Nothing is more fun than finding a good longshot and betting it to win at the horse races only to cash a large ticket. It is exhilarating to watch a horse at long odds come flying down the stretch and to know that you were smart or lucky enough to bet on it. But horseracing is a tough game and even with good tips it is still hard to find longshots that really do have a chance to win.
Let's face it, the crowd at the races are not dummies, well okay there are a few challenged individuals in the crowd, but most of them have enough knowledge about racing to realize that some horses have no chance or very little chance of winning. But there are some good longshot bets on almost every racing program. The trick is knowing someone to give you some good tips or being able to spot a legitimate contender, regardless of the odds.
I can't give you any information on a specific horse, but I can give you a few tips that will help you to isolate longshots with a chance of winning. One of my golden rules for finding horses that win at big prices is to find a horse that has won in the past at the same distance and on the same surface and sometimes even at the same track, but is going off at long odds in today's race. Obviously there was a change in the horses physical or mental condition that made it go from being competitive at that level to being a non contender. So how can you tell if the problem is fixed?
First of all, look for changes. Most longshots win because whatever it was that made them perform poorly in the recent past has been changed or fixed. It only makes sense. That is the number one reason that horses reverse recent form and outperform the crowd's expectations of them. It is usually a seemingly minor thing that makes a dramatic difference. Though horses are flesh and blood and not machines, their equipment is quite mechanical and that is a good place to start. The addition of lasix or a tongue tie are two of the major changes that can make a huge difference. If you find a horse that has done it before and the trainer has made an equipment change, pay attention and look more closely.
After you've found a horse that has shown it can win under the present conditions and has had an equipment change, look for signs that the trainer and other people with inside information believe the horse will perform better today. Besides having the talent and skill to win races, good jockeys also have good agents who get them on live mounts. It works both ways, good jockeys get good mounts that win races and make the good jockey even more successful.
If you find a horse that has proven it can win, has had a recent equipment change and is now getting a switch to a better rider, you are onto a live horse. Now I am not saying a high profile jockey who also draws a lot of attention from the crowd and will also drive the odds down, but I am saying a jockey who wins enough racing to be in what I call the second tier of jockeys. The second tier is the group of jockeys who win 12-15 percent of their races and seem to fly below the crowd's radar. When a trainer knows that the horse is ready to win, they will often put a competent reinsman in the irons who will get the job done without driving the odds down.
The reason for this is that many stables supplement their purse winnings with mutuel money. It just makes sense that if they know they have a good chance and can get long odds they stand to make a nice profit and racing horses is an expensive business so they collect on their winners when they can. Use a good toteboard analyzing technique like the one in True Handicapping whenever you find a longshot that meets the above requirements and you will have your share of excitement as you watch your longshots come thundering down the stretch to the amazement of all but a few of the savvy bettors. That's a tip you can take to the bank.
Monday, April 28, 2008
How To Make Winning Bets
Are you on a loosing streak? Are you tired of these losing bets? Do you want to know a few secrets of winning horse bets? I will reveal some secrets here, that make me some quick cash.
1. The most important secret of all the people who win horse bets and the secret that all the pros will not reveal is that they have a system. If they are successful then their systems is a winner, if they lose bets then the system is a loser. Of course there are many systems, but I will reveal one of them for free. You could already know him but maybe you want to know more about it. The Fibonacci Betting System is used in all the betting industry, in horse racing too. I don't use this system because in my opinion requires a lot of start-up capital to prevent an high losing streak. This system is based on the fact that the bet sum will increase on every bet that you make. This betting strategy will also require some mathematical algorithms if it's used in horse racing bets because you must take into account the stake, the odd, the lost bets and several other factors so it's better to use a software that will make all the calculations. From all the secrets of winning horse bets I think using a system, a strategy will be a sure winner.
2. Another small secret if you don't like to be on the track all day, is to use a online bookmaker. The one that I recommend is Betfair, because you can bet before the race and during the race, live. This is actually a exchange bookmaker because the users bet on each other and the benefit is that all the bettors get higher odds than using a traditional bookmaker.
3. Research before you bet. I always do research before betting on a horse race, and what I research is the history of that track, the momentum of the horses that race, when was the last race of the horses (some of the raced 2-3 days ago and if the horse is tired he could lose the race).
4. If you want free tips there are plenty of sites that offer tips for free, or even newspapers. Those tips are sometimes good sometimes bad but if you want to give it a try they are free to use.
These are a few secrets of winning horse bets. There are more secrets that no one will tell you and you will just have to learn from mistakes.
