All Sports, All the Time

Salary Caps and How They Have Effected Professional Sports?

admin — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 00:00:00 +0000

The modern era of professional sports carries with it a double-edged sword. The salary cap issue is a widely discussed topic concerning pro franchises and how the bottom line can have a tremendous impact on each sport respectively. One of the most commonly used sports metaphorsâ€”level the playing fieldâ€”applies to the modern day salary cap. Many major market team owners have higher budgets than smaller market operations. The salary cap essentially evens the odds to a certain extent, thus allowing the competition level to maintain some sort of balance. The design itself looks good in theory, yet practical application often tells a different story.You can find a quick rundown here

The downside often presents itself in the form of bickering between playersâ€™ unions and team owners, which has led to many strikes over the last few decades. The fans experience some mild suffering when these events take place, yet those who work at the many stadiums and arenas may end up standing in the unemployment line for the duration. The Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs) in each league are perhaps unwelcome byproducts of the salary cap, yet the players have the right to secure their own futures. While the salary cap is designed to promote fairness, the latent functions of this endeavor have proven otherwise.

The Great Olympic Sport of Fencing

admin — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 00:00:00 +0000

If you had the time and you had a decent television service provider like Cable.tv/resources/ (mine, personally), then you had all you needed to enjoy The Games. Among the usual suspects was one of my favorite events: fencing.

For the uninitiated: no, fencing is not some elaborate event involving the installation of a fence. Rather, fencing is an event akin to Victorian era swordplay and dueling.

Two men stand apart from one another, clad in padded body armor with thousands of sensors all over the body. The name of the game is to parry, block and thrust at your opponent with your rapier-like weapon until one of you strikes the other’s body and scores a point.

Skilled fencers know when precisely to attack and retreat and a fast-paced game of chess ensues. It’s like watching two King Cobras battle it out and a skilled pair can truly go the distance if neither one of them is willing to concede to the rigors or fatigue and exhaustion.

Fencers learn to read the signs in a person’s eyes and in their body language. They are capable of deducing what way a person will retreat or lunge just by the subtle clues in the muscles making fencing one of the most intriguing and contemplative sports.

The National Hockey League Standings

admin — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Recent events have put the entire league of professional hockey in upheaval. One team is on top for a few days, then someone else quickly rises to dethrone the leader. This back and forth has made for quite an exciting season, but also numerous shake ups within the national hockey league standings.

As of today, the Stanley Cup Finals are reaching their most exciting points, when the competition is down to only four teams with a lot on the line to reach the Championship series. As it stands, the four teams in contention for a run at the crown are: the New York Rangers, the Phoenix Coyotes, the Los Angeles Kings and the New Jersey Devils.Is this new to you? Catch up here

The Kings currently have a significant lead in the series over the Coyotes (3-0) and the Rangers are just ahead of the Devils by a single victory (2-1). These playoff runs are among the most exciting displays of professional hockey, and currently these four teams make up the top four in professional hockey standings wise. Each pairing represents the top two of the conferences, for an added break down.

To the victor come the spoils, which means a Stanley Cup trophy and also likely among the top rated professional clubs when the season begins again several months from now.

Who Will Win the World Series?

admin — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The 2012 Major League Baseball season appears destined to be one of the best and most competitive of all time. Similar to last year, there will likely be several teams fighting to get into the postseason well into September. With two Wild Card spots now available in both leagues, the competition should only now include more teams.

While there are many teams that will compete, the favorite to win the World Series has to be the Texas Rangers. The Rangers have been very close to winning it all the past two years and this year appear to have taken another step forward. All-star outfielder Josh Hamilton is off to one of the best starts of all time and could win the Triple Crown. At the same time, the team has added Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish, who has dominated MLB hitters so far this year.

While they look like the favorites right now, the Rangers will have their hands full all year with several teams including the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. If they are to make the World Series, the Rangers will likely have to meet either the St Louis Cardinals or the Washington Nationals, which are two teams that have played quite well behind their very strong starting pitchers.

Opening Day for Major League Baseball

admin — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

They say that hope springs eternal, and there may be no better use for that phrase than on the opening day of the Major League Baseball season. No matter what happened in previous years, in the first week of April every year all 30 major league teams and all 30 fan bases get a fresh start. They all have hope that this year can be the year that their team is able make it to the World Series. After all, there have been plenty of examples of teams with low expectations proving everyone wrong and teams going from last place the previous year to first place the following year, so there is always hope for every single team on opening day. That’s why at the start of every season, as the weather warms in early spring and the grass in every stadium is perfectly cut, every team has reason to hope and reason to believe that opening day will be just the start of something great. That’s what makes opening day in Major League Baseball so special. Everyone is equal and every one has a chance, which is why year after year the opening day for Major League Baseball is one of the best days of the year for people all over the country.

