December 21, 2008
Baseball Gloves for Men and Women Alike
Baseball gloves have traditionally been a man’s field of product-ware in the arena of baseball gear. No longer the situation in this day and age. With more women’s leagues taking over the ball diamonds nationwide, and on major playing circuits, the manufacturers now cater especially to the female athlete and the needs to modify the products available to accommodate the differences in the physique of all athletes.
Traditional baseball gloves can burn your palm off if you happen to be aiming your catch for a fast ball moving at high velocity. The experience for a female athlete can be a searing nerve crush that sends your reflexes into emergency mode where you instinctively toss your glove off of your hand and are left with a red-as-an-apple round, temporary tatoo of pain.
How do you find the right mitt that will be able to perform to your ability to exercise dual hand and eye coordination, without having too much padding to cause the ball to bounce right out of your mitt? As with all products that are becoming available tailored to women that were not previously made with women in mind, it has been some trial and error in achieving the perfect mitt for the female player.
Women players seeking a good baseball glove to enhance their play should look for ones that are designed to fit a feminine hand. You will find the quality and performance to be equal to that of the traditional baseball gloves, and your own accuracy and margin for error will decrease as you are fitted into a glove made to work with your unique bone structure.
Smaller finger stalls yield greater control overall, as well as adjustable wrist straps, which allow for your own fluctuations in fluids in your body, factors in your physical health as a woman athlete that matter when you want your performance to be top notch!
Mike Long is the successful web publisher of Baseball-SuperGuide.com providing valuable tips, advice, and info about a multitude of relevant topics including baseball gloves.
Traditional Archery And Target Panic: Simulated Shooting
During my two years of constant struggle with target panic I tried many possible solutions. One of the more promising methods I came up with I call simulated shooting. I tried this method during the period of time when I was working on my own cure for target panic. During the first year or so, I tried everything I had heard or read about with mixed results but no definite cure. Thereafter, I just worked on my own original ideas. My ideas all centered on gaining control. I was convinced that this was where I was going to find my cure. With target panic you have no real control. I wanted to decide exactly how I shot and exactly when I wanted to release the arrow (i.e. complete control).
With lots of practice I found some relief of my target panic symptoms using simulated shooting. Here’s how it works. I bought some surgical tubing (fitness bands from a sporting goods store), cut it to the appropriate size for my draw length and strength, and tied the ends together. I wrapped tape around it making a crude six-inch long handle. While holding the handle in my left hand and hooking the three fingers of my right hand around the band immediately across, I would draw and come to full draw just like I would my actual bow. This is nothing new of course and I am aware that you can buy a similar contraption, but the effectiveness comes with the next step. If you put a pad of some sort near the base of your wrist (and are very careful), you can actually practice your release. You are able to simulate the shooting of your bow. You pick a spot, draw, and release like you normally do but without the negative judgment that often occurs after each shot. I am sure that there are others who have tried this before, but if there are I’m not aware of it.
The idea is to practice shooting this way in order to ingrain the act of holding and releasing when you want to and with control. Over time, in theory, when you go back to shooting your real bow you will do it like you practiced with your simulator. So, did it work this work well for me? Yes and No. For a while it did, but soon my target panic was back. If I had to I would have tried this method again, but fortunately I discovered a technique called the Push Release that eliminated my target panic for good. Simulated shooting is a promising method that might work best if the simulation is practiced often and in between the times you use your real bow.
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Michael Linsin is a former staff writer for US & International Archer Magazine and the author of a top selling book called Archery Strong: The 30-Minute Strength Training Program Designed Specifically For Archers (http://www.ArcheryStrong.com). He is also the creator of The Push Release DVD target panic cure for traditional archers (http://www.PushRelease.com). |
December 16, 2008
Ness Notes (May 17)
The NBA treated us to two thrilling finishes last night, as the Heat edged the Nets 106-105 and in double-overtime, the Suns outlasted the Clippers 125-118. The Heat win eliminates the Nets (4-1) and the win by the Suns gives them a 3-2 lead in their series with the Clippers (resumes Thursday night in LA).
