England sealed a series victory over India with a 60-run win on a gripping fourth day of the fourth Test in Southampton.
Set 245, India looked beaten when they were reduced to 22-3 on an uneven pitch.
Captain Virat Kohli could have been given out lbw to off-spinner Moeen Ali on nine, but survived to share a painstaking stand of 101 with Ajinkya Rahane.
Even after Kohli was caught at short leg off Moeen for 58, Rahane dragged the runs required down below 100.
However, Rahane and Rishabh Pant fell in successive Moeen overs, beginning a demise during which India lost four wickets for 13 runs as they were eventually dismissed for 184.
Man of the match Moeen, on his return to the side, ended with 4-71 to complete match figures of 9-134 to go with 40 runs in England’s first innings.
Victory extends a run during which England have lost only one home series since 2012.
They take a 3-1 lead to the fifth and final Test, which begins on Friday at The Oval.
‘Super bit of bowling’ – Broad bowls Rahul for a duck
Fitting finish to fabulous Test
Resuming on 260-8, England’s first innings was wrapped up for the addition of only 11 runs and the game appeared to be set for a swift conclusion when Stuart Broad and James Anderson’s stump-to-stump line ran through the India top three.
Indeed, India could have been as good as beaten by lunch. Third umpire Joel Wilson adjudged Kohli to have hit the ball, when contact looked to be bat on pad, to save him from being lbw to Moeen, and Rahane successfully overturned being leg before to Sam Curran on 12.
The reprieved pair battled through the afternoon, playing and missing, nudging the ball square of the wicket and running hard. Their 100 partnership contained only five fours.
Just as India were getting on top, Moeen struck. The delivery after a chance went in and out of Alastair Cook’s hands at short leg, Kohli gloved on to pad and, this time, a review could not save him.
‘The wicket they were absolutely desperate for’ – Kohli falls for 58
England were again in danger when the careful Rahane was joined by Pant, who hit 18 from 12 deliveries – an innings in complete contrast to his first innings 29-ball duck.
However, the outstanding Moeen, on the ground where he ran through India four years ago, had Pant held at deep point and ripped an off-break to pin Rahane in front for 51.
England’s surge for the line was held up by the last-wicket pair of Ravichandran Ashwin and Jasprit Bumrah, Ashwin dropped at point by Anderson before falling leg before to Curran next ball.
Curran takes final wicket as England secure series
England emerge despite deficiencies
To beat the world number one side with a match to spare is a fantastic outcome for England and one that did not look likely after a run of poor results or when the hot weather seemed set to produce subcontinental-style pitches.
However, the margin of victory does not tell the full story. England have emerged victorious in a fluctuating series that was ultimately played out in conditions that have suited them.
They could have been beaten in both Southampton and the first Test at Edgbaston, while they were thrashed in the third Test at Trent Bridge.
Their eventual success has been built on middle- and lower-order runs from Jos Buttler, Curran and Chris Woakes, backed up by a dependable bowling attack that has exploited the assistance offered throughout.
But questions remain over a top order that continues to fail. England have used four different batsmen at number four over the course of the series, while there is doubt over the futures of openers Alastair Cook and Keaton Jennings.
They also seem to be no nearer to knowing the identity of their premier spin bowler, a concern with tours of Sri Lanka and West Indies scheduled for the winter.
India pay price for missed chances
India’s spot at the top of the world rankings will not be altered by this series defeat, but they will be left to rue squandered opportunities to record their first series win in England since 2007.
At Edgbaston, they had England 87-7 in the second innings, only for the momentum to be reversed by Curran.
Here, they let England reach 246 from 86-6 in their first innings and only mustered a first-innings lead of 27 despite being 142-2 at one stage.
Although their turnaround to win at Trent Bridge after being hammered at Lord’s was admirable and their pace bowlers have consistently been excellent, India failed to fully capitalise on England’s weaknesses.
India can point to an injury that hindered off-spinner Ashwin in Southampton, but too few of the tourists have followed the example of Kohli.
The brilliant skipper has 544 runs, twice as many as any other player in the series and the most by a visiting batsman to England since 2006, but will still end up on the losing side.
England captain Joe Root on BBC TestMatch Special: “There have been ups and downs throughout the series but the strength of characters of this group gets us through the most and we showed that for huge amounts of this game. I couldn’t be more proud of the team.
“One of our strengths has been the middle and lower order and it’s the reason we’ve won this series, along with our performances with the ball.”
On Moeen Ali: “He should be really proud of what he’s done here. To perform like that in his first game back is exceptional.”
