Cornhole, competitive dancing, lightsaber fighting and other fringe sports

With spring training underway for Major League Baseball – 150 years after the start of the National League – it’s fun to look at some fringe sports that hope someday to become mainstream and have staying power. Good luck with that.

International Dance League

The International Dance League on March 4 announced the launch of its first official competitive season, marking a major milestone in the league’s mission to establish dance as a professional, global sport.
“IDL’s first season will feature six of the most influential and accomplished professional dance teams in the world, competing across six scheduled regular-season events in New York (USA), Vancouver (Canada), Sydney (Australia), Seoul (South Korea), and two in Los Angeles (USA),” IDL said in a news release. “Each event will have standardized judging and a championship title modeled after traditional professional sports leagues, with a season champion crowned at the end.”
The first event is set for May 2 in New York City. The championship will be held in Los Angeles on Sept. 20.
“Fans can expect high-level athletic performances, cultural expression, and live entertainment, catering to both in-person audiences and global digital viewership,” IDL said.

Saber Legion World Championships

The competitive world of LED lightsaber combat is the subject of a new documentary called “Saber.” It focuses on a group of dedicated saber combat athletes – and likely “Star Wars” fanatics – as they prepare for the Saber Legion World Championships in Las Vegas, according to GeekTyrant.

Ultimate Fighting Bots

Ultimate Fighting Bots is the world’s first humanoid robot combat league where humans pilot robots in real-time battles. The most recent event was held Jan. 6 in Las Vegas at the Battlebots Arena. I’ll be more interested when the robots are autonomous.

World Chase Tag

World Chase Tag is the first and only global league for competitive tag. Born from a backyard game in 2011, WCT now attracts athletes from 18 nations across two divisions: an open division and a dedicated women’s division.
Two teams of up to 6 athletes face off inside The Quad, a 12-meter by 12-meter arena filled with obstacles, adding a parkour element to the game. Each match is best of 16 chases. If the evader survives 20 seconds without being tagged, their team scores. If a match is tied, it goes to Sudden Death Chase-Off. Each team picks their best chaser and best evader for one final chase each.

World Axe Throwing League

The World Axe Throwing League has taken the recreational activity of axe throwing and turned it into a competitive sport.
The World Axe Throwing League has brought together axe-throwing clubs and standardized the sport with official league rules and safety protocols.

American Cornhole League

The American Cornhole League is attempting to turn the casual backyard bag-tossing game into a pro sport. These tossers take this game seriously.

Major League Wiffle Ball

Major League Wiffle Ball, aka MLW, is a professional wiffleball league, established in 2009. MLW currently features an eight-team league based out of Brighton, Michigan. It also sponsors a tournament circuit. It has hosted tournaments in Michigan, Ohio, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Texas, and Arizona.

USA Pickleball National Championships

The leisure activity of pickleball has gone big time with the USA Pickleball National Championships. The next championships will be held at the Barnes Tennis Center in San Diego, Calif., from Oct. 31 through Nov. 8.

Pillow Fight Championship

The Pillow Fight Championship is a professional sports organization that arranges competitive pillow fighting matches. It was founded in 2021 and offers a unique style of combat sport using specialized pillows, according to Wikipedia.

Enhanced Games

The upcoming Enhanced Games will feature athletes who are allowed to take performance-enhancing drugs banned in other sports. The May 24 event in Las Vegas will feature 50 athletes competing in swimming, weightlifting and track and field.
(See articles by ESPN and the Guardian.)

Related articles:

Blood sports satisfy primal male urges for violence (Tech-media-tainment; March 7, 2026)

ESPN’s ‘The Ocho’ Is Back, but Is Axe Throwing a Sport? We Asked. (Morning Consult; Aug. 6, 2019)

Strange sports: Lingerie MMA, pizza acrobatics, lumberjack contests (Tech-media-tainment; Sept. 23, 2017)

Photos from their respective sports organizations.

Blood sports satisfy primal male urges for violence

Some sports fans like to see athletes spill blood or suffer concussions and broken bones. That’s the only way to explain some emerging violent sports. We already have boxing and mixed martial arts, but apparently they aren’t extreme enough for some fans.
What follows is a look at some alternative brutal sports.

Run Nation Championship

Run Nation Championship is a highly controversial Australian full-contact sport where two athletes sprint at full speed and collide with each other like modern-day jousting. The object is to knock your opponent down or out cold. Critics say the new sport is reckless, dangerous and should be banned. It debuted in early 2026. SB Nation said the sport is dumber than Power Slap.
(See articles by Vice, Complex, Daily Mail and MMA Mania.)

Power Slap

Power Slap is a U.S. slap-fighting competition. Athletes stand face to face and slap each other as hard as they can. That’s pretty much it. The first event was held in 2023.

