maderai-sport

Top 10 All-Time All-World Men Tennis Players

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:35:00 -0700

By Gerry Storch

Roger Federer's victory in the U.S. Open came just when he seemed vulnerable to the other top three players in the world ... Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, all of whom have defeated him lately ... and after a supposed off-year in which he failed to win the first three Slams, and had to settle for Olympic gold in doubles, not singles. Well, what he did in New York cements his position as the greatest ever to step on a court. No one, of course, has ever won five Wimbledons in a row and five U.S. Opens in a row as he has ... in this day of top competition and top pressure, a stupendous feat.

He doesn't have the best serve in the game, the best backhand, the best forehand, the best speed, the most power, etc. But he's so good in all these categories ... with no weaknesses ... and coupled with his impassive demeanor, there's never been a better all-around player.

The coming year, with superbly talented guys in the top four, and all four capable of beating each other, and with Federer gunning to tie Pete Sampras' record of 14 Slam titles, promises to be the best ever. The numbers in parentheses stand for Grand Slam titles won and runnersup.

1. Roger Federer (13,4). No other modern player has excelled on all three surfaces as Federer has, participating in three finals each at the Australian and French, six at Wimbledon and five at the U.S. Open. He holds the record of being ranked No. 1 for 237 weeks, breaking Jimmy Connors' record of 160 for men and Steffi Graf's 186 for women. He has the all-time winning streaks of 65 matches in a row on grass and 56 on hardcourts. His achievements of 10 consecutive Slam finals and 18 consecutive Slam semis are not only a record but a phenomenon. At age 27, which is getting up there in the tennis world, how much does he have left? With his smooth, efficient style and never having suffered a major injury, we'd say a lot.

2. Pete Sampras (14,4). The reason why Pete ranks second is simple ... in Wimbledon in 2001, when he was still in his prime at age 29, he was beaten in five sets by the 20-year-old Federer, who was nowhere near his peak yet. Of course, his record 14 Slams and six consecutive years as No. 1 provide all the evidence needed for his greatness. In his rivalry with Andre Agassi ... they first played each other at ages 8 and 9 ... he won 20 of their 34 matches.

3. Rafael Nadal (5,2). The world has never seen a player like Nadal, at least on clay, with his far-behind-the-baseline style but the speed and power to make up for it ... and stylish, unique moves like his 180-degree turn after a lunging backhand. He took a couple years to learn grass and win at Wimbledon; now let's see if he makes similar progress on hardcourts. At age 22, he has plenty of time and having made the semis at the Australian and U.S. Open, he doesn't have that far to go. And let's not forget he took Olympic gold in '08. As for clay, he has won a record 81 consecutive matches.

4. Rod Laver (11,6). The 5-foot-8 lefty, until the advent of the three guys above, was usually deemed the greatest ever. His greatest achievement was winning the Grand Slam as an amateur in 1962, then, seven years later, repeating it in the open era. He was on the pro tour for six years in between, depriving himself of the opportunity to win lots more Slams. If you add up what he did as an amateur, then a pro, then a pro in the open era, he won a record 185 singles titles. He was nicknamed "The Rocket" for his talent and "Popeye" for his bulging left forearm.

5. Bjorn Borg (11,5). How much bigger would his totals have been if he hadn't quit abruptly at age 25 after John McEnroe beat him in tight matches at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, and if he had journeyed to the Australian Open consistently (he played there only once, as it wasn't the true major then as it is now). Borg is known, of course, for his record six French Open titles and winning the slow French and slick Wimbledon titles ... the "difficult double" ... three years in a row. He also helped pioneer the two-handed backhand with heavy topspin ... a style he developed, he said, from slapshots taken while playing hockey as a youth in Sweden.

6. Andre Agassi (8,7). For a guy who began his career with a punk rock appearance and demeanor, his longevity surprises ... he played his first Slam final at age 22 and last at age 35. What made him great were his quick reflexes and superb eyesight ... those two qualities gave him probably the best service return in the game and the best pure groundstrokes as he was able to hit the ball on the rise. His charitable work made him a champion off the court as well ... his Andre Agassi Foundation supports a charter school for low-income kids in Las Vegas.

7. Ivan Lendl (8,11). His appearance in 19 Grand Slam finals is a men's record, and making the finals of the U.S. Open eight years in a row, winning three times, is a feat as astounding now as it was in 1982-89. He would rank higher if only he had conquered Wimbledon. Alas, he lost two finals there to Boris Becker and Pat Cash, and despite intensive training efforts to tailor his game to grass, five other semifinals were as far as he got. The running forehand was his signature shot.

8. John McEnroe (7,4). McEnroe also won 10 Slam titles in doubles, and the deft skills required at net in that event helped build his all-court game in singles. He won four U.S. Opens and three Wimbledons, but his vitriolic style seemed to burn him out ... he played in his last Slam final at age 26, took a six-month vacation from the tour to marry actress Tatum O'Neal, took a seven-month break the next year ... and though he made the U.S. Open semis in 1990 and Wimbledon's semis in 1992 at age 33, his dominance had long since passed.

9. Jimmy Connors (8,7). Although he never completed a Grand Slam, failing to win the French, he is one of only three players (Agassi and Mats Wilander being the others) to win Slam events on all three surfaces ... clay, grass and hardcourt, demonstrating his versatility. His 109 singles titles in the open era remain a record after all these years and he certainly earned what he got against the top players ... he beat Borg twice, Lendl twice and McEnroe once in Slam finals. Did his chip-on-the-shoulder attitude help or hurt him? Who knows ... his antics to rile the crowd and officials generated energy he fed off, but he also incurred a 10-week suspension in 1986 for his ref baiting.

10. Bill Tilden (10,5). The sport's first great star, and on a level with Babe Ruth, Red Grange and other celebrity athletes of the 1920s, he was a late bloomer who didn't win his first major until age 27 in 1920. He won the U.S. Championships six times in a row. A cerebral guy, he wrote two books about how to play tennis, one of which remains in print today. He then played on the professional tour well into his 40s.

By Gerry Storch

Gerry Storch is editor and administrator of http://www.ourblook.com - a political discussion/media analysis website that fills the gap between a blog and a book. In his journalism days, he was sports editor of Gannett News Service.

Tennis Scoring - How it Works

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:26:00 -0700

By Wendy Pan

Tennis scoring will be really interesting, as most of the individuals have turned their interest in playing the game. The tennis game is purely very simple furthermore it is truly interesting! A player can win the game in the following ways. If he scores four points, the player wins the game, and winning six games makes him to win a set, and if he wins two sets he wins a match. We will learn to play a match about Tennis Scoring.

Now let us consider a tennis match between Anna and Sania Mirza. And in the beginning Anna wins the toss and she is selected to serve the ball the first.

In the match, now Sania Mirza moves to the place at the end of the court and Anna may serve the tennis ball from any where in the court behind her baseline and the right single sidelines and the centre marks of the tennis court. When hitting the ball, the serve must hit before the ball bounces and it must move to the service box opposite to her. A player can get two chances to serve a ball and if the two given serves are missed then she loses her points. It becomes redone, when the service becomes a good abstract of the net on its way in. In the match, if Anna gets her service in, then Sania Mirza returns the ball after the one bounce at any part of the Anna's single court. After one bounce both of them must return the ball in to others court till one of them misses the ball. At the second point in the game Anna will serve the ball from the left side of her baseline in her court and she will continue the substitute left and right for the start of each point in the Tennis Scoring. If Anna wins the first point and the second point must be started, before starting the second point the scores of the first point must be announced.

The tennis scorings of the first point are, First point: "15 - Love" (Love = 0.)
Sania Mirza achieves the succeeding point: "15 all." Sania Mirza achieves the further succeeding point: "15 - 30." Anna wins the further succeeding point: "30 all." Anna wins the next point: "40 - 30." And at last, Anna wins the second and she wins the game. Now if Sania Mirza wins the next point, the score is "40 all," which is called "Deuce." At the Deuce, a single player must win the next two points to win the game. At the time of Deduce if Anna wins the next point, now she has an advantage to win a score called "ad in" which is called a server's advantage. And if Sania won that point, then score would become "ad out." The player wins the game when he or she is having the advantage of winning the points. And if the player loses advantage then the score goes back to Deduce. The "No Ad" variation scoring comes in the game by winning the margin of one point i.e. instead of using the points like 15, 30 and 40 they must use 1, 2 and 3. And at the "3 all" the player receiving the ball must know whether to receive the ball in the left or right service box. And that player wins the game. Tennis scoring is very simple to play the game and we can also get tennis scoring after following these instructions.

Wendy Pan is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about tennis scoring, please visit My Tennis Site for current articles and discussions.

Lightweight Backpacking is Very Simple

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:11:00 -0700

By Mike Selvon

When most people in the United States backpack, their base packs often weigh between 30 to 50 pounds, depending on how heavy the backpacking equipment is and how long the backpacking excursion is going to last. Many people opt for lighter base packs and choose lightweight backpacking. This backpacking term means packing the lightest gear possible to meet overnight backpacking, or even longer needs. On average, those who choose to lightweight backpack, pack between 12 and 20 pounds of gear, making their packs considerably lighter.

There are more and more people practicing lightweight backpacking on the trails today. These individuals are, on average, have more energy and experience far less exhaustion and injuries, and for the most part are more enjoyable to be around. The loss of a large amount of weight can free the traveler to experience more of the trip in an enjoyable manner instead of constantly worrying how they are going to climb the next hill.

