Articles tagged as Sports | Smithsonian Magazine

Chris Bertish at his finishing line in Antigua

South African surfer Chris Bertish spent 93 days paddling 4,050 miles between Morocco and Antigua

March 10, 2017

Ancient Brain Training Technique Can Boost Memory

Participants who practiced the Memory Palace method for 40 days showed changes in brain activity and improved memory months later

March 10, 2017

New Research

Bees Can Learn to Play “Soccer.” Score One for Insect Intelligence

Small as they are, bumblebee brains are surprisingly capable of mastering novel, complex tasks

February 24, 2017

How Moonshine Bootlegging Gave Rise to NASCAR

Rotgut and firewater are the founding fathers of our nation’s racing pastime

February 10, 2017

An unidentified player takes a putt at the original "Tom Thumb Golf" built by Garnet Carter.

The Brief 1930s Craze for ‘Tom Thumb Golf’

Miniature golf courses had been around before, but Garnet Carter gave it a roadside attraction spin

February 9, 2017

Babe Ruth's first major-league team was the Boston Red Sox, where he was a star player. When he was sold to the New York Yankees in 1919, the "Curse of the Bambino" began and the Red Sox didn't win another World Series until 2004.

Why Was Babe Ruth So Good At Hitting Home Runs?

People have been using science on the Great Bambino since the 1920s

February 6, 2017

Peregrine falcons are found on every continent except Antarctica

Super Bowl

Ten Fun Facts About Falcons, the Birds

As the Atlanta Falcons prepare to play in the Super Bowl, learn about the remarkable raptors behind the name

February 3, 2017

New England Patriots mascot Pat Patriot high-fives a minuteman after an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Oct. 16, 2014.

Super Bowl

Ten Fun Facts About the Original Patriots

The football team has only been around since 1960, but its mascot’s history stretches back to the country’s foundation

February 3, 2017

Ron Hill celebrates fifty years of running every day

After running a mile a day for 52 years and 39 days, running legend Ron Hill finally took a day off due to heart problems

January 31, 2017

Paul Robeson, photographed by Alfredo Valente in 1940.

Remembering Paul Robeson, Actor, Sportsman and Leader

Among other things, Robeson transformed one of history’s most famous showtunes into a protest song

January 23, 2017

“One of the great things we can do at this museum is ask those questions and think about the larger significance of sports and African-Americans," says curator Damion Thomas.

Breaking Ground

Stories of Sports Champions in the African American History Museum Prove the Goal Posts Were Set Higher

The sports exhibition delves into the lost, forgotten or denied history of the heroes on the field

January 11, 2017

A Sonic Boom drum major dashes across the field.

March to the Joyous, Raucous Beat of the Sonic Boom of the South

College football seasons come and go, but the joyous thunder of Jackson State’s iconic marching band rolls on

January 2017

A VR image from behind the net in last week's Cleveland Cavaliers-Milwaukee Bucks game.

Why Basketball Is The Perfect Sport for Virtual Reality

James Naismith invented basketball on this day in 1891. He couldn’t have seen VR coming

December 15, 2016

The highlight of the Innoskate Cambridge 2016 program with 1,500 attending the two-day program was the best trick contest.

The Innovative Spirit fy17

What Skateboarding Tells Us About Innovation

Rodney Mullen, the godfather of skateboarding, says the sport is all about overcoming disbelief and seeking new connections

December 6, 2016

Chaunté Lowe, who placed sixth in the high jump in the 2008 Beijing Games, is now a bronze medalist

Over 75 medal winners from the 2008 and 2012 games have been busted for doping, scrambling the Olympic record books

November 23, 2016

Here are 10 ways life was different in 1908

November 3, 2016

Hank Aaron and Ernie Banks before a game at Wrigley Field, 1957

If Only Ernie Had Seen It. Here’s Why “Mr. Cub” Is Part of the 2016 World Series Win

From Smithsonian Books, a treasure of baseball history for those who can’t wait for spring training

November 3, 2016

For nearly a decade, scuba divers have been going to the Finger Lakes to carve pumpkins underwater.

Underwater Pumpkin Carving Among the Wrecks in New York’s Finger Lakes

Just in time for Halloween, scuba divers test their Jack-o-lantern-making skills

October 31, 2016

Ask Smithsonian: What’s the Longest You Can Hold Your Breath?

A dive into the science shows it is possible to override the system

October 25, 2016

Fans cheer for Team Korea at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

New Research

Athletes Rejoice: Study Shows Sex Before Competitions Is Probably Fine

There’s no evidence that getting down and dirty before sporting events has negative effects—and it may have benefits

October 11, 2016