Sports & Recreation Articles

Article / Updated 05-22-2023

Too often, boaters are ill-prepared for accidents. They leave the dock without properly fitting life vests, working fire extinguishers (or none at all), or even an anchor onboard. I’ve rescued boaters and “put out fires” in several incidents where they were having problems because their equipment was outdated or poorly fitted and failed when they needed it. They needed a boat safety equipment checklist, and they needed to follow it. Being prepared means having the right safety equipment for boats onboard and making sure that equipment is "shipshape," as we boaters like to say. Being prepared also means planning ahead and sharing those plans with others onshore so that someone always knows what you’re up to. Checking your safety equipment for boating Here is the essential safety gear (as far as I'm concerned, required boat safety equipment) you should have on board: First-aid kit Anchors Fire extinguishers Life jackets Life preservers Paddles For some reason, many boaters consider this safety gear optional. What a mistake! And now you know better. Every time you go out on your boat, you need to check your safety gear to make sure it’s in good, working condition. Use this boat safety equipment checklist and see the figure below: Before each trip, make sure your communication devices (cellphone and/or VHF radio) are charged and working properly. Check your fire extinguisher to make sure the charge gauge indicates it’s ready for action. Check that the anchor, rode (the anchor rope and chain), and shackles that hold the rode to the anchor are secure and the rope isn’t frayed. Even if you don’t expect your crew to wear life preservers, hand one to each person so they can make sure it fits before leaving the dock. Federal law requires children under the age of 14 to wear life jackets at all times while boating. This law applies in all states unless the state has its own minimum age requirement for life jacket wear. In boating, state laws take priority over federal law, so make sure you check the rules where you boat. Stowing a first-aid kit A first-aid kit can’t carry everything needed for an appendectomy or a heart attack, but you should at the least stock the same type of basic medical supplies you have at home in your medicine cabinet. A complete first-aid kit is an essential part of your boating safety equipment checklist. While the potential always exists for a serious medical emergency to arise when you’re boating, 99 percent of what you’ll run into on your boat will be manageable if you keep handy all the basic supplies for relieving discomfort and injury. Here's a list of gear I keep on the boat in my first-aid kit: Adhesive bandages Antibiotic ointment Antihistamine for bug bites or allergic reactions Aspirin or another painkiller Bug repellent Cortisone cream for bug bites Elastic tape for binding wounds or sprains Medical tape Seasick remedies and antacid Sterile gauze pads in several sizes Sterile rolled gauze Sunscreen Before you go boating, grab your first-aid kit — and check its contents — so you’ll be ready for what ails you. Bringing communication gear You should have the equipment needed to call the U.S. Coast Guard or other local rescue operators. This equipment may include a VHF radio in some places, but on many smaller inland waters, a cellphone for a call to 911 is sometimes better. Ask your local boating acquaintances which they use and suggest. Or do like most boaters and take both. I discuss how to properly call for help on the water using whatever communication device you choose in the section, “Calling for the Help You Need,” later in this chapter. If you’re going into more remote areas without communication, you’re dependent on your boat and motor for a safe return. Even though you can often count on friendly boaters for a rescue should your boat fail, you also should be prepared to go it alone. It’s a good idea to carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) that sends a distress signal across search and rescue satellite networks to rescue personnel. Some don’t carry them due to the cost, but at least use a VHF radio. Reaching out with a VHF radio VHF radios are special radios operating on bands reserved for marine communications. Before the cellphone, many boaters inland and offshore used VHF radios daily, and you could walk the docks of any marina and hear radio chatter. Today, the proliferation of cellphones makes that experience rare. So why buy a VHF radio if you think nobody’s listening? Because when trouble comes, the rescuers will have one and will be able to talk to you — and they won’t need to know your phone number to call you. Even though they may not easily see you because your boat’s just a small speck in the sea or other large body of water, you’ll be able to see their chopper or rescue craft and talk them in with signals to turn right or left or north or south. A waterproof, handheld VHF radio can be your best safety device. With it, you can continue to transmit mayday calls even if you’re in the water. When you see rescue boats or aircraft, you can hail them on the radio — they’ll be listening, trust me. In fact, handheld VHF radios are in retailer West Marine’s list of top ten popular gift items. I think keeping one in the boat is essential to peace of mind and safety. Calling on your cellphone Cellphones were once looked down upon as a primary communication device for boaters. But in areas where there’s adequate coverage, more boaters rely on them than on VHF radios. If your cellphone does work in an area, you can rely on 411 for information and often 911 for emergency response. However, not all response centers can get a position from your cellphone, so