1. The most important secret of all the people who win horse bets and the secret that all the pros will not reveal is that they have a system. If they are successful then their systems is a winner, if they lose bets then the system is a loser. Of course there are many systems, but I will reveal one of them for free. You could already know him but maybe you want to know more about it. The Fibonacci Betting System is used in all the betting industry, in horse racing too. I don't use this system because in my opinion requires a lot of start-up capital to prevent an high losing streak. This system is based on the fact that the bet sum will increase on every bet that you make. This betting strategy will also require some mathematical algorithms if it's used in horse racing bets because you must take into account the stake, the odd, the lost bets and several other factors so it's better to use a software that will make all the calculations. From all the secrets of winning horse bets I think using a system, a strategy will be a sure winner.
2. Another small secret if you don't like to be on the track all day, is to use a online bookmaker. The one that I recommend is Betfair, because you can bet before the race and during the race, live. This is actually a exchange bookmaker because the users bet on each other and the benefit is that all the bettors get higher odds than using a traditional bookmaker.
3. Research before you bet. I always do research before betting on a horse race, and what I research is the history of that track, the momentum of the horses that race, when was the last race of the horses (some of the raced 2-3 days ago and if the horse is tired he could lose the race).
4. If you want free tips there are plenty of sites that offer tips for free, or even newspapers. Those tips are sometimes good sometimes bad but if you want to give it a try they are free to use.
These are a few secrets of winning horse bets. There are more secrets that no one will tell you and you will just have to learn from mistakes.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Update On Basketball Techniques
In its heyday the hook shot was a thing of beauty to watch. When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had the ball down low everyone, including his defender, knew his famous hook shot was coming next. As his long arms hoisted the ball skyward, the ball seemly dropped from the sky into the basket. Many post players of that era followed with their own hook shot style. The world famous New York Knicks of the early 70's had four players use the hook, most notably Willis Reed. Bill Russell had his trademark rolling left handed hook that no one could stop. It became a favorite shot for players at all levels.
As the game evolved through the Michael Jordan-led 80's the hook became extinct. The new "shot of choice" became the jump hook because all players could shoot it in the lane. From 5-10 guards to 7 footers, all players now could score from the block.
Today's game is much faster, quicker, and stronger than the day's of Abdul-Jabbar. With this transition came the formation of different post shots, the three point shot, and the urgency of getting to the basket. Is the hook shot gone forever? Surely not. It remains an unstoppable shot around the basket that even the below average player can make with great efficiency. Because we live in a retro world, the hook is just storing up energy for its return.
Earlier this season Jemareo Davidson made a splash by bring the hook shot back in play. Davidson hit two sky hooks -- the signature shot of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar decades ago -- during the key second-half run in No. 8 Alabama's 70-55 victory over Oklahoma. "I'm just getting to where I was feeling comfortable," Davidson, who scored 17 points, said of the sky hook. "No one can block it so far."
One of the biggest fans of Davidson's new shot is Crimson Tide head coach Mark Gottfried. "I love it. It's a shot he can make," Gottfried said. "Nobody really shoots the hook shot anymore. It's a hard shot to block."
I thank Jemareo Davidson for re-introducing this great shot back in the game. Not only is it hard to defend but it is a very high percentage shot around the basket. When you begin to see the hook filter back into all levels, remember that you heard it here first.
As the game evolved through the Michael Jordan-led 80's the hook became extinct. The new "shot of choice" became the jump hook because all players could shoot it in the lane. From 5-10 guards to 7 footers, all players now could score from the block.
Today's game is much faster, quicker, and stronger than the day's of Abdul-Jabbar. With this transition came the formation of different post shots, the three point shot, and the urgency of getting to the basket. Is the hook shot gone forever? Surely not. It remains an unstoppable shot around the basket that even the below average player can make with great efficiency. Because we live in a retro world, the hook is just storing up energy for its return.
Earlier this season Jemareo Davidson made a splash by bring the hook shot back in play. Davidson hit two sky hooks -- the signature shot of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar decades ago -- during the key second-half run in No. 8 Alabama's 70-55 victory over Oklahoma. "I'm just getting to where I was feeling comfortable," Davidson, who scored 17 points, said of the sky hook. "No one can block it so far."
One of the biggest fans of Davidson's new shot is Crimson Tide head coach Mark Gottfried. "I love it. It's a shot he can make," Gottfried said. "Nobody really shoots the hook shot anymore. It's a hard shot to block."
I thank Jemareo Davidson for re-introducing this great shot back in the game. Not only is it hard to defend but it is a very high percentage shot around the basket. When you begin to see the hook filter back into all levels, remember that you heard it here first.
