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Archery Start practicing your archery now, because you never know when one day you will be called upon to play Robin Hood in your local community theater group. Imagine being up on stage and having to play out a rescue scene without being properly prepared. One wild shot and you could put out somebody's eye. Don't let this happen to you. Read the important archery documents that are available on the Net. Web:
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Badminton Badminton is a racket game, played by two people (singles) or four people (doubles). The idea is to use the racket to hit a bird (also called a shuttlecock) back and forth over a net. Badminton is thought to have originated in India, and was introduced into the United States in the 1890s. The word "badminton" was taken from the name of the English estate of the Duke of Beaufort. Web:
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Baseball Baseball is played in the United States, Japan, Mexico, Cuba and other countries. In the U.S., baseball is so popular it is often referred as the "National Pastime". (Actually, there are three National Pastimes. The other two are complaining about taxes and criticizing the President.) Legend has it that baseball was invented in 1839 by Abner Doubleday, but it just ain't so. Modern baseball developed from a more rudimentary version that was played in the early nineteenth century, based on the English games of cricket and rounders. Today, baseball -- especially in the U.S. -- has millions of devoted fans. If you are one of them, you will love these resources, where you can cruise through massive amounts of information about major and minor leagues around the world: scores, standings, schedules, statistics, rosters, injury reports, and much, much more. Web:
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Baseball Teams Talk and General Discussion On those days when it's not enough to watch your favorite team at the ballpark or on television, do some reading on their stats, standings and other team information on the Net. Usenet:
Basketball Having basketball fever doesn't mean that you just sit in front of the television making loud whooping noises. It's much more sophisticated than that. It's a fine balance of gathering statistics, analyzing trends, and making studied observations. On the Net you can find all you need to become a seasoned basketball fan. Web:
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Basketball Teams Talk and General Discussion You don't have to get together with the guys to be able to talk about your favorite basketball team. On Usenet there are lots and lots of fan groups for basketball. Join up with other raging basketball fans and talk all night. (By the way, did you know that basketball is the only major sport that is entirely American in origin?) Usenet:
Basketball: Women Many people prefer women's basketball to men's. The rules are changed somewhat -- for example, they use a smaller ball -- but the game is basically the same and the tickets are a lot less expensive. If you are a basketball fan, try the women's version. I bet you will like it. Web:
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Bicycling Some years ago, I rode my bicycle along the California coast from San Diego to San Francisco. Today, I still live near the ocean, and there's nothing I like more than spending the day riding along an oceanfront bike path (especially when I should be working). It's not only great exercise, but I get credit for saving the environment without having to actually do anything. The last time I bought a new bike, it sure was helpful to have useful information and good advice. To help you enjoy your bike-riding experiences, here are some bicycle resources with enough information and advice to equip the entire Swiss navy. Web:
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Boxing I am not sure, exactly, what the appeal is of watching men hit each other until they are unconscious or exhausted. Imagine the brain cells that could be in full use, but are instead being bashed about like a string of rugs during spring cleaning. But this thought doesn't bother the fans of boxing, and they will be found on the Net talking about the history of boxing as well as the latest knock-down-drag-out. Web:
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Cricket Cricket is played primarily in Great Britain and the Commonwealth countries. Here is how it works. There are two wickets (made of two crosspieces, or bails, resting on three stumps) placed in the middle of a field. Bowlers try to knock down the bails of the wicket while the batsmen defend the wickets. Each team consists of 11 men. Because of the structure of the scoring, games can sometimes take several days to complete. Cricket developed in medieval England some time before 1400. In 1477, cricket was banned by Edward IV because it was interfering with the mandatory practice of archery. Web:
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Extreme Sports When you get to the point where bungie jumping is too tame and the Ironman competition is no longer challenging, it's time for an extreme sport: a regular athletic or outdoor activity exaggerated to the point of idiocy. Some of the best athletes in the world participate in extreme sports, so if you enjoy such pastimes but you feel like living out your natural lifespan, you can always watch. (Hint: If you do become an extreme athlete, don't run while you are carrying scissors.) Web:
Fencing Fencing is more than just making money off stolen goods. It's also a sport that takes speed, grace and finesse. (This is not to say the two are mutually exclusive, though.) These resources offer you a chance to learn the rules of fencing as well as other important fencing information. Web:
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Figure Skating Ice skating was originally developed as a form of transportation, but by the seventeenth century skating was well established as a sport. Figure skating was invented in the 1860s by an American, Jackson Haines, and is one of the most beautiful and graceful sports in the world. Whether you are a figure skating fan or a skater yourself, you will find lots of interesting resources on the Net. Web:
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Football: American Good old summertime. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the flowers are blooming, and you can work on your tan. The problem is that there is no football. This is something that had to be tolerated until recently. Now you can get your fix during any season: scores, history, news articles and discussion on both college and professional football. Web:
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Football: Arena Arena football is a version of American football adapted for playing indoors. The original motivation behind arena football was marketing: There are a huge number of football fans who have nothing to watch during the summer (well, nothing but baseball and tractor pulls). Arena football is a lot like outdoor football, with a few major differences, because it is played indoors. For example, the "field" is a lot smaller, 50 yards long by 85 feet wide (compared to 100 yards by 160 feet for regular football), and there are fewer players on the field, 8 per team (compared to 11). Although there are place kicks and drop kicks, there are no punts (as there is no room). The most interesting variation is that the endzone contains a large "rebound net". From time to time, the ball will bounce off the rebound net, say, after a kick or a missed pass. When this happens, the ball stays in play until it touches the ground. Web:
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Football: Canadian Football League Football is not just a disease exclusive to America. See how the Canadians play the game. Rules, referee signals, history, schedules and a glossary are available. Web: Usenet:
Football: Professional It's a good thing football is a seasonal sport. Otherwise, people might never have time to go to the Net and read about football. Check out these Web sites for the latest news and information about professional football. Web:
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Frisbee: Ultimate A frisbee is a plastic disc used for throwing and catching. Years ago, when I was living in Berkeley for awhile, I took a frisbee class in San Francisco. I had a great time and made a good friend (David Black) with whom I spent a lot of time. David and I were only recreational players, but there are many people who compete in the frisbee-based game called Ultimate. Ultimate is a non-contact sport played by two 7-player teams, using a large field. At each end of the field is an endzone, one for each team. The object of the game is to pass the frisbee from one person to another, trying to score a goal. To score, a player must pass the frisbee to another player on his team who is standing in the opponent's endzone. The catch is that the frisbee may only be passed by a player who is not moving. This ensures that Ultimate has lots of strategy and quick action. Web:
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Golf You don't have to wear funny pants to play golf, but it helps. What helps even more are secret tips on how to improve your game. The Internet is full of golf information, golf resources and people who want to talk about golf. Join the mailing list and maybe you'll get to talk to Tiger Woods. (Of course, maybe you won't, but as a golfer, I am sure you are always optimistic.) Hint: The next time you play golf, be sure to wear two pairs of pants -- just in case you get a hole in one. Ha, ha, ha, ha... oh, never mind. Web:
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Hockey Hockey has certainly gotten less fun since they made a rule that everyone has to wear helmets when they play. But if that doesn't put you off the game, check out ehese great resources available on the Internet. When you're not on the ice or in the stands, check into Usenet and IRC to blab with other hockey fans. Web:
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Hockey: College It's exciting to watch a bunch of padded maniacs zip up and down a slab of ice and hit each other with sticks. You can get more involved in collegiate ice hockey by posting or reading scores, team information, and schedules for your favorite teams.
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Hockey Teams Talk and General Discussion If hockey is too rough for you to participate, try getting on Usenet and talking about it. There's nothing like a vicarious thrill (except a real thrill). Fans of various hockey teams hang out and discuss the game and the players. Usenet:
Polo Polo is a game in which four-man teams, mounted on horseback, use long flexible mallets to try to knock a ball through a pair of goal posts. Modern polo was developed in the nineteenth century by British cavalry officers. However, a polo-like game was played in China and Persia as long as 2,500 years ago. Many people consider polo to be a rich man's game, because it takes a certain amount of wealth to maintain horses and polo grounds. Prince Charles of England, for example, is an accomplished polo player. However, polo is enjoyed around the world, including at some universities. Interesting polo fact: According to the official (U.S.) rules, a player may use any size horse of any breed. However, it is against the rules to use a horse that is blind in one eye. Web:
Rodeo A rodeo is a competition featuring events based on cowboy skills. The first formal rodeo was in Prescott, Arizona, in 1888. Today, rodeos are popular throughout the United States and Canada. At a modern rodeo you will see professional cowboys competing for prize money. There are five main types of events: riding a bronc (bucking horse) bareback, riding a bronc with a saddle, riding a bull, roping a calf, and wrestling a steer. Web:
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Rugby Rugby is an outdoor game, played by two teams of 15 players (although there are variations). The name comes from the Rugby School, in England, where the game originated in 1823. Rugby is played on a large field, 160 yards long by 75 yards wide, with two "in-goals" -- similar to the endzones in football -- each of which has a set of goal posts. The goal of rugby is to score points, either by carrying the ball into the in-goal, or by kicking the ball between the goal posts. Unlike American football, play is continuous: except for a break in the middle of the game, the clock only stops if there is an injury. Web:
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Rugby League It has been said that in the event of nuclear annihilation, only the cockroaches and rugby players would survive. I don't know if that's true, but I do know that this sport is a Rugby Union variation that is more intense, faster-paced, and guaranteed to give you new respect for the human body's ability to withstand punishment. Web:
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Skiing If you are planning a ski vacation, these Web pages provide you with everything you may or may not need to know, including upcoming ski events, ski conditions, interviews, photos and resort information. When you're not on the slopes, you should at least be talking about skiing. My advice is to join one of the Usenet discussion groups so that, if you can't go skiing every day, at least you're not wasting all your time working and sleeping. Web:
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Soccer Soccer (or as they call it outside the U.S., football) is the most popular sport in the world. These Web pages are your passport to a number of great soccer resources. Access Usenet groups, World Cup information, Fantasy Goal Scorers, mailing lists, hints, frequently asked question lists, terminology, and even soccer games for the computer. And, when it comes time for the World Cup, you'll be able to get all the latest information and scores without having to leave your computer. Web:
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Softball Softball is a variation of baseball that was invented in 1888 in Chicago. The game is much like regular baseball with a few important changes: the field is smaller, the ball is larger and is softer, and a regular game is only seven innings instead of nine. Softball is played by both men and women and is popular in many different countries because, for normal everyday people, it is a lot more fun than baseball. Web: Usenet:
Squash and Racquetball Squash and racquetball are similar games in which two players, using racquets, hit a ball back and forth against a wall in an enclosed court. (There are also "doubles" versions of these games in which two-person teams compete against one another.) For hundreds of years, people have been playing games in which they hit a ball back and forth with either their hands or some type of instrument. In 19th-century England, the prisoners in Fleet prison in London invented a game in which they would hit a ball against the walls by using racquets. By 1820, the game of racquets had become popular in various English public schools. Squash was invented around 1830, at the Harrow school, when some of the students discovered that a punctured racquets ball would "squash" against the wall with much less of a bounce than an intact ball. Because the ball did not bounce as much, chasing after it and hitting it required a lot more effort. The game of racquetball was invented in 1949 in Connecticut by Joe Sobek. He designed a short racquet-like paddle, and devised a game to be played on a handball court that was a cross between squash and handball. Web:
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Swimming Competitions Swimming is one of the most popular competitive sports in the world. If you have what it takes to get to the end of the pool faster than the next guy, you are assured a great deal of fun, excellent exercise, and the worship of other, less talented human beings who would have trouble finding their way out of a bathtub. (Moreover, you will find yourself with enormous patience, developed during all those hours you spend waiting at the side of the pool for your event.) To help you keep afloat in the world of water, here are some resources where you can find competitive swimming information: read about news, events, meet results, biographies, swim clubs and coaches. Web:
Tennis To me, tennis is a funny sport. There seems to be a huge gap between the competitive tennis you watch on television and the game that everybody else in the world plays. Personally, I get bored watching other people play tennis, but I do like to bat the ball around myself once in a while. Anyway, how can you not like a game in which you start at love and work your way up? Web:
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Volleyball There is something so fascinating about volleyball. Especially volleyball on the beach where young, nubile people clad in swimsuits jump around energetically to hit a ball that bounces back and forth and back and forth. If you like to watch or even participate, check out these sites dedicated to the sport of volleyball. Get information on collegiate or beach volleyball, the history of the sport, links to books, magazines, pictures, a schedule of TV coverage, and more. Web:
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Wrestling: Amateur Amateur wrestling is nothing like professional wrestling. Amateur wresting is real: the emphasis is on athletic competition, not entertainment. There are two main types of amateur wrestling. In Greco-Roman wrestling, competitors may attack only with their arms and upper bodies. In freestyle wrestling, competitors may use their arms, upper bodies and legs, and they may hold their opponents above or below the waist. Web:
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Wrestling: Professional There's nothing like spending a peaceful weekend in front of the TV with a box of crackers, a can of spray cheese, and the remote control pointing at your favorite professional wrestling show. If you can't wait until the big day, get a wrestling fix from the Net, where you'll find lots of pictures to help you practice your moves at home or at the office. Web:
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Wrestling: Sumo Sumo wrestling is the national sport of Japan. Sumo uses a playing ring that is a few meters across and two men (who are also a few meters across). The object of the event is to force your opponent out of the ring or make any part of his body, except for the soles of his feet, touch the floor (sort of like a corporate takeover without the money). For more information about this fascinating sport, take a look at these sumo Web sites. (For more information about corporate takeovers, call AT&T and ask for the chairman's office.) Web:
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