My free play for Wednesday is on the Min Twins over the Det Tigers at 7:05 ET. I got a gift from the “gambling gods” last night with the Suns, extending my playoff run to 5-1 83% since last Weds. Im ‘firing’ on Wednesday with an exclusive LEGEND Play (4-0 in this year’s postseason) plus another 15* Game 5 Showdown. My MLB for Weds will be available by 1:00 ET.
Both home teams won giving home teams a five-game winning streak since Sunday night’s Suns/Clippers game. They are now 12-6 SU in the second round, going 8-10 ATS. Both games went ‘over’, as the high scoring continued in this year’s postseason. The first round saw nine of its final 10 games go over the total and the second has seen 13 of the 18 games go over. Over bettors are now plus-15.4 games, cashing 78.6 percent of their ‘tickets’ over the last 28 playoff contests.
‘Players’ following the “Zig-Zag” theory have had a successful run to-date in the second round, as playing ‘on’ the SU loser of the previous game has them up 5.6 games with a 10-4 record (71.4 percent). However, this can change quickly, as we saw in the first round. The “Zig Zag” theory opened the first round at 19-8-2 ATS but finished the round on an 0-8 ATS run, barely showing a profit (plus 1.4 games) for the effort.
In last night’s NJ/Mia game, the Nets’ trio of Carter, Jefferson and Kidd combined for 86 points (Carter and Jefferson both had 33) but it wasn’t enough to lead the Nets past the Heat, who had six players score in double figures (Walker led the way with 23). Miami, after losing Game 1 100-88, won four straight games. Teams that have fallen behind 3-1 in a seven-game series are now just 8-156 all-time. Are the Mavs and Spurs listening?
In Phoenix, the Suns blew a 19-point third quarter lead and Cassell sent the game into OT with a three-pointer for the Clippers. It was then the Suns’ Bell who nailed a three-pointer at the end of the first OT period, before the Suns outscored the Clippers by seven points in the second OT (for the cover!). Three Clippers played 50 minutes or more (Brand, Cassell and Mobley), while two Suns did (Bell and Marion).
Teams that win Game 5 of a seven-game series when tied at 2-all, have gone on to win 165 of 183 times in NBA playoff history. That’s an .855 winning percentage. Breaking those numbers down further reveals that teams that have won Game 5 at home are 118-10 (.922) while teams that won Game 5 on the road have gone 47-18 (.723). Are the Cavs and Pistons listening?
Wednesday’s games
The Cavs and Pistons start things off tonight in Detroit at 7:05 ET on TNT. The Mavs and Spurs will follow from San Antonio at 9:35 ET. The Pistons are favored by 11 points with a total of 179, while the Spurs are favored by five points with a total of 191 1/2.
The Pistons couldn’t score in the two losses at Cleveland, getting just 77 and 72 points while shooting 39.4 percent and 33.3 percent. Detroit was completely stifled in the second halves of both games, scoring 35 points and 34 points, while being outscored in the fourth quarter of Game 3 (33-21) and Game 4 (21-13). Will a return home make a difference? The Pistons have averaged 106.6 PPG in five playoff home games, shooting 48 percent.
As for the Cavs, James has played all 48 minutes in each of the last three games of this series and neither Ilgauskas (7.0-6.5) nor Gooden (7.0-5.5) were much help in the two Cleveland wins. Hughes is likely to miss his third straight game (maybe no big deal as he was shooting just 31 percent in the playoffs). Can Cleveland players like Marshall, Murray, Snow and Varejao play as well in Detroit as they did in Cleveland?
The Mavs have won three straight games over the Spurs (averaged 113.3 PPG) after losing Game 1, 87-85. Devin Harris has been a major reason, averaging 20.7 PPG while shooting 58.3 percent in the three games (was inserted as a starter for Game 2). Nowitzki scored just 10 baskets in the two wins in Dallas but made 35-of-39 FTs, leading the way for the Mavs who have shot 125 FTs in the three wins, making 102 (.816).
