the mad sports man

 Canada started out dominating, scoring first three goals to which Sweden scores one of their own on a 5 minute power play. Canada held Sweden to three shots on that PP. 2nd period was scoreless, while Canada killed off a 5 on 3 disadvantage. Third period Canada added to the lead and won 5-1. Canada finishes 2nd in their group, Sweden 3rd and Czech Republic won the group. Quarterfinals has: Czech Republic vs Switzerland, Finland vs Sweden, United States vs Germany and Canada vs Slovakia. Quarterfinals are on Monday. Happy new year. 

 Yup another blowout. Canada 11 Austria 0.  Connor Bedard with a goal and 5 assists. The goal ties Jordan Eberle for most goals by a Canadian in the world juniors.  They each has 14 goals. Canada plays Sweden on New Year's Eve to finish the round robin. 

 This turned into a rout as Canada blows out Germany 11-2. Connor Bedard tied a  Canadian record for most points in a game with 7 with four others. (Dave Andreychuk and Mike Cammaleri were two I heard). Canada plays Austria tomorrow night. Puck drop at 5:30pm Prince Albert time. 

 Yup. Game finished a few minutes ago. Slovakia beat the United States 6-3. Gotta love these surprises. Even yesterday, Sweden barely beat Germany 1-0.  Which surprise come next?

 Czech goalie Tomas Suchanek set a record for having two assists in yesterday's game vs Austria.  He also has assist from Monday's game vs Canada.  Which means he now has a record for most assists by a goalie with 3. He could add to it.

 It happened. Czech Republic just beat Canada 5-2 to open their tournament. Czechs played real well. Turning point was Canada had a goal called back for offside and off went the Czechs. Also the first time since 1998 that Canada lost the opener (vs Finland). They finished 8th that year (after losing to Kazakhstan). Other games had USA 5 Latvia 2 and Sweden 11 Austria 0. (See previous entry for Switzerland/Finland.). Canada's next game is on Wednesday vs Germany.

 It's opening day and first game had Switzerland surprise Finland 3-2 in overtime. Quite the start. Canada starts vs Czech Republic at 5:30. Let's go. 

 Merry Christmas to all of you.  I hope you had a great day today with your loved ones,  whoever they may be.

 This season had (I'm sure you know) 70 games and 6 teams. Highlights includes: 1. November 26 1961 had Gordie Howe play his 1000th game.  2.  January 17 1962 Glenn Hall plays 500th consecutive game in net.  Bobby Hull 3rd player to reach 50 goals in a season (Bernie Geoffrion and Maurice Richard). March 14 Gordie Howe records 500th goal and Andy Bathgate of New York scores on a penalty shot. New York 3 Detroit 2. February 10, Jacques Plante is first goalie to record 7 30 win seasons. Stan Mikita sets a playoff record, recording 21 points.  Playoffs had: SF; Chicago 4 Montreal 2, Toronto 4 New York 2. Stanley Cup final: Toronto 4 Chicago 2. Toronto wins 10th Stanley Cup and first since 1951.  Soon, the 1962-63 season. 

 At 3:47pm Prince Albert time, winter makes its official "arrival".  It's been here already with the snow and cold. First full day tomorrow has the daylight hours slowly increase. Good. Looking forward to summer. 

 It went through the 90 minutes with the score 2-2. Extra time was needed and both France and Argentina traded goals.  Penalties time. Argentina wins the world cup on penalties 4-2 and has won their 3rd championship. Lionel Messi has his first. Congrats to Argentina. 

 Croatia has third place after beating Morocco 2-1. Best finish for Morocco.  Tomorrow has Argentina vs France for the championship. 

 France has beaten Morocco 2-0 to move on to the final Sunday morning vs Argentina. Morocco will play Croatia for 3rd place on Saturday morning. This will be Morocco best ever result. Either France or Argentina will be winning their 3rd title. France has a chance to be the first repeat champion since Brazil won in 1958 and 1962.  We'll see what shakes down this weekend. 

 Alexander Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals has scored his 800th goal in Chicago, making him the third player to do so. He's behind Gordie Howe (801) and Wayne Gretzky (894). Ovechkin will get past Howe, but when will he get past Gretzky? Stay tuned. 

 Argentina is going to the final after beating Croatia 3-0. They will be facing the France vs Morocco winner. That semi is tomorrow. Croatia will play for 3rd place Saturday, Argentina plays Sunday. 

 France beat England 2-1 and the big one was Morocco beating Portugal 1-0. Morocco is the first African nation to reach the semis. It will be France vs Morocco in one semi on Wednesday and Croatia vs Argentina in the other semi on Tuesday. Who will be in the final? Who will play for 3rd? Stay tuned 

 Yikes. The big one was Croatia beating Brazil in penalties 4-2 (game was tied at one).  The other quarterfinal of the day had Argentina win in penalties 4-3 (Argentina was up two goals before Netherlands tied it). Croatia will play Argentina in one semi final on Tuesday. Tomorrow is the other two quarterfinals games with the winners playing in the other semi final game on Wednesday. 

 Yesterday it was announced the 2024 Brier will be in Regina Saskatchewan from March 1 to 10.  Today: 1. The 2024 Scotties will be in Winsport in Calgary (same place as where the bubble was).  2. Marie Philip Poulin was named the Northern Star award (formerly Lou Marsh) for Canada's top athlete. She is the first female hockey player to win it.  So a good 24 hours. 

 A surprise and a blowout.  Portugal blew our Switzerland 6-1 in which Cristiano Ronaldo did not start. The surprise had Morocco beating Spain and it went to penalties, shich Morocco won 3-0. (game went scoreless). Sooo...Portugal vs Morocco in the quarterfinals on Saturday as well as England vs France. Friday has Netherlands vs Argentina and Croatia vs Brazil. 

 The not so surprising and a penalty kick day. Start with the not so surprising as Brazil 🇧🇷 beat South Korea 🇰🇷4-1 and Croatia 🇭🇷 beat Japan 🇯🇵 in penalty kicks 3-1 after going through the 120 minutes tied at one. Sooooo...... it will be Brazil vs Croatia in the quarterfinals on Friday  along with Netherlands 🇳🇱 vs Argentina 🇦🇷. 

 France 🇫🇷 beat Poland 🇵🇱 3-1 and England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 beat Senegal 🇸🇳 3-0 to move into the quarterfinals. France and England will play each other on the 10th. Stay tuned for more. 

 The Netherlands beat the United States 3-1 and Argentina beat Australia 2-1. The Netherlands will play Argentina on the 9th in yhe quarter finals on the 9th.

