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The Dallas Cowboys got Emmitt Smith with the 17th pick in the draft, one year after taking Troy Aikman with the first pick. The pick was not lauded by everyone in the media because although Smith had a stellar career in Florida, there were real questions about his size and his speed. Considering the fact that the Cowboys had to move up in the draft to grab him, some so called experts had doubts about the wisdom of choosing Smith.
Smith came out in his rookie year and rushed for 937 yards. Oddly enough, in his last year with the Arizona Cardinals, Smith rushed for exactly 937 yards. From 1991 to 2001, Smith posted 11 seasons with over 1000 yards rushing, setting the NFL All Time rushing leadermark in 2002, a mark previously held by Walter Payton. Smith was laso picked for eight Pro Bowls in his career, second to Barry Sanders 10, and won the rushing title four times.
Emmitt Smith won the NFL rushing title for the fourth time in 1995, having run for 1773 yards in the season. he set an NFL record on the year by scoring an amazing 25 touchdowns, although that record was later broken by Priest Holmes of the Kansas City Chiefs. By starting the year off with a 60 yard touchdown run on his first carry, Smith got the year started in the right way. Smith was the youngest player to reach 1500 yards in a season, doing so in 1991. He has 78 100-yard rushing games to his credit. His best game came when he gained 237 yards against the Eagle on Halloween night. he was a model runner, once carrying the ball 418 times without a fumble.
After spending two years with Arizona, Smith retired as a Dallas Cowboy, ending a remarkable career that began with questions and ended with clear answers.

There is no aspect of a player in the NFL that is more closely examined than his speed. Time and time again, players are set up to have their speed in the 40 yard dash measured. After the run, the results are analyzed meticulously, with the difference of a few hundredths of a second, making the difference between a high pick and millions of dollars or falling into the void and losing out on te lucrative contracts that are dangled out there every year.
Why? Because speed can make the difference in whether a wide receiver gets the few inches of separation necessary to make the catch. Speed can determine whether the running back you are considering can hit the hole that your linemen open up for just that split second, allowing the ball carrier to gain a few yards or break into the secondary.
But is the hard examination of speed really the best indicator of whether or not a player will make it into the NFL or is it just a measuring stick that needs to be evaluated along with a slew of other attributes, some of which are almost intangible and not really evident until the player actually enters a game?
The NFL has seen some major players that have begun their careers with real questions about their speed, only to have those players turn out to be real football players, perfectly capable of performing at a top level despite their lackluster showing in the NFL's most watched category. Emmit Smith is a prime example. Coming out of college there were some scouts who felt that he was just a step slow but he went on to prove them wrong, eventually becoming the NFL's all time rushing leader.
A newer example is Arizona' wide receiver Anquan Boldin. Known in college as a top wide receiver, Boldin ran some very slow times at the NFL tryouts, dropping him in the draft to the second round. What did he do? He came out and had a great year, earning Rookie of the Year honors by catching over a hundred passes and gaining over 1300 yards in his debut season.
What it comes down to is that when evaluating a player against another player, the scouts are always looking for ways to justify their pick. Given two players of seemingly equal ability, a player with a better time in the 40 is going to be picked first. That doesn't mean he's a better football, it just gives the scout or the team something to hang their hat on when they have to answer questions about why they picked one player over another. After all is said and done, sometimes a GM or scout has to make a call based his gut feeling about a player, something they don't like to do. But to win in the NFL, it sometimes means that heart can take precedence over speed.

Once again we got see the New England Patriots win a Super Bowl, something that has become somewhat familiar over the last few years. As we approach the new NFL season, there has been talk about the difficulty in winning the title for three consecutive years, something no team has been able to do in the history of the league.
Looking at the Patriots, the scary thing is that this team may be capable of doing it. I don't believe there's ever been a team whose success is based more solidly on a system than on the players themselves. Certainly the Patriots have a talented team, but I believe the talent collected is a result of the system, and the eagerness of players with talent to go to a team that has proven itself consistently able to make a run into the playoffs and win the whole shooting match.
So what are the Patriot's chances again this year? I think they're pretty good. Like every NFL team, the Patriots will lose some players, but they've shown that they are able to replace those players with either low cost free agents, or from up and coming younger players already on the team. The Patriots accomplish this by drawing the attention of players who have either achieved some success in the league because of their talent, or by recognizing that talent before anybody else. In addition, they are able to keep the talent they have by supplying the player with a forum that associates them with success, thus creating other opportunities to earn money through endorsements and other means. There have been several players on the Patriots recently who have opted to stay instead of going to other teams making better offers. Most players will give up some money in order to win, and that's a chance the Patriots offer.
Tom Brady is a prime example. Most QB's who have experienced the type of success as Brady would have staged a holdout for more money, especially after winning a Super Bowl. Brady was content to sit tight, win more games, and eventually land a contract that pays him the type of money available in the free market.
As the new season begins, the Patriots are looking at some major changes and it will be a real challenge for the club to re-create the type of winning streaks that have carried them to the top. Both the offensive and defensive coordinators are gone. Romeo Crennel took on the job of head coach of the Cleveland Browns, while Charlie Weiss went over to Notre Dame. Losing both of your coordinators is an event that would stop most teams in their tracks, but the Patriots are probably as capable of handling the situation as anybody in history.
The idea that the Patriots will collapse with the coaching losses is just wishful thinking on the part of the other teams in the league. The Patriots have shown that they can pick talent under the leadership of their head coach and player director, and to think that only extends to the players on the field is a mistake.
The key to success for New England has been in the way they prepare for a game and a season. Once they've set out on a course of action, the Patriots stick to the plan and carry it out no matter what. This is just the way Belichick is, and having accomplished what few other coaches in history have done, he is in prime position to separate himself from the others, having already set records for the best winning percentage in the postseason.
Belichick sets his goals early, and convinces his team that they are in no better position to win a championship than any other team in the league. By doing so, he gets the kind of dedication and work that leads to a Super Bowl Title. He also insists that every player in a back up role be prepared as well as the starter, a requirement that has served the Patriots well over the course of the past few seasons when injuries have threatened to undermine their success. The combination of coaching and talent spotting puts the Patriots in position to take another Super Bowl Title this year.
There are some teams though, that have a good chance of being able to knock off the reigning champs if they can show some improvement in certain area of their team. The Colts are one of them. Obviously they have very few problems on offense, being set at running back, wide receiver, and QB. Should the Colts substantially improve on their defense, they could make a run at the Patriots, who have simply dominated the Colts over the past few seasons. The jinx Manning has been labeled with is more a question of the team's failings than his own. No QB can be a winner if he's saddled with as porous a defense as the Colts.
Belichick steeps his team in a philosophy that has served him well and is very simple. Get good people and let them do what they know how to do. make sure everyone is on the same page and pulling in the same direction. It's a lesson the other teams in the NFL should learn, if they want to have even a shot duplicating what Belichick and crew have done over the last few years.

As if the Detroit Piston's didn't have enough to worry about with falling behind to the Miami Heat 2-1 in their series, the distractions created by the situation with Larry Brown will just give them a little something extra.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are courting Brown to come to their city and they aren't being real shy about doing it. The news out of Cleveland right now is that the Cavaliers want Brown to make a pretty quick decision, and though it's pretty common knowledge that they would like to nab Brown as early as they can, putting pressure on him before the series with his current team is over seems pretty low down. Most teams and coaches will refrain from doing that type of thing until they've taken their current team as far as it's going to go.

Brown has been silent on the matter, much to his credit, and seems determined to deal with his health issues after the season before making any decisions as to his future spot in the NBA. After getting the OK to speak to Cleveland, Brown has been largely silent on the subject, and in pre-game and practice interviews, avoids the subject. Whether or not his decision to speak with the Cavaliers has been a distraction to his team is open to debate, but it does seem petty to lay a situation on a team like that as it enters into post season play.
It's not the first time that Browns' name has been bandied about in the press in relation to his moving on from Detroit. Perhaps the Pistons would be better off getting a more businesslike head coach, one who won't present as many problems as Brown, and looks at his obligation to his current team more seriously than Larry Brown appears to. The only one who likes the situation is the Heat, since it offers the chance to go out and play basketball against a team with other things on its mind.

The LSU Tigers haven't had the best of seasons, something most of their fans aren't used to, but a bad season for the Tiger's is probably okay in most other team's books, it's just that the fans in Louisiana expect a trip to the World Series every year, and a win in most years.
Now the Tigers are preparing to host their 17th regional, and planning on erasing the memory of a rather poor year by their standards, by success in the regionals and beyond. Carrying the No. 1 Seed into the regionals, the Tigers will match up against Marist on Friday in the first game of the day. The second game is Northwestern State against the No. 2 seed Rice, with the losers scheduled to meet up on Saturday morning and the winners Saturday night.
Surprisingly to me, the Tigers are ranked No. 13 in the nation, a designation I think is heavily influenced by past performance, with LSU falling in the SEC Tournament after just a pair of games. The team from Baton Rouge has the mindset of forgetting recent history and concentrating on the next game, something they'll have to do if they want to end up playing in the Super Regionals. Should they advance that far, the chances are they'll be playing against their in state rival Tulane, a team that has lived up to it's billing as the No. 1 team in the nation pretty convincingly. The last time these two met in a Super Regional, Tulane came out on top and advanced to the World Series, which was in 2001.
The Marist Red Foxes are the top team in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference this year, sporting a record of 33-19. They've had the pleasure of playing in Louisiana earlier this year, having made the trip down to Tulane, where they were swept in their series against the Green Wave. Laval said on Monday that he had no good information about the Red Foxes, knowing only that their top pitcher was a left hander. That lefty is Chris Tracz, who has been impressive all year, with a 9-3 record and not having given up a home run in 98 innings. He's backed by reliever Robert Ryan.

It hasn't been a real good year for Junior. He's been in a slump for a good awhile, and suffered some embarrassing moments, like running into his own teammate and causing a pileup in the Coca Cola 600, had to get rid of his crew chief, who promptly turned around and lit into him, and in an unusual turn of events for the former fan favorite, he's been booed.
Starting with firing his crew chief, Dale let go of Pete Rondeau, in an attempt to light a fire under the team, and attempting to make changes in a method that was obviously not working for him. Rondeau had only been employed for less than a dozen races, so obviously there were some issues that hadn't been worked out properly before he signed on, and Earnhardt must have felt like there was no sense in keeping a guy hanging around, with whom he had conflicts if the team wasn't winning.
Prior to his hiring of Rondeau, Earnhardt had a long association with the Eury's, a set of relatives of his, but with their relationship being "strained", Earnhardt felt like he couldn't keep working with these guys.
Tooping off the whole matter was Earnhardt's mishap, when he ran into the back of his teammate Waltrip recently. Waltrip expressed some confusion about exactly what happened, but Eury Sr., in an obviously bitter statement said that he didn't know what Jr.'s problem was but that there was no room for that kind of thing on a team that's already struggling.
Rondeau, the recently fired crew chief, claims that although he was working for Earnhardt, that he never actually had a full contract signed by the team owner, and that he was told he would be given six weeks notice in the event of a firing. He also complained that the former member Eury was supposed to be working with him as a member of both teams but Eury only made one appearance and was never seen again.

The Phoenix suns came back from the dead in Game 4, rallying for a 111-106 win over the Spur to keep their hopes alive in the series, and head back to Phoenix where the home crowd should make things easier.
The Suns ended their longest losing streak since January, played better defense than what they've shown since the series began, and finally got a little bit of a fast game going, something they've been unable to do in the first three games of the series. Stoudemire kept the Spurs Tim Duncan to 15 points in a good defensive effort, and racked up 31 points and five rebounds of his own, but more importantly, kept the fire going with some good play that didn't show up in the stats.
The Suns broke the game open in the third quarter, stretching their lead to 12 at one point, and held off a late Spurs rally that pulled San Antonio to within a single point when Horry hit a 3-pointer and gave them the lead on another by Bruce Bowen.
After saying that they just needed to get some better play in the first quarter, the Suns did just that, taking a 26-23 lead after the first stanza, their first lead in the series after the opening bell. The biggest factor may be the move to the Suns home court, where they've performed well all season, and breaking the mind factor of falling behind 3-0, in games which they played poorly. It remains to be seen if the team from Phoenix can do something that's never been done, which is rebound from an 0-3 start in a conference series.
Steve Nash nailed 17 points and dished out 12 assists in the game, a performance more like his usual stats, while Joe Johnson got 17 points of his own. Quentin Richardson contributed 14 points and Marion had 11.
The series will resume in Phoenix on Wednesday night, with game time slated for 8 central.

by Leanne Phillips

Even if you are not a huge football fan, the thing about football is that there are a lot of extra bells and whistles that make football a fun game to watch. Here is a guide to the football extras that add fun to the game for even the beginning spectator.

Cheerleaders and Marching Bands. Since just about the time football was invented, cheerleaders and marching bands have added to the fun and excitement of football games. The job of cheerleaders is to get the crowd excited and to get them cheering and making a lot of noise. The idea behind this is that, the more excited the crowd becomes, the more motivated the teams will be to win. I'm not sure if this is necessarily true, but I do know that a lot of football fans sure seem to like cheerleaders. Likewise, it is always exciting to see marching bands perform. There is just something about seeing the band march into the stadium, in their uniforms and all in unison, playing and marching to the beat of the bass drum. Many marching bands perform routines in which they create patterns on the field while playing, which is very cool to watch.

Football Pools. Football fans often enjoy placing friendly bets or "wagers" among friends, or participating in something called a football pool. A football pool may cover one game or a series of games. The participants in the pool contribute a small amount of money to the pool, perhaps weekly. There are a number of different kinds of football pools. For example, in one type of pool, participants attempt to pick the winners for that week's professional football games. The person who correctly picks the winners for the most games wins the money that was pooled together. For example, if 10 people participate in the pool and each participant contributes $10 to the pool, the prize will be $100. Another fund may be set aside from weekly contributions to form a pot of money that will go to the person who correctly picked the winners for the most games all season. Entering a football pool is a good way for the novice football fan to begin to experience the excitement of the game. For some reason, it's a lot more fun to watch a football game, even when you aren't quite sure what's going on, if you have $100 or so riding on the outcome of the game.

How to pick a winning team. It's fun to try to predict which team will win a football game, even if you don't have any money riding on the outcome. It's especially fun to pick different teams and get a friendly rivalry going while watching the game. If you are new to football, have not been following the teams and know absolutely nothing about football teams, there are still plenty of ways to pick a winning football team. The best way to predict the winning team is by the name of the team's home town. Teams who play for cities with two-word names usually beat teams who play for cities with one-word names. For example, if the New England Patriots are playing against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Patriots will win. If the San Diego Chargers are playing against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the San Diego Chargers will win.

What if both teams come from cities with two-word names or, even worse, one-word names? Well, then it gets a little trickier. You then have to resort to the teams' colors. Teams with darker team colors will beat teams with lighter colors. For example, the Oakland Raiders' colors are silver and black. This trumps the Miami Dolphins' colors, which are teal and orange. So, although both teams come from cities with one-word names, the Raiders will win. Okay, try this one on your own: Who wins between the San Francisco 49ers, whose colors are red and gold, and the Dallas Cowboys, whose colors are blue and silver? This is tricky, you may say, because red and blue are both bright, primary colors. But, remember the first rule: The San Francisco 49ers play for the city of San Francisco, a city with a two-word name, while Dallas is a one-word name. Besides that, everybody knows that the San Francisco 49ers always beat the Dallas Cowboys.

Snacks and beer. If you have invited a group of people into your home to watch a football game, there are two things that are mandatory: Snacks and beer. A big screen television is optional, but desirable. Football watching fare is always casual. The perfect snacks for a football party include submarine sandwiches, hot dogs, chips, dips and finger foods, such as chicken fingers or Jeno's Pizza Rolls. One of the good things about football fans is that they are not picky. One of the bad things about football fans is that they are messy. Be prepared for cups of beer being knocked over as fans jump up exuberantly to cheer a touchdown. If you can get your guests to drink out of sippy cups, so much the better.

Talking during the game. Talking during the game is a big no no. This may seem strange to hear, since anyone knows that a room full of football fans watching a game is a very noisy room indeed. However, please note that the fans are not actually talking. They are doing anything but talking. It is okay--in fact it is encouraged--to cheer, boo, yell, jump up and down, curse the referee, or call the players idiots or heroes, depending on how well they are playing for that particular game. Make as much noise as you like. Actual talking, however, with real sentences and logical content, is discouraged or, in some locales, even forbidden.

Half time. Now you can talk. In fact, this is the time to do so. Many people think that half time is a time for the players to regroup and make plans to come from behind in the second half of the game, or for the crowds to be entertained with various half time shows, including cheerleading routines, dancers, singers and marching bands. This is not true. Now is the time to discuss how great a game a particular player is having, or what a stupid mistake one of the players made, or the records of the respective teams, or the fact that you are out of beer. If you are, indeed, out of beer or snacks, this is the time to run to the corner store and replenish the football game watching provisions. If your team is winning, now is the time to "talk trash" or brag about the great game or season your team is having, especially if other members of the group are rooting for the opposite team. If you are all fans of the same team, now is the time to crow and brag about what great taste you have in football teams.

Celebrating. "Celebrating" occurs when a football player makes a touchdown and then "spikes" the football in the end zone. Spiking the football means to throw it down into the ground with a grunt or shout of triumph. Instead of spiking the football, a player might make up a funny dance to let the other team know exactly how happy he is to have made a touchdown. If someone on your chosen team makes a touchdown and begins doing a celebration dance in the end zone, the appropriate response is to get up and being doing the end zone dance yourself, preferably on the coffee table.

History lesson: Back in the day, the touchdown celebration was an art form. Billy "White Shoes" Johnson invented the end zone celebration in 1984 when he did a celebratory dance much like the funky chicken in the end zone. In 1988, Ickey Woods created his famous end zone "shuffle." Over the years, end zone celebrations like the Moss Moon, The Dirty Bird, the Mile High Salute, the Lambeau Leap and the Bob and Weave have regaled the crowds.

In 2003, Joe Horn took the end zone celebration to new heights when he pulled a hidden cell phone out of the goal post padding and made a phone call or pretended to make a phone call. Some say he called one of his relatives to celebrate the touchdown, while others say he called NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue to find out how much his fine would be. Note: Horn was fined $30,000 for his celebratory phone call, which was ruled to be unsportsmanlike conduct.

Monday Night Football. Monday Night Football was invented in order to ease football fans gradually out of a weekend filled with college and professional football games and back into the regular work week, which in most cases does not include football. In order to make the transition a little less painful, the National Football League, in its infinite wisdom, came up with Monday Night Football. Monday Night Football is just like any other football game, except that it is played on Monday Night. It is a regular league game, and there is absolutely nothing different or special about it, except that it is played on Monday Night. Although you may by now have a keen appreciation for the game of football, spending an evening watching football when you just spent all day Sunday watching games may be a little too much for you. If you have a football lover in the house, and you are not yet quite at that level, it is a wise idea to have two televisions in the house so you do not miss The Bachelor.

Copyright (c) 2005 by Leni Leanne Phillips

Belly dancing has lately become the latest fitness craze, even though it has been around for centuries. Belly dancing is a great sport to get fit and release a sensual side, what woman wouldn't love this sport? Whether you want to do this sport for fun, or take it on as a serious invigorating work-out, you will no doubt, either way have the time of your life. It is all about slow, seducing movements, tied in with shimmies and other beautiful fast moves. Belly dancing is a sport of seduction, sensuality, grace, passion and slow movements. It is also a great way for any woman to feel wonderful, no matter what shape or size. Believe it or not, to belly dance, it looks a little better if you actually have a little flab! Though you can use this sport to tone those pudgy areas and shape up in a very fun way. Usually other sports can either be boring or unnerving for those of you who hate to do any kind of exercise. If you are a female that loves being with their partner, but does not enjoy fitness, this is definitely the sport for you.

There are some figure 8 movements, with shimmies, hip drops and hip shakes and arm movements to compliment the choreography. You should definitely try belly dancing if you have not found a sport that you enjoy yet. I have not talked to one woman that has not enjoyed either exercising to a video with belly dancing, or even taking an actual class. Not only will you be happy, but your partner will too! This is fun, and it is definitely full of smiles and laughter! There is absolutely not one thing to be discouraged or disappointed in with the sport of belly dancing. If there is one thing that belly dancing can do, is brings out someone in yourself that you never knew you had, and perhaps a new appearance as well! So instead of having to dread going to the gym, or go play a sport that you absolutely loathe, take some time out to try some belly dancing, it is well worth your time to check it out. You will tone up and trim down, while exploring a whole new realm of sensuality just by trying out some new movements! Maybe invite some friends over, that way they can help you master the steps, while learning new things themselves, it will be a fun experience, not to mention pretty funny! After you have the steps mastered, it would be fun to go and purchase yourself a belly dancing outfit, and you will be all set up to play your part! Last but not least, test it on your partner, and have the time of your life while doing it! There is nothing stopping you from trying out this awesome sport, so get off the computer and try it! There are stores online that you can purchase instructional videos from, or hop in your car and head to the next available class!

by Leanne Phillips

Now that you know who all the people are down there on the football field, on the sidelines and in the stands, it's time to learn some basics about how the game is played.

The Object of the Game. A football field is 100 yards long. The object of the game of football is for the offense (the team that has possession of the football) to carry the ball, by whatever means possible, from the center of the field (the 50-yard line) for a distance of 50 feet, to the "end zone," that is, the end of the field, just beyond the zero yard line and just before the goal posts. The defense's job is try to prevent this from happening by defending the end zone. Each team takes turns playing offense and defense. During their turns playing offense, the teams earn points for accomplishing things such as "touchdowns," "extra points," and "field goals."

Quarters and Halves. A football game is divided into four quarters of play. Each quarter is 15 minutes long. However, football minutes are much like dog years. 15 minutes of football play is actually about 48.37 minutes in real world time. The teams take a break after the second quarter, called "half time." During half time, marching bands, cheerleaders and sometimes even popular singers perform and entertain the crowds, while the coaches yell at the football players in the locker room.

The Coin Toss and The Kickoff. Before play starts, the referee tosses a coin to decide who gets possession of the football first. The visiting team calls the coin toss. The team that wins the toss gets the first chance to try to score a touchdown. The team that loses the coin toss kicks the ball to the other team from their 30-yard line. This is done at the beginning of the game and at the beginning of the second half. It is also done each time the teams change possession of the ball, unless possession of the ball is changed because of an interception. Finally, if the game goes into overtime because there is a tie at the end of four quarters of play, overtime play starts with a kickoff.

Putting the Football Into Play. When play starts, the offensive team's center snaps the ball to the quarterback, who then attempts to throw or "pass" the ball to one of the offensive team's "wide receivers." It is the wide receiver's job to catch the ball. If possible, the wide receiver will then hand the ball off to a running back, who will run with the football as far as he can without being tackled by members of the other team's defense.

Passing and Running. Remember, the offense is trying to move the ball a distance of 50 yards to the end zone. They may attempt to do this using a "passing game," which means throwing the ball as far as they can, preferably to a wide receiver named Jerry Rice, in an attempt to move the ball or "gain" a certain number of yards. Or, they may attempt to do this using a "running game," which means the football is passed or handed off to a player who is good at running with the ball down the field as far as he can, called a running back.

Intercepting and Tackling. The defensive players will attempt to keep the offensive players from moving the ball down the field. If the ball is passed by the quarterback to a wide receiver, the defense may attempt to "intercept" the ball, which means they jump in front of the ball and catch it themselves, so that the ball becomes theirs. It is then their turn to try to move the ball down the field. Or, they may try to prevent the wide receiver from catching the ball by tackling him or otherwise interfering with the quarterback's ability to complete the pass. If they are unable to keep the wide receiver from catching the ball, or if the wide receiver is successful in handing the ball off to a running back, they may try to "tackle" the player with the ball. This basically means they knock him down to the ground and pile up on top of him until he can't breathe or yells "Uncle." Or, they may try to cause the wide receiver or the running back to lose control of the ball and "fumble" or drop the ball. (History lesson: This is where we get the phrase, "Wow, you really dropped the ball.") If the ball is fumbled, either team may grab the ball and run with it. If the offense gets the fumbled ball back into their possession, then they have "recovered the fumble." If the defense picks up the fumbled ball, then they can run as fast as they can in the other direction and may be able to score a touchdown for their own team.

Quarterback Scramble. Sometimes, in an attempt to trick the defensive team, or if his receiver is not "open" or in a position to catch the ball, the quarterback may try to run with the ball himself. This is called a quarterback scramble. When you see it, you will understand why it is called a quarterback scramble, because the quarterback basically scrambles around for a few minutes, is unsuccessful in actually getting anywhere, and then hurriedly drops to the ground on his own so the big, mean tackles won't jump on him. It is relatively rare for a quarterback to try to run with the ball for a number of reasons. First of all, quarterbacks need to move quickly and to be very mobile. In order to be able to do this, they don't wear as much padding as the other players and are relatively unprotected from injury. They risk being tackled and seriously hurt when they run with the ball, so they avoid doing so unless absolutely necessary. Second, quarterbacks are, if a team is lucky, very good at passing the football. They are not necessarily very good at doing much of anything else, however.

Quarterback Sack. When the defense is successful in tackling the quarterback before he can pass the football, this is called a "quarterback sack." It can be lots of fun to watch, particularly if the quarterback is wearing a Dallas Cowboys uniform and is named Drew Bledsoe.

Moving The Ball Down the Field. The team with possession of the football gets four chances, called "downs," to move the football down the field to the end zone. If they fail to do so within four attempts, play then passes to the other team. However, each time the offense is successful in moving the ball a minimum of ten yards, they get to start all over again, back at the first down. For example, if the offense did not get anywhere during the first down or the second down, but then, during the third down, the quarterback successfully throws a completed pass for a gain of 12 yards, then the offense gets to start all over again with the first down and, again, has four chances to move the ball to the end zone.

Touchdown! The goal of the team playing offense is to score a touchdown by getting the football into the "end zone," which is the area beyond the zero yard line on either end of the football field where the goal posts are located. The touchdown earns the offensive team six points. If their kicker is able to kick the ball in between the goal posts after a touchdown, this earns them another point, known as the "extra point." The kicker almost always makes the extra point, so it's not very exciting. If you act too excited when the kicker scores this point, unless the game is a close and important one, you risk revealing your naivete about the game.

Field Goals. Sometimes, despite their best efforts, a team is not quite able to score that much-sought-after touchdown. If they get close enough to the end zone, but don't think they will be able to score a touchdown, they may attempt a "field goal." A field goal is scored when, instead of attempting to pass or run the football, the offense brings their kicker in from the sidelines. The kicker then kicks the ball in between the goal posts. This may be relatively easy, or quite difficult, depending on how far the kicker is from the end zone. A field goal scores the team three points, which is not quite as good as a touchdown, but is better than nothing. History lesson: The longest field goal ever kicked in NFL history was 63 yards, first by Tom Dempsey in 1970, and again by Jason Elam nearly thirty years later in 1998. It's always good to know a little football trivia like this in order to hold up your end of the conversation during a football game. Just make sure you show off this knowledge at the appropriate time, preferably just after a field goal attempt. If you say it at the wrong time, such as during half-time or while the team is attempting a first down, you may be met with blank stares.

Copyright (c) 2005 by Leni Leanne Phillips

Many thought the Western Conference finals (this writer included) would be a great basketball series. Instead, the Spurs will look tonight to close out the Suns in four straight.

In setting up the possibility of a sweep, the Spurs have shown everyone that they are a championship caliber team once more. The Suns are three down after three games because San Antonio is simply the premiere basketball team in the league right now.

In fact, in the first two games of the series, the Suns showed the NBA's best defensive team just how good the Suns were offensively. Phoenix ran up and down the floor scoring 114 points in game one and another 108 in game two. Generally, these point totals would usually lead to victory in today's offensively-challenged NBA

But the defensive-minded Spurs, the team that won during the regular season by giving up 88 points per game, showed the basketball world just how talented they were offensively. San Antonio came from four points down after three quarters in game one, blitzing the Suns with a 43 point fourth quarter performance, then in game two came from five behind after three with another memorable fourth quarter offensive spurt.

After simply outscoring the Suns in the first two games, San Antonio put on a defensive clinic in game three, holding the high scoring Suns to 92 points, their first post season game under 100 points and first sub-100 point game since April 15th. Then again, in putting another 102 on the board, the Spurs proved their offensive metal, this time cruising to victory after leading by 17 points after the third quarter.

The league's Most Valuable Player, Steve Nash, and their extremely athletic big man, Amare Stoudamire, have continued their extraordinary playoff performances for the Suns. Stoudamire has shown everyone that is set to challenge Duncan and O'Neal for the title of the league's top center while Nash is simply the league's best point guard.

But an injury to Joe Johnson in the Dallas series has revealed the Suns lack of depth. With Shawn Marion having a poor series, the Suns have needed someone else to step up. Unfortunately, inconsistent play from Jim Jackson and Quentin Richardson has led to the Suns relying far too heavily on Nash and Stoudamire.

For the Spurs, the difference is their three best players are getting it done consistently. Tim Duncan has offset Stoudamire's performance while Tony Parker has somewhat offset that of Nash. Guard-forward Manu Ginobli is the third player having a great series and has given the Spurs that consistent third scoring option that the Suns have lacked.

When it comes to playoff basketball, experience is deemed critical and the Spurs are showing that they are the veterans of the so called second season. San Antonio appears set to sweep Phoenix and head to the NBA Finals in search of their third title in eight years and second in the last three years.

After Detroit's upset of the Lakers last year, most had the East the favorites for 2005. But the Spurs domination of the Suns gives the definite impression that the strength of the NBA lies in the Western Conference once again.

by Leanne Phillips

Many women enjoy sports, including football, just as much as their male counterparts. If you are not one of them, you just may want to learn a little bit about football anyway. While I would never advocate pretending to like something in an attempt to gain a gentleman's favor, you just may find that, if you learn a little bit about football, you will begin to enjoy it a lot more. If your boyfriend, husband, sons or circle of friends are big football fans, then, realistically, you may be forced to spend more than a little time watching football on television or even going to games. By learning the basics about football and football fans, you may find that you begin to develop an appreciation for, and even an enjoyment of, the game.

This series of articles will offer you the basics you need to get you started on the road to becoming a true football fan.

Offense and Defense. The first thing you need to know in order to get an idea what is going on during the game is who the key players are. First of all, there will be two football teams on the field. You can tell the teams apart because they will be wearing different colored uniforms and helmets. The football team that has the football and is trying to throw it or run with it is the "offense." The football team that is trying to keep the other team from being able to throw the ball or to run with it is the "defense."

Snapping and Kicking. When the teams are getting ready to put the ball into play, one player will bend over and "snap" the ball backwards, between his legs, to another player. The guy who is bending over is called the "center." The guy who (hopefully) catches the snapped ball is the quarterback. Each team also has one player whose entire job is to try to kick the ball over the goal posts at appropriate points during the game. This guy is called, not surprisingly, the kicker.

The Coach. On the sidelines for each team, you will see a man dressed in official NFL football sweatpants, sweatshirt, jacket or other official NFL-approved clothing. He may or may not be yelling and turning red in the face. This is the team's coach. History lesson: In days of old, coaches wore business suits and dressed nicely for games, but the NFL now tells them how to dress in order to promote the products of their sponsors. So, if they look like they just rolled off the couch, it's not their fault.

Referees and Cheerleaders. You will also see several men dressed in black and white striped shirts, wearing caps, blowing whistles, yelling and waving their hands around a lot. These are the referees. They are responsible for making sure everyone follows the rules of the game. Also on the sidelines for each team, you will see a group of very bubbly girls dressed in sparkly, short skirts, and either dancing or jumping around, sometimes holding pom poms. These are the cheerleaders.

Spectators and Fans. Finally, in the stands, you will see lots and lots of spectators. A few of them will have their faces and bodies painted to match their favorite teams. They may appear to be very drunk and/or acting foolishly, or they may appear to be just a little more exuberant than is necessary for the circumstances to the untrained eye. These are football fanatics. Whatever you do, don't marry one.

Copyright (c) 2005 by Leni Leanne Phillips

Long gone are the days of conventional sports such as football, baseball, track and swim team. One sport that is considered mainstream in countries throughout Europe is looked upon as a leisurely basement pass time in
America. Officially joining in the Olympic competition in 1988 table tennis has grown to accommodate nearly 40 million players worldwide.

With humble beginnings in the 1880s, British soldiers stationed in South Africa and India improvised ping-pong using the lids of cigar boxes as the paddle and bottle corks as the ball. Stacks of books on the floor served as
a net. The sport caught on throughout Europe. Due to rising popularity English manufacturer, J. Jaques & Son Ltd, decided to copyright the phrase "ping-pong" in 1901. Other manufacturers offered less expensive equipment
alternatives under the name "table tennis." The rights to the name "ping-pong" was later sold to American manufacturer Parker Brothers for use in the United States.