The Spurs have been one of the league’s best defensive teams for years (ranked second in PPG allowed this year with an average of 88.8) but they haven’t been able to stop the Mavs from being aggressive (leading to the high number of FT attempts) nor have they been able to force turnovers (Dallas has just 32 in the three wins). As mentioned yesterday, San Antonio is 0-5 all-time when trailing this late in a series (since 1997).
MLB notes
The Cleveland Indians ended the longest active losing streak in MLB last night (had lost six straight), when Travis Hafner’s two-run HR capped a three-run ninth, giving the Indians a 6-4 win over the Royals. However, I’ll have to check the official record book, as I’m not sure beating the Royals, who own MLB’s worst record at 10-26 (including a pathetic 2-18 mark on the road), really counts!
San Francisco beat the Astros in Houston last night 14-3, following up a 10-1 win in Houston on Monday. Despite his team scoring 24 runs in two days, Barry Bonds extended his homerless streak to 26 at-bats. Also worthy of note in this game was the fact that Jamey Wright got the win. Why the big deal? Wright entered the game 0-12 with an ERA of 7.35 in 17 previous appearances against the Astros. Last night he was staked to a 5-0 lead before taking the mound and pitched seven innings, allowing six hits and three runs.
The Rangers jumped on the Yankees early last night, taking leads of 9-0 (2nd) and 10-1 (3rd). However, the Yanks won 14-13, matching the club’s biggest comeback ever. It marked the fourth time in team history that the Yankees had won after trailing by nine runs. The last time they did it was against the Red Sox (6/26/87), when Roger Clemens was Boston’s starting pitcher in that game! The two teams combined for 33 hits and 27 runs last night.
The Tigers own the longest active winning streak at five games (Tigers are also the league’s best “moneymaker” at plus-$1270) and host the Twins tonight. The pitching matchup is worthy of note, as Johan Santana faces Detroit phenom, Justin Verlander. The Reds, who have lost four straight (longest active losing streak) are in Pittsburgh, which owns the NL’s worst record at 12-27, as well as being MLB’s worst “moneyburners” (minus-$1468).
All 30 teams are again in action tonight (15 games), with the season’s first interleague games just two days away.
Ness Notes is available by 1:00 ET Monday through Friday.
Larry Ness is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League.
Read all of his articles at http://www.procappers.com/Larry_Ness.htm
Free Chess Game
Chess is an indoor game that involves a lot of skill and concentration. It is a game played by two players, each one using certain tactics and strategies that are based on the opponent’s moves. A chess game is played on a chess board using chess pieces. The board is a square with 64 equal-sized squares drawn across. The squares are of alternate colors- generally black and white or any other contrasting colors. The chess pieces are totally 32 in number- 16 for each player, comprising of eight pawns, two knights, two bishops, two rooks, one queen and one king. Each player has one set of these sixteen pieces, which are all of the same color – either black or white.
Chess requires a lot of scheming. The main objective is to eliminate as many of the opponent’s pieces as possible. The game ends when the king is eliminated. However, the game can also end in a draw. The pieces are eliminated when they come in the way of the opponent’s piece. Each kind of piece has a unique movement: the rooks can move any number of spaces vertically or horizontally; bishops can move any number of spaces in any direction diagonally; the queen can move any number of spaces diagonally, horizontally, or vertically; the king can move only one square horizontally, vertically, or diagonally; Knight can move in L shape, i.e. two spaces horizontally and one space vertically – they can jump over occupied squares and moves. When one piece comes in the way of another, it is removed from the board. Each player has to protect his/her pieces and also aim to eliminate the king of the opponent.
Free online versions of chess are available over the Internet. There are several kinds of free online chess games, with attractive options that are sure to keep you hooked for hours. These can be downloaded for free from some sites. They can also be played online with other players. These games also come with instructions, for new players. They have attractive options like game saving or loading, play-by-email, graphical HTML files, and so on. These games also have multiple levels of difficulty. All that is required is to be a member of the site. For most, membership is also free.
