The Sports Archives – Why Do Some People Hate Tebow?

Posted on April 27, 2012 by thesportsarchives

The separation of church and state was and continues to be a heated issue; however, these days, it seems some people are more focused on the separation of church and athletic events. It’s obvious there are some people who have an extremely negative reaction towards any outward display of religious belief. Constitutional rights of freedom of religion and speech mean wearing a cross, carrying a Bible, or celebrating a winning touchdown with a “thank you” to God is nothing short of allowable; however, it’s not always acceptable in the eyes of many.

Religion and Sports; Can They Mesh?

Former Broncos and current New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow is one of the few professional athletes that openly shows his religious appreciation on the field. Despite being an accomplished athlete, Tebow is probably most famous (or infamous to some) for his outward display of religion, usually in the form of praying before and after games, as well as thanking God when a touchdown is scored or a game is won. His actions have become known simply as “Tebowing,” and anywhere Tebow is mentioned in media or print, the words religion, Jesus, or God are likely to follow. While his appreciation and love of God has gained plenty of fans, it’s also brought about numerous detractors.

“There are people who really can’t stand him, because they can’t stand all the Christian worship on the field. It’s really interesting,” explained Dr. Kenneth Siegel, a cosmetic dentist practicing in Philadelphia, PA.

Some would say that Tebow’s actions are a bit much; as his excessive thanking of God and prayer during the game can possible create barriers between fans and players. But to put limitations on such actions would be silly. Do we restrict the amount of people who wear crosses or other religious symbols? What about those who openly pray throughout the day. Are these people also crossing boundaries and creating a less than ideal environment? Answers will vary, but we all have the freedom to express our religion, even if others don’t like it.

Taking It Down A Notch

While some despise all outwardly religious actions and dislike Tebow because of it; others simply believe it doesn’t belong on the football field. According to Dr. Siegel, many of his patients dislike Tebow because he takes the focus off the game.

“They say, it’s one thing for you to have your personal feelings about God; but they don’t want to see it on the football field,” he said. “They think he makes too much of it.”

Though Tebow has become most known for his religious antics; he’s not the only outwardly religious player on the field. Nearly every Sunday during football season, one of the first words to leave an athlete’s mouth after a win are “I want to thank God…”

In the end, athletes aren’t the only ones to praise a higher being; just watch an awards show for actors or musicians. The Grammy’s and Country Music Awards are full of ‘thank Gods’ and ‘thank the Lords,’ – so what gives? What makes Tebow’s actions so widely focused-on in the media, when other players are doing just as he does?

No matter where you choose to glorify God; the fact is that we all – athlete or not – should be free to express our religious beliefs and ideas however we want; whether it’s by simple, silent prayer or by striking the famous “Tebowing” pose.

Ashley Page rocks the written word for Off-Topic Media. Thanks to Dr. Ken Siegel for his thoughts on Tim Tebow. Dr. Siegel can be contacted at his Philadelphia cosmetic dental office at:

Dental Excellence of Blue Bell
706 Dekalb Pike
Blue Bell, PA 19422-1214
(610) 272-0828

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The Sports Archives – What’s Inside the Golf Course: Traps, Bunkers and the Fairway!

Posted on April 26, 2012 by thesportsarchives

What makes a golf game challenging? It is not the golf clubs or the golf balls; it is actually the golf course itself. The design of the golf course can mean the difference between a par even score or a score over the hundred mark.

A golf course is a collection of golf holes in an area where the sport itself is played. A typical golf course features 18 holes and stretches over a expansive land of 125-127 acres. The holes are situated between a hundred to 650 yards from the tee to the cup. Some courses only have 9 holes and players need to play the course twice. Holes are numbered 1-18 and are played in that order.

A typical golf course is divided into different parts and each part has a different level of difficulty. There are also plenty of elements that make up a golf course. You start a game of golf in the tee box or teeing ground. It is a square or rectangular box with a flat surface where you take your first shot. There are several tee boxes in a golf course and each tee box has a different distance from the hole. The teeing ground or area has clearly marked boundaries which is the space between two tee markers and extend for two club-lengths back from the tee markers. These tee markers have different colors; you have to choose one and this is what you stick to throughout your game.

