The Sports Archives – United Nations of Hockey!

Posted on February 1, 2013 by thesportsarchives

United Nations of Hockey

Hockey Hall of FameWhen I look back on the hockey team I played for as a child I realize how typically Canadian we were.  I certainly didn’t know it at the time;  we were just kids playing the best game in the world;  but we were a microcosm of Canada, a mosaic of players brought together by the game that has defined our nation.

I don’t even recall noticing our cultural differences.  Sure some of our parent’s spoke with accents, but that really didn’t matter; we were a team…  hockey players… Canadians.  On a team that represented an area of Toronto no larger than a few city blocks, we had players of Greek, Portuguese, Iranian, Jamaican, Japanese, Polish and British ancestry.  You could call us the United Nations of hockey and united we were.

We were a group of kids from differing backgrounds and ancestries who were not divided by our differences, but instead bonded by our similarities.  It’s not that we ignored our individual countries of origin, we respected them while embracing what so many Canadians before us had embraced: the game of hockey.

There was one particular tournament when we traveled as a team, by bus, to Detroit. The boys huddled in the back, the dads up front.  Now it isn’t a short drive to Detroit, probably around five hours, but on that bus, with the team, time flew by.  We watched movies, listened to music and had a great time. I remember getting to the border and the guard coming on board the bus.  “Everyone on here Canadian?” she asked.  The guard probably thought it was a simple question;- a group of fathers and sons doing the most Canadian of Canadian things:  traveling to a hockey tournament; but the truth was, we had eight naturalized Canadians with us on that bus and the answer was yes, we were all Canadian.

The next day when we arrived at the arena for our first game of the tournament, I took a minute to look at the other teams in our division.  There was a team from Finland, one from Switzerland, American teams from Florida and Detroit and us, the Canadians.

The format of the tournament was simple, you play each of the other teams and the team with the best record at the end of the four games would be declared champion.  We started out matched up against the team representing Florida.  Our captain, Luis, led the way.  He was a big defenseman, solid in our end and able to take the puck from one end of the ice to the other with ease.  Luis’ parents had come to Canada not long before he was born, his father owned a successful Portuguese restaurant downtown and he would often cater our team parties.  Luis scored twice in that first game and we knocked off Florida 4-0.

That afternoon we were up against the Swiss team and this time our star was the speedy winger we called “Boom Boom.”  Boom Boom’s real name was Omar. He was one of the most natural athletes I’d ever seen.  He was the star of our school soccer and basketball teams; and despite coming from Iran, a country as far away from hockey as any in the world, only two years prior, Omar was the best skater on our team.  Some of the dads said Omar looked like Guy Lafleur flying down the right-wing, when he scored on a slap shot over the Swiss goalie’s shoulder in the first period.  That goal got us going and we didn’t look back, beating the Swiss 5-1.

Every team needs a comedian, a guy who keeps everyone loose when the stress is mounting.  For us, that player was Ian MacLachlan.  Ian had a knack for cracking the entire dressing room up just when the pressure seemed to be too much to take.  He also had a knack for scoring key goals at the most important times.  Ian wore number ten for us in honour of his dad’s hero, English soccer legend Geoff Hurst.  In the third game of the tournament, against the host team from Detroit, we were locked in a 2-2 tie when Ian was awarded a penalty shot.  Ian made a great fake to the goalie’s glove and flipped a backhand into an empty net.  We hung for a 3-2 win and would play the undefeated Finnish team to decide the tournament champion.

Paul Henderson Winning GoalOur goaltender, Jason, was by far our best player.  Jason was the son of a Jamaican minister who had fallen in love with hockey when he arrived in Canada just weeks before Paul Henderson’s Summit Series winning goal in 1972.  Jason was calm and quiet, his father was just the opposite and he was undoubtedly our most vocal fan.  The deciding game of the tournament gave Jason’s father plenty to be vocal about.  Jason made several remarkable saves that kept the game scoreless through two periods.  In the third period, we managed to squeak a power play goal past the Finnish keeper.  It proved to be the only goal of the game.  Jason was awarded tournament MVP, having allowed only three goals in four games; and our captain Luis, hoisted a large trophy that to us, may as well have been the Stanley Cup.

We returned to Toronto as champions, a medley of Canadians that had come together to defeat hockey teams from three different nations.  Led by our Portuguese captain, our Iranian star, English comedian and Jamaican goalie, truly, the Canadians were victorious.

Joshua Dawson
Web Services
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The Sports Archives – Ladies And Gentlemen, Start Your Engines!