a GPS or a chart is necessary to give rescuers your position. I don’t have to tell you that being stranded along a highway with no way to call a tow truck or ambulance is frustrating, if not scary. You bought a cellphone for that very reason, right? Well, your cellphone may not work on the lake, just like it may not work along a remote section of highway. And it sure won’t work more than a few miles offshore on the ocean. If your cellphone gets wet, it may not work, either. So, take care to keep it dry. Taking navigation tools The second most frequent cause for initiating search and rescue missions (boats dead in the water is the first) is grounding, according to a report by the U.S. Coast Guard. Accidents because of faulty navigation tactics are the easiest safety failure to correct. It’s easier to navigate safely today than ever before because the entire world has been mapped and remapped. All that information is available on charts and Global Positioning Systems (GPS). A combination of charts and a GPS device makes boating safer. And don’t forget your trusty compass when the batteries in your GPS go dead. Finding your way with GPS Getting lost leads to running out of gas or running aground. Both strand you at inconvenient, often dangerous times and places. A GPS device is the ideal solution for keeping trouble at bay. You can buy a handheld version complete with basic maps for about the price of a toaster oven. For boating in unfamiliar waters — all waters are unfamiliar for new boaters — the better the GPS device you can afford, the more likely it is to save you from trouble of both the mechanical and life-threatening sorts. In fact, I heard that one propeller repair shop manager, who worked on the Georgian Bay of Lake Huron, said that the GPS equipment that boaters are using is so accurate it’s killing his repair business. They simply aren’t running into the rocks as much. Seeing as the Coast Guard reports the number-one cause for initiating search and rescue missions is for boats dead in the water, saving a propeller could be saving a life. Don’t think of a GPS as a handy substitute for a paper chart and strong local knowledge. Every GPS I’ve seen has a disclaimer on the power-up screen saying, “Don’t rely on this device as your sole source of navigation information.” I’ve been on the water many times when GPS has failed. Also, even if you’re boating with a GPS as your guide, look behind you frequently as you meander along. On your return trip, the landmarks will be familiar. Paper or plastic? Charts or electronic GPS systems At the modest entry cost of GPS/sonar combinations, I can’t imagine going boating without one. I’ve got three GPS devices on my 25-footer and a compass as well. On small boats, electronic charts on a GPS display are easier to manage than a 24- by 36-inch paper chart, and when I want to study navigable waters in the living room, I can do so on an electronic tablet or laptop. Most GPS makers and electronic chart providers have free apps that allow you to study your GPS charts at home and then transfer waypoints or routes you’ve designed right onto your GPS via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. It’s still a great idea to have a paper chart of your area — nothing provides better perspective on the broad view than an unrolled chart. The U.S. Coast Guard has allowed the legal carriage of electronic charts only, in lieu of paper charts. Even so, I’ve been embedded as a member of the press on missions on two U.S. Coast Guard cutters and although they have the world’s most sophisticated electronic navigation systems, they still have one or two officers assigned to navigate using paper charts, dividers, a compass, and brain power. Redundancy is the key to safety at sea. So, even if you have a spiffy new GPS, keep the chart open and note your progress along the way, penciling in landmarks you see. I’ve had to come home on a compass when my GPS failed, as mechanical things are bound to do, and my notes and landmarks ensured me that I was on the right path. You may never need to rely on a GPS or compass on a 500-acre lake, but you should get in the habit of doing so anyway. Soon, you’ll want to adventure in other waters that may not be so tame. Filing a float plan and checking insurance The best way to make sure you’ll be missed if you become stranded is to tell people when and where you’re going and when you will be back! A float plan is the boater’s version of the flight plan that pilots file to indicate their departure times and locations, their destinations, and their estimated landing times. They do this so that if something goes wrong and they don’t show up, people have an idea of where to begin a search. You can call reliable friends or relatives and verbalize your float plan, but keep in mind that they may all get it confused when trying to remember it later. It’s better to write your float plan on paper and give it to two or three friends or relatives or send them an email with the information. Make sure they receive it by following up with a phone call. Tell them you’ll contact them when you return. That way if you don’t, they can call the rescue authorities. Double-check your boat insurance and make sure you have enough towing insurance to get you back from the farthest point at which you may break down. In ocean situations, a tow boat has to find you, hitch up, and pull you back. That can take hours and even a few thousand dollars. Make sure you’re covered so you can easily secure the help you need. Tow Boat US, Sea Tow, and Vessel Assist are three popular towing services you can join for a modest annual fee and, wherever you go in the United States, you’ll have unlimited towing, should you get into trouble.