The very first table tennis tournament was held in London in 1927. The tournament held a Hungarian champion up until WWII. The American Ping Pong Association was formed in 1930 to a limited few because the Parker Brothers version of equipment was extremely expensive. Asian players emerged in 1953 dominating the sport with the introduction of the foam rubber paddle by Horoi Satoh, a Japanese player, the year before. This new paddle allowed players to put a spin on the ball during game play.

The game can be played in singles or doubles. When served the ball must bounce once before it goes over the net and once before it is hit by the opposing player. With technology changing in the production of balls and
paddles speeds excess of 100 mph can be accomplished with the correct hand strokes. Errors in the game include allowing free hand to touch the table, failing to hit ball after it has bounced on one's side of the net, letting
the ball bounce twice on one's side of the net without hitting it and letting the ball bounce on one's side once it had already been hit. The game is played until 21 points are acquired with at least a 2-point lead.

The game of ping-pong has gone on to aspire the world's first successful video game Pong. Developed by Atari, Pong maintained the same general concept of regular ping-pong by having two paddles controlled by two
different individuals. Players then teeter-tottered a small ball back in forth in the same way one would in the original real life game. Pong is living proof of the growing popularity of this world wide phenomenon that is
called ping-pong.

Though still not as popular in the United States table tennis is still revered as a competitive Olympic Sport. Even though only about four thousand Americans compete professionally it does not discredit the passion and
dedication that these athletes have for their sport. The fact of the matter is that table tennis is a sport that is practiced and trained for. It takes quick reflexes and a sharp eye to thwart the opponent.

Not having the normal physical requirements and demands of general orthodox sports, table tennis appeals to a vast variety of players. There are competitions that range from any age group from as young as ten years of age
all the way up through players in their nineties. Table tennis is a great sport and pass time for those condemned to wheelchairs and offers great competition for the Special Olympics. It is this flexibility and lovability that contributes the appeal and thrills that is table tennis. The growing popularity of table tennis throughout the years is proof of the staying power and influence this sport has on the United States as well as the rest of the world. Who would have thought that with such humble beginning that table tennis would take off as it has? It doesn't matter who you are, what you do or whether you have a disability or not. This sport has something for anyone and everyone no matter what country or culture one is native to. Super heroes need not apply.

Whether you need to lose a little or a lot of weight, playing sports is a good way to do it. Sports are fun and at the same time you are losing weight. When you play sports that require you to move around a lot and at a fast speed, your heart rate goes up. That's when you start to lose weight. Some fun sports to play are volleyball, basketball, football, and even roller-skating. You will have so much fun that you want even know that you are losing weight. I stayed in shape by roller-skating. It kept my legs slender and my abs flat.

Sports are fun even if you aren't very good at them. I am the worst basketball player in the world but I still get out there and try my best. Who cares if people are looking at you or even laughing? You are the one having fun and losing weight. Sports are also good for the heart. You can still play sports even if you are over weight. You could play a sport that does not require you to move very fast at first. After you work your way up there and you feel more confident then you can move on to faster sports. A good sport to do if you are over weight is something like roller-skating. You can go as slow or as fast as you want to.

Most sports are very safe and not expensive. The most you may spend is sixty dollars. Skates are sometimes expensive. A basketball can range from five dollars to fifteen dollars. Most people can afford to pay that. It is also a good way to get the whole family involved so if you feel like a fool you aren't doing it alone. Most kids like sports and will be happy to have their parents out there with them. There are so many sports to choose from and you could try a different one everyday of the week. You can see which one you like best. You can lose three or more pounds by playing basketball every day more at least two weeks.

If you don't believe me then get out there and try it. That's the only way you will find out. You can even get your friends to play sports with you. They can be a good support system for you. You can even play some sports when you are pregnant. People play basketball and even roller-skate while they are pregnant. It will help you stay in shape while you are pregnant and that is always a plus when you are pregnant. Playing sports is also proven to help your labor a little easier. We all know labor is never all that easy but being in shape and staying active always helps. I know because I have been through two pregnancies.

Being active helped me during labor. If you are one of the millions of people who or over weight or want to lose a few pounds to get into the new dress or pair of slacks you haven't been able to wear since high school then try playing a sport. You will see a difference. Even walking is a sport. Everybody can do some walking. You can lose weight that way to. Try doing a brisk walk and you will notice a change. Your hair will start to look better and your nails will too. The pores on your head open up when you are active and your hair may even start to grow. If you smoke and playing fast sports make breathing a little difficult, try something like walking, a slow jog, or roller-skating. These sports don't require to much but at the same time your heart will speed up and you will burn calories. Playing sports can be done during any season. If it is cold than you can go ice skating. That is really fun to do. Sports can help with being bored to.

If you have nothing to do then grab your skates or your basketball and go out and have some fun. It will help the time pass by and before you know it two hours went by. You won't even know it. Within a month or maybe even sooner, you will be in smaller jeans, shirts, dresses, or pants. So whenever you are just sitting around the house gaining wait go play some kind of a sport. Not only will you feel better but you will look better at the same time. You can turn head in a good way. People will notice your glowing face and smaller waist. When they ask you what you did you can tell them that you play sports. Be proud. Get up and go.

The LSU Tigers will be hosting their 16th consecutive regional tournament, to be played on June 3 through the 6th at Alex Box stadium. Speaking as the NCAA national baseball selection committee chairman, Charlie Carr said that the selection this year was difficult, there bing very few of what he called slam dunks, anf that LSU was one of the teams on the edge, there being a large selection of good teams to choose from, that it would be hard to say who was deserving and who was not.

The Tigers are part of a quartet of SEC teams to play host this year, the others being Florida, who were regular season champions, Tennessee, and Ole Miss, who lost to the Bulldogs on Sunday. The other conference with four teams was the Atlantic Coast Conference, with Georgia Tech, Florida State, Clemson, and Miami all being given the nod as a host team. The others are spread out amongst Arizona State, Long Beach State, Tulane, Texas, Cal State Fullerton, Oregon State, Baylor, and Nebraska.

While a teams performance during the year is an obvious factor in the decision to be a host team, the ever present aspect of money is always in the mix, and the Tigers proven record of being able to pull in the fans and the money was a factor in their choice as host. Carr admitted this fact, saying that it was only one of a large number of factors taken into consideration. He pointed out that Oregon State was chosen this year for the first time, with the selection people believing that some sites have to be chosen every year with the idea of giving a team a chance to prove that they can be a team capable of pulling in the kind of numbers of fans that the NCAA would like to see.

The announcement included the schedule for each round of games, with a game being played every day at 1 and 6. Should play result in a second championship game being called for, that game would be scheduled for the Monday following the weekend, with game time being set for 1:30 p.m. The entire array of tournament teams and schedules will be announced today.

LSU athletic director Skip Bertman said he didn't see any real surprises, saying that the four best teams in the SEC got into the regionals. Smoke Lavall was pleased with being picked to host the tourney, saying that the selection was a tribute to the members of the team and their performance on the baseball field this year. He also said that he was happy for the seniors on the squad, because the selection gives them the opportunity to once again play at Alex Box Stadium for their fourth straight participation in a regional, and the chance to play in a third Super Regional should they win.

The Tulane Green wave will host an NCAA regional this coming weekend, the result of sharing the conference title with TCU and the washout of the championship game due to torrential rains that forced the cancellation of the match up in Mississippi this weekend.

Head coach Rick Jones said that he was confident that his team was prepared to win the event on Sunday, but that they were content with the way things turned out anyway, also saying that he would be happy to get the anti-climatic outcome every year if it meant his team would get the chance to be in it at the end and to host the regional play.

There are four schools that will be in the regional event, three of which will be announced on Monday. It starts on Friday and could run until Monday depending on how the games turn out.
Tulane is acting as the host of the event for the second time since 2001, after reaching the World Series in that year.

Tulane has been expecting the results they've gotten so far, after being one of the top ranked teams in the nation all year. With a record of 50-9, they have been listed as either the No. 1 or No. 2 team by the major ranking services for most of the season and have done nothing to damage their position in the polls all year, turning in a solid season with good pitching and excellent hitting ability in their trip through the regular season and beyond.
The final game was put on delay just fifteen minutes before the start, being played at Mississippi's Pete Taylor Park, the scene of a huge rainstorm that swept through Louisiana and Mississippi on Sunday. After a rainstorm of over an hour and a half, the field was awash in water, with the dugouts being flooded and the power being knocked out in the stadium. After the storm and a discussion by the officials on the scene, the game was called off with the officials ruling that it would be impossible for the field to be prepared to play on.

Because of the rainout, TCU and Tulane will share the Conference USA title, with Tulane being tagged as the host of the regionals because of its position as the No. 1 seed. Along with the seeding came the automatic host tournament position in the regionals. Because of its No. 2 seeding, TCU is also expected to receive a bid.

TCU coach Jim Schlossnagel saif that he was not happy with being unable tp play the game, because the chance to play the top team in the country, and all the publicity that comes along with such a matchup was something that you don't get the opportunity to do very often, and the chance to play on national television is something he and his players were looking forward to. The benefits of such exposure to TCU's program would have been invaluable in his opinion, but because the conditions were so bad, the chances of a player getting hurt were more than he and the officials were willing to risk.

Jones on the other hand, wasn't as upset. His strategy was to use the tournament as an opportunity to get his team tuned up for the last part of the season, in which they hoped to make a run at getting back into the College World Series.

After 35 years of heart breaking attempts, bad luck, mechanical breakdowns, and other assorted problems, one of the Andrettis finally came home with a win at the Indy 500 although not as a driver. Michael Andretti, owner of the car driven by Paul Wheldon, got his wish with Wheldons win at the Indy 500 on Saturday. Saying "No more Curse", Andretti was ecstatic at the end of the race, won by Wheldon who stretched things to the limit with a nearly empty fuel tank.

The last time an Andretti sat in the winners circle was in 1969 when Michael Andretti's father, Mario Andretti, got his last win in the race. It was a close thing though, as newcomer and fan favorite Danica Patrick was in the lead for a good portion of the final few laps before Wheldon was able to pull ahead with 28 laps to go. Wheldon was able to pull off the long awaited win after Patrick had gained the lead with a brilliant performance considering the fact that she ran into a multitude of problems such as an engine stalling on her, and a crash that damaged the nose cone and left wing on her vehicle.

Danica Patrick has become the first woman to lead the Indy 500, having pulled ahead of the pack three times, and staying out front for 19 laps in all. Patrick said after the race that saying it was a good showing for a woman was wrong, that was she did was a good showing for anyone, man or woman, and I have to say I think she's right.

Considering the fact that Patrick is a rookie, her performance in Sunday's race was very good, being one of the better performances by a newcomer in the long history of the famous race.
A win may have been just a little too good to be true though, and a little too much to ask for in a rookie season, as Wheldon was able to jump ahead with just seven laps to go and Patrick had to cut back on her speed in order to conserve fuel, slowing her down and allowing Wheldon the margin he needed for victory. With the win, Wheldon became the first English winner of the Indy 500 in a long time, the last victor being Graham Hill who won the event back in 1966.

Andretti, the owner of the car Wheldon was driving, said that the win felt just as good as if he had been driving the car himself, something I find to be a stretch but hey the guy's happy so we;ll let it go. Andretti was plagued with bad luck in the race as a driver, although he holds a few records in the event, such as being in the lead more often and longer than anyone who has never actually stood in the winners circle.
Michael was quick to hand the victory over to Wheldon, a relative newcomer to the event, and a driver who looks to become a force in racing, as he is off to the best start in the history of the Indy Racing League. Wheldon has said in the past that his majorgoal was to win the Indy 500, something he accomplished probably earlier than most would have expected. He was crying as he exited his car and said that a win at the Indy 500 was a dream come true for him, having been one of his favorite races since he was a boy and first became interested in the sport of racing.

The Andretti vehicle, with Wheldon behind the wheel, finished the race with after having reached an average speed of 157.6 miles an hour and had a total race time of 3 hours and 10 minutes. Because of his win, Wheldon will rake in about a million and a half dollars, not a bad payday.

Danica Patrick meanwhile, was able to finish the race in fourth place, her efforts at winning hampered by the fact that she was forced to slow her speed and nurse her car along due to low fuel. She got a little lucky at the end too though, with a crash by driver Sebastian Bourdais, a mishap that happened very late in the race.
Prior to Patrick's fourth place finish, the best placing by a woman in the Indy 500 was a ninth place spot by Janet Guthrie which occurred back in 1978. Patrick fell behind in lap 186, right before a crash, and regained the lead on the next lap. "I thought we were going to win the thing at the end" said Patrick. Unfortunately, since she was running out of fuel, she was forced to slow her speed to conserve fuel and finish the race.

The effort to conserve fuel slowed her speed from 226 to 221, allowing Wheldon to take the lead. In short order, Patrick was passed by Voctor Meira, and Bryan Herta. After Patrick, Buddy Lazier, who won the event in 1966, finished fifth, and in the sixth spot was another Andretti driver, Dario Franchitti.
This years event was a huge success after last years poor showing. The presence of Patrick in the race helped attendance and attention. The weather was also another factor as the skies were clear and conditions good for the racing event. In all, the crowd was estimated at about 300,000.

New came out today that the governor of Louisiana, in an effort to met the state of Louisiana's obligations to the New Orleans Saints, will probably ask for tax increases on hotels, rental cars, and football tickets to raise the money the state needs to make their annual payment to the team owned by Tom Benson, who seems intent on milking the area for every red cent his already immensely wealthy family can get its hands on.
Two bills are going to be brought out soon, with the expected revenue to total about $12 million dollars. They are going to be introduced into the House committee on Wednesday. The two pieces of legislation will probably concentrate on drawing the money from Saints fans and the already suffering tourism industry, which has been in the doldrums since the Sep 11 attacks on the World Trade Center, and is already one of the most highly taxed areas of the economy in New Orleans. Gov. Blanco has been hoping to get Benson to enter into new long term negotiation that would include the renovation of the Saints home in the Superdome, but Benson has said that he will not negotiate until after the 2005 NFL season, forcing the state to try and find a way to meet the windfall agreement it made with the Saints under the former administration which amounted to virtual rubbery in my opinion.
The crux of the problem stems from the fact that the Superdome Commission, which is funded by revenue created by hotel taxes and other events held at the Superdome, is seeing a severe drop-off in the revenue that was expected because of the slowing economy and the reduced amount of tourism that has been the norm since the terrorist attacks ground travel to a halt in the United States and the world in general.

The former Gov. Fowler, signed a $186 million dollar deal with the Saints that stretches out over 10 years. In order to keep the underperforming NFL team around, the state had to give the NFL cellar dwellers cash, a rent free deal in one of sports finest arenas, and the sum total of all concessions sales. Meanwhile the Superdome Commission is seeing falling hotel occupancy, soaring insurance rates, and a complete lack of interest in a corporation coming in and buying the naming rights to the stadium.
Things look bad and look worse for the future. The money to pay the Saints looks to be about $10 million short for this year and will probably be about $13 million short for next year.
The plan being introduced calls for a 5% tax on auto rentals in the local area and it's estimated that the tax will bring in about half a million dollars in total. the other plan is an increase of 1% in the states already high hotel room tax, and projections are that the rate hike would bring in another $7 to $8 million. The real kicker, in addition to crippling an already hurting tourism industry, is that Saints fans, and other fans that attend the events held in the Superdome, would be forced to pay an extra 10% on tickets, food, drinks, and anything else sold in the Dome .
It seems to me that the state of Louisiana has now reached the point of dismissing returns from the deal it has with the Saints. While I am an avid fan, I can only feel that the idea of giving handouts to millionaires is a bad deal. As much as Benson cries, his team is doing very well in the small market it occupies. This view is backed up by several legislators, and seems to point out that what we are seeing in New Orleans with the Saints is something the rest of the country has experienced with other NFL teams. Just how much is an NFL team worth? Is it asking too much for an owner to show some loyalty to a community?
Right now, if you come to a Saints game in the Superdome from out of town, you're paying a 13% tax on your hotel room. That's pretty high, and it makes me wonder how many planners of major events will shy away from New Orleans because of the high hotel rates. Will we gain more by having the Saints in New Orleans than we will lose by having to pay to keep the Saints in New Orleans? And how much leverage does Tom Benson have anyway? Will San Antonio or Los Angeles come up with a billion dollars to buy the Saints? My gut feeling is that as much as the NFL wants to have a team in Los Angeles, the town has already shown that they are not interested in having an NFL team. If you had a billion dollars, would you risk it in a market that has already let two franchises walk away?

Mike Reid hasn't had the best of luck in his time on the tour as of late, experiencing some breakdowns that have cost him some wins, but this time he benefited from some problems of other players and ended up with a win.
Reid, who trailed by three strokes late in the round and had only a single hole left to play, managed to get into a three way playoff against Dana Quigley and Jerry Pate, by hitting on a long eagle putt, and then coming back to the same green and hitting a birdie in the playoff round. the two strokes got him his first win in a tourney in over 14 years of play.

Quigley was looking to be the winner for a good portion of the tournament, then Pate made a comeback and put himself into position to win, but both were left scratching their head as Reid came out of nowhere to nab the victory after they faltered at the end and left a gaping hole for Reid to step through.
After the tourney, Reid he was shocked at his win, as shocked as anybody who witnessed the vent. Reid, whose last win came at the Casio Open in the long ago year of 1990, became eligible for the Champions tour last year at the age of 50.

Pate, who made his return to paying golf after being out of the game for over 20 years, came back last year. He missed a relatively easy putt that had the potential to send the tourney into a second playoff round. A water shot ended Quigleys hopes as he sent his shot into the liquid void on a par 5. Reid, who was in the tournament despite the fact that his son was graduating high school, said he was thinking that he was out of it in the middle of play, but then decided that if he could come up with a couple of birdies here and there that he could force his way back into the game. He was right.

Reid was behind in the game to Quigley by six strokes and to Pate by three at one point during play, a seemingly unbeatable lead, but after a series of poor shots by the pair, found himself once again in the mix.
in other golfing events, Jimin Kang aced herself into a win on the 15th hole of the Corning Classic, beating out Annika Sorenstam and Meena Lee. She ended up with a 15 under par and a bundle of money, taking home $165,000, which is the largest check she's gotten in her time on the tour, which began in 2003.

Pitching looks to be the Bulldogs key to success in the postseason, as they defeated cross state rival Ole Miss 4-1 on Sunday.

Playing in the Southeastern Conference tournament, the Bulldogs got another strong pitching outing in a string of fine performances over their last few outings. Mississippi State, carrying a record of 40-20, finished in fourth place in their division, is now waiting for word on which team they will play and which park will be the site of their next game. Ole Miss, having been picked as a regional host team, are waiting for word on if they have been picked as one of eight national seeds.

The Bulldogs carry a pitching staff that can worry any team they face, with the men on the mound seeming to have saved the best performances for the post season. Brooks Dunn was on the mound Sunday, and serving as their midweek starting pitcher on the season, showed that he could do it on the weekends also. Dunn went seven innings for the Bulldogs, being relieved by C.J. Ketchums after giving up a scoring single.

The Bulldogs resume includes the good pitching jobs done as of late by the following members. Alan Johnson pitched well against LSU, Todd Doolittle had a great outing against South Carolina, and against Tennessee, Jon Crosby was excellent. In total, the four aces from Bulldog country have only let five runs come in after a combined total of almost 30 innings.

Mark Holliman got the start for the Rebels, pitching two scoreless inning. But in the third, the Bulldogs pounded out three runs to gain the lead and hold it. The Bulldogs Jeffrey Rea hit a scoring single along with Ed Easley, who drove in two runs with hios scoring single in the same inning.
The Rebels had their chances during the game, loading the bases at one point in the seventh, only to see the stanza end on a strikeout.

Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco is optimistic that his team will be viewed as one of the top eight teams in the nation despite the loss. He complimented the Bulldogs on their taking advantage of the pitching in one inning, which was enough to get the lead and provided enough scoring to hang on for the win.

The Detroit Pistons let the officiating get into their heads last night, distracting them from the fact that they were actually playing a basketball game, and allowed the Miami Heat to take a 113-104 win in Michigan.

Rather than calling it a win by the Heat, the game should be pegged as a self defeat by Detroit. The game gives the Heat a 2-1 lead in the series though, and sends the Pistons back to The Palace on Tuesday night trailing in a series, before heading to Miami in a game that always lends itself to the home crowd.

Miami was able to rack up 11 points on fouls during a run that set them up with the lead about halfway through the fourth quarter, a turn of events that set Detroit up with the temper tantrums and resulted in a pair of technical fouls that obviously did their cause very little good.

Detroit head coach Larry Brown said after the game that his team had lost their poise, and by doing so had reduced their chance in a game that they had a good opportunity to win.
Four Pistons had five or more fouls in the game, something that's indicative of a loss of control, when emotions get the best of a team and they begin to take their frustrations out with sloppy play and ill advised chances.

With a total of 36 on the night, Wade hit 21 in the first half of the game. Lindsey Hunter did a good job of shutting him down late, and putting Wade into foul trouble..
Shaq finished with a total of 24 points, while Jones was able to score 19. Shockingly, the Shaq hit some free throws in the game, something that always amazes me when it happens. He nailed his first six of the fourth quarter. After the game he said that his team needed the points so he just took his time and was able to hit them. The statement begs the question: Is there ever a time when your team can't use the points and you can just go up to the line and not worry about whether or not you hit your free throws?

Despite Detroit's unhappiness with the officiating, the game was not poorly called and the stats show a pretty even distribution of fouls, with Detroit being called for fouls 33 times and the Heat 29 times, although Miami did go to the line 11 times more than Detroit. Technicals will do that to you guys.

Danica Patrick hangs tough at Indy

Danica patrick showed the world that she belongs right where she is by taking a fourth place finsih at the Indy 500 on Sunday. By hanging in there and getting the best finish ever for a woman at Indy, Patrick opened up new avenues for women in the sport of racing.
Patrick got her strong finish despite the fact that there were a few problems along the way, including a late fuel problem that probably cost her the win, something the crowd of over three hundred thousand would probably like to have seen, evidenced by the fact that the crowd broke into cheers whenever Patrick pulled into the lead.
Patrick had a good chance at the end, something most drivers in the race wish they could have. Although Patrick got a lot of attention over the last few weeks, probably based more on the fact that she is a very attractive woman than her performance on the track, she showed the world that she has what it takes to compete in a sport long dominated by men. Patrick gained some publicity awhile ago when she posed for a magazine in a bikini, but there were plenty of fans out there that had real questions as to whether the attractive brunette could hold her own in what is considered by most to be the world's premier auto racing event. Patrick showed that she was well able to not only compete, but could probably beat the majority of the pack given the same opportunity.
He ability to come back and finish strong despite a string of problems only lends to her credibility. Beginning the race in the fourth spot, the highest ever held by a woman, Patrick made a mistake by stalling her car in the pits, a mistake that dropped her from her fourth place spot down to the 16th spot.
After overcoming that problem, Patrick blazed her way back into the race, cruising her way up into the seventh spot, when another rookie mistake hurt her position. Making an inadvertent swing to the right after waiting for the green, Patrick had a collision with another car driven bt Thomas Enge. The crash caused problems for another driver who was pushed into a spin and ended up against the wall.
Patrick was heard over the radio apologizing to her crew. After the race, Patrick said that she had made some mistakes, that she was lucky her car wasn't taken out of the race by damage after being hit twice, and that she was lucky to have kept the engine running.
She was helped along in her effort by the decision to keep running after the majority of the cars in the event went into the pit. Her crew was gambling that she would have enough fuel left to finish the race, and they were correct in their gamble, although they got a little conservative at the end, trying to finish the race with a little reduced speed that allowed Wheldon to pass her, along with two other cars, and setting her up for the fourth place finish.
Patrick, although obviously not happy with not winning, said after the race that despite the mistakes, she thought she had done well, having come very close to pulling off the first victory by a woman in the long history of the Indy. She's right, what she did was show that she was capable of being in any race, and that she's got the talent it takes to compete in the sport. Her mother, interviewed after the race, said that Patrick showed her toughness in the event with her ability to come back and overcome mistakes, not only in the race, but being a woman in a male dominated sport.

Each year the PGA season begins with three months of golf without a major. That part of the season sees little fan fare, with events in Hawaii and on the West Coast drawing minimal interest. But then comes the Masters in early April, and golf fanatics begin paying attention to the season. The hype starts and the discussions as to who is the world's best player begin again. Yet just as the excitement begins heating up, the Tour hits another lull in its season.

The remainder of April and all of May, the Tour goes through a number of tournaments that see few elite fields. That stretch of tournaments is seen as a tune-up for the game's top players, with most of them spending time practicing and playing irregularly, only enough to keep their games sharp competitively.

But then comes June and a run that includes one major a month, the US Open in June, The British Open in July and the PGA Championship in August. Whereas there are nine tour events between the Masters and US Open this season, the next three majors will be played with at most five tournaments in between.

These major championships up the golf talk and the rhetoric. Since these tournaments see the best golfers in the World, a win is particularly meaningful, with a player's career defined in great part by his ability to perform in these illustrious events.

Sports writers will immediately begin discussing the game's best player who has yet to win a major. That moniker went to Phil Mickelson until last year when the dynamic left-hander took home his first major, the Masters in Augusta, Georgia.

Lefty broke through in incredible fashion, having a phenomenal year in the majors in 2004. Along with his first place finish at the Masters, the flop-shot artist finished second at the US Open, third at the British and sixth at the PGA. The monkey off his back, Mickelson will now see some other player denoted as the best golfer on Tour without a major championship to their credit.

In addition, talk will inevitably turn to Tiger Woods and his assault on the major record books. In April, Woods earned his fourth Masters title and ninth major championship, breaking a lengthy drought. That is, lengthy for Woods.

Tiger has made no bones about the one record that means the most to him. Jack Nicklaus and his incredible 18 major titles appears to be the mark Tiger most seeks. Walter Hagen is currently second on the major's list, having won 11. After Hagen, Woods is in a tie for third with Gary Player and the legendary Ben Hogan.

If Woods is to have a realistic chance to break Nicklaus mark, he needs another run like 2000-2001 when Woods actually held all four titles at the same time. If Woods goes the remainder of the season without another major, the talk of his breaking Nicklaus hallowed mark will continue to slide backwards.

But Woods no longer ranks as a prohibitive favorite. The upcoming majors will see fields that include the best of the foreign contingent as well, including Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, and Vijay Singh. Along with Mickelson, these four all outshone Woods a year ago. Goosen, the World's fifth ranked player, took home his second US Open title, cruising to a two shot victory over Mickelson. Els lost the British Open in a playoff to Todd Hamilton and missed the PGA playoff by a single shot, finishing fourth. The world's number one ranked player Singh took home that PGA Championship, one of nine wins on Tour in 2004.

As golf heads into the summer months, the three remaining majors arrive in a rat-a-tat fashion. And with them comes the hype, the excitement and the level of golf that true fanatics live for.

Almost every person in this world has some interests and hobbies. Stamp collection, reading books, playing chess, and music, etc.! These categories include may include another thing: swimming! Though it is a game but it is also taken as a hobby. Those who took it as hobby, they used to swim in canal, rivers, and swimming pools, etc. The swimming pools are available to swim in the colleges or any organization, and clubs in the city or town can also provide the same. In some cases, it is also seen that during summer vacations, some schools or colleges open their swimming pools for general public to enjoy swimming and charge some nominal fees for this.
Swimming as a game needs a good stamina, presence of mind and above all, practice. It is a very interesting and enjoyable game. In summer season, it attracts all and everyone, and who even do not know how to swim is willing to jump into the pool or the canal.

Some people learn to swim while they are very younger. They used to go outside with their friends for playing and then they started learning in the village or town pools or small tanks containing water and with the passage of time they learned well how to swim. In some good schools or colleges the, management provides facilities for extra curricular activities, which includes provision of swimming pool in the premises or in other case they can hire some swimming pool outside the premises to teach their students how to swim. They provide a coach for teaching to the students and to take care of them from any mis-happening.

It is seen in some cases that those who has a great interest in swimming or have passion for it and resources available, they use to have small swimming pools in their own houses so that they can enjoy the same without any interruption. The swimming pools are also available in hotels, tourist places or some type of entertainment places.

Some people have a fear from water but they wanted to swim and enjoy in the swimming pool or in canal. But due to their fear, they could not able to make it feasible. So was the case with me, but I had intense interest in swimming. But from my childhood, I had a fear from water and I thought I would never be able to make in the swimming pool. But during my studies of engineering, I got a chance to change this dream of mine to swim in a swimming pool into reality. There could be chances to miss it, but I thought that if I missed this opportunity, perhaps, I would never get it again. With these thoughts, I went to the swimming pool and asked the coach about my dream and told about the fear also. He supported me and told me that if I had courage to learn swimming, then I could do it. He asked to take me the swimming costume and started my training. With his guidance and my practice, I learnt swimming and enjoyed it. It seems to me like all my dreams came true when I was in swimming pool. So it is not so hard that we can not learn swimming. But it is easier, however, there is some hesitation in the starting, which can be well overcome by practicing.

The game is played at different levels like state, national and international levels. This has a lot of variations, which are usually played at those levels. There are many international records for this game and some upcoming players are practicing to break these and to make their new ones and have a name and fame in the world. All this makes the art of swimming a more charming one!

Here's a view that a lot of American women have - our Guys are obsessed with Sports! Certainly, if your only guides were the TV schedules, the newspapers and the magazine shelves in the stores, you'd have little choice but to draw that conclusion. With Football, Hockey, Baseball and Basketball, there's something to keep the men glued to their TV screens year round.Is this a world-wide problem?

When it comes to Sports, American men are only mildly interested compared with their counterparts elsewhere on the planet. In South America and in most European counties the guys are totally committed to Football or Futbul or however it may be spelt. However it's spelt, it pronounces the same and its what people here call, Soccer. In India and the Caribbean, it's Cricket they love and in France, cycling.In fact, the sports that are so popular in North America hardly make the other sports items columns in the newspapers elsewhere around the world.

Baseball is almost unknown outside of the USA and Canada, there's a certain amount of basketball played in the West Indies, Ice Hockey (as it's known elsewhere) is played a little in colder climes like Scandinavia and Eastern Europe but the game we know as football is really only played where there's a US military base.Of course other cultures have their local favorites too. In Spain there's the Bull Fight, Australian's have Aussie Rules, a weird conglomeration of soccer and rugby (the nearest the rest of the world have to football) and the Irish have curling.The big sports events in America, the Superbowl and the World Series certainly attract big audiences - typically the TV audience for the Superbowl is ninety million - about a third of the population.

In July, most of the French spend most of their time keeping up-to-date with the Tour de France (this next one is Lance Armstrong's last). The official figures show that fifteen million Frenchmen will actually travel to watch the tour pass through - out of a total population of sixty one million, that's pretty substantial active involvement. When the England and Australia cricket teams meet for the Ashes, both countries come to a stop for five days at a time - yes, that's how long a Test Match is scheduled to last. In roughly alternate years, there's a series of six of these marathons to decide who holds the accolade. It seems odd that, despite the significance the Ashes has for the cricketing fraternity in both countries; the actual trophy stays at Lord's (a shrine for cricket lovers all over the world) in London.

English and Australian interest is only perfunctory compared with India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka but then it's probably too hot in those places for anything more energetic than cricket.It's soccer that's the top sport on the planet though. Particularly in South America, Italy, Spain and Great Britain, everything else stops when there's a major soccer game on. In Glasgow, Scotland, there are six major league soccer clubs but there are two big ones - always referred to as The Old Firm. When Rangers (primarily supported by protestants) and Celtic (Roman Catholic) meet, the whole of Scotland stops to watch and that happens at least four times a year. The same thing happens in Milan when AC play Inter and in Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, Buenos Aires, Madrid etc. etc. - there are similar clashes.At least Americans don't turn violent over their sports. In places like Brazil, Turkey and Holland, riots before, during and after major soccer matches are quite common. In Brussels twenty years ago, thirty Italians were killed when fighting broke out between fans from Juventus (Turin) and Liverpool in England.

The two teams were meeting for the European championship. It was some years before that when Bill Shankley, a dour Scott who managed Liverpool complained about the supporters who saw the club's performance as a matter of life and death. People who think like that make me sick he said It's far more serious than that.So why are the guys around the world so sports-crazy? Of course there's the pure entertainment value. Watching people in combat has always been a major spectator sport - going back to the original Olympic Games in Greece two and one half thousand years ago and the spectacle of watching Christians being sent in with lions during the heyday of the Roman Empire.

