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5sosfanfictioncatalogue · 1 year

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Sports Fics Masterlist

Arcadia (ao3) - paperstorm michael/luke E, 140k

Summary: Crisp, thin air. The rough scrape of blades on ice. The jumbled, unintelligible echo of male voices, ringing off the rafters and bouncing through the empty seats. The familiar smell, sweaty equipment and rubber flooring and Zamboni fluid. Luke’s taken to closing his eyes sometimes, cutting off his primary sense, and just absorbing the noise and the scent and the feel of cool air on his cheeks. That way, regardless of where he is, an arena still feels like home. Or, an AU in which Luke is a small-town hockey superstar who gets drafted to the Montreal Canadiens, Ashton is the bubbly team Captain, Calum is a defenceman with a bad habit of settling on-ice conflicts with his fists, and Michael is the NHL's first openly gay player.

Breakaway (ao3) - mukeclemmings michael/luke T, 8k

Summary: Luke was paying thousands of dollars a year to study journalism at university so that he could get a job at Rolling Stone, not Sports Illustrated. So, why had Luke, of all people, been assigned to write an article on hockey superstar, the university’s golden boy, Michael Clifford?

(Michael is a college hockey player and Luke is a journalism student who hates athletes.)

desperation (my chest hurts) (ao3) - retromalum michael/calum G, 4k

Summary: Desperation. That’s all Michael can taste in this kiss. It’s written all over his mouth in his messy handwriting, it’s obvious in the way his tongue props at his own mouth. Kissing Calum after so long is like coming back home after a long day, except for the fact that he hasn’t seen him in over four years. And he’s all the same.

The one where Calum chooses football over music and leaves the rest of the boys on their own. They fall apart.

Get A Little Unruly (ao3) - senioritastyles ot4 E, 9k

Summary: OT4 college sports AU in which sex happens every time a team wins.

It was always you (ao3) - CliffordAffliction luke/calum, michael/ashton E, 48k

Summary: Everyone wants Calum Hood and Luke can have him just as long as it’s on Calum’s terms. Thing’s take a turn for the worst when Luke begins to push Calum away, fed up with the way he treats him, and Calum begins to realize how much he really needs Luke in his life after all.

Lost Hearts (ao3) - CliffordAffliction ot4 E, 177k

Summary: Ashton, Luke, Calum and Michael live in four different worlds in high school and each one of them is in love with someone who loves someone else. This can't possibly end well...or can it?

made of glass and careless (ao3) - dazedlight (opinionoutpost) luke/ashton E, 42k

Summary: Ashton is a maintenance worker at the local hockey rink. Luke plays for the local hockey team. They like each other most times.

My Cobain Shirt (ao3) - unconditionalcalum michael/calum, luke/ashton T, 14k

Summary: Michael's heart skipped a beat. Did he, Calum fucking Hood, just talk to him, Michael? Michael managed to smile at him quickly before the tanned boy walked away, already talking to someone else.

It never happened before. Until this moment, Michael wasn't even sure Calum knew he existed. But apparently, he did.

* * *

Or: the one where the shy boy with the bright hair (Michael) has a hopeless crush on the popular soccer-player-with-a-scholarship (Calum).

Off The Field (ao3) - crikeymatee michael/calum, luke/ashton E, 110k

Summary: "Neither one of you are playing until you learn to get along. You're both benched for the remaining games unless you learn to get along with each other." Coach said.

"WHAT?!", they screamed in unison.

"How am I supposed to get along with this, t-this fag?!"

"Oh fuck you, you self-centered little bitch."

Playin’ In The Street, Gonna Be A Big Man Some Day(ao3) - senoritastyles calum/ashton G, 3k

Summary: “Alright, Ohio calls the toss since they’re the home team.” The ref says, holding a coin in his hand and looking at Ashton. “Call it.” He requests, flipping the coin into the air.

“Heads.” Ashton says, eyes mischievous when they catch Calum’s through the masks on their helmets.

Calum subtly shakes his head with a smirk and the ref bends to pick up the coin off the ground. “Heads it is. Ohio, it’s your choice.”

Ashton smirks and looks knowingly at his boyfriend. “We’ll kick off first.”

Or: Calum and Ashton face off in the national college football championship.

Pom-Pom Waving Queen (ao3) - twinkylukey luke/ashton E, 3k

Summary: Luke is a popular cheerleader; Ashton is a popular football player. They’re the perfect match for each other.

We're Falling Apart, But Coming Together (ao3) - sugarysnaps luke/ashton M, 16k

Summary: No matter how far apart they were, stood on opposite sides of the locker room, this was Ashton he was talking about. Ashton, the boy who had encouraged Luke to be himself. Ashton, the boy who had vigilantly and with all of himself protected Luke and his feelings first and foremost. Ashton, the boy he’d shared his first kiss with. Ashton his first best friend. Just, Ashton, in as many and as little words and memories that floated between them. Luke took a tentative step forward, into the heartache and beauty of friendship loved and lost, his heart thudding and ramming against his chest.

Luke and Ashton grow up together; respectively as a figure skater and hockey player. But no matter the differences or the distance between them, they can always count on the fact that they are inevitably two halves of a whole, drawn to each other by an undeniable attraction and a mutual understanding of the other.

Wrong Way (ao3) - boomercal calum/ashton E, 9k

Summary: Two high schoolers who won't admit they think the other is cute and some well-intentioned friends means that while Ashton's looking for Calum on the Hockey field, Calum's looking for Ashton at the library; what's to be done when you're pretty sure that cute guy in your English class is avoiding you?

You Ain't No Friend Of Mine (ao3) - CliffordAffliction michael/luke, luke/oc

Summary: Luke hates Michael and Michael hates Luke ever since they started playing on rival teams but it turns out that they don't hate each other as much as everyone thinks

You'll Be Stuck On It Cause My Love's So Good (ao3) - senioritastyles luke/ashton E, 15k

Summary: "How was it? How was it, Ash? Was it fun? Did you throw the ball? Was it awesome? Did they-"

"Lu, too many questions." Ashton chuckles, petting at Luke's hair as he moves his awkwardly growing fourteen year old body towards the backyard with his twelve year old best friend and neighbor close behind him.

Ashton sits on the warm grass, tossing his shoulder pads and helmet to the side and kicking his muddy cleats off, turning to look at Luke's tanned face and they way it makes his eyes look an even brighter blue than normal. Luke looks anxious to know about Ashton's first football practice, brimming with so many questions that they'd probably be here all night if Ashton let Luke keep asking, and he knows it's only because this is the first thing that Ashton's done without Luke in pretty much forever and that Luke's curious because he wants to play football too. Luke isn't old enough for the town league yet though, and he won't be for two more years so right now he's stuck with living vicariously through Ashton.

