c0509symetraInteresting change in the world of golf today, as the Symetra Tour, the LPGA's developmental tour, will permit the use of push carts in competition.

Numerous smaller tours and college conferences permit the use of carts, of course, but their use at the highest levels of golf has always been a point of contention. (This isn't really a case of golfers getting out of carrying their own bags; they do have caddies for that, remember.)

What this effectively means is less expense for golfers, who now can avoid the paycheck-devouring cost of paying a caddie for an entire tournament. Consider: at last month's Riviera Nayarit Classic, the lowest finisher to cash was Lauren Doughtie at 75th. And for her efforts, she received a check for $342. No, there are no zeroes missing from that figure. The winner, Esther Choe, earned $18,750, or one-tenth what both Stacy Lewis earned for winning the Mobile Bay LPGA Classic, and also what Trevor Immelman earned for finishing last inside the cut at Augusta.

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(Yahoo! Sports/Getty Images)LOUISVILLE, Ky. and TALLADEGA, Ala. – Welcome to the Infield. You're about to find out who you are.

When you tear away all the trappings of society, when you're spattered in mud and your ears are ringing, when you're out of cash and you've lost all your friends in the crowd, you learn a thing or two about yourself. Heat, sweat and alcohol can reveal more character in an afternoon than your day job can in a decade. Here, you're down to your primal urges: Consuming. Brawling. Mating. Here, you're a cave dweller with a zero-reception cell phone.

This weekend saw the running of both the Kentucky Derby and the spring Talladega NASCAR race within 24 hours of one another. Two combined centuries' worth of traditions, more than 200 races, run around some of the most mythical territory in the entire country. Two infields, hundreds of miles and several levels of class distinction apart, bonded by mud and beer and celebration.

Join us as we descend into these circles, won't you? And stay

Read More »from Mint juleps and Moon Pies: 48 hours of horsepower at the Kentucky Derby and Talladega

This past weekend saw the running of both the Kentucky Derby and the spring Talladega NASCAR race, and Yahoo! Sports' Jay Busbee covered both from the infield ... and lived to tell the tale. Read the full article here, then come gather around to chat about the races, the mud, the depravity and the stories that didn't make the official accounts. We won't check IDs, we promise.

Tweet your questions ahead of time using the hashtag #DerbyDega, and we'll answer right here on Tuesday.

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What was left of Jeff Gordon's car after Talladega. (Getty Images)

TALLADEGA, Ala. – It's been a rough year for Jeff Gordon, and Talladega was the cruelest kind of torture: A weekend that began so well ended in wreckage.

Gordon started on the pole at Talladega, but couldn't even lead a single lap. Constant problems with overheating dogged him all afternoon long, and finally on Lap 142, a multi-car wreck collected him and put him in the garage for good. He lost six positions in the standings and now sits in 23rd place, needing wins to have any hope of making the Chase.

"Man, this is just one of the most bizarre years that this DuPont Chevrolet team and Drive To End Hunger Chevrolet team has ever gone through," he said after climbing from the wreck and taking a moment to cool down in his hauler. "I mean, it's almost comical at this point. That was not fun. I didn't like hitting the wall. Gosh, I thought I was clear ... That's just the way our season has been going."

In particular, Gordon hammered on the temperature issue that plagued many cars all

Read More »from Jeff Gordon overheated and adrift after Talladega

The Big One begins. (Getty Images)

TALLADEGA, Ala. — The problem with Talladega, Tony Stewart says, is that there aren't enough wrecks.

"Honestly, if we haven't crashed at least 50 percent of the field by the end of the race, we need to extend the race until we crash at least 50 percent of the cars," Stewart said after climbing from his car. "It's not fair to these fans to see any more wrecks than that, any more torn-up cars. I mean, we still had over half the cars running at the end, and it shouldn't be that way."

Look, let's stress this right now: Stewart was joking. It was sarcasm. Obviously an owner/driver doesn't want to see more wrecks. But he was absolutely deadpan, with none of the wry wit or sarcasm that usually enfolds his jabs. And with his interview-as-performance art, he was making a point: If this is what the fans want, why not give it to them?

Some more samples of this, one of his strangest interviews in a career marked by bizarre on-camera and on-the-record performances:

• "If we could make [Talladega]

Read More »from Too many wrecks at Talladega? Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski differ

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – At Churchill Downs, the alcohol flows copiously and continuously. Mint juleps, champagne and high-end beer lubricate the Kentucky Derby, and for a race run this year on Cinco de Mayo, it seems utterly appropriate that a horse apparently named for drinking to excess would win.

I'll Have Another with jockey Mario Gutierrez wins the Kentucky Derby. (Reuters)Only problem with that too-perfect scenario? The origins of Derby winner I'll Have Another's name are far more innocent.

J. Paul Reddam, the horse's owner, named him in honor of his wife's cookies – more specifically, his response every time she asks if he'd like one more cookie. It's optimism combined with satisfaction, and it's exactly what everyone associated with the horse is feeling.

Before a record crowd of more than 165,000, I'll Have Another ran down a favored and thoroughly dominant Bodemeister to cap an unlikely rise to racing's pinnacle. Bought for $11,000 in 2010 and $35,000 in 2011, the 15-1 shot brought the first-ever Derby win to Reddam, trainer Doug O'Neill and jockey

Read More »from I'll Have Another makes a name for himself with Kentucky Derby win

Quail Hollow is always one of the finest non-major fields in the game, and this year is no exception. Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and other luminaries are in attendance. But Stewart Cink is playing like it's 2009; he leads at -7 along with Ryan Moore and Webb Simpson. Play continues Friday and, we presume, on into the weekend.

Jeff Gordon's struggles this year are no secret, so we don't feel bad about pointing them out. We answer the question of whether he's done as a champion (we have differing opinions) and more burning questions this week as we run up to Talladega. Enjoy!