RSS
 

Posts Tagged ‘sports’

Golf Swing: Ten Pointers For Rookies and Pros

20 Feb

Since its early years, the game of golf is not very easy to play. Before, people used to play golf using an ordinary ball and a leather stick. It is maybe safe to believe that the golf courses during that time were not that serene to those we have these days. The grasses were not that properly preserved and sand traps were bumpy. Assumably, the golf swings during that time will be revolving on the main hint which is to hold the club or stick and hit the ball as close as possible to the hole.

Golf looks easy to the average person, usually they’d think that it’s simple to hit the golf ball and make it go to the hole. However, several things are needed to be done to be able to properly play golf. One of the aspects of golf that needs to be done properly is the golf swing. As easy as it may seem, it does not only involve holding the club and whacking the ball. It’s more than it seems to be. Tips are everywhere, but here’s another set of golf swing tips that will be very useful for beginners and experienced players alike.

The Right Grip: Anyone can hold a golf club, but not always in the right manner. You should make sure that you use your lead hand (stronger hand either right or left) to grip the golf club with the thumb pointing downwards. After that, place your hand below it to make it secure. A gentle and firm hold ought to be maintained while holding the club so that you will have better control over the movements of the golf club. The ten finger, vardon grip, and interlocking grip are three of the several kinds of grips that you can utilize. If you select the correct grip, you will be able to get familiar and be accustomed to the amount of force that is needed. Professional golf players have also utilized these grips.

The Appropriate Stance: Normally, this tip is always included in most golf magazines, books, or online web pages. The right stance is very significant as it largely affects the result of the golf swing. When watching a professional golfer, every swing can seem to be natural as kicking a ball. A novice, however, will tend to miss the golf ball and even slip as a consequence of force. Be careful in your stance. You need to align your feet correctly, make sure that the golf ball is parallel to hole, slightly spread out your feet, slightly bend your knees, and balance your weight. You should be relaxed and save yourself from becoming rigid.

The Actual Swing: There are a lot of variations for the actual golf swing, since there are a lot of speculations on what the proper “golf swing” should be. But for golf swing tips, it is encouraged to master the basic golf swing first before trying other variations. During the backswing, turn your shoulders toward your spine, shift your weight to the front of your back foot and hinge your front arm up into a 90-degree angle. For the downswing, release your arm in its 90-degree angle form toward the target as you shift your weight to your front foot in one, smooth balanced motion.

The Follow Through: You should not turn back right away to the normal stance once the golf club hit the golf ball as this will produce muscle strain. You should maintain your head behind the golf ball, then it should come up along with your shoulder while facing the target.

Rhythm: Finding the “good rhythm” is a great way to build up yourself for the swing. Prior to doing the actual swing, you’ll need to practice. Have two balls and place them on the ground, the other one behind the other. Put your golf club between them and swing. If the ball behind rolls well away, you’re rushing the swing. If the ball rolls just a few feet, that should be fine.

Brave the Rough Spots: In golf swing tips, the focus is only on the swing itself. Prepare yourself for the unexpected errors such as being on the rough. The fairways maybe heavenly, but when the player is in the rough, it’s different. Learn to adjust on the rough by avoiding to hack or chopping on the ball. Have a wider stance and be slightly closer to the ball. This gives a higher angle when you swing.

The Sand: The sand is an additional burden for most golfers. The sand can be large obstacle specifically when the rain got it wet and shallow. However, you need to focus on your balance and be sturdy in angled sand traps. Hit the sand underneath the ball, so it goes up to the air and to be back on safe ground. In a shallow and wet trap, hit the ball straight as you would normally do in a shot.

Closing in on the Putt: Besides focusing golf swing tips on the actual swing, it is also advised to be prepared for the putt shot. A player may have a good swing for getting close to the green, but putting is yet another game. Figure out how to adjust to the change from making the drive to making the putt. Practice good putting and be accustomed to adjust to a specific grip. Your grip may be the same for both, but it can be different for putting.