India captain Virat Kohli: “Apart form Lord’s, I don’t think we’ve been completely outplayed in the series. It’s been fun – both sides have gone at each other with intensity.
“We won’t fold in the final game. We will go with the same intensity.”
Former England captain Michael Vaughan on TMS: “Of the three victories, this has been the most impressive by England because of the conditions here.”
Broad equals Hadlee, Cook surpasses Fleming
Stuart Broad’s dismissal of KL Rahul took him level with Sir Richard Hadlee and into eighth in the list of all-time leading Test wicket-takers.
Virat Kohli’s tally of 544 runs is the second highest for an Indian in England, behind Rahul Dravid’s 602 in 2002.
Alastair Cook’s two catches took him to 173 in Tests, surpassing New Zealand’s Stephen Fleming and moving him sixth on the all-time list.
Dax Shepard has a lot to celebrate — and wife Kristen Bell could not be prouder!
As Shepard, 43, rang in his 14th year of sobriety, the Veronica Mars alum, 38, wrote a sweet tribute to her husband on Instagram Saturday that just might have fans reaching for the tissues.
“To the man mocked me when in our wedding photos because I cried too many tears of joy, who wore a baby Bjorn for 2 straight years to show his girls how to be as adventurous as possible, who held our dear little shakey man pup for 8 hrs straight on the day we had to put him down, I know how much you loved using. I know how much it got in your way. And I know, because I saw, how hard you worked to live without it,” Bell said.
The actress, who shares 5-year-old daughter Lincoln and 3-year-old daughter Delta with Shepard, continued, “I will forever be in awe of your dedication, and the level of fierce moral inventory you perform on yourself, like an emotional surgery, every single night. You never fail to make amends, or say sorry when it’s needed. You are always available to guide me, and all of our friends, with open ears and tough love when its needed most.”
Calling her husband “the fertilizer in the garden of our life,” Bell praised Shepard for sharing his story. She concluded, “I love you more than I ever thought I could love anyone, and I want you to know, I see you. I see how hard you work. You set an excellent example of being human. Happy 14th year sobriety birthday, @daxshepard.”
The mother of two also shared a fun family album that included pictures of the couple’s laid-back wedding and children (whose faces were covered by cartoon hearts and apples).
Bell’s Instagram post particularly spoke to one fan, who commented, “This hit home for me. I’m trying to get sober…again and I hope to continue to have the same kind of support from my partner for just as many years. Thank you.”
Bell replied, “It’s hard and worth it. One day at a time xoxo.”
Meanwhile, Shepard shared that his wife surprised him a unique present for the anniversary — a tour of the King’s Hawaiian factory!
“Best sober birthday present ever. @kristenanniebell got me a tour of the @kingshawaiian factory and I ate 8 STRAIGHT oughta the oven. 2 more upstairs, and 3 at home. 13 all-in for one day is an accomplishment I will not soon forget,” he wrote on Instagram.
“Also, the fact that Kristen looks like a scientist and @mlpadman looks like she’s on a kindergarten field trip just makes my heart swell to dangerous levels. Thanks Ladies!” Shepard added.
The couple has opened up about Shepard’s substance abuse in the past. Two years ago, Shepard tweeted, “12 years ago today I came out of my last toxic, life-threatening stupor. I now have a wife & babies & some self-esteem.”
In 2016, Bell told E! News that her husband changed how she views the world.
“Seeing the world through his eyes has really opened mine to knowing that it is a disease and nobody is choosing to drink more than others,” she explained. “They are doing it because of a variety of reasons and they deserve the attention of a mental health professional, and not the county jail or however else we’re choosing to pretend we’re fixing the problem.”
Best case, the Labor Day weekend brings a welcome three-day splash of visitor spending in Southwest Florida during what’s often the slowest month for tourism.
It’s a respite from the more-languid business pace of late summer, which prompted some wag to call the month of September, “Death-tember.”
But this holiday weekend isn’t looking like a best case: Far from it.
Reports of toxic algal blooms – chiefly red tide and blue-green algae – continue to make national news headlines and social media, keeping some visitors away.
Red tide has been worse than usual this year, plaguing Collier and Lee counties, killing off fish and stinking up the air.
On top of that, Lee is still cleaning up the toxic blue-green algae tied to Lake Okeechobee discharges. The algae has invaded the Caloosahatchee River and its canals.
Collier County might be at less of a disadvantage, but even there, optimism for a strong September is muted at best.
For the rest of the month – at least – visitor perceptions of an algae-choked environment are likely to hold sway.
And, that’s toxic for tourism and hospitality, a lifeblood industry that has an estimated $4.5 billion annual impact and employs about one in five residents in Lee and Collier counties alone.
