Sports : NPR
Prayers, incantations, and rituals of purification were for centuries an important aspect of the hand-to-hand combat of Islamic wrestlers. It was not unusual to combine the skills of the wrestler with those of a mystic poet. Indeed, the celebrated 14th-century Persian pahlavan Maḥmūd Khwārezmī was both. Among the many games of North Africa was ta kurt om el mahag (“the ball of the pilgrim’s mother”), a Berber bat-and-ball contest whose configuration bore an uncanny resemblance to baseball. GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals are playing the first half of football games as if they just rolled out of bed. Exercise is an important tool against the deleterious effects of aging. Among the possibilities of exercise, bodyweight training has been highlighted in the last years as a safe option to improve the health of older people. A conversation with the Swiss legend about his future—and that teary moment with Rafael Nadal—just hours after the final match of his career. Tyler Reddick le...