Randy Moss = New Pony Star

Randy Moss, Pony Fall/Winter Collection.

New England Patriots star Randy Moss made the switch to Pony in the off season after being sponsored by Jordan Brand since back in the day when he was with the Vikings. This was a surprising move to many but Moss always seems to be doing something exciting.

Moss will be center stage for the Patriots with the loss of Tom Brady for the season, which may help up the image of Pony. This special fall/winter collection offers shoes for all aspects of Moss’ game including training, on-field play and off-field leisure and recovery. Pony is also selling football cleats in his name sake.

The collection seen here includes the Moss Trainer Mid, Moss 5.OZ Trainer and Moss Top Star Mid. These shoes are available now at select Pony dealers. Via Hypebeast.

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

Usain Bolt Interview On David Letterman

Boltmania Hits New York City

He has taken his show on the road. Track star Usain Bolt chats it up on CBS's Late Show with David Letterman.

There is a new king in town. Check out the fans waiting outside to see Bolt after the Jamaican Olympic champion finished his first ever appearance with David Letterman.

Click here to the Usain Bolt video.

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

Video Courtesy: Stupid Famous People.

Boltmania Hits Kingston!

Matt Taylor's latest project "Chasing Bolt" involves chronicling the Usain Bolt throughout the entire season. The piece provides insight into who Bolt is and what he is all about. This is a must-see movie for sports fans across the world.

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

Kicks: Adidas Gazelle

Here are some new kicks the Adidas Gazelle OP - Silver / Sky Grey / Lt Clay. They sport a simple gray upper constructed from suede, which is completely perforated.

The tongue features a darker tone of grey, white sole sole is constructed from white rubber. For anyone looking for something sans logos, colors, or otherwise distracting exterior decor these Adidas Gazelle OP’s might be for you. If what you’re looking for is a completely clean pair of kicks, with nearly no ornamentation of any kind, these should fit the bill perfectly. [Via Streething].

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

Spearmon Rolling to Jamaica?

Has Usain Bolt and companies' dashing show in Jamaica made Jamaica the new center of the track universe and the place-to-be for elite sprinters?

According to the Jamaican Gleaner News, Wallace Spearmon Jr., is considering joining the high-profile MVP Track Club under coach Stephen Francis and switching his training base to Jamaica for the upcoming season.

This would make the second coaching change in two season for the University of Arkansas alum. Last season Spearmon ended his relationship with Coach Lance Braumon to train under his father Wallace Spearmon Sr. His father, Wallace Spearmon Sr. was a two-time All-American sprinter for coach McDonnell at Arkansas and was a part of the first national championship team in 1984.

Ray Flynn, Spearmon’s manager, speaking to The Gleaner from the United States, said he "cannot confirm" his client would join the group, but said it was an option.

It probably does not hurt that Spearmon is reportedly long-time friends with fellow sprinter Usain Bolt and hey man it's Jamaica.

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

Olympian Greene Survives To Dance Another Day

In case you missed the action, the judges liked what they saw on the dance floor. Two-time Olympic gold medalist Maurice Greene and his dance partner Cheryl Burke managed to stay alive for another week on ABC's Dancing with the Stars.

The starting blocks are his natural work place, but Greene really shined in the solo spots on the dance floor. His charisma and personality really come through when he seemed to just be having a lot fun.

Two-time show champion Cheryl Burke deserves a great deal of credit. She again showed an understanding of make her partners come off really well and Greene did an impressive job partnering.

Phone lines, text votes (AT&T customers only) and online polls will open at the top of each performance show so that viewers can vote for their favorites. Phone and text lines will remain open until noon (Eastern Time) on the day of the results show.

To vote for Maurice Greene, dial 800-868-3404. The text-in code is 3404.

Anyone can get voted off at any time on this show. Can Maurice Greene make it past week 2?

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

Great Battles: Maurice Greene & Michael Johnson

It is no secret that trash talking and track go hand and hand. At the 2000 Olympic Trials former greats Michael Johnson and Maurice Greene made a career out of their beef.

Fast forward and the 2008-09 season has officially come to a close and with it a piece of track culture, trash talking is officially done.

It's over and may very well be the end of an era.

It's like when Jay Z announced that he wouldn't wear throwback jerseys anymore kids all over Brooklyn and the NYC quickly buried theirs deeply in their closets.

Where is the world-class trash talking in the sport today, chest pumping, and bravado?

I'm not sure who won the war of words in 2000 but here is what Michael said during the back and forth in the press.

"I can honestly say that since Carl Lewis left this sport, there's not an athlete that I get excited about running against," said Johnson. "I get excited about achieving my own goals.

Not to be out done, check out what Greene had to say.

"First, Michael Johnson is the world record-holder, but he hasn't run anything close to that time in four years," said Greene. "Second, he's not strong enough to finish with me in a sprint. He'll have to be three or four steps in front coming off the curve, or it's over.

Sure, neither one finished the race at the 2000 Olympic Trials but the country was riveted by this showdown.

Click here to watch the Maurice Greene vs. Michael Johnson build up to the track battle.

