Archive for the ‘Recreation and Sports’ Category
Thursday, June 11th, 2009
by Samantha Bertie
Having the right shoes to wear for every occasion is important to protect your feet, especially its soles. There are shoes specifically made for running, and there are those that are made for formal wear.
Regardless of the type of shoes that you’re wearing, you need to make sure that is made of the most reliable materials that will assure comfort and durability. Without these, your feet may be injured while walking or running.
Hiking shoes are like regular running shoes, only that they are made with tougher material. The material being used guarantees your feet’s safety whether you go through land or water. With just plain rubber shoes on your feet, this may cause you a lot of blisters.
Hiking shoes are also perfect for frequent hikers. For those who hike on a weekly basis, it is best to purchase your own pair of hiking shoes to ensure that you have the right protection for your feet. A lot of hikers tend to discount the idea of buying a pair of hiking shoes, since this may cost them quite a good amount of money. Although this is true, it is always best to make your protection a top priority in any sport.
When it comes to quality, this will greatly depend on the amount of money that you are willing to pay. If you are willing to pay a hefty amount of money for a pair of hiking shoes, then most likely you will get one with superb quality. In practical terms, buying an expensive pair of shoes will save you a lot of money as time wears on.
Just the same, if you are confident in spending a good amount of money for your shoes, make it a point to go to a reliable brand. Go for the brand that has been proven worthy by a lot of other consumers. Once you’ve bought your pair of hiking shoes, you must also wear this for at least two whole weeks in order to train your feet while hiking.
With the right pair of hiking shoes already on the way, make it a point to also get the right pair of socks. Making sure that your socks have good insulation will make trekking an easier task for you.
You might be having a blast wearing your ordinary rubber shoes while hiking. However, it is about time to think about your feet’s protection. Take the extra step of wearing the right pair of shoes for hiking.
About the Author:
Deciding on
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Thursday, June 11th, 2009
by Rhys Jones
Wrestling throws are not straight-forward, since if you are not paying close attention, you could believe that the acts are real. At the moment, I am still a little reluctant to fill you in on the moves, since I am not a wrestling fan, however my son is, and he is going to give us the inside information on wrestling moves to help us see it for what it is, false.
One of the oldest moves is the ‘banana splits’, although, today, the move is now known as the ‘leg splits’. This move entails one wrestler putting both hands on the legs of the other wrestler and pushing the legs apart as far as they will stretch. This move will force the wrestler to push his/her own shoulders to the mat. If the wrestling move were genuine and the wrestler failed to submit, his/her legs would rip some muscles, tendons, ligaments, etc.
The ‘Cobra Clutch’ is another of the holds that would in reality cause agony. The cobra move is universally recognizable as the cross chokes or arm locks. The challenging wrestler will come from the back of the other pugilist and using a single arm in the “Nelson Hold”. The opponent will then use his/her arm to tug the wrestler’s arm trying to prevent him from pulling across the neckline and choking him as a result. The back clutch, or bombard is similar but the challenging wrestler is on his back under his opponent extending his arms upward from behind.
The ‘Rock Bottom’ moves entail the adversary pulling his opponents arm over his shoulder. The wrestler then places the opponents arm over his/her shoulder and lifts and dives forward onto the mat. During this attack, the challenger is hitting the mat head first, which if actually executed, would break some bones, or else cause some serious pain.
The ‘Choke Slam’ entails the attacking wrestler gripping the opponent’s arm and lifting his arm close by his opponent’s side, over his shoulder. Then he lifts the opponent and slams him to the mat.
The ‘Big Boot’ is a running move. The wrestler lifts up his boot, connecting with the head of his opponent. So, a kick in the face with a boot in other words! This would knock a person on his/her backside any time, causing the kicked person to feel severe giddiness for a short time.