Or: Luke and Ashton are football buddies until they're not and then they are again and then they're not and---okay, you get it.

#5sosfanfictioncatalogue #5 seconds of summer #5sos #ashton irwin #calum hood #luke hemmings #michael clifford #sports #sports masterlist #au #masterlists

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spine-buster · 6 years

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Chapter 19 - The Beginning and the End of Everything (Finn Balor)

A/N: I wrote the last scene while eating the last of a tub of ice cream, so you know…sorry if it sucks.

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“It’s going to be fun, I promise,” Fergal assured Gemma as he held her hand outside of the Performance Centre, both of them looking up at the giant WWE logo. Like she had been outside of the skating ring a few weeks ago, she was nervous to step foot inside. She knew she had told Fergal she wanted to see him back in the ring, but now, when faced with that reality, she was nervous. Not so much for him, and not so much about everybody she was going to meet – it was for herself. She didn’t want to cause any undue attention to him; she didn’t want to cause any embarrassment. What embarrassment she would cause, she had no idea, but she knew it was a possibility. It always was with her.

She squeezed his hand and looked over at him. “I’m really excited to see you in the ring,” she said, completely sincere about it, too, despite her nerves.

“I’m excited for you to see me,” Fergal said. “Have you ever seen wrestling live before?”

“Never.”

“It’s a treat,” he smiled. “I mean, this isn’t a live show or anything, but what goes on in this place is magic.”

Gemma couldn’t help but smile at his giddiness. “Well, let’s not waste any more time, then.”

“C’mere,” he mumbled, pulling her closer to him and kissing her quickly. Now that everything was ‘official’ he felt much more comfortable kissing her in random places and not just in the privacy of their homes. It felt good to kiss her whenever and wherever he wanted. “If you need a minute to yourself while you’re in there, just let me know, okay? There’s a lounge you can go to, or even one of the medical rooms.”

“I think I’ll be okay,” she assured him. “Just do me a favour and don’t worry about me while you’re in there. Focus on what you need to be doing. I’m a big girl, I can take care of myself.”

He kissed her again quickly. “Let’s go.”

Gemma had never been in the Performance Centre before, but from Fergal talking about it all the time (and, to a much lesser extent, Mandy and the other girls from Chas’s birthday) she felt like she already knew where everything was. When he led her to the ring area, people training surrounded her. Many of them stopped whatever they were doing and waved hello to Fergal, who waved back and joked with them to get back to work.

Soon, a giant, burly man approached them, hugging Fergal tightly and patting him on the back a few times. They exchanged a few quick words before Fergal turned back towards Gemma. “Matt, this is Gemma Fitzgerald,” he introduced them. “Gemma, this is Matt Bloom. He’s one of the head trainers here, and he took me under his wing when I first got to Japan.”

Matt and Gemma exchanged a polite handshake and some pleasantries. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Gemma,” Matt said politely. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Fergal and Rami.”

“Good things, I hope.”

“Only the best things,” he smiled.

“I hope it’s okay that I’m here,” Gemma said. “Fergal talked about his return to the ring and I really wanted to be able to see it…I haven’t seen him wrestle live before, and I’m sure seeing it in person isn’t the same as watching it on YouTube.”

“It’s perfectly fine that you’re here. You’re in for a treat,” he looked towards Fergal. “Why don’t you go put your stuff on, and meet us in ring seven.”

Fergal looked towards Gemma, who was already smiling at him. “You good?” he asked.

“She’ll be safe with me,” Matt winked. “We’re gonna talk about you, though, just so you know.”

Fergal snorted. “Everything he says is a lie. Don’t listen to a word he says.”

“I don’t know,” Gemma shrugged her shoulders playfully. “I don’t think Matt has a lying bone in his body.”

“This girl get it,” Matt pointed at her, chuckling before slapping Fergal lightly on the shoulder. Fergal, shaking his head, turned around and made his way towards the back where he would change. Matt, in contrast, began to lead Gemma throughout the rings, stopping every so often to comment on someone’s work. He seemed like a pretty popular and knowledgeable trainer, and everyone he interacted with listened intently to what he had to say. Gemma never doubted his effectiveness – it was just nice to see, early on, how successful he really was at his role.

“You’re the athlete that had to retire,” Matt mentioned casually as they finally arrived at ring seven.

“Yeah, that’s me.”

“I’m very sorry that happened to you,” he said, and Gemma could feel the sincerity in his voice. “Ferg mentioned you one day and I happened to look you up. You are fantastic. I mean I’m not the biggest fan of hockey but what I was able to see was spectacular.”

Gemma couldn’t help but blush. The thought of this giant man sitting down in front of a computer, typing in her name, and watching her hockey videos made her feel warm inside. “Thanks. That means a lot.”

“What are the plans now?”

“Uhhh…I’m not completely sure yet,” Gemma admitted. “I’m currently writing an article for Sports Illustrated about being a half-Arab female hockey player, but other than that there isn’t much, besides rehab. I think after rehab everything will become a bit clearer.”

“When will that be?”

“August. I’m there for a full year. My new goal is to not have to need extra time.”

“Well, considering the extent of your injury, that would be miraculous,” Matt commented, looking impressed. She was astonished that he knew about it – he must have read about it when he looked her up. That he even remembered surprised her to the fullest. “You look like you’re already there, anyway – or at least have just a little bit left to go.”

She smiled slightly. She was happy her progress was visible to others. “I kind of am, but I want to be able to get back on to the ice. Not competitively, of course, but enough so that I can skate with my future children and not be in pain or anything. Hockey…is still very important to me.”

“Well of course it is,” Matt said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. “It’s been a huge part of your life for a long time. I don’t think it will ever not be a big part of your life. It’s like wrestling. A lot of wrestlers, you know, they retire from in-ring work, but they really just assume another role within wrestling.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Oh sweetie,” Matt chuckled. “Practically every trainer at this facility is a former pro-wrestler. Most of our producers and road agents are former wrestlers. The guys who run the wrestling schools, independent of this one, are former wrestlers,” he explained. “There’s nobody who knows the ins and outs of the wrestling business better than a former wrestler. Even me! I’m a 20 year vet, retired, but here I am training the next generation.”

Gemma nodded her head at his words. The situation he was explaining was, of course, similar with hockey. Many former hockey players ended up becoming agents, broadcasters, coaches, or went into the head offices for managerial jobs. The hockey industry protected their own. But that was NHL, aka the big leagues, aka male hockey players. The comfortable futures weren’t necessarily the same for women. That’s what she needed to worry about.

