One of the greatest things that you can do is to go to a College Bowl Game and if it is your favorite team it is even better. Getting tickets that you can afford is the key to seeing a great bowl game this season. There are some tips to finding deals online.
The first thing you want to do is to try to get tickets with ticket masters the day they are released. There is usually a small amount of tickets up for grabs so you may want to get online or the phone early to try to get your seats for the game. Do not worry if you strike out because there are other ways to get tickets.
Next you should use Craigslist or your local newspaper to have an ad that states you are looking for tickets you may be surprised that there could be an alumni that had something come up and they are willing to sell there tickets at face value. Make sure that you have a price in mind that you are willing to spend.
Lastly check online ticket dealers you may find some place such as stubhub that you can get tickets form a ticket holder at a good price. It is a better solution than going to a regular ticket broker who in most cases will over charge for the tickets. eBay is another great solution to find tickets to your favorite bowl game. You want to find someone who has good feedback to purchase great seats from.
16 June 2009
15 June 2009
Speed Bag Secrets Revealed - Part I
Speed bags are essential for boxing training as well as for fitness. If you've never hit one before, try punching it constantly for 2 minutes... you'll be ready to pass out in a heap! These punch bags are really the height of cardiovascular training for a boxer. They also help to strengthen your shoulders, wrists, forearms and smaller muscle groups that don't regularly get worked out. These muscle groups are vital in preventing injury, especially when you start training on the heavy bag.
Speed bags are the type of boxing bag that everyone loves! It's not the typical punching bag that you see fighters training with, but let me assure you, they all use it extensively. These bags are so small, you can buy a mount and put it in your bedroom. Even in the shower!
These boxer bags help athletes and fitness junkies to develop a variety of skills and muscle groups. Some of these include:
· Strengthening of smaller muscle groups in arms and shoulders and chest if hitting straight · Reflex · Endurance · Cardiovascular system · Hand-eye coordination
Mastering speed bag training can be done fairly quickly by practicing just 10 - 15 minutes per day. As mentioned above, some are so small they can be mounted in your bedroom or in the shower.
From my own experience, I can tell you that past students of mine become ecstatic when they finally master the art of hitting these unique punch bags. To be honest, it is one of the most gratifying things in the gym when you can impress everyone with your speed at hitting the speed boxing bag. At our gym, there are definitely bragging rights that go along with it.
So what exactly are the secrets to hitting these type of punching bags that the title of this article refers to? Well, I'm going to teach you how to become a master in a very short period of time.
It all starts with technique.
In Part II, I'll go over the exact strategy to hitting a speed bag and getting a professional boxer like rhythm going
Speed bags are the type of boxing bag that everyone loves! It's not the typical punching bag that you see fighters training with, but let me assure you, they all use it extensively. These bags are so small, you can buy a mount and put it in your bedroom. Even in the shower!
These boxer bags help athletes and fitness junkies to develop a variety of skills and muscle groups. Some of these include:
· Strengthening of smaller muscle groups in arms and shoulders and chest if hitting straight · Reflex · Endurance · Cardiovascular system · Hand-eye coordination
Mastering speed bag training can be done fairly quickly by practicing just 10 - 15 minutes per day. As mentioned above, some are so small they can be mounted in your bedroom or in the shower.
From my own experience, I can tell you that past students of mine become ecstatic when they finally master the art of hitting these unique punch bags. To be honest, it is one of the most gratifying things in the gym when you can impress everyone with your speed at hitting the speed boxing bag. At our gym, there are definitely bragging rights that go along with it.
So what exactly are the secrets to hitting these type of punching bags that the title of this article refers to? Well, I'm going to teach you how to become a master in a very short period of time.
It all starts with technique.
