Proper training is an important factor in improving your game. An often overlooked aspect of golf training is the short game. Extra time at the range hitting the long ball is a blast; nothing will improve your game more than spending you time working on shots ranging less than 100 yards.
The secret to any training system is to stick a routine. Split your training time evenly between both the long and short game. Two hours pounding drives should equal committing to two hours putting on the green.
Do not neglect approach shots either, or chip shots and or shots out of the sand. A long, arrow straight drive is a thing of beauty to watch, but an accurate chip shot will save two-puts and win matches. When training, it is best to simulate real world conditions. Sure, you could rake the sand perfectly smooth for each and every practice shot and place ball gently on top, but that will never happen on the course. Toss the ball straight up in the air to simulate the dreaded fried egg flop. Set your practice shots up right against the wall of the sand trap practice high angle outs, or the smart shot off to the side.
There has to be a park in the neighborhood that is not always trimmed on time. Train at rescuing your game from the deep salad. Not making it to the driving range is not a reason to skip training. If you spent an hour at the driving range this morning, then you owe yourself an hour of short game practice. A bucket of balls is the only equipment you need to practice chipping from the unattended edges at the park.
Your putter swing is absolutely the most important part of your routine training. Matches are lost and won on the green more than other sections of the course. Practice shots from inches to feet, uphill, cross slope and downhill while on the putting green.
It is also important to remember that you can practice at home as well. There may be a part of the garden that a few deep chips will not hurt. You can let the back yard go without mowing an extra week and practice short, gentle chip shots without hurting the turf.
Metered practice will improve your game more than any elements of your golf training routine. Spending an hour, a few days a week, will pay off more that long stints on the weekend. Weekends are best-spent playing eighteen any way.
2013年10月29日星期二
2013年10月22日星期二
Golf Swing Instruction
The golf swing can always be improved, it's something which you can always be building upon, whether you're a beginner or not. In this article I just want to give you some really simple yet effective golf swing instruction that you can put into practice very easily for great results.
So let's get started!
The Basics
First of all I would just like to cover what I consider to be the basics of the golf swing and that is swing path and swing plane. This is pretty basic so if you're not a beginner you may want to skip over this, but anyway I just want to give you a quick definition of these terms, and how they relate to one another.
The golf swing to put it simply is a circular shape, your club follows this circular shape as it tracks through the ball. The 'swing path' refers to the circular path which your swing takes, whereas the 'swing plane' refers to the angle of the swing path in relation to the ground.
So let me just explain this in a little more detail just so it's a little clearer, your club travels on a circular swing path however this swing path is not flat, but rather as the club is following this circular swing path it follows an inclined plane.
As you can see these terms are different from one another, but they are very much interrelated as the swing path follows the swing plane. As I said earlier your swing path is not flat instead it follows an inclined plane. So this plane is not horizontal like a merry go round, but it's also not vertical like a Ferris wheel instead it is tilted somewhere in between.
So that's the basics out of the way I hope that's cleared a few things up for you. Don't worry too much about the technicalities of the swing plane, it's going to differ depending on your height and other things anyway.
Now it's time to move onto the more advanced golf swing instruction.
Using Your Body Correctly
Any golfer knows that in order to swing and swing well you must have a really great body rotation. The swing is lead by the body, not by the arms! One of the most common swing mistakes is starting the swing from the arms and letting the arms just become way too overactive through the swing.
If you're starting your swing with your arms that's going to cause all sorts of problems. the most common being a slice. Not only that but a swing that comes from the arms has no power, causes miss-hits and is going to take your club off of its correct path.
In order to achieve a great swing you must begin the rotation with your body, so at address the hips and shoulders should be parallel as you swing to the top of the backswing, the hips will complete their turn before the shoulders.
The shoulders rotate at a right angle to your spine until your back faces the target. On the downswing the hips begin their rotation before the shoulders
When it comes to lower body rotation a problem which a lot of golfers have on the downswing is that when they start the rotation of the hips, they make the mistake of jutting their hips out and slide their lower body out too much.
So let's get started!
The Basics
First of all I would just like to cover what I consider to be the basics of the golf swing and that is swing path and swing plane. This is pretty basic so if you're not a beginner you may want to skip over this, but anyway I just want to give you a quick definition of these terms, and how they relate to one another.
The golf swing to put it simply is a circular shape, your club follows this circular shape as it tracks through the ball. The 'swing path' refers to the circular path which your swing takes, whereas the 'swing plane' refers to the angle of the swing path in relation to the ground.
So let me just explain this in a little more detail just so it's a little clearer, your club travels on a circular swing path however this swing path is not flat, but rather as the club is following this circular swing path it follows an inclined plane.
As you can see these terms are different from one another, but they are very much interrelated as the swing path follows the swing plane. As I said earlier your swing path is not flat instead it follows an inclined plane. So this plane is not horizontal like a merry go round, but it's also not vertical like a Ferris wheel instead it is tilted somewhere in between.
So that's the basics out of the way I hope that's cleared a few things up for you. Don't worry too much about the technicalities of the swing plane, it's going to differ depending on your height and other things anyway.
Now it's time to move onto the more advanced golf swing instruction.
Using Your Body Correctly
Any golfer knows that in order to swing and swing well you must have a really great body rotation. The swing is lead by the body, not by the arms! One of the most common swing mistakes is starting the swing from the arms and letting the arms just become way too overactive through the swing.
If you're starting your swing with your arms that's going to cause all sorts of problems. the most common being a slice. Not only that but a swing that comes from the arms has no power, causes miss-hits and is going to take your club off of its correct path.
In order to achieve a great swing you must begin the rotation with your body, so at address the hips and shoulders should be parallel as you swing to the top of the backswing, the hips will complete their turn before the shoulders.
The shoulders rotate at a right angle to your spine until your back faces the target. On the downswing the hips begin their rotation before the shoulders
When it comes to lower body rotation a problem which a lot of golfers have on the downswing is that when they start the rotation of the hips, they make the mistake of jutting their hips out and slide their lower body out too much.
2013年10月16日星期三
Golf Psychology: Coping with Anger
Coping with Anger
It is extremely difficult to play well when you are angry. I know we have all hit a peach of a drive that was loaded with anger after 3 putting the last green but if you're honest that's the exception rather than the rule. If things go wrong on the course for you, you can't loose it because you will jeopardise the whole round. The following exercise is designed to help you tap into a more positive reaction when the red mist rises. We'll be incorporating the idea that your mind works though habitual behaviours*, as discussed in other articles. So we will train it through repetition, how to handle anger. Only now you will be using an accelerated learning technique and reducing the time it takes to make the change by 80%. It's time to change the anchor* from one that sets you off - to one that calms you down.
Exercise:
Sit down and use your peripheral vision to induce calmness and relaxation.
Recall a typical round and count how many times you clearly reacted with anger
Make a pact with yourself to reduce that number by one the next time you play.
Now watch a movie of yourself in one of those moments of anger and make sure that you see it in black and white.
Once you have played the movie, get a picture and feeling inside of someone you admire. A person who's opinion really matters to you. Someone you truly respect.
Now, imagine YOU are this person you admire. Act as if you are in their skin watching the movie of you on the course loosing it.
While watching the movie and feeling like this person you admire, what are they thinking of you as a person who explodes in anger and over reacts to what, after all, is just a game? Take your time; try to fully engage with what you believe this person would think of what they are seeing.
Now, with this sense of the person you respect, how do you feel about the way you handle yourself on the course?
With this new understanding, ask the person you admire, "how would you like to see me respond?" Wait for their answer and seriously take note of it
Now step back into your own body in the movie and while watching the movie of your old self reacting with anger and imagine exactly how you want to respond in every future situation on the course that might cause you anger. Use the insight provided by the person you admire and respect.
Get fully associated into these desired feelings. Fill your sense with this new feeling of being completely resourceful. See the new you in full glorious" Technicolor".
Run the movie from just before the anger reaction and relive it with this new feeling. Repeat the movie. Be fully associated with this new, calm confident you.
When the feeling are at their peak, anchor them so you can recall the feelings of control on the course at will.
Spend the time necessary applying and repeating this exercise and your new habit will enter your game as effortlessly as downing your first pint at the 19th.