Before she got caught too much in her thoughts, she tried to keep on the subject at hand. “What do you think Ferg’s gonna do when he retires?”

“That’s up to him,” he said diplomatically. “Maybe he’ll retire on the beaches of Bray. Maybe he’ll retire when he’s 75. He’s always done what he wants to do, on his terms. I don’t think that’ll change anytime soon.”

“What’s not gonna change anytime soon?” Fergal’s Irish accent interrupted the two.

They both spun around to see him dressed to go through drills. Matt decided to answer the question. “Whether or not you’ll ever have more than a hundred carbs a day. Now get into the ring.”

Gemma sat on the sidelines in complete awe as she watched Fergal move fluidly throughout the ring. He was right – it was a sort of magic that she didn’t quite understand until she saw it in person. Matt was instructing Fergal on which moves to work through and asking a bunch of questions, but she could tell he was confident in what Fergal was doing.

“He’s definitely been coming here without me,” Gemma said to no one in particular.

“Hmm?” Matt asked, hearing her.

“Ferg…he’s been back in the ring a while, hasn’t he? That’s why he’s already so good?”

Matt chuckled to himself. “No sweetie, he’s just that good.”

Fergal and Gemma had gone to lunch with Matt after he had finished his training session, and Gemma heard a bunch of stories about Fergal’s shenanigans in Japan, from when he arrived at 24 years old to just a few years ago when he decided to leave for the WWE. When Fergal missed a bullet train and nearly missed one of first shows; when Fergal got food poisoning at a sponsor dinner but had to pretend nothing was wrong as to not offend the sponsor; when Fergal got so piss drunk one night Matt had to carry him back to his place bridal style. It was a life well lived. Fergal had done so much throughout his life and had gone through so many different experiences. He had done in ten years what most people failed to do their entire lives. All before her.

Gemma thought about this as they kissed each other. Fergal’s need to have his lips on Gemma’s at all times hadn’t stopped since the first time they kissed, save for the week they didn’t speak. Now, lying on his bed with Gemma on top of him, she couldn’t keep her mind off of the stories Matt had told her at lunch, and how Fergal had experienced so much.

He seemed to know that something was on her mind because instead of increasing his pace and severity of the kisses, he was slowing down. He bit at her lip playfully, causing her to smile. “You alright?”

Gemma nodded her head, sliding across his body so she was lying by his side. “You’re always kissing me, Fergal Devitt.”

He smiled. “You’re my girlfriend now. I can kiss you whenever I want.”

“You think you’ll ever stop?”

“No,” he deadpanned, leaning forward slightly to kiss her while she giggled. When he pulled away, she was biting her lip, just staring at him. “What’s on your mind, love?”

She brought her hand up and dragged her thumb along his bottom lip. “Do you ever think about how there’s ten years between us?” she asked softly.

Fergal wondered where she was coming from with the question. “Not really, to be honest…”

“I don’t mean it like…whatever…” she shook her head quickly. “I just mean, like…at lunch today, all those stories Matt was sharing. You…you lived this entire life before you even met me, and it was so amazing. You did all these amazing things and went to all these amazing places, and everything just sounded so cool. And you were having the time of your life…”

“And…?”

“And now you’re here with me in a bed in Orlando --”

“Having the time of my life,” he interrupted.

Gemma couldn’t help but give him a facetious disapproving look. “I just…sometimes I think it’s funny how life works out, you know? You accomplished so much in those ten years. I accomplished so much in those ten years, too. You won all these titles, you got signed to WWE…I made national teams and I won a gold medal. It’s all so…amazing. I mean, the timeline of it is just insane to me. We didn’t even know each other a year ago and now we kiss each other’s faces off every moment of the day.”

“It’s meant to be,” Fergal said, knowing that’s what Gemma wanted to hear. Not that he didn’t believe it himself – he did completely. There was a reason Gemma came into his life. But he knew she wanted to hear those words. He knew she wanted to hear their meeting and their relationship was some sort of divine intervention; something that would have happened in any world, in every universe, regardless of circumstance.

He could see a smile growing on her face. With a reaction like that, how could he think any different? “You really think so?”

“I know so. This is something special, don’t you think?”

He could see her cheeks flush red. She only nodded her head, too happy to hear those words coming from his mouth. She leaned forward to kiss him again, not wanting to speak anymore. She had talked enough. There were more important things to do now.

She could tell Finn was eager by the way he kissed her, and by the way his hands slipped under her top in record time. Her hands moved just as quickly, running themselves through his hair and gripping at the nape of his neck. The higher his hands traveled, the higher her shirt lifted; soon, it was above her head, Fergal throwing it across the room.

Gemma had exposed her body to Fergal before – at Cocoa Beach, and in Iceland, naturally – but this was so much more intimate, more sensual. His touch gave her goosebumps and made her hairs stand on end. His hands were wandering everywhere, feeling every inch of her, and when they came around to her front, her breath hitched in her throat.

She had changed. She knew she had changed, and she knew he knew she had changed. Her body wasn’t the same as it was a year ago, six months ago, three months ago. It had changed from what she was used to, from what her body was when she was an athlete. At the end of the day, though, she was still getting used to the change. But it was still her body. At the end of the day, she still owned her body. Nobody could take it – or its capabilities – away from her. At the end of the day, she was still in a bed with Fergal feeling her up.

“Don’t be nervous,” he breathed out quickly, biting down on her bottom lip. “You’re fucking beautiful Gemma. Don’t think you’re not.”

A lot more touching, a lot more kissing. Some unhooking, more pulling, one more article of clothing thrown across the room. Quick kisses, long kisses; wet kisses, little bites; fingertips grazing, nails scratching. Gemma didn’t think she’d ever been so turned on in her life.

Fergal had switched their positions, pinning Gemma under him as he kissed down her body, just as he had done on the couch weeks ago. She felt ready to explode but he kept licking and kissing a path lower.

She grabbed at his hair to get his attention. “No,” she said, shaking her head slightly.

“What?” he asked, stunned she wouldn’t want him to go down on her.

“I need…I just need you inside me right now,” she panted. She didn’t exactly want to go into the reasons why she didn’t want him to do that yet. “I need to feel you.”

He smiled mischievously at her. “Next time?”

“Next time. I need to feel you, Ferg.”

Well, her wish was his command. He came back up and kissed the tip of her nose. “Lay on your side for me,” he said, doing so himself. She did as she was told. “Now give me your leg.”