In Part II, I'll go over the exact strategy to hitting a speed bag and getting a professional boxer like rhythm going
14 June 2009
Knee Maintenance and Care For Runners - Go Easy! By Bonnie Joy Cox
The human "second gear" is perhaps the most natural, simple, and effective form of exercise for our species. Walking, of course, is an excellent way to improve heart, respiratory, joint, muscular, and digestive health. Running simply pushes this benefit to a higher level. The whole body clicks into overdrive: it is the flight response used for centuries by our ancestors. Add some adrenaline to our run, and we leave our pursuers in a cloud of dust. These days, we mostly have a "personal best time" as our adversary. Yet we must also be careful; other adversaries exist that cannot be ignored.
One of the main complaints of both first-time runners and their seasoned counterparts is knee pain. Running puts considerable strain on the knee joint. If a runner is new to the sport, it is easy to over-train at the beginning. Take it slow, build your leg and joint strength. Establish a base of knee stability to prevent injury down the road. Experienced runners who are working on adding mileage for a new race distance should also take care: 10-kilometer conditioning and strength needs to be carefully modified if a 26-mile marathon is the goal. Knees will adapt to this new challenge if given the stability to do so. If two miles of moderate running cause pain at first, back off and rest. Give the knees time to stabilize.
Stability is essential to keep the knee working properly. Correct leg muscle development, obtained through gradual increase of mileage and intensity, will create stability. The quadriceps (on the front of the thighs) and hamstrings (on the back of the thighs) work in conjunction with each other, pulling on different areas of the knee at the same time. If these muscles are developed correctly, the knee joint will glide over and under itself without undue strain. Let's not forget the tiny, yet indispensable patella, as well. This engineering marvel glides over the front of the knee, adding stability and providing a liaison between thigh and lower leg bones. Thus the knee has been described by medical literature as being three articulations in one: draw a circle in the air with your toe, and you get the idea.
If more than a casual couple of miles per week are the runner's goal, it is mandatory that he or she invest in correct running shoes. People come in all shapes and sizes. Some people pronate, or roll the weight of their body to the inside edge of the foot. Others supinate, or roll the weight to the outside edge. Men and women even have different angles from hip to knee. This is why there are specific running shoes by gender. The best way to be fitted for running shoes is to visit a store that provides treadmill analysis. A shoe fitter will watch, or even video, the runner's heel strike to determine what kind of shoe is best to support the customer's body and running style. Yes, these shoes will probably be twice as expensive as the bargain-rack pair. However, to a runner, healthy, pain-free knees are well worth the price.
Scientific Wrestling - A New Dawn For an Old Style By Jake Shannon
The Golden Age of Professional Wrestling is often thought of as the era of Frank Gotch, however the golden age, in terms of "technical" wrestling, occurred thereafter.
During the early 20th Century, namely the period of the teens to the late 20's, many of the best professionals began to excel with the use of their legs on the mat. These shooters were able to use their legs like another set of arms and were experts at controlling the legs and arms of their opponents. These talented grapplers were commonly called "leg" wrestlers and leg wrestling became part of the trade of the old time catch-as-catch-can masters. Famous names among them included Joe Stecher, Earl Caddock, "Tigerman" John Pesek, George Tragos, Ad Santel, and Clarence Eklund.
These men coupled brutal submissions (double wristlocks, neck cranks, and toeholds) with an ability to twist their opponents into pretzels. Not surprisingly, it was during this era when the term "stretch him out" came into existence. The foundational ride employed by the old time leg wrestler was the crossbody ride (commonly called the "single leg grapevine"). It was from here that they maneuvered their opponents into all sorts of positions that the human body was not meant to go.
They used the guillotine (abdominal stretch), banana split, crossfaces and reverse crossfaces off the crossbody ride, inside toeholds, the top scissor with a crossface (commonly called the "back mount"). They were also adept at scissoring the arms with their legs and using various nelson holds and double arm stretches to bring their opponents to the point where they felt as though their muscles were actually ripping apart.
Arguably the greatest among the old time leg wrestlers, pound for pound, was Clarence Eklund. Known as wrestling's Octopus, Eklund emerged as one of the most technical grapplers at the end of wrestling's shooting days. Barnstorming all over the United States, Eklund developed his leg wrestling style onto a plane all it's own. Sports writer Bill Sopris had this to say about the Octopus, "(Ek had) a knack to use the grapevine and hinder progress of an opponent with his legs&his forte was his legs&with this uncanny power, he was able to break leverages and wear down a man, finally beating him with a half-body scissor and bar arm."