When backpacking hiking with less gear, simply do not take more than what you know you will need. Many people tend to pack duplicate equipment just in case, but many people never need the duplicate gear. Believe it or not, packing your everyday 12 ounce tube of toothpaste or your ultra mega bottle of sunscreen can add to the weight content of your backpack very quickly, yet you will never need those amounts of products for a weekend or even a week long trip.

Instead, try packing trial size bottles of products so that you are more comfortable when traveling. Another item that can significantly add to your backpacking weight is packing unnecessary food. This is where deliberate food planning comes in. Many lightweight backpackers have found that packing food consistent with a 2,000 calorie a day diet relieves them of a lot of weight.

This averages out to about 1.5 pounds of daily food and can actually reduce the average backpacker's weight by over 5 pounds, in food alone. While there are other items that can be deleted from your backpack to drop weight, starting with items like these can get you off and running.

Many individuals enjoy backpacking, but many find they are tired and exhausted by the end of the trip. Lightweight backpacking allows individuals to hike with more ease, while not having to carry heavy backpacking equipment. This type of backpacking puts less stress on the body and gives you much more ease of movement. Packing and traveling light is very possible and can lessen the load, allowing for a less stressful trip.

Mike Selvon's portal will expand your knowledge on lightweight backpacking. Visit us and leave a comment at our backpacking tours blog where a free gift awaits you.

Rock Climbing - Understanding the Basics

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:10:00 -0700

By Len Q.

You've decided. You're going to be rock climber. You don't know much but you'd like to get started. Here are some tips and recommendations to help in your understanding of how to become a good rock climber.

Tips for Good Technique.

- Rock climbing is mentally challenging. The ability to clear your mind and focus is essential to your success as a climber. If you're able to meditate as you climb, you're worlds ahead of those that can't. Use whatever works for you. There is no one way for all.

- Control the center of gravity (COG). This is usually at the center of your body, somewhere in your abdomen. (Hopefully not lower than that!Every move you make begins there. You'll want your legs directly beneath you or to equal distances on each side of you.

- Observe other climbers. This is especially educational when you are belaying a good climber. Ask questions as they come to you. Understanding will go a long way when you try the moves yourself.

- Practice the techniques you've observed. Learn them. With repetition, these techniques will become more and more comfortable. You'll likely find, at some point during a climb, that these new moves were precisely what you needed to know.

- Climb when you're tired. It seemed a bit nuts when I first learned this. Oh, but it'll help in ways you never realized. Climbing tired forces you to plan each move with deliberation and not speed. It also forces you to consider your energy reserves and learn just how far you can go in this condition.

- Work on your weak points. When you climb, You'll vastly improve your climbing ability and bring you closer to becoming a good climber. Remember that it isn't a good idea to work on your good points during the same climb. Work on your strong points, work on your weak points--but not both in the same climb.

Tips when Climbing.

- This goes without saying but it'd be good to emphasize it some more. As a climber in an extreme sport, you should know your gear inside and out. Don't even think of climbing until you could work it even in the dark. Depend on yourself and no one else.

- Rock climbing can be done at any speed you're comfortable with. You may climb slowly and methodically. Or you may climb with speed and finesse, if that suits you better. Whichever the case, your strengths should determine the choice you make.

- Whenever possible, rely on your legs to move you. It is very unwise to sap unnecessary energy from your upper body when your legs can easily get it done.

- Raise one foot at a time. This will further prevent you from using your upper body to lift all your weight. You should only lift with both your arms when there is no other choice.

- When you feel your muscles tightening, when you feel that a cramp is coming on, just stop. Go no further. Don't wait for the cramp to happen to stop. Look for a nearby ledge or just hangdog (rest on your gear or on the rope) until all muscle tightening has disappeared.

Tips when Resting.

- Check and secure your footholds. Make sure that the next handholds are above your head.

- Straighten your arms out to keep them as relaxed as possible. It really does make a difference.

- Lean back into the wall and not away from it. Energy is uselessly lost when you lean out and have to pull yourself back in to continue the climb. Your COG will have been in your arms and you don't want that.

- Plan your next move. Locate your next holds. Position your hands and feet, even practice the movements. This improves each chance for a smooth execution, especially on difficult sections.

These are very basic, very powerful tips to quicken your understanding of what it takes to engage in the sport of rock climbing. When you understand, you can better implement safely and then improve quickly. And once you've received certified instruction on how to climb, you're outta' here. Just remember to always respect the air and space around you for there is no safety net. Be safe up there.

Len Q. is a master blade sharpener and an adventurer who strives to protect the natural world. If you would like to learn about Knife Sharpening: How to Sharpen Knives, Maintain and Store Them Tests for Sharpness, Steeling and more Sharpening Other Edges (e.g. Lawn Mower Blades, Chain Saws, Gardening Tools, Axes) Find it here at http://www.MakeKnivesSharp.com.

Learn How Not to Sway in the Golf Swing

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:09:00 -0700

By Sean Bailey

When you are executing your swing, your body will actually be moving fluidly. This body motion is very much needed so that you can create just enough torque and power to send your ball just where you want it to go. Thus, you need to be able to move your body just the right away, and this is precisely why you also need to learn how NOT to sway in the golf swing. Yes, your body may be in fluid motion, but you would still have to remain firm and rigid to some extent. Swaying should then be regarded as a no-no in the game of golf. When there is too much motion in your swing, then you are in for a whole lot of trouble.

Where does the sway potentially occur? Actually, it is during the transition stage that this sway just might occur. This is that part of the golf swing where you shift your weight from one foot to another, as you draw your club backwards then move it accordingly for your downswing. When too much weight is being transferred during the execution of the backswing, this would actually result to delay in the execution of the downswing. When this happens, your tempo and timing will certainly be off, causing you to sway as you complete your swing. The result? An unpredictable trajectory for your ball. Thus, the main thing to remember here is for weight transfer to be just enough so that you are still able to recover and maintain that much needed rhythm.

A common mistake golfers make is the transfer too much weight to the back foot when executing the back swing. Other golfers would even transfer all of their weight! This is a big no-no in golf because this would just prevent you from transferring your weight back to your forward foot. And you actually have to do this by the time your club hits the ball! If you are unable to do this, then this would result to what is known as an open clubface. The next thing you know, you would actually be spinning out.

So, how do you know enough weight is transferred? The key to this is to make what is known as just a snapping type of weight transfer. Do not go for the complete one at all. This means that the weight transfer here would just be for a short period of time. Your back foot would feel the weight transfer for just a few seconds before your weight is shifted back to your front foot. A mere portion of your weight should just be felt by your back foot.

This is the perfect way to learn how not to sway in the golf swing and improve your game dramatically.

For more golf tips, visit http://www.bestonlinegolftips.com

No Golf in the Olympics?

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:07:00 -0700

By Kevin Pierce

Watching the 2008 Olympics, I'm constantly bothered by one thing and it isn't the horrible commentary. I'm baffled by the absence of golf. I know what you might be thinking and I'm thinking the same thing, 'Does the world really need another sport added to the Olympic roster?' but the answer should be a resounding 'YES'.

Golf is, after all, a legitimate sport, giving it a clear advantage over half the current so-called 'sports' accepted by the Olympics. Take ping-pong for instance.

If you're reading this thinking ping-pong is legitimate, then I have no problem telling you that you're a complete moron. Ping-pong, which is not a sport, is a miniature version of tennis, which is a sport. There is no disputing this fact. If we're forced to accept ping-pong as a legitimate sport, then why don't we allow other miniature versions of other sports into the Olympics as well? What about foosball? It looks a lot like a tiny version of soccer to me and is a hell of a lot more fun to play than ping-pong. What about miniature golf? Who wouldn't want to see a completely serious American team putting for gold on the draw bridge hole?

I honestly don't have a problem with ping-pong. I'm just saying I want some consistency, which brings me to my main gripe with the Olympics. Ping-pong has no business in the Olympics, but I do believe it has more of a right to be there than dressage or gymnastics, because ping-pong, while still not a sport in my opinion, is at least a 'Finish Line' sport.

What's a 'Finish Line' sport you ask?

There are two kinds of sports in the Olympics: 'Judged' sports and 'Finish Line' sports. Examples of Finish Line sports include: running, swimming, fencing, archery, soccer (Football) and pretty much everything else. In a finish line sport someone crosses the finish line first, or jumps the highest or scores the most points. There is no question as to whom the medal should go to. In my opinion this is the essence of a real sport, two teams or players competing for the win.

Examples of Judged sports include: diving, dressage, all gymnastics, sometimes boxing if a decision is required, synchronized swimming and a plethora of other lame sports. In a judged sport there is no clear winner and a third party decides which of the contestants did the best. Even if these are the most qualified experts, they're still just people with opinions.

One such event is called 'Dressage'. In case you missed this prestigious sport it involves a horse, a jockey and prancing. Yes, prancing. 'Judges' sit on the sidelines and actually weigh the performance of prancing horses and pick the best one, because in dressage there in no finish line for the horses to cross. There is no bar they must jump over. There are no points other than the completely bogus points the judges award. There are only prancing horses, and a bunch of expert morons, judging the whole shebang.

How can this 'Sport' get Olympic recognition while other real sports, such as golf, are completely ignored? What else will the Olympics Committee approve over golf? I can only imagine it will be some stupid judged sport where moronic women prance around with hula-hoops like cheerleaders on steroids. Oh ya, that's an Olympic sport as well. It's called Artistic Gymnastics. Really, I'm not lying. They actually award medals for it.