Practice: There is no other way than applying your learning in a regular basis. Practice more on the actual golf course, not simply on the driving range. The chief purpose of playing is for the course itself and struggling with the challenges that can be met at the course! Imagine just like you are in a tournament and always place yourself in situations that are new to you notably when you get to master being adaptive to handicaps in golf.

Conditioning The MIndset: After learning and mastering basic fundamentals of the game, you need to face yet another obstacle- YOU. After several months of practice, chances are you may have developed your individual style in playing. Don’t steer clear in being unconventional – providing you understand the basics. The game of golf is a mental game, with the distractions around, it is very easy for these to have an effect on your shots. Clear your thoughts, trust your adaptive abilities, and do your swing. You must own your game.

Golf swings may be easy, but it takes more than a good golf club to hit the ball. Relax and enjoy the game!

Want to find out more about golf swing tips, then visit Paul Monahan’s site on learn more about golf swing tips and other golf skills.

 
Comments Off

Posted in Career

 

Where Exactly You Are Seated Does Make A Difference

07 Dec

When you are arranging a business trip, there are plenty of significant steps to generally be done. Of course, the important concern will be your business objectives and everything required so the business you are going to carry out when you arrive comes off well. So you are going to devote most of your time and energy on those preparations or so you could be well-equipped for the travel.

But to make use of the old expression, it is the small things that really mean very much especially when you are experiencing the hassle of business travel. You’d put up with a lot of hassle and having to accommodate the necessities of others in air terminals wherein everybody wants to be comfortable. Little things mean very much on a very long business flight from how properly you eat to the kind of car you are renting on the other end. Just a tiny surprise or maybe accommodation as you go along could set put you in a very good mood on the trip and that vibe might even influence the results of the conferences you are going to carry out when you make your business connections at your desired destination.

Some people do not have a preference exactly where they are seated during the plane flight. But there are numerous of concerns which can become important throughout that time where you are essentially immobile while you travel cross-country. Some of those are:

* If you are claustrophobic, getting a window seat is in no way about sightseeing. It could be a sanity saving need to keep you from focusing on the enclosed plane space.

* Should you wish to work, you must have some space in order to spread out.

* A few medical-related needs may demand easy access to the privacy of the laboratory, if for no other valid reason than to take on medication without being observed.

* In case you have close connections and are on a limited timeline, sitting close to the front of the airplane helps with getting off rather quickly.

To get some control over the variable of exactly where you are seated en route to or from your business trip, put some thinking into the issue up front and see if you can book the seating which satisfies your purposes before you ever proceed to the airport terminal. When you use online bookings, you can obtain a map of the plane, which will provide you which seats will be available. This provides you great power to move your seat so you can sit just exactly where you desire before you go to the airport.

A few issues to take into consideration would be the space or room you may need as well as whether you will need to recline your seat or not. The seats on the exit row are almost always far more spacious. In return for being prepared to available the door in an emergency, you can gain twice as much space as you might have had which pays off when you need to work during the flight.

The very last row of the airplane does not recline. The upside of that row is that you will not have anybody behind you to kick your seat back or even bounce the tray table as they do regardless of what it is they are doing back there. From the same token, the very first set in the section doesn’t have seats in front of it therefore it can be roomier. However you might not have a tray desk to make use of to put your laptop on for work. These are trade offs worth considering through in advance.

You can have your local travel agent know your preferences every time they book your flight. However don’t miss out on the opportunity to make adjustments as late as the day of the flight. You might locate a row that is not full and have the possibility to grab a seat and have the row to yourself. And this, in airline travel economies, is pure gold.

Searching for a travel agency LA metropolitan area to arrange your next vacation? A competent and affordable Los Angeles travel agency will surely give you the best services for you to have satisfaction from your getaway.

 
Comments Off

Posted in Business

 

Take A Trip To Foreign Shores

04 Dec

Overseas business trip is without a doubt rapidly turning out to be normal to be able to work out transactions and to manage international close ties. The overall economy is becoming a lot more global since the world becomes flat because of improved communications and the surge of the economic climates worldwide. No longer are business enterprise contracts thought to occur merely on a domestic scale. To consider the business community as an international neighborhood is in step with the economies of this century. And that means that you could very easily find yourself flying overseas to conduct the business of your company. And international travel will take certain planning.