Information And Update On Cricket
The game of cricket has its own group of loyal fans and followers and the number is increasing all the time. Cricket as a game has evolved a lot and many new things are being implemented in it from time to time. Cricket updates are updated information about all happenings related to the field of cricket found through several means. Serious followers of the game always want to know about the latest cricket updates to keep track of all that is going on in the world of cricket. Cricket updates can be found on websites, newspapers, television news channels, radios and magazines. Fans simply need to select a medium through which they would like to know cricket updates.
Cricket update can provide information on any aspect of the game. So next time any event happens be it about the status of a live match or news reading any controversy, cricket update always gives you the information that you are looking for. The World Wide Web is open place where fans can get all the cricket update that they want about anything related to cricket. The sites are designed for catering particularly to the interests of cricket fans. These sites have several features that are made keeping in mind the things a cricket fan would want to know.
Televisions news channels and sports channels are also great sources to know about the cricket update. These days all channels provide news coverage of 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, so there is absolutely no chance that fans will miss out on any cricket update if they follow these regularly. Sometimes, one can find an entire news item devoted to a particular event related to cricket and all cricket update will be available here. Visual media like television, newspaper and magazines are great sources to know about cricket update.
Controversies are part and parcel of every game, and cricket is no exception from the rest of the games. Often it may happen that fans may seriously want to say something about any controversy that may be brewing either on the field or outside. All these modes of communication provide cricket fans with a platform where they can tell what they want to say. For fans it is all about saying the right things at the right places, and nothing is better to them then being bale to express what they feel.
Cricket update is wonderful especially when a match is going on live. Now, we all know that it is not possible for many people to catch up with live action on television. Cricket update becomes the only source for them to know all about the status of a match where their favorite team or player must be playing. The latest score, match statistics and many other things can be known through cricket update that tells about the latest scores. Fans can also come to know about all the records that are made on the field, and milestone achieved by a player or the team. That is not all fans can also know about the latest ICC cricket rankings through these sources of communication. Cricket updates are a storehouse of information of all kinds.
Cricket update can provide information on any aspect of the game. So next time any event happens be it about the status of a live match or news reading any controversy, cricket update always gives you the information that you are looking for. The World Wide Web is open place where fans can get all the cricket update that they want about anything related to cricket. The sites are designed for catering particularly to the interests of cricket fans. These sites have several features that are made keeping in mind the things a cricket fan would want to know.
Televisions news channels and sports channels are also great sources to know about the cricket update. These days all channels provide news coverage of 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, so there is absolutely no chance that fans will miss out on any cricket update if they follow these regularly. Sometimes, one can find an entire news item devoted to a particular event related to cricket and all cricket update will be available here. Visual media like television, newspaper and magazines are great sources to know about cricket update.
Controversies are part and parcel of every game, and cricket is no exception from the rest of the games. Often it may happen that fans may seriously want to say something about any controversy that may be brewing either on the field or outside. All these modes of communication provide cricket fans with a platform where they can tell what they want to say. For fans it is all about saying the right things at the right places, and nothing is better to them then being bale to express what they feel.
Cricket update is wonderful especially when a match is going on live. Now, we all know that it is not possible for many people to catch up with live action on television. Cricket update becomes the only source for them to know all about the status of a match where their favorite team or player must be playing. The latest score, match statistics and many other things can be known through cricket update that tells about the latest scores. Fans can also come to know about all the records that are made on the field, and milestone achieved by a player or the team. That is not all fans can also know about the latest ICC cricket rankings through these sources of communication. Cricket updates are a storehouse of information of all kinds.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Graceful and artistic sport - Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a graceful and artistic sport that requires a combination of strength, balance, agility, and muscle coordination, usually performed on specialized apparatus. Gymnasts perform sequences of movements requiring flexibility, endurance, and kinesthetic awareness, such as handsprings, handstands, split leaps, aerials and cartwheels.
Gymnastics as we know it dates back to ancient Greece. The early Greeks practiced gymnastics to prepare for war. Activities like jumping, running, discus throwing, wrestling, and boxing helped develop the muscles needed for hand-to-hand combat. Additional fitness practices used by the ancient Greeks included methods for mounting and dismounting a horses and a variety of circus performance skills.
Gymnastics became a central component of ancient Greek education and was mandatory for all students. Gymnasia, buildings with open-air courts where the training took place, evolved into schools where gymnastics, rhetoric, music, and mathematics were taught. The ancinet Olympic Games were born near this time.
