- Name, Set, and Match: Dick Best
His first name is correct.
- Merci Jo: A Tsonga Appreciation Post
I’ll miss that victory spin.
- A Willington Ortiz appreciation post
A Colombian legend without a World Cup appearance to his name. That didn’t stop him from becoming a great.
- The internet’s thoughts on Erik ten Hag, Manchester United’s new manager
Here’s what people have said about Erik ten Hag in the last few years.
- Jake Simmons played every version of Madden NFL to see if it improved each year
That’s a lot a football!
- It’s air soccer. Or air football. Whatever.
The lights are cool.
- Football Is Dead
Football is dead. Long live the Narrative!
- 1 Shilling: an ode to British football programmes
1 Shilling is a book by designer Matthew Caldwell, all about the football programmes he has collected from the 1960s to the 1980s.
- ASMR, but make it baseball
Gotta love Brad Pitt. And Jonah Hill. And quietness.
- Skijoring: the one-time Olympic demonstration sport
From Scandanavian winter travel to North American snow cowboy racing.
- Glorious on Nicola Bennett and Lauren Prince shaking up golf
Golf but make it fashion and accessible and fly.
- NBA hair swaps
Insert “cut above the rest” joke here.
- Mpora’s guide to ice climbing
If you thought ice climbing was like rock climbing but with ice… you’d be right. But there’s a little more to it than that as Mpora explained in their ice climbing guide: It might seem like you can put your pick anywhere, making it far easier than the finite number of good holds on a …
- Goodbye, Bielsa
Breaking The Lines paid tribute to Marcelo Bielsa who was sacked by Leeds United in February.
- Millie Knight on her experiences with blind alpine skiing
The Winter Paralympics is well underway now but a few weeks ago, Bloomberg spoke to the three-time Paralympic medalist Millie Knight about her challenges with blind alpine skiing and her relationship with her guide, Brett Wild. And congrats to Millie for her bronze medal in the women’s downhill, vision impaired event yesterday!
- Skiing in Turkey
What’s “shoop, shoop, shoop” in Turkish?
- Penalties from Pro Evo from 1996–2022
Gone are the days of West London Blue and Man Red.
- Jenkem on skateboarding in South Africa
‘I want it to look like a serious sport, and I want the people who have been putting in the work to actually reap the benefits, the equivalent of other sportsmen.’
- The Boca 10 bobble hat
Cover your cabeza with this Boca hat.
- Clarence Seedorf’s love affair with the Champions League
How does it feel to be one of the Champions League’s favourites? Ask Clarence Seedorf.
- Happy birthday, Sport Lisboa e Benfica!
That’s a lot of candles to blow out.
- Marbled skis made from melted down plastic bags
Could we see plastic bag skis on the slopes in Milano Cortina 2026?
- Horace Grant goggle appreciation post
Those googles looked lowkey fire though.
- Selema Masekela on African surf culture and new book, ‘AFROSURF’
‘Yeah. For me, as a teenager, it [surfing] for sure saved my life. When I think of the things that I was struggling with and the angst that I was carrying, and identity shit that I was trying to figure out, family stuff, etc., it was the one place where I could go and just be so … even.’
- Could you hang with Eliud Kipchoge?
Run, Eliud, Run!
- Watch the trailer for Dear Rider, the Jake Burton Carpenter story
Dear Rider celebrates the life and legacy of Jake Burton Carpenter. Watch the trailer here.
- 12 Flowers (a Championship Manager 01/02 story): Chapter 1
The first chapter of a classic CM 01/02 story.
- 2 minutes of Rafael Nadal playing table tennis
¡Pimpón!
- Federer as Rosalina? Nadal as Daisy? Serena as Mario? Tennis players as Mario Tennis Aces characters
Who would you be if you were a Mario Tennis Aces characters.
- Traditional Russian sports
Fancy a game of gorodki? Bandy? Lapta?
- What are the odds of winning a protest at the Olympics?
Flip a coin. Heads we win, tails we lose and they get a few more coins as payment for protesting.
- D’Margio Wright-Phillips, his dad Shaun, and his grandfather Ian Wright in one video
If you’re staying indoors and need something warm to watch, check out this video featuring Ian Wright, his son, and grandson.
- Shout out to Benjamin Alexander, the first Jamaican alpine skiier at the Winter Olympics
Alexander joins a host of Jamaicans who have featured at the Winter Games, but he has the distinction of being the first in alpine skiiing.
- The dangers of Olympic sledding
Sled head is still a WIP for scientists studying the dangerous sports of bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge.
- McLaren enters Extreme E
McLaren go brrrrrrrr
- Championship Manager Fans is the home of CM enthusiasts, from CM1 to CM5
Get your Champman fill with Championship Manager Fans.
- Photos from the first 12 Winter Olympics
Travel back in time with this photo series, showcasing the first 12 Winter Games.
- TIL: Ski ballet was a demonstration sport at the Winter Olympics
‘In essence, ski ballet is figure skating on skis. Can you do it on a flat surface like an ice rink? No, because you need some downward momentum to be skiing but it’s a very gentle slope. A short run is two minutes and a long run is four minutes.’
- Montell Douglas and Mica McNeill: bobsledding at Beijing 2022
History will be made in the two-woman bobsleigh team for Great Britain.
- Can you pick all 15 African nations that have participated in the Winter Olympic games?
Can you get more than half?
- Erin Jackson: the first Black woman to win individual gold at Winter Olympics
Black girl magic: on ice!
- No One’s Inter Us – The Other Leipzig Club #5 (REDUX)
No One’s Inter Us is back after a hiatus. How have we fared since the last episode? Read more to find out.
- Shout out to Samuel Ikpefan, the only Nigerian athlete at Beijing 2022
Ikpefan is the second consecutive Nigerian Olympian at the Winter Games, after Seun Adigun appeared in two-women bobsled in 2018.
- Jonathan Abrams on the need for speed in winter sliding sports and the tracks made to protect them
Watch your step, kid (protect ya neck, kid).
- An Atlas Obscura history of luge
‘Luge is pure folly, a creation of bored, aristocratic, and sometimes destructive men on vacation.’
- Watch a playthrough of all the events from Nagano Winter Olympics ’98 on the N64
If only there was a Konami code for the athletes in real life, eh?
- Alex Donaldson on Retro Bowl as a Super Bowl gaming appetiser
Before the national anthem and the wings comes Retro Bowl on the Nintendo Switch to whet your Super Bowl appetite.
- Beijing’s big air jumps at the 2022 Winter Olympics look metal AF
The big air ramps at the Winter Olympics offer a different kind of backdrop to what most people are accustomed to and that can be a good thing.
- How to use data to build a Moneyball soccer team
Yeah, science (and soccer)!
- Guides to Winter Olympic sports
Get to grips with all the sports at Beijing 2022.
- Nagano 1998 (Winter Olympic Film)
Relive Nagano 1998 with the official Olympic film right here.
- Shout out to Arif Khan, the only Indian athlete at Beijing 2022
‘As children we used to play football and cricket, but there was no playground around us. Skiing was the only convenient sport for us.’
- The best Winter Olympic sports (if they took place in the dark)
Ah you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn’t see the light until I was already an Olympic champion, by then it was nothing to me but blinding!
- Snow worries: Beijing’s artificial snow and climate change putting future Winter Games at risk
A lack of powder is causing problems.
- We’re getting a Super Bowl/Winter Olympics eclipse!
When two sporting worlds collide.
- Interesting facts about the Winter Olympics from Quartz
Will Norway top the medal table once again or can China improve their tally from 2018 at their home games?
- The science and history of snowboarding
Get educated on skateboarding for the Winter Olympics with these articles.