Article / Updated 05-19-2023

If you're new to RV vacations, you might have difficulty in choosing the right campground or RV park, selecting a cool museum to check out, or knowing which national park to include in your route. Here are a few ideas to get you started. Some of the best campgrounds When it comes to choosing a place to stay, it could be as simple as good, better, or best or simply selecting between two choices from what is available in smaller less popular areas. Any campground offers a place to turn off the engine and sleep for a few hours, and sometimes that is enough. Over time you will develop your own criteria. AAA Midway RV Park, Coos Bay, Oregon (541-888-9300): Three blocks from the ocean and convenient to town, this park has 59 full hookups, Wi-Fi, and easy access to great seafood restaurants and markets. The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, Lake Buena Vista, Florida (407-939-2267): Fort Wilderness has 694 full hookups near the Disney World action, with transportation to the park. The lake offers boating and fishing, or you can golf or relax in the pool. The Great Outdoors RV, Nature & Golf Resort, Titusville, Florida (800-621-2267): Here, you find 150 full hookups, a lake for fishing, a spa, an 18-hole golf course, tennis courts, and a heated pool. Harbortown RV Resort, Monroe, Michigan (734-384-4700): Harbortown has 248 paved sites; 130 of them are full hookups, some with 50-amp electricity. It also has an 18-hole golf course; fishing; and a kids’ fun center with miniature golf, an arcade, go-karts, and batting cages that augment the heated pool. Traverse Bay RV Resort, Acme, Michigan (231-938-5800): Traverse Bay has 157 extra-wide, paved sites with patios and full hookups. The park is restricted to motor homes and fifth-wheels that are 28 feet or longer and not older than ten years. Museums that are well worth the visit Admiral Nimitz Museum and National Museum of the Pacific War, Fredericksburg, Texas: Extensive coverage of World War II battles in the Pacific is located in the restored Nimitz Steamboat Hotel and Gardens. Alabama Music Hall of Fame, Tuscumbia, Alabama: Although the museum contains only the work of musicians who were born or lived in Alabama, the list is extensive, including Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, Lionel Richie, and Toni Tennille. It’s a seeing-and-listening museum. Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina: This museum is pricey but worth the expenditure. The massive 250-room Biltmore mansion and gardens give an extensive picture of how the other half once lived. Buffalo Bill Center of the West, Cody, Wyoming: Five museums are set in a sprawling complex containing the Buffalo Bill Museum, the Plains Indian Museum, the Whitney Gallery of Western Art, the Cody Firearms Museum, and the Draper Museum of Natural History. You easily can spend an entire day (or more) here. Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine: This complex of consists of the Farnsworth Art Museum and the Wyeth Center in town, and the Olson House (celebrated in Andrew Wyeth’s painting Christina’s World) in the nearby countryside. Hearst Castle, San Simeon, California: Built from 1919 to 1947, the building was never finished. Four different tours cover the interior and exterior of “The Ranch,” as William Randolph Hearst dubbed his castle by the sea. Museum Center at Union Terminal, Cincinnati, Ohio: The restored 1933 Art Deco railway station is now home to three excellent museums: the Cincinnati History Museum, the Museum of Natural History, and the hands-on Children’s Museum. National Baseball Hall of Fame, Cooperstown, New York: Baseball fans can spend several days perusing artifacts ranging from Ty Cobb’s sliding pads to bats used by Mickey Mantle and Mark McGwire. Ozark Folk Arts Center, Mountain View, Arkansas: The center was created in 1973 to preserve the music, dance, handicrafts, and folkways of the Ozarks. Wander among artisans and craftsmen at work and eat some down-home Ozark food. The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Cleveland, Ohio: A modern glass building designed by I. M. Pei houses a huge collection of artifacts, such as life-size mannequins of John Lennon, Alice Cooper, and Michael Jackson, plus many of their instruments. National parks along the way Acadia National Park, Maine: This park has a 27-mile Park Loop Road, which makes a circle out of Bar Harbor and offers a good overview of the gardens, beaches, cliffs, and Cadillac Mountain. Carlsbad Caverns National Park, New Mexico: A variety of caverns offers exciting, colorful underground tours. Join the evening crowd to watch 300,000 bats soar out of the cave for their evening meals. Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona: This spectacular attraction can be crowded in summer. A good way to visit is to take the Grand Canyon Railway for a round-trip train ride out of Williams, Arizona. Great Smoky Mountains National Park, North Carolina and Tennessee: Located at the end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, the park has an 11-mile, loop road off Newfound Gap Road that’s a must-see. Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park, Texas: Visitors see the birthplace, home, ranch, and final resting place of the former president. The park has two parts: Johnson City, has the visitor center, and the LBJ Ranch. Petrified Forest National Park and Painted Desert, Arizona: Stop in the visitor center at the entrance to the Petrified Forest to get a map to use a loop road through both areas. Shenandoah National Park, Virginia: Skyline Drive begins in this park and heads south into the Blue Ridge Parkway. Three RV campgrounds are located within the park. Vicksburg National Military Park, Mississippi: This park is the site of one of the most decisive battles of the Civil War. A 16-mile auto tour runs through the park and its monuments.

