ESPNet
What do you want? You want highlight films? Boom. It's got highlight films.
You want play-by-play? Boom. It's got play-by-play. You want player interviews?
Stats and box scores? Sports talk? That's right. Boom. You betcha. ESPNET
SportsZone has it all - on your computer, right there, and in your face.
Bet your Bulls' tickets on it. SportsZone offers the best, most comprehensive,
multimedia sports coverage on the Web today. From video clips to sound files
to link after logically placed link, you won't find a more gigantic resource
of up-to-the-minute professional sports information. The array and timeliness
of the content sets a benchmark to which other news organizations should
aspire. Indeed, in one form or another, SportsZone offers all one may find
on ESPN's cable TV network.
The site is rife with impressive, innovative features. In no particular
order:
Video clips of amazing plays. You're watching the 5 p.m. news and see Shaq
hit the first three-pointer of his career. You book on over to SportsZone,
and - *yes* - it's the Video Play of the Day. Download the QuickTime or
AVI clip, and you've saved Shaqidocious for posterity.
Game flow graphics. At this point, SportsZone begins to compete with TV.
If your favorite games aren't televised, you can use your computer for real-time
statistical accounts of games in progress. You say pretty, constantly updated
graphics aren't enough? Then check out the play-by-play descriptions.
Celebrity Q&A. SportsZone gets you closer to the competitors by letting
you submit questions to select players. And we're not talking back-up tight
ends and the third-round picks who play garbage minutes. We're talking legitimate
blue-chip names like Ken Norton Jr., Sean Elliott and Greg Lemond. Ride'em
if you have to - these guys are tough, and they'll answer tough questions.
Sports chat. Why call up talk radio shows and wait on hold when you can
instantly argue about sports with fans worldwide. SportsZone's chat function
is quick and reliable, and the level of debate tops America Online.
OK. Enough said. SportsZone is the ticket. Pass those Beer Nuts, and quit
blocking the computer screen.-JP
A+
CyberDojo
The CyberDojo site represents a group of karateka interested in discussing
Traditional Japanese or Okinawan Karate. The site features plenty of karate
information including a FAQ, the CyberDojo mailing list, directory sorted
by styles, a Karate terminology list, traditional Karate Kata list, a schedule
of Karate-related events, Karate bibliography and suggested readings, and
cute little Karate guy icons. Learn there's more to Karate than chopping
wood with your feet!-BJB
B+
Fastball
I have a vision of Fantasy Baseball addicts, spittle dripping from their
mouths, pouring over the intense baseball minutiae on this site. Run by
Cox newspapers, this site has access to tons of content - professional reports,
pictures, videos and Real Audio reports. It's got the latest baseball news
fresh off the wire and organized by team, the latest team transactions,
discussion areas, batter by batter stats, scores, schedules, photos, Official
Rules, and even quotes by baseball's least funny spokesperson, Bob Ueker.
The only limitation of this stat-loaded wonderland is it's Atlanta Braves
bias. Good thing they won last year.-MP
A-
Fat Tire Wire
Dedicated to the sport of mountain biking, Fat Tire Wire would be a great
place if it's most interesting features weren't "Under Construction."The Bike Swap free classified section would be cool if it worked. The Discussion
area doesn't work either. Their racing database, matching you to a race,
is incomplete. However, there is a complete list of races by region and
a working list of links to some bike companies, but besides some photos
and stuff, that's it. If you're going to put up a Web site, make sure at
least half of it is running. And don't use cheesy graphics while you're
at it.-MP
C
Fisbee
Freestyle
Anyone can catch a frisbee, but not everyone can spin a plastic disk with
style. See photos of pros such as Bob Coleman catching a frisbee with his
leg draped over his arm or witness the grace of Gena Sample's leg split
as she catches a low throw. Look up the rankings of the top frisbee players
in the Freestyle Players Association section or follow your favorite players
in the tournament schedule. Test your disk knowledge in the Frisbee Trivia
section or let the links list take you to related sites as if you were a
frisbee floating across the Web.-BJB
B+
Golf Magazine
Golf magazine has created a useful Web site that goes beyond the regular
print version. It's got up-to-tee-off news, the latest weather report so
you don't get hit by lightening, a database of the top golf instructors,
the rules (in case you forgot), a database of courses and resorts, and a
bulletin board on golf-y topics. My favorite feature is the Personal Profiler.