Before you arrange your flights to travel to another country, you need to get your documentation in order so you can pass through customs and get on your way. As a result of heightened security, an up-to-date passport has become important to even travel to adjacent countries. As a result of the increased necessity of passports, it will take more time to get that records together thus plan ahead of time in order to secure your own passport so that you will not come up short when it’s time for you to carry out your offshore business. Furthermore, remember that a visa is needed to go to certain cities. Therefore once you organize the business conferences, verify from your contact at the destination location what is required. In order to have a visa, you will need to have gotten your passport not less than 6 months. Additionally, you need an original duplicate of an invitation from your sponsor in the destination country. Those documents are going to be taken to the local embassy of your destination country in order to get your visa issued to you. So prepare these steps in case a visa is needed for your trip.

Beside the legal papers, health concerns are generally second in the main agenda to address for an excellent business travel. You might need to get your vaccinations updated for certain destinations of your travel. Seek advice from your physician to ensure you are prepared. Carry out some planning for the unlikely chance that you will have any adverse health emergency overseas. This is a setting in which travel insurance is a great idea. If you happen to be hurt or have a severe ailment overseas, you will require that type of assistance to be able to obtain health care and to get moved back home for long-term health care. Also be sure your medical records are available as well as copied in several locations in the event you end up separated from them. You want to be in a position to access insurance information, information regarding medication you need and emergency contacts even if you loose almost everything overseas. One particular method of doing that is to scan critical papers and store them on the Internet in a folder which you can get to from any location.

Make use of most of the exact same travel savvy that keeps you safe going locally when preparing to go to a foreign region. You most likely do not have knowledge of the city you’re going to and where the secure places will be to stay as well as dine and what neighborhoods to avoid. You could use very latest travel and leisure books and Internet details to acquire that kind of street know-how before you leave. Yet absolutely nothing replaces a local contact. Make use of your company contacts on the other end of your travel plans to give you advice on not only where to go but the places to stay away from when coming into town. Your contact in the foreign country that you are traveling to can also give you information about how to handle transportation as well as basic safety in his or her country. Hailing a taxi might not work exactly the same over there as it does here. And also you ought to stay away from getting into an automobile which is not a valid carrier that might not take you in places you want to head to or should go as soon as they pick you up at the airport terminal.

In addition, take some time understanding native customs as well as ways of communication. Always be aware of the way you conduct yourself, stand as well as make use of your hands and fingers since you might without knowing set off a dangerous predicament. By way of example, the thumbs up sign in traditional Western cultures means affirmations as well as achieving success. But in the Middle East, a thumbs up is equivalent to displaying the middle finger is to us. You definitely don’t plan to flip off a cop in Saudi Arabia just because you didn’t are aware of that.

Looking for a travel agency LA metropolitan area to arrange your upcoming holiday? A competent and inexpensive Los Angeles travel agency will certainly provide the finest services for you to have pleasure from your getaway.

 
Comments Off

Posted in Business

 

Mark Coleman Cut From UFC

11 Nov

Not too long ago, Mark Coleman headlined UFC 109 facing Randy Couture. Several days later, he’s apparently no longer good enough to remain in the UFC at all. On Wednesday, following a lopsided loss to Couture the UFC released Coleman from his contract and cut the veteran heavyweight. Coleman is now free to sign with any other promotion, but at 46 years of age his most likely-and most advisable-course of action is retirement.

Coleman became the first UFC fighter to be cut immediately after headlining a PPV event. Others have left due to drug test failures or for other opportunities, but none have ever been cut from their contract. Sources close to the UFC suggest that it was a decision no one wanted to make, but that all felt was unavoidable due to Coleman’s age and deteriorating skills. On the other hand, its interesting that the UFC sees fit to keep any number of other aging fighters with deteriorating skills on the payroll but not a Hall of Famer in Coleman.

