Strata is a web-based magazine that has a mission statement that resonates strongly with Runner-Up:

As “the common man’s fifteen minutes,” Strata Magazine is a voice to those who are often overlooked by traditional media.

They appear to be coming back after a hiatus and could use some contributions. So, please, by all means, check them out, and in the spirit of participation, send them your story ideas. But not before you send some our way!

From the Toronto Star’s Chris Young, via Irish Eagle, comes the story of an unlikely film about an even unlikelier team.

The Emerald Diamond is a documentary by Irish-American John Fitzgerald about the Irish national baseball team. After trying out for the team, and failing to qualify for Irish citizenship, Fitzgerald decided instead to chronicle the team’s and the sport’s history in Ireland. It wasn’t too hard to track down people, since baseball was introduced to the country barely 15 years ago.

This reminds me a little of Dave Bidini’s book Baseballissimo, about baseball in Italy, which has a proud tradition going back about 60 years now. That’s when American GIs introduced the game to the war-weary Italians.

Perhaps they should arrange a game or seven between the two countries? A sort of Old-World Series.

The Global Game blog has an excellent entry on the 2006 Arctic Winter Games which will take place from March 5-11 in the Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska. The games have been held every two years since 1970 and offer an opportunity for teenaged athletes from the Inuit, Tlingit, Aleutian, Nenet, Khanty, Selkup, Magadan and Sami peoples of the world’s northern climes to meet each other and compete.

More information: Arctic Winter Games International Committee

P.S. I love the new blog, guys, but couldn’t you have borrowed a different template?

When fellow Canadian Jonathan Crowe created a blog in 2004 to cover last-place finishes at the Athens Olympics, I applauded what I thought was a one-off. I have to take my hat off to him, though, for reviving this fascinating project for the Torino games. I’m glad to see that he’s also getting lots of media attention again, bringing the accomplishments of lesser athletes into the public eye, even if just as a curiosity.

Thanks to Michael for a great post about Vinko Bogataj, the Slovenian ski-jumper who was for years featured in ABC’s Wide World of Sports broadcasts.

Instead of repeating, I’ll just send you off to read his excellent blog. I started reading it while researching an upcoming vacation to Slovenia. Yes, I even root for underdog countries when it comes to my own leisure time!