Archive | July, 2010

Clippers Fire Head Coach Dunleavy

July 31, 2010

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In one of the stranger front office shakeups in recent NBA history, the Los Angeles Clippers have ‘relieved’ Mike Dunleavy of his head coaching duties effective immediately. He’ll remain on board as the Clippers’ general manager, and both he and the team cited the demands of the forthcoming trade deadline and free agent market as a catalyst for the change. Dunleavy leaves as the most successful head coach in the team’s less than distinguished history.

Not surprisingly, there is much speculation as to the back story behind the move. Some with knowledge of the situation suggest that Clippers’ owner Donald Sterling wanted to fire Dunleavy altogether, but relented due to the $5 million the team will owe him in the final year of his contract next year. More recently, a bizarre rumor has been circulating that Sterling has approached Isiah Thomas about taking over Dunleavy’s coaching position and becoming team president. While Isiah would bring a level of fabulousness never before seen on the Clippers’ sidelines, he hasn’t had much success either as a coach or executive in the NBA.

Despite the backroom drama, all of the relevant parties are keeping up appearances in public. Dunleavy issued this statement, playing along with the team’s insistence that the decision to give up coaching was ‘mutual’:

“I’ve come to the conclusion that this is the ideal time for me to direct my efforts toward the many personnel opportunities that lie before us, such as the trade market, the draft and the free-agent process. We fully expect to be active and productive on all those fronts.”

Team President Andy Roeser added:

“We fully agree with Mike that this is the right time to make this change. It just seems clear that the team needs a fresh voice and we hope that our players will respond in a positive way.As we approach the trade deadline, the NBA draft and the upcoming free-agent period, our team is very well positioned from a salary-cap standpoint. Mike’s experienced input will be vitally important as we continue to develop our young talented nucleus and shape our team’s future.”

Dunleavy’s agent Warren LeGarie continued the same theme:

“This is something we’ve been contemplating for some time. There’s a shelf life to coaching sometimes. So you constantly have to keep measuring whether [the team's inconsistency] is because of injuries, because of you, or something else. And at some point you have to make a judgment call about what’s best for the team, and that’s what Mike did.”

The Clippers have lost 7 of their last 10 games to fall to 21-29 on the year. They’re 17 games behind the Western Conference leading Los Angeles Lakers and 8 games out of the final playoff spot. The schedule won’t get any easier for the Clippers after the break as they head to Portland’s Rose Garden Arena to take on the Blazers.

Ross Everett is a well known modern dance instructor and a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports. He provides Internet and broadcast media outlets with daily free sports picks when not working with Olympic bound ice skaters. He is a widely published writer specializing in sports handicapping, falconry, drag racing and wombat breeding. He lives in Las Vegas with his houseboy, three dogs and a wombat.

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Save Dough On Superbowl Sunday

July 30, 2010

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Despite the fact that we are in the middle of a recession, and a lot of you are in debt, there is no reason that you can’t throw a really great Super Bowl Party.

Try to focus on not overdoing it. Make just one extravagant dish and play the rest off of that. A vat of chili, if properly seasoned is able to serve twelve people for twenty dollars. Chicken wings are quite cheap and easy to make. Coils of kielbasa, priced around five bucks are a cheap and delicious snack.

Due to the fact that the Super Bowl is a special occasion, go for hot food. Ordering big trays of Chinese takeout are less expensive and time consuming than cooking your own food.

Children at Superbowl parties can be hard to keep happy. Vegetables, juice, chips, and a carvel football shaped ice cream cake priced at $22.99 will keep them at bay.

Drinks? The best choice for shoppers on a budget is beer and wine. A keg will save you about 40% according to experts. The wine doesn’t have to be fancy – a five liter boxed wine will be more than acceptable. If you encounter the troublesome guest who insists on liquor, get discount vodka, a half gallon for just fourteen dollars. Its cheap, and blends with about anything.

Even in tough times, it is essential to make the most of your game-viewing experience. A medium to large flatscreen is completely necessary. But if you don’t own one, rent one. Websites list 42 inch TVs for as low as $26.99 a week.

And then those irritating people who won’t watch football. A pool for small gifts like a store certificate or CD might inspire people who aren’t the least bit interested in football at all if a prize is awarded at the end of every quarter. Try to have experienced fans explain what is going on. Then, sit back, and enjoy your game.

Mallory Megan is employed by a debt collection company. Also she composes stories on business and finance, consumer spending and collection agencies.