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship is the first legal, sanctioned, and regulated bare-knuckle boxing event in the U.S. since 1889. Based in Philadelphia, BKFC says it is dedicated to preserving the historical legacy of bare-knuckle fighting. Its first event was held in 2018.

Photos from their respective organizations.

The Winter Olympics and fringe sports

The Winter Olympics are underway in Italy and with it the return of some fringe sports that most people only hear about every four years. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. But I find fringe sports interesting.
The Milan Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games run from Feb. 6 through 22. They will feature such popular sports as alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, figure skating, speed skating and ice hockey.
This year’s Winter Olympics added its first new sport in over two decades – ski mountaineering, aka “skimo.” The last one added was skeleton in 2002. (See articles by NPR and Sherwood News.)
All told, the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy will feature 116 medal events across 16 different sports and disciplines.
Some seem like fringe sports that should be eliminated from the games but probably won’t for historical and other reasons. Chief among them is curling. Come on, that’s not a sport. It’s a pastime for people in the northern climes.
I also don’t get the appeal of bobsleigh, which comes in two-man and four-man varieties as well as two-woman and women’s monobob.
While luge is a legitimate sport in my mind, I don’t understand the reasoning behind doubles, which stacks a second person on the sled. It has been relentlessly ridiculed in memes this year, for good reason.

Photo: Luge women’s doubles at Winter Olympics 2026. (Olympics photo)

How do you find out you’re good at this? What’s the conversation look like https://t.co/3ZuH3NDVPV pic.twitter.com/4mYOoaEGhg

— National Champion Speaker (@HoosierSpeaker) February 11, 2026

Winter Olympics Introduces Exciting New Event 'Septuple Luge' https://t.co/Eo8Ou5o1hO pic.twitter.com/eu8uTPnWUQ

— The Babylon Bee (@TheBabylonBee) February 11, 2026

El deporte es tan homoerótico en tantos aspectos. los amé pic.twitter.com/lX206BwrWH

— JONATHAN (@_macaconinja_) February 11, 2026

Virtual halls of fame: A roundup

The following is a roundup of virtual halls of fame, some of which I’ve covered on Tech-media-tainment. The list includes halls for business and industry, occupations, media and entertainment, sports, food and other endeavors.
These halls of fame don’t have a physical location and exist only online. Some of these halls have plans for physical locations, but they have yet to be realized.
This list excludes most U.S. regional halls of fame.

Business and industry

3D Printing Hall of Fame
Accounting Hall of Fame
Advertising Hall of Fame
Airlift/Tanker Association Hall of Fame
American National Business Hall of Fame
Association of Equipment Manufacturers Hall of Fame
Business Travel Hall of Fame
Carrier Dealer Hall of Fame
Computer Hall of Fame
Consumer Electronics Hall of Fame
Consumer Technology Hall of Fame
Convenience Store Hall of Fame
Cyber Security Hall of Fame
Entrepreneur Of The Year Hall of Fame
Fluid Power Hall of Fame
Franchise Hall of Fame
Gaming Hall of Fame
Geospatial Intelligence Hall of Fame
Global Business Hall of Fame
High-Performance Computer Architecture Hall of Fame
Hydro Hall of Fame
Interior Design Hall of Fame
International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions Hall of Fame
Internet Hall of Fame
IP Hall of Fame
IT Hall of Fame
Jacuzzi Hall of Fame
Jewelry Retailer Hall of Fame
Kiosk Hall of Fame
Lighting Hall of Fame
Logistics Hall of Fame
Lottery Industry Hall of Fame
Marketing Hall of Fame
Meat Industry Hall of Fame
Military Intelligence Hall of Fame
National Marine Manufacturers Association Hall of Fame
National Optometry Hall of Fame
National Pork Producers Council Hall of Fame
Paper Industry International Hall of Fame
Plastics Hall of Fame
Process Automation Hall of Fame
Promotional Products Hall of Fame
PRWeek Hall of Fame
Refrigerated Food Hall of Fame
Rental Hall of Fame
Self Storage Hall of Fame
Space Technology Hall of Fame
Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Hall of Fame
Specialty Food Industry Hall of Fame
Sporting Goods Industry Hall of Fame
Sports Betting Hall of Fame
Sports Technology Hall of Fame
Swine Hall of Fame
Tire Industry Hall of Fame
Toy Industry Hall of Fame
Visual Effects Society Hall of Fame
Water Industry Hall of Fame
Wireless Hall of Fame
World Floor Covering Association Hall of Fame
World Waterpark Association Hall of Fame
XR Hall of Fame

