That’s right, it’s that time of year once again. And as Hank Williams Jr. would ask, “Are you ready for some football?” Here at Listverse we are, and so we present the Top Ten Most Memorable NFL Moments. Just a few notes, before we begin:

- Moments such as “The Catch” are not included because they have previously be mentioned on lists. Check out this list for more. So please, no hate mail from 49ers fans.

- For those not accustomed to American football, here are some pointers to understand the lingo. In football you are given 4 downs, or plays, in order to gain ten yards and pick up a new set of downs. So on a first down, you are at 1st and 10. If you pick up two yards on the play it is a 2nd and 8. If 8 or more yards are gained on that play, it is now another 1st and 10. If the offense does not pick up a first down, the ball is turned over, or the offense can decide on 4th down they would rather punt the ball away to put the opposing team further down the field.

The Philadelphia Eagles’ season was coming to an abrupt halt. It was the final quarter of a divisional playoff game and they were losing to the Green Bay Packers by 3 points. They had just over a minute left in the game and a fresh set of downs, when Donovan McNabb threw an incomplete pass. The Eagles were penalized for a false start for 5 yards before 2nd down. Once they started the play McNabb was sacked for a loss of 11 yards. Facing a 3rd down and 26 yards to go for a first, McNabb threw another incomplete pass. So in very real terms, the Eagles had to pick up 26 yards in one play, or else their season was over. The Packers were ready to celebrate, since they were now all but promised a berth in the NFC Championship game. But it was not to be for the Packers. A perfect throw by McNabb and a catch by Freddie Mitchell, led to a 28 yard gain, and the Eagles’ season wasn’t over yet. David Akers came onto kick the field goal, and then another in overtime to win the game.

With the clock running down in the 4th quarter of a game against their biggest rivals, most teams would simply kneel the ball, to tick off those last few seconds and end the game without any risk. But the New York Giants, facing the Philadelphia Eagles, decided instead to attempt a run. Quarterback Joe Pisarcik handed off to Larry Csonka, who never had control. The ball fell to the ground, bounced once, and was scooped up by Eagle’s cornerback Herman Edwards who sprinted the 26 yards to win the game. The Miracle at the Meadowlands changed the season for both squads. The Eagles earned a playoff spot while the Giants finished last in their division. The play also changed the way teams all across the league handle those final seconds of a game. The final seconds of the game are above, note the commentator reading off the credits, assuming the game is over.

The one that started it all had to have a spot on this list. In 1966 the long established National Football League Champion was set to face the American Football League Champion in a matchup not even called the Super Bowl for another year. The Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs were not evenly matched, but the Chiefs managed to hold their own for the first half, entering halftime down only four points. In the 2nd half, Vince Lombardi’s Packers took over and crushed the champions of the rival league by a final score of 35-10. The game would set the stage for Super Bowls of the future, as well as assist in laying the groundwork for the future merger.

In a wild card playoff game in 2000, the Tennessee Titans were on the verge of defeat by the Buffalo Bills. The Bills held a 1 point lead with only 16 seconds remaining. A kickoff was fielded by the Titans’ Lorenzo Neal. Neal handed the ball to Frank Wycheck, who then turned and threw a lateral pass across field to Kevin Dyson who ran the next 75 yards for a touchdown and the win in one of the most exciting plays in NFL history.

A kicker in the NFL has a simple job, but one that also be magnified more than any other. With eight seconds remaining in Super Bowl XXV, the Buffalo Bills were trailing the New York Giants 20-19, when they called in veteran kicker and team leader in points scored, Scott Norwood to make a 47-yard field goal to win the game. The snap and placement of the ball was perfect, Norwood couldn’t ask for better conditions to become a hero. His kick had the distance, but it sailed wide right. Time expired on the next play as the Giants ran out the clock and Norwood blew his chance for immortality.

Kevin Dyson came as close to winning a Super Bowl as physically possible, but unfortunately for the Titans, Dyson was on the wrong side of this moment. Super Bowl XXXIV pitted the Tennessee Titans vs. the St. Louis Rams. The Titans were trailing 23-16 and putting together an amazing drive with time running out. From the ten-yard line, the Titans were a touchdown away from forcing the Super Bowl into overtime. With six seconds remaining, quarterback Steve McNair dropped back into the pocket and threw to the right side where Kevin Dyson was streaking towards the end zone uncovered. At the last second, Rams’ linebacker Mike Jones pivots, dives, wraps up Dyson’s legs and brings him to the ground. Despite Dyson’s outstretched arm, he did not get into the end zone, and the St. Louis Rams were Super Bowl Champions by one yard. The championship winning tackle can be seen in the clip above.

The Miami Dolphins dominated the league from beginning to end in 1972, going 16-0 and winning the Super Bowl. They are the only undefeated team in NFL history. The Dolphins lost their quarterback Bob Griese in week 5, but Earl Morrall stepped into his spot. Super Bowl VII, played in Los Angles, pitted the Washington Redskins against the Dolphins. Somehow, the Redskins were the favorites to win the game, with gamblers giving them a 1 point advantage. The game was dominated by the Dolphins’ “No Name” defense, who only allowed Washington to cross the 50 once in the first half, helping the team to a 14-0 halftime lead. In the 4th quarter of the game, the Dolphins muffed a field goal and Washington returned it for a touchdown. Despite this, the Dolphins hung on and won the Super Bowl 14-7 and completed the first, and to date only, undefeated season in NFL history.

Voted by NFL Films as the Greatest Play in NFL History, this moment came from a divisional play off game between the Oakland Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers. Facing a 4th and 10 on their own 40 yard line and trailing the Raiders by a score of 7-6 with time running out, the Steelers lined up for a final attempt. Quarterback Terry Bradshaw was pressured by the defense, and threw to his running back. The pass was deflected and then caught, inches from the ground, by a rookie fullback, Franco Harris, who ran the ball all the way down the field for a touchdown to take the lead with five seconds remaining. The play was given the nickname Immaculate Reception by a Pittsburgh fan who called into a radio broadcaster the night of the game, playing off the Christian term “Immaculate Reception”. The play is usually cited by football historians as the greatest catch of all time.

After two blowout Super Bowls, no one considered the possibility that the AFL would be competitive with the NFL. Most commentators and even coaches thought it would be a few years at least until the leagues would be able to merge successfully. The AFL Champion New York Jets were considered a huge underdog against one of the greatest NFL teams of all time, the Baltimore Colts. In front of the press, Joe Namath was heckled by a fan, to which he responded, “We’re gonna win the game. I guarantee it.” Before the game it was a laughable statement, but after winning the MVP award in route to a 16-7 victory, Joe Namath was the only one laughing. This Super Bowl paved the way to a merger of the two leagues and legitimized the AFL, as well as leaving Joe Namath as one of the most entertaining characters on and off the football field.

Has any team in the NFL ever seemed as dominant as the 2007 Giants? They had five receivers that would be starters on any other team. Their point differential was +315 as they took their division by 9 games. Heading into the Super Bowl no one seriously gave the New York Giants a chance. They had been beaten by the Patriots a month ago and Bill Belichek and Tom Brady seemed ready to dominate and seal their places in history with a third title in four years, and only the second undefeated NFL season in history. With 2:39 left on the clock, the Giants were down by 4, and then “The Drive” began. Eli Manning led his team 83 yards on 12 plays climaxing with a spectacular move away from a sack and a breath-taking pass caught with fingertips by David Tyree and somehow secured against his helmet. Plaxico Burress caught a touchdown on a fade route moments later and sealed one of the greatest Super Bowls of all time.