Eklund weighed in at 175 lbs. and claimed the world light-heavyweight title from 1916 on. He solidified his claim at the age of 42 by defeating the best light-heavyweight wrestlers in the world to claim the undisputed world title in an Australian tournament in 1928. Among those he defeated were Clete Kauffman, the infamous Ad Santel, and Ted Thye. The story of Eklund's dominance of Ad Santel in their tournament shoot match has become the stuff of legend and solidified Eklund's claim that no man in the world could match him at 175lbs.
I spoke with with Dick Cardinal, one of the last old time shooters and a master of hook wresting, about Eklund. Dick had known Ted Thye (one of Eklund's opponents in the 1928 tournament). Thye commented to Dick that Eklund's performance against Santel was pure wrestling mastery. Thye's words about the event, according to Dick, were awe inspiring in and of themselves& Eklund dominated his foe in every phase of the game.
Another story that has become legendary is Eklund's visit several years after retirement to a workout in Oklahoma with the NCAA national wrestling championship team (Oklahoma A & M) for that year. The coach had invited Eklund down to review the team's progress.
Eklund walked around nodding appropriately when he saw something he liked. After awhile the Coach asked him if he'd like to have a workout. "Sure" Eklund said, "Line them up". The coach was astonished at this for he had only been suggesting a workout for Eklund with one of his lighter wrestlers; after all Eklund was in mid-40's and had been retired for years. Nevertheless he did as Eklund asked.
In the space of 15 minutes, 45 year old Clarence Eklund pinned every member of the national championship team, from the lightest to the heaviest. The heavyweight last the longest taking Eklund around 2 minutes to pin. Now, imagine a wrestler walking in today and pinning every member of the Oklahoma State wrestling team, or Iowa, or Minnesota, and you'll begin to get an idea of the technical mastery of wrestling's Octopus. Eklund was the king of scientific wrestling.
I had long feared that the technical style of the old time leg wrestlers had been forgotten over the years, since professional shooting really died out in the pro ranks after the late 20's. Then I stumbled across something that almost made me weep with joy. I came across an instructional video tape set called "LEGAL PAIN" by one of the greatest wrestlers of all time - Wade Schalles.
The leg riding/pinning style of Wade Schalles is the closest thing I have ever seen to the style of the Old Time Leg Wrestlers. Wade is a 4 time NCAA champion, and has pinned more World and National champions than any man in history. I have seen very few current amateur wrestlers who have the technical efficiency of the old time shooters, but Schalles takes leg riding, cradling, and pinning to a new level.
It is in the Schalles style of wrestling where you can see a bridge between the Old and the New. When I watch Wade's material it is very easy for me to visualize what men like Eklund, John Pesek, and Earl Caddock must have looked like on the mat. Everything is there: leverage, fulcrum, speed, technique, and most of all AGGRESSION.
If you were to add toeholds, neck cranks, and double wristlocks to the material that Wade presents and master it thoroughly, you would be a very dangerous person in a very short time, & that is no joke. I give this material 5 stars, but I would like to give it 10 (it is that good). It is, quite simply, the best leg riding and pinning material I have every seen.
For more on Clarence Eklund, see Wyoming's Wrestling Rancher: Life and History Of Clarence Eklund Champion Wrestler
NASCAR Legends Attend Ceremony in Mooresville By Lindsey Marks
Mooresville, NC has a constant air of excitement about it, especially during Race Week in May. You never know what you may see or who you may meet when you are visiting Race City, USA; yesterday was no different.
Much to the delight of some Hardcore Race Fans, some of NASCAR's most legendary drivers made an appearance at the North Carolina Auto Racing Walk of Fame Ceremony outside of the Charles Mack Citizen Center in Historic Downtown Mooresville.
