The Sports Archives – Different Golf Trophies and Your Options

Posted on October 5, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Golf tournaments are held all over the world, and many of them feature wonderful prizes including marvelous trophies and cash rewards. If you are hosting a golf tournament in your community, you have a number of options when it comes to finding an appropriate trophy for your tournament. You can choose small trophies and medals for the people who do well, but who do not come in first. You can also choose a large trophy or cup for the winner. The type of trophy that you choose for you golf tournament will depend on the kind of tournament that you are holding.

A Kid’s Tournament

For a tournament that is designed for children, you will probably want to recognize all of the participants. This is especially important if you are hosting a tournament for younger children. Some options to recognize the kid’s participation include rosettes or medals. These can often be personalized to add the name and date of the event. For children, you can use small, fun trophies, and you can find trophies that are specifically designed with golf in mind. These trophies feature golf balls, golf tees, and golf clubs. Some of these trophies even feature golfers, and you can purchase trophies will male or female golfers. Simple trophies are often best for children’s events. They are often the least expensive option, and they great if you want to buy them for the first, second, and third place winners.

An Amateur Tournament

An amateur golf tournament is designed for men, women and children who have some experience with golf but who are not professional golfers. For a tournament like this, you will want slightly nicer trophies, and you will not have to worry about giving out medals to recognize the people who participated in the tournament. You can either have one trophy for the winner or three trophies for the top three golfers. You should consider using presentation cups for these awards because they look nice, and they are elegant awards that anyone would be proud to receive. These cups vary in terms of price, and the price is largely dependent on the material and the level of detail that the cup has. Silver plate, gold plate, and pewter are common materials for standard presentation cups. You can also find cups that are related to golf. Some of these cups are double handled and some of them feature a golfer on top. Other cups have one handle, and they are often referred to as jugs.

A Professional Tournament

If you are hosting a professional golf tournament, you will definitely want to choose a presentation cup as the reward for the winner of the tournament. The most famous professional golf tournaments in the world use cups and jugs as their trophies. The Claret Jug, for example, is awarded to the winner of the Open Championship. These cups are quite affordable, and you can find great golf trophies for £200 or less. Though the trophy is a detail when it comes to planning a golf tournament, it is a very important one.

This article is about “Different Golf Trophies and Your Options” and was written by Discount Trophies.

trophy

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The Sports Archives – MLB 2011 Season Ends With a Bang!

Posted on October 3, 2011 by thesportsarchives

It was a long season for the Boston Red Sox.  After a dismal 2 and 10 start, they led the American League East for the majority of the 2011 season.  Then September came and the winds were beginning to change.  The Sox pitching was nowhere to be found and the faint smell of Boston blood was starting to reach the Tampa Bay area as the New York Yankees were sealing first place.

There was no pressure on the Tampa Bay Rays, they played their game and were winning more than they were losing, chipping away at the Boston lead.  At the start of the last game of the season, game 162, the Rays were in a tie for the wildcard berth with the Sox.  The Rays at home playing the first-place Yanks and the Sox in Baltimore playing the last-place Orioles.

Now the Rays have just won 4 in a row to get to the wildcard tie, while the Red Sox were looking for ways to win against the hapless Orioles.  For a while it looked as though Boston may squeak by as they were sitting on a 3-2 lead in long rain delay.  At the same time, Tampa was trailing 7-0 and the outlook was not good for them.   But the Baseball Gods must have seen something in Tampa because the rain stopped in Baltimore and at the same time the Rays had scored 6 in the eighth and 1 in the ninth on a solo home run off Yankee reliever Cory Wade by pinch-hitter Dan Johnson (not Don) with 2 outs and 2 strikes on him.

So now the Sox resume play while the Rays are heading to the 10th inning all tied up.  You could not write a better ending.  Sox reliever Jonathan Papelbon strikes out the first 2 in the bottom of the ninth, but then gives up consecutive doubles and a game winning single and the Sox go down 4-3.  Minutes later, Tampa’s Evan Longoria puts the  final nail in the coffin with a 12th inning walk-off home run for the Rays.   So it goes!

In the National League, it also came down to game number 162 as the Atlanta Braves could not close out the wildcard spot against the Philadelphia Phillies who came back to tie in the 9th and win it in the 13th.  The Braves were up 10.5 games on August 25 against the next wildcard contender, St. Louis Cardinals, but lost the lead and the season in the finale.  The Cardinals took care of business that last game by routing the Houston Astros 8-0.

