Copyright © 2015 Bert N. Langford (Images may be subject to copyright. Please send feedback)
Welcome to Our Generation USA!

This Web Page covers all forms of  
Sports,
whether physical or mental in nature, amateur or pro, and including any sport's championship game and sanctioning body/ies, as well as the greatest athletes of each Sport.

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Sports in the United States 

[Webhost Note: While this Wikipedia topic covers traditional sports (e.g. baseball, football, basketball, etc.), note that this web page also includes other sports, e.g., Chess and others which may also have a governing or sanctioning body for competitive awards]

​​Pictured:  
LEFT: Major League Baseball (MLB) --  Yogi Berra jumping into the arms of Don Larsen (New York Yankees) upon winning the only perfect World Series Game (#5) during the 1956 World Series game with the Brooklyn Dodgers: the Yankees won the game, (2 to 0) and the Series (4-3);
​RIGHT: National Football League (NFL)  Superbowl XIII (Pittsburg Steelers 35 and Dallas Cowboys 31): as reported by NFL.Com: "The great ones never lose, they just run out of time. That's what happened to Roger Staubach in Super Bowl XIII, who overcame the most famous drop -- Jackie Smith's in the end zone -- in NFL history..." 

Sports in the United States





Sports in the United States are an important part of the country's culture. Based on revenue, the four major professional sports leagues in the United States are Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Football League (NFL), and the National Hockey League (NHL).

All four enjoy wide-ranging domestic media coverage and are considered the preeminent leagues in their respective sports in the world, although only basketball, baseball, and ice hockey have substantial followings in other nations. Three of those leagues have teams that represent Canadian cities, and all four are among the most financially lucrative sports leagues in the world.

Professional teams in all major sports in the U.S. operate as franchises within a league, meaning that a team may move to a different city if the owners believe financial benefit, but franchise moves are usually subject to some form of league-level approval.

All major sports leagues use a similar type of regular season schedule with a playoff tournament after the regular season ends. In addition to the major league-level organizations, several sports also have professional minor leagues, active in smaller cities across the country.

Sports leagues in the United States are also unique in that they do not practice promotion and relegation, unlike sports leagues in Europe and almost all other parts of the world (with Australia the only other major sporting country that does not use the promotion/relegation model).

Sports are particularly associated with education in the United States, with most high schools and universities having organized sports. College sports competitions play an important role in the American sporting culture, and college football and college basketball are as popular as professional sports in some parts of the country. The major sanctioning body for college sports is the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
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Featured below are two amazing feats in Basketball and Olympic Hockey:

"The Greatest Shot in National Basketball Association (NBA) History": As Reported by Time Magazine: "A moment so sublime they coined a phrase for it. "The Shot" refers to arguably the greatest basketball player in history, Michael ("Air") Jordan, shooting arguably one of the most dramatic buzzer beaters in the history of the sport.

​His Chicago Bulls had been trailing the Cleveland Cavaliers for the entire duration of the fifth game of the first round of the NBA Playoffs; but with six seconds to go, a Jordan jumper put the Bulls in a 99-98 lead. Cleveland came back and it was 99-100 with 3.2 seconds to go. Let's go to commentator Jim Durham...”: (click for Rest of Article)

Click Here for YouTube Video of Michael Jordan - The Last Shot! Last minute of the 1998 NBA Finals


​The "Miracle on Ice" is the name in American popular culture for a medal-round men's ice hockey game during the 1980 Winter Olympics at Lake Placid, New York, on Friday, February 22. The United States national team, made up of amateur and collegiate players and led by coach Herb Brooks, defeated the Soviet Union national team, which had won the gold medal in six of the seven previous Olympic games.

Team USA went on to win the gold medal by winning its last match over Finland. The Soviet Union took the bronze medal by beating Sweden in its final game. In 1999, Sports Illustrated named the "Miracle on Ice" the Top Sports Moment of the 20th Century.  As part of its 100th anniversary celebrations in 2008, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) chose the "Miracle on Ice" as the century's number-one international ice hockey story.

To see Video, click here: Final Minute of the "Miracle on Ice"







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​Sports including Amateur Sports Pictured: About the Amateur Athletic Union
Sports including Amateur Sports
Sport includes all forms of competitive physical activity or games which, through casual or organised participation, at least in part aim to use, maintain or improve physical ability and skills while providing enjoyment to participants, and in some cases, entertainment for spectators.

Hundreds of sports exist, from those between single contestants, through to those with hundreds of simultaneous participants, either in teams or competing as individuals. In certain sports such as racing, many contestants may compete, simultaneously or consecutively, with one winner; in others, the contest (a match) is between two sides, each attempting to exceed the other.

Some sports allow a "tie" or "draw", in which there is no single winner; others provide tie-breaking methods to ensure one winner and one loser. A number of contests may be arranged in a tournament producing a champion. Many sports leagues make an annual champion by arranging games in a regular sports season, followed in some cases by playoffs.

Sport is generally recognised as system of activities which are based in physical athleticism or physical dexterity, with the largest major competitions such as the Olympic Games admitting only sports meeting this definition, and other organisations such as the Council of Europe using definitions precluding activities without a physical element from classification as sports. However, a number of competitive, but non-physical, activities claim recognition as mind sports.

The International Olympic Committee (through ARISF) recognises both chess and bridge as bona fide sports, and SportAccord, the international sports federation association, recognises five non-physical sports: bridge, chess, draughts (checkers), Go and xiangqi, and limits the number of mind games which can be admitted as sports.

Sport is usually governed by a set of rules or customs, which serve to ensure fair competition, and allow consistent adjudication of the winner. Winning can be determined by physical events such as scoring goals or crossing a line first. It can also be determined by judges who are scoring elements of the sporting performance, including objective or subjective measures such as technical performance or artistic impression.

Records of performance are often kept, and for popular sports, this information may be widely announced or reported in sport news. Sport is also a major source of entertainment for non-participants, with spectator sport drawing large crowds to sport venues, and reaching wider audiences through broadcasting. Sport betting is in some cases severely regulated, and in other cases is central to the sport.

According to A.T. Kearney, a consultancy, the global sporting industry is worth up to $620 billion as of 2013. The world's most accessible and practiced sport is running, while association football is the most popular spectator sport.

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Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. The distinction is made between amateur sporting participants and professional sporting participants, who are paid for the time they spend competing and training.

In the majority of sports which feature professional players, the professionals will participate at a higher standard of play than amateur competitors, as they can train full-time without the stress of having another job. The majority of worldwide sporting participants are amateurs.

Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports and monetisation of amateur and collegiate sports, and is now strictly held as an ideal by fewer and fewer organisations governing sports, even as they maintain the word "amateur" in their titles.

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Bowling
YouTube Video of PBA Bowling | Pro's converting huge splits.
​Pictured: LEFT: Bowler in Motion; RIGHT: Bowling Leagues (Wonderbowl.com)

Bowling
Bowling refers to a series of sports or leisure activities in which a player rolls or throws a bowling ball towards a target. In pin bowling variations, the target is usually to knock over pins at the end of a lane.

When all the pins are knocked down on the first roll, this is a strike. In target variations, the aim is usually to get the ball as close to a mark as possible. The pin version of bowling is often played on a flat wooden or other synthetic surface (which can be oiled in different patterns for different techniques), while in target bowling, the surface may be grass, gravel or a synthetic surface. 

The most common types of pin bowling include: 
Today the sport of bowling is played by 100 million people in more than 90 countries worldwide (including 70 million in the United States), and continues to grow through entertainment media such as video games for home consoles and handheld devices.

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Boxing including a List of Undisputed Champions
YouTube Video of Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier (III) 1975-10-01 "Thrilla in Manila"
​Pictured: LEFT: Joe Louis: The longest reigning heavyweight champion (World Heavyweight Championship (11 years, 8 months, 8 days); RIGHT: “The Rumble in the Jungle” (1974) (see video below) pitting undefeated world heavyweight champion George Foreman against challenger Muhammad Ali, a former heavyweight champion. Ali won by knockout, putting Foreman down just before the end of the eighth round. It has been called "arguably the greatest sporting event of the 20th century".

Boxing
Click here for a List of undisputed boxing champions

Boxing is a combat sport in which two people wearing protective gloves throw punches at each other for a predetermined set of time in a boxing ring.

Amateur boxing is both an Olympic and Commonwealth Games sport and is a common fixture in most international games—it also has its own World Championships.

Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of one- to three-minute intervals called rounds. The result is decided when an opponent is deemed incapable to continue by a referee, is disqualified for breaking a rule, resigns by throwing in a towel, or is pronounced the winner or loser based on the judges' scorecards at the end of the contest.

In the event that both fighters gain equal scores from the judges, the fight is considered a draw (professional boxing). In Olympic boxing, due to the fact that a winner must be declared, in the case of a draw - the judges use technical criteria to choose the most deserving winner of the bout.

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Extreme Sports: Rock Climbing
YouTube Video of EXTREME Climbing Chris Sharma AMAZING
​Pictured: LEFT: Man holding on while climbing a ledge; RIGHT: Lady using a rope to climb a rock.

Extreme Sports: Rock Climbing
Rock climbing is an activity in which participants climb up, down or across natural rock formations or artificial rock walls.

The goal is to reach the summit of a formation or the endpoint of a usually pre-defined route without falling. Due to the length and extended endurance required and because accidents are more likely to happen on descent than ascent, Rock Climbers do not usually climb back down the route.

It is very rare for a climber to downclimb, especially on the larger multiple pitches (class III- IV and /or multi-day grades IV-VI climbs).

Professional Rock climbing competitions have the objectives of either completing the route in the quickest possible time or attaining the farthest point on an increasingly difficult route. Scrambling, another activity involving the scaling of hills and similar formations, is similar to rock climbing. However, rock climbing is generally differentiated by its sustained use of hands to support the climber's weight as well as to provide balance.

Rock climbing is a physically and mentally demanding sport, one that often tests a climber's strength, endurance, agility and balance along with mental control. It can be a dangerous activity and knowledge of proper climbing techniques and usage of specialized climbing equipment is crucial for the safe completion of routes.

Because of the wide range and variety of rock formations around the world, rock climbing has been separated into several different styles and sub-disciplines.

Click here for further amplification of Rock Climbing Styles, Types, Techniques, etc.







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Extreme Sports: Mountain Climbing (or "Mountaineering")
YouTube Video of Mt. Everest 2009 - Summit of Mt Everest
​Pictured: LEFT: Climber at top of steep and narrow rock formation; and RIGHT: Photo taken on Sept. 29, 2005 shows several mountain-climbing lovers climbing Mt. Chitzi, photo from Xinhua.

Extreme Sports: Mountain Climbing



The term mountaineering describes the sport of mountain climbing, including ski mountaineering. Hiking in the mountains can also be a simple form of mountaineering when it involves scrambling, or short stretches of the more basic grades of rock climbing, as well as crossing glaciers.

While mountaineering began as attempts to reach the highest point of unclimbed big mountains it has branched into specializations that address different aspects of the mountain and consists of three (3) areas: rock-craft, snow-craft, and skiing, depending on whether the route chosen is over rock, snow or ice. All require experience, athletic ability, and technical knowledge to maintain safety.

Mountaineering is often called Alpinism, especially in European languages, which implies climbing with difficulty such high, and often snow and ice-covered mountains as the Alps. A mountaineer with such great skill is called an Alpinist.

The word alpinism was born in the 19th century to refer to climbing for the purpose of enjoying climbing itself as a sport or recreation, distinct from merely climbing while hunting or as a religious pilgrimage that had been done generally at that time.

The UIAA or Union Internationale des Associations d'Alpinisme is the world governing body in mountaineering and climbing, addressing issues like access, medical, mountain protection, safety, youth and ice climbing.

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Handball
​YouTube Video of  “Handball Women | The Best”
Pictured: LEFT: 3 Outdoor Handball Courts in use; RIGHT: European Handball Federation: Spanish Women’s Team beach ball.

Handball


Handball (also known as team handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outfield players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the goal of the other team. A standard match consists of two periods of 30 minutes, and the team that scores more goals wins.

Modern handball is played on a court 40 by 20 metres (131 by 66 ft), with a goal in the middle of each end. The goals are surrounded by a 6-meter (20 ft) zone where only the defending goalkeeper is allowed; goals must be scored by throwing the ball from outside the zone or while "jumping" into it.

The sport is usually played indoors, but outdoor variants exist in the forms of field handball and Czech handball (which were more common in the past) and beach handball.

The game is fast and high-scoring: professional teams now typically score between 20 and 35 goals each, though lower scores were not uncommon until a few decades ago. Body contact is permitted by the defenders trying to stop the attackers from approaching the goal.

The game was codified at the end of the 19th century in northern Europe and Germany. The modern set of rules was published in 1917 in Germany, and had several revisions since. The first international games were played under these rules for men in 1925 and for women in 1930.

Men's handball was first played at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin as outdoors, and the next time at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich as indoors, and has been an Olympic sport since. Women's team handball was added at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

The International Handball Federation was formed in 1946, and as of 2013 has 174 member federations. The sport is most popular in continental Europe, whose countries have won all medals but one in men's world championships since 1938, and all women's titles until 2013, when Brazil broke the series. The game also enjoys popularity in the Far East, North Africa and Brazil.

Click here for amplification about American Handball.





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List of Equestrian Sports​ including the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Horse Racing
YouTube of Secretariat's  record breaking win during the third and final race of the 1973 Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes!
​Pictured: LEFT: Harness Racing and RIGHT: American Pharoah winning the Triple Crown at the  Belmont Stakes (2015)​

Equestrian Sports
Click here to access the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Horse Racing.

Equestrian Sports are sports that use horses as a main part of the sport. This usually takes the form of the rider being on the horse's back, or the horses pulling some sort of horse-drawn vehicle.

Equestrian Sports include:
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Offshore Powerboat Racing
YouTube Video: Class 1 Qatar CRASH/FLIP And Victory saves it....!! powerboat offshore
​Pictured: CLASS ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POWERBOATS, IBIZA – 5TH TO 7TH SEPTEMBER 2014 – PLATJA D’EN BOSSA.

Offshore Powerboat Racing

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Offshore powerboat racing is a type of racing by ocean-going powerboats, typically point-to-point racing.

In Europe, Middle East and Asia, offshore powerboat racing is led by the Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) regulated Class 1 and Powerboat GPS (formerly known as Powerboat P1) 

​In the USA, offshore powerboat racing is led by the APBA/UIM and consists of races hosted by OPA Racing, OSS, and P1.

​The sport is financed by a mixture of private funding and commercial sponsors.







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Air Racing
YouTube Video of Ultimate 500 MPH Experience at Reno Air Races High Speed Pylon Flybys
Pictured: LEFT: T 6 Gold Start passing the finish pylon at the 2014 Reno Air Races; and RIGHT: Thom Richard Wins First Round of 2015 Air Race 1 World Cup (Flying Magazine)

Air Racing


Air racing is a motorsport that involves airplanes competing over a fixed course, with the winner either returning the shortest time, the one to complete it with the most points, or to come closest to a previously estimated time.

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Ice Skating
YouTube Video: Simply The Best. Pairs Figure Skating!!
​Pictured: LEFT: Couple at University of Delaware Ice Arenas; RIGHT: Skate below the famous Christmas tree at the Rink at Rockefeller Center (Photo: Peter Cruise/Flickr CC)

Ice Skating



Ice skating is the act of moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including exercise, leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared ice surfaces (arenas, tracks, parks), both indoors and outdoors, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as ponds, lakes and rivers.

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Jai alai
YouTube Video of ​The Fastest Game in the World - Jai-Alai
Pictured: LEFT: Playing Jai Lai in a Court: RIGHT: Woven Jai alai Mitt used to catch and throw the ball.

Jai alai


Jai alai is a sport involving a ball bounced off a walled space by accelerating it to high speeds with a hand-held device (cesta). It is a variation of Basque pelota. The term, coined by Serafin Baroja in 1875, is also often loosely applied to the fronton (the open-walled playing area) where the sport is played. The game is called "zesta-punta" (basket tip) in Basque.

The Basque Government promotes jai alai as "the fastest sport in the world" because of the ball speed. The sport once held the world record for ball speed with a 125–140 g ball covered with goatskin that traveled at 302 km/h (188 mph), performed by José Ramón Areitio at the Newport Rhode Island Jai Alai, until it was broken by Canadian 5-time long drive champion Jason Zuback on a 2007 episode of Sport Science with a golf ball speed of 328 km/h (204 mph).

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Kite Flying
YouTube Video of Amazing KITE Flying!
​Pictured: LEFT: Spectators watch a large killer whale kite during the annual Festival of the Winds held at Bondi Beach, on September 12, 2004 in Sydney, Australia; RIGHT: Kite-flying as a competitive sport (courtesy of NJ.com).

Kite Flying
A kite is traditionally a tethered heavier-than-air craft with wing surfaces that react against the air to create lift and drag. A kite consists of wings, tethers, and anchors. Kites often have a bridle to guide the face of the kite at the correct angle so the wind can lift it.

A kite's wing also may be so designed so a bridle is not needed; when kiting a sailplane for launch, the tether meets the wing at a single point. A kite may have fixed or moving anchors. Untraditionally in technical kiting, a kite consists of tether-set-coupled wing sets; even in technical kiting, though, a wing in the system is still often called the kite.

The lift that sustains the kite in flight is generated when air flows around the kite's surface, producing low pressure above and high pressure below the wings. The interaction with the wind also generates horizontal drag along the direction of the wind. The resultant force vector from the lift and drag force components is opposed by the tension of one or more of the lines or tethers to which the kite is attached.

The anchor point of the kite line may be static or moving (e.g., the towing of a kite by a running person, boat, free-falling anchors as in paragliders and fugitive parakites or vehicle).

The same principles of fluid flow apply in liquids and kites are also used under water.

A hybrid tethered craft comprising both a lighter-than-air balloon as well as a kite lifting surface is called a kytoon.

Kites have a long and varied history and many different types are flown individually and at festivals worldwide. Kites may be flown for recreation, art or other practical uses. Sport kites can be flown in aerial ballet, sometimes as part of a competition. 

Power kites are multi-line steerable kites designed to generate large forces which can be used to power activities such as kite surfing, kite landboarding, kite fishing, kite buggying and a new trend snow kiting. Even Man-lifting kites have been made.

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Hot Air Balloons
YouTube Video of Reno Hot Air Balloon Race 2006 - GBTimelapse
​Pictured: LEFT: Hot Air Balloon Festival Courtesy of Mike Jones Photography; RIGHT: “My wife's bucket list included a hot air balloon ride, which we did last fall.” (http://www.stanleylearystoryteller.com/)

Hot Air Balloon
Hot air ballooning is the activity of flying hot air balloons. Attractive aspects of ballooning include the exceptional quiet (except when the propane burners are firing), the lack of a feeling of movement, and the bird's-eye view. Since the balloon moves with the direction of the winds, the passengers feel absolutely no wind, except for brief periods during the flight when the balloon climbs or descends into air currents of different direction or speed.

Modern hot air ballooning was born in 1960, when Ed Yost launched a balloon with a new nylon envelope and propane burner system of his own invention. Yost's first balloon was basketless, with nothing but a seat for him to ride on, but in a few years he and other balloon enthusiasts would develop balloons much like the ones used today.

Today, hot air balloons are used primarily for recreation. According to the FAA's General Aviation Survey data, in 2012, there were about 2,300 personally owned and flown balloons, and about 495 commercial "sight-seeing" ride operators in the United States.

Since piloting a balloon requires some effort (licensing and purchase of equipment), many people opt to purchase a balloon flight from a company offering balloon rides. Balloon rides are available in many locations around the world and are especially popular in tourist areas.

