Publications by Patrick Rhodes
2014 Winter Olympics: Home Court Advantage – Russia
“Russia is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma.” — Winston Churchill, radio address in 1939 A couple of weeks ago, Graph of the Week published an article describing the significant improvement in medals won by the host country as opposed to how that country ‘normally’ performs when not hosting. We concluded that Great Brit...
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The New Madrid Fault – Past, Present and Future
New Madrid, Territory of Missouri, March 22, 1816 Dear Sir, In compliance with your request, I will now give you a history, as full in detail as the limits of the letter will permit, of the late awful visitation of Providence in this place and vicinity. On the 16th of December, 1811, about two o’clock, A.M., we were visited by a violent sh...
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David vs. Goliath in Men’s Professional Tennis
David dances lightly from side to side, his small feet stirring up wisps of dust from the clay surface. Twirling his racket in anticipation, he peers intently at his colossal foe hoping to spot some clue where the first serve will go. Across the net is a giant of a man, glaring at David with a stone-faced scowl. The crowd, once rowdy, is now sile...
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The Rise, Fall and Rise of English Triple Crown Racing Speeds
A horse with a crimson “6” displayed on either side of its girth processes to the parade ring. There are people milling about, looking over “Six” as well as the other entrants for the 2013 running of the St. Leger Stakes. Alongside Six stands a very short, wiry man dressed in a matching crimson outfit. He speaks with the trainer in hus...
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Three Yards and a Cloud of Dust: The Evolution of Passing in the NFL
Introduction“Three yards and a cloud of dust” (1) – that’s how Woody Hayes described his “crunching, frontal assault of muscle against muscle”, the offense that defined the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 50s and 60s. He went on say that, in regards to the passing game, “only three things can happen when you pass and two of them are bad�...
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Swallowing the Bitter Pill: England, the Premier League and the World Cup
Discussions abound about England’s chances at the 2014 edition of the World Cup. For a country which has produced elite football players such as Gary Neville, John Terry and Paul Scholes (and yes, David Beckham), there isn’t a lot of optimism about their chances this summer. The sports collective favors Brazil followed by Argentina, Germany ...
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The Rise of the Samurai Pitcher
Masahiro Tanaka stands on the mound, rubbing the ball vigorously between his hands. It’s a crisp, cool night in the Bronx. Stepping back, he digs his right foot into the rubber, winds up and, with a seven-foot stretch, steps towards the catcher, unleashing a blistering four-seam, 95 mph fastball. Less than half a second later, it explodes int...
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Career NBA: The Road Least Traveled
The bell rings – time to go to practice. Jarnell Stokes heads over to the gym, changes, and starts warming up with his teammates. It’s his Junior year in high school. The Memphis, Tennessee native has a lot on his mind; soon he’ll have to make a choice – a choice which will affect his future. Sitting on his table back home are basketbal...
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It’s a Batsman’s World (Cup)
The 2015 Cricket World Cup rewrote the record books in dramatic fashion. Amidst the usual insanity that surrounds this event, there were some amazingly good – and bad – performances. Batting-wise, some of the previous records were smashed into oblivion. There are several reasons for this, but recent rule changes seem to have tipped the scal...
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Can Bradley Wiggins Do It? Welcome to the Thunder-Drome!
Many have tried. Most have failed.Bradley Wiggins knows this. He also knows the ordeal he faces, knows the pain he will endure and knows the scrutiny he will face. It’s nothing he hasn’t experienced before, having raced and won the world’s most prestigious cycling event: the Tour de France. This is a different animal, however. The demands...
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