Sports Then and Now

The Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing is one of the most prestigious and difficult accomplishments in all of sports. To win the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes in a single season requires not only immense talent but also endurance, versatility, and the ability to recover quickly between races. Only 13 horses have ever accomplished this feat in over a century of racing. Here’s a ranking of the top 10 Triple Crown winners in horse racing history, considering the dominance of their campaigns, the competition they faced, and their place in the sport’s legacy.

1. Secretariat (1973)

Trainer: Lucien Laurin
Jockey: Ron Turcotte

No Triple Crown list is complete without Secretariat at the top. Widely regarded as the greatest racehorse of all time, “Big Red” captured the imagination of the nation during his 1973 campaign. After losing the Wood Memorial, he rebounded with an electrifying Kentucky Derby win in which he ran each quarter-mile faster than the previous one—a feat never seen before or since.

He followed that with a record-setting Preakness victory and then delivered the most iconic performance in racing history at the Belmont Stakes, winning by a staggering 31 lengths and setting a still-standing world record for 1½ miles (2:24). Secretariat wasn’t just a Triple Crown winner—he was a supernova.

2. Citation (1948)

Trainer: Ben A. Jones
Jockey: Eddie Arcaro

Citation was the first horse to earn over $1 million in his career and might be the greatest horse not named Secretariat. He won 19 of 20 starts as a 3-year-old in 1948, including an effortless sweep of the Triple Crown. He could beat sprinters, milers, and distance horses with ease.

He returned from a year-long layoff due to injury and still managed to win after the Triple Crown, showcasing his remarkable durability and consistency. Citation’s ability to win over various distances and against older horses adds to his legend.

3. Seattle Slew (1977)

Trainer: Billy Turner
Jockey: Jean Cruguet

Seattle Slew made history as the only horse to win the Triple Crown while undefeated. From modest beginnings and purchased for just $17,500, Slew had a powerful, almost mechanical stride and could dominate from the front.

His wire-to-wire win in the Kentucky Derby demonstrated both strength and courage. He handled slop in the Preakness and showed grit in the Belmont. After an injury-plagued 4-year-old season, he returned and beat 1978 Triple Crown winner Affirmed in the Marlboro Cup, cementing his legacy.

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Live betting today offers that immediate rush, but in 2025, it will offer much more. The technology behind it will be smarter, offering real-time data that helps you make more informed decisions, faster.   Instead of depending on basic odds or intuition, you’ll be equipped to place precise bets in the middle of the action.

So, what does this mean for you as a bettor? Let’s explore how the next evolution of live betting will change everything.

Real-Time Data Will Go Beyond the Basics

If you’ve been placing live bets, you’re likely familiar with real-time stats like scores, injuries, and odds. But in 2025, the depth of this data will reach new levels. Real-time insights will go beyond traditional statistics to track player performance in once-unimaginable ways.

For example, you’ll be able to see a running back’s fatigue levels in real time, analyze how exhaustion impacts their performance, and predict when they might slow down or speed up. Real-time momentum shifts will be tracked to show how the game’s pace changes, giving you a clearer picture of which team has the upper hand.

You’ll gain a deeper look into the mental side of the game — including indicators like stress levels — that can influence an athlete’s decisions and performance. Thanks to wearable tech tracking real-time data such as heart rate, movement, and recovery metrics, it’s becoming possible to anticipate a player’s next move with greater accuracy. This kind of insight is reshaping Sports betting, shifting it from a reactive activity to a more predictive, data-driven process that gives bettors a sharper edge in fast-paced live markets.

Personalized Mobile Betting Will Change the Game

Mobile betting will undergo a massive transformation by 2025, offering a smarter and more personalized experience than ever. With advancements in mobile platforms and real-time data integration, betting apps will start anticipating your preferences, delivering insights and alerts that cater to you.

For instance, you could receive personalized notifications based on your betting history, such as an alert when a key player is about to reach a significant milestone, like hitting their season-high for points or rebounds.

Image Credit: Stephen Momot from Unsplash.

Everyone knows that hobbies can be great for multiple reasons. They let you relax, help you have a great time, and can even get you a little physically active. Sometimes, it’s worth focusing on the last of these by taking up a few physical hobbies. These can be more interesting than you’d think.

They’ll even be quite a bit of fun, on top of helping you get a little fitter. Some of these could stand out more than others because of how interesting they’ll be. Three of these might be focusing on. There’s no reason why you shouldn’t have a great time with them.

Sports

Sports is one of the more obvious areas to focus on with this. There’ll be plenty of options with this, and some could be a lot more fun than others. Even the likes of padel ball can be worth it, once you pick up some professional padel rackets. Once you’re playing, you’ll have quite a bit of fun.

