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jwhouk:
Ten sports facts you probably didn't know:

1. The man who was responsible for the construction of Wrigley Field was the early 20th century version of Ray Kroc.
2. The National Hockey League was formed out of spite - and a legal maneuver.
3. The National Football League was established in the offices of a now-defunct car dealership.
4. The greatest single game accomplishment in National Basketball Association history is shrouded in history - except for the accomplishment itself.
5. One of the most storied hockey arenas in North America was financed by winnings from a horse race.
6. The biggest championship game in American pro sports was named for a children's toy.
7. The location of the first major professional sports Hall of Fame was based upon a complete myth.
8. A US city lost the right to host the Winter Olympics because of a failed referendum.
9. A major league sports stadium was built on the site of a recently-built public housing project.
10. A major league expansion team was forced to move after only one season - due to the bankruptcy of its ownership group.

The Seldom Killer:
Time for a diversion down a niche sporting corridor which may interest those who like to see people tackle some of the bigger endeavours.

In 1939, British cyclist Tommy Godwin set the world record for distance cycled during a year. On a heavy steel bicycle, on roads that weren't always sealed, during the outbreak of war in Europe, he rode 75065 miles, an average of cycling 205 miles a day. Since then the record has been considered unbreakable.

Until yesterday that is. At 00.07 GMT on 01/01/15 Steve "Teethgrinder" Abraham set off from his home in Milton Keynes marking the start of his attempt to break the record. But Steve isn't alone in this endeavour. Since announcing his intention to attempt the record, two other riders have announced that they're going to be challenging him for the record. Those riders are William "IronOx" Pruett from Forth Worth, Texas who started almost 19 hours later and Kurt "Tarzan" Searvogel from Sheridan, Arkansas who has stated he intends to start by January 10th to give himself the advantage of seeing Steve's progress. Actual progress is being invigilated and verified by the Ultra Marathon Cyling Association and progress can be seen here: http://trackleaders.com/oneyeartimetrial15

So the battle is on 'Murica vs. Blighty.

Akima:
I think the Americans have an advantage in that they won't have to bounce back and forth like a pea in a drum on a little tiny island. :P  Surprisingly, although Britain is at high latitude (London, in southern England is at the same latitude as Labrador), compared to anywhere in the USA except Alaska, year-round daylight hours pretty much balance out.

Seriously though, I had not heard of this record. 205 miles (330km) in a day average? That's serious riding. I have done 400km in a day on a randonnée, but the thought of doing nearly that every day for a year is completely daunting.

The Seldom Killer:
It's perhaps not as tiny as it my seem. The 300k randonnee that I run is a plain loop with no real messing about. Mind you, I'm plotting a 400k coast to coast to coast route, albeit at the narrower bit up north. When I did the Super Brevet Scandinavia I was clocking around 350k a day and not doing too badly with that. Could have done with a bit more sleep but Steve's faster than me and has the luxury of being able to avoid all the hills.

I can see some distinct advantages for the Americans. The abundance of  long, flatter, straightish roads with the prospect of not too much traffic should be fairly inviting. Of course that has the capacity of being boring too. Many a RAAM has died on the prairies. Mind you, there are the character differences to consider as well. Kurt has done RAAM a couple of times and racked up some impressive 12hr TTs. But I question his mindset. He's asked if anyone has a recumbent he can borrow to get under the wind on blowy days. Switching bikes that significantly may not be a good game plan. He's also planning on cramming his distance into 12hr days. If the plan doesn't work well he may struggle to cope. OTOH, Steve's a man of assorted special qualities, not least of which is to endlessly and optimistically keep tapping out the miles. He has no issue with pottering on through the dark hours with what looks to be a fairly impressive lighting rig. He's also not given to dauntment.

Although Steve is planning on emulating Godwin by starting with shorter days, going long in Summer and fading back into winter, he's already clocked up 409 miles in two days. I'm pinning my hopes on Steve, he's a lovely bloke and embodies that British adventurous quality of doing it because it can be done.

Patrick:
I genuinely don't understand how the Sharks can lose to an average team like Vancouver yet shut the door on the division-leading Ducks.

Also, no idea why Pavelski hasn't got the C pinned to his chest yet, dude is clearly the fucking man

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