Chess Game provides detailed information on Chess Game, Free Chess Game, Online Chess Games, Free Chess Game Downloads and more. Chess Game is affiliated with Glass Chess Sets.
December 14, 2008
NBA Finals Information – Part 1
The NBA Finals are the championship series of the league, set up as a best-of-seven series. The league is divided into two conferences (the Eastern and the Western), and the winner of each conference final meets head on in the NBA finals. The event has taken place at the end of every NBA and, previously, BAA season in history, dating all the way back to 1947.
At times, the series has been referred to as the “World Championship”, suggesting that there isn’t a team in the world that could compete with the powerhouses that are the NBA Finalists. However, this is a controversial term that is not endorsed by the NBA. The Boston Celtics lay claim to an amazing winning streak in the Finals, having earned the championship title all but twice between 1957 and 1969, including eight titles in a row from 1959 to 1966. Overall, the Celtics have won a total of 16 championships (1957, 1959-66, 1968-69, 1974, 1976, 1981, 1984, and 1986), the most of any team in the league.
The NBA Finals are a highly anticipated event yearly, and are watched by a larger audience than the Stanley Cup final in the National Hockey League, which occurs at the same time of year.
Peter Portero writes for easybaseballbetting and much more his articles can be found there.
December 10, 2008
The 1998 Diamond Water Ski Race in Belgium
Large lorries strung across the canal banks promoting sponsors, beer tents, RVs and millions of pounds worth of powerboats set the scene. Music was pumped into the air with engine fumes, anxiety and adrenalin to once again create that unique Diamond Race atmosphere.
Former world champion and eighties legend Danny Bertels was there promoting his balloon flights and faces new and old from throughout Europe merged here to get ready for Europe’s major event of 1998.
With four races on the cards, Sunday 31 May was about to be busy, providing ten thousand spectators with first class value for money. Around six thousand paid their £5 each while a further four thousand were blessed with free entry.
There was a degree of disappointment when Steve Robertson didn’t arrive after the earlier announcement that he’d be taking the 12,000 mile trip to race, but fellow countryman Jason Martin was there to fly the Aussie flag.
All eyes were on Kirkland and Cramphorn but Carlo Cassa and Devid Conti of Italy were quietly confident too. Then of course the Belgian contingent of Micha Robijn, Filip Vervecken and Peter Bertels were hot bets because of their recent standard of skiing and their particular expertise on canal water.
Kirkland’s No Mercy Hallett had begun the weekend by playing up and the mechanical misfortune which dogged this outfit in 1997 was once again trying to rear its head. But everything was running nicely for the start of the race.
The races kicked off with an Open category where Dan Cramphorn took the field by storm and dominated the race until he went in (no he didn’t fall -ok Dan-). It was Chris Cole who was there to pick up the pieces and record his 2nd successive win in the Open race here at Belgium.
The cocky piece of Belgian dynamite named Rick de Brabander took ownership of F3 while the British Pog team with skier Glenn Manchett suffered mechanical misfortune. Ashley Copper, Steve Bird and other Brits did a good job of finishing this gruelling event.
But the big surprise of the day was in the Junior race when Belgian Christoff Van Gaeveren put on a display of skiing which reminded me of Wayne Mawer’s debut performance here in 1996. This diminutive piece of dynamite delivered a gutsy performance on his home water and the youngster is set to go far. But a fall put him into second behind team mate Magdeleyn while Britain’s Kim Lumley took third after only recently recovering from a follow up fall since the Worlds last year.
The moment of the main race arrived. At 4pm the teams lined up in grids. At the five minute flag, tension on the canal and on the banks built up. The first flag dropped giving 19 drivers thirty seconds to pull out the short 190ft ski lines, and then they were off.
Screaming down the first flat straight, teams pushed their skiers to the limit on such short lines. Two major disappointments were the failing of Micha Robijn’s boat to start and a missed start by Filip Vervecken. But the rest had gone.
Carlo Cassa was first round behind a new Bernico Foxy twin with Devid Conti 100 yards behind with Martin McLaughlin’s Cyclone. Kirkland was trailing a further 100 yards back but he’s not usually a quick starter.
