The hottest Sports Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
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Top Sports Topics

The Easier You Train The Faster You Finish

The Healthtech Initiative • 5 implied HN points • 09 Feb 26
🎾 Sports Running Endurance Training Performance Analytics Coaching Data science
  1. More total mileage in the six-month build-up leads to faster marathon times — about 4.4 minutes quicker per extra 100 km.
  2. Spending lots of time at or above race pace can backfire — extra race-pace minutes were linked to slower finish times.
  3. A large amount of easy, low-intensity running pays off — roughly 1,000 more minutes of easy training was associated with about 7 minutes faster.

How LSU Landed Lane Kiffin: Private Jets, Politics, and a Record-Breaking $91 Million Contract

Huddle Up • 26 implied HN points • 01 Dec 25
🎾 Sports College Football Coaching Contracts Sports Business Sports politics
  1. LSU signed Lane Kiffin to a record $91 million contract that is very coach-friendly, featuring an 80% buyout and no offset language.
  2. The governor had pushed for performance-based, market-resetting contracts to limit payouts, but the actual deal ignored that plan and gave coaches more leverage instead.
  3. Politics, secret private flights, and a high-powered agent played big roles in the hiring, helping Kiffin get terms that even beat Brian Kelly’s package.

A Rivalry Plucked From Fiction

Passing Time • 133 implied HN points • 20 Jun 25
🎾 Sports Tennis Athletes Rivalries Coaching Performance
  1. Rivalries in sports, like Federer and Nadal, show how two strong characters can define each other. They push each other to improve and create some of the best moments in sports.
  2. Each player has unique styles and strengths, making their matches thrilling to watch. Federer’s elegance and Nadal’s grit complemented each other perfectly on the court.
  3. Despite being fierce competitors, Federer and Nadal shared a deep respect and friendship. They recognized how their rivalry elevated the game of tennis and enjoyed playing together.
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Charlevoix, Chicago, Hell Creek, Kilimanjaro, Portland, Yerevan + the U.S. Virgin Islands

The Half Marathoner • 117 implied HN points • 28 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Running Fitness
  1. Race recommendations include Charlevoix, Chicago, Hell Creek, Kilimanjaro, Portland, Yerevan, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
  2. The post discusses Miami's overnight run club, stretching tips, and a conversation between John Grisham and Candice Millard.
  3. The writer experienced rain and warmer temperatures, putting a pause on their running due to ongoing heel pain.

MatchQuarters ICYMI - Week of 1/22/24

MatchQuarters • 117 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🎾 Sports Football Coaching Analysis
  1. The NFL Championship preview highlights the matchup between the Chiefs and Ravens featuring strong defenses.
  2. The Lions face the 49ers with the offense being a key focus in the game.
  3. Evaluation caution is advised, reflecting on players like Isaiah Simmons and Kyle Hamilton in the draft season.

My First Ironman 70.3

Venture Prose • 219 implied HN points • 21 May 23
🎾 Sports Athletics Training Mindset Endurance
  1. The struggle in a challenge helps you grow and reach new levels of achievement.
  2. Facing constraints can actually push you to achieve more than you thought possible.
  3. It's important for entrepreneurs to spend wisely and maintain a high rhythm, even when they have a large budget.

The Nebraska Stack

MatchQuarters • 216 implied HN points • 21 Sep 23
🎾 Sports College Football
  1. Baylor improved defensively by switching to a 3-3-5 scheme
  2. Nebraska hired Tony White to bring back the 'Blackshirts' defense to respectability
  3. The 3-3-5 defense allows smaller, quicker players to play fast and confuse the offense

When will the sports media bubble pop?

Simon Owens's Media Newsletter • 274 implied HN points • 21 Jan 25
🎾 Sports Media Broadcasting Streaming Content Strategy Audience engagement
  1. The sports media market is becoming really expensive for fans because cable bundles that used to help pay for sports are fading away. Many believe this bubble will burst, leading leagues to lower their prices and possibly stream games themselves.
  2. There's a growing niche in media, with some focused newsletters and channels doing well by targeting very specific interests. This shift shows that unique, dedicated content can attract a loyal audience.
  3. For media companies, it’s essential to focus on both new material and evergreen content. By promoting older content, businesses can keep viewers engaged and drive more traffic.