Occupations

American Association of Political Consultants Hall of Fame
American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame
Caddie Hall of Fame
Cattle Feeders Hall of Fame
Cattle Production Veterinarian Hall of Fame
Christmas Tree Growers Hall of Fame
Dermatology Hall of Fame
Evidence-Based Policing Hall of Fame
International Foodservice Distributors Association (IFDA) Truck Driver Hall of Fame
International Surfboard Builders Hall of Fame
Major League Baseball Groundskeepers Hall of Fame
National Private Truck Council (NPTC) Driver Hall of Fame.
Personal Managers Hall of Fame
Piano Teachers Hall of Fame
Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame
Truck Driver Hall of Fame
U.S. Basketball Writers Association Hall of Fame
Women in Aviation International Pioneer Hall of Fame

Food and drink

American Craft Beer Hall of Fame
Barbecue Hall of Fame
Candy Hall of Fame
Hot Sauce Hall of Fame
International Hamburger Hall of Fame
Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame
Krystal Lovers Hall of Fame
Pizza Hall of Fame
Salami Hall of Fame
Vienna Beef Hot Dog Hall of Fame
Whisky Magazine Hall of Fame
White Castle Cravers Hall of Fame

Media and entertainment

Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame
American TV Game Show Hall of Fame
AVN (Adult Video News) Hall of Fame
Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame
Character Actor Hall of Fame
Comic-Con Museum Character Hall of Fame
Country Radio Hall of Fame
Fangoria Hall of Fame
Esports Insider Hall of Fame
Fictitious Athlete Hall of Fame
Final Draft Hall of Fame
National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Hall of Fame
National Sports Media Association Hall of Fame
People’s Music Hall of Fame
Podcast Hall of Fame
XRCO (X-Rated Critics Organization) Hall of Fame

Music

Billboard Latin Music Hall of Fame
Dance Music Hall of Fame
Decibel Hall of Fame
DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame
Fictitious Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Funk Music Hall of Fame
Gospel Music Hall of Fame
Grammy Hall of Fame
Heavy Metal Hall of Fame
Hip Hop Hall of Fame
International Gospel Music Hall of Fame
International Latin Music Hall of Fame
International Polka Music Hall of Fame
Latin Songwriters Hall of Fame
Metal Hall of Fame
Music Business Hall of Fame
National Fiddler Hall of Fame
National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame
Opera Hall of Fame
Reggae Hall of Fame
Rockabilly Hall of Fame
SoundExchange Hall of Fame
Steel Guitar Hall of Fame
Ukulele Hall of Fame
Vocal Group Hall of Fame
Women Songwriters Hall of Fame

Sports

African American Golfers Hall of Fame
Canadian Curling Hall of Fame
Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame
Canadian Sailing Hall of Fame
Canadian Ski Hall of Fame
Green Bay Packers Fan Hall of Fame
International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) Hall of Fame
International Sports Hall of Fame
Latin American International Sports Hall of Fame
National Black Golf Hall of Fame
National Powerboat Hall of Fame
New York Jets Fan Hall of Fame
North American Flyball Association (NAFA) Hall of Fame
Rose Bowl Hall of Fame
Ultimate Hall of Fame
USA Bobsled & Skeleton Hall of Fame
USA Curling Hall of Fame
U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame
U.S. Squash Hall of Fame
Wakeboarding Hall of Fame
Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame
Women Superstars Uncensored Hall of Fame
WWE Hall of Fame

Miscellaneous

Adoption Hall of Fame
Affordable Housing Hall of Fame
America’s Clogging Hall of Fame
American Border Collie Association Hall of Fame
American Brace Beagling Hall of Fame
Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame
Asian Hall of Fame
Black Authors Hall of Fame
Black Inventors Hall of Fame
Black Sportswriters Hall of Fame
Boating Safety Hall of Fame
Brand Hall of Fame
Clean Cities Hall of Fame
Clydesdale Hall of Fame
Combat Robot Hall of Fame
Foosball Hall of Fame
Government Hall of Fame
Hooters Girl Hall of Fame
Hot Dog Eating Contest Hall of Fame
Immigrant Entrepreneur Hall of Fame
International Gladiolus Hall of Fame
Irish American Hall of Fame
Magic: The Gathering Pro Tour Hall of Fame
Mascot Hall of Fame
Model Car Hall of Fame
Mustache Hall of Fame
National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Hall of Fame
National Railroad Hall of Fame
National Speech & Debate Association Hall of Fame
Rail-Trail Hall of Fame
Sports Travel and Tours (STAT) Baseball Stadium Hall of Fame
Storm Chaser Hall of Fame
Trivia Hall of Fame
U.S. Army Acquisition Hall of Fame
U.S. Army Materiel Command Hall of Fame
Waterfowlers Hall of Fame
Women in Poker Hall of Fame

Photo: Miranda Lambert receives the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award in September 2024. (SoundExchange)

Related articles:

List of halls and walks of fame (Wikipedia)

Updated: April 12, 2025.