While the fact that Coleman is a shell of the fighter he was at his prime, the UFC’s suggestion that they have his best interest at heart is somewhat duplicitous. He was kept around and booked into last Saturday’s fight–a fight that no one particularly had any interest in seeing in the first place–simply because he was a fighter that Randy Couture could beat. Were the UFC interested in the well being of their aging fighters there’s several others on the roster that should also be cut for the same justification as Coleman. Couture, Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell are all well past their prime but they’re still under contract and will all likely fight again. No one wants to *see* an endless parade of old timers into the octagon, but the UFC seems determined to shove their version of the ’senior’s tour’ down the throats of the MMA fanbase.

Coleman’s age has never been a secret and his diminished skill level was evident to anyone who has watched his recent fights. If the UFC was really interested in his physical well being, the main event against Couture should have never taken place. The fight itself wasn’t exactly one that UFC fans had been clamoring for and one that met with derision from the MMA media from the time it was announced.

While retirement would be in Coleman’s best interest, he may attempt to fight in a smaller US promotion or in Japan where he’s well known from his time in PRIDE. He’s already a member of the UFC Hall of Fame with a 26-10 career record and has fought the best in the world including Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko Cro Cop.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on baseball betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

 
Comments Off

Posted in Business

 

Seven Safety First Pointers When Traveling With Your Children

02 Nov

There’s a huge difference between traveling with a grown-up and traveling with children. Even if you have toddlers or perhaps a baby with you, it is a particular specification that adults accompanying their children should comply with safety first when traveling. There are lots of approaches to make traveling for you and your kids safer. Here are seven:

1. Maintain seatbelts or restraints at all times. Naughtiness can become one particular reason for your kid to get hurt and lead to one to another. Your child can easily move all he want as long as his seatbelt or restraint are securely placed on their bodies. In addition, turbulence can go unexpectedly.

2. Keep your child’s stuff inside your hand carry bag. You’ll be able to survive every ounce of tantrums when you keep in your bag a few useful merchandise such as nappies, food items as well as medications. In case you have a baby, you could bring in two bottles of milk.

3. Position your kid away from the aisle. It would be more appropriate to sit him in between two adults. If you don’t enjoy being seated along the aisle, for your child’s sake, sacrifice. Kids like getting acquainted with and trying stuff. They could get hurt unknowingly while their little arms and hands get bumped by strolling individuals or by the serving cart. You can also sit him at one corner beside the windows.

4. Carry toys. Make sure these aren’t deadly ones. Playthings could serve as perfect techniques to catch your kid’s interest and refrain him or her from making unnecessary noises and activities. Never carry playthings that could hurt, very easily break or is heavy. Electronic games can only be put to use while the airplane is cruising.

5. Control your child. It is your duty to control your child’s conduct while inside the airplane. The flight attendant is never responsible for the supervision of your kid. You don’t pay them to be baby sitters. As much as possible, don’t go to sleep throughout the flight. Kids use this chance to stroll around the airplane and eventually go missing. You also have to be careful while walking around the plane together with your child for he might touch hot cups of coffee or cutlery.

6. Upon the deployment of oxygen masks, put yours first. Despite what most fathers and mothers would believe, it is very much recommended to put an adult’s mask first before their child. Why? For good reasons. There will be a higher possibility of saving both your lives than just your child’s. In case the grown-up puts the oxygen mask on their children first, it will take only few seconds for hypoxia to come over wherein episodes of disarray or fainting will happen. A child, particularly smaller ones, will be of no help as soon as you pass out. This is one particular excellent reason why you need to wear the mask first.

7. Always be prepared for the chance of emergencies. Be familiar with the procedures that can be appropriate for your child. First, ask the flight attendant if they’ve got emergency equipments that are designed especially for children. Next, be familiar with the preflight briefing. Lastly, if your kid has a condition which could be an issue, inform the attendant.

In general, you need to plan ahead. Ask yourself what are the items which can help you and your kid to be safe and sound through hours of being suspended on air. It is your main obligation to take proper care of your child by practicing these safety first pointers when traveling.

Searching for a travel agency LA city area? A competent and very affordable Los Angeles travel agency will surely provide the best services for you to experience the beauty of the city.