Posted on January 31, 2013 by thesportsarchives

It seems like just yesterday that the final checkered flag of the 2012 NASCAR season dropped at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  Well it’s time to once again check those belts and strap in for another season as we are just weeks away from the start of the new season. Before we know it the green flag marking the official beginning of the 2013 season will fly over Daytona International Speedway. The 55th annual Daytona 500 is scheduled for Sunday, February 24th.

NASCARThroughout its history, NASCAR has seen many sponsors come and go. One that has stayed with the series since a year after its inception has been Ford. The automobile company has seen the sport grow from its humble beginnings into the multi-million dollar industry that it is today. Fans of NASCAR are often loyal to the products that are promoted during the racing season, including the manufacturers. Loyal fans may even considering purchasing a used Ford for sale in their town just because their favorite driver is behind the wheel of one on the weekends.

Ford’s History in NASCAR

Having a sixty-four year-long relationship with a sport can lead to the sponsor experiencing many highs and lows. Almost from the start, Ford has known success within the series. In 1956 they won their first of nine Manufacturer’s Championships in a span of thirteen years. The company regained the crown in 1992, following a twenty-three year drought. Most recently they brought home the title in 2002. This award is given out each year to the manufacturer who gains the most points through the season. While it may have lost some of its luster over the years, the competition to win this championship is as hard-fought as the one to win the driver’s championship.

Ford’s 2013 Contribution to NASCAR

NASCAR

A new season brings with it a new body style for the drivers and fans of Ford racing to enjoy. The 2013 Ford Fusion will make its track debut in late winter along the high banks of Daytona International Speedway. This season will see the company’s third dual launch effort in history as they released information on their racing and street models at the same time. This model features a much sleeker design then the Fusions of past years.

Off the Track

The beauty of a sport like NASCAR is that the cars involved closely resemble ones which fans can purchase in both new and used models from their local dealers. The quality of these cars is why there are so many used Fords for sale that are in great condition.

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Jake Alexander is a writer who enjoys blogging about NASCAR. Follow him @JakeAlexander17.

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The Sports Archives – A Minor Explosion That Could Save Riders’ Lives!

Posted on January 30, 2013 by thesportsarchives

Horse harsh bit useThree day eventing is a dangerous sport which has been plagued over the years by a string of both horse and rider fatalities, some of which have made headline news. Most accidents that result in serious injuries and fatalities occur in the cross country section of an event where riders negotiate a series of large, fixed obstacles against the clock. So why has this sport proved to be so dangerous and how is a brilliant new invention making a significant contribution to safety improvements?

Cross Country

The principle safety issue that distinguishes cross country from other forms of riding is the fixed nature of the obstacles the horse and rider have to jump. In show jumping, hitting a fence will knock off the pole and usually cause no harm. In cross country a horse even clipping a fence can result in it being capitulated forward over the obstacle in a rotational fall that can often have dire consequences.

Riders are often crushed under the falling horse as they both collide with the obstacle or the ground on the other side. Some safety measures have been introduced in recent years including the introduction of frangible pins on fences. Research discovered that if a horse struck an obstacle with a certain area of its leg the impact would result in the dangerous rotational falls, whereas hitting the fence with a portion of the leg above or below this point would not.

The amount of pressure the dangerous impacts generated was calculated and the new pins were evolved to support elements of the fences and would break when this kind of pressure was applied. The frangible pins are increasingly being used in competition which should lead to greater safety.

The Rider

In addition to frangible pins other efforts have been made to improve the safety of evening courses. The depth of water jumps has been reduced and courses shortened. In addition riders now wear padded body protectors but beyond these there had been few innovations in rider safety until Lee Middleton, a former show jumper and equine dentist, invented a new kind of protective jacket. The body protectors are a variety of air vest which inflate in under a fifth of a second when a rider is thrown from their horse.

The Jacket

Avalanche Airbag SystemThe new body protector is attached to the saddle by a lanyard. When a rider is thrown off their horse the lanyard triggers a metal bolt into a CO2 canister which rapidly inflates the jacket. The trigger mechanism is similar to that used in life jackets and the vest is a modification of a similar product developed for motorcyclists.

The jackets are designed to be worn in conjunction with conventional body protectors such as those produced by Champion, are now used by most professional riders and are becoming more and more popular with amateurs. Inflating jackets are currently marketed by both Point Two, the producers of the original model and Hit Air.

