The Sporting Almanac Podcast

<p><strong>The Six Nations - Wales</strong></p><p>It's only been five years since Wales last won the Six Nations, and only two more beyond that since their last Grand Slam in 2019. But for Welsh fans it probably seems a lifetime ago with the current team struggling for wins against even mid-ranked nations and threatening to be perpetual wooden spoonists in the Northern Hemisphere's premier Rugby Union competition.</p><p>To say the fortunes of Welsh rugby can ebb and flow is quite the understatement. They produced arguably the best attacking force in the sports history to close out the 1970s, and for a decade from the mid-2000's a side that came close to those colossuses that preceded them. The highs form a stark contrast against the lows.</p><p>Today we briefly look at the origins of Welsh rugby and ask why industrialised, working class Wales of the late 19th Century didn't follow the North of England into Rugby League. Then, it's all about their recent success - Gavin Henson, Shane Williams, Dan Biggar, Alun Wyn Jones and Leigh Halfpenny and many more players besides, as we explain how Wales came closer than any team in our lifetime to dominating the Six Nations.</p>

<p><strong>Super Bowl LX - Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots</strong></p><p>The Super Bowl simply needs no introduction. It is, one way or another, the biggest event on the annual sporting calendar. Multi-million dollar advertisements, tickets in the tens of thousands of dollars and more, a half time show some people look forward to more than the football... and behind it all, you have two conference champions vying for the only things that universally matter in the game - the Vince Lombardi trophy, a Super Bowl ring and immortality.</p><p>Today, we focus on three main events of Jack's choosing - his favourite Super Bowl, his choice for the most important Super Bowl in history, and his greatest Super Bowl fairy-tale. Expect helmet catches, a league turned upside down, grocery store shelf stacking, and destiny fulfilled across the board.</p><p>Ben takes us on a preview of this season's event framed around the last time the Seahawks took on the Patriots, where the Seahawks famously did not run the ball and blew the chance to win back-to-back Super Bowls, a wound Seattle will be desperate to heal in Santa Clara on Sunday. And Jack, for one, very much hopes they will...</p><p></p><p>Plays Mentioned in the Episode:</p><p>The Helmet Catch - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlyBEJ60Duc">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OlyBEJ60Duc</a></p><p>Philly Special (mic'd up) - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XmhBaUdges">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XmhBaUdges</a></p><p>Warner to Bruce 73yd touchdown - <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ui9eOuMScI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ui9eOuMScI</a></p>

<p><strong>The Six Nations Series - Introduction</strong></p><p>The Northern Hemisphere's biggest rugby competition is back. France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Italy and Wales will renew their decades long fight for European supremacy, starting with France vs. Ireland in Paris.</p><p>In this series we will dive into each of the nations histories in the competition, but for this episode we set the scene, talk about why we love the Six Nations, its past and what its future might hold.</p>

<p><strong>Winter Olympics Series Episode X - Alpine Skiing and its Superwomen</strong></p><p>We bring our Winter Olympics series to a close just in time for the opening ceremony, and finish with the true blue ribbon events of the games - Alpine Skiing, consisting of the Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Team Combined and, the crème de la crème of the winter games, the Downhill events.</p><p>The latter is designed to test the six core components of technique, courage, speed, risk, physical condition and judgement, perhaps none more so than courage. Athletes can reach speeds in excess of 150kph, injury (or worse) is never more than a moments misjudgement away. There is no test in sport like it.</p><p>We take a look particularly at the careers of two incredible women: Mikaela Shiffrin, arguably the greatest ever to strap on a pair of skis; and Ester Ledecká, the first person to compete at both Snowboarding and Skiing at the same Olympics - impressive enough, but what happened when she did is no less than extraordinary.</p><p></p><p>Mikaela Shiffrin</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXZONudWZSw">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXZONudWZSw</a></p><p>Ester Ledecká</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke0bRzCWz1c">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ke0bRzCWz1c</a></p>

<p><strong>Winter Olympics Series Episode IX - Lindsey Jacobellis and Snowboard Cross</strong></p><p>Snowboard Cross is fun, that much is certain. But what happens when a competitor chooses the wrong moment to have fun, with the eyes of the world upon her and the finish line in sight? In 2006, Lindsey Jacobellis had one of the winter games most memorable and infamous moments, and despite dominating her sport in every other competition, then spent 16 years searching for redemption.</p><p>Fortunately, sport being sport, and the Olympics being as wonderful as they are, even at the age of 36 in a sport dominated by youth, redemption is always there for those talented and persistent enough to continue to seek it.</p><p></p><p>Lindsey Jacobellis in 2006 and 2022:</p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWD1yVLqbpY">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWD1yVLqbpY</a></p><p><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58jY6CqIQ4E">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58jY6CqIQ4E</a></p>