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io9This is history’s greatest photo of a bear beating up a man
For the obvious reasons of human safety and animal cruelty, bear wrestling hasn’t been in vogue for several decades. But up until the 1980s, bear wrestling was the stuff of amateur wrestling matches and basketball halftime diversions. Here are some surreal tableaus of humans getting the crud smacked out of them by much larger, much … Continued
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io9Root for your favorite house with these Game of Thrones sports logos
If you want to show your allegiance to the King in the North, or let everyone know that you support Daenerys Targaryen’s campaign on the Iron Throne, then wear your Westeros team colors with these sporty Game of Thrones house logos. Ukrainian artist Yvan Degtyariov designed these logos for the “Westeros Football League,” transforming the … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
Tech News
How Olympic Pole Vaulters Travel with Their Gigantic Poles
You would think that if you were an Olympic athlete, you could fleet through airport security, fly on a G6 and walk on clouds til you reach Olympic Park. Not exactly true! For pole vaulters, it’s a pain in the ass to travel because of, well, their gigantic poles. It’s just not easy to move … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech News
First Ever Dead Heat Photo Finish Stumps Finish-Line Cameras
The US sprinters Allyson Felix and Jeneba Tarmoh are equally fast. How do we know? Well, yesterday, during the women’s 100 meter Olympics qualifier, they both finished the sprint in 11.068 seconds—and not even a camera running at 3,000 frames per second could tell their performance apart. Usually a high-speed camera, which takes three pictures … Continued
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Tech News
iPhone Wind Meter Lets You Make Your Own Surf Forecasts
Your local forecaster’s weather predictions are a good start if you’re a surfer—or really any athlete who relies on the wind—waiting for the perfect conditions. But for more precise on-the-spot forecasts, Shaka’s anemometer accessory turns your iPhone into a handheld weather station. When available, the $60 wind meter will simply attach to your phone’s headphone … Continued
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Tech News
Technicolor Bullet Holes Make This the Perfect Home for Olympic Shooting
This pock-marked trio of buildings comprises the venue for the shooting events at the 2012 London Olympics. Designed by Magma Architecture, the colorful structures look like someone unloaded a bunch of rounds into them, fitting for the place that hosts gun-toting competitions. Each 3,800-seat building will be home to events in the 10, 25, and … Continued
By Leslie Horn -
io9
Princess and Wonder Woman running outfits are magical and sweat-proof
Sleeping Beauty isn’t known for her high levels of activity, but with these running costumes, she and the other Disney princesses might get a different reputation. Plus, the sweat-wicking, anti-odor material keeps your costume looking fresh, even when you’re drenched in sweat. Etsy seller Helen McCarty runs the This Princess Runs shop, making princess and … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
io9
Pro baseball players prove going without sleep is worse than you thought
Two new studies have shown a link between how tired baseball and football players feel, and how well their careers go. Both studies are being presented at the SLEEP 2012 conference by W. Christopher Winter, MD. Top image: SoxyLady/Flickr. The first of the studies involved tracking college football players who’d been drafted into the NFL. … Continued
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io9
Testing female athletes to make sure they’re feminine enough is not cool, scientists say
South African sprinter Caster Semenya created a stir a few years back on account of her “intersexed” characteristics — prompting some to demand that sporting authorities screen for these sorts of biological anomalies in the name of fairness. But a Stanford University School of Medicine bioethicist and her colleagues now say that it’s unacceptable to … Continued
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Tech News
The Science of Hockey Ice
Hockey is a game played by linebacker-sized men moving at vehicular speed on razor-sharp blades. Skaters will travel almost 200 miles in a single game, slicing, shredding and shaving a surface just 200 feet long, 85 feet wide and 1 inch thick. The abuse the New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings will heap upon … Continued
