Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with sports

Shouldering the burden of wearing armor...

GJSchaller — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 09:33:13 -0800

Looking for ideas to add shoulder padding & support under leather LARP armor. I have a leather breastplate that is held up by shoulder straps about 2" wide, which bear all of the weight of the armor. I have a belt for it, but due to the design, the armor doesn't rest on my hips well, keeping the weight mostly on my shoulders. You can see a pic here (Warning, extreme geekery involved.)

Ideally, I'm looking for a modern set of sports gear shoulder pads to slip under the armor, on my shoulders, to help distribute the weight and ease it a bit. I took a look at Modell's website for football pads, but even the light ones for QBs & Kickers are too large, and cover the chest as well as the shoulders.

The other trick is to keep it low-profile enough that I can slip a mantle or large shirt over it, so the appearance of (fantasy) medieval armor isn't ruined. I have a vision of a back harness with shoulder pads on it from somewhere, but I don't remember where I saw it.

Thank you!

Golf! On the internet! Now!

ignignokt — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 15:25:41 -0800

Help My Parents With Their Inexplicable Obsession Filter: Is there a way to watch the Golf Channel online for free or cheap? My parents pay for cable TV just so they can have the Golf Channel. (Yeah, I don't get why they love golf so much, either.) My dad wants to use this Internet thing to get around that. Is there a way? So far, I see that certain golf events are streamed on ESPN, but what they're looking for is to be able to just turn something on at any time and see more or less original golf content.

An alternate source of streaming golf video content will probably work, too - it doesn't have to be the Golf Channel.

Can you use a professional sports team as a character in a piece of fiction?

(bb|[^b]{2}) — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 16:45:05 -0800

Would it be considered "fair use" to pen a satirical children's book based on a professional sports team? For instance, "How The Yankees Stole Christmas" or something similar. (That's not the title I have in mind, but it gets the point across.) I guess it just boils down to whether or not it's legal to use a generalized concept of a sports team in a fictional work. Thanks!

Help me peak as an athlete.

vito90 — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:24:43 -0800

I'm looking for tips on how to peak for an athletic performance. I'm 38 years old and soon to go head-to-head against more talented and athletic foes. I've been playing recreational baseball for the last 9 years every summer, and for the last two years at a highly competitive level.

I've mostly performed as our backup catcher but was just informed that our starter is taking the year off and I'll go into the season as the first-string catcher. In other words, I've been called up to the show.

I'm very motivated to take my game to its highest level this year, and want to start preparing now to be completely at my best by mid-season, which will be around July. I want to take a comprehensive approach to my training, in fact I'm looking a little bit less for advice on workouts than other aspects of improvement. I would especially love to hear tips on how to improve my vision, hand-eye coordination, reflexes, ability to recover, mental approaches, leadership tips, diet and supplements, anything you can think of. Anything that can help a slightly older, yet still pretty durable body to withstand some punishment this season.

I would love to hear old crafty baseball tips too...most of my opponents will be in their twenties and I know that just knowing a few things the kids don't will give me an advantage.

Really any kind of advice is welcome. How did you prepare for the competition of YOUR life?

Winter runners (or x-country skiiers, snowshoe-ers, etc.): what do you use for hydration when outside in freezing temperatures?

Kurichina — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 12:28:00 -0800

Winter runners (or x-country skiiers, snowshoe-ers, etc.): what do you use for hydration when outside in freezing temperatures? I am planning on trying out winter running again. Last year, I wasn't properly dressed and I think I have that part figured out. What I don't have figure out, however, is water. My water bottle often froze shut during winter runs. (For temperature reference: the forecast for my city.) I'm hoping that a different bottle (or a hydration pack) will allow me take frequent sips of water without freezing up.

Kicking butt and taking names - is my kid's coach a jerk?

Sweetie Darling — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:50:31 -0800

Help this mom understand the difference, in coaching youth sports, between being competitive and being an asshole. The littlest Darling is turning nine on Wednesday and playing basketball in a U10 rec league at the Y. This is his fourth year at the Y and his second year in U10, but it's our first experience with a pair of coaches whose style really rubs me the wrong way.

Being neither a dude nor particularly competitive, I'd appreciate some perspective from those of you who have been through this before - so I can figure out if I should suck it up or request a new team placement, stat.

Both coaches yell, a lot - pretty much constantly through the whole practice. Practices are for 90 minutes, rather than the 60 suggested by the Y. The pace seems frenzied to me, and they blow their whistles constantly, and there's a lot of "No, no, no - didn't you hear what I just said?" The boys don't look like they're having much fun. I'm certainly not having fun watching.