The vests shield the torso from sharp objects and angles, protect the body against heavy impacts and provide neck support. There is some argument about how much additional protection these vests actually provide with much of the evidence thus far being anecdotal but many people swear they have been saved from serious injury by the jackets and the testing that has been done tends to support such claims.

Drawbacks

There are a couple of potential drawbacks to be aware of with these protectors. Firstly when they deploy, they do so with a load explosive sound which can spook the horse. This is of little consequence during a fall but can prove unfortunate if the vest is deployed by accident! Secondly, accidental deployments are quite common as riders can simply forget to detach the lanyard from the saddle when they dismount and then bang! The gas canisters are replaceable but this is obviously an expense you do not want to incur unless absolutely necessary.

Time Will Tell

I guess in the fullness of time we will discover whether or not these jackets have had a real impact on safety but it is hard to imagine that they will not make some degree of difference and they are unlikely to do you any harm!

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Sally S is a keen horse rider and has had her share of injuries over the years. You can find out more about Sally Stacey via her Google+ profile.

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The Sports Archives – Nine Terrible Football (Soccer) Tackles That Ended Careers!

Posted on January 29, 2013 by thesportsarchives

Football – the beautiful game (sometimes at least).

Football Soccer InjuryFootball is a game full of passion and aggression, however, being a contact sport, injuries occur and are generally accepted as part of the game.

For a few unfortunate players though, some of these injuries are inflicted in nasty circumstances by vicious tackles that prematurely end footballing careers. Here are nine of the unfortunate ones.

1.    Ben Collett

Joining Manchester United at the tender young age of nine, Ben Collett was a left-footed, hard-working player who was gifted at reading the game. Ben had an amazing career ahead of him but fate (and Middlesbrough’s Gary Smith) had other ideas.

During his first game for the reserves in 2003, Smith savagely came in high and over the ball collecting Collett and his leg was fractured in two places, the tibia and fibula of his right leg. Although Collett returned to training in 2004, after months of physio treatment, he was never able to reach his previously high level of play before injury, and was forced into early retirement. He was awarded £4.3m in damages including £3,854,328 for predicted loss of earnings.

2.    Matty Holmes

In 1998, Matty Holmes’ career was finished after a nasty challenge by Kevin Muscat while playing for Charlton in a fourth round FA Cup replay against Wolves.

In a six-year battle for compensation by Holmes against Muscat, Holmes was finally awarded damages of £250,000 plus costs with the overall figure around £750,000.

Muscat has been described as a ‘dirty player’ with a long history of inflicting career threatening injuries on his fellow opposition and examples of this and Muscat’s disciplinary record were shown in the high court. Whether or not the challenge was deliberately meant to hurt Holmes, his injury was so severe that his surgeon stated he was lucky not to have had his leg amputated! It took several operations to repair his leg, but he has never been able to return to football.

3.    Dean Ashton

Former West Ham striker Dean Ashton was forced to retire in 2009 after shattering his ankle in a heavy tackle with Shaun Wright-Phillips during training for the England squad in 2006.

Even more unfortunate for Ashton was the fact that it was the day before he was due to make his England debut.

He returned after 11 months to continue playing and earned his only England cap in June 2008. Nevertheless, he failed to completely recover and continued to have problems with his ankle. Three years later he was forced to retire aged 26, after being warned he should stop playing football or he may end up not being able to walk properly.

Ashton received an undisclosed sum from the FA in a private compensation claim.

4.    Gordon Watson

The 28-year-old Bradford City striker Gordon Watson was awarded £909,143 for loss of earnings – the highest to date so far – when he suffered a double fracture of his right leg.

The dangerous tackle during a match on February 1, 1997, saw the Huddersfield Town player Kevin Gray recklessly jump in with both feet from a considerable distance.

It was initially thought Watson would never play again, but after five operations and 18 months out he returned to the football field. He never played another full 90 minutes for Bradford City and subsequently declined contract renewal at the end of 1998-99 season as he felt he wasn’t able to able to play in the top flight anymore.

5.    David Busst

Described by some as the worst football injury ever seen, David Busst was injured two minutes into a match at Old Trafford in April 1996 as the ex-Coventry defender collided with Manchester United player Denis Irwin – resulting in a double compound fracture (the tibia and fibula snapped in two), and caused the cracked fibula bone to pierce the skin.

The shock and reaction from Manchester United’s Peter Schmeichel showed just how ghastly the injury was, as Busst also underwent several weeks of counseling to help him deal with the sickening sight.