Balloon festivals are a great way to see hot air balloons close up, and are an enjoyable family outing. Balloon festivals usually include other activities like live entertainment, amusement rides, etc

Hot air balloons are able to fly to extremely high altitudes. On November 26, 2005, Vijaypat Singhania set the world altitude record for highest hot air balloon flight, reaching 21,290 meters (69,852 feet). He took off from downtown Mumbai, India and landed 240 km (150 mi) south in Panchale.

The previous record of 19,811 meters (64,980 ft) had been set by Per Lindstrand on June 6, 1988 in Plano, Texas. However, as with all unpressurised aircraft, oxygen is needed for all crew and passengers on any balloon flight that reaches and exceeds an altitude of 12,500 feet (3810 metres).

On January 15, 1991, a balloon called the Pacific Flyer carrying Per Lindstrand (born in Sweden, but resident in the UK) and Richard Branson of the UK flew from Japan to Northern Canada, completing 7,671.91 km.

With a volume of 74,000 m³ (2,600,000 ft³), the balloon envelope was the largest ever built for a hot air craft. Designed to fly in the trans-oceanic jetstreams the Pacific Flyer recorded the highest ground speed for a manned balloon of 245 mph (394 km/h).

The distance record was broken on March 21, 1999 when the Breitling Orbiter 3 carrying Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones touched down in Egypt, having circumnavigated the globe and set records for duration (19 days, 21 hours and 55 minutes) and distance (46,759 km).

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Major League Baseball (MLB) including a List of World Series Champions and the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and its Members
YouTube Video of Don Larsen* pitching the only Perfect Game in a World Series (1956) with Yogi Berra**
*- Don Larsen
**-Yogi Berra
Pictured: LEFT: Barry Bonds, who holds the record for the most career home runs (762); RIGHT: Nolan Ryan, who holds the record for the most career strikeouts (5,714)

Major League Baseball
Click here for a List of World Series Champions.
Click here for the MLB Hall of Fame
Click here for a List of the MLB Hall of Fame Members

Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization, the oldest of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

A total of 30 teams now play in the American League (AL) and National League (NL), with 15 teams in each league.

The AL and NL operated as separate legal entities from 1901 and 1876 respectively. After cooperating but remaining legally separate entities since 1903, the leagues merged into a single organization led by the Commissioner of Baseball in 2000.

The organization also oversees Minor League Baseball, which comprises about 240 teams affiliated with the Major League clubs. With the World Baseball Softball Confederation, MLB manages the international World Baseball Classic tournament.

Baseball's first professional team was founded in Cincinnati in 1869, 30 years after Abner Doubleday (who has been credited) as inventing the game of baseball. The first few decades of professional baseball were characterized by rivalries between leagues and by players who often jumped from one team or league to another.

The period before 1920 in baseball was known as the dead-ball era; players rarely hit home runs during this time.

Baseball survived a conspiracy to fix the 1919 World Series, which came to be known as the Black Sox Scandal. The sport rose in popularity in the 1920s, and survived potential downturns during the Great Depression and World War II. Shortly after the war, baseball's color barrier was broken by Jackie Robinson.

The 1950s and 1960s were a time of expansion for the AL and NL, then new stadiums and artificial turf surfaces began to change the game in the 1970s and 1980s. Home runs dominated the game during the 1990s, and media reports began to discuss the use of anabolic steroids among Major League players in the mid-2000s.

In 2006, an investigation produced the Mitchell Report, which implicated many players in the use of performance-enhancing substances, including at least one player from each team.

Today, MLB is composed of thirty teams: twenty-nine in the United States and one in Canada. Teams play 162 games each season and five teams in each league advance to a four-round postseason tournament that culminates in the World Series, a best-of-seven championship series between the two league champions that dates to 1903.

Baseball broadcasts are aired on television, radio, and the Internet throughout North America and in several other countries throughout the world. MLB has the highest season attendance of any sports league in the world with more than 73 million spectators in 2015

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Hunting
YouTube Video Duck Hunting - Mallard Beat Down
​Pictured: LEFT: Hunter with a Stag Deer; RIGHT: hunting dogs stirring quail from their roost.

Hunting
Hunting is the practice of killing or trapping any animal, or pursuing or tracking it with the intent of doing so. Hunting wildlife or feral animals is most commonly done by humans for food, recreation, to remove predators that are dangerous to humans or domestic animals, or for trade.

Lawful hunting is distinguished from poaching, which is the illegal killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species. The species that are hunted are referred to as game or prey and are usually mammals and birds.

Hunting can also be a means of pest control. Hunting advocates state that hunting can be a necessary component of modern wildlife management, for example, to help maintain a population of healthy animals within an environment's ecological carrying capacity when natural checks such as predators are absent or very rare.

However, hunting has also heavily contributed to the endangerment, extirpation and extinction of many animals.

The pursuit, capture and release, or capture for food of fish is called fishing, which is not commonly categorized as a form of hunting. It is also not considered hunting to pursue animals without intent to kill them, as in wildlife photography, birdwatching, or scientific research activities which involve tranquilizing and/or tagging of animals or birds.

The practice of foraging or gathering materials from plants and mushrooms is also considered separate from hunting.

Skillful tracking and acquisition of an elusive target has caused the word hunt to be used in the vernacular as a metaphor, as in treasure hunting, "bargain hunting", and even "hunting down corruption and waste".

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Golf including a List of PGA Champions
YouTube Video of ​Golf hole in one compilation series Vol 2 - Golf's greatest hole in one shots EVER
​Pictured: LEFT: Playing the major championship golf courses: Pebble Beach; RIGHT: Fazio Golf Course at PGA National Florida.

Golf


Click here for a List of PGA Champions.

Golf is a club and ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible.

Golf, unlike most ball games, does not require a standardized playing area. The game is played on a course with an arranged progression of either nine or 18 holes.

Each hole on the course must contain a tee box to start from, and a putting green containing the actual hole or cup. There are other standard forms of terrain in between, such as the fairway, rough, and hazards, but each hole on a course is unique in its specific layout and arrangement.

Golf is played for the lowest number of strokes by an individual, known as stroke play, or the lowest score on the most individual holes in a complete round by an individual or team, known as match play. Stroke play is the most commonly seen format at all levels.

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Marathons including a List of Marathons in the United States
YouTube Video of Boston Marathon 2016
Pictured: LEFT: New York Marathon - If you’ve never seen it before, this is what 47,000 people racing the NY Marathon looks like. I’ll never forget when my high school coach first showed me a photo like this: Photo from Women Talk Sports; RIGHT: Meb Keflezighi crosses the finish line to win the Elite Men's division of the 2014 Boston Marathon. (Getty)

Marathons

Click here for a List of Marathons in the United States.

The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres (26.219 miles, or 26 miles 385 yards), usually run as a road race.

The marathon was one of the original modern Olympic events in 1896, though the distance did not become standardized until 1921. More than 500 marathons are held throughout the world each year, with the vast majority of competitors being recreational athletes as larger marathons can have tens of thousands of participants.

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Softball
YouTube Video of ​ISF Men's World Softball Championship Final Game - Black Sox vs Venezuela
Pictured: LEFT: Florida wins the 2014 Women's NCAA College World Series; RIGHT: Men’s 1989 Pan American Games

Softball
​Softball is a variant of baseball played with a larger ball on a smaller field. It was invented in 1887 in Chicago as an indoor game. It was at various times called indoor baseball, mush ball, playground, softball, kitten ball, because it was also played by women, ladies' baseball. The name softball was given to the game in 1926.

A tournament held in 1933 at the Chicago World's Fair spurred interest in the game. The Amateur Softball Association (ASA) of America (founded 1933) governs the game in the United States and sponsors annual sectional and World Series championships.

The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) regulates rules of play in more than 110 countries, including the United States and Canada; before the WBSC was formed in 2013, the International Softball Federation filled this role. Women's fastpitch softball became a Summer Olympic sport in 1996, but it (and baseball) were dropped in 2005 from the 2012 Games, to be reinstated in 2016 for the 2020 Games.

There are three types of softball:
  • In the most common type, slow-pitch softball, the ball, which can measure either 11 or 12 inches in circumference depending on the age and league, must arch on its path to the batter, and there are 10 players in a team.
  • In fastpitch softball, the pitch is fast, there are nine players on the field at one time, and bunting and stealing are permitted. 
  • Modified softball restricts the windmill windup of the pitcher, although the pitcher is allowed throw as hard as possible with the restricted back swing.

Softball rules vary somewhat from those of baseball. Two major differences are that the ball must be pitched underhand—from 46 ft (14 m) for men or 43 ft (13.1 m) for women as compared with 60.5 ft (18.4 m) in baseball—and that seven innings instead of nine consecutive regulation game.

Despite the name, the ball used in softball is not very soft. It is about 12 in (30.5 cm) in circumference (11 or 12 in for slow-pitch), which is 3 in (8 cm) larger than a baseball.

Softball recreational leagues for children often use an 11 inch ball. The infield in softball is smaller than on an adult or high school baseball diamond but identical to that used by Little League Baseball; each base is 60 ft (18 m) from the next, as opposed to baseball's 90 ft (27 m). Also the infield in fast pitch softball does not have grass verses baseball at any level that does have grass.

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Lacrosse
YouTube Video of the Best of Lacrosse
​Pictured: LEFT: Men's lacrosse match between Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (By Caroline Culler (User:Wgreaves) - Own work, Public Domain); RIGHT: Two locals in women's lacrosse Final Four | NJ.com

Lacrosse




Lacrosse is a contact team sport played between two teams using a small rubber ball (62.8–64.77 mm (2.472–2.550 in), 140–147 g (4.9–5.2 oz)) and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick.

The men's version is considered as a rough sport, with slashes and intense checks to the stick and body. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh designed to catch and hold the lacrosse ball. There are many different ways to put mesh on the head of the stick, also known as "stringing the stick."

Offensively, the objective of the game is to score by shooting the ball into an opponent's goal past the goalie, using the lacrosse stick to catch, cradle, and pass the ball to do so. Defensively, the objective is to keep the other team from scoring and to gain the ball through the use of stick checking and body contact or positioning.

The sport has four major types: 
The sport consists of four positions: midfield, attack, defense and goalie.

In field lacrosse, attack men are solely offensive players (except on the "ride", when the opposition tries to bring the ball upfield and attack men must stop them), defense men or defenders are solely defensive players (except when bringing up the ball, which is called a "clear"), the goalie is the last line of defense, directly defending the goal, and midfielders or "middies" can go anywhere on the field and play offense and defense, although in higher levels of lacrosse there are specialized offensive and defensive middies.

Long stick middies only play defense and come off of the field on offense.

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Karate
YouTube Video of Best Karate Fights*
*-- This Video is compilation of 4 great karate legends -: Kenji Midori, Francisco Filho, Kancho Matsui & Lechi Kurbanov.
​Pictured: LEFT: Defensive move (picture by Mullen Sports); RIGHT: Karate club full of fight as new belts are awarded.

Karate


Karate is a martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the indigenous martial arts of Ryukyu Islands literally "hand" in Okinawan) under the influence of Chinese martial arts, particularly Fujian White Crane. 

Karate is now predominantly a striking art using punching, kicking, knee strikes, elbow strikes and open-hand techniques such as knife-hands, spear-hands, and palm-heel strikes.

Historically, and in some modern styles, grappling, throws, joint locks, restraints, and vital-point strikes are also taught. A karate practitioner is called a "karateka".

Karate developed on the Ryukyu Islands in what is now Okinawa, Japan. It was brought to the Japanese mainland in the early 20th century during a time of cultural exchanges between the Japanese and the Chinese. It was systematically taught in Japan after the Taisho era. In 1922 the Japanese Ministry of Education invited Gichin Funakoshi to Tokyo to give a karate demonstration.

In 1924 Keio University established the first university karate club in mainland Japan and by 1932, major Japanese universities had karate clubs. In this era of escalating Japanese militarism, the name was changed from "Chinese hand" or "Tang hand") to "empty hand"), both of which are pronounced karate – to indicate that the Japanese wished to develop the combat form in Japanese style. After World War II, Okinawa became an important United States military site and karate became popular among servicemen stationed there.

The martial arts movies of the 1960s and 1970s served to greatly increase the popularity of martial arts around the world, and in English the word karate began to be used in a generic way to refer to all striking-based Oriental martial arts. Karate schools began appearing across the world, catering to those with casual interest as well as those seeking a deeper study of the art.

Shigeru Egami, Chief Instructor of Shotokan Dojo, opined that "the majority of followers of karate in overseas countries pursue karate only for its fighting techniques ... Movies and television ... depict karate as a mysterious way of fighting capable of causing death or injury with a single blow ... the mass media present a pseudo art far from the real thing."

Shoshin Nagamine said, "Karate may be considered as the conflict within oneself or as a life-long marathon which can be won only through self-discipline, hard training and one's own creative efforts."

On September 28, 2015, karate was featured on a shortlist along with baseball, softball, skateboarding, surfing, and sport climbing to be considered for inclusion in the 2020 Summer Olympics.

On June 1, 2016, the International Olympic Committee's executive board announced they were supporting the inclusion of all five sports (counting baseball and softball as only one sport) for inclusion in the 2020 Games.

Web Japan (sponsored by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs) claims there are 50 million karate practitioners worldwide, while the World Karate Federation claims there are 100 million practitioners around the world.

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Kickboxing
YouTube Video of KICKBOXING : USA vs FRANCE World Championships
​Pictured: Two examples of Kickboxing

Kickboxing
Kickboxing is a group of stand-up combat sports based on kicking and punching, historically developed from Karate, Muay Thai, Khmer Boxing, and Western boxing.

Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general fitness, or as a contact sport.

Japanese kickboxing originated in the 1960s, with competitions held since then. American kickboxing originated in the 1970s and was brought to prominence in September 1974, when the Professional Karate Association (PKA) held the first World Championships.

Historically, kickboxing can be considered a hybrid martial art formed from the combination of elements of various traditional styles. This approach became increasingly popular since the 1970s, and since the 1990s, kickboxing has contributed to the emergence of mixed martial arts via further hybridization with ground fighting techniques from Brazilian jiu-jitsu and folk wrestling.

There is no single international governing body. International governing bodies include:
among others. Consequently, there is no single kickboxing world championship, and champion titles are issued by individual promotions, such as K-1, Glory, SUPERKOMBAT, Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, among others.

Bouts organized under different governing bodies apply different rules, such as allowing the use of knees or clinching, etc.

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Judo
YouTube Video of Best of Judo
​Pictured: LEFT: Judo wrestling (Graciemag.com); and RIGHT: "Tiny warriors" learn art, philosophy of judo (Claremont-courier.com)

Judo
Judo was created as a physical, mental and moral pedagogy in Japan, in 1882, by Kanō Jigorō. It is generally categorized as a modern martial art which later evolved into a combat and Olympic sport.

Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the objective is to either throw or takedown an opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue an opponent with a pin, or force an opponent to submit with a joint lock or a choke. 

Strikes and thrusts by hands and feet as well as weapons defenses are a part of judo, but only in pre-arranged forms (kata) and are not allowed in judo competition or free practice (randori). A judo practitioner is called a judoka.

The philosophy and subsequent pedagogy developed for judo became the model for other modern Japanese martial arts that developed from koryū (traditional schools). The worldwide spread of judo has led to the development of a number of offshoots such as Sambo and Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

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Cricket
​YouTube Video of a World Cricket Championship Gameplay Trailer
​Pictured: LEFT: Female Cricket Player; RIGHT: Family Playing Cricket

Cricket


Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a cricket field, at the center of which is a rectangular 22-yard-long pitch with a wicket (a set of three wooden stumps) sited at each end.

One team, designated the batting team, attempts to score as many runs as possible, whilst their opponents field. Each phase of play is called an inning. After either ten batsmen have been dismissed or a set number of overs have been completed, the innings ends and the two teams then swap roles. The winning team is the one that scores the most runs, including any extras gained, during their one or two innings.

At the start of each game, two batsmen and eleven fielders enter the field of play. The play begins when a designated member of the fielding team, known as the bowler, delivers the ball from one end of the pitch to the other, towards a set of wooden stumps, in front of which stands one of the batsmen, known as the striker.

The striker's role is to prevent the ball from hitting the stumps by use of his bat, and simultaneously to strike it well enough to score runs. The other batsman, known as the non-striker, waits at the opposite end of the pitch near the bowler. The bowler's objectives are to prevent the scoring of runs and to dismiss the batsman. A dismissed batsman must leave the field, and a teammate replaces him at the crease.

The most common forms of dismissal are bowled, when the bowler hits the stumps directly with the ball, leg before wicket, when the batsman prevents the ball from hitting the stumps with his body instead of his bat, and caught, when the batsman hits the ball into the air and it is intercepted by a fielder before touching the ground.

Runs are scored by two main methods: either by hitting the ball hard enough for it to cross the boundary, or by the two batsmen swapping ends by each simultaneously running the length of the pitch in opposite directions whilst the fielders are retrieving the ball. If a fielder retrieves the ball quickly enough to put down the wicket with a batsman not having reached the crease at that end of the pitch, that batsman is dismissed (a run-out occurs). Adjudication is performed on the field by two umpires.

The laws of cricket are maintained by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). There are various formats ranging from Twenty20, played over a few hours with each team having a single innings of 20 overs (i.e. 120 deliveries), to Test cricket, played over five days with unlimited overs and the teams playing two innings apiece.

Traditionally cricketers play in all-white kit, but in limited overs cricket they wear club or team colours. In addition to the basic kit, some players wear protective gear to prevent injury caused by the ball, which is a hard, solid object made of compressed leather enclosing a cork core.

Although cricket's origins are uncertain, it is first recorded in south-east England in the 16th century. It spread globally with the expansion of the British Empire, leading to the first international matches in the mid-19th century. ICC, the game's governing body, has over 100 members, ten of which are full members who play Test cricket. 

Women's cricket, which is organised and played separately, has also achieved international standard. It is followed primarily in Australasia, Great Britain and Ireland, the Indian subcontinent, southern Africa and the West Indies.

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Motocross
​YouTube Video of FMF Hangtown Motocross Classic Race Highlights: James Stewart, Blake Baggett & More​
Pictured: LEFT: A motocross rider coming off a jump (By Adriskala - Traballo propio); and RIGHT: A Maico 360 cc with air-cooled engine and twin shock absorbers on the rear suspension.

Motocross
Motocross began to grow in popularity in the United States in the 1960s, During the late 1970s and early 1980s, Japanese motorcycle manufacturers presided over a boom period in motocross technology. The typical two-stroke air-cooled, twin-shock rear suspension machines gave way to machines that were water-cooled and fitted with single-shock absorber rear suspension.

​By 2003, increasingly stringent environmental laws in California forced some manufacturers to develop environmentally friendly four-stroke technology. By 2004, all the major manufacturers have begun competing with four-stroke machines. European firms also experienced a resurgence with Husqvarna, Husaberg, and KTM winning world championships with four-stroke machinery. The sport evolved with sub-disciplines such as stadium events known as supercross and arenacross held in indoor arenas. Classes were also created for all-terrain vehicles.

​Freestyle motocross (FMX) events where riders are judged on their jumping and aerial acrobatic skills have gained popularity, as well as supermoto, where motocross machines race on both tarmac and off road. Vintage motocross (VMX) events are held for motorcycles usually predating the 1975 model year. Many VMX races also include a "Post Vintage" portion, which usually includes bikes dating until 1983.


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Mountain Biking
YouTube Video of Enduro Mountain Bike - is Amazing 2014​
​Pictured: LEFT: Bike Routes around Lake Garda (VisitGarda.com); RIGHT: Woman riding mountain bike, Salt Flats, Utah

Mountain Biking



Mountain biking is the sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.