 
Comments Off

Posted in Business

 

Travel Agencies In LA And Off The Road Tours

27 Oct

Travel agencies LA are aware that California just isn’t extremely hectic and favorite holiday destinations for absolutely nothing. It is full of natural and man-made wonders that everybody desires to check out in this generation. Of course you will find the most common tourist destinations like Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Disneyland, water parks and a good number of theme parks to select from. That is why travel agencies LA offer trips to off the road places for tourists to discover the splendor of nature in the area. There is a rush different from that of the movie and entertainment industry but it is equally enjoyable and exciting.

Balboa must be among the most well-liked beach towns in California with the many activities it can give. Beach lovers usually lease houses during the summer for some fun under the sun during the day and house parties at night. A quick drive and you can get the ferry which could accommodate three vehicles, pedestrians and bikes. For a very small fee, you could see and have a look at the entire island from the sea. When the salt water gets you starving, you can stop by the small hamburger shop at the corner or get a bite of their famous frozen bananas. Travel agencies LA know of the hotels and inns in the area.

Located upon Highway 18 in San Bernardino Mountains, Big Bear River is an off the road spot you will not want to pass up. Being seven miles long and a mile wide, it’s quick to forget that this river is manmade. Generally there are usually inns and hotels within the area and also a number of restaurants like La Paws that serve Mexican food and Cowboy that is known with its meats and ribs. Apart from level of privacy and relaxation, Big Bear Lake offers adventures such as horseback riding, boating, parasailing, shopping, river cruises, film theaters and even a water slide park. You have no room for dullness within this part of California. Reserve your vacation there now simply by calling travel agencies LA.

Laguna Beach must be one of the most pristine seashores in California. Located between Dana Point and Newport, this particular place provides the spectacular perspective of stone structures while standing on powdered white and fine sand. The clear view of the seashore can be viewed in almost every location in town so store shopping and simply walking is accompanied and created much more relaxing simply because of the beautiful picture. Laguna Beach is especially recognized for its Laguna Beach Festival of the Arts which is followed by the Pageant of the Masters and also the Sawdust Celebration sometime July. As the place is created by performers and inspired by the surroundings, these celebrations are usually worth sees and also truly an enjoyable encounter. Travel agencies LA surely have the exact date of these exciting festivals.

Solvang that means “sunny fields” in Danish is situated northern part of Santa Barbara. True to its name does paint a picture of sunny fields. With all the windmills and several pastry stores, this place can make you feel that you’re not really in California. Solvang offers many items which you probably have certainly not known before and the smell of bear paws, cookies and pies makes it also more alluring. California offers so many stuffs to discover in places not too far from the city. If you’re touring, call travel agencies LA for best offers of must see places that can give unforgettable encounters just in California.

Off road trips that travel agencies in Los Angeles offer are not commonly availed by tourists. Maybe they believe that driving is actually a waste of time and flying is the best way to go from one place to another. Although this is valid, they miss out on experiencing the splendor of nature along the way. One thing is certain, the few that avail of scenic trips encounter much more than people that choose to rush from one place to the next. If you are travelling, call travel agencies LA for best rates of must see locations which can give memorable experiences only in California.

Are you a foreigner who would like to hire a travel agency LA metropolitan area? Lots of LA travel agents are more than ready to help you delight in your trip far away from home.

 
Comments Off

Posted in Business

 

Fedor Emelianenko Signs With Strikeforce

13 Oct

Fedor Emelianenko, widely considered the world’s best heavyweight MMA fighter, has a new promotional home. After rebuffing the UFC’s offer–citing restrictive contractual arrangements–’The Last Emperor’ has signed a multi-fight deal with Strikeforce. Terms of the arrangement were not made public, but Fedor will make his debut for Strikeforce this October.

Strikeforce agreed to allow Fedor non-exclusivity outside of North America, allowing him to compete in Japan and elsewhere. They also agreed to enter a co-promotional relationship with M-1 Global. M-1 Global is owned by Fedors manager Vadim Finkelchtein and the fighter also has an equity stake. These were the sticking points in Fedors negotiations with the UFC, and with Strikeforce not having an issue with non-exclusivity or co-promotion a deal was quickly brokered.