Article / Updated 05-18-2023

RV camping is for everybody. No other form of travel adjusts so readily to any sort of special need. RV vacations are family-friendly in the extreme. RVing is a cheap and convenient way to take the whole family on vacation, including your pets or elderly parents. In most cases, having the kitchen and bathroom with you makes the “I’m hungry” and “I have to go potty” requests easy to deal with, and traveling together as a family can foster closeness and communication. RVing with kids The simple truth is that kids love RVing and camping. In fact, you can help your children grow into teens and adults who appreciate travel by allowing them to use a paper map, a book like this one, and a time and money budget to plan their own “mystery trip,” with their parents as chauffeurs, over a long weekend. They pick the destination and route, and plan and arrange all aspects of the trip. Veterans of family RV travel suggest involving children in the planning stages, rotating seats in the car or RV en route to the campsite, and assigning duties at the campsite. Older children can be responsible for packing items and handling last-minute duties at home, like locking the doors and windows and removing perishable food from the refrigerator. Even infants can go camping happily. Experts recommend carrying a toddler in a backpack carrier and an infant in a front-pack carrier, both of which are made specifically for hiking. Bring along a folding stroller and playpen, mosquito netting, and a baby guardrail for the bed to use while in camp. A baby seat that clamps to a picnic table also enables a small child to join the rest of the family at meals. Packing sunscreen to protect children’s delicate skin is essential. So is bringing along a gentle insect repellant. For more tips on traveling with kids, check out these websites: Family Travel Network offers travel tips and reviews of family-friendly destinations, vacation deals, and campgrounds. Travel Mamas offers ideas and tips for traveling with kids, including many first-hand accounts and destination reviews by the founder. RVing with pets As you travel, you meet many RV owners who favor their particular brand of travel because they can take their pets along with them. The Travel Industry Association of America says that 6 percent of all traveling dog owners take their pets with them on vacation, whereas only 1 percent of cat owners do. I’m willing to bet that some 50 percent of all traveling dog owners (and probably 25 percent or more of cat owners) take their pets along on their RV vacations. Check campground information in advance to make sure pets are permitted. Some campgrounds assess a surcharge; a few impose pet restrictions, which means that they determine to allow pets on an individual basis, based breed or size. Always call ahead to ask. Although a few campgrounds have fenced dog runs where pets can frolic off the leash, almost all require dogs to be on leashes in the campground at all times. Owners also are required to clean up after their pets. Some campgrounds provide dispensers of plastic bags at the dog runs and receptacles for the used bags. Otherwise, carry your own cleanup bags, and dispose of them properly. Dogs should not be left alone in an RV at the campground or tied up outside the RV while you’re away. Never leave your pet in the RV for more than 10 or 20 minutes in mild weather when you’re running an errand, and don’t leave your pet alone in the RV at all when temperatures are hot. The following tips can help you and Fido have an enjoyable RV trip: Feed pets at night. Feed them after you’re finished driving for the day, especially if they’re susceptible to motion sickness. Give pets water only during the day. Give your pets bottled water, without any additives for taste, which you need to introduce at home before the trip. As you would for humans, use bottled water, because the mineral content in water changes from one campground to the next. A contented tummy is something that you want a traveling