She hesitated at first. Her knee brace, albeit a small one, was still on, and she wanted to move as slow as possible just in case she got a jolt of pain again. They looked each other directly in the eyes as she hooked her leg over his, feeling his hardened member against her thigh.

He entered her slowly, considerately, allowing her to adjust to his size, knowing this hadn’t happened for her in a while. To be fair, it hadn’t happened for him in a while either, and he was in a state of euphoria knowing that it was Gemma in his arms, Gemma that was looking him in the eye, Gemma whose body was moving so in sync with his. He had wanted this for so long, had dreamt of this for so long. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Despite their movements, and their panting, and the pleasure they were both feeling being tangled in each other’s bodies, they didn’t take their eyes off one another. It was unlike any other intimate moment they had experienced before.

His hand, which had been caressing her leg, slipped in between them to tease her. At his touch he knew she wouldn’t last much longer. As her pants became louder, her moans irregular, and her eyes closed slowly, he increased his speed, allowing her to go over the edge and scream out in ecstasy before he did the same.

As she came down from her high, Gemma had a satisfied smile on her face. When she finally looked Fergal in the eye again she leaned forward and kissed him. Still inside her, and coming down from his own high, he tightened his grip on her; he wanted their bodies closer, though they were already flush against each other.

When they pulled away from the kiss, Gemma licked her lips. “I’ve waited so long for someone like you,” her voice was barely above a whisper. “I’ve waited so long for you.”

“I’ve waited so long for you too,” he said, meaning it completely.

“I’m sorry I took so long.”

Fergal cradled her face in his hand. “We are both here now. That’s all that matters.”

#finn balor #finn balor fic #finn balor fan fic #finn balor fan fiction #finn balor fanfic #finn balor fanfiction #wwe #wwe fic #wwe fan fic #wwe fan fiction #wwe fanfiction #baeoe series

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hail-to-the-goalies · 7 years

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As a South Korean this decision is extra upsetting bc this is probably the only time NHL players could be in my country in my lifetime… tbh it is true that hockey is practically unknown here (I've never met anyone that watches hockey) but top players participating in the Olympics would certainly help promote the sport (and the NHL) in Korea and other Asian countries. Ahhhh well at least Ovi will be here....

before you start reading,please, all of you realize I’m expressing only my personal opinions here andthey might be a lot different than yours since I’m a really objectivefan who watches the most of international games and cares about many nationalteams, so I can see things differently than you. don’t take everything youread too seriously, because we all have our opinions.

by the way sorry for the longpost already, but this is one of only few posts I’m gonna use as a way toexpress my opinions about Olympics with. and thumbs up for you if you read itall.

also excuse any mistakes or typos, I hope you understand the text anyway.

Oh dear, I’m so sorry tohear that. hockey in Asia has got a big potential and I hope yourealize that (@anon) especially with China (Kunlun) being in the KHL what’s arguablysecond best hockey league in the world.

(Kunlun is still not a good magnet,with only two Chinese players playing for the team; and they have doublecitinezships combined with Canadian and American, so they’re not even fullyChinese).

Asian League with 3 Korean teams is clearly not enough for Asianpeople to become hockey fans too I suppose.

this is why I think it’svitally important to bring NHL players to the next two Olympic games (inmentioned South Korea and in China in 2022). and

I know it’s not hard tofall in love with wonderful sport of ice-hockey. it happened to Hungariansafter the national team won Division I Group A and the fans wentcrazy during the following Worlds, so fortunately they got the impulse toactually travel and watch hockey, but there are no ways to make the Asianpeople fall in love with hockey.

yes of course, there are surelly some, butnone of them is big enough as Olympics.

if NHL thinks it’s notgood to have the world’s best players playing at tournaments in countries whichhave potential to be hockey countries but only need impulse, then, okay…

just imagine that. thebiggest hockey stars playing at world’s biggest and best hockey tournament. isn’tthat the best promotion for the sport itself? I think it is.

hockeynational teams, in fact, have two chances to make Asian people like hockey.first is in 2018 and then in 2022, when China hosts the next Olympics. as homecountries, South Korea and then China will surely play at the tournaments, so itobviously can make the people interested at least a bit. and who says theycan’t go to games not of their countries? lot of home fans do that. and what’s betterpromotion for hockey than olympic games between Canada, Sweden, Russia and USA?probably nothing.

we all know one player isenough for a person to become a fan, not mentioning the entire beautyof Canadian hockey. it’s also known that interest of Asian people in hockey canmean more Asian teams in KHL and more international fans of NHL.

if NHLrealizes this and still doesn’t agree to participate, then make your ownopinion of the organization…

fortunately, KHL is mainly Russian league and Russians are really patriotic,so they find it as a sure and automatic thing to send the players to SouthKorea.

this is what would happenif NHL players went to Olympics: promotion of the sport; huge help for KHL inspreading hockey to the east; experience for the players; the best hockeytournament full of the best hockey players (I’m sorry, for me World Cup is not thebest tournament); more money caused by NHL players as a big ad as theyare; and many more things, for example a silly one like longer season,what’s honestly good only for the fans.

but what would happen ifNHL players didn’t go to Olympics? (I still don’t consider that as a sure thing,because I believe there’s a domino effect going to happen in the NHL—Ovechkingoes, then Crosby goes, then other big players go, then half of Swedes go, andso on)

I decided to write a fewbig, important things on what would happen if they didn’t go.

the huge rosterdifference

just imagine that. Canadaand USA without NHL players? hard to imagine what would the rosters look like.probably made of players from junior and European leagues; most of fans wouldknow up to 3-5 players at each roster. what’s a shame for such hockeycountry as Canada to not have popular players playing. USA and Canada wouldmost probably fail at the tournament.

on the other hand, thereis Russia. with only 35 Russian players in NHL, 590 players in KHL and manymore players in other leagues, that wouldn’t be a problem for Russians tobuild a golden killing Russian machine. sure, Ovechkin, Malkin, Panarinand others are great players and please never think I don’t find them goodplayers, but Russians have amazing hockeyplayers overall and even better coaching. I think Russia would win gold.

it’s similar with Sweden.72 players in NHL (more than you thought, right?) seem like a lot, butagain, not really, I think. SHL is a really strong league and it’s fullof Swedes, there are also some good Swedes in KHL and other leagues, so I thinkthey would be able to build a solid team, even without their NHLsuperstars. also would end up in top 3, because Canada and USA would be out of thetop places.

it would be similar withFinland and Czechia, too and little tiny maybe with Germany.

that’s one ‘group‘. butwhat about other teams? exactly: Switzerland, Norway, Slovakia, Slovenia andGermany.

the top Swiss players areplaying in the NHL (12) and only few solid players on olympic level are in NLA.if national superstars like Josi, Berra or Weber don’t decide to go anyway,like Ovechkin did, I can hardly imagine a Swiss national team builtwell enough to be able to win against Finland or Sweden.

all of top Slovak playersare playing in the NHL as well and the best players of those who are notplaying in the NHL are about to retire soon, so I can hardly imagine a goodteam too.

with this entire longmini-heading, I want you to think about something. if NHL players went toOlympics, all of 11 participating countries (not counting South Korea) would beable to play with their biggest players and even the worse countries likeSlovakia or Germany would end the tournament with pride.

if NHL players didn’t go,some countries would have nobody to gear up (–metaphor) and for example Russia,pumped with KHL players Russia, would possibly get away with 10-0 wins. that’s reallynot what we want at tournament of this level.