Fedor expressed his pleasure in comments to the media after the signing was announced:

“I am looking forward to going back to work and fighting at the highest level. STRIKEFORCE is a top fight promotion that houses some of the greatest fighters in the world. I am prepared to fight any of them.”

Emelianenko’s manager, Vadim Finkelchtein observed:

“I am very happy and excited about the upcoming collaboration with Strikeforce. We are very pleased that we found a reliable partner and I feel that Strikeforce and M-1 can support each other on many things. This will create big opportunities for both parties to test their fighters against worthy opponents.”

Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker had the following comments:

“We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to work with M-1 Global and Fedor. Fedor has been the reigning king of MMAs heavyweight division for quite some time now so being able to work with M-1 and Fedor will substantially increase the level of competition amongst the athletes in this weight class.”

The UFC’s Dana White quickly responded with a ‘f-bomb’ laden tirade sounding more like a drunken frat boy than a pro sports CEO, suggesting that Fedor was choosing to fight “nobodys” for no money by signing with Strikeforce. His sycophants in the media at outlets like Yahoo Sports were quick to pick up that theme, thats simply an attempt to put the best spin on a bad situation.

More significantly, Strikeforce has much better television exposure at this point than the #1 US MMA promotion. Strikeforce has a relationship with premium cable giant Showtime, as well as CBS TV. This same exposure made Kimbo Slice the biggest star in MMA, and Fedor has the talent to back up the hype. From the media exposure perspective alone, Fedor made a good call.

Whites hysterical comments about the quality of opposition simply aren’t true either. Obviously the biggest fight available in the US for Fedor right now would be with UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar, but once you get past him the talent pool in the promotion becomes iffy at best. A fight with Randy Couture would do big business, but there’s no guarantee how much longer The Natural will continue his career. The UFC has a couple of talented fighters with wrestling backgrounds in Cain Velasquez and Shane Carwin, but neither man is ready for a fight against Fedor. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira remains among the best heavyweights in the world, but Fedor has already beaten him three times during their time in the Japanese MMA organization PRIDE.

Strikeforce has several intriguing fights immediately available for Fedor. Heavyweight prospect Brett Rogers, who knocked out Andrei Arlovski in his last fight, is likely first on deck. The Strikeforce heavyweight belt is currently held by Alistair Overeem, whom mutual opponent Mirko Cro Cop suggests is the one man in the sport capable of defeating Fedor. Fabricio Werdum is a talented veteran of the UFC and PRIDE and may figure into the mix some point as well.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

 
Comments Off

Posted in Business

 

The Basics Of Betting On Sports Futures

05 Oct

Many serious sports bettors consider the futures wager the province of rank amateurs trying to go for the big killing. They’re the sports betting equivalent of the wanna-be stock investor who always gripes if only I had bought Microsoft when they went public. They’re not the type who’ll do the work to grind out profits in the market, nor are they forward thinking enough to find the next big company to go public. They’d rather lay some money on a high priced dog and hope for the best, which seldom (if ever) occurs. Right now at some sportsbooks a $100 bet on the Cincinnati Bengals to win the 2010 Superbowl will pay back $10,000. The problem is that the true odds of Cincinnati winning the Superbowl are probably in the range of 50,000 to 1 which makes the +10000 you’re getting in this bet a bad value from the get-go.

For the more serious bettor, there’s a number of obvious problems with futures wagers. They require that your wagering ‘capital’ be tied up for months. Furthermore, once you’ve placed your bet you’re at the mercy of injuries, suspensions, trades and the other numerous factors that can spell defeat for a sports team. It’s no simple task keeping up with these variables on a day to day basis, and predicting them over a longer term is the province of psychics and not sports handicappers.

So futures plays have no relevance to a serious approach to sports handicapping? Not necessarily. It’s crucial to think of the sports betting discipline in terms of value. Used properly, futures wagers are frequently a good way of maximizing line value and finding overlay situations. Here are some ways in which future wagers can be successfully leveraged.

Futures can present an opportunity to ‘earn’ a greater value on certain bets. For example, it has become common for sports books to take action on entertainment events like the Academy Awards. By paying close attention to Hollywood gossip and entertainment news, a bettor can actually have a better take on these outcomes than the bookmaker.