As the Roman Empire ascended, Greek gymnastics for was more or less turned into military training. In 393 AD the Emperor Theodosius abolished the Olympic Games completely. The games had become corrupt, and gymnastics, along with other sports declined. For centuries, gymnastics was all but forgotten.
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries two pioneer physical educators, Johann Friedrich GutsMuth and Friedrich Ludwig Jahn created exercises for boys and young men on sseveral apparatus they had designed. This innovation ultimately led to what is considered modern gymnastics. As a result, Friedrich Jahn became known as the "father of gymnastics". Jahn introduced the horizontal bar, parallel bars, side horse with pommels, balance beam, ladder, and vaulting horse.
In the early nineteenth century, educators in the United States followed suit and adopted German and Swedish gymnastics training programs. By the early twentieth century, the armed services began publishing drill manuals featuring all manner of gymnastic exercises. According to the US Army Manual of Physical Drill, these important drills provided proper instruction for the bodies of active young men.
As time went by, however, military activity moved away from hand-to-hand combat and toward fighter planes and contemporary computer-controlled weapons. As a result of the development of modern warfare, gymnastics training as the mind and body connection, so important for the Greek, German, and Swedish educational traditions, began to lose force. Gymnastics once again took on the aura of being a competitive sport.
By the end of the nineteenth century, men's gymnastics was popular enough to be included in the first modern Olympic Games held in 1896. The sport was a little different from what we currently know as gymnastics however. Up until the early 1950s, both national and international competitions involved a changing variety of exercises the modern gymnast may find a bit odd such as synchronized team floor calisthenics, rope climbing, high jumping, running, and horizontal ladder just to name a few.
Women first started to participate in gymnastics events in the 1920s and the first women's Olympic competition was held in the 1928 Games in Amsterdam, although the only event was synchronized calisthenics. Combined exercises for women were first held in 1928, and the 1952 Olympics featured the first full regime of events for women.
By the 1954 Olympic Games apparatus and events for both men and women had been standardized in modern format, and scoring standards, including a point system from 1 to 10, were implemented. Modern Men's gymnastics events are scored on an individual and team basis, and presently include the floor exercise, horizontal bar, parallel bars, rings, pommel horse, vaulting, and the all-around, which combines the scores of the other six events.
Women's gymnastic events include balance beam, uneven parallel bars, combined exercises, floor exercises, vaulting, and rhythmic sportive gymnastics.
Until 1972, gymnastics for men emphasized power and strength, while women performed routines focused on grace of movement. That year, however, a 17-year-old Soviet gymnast named Olga Korbut captivated a television audience with her innovative and explosive routines.
Nadia Comaneci received the first perfect score, at the 1976 Olympic Games held in Montreal, Canada. She was coached by the famous Romanian, Bela Karolyi. Comaneci scored four of her perfect tens on the uneven bars, two on the balance beam and one in the floor exercise. Nadia will always be remembered as "a fourteen year old, ponytailed little girl" who showed the world that perfection could be achieved.
Mary Lou Retton became America's sweetheart with her two perfect scores and her gold medal in the All-Around competition in front of the home crowd in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
These days gymnastics is a household name and many children participate in gymnastics at one time or another as they grow up. Olga Korbut, Nadia Comaneci, and Mary Lou Retton, along with all those gymnasts since, have helped popularize women's competitive gymnastics, making it one of the most watched Olympic events. Both men's and women's gymnastics now attract considerable international interest, and excellent gymnasts can be found on every continent.
Gymnastics as we know it dates back to ancient Greece. The early Greeks practiced gymnastics to prepare for war. Activities like jumping, running, discus throwing, wrestling, and boxing helped develop the muscles needed for hand-to-hand combat. Additional fitness practices used by the ancient Greeks included methods for mounting and dismounting a horses and a variety of circus performance skills.
Gymnastics became a central component of ancient Greek education and was mandatory for all students. Gymnasia, buildings with open-air courts where the training took place, evolved into schools where gymnastics, rhetoric, music, and mathematics were taught. The ancinet Olympic Games were born near this time.
As the Roman Empire ascended, Greek gymnastics for was more or less turned into military training. In 393 AD the Emperor Theodosius abolished the Olympic Games completely. The games had become corrupt, and gymnastics, along with other sports declined. For centuries, gymnastics was all but forgotten.
In the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries two pioneer physical educators, Johann Friedrich GutsMuth and Friedrich Ludwig Jahn created exercises for boys and young men on sseveral apparatus they had designed. This innovation ultimately led to what is considered modern gymnastics. As a result, Friedrich Jahn became known as the "father of gymnastics". Jahn introduced the horizontal bar, parallel bars, side horse with pommels, balance beam, ladder, and vaulting horse.