2. angry fans and players

not only NHL fans though.every single hockey fan wants to see the best hockey games this planet can gettogether and without NHL players it’s really not possible.

angry players are worse.we, only poor fans, can’t affect the hockey much, but players can be strongerthan some people think. it’s only April 2017, a year before the Olympics,and there’s a huge drama already. if the players really wanted, they wouldboycott and would be able to make huge problemsto Bettman and company.

the players are angryalready, so let’s see whether something more happens or not.

3. middle finger to KHLfrom NHL

KHL started as almostonly Russian league, but as years passed, they tried to expand to other partsof Europe. there are currently 29 teams in KHL, 7 of them are not in Russia andso in: Kazakhstan, Latvia, Belarus, Slovakia, Finland and Croatia. The 7th one is China. The newest KHL team is China’s Kunlun Red Star, atfer KHLdecided they want to make hockey popular in other parts of Asia and want toexpand to South Korea and Japan, too.

so if you try to teachsomeone a new sport and someone steals the best possible way for you to doit, it’s clearly not good feeling.

so, I talked a lothere, but I haven’t seen anywhere any form of the three situations whichwould happen if NHL players didn’t go to Olympics, so that’s why I wanted tosee all this drama from another angle.

I think the onlypeople who are able to do something about NHL’s bad decision are NHL playersthemselves. I don’t know what you feel, but I trust them and I hopethey make NHL sweat a lot in next months.

#sorry for long post #i wanted to add some pics but there are no good ones for this post #olympics 2018 #nhl #khl

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tenminutemisconduct · 7 years

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I grew up with hockey like any other sport, casually and only really knowing/caring about my home team & only interacting with my fellow home team fans, but now I'm seeing there's like this whole tumblr fandom to the nhl and I was wondering what are like the reputations of the teams??? And obvi everyone has their own biases based on their faves but I was just curious (bc I love hearing about all of the reputations and drama and gossip that is 100% alive in the sports world)

um okay i really love this ask but i’m also Nervous to answer it bc obviously my views are gonna be based on my teams and tbh i don’t a ton about some of the teams. so let me just preface this by saying that i don’t intend to shit on anyone’s team. pls don’t come yell at me. i love y’all. i’m gonna put this under a read more bc it’s gonna be long af. this isn’t so much drama as it is just a primer on the teams bc i’m not looking to start drama.

Eastern Conference:

Metro Division:

Carolina Hurricanes (canes): not as relevant as they should be tbh. low fan attendance but some really solid players (highlights include jeff skinner and rookie sebastian aho, who just scored his first nhl hatty last night)

Columbus Blue Jackets (CBJ): haven’t been great really ever until this year. they have one of the best rookies in the league but also arguably the most hated coach in the league. they fire a cannon when they score which tj oshie called “the worst thing in hockey”

New Jersey Devils: they used to be known for playing really boring hockey. i don’t know a ton about them tbh. devils fans feel free to tell me more (nicely).

New York Islanders (Isles): usually Not That Good, despite having John Tavares as captain, but i’m salty bc they’ve beaten the caps multiple times this season. their ice sounds weird when the players skate. idk their arena is funky.

New York Rangers: The king, Henrik Lundqvist. in my experience, loud fans. having a really solid season (the metro is STACKED - don’t let the standings deceive you). original six team.

Philadelphia Flyers: uhhh… honestly despite having friends who are flyers fans and them being the closest team to me other than my home team, i don’t know a ton. wayne simmonds is underrated (and now an all-star mvp!!!). they also have one of my personal fave rookies, travis konecny.

Pittsburgh Penguins (pens); one of the best teams in the league, no question. the fan base on here is slightly inflated but don’t get me wrong, they’re good. reigning stanley cup champs. as a caps fan, i will always hate playing the pens. if i tried to list their best players, i’d be listing most of the team. also they have sidney crosby so there’s that.

Washington Capitals (caps): MY BOYS!!!! known for being really solid in the regular season and perpetually choking in the playoffs (often against the pens). home to alex ovechkin, one of the most prolific goal scorers of all time, and nicklas backstrom, ridiculously underrated center to ovi’s left wing. first in the league rn.

Atlantic

Boston Bruins: original six team. not having a great season, but somehow still in a playoff spot? i’m not a bruins fan but i have a soft spot for their organization bc the players are some of the most vocal in their support for the lgbtqia community (esp brad marchand) and zdeno chara is a great captain. my bruins friends are Aggressive about them, but that’s kind of a boston sports thing in general.

Buffalo Sabres: jack eichel made them slightly more relevant, but they’re still Not Great.

Detroit Red Wings; another original six team. hands down most bizarre fan tradition that i still don’t understand. this is their last season in the joe, their current arena. won back to back cups in the 50s and 90s.

Florida Panthers: another team with low fan attendance. they’re dealt with a ton of injuries this season, and the somewhat unceremonious firing of their head coach. despite that, they’re only a few points out of the playoffs (the atlantic is all pretty close together rn except the habs).

Montreal Canadians: (habs) Very Enthusiastic Fans. Very French Canadian. mostly known on tumblr bc of the hatred for their head coach, the gallys, and the pk subban trade. more stanley cups than an other team by far. another original six team.

Ottawa Senators (sens); have never won the cup but make pretty regular playoff appearances. i don’t know a ton about them either.

Tampa Bay Lightning (bolts): riddled with injuries this season, including a major one to captain steven stamkos. there was a ton of drama surrounding jonathan drouin a few seasons ago, but as a non-lightning fan, i super don’t want to wade into that. they’re good now (when their players aren’t injured), but i think they’re gonna be incredible in a few years bc they had a ton of prospects at world juniors and pretty much all of them were amazing.