In honor of Mark Bruehle’s perfect game for the White Sox in July, and Eric Bruntlett’s unassisted triple play in August, we present the Top Ten Impressive Single Game Baseball Feats. In roughly 750,000 major league baseball games some odd things have happened. Players have hit more than one grand slam in the same inning, pitchers have been taken out without recording an out, giving them an ERA of infinity, and others have been credited with a win without throwing a pitch, fielders have committed three errors in the same play and men have literally run through walls in order to track down fly balls. These are the ten feats occurring through pitching, hitting, defense, and base running that will make you stop and think about what you just saw. If you witness any of these automatic highlight reel moments, take a moment to consider the historical importance of what you just saw. After all, baseball is nothing without its tradition.

Stealing home plate is one of the most exciting plays in baseball. It occurs when a particularly daring base runner on third decides not to wait for the hitter, and instead attempts to score on the steal. It is extremely difficult to pull off successfully and since you are already on third base, most opt to get batted in. The risk is huge and thus attempts are very rare. Jayson Werth of the Phillies stole home in May of 2009 and is the most recent person to do it. Jackie Robinson is most famous for the play, which he used in the 1955 World Series. Ty Cobb holds the career record for steals of home with 54. This statistic is staggering, considering most players today would be hard-pressed to even try it once.

In case a player doesn’t have the power to hit a ball over the wall, he could instead hit a homerun by tagging all the bases in one play and showcasing their impressive speed. As the game has evolved, inside-the-park homeruns have become less common, averaging about 1 for every 158 home runs over the last 50 years. Tom McCreery holds the record of three in one game, done in 1897. There have been nine inside-the-park home runs in World Series history, and Roberto Clemente is the only person in history to hit a walk-off inside-the-park grand slam. Ichiro Suzuki is the only player to hit one in the All-Star Game.

Most players would be pleased going 3 for 6 in a game, but some men have gone above and beyond. 96 times, players have accomplished the feat. Only two men, Rennie Stennett and Wilbert Robinson have managed 7 hits in a single game. Freddy Sanchez is the most recent inductee in the 6 hit club, going 6 for 6 in May 2009. Cal McVey managed, in 1876, to do it twice in a period of four days.

No, not a Denny’s breakfast, but the seemingly cliché situation of being down by three runs, with the bases loaded, bottom of the ninth or an extra inning, when the batter steps to the plate, sees the pitch, and knocks the ball over the wall to clear the bases and win the game by one run. Many kids have done this in their mind while running through imaginary situations in their backyards, but only 22 men have done it in the big leagues. 13 of these came with two outs, and only one, Chris Hoiles of the Orioles, hit his with a full count.

The Golden Sombrero is a game in which a single player strikes out four times. It is a dubious honor, used mostly in jest. Hopefully for all, the player wearing it has a sense of humor. The term derived from hockey’s “hat-trick” meaning 3 goals in a game, so adding another one, makes it a bigger hat. Mike Schmidt, arguably the greatest third baseman of all-time, claims to have had the lamest performance in the history of Major League Baseball. Not only did he strike out four times, but he did so on twelve pitches.

A no-hitter is a game thrown by a pitcher (or combination of pitchers) where the opposing team does not get any hits. There have been only 263 “no-no’s” thrown in baseball history. A perfect game, is also a no-hitter, the difference being that in a no-hitter the team can reach base via a walk, hit-by-pitch, or error. Because of this, a player can throw a no-hitter and still lose a game, although it is rare, occurring only once. Every major league team has had a no-hitter game thrown against them, but four have not have any pitched four by them, the Rays, Rockies, Padres, and most famously the Mets. Nolan Ryan holds the record of throwing seven no-hitters in his career, although interestingly, none of them were perfect games.

A triple play is a unique, game-changing play. It is only topped by the unassisted triple play. They have only occurred a total of fifteen times in history. It is not as impressive as some of the other feats on the list, because while athleticism is a factor, a lot of luck is also needed. The conditions must be perfect. For starters, there must be no outs in the inning, and two men must be on base, the runners must be employing a hit-and-run strategy, that is leaving the bases immediately after the batter makes contact, instead of waiting for the ball to fall in for a hit. The ball must be hit hard at an infielder, typically the second baseman or shortstop. The infielder catches the line drive for the first out, then steps on the base for the second out, and finally tags the advancing runner for the third out. Eric Bruntlett, a backup 2nd baseman for the Phillies turned an unassisted triple play in August 2009, in the ninth inning, after already committing an error in the same inning.

Hitting for the cycle is when a single player hits a single, double, triple, and home run in a single game. The natural cycle is defined as all these done in that specific order. It takes such a rare combination of power and speed that only fourteen men have done it. The most recent natural cycle was hit by Gary Matthews Jr. in 2006. Tony Lazzeri is the only player to cap his off with a grand slam in 1932.

As they say, chicks dig the long ball. Well they must really dig four in one game. It’s the power hitter’s dream day, 4 homeruns in one game. Sixteen men have accomplished this. Most recently, Carlos Delgado did it in 2003. Shawn Green and Mike Cameron had their games only 21 days apart, in May of 2002. Amazingly, Lou Gehrig’s 4 homerun day was the same day as Tony Lazzeri hit for the natural cycle in 1932.

27 batters faced, 27 batters retired, the pinnacle of any pitchers career. In the history of major league baseball, only eighteen men have thrown a perfect game. For reference, more men have orbited the moon then have thrown a perfect game in the major leagues. Mark Buehrle of the White Sox became the eighteenth in July 2009. Nine different men have taken it to the edge, retiring 26 in a row, but not been able to get the final out. No pitcher has ever thrown more than one perfecto, and Don Larson is the only pitcher to ever hurl one in the post-season, during the 1956 World Series. The Yankees own three of the perfect games, including two only 14 months apart. When Babe Ruth was originally a pitcher, he was kicked out of the game by an umpire after walking the first batter and then arguing the call. The pitcher who came in to replace him, Ernie Shore, caught the base runner stealing, and then proceeded to retire the next 26 batters, but this does not count as a perfect game.

Following on from the rather controversial list Top 20 Football Players Of All Time, we are now presenting the top 10 best footballers who never played in a world cup. Hopefully this will fill some gaps from the previous list and satisfy everyone. Please note that in the context of this list, football refers to soccer.

His CV and his total transfer fees combined make it incredible that Anelka has yet to play at a World Cup. He made his debut prior to the 1998 World Cup but was not selected for the squad who went on to win the tournament. He fell out of favour with the French management between 2001 and 2007 therefore missing out on two more world cups. He signed for Arsenal (£500,000) in 1997 as a teenager and from there went on to play for Real Madrid (£22.3m), Paris St. Germain (£20m), Manchester City (£13m), Bolton Wanderers (£8m) and Chelsea (£15m), as well as a loan spell at Liverpool. His combined transfer fees make him one of the most expensive footballers of all time. However, he remains in contention to play at the 2010 World Cup should France qualify.

A combination of remaining loyal to his beloved Southampton and playing in a generation of great English strikers probably cost Le Tissier his chance to feature at a World Cup. England failed to qualify in 1994 but Le Tissier’s best chance was probably in 1998. His Southampton side were perennial strugglers in the Premier League, and the likes of Alan Shearer, Teddy Sheringham and Andrew Cole made sure Le Tissier was overlooked.

Giles played in the heart of midfield for a Leeds United side in the 1970’s, who were the Manchester United of their day. Despite playing 60 times for his country Giles failed to grace a World Cup as either a player or a manager.

The second Welshman on the list, Rush made his name with Liverpool in the 80’s and 90’s but his quality alo saw him play abroad for the likes of Juventus. He had an impressive international record coring 28 goals in 73 games for Wales, and his proudest moment came when he scored the winner in a European Qualifier against Germany in 1991. Wales narrowly missed out on qualification for the 1992 European Championships, as they did for the 1982, 1986, 1990 and 1994 World Cups.

