Need to know the difference between bocce and petanque? Ask The Modern Spectator research staff.
Who was the first player to bat in a televised major league game?
He is also the oldest living major leaguer. He just turned a hundred. Read about it.
Can a baseball player catch a ball while standing in the stands?
Reader Yonatan Freedman asks, “If a batter hits a very high foul ball, and a fielder walks well into the stands and waits there to catch the foul ball and then catches it, is the batter out or is it just a foul ball?”Click here for the answer.
What country has produced the most overall World Cup skiing champions?
Americans Bode Miller and Lindsay Vonn were the overall World Cup winners this year, so we wondered how many times both winners have come from the same country and from what mountainous nation do the best skiers hail? Click here.
What was the biggest point spread in Super Bowl history?
Were the Giants the biggest underdogs in Super Bowl history, or did that honor belonged to another team, perhaps the Jets who won Super Bowl III? Find out.
Why do NFL QBs have green dots on the back of their helmets?
Enzo asks, “Have you noticed every NFL QB has a round neon green sticker on the back of their helmet this year? What is this? Is it a hole so God can see in?” Not quite, but the green dot, in a way has a long history. Click here to read all about it.
What NBA team won the most consecutive games to start a season?
The Boston Celtics did it again. They beat the New Jersey Nets and extended their unbeaten streak to seven games. It was an ‘ugly’ 91-69 win, but the team had six players in double figures. Larry Bird, who played on a Celtics squad two decades ago that started 6-0, thinks the new kids in beantown have “good chemistry.” They still have a long way to go before they can claim the record as the NBA’s winningest team at the start of a season. Bird didn’t do it either. Which two teams share that record? Click here to find out.
What was the worst team to reach the playoffs in Major League history?
Last year’s World Series champions, the St. Louis Cardinals, finished the regular season with an abysmal 83-78 record, but they didn’t have the worst winning percentage of a playoff team. Who did?
Which NBA team has the most losses in history?
The Philadelphia Phillies recently “earned” their record 10,000th loss, but which is the losingest basketball team?
What were the names of the racing teams in Hanna Barbera's The Wacky Races cartoon?
In this classic animated road-rally there were 11 different cars packing in a total of 23 regular characters. Such ‘toonish bounty is unparalleled and bears explaining. Read more.
In golf, where did the term caddy come from?
Like all good sport history, opinions differ. Many point to Mary Queen of Scots, who some call the first female golfer. They say her highness coined the term “caddy” in…
Who is the youngest player ever to lead the NHL in goals?
Sidney Crosby became the youngest Art Ross trophy winner in history when he finished this season with the most points in the NHL. But 19-year-old Sid the Kid was well behind Vincent Lecavalier in the race for the Maurice Richard trophy, given to the top goal scorer each year. Who was the youngest to ever win this title?
How often does the top-ranked team in the polls win the NCAA basketball tournament?
Ohio State currently tops both major men’s college basketball polls. Are they a shoo-in to win the national title? The odds aren’t great.
How many college basketball teams have gone undefeated?
The Duke women’s basketball team is currently 29-0. If they win the rest of their games, they will join an elite group of perfect teams. Read more.
Is the purchase of Liverpool FC the most expensive purchase of a sports franchise?
Two American businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks just bought Liverpool, the most successful franchise in the history of English football, for $343 million. Tom in Florida wrote us to ask whether this is the most expensive sports transaction. Click here to find out.
Besides David Beckham, who is the highest-paid soccer player in the MLS?
The MLS salary cap was changed specifically to allow the league to sign aging heartthrob David Beckham, who will join the LA Galaxy this summer and make a reported $250 million over 5 years. Call Landon Donovan’s agent, quick!
How many teams has Vinny Testaverde played for since he turned 40?
Ah, it seems like only a decade ago that Vinny was leading the University of Miami Hurricanes. Vinny, who was recently called up by the Patriots, is 43 years old. He played for the Jets, the Cowboys, the Jets again, and now the Pats in his middle age. Read more.
Rutgers?
The Scarlet Knights’ upset of heavily favored Louisville last week didn’t stun those familiar with college football’s roots. The school after all won the first college game ever played, beating instate rival Princeton in 1869.Read more.
Is Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game, the most anyone has ever scored in one basketball game?
While the Modern Spectator has total respect for Chamberlain on the court if less so in more intimate spaces, “the Stilt” is no Mats Wermelin.
In a 1974 regional boys’ tournament in Sweden, this 13-year-old phenom scored every single point of the game—all 272.
Why would you pitch to Albert Pujols in the World Series when runners are in scoring position and first base is open?
We have no idea.
Did the hockey season start?
Yes. You may have been so caught up in the baseball playoffs or your fantasy football team that you didn’t realize another unending NHL season is under way. Read more.
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