Brandon Keim - Wired -
Tech News
How to Bet on Sports Online
The legality of online sports betting exists in a sort of shrouded grey fog of possibly questionable behavior. The feds haven’t ransacked it like they did online poker, yet some betting sites have stopped taking US customers. However, there are still plenty of quality offshore operations that are willing to take your bets and pay … Continued
By Casey Chan -
io9
Prepare for the Quidditch World Cup with these national team jerseys
The International Quidditch Association promotes the playing of Harry Potter’s favorite sport in the real world. Now you can dress appropriately for snitch-chasing and broomstick-riding with these jerseys for the national Quidditch Teams. This summer, the IQA plans to host a Quidditch Exposition in Oxford, with the best players from the United States, France, Australia, … Continued
By Lauren Davis -
Tech News
Awesome Desert Stadium Built Right Into the Ground
Lebanese design firm MZ Architects designed this stadium in the desert of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates, maximizing the surrounding landscape by turning it into the actual infrastructure of the building itself. Comprising 200,000-square-meters, the structure relies heavily on sourced materials fromt the build site, recuperated stone and natural beams of light. [Inhabitat]
By Molly Oswaks -
io9
The awesomely weird art of 1800s baseball photography
In the late 1800s, baseball players didn’t have the luxury of high-tech cameras to capture their in-game bravado. Instead, players would sometimes pose with imperceptibly hung baseballs in portrait studios. This bit of camera legerdemain was supposed to make players appear as if they were furiously concentrating on America’s pastime. More often than not, this … Continued
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Tech News
Baseball Gloves with MLB Players’ Twitter Handles Are So Very Useless
Because professional athletes use Twitter to communicate with their fans (somewhat true), follow hot girls (very true) and show off how interesting and well-rounded they are (rarely true), sports leagues have decided to use players’ Twitter handles as a gross promotion vehicle. It’s even invaded the teensiest of details: baseball batting gloves. https://gizmodo.com/nba-t-shirts-with-players-twitter-handles-are-so-very-s-5897800 How useless … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech News
ESPN Might Be Coming to the Apple TV
Already on the iPhone and iPad, WatchESPN is a wonderful app that lets users well, watch ESPN on their er, iPhone and iPads. It’s wonderful though! And it’ll be even more wonderful once it hits Apple TV. According to Bloomberg, ESPN is currently in talks with Apple to bring the WatchESPN app to the Apple … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech NewsMountain Biking Down 1,000 Steps Is as Terrifying as It Sounds
When the Colombian downhill mountain biker Marcelo Gutierrez competes in races, he’s kind enough to video his rides and post them online. They’re usually terrifying, but this one, which took place in the foothills of Montserrate last week, is particularly exhilarating. It took Gutierrez just 4 minutes and 27 seconds to complete the Red Bull … Continued
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Tech News
Dear Sports Fans: Your iPhone’s Flash Is Ruining Your Photos
This is a screenshot from yesterday’s NBA playoff game between the Heat and the Pacers. In the background you’ll see a man taking a photo of David West and LeBron James with his iPhone, and its flash. That is very stupid. Here’s why: Flashes are almost entirely useless at large sporting events. If you want … Continued
By Kyle Wagner -
Tech News
It Takes Carbon Fiber and Kevlar to Make the Best Basketball Shoes in the World
When you look at basketball shoes, what do you see? A big swoosh. Three stripes. Michael Jordan. A billboard molded to your feet. But do you see the technology? Though maybe not as blatant as an Intel sticker on your laptop, every shoe showcases its own advanced technology. Don’t worry, you can’t miss it on … Continued
By Casey Chan -
Tech News
Badass Paralyzed Woman Finishes London Marathon in a Bionic Suit
After 16 days of an agonizingly slow process, a paralyzed woman has become the first person to complete a marathon in a bionic suit. Talk about an inspiration. Claire Lomas was paralyzed from the chest down in 2007 when she was thrown off her horse and broke her neck, back, and ribs, and punctured a … Continued
By Leslie Horn