Fill out a form that and the computer gives you a detailed plan on how you
can improve your game. It told me to wait for the monkey to swing all the
way over before teeing off at the mini-golf course.-MP
A-
NFL PLAYERS Inc
The NFL Players Inc.'s site might be worth a look if you have a hankering
for some player stats or have a player trivia bug. Type a name, team or
whatever into the massive NFL player database, press the button and voilá!
An Instant Electronic Football card appears, only without the picture (which
would be a good idea). The Fan Club contains a Profile of the Week and in
the Trivia Quiz area you're given $500 to gamble on your NFL player knowledge.
Too bad it's just pretend money, since I just kept backing up the browser
until I got all the questions right. All in all, a fair visit.-MP
B
On Hoops
On Hoops isn't just a collection of basketball scores and statistics, but
also a collection of well-written commentary. Unafraid to express an opinion,
these guys bat around the league, the players, and even the announcers with
impunity. They cover all the major events with reviews on games, industry
insider tidbits, and critical analysis on the state of the basketball itself.
These guys live, breathe and eat basketballs. My only complaint with the
site is that the graphics aren't so great - but this should hardly get in
the way of any fan looking for some cutting-edge coverage they won't find
anywhere else.-MP
A-
Rugby
World Server
Considered to be one of the roughest sports around, rugby has a safe and
easy site to learn more about the game and its players. The Rugby World
Server pays tribute to the sport with an extensive WWW directory of pages,
a coach search, USARFU and MARFU news, rugby suppliers and publications,
and more! Meet the Brandywine Rugby Football Club or find out how to join
the Middle Atlantic Rugby Football Union. Some of the sections are still
under heavy construction, so watch out for missing links and sparse content.-BJB
B
Scottie
Pippens Home Court
If you're a Scottie Pippen fan, you'll want to check out this electronic
homage to a basketball star. This site has got photos of Scottie, up-to-the
minute statistics on Scottie, highlights from Scottie's last four games,
a section detailing all the MVP awards he's won, and some Bulls' games highlights.
My favorite part is the collection of Scottie's thought-provoking quotes
which bare his naked, tortured soul to the world. The site looks good, works
pretty well, and makes me wish I was seven feet tall.-MP
B+
SoccerNews
Online
What's white and black and kicked all over the globe? A soccer ball! On
SoccerNews Online, fans can read who's kicking the ball all the way to the
CONCACAF Gold Cup or which team will wow the world at the 1996 Summer Olympics.
SoccerNews Online divides the reports by associations such as FIFA, CONMEBOL,
UEFA, CAF, AFC, and OFC. Go to the USA section to see which college team
is ranked highest in the league or follow the links to select sites each
representing youth, amateur and professional teams. SoccerNews Online has
reached its goal as a valuable sports resource.-BJB
B
Tennis Country
Tennis Country is setup like a country club that you can't play tennis in.
Go and gossip about tennis in the chat area, check out the latest news ,
follow tournament coverage, and discover playing and fitness tips to keep
you competitive. A section for the kids has it's own chat area and some
college court coverage, and a partner matching service helps you find a
tennis date. I personally expect to meet a delicious tennis babe because
I said I was a 7.0 rated pro. The only problem is that the look and feel
of the place made it resemble the town courts more than an exclusive club,
but that shouldn't deter you.-MP
B
The
Martial-Arts as Kent's Learned Them
Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan now have a Web site even THEY would bow down to
honor. The "Martial-Arts as Kent's Learned Them" has information
on Martial Arts in General/Self-Defense, Tang Soo Do, Aikido, Qigong, Jeet
Kune Do, and a Martial Arts Doublespeak Guide. Read the hypertext version
of the Art Of War by Sun Tzu or shop for equipment on the WWW Martial Arts
Supply Catalog. Get advice on how to find a real Jeet Kune Do instructor.
This is a stellar site for anyone interested in Kung Foo fighting.-BJB
B-
Tour
DuPont
The Tour DuPont is a big bike race sponsored by the manufacturers of a lubricant.
Access schedules, course maps, details of the teams and riders, and more
info about lubricants than you can ever hope to use. The coolest feature
is the Predict the Winner option. First they explain a bunch of physical
stats like lactate threshold (which has nothing to do with milk), and then
you compare the stats of the competitors to choose a winner. Only it doesn't
work. Probably this is because I reviewed the '95 page (the '96 one wasn't
up yet) and it wouldn't be very challenging to predict something that happened
a year ago.-MP
B