 Group G had Brazil 🇧🇷 first, Switzerland 🇨🇭 2nd, Cameroon 🇨🇲 3rd and Serbia 🇷🇸 last. Brazil and Switzerland advance. Brazil and Switzerland had identical records, Brazil takes first on goals differential. Group H had Portugal 🇵🇹 first, South Korea 🇰🇷 2nd, Uruguay 🇺🇾 3rd and Ghana 🇬🇭 last.  Portugal and South Korea advance.  South Korea and Uruguay had identical records,  South Korea advance on goals differential. Brazil faces South Korea on Monday and Portugal faces Switzerland on Tuesday in round of 16.

 Group E had Japan 🇯🇵 first, Spain 🇪🇸 2nd, Germany 🇩🇪 3rd and Costa Rica 🇨🇷 last. Japan and Spain advance. Group F had Morocco 🇲🇦 first, Croatia 🇭🇷 2nd, Belgium 🇧🇪 3rd and Canada 🇨🇦 last. Morocco and Croatia advance. Japan plays Croatia on Monday and Morocco plays Spain on Tuesday,  both in the round of 16.

 Argentina 🇦🇷 takes first in group C followed by Poland 🇵🇱 in 2nd, Mexico 🇲🇽 3rd and Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 last.  (Poland and Mexico had same record. Poland had better goals differential 0 to -1). Argentina and Poland advance. Group D had France 🇫🇷 first, Australia 🇦🇺 2nd, Tunisia 🇹🇳 3rd and Denmark 🇩🇰 4th. France and Australia advance. France and Australia also had identical records. France had better goals differential +3 to -1. Argentina plays Australia on Saturday in the round of 16, while France plays Poland on Sunday. Tomorrow will be groups E and F.

 The 2026 Commonwealth Games are in the Australian state of Victoria (a first) 75 nations and 5000+ athletes scheduled to compete in 21 sports. Venues include Karadinia Park in Geelong, Eureka Stadium in Ballarat and Melbourne Cricket grounds. As mentioned, first games in one region instead of one city. First games under King Charles III. Sports include 3×3 basketball, 3x3 wheelchair basketball, shooting, shooting para sport, mountain bike cross, track cycling and para track cycling. Rowing, golf and BMX to debut. Judo, wrestling and rhythmic Gymnastics dropped. Bendigo and Gippsland also to hold events. Gabon 🇬🇦 and Togo 🇹🇬 expected to send a team in 2026. By the numbers. Australia has hosted the most, hosting 5 times. Canada has hosted 4 times. England, New Zealand and Scotland 3 times, Wales, Jamaica, Malaysia and India once.  Top 3 medals: Australia leads with 1003g, 834s, 767b for 2604 total. England is 2nd with 773g, 783s, 766b for 2322 total.  Canada is 3rd with 510g, 548s,

 So I decided to do this today. The 22nd Commonwealth Games was in Birmingham England from July 28 to August 8. Maldives 🇲🇻 returned to the Commonwealth, marking all 72 Commonwealth nations competing. 5054 athletes competed in 280 events and 20 sports. Charles, Prince of Wales opened the games, Geva Mentor gave the athletes oath and Denise Lewis was final baton runner. Alexander Stadium was main venue. Durban South Africa was originally selected to host these games, but due to financial constraints (I heard the missed some payments) they were stripped of host duties in March 2017. Birmingham was chosen to host on December 21st 2017.  Road cycling, judo, triathlon, table tennis and wrestling added to the games.  There were 7 podium sweeps (5 from Australia, 2 from England). 43 nations won a medal. The Gambia 🇬🇲 won its first silver from Faye Nije in mens 73kg judo. 🇳🇺 won its first ever medal in boxing. Duken Tutakitoa-Williams won it in mens heavyweight. Australia was (ya you kno

 Group A had Netherlands 🇳🇱 first, Senegal 🇸🇳 second, Ecuador 🇪🇨 3rd and Qatar 🇶🇦 last. Netherlands and Senegal advance. Group B had  England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 first, USA 🇺🇸 2nd, Iran 🇮🇷 3rd and Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 last. England and USA advance.  Netherlands plays the USA in the round of 16 on December 3, England plays Senegal on the 4th. Groups C and D tomorrow. Stay tuned. 

 The 21st Commonwealth Games were in Gold Coast Australia (Queensland if you're wondering). They were from April 4-15. 71 nations, and 4426 athletes competed in 275 events in 18 sports. Charles, Prince of Wales opened the games,  Karen Murphy did the athletes oath and Sally Pearson was final baton runner. Carrara Stadium was main venue. 300 Para athletes were included in the athletes total. The Gambia 🇬🇲 was readmitted March 31 after withdrawing in 2013. Maldives 🇲🇻 withdrew from Commonwealth in 2016 and obviously didn't go.  Swaziland 🇸🇿 makes final appearance before being renamed as Eswatini. Judo wac dropped,  basketball readmitted, and womens rugby 7s and beach volleyball made debuts.  7 podium sweeps. Australia had six, Kenya had the 7th. 43 nations won a medal. Firsts had: 1. Solomon Islands won its first ever medal  - a bronze from Jenly Tegu Wini in womens 58kg weightlifting.  2. Cook Islands won its first ever medal  - a bronze from Taiki Paniani and Aidan Zitter

 The 20th (can you believe 20 already) edition of the Commonwealth Games was in Glasgow Scotland from July 23 to August 3. 71 nations and 4987 athletes competed in 261 events and 18 sports. Prince Edward opened the games and Sir Chris Hoy was final baton runner. Celtic Park (opening ceremony) and Hampden Park (closing ceremony) were main venues. Kiribati 🇰🇮 won its first ever medal - a gold in 105kg mens weightlifting. Grenada 🇬🇩 won its first ever gold in the mens 400m. Chad Le Clos of South Africa won 7 medals (2g, 1s, 4b). Patricia Bezzowbenko of Canada won 5 golds in rhythmic Gymnastics. 37 nations won a medal,  and there were 8 podium sweeps.  England was first in golds and overall (surprise) with 58g  59s, 57b for 174 total. Australia was 2nd in both with 49g, 42s, 46b for 137 total. Canada was 3rd in both with 32g, 16s, 34b for 82 total. Host Scotland was 4th in gold and 5th overall with 19g, 15s, 19b for 53 total.  India was 5th in gold and 4th overall with 15g, 30s, 19b fo

