Free Republic

The North Korean government is now offering surfing tours to the country’s east coast, the state media has announced. Three resorts on North Korea’s 1,550 mile-long eastern coastline are open for tourists: Songdowon, Lake Sijung and Majon, according to the Pyongyang Times. “The first surfing tour ran between July 28 and August 6,” the newspaper reported. “American surfers said they had a very good time in the resort with fascinating scenery and a refreshing environment,” it added. …

Education reformers often cite reducing suspensions in our nation's schools as a top priority. Lots of recent studies show that this form of punishment does more harm than good. They might do well to read some of those studies over at ESPN's Bristol campus, where the lords of discipline are now handing out suspensions at a rate that would make even an old school junior high principal wobble. Pundits tasked with discussing controversial topics on cue—and, above all, inspiring a reaction—are now worried not just about doing their jobs, but about not saying the wrong thing, even if no one...

The brawl started when Cowboys cornerback Morris Claiborne slammed Raiders tight end Mychal Rivera to the turf by the sideline, just a few yards from a section of the crowd that was predominantly Raiders fans. There was an agreement that there would be no tackling at the practice, but Claiborne said he decided to take Rivera down after the tight end lowered his shoulder. After Claiborne walked over Rivera and celebrated his tackle, Oakland receiver Greg Little rushed over to confront the cornerback. Within seconds, dozens of Dallas defenders and Oakland offensive players were brawling within reach of fans behind...

Steve Ballmer officially became the new owner of the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. The team said the sale closed after a California court confirmed the authority of Shelly Sterling, on behalf of the Sterling Family Trust, to sell the franchise to the former Microsoft CEO. Her estranged husband, Donald Sterling, had unsuccessfully fought the sale of the team he owned since 1981 in court.

Will Tony Stewart face prison time for the collision that led to the death of another driver, Kevin Ward, Jr.? According to Sports Illustrated legal analyst Michael McCann, it is possible. McCann stopped short of saying that Stewart would face intentional homicide charges, but "he could face something called negligent homicide ... reckless, careless behavior that causes an accidental death." "Because of the way [he] behaved so recklessly, [he] could be charged with a felony, and that felony carries up to four years in prison," he added. McCann was clear in the interview that there were no pending criminal charges...

DALLAS — A few years back, Deion Sanders, the Hall of Fame cornerback and N.F.L. commentator who still digs being called by the nickname Prime Time, was approached with a splendid business proposition. A partner suggested creating a Texas charter school. They would name it after Sanders: Prime Prep Academy. They would collect and mentor the finest male athletes in Texas and elsewhere and become a powerhouse. God only knows what business opportunities might come along, particularly if they could tap Sanders’s deep-pocketed backers, like the sports clothing manufacturer Under Armour, for which Sanders works as a brand ambassador. All...

Seattle Seahawks running back Marshawn Lynch is being investigated by police over an allegation of assault and property damage at an apartment complex. The Bellevue, Washington, police department issued a statement Monday confirming that Lynch was named by an unidentified woman in regards to an incident that occurred early Sunday morning. The complaint did not involve domestic violence or sexual assault, according to the release. "On August 10, 2014, at approximately 2:20 p.m., the Bellevue Police Department received an allegation of an assault and personal property damage at a downtown Bellevue apartment unit," the statement says. "The incident was alleged...

With the PGA Championship running long, CBS shuffled its schedule around on Sunday. With Rory McIlory’s dramatic win, the 3 PM – 9 PM PGA Championship earned a 6.0/13 in household ratings – that’s the best the golf coverage has done since the 7.5/17 result of 2007.

San Fransico-based T-shirt company Headline Shirts has taken full advantage of the Redskins name controversy by introducing a new line of shirts based on the team logo. But instead of a Native American, a redneck, complete with raccoon tail and mullet -- is prominently featured. (No idea if this violates trademark law, but if it does, and a judge does not overturn the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's ruling canceling the Redskins' trademark registration, there's nothing the team would be able to do about it.)

This is guide for the casual fan that would like to know how a sprint car works and what the various parts are on the car. Entry level education on the terms will help you at the race track when the announcer says "this broke" or a driver says he had a problem with "that" during an interview. The Chassis In this case, the chassis is manufactured by J&J Chassis Company. It is called a "downtube chassis" because it has tubes that run from the top of the roll cage down to the front of the car. This provides stiffness...

