This article was originally published on March 15th, 2019.
Here is this week's dose of “5-Point Friday”. A weekly round-up of the sports news and stories that I find most interesting and enjoyable.
Women's Soccer news that excites me -
Nike revealed the new home and away uniforms for 14 out of 24 competing teams, for the 2019 Women's FIFA World Cup. For the first time since Nike began working with women's teams, the uniforms have been specifically designed for the women’s teams, rather than being derivations or extensions of the uniforms made for the men's team.
Athletics news I'm learning about -
After a year-long review, the IAAF announced changes to the Diamond League for 2020. The plans include reducing the Diamond League meetings, with the 2020 season seeing just 12 meetings as opposed to the current 14, with only one season final. The further decision to have the longest distance track race be 3,000 meters has received some criticism from many.
Baseball news I'm following -
The MLB and the Atlantic League co-announced a series of rule changes, that will set up the independent league as a testing ground for several much-discussed initiatives. The rule changes include:
The use of TrackMan radars to assist home plate umpires in calling balls and strikes
No mound visits for anything other than pitching changes or medical issues
The elimination of most defensive shifts by requiring two infielders on each side of second base
A three-batter minimum for pitchers, barring injuries.
Moving the pitching rubber back an additional two feet (to 62 feet, 6 inches) during the second half of the season.
Soccer news that I'm paying attention to -
FIFA approved a revised 24-team Club World Cup starting in 2021, despite top European clubs saying they would boycott the tournament. The new tournament will run every four years and take place from June to July in the slot currently used for the Confederations Cup.
"Now the world will see a real Club World Cup where fans will see the best teams in the world compete to be crowned the real world champions," said FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
What I've been watching -
The Gentleman Driver by Mario Mattei. The documentary offers a look into the world of endurance racing and the weird concept of 'Gentleman Drivers,' where amateur racers compete at the highest level of the sport. Mattei shines a spotlight on four such 'Gentlemen Drivers': Ed Brown (@patronracing), President and CEO of Patron Spirits Inc.; Ricardo Gonzalez (@ricardo_racing), Chairman of the Board of ASUCQ; Mike Guasch (@MoleculeMike), CEO Molecule Labs; and Paul Dalla Lana, CEO of NorthWest Value Partners Inc.
Have a wonderful weekend all!
Jonathan