The fairway is the stretch of land that connects the teeing grounds and the putting greens. When you tee off, your goal is get your ball to the fairway because it is easier to hit the ball here rather than from other parts of a golf course. The grass in the fairway is cut short and is easily distinguishable from the rough or the area on either side of the fairway. The rough is the area where you do not want your golf ball to land because these areas have taller grasses which makes hitting balls harder.

The green is the area of the golf course that surrounds the hole. Typically, greens have 5,000 to 6,000 of land area. They also feature the shortest and most well-maintained grass in a golf course because this area is designed for putting. Aside from very short grass, most putting greens have slight sloping or elevated areas that causes the golf ball to veer away from the hole during putting.

There are two types of golf hazards: the bunkers and the water hazards. Bunkers are hollowed out areas that are filled with sand. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and depths, and are placed in different locations of the golf course, usually near the greens. On the other hand, water hazards come in the form of lakes, ponds, rivers, or creeks. Water hazards come in two forms: regular and lateral. Regular water hazards are marked by yellow stake, while lateral water hazards, which run along the side of the fairway, are marked by red stakes. They can be man-made or naturally occurring.

Other elements that are found in a golf course include trees, golf cart paths and out of bounds areas.

Knowing these elements and areas around the golf course can help improve your overall score. Do not be discouraged if you do not make an even par or you keep having bogeys. It takes a lot of practice. Golf is more than simply hitting the ball; it is a sport.

Citations:

If you are looking to buy electric golf trolleys online then check out our electric golf trolley review website for un-bias honest reviews on all the latest golf trolleys on the market.

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The Sports Archives – NASCAR: Ones to Watch

Posted on April 25, 2012 by thesportsarchives

NASCAR, the largest stock car sanctioning organization in America, is extremely popular in both the U.S. and Canada. In case you’re new to NASCAR, here’s what you need to know.

NASCAR

NASCAR is a sanctioning body which oversees many types of racing, including the Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series and Camping World Truck Series. NASCAR sanctions more than 1,500 races at over 100 tracks every year. Here’s a summary of NASCAR’s history, if you want to read up on how the organization got its start.

Now let’s get down to the real topic at hand – who are the ones to watch in NASCAR today?

Kasey Kahne

The Enumclaw, Wash. native started the year in the No. 5 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. He placed seventh in the Sprint Cup Series at Texas Motor Speedway in April of this year, and 3rd in the Nationwide Series at the same location. Later in the month he won in the Truck Series at Rockingham Speedway. He’s got speed and experience and he’s on track to keep working his way up in the NASCAR rankings.

Austin Dillon

Dillon, the youngest NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion in series history (he won in 2011), moved to Nationwide in 2012. The grandson of former NASCAR driver and current team owner Richard Childress, Dillon really got noticed by the NASCAR world when he became the Camping World Truck Series Rookie of the Year in 2010. He’s got ways to go but keep an eye on this up and comer. Fun fact about Dillon? He played second base in a Little League World Series when he was younger.

Marcos Ambrose

Ambrose currently drives the #9 Stanley Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports in the Sprint Cup Series. Ambrose won at Montreal in August 2011, his first Nationwide win of the year, just after winning his first Sprint Cup victory at Watkins Glen. Although he’s had some bad luck of late (he ran out of gas at Texas Motor Speedway in April), this Aussie import is due for a big win.

These up and comers certainly have their work cut out for them if they want to compete with those at the top (see current NASCAR rankings). And of course their success isn’t just down to them. Again, if you’re new to NASCAR, you might not know what goes into keeping these drivers’ cars in top condition. For example, the car windshield has to be coated with a special adhesive film that can peel off and be replaced after each race. And during the race? The pit crew is absolutely essential to the success or failure of the driver.

I hope this brief overview of NASCAR and some of its up and comers has you excited for the rest of the 2012 races (check out the 2012 NASCAR schedule). Keep an eye on these youngsters as they continue to make an impact on the NASCAR circuit.

Catherine Halsey writes for a digital marketing agency on a range of topics. This article links back to http://www.safelite.com/.

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The Sports Archives – Ambush Marketing: Infamous Examples from Sports Events!

Posted on April 24, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Major sporting events have always provided fertile ground for ambush marketing. In fact, it is widely accepted that the 1984 Olympics was the event where ambush marketing originated from. For those not familiar with the term, ambush marketing can be defined as a marketing strategy where companies deliberately align themselves with events so that their brand benefits and capitalizes from such associations. Normally, this kind of association is limited to the official sponsor who has contributed a considerable amount of time and money for exclusive event association, such as Barclays and the English Premier League. However, clever and sometimes borderline legal marketing tactics ambush these rights to exclusivity. This article highlights some famous examples of ambush marketing in sports, particularly the Olympic Games, and outlines the controversy surrounding the issue.