The game was delayed for 15 minutes while the blood was cleaned off the pitch! The injuries were so bad he required 26 operations to repair the extensive damage and he never played professionally again.

6.    Alf-Inge Håland

April 2001, four years after Alf-Inge Håland criticised Manchester United’s Roy Keane for faking injury, Keane dealt out his own form of revenge by way of a crippling studs-up tackle on Håland’s right knee – seriously damaging knee ligaments in the process.

Keane was red carded and initially fined £5,000 and also handed a three-match ban; however, a year later upon admission in his biography that he’d deliberately set out to hurt Håland, he was banned for a further five matches and fined £150,000.

The former Leeds player ended up retiring in 2003 after implying that the tackle had finished his career and he has never played a full game since.

7.    Luc Nilis

After representing his country 56 times and scoring 10 goals, Luc Nilis had his footballing career with new club Aston Villa cut short in the 2000-2001 season after an ugly clash with Ipswich Town goalkeeper Richard Wright.

As he was about to shoot, the goalie came out to stop him when they both collided, Nilis was stretchered off and taken straight to hospital with a double leg fracture. After two operations, Nilis was forced to quit the game and retired.

8.    Paul Elliot

Within weeks of the start of the 1992-93 season during a match at Anfield, the popular Chelsea defender Paul Elliott made a bad decision and threw himself into a challenge from behind on Liverpool’s Dean Saunders.

Anticipating the tackle, Saunders spitefully sent his studs flying into Elliot’s right knee, creating a five-inch gash and causing terrible ligament damage.

Despite three operations and fighting for eighteen months to make a recovery, Elliot was forced to declare his retirement. Elliot proceeded to sue Saunders over his reckless tackle, yet lost his case when Saunders was found not guilty.

9.    James Main

I felt obliged to add this rather sad story. On Christmas Day in 1909, a bizarre on-field accident resulted in the death of this Hibernian and Scottish international defender. The Firhill pitch at Partick Thistle was icy and hazardous.

Ironically, Main was overheard saying to Hibernian’s trainer: “You are risking life and limb asking anyone to play out there.” The game went ahead regardless.

Frank Branscombe, who is believed to have slipped on the ice, kicked Main in the stomach in a rather brutal tackle. Main was assisted off the field and although shaken did not take any further part in the game, but he had tea with the team after the match. His condition worsened during the night though, and the next morning he was rushed to hospital. With severe bruising and the imprint of Branscombe’s studs on his stomach, he underwent emergency surgery where it was discovered he had a ruptured bowel as a result of the collision! He failed to recover and tragically died four days after the incident.

Fortunately these days, with advanced medical knowledge and modern technology, many shocking injuries that would have ended a footballer’s career twenty or so years ago, can now quickly and successfully be more thoroughly assessed and treated. Thus allowing players to recover fully and reach peak fitness again so they can play out the rest of their career.

This guest post has been sourced, researched and written by Diane Povey who is contributing content for the road traffic accident claims and work accident claims specialist Claims National.

Photo Credits:  http://www.msktc.org

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The Sports Archives – The Pacquiao-Bradley Screwjob

Posted on January 28, 2013 by thesportsarchives

The Pacquiao-Bradley Screwjob

On June 9th, 2012, Manny Pacquiao experienced once of the biggest screw jobs in the history of the sport of boxing. In basic terms, Pacquiao dominated his opponent, Timothy Bradley, in almost every round of their fight, but two of the judges in charge of scoring the fight put Bradley ahead on their scorecards. This was an outrageous conclusion to a fight that saw Pacquiao stagger Bradley repeatedly with a stinging left hand to which Bradley had no answer. Pacquiao had Bradley against the ropes on multiple occasions during the fight, and it seemed as if he was easily in control throughout.

Pacquiao VS Bradley Results

Indeed, Pacquiao landed more power punches and more jabs than Bradley. As a matter of fact, Pacquiao landed almost twice the amount of punches that Bradley did. It never appeared the Bradley actually hurt Pacquiao at any point during the fight. Most spectators in attendance at the fight states that they would have scored the fight at 10 rounds for Pacquiao and 2 for Bradley. The truth is that the fight should have been a lopsided decision for the Filipino boxer and politician. Instead, he lost a fight that he had absolutely no business losing. It’s fair to question whether someone paid off the judges, and many have done just that in the aftermath of the fight.

