Sports is one topic that can usually be guaranteed to provoke lively debate. Find out what the current hot sporting debates are by checking in regularly to this page.
Cricket articles:
The Ashes series has started, pitting England against Australia in a sporting contest that goes back a long way and always produces great drama. Whether you're already a cricket fan or are just cricket curious, here are some articles that I hope will be of interest:
An overview of the different types of cricket matches: Not sure of the differences between Test matches, one-day matches and Twenty20 matches? Then, this is the article for you! http://www.helium.com/items/1516231-different-types-of-cricket
The legacy of Sir Donald Bradman to the cricket world: The Don is widely considered to be the greatest batsman of all time and quite possibly the greatest cricketer fullstop. Check out what his legacy has been to the sport here, http://www.helium.com/items/1516306-donald-bradman-cricket-legacy
Website review: www.cricinfo.com . Cricinfo is probably the most comprehensive website in the world on cricket, and possibly one of the best sports websites. Read my review of what it offers here, http://www.helium.com/items/1517548-cricinfo-website-review
Tennis articles:
Should Wimbledon and the Australian Open introduce tiebreaks for the 5th set? The 2009 men's singles final at Wimbledon saw Roger Federer triumph 16-14 in the final set against Andy Roddick. They had been on court for over 4 hours of brutal aggressive tennis. Does this add weight to the argument that Wimbledon (and the Australian Open) should introduce a tiebreak to decide matches? http://www.helium.com/items/807697-arguments-against-wimbledon-and-the-australian-open-introducing-final-set
Rugby Union articles:
'Ireland's 2009 Six Nations Grand Slam victory. In 2009, Ireland secured the Six Nations title and, in the process, also their second ever grand slam. It was all down in nail-biting fashion, with their match against Wales going down to the last kick! Here's an article that reflects on this season of success and drama, http://www.helium.com/items/1388980-rugby-union-ireland-win-historic-six-nations-grand-slam-against-wales-in-2009
'How to tackle in rugby', http://www.helium.com/items/1378387-how-to-make-a-successful-tackle-in-rugby-union . An article that covers the basics of making successful tackles when playing rugby.
'How to advance the ball in rugby', http://www.helium.com/items/1378116-playing-rugby-how-to-advance-the-ball-in-rugby-union . A beginner's guide to the various ways that the ball can be advanced in rugby union.
'What is the Triple Crown', http://www.helium.com/items/1376728-what-is-the-rugby-triple-crown-and-how-does-it-fit-in-with-the-six-nations-championship . In 2009, Ireland won the Six Nations championship, the Grand Slam and the Triple Crown. This article explains what the Triple Crown is!
Football (soccer) articles:
In one moment, Thierry Henry went from much respected football superstar to derided cheat. His deliberate handball ended the Republic of Ireland's World Cup dreams but how should FIFA (the sport's world governing body) respond? Should Henry be banned from the World Cup? Would that be a suitable punishment? I look at these questions here, http://www.helium.com/items/1655975-henry-world-cup-ban
The history of football (soccer) cards and stickers: http://www.helium.com/items/1634944-history-of-football-cards
The importance of pre season friendlies: http://www.helium.com/items/1530988-football-pre-season-friendlies
The importance of pre season training: http://www.helium.com/items/1530667-football-pre-season-training
Player profile: Barry Ferguson. Scotland and Rangers player Barry Ferguson has made the headlines for all the wrong reasons recently. A breach of discipline whilst on international duty was compounded when he and teammate Allan McGregor made offensive V signs during the Scotland vs Iceland match. The result was a lifetime international ban, plus being stripped of the captain's armband at Rangers. It's just the latest piece of drama in what has been a very eventful career. Read my profile of Barry Ferguson for an overview of the highs and lows. http://www.helium.com/items/1403133-soccer-profile-of-scotland-and-rangers-football-player-barry-ferguson-scandal-ban
Playstation: The death of a sporting nation. It's been suggested that football (and sport in general) in countries such as England has suffered due to the fact that kids are playing games consoles rather than doing physical exercise. Here's an article that considers the extent to which that accusation is true. http://www.helium.com/items/1401589-has-playstation-and-computer-games-killed-sport-and-the-health-of-a-generation-of-kids
Soccer is finally making in-roads in the US, with ever higher participation levels amongst kids. I've contributed to an article that debates what has fueled this trend. Read and make your own contributions here, http://www.helium.com/items/957060-the-trend-toward-soccer-among-young-kids
And, on a similar theme, here's an article about why soccer is good for kids, http://www.helium.com/items/957344-why-soccer-is-good-for-kids
The horrific leg break suffered by Arsenal player, Eduardo, prompted lots of debate about whether penalties for foul challenges need to be reviewed? Vote on (and contribute to) this topic here, http://www.helium.com/debates/148917-should-there-be-tougher-penalties-for-dangerous-soccer-tackles/side_by_side?page=1
Another topic that may interest you concerns the nations who aren't currently being allowed to compete in FIFA-governed tournaments. Should nations such as Greenland, Tibet, and Gibraltar be allowed to join the football community. Vote here, http://www.helium.com/debates/147398-should-all-nations-be-allowed-to-join-fifa-and-compete-for-the-world-cup/side_by_side?page=1
And for all of you who play football, I've added an article on how to prepare for a big game! http://www.helium.com/items/923930-how-to-prepare-for-a-big-soccer-match