Posts Tagged ‘sports’

Road trip through the history of American football

Heinz Field Pittsburgh

It’s time to delve into the autumn ritual that involves colliding shoulder pads and barbecue-scented tailgate parties. It’s time for a road trip into the history of American football.

Seven intriguing attractions for baseball fans

Field of Dreams site

If you’re a baseball aficionado, it might be time to explore the sport at a few intriguing but under-the-radar destinations. Here are seven less well-known places where you can experience the history and wonder of baseball.

Soccer cultures of the World Cup

soccer ball

As World Cup soccer action heats up, it’s worth taking a moment to reflect on the varied playing styles of different countries, particularly if you have an interest in cross-cultural topics. That’s because these differences are more than just tactical choices – in many cases, they’re actually a window into each nation’s culture.

Ways to keep the Olympics buzz going

So the Winter Olympics are over. After two weeks of marveling at the physical feats of some of the world’s best athletes, it’s time to say goodbye to the skiers, snowboarders, speedskaters and bobsledders for another four years. Unless, that is, you happen to take in some World Cup or X-Games competitions. But fear not, for [...]

How Muslim athletes deal with Ramadan

We’re currently in the midst of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month in which Muslims are expected to fast each day between dawn and sunset. This practice is supposed to increase spiritual self-discipline and help one to focus on non-worldly activities. Although people understandably get hungry during the day, the fast is practiced by most Muslims. [...]

Running cultures

There are so many interesting cultures around the world, with their own traditions and ways of life, but never before have I come across an article on running cultures. Yes, a culture in which long distance running is a way of life, as much a part of the people’s heritage as their food and their [...]

The ultimate baseball road trip

The summer road trip season is in full swing in the United States. So is baseball season. This is, therefore, a great time to combine these two American passions and plan a baseball road trip. Not just a jaunt to see a few games and stadiums, but a journey that enables you to explore the history of the sport [...]

What are the best hiking trails in the world?

There is a lot of jaw-droppingly beautiful scenery on this planet and quite a few hikes that enable us to enjoy that scenery. But which hiking trails are the best? Which ones provide the most interesting experiences or the most incredible views? It’s not an easy question, but Julie Blakley tackled it recently in an article [...]

The canals freeze, the Dutch rejoice

Anyone who is familiar with the Netherlands knows that the Dutch have a unique and special relationship with the water. And in the winter, what they really want to do is to skate on the frozen water of the canals that crisscross their country. Sadly, though, an activity that was once an annual obsession now happens [...]

Soccer-loving Brazilians

Brazil is a country that is mad for soccer (or football, as most of the world calls the sport). Now, that passionate love for the game has been permanently documented in a new National Football Museum in Sao Paulo, Brazil. What’s unique about this museum is that it not only celebrates Brazil’s star players and team [...]

Early morning exercise in Beijing

In honor of Beijing playing host to the Olympics for the past two weeks, here is another China-themed post. Many Chinese people make it a habit to get up early every morning in order to perform tai chi exercises, often in a public park. So John Branch went to one of Beijing’s most popular parks one [...]

Rooting (maybe) for Chinese Olympic success

The Chinese are proud to be hosting this year’s Summer Olympics in Beijing, and they certainly want the home team to perform well. But perhaps not too well. There was an interesting cultural note in a recent Washington Post article about Chinese rooting interests in these Olympics. It seems that while the Chinese are proud of their [...]