Former Lingerie Football League gets woke

Women’s football league X League kicks off its first season on Friday June 10 in Independence, Missouri. But the league actually has been around since 2009 when it got its start as the sexy Lingerie Football League.
Back then, the women played in bras and panties with minimal athletic protection. They wore shoulder pads and hockey helmets plus knee and elbow pads. But they still showed a lot of bare skin. Naturally there were numerous “wardrobe malfunctions.”
The league inspired other sexy women’s sports leagues including the Bikini Basketball League, Lingerie Basketball League, Bikini Hockey League and Lingerie Fighting Championships. But it was a short-lived phenomenon.
In 2013, the Lingerie Football League rebranded as the Legends Football League. With the rebrand, the uniforms became more sports appropriate. So, no more wardrobe malfunctions.
The recent change to the X League is the second rebranding of the Lingerie Football League. It’s trying to become a legitimate sport now. That means no more cleavage-baring outfits.
Frankly, I’m surprised the league has lasted this long.

X League is latest rebranding of Lingerie Football League

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation or delay of many college and professional sports. That includes the postponement of the premiere season of the Extreme Football League, a U.S. women’s tackle football league.
The X League is the second rebranding of the former Lingerie Football League, which ran four seasons from 2009 through 2012. The league changed its name to the Legends Football League in 2013 and it ran through last year.
In December, it changed its name to the Extreme Football League, or X League, with plans to start its first season in April 2020. When Covid-19 started shutting down the sports world, it pushed the start date until June. On May 22, the X League delayed the inaugural season to April 2021.
When it began as the Lingerie Football League, it leaned heavily on the sex appeal of its players, who wore skimpy outfits and risked frequent wardrobe malfunctions. It was more on par with foxy boxing and Jell-O wrestling than the National Football League.
With each rebranding, the league has tried to become a more legitimate sport. It now is emphasizing the athleticism and skill of its players, rather than their looks.
As a follower of fringe sports, I’m surprised the LFL, now X League, has lasted this long.

Photos: Promotional art of X League teams Chicago Blitz and Denver Rush. (X League)

The 10 hottest women in the LFL, 2019 edition

Since Google has branded this blog as “adult: sexual content” based on less than 0.5% of its posts, we might as well embrace it. Google’s Blogger platform has an issue with photos of women in bikinis apparently.
So, Tech-media-tainment today will feature its picks for the 10 sexiest players in the LFL women’s football league in 2019. This is the fourth straight year that I’ve attempted this feat.
As Taylor Swift sings on the song “You Need to Calm Down”: “We see you over there on the internet; Comparing all the girls who are killing it.”
Yeah, that’s me. Guilty.
This is no easy job for any red-blooded American man. The Legends Football League is jam-packed with strong, attractive women. Narrowing the list to just a few leaves out a great deal of beautiful, athletic women.
To make the list, the ladies must be active on social media and post a lot of photos. From there, the selection process is purely subjective.

Taylor Boryca

Taylor Boryca is a wide receiver and defensive back with the Omaha Heart. (See also photo at top.)

Ninotchka “Nina” Claud

Ninotchka “Nina” Claud is a wide receiver for the Los Angeles Temptation. She also is a personal trainer at Nvision Fit.

Kandy Cooke

Kandy Cooke is a tight end and linebacker with the Nashville Knights.

Monique Gaxiola

Monique Gaxiola is a center, tight end and linebacker for the L.A. Temptation.

The Lopez sisters

Sisters Marissa and Miriah Lopez play for the L.A. Temptation. Both work in the fitness industry in Los Angeles.

The list continues in part two …

The 10 hottest women in the LFL in 2019, part 2

What follows is the second part of Tech-media-tainment’s look at the sexiest women in the Legends Football League, in alphabetical order. (See part one for the first group.)

Chasity Morales 

Chasity Morales is a wide receiver and cornerback for the Austin Acoustic. She also is owner and head trainer at F45 Training in the Deerfield neighborhood of San Antonio, Texas. (See also photo at top.)

Aneshea Shali 

Aneshea Shali is a tight end and linebacker with the Nashville Knights. She also is a U.S. marine and owner of NxtLvlUp Fitness.

Rachel Washington 

Rachel Washington is a corner and wide receiver for the Austin Acoustic. She also is a model.

Melody Decena Wyatt 

Melody Decena Wyatt is a cornerback with the Atlanta Steam. She also is a fitness model.