In the early 90s the NHL was in the midst of a major shift. Teams relocated and expansion teams were formed in the US. More importantly, they were moved to southern states with tropical climates and a populace that couldn’t care less about the sport. It was a bold move but the NHL went all in. In 1996, after several studies and focus groups, the NHL heard the cries of…
Before LeBron James scored a single point as a member of the Miami Heat, he infamously claimed that he would win “not one, not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven…” Oh boy did he get carried away in that moment. The spotlight had never been more heavily glared on his face at that moment. He welcomed the attention even though the majority was negative attention….
Once the French settlers became interested in the Native American game between two teams, a ball and a stick with a racket end, they gave the game the generic name for any game played with a stick “Crosse,” and called it Lacrosse. The game began to grow in popularity in Canada, first with the settlers observing the Native game and joining in on the gambling. The soon began to…
Sports and controversy are no strangers: it’s like two uncles who don’t get along, but will still be at every gathering to stir up the pot. There a ton of issues we see across different sports today, such as gender inequality, corrupt management, hazing, and 100 other things. What I’m going to hone in on isn’t something that probably isn’t on the forefront of everyone’s mind. The jump from amateur…
The Stanley Cup has been around since the 1800s, starting its life being bought by Lord Stanley of Preston for 10 Guineas, around $50 (Hockey Hall of Fame). The Cup is the oldest trophy in North America (that is competed for by professional athletes). It was donated in 1892 and the first team to receive the trophy was the Montreal Amateur Athletic Club. Since 1910 the trophy has belonged to…
The game of stickball originated in the 17th century lands of the six Iroquois nations. Modern day Canada, Mid- Atlantic, the Great Lakes and the American South were filled with the social, athletic and religious sport that was known to “please the creator.” The game was played to train young boys for combat, for fun and as part of certain festivals. This function of violence and respect was claimed to…
Almost every major team sport centers around a bouncy rubber ball. Volleyball, basketball, football, and so many other sports rely on the rubber ball for its unique qualities that have allowed it to dominate ball-based team sports. However, thousands of years before any of these modern sports would even be formed, the rubber ball began its journey into sporting dominance in the Olmec Empire. Located in modern-day Mexico, the Olmec Empire…