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Roller Girls Bring A Dead Sport Into The 21st Century

July 29, 2010

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Roller Derby was never really a big deal in the US, but has been around forever and was a staple of the early days of television. It was similar in its promotional format to its better known “sports entertainment” cousin, professional wrestling. It was frequently seen in the same bad timeslots on the same low powered UHF TV stations, and it was run by the same loose confederation of promoters and businessmen that characterized the regional territory era of pro wrestling. That’s where the similarity to wrestling ends–it’s storylines made pro wrestling angles look like high drama. While there is a definite history to the sport–great teams like the LA T-Birds and Bay Bombers, and legendary skaters like Ann Calvello it never really stuck in the public consciousness like the pre-Hulk Hogan era of pro wrestling.

When the original purveyors of the sport quit promoting in the early’80s most thought it was dead and gone until a ‘new school’ of roller derby surfaced on cable TV via the A&E reality series Roller Girls. It featured a local, all-girl roller derby league in Austin, Texas and followed the lives of the players on and off the track. While much of the show dwelled in Lifetime style drama about binge drinking and bad relationships, it was the first clue that many had that roller derby had risen from the dead. A sport that had faded into the lowest level of obscurity had been rediscovered and embraced by an eclectic group of young women. They had kept the same essential format, thrown in a healthy dose of burlesque camp and Varga pin-up inspired glamour and made it into their own vibrant subculture. They changed the competitive format and renamed the competitions “bouts” a la MMA or boxing. The result was a compelling mixture of glamour, toughness and athleticism driven by a healthy dose of punk rock “do it yourself” mentality.

Today, roller derby is a full blown worldwide phenomenon. There are hundreds of local roller derby leagues not only in the United States, but Canada, Australia and Europe. Most of the local groups similarly play up the campy retro pin-up/hot rod iconography and everyone involved sure looks like they’re having a good time. Between teams there’s a vibe of good natured competitiveness and camaraderie.

This organic rebirth and growth of roller derby is a result of young women taking what essentially was TV time filler and made it into their own distaff ‘action sport’. The community that has sprung up around it bears a striking resemblance to the skateboarding or snowboarding subculture. Granted, there are plenty of talented female skateboarders and snowboarders but they’re typically male dominated disciplines. The roller derby circa 2009 is just the opposite–a living, breathing matriarchal success story. No one is in it for the money, as these local groups are typically run as non-profit organization. The women involved have recreated this sport, and run it, promote it and compete in it on their own terms.

The new generation rollergirls also pay homage to their sports’ pioneers much in the same way that skateboarders give props to Duane Peters and Tony Alva and surfers evoke the names of Duke Kahanamoku and Greg Noll. Many of the individual group websites have sections devoted to the history of roller derby, and the late Ann Calvello–regarded as the Queen of the original Roller Derby–is revered as something of a patron saint.

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

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Thigh Exercises: Is It Fundamental To Perform It Everyday?

July 28, 2010

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One of the worst places to lose weight from is the thighs.

Because of this, thigh exercises are quickly becoming an important part of exercise regimes, especially for women.

However, there are several things that you should be aware of before you begin using thigh exercises to trim away the fat from your thighs.

For women especially, the thighs are one of the first places that weight gain occurs.

Unlike men, the thighs are a prime target for this excess weight gain because of the female anatomy.

If you are in need of thigh exercises to remove this fat, you may need to adjust your diet to ensure that you are eating properly.

Eating healthy is the most important thing that you can do for yourself.

While thigh exercises will tone the muscles of the thigh and encourage weight loss in this part of your body, thigh exercises alone will not help.

You need to solve the problem of your weight gain and promote weight loss through how you are eating.

Exercise is known to be an ineffective way to lose weight.

Many women will become frustrated as they try to lose fat from their thighs and fail.

This Is because thigh exercises do not burn nearly enough fat to counter the weight gain you are doing from eating poorly.

If you want to see your thigh exercises become effective, you also need to change your diet.

If you have adjusted your diet to account for possible weight gain, thigh exercises can be extremely useful.

Exercising the muscles of the high typically works muscles in your back and knees as well.

This is really important in the overall health and physical condition of your lower body.

If you want to start conditioning yourself, thigh exercises are an extremely good place to start because of the fact that you do not just exercise your thighs.

When you start thigh exercises, it is important that you balance these exercises with other workouts.

Over time, your body will learn the exercise and adjust to it, severely lowering the effectiveness of the exercise.

