Rex Fortuna
Sports & Games ColumnistA competitive spirit who has played everything from professional poker to amateur curling. Covers the world of sports and games where the rules are made up and the points do not matter.
Articles by Rex Fortuna
Master Runners Defy Physics—They Maintain Young Running Efficiency Despite Biomechanical Features That Should Slow Them Down
Older runners shouldn't be able to match younger runners' efficiency. Yet they do, by pushing their bodies harder in ways physics alone can't explain.
Why Left-Handers Dominate Fencing But Fail at Shot Put
Left-handed athletes are three times overrepresented in elite fencing but nearly absent from throwing sports. The advantage isn't universal—it only works when you're fighting someone.
The Free-Throw Paradox: Why NBA Shooters Can't Break 75%
NBA free-throw accuracy has flatlined at roughly 75% since the 1980s, despite revolutionary training methods and sports science. The skill appears to have hit a mysterious human ceiling.
Home-Court Advantage Is Dying—and COVID Proved It
NBA data from the pandemic revealed that fan noise drives 95% of home-court advantage. Without crowds, the winning edge collapsed from 2.13 points to 0.44.