The first torch relay took place during the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Publication: Sports
Snopes→ NFL Teams Face Potential Forfeits for COVID-19 Outbreaks
NFL teams that experience a COVID-19 outbreak among nonvaccinated players could forfeit regular-season games, with players on both teams not getting paid.
Snopes→ Yes, the Cleveland Baseball Team Has a New Name
The name change comes after years of advocacy by indigenous organizations.
Snopes→ At Least 100 US Athletes Unvaccinated As Olympics Begin
Medical director Jonathan Finnoff estimated 83% of athletes had replied they were vaccinated.
Snopes→ With Muted Ceremony and Empty Stadium, Tokyo Olympics Begin
An ethereal blue light bathed the empty seats as loud music muted the shouts of scattered protesters outside calling for the Games to be canceled
Snopes→ Did Thousands of Pigeons Poop on Spectators at 1936 Olympic Games?
Birds of a feather poop together.
Snopes→ Sounds of the Games: NBC Doesn’t Plan on Adding Crowd Noise
The NBC Olympics executive producer said that the network will not add additional crowd noise to its coverage.
Snopes→ Did a Dead Jockey Win a Race at Belmont in 1923?
A 1923 article said that Frank Hayes was the "victim of his almost fanatic enthusiasm and worship of horsemanship."
Snopes→ Pic Shows Difference Between Men’s, Women’s Beach Handball Uniforms?
Norway's women's beach handball team was fined in July 2021 for protesting against the sport's "bikini bottoms" requirement.
Snopes→ Did US Women’s Soccer Kneel During National Anthem at 2020 Olympic Opener?
No national anthems were harmed in the making of this protest.
Snopes→ Yes, Giannis Ordered 50 Chick-fil-A Nuggets After Scoring 50 Points — Winning NBA Finals
"Can I have, please, 50-piece — not 51, not 49 — minis, yes?" the NBA Finals MVP said.
Snopes→ Naomi Osaka Told Megyn Kelly to ‘Do Better’ After Being Accused of Hypocrisy Over Magazine Shoots
The tennis star faced criticism from the tv anchor for avoiding French Open journalists to protect her mental health.
Snopes→ Brisbane Picked to Host 2032 Olympics Without a Rival Bid
The Games will go back to Australia 32 years after the popular 2000 Sydney Olympics. Melbourne hosted in 1956.
Snopes→ Did Tom Brady Joke About Election During White House Visit?
Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady accepted an invitation to the White House for the first time since 2005.
Snopes→ Yes, Someone Really Did Predict the Bucks-Suns 2021 NBA Finals in 2016
Wisconsin man Jarrett Plahmer amazed many basketball fans in July 2021, with an unlikely, five-year-old prediction.
Snopes→ It’s True, the Phoenix Suns Have Never Won the NBA Finals
This season is their first chance at the championship since a 1993 loss to Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls.
Snopes→ Robert Cruz Surprises Dad After Being Signed by Nationals
The caption of Cruz's viral TikTok video read: "Surprising my dad at his work with the news that I just got signed by the Washington Nationals."
Snopes→ Yes, a Vaping Company Offered Sha’Carri Richardson $250,000 To Test Products
No word on whether Richardson will accept.
Snopes→ Was Italy Disqualified From UEFA Championship?
Sorry, England fans.
Snopes→ Italy Wins Euro 2020, Beats England in Penalty Shootout
Italy won the European Championship for the second time by beating England 3-2 on penalties on Sunday.
Snopes→ 20 Slams! Djokovic Wins Wimbledon To Tie Federer, Nadal
Novak Djokovic’s bid for a record-tying 20th Grand Slam title was at a critical juncture, when he faced two break points while thousands in the full-capacity crowd at Centre Court chanted his opponent's first name.
Snopes→ Does Zaila Avant-garde Hold Basketball-Related Guinness World Records?
After she became the first Black American to win the National Spelling Bee, attention turned to the Louisiana eighth-grader's remarkable resumé.
Snopes→ Was Zaila Avant-garde in a Steph Curry Commercial?
The new Scripps National Spelling Bee champion said that she does "spelling on the side" to her real passion: basketball.
Snopes→ Did a Tornado Pass by a Philadelphia Phillies Game in 2021?
A viral TikTok video appeared to show an extreme weather event outside Citizens Bank Park, in the summer of 2021.
Snopes→ Was Ivana Trump an Alternate for Czech Ski Team in ’72 Olympics?
This story appears to come with a grain of salt.
Snopes→ Did Biden Get a Mighty Hit at Congressional Baseball Game in the ’70s?
The U.S. president fondly remembered a mighty swing he says he took during a baseball game in 1973, but we're not sure if it happened.
Snopes→ England Charged After Laser Pointed at Danish Goalkeeper
UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, has charged the English Football Association after video showed a laser being pointed at Danish goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel at a crucial moment in the Euro 2020 semi-final.
Snopes→ Lightning Strikes Twice: Tampa Bay Repeats As Cup Champion
The Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 to win their second championship in 18 months.
Snopes→ Was Sha’Carri Richardson Replaced by Anti-Drug Mormon Rebecca Washington?
More importantly, does an Olympic runner named Rebecca Washington even exist?
Snopes→ Did the Grateful Dead Fund Lithuania’s Olympic Basketball Team?
Just keep dribblin' on.
Logically→ The 2021 Australian Grand Prix is canceled.
The Australian Grand Prix is canceled for the second year in a row due to restrictions and logistical challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Snopes→ Bruce Springsteen’s Daughter Makes Olympic Equestrian Team
U.S. Equestrian announced that Jessica Springsteen would be making her Olympic debut.
Snopes→ Did US Women’s Soccer Team Turn Backs on Vet Playing National Anthem?
Several members of the U.S. women soccer team signed a ball for the 98-year-old veteran after the match.
Snopes→ Goalie Matiss Kivlenieks Dies from Fall After Fireworks Mishap
Columbus Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson called it a “devastating time” for the team.
Snopes→ Goalie Matiss Kivlenieks Dies After Fireworks Mishap
Columbus Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson called it a “devastating time” for the team.
Snopes→ EXPLAINER: Olympics Are Harder on Marijuana Than Pro Sports
Though pro leagues are slowly adjusting to the reality that marijuana is not a performance-enhancing drug, it remains squarely on the banned list for Olympic sports.
Snopes→ Did Michael Phelps Test Positive for Marijuana and Still Compete in Olympics?
The Olympic swimmer's 2009 suspension was back in the news after Sha'Carri Richardson's positive marijuana test.
Logically→ A medal to be given to Tokyo Olympics 2020 volunteers has the word ‘Swayamsevak’ inscribed in the Devanagari script.
The official Olympic website does not mention any Swayamsevak medal for volunteers. Volunteers have not received any such medal.
Snopes→ NCAA Clears Way for Athlete Compensation As State Laws Loom
The NCAA Board of Directors approved one of the biggest changes in the history of college athletics.
Snopes→ Mike Tyson’s Anti-Vaccine Shirt Photo Is Fake
We believe in genuine photographs, not doctored anti-vaccine propaganda.