- Speed skiing and its limited Olympic history
With speeds of over 150 mph, speed skiing isn’t for the faint of heart—or the Olympics.
- The past and present of skis
Back in my day, we used animal hide for ski boots!
- ‘A New Formation’ explores how Black footballers have shaped the modern game
‘A New Formation reveals the vibrancy and nuance of contemporary Black life in Britain.’
- Appareltly: Snow+Rock
This snow and rock climbing brand is the second featured brand in our Appareltly series.
- Who is the male tennis GOAT now?
Whoever your fave is, you won’t be satisfied with the answer.
- Nicole Whyte on finding confidence through speed skating
More Black women on the ice, doing their thing.
- Uni Watch asks: what will the Rams and the Bengals wear for Super Bowl LVI?
What you gonna wear now? Bobby, I don’t know but what’s it ever I wear Its got to be funky!
- Shout out to the Philippines women’s soccer team who qualified for their first World Cup
Yesterday, the Philippines women’s soccer team qualified for next year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup after beating Chinese Taipei in the quarter-finals of the AFC Women’s Asian Cup.
- Tigres UANL’s new stadium by Populous
Los Tigres are getting a new home.
- 5 years and a day later
Vamos!
- Maybe Djokovic could have played on this floating tennis court on the Great Barrier Reef
No room for ball kids on this court.
- 5 years ago today
Chum Jetze!
- The fearless female rally drivers of Finland
Not for the faint-hearted this sport.
- Fancy a game of Snoopy Tennis?
Good grief!
- Beijing’s new ‘Ice Ribbon’ stadium by Populous
Populous is back with another sporting stadium.
- How to do a Tomahawk serve in table tennis
Get your aces up with this table tennis serving tutorial.
- Wang Chuqin with the backhand spin shot
You gotta be in it to spin it.
- Breaking The Lines asks if Karim Benzema is (currently) the best player in the world
What can Benzema do this year for club and country?
- Gareth Potts them all in quick time!
What could you do with 8 balls in 28 seconds?
- Michael’s real secret stuff
Mike says ‘stay hydrated’.
- Guides to Olympic alpine skiing
It’s nearly skiing time!
- Remembering Reinaldo
Long live O Rei!
- Football boots of the day: Adidas Predator Powerswerve (2009 Confederations Cup)
A new boot enters the Football Boots of The Day collection.
- Nwankwo Kanu’s hat-trick for Arsenal against Chelsea in 1999
Kanu believe it etc.
- Nigeria’s iconic AFCON kit and squad in 1994
Remembering Nigeria’s amazing AFCON win in 1994 and that glorious shirt.
- The phoenix clubs of Yorkshire and their attempts at a renaissance
Can these phoenix clubs pull off into paradise again?
- WWE data viz
And that’s the bottom line, ‘cos Hon Boey said so!
- Well damn, a Brit won a World Cup ski race
Perseverance and determination paid off for Dave Ryding, Britain’s greatest male alpine skier.
- The world of competitive e-cycling
‘It might just be me by myself in my apartment,’ she [Maeghan Easler] says, ‘just going really hard.’
- Rafael Nadal x Roger Federer Nike shirts
Pixel perfect.
- Dennis Rodman and his former coin-collecting agent
If you learn anything from this post, let it be the word ‘numismatist’.
- Remembering Chelsea vs. Barcelona in 2005
You may remember the match for that goal from Ronaldinho but there was so much more to the second-round Champions League fixture between Chelsea and Barcelona. Aaron Attwood wrote a great piece on the match for These Football Times: When the two teams were drawn against each other in the first knockout round, a fascinating clash …
- Axel Kei is now the youngest player in MLS history
These darn whippersnappers!
- Ronnie O’Sullivan making something out of nothing
When he’s on it, theres no stopping the Rocket.
- That’s gotta be Kane, Jerry
Kramer would have been great in WCW. (via blvdbullies on Instagram)
- The Art of Ping Pong celebrates ping pong subculture
For the love of the ping and the pong.
- South American goalkeepers and Pink Panther
If you’re gonna wear a cartoon on your shirt, why not a pink cat with the agility and forward-thinking to evade capture>
- Topspin: a short film about table tennis
Nothing but a table, two players, and a ping pong ball.
- A cool, abandoned grand prix race track in France – frozen in time
Circuit de Reims-Gueux lays well-preserved, decades after its closure.
- Black ice skaters, photographed by Flo Ngala
It’s Black on white in black and white.
- SNES Drunk on the classic WWF arcade games worth playing today
Now you’re suplexing with… oh wait, this is on arcade, not Nintendo!
- SNES Drunk on every Super Nintendo basketball game
Now you’re dunking with power!
- Big up Mohamed Kamara!
Whatever it took, that’s what Kamara was doing to keep a clean sheet.
- Keep score with Eephus League
‘Baseball is a living, breathing entity. It has its own traditions, language and rules. And this entity is always growing.’
- SNES Drunk on every Super Nintendo golf game
Now you’re golfing with power!
- Doc Rivers is a forever mood
I’ve never known someone to encapsulate so many of my emotions in GIF form.
- Is that a rabbit on your helmet?
Maybe they should change their name to the Cleveland Bunnies.
- Remembering Dennis Bailey’s hat-trick at Old Trafford
It’s not everyday you beat United 4-1 at Old Trafford AND score a hat-trick.
- SNES Drunk on every Super Nintendo ice hockey game
Now you’re power playing with… power!
- Supreme ping pong
Your marketing agency is missing a table tennis table like this.
- Cool photos from Daytona 500 in 2016
NASCAR never looked so good.
- Table for One
What would you give up for a chance at gold?
- Dennis Rodman just wanted to have fun
“I was just tryna play basketball, party, f*ck all the girls.” Dennis Rodman I also want that Rodzilla NWO t-shirt. Etsy has an unofficial one if you’re interested.
- The wrestling women of Japan
Dangerous Minds on ‘the gorgeous ladies of Japanese wrestling‘: All-female wrestling in Japan in the 1970s was a glorious wonderland full of tough, athletic women happily defying cultural and gender norms. Matches were broadcast on television and a duo going by the name The Beauty Pair (Jackie Sato and Maki Ueda) were huge stars. Teenagers …
- Café du Cycliste on Mont Ventoux
No chance of cycling on this kind of terrain in winter!
- Thomas Ravelli on USA 94 and Sweden’s reaction to the virus
‘When I was in a good mood, and we had a 2-0 or 3-0 lead, I wanted to show the spectators something else, you know,’ Ravelli said. ‘I wanted to have fun.’
- It’s Championship Manager 97/98, in book form
I’ve had Dave Black on the blog before (read This or That #2: Dave Black aka @CM9798) and if you didn’t already know, he has a book out called ‘The World According to Championship Manager 97/98’. Here’s the blurb: Football is full of what if’s and if only’s. What if Gazza had gone to World …
- Gaël Monfils in another final
Good luck, Gaël!
- Skateboarding from Iran to Turkey
A cool skateboarding video with an even cooler soundtrack filmed in Iran and Turkey, via Georgia and Azerbaijan.
- Remembering Mikael Granlund’s ‘lacrosse-style’ goal vs. Russia
Imagine opening the scoring in a tournament semi-final with a goal like this. That’s exactly what Mikael Granlund did for Finland against Russia at the 2011 IIHF World Championships. What a Finnish! *ahem* Fun fact: After the goal, Finnish Hockey Mafia released a song called “Taivas varjele!” and reached #2 in the Finnish Singles Chart as well as …
- Roger Federer vs Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros (2011)
What a match.
- Randy Savage’s ‘cup of coffee’
Freak out!
- Ms. Fitz’s stunning basketball shot that won her third-graders some hot chocolate
That victory sip of hot chocolate must have been extra sweet.