Weah was voted African Player of the Year in 1989, 1994 and 1995 and European and World Footballer of the Year in 1995. Weah enjoed his best years in France with Monaco and Paris St. Germain, and in Italy with AC Milan between 1988 and 2000. Unfortunately, like Best and Giggs he came from Liberia, another footballing minnow who as yet have failed to make a World Cup.

Another Manchester United legend, Cantona made his France debut in 1987. However, he fell out with the French coach and failed to make the squad for the 1990 World Cup in Italy. In 1994 France sensationally failed to qualify and Cantona then retired in 1997, aged 31 to pursue a career as an actor. France won the World Cup in 1998 on home soil, but it is debateable as to whether or not Cantona would have featured.

Edwards was considered one of the greatest of his generation. One of the Busby Babes Edwards was tragically killed in the Munich air disaster of 1958. He failed to play at a World Cup for England, but probably would have played for them in 1966, when they won the tournament for the one and only time in their history.

Giggs makes no.3 on the list due to the length and consistency of his career. Giggs made his debut in 1991, and to this day remains with the same club Manchester United. During his time he has won 11 English Premierships and 2 European Cups. Giggs comes from Wales who have only ever qualified for 1 World Cup in 1958.

Di Stefano legend for Real Madrid at club level, Di Stefano mysteriously played for Argentina, Colombia and Spain at international level. Di Stefano was unfortunate to miss the World Cup with Argentina in 1950. In 1954 he was denied permission to play for Spain at the World Cup having represented both Argentina and Colombia. He was later granted permission to play for Spain but they missed the 1958 World Cup and in 1962 injury once again prevented him from playing on the worlds bigest stage. His failure to appear at a World Cup probably prevented him from being compared with Pele, Cruyff and Maradona as one of the greatest.

Best was bot only the best player to never make a World Cup, but for many the greatest player of all time. Unfortunately for Best he was a native of Northern Ireland who are relative minnows of international football and haven’t qualified for a World Cup since 1986. Best enjoyed his best years at Manchester United, the highlight being a European Cup winners medal in 1968. However, Best was as well known for his scoring off the pitch as he was on it. After a series of personal problems he left Manchester United in 1974 for good, aged just 27. Despite playing for a number of other clubs Best never recaptured his finest form and failed to play for Northern Ireland at the 1982 or 1986 World Cup. Best died in 2005 following a long battle with alcoholism.

It would be easy to compile a list of great home run hitters or other power statistics for this list. The long ball certainly brings people to the games. But that would ignore other aspects of offensive baseball like hitting for average, speed and base running for doubles and triples as well as stealing bases. Great hitters excel at most of these items and below you’ll find the best of the best. A case could be made that statistics and more to the point, historical statistics matter more in Major League Baseball than in any other sport.

The statistics for this list were gathered from easily accessible sites on the web and a simple comparison was made to determine who should be here. A word on statistics for the uninitiated: Batting average indicates the player’s ability to get a hit of any kind when he’s at bat. RBI’s or ‘runs batted in’ points to a hitter’s ability to get hits to drive players on base to score runs. Slugging percentage is a matter of a player who not only hits, but can hit doubles, triples or home runs. Other statistics will be discussed with each player profile. On a more controversial note, I have not included any players from the steroid era. Or more precisely, players who have been suspected of taking performance enhancing drugs. So you will not see familiar names like Bonds, McGuire, Sosa or Manny. Another controversial aspect of creating this list is trying to compare batters from different eras.

Many factors that should be noted are what ball park they called home, the pitchers they faced, certain rules that were advantageous to hitters or pitchers, dead ball versus live ball era and on and on. I’m sure we’ll hear about that in the comment section as well as “I cannot believe you left off Player X.” Well anybody can look the stats up, and if I’ve missed some, it isn’t because of a lack of research.

Anyone who knows anything at all about baseball knows about Babe Ruth. The Babe revolutionized the game by crushing the ball over the fence in numbers never before dreamed of. In my opinion, his home run record setting season in 1927 where he hit 60 home runs is clearly overshadowed by another record setting season in 1921. He hit 59 home runs, scored 177 runs, tallied 171 RBI’s, had a .378 batting average, 44 doubles, 16 triples and even stole 17 bases. Combine all of that and a gaudy .8463 slugging percentage and 457 total bases touched by the Bambino and you quite simply have the greatest offensive season of all time. Consider that before 1920, the record for home runs in a single season was 27. Ruth hit 54 in 1920 and 59 in 21. Quite the opposite of the steroid laced power hitter of recent times, Babe was eating hot dogs and drinking beer in the dugout after God knows what he did the night before.

Another iconic figure of the New York Yankees famous ‘murderers row,’ was first basemen Lou Gehrig. Gehrig was the model of consistency and durability as he played in 2,130 consecutive games. A record that was recently broken by Cal Ripken in 1995. A close look at his statistics reveals some astonishing numbers because 1927 was probably his best season, but he had plenty of seasons that could have been mentioned. For example, his 184 rbi’s in 1931 still stands as all time best in the American League. His other 1927 statistics are fantastic as well. Starting with a .373 batting average, Gehrig had 218 hits including 52 doubles, 18 triples, 47 homers, 175 rbi’s, scored 149 runs with a 765 slugging percentage and touched 447 total bases.

Jimmy Foxx was one of the most feared hitter of his time. He consistently was among league leaders in slugging and runs batted in. In 1932 he blasted 58 home runs, scored 151 runs and 169 runs batted in. He also finished the season with a .749 slugging percentage and totaled 438 bases. As great as this season was, he followed it up in 1933 by winning the triple crown for batters with a .356 average, 163 rbi’s and 48 home runs. For his efforts, Foxx won back to back MVP honors in 1932 and 1933.

Wilson’s 1930 campaign was one of the best ever in the National League. Wilson set an all time record with 191 runs batted in. A record most consider untouchable. He also hit 56 home runs which was the first time in the National League anyone had ever hit over 50. That record stood until Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa surpassed it in 1998, with the advantage of using steroids of course. His statistics for the 1930 season include a .356 batting average, 146 runs scored, a .722 slugging percentage and 423 total bases on top of the aforementioned home runs and rbi’s.

The Georgia Peach has been regarded by many experts as the greatest hitter of the dead ball era. Many of his records are still tops as of today, including career batting average (.367) career batting titles (11) career runs (2,245) and many others. He was a feared base runner and in 1911 he stole 83 bases which was practically unheard of for that day and age. He lead every major offensive category in 1911 except home runs. He finished the year with a .420 batting average, 248 hits, 147 runs, 127 rbi’s, 83 stolen bases, 47 doubles, 24 triples, a .621 slugging average and 367 total bases. There’s no doubt about Cobb’s ability and sheer will to succeed on the field, however most of his accomplishments have been overshadowed by his surly and racist behavior. His most famous scrape was when he attacked a heckler with one hand missing and several fingers missing on his second hand in the stands. When other fans pleaded him to stop because the man had no hands, Cobb reportedly said, “I don’t care if he has no feet.”

Hornsby became the only man in major league baseball history to hit over 40 home runs and have a batting average over .400 in 1922. Hornsby took full advantage of the new live ball era of baseball in which new rules as well as new balls were introduced that benefited hitters greatly. During that year Hornsby set records for rbi’s – 152, slugging percentage at .722, doubles – 46, hits 250 and runs scored. He also ended the year with an astonishing 450. At the end of his career only Ty Cobb’s batting average of .367 was higher than Hornsby’s career at .358. And according to Wikipedia, Bruce Hornsby is a distant relative of the great ball player.