One of the more profound reasons offered by the psychologists is that it gives a man a sub-conscious sense of belonging. By following a particular team, he becomes a member of that tribe. With jet airliners, the world is shrinking on a daily basis so people don't necessarily live near where they were born or raised but a guy from San Francisco living in Frankfurt in Germany can pick up CNN on his satellite dish or Internet connection and feel at one with the 49ers tribe back home.There's another offering which might apply when the guy actually goes to the game. He sits with his buddies, they catch up with each other's news, bitch about their love-lives and have a beer or two afterwards. There's always the possibility though that the guys go to the game with the intent of getting away from the wife, the kids and mowing the lawn for a few hours on a Sunday afternoon.

A great many people are finding their health is in serious decline. The increased toxins in modern society coupled with a generally unhealthy way of life mean we are getting fatter on more unnatural foods and are doing very little about it. The strict working regimen that many of us are now prone to can leave us with very little time at all to do anything about it, even though half an hour walking a day can mean the difference between a heart attack and a perfectly healthy life.

Playing sports can increase life expectancy and improve our general standard of living at the same time. Exercising increases the blood flow around the body, it relieves stress and tension and improves physique as well as improving the condition of many of our organs including the heart.

The key to good exercise through sports is to start slowly and gradually build yourself up. If you are completely unaccustomed to exercise you should start off by walking, taking a few steps further and increasing the pace a little every time you partake in your cardiovascular workout. Power walking is actually one of the best cardiovascular workouts you can do so it’s not only a good place to start but an excellent continued exercise.

What sport to choose

A lot of people are put off from doing sports because they appear too difficult or too time consuming or perhaps fear of injury. It’s true that you should really consider every option before jumping straight into an aerobic activity of any sort.

Sports that involve jumping or pounding may lead to injury and if you can’t afford injury or have an illness that would increase your likelihood of becoming injured you should steer clear of these sorts of activities but there are still sports you could take part in to keep fit and healthy.

If you don’t have a lot of money, you have to consider a sport that does not require the purchase of lots of expensive equipment and regardless of budget picking a seasonal sport will seriously hamper your ongoing opportunity to exercise.

If you feel you lack a certain skill, like hand eye coordination then you should try to avoid any sports that require these skills. You will soon become discouraged and give up, if you think you can’t do something.

Picking an aerobic activity that means you are exercising with other people will more than likely encourage you to keep up the good work you have started but essentially, you need to find a sport you think you will enjoy and you intend to stick at, no matter what that sport is.

What about health tips for when I’m playing sport

The last thing you want to do is become unhealthy because of playing sports, especially if you’ve taken up a sport to become healthier. Summer time is a very dangerous time for a lot of sports people, especially if they are unaccustomed to exercise. Your body generally tells you when it needs more fluids because you feel thirsty but when you are exercising it can sometimes struggle to regulate your fluid intake leading to dehydration and other difficulties. The general rule of 8 glasses of water a day is fine for a normal, active person but if you are doing strenuous exercise this level should be increased accordingly.

If you are new to sports there are certain activities that you should be very careful of. Squash can be very dangerous for newcomers; the constant stopping and starting that is involved can cause heart problems.

Warm up and warm down

You’ve seen athletes in every sport doing it. You should gently warm up before doing exercises in order to limber your muscles and joints up. Failing to do this can lead to serious cramps and other complications. It is equally important that you warm down after exercising as well, joints can become very stiff and difficult to move or you can pull muscles and get cramp. Many people forget to do this and ultimately pay the price.

Remember that you are doing this to try and get healthy and not to try and run the marathon on your first attempt. Set yourself regular realistic goals, and increase the difficulty of these goals as you improve at your chosen specialty, this way you won’t get disheartened and you should be able to avoid injury or illness through over strenuous exercise.

The bottom line

Everyone needs a little exercise in their lives and even walking can improve your health in many ways. Pick a sport you enjoy and play or partake regularly. Try to motivate yourself to improve by setting achievable but increasingly difficult goals, but remember not to get too disheartened if you sometimes fail to meet these goals. Remember that you are probably bad at setting achievable goals and not at the sport you’ve chosen.

It can be often seen written on vehicles like buses, trucks or any other: "there is no relation between drinking and driving", or something like which illustrates that there is no relation between driving and the use of drugs. It is written because of the reason so as to make sure frequency of the accidents is reduced or mis-happenings to occur while driving due to any drug taken. But if we see it is true for almost every section of the society, and especially the sports or the sportsmen. It is known to all that these drugs actually makes a person weaker in every sense, i.e., health, mental strength, thinking power, and capacity to work etc. The society, which has a trend of drug addiction, can not be successful in any respect.
For a sportsman, it is necessary to make sure that the physical as well as mental balance is according to the requirements and should be up to the mark, so as to ensure the best performance in the game, which he or she plays. For this, he has to work hard. He or she has to take care of the health, and for this, a balanced food is necessary and the person must not entangle in any bad habits like taking drugs, etc.

This is a common trend of taking a very good food full of all required ingredients among all the sportsperson. Generally those who are not sportsperson, talk about the sportsperson in this tone: they have no work except eating good food and practicing for their game! But if a sportsperson takes some drugs, then also the people comment on his game that he could never be a good sportsperson.

The drugs start their way in the life of people from very early age and they, sadly, have found the way in school and college campuses. The drugs taken by them enhance the energy level in them for a while, but have very diverse effects afterwards. But they do not agree with this and continue to take the drugs like drinking, and smoking, etc. They usually start taking these drugs by seeing their friends and near ones. But in the long run, they have to face many problems.

So is the case in the sportsperson today. They want to increase their energy and capacity and want to win the play or game title. Earlier, for making a good health or physique, good food was used but nowadays, it is seen that steroids are used to do so, which actually have bad aftereffects on the body.
The detection of drug addiction in the sportsperson is harmful for them in both ways, as they have to stay away from the game and at the same time there are bad effects on their bodies. The sportsperson have to undergo a doping test for drugs, when they have to go for standardized games in which, if they found the test positive, they have to go out from the game and there can be a ban for a definite time period on them. It does not matter that he or she has taken it intentionally or unintentionally! For example, in the case of Aparna Popat--eight times national badminton champion! Once she took a tablet for her cold before the match but the tablet has a banned substance in it, and when the doping test was undertaken, she gave positive results, and consequently, she has to undergo punishment in the form of a ban on her playing. Although the ban was lifted after some time, but she has to loose his candidature for Arjuna Award (given for an excellent performance record in games in India). It was assumed that this award would have surely gone to her. But due to the unintentionally taken drug, she had to loose this opportunity. Same is the case of other players also.

In some cases, it is seen that after winning a title they had to gave back their prizes, medals and all other thing won after found guilty of taking drugs for playing.

So one can understand the bad impacts of taking drugs in all respects that these are harmful at every cost to a person especially to a sportsperson.

I'm not much of a car-racing fan, and have never really paid attention to the Indianapolis 500 in the past. But I have to admit that I tuned in today, mostly because of all the media hype surrounding Danica Patrick's entry in the event. The 23-year-old Patrick had been the subject of countless articles and reports, both in print and on television, in the two weeks leading up to the annual Memorial Day weekend race. She was just the fourth woman to ever suit up for the Indianapolis 500, and she made history by becoming the first woman to lead a lap in the race.

I don't usually tune into sporting events just because of human-interest stories like this one, but for some reason I just couldn't resist it today. I enjoy seeing women succeed in sports that have traditionally been dominated by men. Even though Patrick didn't win today, she did lead the race and she ended up finishing a very respectable fourth. That is quite an accomplishment, particularly since you know she had to be feeling a lot of pressure from all the media scrutiny. It seemed like she had an outside chance at a win before being passed for good by Dan Wheldon with just a few laps to go. While I personally would have loved to see her take the checkers, and while a win would have certainly made for a storybook ending, I don't think Danica disappointed anyone with her performance.

There was, of course, some grumbling among fans (mostly male) who thought that the attention bestowed on Patrick was undeserved. I heard some people say that she hasn't done anything noteworthy in her short career, and that other female drivers have achieved more in their respective racing fields. I guess that sort of thing is to be expected. After all, you can't please everyone all the time. But I am sure that even those fans are singing a different tune now that the results are in. Fourth place in the Indianapolis 500 should be enough for any driver to earn any fan's respect; she surely earned mine today. I am truly happy for Danica and I wish her continued success in her racing career.

It's such a simple game. Catch the ball, throw the ball, hit the ball, take a shower. That's the basis of the game, the game that has become an icon of the American way of life. “As American as baseball and apple pie” is a phrase I've heard many a time. But with scandals erupting left and right all through organized sports, can baseball survive the aftermath?

The NHL is in disarray, the players no longer even talking to the owners. Money is the main issue in that dispute, and one can see a reflection in every professional sport on the planet. Baseball is no exception. You see the pay inequalities stretch from last year's most expensive contract, Manny Ramirez at twenty two and a half million dollars, to players like David West of the Philadelphia Phillies who play for a paltry by comparison three hundred and fifty thousand dollars.

Now we compare that to the median pay of employees in the United States. In 2003, the most recent year with data available, the median income per house was just over forty three thousand dollars. That's less than fourteen percent of an average player's income!

We pay these players outstanding amounts of money, this is true, and we pay it to them happily. You and your family go to a baseball game, buy tickets, usually at or above thirty dollars a seat, and put millions of dollars in these players pockets every year. Then you buy souvenirs, enriching a merchandise company for slapping a logo on a baseball and selling it for ten times the price. Everything we do in a ballpark, anywhere in the United States, is aimed to get more money into the pockets of the owners of the team.

While it's alright to be angry at the players for making so much money while we're all comparatively poor and still whining that they're being badly treated, we should turn our focus more to the owners of the teams. While the players are making millions, these owners make a consistent profit every year, even after paying out the millions upon millions of dollars to the players. These are the real villains of today's baseball game.

As such, maybe it's time for a restructuring of sorts. While the players depend on the owners for their paychecks of millions of dollars every year, the owners depend on us, their fans to pay them for the privilege of seeing the game of baseball. Maybe it's time we stopped giving them money hand over fist, and worked more for our own future benefit, rather than supporting a millionaire's club of overgrown boys playing on the sandlot out back.

The San Antonio Spurs are using defense to shut down the Phoenix Suns in their series and that became especially evident in game 3 of the Western Conference Series.
The Spurs won 102-92 on Saturday night in San Antonio, and did it by eliminating any type of fast break offense by the Suns, and playing very aggresively against the 3-point shot in order to rattle the Suns shooters.
San Antonio was able to keep the Suns from scoring more than 105 points for only the first time in the post season, doing so by keeping the team down to a 10 point second quarter and only 36 points in the entire first half, a pretty amazing feat. Although Phoenix managed to make a comeback later on in the game, and actually got pretty close in the fourth quarter, San Antonio was able to take advantage of their opportunities at the line, and kept the Suns at Bay for the eventual win.
With the Spurs up 3-0 in the series, history is now dead set against the Suns, since no team in the history of the league has ever come back from such a deficit to end up the eventual winner of the series.
Monday night brings game 4 to the series and the Suns can manage to get back home to Phoenix if they can get a win. Should they fail to do so, the Spurs will be in the NBA Finals, making their second trip to the big show in the last three years. During those trips, the Spurs were able to win the finals for the last couple of times, with wins over the New York Knicks and the New Jersey Nets.
In this win, Duncan scored 33 points and had 15 rebounds and was perfect in his free throws hitting 15 of 15. Parker put up 18 points, while Ginobili hit 18, along with seven rebounds.
The Suns were held without a score for almost seven minutes in the second quarter.

The right tent can make the difference between a great family holiday and a stressful trip. What kind of tent will fit your family best?
by
Deb Powers

Family camping holidays can be a great way to bring your entire family together. Choosing the right kind of holiday and the right equipment can help create a vacation that builds warm memories of shared fun. If this is your first camping vacation, or if you're replacing worn equipment, you have literally hundreds of styles and models of tents to choose from. How do you pick one that's the right fit for your family and your holiday? A quick overview of the kinds of tents available and their strengths and weaknesses can get you started on the right choice.

In general, tents are classified by their structure - how they are pitched and what it is that holds them up. If it's been years since you've gone camping, you may recall the fun of trying to pitch an unwieldy tent in the rain, wind or dark - or if you were really unlucky, all three. These days even the most complex tents are designed to be pitched easily. There are three basic types of tents by construction - frame tents, tunnel tents and dome tents - which are technically a subset of tunnel tents, but with enough differences that they rate their own section.

Frame Tents
Frame tents are the most similar to the older style of family tent that most people remember from Scout camping trips. They consist of an inner frame made of lightweight aluminum and the tent itself. The inner frame is constructed first, and then the tent is fitted over the frame and firmly attached, most often with velcro loops that wrap around the poles. Once the tent is erected, stakes and guy ropes or wires will help steady it.

At its simplest, a frame tent is a single large rectangular room, but you'll find dozens of variations on the basic form. Fly sheets and vestibules will help direct water away from the tent walls and provide sheltered areas outside the tent for dining and cooking, or storing gear. You'll find tents that have inner walls to screen off sleeping and changing areas for privacy, or double doors - back and front for easy access. Most have at least one mesh window that can be covered for weather proofing, or a door that opens to lie flat beneath a canopy to provide a 'porch'.

Frame tents are generally the heaviest of the tent types, making them more suitable for fixed site camping than a hiking or bicycling road trip when you'll have to carry it on your back. They tend to be a little more complex to set up than most dome or tunnel tents. Their extra roominess makes them a popular choice for a big family that likes to spread out.

Tunnel Tents
The construction of a tunnel tent is radically different from that of a frame tent. Instead of assembling an interconnected frame separately, the supports of a tunnel tent are curved poles that slide through channels or tunnels sewn into the body of the tent and hold the fabric rigid. They have at least two poles - one at the front and one at the back, and a bottom frame to space them properly. Often, though, additional poles are used to give the tent more rigidity and length. A plain tunnel tent looks like a fabric quonset hunt.

Tunnel tents are generally much lighter in weight than frame tents, making them a better choice for a backpacking trip. Their construction makes it difficult to provide any sort of privacy inside, but the curved shape sheds rain and snow more easily, and is more stable in the wind. Pure tunnel tents are a rare choice, though. Most people opt for a variation of the tunnel tent - the dome tent.

Dome Tents
Dome tents incorporate the advantages of both frame and tunnel tents. Like tunnel tents, they are assembled by sliding preassembled, curved poles through sewn channels and connecting them together. Instead of using hoops lined up one after another, though, dome tents cross the frame poles at various points to add strength and rigidity to the structure. A further modification of dome tents - the geodesic dome - is possibly the most stable and strong structure of all.

Dome tents often have both an inner tent and an outer 'fly' tent to help weather proof. They come in variations that can be constructed fly first, inner tent first, or all in one, which is the simplest. At least one tent, made Coleman, allows the tent to be set up with just the inner tent, just the fly tent, or both together.

In addition, dome tents often consist of several domes that are interconnected to create separate rooms inside the tent, similar to frame tents. Their biggest disadvantage is use of space. Because of their curved sides, much of the interior of a dome tent is too low to sit or stand in comfortably. If your family is the type to make your tent a 'home' base, they may feel a bit cramped.

Dome tents are by far the most popular tent sold today, but there is still a good market and a great variety of frame tents available. In general, if your tent is staying put through most of your vacation, a frame tent will give your family the room and comfort to keep out of each others' hair when they need to, and the common room to get together when they want to. If you're hiking, though, and you'll be backpacking the tent, opt for a lightweight, easy to assemble dome tent.

The NFL gets more interesting and more greedy all the time. There's a story coming out of San Francisco about new 49ers head coach Mike Nolan.
It seems Nolan wants to increase the class factor around the league, planning to wear a suit and tie on the sidelines when he's coaching but the league has stepped in and said Nolan will not be allowed to do that, since it would be a violation of their contract with the Reebok people.
Money talks. The NFL currently is enjoying a $250 million dollar bonanza from the shoe gods that stretches out over 10 years. In the contract, the rules require the players and coaches on the field to be wearing Reebok gear at all times, lest someone get the impression that the NFL can't be bought.
Nolan has taken the ruling in stride though. Even though he wants to wear a suit, he mentioned the fact that he could appear on the sidelines in only his underwear and not be in violation of the rules, since the Reebok people do have a line of men's undergarments. It's pretty sad to think that a guy who wants to wear a suit can't do it, since there are some real slobs standing on the sidelines these days, wearing what amounts to pretty much gangster clothes, and Reebok is having fits about one guy who won't wear the overpriced stuff they pawn off on an increasingly gullible America.
Moving across the country to Green Bay, it seems the people of the bay are pretty upset with a guy named Drew Rosenhaus, who is the agent representing Devon walker in his contract negotiations with the Packers.
Drew showed up at Walkers charity event and was soundly booed by the people attending when he stepped up to the plate. I think the pressure must have gotten to him because Drew promptly grounded out. The agent is quickly getting the rep of a hard guy to deal with, with several of his players, including Walker, involved in potential holdouts that may adversely affect the performance of the teams for which they play. Anyway, the people of Green Bay are not happy with Drew and I think he should take his bat somewhere else next time.
The New Orleans Saints are involved in their own set of tense contract negotiations with the state of Louisiana. With Benson threatening to move the team to LA, one of the new owners of the Vikings said something that Benson apparently hasn't believed in a long time. After being asked about the chance of the Vikings going to LA, the new owner said that it was not a possibility, that "This isn't about economics. It's about passion." Too bad for New Orleans that Tom Benson doesn't believe that the passion the people have had for his sorry performing football team over the years is enough to line his pockets with.
Benson is waffling over statements he made earlier that he would be happy with a renovated Superdome. Since making that statement, the owner of the New Orleans franchise has said that he's not sure now that a renovated Superdome would allow him to be competitive with the rest of the league despite the fact that his team is in the upper half of the league because of the fact that he has no major financial commitment or debt associated with the construction of a new stadium.
The fact is, when the Houston franchise was awarded, the new owners committed vast sums of money to bringing a team to their city. Benson gas made no such commitment. In fact, he has been handed the keys to a world famous stadium in a great town, and studies have shown, that with a minimal amount of investment, the Superdome could be one of the top stadiums in the country, and still be a major revenue producer as it is now. What we are seeing here is nothing but pure greed.
All the hoopla is playing into Benson's hands though, as season ticket sales have been affected by the fact that nobody wants to buy tickets to a team season that may be moving anyway. In fairness to Benson, season tickets to the saints are cheap in relationship to the rest of the league. In fairness to the fans, the Saints have been an inferior product for most of their existence in New Orleans and probably aren't worth the price of NFL teams that have actually had some good years and championships to their record.

After years of frustrations from the New Orleans Saints, the people of New Orleans believed that professional football had come to the city with the New Orleans Voodoo making a run into the playoffs last year. We were looking forward to another year of success with the Voodoo, especially after they began the year strongly, running out to a 6-2 record early in the season, and setting themselves up for an easy cruise into the playoffs.
Unfortunately for the New Orleans fans, that easy cruise turned into a rough trip. the Voodoo collapsed at the end of the season, much like the Saints have done for the last few years, and ended up not making the playoffs, leaving head coach Mike Neu, who has been to the playoffs every year for his entire eight year career as a player and coach, looking for the reasons for his team's collapse in an attempt to get things set straight for the coming year.
The Voodoo looked good early, with wins over other teams that would eventually make the playoffs, The Voodoo had wins over Tampa, San Jose, and Chicago early on, but fell into a string of losses after setting themselves up early. the losses included some real give aways, the most notable being a loss to Austin, a game in which they fell after leading by as much as two touchdowns, leading me to believe that Neu may be looking for defensive help in the offseason. the string of losses was even more painful for the fans, since the bad streak included three losses at home after the Voodoo had lost only a single home game in the previous season.
Neu believes that some of the team's woes came from an inability to take advantage of early leads and opportunities presented at the end of the game, something they had done easily the year before. Neu believes the only thing he can do as a coach is to continue to evaluate the game films and try to isolate some particular position or strategy that was the cause of the late season collapse. The losing Voodoo are a team that presents some odd things, having been the leader in a number of areas that would make the average fan believe that their season had gone much better than their record would indicate.
For instance, the Voodoo led the National Conference in offense, a statistic that in the offense happy Arena League would point toward a major success. In addition, having brought in a new QB, Mike kelly, and with Kelly responding by producing his best season ever as a player, the losing season is a mystery to statistics lovers everywhere. Kelly completed 466 passes on the year, topping the old record by 74 passes, and became the second player in league history to throw for over 700 touchdowns in a career.
Aaro Bailey, the Voodoo's premier wide receiver, also had a good year. Bailey caught 144 passes, which place him second in the record book for pass receptions in a single year. Across the field from Bailey was teammate Thabiti Davis, who snagged 113 balls and had nine TD's on the year. Two other Voodoo members had over 60 catches on the year. These are impressive stats from a receiving corp, and only add to the mystery of the Voodoo'd late season woes and poor record on the year.
Defensively, the New Orleans franchise was among the leaders also, allowing fewer than 100 TD's, something only two other teams in the conference did.
Neu seems to believe that the stats would indicate a 10 win season but things didn't work out that way. He seems to think that the turnover ratio played a large part in the dropoff in wins at the end of the year with the Voodo finishing in 10th place in the category.
the team must now turn to it's planning for the 2006 season, and pay attention to resigning it's free agents or perhaps look to the pool of talent available and make some changes in order to improve. Mike Kelly is obviously a prime target, having originally signed for a single year. With Kelly behind center, the Voodoo would have a key position locked in, and Kelly would act as a drawing card for bringing other top rated players into the fold. Kelly has said before that he is very interested in remaining in New Orleans, and obviously Neu would like to have him back. The Voodoo are in a strange position, with only one player signed for next year. It may be a good position or a bad one depending on how you look at it. The team has the openings to completely replace the weak spots on the squad if they can be identified. On the other hands, other teams have the chance to come in and scoop up players off a squad that seems to be talent laden but not working together to reach the potential that their pool of talent would indicate.

The Green Wave's Nathan Southard propelled Tulane into the Conference USA Championship game on Saturday with a three home run performance that sets Tulane up with a championship game matchup against TCU on Sunday.

Southard blasted his three home runs against pitcher Brad Lincoln of Houston, on Saturday in Mississippi, taking round trips in his first three plate appearances. Southard was joined in the home run derby by freshman Brad Emaus who contributed a grand slam in the 10-1 win.
After their 16-3 win over East Carolina on Thursday, the Green Wave is looking good, having defeated their last three tournament opponents by a score of 34-10 justifying their top ranking with their performance in the tournament so far. The Tulane baseball team has now delivered a total of 12 home runs and 63 total runs in the tournament.

Tulane, which is ranked No. 2 by Baseball America and No. 1 by Collegiate Baseball, will play TCU in the championship game on Sunday. This will make for the sixth time Tulane has gone to the championship and will will give them the chance to win the whole thing for the fifth time. Texac Christian is coming into the match up as the defending champion. With his performance on Saturday, Southard tied the school's record for home runs in a single game, originally set by Mike Pursell against the upstate rival LSU Tigers in 1998. He also tied the Conference USA record for home runs in a game which was set by AB's Jeff Bell in 1996.

Southard said after the game that he was just offered some good pitches to hit and took advantage of them, an understatement to say the least. He got started early in the game, taking Lincoln's second pitch thrown, a fastball, and cranking it out over the left field fence for his first home run of the game. Coming up to the plate again in the third inning, Southard said he was thinking that Lincoln would avoid throwing him another fastball over the middle, so he was on the lookout for a curve ball, which he got. That curve ball gave Southard his second home run of the game as he also drove in another runner, giving the Green Wave a 3-1 lead in the game.
Back at the plate as the lead off batter in the fifth inning, Southard took another curve ball over the left field fence on the fifth pitch.

Tulane head coach Rick Jones was happy with his team's performance, saying that they had played as complete a game as he thought they could, pointing out that Southard had played a very memorable game.
Oddly, Southard said after the game that his third home run was a mistake. Facing Lincoln with two strikes on him, Southard was simply attempting to stay in the batters box and keep hitting, but that Lincoln had left the ball hanging a little bit too long and he got the opportunity to turn on the pitch, resulting in the home run.
Obviously trying to avoid a four home run performance by Southard, Lincoln allowed the center fielder a free base in his next at bat, putting him on in a walk. The walk loaded the base for Tulane, and at that point Emaus had the plate set and took full advantage of it, driving the ball over the fence for the grand slam, Emaus' third of the season and his 13th home run of the year. Emaus had a team leading 5 RBI in the game, but said when he hit the grand slam he had no idea that the ball had gone over, and didn't realize it was a grand slam until he had already reached first base. The grand slam was set up by an error on Houston's second baseman, who allowed a ball to get past him.

The third home run by Southard gave Tulane a 4-1 lead. Because of that lead, Tulane's pitcher, Micah Owings was able to be much more relaxed on the mound an take a few chances. Owings was having a good game up to that point anyway, allowing a home run in the first inning before settling down and throwing well over the course of the next few trips to the mound. Oddly enough, Houston's solo run was a home run shot hit by Lincoln, the pitcher that Southard ripped up all day. Owings was able to rack up a total of nine strikeouts, bringing his total for the season to 117. He faced 27 batters on the day, throwing seven inning before giving way to relief.
Rick Jones said after the game that Owings had his fastball working, and good command of his change up, allowing Owings to keep Houston's batters off balance the whole game. and staying ahead in the count.

By Rae A. Costa

Hiking is a wonderful way to explore the outdoors and see nature at its finest. Hiking allows you to step away from the hectic pace of the city, if only for a few hours, and it's a great way to exercise. However, Mother Nature is not always forgiving of those that tread upon her without a clue. Without a basic knowledge of what's involved, your first hike can very well be your last.

Before you embark on your adventure, there a few basics you should know.

Plan ahead.

Regardless of whether you plan to hike in your local mountains or in a National Park a thousand miles away, it's important you plan for your adventure. This includes researching the area to determine when it's best to visit, the difficulty and length of your chosen route, what rules you'll need to follow, how to obtain wilderness permits, and even where you can park your car.

If you plan on other activities besides hiking, this is a good opportunity to find out what's available and if you need to make any reservations. Check out maps of the area. Identify any water sources along the trail you plan to follow. Locate mountains, possible campsites, ranger stations, and other points of interest. Having as much knowledge of the area before you even get there will help to make your adventure that much more enjoyable.

Inform and be informed.

Whether you plan on being gone a day or a week, you should always leave your itinerary with a trusted friend or family member. Include details of your route, campsites, when you'll return, and even the license plate number of your car. Silly? Not very when you're lost and no one has any idea of where you are.

Your environment is all encompassing. There is potential for injury anytime you interact with nature. Know what plants to avoid, such a Poison Oak, what animals frequent the area, such a rattlesnakes or bears, and weather conditions. Most of the information you'll need can be obtained during the planning stages, however it's a good head to visit a ranger's station or information kiosk before beginning your hike to check current conditions.

Be prepared.

This is easier said than done, but there are a few things you can do to prepare yourself.

Physical conditioning should start long before you reach the trailhead. Thinner air, steep trails, rocky terrain are just a few of the obstacles you'll have to overcome. If you're not in shape, you risk greater injury. Your hike won't be nearly as fun if you're huffing and puffing your way down the trail.

Mental preparedness is just as important. If you're from the city you've grown accustomed to traffic, people, and noise. Standing alone on the trail or lying in your sleeping bag at night hearing nothing but falling stars, can get a bit overwhelming. Physical fitness and mental preparedness both play an important part in accomplishing your hiking goals.

Water. It's something we take for granted every time we turn on the kitchen faucet, but in the wilderness it isn't as convenient. Having water with you during your hike is extremely important. A large majority of hiking mishaps occur due to dehydration. This mishap can sometimes be fatal.

Water bladders come in a variety of sizes and are the most popular way to carry water when hiking. Most backpacks have compartments for water bladders and side pockets for water bottles. Whichever way you chose to carry your water is up to you, but make sure you have enough to get you to the end of your hike.

Remember when you identified water sources during your planning stages? If your water levels are low, you already know where you can refill your bottles. But be aware! Although water in mountain lakes or crystal clear streams looks refreshing, it can be contaminated with huge amounts of bacteria that can make you very sick. A water purifier is an important part of your equipment for exactly this reason. Or if you prefer, you can use purification tablets instead just as long as you clean the water before you drink it.

Other items you should carry in your pack?

Raingear. Even if you checked conditions prior to your hike, weather can be unpredictable. Better safe than wet. Also carry along an extra sweater or jacket. When the sun goes down, it can get very cold, even in summer.

Food. Granola bars. Fruit. Beef jerky. String cheese. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Whatever your tastes, food provides energy. A word of caution, however. Food should always be kept in tightly sealed containers. If animals can smell your rations, then they're apt to tear into your pack leaving you with nothing but crumbs.

Fire source. Fire has many purposes - to cook food, to provide warmth, to use (safely) as a signal if you're lost. Know the fire regulations for the area in which you'll be hiking. Even if you're only going to be gone a day, you should carry waterproof matches.

First Aid kit. When on the trail, far from any hospital even the most minor injuries can seem major especially if they go untreated. Learn basic first aid. It'll come in handy if you have to wrap a sprained ankle or treat a bee sting. Don't forget any prescription medications, aspirin, or other medications.

Maps. Compass. GPS system. When you're in a car in a strange city, you use a map right? Being in the wilderness is no different. Finding your way into the forest is only half the fun. Finding your way back to your car is the other.

Don't forget the small things that'll help make your hike more comfortable - sunscreen, lip balm, a flashlight (even for day hikes), sunglasses, whistle, toilet paper, pocket knife, and a hat.

You can never predict what might happen on the trail, but at least you can be prepared for it. Always remember to use common sense when hiking and stay on marked trails, no matter how inviting other routes may seem. This not only will prevent you from becoming lost, but protect fragile plants and wildflowers. Be respectful not only to Mother Nature, but to those who walk the trail behind you.

They went into the draft with just a 6.3% chance at winning the number one pick. But by the time the ping pong balls were drawn, the Milwaukee Bucks had emerged with the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NBA Draft.

The number one pick gives teams a chance to retool overnight - one need look back just two years ago to see the incredible impact Lebron James had the Cleveland Cavaliers. And not just in wins and losses, but in putting fans in the seats.

With one of the league's premiere shooting guards in Michael Redd, the Bucks will be looking for help inside. A dominant big man would make Redd even more difficult to defend on the perimeter.

But the Bucks may have a tough choice at number one, as two players could fit their bill. Andrew Bogut, the seven foot center from Utah, appears to be the consensus choice of most but the Bucks will need to give careful consideration to another big man, small forward Marvin Williams of North Carolina.

A year ago, Bogut was barely on the NBA radar screen. But the big fellow came into is own during a stellar sophomore season at Utah. Demonstrating a nice offensive game and excellent hands for a seven footer, Bogut was the consensus college player of the year in 2004-2005. The center was named National Player of the Year by the AP, and won both the Naismith and Wooden awards emblematic of the best collegiate player for 2005.

On the flip side, Bogut is seen as an average athlete, lacking open court quickness and lateral mobility. It has also been noted that he has not faced much competition in college basketball, especially playing within a Mountain West Conference that was weaker than usual in 04-05. A ferocious competitor, it will be interesting to see if his skills will hold up against the likes of Tim Duncan, Shaquille O'Neal, and Ben Wallace.

In contrast, North Carolina freshman Marvin William is an outstanding athlete. Williams runs the floor well, is physically very strong and is thought to be more than decent shooter. Though his perimeter game appears to need work, the 6-9 forward has an incredible upside.

Playing in one of the best basketball conferences in college basketball, Williams was named to the ACC All-Freshman team and ACC Rookie of the Year for 2005. Some experts believe Williams won't be able to contribute right away but others see the former Parade All-American First Teamer in 2004 as potentially an NBA elite player and perennial All Star.

The Bucks need to go big and with the first pick, the team is extremely fortunate that this year's draft has at least two players capable of filling their need. Look for the Bucks to go with Bogut because of his ability to contribute right away but don't be surprised if the team decides Williams potential is more attractive in the long run, leading the Bucks to select the Tar Heel instead.

There are several sports-related clothing brands that reach far beyond the realm of sports and have acquired a level of name recognition that can only be described as every marketer or CEO's dream. For example, brands like Nike, Reebok, and Adidas are found everywhere (not just in sporting goods stores) and their clothing is worn by all kinds of people, whether they play sports or not. From the company's viewpoint, this is of course a good thing. Such widespread acceptance just adds a lot more zeros to the bottom line. It is also a good thing for consumers. They don't have to know anything about sports or any Nike-sponsored athletes to know that a shirt bearing the famous swoosh logo will be accepted as "cool" by almost everyone.