To be sure, there are pockets of optimism in Collier.
And in Lee, at least one big waterfront hotel off the Gulf anticipates having a record September.
But those are exceptions.
At the Pink Shell on Fort Myers Beach, bookings for this weekend are trending in the 70 percent range, rather than the 90 percent or higher that’s typical for the holiday weekend, said Bill Waichulis, resort chief executive.
Waichulis estimates that, for this time of year, business at Beach hotels overall is off 25 to 35 percent.
Few hotel guests creates trickle-down effect
“Things are not going to be good for hotels during the month of September,” he said.
The hotels’ visitor loss “trickles down to restaurants, gift shops, taxi drivers,” Waichulis added.
Waichulis dares to hope that “things turn around by late October, early November.
“Worst case, it carries into the first quarter of next year,” he said.
“We’re hoping for a good weekend,” said David Kastan, marketing director for Salty Sam’s Waterfront Adventures on Estero Bay, which is home to a marina, two restaurants, a pirate cruise and more.
“It’s a slow time of year, but the carpet was yanked out from under us a couple of weeks early,” Kastan said of the impact from the region’s water quality woes.
Kastan said it’s very rare for dead fish to wash up at the property, but in the next breath mentioned the “Fish Kill” cocktail Parrot Key Caribbean Grill concocted, which got national attention in USA TODAY.
It’s a tequila-and liqueur mix with a floater of candy fish. All proceeds go to Captains for Clean Water, a nonprofit organization seeking solutions to estuary water quality problems stemming from Lake Okeechobee discharges.
Regionally, boating – and especially paddling – has taken a big hit.
“Everyone’s feeling the crunch,” said John Paeno, owner of CGT Kayaks in Bonita Springs.
“Red tide (is) killing our business,” reads the subject line in a recent email to state and local government leaders from Paeno, whose business offers tours and sells paddlecraft.
The business sits along the Imperial River, which is “clear” of harmful algae. However, many of its tour destinations in Estero Bay, Pine Island Sound or Charlotte Harbor are not, Paeno said.
Paddle boarding has ‘basically died’
As of Tuesday, Paeno had no tour reservations for the holiday weekend, adding that:
“Paddle boarding has basically died. I have a room full of paddleboards I cannot sell.”
Billy Norris, owner of Pale Horse Fishing Charters in Bonita Springs and North Naples, said the algae blooms have killed his business too. He’s run one charter this month and the customers complained the fish they caught tasted terrible.
Norris said he has to run five trips in a month just to break even.
“I took a huge hit this August. It was really bad,” he said.
He doesn’t expect the situation for charter boat captains to get better anytime soon, with so many fish killed by the algae blooms.
“It’s going to be a long winter. We rely on the tourist season to get by. I think a lot of companies are going to go out of business this year,” Norris said.
Susan and Shane Chaplin, who own the Sweet Liberty catamaran in Naples offering cruises and private charters, shut their business down earlier than usual this year to do annual maintenance on their boat because they weren’t getting many calls anyway.
Usually, they close for a few weeks after Labor Day, but they didn’t expect to see any business this holiday weekend, she said.
Nearly half of their trips are to Keewaydin Island and it has been riddled with dead fish, and nobody seems to be cleaning it up, Chaplin said.
“It’s disgusting,” she said. “The breathing is horrible.”
“We’re at the mercy of Mother Nature,” she added. “There is nothing we can do.”
Chaplin said she just hopes by the time the business reopens in October the situation will improve.
And yet, in northern Bonita Springs, the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa is sold out for the Labor Day weekend, and “expecting the best September we’ve ever had,” said Brian Kramer, general manager.
He credited not only holiday weekend bookings from leisure travelers, but also from business groups and associations for the rest of the month.
Geography could be why the Hyatt is seeing fewer business losses from red tide.
“We’re in our own little cocoon, not directly on the beach,” Kramer noted.
The resort is along Estero Bay, and offers guests a free shuttle to a private beach on Big Hickory Island that the resort shares with a residential community on the mainland.
The bay has not been spared red tide, but the Hyatt’s beach has been relatively unscathed.
“The way the tide goes and jetties surround our beach, it really insulates us,” Kramer said.
He noted it also helps to have a lazy river and a trio of water slides around the resort’s swimming pool.
“We still warn people there’s red tide in the area,” Kramer added.
More than one hotelier said “staycations” could bring much-needed income to the tourism-reliant economy.
On Sanibel Island, “we hope locals and regionals will fill in our gaps,” said Chris Davison, vice president of operations at historic Island Inn.
“We voluntarily dropped our rates because of what’s going on,” Davison said.