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

Carl Lewis "Sings" National Anthem

Fans in attendance at the New Jersey Nets game will never forget January 21, 1993. The day some critics have dubbed as the worst national anthem performance ever and Carl Lewis called it singing.

Dude has game--we chuckle at his antics, but King Carl knew how to entertain and the last time I checked, he still has endorsement deals with Hershey's and others. The companies probably requeste that the track legend to ease up on the public singing though.

Usain Bolt is the latest track athlete to take over the mantel as track's most interesting runner in the Milky Way Galaxy. The Jamaican is an entertaining character that sports fans the world over enjoy watching.

It appears that Bolt is already helping to make track cool again.

By Jay Hicks.

Usain Bolt Dashes To David Letterman

If you want to catch the "Fastest Man Alive," you'll need to watch "Late Show With David Letterman" on Sept. 24.

Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt, who won three gold medals in Beijing, will make his first U.S. talk-show appearance that evening.


After that Bolt is set to appear on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Thursday and Regis and Kelly on the Friday.

By Jay Hicks.

Kicks: Jordan Blasé - Holiday 2008 Collection

So you want a pair of kicks that are sophisticated enough to wear out to an evening affair?

Jordan Brand has a new off court dress shoe coming out this Fall/Holiday season that should be sleek enough to get you pass the doorman, its called the Jordan Blasé. This line manufactures lifestyle sneakers to cater to users who want to wear stylish shoes with their casual dress attire. This new release of Jordan Blasé comes in two new colorways. [SneakerNews.]


Jay Hicks For Prerace Jitters.

Should Cross Country Be An Olympic Sport?

Will the world be thrilled to watch runners try to conquer cross courses at future Olympic games?

Some of the sports most prominent figures such as Ethiopians Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie and Kenya’s Paul Tergat seem to think so and wrote an open letter to IOC chief Jacques Rogge laying out their case for the cross country to be included.

The IAAF as the sports governing body is submitting the request to the International Olympic Committee to make cross country a part of the Olympic Games.

It is an interesting proposition considering that baseball and softball were axed, there will only be 26 sports in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Two factors in cross country’s case.

The first consideration is whether cross country will be added to an already bloated Olympic Games. There seems to be an endless number of sports and many viewers already struggle to keep up with all the action. On the other hand, what is one more sport.

The second is a litmus test that I developed for any sport is whether an Olympic sport is the pinnacle of the sport. If not, then it has to go or should not be added.

If cross country were added to the Games, then it would be the most important cross country race on the face of the planet. On top of that the world’s largest apparel makers can serve to benefit from adding cross country to the Olympic.

The fact that BMX cycling, Mountain Bike cycling , and Trampoline have been added, means that cross country should certainly be given a trial run at the Olympic Games.

Let us know what do you think. Should cross country be added or not?

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

Asafa Powell Predicts 9.5 Seconds!

How fast will the 100-meters go in 2009?

In a recent interview, former world record holder Asafa Powell seems to think it can go much faster. The question on my mind is whether Powell is thinking of himself or how fast he thinks his countrymen Usain Bolt can potentially run when making this prediction.

"When I ran 9.74 I thought my limit would be 9.69," he said. Then when Usain ran 9.69 after stopping 20 meters before the finish, it's obviously possible to go even faster. I think 9.6 is possible. I think next year you'll see 9.5."

Powell went on to say, "Wherever Usain takes (the record), I'll be there right with him."

Who better to ask than Powell. He has seen his previous world record of 9.74 get lowered twice this season alone as Usain Bolt cruised 9.69 to win the Olympic gold.

How fast do you think Bolt, Powell or Tyson Gay can run in '09?

Jay Hicks for Prerace Jitters.

Kicks: Nike Air Max 1 360 Hybrid

The newly refreshed kicks dropped by Nike takes us back to the old school with the comfort of today. The Nike 1 360 Hybrid is the latest of many coming hybrid line of Hybrid sneakers. A nice clean colorway that should be popular with sneakerheads, and also the general public. The grey, black, and white is a clean look for everybody.

The Air Max 360 sole makes doing just about anything comfortable. You can hit up your local Footlocker to pick them up, as they are available now.

By Jay Hicks.

Instantly Analysis: Campbell-Brown Leads Jamaican Entourage In Shanghai

-Shanghai, China-Anytime Olympic champion Yelena Isinbeyva of Russia enters a meet, there is bound to be fans in the seats. But on Saturday all eyes were focused on Vernonica Campbell-Brown, who lead a group of Jamaicans athletes wrapping up their season at the 2008 IAAF Shanghai Golden Grand Prix.

The show stopper was a Jamaican-surprise. The 200-meter Olympic champion from Beijing, Veronica Campbell-Brown won a blistering late season race in 11.01 at 100-meters. Lauryn Williams of the U.S., ran a solid 11.26 to earn second place honors.

She may have been tired from the long season but she was definately entertaining. Yelena Isinbeyeva, did not break her own world record, but she cleared a modest 4.60 meters. The greatest women's pole vaulter ever cleared 5.05 meters in winning the gold medal in Beijing and in the process rewrote her own world record.

Usain Bolt and Asafa Powell did not compete in Shanghai, but Jamaican Michael Frater took the men 100 race in 10.05 and Nesta Carter was a close second.

