Champions Leauge and Bayern

Playing soccer since I was 4 years old, I have had many favorites in the soccer world. In about 2009, I started following Bayern Munich after they acquired one of my favorite players Arjen Robben, a dutch football player.

Facing Real Madrid in the semi-finals, Bayern has some hard competition in-order to claim the trophy, but they have already shown their power and should not be underestimated. In an interview with Phil Taylor, the 15-time world champion was convinced that Bayern Munich will edge Jose Mourinho's side (Real Madrid) in their semi-final tie and book a place in the final against Barcelona at their Allianz Arena home on May 19. 


Taylor went on and admired Bayern for their class, and singled out several individuals for special mention, Robben especially. He was quoted saying "I love to watch Bayern Munich," he said. "Toni Kroos is very good. I like Arjen Robben, I think he's a great player. Franck Ribery ... I think they're all great. They are a great team." 

On the other side, Barcelona faces off against Chelsea and most analysts foresee a Barcelona victory, which shall make for an electrifying final if Bayern can beat out Madrid. 

 

The Stanley Cup Playoffs: Conference Finals and Cup Finals (continued)

With this last post I will take you to the end of my predictions, all the way to which team I think is going to win the cup.  Let's begin!

Western Conference:  Finals

In the Western Conference the final match up will be between the Vancouver Canucks and Nashville Predators.  This series is where the President Trophy jynx will kick in.  For those of you who don't know, the President's Trophy jynx is basically the inability of the top team of the regular season the win the Stanley Cup.  This curse will likely display itself through Vancouver's goaltending, just like it did last year.  These two teams met in the second round of last year's playoffs, and Vancouver took that series.  This will not be the case.  With revenge on their mind, the Predators will eliminate the Canucks, leaving Vancouver disappointed once again.

Easern Conference:  Finals

In the Eastern Conference the match up will be between the neighboring states of New Jersey and New York.  Although the hockey interest isn't as extreme in those locations as compared to here in Canada, this will prove to be an exciting series.  After looking at their regular season games and their rosters,  I've decided to give the advantage to New York.  Once again it comes down to depth on the New York roster.  Both teams have a stellar top two lines, but when matching up the third and fourth lines, the advantage lies with the Rangers.  Also, New York has the advantage in net.  Their goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist, is at the prime of his career, while Martin Brodeur is passed his.

The Stanley Cup Finals

Everything previously posted has led us up to this point.  If you have been following, this mean that the New York Rangers and the Nashville Predators are the two teams remaining.  First of all I looked at the offensive power each team has.  New York has a handful of star forwards and the depth to back them up.  Nashville has a solid four lines of forwards, but no big names or star players.  I decided to give the offensive advantage to New York.  Secondly, I looked at the defensive match up.  Nashville's roster contains some of the best defense in the NHL, all topped by team captain and NHL All Star Shea Webber.  In this category New York can't compete.  Thirdly I looked at goal tending.  Judging from NHL experience, stats and playing style, I have no choice but to give the advantage to New York's goaltender, Lundqvist.  With all of this noted, my predicted outcome is that the New York Rangers will be hoisting the Stanley Cup at the end of the regular season!

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Second Round Predictions (Continued)

Here we go again, as a continuation of my last post, here's more predictions.  If my predictions turned out to be accurate, this is how I believe it would continue.

Before I do continue though, in response to comments on the last post I have only this to say:  One game does not determine the outcome of a series.

Western Conference: Second Round

First we have the Vancouver Canucks hosting the Chicago Blackhawks.  As much as it pains me to say this, the series will likely end up how it did last year.  Expect Vancouver to barely win in a full seven game tilt.

In the other west series, we have the St. Louis Blues taking on the Nashville Predators.  I've been very torn on this series, but I am sticking with my gut feeling that Nashville has something special this year.  I also think that they want their chance to get revenge on the Canucks.  If I was a betting man, I'd say Nashville in six games.

Eastern Conference: Second Round

First up, we have the New York Rangers against the Washington Capitals.  This series will be all about revenge for the Rangers.  New York will knock off the Capitals in five games, just like how the Capitals knocked off the Rangers in five games last season.  This is because the Rangers will be facing a Capitals team that has been fairly roughed up by the bruins.

In the other east series we have the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the New Jersey Devils.  After the Penguins barely escape the Flyers in the first series, expect them to fall short to the Devils.  The Devils will be in good condition after their first series, the Penguins, not so much.

Insanity Part 2

It has been one month since I last talked about my insanity experience. Since that time I have not been able to do the workouts day by day, but I have seen several promising results. Over this time the quality of my workouts has increase dramatically, I am more prepared to perform during the sessions and I really notice the importance that yoga and stretching play in everyday life.

Because I have been unable to consistently do this 60 day workout, once school ends I plan to go from May till July as much as possible and see what happens. I also did some research on the new Insanity that Shaun T has produced called "Insanity : The Asylum" which now claim it will take you from average to elite in just 30 days. It uses professional athlete workouts and allows average people to experience a professional level of training.  

Insanity Asylum

Retrieved from: http://insanityasylumreview.net/

The Ugly Duckling

Although they are fellow "Canadians", it seems like people will never accept the Vancouver Canucks as a Canadian team. Over the years, people tend to cheer for all the American teams to beat them out of the playoffs, even though I feel as do many others that the Canucks are Canada's only hope of bringing the cup north back to where it belongs. Many skeptics believe that the Bertuzzi incident really gave the entire Canucks franchise a horrible reputation. Bertuzzi hit Colorado's player, Steve Moore from behind in retaliation for an earlier hit by Moore against Bertuzzi teammate Markus Naslund.