In Cape Coral, The Westin Cape Coral Resort at Marina Village isn’t on the Gulf shore, “but a lot of our guests come to experience Southwest Florida beaches,” said General Manager Michael Tighe.
The water taxi service that shuttles guests to Fort Myers Beach occasionally has been grounded “because of the environment,” Tighe said, adding: “It’s hit or miss: That’s the frustrating thing.”
Inquiries and room reservations are trending lower compared with last year, Tighe said, something he attributes to the red tide and blue-green algae crisis.
However, he said October and November “are going to be awesome months for group bookings.”
The Westin opened a 30,000-square-foot meeting and events center in January.
In Collier County, Jason Parsons, general manager of the Naples Beach Hotel & Golf Club, said he expects to end the long holiday weekend about 20 percent behind — maybe more.
“Our numbers are down,” he said. “I know that can be attributed to the red tide. No doubt about it.”
In early August, red tide fouled the water near his hotel for about 10 days straight. Since then beach conditions have been much better, at least in his backyard.
However, it has been hard for the hotel to get the word out, especially when out-of-towners are watching the national news and don’t understand that red tide comes and goes with the direction of the wind and strength of the tides and it isn’t everywhere in Southwest Florida — and that blue-green algae isn’t in Naples at all.
“I never thought our beach webcam would be so important,” Parsons said. “Really, we refer people to that all the time.”
The Naples Beach Hotel saw less traffic this summer.
“We’ve had cancellations,” Parsons said. “We haven’t had any massive group of rooms cancelled, which I’m sure Sanibel and Captiva have had. We’ve had one group leave Sanibel and come to our hotel.”
After surveying members this week, Randy Smith, president of the Collier County Lodging & Tourism Alliance, said some reported no harm from red tide, especially on Marco Island, where they’ve not seen the algae blooms and have promoted that fact heavily.
“Collier hotels are also getting reservations from people that were staying in Lee County but decided to move south and away from the major red tide issues,” Smith said. “But Naples hotels are also seeing people check out early if red tide has been heavy while they were here.”
The local tourism industry, he said, is growing increasingly frustrated by the inaction on the water problems.
Marco Marriott: Bookings strong for season
Amanda Cox, director of sales and marketing at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, said her property has seen no visible impact from red tide, with only one or two days the entire season when guests have complained of mild respiratory irritation. The resort is sold out for the Labor Day weekend.
“Our summer occupancies overall have been almost 80 percent, exceeding past years,” she said.
The booking pace for season is stronger than usual, Cox said.
“We are taking a lot of guest calls due to the national news coverage red tide has received,” she said “Fortunately, we are able to direct our guests to our web cameras, social media feeds and TripAdvisor accounts where they can see for themselves the live guest experience on our beautiful beaches. So those calls and inquiries haven’t translated into a loss of business.”
Some tourist attractions in Collier aren’t seeing much impact from the red tide either because they aren’t near the water, or they’re luring more visitors because the beaches aren’t as desirable.
“If anything we’ve had a slight uptick in visitors because people can’t go to the beach. You go to the beach right now and it’s empty. It’s sad,” said Steve Parker, volunteer and communications coordinator at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, about 30 minutes east of Naples.
The 13,000-acre preserve is open 365 days a year, weather permitting, and it offers a free guided tour along its boardwalk on most days of the week, starting at 9:30 a.m.
Looking ahead to the busier season, Parker expects the usual crowds this winter.
“In the summer on a really hot day, we may get dozens of people,” he said. “In the winter we may get thousands of people out here in a day.”
Courtney Jolly Goff, director of marketing and public relations at Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens, said attendance for June, July and August is up 20 percent over last year, but that’s close to the average for the past eight years.
“Like many local organizations, we are concerned that the busy tourist season might be affected by the red tide,” she said. “Approximately 40 percent of the zoo’s guests identify themselves as out-of-state visitors.”
Jack Wert, Collier County’s tourism director, said August has been an unusually busy month for his organization, having to deal with all the bad publicity, questions and concerns that come with red tide.
“If there is any good news from this unusual month, it is that our area was the least impacted by red tide or other algae blooms,” he said. “Our neighbors to the north are dealing with many more cancellations, struggling businesses and dramatic and often negative coverage by the national media.”
The latest tourism numbers don’t show any negative impacts from red tide in Collier, but they’re for July before the toxic bloom became a big problem again in the county.
The closing of The Ritz-Carlton, Naples on the beach, which has been under renovation, had a bigger effect than red tide, Wert said. The resort reopens Monday.
“We have not seen a dip in spending,” Wert said. “We have not seen a dip in overall visitor numbers either. It’s pretty level with last year.”