But what about clothes from brands and sports that are slightly outside of what would be considered mainstream? Is it best for these brands to capitalize on their cool factor in order to reap profits, or is it better for them to stay small and cater to their original market base? Let me explain what I mean.

Take a brand like Quicksilver. Unless you are a surfer, you probably didn't know that the brand was created specifically for participants in this sport. It was started by two surfers from Australia in the early 1970s, and has grown by leaps and bounds since then. Now, Quicksilver is a publicly traded company (NYSE) and lots of people, even non-surfers, know of or wear this brand. If you go into any Pacific Sunwear store at the mall, you will see plenty of Quicksilver items -- even if the mall happens to be in Chicago, where there is no surfing for a thousand miles!

This probably sounds just great for the company, and especially for the two founders. But what about the surfers who bought the clothes and made their success possible? I've heard many surfers complain about "posers" wearing Quicksilver clothes. To athletes, a poser is someone who doesn't participate in a particular sport, but owns a lot of clothing or accessories associated with that sport. A lot of surfers think that posers somehow diminish the cool factor of what was once their favorite brand. Does that sound silly? To an outsider, it might; but this kind of sentiment is something that smaller clothing brands have to deal with in their respective industries all the time.

In fact, some companies that are involved with the sport of motocross are facing similar challenges right now. Fox Racing, for instance, got its start by creating and selling motocross jerseys, pants, gloves, and casual wear. They have enjoyed great success in the sport, and remain one of the best-known brands in that industry. Fox Racing also happens to have one of the coolest logos I have ever seen. It's actually just a very basic drawing of a fox head, but for some reason, it really stands out. People who aren't involved in motocross in any way have noticed the logo, too. I guess when one of the Backstreet Boys wears a Fox jersey on stage at a concert; it is going to be noticed! But I'm sure you can guess how hard-core motocross riders reacted upon hearing this news.

These days, Fox Racing casual wear can be found across the country in stores like Pacific Sunwear and Hot Topic. I have many friends who are motocross riders, and they are not at all happy with this development. They explained it this way: Before, when Fox was smaller, when they saw someone wearing something with the fox head logo, they could go up to that person and start a conversation about bikes, knowing that the person was a rider. Now, more often than not, the people they see wearing Fox clothes are mere posers who don't know the first thing about motocross.

What does this mean for these kinds of niche companies? Well, a lot of my motocross friends have sworn off Fox racing and have moved on to smaller brands that are not yet mainstream. Since Fox probably rakes in enormous profits from their mall sales, they might not notice the loss of a few customers here and there. I doubt they will stop selling to the so-called posers, who represent a much larger customer base, just to appease a few hard-core motocrossers.

While I personally don't wear sports-related clothing unless I either participate in or am a die-hard fan of that sport, I don't mind when others do. I think that all companies and all sports strive for growth, and who would really want to limit their profits or exposure? I think people need to stop with the whole poser business, anyway. Since when are there qualifications for wearing casual clothes? I would also never call a company a sell-out for selling more of their products. After all, that's the whole plan, isn't it?

As the wife of a coach and the mother of three children who has played or is playing some type of sports, you'd think I'd be pretty knowledgeable about the whole sports concept. To some extent I am, even though I'm not really a sports fan...never have been. I guess I'm simply not competitive enough to be a true sport's fanatic. However, since I am surrounded by those who are, I've not really had a choice in the matter, at least as far as how a sport affects my family and my life. Even though I may not know all of the ins and outs regarding the various sports that my family has coached and/or participated in, I have learned quite a lot about how sports can affect an individual, a family, and a community as a whole. I've learned much more from the perspective of spectator than I might have learned as an active participant. Most of these lessons have been positives ones, but not all.

It seems as if children are beginning organized sports at younger ages than they did merely a decade ago. Is this a good thing? Well, if handled correctly it can be. If you've ever taken the time to watch a team of four and five year olds play t-ball, you probably enjoyed a good laugh. The children's enthusiasm is a joy to watch, as is their very short attention spans, unless they happen to be in the middle of the action. you might find some the team gazing up at the sky, looking for four leaf clovers, or slinging their gloves into the air. They're happy to be on the field, and they love having the attention of their parents, but as far as actually concentrating on the object of winning...that may not be a big priority in their case.

Is it essential, then, that we keep score, at least for this age? Maybe the question should be, why do we have our children on the field? Hopefully, we have signed them up for some type of sports to help them develop. Of course, they will develop in several ways. If your child is playing a team sports, she should benefit in many areas. She may be playing with at least some children whom she doesn't know. This is an excellent opportunity for her to learn more about children from other cultures and to get to make friends with children whom she might not ordinarily spend time with. Many lasting and good friendships have resulted between children who were teammates.

She should also be learning how to work as a member of a group. This not only means that she will have support from others in her endeavors to do well in her sport, but it also means that she can learn how to be a supporter for her teammates. She should learn valuable life skills such as empathy, compassion, kindness, fairness, and honesty, and all of these traits will become instilled in her quietly but firmly.

Children who compete in sports also learn that life isn't always fair. There may be times when a call went the wrong way, or when someone was declared the winner, when they really weren't. Your child may get cut from a school team, or he may be made to sit on the bench. What he (and you) may not realize at the time is that all of these instances will actually build and strengthen his character, preparing him for the sometimes unfairness and difficulties of life. This is where your job as a parent must really play an important role.

If you see that your child is treated unfairly, of course, there isn't anything wrong with discussing the situation with the coach. That doesn't mean, though, that he will see things your way. Now you must set an example for your child and teach him about the real purpose and priority of sports. You can let your child express his disappointment and even anger to you, but you must also teach him that if he is a member of a team, then above all, he must support that team, even if it is to his own disadvantage. In other words, there will be times that he will have to put up with some type of decision or circumstance that he doesn't deserve. However, isn't that what life is all about? In our jobs, our neighborhoods, our communities, aren't decisions made every day that may be wrong? The right people may not receive recognition, while the wrong people are rewarded? And, we as adults must learn to live with it, sometimes. How did we learn how to do this? The same way our children are learning how to deal with it.

Of course, there isn't only negative to be learned from sports. If there were, would any of us allow our children to play? Of course not! The positives should, and generally do, vastly outweigh any of the negatives. When we sign our children up for sports, we are hoping that they will get as much and more enjoyment out of it as we do watching them play. We hope they learn to love the competition. We want them to strive to do their best. If they become stars in their particular area, we burst at the seams with pride. If they don't, we are still their most fervent cheerleaders, urging them on. After all, isn't that our role in life as parents?

Hopefully, our children will develop a better self-esteem. We want them to understand how to set goals and reach for those goals. We want them to understand that failure doesn't mean that they are somehow lacking as a person, but that failure is a part of life... an obstacle that must be overcome or at least bypassed. They must learn to take the good with the bad, and they mustn't give up simply because it is hard.

The self-esteem and confidence that they will get from being a member of a team can last them throughout their school years and follow them into adulthood. The lessons that they learn on the field can follow them into their relationships and workplace. The desire to get better, work harder, and help others along the way can all be related to sports. Of course, a winning season is wonderful, but does your child's team have to win to help him or her become a better person? Absolutely not! Someone once said, "It's not whether you win or lose, but how you play the game." How true that statement is! It doesn't just apply to the actual game, but it applies to life in almost every aspect.

With all the positives that come out of enrolling our children in some type of sports, how can we go wrong? Unfortunately, we see examples of the negative part of sports everyday in the media. Parents are assaulting coaches, umpires, referees, and other parents. Coaches are verbally and even physically abusing their players. Teammates are turning on each other or on the members of the opposing team. Violence is breaking out among competing teammates' parents as they sit in the stands during their children's game. We read about games that are thrown because money was riding on the winning team. We hear about locker room theft and school vandalism. Profanity has become a part of some team members', coaches', and even parents' vocabularies. Police security is evident at many school and community sports events. Is this what we want to teach our children? Are these the lessons we really want our children to learn?

Hopefully, the answer to this question is a resounding no! However, until we are willing to work together as parents, coaches, and a community as a whole, the negative impact of the sports environment will continue to run rampant through our cities and towns. Our children will continue to learn that it is acceptable to criticize, verbally harass, and even physically abuse those who do not see things as we do. Compassion will be absent from the field and eventually from life itself.

So parents, do your best to teach your child the real reason they need to join a team and participate in sports. Help them find the goodness in life both on and off the field. Look for positive lessons in each practice, each game, and each season. Then, watch with pride as your child takes the lessons she learned on the field and applies them in the classroom, her relationships, the workplace, and her own family. These are the reasons we should encourage our children to participate in sports.

The Tulane Green wave, ranked by some polls as the number one unit in the country, justified it's position by pulling in three of the top four conference USA awards in the postseason.
Wave head coach Rick Jones was given the award of Coach of the Year, Micah Owings was picked as the Player of the Year and Brad Emaus, the Green Wave's third baseman, hauled in the Freshman of the Year Award.
In total, Tulane was able to put five of their players on the Conference USA first team roster, a pair on the second team roster, and another pair on the freshman team.
The award make Owings number five on the list of Tulane players to be picked as the Player of the Year. Head Coach Jones said Owing was fully deserving of the honor, not only through his pitching ability but his prowess at the bat which has him in fifth place on the team, extremely high for a member of the pitching staff. In addition, Owings sports an 8-4 record on the year, striking out 108 batters while carrying an ERA of 3.78 in a total; of 99 2/3 innings. At the plate, Owings hit .324 with 50 RBI while popping out 15 round trips and coming in second in the conference in the category. Owings was an all ACC conference selection last year before his transfer to Tulane.
Also on the first team were shortstop Tommy Manzella. Manzella hit .368 on the year, and stole 19 bases. Other members of the first team were Brian Bogusevic, Nathan Southard, and Emaus.
Jones downplayed his selection as coach of the year, saying the honor was simply the result of being in control of an excellent group of players.
Second team honors in Conference USA went to catcher Greg Dinl and another member of Tulane's pitching staff, J.R. Crowel. Besides Emaus, Sean Morgan, another pitcher, made the all-freshman team.

The owners of small market NFL teams like the New Orleans Saints have long cried that the size of the towns they are in are a detriment to their being competitive enough in the league. This despite the fact that New England, which operates with one of the lowest paid teams in the NFL has somehow managed to win the title three of the last four years, That being said, the NFL is making plans to try and help the small market teams, something I think is to their benefit because just the fact of being a large city in no way indicate the willingness of the population to support that team, ala Los Angeles which has waved goodbye to a pair of their own teams while the citizens shrugged it off without missing a beat.
In order to increase the small market teams share of the pile, the NFL set up a committee to study the situation, and that committee is nearing its end, having come up with a few ideas to help the little guys in the NFL along.
Saints owner Tom Benson, known locally as "crying Tommy B" has said in the past that the fact of New Orleans being a small market has hurt him financially, despite the fact that some studies show the Saints as being low in revenues, but paradox ally one of the more profitable teams in the NFL. Crying Tom used this disparity to negotiate a sweetheart of a deal from the state of Louisiana which is now hard pressed to hold up their end of the bargain. Tom's deal with the state tops out around 180 million dollars. That's right, 180 million dollars goes to one of the richest men in the state while teachers, librarians, and poor people get to struggle along and in most cases contribute to the richest guy around. It just goes to show you, that if you want help from the government, you either have to be dirt poor or filthy rich. If you are dirt poor the state will help you a little. if you're filthy rich the state will help you a lot. Makes sense doesn't it?
The biggest bone of contention seems to be that the high revenue producing clubs have been saddled with high debts, as they have financed the building of big stadiums in order to produce those revenues. If you factor in the debt service, these teams are really not that far away from guys like Benson, who don't have the burden of paying for costly stadiums, since the state of Louisiana has practically handed the Superdome over to the Saints free of charge.
In their favor though, the big market teams tend to generate a lot of money from radio deals, stadium naming rights and so forth, so as usual, it's a bunch of liars figuring and who knows which figures are lies and which are the truth?
Cryin' Tom is using the possibility of moving the team to LA or a few other places, but in my mind that's not a good thing for him since the likelihood of getting a great deal on a stadium is not very good. Better keep it in New Orleans Tom.

Well the luck of the New Orleans Hornets, which was non-existent during the regular season, is still absent, as the team hoping to get a high draft choice in the recent NBA lottery ended up with the fourth choice overall.
The Hornets were in it due to math, having 178 chances out of 1000 to snag the top pick, but unfortunately for New Orleans the math made little difference.
The fourth pick is not a bad pick, especially considering that this upcoming draft doesn't really have anyone that projects to be a superstar, but it was a blow to a rebuilding franchise that finished nearly at the bottom of every important category.
GM Allen Bristow put on a good game face, saying that the Hornets should be able to get a guy that can help the team, but going into the lottery they were hoping to be in the at least the top three and didn't make it. On the bright side he pointed out, the Atlanta Hawks didn't make it either.
Milwaukee came away the real winner, going into the lottery with less than a 7% chance of getting the top pick and managing to walk away with it. The top choice is the first for the Bucks since 19994, a choice they used to pick Glenn Robinson. The Bucks management is expected to choose either Andrew Bogut, a center from Utah, or Marvin Williams, a freshman forward from North Carolina.
The Atlanta Hawks, who entered the lottery drawing with the highest percentage probability of getting the top pick, ended up in the second spot, just ahead of the Portland Trailblazers.
After the Lottery picks are made, the NBA doles out draft position based on the record of the teams remaining. With New Orleans and Charlotte tied with records of 18-64, a coin flip was held about a month ago which New Orleans won, giving them the fourth pick. Charlotte drops to fifth place in the line, and also has pick # 13, due to a trade with the Cavaliers.
Despite Bristow lugging along a slew of good luck charms the Hornets failed to get the pick they were hoping for. Bristow was given a good luck bean by New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin along with a voodoo doll. In addition, Bristow tried to repeat the same actions he used in 1991 when the Hornets won the lottery, staying in the same hotel, eating the same meals and generally trying to reproduce the conditions that worked before.
The drop to fourth place isn't a good sign for the Hornets, who were hoping to capitalize on the top draft choice not only in personel, but in it's use as a marketing ploy. Getting the top choice would help in boosting the teams season ticket sales, and in general getting the fans fired up about the next season after a big letdown over the last year in which absolutely nothing seemed to go the Hornets way.
Naturally, the team will try to play up the fourth choice, but they are also faced with the problem of choosing a player that can come in and make an immediate impact. The names of several players are being bandied about, some of which include Chris Paul, the point guard from Wake Forest, North Carolina's Rashad McCants, or Deron Williams of Illinois.
Also in the Hornets game plan is to take a look at several free agent prospects before the draft, bring in anywhere from a half a dozen to a dozen players for workouts before the draft in the hopes of uncovering a diamond in the rough and reducing the drastic need for talent on the team.
While management hasn't specifically pointed to a position that needs filling, they have seemed to concentrate on the forward position as of late, bringing in guys like Hakim Warrick, amongst several others so it's fairly obvious where they believe their needs lie.
The Hornets dismal luck in this years draft flies in the face of their history, where they've done pretty well. In 1991 the Hornets landed Baron Davis, who has turned out to be a good pick, although his time in New Orleans was spent mostly nursing injuries and whining about being unappreciated. The Hornet traded him in the middle of the season to Golden State
With the team carrying the 33rd pick in the upcoming draft also, New Orleans will spend some time looking at players that will fall in that range in the draft, mainly at the pre-draft Chicago workout sessions scheduled by the league.
It looks like another rough year for both the Hornets and their fans, much as last year was spent bemoaning some rotten luck in close games and injuries which relieved the team of it's starting players for most of the season, but with the Hornets occupying the same hometown as the New Orleans Saints, it's something they better get used to.

In NBA basketball, there are some players who get reputations for being "bad boys." Being bad in the NBA is not a new thing. Everyone remembers Dennis Rodman and his wild-child antics. Today we have players like Ron Artest who start fights with fans, and then there are those who are simply tattooed and have attitude like Allen Iverson. But, when talking about the "bad boys" of the NBA, there is only one team that seems to fit the bill: the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons are known as the bad boys not because of crude behavior or on-court foul play. They are simply a group of tough, competitive players, from big bad Detroit, who seem to be counted out, and touted the underdogs game after game after game. The Pistons defeated the Kobe Bryant and Shaq led Lakers in 2004, to win the National Basketball championship. Currently, they are matched up against the Miami Heat in the semifinal round of the playoffs, are one game up, and yet again the press and basketball public wants to count them out. There are numerous reasons why the Detroit Pistons embody the name "bad boys." They continue to win in spite of continued criticism, and step up, play, and win, one game at a time.
The Pistons roster is chock full of talented, quick, and fierce players. There is no single superstar on the team, though there is a core group who consistently makes the plays and victories happen. Fan favorite Big Ben Wallace, who stands at a towering 6'9" and 240 pounds, plays defense like no other. His rebounding abilities, coupled with his massive fro, keep all eyes glued to him. Coming from the small and relatively unknown Virginia Union, Wallace has worked harder than anyone to get his game to the peak level it is at. This year, Wallace was recognized as the NBA defensive player of the year. Rasheed Wallace, #36, certainly contributes a lot to the "bad boys" image and high level of play. Rasheed has had some trouble keeping his temper under wraps in the past, and certainly isn't afraid to speak his mind to the press, but in these playoffs, his shot has been dead-on and his team contributions immeasurable. Off the basketball court, Rasheed Wallace is also an invaluable asset to the Detroit Community. Wallace is involved with a number of charities and youth foundations, and was recognized this year with the Operation Smiles award for helping change the lives of children. Rounding out the heart of the "bad boys" is guard Chauncey Billlups, Tayshaun Prince, and Richard "Rip" Hamilton. All three players contribute equally on both the Piston's offense and defense, making the team the powerful, entertaining, and ultimately "bad" unit that they are.
The playoffs road for the Detroit Pistons began against Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers. It didn't take long for the Pistons to shut out this team, but what made this series unique was the mutual respect between the players on both teams. Following their final loss and playoff elimination, Iverson embraced Piston's Chauncey Billups mid-court to wish him luck and tell him he loves him. At the post-game conference, Iverson spoke of the "many weapons" on the unbeatable Pistons and expressed his sincere admiration and wishes for victory for the team.
Following their defeat of the 76ers, the Pistons took on the Indiana Pacers, which was hyped up to be quite a battle. If you will recall, it was at a Pistons vs. Pacers game earlier in the year when the brawl broke out between Ron Artest and a group of fans. At yet another Pistons vs. Pacers game, a bomb threat was called into the arena, and the game was delayed. So, it was with much anticipation that the seven game series between Detroit and Indiana began. At times it seemed close; the Pacers defeated the Pistons in a couple of games. Yet, the Detroit "bad boys" played as they usually play, ended Pacer Reggie Miller's basketball career, and moved on to the Semi-finals.
So, now it is Detroit versus Miami. The Pistons are up against Shaquille O'Neal, Dwayne Wade, and the rest of the Heat. If game one proved anything, it was telling of a series that will be a battle, but ultimately another victory for Big Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Tayshaun Prince, Rip Hamilton, and the rest of the Detroit Pistons. The "bad boys" of Detroit are doing their best to prove the doubting public wrong, and once again bring that championship trophy back home to the city of Detroit.

Most of us have grown up with the little league baseball syndrome hanging over us. As a parent I've had the great experience of coaching baseball for many years, through the ups and downs of good teams and bad teams. Even at the worst of moments I'd trade a huge loss for not having the opportunity to step out on the field at all.
Over the course of years I've also had to do my share of umpiring, the requirement in our league being that the head coach has to umpire either the game before or the game after his own. Having been on the field as an umpire, I've learned to respect the paiod guy behind the plate.
Recently, in my job as feature writer for the local newspaper, I had the good fortune to interview a guy named Bobby, who's put in an amazing thirty years as an umpire at the local baseball park.
Bobby got his start the same way I did, filling his duties as a head coach by umpiring the games of other teams. For some reason though, he just never quit.
It's now fifteen years after his last kid left the park, and Bobby is the longest tenured umpire at SBBA.
When I sat down to talk with him, I got more out of the experience than he did.
"It's something I think I was just born to do, " said Bobby after spending the last few hours behind the plate of a fifteen year old girls' softball game. "The chance to spend a lot of time with the kids, watch them grow up, and now, I'm starting to see the kids of former players I've umpired."
Having made his reputation as an umpire not to be fooled with, Bobby has very few problems on the field. He's quick to point out that if you are going to be a coach, you better spend some time with the rule book.
"I've probably read the rules 50 times over the years" he said, "And every time I read it I find something that I missed the other 49 times. Most disputes with coaches and fans come because they don't know the rules."
What are the keys to getting along with the umpire? Treat him with respect.
"If a guys comes storming out the dugout yelling and screaming, I'll listen for about 10 seconds, then I'll call him down." says Bobby. He can yell and scream in the dugout if he wants but if he steps out onto the field he'll be out the game before too much time goes by. I'll take the time to explain any call if he gives me the proper respect, but if he won't hold up my game with a temper tantrum."
Bobby has seen a lot at the park and has had his share of tough jobs. One of the rules at our local park is that there is no alcohol allowed on the premises under any circumstances. At a local tournament another team brought beer into the park expressly against the posted rules in prominent places around the diamonds. The result? Bobby threw out not only the parents, but the coaches and the entire team, eliminating them from any chance of moving on to the state playoffs.
"I called the commisioner and told them what happened," said Bobby, "And they backed me 100%. "Beer and little league don't mix."
Almost fifty years old, Bobby plans to continue his umpiring for as long as possible. The toll it takes on his body though is considerable.
"There have been times I've almost passed out. Standing for hours on a summer day with the heat beating down on you is not an easy thing. You've got to pace yourself and try to get in the shade as much as possible and keep sucking down the water. I've watched other guys flat pass out behind the plate."
What we all need to consider is just how valuable and selfless these little league umpires are. the pay isn't great and the hours are tough. In addition, there's always the idiot coach or parent who blames the umpire for everything that happens in a game. But without these guys the whole thing falls apart. Taking a few minutes to give the umpire some thanks and appreciation would go a long way toward getting more guys into the role of umpire, and presenting more kids with the chance to play and gain the invaluable experience baseball provides.
Give the umpire at your field a little pat on the back once in awhile. Without him you'd be sitting home getting stupid watching TV or becoming a couch potato. these guys are unsung heroes and it's about time we gave them the respect they deserve.

For the past two plus years, there has been some serious debate about who constitutes the World's best golfer. Tiger Woods held the number one position in the World for five plus years, a string of 332 consecutive weeks before Vijay Singh broke through late in 2004.

Vijay had a season for the ages in 2004, winning 9 events on the tour, his third major championship, and more than $10 million in prize money. When he finally unseated Woods, he carried the torch that led to his being named PGA "Tour Player of the Year".

Though his big 2004 season carried him to Number One in the world late in the year, Singh's dominating performance actually began back in 2003. That year, the hard-practicing Fiji native also won four tournaments and more than $7.5 million in prize money, also the best on Tour in '03.

Since Singh topped Woods back in '04, the two have swapped positions twice. Woods, with a strong start to the season, reemerged as the Number One ranked player with wins at the Buick Invitational in late January and the Ford Championship at Doral in early March. But Singh took the honor back just two weeks later by virtue of his second place finish at Bay Hill, a course the Tiger normally dominates.

Singh stayed Number One for three weeks but then dropped to Number Two when Tiger earned his fourth green jacket and another major championship at the Masters. Responding to Tiger's charge, Singh promptly won two of the next four events, the Shell Houston Open and the Wachovia Championship, then followed that up with a third place finish the very next week.

In the strongest sign of the changing of the guard, Singh last week returned to the Number One ranking and did so without even playing. The rolling Tour calculations dropped Woods to second, also without Tiger playing a round last week. The simple matter is that Woods latest performances do not match his prior track record and he continues his downward slide.

From 1999 through 2003 Woods calculated points earnings based on Tour performance never dropped below 15. For two years running, he first flirted with a 30 point ranking, then followed it with a 20 point ranking. But by 2004, Singh's steadily climbing point value reached nearly 13 just as Tiger slipped under 12. Tiger's decent start to the year had him climb back up to close to 13 once again, a mark that briefly topped Singh, twice, this despite Singh steadily hovering just below 13.

As he moves to the top of the rankings, Singh also currently claims the top money spot on Tour for 2005, topping $5 million before the year is less than five months old. Over the last two and a half years, Singh now has more than $23 million in earnings compared to Woods total of $16 million, another clear sign as to who is the World's best right now.

With three majors left to be played in 2005, a lot can happen to the points total. But over the last two plus years there is no doubt as to who is the best golfer on Tour. That title clearly belongs to Vijay Singh.

Hockey bravado at its finest....

Possibly the biggest hockey fans I know are my boyfriend's neighbors, Bob and Lex. Last season they had season tickets to see the Philadelphia Flyers and the Phantoms games, but they have been attending games for many years. Lex is definitely a hockey nut, and Bob could probably tell you any hockey stat that you wanted to know.

Everyone knows that guys can't sit still while waiting for their women to get ready to go out. One Friday as he was waiting for Lex before a Flyers game, Bob decided to clean the leaves off of the pool cover to pass the time. It started out well, but in his scooping and slopping of the wet leaves, he failed to realize how slippery the ground had become. One misplaced step caused his untimely misfortune.

Slip-Whack! Bob plunged downward and smacked his ribs on the concrete edge of their in ground pool. Pain shot through his body and his breath left him. Struggling with all his might, Bob pulled himself out of the pool and across the grass toward the house.

Without the strength to lift his body up, drag by drag, crawl by crawl, he finally made it from the pool to the house. Bob poked his head through the doggy-door and pulled himself halfway through it.

Humored and in disbelief, Lex looked at him and continued to vacuum. Breath rushed in and out of Bob's mouth as he panted and attempted to relay what had just happened. Everything seemed so exaggerated, so she was sure he was just being a goofball, trying to get a rise out of her. Playfully vacuuming the floor around Bob's face and arms, Lex finally noticed that he was, in fact, short of breath and soaked with pool water below his knees.

The die-hard hockey addict that he was, Bob declined on Lex's offer for a ride to the hospital and insisted that they attend the game. It is doubtful that anything would ever keep Bob from his beloved sporting events! Throughout each period and intermission, the pain did not subside. Hunching forward to avoid the agony as best he could actually drew the attention of a young female fan sitting nearby. Her query, "What happened to you?" resulted in Bob's bravado "I threw my back out playing hockey." The hockey player that he was, Bob preferred not to admit to his unintended plunge into the pool, thereby facing further humiliation.

And this was just the beginning. Of all nights, Bob and Lex had tickets for a Phantoms game soon after the end of the Flyers final period. There was no denying Bob of his hockey. Insisting again that they must attend the game despite his discomfort, he endured another two and a half hours of labored breathing and dire pain from the fall. Somehow, by sheer will I suppose, Bob made it through the second hockey game. The next day was a different story...

Saturday morning came and with it, an excruciating reason for Bob to remain in bed. Finally, sliding out of bed straight as a board, he slipped to the floor in an effort to get up for the day. After some major coaxing, Lex finally convinced him to go to the hospital on Sunday.

The doctor was not pleased. "If you would have come here on Friday," he began, "I would have admitted you." As it turns out, Bob had injured himself rather badly from his slip into the pool. Two bruised ribs, two broken ribs and a collapsed lung penalized Bob with three weeks of recovery. The mending process encompassed the worst and most painful three weeks of his life.

Though we felt bad about Bob's injuries and the accompanying pain, we laughed our tails off at Lex's description of Bob panting, hanging halfway through the dog-door!

It is not wrong to say that sports are an integral part of almost every person in his or her life span, though it could be for some time or for the whole life. It can be due to direct attachment or indirect attachment of a person. This is true in rural area people also but they have different kinds of sports in their culture and surroundings. They generally used to play games like Kabbadi (famous is south Asian countries), wrestling, tug of war, bullock cart race, horse riding, and hockey, etc. It is seen that they generally prefer to play those games, which involve a lot of body movement and thus, results in severe body exercise.

The villagers do not like light games because they think that there is no purpose of playing such a game, which has no impact on one's body in the form of exercise. And to cope up and maintain the level of the body fitness, they pay a regular attention to the food they partake and prefer pure milk, and green vegetables, etc.

These games have their place in almost every rural area person from his very early ages itself. One can see village fairs, which involve these games and anyone can participate in these games. These games are played inter-village and intra-village competitions are also there. Some players of these village games take these as a career and are sometimes selected in some particular jobs reserved for the sportsperson category, and have their interest for the game alive for almost whole life. On the other hand some people do not prefer to go for a job on the basis of these games rather they just want to take them as their hobby and enjoyment.

Let us have a look at the game of Tug of war

This is a game, which involves a lot of energy to be used while playing this game. In this game the energy of one's muscles is used. In this it is generally seen that healthy persons are participating and there is no space for physically weak people in this game.

This game is generally played between 15 to 20 people or more can also take part in it. This involves a big rope, which is pulled by the two teams and the one who pulls the rope towards itself more is called the winner team. The rope used is generally taken from the electricity board in village games, which is otherwise used by the board to perform their activities of placing poles of electricity or wiring purposes, etc.

The persons are divided into two parts or teams and in the center of the rope a mark is made. The members of two teams are asked to take their positions on the both sides of the mark. A person called referee asked the members of teams whether to start the game. On getting yes from both sides the referee gets ready to start the game and when he has to start the game he plays a whistle, which means start of the game. With this both teams start pulling the rope to their sides so that the other one could not get it to their side. Ultimately after a while one team is able to take the rope to their side and they started shouting as the winning team does in almost all the games. A lot of pressure is there on both the teams. Afterwards the winning team is awarded by the prizes and all the members of both the teams are given appreciation from all the villagers.

This term is common to almost all of us because we are familiar to this since our childhood. Because every school, college, village, town or city is having some sort of tournaments conducted to encourage the love for sports of people of that area or among the students. At school and college levels, there are tournaments of different games like hockey, football, volleyball, basketball, badminton, tennis and other games in which students of surrounding schools or colleges take part, and in bigger tournaments, participants come from far away places. Likewise is the case of other tournaments like village level, city level, district level, state level, national and international level tournaments. For the participants of the tournaments there are provisions for their convenience. These include their transportation, availability of food, hospitality and other needs. This is all done by the organizers of that particular tournament with the help of funds collected from the donors, sports clubs or from any other source. There are big tournaments of different games, which are famous exclusively for the same. In these types of tournaments various teams are invited by the organizing committees to play at their tournaments also it is a great feeling for the players to play at these very tournaments. This is because of the fact that players get recognition at these tournaments and they have a chance to show their game capability to a large crowd, which is there to witness that particular tournament. At these tournaments the winning teams are awarded with a huge amount of money in the form of prizes and in some big prizes are distributed among the winning teams and also some prizes for every participating team as a token of love and encouragement from the organizers of the tournaments.

In these tournaments the organizers use to invite some famous personalities to attract more and more people and also to encourage the players. These personalities may include some higher government official, film stars, and players of distinction or anyone else who is well known to the people of the area. In these types of tournaments, it is generally seen that there are chains of functions, which take place in the due course of time like at the opening day of the tournament and at the closing day. At the closing day of the tournament it is a common practice to have a cultural function alongwith the prize distribution function in which a famous singer or artist is invited to perform for the enjoyment of public. In some cases there is also a show of fireworks at the closing day prior to the prize distribution function of the tournament. At outside of the grounds, there are number of stalls including tea- coffee stalls, book stalls, sweets-stalls, fast food providing stalls, etc., which have a chance to earn money for them. They are using the tournaments their space for doing business. In some cases if space is available these stalls are allowed to be installed around the grounds in the stadium. It is a place where people from different sections of the society together watch and enjoy the games at a common place. And this is where the players get the maximum exposure to the level at which they have to perform to be the best among rest. This exercise has its advantage, as through these tournaments, the players get acknowledgement and the chance to show their expertise and the level up to which they have mastered the game! This is very essential for the future of all games and the players also!

Languages are many in this world and there was perhaps a man who knew around 200 of them! Quite a big number and we must feel the intensity of that person, who dared to learn so many languages, when we hardly can remember the names of 200 people from our community!

Learning languages can be a good hobby and at the same can be a great asset to the knowledge of this world, and if you are a literature lover, nothing is better than knowing more languages and reading the literature in that particular language. And if you want to write some of your emotions and feelings and at the same time want that nobody else should understand it, the knowledge of the script of a different language can be a good tool for you to write your emotions solely for you and avoiding and reading by others!