In the early nineteenth century, educators in the United States followed suit and adopted German and Swedish gymnastics training programs. By the early twentieth century, the armed services began publishing drill manuals featuring all manner of gymnastic exercises. According to the US Army Manual of Physical Drill, these important drills provided proper instruction for the bodies of active young men.
As time went by, however, military activity moved away from hand-to-hand combat and toward fighter planes and contemporary computer-controlled weapons. As a result of the development of modern warfare, gymnastics training as the mind and body connection, so important for the Greek, German, and Swedish educational traditions, began to lose force. Gymnastics once again took on the aura of being a competitive sport.
By the end of the nineteenth century, men's gymnastics was popular enough to be included in the first modern Olympic Games held in 1896. The sport was a little different from what we currently know as gymnastics however. Up until the early 1950s, both national and international competitions involved a changing variety of exercises the modern gymnast may find a bit odd such as synchronized team floor calisthenics, rope climbing, high jumping, running, and horizontal ladder just to name a few.
Women first started to participate in gymnastics events in the 1920s and the first women's Olympic competition was held in the 1928 Games in Amsterdam, although the only event was synchronized calisthenics. Combined exercises for women were first held in 1928, and the 1952 Olympics featured the first full regime of events for women.
By the 1954 Olympic Games apparatus and events for both men and women had been standardized in modern format, and scoring standards, including a point system from 1 to 10, were implemented. Modern Men's gymnastics events are scored on an individual and team basis, and presently include the floor exercise, horizontal bar, parallel bars, rings, pommel horse, vaulting, and the all-around, which combines the scores of the other six events.
Women's gymnastic events include balance beam, uneven parallel bars, combined exercises, floor exercises, vaulting, and rhythmic sportive gymnastics.
Until 1972, gymnastics for men emphasized power and strength, while women performed routines focused on grace of movement. That year, however, a 17-year-old Soviet gymnast named Olga Korbut captivated a television audience with her innovative and explosive routines.
Nadia Comaneci received the first perfect score, at the 1976 Olympic Games held in Montreal, Canada. She was coached by the famous Romanian, Bela Karolyi. Comaneci scored four of her perfect tens on the uneven bars, two on the balance beam and one in the floor exercise. Nadia will always be remembered as "a fourteen year old, ponytailed little girl" who showed the world that perfection could be achieved.
Mary Lou Retton became America's sweetheart with her two perfect scores and her gold medal in the All-Around competition in front of the home crowd in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
These days gymnastics is a household name and many children participate in gymnastics at one time or another as they grow up. Olga Korbut, Nadia Comaneci, and Mary Lou Retton, along with all those gymnasts since, have helped popularize women's competitive gymnastics, making it one of the most watched Olympic events. Both men's and women's gymnastics now attract considerable international interest, and excellent gymnasts can be found on every continent.
Cricket Update
The game of cricket has its own group of loyal fans and followers and the number is increasing all the time. Cricket as a game has evolved a lot and many new things are being implemented in it from time to time. Cricket updates are updated information about all happenings related to the field of cricket found through several means. Serious followers of the game always want to know about the latest cricket updates to keep track of all that is going on in the world of cricket. Cricket updates can be found on websites, newspapers, television news channels, radios and magazines. Fans simply need to select a medium through which they would like to know cricket updates.
Cricket update can provide information on any aspect of the game. So next time any event happens be it about the status of a live match or news reading any controversy, cricket update always gives you the information that you are looking for. The World Wide Web is open place where fans can get all the cricket update that they want about anything related to cricket. The sites are designed for catering particularly to the interests of cricket fans. These sites have several features that are made keeping in mind the things a cricket fan would want to know.
Televisions news channels and sports channels are also great sources to know about the cricket update. These days all channels provide news coverage of 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, so there is absolutely no chance that fans will miss out on any cricket update if they follow these regularly. Sometimes, one can find an entire news item devoted to a particular event related to cricket and all cricket update will be available here. Visual media like television, newspaper and magazines are great sources to know about cricket update.
Controversies are part and parcel of every game, and cricket is no exception from the rest of the games. Often it may happen that fans may seriously want to say something about any controversy that may be brewing either on the field or outside. All these modes of communication provide cricket fans with a platform where they can tell what they want to say. For fans it is all about saying the right things at the right places, and nothing is better to them then being bale to express what they feel.
