Yesterday I had my first New York Marathon experience, and while I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Scarlett Johansson jumping up and down amongst the throngs, I did see something equally memorable. My Brooklyn neighborhood was transformed into a mass grave for empty Gatorade cups. The scene was gruesome, with stacks of discarded cups -- some badly mangled -- strewn on top of one another. The marathon is supposed to represent the infallibility of the human spirit, and yet all I saw on that grim (but sunny!) Sunday afternoon was an orgy of waste and excess. More cup-death porn after the jump.

Paul Newman took his final laps at Lime Rock racetrack just weeks before he died. It was his home track. Like Newman, the 1.5-mile track is a little rough around the edges but has tons of charm. And with "blind crests and fast corners," it's a lot of fun to drive -- especially for those wanting top out at 185 mph. Located in Lakeville, Connecticut -- a snappy two hours from Manhattan -- the track is tucked in the foothills of the Berkshire Mountains and has been hosting racing since 1957, most notably the Grand-Am GT Classic and the Le Mans Series.

Now that Rafael Nadal has unseated Roger Federer as the number one seed, he's shifting into hot brand status, complete with a new look. Say goodbye to pirate pants and sleeveless tank. Since taking Federer at Wimbledon in July, the baseliner's management team is wasting no time in marketing his mojo in a brand new wrapper. "It is fair to say that it is more mature," says a Nike spokesman about his new toggery to be unveiled at the US Open. The company says that while the new outfits are more conservative, they will continue to reflect the Spaniard's colorful style.

Now that the Olympics are done, and we're about to plunge into two weeks of political potshots, let's take a deep breath and relax with some tennis. The US Open kicks off today; back in June, I addressed the simmering battle of court togs between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. New York magazine is still writing about it, which is fine. But what's finer is the mag's historical timeline of tennis fashion. I like to think I know my tennis, but I was schooled -- in 1528, King Henry VIII built a court and commissioned the first known tennis uniforms.

Singapore is hosting the first-ever Formula 1 night race, and the 3.15-mile Grand Prix is a crash course in Singapore architecture. The Singapore River and the Singapore Flyer (like the London Eye on steroids) will serve as the blurry landscape zipping past the million-dollar racing machines. The whole Speed Raceresque shebang -- track, cars and landscape -- will take place under 2,000-watt floodlamps, making the whole “night” part of the race a metaphor at best. Play along for a chance to see the action in real time by racing virtual cars on the Singapore Racer site. The virtual winner will be gifted an all-expense-paid trip to the Singapore Grand Prix on September 28. In case you don’t win, book a package to make the race.

Say that five times fast. More bad news for embattled retailer Steve & Barry's. As if filing for bankruptcy wasn't enough, now they're getting fouled by Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury. Marbury is suing his broke buddies for millions in royalties from his hot-selling Starbury sneaker line. Marbury launched the sneaker line two years ago with a $15 price tag so poor kids could buy them. How nice! Now that S&B has tanked, Marbury is looking for his endorsement cash, claiming he's owed $2.2 million. No worries, though. Marbury is in talks with Amazon to sell the kicks.

Sure, Michael Phelps' eight gold medals at these Olympic Games are impressive, but there's a greater reward for his inhuman success than eight glorified gold coins (though perhaps you still need help dressing yourself.) When you become a superstar athlete, you earn the right to date models, right, Tom Brady? Now that he's a household name, let whispers of Phelpsian romantic exploits begin. The average looking all-American boy has apparently landed superhot supermodel Lily Donaldson, best known for replacing Kate Moss as the face of Burberry.

I’m one of the six or so billion people who missed Friday’s opening ceremonies of the Beijing Summer Games, but the more I troll the Internet alleyways, the more inclined I am to YouTube it. Four days later, words like "astonishing," "spectacular," and "unmatched" are still being used to describe the event. But there's a shady underbelly to all the pomp.

Mr. Clarke called it in these very virtual pages -- smog masks distributed by the US Olympic Committee for use by their athletes while in Beijing may have insulted Chinese hospitality, but they're still on tap as next season's hot fashion accessory. The USOC coyly won't reveal who made the masks just yet, no doubt waiting for a licensing deal. Sporty knockoffs abound, though.

Sure, that one short-lived reality show about derby girls single-handedly shredded the public's conception of the sport and its sub-culture, but thanks to poor ratings and the capable hands of Jocelyn Foye, a roller-derby resurgence may be nigh. Having explored sumo wrestling, cheerleading, pole-dancing, and fencing, Foye captures the essence of derby girls for her latest work by utilizing over 150 pounds of clay. She created clay-based panels and mounted them on walls opposite each other. Then Foye enlisted a pair of girls from the LA Derby Dolls to strap on helmets and kneepads, then ricochet off the walls, leaving various indentations and imprints on the clay. The results are the focal point of her new piece, as part of the "New In Show" exhibition at the San Pedro, CA-based Angels Gate Cultural Center. Although the show finishes its run in late August, the Derby Girls continue to make appearances elsewhere, including spreading goodwill at the Mayor's Day of Service this Saturday.