- Michael Jordan To The Max
The life and career of Michael Jordan up to 2000.
- Vince Low’s world class badminton players
Strokes everywhere.
- Blue clay
One clay, two clay, red clay, blue clay.
- Eusebio: O Pantera Negra
‘For me Eusébio will always be the best player of all time’ – Alfredo Di Stéfano
- Football boots of the day: Nike Tiempo
Nike Tiempo – what a boot!
- WQXR’s top 5 athletic composers
Many classical composers of the 19th and 20th century were athletes in their spare time.
- FourFourTwo’s 100 best British football stadiums
The third “best” list I’ve blogged in the last few days (see The Ringer’s favourite sporting moments of 2021 and ESPN’s best sporting images of 2021 and this one is from FourFourTwo. 8 of their staff ranked 100 of the best football stadiums in Britain and while I’ve only visited 3 on the list (Old …
- Tennis Abstract’s new tennis game based on ‘degrees of separation’
It’s a small tennis world.
- ESPN’s best sporting images of 2021
There were some iconic sports photos taken last year. ESPN picked their faves.
- Pato, the national sport of Argentina
Pato may be Argentina’s national sport but it’s by no means the most popular. Here’s how it’s played and why ‘more than 90% of Argentines’ may have never seen a game.
- Princess Ka‘iulani: a female pioneer of modern surfing
‘She kept on riding waves—and in so doing saved surfing for all generations to come.’
- The Ringer’s favourite sporting moments of 2021
The panDemiLovato couldn’t stop these sporting moments from 2021.
- Skating through Transylvania
Trying to imagine Dracula holding a big air event at his castle.
- TIL: Inter Milan sells Christmas merch
If you’re ‘inter’ sporty Christmas merch, you might enjoy this.
- The top 10 posts of 2021
Imagine this post as an ESPN top 10 plays of the year montage or something.
- Tracking your sports team the hard way
Alexa, I know you know the score but I’m gonna tell you anyway.
- A data viz showing positive and negative regression of NFL teams after a year
The NFL tries to maintain structural balances with its teams and that shows in this data viz of performance regression.
- Shakeia Taylor on baseball’s managers of colour and the ineffectiveness of the ‘Selig Rule’
Diversity has been a major league issue for baseball, despite the good intentions of the Selig Rule.
- Will Valencia ever finish Nou Mestalla?
Valencia has been given a financial reprieve but only 2 months to finish their doomed stadium.
- Venus Williams on the stuff that has made her tough
Body, mind, and soul. Three key elements to becoming a tennis champion. Venus Williams explained why in her NYT essay.
- Tatiana Kasujja on the social influence of Black athletes
‘Representation, for me, is everything.’
- 6 Black British sporting changemakers (chosen by sportanddev.org)
Some familiar Black names featured on the list.
- Ay Up, Me Champions League Duck! #3
Second season in the Premier League and first in the Champions League. Let’s hope they were good ‘uns for Forest!
- ‘You Guys Are History’ looks at the dearth of Black cricketers in England
‘In the previous 25 years, the number of Black British professional cricketers has dwindled by 75 per cent.’
- Ay Up, Me Champions League Duck! #2
First season back in the Premier League. Let’s hope it was a good ‘un for Forest!
- Lindy Delapenha and his groundbreaking career for Portsmouth
Delapenha also scored 93 goals in 270 appearances for Middlesbrough.
- Ay Up, Me Champions League Duck! #1
Can I do Brian Clough proud and return Forest to European glory?
- Tumaini Carayol on giving Emma Raducanu space to grow after US Open win
While I don’t like the tennis media as a whole (or many of its individuals), I have all the time in the world for Tumaini Carayol and his piece in The Guardian about new US Open champion Emma Raducanu is spot on: Recent history underlines how difficult it can be to back up a grand …
- Blood in the Garden: a book about the New York Knicks in the 90s
The Knicks didn’t always suck.
- Asad Raza on Roger Federer in 2007
Back in my day, people wrote great stuff on Roger Federer.
- Jessie Lau on Tokyo 2020, new rules for trans athletes, and their future
‘Will new Olympics rules exclude or include transgender athletes?’
- Man Made: a documentary about trans male bodybuilders
T Cooper directs and Téa Leoni is named as an executive producer.
- Data viz on NBA Finals carry jobs
If you don’t like Lebron James, you won’t like this.
- Dr. Marlon Moncrieffe on Desire Discrimination Determination — Black Champions in Cycling
Dr. Marlon Moncrieffe is the Principal Lecturer at the School of Education at the University of Brighton and his book, Desire Discrimination Determination — Black Champions in Cycling, came out on 17th August. In it, Moncrieffe provided historical stories of Black cyclists and the barriers they faced and overcame in their careers. The following is …
- Josh Fallon collected data on his daughter’s gymnastic scores to analyze her progress
When life gives you data, paint that graph gold.
- 3 minutes of futsal skills
The beautiful game is played on a hard court and it’s called futsal. Here are three facts about the sport: Futsal was created by Juan Carlos Ceriani in Uruguay in 1930, the same year the national soccer team hosted and won the inaugural FIFA World Cup. Since the first FIFA Futsal World Cup (men’s), played …
- Appareltly: Volcom
The skate, surf, and swimwear brand is the first featured brand in our Appareltly series.
- Fancy a game of Milanese church tennis?
When art, religion, and sport met for a spot of mixed doubles.
- What’s in a shirt number?
That which we call a position by any other number would smell as sweet.
- An interactive summary of The Hamilton Commission’s report on Black people in UK motorsport
‘Black people are hugely underrepresented in UK motorsport – something Lewis Hamilton has witnessed first hand throughout his career.’
- When Pete Weber did it, goddamnit!
Don’t mess with Pete Weber!
- Jenkem on Nike’s ‘What if?’ marketing campaign
‘What if we treated all athletes the way we treat skateboarders?’
- The Heraean Games: an unmarried women’s-only Olympic Games
‘The athletes, with their hair hanging freely and dressed in special tunics that cut just above the knee and bared their right shoulder and breast, competed in footraces.’
- The baseball players of colour of the Jim Crow era
‘Later, Cuban players began making their mark in the sport, aided by what Laliberte calls an ‘ambiguous racial position in United States society and sport.”
- AIGA on the artists behind baseball card designs
Do you collect baseball cards?
- Shakeia Taylor on Marcus Stroman’s durag/pitch success rate
Stuntin’ with his durag on/By the ocean/Let it flap in the wind/In slow motion.
- Surena Chande’s 20 facts about the Paralympics
Did you know that Tokyo is the first city to host the Paralympic Games twice?
- That time Lewis Hamilton went snowboarding in Japan in 2018
Could we see Lewis entering the world of snowboarding after he retires from F1? Probably not but let’s imagine he did!
- British Black Golfers is hoping to bring young Black talent into the game
BBG is a growing platform for Black golfers to come together on the green.
- THE ROGER Centre Court tennis shoe
Swiss engineering in shoe form thanks to On and Roger Federer.
- The most chaotic YKTD from Soccer AM
Tekkers!!!
- Black Sand Surf: an LA collective dedicated to surf culture
Black Sand is all about community, peace, and respect through surfing and the crash of the waves.
- Roger Federer to have third knee surgery and miss ‘many months’
Someone give this man a bionic knee!
- Black surfers in the Rockaways
‘There’s no racism out there’, says Harris of the ocean. ‘When you come out of that water, of course you go back to your life. But you lose yourself when you get into the waves.’
- How Patrick Savile made Yuto Horigome’s Olympic gold medal-winning skateboard
‘It’s a mad one. I’m so blessed to be involved somehow! But mainly I’m so glad Yuto got it, just because of how humble and deserving he was, and I love how perfect it was for him.’