Bertuzzi hit on Moore
 

The Vancouver riots made it worse to some extent, it was a public disturbance that broke out in the downtown core of Vancouver on Wednesday, June 15, 2011. The riots happened immediately after the conclusion of the Boston Bruins' win over the Vancouver Canucks in game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. This was a repeat of the 1994 riot where a riot arose after Game 7 of the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals in which the Vancouver Canucks lost to the New York Rangers. Even with all these events, people should still cheer for our best hope. In this season disappointments have come from Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and the Montreal teams who all failed to deliver this season. Although Ottawa has its chances, analysts and sports enthusiast will agree that the Nuck's are our best hope of bring the cup north.   

Another problem comes with the nationality of some of the players, and the twins who play for the team. Although their are barley any actual "Canadians" of the roster, they are still a CANADIAN team and without them, we can expect another American team to win, sine we haven't seen the cup since 1993.

In the end, we must support our fellow teams and join them in the road to the cup.

Retrieved from: http://canucksarmy.com/2011/5/11/12-questions-after-2-rounds-2

Joe Sakic

Joe Sakic is a former NHL player who played from 1988-2009 (I think he had a few more years in him if it wasn’t due to the freak accident) and spent majority of his career as the captain of the Colorado Avalanche. Sakic began his career after being drafted 15^th overall in 1987 by the Quebec Nordiques and stayed with the franchise when the team moved to Denver. Over his career Sakic was feared for his wrist shot which was considered one of the best in the game and at the conclusion of 2008-2009 moved up to 8^th in overall all time points as well as 14^th in all time goals.

In his is 20 year tenure, Sakic has:

-          Won Two Stanley cups

-          14 NHL awards

-          13 appearances in NHL All star games

-          Helped Team Canada in 2002 to first gold medal in 50 years

Joe Sakic also has set Franchise records in Colorado including all scoring records, assists and points and has several notable records in the NHL:

-          1^st in All Star game assists (16)

-          11^th In regular season assists (1016)

-          9^th In  regular season points (1641)

-          2^nd In single playoff season goals (18)

After battling a few injuries including herniated disk and breaking three fingers in a snow blower accident, Sakic decided to retire in on July 9, 2009. On Oct 1, 2009 at the Pepsi Centre, Colorado retired his jersey number with the “C” still on his jersey. Since his retirement Sakic has been hired by the Avalanche to work as the Executive Advisor in hockey related matters and represent the team at board of governor meetings. 

Golf Balls

Golf has become a popular sport in many countries and like other sports that have revolutionized their equipment so has Golf. Golf balls in particular have had huge overhauls in the way they are designed and have a huge impact on the sport.  The evolution of the golf ball is a timeline that spans decades, with continual technological advances in materials, construction and aerodynamics. The goal of all manufacturers today is to make a ball that best fits a golfer’s individual game, and that will allow golfers to maximize their abilities to hit long drives and work the ball with a great measure of feel and control. Golf ball performance can be broken down into 4 primary categories: launch conditions, aerodynamics, durability and feel.

Launch Conditions

Launch conditions are post impact from a golf club and affect the distance, launch angle, backspin and side spin.  Golf ball speed is the most important factor in determining distance and higher ball speed directly relates to increased distance. All shots usually have backspin which helps around the green for added control.

Aerodynamics

During flight, the launch conditions of the golf ball interact with the aerodynamics of flight to determine the golf balls overall trajectory. The two primary aspects of aerodynamics are lift and drag. The lift is the force that acts in the vertical plane. The lift must be optimised in order to produce the desired trajectory since too much or too little can lead to loss of distance. Drag is the force that opposes the golf balls motion.

Durability and Feel

New technological advancements have made golf balls feels soft and responsive during impact but still durable to increase speed and distance. Two major categories are cover and core of the ball. The core is more dominate in long shorts to increase range and speed whereas the cover is more influential on putts and shorter shots.

Bullfighting: Fine Art or Animal Cruelty?

Bullfighting has had criticism around the sport for many years with some people considering bullfighting a cultural expression and art; others see bullfighting as a barbaric sport and injustice to animals. Bullfighting is one of Spain’s oldest traditional spectacles in which one or more bulls are baited by a Matador whom eventually kills the bull in a bullring for sport and entertainment. It’s presented as contest between the brave matadors who risks his life against a ferocious beast. As such, it is often called a blood sport by its critics, but followers of the spectacle regard it as a fine art and not a sport since there isn't any competition between Matadors.

Although Bullfighting was considered one of the countries most popular sports, it’s not unusual to see stands petitioning against theses festivals in Spain. Usually these people are either petitioning against bullfights whiles others who are against all festivals involving bulls. Recently citizens of Catalonia region in Spain voted in favour of banning bullfighting and held the last event in Barcelona in front of a sold out crowd.

I believe bull fighting should be banned primarily due to the pre fight treatments bulls receive. Before entering the bullring, the bull spends 24 hours in the dark, so that when it goes out to the bullring, it is puzzled by the light and the spectator’s shouts. It is also receives various products to weaken it as well as putting fat into the bulls eyes to make sight difficult. This is definitely in humane since bulls are not usually aggressive but due to the torture the bull has received, they become aggressive. Lastly, once the bull is exhausted, the matador signals a final act which he kills the bull slowly lasting approximately six minutes.