Mountain biking can generally be broken down into multiple categories: cross country, trail riding, all mountain (also referred to as "Enduro"), downhill, freeride and dirt jumping.

However, the majority of mountain biking falls into the categories of Trail and Cross Country riding styles.

This individual sport requires endurance, core strength and balance, bike handling skills, and self-reliance. Advanced riders pursue both steep technical descents and high incline climbs. In the case of freeriding, downhilling, and dirt jumping, aerial manoeuvres are performed off both natural features and specially constructed jumps and ramps.

Mountain biking can be performed almost anywhere from a back yard to a gravel road, but the majority of mountain bikers ride off-road trails, whether country back roads, fire roads, or singletrack (narrow trails that wind through forests, mountains, deserts, or fields). There are aspects of mountain biking that are more similar to trail running than regular bicycling.

Because riders are often far from civilization, there is a strong ethic of self-reliance in the sport. Riders learn to repair their broken bikes or flat tires to avoid being stranded miles from help. Many riders will carry a backpack, including a water bladder, containing all the essential tools and equipment for trailside repairs, and many riders also carry emergency supplies in the case of injury miles from outside help.

Club rides and other forms of group rides are common, especially on longer treks. A combination sport named mountain bike orienteering adds the skill of map navigation to mountain biking.







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NCAA College Bowl Games including Heisman Trophy Winners
YouTube Video Clemson vs Ohio State | Orange Bowl | ACC Football Highlights
Pictured: The Rose Bowl (Pasadena, CA: 2016) and the Orange Bowl (Miami Gardens, FL: 1968)

NCAA College Bowl Games
Click here for a list of Heisman Trophy Winners.

Six bowl games are currently part of the College Football Playoff, a selection system that creates bowl matchups involving twelve of the top-ranked teams in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. There are also a number of other college football postseason invitationals, as well as several all-star games.

For nearly a century, bowl games were the purview of only the very best teams, but a steady proliferation of new bowl games required 70 participating teams by the 2010–11 bowl season. With NCAA bylaw changes in 2010, teams no longer required a winning record (allowing any 6-6 team to participate), with a further change in August 2012 allowing teams with outright losing records (5-7) to be invited by the particular bowl's sponsoring agency.

For the 2015–16 bowl season, the number of team-competitive (excluding all-star) bowl games increased to 41 (including the College Football Playoff final game which matches two bowl game winners) requiring 80 teams to participate, of which 15 did not have a winning record.

Bowl games are not limited to the Bowl Subdivision; teams in the three lower divisions of the NCAA (the championship subdivision, and Divisions II and III) are also allowed to participate in bowl games.

The playoff structure in those three divisions discourages most high-caliber teams from participating in bowl games, as teams would rather contest for the national championship than play in a bowl game. The same basic guidelines for bowl eligibility apply for those contests.

As of 2015, one bowl game exists for the championship subdivision, three bowls serve Division II and none exist for teams in Division III (with the exception of the Stagg Bowl, which is not a bowl in the same sense but a name for the Division III playoff tournament's championship game).

Past and present community college bowl games, not sanctioned by the NCAA, are also listed.







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National Basketball Association (NBA) including the NBA Hall of Fame
YouTube Video of Michael Jordan - The Last Shot! Last minute of the 1998 NBA Finals
Pictured: LEFT: Two of today’s top NBA players: Standing side-by-side are LeBron James (when he was with the Miami Heat: he is now with the Cleveland Cavaliers) and Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers; RIGHT: Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson won 6 NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. (Getty)

National Basketball Association
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Click here the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame including Inductees.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America, and is widely considered to be the premier men's professional basketball league in the world.

It has 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada), and is an active member of USA Basketball (USAB), which is recognized by FIBA (also known as the International Basketball Federation) as the national governing body for basketball in the United States.

The NBA is one of the four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. NBA players are the world's best paid sportsmen, by average annual salary per player.

The league was founded in New York City on June 6, 1946, as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted the name National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949, after merging with its rival National Basketball League (NBL).

The league's several international as well as individual team offices are directed out of its head offices located in the Olympic Tower at 645 Fifth Avenue in New York City. NBA Entertainment and NBA TV studios are directed out of offices located in Secaucus, New Jersey.

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National Football League (NFL) including the Superbowl and Pro Football Hall of Fame and its Inductees​Pictured: LEFT: Dallas Cowboys vs. New York Giants ; RIGHT: Pittsburgh Steelers' Chris Rainey (22) runs for a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills.
National Football League



Click Here for the NFL Superbowl including Champions
Click Here for the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Click Here for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Inductees
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The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC). The NFL is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America, and the highest professional level of American football in the world.

The NFL's 17-week regular season runs from the week after Labor Day to the week after Christmas, with each team playing 16 games and having one bye week. Following the conclusion of the regular season, six teams from each conference (four division winners and two wild card teams) advance to the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament culminating in the Super Bowl, played between the champions of the NFC and AFC.

​Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance (67,591) of any professional sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States. The Super Bowl is among the biggest club sporting events in the world and individual Super Bowl games account for many of the most watched television programs in American history, all occupying the Nielsen's Top 5 tally of the all-time most watched U.S. television broadcasts by 2015. 

The NFL's executive officer is the commissioner, who has broad authority in governing the league.

The team with the most NFL championships is the Green Bay Packers with thirteen (nine NFL titles before the Super Bowl era, and four Super Bowl championships afterwards); the team with the most Super Bowl championships is the Pittsburgh Steelers with six. The current NFL champions are the Denver Broncos, who defeated the Carolina Panthers 24–10 in Super Bowl 50.

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National Hockey League (NHL) including Stanley Cup Championship and Winners
YouTube Video of ​Top 10 Wayne Gretzky Moments
​YouTube Video of NHL--  The 20 Best Hockey Goals ever seen!
Pictured: LEFT: Wayne Gretzky, considered the all-time best NHL Player (career 1979-1999); RIGHT: Chicago Blackhawks right wing Patrick Kane (88) takes a shot at Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask (40) while right wing Kris Versteeg (23) is up-ended by defenseman Dougie Hamilton (27) during the second period at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports.

National Hockey League

Click Here for Stanley Cup Finals
Click Here for a List of Stanley Cup Championships

The National Hockey League (NHL) is a professional ice hockey league composed of 30 member clubs: 23 in the United States and 7 in Canada. Headquartered in New York City, the NHL is considered to be the premier professional ice hockey league in the world, and one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada. The Stanley Cup, the oldest professional sports trophy in North America, is awarded annually to the league playoff champion at the end of each season.

The National Hockey League was organized on November 26, 1917, in Montreal, Quebec after the suspension of operations of its predecessor organization, the National Hockey Association (NHA), which had been founded in 1909 in Renfrew, Ontario.

The NHL immediately took the NHA's place as one of the leagues that contested for the Stanley Cup in an annual inter-league competition before a series of league mergers and folds left the NHL as the only league left competing for the Stanley Cup in 1926. At its inception, the NHL had four teams—all in Canada, thus the adjective "National" in the league's name.

The league expanded to the United States in 1924, when the Boston Bruins joined, and has since consisted of American and Canadian teams. After a labor-management dispute that led to the cancellation of the entire 2004–05 season, the league resumed play under a new collective agreement that included a salary cap. In 2009, the NHL enjoyed record highs in terms of sponsors, attendance, and television audiences.

The league draws many highly skilled players from all over the world and currently has players from approximately 20 different countries. Canadians have historically constituted the majority of the players in the league, with an increasing percentage of American and European players in recent seasons.

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The Olympics Games consisting of the Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics and Paralympics
YouTube Videos follow: Pictured Below: 
LEFT: Ladies 2012 London Summer Olympics beach volleyball;
CENTER: Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers of Canada compete in the Figure Skating Pairs Free Skating during day five of the 2014 Sochi (Winter) Olympics;
​RIGHT: Hurricane Hannah Cockroft blows away Britain’s Paralympics competition.
The Olympic Games

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The modern Olympic Games or Olympics are leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. 

The Olympic Games are held every four years, with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years but two years apart.

Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) were formed in 1894. The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority.

The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in several changes to the Olympic Games. Some of these adjustments include the creation of the Winter Olympic Games for ice and winter sports, the Paralympic Games for athletes with a disability, and the Youth Olympic Games for teenage athletes.

The IOC has had to adapt to a variety of economic, political, and technological advancements. As a result, the Olympics has shifted away from pure amateurism, as envisioned by Coubertin, to allowing participation of professional athletes. The growing importance of mass media created the issue of corporate sponsorship and commercialisation of the Games. World wars led to the cancellation of the 1916, 1940, and 1944 Games. Large boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Games.

The Olympic Movement consists of international sports federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), and organizing committees for each specific Olympic Games. As the decision-making body, the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each Games, and organizes and funds the Games according to the Olympic Charter.

The IOC also determines the Olympic program, consisting of the sports to be contested at the Games. There are several Olympic rituals and symbols, such as the Olympic flag and torch, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies.

Over 13,000 athletes compete at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in 33 different sports and nearly 400 events. The first, second, and third-place finishers in each event receive Olympic medals: gold, silver, and bronze, respectively.

The Games have grown so much that nearly every nation is now represented. This growth has created numerous challenges and controversies, including boycotts, doping, bribery, and a terrorist attack in 1972. Every two years the Olympics and its media exposure provide unknown athletes with the chance to attain national and sometimes in

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Paintball
YouTube Video of ​Amazing Kids of Paintball
​Pictured: LEFT: A player taking part in a popular style of paintball known as 'woodsball’; RIGHT: Sheldon, Raj, Leonard and Howard preparing for a Paint Ball Fight (“The Big Bang Theory” CBS)

Paintball



Paintball is a game developed in the 1980s in which players eliminate opponents from play by hitting them with dye-filled, breakable, oil and gelatin paintballs, or pellets, usually shot from a carbon dioxide or compressed air (Nitrogen) powered “paintball marker”. The game is regularly played at a sporting level with organized competition involving major tournaments, professional teams, and players.

Paintball technology is also used by military forces, law enforcement, para-military and security organizations to supplement military training, as well as playing a role in riot response, and non-lethal suppression of dangerous suspects.

Games can be played on indoor or outdoor fields of varying sizes. A game field is scattered with natural or artificial terrain, which players use for tactical cover. Game types in paintball vary, but can include capture the flag, elimination, ammunition limits, defending or attacking a particular point or area, or capturing objects of interest hidden in the playing area. Depending on the variant played, games can last from seconds to hours, or even days in scenario play.

The legality of paintball varies among countries and regions. In most areas where regulated play is offered, players are required to wear protective masks, and game rules are strictly enforced.
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Parachuting
YouTube ​Video of Haley King's Tandem skydive!
​Pictured: LEFT: Hybrid Formation By Douglas S. Smith - self-made; RIGHT: Tandem in Freefall

Parachuting



Parachuting, or skydiving, is a method of transiting from a high point to Earth with the aid of gravity, involving the control of speed during the descent with the use of a parachute. It may involve more or less free-fall, a time during which the parachute has not been deployed and the body gradually accelerates to terminal velocity.

Andre-Jacques Garnerin was the first to make successful descents using a canvas canopy from a small basket tethered beneath a hot-air balloon.

The first intentional freefall jump with a ripcord-operated deployment is credited to Leslie Irvin in 1919. Georgia Broadwick made an earlier freefall in 1914 using improvised equipment when her static line became entangled with the aircraft's tail assembly and she cut the static line and pulled it herself.

The military developed parachuting technology as a way to save aircrews from emergencies aboard balloons and aircraft in flight, and later as a way of delivering soldiers to the battlefield. Early competitions date back to the 1930s, and it became an international sport in 1952.

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Paragliding
YouTube Video of ​Crazy paragliding video- Check this out
​Pictured: LEFT: Reno & Lake Tahoe Tandem Paragliding; RIGHT: Paragliding in Nainital, India

Paragliding



Paragliding is the recreational and competitive adventure sport of flying paragliders: lightweight, free-flying, foot-launched glider aircraft with no rigid primary structure.

The pilot sits in a harness suspended below a fabric wing comprising a large number of interconnected baffled cells. Wing shape is maintained by the suspension lines, the pressure of air entering vents in the front of the wing, and the aerodynamic forces of the air flowing over the outside.

Despite not using an engine, paragliders flight can last many hours and cover many hundreds of kilometers, though flights of one to two hours and covering some tens of kilometers are more the norm. By skillful exploitation of sources of lift, the pilot may gain height, often climbing to altitudes of a few thousand meters.

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Table Tennis (Ping Pong)
YouTube Video of ​2015 World Table Tennis Championships Final Day - Daily Review Presented by Stiga
​Pictured: LEFT: Playing Men's Doubles - Table Tennis Master; RIGHT: Ladies Singles Table Tennis (Image courtesy of Singapore 2010 Youth Olympics/Flickr)

Table Tennis



Table tennis, also known as ping pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball back and forth across a table using a small bat. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net.

Except for the initial serve, the rules are generally as follows: players must allow a ball played toward them to bounce one time on their side of the table, and must return it so that it bounces on the opposite side at least once. A point is scored when a player fails to return the ball within the rules. Play is fast and demands quick reactions. Spinning the ball alters its trajectory and limits an opponent's options, giving the hitter a great advantage.

Table tennis is governed by the worldwide organization International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), founded in 1926. ITTF currently includes 220 member associations. The table tennis official rules are specified in the ITTF handbook.

Table tennis has been an Olympic sport since 1988, with several event categories. From 1988 until 2004, these were men's singles, women's singles, men's doubles and women's doubles. Since 2008, a team event has been played instead of the doubles.

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Polo
​YouTube Video of Polo Match Thrilling Game Best Ponies
​Pictured: LEFT: Horse Polo in Barbados; RIGHT: Camel Polo in Dubai

Polo


Polo is a team sport is traditionally played on horseback. The objective is to score goals against an opposing team. Players score by driving a small white plastic or wooden ball into the opposing team's goal using a long-handled mallet.

The traditional sport of polo is played on a grass field up to 300 by 160 yards (270 by 150 m). Each polo team consists of four riders and their mounts. Field polo is played with a solid plastic ball which has replaced the wooden version of the ball in much of the sport.

In arena polo, only three players are required per team and the game usually involves more maneuvering and shorter plays at lower speeds due to space limitations of arenas. Arena polo is played with a small air-filled ball, similar to a small football. The modern game lasts roughly two hours and is divided into periods called chukkas (occasionally rendered as "chukkers"). Polo is played professionally in 16 countries. It was formerly an Olympic sport.

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Racquetball
YouTube Video of John Goth vs Tanner Gross racquetball game​
​Pictured: LEFT: Playing Racquetball; RIGHT: Racquetball Racquet and Ball

Racquetball
Racquetball is a racquet sport played with a hollow rubber ball in an indoor or outdoor court.

Joseph Sobek is credited with inventing the modern sport of racquetball in 1950, adding a stringed racquet to paddleball in order to increase velocity and control. Unlike most racquet sports, such as tennis and badminton, there is no net to hit the ball over, and, unlike squash, no tin (out of bounds area at the bottom of front wall) to hit the ball above. Also, the court's walls, floor, and ceiling are legal playing surfaces, with the exception of court-specific designated hinders being out-of-bounds. Racquetball is very similar to 40×20 American handball, which is played in many countries. It is also very similar to the British sport racketball (see below for a comparison).

In 1974, the IRA organized the first professional tournament, and is a founding member of the International Racquetball Federation (IRF). Eventually, the IRA became the American Amateur Racquetball Association (AARA); in late 1995, it renamed itself as the United States Racquetball Association (USRA). In 2003, the USRA again renamed itself to USA Racquetball (USAR), to mirror other Olympic sports associations, even if Racquetball is not an Olympic sport.

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Recreational Fishing
YouTube Video of ​Daytime Swordfishing: Record Catch of 30 Swordfish in on Trip! (Courtesy of Boobytrapfishingteam.com
Pictured: LEFT: Freshwater Fishing; RIGHT: Saltwater Fishing

Recreational Fishing
The most common form of recreational fishing is done with a rod, reel, line, hooks and any one of a wide range of baits. Other devices, commonly referred to as terminal tackle, are also used to affect or complement the presentation of the bait to the targeted fish. Some examples of terminal tackle include weights, floats, and swivels.

Lures are frequently used in place of bait. Some hobbyists make handmade tackle themselves, including plastic lures and artificial flies, the latter of which is also known as fly fishing.

The practice of catching or attempting to catch fish with a hook is known as angling. Big-game fishing is conducted from boats to catch large open-water species such as tuna, sharks and marlin. Noodling and trout tickling are also recreational activities.

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Roller Skating including Roller Derby
YouTube Video of  WFTDA Roller Derby: 2014 Championships - Rose City Rollers vs. Gotham Girls Roller Derby
​Pictured: LEFT: Roller Derby; CENTER: Quad (4-wheel) Roller Skates; RIGHT: Inline Skates

Roller Skating



Roller skating is the traveling on surfaces with roller skates. It is a form of recreational activity as well as a sport, and can also be a form of transportation. Skates generally come in three basic varieties: quad roller skates, inline skates or blades and tri-skates, though some have experimented with a single-wheeled "quintessence skate" or other variations on the basic skate design.

In America, this hobby was most popular, first between 1935 and the early 1960s and then in the 1970s, when polyurethane wheels were created and "Disco" oriented roller rinks were the rage and then again in the 1990s when in-line outdoor roller skating, thanks to the improvement made to inline roller skates in 1981 by Scott Olson, took hold.

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Roller Derby is a contact sport played by two teams of five members roller skating in the same direction around a track. Game play consists of a series of short match ups (jams) in which both teams designate a jammer who scores points by lapping members of the opposing team.

The teams attempt to hinder the opposing jammer while assisting their own jammer—in effect, playing both offense and defense simultaneously. Roller derby is played by approximately 1,250 amateur leagues worldwide, nearly half of them outside the United States.

Modern roller derby is an international sport dominated by all-female amateur teams, in addition to a growing number of male, unisex, and junior roller derby teams, and was (as a roller sport) under consideration for the 2020 Summer Olympics. 

Most modern leagues (their back-office volunteers included) share a strong "do it yourself" ethic which combines athleticism and elements from camp. As of 2014, the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), had 243 full member leagues and 114 Apprentice Leagues

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Rowing (Sport)
YouTube Video of ​Rowing like you've never seen it before
Pictured: LEFT: London 2012: DSM partners with Dutch Olympic Team, floats innovations in London; RIGHT: A female Brazilian rower takes rowing training at Shunyi Olympic Rowing-Canoeing Park on August 4, 2008.

Rowing

 
Rowing, often referred to as crew in the United States, is a sport with origins back to Ancient Egyptian times. It is based on propelling a boat (racing shell) on water using oars.

By pushing against the water with an oar, a force is generated to move the boat. The sport can be either recreational, where the focus is on learning the technique of rowing, or competitive, where athletes race against each other in boats.

There are a number of different boat classes in which athletes compete, ranging from an individual shell (called a single scull) to an eight-person shell with coxswain (called a coxed eight).

The International Rowing Federation (abbreviated FISA) is responsible for international governance of rowing and was founded in 1892 to provide regulation at a time when the sport was gaining popularity. Across six continents there are now 148 countries with rowing federations that participate in the sport.
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Rowing is one of the oldest Olympic sports. It was on the program for the 1896 games but the rowing did not take place due to bad weather. It has been competed since 1900. Women's rowing was added to the Olympic program in 1976. Today, only fourteen boat classes are raced at the Olympics, across men and women.  

Each year the World Rowing Championships is held by FISA with 22 boat classes raced. In Olympic years only the non-Olympic boat classes are raced at the World Championships.

Since 2008, rowing has also been competed at the Paralympic Games.