Toronto Maple Leafs (leafs): the loves of my life. haven’t won the cup in 50 years but will bring up their historic cup wins all the time. leaf fans Suffer (just ask steve dangle). the hockey gods have blessed us with incredible rookies, headlined by rookies of the month auston matthews, mitch marner, and william nylander. another original six team.

Western Conference:

Pacific Division:

Anaheim Ducks; named after disney movies. people hate ryan kesler (but his son is really cute). i hate losing to them and i have no concrete reason why.

Arizona Coyotes (yotes): as a fan of them, they suck. they have good players that can never seem to click. their captain shane doan just passed steve yzerman as the player with the 5th most games with a single franchise. shane doan is arizona hockey. currently getting talked about bc they’re the team that inspired auston matthews to start playing hockey. tumblr is still salty about them sending dylan strome back to the otters.

Calgary Flames: Johnny Hockey™

Edmonton Oilers; perpetual draft lottery winners. doing really well this season in large part to current league points leader and youngest captain in nhl history conald mcdonald (or connor mcdavid, as he’s better known).

LA Kings; i don’t know a ton about them but people seem not to like them. they have one of my least favorite players in the league.

San Jose Sharks: gained more fans bc they went to the stanley cup final last season. some of the best players in the league. famous/infamous for their holiday videos.

Vancouver Canucks: home to the Sedin twins, Very Important hockey people to know, Having a rough season.

Central Division:

Chicago Blackhawks: Nope.

Colorado Avalache (avs/aves): Yikes. They can’t catch a mcfreaking break this season. nate mackinnon crushed it with team north america over the summer. the avs are the one team doing worse than the coyotes.

Dallas Stars: one of the most popular teams on tumblr. not having a great season (partially bc of widespread injuries). great at goal scoring and not much else.

Minnesota Wild: First in the West rn and home to the current best goalie in the league. I’ve somehow become a wild fan this season.

Nashville Predators (Preds): Bright jerseys. the new home of pk subban. their goalies love each other. elina is gonna kill me for not knowing more about them. i really don’t want to get into m**e r***bero though.

St. Louis Blues: just fired their head coach. home to one of the best scorers in the league. beat the h**ks in the winter classic, which truly cleansed my soul.

Winnipeg Jets: have struggling with goaltending since the move from atlanta. currently gaining notice because of patrik laine, the 2nd overall pick in the 2016 draft, and nikolaj ehlers.

#jfc this is long #long post #amye answers #ask #anonymous #hockey 101 #nhl #real hockey #not omgcp #blackhawks mention

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bmiremodeling · 6 years

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incredibly inconsistent draft year family

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The post incredibly inconsistent draft year family appeared first on BMI Group Inc.

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yahoo-puck-daddy-blog · 6 years

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Puck Daddy Countdown: Tom Wilson, concussions and a huge cap increase

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7. Tom Wilson and also the refs and also the league

This is getting ridiculous.

Like, OK, the argument from the Department of Player “Safety” is that yes, the hit on Jon Marchessault was late but there was no head contact and it’s not technically illegal to hit a guy from his blindside.

But keep in mind, when Matt Cooke basically ended Marc Savard’s career, putting a Legion of Doom-style spiked shoulder pad into a guy’s chin was also technically not illegal. Didn’t change the fact that Matt Cooke had a long and prosperous history of dirty hits most guys in the league who, y’know, have respect for their opponents’ safety, wouldn’t have even tried.

Honestly, in what way is Wilson, a useful player who also happens to be an injurious dumbass, different from Cooke, a similarly effective checking forward who plays to injure? I would love to have that explained to me by a Capitals fan whose brain functions properly.

But that’s the thing with Wilson’s hit. It wasn’t technically anything more than interference but everyone (save for the Tom Wilson stans, who are all sicko freaks) agrees it was late, and y’know maybe I’m crazy here, but it seems like you should have a reasonable expectation to not get drilled at 40 miles an hour by a guy you never saw coming nearly a full second after you got rid of the puck, which is already 20 feet away from you. It’s a predatory hit, full stop. His eyes got as big as saucers; he had plenty of time to not make that hit.

Tom Wilson needs to be stopped. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

(Side note: Shouldn’t Ryan Reaves have beaten Wilson’s ass to death for that hit? Like, not just because a fight there is warranted in the Hockey Man’s mind, but also because if you get Wilson off the ice for five and only have to give up Reaves, that’s a great trade for Vegas. Hell, in theory Reaves’ presence in the lineup should have been a deterrent for that hit in the first place, but hey guess what: It turns out that’s not actually a thing.)

In soccer, if you commit multiple fouls throughout the game, a referee can give you a yellow card for any foul where he feels like, “OK, that’s plenty from this prick.” And Tom Wilson plays like a total prick, sorry. This guy has — or at least should have — long ago torched whatever benefit of the doubt he got from the league, but this is the Cup Final and a bunch of losers from Vancouver still cry all the time about the (deserved) Aaron Rome suspension seven years ago, so you can see why the league would want to avoid that kind of thing again.

Especially because if the NHL acknowledges the refs blew it on the Wilson minor (which maybe should have been a major?) they also must necessarily acknowledge the refs blew it even harder on the Reaves goal, which shouldn’t have counted.

And if there’s one thing the league really wants to do at all times, it’s make sure there’s nothing that would lead to refs being accountable for being horrible at their jobs. That’s playoff hockey baby!

6. Concussion stuff

Came out this week that a bunch of owners, I swear to god, acted like they had never in their entire miserable lives heard of CTE. “Never heard of it, what’s that?” kind of denials, which is pretty amazing considering all the concussion lawsuits that have been going on for the NHL and other major sports leagues. Like even if you don’t know exactly what it is, surely you’re aware that it exists — as in, you’ve literally heard it mentioned, ever.

Also, TSN uncovered a mockup of a concussion awareness poster the league put together that, as a joke I guess(?), said one of the symptoms was “feeling like a giant [sexist term for a wimp or a coward and you know the one I’m talking about].” They also removed language in the finalized versions of those posters advising players that numerous concussions can lead to dementia later in life.

Meanwhile, Johan Franzen’s wife is out here in the Detroit media telling the horror stories about her nice husband’s struggles with brain injuries.

Now, *putting my thumbs into my suspenders* I’m no fancy big-city lawyer, but it seems to me this case is not going to end well for the NHL. They’re not only bad actors on this stuff (obviously), they’re openly contemptuous of it. You’d think this many rich guys couldn’t be this stupid, but wealth strips you of your humanity and the NHL has a long, celebrated history of being horribly run.

So here we are.