Retrieved from: Fotopedia

In recent years, there has been heavy press interest around bullfighting and fiestas involving animal abuse. It is slowly becoming a worldwide concern and has put the Spanish government under extreme pressure to change their laws, mainly against the pre fight treatment of bulls.

The Season is Here

Well the season we all know and love is back, Stanley Cup Playoff Season. With a few games already under way its too hard to tell whose going to win. i sat down myself today and watched a few games, i didn't get a chance to see the end result but was surprised by a few of the out comes.  Philadelphia played Pittsburgh and when i watched they were up 3-1 but went back to check the scores and found that Philly won 4-3, Nashville also beat Detroit which was a bit of a schocker to me. I myself am a Boston fans but in today's face paced games its pretty hard to win the cup twice in a row. So i think I'm going to place my bet on the New York Rangers or the St. Lewis Blues. It would be nice to see a team that maybe hasn't one a Stanley Cup ever be able to take one home. I can`t imagine the feeling all those players have when they become the best of the best.
Well this will be just a short blog because there have only been a few games and the Vancouver LA game is still in progress so there won`t be much to post on. So hopefully you can root for your team if they made the playoffs, i know i will be.
and just remember ABC, Anything But Canucks.

FC Barcelona

FC Barcelona, located in Barcelona, Catalonia (Spain), is one of the biggest, most prestigious and renowned football clubs in the world. It is also my favourite team and the only Spanish football club I support. I don't just cheer for them because they are a world soccer powerhouse, but because I've watched them play all my life. When I used to live in Paris, I would go at least twice a year to go watch them play at the magnificent Camp Nou stadium which is their home ground.

Courtesy of Capitán Burrito

FC Barcelona has a world class squad filled with some of the best footballers in the world such as the likes of the famous Argentinian midfielder Lionel Messi, and Spanish teammates Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez. FC Barcelona isn't just any soccer player's dream and doesn't only attract all players globally but they also train and produce some of the best soccer players from a young age at their FC Barcelona Youth Academy. Messi, Iniesta and Xavi are some of those successful products coming out of the Academy. They are considered to be the most lethal midfield line in soccer due to their great vision on the pitch, accurate passing and play-making along with precise shots and extraordinary goal scoring.

The club has a very long list of trophies and championships. In domestic competitions, they have won 21 La Liga titles, 23 Copa del Rey, 10 Supercopa de Espana, 3 Copa Eva Duarte and 2 Copa de la Liga trophies. On an international stage, they have won 4 UEFA Champions League cups, which is Europe's most prestigious and competitive tournament, 4 UEFA Cup Winner's Cup, 4 UEFA Super Cups, 3 Inter-Cities Fairs Cups and a record 2 FIFA Club World Cup trophies.

Courtesy of Wikipedia

FC Barcelona, along with Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao, has never been relegated to the 2nd division of La Liga and is also the only European club to have played continental football every season since 1955.

In 2009, FC Barcelona made history when the won the treble, which consists of winning La Liga, the Copa del Rey, and of course the Champions League. That same year, it also became the first football club ever to win six out of six competitions in a single year, thus completing the sextuple, comprising the previously mentioned treble and the Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup.

Although Barca isn't at the top of the La Liga this season, they only trail Real Madrid by 5 points with 6 games left. They are also competing in the semi-finals of the Champion's League against England's Premier League Chelsea FC. Hopefully they hit a good run and form for the remaining games of the season and have a bit of luck on their side hoping Real Madrid slip up. The Champion's League is still up for grabs but let's see if they can add another 2 trophies to their already large collection!

Play-off Pool

So I just recently, this morning, joined a play-off pool!
My first ever play-off pool. I don't think that this is a traditional play-off pool because the players I chose can be picked by other people as well. In total I have 21 players.
I'm not sure if there are "do's and dont's" of play-off pools.
So far, I tried to pick a few players from each team just incase the teams I loaded up on get eliminated.
I didn't pick anyone from Nashville or New Jersey. I could of picked Parise or Fisher, but other guys caught my eye a little more. Of course I picked numerous players from the Caps. I bit my tongue and didnt pick them all! Only Ovi, Backstrom, and Laich

I'm the only girl in this play-off pool, so it was be such sweet satisfaction if I won it.

So if anyone wants to make a play-off pool with their friends, I recommend checking out www.pickuphockey.com and make an account.

Happy Play-Offs.

NBA post season betting advice

With the clock ticking down in the NBA season and the race for the playoffs heating up there are a few things that need to be looked at when picking favourites to win it for all those whom enjoy sports betting as I do.

Danny Granger
Photo Courtsey of NBA.com

                First coming down the stretch look at how teams are positioning themselves in the east, and west. For example if you were to put money on the Philadelphia 76’ers right now, you would have long odds to win but a high payout if you did. What you would want to look at is their remaining games(opponents record, and statistics) and the probability that they will be able to grab the 6^th spot in the east as the top two seeds the Miami Heat, and Chicago Bulls are formidable opponents at home, and the 7^th and 8^th seeds who have to match up against them, will have an extremely hard time knocking them off at home.

