Scott Allen

What Is an Advent Calendar?

You don't need an Advent calendar to know that Christmas is coming, but opening a little numbered door to reveal a prize is an idea that everyone can get behind.... READ ON

11 Notable Medalists in the Olympic Art Competitions

Between 1912 and 1948, art competitions were a part of the Olympics. Medals were awarded for architecture, music, painting and sculpture. Here are some notable medalists in those categories.... READ ON

What Exactly Is a Crimson Tide?

How did the University of Alabama get its nickname?... READ ON

The Origins of All 30 NBA Team Names

Which teams could have been the Spirit, the Unicorns, and the White Wing Doves? You might be surprised by the origins of some of the NBA's most popular teams.... READ ON

How All 32 NFL Teams Got Their Names

What do newspaper headline type and the New Deal have to do with the Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles? Here are the stories behind the nicknames of the NFL’s 32 teams—and what they were almost called.... READ ON

The Origins of All 30 MLB Team Names

With the Major League Baseball season getting underway, here's the breakdown of how the league's 30 teams got their names.... READ ON

The Origins of All 30 MLB Team Names

With the Major League Baseball season on the horizon, here's the breakdown of how the league's 30 teams got their names.... READ ON

Where Are They Now? The Original 6 American Gladiators

Strap yourself into an Atlasphere and find out what your favorite old school Gladiators did once returning to the real world.... READ ON

10 Tales of Warm-Weather Winter Olympians

From the Jamaican bobsled team to an Indian luger, there's a long history of athletes from more tropical climates infiltrating the ranks of the (c)old guard at the Winter Olympics.... READ ON

Why Is the University of Georgia's Mascot a Bulldog?

And when did Uga start showing up on the sidelines?... READ ON

NFL Team Name Origins

Here are the stories behind the nicknames of the NFL’s 32 teams—and what they were almost called. All photos via Getty Images.... READ ON

The Origins of All 30 NBA Team Names

And which teams could have been the Spirit, the Mounties, the Unicorns, and the Juice.... READ ON

10 Weird Things Hockey Fans Have Thrown on the Ice

If you thought lobbing catfish was strange, you haven't seen anything yet.... READ ON

How Every School in the Preseason Top 25 Got Its Nickname

Here's a little history for your next tailgate party.... READ ON

6 Tuition-Free Colleges

Want to avoid being saddled with huge student loan debt?... READ ON

Drink Up! The Stories Behind 11 Regional Soft Drinks

While some brands have branched out from their humble beginnings, others have maintained a more localized appeal.... READ ON

25 Rejected Nicknames for Professional Sports Teams

From the Rubber Puckies to the Unicorns, here are some of the best and weirdest nicknames ever considered.... READ ON

A Brief History of Closed Captioning

Whether you've encountered its unmistakable white text on black background at the gym, in a bar, or on the couch, you're familiar with closed captioning. Which made its network debut 35 years ago.... READ ON

20 Legendary Athletes Who Finished Up With Another Team

All-time greats who spent almost their entire career with one franchise before retiring with another.... READ ON

How Every School in the Preseason Top 25 Got Its Nickname

The Associated Press's preseason rankings are out, which means college football is right around the corner.... READ ON

8 Other Pro Sports Teams That Changed Their Nicknames

The Charlotte Bobcats will become the Hornets next season, uniting the Queen City's current NBA team with its old nickname. The original Charlotte Hornets franchise moved to New Orleans in 2002, but recently changed its name to the Pelicans. In honor of the former Bobcats, here are eight other pro sports teams that opted for a new nickname.... READ ON

What's in a (Horse) Name? No More Than 18 Characters

Picking a name for a newborn can be an agonizing process for parents, but it's a whole lot easier than naming a racehorse. While Thoroughbred owners may not have to worry about the risk of subjecting their foals to ridicule on the playground, they must select names that sound good when shouted but that also meet strict guidelines. Here's an overview of the naming process and an explanation behind the names of some of the horses in Saturday's Kentucky Derby.The Jockey ClubSince... READ ON

A Brief History of Jersey Sponsorship

Yesterday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said the move to put sponsorship patches on team jerseys is "inevitable." Here are some of the more interesting jersey sponsors over the years.... READ ON

After Pearl Harbor, the Rose Bowl Was Forced to Relocate — to North Carolina

In 1942, the Rose Bowl game between Oregon State and Duke was transferred from California to North Carolina in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Here’s a brief look back at one of the greatest upsets in Rose Bowl history.... READ ON

How Every School in the Top 25 Got Its Nickname

As we head into the first college football weekend of the season, let's celebrate with a little history.... READ ON