So what does this all mean?  It means that every and any game of the 162-game MLB season is an important game and could be the decisive one which propels your team to the playoffs while the team that is 1 back goes home.  It also means that a team like Tampa Bay or St. Louis can win it all riding the wave that got them into the playoffs when they hardly enjoyed a first place position the entire year!

But this is Baseball…it may be different in Beantown right now had Boston started the season 3 and 9 and where was Mariano Rivera?

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The Sports Archives – The Hidden Story of Muhammad Ali

Posted on September 27, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Muhammad Ali is perhaps one of the best known athletes, let alone boxers, in the world. His legacy is referenced every day on TV shows and through other pop culture outlets, and just about every professional boxer in the sport will cite him as an inspiration.

What you may or may not know however, is that Ali was more than an inspiration to boxers and boxing fans. He had a big impact of the civil rights movement, and the progress against racism. One of his first civil rights related actions that earned him some attention was his refusal to go to war in Vietnam after being drafted. His reasoning, along with many other African-Americans at the time, was that if he did not have full rights himself then there was no good reason for him to defend those rights in war.

This action earned him the support of many individuals and helped solidify his place in the civil rights movement. His reputation for resisting discrimination, as well as his personal ties to Islam, made him both a beacon of leadership for some and a target for others.

Due to his ever increasing fame, and the fact that millions of people were looking up to him (African-American or not), he had a huge pedestal for getting out his message. He simply had to make a remark during any given interview, and the news would travel the world over, each time having an impact on those who were listening.

Something that Muhammad Ali never had a problem with was speaking his mind loud and clear, and sometimes this even got him into trouble for his remarks about some of his opponents. With the negative effect also comes the positive effect however, and it made a way for him to easily get his point across about the issues related to racism and discrimination at that time.

One very famous and notable event occurred when Ali tossed his 1960 Olympic gold metal into the Ohio river, following being refused service at a white-only restaurant. It happened in his home town of Louisville, and the feeling of being refused service in his own town simply based on the color of his skin was too much to bare.

The government eventually responded to Ali’s refusal to go to war by stripping him of his title and charging him tens of thousands of dollars, as well as giving him a 5 year prison sentence. Fortunately this fine and the sentence was overturned on a technicality, and Ali was able to go back to his boxing career.

Ali was recognized for his role in civil rights back then, but he still is and will continue to be noted for many years to come.

About the author: David C. is the webmaster of Famous Quotes Index, a website containing close to 30,000 famous quotes, including Muhammad Ali quotes and inspiring biographies from renowned authors.

Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali

Posted in Boxing, Olympics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Sports Archives – Four Tips to Get You Playing Paintball like a Stallion

Posted on September 22, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Rocky Balboa is one of the most recognized icons of the cinematic sporting world.  The “Italian Stallion” rose to the top of the fictional boxing world through dedication, hard work, and heart.  Of course, he had the help of an unwavering trainer (Mick), a most-of-the-time alcoholic brother-in-law (Paulie), and his soft-spoken muse and love interest (Adrian).

Like Rocky, you need positive attributes and the help of a good cast of supporting paintball teammates to reach stardom on the field.  We thought it would be entertaining (and helpful!) to provide the following paintball tips, borrowing analogies and references from the Rocky franchise.  Consider the following four suggestions and someday you’ll be triumphantly raising your paintball gun to the heavens, giving your personal “Adrian” a shout out.

Get Running

Paintball demands good stamina.  Running is a great way to increase stamina.  You don’t have to run with Apollo along the beach in short shorts and nearly-knee-high socks or address steep mountains in the former CCCP to get in shape, but a little bit of engagement in physical fitness can greatly improve your paintball game.

Paintball requires a decent amount of sprinting; so, it’s not a bad idea to start jogging a couple of times per week.  Start slow, gradually increasing distance and speed.  It may seem impossible now, but one day you’ll be able to tackle any paintball terrain as well as the steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum.  Here is a helpful resource regarding beginning a running regimen.

Be Modest

A degree of bravado and confidence is needed in paintball, but it’s important to maintain a level of modesty.  You have to understand paintball is a team sport; winning is contingent on the participation of integral components, you and your teammates working together towards victory.  Sure, Rocky was fighting opponents by his lonesome in the ring, but as referenced in the intro, he couldn’t have reached such heights by himself.  Remember in Rocky III, when Rocky got a bit cocky, taking the fight with Clubber Lang (Mr. T!) lightly?  Rather than intensely preparing and listening to the advice of his trainer, Rocky prepared for the fight in a half-baked fashion, making promotional appearances, taking pictures with googly-eyed fans, and such.  What happened?  Clubber clobbered him.  Afterward, Rocky regretted his former approach and realized he should have hung up his bravado in exchange for help from those he needed.