                Second, look at the depth on the bench, 7 game playoff series take a toll on even the most amazing of players, and injuries will start to play a major role in how things turn out. The deeper your teams bench the better they will be able to cope. As far as depth goes teams to watch are the Chicago Bulls who are strong all the way through, and have much depth beyond MVP Derrick Rose. Also  the often overlooked Indiana Pacers are proving to have a solid roster coming down the stretch, Danny Grainger carries the team but they have solid contribution across the board. As for the all hyped “Big 3” in Miami (Wade, James, Bosh) I don’t see the team as a whole as being deep enough to make a playoff run.

                Lastly look for teams that are peaking as far as play goes, and stay away from teams who are on the slide, no matter how highly ranked they are. This can be seen in all sports, a lot of the time the number 1 and 2 seeds come out flat in the playoffs because they haven’t played a meaningful game in quite some time. And lower ranked teams a lot of the team come out hard because that’s how they’ve had to play to get into the playoffs. For example this year in the NFL we saw the New York Giants make it to the super bowl even though they entered the playoffs as a lower seed.

Freedom of speech

For those of you who are unaware of what happened this week with  Miami marlins manager Ozzie Gullen , he made favourable remarks towards former Cuban communist dictator Fidel Castro. This as caused quite the stir in the budding MLB season, not yet a month in Gullen who is known for making controversial remarks, does it again. The marlins were quick to suspend Gullen for 5 games due to his comments, and Gullen personally came out and said that he misspoke. The real question that this controversy brings up is weather or not, in a free country his actions were wrong, and should his team or the league have the right to penalize him for stating his opinion.

                In my opinion I do not personally agree with Gullens political stance and belief in communism, but i do respect his individual freedoms, and believe that his league and organization should as well. It is never an issue if an athlete comes out to praise an American president, or politician, but the second that the enemy gets any love, you’re in trouble. If the team wants to come out and say that they don’t aswell hold his beliefs i think that’s fine, but let the man say what he wants no matter how controversial it may be. Were entitled to freedom of speech in this country, so how can he get in trouble for stating his belief, no matter how ludicrous it may be.

Stanley Cup Playoffs: First Round Predictions

Well, as cliche as it sounds, it is that time again.  I'll get straight to the chase, below are my predictions for the first round of the National Hockey League Stanley Cup Playoffs!

First Round - Western Conference

First up is the President's Trophy winners, the Vancouver Canucks, against the eighth seeded Los Angeles Kings.  This one is a no-brainer.  David isn't beating this Goliath.  It's just that simple.  The Kings will be lucky if they manage to pull even a single win out of this series.

Next up is the second seeded St. Louis Blues versus the seventh seeded San Jose Sharks.  The Sharks are typically a team that does well during the post season, but those occasions are usually preceded by a very successful regular season, which San Jose did not have this year.  The Blues will take this series in six games.

Third place Phoenix Coyotes are matched up against the sixth place Chicago Blackhawks.  This series will be the only upset in the Western Conference with Chicago taking this series in six games.  The Coyotes will come out strong in their first two home games after not recording a single win in last year's playoffs, but will then lose four straight once Chicago gets a taste of their crowd at the United Center during playoffs.  Also, with the return of Chicago's forward Jonathan Toews coming up, Phoenix cannot match the star power that Chicago has.

Since you already know that the only upset will occur in the series mentioned above, it should be no surprise when I say the fourth place Nashville Predators will knock off the Detroit Red Wings.  This will be the tightest series in the west, and will likely extend over a full seven games.  Detroit is always stellar when it comes to playoff performances, but Nashville has something special this year.  The Predators have a solid combination of scoring and defense, with a more than capable goalie in Pekka Rinne.

First Round:  Eastern Conference

First up in the east we have the conference winning New York Rangers up against the eighth seeded Ottawa Senators.  Although the Senators have given the Rangers a tough ride during the regular season, they will not be able to match the depth of the Ranger's roster.  The Ranger's should win this series in no more than six games.

One of the two Eastern Conference upsets will occur in the next series, involving the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals.  There's a few reasons why I think the seventh seed Capitals will eliminate last year's Stanley Cup Champion.  The first reason is that Tim Thomas, the goalie of the Boston Bruins will have to play in a city in where he is not appreciated.  Expect boo's to fill the arena in Washington DC every time Tim Thomas touches the puck.  This will be caused by Tim Thomas declining to go to the White House to celebrate last year's championship due to political disagreements.  Also, Ovechkin has recently been sparking and is due to ignite very soon.  It will be a hard fought series which could even go down to the last goal scored.

Next up we have the third place Florida Panthers against the sixth place New Jersey Devils.  This is where the other upset will occur except that this one is a lot simpler.  The Panthers do not have the playoff experience in their roster to eliminate a star-filled roster like the Devils'.  The Panthers will likely only get one win in this series, two at most.

Now for the most exciting series of the first round.  Fourth place Pittsburgh Penguins are matched up against the fifth place Philadelphia Flyers.  The regular season games between this two teams have been insane.  Either of these teams would be lucky to make it out of this series alive, never mind win it.  After the dust settles and all the pushing and shoving is over, I think the Penguins will take this series.  The difference will be Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin, who will lead his team with the help of Canadian hockey sensation Sidney Crosby.

Stay tuned for the round two predictions!

Calgary Roughnecks.