The Origins of Ambush Marketing

As was previously stated, the first major example of ambush marketing occurred in 1984 when the International Olympic Committee (IOC) offered sponsorship contracts to companies in order to fund the Olympics as opposed to public funding. Fuji won the sponsorship contract; however Kodak retaliated by purchasing large amounts of advertising space. Because of Kodak’s extensive advertising during the Olympic Games, the public generally considered both Kodak and Fuji as sponsors of the event. Fuji thought this to be unfair as they had paid large amounts of money to be the official sponsors, although it did not stipulate anywhere in the contract that competitor’s ads were prohibited to run during the games.

Legalities of Ambush Marketing

Ambush marketing occupies a grey area in the legal sphere, and depending on its brashness or severity can occupy both sides of the law. Some high-profile ambush marketing examples have been legal as official sponsors cannot cover every angle of marketing due to time and costs. In other instances, trademark names or phrases are not mentioned in advertising, even though the association is implied. For instance, in another example of sports ambush marketing, American Express undermined Visa’s official sponsorship of the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. American Express ran advertisements that stated “You don’t need a visa to visit Spain”.

Examples of Illegal Ambush Marketing

A recent example of ambush marketing occurred during the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. Dutch beauties dressed in orange miniskirts were removed from the stadium for participating in unlawful commercial activities. The ambush marketing stunt was executed by Dutch brewery Bavaria, who had a tiny outer label carrying the brands name. Even though two of the participants were arrested, the ambush marketing strategy was successful as it received loads of media attention and publicity. Olympic Ambush marketing is expected this summer, but according to statements made by the London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG), they will take a zero tolerance approach to any form of ambush marketing.

Penny Munroe is an avid writer in business related news and topics. Articles include how to make your executive suites more energy-efficient to sourcing the best executive suites Miami has on offer.

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The Sports Archives – The World’s Oldest Football!

Posted on April 23, 2012 by thesportsarchives

The latest issue of British stamps features famous landmarks from A to Z, including S for Stirling Castle…where the world’s oldest football was found in the private rooms of Mary Queen of Scots.

Dating from the 16th century, and made from cow hide with an internal pig’s bladder, it was discovered behind the paneling in the Queen’s Chamber – where it is believed to have been hidden since the 1540s.

The mother of James I of England was known later in life to take an interest in all sports, especially football and golf, and indeed recorded details of a game of football in her diaries while living at nearby Carlisle Castle.

The Queen’s Bedchamber

Now at the Smith Art Gallery and Museum in Stirling, the almost 500-year-old ball, half the size of a modern football, was discovered at Stirling Castle in the mid 1970s, when workmen were investigating behind the thickly oak-paneled walls of Mary’s bedchamber.

Expert examination has confirmed the ball to be from a period somewhere between the 1540s and 1570, during which time Mary Stuart was known to have spent time there.

A cricket ball sits at the center of this ancient sporting artifact, housed within a pig’s bladder which would have been used for the ball’s inflation, and inside a thick, round leather cover, originally stitched from the inside and with surface stitching presumed to have been undertaken later to carry out repairs.

Historians believe the ball could have been used in games between soldiers and staff in the castle courtyard, in a variation of the game which was then probably more associated with handball than football.

How it ended up behind the paneling in the Queen’s bedroom remains a mystery, although there is one possible – if somewhat odd – explanation.

Protection Against Witchcraft

In centuries past it was not uncommon to hide personal property as a protection against witchcraft…the thinking was that evil spirits would be attracted to the individual item rather than its owner, this keeping them safe from harm.

The Scottish Stuarts were, like many at the time, known to have been deeply superstitious…so perhaps it was Mary herself who hid the ball behind the wooden paneling?

Henry VIII, father of Elizabeth I – the ‘Virgin Queen’ who was responsible for her cousin Mary’s imprisonment and subsequent execution – is recorded as being one of the first royal exponents of football, having listed a pair of football boots in his Great Wardrobe catalog of 1526, a regal ‘shopping list’ drawn up towards the middle of his reign.

Perhaps his great-niece Mary had a similar fascination with the game?

