The new sport of Loop (pool spelled backwards!) was created by British mathematician Alex Bellos in 2015. It is a new twist to an old game. Loop is played on an elliptical shaped pool table, with a dot at one focus point, and the pocket at another, requiring some calculated angles as shown here. See the first ever game played in the video below, and read more about LOOP.
Sports Videos
June 12th, 2015 · Ice Hockey, Testing
The 2015 NHL Draft Combine has some new testing protocols, and a new location. It is now much easier to watch the action, and here is a video following the potential top draft pick Connor McDavid as he progresses through the fitness tests. Note the new vertical jump procedure using a force plate, and the Y-balance test. See descriptions of all the tests, and all results from 2015.
→ 1 CommentTags: combine·fitness testing·Ice Hockey·NHL·NHL Combine
June 7th, 2015 · Balance, Ice Hockey
A new balance test was added to the NHL Combine in 2015, called the Y Balance Test. This test is a dynamic test performed in a single-leg stance that requires strength, flexibility, core control and proprioception. This is the latest in a series of balance and core stability type tests that they have trialed over the years. It looks like a pretty complex test to perform, but seems a good objective measure of balance. Previously they have used a balance board, single-leg squats and a Hex Agility test (like the like the hexagon test). See more about the Y Balance Test.
May 22nd, 2015 · AFL, Testing
The AFL are searching worldwide to find tall players. Here is a highlight package of the 4th international combine held by the AFL (Australian Football League). I would love to see how these guys go if given a chance to play AFL. You can see the top results from this combine, their athleticism matches the Aussie combine efforts.
December 15th, 2014 · Unusual
An interesting Japanese unusual sport is called Bo-taoshi, which is a capture-the-flag-like game with elements of rugby and war. Shown below is a game played at its highest level, between cadets of Japan’s National Defense Academy. Two teams of 150 players compete for each other’s pole, the aim is to bring the pole down to a 30 degree angle. You have to watch the video to see how this is done. See more about Bo-taoshi.
→ No CommentsTags: Japan
November 2nd, 2014 · Bench Press, Weight Lifting
See Eric D. Spoto “Vanilla Gorilla” beaking the raw bench press record with a lift of 722lbs (327.5 kg) . The previous record was 715 lbs by Scot Mendelson. See more about the Bench Press world best scores. Raw bench pressing is done without equipment such as bench shirts. Using such aids there have been lifts above 1000 lbs. I was curious and had to look up what he was sniffing in the video before the lift – and the answer is smelling salts.
EDIT: This record has now been broken by Russian Kirill Sarychev. He lifted 335 kg (738.5lbs) on November 22, 2015.
October 2nd, 2014 · AFL, Reaction Time
The 2014 Brownlow medal winner Matt Priddis is put through his paces on a series of reaction time tests at the Edith Cowan University Sports Science department. It shows a good range of basic reaction time tests, then a couple of more sport specific tests that are more relevant to this Aussie Rules footballer. See information about the AFL reaction time test.
September 29th, 2014 · AFL
Here is the final for the AFL player sprint race from the 2014 AFL Grand Final day. The winner was the favourite Geelong’s Jordan Murdoch. See more about the Grand Final Sprint.
→ No CommentsTags: 2014·AFL·AFL Grand Final·Grand Final·sprinting
September 29th, 2014 · AFL
Here is the final for the AFL player sprint race from the 2013 AFL Grand Final day. The winner was Patrick Dangerfield of Adelaide (repeating his wins from 2011 and 2012. See more about the Grand Final Sprint.
<.. sorry, video has been taken down .. >
→ No CommentsTags: 2013·AFL·AFL Grand Final·Grand Final sprint
September 24th, 2014 · Athletics
The men’s 100m at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympic Games was won by American Eddie Tolan in a world record equalling time of 10.38 seconds. Second placed Ralph Metcalfe, also from the US, was given the same time. See more on the History of the Olympics 100m sprint.
→ No CommentsTags: 100m·1932·1932 Olympics·Athletics·events·Los Angeles·olympic games·track and field·USA