The problem could be that many people have hang ups with golf being in the Olympics. I'll address some of these hang ups right now.

Some say that golf is already a global sport with many international competitions to decide who is the best. There is no need for it to be in the Olympics. Soccer is more of a religion than sport to half the world. It has a global following and many international competitions, with one such competition that is arguably more popular, if not more important, than the Olympics. Has anyone heard of the World Cup? So why is soccer allowed in the Olympics, certainly not because it already has a global presence.

Some say we shouldn't have pros compete if golf becomes an Olympic sport. Fine with me. So we only allow amateurs to compete. Who really wants to see Tiger bending over to accept a gold medal on top of everything else the guy has won? Not me. So okay, fine, lets hand the reins over to some amateurs and let the games begin.

Some feel that golf has no place at the Olympics. William K Wolfrum had this to say, 'Head over to the Louvre one day and check out the statues of ancient Greek athletes. You'll notice that very few of them depict naked guys holding a five iron with a caddie next to them checking the wind. By all means golf is a great game, but it's just not Olympiad worthy.'

While it is true that you may not find naked statues of ancient Olympians holding five irons, there is a long list of other sports you will never see statues of ancient Olympians doing. Diving. Synchronized swimming. Trampoline. Sailing. Dressage. Artistic gymnastics.

My guess is that they would laugh themselves silly if they saw our current Olympics event list. Golf, at least, they might understand. The ancient Olympians practiced only finish line sports like, wrestling, chariot races, boxing that didn't require a decision, and something called the pankration. A sport very much like modern day mixed martial arts cages fights, but these were not light weight matches. The ancient Greeks didn't mess around.

During one pankration match a man named, Arrichion of Phigaleia won the event even though he was dead. His opponent had him in a chokehold and Arrichion, in his desperation to get out, broke his opponent's fingers and ankle. The opponent almost passed out from the pain of shattered bones, and submitted. When the referee untangled the two men, it was discovered that Arrichion had died from the chokehold. Not a country to wimp out, the Greeks crowned the dead man's body with an olive wreath and declared him a hero.

Would these guys understand any of our judged sports?

I realize golf isn't the manliest of sports. When compared to the ancient Olympics, every modern sport would invariably come up short. All I'm saying is at least golf is a finish line sport which makes it more inline with the original idea of the ancient Olympics and therefore, in my opinion, more deserving of a spot on the current Olympics event list . At the very least, why not make a longest drive event? How hard would it be for the host country to install a field of grass, or a single hole? How awesome would it be to see the amazing drives the best of the best would deliver?

My fear is that even if golf does find its way into the Olympics, the people running things will screw it up somehow. They'll probably institute some lame ass artistic golf swing event, where judges evaluated a contestant's swing posture and speed. Then again after watching the Olympics this year, I'm not sure I could stomach their version of a golf commentary. I'd be asleep before the third contestant.

My name is Kevin Pierce. I help operate http://www.Wormkiller.com a golf clothing and accessories website. I like Taco Bell, dogs, dog food, golfing and dirt.

Warren Moon's Stats

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:57:00 -0700

By Robert Grazian

Warren Moon's stats standout among other quarterbacks in National Football League (NFL). However, the achievements from his 17-year NFL career showcase a man's determination and grit to achieve his goal. Moon became the first player inducted into both the Canadian Football Hall of Fame and the NFL Hall of Fame. He is the first undrafted player, and the first modern African American quarterback inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. Though his path to achieving success was unconventional, Warren Moon's stats speak for themselves.

As an undrafted quarterback from the University of Washington, Moon played five years in the Canadian Football League (CFL) for the Edmonton Eskimos before heading to the NFL. In the CFL Moon's stats were impressive, leading him to the league's Most Valuable Player award his final season with the Eskimos. He led his team to five consecutive Grey Cup victories. Moon was the Offensive Most Valuable Player in the 1980 and 1982 games. He's listed as the #5 greatest player in CFL history.

Upon entering the NFL, Moon signed with the Houston Oilers in 1984. His first year in the league he threw for a team record 3,338 yards as the team began utilizing his strong arm, and Moon began to excel as an NFL quarterback. The Oilers instituted the run and shoot offense, which seemed to be a perfect fit for Moon. In 1989, Moon was named the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year, and the following year he was named AP Offensive Player of the Year and the UPI AFL-AFC Offensive MVP.

Statistically, 1990 was Moon's best year as a NFL quarterback. He owned a quarterback rating of 96.8% for the year and completed 62% of his passes. Moon threw for career high 33 touchdowns that season, while throwing only 13 interceptions. He led the Oilers to a wildcard playoff loss against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Moon played for the Oilers for 10 seasons before shuffling around with the Minnesota Vikings, Seattle Seahawks and Kansas City Chiefs. He retired from football in 2001 after a 17-year career. At the time of his retirement, Moon ranked third all-time in NFL passing yards and fourth in touchdown passes. During his NFL career, Moon made nine pro-bowl appearances, and was the Pro Bowl MVP in 1997. His familiar number 1 jersey was retired by the Tennessee Titans in 1996. Moon's legacy as a quarterback both in the CFL and NFL is immortalized in the numbers he posted:

Warren Moon's stats (CFL & NFL):
• 5,357 pass completions for 70,553 yards
• 9,205 pass attempts
• 435 touchdowns

Warren Moon's NFL Stats:
• 3,988 pass completions for 49,325 yards
• 291 passing touchdowns
• 1,736 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns
• A career quarterback rating of 80.9%
• 233 career interceptions

Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about sport statistics visit Sports Statistics Site for current articles and discussions.

College Football - Let There Be No Doubt - USC Crushes Ohio State 35-3 and is Clearly No 1

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 13:54:00 -0700

By Ed Bagley

College football's 3rd week saw a dramatic decrease of quality teams playing cupcakes and 1-AA schools looking for a payday at the expense of a victory. Whereas last week 19 of the 21 ranked teams in the AP Top 25 Poll won, this week only 16 of the 21 teams won, and 6 of the 16 winners (37%) had real difficulty doing so.

The competition will get really fierce next week when more league and conference games begin in earnest. The easy wins on the schedule will be over for most contenders on the national scene.

The biggest winner this week was No. 1 Southern Cal and the biggest loser was No. 5 Ohio State as the Trojans crushed the Buckeyes 35-3 behind Mark Sanchez's 4 touchdown passes and Joe McKnight's 105 rushing yards.

Ohio State never got untracked as a holding penalty nullified a 2nd quarter touchdown, and Todd Boeckman's errant throw was intercepted and returned for a TD by Trojan linebacker Rey Maualuga. Despite the miscues, it was evident that Ohio State is not in the same league as Southern Cal. The Buckeyes were decisive losers in the last two national championship games, and clearly are not as good as advertised once again.

Three other Top 25 teams came up with egg on their face after getting beat. No. 13 Kansas traveled to No. 19 South Florida and quickly found out why South Florida is for real, losing 37-34. No. 15 Arizona State led unranked UNLV 20-10 going into the 4th quarter, but the Sun Devils let UNLV back into the game by giving up 10 points and then managed to blow the game in overtime, 23-20. No. 23 California traveled to unranked Maryland and was stung 35-27 by the Terrapins, proving again that it is harder to win away games.

Fifteen of the 16 ranked teams that won protected their undefeated records. The only team that did not was Illinois, which lost earlier in the season to Missouri.

They included No. 1 Southern Cal (USC) 35-3 over No. 5 Ohio State, No. 2 Georgia 14-7 over South Carolina, No. 3 Oklahoma 55-14 over Washington, No. 6 Missouri 69-17 over Nevada, No. 7 Louisiana (LSU) 41-3 over North Texas, No. 9 Auburn 3-2 over Mississippi State, No. 10 Wisconsin 13-10 over No. 21 Fresno State, and No. 11 Alabama 41-7 over 1-AA Western Kentucky.

No. 12 Texas Tech 43-7 over in-state rival Southern Methodist (SMU), No. 14 East Carolina 28-24 over Tulane, No. 16 Oregon 32-26 in double overtime over Purdue, No. 17 Penn State 55-13 over Syracuse, No. 18 Brigham Young (BYU) 59-0 over UCLA, No. 19 South Florida 37-34 over No. 13 Kansas, No. 22 Utah 58-10 over in-state rival Utah State, and No. 24 Illinois 20-17 over Louisiana-Lafayette.

The really impressive wins in away games were racked up by Oklahoma, Penn State and Utah.

The 6 teams that really struggled in winning included Georgia, Auburn, Wisconsin, East Carolina, Oregon and Illinois. Only Illinois was at home.

Georgia blew into Columbia a week after South Carolina was upset by Vanderbilt for the second straight year, and the Gamecocks' defense was tough on the Bulldogs. A 3rd quarter score put Georgia ahead and the Dawgs forced 2 turnovers in the 4th quarter to escape with a win. The loss was Steve Spurrier's 6th straight in SEC play.

Georgia felt the sting of South Carolina last season when the Gamecocks upset them 16-12, keeping the Bulldogs out of the SEC title race and national title contention. Give Georgia credit as the Dawg defense held SC to 18 yards on 16 rushes.

Auburn held Mississippi State to only 116 yards on offense but the Tigers committed 3 turnovers, missed 2 field goals and gave the Mississippi State a safety.