Anyone who watched that fight knew that something was horribly wrong with the outcome. Pacquiao fought his fight all the way through, using his boxing gloves to deter Bradley’s punches and fire his own. Bradley seemed to have a lot of trouble getting on the inside during the fight. Pacquiao repeatedly backed him down and launched vicious shots to Bradley’s head and body. The reality is that Bradley looked completely outmatched outside of two, maybe three rounds. People watching at home were outraged that the wrong fighter was awarded the split decision in the fight. There should have never been a split decision at all.

I wonder what prompted those judges to score the fight in favor of Timothy Bradley. Were they watching the same fight as everyone else? We all know that scoring in boxing is more subjective than other sports, but there’s no way anyone watching even remotely closely could say Bradley was the better fighter that night. Even if you give Bradley three rounds, he still loses the fight handily. There were no more than three rounds where Bradley actually accomplished anything against Pacquiao, let alone won the round. Those judges should be ashamed of their actions. They know deep down that Pac-man won that fight.

After the fight, Bob Arum, Manny Pacquiao’s promoter, stated that he couldn’t believe how ridiculous his fighter’s loss actually was. He knew he would make money from Pacquiao either way, but he questioned whether anyone would ever take the sport of boxing seriously again. Indeed, boxing has become a crooked sport marred by controversial decisions over the years. That’s one reason why mixed martial arts have overtaken boxing as the most popular contact sport in the world these days. Boxing must clean up the judging situation and get more top-end talent in the heavyweight division to reclaim the top spot going forward.

Manny Pacquiao vs Timothy BradleyIn the end, Manny Pacquiao is still going to go down as one of the greatest boxers the world has ever seen. That decision he lost to Timothy Bradley takes nothing away from his amazing career. It’s a shame that he didn’t get the victory he so richly deserved. If they fought again in a rematch, there’s no doubt that Pacquiao would destroy Bradley like he did the first time. The only thing stopping him from winning would be the same judges that screwed him the first time around. Then again, I doubt they would ever let those judges anywhere near another of Pacquiao’s fights.  Personally, I’d never let them near another fight of any sort.

Stuart Fiennes is a hardcore sports fan to the end.  His favorites are the New York Knicks, the Syracuse Orange, Floyd Mayweather, and Rafael Nadal.  When not watching sports, Stuart can be found watching TV with his wife of two years and their dog, Champion.

Photo Credits:  http://www.strifeofcloud.com, http://blog.zap2it.com

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The Sports Archives – The Game of Pool: A Pool of Interesting Facts!

Posted on January 26, 2013 by thesportsarchives

Billiard RackThe game of pool and its numerous variants is believed to have been around for over 500 years. Over the course of that time, numerous interesting tales have emerged in relation to the formulation of the modern game and the culture that surrounds it. Let’s have a look at a few of the more curious pointers.

Got any Spare Change?

The first coin-operated pool tables were filed for patent in 1903 and the cost of playing a game of pool was one penny. These days, you couldn’t even buy a 2p sweet with that amount.

Never Beat an Elephant at Pool; They Will Never Forget

The first cue balls were originally made from ivory and it is for this reason that there are no known elephants that are said to be fans of pool.

You spin me Right Round

British people use the term ‘side’ to describe the act of putting spin on to the cue ball, however Americans refer to this technique as ‘English’.  The reason relates to English visitors to the USA demonstrating the style of shot on pool tables to their American hosts.

Sizes and Shapes

Whilst the regulation size of standard pool tables is often defined as a table that is twice as long as it is wide, pool tables have been made in all kinds of shapes, such as Z-shaped pool tables; hexagonal pool tables; round pool tables and L-shaped pool tables.

I Can See Through Your Tactics

One Australian-based manufacturer of pool tables has recently created a completely transparent glass pool table. A patented surface top made up of glass covered with resin replicates the rolling speed of balls on standard cloth pool tables.

Playing Sheepishly Won’t Get you anywhere!

The main component of the cloth used for pool tables has remained the same for over 400 years. Wool was used on the earliest billiard tables in the early 1500s. Wool blended with nylon is still the preferred material for use in modern pool tables.

Hand me that Mace

pool maceThis is not to say that other aspects of the game haven’t changed, however. The word ‘cue’ is derived from the French word ‘queue’ which means tail in English. Before the actual cue stick as we know it today was designed players opted to use what was known as a mace. The mace was made of a curved wooden head – rather similar to a golf club’s wooden head – attached to a narrow handle. The size of the mace’s head meant that shots that had to be played along the side rail of the table were very difficult to perform and so players took to flipping the mace over and using the narrower, bottom end of the stick. The slow realisation hit that it may be a better idea to simply use the narrow end of the mace for all of the shots and so the pool ‘cue’ as we now know it evolved from the rather more cumbersome mace.