1930 was certainly a great year for hitters, as we’ve seen from Hack Wilson. Chuck Klein was in his second full season for the Phillies and hit a respectable 40 home runs but also had 59 doubles and sported a .386 batting average. Some of the other numbers are quite ridiculous as well as he scored 158 runs and tallied 250 hits along with a .687 slugging percentage. When the year was done he had touched a total of 445 bases. Probably the most ridiculous fact about all of these fantastic numbers was that he didn’t garner any votes for Most Valuable Player. Klein holds the record for home runs in his first two full season as a major league player at 83.

Musial was simply on fire during the 1948 season. When the dust settled he led every offensive statistic they could come up with except home runs which he was one short of. His batting average of .376 was 43 points ahead of the person in second place. He led the league in hits – 230, doubles – 50, triples – 18, rbi’s – 131, batting average – .376, on base percentage – .450, slugging – .702 and total bases – 429. All leading up to an obvious MVP award, his third. Musial never led the league in home runs, but finished 6th all time at the time of his retirement. Another strange quirk to his fabulous numbers was that he had an equal amount of hits in his home ball park and at away parks – 1,815 hits each. Stan the Man began his career in 1941 with two hits at the plate and finished his career 22 years later with two hits, to which a sportswriter said he hadn’t improved at all.

Joltin’ Joe DiMaggio helped lead the Yankees to 9 World Series Titles in 13 years. In 1937, his sophomore season for the Yankees, DiMaggio blistered the American League blasting 167 rbi’s, scoring 151 runs, 46 home runs with a .346 batting average and touching 418 bases. He led the league in runs scored, homers, slugging percentage and total bases and finished the year in second place for the MVP. And of course the Yankees tallied another World Series Championship. DiMaggio is also well known for marrying Marilyn Monroe and being mentioned in the Simon and Garfunkle song, ‘Mrs. Robinson.’

For a fine example of a modern day hitter, one needs to look no further than Albert Pujols. In 2003, Pujols had one of the best offensive seasons in Cardinal history. He batted .359, with 43 homers, 124 rbi’s, had 212 hits including 51 doubles and a .667 slugging percentage and scored 137 runs. Too bad he finished second in MVP voting to Barry Bonds. Pujols is again on fire in 2009, as his halfway season marks are quite astonishing. As of this date, he already has 32 home runs, 87 rbi’s, scored 73 times, touched 222 bases and a .773 slugging percentage – and the season is only half over. If he continues on this pace it will absolutely rank much better than his already amazing season in 2003.

Other notable seasons not included in the list: Hank Greenburg – 1937 (.668 slugging), Hank Aaron – 1959 (46 doubles, 400 total bases, .636 slugging), Al Simmons – 1925 (43 doubles, .387 average, 392 total bases), George Brett – 1980 (.390 average, 158 runs), Nap Lajoie – 1901 (.426 average, 350 total bases), Mickey Mantle – 1956 (52 home runs, .353 average, .705 slugging, 376 total bases) Willie Mays, 1954, 1955 (1954 – .667 slugging, 377 total bases, 1955 – 51 home runs, .659 slugging, 382 total bases), Frank Robinson – 1962 – (51 doubles, .342 average, .624 slugging, 380 total bases), George Sisler – 1920 ( 257 hits, 49 doubles, 18 triples, .407 average, .632 slugging, 399 total bases), Ichiro Suzuki – 2004 (MLB record 262 hits), Ted Williams – 1941 (Last man to hit over .400 batting average, .735 slugging, 335 total bases), Ricky Henderson – 1982 (130 stolen bases)

We have already done a list of well-timed (and mostly amusing) sports photos, so because it is a Saturday and the 4th of July, we thought it would be nice to have another fun list. This time we are not as concerned about the timing (though it is significant in many cases) but rather about the amusement level of the photos. So – happy 4th of July and enjoy the pics!

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You may not remember it, but there was a time when sport had a purpose greater than entertainment and advertising. Early fencing, wrestling, archery, and pentathlon competitions trained troops in the practical arts of war. Later, sport refocused to improve physical fitness and impress women. But the following list shows places where modern sport has devolved into novel death wishes.

Climb a big hill on an open-for-business highway, lie supine on an elongated skateboard and roll down. Gather speed and try not to die. That’s going to be difficult because you have no brakes, you’re an inch from a road surface itching to see what bone marrow looks like, and you present a visual profile to passing vehicles that’s only slightly larger than a puddle. Which is what you’ll be if you have anything close to a lapse in concentration or luck.

There’s a reason some things are so inaccessible—it’s God’s way of saying, “Don’t be stupid”. Still, people pay top dollar to be helicoptered (at $500 a pop) to untouched snowcaps, where they leap onto virgin slopes and ski far from crowds but very close to avalanches. Even the helicopter ride can be dangerous, and many have died en route to untouched powder (Frank Wells, former president of The Walt Disney Co. died in a helicopter crash during a heli-skiing trip in 1994).

Let’s not get crazy here: nobody’s saying surfing isn’t fun and or that it isn’t a great excuse to get chicks in bikinis. But any sport with rules for when a shark enters the field of play is not for those with functioning frontal lobes. Big Wave Surfing cranks the dial to 11 by towing surfers into monster 50 ft waves strong enough to crush villages. So if the brute force of the wave doesn’t kill you or bury you so far underwater that you drown, you could still bash your head on submerged rocks or fail to avoid your own board (fickle thing!) hurtling past you like a Randy Johnson fastball. And where would that leave you at Frankie and Annette’s luau?

Rodeo started as the gymnastics of ranching: a series of highly specific competitions taken from key aspects of cattle ranching in the Old West. But there never was and never will be any damn reason to ride a bull: its only practical application is to make you appreciate your own job—even if you’re unemployed. Straddling 1800 pounds of leaping pissed-off beef (an effect achieved by constricting bovine genitals with rope, or TASERING) routinely results in the rider being thrown 10 feet into the air, with a landing cushioned by a mere inch of dirt and feces. And if you don’t break your jaw, ribs, or collarbone on re-entry, you still have that bull to worry about (he’s still bitter).

The Running of the Bulls (“encierro”) is a “sport” that involves running in front of bulls that have been let loose on a course of a town’s streets. There are actually several encierros, but the most famous is in Pamplona, Spain, and it was mentioned in Hemingway’s “The Sun Also Rises” and “Death in the Afternoon”. The purpose is to entice or herd the bulls from off-site corrals to the bullring. Any fool over eighteen with more bravado than brains (which would have included me at eighteen) can participate. Every year between 200 and 300 people are injured, mostly with contusions due to falls. Since 1910, 14 people have been killed in Pamplona’s Running of The Bulls.

Forget the wimps wearing pads and helmets- the real danger is on the sidelines, where estrogen and adrenaline combine in one of the newest recognized sports. It has been estimated that there are over 20,000 reported cheerleading injuries a year, making cheerleading the most injury-prone sport in the world for women. Many common injuries include broken legs and spinal injuries. Think about it—it’s like diving on land, with easily distracted co-eds serving as the water. I’m all for cute girls in skimpy outfits (especially those USC sweaters), but this sport has a lot of catching up to do, safety-wise.