This past weekend I attended one of the most exciting live sporting events that you can attend in Calgary and that was watching the Calgary Roughnecks defeat the Buffalo Bandits in the Saddledome. If you have not attended an NLL game, this is defiantly something worth checking out. Tickets run about 30- 60$, your best option is to buy the cheapest ticket and basically pick your seat when you get in, as no one checks tickets and there is enough empty seats that no one seems to minds. The game we attended the Roughnecks beat the Bandits quiet easily, with the final score being 17-6 Calgary. The game was filled with non-stop action, they have a DJ who plays music throughout the course of the game, and sometimes his music selection is pretty horrific. The game is filled with big hits, lots of scoring, and the occasional fight. I am sure that some people have already seen this bench-clearing brawl from youtube that involved the Toronto Rock and Buffalo Bandits. If you are a hockey fan, I am certain you will find much enjoyment in lacrosse. My only complaint which is the same every time I go to the Saddledome is that 7.50$ for a beer is ridiculous they need a student beer price, just my thought. With very little good sports teams in Calgary and now the Vipers leaving town this is truly your best option to see a solid team live. The Roughnecks will be home this coming Saturday March 31 as they take on the Stealth. It is defiantly worth checking out and with tickets being pretty cheap it is a much better option then wasting your money on that new movie Hunger Games, which in my opinion was way to long and boring. With the Flames soon to miss the playoffs again this year, the Calgary sports fan will need something to fill that sports void, and I truly think lacrosse is the answer. Hopefully I will see some people down at the Saddledome this Saturday, feel free to buy me a beer as I talked about earlier they are out of my price range. Hope to see you at the game.

Sid the Kid.

        The return of Sidney Crosby, again has gripped the sports world and most notably Canada once again. As I am sure everyone who would be reading this blog is well aware that Sidney Crosby returned earlier this season from a concussion sustained in January 2011 only to receive another concussion December 2011. Crosby then returned on March 14, 2012 against the New York Rangers. Sidney looks like he hasn’t missed a second all season, the guy truly is one of the most dynamic players to ever lace up skates. I would rather watch a highlight package of Sidney Crosby practicing then an entire Calgary Flames game. The return of Crosby, the domination put forth by Evgeni Malkin nightly, the brick wall in net with Fleury, and one of the most dynamic defensemen in Letang along with a very deep core with guys like Jordan Stall, Matt Cooke, Paul Martin has to make the Penguins the favorites heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs. Without Sidney the Penguins were going to be a tough match up for any team in the East, but with his addition I see no true challengers for them, unless the Lightning squeak into 8^th place. Crosby is truly a great ambassador for the NHL, plays hard every night and is willing to do what it takes to help the team get the win. Even if that means having the occasional scrap. I know some people do not like Sid, they say he complains to much and that he gets every call but those people are idiots and their opinions do not count. The guy scored the golden goal for Canada at the Olympics; he should be immortalized on our money. This is single handedly the greatest sporting moment I have ever witnesses.  I mean it was in overtime versus the Americans in Vancouver, it could not have been scripted any better then that. The game is a lot better and exciting when Sidney Crosby is playing it rather then sitting in the press box. He is one of the great athletes of my generation and I can only hope that he stays healthy and on the ice.

Tiger Woods.

As I sit here and write this blog I am currently watching what appears to be a rejuvenated Tiger Woods on the verge of winning at Bay Hill. He is currently at -14, four strokes ahead of Graeme McDowell. I for one am a huge Tiger Woods fan, he is the reason I watch golf. Personally I like the emotional aspect he brings to the game that other golfers do not, anyone who has played golf knows it is a game of pure frustration at times. I like how Tiger allows his emotions to come to the surface when playing. Tiger has been battling many issues lately; these problems have been made very public. From the cheating scandal, to the firing of his good friend and caddy Steve Williams, to his numerous injuries he has fought recently. I think in the case of Tiger Woods we love to build celebrities and athletes up into this also god like personas, that when they fall we take almost as much enjoyment in the collapse as the rise. When Tiger was going through his struggles he garnered more attention and hatred then he did glory and accolades when he was winning majors like they were coffees during Tim Horton’s roll up the rim competition.  I feel like we as a society love to watch these meteoric rises but are always waiting for that other shoe to drop. Almost like we feel these peoples lives are to good to be true and that people should not be so lucky in life. Tiger was one of the most famous athletes in the world was married to a Swedish super model and was achieving feats on the golf course some believed to be impossible. To me it seemed that people thought his life was almost to good and relished at the thought it might not be picture perfect. For all of his miscues off the golf course, the memories he has provided me and countless other golf fans will live on. The guy is truly one of the greatest closers in sports history when he has a lead on Sunday it is game over. I also have to say that no one individual has done more for his sport then Tiger Woods has done for golf. Do I agree with his off course antics absolutely not, but what he does on the golf course leaves me in awe on most days. The sport needs to pray that Tiger stays healthy and continues to play well after this tournament and heading into the masters. My prediction is Tiger will continue his hot putting and bombing it onto the fairway consistently and at the end of the masters he will be wearing the green jacket.

Peyton Manning.

