Sports : Editor's Choice
by Dan Kelly and Paul Wood

by Dan Kelly

The Baseball Statistics Page
www.cloud9.net/~jcg
Baseball is the quintessential American sport, and statistics are its lifeblood. Ergo, this site is a vital component in the fabric of our society. (Drumroll, please.) That might be overstating the situation just a tad, but the fact remains that this is about as close to heaven on the Web as a baseball fan can get. Compiled by a fan in New York state, the Baseball Statistics Page contains team records, individual season leaders, World Series statistics, award winners, a batters database ... and that's just for starters.

The package is attractive and well organized, which makes it easy to find whatever information you're seeking. Simply select from several categories of statistics (single-season leaders, all-time leaders, etc.), then choose the more specific information you seek (doubles, earned-run average) from drop-down menus. The only problem here is that the statistics are unofficial; the Webmaster says he has collected them from "several sources," so you might not want to write a baseball master's thesis based on them, but they're good enough to settle bar bets.

Cosmic Baseball Association - Home Plate
www.clark.net/pub/cosmic/cba1.html
The Cosmic Baseball Association "is dedicated to the notion that the great game of the quadrature is really just a metaphor for the life of the mind." If you understand what that means, you're a natural for membership in the CBA. The activity here involves standings and statistics, but don't confuse it with fantasy baseball or real baseball. The CBA simply raises the science of baseball to a different level, metaphorically speaking. To get an idea of what this site is like, consider that Beethoven is one of the top hitters here, that one outfield consists of Euclid, Comte de Buffon and Galileo, and that the teams include the Nirvanaville Yogis and the Vestal Virgins. There also are tributes to both Mickey Mantle and Jerry Garcia. Don't bother visiting if you're looking for serious baseball analysis. But if you're of the belief that baseball is more a spiritual pastime than a national one, check it out.

Cyber Cyclery: An Internet Bicycling Resource
cyclery.com/
This is one of about a billion indexes that catalog the 10 zillion cycling sites on the Web. So what sets it apart from the rest? Well, in addition to providing those zillions of links, it is the home of Cycling Times, Bike Culture Quarterly, Dirt Rag, and a few other great biking publications, along with countless links to commercial cycling sites. Visitors can join in chats, plan a cycling vacation, read racing news and shop for bikes and accessories. Users also can post upcoming bicycling events and check out racing calendars. Its sister site, VeloNet, contains a worldwide directory of organizations and hundreds of cycling mailing lists. The entire site is searchable, plus there are some pretty neat graphics here. In short, it's much more than an index of links; it's a virtual pedalist's dream come true.

GoSKI
www.goski.com/
You've got to like the philosophy here: "Quit the day job. Call in sick. Go Ski." And if you need help deciding where to "go ski," GoSKI Webmasters will point you to skiing resources worldwide. And we do mean worldwide. The site's centerpiece is a searchable database of more than 1,500 ski resorts, with pertinent details and user-contributed reviews covering resorts from Andorra to New Zealand. For example, visitors might discover that the Muju resort in the Mt. Togyusan National Park of South Korea has 23 trails, nine lifts and one hotel. On St. Moritz, Switzerland, a contributor writes: "There is no way to ski the whole mountain with less than a week's stay." (As if we can all afford two weeks at St. Moritz.) Among the other resources here are racing news, equipment reviews and a listing of clubs and organizations, as well as a job-hunting service. For those who love to ski, this site is a year-round resource. Remember, "It's snowing somewhere right now."

Instant Baseball
www.instantsports.com/baseball.html
Truth be told, we probably lack the patience to sit through an entire baseball game on Instant Baseball. Or, for that matter, an entire inning. But even for a batter or two, this is a pretty exhilarating experience. Instant Baseball is part video game and part VCR É and very popular among baseball fans on the Web. The Java applet allows visitors with Windows 95 or Windows NT to watch the action of major league games through animated coverage as they happen, live, in virtual realtime (if you're confused, you won't be after a couple of hitters).

Meanwhile, continuously updated scores of other big league games scroll across the screen. If you're an insatiable baseball junkie, replays of games already completed are also available (and you can skip through the boring parts), as are standings, statistics, game recaps and box scores. The entire season schedule is available, and fans can use it to select any past game for instant replay ... in Instant Baseball. So next time your TV's on the fritz (or you're arguing with your spouse about whether to watch the game or the Movie of the Week), tune into Instant Baseball. Although the graphics and the site's popularity make for some long waits, this is fun stuff.

