GENERAL SPORTS
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Details Written up In Computer Active's Excellant
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Superbowl
www.superbowl.com
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Many Americans greet the highlight of their
sporting calendar, the Superbowl, with an
almost religious fervour and the popularity
of this site is testament to that.
Predictably glitzy in its presentation,
this site focuses on both the coming
attraction and the stars of Superbowl's
past. The highlight is over an hour's worth
of RealAudio footage, featuring all the
tension, drama and suspense of the sport's
history. There's also the chance to get
involved and vote for your favourite
Superbowl team of all time.
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Britball
www.britball.com
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Despite a flurry of media interest in the
mid-80s, basketball has never taken off in
this country as it has in the States.
However, there are still thousands of loyal
fans in this country, following teams in the
Dairylea National League. This site caters
for them in impressive style, with acres of
news, results, reports and analysis. Regular
online polls and a reasonably well-populated
message board make this the best place
anywhere to find out about the UK basketball
scene.
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In the Crease
www.inthecrease.com
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Written by the fans for the fans, this site
has a bit more edge to it than the official
ice hockey sites. Covering both the US and
Canada, it features the very latest results,
comment and analysis - all laid out in a
very professional manner.
The writers aren't afraid to down their
gloves and trade a few punches, either, with
their no-holds-barred writing style.
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Major League Baseball
www.majorleaguebaseball.com
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As this is an American site, it won't tell
you how to interpret the bizarre rules of
their national sport. For devotees, however,
this site scores home run after home run.
Daily video clips will deliver the latest
news and highlights to your desktop,
provided your PC is up to it, while you'll
also find results, statistics and analysis
galore. Then there's a fantasy league
competition that allows you to test your
punditry skills and a kids section that
allows you to chat directly to your
favourite players.
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NBA
www.nba.com
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The National Basketball Association has
always been adept at promoting the game and
this website is ample proof. There's so much
to see on this site that it's hard to know
where to start. After perusing the latest
news, you should head straight for the video
clips which feature the most stunning slam
dunks from recent games. Then take the time
to digest the well written features, which
dissect the game in huge detail. And if you
fancy a bit of the action yourself, you can
take part in a number of online fantasy
games.
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NFL
www.nfl.com
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Considering the razzmatazz normally
associated with the game, the official
American Football site is surprisingly free
of needless glitz. What you will find,
however, is the very latest news and
previews together with a very impressive
amount of multimedia footage. Previews of
the action in each of the weeks games and
even highlights of the best of recent action
make this site more akin to an interactive
television programme, provided you have the
necessary plug ins. And, of course, there's
also oodles of those statistics and tables
for which Americans have a peculiar
fondness.
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The A-Z Encyclopedia of Hockey
www.azhockey.com
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You'll find no gym slips or jolly hockey
sticks here, because this is an extremely
comprehensive encyclopedia of ice hockey.
From the very first ice rink to modern
ice-hockey heroes, there's a huge amount of
information on offer and it's all laid out
in a logical and interesting manner.
The site is aimed more at avid aficionados
of the game than casual fans, thanks to the
incredible level of detail.
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Baseball Stuff
www.baseballstuff.com
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A great example of a site run by a fan for
the fans, this site is nothing special to
look at - but the care and dedication that
has gone into it is tangible. An
ever-expanding collection of articles and
links, it's essentially a 'best-of'
everything baseball-related on the
Web.
The real heart of the site lies in the
opinion columns and message boards, which
rage day and night with argument and
conjecture.
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Road Cycling
www.roadcycling.com
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Dedicated to the pursuit of speed, Road
Cycling concentrates on the serious racing
side of things. The major part of this
nicely set out site is given over to the
latest news and results, telling you who's
wearing the yellow jersey in races all
around the world. For the dedicated cyclist
there's an in depth training guide and a
series of routes to follow for folk of all
fitness levels.
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Sustrans
www.sustrans.co.uk
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Sustrans is a UK charity dedicated to
linking shops, workplaces and the
countryside together with a National Cycle
Network. The proposed route will cover 8000
miles and this mainly text based site
explains exactly how the scheme will work.
There are maps showing current cycle routes
in the UK and how they will expand if
everything goes to plan. The fund raising
effort will include a massive sponsored
cycle ride next year and you can apply for
details online.
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Tour de France
www.letour.fr
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The most famous cycle race in the world may
have been tarnished in recent years by
allegations of drug taking, but there's no
mention of such shenanigans on this
well-produced official site.
What you will find is a detailed look ahead
to this year's race, including times and
places - which is good if you want to plan
your holiday around Le Tour.
There's also a well-researched and written
history of the race, although a little more
detail will have to be added before the site
can claim the yellow jersey.
