor.
“If I bring that I want to squeeze your butt,” Mann texted.
“Unfortunately that was (is?) the culture,” one of these women texted a reporter, after forwarding the messages. “So we felt like we had to roll with it.”
In a phone interview, new team Coach Ron Rivera declined to discuss why Santos and Mann were dismissed.
“We’re trying to create a new culture here” Rivera said. “We’re hoping to get people to understand that they need to judge us on where we are and where we’re going, as opposed to where we’ve been”
– – –
To fans and the general public, Larry Michael is perhaps one of the more consistent aspects of a franchise marked by regular personnel turnover. The team’s lead play-by-play broadcaster for the past 16 years, Michael also served as senior vice president in charge of content, overseeing the club’s website and video department.
But among his mostly male staff on the video and digital teams, Michael for years had become a growing source of discomfort, according to four former employees, because of his penchant for off-color commentary about female colleagues.
“It was always objectifying; it was always derogatory. . . . I wouldn’t even know what to do. I would just shake it off,” one former male staffer said. “We’re all just afraid for our jobs and trying to make it.”
During training camp in 2017, Michael saw a young woman from the sponsorship staff walk by and turned to one of his staffers and commented on her “tight ass,” before adding a remark about her social life, the staffer said.
“He said you can’t mess with her, though . . . because you know she’s f—–g every guy on the team, right?,” said this staffer, who afterward mentioned the comment to four colleagues, including a veteran female employee.
“I was mortified, but not surprised,” the female employee said. Years earlier, Michael had squeezed this woman’s face after a late-night taping of a team program and told her “she was so cute,” she said.
Another comment, recalled by two former male employees, involved a female colleague of Egyptian descent.
“He said it looked like she definitely had a little Greek in her because of her lighter skin complexion, as well as that ass,” one former male employee said.
None of these employees filed formal complaints, they said, because they never thought anything would come of it.
“They’re not going to get rid of ‘The Voice of the Redskins’ . . . over a $30,000-a-year marketing manager,” one former male staffer said.
Michael was the subject of one complaint in 2018, according to six former team staffers, after he was recorded discussing one female intern during practice one day. The incident occurred as Michael was being filmed for a team video production, former employees said, and an intern walked by.
Former team employees who heard the video had different recollections of the precise wording, but agreed Michael remarked about how attractive he found the intern, who was in college.
“It was disgusting,” said one former female employee who heard the audio. “This is a grown man who could be my grandfather, and he’s talking about someone younger than me.”
One female employee complained about the video to the club’s legal department, and a team attorney took the hard drive from the employee who had discovered the video. When the lawyer returned the hard drive, this employee said, the file had been deleted. It was unclear to staffers aware of the incident whether Michael was disciplined.
“The club’s legal department removed the file from the hard drive and maintained the file in the organization’s confidential HR/Legal records where it still resides,” the team said in a statement.
On Wednesday morning, The Post requested an interview with Michael and informed club officials about comments attributed to Michael by his former employees and the “hot mic” incident.
Hours later, Michael announced his retirement.
“After 16 great years my time with the organization is over,” Michael said in a statement. “On to the next chapter.”
– – –
Before Emily Applegate changed jobs in December 2014, moving from working at FedEx Field to the team’s marketing department in Ashburn, Va., she was warned by co-workers about her new boss, Mitch Gershman, she recalled. The club’s chief marketing officer had a reputation for an explosive temper, Applegate said, but not sexual harassment.
“I guess I was lucky enough to be more his type,” Applegate said.
Gershman often commented on her body or appearance, she said, in tandem with insults about her work performance.
“He would tell me I was stupid for not being able to print something out the way he wanted, and directly follow with, ‘Oh, did you run extra yesterday, you look really good,'” Applegate said.
Gershman told Applegate never to wear flats, only heels, she said, and suggested form-fitting dresses for nighttime events with premium clients. He also inquired about her dating life, and expressed concern she didn’t have a boyfriend, she said. In a text message exchange Applegate provided to The Post, she asked him about his plan for an upcoming sales meeting.
“Not part of it. No worries. Go find a dude!!” he replied.
There were also routine outbursts of rage, Applegate said, such as when Gershman got lost on the way to Joe Theismann’s Restaurant in Alexandria, Va., after asking her to print out directions for him.