The Olympic Movement
www.olympic.org/
Maybe it's because 1996 is an Olympic year, but this site from the International Olympic Committee has us sitting at attention. Visitors can get Olympic news straight from the source here, and they can see how the nearly 100-year-old Games got to where they are today. Among the resources are news releases, background on the IOC and historical details on the Olympic movement. One highlight is a chart showing how the Olympics have grown from 13 nations, 43 events and 280 athletes at the 1896 Athens Games to 169 nations, 284 events and 9,368 athletes at the 1992 Barcelona Games. Day-by-day countdowns to the '98 Winter Games in Nagano, 2000 Summer Games in Sydney and 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City also are provided, with links to more information on each of those events. It's all done to promote the Olympics, but hey, it's educational.

On Hoops
www.onhoops.com/
On Hoops introduces itself by saying it "is not affiliated with the NBA in any way. We have the utmost admiration for the Game and the League and hope not to conflict with any of the League's internet plans, no matter how boring they may be." Needless to say, this is an NBA site with an attitude. Assembled and maintained by two basketball fans, it largely reflects their peculiar point of view, which is considerably less serious than, say, The New York Times. Most of the stuff here consists of commentaries and offbeat ideas like the Chump Register and the Golden Chuck Awards. They aren't afraid to share unsubstantiated rumors or to bad-mouth the NBA's overpaid crybabies, either. The grammar, spelling and syntax might cause the more learned among us to cringe occasionally, but we have to admit most of their offerings are entertaining. If mainstream information is what you're after, On Hoops also provides links to team sites, statistics and more.

Outside Online
outside.starwave.com/index.html
Got a question about backpacking or hiking? The Interactive Gear Guy has the answers at Outside Online, which comes from the folks who bring us ESPNET SportsZone. The Gear Guy is one small part of an amazing array of information covering virtually every activity that takes place outside, including water sports, snow sports, climbing and cycling. Visitors also can find environmental news, as well as articles and features from the current and past issues of Outside Magazine. The publication's archives are searchable, and a vacation guide, buyer's guide and travel guide are available. When we last visited, other features ranged from the Tour de France to trekking the Himalayas to crime on the trails, as well as a review of Invasion Pants. Content is updated every day.

Planet Reebok
planetreebok.com/
What do you get when you cross a healthy planet with a healthy body? Find out at Planet Reebok, where the shoe manufacturer provides promotional propaganda - but plenty of other stuff, too. Among the items that caught our eye were a page on human rights activists, journals by world-class athletes (who happen to be sponsored by Reebok) and several areas focusing on women in sports. Training tips and information on community projects are among the smorgasbord of resources that include audio, video, live chat and bulletin boards, plus pages for the Women's Sports Foundation and the National Standards for Athletic Coaches. There are also contests and info about the online Reebok Fitness Conference. Of course, if you're looking for information on athletic shoes and equipment, that's available here, too.

Rete!
www.vol.it/RETE_/homerete.html
If, as fans like to boast, soccer is the world's most popular sport, then Rete! might be the world's most popular sports Web site. Thousands of video clips and photos make this unique among soccer sites. Visitors also can search the database here for information on thousands of teams, players and matches worldwide. For news-starved soccer fans in the United States, Rete! is a virtual international feast. Daily news updates, real-time scores and results from national championships are among the features, along with soccer draft information. Access to the site is free, but by registering (also free), members will receive a weekly newsletter, gain access to Rete! chat and be able to participate in other special events. Available in English, Italian, Spanish and Dutch.

by Paul Wood

Arsenal Supporters' WWW page "ARSEWEB"
www-ipg.umds.ac.uk/~rw/arsenal.html
What do Johnny Rotten, the Queen Mother, Elvis Presely, Ronny Biggs (the great train robber), Buster Bloodvessel and God all have in common? If you guessed they're all "Gooners" -- supporters of England's Arsenal football club -- then you'd be right.

As full as Highbury Park on a Saturday afternoon, this site offers the usual fixtures and results, stats and photos of the team, but with some suprises along the way. Stop by the multimedia section, where you'll find plenty of soundbites and Quicktime movies, live updates of the day's game, and a photo of John (Rotten) Lydon sporting the latest Arsenal football kit in his own inimitable way. It's all more than enough to satisfy even the neediest of Arse surfers. And last but not least, "The Cybury Gooners," a football team made up of people on the Arsenal mailing list, encourage you to challenge them to a match (preferably in the London area). So if you've just started your new soccer team in Bald Knob, Ark., and you're looking for a challenge, you'd better start saving for the air fare now.

