This article was originally published on November 1st, 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.
Baseball story I am interested in -
St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman (@Kriseman) says the Tampa Bay Rays have formally asked to explore a deal that would allow them to play a part of their MLB season in Montreal. If the idea is accepted by St. Petersburg's mayor the partial move to Montreal would start in 2024 when a new Montreal ballpark could be completed. The plan could include new open-air ballparks in both markets, allowing the Rays to plan their schedule around optimal weather conditions–spring and early summer games could be played in the Tampa Bay region, with summer and early fall games in Montreal.
New sport I am learning about -
Sri Chinmoy Self-Transcendence 3,100 Mile Race. Founded by the late Indian spiritual leader Sri Chinmoy in 1997, the Self-Transcendence challenges runners to "transcend their own previous capacity", "gain spiritual insights" and "overcome the entire world's preconceived notions of possibility". The rules, runners have 52 days in which to complete the distance. They can run - or walk, or hobble - as much as they want between 6 am and midnight. The 3,100 miles in 52 days equates to running 59.6 miles a day. When Ashprihanal Aalto, an unassuming Finnish postman, set a new record of 40 days nine hours six minutes in 2015, he averaged almost 77 miles a day. It has been described as the "Everest of ultra-running". That does not come close to doing it justice. More than 4,000 have reached the summit of Everest since 1953. Only 43 people have ever completed the Self-Transcendence in 22 years.
Football news that I am following -
The Arena Football League’s future is in doubt after Commissioner Randall Boe announced Wednesday that it would shut down team and business operations for all six of its franchises.
Boe said the decision to halt operations was “a direct consequence of the current financial constraints facing the AFL,” including debt accrued by the league’s previous incarnations and a pending lawsuit filed by a workers' compensation insurance provider. “Those liabilities, which are all related to prior League operations, severely constrain the League’s ability to expand and operate,” Boe said in a statement posted on the AFL’s website.
NCAA news that excites me -
The NCAA's top decision-makers voted unanimously Tuesday to start the process of modifying its rule to allow college athletes to profit from their names, images, and likenesses "in a manner consistent with the collegiate model." The board directed the three separate divisions of the organization to immediately begin figuring out how to update their rules in a way that maintains a distinction between college and professional sports.
Technology I want to try -
Father and son duo Roy and Sean Johnson created LED surfboards that allow surfers to catch waves when the sun has gone down.
Have a wonderful weekend, all!
Jonathan