This week’s roundup also includes a bit of Kevin Pressman penalty thwacking and some terrible rugby1) The raucous PDC World Darts Championship is back again. In the competition’s first year at Alexandra Palace in 2008 the big favourite Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor was expected to ease through the rounds to a 12th title but came up against Wayne ‘Hawaii 501’ Mardle in the quarter-final. What ensued was an all-time classic that ended with a victorious Mardle on his haunches in tears of joy. On that night Taylor was magnanimous in defeat, with Mardle in the Sky studio last year he did not take so kindly to his former rival’s line of questioning. Still Taylor learned the art of darts needle...
With research touting the benefits of sleep and recovery, teams are now paying more attention to recuperation. But is there such a thing as too much rest?Science sometimes seems so simple. Take rest for instance. With all the experts touting the benefits of recovery, the answer seems straightforward enough, protect players by resting them now or deal with the consequences later. After all, fortunes, literally, can change with a roll of an ankle or twist of a knee. With the host of factors that affect fatigue and stress, particularly a schedule that asks teams to fly across the country to play games in different time zones, playing time is one of the few factors that coaches can control. Related: Hacking...
When Houston’s quarterback returned to the field only minutes after a big hit left him twitching, it showed the NFL doesn’t care about getting concussions rightThe lasting image of the 14th week of this NFL season won’t be the Bills and Colts romping in the snow or Cam Newton roaring through Minnesota’s secondary or Dak Prescott heaving touchdown passes over the New York Giants. The lasting image of a week that should be all about playoff runs is instead Houston Texans quarterback Tom Savage lying on the turf, his head having been smashed to the ground, staring blankly in the air with his fingers twitching uncontrollably. Related: NFL roundup: Eagles win NFC East but lose Wentz in thriller over Rams...
Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore enjoyed sweet vindication as Toronto FC made their most compelling pitch for Major League Soccer’s best team everThe spirit of blame has been bouncing around US soccer circles since the USA’s World Cup elimination – but over the course of these MLS playoffs far more than its share has settled on Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore. Both men were booed by opposing fans every time they touched the ball during the playoffs, and both had their struggles – Bradley was nullified by Tyler Adams in the home playoff loss to the Red Bulls, while Altidore saw red in the same game and missed the first leg against Columbus. Related: Jozy Altidore has last laugh to...
Lindsey Vonn’s outburst against Donald Trump means she takes her place in a complex game where politics and sport have once again become deeply entangledOn the face of it, Lindsey Vonn looks like Donald Trump’s type. Tall, blond, blue-eyed and a former star – naked but for a coat of paint – of Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit issue, the champion skier is the epitome of what would once have been called an all-American girl. And she will be one of the main draws of February’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, hoping to repeat her 2010 Olympic downhill win in Vancouver and thus take a measure of solace for her absence through injury in Sochi four years ago.Coming off a 2016-17 season...