Coventry Ciy Football Club
www.warwick.ac.uk/~cudbu/SkyBlues.html
Much to my surprise, Coventry City Football Club's home page is the fifth most popular soccer sight in the A2Z directory; this must be the most recognition Coventry has received since Lady Godiva rode naked through its sreets nearly 1,000 years ago. Coventry City F.C. is the equivalent of a woman's underwear nightmare -- it has only one cup and little support. It's no wonder they haven't become very fashionable.

Visiting "The Home of Big Fat Ron's Sky Blue Army" (sorry, no JPEGs of this one) is about as uninspiring as the team itself. Although you won't find any great art direction here, team stats and info are delivered with all the devotion and accuracy of the proudest of Coventry's fans, Rory Donovan. Log in for the mandatory pre- and post-game local pub crawls (virtual, of course), and if that isn't enough to wet your appetite, then peruse the business wizardry of Coventry's buying and selling tactics. Notice how team owners buy players' contracts for one and two million pounds, then can't even give them away. One player was traded for free, but Coventry's owners had to throw in 10,000 meat pies just to make sure he wasn't coming back.

The Webmaster says, "If Coventry City were a member of the Royal family they would probably be Princess Anne." I think they are more closely related to the Corgis of Buckingham Palace: They're small, no trouble, and kind of nice to have around.


Footbag WorldWide
www.footbag.org/
"So dude, wanna do some footbag, wanna kick it around for a while?"
"Naw dude, got this thing to go to this afternoon."
"What thing's that, dude?"
"I dunno, but I think it's kinda important."
"Yeah, sure man, maybe some other time."
Footbag. Does it conjure up an image of kids in tie-dyed t-shirts on the corner of Haight and Ashbury Streets, kicking a soft ball back and forth, stumbling into tourists and into the street? Well if it does, think again, dude. This is a serious sport and the Board of Directors for The Bay Area Footbag Foundation are all big wigs in the computer industry. So there. This former city park fad has been recognized as a competitive sport since the late 1970s, and the setup for play is similar to tennis and volleyball. What's more, it's not limited to the wealthy elite -- you don't need admittance to a fancy country club, all you need is a footbag, a pair of shoes and a net. Choosing the "right" equipment is a little more tricky (joke!), but all you need to know is within the pages of Footbag WorldWide.

The Leicester City Football Club WWW Page
www.dur.ac.uk/~d3g2w4/lcfc.html
Feel like stormin' the Web with Leicester City, feel in a fighting mood and want to get into the spirit of English soccer? If the answers to these questions are yes then this is the page for you. Go immediately to the song page and learn the words to the beautifully poetic "Tip Toe Through the Trent End," and the soon-to-be classic, chart-topping hit, "If I Had the A*se of a Cow." Then download the Wembly audio file (which is actually very good) and you're all set; well almost. There are match reports from each of Leicester City's games over the past two seasons here. Whether you're a fan or not, you can relive past victories and untimely losses and feel proud to be a part of it all. So go for it -- nothing is stopping you; you can scream and shout profanities, jump up and down, be a virtual hooligan for a day and upset no one except the next door neighbor.

Warpig Paintball Home Page
www.warpig.com/
These people mean business. They're not messing around. Warpig, "the first and biggest paintball site on the Web," is the ultimate scare since a picture of Bob Dole and Newt Gingrich in the buff was reported to be loose somewhere on Capital Hill.
With Warpig's ballistics lab and tips on using nitrogen gas, even people like Arnold Schwartznegger and General Schwarzkopf could be left quaking in their boots. Pictures of guys running around in densely wooded areas, sporting high powered guns, armed and ready to splat someone with a glob of paint is what confronts you at this page, and it all seems ...well ...damned exciting to me. Get yourself acclimatized (slowly) by prowling through this site, then move on to the real thing. Let all that aggression out in the woods and go back to the office and your family feeling refreshed, revitalized! Your comrades at work will thank you and so will your partner. No longer will you snap heads off by the water cooler or devilishly fondle that kitchen knife; you'll just splodge it all with a ball of paint.