Pool: it’s all Maths and Physics

A heavier pool cue will not make your break shot harder. Some players believe that a heavier pool cue enables them to scatter the balls across the pool table with greater force due to the weight of the cue. This, however, is not the case and the reason is all down to physics – force is equal to mass multiplied by acceleration. Therefore, in order for a player to swing a heavier cue at the same speed that he/she would swing a lighter cue, then a greater amount of force needs to be applied to the swing. However, by applying the same amount of force to a lighter cue then the speed of the break shot increases.

Revolutionising Your Game

Captain MingaudCaptain Mingaud invented modern cue tips and the curve shot as well as bringing a certain degree of scientific thought to shot-taking. Mingaud was imprisoned during the French Revolution for political reasons but allowed to have a billiard table in his prison cell. During his imprisonment he made great advances in studying the physics of different types of shots and it is reported that his dedication to studying the game became so intense that at the end of his prison sentence he actually asked to stay in his cell for longer so as to further his study of the game in peace.

Lucas Conner is a blogger, writer and games enthusiast with a specialist interest in pool tables. He is extensively knowledgeable about the history of billiards and is a stickler for playing by the correct pool rules.

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The Sports Archives – The Pests Of The NFL!

Posted on January 26, 2013 by thesportsarchives

Every NFL team has “that guy”. Guys that nobody wants to match-up with, but everybody wants on their team for one reason or another. They are pests in the truest sense. Pests and insects around the house don’t do anything beneficial for us. They don’t help out with chores. They’re not there to share the load. They are only there to bother and annoy us.

Here are the top pests in the NFL.

Tim Tebow

Tim Tebow 2012You either absolutely hate him, or absolutely love him. Self tagged as the “ultimate team player”, Tebow unconditionally refuses to say anything even remotely negative about anyone. Even when the quarterback in front of him, Mark Sanchez, can’t complete a pass to save his life. Or, his coach Rex Ryan is being teased for an unusual foot fetish or a tattoo of his wife on his arm. After saving the Bronco’s season in 2011 and leading them to a playoff win, Tebow’s talents were being wasted in New York while the ship around him kept sinking. Don’t get me wrong. I admire his upstanding character and the discussion he provokes regarding athletes in America, but dude, at least stand up for yourself. Express just a little bit of disappoint on the sidelines when you’re sitting on the beach and your team is floundering on the field. He’s like the ant class of insects. Always working. Always happy. As the religious, and Tebow-fitting, hymn proclaims, “We all have work, let know one shirk, put your shoulder to the wheel.”

Ndamukong Suh

Ndamukong SuhSuh is the cockroach of the group. Big. Hard to miss. Kind of a brut. Roaches aren’t much for sophistication. They’ll basically eat anything in sight. They just keep moving until it’s time to eat. That’s Suh, and he’s has a number of bone-headed acts of violence to go along with it. From stomping on an opposing players leg and “allegedly” kicking an opposing QB in the groin, Suh is the kind of guy you can’t wait to get rid of.

Jerry Jones

Ok, so he’s not necessarily a player, but even Cowboys fans have their limits with the team Owner/General Manager/President/Chairman/Board of Trustees/Executive Assistant/Ball Boy. Many, if not all, people believe Jerry should relinquish most of his decision-making powers and employ qualified people to do that. Known for going after big name and high dollar players, Jones is viewed as a kid in a candy store with enough money to buy it all and then hire someone to eat it for him. We’ll consider Jerry the scorpion of the group. He’s a one-man-band at the top of the food chain.

Cortland Finnegan

Cortland FinneganLast but not least is the rodent of the bunch, Cortland Finnegan. But why a rodent? Well, if you know Finnegan, you know he’s the most weaselly, conniving guy in the entire league. He’s on the field for two reasons only. One, to try to make a play after the ball is hiked. And two, to instigate his opponent after the ball is dead. Plain and simple, Cortland is the master at it.

Steve Bitter is a Marketing Manager with Bulwark Exterminating, based in Mesa, AZ. Bulwark Exterminating is an industry leader in providing high quality pest control service. Bulwark is fully operational in seven states, including eleven major cities. While Bulwark provides pest extermination for common insects such as ants, roaches, crickets and spiders, the company’s differentiating specialty is scorpion control. Bulwark uses the finest and most effective products in the world to solve common pest problems.