pet to have. Bring familiar toys and bedding for the pet. Like security blankets, objects from home can comfort your pet on the road. Help your pet become accustomed to the RV. If you have access to the RV before the trip, spend some time in it with your pet. Keep your cat’s litter box in the shower or tub. Encase the litter box in a 30-gallon plastic trash bag, put the box in the trash bag bottom down, dump a 10-pound bag of cat litter into the box, and snap on the litter-box cover. Carry a couple of small washable throw rugs. Putting a small rug over the RV carpeting can protect it from muddy little cat or dog feet. Debate continues as to whether pets are safer while kept in or out of a kennel crate in a moving RV. Defenders of crates (many of them professional dog handlers who travel to and from shows in RVs) say that occupants are safer when the animal is confined while the vehicle is in motion. People who favor freeing pets during the ride claim that it enables animals to protect themselves from injury. A challenge for a single traveler with free pets is keeping them off the dashboard and out of the windshield, as well as preventing them from blocking the mirrors and clear views of the road. A good online resource for information about traveling with your pet is Petswelcome, which also dispenses medical tips and lists the names of animal-friendly lodgings and campgrounds, kennels, and veterinarians. RVing for people with disabilities Recreational vehicles can be made as accessible and comfortable for the physically challenged — especially those in wheelchairs — as any home. Mechanical seat lifts, either installed at the factory or retrofitted into existing units, can be added to motor homes for people who have trouble climbing steps. Wider doors, raised toilets, roll-in showers, roll-under sinks, lower kitchen counters and cabinets, and a permanent place to lock in the wheelchair while the RV is in motion are options that can be installed at the factory or by aftermarket custom shops. More campgrounds offer handicap-accessible campsites with wide, level paved sites to accommodate wheelchairs, walkers, and electric scooters. Many provide improved access to public toilets and showers by installing ramps and handrails. Wheelchair travelers aren’t the only ones who adjust well to RVs. Many other handicapped travelers — from those on dialysis to those requiring a supply of oxygen — find much more comfort and security in a well-equipped motor home than they do in an automobile, plane, or train. The Recreation Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA; 703-620-6003) publishes a directory with information about RV accessibility for travelers with disabilities. Another valuable resource is the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (212-447-7284), which offers a wealth of travel resources for people with all types of disabilities and informed recommendations on destinations, access guides, and companion services. Annual membership fees are $49 for adults and $29 for seniors (63-plus) and students.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 05-15-2023

American football is about trying to make points by passing, carrying, or kicking an oblong ball (with two pointed ends) into your opponent's end zone. Football is a rough-and-tumble game with its own jargon, including some terms that are just plain odd. For example, a strong safety is a defender, and a regular safety is a play that scores two points — go figure. But knowing the lingo (including the fun slang) and the players, not to mention common penalties, can take you a long way toward getting a handle on this popular American sport.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 05-04-2023

Power boating is a fun and relaxing hobby so long as your boat is seaworthy and ready to launch. Simple checks can help make sure that it’s both. As one of the more powerful crafts on the water, you need to know when to give way and when it’s your right to stand on course when encountering another boat.