It is extremely difficult to play well when you are angry. I know we have all hit a peach of a drive that was loaded with anger after 3 putting the last green but if you're honest that's the exception rather than the rule. If things go wrong on the course for you, you can't loose it because you will jeopardise the whole round. The following exercise is designed to help you tap into a more positive reaction when the red mist rises. We'll be incorporating the idea that your mind works though habitual behaviours*, as discussed in other articles. So we will train it through repetition, how to handle anger. Only now you will be using an accelerated learning technique and reducing the time it takes to make the change by 80%. It's time to change the anchor* from one that sets you off - to one that calms you down.
Exercise:
Sit down and use your peripheral vision to induce calmness and relaxation.
Recall a typical round and count how many times you clearly reacted with anger
Make a pact with yourself to reduce that number by one the next time you play.
Now watch a movie of yourself in one of those moments of anger and make sure that you see it in black and white.
Once you have played the movie, get a picture and feeling inside of someone you admire. A person who's opinion really matters to you. Someone you truly respect.
Now, imagine YOU are this person you admire. Act as if you are in their skin watching the movie of you on the course loosing it.
While watching the movie and feeling like this person you admire, what are they thinking of you as a person who explodes in anger and over reacts to what, after all, is just a game? Take your time; try to fully engage with what you believe this person would think of what they are seeing.
Now, with this sense of the person you respect, how do you feel about the way you handle yourself on the course?
With this new understanding, ask the person you admire, "how would you like to see me respond?" Wait for their answer and seriously take note of it
Now step back into your own body in the movie and while watching the movie of your old self reacting with anger and imagine exactly how you want to respond in every future situation on the course that might cause you anger. Use the insight provided by the person you admire and respect.
Get fully associated into these desired feelings. Fill your sense with this new feeling of being completely resourceful. See the new you in full glorious" Technicolor".
Run the movie from just before the anger reaction and relive it with this new feeling. Repeat the movie. Be fully associated with this new, calm confident you.
When the feeling are at their peak, anchor them so you can recall the feelings of control on the course at will.
Spend the time necessary applying and repeating this exercise and your new habit will enter your game as effortlessly as downing your first pint at the 19th.
2013年10月14日星期一
Hand Axe Or Knife, Which Is More Important?
If I am in a survival situation and can only have one edged tool, which is more important the hand axe or the knife? Today, this is the start of long and sometimes heated discussions around a campfire. In this article we will look at the attributes of each and try to formulate an answer based on knowledge.
The hand axe from its beginning was used as a chopper to remove large pieces of meat from harvested game and get at bone marrow, needed for its nutrients. It was probably used to chop wood and numerous other tasks. The earliest examples of hand axes were just a stone with one or more sides that were sharp. In the truest sense a hand axe has no handle and is the oldest tool of man.
For the last 6,000 years the hand axe and axe have been hafted, handle attached, and the head has been made of metal. Technological advances have improved their power, efficiency, durability, and transportability, but altered their purpose minimally.
Today, hand axe is a general term used for short axes. Hatchet and tomahawk are names of hand axes with specific design characteristics, but are sometimes mistakenly used as the general term.
The knife has been in existence for about 21/2 million years. Many scientists consider it as the oldest tool of mankind instead of the hand axe. A knife can be an edged tool that has a handle or has no handle.
A knife’s primary purpose is for slicing or light cutting. It cuts smaller pieces of meat, hide, sticks, vines, etc. A knife may be as short as about 1 inch and as long as 4-5 feet in the case of some swords. This diversity of size allows the knife to be used in a variety of ways and instigates the argument of importance.
Small to medium, 6 or 7 inch, knives are ideal for gutting, skinning, and slicing bacon or vegetables. Large knives are ideal for cutting larger pieces of meat and wood and used as weapons. Machetes and swords are the heavy cutters of the knife world.
With the exception of the bolo machete, a knife generally has its weight balanced between the blade and the handle. The bolo is weighted forward to increase the force delivered with each stroke for heavier cutting.
A hand axe concentrates most of its weight in the head for optimum power. A longer handle on a hand axe increases the mechanical advantage and the resulting power. A knife and hand axe of equal weight and length will not have equal striking force because of the differing concentration of weight. Therefore, the hand axe will always be superior when chopping large or tough substances.
A knife can be used to cut large pieces of wood by utilizing a baton, a large piece of wood, to strike the back of the knife which increases the force applied. It is labor intensive, however. In a survival situation where food is scarce or non-existent the increased expenditure of energy could result in exhaustion and ultimately death.
Most hand axes are bulkier than a knife and do not have as sharp an edge. The Firestone Belt Axe may be the exception. Due to the extra bulk and duller edge, it is difficult to perform tasks such as opening the body cavity to remove the guts of game. Small game or fish intensifies the difficulty.
It has been shown that the hand axe and knife were developed for very different tasks and remain so today. Therefore, an answer to the question of which is more important will depend on temperature, vegetation, and game present in the survival location. A hand axe might be relatively useless in the desert. However, a knife could not provide enough fuel to stay alive in the forested areas of the mountains and northern climates during much of the year.
An in depth look at the attributes of the hand axe and knife has shown us much about their capabilities, but still does not give us a clear answer alone. Geographical concerns are as important as the attributes of the tools. I can’t answer for you, but I will carry both almost always since I consider each unique and of equal importance.
The hand axe from its beginning was used as a chopper to remove large pieces of meat from harvested game and get at bone marrow, needed for its nutrients. It was probably used to chop wood and numerous other tasks. The earliest examples of hand axes were just a stone with one or more sides that were sharp. In the truest sense a hand axe has no handle and is the oldest tool of man.
For the last 6,000 years the hand axe and axe have been hafted, handle attached, and the head has been made of metal. Technological advances have improved their power, efficiency, durability, and transportability, but altered their purpose minimally.
Today, hand axe is a general term used for short axes. Hatchet and tomahawk are names of hand axes with specific design characteristics, but are sometimes mistakenly used as the general term.
The knife has been in existence for about 21/2 million years. Many scientists consider it as the oldest tool of mankind instead of the hand axe. A knife can be an edged tool that has a handle or has no handle.
A knife’s primary purpose is for slicing or light cutting. It cuts smaller pieces of meat, hide, sticks, vines, etc. A knife may be as short as about 1 inch and as long as 4-5 feet in the case of some swords. This diversity of size allows the knife to be used in a variety of ways and instigates the argument of importance.
Small to medium, 6 or 7 inch, knives are ideal for gutting, skinning, and slicing bacon or vegetables. Large knives are ideal for cutting larger pieces of meat and wood and used as weapons. Machetes and swords are the heavy cutters of the knife world.
With the exception of the bolo machete, a knife generally has its weight balanced between the blade and the handle. The bolo is weighted forward to increase the force delivered with each stroke for heavier cutting.
A hand axe concentrates most of its weight in the head for optimum power. A longer handle on a hand axe increases the mechanical advantage and the resulting power. A knife and hand axe of equal weight and length will not have equal striking force because of the differing concentration of weight. Therefore, the hand axe will always be superior when chopping large or tough substances.
A knife can be used to cut large pieces of wood by utilizing a baton, a large piece of wood, to strike the back of the knife which increases the force applied. It is labor intensive, however. In a survival situation where food is scarce or non-existent the increased expenditure of energy could result in exhaustion and ultimately death.
Most hand axes are bulkier than a knife and do not have as sharp an edge. The Firestone Belt Axe may be the exception. Due to the extra bulk and duller edge, it is difficult to perform tasks such as opening the body cavity to remove the guts of game. Small game or fish intensifies the difficulty.
It has been shown that the hand axe and knife were developed for very different tasks and remain so today. Therefore, an answer to the question of which is more important will depend on temperature, vegetation, and game present in the survival location. A hand axe might be relatively useless in the desert. However, a knife could not provide enough fuel to stay alive in the forested areas of the mountains and northern climates during much of the year.
An in depth look at the attributes of the hand axe and knife has shown us much about their capabilities, but still does not give us a clear answer alone. Geographical concerns are as important as the attributes of the tools. I can’t answer for you, but I will carry both almost always since I consider each unique and of equal importance.