 The 19th edition was in Delhi India 🇮🇳 from October 3-14. 71 nations and 4352 athletes competed in 272 events and 21 sports. Charles, Prince of Wales and President of India Pratibha Patil opened the games, athlete's oath by Abhined Bindra and Sushil Kumar was final baton runner. Main venue was Jawaharlal Nehru stadium.  2nd time the games was in a country not headed by British Monarchy. Fiji had been suspended from Commonwealth and Tokelau 🇹🇰 did not send a team. Rwanda 🇷🇼 debuted here.  Triathlon and basketball were dropped,  but archery, tennis and wrestling were added. 36 nations won a medal. 12 podium sweeps. Australia was first in golds and overall with 74g, 55s, 48b for 171 total. India was 2nd in golds and 3rd overall with 38g, 27s, 36b for 101. England was 3rd in golds and 2nd overall with 37g, 60s, 45b for 142. Canada was 4th in both with 26g, 17s, 32b for 75. New Zealand was 11th in golds and 5th overall with 6g, 22s, 8b for 36. Malaysia was tied for 5th in gold an

 The 18th edition of the Commonwealth Games was in Melbourne Australia from March 15 to 26. 71 nations znd 4071 athletes competed in 245 events and 17 sports. Opened by Queen Elizabeth II, Adam Pine did the athlete's oath and final baton runner was John Landy.  Melbourne Cricket Grounds was main venue.  Mascot was  Karak, a red-tailed black cockatoo (an endangered species). Queen's baton visited every Commonwealth nation for the first time. Athletics, swimming, table tennis and weightlifting was integrated for athletes with a disability. Star was Leisel Jones of Australia who won 4 golds in swimming. 39 nations won a medal.  Australia was first in golds and overall with 84g, 69s, 69b for 222. England was 2nd in both with 36g, 40s, 34b for 110. Canada was 3rd in both with 26g, 29s, 31b for 86. India was 4th in both with 22g, 17s, 11b for 50. South Africa was 5th in both with 12g, 13s, 13b for 38. Tomorrow - 2010 in New Delhi India. Here is the logo for this event. 

 The 1960-61 NHL season had (ya you know) 70 games and 6 teams.  Red Kelly moved from defense to forward, helps Toronto move to second. Stzn Mikita invents the curved stick. Jean Beliveau sets an assists record with 58. November 7, Gordie Howe is first player to 1000 points. August 26, the original Hockey Hall of Fame building opens. Semi finals had: Chicago 4 Montreal 2 and Detroit 4 Toronto 1. First series featuring two American teams since 1950. With the Montreal loss: their 5 championships in a row end. 2. Their consecutive series wins at 10 end. 3. Their streak of 10 consecutive finals appearances comes to an end.  Wow. The first and third streaks are safe.  The second one will eventually be broken.  Stanley Cup finals has Chicago beating Detroit 4-2 to win their 3rd ever Cup znd first since 1938. That is this season. 

 The 17th edition was held in Manchester England from July 25 to August 4. 72 nations and 2863 athletes competed in 281 events and 17 sports.  They were opened and closed by Queen Elizabeth II. Final baton runners were David Beckham and Kristy Howard. City of Manchester stadium was main venue. Games coincided with the Golden Jubilee of the Queen. These games had most events of any games in history (to this point). Zimbabwe 🇿🇼 appeared for the last time. They withdrew from the Commonwealth of nations in 2003. In the mens 100m, Kim Collins of Saint Kitts and Nevis wins country's first ever gold. On the last day of track, England won gold in yhe 4X100m and 4x400m by the smallest of margins. 39 nations won a medal. Australia was first in golds and overall with 82g, 62s and 63b for 207 total. England was 2nd in both with 54g, 51s, and 60b for 165 total. Canada was 3rd in both with 31g, 41s, 44b for 116 total. India was 4th in both with 30g, 22s and 17b for 69 total. New Zealand was 5t

 The 16th (16th) edition of hhe Commonwealth Games were in Kuala Lumpur Malaysia 🇲🇾 from September 11-21. 70 nations and 3638 athletes competed in 214 events and 15 sports. Queen Elizabeth II opened the games and Koh Eng Tong was final baton runner. Bukit Jalil National Stadium was main venue. These were: 1. First games in an Asian country 2. Last games in the 20th century 3. First games to take place in a nation with a head of state other than head of the Commonwealth 4. First games in a country which English was not the dominant language and 5. First games to have team sports. Field hockey (men and women), netball (women) and rugby 7s (men) were added.  Mascot was an orangutan named Wira. Cameroon 🇨🇲, Kiribati 🇰🇮, Mozambique 🇲🇿 and Tuvalu 🇹🇻 debuted here. Some events began before the opening ceremony. 34 nations won a medal. Australia was first in golds and overall with 80g, 61s, 51b for 198 total (almost 200). England was 2nd in both with 36g, 47s, 53b for 136 total. Canad

 The 15th edition was hosted by Victoria, British Columbia from August 18 to 28. 63 nations and 2557 athletes competed in 216 and 10 sports. Opened by Queen Elizabeth II. Final baton runner was Myriam Bedard.  Centennial Stadium was main venue. South Africa made its return to the games after the apartheid regime was out (1958 was their last appearance). Namibia 🇳🇦 and Montserrat 🇲🇸 made their debuts and Hong Kong made last appearance before the British handed the territory back to China.  These were the last games not jo have teams sports. Starting in 1998, basketball, rugby 7s and field hockey were added.  33 nations won a medal. Australia was first in golds and overall with 89g, 53s, 44b for 186 (200 is close). Canada was 2nd in both with 40g, 42s, 47b for 129. England was 3rd in both with 30g, 45s, 51b for 126. First time England did not finish in top 2. New Zealand was 8th in gold and 4th overall with 5g, 16s, 21b for 42. Nigeria was 4th in gold and 5th overall with 11g, 13s, 1

 It was Japan beating Germany 2-1 that was the surprise. Spain beat Costa Rica 7-0, Morocco and Croatia played to a 0-0 tie znd Belgium beat Canada 1-0, despite Canada playing pretty well and had a few chances to score,  but couldn't. Canada plays again Sunday vs Croatia. 

 Auckland New Zealand was host of the 14th Commonwealth Games from January 24 to February 3.  55 nations and 2024 athletes competed in 213 events and 10 sports. Netball and triathlon were demonstration sports.  Games were held during New Zealand's sesquicentennial year.  Main venue was Mount Smart Stadium.  Prince Edward opened the games and the final baton runners were Mark Todd and Peter Snell. Yhe mascot was a kiwi bird named Goldie. British Virgin Islands,  Brunei 🇧🇳, Nauru 🇳🇷 and Seychelles 🇸🇨 made their debuts here.  29 nations won a medal. Top 5: Australia was first in golds and overall with 52g, 54s, 56b for 162 total. England was 2nd in golds and overall with 46g, 40s, 42b for 128. Canada was 3rd in both with 35g, 41s, 37b for 113 total.  Host New Zealand was 4th in both with 17g, 14s, 27b for 58 total. India rounds out the top 5 in both with 13g, 8s, 11b for 32 total.  Tomorrow is the 1994 games in Victoria, B.C. here is the logo for 1990.

