Posts Tagged sports
Posted on May 27, 2011 by James W
As with any organization when the NFL comes to a standstill because of a lockout with labor negotiations it could put hundreds of jobs at risk. The lockout prevents the NFL from having any type of minicamp, workouts during the offseason and any other activity that is remotely related to football. While many teams are requiring their staff members to stop working or take a huge pay cut to make up for the down time, the Oakland Raiders have come up with their own solution to the problem.
The Oakland Raiders have allowed their employees to keep their salary as long as they sell a certain number of season tickets. That might not sound as easy as it looks. Each employee is responsible for selling enough season-tickets that equal 10% of their salary. With ticket prices ranging from $260 to $989 this could be easy or a tough task depending upon how the employee approaches the ticket sales.
While this approach during the lockout might seem unusual it isn’t surprising. The Oakland Raiders were the last in the league when it came to attendance numbers. On average there were only 46,430 people at a game and only had a sold out game one time the whole season. Team officials believe this incentive to sell tickets might encourage people to purchase tickets and make an effort as a whole group to help improve the Oakland Raiders.
However, with the United States in a recession these season tickets are going to be a tough sell for a league that is in a lockout that has no end in sight.
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Technorati Tags: NFL, Oakland Raiders, sports
Posted on May 23, 2011 by James W
It’s a rare day when all sports agree on something and it appears that the NFL lockout has caused the various sports unions to unite on one front. This week all unions for the NHL, NBA and MLB helped the NFL players by filing a motion in court that backs up the player’s association and their claims that the lockout is harming them and the union.
On Friday, all the players unions filed a brief in the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The briefs stated that professional athletes have a short career and the lockout prevents them from being able to develop their career. These briefs also outlined that the lockout hurts the players professionally and personally because it limits their careers.
The NFL Players Association also filed a brief that outlined why the lockout should be lifted. They outlined that in football there is no offseason so the lockout should not be in place as it is still part of the football year.
The NFL lockout has been in place since March and prevents all 32 NFL leagues from meeting, signing contracts and having the players workout. On April 25, a Minnesota judge in the federal court ruled that the lockout must be lifted. However, the NFL league quickly appealed it and had it reversed four days later.
This past Monday the U.S. District Judge ruled that the lockout can stay in place and there is no date for ending the season. This is because the league and the players association have the right to have a court hear and investigate all appeals before ruling whether or not the lockout can stay in place and the season must end or whether or not the lockout is lifted and players can meet.
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Technorati Tags: NFL players, sports, Sports Unions
Posted on May 17, 2011 by James W
In the sport of football rules are always changing. Despite the lockout the NFL competition committee is going to present a number of rules that need to be changed in the NFL. The biggest change that will be presented is it upgraded rule change to help improve player safety.
All rule changes will be made at the owner meeting which will take place in Indianapolis. The meeting was originally scheduled for March but was postponed due to the lockout.
The biggest change that will be proposed is banning the illegal launching from any defensive player that allows them to leave their feet to hit or obtain the ball from the carrier. This has long been a point of interest in regards to player safety as many football players have received injuries from performing this defensive action.
This new safety rule will be presented at the owners meeting as three different rules. This will increase the chance of the motive to be passed should the owners wish to pass it. In order for the rule to change it must get a vote of 24 of the 32 current owners.
When this rule change was initially announced many players were reluctant to advocate for it because they believed that it was not addressed properly. However, the competition committee has taken all concerns into account and separated the rules into three sections to address all concerns.
The NFL competition committee has been looking at eliminating unnecessary roughness from the sport of football. This new rule change will be a step in the right direction to helping ensure the safety of all professional football players.
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Technorati Tags: NFL, safety rule, sports
Posted on May 11, 2011 by James W
With the NFL lockout nearing its tenth week, the football world is being flooded with stories of how the players are reacting. Some are staging their own offseason workouts with other teammates, while others are working out on their own. However, nothing is as heartwarming as the new Carolina Panther’s potential quarterback, Cam Newton’s ritual.
Cam Newton has told reporters that to help ease the NFL lockout blues he has stuck to sleeping with his playbook. It is believed that by sleeping with his playbook it helps him become one with the rules and procedures that the Panther’s use during the season.
Due to the NFL lockout, Cam Newton has not been able to show the Panthers what he’s got. Cam Newton was the number one draft pick and will go up against existing quarterback, Jimmy Clausen for starting position this year when the lockout is finally lifted.
The lockout prevents Cam Newton from talking to or communicating with his brand new coaches and other staff members. While this might not be a problem for existing NFL players, this is tough on incoming players. They do not know the playbook, how coaches coach or what to expect with the other players on the team. Usually the offseason is used to warm them up to the other players and help them adjust to playing in the pros. However, that won’t be the case this year.
All Carolina Panthers and Cam Newton can do now is to hope that by sleeping with the Carolina playbook by his side every night, Newton will adjust quickly and understand what is needed of him on the new team so he stands a shot of starting in the 2011 season when it eventually starts.
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Technorati Tags: Cam Newton, NFL, sports
Posted on November 6, 2010 by James W
There are many, many sports fans out there. Some of them are great, and then there are the posers – the ones who pretend to be fans because it’s popular or ‘cool’ in some way. They are the ones who don’t know anything about the team they’re suddenly a fan of – usually after a big win. They’re the ones who think you’re a worthless human being because you don’t agree with their choice of sports or their choice of person or team to worship and idolize. Consider the following folks as the top 5 worst types of sports fans – the ones that really get under the skin of the true sports fan.
1. The know-it-all. We get it. You told us so. And you’re going to keep telling us, because that’s what you thrive on. Most of these people aren’t real fans, they only want to be right so they can rub other people’s noses in it.
