As cities enjoy the Premier League’s riches, smaller clubs in Brexit-supporting towns are struggling
Football managers make less difference than many people think
Impressive upsets have happened before. Building on these victories will be trickier
Some extreme weather events are becoming more severe. Organisers need to adapt
Artificial running conditions and special shoes helped him breach athletics’ last great barrier
Two similarly weak sides produced several low-scoring but tense matches
The World Cup winner helped to tackle prejudice in the sport, but inequality persists
The continent is receiving fewer eye-catching transfer fees, despite producing as many stars as ever
Nature makes gifted athletes, but nurture turns them into all-time greats
The Premier League’s big clubs are increasingly buying young players from smaller teams
England and Australia are well-matched, but rely on several mediocre players
The Maori All Blacks are a source of rugby-playing pride in a community that has struggled economically
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2019/07/18/why-new-zealands-other-all-blacks-matter
Flexible tactics, outstanding performances, canny selection and a big slice of luck all helped
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2019/07/18/how-england-won-the-cricket-world-cup
The crowd at The Open will pull for Rory McIlroy. But does he deserve to be the favourite?
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2019/07/17/can-rory-mcilroy-win-on-his-home-turf
His epic victory over Roger Federer at Wimbledon had more crucial points than famous matches of yesteryear
But Europe’s rapidly improving women’s teams could catch them in the next decade
But her ascent to the top is far from guaranteed
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2019/07/02/cori-gauff-announces-herself-at-wimbledon
The sport is going mainstream, thanks to growing funds and improving skill levels
The devastating injuries suffered by the Golden State Warriors open up the NBA to a new host of contenders
While Tiger Woods and Brooks Koepka chase history, Jason Day lurks as a promising sleeper
The hosts bat more aggressively than other sides, which brings both great risks and rewards
His PGA Championship victory prompts a study showing some golfers truly do rise to the occasion
Even after his Masters win, our stubborn statistical model still preaches caution at the PGA Championship
Along with Liverpool and Spurs, Man City have used clever hiring to eclipse Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2019/05/12/how-manchester-city-came-to-rule-english-football
James Holzhauer is obliterating the game show’s records. But winning 75 in a row is hard to do
Using a testosterone limit to determine who is female will probably fail to settle the matter
The sport’s most beloved star was very good at Augusta—but also very lucky
But if history is any guide, he is running out of time to beat Jack Nicklaus’s 18 major victories
A hard salary cap and tricky playoffs prevent a runaway winner from dominating the competition
Our new data-visualisation site suggests that golf fans and betting markets are over-estimating the chances of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy
The world’s best endurance racers have deserted the 5,000-metre and 10,000-metre formats
Despite her many injuries, at her best the American was untouchable
Although the Serb won the Australian Open easily, his reliance on his backhand could be an Achilles heel
The 21-year-old won her second consecutive Grand Slam at the Australian Open
But previous psychological blips have not stopped her relentless success
Most players with torn Achilles tendons suffer long-lasting damage
The Scottish star was a giant unfairly overshadowed by his contemporaries
Spending caps that were meant to encourage competitive balance have entrenched the elite
The Norwegian could not secure a victory in the classical format, but dominated the rapid-chess tiebreaker
The decision once again puts political concerns above the need for clean sport
The Kenyan superstar improved the world-record time by a whopping 78 seconds
At his peak, the Serb was better than any of his rivals. He may get to that level again
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2018/09/11/a-fit-novak-djokovic-could-dominate-tenniss-future
Even without any help from the officials, the young star beat Serena Williams easily
Farewell, Ratings Percentage Index (RPI)—and welcome, NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET)
Matches have become longer, not shorter, since it was introduced
Mesut Özil, a German playmaker of Turkish descent who was once a poster boy for multiculturalism, is now a scapegoat
The crowd favourite was a long-shot to win, but has re-established his bona fides
By 2022, 20 years will have passed since the continent won the World Cup. Should fans be worried?
