Home

On:

While we all wait to see if there will be an NFL season this year, we reflect on the fact that "home court advantage" has been proven to be true in every sport. Is this because the cheering fans make the home team more likely to win or is it because the refs are prejudiced–maybe without even realizing it?

Fan enthusiasm has been discounted: In basketball, free-throw percentages are the same at home and away. In baseball, a pitcher’s strike-to-ball ratio is the same at home and away. And it’s not the travel tiredness: Teams from the same metro area (such as the Yankees and the Mets) lose at the same rate as teams from across the country when playing in their rival’s stadium. read more

On:

Three strikes and you’re out! Does your team seem full of limp bats? And what about basketball–is your team in that sport doing badly as well? Donuts, bat wraps, weighted gloves are some of the many devices are available to help baseball players warm up while waiting to go to bat. But a new study finds that none of ten commonly used warm-up devices has a significant effect on bat speed, which may explain why YOUR team is doing so badly.
read more

On:

And what if KIDS play on it? – Both baseball and football are moving to fake turf, since it needs less upkeep and always looks good on TV. But is it safe?

Adding to the growing concerns over the health risks posed by lead and other chemicals in synthetic turf materials, a new study finds that when children or athletes ingest the tiny rubber granules in synthetic turf, it is likely that a significant portion of the lead in the granules will be absorbed by their bodies? gastric fluids.
read more

On:

…in fact, most players never recover – Football players have the shortest professional lives of players of any other sport. Not only do the have the most injuries during the NFL season, they often don’t live long after they STOP playing either.

And it turns out you don’t need to participate in sports to get the benefits: just WATCHING them on TV can be beneficial… EXCEPT for professional wrestling, can lead to a life of crime!

The Mayo Clinic discovered that 82% of NFL players under age 50 had abnormal narrowing and blockages in their arteries, compared to the general population of the same age, meaning that former players face increased risk of experiencing high blood pressure, heart attack or stroke.
read more