- Darren Campbell on how sprinting saved him from gang life
From the estates to the podium, Darren Campbell’s life changed when he moved from Manchester to basically stay alive.
- Why are Olympic swimming pools so fast?
Slight variations in water temperature or pool structure could be the difference between a podium finish or 4th place or missing out on a world record.
- Abandoned Olympic venues
What happens to Olympic venues when the games are over?
- Mark Wilson on the terrible UX of Olympic broadcasting
It looks like some sports broadcasters won’t be winning any medals for user experience this year.
- Robin Pacquing and her Great Lakes surf culture
Body positivity and surfing come together thanks to a Filipino Canadian surfer.
- The Black Sportswoman: a blog that amplifies Black female athletes
Find out more about Black women in sport from around the world with The Black Sportswoman.
- A Japanese robot that gets 3’s from halfcourt
Shaq is currently taking tips.
- Swiss Ramble’s Twitter thread on Barcelona’s financial troubles
The club that says they’re ‘más que un club’ will need to go on ‘menos que otros clubes’.
- Lin Dan’s ‘Super Dan’ Instagram graphic novel
Now that’s how you start an Instagram account!
- Some Olympics data viz
Learn more about new Olympics sports and what everyone’s talking about with these data visualisations.
- History Extra on Harry Edward: Britain’s first Black Olympic hero
A Black man born in Germany to German and West Indian parents, winning two Olympic medals for Great Britain? Ain’t nothing changed since 1920.
- Black diversity in swimming: improvements needed
Black swimmers like Alice Dearing and Simone Manuel shouldn’t be the modern anomalies.
- Weird hoops but ok
Basketball but make it bizarre.
- Outdoor swimming gained popularity during lockdown – but why?
There were some long-lasting upsides to the lockdown after all.
- The science behind a sit ski
Find out how sit skis work.
- Red Bull’s interview with pro snowboarder Travis Rice
Snow’s up, big kahuna!
- Lex Pryor on golf’s historic race problem
Are golfing officials doing anything/enough to diversify the sport and make it safe for Black golfers to play the sport they love?
- How billionaire sports owners use their teams to avoid paying taxes
Scumbags.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. did a double jump and it was double dope
Eat that, Mario (formerly known as Jumpman)!
- Lewis Hamilton on changing F1 for the good
‘Being Black is not a negative’
- Roger Federer, to the soundtrack of Flying Lotus
GOATs recognise GOATs, from sport to music.
- Shout out to Alice Dearing, the first Black female swimmer to represent Team GB at the Olympics
Alice is 1 of only 3 Black British swimmers of any sex or gender to achieve this.
- How did human beings become the best—and fastest—throwers on the planet?
Is there any stopping pitchers from faster throws?
- Data viz of all the EURO 2020 goals
At the time of writing, this only shows the group stages but I expect there’ll be more to come. (via FlowingData and Twitter)
- Portugal 3-2 England from Euro 2000
FIGO!
- A visualisation of nearly 900,000 passes from 890 soccer matches
I wonder how many of those came from Pep Guardiola.
- Timelines of every NBA player who has played at least one game
More players have had short stints with teams now than ever before.
- Nicoline Sørensen on women’s soccer and engineering
The Everton and Denmark forward spoke to The Engineer about her engineering studies and how she balances the two disciplines.
- Simone Biles wins a record 7th national gymnastics title
And this isn’t even her final form!
- Data on Le Tour
Make your own data visualisations with over a century’s worth of Tour de France data.
- Glorious: a new platform that celebrates women in sport via art and culture
Join the club and watch the culture in play.
- I stand by Naomi Osaka
I’m just writing something here so I don’t get fined.
- Montreal’s Biodôme was an Olympic velodrome in 1976
It’s literally a concrete jungle (in one section at least).
- Best places to surf in Mexico
Surf’s up, Big Kahuna!
- Sporting CP are champions and I’m buzzing!
Remember when Sporting were 2-0 to Belenenses SAD and clinched an injury-time penalty equaliser? Well, things have progressed since then… they’ve finally won the Primeira Liga title, their first in 19 years! They sealed it with a 1-0 win at home to Boavista last night and, as a fan, I’m over the moon. I started …
- Roger Federer playing other sports
This guy can do everything!
- Fancy a game of Socker Slam?
Yep, that’s socker with a K but for good reason.
- When a bear chased a skier in Romania
The bear had snow chance!
- The all-female soccer teams of Huc Dong commune
Cloth headbands, skirts, and gravel pitches. That’s what to expect in a football match featuring these Vietnamese women.
- Sporting CP keep their unbeaten run at the death
Como se diz ‘squeaky bum time’ em portugûes?
- Canada’s 2020* Olympic closing ceremony outfits are… something
What are thooooose?
- See you at Roland Garros, Roger!
The male GOAT returns to clay this year.
- Venus Williams on beauty and her career
The 7-time grand slam champion sat with The Cut to talk about her latest skin care products.
- Happy birthday Clive Sullivan
The Welsh winger defied the odds to become a rugby league world champion.
- So I watched Extreme E yesterday
Imagine Cruisin’ World but with electric SUVs. That’s Extreme E.
- Ninh explains the rules of sport
What’s your favourite sport? And do you know the rules?
- Can you name every player to play for Inter and AC Milan since 1995?
There are 27.
- Cullen Jones on world records, diversity in swimming, and other sports
From nearly drowning as a child to Olympic gold, Cullen Jones has been through a hell of a lot to get to where he is today.
- Minnesota Fats vs. Willie Mosconi
What happens when an immovable object meets an unstoppable force on the pool table? I dunno but here’s Minnesota Fats vs. Willie Mosconi from 1978.
- Lewis, the worst baseball player of all time
Lewis, Lewis, who the eff is Lewis?
- Circle bracket for 2021 Men’s NCAA March Madness
A new way to look at March Madness.
- When Ronnie O’Sullivan played left-handed
And really pissed off Alain Robidoux.
- The Kilobyte’s Gambit: chess in 1KB of JavaScript
Can you beat some computer code at chess?
- Roger Federer returns with a win!
Welcome back, old man.
- Ballhaus: a basketball/fine art Instagram account
From the court to the canvas.
- The astrophysics hidden in sport
The cosmos has a lot more to do with sport than we think.
- Musa Okwonga on Pelé
Get into this incredible critique of Pelé and his Netflix documentary by Musa Okwonga.
- 10 joyful moments from Black athletes
Celebrate some of the happiest moments from Black sporting history with this list.
- Vid2Player creates fantasy tennis matchups
With AI, 4 Stanford PhD candidates have created a remarkable tennis match system.
- Tennis Abstract on Serena vs. Margaret
We already know the winner in that contest but here’s some maths behind it, courtesy of TennisAbstract.
- Trans World Sport’s 10th Anniversary from 1997
A bit of retro sporting fun and triumph from Trans World Sport.
- Nyquill Jornan of the Choncago Balls
Hey bro, wanna play some busketbell? Shoot some heeps? No, I’m not drunk!
- Hannah Giorgis on the Tiger Woods HBO documentary
If you haven’t seen Tiger, the two-part HBO documentary about Woods’ life you should.
- Nicó Morales on surfing, sport, and penguins
What can surfing penguins tell us about modern sport? Ask Nicó Morales.
- Zion Williamson’s tale of two dunks
It was the best of dunks, it was the blurst of dunks?!
- Here’s Pinhead playing American football
No more games… after this last one.
- Kintsugi Court by Victor Solomon
When life gives you lemons, paint that court gold.
- Nia Dennis’s incredible 9.95 floor exercise
In the words of Simone Biles, Nia did the damn thing.
- Scrutiny over Phil Neville’s Inter Miami appointment
There’s a lot of talk regarding Phil Neville’s new role as Inter Miami head coach.
