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How the Premier League Has Evolved Over the Years

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Premier League changed football forever, unrecognisable from what it was 27 years ago.

Founded in 1992, the numbers attached to the twenty-team Premier League playing a total of 38 games per season on average are staggering. For instance, the League has produced 21,553 goals in total with Manchester United leading the count at 1,989.

These stats, while they may not show the whole picture, proved that there is more to the league than the hype and money.

A league of its own

English football is always pitted against cricket and rugby, without an identity of its own. But those were the 1990s before the digital wave came into existence.

Football is now on a separate section of the newspapers and websites too. The sport had never experienced any letup in terms of media coverage. It’s a visual entertainment, from 18 games on live TV in the former First Division to 60 and now, 168 televised games every season.

Stakes are high

Each televised comes with a hefty price tag–the TV rights auction alone amounts to £$8 billion in total. A football match today is worth £10 million when the entire finals of the 1991-92 season cost around £15 million. 

In terms of broadcasting rights, there had been a 2,728% increase over 25 years. Predicting where the Premier League is broadcasted is harder to predict now more than ever. For now, it was available in 189 countries worldwide.

Ticket prices skyrocketed as well from £30 at the highest end to £97. So were the transfer fees. Club owners, which may compose of Americans, Middle Easterners, and Chinese, are billionaires. Thus, football is no longer the working man’s game. Instead, it can be considered a professional elite’s game–a lifestyle choice rather than just a sport.

A healthy mix of players

English football has a global appeal because of the talented and well-loved players from different parts of the world. When the League started, there were only 13 players from overseas out of 242 players in total. In the 2016-17 season, about 112 out of 220 players started the match on the last day of the said season.

Overseas players are well-represented today; they hailed from 113 different nations throughout the years since the Premier League started. In 1999, the first team without a Brit player played in the League. Speaking of which, out of the 20 teams, 13 has a non-English manager.

Discernible style of play

How the game is played was very different now. Agility and physicality are two vital changes. Not just the speed of the players and the way every match turns out, but also the club management takes care of these players more so physically. Diets are improved, and alcohol is removed from the regimen.

With this, football players are more interesting to watch while in the field. Their display of athleticism is salient.

On the other hand, with cards issuance in mind, the players of before were more disciplined. In the first week of 1992, no player was sent off, and three of the games had no booking. Compared with today, in just 10 games, 34 cards were issued. Red cards were also given to players.

English football has changed beyond recognition. However, it is still the same sport that binds people – Brits or not.

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How the NFL Rules Have Changed Over the Years

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Founded on August 20, 1920 (nearing its 100th inaugural season), the National Football League (NFL) has its ups and downs–rules-wise. 

A bevvy of rule changes often had effects on both the game and the players. But for the NFL, can you imagine American football–or Super Bowl–if the rules had never changed at all?

Let us look at what changed in the league.

  • The catch rule

The catch rule was–historically–a convoluted rule that can easily confuse the players. In today’s rule, a catch can be completed by controlling the ball, getting two feet in bounds, and making a football move.

The player need not ‘survive the grounds,’ although if he falls butt-first, it is still considered a catch. If the receiver was pushed out of bounds through a defensive play and came down in bounds, the catch is counted.

  • The targeting rule

In 2018, a 15-yard penalty was implemented against players who intentionally lower his head to initiate contact using his helmet. The rule applies to all players on the field regardless of where he is or they are at on the field. 

The violation may also lead to an ejection, though the criteria for ejection are not cleared yet as of this writing. As such, players must come up with new tackling strategies. And speaking of removals, players can be ejected based on non-football acts other than the facemask infraction.

  • The kickoff rule

Considered as the most dangerous part of American football, the NFL Football Operations decided to introduce new kickoff rules. The primary goal is to minimize the dangers involved, including the numbers of players colliding at one another at full speed. 

In the most recent rules, there would be five players on each side of the ball (with at least two players outside the numbers and another two between the numbers and hash). Only three players are permitted to remain outside, but they cannot perform a wedge block. Running start is no longer allowed. Everyone must follow the no-blocking zone as well.