Sadly, we will never know.

Nicki Williams works for Gear-Zone, one of the UK’s leading online retailers of outdoor gear and equipment ranging from football boots to rucksacks and hydration packs.

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The Sports Archives – 5 Fun iPhone Apps for Swimmers!

Posted on April 21, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Swimming is not only a fun pastime, but it can also be a competitive sport. If you are involved in swimming in any way – whether you are on the school swim team, a huge Olympics swim team fan, or even just someone who enjoys splashing around in the pool – your iPhone can be a great resource for you when it comes to all that is swim. Want to know how? Here are five fun iPhone apps for swimmers:

GoSwim. Swimming

If involving yourself with a community of swimmers and having an array of swimming content at your fingertips is what you want, then GoSwim is for you. This app is actually an extension of GoSwim.tv, which means you are plugged in to all of the great things that GoSwim.tv has to offer. You can read articles, skim through all kinds of swim-related content, view tutorials, get great advice for improving your swim skills, participate in a forum, and much more.

FitVideo: Swimming App.

This app, part of an athletics series developed for the iPhone, features a multitude of video tutorials to coach you through every aspect of swim, including strokes, workouts, training for triathalons, drills to help you improve your time, proper nutrition, and much, much more.

MorningSwimmingShow Podcast.

For those who are interested in following professional swimmers, this app is a must. Not only do you get a great podcast that features coach, swimmer, and trainer interviews from those who are top in the field, but you also get daily videos covering the latest in swim news, which you can access any time of the day.

Swim-Tracker.

If you are an avid swimmer and are serious about improving, then this is the perfect app for you. Using Swim-Tracker, you can log a wide array of data pertaining to your swim sessions and easily monitor your progress and areas that need improvement. Features include best swim times, stroke types, swim length by distance, nutrition tracking, and swim routine organization.

Swim Meet by Big Fish Software

If you are a swim team member, coach of a swim team, or even an enthused swim team fan, you can use this app to log swim meet results, as well as track and compare the results of other teams.

As you can see, your iPhone can be an invaluable tool when it comes to improving your stroke, staying abreast of the latest swim news, or even just interacting with other swimmers. Download these great apps to get the most out of your swimming, no matter what your level of involvement is.

About the Author: Hal Melot loves swimming and spends a ton of time looking for free apps for iPhone lovers into all different types of sports. He can’t wait for the summer Olympics (and the apps that will come out to support the games)!

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The Sports Archives – NBA’s Thrilling Moments In spite of Shorter Preseason and Game Schedule

Posted on April 18, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Michael JordanThere is a growing controversy about ill effects of a truncated preseason and trimmed game schedule for North America’s National Basketball Association (NBA), the top ranking professional basketball league for men. The basketball game season which is in full swing for its thirty member clubs had a curtailed preseason and is facing a 66-game schedule instead of one of 82 games.

A few experts have not taken positively to NBA’s game modifications. They are of the opinion that changes could result in inferior team performances and criticized it for turning out a money spinner, with more paydays for owners as well as players. However, most experts are not yet willing to state that changes will have a clear negative impact on the game this season. They are viewing below average performances and spate of injuries as a normal part of a game schedule and not as a direct result of changes.

Surely, they have not been too many exciting basketball nights with only five teams taking 100 points. Great teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and to some extent, the Dallas Mavericks are caught in a poor play rut. Is it the fatigue arising out of playing more games back to back? Mavericks appeared a tired team when they played their sixth game in the span of eight nights and lost comprehensively. The curtailed preseason had robbed teams of precious learning time.

The good news is that they have been many thrilling basketball NBA Logomoments to balance any negative impact of shorter preseason and game schedule. Great performances include the thrilling start by LeBron James, Kobe Bryant’s streak of 40 points and 20-20s courtesy Dwight Howard. There have been interesting developments too. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Philadelphia Seventy-Sixers are high up in the reckoning, the Utah Jazz are learning quickly and the Indiana Pacers are on the advance.

There were magical moments too.

The Miami Heat‘s stunning run of 17 points in the fourth-quarter helped them to a 99-95 victory against the Phoenix Suns. What an unbelievable comeback! At one time, Phoenix led 90-80 with just over seven minutes to the end. However, they were unable to score a point for over six minutes and Miami capitalized on the situation with nine free throws in the run, notching a dramatic lead of 97-90.