Major domestic competitions take place in dominant rowing nations and include: 
  • The Boat Race and Henley Royal Regatta in the United Kingdom,
  • the Australian Rowing Championships in Australia,
  • the Harvard-Yale Regatta and Head of the Charles Regatta in the United States,
  • and Royal Canadian Henley Regatta in Canada.

Many other competitions often exist for racing between clubs, schools, and universities in each nation.

 





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Gymnastics
YouTube Video of ​Men's Vault Final - London 2012 Olympics
​Pictured: LEFT: Aly Raisman; RIGHT: Acrobatic Gymnastics

Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a sport involving the performance of exercises requiring strength, flexibility, balance, agility, endurance and control. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shoulders, chest and abdominal muscle groups.

Alertness, precision, daring, self-confidence and self-discipline are mental traits that can also be developed through gymnastics. 

Most forms of competitive gymnastics events are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG). Each country has its own national governing body (BIW) affiliated to FIG. Competitive artistic gymnastics is the best known of the gymnastic events. It typically involves the women's events of vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise.

Men's events are floor exercise, pommel horse, still rings, vault, parallel bars and horizontal bar.

Other FIG disciplines include rhythmic gymnastics, trampolining and tumbling, acrobatic gymnastics and aerobic gymnastics.

Disciplines not currently recognized by FIG include wheel gymnastics, aesthetic group gymnastics, men's rhythmic gymnastics and TeamGym.

Participants can include children as young as 20 months old doing kindergym and children's gymnastics, recreational gymnasts of ages 3 and up, competitive gymnasts at varying levels of skill, and world-class athletes.

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Rugby
YouTube Video of ​England v Australia - Match Highlights - Rugby World Cup 2015
​Pictured: Examples of Professional Rugby Play

Rugby



Rugby football is a type of football developed at Rugby School in Rugby, Warwickshire, one of many versions of football played at English public schools in the 19th century. The two main types of rugby are rugby league and rugby union. Although these two forms share many elements, the two codes have gradually developed with distinct sets of rules.

Rugby union is both a professional and amateur game, and is dominated by the first tier unions: Argentina, Australia, England, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa and Wales. Second and third tier unions include Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Fiji, Georgia, Japan, Mexico, Namibia, Peru, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Samoa, Spain, Tonga, the United States, Uruguay and Venezuela. Rugby Union is administered by World Rugby (WR), whose headquarters are located in Dublin, Ireland.

It is the national sport in New Zealand, Wales, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and Madagascar, and is the most popular form of rugby globally, with the seven-a-side version of the game, known as Rugby sevens, having been admitted into the program of the Olympic Games from Rio de Janeiro in 2016 onwards. There was a possibility sevens would be a demonstration sport at the 2012 London Olympics but many sports including sevens were dropped.

In Canada and the United States, rugby union evolved into gridiron football. During the late 1800s (and even the early 1900s), the two forms of the game were very similar (to the point where the United States was able to win the gold medal for rugby union at the 1924 Summer Olympics), but numerous rule changes have differentiated the gridiron-based game from its rugby counterpart.

​Among unique features of the North American game are:
  • the separation of play into downs instead of releasing the ball immediately upon tackling,
  • the requirement that the team with the ball set into a set formation for at least one second before resuming play after a tackle (and the allowance of up to 40 seconds to do so),
  • the allowance for one forward pass from behind the site of the last tackle on each down,
  • the evolution of hard plastic equipment (particularly the football helmet and shoulder pads), a smaller and pointier ball that is favorable to being passed but makes drop kicks impractical,
  • a generally smaller and narrower field measured in customary units instead of metric (in some variants of the American game a field can be as short as 50 yards between end zones),
  • and a distinctive field (shaped like a gridiron, from which the code's nickname is derived) with lines marked in five-yard intervals.

Rugby league is also both a professional and amateur game, administered on a global level by the Rugby League International Federation. In addition to amateur and semi-professional competitions in the United States, Russia, Lebanon, Serbia, Europe and Australasia, there are two major professional competitions—the Australasian National Rugby League and the European Super League.







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Sailing
YouTube Video of ​"Sailing Around the World" (Sailing La Vagabonde) - Ep. 1 Intro & Sailing Turkey
​Pictured: Three Catamaran as seen through the Arch of Anacapa Island, part of the Channel Islands off the California coast (Picture by Bert N. Langford)

Sailing


Sailing comprises wind propulsion of a craft by means of sails or other airfoils and steering it over water, ice or land, depending on the type of craft. A sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails by adjusting their angle with respect to the moving sailing craft and sometimes by adjusting the sail area.

The force transmitted from the sails is resisted by forces from the hull, keel, and rudder of a sailing craft, by forces from skate runners for an iceboat, and by forces from wheels for a land sailing craft to allow steering a course on a point of sail with respect to the true wind.

While there are still some places in the world where sail-powered passenger, fishing and trading vessels are used, these craft have become rarer as internal combustion engines have become economically viable in even the poorest and most remote areas.

In most countries sailing is enjoyed as a recreational activity or as a sport. Recreational sailing or yachting can be divided into racing and cruising. Cruising can include extended offshore and ocean-crossing trips, coastal sailing within sight of land, and daysailing.

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Scuba Diving
YouTube Video of ​SCUBA Diving Egypt Red Sea - Underwater Video HD
​Pictured: LEFT: courtesy of ambergrisdivers.com ; RIGHT: Phuket Scuba Diving - Diving in Thailand

Scuba Diving
Scuba diving is a mode of underwater diving in which the scuba diver uses a self-contained underwater breathing apparatus (scuba) which is completely independent of surface supply, to breathe underwater.

Scuba provides the diver with the advantages of mobility and horizontal range far beyond the reach of an umbilical hose attached to surface-supplied diving equipment (SSDE). Scuba divers engaged in armed forces covert operations may be referred to as frogmen, combat divers or attack swimmers.

Unlike other modes of diving, which rely either on breath-hold or on breathing supplied under pressure from the surface, scuba divers carry their own source of breathing gas, usually compressed air, allowing them greater freedom of movement than with an air line or diver's umbilical and longer underwater endurance than breath-hold.

Open circuit scuba systems discharge the breathing gas into the environment as it is exhaled, and consist of one or more diving cylinders containing breathing gas at high pressure which is supplied to the diver through a diving regulator. They may include additional cylinders for decompression gas or emergency breathing gas.

Closed-circuit or semi-closed circuit rebreather scuba systems allow recycling of exhaled gases. The volume of gas used is reduced compared to that of open circuit; therefore, a smaller cylinder or cylinders, may be used for an equivalent dive duration. They far extend the time spent underwater as compared to open circuit for the same gas consumption.

Rebreathers produce fewer bubbles and less noise than scuba which makes them attractive to covert military divers to avoid detection, scientific divers to avoid disturbing marine animals, and media divers to avoid bubble interference.

Scuba diving may be done recreationally or professionally in a number of applications, including scientific, military and public safety roles, but most commercial diving uses surface supplied diving equipment when this is practicable.

A scuba diver primarily moves underwater by using fins attached to the feet, but external propulsion can be provided by a diver propulsion vehicle, or a sled pulled from the surface. Other equipment includes a dive mask to improve underwater vision, a protective diving suit, equipment to control buoyancy, and equipment related to the specific circumstances and purpose of the dive.

Scuba divers are trained in the procedures and skills appropriate to their level of certification by instructors affiliated to the diver certification organizations which issue these certifications. These include standard operating procedures for using the equipment and dealing with the general hazards of the underwater environment, and emergency procedures for self-help and assistance of a similarly equipped diver experiencing problems.

A minimum level of fitness and health is required by most training organisations, but a higher level of fitness may be appropriate for some applications.

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Skateboarding
YouTube Video of ​Top 10 Pro Skateboarders
​Pictured: LEFT: Professional skateboarder and alumna Amelia Brodka; RIGHT: Airborne Skateboarder

Skateboarding
Skateboarding is an extreme sport which involves riding and performing tricks using a skateboard. Skateboarding can also be considered a recreational activity, an art form, a profession, or a method of transportation.

Skateboarding has been shaped and influenced by many skateboarders throughout the years. A 2009 report found that the skateboarding market is worth an estimated $4.8 billion in annual revenue with 11.08 million active skateboarders in the world. 

In 2016, it was announced that skateboarding will be represented at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.

Since the 1970s, skateparks have been constructed specifically for use by skateboarders, Freestyle BMXers, aggressive skaters, and very recently, scooters.

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Sledding
YouTube Video of ​Luge St. Moritz POV
​Pictured: LEFT: Dad and Kids Sledding; RIGHT: Competitive Bobsledding

Sledding


Sledding, sledging or tobogganing is a worldwide winter activity, generally carried out in a prone or seated position on a vehicle generically known as a sled (English language), a sledge (Old English), or a toboggan.

Sledding is the basis of three Olympic sports: luge, skeleton and bobsledding. The generic term sledding refers to traveling down a snowy hill using a sled such as a flexible flyer with wooden slats and metal runners.

Sledding is usually done during the winter when there is snow. Flat plastic or aluminum discs and improvised sleds (carrier bags, baking trays, cafeteria trays, sheets of cardboard, etc.) may also be used. The activity has been known to exist as a fringe recreational activity far into the distant murky past in toboggan-type sleds which seasonally supplant the ubiquitous cart.

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​Soccer,
including the FIFA World Cup Championship for Men 
and FIFA Women's World Cup Championship for Women​​Pictured below: 
TOP: FIFA Women’s 2015 World Cup winning soccer team from the United States;
BOTTOM: Montage of FIFA (Men’s) World Cup 2014 Match: Brazil vs Croatia 3-1
Soccer
Click here for FIFA World Cup (for Men).
Click here for FIFA Women's World Cup.

Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, nicknamed The World Game or The Beautiful Game, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball. It is played by 250 million players in over 200 countries and dependencies, making it the world's most popular sport.

The game is played on a rectangular field with a goal at each end. The object of the game is to score by getting the ball into the opposing goal.

The goalkeepers are the only players allowed to touch the ball with their hands or arms while it is in play and only in their penalty area. Other players mainly use their feet to strike or pass the ball, but may also use their head or torso.

The team that scores the most goals by the end of the match wins. If the score is level at the end of the game, either a draw is declared or the game goes into extra time or a penalty shootout depending on the format of the competition.

The Laws of the Game were originally codified in England by The Football Association in 1863. Association football is governed internationally by the International Federation of Association Football, which organizes World Cups for both men and women every four years.

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Surfing and the World Surf League
​YouTube Video of 100ft World Record Wave, Garrett McNamara Surfing Nazare, Portugal
​YouTube Video of a surfer (Kyle Bodenham), with a mounted head camera while riding a wave.
Pictured: LEFT: A surfer at the Cayucos Pier, Cayucos, California (Photo By "Mike" Michael L. Baird); RIGHT: Surfing on the Gold Coast, Queensland Australia

Surfing


To Access the World Surf League, Click Here

Surfing is a surface water sport in which the wave rider, referred to as a surfer, rides on the forward or deep face of a moving wave, which is usually carrying the surfer towards the shore.

Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found in the ocean, but can also be found in lakes or in rivers in the form of a standing wave or tidal bore. However, surfers can also utilize artificial waves such as those from boat wakes and the waves created in artificial wave pools.

The term surfing refers to the act of riding a wave, regardless of whether the wave is ridden with a board or without a board, and regardless of the stance used. The native peoples of the Pacific, for instance, surfed waves on alaia, paipo, and other such craft, and did so on their belly and knees.

The modern-day definition of surfing, however, most often refers to a surfer riding a wave standing up on a surfboard; this is also referred to as stand-up surfing.

Another prominent form of surfing is body boarding, when a surfer rides a wave on a bodyboard, either lying on their belly, drop knee, or sometimes even standing up on a body board. Other types of surfing include knee boarding, surf matting (riding inflatable mats), and using foils. 

Body surfing, where the wave is surfed without a board, using the surfer's own body to catch and ride the wave, is very common and is considered by some to be the purest form of surfing.

Two of the three major subdivisions within standing-up surfing are long boarding and short boarding and these two have several major differences, including the board design and length, the riding style, and the kind of wave that is ridden.

The third is tow-in surfing (most often, but not exclusively, associated with big wave surfing) using a motorized water vehicle, such as a personal watercraft, that tows the surfer into the wave front, helping the surfer match a large wave's speed, which is generally a higher speed than a self-propelled surfer can produce.

Surfing-related sports such as paddle boarding and sea kayaking do not require waves. Other derivative sports such as kite surfing and windsurfing rely primarily on wind for power, yet all of these platforms may also be used to ride waves. Recently with the use of V-drive boats, Wakesurfing, is where one surfs on the wake of a boat.

The Guinness Book of World Records recognized a 78 feet (23.8 m) wave ride by Garrett McNamara at Nazaré, Portugal as the largest wave ever surfed (see above YouTube), although this remains an issue of much contention among many surfers, given the difficulty of measuring a constantly changing mound of water.








Swimming
YouTube Video: Michael Phelps Wins Gold Medal at Rio Olympics 2016
Michael Phelps​
Pictured: Four Recognized Forms of Competitive Swimming Recognized by The Summer Olympics

Swimming
The goal of competitive swimming is to break personal or world records while beating competitors in any given event. Swimming in competition should create the least resistance in order to obtain maximum speed.

However, some professional swimmers who do not hold a national or world ranking are considered the best in regard to their technical skills.

Typically, an athlete goes through a cycle of training in which the body is overloaded with work in the beginning and middle segments of the cycle, and then the workload is decreased in the final stage as the swimmer approaches competition.

The practice of reducing exercise in the days just before an important competition is called tapering. A final stage is often referred to as "shave and taper": the swimmer shaves off all exposed hair for the sake of reducing drag and having a sleeker and more hydrodynamic feel in the water. 

Additionally, the "shave and taper" method refers to the removal of the top layer of "dead skin", which exposes the newer and richer skin underneath.

Swimming is an event at the Summer Olympic Games, where male and female athletes compete in 16 of the recognized events each. Olympic events are held in a 50-meter pool, called a long course pool.

There are forty officially recognized individual swimming events in the pool; however the International Olympic Committee only recognizes 32 of them. The international governing body for competitive swimming is the Fédération Internationale de Natation ("International Swimming Federation"), better known as FINA.

For additional information about the sport of swimming, click here.
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Tennis as governed by the International Tennis Federation and including the Four Grand Slam Tournaments
YouTube Vid​eo of  Venus Williams vs Serena Williams US OPEN 2015 Quarter Finals
* - Venus Williams
​Pictured: LEFT: Serena Williams, currently ranked #1 as the top female tennis player; RIGHT: Roger Federer won a record 16th Grand Slam at the 2010 Australian Open. (YouTube Video above features Serena vs. her Sister 

Tennis
Click here for the International Tennis Federation.
Click here for the Four Tournaments under the Tennis Grand Slam.

Tennis is a racket sport that can be played individually against a single opponent (singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over or around a net and into the opponent's court. The object of the game is to play the ball in such a way that the opponent is not able to play a valid return. The player who is unable to return the ball will not gain a point, while the opposite player will.
 
Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society and at all ages. The sport can be played by anyone who can hold a racket, including wheelchair users.
 
Tennis is played by millions of recreational players and is also a popular worldwide spectator sport. The four Grand Slam tournaments (also referred to as the "Majors") are especially popular: the Australian Open played on hard courts, the French Open played on red clay courts, Wimbledon played on grass courts, and the US Open played also on hard courts.

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Cycling as a Sport, Including Grand Tour Tournaments, e.g., Tour de France
YouTube Video of Chris Froome winning the 2016 Paris Tour de France
​Pictured: LEFT: André Greipel claims final sprint, Chris Froome wins the 102nd Tour de France ; RIGHT: Tour de France 2015: Daniel Teklehaimanot makes history for Africa.

Cycling


Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including:
Non-racing cycling sports include: 
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) is the world governing body for cycling and international competitive cycling events.

The International Human Powered Vehicle Association is the governing body for human-powered vehicles that imposes far fewer restrictions on their design than does the UCI.

The UltraMarathon Cycling Association is the governing body for many ultra-distance cycling races.

​Bicycle racing is recognized as an Olympic sport. Bicycle races are popular all over the world, especially in Europe.

The countries most devoted to bicycle racing include Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland. Other countries with international standing include Australia, Luxembourg, the United Kingdom and the United States.
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Track and Field
YouTube Video of Randy Barnes* world record shotput @ UCLA​
​*--Randy Barnes
​Pictured: LEFT: A 110 m hurdles heat of the Decathlon at Osaka 2007; RIGHT: Alysha Newman, winner of the Pole Vault at the 2013 Pan-American Junior Championships.

Track and Field



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Track and field is a sport which includes athletic contests established on the skills of running, jumping, and throwing. The name is derived from the sport's typical venue: a stadium with an oval running track enclosing a grass field where the throwing and jumping events take place. Track and field is categorized under the umbrella sport of athletics, which also includes road running, cross country running, and race walking.

The foot racing events, which include sprints, middle- and long-distance events, race walking and hurdling, are won by the athlete with the fastest time.

The jumping and throwing events are won by the athlete who achieves the greatest distance or height. Regular jumping events include long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole vault, while the most common throwing events are shot put, javelin, discus and hammer.

There are also "combined events" or "multi events", such as the pentathlon consisting of five events, heptathlon consisting of seven events, and decathlon consisting of ten events. In these, athletes participate in a combination of track and field events.

Most track and field events are individual sports with a single victor; the most prominent team events are relay races, which typically feature teams of four. Events are almost exclusively divided by gender, although both the men's and women's competitions are usually held at the same venue.

It is one of the oldest sports. In ancient times, it was an event held in conjunction with festivals and sports meets such as the Ancient Olympic Games in Greece.

In modern times, the two most prestigious international track and field competitions are athletics competition at the Olympic Games and the IAAF World Championships in Athletics. The International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body.

Records are kept of the best performances in specific events, at world and national levels, right down to a personal level. However, if athletes are deemed to have violated the event's rules or regulations, they are disqualified from the competition and their marks are erased.

In North America, the term track and field may be used to refer to other athletics events, such as the marathon, rather than strictly track-based events.

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Kayaking
YouTube Video of Best Extreme Kayak Movie Compilation!
​Pictured: LEFT: Whitewater kayaker at Great Falls, Virginia; RIGHT: Sprint racing in London and the UK: Ed McKeever is a British kayak sprint athlete and a current World and European Champion.

Kayaking
A kayak is a small, narrow boat which is propelled by means of a double-bladed paddle. The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler.

The cockpit is sometimes covered by a spray deck that prevents the entry of water from waves or spray and makes it possible for suitably skilled kayakers to roll the kayak: that is, to capsize and right it without it filling with water or ejecting the paddler.

Some modern boats vary considerably from a traditional design but still claim the title "kayak", for instance in eliminating the cockpit by seating the paddler on top of the boat ("sit-on-top" kayaks); having inflated air chambers surrounding the boat; replacing the single hull by twin hulls, and replacing paddles with other human-powered propulsion methods, such as foot-powered rotational propellers and "flippers".

Kayaks are also being sailed, as well as propelled by means of small electric motors, and even by outboard gas engines.

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Trampoline including Competitive Trampolining in the Olympics
YouTube Video of ​Trampoline Gymnastics - Spectacular World Of Olympic Trampoline | 90 Seconds Of The Olympics​
​Pictured: LEFT: Three children on a trampoline; RIGHT: competitive trampoline athlete

Trampoline


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For Competitive Trampolining in the Olympics, click here.

A trampoline is a device consisting of a piece of taut, strong fabric stretched over a steel frame using many coiled springs. People bounce on trampolines for recreational and competitive purposes. For Competitive Trampolining in the Olympics, click on the following link: 

The fabric that users bounce on (commonly known as the 'bounce mat' or 'trampoline bed') is not elastic in itself; the elasticity is provided by the springs that connect it to the frame, which store potential energy.

