Sports Carnival Ecstasy - May 26, 2011

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Welcome to the May 26, 2011 edition of Sports Carnival Ecstasy.This time we have 16 great articles from the best sports blogs on the Internet. Including one from KAZBullet about Thor, Lebron James and what it all means. Steve @ FryingPanSports takes a look at Top 10 Injury-Prone Sports that you might not completely agree with. And what about Donovan McNabb’s NFL Career, Eric Gargiulo discusses. Finally Steve at eFilmroom.com has a highlight video of Dwayne Stanford from Cincinnati Taft High School. Hope you enjoy the articles, bookmark our carnival, tweet, share, and come back for more great sports writing.

Ray A Johnson presents Casual Shoes for Women posted at Ladies Shoes Wide, saying, "This is a story of a need for a proper pair of shoes."

baseball

numbersofbaseball presents 100 3B and 300 HR club « numbersofbaseball posted at numbersofbaseball.

Mitch Hall presents Why money is important posted at FRONT OFFICE cigar, saying, "This is a fantastic sports management website"

basketball

KAZBullet presents What I’m Watching: Thor, LeBron, and the story behind the story posted at Bullet's Brain, saying, "Hi, thanks for considering this blog post comparing LeBron's recent playoff run to the movie Thor and our own lives. Hope you enjoy it!"

extreme

Jase presents Whistler Spring 2011 Update posted at ride more bikes, saying, "An update on all things biking in Whistler, BC, Canada. The Whistler Bike Park is not far away!"

Steve presents Top 10 Injury-Prone Sports In The World posted at FryingPan Sports, saying, "A look at the sports that have caused the most injuries over the past couple of years."

Mike Ross presents 6 Stories of Extreme Skydiving Fall Survival posted at Extreme Sports Trader, saying, "Skydiving is one of the most dangerous extreme sports there is, though for some on this list it was not a sport but an actual matter of life and death."

Heath Erickson presents Workout Routines for Men at Home that Need No Accessories?! posted at Muscle Maker Now.

football

Steve presents Nebraska And Wisconsin Football Vs. Ohio State: Evening Games Are Set posted at BrutusReport, saying, "Ohio State is set to play two Big Ten games at night this coming season."

Eric Gargiulo presents The End of the Line for Donovan McNabb’s NFL Career? posted at CamelCluchBlog.Com, saying, "The game of chicken between Donovan McNabb and the Washington Redskins will heat up over the next few months. All indications are that McNabb will wind up as a free agent in 2011. But a recent commentary suggests that the former Pro Bowl QB may have played his last down in the NFL."

Steve presents Dwayne Stanford Cincinnati Taft WR Highlights posted at eFilmRoom, saying, "Dwayne Stanford looks to be one of the best wide outs nationally in the 2012 class."

Steve presents Taylor McNamara Highlights Westview 2012 Tight End posted at eFilmRoom, saying, "Taylor McNamara will be one the better tight ends in the 2012 recruiting class nationally and will most likely stay on the west coast with offers from some of the best Pac 10 schools."

golf

Steve presents How to Correct a Golf Slice posted at FryingPan Sports, saying, "Getting beyond your poor slices is most important this golf season."

Christopher Clayton presents Review: Golf's Sacred Journey posted at Weekend Golf Warrior.

Christopher Clayton presents Range Balls and Distance posted at Weekend Golf Warrior.

mma

Eric Gargiulo presents Rashad Evans Imitates Randy Savage On Inside MMA (Video) posted at CamelCluchBlog.Com, saying, "UFC fighter Rashad Evans talked about his favorite pro wrestler Randy Savage last week on Inside MMA. Evans capped off the taped interview with an imitation of the Macho Man, which ironically aired the day Savage died in a car wreck."

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of sports carnival ecstasy using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

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Skateboards, Danger & Fashion – Where Style and Survival Collide

They say that nature always finds a way to balance things out. Every creature has its natural predators, and if you are at the top of the food chain, you better not eat all your prey before they get a chance to breed. Every time it looks like the human race is spiraling out of control, along comes a leveler, be it war, famine or the Black Death...

Well, from the look of the ever more crazy stunts kids are pulling on the streets & skate-parks of the world, it seems humanity has discovered a great way to thin its numbers and ensure that teenagers don’t upset the delicate ecological balance of our urban environments. Every cracked head is one less loud-mouth to feed, right?

Unfortunately for those who see teenagers, rebellious 20 & 30-somethings, and the odd middle-aged arthritic skate fanatic as a threat to life as we know it, the skater has evolved some remarkable survival strategies. Ok, this weird wheel-based human sub-species don’t yet have organic air-bag glands that inflate on impact. They don’t yet sport Beetle-style armoured exoskeletons. Skateboarders can’t utilise their inner gases to propel themselves to safety in the event of a wipe, yet.