11 of the Most Dominant Seasons in Sports History

Here’s a look at some of the most dominant statistical seasons in various sports at the pro and college levels.... READ ON

Martina Navratilova’s Formula for Success

Gettysburg: The Great Reunion of 1913

From June 29 to July 6, 1913, the Union and Confederate flags flew side by side when more than 50,000 Civil War veterans convened in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of one of the most pivotal battles in American history. Here’s a closer look at the Great Reunion.... READ ON

Teddy Roosevelt's Historic Losing Streak Is Over

After more than 500 losses, Teddy Roosevelt has finally won his first Presidents Race. (Yes, the Rough Rider won the 1904 presidential election, but until today, he had never won the Washington Nationals’ mid-game Presidents Race.) On the final day of baseball’s regular season, Teddy came from behind to beat his fellow Rushmores – George (Washington), Tom (Jefferson) and Abe (Lincoln) – to the finish line, much to the delight of the near-sellout crowd at Nationals... READ ON

The 5 Other U.S. Ambassadors Killed by Terrorists

According to the State Department Office of the Historian, five U.S. ambassadors had been killed in the line of duty by terrorists prior to the killings of U.S. Ambassador to Libya J. Christopher Stevens and three embassy staffers on Tuesday. Here are their... READ ON

How Every School in the AP Top 25 Got Its Nickname

The college football season kicks off next week. Prepare yourself by taking a look at how each team in the Associated Press Preseason Top 25 got its nickname. 1. University of Southern... READ ON

4 Times Olympians Refused Their Medals

South Korean fencer Shin A-Lam provided one of the indelible images of the 2012 London Olympics when she staged an hour-long, tearful protest after losing to Germany’s Britta Heidemann in an individual epee semifinal match. Shin’s coach claimed Heidemann’s winning hit came after the final second on the clock, which was being controlled by a 15-year-old British volunteer, had elapsed. Shin was required to stay on the piste while the judges considered--and ultimately rejected--her appeal. After Shin... READ ON

NBC Paid $1.2 Billion to Broadcast the London Olympics. Where Does That Money Go?

Dave Hogan/NBCNBC paid the International Olympic Committee a record $1.18 billion for the U.S. broadcast rights to the 2012 London Games and $4.38 billion for the four Olympics from 2014-2020. What does the IOC do with all that cash?According to the IOC’s Olympic Marketing Fact... READ ON

Olympic Art Competitions: The End

We're taking a look back at the fine art competitions that originated in ancient Greece and were revived as part of the modern Olympics from 1912 to... READ ON

Olympic Art Competitions: 1936-1948

We're taking a look back at the fine art competitions that originated in ancient Greece and were revived as part of the modern Olympics from 1912 to... READ ON

Olympic Art Competitions: 1928-1932

Over the next two weeks, we’ll be taking a look back at the fine art competitions that originated in ancient Greece and were revived as part of the modern Olympics from 1912 to... READ ON

Olympic Art Competitions: 1916-1924

Over the next two weeks, we’ll be taking a look back at the fine art competitions that originated in ancient Greece and were revived as part of the modern Olympics from 1912 to... READ ON

From 1912 to 1948, Art Competitions Were Part of the Olympics

Medals were awarded for architecture, music, painting, and sculpture.... READ ON

4 Times Olympians Refused Their Medals

When it came time to collect their medals, these athletes said, "No thanks."... READ ON

Who Invented the Knuckleball?

RAY STUBBLEBINE/Reuters/Landov New York Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey, the only active major leaguer who throws a knuckleball, hasn’t allowed an earned run in 42 2/3 innings and recently became the first pitcher since 1988 to throw back-to-back one-hitters. The 37-year-old, who looks to continue his mastery of opposing hitters on Sunday against the Yankees, is reinventing himself with a pitch that dates back more than a century. The question of who invented the knuckleball, though, is the subject of some... READ ON

How 11 Triple Crown Winners Spent Their Retirement Years

JOHN ANGELILLO/UPI/Landov The decision to scratch and retire I’ll Have Another with swelling in his left front leg on the day before the Belmont Stakes cost him a shot to become the 12th Triple Crown winner, but owner J. Paul Reddam still stands to make millions in stud fees. While the three-year-old colt would likely have commanded an even greater fee had he raced and won Saturday, most bloodstock agents and other experts expect him to garner $5 million to $10 million as a sire. Here’s a look at... READ ON

