I am no sports enthusiast by any means, and I know this is not exactly newsworthy, or at all related to Detroit sports, but I think Handball needs a fair shake (pun intended) in popular sports.

Also referred to as Team Handball, I was very interested in this seeing this sport in action in the 2004 Olympic Games, but since I did not have an extreme cable TV package nor an internet connection, I was relegated to watching the bevy of sports that USA dominates (swimming, beach volleyball, etc). This time around I was determined not to miss out. NBC’s Olympic Coverage Online was extensive and very well organized. The only caveat being there was no play-by-play for the unpopular games. Handball was silent, save for the grunts and groans of the players on the court.

You can read all about the ins and outs of rules, etc online (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_handball), but I tell ya, hunt down some actual footage and give this game a chance. It bears most resemblance to basketball- most obvious of which are the offensive plays. The team spreads out around the 6m line (much like a basketball team would do around the 3-point line) with a point guard taking control of the play. The 6m line serves as a point in which no players (not even defense) can cross, although players are given “air rights” to cross the line if, say a player is running toward the goal, he/she can leap through the air and cross the plane of the 6m line as long as they take a shot or pass the ball before touching the ground. Most of the shots on goal are taken this way.

The games I watched were Hungary vs Sweden (Womens Prelim), and France vs Brazil (Men’s Prelim). The men’s game was much more engaging because they did not wear knee pads, and there was much more jumping and fast-action. But the women held their ground as well. In both games, breakaways were fun to watch because the offense could change the direction of the throw into a bounce shot in mid-air, or do a pump fake. Penalty shots were very much like that of a socer match because they are very difficult to stop. The goalie has to simply pick one way to block and go for it.

Overall, it seems like a fast-paced game similar to that of basketball with no stoppage between goals, combined with the strategy of basketball, soccer, and hockey. I’d love to play, but hey- I’d also like to play men’s roller derby.