Motorcycling is the most dangerous motorsport in the world. Just one example is The Isle of Man TT event, which has a rich 100-year history. But during that time, there have been over 220 deaths. The drivers in the race are required to maintain their balance while driving through all types of obstacles such as rocks and trees, and even bugs on their windscreens. This is all done while traveling at an extremely high rate of speed. And don’t get me started about all that X-Games crap. Remember, Travis Pastrana, it’s all fun and games until someone gets …

Let’s see: a sport that keeps fatality stats and has NO chance of women in bikinis. Nope, I’ll just buy the $945 North Face jacket and read “Into Thin Air”, thank you. Today, about one death occurs for every six successful summits on Everest, and each victim had to pass corpses on the way up. Real mountaineers face every threat you can imagine, up to and including drowning. Gravity must queue up for its chance to kill you, as hypoxia, hypothermia, frostbite and pneumonia all have prior reservations. Even a regular injury can be fatal, as rescue helicopters simply can’t get to you and your buddies may be too gassed to help. But if you do summit (you’ll probably have to wait in line), keep those glasses on or you’ll burn up your corneas from excess UV radiation. Kinda defeats the purpose, huh? To date, 179 out of 1,300 different Everest climbers have died, but mortality rates have started to decline since 1990.

You know, we used to call this behavior “attempted suicide”. BASE jumpers willingly hurl themselves from Buildings, Antenna, Spans, or Earth with nothing but a hand-deployed parachute to prevent “deceleration trauma.” In this game, there’s no need to keep score: the winner is the one who DOESN’T DIE. Lucky losers get slammed back into the object they just jumped off of or break everything they have made of, say, bone. Between 5 and 15 people die each year, according to Harry Parker of The International PRO BASE Circuit. This is sport is illegal almost everywhere, and with good reason. R.I.P. Slim.

The idea for this sport came as somebody was disposing of a body. Take all the regular hazards of diving (itself a dangerous activity), and add exploring uncharted territory, freezing temperatures, low-visibility conditions, and cramped quarters. And don’t forget that ticking clock on your air supply—you can’t just go “up” to breathe (risking “the bends”). On top of that, it’s still a wilderness experience, and some of the caves actually have wild animals living in them. According to a recovery team based in San Marcos, there have been more than 500 deaths from this sport since the 1960s. The risks are so high that experience affords little protection– many of these victims have been diving instructors and technical divers. As a result, the National Speleological Society defines a “successful” cave dive as “one you return from.” Perhaps they should follow that logic and define an “intelligent” cave dive as “one you don’t take”.

This is a list of the top ten best road bicycle racers of all time. My criteria are that the bicycle racers have performed well in both the three big stage races – Tour de France, Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a España – but also in the minor stage races such as Tour de Suisse, Paris-Nice and Dauphiné Libéré and the Classics like Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. I have not looked at doping verdicts or accusations as trying to separate the “clean” from the “guilty” would lead to absolute chaos.

Jan Ullrich is a German former bicycle racer born in 1973. He won the Tour de France in 1997, the white jersey in 1996, 1997 and 1998, and he has 5 second places in the Tour, this earned him the nickname: The Eternal Second. Ullrich has also won Vuelta a España in 1999 and the Tour de Suisse in 2004 and 2006. Other notable wins are the World Time Trial Champion in 1999 and 2001 and the Olympic Road Race in 2000. Ullrich is a powerful bicycle racer with a soft, athletic style, but he often got out of shape during the off-season and had problems losing the extra weight before racing the big races.

The American Lance Armstrong holds the record of most victories in Tour de France with his 7 consecutive wins. Armstrong also won the 2001 Tour de Suisse and the World Cycling Championship in 1993. This earns him a place on this list, but because Armstrong never impressed in the Giro D’Italia, the Vuelta a España or the Classics, I can’t place him any higher on the list.

Miguel Indurain was born in Spain in 1964. He has won the Tour de France 5 times in a row and the Giro D’Italia 2 times in a row. He has also won the Olympic Time-Trial Championship in 1996 and the World Time-Trial Championship in 1995, as well as two wins in both Dauphiné Libéré and Paris-Nice.
Indurain was relatively big compared to other professional riders – 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) and 80 kg (176 lbs) – this earned him the nickname “Miguelón”, meaning “Big Mig”. At the top of his career, Miguel Indurain had a physique that was not only superior when compared to average people, but also when compared to his fellow athletes. His blood circulation had the ability to circulate 7 liters of blood around his body per minute, compared to the average amount of 3-4 liters of an ordinary person and the 5-6 liters of his fellow riders.

Fausto Coppi was born in Italy in 1919. He won the Tour de France twice, in 1949 and 1952, and the Giro D’Italia five times in 1940, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953. He also won the World Championship in 1953, the Giro di Lombardia in 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1954, the Milan-Sanremo in 1946, 1948 and 1949, and the Paris-Roubaix and the La Flèche Wallonne in 1950

Felice Gimondi was born in Italy in 1942. In 1968 Gimondi was nicknamed “The Phoenix” after winning the Vuelta a España, this victory made him the second rider after Jacques Anquetil to win all three big stage races, he is one of only five riders to ever win all three. Gimondi won the Tour de France in 1965, the Giro D’Italia in 1967, 1969 and 1973 and the Vuelta a España in 1968. Gimondi also won Paris-Roubaix in 1966 and the World Road Cycling Championship in 1973.

Gino Bartali was born in Italy on 1914. He has won the Tour de France twice, in 1938 and 1948, both times also winning the mountain competition, and the Giro D’Italia three times in 1936, 1937 and 1946, also here he won the mountain competition all three times. Bartali also won the Tour de Suisse in 1946 and 1947. Bartali was a good climber and a pioneer of derailleur gears. His style was unusual: he rarely danced on the pedals and often stayed in the saddle throughout a 15km climb. When others attacked, he stayed in the saddle but changed up gear, to a sprocket three teeth smaller.
He rode smoothly on mountains but every now and then freewheeled, always with his right foot lowered with his weight on it. Then a second or two later he would start pedaling again.

Séan Kelly was born in Ireland in 1956, and became one the most successful rider of the 1980s and the best Classics rider of all times. His wins include the Vuelta a España in 1988, 4 point class wins in both the Tour de France and the Giro D’Italia, 7 consecutive win in Paris-Nice form 1982 – 1988, 2 wins in Tour de Suisse, Paris-Roubaix and Liège-Bastogne-Liége.

Jacques Anquetil was born in France in 1934. He has won the Tour de France five time, in 1957 and 1961-1964, the Giro D’Italia twice in 1960 and 1964, the Vuelta a España in 1936 and the Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 1966. Anquetil also holds several records:

- He was the first to the Tour de France five times
- He was the first to win all three big stage races
- He was the first French rider to win the Giro D’Italia
- He was the first French rider to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France form the first day to the last.

Bernard Hinault was born in France in 1954, and is one of only five riders to have won all three big stage races, and the only to have won each more than once. Hinault is the only rider ever to have finished either first or second in each Tour de France he finished. He won the Tour de France in 1978, 1979, 1981, 1982 and 1985, the Giro D’Italia in 1980, 1982 and 1985 and the Vuelta a España in 1978 and 1983. Among Hinault many other victories are Paris-Roubaix in 1981, Liège-Bastogne-Liège in 1977 and 1980 and the World Road Cycling Championship in 1980.

Eddy Merchx was born in Belgium in 1945 and became the best road bicycle racer the world has ever seen. He won the Tour de France 5 times in 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972 and 1974, the Giro D’Italia 5 times in 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973 and 1974 and the Vuelta a España once in 1973. Merckx also won the Tour de Suisse once, Paris-Nice 3 times, Dauphné-Libéré once, Paris-Roubaix 3 times, Liège-Bastogne-Liége 5 times and the World Road Race Championship 3 times. Eddy Merckx is also one of only five riders to win all three big stage races during their career, the four others are: Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Bernard Hinault and Alberto Contador.

Surprisingly this is only our second list of curses – which, considering the vast number of them around, is quite amazing. In this list, rather than looking at generic curses from the ages, we are looking at 10 specifically sport related curses. We are starting with the well known Curse of the Bambino and moving on to some you may not be so familiar with.

