Sports
They’ve closed up shop in Rio, and all we’re left with are the memories…and these oddities specific to this year’s Olympics. Swimmers and divers skilled enough to compete in the Olympics are probably the least likely people on Earth to drown in a pool, and yet at the Rio Olympics they were watched over by […]
Every so often a pro athlete is so good at their sport that even though they play by the rules, the league has to change those rules so it’s fair to the other players. In Major League Baseball, 1968 was known as “The Year of the Pitcher.” In the National League, Bob Gibson went 23-9 […]
While the history of the Summer Games is littered with stories of athletes who took performance-enhancing substances and got caught, these are about people who cheated at the Olympics in bizarre ways…and still got caught. Double Trouble Track and field star Madeline de Jesus represented Puerto Rico in the 1984 Summer Olympics. She was scheduled […]
What did children do before there were TVs and computers? These old children’s games are taken from the 1920s book Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium, by Jessie H. Bancroft.
Why is baseball our favorite sport? Because it’s full of oddball stuff like this. Foul Play September 19, 1940: Luke Appling of the White Sox was batting against Red Ruffing of the Yankees with two men on base. Appling fouled off the first pitch. Then he fouled off the second, third, and fourth pitches before […]
Hundreds of the best athletes in the world have convened in Rio for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Here are some of the most interesting ones. Etimoni Timuani is a 100-meter runner from Tuvalu (as well as a former professional soccer player) is the Olympic delegation from Tuvalu—he’s the only representative of the tiny Island nation. […]
It was traditional for ancient Greek Olympic athletes to compete naked. Women weren’t invited as competitors or spectators. An Olympic torch weighs 3 1/2 pounds, a little more than four cans of beer. It’s made of wood, aluminum, and gold-plated brass, with a tank hidden in the base that holds 40 minutes’ worth of propane. […]
Every two years, we’re treated to another round of Olympics. Whether you watch them or not, it’s impossible to avoid all the hype—which, it turns out, isn’t all true. Next time someone refers to “Olympic tradition,” read them this.
There are dozens of Olympic events, but there’s only so much time and space. Here are some sports that were once, but are no longer, part of the Olympic games. Skijoring What is skijoring, exactly? It’s a combination of equestrian, dog sledding, and skiing. Human athletes strap on skis, and let horses pull them through […]
Why are so many sports movies set in Michigan? Uncle John’s not sure, but he likes them. PAPER LION (1968) Could writer George Plimpton hack it as a football player with the Detroit Lions? He tried it once, for a story he was writing. This film is based on his experience at the Lions’ training […]
Have you ever played the game of Uno? It’s consistently been one of America’s best-selling toys. Here’s where it came from. Invented by: Merle Roberts, a barber from Cincinnati, Ohio Origin: In the 1960s, Roberts created a simplified version of the card game Crazy Eights, and sold it out of the trunk of his car […]
Major cities around the world place bids years in advance to host the Summer Olympics games. Here’s a look at some major metropolises that went for the gold…and lost the race. Tokyo, Helsinki In 1936, Tokyo was selected as the site of the 1940 Olympics, the first Asian city to host the Games. But in […]
For some reason, baseball seems to inspire more songs than any other sport. “Fat is In” Terry Forster was a journeyman relief pitcher who played for five teams in the ‘70s and ‘80s, including the Los Angeles Dodgers when they won the 1981 World Series. When he was traded to Atlanta in 1983, he put […]
The NHL has announced that it will expand with a team in Las Vegas, which will begin play in 2017. It’s the first time one of the “big 4” team sports leagues will set up shop in Sin City…but it’s not for a lack of trying. Las Vegas Jazz Less than five years after moving […]
Maybe one of these will fall this year. Most strikeouts in a dome This kind of record obviously favors modern-day pitchers, but Randy Johnson still has an overwhelming lead. He’s retired 2,279 batters in ballparks with roofs, more than the second- and third-place pitchers (Nolan Ryan’s 1,123 and Brad Radke’s 943) combined. Most foul balls […]
“Mr. Hockey” has passed away at the age of 88. Here are a few stories about one of the greatest hockey players to ever take the ice. Gordie Howe Hat Trick Howe was as frequent a brawler as he was a scorer—he started a lot of fights on the ice. There’s an unofficial hockey accomplishment […]
Baseball is a game built on traditions. It’s been played in virtually the same way for more than a century…except for a handful of changes that made a big impact on the “national pastime.” Big-league pitchers don’t spend a lot of time practicing hitting because they’ve got to focus on their specialty. The vast majority […]
We’ve run articles before about demographic standouts in baseball, football, basketball, and hockey, and it’s been one of our most popular features. In advance of the Summer Olympics in Rio, here are some Olympics notables. Tallest: Paulo César da Silva Paulo César da Silva played for the Brazilian national basketball team at the 1988 Olympics. He […]