Recreational trampolines for home use are less sturdily constructed than competitive ones and their springs are weaker. They may be of various shapes, though most are circular, octagonal or rectangular. The fabric is usually a waterproof canvas or woven polypropylene material.

As with competitive trampolines, recreational trampolines are usually made using coiled steel springs to provide the rebounding force, but spring-free trampolines also exist.

In 1959 and 1960 it became very popular to have outdoor commercial "jump centers" or "trampoline parks" in many places in North America where people could enjoy recreational trampolining. However, these tended to have a high accident rate and the public's interest rapidly waned.

In recent years, indoor commercial trampoline parks have made a come-back with a number of franchises operating across the United States and Canada. ABC News has reported that in 2014 there were at least 345 trampoline parks operating in the United States. Similar parks have more recently been opened in other countries.

For more about Trampolining, click here.







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Triathlon
YouTube Video of Triathlon video - Xtra Mile events
​Pictured: The three events in the Triathlon include swimming, cycling, and running

Triathlon


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A triathlon is a multiple-stage competition involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance disciplines. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances. Triathletes compete for fastest overall course completion time, including timed "transitions" between the individual swim, cycle, and run components.
 
The most recognized branded Ultra Distance is the Ironman triathlon.
 
A transition area is set up where the athletes change gear for different segments of the race. This is where the switches from swimming to cycling and cycling to running occur. These areas are used to store bicycles, performance apparel, and any other accessories needed for the next stage of the race.

​The transition from swim and bike is referred to as T1 and that between the bike and run is referred to as T2. The athlete's overall time for the race includes time spent in T1 and T2. Transitions areas vary in size depending on the number of participants expected. In addition, these areas provide a social headquarters before the race.
 
The nature of the sport focuses on persistent and often periodized training in each of the three disciplines, as well as combination workouts and general strength conditioning.

The governing body is the International Triathlon Union.

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Volleyball
YouTube Video: Brazil vs USA - FIVB Volleyball World League Final 2015​
​Pictured: LEFT: The United States Vs. Brazil; RIGHT: Beach Volleyball

Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.

Volleyball has been a part of the official program of the Summer Olympic Games since 1964.

The complete rules are extensive. But simply, play proceeds as follows: a player on one of the teams begins a 'rally' by serving the ball (tossing or releasing it and then hitting it with a hand or arm), from behind the back boundary line of the court, over the net, and into the receiving team's court.

The receiving team must not let the ball be grounded within their court. The team may touch the ball up to 3 times but individual players may not touch the ball twice consecutively. Typically, the first two touches are used to set up for an attack, an attempt to direct the ball back over the net in such a way that the serving team is unable to prevent it from being grounded in their court.

The rally continues, with each team allowed as many as three consecutive touches, until either (1): a team makes a kill, grounding the ball on the opponent's court and winning the rally; or (2): a team commits a fault and loses the rally. The team that wins the rally is awarded a point, and serves the ball to start the next rally. A few of the most common faults include:
  • causing the ball to touch the ground or floor outside the opponents' court or without first passing over the net;
  • catching and throwing the ball;
  • double hit: two consecutive contacts with the ball made by the same player;
  • four consecutive contacts with the ball made by the same team;
  • net foul: touching the net during play;
  • foot fault: the foot crosses over the boundary line when serving.

The ball is usually played with the hands or arms, but players can legally strike or push (short contact) the ball with any part of the body.

A number of consistent techniques have evolved in volleyball, including spiking and blocking (because these plays are made above the top of the net, the vertical jump is an athletic skill emphasized in the sport) as well as passing, setting, and specialized player positions and offensive and defensive structures.

The Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (English: International Volleyball Federation), commonly known by the acronym FIVB, is the international governing body for the sports of indoor, beach and grass volleyball.
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Water Polo
YouTube Video ​15 Amazing Goals
​Pictured: LEFT: Felipe Perrone Rocha #10 of Spain takes a shot on goal in the Men's Water polo quarterfinal match between Spain and Montenegro on Day 12 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Water Polo Arena on August 8, 2012 in London, England. (Aug. 7, 2012 - Source: Clive Rose/Getty Images Europe); RIGHT: Ladies Olympic Water Polo

Water Polo

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Water polo is a team water sport. The game consists of four quarters in which the two teams attempt to score goals by throwing the ball into their opponent's goal. The team with the most goals at the end of the game wins the match.

A team consists of 6 field players and one goalkeeper in the water at any one time. Except for the goalkeeper, players participate in both offensive and defensive roles. In addition to this, teams may have substitute field players and substitute goalkeepers who are not in the water.

Water polo is typically played in an all-deep pool 7 feet deep and players require stamina and endurance to play the game.

Water polo is a contact sport. Minor fouls occur frequently and exclusion fouls (in which a player is suspended from the game for 20 seconds) are common.

Special equipment for water polo includes a water polo ball, which floats on the water; numbered and colored caps; and two goals, which either float in the water or are attached to the side of the pool.

The game consists of swimming (with and without the ball), using a special form of treading water known as the eggbeater kick, throwing, catching, and shooting the ball. All throwing and catching must be done using a single hand except the goalkeeper.

The game is thought to have originated in Scotland in the late 19th century as a sort of "water rugby". William Wilson is thought to have developed the game during a similar period. The game thus developed with the formation of the London Water Polo League and has since expanded, becoming widely popular in various places around the world, including Europe, the United States, Brazil, China, Canada and Australia.

FINA or Fédération internationale de natation (English: International Swimming Federation) is the international federation recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for administering international competition in water sports. It is one of several international federations which administer a given sport/discipline for the IOC and/or international community.

For more about Water Polo, click here.







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White Water Rapids Rafting
YouTube Video ​Excellent Royal Gorge whitewater rafting in Colorado
​Pictured: LEFT: White-water rafting Whistler, British Columbia, Canada; RIGHT: White Water Rafting the Colorado River near Vail, Colorado

White Water Rapids Rafting



Rafting and white water rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water, and generally represents a new and challenging environment for participants. Dealing with risk and the need for teamwork is often a part of the experience. 

The development of this activity as a leisure sport has become popular since the mid-1970s, evolving from individuals paddling 10 feet (3.0 m) rafts with double-bladed paddles to multi-person rafts propelled by single-bladed paddles and steered by a tour guide at the stern. It is considered an extreme sport, and can be fatal. The International Rafting Federation (IRF) is the worldwide body which oversees all aspects of the sport.

Rafting and white water rafting are recreational outdoor activities which use an inflatable raft to navigate a river or other body of water. This is often done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water, and generally represents a new and challenging environment for participants.
 
Dealing with risk and the need for teamwork is often a part of the experience. The development of this activity as a leisure sport has become popular since the mid-1970s, evolving from individuals paddling 10 feet (3.0 m) rafts with double-bladed paddles to multi-person rafts propelled by single-bladed paddles and steered by a tour guide at the stern. It is considered an extreme sport, and can be fatal. 
 
Otherwise known as the International Scale of River Difficulty, below are the six grades of difficulty in white water rafting. They range from simple to very dangerous and potential death or serious injuries:

Class 1: Very small rough areas, might require slight maneuvering. (Skill level: Very basic)
Class 2: Some rough water, maybe some rocks, might require some maneuvering. (Skill level: Basic paddling skill)
Class 3: Small waves, maybe a small drop, but no considerable danger. May require significant maneuvering. (Skill level: Some experience in rafting)
Class 4: Whitewater, medium waves, maybe rocks, maybe a considerable drop, sharp maneuvers may be needed.(Skill level: Exceptional rafting experience)
Class 5: Whitewater, large waves, large volume, possibility of large rocks and hazards, possibility of a large drop, requires precise maneuvering. (Skill level: Full mastery of rafting)
Class 6: Class 6 rapids are considered to be so dangerous that they are effectively unnavigatable on a reliably safe basis.

Rafters can expect to encounter substantial whitewater, huge waves, huge rocks and hazards, and/or substantial drops that will impart severe impacts beyond the structural capacities and impact ratings of almost all rafting equipment. Traversing a Class 6 rapid has a dramatically increased likelihood of ending in serious injury or death compared to lesser classes. (Skill level: Full mastery of rafting, and even then it may not be safe)

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Winter Sports
YouTube Video of ​Bobsled Helmet Cam down the Bobsled Track - Utah Olympic Park
​Pictured: LEFT: Dog Sledding; RIGHT:  Snowboarding - John Hammond making a turn at Alpine Meadows, Lake Tahoe USA.

Winter Sports


A winter sport is a recreational activity or sport which is played during cold weather months. Most such sports are variations of skiing, ice skating and sledding. Traditionally such sports were only played in cold areas during winter, but artificial snow and artificial ice allow more flexibility. Artificial ice can be used to provide ice rinks for ice skating and hockey in a hot climate.

Common individual sports include cross-country skiing, Alpine skiing, snowboarding, ski jumping, speed skating, figure skating, luge, skeleton, bobsleigh and snowmobiling.

Common team sports include ice hockey, curling and bandy. Based on the number of participants, ice hockey is the world's most popular winter sport, followed by bandy. Sports that use sleds going down ice tracks or pulled by, e.g. a team of dogs.

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Wrestling
YouTube Video: Jesse Delgado 2014 NCAA Wrestling Champion (125 lb)
​Pictured: LEFT: Two United States Air Force members wrestling in a Greco-Roman match; RIGHT: 2012 Olympics --  two Swedish wrestlers practice ahead of the Olympic test event.

Wrestling


Since 1921, United World Wrestling (UWW) has regulated amateur wrestling as an athletic discipline, while professional wrestling has largely become infused with theatrics but still requires athletic ability. Today, various countries send national wrestling teams to the Olympics, including Russia, Iran, Turkey, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Gambia, the United States and several ex-U.S.S.R nations
 
Freestyle wrestling is an international discipline and an Olympic sport, for both men and women. This style allows the use of the wrestler's or his opponent's legs in offense and defense. Freestyle wrestling has its origins in catch-as-catch-can wrestling and the prime victory condition in this style involves the wrestler winning by throwing and pinning his opponent on the mat. American high school and college wrestling is conducted under different rules and is termed scholastic and collegiate wrestling.
 
Collegiate wrestling (sometimes known as scholastic wrestling or folkstyle wrestling) is the commonly used name of wrestling practiced at the college and university level in theUnited States. This style, with modifications, is also practiced at the high school and middle school levels, and also for younger participants. The term is used to distinguish the style from other styles of wrestling used in other parts of the world, and from those of the Olympic Games: Greco-Roman wrestling, and Freestyle wrestling.

Some high schools in the U.S. have developed junior varsity and freshman teams alongside varsity teams. Junior varsity and freshman wrestling teams restrict competitors not only by weight, but also by age and the amount of wrestling a competitor can partake in. For example, some junior varsity and freshman competitors are not allowed in tournament competition due to the amount of mat time a wrestler would accrue in a short time period.
 
There are currently several organizations which oversee collegiate wrestling competition: Divisions I, II, and III of the NCAA, the NJCAA, the NAIA, and the NCWA.

NCAA Division I wrestling is considered the most prestigious and challenging level of competition. A school chooses which athletic organization to join, although it may compete against teams from other levels and organizations during regular-season competition.

The collegiate season starts in October or November and culminates with the NCAA tournament held in March.

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Yacht Racing
YouTube Video America's Cup Sunday highlights
​Pictured: LEFT: Two sailboats contending for the America’s Cup; RIGHT: Built to the lines of the original 1930's America's Cup yacht owned by Harold Vanderbilt seen here powering off the waves in the around the island race: Photographer Ingrid Abery captured the magnificent J-Class Yachts as they met to race in the largest gathering of J-Class yachts since the 1930s... even Sir Richard Branson put in an appearance. (Courtesy of Yachtworld.com)

Yacht Racing


Yacht racing is a form of sport involving yachts and larger sailboats, as distinguished from dinghy racing. It is composed of multiple yachts, in direct competition, racing around a course marked by buoys or other fixed navigational devices or racing longer distances across open water from point-to-point. It can involve a series of races when buoy racing or multiple legs when point-to-point racing.
 
Bringing yacht racing to the forefront of public life, the America's Cup was first raced in 1851 between the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) and the Royal Yacht Squadron. Not ruled or regulated by measurement criteria as today, it is interesting to note the second-place finisher was Aurora, “and but for the fact that time allowance had been waived for the race she would have been the winner by a handsome margin." 

Subsequently, the Cup races were conducted, usually every 3–4 years, based on a challenge issued by one club to the current Cup holder, which till 1983 was the NYYC.
 
In general, modern yacht-racing contests are conducted according to the Racing Rules of Sailing, first established in 1928. Though complex, the RRS are intended primarily simply ensure fairness and safety. The Rules are revised and updated every four years by the International Sailing Federation.
 
The major races of today can be classified as offshore, ocean, around the world, and inshore racing all adhering to one set of rule, but diverse handicapping standards.
 
The America's Cup – established in 1851, this is the oldest, and arguably the most prestigious, exclusive event in yacht racing. Participants are restricted to a measurement formula for the boats, and the rules concerning the same have been controversial since the very beginning.

The English, who were the challengers for the first 132 years of the race, commented "England rules the waves, but America waives the rules."

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Auto Racing
YouTube Video 2014 Indy 500 Finish
YouTube Video of NHRA - Fire Breathing Monsters
​Pictured: LEFT: The Indy 500; RIGHT: The Daytona 500 Speedway

Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing or automobile racing) is a sport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. The main aim of an individual event is to set the fastest time in a set number of laps or time limit.

The finishing order is determined by race time, with the fastest time in first place, second-fastest in second place and so on. Any driver failing to complete a race for any reason is deemed "retired", or, more commonly, "out".

Retired drivers will have their positions determined by the order in which they retired, with the first to retire finishing last, the next second-last and so on. In most events, a driver's final race position may be classified if he/she completes a certain amount of the race distance, usually just short of completing the full race (for example, in Formula One, a driver's race position is classified if he/she completes 90% of the full race distance).

​There are numerous different categories of auto racing, each with different rules and regulations, such as compulsory pit stops and car regulations, for all cars and drivers to comply. The continuous exposure of a driver to vibration and G forces in years of automobile racing may have a substantial effect on the high incidence of musculoskeletal disorders.


Auto Racing Categories:
(All Photos below are courtesy of www.wikipedia.org)

Below you will find the Nine Categories of Auto Racing:
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Formula One: 
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The best-known variety of single-seater racing, Formula One, which hosts the famous Monaco Grand Prix, involves an annual World Championship for drivers and constructors.

In single-seater (open-wheel), the wheels are not covered, and the cars often have aerofoil wings front and rear to produce down force and enhance adhesion to the track.

In Europe and Asia, open-wheeled racing is commonly referred to as "Formula", with appropriate hierarchical suffixes. In North America, the "Formula" terminology is not followed (with the exception of F1).

The sport is usually arranged to follow an international format (such as F1), a regional format (such as the Formula 3 Euro Series), and/or a domestic, or country-specific, format (such as the German Formula 3 championship, or the British Formula Ford).

Picture
Will Power during 2008 Indy 500 Practice
In North America, the cars used in the National Championship (currently the IndyCar Series, and previously CART) have traditionally been similar though less sophisticated than F1 cars, with more restrictions on technology aimed at controlling costs. The series' most famous race is the Indianapolis 500.

The other major international single-seater racing series is GP2 (formerly known as Formula 3000 and Formula Two). Regional series include Formula Nippon and Formula V6 Asia (specifically in Asia), Formula Renault 3.5 (also known as the World Series by Renault, succession series of World Series by Nissan), Formula Three, Formula Palmer Audi and Formula Atlantic.

In 2009, the FIA Formula Two Championship brought about the revival of the F2 series. Domestic, or country-specific, series include Formula Three and Formula Renault, with the leading introductory series being Formula Ford.

Picture
Giedo van der Garde driving the Caterham CT03 at Sepang International Circuit
Single-seater racing is not limited merely to professional teams and drivers. There exist many amateur racing clubs. In the UK, the major club series are the Monoposto Racing Club, BRSCC F3 (Formerly ClubF3, formerly ARP F3), Formula Vee and Club Formula Ford. Each series caters for a section of the market, with some primarily providing low-cost racing, while others aim for an authentic experience using the same regulations as the professional series (BRSCC F3).

There are other categories of single-seater racing, including kart racing, which employs a small, low-cost machine on small tracks. Many of the current top drivers began their careers in karts. Formula Ford represents the most popular first open-wheel category for up-and-coming drivers stepping up from karts. The series is still the preferred option, as it has introduced an aero package and slicks, allowing the junior drivers to gain experience in a race car with dynamics closer F1. The Star Mazda Series is another entry-level series.
Picture
Formula Three car racing at the Hockenheimring, 2008
Students at colleges and universities can also take part in single-seater racing through the Formula SAE competition, which involves designing and building a single-seater car in a multidisciplinary team and racing it at the competition. This also develops other soft skills, such as teamwork, while promoting motorsport and engineering.

The world's first all-female Formula racing team was created in 2006. The group was an assemblage of drivers from different racing disciplines and formed for an MTV reality pilot, which was shot at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.


Picture
Racing Car Driver's View
In December 2005, the FIA gave approval to Superleague Formula racing, which debuted in 2008, whereby the racing teams are owned and run by prominent sports clubs such as AC Milan and Liverpool F.C.

After 25 years away from the sport, former Formula 2 champion Jonathan Palmer reopened the F2 category again; most drivers have graduated from the Formula Palmer Audi series. The category is officially registered as the FIA Formula Two championship. Most rounds have two races and are support races to the FIA World Touring Car Championship.
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Auto Racing: Touring Car Racing:
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Touring car racing is a style of road racing that is run with production-derived race cars. It often features full-contact racing due to the small speed differentials and large grids.

​The major touring car championships conducted worldwide are the V8 Supercars (Australia), British Touring Car Championship, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM), and the World Touring Car Championship. The European Touring Car Cup is a one-day event open to Super 2000 specification touring cars from Europe's many national championships.

The Sports Car Club of America's SPEED World Challenge Touring Car and GT championships are dominant in North America. America's historic Trans-Am Series is undergoing a period of transition, but is still the longest-running road racing series in the U.S. The National Auto Sport Association also provides a venue for amateurs to compete in home-built factory-derived vehicles on various local circuits.
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Touring Car Racing
Opening lap of 2012 WTCC Race of Japan
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Auto Racing: Sports Car Racing:

In sports car racing, production-derived versions of sports cars, also known as grand tourers (GTs), and purpose-built sports prototype cars compete within their respective classes on closed circuits.

The premier championship series of sports car racing is the FIA World Endurance Championship. The main series for GT car racing is the FIA GT1 World Championship. There is also the FIA GT3 European Championship as well as the less powerful GT4 European Cup.

Previously, an intermediate FIA GT2 European Championship existed, but the FIA dropped it to cut costs. Other major GT championships include the Japanese Super GT championship and the International GT Open for GT2 and GT3 cars. There are also national GT championships using mainly GT3 and GT4 cars featuring professional and amateur drivers alike.

Sports Car Racing
The Audi R18, a Le Mans Prototype car, during an endurance race
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Auto Racing: Production Car Racing

Production-car racing, otherwise known as "showroom stock" in the US, is an economical and rules-restricted version of touring-car racing, mainly used to restrict costs. Numerous production racing categories are based on particular makes of cars.

Most series follow the Group N regulation with a few exceptions. There are several different series that are run all over the world, most notably, Japan's Super Taikyu and IMSA's Firehawk Series, which ran in the 1980s and 1990s all over the United States.