Cricket update is wonderful especially when a match is going on live. Now, we all know that it is not possible for many people to catch up with live action on television. Cricket update becomes the only source for them to know all about the status of a match where their favorite team or player must be playing. The latest score, match statistics and many other things can be known through cricket update that tells about the latest scores. Fans can also come to know about all the records that are made on the field, and milestone achieved by a player or the team. That is not all fans can also know about the latest ICC cricket rankings through these sources of communication. Cricket updates are a storehouse of information of all kinds.
Cricket update can provide information on any aspect of the game. So next time any event happens be it about the status of a live match or news reading any controversy, cricket update always gives you the information that you are looking for. The World Wide Web is open place where fans can get all the cricket update that they want about anything related to cricket. The sites are designed for catering particularly to the interests of cricket fans. These sites have several features that are made keeping in mind the things a cricket fan would want to know.
Televisions news channels and sports channels are also great sources to know about the cricket update. These days all channels provide news coverage of 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, so there is absolutely no chance that fans will miss out on any cricket update if they follow these regularly. Sometimes, one can find an entire news item devoted to a particular event related to cricket and all cricket update will be available here. Visual media like television, newspaper and magazines are great sources to know about cricket update.
Controversies are part and parcel of every game, and cricket is no exception from the rest of the games. Often it may happen that fans may seriously want to say something about any controversy that may be brewing either on the field or outside. All these modes of communication provide cricket fans with a platform where they can tell what they want to say. For fans it is all about saying the right things at the right places, and nothing is better to them then being bale to express what they feel.
Cricket update is wonderful especially when a match is going on live. Now, we all know that it is not possible for many people to catch up with live action on television. Cricket update becomes the only source for them to know all about the status of a match where their favorite team or player must be playing. The latest score, match statistics and many other things can be known through cricket update that tells about the latest scores. Fans can also come to know about all the records that are made on the field, and milestone achieved by a player or the team. That is not all fans can also know about the latest ICC cricket rankings through these sources of communication. Cricket updates are a storehouse of information of all kinds.
Monday, March 3, 2008
League Pattern Of The NHL
Each team in the NHL plays 82 regular season games, 41 games at home and 41 on the road. Teams used to play all other teams in the league at least once, but this will no longer be the case following implementation of post-lockout changes. Teams will now play 10 inter-conference (that is, not in their own conference) games throughout the entire season, 1 game against each team in two of the three divisions in the opposite conference. Teams will also play 40 games against non-divisional, conference opponents (4 games against each), and 32 games within their division (8 games against each). Two points are awarded for wins, one point for losing in overtime or a shootout, and zero points for a loss in regulation time. At the end of the regular season, the team that finishes with the most points in each division is crowned the division champion. Each Conference consists of three divisions, so these three division champions and five more teams fill out each Conference's playoff field. In total, 16 teams (3 division champions and 5 additional teams, for a total of 8 from each Conference) qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs is an elimination tournament, where two teams battle to win a best-of-seven series in order to advance to the next round. If the score is tied at the end of the third period an overtime period is played. If the score is tied at the end of an overtime period, additional overtime periods are played until a winner is determined. Overtimes are also full periods of twenty minutes (of five-on-five hockey), rather than the five minutes (of four-on-four hockey, followed by a shootout,) in the regular season. The overtime is played with golden goal rule (sudden death) so the game ends as soon as either team scores a goal. The higher-ranked team is said to be the team with the home-ice advantage. Four of the seven games are played at this team's home venue - the first and second, and, where necessary, the fifth and seventh, with the other games played at the lower-ranked team's home venue.
One playoff that was contested in the NHL used the following format: the division winners were seeded one through three, and then the next five teams with the best records in the conference were seeded four through eight. However, the league has yet to announce the playoff format for the 2005-06 seasons, and with the new scheduling format that emphasizes division play, the league is reportedly exploring placing greater emphasis on division standings by taking the top 2 teams in each division, along with the teams with the next two best records for each Conference's playoff field. In the event of a tie in points in the standings, ties are broken first by amount of wins, and then by record against the team that is tied (disregarding the first game played at the arena of the team that hosted more games than the other during the season series, if applicable). Next, the tied team with the better positive differential between goals scored for and against is given preference, and in the rare circumstance these tiebreakers are insufficient, the Commissioner has the authority to devise some other means of breaking the tie. The first round of the playoffs, or Conference Quarterfinals, consists of the first seed playing the eighth seed, the second playing the seventh, third playing the sixth, and the fourth playing the fifth. In the Conference Semifinals, the top remaining Conference seed plays against the fourth remaining seed, and the second remaining seed plays the third remaining seed. In the next round, the Conference Finals, the two remaining teams in each conference play each other, with the Conference champions proceeding to the Stanley Cup Finals.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs is an elimination tournament, where two teams battle to win a best-of-seven series in order to advance to the next round. If the score is tied at the end of the third period an overtime period is played. If the score is tied at the end of an overtime period, additional overtime periods are played until a winner is determined. Overtimes are also full periods of twenty minutes (of five-on-five hockey), rather than the five minutes (of four-on-four hockey, followed by a shootout,) in the regular season. The overtime is played with golden goal rule (sudden death) so the game ends as soon as either team scores a goal. The higher-ranked team is said to be the team with the home-ice advantage. Four of the seven games are played at this team's home venue - the first and second, and, where necessary, the fifth and seventh, with the other games played at the lower-ranked team's home venue.