The reason why The Golfer Require Clicgear 3.0 To Win The Game?
When you are playing golf, do you ever before see your friend who seemed really tired when the game has been running for half of the game. After I asked him, he said it was so tired when moving "push cart" which is heavy and hard to be moved, a lot of useless spend of power.
Without a doubt, Push carts are golf equipment that is essential, because it assists us place our arm. However when push cart is overweight and hard to be moved, it will make us to be slower Finally our power drained away only to drive the "push-cart" only. And if this occurs frequently, we will immediately tired and make us reduce concentration in the game
To be able to plays golf with more concentration, not a lot of energy is wasted then one technique is to use a golf push cart which is excellent quality and reputable.
Some of the characteristics that you need to look at before replacing your old push-cart with a new one as follow:
Material:
A good push cart made from lightweight and strong materials. Most of the lighter and stronger materials are made of aluminum. It is better if matched with grade aluminum for airplanes industries
Wheels:
Size of the wheel. Bigger diameter wheel push cart could make it easier to be shifted and do not need much effort. Note also bearing wheels. The better the bearing is used, the more smooth the wheels to move.
Next, simply folded to be placed in the trunk of the car and do not need a lot of area.
The height of the push cart:
Push carts can be set to match the height of the body. So if you're tall, so no need to bow when pushing the push-cart. If too often bend the back will be sore and you do not come home with a happy but instead makes your back injured.
Other additional characteristics that you need to look at are the accessories such as holders to put umbrellas, hats, gloves and so forth.
One of several push-cart that is currently quite good quality due to ever win the Winner of the 2007 Best New Product Award at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida is the three-wheel golf push cart. The newest version is 3.0 which has a benefit than the previous version 2.0 model.
Without a doubt, Push carts are golf equipment that is essential, because it assists us place our arm. However when push cart is overweight and hard to be moved, it will make us to be slower Finally our power drained away only to drive the "push-cart" only. And if this occurs frequently, we will immediately tired and make us reduce concentration in the game
To be able to plays golf with more concentration, not a lot of energy is wasted then one technique is to use a golf push cart which is excellent quality and reputable.
Some of the characteristics that you need to look at before replacing your old push-cart with a new one as follow:
Material:
A good push cart made from lightweight and strong materials. Most of the lighter and stronger materials are made of aluminum. It is better if matched with grade aluminum for airplanes industries
Wheels:
Size of the wheel. Bigger diameter wheel push cart could make it easier to be shifted and do not need much effort. Note also bearing wheels. The better the bearing is used, the more smooth the wheels to move.
Next, simply folded to be placed in the trunk of the car and do not need a lot of area.
The height of the push cart:
Push carts can be set to match the height of the body. So if you're tall, so no need to bow when pushing the push-cart. If too often bend the back will be sore and you do not come home with a happy but instead makes your back injured.
Other additional characteristics that you need to look at are the accessories such as holders to put umbrellas, hats, gloves and so forth.
One of several push-cart that is currently quite good quality due to ever win the Winner of the 2007 Best New Product Award at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Florida is the three-wheel golf push cart. The newest version is 3.0 which has a benefit than the previous version 2.0 model.
2013年10月13日星期日
Super Bowl Hangover Edition of the LAP Dance
** Packers QB Aaron Rodgers capped off a super playoff run with a 308-yard, 3-TD performance against the Steelers. It’s easy to imagine he would have had another 100 yards and at least 1 TD had his teammates not dropped 4 perfectly thrown balls. Aaron Rodgers’ 2011 postseason performance will go down as one of the greatest of all time. In 4 playoff games, A-Rodg racked up 1,094 yards and 9 TDs, joining Kurt Warner as the only QBs to throw for 1,000+ yards and 9+ TDs in one postseason. And with his 111.5 QB rating in Sunday’s game, Rodgers’ career postseason passer rating now stands at 112.6 – the best all time among QBs with at least 150 attempts. The previous record-holder? Packer great… Bart Starr.
** Packers WR Jordy Nelson saved his best performance for the biggest stage. Forced into a bigger role due to Donald Driver’s ankle injury, Nelson set career-highs with 9 catches and 140 yards against the Steelers on Sunday. Sure – he dropped 3 balls, but no one will remember those in a month. Nelson is a name to track this offseason with Driver considering retirement and James Jones hitting free-agency.
** Throughout most of Super Bowl week, the mainstream media began speculating on whether a Steelers victory would mean (i) this version of the Steelers was a dynasty, and (ii) Ben Roethlisberger was a Hall of Fame QB. File those two musings as putting the cart before the horse. A quick look at Ben’s Super Bowl performances shows a not-ready-for-prime-time player. Against the Seahawks, his QB rating was a putrid 22.6. He rebounded with a 93.2 and game-winning drive vs. the Cardinals. And backslid against the Packers with a 77.4. In each of those Super Bowls, he was outperformed by his counterpart. Matt Hasselbeck pitched a 67.8; Kurt Warner posted a 112.3; and Aaron Rodgers had an MVP 111.5 QB rating.
** Gene Collier from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote this on Saturday: "Without the benefit of experience, for example, how would Ben Roethlisberger know to take his offensive line to a piano bar and, according to TMZ, ‘sing his face off’ until 1:45 a.m.? ‘I haven't been out carousing,’ Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said the morning after Steelers karaoke. ‘I am a homebody, so I've been spending a lot of time in my hotel room watching film.’ The Green Bay quarterback is the most productive player on either team right now, partly because his maturity has paralleled nicely with the Packers' peak performances." In his hotel room watching game film the week of the Super Bowl?! Not out sampling the local strip joints like Hines Ward and Ike Taylor?! Not being the Piano Man at the swankest dueling piano bar in Dallas? Huh. Who knew winning the Super Bowl could be so damned boring?
** The most disappointing Steelers performance goes to S and Defensive Player of the Year, Troy Polamalu. He finished with only 3 tackles all game. Part of it was the function of the Packers spread offense, and part was a player who always looked a step too slow in the playoffs this year.
** Major props to the Steelers O-line. I trashed them in the last LAP Dance, but they played a standout game in opening holes for Rashard Mendenhall, as well as pass protecting for Ben Roethlisberger. They also had a very strong game against the Jets in the AFC Championship Game.
** With 12 minutes left in the game, and down by 2 scores, it was hard to figure out why the Steelers offense seemed to be running out the clock. Didn’t they watch the Patriots pull the same blunder against the Jets 3 weeks ago?
** The new playoff overtime rules didn’t get tested at all this season. All that over-thinking for nothing.
** If you’re wondering what the consensus 2011 fantasy football rankings might look like, check out the free article on the Draftsharks site.
** Just another reminder that you can still take advantage of our Early Bird Special and get a 1 or 2-year subscription to Draft Sharks for the lowest price of the year. If you were a 2010 member, simply log-in and click the link for the Early Bird Special. If you weren’t a member last year, just click right here to join our exclusive community!
** So let’s say you dropped 5 grand on a couple Super Bowl tickets, another $1,000 on a round-trip flight to Dallas, and another grand on your hotel. Then you show up to the much-heralded Cowboys Stadium on game day only to find out that your seats aren’t available because they didn’t meet safety codes. How would you react? Here’s how a few of the 400 displaced fans decided to handle the situation.
** Best Super Bowl commercial of 2011 – and perhaps of all-time – was the Faith Hill’s Teleflora commercial. Who woulda thought sending flowers could be such a tender moment?
** Worst commercial was Joan Rivers as a GoDaddy girl. It brought up a little chili I had eaten 20 minutes prior. Honorable mention goes to M&M who pimped Brisk iced tea and Chrysler cars. That whole perpetual white, whining, angry kid from the inner-city act doesn’t mix with corporate America.
** Suggestion for future Super Bowls. Bag the halftime entertainment. The performers are typically marquee names way beyond their prime – or current stars who bomb. Speaking of which, why is it so bloody difficult to remember the words to the national anthem? I understand it takes talent to hit all the notes. But to memorize just 8 lines when you have weeks to prepare... How hard is that? From now on, just have a military honor guard walk out with a wounded veteran. And ask anyone who can blow a horn well to perform the honors of the national anthem.