5. *Lana Del Ray voice* Playing video games

Here’s my theory: If you put it out there that there’s a highly regarded prospect whose career was ruined by playing too many video games, you’re necessarily going to get every person whose team picked top-10 in the past five drafts to go, “Is it this guy?!?”

And then you have to go out there and say, “I said I wasn’t gonna do this for every player, but it’s not that one guy,” until you’ve done it for every player. So you might as well say the player the first time or — better yet — not say anything at all. Hmm.

This is like in fifth grade when someone tells you, ��I have a secret but I can’t tell you what it is” and then also stands around letting you guess for 10 minutes before laughing and walking away. Dumb.

4. Melnyk!

Shout out to Daniel Alfredsson finally just saying everyone wants Eugene Melnyk to just sell the damn Senators already. Everyone hates him! Including the guy who’s running for mayor, which honestly is bound to be a fairly popular political position in town.

It’s like Melnyk keeping the team out of spite (or maybe to get some more vital organs) at this point. Pretty bad scene up there. Wonder if the NHL will try to force his hand here.

3. Narratives

Saw something on Twitter yesterday where they had Keith Olbermann on ESPN saying it might be wise for teams like the Oilers with mega-stars to conisder trading those elite players for several second-line talents.

You know, because of Vegas. And presumably because the Oilers sucked this year.

The premise of the argument is flawed because we know for sure Vegas didn’t just take a whole team of second-line guys. Maybe you say they were incorrectly valued as second-line talent, but that also doesn’t really address the larger issue of the argument that you should give up, say, Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews to get a handful of significantly less impactful players.

This is, I guess, Olbermann advocating for more Tyler Seguin trades. How did that work out for the Bruins, I wonder.

Anyway, you can expect this stuff to keep happening because Vegas is probably gonna win the Cup and people won’t look at the “why” of it, just that it happened. I love not learning anything from anything.

2. The Cup Final

Let’s hope tonight’s game is even 60 percent as entertaining as Game 1, but also like 150 percent better-officiated. This is good hockey.

1. A (potentially) huge cap increase

It was revealed before Game 1 that the salary cap could go up as much as $7 million next season. Not sure if that includes the players’ ability to use the 5 percent escalator (which would mean more escrow payments, but that hasn’t stopped them from both doing the escalator and then complaining about escrow).

But the idea that the cap could go up more than nine percent? Hoo boy. I’m specifically thinking about Vegas here, because they only have $50.2 million or so committed to 19 guys for next year.

And oh yeah, that $50.2 million includes David Clarkson, who they could LTIR the second they hit the cap ceiling, so in theory their actual cap number is closer to $45 million.

They need to re-sign Wild Bill Karlsson after his big season, as well as Colin Miller, Shea Theodore, and both Tomas Nosek and William Carrier. But what do you think those guys put together actually cost? Like $12 million? So they’re up to maybe like $57 million.

This team having like THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS to spend this summer? Come on, man. Imagine they take a run at that Erik Karlsson/Bobby Ryan trade again and pull it off. Imagine they take a run at Ilya Kovalchuk. Imagine they take a run at John Tavares. “You don’t pay state income tax” and (maybe) “We just won a Stanley Cup” is a hell of a sales pitch, no?

Get Karlsson and Bobby Ryan, that’s like $13.75 million. Big chunk of change but presumably Ottawa will take money back, too, just because they have to hit the cap floor at the very least. So maybe $10 million for those two in terms of net costs? OK, that gets them up to $67 million (or more) in cap obligations.

Give Tavares $10 million, whatever. That’s $77 million. Give Kovalchuk $5 million. That’s $82 million.

Plus you can probably finagle a couple sell-high trades to get some money off the books elsewhere. C’mon. It would be incredible.

(Not ranked this week: That Evander Kane deal.

When people said Evander Kane should be locked up, this is not what they meant!

Ha ha ha. Pretty good joke.

But for real, when you can give $7 million times seven to a 27-year-old who can’t stay healthy and has a career high of 57 points (set six years ago) and comes with a litany of what can be generously described as “off-ice issues” (multiple assault allegations) you gotta do it. Right?)

—

Ryan Lambert is a Puck Daddy columnist. His email is here and his Twitter is here.

(All statistics via Corsica unless otherwise noted.)

More Stanley Cup coverage from Yahoo Sports

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buddyrabrahams · 6 years

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10 biggest storylines leading up to Winter Olympics

It may be hard to believe, but the 2018 Winter Olympics are upon us. The Games come at an interesting time given American, South Korean and North Korean political relations, but as the opening ceremony approaches, differences are being set aside in an effort to allow the Olympics to go off peacefully.

There are many stories to look forward to at the upcoming Games. Here’s a look at the 10 biggest storylines leading up to the 2018 Winter Olympics.

1. Four new events added

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recognized that times are changing and, as a result, they have added four new events for the 2018 Winter Olympics. Athletes will now compete in big air snowboarding and freestyle skiing, as well as mass start speed skating and mixed doubles curling.

As entertaining as big air snowboarding and freestyle skiing may be, most American viewers will undoubtedly be drawn to mixed doubles curling because of how popular the sport has become in recent years. In fact, outside of hockey, it may end up being the most-watched event of the Olympics (seriously…). The addition of these four events adds a little extra flavor to the Games this year.

2. NHL takes a pass on 2018 Winter Olympics

In April of 2017, the NHL officially announced that they would not participate in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. An official statement cited disruption of the 2017-2018 season as one of the reasons.

“We have previously made clear that while the overwhelming majority of our clubs are adamantly opposed to disrupting the 2017-18 NHL season for purposes of accommodating Olympic participation by some NHL players,” the NHL’s statement said in part.

Other issues stemmed from the IOC’s refusal to pay for travel, insurance, accommodations and other costs for NHL players, which it had done previously. And while other entities stepped up to cover those costs, there were ultimately too many issues to overcome. The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the league’s players were not happy with the NHL’s decision, but with the Olympic Games now looming, the vast majority of players have reluctantly packed it in and accepted they would not be participating in 2018. It will be the first time NHL players were left off Olympic rosters since 1998.

3. Nigeria gets first-time Winter representation with female bobsled team

Nigeria has been participating at the Olympics since 1952 with the sole exception of 1976 Summer Games, which were boycotted, but never before had they been represented at the Winter Games. That is, until 2018.

Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga, a trio of women, became the first-ever Nigerians to qualify for the Winter Olympics. And if that weren’t impressive enough, they are actually Africa’s first-ever bobsled team — male or female — to compete in the Winter Olympics.