In short, realize paintball is a team sport.  Facilitate good relationships with your team and listen to their advice.  Rocky regularly took blows to the head, possibly causing damage to his noggin.  Here is a “dummies” approach to being a good teammate – in case you’ve taken a paintball or two too many to the head.

Strategize

How well do you know your team’s strengths and weaknesses?  More importantly, how well do your opponents know those things about your team?  Paintball demands the formulation of strategy.  In the second installment of the franchise, Rocky’s trainer, Mick, developed a strategy for Rocky to implement into his second fight with Apollo Creed.  Rocky was a natural “southpaw” or left-handed fighter for those who aren’t savvy with such lingo.  Mick developed a strategy based on Apollo’s assumption that a majority of Rocky’s heavy blows would come from his left hand.  In training sessions, Mick tied Rocky’s left arm to his body, eliminating the possibility of its use, thereby strengthening the precision and strength of his right hand.  Rocky took a beating from Apollo in their second fight, yet Apollo was surprised by Rocky’s inclusion of heavy rights, facilitating the eventual win for the Stallion.

Get your teammates together and strategize before your next game.  This can include realizing your own strengths and weaknesses as well as taking the traits of the other team (if the information is available) into account.  Here is a resource page with plenty of links leading to paintball tips and assorted strategies.

Practice Solo

If you have a day job or other responsibilities outside of your paintball team (unfortunately, you’re not alone), you probably don’t get a whole lot of opportunities to practice.  Sure, being part of a team is extremely important, yet you can further hone your paintball skills on your own.  Rocky would get up at the crack of dawn, down a few raw eggs and get out the door to begin his training before his formal training began.  He was a committed man, one who most definitely had the “eye of the tiger.”

Find your own version of beating on frozen meat and running through the city streets, attracting the attention and company of young kids.  Get out and practice, whether that means sharpening your sniper skills, playing a few games with a hodgepodge of players you don’t know, or reading up on new equipment and strategies.  Yes, it’s a team sport but there’s a lot you can do to strengthen your individual contribution.  Here is a link to paintball fields throughout the world.  Get some practice time in!

Rocky Balboa

Sylvester Stallone as Rocky Balboa in the Rocky Movie Series

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The Sports Archives – Mariano Rivera sets Saves Record with 602!

Posted on September 19, 2011 by thesportsarchives

New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera has just recorded his 602nd Save passing former record-holder Trevor Hoffman and  becoming the new MLB all-time Saves leader!

On September 19, 2011, in a day game against the Minnesota Twins, Rivera was called in to pitch the 9th inning with the Yankees leading 6-4.  He threw 13 pitches, 9 of them for strikes and struck-out one to seal the deal for the 43rd time this season.

The 41-year-old Rivera has played 17 years and all for the Yankees.  His control and placement of his signature cutters and lightening quick fast balls has kept hitters mostly off-balance making “Mo” the number one closer in MLB history!  He is also the All Time Postseason Saves Leader with 42 out of a possible 47.  He holds the Yankee record for most Saves in a single season with 53 in 2004.

The All-Time Save record may stand for a while as there are no other active players to-date with 400 or more Saves!  Way to go, Mo!

Mariano Rivera

Mariano Rivera of the New York Yankees has recorded the most Saves in MLB History!

Posted: 09/19/2011

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The Sports Archives – Golf Memorabilia

Posted on September 12, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Golf memorabilia can be many things. It could be an old dog-eared ticket to a famous tournament played many years ago, a golf ball that someone famous once whacked, a faded autograph of a great name in the golfing world, or even an old photo, slightly blurred and perhaps in black and white that you took of a big name golf personality on one glorious occasion, long since passed.

Like collectible things in any sphere, those who collect golf memorabilia are usually a bit fanatical about their pursuit. They have an enthusiasm that makes you feel exhausted just by being with them. It isn’t a bad thing, but it can be a bit overpowering at times. Collectors of all things golf are usually intense people. They know their subject well and they are always on the lookout for something new and exciting.

Someone once said, “Legends don’t look like legends when they’re being made.” For that reason, perhaps you should ask the young unknown man who played well in the local golf tournament for his autograph, for he may be the next Tiger Woods. Of course, if you kept doing this it would likely mean that you would soon have a very large collection of autographs signed by complete unknowns who never become famous. But who knows – it could pay off.