(image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosimoes7/)

How to skate safe

So skate-boarders bodies haven’t evolved and adapted to their sport yet? After what, 50 years of natural selection? Pathetic – I thought us humans were meant to be adaptable! Actually the secret here is the same secret that has allowed homo-sapiens to adapt and survive the harshest conditions our planet has to offer – tools and technology!

Astronauts don’t go spacewalking without some serious hardware, and yes you guessed it – serious skaters don’t go sky-walking without the right gear. It’s not all about pads & helmets. Even the basic elements of skater style reveal that there is method behind the madness. Take skate shoes for example; that ‘big’ over-sized looking upper and the fat laces. It’s actually a very good idea to wear proper, fat padded skate shoes. Your feet are really vulnerable when skating, liable to be trapped under your board, stomped on, landed on wrong, and generally beaten about. Even the Converse shoes that have been popular with skaters since the 70’s are actually a cunning safety move. The high Converse ankle supports you well, and the rubberised sole sticks to your board - and whatever you are tricking off - like glue.

Skaters have been wearing jeans since the early days, and this tradition has barely slowed today. If you rewind back to the invention of denim in the days of the cowboys, it was made in response to the needs of working men in dangerous environments. Coming off your horse, chasing cattle, fighting pistol wielding villains... all this called for a hard-wearing cloth better than anything before it. Denim could withstand friction and protect your legs- and stuff!- better than the soft cotton and linen everyone wore before. Modern skaters wear jeans from cool modern designers for the same reasons.

Although you see many young, confident or just plain foolish skaters performing dangerous tricks with naked heads, a helmet is really the pro way to go. Pulling off a fakie-to-fakie 900 isn’t all that cool if you fall and end up a crippled vegetable on your next run. If you are serious about your skating and your future, Bern helmets offer some of the best protection, and do it with style.

Finally, we come to the pads. As a general rule, you need more of these the older you get, and you also need more of these the bigger your tricks get. Protec helmets also produce some incredible protective gear for most parts of your body, including some truly awesome bodyguards that look like they were designed for a sci-fi super soldier.

Trick big, trick safe, and trick with style!!

Trudy Biggs

Trudy is a writer, mad-for-it skater and fashion freak from Brighton UK. She loves writing about skating, fashion and culture through the ages, and has a serious Converse shoes problem. Her latest equipment dilemma involves the difficult decision of choosing between Bern helmets and Protec helmets - which looks cooler? Argh!

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Eyewear for Runners

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What's the difference between running glasses and other sunglasses?

While some brands offer sunglasses specifically marketed for running, there is a wide range of running-oriented features that are used in other athletic sunglasses.

You may come across some models offered in running and cycling versions: Normally the cycling glasses are identical, but they'll have straight temples to make it easy to put them on and take them off while wearing a helmet.

What features should I look for?

Impact-proof and scratchproof material - Makers may use any number of trademark names, but they're all going to use some form of polycarbonate for the lenses and frames.

Wrap-around lenses - This provides protection from both sunlight and wind. As an added bonus, this design also blocks UV rays more effectively than standard sunglasses.

Anti-reflective coating - This can be either a mirror or polarized coating. Some companies put a mirror coating on the inside of the lens as well, reducing glare coming from sunlight behind you. Polarized lenses work by blocking light, much like a venetian blind, removing glare while letting normal reflective light reach your eyes. However, this can make some monochrome LCD displays unreadable. Before buying, look through the lenses at any timers, digital watches, or other devices you may carry on your run to make sure the display is still visible.

Removable lenses - Some frames allow you to change lenses to better suit the conditions you're running in. Some brands include lenses with the glasses, while others sell them separately. In some cases not all of the lenses will offer UV protection, particularly clear lenses, which are intended for low-light conditions. Whether or not it’s bright outside, there is still a chance of eye damage due to long-term exposure. Any lenses labeled “cosmetic” will not have UV protection.

Rubberized temple covers - These will help the glasses grip your head, keeping them on while you run.

Adjustability - Flexible frames and nose pads will help absorb shock, keeping the glasses in place while running on rough terrain.

Anti-fogging features - Anti-fogging lenses help, but most people overlook ventilation. There should be some airspace between the lenses and your face to keep moisture from being trapped.

How much do I need to spend?

Basically, you get what you pay for: All things being equal, a pair of cheap glasses will protect your eyes from UV light just as well as something costing five times as much. However, the more expensive pair will be more scratch and impact resistant, have more features, and stay together longer under normal use.

The cheapest usable sunglasses will start around $20. These will have set lenses and no anti-reflective coating. High quality sunglasses start around $60, with most pairs around the $120-$160 range. Add an additional $30 for each set of additional lenses. Prescription frames run from $80-$200; lenses will cost about the same as the ones in your regular glasses.

