7 days, 7 good news stories: a heroic victory in the Tour-de-France, a head wash for the bathing cap ignoramuses and a football club taking a stand against racism.
LISTICLE/12/15/2021
07

Days, 7 Good News: Mr. Big Is Alive, Lewis Hamilton Is a Sir and Paris Is Just Great!

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We think: Every now and then you need good news. Especially from the world of sports. In our Good News we serve you seven news every week that make our - and hopefully your - sports heart beat faster. Because the news is fun. Because they are trend-setting. Because they show new trends. Because they sprinkle a pinch of absurdity in a much too serious world. Or because they simply bring joy. The main thing is to be in a good mood, that's our motto in this news format. And we're about to get started. With the official accolade for a loser, a different green for footballers, spectacular Parisian Olympic plans and a resurrection from serial death at Christmas.

01

Girls, Madam President Calls to the Plate!

Image credit:
Benedikt Probst/DTTB

With its 96 years, the German Table Tennis Association (DTTB) is a grandfather among sports associations. Now it has treated itself to a female makeover: Claudia Herweg is the first female president of the DTTB. Actually, gender should no longer play a role, says Herweg. But from the gender symbolism she hopes nevertheless a signal. "But we still have to fight for that, and there we 'firsts' hopefully make it easier for the younger girls." In any case, the first president has big goals. "From kindergarten to Olympics: systematic finding and development of top 20 world ranked players" she names as one of her top items on the to-do list.

02

The Dfl Wants to Become Greener

The football pitch is already green, now the professional association wants to become so too: The German Football League (DFL) wants to become sustainable. From the 2023/24 season, the 18 clubs in the 1st Bundesliga and the 18 clubs in the 2nd Bundesliga will have to meet sustainability criteria if they want to get the licence to kick along. "We have set the issue in motion," says outgoing DFL boss Christian Seifert. What specifically will be required by the season after next, however, has yet to be worked out. We have a few suggestions: No more disposable bratwurst and beer, no more air travel for domestic footballers, jerseys only with a green label....

03

Christmas Gifts for Sick Children

The players of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim have bought Christmas presents for more than one hundred hospitalised children from the region of the Bundesliga football club. The men also wrapped the presents themselves, which were financed from the team's coffers. "We just wanted to give them a little moment of happiness," says captain Havard Nordtveit. The only downer: Because of the Corona pandemic, the kickers can not hand over the packages personally. We still say: Heartwarming!

04

380 Million Us Dollars for Victims of Abuse

Her ordeal went on for years, and so did the legal process. But in the abuse scandal surrounding former gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, hundreds of abused women like Simone Biles have finally been awarded compensation. $380 million was awarded to them by a court in Indianapolis. Rachael Denhollander, who was the first gymnast to testify against Nassar in 2016, aptly summed it up. "No amount of money will ever repair the damage that was doneand what these women have been through. But at some point, the negotiations have to end because these women need help - and they need it now." An independent mediator will decide how much each victim will get - depending also on the length and severity of the abuse.

05

Paris, You’re Great

Image credit:
Florian Hulleu/Paris 2024

Paris, you are magnificent. For the first time, the opening of the Olympic Games will not take place in a stadium, but in the heart of the host city. In 2024, Paris wants the biggest sporting event in the world to begin in its beautiful, historic city centre. The athletes will be transported on 160 boats across the Seine to the Pont d'Iéna, where the actual opening ceremony will take place under the Eiffel Tower. Notre Dame, the Louvre, all that the organizers of Paris 2024 want to present. Chapeau!

06

What’s a World Championship Title versus a Knighthood?

Lewis, cheer up. What's a world championship title against a knighthood? After losing the drama in the Formula 1 final in Abu Dhabi, Lewis Hamilton can now take comfort from none other than Queen Elizabeth II. After the official knighting ceremony could not take place in December 2020 due to the Corona pandemic, the time had now come. The British Queen knighted the British record world champion in the flesh at Windsor Castle. There is no greater honour for athletes in Great Britain. Another consolation after the big hassle: Max Verstappen will never be able to take the title of 'Sir' from Hamilton.

07

Mr. Big Is Alive!

Sport is murder, thought many a TV viewer, when "Sex and the City" comeback (the follow-up series is called "And Just Like That") of all things "Mr. Big" (John James Preston) died of a heart attack after fitness training. Anyway, knowledgeable TV viewers* recognized the death device as a Peloton bike and also identified Peloton star trainer Jess King as the driver on "Mr. Big's" last few meters of life. The series plot sent the New York-based fitness company's stock plummeting - but Peloton responded with humor. First, Suzanne Steinbaum, one of Peloton's consulting physicians, dissected the unhealthy lifestyle of Carrie's on-off lover. And then the company turned the tables completely, releasing a video claiming that the death was fake and that "Mr. Big" had actually run off with his driver. "He's alive" - we're laughing our heads off at the counter.

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