 A bit of a world cup surprise as Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 beat Argentina 🇦🇷 2-1. Surprise!!  Denmark 🇩🇰 and Tunisia 🇹🇳 tied at 0-0. Two more games later. Yesterday had Netherlands 🇳🇱 beat Senegal 🇸🇳 2-0, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 beat Iran 🇮🇷 6-2 and USA 🇺🇸 tie Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿 1-1. Mexico 🇲🇽 vs Poland 🇵🇱 and France 🇫🇷 vs Australia 🇦🇺 is later. 

 The 13th edition was in Edinburgh Scotland and held from July 24 to August 2. 27 nations and 1660 athletes competed in 161 events and 10 sports. 32 nations boycotted the games due to Margaret Thatcher government's policy on keeping Britain's sporting links open with apartheid South Africa. On top of that, yhe games were facing financial problems. Several athletes were excluded due to breaching amateurism rules.  Queen's baton final runner was Allan Wells, Queen Elizabeth II opened the games and Meadowbank stadium was main venue. Norfolk Island and Maldives 🇲🇻 debuted here.  15 nations won a medal. England was first in golds and overall with 52g, 43s, and 49b for 144 total. Australia was 3rd in golds and 2nd overall with 40g, 46s, and 35b for 121 total. Canada was 2nd in golds and 3rd overall with 51g, 34s, and 31b for 116 total. New Zealand was 4th in both with 8g, 16s and 14b for 38 total. Hist Scotland was 6th in gold and 5th overall with 3g, 12s, 18b for 33 total. Tom

 What a 4th quarter. A punt return for a touchdown. Two blocked field goal attempts 3 or four lead changes. Toronto has beaten Winnipeg 24-23 in a crazy finish. First Grey Cup since 2017 and 18th overall. Wow.  Sucks I couldn't be at the game. That's it for the 2022 season. See you in May.

 The 12th edition of the Commonwealth Games was in Brisbane Australia from September 30 to October 9.  46 nations and 1583 athletes competed in 141 events and 12 sports. Main venue was QEII stadium (ceremonies, athletics and archery).  Queen's baton final runner was Raylene Boyle. Logo was designed by Hugh Edwards.  Mascot was Matilda the kangaroo. Mens 200m was a literal dead heat between Mike McFarlane of England and Allan Wells of Scotland when judges couldn't separate the pair at the line. Falkland Islands, Saint Helena, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu 🇻🇺 debuted here.  23 nations won a medal. Top 5: 1. Australia was 1st in gold and 2nd overall with 39g, 39s, 29b for 107 total. England was 2nd in gold and 1st overall with 38g, 38s, 32b for 108 total. Canada was 3rd in both with 26g, 23s, 33b for 82 total.  Scotland was 4th in gold and tied for 4th overall with 8g, 6s, 12b for 26 total.  New Zealand was tied for 5th in gold and tied for 4th overall with 5g, 8s, 13b for 26 tota

 The opening game of the World Cup was this morning as Ecuador 🇪🇨 beat Qatar 🇶🇦 2-0.  Tomorrow has Senegal 🇸🇳 vs Netherlands 🇳🇱, England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 vs Iran 🇮🇷 and USA 🇺🇸 vs Wales 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿. 

 The 11th edition of the Commonwealth Games was in Edmonton Alberta from August 3 to 12.  47 nations and 1475 athletes competed in 128 events and 11 sports.  Queen Elizabeth II opened the games, first time since becoming Queen. Diane Jones Konihowski was final baton runner.  Main venue was Commonwealth stadium. First games to use computerized system to handle ticket sales, first games under Commonwealth Games name, and first to have a mascot.  Keyano the grizzly bear was mascot. Bangladesh 🇧🇩, Cayman Islands, Cyprus 🇨🇾, Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla (now Saint Kitts and Nevis) and Turks & Caicos debuted here. Some venues: 1. Commonwealth Stadium (new), 2. Commonwealth Bowls (lawn bowling,  new) 3. Argyll Velodrome (track cycling, new) 4. Kinsmen Aquatics center (new) 5. Strathcona Shooting Range (new).  6. Edmonton Gardens (boxing). Now sitscyhd Edmonton Expo Center. 7. Northlands Coliseum (Gymnastics) old home if the Oilers.  21 nations medaled.  Canada 1st in gold and over

 The 10th edition of the Commonwealth Games was in Christchurch New Zealand from January 24 to February 2. 1276 athletes from 38 nations competed in 121 events and 10 sports. These were named "the friendly Games." Main venue was the QEII Park. The athletics stadium, the roof covered pool, dive tank and practice pools were on the same site.  Queen's baton final runner was Sylvia Potts. The logo was designed by Colin Simons and set a benchmark for logos for the following 5 games. Botswana 🇧🇼, Cook Islands, Lesotho 🇱🇸, Tonga 🇹🇴, and Western Samoa 🇼🇸 debuted here. Don Quarrie of Jamaica defended his 100m and 200m from 1970 on the track. Also on yhe track, Filbert Bayi of Tanzania set a world record in winning the 1500m. Medal hauls had Australia 1st in gold and overall with 29g, 28s, 25b for 82 total. England was 2nd in both with 28g, 31s, 21b for 80 total. Canada was 3rd in both with 25g, 19s, 18b for 62 total. Host New Zealand was 4th in both with 9g, 8s, 18b 35 tot

 Edinburgh Scotland was host of the 9th games, held from July 16 to 25.  42 nations and 1483 athletes competed in 121 events in 10 sports.  First games under British Commonwealth name, first games to use metric measurements, first to use photo finishes, and first to use a games trademark logo. Scottish brothers Ian and Peter Stewart ran in the 5000m. Ian won gold and Peter finished 4th. Lachine Stewart (no relation apparently) won gold in 10000m.  Grenada 🇬🇩, Guernsey 🇬🇬, Malawi 🇲🇼,  Swaziland 🇸🇿 and The Gambia 🇬🇲 made their debut here.  27 nations won a medal. Speaking of medals, Australia was 1st in gold and 2nd overall with 36g, 24s, 22b for 82 total. England was 2nd in gold and 1st overall with 27g, 25s, 32b fir 84 total. Canada was 3rd in both with 18g, 24s, 24b for 66 total. Host Scotland was 4th with 6g, 8s, 11b for 25 total. Kenya was 5th in gold and tied with New Zealand for 5th overall.  Kenya had 5g, 3s, 6b for 14 total.  New Zealand had 2g, 6s, 6b for 14 total. To