As the race progressed, it was clear that Carlo Cassa was back on form. It was also clear that the young Conti was further up the ladder to the top and he’s determined to follow in the footsteps of the Great Gregorio.
Meanwhile Britain’s 18 year old Jamie Cramphorn wasn’t far behind, with ambitions to follow in another former World Champion’s footsteps. Those of Steve Moore MBE – his uncle.
Kirkland’s boat broke after several laps, and although recognised as one of the world’s most gifted racers, he’s probably suffered more bad luck than any other too. It was just his third time on the water since the Worlds in October and his first race of the season. Competitors Cassa and Conti ski every day, backed by substantial funding via the Italian Federation. The reality is that Kirkland is constantly at a distinct disadvantage. A tragic situation to see for this world class British athlete.
Cassa dominated the event, ploughing through the tough conditions, but with Conti always within 30 seconds reach. And the race finished that way, with Belgium’s Peter Bertels coming in third and Cramphorn a good fourth.
As Cassa clambered ashore, he was met with champagne, flowers and a cheering crowd. Cassa was once again back. His year in 1997 was dogged with misfortune. First his ski snapped in an English race at 80mph. He injured his knee, his ankle and his head went for the worlds. After a traumatic time of being wrongly diagnosed by doctors, everything finally came right. Last year he was on the verge of quitting, as was Gregorio after the ‘93 worlds. But with encouragement from his team he fought on.
Team mate Conti was praised by Cassa who told me how natural Conti is on a social ski. “With a little time and more strength, Devid will do well”, said Cassa. And as I asked Cassa about the race he cried. You couldn’t help but be pleased for this great Italian character.
Meanwhile the prize giving was about to begin. A very emotional event with memorial awards being given in remembrance of people from years gone by. It was an event when many felt close.
And then the party. The big top tent was set for a wild night of dancing on tables, singing, beer drinking, beer throwing with not a dry person in sight (I blame Tom Lumley). Cassa & Co. performed the Full Monty and the night went on. And on. And on.
Monday came and the Diamond Race was done. Viersel was already back into it’s mode of quiet country life. Teams had left and so had the atmosphere.
By Robbie Llewellyn
Skiing Technique – Sacrifice Style For Better Balance
I’m sorry to say I don’t do style and I don’t teach it, and if you want to be a better skier, you will have to sacrifice style on the high altar of improved balance and mileage!
After burning up the miles you will eventually start to develop a style of your own, It will be unique and like a fingerprint. People looking up the mountain from that favourite restaurant in the sunshine will say ‘Look, there’s George – I can tell him a mile off! Get the waiter and order his dry martini would you Clarice’.
There are several ways to improve your balance but no short cuts to perfecting it. Balance depends on a combination of mileage, at what age you started to ski, and whether you have done any similar sports that need really good balance such as cycling or riding horses.
If you started skiing as a very young child, your balance will have come naturally, and there will be no concept of skiing being ‘easy’ or ‘difficult’. If you started later in life, your balance will not become second nature until you have skied a very long way. You will have to rely on muscle power and fitness to hold you up and hold you steady at the start. This reliance will decline as your balance improves.
What also helps considerably with your balance is thinking about where your weight is at any given moment, and the type of snow you are skiing on.
To improve your balance initially, try keeping your skis about four inches apart, rather than together. It matters not how close the instructor has his skis. He is only trying to look stylish. It may be a little tricky keeping the skis parallel without them crossing, but they will soon grow out of this. Get a little lower down too by flexing your knees a bit more than usual and bending at the hips. Think about your weight. The default position is always over the middle of your foot.
The wider stance also gives you more latitude with your centre of weight, which can swing to a certain extent between the two skis.
Once again, concentrate on keeping your weight right in the middle of your feet unless told otherwise.
As you have probably never thought about where your weight is on your feet even off skis – after all it’s not something anyone spends a lot of time thinking about – try experimenting now. Just stand up with your knees a little bent and rock slowly backwards and forwards. It’s quite a strange thing to do – ball of the foot, instep, heel, and back to ball of the foot – not far, but it can make a lot of difference to your balance while skiing.