Miami’s Dwayne Wade,  with 19 points, told reporters immediately after the game, “It was either now or never. They were playing very well. We were down 10 and had to make a move.”  Chris Bosh scored 29 points, the highest in the game, with LeBron adding 20 points through six assists and eight rebounds. For Phoenix, with four straight wins taking them to the playoff stage, it was a shocker.

Though ‘Linsanity’ is fading, New York Knick fans are taking it in their stride what with the exciting charge of the Chicago Bulls who overpowered the Knicks with a 104-99 win. Jeremey Lin who rose from anonymous benchwarmer to NBA icon tried to rescue his team but his effort of scoring 15 points with eight assists was not enough. The Bull’s Derrick Rose attacked the Knicks and Lin without giving any quarter and scored 15 points with eight assists. The Bull’s victory over Knicks brought to mind another exciting victory that of 95-85 revenge victory by the Mavericks against Knicks.

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The Sports Archives – A Grand Day Out!

Posted on April 17, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Even people with little or no interest in horse racing will have heard of the Grand National, held every year at Aintree in Liverpool. This race is one of the most famous in the world, and attracts massive viewing figures on television. It also tempts many of us who never bet at other times in the year to take a chance with the hope of that 500/1 shot romping home in front and giving us a nice windfall.

Horse Racing

History

The National was first run in 1836, although in a different location from the present course at Aintree. The first few races were low-key, but in 1839 the race began to attract much more attention from horse owners and the general public. The appeal of the race was the unpredictability and the high fences the horses had to jump over, the same factors which still makes it a highlight of the racing calendar today. The National has been run every year since, excluding the years during the First and Second World Wars, and 1997 when the race had to be postponed until the Monday due to a bomb threat.

Famous Winners

The best known name in Grand National history is probably that of Red Rum, the horse who won three times in the 1970s. Other famous names from the past include Foinavon, the horse who completed the race alone after all the others fell, Mon Mome who came in at 100/1 in 2009, L’Escargot, Aldaniti and Devon Loch who took the race on the final straight run home. The beauty of the National is that the favorite is not a guaranteed winner, and this has been proven by the number of times a complete outsider has been at the winning post first.

Criticism and Welfare

Animal rights activists have often stated that they feel the Grand National is cruel, due to the number of injuries sustained by the horses each year. Trainers and owners reply to the criticism by stating that their horses are well cared for and given the best veterinary treatment which money can buy. Controls at the course are tight, with all horses being tested to ensure they are both healthy and drug free before racing. Many owners will give their animals equine herbal remedies to treat minor ailments, but these all have to be cleared with the authorities to make sure the horse does not fail the drugs test. Doping a horse to make it run faster or longer has long been an issue in racing, so to keep the sport’s clean image, even something as innocuous as an equine herbal remedy has to be declared.

Tips and Betting

Betting on the National is as much about chance as it is about knowledge. For every punter who spends hours analyzing the field, past performance, jockey’s history, whether the horse has been giving equine herbal remedies or other medication, trainer, owner and so on, there will be another who picks which horse to back based on their lucky number or a name which is in some way significant. Given the nature of the race, each method is probably equally effective.

Citations:

The Equine Warehouse has a great selection of essential equine herbal remedies available.

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The Sports Archives – Best Cycling Tracks in Melbourne

Posted on April 14, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Melbourne is one of the greatest cities in Australia for cycling lovers. There are many wonderful organizations that promote the benefits of bike riding to the Melbourne community, and their efforts have led to a steady increase in the number of bike tracks available for cyclists’ pleasure. Here is a guide to the best routes to explore on a bike in the city of Melbourne.

Capital City Trail

This is one of the most strenuous and delightful tracks in the whole city. Riders need to be quite fit to complete it, because it takes a half day to ride it at a brisk pace. The trail starts at the Princess Bridge and follows the Yarra River up to Dights Falls. This is a good spot to take a rest and enjoy watching the kayakers shoot the rapids.
Following Dights Falls, cyclists will take the Merri Creek Bike Trail along the creek. Riders exit the Merri Creek path at Rushall Station, and they then follow the bike path from the station that takes riders to Royal Park and Princes Park. This path joins up with a path that follows Moonee Ponds Creek. This will take riders back to the starting point along the Yarra River.