One playoff that was contested in the NHL used the following format: the division winners were seeded one through three, and then the next five teams with the best records in the conference were seeded four through eight. However, the league has yet to announce the playoff format for the 2005-06 seasons, and with the new scheduling format that emphasizes division play, the league is reportedly exploring placing greater emphasis on division standings by taking the top 2 teams in each division, along with the teams with the next two best records for each Conference's playoff field. In the event of a tie in points in the standings, ties are broken first by amount of wins, and then by record against the team that is tied (disregarding the first game played at the arena of the team that hosted more games than the other during the season series, if applicable). Next, the tied team with the better positive differential between goals scored for and against is given preference, and in the rare circumstance these tiebreakers are insufficient, the Commissioner has the authority to devise some other means of breaking the tie. The first round of the playoffs, or Conference Quarterfinals, consists of the first seed playing the eighth seed, the second playing the seventh, third playing the sixth, and the fourth playing the fifth. In the Conference Semifinals, the top remaining Conference seed plays against the fourth remaining seed, and the second remaining seed plays the third remaining seed. In the next round, the Conference Finals, the two remaining teams in each conference play each other, with the Conference champions proceeding to the Stanley Cup Finals.
Important Points For Soccer Fitness Training
If you learn and use these tips for Soccer Fitness training you will be well beyond most of your coaching counterparts. By following these tips for soccer fitness training your players will consistently be stronger, faster and have more stamina than the opposing teams. Too many coaches get caught up in skills training and forget that without a strong fitness base their players will not be able to perform at an optimal state throughout the entire game.
The components of soccer fitness training include the following: proper warmup, working at sprint training, plyometrics and recovery.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #1
Proper warmup:
Too many coaches train their players to do static stretching while they are cold. This is one of the most dangerous holdovers from the past that is out there. You need to do light calisthenics to warm the muscles up before you stretch them and when you stretch them you should be doing dynamic stretching.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #2
Sprint Training
Too many coaches have their players jog for miles at 50% intensity. That's just stupid. Do you want your athletes chasing the ball at 50% of what they are capable during a game? Then why would you have them train for a subpar performance. Never sprint until you are properly warmed up. Do not do sprinting the day before a game. Always allow 48 hours of recovery before a game.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #3
Plyometrics
Too often coaches hear a bout plyometrics and through their players into the exercises without a proper understanding of how they need to do the exercises properly. Plyometrics are powerful and dangerous. It's important that you follow good form.
I'll explain examples in another article.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #4
Recovery
I cannot stress enough the importance of recovery. Too often I see coaches destroy players with their "No pain no gain mentality." When you push your players 100% you need to give them a day off or at least do an active recovery day.
The components of soccer fitness training include the following: proper warmup, working at sprint training, plyometrics and recovery.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #1
Proper warmup:
Too many coaches train their players to do static stretching while they are cold. This is one of the most dangerous holdovers from the past that is out there. You need to do light calisthenics to warm the muscles up before you stretch them and when you stretch them you should be doing dynamic stretching.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #2
Sprint Training
Too many coaches have their players jog for miles at 50% intensity. That's just stupid. Do you want your athletes chasing the ball at 50% of what they are capable during a game? Then why would you have them train for a subpar performance. Never sprint until you are properly warmed up. Do not do sprinting the day before a game. Always allow 48 hours of recovery before a game.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #3
Plyometrics
Too often coaches hear a bout plyometrics and through their players into the exercises without a proper understanding of how they need to do the exercises properly. Plyometrics are powerful and dangerous. It's important that you follow good form.
I'll explain examples in another article.
Soccer Fitness Training Tip #4
Recovery
I cannot stress enough the importance of recovery. Too often I see coaches destroy players with their "No pain no gain mentality." When you push your players 100% you need to give them a day off or at least do an active recovery day.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Sports Pick
Like many other collectors of McFarlane Sports Picks, I wish that I could have a seat at the table when they decide what players are made, what poses they have, and what uniforms they are in. This is where custom figures come in. Maybe I can't have a say in McFarlane's decisions, but I can create a custom figure of anyone I want!