"The King" Richard Petty, the inaugural inductee of the North Carolina Auto Racing Hall of Fame (NCARHOF), was joined by Buddy Baker, David Pearson, Junior Johnson, Bobby Allison and Ned Jarrett along with members of Tim Flock and Dale Earnhardt's families.
The Walk of Fame, an extension of the NCARHOF, features markers on the sidewalks of Mooresville honoring the inductees of the Hall of Fame. Each driver present was honored with their own marker because of their Inductee status and any person inducted in the future will also receive a marker on the sidewalk.
Inductees Bill France, Sr., Cale Yarborough, Ralph Moody Jr., and Darrell Waltrip were also honored with markers.
I think it's done in just wonderful taste, it's just absolutely gorgeous," Frances Flock, wife of Tim Flock, said of the Walk. "I'm so happy here today that I can be a part of it and that they are recognizing our legend drivers that made racing what it is today"
The Walk of Fame was the idea of Ron Johnson, Chairman of the Mooresville Convention and Visitor's Bureau who generously funded the project, as well as John Dodson of the NASCAR Technical Institute who sits on the Board of Directors for the NCARHOF.
After five years in the making, their idea has finally come to fruition and will be a constant reminder of the heroes of NASCAR to the Hardcore Race Fans who wander the streets of Race City, USA every year.
Lindsey Marks
HardcoreRaceFans
Budge Cap Row in Formula 1 2009 By Jack Zapper
The recession has caught up with Formula 1. In the past, FIA president on many an occasion stressed cost cutting. It was not until 2008 that many drastic cuts were announced. The present FIA budget cap proposal is 40 million dollars per season. The over spenders MacLaren, Ferrari, and Toyota entered a law suit. The conflict has accelerated among racer fraternity globally. The reasonable FIA has agreed for functional technical leniency if budget cap is adhered to.
Budget cap row has jeopardized subsequent course of events for the remaining year in Formula 1. This is the apprehension of BMW motor port head Mario Theissen, It is his view that the position continues to remain challenging and urgent even though the FOTA union teams have tentatively enrolled for the forthcoming 2010 event.
Theissen is optimistic of collective effort in unraveling the knots to reach an acceptable result. The Turkish Grand Prix formula 1 is shortly due in Istanbul. FIA chief Max Mosley has a proposal of inducting 45 million euro budget cap for the 2010 race. The teams have openly disapproved of this idea and instead seek cost cutting at different levels in the race. FIA is expected to announce the names of the 13 participating teams of 2010 on June 12.2009.
The volley of comments on the issue has charged the game environment. Theissen admits to the existence of intense pressure politics on the issue. Mosley foresees many tangles and chances of an early acceptable solution appears bleak to him. Theissen comprehends the situation as being too flared up for a straight forward solution. Theissen is of the view that only a compromise solution is the way out of this impasse. Both the volatile sides has no choice but to save face by coming out with consensus policy. The fans are watching every move.
Racing Go Karts Can Become a Professional Dream By Clayton B and Rig Franklin Platinum Quality Author
Open wheel Motor sports are those in which the tires of the vehicles lie outside the main frame of the vehicle and Go kart racing is a variant of this genre of motor racing. Art Ingels, the father of Racing go carts, was the first person to build a go cart in south California in 1956. The credits for manufacturing the first ever go kart and engines go to McCulloch.
The counterparts of Racing a Go kart like Formula One tend be very expensive and thus are out of the reach of average people. This is where Racing Go karts has an edge over its counterparts as it is considered to be one of the cheapest motor sport activity which can involve a large number of people competing against each other. This is also a great sport to hone your skills as a driver before entering into the world of Professional racing like Formula One. In fact, many of the biggies of professional racing like Michael Schumacher, Ricky Rudd, Fernando Alonso, etc started out their careers on these miniature go carts. Thus it is just not a hobby but can be a very good career option as well.
Now one question that might pop up in your mind is are they fast enough? The answer to this question is that the speed of these depends on its design as well its engine. There are mostly two types of engines used in racing Go karts. These are: Four-stroked and two-stroked.