Sara Roberts writes for Just Eyewear, a discount eyeglasses and prescription sunglasses online retailer.

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Getting Your Kids Involved in Water Sports

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Every parent wants their child to take up a hobby that they can turn into a skill and a passion, but finding them a hobby they enjoy can be more difficult than it at first appears.

If musical instruments, ballet classes and tennis lessons have all been exhausted, there may be another option that might be just the ticket – water sports.

Getting your children involved in any hobby is undeniably fantastic for their brain development, whilst also helping to mould them into happy, passionate and skilful adults. However outdoor pursuits, whether team sports, athletics or water sports offer another benefit – they’re getting kids to embrace the outdoors. This has been proven to benefit their health and happiness even further than hobbies carried out indoors.

In fact, children who spend a significant amount of time embracing the joys of the great outdoors have been shown to possess lower stress levels and fewer symptoms of ADHD. Additionally, they tend to do better in school. Time outdoors also increases the levels of vitamin D that the body produces. Vitamin D is not only vital for everyday health but current studies are concluding that it may contribute to a lowered risk of cancer.

But what choices are there for outdoor hobbies? While sports such as tennis, football and hiking are all obvious choices, many children want to do something a little bit different, and that little bit more exciting. Water sports are a fantastic idea, as long as there is a facility nearby.

For those living near the sea, surfing is a cost-effective and highly enjoyable pursuit. If there are any lakes or water sports centres within the region then kayaking, canoeing and yachting are all fantastic options. Even if there are none of these facilities within a reasonable distance, the local swimming pool may well offer scuba diving lessons – a great skill to have in place for any future holidays abroad.

Yet many parents are deterred from getting their kids involved in such pursuits due to concerns for the costs. The initial expenses may involve the purchase of childrens wetsuits. A pair of kids waterproof trousers might also come in handy for time spent around the water areas while they are not actively participating.

However, childrens wetsuits and kids waterproof trousers do not need to be expensive and if funds are really tight, buying second hand is always an option.

In regards to the activities themselves, the cost of this can vary widely. While private lessons will in most cases be very expensive, lessons performed in large groups will cost considerably less, and even less so if the classes are booked in monthly, termly or yearly slots.

It’s also worth seeing the money spent as an investment for the future. Some children who learn these skills may make a career out of teaching others. Even those that don’t will learn skills such as team-building, quick thinking and independence that they will carry into the future and will help them in the working world. Even money spent on the childrens wetsuits, or on kids waterproof trousers can still stand as an investment – the clothes may still be useful in the future should the first sport they try out turn out not to be the one for them - and they can always be sold on or passed onto younger members of the family.

This post was written by James Harper on behalf of Little Terra. James writes on a number of subjects including outdoor activities and sports.

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Getting a Sports Education in College

Image by crmgucd via Flickr

It's easy to settle into a routine in college, whether it is a strict study regimen or a pattern of late nights and sleeping through class. In the midst of your college lifestyle, consider branching out a bit. They say that college is a time for experiencing new things. You might not realize it now, but college is the best opportunity for you to broaden your athletic horizons. Try taking advantage of this trifecta of resources to get a full sports education while in college.

Friends

When you get to college you immediately make many new friends with very diverse backgrounds. Everyone had different experiences growing up, and many of them involve sports. Since it is extremely unlikely that every single one of you played the exact same sports growing up, take advantage of each others knowledge of sports. For example, I have taught a lot of my friends the basics of water polo, which I doubt they would have ever learned elsewhere.

Intramural

Almost every college campus has a program for students to compete in intramural sports. This is a great way for you and your friends to pick up new sports by jumping right into the action. While there are plenty of recreational basketball and softball leagues for adults after college, many other sports are rarely offered outside of intramural programs. Try a sport like badminton, and down the road you will be glad you took advantage of the opportunity to try something new while you had the chance.

Classes

If you aren't one of those people who learns by jumping straight into the action like intramurals, you can take a more gradual approach. Register for a class on campus that teaches the rules and strategies of a sport in a more theoretical setting. These classes usually split time between the classroom and actually playing the sport. Try joining a tennis class, where you will learn what all the lines on the court mean and how to make different types of shots. You never know which sport might become your next favorite pastime.

With these three resources at your fingertips, you can learn how to play more sports while staying in shape, meeting new people, and developing new hobbies. These opportunities are much harder to find once you leave college, so make sure you make time in your schedule to get a full sports education.

About the Author

Chris Faires is a writer for MyCollegesandCareers.com. My Colleges and Careers helps people determine if an online education is right for them and helps them understand which online courses and online schools they can choose from to reach their goals.