You can counter this by creating a series of workout exercises that alternate and change how you exercise.

If you are switching between thigh exercises and arm exercises, your body will benefit a lot more.

Every time you exercise, you should change the number of repetitions and sets you do, as well as change the order you do them in.

This will ensure that you are making the most of your thigh exercises and time spent working out.

Here is the best book on personal training certification programs and strenght training.

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Ravens Complete Undefeated Preseason By Ripping Falcons

July 27, 2010

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Even when the games don’t count and the starters play little, if at all, the Baltimore Ravens hate to lose. Despite the Atlanta Falcons starting QB Matt Ryan playing only one series and with the Ravens third string signal caller John Beck playing the entire game it was apparent that Baltimore wanted the victory more. The former BYU standout threw for 232 yards and a pair of touchdown passes as the Ravens easily beat the Atlanta Falcons 20-3 at the Georgia Dome.

Sports enthusiasts who bet on NFL preseason action were rewarded for their investment in the Ravens, as Baltimore won outright as +3 road underdogs. Baltimore also finished the NFL preseason with a perfect 4-0 mark against the spread, while Atlanta finished 2-1-1 against the number. The 23 combined points went UNDER the posted total of 35. It was the Ravens third UNDER in four preseason games, while the Falcons split their O/U results at 2-2.

Ravens QB Beck hasnt had much playing time in the NFL since his ill fated rookie year in Miami in 2007. After the game, he expressed how pleased he was to showcase his skills for the entire game:

“He (coach John Harbaugh) told me a few days ago that I would play the whole game. It was very exciting to get to play the whole game.”

Beck made the most of his opportunity, finishing with 232 yards on 16 of 28 passing and a pair of touchdowns with no interceptions. The Ravens defense held the Falcons to just 175 yards of total offense.

Despite the lackluster effort, Falcons coach Mike Smith was nonplussed:

“You’ve got to understand in these games, you’re going to call things defensively and offensively to put players in certain situations to evaluate them. You’re not game-planning in a game like this. You’re going to put players in certain situations to see how they handle certain techniques and coverages.”

Falcon cornerback Chris Houston was a little more concerned:

“We’ve got to work on everybody getting to the ball. We’ve got to try to be more aggressive in our techniques. We made some plays tonight, but other than that, we still have a lot to work on as a defense.”

The Ravens will get the 2009 NFL regular season underway at home, hosting the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, September 13th. The Falcons, meanwhile, will welcome the Miami Dolphins to the Georgia Dome to get their campaign started. Baltimore will head west to San Diego for a game against the Chargers in week 2, while Atlanta will remain at home for a key NFC South matchup against the Carolina Panthers.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and noted authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

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Learn The Child’s Life In The Gold Coast

July 26, 2010

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The Gold Coast is the perfect vacation spot for any family especially if you are an active family. Australia’s Gold Coast is, home to a huge assortment of Theme Parks, animal sanctuaries, family cruises, tours and outdoor excitement.

If your family is adrenalin junkies then check out Dream World, which is home to the Cyclone Rollercaoster, Giant Drop and Tower of Terror. Or maybe Adrenalin Park featuring bungy jumping and the sling shot.

Perhaps your family is more inclined to enjoy water activities? Well there is something for you too. You may want to experience White Water World filled with every imaginable way to get wet and have fun doing it. Or how about Wet-N-Wild the place to be for water slides and wave pools.

Animals are always a good source of entertainment for kids and their parents so why not visit some parks and sanctuaries filled with animals and creature facts. Make your vacation a learning time for your kids. There is Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary, David Fleay Wildlife Park, Sea World, Paradise Country and of course a trip to Australia wouldn’t be complete without Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo. Paradise Country offers your child a chance to experience farming life. They get to feed animals, milk cows and find out what it’s like to live on an active farm.

If you’re an adventurous family, that’s loves the outdoors such as camping, hiking, fishing and horses there are some fantastic places to go see. If you want to experience something similar to The Buffalo Bill Wild West show then check out Australian Outback Spectacular. The families who are big movie watchers may want to head over to the Warner Bros. Movie World.

For the families not interested in theme parks or those who want something different after the parks there are other fun filled things to do and try. You can take the kids and let them Build a Bear. They can design, build and stuff their very own bears and other animals. Or head to the Carrara Markets the oldest permanent markets in the area. These markets host not only shopping for the parents, but a carnival like experience for the kids with games, crafts, face painting and even a few rides.