Article / Updated 04-18-2023

All things in fishing — from casting to netting a big fish — get easier the more you do them. Although true, this advice assumes you’re learning on your own. Fish with an experienced angler, though, and you can learn a lot about what to do, and even what not to do. This shortens the learning curve. Here are ten things I learned the hard way. Avoid making bad vibes The fish’s lateral line enables it to sense vibrations. When a fish picks up vibrations, it pays attention: Is a predator nearby? A scared fish flees; it doesn’t bite. Whether you’re wading or walking the bank, walk quietly. Rubber boots are good for this. In a boat, avoid dropping anything against the hull — that’s like hitting a bass drum underwater. Put rubber mats over the floor of your boat to dampen vibrations. People often warn against talking while fishing, but your feet are what really get you into trouble. Know gimmick lures when you see them Giving someone a lure shaped like a can of beer might be a funny gag gift, but most lures that require a battery to power their flashing red eyes or special fish call are a waste of money. Stick with proven lures and learn to fish them well. Cast no shadow Like vibrations, shadows falling on the water’s surface often trigger a fleeing instinct in fish. On bright sunny days, and even moonlit nights, avoid letting your shadow hit the water. Stay low and keep the sun in front of you and the element of surprise is yours. Choose clothing that blends in That Motley Crue concert t-shirt may be your lucky shirt, but if it’s too garish, it might not be your luckiest fishing shirt. Wear comfortable clothes while fishing, and try to blend into the background. When wading, dark earth tones will blend into the bank better than day-glo orange. While boating, dark clothes stand out against the sky more than light colors. So, think like a hunter while fishing — try to disappear against whatever background the fish sees. Reuse home items I and co-author Peter are admitted gear hounds. We love acquiring new stuff to make our fishing lives easier. But we’ve learned that a lot of the best items for fishing weren’t made for fishing. Kitchen containers and pill bottles make great waterproof units for medicine, sunglasses, cellphones, you name it. Leather carpenter bags make great sinker carriers. Golf towels work for fish slime. Those funny foam pool noodles can be made into large live bait bobbers. A piece of foam pipe insulation makes a great tool for holding pre-rigged leaders. (Just pop the loop or swivel in the split, wrap the line around the insulation, and sink the hook into the soft foam.) We look for fishing gear wherever we go. Pick a bait cooler If you fish with bait, you need a way to carry it and keep it cool. Coolers come in every shape and size. Buy one that fits the kind of bait you use and label it as your bait cooler. Use it for bait and only bait. Trust me, it makes life easier. After a day’s fishing, rinse out your bait cooler and set it — with the lid open — in the sun to remove most of the odors. Seek out advice There’s a lot to cover — the fishing world is vast — and your particular kind of fishing will lead you to more questions not answered here. Don’t be the stubborn guy who refuses to stop and ask for directions. Most anglers will gladly help a fellow angler. If you see others fishing with success on your home waters, respectfully ask them for advice. Just don’t interrupt their fishing! When at home, use the internet to connect with other anglers. Keep a fishing journal I am in the business of assigning homework, so I know it’s no fun. But this isn’t homework, even though it involves taking notes. Record data about every fishing trip you take: the weather, water conditions, fish caught, and lures used. Over time, this fishing journal becomes an invaluable source of information. If you had great luck fishing Bischoff Reservoir in March 2020 jigging soft plastic crawfish, odds are good that March 2021 could offer the same results. Be open to multispecies angling Don’t be a fish snob. We all have our favorites, but there are so many kinds of fish out there! Branch out and fish for everything. That way, regardless of the season, you’ll have something to pursue. And you’ll find that the more you understand about different species of fish, the more you understand all fish. Take someone along for the trip I like to fish alone a lot of the time. It gives me time to think, ponder, blah blah blah. I’m also a terrible singer, but the kingfishers on the riverbank never complain. Preserve your private time because it’s one of the greatest gifts of angling. Still, bring a non-angler along once in a while. Kids, sure. But what about your neighbor? Introducing more people to the sport you love benefits us all in the long run. The more anglers there are, the more of us there are who are concerned about the resources and habitat fishing requires. When it comes to tasks like spotting polluters or poachers, the more watchdogs on the water, the better. Plus, why keep such a great thing to yourself?