“All he had to do was type it in a GPS, and he spent 20 minutes screaming at how f—–g incompetent I was for not giving him proper directions,” she said. “I would leave work crying probably four days out of the week.”
Gershman, in a brief phone interview, alternately denied and said he didn’t recall conversations referenced by Applegate.
“I can’t comment on something that I can’t remember,” he said.
– – –
One other team executive repeatedly commented on Applegate’s appearance, she said: Dennis Greene, who held the high-pressure job of overseeing sales of luxury seating and premium suites at FedEx Field.
On one occasion, Applegate said, Greene complimented her on leggings she was wearing.
“He made a comment about how great I looked in these leggings because they were so tight,” she said. “That was actually the only time Mitch said something like, ‘Dennis, you can’t say something like that.’ “
Women who worked for Greene hold conflicting feelings about their former boss. While they acknowledge he made inappropriate remarks and pressured them to wear revealing outfits and flirt with current and prospective suiteholders, they also were aware Greene faced tremendous pressure from Snyder to sell expensive seats for a team whose on-the-field product often made his job challenging.
Snyder “would humiliate Dennis in front of other executives because he was a cheerleader in college . . . and Dennis took everything. He did everything and anything he had to, to make sure those suites were sold out year after year,” one former saleswoman said.
But even those sympathetic to Greene said his conduct left them with emotional scars. One saleswoman, who worked in the 2005 to 2010 time frame, recalled that Greene repeatedly offered to connect her with a plastic surgeon if she wanted breast enhancement surgery. He said he knew a doctor who had performed several procedures for cheerleaders, she recalled, and he could “get her a great rate.”
“Reducing a young woman to thinking that she can only do her job well if she wears a certain thing or exposes part of her body is demeaning,” this former saleswoman said. “It puts women in their place.”
– – –
Over the past few days, Applegate said, she has received messages from several former Redskins co-workers who have asked if she’s concerned about potential retaliation she could face from the club. She has told them she’s not concerned, she said. She has no interest in working in professional sports again, took the LSATs this week, and is studying for law school.
“I don’t see what I have to be afraid of,” she said. “I’m just telling the truth.”
To some of her former colleagues, there is one anecdote from Applegate’s time with the team that troubles them most. In 2015, Applegate said, she was pulled aside by Eric Schaffer, the club’s general counsel and senior vice president, who left earlier this year.
Schaffer was appalled by the verbal abuse Applegate endured from Gershman, she said he told her, and he offered to serve as a witness or connect her with a lawyer if she wanted to file a formal complaint. Applegate declined, and said she feared making an issue of Gershman’s conduct would mark the end of her career with the team.
Applegate regards Schaffer as one of the few male team executives who treated her well. Some of her former colleagues, however, expressed outrage that Schaffer didn’t file a complaint of his own. According to the employee manual, “all supervisory and management personnel of the Redskins organization are expected to take immediate and appropriate action to prevent or stop harassment in the workplace of which they become aware.”
Schaffer declined to comment. Applegate said she understands why he didn’t make an issue of her treatment in 2015. It’s the same reason she never filed a complaint.
“I needed to keep my job,” she said. “When it comes down to it, 98 percent of people make decisions on stuff like this based on needing to keep their jobs . . . which is why this stuff goes on for so long.”
Tiger Woods returns, giving backyard galleries plenty to watch at the Memorial
Jul 17. 2020
By The Washington Post · Chuck Culpepper · SPORTS
DUBLIN, Ohio – Rather than an Open Championship lid-lifter with golfers navigating the ornery botany along Sandwich Bay in southern England, the third Thursday in July brought Tiger Woods waving to people in backyards.
Seldom has Woods’s kaleidoscopic career offered the chance for waving to people in backyards, for various reasons that include the Tiger-curious throngs that generally block the sight of much of anything, let alone people in course-side backyards.
Yet as 2020 keeps churning out sports oddities, there went Woods along his way to a hard 1-under-par 71, waving to those standing behind temporary fences at Nos. 1, 3, 7 and 17 at least – to people who cheered him in measured sounds from verandas, decks, patios and balconies along the Jack Nicklaus creation Muirfield Village Golf Club.
When a spirited group on a balcony beside No. 17 got its unison together to holler onto the course, “We love you, Tiger,” it received a second wave, making it a double.