- When Carlos Valderrama carried the Olympic torch in Windsor
Who better than Carlos Valderrama to carry the Olympic torch on behalf of Colombia in 2012?
- Wolves partners with Black Arrow FC
The English football club joins up with a growing platform emerging from the Black football movement in the US.
- Russia doping ban down to 2 years after panel u-turn
Despite the findings against them, Russia has seen its doping ban slashed. But why?
- NFL… on Nickelodeon?
Who knew a kids channel could offer such light-hearted coverage of a sport with a serious brand image problem?
- Hackney Laces has revealed its new kit and it’s gorgeous
The East London women’s community football club has gone all out with its kit campaign and we love the colours (naturally).
- Roger Federer’s Diet & Workout Plan
Here are the secrets to Roger Federer’s career longevity. Spoiler alert: there are no secrets. It’s just good food and the right exercise.
- Cameroon at Italia 90: an underdog story
Relive some of the magic moments from Cameroon’s run at Italia 90 in this short video from FIFA.
- The sound of skating on thin ice
Skating on thin ice never sounded so good thanks to a Swedish lake and a mathematician-turned-Nordic skater. Listen for yourself.
- How Jake Burton Carpenter helped disabled athletes
In this video, Trans World Sport spoke to 3 important members of the snowboarding community about Burton and his influence on snowboarding for disabled people.
- Which NBA teams draft the best (according to data science)?
Of all the teams in the NBA, who gets the best drafts and who gets the worst? Brayden Gerrard found out.
- 10 best ski movies according to InTheSnow
Explore the slopes, from Austria to Pakistan, with ten of the best ski movies.
- Masked wrestlers: an illustrated guide
Read the history of over 200 masked wrestlers with some excellent pixel art via Pudding.cool.
- The basketball hoop that never lets you miss
Become a basketball champ with some maths, engineering, and a few pieces of plywood. Here’s how Shane Wighton made the basketball hoop that never lets you miss.
- Publication to Be Named Later: a new sports quarterly
Featuring the likes of Zito Madu and Kim McCauley, Publication to Be Named Later is a brilliant sports quarterly.
- The CFS Mystery Kit Box
The people wanted it and Classic Football Shirts responded. For a limited time, you can get a Classic Football Shirts Mystery Kit box. Here’s how.
- The dangers of the Premier League killing off lower league clubs in 1992
There were warnings of a financial gulf between the then-new Premier League and lower league clubs. Watch this 1992 news story that investigated it.
- Ronaldo’s redemption at the 2002 World Cup
France 98 was meant to be the peak of Ronaldo’s career, but a seizure disrupted his chances. In 2002, he sought redemption.
- Tessa Sanderson on racism, records, and boardroom representation
Former Olympic gold medalist Tessa Sanderson spoke to Sky Sports about her experiences with racism, her gold medal in Los Angeles, and the lack of BAME representation in boardrooms.
- When Harry Didn’t Meet Corey
Corey Pellatt was set to interview Harry Kane last month but questions about Black Lives Matter were blocked.
- Romário: 20 minutes of goals
Experience the majesty of Romário with this 20-minute video of his greatest goals.
- Lillehammer 1994 (Winter Olympic Film)
Relive Lillehammer 1994 with the official Olympic film right here.
- Ian Wright used to cut off his Arsenal shirt collars
The mystery behind Ian Wright’s disappearing collar in 1995/96 has finally been solved.
- Balenciaga’s football shirt “homage” shows a widening gap between rich and poor
$780 for a football shirt? And it’s not even signed? Not for me, but I’m sure someone will buy Balenciaga’s football shirt “homage”.
- NBA Jam: The True Story
Great Big Story’s video takes a brief look at the creation of “NBA Jam,” and its creators.
- Arnold Schoenberg’s special tennis notations
When Arnold Schoenberg lived in California, he mixed music with tennis and had his own system of symbols to define the sport.
- The greatest sports novels ever written
The LitHub GOAT novels list covered 25 sports from baseball to basketball.
- OFF COURSE: a short film about snowboarding in British Columbia
Watch as Jake Blauvelt and his friends join a native filmmaker on a trip through Western Canada in “OFF COURSE”.
- The Tables: a documentary about table tennis in Bryant Park
The Tables looks at the social connections made with a pair of outdoor ping pong tables in Bryant Park, New York.
- MLB not doing enough to combat systemic racism
Shakeia Taylor spoke to The Sunday Edition guest host Kevin Sylvester about racism in baseball. Can Major League Baseball overcome its problem with race?
- Bikevibe: the cycling culture journal
If you’re in need of a new cycling journal, check out Bikevibe.
- Native Hawai‘ians never stopped surfing
Did White people revive surfing? A professor from Springfield, Missouri suggests otherwise.
- China: A Skier’s Journey
Join Chad Sayers and Forrest Coots as they take to the Altai mountains in search of China’s rich skiing culture.
- The Xi’an International Football Centre by Zaha Hadid Architects
The new football centre will be in China’s ancient capital and serve its 9m citizens with sporting and cultural events.
- Fran Kirby’s Fight Club: a podcast about Fran Kirby and Chelsea F.C. Women
Allow me to break the first rule of Fran Kirby’s Fight Club by telling you to go listen to episode 1 of Fran Kirby’s Fight Club.
- Tejo, the national sport of Colombia
From pre-Hispanic times to the modern day, Tejo is a major part of Colombian culture. Here’s how it’s played and where it came from.
- #CounterAttackPodcast with Andy Cole for Episode 100
Andy Cole joined #CounterAttackPodcast for their 100th episode to discuss his life and career.
- Tiger Woods’s son Charlie won a junior golf tournament by 5 strokes
Charlie, 11, won by a country mile in a Florida golf tournament over the weekend.
- Fernando Tatis Jr. hit a grand slam and upset some people
Sometimes unwritten rules are meant to be broken and Fernando Tatis Jr. did just that, much to the chagrin of both managers on Monday night.
- Overpowered video game athletes on the SNES
From Bo Jackson to Hakeem Olajuwon, SNES sports games had some of the most overpowered athletes.
- Why doesn’t the Argentina national football team have any Black players?
The answer lies in Argentina’s history of slavery, colonialism, and a whitewashing of its history. HITC had a go at explaining why in under 15 minutes.
- Ronnie O’Sullivan reaches his 7th World Championship final
We gave a quote-heavy breakdown of Ronnie O’Sullivan’s run to the 2020 World Snooker Championship final.
- Serena vs Venus: Too Early Too Often?
Tennis Abstract asks: are tournament draws giving us suspiciously many Venus-Serena clashes?
- ¡Te amo Carlos Valderrama!
Colombia was one of the most exciting football nations of the 90s, having shot to stardom at Italia 90 thanks to Carlos Valderrama and his teammates.
- Ascot Manor: A Tennis Apparel Brand Owned By Black Women
Ahlilah Longmire and Kareen Borgella are the Black women behind Ascot Manor, a tennis apparel brand paying it forward for junior players.
- When Sean Paul played touchtennis with Marcus Willis
It was Jamaica vs. Great Britain in a game of touchtennis between Sean Paul and Marcus Willis. Watch the first set between the pair right here.
- Mal Washington: the last Black American man to reach a grand slam final
Mal Washington spoke to CNN about his career, his encounters with racism, and his foundation.
- Match of the Day’s Goals of the Season (1992/93)
Three awesome goals, all scored by Black players, but only one could win the coveted Match of the Day Goal of the Season for 1992/93. But whom?
- Cooking with Colin Jackson
The former British Olympian cooked vegetable pasta and spicy meaty gnocchi on YouTube as part of Airbnb’s Olympian & Paralympian Online Experiences.