The county saw 135,700 visitors in July, up .4 percent from 135,159 a year ago.
Also last month: The average daily rate rose 6.7 percent to $164.40 and occupancy grew 5 percent to 76.2 percent over the year.
Lee County tourism reports its visitor statistics quarterly. The latest report covered only through spring.
BBB reports spike in red tide-related complaints
Over the past month the Better Business Bureau serving West Florida, including Lee and Collier counties, has seen a spike in complaints against resorts, hotels and other vacation rental companies due to red tide.
Consumers have complained about problems with cancellations and about companies not disclosing red tide. In all the bureau has received 11 complaints — and many more calls from consumers with questions about their rights, said Bryan Oglesby, the bureau’s director of public relations and outreach.
“According to Florida law, they are not required to give refunds,” he explained. “It’s really dependent on that hotel’s or vacation property’s rules. It’s their choice. It’s their rules.”
The BBB encourages anyone with a gripe to try to work it out with the business first, saying his group should be the last resort when attempting to resolve a dispute with a hotelier or other vacation rental business.
“What we find is that most businesses want to work with their customers,” Oglesby said.
The region’s tourist-centric businesses yearn for the drier, cooler weather of late fall.
That’s when the blue-green algae is most likely to dissipate. Red tide, however, has been known to break out in November. And the current case has been around since last October.
If the nasty algal blooms do disappear by winter, the region has a chance for a solid high season.
At least one long-term forecast bodes well for Southwest Florida.
Days after The Old Farmer’s Almanac forecast a warm, wet winter, the other Farmers’ Almanac this week predicted “teeth-chattering cold” ahead for the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic and New England – all big feeder markets for local tourism.
At the Westin In Cape Coral, Tighe reflected on the sunny side of life as a Southwest Florida hotelier.
“I walk my property two to three times a day,” Tighe said, adding:
“Sometimes I feel blessed to work here, because the environment is so beautiful.”
Hitting the road
Floridians, start your engines!
The great Labor Day Weekend travel getaways are off and running.
Some things to keep in mind:
•Gas will cost you more: The auto club AAA reports regular unleaded was fetching an average of $2.79 a gallon Friday in Lee County. That’s up from about $2.39 a year ago. Collier County’s gasoline prices averaged to $2.85 a gallon Friday, up from $2.42 a year ago.
•Road work will be at a minimum. Most contractors will not work on state or federal highways over the holiday weekend. They need prior approval to do so.
•The Florida Department of Transportation said no lane closures or lane shifts will be allowed on state roads from Friday through Monday.
•For more about Florida state road conditions, dial 511 on your phone, download a FL511 app for your cellphone for free, log into the FL511.com website or sign up for an fl511 Twitter feed.
For example on Twitter, to get details on road conditions on Interstate 75, follow @fl511_I-75.
Just swap out interstate numbers to learn about other Florida-maintained thoroughfares.
What local beaches are your best bet?
A bloom of the Florida red tide organism, Karenia brevis, persists in Southwest Florida and currently extends along roughly 145 miles of coastline, according to Wednesday’s status report from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
However, concentrations are patchy in nature and levels of respiratory irritation will vary locally based upon nearby bloom concentrations, ocean currents, and wind speed and direction.
That FWC midweek status report shows medium to high concentrations of red tide cells for much of the Gulf Coast, from Pinellas County south through northern Collier County.
For the holiday weekend, a report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicts low concentrations of red tide along the Gulf beaches in northern and southern portions of Charlotte Lee and Collier counties.
Sadly, these reports don’t identify beaches by name.
And, if you have chronic lung problems, even a low concentration of red tide could be harmful.
Some online resources to help you decide include:
•The FWC’s statewide red tide status reports, which are typically updated every Wednesday and Friday afternoon: myfwc.com/redtidestatus
•Mote’s Beach Conditions Reporting System, which provides shoreline observations as often as twice daily: visitbeaches.org
•The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which provides forecasts of potential respiratory irritation: https://ift.tt/1dYgyvn
Where to find free beach parking
Fort Myers Beach
Through Sept. 10:
On-street, metered parking spots across town.
Parking lots at Lynn Hall Beach Park and Bowditch Point Park.
Sanibel
Parking fees waived at all beach lots until further notice.
Captiva
Parking fees waived at Alison Hagerup Beach Park through Sept. 10.
SportsPulse: USA TODAY Sports’ Steve DiMeglio discusses the possible head-to-head showdown that Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are currently planning. USA TODAY
After struggling in his first round on Friday, Tiger Woods found his form on Saturday.