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Auto Racing: One-make Racing: 

See also: One-Design and Spec racing. One-make, or single marque, championships often employ production-based cars from a single manufacturer or even a single model from a manufacturer's range. There are numerous notable one-make formulae from various countries and regions, some of which – such as the Porsche Supercup and, previously, IROC – have fostered many distinct national championships. Single marque series are often found at club level, to which the production-based cars, limited modifications, and close parity in performance are very well suited.

Some of the better-known single-make series are the Mini 7 Championship (Europe's longest-running one make championship), the Radical European Masters, John Cooper Mini Challenge, Clio Cup, Ginettas, Caterhams, BMWs, and MX5s. There are also single-chassis single seater formulae, such as Formula Renault and Formula BMW, usually as "feeder" series for "senior" race formula (in the fashion of farm teams).
Stock car racing.

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​Auto Racing: Stock Car Racing:

In North America, stock car racing is the most popular form of auto racing. Primarily raced on oval tracks, stock cars vaguely resemble production cars, but are in fact purpose-built racing machines that are built to tight specifications and also called Silhouette racing cars.
Stock Car Racing
NASCAR green flag start at Daytona International Speedway for the 2015 Daytona 500
The largest stock car racing governing body is NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing). NASCAR's premier series is the Sprint Cup Series, its most famous races being the Daytona 500, the Southern 500, the Coca-Cola 600, and the Brickyard 400.

NASCAR also runs several feeder series, including the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series (a pickup truck racing series). The series conduct races across the entire continental United States. The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series conducts races across Canada and the NASCAR Toyota Series conducts races across Mexico.

NASCAR also governs several smaller regional series, such as the Whelen Modified Tour. Modified cars are best described as open-wheel cars. Modified cars have no parts related to the stock vehicle for which they are named after. A number of modified cars display a "manufacturer's" logo and "vehicle name", yet use components produced by another automobile manufacturer.

There are also other stock car governing bodies, most notably the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA).

In the UK, British Stock car racing is also referred to as "Short Circuit Racing". This takes place on shale or tarmac tracks – usually around 1/4 mile long. The governing bodies for the sport are the Oval Racing Council (ORC) and BriSCA.

Both bodies are made up of individual stadium promoters. There are around 35 tracks in the UK and upwards of 7000 active drivers. The sport is split into three basic divisions – distinguished by the rules regarding car contact during racing. The most famous championship is the BriSCA F1 Stock Cars. Full-contact formulas include Bangers, Bombers and Rookie Bangers – and racing features Demolitions Derbies, Figure of Eight racing and Oval Racing.

Semi Contact Formulas include BriSCA F1, F2 and Superstox – where bumpers are used tactically. Non-contact formulas include National Hot Rods, Stock Rods and Lightning Rods.
UK Stock car racing started in the 1950s and grew rapidly through the 1960s and 1970s.
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Auto Racing: Rallying:

Rallying at international and most national championship levels involves two classes of homologated road-legal production-based cars; Group N production cars and more modified Group A cars. Cars compete on closed public roads or off-road areas on a point-to-point format where participants and their co-drivers "rally" to a set of points, leaving in regular intervals from start points.

A rally is typically conducted over a number of "special stages" on any terrain, which entrants are often allowed to scout beforehand at reduced speeds compiling detailed shorthand descriptions of the track or road as they go. These detailed descriptions are known as pace notes. During the actual rally, the co-driver reads the pace notes aloud (using an in-helmet intercom system) to the driver, enabling them to complete each stage as quickly as possible. Competition is based on lowest total elapsed time over the course of an event's special stages, including penalties.

The top series is the World Rally Championship (WRC), first contested in 1973, but there are also regional championships, and many countries have their own national championships. Some famous rallies include the Monte Carlo Rally, Rally Argentina, Rally Finland and Rally GB.

Another famous event (actually best described as a rally raid) is the Paris-Dakar Rally, conceived in 1978. There are also many smaller, club level, categories of rallies, which are popular with amateurs, making up the "grass roots" of motor sports. Cars at this level may not comply fully with the requirements of group A or group N homologation.

Other major rally events include the British Rally Championship, Intercontinental Rally Challenge, African Rally Championship, Asia-Pacific Rally Championship and endurance rally events like the Dakar Rally.
Rallying Car Racing
Andreas Mikkelsen driving a VW Polo R WRC during the 2013 Rally de Portugal
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Auto Racing: Off-road racing

​In off-road racing, various classes of specially modified vehicles, including cars, compete in races through off-road environments. In North America these races often take place in the desert, such as the famous Baja 1000.

​Another format for off-road racing happens on closed-course short course tracks such as Crandon International Off-Road Raceway. In the 1980s and 1990s, short course was extended to racing inside stadiums in the Mickey Thompson Entertainment Group; this format was revived by Robby Gordon in 2013 with his Speed Energy Formula Off-Road series.

In Europe, "offroad" refers to events such as autocross or rallycross, while desert races and rally-raids such as the Paris-Dakar, Master Rally or European "bajas" are called "cross-country rallies."

Off-Road Racing
Rod Hall in a Hummer H3 during a Best in the Desert race


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Auto Racing: Drag Racing

Drag racing is a type of motor racing in which automobiles (usually specially prepared for the purpose) compete, usually two at a time, to be first to cross a set finish line.

The race follows a short, straight course from a standing start over a measured distance, most commonly ¼ mile (1,320 ft (402 m)), with a shorter 3/16 mile 10 feet (1,000 ft (305 m) becoming increasingly popular, as it has become the standard for nitromethane-powered Top Fuel dragsters and funny cars where some major bracket races and other sanctioning bodies have adopted it as the standard, while 660 ft (201 m) (1/8 mi) is also popular in some circles.

Electronic timing and speed sensing systems have been used to record race results since the 1960s. The history of automobiles being used for drag racing is nearly as long as the history of motorized vehicles themselves, and has taken the form of both illegal street racing, and as an organized and regulated motorsport. This topic covers the legal sport.

The National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) oversees the majority of drag racing events in North America. The next largest organization is the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA). Nearly all drag strips are associated with one sanctioning body or the other.

Besides NHRA and IHRA, there are niche organizations for muscle cars and nostalgia vehicles. The Nostalgia Drag Racing League (NDRL) based in Brownsburg, IN, runs a series of 1/4 mile (420m) drag races in the Midwest for 1979 and older nostalgic appearing cars, with four classes of competition running in an index system.

Pro 7.0 and Pro 7.50 run heads up 200 mile per hour (320 kilometre per hour) passes, while Pro Comp and Pro Gas run 8.0 to 10.0 indices. NDRL competition vehicles typically include Front Engine Dragsters, Altereds, Funny Cars, early Pro Stock clones, Super Stocks and Gassers.

The National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) races electric vehicles against high performance gasoline-powered vehicles such as Dodge Vipers or classic muscle cars in 1/4 and 1/8 mile (420m   201m) races.

The current electric drag racing record is 6.940 seconds at 201.37 mph (324.0736 kph) for a quarter mile (420m). Another niche organization is the VWDRC which run a VW-only championship with vehicles running under 7 seconds. Prior to the founding of the NHRA and IHRA, smaller organizations sanctioned drag racing in the early years.


Drag Racing




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​Above Picture: Dragster Models as LEFT: Top Fuel;  RIGHT: Pro Stock







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Pool (Cue Sports) including World Champions of Eight Ball and Nine Ball PoolPictured: Pool: LEFT: Playing Eight-ball Pool in the film “Hustler” (1961) (L-R: Jackie Gleason and Paul Newman); And rack formation for the two most popular pool games: Eight Ball * and Nine Ball**  
 *- Eight ball rack formation (courtesy of CC BY-SA 3.0)
 **- One of many correct nine ball racks: the 1 ball at the apex centered over the foot spot, the 9 ball at center, the other balls placed randomly, and all balls touching. (Courtesy of SMcCandlish)
​Click Here for a Glossary of Pool (Cue Sports) Terms

Pool, also more formally known as pocket billiards (mostly in North America) or pool billiards (mostly in Europe and Australia), is the family of cue sports and games played on a pool table having six receptacles called pockets along the rails, into which balls are deposited as the main goal of play. An obsolete term for pool is six-pocket.

There are hundreds of pool games. Some of the more well known include eight-ball (and the variant blackball), nine-ball (with variants ten-ball and seven-ball), straight pool (14.1 continuous), one-pocket, and bank pool.

In the United States, although the original "pool" game was played on a pocketless carom billiards table, the term later stuck to all new games of pocket billiards as the sport gained in popularity, and so outside the cue sports industry, which has long favored the more formal term pocket billiards, the common name for the sport has remained pool.

The OxfordDictionaries.com definition no longer even provides the obsolete meaning found in the print edition, and refers only to the typical game "using two sets [each] of seven coloured and numbered balls ... with one black ball and a white cue ball" on a table with pockets.

Pool is played on a six pocket table. Modern pool tables generally range in size from 3.5 feet (1.07 m) by 7 feet (2.13 m), to 4.5 feet (1.37 m) by 9 feet (2.74 m).

The balls range from 2.25 inches (57.15 mm) in diameter to 2.375 inches (60.33 mm) in diameter. Under the WPA/BCA (see below) equipment specifications, the weight may be from 5.5 to 6 oz. (156–170 g) with a diameter of 2.25 in. (57.15 mm), plus or minus 0.005 in. (0.127 mm). 

Modern coin-operated pool tables generally use one of three methods to distinguish and return the cue ball to the front of the table while the numbered balls return to an inaccessible receptacle until paid for again: the cue ball is larger and heavier than the other balls, or denser and heavier, or has a magnetic core.

Modern cue sticks are generally 58.5 inches (148.6 cm) long for pool while cues prior to 1980 were designed for straight pool and had an average length of 57.5 inches (146.1 cm). By comparison, carom billiards cues are generally shorter with larger tips, and snooker cues longer with smaller tips.


Two Most Popular Pool Games:

Eight Ball:

In the United States, the most commonly played game is eight-ball. The goal of eight-ball, which is played with a full rack of fifteen balls and the cue ball, is to claim a suit (commonly stripes or solids in the US, and reds or yellows in the UK), pocket all of them, then legally pocket the 8 ball, while denying one's opponent opportunities to do the same with their suit, and without sinking the 8 ball early by accident.

The most prestigious tournaments including the World Open are sponsored and sanctioned by the International Pool Tour. Rules vary widely from place to place (and between continents to such an extent that British-style eight-ball pool/blackball is properly regarded as a separate game in its own right).

Pool halls in North America are increasingly settling upon the World Pool-Billiard Association International Standardized Rules. But tavern eight-ball (also known as "bar pool"), typically played on smaller, coin-operated tables and in a "winner keeps the table" manner, can differ significantly even between two venues in the same city. The growth of local, regional and national amateur leagues may alleviate this confusion eventually.

For a listing of Championship Eight Ball Pool Players, Click Here.


Nine Ball:

Nine-ball uses only the 1 through 9 balls and cue ball. It is a rotation game: The player at the table must make legal contact with the lowest numbered ball on the table or a foul is called. The game is won by legally pocketing the nine ball.

Nine-ball is the predominant professional game, though as of 2006–2008 there have been some suggestions that this may change, in favor of ten-ball.

There are many local and regional tours and tournaments that are contested with nine-ball.

The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) and its American affiliate, the Billiard Congress of America (BCA), publish the World Standardized Rules. The European professional circuit has instituted rules changes to make it more difficult to achieve a legal break shot.

The largest nine-ball tournaments are the independent U.S. Open Nine-ball Championship and the WPA World Nine-ball Championship for men and women. Male professionals have a rather fragmented schedule of professional nine-ball tournaments.

The United States Professional Pool Players Association (UPA) has been the most dominant association of the 1990s and 2000s. A hotly contested event is the annual Mosconi Cup, which pits invitational European and U.S. teams against each other in one-on-one and scotch doubles nine-ball matches over a period of several days. The Mosconi Cup games are played under the more stringent European rules, as of 2007.

For a listing of Championship Nine Ball Pool Players, Click Here.







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Chess, The World Chess Champsionship and its Champions, including Glossary and Rules of ChessPictured: Chess Board: as L-R: Setup at the start of a game; and  Initial position, first row: rook, knight, bishop, queen, king, bishop, knight, and rook; second row: pawns
​Chess is a two-player strategy board game played on a chessboard, a checkered gameboard with 64 squares arranged in an eight-by-eight grid. Chess is played by millions of people worldwide, both amateurs and professionals.

Each player begins the game with 16 pieces: one king, one queen, two rooks, two knights, two bishops, and eight pawns. Each of the six piece types moves differently. The most powerful piece is the queen and the least powerful piece is the pawn. The objective is to 'checkmate' the opponent's king by placing it under an inescapable threat of capture. To this end, a player's pieces are used to attack and capture the opponent's pieces, while supporting their own.

In addition to checkmate, the game can be won by voluntary resignation by the opponent, which typically occurs when too much material is lost, or if checkmate appears unavoidable.

A game may also result in a draw in several ways.

Chess is believed to have originated in India, some time before the 7th century, being derived from the Indian game of chaturanga. Chaturanga is also the likely ancestor of the Eastern strategy games xiangqi, janggi and shogi.

The pieces took on their current powers in Spain in the late 15th century; the rules were finally standardized in the 19th century. The first generally recognized World Chess Champion, Wilhelm Steinitz, claimed his title in 1886.

Since 1948, the World Championship has been controlled by FIDE, the game's international governing body; the current World Champion is the Norwegian Magnus Carlsen. FIDE also organizes the Women's World Championship, the World Junior Championship, the World Senior Championship, the Blitz and Rapid World Championships and the Chess Olympiad, a popular competition among teams from different nations.

There is also a Correspondence Chess World Championship and a World Computer Chess Championship. Online chess has opened amateur and professional competition to a wide and varied group of players. There are also many chess variants, with different rules, different pieces, and different boards.

FIDE awards titles to skilled players, the highest of which is grandmaster. Many national chess organizations also have a title system. However, these are not recognised by FIDE. The term "master" may refer to a formal title or may be used more loosely for any skilled player.

Chess is a recognized sport of the International Olympic Committee; some national sporting bodies such as the Spanish Consejo Superior de Deportes also recognize chess as a sport. Chess was included in the 2006 and 2010 Asian Games.

Since the second half of the 20th century, computers have been programmed to play chess with increasing success, to the point where the strongest home computers play chess at a higher level than the best human players. Since the 1990s, computer analysis has contributed significantly to chess theory, particularly in the endgame.

The computer IBM Deep Blue was the first machine to overcome a reigning World Chess Champion in a match when it defeated Garry Kasparov in 1997. (See YouTube Video above). The rise of strong computer programs (known as "engines") that can be run on hand-held devices has led to increasing concerns about cheating during tournaments.

For a List of World Chess Champions, Click Here.







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Rodeos
YouTube: INCREDIBLE! Rodeo Clown Backflips Bull!
Pictured: LEFT: Riding a Bull; RIGHT: Wrestling a calf

​Rodeo is a competitive sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later Central America, the United States, Canada, South America, Australia and New Zealand.

It is based on the skills required of cowboys, in what today is the western United States, western Canada, and northern Mexico.

Today it is a sporting event that involves horses and other livestock, designed to test the skill and speed of the cowboys and cowgirls. American style professional rodeos generally comprise the following events: 
​The events are divided into two basic categories: the rough stock events and the timed events. Depending on sanctioning organization and region, other events such as breakaway roping, goat tying, or pole bending may also be a part of some rodeos.

American rodeo, particularly popular today within the Canadian province of Alberta and throughout the western United States, is the official state sport of Wyoming, South Dakota, and Texas.

In the United States, professional rodeos are governed and sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) and Women's Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA), while other associations govern children's, high school, collegiate, and senior rodeos. Associations also exist for Native Americans and other minority groups.

The traditional season for competitive rodeo runs from spring through fall, while the modern professional rodeo circuit runs longer, and concludes with the PRCA National Finals Rodeo (NFR) in Las Vegas, Nevada, now held in December.

Rodeo has provoked opposition from animal rights and animal welfare advocates, who argue that various competitions constitute animal cruelty. The American rodeo industry has made progress in improving the welfare of rodeo animals, with specific requirements for veterinary care and other regulations that protect rodeo animals.

However, rodeo is opposed by a number of animal welfare organizations in the United States and Canada. Some local and state governments in North America have banned or restricted rodeos, certain rodeo events, or types of equipment. Internationally, rodeo is banned in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, with other European nations placing restrictions on certain practices.







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NCAA Men's March Madness
YouTube Video: Villanova vs. North Carolina: Final minutes of national title game

​​The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams from the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), to determine the national championship.

The tournament was created in 1939 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and was the idea of Ohio State University coach Harold Olsen. Played mostly during March, it is known informally as March Madness or the Big Dance, and has become one of the most famous annual sporting events in the United States. The NCAA has credited Bob Walsh of the Seattle Organizing Committee for starting the March Madness celebration during 1984.

The tournament teams include champions from 32 Division I conferences (which receive automatic bids), and 36 teams which are awarded at-large berths. These "at-large" teams are chosen by an NCAA selection committee, then announced in a nationally televised event on the Sunday preceding the First Four play-in games, currently held in Dayton, Ohio, and dubbed Selection Sunday.

The 68 teams are divided into four regions and organized into a single elimination "bracket", which pre-determines, when a team wins a game, which team it will face next. Each team is "seeded", or ranked, within its region from 1 to 16.

After an initial four games between eight lower-ranked teams, the tournament occurs during the course of three weekends, at pre-selected neutral sites across the United States. Teams, seeded by rank, proceed through a single game elimination bracket beginning with a first round consisting of 64 teams, to a "Sweet Sixteen", and for the last weekend of the tournament, a Final Four. The Final Four is usually played during the first weekend of April.

These four teams, one from each region (East, South, Midwest, and West), compete in one centralized location for the national championship.

The tournament has been at least partially televised since 1969. Currently, the games are broadcast by CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV by the trade-name NCAA March Madness. Since 2011, all games are available for viewing nationwide and internationally, such as in the Philippines and Canada. As television coverage has grown, so too has the tournament's popularity. Currently, millions of Americans fill out a bracket, attempting to correctly predict the outcome of all 67 games of the tournament.

With 11 national titles, UCLA has the record for the most NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championships; John Wooden coached UCLA to 10 of its 11 titles.

The University of Kentucky is second, with eight national titles, while the University of North Carolina, Duke University, and Indiana University are tied for third with five national titles.

The University of Connecticut is sixth with four national titles. After that the University of Kansas and University of Louisville are tied with three championships.

Since 1985, when the tournament went to 64 teams, Duke has won five championships; Connecticut has four; Kentucky and North Carolina have three; and Kansas, Louisville, Florida and Villanova have two; UCLA, Indiana, Arkansas, Maryland, Syracuse, and Michigan State have one. Also Michigan, UNLV, Arkansas, Arizona, Maryland, and Syracuse all won their first championship (as did Duke, Connecticut, and Florida).

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The Harlem Globetrotters
YouTube Video: Harlem Globetrotters Set 9 Guinness World Records!

The Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater, and comedy. Over the years they have played more than 26,000 exhibition games in 122 countries and territories.

The team's signature song is Brother Bones's whistled version of "Sweet Georgia Brown". Their mascot is an anthropomorphized globe named Globie.

The team plays over 450 live events worldwide each year. The team is currently owned by Herschend Family Entertainment. The executive offices for the team are located in suburban Atlanta.

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Hoverboards
YouTube Video of Man riding hoverboard on edge of Dubai Skyscraper

​A self-balancing scooter or self-balancing two-wheeled board, commonly referred to as a "hoverboard", is a type of portable, rechargeable battery-powered scooter. They typically consist of two wheels arranged side-by-side, with two small platforms between the wheels, on which the rider stands. The device is controlled by the rider's feet, standing on the built-in gyroscopic, sensored pads.