Wisconsin invaded Fresno State and used special teams play to win a tough one. A 2nd half field goal after a fumbled punt proved the difference as Fresno State's Kevin Goessling missed 3 field goals, including a 35-yarder in the last quarter and a 51-yarder after a blocked punt in the 3rd quarter.

East Carolina rallied to beat Tulane with a 24-yard TD strike from Patrick Pinkney to Jamar Bryant with 1:41 remaining in the game.

Oregon trailed 20-3 early in the 2nd quarter but came back to tie Purdue and win in double overtime on LaGarrette Blount's 3-yard touchdown.

Illinois had to recover an onside kick with 20 seconds left to stave off a home victory over Louisiana-Lafayette's Ragin' Caguns.

No. 4 Florida, No. 20 Wake Forest and No. 25 West Virginia did not play this week, and No. 8 Texas' game with Arkansas was postponed due to Hurricane Ike.

Keep an eye on 11 unranked teams that have taken care of business by quietly starting the season with 3 straight wins. They include Air Force, Ball State, Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Nebraska, Northwestern, Oklahoma State, TCU and Vanderbilt. Three other unranked sleepers at 2-0 are Florida State, Notre Dame and Boise State.

Games of interest this week include unbeaten Wake Forest (2-0) at Florida State (2-0), unbeaten Notre Dame (2-0) at Michigan State (2-1), unbeaten Utah (3-0) at Air Force (3-0), unbeaten LSU (2-0) at unbeaten Auburn (3-0), and unbeaten Georgia (3-0) at Arizona State (2-1). Yes, fans, at least three unbeaten teams are going to lose this week, we just don't know which ones.

Read my other detailed, knowledgeable, interesting articles on college football, including:
"College Football - Week 2: East Carolina Smacks West Virginia, Upsets Its 3rd Straight Ranked Team"
"College Football - Week 1: No. 24 Alabama Stuns No. 9 Clemson, East Carolina Upsets No. 17 Virginia Tech"
"College Football - Preseason - Only 5 Games Highlight First Week, 29 Others Must Win Their Opener"
"Forbes Touts Alabama's Nick Saban as the Most Powerful Coach in Sports"

Find my Blog at:
http://www.edbagleyblog.com
http://www.edbagleyblog.com/Sports.html

Johnson Shows He's Ready For the Chase

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:34:00 -0700

By Rick Bradham

Jimmie Johnson showed that he is ready for the 2008 Chase. Winning from the pole and leading 228 of 250 laps, Johnson dominated the Pepsi 250 here Saturday night in his Chevrolet.

With his victory, Johnson moves up one spot in the points standings into third and secured his position in the Chase. Johnson is trying to match NASCAR legend Cale Yarbrough as the only other driver to win three Cup championships. Johnson's win tonight is also his 36th career victory and breaks a tie he had with Mark Martin at 17th in all-time career victories.

All attention this year has been focused on Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards as they have won a combined 14 of 25 races. Johnson has now won three races. Perhaps Busch and Edwards should be concerned with the two-time champion as it appears that Johnson is getting warmed up for the Chase. They should also remember that Johnson won four of the ten races in the Chase last year. The first 26 races will get you in the Chase but it's the last ten that gets you the Championship.

Johnson showed that he had the dominate car all night with only Ford driver Greg Biffle close to him at the end. Behind Biffle, Denny Hamlin finished third in a Toyota. Fourth place went to Kevin Harvick in a Chevrolet and fifth went to Ford driver Matt Kenseth.

Carl Edwards drove his Ford to sixth place with his nemesis Kyle Busch behind him in the Toyota for seventh. Busch continues to lead the series with Edwards in second place. With Johnson moving up to third, his teammate Dale Earnhardt Jr. slipped to fourth place. Jeff Burton remains in fifth place in series points. These five drivers have all now qualified for the Chase.

The remaining seven spots are still open with one race to go, next week in Richmond. Biffle moved up one spot into sixth and Harvick moved up one spot to seventh. Tony Stewart slipped two spots to eighth after finishing 22nd tonight. Kenseth moved up one spot to ninth while Jeff Gordon moved down one spot to tenth with his 15th place finish tonight. Denny Hamlin remains in 11th with Clint Bowyer holding onto the 12th and final qualifying position. David Ragan remains in 13th only 17 points behind Bowyer and Kasey Kahne remains in 14th only 48 points behind Bowyer.

Only one race to go before the Chase begins, and this is where your season can begin or end. Watch for plenty of action and risk taking moves next weekend.

More articles about NASCAR can be found at http://www.speedweekly.net

The best way to watch NASCAR on television can be found at http://www.watchautoracing.com

What is Drifting?

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:33:00 -0700

By Chip Szalewski

When I tell someone that I race and drift or that I'm a drifter, I usually get a confused look. People ask me, what is drifting? So let me start by explaining the sport of drifting!

Drifting as a sport originally started in the hills of Japan. Kids would race up and down the mountain roads or touges. Soon they would start to slide the car sideways around the corners to show off and to keep their engines rpms up. This technique of controlling the cars over-steer (over-steer is a handling issue that results when the rear slip angle is greater than the front slip angle) soon started to catch on and it's popularity grew. The artistry displayed by these early drifter and those to follow helped coin the term "Corner Artists" for the amazing way they could attack a corner and turn movement and tire smoke into an art form.

As a result of the excitement and growing fan base of this new sport D1 Gran Prix was formed in Japan as an organized form of racing that's sole purpose was to challenge the drivers to one on one heats on a technical section of a track. The driver are scored on speed of entry into the corners, angle of attack, racing line, distance between your opponent, and style.

The success of D1GP has lead to several other circuits starting around the world such as NOPI Drift, Formula Drift, and several other country specific circuits.

Drifting as a sport truly is a fan based sport. In no other motor sport can the winner be determined by the crowd. This aspect of the sport really drew me to this form of racing. Drifting can almost be compared to gladiatorial games in a sense that the crowd has such an impact on the outcome.

During a drift competition only two cars will compete during a run or race. The race is set up like this: two cars will line up side to side to each other on a section of the track known as the scoring section. One car will be the leader and the other will be the follower and they will compete against each other in the the five points categories, speed of entry, angle of attack, racing line, distance between opponent, and style. After the two cars have made their drift run through the scoring section they will repeat this same thing, only the leader and follower will switch roles.

Now if the two drivers were so closely matched in their skills of slide the crowd can call for a "One more time". Which is a sort of sudden death round in which if either driver makes a mistake they will automatically loose (more on how a competition is ran in my upcoming post "Drift Competitions, How They Work").

So to sum up drifting as a motorsport: it's tire smoke and cars on the razor's edge of control, mixed with a nonstop adrenalin rush and a crowd on the edges of their seats, garnished with some of the most skilled corner artist in the world.

http://Drift-Diaries.com is a chronicle where I show you my rise in the drifting community. I will teach you how you can compete, get exposure and eventually make it big as a drifter.

Hi My name is Chip, or Speed as a lot of people know me and I am a soon to be professional drifter, interested in helping you learn to drift and build your skills.

See you at the track!

http://Drift-Diaries.com

Motor Sports Helmet Cameras For in Car Racing

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:32:00 -0700

By Nicole Douglas

If you're a hard core motor sports racer, and feel the need for speed, you probably want to own a video recorder system to record your time at the track. If you're looking to make professional DVD quality video or simple short clips for the web from your race at the track , this article can help point you in the right direction and set you up with a quality in car camera system to suit your requirements. You can easily record what has up to now been unavailable to you. Many in car video camera systems offer a quick viewing feature. The Suv Cams are equipped with a 2.2 inch TFT high resolution LCD screen display. Suv Cams have the options of many lengths of the camera cable, so you can extend your recording space accordingly. Using helmet cameras that use secured digital high capacity card will ensure you will record the highest quality resolution and receive extended recording. The higher quality Suv Cams produce continuous recording so you can loop your time at the track and never miss a moment.

A compact video camera system can be used on on board vehicles of any kind, mounted anywhere, and even on the outside of a race car. These systems are so compact, they are comparable to the size of a cellular phone. With the LCD screen you will be able to select a file to play and press a button to play the recorded file. With frame by frame playback, you never miss the exact moment in the video you want to see.

The SD card recording media protects your data from loss in body worn or highly actively uses. The recorded data can be played on Windows Media Player or other software without the need for dedicated software. These systems will use up to 4 GB SD cards, and have with the 4 GB card a recording time up to two hours with low resolution. To get the best DVD quality footage, you will want to use a DVR or camcorder based helmet camera, which are high resolution. You can Record at any moment with a touch of a button using a DVR helmet cam system. DVR style helmet camera systems offer DVD quality recording and features such as, remote control recording.

Useful links: Helmet Cam Videos on www.video.google.com

Author Nicole Douglas

Nicole is an avid sports enthusiast who enjoys recording all the great times she has with her helmet cameras. Save your time and energy searching the internet looking for bullet cameras and take a look at my recommendations.

https://www.actionvideocams.com/ELMO_SUV-Cam_II.html

The Indianapolis 500

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 04:23:00 -0700

By Brenda Williams

One of the largest single-day sporting event in history is the Indy 500. The running of the Indy 500 has been going on since 1911. The 93rd running of the race will take place in May of 2009, making it the 64th consecutive year without interruption. Other names of the race throughout history have been the International 500-Mile Sweepstakes (twice), the International 300-Mile Sweepstakes and the Liberty Sweepstakes. The race has been carried on television and radio. It debuted on radio in 1952 on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Radio Network. The firs time the race was televised from start to finish was in 1986 by ABC.