Some books even take bets on the major awards like ‘Best Picture’ and ‘Best Director’ before the nominations are actually announced. In this situation, a bettor who can read the ‘buzz’ on which films will be nominated can find substantially better values before the nominations are announced.

The nature of the film industry makes using a future wager in this manner very attractive. The release schedule of films is established in advance and is publicly known. The cut off date for award consideration is the end of the calendar year, so nothing can pop up and become a surprise after that. Of the hundreds of films that are released each year only a handful are legit Oscar contenders and with some work its easy to narrow those down further. After that its just a matter of finding the value.

Taking a position for profit: Now well turn our attention to sports and how to use the futures wager there. As I noted above, sports inherently presents more variables than the film industry. Furthermore, the top teams are usually not priced for value. Currently you can get +650 on New England to eventually win the 2010 Superbowl. The Patriots are certainly capable of winning, but the value just isn’t there.

To find value on this sort of wager you need to look for ‘dark horse’ candidates. For example, at midseason you could have bet on the Carolina Hurricanes to win the 2009 Stanley Cup at prices as high as 25/1 or 30/1. Now, they’re one of four teams remaining and are priced at 5/1 to 7/1 depending on the book.

This play wasn’t based on any sort of profound revelation that a team that underachieved early in the season would turn it around, but rather on the potential value they presented. In other words, the ‘true odds’ were far less than the number offered at the time the bet was placed. At these high prices, its possible to isolate a few potential ‘dark horse’ candidates and should any pan out they present a variety of opportunities to hedge and lock in profits.

Don’t forget the field. Many bettors dismiss plays on the field in a futures wager out of hand, thinking that the wager represents all of the entrants not good enough to justify an individual price. If you pay attention, however, you can frequently use a field wager to your advantage. Shortly after Dale Earnhardt’s tragic death at the 2001 Daytona 500 I found a sportsbook that was offering a field wager on the NASCAR rookie of the year award at 15/1. Richard Childress Racing hadn’t officially announced Harvick as the fulltime replacement for Earnhardt, but the word on the streets strongly suggested that would be the case. I knew that Harvick was a talented young driver (he was the 2000 Busch Series rookie of the year), but the unique situation with a rookie driving for one of the best financed and most experienced teams in the sport was too good to pass up. I made the bet on Harvick at just the right time, since after he was announced as the replacement for Earnhardt the line dropped to 5/1. After he won his first race (in his third race) the line dropped to 2/1 and by mid season the field was a -250 chalk.

This is obviously a best case example, but there have been similar circumstances that were still good value plays but didn’t work out perfectly like the Harvick situation. Several years ago it wasn’t uncommon to find a field bet on NASCAR road races that allowed you to bet several of the road course specialists like Ron Fellows, Boris Said and Scott Pruett with one bet. You wont be able to take advantage of the field bet often, but if you keep your eyes open and think out of the box it can be very profitable when it does occur.

As a postscript, I want to emphasize the importance on shopping around any futures play for the best price. Shopping points is a smart thing to do on any wager, but the differences from book to book are frequently most extreme with futures plays. A little legwork can yield a substantially better price and the resulting better value.

Ross Everett is a well known writer specializing in sports handicapping, horse racing, travel and fencing. He is a staff handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is in charge of providing daily free sports picks to a number of Internet and broadcast media outlets. He lives in Las Vegas with three dogs and a wombat.

 
Comments Off

Posted in Finance

 

Arena Football Back On American TV Screens

16 Sep

Though it enjoyed solid fan support and was popular among sports betting enthusiasts, arena football fell off the map with the demise of the Arena Football League. The AFL suspended play under the weight of a poor business model in 2009 and later pulled the plug altogether. Since then, a new league has announced plans to take its place. Arena Football One (AF1 for short) will begin play in April and on Thursday secured a TV contract to broadcast games on the NFL Network in the United States. The TV deal should help the new arena football entrant to get off to a successful start as they attempt to revive the sport. Obviously the long term goal is a deal with a major network like Fox or ESPN but a good relationship with the NFL never hurts.