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2018/08/06/is-south-american-football-in-decline
The Tampa Bay Rays have dispensed with the traditional starting pitcher—and succeeded
A young team with football’s highest-valued players lifts the sport’s most coveted trophy
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2018/07/16/france-wins-the-world-cup-beating-croatia-4-2
No player has failed a test since 1994. But the sport has been marred by drug scandals
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2018/07/06/is-the-world-cup-really-free-from-doping
Of the 16 teams most likely to qualify, 14 have reached the knockout rounds
Despite an emphatic 5-0 opening win, daft domestic policies are holding the country back
Gamblers can price in random quirks that statisticians struggle to capture in their models
And leads to long suspensions for some of its best-known sportsmen
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2018/03/28/a-ball-tampering-row-consumes-australia
Aggressive tactics and trickery have contributed more than video replays
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2018/03/26/why-spinners-are-enjoying-a-purple-patch-in-cricket
The world’s top-ranked player disproves the adage that 80% of life is showing up
For the first time in history, the NCAA tournament delivers the ultimate upset
The proposed new system reduces major errors by about 80%, but needs to be more intelligible to fans
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2018/03/02/how-to-solve-footballs-video-refereeing-problems
After decades of fighting against a salary cap, the players may have to learn to love one
Russia cannot compete under its own flag, but hosts the world’s second-strongest domestic league
But football’s richest division still has plenty of scope to grow its global revenues
Multi-competitor events and infrequent contests make forecasting results difficult, but not impossible
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2018/02/13/how-to-predict-winners-at-the-winter-olympics
Increasingly sophisticated number-crunching suggests that attacking players contribute more to their teams
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2018/02/09/why-footballs-goalkeepers-are-cheap-and-unheralded
With a backup quarterback at the helm, the gritty team pulled off three consecutive upset victories
More British youngsters play basketball than cricket. But the professional game still has plenty of catching up to do
Against all odds, the NHL’s newest club appears poised for the playoffs
Does the Yankees’ trade for Giancarlo Stanton spell doom for small-market teams?
No major leaguer has both pitched and hit since Babe Ruth. Meet Shohei Ohtani
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2017/12/11/a-japanese-trailblazer-is-set-to-transform-baseball
It has taken seven years for the World Anti-Doping Agency and International Olympic Committee to issue a fitting punishment
The country’s football is in decent health. More worrying is FIFA’s daft ranking system
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2017/11/20/italys-world-cup-exit-is-far-from-an-apocalypse
The Nordic minnows can thank top-notch facilities, zealous coaching and guerrilla tactics
Reform of the player-development system is needed to vault the country into the global elite
Teams are probably blacklisting him for his politics—but are not necessarily in cahoots
A philosophical form of urban acrobatics will soon feature in international competitions—to the irritation of its devotees
An unofficial attempt in May came within 30 seconds. But a certified breach might take decades
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2017/10/04/can-the-marathons-two-hour-barrier-be-broken
The sport’s leading slugger chases a home-run total untainted by steroids
But in baseball, expect even juggernaut teams to lose
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2017/09/15/the-cleveland-indians-are-great-not-just-lucky
The Spaniard has overcome unusually strong opposition to rack up 16 grand-slam wins
Her US Open victory bucks the trend of success for big hitters
The Indian Premier League’s bumper broadcasting deal is more lucrative than anything the international game can muster
An uproar over sign-stealing illustrates the sport’s confused attitude towards technology
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2017/09/09/is-the-apple-watch-now-mightier-than-the-bat
If tennis had evolved with an underhand serve, the Argentine would belong in the Hall of Fame
The 20-year-old has an impressive record in second-tier tournaments. But lanky players have rarely become all-time greats
By trading away its second star, LeBron James’s team has become even better
The winner takes it all—but good luck predicting who it will be
Introducing a new, improved version of our golf forecasting system
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2017/08/09/the-eagle-takes-flight
The Brazilian star is the best young player to be transferred since 2000. But is he worth €222m?
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2017/08/09/why-neymar-is-different
As Matt Kuchar′s title drought shows, slow and steady is not the best way to play
Loopholes in the rule book and the absence of a tiebreaker produced a frustrating finale to the Lions' series
But that has not stopped grass specialists like Gilles Muller and Marin Cilic from prospering
Head-to-head records can be misleading, but shot-level data on competing playing styles may aid predictions
A spate of retirements at Wimbledon shows that hobbled entrants are reluctant to give up rankings points and prize money
Russell Westbrook averaged a triple-double for an entire season. But how much of that feat resulted from stat-padding?
Both the men’s and women’s tours are getting harder to predict
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2017/07/01/expect-the-unexpected-at-wimbledon-this-year
Two new studies find that physical changes in the baseball are responsible for a spike in home runs
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2017/06/30/mystery-solved-it-was-the-ball-after-all
Expect mediocrity from the inaugural edition of the Las Vegas Golden Knights. But better times could come quickly
Forging a competitive dream team is tricky, but relying on one country is not the answer
https://www.economist.com/game-theory/2017/06/24/should-the-lions-pick-all-15-players-from-one-team
But cricket does not do enough to increase its appeal
How to assess a record-equalling scorecard on an unusually generous course