- The Brooklyn Red Caps: The History-Making Black Cycling Group
The Brooklyn Red Caps have been around since the 1970s and their endurance cycling wasn’t for the faint of heart.
- Surya Bonaly and that backflip
At the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Surya Bonaly performed an illegal backflip and stunned everyone at the eve
- Study shows racial bias in football commentary
In association with the PFA, a RunRepeat study found a significant racial bias in the language and communication of football commentators.
- Hacker gives Kobe Bryant super long arms in NBA 2K20
Watch what happened when an NBA 2K20 player faced Kobe Bryant with super long arms and an invisible man.
- The energetic art of Zenobia Winbush
Check out Zenobia Winbush and her energised design work for Miami University, Murray State University, and more.
- Playrface says Black Lives Matter
At Playrface, we say that Black Lives Matter.
- This or That #6: Maryam Naz
Our “This or That” series continues with sports writer, editor, and full-time feminist, Maryam Naz.
- Building the perfect men’s tennis player
What attributes make the perfect men’s tennis player? I had a go at building my own, featuring players from both the ATP and WTA.
- Sports Streaming: 4 Problems to Avoid for The Best Experience
Don’t let poor internet or illegal streams stop you from watching your favourite sports. Here are 4 problems to avoid and get the best out of your sports streaming experience.
- This or That #5: Machel St Patrick Hewitt
Our “This or That” series continues with non-league football writer and cricket enthusiast, Machel St Patrick Hewitt.
- This or That #4: Proxima Jornada
Our “This or That” series continues with Portuguese football writer, Proxima Jornada.
- Romário in Barcelona (Documentary)
Romário showed flashes of brilliance and ego in unequal measure during his time at FC Barcelona.
- An elephant and a slam dunk walk into a seesaw
What would happen if a man with a basketball stood on a seesaw and an elephant stomped on the other end?
- champman0102.co.uk releases March 2020 Update
The March 2020 update is finally here.
- Ng On-yee – the first Asian #1 in women’s snooker
Ng On-yee has been described as a “trailblazer” in snooker.
- Two Billion Hearts: The 1994 World Cup Film
Take a journey back to 1994 with 2 Billion Hearts, the official film of the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
- Mike Paul’s “Diamond Geezers 2” is perfect quarantine viewing
Travel back in time to 2012 with Mike Paul and his newest adventure with Rushden & Diamonds.
- No One’s Inter Us – The Other Leipzig Club #4 (REDUX)
It’s Part 4 but technically Part 1 as I restart the season with a new Inter Leipzig squad and significantly less players.
- How to set up training in Championship Manager 01/02
Training is boring in Championship Manager 01/02 but with these tips, you can streamline the process.
- English football – would the clubs survive a cancelled season?
As football authorities postpone their respective seasons, FiveThirtyEight asks whether English clubs would recover if they were cancelled.
- Why is the family name “Nguyễn” so common in Vietnam?
We’ve covered Swedish, Russian and Croatian names. Now we travel to Vietnam to find out why “Nguyen” is so common.
- Jason Williams and his wild passing during All-Star Weekend 2000
9 points and 5 assists aren’t normally something to shout about but Jason Williams earnt his plaudits for his unorthodox play that weekend.
- Hot Takedown pits Alex Ovechkin against Wayne Gretzky
Alex Ovechkin is inching closer to Wayne Gretzky’s 894-goal record. But is it fair to compare them?
- Rafael Nadal’s Perfect Tennis Player
Rafa spoke with Sport360 and builts his “perfect tennis player”.
- Questions I’d Ask Roger Federer If I Interviewed Him
Chances are slim but if I interviewed Roger Federer, these are the questions I’d ask him.
- Barrowcelona and the influence of Pep Guardiola
The current success of non-league club Barrow owes a lot to Pep’s modern style, according to Tifo Football.
- A Dictionary for Federer Fans
Rob York’s “Roger Federer Fan’s Dictionary” from 2009 is brief but funny.
- LGR Blerberbowl I: CPU Chiefs vs CPU 49ers
In the first ever Blerberbowl, the CPU Chiefs faced the CPU 49ers. But who would win the Vince Lomblerbi Trophy?
- WRESTHINGS: The wrestling podcast with a Black British perspective
Wanna get into some wrasslin’? Then give WRESTHINGS a listen.
- Studs is a deep dive into women’s football
Women’s football doesn’t get the content representation it deserves. That’s where Studs comes in.
- Jeff Bakalar puts rugged tech to the test with a heap of slapshots
How sturdy is an iPhone when it’s hit by a hockey puck? Jeff Balakar of CNET investigated rugged tech.
- 7 quick ways to get into American football
Struggling to get into American football? Here are 7 ways to start enjoying the sport.
- 10 of the best striped football kits in the world
Stripes are the second-most common pattern in football kit history. Here are 10 of my faves.
- champman0102.co.uk release October 2019 Update
At long last, the CM01/02 update team release the final update for 2019.
- Why do so many Russian last names end in “-ov” and “-ova”?
Why do Russian surnames all end in “-ov” and “-ova”?
- 10 reasons why These Football Times is a better alternative to The Athletic UK
Struggling for a reason to subscribe to The Athletic UK? Sign up to These Football Times instead.
- This or That #3: Ashwin Raman
Our “This or That” series continues with football writer, Ashwin Raman. Find out whether he picked boxers or briefs and more on Playrface.
- The Cruijffbal Challenge #5
Welcome to my fifth season update of The Cruijffbal Challenge.
- Subbuteo Online is the home of all things Subbuteo-related
The table top football game named after a bird, Subbuteo has a new unofficial home for the latest news and opinions.
- The Pantone colours of English football grounds
C.P. Company and Lack of Guidance collaborate to look at the colours of England’s many football grounds in Pantone form. What do Stone Island and C.P. Company have in common? Massimo Osti. The late Italian designer’s brands adorn thousands of fans every week even after his death in 2005. Stone Island has become synonymous with …
- How to make a tennis ball: a video by Benedict Redgrove
The graphic designer created a video for Wilson showing the 24 different processes that go into making a tennis ball. Guess how many balls are used at Wimbledon every year. According to Wimbledon Debenture Holders, it’s over 54,000. That’s one ball for every seat in Nou Mestalla in Valencia with a few left over. But …
- Major Taylor, the first black cycling champion
Before the turn of the 20th century, amidst racial discrimination, Major Taylor win championships and broke records. As the Tour de France draws closer, we take a look at a remarkable cyclist whose efforts came before the grand race even started. Bike shop beginnings Marshall “Major” Taylor was on 26th November 1878 in Indianapolis. His …
- Móstoles Balompie is now Flat Earth FC and honestly why
The Spanish club went for a name change and anyone with even a passing interest in soccer is scratching their head.
- Black Spin Global celebrates black excellence in pro tennis
Pro tennis is a multifaceted sport and outlets like Black Spin Global show it to us in colour.
- The Montréal Alouettes + their modern redesign
Québec’s GRDN led the Montréal Alouettes project to bring the 70-year-old team into the modern day. There’s a fine line between a sports team revamp and complete sanitisation. You don’t want to remove the traditions (unless they’re racist, like the Washington Redskins) but you also want to connect with the modern fans. Design studio GRDN bridged …
- 9 Unexpected South American Team Names
Pub football team names haven’t got anything on some of these South American gems.
- Café du Cycliste (Nice)
Cycling, coffee, and culture collide on the Cote d’Azur courtesy of Café du Cycliste.
- Roland Garros + why it’s my favourite slam
It’s not to everyone’s tastes but Roland Garros usurps my fave’s favourite slam. The red clay of Paris isn’t loved by as many as the green grass of Wimbledon and the hard courts of New York and Melbourne. But it holds a special place in my heart. It’s the place where only two male players …
- Henry Carr, Olympic Champion (1941-2015)
The late athlete passed away on this day in 2015, best known for his two gold medals at Tokyo 64.