Keeping your weight right on the middle of your feet therefore gives you a wider margin for error before your fore and aft balance goes (that’s your longitudinal balance), and your lower centre of gravity will give you a more stable balance between the two skis (that’s your lateral balance).
You will have gathered that if you are tooling around in this slightly lower position with your skis apart, style will no longer be uppermost in your mind, but the more miles you put under your skis, the sooner your skis will start coming together, and the more upright you will become. In short, your own personal style will improve but it should be an unconscious progression.
Simon Dewhurst has taught downhill skiing in North America, Scandinavia and the European Alps for 35 years. He currently runs a ski chalet agency in the French Alps. His book “Secrets of Better Skiing” can be found at http://www.ski-jungle.com. If you have any comments about the above article, he will be happy to answer them.
December 7, 2008
Chicago Bulls Basketball: Early 2005 Season Analysis
Coach Scott Skiles lead the Baby Bulls to the playoffs, a feat that would appear to be impossible had he not done it. With Eddy Curry refusing to get a physical, the Bulls considered his heart complication a serious problem and traded him to the Knicks. How much left of that playoff team remains with Curry gone?
So far Skiles hasn’t been afraid to tweak the starting lineup, with most bench players appearing in the starting five. 10-9, they are staying close to the #8 spot. However Milwaukee, Indiana, Detroit and Cleveland are all substantially better and will push Chicago down bigtime even if they do make they playoffs. One problem has been filling the platoon of Power Forward, where Darius Songalia, Malik Allen, Othella Harrington and Michael Sweetney have all started.
Another problem is that they don’t have a go-to guy. They have 6 different players scoring 9 or more a game, but both of their leading scorers are coming off the bench. They are 28th in the NBA in Free-throw attempts, which means that Kirk Hinrich hasn’t been driving to the hoop as often as he should. As young a team as this is they commit a slew of turnovers, 15.2 a game (23rd in the League). Hinrich isn’t a conventional PG but he doesn’t needs to be, since the Bulls are an impressive 5th in the NBA in Assists Per Game.
Ben Gordon is a great shooter and does the job coming off the bench. Last year he was a Rookie of the Year candidate coming of the bench, winning the 6th Man award. With Eddy Curry gone, the Bulls don’t really have a direction to who should be their leader, but it should be Gordon. Skiles should place Gordon in the starting lineup over Chris Duhon. Gordon has the potential to be an all-out scorer, but he needs to receive more than 20 minutes a game.
The Bulls may have remade the playoffs, but they have to completely reestablish themselves as Eastern contenders. The Bulls are a slightly older team this year and are relying on fundamentals alone to get them scores. They certainly aren’t as deep as last year, even though Deng and Gordon lead the team from the bench. When Chicago faces a daunting presence like Shaquille O’Neal, they’ll struggle to hold him off. Their chances of postseason nirvana are slim right now, we’ll have to wait and see just how much more they can develop.
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NBA Preview – Miami Heat
If you can’t take the Heat…
The Miami Heat made their best showing in franchise history a season ago in reaching the Eastern Conference Finals but still fell short of expectations. The expectations grow even higher this season as veteran guard Gary Payton (The Glove) and still emerging playmaker Jason Williams (White Chocolate) join Superman (Shaquille O’neal) and Flash (Dwayne Wade) to form their own version of the fantastic four. With other key acquisitions James Posey and Antoine Walker thrown into the mix, along side Alonzo Mourning; this is the best talent in the East. The question at large is if this team will look as good during the course of the season as they do on paper.
In the recent past we’ve seen that having too much talent can hinder a team. In 2003, the Los Angeles Lakers, with four future hall-of-famers (Shaq, Kobe, Gary Payton, Karl Malone) had trouble finding their rhythm and ultimately could not get the job done.