The 12 Times NHL Goalies Scored Goals Themselves

ADAM HUNGER/Reuters/Landov New Jersey Devils goalie Martin Brodeur, who has helped lead his team to the Stanley Cup Finals, is part of an exclusive club. Brodeur is one of 10 goalies who has scored a goal in an NHL game and one of two goalies who has scored twice. Here’s the complete list. 1. Billy Smith, 1979 Smith, who led the New York Islanders to four straight Stanley Cups from 1980-83, became the first goalie in NHL history to score a goal in a game against Colorado. The Rockies pulled their... READ ON

6 Reasons People Gave Up Their Super Bowl Rings

Former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor’s ring from Super Bowl XXV fetched $230,401 in an auction over the weekend. Over the years, several athletes and at least one owner have relinquished ownership of their championship bling for various reasons. Here are some examples. 1. Because a Little Girl Made You In 2008, New England Patriots safety Je’Rod Cherry was challenged by a girl at a youth conference to sell his Super Bowl XXXVI ring to raise money for... READ ON

Shattered Dreams: 9 Tales of Damaged Trophies

Trent Richardson with the BCS trophy. © Tyler Kaufman/Icon SMI/Corbis Carleton Tinker, the father of Alabama long snapper Carson Tinker, accidentally shattered the Crimson Tide’s 2012 BCS championship trophy last month. Tinker can take comfort in the fact that he wasn’t the first person to break the crystal football, which is one of nine other examples of accidentally damaged trophies. 1. Terrible First Impression Florida recruit Orson Charles was touring the Gators’ football stadium in 2008... READ ON

11 Notable Patients at the Government Hospital for the Insane

St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C., provided mental health care services to members of the U.S. armed forces and District residents when it opened as the Government Hospital for the Insane in 1855. Founded by social reformer and mental health advocate Dorothea Dix, St. Elizabeths treated more than 7,000 patients at its height during the 1940s and 50s. Here are a few of the hospital’s more noteworthy patients over the years. 1. Ezra Pound An expatriate American poet who made radio broadcasts... READ ON

20 Legendary Athletes Who Finished Up With Another Team

SAM RICHE/MCT /Landov On Wednesday, Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts officially parted ways after 14 seasons. We’ll soon find out where the four-time MVP, who choked up at his goodbye press conference, will resume his NFL career. When it comes to Hall of Famers who spent the majority of their careers with one franchise before retiring with another, the team that signs Manning hopes he’s more Joe Montana than Joe Namath. Here are several other greats who were once in Manning’s shoes.... READ ON

Rendez-Vous 87: The NHL All-Stars, the Soviet National Team, and the Super Bowl of Hockey

Image courtesy of GreatestHockeyLegends.com Twenty-five years ago this weekend, a team of NHL All-Stars faced off against the Soviet National Team in a pair of exhibition games in Quebec City. The games were two of the main attractions of Rendez-Vous 87, a week-long series of events held during Quebec’s Winter Carnival. The “Super Bowl of hockey” featured lavish meals, fashion shows, the Bolshoi Ballet, and even Ontario native Alan Thicke. Here’s a brief history of the spectacle. The Idea Is... READ ON

A Brief History of the Super Bowl Coin Toss

If the ceremonial coin toss before Sunday’s Super Bowl turns up heads, everyone enrolled in the Papa John’s customer loyalty program will win a free large one-topping pizza and a two-liter bottle of Pepsi Max. Thousands of other fans will collect on a 50-50 prop bet. The Super Bowl coin toss hasn’t always been such a big deal. Here’s a brief look at the history of the pre-game spectacle. Red Grange Breaks the Ice For the first 11 Super Bowls, a game official conducted the coin toss. In 1978, at... READ ON

A Brief History of the Super Bowl Broadcast

© Anthony J. Causi/Icon SMI/Corbis Sunday will mark the 17th time that NBC has broadcast the Super Bowl, tying it with CBS for the most in NFL history. Here’s a brief history of the Super Bowl on TV. The AFL-NFL World Championship Game Simulcast In 1967, NBC and CBS simulcast the first Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Green Bay Packers, which was then called the AFL-NFL World Championship Game. NBC and CBS used the same video feed, but different announcers. NBC was still in... READ ON

11 Expansion Teams That Just Missed the Cut

When the NFL expansion committee headed by current league commissioner Roger Goodell awarded franchises to Charlotte and Jacksonville in 1993, three other prospective teams with nicknames, logos, and color schemes already unveiled and season ticket deposits sold, were left disappointed. Here are the stories of those three (almost) teams and eight other failed expansion bids in various sports. 1. Memphis Hound Dogs (NFL,... READ ON

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