- The women’s draw at the Roland Garros is wide open this year
It’s not Serena vs. The Rest of the WTA at Roland Garros. At least not by numbers. Everyone on the WTA has a little extra in the tank when they play Serena Williams but they might want to conserve their energy for the rest of the field. Jeff Sackman for Heavy Topspin did a forecast …
- Curveballs are curving more, sliders are sliding more
Thanks to improvements in pitching, the strikeout rate is set to be broken for the 12th season in a row and curveballs are bending a lot more than before.
- Patrick Barr’s Neighborhood Golf Association
The man they call Tiger Hood takes to the streets to photograph his surroundings and play his own brand of golf.
- The Brexit Challenge on Championship Manager 01/02
If/when the UK leaves the EU, there will be ramifications for the English footballing system. But who knows what they’ll be exactly and how they’ll manifest. Changes like Brexit often breed challenges on football games like Championship Manager and Football Manager and this is no exception. On the champman0102 forums, the guys put together a …
- Lisbon: 3 footballing tales, 1 capital city
As Benfica celebrates their 5th title in 6 years, what of the other two Lisbon clubs? In 2017, I went to Lisbon on holiday. It was my first ever solo holiday as I spent a week in the Portuguese capital for my birthday. On the day itself, I was due to see Sporting play Olympiakos …
- Goiás’s New Brand Identity Is Glorious
The Brazilian club underwent a brand revamp in 2018.
- 5 Afewee Academy Graduates Who Went Onto Play Pro Football
The Brixton-based academy has produced some great talent over the years. Here are 5 graduates who made it into the professionals. Back in May 2018, we featured the Afewee Academy, a non-profit organisation in Brixton, run by volunteers and funded by the local council. Some 40 graduates from the academy have made it professionally. This …
- Olympic Games design (1896-2020)
An Olympic historian has gathered over 6,000 images for a new book from Niggli.
- Zion Williamson’s Top 10 Dunks, According To ESPN
3 minutes of incredible dunks? We’ll take that. This is Zion Williamson. In your freshman year, you’re named ACC Player of the Year and ACC Rookie of the Year. You set the scoring records, win two more Player of the Year awards and win the Wayman Tisdale Award. What’s next? How about the likelihood of being the first overall …
- Break The Love – the mobile tennis club without the hassle
I wouldn’t say it’s like Tinder for tennis but there’s plenty of love to go around… Yes, that pun was an unforced error on my part but let’s move on. When I used to have a gym membership, I tried my hand at some paid lessons. I got about 5 before I had to stop …
- Ex-NBA star Dennis Rodman accused of stealing from a yoga studio
Rodman also accused of namastealing more than $3,500 worth of merchandise with accomplices. This is… something. A yoga studio called Vibes Hot Yoga is alleging a theft of over $3.5k worth of merch including a 400lb crystal by none other than Dennis Rodman. Yes, former Chicago Bulls power forward, Hall of Famer, 5× NBA champion, …
- champman0102.co.uk release March 2019 Update
The popular CM01/02 update team always have their finger on the pulse.
- 5 of the weirdest sports in the UK
From shin-kicking in the Cotswolds to the Kirkwall Ba’ Game in Orkney, there are some odds sports in Great Britain.
- The Cruijffbal Challenge #4
Welcome to my fourth season update of The Cruijffbal Challenge. Prologue | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 We all have principles or codes we live by. Some are indoctrinated into us, others are picked up over time. I always start with a specific tactic when I play 01/02. It’s called Mentalist and …
- MLB pitchers are throwing fewer fastballs than ever before
It’s all about the change up for pitchers in the major leagues.
- Converse Present The All Star Pro BB
The classic shoe gets a modern revamp to bring Converse back into the basketball footwear game. It’s been decades since pro ballers threw on pairs of Converse All Stars to play basketball. Nowadays, Nike dominates the market and have created a multi-billion dollar market on Air Jordans alone. But the OG’s are ready to get …
- Finland – the home of the Hobby Horse Championship
Enthusiasts join together once a year for the hobby horse tournament.
- How Hard Can You Hit a Golf Ball?
Ever wondered how hard you can hit a golf ball? Read on & find out at speeds of over 500mph! Warning: a watermelon was harmed in the making of this experiment.
- Caster Semenya: An Appreciation Post
F*ck the haters, this post is all about celebrating Caster Semenya, a superb athlete who runs in the face of adversity.
- Eric Cantona’s Meaning of Life
A poignant tale of life and circumstances from Eric Cantona is the epitome of the man. Read on to find out what his meaning of life represents.
- 10 Minutes of Trick Plays In American Football
From lateral passes to faked field goals, these trick plays are one-of-a-kind. I’ve not watched any American football since Kaepernick was blacklisted but I still enjoy watching the odd video. This one is a compilation of the best trick plays in American football. I admit some of them gave me goosebumps, particularly the faked field …
- Counter Attack: the new football game for the kitchen table
No need to use salt and pepper shakers for your offside rule explanations. Counter Attack is the latest in table-top footie action.
- The Cruijffbal Challenge #3
Welcome to my third season update of The Cruijffbal Challenge. Prologue | Part 1 | Part 2 Well, Season 3 didn’t go as planned. They say you’re only good as your last game and that kind of summed us up. Kind of. The bad news is we didn’t get promoted but the good news is …
- Luton Town Under-8s beat Juventus to win the International Cup
Luton Town’s seniors aren’t the only team to win big this season. I’ve lived in Luton most of my life. I even worked for Luton Town behind the bar, so this story has a special place in my heart. Luton Town’s Under-8s beat Juventus 6-1 in the International Cup final in Dortmund on Sunday. Not …
- The Cruijffbal Challenge #2
Welcome to my second season update of The Cruijffbal Challenge. Prologue | Part 1 After your first full season at a club, you start to get a feel for what works and what doesn’t. Who your favourites are and who can go. When to change the system and when to give it time. I needed …
- Weird MLB Logos
From elephants to friars, here are some of the weirdest logos in MLB history. We love a cool sports logo. Whether it’s the ice hockey logos of Mexico or the development of Minnesota Vikings’ uniform in the 60s, you have to admire the craftsmanship. But there is an ugly side to sports logo design. MLB looked at …
- VAR is Revolution!
In his first article for Playrface, Timóteo Corça tells us why VAR is a good thing despite the controversy surrounding it.
- Snooker starlet Oliver Sykes is one to watch
The 12-year-old wants to emulate the likes of Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan. I remember growing up I got a mini snooker table. It was a Steve Davis endorsed table and I played it all the time. I even copied his bridge hand. I played with my dad on real tables but they dried up …
- The Cruijffbal Challenge #1
Welcome to my first season update of The Cruijffbal Challenge. If you have no idea what that is, check out my prologue/primer to get up to speed. Given how I long I’ve played Championship Manager, I’m used to the English football league system so promotions are much easier at the start. That’s less a boast …
- Happy Birthday Eurosport! Promos from 1990 (VIDEO)
Eurosport has come on leaps and bounds since it started on 5th February 1989. Here are some promos from their first birthday. I’m a nerd for 90s TV adverts and idents. Although the 00s were my teenage years, I still remember the 90s fondly as a young child. I only had cable TV until I …
- The Cruijffbal Challenge – Prologue
A new year brings a new challenge, combining the economics of Moneyball and wisdom of Johan Cruijff. Together they become Cruijffbal.
- 10 Sports Writers You Should Follow On Twitter
It all started with a simple question that I didn’t answer properly.
- Who is Bianca Andreescu?
The Canadian tennis player made waves when she reached the Auckland Open final, beating the likes of Venus and Wozniacki along the way. Now she’s making her way through the Australian Open.