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Bicycling Magazine
www.bicyclingmagzine.com
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This site, run by a US cycling magazine, is
stylishly put together and has a couple of
unique features that will help anyone who
takes their cycling seriously. The first is
a bike finder that allows you to enter your
details, what you use your bike for and the
mileage you cover and it will come up with
the perfect model for you. The second is the
training centre that offers an expert
training regime that is customised to your
own fitness and ability level.
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BikeZone
www.bikezone.com
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This great all-encompassing site should be
your first stop before shelling out on any
cycling related kit. From helmets to
handlebars, you'll find them all reviewed,
compared and rated in the 'GearZone'. Most
importantly, all of the reviews are expertly
written in a bright and breezy style, so
reading them is a pleasure rather than a
chore. You'll also find absorbing articles
and practical training and riding
tips.
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Mountain Bike
www.mountainbike.com
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An offshoot from a US mountain-biking
magazine, this sharp site will tell you all
you need to know about careering down a
mountain at ridiculous speeds.
Some of you may need a jargon buster to
decipher the language used, but mountain
biking enthusiasts will find much to
interest them. Like MTB Review, the main
focus is on product reviews, with over 20
products added to the database each week.
You'll also find tips on training, tactics
and tuning your bike.
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MTB Review
www.mtbr.com
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A hugely popular and supremely detailed
site that is mainly concerned with reviewing
bikes and equipment. There's an incredible
55,000 expert reviews available for your
perusal, covering everything from chain sets
to cycling helmets.
Once you're properly kitted out, take your
pick from the thousands of trail reviews on
offer - covering everywhere from Ambleside
to the Andes, so you're sure to find
something to suit your locality and stamina
level.
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Tenpin Bowling
www.tenpinbowling.co.uk
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An extremely popular sport in shopping
malls up and down the country, this stylish
site introduces you to the world of strikes
and splits with some panache.
Guided around the site by neat little
animated icons, you use the online directory
to find your nearest rink and also take
advantage of an extensive collection of tips
on improving your game. This brightly
coloured and easy-to-navigate site will also
appeal to children.
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Hockey Training
www.fieldhockeytraining.com
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Still a popular sport in schools up and
down the country, hockey is a game of brain
and no little brawn. This US-based site will
help budding players and coaches to improve
their skills.
Every month a new training schedule is
added to the site with an accompanying
video, concentrating on honing basic skills
like passing and shooting.
There are also interviews with big name
players and extra tips for coaches.
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Paul's Archery website
www.paulsarcherywebsite.co.uk
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A homely little site devoted to the
delights of emulating Robin Hood with a bow
and arrow. Archery today is a hi-tech sport,
however, and this site goes into some detail
in explaining the kit and technique you'll
need to succeed.
The layout can be a little confusing in
places but the advice is all sound and
written in a friendly style.
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Snookernet
www.snookernet.com
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The popularity of the game may have tailed
off a little since the halycon days of
Dennis Taylor and co, but there are still
plenty of snooker loopy folks out
there.
Whether you're a fan, a player or both this
site will keep you up to date with the
latest news, scores and results, while also
providing a couple of clever resources for
players.
One is the well-stocked online shop, which
sells everything from tables to chalk, and
the other is a global snooker club
directory.
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Sportlive
www.sportlive.net
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Utilising content from The Express and Line
One, this all-round sports site is more than
capable of satisfying all your sporting news
needs.
The football section is particularly
detailed, with the real draw being some fine
articles commenting on recent issues
concerning the beautiful game. Other sports
aren't neglected, though, and they can all
be reached via the easy-to-use navigation
system. You're also encouraged to use the
grass roots site builder to build a mini
site for your own local football team or
rugby club.
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Sports.com
www.sports.com
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Covering all of the world's sports in one
place is a mammoth task, but this site is
making a brave stab at doing just that. It's
certainly comprehensive, with up-to-date
coverage of the major sports from both sides
of the Atlantic.
Live scores are clearly a speciality and if
you want to keep a tab on the scores in a
number of different sports at once, this is
the place to come. Ultimately, though, the
tone is a bit drab and it can't help
spreading itself too thinly.
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Clayshooting
www.clayshooting.co.uk
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A neatly-designed site that will tell you
everything you need to know about clay
pigeon shooting. A well-written beginners
guide is a useful introduction for those
wanting to take up the sport, detailing the
equipment you'll need and the skills to
acquire.
There's also plenty for more seasoned
marksmen, including the 'Ask Angela' section
- a sort of agony aunt for the troubled
shooter. The whole thing is nicely designed
and has a professional air, while remaining
friendly.
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Gone to the Dogs
www.thedogs.co.uk
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If your idea of a night at the dogs
revolves around flat caps and steaming cups
of Bovril, maybe this excellently produced
site will make you take a fresh look at
greyhound racing.
It combines stylish design with reams of
information. Directions and details of all
the tracks in the country will tell you
where and when to go, while the beginners
guide to betting will put you in the know
for when you get there. There's even a
section on how to adopt a retired
greyhound.
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