Sports and Sports Management
Sport has long been one of humankind’s favourite pastimes, but for just how long? From a rather high-stakes Mayan football game to when the Olympics doubled up as an exhibition of surprising range of talents. Some of the thorniest questions in sport and how nuanced data analysis may answer at least a few. © 2020 Tanay and Sach - - - - - Film quote, presumed under Fair Use: Voices of Jonah Hill and Brad Pitt from Moneyball (2011). Peter Brand makes his pitch to Billy Beane for a new way of drafting a team. Basketball icon from Smashicons. - - - - - Links: Essays, Poetry and Glee singing competitions in the Olympics: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/when-the-olympics-gave-out-medals-for-art-6878965/ Strychnine used as energy drink in the 1904 Olympics marathon https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2016/jul/21/the-cocktail-of-poison-and-brandy-that-led-to-olympic-gold-strychnine Some of earliest balls games were played in Mesoamerica https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/06/soccer-world-cup-origins-mesoamerica-ball-games-archaeology-science/ China’s investments in sports https://thebastion.co.in/politics-and/sports/the-dragons-growing-might-chinas-big-bet-on-sports/ Why Egypt produces so many squash champions https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/11/why-egypt-crushes-at-squash/383062/ Origin of the word ‘badminton’ https://scroll.in/video/830040/watch-the-time-when-badminton-was-called-poona Tennis was close to being called ‘sphairistike’ https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/wales/entries/d4437526-3b92-32f4-89a6-bd3c29f296f0 Weightlifting and wrestling hold a special place in Iran https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/08/the-ancient-roots-of-irans-wrestling-and-weightlifting-olympic-dominance/260919/ Usain Bolt’s fastest 100m run, which is not in the record books https://www.worldathletics.org/news/news/bolt-runs-1435-sec-for-150m-covers-50m-150m-i Contrary to sexist stereotypes, women are no worse than men, at least in track and field events https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/08/we-thought-female-athletes-were-catching-up-to-men-but-theyre-not/260927/ Tricky legal, ethical questions like those regarding intersex athletes present emerging career options https://www.bbc.com/news/health-47640359 David Epstein’s The Sports Gene https://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/aug/22/sports-gene-david-epstein-review Automated Strike zones in baseball https://events.sporttechie.com/soti-2019 Publicly listing English football clubs was not a very successful experiment in the 1990s https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2012/07/12/if-at-first-you-dont-succeed The diet and lifestyle of a professional e-sports team https://www.businessinsider.in/Heres-what-life-is-like-in-the-cramped-gaming-house-where-5-guys-live-together-and-earn-amazing-money-by-playing-video-games/articleshow/47164755.cms Andy Dinh, founder of Team SoloMid https://www.forbesindia.com/article/cross-border/andy-dinh-the-derek-jeter-of-esports/51647/1 Master’s in Sports History at De Montfort University (DMU) https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/mar/17/ball-watching-through-the-ages-studying-the-history-of-sport Sports for Development: Project Khel - https://projectkhel.org/ Dribble Academy - https://pradyutvoleti.com/dribble-academy/ 1 Million Hockey Legs - http://onemillionhockeylegssocialprojects.com/