In perhaps the most famous of sports curses, the Red Sox decision to sell Babe Ruth to the Yankees in 1920 brought down an 83-year championship drought. Before the trade, the Red Sox had won five World Series, the Yankees none. From the trade to 2003, the Yankees won 26 series, the Sox zero. The curse’s reputation was enhanced by the Red Sox repeatedly coming close and falling short. The team made four World Series appearances (1946,1967,1975,1986) and each went the full seven games. In 1986, the Red Sox were one out away from winning the Series in six games when the tying run scored on a wild pitch, followed by Mookie Wilson’s ground ball rolling through Bill Buckner’s legs to put the Mets ahead. In game seven, the Sox took an early 3-0 lead only to blow it and lose 8-5. The curse finally ended in 2004. First, the Red Sox beat the Yankees in the American League Championship Series despite losing the first three games. They then swept the Cardinals in the World Series. The Sox added another Series win in 2007 with a sweep of the Colorado Rockies.

Philadelphia had long had a policy of not allowing buildings higher than the statue of city founder William Penn that stands on top of City Hall. This ended in 1987 with the completion of One Liberty Place, which is nearly 400 feet taller than City Hall. Penn apparently responded to his demotion by cursing Philly’s pro sports teams. Over the next 20 years, the Flyers lost the Stanley Cup twice (1987,1997), the Phillies lost the World Series (1993), the 76ers lost the NBA Finals (2001) and the Eagles lost the Super Bowl (2004). In 2007, when the Comcast Center became Philadelphia’s tallest building, workers tried to break the curse by attaching a figurine of Penn to the final beam. It worked, as the Phillies won the World Series the next year.

When the Hanshin Tigers won the 1985 Japan Championship Series, celebrating fans in Osaka grabbed a statue of Colonel Sanders from a Kentucky Fried Chicken and threw it off a bridge into a canal. Over the next 17 years, the Tigers finished last in their league 10 times, inspiring a rumor that the team would never win another championship until the Colonel’s statue is recovered. The Tigers won League Championships in 2003 and 2005 only to lose the Japan Series. Before too much blame is given to the Colonel, it should be noted that the Tigers had earlier gone 21 years between League Championships (1964-85) without any known curse affecting them. The statue was recently discovered on March 10, 2009, by a construction crew building a new boardwalk.

When the Giants left the Polo Grounds at Coogan’s Bluff in New York City for San Francisco in 1957, betrayed fans reportedly hexed the team so it would never win a World Series away from New York. The Giants have not won the Series since 1954, despite National League pennants in 1962, 1989 and 2002. Furthermore, in two of those Series, games in San Francisco were delayed by nature’s wrath. Game 6 of the ‘62 Series was held up three days by extremely heavy rains and Game 3 of the ‘89 Series was postponed 10 days by a massive earthquake that damaged the Giants’ home field, Candlestick Park.

During Game 2 of the 1992 Stanley Cup, the Los Angeles Kings held a 2-1 lead over the Montreal Canadiens. As the game was winding down, Candiens coach Jacques Demers became suspicious of the curvature of the stick of Kings defenseman Marty McSorley and asked that it be measured. Referees determined the blade was “too curved” and sent McSorely to the penalty box for two minutes for using illegal equipment. Montreal capitalized on the one-man advantage with Eric Desjarins scoring to tie the game. During overtime, Desjarins scored again to win the game for the Candiens and tie the series at one game each. Montreal won the next three games and the Stanley Cup. Since then, no other Canadian team has won the championship. Four teams got to the Stanley Cup Finals only to lose to an American rival: the Vancouver Canucks were defeated by the New York Rangers (1994), the Calgary Flames lost to the Tampa Bay Lightning (2004), the Edmonton Oilers fell to the Carolina Hurricanes (2006) and the Ottawa Senators lost to the Anaheim Mighty Ducks (2007). Granted, none of this explains why all of Canada would be punished instead of just Montreal or why the team that didn’t cheat is the victim of the curse, but no one said curses had to be either logical or fair. One Canadian team managed to find a loophole in the curse: the Quebec Nordiques moved to Denver in 1995, became the Colorado Avalanche and won Stanley Cups in 1996 and 2001.

Since 1999, the cover of the Madden NFL video game has featured a top player, many of whom have suffered injury or setback. For example, Michael Vick appeared on the cover of Madden NFL 2004 and suffered a leg injury that sidelined him for most of the 2003 season. When Donovan McNabb was chosen for the Madden 2006 cover, he declared “I don’t believe in the curse at all.” He suffered a hernia in the first game of the 2005 season, played despite the pain for eight more games, then was reinjured, opted for surgery and missed the last seven games. In 2006, Shaun Alexander, the previous season’s MVP, was featured on Madden NFL 2007 and sustained a foot injury that caused him to miss six starts. When EA Sports announced that LaDainian Tomlinson would be on the 2008 cover, superstitious fans created the website SaveLTfromMadden.com to urge him to reconsider. Tomlinson eventually declined the offer, but said it was over his payment, not concerns about the curse.

Quarterback Bobby Layne led the Detroit Lions to three NFL Championships (1952,1953,1957). Despite this, the Lions, thinking he was past his prime, traded him to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1958. As Layne left, he reportedly declared that Detroit would not win for 50 years. Over those 50 years, the Lions have had the worst winning percentage of any NFL team and had a single post-season victory (1991). On the 50th anniversary of the trade, the curse went out with a bang as the Lions became the first NFL team to go 0-16.

According the autobiography of player Johnny Warren, during the 1970 World Cup qualifiers, Australia’s Socceroos hired a witch doctor to curse their opponents. Australia proceeded to beat Rhodesia, 3-1. However, when the players were unable to come up with the 1000 pound fee demanded by the witch doctor, he reversed the curse onto the Socceroos, who lost their next match to Israel, partly because three players fell ill during the match. In 2004, Australian comedian/filmmaker John Safran read Warren’s book and traveled to Africa to reverse the curse. He found that the original witch doctor was dead, but hired a second one who performed a rite in which he killed a chicken and splattered the blood over Saffran. The Socceroos not only qualified for the 2006 World Cup, they advanced to the second round, the best result they ever had.

William Sianis, owner of the Billy Goat Bar, brought his pet goat to Wrigley Field to watch game four of the 1945 World Series. During the 7th inning, Chicago Cubs owner Philip Wrigley personally had Sianis and the goat ejected because of complaints from other fans about the smell. A furious Sianis reportedly declared, “Them Cubs, they aren’t gonna win no more.” The Cubs proceeded to drop the next three games to lose the Series to the Detroit Tigers, prompting Sianis to send Wrigley a telegram asking “Who smells now?” The Cubs have not made it to a World Series since. Several attempts have been made to break the curse, ranging from Sianis’ nephew Billy bringing a goat onto the field to fans hanging a butchered goat from the statue of Harry Caray in Chicago. According to Sam Sianis, William’s nephew-in-law, the curse can only be lifted by the Cubs organization showing a genuine fondness for goats: allowing them into Wrigley Field because they truly want to and not simply for publicity.

According to legend, the athletes appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated go on to experience bad luck. SI’s first cover subject, baseball player Eddie Mathews, was also the first victim of the jinx, suffering a hand injury one week later that forced him to miss seven games. Over the years, the jinx has produced losses (the 1987 baseball preview featured the Indians with the declaration ‘Believe it! Cleveland is the best team in the American League’ only for the team to lose 101 games and finish dead last), injuries (golfer Jim Venturi was named 1964’s Sportsman of the Year then spent the next season battling carpal tunnel syndrome) and even death (Pat O’Connor, pictured on the 1958 Indianapolis 500 preview issue, was killed in a fifteen car pile-up on the last lap). On the other hand, Michael Jordan appeared on the cover a record 49 times and made it through with life and limb intact. Sports Illustrated did their own analysis of the phenomenon for a 2002 issue and concluded that 37% of their cover subjects suffered a demonstrable misfortune or decline in performance following their appearance.