  • The horse-collar tackle rule

In protecting the players further, especially a defenceless receiver, the Roy Williams rule was introduced in 2005. Players have a habit of pulling down another player by grabbing the collar and producing avoidable injuries in the first place.

When a player is taken down in this way, the legs are trapped underneath in an undesirable angle. This may lead to potentially serious injuries from the neck down especially the spine and lower back. 

  • The PAT rule

PAT stands for point(s) after touchdown wherein if a team scores, they won’t be forced to perform a PAT. It means shortening a game since a PAT play would require at least three minutes of the game.

In connection, a player off the line of scrimmage is prohibited from running and jumping over the scrimmage line for blocking a PAT attempt or a field goal.

The defensive and offensive strategies are altered continuously to reflect the teams’ workaround when new changes are introduced. Likewise, there remains the fact that the NFL has become a more pass-friendly league.

The plays are also more specialized now wherein teams plan a game around a specific opponent on the field depending on his play or talent (specialized skill).

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4 of the Greatest Men’s Tennis Rivalries of the Last Decade

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If you’ve seen Borg vs. McEnroe, you’d ask yourself: if this is not the greatest tennis rivalry, then what is? Nothing, but perhaps one of these modern rivalries is a forthcoming, movie-screen worthy the tennis world is waiting.

Men’s tennis rivalries are as intense as that of the women’s. Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Andy Murray, and 2019 Wimbledon men’s singles champion, Novak Djokovic are some of the greatest players in recent history. The Golden Era of Tennis is all thanks to these men.

Each has their fair share of momentous rivalries, though. The majority of which are ongoing rivalries and are listed below.

Novak Djokovic vs Andy Murray

Djokovic and Murray had a storied rivalry that started in 2006 with Djokovic’s 14 Grand Slam singles titles as opposed to Murray with only 3. They had seven Grand Slam finals meeting. In the Open era, the Serb and Brit were seeded to meet in the Australian Open finals for four times. 

Nonetheless, their 2012 US Open Grand Slam matchup has been one for the books. The game ended after almost 5 hours, with Murray winning his first major title. In 2013, they met again at Wimbledon that Murray had also won. He was the first Brit to win the London major for the first time since 1936.

Novak Djokovic vs Roger Federer

Although Federer has more Grand Slam titles with 20 compared with Djokovic’s 13, Djokovic often prevailed during their head-to-head meetings. Djokovic and the Swiss had a total of 45 meetings.

Dubbed as the male version of the earlier rivalry between Martina Navratilova and Steffi Graf, the two are the Open era’s hardcourt players. They were the only ones to beat each other in Grand Slam tournaments. Djokovic prevailed over Federer, however, at the 2014, 2015, and 2019 Wimbledon as well as 2011 and 2015 US Open. Federer defeated Djokovic in 2007 US Open, and also in 2008 during the semifinals, which is considered as another classic.

Novak Djokovic vs Rafael Nadal

Interestingly, Djokovic leads their head-to-head career meeting with 27 against Nadal’s 25. On the other end of the court, however, Nadal leads Grand Slam tournaments meetings with 9 to 5, finals with 4 to 3 and singles titles with 17 to 13. Their meetings have been the hardest to predict, experts agreed.

Nadal had 14 more faceoffs with Djokovic than with Federer. Djokovic and Nadal were the two top tennis players to meet in four Grand Slam finals. Nadal won nine of their 14 meetings and four in seven meetings on Grand Salm finals. Their 2012 Australian Open finals was considered as one of the greatest Grand Slam finals at almost 6 hours. Djokovic won in five sets.

Rafael Nadal vs Roger Federer

Two of the most respected tennis players in the Open era, Nadal and Federer rivalry is an even matchup. Nadal leads Grand Slam tournaments head-to-head meetings and finals with 9 and 3, respectively, against Federer’s 3 and 3. However, Federer has more Grand Slam titles with 20 compared with that of Nadal’s with 17. They had a total of 38 meetings.

Their most epic game was the 2008 Wimbledon final–their third consecutive year. Federer was looking to win his sixth consecutive Centre Court finals trophy, but Nadal won’t let him. Nadal got the better of Federer in a five-set win. Their most recent duel was the 2017 Australian Open final, with which Federer has also won.

 

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