Some karts have the four-stroked engine installed in them such as those made by Kohler and can achieve a speed of 50mph. Two-Stroked engines are usually made by dedicated manufacturers like Yamaha and Rotex. These engines can achieve a speed of 160 mph! Now this is quite FAST! And not just speed, owing to their light weight structure, these go carts are also nippy in terms of acceleration. Now various formats of Go cart racing are also there. Some of them are: Sprint, (the FIA championships take place under this format), Endurance and Speedway.
Some of the important components of racing go karts include engines, chassis (the framework), tires, transmission and external controls (mostly prevalent in amusement parks). There are many manufacturers of go cart as well including the biggies like Coyote, Emmick, Gillard, Rotax etc. Also the organizations associated with racing go carts include World Karting Association (WKA), International Kart Federation (IKF), IRA (International Racing Association), KART (Karter's of America Racing Triad) etc. The thrills and excitement attached to racing go karts is something to look out for! Enough to make one's adrenalin pump up!
To learn more from Rig about racing go carts
you can check out my site on street racing go karts and learn more about this growing worldwide sport.
Increase Your Vertical Jump - Three Simple Exercises to Add
This is when you need to make some changes. Struggling with your vertical jump most likely means that you are not providing enough targeted attention to your leg muscles. You should add some new exercises, like the three in this article, to your training program. Increasing your vertical jump can be done with the help these exercises.
Sky Lunges
Quite simply, sky lunges are similar to regular lunges, except that there are extra steps that you do in order to make this exercise more challenging. From the normal lunge position, you reach your hands towards the sky. Then you jump up as high as you can and quickly switch your legs so that the front one is in the back and vice versa.
Super Squats
Super squats....may sound a bit rough, but they're really not too different from traditional squats. The only difference between a squat and a super squat is the jump that you add. You start in a normal squat with your hands flat on the floor. You are replacing your normal method of slowly raising and then slowly lowering back down with a quick jump. As you jump, you outstretch your arms upward and pull your knees up to your chest, king of like a tuck. When you land, you immediately return to the lowered squat position and repeat the process.
Double Calf Raises
Traditional calf raises involve a simple process of standing on the balls of your feet, raising yourself up, and lowering yourself back down. A double calf raise is a bit more complicated. Unlike the traditional calf raise, double calf raises are quick, rapid movements. The also involve a bit more stretching. Start by standing on the balls of your feet. Raise up, making sure to go all the way to the tip of your toes, then lowering quickly back down, and quickly back up again.
The best exercises don't really help that much if you aren't doing them correctly, or if you aren't giving your body enough time to recuperate from your exercising. Training all the time is okay, as long as you are taking enough time in between your training sessions to allow your muscles to heal. Failure to do this can result in injury, and in some cases, permanent damage to your muscles or tissues.
Alen is the creator of The Jumping Manual Review, here Alen will give you a honest review on the Jumping Manual of you want to know more about Alen he has a personal blog at vox with a great article called Increasing Your Vertical Jump you will find some more tips on how to increase your vertical jump
Can I Train to Jump Higher? By Donald Paquin
Many athletes wonder, "can I train to jump higher?" The simple answer is yes, and age is no barrier. No matter if your 12 years old or 45 years old, as long as your joints are in good shape, you can get started training your Vertical Jump. If you are playing basketball on any level, vertical jump training, the proper way, will benefit you. Anyone can train to Jump Higher, no matter what your race. Asian, White, Hispanic, doesn't matter. White men Can jump. Your muscle fiber can be trained to be more explosive. And unless your jumping in the 40-50 inch range, you are not near your full potential, and you can improve your jump. There are no special props or equipment needed to train your vertical jump. Using a weight room will help with resistance training, but if you don't have a weight room available, there are different exercises that provide resistance to help improve your muscles.
There are many athletes that train very hard using every type of program they can find, and get very little results, thinking it is because they reached their potential. In most cases, its not because you reached your potential, its the type of training that is being used. You can train for hundreds of hours with no progress, until you learn the proper way of explosive training.