2. The bias guy. He thinks that the players he loves are the best, and the players he hates are the worst. Period. Forever and ever, amen. There’s no changing his mind, and he’s not interested in silly things like facts or statistics. He knows better, of course.
3. The friendly fan. He wants to be your buddy. In fact, he likes you so much that he pretends to like your sports team, just so he can talk to you. It’s painfully obvious he has no clue, but he doesn’t realize what an idiot he’s actually being. Instead of learning about something first, he just blathers on about it in the hope that you’ll think he’s cool.
4. The fantasy fan. He’s a fan of a team in fantasy football, but real life? Forget about it. Only the fantasy team matters, but he really, really loves to talk about the fantasy team like it’s real life. He doesn’t even seem to notice how incredibly annoying real fans of real teams in the real world find that.
5. The waffle fan. Many people fall into this category, but the real, true sports fan never will. These fair-weather fans are interested in the team when it’s winning, and could care less about it when it’s losing. They go back and forth, waffling around about whether they like the team or hate it. When it’s good it’s good, but when it’s bad – well, what’s the point in watching anymore?
Whether it’s professional fans, or college sports fans, it’s easy to see why these people are annoying. They might be wonderful people in ‘real life,’ but when they get involved with a sport they become something completely different. Avoid them if you can, but no matter how careful you are you’re likely to find one or two of them within hearing distance at your next sporting event. Don’t think you can escape them at the sports bar, either. They’ll be the ones talking too loudly in the corner booth, with big pitchers of beer on the table and hot wing sauce on their fingers.
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Technorati Tags: facts, fantasy football, sports, sports fan, stats, traits, types
Posted on September 12, 2010 by James W
One of the most important things for people to do during their lifetime is to play sports. It creates a balance with the relaxing activities like playing poker on online casino sites. Not only is playing sports a great way to meet new people, but it also helps people lose weight and stay in shape. Playing sports does not always have to be with an organized team in an official league. All it takes is a simple phone call to your friends to get a fun game of basketball, touch football, or baseball going. Playing sports can also help young children meet other kids their own age all while developing character, friendship, and learning how to deal with adversity that comes with playing a team sport.
As important as socializing is to a person’s overall state of mental health and well-being, a person’s physical health is just as important. It is vitally important to a child’s health and overall view on life to learn how to take care of oneself at a young age when it comes to health and fitness. If a child goes through his or her childhood thinking its ok to eat everything in sight and sit around playing video games all day then they will more than likely have trouble exercising when they are older.
How many times within the past month have you gotten exercise? Be honest with yourself. If the number is less than 12 you should be concerned. Even in today’s fast-paced world people should be able to work out or exercise at least three times per week, which turns out to be 12 times per month if you go by four full weeks in a month. Even the number 12 might be too low. If you can work out four times per week then you should be in tiptop shape and your health should be fantastic.
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Technorati Tags: games, sports
Posted on July 1, 2010 by James W
If you have ever walked into a casino and managed to get past the slot machines and the eye-catchingly dressed cocktail waitresses, then chances are you have seen a sportsbook. And don’t let the name fool you, it’s much more than a book, and simply adding the word “sports” to it does not necessarily narrow down your list of options.
No, a sportsbook is a place where sports lovers and gamblers meet. And if you are a fan of both, then you will love simply being in one. The typical sportsbook is home to a multitude of television screens complete with every sport being played in the world at that moment. And not only that, a ticker tape of game scores and other sports information dances across your eyes, bordering the television screens in a gambler’s version of Time Squares.
After walking into my first sportsbook, and I am not much of a sports fanatic beyond the occasional finals match, MMA title fight or conference final, I could not help but locate the nearest vacant seat and watch. If I am not much of a sports connoisseur, then my wife still has to discover the concept. Nevertheless, on a recent trip through the Vegas Strip, as we cut through the lobby of the MGM Grand Casino, I could not help but guide her by the hand to the scene of my first sportsbook. Comfortable seating, matched by a tall and glimmering display of sports images and live competitions, any one of which I could have wagered upon should I have so desired. Though the symphony spectacle of organized competition was more than enough to appease the moment and my sweet tooth for sports. My wife did not get it but I knew – a sportsbook is truly a special place.
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Technorati Tags: casino, gambling, online casino, recreation, sports, sportsbook
Posted on July 1, 2010 by James W
Online sports betting is a great way for you to capitalize on a hunch or your passion for a sport. It is also a great way to have some fun or make a game more interesting. However, with so many options for betting, it can be a little confusing. It’s helpful to break down some of the most common bets that occur on large sports wagering websites.
The most common and easiest bet is called the simple wager. This wager is simply betting on which team will win a match or game. One person wins and takes everything, while the loser gets nothing. A slightly more complicated but similar bet is called the future wager. In a future wager, you bet far into the future guessing which sports team will win the Super Bowl or make it to the finals. This bet can pay off much greater than a simple wager, but the loser still gets nothing.
Parlays and Progressive Parlays are a slightly more complicated form of betting. This method is basically a series of simple wagers. In a Parlay, you have to get every bet right but you can reap a massive payout. Progressive Parlays offer a smaller payout, but you can lose a few games and still multiply your bet.
More complicated bets exist such as Proposition bets and Head-to-Head bets. A Proposition bet is very specific and can be betting on very specific scores of a game or a player’s stats. Head-to-Head bets do not focus on the end results of a game, but instead on the individual competitor’s standings, compared to one another. In golf for example, a Head-to-Head bet compares several players’ rankings.
Now that you have a better understanding of different online betting styles, you can invest better and get better returns!
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Technorati Tags: betting, sports, sports betting