Photo Credit:  Wikipedia

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The Sports Archives – The Pests Of The NBA!

Posted on January 25, 2013 by thesportsarchives

Part of the fun of following pro sports is rooting against opposing players and teams. Any true fan will make an extra effort to target particular players. In our office alone we have die hard Lakers, Jazz, Spurs and Suns fans – all Western Conference rivals. One employees favorite player is another employee’s #1 public enemy.

Here are our top pests of the NBA.

Luis Scola

Luis Scola Argentina

Scola is the rodent of the athlete-pest kingdom, and he has the hair to go with it. Have you seen his mop? It’s so shiny black you could literally see it from the top row. For a guy that players forward, there are few that flop around the floor like Scola, a native of Argentina. He plays the kind of defense with slappy hands coming in from all angles.

Nate Robinson

Nate RobinsonWe’ll classify Bulls point guard Nate Robinson in the “mite” category. He is currently the shortest player in the NBA, so it’s only fitting. Robinson also annoys fans for his never-ending celebrations of his 3-pointers. A mainstay sharp-shooter off the bench, Robinson is known for over-celebrating and stoking the crowd after his buckets, at the start of the second quarter when his team is still losing by 4.

Dan Gilbert

The contributors to this list unanimously voted Mark Cuban as the lone-team owner to be on this list, but as author, I vetoed their power and dictate that Dan Gilbert take the owner’s suite in this party. His verbal abuse of Lebron James, warranted or unwarranted, after James decided to leave Cleveland was a public display of pettiness. He sounded like the rich, spoiled kid who didn’t get his way. Gilbert’s whiny ways resurfaced when the Lakers and Hornets came to terms to send Chris Paul to LA.  Gilbert was a lead name on an email to Commissioner Stern, crying about unfairness of the trade. If he couldn’t keep his superstar and form a superteam, then no one else could either. Gilbert resembles the crickets of the pest farm. They are completely harmless, but are the loudest of the bunch.

Manu Ginobili

Manu GinóbiliWhile the team preferences of our office differ, everyone agrees that the #1 pest spot in the NBA belongs to Manu Ginobili, and even our Spurs fan doesn’t argue it. Manu practically rewrote the book on flopping in the lane. As soon as his opponent makes contact, he usually flys backwards like he’s just been hit with a semi-truck. And if he doesn’t get the call to go his way, his Argentine-Italian roots colors shine through when he uses his arms and hands to plead his case to the nearest official. A look of complete and utter bewilderment always accompanies his talking hands. As a fan, its hard to believe that he actually believes he has a case. Manu is the praying mantis of the kingdom. You know you’re looking at a Mantis when you see it’s hands stretched out in prayer. Well, Manu isn’t Manu without his hands complaining to the refs.

Steve Bitter is a Marketing Manager with Bulwark Exterminating, based in Mesa, AZ. Bulwark Exterminating is an industry leader in providing high quality pest control service. Bulwark is fully operational in seven states, including eleven major cities. While Bulwark provides pest extermination for common insects such as ants, roaches, crickets and spiders, the company’s differentiating specialty is scorpion control. Bulwark uses the finest and most effective products in the world to solve common pest problems.

Photo Credits: Wikipedia

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The Sports Archives – 5 Smartest People In All of Sports!

Posted on January 25, 2013 by thesportsarchives

THE Game

Athletes are most commonly associated with physical strength, blinding speed, and insane leaping ability. They are not usually thought to be the smartest people in the room. This may be true in some cases, but there are plenty of smart athletes playing professional sports today. After all, someone has to go to Notre Dame and Duke, right? Don’t let the following 5 people fall into the dumb jock stereotype; they are some of the smartest people in all of sports.

Steve Young

Steve Young is definitely known for being a success on the field. The quarterback led the San Francisco 49ers to three Super Bowl wins after waiting patiently for his time to shine on the bench behind Joe Montana for years. He continued to show his intelligence and effort in the classroom after he retired in 1999. Young graduated from BYU’s law school in 2005, and he also received an honorary doctorate from Utah State University. ESPN hired him for his intelligent commentary on NFL as well as his insight on the game.

Ryan Fitzpatrick

Fitzpatrick may be more highly regarded for his beard than his playing ability in the NFL right now. But, there is no doubt that he can get it done in the classroom. Fitzpatrick got an almost perfect score on the SAT. One his way to the NFL he picked an economics degree from Harvard. Fitzpatrick also got one of the highest scores in history on the Wonderlic exam given to college players while they are being scouted for the draft. Fitzpatrick is certainly one of the smartest players playing in the NFL today.