If you are having a birthday in the family while on vacation hit the best party stop in town at Drax’s for Kids. Instead of inflatable castles and clowns you get Dracula himself every Saturday for matinee performances. After Dracula has gone on his way, why not head on over to the local Haunted House and let the kids get their hearts pumping and the goose bumps popping.

For the more creative kids out there, they may enjoy a trip through Infinity. Infinity is just hopping with maze filled adventures for your little brainiac to figure out. There is of course miniature golf, go-carting, gaming world’s, wax museum’s and family geared cruises with whale watching and jet ski lessons. By the way don’t forget the beaches. What kid doesn’t want to swim in an ocean at least once right?

The action and excitement never ending the Gold Coast for everyone young and old.

If you are looking for the top Gold coast Accommodation deals then please visit http://www.goldcoastaccommodation.com.au

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Go Light With Your Electric Powered Scooter

July 25, 2010

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Scooters are low upkeep cars. You don’t have to stress about space in the garage if you are the owner of a scooter, and never again do you have to fuss over heavy-traffic.

Indeed, scooters can maneuver through the tightest of jams and take you to anyplace you want without fear of getting stuck and becoming highly late somewhere. To add, you can also kiss elusive auto parking slots goodbye.

As if scooters are still not great machines, some inventive minds have come up with electric powered scooters. The product is comparatively new so not everyone might already know about it. Actually, we rarely see electrical powered scooters cruising the streets. But that doesn’t discount the fact that they’re really practicable to use, especially at a time oil and gas prices are showing no signals of climbing down.

An electrical powered scooter, as its name suggests, is run using electricity. The unit is connected up to an outlet, charged and then used. If the battery shows signs of weakening, you’ll need to recharge so it doesn’t conk out on you in the no man’s land.

Some critics have also panned the concept of an electric powered scooter because they say it is a burden on one’s electricity bill. its fans disagree that it’s a great solution to the world’s dependance on oil and gas, which are fast becoming scant.

Electric powered scooters come in assorted sizes and designs. Like the regular scooters, they also can run in different speeds. So if you’d like to just cruise around suburbia, you’ve got your electric powered scooter to promise you that your feet will not get beat.

For the moment, electrical powered scooters remain a tiny expensive. But when the product catches on and the demand increases, it’ll become more accessible to many people. A lot of us always moan about always being late to somewhere because of traffic. Now, you can go from one place to another in just a short while. The best thing is, you won’t actually have to burn fuel anymore, so you’re also doing the environment a favor.

Now, you can find some pieces you will really want to learn about Electric Razor Scooter from the Razor Range Of Scooters resource.

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Are You Ready For Advanced Body Building Training Techniques?

July 24, 2010

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So, you tried body building, gave it a year and like it. You’re starting to see results. You’ve lost the flab, are hard, but your muscles aren’t big. Perhaps you’d like to turn your body into a work of art and get some really sculpted muscle and maybe even compete. And you want more challenge in your workouts. Advanced bodybuilding training techniques are also used by professional athletes, wrestlers, security personnel, bouncers, models and quite possible the military.

If you’ve been gradually building up your body’s strength, eat plenty of the right protein-laden meals and have the patience, you are most likely ready for advanced bodybuilding training techniques.

Things To Keep In Mind

As you’ve discovered, there are a lot of bodybuilding training styles, programs and exercises for the beginning bodybuilder, the intermediate bodybuilder and yes, for the advanced as well. Keep in mind that this may cost more and take up more of your free time. And you can’t miss meals. Get a check up from your doctor to see if all the parts of your body can handle the intense workouts. You might discover your arms and legs can handle some exercises, but your back can’t. There are still advanced bodybuilding training techniques you can do, but avoid leg exercises like crunches and girls and instead try a leg-lift machine.

If you’re still up for the challenge, then you are definitely ready for some of the advanced bodybuilding training techniques:

Forced Reps: You keep lifting a weight over and over again, faster and faster, but sometimes you have a helper to “force” the repetition of lifting the barbell going. Say, for every ten lifts, you get help on the eleventh. Over time, the barbell gets heavier and heavier.

Partials: Now this is fun. Instead of moving a weight all the way, you just move it part of the way and hold it. Be sure to stretch after each set to minimize the pain.

