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rantnrave:// Fifteen years ago, something as simple as on-base percentage was considered groundbreaking (OK, that's not exactly what Moneyball was about), but consider the distance we've come in the science of sports. The new competitive advantage is the San Francisco Giants measuring players for hydration (the golden urinal is the new MVP award), sleep-tracking and light vision training. And those are the advancements we know about; the real cutting edge is those that are still unknown. Yes, the Spurs had Tim Duncan but they also developed a philosophy behind rest and minutes played. The next dynasty will be built on stars and science. ... Fandom is about loyalty but teams don't always keep their end of the bargain, as football fans in Oakland are painfully aware. We share the stories of the cities and fans left behind in our REDEF SportsSET "Abandonment Issues: When Sports Teams Say Goodbye". ... There is justice for the U.S. women's hockey team. It won its standoff with USA Hockey and negotiated its way into better pay and more equitable treatment. How far was the gap between men and women in USA Hockey before? Men's hockey players received $50 per diem, while women were receiving $15. Now it's even. But is it possible to do this without a strike and without public pressure? Cutting down gender inequality in sports can't come only when there's a sensational dispute involved. It demands relentless attention when there are few clicks or TV time to be gained. ... Was Hulk Hogan body-slamming Andre the Giant onto the mat at WrestleMania III one of the most memorable moments in sports history? Read the Detroit News' oral history on that day and tell me it wasn't. Or at least one of the most interesting.

Giants players, led by veterans such as Buster Posey and Hunter Pence, embrace a sports science program.

Daniel Brown | Mercury News

On March 29, 1987 -- 30 years ago -- at 4 p.m., the first ringside bell was rung at the colossal Pontiac Silverdome.

Adam Graham & Tony Paul | The Detroit News

Former Northwestern basketball player Johnnie Vassar is suing the university and the NCAA over what he characterizes as a "run-off" -- an attempt to pressure and intimidate Vassar into separating from his four-year athletic scholarship.

Kevin Trahan | Vice Sports

This weekend, an invisible component of the tournament will play its own March Madness.

Chuck Culpepper | The Washington Post

North Carolina is reluctant to share a public employee's pay, and the NCAA pulls back too.

Nancy Armour | USA Today

"It's not enough to be smart. You have to be curious."

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