It’s probably better to find your golf memorabilia ready-made. Auction sites online can be a good place to find rare items. A quick look on one such popular site reveals a Bobby Jones stamp, a framed art print of old woods from the early 20th century, and a sun visor autographed by Tom Lehman during an US Open Championship. None of these item are particularly expensive, but all of them are interesting and worth having for the collector.

Antique golf memorabilia is where it starts to get expensive, though if you look in the right places it need not be too dear. Items dated before 1950 are usually worth the most, and are generally the most interesting as well. Golf clubs, balls and books are by and large the most collected items, and as a rough rule of thumb, the older they are and the better the condition, the more they are worth.

Old clubs, especially if they are from the 19th century, can fetch a lot at auction if they are in good condition. Golf balls are collectible because they were made in such a variety of patterns. Round dimples, square dimples, swirls and rings all decorate old golf balls. Antique golf balls were usually sold with a paper wrapper around the ball. One found like that is obviously worth more than one without. Old golf books no longer in print are also collectible, especially if it is a first edition, and the older the better too. Who knows, maybe one day electric golf trolleys will be equally valuable?

Guest post by GoKart electric golf carts, who have plenty of autographs in their collection!

Bobby Jones Age 14

Bobby Jones in 1916 U.S. Amateur at age 14.

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The Sports Archives – The Lamborghini MIURA Super Sports Car

Posted on September 9, 2011 by thesportsarchives

The Lamborghini MIURA.  If ever a famed Lamborghini luxury super sports car could be called or referred to as “subdued” then the Lamborghini MIURA might of well have that mark of distinction.   Overall Italian sports-car styling of the early 1970’s automobile industry era  was not noted for its restraint, yet the MIURA was relatively understated, certainly by comparison to some of the more outlandish and some say even grotesque Countach variants.

The gearbox was under and behind the engine, and the differential was directly driven from the gearbox.  This meant the whole installation, located behind the driver’s shoulder could be hidden behind the flying buttresses that topped the “curvy” rear wing, and yet the proportions of the automobile remains both beautifully balanced and intact.  It also  meant that the noises and sound levels from the full galley of 12 air intakes , 4 cam chains, 24 proudly thrashing valves as well as the symphony emanating from the ends of the complicated labyrinth and tangle of exhaust pipes and piping were all unusually close to your ears.  This despite the provisions and planning for a full aluminum bulkhead and a glass window. No doubt about it – sitting or even nearby an authentic Lamborghini MIURA is not a quiet or ultimately serene place to be. Still not only it exciting and even admirable if you did not appreciate this type of automotive raw power and luxury premium super sports cars – what would you doing in this nook of the woods or nearby such a monstrosity anyways?  Nor would you ever own or be driving such a vehicle to put it simply.

With an undisputed bhp ( boiler horse power) figure of a remarkable 385 in “Super Veloce” form and ideal weight distribution matched by exceptionally well laid and thought out body suspension design, this relatively small car – the Miura extremely fast and rapid cross-country travels , velocity and progress.

Lastly it can be said laughingly that this was neither creature comfort nor “family car”.  Luggage capacity was virtually non-existent and even laughable, the pop up headlights and headlamps were not much use at high speeds. (It was best not to try to race at high speeds at night – that was of course unless you had already outrun the local police at their speed trap).  Yet Ferruccui Lamborghini shrugged his shoulders and would suggest that evenings and night times could be more enjoyably spent than in the confines of a sports motor car.

Robert B. Horseman

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Lamborghini MIURA

Lamborghini MIURA

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The Sports Archives – Funny Sports Pictures – Series 9

Posted on September 6, 2011 by thesportsarchives

More funny sports pictures from The Sports Archives!

Hells Water Polo Team

"Hell as put quite a Water Polo team together this year, Jim"

 

 

I would gore this guy

"I would gore this guy if he didn't have such a pathetic dinky!"

 

 

Build it yourself kit

"Damn Build-It-Yourself Kit!"

 

View all of our Funny Sports Pictures!

Series 1 | Series 2 | Series 3 | Series 4 | Series 5 | Series 6 | Series 7 | Series 8

Posted: 09/06/2011

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The Sports Archives – The Bristol 400 – British Remake of Popular Pre-War BMWs

Posted on August 27, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Bristol automobiles and especially the Bristol 400 model were interesting amalgams and what some might say even mongrels of cars.  Bristol being a British name – yet the cars themselves to be modeled and patterned after successful pre Second World War era BMW models. Post war high-end British cars that were stylish yet mechanically complex and to maintain, set and keep in tune yet with the outstanding looks and styling of highly popular and desirable BMW pre-war models.