There is much more than physical training involved to increase your jumping ability. Correct diet is often overlooked, and is a very important part of Vertical Jump Training. Your proper diet will help your muscle recovery improve by 150%. This helps with faster gains and increased protection from injury. There are lots of training programs that teach jump training, but only target 2 or 3 aspects to increase your jumping ability. Truth is there are 9 different aspects in which you may improve your vertical explosion, and your quickness. To reach your full ability and potential, you need to target all 9. By training all 9 aspects, you will gain faster and improved results.
Resistance training in most programs are neglected, should be used to increase your jumping gain. It involves muscle groups that you can use to get your whole body involved in upward propulsion. Resistance training is a very important part of your training, and should not be ignored.
The proper flexibility training techniques will help to strengthen your muscles and improve leverage to your movements.This will help to make your muscles much more power full than they were. Once you understand the elastic nature of your muscles, and how it relates to your training, your performance will improve. To achieve your goals you need to work very hard, you have to be disciplined, and you need to be focused. You have to learn how balance, flexibility, and form affect your potential and how that will help you increase your jumping ability.
To achieve your goals you need to work very hard, you have to be disciplined, and you need to be focused. You have to learn how balance, flexibility, and form affect your potential and how that will help you increase your jumping ability.
Correct diet is often overlooked, and is a very important part of vertical jump training. Your proper diet will help your muscle recovery improve by 150%. This helps with faster gains and increased protection from injury.
NFL Football - The Greatest Sport in America By Jermaine Sutton
is 4th down in the 4th Quarter with only 10 seconds left in the game. Your favorite team is down by six points and they are inside the opponents 20 yard line. The quarterback takes the snap as the clock runs down to 0 secs as he throws a touchdown pass to his favorite receiver in the corner of the end-zone. Your team won the game by one point and made the playoffs and went on to win the Superbowl.
Every summer beginning with the NFL draft , training camp, preseason, regular season, playoffs, and then the ultimate game of them all, the Super Bowl, people from around the world are tuned in with excitement waiting for another explosive NFL season.
However, the excitement of America's favorite game doesn't start on the field, it starts in the living room of every fan across the country and even the world that enjoys the game so much. It all begins with your favorite team. One in which you have followed for years and have become intimately involved with so much so that life as you know it stops whenever you have heard bad news about a trade of your favorite player or whenever you have heard that your team has just signed a big time player through free agency.
So there you are sitting in front of the television and you are excited, elated, ecstatic, and nervous all at the same time because you are waiting anxiously for the first kick-off of the new season to see what your favorite team is going to do as maybe last season you were a bit disappointed that they didn't make the playoffs. This year is going to be different from your standpoint as being an optimist makes you the perfect fan because if you did not believe in your team's ability to take it all the way, you would not support them.
It is 12:30pm Sunday afternoon, your pulse is racing because in less than 30 minutes your team will take the field to start a new season. You are anticipating a great performance from some of your key players and most importantly, you have on your favorite game jersey, have prepared snacks for the game, and may have gone as far as firing up your grill as no game is the same without barbeque.
The excitement and anticipation is over, the game has just started and for the duration of the game, your emotions went up and down. Play by play you shouted in excitement and disappointment at the plays made or not made by the players, coaches, and even the calls made by the referees. In addition, you anticipated a call being made by the offense or defense because you saw an opening from the last play called. Your team is looking good until there is a game changer where your favorite player has just made a costly mistake resulting in a touchdown for the other team. At this point you are beside yourself with disappointment, but you are optimistic as there is more game left to play. At the end of the game your team is victorious and you are relieved as it was a very close game, but you eagerly await next week's game because after all you are America's greatest sports fan.
Why We Need to Fix College Football Championships
A national championship is decided in most other NCAA sports by a post season playoff. This is even the case for lower football divisions. However, college football's post-season playoff series consists of only two teams chosen by the BCS. Often, undefeated teams are left out from the championship game thus causing an argument that is almost encountered yearly. Formats for other sorts of post-season playoffs have been proposed but never recognized. Barack Obama's appearance on Monday Night Football showed his opposing stand on the sport's computer ranking system in deciding bowl games. According to Obama, he is not in favor of the BCS, and he believes that a playoff should be created for the top eight teams. Then President-elect Obama re-emphasized his stand on the eight-team playoff in answer to Steve Kroft's question in an interview on sixty minutes.