It doesn't matter if the one lap race has hurdles or not for the Atlanta resident. You have to respect the talent of Angelo Taylor. The 400 was won by Taylor in a very respectable 44.94 over Gary Kikaya of the Democratic Republic of Congo (45.09).

Not to be out done--Dawn Harper did a repeat of her Olympic gold medal performance. Harper flew over the 110n hurdles in first (13.56), which is a new stadium record. How good is Hyleas Fountain? The Olympic silver medalist Fountain took an impressive third place finish in 12.96.

Fresh off a winning the IAAF World Athletics Final in Stuttgart last week, he did it again. David Oliver finished strongly to win the 110s in 13.25.

Olympics gold medalist Christine Ohuruogu of Great Britain continued her post-Olympic performance decline. She finished a distant fourth place (52.30). Jamaican's Shericka Williams and Shereefa Lloyd took first and second place, respectively in 50.88 and 51.24.

Click here for full results.

Jay Hicks For Prerace Jitters.

Robert Griffin Earning Star Billing For Baylor Football

Another week went by and another game of eye-popping statistics were produced. Robert Griffin played his first road game for the Baylor Bears against Connecticut. He is quickly earning a reputation as a poised quarterback that can beat opponents with his arms and his legs.

Griffin threw for 208 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another one. The speedster from Copperas Cove also ran for 46 yards on 23 carries with many of his yards coming on scrambles to get out of trouble in the Friday game that aired on ESPN2. Not too bad for the quarterback of the losing team.

The 6 foot, 3 inch true freshmen quarterback narrowly lead a fourth quarter comeback in the in the defeat to UConn (31-28).

In the fourth quarter, Griffin lead the offense down the field with under one minute to play in the game, but the final pass fell just beyond the outstretched arms of his wide receiver.

So exactly how fast is Griffin?

He is the Big 12 champion and finished third in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, earning him All-America honors and boasts a personal best time of 49.22.

There are a number of great athletes in track and field. If he maintains this level of productivity, does the two-sport star lay claim to best all-around athlete in track and field?

By Jay Hicks.

Shanghai Super Grand Prix Meet

-Saturday's Shanghai Super Grand Prix.

Can Yelena Isinbayeva break her own world record in the pole vault? The Olympic gold medalist returns to China along on Saturday along with some of track's other stars to compete in the 2008 Shanghai Super Grand Prix.

The meet headliners include: David Oliver, Bershawn Jackson and Angelo Taylor running the 400, Lauryn Williams, Torri Edwards, Travis Padgett, Hyleas Fountain running the 100 hurdles, Dawn Harper,

Last year the meet featured Tyson Gay, Asafa Powell, and Liu Xiang.

By Jay Hicks.

Kicks: Adidas ZX9000 De Lux

Adidas presented a nice pair of Adidas ZX 9000s that will turn heads. The shoe has been introduced in silver/beige and a beige suede for a "lux" effect. Check out more pics after the jump. [High Snobiety]

By Jay Hicks.

Push Back To Carl Lewis Statements

Remember how we reported that Carl Lewis openly questioned the Jamaican success in Beijing and directly called into question the validity of Usain Bolt's Olympic performances?

Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell did not let the remarks go undefended and responded by saying the following:

"Yes, I am disappointed with the words of a former athlete [Carl Lewis]."

"What Usain did does not shock me, because I know how much talent he has and this is the first year he has devoted his training to the 100m."

Can't we all just get along? Only in track, do we have Olympic gold medalists going back and forth in the media at a time when glowing words should be bestowed upon the sport after the Beijing Games.

By Jay Hicks.

Better Left Unsaid?

In a recent interview with SI.com Carl Lewis finally spoke his mind about the Jamaican success at the Beijing Olympic and the Michael Phelps phenomenon sweeping the globe.

The outspoken nine-time Olympic gold medalist said the following:

"I've never been one to compare eras in sports and you can't compare swimming to track and field because there's no way in the world you can get as many medals in track and field as you can in swimming. We can run one or two relays; they can swim five. I didn't realize that of Spitz's seven gold medals in Munich, three were relays. Five of his nine golds were relays. I thought, "If I could run the 4x100, 4x200, and so on, I'd have this many medals." To me, it's not a matter of saying I'm better. It's not even worth comparing. We should just celebrate who he is and leave it at that."

Ummm…interesting is this real talk or does it come off like sour grapes from arguably the greatest Olympic athlete to ever lace up sneakers?

“I'm still working with the fact that he [Usain Bolt] dropped from 10-flat to 9.6 in one year. I think there are some issues. I'm proud of America right now because we have the best random and most comprehensive drug testing program. Countries like Jamaica do not have a random program, so they can go months without being tested. I'm not saying anyone is on anything, but everyone needs to be on a level playing field,” said Lewis.

Is this the line of conversation to take, when in fact, the U.S. has been one of the biggest violators of drug abuse (Justin Gatlin, Marion Jones, Tim Montgomergy..etc) ?

Some of what Carl said is quite accurate but at this point do you think this is helpful to the sport?

By Jay Hicks.