The race is held at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which was built in 1909. Its first track was a gravel and tar track which was then changed to all brick and then pavement. The first Indy 500 took place on May 30, 1911. The venue currently holds approximately 400,000 people. The first race was seen by just over 80,000 people who paid $1 for admission. The first race included Ray Harroun, the inventor of the rear view mirror. The race was originally an open event which meant that anyone could race in the event if they wished to do so. Now the race is by invitation only. Drivers must qualify for participating in the event.

When the race was an open event the qualifying procedure entailed the admission fee and maintained a certain speed was allowed to join the field. The order of start was determined at random, by determining who handed in their signup forms first. Now the qualifying, since it is by invitation only, is a little tougher. The current speed-based qualifying was started in 1915 and the field was limited to 33 entries, which is still the case for today's race. The qualifying process today consists of a four-lap distance and it was introduced in the year 1933.

With each race comes traditions at the Indy 500 from year to year. The most popular tradition, and most popular words in sports aside from "Play Ball," is "Gentlemen, start your engines!" Other traditions include the detonation of an explosive to signal the opening of the arena's gates at 6am on the day of the race, "Taps" is played to symbolize the remembrance of Memorial Day along with a flyover, "God Bless America" is performed by Florence Henderson and "The Star-Spangled Banner" is performed by a different popular artist each year.

There have been a multitude of accidents during the running of the Indy 500 and a handful of deaths involving drivers, crew, spectators and driving mechanics (which haven't been used since the early years of the race). The last death during the Indy 500 was in 1973 when Swede Savage died on July 2nd in a hospital from injuries suffered in the race. Some believe that Savage might have died do to contaminated blood from a transfusion. Savage was the 14th driver to die either at the race or after the race to due injuries from an accident or from heat exhaustion.

Car Shipping Made Easy

First Time Car Shipping

Strengthen Your Core and Leg Muscles For Fun Skating

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:25:00 -0700

By Guerrelyne Gautreau

The reason core strength and leg strength are important for any sport, specifically skating, is because most movements and balance depend on your leg muscles and your core strength. If your core and your leg muscles are weak, it becomes extremely difficult to achieve any skating skills. Good balance not only keeps you steady on your feet, but it helps make your movements powerful. Having a strong core and good leg strength mean better performance in different sports.

En route to a strong body, keep in mind that the body needs fuel. Your nutrition, as well as your training, is equally as important. Make sure you have the right amount of protein necessary for optimal training. Keep your fat intake low. Under no circumstances should you give up your carbs. You need complex carbohydrates. It is what fuel you while you are working out. Eat whole grains, vegetables, and fruits.

The core is the center of your body's strength, your "powerhouse" and the foundation for all of your movements. Your legs' muscles are equally as important in maintaining your balance. They are those muscles that lift your leg to the side, your toes, and they keep you moving forward. It is important to keep those muscle groups strong. The primary abductor that lifts the leg to the side is the gluteus medius; this muscle is of extreme importance to skaters. As you strengthen your core and your leg muscles, balance can be improved. The muscles that comprise the core, pelvis and hips, must be strong in order to work efficiently.

To develop core strength you need to work the muscles of the core. This requires you to do a lot more than your traditional crunches. You can perform moves such as: the Plank exercises which requires that you lay face down on a mat resting on the forearms, with palms flat on the floor. As you push off the floor, raising up onto toes and resting on the elbows. Make sure you keep your back flat, in a straight line from head to heels. Tilt your pelvis and contract your abdominal muscles to prevent your rear from sticking up in the air. Hold the position for at lest for 20 to 60 seconds, lower and repeat for 3-5 reps. The plank exercise is a great way to build endurance in both the abs and the back. It helps to stabilize the muscles as well. For the bridge exercise, lie on your back with your knees bent. Keep your back in a neutral position, not arched and not pressed into the floor. Tighten your abdominal muscles as you raise your hips off the floor until your hips are aligned with your knees and shoulders. Hold for three deep breaths. Another good exercise for the core is the Russian twist. This is done by sitting on the ground and place your feet under a stable surface. With your knees bent, slightly lean back while keeping your torso straight. With one hand on the other, and arms straight, move your arms from one side to another. Do not pause in the middle. Make sure you breathe properly; do not hold your breath. You can perform this exercise with a weight for a more intense exercise. The Supperman exercise is good to help strengthen your lower back, and it is good helpful way to enhance your balance. While keeping one arm and one leg on the floor, lengthen the opposite arm and leg to a full extension. Contract the muscles in the lower back and buttocks. The great benefit of having good core strength is the fact that you don't have to worry about issues dealing with your back or hip muscles which can lead to other injuries. The possibilities of you missing ice time will be minimized. Core strength can be improved by working on the center of your body. The core exercises help. You strengthen your core muscles. Any exercise that uses the trunk of your body without support helps.

The lower body contains some of your biggest muscles groups which are capable of bearing significant weight. Having good balance means having strong leg muscles as well. The most important muscles in the lower body for good balance are your hips and quadriceps. Exercises for these muscles include Hip Abduction. To strengthen the front of your legs you can do leg press exercises, straight leg raises and Knee extensions.

Hip Abduction: This exercise strengthens the muscles of the outer, upper leg. This exercise is for inner thighs. This is done in a standing posture. Do it with keeping the hip straight and moving the thigh inwards toward the midline of the body. This exercise works the largest hip muscle and inner thigh.

Leg press: Use your abdominal muscles to raise your feet in an arc to a position directly above your head. Repeat until the desired number of repetitions is complete. This is a useful exercise for the quads but it also works the hamstrings and glutes.

Straight leg raises: Contract the quadriceps muscles at the front of the thigh. Hold for 10 seconds. Relax and rest for three seconds.

Knee extensions: Sit in a chair, with your back resting against the back of the chair. If your feet are flat on the floor in this position, you should place a rolled-up towel under your knees to lift them up. Only the balls of your feet and your toes should be resting on the floor. Rest your hands on your thighs or on the sides of the chair. Take three seconds to extend your right leg in front of you, parallel to the floor, until your knee is straight.

With your right leg in this position, flex your foot so that your toes are pointing toward your head; hold your foot in this position for at least three seconds. Take five seconds to lower your right leg back to the starting position, so that the ball of your foot rests on the floor again. Repeat with left leg. Alternate legs, until you have done the exercise 10 to 15 times with each leg.

Squat is the best exercise, for leg strength. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly out, holding dumbbells or a barbell behind your neck and across your shoulders. Keeping your head up, back straight and feet in full contact with the floor, bend at the hips and move your butt backward until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Don't allow your knees to extend in front of your toes. As you Maintain that posture, bring your hips forward as you return to a standing position.

Lunge: Holding dumbbells on your shoulders, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Keep your head up and back straight, bring one leg forward and bend at the knee until your front leg forms a 90-degree angle and the knee of your back leg almost touches the floor. Return to the upright position and alternate legs. Again, keep proper form and don't allow the front knee to pass in front of the toes. Try to maintain a long stride for better results.

Deadlift focuses on the whole posterior chain. Feet should be placed at armpit width with toes slightly out. Shins will be placed next to the bar. The majority of the body weight should begin on the balls of the feet with a transfer to the heels through lockout. The hands should grasp the bar with an over / under grip with the arms outside the knees. The legs should be bent to approximately 60 degrees from vertical with the hips lower than the shoulders. Your head should be looking forward in a neutral position. The chest should be forward, not down. Shoulders should be squeezed tightly back and positioned directly over the bar. Do not round the shoulders, as more force will then be applied to the back. Stand behind the bar, so that it is over the balls of your feet. Keep your feet shoulder width apart, pointing forwards or slightly outwards. Squat down and grasp the bar, hands slightly greater than shoulder width apart. Thighs should be approximately parallel to the ground, back straight, and eyes looking forward. Keeping the back rigid and arms straight, lift the bar using the legs, keeping the bar as close to the body as possible.

Balance exercises help you maintain strong core and leg muscles and prevent falls. The leg consists of multiple parts. The Quadriceps are the muscle group in the front of your thigh above the knee which is used to extend the knee, the hamstrings are a group of muscles in the back of your thigh, they do the opposite and flex or retract your knee. The calves are the group of muscles that are located on the lower leg in the back opposite side of the shin. They are used to extend your ankle or raise your heel if you are standing. All the leg muscles work together to create speed and movement. They work in conjunction with each other, for power, acceleration and speed. Every muscle is important. Do not just train one muscle group, train them all. Strong leg muscles, especially in the quadriceps, hamstring area, and calves, are essential in figure skating. Much of your power comes from your legs, and staying balance requires strong leg muscles as well.

If you want to increase your core and leg strength for better balance, your quads, hamstrings and abdominal are the muscles to concentrate on. Exercises such as the Russian Twist and sit-ups and crunches are good."The Plank" help[s strength the core; try to hold it for around 30 seconds at a time and increase as you get stronger. Things like leg raises also help. Keep in mind, maintaining a diet rich in protein and low in fat is important in any workout routine to enhance muscle growth and development, or you will get absolutely nowhere. Concentrate on overall fitness and maintaining a healthy regime.