“I basically got into the sport of bobsledding in 2015 after a little bit of a hiatus from athletics,” Adigun told PEOPLE. “I also learned that Nigeria, the country, had never had any Winter Olympians … And then to cap it off, I learned that the continent of Africa had never been represented, man or woman, by any bobsled team. So I was like, ‘Okay, this is obviously something that is gonna hang over my head if I don’t step in and try and do something about it.'”

The group initially turned to crowd-sourcing to cover their Olympic expenses, including travel, but VISA eventually stepped in to fund them. As a result, we’ll all get to witness more history.

4. North Korea agrees to send athletes to Olympics

In what was considered a remarkable and unexpected breakthrough, North Korea agreed to send athletes to South Korea to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games. The decision stunned many as tensions between the two nations have continued to escalate in recent months over the North Korea’s nuclear and missile program.

In addition to athletes, North Korea will also send a cheering squad and a performance-art troupe to South Korea. This will mark North Korea’s first participation in the Winter Olympics in eight years, and a dramatic change in political policy. Just prior to the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in Seoul, which the North had boycotted, a bomb was planted on a Korean Air passenger plane, killing all 115 on board. The South believed the terrorist attack was aimed at sabotaging the Games.

It is not known if the North attached any conditions to its decision to attend, but the IOC has agreed to help cover the athletes’ expenses, including travel. A safe route to the Games is still being determined.

5. Russia banned from 2018 Winter Olympics

In December of 2017, the IOC officially announced that the Russian Olympic Committee was suspended from the upcoming Olympic Games due to a doping controversy. The ban came more than a year after the World Anti-Doping Agency concluded “beyond a reasonable doubt” that the Russian Anti-Doping Agency (RUSADA), Ministry of Sport, Federal Security Service (FSB) and Centre of Sports Preparation of the National Teams of Russia had “operated for the protection of doped Russian athletes” within a “state-directed failsafe system.”

It was alleged that nearly a third of all Russian medals won during the Sochi Olympics were by athletes who were illegally doping. Ultimately, there will not be a Russian team during the 2018 Games, but several Russian athletes will be allowed to compete under the designation Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR) and will sport a neutral Olympic flag.

6. First openly gay man qualifies for Olympics

On Jan. 7, figure skater Adam Rippon qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics and in doing so, became the first openly gay man to represent the American flag at either the Summer or Winter Games. “I am so excited to be going to my first Olympics in a few weeks,” Rippong tweeted after qualifying. “Being the first out male selected to represent the [flag] at a Winter Olympic Games is awesome.”

In addition to blazing a path for the U.S., Rippon feels a sense of responsibility to show athletes from countries like Morocco, Togo, Kenya, Eritrea, Dominica, Uzbekistan, Iran, India, Pakistan, Malaysia and Singapore, which outlaw homosexuality, that there’s nothing wrong or “weird” with being a gay man.

“Yes, there will be countries represented that don’t give rights to their gay citizens,” Rippon told Newsweek. “But that’s why it’s important that someone like me can go to the Olympics and show people that yes, I’m an out gay athlete, and being gay has nothing to do with who I am as an athlete.”

At 28 years old, Rippon will also become the oldest U.S. figure-skating Olympic rookie since 1936.

7. Transgender athletes allowed to compete for first time

For the first time, the IOC has ruled that transgender athletes can take part in the Olympics. Female-to-male athletes can compete “without restriction,” while male-to-female athletes must undergo hormone therapy. Previously, IOC guidelines called for athletes to have reassignment surgery followed by at least two years of hormone therapy in order to be eligible. The only remaining regulation is that male-to-female athletes must demonstrate that their testosterone levels have consistently been below the cutoff point for at least one full year prior to competition.

“It is necessary to ensure insofar as possible that trans athletes are not excluded from the opportunity to participate in sporting competition,” the IOC said in a statement. “The overriding sporting objective is and remains the guarantee of fair competition. To require surgical anatomical changes as a precondition to participation is not necessary to preserve fair competition and may be inconsistent with developing legislation and notions of human rights.”

Even among some of the transgender athletes, debate will rage about what’s fair and what’s not. Regardless of what side anyone comes down on, history will be made in Pyeongchang as transgender athletes compete without surgery for the first time.

8. Zahra Lari will compete wearing a headscarf

Along with an openly gay man and transgender athletes, the 2018 Winter Olympics will also see the first professional figure skater to compete internationally wearing a headscarf. Zahra Lari, a 22-year-old from the United Arab Emirates, will become the first skater from a Persian Gulf state to participate in international figure skating competition. And for those watching at home, along with her headscarf, Lari’s attire will be dramatically different from what they’re accustomed to seeing — she will don opaque cloth, covering her legs and matching her headscarf.

During the European Cup in Canazei, Italy in 2012, Lari had points deducted from her performance due to a “outfit violation,” but that will be a non-issue during the Winter Games in Pyeongchang, where her attire will be permitted. Ultimately, Lari has bigger goals than just the Olympics.

“My goals go beyond being the first person to represent the UAE at a Winter Olympics,” she told The Independent. “I want to compete at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and the World Championships. These competitions are my current goal.”

9. U.S., South Korea delay military exercises until after Olympics

With diplomatic tensions between North Korea and South Korea a concern, South Korean President Moon Jae-in requested that all U.S.-South Korean military exercises be delayed until the conclusion of the Winter Olympic Games. After a brief phone call in early January, U.S. President Donald Trump agreed.

“President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Moon Jae-in of the Republic of Korea to discuss recent developments on the Korean Peninsula. The two leaders agreed to continue the campaign of maximum pressure against North Korea and to not repeat mistakes of the past. The United States and the Republic of Korea are committed to a safe and successful 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang. President Trump told President Moon that the United States will send a high-level delegation to the Olympics. The two leaders agreed to de-conflict the Olympics and our military exercises so that United States and Republic of Korea forces can focus on ensuring the security of the Games,” the White House said in a statement.

Not every American politician agreed with the decision, but most believe that in the interest of the athletes’ safety, it was the right call.

10. NBC will stream Olympics in VR

New events won’t be the only history made during the 2018 Winter Olympics. In fact, quite a few things on this list will mark history being made, including more than 50 hours of Olympics available in VR. NBC will provide more than 50 hours of virtual reality coverage for authenticated users with Windows Mixed Reality headsets, Samsung Gear VR, and both Google Cardboard and Google Daydream using compatible iOS or Android devices through the NBC Sports VR app. The coverage will include opening and closing ceremonies, as well as most events. NBC will also offer once daily 360-degree videos of a sport not available in VR the previous day. How amazing is that?

from Larry Brown Sports http://ift.tt/2BZ1GAO

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