The selection and seeding of the BCS has become very controversial externally. The Conference USA Championship was claimed by the Tulane University Green Wave during the 1998 season finishing with eleven wins and zero losses. They too became the representatives of the Conference USA in the Liberty Bowl after being systematically denied by the BCS any consideration for the post-season Bowl Games. They won the Liberty Bowl. As an advocate for the athletes' academic standards, University of Connecticut Former Football Player and Tulane President Scott Cowen organized a campaign to make changes in the BCS in the provision of the teams' participation in non-BCS Conferences. His team in 1998 would have been more than qualified in the rule reformations that took effect in 2005. Cowen then redirected his attempts towards supporting an exchange for a playoff system that was currently used by the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision and Division II in the place of the BCS.
In 2005 the BCS added a fifth game to its structure, allowing ten BCS participants instead of eight. This has allowed teams such as Boise State, Hawaii, and Utah to play in BCS games, instead of the Liberty Bowl as Tulane did in 1998. Boise State and Utah both win to finish the season undefeated. The next step in climbing the BCS hurdle for these small teams is one day the national championship game.
Great 2008 Season - Time to Look Toward 2009 By Chris Culwell
We all know how incredible the 2008 season was for the Atlanta Falcons franchise. This team was in shambles at the end of 2007. Franchise QB indicted on dog fighting charges. Head coach quits 14 weeks into season. There was a lot of uncertainty as the off-season approached in 2008. But to the credit of Arthur Blank and Falcons President, then GM, Rich McKay, the organization acted quickly to keep this team from going the way of the hopeless Detroit Lions. In a matter of days in January 2008, the Falcons hired a new GM in Thomas Dimitroff, a new head coach in Mike Smith and an impressive supporting staff including offensive and defensive coordinators Mike Mularky and Brian Van Gorder, respectively. The new staff worked quickly to establish a new, but firm base for this team. Gone were fan favorites Warrick Dunn and Alge Crumpler. Gone was the talented but troublesome DeAngelo Hall. In their place was a crop of young, talented and hungry players who wanted to win. All the Falcons needed was a centerpiece to this "new" team. Enter Michael Turner and Matt Ryan. Turner proved in 2008 that he was just as capable as the guy he was backing up in San Diego. And Matt Ryan was anything but a bust. Ryan, in just his rookie season, brought more poise and leadership to the Falcons' offense than Mr. Vick did in 6 full seasons. The Falcons shocked the NFL world by going from a 4-12 2007 to a wildcard clinching 11-5 2008 season. Though the Falcons lost in the Division Round to the Arizona Cardinals, 2008 can't be looked at as anything but a success.
But now, its time to look towards the 2009 campaign. This Falcons team will have a huge mountain to climb in order to have a repeat trip to the playoffs. The team must overcome one of the toughest schedules in the NFL this season. Not only do they play 6 games in the overly competitive NFC South, but the Falcons must contend with 4 games against the tough NFC East and 4 games against the difficult AFC East. That in addition to games against the always tough Dallas Cowboys, in their new stadium no less, and the Chicago Bears will prove to be a heavy load for Matt Ryan and co.
Adding to that tough task, the Falcons must overcome history. At no time in franchise history have the Falcons had back-to-back winning seasons. They have come close. From 1971-1973, the Falcons had records of 7-6-1, 7-7 and 9-5, respectively. In 1977-1978, they had records of 7-7 and 9-7. And as recently as 2004-2005, the birds compiled 11-5 and 8-8 records.
A tough road, indeed. However, if 2008 taught us anything, do not count out this Atlanta Falcons team. Matt Ryan will be out to prove his rookie effort was no fluke. Head coach Mike Smith will be out to prove that he didn't just benefit from an easier schedule and is indeed in the class of NFL coaches. And GM Thomas Dimitroff will be out to prove that parting ways with a mainstay like Keith Brooking and a talented LB in Michael Boley was all part of a grand master plan to continue to develop this hot franchise through the NFL draft.