Superficially, there are many similarities between the defunct Arena Football League and the upstart AF1 circuit. Several former AFL franchises have joined the new league, with several others having previously played in the AFL’s developmental ‘minor league’ known as Arena Football 2. The new league’s organizers are hoping that the similarities remain superficial, and have taken great pains to avoid many of the high salaries and dimwitted business decisions that doomed their predecessors. They’ve also learned from a crucial error of the AFL and will coordinate promotion and publicity of all teams as well as the league as a whole at the corporate level.

The original Arena Football League also made the mistake that many growing companies make in trying to grow too big too fast. Though the league prospered for years by keeping a tight rein on player salaries and team budgets, in the past few years there had been a drastic upward spiral in the cost of player contracts. A division between old line owners dedicated to fiscal responsibility and deep pocketed newcomers (including 80’s rock idol Jon Bon Jovi) anxious to spend as much as they wanted further exacerbated a business model that became more and more unsustainable.

The AF1 deal with the NFL Network is for one year, with a network option for a second year. The NFL Network will air a ‘game of the week’ every Friday night beginning in April. In addition to providing a good broadcast outlet for the fledgling league it also provides some much needed off season programming to the NFL’s 24/7 cable network. One can only watch so many ‘classic games’ (the NFL euphemism for ‘re-runs’) and an emphasis on arena football during the summer months would be a win/win for everyone involved.

Though Arena Football 1 is the largest and best known arena football league, there are actually two other leagues that will begin playing in the coming months. While most are focusing on smaller markets than AF1, the American Indoor Football Association (AIFA) and the Indoor Football League ( IFL) are also in the mix. Eventually, the AF1 will prevail as the top level arena football league with the other two circuits serving as minor league developmental partners.

Ross Everett is a widely published widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on NFL football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and online sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

 
Comments Off

Posted in Business

 

Memphis Grizzlies Make Offer To Free Agent Allen Iverson

16 Aug

Allen Iverson is one of the most high profile NBA free agents left on the market, and several teams have expressed interest in the dynamic guard. On Wednesday, Iverson sent a Twitter update indicating that the Memphis Grizzlies had made him an offer. Later that night, that information was confirmed by Memphis GM Chris Wallace.

Iverson had received the most interest from the Charlotte Bobcats and Miami Heat. Both teams have a lot of upside for ‘The Answer’-the Bobcats are coached by his Larry Brown, whom Iverson played for in Philadelphia. Miami would likely use Iverson in a reserve role-while he bristled at that assignment in Detroit, he’s suggested that he’d be more receptive to it on a contending team.

From a financial standpoint, however, there are problems with both Miami and Charlotte. The Heat is already over the salary cap, and simply doesn’t have the personnel budget to pay Iverson what he could demand elsewhere. Charlotte, meanwhile, is up for sale and for that reason under severe financial constraints. They’d likely be able to offer Iverson a short term deal with the prospect for renegotiation later, but that may not be something he’s interested in.

Memphis, meanwhile, has $3.5 million dollars of free space under the salary cap. They could easily outbid either Miami or Charlotte, and would also make Iverson the focal point of the team. GM Wallace confirmed that they’d made a formal offer to “AI”:

“We’re heading into the home stretch before the season, and we have had interest in Allen all summer. We’ve been in touch on a fairly consistent basis and had dialogue with his agent, Leon Rose, since the beginning of free agency. We’ll probably add another guard at some point, but we don’t need to rush to do it.”

The enigmatic Iverson appeared in only 57 games for the Nuggets and Pistons due to injury and averaged a career-low 17.5 points per game. His reputation for infighting with teammates and coaches is as legendary as his aversion to practice. On the other hand, no one has ever questioned his talented, toughness or work ethic when the game starts. Iverson remains one of the most potent scoring threats in the sport and his willingness to play through injuries that would land most NBA players on the disabled list has made him a fan favorite. And that might be the crux of his appeal in Memphis-on a team going nowhere Iverson will put butts in the seats and get the local community excited about the Grizzles which is something that they’ve been unable to do with any regularity.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

 
Comments Off

Posted in Business

 
« Older Entries