In 2014, several such devices appeared in China, and by 2015, they became widely popular in the United States, following numerous celebrity appearances with the device. There is no universally accepted name for the device, as its various product names are attributable to the companies which distribute them and not their manufacturers.

Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about Hoverboarding:







​Jesse Owens
YouTube Video of Jesse Owens winning 100m Olympic Gold in front of Hitler at 1936 Olympics

James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens (September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete and four-time Olympic gold medalist in the 1936 Games.
Owens specialized in the sprints and the long jump and was recognized in his lifetime as "perhaps the greatest and most famous athlete in track and field history". His achievement of setting three world records and tying another in less than an hour at the 1935 Big Ten track meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan, has been called "the greatest 45 minutes ever in sport" and has never been equaled.

At the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, Owens won international fame with four gold medals: 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and 4 × 100 meter relay. He was the most successful athlete at the Games and, as a black man, was credited with "single-handedly crushing Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy", although he "wasn't invited to the White House to shake hands with the President, either".

The Jesse Owens Award is USA Track and Field's highest accolade for the year's best track and field athlete. Owens was ranked by ESPN as the sixth greatest North American athlete of the twentieth century and the highest-ranked in his sport. In 1999 he was on the six man short list for the BBC's Sports Personality of the Century.

For more about Jesse Owens, click here.



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Jackie Robinson
YouTube Video Bio of Jackie Robinson

Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) second baseman who became the first African American to play in the major leagues in the modern era. 

Robinson broke the baseball color line when the Brooklyn Dodgers started him at first base on April 15, 1947. The Dodgers, by playing Robinson, heralded the end of racial segregation that had relegated black players to the Negro leagues since the 1880s. 

Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962.

Robinson had an exceptional 10-year baseball career. He was the recipient of the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, was an All-Star for six consecutive seasons from 1949 through 1954, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949—the first black player so honored.

Robinson played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 World Series championship. In 1997, MLB "universally" retired his uniform number, 42, across all major league teams; he was the first pro athlete in any sport to be so honored.

MLB also adopted a new annual tradition, "Jackie Robinson Day", for the first time on April 15, 2004, on which every player on every team wears No. 42.

Robinson's character, his use of nonviolence, and his unquestionable talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation which then marked many other aspects of American life. He had an impact on the culture of and contributed significantly to the Civil Rights Movement.

Robinson also was the first black television analyst in MLB, and the first black vice president of a major American corporation, Chock full o'Nuts. In the 1960s, he helped establish the Freedom National Bank, an African-American-owned financial institution based in Harlem, New York.

In recognition of his achievements on and off the field, Robinson was posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal and Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Click here for more about Jackie Robinson.








​Muhammad Ali
YouTube Video: A Very Touching Tribute To Muhammad Ali by Billy Crystal
Pictured: Muhammad Ali and inspirational quote

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., January 17, 1942 – June 3, 2016) was an American professional boxer, widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sporting figures of the 20th century.

From early in his career, Ali was known as an inspiring, controversial and polarizing figure both inside and outside the ring.

Clay was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and began training when he was 12 years old.

At 22, he won the world heavyweight championship from Sonny Liston in an upset in 1964.

Shortly after that, Clay converted to Islam, changed his "slave" name to Ali, and gave a message of racial pride for African Americans and resistance to white domination during the 1960s Civil Rights Movement.

In 1966, two years after winning the heavyweight title, Ali further antagonized the white establishment by refusing to be conscripted into the U.S. military, citing his religious beliefs and opposition to American involvement in the Vietnam War.

He was eventually arrested, found guilty of draft evasion charges and stripped of his boxing titles. He successfully appealed in the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned his conviction in 1971. By that time, he had not fought for nearly four years—losing a period of peak performance as an athlete.

Ali's actions as a conscientious objector to the war made him an icon for the larger counterculture generation.

Ali remains the only three-time lineal world heavyweight champion; he won the title in 1964, 1974, and 1978. Between February 25, 1964, and September 19, 1964, Ali reigned as the heavyweight boxing champion.

Nicknamed "The Greatest", he was involved in several historic boxing matches. Notable among these were the "Fight of the Century", "Super Fight II" and the "Thrilla in Manila" versus his rival Joe Frazier, the first Liston fight, and "The Rumble in the Jungle" versus George Foreman. Ali retired from boxing in 1981.

At a time when most fighters let their managers do the talking, Ali, inspired by professional wrestler "Gorgeous George" Wagner, thrived in—and indeed craved—the spotlight, where he was often provocative and outlandish.

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Wayne Gretzky
YouTube Video: Wayne Gretzky all time leader in goals, points

​Wayne Douglas Gretzky CC (born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played twenty seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999.

Nicknamed "The Great One", Gretzky has been called "the greatest hockey player ever" by many sportswriters, players, and the league itself. He is the leading scorer in NHL history, with more goals and assists than any other player. He garnered more assists than any other player scored total points, and is the only NHL player to total over 200 points in one season – a feat he accomplished four times.

In addition, Gretzky tallied over 100 points in 16 professional seasons, 14 of them consecutive. At the time of his retirement in 1999, he held 61 NHL records: 40 regular-season records, 15 playoff records, and six All-Star records. As of 2015, he still holds 60 NHL records.

Born and raised in Brantford, Ontario, Canada, Gretzky honed his skills at a backyard rink and regularly played minor hockey at a level far above his peers. Despite his unimpressive stature, strength and speed, Gretzky's intelligence and reading of the game were unrivaled.

He was adept at dodging checks from opposing players, and consistently anticipated where the puck was going to be and executed the right move at the right time. Gretzky became known for setting up behind his opponent's net, an area that was nicknamed "Gretzky's office".

In 1978, Gretzky signed with the Indianapolis Racers of the World Hockey Association (WHA), where he briefly played before being traded to the Edmonton Oilers. When the WHA folded, the Oilers joined the NHL, where he established many scoring records and led his team to four Stanley Cup championships.

His trade to the Los Angeles Kings on August 9, 1988, had an immediate impact on the team's performance, eventually leading them to the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals, and he is credited with popularizing hockey in California. 

Gretzky played briefly for the St. Louis Blues before finishing his career with the New York Rangers.

Gretzky captured nine Hart Trophies as the most valuable player, ten Art Ross Trophies for most points in a season, two Conn Smythe Trophies as playoff MVP, and five Lester B. Pearson Awards (now called the Ted Lindsay Award) for most outstanding player as judged by his peers. He won the Lady Byng Trophy for sportsmanship and performance five times, and often spoke out against fighting in hockey.

After his retirement in 1999, Gretzky was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, making him the most recent player to have the waiting period waived. The NHL retired his jersey number 99 league-wide, making him the only player to receive this honou. He was one of six players voted to the International Ice Hockey Federation's (IIHF) Centennial All-Star Team.

Gretzky became executive director for the Canadian national men's hockey team during the 2002 Winter Olympics, in which the team won a gold medal. In 2000, he became part-owner of the Phoenix Coyotes, and following the 2004–05 NHL lock-out he became the team's head coach. In 2004, he was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame. In September 2009, following the franchise's bankruptcy, Gretzky resigned as coach and relinquished his ownership share. In October 2016, he became partner and vice-chairman of Oilers Entertainment Group.

Click here for more about Wayne Gretzky.








​Michael Phelps: Greatest Olympian Ever!
YouTube Video of Michael Phelps 200m butterfly World Record
YouTube Video: The Evolution Of Michael Phelps (Full Feature HD)​
​Pictured: Michael Phelps and some of the many Olypics gold medals he has earned.

Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is an American former competitive swimmer and the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 28 medals.

Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals (23), Olympic gold medals in individual events (13), and Olympic medals in individual events (16).

In winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games, Phelps broke fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven first-place finishes at any single Olympic Games.

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Phelps won four gold and two silver medals, and at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he won five gold medals and one silver. This made him the most successful athlete of the Games for the fourth Olympics in a row.

Phelps is the long course world record holder in the 100 meter butterfly, 200 meter butterfly, and 400 meter individual medley as well as the former long course world record holder in the 200 meter freestyle and 200 meter individual medley.

He has won 83 medals in major international long course competition, of which 66 gold were, 14 silver, and 3 bronze, spanning the Olympics, the World, and the Pan Pacific Championships.

Phelps's international titles and record-breaking performances have earned him the World Swimmer of the Year Award eight times and American Swimmer of the Year Award eleven times as well as the FINA Swimmer of the Year Award in 2012 and 2016.

His unprecedented Olympic success in 2008 earned Phelps Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year award.

After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Phelps started the Michael Phelps Foundation, which focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles. Phelps retired following the 2012 Olympics, but in April 2014 he made a comeback. At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, his fifth Olympics, he won five golds and one silver. Phelps was chosen to be a captain of the 2016 US Olympic team, and was also voted by his team to be the flag bearer of the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations.

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Michael Jordan
Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials, MJ, is an American retired professional basketball player, businessman, and principal owner and chairman of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards. His biography on the NBA website states: "By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time." Jordan was one of the most effectively marketed athletes of his generation and was considered instrumental in popularizing the NBA around the world in the 1980s and 1990s.

Jordan played three seasons for coach Dean Smith at the University of North Carolina. As a freshman, he was a member of the Tar Heels' national championship team in 1982. Jordan joined the Bulls in 1984 as the third overall draft pick. He quickly emerged as a league star, entertaining crowds with his prolific scoring. His leaping ability, demonstrated by performing slam dunks from the free throw line in slam dunk contests, earned him the nicknames Air Jordan and His Airness.

Jordan also gained a reputation for being one of the best defensive players in basketball. In 1991, he won his first NBA championship with the Bulls, and followed that achievement with titles in 1992 and 1993, securing a "three-peat".

Although Jordan abruptly retired from basketball before the beginning of the 1993–94 NBA season and started a new career playing minor league baseball, he returned to the Bulls in March 1995 and led them to three additional championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998, as well as a then-record 72 regular-season wins in the 1995–96 NBA season. Jordan retired for a second time in January 1999, but returned for two more NBA seasons from 2001 to 2003 as a member of the Wizards.

​Jordan's individual accolades and accomplishments include the following:
Among his numerous accomplishments, Jordan holds the NBA records for highest career regular season scoring average (30.12 points per game) and highest career playoff scoring average (33.45 points per game).

In 1999, Jordan was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN, and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press's list of athletes of the century. Jordan is a two-time inductee into the Basketball Hall of Fame, having been enshrined in 2009 for his individual career, and again in 2010 as part of the group induction of the 1992 United States men's Olympic basketball team ("The Dream Team"). He became a member of the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2015.

Jordan is also known for his product endorsements. He fueled the success of Nike's Air Jordan sneakers, which were introduced in 1985 and remain popular today. 

Jordan also starred in the 1996 film Space Jam as himself. In 2006, he became part-owner and head of basketball operations for the then-Charlotte Bobcats, buying a controlling interest in 2010. In 2015, Jordan became the first billionaire NBA player in history as a result of the increase in value of NBA franchises. He is the third-richest African-American, behind Oprah Winfrey and Robert F. Smith.

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Tom Brady
YouTube Video: Tom Brady Tosses 303 Yards & 1 TD vs. Tampa Bay | Patriots vs. Buccaneers

​Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL).

Brady is one of only two players to win five Super Bowls (the other being defensive player Charles Haley) and the only player to win them all playing for one team.

After playing college football for the University of Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft. In Brady's 15 seasons as a starter, he has quarterbacked the Patriots to seven Super Bowl appearances, the most for any player in history.

Brady has been honored with four Super Bowl MVP awards (Super Bowl XXXVI, XXXVIII, XLIX, and LI), the most ever by a single player, has won two league MVP awards (2007 and 2010), has been selected to 12 Pro Bowls, and has led his team to more division titles (14) than any other quarterback in NFL history.

As of the end of the 2016 season, Brady is fourth all-time in career passing yards, fourth in career touchdown passes, and third in career passer rating. His career postseason record is 25–9, winning more playoff games than any other quarterback, and he has appeared in more playoff games than any player at any position.

Brady has never had a losing season as a starting quarterback in the NFL. His combined regular-season and postseason wins are also the most of any quarterback in NFL history.

Because of his accomplishments and accolades, many analysts and sportswriters consider Brady to be among the greatest quarterbacks of all time. Due to his late draft selection, Brady is considered to be the biggest "steal" in the history of the NFL Draft.

For his alleged involvement in the highly publicized Deflategate football tampering scandal, Brady was suspended for the first four games of the 2016 NFL season.

Subsequently, Brady went on to win Super Bowl LI and Super Bowl MVP that season.
Brady has been married to Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bündchen since 2009.

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Yogi Berra
YouTube Video of Yogi Berra Biography
Pictured: Yogi Berra (L) jumping into the arms of Don Larsen upon catching the only perfect game in the 1956 World Series; (R) as Manager of the New York Mets

Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher, who later took on the roles of manager, and coach.

Berra played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) (1946–63, 1965), all but the last for the New York Yankees. He was an 18-time All-Star, and won 10 World Series championships as a player—more than any other player in MLB history. 

Berra had a career batting average of .285, while hitting 358 home runs and 1,430 runs batted in. He is one of only five players to win the American League Most Valuable Player Award three times. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest catchers in baseball history, and was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

Berra was a native of St. Louis, and signed with the Yankees in 1943 before serving in the U.S. Navy in World War II. He made his major-league debut at age 21 in 1946 and was a mainstay in the Yankees' lineup during the team's championship years beginning in 1949 and continuing through 1962. Despite his short stature (he was 5' 7" tall), Berra was a power hitter and strong defensive catcher. He caught Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series.

Berra played 18 seasons with the Yankees. He spent the next season as their manager, then joined the New York Mets in 1965 as coach (and briefly a player again). Berra remained with the Mets for the next decade, serving the last four years as their manager. He returned to the Yankees in 1976, coaching them for eight seasons and managing for two, before coaching the Houston Astros.

Berra was one of seven managers to lead both American and National League teams to the World Series. Berra appeared as a player, coach or manager in every one of the 13 World Series that New York baseball teams competed in from 1947 through 1981. In all, he appeared in 22 World Series, 13 on the winning side.

The Yankees retired his uniform number 8 in 1972; in an unusual twist, Bill Dickey also wore number 8, and both catchers had that number retired by the Yankees. The club honored him with a plaque in Monument Park in 1988. Berra was named to the MLB All-Century Team in a vote by fans in 1999.

For the remainder of Berra's life, he was closely involved with the Yogi Berra Museum and Learning Center, which he opened on the campus of Montclair State University in 1998.

Berra quit school after the eighth grade. He was known for his malapropisms as well as pithy and paradoxical statements, such as "It ain't over 'til it's over", while speaking to reporters. He once simultaneously denied and confirmed his reputation by stating, "I really didn't say everything I said.

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​History of Sports
YouTube Video: Greatest Moments in Sports History: 100 Years of the Most Remarkable Players,Teams and Memories
Pictured: Clockwise from upper left: Ancient sumo-wrestling competition from the Japanese Heian or Kamakura period (between 794 and 1333); Cricket in England, Boxing before Gloves; and Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls Basketball Team

The history of sports extends as far back as the beginnings of military training, with competition used as a mean to determine whether individuals were fit and useful for service.

Team sports may have developed to train and to prove the capability to fight and work together as a team (army). The history of sport can teach us about social changes and about the nature of sport itself, as sport seems involved in the development of basic human skills. 

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Skiing in all its forms including a List of Ski Areas and Resorts in the United States
YouTube Video: North America's Best Ski Resorts by WatchMojo
YouTube Video of Down-hill Skiing viewed from a Head-mounted Camera
YouTube Video: Most insane ski line EVER
Pictured below as different forms of skiing (clockwise from upper left): Alpine Skiing; Cross Country Skiing; Ski Jumping; Freestyle Skiing

Click here for a List of Ski Areas and Resorts in the United States.

Skiing can be a means of transport, a recreational activity or a competitive winter sport in which the participant uses skis to glide on snow. Many types of competitive skiing events are recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the International Ski Federation (FIS).

Types of Skiing:

​Alpine
Main article: Alpine skiing

Also called "downhill skiing", Alpine skiing typically takes place on a piste at a ski resort. It is characterized by fixed-heel bindings that attach at both the toe and the heel of the skier's boot.

Because the Alpine equipment is somewhat difficult to walk in, ski lifts, including chairlifts, bring skiers up the slope. 

Backcountry skiing can be accessed by helicopter, snowcat, hiking and snowmobile.

Facilities at resorts can include night skiing, après-ski, and glade skiing under the supervision of the ski patrol and the ski school. Alpine skiing branched off from the older Nordic type of skiing around the 1920s when the advent of ski lifts meant that it was not necessary to walk any longer. Alpine equipment has specialized to the point where it can now only be used with the help of lifts.

Nordic:
Main article: Nordic skiing

The Nordic disciplines include cross-country skiing and ski jumping, which both use bindings that attach at the toes of the skier's boots but not at the heels. Cross-country skiing may be practiced on groomed trails or in undeveloped backcountry areas. Ski jumping is practiced in certain areas that are reserved exclusively for ski jumping.

Telemark:
Main article: Telemark skiing

​Telemark skiing is a ski turning technique and FIS-sanctioned discipline, which is named after the Telemark region of Norway. It uses equipment similar to Nordic skiing, where the ski bindings are attached only at the toes of the ski boots, allowing the skier's heel to be raised throughout the turn.

Competition:

​The following disciplines are sanctioned by the FIS. Many have their own world cups and are included in the Winter Olympic Games.
Equipment:
Equipment used in skiing includes:
Technique:
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Technique has evolved along with ski technology and ski geometry. Early techniques included the telemark turn, the stem, the stem Christie, snowplough, and parallel turn.
New parabolic designs like the Elan SCX have enabled the more modern carve turn.

On Other Surfaces:

Originally and primarily a winter sport, skiing can also be practiced indoors without snow, outdoors on grass, on dry ski slopes, with ski simulators, or with roller skis.

A treadmill-like surface can also be used, to enable skiing while staying in the same place. Sand skiing involves sliding on sand instead of snow, but the skier uses conventional skis, ski poles, bindings and boots.

See also:







Sisters Serena Williams and Venus Williams:  Professional Tennis Champions Pictured below: Serena Williams earns 23rd Grand Slam title with win over sister Venus
Serena Jameka Williams (born September 26, 1981) is an American professional tennis player. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) ranked her world No. 1 in singles on eight separate occasions between 2002 and 2017. She reached the No. 1 ranking for the first time on July 8, 2002. On her sixth occasion, she held the ranking for 186 consecutive weeks, tying the record set by Steffi Graf. In total, she has been No. 1 for 319 weeks, which ranks third in the "Open Era" among female players behind Graf and Martina Navratilova.

Williams holds the most Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles combined among active players. Her 39 major titles puts her joint-third on the all-time list and second in the Open Era: 23 in singles, 14 in women's doubles, and two in mixed doubles. She is the most recent female player to have held all four Grand Slam singles titles simultaneously (2002–03 and 2014–15) and the third player to achieve this twice, after Rod Laver and Graf.

Serena Williams is also the most recent player to have won a Grand Slam title on each surface (hard, clay and grass) in one calendar year. She is also, together with her sister Venus (see below), the most recent player to have held all four Grand Slam women's doubles titles simultaneously (2009–10).

Her total of 23 Grand Slam singles titles marks the record for the most Grand Slam wins in the Open Era, and is second on the all-time list behind Margaret Court (24). She has won an all-time record of 13 Grand Slam singles titles on hard court. Williams holds the Open Era record for most titles won at the Australian Open (7) and shares the Open Era record for most titles won at the US Open with Chris Evert (6). She also holds the all-time record for the most women's singles matches won at majors with 331 matches.