We just witnessed the end of an era; Peyton Manning leaving the Indianapolis Colts is one of the craziest events that I have seen in pro sports. In the span of one season Peyton went from being the face of this franchise to someone the Colts seen as expendable. This guy is arguably the greatest quarterback in NFL history; his stats along with his records are undeniable. Peyton also led the Colts to a victory in super bowl XLI, this is the same guy that Colts owner Jim Irsay felt wasn’t worth paying to finish his career in a Colts uniform. I do understand that Peyton was owed a lot of money in the next couple years, and it is hard to pay a aging quarterback who just got had several neck surgeries in the realm of 18-23 million. I also understand that it is a business, and sometimes decisions need to be made with the head instead of the heart. But I also think there is something to be said for loyalty, I understand the Colts have the first overall pick this year and will most likely select stud prospect quarterback Andrew Luck, but I thought that it could have been a good situation to have Luck backup one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, as you could not ask for a better person to learn from. The Colts though have been truly blessed to be able to get the first overall pick and I know there is no guarantee in football, but this kid is as close to one as you can get. And the St. Louis Rams have also caught a great break for their organization as they landed the second overall pick and were able to trade this pick to the Redskins for their 6^th overall pick, second round pick, Washington’s first round pick in 2013 and 2014. This sets up the Rams to build a very strong future, hopefully they can start to get back to the glory days of the greatest show on turf. In conclusion I understand why the Colts made the move that in sports sometimes fans forget that it is truly a business and that business decisions made with the heart often do not work out for the best.

Palio di Siena

The Palio di Siena is a horse race held in Siena, Italy. The race happens twice a year, July 2 and August 16. During my travels to Italy last summer I made it to Siena just after the races had finished, but the crowds of patriotic fans were a lot of fun to watch! 

In this race, ten horses and riders (riding bareback) wear a specific uniform which represents the different Contradas of Siena (different districts of the city). Each district has its' own government system, coat of arms, representatives, festivities, etc, which is why this race is so competitive. Four days before the event, which takes place in the Campo square, soft dirt and mud is laid down and cushions are put on dangerous corners to ensure safety for the racers. That's not to say this makes the race any less dangerous, as the racers ride bareback. 

Piazza del Campo square is ideal for this event due to its shape and location. Thirty-three thousand seats are placed all around the track in total, and tickets to this event are sold out long before the race begins. This is a chaotic and exciting time for the city because of its visitors from Italy and all around the world who come to see this race. 

There is a large parade before the race, which begins at three, where flags representing each district are waved in honour. The horses and riders arrive to the square with a large group behind them, each group supporting the rider they want to win. As the judge lowers arm, the race begins. It's a 1000 meter race in total, three laps, and it lasts about two minutes.

The racers are competing for a hand painted silk banner. With the banner comes a group of men who drum, hold the flags and the emblems of the winner. The most interesting thing I found out was that if the rider of the horse falls off, but the horse still finishes first, it counts as a win!

Basically, the reason why it's such a big deal is because each racer is representing a district in Siena. The parade leading up to the race and the events that take place after the race are traditions that have been held for hundreds of years. 

Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals

All is well in the world of hockey again.
The Washington Capitals clinched their playoff spot with a big win against the Florida Panthers last week. They got pushed up to 7th place in the Eastern Conference and are now going to be playing the 2nd place team and last years Stanley Cup champs, the Boston Bruins.

I have been hearing a lot of negativity towards the Boston Bruins. Many people who hate my favorite team, hope to see them cream the Bruins in the best of 7. I am not sure sure why people are hating on the Bruins so much. I know last year I was rooting for them against the Canucks. I've heard lots of people say their team is just full of goons. Which is understandable, but that's what works for them I suppose.

There is much controversy about goaltender Tim Thomas and his latest political antics.

And of course, everyone has something to say about Chara.

I think that Brad Marchand would be the most hated player from the Bruins. I have heard nothing but bad things about him over the weekend especially. On countless occasions, he has said or done things very unsportsmanlike.

Example 1: he called the Canadiens fans "classless" after a hit to Chara was made and blood poured down his face. Quite honestly, we all know if it would of been in Boston and that happened to...lets say...P.K. Subban, we ALL know the crowd would of been going nuts.  So lets not be so hypocritical there Marchand.

Example 2: Calling Buffalo the worst place in the NHL. Marchand rips on Buffalo and then after being asked on a different occasion bites his tongue and pleads he was joking.

Example 3: Dirty hit on Vancouver Canucks, Sami Salo and is suspended 5 games.

Example 4: Another dirty hit on CBJ R.J. Umberger.

As you can see, the list goes on and on. I really hope that Marchand doesn't pull any of these dangerous hits towards any of the Capitals in the upcoming games.

I am obviously hoping for a win out of this series from the Capitals. If Ovi is hot this round, the atmosphere of the entire team will change, hopefully resulting in a win.  I think this series will go to the best of 7 for sure.

Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAA)

Branch chain amino acids are extremely useful for your body pre and post workout. Your body needs the Amino Acids to help recover post workout and repair to torn muscles. With the help of amino acids we are able to eliminate the stiffness/pain day after working out the certain muscle groups you have worked on. Many products on the market are full of amino acids to help repair muscles faster and make the individual get bigger. BCAA's are found in protein, and many protein powders have added Branch Chain Amino Acids within them.

The science behind Branch chain amino acids are to repair torn/injured muscles. Technically protein contains branch chain amino acids as proteins are used to repair and rebuild muscles. BCAA's account for approximately 1/3 of your skeleton system.