Unseen in competition since February in Los Angeles, Woods joined his PGA Tour mates and rivals at their sixth go at competition since a 91-day hiatus ended in June, and he joined at an event previously pegged to include a 20-percent ration of spectators. That 20 shrank to zero earlier this month when the tour decided the novel coronavirus still made the worry exceed the hope.
That’s how Woods, surely the tour’s all-time leader in both onlookers and disruptions to the backswing from noise, camera clicks and various levels of inebriation, came to start off at 1:17 p.m. Thursday, make a 10-footer for birdie on No. 1 and hear almost nothing.
“I definitely didn’t have any issue with energy and not having the fans’ reactions out there,” said Woods, long known as capable of focusing in a manner almost peerless upon the Earth. “I still felt the same eagerness, edginess, nerviness starting out, and it was good. It was a good feel. I haven’t felt this in a while.”
“Nice birdie,” said a man said from near yonder behind the fence in a yard.
“Thanks,” Woods said audibly as he walked from No. 1 to No. 2.
The man was Tyler Stieg of Dublin, who grew up in the house and has known the Memorial as a bulging part of the calendar since, “Oh, god, since I was 4 years old, so 30 [years] or so,” he said through the fence. And with this the second straight event here at Muirfield Village in the improvised schedule, and with Stieg having done some tournament volunteering per usual, he said, “It’s weird. I mean, it’s weird walking out there with a group. You don’t even know how to react sometimes when they make putts. Do you clap or not?”
Sometimes people do.
Sometimes a person does.
Beneath overcast skies and amid trying winds, on went the “loud” group of the day, Woods and Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy, the defending Masters champion for 15 months now (Woods) and the defending PGA Championship champion for 14 months now (Koepka) and 23 major titles hogged into the trio (15 for Woods, four each for the others). On they went in the hush, past people behind the fences in groups of two or 10 or 21, people in lawn chairs, kids on bikes in a clearing. They passed stately backyards with mammoth grills on decks, pools with little basketball goals, flowers cascading out of huge ceramic urns, bushes denied their individuality and forced into identical shapes.
They passed No. 4, where two women behind the temporary fence acted as if imprisoned and said, “Let us out!” They passed the empty Out Of Bounds Bar in a tent on No. 5, the bar having become even more out of bounds than before. They passed No. 6, where a woman sat on a lawn with two impeccably groomed yellow Labrador retrievers, both of whom sat without so much as a barked whisper, and neither of whom heckled Woods when his approach from some unkind left rough died early on the green, painfully shy of the cup.
They passed No. 8, where a boisterous crew cheered from a backyard to the right, and No. 9, where Jim Kaufman had gone next door from his own house and had stationed at the fence with a 70-300 lens snapping photographs with sight lines unfettered by crowds. “I’m experimenting,” Kaufman said, soon adding, “I get to see a little chunk of it, and I’m watching the rest on my phone,” and, “I’m getting some action shots, which are really good.”
He placed the experience among “cool things to do in the lockdown.”
Along the way, Woods began to notice that the course he has played since 1997 suddenly offered easier walking. “Usually we have marshals and ropes,” he said. “Like for instance today, 16 and 17, it was nice walking off the 16th green going straight to tee instead of walking around. It’s certainly different around here with some of the walks. But you get from Point A to Point B very directly. I hadn’t ever felt this here. Usually I’m meandering roundabout.”
He and McIlroy (70) and Koepka (72), all trailing by a chunk the 66 managed by Tony Finau, played a course grown more demanding than last week, when 23-year-old Collin Morikawa edged 27-year-old Justin Thomas in a playoff donnybrook.
“It’s not even remotely close to the same,” Thomas said after shooting 74.
“Yeah,” Morikawa said after shooting 76, “We started noticing things – I came home Tuesday and you already saw the greens get about a foot, foot-and-a-half faster, and today when we stepped on the course, even though it was morning you could start seeing a little shine, so you know the first bounces were skipping a little more, getting a little firmer. The rough has obviously just kept growing. They’ve put some water on them. You miss in some spots, sometimes you’ve got to chip out and you never know what kind of lie you’re going to get, but for the most part it’s not going to be good.”