Williams has won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, all with her sister Venus, and the pair are unbeaten in Grand Slam doubles finals. As a team, she and Venus have the third most women's doubles Grand Slam titles, behind the 18 titles of Natasha Zvereva (14 with Gigi Fernández) and the record 20 titles won by Martina Navratilova and Pam Shriver.

Williams is also a five-time winner of the WTA Tour Championships in the singles division. She has also won four Olympic gold medals, one in women's singles and three in women's doubles—an all-time record shared with her sister, Venus. 

The arrival of the Williams sisters has been credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism on the women's professional tennis tour. Earning almost $29 million in prize money and endorsements, Williams was the highest paid female athlete in 2016. She repeated this feat in 2017 when she was the only woman on Forbes' list of the 100 highest paid athletes with $27 million in prize money and endorsements. She has won the 'Laureus Sportswoman of the Year' award four times (2003, 2010, 2016, 2018), and in December 2015, she was named Sportsperson of the Year by Sports Illustrated magazine.

Click here for more about Serena Williams.
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Venus Ebony Starr Williams (born June 17, 1980) is an American professional tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 40 in the WTA singles rankings. She is generally regarded as one of the all-time greats of women's tennis and, along with younger sister Serena Williams (above), is credited with ushering in a new era of power and athleticism on the women's professional tennis tour.

Williams has been ranked world No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association on three occasions, for a total of 11 weeks. She first reached the No. 1 ranking on February 25, 2002, the first African American woman to do so in the Open Era, and the second all time since Althea Gibson.

Williams' seven Grand Slam singles titles are tied for 12th on the all-time list, and 8th on the Open Era list, more than any other active female player except Serena. She has reached 16 Grand Slam finals, most recently at Wimbledon in 2017. She has also won 14 Grand Slam Women's doubles titles, all with Serena; the pair is unbeaten in Grand Slam doubles finals.

Williams also has two Mixed Doubles titles. Her five Wimbledon singles titles tie her with two other women for eighth place on the all-time list, but gives her sole possession of No. 4 on the Open Era List, trailing only the nine titles of Martina Navratilova and the seven of Serena and Steffi Graf.

From the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2001 US Open, Williams won four of the six Grand Slam singles tournaments in that span. At the 2018 US Open, Williams extended her record as the all-time leader, male or female, in Grand Slams played, with 80. With her run to the 2017 Wimbledon singles final, she broke the record for longest time between first and most recent grand slam singles finals appearances.

Williams has won four Olympic gold medals, one in singles and three in women's doubles, along with a silver medal in mixed doubles, pulling even with Kathleen McKane Godfree for the most Olympic medals won by a male or female tennis player. She is the only tennis player to have won a medal at four Olympic Games.

At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Williams became only the second player to win Olympic gold medals in both singles and doubles at the same Olympic Games, after Helen Wills Moody in 1924.

With 49 singles titles, Williams trails only Serena among active players on the WTA Tour. Her 35-match winning streak from the 2000 Wimbledon Championships to the 2000 Generali Ladies Linz tournament final is the longest since January 1, 2000. She is also one of only three active WTA players to have made the finals of all four Grand Slams, along with Serena and Maria Sharapova.

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Mind SportsPictured below: Legal battle over status of ‘mind sport’
A mind sport is a game of skill where the competition is based on a particular type of the intellectual ability as opposed to physical exercise.

The first major use of the term was as a result of the Mind Sports Olympiad in 1997. The phrase had been used prior to this event such as backgammon being described as a mind sport by Tony Buzan in 1996; Tony Buzan was also a co-founder of the Mind Sports Olympiad.

Bodies such as the memory council use the term retrospectively.

It is a term that became fixed from games trying to obtain equal status to sports. For example, from 2002 British Minister for Sport, Richard Caborn said: "...I believe we should have the same obligation to mental agility as we do to physical agility. Mind sports have to form UK national bodies and get together with the government to devise an acceptable amendment to the 1937 Act that clearly differentiates mind sports from parlour board games."

Many of the games official bodies which had come together for the Mind Sports Olympiad, formed larger organisations such as the Mind Sports Council and International Mind Sports Association (IMSA).

With IMSA organizing the World Mind Sports Games in Beijing 2008 for contract bridge, chess, go, draughts and xiangqi many other bodies have lobbied for inclusion such as the International Federation of Poker, which won provisional membership at the annual congress of SportAccord in Dubai in 2009.

The term also includes mental calculation or memory disciplines as presented in International competitions such as the Mental Calculation World Cup (held bi-annually since 2004) and the World Memory Championships (held annually since 1991)

Games Called Mind Sports:

As well as many board games, chess and card games, other disciplines that have been described as mind sports are: 
Other events that have been included where the physical element is comparable to the mental component such as when the official Mind Sports South Africa accepted speed-texting as a mind sport.

See Also:







Games, including an Outline of Forms of GamesPictured below: The New Way To Game: The Future of Cloud Gaming Begins With GeForce NOW
A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool.

Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements. However, the distinction is not clear-cut, and many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such as jigsaw puzzles or games involving an artistic layout such as Mahjong, solitaire, or some video games).

Games are sometimes played purely for entertainment, sometimes for achievement or reward as well. They can be played alone, in teams, or online; by amateurs or by professionals. The players may have an audience of non-players, such as when people are entertained by watching a chess championship.

On the other hand, players in a game may constitute their own audience as they take their turn to play. Often, part of the entertainment for children playing a game is deciding who is part of their audience and who is a player.

Key components of games are goals, rules, challenge, and interaction. Games generally involve mental or physical stimulation, and often both. Many games help develop practical skills, serve as a form of exercise, or otherwise perform an educational, simulational, or psychological role.

Attested as early as 2600 BC, games are a universal part of human experience and present in all cultures. The Royal Game of Ur, Senet, and Mancala are some of the oldest known games.

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Outline of Games:

See also: Index of games topics

Click on any of the following blue hyperlinks for more about Outline of Games:







Amateur Sports
​Amateur sports are sports in which participants engage largely or entirely without remuneration. The distinction is made between amateur sporting participants and professional sporting participants, who are paid for the time they spend competing and training.

In the majority of sports which feature professional players, the professionals will participate at a higher standard of play than amateur competitors, as they can train full-time without the stress of having another job. The majority of worldwide sporting participants are amateurs.

Sporting amateurism was a zealously guarded ideal in the 19th century, especially among the upper classes, but faced steady erosion throughout the 20th century with the continuing growth of pro sports and monetisation of amateur and collegiate sports, and is now strictly held as an ideal by fewer and fewer organisations governing sports, even as they maintain the word "amateur" in their titles.

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NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament Pictured below: Bracket Watch: A Preseason Projection of 2019’s Field of 68*
* -- Sports Illustrated
The NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament, also known and branded as NCAA March Madness, is a single-elimination tournament played each spring in the United States, currently featuring 68 college basketball teams from the Division I level of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), to determine the national championship.

The tournament was created in 1939 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, and was the idea of Ohio State coach Harold Olsen. Played mostly during March, it has become one of the most famous annual sporting events in the United States.

The tournament teams include champions from 32 Division I conferences (which receive automatic bids), and 36 teams which are awarded at-large berths. These "at-large" teams are chosen by an NCAA selection committee, then announced in a nationally televised event on the Sunday preceding the "First Four" play-in games, currently held in Dayton, Ohio, and dubbed Selection Sunday.

The 68 teams are divided into four regions and organized into a single-elimination "bracket", which pre-determines, when a team wins a game, which team it will face next. Each team is "seeded", or ranked, within its region from 1 to 16.

After the First Four, the tournament occurs during the course of three weekends, at pre-selected neutral sites across the United States.

Teams, seeded by rank, proceed through a single-game elimination bracket beginning with a "first four" consisting of 8 low-seeded teams playing in 4 games for a position in the first round the Tuesday and Wednesday before the first round begins, a first round consisting of 64 teams playing in 32 games over the course of a week, the "Sweet Sixteen" and "Elite Eight" rounds the next week and weekend, respectively, and – for the last weekend of the tournament – the "Final Four" round.

The Final Four is usually played during the first weekend of April. These four teams, one from each region (East, South, Midwest, and West), compete in a pre-selected location for the national championship.

The tournament has been at least partially televised since 1969. Currently, the games are broadcast by CBS, TBS, TNT, and truTV under the trade-name NCAA March Madness.

Since 2011, all games are available for viewing nationwide and internationally. As television coverage has grown, so too has the tournament's popularity. Currently, millions of Americans fill out a bracket, attempting to correctly predict the outcome of 63 games of the tournament (not including the First Four games).

With 11 national titles, UCLA has the record for the most NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championships; John Wooden coached UCLA to 10 of its 11 titles.

The University of Kentucky (UK) is second, with eight national titles. The University of North Carolina is third, with six national titles, and Duke University and Indiana University are tied for fourth with five national titles.

The University of Connecticut is sixth with four national titles.

The University of Kansas & Villanova are tied for 7th with three national titles.

Since 1985, when the tournament expanded to 64 teams, Duke has won five championships; North Carolina and Connecticut have each won four; Kentucky & Villanova have three; Kansas & Florida have two; and UCLA, Indiana, Michigan State, and Louisville have one. Since 1985, the following 10 teams have all won their first championship (and some even more):
  1. Villanova, 
  2. Michigan, 
  3. UNLV,
  4. Duke, 
  5. Arkansas, 
  6. Arizona,
  7. Connecticut, 
  8. Maryland, 
  9. Syracuse,
  10. and Florida.

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Board Games ​Pictured: Examples of  Board Games include Monopoly & Playing Chess.
A board game is a tabletop game that involves counters or pieces moved or placed on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules. Some games are based on pure strategy, but many contain an element of chance; and some are purely chance, with no element of skill.

Games usually have a goal that a player aims to achieve. Early board games represented a battle between two armies, and most modern board games are still based on defeating opposing players in terms of counters, winning position, or accrual of points.

There are many varieties of board games. Their representation of real-life situations can range from having no inherent theme, like checkers, to having a specific theme and narrative, like Cluedo.

Rules can range from the very simple, like Tic-tac-toe, to those describing a game universe in great detail, like Dungeons & Dragons – although most of the latter are role-playing games where the board is secondary to the game, serving to help visualize the game scenario.

The time required to learn to play or master a game varies greatly from game to game, but is not necessarily correlated with the number or complexity of rules; games like chess or go possess relatively simple rulesets, but have great strategic depth.

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Brothers Eli Manning and Peyton Manning: former NFL Star Quarterbacks Pictured below: Peyton, Eli glad to be getting Manning Bowl III out of way
Peyton Williams Manning (born March 24, 1976) is a former American football quarterback who played 18 seasons in the National Football League (NFL), primarily with the Indianapolis Colts.

Considered to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time due to his numerous career achievements, he spent 14 seasons with the Colts and was a member of the Denver Broncos in his last four seasons. Manning played college football for the University of Tennessee, leading the Tennessee Volunteers to the 1997 SEC Championship in his senior season. He is the second son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and older brother of New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (see below).

Manning was selected by the Colts as the first overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. From 1998 to 2010, he improved the fortunes of the struggling Colts franchise and helped transform them into consistent playoff contenders.

During his tenure as starting quarterback, Manning led the team to eight division championships, two AFC championships, and one Super Bowl title, the franchise's first in over three decades, as well as their first since relocating to Indianapolis.

After undergoing neck surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2011 season, Manning was released by the Colts and signed with the Broncos. Serving as the team's starting quarterback from 2012 to 2015, he contributed to the Broncos reaching the top of their division each year and his playing career concluded with a victory in Super Bowl 50.

Manning holds many NFL records, including touchdown passes (539), AP MVP awards (5), Pro Bowl appearances (14), 4,000-yard passing seasons (14), single-season passing yards (5,477 in 2013), single-season passing touchdowns (55 in 2013), tied for most First-Team All Pros for a quarterback with 7, and is second in career passing yards (71,940).

A two-time Super Bowl winner and the most valuable player of Super Bowl XLI, Manning is also the only quarterback to start the Super Bowl for two franchises more than once each, with different coaches at each Super Bowl start (Dungy, Caldwell, Fox, Kubiak), and the only starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two franchises. At 39 years of age,

Manning was the oldest quarterback to start in and win a Super Bowl until Tom Brady surpassed him by winning a Super Bowl at 41.

During a 2009 Monday Night Football game, Manning received the nickname "The Sheriff" from color commentator Jon Gruden due to his tendency to audible prior to the snap, and he was one of the most recognizable and parodied players in the NFL. Teams led by Manning typically utilized the hurry-up offense in place of the standard huddle.

Click here for more about Peyton Manning.
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Elisha ("Eli") Nelson Manning IV (born January 3, 1981) is an American football quarterback for the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Mississippi from 2000 to 2003. He was drafted as the first overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers and was immediately traded to the Giants who in return gave up a package, highlighted by fourth overall selection Philip Rivers.

Manning is the son of former NFL quarterback Archie Manning and the younger brother of former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning (see above).

Manning holds Giants franchise records for most passing yards, touchdown passes, and completed passes in a career. In 2012, in a 41–34 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he threw for 510 yards, 3 yards short of Phil Simms' record of 513. He led the Giants to victory in Super Bowls XLII and XLVI, defeating the New England Patriots in both games.

Manning was named Most Valuable Player in both Super Bowls, becoming one of five players to have multiple Super Bowl MVP awards (Bart Starr and Terry Bradshaw also have two, Joe Montana three and Tom Brady four).

Manning started 210 straight games from 2004 to 2017, the second-longest consecutive starts streak by a quarterback in NFL history. He is the seventh all-time leader in passing yards and eighth in touchdowns.

Though lacking his brother's regular-season consistency and high-caliber performances, Manning is known for his two improbable Super Bowl-winning postseason runs in 2007 and 2011, in which he led an underdog Giants squad to Super Bowl victories twice against the Patriots

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United States Women's National Soccer Team World's Cup in 2019, including Megan Rapinoe, Co-captain Pictured below: Megan Rapinoe #15 of the United States celebrates scoring during the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup France quarter-final match between France and the United States at Parc des Princes on June 28, 2019 in Paris, France. (Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
​The 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup was the eighth edition of the FIFA Women's World Cup, the quadrennial international football championship contested by 24 women's national teams representing member associations of FIFA.

It took place between 7 June and 7 July 2019, with 52 matches staged in nine cities in France, which was awarded the right to host the event in March 2015, the first time the country hosted the tournament. The tournament was the first Women's World Cup to use the video assistant referee (VAR) system.

The United States entered the competition as defending champions after winning the 2015 edition in Canada and successfully defended their title with a 2–0 victory over the Netherlands in the final. In doing so, they secured their record fourth title and became the second nation, after Germany, to have successfully retained the title.

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​Megan Anna Rapinoe; born July 5, 1985) is an American professional soccer player who plays for and captains Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), playing primarily as a winger.

As a member of the United States women's national soccer team, she helped the U.S. win the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments, a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics, and finish runners-up at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. Since 2018, she co-captains the national team alongside Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan.

Rapinoe is internationally known for her crafty style of play and her precise cross to Abby Wambach in the 122nd minute of the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup quarterfinals against Brazil, which resulted in an equalizer goal and eventual win for the Americans after a penalty shootout. The last-minute goal was awarded ESPN's 2011 ESPY Award for Best Play of the Year.

During the 2012 London Olympics, Rapinoe scored three goals and tallied a team-high four assists to lead the United States to a gold medal. She is the first player, male or female, to score a goal directly from a corner at the Olympic Games.

Rapinoe is an advocate for numerous LGBT organizations, including the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSEN) and Athlete Ally. In 2013, she was awarded the board of directors Award by the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center.

Rapinoe is sponsored by Nike, Samsung, and DJO Global, and has appeared in multiple promotional pieces for clothing company Wildfang, as well as for Nike. She previously played for the Chicago Red Stars, Philadelphia Independence, and magicJack in Women's Professional Soccer (WPS), as well as Olympique Lyonnais in France's Division 1 Féminine.

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NHL St. Louis Blues Winning the Stanley Cup during the 2018–19 St. Louis Blues season Pictured below: Alex Pietrangelo of the St. Louis Blues celebrates with the Stanley Cup after defeating the Boston Bruins in Game Seven to win the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup final.
[The NHL's St. Louis Blues are my home-town hockey team, and experienced an incredible season in 2019, culminating in their winning the Stanley Cup in 2019, the first time in their 52 years of existence as a NHL Hockey Team!]

The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League (NHL). The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the six teams from the 1967 NHL expansion and is named after the W. C. Handy song "Saint Louis Blues". The Blues play their home games at the 19,150-seat Enterprise Center in downtown St. Louis, which has been their arena since moving from St. Louis Arena in 1994.

The Blues have qualified for the playoffs in all but nine of their 52 seasons, appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals four times, and won the Stanley Cup in 2019. Their 42 playoff appearances are the most for any NHL team outside of the Original Six, although the franchise struggled in the postseason throughout much of their history.

While they made the Stanley Cup Finals in each of their first three seasons, they were swept each time. With the Blues' victory in their fourth Stanley Cup Final, 49 years after their last appearance and in their 52nd year of existence, they became the final active team from the 1967 expansion to win their first Stanley Cup in 2019.

The Blues have a rivalry with the Chicago Blackhawks, with both teams having played in the same division since 1970. The San Antonio Rampage of the American Hockey League (AHL) and the Tulsa Oilers of the ECHL are the two minor league affiliates of the Blues.

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Simone Biles (Gymnast)Pictured below: Simone Biles’ Gravity-Defying Moves Almost Didn’t Happen
Simone Arianne Biles (born March 14, 1997) is an American artistic gymnast. With a total of 30 Olympic and World Championship medals, Biles is the most decorated American gymnast and the world's third most decorated gymnast, behind Belarus' Vitaly Scherbo (33 medals) and Russia's Larisa Latynina (32 medals).

At the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Biles won individual gold medals in all-around, vault and floor; bronze in balance beam; and gold as part of the United States team, dubbed the "Final Five".

Biles is a five-time World all-around champion (2013–2015, 2018–19), five-time World floor exercise champion (2013–2015, 2018–19), three-time World balance beam champion (2014–15, 2019), two-time World vault champion (2018–19), a six-time United States national all-around champion (2013–2016, 2018–19), and a member of the gold-medal-winning American teams at the 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.

Additionally, she is a three-time World silver medalist (2013 and 2014 on vault, 2018 on uneven bars) and a three-time World bronze medalist (2015 on vault, 2013 and 2018 on balance beam).

Biles is the gymnast with the most World medals (25) and most World gold medals (19), having surpassed Scherbo's record 23 World medals by winning her 24th and 25th, both gold, at the 2019 competition in Stuttgart. She is the female gymnast with the most World all-around titles (5).

Biles is the sixth woman to win an individual all-around title at both the World Championships and the Olympics, and the first gymnast since Lilia Podkopayeva in 1996 to hold both titles simultaneously. She is the tenth gymnast and first American gymnast to win a World medal on every event, and the first gymnast since Daniela Silivaș in 1988 to win a medal on every event at a single Olympic Games or World Championships, having accomplished this feat at the 2018 World Championships.

​Olympic Champion Mary Lou Retton called Biles the "greatest gymnast ever"; other observers have echoed the sentiment.

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Archery
YouTube Video of Awesome Bow Hunting Kill Shots
​Pictured: LEFT: Archery competition in Mönchengladbach, Germany, in 1983; and RIGHT: Bowhunting Africa at Ozondjahe Hunting Safaris Namibia.
Archery is the sport, practice or skill of using a bow to propel arrows. 

Historically, archery has been used for hunting and combat. In modern times, it is mainly a competitive sport and recreational activity. A person who participates in archery is typically called an archer or a bowman, and a person who is fond of or an expert at archery is sometimes called a toxophilite.

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