In 2011 the top selling BCAA product was "GP3" made by Advanced Genetics. GP3 has an amino acid blend, with many other ingredients within it to give you added benefits pre and post workout. Taurine is one of the ingredients within GP3, the purpose of Taurine is to give your body a little added energy. Taurine helps provide your muscle more oxygen to your blood which allows better oxygen flow to your muscles, allowing you to work out longer and harder with less muscle fatigue. Kre-Alkalyn is a form of creatine (mono-hydrate creatine is most popular) but kre-alkalyn doesn't retain water weight, while mono-hydrate creatine retains water weight and gives you a bigger look. Beta-alanine and glutamine aid in the recovery of torn muscles which allow you to get stronger and bigger faster!

Hopping on the Bandwagon

As the play-off's near in the National Hockey League its time to see who are the true fans of their respected team, and who is someone that jumps from bandwagon to bandwagon. At the beginning of this season the Winnipeg Jets came back into existence, and immediately you began to see Jet's memorabilia flying off the shelves. Automatically hockey fans from all over became fans of the Jets and my sister is one of them. After it was confirmed that Winnipeg was getting a team again my sister went and bought a jersey, and a hat. As well she requested me to get her a shirt, and blanket for Christmas. She was one of the people who hopped on the Winnipeg bandwagon and ditched cheering for the Calgary Flames (can understand why as the seasons coming to a close). 

There was a scene at the end of the Calgary Flames last home game where fan(s) started throwing their jerseys on the ice. 

Right here is proof that both the fans of the Flames organization have completely given up hope on the season. I personally find it pretty entertaining how the fan is willing to toss a hundred dollar jersey on the ice without hesitation. Although comical it's kind of disappointing to see how fans are willing to jump on and off the bandwagon instead of staying loyal to "their" team. Here's the NHL standings to watch the play-off race heat up.

Bandwagon hopping happens in every sport, this is apparently obvious when it comes to the NFL and the CFL. In the CFL it seems that the Saskatchewan Roughriders are everyone's second team. As soon as your team is out of contention everyone resorts to cheering for the Riders. Ever been to a Calgary versus Saskatchewan game at McMahon Stadium? Well go, and you'll see there is more green than red in the stands. 

Personally I'll always cheer for my teams no matter what! For NHL I cheer for the Calgary Flames and will till the day I die. Although I always root against the Vancouver Canucks. For CFL I've always been a Stamps fan and will remain a stamps fan and for NFL I'm a Ravens fan!

GOON.

 

The most recent sports movie I saw that relates to the blog posting would be Goon with Sean William Scott. It is a semi-biographical movie about a tough guy who learns to skate and earns himself a spot on a semi-pro hockey team as their enforcer. Overall I thought the movie did a very good job of portraying the incredibly difficult task of being a hockey enforcer. The director also did an excellent job of showing the camaraderie that a hockey team can have when going through a rough patch. It also does an excellent job of showing the respect aspect between the tough guys. I thought Sean William Scott showed really good range as an actor, as he played an introvert tough guy. But the true the star of the movie was aging tough guy Ross Rhea played by Liev Schreiber. This character was written and portrayed perfectly. His mannerism were so spot on from the big thick handlebar mustache, to the taped up wrist, his interactions with other players, and his trash talk was perfect. There is also a cameo by former Edmonton Oilers tough guy George Laraque, which I thought was a great casting. Overall the movie was very solid, it did an excellent job of portraying hockey players and tough guys in general. The locker room talk was pretty close to what you would hear at any arena. Overall I would give the movie 3 stars out of a possible five. Defiantly worth seeing in theatres or renting when it comes out. The only thing I would say go on Tuesday as some movie theatres have a half-off day. Also if you keep your large cup and bag don’t throw them away, empty them out and then bring them back for your next movie so you will get free refills on pop and popcorn, I do this all the time saves me about 15$ each movie, never been questioned on it.

History and evolution of fitness (pre 1900s)

                           Retrieved from (http://4amazinglife.com/ancient-sports-nutrition-and-exercise/)

Now that we have entered the 21st century, one of the greatest accomplishments  man has come to know is  our continuous pursuit of fitness. Beginning with early civilizations, the task of hunting and gathering food for survival was the first real example of fitness. Tribes would go on one or two day hunting journeys for food and water. 

pre-10,000 B.C
Later on,  hunting-gathering tribes developed skills that allowed them to obtain vast amounts of food while remaining in the same area. This was known as agriculture and farming era. People became farm workers and mainly developed fitness through this work. 
2500-250 B.C.
Years later in India and China, the philosophical teachings of Confucius and a program similar to Chinese Cong Fu, encouraged participation in regular physical activity. It was recognized that lack of fitness was associated with certain diseases and were preventable with regular exercise. In Greece, physical perfection surrounded ancient Greek civilization. The appreciation for beauty of the body and importance of health and fitness throughout society is the reason they excelled for years. The Greeks believed development of the body was equally as important as development of the mind.
476-1600
Throughout the dark ages and middle ages, farming and war became the staples in physical fitness. The renewed appreciation for human life, which evolved during the Renaissance, created an environment which was ready for the widespread development of physical education throughout Europe.
1700-1776
In America during the colonial period, herding cattle and farm life developed and ensured that regular physical activity continued to be a lifestyle priority, however during this period no organized exercise or fitness programs existed. However, early leaders in the United States were conscious of the need for exercise and fitness. Benjamin Franklin explained how regular physical activity, including running, swimming, and basic forms of resistance training had several benefits and health purposes.
 1700-1850
Years later  in Germany, they invented numerous exercise programs and the equipment upon which they were performed. These programs swept into Sweden , England and Denmark. The evolution of gymnastics also came forth in Germany and France where schools and businesses got involved, and wrestling also developed through this. 