Now we come to the main point of this topic--benefit of languages for the sportsperson. This may look or sound absurd and utterly useless, but if we contemplate on some of the benefit, we will see that sportsperson have a definite advantage by learning multiple languages. However, the advantage can be apparent, if the players play in team events, where a lot of chatting and strategic talk is going on. Suppose, there is an intense battle going on in soccer field and the players of the opponent country and shouting to each other to plan a new attack. If you know the language of those players, you can easily decipher the plan and act to foil it. But does not sound too much and though nobody has practiced it yet, and if we are talking about the international games, the players would like to concentrate on their own game rather than the language in which the players of opponent team talk; but surely if someone tries, it can be of some advantage!

I myself have a big hobby to learn multiple languages and I am learning around 9 languages, though all are of Indian origin: you will be surprised to know that in India we have around 530 languages, and that is quite a big number! Ananda C. Koomaraswamy, who was the first person to get the Indian art included in Britannica encyclopedia, himself knew around 15 languages. And what a scholar he was! Though we are here more concerned about the players and sportsperson, we can still have the added advantage of knowing foreign languages! I have also started learning German or Deutsch, as they say it there, and suppose some player knows this language and he or she is playing in Germany, how happy he or she would feel to understand the languages of the people who would be there conversing and to understand all the signboards and all other things that are there! Though it is bit difficult for the players to learn the language, for, they have little time for it, but still if someone tries, it can be a good thing!

I am writing this strictly from the perspective of a lifelong sports fan. I don't pretend to have any inside contacts or information, and I certainly don't pretend to know how the process of contract negotiations in the sports world works. That being said, I have to admit that I can't for the life of me figure out how or why athletes aren't bound to the terms of their contracts like the rest of us would be.

Take the Terrell Owens situation in Philadelphia, for instance. Owens signed a 7-year contract worth a reported $49 million dollars with the Philadelphia Eagles just last season. Owens went out and performed spectacularly for the Eagles, and was a big reason why the team made it all the way to the Super Bowl before ultimately losing the big game to the New England Patriots. But Owens is already unhappy with his contract and wants it restructured. While those directly involved with the situation in Philadelphia have stopped short of calling it a "holdout," the media has not. Owens has already missed one mandatory mini-camp session, and there is now plenty of speculation about whether or not he will show up at the Eagles' full training camp at the end of July. As of now, Philadelphia's management are saying that they will not enter into talks to renegotiate the contract.

How can Owens' contract even be an issue right now? He was presumably well informed about the contents of the document before he signed it. That's why professional athletes have agents and attorneys. How could he not think that he would be bound to the terms for the full length of the contract? Is this just another example of the widespread displays of extreme greed and self-entitlement that can be found in all professional sports?

Sure, Owens had a great year, and the question of whether or not he is "worth" more than the amount his current contract pays him might be open to debate. But the fact of the matter is that he should be held to this signed document like any other person in the real world would be. Look at it from the other side. If Owens had been a bust last year, the Eagles would still have to pay him according to the contract. Imagine the outrage if a sports organization said, "You were terrible last year, so we're only going to pay you half of what we agreed to." It wouldn't happen. It couldn't happen. This situation must be allowed to go both ways. If Owens is indeed worth more than $49 million, then the Eagles should be entitled to enjoy their "bargain" find, and Owens should just accept the fact that he made a poor business decision by selling himself short and underestimating his abilities.

I'm citing the Terrell Owens case because it is the most prominent contract dispute going on at the moment. But he's not the first athlete to do something like this, and I am sure he won't be the last. I just wish all these athletes would grow up and take responsibility for their actions. I certainly can't sympathize with someone who thinks $49 million dollars isn't enough money to play a 3-hour game once a week for four months out of the year.

In the off season, the American League baseball talk centered upon the longstanding Yankee and Red Sox rivalry, with a touch of free agency thrown in. The Sox loss of Pedro Martinez and the Yankee acquisition of Randy Johnson dominated talk while the Oriole move to add Sammy Sosa to an already potent lineup earned some minor attention. Given that media focus, fans might have had the impression that American League consisted of only one division.

But proving that talent development, and more importantly, developing quality pitching talent is as critical as free agency, the Chicago White Sox have been the early season American League story. At 31 wins and 13 losses, the pale Sox currently have the best record in baseball, a full three and half games better than both the Orioles and the Cardinals, and 8 full games ahead of the Bronx Bombers.

The Sox have set their early season pace with pitching. With a team ERA of 3.20, the Sox pitching staff has put up numbers that are more in line with those of the National League where the pitcher bats instead of a designated hitter. Only the Florida Marlins with a team ERA of 3.16 tops that of the White Sox, while the high priced Sox and Yankee pitching staffs come in with ERA's at 4.72 and 4.48 respectively.

Leading the way for the White Sox are two pitchers that started their major league careers with the organization, Jon Garland and Mark Buehrle. Garland is finally emerging as a quality starter in this, his sixth season with the team. After winning 12 games in each of the last three years, Garland has opened the 2005 season with eight consecutive wins. With a 46 win, 51 career won-loss record coming into the season, it has been a startling jump for Garland. But like most pitchers who mature, Garland has improved his control. The right handed starter has walked only 10 batters in nearly 60 innings so far this year, a key aspect of his sparkling 2.41 ERA.

While Garland is a surprise, Mark Buehrle is not. The 26-year old lefthander has been a force for the Sox for the last several seasons, winning 76 games in his brief six years in the big leagues. Over the last four years, the lefthander has won 14 games once, 16 games twice and 19 during the 2002 season. At seven wins and a single loss, Buehrle gives the Sox the best one-two starting ptiching punch in the American League.

Veteran journeyman Dustin Hermanson has anchored a stellar relief corps during the first quarter of the season. Hermanson has appeared in 18 games, pitched 20 plus innings and still has yet to give up an earned run on the season. The veteran has also earned 10 saves, making him the team's top closer and placing him sixth in the league currently in that category.

Though pitching has definitely carried the Sox, the team has some positional talent playing well in the early going. In the field, the Sox are led by the fleet left fielder Scott Podsednik, by rookie second baseman Tadahito Iguchi, and power hitting first baseman Paul Konerko. Podsednik leads the team with 25 runs scored and 26 stolen bases while Iguchi is tops in average at .305. The batting average-challenged Konerko none the less tops the Sox with 11 homers and 33 runs batted in.

It is still early in the season to get on the bandwagon. With only one quarter of the season behind them, the Sox still have a long ways to go before they can be taken as serious contenders. And the dog days of August still lie ahead of a team that has little success in recent years.

But with a stellar pitching corps, the Sox appear to be built for those dog days. Since good pitching tops good hitting, the Sox should get stronger as the season goes on. If they can collect enough runs, the pale hose stand an excellent chance of being a force throughout the season.

Perhaps in September talk will turn to a Sox-Yankee battle, this time with the Sox from the windy city.

The NFC Southern division is composed of the New Orleans Saints, the Carolina Panthers, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Tampa Bay Bucs. None of these teams is flashy, but the division is well respected in the league as a tough place to play, mainly due to the fact that these teams, with the possible exception of the Falcons who depend heavily on Michael Vick, like to run the football with authority, depending on their ground games in an old fashioned line up and butt heads brand of football that almost seems to be a throwback style.
Things probably won't change anytime in the near future either as evidenced by an examination of the draft amid changes these teams are making in preparation for the upcoming season.

The New Orleans Saints got two big bruising offensive linemen in an apparent attempt to give Deuce McAlister some running room. Deuce seems happy with the deal after having spent some time on the field with the new guys, saying that he thinks a 1800 yard season is not at all unreasonable to expect, given the fact this pair provide a blocking ability that he has never had the luxury of in the past.

Tampa Bay also looked to the draft to try and regain some of the running performance that led to their championship season. Cadillac Williams is their draft choice they are pinning their hopes on, along with the free agent grab of a blocking tight end in the form of Anthony Becht. GM Bruce Allen blames the teams poor finish over the last couple of years on the lack of a good running game, calling it an essential part of football success.
While the Falcons live and die with Vick, head coach Jim Mora is by no means unaware of the requirements of a running game in the division. He says the NFC South is a hard hitting division, a street fighting contest in which the players line up and bang heads.

The Panthers are well aware of the value of a running game, having ridden theirs to an appearance in the Super Bowl, only to suffer a disaster of a season after a series of injuries depleted their running back corp the next year. with the return of their injured players, and a reliance on Jake Delholmes steady but unspectacular throwing ability, the Panthers will be looking to pound out the ground game just like the rest of the division.

The NBA Conference finals are now set. And the league has the Eastern Conference match-up everyone expected and the Western Conference match-up absolutely no one predicted.

With the off season trade of Shaquille O'Neal, the Miami Heat were anointed an Eastern Conference finalist before a single 2004-2005 regular season game was played. A team that made playoff waves a year ago, the Heat were essentially thought to be acquiring the final piece of a title contender with Shaq. And with the best record in the conference during the regular season and having swept the first two rounds of the playoffs, those preseason predictions appear correct.

In sweeping through the playoffs, Miami has proven to be more talented than anyone thought. An injured O'Neal missed the final two games of the Wizards series but the Heat barely missed a beat. Emerging superstar Dwayne Wade torched the Nets and Wizards for more than 28 points a game, showing folks that Miami is as much as his team as Shaq's. Wade topped thirty in both the playoff opener and the clincher of the Nets series, then topped thirty three times against the Wizards, including going for 42 in the game four finale.

Journey-man point guard Damon Jones has been in double figures in every playoff game and has been draining the three as well as any player in the league. Miami's
other Jones, guard-forward Eddie Jones is also knocking down his jumpers with regularity, with three games topping 60% from the floor and eighth straight games in double figures. Miami has received great role play from Udonis Haslem, Keyon Dooling, and Alonzo Mourning and even with an injured O'Neal, the Heat appear every bit to be the team thought to win the Eastern Conference.

The defending NBA champions Pistons also were a foregone conclusion when the season started. Coached by one the game's best ever in Larry Brown, Detroit has the individual talent but the collective approach that makes the sum even greater than individual parts.

Detroit has two of the games best two-way players in Rasheed Wallace and Tayshun Prince. Both have the long arms to bother any players shot and the relentless physical desire to compete on every possession. Through in center Ben Wallace as the shot blocker and Detroit is the one of the best defensive teams in the league.

But the defending champs have the firepower offensively as well, firepower that comes from balance. Rip Hamilton can shoot the tweener with the best in the league and his constant motion leads to switches, mismatches, and openings for teammates. Chauncey Billups can hit the three, rarely misses a free throw and also can hit that tweener jump shot. Since Rasheed Wallace and Prince can step to the three point line as well, the Pistons can also really stretch a defense.

The Eastern Conference match-up is the one everyone expected. It is hard to imagine the Detroit Pistons getting beat and the team has been considered the surest bet to emerge from the Eastern Conference, but this series with Miami should be a beauty.

Out West, the story continues to be the continued surprising run of the Phoenix Suns. No one predicted that this team would do what it has done this season, not 60 plus regular season wins, not a first round playoff sweep of an undermanned Memphis Grizzlies team and certainly not the second round elimination of the highly talented Dallas Mavericks. Phoenix has been in question all season but the fact that this team simply tries to outscore its opposition was thought to be a playoff liability.

But true to regular season form, the Suns have sprinted past everyone. Starting with the current Most Valuable Player Steve Nash as a catalyst, the Suns have proven to be an offensive juggernaut. The fleet and unselfish Nash proved he could also score with the best of the NBA when necessary, putting together two of the finest playoff performances ever in the last two games of the Mavericks series. After scoring 48 in a game four loss, Nash scored 34 and 39 in games five and six, still tossing in 12 assists in each game. The point guard also hauled in 13 rebounds in game five and 9 more in game six.

Gifted big man, Amare Stoudamire, and undersized forward, Shawn Marion, give opponents fits with their countless rushes up the floor. These two are capable of going for 30 plus on any given night as demonstrated by their play in the first two rounds. Quentin Richardson gives the team an offensive three point threat along with Nash. With guard-forward Joe Johnson set to return from injury, the Suns will have their full arsenal available as the go against the defensive-minded Spurs.

And the Spurs, well they just happen to have the league's best two way player in Tim Duncan. The big man anchors the San Antonio defense, is at the heart of their offense and is a team player who simply cares about winning. Duncan averages 20 plus points and 10 plus rebounds but has the capability of going for 35 points and 15 rebounds on any given night. Balky ankles may play a role in Duncan's performance in this series but if his feet hold up, he will be a formidable inside presence.

In Tony Parker, the Spurs also have a gifted point guard with the ability to score and put great pressure on the opposing defense. In second guard, Bruce Bowen the Spurs have a defensive stopper, a player who is capable of shutting down an opponents top scorer. Throw in guard-forward Manu Ginobli and you have the slashing style player that compliments the post play of Duncan. Ginobli went for 39 in game five against Seattle.

Like Detroit, San Antonio has one additional element going for it. The Spurs are seeking their third title in the last 8 years, all under Coach Gregg Popovich, and their second in three years. Experience in big games is the Spurs forte as they head into battle with Phoenix.

The Western Conference match-up, the one no one could have predicted, is a classic clash of styles, the best defensive team against the best offense. The NBA experience says defense wins so the Spurs are the favorite but this too looms as a great series.

The going wisdom before the playoffs got underway had San Antonio and Detroit meeting in the NBA finals and it may still end up that way. But two outstanding conference finals loom with four outstanding teams seeking a shot at the NBA title.

As usual in the land of the New Orleans Saints, the quarterback controversy never lets go. After three straight seasons of playing break even football, the multitudes of fans are beginning to wonder whether or not Brooks is the answer to the teams needs and with the drafting of a hot young QB in the fifth round of the NFL draft, many see Brooks' days as the Saints triggerman as being numbered.

All the hoopla seems to have had little effect on Brooks. Banking that the Saints strong finish last season, in which they won four straight games after posting a 4-8 record, is more indicative of the team's quality than the early season results, Brooks is riding the hot streak with confidence, dedicating himself to improving in the off-season, and hoping that the addition of new lineman to the offense will result in a stronger running game. He may be right about that, but it remains to be seen.

Brooks is taking the four game winning streak and using it as his motivation to improve on his performance from last year, which although not his best year, was pretty solid overall. The coaching staff of the Saints is very happy with his work ethic, saying that he appears to be working harder than he's ever worked, is handling his responsibilities in a more mature fashion, and enters the season healthier and happier than he's ever been in his time in the Crescent City.

Mike Sheppard, the Saints' new offensive coordinator, who enters the job after having spent the prior three years as the New Orleans Saints quarterback coach, is in a position to notice the improvement.

Sheppard reports that Brooks is determined to enter the training camp period this year as in better shape physically, mentally and personally, going about his business with a workmanlike attitude that serves as an example for the whole team. He also reports that Brooks has accomplished one of his goals already, saying Brooks is noticeably bigger and stronger than in any of the previous years he's seen him, something Sheppard attributes to a new workout regimen Brooks has undertaken under the guidance of Saints' strength and conditioning coach Rock Gullickson. This is a good indicator, since Brooks suffered his worst performances late in the season in 2002 after injuring his shoulder. At the time, Panthers' QB Jake Delholme was on the squad, and many fans were upset that head coach Jim Haslett failed to replace Brooks with Jake, causing a late season slump that began the playoff drought of the last three years. The fans opinion was only reinforced by Delholmes departure and subsequent success with Carolina, the team he led to the Super Bowl the next year. It's something Saints fans have gotten used to, watching players the team lets slip away move into new positions and perform well with other teams after riding the bench in New Orleans.

Brooks himself says that although he appears to be working harder than ever, his preseason schedule of workouts and preparations is very similar to what he's done in previous years. He attributes the attention being paid to him as being the result of a more concentrated effort by the entire squad, saying that Rock Gullickson has had a noticeable effect on the entire team, getting each player into a solid program of weight lifting and strength improvement and that since the whole team looks better, he looks better as a result.

After throwing for 21 touchdowns and almost 4000 yards last season, it's hard to say that Brooks performance was bad, although it's not his career best season. Brooks should benefit from a little more stability on the offense, with Joe Horn resigned for another few years and with the loss of two receivers, Jerome Pathon and Victor Riley, neither of whom had spectacular careers with the Saints. Pathon especially was a disappointment, having come from the Colts with high expectations from both the fans and the management of the Saints. The adding of two highly regarded lineman in Jammal Brown as a high draft pick, and Jerman Mayberry as a free agent is also expected to bolster an offensive line that has never seemed to reach its potential.

While the Saints lost a highly regarded offensive coordinator to the 49ers in Mike McCarthy, Brooks is pleased with the elevation of Sheppard, saying that he doesn't believe the team could have made a better choice in a replacement than what the y did with Sheppard. The team also added former Cincinnati QB Turk Schonert as QB coach, something else Brooks seems happy with.

Adding to the multitude of changes on offense is the fact that the team has spent the off-season reducing the offensive play calling down to a simpler form by reducing the terminology used in calling individual plays. Following a growing trend in the NFL, the Saints are also experimenting with using an armband on their quarterback, allowing him to have a backup in case memory should fail in the huddle. It's an attempt to reduce the amount of time taken to get the play called correctly, a situation the Saints ran into several times over the course of the past few seasons, with Brooks getting the plays too late to be run, or forcing the team into a hurryup situation or the waste of a time out in crucial parts of the game.

On the whole, what I think we're hearing is the usual pre-season optimism inherent in every NFL team this time of year. That optimism is grounded in some real reasons though, and should the changes made on the offense bear fruit, the Saints will definitely be the better for it. The questions remain though, as to whether the Saints can drastically improve a notably pathetic defense by improving their offense. That defense, which finished last season at the bottom of the pile, is a major stumbling block to the team's success, and something many fans feel should have been a subject of focus in the draft and the free agency period. Saints' management, as usual, differed in opinion from the Saints fans and took a different method of fixing the problems as they saw them.

Overshadowing the whole scenario is the Saints negotiations with the state over the terms of their contract to stay in Louisiana. Last year the sate was forced to scramble to come up with the money they owed the team and the situation looks even more dire this year. Gov. Blanco wants the team to renegotiate into a new contract which will present the Saints with a refurbished Dome stadium and higher revenues should the team be a success on the field and fill the stadium. The Saints on the other hand are content to sit back and enforce the present contract which allows them to sit back and collect money for doing absolutely nothing but staying in the state.

Tom Benson, the owner of the Saints franchise, is already so rich it's pretty disgusting that he wants to hold the state hostage and squeeze every last nickel he can get out of a state that's supported his team when he's put absolute junk on the field the majority of the years he's been owner. Benson is holding the chances of moving the team to San Antonio or Albuquerqe over the states head, and of course the vision of an NFL team moving to LA is always being thrown about. We'll address LA first. The whole idea of any sane owner moving his team to LA is ridiculous. The city of Los Angeles has already proven that they will not support an NFL team. To think the numb nuts in LA would embrace the perennial losers the Saints have shown themselves to be after allowing the Raiders to move out of town is stupid. You'd have to be crazy to believe it. As for San Antonio and Albuquerqe, in order to move the Saints to those locations, both the teams and the state would have to make major investments in stadiums and infrastructure.

If Benson is reluctant to put up 40 million to improve the Dome in a location with proven support, what makes anyone think he'll put up a lot more than that to make a move? Remember, the Saints may be low on the scale of revenue, but they ruin close to the top in profitability on almost every study done on NFL teams. Benson's safest bet is to renegotiate in New Orleans, and milk the hometown faithful, the way he has since he's become the owner.

Sports have different meanings for different segments of people, like small children, youngsters or elders, etc. As it is generally seen that small children play different games among their friends like cricket, hockey, football, and volleyball, etc., it is seen that the games played in rural areas and urban areas, among the children are of different kinds. In rural areas children like to play kabaddi, hockey, volleyball, and more of athletics, etc.; whereas, in urban areas, children generally play cricket, swimming, baseball, and gymnastics, etc. In their childhood, they generally do not have the required amount of money to purchase the things used for a particular game, so they prefer to take these from the schools or some clubs in the area. Sometimes they use to collect money from some sports promotion societies in the area and purchase the required things and play. It is seen that most of the children play for mere time pass but only some of them are interesting about the sports and making sports as a career in the future.

So is the case with the youngsters. In this category people play for fun and enjoyment, career and sometimes for their own reasons. Those, who have to make sports a career of themselves, have to work hard for it and the whole attention is to be given to the game so that a good career could be made in this field. It is heard that an International player of athletics named Milkha Singh popularly known as "Flying Sikh", while practicing for his game was so much involved in it that he used to fall unconscious almost as a routine matter. Though this may not be the case with all the international players, but the intensity of devotion to the sports is same! Those who are not to make it as a career don't pay so much attention to the game as the others do. Because it requires punctuality, dedication, attention, healthy mind and physique, sense of team work, and spirit, etc. The persons who wish to be a good player are advised to be away from the narcotics etc., so as to maintain their physical as well as mental balance according to the requirements of the game. It is also seen that some people play the game only for earning money and they have not concern for their career making. They only are concerned with their bread earning needs although they can make a good career in the game.

However, in the case of elders, they generally prefer light games so that they can play easily without the fatigue of their body. The elders generally play for their entertainment. They can be seen easily playing chess or cards with their mates. This is a good way of passing their time and enjoyment. If we talk about the type of game people want to play then it is seen that there are generally two types of games, i.e., indoor games and outdoor games, and generally children and youngsters like to play outdoor games and they are less interested in indoor games, while on the other hand, elders prefer to play indoor games like chess, carom or cards etc.

One more aspect of playing any game is the necessity of healthy body. But it is not so that a person who is physically handicapped can not play any game. --He can! But the only fact is that the area gets limited and there is a need of adjustment for playing a game. They can go for indoor games like billiards, chess, and carom, etc., in which a minimum of body movement is required. With this they can fulfill their interests of playing and enjoying. In some cases it is seen that some physically handicapped persons have a very good game and they are well known for their spirit, hard work and will power in the area. So it can be said that everyone has a different thinking of games, but it is also there that everyone has an equal right and opportunity to play the games. If the destiny has made you handicapped, you can still improvise and engage yourself in some sorts of games, only if you have the will power to do that!

ESPN has been sponsoring The X Games for 10 years now, and with X Games XI (Eleven) slated to take place this summer in Los Angeles, it's clear that this event that was once considered something that catered to "extreme" sports has pretty much become a mainstream competition. The X Games routinely draws a lot of huge corporate sponsors (which seems to conflict with the rebellious image that some of the athletes try to put forth) and, because of ESPN's involvement, gets plenty of television coverage. The X Games even gets to set up their event venues in major cities like Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Diego. I don't think this would be allowed to happen for something that wasn't mainstream.

The X Games used to include events such as street luge, skysurfing, and sportclimbing (rock climbing on a wall), which I would agree are pretty extreme sports. Those aren't the kinds of things that an average person does on the weekend. But now the X Games lineup has been trimmed considerably and features several variations of freestyle motocross, skateboarding, BMX, surfing, and wakeboarding competitions. These are sports that X Games viewers have access to. Granted, your average X Games fan isn't going to buy a motocross bike and do a back flip off a 90 foot steel ramp with it. But he or she can buy a motocross bike and go riding on a track or on trails. The same can be said for skateboards and equipment, BMX bicycles, and wakeboards. Recently, ESPN announced that they have decided to eliminate inline skating as a competitive event in this year's X Games. One of the reasons cited for this change is that inline skating isn't experiencing the same growth rate as the other featured sports. In other words, it has to do with marketability.

I have no problem with ESPN trying to cut out sports that aren't showing a profit. After all, they are the ones that have to round up the sponsors to pay for the $10,000 prize that goes to the gold medal winner in all events. Sponsors putting up that kind of money need to see solid numbers to back up their decisions. But at the same time, I feel that the X Games has lost some of its allure and excitement. There are other events all year long that feature skateboarding, BMX, and freestyle motocross. For example, skateboarder Tony Hawk goes on tour every year and puts on shows in cities across the country. The same can be said for BMX, as there are many competitions held around the country throughout the year. Freestyle motocross, or FMX, likewise has its own series and various tours that take riders from coast to coast. Because of this coverage, these particular sports don't feel "extreme" anymore. Are they extreme just because the average person can't accomplish the same feats as the star athletes? I don't think so. I can't hit a 95mph fastball, but that doesn't make baseball an extreme sport. After all these years, the X Games has become just another stop on the tour for each of these sports.

Because I am just a casual fan, I haven't watched the X Games in years, largely due to the format switch and the elimination of what I considered the real extreme sports. If I can see skateboarding or freestyle motocross on TV many times during the year, I am less likely to tune in to the X Games just to see one more competition. However, when they had sports such as skysurfing and street luge, which I never saw on TV except during X Games coverage, I tuned in. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. I would much rather have the X Games go back to its roots and cover extreme sports instead of just sports that have the most marketability. After all, that's what all the other competitions are for. Maybe ESPN needs to take this into consideration when they prepare next year's event schedule. Until then, I won't be watching.

Possibly the biggest hockey fans I know are my boyfriend's neighbors, Bob and Lex. Currently, they have season tickets to see the Philadelphia Flyers and the Phantoms games, but they have been attending games for many years. Lex is definitely a hockey nut, and Bob could probably tell you any hockey stat that you wanted to know.

Everyone knows that guys can't sit still while waiting for their women to get ready to go out. One Friday as he was waiting for Lex before a Flyers game, Bob decided to clean the leaves off of the pool cover to pass the time. It started out well, but in his scooping and slopping of the wet leaves, he failed to realize how slippery the ground had become. One misplaced step caused his untimely misfortune. Slip Whack! Bob plunged downward and smacked his ribs on the concrete edge of their in ground pool. Pain shot through his body and his breath left him. Struggling with all his might, Bob pulled himself out of the pool and across the grass toward the house. Without the strength to lift himself up, drag by drag, crawl by crawl, he finally made it from the pool to the house. Bob poked his head through the doggy-door and pulled himself halfway through it.

Humored and in disbelief, Lex looked at him and continued to vacuum. Breath rushed in and out of Bob's mouth as he panted and attempted to relay what had just happened. Everything seemed so exaggerated, so she was sure he was just being a goofball, trying to get a rise out of her. Playfully vacuuming the floor around Bob's face and arms, Lex finally noticed that he was, in fact, short of breath and soaked with pool water below his knees. The die-hard hockey addict that he was, Bob declined on Lex's offer for a ride to the hospital and insisted that they attend the game. It is doubtful that anything would keep Bob from his beloved sporting events!

Throughout each period and intermission, the pain did not subside. Hunching forward to avoid the agony as best he could actually drew the attention of a young female fan sitting nearby. Her query, "What happened to you?" resulted in Bob's bravado "I threw my back out playing hockey." He preferred not to admit to his unintended plunge into the pool, thereby facing further humiliation.

And this was just the beginning. Of all nights, Bob and Lex had tickets for a Phantoms game soon after the end of the Flyers final period. There was no denying Bob of his hockey. Insisting again that they must attend the game despite his discomfort, he endured another two and a half hours of labored breathing and dire pain from the fall. Somehow, by sheer will I suppose, Bob made it through the second hockey game. The next day was a different story.

Saturday morning came and with it, an excruciating reason for Bob to remain in bed. Finally, sliding out of bed straight as a board, he slipped to the floor in an effort to get up for the day. After some major coaxing, Lex convinced him to go to the hospital on Sunday. The doctor was not pleased. "If you would have come here on Friday," he began, "I would have admitted you." As it turns out, Bob had injured himself rather badly from his slip into the pool. Two bruised ribs, two broken ribs and a collapsed lung penalized Bob with three weeks of recovery. The mending process encompassed the worst and most painful three weeks of his life. Though we felt bad about Bob's injuries and the accompanying pain, we laughed our tails off at Lex's description of hockey guru Bob panting, hanging halfway through the dog-door!

Written by James Fohl

I am trying to remember the last time I went to a Major League Baseball game, but I really can't get an exact date in my head. The reason I am trying to remember this is because, well have you ever been to a baseball game, and wondered what the big deal with the sunflower seeds were? I mean, if you actually looked into the players' dugouts you can easily see bags upon bags of sunflower seeds laying next to the Gatorade dispensers.

Why, Oh Why Are Sunflower Seeds A Baseball Player's Best Friend

Sunflower seeds have always been associated with baseball, and after doing a bit of research I still can't find an exact reason for the connection between baseball and sunflower seeds. One of the few reasons that I have been told, and actually makes some sense is because sunflower seeds took the place of chewing tobacco after it was banned from use in the Major Leagues at the end of the 1980's. Since the ban, the world's largest provider of sunflower seeds, David Sunflower Seeds has been providing the baseball league with free bags of sunflower seeds.

A Seed Shortage Is Causing Problems With Baseball Players Everywhere

Something is changing this season however. There seems to be a shortage of sunflower seeds due to a lackluster growing season in North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota; the three largest sunflower growing states. Not only was the growing season hampered by cold and rainy winters, but a large portion of the crops were also affected by a damaging white mold.

Baseball players everywhere are aware of this shortage, as stores that once sold tons and tons of varieties and different sized bags are now limiting their inventory to smaller bags, although the prices seem to be stable. David Sunflower Seeds made an announcement concerning the shortage of seeds, and has stated that they are limiting the number of free bags given to the Major League Baseball association this year, as well as limiting what products they will be producing. David Sunflower Seeds also announced that they hope to get over the whole seed shortage ordeal by early October, which is sadly nearing the end of the baseball season.


Still even with the shortage of sunflower seeds, I still wonder why sunflower seeds are such a big deal. I mean, sure they are small, fun to eat (and spit for that matter), but there are tons and tons of alternatives. Then I researched what kind of vitamins and minerals sunflower seeds provide, and I was completely wowed by my findings.

Little Sunflower Seeds Pack Some Massive Vitamin Power

For such a small seed, there sure is a lot of good vitamins and minerals contained in them .They contain all kinds of good stuff, such as pantothenic acid, phosphorus, copper, manganese and selenium, and are very good source of vitamin E, as well as contain quite a bit of protein and calcium.

Even though sunflower seeds are a really healthy snack, I doubt that is the reason why they are such a popular baseball snack. While I never found out why sunflower seeds and baseball have such a great connection, I did find out that they are quite healthy for you, and a shortage exists that is probably causing some Major Leaguers to go through withdrawal.

It is not that all the sports that we see around the world have come all of a sudden into existence. Their name and fame has been changing since their origin: the amount of entertainment these games provide is of course having an upward trend. The rules and regulations have also been changing and have since then changed quite significantly. In one way or the other the evolution of sports has been going on all along with the evolution of man.

Let us now have a look at the evolution of hockey:

It is believed that the game of hockey originated in India many centuries back. The very name hockey is also believed to have derived from the language of a particular region of the sub continent. Well now a days a hockey stick, the ball, the ground, and the dresses, etc., are pretty well designed and of international standard. But in the beginning it was not so. It is believed that people started playing with the broken branches of trees having similar shapes of today's hockey stick, which has a long handle that was round from the top, flat in between and bent at the bottom. These branches were called 'Khundas' in that folk language. The ball with which they used to play was called 'khudo'. So the whole game as such was called 'khudo-khunda'. Subsequently with the passage of time the name of the game became as 'Huckey'. This word has a meaning in that particular language as an entity of feminine aspect pushed from behind and carried forward. This feminine aspect was of course the ball. The ball was also not made up of cork or leather or some synthetic material in those days. This was made up of some raw material like wood, stone, or soil, etc. With more and more people getting attached to this game, its popularity went over the borders. The basic aim was to carry the ball to the other side saving it from the opponents with the help of the broken branches and not touching with the hands. This required a lot of skill, stamina, enthusiasm and courage. These requirements in fact added to the popularity of the game. Attack and defense were its two major parts. Now this is very important. Since there were a lot of wars in those days in all parts of the world those wars are very conventional and folk in their nature. Both attack and defense were also associated with these wars. All the abovementioned ingredients were also needed.

So in one way or the other the origin of this game took place with a sense of battle on the battle field with no causalities and weapons rather the human values of sportsmanship and playable sticks in place of harmful weapons in hands. With more and more decades gone by its name became hockey from huckey as pronounced by many and became a permanent member of dictionary. Also the game became more styled fashionable and well mannered. Now hockey has reached out to the people living in various corners of the world. Now days the game of hockey is played on a fast track but its original instincts of defense, attack, courage, skill, and stamina, etc., have remained intact.

Although every sport is different in its own way, yet there are some common things among all the sports. Where these sports have resemblance with each other, sometimes it may also appear that a given sport has originated from the other. For example baseball and cricket resemble with each other. Wrestling and judo have something common between them, up to some extent. So is the case with handball and basketball. If you look at volleyball, badminton and lawn tennis carefully then you will find that these have certain things to share too. Now, rules and regulations, the equipment used to play a particular game, number of players, playgrounds and their measurements, time period and the type of dresses are certain features, which are different for every game. But let us now have a look what common things associated with sports really are.