What makes wrestling so exciting is the phoney dialogue, the costumes, the characters and the moves. If you think of the Superman films, and how he dresses, you will see that without his outfit he wouldn’t have any character appeal as Superman. Likewise, the wrestlers wear outfits that make them seem like they are super heroes of the ring, indicting the villains. Each wrestler has his/her role in the ring. It is usually quite peaceful, but made to look violent!
Wrestling has rules, as well as restrictions, even though the moves are all phoney. Wrestlers must respect the ropes of the ring, as well as the colour codes in the ring. There are also methods of wrestling, which include the folk style, freestyle and Greco Romanian styles.
Each of the styles has its own set of rules, although the freestyle and folk style are somewhat similar. Usually, the styles are enacted so well that you wouldn’t know which style the wrestlers are using.
As with a script or a dance routine, most of the moves are composed, which means that a director is off camera using his/her hands to direct the wrestlers in the rings. For the most part, wrestling is nothing more than an act with a few exemptions like when the KAYFABE is broken, when a real fight might break out. The KAYFABE is wrestling’s verbal communication.
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Sunday, June 7th, 2009
by Denise I Smithson
Hockey was once one of the four major American sports. The big four were the National Football League, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association and the National Hockey League. But yet, even as some in those group dominate the others (the NFL dominates all sports in terms of popularity), the NHL has not been able to really keep up with the others.
In fact, hockey is not truly considered to be in that big four grouping any longer. Of course, a more accurate description of the sports climate might show that NASCAR and MMA have joined the NFL, NBA and MLB in that top tier. Hockey however is on the outside looking in, no longer enjoying the popularity it once did.
Why did the NHL suffer this rapid decline? Was it the lockout which caused there to be no 2004-2005 season? The lockout was only a symptom of a deeper problem; sadly, it all has to do with money rather than the merits of hockey as a sport. NHL franchises began finding themselves in a sticky situation; salaries for players continued to climb even as revenues declined for many teams. Other than hugely popular franchises like the Rangers and the Red Wings, teams found themselves simply unable to pay the salaries commanded by many NHL players.
They weren’t making enough revenue to pull it off. Revenue is brought in for sports teams through several areas, the most important of which are television rights and ticket sales. As the popularity of the sport waned, these sources of income did as well. Therefore the lockout was a result of the problem, not the cause of the problem.
The lockout however certainly didn’t help the situation. When hockey returned the next season they made a deal with the network known as OLN – now Versus – to broadcast their weekly national games. However that cable station reaches only a small fraction of the homes that the major networks reach. This means that hockey simply isn’t viewable by a great deal of the population, leaving it in a spot where it can hardly increase its popularity.
There is also the problem that many fans think that hockey is a sport which doesn’t lend itself well to the medium of television. Fans prefer to watch hockey games in person; and NHL games are often sold out. However, hockey fans think that some of the speed and the finesse of the sport are lacking in televised games. Sadly, this has led to hockey being harder and harder to watch at all and there are a lot of people who may never know just what they’re missing.
Therefore the answer to the question is that no, hockey is no longer one of the major sports in this country. It has lost it’s place in that upper echelon, and is struggling for a strategy to get back. It needs to find a way to make its television games more exciting, while also getting those games aired in a spot where more people can view them. Until both of those happen it may be hard for the NHL to regain the spotlight it once had.
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Sunday, June 7th, 2009
by Denise I Smithson
When you watch a NASCAR event, you are fully aware that there is the possibility of a crash. In fact, there is a strong possibility of at least one serious crash taking place in each and every race. Some racetracks are known for their tendency to produce potentially fatal crashes in each race it hosts. While some people are taken aback by this, others revel in the opportunity to witness such carnage.
As has always been the case in auto racing of any sort, there are a significant number of fans who are in it for the crashes. They thrill to the speed and the crashes and near-crashes; it’s a drama which keeps them on the edge of their seats. However, crashes aren’t actually a good thing for NASCAR’s popularity over the long run – crashes can and have lead to the deaths of drivers and even fans.