- WWE’s Most Hilarious Blunders with Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson
Gallows and Anderson look through some of the funniest blooper in WWE history. At some point in your life, you must have seen some form of WWE/F or WCW or at least heard about it. With those brands comes a unique style of entertainment; sports entertainment to be exact. And because it’s entertainment, there are …
- NBA Christmas Commercials from 2012 to 2016
The NBA is famous for its Christmas Day fixtures. But American sports wouldn’t be American sports without a flash commercial. SportsOMG uploaded five NBA Christmas commercials from 2012 to 2016 starring modern greats such as Lebron James, Steph Curry, James Harden, and Kawhi Leonard (because that laugh is great). But more importantly, these commercials give …
- Soccer Games For The SNES
Don’t scoff at “soccer” – the word originated in Britain before it travelled to the US. One thing that didn’t originate in Britain, however, was the SNES or Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Known as the Super Famicom in Japan, the SNES gained a new lease of life in 2017 when Nintendo released the Super NES …
- A Christmas Team #1 – Football
In our new seasonal series, we create Christmas-themed teams out of team sports. Our first edition stars a festive football starting XI.
- Happy 17th Birthday, Championship Manager 01/02
It was actually yesterday but Championship Manager 01/02, the best football management of all time, is now 17 years old. Here is listicle of tips, players, downloads, and articles about the great game.
- Why do so many Swedish names end in -qvist?
The World Cup is long gone and this isn’t specifically football related but curiosity got the better of me. I wanted to know why so many Swedish names ended in -qvist.
- The Luckiest Strike Ever
Sometimes, a gutter ball isn’t truly a gutter ball as this bowler shows. I’ve always wanted this to happen to me but while I wait, I can bask in someone else’s glory. The bowler’s throw landed right in the gutter and as far as everyone was concerned, that was the end of the round. But …
- Weird Rules with Darüşşafaka and Maccabi in EuroLeague Basketball
When Darüşşafaka and Maccabi met in their second league match – level in the league – a point differential helped decide the outcome and lead to some weird ass plays. I love weird rule quirks in sports (as long as they don’t affect my team losing) and this is especially peculiar. In Series 2 Episode 2 of …
- Who is Ebenezer Cobb Morley and why does he have a Google Doodle?
One English sportsman and solicitors brought his law skills to the beautiful game and his name was Ebenezer Cobb Morley.
- Cycling in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Goma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is home to a group of local cycling fans who took to their bikes after a volcanic eruption in the city in 2002.
- The Most Interesting Plays In MLB History
Baseball is an intriguing sport. I admit I know little to nothing about it besides watching the film Moneyball.
- The Numbers Game: Serena Williams
Serena Williams is the GOAT for a reason. Here are some of the numbers behind it.
- 4 Ways To Reduce FMF (Football Manager Fatigue)
I am terrible for starting new Football Manager saves and never finishing them. Here are 4 tips to beat Football Manager fatigue.
- Why do all the Croatian’s men’s names end in -ić?
It’s a question my mum references every time a Serb-Croat appears on the TV. I never knew the answer so naturally I Googled it.
- Strokes of Genius: Federer v Nadal
What’s that, ANOTHER Federer/Nadal article? Yes, it is. But Strokes of Genius is a must-see documentary for anyone interested in tennis.
- This or That #2: Dave Black aka @CM9798
Our next interviewee for “This or That” is Championship Manager 97/98 enthusiast, Dave Black.
- This or That #1: Jon Mackenzie
In our new series “This or That”, we ask the important questions to a variety of people in sport. Our first volunteer is sports writer Jon Mackenzie.
- 5 World Cup Records Up For Grabs In Russia
The FIFA World Cup started today and with such a prestigious tournament steeped in history, we selected 5 records that could be broken in Russia.
- 100 Wimbledon Championship Points From The Open Era
Wimbledon has compiled a video of all 100 championship-winning points since 1968 when the Open Era began.
- Sloane Stephens as a teenager in 2011
Trans World Sport has a knack for profiling future champions. Here’s Sloane Stephens back in 2011 as an upcoming teenager.
- 2018 FIFA World Cup Retro Posters
UK design studio ∆ Studio—JQ ∆ have created some beautiful retro posters for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
- Afewee Football Academy – A Sporting Path Towards Discipline
Afewee Football Academy, created by head coach Steadman Scott and Tony Goldring, has produced over 40 professional footballers including Nathaniel Clyne.
- Pennarello Creates Imaginary Album Covers For Famous Footballers
Pennarello (real name James Campbell Taylor) is a British graphic designer based in New York and his LPFC project marries football and music.
- Rafael Nadal – The God of Clay
As a Roger Federer fan, it was customary to dislike Nadal or at least see him as a bitter rival over the years. But my heart has warmed to him as both players have gotten older. Not many expected Nadal’s dominance on clay to continue after two consecutive years without winning, in 2015 and 2016 …
- My All-Time French/Spanish/Portuguese XI
I recently clocked 100 consecutive days on Duolingo, where I’m learning French, Spanish, and Portuguese.
- England vs. Nigeria (1994)
England and Nigeria had contrasting summers in 1994. Here’s what happened when they met for a friendly after USA ’94.
- Cyrille Regis (1958–2018)
Thanks for the memories, Cyrille. A true Black British footballing pioneer.
- How The Minnesota Vikings Got Their Uniform in 1961
Whenever I’ve looked at old gridiron uniforms, I’ve admired their timeless designs. Here’s how the Minnesota Vikings got theirs.
- The fascinating world of ten pin bowling and oil patterns
I’m very inconsistent when it comes to bowling.
- 4 Incredible Mexican Ice Hockey Logos
Check out these brilliant logos from the four teams in Mexico’s ice hockey league.
- Brutal Fate: The Unknown Future of Valencia’s Nou Mestalla
A club of Valencia’s stature needs a strong structure. The future of Nou Mestalla remains unsteady.
- No One’s Inter Us – The Other Leipzig Club #3
Welcome to Part 3 of No One’s Inter Us – The Other Leipzig Club.
- No One’s Inter Us – The Other Leipzig Club #2
Welcome to Part 2 of No One’s Inter Us – The Other Leipzig Club
- No One’s Inter Us – The Other Leipzig Club
A new day and a new Championship Manager save – this time with Inter Leipzig in Germany. Here’s how it all started.
- Cheong-Eui Kim is an Ambidextrous Tennis Player
Left hand, right hand, what difference does it make? Kim Cheong-Eui is officially right-handed but can play left-handed forehands and serves as well.
- Friendly fire? Russia shoot at the wrong hoop vs. Spain in the FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup
How kind of them.
- 10 minutes of tennis players getting hit by their opponents
New balls, please?
- Interview with Blonde-Haired Roger Federer in 1999
Can you imagine this Roger Federer on the front of GQ Magazine?
- The Remarkable Achievements of Althea Gibson
Althea Gibson fought through the racism of mid-century America to become one of women’s tennis greats.
- WWE Moves In The Pool
RKO outta nowhere!
- Spaceball: the forgotten sport of the future
Spaceball combined the rules and athleticism of volleyball, basketball, and trampolining but it never became the sport its inventor had hoped.
- Arsene Wenger Makes It Seven, But Here’s His First FA Cup Win
The erudite professor of Arsenal Football Club may not be manager by this time next week but Arsene Wenger has a lot to be pleased with.
- Peter Ebdon used to be quick and had a ponytail in the 1990s
No, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. That is actually Peter Ebdon with a ponytail.
- On This Day In 1997, Tiger Woods Won His First Major
13th April 1997. A tremor reverberated throughout the golfing world. His name was Tiger Woods.
- 10 of Roger Federer’s best commercials
He’s a natural.