Disparate Impacts in Two Sports

Heterodox STEM • 113 implied HN points • 09 Jul 25
🎾 Sports Athletics Statistics Racism Performance Diversity
  1. Many top professional basketball and football players in the U.S. are Black, which shows a shift away from racial discrimination in these sports. This situation raises questions about claims that no group has inherent advantages without discrimination.
  2. There are noticeable performance differences in sports between Black athletes and Asian athletes, with statistical advantages for Black athletes. This suggests that athletic success can come from a mix of natural talent and environmental support.
  3. The significant gaps in performance statistics across different racial groups show that not all disparities are due to discrimination. These differences can impact educational and career opportunities, like in STEM fields, leading to discussions about unfair practices like limiting Asian admissions at some colleges.

My plan to fix the NBA All-Star game

Silver Bulletin • 249 implied HN points • 19 Feb 25
🎾 Sports Basketball Events Athletes Competitions Entertainment
  1. The NBA All-Star Game has seen declining competitive play, with fewer fouls and lower stakes making it less exciting for fans.
  2. A proposed 3-on-3 tournament features All-Stars lined up by their NBA teams to create chemistry and pride, potentially improving game intensity.
  3. Changing the format to emphasize personal pride and fun might make the All-Star event more enjoyable and engaging for both players and fans.

Kill or No

Into the Hedge • 99 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🎾 Sports Farming Wildlife
  1. Hunting is not just about killing, it involves a whole process with time spent in the woods.
  2. The act of killing a deer marked a shift to being a hunter, impacting the author's perspective.
  3. Despite not succeeding in hunting deer for a season, the focus has shifted to self-awareness and being present in the woods.

Boxing Days

The Leftovers • 139 implied HN points • 26 Dec 23
🎾 Sports
  1. The author reflects on their childhood experience of being introduced to boxing by their grandad, which instilled in them valuable skills and memories.
  2. Growing up in a post-dictatorship society, the author found boxing to be a useful skill in resolving conflicts and navigating a sometimes violent environment.
  3. Despite trying to avoid fights, the author's experience in a state school often led to playground fights, showcasing the need for self-defense skills.

Why Are Interceptions Overblown Now?

House of Strauss • 22 implied HN points • 12 Dec 25
🎾 Sports Football Analytics Strategy Statistics Media Coaching
  1. Interceptions get blown up by social media and highlight culture, so mistakes feel much bigger now and push players and teams toward avoiding visible errors.
  2. Modern efficiency stats (like passer ratings and QBR) overweight completions and punish interceptions, which incentivizes safer, shorter throws and can reduce overall offensive production.
  3. Offenses should balance efficiency with productivity by accepting some risk—more air yards, deeper targets, and occasional interceptions can lead to more yards and points than a purely conservative approach.

Town Square #2: Kipchoge training partner caught blood doping

Honest Sport • 39 implied HN points • 18 May 24
🎾 Sports Athletics Doping Coaching Training Regulations
  1. Rodgers Kwemoi received a six-year ban for blood doping, marking him as the first Kenyan athlete to be disqualified from the Olympics due to doping.
  2. He was coached by Patrick Sang, who has had multiple athletes caught doping, raising questions about coaches' awareness of their athletes' actions.
  3. Doping continues to be a serious issue in athletics, damaging the sport's credibility and the reputation of Kenyan athletes.

Introducing: Slos

Passing Time • 234 implied HN points • 16 Feb 25
🎾 Sports Running Events Health Outdoor Fitness
  1. Slos is a fun, informal ultramarathon that takes place in Boulder, Colorado, involving multiple laps around a popular hiking trail. It's all about completing laps at your own pace and enjoying the process.
  2. The event encourages people to have a good time with friends, featuring a backyard BBQ and drinks to tempt runners throughout the race. It's meant to be silly and enjoyable rather than overly competitive.
  3. Participants are not required to complete all laps or follow strict rules. The focus is on fun, and there's no pressure to win—people can join in as much or as little as they want.

