sports

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Explaining the Magic Yellow First-Down Line

If you attend a Super Bowl party on Sunday, you’ll probably hear at least one casual football viewer ask, “How do they get that yellow first-down line on the field?” While “magic” is a fine answer in its own right, the real explanation is a bit more technologically intense. Let’s have a look at the background and mechanics behind every football fan’s shining beacon, the yellow first-down... READ ON

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The Quick 10: The Original Names of 10 Sports

If history hadn't changed, we would be watching Gabrielle Reece dominate Mintonette, Tony Hawk would be a leader in the world of sidewalk surfing, and Forrest Gump would have been an amazing wiff waff player. Check out these and the names of seven other sports before they became what we know them as today. 1. Kitten ball. The sport we know as softball today was named kitten ball when it came onto the scene in 1895. Between that time and 1926, it was also referred to as “diamond ball,” “mush... READ ON

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Foooood iiiiin Spaaaaace: The Curious Case of the Contraband Corned Beef

In 1965, Command Pilot Gus Grissom and Pilot John Young successfully piloted the Gemini 3 spacecraft on a four-hour and forty-three-minute mission into Earth’s orbit, completed a handful of tests of the craft’s capabilities and returned safely to solid ground. Afterwards, their actions during the mission were the subject of a Congressional House Subcommittee hearing and both Congress and the NASA brass gave Young strongly worded reprimands. What went wrong? It all starts with snacks. Tubes and... READ ON

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Video: Metrodome Roof Collapse

The Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome opened in 1982. Its signature feature is its Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric roof that is literally inflated by the air inside the stadium. The stadium is pumped full of air to keep the roof up. This requires people to enter and exit the dome via airlocks, to maintain positive pressure within the playing field area. Over the weekend, the roof collapsed under a heavy load of snow -- and the dramatic collapse was caught on video (see below). But this is the fifth time... READ ON

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Woody's Winners, Week 12

NFL WEEK TWELVE Woody posted a pleasant 12-4 record in NFL games last week, and wishes to apologize to all the Tennessee fans out there for jinxing your Titans a few weeks ago by raving about their wonderful play and Super Bowl chances. Sorry about that. A (non-holiday-related) family emergency caused me to miss the Thursday games and also prevents me from giving my picks the full treatment this week, so apologies for this rather mundane list of Woody's Winners for Week 12. I’ll return next week in... READ ON

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Woody's Winners, NFL Week 11

NFL WEEK ELEVEN We say goodbye to bye weeks in Week 11, returning to a full schedule of 16 games per week for the remainder of the 2010 NFL season. I returned to Earth with a 7-7 record last week, but a win in Thursday night’s Bears-Dolphins game brings my overall record this year to a respectable 82-63. Will the wackiness continue this week? Thursday's game was already picked (and played), so here are Woody's Winners for the Sunday and Monday games in Week 11. Enjoy! +++ Green Bay (6-3) @... READ ON

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Woody's Winner, Week 11's Thu. game

NFL WEEK ELEVEN (Thursday) As predicted, the Falcons knocked off the Ravens in the premiere 2010 episode of Thursday Night Football. Another interesting matchup occurs tonight, so read below as Woody works the levers on Leonard Post-Toastie's old Smart Pill Machine and names the winner. Chicago (6-3) @ Miami (5-4) Both the Bears and Dolphins won at home last week, and Thursday Night Football is where one of them will take another step forward (pink cleats notwithstanding). Miami will be starting its... READ ON

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Woody's Winners, NFL Week 10

NFL WEEK TEN I posted last week's column a day late, on Saturday, and for whatever reason, the extra day seemed to make a world of difference. Somehow, I pulled a 12-1 record in Week 9, including Cleveland's upset of New England. (My only slip-up was the Colts' 3-point loss to the Eagles.) It probably won't happen again this season, so remember, I'm not boasting, I'm reveling. I'll leave the boasting to Roy Williams. Thursday's game was already picked (and played), so here are Woody's Winners for the... READ ON

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Woody's Winner, Week 10's Thu. game

NFL WEEK TEN (Thursday) Would you believe that I went 12-1 last week? Me either, but my hero Leonard Post-Toasties would have been proud. My other Week 10 picks will arrive on Friday or Saturday, but let's get the Thursday game out of the way. The Ravens and Falcons have identical 6-2 records, and barring a tie, one of them will emerge as the first NFL team to reach 7 wins this season. But which? Baltimore (6-2) at Atlanta (6-2) Two and twenty blackbirds will face off on the gridiron in the 2010... READ ON

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The History of Roller Skating

Ever wonder who originally thought it would be a good idea to put wheels on the bottom of their shoes so they could roll around instead of walking? While the first individual to come up with the idea of skates has been lost through the ages, the history of the innovators and users that helped to perfect the skate and bring it into the public's attention is surprisingly fascinating. For example, one of the first times skates were seen as functional was in the 1840s, when beer hall waitresses strapped... READ ON