 These games were hosted by Kingston Jamaica from August 4-13. 34 nations,  1050 athletes and 256 coaches competed in 110 events and 10 sports.  Lawn bowls and rowing were dropped for badminton and shooting. Final games in which athletics used imperial measurements. Metric was used going forward starting in 1970. Prince Philip opened the games and was accompanied by some future king and princess Anne. That future king is prince Charles. Antigua and Barbuda, South Arabia (South Yemen) and Tanzania debuted here.  England was first in golds and total with 37g, 24s, 23b for 80 total. Australia was 2nd with 23g 28s 22b for 73 total.  Canada was 3rd with 14g, 20s, 23b for 57 total.  New Zealand was 4th with 8g, 5s, 13b for 26 total. Host nation Jamaica was 5th overall with 4s and 8b for 12 total. Only host nation to not win a gold on home games. India and Nigeria reached 10 total (3g, 4s, 3b). Tomorrow is 1970 in Edinburgh Scotland. Here is the logo for these games.

 Perth Australia was host for the 7th edition. They were held from November 22 to December 1. 35 nations and 863 athletes competed in 104 events. Athletics and the ceremonies were at Perry Lakes Stadium in the suburb of Floreat. The swimming was at Beatty Park in North Perth. Nations making their debut were Aden (South Yemen), British Honduras (Belize) Papua New Guinea, Rhodesia and Nyasaland (parts of Malawi 🇲🇼, Zambia 🇿🇲, and Zimbabwe 🇿🇼), Saint Lucia 🇱🇨 , Tanganyika (Tanzania 🇹🇿). 22 nations won a medal. Australia was first overall (and first over 100) with 38g, 36s, 31b, 105t. England was second overall with 29g, 22s, 27b 78 total. New Zealand was 3rd with 10g, 12s, 10b 32 total. Pakistan was 4th in gold and tied at 6th overall with 8g and 1s for 9 total. Ghana also had 9 total (3g 5s 1b) Canada was 5th in gold and 4th overall (4g 12s 15b 31 total). Scotland was 6th in gold and 5th overall with 4g 7s 3b 14t. Tomorrow 1966 in Kingston Jamaica.  Here is yhe logo for this ed

Cardiff, Wales was host of the 6th British empire and Commonwealth games from July 18 to 26. 35 nations and 1122 athletes competed in 94 events. Debuting nations include Gibraltar 🇬🇮, Isle of Man, Jersey 🇯🇪, Malta 🇲🇹, Mauritius 🇲🇺, North Borneo (now a part of Malaysia), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Singapore 🇸🇬 and Sierra Leone. A team from Sarawak participated. They are a part of Malaysia. 23 nations won a medal.  The queen's baton relay  began here and Ken Jones was final runner.  Cardiff Arms Park was main venue. England was first in the medal standings (29g, 22s, 29b 80 total). Australia was 2nd (27g, 22s, 17b for 66t). South Africa was 3rd (13g 10s, 8b, 31 total). Canada had 1g, 10s, 16b fir 27 total. Wales finished with 1g, 3s, 7b for 11 total. Tomorrow is 1962 in Perth Australia. Here is the poster for this one.

 The 2024 summer Olympics mascots have been unveiled, and they're named the Phryges. And here they are.

 The Winnipeg Blue Bombers are heading for the Grey Cup after knocking off the B.C. Lions 28-20. They will be playing the Toronto Argonauts for the 109th Grey Cup. They will be going for 3 in a row, (and 4 years in a row if you include the canceled 2020 season).  Should be a good one in Regina Saskatchewan 

 The5th edition was hosted by Vancouver from July 30 to August 7. These games were named the British empire and Commonwealth games. 24 nations and 662 athletes competed in 91 events. Earl Alexander of Tunis opened the games. The "Miracle Mile" race happened at these games. Roger Bannister (3:58.8) and John Landy (3:59.6) ran under the 4 minute mile, the first two to run under 4 minutes. Rich Ferguson of Canada was third (4:04.6). Empire Stadium was main venue and was built for these games. B.C.  Lions began in the CFL the same year znd moved in after the games. They hosted 7 Grey Cups. Jim Peters entered the stadium leading the marathon with a 17 minute lead and was 10 minutes clear of the record when he collapsed.  The next 11 minutes he covered 200m while collapsing several times.  He was eventually stretchered off. He thought for sure he would have died. He stopped racing after. England was first in gold and overall (23g, 24s, 20b 67t). Australia was 2nd in both (20g, 11s,

 The Toronto Argonauts are Grey Cup bound after beating Montreal Alouettes 34-27 in the Eastern final. They await the winner of the Western Final between B.C and Winnipeg. Stau tuned for that

 The 4th edition was in Auckland, New Zealand from February 4-11, 1950. 12 nations and 590 athletes participated in 87 events. Bernard Freyerg opened the games. The 4th game were originally scheduled for Montreal in 1942 but WWII canceled them and 1946. Malaysia and Nigeria debuted here.  Eden Park was main venue.  Auckland town hall (boxing and wrestling), Western Springs (cycling and closing ceremony), Lake Karapiro (rowing) and New Market Olympic pool (swimming) were other venues.  Total attendance was 246,694. That would end up more than 1954, 1958 and 1962.  Australia had most golds and overall (34g, 27s, 19b for 80t). New Zealand was 3rd in golds and 2nd overall (10g, 22s, 21b, 53t). England was 2nd in golds and 3rd overall (19g 16s, 13b 48t). Canada was 4th overall (8g, 9s 13b 30t). South Africa rounded out the top 5 with 8g 4s 8b 20t. All 12 nations won at least one medal. Tomorrow is 1954 in Vancouver.  Here is the logo (I think) for these games.

