Sports Poets Society

https://www.mitchellandness.com/en/the-first-nba-game/x-27912341+z-9034069-2391168968 On November 1st of 1946, the first NBA game was held as the New York Knickerbockers face the Toronto Huskies. 7,090 fans were in the stands at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto. The Huskies would have the two leading scorers of the game, with 18 and 16 point performances from their stars. However, it was Leo Gottlieb who would score 14 points to lead New York to victory . He was supported by Ossie Schectman, who made the first bucket in NBA history and added 11 points for the Knickerbockers. What may be most surprising for the NBA fans of today are the prices and promotional ads featured in that game. Anyone taller than Toronto’s big man would would be granted free admission. Otherwise, seats were sold for as little as 75 cents, $1.25, $2.00 and $2.50! In 1996, the NBA began their 50th Anniversary season by “replaying” that first game. The Raptors played the Knicks in Toronto at the Sky Dome, both teams w...

United cleaned the air 29 Oct 2026 - The Guardian Jamie Jackson Michael Carrick and Bruno Fernandes have held clear-the-air talks after the Manchester United captain criticised the head coach’s tactics last week, with the player now expected to start at Chelsea on Saturday. Carrick and Fernandes met before training on Tuesday at United’s Carrington training base. The 32-yearold captain, it is understood, offered assurances that he is fully committed and intent on trying to turn the team’s season around. There was also a squad meeting with Carrick at which the rest of the players made the same vow. Dismal results have left Carrick’s job in the balance. Later on Tuesday it emerged that the 45-year-old will remain in charge for the trip to Chelsea after Jason Wilcox, the director of football, decided he should be given more time. But to remain as the head coach for the long term, Carrick has to start winning games. So having dropped Fernandes, considered United’s best player, for the 3-0 ...

JADE GAO/AFP/GETTY IMAGES Mbappé’s face is a common sight on buses and in subways in China.  His commerical deals may be worth £22.6m annually Sorry state ‘It’s a race to cut ties the quickest,  who can be the most patriotic’ 29 Oct 2026 - The Guardian Rebecca Bailey It’s been a bad start to the week for the Kylian Mbappé. The France forward missed out on the Ballon d’Or and instead became the latest addition to a less illustrious list – that of foreign brands and individuals charged with “hurting the feelings of the Chinese people”. The saga began when a video of the player making light of a meme involving him and China’s former leader Mao Zedong began spreading. Mbappé found himself condemned online, dropped by brands, then held responsible for state television suspending La Liga from its schedule. On Tuesday Mbappé apologised – “My comment was ill-judged, and I now understand that it hurt many people in China” – as did La Liga, which released a statement saying it “deeply r...

FOTO ANP - De wedstrijd SC Cambuur-Feyenoord werd in augustus  onderbroken vanwege het afsteken van vuurwerk door Feyenoord-supporters. De pro-actieve aanpak van de club na inferno met vuurwerk bij Cambuur droeg bij aan milde straf. 29 Oct 2026 - NRC Joost Pijpker en Steven Verseput  AMSTERDAM - De ophef was groot, in de laatste week van augustus. Wat de harde kern van Feyenoord zag als sfeeractie, om de spelers op te zwepen voor een uitwedstrijd tegen SC Cambuur in Leeuwarden, liep uit op een inferno van vuurwerk, met zeven gewonde fans van de thuisploeg tot gevolg. Ruim twee maanden later is de sanctie duidelijk : 7.500 euro boete, en een voorwaardelijke straf met een uitduel zonder publiek. Zo’n 750 Feyenoord-fans zaten op zondag23 augustus in het Kooi Stadion, toen na twaalf minuten voetballen in het uitvak vuurwerkfakkels werden ontstoken. Ze gooiden die ook naar het veld en een vak met Cambuursupporters, wat leidde tot onder meer gehoorschade, brandwonden en oogletsel. F...