This is a list of the current top ten rugby teams as decided by the IRB (International Rugby Board) as of February 2nd, 2009. I have kept their list the same but I have added some facts and history on each team. I have also included some videos that I have found on YouTube showing the teams in play. [JFrater: when you see item one you will understand why this list had to be posted!]

Fiji’s national rugby team is a part of the Pacific Islands rugby Alliance along with Samoa and Tonga. Fiji was one of the sixteen teams to participate in the 1987 rugby world cup and made it to the quarter finals only to be beaten by France. Between 1987 and 2007, Fiji has only made it to the quarter finals twice, losing to England in the quarter finals in 1999 and losing to South Africa in the semi-finals in 2007. Fiji has an outstanding Rugby Sevens team and they play their fifteens very similar, with lots of exiting running rugby.

The Scottish Rugby Union was founded in 1873 and is one of the oldest teams in the world. They were a founding member of the IRB and participated in the first international match against England where Scotland won 4-1. Scotland participates and is a contender in the Six Nations tournament held every year in Europe. Scottish rugby players are also selected every four years to play for the Barbarians against other national teams. Scotland has taken part in all the Rugby World Cups which they have made the quarter or semi-finals every year except 2007.

The Irish Rugby Football Union was founded in 1874 and was another founding member or the IRB. Ireland competes annually in the Six Nations tournament which they have won eight times. They have participated in every world cup and have been eliminated in the quarter finals every year except 1999 and 2007. The Ireland national team forms a quarter of the British and Irish Lions along with England and Wales every four years. The Irish rugby team has been home to some of the world’s top class players including Brian O’Driscoll who is Irelands top try scorer and considered the best centre in world rugby.

Rugby was first introduced to France in 1872 by the British and since then has become a very competitive and popular sport. France is home to one of the top rugby leagues in the world and sees players coming from all over the world to play for one of their teams. France’s national team is considered the best on continental Europe and competes annually in the Six Nations tournament. The French have competed in every world cup and have made it to more finals than any other team without winning the William Webb Ellis Cup. One of France’s most famous games was against New Zealand in the 1999 world cup where they upset the favored All Blacks in the semi-final. France plays with a free flowing flair that is rivaled by only a few teams in the rugby world and one of the best things about them is that they are always able to produce an upset.

Though facing a few difficulties in the last year, The England National rugby team has always been considered one of the best sides in the world. They have produced many legends of the game such as Martin Johnson and Jonny Wilkinson who is the top point scorer in rugby world cup history. They are the only team from Europe to win the Rugby World Cup when they defeated Australia in 2003 and also came as runners up in 1991 and 2007. They participate annually in the Six Nations tournament and have been crowned champions 25 times. Their style of play can often be characterized by using their strong forwards and running with backs utilizing kicks and open field play, if that doesn’t work, they will kick for points every chance they get.

The Wales National Rugby team was started in 1881 and that same year they had their first test match against England. Wales has had many different golden ages of rugby through the 19th and 20th centuries. During these times they have produced who some consider the best rugby players to ever play the game including J.P.R Williams, Gerald Davies, and of course Gareth Edwards. Wales competes in the Six Nations tournament every year and has won it 24 times (only second to England) with the most recent in 2008. Wales has been active in all six rugby world cups but unfortunately their best result was in 1987 when they reached the semi-finals but lost to New Zealand. Wales currently is improving rapidly and their play has always been recognized with some of the best sidestepping in the game. Just watch the video and see.

The Argentina National rugby team, nicknamed Los Pumas, had its first international test against a touring British Isles team in 1910. Argentina is ranked as by far the best team in the Americas and although rugby isn’t close to as popular as soccer, it has grown a following due to Argentina’s success in the Rugby World Cups. The only problem is that being on the other side of the world of the other major rugby teams; Argentina does not always get the highly publicized matches it deserves. Argentina has participated in all the Rugby World Cups but was left disappointed until a much more experienced side made it to the 1999 quarter finals. In 2007 a very strong and experienced Pumas side made it to semi finals after producing a handful of upsets. They went on to win 3rd place in the tournament which has let many of their players receive overseas contracts to play professional rugby in Europe. Argentina has generally used an outstanding forward pack mixed in with a barrage of backline passing.

The Australian Rugby Union team is nicknamed the Wallabies and is considered one of the best teams in the history of the game. They compete annually in the Tri-Nations Tournament against New Zealand and South Africa. Australia was one of the founders of the Rugby World Cup and shared the first tournament with New Zealand in 1987. The New South Wales Rugby Union became the first team to tour overseas by playing New Zealand in 1883. Australia was later toured by a British Isles team for the first time in 1888. In the century that followed, rugby grew very fast in Australia with the national team touring across Europe on a yearly base. In 1984 the Wallabies became the first Australian team to achieve a grand slam by defeating all the large European teams in one tour. Australia has participated in all six world cups and has the best record of all the participating nations. The Wallabies are one of two teams to win the tournament twice by winning in 1991 and 1999, and they came in as runners up in 2003. In 1995 Australia along with New Zealand and South Africa formed the first professional rugby union known as the Super Ten Competition. The Wallabies have produced a large number of outstanding rugby players including Tim Horan, David Campese, John Eales, and the most capped player of all time, George Gregan. The Wallabies are always entertaining to watch because they take risks in games that other teams wouldn’t event attempt. They are usually acknowledged as having one of the best defenses in world rugby and have great ball retention which allows continuous phases.

The South Africa national team is nicknamed the Springboks and began playing international rugby when a British Isles team toured South Africa in 1891. In the early 20th century rugby grew so rapidly in South Africa that a cease fire was held in the Second Boer War so that the British and Boer forces could play each other. South Africa took their first tour of the British Isles and France in 1906. Although still being involved in international test matches, the Apartheid Laws saw the South Africa Rugby Union highly criticized by other teams which led to the Springboks being unable to participate in the first two Rugby World Cups although their vote won the debate on whether or not to have the tournament. This changed in 1995 when South Africa was included and hosted the third Rugby World cup and defeated the New Zealand All blacks 15 to 12 in the final. The Springboks would only go on to the semi-finals in 1999 and the quarter finals in 2003 until they defeated England in 2007 to become the second nation to win the world cup twice. The success of the 1995 tournament in South Africa influenced the rugby laws to be changed to allow professional rugby teams to emerge. South Africa plays annually in the Super Twelve tournament and the Tri-Nations against New Zealand and Australia. South Africa is one of many teams to utilize all aspects of the game to produce exiting matches incorporating running, kicking, passing, and forward drives.

The New Zealand National Rugby Team, nicknamed the All Blacks is the most famous and respected team in the world with winning records against all national sides. The first team from New Zealand to compete in a match was against New South Wales in 1883 and their first international test was against Australia in 1903. Rugby has since then become New Zealand’s national sport with the All Blacks conquering just about every team in their way. They have a record of 330 wins out of 443 matches which makes them the most successful team in rugby history; the IRB has also named them team of the year in 2005, 2006 and 2008. Out of the Southern nations, the All Blacks retain the top Tri-Nations record with nine series wins while the Springboks and the Wallabies only have two. The All Blacks have also been able to retain the Bledisloe Cup from Australia for many years at a time. In addition, the All Blacks have only lost one test series to the British and Irish Lions and have won more Grand Slam tours of Europe than any other Southern Hemisphere team. The All Blacks hosted the first Rugby World Cup along with Australia and David Kirk would be the first to lift the William Webb Ellis trophy as the All Blacks easily defeated all the opposition including France in the final with the score of 29 to 9. The All Blacks have brought about many rugby legends to the field including Sean Fitzpatrick, John Kirwan, Grant Fox, Ian Kirkpatrick, Christian Cullen, Andrew Mehrtens, Tana Umaga, Carlos Spencer, Richie McCaw and of course Jonah Lomu. With the great players and talent that New Zealand has, the only question asked is why they have only won the Rugby World Cup once because they have gone into every tournament as the favorites to win. The New Zealand All Blacks have also gained fame from doing the Haka or the Kapo-o-Panga before every match.