Umpires
Games like cricket, volleyball, lawn tennis, hockey, soccer, boxing, wrestling, judo, badminton, baseball, handball, and basketball have umpires as a common entity. In some of these the term umpire is known as the referee.

Ball
Many games like soccer, cricket, handball, basketball, baseball, hockey, water-polo, table tennis, lawn tennis, golf, snooker, volleyball have the ball common among them. The size, form, weight, color and the material used vary from game to game.

Hand equipment
Table tennis, lawn tennis, cricket, baseball, hockey, golf, pole vault, badminton, polo, fencing are the games in which some sort of hand equipment is required in the hands of the players, which has different names like a bat, racket, sword, pole and stick, etc.

Helmets
Motor sports, cricket, American football, hockey, rugby, baseball are the games in which helmets are required in one way or the other.

Gloves
Boxing, cricket, baseball, soccer, hockey, fencing are the sports in which various types of gloves are needed.

Whistle
In soccer, hockey, wrestling, judo, volleyball, basketball, and handball, whistle is common.

Net
Volleyball, soccer, lawn tennis, badminton, basketball, handball have nets as their common entity.

So we can easily see that there are many things that are required commonly by almost all the games, and there is still one most important thing that sports require, and that it is sportsmanship! This is one thing that all the sports bodies all over the world emphasize and see that all the sportsperson are committed to it!

By Eliza Ferree

Preparing a little league team's end of the year sports party is actually harder than it sounds. You will always have the one that doesn't want to go, another that can't make it but wants to go and yet another that doesn't have the money.

But you don't have to go to three different places just to please everyone. Do a poll; see what all the parents will agree with. Remember it is the parent that will decide to bring the child in the end anyways.

Where can you have a party? Try having a barbeque at your local park, unless you can do it right there. If you decide on a barbeque decide whether it is pot luck or if you will provide everything. If you are doing it at the ball field check with the proper people to make sure you are allowed to do this. If you are going to a park, make sure you don't have to reserve the spot first. Most parks charge a small fee for a table at the park, this reserves the table so once you get there you can make sure that it is for your use and not already taken by someone.

If you are planning on a pot luck you may want to make a list and have everyone sign up for something, this way you can call the night before and remind them of what they are bringing. I know you are thinking but that would be bugging them, but look at it this way, what if they forgot? What if they weren't going to show? You will now know and can figure out what to do.
How about a pizza party? You can either pay for it yourself or have the parents chip in so much. For siblings they can either be added in the cost or let the parents know they will have to buy siblings their own pizza. We have been to one where it was $3 per child and it was all you can eat, this worked out great and was cheaper than most places. Another party we went to it was you pay for the siblings and the child on the team ate for free. Make sure to let the parents know ahead of time which type it is so they aren't surprised when they get there.

Maybe you've decided since it's hot you want it at a pool instead, make sure this is okay with the parents. Many children can't swim and this could pose as a sad time for some team members. If they do swim they probably have some siblings that will need to be watched. I remember my son’s first year in tball, his coach had decided to have it at a pizza joint first but follow up at the pool. I was currently pregnant and I also had his 2 1/2 year old sister with me. A pool just wasn't the place I wanted to be in either situation, sure he could swim in the shallow part but I didn’t want to worry about his little sister. He ended up missing that part of the party which made him sad.

With whatever decision you make, try to make it fun and convenient for the families involved. Try not to forget the siblings or the player may not be able to make it. Have a fun time.

What would life be without sports? Have you really thought about it and wondered?

A famous soccer coach in England recently remarked how he was totally shocked to find a stadium packed almost to capacity in mid-morning for a game set to start in mid afternoon. It would appear from this incident that the English are soccer crazy.

But then in America the nation comes to a stand still during the annual super bowl. So there is nothing really strange about the behavior of the British, it is the same all over the world.

Actually everywhere in the world Sports plays a very important role in our lives. Probably much more important than we dare think most of the time.

The boring daily routine life of a person, in England for example, is only made worth living by his favorite sport and team and their progress towards winning some silverware. Ask any typical soccer fan the last time his side won this and that and they will recount it to you, even if it was 50 years ago and they were not yet born.

We can say much the same for some baseball fans (or is baseball fanatic a better way to describe them?)

Somebody can attempt to argue that music has done more or less the same thing for millions all over the world. I strong disagree. Music does not engage the mind in close analysis and involvement the way sport does. Will the new talent break under the pressure? Is there too much responsibility being put on their young inexperienced shoulders? Or will they rise to the occasion and end up being the new kid on the block?

Such analysis is neither common nor desirable in music. Music is pure escapism entertainment for most while sport is engaging and constantly thrilling so that it becomes part of our lives. A way of living that makes life so much more attractive and worth the journey despite the disappointments and heartaches and broken dreams.

So much so that we can confidently say that life would be unbearable without sports and the pleasure it brings us.

This is probably the reason why there should be no guilt or regrets at the absolutely insane salaries and incomes that we reward some of our stars with.

Why should we, when they are the people who give up dreams that we can actually believe in when our own have fallen by the way side?

Shrinks tell us that it is dreams that keep people alive despite some pretty bleak circumstances and odds that look just plain impossible. These super athletes do that for us in Football, baseball, soccer basketball, rugby, ice hockey, track and a host of other sporting activities that keep us sane even as the world around us quietly but surely sinks deeper and deeper into madness, chaos and insanity.

Thanks guys, you deserve every single obscene penny.

They were the one NBA team with the right to pack it in, the one with the most possible reasons for failure. Instead, the Pacers now have everyone talking about effort and character.

Said Doc Rivers of the Celtics, the Indiana Pacers "have been through hell this year!" Indeed with the suspensions from the early season brawl and the multitude of injuries, the Pacers have struggled at times to even have enough players on the bench to fill out their roster. In spite of the season-long woes, the Pacers head into Sunday afternoon in a startling position, up two games to one over the defending NBA Champion Pistons.

The fact that Indiana is in the Conference semi-finals startled many. However, we had stated at the outset of the playoffs that the number 3 versus number 6 Eastern Conference match-up appeared ripe with upset special possibilities, even in spite of Boston's opening 20 point win over the Pacers.

We had talked of Boston being weak defensively, that the C's turned the ball over way too much and ranked as one of the league's least physical teams. In turn, we acknowledged that Indiana possessed each of those attributes, especially the physical and mental toughness, and therefore appeared to be the better playoff team.

A Boston victory still seemed possible if not probable. The fact that the regular season had taken so much out of the Pacers had led most to wonder if they had anything left to give. How the Pacers had ever even made the playoffs with all the suspension and injury issues was truly amazing. But as the series progressed, Jamaal Tinsley returned to the lineup and Reggie Miller willed his aging body to rise up once again.

At the time that Indiana topped the Celtics in game 7 to take the series, the Celtic critics came out in full force. The fact that the Pacers had won three of four on Boston's home court and come back from two absolute trouncings at the hands of the Celtics was seen as a Celtic's failing rather than a Pacer success. Boston was deemed young and immature, two factors that allowed an aging and struggling Pacer group to upset the higher seeded team.

But then came Round 2 of the playoffs, a rematch of last year's Conference finals as well as that of the infamous early season brawl. The Pistons came into the series hitting on all cylinders, sending the upstart 76'ers packing in just five games. As weak as Boston was defensively, the Pistons are known for their defense. And when it comes to toughness, well the boys from Mo-Town are also among the league's toughest bunch.

A well-rested Detroit team cruised to victory in the opener of the series, much as expected. But like the Celtic series, Indiana rose up, pulled itself together and dominated the Pistons for most of game 2, on Detroit's home floor. A game-ending run by Detroit would have had a team with a lesser heart falling apart. Instead, the Pacers hung on and took home the improbable victory.

Back in Indiana, in a sloppy defensive battle the Pacers managed to win game three as well. At 79-74, it was an epic defensive battle between two extremely physical teams. The inimitable Reggie Miller scored eight fourth quarter points including four for four from the foul line as the Pacers again held off a hard-charging Pistons team.

As game four approaches today Rasheed Wallace of the Pistons is guaranteeing a Detroit victory to even the series. Many sportscasters also acknowledge that Detroit has simply taken the Pacers too lightly and now, given the two Indiana wins, the Pistons will assert themselves.

That talk is reminiscent of the Celtic series, even though Detroit is a far superior team. But at this point in the season, nothing the Pacers do would surprise anyone.

Indiana is indeed one resilient basketball team.

Written by James Fohl

Three or four times a week, I find myself in a position to workout. It's not like I am in a position where I am involved in sports or anything and I have to workout, I just guess that exercising is one of my hobbies which I really enjoy doing.

Music Makes Working Out Fun

I take my MP3 player, make sure it has a good battery and I go down to my basement for my workout; I don't goto the gym much, because I find my own basement a little more private and I have access to all the equipment I need without having to wait for others to finish.

When I get to my little workout corner of my basement, I know what I am going to be doing because I have my own little personal workout. Personally, I think its important to anyone who is serious about working out, to have their own little workout planned and established so that they can accomplish what they need to do without wasting time.

The Same Old Half Hour Workout

I turn my music, and I begin the workout I have been doing for about the past six months, which begins with me spending five minutes on a punching bag to get my body a bit loose. The time on the punching bag allows me to get my muscles stretched, and puts me the mood to workout.

After the five minutes of landing assorted punches and kicks to the punching bag, I move over to twenty pound dumbbells, where I proceed to do twenty five curls with each arm to get my arms ready. Once I am completed with the twenty pound weights, I move up to the thirty pound dumbbells and do twenty curls with each arm. My arms are a little sore now, so I flush the muscles back out by going back to the twenty pound weights until my arms feel like they are gonna break off from my body.

Sit Ups And Push Ups For When My Muscles Get Sore

With my arms sore, I go onto the ground, and begin working my stomach by doing about one hundred sit ups. I say about a hundred, because for some reason or another my counting gets messed up unless I am using a counting device.

Now with my stomach a little on the edge, I flip onto it and do as many push ups as I can without hurting myself. This is what I like to call the turning point in my workout, because its near the end.

With my arms better again, I repeat the twenty / thirty-five pound dumb bell exercises, this time I really have to focus because the weights seem a little heavier this time around. Once I get done with these exercises, I walk around for a little bit before I move onto the final part of my workout program.

The Best Part Is The Final Part

The final part, is benching however much I feel comfortable with that day. I lift the weights on the bar until I can feel my arms buckling, and I push the bar back and get up excited that I completed my thirty minute workout program. I feel a slight cramp in my stomach, and the muscles in my arms are pulsing, proving the workout was a success, making me feel pretty dang good inside.

Make Your Own Workout And Feel Good About Yourself

So if you like to workout, but find yourself not too motivated to go to the gym, then perhaps you should spend some money on equipment, rather than a gym membership, and then spend some time creating a workout that supports your needs. Pretty soon you'll have a workout that gives you the results you want, without wasting time waiting for machines to open up or doing nonsense exercises.

Written by James Fohl

One thing that I will always remember about growing up, was playing with a Frisbee. A Frisbee, the main brand of the popular flying disc, is of course a plastic disc about eight to ten inches in diameter that somewhat resembles a pie pan. So many games have been invented that incorporated this fun toy make the initial investment for the toy (a mere few dollars) a fantastic one.

There Is More To Playing With A Frisbee Than Just Throwing It To Your Dog

You can of course just toss the Frisbee back and forth with a friend, or even throw it and have some random dog chase it, but the real fun with Frisbees are the games. So many games have been invented, that it would be impossible to talk about them all, but I am still going to go ahead and talk about a few of my all time favorite Frisbee games.

Ultimate Frisbee Is Perhaps The Most Popular Frisbee Game

The first game, Ultimate Frisbee, which is perhaps the most popular Frisbee game that has ever been created. Ultimate Frisbee plays a lot like football with some freeze tag elements thrown into it. Players on two teams try to get the Frisbee to their goal line, however the player holding the Frisbee is not allowed to move. Meanwhile, all the other players have the ability to move and do so to either block the Frisbee from entering the hands of the other team, or catching the Frisbee to continue the path to the goal line.

Several variations exist in Ultimate Frisbee, such as giving the holder of the Frisbee the ability to take three steps, as well as giving players the ability to bounce the Frisbee off of walls to successfully make passes to blocked team mates.

Disc Golf Is Another Great Game That Can Be Played With Any Number Of People

Another great game I remember playing with my trusty plastic Frisbee was called Disc Golf, and involved setting up a Golf course of targets that would essentially be the holes. Players would throw the Frisbee disc towards the targets, and try to hit the target in the least number of throws. This game can either be quite easy or fairly hard depending on what targets the players select.

These two games are great if you have a lot of people at a party and just want to have some generalized fun. They are not really that hard to learn, and all they really require is a cheap Frisbee from the local department store, and a little bit of thought process. People of all ages really seem to like these games, so you can always involve small children as well as adults into the games without fear of anyone getting hurt.

Don't Diss Frisbees Until You've Played 'Em

Once again, I will probably never forget about playing with a Frisbee from my childhood, mostly due to the fact that I still occasionally toss a Frisbee around at a party or just with some friends at the local park. If you have never picked up a Frisbee before, you really do not know what you are missing!

There are certain streaks that define both a player and a sport. Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak for baseball and Johnny Unitas' 47 consecutive games with a touchdown pass. The standard for golf ended this week when Tiger Woods missed the cut at the EDS Byron Nelson Championship on Friday, ending his record of 142 consecutive cuts. It was Woods first missed cut in seven years on the PGA Tour.

Needing only a par on the 18th hole, Woods dumped a 7-iron left into the bunker and could not get up and down. Woods tapped in for bogey, a 2-over par 72 and 1-over par for the tournament. The cut was made at even-par 140.

The Woods streak began at the Buick Invitational back in 1998 and ended at perhaps the most fitting of places. His consecutive cut streak had long been associated with tournament namesake Byron Nelson, the golfer who held the record previously. Nelson made 113 consecutive cuts in the 1940s, a record many thought would never be topped.

It also came at a venue that Woods had previously excelled at. Woods had a phenomenal track record at the Nelson, finishing 12th or higher every year he had ever competed at the event.

The Woods streak fits right in the with the greatest performance streaks of all time. After all, the PGA Tour is incredibly competitive today. With players from all over the world competing against the best from America making the cut is no simple matter. A failure to place in the top 70 after the first two rounds each week is as simple as a single poor round of golf.

In missing the cut, Woods still stood at one over par after two rounds, a decent score on a difficult course. In fact, a hot Saturday performance of five to seven under would have taken Woods to the top of the leaderboard.

As it was, the current Tour is so competitive that Woods' one over par score after two rounds left him a scant three shots out of the top thirty and just six shots from being in the top ten. An extra bride Thursday, and extra birdie Friday and a par on 18 on Friday and Woods heads to the weekend in the top thirty and in the hunt for the championship.

Instead, the Masters champ took a tournament weekend off for the first time in seven years and headed back to Florida for some practice, taking with him one of sports most formidable streaks.

The missed cut for Woods meant that the PGA current leader in consecutive cuts is now Ernie Els. His total goes back to last season and stands at 20.

It is a task of general discussion that what makes a team or player to win the match or game against the other team or player. If we talk about the individual player then it is the spirit, hard work and concentration which gives him victory; whereas on the other hand, while talking of a team it is obviously a collective spirit of the individual players playing together to win the game. The player or a sportsman as simply seen is a word and everyone thought that it is a simple person but it is not so. They are very different from a common man because they need a number of qualities so that they can be good players. These qualities include spirit, sense of teamwork, hard working, concentrated, goal oriented, etc., which a common man in general need not but in some particular cases these are essential characteristics required in every man.

Good players are born as well as could be made by good coaching and preparing them for essence of teamwork and by good coaching. Good coaching includes the guide, which provides a direction towards good players, interest to be a good player, sense of understanding, hard working nature, etc.

It is generally seen that if one's child is interested in some game or wants to be a sportsperson then the parents have the tendency to prepare him for studies to be a doctor, engineer, lawyer or anything except from a sportsperson but it is not a good tendency. It should be kept in mind that sportsperson have a number of qualities, which are added in their personality and enable them to grow in the society. And it should be kept in mind to never suppress the interests of the children who wants to be a good sportsperson and are good in their games.

There is no doubt that Chelsea Football club has had quality players in its' line up for the last two years or so, courtesy of its’ billionaire owners handy check book.

But even clubs like Real Madrid boast of many major world soccer super stars like David Beckham, Roberto Carlos, Ronaldo and Michael Owen to name just four amongst a galaxy of other big names. But to date Real have virtually nothing to show for the line up of world class soccer players that they have.

But at Chelsea things seem to have changed dramatically. And it all happened after the arrival of a very arrogant Portugese man who seems to have got it right almost immediately because in his first season, Chelsea have won the Premiership title for the first time in 50 years.

Who is this Mourinho guy? Is it true that he never even played soccer seriously in his younger days? What does the press mean when they say that he represents the new breed of world class soccer coaches or managers?

We will try and answer all these questions.

42 year old Jose Mourinho's father was a goalkeeper and an unsuccessful football coach. Mourinho told the press during a recent interview that he remembers as a youngster before he was even 10 years old his dad getting fired as club manager as the family were having dinner on Christmas day.

But then even more fascinating is the fact that he never went to a soccer coaching school or formal soccer coaching training.

So how did the man learn his trade and get to be so good at what he does?

The answer will surprise you. Actually he learned his trade as a translator. Mourinho can speak several languages acted as translator to English coach Sir Bobby Robson following him right across Europe to several clubs and watching him ply his trade. Sir Bobby, an Englishman required somebody he could trust to translate his instructions and players reactions. Mourinho did the task faithfully and in the process learned a lot of things about soccer coaching.

And it seems that the student has gotten better than the teacher because Mourinho now seems set to bypass all the achievements Sir Bobby ever managed in his entire career within the next few short years.

Amazingly Mourinho's first real coaching job was with FC Porto. This is the club he left to join Chelsea. Mourinho hardly lasted at his first two outings at Uniao de Leiria and Benfica.

At FC Porto, Mourinho took a bunch of very ordinary players to UEFA champions league victory and UEFA Cup winners triumph, as well as winning the local Portugese League two years running.

FC Porto's famous victories over much bigger sides in Europe seems to have attracted attention to the young coach's abilities.

Moving to Chelsea on June 2nd 2004, just two days after the previous manager Claudio Ranieri was fired, he has managed the feat of winning the premiership at his first attempt. Amazing when you consider that dozens of other soccer club managers in England have desperately and unsuccessfully being trying to win it over the last decade or so.

And clearly it is not just a question of having a star studded side courtesy of the Russian billionaire owner of the club Roman Abromavich. After all there is the example of Real Madrid with a side that boasts of even more world class players than Chelsea but has failed miserably to bag any significant silverware.

So what is so special about this man?

To start with he seems to understand modern soccer very well. His arrival at Stamford Bridge, home of Chelsea has seen many major changes at the club and in the way that the side is run.

Tactically, Mourinho seems to have started by concentrating on creating a very strong defensive side. So much so that very early in the season, the press were criticizing him for playing defensive soccer. It has now emerged that this is really the foundation of Mourinho’s system because as soon as he had his solid defense in place, which to date has conceded very few goals, he has gone on to create an exciting attacking side with the likes of Eidur Gudjohnsen, Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba amongst others who have given Stamford Bridge fans an unforgettable season. Other players that have been the pillar of this amazing soccer manager’s side include team captain John Terry and hardworking utility player John Makelele.

In a recent press interview Jose Mourinho revealed that he has often restrained billionaire owner Roman Abromavich from reaching for his check book to buy more world class players. The reason is that the other utility players in the team who support the stars are also very important. His philosophy is that if a club has too many stars and no other supporting players, a team cannot work and success will tend to be elusive. A good coach has to learn how to balance the stars he has with other consistent hardworking and reliable players.

Mourinho is a firm believer in teamwork and he emphasizes it to his players again and again, making sure that he has drummed the message in. Actually this is an easy thing to forget in a side that boasts of too many star players.

Soccer as a game is constantly evolving and Jose Mourinho is being billed as being amongst the new crop of young modern managers because he seems to understand the new direction the game is taking so well.

The results seem to speak for themselves. Most observers seem to be asking the simple question, if this is what can be achieved in a first season, what can happen in two or three years?

Chelsea owner Abromavich must also be extremely delighted with the fact that his club has joined the ranks of Arsenal and Manchester United in having an enviable worldwide fan base following. This helps a great deal in the marketing, merchandising and revenue earning side of these professional clubs where recent earnings have seen Manchester United billed as the richest soccer club in the world with attempts being made by an American to take over the ownership of the club.

Written by James Fohl

Everyday millions of Americans goto their local gym, whether it be down the street, across town or even in their basement and workout for a wide variety of reasons. Some work out to loose fat, while others just enjoy working out as their hobby. Needless to say you have those who are dedicated to working out, and those who just work out.

The Dedicated Come Prepared With Their Gear

The really dedicated individuals can be seen with their workout outfits, their special gloves, their belts, and of course their supplements. One of the biggest supplements I see when I goto the gym are those protein shakes that people mix with water, or milk.

One serving of these protein drinks yields about twenty grams of protein, which is a lot of protein. Go ahead and grab the nutritional fact information from foods around your house; protein isn't found everywhere. Protein is essential for building muscles, and because of this it is no wonder why so many people take protein shakes while they are working out.

Protein Shakes Aren't The Only Way To Build Muscles

Building muscles is great, but these protein shakes are not the best way of gaining that needed protein. Protein shake mix is quite expensive, whether you buy individual packets of it, or a giant jug (which only yields about 10-15 servings). Not only are protein shakes expensive, but preparing them is a pain in the behind. Oh, and let's not forget the taste of these shakes. Don't let the labels fool you; vanilla, chocolate, strawberry all taste like 1/8th the flavor, and 7/8th chunky undesirable taste. Protein shakes really taste bad when you mix the powder with water, and not milk, which is usually the case when people are at the gym.

Don't get me wrong, some people enjoy the taste of protein shakes, and others get used to the taste of the shakes. I myself drank two servings of a chocolate flavored protein shake a day for almost six months before I switched to other protein sources.

Beef Jerky Is A Great Source Of Protein

Now instead of drinking a protein shake every morning, I grab a couple huge chunks of beef jerky when I go out for my morning or evening jogs. Beef jerky is where the protein is; a little less than an ounce of beef jerky yields the same amount of protein as a serving of a protein shake. In my opinion, beef jerky tastes a lot better than any flavor / brand of protein shakes available on the market today, and although beef jerky is somewhat expensive, it is still cheap when compared to the protein shake mix.

Beef jerky is not the only major source of protein. If you're a fan of tuna, then throw away the protein drinks and replace a meal with a serving of tuna; one serving of tuna yields just under twenty grams of protein, which is the same amount as the protein shakes. Still some people, such as me, really hate the taste and tuna and would much rather go with beef jerky, or even a protein shake.


Tuna is however a cheap source of protein. You can buy a can of tuna for close to fifty cents, and have twenty grams of protein; try finding a protein shake that cheap. It's also cheaper than beef jerky, but beef jerky comes in a wide selection of varieties, and is simple to eat; just rip the package open and bam instant source of muscle building protein!

Cheaper, Better Tasting Ways Of Obtaining Protein

Protein is indeed important to people who work out and wish to build muscle mass, I am one such person, however I have learned that there are other ways, both cheaper and overall better ways, of getting the protein, and while I used to take part in the whole protein shake ordeal, I now pass them up for a much tastier bag of beef jerky to satisfy my body's protein requirements.

There is no doubt that Soccer is the most popular team sport on earth. Millions of people watch it all over the world and we are now beginning to witness a trend where tops teams of the world are attracting a worldwide near-fanatical fan base. Tops teams like Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea of Britain and Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich based elsewhere in Europe have fans in almost every corner of the globe.

Sadly the game has become so technical that many fans watching the game do not really understand many aspects of the game and why some certain games end up being very exciting while others can bore anybody to tears.

Actually it has to do with team tactics and more specifically, winning team tactics. Or tactics that are most effective in bringing about victory. Tactics have of course evolved over the years. And this is probably the place where we need to start so as to bring about clear understanding about soccer tactics.

Actually one of the aspects that has made soccer so exciting is the fact that the game is constantly evolving and the rules for success are constantly changing all the time.

For example, in the 1960s the Brazilians showed us how effective attacking soccer was and how it was really the best form of defense. This culminated in the Brazilian world cup triumph of 1970 with what many regard to be the best soccer team the planet has ever produced. Soccer legend Pele (whose real name is Edson Arantes Do Nascimento) was on that team.

Although the Brazilians relentlessly pursued this philosophy and approach to soccer through the 70s and 80s, it brought us all some delightful games but no more silverware for the Brazilians. The game had suddenly changed in 70s and the Brazilians had been left grasping their entertaining fluid offensive play that was such a joy to watch but did not win any games. At least not enough to win any silverware.

The new game required a good defense and commanding midfield, before building up one's offensive play. The then West Germans took the lead in this development and mastered the system, easily dominating the game on the world stage (both at national and club level) for the next two decades.

Actually that is how long it took most of the rest of the world to catch up with the new tactical realities of the game. Those who follow soccer closely will note that as soon as the talented Brazilians blended their raw South American talent with the European system of a strong defense and organized midfield, they started winning world cups again.

So what is the current winning formula or strategy in soccer?

Defenses have become better organized and offensive players have been forced to step up their game and improve their offensive tactics. The result is that the game has become much more physical and aggression is now a key skill required of any world class player.

What all this means is that defense has now become even more critical for the success of any side. The difference is that the role of midfield has evolved.

Traditionally the work of a midfield player was to be the link between the defense and the offensive players, getting the ball from the defense and feeding the attackers to score. These days we hear of a defensive midfielder which just really means a defender who is allowed to wander a little further forward than ordinary defenders.

On the other hand even the role of defenders has evolved. Attacking or offensive defenders have become even more important. And to make things even more complex, teams have won important tournaments with no traditional midfield but with only a good defense and very fast and effective counter attacking or counter offensive play.

Take the great success that one Jose Mourinho seems to have enjoyed in a very brief coaching career with FC Porto and now Chelsea.

A close look at his tactics at FC Porto of Portugal and his current ones at Chelsea in England, reveal one thing very clearly. Mr Mourinho believes very strongly in a strong defense.

Actually the formula for success that Mourinho has used so effectively can be used by any soccer side in the world looking for silverware.

The first step is to create a very solid defending unit and then build your team from there. Only when you have achieved a solid dependable defense, can you start to develop other departments. The next key is usually to have offensive players capable of a very swift counter attack from a defensive position.

Players who can execute quick offensive play, especially along the wings, are always invaluable.

One other advantage this style of play has is that it becomes very difficult for your opponents to mark a player out of the game.

So what do you do when the other side retaliates by also going defensive?

This is precisely the reason why scoring a goal as early as possible in the game has become so important. This is because it forces the other team to come out attacking and when they do, they make themselves vulnerable to the counter offensive tactics we have just described. The more men they push forward in an attempt to score, the better.

Still if your opponents decide to pull back their men to defensive positions early in the game, the assumption is that because of your strong defensive plays, they will not have scored so the scores will be 0-0. A goal-less draw is always much better than losing.

This happen fairly often in international soccer these days and this is where the game may appear to be very boring because there is basically nothing happening.

Usually teams will at this stage try to play long balls to their lone striker or two hovering over the penalty area hoping to force a penalty.

This is really what modern soccer has been reduced to because winning is so important and it does not really matter how somebody wins, the important thing is to win and keep on winning. Coaches know that their jobs depend on it and they have no illusions about what they need to do to keep their jobs.

There are many sports played around the world that make use of animals. Some of these sports are very popular and animal sports date back to the beginning of time. While some of the sports are only suitable for certain climates, such as dogsled racing or camel racing, others are favorites in many different areas.

Bullfighting is popular in Spain and Mexico and in some of the other Latin American countries. Bullfighting takes place in arenas that hold a large number of spectators, and the matadors who are successful often become huge stars in their countries. A bullfight begins with a paseo, or parade, of the bullfighters and their assistants, called picadors and banderilleros. A bull is then let into the arena and the banderilleros and picadors tease and irritate the bull with their lances and darts; the picadors are on horses. After the bull is in a very bad mood from being tortured, the matador then comes out with a red cape and a sword and kills the bull in an artistic manner, after he has taunted the bull and made him charge many times.

I like the Madonna video of the bullfighter in "Take a Bow," but I don't like bullfights. I have been to bullfights in the US, but the bulls were not killed. Once when I went to a bullfight in the Astrodome in Houston, the bull jumped into the seats and charged up into the audience. People scattered as he snorted and stomped; he was finally captured and taken back into the arena. The matador was very graceful and waved the cape around like a dancer. I can see why matadors would be popular in countries that have a lot of bullfighting; they look good in their fancy costumes and have some great moves.

Cockfighting is another sport where the animal is killed. This sport is illegal in the US but is practiced in other countries, such as Latin America and Asia. Even though it's illegal, cockfighting still goes on secretly in the US, and it was legal until the 1800s. Once when I lived in El Paso, a man who lived behind my apartment building had many stacked cages behind his house full of little roosters; someone told me that he raised them for cockfighting. I have seen cockfights in movies, and they don't look too pleasant. Fighting pit bulls is another illegal sport that seems about the same as cockfighting. I don't understand why anyone would want to raise animals so they could be killed in a fight or hurt another animal.

Dogsled racing is a sport popular in Alaska and Canada; the Iditarod is world-famous and is a dogsled race between many teams. The huskies used to pull the sleds love to run and frolic in the snow and are trained to follow the lead dog. They are very fast and have lots of endurance. The movie "Iron Will" shows a dogsled race and the hardships involved in a multi-week effort. The Iditarod can be watched on the internet now, and many people choose a team and follow it online. The teams have support crews but they get very tired during the race; just being out in the cold that long takes a lot of energy.

Fishing is another sport that involves an animal. Fish that are caught by fishermen generally meet one of two fates; they can be released after being caught, or they might end up in a frying pan. I suppose fish that go back into the water must suffer a little brain damage, since they are sometimes caught again. If I were a fish and got caught and put back once, I think that would do it for me; I would certainly watch what I ate after that. Sometimes fishing is done without the participation of the fish; it's still called fishing but I don't know why.

Greyhound racing is popular in some places; it involves fast dogs who race around a track. Some people like to watch the dogs run, and others like to bet on which dog will run the fastest. The greyhounds are very elegant dogs; they are tall and slender, with long legs and a pointy nose. They can run very fast for a long time so are the popular choice for dog racing. The only other dogs that race are wiener dogs, but that's just to make fun of them since they can't fun fast or straight. The bad thing about greyhounds is that after they have raced for awhile they get old or tired or have joint problems, and their owners don't have any use for them anymore if they can't race. There are many greyhound rescue groups now that persuade people to adopt the ex-racers so they won't be euthanized; they apparently make excellent pets for those who want to give them some extra attention.

Horse racing was a popular sport with the early Greeks and Romans; the Brits took it up early, and it's very popular in the US today. As with greyhound racing, betting on the horses is a main attraction, and many dollars pass through hands as a result of horse racing in the US. The Kentucky Derby was recently held in Louisville, Kentucky; the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes make up the Triple Crown. A horse that wins all three of these races will be assured of becoming very famous, such as Seabiscuit, a horse that was immortalized in a movie. Giacomo won the 2005 Kentucky Derby, and this horse was not a favorite; its odds were 50-1. I'm sure that people who bet on Giacomo really love this horse since they got a huge return on their bets. One man in the news won over $800,000 on his bet, but lost his ticket; the ticket seller later found the ticket beside a machine and the guy got his money. Giacomo now has a little pressure on to win the other two races; I'm sure Giacomo himself really doesn't care at all but his owner will be very happy if he wins.

Rodeos use a lot of animals and have many different events. None of the events actually harm the animals, but some of them I don't really like to watch since the animal looks very uncomfortable. I recently attended a rodeo in Helotes, Texas during their Cornyval Festival. I believe the word Helotes is derived from the Spanish word from corn so they celebrate corn each year. The rodeo was fun to watch; they started with mutton busting, which looked very scary for the kids. Little kids about 6-10 got on a large sheep in a pen, the door was opened and the sheep ran out with the kid on its back. Most of them hung on for dear life; a little girl won for staying on the longest, but she was crying afterwards. One girl got on a sheep but refused to ride; her parents tried to persuade her to stay on but she said no. I looked at the big sheep in a pen later and thought that this ride would be nerve-wrecking to a child; I certainly wouldn't try to persuade my child to do this, as practice would be involved and it looks fairly dangerous, but it seemed to be popular in that town.