À la veille du départ du Tour d'Italie 1980,  le Miroir prédit une bataille à trois entre Giuseppe Saronni ,  vainqueur sortant, Bernard Hinault et Francesco Moser . Alla vigilia della partenza del Giro d’Italia 1980, il «Miroir du Cyclisme» pronostica  una  sfida a tre tra Giuseppe Saronni , vincitore uscente, Bernard Hinault e Francesco Moser . Bernard Chambaz Miroir du Cyclisme - L'histoire d'un magazine mythique Avant même les années 1960, avant même la naissance de Miroir du cyclisme , le Giro m'a fait battre le cœur. Miroir-Sprint y a forcément sa part. Le récit de Bobet dans la « Bibliothèque verte » a laissé une trace aussi ténue qu'indélébile; il y raconte comment il l'a perdu pour 19 secondes et qu'il ne s'en console toujours pas : je peux encore voir le parcours sur une carte de la péninsule et la date du départ, le 18 mai 1957, je peux redécouvrir à chaque fois les péripéties et le rêve de ce maillot rose, que j'oserai porter plus souven...

Sept ans avant la controverse entre la Chine et Kylian Mbappé , la ligue nord-américaine de basket avait été confrontée à une situation semblable. En octobre 2019, un court message du manager général des Houston Rockets avait créé un conflit avec le gouvernement en place. “Il est inconcevable d’avoir des échanges et des coopérations  avec  des  Chinois sans connaître ni comprendre l’opinion publique chinoise"    - GENG SHUANG, PORTE- PAROLE DU MINISTÈRE       CHINOIS DES AFFAIRES ÉTRANGÈRES 28 Oct 2026  L'Équipe VICTOR LENGRONNE Le tollé provoqué en Chine par les propos de Kylian Mbappé , qui a qualifié en plaisantant dans une vidéo Mao Zedong de « dictateur » , et le boycott qui s’est ensuivi ne sont pas sans rappeler une controverse survenue il y a plus de sept ans et qui a ébranlé la NBA. Le 4 octobre 2019, le manager général des Houston Rockets, Daryl Morey , dégainait un tweet. « Battons-nous pour la liberté. Debout aux côtés de Hon...

il caso La battuta su Mao fa infuriare la Cina Mbappé scaricato dagli sponsor In un video ripostato dopo mesi, la star del Real definisce il leader "un dittatore". La tv oscura la Liga, poi le scuse GIANLUCA MODOLO La Repubblica - Mercoledì 28 ottobre 2026 Pagina 41 Un cartellino rosso pesante quello che la Cina ha mostrato a Kylian Mbappé. Nel giro di 24 ore l'attaccante del Real Madrid si è visto cancellare sponsorizzazioni (immaginiamo) milionarie, ha fatto saltare le partite del campionato spagnolo dalla tv di Stato, i suoi account social cinesi sono stati bloccati, si è beccato insulti online e pure una tirata d'orecchi dal governo di Pechino. Tutto per una battuta su un suo meme in cui c'entra Mao Zedong che, a sentire le parole del calciatore francese, forse nemmeno sa chi sia. Il padre della Cina comunista non si può toccare, argomento sensibile qui: infangare la memoria del Grande Timoniere porta dritti al cartellino rosso. In un video del talk show The B...

Carrick still at the wheel  28 Oct 2026 - The Guardian Jamie Jackson. John Brewin Michael Carrick has been given the chance to save his job by turning Manchester United’s results around, with the head coach remaining in place for Saturday’s visit to Chelsea. The decision by Jason Wilcox, the director of football, and Omar Berrada, the chief executive, can be viewed as a surprise given United’s dire form. Sunday’s abject 3-0 league home defeat by Bournemouth followed last Wednesday’s equally poor 4-1 reverse at Como in the Champions League. Carrick’s side have won twice in 12 games and were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Brighton. United are 16th in the Premier League, a point above the relegation zone. Carrick has also seemingly fallen out with his captain, Bruno Fernandes, who was dropped to the bench for the Bournemouth debacle after criticising the head coach’s tactics. The unease in the dressing room was also on show when Lisandro Martínez took aim at Wilcox’s transfer busi...