** How’s this for a confident head coach… Less than 24 hours before the biggest game of their lives, Packers HC Mike McCarthy had his players fitted for Super Bowl rings. "It was just something to show that he had a lot of confidence in us," CB Sam Shields said. "Getting fitted for the ring showed he had confidence in us." Gotta like that. McCarthy had my vote for Coach of the Year even before yesterday’s Super Bowl win.
** The Packers might have been a 6 seed, but remember that all of their 6 losses this year were by a combined total of 20 points. And 6 of their Week 1 starters were on IR by the end of the season. They should see a few more Super Bowls before Aaron Rodgers retires.
** In a season filled with all sorts of injuries, it was fitting that the Packers were able to pull out another victory on Sunday despite another handful of guys leaving early. WR Donald Driver, CB Charles Woodson, and CB Sam Shields all missed a large portion of the game with various ailments. "When somebody goes down, you know you still have to play football," Woodson said. "It doesn't matter who it is or at what point in the season it is. You still have to go out there and perform. That's the kind of example you try to show to your teammates and they follow. They followed all the way to the Super Bowl with a victory."
** And DC Dom Capers deserves all sorts of props. He’s been brilliant all season long, but he was at his best on Sunday. After Woodson and Shields went out, Capers went with a more conservative game plan, cutting back on his blitzes and going with more zone coverage. "We were scrambling there for a while because a big part of our game plan went out the window," Capers said. "We planned on playing a lot of man coverage and when those guys went out we had to become more of a zone team." And just when Capers had Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers lulled to sleep, he dialed up 3 straight blitzes on Pittsburgh’s final drive of the game. Capers deserves another head coaching job and should get one in the near future.
** The price just went up for Eagles QB Kevin Kolb. On Saturday, news leaked that Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald is campaigning for his team to go out and acquire Kolb. You can bet that will be brought up in any negotiations between the Eagles and Cardinals.
** A couple crazy internet rumors have been spreading since late last night. One is that the Eagles were getting ready to fire HC Andy Reid and replace him with Jon Gruden. The other: HC Sean Payton was leaving New Orleans for a position with the Cowboys. Both rumors have been shot down and were pretty ridiculous to begin with.
** In case you missed it from the Draft Sharks YouTube channel… check out the latest.
** Next on the DS agenda… The NFL Combine starts on February 23. We’ll be hitting the Draft information in the coming weeks, and beyond. And keep your eyes open for our 1st mock draft later this month.
** Packers WR Jordy Nelson saved his best performance for the biggest stage. Forced into a bigger role due to Donald Driver’s ankle injury, Nelson set career-highs with 9 catches and 140 yards against the Steelers on Sunday. Sure – he dropped 3 balls, but no one will remember those in a month. Nelson is a name to track this offseason with Driver considering retirement and James Jones hitting free-agency.
** Throughout most of Super Bowl week, the mainstream media began speculating on whether a Steelers victory would mean (i) this version of the Steelers was a dynasty, and (ii) Ben Roethlisberger was a Hall of Fame QB. File those two musings as putting the cart before the horse. A quick look at Ben’s Super Bowl performances shows a not-ready-for-prime-time player. Against the Seahawks, his QB rating was a putrid 22.6. He rebounded with a 93.2 and game-winning drive vs. the Cardinals. And backslid against the Packers with a 77.4. In each of those Super Bowls, he was outperformed by his counterpart. Matt Hasselbeck pitched a 67.8; Kurt Warner posted a 112.3; and Aaron Rodgers had an MVP 111.5 QB rating.
** Gene Collier from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette wrote this on Saturday: "Without the benefit of experience, for example, how would Ben Roethlisberger know to take his offensive line to a piano bar and, according to TMZ, ‘sing his face off’ until 1:45 a.m.? ‘I haven't been out carousing,’ Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said the morning after Steelers karaoke. ‘I am a homebody, so I've been spending a lot of time in my hotel room watching film.’ The Green Bay quarterback is the most productive player on either team right now, partly because his maturity has paralleled nicely with the Packers' peak performances." In his hotel room watching game film the week of the Super Bowl?! Not out sampling the local strip joints like Hines Ward and Ike Taylor?! Not being the Piano Man at the swankest dueling piano bar in Dallas? Huh. Who knew winning the Super Bowl could be so damned boring?
** The most disappointing Steelers performance goes to S and Defensive Player of the Year, Troy Polamalu. He finished with only 3 tackles all game. Part of it was the function of the Packers spread offense, and part was a player who always looked a step too slow in the playoffs this year.
** Major props to the Steelers O-line. I trashed them in the last LAP Dance, but they played a standout game in opening holes for Rashard Mendenhall, as well as pass protecting for Ben Roethlisberger. They also had a very strong game against the Jets in the AFC Championship Game.
** With 12 minutes left in the game, and down by 2 scores, it was hard to figure out why the Steelers offense seemed to be running out the clock. Didn’t they watch the Patriots pull the same blunder against the Jets 3 weeks ago?
** The new playoff overtime rules didn’t get tested at all this season. All that over-thinking for nothing.
** If you’re wondering what the consensus 2011 fantasy football rankings might look like, check out the free article on the Draftsharks site.
** Just another reminder that you can still take advantage of our Early Bird Special and get a 1 or 2-year subscription to Draft Sharks for the lowest price of the year. If you were a 2010 member, simply log-in and click the link for the Early Bird Special. If you weren’t a member last year, just click right here to join our exclusive community!
** So let’s say you dropped 5 grand on a couple Super Bowl tickets, another $1,000 on a round-trip flight to Dallas, and another grand on your hotel. Then you show up to the much-heralded Cowboys Stadium on game day only to find out that your seats aren’t available because they didn’t meet safety codes. How would you react? Here’s how a few of the 400 displaced fans decided to handle the situation.
** Best Super Bowl commercial of 2011 – and perhaps of all-time – was the Faith Hill’s Teleflora commercial. Who woulda thought sending flowers could be such a tender moment?
** Worst commercial was Joan Rivers as a GoDaddy girl. It brought up a little chili I had eaten 20 minutes prior. Honorable mention goes to M&M who pimped Brisk iced tea and Chrysler cars. That whole perpetual white, whining, angry kid from the inner-city act doesn’t mix with corporate America.
** Suggestion for future Super Bowls. Bag the halftime entertainment. The performers are typically marquee names way beyond their prime – or current stars who bomb. Speaking of which, why is it so bloody difficult to remember the words to the national anthem? I understand it takes talent to hit all the notes. But to memorize just 8 lines when you have weeks to prepare... How hard is that? From now on, just have a military honor guard walk out with a wounded veteran. And ask anyone who can blow a horn well to perform the honors of the national anthem.
** How’s this for a confident head coach… Less than 24 hours before the biggest game of their lives, Packers HC Mike McCarthy had his players fitted for Super Bowl rings. "It was just something to show that he had a lot of confidence in us," CB Sam Shields said. "Getting fitted for the ring showed he had confidence in us." Gotta like that. McCarthy had my vote for Coach of the Year even before yesterday’s Super Bowl win.
** The Packers might have been a 6 seed, but remember that all of their 6 losses this year were by a combined total of 20 points. And 6 of their Week 1 starters were on IR by the end of the season. They should see a few more Super Bowls before Aaron Rodgers retires.
** In a season filled with all sorts of injuries, it was fitting that the Packers were able to pull out another victory on Sunday despite another handful of guys leaving early. WR Donald Driver, CB Charles Woodson, and CB Sam Shields all missed a large portion of the game with various ailments. "When somebody goes down, you know you still have to play football," Woodson said. "It doesn't matter who it is or at what point in the season it is. You still have to go out there and perform. That's the kind of example you try to show to your teammates and they follow. They followed all the way to the Super Bowl with a victory."
** And DC Dom Capers deserves all sorts of props. He’s been brilliant all season long, but he was at his best on Sunday. After Woodson and Shields went out, Capers went with a more conservative game plan, cutting back on his blitzes and going with more zone coverage. "We were scrambling there for a while because a big part of our game plan went out the window," Capers said. "We planned on playing a lot of man coverage and when those guys went out we had to become more of a zone team." And just when Capers had Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers lulled to sleep, he dialed up 3 straight blitzes on Pittsburgh’s final drive of the game. Capers deserves another head coaching job and should get one in the near future.