The professional rodeo events included bull riding, steer wrestling, steer dogging, and barrel racing. All these are fast-paced events, and seem to involve a lot of luck as well as skill. The clowns helped to protect the participants when the bulls get too close with their big horns or stomping hooves. The clowns also put on some comedy skits, which were funny, and had some outlandish outfits. Between the events, a group of cowgirls in flashy outfits rode out on horses, which were decorated, carrying large American flags. One of the flags even shot out sparks. The Calaveras Cowgirls did intricate maneuvers on their horses to a patriotic tune, and they also came out with advertising signs at times. I saw many little cowgirls, dressed up in matching cowboy hats, boots and glittery belts, watching the big cowgirls with delight. I hadn't been to a rodeo in a long time and I enjoyed watching some of the events; it was a cool evening and the horses were nice to watch.

Some other sports that use animals are polo, where participants hit balls with a mallet while on horseback, camel racing, which takes place in the desert, and hunting, where animals are stalked and killed by hunters. There are also many equestrian events, such as dressage, steeplechase, and jumping. While some animals seem to be willing participants in sports, such as the racing events, others are tortured and killed by sportsmen or other animals in the name of sport. Animal sports have been popular since the beginning of time and the ones we practice today are sometimes more humane than in the past; some people want to put a stop to some animal sports, such as the recent talk about banning fox hunting in Britain, but since so many people like these sports they will probably always be with us.

I was in my eighth grade when we were having our annual school games at the zonal level. Our school was a prominent in these games, as our teams of Hockey and Football were strong and always won to play at the district level and some players were chosen from there to play at the state level, irrespective of win and loss if they display excellence!

There was announcement in our class that the team for Badminton is also going to be chosen and whoever wanted to give trials should reach the court at a certain time. I was very excited about this, as I played Badminton a lot and was deemed as a good player among my peers. I reached the court at the prescribed time in my trouser and saw some familiar face; some from my own grade and some girls, juniors and seniors. I knew that none of the male contenders of that team is a good enough player, and I decided to play with trouser only. It was soon clear that I was the obvious choice and rest of the team needed to be chosen, which was done after some time of consideration and checking the game of the players.

Then came the time when a boy peeped into the court and asked permission from our teacher to step in the scene. He was elder than all of us and introduced that he was also a student and played Badminton, and that he would like to have a game with me! I was taken aback, as I feared that he would certainly defeat me! I never knew what induced to have a game with me but he insisted on it and told me that it is not a competition but he just wanted to check me and have a closer look at me. I somehow gave in and we had a game. He smashed me all the time and served the shuttle at such heights that I had sometimes to wait for few seconds. After making me feel that I was not as good as I might have thought, he said that that was it! But he seemed satisfied with my performance and told my teacher I am good. We became friends and I later came to know that he was the best player in our town! It came to me as a bog surprise for he chose me to play with him!

The team was finalized and we had our games at the zonal level. We lost the semi-finals but I was selected for the district level games and again we lost in semi-finals at that level. But none of us was selected for state level competitions! And after some years in the game, I came to know that the player who chose me to play with him when our team was being selected, is the only player from our town to be selected for state level competitions; and he in fact, went on to play at the national level games! Quite a big feat for a boy from such a small town who don't have good grounds and good coaching centers--and perhaps we have none of them! And that man never had coaching from an expert! He just played his own game and developed himself into the fine player that he was! And I sometimes feel proud that I was selected by him to have a game with him on that particular day, though till date, I don’t know what induced him for that action!

A few weeks ago I was the proudest momma alive. Ok, so I'm usually the proudest momma alive, but on this morning, there was just something extra in the pride I felt at my two precious little boys.

Each year there is an annual race held in one of the local forests. It's for the children and they race by age. Although my eldest had taken part before, he's almost 5, this was the first year that the baby - almost 2 - had participated.

We were running late - as usual - but we did manage to get them entered and their entry numbers pinned to the back of their jackets before the first race began. This was the baby's big moment. His heat was the 0-3 year olds so most of the baby's were actually pushed around in their buggies - this is not such a light task as it sounds if you can imagine a forest where a "path" is a place where some of the natural undergrowth has been trampled down. The ground was also a bit muddy so I was thankful that Connor was walking and not needing to be pushed. He was one of the youngest who actually made it around the 500 meter track on his feet and I was so proud to be holding his hand. He doesn't understand about the concept of racing, and yet he was full of enthusiasm and walking as fast as his little legs would go.

We completed our race, coming around halfway in the pack, collected his completion cup and went to find his pappa and big brother who had been cheering us on. Then it was time for them to do their race. Last time Jake did the race he walked it. This time I was amazed to see my little boy running the race. I think his daddy who also had to run to keep up with him was even more amazing - I don't think his daddy's recovered yet! Again, they came about halfway through the pack of entrants to complete the race, and collect Jake's completion cup.

Jake says that he likes running. I wonder if he will turn out to be a runner as time goes by. I wonder if the sprinters who rule the international track events today ever thought of being a runner when they were small children. One thing I do know for sure however, the pride their momma's have as they watch their grown children collect their medals can be no greater than the pride I felt watching my boys compete in this simple forest race.

Katie-Anne Gustafsson

Written by James Fohl

Recently I began riding on an all terrain vehicle, or ATV. A few short months ago, you could have came up to me and asked if I ever would ride on one of those machines and I would have most likely have screamed "No." and explained how I would never find myself riding such a piece of machinery.

You Gotta Get Over Your Fears If Its Gonna Work

I found myself in a position in which my new girlfriend owns a two wheel drive Kawasaki quad, and enjoys riding it whenever she gets the chance. Not one to ruin a relationship by not involving myself in my girlfriend's hobbies, I agreed one day to jump on the back of her quad and go for a short little ride.

At first, I of course found myself extremely nervous. The feelings of nervousness especially surged throughout my body after my girlfriend yelled back "Hang on!" and immediately increased the acceleration.

Ripping Through The Meadows, Riding An ATV Is Like Being A Yoyo

The quad ripped through the grass meadow without problems, and as we became closer and closer to the hills, I let out a gulp. We soon began to climb the hill, and soon the quad was a few feet off the ground, before it had bounced back onto the ground; our bodies bouncing on the ATV as if we were a yoyo following the path of its string.

My fear of the all terrain vehicle soon vanished, and we spent several hours that day (and eventually night) on the quad, riding through the woods, and opened fields. I guess my biggest fear of the whole ATV experience was the fear that I would fall right off the back of the moving vehicle when my girlfriend went around a bend. That fear was most likely cured when I realized that I wasn't going anywhere if I held onto my girlfriend tightly.

Quads Give You A Sense Of Freedom That You Can't Find On A Vehicle, or Motorcycle

Riding on the quad with my girlfriend gave me a sense of freedom that can be expressed through anything other than riding on a quad. We weren't limited to roads; there were trails that she had previously made, but for the most part we made our own paths.

Going through the mud puddles and getting completely covered in mud, getting smacked in the arms and legs by broken tree branches, and eventually getting stuck in a naturally made ditch were annoyances, but rather fun moments that occurred while we literally in the middle of nowhere.

Now that I have actually ridden on a quad, I now actually enjoy them instead of having somewhat of a hatred towards them. I sometimes watch the ATV races on the television, and I even have an ATV racing video game for my Sony Playstation II. The biggest change however, is whenever I am with my girlfriend, now I ask her if she wants to ride the quad.

Professional motocross is one of my favorite sports, so I am eagerly anticipating the start of the 2005 season, which kicks off with the Hangtown Classic on May 22 in Sacramento, California. Last year was both exciting and boring for fans. It was exciting if you like Ricky Carmichael, because you got to watch the champ go 24-0 to notch his unprecedented second perfect season in three years (and in his final year with Team Honda), but it was boring for those who were expecting to see good, close racing. Many fans had hoped that Team Yamaha's Chad Reed could carry his speed and success from the Supercross series to the outdoor tracks, but that didn't happen. While Reed did show incredible signs of improvement from the previous year's motocross season, he didn't present a major challenge to Carmichael.

This year, however, should be quite different. Kawasaki's James Stewart has moved up to the 250cc class and is ready to show everyone what he can do. Stewart displayed flashes of pure brilliance in limited Supercross action this year. He crashed badly and was injured in practice prior to the second race of the season in Phoenix, Arizona. But after he came back, he proceeded to convincingly win three of the next five races he entered, before going down hard again at the final round in Las Vegas. The extent of his latest injury hasn't been made clear to the general public. According to some rumors, Stewart suffered a dislocated thumb; other rumors point to a more serious shoulder or rib injury. Since Kawasaki apparently doesn't want to give the competition a mental edge by publicizing the details of Stewart's injury, we'll just have to wait and see how he rides at Hangtown.

Here are my picks for the top five finishers in the 250cc class:

1. Ricky Carmichael
As much as I would like to see someone else take the title this year, I just don't believe it can happen. Carmichael may be on a new team, but he is working the same old program and is ready to hand it to the other riders once again this year. Since competing in his first full motocross season as a professional in 1997, Carmichael has not lost a single title chase. He won the 125cc championship in the three years that he raced in that class, and then didn't miss a beat when he moved up to the 250cc class. He has five 250 MX titles to his name, and is going to be hard to beat this year. He has the experience, the determination, and the drive to win his sixth in a row. There were some early questions about the soundness of Suzuki's bikes, but Carmichael has effectively silenced those critics by winning the Supercross championship. It won't be a perfect motocross season for him, but I'm betting he will rack up more wins than anyone else and show more consistency than the rest of the field by getting on the podium in every round.

2. James Stewart
If Stewart can stay healthy, there's no doubt that he will win some races this year. He has already proved that he has the speed to run with the big boys, so there's no point in even speculating about that. But if we use his Supercross season as a benchmark, then Stewart will either be standing somewhere on the podium or getting helped off the track by medical personnel. The young Floridian's natural talent, athleticism, and sweet riding style ensure that all eyes are glued on him as he makes his way around the track, his boom or bust results just won't cut it for the championship. It will be enough to secure second place, though.

3. Chad Reed
Reed stumbled early in the Supercross series, and let Carmichael pull away to a points lead he would never relinquish, but the likable Yamaha rider came on strong during the second half of the season and notched five wins. Last year Reed showed that he has the skills to run in the front of the pack outdoors, so I expect him to be lurking right behind Carmichael and Stewart all season, ready to make a move if either one of those guys goes down. Reed will score his share of podiums, but I don't even think he's going to come away with a single win this season, let alone with the championship.

4. Kevin Windham
There was a time when Factory Connection's Kevin Windham would have ranked second on this list, but his inconsistent finishes drop him down to fourth. One of the biggest knocks on Windham is that he doesn't have the mental toughness that it takes to win. On his best days, Windham has the ability and the speed to run away from Carmichael, Stewart, and Reed; at other times, Windham seems to belong in the "best of the rest" grouping. It has been this inconsistency more than anything else that has prevented Windham from winning a 250 championship thus far in his career. Windham will have his good days and maybe win a few motos this year, but as much as his fans will dislike hearing this, he just isn't a serious threat for the title.

5. David Vuillemin
Team Yamaha's David Vuillemin didn't have the kind of Supercross season he was hoping for, having failed to earn a podium spot during the indoor series. But he is in the final year of his contract, so look for him to come out strong and showcase his talents for prospective team managers. Vuillemin definitely has motocross skills, as his fourth place overall finish in 2004 proves, and has a chance for some top-three rides this summer. But he'll have a tough time winning any motos, and is a long shot at best for the championship.

Written by James Fohl

Recently I found out the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to host the Major League Baseball Association's All Star game for the 2006 season. At first I really did not mind this decision, as the Pittsburgh Pirates were my local hometown team in which I supported.

I then began thinking, and after a little research I found out that the Pittsburgh Pirates had just hosted the All Star game back in 1994. This is quite odd, since there are now thirty professional baseball teams playing in either the National League (sixteen teams) or the American League (fourteen teams) and the Pittsburgh Pirates have been given the opportunity to host the All Star game two times within a fifteen year time span. What is even worse, is every year the game is shifted (per tradition) between being played in the American and National Leagues, so the National League has only been able to host four All Star games in other teams' stadiums during the Pittsburgh Pirates two opportunities to host the game. Call me a little crazy, but I really do not think that this is fair for the other National League teams.

Another interesting thing to throw into this mix, is that thanks to the Major League Baseball Association's decision to host the game in Pittsburgh in 2006, and in San Fransisco during the 2007 season, the tradition of alternating the game back and forth between the National and American leagues has been destroyed.

In case you were not aware, the Major League Baseball All Star Game is a game in which the best players from the National League play against the best players of the American League. The “best” players are selected by fans voting, either through ballots or on the Internet, and the game is played in the middle of July and marks the middle of the Major League Baseball season. Although throughout most of the history of the All Star game, only one game has been played per season, two games were played from the 1958-1962 seasons.

Below is a history of the All Star games played from 1933 to the present, including who won the game, the score of the game, where the game was played, and the team that hosted the game;

1933 American 4-2 Comiskey Park, Chicago White Sox
1934 American 9-7 Polo Grounds, New York Giants
1935 American 4-1 Municipal Stadium, Cleveland Indians
1936 National 4-3 Braves Field, Boston Braves
1937 American 8-3 Griffith Stadium, Washington Senators
1938 National 4-1 Crosley Field, Cincinnati Reds
1939 American 3-1 Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees
1940 National 4-0 Sportsman's Park, St. Louis Cardinals
1941 American 7-5 Briggs Stadium, Detroit Tigers
1942 American 3-1 Polo Grounds, New York Giants
1943 American 5-3 Shibe Park, Philadelphia Athletics
1944 National 7-1 Forbes Field, Pittsburgh Pirates
1945 Not held due to restrictions in travel due to WWII
1946 American 12-0 Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox
1947 American 2-1 Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs
1948 American 5-2 Sportsman's Park, St. Louis Browns
1949 American 11-7 Ebbets Field, Brooklyn Dodgers
1950 National 4-3 Comiskey Park, Chicago White Sox
1951 National 8-3 Briggs Stadium, Detroit Tigers
1952 National 3-2 Shibe Park, Philadelphia Phillies
1953 National 5-1 Crosley Field, Cincinnati Reds
1954 American 11-9 Municipal Stadium, Cleveland Indians
1955 National 6-5 County Stadium, Milwaukee Braves
1956 National 7-3 Griffith Stadium, Washington Senators
1957 American 6-5 Sportsman's Park, St. Louis Cardinals
1958 American 4-3 Memorial Stadium, Baltimore Orioles
1959-a National 5-4 Forbes Field, Pittsburgh Pirates
1959-b American 5-3 Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles Dodgers
1960-a National 5-3 Municipal Stadium, Kansas City Athletics
1960-b National 6-0 Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees
1961-a National 5-4 Candlestick Park, San Francisco Giants
1961-b TIE 1-1 Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox
1962-a National 3-1 D.C. Stadium, Washington Senators
1962-b American 9-4 Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs
1963 National 5-3 Municipal Stadium, Cleveland Indians
1964 National 7-4 Shea Stadium, New York Mets
1965 National 6-5 Metropolitan Stadium, Minnesota Twins
1966 National 2-1 Busch Memorial Stadium, St. Louis Cardinals
1967 National 2-1 Anaheim Stadium, California Angels
1968 National 1-0 Astrodome, Houston Astros
1969 National 9-3 Robert F Kennedy Memorial Stadium, WashingtonSenators
1970 National 5-4 Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati Reds
1971 American 6-4 Tiger Stadium, Detroit Tigers
1972 National 4-3 Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, Atlanta Braves
1973 National 7-1 Royals Stadium, Kansas City Royals
1974 National 7-2 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh Pirates
1975 National 6-3 County Stadium, Milwaukee Brewers
1976 National 7-1 Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia Phillies
1977 National 7-5 Yankee Stadium, New York Yankees
1978 National 7-3 San Diego Stadium, San Diego Padres
1979 National 7-6 Kingdome, Seattle Mariners
1980 National 4-2 Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles Dodgers
1981 National 5-4 Cleveland Stadium, Cleveland Indians
1982 National 4-1 Olympic Stadium, Montreal Expos
1983 American 13-3 Comiskey Park, Chicago White Sox
1984 National 3-1 Candlestick Park, San Francisco Giants
1985 National 6-1 Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, Minnesota Twins
1986 American 3-2 Astrodome, Houston Astros Roger Clemens, BOS (AL)
1987 National 2-0 Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland Athletics
1988 American 2-1 Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati Reds
1989 American 5-3 Anaheim Stadium, California Angels
1990 American 2-0 Wrigley Field, Chicago Cubs
1991 American 4-2 SkyDome, Toronto Blue Jays
1992 American 13-6 Jack Murphy Stadium, San Diego Padres
1993 American 9-3 Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore Orioles
1994 National 8-7 Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh Pirates
1995 National 3-2 The Ballpark in Arlington, Texas Rangers
1996 National 6-0 Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia Phillies
1997 American 3-1 Jacobs Field, Cleveland Indians
1998 American 13-8 Coors Field, Colorado Rockies
1999 American 4-1 Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox
2000 American 6-3 Turner Field, Atlanta Braves
2001 American 4-1 Safeco Field, Seattle Mariners
2002 TIE 7-7 Miller Park, Milwaukee Brewers
2003 American 7-6 U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago White Sox
2004 American 9-4 Minute Maid Park, Houston Astros

Tennis has been one of the most famous and hard-fought games of the last century and it continues to be so, when new and energetic players coming and dominating the scene and winning grand slams and major ATP tours. Women's game shifted to power game with the arrival of Monica Sales, who was followed by a huge sea of women players that can hit the ball hard and thundering upon the opponent.

India, however, like other countries have not produced any hard-hitting tennis players and its two key players Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati have relied much upon the game and control on the volley of their game, and wonders that they have won many grand slams in the present era: they become the only duo in around 50 years, who reached the finals of all the grand slams when they won French Open and Wimbledon in 1999 but lost the Australian and US open final. It is coincidence that Andre Agaasi also reached the finals of all the grand slams in the same year!

Leander Paes has kept the national hope for quite a while now and he has defeated many big players like Pete Sampras, Sergi Brugera, Koral Kukerra and Goran Ivansevich, who withdrew due to the immense of Indian grounds in a Davis cup match in Mohali. It was in the Pilot Pen cup in 1997 that he showed his best form in singles, when he defeated three key players in regular matches, but apart from that he has been a doubles player and his recent tie-up with Martina Navratilova was a unique combination of experience and majesty that she had in her game and no wonder that they won the grand slam! It was indeed a treat to watch them play together and Leander bowing to her at the end of the match!

When taking up the sport of archery, there's archery equipment that's needed and some that is wanted. Arrows and targets are in the definite needs category. Arrows come in different shapes with various tips and are assembled from materials such as aluminium, wood, or carbon. Arrows can cost anywhere from fifty cents to $50.00 per arrow. If you are a beginner, the less expensive are better because it won't matter if you loose one. The tips of arrows are almost as different as arrows themselves. While they used to be made from stone or bone, technology has changed the way they are made. They are made from carbonated steel and come in different shapes and sizes.

However, if you are innovative, you can make your own arrows. The shafts of the arrows can be made with thin dowel which is purchased at crafts or hobbies stores. The fletching is made from turkey feathers or strips of thin plastic bought from an archery store or mail order source. The purchased tapers (or arrowheads) can be hot glued into a slot that has been made in the shaft. This may take some practise and research, but in the long run, it could be a cheaper way of getting arrows.

Targets that are purchased can be anything from 3D (which can be an animal such as a deer, bear or racoon), square shaped block targets or rectangular bag targets which are covered with material and filled with foam. You can make your own targets by collecting old rugs and foam padding. You need to then sandwich the foam and rugs together, bind them and viola, you have a target, mount it to a fence or a post and you are ready to start practicing.

If you already have basic archery equipment like a bow, are handy and can find a distributor to buy the supplies needed, you can make some of your own equipment. This will not only make you proud in your expertise as you gain experience in the sport, but also the pride in a diy job well done.

Any true fan of professional football probably has several pieces of merchandise featuring his or her favorite team's logo, such as hats, t-shirts, hooded sweatshirts, stadium jackets, coffee mugs, and key chains. Those items can all be had for reasonable prices, and all of those things are representative of the entire team or organization rather than a single player. So, you can get years and years of use out of them regardless of team personnel changes. But what about when you want to buy a jersey with your favorite player's name or number on it? There used to be a time when players stuck with a team for their whole careers. These days, however, the free agency system means that a majority of professional football players will play for several teams before they retire. That presents a real challenge for fans who want to buy jerseys and other personalized products.

Player jerseys are not cheap. Replica NFL jerseys, for example, which are the ones with the letter and numbers screen printed on a mesh jersey, cost as much as $74.99. An authentic NFL jersey, which comes with the player's letters and numbers sewn on, are listed at some online shops for as much as $299.99. That is a significant amount of money (for me, at least) to spend on a jersey for some player who might not be around in a few years. Is that a risk you are willing to take?

I suppose you can argue that there are some "sure things" as far as players go. You know, the ones that will become "franchise players" and will stay with a team for a long time. Tom Brady just signed a new deal with the New England Patriots, Peyton Manning will probably stay in Indianapolis for several more years, and the Atlanta Falcons are not going to let Mike Vick get away any time soon. We can see this now, but what about when these players first entered the league?

For example, do you remember that Brady threw only three passes in his rookie season while spending the rest of the time as Drew Bledsoe's backup? Would you have bought his jersey back then? How about when Manning was drafted second overall? The San Diego Chargers picked Ryan Leaf over Manning. Look at where the former number-one draft pick is now. How would you feel if you had spent several hundred dollars on a Ryan Leaf jersey? Meanwhile, even though Vick hasn't lit up the league like some people predicted he would, he has by no means been a disappointment. Buying his jersey would be a pretty safe investment.

I have owned exactly two NFL jerseys in my life. The first jersey I ever bought was a Cade McNown replica. Who is Cade McNown? Well, he was a left-handed quarterback out of UCLA and was the Chicago Bears' first-round draft pick in 1999 (12th overall). The coaching staff decided to develop him slowly, meaning he played in only one or two series per game during his rookie year. The Chicago media and fans apparently liked what little they saw of McNown during this developmental stage because they really hyped him up as the next big thing. I believed all the positive press and bought a McNown jersey in anticipation of him being named the Bears' starter the next season. He didn't do very well, and was run out of town because of his poor record and even poorer attitude. So here I am still stuck with a #8 Cade McNown jersey that I am too embarrassed to wear anywhere. I bought my second NFL jersey a year ago. Which player did I stake my hard-earned cash on? Tom Brady! I just don't see anyone on the Bears who is untouchable as far as trades go.

What about this year's draft class? Which players are going to have long NFL careers and which players are going to be selling used cars five years from now? Alex Smith was the first pick overall. Was his undefeated season at Utah a fluke, or does he have what it takes to make it in the NFL? How about the rest of the top five guys: Ronnie Brown, Braylon Edwards, Cedric Benson, or Carnell Williams? What about a wild card like Maurice Clarett? Which of those guys will have the immediate positive impact that their teams are praying (and paying) for? Which ones will be wearing a different uniform within 3 years? Will you pick the right jersey to buy? Only time will tell!

During the regular season, the Phoenix Suns fastbreaked their way to the NBA's best regular season record. At 62 wins and 20 losses, the team won more often than the three proverbial favorites to win the NBA title, the Miami Heat, the Detroit Pistons, and the San Antonio Spurs. Playing in the more difficult Western Conference, the Suns were the height of consistency, winning 31 home games and 31 road games, demonstrating a balance unheard of in today's NBA game. Their outstanding regular season earned the Suns the distinction of holding home court advantage throughout the playoffs.

In addition to securing the NBA's best record, the team has now taken home two of the major post season awards to date. One of those major award winners was head coach Mike D'Antoni, this year's NBA Coach of the Year. One of several coaches to take over an NBA team during the 2003-2004, D'Antoni led the Suns from their exceedingly modest 29 wins a year ago to the league's best of 62 this season. The 33 win increase from one NBA season to the next is extraordinary and represents one of the best single season improvements in NBA history.

With the signing of the high octane Nash in the off-season, D'Antoni made a full commitment to the fastbreak, uptempo offense that has been the Suns forte all season. He took an athletic power forward in Amare Stoudamire and moved him to center to take advantage of Stoudamire's speed. Likewise, D'Antoni took small forward Shawn Marion and moved him to power forward, again taking advantage of superior quickness and athleticism. By starting Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson, two players tall enough to play small forward but good enough on the perimeter to be shooting guards, D'Antoni produced a phenomenally versatile athletic starting five.

With Nash at the point, the team simply out ran opponents. Stoudamire, quicker than most centers, and Marion, quicker than most power forwards, simply beat their defenders down the floor and Nash found them with pass after pass, leading to dunk after spectacular dunk. Getting the team to run initially took the leadership of the coach but in order to get a team to continue to run, especially the big fellas, the players have to see the ball on the break. Nash made D'Antoni's fastbreak offense work, allowing one of the league's youngest teams to use its incredible athleticism to earn the best record despite playing in the NBA's more difficult conference.

The combined effects of player and coach were noted by basketball pundits everywhere. As good an approach as D'Antoni had, the piece of the puzzle that made it all work was the unselfish play of Nash. And the recognition of the point guard's importance was never more apparent than when he was selected as the league's Most Valuable Player. It was an unusual choice, one that still surprised many. Quite frankly the player chosen is seldom a guard and when a guard has been chosen, it has generally been because of their ability to be a dominant scorer. But Nash is a player who leaves the scoring to his teammates.

His selection caused a stir among many, even drew comments of racism. The white Nash topping the black Shaquille O'Neal was seen by some as a choice of race instead of basketball prowess. Those claims seem absurd when true consideration was given to the players two seasons. Miami was already an up and coming team prior to Shaq's arrival. O'Neal was seen as the final piece to making the Heat a championship contender and the Big Diesel has done just that. But the Heat are as much Dwayne Wade's team as they are Shaq's. In the early aspects of the playoffs, under the scrutiny of the national media, this has never been more evident. Wade has simply been the better Heat player thus far.

In contrast, Nash joined a team with a losing record that was seen as improving, becoming perhaps a playoff contender. But that was the extent of the early season thoughts - anyone posturing that the Suns would earn the NBA's best regular season record or contend for an NBA title would have been met with a look of extreme skepticism. Instead, with Nash and D'Antoni, the Suns are in fact a legitimate title team.

Both coach and player are extremely deserving of the awards they have received. In fact with the best record on the season and now with the Most Valuable Player and Coach of the Year awards in their trophy case, the Suns have only one award left to seek, that of NBA champions.

Women's gymnastics is a complex and dangerous sport that captivates the eyes and hearts of millions every four years at the Summer Olympics. Nadia Comaneci and Mary-Lou Retton are just two of the many amazing young women whose names will go down in gymnastics history because of their heart, determination, and gold medals. There is much more to the sport, though, than just the smiling young pixies who flip and contort their bodies in unimaginable ways.

The vault is traditionally the first event in the four-event rotation of women's gymnastics. The vault requires an extreme amount of speed and strength. The apparatus itself, the vaulting horse, is four feet high, five feet in length and eleven inches in width. The women begin each vault by sprinting down a runway that is three feet wide and eighty-two feet long. After running down the runway, the gymnasts then spring off of the springboard, propel themselves into the air, over the horse, and onto the landing mat after doing a number of twists and flips. The difficulty of the vault and the subsequent score is determined by a variety of things such as body positioning, number of twists, number of flips, and the ultimate stuck landing. In recent gymnastics history, Kerri Strug injured her ankle and fell on her first of two vaulting attempts. But, with the United States' women's team gold medal on the line, she fought through her pain, and landed her second vault on only one leg, saluted the judges, and the collapsed to secure her team's victory.

The second women's gymnastics apparatus following the vault is the uneven parallel bars, or often simply called the uneven bars. The uneven bars are an extremely exciting event to watch, and those gymnast's with exceptional toe point and long lines look beautiful circling and swinging the bars. The uneven bars are, as they sound, two bars at different heights. The taller standing of the two bars is eight feet off the ground, and the lower is five feet off the ground. The bars are also three feet apart from each other, but the height of each and the distance apart can be slightly adjusted to better fit a gymnast's height. The typical uneven bar routine generally starts on the low bar and move up to the high bar. In elite gymnastics, each gymnast is required to perform two release moves wherein they completely let go of the bar, and regrasp it after some sort of flip or twist. Release moves are usually the most difficult and risky part of a gymnast's bar routine, and can result in a fall if timing and body position during the release are not perfect. Throughout the course of the routine, the gymnast moves from bar to bar executing different swings, handstands, and of course the release moves. The routine culminates with a big dismount and, the attempted stuck landing. The uneven bars is an event that requires an exceptional amount of upper body strength, grace, and fluidity, as the entire routine is completed without pause.

The third event in women's gymnastics is the most nerve-racking of the bunch: the balance beam. The balance beam is a nemesis for many a gymnast, and requires absolute concentration, focus, and precision. The balance beam is a mere four inches wide while standing four feet off the ground. Throughout the course of their routine, gymnasts are required to do unthinkable moves on only four inches of space, and make it appear effortless the entire time. In a given beam routine, gymnasts are required to have one element wherein they are very close to the beam, two acrobatic flight moves, one full 360 degree turn, and finally a leap with both distance and height. If you watch gymnastics at the Olympic level, you know that gymnasts also incorporate numerous other dance and acrobatic elements to make their own routine stand out. In addition to the dance and tumbling requirements, a beam routine must also be technically sound in that it must both cover the entire length of the beam and last within the time limit of 70 to 90 seconds. Over the years, the level of difficulty female gymnasts are incorporating into their balance beam routines has reached unbelievable levels. The acrobatic and dance combinations are difficult to even complete on the floor, let alone the four inches of the balance beam. While it is an extremely physical event, the balance beam is also known for being very mentally exhausting as well. Gymnasts perform countless beam routines in practice to prepare their bodies and minds for being four feet in the air, on only four inches of ground, in front of crowds of thousands.

Finally, the last event in women's gymnastics is the floor exercise. The floor exercise is always a crowd favorite, because it incorporates music, and allows the gymnast to express herself more so than the other events. The floor exercise is performed on a padded forty by forty foot carpet that contains springs below the padding. The gymnasts are required to complete four different passes from corner to corner of the floor, and must cover all parts of the floor throughout the course of their routine. The floor exercise routine can last anywhere between seventy and ninety seconds, and the entirety of the routine is choreographed down to every single beat of the music. The best floor exercise routines are those that combine exciting tumbling passes with beautiful dance elements as well. The floor routine also should really be in the style of the gymnast, because personality always shines through in a good floor routine, and can get the crowd going. The United States' women have had some outstanding floor routines in the past from gymnasts such as Kim Zmeskal, Dominique Dawes, and Dominique Moceanu. Each of these gymnasts' routines combined dance, grace, and unyielding energy that made their exercise a crowd favorite.

Women's gymnastics is an extremely challenging and exciting sport that requires a great deal of discipline and dedication. The next time you tune in to women's gymnastics, think of the countless elements that go into each and every routine, and you are sure to have an increased amount of admiration for each and every female gymnast.

Alfred Fincher, the third round draft choice of the New Orleans saints, is hoping to come in and make a name for himself as a player that works hard, knows the game, and has dedicated himself to being the best possible player he can be, something that has been sorely lacking on this Saints team over the past few years.

Stepping into a locker room that has seen considerable discord over the prior three years, with the Saints having made mistakes on the character side of the players they have brought in through free agency and drafting, Fincher may be able to step up and make himself into the kind of leader that every team needs. With the possible bust of the Saints Sullivan, the washout of Dale Carter, and the team's apparent collapse late in the season in 2002 and 2003, (2004, when the Saints when their last four games but missed the playoffs being the exception) Fincher may be the one to fill the vacuum.

Fincher played his college career in Connecticut, helping revive a program that had received little attention. Rated sixth on the list of tackles with 140 in his last college season, Fincher was one of a pair of Uconn players drafted in the NFL and was the second highest draft pick in history from the school.
Working right now at the middle linebacker position, Fincher is playing behind Courtney Watson on a line backing corp that was a weak position in the NFL's worst defense last year. With either Watson or Fincher able to be moved to weak side linebacker, both may see the field before the season is over and help to shore up a position that the Saints will need to see great improvement from if they hope to make the show in next year's NFL postseason.

Saints' head coach Jim Haslett is eager to see the new linebacker step into a starting role, sayiong that Fincher will certainly be given the opportunity to win the job, and credits Fincher with real leadership qualities, saying that it was evident from the first day of rookie mini-camp that the 6-1 238 pound Fincher was a player that made himself noticed on the field.