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-12-2023

Cricket is basically a simple sport. Each team takes its turn to bat (scoring runs) and bowl (getting the opposition batsmen out). The team with the most runs at the end wins. Unless the game is drawn, of course. Like any sport that’s been around for a while, cricket has its own laws, legend and language.

Cheat Sheet / Updated 04-11-2023

Whether it’s the World Cup or a local club game, playing rugby satisfies the soul like nothing else. This Cheat Sheet explains key rugby terms, rugby positions and scoring, and the laws of rugby, along with listing important tournaments worldwide. Rugby is a game of passion that’s full of action, excitement, and beauty, as well as unpredictable moments and dramatic resolutions on the field, but making sense of it can be intimidating for the first time viewer or player

Article / Updated 03-28-2023

Since the 1980s, fantasy baseball has become a popular way to interact with the baseball games you watch and love. With fantasy baseball leagues popping up all over the place, you may be asking yourself what the point of this game is, and how to join a league to get in on the action. To play fantasy baseball you first must understand the basics of fantasy sports and the whole reason behind joining a league. Fantasy baseball basics Fantasy baseball can be played in many different ways, which can determine how you score players and how the winner of the league is selected. The most common variation of playing fantasy baseball is called Rotisserie. In this version, each person in the league compiles a team of real players; the players are scored by category; and the person with the highest cumulative point totals at the end of the season wins. The categories for scoring points are as follows: Team batting average (total number of hits divided by total number of at-bats) Team earned run average (total number of earned runs times 9 and then divided by total innings) Total home runs Total runs scored Total saves Total stolen bases Total strikeouts Total team WHIPs (total number of walks allowed by pitcher divided by total innings) Total wins This configuration is the most common and is known as a “5x5 fantasy baseball league,” referencing the five hitting stats and five pitching stats that are used for scoring. Some leagues adopt more or less scoring categories depending on the complexity of the league. Keep in mind that some leagues score weekly as opposed to a cumulative end-of-season scoring schedule. If you are in a league that scores weekly, you have more chances for your team to win, in either specific categories or as a whole. New twists on the game have emerged, including versions such as: Daily fantasy baseball. You choose your team from players that are playing on that particular game day, and total the points at the end of the day to choose the victor. This version is a great way to learn how to play a whole season without getting too invested in both time and money. Head-to-head. You pit your whole team against another person’s team and score your points for the week. The person with the most points wins, but instead of winning in each category — like with the standard rotisserie style rules — you receive just one win for the week. Round-robin. This scenario follows the entire season, scoring your wins and losses, and the winner is determined by which team has the best win/loss record for the season. Single-elimination. A set number of teams play a single-elimination tournament to decide the victor. For instance, if your team at any point loses, you are done and out of the tournament. If the team wins, you move on to the next match, and so on until a team wins the season and cashes in. Another popular feature included in most fantasy baseball leagues is the ability to trade players. Trading can be done in one of two ways. Your league can choose to include a trading floor where all players can trade together and all trades are done in public. You league can opt to allow trades privately between different team owners. This version often causes conflict within the league, and usually results in an impartial judge (non-league member) determining whether or not the trades are fair. The reason you might want to trade players can be complex. Some people trade players to get rid of a bad player. Others trade a group of bad or mediocre players for one really good player. Often when trading players or creating a roster from scratch, each team is restricted by a salary cap. Each player is assigned a salary; if you select all top-notch players, you will exceed your salary cap. This rule keeps the better players more evenly distributed among league members to prevent one team from having all the higher ranked players. Why join a fantasy baseball league? Now that you have a generalized grasp on how the game works, you can find a fantasy baseball league that follows the rules by which you want to play. Many league options are available online, and more personal games can be found at your local watering hole or a friend’s man-cave. Approach playing fantasy baseball with the goal of finding new friends who love baseball as much as you do. Of course, you also might have the opportunity to win a nice chunk of change!