Six British cyclists were investigated for banned testosterone use

Honest Sport • 99 implied HN points • 06 Feb 24
🎾 Sports Doping Cycling Athletics Regulations Health
  1. Six British cyclists were investigated for using banned testosterone, which raised concerns about doping in the sport. Elevated testosterone levels were found in their tests but could not confirm illegal use at the time.
  2. A doctor for British Cycling ordered testosterone to the Manchester Velodrome, claiming it was for an unnamed rider, raising further questions about the integrity of anti-doping measures.
  3. Doping cases in British cycling are not widely shared anymore, making it hard to know how many cyclists have faced similar investigations in recent years. This change in transparency has made tracking doping issues more difficult.

Banishing The Inner Critic

The Ruffian • 245 implied HN points • 08 Feb 25
🎾 Sports Athletes Psychology Competition Performance Tennis
  1. Madison Keys won the Australian Open by playing more instinctively and accepting her mistakes. She realized that losing while being true to herself was better than winning by playing tightly and feeling stressed.
  2. She worked on her mental health through therapy, which helped her feel happier and less burdened by the pressure to win. She learned that success in tennis doesn't define her worth as a person.
  3. Keys found success by caring less about the outcome of her matches. By reducing her focus on winning, she could play more freely and confidently.

Sports Media Literacy: The Eagles Are Clearly Sick of Jalen Hurts

House of Strauss • 28 implied HN points • 22 Nov 25
🎾 Sports Media Culture Journalism Analysis Athletes
  1. Sports reporting can sometimes reveal uncomfortable truths that fans and players might not want to acknowledge. It's important to recognize when the media reports something that reflects reality, even if it’s not pleasant.
  2. People often react more strongly to what journalists say than to what is left unsaid. This can lead to denial about situations, as fans hold onto their own beliefs rather than accepting what's being reported.
  3. When teammates don’t openly support a player in a negative situation, it can subtly confirm the tensions that might exist within the team. Observing body language and reactions can tell you a lot about team dynamics.

Amby Burfoot is correct: The U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials are both an alluring sporting spectacle and an increasingly obvious waste of America's (admittedly trivial) distance talent

Beck of the Pack • 98 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🎾 Sports Running Marathons Journalism Athletes Olympics
  1. The U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials are seen as both captivating and wasteful in terms of American talent.
  2. There are criticisms about the structure and purpose of the U.S. Marathon Trials.
  3. Concerns about inadequacies in sports reporting and the handling of elite running events are highlighted.

Thoughts on Defending the Pistol Spread

MatchQuarters • 196 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🎾 Sports Strategies Defense Coaching Tactics
  1. High school football shifted from power football to spread offenses like the Air Raid to accommodate smaller athletes.
  2. Defensive strategies needed to adapt to the spread offenses that maximize space and create lag in defensive scheme reactions.
  3. Modern defenses had to adjust to the changing offensive landscape with concepts like Zone Read and defending against Air Raid schemes.

The Origins S11 Postseason is LIVE!

The Lunacian • 276 implied HN points • 08 Jan 25
🎾 Sports Esports Competitions Gaming Tournaments Rewards
  1. The Origins Postseason has started, with players now competing for top prizes. Aremzy is leading the leaderboard and will face off against others in the Elite 8.
  2. The Elite 8 Tournament offers a prize pool of 3,000 AXS, and it takes place on January 8th. It's a big event for the best players in the game.
  3. Morph Tickets are new items that let players change axie parts easily. They will be given out during the tournament and are a helpful addition to the game.

Uni Watch Blog Digest for the Week Ending Feb. 2, 2024

Uni Watch • 98 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🎾 Sports Sports News
  1. Uni Watch Blog provides a weekly digest of sports uniform news and updates.
  2. The blog covers a variety of topics, such as new jersey unveilings, historical uniform discoveries, and potential uniform matchups.
  3. Uni Watch also features projects like reader-created content, merchandise releases, and retrospective series.