The 14-time major champion shot a 5-under 66 yesterday at the Dell Technologies Championship, the second event in golf’s FedExCup Playoffs. He’s now at 4-under for the tournament, entering the third round seven shots behind leader Webb Simpson.
Bryson DeChambeau entered the week atop the FedExCup standings, followed by Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Tony Finau and Brooks Koepka. Tiger is currently 25th.
In what could be a potential Ryder Cup pairing, Tiger tees off at 11:35 a.m. ET, alongside his good friend DeChambeau. Follow his third round shot-by-shot.
Hole 6 – Par 4
Tiger caught ahold of this one but he loses it to the left rough. From 168-yards out he finds the front part of the green. Not a bad shot given his lie.
Hole 5 – Par 4
Tiger crushed his drive down the right side of the fairway and his approach from there was just as good. This one nestles up within three feet of the pin and he’s got a sure-fire birdie waiting. He taps in for birdie and drops to 2-under thru 5 (6-under for the tournament).
Hole 4 – Par 4
Tiger’s 3-wood on this driveable par 4 is right at the green but it just can’t climb up the hill onto the green. He’s just off the green with the ability to putt, chip or flop this one up close to the pin. He chips this one into the slope and tries to let it just run up to the hole, but it checks up a little bit too much. He’s got another good birdie chance here. From seven feet out Tiger hit this with a lot of pace and he clips the right edge and misses. Disappointing par. 1-under thru 4 (5-under for the tournament).
Hole 3 – Par 3
Tiger’s tee shot here on No. 3 is on the green, but nowhere near the hole. This one actually rolled off the green, and Tiger’s forced to chip from there. He cozies this one right near the hole and converts the up-and-down par save. 1-under thru 3 (5-under for the tournament).
Hole 2 – Par 5
Tiger pulls driver here and this one is way left. This par 5 is reachable in two, but not from there. Tiger lays up from here and he’s back in the fairway. Tiger’s approach is pretty solid, coming to rest about 14 feet from the hole. His putt shouldn’t have too much movement, and it didn’t. He drills the birdie putt and moves to 1-under thru 2 (5-under for the tournament).
Hole 1 – Par 4
And we’re off. Iron off the tee here on No. 1 for Tiger and this one finds the left rough. His second shot had a rough angle at the green, with the pin in the front left of the gree and guarded by a massive bunker. He plays this one towards the front of the green, but doesn’t quite carry enough. He’s on the fringe/fairway cut, but it’s not too far from the hole. Should be par at the worst. From 14 yards away he goes with putter here but this one takes off and gets away from him. With five feet left for par, Tiger rolls it in. Even thru 1 (4-under for the tournament).
Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer, Ed Begley Jr., Fran Drescher, Paul Shaffer
guest performer
Billy Crystal
director
Rob Reiner
Producers
Spinal Tap Productions
distributor
Embassy Pictures Corporation
author
Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Rob Reiner, Harry Shearer
Genre
Comedy, Musical
Watch the full episode of Couch Surfing streaming now on PeopleTV.com, or download the PeopleTV app on your favorite device.
“These go to 11.”
The classic This Is Spinal Tap line was completely improvised, just like the rest of the mockumentary which launched the genre.
“That now has become part of the vernacular,” Rob Reiner told PeopleTV’s Couch Surfing host Lola Ogunnaike about the immortal moment when Christopher Guest’s fictional rocker, Nigel Tufnel, explains to Reiner’s character that their amps are specially designed to go “to 11” for extra intensity.
RELATED VIDEO: Rob Reiner’s unique way of putting on his socks and shoes made it into an ‘All in the Family’ scene
But how do you know when a movie moment has truly transcended the cultural consciousness? When Elon Musk adds it to his Tesla design, of course.
“When Elon Musk first created the Tesla, I was at a party, he brought this car in,” Reiner recalls. “He said, ‘Let me show you something.’ He sits me down in [the Tesla], shows me the radio, and the thing goes up to 11. That was like the coolest thing.”
Watch Reiner recount the crazy run-in with Musk in the Couch Surfing clip above.
Lewis Hamilton took a thrilling and controversial victory in the Italian Grand Prix following a first-lap clash with title rival Sebastian Vettel.
The Mercedes driver fought a cat-and-mouse battle with Vettel’s team-mate Kimi Raikkonen throughout the race and eventually passed him around the outside of the first corner with nine laps to go.
Hamilton and Mercedes not only dashed Ferrari’s hopes of a home win after their first front-row lock-out at Monza for 18 years but also extended the Briton’s championship lead over Vettel, who finished fourth, to 30 points.