 The 1938 British empire Games (as they were still known as) was held in Sydney Australia from February 5 to 12 (in late summer for Australia). 15 nations and 464 athletes participated in 71 events. These games coincided with Sydney's sesquicentenary (150th anniversary of the founding of Sydney). They were opened by John Loder, 2nd Baron Wakehurst. The Sydney cricket grounds were main venue.  The Sydney sports ground, North Sydney Olympic ground and Hensen park were also used. Australian Decima Norman was the star with 5 golds in track and field. Ceylon (now Sri Lanka). Makes first appearance as well as Fiji 🇫🇯 (I think).  Australia was first in golds and total (25g, 19s, 22b 66t), Canada was 2nd overall and third in golds (13g, 16s, 15b 44t). England was 2nd in golds and 3rd overall (15g, 15s, 10b 40t). South Africa had 26 total and New Zealand had 22. That is the top 5. No Newfoundland in this one. With WWII starting in 1939, the next games is 1950 in Auckland New Zealand.  Her

 These games were held in London England from August 4-11. These were still the British empire Games. 17 nations, 500 athletes and 68 events held ate these games. Johannesburg South Africa was originally selected but moved to London regarding treatment of black and Asian athletes by South African officials and fans. Women in athletes began here. Hong Kong, India, Irish Free State, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Southern Rhodesia, and Trinidad & Tobago debuted here (although affiliation of Irish athletes is unclear). Main venue was Wembley Park, with track cycling was in Manchester. Was officially opened by King George V.  England was first with most golds and most overall (29g, 20s, 24b, 73t). Canada was 2nd (17g 25s 9b 51t). Scotland had 26 total, South Africa had 22 overall and Australia had 14. 12 nations won medals. Tomorrow, Sydney Australia in 1938. Here is the logo for these games. 

 The first Commonwealth Games were held from August 16 to 23 in Hamilton, Ontario. 11 nations and 400 athletes attended the games. 59 sports events at the games. Women only participated in aquatics. They were known ad the British empire Games. They were organized by Hamilton Spectator sportswriter Bobby Robinson, who had attended the 1928 summer Olympics. Many of the events, including the opening ceremony, was at Civic Stadium  - later named Ivor Wynne Stadium. Games were opened by Governor General Lord Willingdon. Few hours later, Canadian Gordon Smallacombe won ghe first ever gold in triple jump. The 11 nations were: Australia, Bermuda 🇧🇲, British Guiana, Canada, England, Ireland, Newfoundland, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, and Wales. England won most gold znd most overall (25g, 23s, 13b 61t). Canada was second (20g, 15s, 19b 54t). Tomorrow, the 1934 games in London England. Here is the poster for this one. 

 With a 30-16 win over the Calgary Stampeders, the B.C. Lions are heading to Winnipeg to face the Blue Bombers in the Western Final. This game and the Eastern final are next Sunday. 

 With a 28-17 win over the Hamilton Tiger Cats, the Montréal Alouettes are into the Eastern final, where they will be in Toronto to play the Argonauts. Getting closer to the Grey Cup. 

 The Houston Astros are world series champions after beating Philadelphia Phillies 4-1 in game 6 and the series 4-2. It's their second title. And that is it for the 2022 season. See you in 2023.

 In a Houston Astros 5-0 win, four pitchers threw a combined no hitter. Cristian Javier (6 innings 2 walks and 9 strike outs), Bryan Abreu (1, 0, 3), Rafael Montero (1, 0, 1) and Ryan Pressly (1, 1, 1) combined to mo hit hhd Philadelphia Phillies. Third post season no hitter, and second world series no hitter. 1956 was the world series perfect game thrown by Don Larsen and Roy Halladay threw one fir Philadelphia against Cincinnati in 2010 NLDS. Series is tied at two. 

Canada has a five women Gymnastics team after claiming an Olympic spot at the world Gymnastics championships in Liverpool England when the took a bronze. The run to 2024 is now on.

 They were already set couple weekends ago.  Now that the regular season is over, the playoffs have: east semi final on November 6th has Hamilton at Montreal with the winner going to Toronto on the 13th. The west semi final has Calgary at B.C. on the 6th with the winner to play in Winnipeg on the 13th. The 109th Grey Cup is on the 20th.

 This tournament is in Qatar 🇶🇦 and is scheduled from November 20 to December 18. Held at this time of the year to avoid the extreme heat in that part of the world. First tournament in the Arab world and second in Asia. First game has Qatar vs Ecuador on the 20th at AL Bayt stadium and the final is on December 18th at Lusail Iconic stadium in Lusail on Qatar national day. Qatar is making its debut. Helps when you get chosen to host. 24 teams returning from 2018 and two ending lengthy droughts. Canada 1986 and Wales 1958.  Group A: Qatar, Ecuador, Senegal and Netherlands. Group B: England, Iran, United States and Wales. Group C: Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland. Group D: France, Australia, Denmark and Tunisia. Group E: Spain, Costa Rica, Germany and Japan. Group F: Belgium, Canada, Morocco and Croatia. Group G: Brazil, Serbia, Switzerland and Cameroon. Group H: Portugal, Ghana, Uruguay and South Korea. I think Canada will beat Morocco, tie Croatia znd lose to Belgium and mis

 This tournament was in Russia from June 14 to July 15. At $14.2 billion, this was most expensive tournament, passing Brazil in 2014. Iceland 🇮🇸 and Panama 🇵🇦 made their debut here.  20 of 32 teams were in Brazil in 2014. Harry Kane of England led with 6 goals, Luka Modric of Croatia was pest player and Thibault Courtois of Belgium was top goalie. Luzhniki stadium in Moscow hosted the final. The fairplay tiebreaker came into use between Japan and Senegal. Group A: Uruguay, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Group B: Spain, Portugal, Iran and Morocco. Group C: France, Denmark, Peru and Australia. Group D: Croatia, Argentina, Nigeria and Iceland. Group E: Brazil, Switzerland, Serbia and Costa Rica. Group F: Sweden, Mexico, South Korea and Germany. Group G: Belgium, England, Tunisia and Panama. Group F: Colombia, Japan, Senegal and Poland.  Japan and Senegal had identical records (1-1-1), goals differential (0) and goals (4).  Fair play tiebreaker had Japan at -4 and Senegal at -6. Japan

 This tournament was in Brazil for the second time and was held from June 12 to July 13.  James Rodriguez of Colombia led the tournament with 6 goals.  Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦 debuted here.  Goal line technology was used for the first time in this tournament.  All 8 previous or current champions qualified (Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Germany, Italy, Spain and Uruguay). Germany was first European team to win tournament in the Americas and third tournament in a row to win tournament (Italy 2006, Spain 2010, Germany 2014). The Adidas Brazora was tournament ball.  Cooling breaks were allowed if temperatures were 32c and above and were 3 minutes long. Over 1 billion people watched the final. Group A: Brazil, Mexico, Croatia and Cameroon. Group B: Netherlands, Chile, Spain and Australia. Group C: Colombia, Greece, Ivory Coast and Japan. Group D: Costa Rica, Uruguay, Italy and England. Group E: France, Switzerland,  Ecuador and Honduras. Group F: Argentina, Nigeria, Bosnia and Her