2012 Summer Olympics, Which Country Will Dominate?

www.cfssda.org — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The 2012 Summer Olympics are fast approaching. It seems like just yesterday the 2008 Olympics in Beijing just ended. The question like always is which nation will dominate the race for the most gold medals. The usual suspects will all be in play. China won the medal race in 2008 with the United States coming in second and Russia just behind them in third. These nations should make up the top 3 at the next Olympiad as well. European counties like Great Britain and Germany should compete in the medal race as well.
The reason that China, the US, and Russia dominate the medal race at every Olympics is fairly simple, they’re size. They are the three most populous countries in the world. This means that they have the biggest selection of athletes from which to choose. The United States should dominate in the same sports that they usually do. Track and Field and Swimming are two of their best sports. They should also cruise to a basketball gold medal again during these Olympics. The fact that these Olympics are in Great Britain and not on the other side of the world in China should make it easier on the American athletes competing in the games as well.

Wide Receivers Versus Running Backs, Which Players Will Make You Win?

admin — Sun, 27 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The question over which position is more important on the football field between wide receivers and running backs has been going on in the NFL for years. Those that played receiver in high school usually think that receivers are more important and those that played running back usually think that running back is more important. The truth is it really depends on the kind of system that the team is running.
If you watched the NFL last year you probably noticed that more and more teams are using a pass first offense. This may be a result of the success that the Indianapolis Colts and the New England Patriots had in the last decade running offenses like that over the last decade. Running backs are also not being drafted as early as they used to either. This may be because each team needs more wide receivers on their roster and they also take a little longer to develop.
One thing to remember in this debate is that the average starting wide receiver may see the ball 8-10 times on a busy day. Running backs may touch the ball 25-30 times a game if they are the featured back on the team. Running backs are just as important in the strategy but many are attracted to receivers because of the big plays that they can produce.

Fantasy Football, Which Players Are Most Valuable?

admin — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

In the world of fantasy football, there are many overrated, underrated and unrated players. Many avid fantasy football gamers are well aware of the top picks in each fantasy draft, but some do not properly estimate the value of certain players. Let’s take a look at some of the most valuable fantasy football players.

Arian Foster

After a massive season in 2010, Arian Foster answered with a repeat performance in 2011. This guy is no joke, and despite his lack of college records, he works harder than any other runningback in the league. Expect Foster to consistently put up 100 or more yards nearly every game during the season with a touchdown or two to go along with his yardage.

Aaron Rodgers

While some people may not consider Aaron Rodgers to be the best quarterback in the NFL, he is essentially the best quarterback in fantasy football. With receiving weapons such as Greg Jennings, Jermichael Finley and Jordy Nelson around him, Rodgers has numerous deep pass options to go along with his above average running skills.

Calvin Johnson

Known by fans as Megatron, Calvin Johnson has proven himself to be possibly the most dangerous receiver in the NFL. His outstanding height and strength combined with quarterback Matthew Stafford’s rocket arm make for high fantasy point totals in nearly every game. Johnson regularly has multiple touchdown performances and can easily reach receiving totals of over 100 yards during games.

National Football League Rules Changes, Good or Bad?

admin — Wed, 23 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

A few recent changes in the National Football League rules could be the deciding factor in a win and a loss. The NFL owners got together and compiled different rules to be implemented and/or modified. The first rule to be modified was the playoff overtime rule. Now, if a team scores a field goal in a playoff game in overtime on their first possession, the opposing team has a chance to have the football and try to score. But, if the first team to receive the ball scores a touchdown on their first possession, then the game is over. This rule modification I feel is a good thing because most of overtime is very dependent on luck. Prior to the rule change, if you received the ball first in overtime you had a much greater chance in winning because all you had to do was score any way possible. Another rule change is that on every turnover the official booth reviews the play in order to save coaches from having to waste a challenge. This seems to make the challenge flag useless, as prior to this rule the challenge flag was dependent on coach to player communication and trust, and having the chance of possibly losing your timeout and challenge. Overall, some rule changes have been good, and some have been bad, as with any changes that will most likely be the case; some will approve and some will not.

Football and Drugs, When Do The Teams Draw the Line?

admin — Mon, 21 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Football and Drugs, When Do The Teams Draw the Line these days is becoming a very fine line. Teams want to do the right thing, but they also know they also must produce a winner on the field of play, or lose their fan base. Walking this fine line is very tough for franchises, some do it the right way, and some do not. Let us look at where the line should be drawn when it comes to football and drugs.

The truth of the matter football is a violent support and injuries are a part of it. Drugs are used to help players deal with the pain and many are hooked on them. Deciding the fine line can be tough, but the line should be football and drugs cannot go together. By having drugs in football, franchises are opening themselves up to more drug abuse in the future.

By having a no tolerance policy for drugs in football would help eliminate the problem. Most teams though do not have a no tolerance policy and try to skirt the issue many times. This is why many players once they leave the game struggle in everyday life, as they were use to the drugs getting them by day by day as a player. Unless more football franchises draw the line drug issues will continue to grow in football. Each team has to say where they draw the line, but most do not do it soon enough.