Contributor: guy

Skydiving is the single most exciting sport there is. Nothing even comes close to the exhilaration you feel when floating on a cushion of air, and flying your canopy safely to the ground. It’s also very misunderstood, and filled with many common fallacies and misconceptions that keep most people from trying this beautiful sport. It’s heavily regulated by national organizations and in comparison to past decades and studying statistics, it’s surprisingly safe! To participate in it regularly, you’re required to obtain sufficient training and a license. It can be a long, expensive process to get your license, but once you do, the feeling of accomplishment is like no other. I highly suggest you try it at least once in your life.

Skydiving Myth: Skydivers pull a rip cord

Actually, rip cords pretty much went out with the round chute back in the early 1980’s. Skydivers using modern day “rigs” (the entire contraption of harness, container and canopies), throw out a pilot chute which is tucked into a pocket on the bottom of the container, just above your butt. The pilot chute is a small parachute attached to a “bridle” which is attached to the main chute. As the pilot chute is deployed, it catches the wind and pulls the closing pin which releases the packed main chute, pulling it from the container, so it will inflate… we hope. You can find a more detailed description of this process here.

There are some dropzones who still use rip-cord gear when teaching their students. Once they’re properly trained however, they graduate to the common bottom of container design. A reserve deployment does use a rip cord to activate the chute, but this is an entirely different design and we hope we never have to pull that handle.

Skydiving Myth: You can talk or yell to each other during freefall

Despite what you’ve seen in movies like Point Break and Cutaway, you cannot hear another skydiver during freefall. Perhaps if you were to yell into his year, you may hear a little but you certainly can’t have any type of conversation. The wind traveling past your ears at well over 100mph pretty much makes you deaf to all sounds. Additionally, it would be very hard to fight during freefall as well.

Skydiving Myth: When you deploy your chute, you go back up.

This is a common fallacy. One thing a skydiver cannot do is go back up. What you’re seeing when a skydiver deploys and goes up is an optical illusion. You’re actually seeing the videographer shooting the skydiver continue falling away from the one deploying who is obviously slowing down. By the way, that’s me you see deploying!

Skydiving Myth: If you’re ever knocked unconscious in free fall, you’re dead

Another common fallacy; it’s understandable how this could be perceived however. Think about it… if you’re ever knocked out by a mid-air collision with a fellow skydiver, who’s going to deploy your chute? Well, most skydivers jump with a device known as an Automatic Activation Device (AAD). It’s a small, air-pressure and speed sensitive unit that will cut the closing loop of your reserve chute so that it deploys automatically. They are usually set so that if you drop below 750 feet above ground level at over 78mph, it goes off. If you are unconscious, your landing will likely be rough and you may injure yourself or perhaps still die, but landing without any chute at all would be far worse. Some skydivers choose to jump without one because they are a mechanical device that can fail and possibly misfire, although they rarely do. The odds of it working when needed far outweigh the odds of it malfunctioning and deploying your reserve when you don’t want it to. You can read more about how these amazing units work here.

Skydiving Myth: Everyone falls at the same speed.

Despite what some people think, everyone falls at a different rate and the speeds will vary depending on weight (heavier people fall faster), body position and clothing (baggy jumpsuits slow you down, tight fitting suits go faster). The average terminal velocity in the belly down position is around 120mph. Some of the more advanced freeflying positions like “Head Down” or “Sit Fly” can push a jumper to over 200mph! Essentially the less amount of surface area to the wind, the faster you go. It takes a lot of work to contort the body in an arch (to speed up) and cup (to slow down) in order to catch up and stay with a group.

Skydiving Myth: A skydiver always packs his own chute

A good skydiver learns to pack his own chute early on in his/her skydiving career and continues to do so. However, there is no legal obligation to pack your own chute. There are trained packers who work at drop zones and will pack your chute for you. Generally the cost is around 5 to 7 dollars per pack. Many skydivers however, choose to stick to packing their own chutes because they know how they like it packed (there are small variations for smoother openings) and ultimately, who are you going to trust with your life? Yourself or some kid working the summer for 6 bucks a pack? If you choose to use the packer, be sure to tip them well!!

Skydiving Myth: You can deploy your chute at any altitude

I had an argument with a friend who was reading about military HALO operations, (High Altitude, Low Opening) and insisted that these military skydivers would freefall all the way down to between 100 and 50 feet then deploy their chute and land safely, this of course, is simply not possible. Freefall speeds can be anywhere from 100 to 160mph depending on varying scenarios; that’s over 170 feet per second! A good main parachute needs about 600 to 800 feet to open for two reasons. First, it needs to inflate. The cells are closed end and a great deal of air needs to fill the cells before the chute is operational. Second, it needs to opens fairly slowly to keep from injuring or even killing the skydiver. A hard opening chute can kill a person when they go from 120mph to 18mph in only two or three seconds. Hard openings are usually a result of packing error. Fatal hard openings are extremely rare but a ‘normal’ hard opening can make you see stars, and bruises! Minimum opening altitudes (as regulated by the USPA and CSPA) are 2500feet for A licensed skydivers and 2200feet for B, C, and D. Reserve chutes are designed to open much faster due to their necessity to do so quickly. [Image Source]

Skydiving Myth: You need to wear oxygen masks at very high altitudes

Only on the plane. Hypoxia can set in quickly at 18,000feet, so it’s necessary for planes to supply it when climbing to that altitude and beyond. The most common high altitude jumps are between 10,500 and 14,000 feet. Some larger drop zones with larger planes, will offer special “extra-high” jumps of 22,000 feet. This of course costs “extra-cash”. Some fancier planes offer masks, but more often it consists of a small hose coming out of the ceiling of the plane and you simply put it in your mouth up until you jump. Once you’re out, you’re only at that altitude for a short time, so extra oxygen on the jump itself isn’t necessary.

Skydiving Myth: The higher the altitude, the more dangerous the jump.

Actually it’s the opposite. Skydivers want as much altitude as possible. Not just for the extra freefall time, but also it gives us extra time correct a correctable problem that may arise. It takes about 1480 feet to reach terminal velocity (around 120mph). Whether it’s a 1500 foot fall or 15,000 foot fall, having a bad chute or no chute at all – the outcome is not going to be good. Ultimately, there is no “safer” altitude for a high speed impact. And considering the 600 to 800 feet it takes for a chute to open, I’ll stay above 3000 feet when I jump, anything lower would just be crazy!

Skydiving Myth: It’s possible to survive a terminal velocity impact

Everyone has heard the story: A skydiver jumped from 15,000 feet, his chute didn’t open and he landed in a muddy field and only broke his leg, or his back, or only ended up in a wheelchair, but he survived! There’s always something wrong with the story however. Many times it’s completely made up. But in almost all these cases, there was “something” out, meaning there was a tangled mess of a chute (malfunction) or both chutes (double malfunction – extremely rare!) trailing behind the jumper. This can slow your descent down considerably. An impact into soft ground or trees at 45mph is certainly survivable. You won’t enjoy it, but you have a better chance of survival.

Contributor: Skydiver