 This tournament was in South Africa from June 11 to July 11.  There was a four way tie for most goals with 5. (Diego Forkan, Thomas Miller  David Villa and Wesley Sneijder). Final was at Soccer City in Johannesburg. Spain wins title, and is 8th to win for first time and first European team to win a world cup outside Europe. Host South Africa champion France and 2006 finalist Italy failed to get out of group stage. France is 2nd champion in 3 tournaments to not get out of group stage. World got introduced to the long horned noisemaker - the Vuvuzela. The Adidas Jabulani was game ball. For the final, a gold paneled ball was used named the Jo'bulani. Slovakia and Serbia debuted here.  Group A: Uruguay, Mexico, South Africa and France. Group B: Argentina, South Korea, Greece and Nigeria. Group C: United States, England, Slovenia and Algeria. Group D: Germany, Ghana, Australia and Serbia. Group E: Netherlands, Japan, Denmark and Cameroon.  Group F: Paraguay, Slovakia,  New Zealand and

 This season had (you know by now) 6 teams and 70 games. Highlights includes: 1. Red Kelly refused to report to New York after being traded (it was common). Toronto GM Punch Imlach picks him up. Eventually pays dividends in a couple of seasons. 2. Bobby Hull beats Bronco Horvath for the scoring race by 1 point. (Bronco Horvath is one of those players one has never heard of). 3. November 1 1959, Jacques Plante takes a shot in the nose and has to get stitches. Tells coach Toe Blake he won't play unless he wears mask. Blake gives in and Montreal goes on a roll. Plante is first player since Clint Benedict to wear a mask. 4. January 28, 1960 Plante is first player to win 30 games in six straight seasons. 5. January 27 Glenn Hall plays 329th consecutive game. 6. First season which all active players has played with an original 6 team in the original 6 Era. Playoffs had: semi finals; Montreal 4 Chicago 0 and Toronto 4 Detroit 2.  Stanley Cup: Montreal 4 Toronto 0. Montreal wins 5th consec

 Germany was host of this tournament held from June 9 to July 9. First tournament in which the defending champs (Brazil in this case) had to qualify for the tournament, meaning no automatic qualifying for champions. 2nd time Germany hosted.  Angola 🇦🇴 Ghana 🇬🇭 Ivory Coast, Trinidad and Tobago and Togo 🇹🇬 debuted here. Serbia and Montenegro made only appearance here. Montenegro had a referendum to become independent nations, which passed.  Serbia accepted results in early June. With that much time constraints, Serbia and Montenegro had to play together. Czech Republic played in their first tournament since split with Slovakia. Ukraine also made first appearance after the Soviet Union breakup.  One of the must watched tournaments with 715.1 million people estimated to watch the final.  345 yellow and 28 red cards handed out. Both records. First tournament which the host was in group A. Preceding tournaments had the champion in that group. Results: group A; Germany, Ecuador, Poland

 Japan and South Korea cohosted this tournament from May 31 to June 30. First time the tournament was in Asia as well as jointly hosted. South Korea and Turkey make pretty good runs, part of some upsets. Another had France get 1 point and not score. They were the first of 4 of 5 champions that won the previous tournament and not get out of group stage the next tournament. China, Ecuador, Senegal and Slovenia debut here. Turkey scored three fastest goal, 10.8 seconds into the game in a 3-2 win over South Korea in the 3rd place game. Last tournament to use Golden Goal. Group A: Denmark, Senegal, Uruguay and France. Group B: Spain, Paraguay, South Africa, and Slovenia. Group C: Brazil, Turkey, Costa Rica and China. Group D: South Korea, United States, Portugal and Poland. Group E: Germany, Ireland, Cameroon and Saudi Arabia. Group F: Sweden, England, Argentina and Nigeria. Group G: Mexico, Italy, Croatia and Ecuador. Group F: Japan, Belgium, Russia and Tunisia. Spain and Brazil maxed out

 France was the host of this tournament and was held from June 10 to July 12. France hosted for the second time (1938) and at 32 days, the longest tournament so far. Was also the 9th time it was in Europe.  First tournament to have 32 teams. France won for the first time - the 7th to do so and 6th to win at home (Uruguay, Italy, England, West Germany, and Argentina). Croatia 🇭🇷, Jamaica 🇯🇲 Japan 🇯🇵 and South Africa 🇿🇦 debuted here. First to use hand held electronic signs (for substitutions and how many minutes of stoppage time).  First to use "golden goal" and up to 3 substitutions per game. Mascot was Footix - a soccer playing rooster. Ball was the Adidas Tricolore. Top two in each group advanced. Group A: Brazil, Norway, Morocco and Scotland. Group B: Italy, Chile, Austria and Cameroon. Group C: France, Denmark, South Africa and Saudi Arabia. Group D: Nigeria, Paraguay, Spain and Bulgaria. Group E: Netherlands, Mexico, Belgium and South Korea. Group F: Germany, Yugo

 Last night in a Vegas 4-2 win in San Jose, Phil "the thrill" Kessel passed Keith Yandle for most consecutive games played.  Kessel now sits a 990 games in a row. I read he is one of 5 players to have reached 900 consecutive games.  Nice.

 This tournament was hosted by the United States and held from June 17 to July 17. Most financially successful tournament as well as most attended tournament,  with 3,587,578 people attending the games. That's  not average of 68,991 per game. Last tournament to have 24 teams. Tournament expanded to 32 in 1998. Greece, Nigeria, and Saudi Arabia makes debut,  as well as Russia (after break up of Soviet Union) and a unified Germany. The final was at ghe Rose Bowl  and was the first final to be decided by penalties. In a 6-1 Russia win over Cameroon,  Oleg Salenko of Russia became first player to score 5 goals in a game. In the same game Roger Milla of Cameroon became the oldest player st score a goal. The first ever world cup game played indoors was the opening game between United States and Switzerland that was played to a 1-1 tie.  First time 3 points for a win was in this tournament. Only time bronzes were handed out ho both teams. Group A: Romania*, Switzerland*, United States* an

 This tournament was in Italy from June 8 to July 8. Italy was second nation to host a second time.  West Germany and Argentina played in the final, a rematch from the 1986 final.   West Germany, East Germany, Czechoslovakia and Soviet Union make last appearance. Costa Rica, Ireland, and United Arab Emirates make first appearance. The U. A. E. as of 2022,has made that only appearance. There were 2.2 goals per game - the lowest ever. 16 red cards handed out, including a first one in the final. 4 penalty shootouts (2006, 2014 and 2018 tied). 8 knockout games into extra time (2014). Argentina: 1. Scored 5 goals the whole tournament.  2. Advanced twice on penalties. 3. Had a player sent off in final and 4. Played defensive the whole tournament. Thus introduced the back pass rule after the tournament and awarded 3 points for a win. Cameroon first African nation to reach quarterfinals (Senegal 2002 and Ghana 2010 duplicate). Roger Milla showed off his goal celebrations.  All champion final 4