With the task thus consuming, at least Woods didn’t have to cope with the normal commotion, and at least nobody had to endure the common horror of spectators yelling, “Get in the hole,” shortly after a player drives. But some normalcy did appear in the curious presence of an armada of carts – carts for the PGA Tour, for the Golf Channel, for security, for police – that make one wonder if such carts always proliferate but go unnoticed, or have multiplied in the strangeness.
“Well, there were still a lot of moving parts and a lot of media that were moving around, but the energy wasn’t the same without the fans,” Woods said. “That certainly was noticeable, mostly different. But there were still a lot of moving parts with camera crews.”
Yet when he birdied No. 18 with a nifty 14-footer, a witness might have heard nothing other than one guy say, “Nice.” And Woods didn’t wave, with the 18th green reaching up toward the clubhouse and featuring no visible backyards.
“More ready than ever”: riders talk track, MotoGP™ is back!
Jul 17. 2020Riders during a press conference
By THE NATION
The Pre-Event Press Conference gears us up for this weekend’s Gran Premio Red Bull de España
The time is nigh and ahead of track action for the Gran Premio Red Bull de España, the pre-event Press Conference got things in gear. Reigning Champion Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) was joined by the fastest man in testing, Maverick Viñales (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Fabio Quartararo (Petronas Yamaha SRT), Alex Rins (Team Suzuki Ecstar), Valentino Rossi (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP), Jack Miller (Pramac Racing) and Pol Espargaro (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) to talk racing once again.
Marquez spoke first, and first underlined that we are #RacingForThem.
“It’s great to be back to MotoGP racing but the most important thing is to try to help all the people that were affected, millions and millions and more will be. But all the small help that we can get to them is really important and we will do. Like you did, like many riders did and that people be conscientious that this virus is still there and we must be patient and also pay a lot of attention.
Next up, the test was on the agenda – with the Honda rider finishing third overall.
“Yesterday was an important day. Firstly to be back on a MotoGP back and then also because in preseason I had a few doubts; doubts about the technical side, doubts about my physical decision, but yesterday everything was fixed. I’m now completely fit and can ride like I want. In the preseason I was struggling a lot. On the technical side, in the last hour on the Qatar test we made a big step and yesterday we reconfirmed that we got back the feeling from 2019 and that was really important for our box. Now it’s time to work because now we need to retry all the things we tried in the winter test, some new items, so I’m looking forward to riding again tomorrow and keeping going.”
Another talking point was also the recent news that Pol Espargaro will be joining the Repsol Honda Team next year, as Marquez’ younger brother Alex moves to LCR.
“I always respect Honda’s decision because they try to choose the best for the team and the riders. Next year I will have a different teammate, last year I had a different teammate but, of course, the special moment that we had in Valencia with Jorge, Honda was looking for the best rider available; the Moto2 world champion, Alex. This year he’s in the Repsol Honda team but next year in LCR. That’s a good move for him because being in a Repsol Honda team means being on the podium. For a normal rookie rider the normal step is to start with a team like LCR and good for him that he’ll get all the support from HRC. And I’m happy to share the team with Pol next year. It will be interesting to see the level of KTM and Honda and being in the Repsol Honda team means being on the podium, if not it’s a disaster, so I’m happy with the situation.
“Cal gives a lot of input to Honda and HRC. He’s been in the HRC family for many years with all the official support. It’s Honda’s decision but it’s always sad when you see somebody moving from the team but in this case it’s my brother, so it’s ok.”
Viñales was next on the mic, and the Spaniard has been looking omimous in testing – before and after lockdown. He also sounds optimistic ahead of Jerez….
“Yes I feel fantastic, I mean the atmosphere inside the team is great, the harmony in the team is great. I think all the pieces are there. We need to keep going, we need to keep doing the job and what we were building last year. I can’t wait to be on the bike, I mean we left the bike in Qatar in really good form, yesterday I felt incredible since the first lap and the feeling was there.
“In MotoGP it’s important to be on the level every day and not just one race. It’s important to improve the consistency of the bike from track to track, for sure we need a little more top speed but we’ve made a good jump this year.”
For Quartararo, meanwhile, it’s now a sophomore season and he’s returning to the track that saw him take his first pole last season. How is he feeling?