Over the last decade NASCAR has instituted a variety of safety precautions intended to improve the injury and death rate in the sport. This was largely a reaction out of necessity after the most popular driver in the sport, Dale Earnhardt, died in a crash at NASCAR’s biggest and most signature event, the Daytona 500. Some of these changes include advanced head and neck stabilizers, increased wall protection and padding and a complete redesign of the car itself.
Of course, change rarely comes without some unintended consequences and in the case of the required redesign of racing vehicles; this has been a learning curve for drivers. Many of the drivers who compete in NASCAR events have spent their entire careers with one type of car and must now adapt to the new designs. Given the speeds at which NASCAR drivers must negotiate very crowded racetracks, the penalty for a wrong move can be extremely high.
Besides this, NASCAR still has not taken many of the precautions necessary to prevent driver and fan injury and death. While tragedies have been prevented with their new precautions, it is an incomplete journey. In fact, many of the drivers today feel that it is only an inevitably until another driver or even fans at the track die. These people feel that more action won’t be taken until another disaster strikes, which they of course feel is terrible. Why should action be taken after a tragedy, rather than more preventative action beforehand so that it never happens?
A recent NASCAR race was the scene of an extremely close call when a car flipped and slammed into the fence separating the track from the stands. While the fence stood up to the impact (although just barely), flying debris from the crash caused several injuries to spectators. Thankfully none of these injuries were life-threatening, but this came very close to being another tragic day for the sport.
None of these incidents have done much, if anything to make NASCAR racing less popular. Fans still eagerly line up to see every race (and some to be close to the crashes). However, NASCAR would be well advised to implement additional safety measures – there have already been some narrow escapes and one catastrophic event could be all it takes to plunge the sport into a decline from which it may not recover. Some NASCAR fans may love to see a crash; but drivers and fans shouldn’t have to risk injury or death to give these fans what they love.
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Sunday, June 7th, 2009
by Denise I Smithson
Masters golf winners are very proud to hold the titles they do. This golf tournament is one of four major golf championships held in Augusta, Georgia at the Augusta National Golf club. This is a private golf club that is not open to the public.
This event is an official event which is part of the PGA Tour, the PGA European Tour and the Japan Golf Tour. The tournament is also known as the U.S. Masters and is by invitation only, being operated entirely by its host, the Augusta National Golf Club. The invitation only format of the tournament means that far fewer players participate than in the other major championship tournaments. The Masters is the first of the year\’s major tournaments and is held at the beginning of April each year.
Masters golf winners are awarded the now much coveted green jacket. At one time, people scoffed at the jacket due to its color, but attitudes have changed since and winning this jacket is seen as an honor. The jacket has been awarded to Masters golf winners since 1949 and may wear it for one year, at which point it must be returned to the Augusta National Golf Club, where it awaits the next tournament winner. By tradition, the previous year\’s winner helps the current year\’s winner put on the jacket.
There is also prize money awarded to Masters golf winners totaling $7.5 million. The top winner of the tournament is awarded $1.35 million and a Gold Medal. The player with the lowest score of the day receives a crystal vase. All players that perform a hole in one or a double eagle are awarded a large crystal bowl. Players that perform an eagle are given a set of crystal goblets. The winner of the par 3 competition the day before the tournament is also given a crystal bowl. The runner up wins a Silver Medal.
Some Masters golf winners have earned this honor several times in their careers; Jack Nicklaus is the undisputed all time champion in the Masters, with 6 championship wins between 1963 and 1986. Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer are tied for second with four Masters wins. Gary Player of South Africa is the first player to be a winner of the Masters; he took the championship in 1961.
Masters Golf winners include some of the most famous names in the sport; being invited to play in this invitation only tournament is an honor to be proud of, regardless of the outcome of the event. This is one of the most eagerly awaited events in the sport each year which always promises some unforgettable golf by the best players in the game.