That is more than a clear win, with seven races and a total of 175 points remaining in the season.
It could not have come at a better time for Hamilton, who is facing a fight against an apparently faster car – at least in qualifying – and with Mercedes’ bogey track, Singapore, next on the schedule.
Hamilton v Vettel
Ferrari’s race began to unravel within four corners of the start, as Vettel spun trying to defend against an overtaking move by Hamilton at the second chicane on the first lap.
Hamilton took the outside line and was slightly ahead as they turned into the corner, after the German had had a little look at a possible passing move on Raikkonen in the lead.
Vettel’s car slid into Hamilton’s in the middle of the chicane and he spun in front of the pack, his front wing broken.
The Ferrari driver complained over the radio, but the stewards judged it a racing incident not worthy of further action.
Vettel was left to recover lost ground and eventually took fourth – partly thanks to a five-second penalty for Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who finished third on track but was demoted to fifth after crowding Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas off the track.
Hamilton said: “I want to give it up to Ferrari, who put up a great challenge this weekend. There was a lot of negativity here and I could see so many British flags out there, and they inspired me so much.
“In future, the negative is only a positive for me, because I turn it around.
“Big thank you for the team and also for Valtteri for helping me.”
Hamilton v Raikkonen
The first-lap incident left the race as a battle between Raikkonen and Hamilton, and they fought tooth and nail throughout.
Hamilton briefly took the lead at the restart after the safety car was introduced following the first-lap collision between the title contenders, and a retirement for Toro Rosso’s Brendon Hartley following a collision at the start, but was immediately re-passed by Raikkonen.
Mercedes than had to bring strategy into play.
Once back into the lead, Raikkonen could not shake off Hamilton, the Mercedes following about a second behind throughout their first stint.
Ferrari’s concern was not to be beaten to a pit stop by Hamilton, as the Mercedes would then probably jump ahead.
So they made sure to stop Raikkonen early, bringing him in on lap 20, with 33 to go.
Hamilton passed Raikkonen on lap five after the safety-car restart…
Mercedes chose to leave Hamilton out, to give him an advantage on tyre life and speed later in the race, and also decided to bring Bottas into the race.
Hamilton ran until lap 28 before his pit stop, doing an excellent job in minimising the amount Raikkonen gained on him on fresh tyres.
By the time Hamilton pitted, Raikkonen had caught Bottas and the Finn was used to hold his countryman back and give Hamilton a chance to catch up.
Bottas eventually pitted on lap 36, leaving Raikkonen and Hamilton nose to tail. But overtaking is difficult at Monza, despite the long straights, and although Hamilton followed closely he struggled to get past.
As the laps ticked by, though, Raikkonen’s older tyres began to give up, enabling Hamilton to get closer and closer, until on lap 45 the Mercedes went for the outside of the first chicane and pulled off another excellent pass.
Mercedes were thrilled. “You are the man, you are the man,” Hamilton’s engineer Peter Bonnington said over the radio after the victory. “You knocked that out of the park today.”
… the Finn retook the lead later that lap but Hamilton got him in the end
Verstappen angered by decision
Verstappen’s penalty came as a result of a move he pulled defending against Bottas after their pit stops.
He took the inside to protect the position, but moved back to the outside and pushed Bottas off track.
He could have no real complaint about the decision to penalise him – but complained anyway, saying: “I gave him space.”
Bottas said: “It was hard racing, sometimes not as fair as I was hoping for but he got a penalty.”
The five-second loss dropped Verstappen to fifth behind both Bottas and Vettel at the end of the race.
He held on ahead of Bottas on track, and told his team he knew he was losing time to Vettel behind but he “didn’t care”.
It was a fitting tribute for one of Hamilton’s best – and potentially most crucial – wins.
Driver of the day
Who else? Lewis Hamilton. Two super overtaking moves and a beautifully judged drive to take a decisive step forward in the championship.
What’s next?
Singapore. Surely Ferrari must win there, on a track made for their car. But then the same was said before Monza – and before Singapore last year, when the Ferraris crashed out at the start. The stakes will be high, the tension higher. Can Ferrari fight back?
Lewis Hamilton has now won six races this year to Vettel’s fiveSebastian Vettel fought his way back from 18th after fitting a new front wing to finish fourthThe Tifosi were in great mood before the race, expecting a home Ferrari win, but Hamilton would end the race smiling rather than cryingAnd the wait, which stretches back to Fernando Alonso’s win in 2010, goes onManchester City striker Sergio Aguero played in the Premier League champions’ victory over Newcastle on Saturday evening and then made a quick dash to Monza to take in the grand prixThere was a spectacular and patriotic flypast before the raceMarcus Ericsson’s Sauber crashed spectacularly in Friday’s second practice when his DRS did not close under braking – the Swede was unhurt and finished 16th in the raceHamilton has been getting around the Monza paddock on his scooter, including in the rain on Friday
The youngest Kardashian sister is adding executive producer to her résumé with a true-crime series set to premiere on Monday.