“After such a long time without riding a MotoGP bike, it was so fun to feel the speed. It wasn’t an easy day because the 2020 bike we only rode in Sepang and Malaysia and I was struggling in the first session because it’s so different to the last year’s spec that I had but I saw that yesterday the potential of the bike was really good and we need to adapt as quickly as possible because the other guys are also really fast.
“I think that, like Maverick said, the top speed is something we still need to improve but, honestly, I’m feeling really good with the bike. There are still somethings that we need to adjust compared to last year’s bike but to close the gap with Marc we will need to do a really good job because we know that he’s fast everywhere and in every condition, so we will need to adapt quickly to every situation. In the rain he was so fast, like in Brno, in mixed conditions he was so fast, so we will need also to adapt as a rider in these conditions.
Another of the headliner grabbers in testing was Alex Rins and Suzuki as a whole, with teammate Joan Mir also looking quick. Rins agrees the marque look to be in a good place ahead of the season opener.
“We made a big step from last year. Our bike has changed a lot so thank you to the Suzuki guys for the work in Japan for the new chassis and engine. The preseason was quite good, we started herewith a lot of confidence on the bike. I think I’m more ready than ever and I want to start now.
“Last year, the last third of the year, we missed some consistency. But this year we found something on the bike and in the winter I worked hard during the winter to improve the consistency so I will try to fight on top for the maximum time possible.
From Rins it moved on to Rossi, who has also been making headlines but of a different kind. But first, the ‘Doctor’ debriefed the lockdown.
“It’s a very strange situation. Also, a long, long time at home is a different feeling because I raced in the world championship for 24, 25 years. It’s a different feeling because it’s strange for us to live without the pressure and adrenaline of the race weekend. It was strange at the beginning, a little bit boring also because we were close to starting and we stopped for 2 months. But then when you understand your rhythm and everything it’s also good to stay at home. I feel good. But I’m very happy to restart. I think that all the fans around the world and the people who work here miss MotoGP a lot, so it’s great that we’ll restart. Yesterday we were already on track to come back on the bike and it was a long time but it’s like one day with the same feeling, the same joy and tomorrow we’ll start a normal race weekend.”
And the test?
“In the afternoon it was a bit more difficult. We have to work on the pace because we have to fix some things. But in general I was in P5 overall and it wasn’t so bad.”
Finally, it was time to ask – is he returning for 2021? It would seem so…
“For me the situation changed the plan a bit because I needed to race in 2020 to decide if I was going to race in 2021 to see if I can still be fast and competitive but, in the end, I have to make my decision without racing. But I spoke a lot with Yamaha and I want to continue. It’ll be a big effort because when you’re old you have to work very old, but I want to be part of the game, also next year, and I already agreed with Yamaha and I spoke already with Petronas and everything is fixed. I haven’t signed the contract because it’s still not ready because we have to build the team and it depends very much if a lot of people will move from one team to the other because Fabio and I will switch position, but I think that we’ll fix it as soon as possible.”
Miller, meanwhile, already has his 2021 signed on the dotted line as he’ll move to the factory Ducati Team. That, and the long break, were first to cover for the Australian.
“First of all like the boys said it was strange being ready to go, getting all psyched up and then heading home. I was fortunate to be on the farm in Australia with family, it’s the most time I’ve been in Australia for 10 years. It’s the only time I’ve left home thinking ‘ah, I don’t really want to leave’ but it’s great to be back and back on the bike. I was a little rusty yesterday on the first few laps but I quickly came to terms with it. To get that thing sewn up over the break was kinda strange because as we know the contracts are normally negotiated race to race and to be doing it on the opposite side of the world was kind of weird but in a good way. I’m stoked on the deal and I can’t wait to ride for the Ducati Team but as we speak about that, we haven’t started 2020 yet. Main focus is doing a solid performance, starting where we left off last year. They’ve given me a lot over the last couple of years it would be lovely to give something back to them.
“We got a lot of podiums last year but sadly they were all on the bottom step. So we’ll try move up from there but yeah Pramac have backed me through thick and thin last year, even taking me from the situation I was previous to that so I feel obliged to give them something to celebrate. I was able to bring them their first pole position so who knows what they can do!”
Finally, it was time to hear from Pol Espargaro. His move from KTM to the Repsol Honda Team was confirmed just before Jerez, and that was the key topic.
