the tyres) tear up and marble across the race is pretty crazy.ddddddddddddIf you run off line youre able to scoot off on marb

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Olympic boxing is bloody again.Men are fighting without headgear for the first time in 36 years, making the sport debatably safer and undoubtedly more attractive to fans. But the most tangible consequence is gore: More than a dozen boxers at the Rio Games have already incurred significant facial cuts in the first six days of the tournament.Algerian middleweight Ilyas Abbadi was unsure how he got the 1 1/2-inch gash outside his left eye during his victory over Congos Mpi Ngamissengue on Tuesday, but blood trickled down his face during the bout. The cleaned-up wound still gaped to reveal bloody tissue afterward, and he could only hope his training staff could close it satisfactorily before his next fight Friday.Now I know the value of the headgear, Abbadi said through a translator. I think for the amateurs, that would be better. I would prefer to fight with headgear, but this is how it is.The Olympics are the amateur games biggest showcase by far, and the sport desperately hoped a major cut wont ruin a fighters hopes through medical disqualification. It happened for the first time Thursday, when a 2-inch cut near Armenian welterweight Vladimir Margaryans right eye forced the stoppage of his bout with Cuban gold medalist Roniel Iglesias after just 87 seconds.Margaryans coach, Karen Aghamalyan, said his fighter already had a cut from his first Olympic bout four days earlier. Ringside physicians couldnt close the gash when it re-opened in the first minute against Iglesias, who was a heavy favorite.In pro boxing, the sight of blood on a fighters face and chest is common -- and an undeniable part of the sports primal lure. But that visceral reminder of the sports inherent violence had been rare in the modern amateur game until the International Boxing Association (AIBA) removed headgear from its fighters in 2013, citing scientific studies claiming protective padding actually increases brain injury.Although AIBA has worked to improve its boxers fighting styles to minimize head clashes, cuts have become a steady occurrence at major tournaments ever since, often when two skulls collide in an up-close exchange of punches.The absence of headgear has led to several grisly, compelling scenes in preliminary bouts.Russias Adlan Abdurashidov and Algerias Reda Benbaziz both were cut Tuesday during their lightweight bout, which was stopped twice in the second round for Abdurashidov to receive medical attention. Blood dripped steadily from Benbazizs face in the third.The guy was using his head a lot, and he received a warning from the judge, Benbaziz said after winning the decision despite a 2-inch cut through his right eyebrow, which was already swelling moments after the bout. Yeah, it will affect my next fight, but we will have to fight with an injury. I wish I could be using the headguard.Abdurashidov could only grimace in frustration, blood caked to his upper chest above his tank top.The first minute after the cut, it was very uncomfortable for me, Abdurashidov said. I took some punches because of my eye. It was from a head-butt. Usually, its very good to fight without headgear, but today it was a minus. In general, its better for me without.Abdurashidov echoed the feelings of many fighters, who appear to be roughly split on the change. Despite the risk, many boxers prefer the increased peripheral vision and freedom of movement allowed by an uncovered head.I dont like getting cut, but I prefer to fight without headgear, said Irelands David Oliver Joyce, who was left bloodied by a clash of heads in his loss to Azerbaijans Albert Selimov. Im more of a pro-style boxer, and for the past couple of years, the amateur system suited me.Amateur boxers began wearing headgear between the 1980 Moscow Games and the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Organizers believed the cushions around the skull and cheeks would cut down on concussions and other serious head injuries, but they also protected fighters from bloody damage, allowing them to compete in a multi-fight tournament with almost no cuts.With fighters faces hidden behind bulky padding, the amateur sport gradually lost its long-held status as a must-see Olympic event. The headgear era roughly coincided with the move to a computer-based, punch-counting scoring system.Both factors contributed to Olympic boxings evolution into a sometimes plodding sport derided as fencing with gloves, with fighters rewarded for light punches and elusiveness over power, toughness and combinations.AIBA has returned to a pro-style scoring system since the London Games. The resulting sport is more attractive in almost every manner, and the bouts in Rio have generally been more compelling -- but the blood on the fighters faces portends a potential problem.Professional boxers get several months of recovery time between bouts. Olympic boxers must fight up to five times in a nine-day span, with no time for significant cuts to heal in any meaningful way.So fighters will punch and pray.Russian bantamweight Vladimir Nikitin bled all over himself while beating Vanuatus Boe Warawara on Wednesday. A deep cut in the scalp on the left side of Nikitins head sent blood pouring down his face and neck, but he smiled through the reddened mess when his hand was raised in victory.Nikitin believes hell have no problem fighting again Sunday.Ernie Stautner Steelers Jersey . Reigning world champion Eve Muirhead of Scotland opened with a 12-2 rout of Winnipegs Jennifer Jones in a battle of teams bound for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Terry Bradshaw Jersey . - Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie never doubted he would bring back coach Dennis Allen for a third year despite back-to-back 4-12 records. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Louis-Lipps-Jersey/ . -- Kyrie Irvings last-minute 3-pointer helped seal another victory for Cleveland -- and the Cavaliers longest winning streak since LeBron James left. Donnie Shell Youth Jersey . LOUIS -- Mike Smith is used to facing plenty of shots, so this was nothing new. Heath Miller Jersey .C. -- Charlotte Bobcats coach Steve Clifford said after all of these years in the NBA hes still amazed at some of the things LeBron James does.Chaz Mostert will be among the many Supercars drivers doing anti-rain dances to end Melbournes mini-monsoon in time for the Sandown 500.The Victorian capital will host the 500km classic at the end of one of its wettest weeks of the year.Rain and Supercars dont mix well - as this years Clipsal 500 showed - meaning team owners will be hoping for fine conditions during Saturdays qualifying sessions and Sundays race.If not, Mostert said everyone could expect a wild ride.Hopefully it dries out by the weekend or we get some dry segments. If not its going to be a pretty hard weekend, he said.Youve got to learn to drive around it. Sandown does get pretty slippery in the wet ... theres not much grip.The season-opening Clipsal 500 saw a thunderstorm on the brink of the green light, leading to calamitous scenes and a stunning race win by local Nick Percat.Even if it doesnt rain, new rules that dictate soft tyres must be used in dry weather will make for dramatic racing.Were going to be quicker and the degradation will be higher ... that will bring in a lot more strategy, Mostert said.The way (the tyres) tear up and marble across the race is pretty crazy.ddddddddddddIf you run off line youre able to scoot off on marbles ... with 500 kilometres worth of marbles on the track, passing is going to be very, very hard.Steve Owen will partner the in-form Mostert through the Enduro Cup.The 24-year-old has five top-five finishes from his last six races but says hes too far back to make an unlikely run for the championship - even as the endurance races double the amount of points on offer each weekend.Trying for the championship is unrealistic with six guys in front of me and 300 points or so up the road, he said.When youve got the consistency of (Jamie) Whincup and (Shane) van Gisbergen, whose bad days might be a fifth, its pretty hard.And (Craig) Lowndesy whos more consistent than ever and Frosty (Mark Winterbottom) who makes sure he finishes every race.But were still chipping away. Our goal is top five.If we surprise ourselves by going up further its been a great weekend. ' ' '