NASCAR star Tony Stewart hit and killed another driver who was walking on the track in a sprint car race on Saturday night. The other driver, Kevin Ward Jr., had collided with Stewart on the previous lap, leaving Ward’s car with a flat tire and pushed into the wall. As officials threw a caution, Ward left his car and began walking down the track — gesturing angrily toward Stewart — before being clipped and dragged 50 feet by Stewart’s car. Several spectators told Bob Pockrass of The Sporting News that Stewart appeared to throttle his car before colliding with Ward.

President Barack Obama has helped kick off the international Gay Games in Cleveland with a surprise video message shown at the opening ceremonies. […] The president said the United States has come a long way in its commitment to equal rights for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. He also noted that some athletes come from places where publicly acknowledging their sexual orientation can put them at risk. …

The son of the former Penn State football player had only five weeks to live. Pete Curkendall and his wife, Renee, already were caring for an adopted girl with AIDS and cerebral palsy. Doctors then stunned them with news that their 2 1/2-year-old biological son, Joshua, had a cancerous brain tumor and almost certainly wouldn't survive. They had just moved to the Syracuse, N.Y., area and knew hardly anyone. At least they weren't lacking for hope and resolve. Caring for kids with special needs was a life-long plan for Renee Curkendall, as much now as it was then, 16 years...

The Ontario County (N.Y.) Sheriff's Department is investigating an incident at Canandaigua (N.Y.) Motorsports Park involving NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Tony Stewart which occurred on Saturday evening. At approximately 11:30 p.m., a spokesman for the department said it had no comment at this time but said a news release would be prepared and available in "two to three hours." Posts on the social media sites Facebook and Twitter, including photographs, indicate Stewart was involved in an on-track incident with driver Kevin Ward, which left Ward on the track receiving treatment for what were described as serious injuries.

Second ESPN host suspended after admitting he hit his girlfriend in Ray Rice domestic violence discussion just days after another tells women not to 'provoke' men Max Kellerman has been suspended from his ESPN positions He told listeners on ESPN-LA radio that he once hit his now-wife when they were in college The admission came during a discussion of Ray Rice's domestic abuse of his wife ESPN's Stephen A. Smith has also been suspended for comments he made while discussing the same case A boxing commentator and radio host has been suspended from his job with ESPN-LA Radio following a...

ESPN's message was sent out loud and clear Thursday: Don't go at The King. Dan Le Batard, host of "The Dan Le Batard Show" on ESPN Radio in Miami, decided to poke LeBron James by taking out a billboard in Akron that said "You're Welcome, LeBron. Love, Miami" with a picture of two championship rings. Le Batard executed the stunt in response to James' letter in Sports Illustrated in which he announced he was returning to Cleveland but did not thank the fans in Miami.

A federal judge has ruled that the NCAA can't stop college football and basketball players from selling the rights to their names and likenesses, opening the way to athletes getting payouts once their college careers are over. In a landmark decision issued Friday, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken ruled in favor of former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon and 19 others in a lawsuit that challenged the NCAA's regulation of college athletics on antitrust grounds. In a partial victory for the NCAA, though, Wilken said the NCAA could set a cap on the money paid to athletes, as long as...

From the first pitch in 1939, Little League has given American kids a place to play — and dream. This week, award-winning sportswriter Steve Rushin pays tribute to the game that connects us all.As my 7-year-old plays softball on a diamond behind a firehouse in West Granby, Conn., she doesn’t know that Little League links her to children across the planet. She’s too busy trying, literally, to walk and chew gum at the same time.Nor does Maeve know that Little League, an organization that unites 2.4 million children around the world, celebrates its 75th anniversary on June 6. And it...

Ten years later, the 2004 Athens Olympics is a cautionary tale. Greece spent an estimated $11 billion on the Games, Reuters reports. They built all the expensive, highly specific buildings you need to host the Olympics — a village, a media center, an Olympic stadium, a canoe/kayak slalom center, etc. — and went 97% over budget in the process. When the athletes went home at the end of August 2004, organizers learned a cruel lesson — Athens has absolutely no use for a canoe/kayak slalom center. Many of these stadiums have become white elephants. The Olympic Village is empty, and...

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The pertinent statistics from Chris Wood's first-round 66 at the PGA Championship: Five birdies, no bogeys, four pairs of pants. Yes, four pairs of pants. The Englishman had a round to remember for all the right and wrong reasons. On the 11th green at Valhalla Golf Club Thursday – his second hole of the day – Wood bent down to read a putt and felt the seam of his gray trousers rip straight down the seat. And not a small rip. "Quite a big hole," he said. Wood steadied himself long enough to make the putt, then...