I had a brief conversation with another mom last week, who said that the main coach also coaches two other teams. She said, "Coaching basketball is his thing, and he's kind of obsessed with winning." The guy isn't abusive towards the boys, but he's very tough - "like the Army, I guess," in the words of my son.

The last two coaches he had ran (what I thought were) disciplined and active practices, but they focused on teaching the boys skills and encouraging sportsmanship. They took a much more positive (dare I say nurturing?) approach.

The way I see it, my son's got the rest of his life to be yelled at by some jerk. For now, he's nine and it's the Y, for goodness' sake, and I'm paying (not a huge amount, but still), so do I go with my gut and ask that he be reassigned? Or am I overreacting/projecting? I'm still feeling my way through this boy parenting and team sports thing.

What characteristics do good coaches have? And what defines a bad coach? How much focus on competition and winning is appropriate for third graders?

Thanks in advance for the advice, and apologies for the tome.

What makes a good TV sports game?

fantasticninety — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 18:15:11 -0800

What are some examples of good and bad sports TV production? I've always enjoyed NFL football, and have often wondered what are some hallmarks of good and bad production of these games (I think about this when they cut to the production booth from time to time).

I know one obvious thing might be the commentating. One thing I have noticed is that I enjoy the game more if the sound of the audience is relatively high in the mix (although there is a threshold that I don't like it to break through).

So sports nuts out there, what are some things I could notice that would distinguish a great productino of a sports game from a not so great one?

Thanks so much!

I'm in need of a (new) hobby!

cofie — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:10:47 -0800

How do I go about getting back into hobbies, or finding new ones (suggest some)? I'm slowly lost a few of my hobbies - stores close, friends move on, interests wane and change. I've recently finished uni, and I'm just having a break until I start full-time work next year.

What I'm after is something (or more than one something) to get me out of the house and doing things that are quite different from my usual routine. Stuff I can start now and keep going even when I have less time due to work.

Some background: I'm a web developer, both as my job and my past-time. I have a large collection of Magic The Gathering cards, I cycle (although I don't want to cycle competitively), I used to (and want to) play sports - volleyball, touch, indoor soccer. I'm interested in creative pursuits but have never really given any a good go.

I have some ideas, but what I'm really after is brand new ideas or some discussion of how best to get into something, and stay with it.

Mama Said Knock You Out

azure_swing — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:50:16 -0800

What are the best boxer autobiographies? Looking for first-person accounts of being a boxer. Autobiography, "as-told-to" books, oral history, even ghostwritten accounts.

Lookin' for futbol

Red Loop — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:47:05 -0800

Where can I find out which World Cup qualifier matches are being televised, on what channels, and when? I don't know why it's so incredibly hard to find out which matches are freely viewable. Not just world cup, even, but any matches. I understand they want to make many of them only available via premium packages and pay-per-view, but jesus. Is there a succinct, user-friendly clearinghouse for this sort of information?

Which form of bobsledding is best for spectating?

rinogo — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:07:27 -0800

Which form of bobsledding is best for spectating? This weekend, northern Utahns have the opportunity of seeing the world cup of bobsledding/skeleton in Park City for free (http://bobsled.teamusa.org/news/article/28726) . If I only go to one event, which one should it be?

(I think I'd like to see skeleton most, but since that has already passed, what do you think would be most entertaining? Two-man tonight, or four-man tomorrow afternoon?)

Can I still stick with my very active weekday activities while keeping a half marathon training schedule?

spacesbetween — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:11:43 -0800

I play group sports and do strength training almost every weekday, should I still keep this up when I start my half marathon training? I signed up for the ING Miami Marathon coming up Jan 31 2010. I'm going to be following this schedule starting November http://www.halhigdon.com/halfmarathon/novice.htm

I've been pretty active throughout the year because I play sports almost every day after work. I also try and go to the gym during lunch for about an hour for strength training every weekday minus friday.
Example of my week
Mon: Ultimate Frisbee, Tue: Basketball, Wed: Soccer, Thurs Volleyball, Fri: OFF

I've run on occasion, usually weekends, but never consistently. I've run two 5ks and completed them around the 32 minute mark.

Can I keep this schedule? What should I give up in order to be ready for the half marathon? I planned to run early in the morning before work so around 7am and Sunday to use as my long run practice.

The Rain in Spain... Please Entertain (my bf)

samthemander — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:50:50 -0800

Madrid this Friday and Saturday: Any way to get my boyfriend to a sports game? My boyfriend and I are from San Francisco, spending this Friday and Saturday in Madrid at the end of a two-week trip for a wedding. We fly out Sunday morning. He's been nothing but patient with my interests the last week of the trip (museums, dancing), so I'd love to do something that's of more interest to him. He's a VERY active guy and into all types of sports, but unfortunately, it's raining where we are now (Sevilla).