Fincher experienced a little trouble at the Saonts minicamp, having a little trouble getting himself acclimated to the heat and humidity in New Orleans, something most players experience in their first trip to the Big Easy.

Keron Henry, a wide receiver from Fincher's graduating class at Connecticut, and a free agent signed by the Saints, says he made the choice to come to New Orleans just because he knew Fincher would be here, and he could depend on the third rounder to give him the motivation he needed to compete for a roster spot.

One of the better things I think to come out of Fincher's mouth is the fact that though he knows he's been brought in to win the starting job, he doesn't take it as a given, and is willing to go wherever the teams feels they need him, including a spot on special teams if he can contribute to the Saints success in that area. That bodes well in my mind, as I'm pretty tired of egotistical instant millionaire draft choices poisoning the Saints roster and acting as a drag on the team's performance.

Unfortunately for the Saints and their fans, it looks like they may have blown their fourth round pick with the choice of wide receiver Chase Lyman, out of the University of California. Lyman, who had a history of injuries throughout his college career, which limited him to only eight starts and 34 games over five years, came into the Saints mini camp and promptly tore his ACL on the first day, an injury which will probably keep him out for the year. This guy spends more time in the rehab unit than on the field. I don't mind a team taking a stretch on a player, but doing it in the fourth round is a little more risk than I would like to see the Saints take, and in this case it seems to have blown up in their faces.

It's a sad state in the arenas of North America. For nearly a century, since Lord Stanley's Cup became the pinnacle of hockey achievement, uniformed children and young adults, male and female, joined together in a symphony of skates flashing over the ice, whistles from a referee, wooden sticks slapping at a small piece of frozen rubber, and the occasional thud of a player hitting the boards. But in the last 2 decades and growing increasingly more frequent in recent years, several notes of discord drown out the harmonious beauty of the Symphony.

Many of these notes are in the form of words to the referee, sometimes by coaches, who are, after all, supposed to be able to question some of the calls if they see a major problem. But increasingly, these questions and comments, often rude or even vulgar profanities are directed at the referee by spectators, the parents of the children on the ice. I am a great lover of the game, and when I go to see a little league game (usually Minor Bantam, or helping out in the hockey schools provided by Tim Horton's), I hear swearing, cursing, loud questioning of the judgment of the referee, and a general discontent that I would expect to see if the two people involved were in a boxing ring.

Children do not need to be exposed to this type of behavior during a hockey game. Constantly, children are always told not to use these phrases, not to get upset over a small thing, while their major roles models, whom are in their lives every second of every day, scream at a junior referee over something that is completely and utterly trivial, when looked at by outsiders.

The proper environment for a game of hockey is one where these is no conflict between those on and off the ice. Let the children play a child's game, in a child's way. They will encounter the hardships of adulthood soon enough without having it thrust upon them in what is supposed to be an enjoyable sport. My message could not possibly be any simpler. This is a game. Despite all the beauty, all the grace, and all the love that we have for hockey, we must remember, it's all a game. Let the children play their game. Parents, keep your comments to yourselves. Let the symphony that was the great game of hockey return to its rightful place, as the best sport in the world.

Statistically speaking he may not be ranked at the top of the league, at least not when it comes to touchdown passes, passing yardage and quarterback rating. But when it comes to winning, Tom Brady is without peer and with his new contract, is now being paid commensurate with some of the game's best.

Brady's $60 million, 6 year deal, is more than double his prior 4 year, $29.6 million extension that was signed back in 2002. However, in raw numbers, his $14.5 million signing bonus still pales in comparison to that of the $34.5 million bonus paid to the game's best quarterback statistically, Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning. Brady's signing number also is less than that of another elite quarterback, Philadelphia Eagle Donovan McNabb.

But along with the initial bonus, the Patriots leader will also receive a cool $12 million roster bonus in March of 2006, that is assuming he makes the roster. With the two bonuses combined and his yearly salaries thrown in, the Patriots signal caller will earn more than $40.5 million over the first three years of his contract, or a little more than $3.5 million more than Manning will earn in the first three years of his deal, a 10 year package worth $98 million.

In locking up Brady, the Patriots extended a top player's contract at the very time that the team was making many tough decisions and letting other high priced players go. The basis of the Patriots success the last few years comes from the ability of management to lock in key personnel while at the same time cutting loose interchangeable parts that can be obtained through free agency. The Patriots have been the league's best franchise the last few years because of their ability to properly assess personnel, and being willing to ante-up the bucks for Brady was right in line with the team's thoughts.

Actually, when it came to coughing up big numbers for Brady, the decision had to be relatively easy. The man is truly the heart and soul of the Patriots team, representing the franchise publicly in precisely the manner that the organization looks to portrays itself. Intelligent, yet unassuming, confident but not brash, Brady is the epitome of the New England team concept.

He is not the highest rated passer nor the games highest paid player, but that is because Brady is not about numbers. If it were, he'd be a holdout seeking to garner the kind of money Manning received, both in pure salary and in length of contract. Instead Brady is about being a teammate and member of the top National Football League franchise in America today.

More comfortable pumping iron with his linemen than he is talking with the media, the former Michigan Wolverine appears focused only on that which really matters, winning. And winning is something Brady has done in extraordinary fashion ever since he joined the NFL.

Taking over as the starting quarterback in 2001, Brady now has three Super Bowl titles and two Super Bowl Most Valuable Player awards. He also has a regular season won-loss mark of 48 wins and 14 losses and an astonishingly perfect, 9-0 playoff record.

More importantly, Brady seldom seeks the limelight, instead deferring to his teammates and coaches. He appears content to carry the lunch pail if it means his team has a better shot at winning and his willingness to accept less money than Manning gives clear indication to his fellow Patriots that he is interested in nothing more than the next season and another possible run to a Super Bowl title.

Brady appears to have hit pay dirt - and unfortunately for the rest of the NFL, the New England Patriots appear to have hit pay dirt as well, especially now that they know they will have the league's top signal caller for the next 6 seasons.

Archery is a sport of the ages and is almost one of the oldest sports known to man. Our early ancestors used the art of hunting with a bow and arrow, not for sport, but for simple survival. They used to gather not only the meat of the animal, but the hide as well, which they used for clothing and shelter.

Of course archery has changed over the centuries. Bows and arrows were used in many conflicts as weaponry for thousands of years. And of course, everyone has heard of William Tell and Robin Hood and his band of merry men - what did they use? Why bows and arrows of course!

If we fast forward to the present, archery is not only used for sport, but for competition as well. At the dawn of the modern Olympiad in 1884, the sport of archery was included as one of the competitions. Women were allowed to compete in that sport shortly after the turn of the century.

Even since then, the sport of archery has evolved into an almost high tech sport. You can start off as a beginner by purchasing a beginner's set for less than $100.00 The bows that you use can be the old fashioned or compound (with a pulley that assists with the pull and prohibits your arm for getting as tired as fast.) Arrows can be wood, aluminium or carbon and with a ton of accessories, well there is no end to the sport.

Competitions abound in this sport, there is even special equipment for para sports people, for example, even if you are blind, you can still participate in archery as there is a small addition that is placed behind the target that emits a small electronic beeping sound which allows the person to aim for the target.

This is an interesting sport that does require a bit of monetary outlay but is also one that can be very rewarding too!

After Indiana's dominating game seven performance, the young and athletic Boston Celtics headed to the off season with two major player personnel decisions to make. The contracts of two key members of this year's team, Antoine Walker and Gary Payton, are both up and the Celtics will have to make the tough decisions that come with trying to resign the pair.

Given the impact of the two veterans, it seems likely that Celtics will give serious consideration to bringing both players back. The critical decision, in fact, is not whether the Celtics will seek the players services - based on their performances this year both seemingly would be welcome back in to the fold. The question for the Celtics appears to be how much is the organization willing to spend for their services for next year and beyond.

First up for the C's will be the contract of Antoine Walker. 'Toine returned to the Celtics in a late season trade with Atlanta, a deal that propelled the Celtics to the Division title and home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The swap jump started a struggling team, taking the Celtics from the outskirts of a playoff spot to a bona fide playoff participant.

Walker brought the Celtics two things, a competitive fire that the team appeared lacking and some much needed rebounding toughness. Antoine's competitive drive rubbed off on a team that was lacking the day in day out intensity of a quality NBA club. In addition, his ability to lead the team allowed Paul Pierce to step from the leadership role, something the Celtics guard simply does not care to do.

Walker did bring a lot to the table, but he also has tremendous liabilities. His shooting ability is suspect and is confounded by a propensity to take bad shots, especially the long distance trey. He also has average low post skills, something the team needed much more of from the burly forward. So, though 'Toine helped the C's down the stretch, he simply is not a franchise player deserving of franchise money. He is a good player with decent skills, but he is not worthy of one of the top contracts in the game.

Unfortunately, Walker has had a tendency to see things differently. His view led Celtics' General Manager Danny Ainge to trade Walker back in the fall of 2003 to the Dallas Mavericks in the first place. Now Ainge has the opportunity to resign a more traveled and perhaps less cocky Walker to a more reasonable contract. One has to wonder where Walker will be coming from when negotiations start.

Complicating the issue for Walker, the Celtics appear to have a youngster in the wings who simply has more talent. First round pick Al Jefferson, a high schooler out of Mississippi, showed enormous potential throughout the season. Needing only additional seasoning to round out his game, Jefferson appears to have an equal nose for the ball when it comes to rebounding, and more importantly, seems to have the shooting touch Walker lacks.

It looks here as if Ainge will make a decent offer, though it will probably not be the long-term contract Walker will seek, and it certainly will not be at the numbers Walker will want. The Celtics simply will not need to be paying big money for a player who may at that time be coming off the bench. Look for a decent one or two year offer from the Celtic, in the $10 million range per year, or perhaps a longer deal at substantially reduced numbers.

In Payton, the Celtics have the veteran point guard who likes the new up-tempo game that Doc Rivers has instituted with the team. Though Payton no longer has the defensive skills he once had and cannot be counted on for forty minutes a game anymore, he is a solid floor leader who would help stabilize the Celtics as they transition to one of two young point guards.

Rookie Delonte West looms as the heir apparent. West can shoot it real well, doesn't turn the ball over and has the ability to play tough defense on the opposing point guard. But the Celtics also have the mercurial Marcus Banks, a lightning quick, defensive demon, player that can cause opponents fits, and with a tendency to get out of control offensively, his own coach fits. Like Jefferson, West and Banks both have enormous upsides, needing only more playing time to develop their overall skills.

Another year coming off the bench would do wonders for both players, taking the pressure off them that would come from starting and leading the team. Allowing these two players numerous opportunities to play while still having Payton around to mentor and back them up would give the Celtics a great deal of stability as they transition to the younger guards.

Look for the Celtics to make Payton an excellent offer, perhaps even in the $4-5 million range but with the deal being a one year contract. Payton, looking for greater security could head West towards home. That said, he appeared to enjoy the Celtics style and to relish the role of mentor to a talented group of youngsters.

Though the games are won on the hardwood floor during the winter months, an enormous part of the opportunity for the Celtics to take a step forward rests with the two veterans that, given the right price, could be valuable to the continued development of a young and talented team. A big off season looms for the Celtics.

On May 4th, Big East member schools announced they had settled their lawsuit with Boston College, Miami and the Atlantic Coast Conference. The legal proceedings were just one more sign of the big business aspect that surrounds collegiate sports in our country.

The high-profile lawsuit filed on behalf of West Virginia, Connecticut, Rutgers and Pittsburgh sought damages from the Atlantic Coast Conference, their member schools and league officials. The announced settlement appeared to be approximately one million dollars per school.

Filed by the Connecticut attorney general, the lawsuit accused Boston College and Miami of conspiring with the Atlantic Coast Conference to weaken the Big East Conference. According to Connecticut school officials, UConn had made a tremendous investment in the university's football program, and according to those officials, the suit was filed as one part of a larger effort to protect that investment.

The loss of football powers Miami and Virginia Tech meant that the Big East as a football conference could have already lost its Bowl Championship Series status, a status that last year paid the league approximately $17 million. With the defection of Boston College, it appeared even more likely that the Big East as a football conference would struggle for viability.

While the Bowl Championship Series payouts to major conferences topped $17 million, the monetary payments to minor football conferences such as Conference USA totaled a paltry $1 million. The defection of Boston College, after that of Miami and Virginia Tech, meant that it was likely that the Big East could have difficulty retaining its big-time football payout status. Sixteen million dollars in Bowl Championship Series funds was the kind of dollar figure the University of Connecticut officials were referring to when they announced the need to protect their football investment.

In classic legal form today, West Virginia, having invested 1.2 million in the suit, revealed it had lost money in the process of taking the former Big East members to court. Perhaps nothing was more symbolic of the big business nature of collegiate athletics than the fact that school had spent 1.2 million dollars in legal fees, fees that led to a 1 million dollar settlement.

Prior to settling the suit, the Big East Conference had moved on. Former Conference USA member schools Cincinnati, Louisville, DePaul, South Florida, and Marquette are all set to join the Big East by the 2005-2006 season. These former Conference USA members are joining a conference that they hope has greater stability and that just now might be able to maintain its Bowl Championship Series status and multi-million dollar payouts.

Though raiding Conference USA to retool the Big East may have caused these four Big East member schools to think twice about suing their departing colleagues, it appears more than likely the spiraling legal fees and the desire for all parties to move on that led to the legal settlement of the matter.

When I married my husband, I knew that he was a jock. I had seen his high school yearbook, peppered with black and white photos of him on the soccer team, the baseball team, the track team. I knew that he and his four brothers had been heavily into Little League (their Dad was even a coach). I also knew that he liked to watch sports-- one of our first dates was to a Phillies game. Early on in our courtship I cheered him on at his high school's soccer team twentieth reunion (yes, you heard me right). He made a good showing and he was excited to be there. So yes, I knew all this about him, this love he had for sports. I just didn't know to what extent.

I should have been clued into it when he decided to ride his bike to work one day. All eight miles. On a curvy, wooded road. Then there was the various sports teams that he was on. We worked together, at a large company, and there were a bunch of "leagues" that you could join-- softball, tennis, basketball, volleyball-- and he participated in every single one. Being a supportive girlfriend, I'd go watch his games and cheer him on. One time I even got cajoled into filling in at one of the softball games (they were short one girl).

So, I married him thinking how great it was that exercise was such an important part of his life. I even hoped that some of his enthusiasm would rub off on me. That was eight years ago.

It seems that as he has gotten older, he's gotten even more into sports. He's taken up a new one recently-- golf. Oh, how I hate being the wife of a golfer. Golf isn't a one hour match up like a basketball game is-- it's an all day affair. Plus it's expensive. And then there's the matter of the touch football with the guys from work. My husband is ten to fifteen years older than most of his work colleagues-- and he loves competeting with the younger guys. He gives them a run for their money-- most of them can't believe how old my husband is when he tells them.

My husband generally plays basketball two nights a week and one day at lunch with the work guys. The touch football and the golf are more seasonal sports (thank goodness). Running is a frequent activity when the weather is warm; if not, there's the treadmill and weight bench in our basement.

So the sports playing I can deal with. I mean, he has to exercise after all. I understand that-- we have two small children and he wants to be in good shape so he can be around for them for a long, long time.

It's the extracurricular sports-related activities that get under my skin. He spends hours reading the sports page from the newspaper and magazines like Sports Illustrated. On the Internet? SI.com and the Sporting News and a bunch of other sports websites. ESPN, ESPN2 and Comcast Sports Net are always on our TV-- until I can wrestle the remote control away from him to change it. And when it's fantasy football draft pick time, forget it-- I'm not even allowed near the computer for fear he'll miss out on a hot pick.

Today we rushed home from a family party because there were two big basketball games on that my husband absolutely had to watch (okay, okay, its playoff time). So sometimes I really do feel like a sports widow. But other times, and this is most of the time, I remember that I married him for better or for worse. Which to me means that there are a lot worse things to worry about than a husband who likes sports. My husband is a jock, but he's my jock and I wouldn't trade him for the world.

Written by James Fohl

Recently, pedometers have exploded in popularity. You could find them everywhere; from the adult "Go Active" Happy Meal at McDonalds to the checkout lanes at your local Wal-Mart Supercenter. While most people really do not wish to have a thing to do with the small little gadgets, some concerned Americans everywhere wishing to get in better physical condition are calling pedometers their new found best friends.

The Simple Construction Of The Pedometer

The pedometers floating around today are much different then those that existed many years ago, and much cheaper. Today's basic pedometer, priced around two to five dollars is a small piece of plastice encasing a watch battery, a small LCD (liquid crystal display) and the pedometer itself; a small lead ball, two metallic plates, and a computer chip that registers the movement of the lead ball.

Pedometers are used everyday by all kinds of people; from business men to women working out at the gym; a wide variety of people can usually be seen with a pedometer attached to their belt. The reason so many people enjoy wearing pedometers is simple; it allows the person wearing the pedometer to easily figure out how far they had walked on a specific day.

Cheap Pedometers Give You Steps, Expensive Pedometers Give You Mileage

The cheap pedometers usually just display the number of steps a person took on the LCD (liquid crystal display) and the person has to usually do a mathematical equation to figure out how many miles / kilometers they had walked that day. More sophisticated pedometers will automatically to the calculations for you, and some pedometers will even speak how far you had walked out loud.

With such a low price, it is no wonder why so many people have pedometers, and use them on a regular basis. Many people who wear them are now more encouraged to go for everyday walks, or take the stairs instead of riding the elevator. It's really ironic that such an inexpensive device is helping make Americans healthier everyday.

Like Everything Else, Pedometers Have Faults Too

Pedometers are not without their faults however; because of the lackluster of sophistication in the cheapest models, lots of irregular movements will trick the pedometer into thinking that you are walking when you are not. For example, if you shake your leg while sitting at your desk doing your work, the low end pedometers will often register the leg movements as steps. Other similar movements will also cause similar problems. Because of these issues, it is often recommended that a user of a pedometer should take the pedometer off while they are not walking to avoid an exaggerated step count. This could be considered a hassle for people, however just remember its better to have the hassle and find out that you walked seven miles that specific day, instead of thirty miles due to excessive leg shaking.

The Popularity Of The Pedometer Is Windling Down Again

While the popularity of pedometers had exploded, they are turning back to a burnout state. McDonalds is no longer offering their free pedometers with their Go Active adult Happy Meals, and Wal-Mart Supercenters are marking their remaining pedometers on clearance. So if you have not yet been into the whole pedometer craze, and want a nice cheap tool that will help you with your goals of becoming a healthier person, then go out and purchase a pedometer; remember they are only a few dollars.

It was an active day for Louisiana College baseball yesterday, as Tulane completed a sweep of crosstown rival University of New Orleans and Southern took a 9-5 win over the struggling LSU tigers baseball team, one of the few times in recent history in which the Jaguars have been able to beat the dominant baseball program of the Bayu state.
Tulane's Tommy Manzella had a 3-4 performance against UNO, with two RBI in the Green Wave's 7-6 win at Zephy field. Getting his first RBI on a sacrifice fly ball, Manzella then dropped a single into left field to get his second of the day. Manzella has had a hot bat against the Privateers this year as he's hitting .571 against the Privateers. He's also done fairly well at the plate over the last few games in general, with yesterday's performance being his second four hit performance in the last four games the Wave has played.
The 7-6 win means that the Wave is now undefeated in games against Louisiana teams, carrying a 10-0 record on the season.
Despite Manzella's performance, the UNO privateers didn't stand pat and get rolled over by any means, rallying in the sixth inning with four runs after trailing 7-2. Alex Webster got the first run plated with a single to center field. Mike Constantino followed that up with another single to bring in Baxter, and Webster scored on an error at third base. Jason Scwab's hit then knocked in two runners with a triple into right field.
All this came after UNO started the game with a 1-0 lead after a run in the first inning. Tulane roared back with a run in the bottom of the first and then a big five run inning came in the second.
Up in Baton Rouge, the Southern Jaguars used a combination of hitting, solid defense, and good pitching to knock off the LSU Tigers 9-5. Not bad for a small school, beating a highly regarded program ranked sixteenth in the nation, although this Tiger team doesn't seem to have the stuff that previous LSU squads have had.
Nevertheless, since the game was the Jaguars' second win against the Baton rouge boys in over 40 tries the last being four years ago in 2001, they deserve a pat on the back.
LSU helped out with a four error performance, giving the Jags two runs in the process, along with some bad base running.
The Jaguars on the other hand, played very well on defense, notching four double plays in the game.
The Jags starting pitcher, David Bayless, pitched six and two thirds inning, and gave up 10 hits and only a pair of walks, allowing four runs to score. Reliever Damien Givens finished things up for the Jaguars by giving up a single run that was unearned.
In this game, the underdog Jags jumped out in front 3-0. While LSU had a couple of opportunities to come back and do some damage, they couldn't manage to push the issue, and both rally attempts fell short. The Tigers loaded up the bases in the fourth inning, sitting pretty with no outs, but Will Harris hit into a double play, although the Tigers did get a run out of the deal. With two runners in scoring position in the fifth and no outs on the board, a Blake Gill line drive was turned into a pair of outs with a catch by outfielder Mario Spann who then threw home to catch Derek Hebert at the plate.

At the start of the playoffs, most pundits would have placed their bets on a Detroit and San Antonio match-up in the NBA Finals. Such a thought bypassed the two teams ranked first in each conference, the Miami Heat and the Phoenix Suns.

Count me among those who wrote off the Heat, who thought that Miami might struggle against the Nets, leading to a possible playoff upset. But quite frankly, rumors of Shaquille O'Neal's bad health were much overstated and the Heat absolutely blitzed the Nets in four straight.

Many experts had thought that with Richard Jefferson returning to the fold and superstars Jason Kidd and Vince Carter in the mix, the Nets would give Miami a tussle, especially on New Jersey's home floor. But even a strong performance by the Nets in game three resulted in a double overtime loss.

Miami proved to be as offensively talented as they are rumored to be physical. Budding superstar Dwayne Wade torched the Nets for 26 points a game, topping thirty in both the playoff opener and the clincher. Silky smooth, Wade gives Miami both an outside and slashing presence to compliment Shaq's dominant inside game.

But the real surprise had to be the other outside game for Miami. Journey-man point guard Damon Jones is known as a three point specialist and he showed why against the Nets. Among his 22 field goals in the series were 18 three pointers and he shot 45% from beyond the arc.

However, the other Jones, guard-forward Eddie Jones was even better percentage-wise from behind the arc, knocking down 15 of 27 attempts, or an astonishing 55% of his treys. Eddie topped 20 points the last two games and proved Miami is a multiple threat offensively. Throw in great role play from Udonis Haslem, Keyon Dooling, and Alonzo Mourning and the Heat appear every bit to be the team thought to win the Eastern Conference.

So as good as the Detroit Pistons are, and believe me they are good, their series with Miami should be a beauty.

In the West, not much was thought of Phoenix's run and gun approach all season, this in spite of their 60 plus wins. Any team that simply tries to outscore its opposition is thought to be a playoff liability. The common NBA wisdom is that defense wins playoff basketball games.

But true to regular season form, the Suns sprinted up and down the floor, running past a game but undermanned Memphis Grizzlies team. Starting with the fleet and unselfish point guard Steve Nash, Phoenix uses a simple mentality. If a player is open ahead, he passes ahead and if a player is without the ball, he is to sprint and sooner or later he will see the basketball.

All five Phoenix starters averaged at least 15 points a game for the series with the Grizzlies. The Suns turn basketball games into track meets, a style that fits their extraordinary athleticism, especially the gifted big man, Amare Stoudamire and the undersized forward, Shawn Marion. Countless rushes up the floor ended with dunks or layups by these two and by others in the lineup.

Guard-forwards Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson have the perimeter shot to extend the defense, stretching opponents and rendering their inferior athleticism a liability. The young Johnson had a monster series against Memphis, topping 20 three times.

Even Phoenix's short bench contributed against Memphis. Jim Jackson shot the three very well and averaged double figures off the bench while Steve Hunter provided strong inside play to spell Stoudamire at times.

I can't help but think that the Phoenix and San Antonio match-up looks like classic clash of styles, the upstart and unusual high scoring Suns against the traditional defensive-minded Spurs.

The going wisdom before the playoffs got underway had San Antonio and Detroit meeting in the NBA finals and it may still end up that way. But the number one seeds in each conference appear to be ready to have something to say about that.

I spent my sophomore year of college in Japan as part of my school's Study Abroad program. Since I didn't know anything about the country, I was always asking my Japanese friends to recommend things that I just had to do or see before I went back home. Along with the standard answers of taking day-trips to Tokyo or Kyoto, trying sushi, and watching a live sumo match, one of the most frequent suggestions I got was to climb Mt. Fuji. I was told that it would be a very memorable, almost spiritual experience. So even though I had never done anything remotely like it before, I decided to try to climb Mt. Fuji with a small group of my friends. Here are some tips that I learned along the way, which will hopefully help you make your future Fuji adventure go smoothly.

1. Do some initial research.
If you don't know very much about Mt. Fuji, it is important that you do some research first. There is plenty of useful information available. Look through guidebooks, check the Internet, or talk to people who have successfully made the climb. You will discover, among other things, that Mt. Fuji is 3776 meters high (about 12,388 feet), and that getting to the summit is more like a hike, meaning there are trails for you to follow, than an actual climb, which conjures up images of fancy, expensive equipment or scenes from the movie Cliffhanger.

The official climbing season is very short, spanning only the summer months of July and August, so you have just a small window of opportunity to complete your adventure. You can climb the mountain outside of the official season, but it is not recommended for inexperienced hikers since you will likely face some pretty bad weather and there might not be anyone on duty in the First Aid huts.

Another benefit of doing research first is that you will be able to plan your transportation (train times, bus routes, taxi services, or parking details) to and from the mountain, and will learn about accommodations either in one of the huts on the mountain or in one of the nearby hotels.

2. Set a date and get in shape.
Once you have done some preliminary research, I recommend that you set a date for your climb as soon as possible. This will give everyone in your group a deadline so that they will know exactly how much time they have to prepare for the climb. You should probably also decide at this point whether you want to climb Mt. Fuji during the day or at night. A lot of people decide to hike throughout the night in order to arrive at the summit just in time to watch the sunrise. Others prefer to simply hike all the way up and back down again during the day. Either way, it is not recommended that you just do your research, purchase some supplies, and then head off to Mt. Fuji all in the same day. Rather, in order to get the most enjoyment out of the experience, it's best to make sure that everyone in your group is physically prepared for the hike.

For example, back when I was in school, I wasn't in great shape -- but I wasn't exactly a couch potato, either. I thought I would be able to handle Mt. Fuji without going through any additional training routines, especially after I found out that I would just be following trails all the way up to the top. Luckily, though, my friends and I decided to go on a preliminary hike one weekend as a way to break in our new hiking boots. We went to a small mountain that was a little more than 1,000 meters tall, or merely one-third of the height of Mt. Fuji. We thought we would breeze up and down it in a couple of hours. Boy, were we wrong! We all got pretty winded and quickly learned that hiking wasn't as easy as it looked.

We decided that it would be a good idea to push our Fuji date back several more weeks so that we could get a little more conditioning in. From then on, we went hiking every weekend in order to prepare for Fuji. In all, we went on five preliminary hikes. In addition, I spent 30-40 minutes each day walking up and down the twelve flights of stairs at my apartment building. This exercise made a big difference, too. We were all noticeably stronger on our last two hikes than we were on our first three. Will you need to go through a similar training regimen prior to climbing Mt. Fuji? Probably not; but I do recommend going on at least one hike (with a pack containing the same supplies you plan on bringing with you up Mt. Fuji) just to get a feel for where you are at in terms of conditioning. You may be surprised at what you discover!

3. Purchase the necessary equipment and supplies.
Assuming that you don't already have a lot of hiking or backpacking equipment, your next step should be to head to a sporting goods store to stock up on supplies. First, you will need a pair of sturdy hiking boots. Even though the trails on Fuji are defined pretty well, you will definitely need the ankle support that hiking boots provide. After all, you will be hiking for approximately 10 hours when all is said and done (6 hours to go up, 4 to come back down). Next, if you climb during the day, you will need a hat and sun block, since there is no tree cover and you will be exposed to the sun the whole time. If you climb at night, you will need a flashlight or camping lantern in order to be able to see the trail. You will also need a backpack to carry your supplies. You don't have to get a special hiking pack; nearly any backpack will do. You should bring along a rain poncho, too. A long-sleeved t-shirt, sweatshirt, or windbreaker would serve you well, as it can get pretty cool at the summit, particularly at night, even when the temperature is in the 90s at sea level. Mt. Fuji is high enough for sudden and unexpected weather changes to be common. You might want to consider packing a couple of cans of oxygen (O2), as well. The air gets pretty thin near the summit, and you will be exerting yourself as you get closer to the top. I personally went through 2 cans of O2, even though I had previously scoffed at the idea of needing any breathing help. And don't forget your camera!

In addition to equipment, you must make sure that you have plenty of water and some food that is both easy to carry and that will give you a boost of energy. I recommend that each person in your party carry at least two liters of water. Food ideas include chocolate, trail mix, or PowerBars.

4. Start climbing!
If you follow the above advice, you will be ready when it finally comes time to hit the trails. At Mt. Fuji, you can either start hiking from the base of the mountain, or more commonly, from the 5th Station, which is about halfway to the top. You can reach the 5th Station by car, taxi (very expensive) or bus. You also have a choice of four different trails that will take you to the top. Once you select a trail, there is nothing left to do but set off. During the official climbing season, there can literally be thousands of other hikers on the trails at the same time. Occasionally, you will even run into a traffic jam, where the line of people in front of you looks more like a queue at Disney World than a hiking trail. There are various way stations and hospitality huts along the trails. These are good places to rest, use the bathroom, or buy some souvenirs. At the top of the mountain, there is even a post office that will send out your post cards with a special Fuji postmark. Just remember to pace yourself and have fun! All in all, climbing Mt. Fuji is indeed a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

He has coached nine teams to NBA titles, the most in NBA history. He also happens to currently be available to the owner who wants to make the legendary coach the kind of financial offer that will cause him to seriously consider sitting on the coaching sidelines once more.

Phil Jackson, six time champion with Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls and three time champion with Shaquille O'Neal and the Los Angeles Lakers, appears destined to return to the NBA. As he does so, there will not be a shortage of suitors for the Zen master.

Currently six head coaching jobs are available, each presumably with a bit of a draw for Jackson. Both the Portland Trail Blazers and the Orlando Magic have openings and each team has to be very tempting for any coach.

In Portland, there is talent galore in Damon Stoudamire, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Ruben Patterson and Darius Miles. There is little doubt that a veteran coach with the ability of Jackson to bring players together would make this franchise a legitimate NBA contender.

In Orlando, there is Steve "Franchise" Francis and Grant Hill, along with budding superstar Dwight Howard, the rookie double-double machine. Throw in another outstanding rookie in Jameer Nelson and the Magic is an up and coming team. Provided of course, Hill is healthy.

Another coaching opening rests with Jackson's former Laker team. LA management thought they had found the man to replace Jackson when they hired Rudy Tomjanovich. With talented starters Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, and Caron Butler, the Lakers appeared to have the kind of talent necessary to return to the NBA elite. But health issues took Rudy T out of commission before he could complete a full season and the LAkers feel apart during the second half of the season. Of course one has to wonder if Dr. Phil would want to go down the Kobe Bryant path once more but the lure of LA could be enough to seemingly draw him back.

Another option, perhaps the most talked about, is the New York Knicks. But this seems like the least likely given Jackson's desire to win. The Knicks quite frankly are a mess and point guard Stephon Marbury is barely half the player that he thinks he is. The Zen master seems more likely to return to LA than take on this moribund franchise.

The two most intriguing options for Dr. Phil appear to be the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Minnesota Timberwolves. In the Cavaliers, Jackson would have the opportunity to coach the NBA's next Michael Jordan, Lebron James, as well as up and coming talent in Jeff McInnis and Drew Gooden. Throw in Zydrunas Ilgauskas and the Cavaliers have some excellent possibilities.

But the T-Wolves seem to be the team that will receive very careful consideration from Jackson. Start with the NBA's best all-around player in Kevin Garnett and you have the makings of a very good team. Add to the mix talented veterans such as Sam Cassell and Wally Szcerbiak and Minnesota is the kind of team Jackson loves. Throw in a lottery pick and a departing Latrell Sprewell and the T-Wolves will have a new attitude next season. Talented, experienced and wanting to turn around a disappointing season in 2004-2005, the Timberwolves could draw Jackson back into the fold. Throw in General Manager Kevin McHale, a man who lets his coaches have center stage and it seems Minnesota is perfect fit for Jackson.

He is available and he appears willing. The only question remaining appears to be where will Jackson take his triangle offense next?