Beware the abuse of statistics in sports
The Lance Armstrong and Manti Te’o scandals exposed some deep flaws in the professionalism of sports journalists: a willingness to believe the unbelievable and not… Continue Reading »
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Why fighting fits in the NHL
I had hoped to devote this column to Patrick Marleau, my favorite hockey player, who tied a 96-year-old NHL record last week by scoring multiple… Continue Reading »
Taylor: Fandom amidst terror and grievance
Violence and English soccer are unfortunately linked in the minds of many people. It’s a partially fair association given the game’s widespread problems with hooliganism back in the ‘80s, but like most preconceptions it ignores the undeniable fact that these issues are mostly things of the past in the UK. Tougher rules for spectators, harsher punishments for offenders and a push to make soccer a family sport have made that troubled history seem a distant bad dream.
Taylor: The hidden blessing of fan segregation
I’m all in favor of equal rights, but I can’t help feeling we need more segregation in sports.
Taylor: Hate for its own sake?
But being an English soccer fan, I can also sympathize with the haters. Manchester United is a hugely successful and well-supported team over here, but I really don’t like them. And I’m not alone. They really are a polarizing club: their phenomenal
Taylor: Time for a (rule) change
A basic fact of all sports is that rules change. Go back far enough, and even your favorite and most familiar pastime starts to look entirely different. Basketball is a great example of this, having changed substantially in the few short years after James Naismith strung up a pair of peach baskets
Taylor: The 95th Percentile?
It isn’t hard to find enough exceptions to prove that more than 25 of the world’s elite athletes compete outside of those two sports. The fastest, strongest and highest jumpers in the world are at the Olympics
Taylor: Love, hate and sports
As a fan committed enough to volunteer my free time writing sports stories and columns, it’s hard not to feel a bit insulted by the simple blasphemy of the haters, but there is something else wrong here. Hating sports just doesn’t make sense