Any suggestions on games, places to check out, ticket web sites, etc? Any links you can provide would be wonderful! Thanks!

Where can I find a printable copy of Nike's "If You Let Me Play Sports" ad from the 1990s?

pick_the_flowers — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:57:23 -0800

Where can I find a printable (preferably A4) copy of the 1990's Nike Ad "If You Let Me Play Sports"? It's the one about girls playing sports. This is it, but as you can see I can't open the full image and the thumbnail blurs when I blow it up.

I want to use this to encourage girls in the school I work at to play sports, and also to encourage their parents to let them play sports.

Be really grateful for the help.

Football (American) strategy question

glenngulia — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:09:09 -0800

Football (American) strategy question: You're down 15 and score a TD with about enough time left to kick-off, try to force the other team to punt, then get the ball back with a chance to tie. Why do all teams opt for the extra point rather than the 2-point conversion? I guess the strategy is get within 8, then hopefully the team's pumped up to make a stop on D, then tie the game up at the end of regulation. But wouldn't you want to work with all available info? Shouldn't you go for 2 right away?

If you convert, carry-on with the original strategy, except you don't have to go for 2 on the 2nd TD (in fact, if you're feeling aggressive, you could go for the win with a 2nd 2-pt conversion on the 2nd TD).

If you don't convert, you're now down by 9, and you know you must go into crisis-mode by attempting the onsides kick. You allow yourself the maximum amount of time for strategy adjusting.

My thinking is this: the coaching staff has failed at its job if they score the 1st TD, get the extra point, get the ball back, score another TD with about no time remaining, then fail to convert the 2-pt conversion. You had the opportunity to know whether or not you were going to convert the 2-pt conversion a long time ago with time to adjust your strategy accordingly. But you chose to postpone the inevitable, and leave yourself with no time to adjust.

Where am I wrong here?

For generations, my puny planet has lived in peace with the Globetrotter homeworld. But now, for no reason, they've challenged me to defend my honor on the fantasy basketball court.

synecdoche — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 13:45:32 -0800

I've been invited to join my first fantasy basketball league. The draft's in a couple of weeks, but I have no idea what I'm doing. I've signed up for a fantasy basketball league with a few friends, and am looking for advice on how to approach this game. I just finished my first fantasy baseball season and finished in an unremarkable second-to-last place, and I'd like to at least improve on that. The trouble is that I haven't followed basketball in maybe ten years.

We're playing in a Yahoo rotisserie league. The stats that are being counted are: FG%, FT%, 3PTM, 3PT%, PTS, OREB, DREB, AST, ST, and BLK.

I'm playing with a few guys who really know the game and even if I can't beat them, I'd like to make a decent showing. What do I do? How do I prep for draft day? How do I know when to trade an under-performer? Heck, how do I IDENTIFY an under-performer?

Where do I get Vancouver Olympics tickets this late in the process?

mathowie — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 10:01:34 -0800

I just realized the Olympics are happening in a few months and they are within driving distance. I have memories of going to several events during the 1984 games as a small kid, and loving the experience. Is there any chance this late in the game that I could get tickets to some events like speed skating or ski jumping? Are scalpers the only option at this point? Are hotels already well-booked? Basically I'm wondering what my chances are of getting into an olympic event, as a lazy american that completely forgot about the games until now.

How does basketball work?

aparrish — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 05:45:33 -0800

Basketball season is nearly upon us, and I'd like to educate myself a bit better on how the game works. What are some good resources for learning about basketball strategy and tactics? I've been a fan of the NBA since I was a kid, so I know the rules, the stats, and the personalities. But I never played basketball (at least after elementary school-level rec leagues), so I never learned about offensive and defensive strategies. I can spot and appreciate a good pick-and-roll, but beyond that (strong side? weak side? triangle offense? zone defense?) I'm mystified.

Most of the resources I've found through Google seem to be targeted toward coaching basketball to kids. Some of these are great, but seem a little abstract. (I'm not planning to coach basketball... at least not any time soon.) I would be more interested in a web page or book that simply describes how the game is played today, with an emphasis on how players and coaches design and execute plays, and not necessarily with a pedagogical slant. I'm looking for the pop sci book about basketball, not the high school textbook. Does such a thing exist?

As a secondary question, I'm interested to know if there is any writing out there explaining the moment-to-moment choices and techniques that basketball players use on the court. Ballhandling, footwook, setting screens and posting up: what decisions are players making as they do these things?