Yarra River Trail

Another splendid route runs along the Yarra River. This ride starts at the mouth of the river under the West Gate Bridge. The path goes through the city centre out to the suburbs, and then heads through Studley Park and Westerfolds Park.  Riders can then turn around and head back for West Gate Bridge.

A nice alternative is to start at Westerfolds Park and head inward to the West Gate Bridge. There is a free ferry that will take riders across the river. There is another bike track that they can take back on the far side of the river, and riders can get back to the original side of the Yarra by taking the Swan Street Bridge or MacRobertson Bridge.

Maribyrnong River Track

This fun ride is available on either bank of the river. It starts at Footscray and runs north to Dumbalk Park. There are plenty of parks and public restrooms available along this path. The views along the river are quite magnificent, and this makes it a very popular trail for both cyclists and foot traffic. Be sure to keep an eye out for pedestrians.

Gardiners Creek Trail

This is a beautiful track that begins at the junction of Gardiners Creek with the Yarra River. There is a magnificent suspension bridge at the beginning of the trail, and then it runs through endless green spaces that are a welcome respite from the hectic city. The path ends in the suburb of Glen Iris.

Bayside Bicycle Track

This path runs along the beach, offering spectacular water views throughout its length. It starts at Port Phillip Bay, and then goes though Port Melbourne on its way to Brighton. The path is very popular with rollerbladers, so be sure to watch out for them.

Steve is an avid cycling enthusiast and competitor. Since cycling is a way of life for Steve, he also works at one of the best bike shops Melbourne has to offer. You can often catch him on one of Melbourne’s many cycling tracks.

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The Sports Archives – Freedom to be Extreme in a Litigious Society

Posted on April 13, 2012 by thesportsarchives

Ultimate Waivers

Many years ago, I traveled to Perris, CA for the National Skydiving Championships. My husband at the time was competing in a 20-way formation competition. When we arrived and signed in we had to fill out an extensive release form and then sign it on video while reading aloud “Hi my name is… I am signing away my right to sue you if I do something reckless.” Drop zones had become so concerned about being sued by a skydiver’s family that they had to amend the waivers. My parents are Canadian; we don’t sue up there. Still, I called and told them that they must never, EVER, try to hold someone else accountable for my stupidity or risk-taking!

Can we Govern Ourselves Accordingly?

Apparently we can’t be trusted to do the right thing, ever. Of course, society needs rules but why make BASE jumpers into outlaws? Do they ever harm anyone but themselves? Instead of wasting resources chasing and arresting them, it would make more sense to make them accountable. If, for example, you jump off an antenna and get caught in the wires you should have to pay for your rescue and any damage you do to public property. Why waste time and energy trying to prosecute someone for that ? Surely seeing photos of themselves, hanging like a Christmas tree ornament, publicly posted on Facebook should be punishment enough.

Protect Your Assets

How can it be OK to throw yourself out of an airplane bareheaded but not be OK to ride a motorcycle without a helmet? When I started skydiving, I wore a silly leather frappe hat. I felt goofy, but it’s what most people wore to protect their heads, though many only wore goggles. The first time I caught an elbow to the temple on and exit and saw stars, I bought a real helmet. I understood immediately that I needed to be conscious to open and fly my canopy. There is no law requiring it, though obviously skydiving helmets save lives. I have never ridden a motorcycle without a helmet though I’ve had plenty of opportunity while riding in areas where they are not required. I’ve fallen on my head dozens of times and even in full dirt riding gear have managed to leave skin on the motocross track, so I fully understand the value of safety gear, but I don’t get making it a law.
Same thing for seat-belts. I always wear one, but when I lived in Guatemala there were often more people than seat-belts in the car, no car seats for kids, children on laps in the front seat. When you drive down the road with kids loose in the car and go by a little motorcycle with a family of 6 on board it’s just business as usual.  You don’t question whether the parents are irresponsible, or should pay a fine. It’s the only way they can get from point A to B. In fact, when several cities in Guatemala instituted a law prohibiting more than one person on a motorcycle, we rode in the protests for several weeks.

The bottom line is we must not take the freedoms we have for granted. Pretty soon it could be illegal to wear shorts because pants have been proven to be 90% effective in preventing skinned knees!

Gareth Smith is an adrenaline-junkie and general thrill seeker who works as a soccer coach in Nashville. He has also developed a writing hobby and often uses a grammar checker to proof his work before letting anyone read it. He still keeps in touch with him family in Blackpool thanks to his international calling cell phone.

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