Many of soccer's greatest players have been small fries. Diego Maradona is only 5'5". Lionel Messi is 5''7". Pele towers over both of them at 5'8". According to new research, these little guys have, in addition to their superhuman quickness and skill, an extra advantage: Shrimps get all the calls.



Niels van Quaquebeke and Steffen R. Giessner, researchers at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, compiled refereeing data from seven seasons of the German Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions Leag… Continue

After Hitler came to power, the sociologist Eugen Rosenstock-Huessy emigrated to the United States. Rosenstock-Huessy began teaching at Harvard and converted his lectures into English. He noticed, though, that his students weren’t grasping his points. His language was not the problem,… Continue

Events that induce environmental stress in a large number of people in defined areas — such as earthquakes, war, and sporting events — may increase the risk of cardiovascular events. Reports of the association between soccer matches and rates of illness or death from cardiac causes have been controversial.… Continue

Fans can hope for a great game but they have no right to expect it.

The stage was set, the arena packed to capacity and the main characters ready to play their parts to perfection.

But rather than putting on a show to remember, the performers fluffed their way through a 90-minute borefest which left those who paid top dollar for highly sought after tickets scratching their heads in confusion.

Was it not the obligation of the individuals behind the scenes to ensure that the spectators got thei… Continue