 The Houston Astros are world series bound after finishing a four game sweep of the New York Yankees, winning game 4 6-5. They will face the Philadelphia Phillies for the title starting Friday in Houston 

 This tournament was in Mexico from May 31 to June 29. Colombia was supposed to host, but fue to "economic reasons" they pulled out in 1982.  In May 1983 Mexico was chosen.  Diego Maradona scored two memorable goals of the 5 he scored.  Both against England in the quarterfinals.  First goal was the "Hand of God" goal,  second was the "Goal of the century." Pair of matches in final group stage games started at the same time.  Format reverted back to round of 16 to start knockout round.  Top two teams plus 4 best third place teams moved on. Group A had Argentina*, Italy*, Bulgaria* and South Korea. Group B had Mexico*, Paraguay*, Belgium* and Iraq. Group C had Soviet Union*, France*, Hungary and Canada. Group D had Brazil*, Spain*, Northern Ireland and Algeria.  Group E had Denmark*, West Germany*, Uruguay* and Scotland.  Group F had Morocco*, England*, Poland* and Portugal.  Round of 16: Argentina 1 Uruguay 0, England 3 Paraguay 0, Spain 5 Denmark 1, Belgiu

 The Philadelphia Phillies are in the World Series after beating San Diego Padres 4-3 I  game 5 and the series 4-1. It's their first trip to the World Series since 2009 when they lost to the Yankees. They will start in either New York or Houston. 

 This tournament was in Spain from June 13 to July 11. First tournament with 24 teams. Algeria 🇩🇿 Cameroon 🇨🇲 Honduras 🇭🇳 Kuwait 🇰🇼 and New Zealand make their debuts here. Last to have two rounds of group play. First penalty kick at this tournament. 3rd time that the final four were from Europe. 6 groups of 4, top two in each go to second round. Second round has 4 groups of 3. Winners of each group make semi finals. Upset in group 2 having Algeria beat West Germany 2-1. West Germany, Austria znd Algeria (Algeria had played third game day before) are in a spot to advance. A West Germany win by 1 or 2 goals, they and Austria advance. A West Germany win by more than two goals, them and Algeria advance. A tie or an Austria win, Austria and Algeria move on. First 10 minutes between West Germany and Austria played with intensity resulting in a West Germany goal to open the scoring. Afterwards both teams aimlessly kicked the ball around. The game was dubbed "disgrace in Gijon.&qu

 This tournament was held in and won by Argentina from June 1-25. Argentina is 5th host to win and 6th overall. Last tournament to have 16 teams. It expands to 24 for 1982.  Match ball was Adidas Tango. This tournament was same as 1974.  Rob Resenbrink scored 1000th world cup goal vs Scotland. Willie Johnston of Scotland was expelled from world cup when he was found to have a banned stimulant vs Peru. Austria surprised Brazil 1-0 and finished zhead due to more goals scored (points and goal differential was same). Group 1 had Italy, Argentina, France and Hungary.  Group 2 had Poland, West Germany, Tunisia and Mexico. Group 3 had Austria, Brazil, Spain and Sweden.  Group 4 had Peru, Netherlands, Scotland and Iran. Second round. Group A had Netherlands, Italy, West Germany and Austria. Group B had Argentina, Brazil,  Poland and Peru. 3rd place had Brazil 2 Italy 1. Championship game had Argentina 3 Netherlands 1 (et). Final was at Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. Tomorrow is 1982. Here

 This tournament was in West Germany and West Berlin from June 13 to July 7. First of three world cups to have two rounds of group stages. Carlos Caszely of Chile was first player to be sent off by red card. Gunter Netzer came on as a substitute for West Germany. He is first player on winning team to play for a club outside home nation. He was playing for Real Madrid. Australia, Zaire, East Germany and Haiti competed in first world cup. Second time host nation had world cup and Summer Olympics back to back. West Germany had 1972 Summer Olympics and 1974 world cup. First round of group stage had four groups of four with top two going to second group stage round. Group one had East Germany first, West Germany second, Chile 3rd and Australia last. Group 2 had Yugoslavia, Brazil,  Scotland and Zaire. Group 3 had Netherlands, Sweden, Bulgaria and Uruguay. Group 4 had Poland, Argentina, Italy and Haiti. Second round if group stage time. Winners of both groups played in final and second place

 This tournament was held in Mexico from May 31 to June 21. First tournament in North America as well as outside Europe and South America. First time Olympics and World Cup went back to back in same country.  (Mexico had 1968 Olympics). El Salvador, Morocco 🇲🇦 and Israel 🇮🇱 debuted here.  In winning this tournament, Brazil beat defending champion in group stage in England, beat a two time champion in semis (Uruguay) and another two time champion in final (Italy). Only time a defending champion, a South American champion, and a European champion got beaten in same tournament. Brazil got to keep original Jules Rimet trophy, as a new one would be introduced in 1974. Advancements in satellite technology reached a bigger audience. One advancement was games in color instead of black and white. Juanito was introduced as mascot. Opening game had host Mexico vs Soviet Union in a 0-0 tie. This doesn't happen again until 2006, and has since continued. Until 2006. World Cup holders opened.

 The New York Yankees are going to the ALCS after beating Cleveland 5-1 in game 5 to win the series 3-2. They will head to Houston to take on the Astros in the ALCS starting tomorrow. 

 This tournament was held in England from July 16-30. First tournament in an English speaking country.  First tournament to have select games broadcast via satellite to other countries. The final was broadcast locally by the BBC and the last to be aired in black and white. North Korea debuts, scores stunning upset over Italy and finishes ahead of them. They were first team outside Europe or the Americas to reach knockout stage. Final was at Wembley stadium in London and 98000 people attended. England scored 11 goals in 6 games - the lowest goals average until 1982. They conceded 3 goals - the least allowed by a championship team up to this tournament. England won group 1, followed by Uruguay,  Mexico and France. Group 2 had West Germany, Argentina, Spain and Switzerland. Group 3 had Portugal,  Hungary, Brazil and Bulgaria.  Group 4 had Soviet Union, North Korea, Italy and Chile. Quarterfinals had: England 1 Argentina 0, Portugal 5 North Korea 3 (after North Korea went up 3-0), West Ger