They found it difficult to get enough touches for each player, and Payton and Malone never fully adapted to the triangle offense. But with this new Miami squad, not as much seems to be in doubt. It is a huge advantage that O’neal and Payton were both a part of the Lakers’ debacle two seasons ago. They will be able to dissect the problems in L.A. and bring their experience to Miami.
One problem they will have to address is team chemistry. Players will need to understand and adhere to the role that is best for the team and not the one they are used to playing. Dwayne Wade, Jason Williams, Gary Payton, and Antoine Walker are all used to having the ball in their hands and making the decisions on offense. Dwayne Wade will have the ball the majority of the time, and it will be up to Coach Van Gundy to find a system that works for Payton and Williams. I think he will get himself into trouble is he tries to play these guys in a set rotation. If he plays them strategically according to matchups, the Heat will be better offeven if this means one of them hardly playing in some games.
Defense was the biggest weakness for Miami a season ago. In this regard, the Heat improve with their new players. Payton’s length at 6′4” and above average quickness, despite aging legs, should provide solid on the ball defense resulting in keeping the oppositions point guards in check. Posey is athletic at 6′8” and can guard smaller if need be. Walker’s large frame will allow Van Gundy to be creative with matchups. He will be a solid compliment to O’neal and Haslem. Miami shouldn’t lose a game on the boards all season.
If Miami had another weakness last season, it was a consistent compliment to Shaq and Wade. The Heat need a third player to be productive and efficient to win a title. For the Bulls in the nineties, there was Michael, Scottie, and Horace Grant. For the Spurs, there’s Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker. Last season, the two Jones’ usually took on the role of the third scorer. But in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pistons defensive intensity made it difficult for Damon to get open looks and kept Eddie’s slashing to a minimum. Antoine Walker could be what the Heat is looking for. He will fill a stat line more than either of the Jones’ did last season. He will consistently get double-doubles. But in order for Walker to be the type of player this team needs, he will have to exercise better shot selection than he’s shown in the past, which should help him shoot a better percentage from the field. Also, look for William’s energy at the end of quarters to be a big spark for the Heat.
Miami will be the team to beat in the East this season.
Jimmy Boyd is a documented member of the Professional Handicappers League. Read all of his articles at http://www.procappers.com/Jimmy_Boyd.htm
A Breathtaking Pewter Christmas Ornament
I never used to think of pewter during the holiday season. This time of year was always associated with silver and gold. That was until I received a pewter Christmas ornament as a keepsake present a few years ago. The beautiful addition to my holiday decorations was the beginning of a new tradition for me.
Most of our holiday decorations are chosen for special reasons. When I received the pewter Christmas ornament I found a new appreciation for a metal that is commonly overlooked. At first glance I thought that the decorations was made of silver but I found more weight and depth than I expected from a sterling item.
The pewter Christmas ornament was a small wreath. The detail on the decoration was absolutely breathtaking and I was amazed by how intricate the fine lines were on the lovely piece. This ornament was a true work of art and I knew at a glance that this was going to be the first of a collection of pewter ornaments in my home.
I chose to take a unique approach to my collection. Since my very first pewter Christmas ornament was a wreath I decided to build upon that theme. I chose an artificial wreath at first to display my small collection. I searched for one pewter ornament after another in various stores as well as online.
I finally came across a whole collection of small metal decorations made of this material. The investment in the collection was relatively little money and I had created a whole new way of presenting my first pewter Christmas ornament. The artificial wreath was the perfect display case for my decorations.
Many would think that I would want to include these items on my holiday tree. At first I had included my pewter Christmas ornament among the others on the tree. However, I really wanted to display the item separately or at least as part of a unique collection.
There was no way that I could afford to fill a whole tree with pewter ornaments so I decided to display the items on a smaller scale. The wreath was the perfect start and it also served as a great reminder of my very first pewter Christmas ornament. The collection fits perfectly on a wreath and there is no need to purchase more.
I decided to pitch the artificial wreath and opted to buy a new live one each year for the pewter Christmas ornaments. I love the fresh smell of the fur pine and I think that my collection deserves a quality display. This is the first decoration I present during the holiday season.