If I rub dirt on it, it'll get infected!

pdb — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:00:02 -0800

What if I just want to walk it off? Over the last couple weeks, I have heard several friends use the phrase "just rub some dirt on it and you'll be fine" as a joking response to someone that had an injury, and I myself have used this phrase a lot throughout my adult life.

I love it, but I realized the other day that I have absolutely no idea where this originated. I always heard it in a baseball context as a kid, but was this something that came from a movie/tv show, or is it just one of those great-yet-probably-apocryphal pieces of folk wisdom whose origins are lost to the mists of time at this point? I would love to know where this phrase got its start.

No more bulges in the old onion bag

any portmanteau in a storm — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 08:20:08 -0800

I like watching sports but don't particularly like listening to the commentators. Surely I am not alone in this. So why don't they broadcast commentator-free audio on the SAP channel? Yes you can mute the audio, but I'd like to hear the sounds of the game.

I can understand that for some sports commentary can be useful to fill in all the time when nothing is happening (football, baseball) or where it is impossible to show all the action on the screen (hockey) but for sports like basketball, soccer and tennis having commentary actively detracts from the experience (think Tommy Smythe). To me anyway.

I don't see how this would cost very much, if anything, to implement but I know nothing about broadcasting. Are there large costs involved with this? Am I the only one who would like the option to disable commentary? And if it doesn't cost much to implement how could I go about convincing sports broadcasters to give us this option?

Data feeds for cricket and other sports

raghuram — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:18:31 -0800

Where can I get sports feeds, especially cricket? I am looking to build a hobby cricket sports site. I want data, both current and historical, for records, one day matches, test matches etc. Where can I get such data, preferably free or very cheap?

Also, are there sites for other sports feeds?

Help my dad see the Tech v. Texas game in the Bay Area!

mingodingo — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:02:37 -0800

Where can I see the Texas Tech v. Texas game (airing on ABC, I think) in San Francisco? Hi all--

Not a football fan, so hoping someone who is can help me out. My parents are visiting from Texas this weekend, and my dad asked that I try to find a sports bar where we can watch the Texas Tech v. University of Texas football game on Saturday.

Any tips? Bonus points if it's easily BART accessible, or near the Civic Center / Powell area.

Thanks in advance!!

Who are the best athletes nobody has heard of?

Fireland — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 07:37:36 -0800

Who are the absolute legends of obscure sports? I realize even the most popular sports in one part of the world are unknown in another. But I'm generally looking for, say, the best female badminton player ever or the greatest Buzkashi champion, as opposed to, say, Michael Jordan.
(Clips of them doing their thing would also be cool).

Seeking Cambridge Big Screens to Watch Serena Et Al

foxy_hedgehog — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 07:19:36 -0800

Boston/Cambridge US Open Filter. Dear neighbors, I'm getting into watching the US Open and would love to watch the upcoming final matches on a big screen at a pleasant local saloon. Any suggestions for a bar that shows -- or is likely to show -- the matches? I'm in Inman, so prefer Cambridge, but am also feeling open-minded. If anyone wants to join me we can make it a pre-meetup mini-meetup. Thanks for any suggestions.

How can I watch as much of the X-Games as possible?

ErWenn — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 13:23:46 -0800

How can I watch as much of the X-Games as possible, especially now that the event has passed? I love watching the X-Games every year, but it always turns into a serious pain in the ass. This year, it was particularly bad because I missed all the advertisements and by the time I realized it had already happened, they were no longer showing reruns every night. I managed to DVR a few hours of footage, but it left me even colder than it normally does. Lots of it was repetitive, there were many events I didn't get recorded, and there were gaps in what they did cover.

So I go to the ESPN website to see what videos they have to offer there. For most of the big events, there's a short, 2-3 minute bit with footage from the gold-medal run. Sometimes it's just highlights, not even the full run (even for a big event like BMX vert). Some events might as well not exist as far as video is concerned. And that's it. I can't find crap anywhere else. I can't even find bittorrents for the original broadcast. I'd gladly sit through advertisements to watch this, but I'm not even given that chance. What does ESPN do with all that footage? That question is more rhetorical than anything else. But does anyone know where I can find it?

Of course the live coverage itself leaves a lot to be desired. Stuff chopped out during commercial breaks, preliminary rounds uncovered, less-than-popular events skipped (or given the highlight-reel treatment). I've almost given up hope on watching the rest of the events, but if somebody knows someplace that has decent-quality video of that stuff, I would be ecstatic.

(Personally, I'm more interested in the artistic events (street/park/vert/whatever (I miss flatland)) than the races, but others who share my frustration may be looking for those, so feel free to post links for that too, if you have them.)

And a side request: if anyone knows where I can get good video coverage of other "action" sports events (I don't get Fuel TV), that would be great too.