** The price just went up for Eagles QB Kevin Kolb. On Saturday, news leaked that Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald is campaigning for his team to go out and acquire Kolb. You can bet that will be brought up in any negotiations between the Eagles and Cardinals.
** A couple crazy internet rumors have been spreading since late last night. One is that the Eagles were getting ready to fire HC Andy Reid and replace him with Jon Gruden. The other: HC Sean Payton was leaving New Orleans for a position with the Cowboys. Both rumors have been shot down and were pretty ridiculous to begin with.
** In case you missed it from the Draft Sharks YouTube channel… check out the latest.
** Next on the DS agenda… The NFL Combine starts on February 23. We’ll be hitting the Draft information in the coming weeks, and beyond. And keep your eyes open for our 1st mock draft later this month.
Basketball Wear: How to Make Sure You Are Happy With Your Online Purchase
For dedicated sports lovers, NBA basketball wear is a pre-requisite to earning the coveted status of true 'fanhood'. Whether you are part of the crowd or watching from home, every game is more exciting when you can proudly wear your team jersey and stand and cheer for your favorite player.
Nothing speaks loyalty louder than game gear.
You can support your franchise, create the spirit of competition - and maybe even a little rivalry - with NBA apparel that will make you feel like you are part of the team.
Basketball is one of the world's most popular sports, and with the recent influx of European players joining American leagues, the NBA has received international interest and gained fans from all over the world. But, if you have been a fan for any length of time you know that finding authentic jerseys or officially licensed merchandise is not as easy as it would seem.
Finding what you want can be difficult, especially if your favorite team is not local or if you live outside the United States. Buying online is usually your best choice, but the options can be overwhelming, prices can vary, and you often question whether or not you are getting the best quality for your money.
From retro Michael Jordan or Larry Bird jerseys to authentic Lebron James or Kobe Bryant merchandise, true fans love to remember their heroes and cheer on their idols.
Whether their team is winning or losing, through challenges and championships, basketball followers everywhere will proudly wear their jerseys, hats, jackets, watches, and even shoes, wildly wave their foam fingers and shout at the top of their lungs in an effort to push their team to victory. But, basketball wear can be costly, so before you spend your hard earned cash for an online purchase, there are a few things you should consider.
Is the seller reputable?
It is important to make sure that the website offers a safe and secure way to make a purchase and guarantees that your personal information will be protected. Also, it is a good idea to check customer feedback and seller ratings or reviews before making a final decision to purchase a product from any particular online store or company.
Selection.
There is nothing more frustrating than finding the perfect jersey or jacket only to discover that it is not available in your size or for your favorite player. Does the online store offer a variety of products, sizes, or teams, and if they don't have what you are looking for, will they find it for you?
Is their merchandise in stock or does it always seem as if everything is sold out or unavailable?
When buying basketball wear, you will be much more satisfied with your experience if you find a website that is reputable and able to please the customer by offering a wide selection of available products so you can get everything you need and want at one place.
Quality.
When purchasing online you run the risk of receiving counterfeit or poor quality products. Cheaper basketball wear is not always the best option since it does not look like what the players wear on the court and will not be as durable.
Look for stores that sell licensed goods that carry the official NBA logo. From the authentic player jersey, to the popular swingman or less expensive replica jersey, hats, jackets, or footwear, make sure the store you are purchasing from carries high quality and licensed merchandise so you will be pleased with your selection and be able wear it proudly.
Customer Service.
Buying basketball apparel should not be a difficult task, especially if you are using a reputable online store with excellent customer service. Your purchase will be more enjoyable if the website is simple to use and if the seller is easy to contact by phone or email.
Are the prices reasonable, is the shipping reliable and quick, and does the seller put the customer first?
Basketball wear is a great way to encourage team spirit, cheer for your favorite player, and increase the excitement of any game. But, purchasing merchandise and proudly supporting your home team can be costly, so you want to make sure that you are getting high quality, officially licensed products for a fair price, and that you are receiving your purchase from a reputable seller that offers great customer service with a user friendly website.
By doing a little bit of homework, you can find basketball wear that will fit your budget and make you feel like you belong on the court with the pros.
Nothing speaks loyalty louder than game gear.
You can support your franchise, create the spirit of competition - and maybe even a little rivalry - with NBA apparel that will make you feel like you are part of the team.
Basketball is one of the world's most popular sports, and with the recent influx of European players joining American leagues, the NBA has received international interest and gained fans from all over the world. But, if you have been a fan for any length of time you know that finding authentic jerseys or officially licensed merchandise is not as easy as it would seem.
Finding what you want can be difficult, especially if your favorite team is not local or if you live outside the United States. Buying online is usually your best choice, but the options can be overwhelming, prices can vary, and you often question whether or not you are getting the best quality for your money.
From retro Michael Jordan or Larry Bird jerseys to authentic Lebron James or Kobe Bryant merchandise, true fans love to remember their heroes and cheer on their idols.
Whether their team is winning or losing, through challenges and championships, basketball followers everywhere will proudly wear their jerseys, hats, jackets, watches, and even shoes, wildly wave their foam fingers and shout at the top of their lungs in an effort to push their team to victory. But, basketball wear can be costly, so before you spend your hard earned cash for an online purchase, there are a few things you should consider.
Is the seller reputable?
It is important to make sure that the website offers a safe and secure way to make a purchase and guarantees that your personal information will be protected. Also, it is a good idea to check customer feedback and seller ratings or reviews before making a final decision to purchase a product from any particular online store or company.
Selection.
There is nothing more frustrating than finding the perfect jersey or jacket only to discover that it is not available in your size or for your favorite player. Does the online store offer a variety of products, sizes, or teams, and if they don't have what you are looking for, will they find it for you?
Is their merchandise in stock or does it always seem as if everything is sold out or unavailable?
When buying basketball wear, you will be much more satisfied with your experience if you find a website that is reputable and able to please the customer by offering a wide selection of available products so you can get everything you need and want at one place.
Quality.
When purchasing online you run the risk of receiving counterfeit or poor quality products. Cheaper basketball wear is not always the best option since it does not look like what the players wear on the court and will not be as durable.
Look for stores that sell licensed goods that carry the official NBA logo. From the authentic player jersey, to the popular swingman or less expensive replica jersey, hats, jackets, or footwear, make sure the store you are purchasing from carries high quality and licensed merchandise so you will be pleased with your selection and be able wear it proudly.
Customer Service.
Buying basketball apparel should not be a difficult task, especially if you are using a reputable online store with excellent customer service. Your purchase will be more enjoyable if the website is simple to use and if the seller is easy to contact by phone or email.
Are the prices reasonable, is the shipping reliable and quick, and does the seller put the customer first?
Basketball wear is a great way to encourage team spirit, cheer for your favorite player, and increase the excitement of any game. But, purchasing merchandise and proudly supporting your home team can be costly, so you want to make sure that you are getting high quality, officially licensed products for a fair price, and that you are receiving your purchase from a reputable seller that offers great customer service with a user friendly website.
By doing a little bit of homework, you can find basketball wear that will fit your budget and make you feel like you belong on the court with the pros.
2013年10月10日星期四
Real Madrid opens the transfer market
Hamit Altintop and Nuri Sahin have not only become the first two signings towards the next season for the Whites, but also the first two players from Turkey to ever join the club.
Planning ahead of time, that is what Real Madrid has decided to do. After losing their third Liga championship in a row to Barcelona, added to the UEFA Champions League, the Whites know that to put an end to the defending champion’s hegemony they will need to be a stronger team than what they were this season. To do so they know that the transfer market is the only way to go and they have decided to be one of the first teams to make a move towards the upcoming 2011-12 season.
Just like they did last year, the Whites have decided to go fishing in the German Bundesliga, destination from where Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira arrived from this season. Once again they have decided to sign two midfielders to reinforce the roster, which obviously leads us to assume that at least two players in this position will be leaving the team this summer to make room for them.
But who are these two new faces? None others than Borussia Dortmund’s 22-year-old star Nuri Sahin, and Bayer Munich’s 28-year-old multitask man Hamit Altintop. Both of them already know what being teammates feel like, for they are part of the Turkish national football team.