“It’s been a long confinement with a lot of up and downs, quite big decisions and a lot of emotions in between. In the end, to ride against or with the best rider currently on the grid, it’s difficult to say no. And in a world champion team and factory, it’s difficult to say no. So, I have thought a lot about it. It was a difficult decision because it’s going to be four amazing years with KTM where we’ve come from the darkest situation in Qatar 3 years ago and now we’re in a place where we can start to enjoy racing, now leaving makes me sad. But I’m 29 years old and, like everyone, I want the maximum from MotoGP, and I think in the short term to move in this factory is going to be super exciting but at the moment we are just at the beginning of this year, so it’s time to start racing and enjoy this last year with KTM where I still think I can do something very great.
“Since we started our mentality was just on winning. When we started 3 years ago the mentality was there but we didn’t have the machine to do it. Now we are getting closer to that target. We are not yet at that stage but it’s what we’re thinking every time I jump on the bike and every time I go for a lap time and every time I see the lights go out. We’re going to try to finish that relationship with great results. We race twice in Austria which is good news for KTM, it’s a track which suits us well, so we have a couple of opportunities to get good results and we’re going to try and finish that long relationship with the best results possible.”
Their first chance at it comes this weekend at the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, with MotoGP™ set to race at 14:00 (GMT +2) on Sunday the 19th of July.
Marquez (L) is ready to roll
L-R: Rins, Viñales – the fastest man in the test – and Marquez
What can Quartararo do?
Rins – and Suzuki – seem confident
Miller starts the season with 2021 already confirmed
Pol Espargaro joined the Press Conference after his 2021 move to Honda was confirmed
Rossi answered two important questions – what might the Championship order look like this year, and whether he’ll be back in 2021. The former answer is above, the latter answer sounded pretty sure…
The MotoGP™ class of 2020 A photocall to start the season – at a distance
This weekend, we are #RacingTogether in honour of those affected by Covid-19The aerial view
By THE NATIONThe Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) today announced that several partners are helping the LPGA and Symetra Tours safely return to play.
Three pre-existing partners have added to their long-standing LPGA support:
Cambia Health Solutions, Official Mask Partner, is helping to promote the health and safety of this year’s competition by providing masks to players, caddies and staff across the LPGA and Symetra Tours. Cambia is a long-time supporter of the LPGA Tour, serving as title sponsor of the Cambia Portland Classic since 2014.
Global Rescue, Official Travel Risk and Crisis Management Provider, will provide medical advisory support and crisis extraction services for LPGA Tour players competing at tournaments around the globe.
NEC, Official Technology Partner, will play a critical role in providing technology solutions that can enable the LPGA to feel confident in the safety of its back-to-play protocols. The LPGA will leverage NEC’s biometric expertise to provide a safer and more hygienic experience for staff, players and fans.
Additionally, two new partners have joined the LPGA family to aid its back-to-play efforts:
Theraworx Protect, Official Hygiene Solutions Provider, will provide its products to all on the golf course, protecting the T-Zone (eyes, nose, mouth) as well as the hands, with a barrier to infection for an extended period.
WHOOP, Official Fitness Wearable Provider, will provide its WHOOP Strap 3.0 to all players, caddies and staff for self-monitoring to identify elevated respiratory rates that may indicate COVID-19 before the onset of symptoms.
Other partners supplying the LPGA with critical PPE product support are Meijer, title sponsor of the Meijer LPGA Classic for Simply Give, and Kimberly Clark.
“The LPGA is thankful to have so many partners that have helped us prepare to go back to play safely,” said Kelly Hyne, LPGA Chief Sales Officer. “Keeping our athletes, caddies, staff and tournament partners healthy is our number one priority. We appreciate their expertise and guidance during this unprecedented time.”
The 2020 LPGA Tour season is scheduled to resume with the LPGA Drive On Championship, to be held July 31 to Aug. 2 at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, followed by the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana, to be held Aug. 6-9 at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio.
Petchdam Petchyindee Academy and Rodtang Jitmuangno
Bryce Harper rounds first after hitting a three-run homer off Max Scherzer on Saturday night at Nationals Park. CREDIT: Washington Post photo by John McDonnell.
Emily Applegate, photographed this week, said her year working for the Redskins was “the most miserable experience of my life.” MUST CREDIT: Photo by Celeste Sloman for The Washington Post
Riders during a press conference
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