Article / Updated 03-09-2023

Listen to the article:Download audio March Madness is the nickname for the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s (NCAA) Division I basketball tournament, one of the most exciting championship events in women’s sports. Happening alongside the men’s March Madness, the tournament always begins in mid-March. And like the men’s contest, it involves 68 teams (of the approximately 350 Division I women’s teams). Thirty-two teams are automatically entered into March Madness; the remaining 34 are selected by the Division I Women’s Basketball Committee, which bases its selection on how the teams performed during the regular season. The committee also seeds the teams, meaning they rank the teams and decide where to “plant” them within the tournament bracket. These rankings are announced on Selection Sunday. Four of these 68 teams are eliminated during the opening round of the tournament, called the First Four. The basketball committee then divides the remaining 64 teams into four regions of 16 teams each, and they are ranked 1 through 16. Each team’s rank is referred to as their seed. Where the games are played At the beginning of the tournament, the games are played on campus sites. The 2023 regional rounds — Sweet 16, Elite 8, and Final Four — will be played at two sites: Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle and Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. The championship game will be at the American Airlines Center in Dallas. Here is the 2023 schedule, for the women’s March Madness: Selection Sunday: March 12 First Four games: March 15-16 First round: March 17-18 Second round: March 19-20 Sweet 16: March 24-25 Elite 8: March 26-27 Final Four: March 31 National championship game: April 2 You can watch games on ESPN and Sling TV. Also, in 2023, for the first time ever, ABC will broadcast the title game. The 2023 top seeds The heavy favorite of the 2023 tournament is the top-ranked University of South Carolina, which beat Stanford for the 2022 title. The other number-one seeds, in order of best season records, are: Indiana University Stanford University University of Utah The number-two seeds are: Louisiana State University University of Maryland University of Connecticut University of Iowa There are many outstanding players in women's college basketball; here's a list of just ten who are considered some of the best today: Aliyah Boston, University of South Carolina Caitlin Clark, University of Iowa Haley Jones, Stanford University Ashley Joens, Iowa State University Elizabeth Kitley, Virginia Tech Cameron Brink, Stanford University Angel Reese, Louisiana State University Olivia Miles, University of Notre Dame Hailey Van Lith, University of Louisville Rori Harmon, University of Texas Origin of the women's NCAA March Madness tournament Although the NCAA Division I basketball tournament has been around since 1939, the women were not included until 1982. Women had a long fight with the NCAA before that, even after Title IX was passed in 1972, to realize this big change. Strangely enough, that first NCAA women’s contest in 1982 coincided with another championship tournament put on by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). (Incidentally, Rutgers beat Texas to win the AIAW championship, and Louisiana Tech beat Cheyney State to win the NCAA tournament.) Why were there two tournaments? Because up until the 1981-1982 school year, the NCAA was not interested in women’s sports championships. Those had been under the purview of the women-led AIAW, which had been governing women’s collegiate sports since 1971. Of the many ways it supported women’s sports, the AIAW played a role in the passage of Title IX in 1972, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in education programs or activities that receive federal funding. However, in 1981, when the all-male-led-NCAA added women’s sports to its championship program for the first time, it created an uneven playing field in the battle with the AIAW for the governance of women’s collegiate sports. That fight lasted for about a year, but ultimately, the power and money of the NCAA won out. The AIAW folded in 1982. Inequities within March Madness Unfortunately, the NCAA hasn’t valued women’s sports as much as men’s sports throughout most of its existence. However, that is beginning to change, and one of the most conspicuous examples came with the 2022 NCAA women’s basketball tournament. An outcry on social media during the 2021 March Madness tournament pointed out the stark inequities between the men’s and women’s practice facilities and amenities. This led the NCAA to hire a law firm to conduct a review of gender equity related to the tournaments in general. The resulting report uncovered many examples of inequities related to spending on marketing and promotion, players’ meals and services, event staffing, and more. The report led the NCAA to try to level the field in 2022. It expanded the number of women’s teams from 64 to 68, the same as the men, and used the “March Madness” phrase for the women’s tournament for the first time. The organization also provided the same gifts to the men’s and women’s teams in 2022, staged similar fan events, and paid the game officials the same. However, there still remained a large gap between the NCAA’s spending on promotion, TV coverage, and more. In a March 11, 2022, Washington Post article, Dan Gavitt, the NCAA’s senior vice president of basketball, wouldn’t comment on the gap in spending between the men’s and women’s tournaments. However, he did say, “The work is not done. There is more to do, and we look forward to doing more after this year’s championship.”