The Bristol Aeroplane Company, aided and abetted by the Aldington family (who actually had the U.K. license and franchise to import BMW automobiles in the late 1930’s) took over the obsolete designs of the BMW concern after war ended and had won by the allies, amalgamated the basis of the 326 chassis frames, the high performance 328 engine and lastly the styling of the BMW 327 body set. Both amazingly and inexpertly, almost by serendipity, they came up with an amazing integration of parts, components and styling to produce the unique Bristol 400 design.

Yet from that day onwards, Bristol continued producing these cars at the same plant, be it in small quantities. In total somewhat in the area of just under 700 units were produced.  They were both well crafted, high desirable and very costly and expensive to purchase as well as to maintain and keep in good tune.

The BMW-inspired engine was not superseded until 1961, when the 407 model adopted an American origin Chrysler V8 power plant, and the chassis, or rather repeated modifications of it, were produced for a long time after that.  The 400 itself, of which about 700 were made during a 3 year production period was an attractive if none-too-rapid Grand Touring car in it and was only ever available in two door coupe/ saloon guise. Later the 401 saloon, the 402 convertible, the 403 which evolved the 404/405 and 406 replacements all followed on logically in numerical sequence onwards from the original 400 setup model of the line and range.  In sequence and numbering they were upgrades on an original yet they all retained the basic traditions and underpinnings of the line – yet each also pushed up performance model number by model number.  The engine was also used by AC, and by the highly respected and classic British sports car maker Frazer Nash, and proved to be surprisingly tunable overall for both sports car racing and Formula Two.

A last case in point- the early Bristol autos as would be expected from an aircraft company which had produced such speedy classics as the Bristol Beaufort and eventually much of the design work that led to the supersonic Concorde that their automobile products would be aerodynamically highly efficient if not “slippery”.  Alas though towards the end of the line when the company closed down its automobile production around 1960 they had become less slippery and more like high-priced flagships.

Jerry B. Tibor

Over 50 years experience helping people in the auto industry in the Winnipeg Manitoba regions

Wpg Auto

Winnipeg Canada Used Cars for Sale

The Bristol 400 British Motorcar

The Bristol 400 British Motorcar

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The Sports Archives – How to Play Fantasy Football

Posted on August 14, 2011 by thesportsarchives

Each NFL season, millions of people want to learn how to play fantasy football. If you’re not a hardcore fan of America‘s most popular sport, the task can seem daunting at first, but anyone can get started on their journey to fantasy football dominance by following the steps listed below. And remember, you can’t win if you don’t play.

How Scoring Works in Fantasy Football

Each fantasy football team is comprised of real-life NFL players, and a traditional fantasy roster is made up of the following positions: quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, kicker, and team defense. Only one quarterback, defense, and kicker are started each week, while two or more runners and receivers help round out your team. Each time a starting player gains a predetermined amount of yardage or scores during an NFL game, you receive points for your team. If your final score is greater than your opponent for the week, you’ll wind up with a mark in the win column.

The most common scoring system awards one point for every 10 yards gained by a runner or receiver, while a quarterback gets a single point for every 25 yards of passing. Touchdowns usually count as six points, although quarterbacks are sometimes limited to four points for passing the ball into the end zone. Scoring for kickers and team defenses is often more complex, so be sure to pay close attention to your league rules.

Drafting a Fantasy Football Team

In order to build your fantasy football team, you’ll need to join a league and participate in a draft. Most leagues are made up of 10 or 12 teams, while fantasy football drafts average between 15 and 20 rounds. Each round, you’ll select one NFL player to add to your roster, and a large segment of fantasy players find the fun and camaraderie of draft day to be the best part of the season.

Starting Your Fantasy Football Line-up

Each week, you will need to examine your roster and select the group of players you feel will score the most points. This might be based on NFL match-ups, or you may prefer to start the same productive players each week. In either case, starting a full fantasy football line-up is a key ingredient for success.

Working the Waiver Wire

During the fantasy football season, you can pick up new players by making trades with other owners or picking up available options off the waiver wire. If you have players who aren’t performing up to expectations, this is the best way to upgrade your team.

As you can see, learning how to play fantasy football isn’t as difficult as you might first imagine. Even if you can’t name all the starting players in the NFL, you can still manage a successful team by utilizing online resources and starting a complete line-up each week. And as your level of experience grows, so will your fantasy football success.

John Clifton writes articles about how to play fantasy football at Fantasy Football Tips. He lives in Texas, where he plays in entirely too many fantasy football leagues every year.

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