While there is some caution heading into the '09 season, there is just as much optimism for a great season. I look forward to writing a similar blog next off-season.
By Chris Culwell
Youth Football Coaching - Duties For the Team Mom By Jim Oddo
Once you have your youth football coaching staff, including the serious parents who commit as assistant coach, you still will need a lot of help to make the season go as smooth as possible.
The team mom can be the most helpful of all parents. Make sure you have the full list of duties for the team mom. I find it best to let them know up front what they are volunteering for. The usual duties always include the following:
1. Typing and Passing out a roster list with all the players names, numbers, parents names and contact info
2. Emergency phone numbers lists
3. Organizing the homecoming of Rally night which may include assigning things for people to bring.
4. Help passing out uniforms
5. Collection of money and delivery of uniforms to local shirt shops to get the names printed on the back
6. Email updates to the parents
7. Make and distribute an assignment list for game day duties
8. Make and distribute a snack list. I'm funny about this and have pretty much gotten away from it. A lot of teams do a halftime and end of the game snack. I have eliminated both since I believe they are a distraction. An after game beverage like Gatorade is fine.
9. Plan and book the year end banquet. This will include collecting the money from each parent.
These are the main things I will have the Team Mom take care of.
I usually get some one to volunteer very early to be Team Mom. I think the earlier in your youth football year the better. You will find that most of the time the same mom volunteers year after year.
Jim Oddo
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great success for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
Youth Football Coaching - Duties For the Team Mom By Jim Oddo
Once you have your youth football coaching staff, including the serious parents who commit as assistant coach, you still will need a lot of help to make the season go as smooth as possible.
The team mom can be the most helpful of all parents. Make sure you have the full list of duties for the team mom. I find it best to let them know up front what they are volunteering for. The usual duties always include the following:
1. Typing and Passing out a roster list with all the players names, numbers, parents names and contact info
2. Emergency phone numbers lists
3. Organizing the homecoming of Rally night which may include assigning things for people to bring.
4. Help passing out uniforms
5. Collection of money and delivery of uniforms to local shirt shops to get the names printed on the back
6. Email updates to the parents
7. Make and distribute an assignment list for game day duties
8. Make and distribute a snack list. I'm funny about this and have pretty much gotten away from it. A lot of teams do a halftime and end of the game snack. I have eliminated both since I believe they are a distraction. An after game beverage like Gatorade is fine.
9. Plan and book the year end banquet. This will include collecting the money from each parent.
These are the main things I will have the Team Mom take care of.
I usually get some one to volunteer very early to be Team Mom. I think the earlier in your youth football year the better. You will find that most of the time the same mom volunteers year after year.
Jim Oddo
Jim has over 22 years of hands-on experience as a youth coach. The system he has used with great success for both youth football and youth basketball. His personal teams have won over 80% of their games.
How to Throw a Football Like Tony Romo
It is always best if you want to be a great football passer like Tony Romo to start young. You can always pick up those skills but it works better if you learn them early because it can be more difficult to change bad habits.
Tony Romo is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL and has guided the Dallas Cowboys to another exciting season. Many people may ask themselves if they can grip and throw a football like Romo. It is good if you have large hands because it makes it easier to grip the ball.
Next you want to study the way Romo rotates his shoulder when he throws the ball. It is important that you rotate your shoulder so that you can get the momentum behind the ball. It makes it easier for you to throw the ball 30 to 40 years if your timing with this is good. So practice this to get better at rotating.
Next the grip is one of the most important things you can do. You want to use the laces and put your last three finger over the laces so that it feels comfortable. You may need to practice this so that you get the grip that feel best for your hand. There are some variations form quarterback to quarterback but most of them grip this way.
Finally if you are just starting to throw the football then it is always better to learn how to throw it correctly form the beginning. It is hard to change the way you throw it if you have been taught a bad grip then starting with a great grip form the beginning.
15 May 2009
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