Although they seem out of date, many of these exercises and activities can be found throughout all programs here today. In my program and when I attend the gym I can notice several positions and movements that can be compared to gymnastics and heavy lifting once used is the middle ages.  
 

Greetings around the world

For today's assignment, my topic has nothing to do with sports. Instead, I'll be writing about the various greeting styles in different parts of the world. Luckily, we live in Canada, a very multicultural country, so it's fair to say that most of us have friends or know people that come from different cultures. This being said, most of us have already been in a situation where we've had to greet someone from another country. I'm sure we've all experienced one akward moment when doing so either because it's not something you or the person you were greeting felt comfortable doing.

Courtesy of: Wikipedia

Cultures define the way people greet each other and I believe it's important that we more or less know what is acceptable and what isn't in different countries as a sign of respect and knowledge. To greet one another, some people might shake hands while others kiss, hug or just say hello. So how do you know how people greet each other in other countries? Let take a look at few.

Courtesy of: Wikipedia

In North America, specifically in Canada and in the U.S. people tend to just shake hands formally or informally. In a formal way, you would shake hands firmly and make direct eye contact. Informally, one might give more a palming or tapping hand shake. Montreal is most likely the only city in North America that really stands out when it comes to greeting. They still continue to greet each other in the traditional French way, which consist of two kisses on each cheek.

Courtesy of: Pocket Cultures

In the Middle East, people first salute each other by saying "salam alaykum" which stands for "peace by upon you" in English followed a putting their right hand on their heart. Men will kiss each other on the cheek, 2 or 3 times depending on which country they're from. Women hug among themselves but opposing genders may never come into physical contact as Islam prohibits it.





Courtesy of: Japan Probe

Moving on to Asian countries, it is much more conservative, especially in Japan. Japanese greet each by bowing to one another in all occasions whether it be for business, with friends or family. Asian cultures are known for not being "touchy touchy" so it's important to keep your distance when greeting them or else they will feel very uncomfortable.

History of the Colorado Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche is a professional ice hockey team and one of five teams in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

The franchise was originally founded in Quebec and moved to Colorado in 1995 after Quebec Nordiques became one of the worse teams in the NHL finishing last three consecutive years. They were purchased by the Denver based COMSAT Entertainment Group who organized the franchise under a separate subsidiary and renaming the team Colorado Avalanche.

Colorado played their first game in the McNichols sports arena in Denver on October 6 1995 and became the first franchise to ever win the Stanley Cup in their first year after relocation. Since 1995, The Avalanche have won eight division titles, two conference championships and have won two Stanley cups. They have also gone to playoffs in each of their first ten seasons in Denver with their streak ending in 2007.

Key players in the Avalanche franchise have been Joe Sakic, who was the only captain known to Colorado until his retirement in 2009. He leads the franchise in points as well as other categories. Patrick Roy was also another noteworthy player that played for the team until his retirement and played goaltender for both their Stanley cups.

Retrieved from: Fotopedia

Retrieved from: Fotopedia

Since the retirement of Joe Sakic and Naming Greg Sherman and Joe Sacco general managers and head coach respectively, the Avalanche have gone downhill and have missed the playoffs since. Currently in post rebuilding stages, they are  fighting for a playoff spot and should become a competitive team over the next few years with current young players like Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny leading the way.

The History of the Calgary Flames

So how exactly did Calgary come about getting an NHL team?  What have they gone through since they started in NHL to where they are now?  I'm going to answer these questions for you.  The Calgary Flames were originally the Atlanta Flames.  Due to a lack of hockey poised market in Atlanta, they were forced to relocate.  The thriving Calgary market seemed the perfect place for an NHL team, and so that's where they ended up.  The relocation occurred in 1979 and the Calgary Flames participated in their first NHL season in 1980.

In 1986, the Flames made it to their first Stanley Cup final appearance but lost the best of seven series to the Montreal Canadiens.  Three years later, the Flames bested the same team to win their first and only Stanley Cup so far.  That season the Flames had also finished as the top team in the NHL with 117 points in 80 games.  The cup-winning team was captained by the famous Lanny McDonald, who retired during the following off season.  The team was backstopped by Mike Vernon, the only goalie to have his number retired in the rafters in Calgary.

The Flames would not reach the Stanley Cup finals again until 2004.  By this time, the new face of the franchise was their captain, number 12, Jarome Iginla.  Iginla was a draft pick of the Dallas Stars which was traded to Calgary in a deal which sent former captain Joe Nieuwendyk the opposite way.  The 2003-2004 season was the first year Iginla sported a "C" on his jersey and it led to great success for the team.  After an inspirational run to the cup, the Flames fell one goal short, losing game seven of the finals to the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 2-1.

The Flames were able to carry their success forwards for the following four seasons, making it to the playoffs in each of them.  As of recent, they have not been as lucky, as it seems they are about to miss the playoffs for the third consecutive time.

The Flames have become one of the NHL's most popular teams.  They are right behind the Vancouver Canucks for most consecutive games sold out.  Regardless of the success or failure in Calgary, they have a large and loyal fan base.