Altintop has reached an agreement with the Whites this last week after refusing to sign a contract extension with his former team. Arriving as a free agent makes of this transfer a great deal considering his ability to adapt to a defensive or offensive role according to the needs of the team. His contract is for a four year period.
As for Sahin he was the first one to sign for Real Madrid this season. He did so a few weeks ago, right after Borussia Dortmund was crowned as the new Bundesliga champion. Somewhere in between 10 to 12 million Euros was the price that the Whites had to pay for him, in a deal that will keep him linked with the club for the next six years.
That way these two midfielders become the first Turk players to ever play for Real Madrid, something that can be considered as great honor, as they are now part of the "best team of the 20th century" according to FIFA.
One player that wants to be the next one to sign a contract with Real Madrid is the Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who arrived during the winter market on loan from Manchester City, with an option to keep him in exchange for 16-milllion Euros.
Five goals in 21 appearances during this 5 month period in Madrid are not sufficient to convince Real Madrid about keeping him at that price, especially when the player that he came to replace while injured –Gonzalo Higuain- is fully recovered.
The only chance that Adebayor has to stay at the club is that the Citizens reduce their demands to a more reasonable price, because since Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho’s arrived to Real Madrid this season the policy of expending great amounts of money has been regulated.
Planning ahead of time, that is what Real Madrid has decided to do. After losing their third Liga championship in a row to Barcelona, added to the UEFA Champions League, the Whites know that to put an end to the defending champion’s hegemony they will need to be a stronger team than what they were this season. To do so they know that the transfer market is the only way to go and they have decided to be one of the first teams to make a move towards the upcoming 2011-12 season.
Just like they did last year, the Whites have decided to go fishing in the German Bundesliga, destination from where Mesut Ozil and Sami Khedira arrived from this season. Once again they have decided to sign two midfielders to reinforce the roster, which obviously leads us to assume that at least two players in this position will be leaving the team this summer to make room for them.
But who are these two new faces? None others than Borussia Dortmund’s 22-year-old star Nuri Sahin, and Bayer Munich’s 28-year-old multitask man Hamit Altintop. Both of them already know what being teammates feel like, for they are part of the Turkish national football team.
Altintop has reached an agreement with the Whites this last week after refusing to sign a contract extension with his former team. Arriving as a free agent makes of this transfer a great deal considering his ability to adapt to a defensive or offensive role according to the needs of the team. His contract is for a four year period.
As for Sahin he was the first one to sign for Real Madrid this season. He did so a few weeks ago, right after Borussia Dortmund was crowned as the new Bundesliga champion. Somewhere in between 10 to 12 million Euros was the price that the Whites had to pay for him, in a deal that will keep him linked with the club for the next six years.
That way these two midfielders become the first Turk players to ever play for Real Madrid, something that can be considered as great honor, as they are now part of the "best team of the 20th century" according to FIFA.
One player that wants to be the next one to sign a contract with Real Madrid is the Togolese striker Emmanuel Adebayor, who arrived during the winter market on loan from Manchester City, with an option to keep him in exchange for 16-milllion Euros.
Five goals in 21 appearances during this 5 month period in Madrid are not sufficient to convince Real Madrid about keeping him at that price, especially when the player that he came to replace while injured –Gonzalo Higuain- is fully recovered.
The only chance that Adebayor has to stay at the club is that the Citizens reduce their demands to a more reasonable price, because since Portuguese coach Jose Mourinho’s arrived to Real Madrid this season the policy of expending great amounts of money has been regulated.
Tips When Picking Wakeboard Gear
Using the proper wakeboard gear is extremely important to making a difference in wakeboarding. While proficiency and mastery of the basics in terms of the sport are the major factors in becoming a competitive and expert wakeboarder, still the ideal piece of gear absolutely impacts one’s performance. If you ask skilled wakeboarders, they will definitely tell you that the simplest way to influence your skills and wakeboard performance is to have the correct gear, specifically, a good board. Now the real question is, how do you pick the best board? Is there any particular size, shape, or board maker that can be regarded as the ‘right’ one? Or does the suitable board mean one that entirely satisfies your feel and skills?
To offer you the answer, here are some tips from the experts in picking the best board.
• Look at the label - Nearly all boards have labels showing three general skill levels which are beginner, intermediate and advanced. Each of these types has specific board properties and they can vary in relation to materials, rocker, fins, and all other board features. To be able to find the appropriate board, test first your skill level and depending on that, one should be able to identify the suitable board that will fit your skills. A vital thing to make note of is that, should you be just new to this sport and you are just trying to learn it, you don’t need a competition-level board. Most of the time, you will end up spending much on pricey boards that feel too fast or too loose.
Boards for starters are a bit slower and more forgiving thus making the training curve a lot easier. Advanced boards are designed for more hostile stunts and made with the most solid materials while intermediate boards are generally older versions of advanced boards that have been re-designed for all-around use.
• Choose the right size - It is important to pick a board that suits your weight and height. A board that is too small will sink and will enable the boat to tug you at uncontrollably fast speeds. Then again, a board that is too big can be large and hard to spin. Furthermore, this can pop off the wake. To select the right size, be sure to check the manufacturer’s sizing charts. This reveals the right weight with regards to length as well as the height to length ratios. When you are unsure about this, pick the longer board because it can offer more harmony in starts and turns. In addition, you can modify with a longer board as your level of skill gets better.
• Find out the materials used in the board - Nearly all boards are produced from fiberglass enveloped either on a foam core or a wood core. Foam-based boards are less costly, lighter and have far better durability. However, wood-based boards flex better. While foam deem to be the most typical in the market, but nothing can beat the performance that wood provides because it gives better snap on the wake. Other material used in board making is graphite. This claims to lighten the board and gives added stiffness.
• Look at the fin - Fins are what allows for direction to your board, avoiding it from uncontrollably spinning in the water. There are different varieties of fin - fat, thin, deep, shallow, and molded in. For starters, fins are deeper while for more advanced, fins are shallower. The performance of the fins greatly relies on its size and style. The simplest way to know which one fits is by trying it.
To offer you the answer, here are some tips from the experts in picking the best board.
• Look at the label - Nearly all boards have labels showing three general skill levels which are beginner, intermediate and advanced. Each of these types has specific board properties and they can vary in relation to materials, rocker, fins, and all other board features. To be able to find the appropriate board, test first your skill level and depending on that, one should be able to identify the suitable board that will fit your skills. A vital thing to make note of is that, should you be just new to this sport and you are just trying to learn it, you don’t need a competition-level board. Most of the time, you will end up spending much on pricey boards that feel too fast or too loose.
Boards for starters are a bit slower and more forgiving thus making the training curve a lot easier. Advanced boards are designed for more hostile stunts and made with the most solid materials while intermediate boards are generally older versions of advanced boards that have been re-designed for all-around use.
• Choose the right size - It is important to pick a board that suits your weight and height. A board that is too small will sink and will enable the boat to tug you at uncontrollably fast speeds. Then again, a board that is too big can be large and hard to spin. Furthermore, this can pop off the wake. To select the right size, be sure to check the manufacturer’s sizing charts. This reveals the right weight with regards to length as well as the height to length ratios. When you are unsure about this, pick the longer board because it can offer more harmony in starts and turns. In addition, you can modify with a longer board as your level of skill gets better.
• Find out the materials used in the board - Nearly all boards are produced from fiberglass enveloped either on a foam core or a wood core. Foam-based boards are less costly, lighter and have far better durability. However, wood-based boards flex better. While foam deem to be the most typical in the market, but nothing can beat the performance that wood provides because it gives better snap on the wake. Other material used in board making is graphite. This claims to lighten the board and gives added stiffness.
• Look at the fin - Fins are what allows for direction to your board, avoiding it from uncontrollably spinning in the water. There are different varieties of fin - fat, thin, deep, shallow, and molded in. For starters, fins are deeper while for more advanced, fins are shallower. The performance of the fins greatly relies on its size and style. The simplest way to know which one fits is by trying it.