Nothing beats healthy eating. Eat a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates. Spread your meals. Your metabolism is a machine continuously at work. It needs fuel. Eat smaller meals every few hours throughout the day to accelerate fat loss and to maintain stable energy levels. For best results, eat six smaller meals a day. Eat your protein, lean chicken, fish, egg-whites and beans. You must consume as much fruits and vegetables . Drink at least three quarts of water per day. SODA is your worst enemy, diet or not. As you do your reps, concentrate on total body strength with emphasis on core and leg strength.

http://thetripleaxel.blogspot.com/

http://unlimitedhealth.blogspot.com/

Off-Ice Training For the New Skater

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:24:00 -0700

By Guerrelyne Gautreau

A lot of skating may build and tone your muscles, however it will be a slow and difficult process if you don't do off ice training. Ballet, Pilates, Yoga and strength training are crucial when it comes to off ice training, this is what truly makes a difference in figure skating. Just like figure skating, you'd be amazed to find out how much muscle is involved when it comes to Ballet, Pilates and Yoga.

This is a standard workout if you are new to figure skating and would like to improve. You will definitely see a big difference if it is practiced:

1. Jump rope for thirty second intervals, with a fifteen-second rest in between them three times.

2. A special kind of jump rope where instead of just jumping rope, you kick your knee up every time, In other words, it would be a jump with your left knee up, then jump with your right knee up, jump with your left knee up, (get the picture?) and so on. Try to do this as many times as you can. The more you do the better. It takes a lot of practice!

3. Put your body in a bridge position, with your arms straight, and hold it for thirty seconds. Rest and then do it again, at least three times.

4. Lay flat on your stomach with your arms out in front of you as if you are Superman. Lift up your hands and feet as high as you can and get them as far away from your body as possible. Hold this for ten seconds, then go down for ten seconds. Do at least ten reps. While you are doing them, your stomach should be touching the ground.

5. Squats. Stand straight with your feet under your hips, try standing in front of a mirror in order to make sure you keep proper posture. Put your arms to the side, and when you go down put them in front of you. Don't go down too low, go just pass a right (90 degrees) angle and make sure you don't stick your butt out, just sit with your body straight up. Sit and stand back up ten times. Do as many reps as you can or least three times. As you built strength, you can add additional reps. As they become easier, start adding weights.

6. Stretches. Make sure you stretch before and after any workout.

This routine will help your skating immensely.

http://thetripleaxel.blogspot.com/

http://unlimitedhealth.blogspot.com/

You CAN Learn to Ice Skate

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:23:00 -0700

By Jassen Bowman

Having been raised in the era of figure skating superstars like Nancy Kerrigan, Michelle Kwan, and Todd Eldridge, I have been fascinated by this beautiful display of athletic prowess for nearly two decades. But, like many things in life, there comes a point where the fascination slips into a desire to do something more than just sit on the couch and watch these happenings on the moving picture box.

Being 30 years old and 50 pounds overweight, part of my brain was telling myself I was absolutely, positively nuts to even be thinking about doing this. Even that first time I stepped onto the ice, I was still telling myself that I was about to be involved in a major medical emergency involving multiple broken bones. Three months later, I am not only injury free, but actually making substantial progress.

So, how does one go about learning how to skate? Like anything else, you have to do your homework. It all begins with identifying a facility in your area that even has a sheet of ice. Most major metropolitan areas of the United States, Canada, and Europe have ice facilities of one form or another. Some ice rinks consist only of frozen lakes, while others offer multiple ice rinks within one large building, complete with locker rooms, concession stands, skate rental, and more. Finding a facility near you begins with a simple Google search or a trip through the phone book.

After identifying an appropriate facility, you must then actually contact the ice rink and inquire as to the availability of group classes or private instruction. Most ice rinks offer public skate sessions during which you can obtain one-on-one instruction from a member of the site staff. Many facilities in America also participate in either the U.S. Figure Skating Association or the Ice Skating Institute basic skating skills programs, which provide a structured course of instruction in either a group format or on an individual basis.

Most people will start with group lessons. The advantage of joining a class is that there is an organized curriculum to the entire process of learning how to ice skate, along with being with a group of people of your own skill level. The cost for group lessons is also significantly less than private instruction. It is common for classes to meet twice per week for about four to six weeks. These types of classes vary in cost depending on where you're geographically located, but in the United States expect to pay between $60 and $100 for such a class. In addition, you will also likely have to rent skates from the facility you are taking lessons at. However, skate rental is generally very inexpensive, at only a few dollars per session.

If you're looking to test the waters before jumping into a class, or simply desire the undivided attention of an instructor, then private lessons are a worthwhile option to consider. Meeting once or twice with a private instructor is a great way to get started, especially to help you determine whether or not ice skating is something that you will really enjoy and want to stick with as a hobby. Following private instruction with group classes can give you a head start on learning how to ice skate, especially if you take a private lesson on occasion during the course of being in a class. Private instruction is definitely more costly, but pays for itself in terms of the progress that you can make in your skating skills compared to a group environment. Expect to pay anywhere from $45 to $100 per hour for private instruction, with most lessons lasting about 30 to 45 minutes, depending on your goals and pace.

Personally, my intention was to meet twice, and only twice, with a private instructor, and then maybe take a class, with the thought that doing that much would get the desire to skate out of my system. My primary interest in learning to skate was to have a wee bit of a clue about what it's like to be on the ice, since I had already made the decision that the only way I could ever actively participate in the sport of figure skating was to be a judge. However, after those two private lessons, I was hooked on skating itself, and now my weekly lessons are a line item in my personal budget.

Ice skating is an addictive form of recreation. Learning to ice skate will provide you with a great sense of personal satisfaction and accomplishment. Whether your interest is purely recreational in nature, or you have an interest in any of the related disciplines such as hockey, ice dancing, or figure skating, ice skating will provide you with a sense of pure elation, and will always provide you with additional challenges should you wish to explore them.

In my next article, I will offer insight into selecting an instructor for private coaching. This relationship is such an important one that it deserves careful consideration. I consider myself extremely fortunate that the "next available instructor" to whom I was assigned is such a talented coach and a good personality fit. However, one should not rely on blind luck or good fortune alone when picking an instructor, so be looking for that article coming soon.

Jassen Bowman is a tax consultant by profession, helping taxpayers obtain the tax relief to which they are legally entitled. Outside of work, his lifelong interest in the sport of figure skating has recently blossomed into an intense drive to learn to ice skate He can be found practicing three or four times per week at his local ice centre.

Figure Skating, Competitions - Who Can Compete and What to Bring to Competitions

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:22:00 -0700

By Scott Waddell

Are you wondering if your child might want to do a competition? In most areas, "fun" figure skating competitions start right from the lowest level of skating, all the way up. If your child is interested in doing a competition, your professional coach will be able to help you by giving you options. If your child does not have a private coach, you can speak to a board member within the club for help, although please keep in mind that in general, you will need to have a private coach for your child to make their solo and be with them on competition day.

Doing competitions is a great way to boost your child's confidence and their personal development, to get them used to performing in front of large groups, show off their skills, and to learn a routine in a set pattern, which often helps push their skills even further. If you make it a fun day for your child, and don't pressure them over winning or losing, you'll find it a good experience overall.

As for what to bring to competitions, here is a general guideline that I tell my skaters.

Here is a quick list of what you should bring for your competition day.

Skates
Skate Guards
Skating Dress/Skating Outfit for Boys (generally one for each event)
Extra Skating Dress/Extra Outfit (optional)
Extra Tights
Extra Hair Elastics and or Scrunchies
Extra Skate Laces
Hair Brush
Hair Spray
Glitter (optional)
Warm up Sweater
Music and Back up
Make up
Bottle Water
Healthy Snacks
Running Shoes
Skipping Rope
Band-aids
Sewing Kit
Healthy lunch if you're going to be there most of the day

Scott is a Professional Figure Skating Coach in the Prescott Figure Skating Club - http://www.scottwaddell.ca

Espn College Football Picks - Win Betting on Sports Today!

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:20:00 -0700

By Chris Grisham

Football is a sport deeply embedded in American sporting culture. I am not referring to soccer of course. What I am referring to is American Football. It has continually influence the lives of many insofar as their sporting lives are concerned. This is so since football is a very fascinating game. It is fast moving, fun and sometimes painful to watch, especially when players tackle each other. And while some may refer to it as a bit rough, it nevertheless has some grace to it, which if appreciated in the right manner, might seem polished. To say however that it is as graceful as ballet for example, would be pushing it.

American football is a tough sport. This is characterized by the sport in that, to be an effective football player, one should have the right size so that they may be able to compete properly with other players. This is not to say of course that all football players are huge. There are also a few exceptions. And one of them is Doug Flutie. This rather short man, having American Football as basis, grew to be one of the greatest quarterbacks in football. But the highlight of his career was when he was in college.

College football as differentiated with pro football is faster, and more aggressive. This is evidenced by the fact that players in it are younger compared to that of pro football. But when we are talking about the play that takes place between these leagues, there is no doubt that the plays being executed in pro football is more refined and polished. Also, players in pro football are more mature when it comes to the execution of plays and also of filling in their roles. Such that pro football is a different level compared to that of college football.

With the love of football deeply embedded in American culture, what follows it, like any other sports, are betting on the game. Betting in sports happen even if what is concerned is college sports. And in this case, college football. According to those who love to gamble, by betting on sports, it makes the game more interesting. It makes it more fascinating. People who often bet on college football experience the kind of thrill that other people who are not betting don't feel. This is because they have their money on the line and by having it on the line, there will be a different thrill on it.