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Sunday, June 7th, 2009
by Denise I Smithson
Who doesn’t remember Babe Ruth? Even if you are too young, and are a baseball fan, we bet you’ve heard of Babe and the House That Ruth Built. Even one of his superstitions remains popular among Major League players-”whenever I hit a homerun, I always make sure I touch all four bases.” Babe was a curious man, ferocious in baseball, women, and ideals, and we remember his as “The Babe,” fondly so, because there will never be another man like him, in any sport.
George Herman Ruth Jr. was born in 1895 in Baltimore, MD, the son of George H. Ruth Sr. and Kate Schamberger-Ruth. One of two surviving children of eight (the other was his sister Mamie), Babe Ruth has a tough childhood, often being left to care for himself. At the tender age of seven, he was sent to the St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys, which he recalls more as a reformatory than a school. Deprived of parental guidance except on occasions, Ruth quickly earned a reputation among the nuns at the school as an incorrigible.
Never find if rules, Ruth chafed under the strict life of the school. The upside for Ruth was that he discovered baseball while at the school, becoming quite the player in his time there. When only 19, he was spotted and immediately signed to the Baltimore Orioles by manager Jack Dunn. He earned his nickname while on the Orioles – his teammates called him “Jacks’ new babe”; a name which stayed with him for a lifetime.
With the Orioles for only five months, the Boston Red Sox purchased his contract and at 19, he both pitched and played the outfield for six years. During this period, fans took note of Babe’s performance on and off the field, with his off the field stories being more colorful through his eating and drinking all-night parties that included many women. Playing in his first World Series Game in 1916, he set a record that still stands today, a fourteen inning game that became the longest in the history of the World Series. His pitching skills at this time left him an astounding record of 29 2/3 scoreless innings in World Series bouts alone, a record that stood for forty-three years. In December of 1919, a weird trade of sorts would land him with the Yankees-leaving the Red Sox in a World Series denial until 2004!
He would begin his career as a Yankee in 1920; with Ruth, the Yankees would go on to win 7 American League Pennants and a staggering 4 World Series. In 1920 alone, Ruth hit 54 home runs. Babe was no less popular with fans in New York than he had been in Boston, both for his skills as a player and for his candor. In 1923, the Yankees built the (now former) Yankee Stadium, which would come to be called The House That Ruth Built. Ruth hit a home run on the very first day Yankee stadium was open – as well as helping to secure another World Series title for the Yankees. In 1914, he had married Helen Woodford. Thanks to his success in baseball, he was able to purchase a country home in 1919 and the couple adopted a daughter, Dorothy. The two separated (but did not divorce) in 1925 – at the time, Ruth was involved with the model Claire Hodgson. When Helen Woodford passed away in 1929, Ruth married Hodgson and dedicated an out of the park home run he hit in his first at bat in April of that year.
Ruth’s 60 home runs in 1927 are another long standing record the player set – it would stand until Roger Maris’ 61 home runs in 1961. Many fans debate the vailidity of Maris’ record, being that it took Maris 182 games against Ruth’s 154. However, no one will debate Ruth’s .690 batting average, which has no equal to date. It wasn’t for nothing, after all that he is remembered as The Sultan Of Swat.
Babe’s famous moment in baseball came in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series where the Yankees played the Chicago Cubs. In the 5th inning, after he already had one home run, Babe came to bat and was at a count of two balls and two strikes. Before the next pitch came his way, Babe pointed to the center of the field bleachers and slammed that puppy right where he pointed and some believe it is the longest home run ever hit out of Wrigley Field.
When Babe did not get his desired Yankee manager position in 1935, he left the Yankees and signed with the Brave’s as not only a player but also their first base coach accepting the promise of their manager position the following year. With his manager outlook grim, Babe hit three home runs in one of his final games against the Pittsburgh Pirates, where only a meager 10,000 fans saw him tip his hat at that last home run-his 714th. Still, with Babe’s 8,399 at-bats, 2,211 RBI’s and a career 2.28 ERA as a lefty pitcher, The Babe remains a true hero in the hearts and fans of baseball everywhere.
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