Simply stated, custom figures involve taking an existing figure apart, making modifications to it, painting it, and putting it back together. There are many different ways to make a custom. What I included in these directions is a combination of my personal experiences and of those of other customizers. Feel free to email me if you feel there is anything important that is left out. I plan to regularly update this page based on the feedback I receive.
Materials
Making a custom for the first time is not cheap. The good news is that once you get these things you probably won't need to replace most of them for a while. In parenthesis I put approximate prices so you get an idea about the costs associated with making a custom. The best place to get most of this stuff is at an art store like Michael's. You can also get a lot of this stuff online.
- Brushes - get one or two as small as 10/0 and 5/0 for details as well as some wider brushes for larger areas ($10)
- Acrylic craft paint value pack (usually contain around 32 1/6 oz. colors). This is great for colors that you just need a little of ($15)
- 2 oz. acrylic paints for colors used more frequently ($1 ea).
- Testors Primer ($4)
- Microscale decal solutions: Micro Sol, Micro Set, and Liquid Decal Film ($10)
- Testors Gloss Clear Acrylic and Flat Clear Acrylic ($8)
- Decal paper ($1 per sheet, usually sold in quantities of at least 20)
- Scissors, masking tape, crazy glue, brush cleaner, exacto knife, sand paper, clay, and anything else you think you may need ($40)
- Figure ($10 and up)
Directions
- Decide who you want to make and find as many photos of them as you can. Google and eBay searches are great ways to find pictures, as well as old magazines, sports cards, and posters.
- Decide which McFarlane figure that you want to paint. A good place to look at pictures of all the figures is on the McFarlane site. Try to match special features like the style of helmet they wear, wrist bands, shoe styles, and anything else that might cause you excess work to add or remove.
- Purchase the figure. You can compare figures for sale on eBay, Amazon, and SportsLizard.com to find the best deal.
- Open the figure and clean it with a mild soap and water.
- Decide what you are going to need to disassemble to be able to paint the figure. This varies from figure to figure. You want to make sure that you will be able to easily paint every visible part of the figure. Sometimes this requires a lot of disassembly (head, helmet, facemask, hands, etc on a football figure) and sometimes there is no disassembly at all (a basketball figure).
- Soak the figure in very hot water to soften the rubber. This will enable you to take off any parts that you need to. An exacto knife can also come in handy here to assist in the removal of parts.
- Prime the figure with a few thin coats of white or gray primer. Remember to mask off any parts that you aren't going to paint over.
- Paint the figure from light to dark, leaving a white patch in any area that will need a decal. You usually need to do about three coats of paint to get it to look good. If you need more, do more. A lot of it depends on the color of your primer and the color you are painting.
- Find numbers and logos for decals. The best place to locate numbers to work with is the 'Logos and More' section on Jomo's Customs. They have templates for all NFL teams and many teams from other sports. If they have the team you are looking for then you are all set. If not, look on LogoServer to find your teams logo and use Jomo's to find a team with similar letter/number font to the team you are looking for.
- Create decals. Use a photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop to size the images and change colors if necessary. Be sure to print once in black and white on regular paper to make sure they are the proper size before using the decal paper.
- Coat the decals with Liquid Decal Film. Make sure to do two or three coats to ensure that the colors won't run when the decal gets wet.
- Cut the decals out, leaving as little room as possible around the image.
- Apply the decals. Coat the area on the figure with Micro Set before applying. Wet the back of the decal paper (either with a brush or by dipping in water) and slide the decal into place. Coat the decal with Micro Sol to soften it and carefully push the decal into any folds or irregular surfaces.
- Paint around the decals to blend them in.
- Put the figure back together. Use an exacto knife to trim the joints to help them fit together better. Use the crazy glue when necessary.
- Add dirt or grass stains to your figure if you want. The best method is to brush it with "dry paint." This can be done by letting paint dry on your brush and then brushing the dry paint on to the figure. Make sure to use an old brush when doing this.
- Apply a few light coats of the Flat Clear Acrylic to all surfaces except decals and helmets.
- Apply the Gloss Clear Acrylic to the decals and helmets. You can spray this on with a spray bottle or gently brush it on.
- Make a stand. You can modify the original stand, mount it on a piece of wood (drill holes the same size as the pegs on the figures), or create your own stand. Some people also like to make custom packaging for their figures. You can have packaging made for you by VansCustomFigures.
- ENJOY!
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