But you should be careful in placing your bets, you should ask help in determining your chances of winning. This is important since heavy gamblers often place bet "above of the ordinary" amount. Espn College Football Picks can help you. One place wherein there are advices are Espn College Football Picks. Espn College Football Picks is a good way to educate yourself for smart betting. Espn College Football Picks will help you determine your chances of winning. It is for this reason that you should try to look at Espn College Football Picks.

Chris Grisham is the creator of Sportsbook Investing, the premier website for making money with espn college football picks. He has successfully been beating sportsbooks for years using his proven system and top sports picks based on lines, trends, angles, and years of experience. Learn about his system for FREE at http://www.SportsbookInvesting.com

Top NFL Football Pick Tips to Get You to Start Winning Today!

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:19:00 -0700

By Chris Grisham

Consider first what are your reasons to engage in sports betting? Are you doing that out of a friendly bet? Is it because your favorite home team is playing and you would want to show your support even if just through betting? Or are you in it for the big gains? Well, whatever your purpose may be then if you're reading this and searching out for info on sports betting, then you must be in it seriously. Let me help you with that with a few tips on how to conduct a good NFL Football pick so you can start winning.

Research is the key

That's right. Although this may come as a natural advice, but you might be surprised to find out that there are hundreds of bettors out there who place bets out of a whim. They just play with their gut feel. While this may net them a good win or two, it is a haphazard way to play and will surely end in losses in the long run. You must have a well-researched NFL Football pick to start with. Football is a science, statistics is a science so I believe it is equally imperative that you approach sports betting as a science, too. Here are a few things you must consider in your research:

1. Every good NFL Football pick is backed with reliable information. Stats if you would prefer to call it. Know everything that there is to know about the players and the teams. Keep this line in mind though, because I will stress more about the importance of getting these pieces of information later on.

2. Did your choice of players or teams played well last season? This is important because you can practically guess the outcome of the coming season based on their performances in the last outing. Players and teams can have winning streaks and it can continue well into the next season.

3. Are there injuries you will have to contend with? Did any of the major players incur serious injuries? You must also consider the health of the backup players because as they say, a winning team is only as good as its second bit players. It is vital in making your NFL Football pick that you are aware of and understand the general health and well-being of your players.

4. The last and probably the most intriguing tip that I can give to you is to not be ashamed to admit that you need help. Understanding all of these information such as the statistics, the injuries and the performances of all, and I emphasize the word all, of these teams and players is the single vital strategy in your NFL Football pick decisions.

Take for example the injuries of these players. Not only do you have to know the type of injuries they incurred, but you must understand the repercussions these can bring to your team or the players' performances. Every injury is important because well obviously, an unhealthy player is virtually useless in a game. He can be great liability. You must also know if the injury will persist or if that player can recover in time to eventually have a good season performance.

Perhaps it is too daunting for you to amass and analyze of these information. That's where a professional can help you. You will find the assistance of good sportsbooks, handicappers and other sports analysts vital in helping you to continuously win.

Chris Grisham is a professional sports bettor living in the USA. For the past decade he has been consistently winning any sports he wagers on using his proven system based on his nfl football pick system. Find about his system for FREE at http://www.SportsbookInvesting.com

Basic Tips on Earning Great Profits by Betting on Sports Today!

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:18:00 -0700

By Chris Grisham

Sports betting or sports gambling whichever way you want to call it, has been around probably since the beginning of organized professional sports. And there's a reason why people are so keen about betting on sports. That's because it pays.

Do you want to earn some great profits while getting involved in something you're very passionate about? Whatever your sport is, be it football, basketball or baseball; betting on sports can bring to you money you never thought you could earn just by following your favorite team!

But I have to remind you that it is not easy. It is not a simple walk in the park as they often say. Betting on sports requires more than instinct or gut feel (and believe, most bettors rely on these whenever they place their bets!). Perhaps above all, you really need to be passionate about it, especially on the sports of your choice. You will have to really study the game, learn the inside stuff, know every cog that makes your specific sport run well. Only by having such formidable knowledge can you gain true advantage over the other bettors.

Now I have prepared a short but effective list of tips that I always hand out to anyone who wants to get started on betting on sports. These are really quite basic tips and suggestions but will prove to be enough for any beginner.

1. Bet only on teams and sports that you love. Whether you want to bet on let's say the NFL or NCAA, whatever your league of choice may be, the important thing is you choose a team and sports you are very passionate of. Passion is the key here and I don't think I can over emphasize it enough. When you are passionate about a team, you will be eager and more resourceful on learning more about them, their stats and current conditions. Knowledge about your team and sports is vital on every bet that you will make.

2. Stick to what works for you. Every bet and every sport has a number of betting systems or routines. Even every bettor has his own system whenever he bets. Through time, you will learn and perhaps create your own system. When you finally have a winning way, stick to it. You can deviate from it every once in a while but the important thing is that with major bets, you should always follow your own tried and tested ways.

3. You should make yourself an expert on your sport. Not just with statistics, you must learn the ins and outs, the rules and regulations, everything that makes your sport tick. You should know a great deal with each player of your team. Is the star player currently in perfect playing condition? What is the general morale of the team? Is the coach on the verge of getting fired? These are bits and pieces of information that are vital in helping you to make the proper decisions whenever you're betting on sports.

Chris Grisham is a professional sports bettor living in the USA. For the past decade he has been consistently winning any sports he wagers on using his proven system based on his betting on sports system. Find about his system for FREE at http://www.SportsbookInvesting.com

What is Fantasy Football?

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:17:00 -0700

By Robert Grazian

It is almost that time of year again, football season. Football is the most popular sport in the United States and every year generates a ton of interest and creates a lot of excitement. Over the past several years it has even spawned a very popular game, fantasy football. Perhaps you have heard of fantasy football, but do not really understand what it is. You may think that it is everyone's fantasy to play football and that it is some sort of daydreaming thing that people waste their time with. However, this is false. Fantasy football is a complete game that is available to be played by hard core football fanatics as well as casual fans. Below is a brief introduction to fantasy football so that you can become a little more familiar with it.

Basic Structure

In fantasy football, the players are called owners. These owners "own" a team. The owners do not own a specific football team (such as the Tennessee Titans), but instead have the opportunity to put players from all different teams onto their one team. This is why it is called fantasy football, because you get to build your own fantasy team, trying to put your favorite quarterback and wide receivers together and so forth.

In most leagues, the owners put together their teams through a draft. The owners take turns drafting the players, once a player is drafted no other owner may have that player on their team. The draft lasts as long as the owners agree to have it last, with the typical draft lasting 12 - 14 rounds.

The owners agree as to what the roster limit will be. The owners also agree what the starting lineups should be. For example, they can agree to have the starting lineup be a quarterback, two running backs, three receivers, one tight end, a kicker, and a defense. The owners are free to adjust this how they see fit.

One of the owners is designated as the commissioner, and it is his duty to oversee the fantasy football league and make sure that everything runs smoothly. He will settle any disputes and help the other players as needed.

Points

The players on the teams score points for the actions taken by the real players on the football field each week. For example, running backs will get points for how many yards they run and for how many touchdowns they score. The owners agree as to what it takes to score points and how many points to award for certain actions.

In Person League or Online

There are two choices to joining a fantasy football league. You can join up with friends and acquaintances and create your own league. Or you can join an online league and play with people you may not know. Two of the more popular fantasy football leagues are Yahoo and ESPN. You can go to their websites to get more information and sign up for a league if you would like.

Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about fantasy football visit Fantasy Leagues Site for current articles and discussions.

Why Fantasy Baseball Trumps Fantasy Football (And Every Other Sport, For That Matter)

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:15:00 -0700

By Forrest Kobayashi

It may or may not be apparent to you, but I absolutely love playing and blogging about fantasy baseball I mean, what game can give the owner/blogger like myself a legitimate reason to watch anywhere from six-ten games per night?
Okay, I'll admit that at times, it can be hard to keep up with my teams AND blogging at the same time. But fantasy baseball is far superior to fantasy football for many reasons.

First, fantasy baseball takes an incredible amount of strategy, thinking, and analysis. No successful fantasy baseball owner can beat the game on his/her own. While the same is also true of fantasy football, most of the strategy and thinking comes at the draft, as well as the Thursday or Friday before the weekend's games. Fantasy baseball owners participate in daily management (for the most part), and the 162 game managing simply turns lazy fans off to the fantasy baseball game.

With that added dimension of true strategy and thinking, fantasy baseball owners are rewarded justly for their efforts. Log in everyday and manage your roster, and you will probably be better off than that owner who hasn't logged in for the past 130 days. Most often, this is not true of fantasy football owners. Some owners can simply draft a team and forget about it, stealing wins and usable players from the owners that really care.

Another benefit to playing fantasy baseball is that there are a LOT of games (NO WAY!). If you were to turn on your TV and watch MLB baseball every night on ESPN, ESPN2, or any like network, you could probably view every MLB team at least once. The same cannot be said of the NFL: though there are many different games on your local networks, many fans won't get the opportunity to see several NFL teams play at all over the course of a season.

With daily scores, come daily surprises and lots of great plays. This has more to do about baseball in general than fantasy baseball but it is really great when you can turn on your television and get online to find new scores and news essentially every day. Over the course of a normal NFL week, many news reports focus on previews and reviews, as well as the occasional Chad Ocho Cinco story or injury report.

Even though the game may be tougher, fantasy baseball easily trumps fantasy football as the better fantasy game. Though fantasy football can provide bursts of excitement on Sunday afternoons and Monday nights, fantasy baseball is an exciting game that will really help you grow in your love for the national pastime.

