Topic

Sports & Games

A collection of 49 issues

The Ghost in the Ring: How a Brutal 1954 Fight Earned Rocky Marciano Muhammad Ali's Ultimate Respect

Muhammad Ali, 'The Greatest,' held a profound respect for undefeated champion Rocky Marciano. Ali often cited Marciano's brutal 15-round war with Ezzard Charles as a key reason, a fight that convinced him Marciano's relentless style would have been his toughest challenge.

The 24-Minute Breath: How Science Unlocks Superhuman Apnea

In 2021, Budimir Šobat held his breath for over 24 minutes, a seemingly impossible feat. The key wasn't just willpower, but a technique called oxygen-assisted static apnea. By pre-breathing pure O2, athletes can push their bodies to physiological extremes far beyond natural human limits.

Before It Was Tennis, It Was Sphairistike: The Game in a Box With a Name Nobody Could Pronounce

The globally recognized sport of tennis once had a far more classical—and unpronounceable—name: Sphairistike. Patented in 1874 by Major Walter Clopton Wingfield, this 'art of playing ball' was sold as a complete set but its Greek name failed to charm the public, who quickly adopted 'lawn tennis'.

The Secret Sonic Bridge Between a Sega Genesis 'Bad Ending' and Bone Thugs-n-Harmony's Grammy-Winning Hit

In the mid-90s, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony dominated the charts with "Tha Crossroads." What most fans never knew was that the song's musical DNA came from a deeply unexpected place: the somber 'bad ending' theme from the 1993 Sega Genesis fighting game, *Eternal Champions*.

Before Purple Rain, There Was the Prairie: Prince's Unlikely Role in The Oregon Trail's First Journey

Before he was a music legend, Prince Rogers Nelson was an 8th grader in Minneapolis. In 1971, his history class became the first-ever playtesters for a new teletype computer game designed by his teacher to teach about pioneer life. That game was The Oregon Trail.

Frozen at 38,000 Feet: The Stowaway Who Risked It All to Meet a Soccer Star

A Tahitian stowaway survived a flight to LA in a wheel well, enduring -58°F at 38,000 ft. His body temperature dropped to a near-fatal 79°F, placing him in a hibernation-like state. His incredible motive? He wanted to fly to France to shake hands with footballer Zinedine Zidane.

One Letter Off: The Story of the Only Misspelling on the Borg-Warner Trophy

Johnnie Parsons is the only Indianapolis 500 winner whose name is misspelled on the Borg-Warner Trophy. After his rain-shortened victory in 1950, the silversmith engraved 'Johnny' instead of 'Johnnie,' a permanent error that adds a unique human touch to motorsport's most famous prize.

The Silent Threat to Strength: Why Elite Athletes Have Shockingly High Rates of Sleep Apnea

Huge strength athletes like football linemen and rugby forwards have sleep apnea rates 2-3 times higher than the general population. Their large necks and high body mass, crucial for their sport, create a significant risk for this dangerous sleep disorder, impacting both performance and health.

The Glitch That Became the Game: Basketball's Dribble Was Never Supposed to Exist

The rhythmic dribble, central to modern basketball, wasn't in the original rules. In 1897, the Yale University team found a loophole, bouncing the ball to themselves to move. This 'exploit' was so effective it was quickly written into the official rules, forever changing the game.