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UFC Owners to Offer Insurance for Fighters

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Zuffa, LLC is a company that owns both the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world, and Strikeforce, a mixed martial arts and kickboxing organization. As Zuffa deals with such a large number of fighters (over 350 are under contract with UFC and Strikeforce), it feels a responsibility to them and that’s why the company announced on May 9, 2011 that it would be extending its insurance policy to provide year-round customized insurance for any injury suffered by an athlete signed on with either Strikeforce or UFC. Before this change, Zuffa would give athletes $100,000 if they sustained any injuries during competition. Athletes were not covered if they were injured outside of competition or in training. Two notable athletes that found this out the hard way were Frank Mir and Brock Lesnar. Mir was hit by a car when driving his motorcycle and was unable to fight for over 19 months, while Lesnar was unable to fight for several months due to being stricken with diverticulitis.

These new insurance measures were not undertaken as a result of government intervention – Zuffa chose to take this step on its own. Although the previous insurance provided by Zuffa was enough to meet or exceed the guidelines set out by the Athletic Commission, Zuffa was not pleased with the amount of coverage it provided to its athletes. UFC president Dana White says that providing this type of comprehensive insurance was something Zuffa has wanted to do ever since it bought UFC in 2001. For several years Zuffa searched for an insurance company to provide “training insurance,” but until now it was unable to do so simply because Zuffa could not find a company willing to insure mixed martial artists. Zuffa owner Lorenzo Fertitta talked about his experiences of going to insurance companies, asking them to insure 350-400 fighters and getting the door slammed in his face – no one was interested in insuring high risk fighters. That all changed when Zuffa was finally able to come to an agreement with the A+ rated HCC Insurance Holdings, Inc. It was a three year search in order to find this insurance, which will go into effect June 2011. This is the first time that a company of this type has provided such comprehensive insurance to its athletes.

The new policy will cover all athletes under contract to UFC and Strikeforce whether they live in the United States or not. The coverage applies no matter where the athletes are injured. Zuffa is going to be paying for all the premiums – the athletes will not be required to fork over a cent. It doesn’t matter whether an athlete is scheduled to fight or not – if they’re injured, the insurance will kick in. In addition to injuries caused by accidents, the policy also covered training-related illnesses and other debilitating diseases, although it does not cover minor illnesses like a cold or flu. Athletes will also receive free life and dental insurance under this new policy.

Ryan Martins is from the term life insurance website LifeCover and he is also a guest blogger on a number of popular blogs.

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Tips to use when Training for Boxing Sports

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Generally sports are designed in ways to promote competition, entertainment, recreation to individuals taking part in them. However, these activities require a lot of commitment, strategies as well as fair play in order to get the winner chosen via objective means. If you have the interest of excelling in boxing, it is highly recommended for you to do intense preparation both physically and mentally by training well. The technique of trail and error makes you more effective when taking the sport into account. The following tips will help you when training for the boxing sports.

• Blocking: When training for the boxing sports, you should know when to block your challenger by dropping your weight. This way you will offer yourself time to attack from the ground as well as enabling you to take harder blows via a fortified body structure. In addition, you will be able to block punches from stronger boxers who might shove you roughly while trying to block them. To achieve this, use a weighty punching bag by standing on the front side of the bag and sliding your chest lightly in order to touch it. You can add more thrust to it so as to make swaying motions away from your body. Doing this in the correct way will force the bag to move back to where you are. You can plunge your weight on seeing it swinging towards your face at the same time blocking it then exhaling outwards.
• Breathing: When training for this sport, it is crucial for you to breathe always. You can achieve this training aspect by holding back your breath then exhale it using short and sharp breaths as you do the punching. Failing to breathe during the activity may lead to dire consequences of you becoming breathless causing a lot of vulnerability.
• Skipping rope: A boxer training for the boxing sports should use a skipping rope as it helps in the coordination of a boxer’s body. A fighter is advised to skip around one hundred times on both feet, ten repeats of backward skipping as well as double jumps by alternating the right foot with the left one.
• Proper stance: When training for the boxing sports, it is always wise to keep a close focus on your challenger. Doing this attests that a lot of attention is being paid which shows the challenger that you are not afraid at all. In addition, practice how to pop in the chin, how to make arrangement of your arms as a way of protecting the lower body. Learn how spacing of the feet is done by flexing your knees to make it easier for you to move against your challenger.
• Staying Fit: Fitness at all times is the most important factor when it comes to boxing sports. A boxer should cut on high carbohydrates as well as sweets intake. In addition fluids e.g. soda or any other sugary products should be avoided. The food taken should be in smaller portions followed by an intense workout.

Author bio: Samantha is a health expert during the weekends but also has few websites on tattoo supplies and used trailers as a hobby. She hopes to do well from these websites and hopefully one day wants to own chains the Gym around the areas she lives in.

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