Visit my fantasy baseball blog: Fantasy Baseball Flash! http://www.fantasybaseballflash.com

3 Recovery Keys That Will Allow You to Play Your Best Hockey All Season

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:13:00 -0700

By Kim McCullough

Off-ice recovery has a significant effect on on-ice performance, but most hockey players neglect it completely. The first 30 minutes after you get off the ice are critical to starting the recovery process and preventing injuries and burn-out this season.

There are 3 key components to proper recovery that hockey players must address if they want to feel and play their best day after day:

1) Cool-Down

While many players do dynamic warm-ups before hitting the ice, very few do a cool-down afterwards. For the majority of young hockey players, the cool-down involves taking off your equipment, and jumping into the car for the ride home. A player's body needs to "come-down" after the ice in the same way that they need to "ramp up" for each session. When you neglect to perform a thorough cool-down after a tough practice or game, your muscles will feel heavy and tired. By performing 5 minutes of easy jogging immediately after getting off the ice, players can prevent blood and lactate from pooling in their legs, which will reduce muscle stiffness and soreness.

2) Stretching

Players don't need to spend a lot of time stretching every muscle in their body in order to recover properly. Spending 10 minutes performing a few critical stretches after your cool-down jog is all you need. Players should perform stretches that address their "hockey-specific" muscles - hip flexors, quadriceps, glutes and groin. By holding these stretches in a comfortable position for 1 minute each, players will alleviate muscle soreness, prevent injury and put themselves in a great position to perform their best in their next ice session.

3) Nutrition

Post-activity nutrition and hydration are just as important as completing the cool-down and stretching routines, and are also generally ignored by players. Immediately after getting off the ice, a player's body is in a heightened state to rebuild its energy stores and they need to get food and fluids in them quickly. Whether it is in the form of chocolate milk and a bottle of water or a sports drink with yogurt and a banana, the key is to get re-fuel and re-hydrate fast.

Completing a proper recovery routine after each on-ice session can be the difference between having a mediocre year and having your best season ever. Make the most of the 30 minute "recovery window" this season and you will take your performance to the next level.

Kim McCullough, M.Sc., YCS is a highly sought-after expert in the development of aspiring hockey players and has played at the highest level of women's hockey in the world for the last decade. Kim's player development website gives coaches and parents of aspiring young players access to programs, articles and advice on how to help their players take their game to the next level. To learn more about how to have your best season ever, visit: http://www.besthockeyseasonever.com

Who Invented Hockey

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 02:12:00 -0700

By Robert Grazian

The game of hockey played on ice probably came into being in the 16th Century. Field hockey can be traced back around to around 4,000 ago and this is confirmed by some wall paintings which were found at a burial site in Egypt. These show a game being played using a ball and curved sticks. The Irish version of field hockey, hurling, also has historic roots and was mentioned in the 1366 Statutes of Kilkenny. The first recorded history that we have of ice hockey is in Dutch paintings in the 17th Century. These show people playing a game of hockey which was clearly on a frozen lake. It is impossible to say who invented hockey played on ice, as we know it today.

We know that Sir John Franklin mentions hockey during his arctic expeditions in 1825 and also a British army officer makes mention of it in his writings in 1843, but these were not organised games with written rules and set teams. They were more informal events. This gives us no clue as to who invented hockey as nothing was recorded.

Recording of the first games happened in the mid 1800s in the Halifax area. This was played by British soldiers stationed in there. We also know that ice hockey rules were finally drawn up at the McGill University in Montreal and this maybe the closest that you will get to finding out who invented hockey. This is where the first rules were established regarding the numbers of players etc.

There is, however, another theory. This is a story which involves a Colonel Hockey who was based in Windsor in Novia Scotia. It is thought that Colonel Hockey invented a game using a curved stick and a ball which was used as part of his fitness program for his troops. The game then became known as "Hockey's game". There is, indeed, documentary evidence to prove that John Hockey was serving in Halifax, Nova Scotia in the 1800s, just at the time when the name was adopted for the game. It may be that this is who invented hockey.

So, we have no conclusive proof of who invented hockey. It would seem that it could have evolved rather than being invented. It also depends on how you want to look at the question. McGill University definitely wrote the first rule book and they could, in a way, be defined as being the inventors. The Colonel Hockey story, however, is pretty good and it is encouraging that there is documentary proof of his existence at the right time and the right place. I am afraid that the ball is in your court, so to speak. You will have to accept one of these theories, or you could put in some hours of research and try to prove one of them beyond all doubt.

Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author. To learn more about hockey visit Pucking Hockey for current articles and discussions.

#1 Stretch For Youth Hockey Players

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 22:20:00 -0700

By Kim McCullough

Groin "pulls" are extremely common in youth hockey players, especially at the beginning of the season.

The truth is that what players think is a "pull" is usually just a case of their groin muscles being sore and tired.

With each and every stride a player takes, the groin muscles get stretched. Those same muscles are also responsible for stopping the leg at the end of the stride, so that the groin doesn't stretch too far.

Therefore, the harder the player pushes out in the stride, the more work the groin muscles must do to control the end range of motion through the hip.

So when players start skating after a long summer layoff, with the high frequency and intensity demanded during the pre-season, the groin muscles are under tremendous load and it makes sense that players might experience both soreness and tightness in their groin.

It takes time for a player's "hockey muscles" to adapt to this high workload, and during the adaptation period, those groin muscles are going to be sore and tired.

What can you do to prevent the dreaded groin "pull" this season?

Focusing on stretching the groin muscles, as well as the hip flexors, quadriceps (thigh) and hamstrings (back of the leg), will help to relieve tightness and prevent injury to the groin.

Try this simple groin stretch:

Start out on your hands and knees. Slowly move your knees as wide apart as possible, so that you start to feel a good stretch in the groin muscles. Make sure to keep your toes pointing straight out to the side. Use your hands to support yourself in this position and then push your body back towards your feet slightly to increase the stretch. If this bothers your knees, bring your feet closer together. Hold for 1 to 2 minutes.

Remember - Stretching is NOT a competitive sport. You aren't trying out for Cirque du Soleil. The goal is to get the best stretch you can on that given day, not to stretch further than you've ever gone before. Go to the point where you feel a comfortable stretch and hold it for between 1-2 minutes. If you find yourself breathing heavily, turning red in the face or straining after only 10 seconds, you need to back it off a little bit!

Hockey-specific stretches, like the one described above, will go a long way towards preventing players from sustaining an actual groin "pull" and help them to alleviate the soreness and tightness that comes from using those muscles at a high intensity and frequency in the pre-season.

Spending two minutes stretching the groin after every ice session could be the key to an injury-free season.

Kim McCullough, M.Sc., YCS is a highly sought-after expert in the development of aspiring hockey players and has played at the highest level of women's hockey in the world for the last decade. Kim's player development website gives coaches and parents of aspiring young players access to programs, articles and advice on how to help their players take their game to the next level. To learn more about hockey-specific stretching and how you can have your best season ever, visit: http://www.besthockeyseasonever.com

Hockey History

noreply@blogger.com (maderai-sport) — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 22:19:00 -0700

By Robert Grazian

The word "hockey" may well derive from the old French word "hoquet" which was a shepherd's crook or from the Dutch word "hokkie". This was a old word for a doghouse, which may have been used as a goal. Field hockey history, however, seems to be traceable much further back... 4,000 years ago someone drew pictures in an Egyptian tomb of a sport that look very much like field hockey. Ice hockey history does not date back this far and the oldest recorded history is a Dutch painting from the 17th Century which clearly shows some form of the game being played.

When the European immigrants came to America, they brought their versions of hockey, shinty and hurling with them. In some areas it became popular to play these games on ice and stick and ball games were enjoyed anywhere there was a suitable lake. By the mid 1800s the game had become extremely popular and many games were played by the British soldiers. By the 1870s its appeal had warranted a set of rules being devised at Montreals McGill University. Each team contained 9 players and the ball was replaced by a puck. In more recent years, hockey history has been carefully studied by the Society for International Hockey Research and it would seem that there are a few grey areas regarding its early history. They do, however, know about the first recorded organised game where a score was kept and the teams identified.

This took place on 3rd March 1875 at the Victoria Skating Rink in Montreal. Shortly afterwards, in 1877 the McGill University Hockey Club went down in history as the first club to exist. The popularity of hockey grew and the Amateur Hockey Association of Canada was organised in 1886. It was also popular in Europe with Oxford and Cambridge Universities both having teams. There was great rivalry between these two, as you would expect. This was probably the first in the history of the game. By the end of the 1800s the game was well established and there were many teams being organised. Hockey had reached many other parts of the United States.

Professional league teams made their debut in hockey history just prior to World War 1. Starting in Michigan, this quickly incorporated Canada, Switzerland, Ukraine, Great Britain and Austria. Although there are now only six players on a team and play now takes place on ice rinks rather than frozen lakes, some aspects remain just the same. Clothing has come a long way since its conception and all professional players will wear quite considerable protective clothing. This is no surprise when you consider that the game involves a lot of body contact and also that the puck can travel extremely fast.

There are many heroes in hockey history and the game has gone on to become one of America's most popular sports. Professional players are very high visibility stars and the sport is lucrative. It has a combination of glamour, speed, technical ability and aggression that makes it compulsive viewing.

Robert Grazian is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about hockey visit Canadian Hockey Site for current articles and discussions