2013年10月8日星期二
Todd Haley Fired By Chiefs
It’s funny. For the last week I have been planning to write an article entitled "The Pioli Decision". The gist of the article would have been that Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli will be faced with a difficult decision when the year is over. Actually, two decisions that have consequences on each other. One, what to do with the quarterback. And two, what to do with the head coach.
You would think that the Chiefs will have to at least consider drafting a quarterback in the first round of the draft this year. And head coach Todd Haley has (had) one year left on his contract. If Pioli believes in Matt Cassel, then he can allow Haley to coach the team through the final year of his contract before making a final decision on extending Haley’s contract or replacing him. But if the Chiefs draft a quarterback, you can’t let Haley dangle with just one year left. You either have to fire him at the end of the season, or extend his contract. It wouldn’t be fair to tell Haley he’s coaching for his job, and then hand him a rookie quarterback.
But on Monday, Pioli fired Haley.
Is it fair? From a coaching standpoint, probably not. Haley made mistakes this year, but there were circumstances well beyond his control. I’ve read many of the local and the national articles about Pioli’s decision, but I want to take this from a different perspective. The perspective of an employer.
I seem to be in the minority, but I like Todd Haley. I think he’s a good coach. Is he good enough to coach a team to the Super Bowl? Maybe. With the right team. But I don’t think Haley’s coaching ability had anything to do with why he was fired.
I have employed and managed hundreds of people. And one lesson I learned the hard way was that when you have an employee who is the wrong fit for your organization, the sooner you replace that employee, the better. There were rumors that Pioli wanted to fire Haley last year. Then there were rumors that Pioli would have fired Haley if the Chiefs had lost to the Colts and started the season 1-4. I tend to take rumors with a grain of salt. Many rumors are untrue and unfounded. But in hindsight, I think we can now assume they were true.
It’s clear that Pioli and Haley had a dysfunctional working relationship. And it’s likely that Pioli had come to the conclusion long ago that Haley was the wrong fit for the Chiefs. Or at least, the wrong fit to work for Pioli. But how do you fire a coach that just won the AFC West? That would have been a tough sell to Chiefs fans. Pioli decided he had to wait until he had "public justification" for the firing of Haley. And he finally got it with the loss to the Jets. The Chiefs could no longer pretend that they still had a shot at the playoffs. And Haley was fired.
I think the jury is still out on whether or not Scott Pioli can lead the Chiefs to the Super Bowl. There are some glaring holes on this roster, and Pioli is responsible. Some have even speculated that Pioli sabotaged the roster so that he could justifiably fire Haley. I don’t believe that for a minute. But that doesn’t mean that Pioli made all of the same decisions that he would have made if he had full support of his head coach. Only Pioli can look in the mirror and decide if he did everything possible to make this season a success.
And while I tend to like Haley more than I like Pioli, I might have come to the same conclusion and fired Haley. It’s great to have fire and passion. I like that in a head coach. But I don’t like disrespect. A heated discussion between Haley and Matt Cassel doesn’t bother me at all. But some of the public arguments between Haley and his assistants bothered me a lot. Those discussions should be behind closed doors, and should always be respectful. As a business owner, I would never undermine one of my managers by berating them in front of other employees. (Actually, I don’t think I ever berated an employee.) Haley not only berated his assistants, he seemed to relish that atmosphere. He wanted the confrontations, and obviously believed them to be beneficial to the team. I’m guessing Pioli came to a different conclusion.
One more comment and we’ll move on. I listened to the press conference with Scott Pioli and owner Clark Hunt. I’ve been surprised that I haven’t seen this comment anywhere else. On multiple occasions, Hunt said that he wanted a team that the fans could be proud of. I’m guessing that Hunt was not proud to have Haley as the face of the franchise.
You would think that the Chiefs will have to at least consider drafting a quarterback in the first round of the draft this year. And head coach Todd Haley has (had) one year left on his contract. If Pioli believes in Matt Cassel, then he can allow Haley to coach the team through the final year of his contract before making a final decision on extending Haley’s contract or replacing him. But if the Chiefs draft a quarterback, you can’t let Haley dangle with just one year left. You either have to fire him at the end of the season, or extend his contract. It wouldn’t be fair to tell Haley he’s coaching for his job, and then hand him a rookie quarterback.
But on Monday, Pioli fired Haley.
Is it fair? From a coaching standpoint, probably not. Haley made mistakes this year, but there were circumstances well beyond his control. I’ve read many of the local and the national articles about Pioli’s decision, but I want to take this from a different perspective. The perspective of an employer.
I seem to be in the minority, but I like Todd Haley. I think he’s a good coach. Is he good enough to coach a team to the Super Bowl? Maybe. With the right team. But I don’t think Haley’s coaching ability had anything to do with why he was fired.
I have employed and managed hundreds of people. And one lesson I learned the hard way was that when you have an employee who is the wrong fit for your organization, the sooner you replace that employee, the better. There were rumors that Pioli wanted to fire Haley last year. Then there were rumors that Pioli would have fired Haley if the Chiefs had lost to the Colts and started the season 1-4. I tend to take rumors with a grain of salt. Many rumors are untrue and unfounded. But in hindsight, I think we can now assume they were true.
It’s clear that Pioli and Haley had a dysfunctional working relationship. And it’s likely that Pioli had come to the conclusion long ago that Haley was the wrong fit for the Chiefs. Or at least, the wrong fit to work for Pioli. But how do you fire a coach that just won the AFC West? That would have been a tough sell to Chiefs fans. Pioli decided he had to wait until he had "public justification" for the firing of Haley. And he finally got it with the loss to the Jets. The Chiefs could no longer pretend that they still had a shot at the playoffs. And Haley was fired.
I think the jury is still out on whether or not Scott Pioli can lead the Chiefs to the Super Bowl. There are some glaring holes on this roster, and Pioli is responsible. Some have even speculated that Pioli sabotaged the roster so that he could justifiably fire Haley. I don’t believe that for a minute. But that doesn’t mean that Pioli made all of the same decisions that he would have made if he had full support of his head coach. Only Pioli can look in the mirror and decide if he did everything possible to make this season a success.
And while I tend to like Haley more than I like Pioli, I might have come to the same conclusion and fired Haley. It’s great to have fire and passion. I like that in a head coach. But I don’t like disrespect. A heated discussion between Haley and Matt Cassel doesn’t bother me at all. But some of the public arguments between Haley and his assistants bothered me a lot. Those discussions should be behind closed doors, and should always be respectful. As a business owner, I would never undermine one of my managers by berating them in front of other employees. (Actually, I don’t think I ever berated an employee.) Haley not only berated his assistants, he seemed to relish that atmosphere. He wanted the confrontations, and obviously believed them to be beneficial to the team. I’m guessing Pioli came to a different conclusion.
One more comment and we’ll move on. I listened to the press conference with Scott Pioli and owner Clark Hunt. I’ve been surprised that I haven’t seen this comment anywhere else. On multiple occasions, Hunt said that he wanted a team that the fans could be proud of. I’m guessing that Hunt was not proud to have Haley as the face of the franchise.
How To Improve Your Golf Game Quickly
Golf requires technique and practice! Train yourself to swing your club correctly. You also need to be aware of other aspects that will contribute to a well played game. This article was written to help you with some tips and tricks to improve your game.
Once you have caught the golf bug and decided to devote some serious time and money to the game, you should invest in professional lessons. Don't bumble around trying to learn techniques from friends and fellow golfers. Get a pro to evaluate your style and ability and help you become the best golfer you can be.
If at all possible, golf with strong players and pay attention to their technique. There is more than one way to benefit from the expertise of a fellow golfer. You need not engage a pro to benefit from the company of a superior player. Paying attention to the way they play will give you new ideas, and their presence may spur you to play stronger yourself.
Avoid the feeling that you always get more accuracy off the tee with a three wood than a driver. Odds are that you have spent much more time practicing and playing with your driver off the tee, so don't over-think things and pull out a club that you are not as familiar with in hopes of gaining more accuracy, because this is rarely the end result.
When playing golf, you will make ball marks on the green. Ball marks are the small indentations in the green which are caused by the impact of the spinning golf ball when it makes contact with the green. When you get to the green, you should always repair your ball mark. When a ball mark is repaired, grass will start regrowing properly within a day. With a ball mark which has not been repaired, it will take ten days before the grass will begin to grow again.