Each hour-long episode of Twisted Sisters investigates crimes committed by sisters — sometimes against each other! The show features interviews with close friends and family members as well as investigators and law enforcement officers in an attempt to get to the bottom of the cases and make sense of the reasons behind them.
In an exclusive clip from the series’ fourth episode, a detective shares his experience of finding a girl’s dead body sitting against a tree in the woods with a chain around her neck and her eyes open, staring right at him. The recreated crime scene in suburban New York is chilling. The episode goes on to delve into the conflicting clues that led the investigators to many dead ends until an insider tip brought the whodunit to a shocking conclusion.
Watch the clip above and tune into the premiere episode on Sept. 3 at 10 p.m. ET on Investigation Discovery.
Can’t get enough of EW? Listen to EW Radio for free now through Sept. 10 in your car, online, or via the SiriusXM app.
Meghan McCain shows her father’s spirit in beautiful, poignant and scathing tribute to him, at times displaying the defiance that came to define him. USA TODAY
WASHINGTON – Sen. John McCain will be buried Sunday at the U.S. Naval Academy, a bucolic campus on the edge of the Severn River that launched his lifelong career of service to his country.
The small, private ceremony under the landmark copper dome of the Academy’s chapel will cap a weekend of services for the Arizona Republican, who was eulogized by two former presidents on Saturday and who, a day earlier, drew much of official Washington to his side as he lied in state in the U.S. Capitol.
Surrounded by his family, friends and fellow members of the Naval Academy Class of 1958, McCain will be buried alongside Charles “Chuck” Larson, a lifelong friend who also flew missions over Vietnam and rose to the pinnacle of political power in Washington as a naval aide to President Richard Nixon.
McCain was a regular fixture on the academy’s campus, telling a group of midshipmen last year that he learned the “meaning and responsibilities of honor” at the elite school, despite a rebellious reputation — and a flood of demerits — that helped to cultivate his later standing as a “maverick.”
Months after losing the 2008 presidential election to President Barack Obama, McCain was in the stands at the academy as the new president delivered the commencement address to the class of 2009, which included McCain’s son, Jack. When McCain opened his maiden campaign office in Maryland in 2008 he did so in Annapolis.
Reaction to the senator’s death in surrounding Annapolis has been noticeable in subtle ways. At Chick & Ruth’s Delly, a landmark sandwich spot on Main Street, managers had set out a photograph of the senator from when he campaigned there years earlier.
“He was an American hero,” said manager Alex Padussis. “And he was a staple of the Naval Academy.”
Divers returned to the roaring Colorado River on Sunday in search of two people missing and presumed dead after a grisly, head-on boat collision along the California-Arizona border that injured 13 other people.
The recreational boats crashed in Moabi Regional Park as darkness was falling on a rushing river crowded with holiday weekend boaters, making the rescue operation difficult, the San Bernardino County Fire District said. The search for two people “presumed submerged” was halted overnight but was continuing at dawn Sunday.
One person suffered life-threatening injuries and was flown by helicopter to a hospital in Las Vegas, about 120 miles north of where the crash occurred, fire officials said in a statement. Six other people suffered moderate, non-life threatening injuries and six more had injuries considered minor, the fire district said.
The crash was so violent that one of the boats sank and the other sustained major damage, fire officials said. Some of the people on board were thrown into the river while others jumped, fire district spokesman Eric Sherwin said.
“We had victims of this collision that were located 3 to 5 miles downstream from the original point of impact,” Sherwin said.
Sonar images of the sunken boat indicated that neither of the missing people were on board, he said.
The water ranged in depth from very shallow to 30 feet, he said.
The tragedy occurred two days after three children and their father died when their kayak capsized in a storm off Wisconsin’s Michigan Island in Lake Superior. Killed were Eric Fryman, 39, daughters Annaliese, 9, Kyra, 5, and Jansen, 3. Their mother, Cari Mews, 29, was the sole survivor.
Contributing: Jennifer Walter, Marshfield News-Herald;The Associated Press
ParkMoabi(Update): Search has resumed. @sbcountysheriff dive team conducting subsurface operations. #MohaveCountySheriff has investigative authority over the incident. #SBCoFD Boat 32 on scene for medical standby and perimeter control. Boaters – exercise caution in the area. ^eas
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