Bill Bradley

Bill Bradley is easily the most successful politician to come out of professional sports. Bradley graduated from Princeton. He also won an Olympic gold medal in basketball before making the jump to the pros with the New York Knicks. Bradley had a strong career in the NBA. He played for the Knicks from 1967 to 1977. The Knicks won two championships during that span with Bradley’s help. Bradley then moved on to a career in politics after his basketball career was over winning a seat in the Senate representing the state of New Jersey. Bradley also found time for many other endeavors including investment banking and even non-fiction writing.

Moe Berg

You could make a case that Moe Berg is the most intelligent professional athlete of all time. Berg played catcher in Major League Baseball in the 20s and 30s. He mostly bounced around the league. It has been said that Berg would read ten newspapers a day. He could speak multiple languages fluently. Berg impressively graduated from both Princeton University and Harvard Law. The most interesting thing about him may be that he was hired during World War II by the US government to be a spy.

Alan Page

Alan Page is a champion, a Hall of Famer, and a scholar. He went to college at Notre Dame where he won a national championship. Page then was part of one of the most dominating defensive lines in history “The Purple People Eaters”. His efforts on the field led to him being inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame. After his NFL career he got a law degree and later became the Assistant Attorney General for the state of Minnesota. Page is also the first African-American to serve on the state supreme court in Minnesota.

These five examples show that you can judge a book by its cover. There are many athletes in the pros that possess the brains as well as brawn. It is always refreshing to see athletes who don’t let their athletic careers define them as a person.

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Bradley Turner is a sports enthusiast and physical education instructor. He also has contributed to and written many articles on the subject of sports and athletes, such as, “10 Champion Boxers Who Are Actually Smart“.

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The Sports Archives – Top Premiership Strikers of 2012!

Posted on January 24, 2013 by thesportsarchives

The year 2012 was one that many football fans will remember for a lifetime, and others would sooner forget. The level of strikers in the Premiership has been, as usual, of a very high calibre with some great goals, assists and all-around play on display throughout the year.

Robin van Persie (Manchester United)

Robin van PersieRobin van Persie was made club captain for his former team Arsenal in the 2011-12 season and managed to score his 122nd goal for the club, making him the 8th highest scorer in their history. Van Persie was the top scorer in his final season with Arsenal with 30 goals and continued his fine form in the first half of the 2012-13 season with his new club Manchester United. He scored many important goals since his move, including his 100th Premiership goal in September when the inform striker netted a hat-trick against Southampton.

 

Luis Suárez (Liverpool)

Luis SuárezThe controversial Liverpool Uruguayan international Luis Suárez is loved by some, hated by many but is undoubtedly one of the best strikers of 2012. His goals for his club in the first half of the 2012-13 season have been of the utmost importance, as there is a shortage of others that are doing the same. The former Ajax man once stated that legends such as Marco van Basten, Dennis Bergkamp, Frank de Boer and Henk ten Cate taught him and helped him become the player he is;  in particular he noted that his excellent movement and technique was handed down to him by Van Basten.

Michu (Swansea)

Miguel Pérez Cuesta, otherwise known as Michu, has been a sensation for Swansea since his arrival in July 2012. The Spaniard played midfield for his former club Rayo, but was tried up front and hasn’t looked back since. Riding high on the top scorers list at the end of 2012, Michu’s contribution has been instrumental in seeing his team to a safe mid-table spot even though at the start of the season they were many people’s favourites to go down.

Jermain Defoe (Tottenham)

Jermain DefoeTottenham’s Jermain Defoe scored 17 goals in total in the 2011-12 season, 11 of them were league goals out of 25 appearances for his club, 11 of which he started on the bench. In the 2012-13 season, Defoe has continued his good form, scoring his 200th club goal of his career in October. Soon after, his hat-trick against NK Maribor in the UEFA Europa League made him the club’s all-time top scorer, knocking Teddy Sheringham off the top of the list.

 

Rickie Lambert (Southampton)

Rickie Lambert of Southampton has been consistent all year and helped his club to a second consecutive promotion after the 2011-12 season, when he finished top scorer in the Championship. The tall striker from Liverpool has since made the step up to the Premiership and has shown he can mix it with the best of them.

Morgan loves to write about Football related articles and you can find more in his afl betting blog.

Photo Credits: Wikipedia

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