Everyone wants to be able to one or two putt the green instead of the old three putt. Usually this occurs when the first putt is just not fundamentally sound. This can happen when during a long putt you are concentrating on accuracy instead of distance. Aim near the hole and concentrate on distance. Then, you will have a better chance of actually being closer and can hit your next putt.
Golf gloves can help prevent blisters on your hands from playing golf. They also help you get a good, firm grip on the club. You would wear a golf glove on your non-dominant hand. To improve your game and protect your hands, be sure to get properly fitting golf gloves made of flexible, breathable material.
When you make contact with the golf ball, don't worry too much about how far it will go. Instead, concentrate on hitting dead center to control its direction. The momentum will take care of distance, but you must have a direct influence on the direction of the ball to play your best game.
Now that you have read some ways to improve your game - go out and hit a bucket of balls. Apply the tips and tricks you have learned, and you will surely see a great improvement! Enjoy your game and you will always come out on top!
Once you have caught the golf bug and decided to devote some serious time and money to the game, you should invest in professional lessons. Don't bumble around trying to learn techniques from friends and fellow golfers. Get a pro to evaluate your style and ability and help you become the best golfer you can be.
If at all possible, golf with strong players and pay attention to their technique. There is more than one way to benefit from the expertise of a fellow golfer. You need not engage a pro to benefit from the company of a superior player. Paying attention to the way they play will give you new ideas, and their presence may spur you to play stronger yourself.
Avoid the feeling that you always get more accuracy off the tee with a three wood than a driver. Odds are that you have spent much more time practicing and playing with your driver off the tee, so don't over-think things and pull out a club that you are not as familiar with in hopes of gaining more accuracy, because this is rarely the end result.
When playing golf, you will make ball marks on the green. Ball marks are the small indentations in the green which are caused by the impact of the spinning golf ball when it makes contact with the green. When you get to the green, you should always repair your ball mark. When a ball mark is repaired, grass will start regrowing properly within a day. With a ball mark which has not been repaired, it will take ten days before the grass will begin to grow again.
Everyone wants to be able to one or two putt the green instead of the old three putt. Usually this occurs when the first putt is just not fundamentally sound. This can happen when during a long putt you are concentrating on accuracy instead of distance. Aim near the hole and concentrate on distance. Then, you will have a better chance of actually being closer and can hit your next putt.
Golf gloves can help prevent blisters on your hands from playing golf. They also help you get a good, firm grip on the club. You would wear a golf glove on your non-dominant hand. To improve your game and protect your hands, be sure to get properly fitting golf gloves made of flexible, breathable material.
When you make contact with the golf ball, don't worry too much about how far it will go. Instead, concentrate on hitting dead center to control its direction. The momentum will take care of distance, but you must have a direct influence on the direction of the ball to play your best game.
Now that you have read some ways to improve your game - go out and hit a bucket of balls. Apply the tips and tricks you have learned, and you will surely see a great improvement! Enjoy your game and you will always come out on top!
Picking the Exact Racket in Table Tennis
In table tennis, we do have not anything more important of the gear than the racket. It is used to bat to receive also to strike the small plastic ball or the table tennis ball back and forth across the table. Like a paddle the surface of the table tennis racket is made of firm wood. There is no added materials in the racket like strings of blade but rather there is simply a sheet of thin rubber which may be glued on it for better performance.
Whenever you are playing table tennis, you absolutely need a table tennis table, table tennis net, a ping-pong ball and naturally a racket. If you have already got this equipment you , yourself are already set for your game. Although, sure you must also consider the standard on the equipments that you're going to use, particularly the racket.
Below are a number of hints that you need to consider when deciding on for the best racket:
Check the blades:
In picking for the fitting table tennis racket, we must always begin searching for the precise blade or the frame in the racket. Choosing the proper table tennis racket starts using the finding the best blade or frame. In the end, it is the a part of the entire racket, this will likely possess the direct contact in the table tennis ball. The effectiveness on your blade or the frame to the racket is set by the way it receives and drive the ball back towards the opponent. There are some table tennis rackets that is offered that suits the player’s preferences.
For anyone who is newbie in table tennis you can begin on using rounded blade at first. The key basis for selecting the best blade is because it can make your shots awfully slow or extraordinarily fast. An everyday round blade could be a big help in improving your game at the time you practice.
Mind the Grip:
To be told a good blade on your racket is just a halfway to find an excellent table tennis racket. You furthermore mght might want to discover the handle which will offer you a powerful hold or a high-quality grip. A fine grip as part of your racket is very important since this will have an effect on on the way you handle the racket being a whole. This could also to the highest degree influence on the way you drive the ping pong ball to your every shot back to your opponent. There are a number of grips available in the marketplace for table tennis, regular types are penhold and shakehand grip styles.
There is a guideline concerning the type of the handle, always pick the one who you feel that you will be secure. This means that the choosing the right handle is subjective and obsessed on where the player is lighter, but it is very difficult to change the style of your hand grip when you are already well into this sports because it can drastically affect the best way you drive the ball.
Check out the rubbers:
Whenever you are selecting the type of rubber that will be attached to both sides of your racket. It really is recommended to have the smooth surfaced rubbers for the reason that these are more flexible. The rubber with not many small blisters can only enable you to have few varieties spins, while alternatively smooth rubber can grant you a greater performance and permitting you to possess any kind of spin that you choose and want. Even though using smooth rubbers might take a while for helpful to it, it would likely
speed up your enhancement in table tennis
Getting and looking for an ideal racket can undeniably take a variety of time. Few rounds of game in table tennis could decide if the racket you are usually using is perfect or not, selecting a wrong style racket can grant you consequence at made the effort you play a game title most of they are hindered by self-improvement and hand accidental injuries.
Whenever you are playing table tennis, you absolutely need a table tennis table, table tennis net, a ping-pong ball and naturally a racket. If you have already got this equipment you , yourself are already set for your game. Although, sure you must also consider the standard on the equipments that you're going to use, particularly the racket.
Below are a number of hints that you need to consider when deciding on for the best racket:
Check the blades:
In picking for the fitting table tennis racket, we must always begin searching for the precise blade or the frame in the racket. Choosing the proper table tennis racket starts using the finding the best blade or frame. In the end, it is the a part of the entire racket, this will likely possess the direct contact in the table tennis ball. The effectiveness on your blade or the frame to the racket is set by the way it receives and drive the ball back towards the opponent. There are some table tennis rackets that is offered that suits the player’s preferences.
For anyone who is newbie in table tennis you can begin on using rounded blade at first. The key basis for selecting the best blade is because it can make your shots awfully slow or extraordinarily fast. An everyday round blade could be a big help in improving your game at the time you practice.
Mind the Grip:
To be told a good blade on your racket is just a halfway to find an excellent table tennis racket. You furthermore mght might want to discover the handle which will offer you a powerful hold or a high-quality grip. A fine grip as part of your racket is very important since this will have an effect on on the way you handle the racket being a whole. This could also to the highest degree influence on the way you drive the ping pong ball to your every shot back to your opponent. There are a number of grips available in the marketplace for table tennis, regular types are penhold and shakehand grip styles.
There is a guideline concerning the type of the handle, always pick the one who you feel that you will be secure. This means that the choosing the right handle is subjective and obsessed on where the player is lighter, but it is very difficult to change the style of your hand grip when you are already well into this sports because it can drastically affect the best way you drive the ball.
Check out the rubbers:
Whenever you are selecting the type of rubber that will be attached to both sides of your racket. It really is recommended to have the smooth surfaced rubbers for the reason that these are more flexible. The rubber with not many small blisters can only enable you to have few varieties spins, while alternatively smooth rubber can grant you a greater performance and permitting you to possess any kind of spin that you choose and want. Even though using smooth rubbers might take a while for helpful to it, it would likely
speed up your enhancement in table tennis
Getting and looking for an ideal racket can undeniably take a variety of time. Few rounds of game in table tennis could decide if the racket you are usually using is perfect or not, selecting a wrong style racket can grant you consequence at made the effort you play a game title most of they are hindered by self-improvement and hand accidental injuries.
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