Pre-Exhaust Training: Say you want to concentrate on one area of muscle, like your triceps. You do some weightlifting, say lifting dumbbells straight overhead, but instead of resting in between differing weights and lifts, you skip the rest and just go right into a new exercise. This is sometimes called “supersetting”. Giant Sets: This is just like pre-exhaust training, except there is no rest between an entire series of exercises for a specific muscle group.

Strip Sets: You need two spotters for this, as time is of the essence. You start bench-pressing a barbell with the most weight on it, then the two spotters keep lowering weight. There is no rest in between weight changes like you are already used to. The speed is what builds the muscles here in these kinds of advanced bodybuilding training techniques.

Good points on health supplements and body building workouts for you and your body building.

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Online Gambling – Virtual Or Reality?

July 23, 2010

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Las Vegas has nothing on online gambling. I don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on flights, a hotel room and a rental car when I can just pop open a cold one, open up the Compaq Presario and get to stomping fools in a the Hold ‘Em Room. One interesting thing about online gambling that is much different than Vegas of course is your ability, or lack there of, to size up your competition. Luckily, Stonewashed Casino’s real time video conference feed gambling system allows you to do just that.

This ability to read someone’s actual body language is what sets the Stonewashed Casinos online gambling portal a cut above the rest. When I used to play at more second rate portal’s, I honestly was not making nearly as much money. When I can actually look into someone’s eyes, I can get a lot better idea as to whether or not they are trying to BS me. And reading the BS signals are what Hold ‘Em is all about!

Before Stonewashed Casinos, I was looking anywhere and everywhere for a dependable online gambling portal where I could endeavor into the depths of my vices late into the wee hours of the morning. I was just another miserable married guy with nothing to look forward to every night except diapers full of feces, screaming babies, and a nagging wife. Then I found Stonewashed Casinos, and I honestly feel like I am back in college again.

The video feed makes gambling on Stonewashed Casinos a lot like being back in the Frat House, talking crap with the boys, throwing money around like its nobodies business. There is a fun sense of camaraderie that you get even though you are all trying to take each others money. I guess it is not dissimilar to the same feeling you have when you are trying to kill your buddies in online gaming shoot ‘em ups. Anyways, when I am logged in to the video feed, I almost forget I threw away my sense of self to placate societal norms (ie, got married).

So, maybe by now you are seeing through the real me. I’d obviously prefer to be in Vegas, bagging scandalous women, throwing my money down the drain and engaging in Felonious activity. But alas I am married, so I can’t. Thank the heavens for online gambling and thank Stonewashed Casinos for their amazing online video feed gambling portal.

Check out some of these other online gambling sites or even create your own online gambling site here.

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Saskatchewan Survives Hamilton Comeback In Wild CFL Affair

July 22, 2010

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It was just a week ago that the Saskatchewan Roughriders blew a big first half CFL lead to the Edmonton Eskimos en route to a 38-33 loss. On Sunday afternoon, it looked for a moment like history was repeating itself. The Riders led 23-0 at halftime before the Hamilton Tiger-Cats came roaring back in the second half. Hamilton would tie the score at 23-23 early in the fourth quarter before the hosts pulled it out with a late touchdown and field goal to win 33-23.

After the game, Roughriders coach Ken Miller talked about the importance of not blowing another big CFL lead:

“We didn’t want to do that again, “In the first half in particular it was sensational. In the third quarter we gave up some points … but overall our defence played pretty good.”

Hamilton head coach Marcel Bellefeuille said there was no moral victory in coming close with a big comeback:

“You’ve got to play 60 minutes to win in the CFL, you can’t play 30 minutes.”

Saskatchewan ran for 214 yards, with Wes Cates becoming the first Roughrider to rush for more than 100 yards this season as he finished with 117. After the game, Cates spoke of his accomplishment:

“It was not as much for myself but more for the naysayers. Yeah I needed a big game like that to stop the rumours and stop people from talking bad about me.”

Saskatchewans defensive line also starred, completely shutting down the Hamilton rushing attack. The Roughriders limited the Tiger-Cats runners to a mere 31 yards on the ground.

Hamilton starting QB Quinton Porter, in particular, struggled against the Saskatchewan defense. Kevin Glenn replaced him after the first quarter and finished the game 12-for-27 with 183 yards. Porter was 1-for-5 for only three yards before he was yanked.

The Tiger-Cats now have a bye week in which to try and regroup before they return to action August 29th on the road against the Edmonton Eskimos. Saskatchewan will head east to take on the CFL best Montreal Alouettes on Friday night.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas, Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

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