Are you someone who loves sports? If you are, then you might have been thinking about how you could make a career out of this. Perhaps you got started in a career that you didn’t actually like too much, and now you’re regretting your choice, instead deciding that you want to pursue a passion of yours. That’s a great idea! It might be tough to work out what your options actually are though, which is exactly why we’ve written this article. 

Down below, you’re going to find some of the suggestions that we’ve come up with to help you get started in a sports related career. Of course, there is your typical athlete, but to be honest if you were going to pursue this route you probably either would know by now, or would have done it by now. But, if you want other options, read on.

Offering Coaching Or Training

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We’re going to kick this article off by saying that you can consider offering coaching or training if you have the knowledge and ability to do this. You have to have confidence in your knowledge of the sport that you’re planning to coach, and you have to dedicate yourself to learning more as and when necessary. You also need to understand that not every person is the same, so it’s important for you to learn different teaching techniques, different abilities in people and so much more. 

With the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers about to meet for the NBA’s Eastern Conference title, NBA fans are excited for the latest installment of a legendary rivalry that captivated fans during the 1990s.

In the pantheon of great NBA rivalries, few matchups were as intense, dramatic, and personal as the New York Knicks vs. Indiana Pacers during the 1990s. From 1993 to 2000, these two Eastern Conference foes clashed in the playoffs six times, creating unforgettable moments, unforgettable villains and heroes, and a storyline that embodied the gritty, physical nature of 1990s basketball.

At the center of the storm was Reggie Miller, the Pacers’ sharpshooting provocateur, and the Madison Square Garden faithful, who loved to hate him. On the other side were the bruising Knicks, led by Patrick Ewing and a cast of enforcers. Every meeting between these teams was a war, often decided by physicality, willpower, and late-game heroics.

The Origins: 1993 Eastern Conference First Round

The rivalry’s spark came in the 1993 Eastern Conference First Round, when the second-seeded Knicks met the seventh-seeded Pacers. At the time, the Knicks were considered legitimate title contenders, while the Pacers were still trying to establish themselves as a postseason threat.

New York, led by head coach Pat Riley, played a bruising, physical style centered on Ewing, Charles Oakley, and John Starks. They swept the Pacers in three games, but the intensity was unmistakable. Though the series was one-sided, it planted the seeds of hatred and set the tone for what would follow.

1994: The Rivalry Erupts

The rivalry exploded into full bloom during the 1994 Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks were again contenders, while the Pacers, now coached by Larry Brown, had developed into a dangerous team built around Reggie Miller, Dale and Antonio Davis, and veteran point guard Mark Jackson.

The series went the full seven games, but it was Game 5 at Madison Square Garden that defined the rivalry. Reggie Miller scored 25 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter, raining down three-pointers and engaging in a memorable, animated exchange with Knicks superfan Spike Lee. Miller’s theatrical taunts and the iconic “choke” sign aimed at Lee became part of NBA lore.

With the announcement last week by Major League Baseball (MLB) Commissioner Rob Manfred that time on baseball’s permanently ineligible list would end upon the death of the individual, speculation is now rampant that the two most prominent names on that list, Pete Rose and Shoeless Joe Jackson, could soon be headed to Cooperstown.

For more than a century, Jackson has been one of baseball’s most captivating and controversial figures. A man whose bat spoke louder than his words, Jackson’s legacy is a blend of dazzling talent, Southern humility, and a shadow cast by one of the sport’s darkest scandals. More than 70 years after his death and 100 years after his last official game, the debate continues: should greatness on the field redeem a transgression off it?

A Natural Talent from the Cotton Mills

Joseph Jefferson Jackson was born on July 16, 1887, in Pickens County, South Carolina, and raised in the mill town of Greenville. One of eight children, Jackson began working in a textile mill as a young boy to support his family. His education ended early, but his affinity for baseball became evident almost immediately. He played for mill teams as a teenager and quickly earned a reputation as a prodigious hitter.

Jackson’s nickname, “Shoeless Joe,” came from an instance during a mill game in which he removed a pair of blister-causing spikes and played barefoot. A reporter latched onto the image, and the name stuck for life.

Rising Star in the Big Leagues

Jackson’s professional baseball journey began when he was signed by the Philadelphia Athletics in 1908. However, his introduction to Major League Baseball was rocky. Jackson, a shy and uneducated young man unaccustomed to big-city life, struggled to adjust and was traded to the Cleveland Naps (later known as the Indians). It was in Cleveland that Jackson blossomed.

By 1911, Jackson emerged as one of the league’s top hitters, batting .408 in his first full season—a mark that still stands as the highest batting average ever by a rookie. He finished second in the American League behind Ty Cobb, who hit .420 that year. Jackson’s swing was considered one of the most graceful and effective in the history of the game, inspiring future legends like Babe Ruth.