Olympic Times – Sports Daily

With only two days to go and excitement building another strange phenomenon is starting to appear. Football fever is said to be rampaging in several countries around the world. It manifests itself in several different ways and can lead to anything from singing and dancing in the streets to driving around in cars which have been painted in the patients national colours. The funny thing is to look at anyone who has this strange disease you wouldn’t think there was anything wrong with them. It also takes different forms in different countries.

In England for example, the home of the football which seems to be the cause of the disease, every four years there is a slump in production tied in to a large rise in people missing from work. The only place this doesn’t happen is in the pubs which is kind of strange. Maybe there is some special medicine which you can get in them. One pub in Manchester has seen the manager changing his name to Fabio Capello and all the staff changing their names to Wayne Rooney for the duration of the World Cup.

Its not all bad news though, the Russians were able to announce a 70% fall in crime rates while their team was in action during USA 94 and Bangladeshi students have had their exams moved until the 14th July a short period after the final has been played. Brazilian banks on the other hand have been told they can close if they want during matches to avoid the chances of raids on their branches and vans while the Brazil national team are in action.

Algeria’s sales of plasma TV’s have hit the roof in preparation for their first appearance in 24 years with some people retiring early so they don’t miss a minute of the action. In 2006 the inhabitants of Khartoum in Sudan, sat in the dark and watched the matches after their local power company warned of power cuts if they overused some of their household appliances. So watch out for outbreaks of this deadly disease, it should start appearing in a country near you in about 2 days if I was to hazard a guess.

World Cup Spread Betting news this morning sees both Joe Cole and Michael Ballack being released on free transfers which should start a bit of a scramble especially for Cole. Portugal have been hit with the news that Nani is out of their plans after he injured his collarbone. There are also concerns over Pepe who is trying to regain fitness in time for the kickoff. Spain’s Andres Iniesta is to undergo a scan to determine the extent of an injury he picked up in the 6-0 thrashing of Poland. The Spanish are starting to fire on all cylinders now even though they are trying to play down the favourite’s tag which has been attached. Arjen Robben will miss Holland’s first match. John Terry says he is concerned by the altitude and hopes the team will have fully acclimatised by Saturday. He is also looking forward to renewing his partnership with Ledley King which began many moons ago when the pair played together for Senrab, a Sunday league side in London.

And finally, beware of Argentina after Lionel Messi came out and said that player for player there is no better team at this years World Cup. He’s dead right if they can just bring it all together and play as a cohesive unit.

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Participate in the action and arrive on the playing field, if Xbox and PS3 Madden 10 is your thing. On the gridiron, are you one gamer who is in control? Are you one gamer who easily gets the better of the competition? Then pick up your controller, spark up the video game console, and announce to the video game world your Xbox and PS3 Madden 10 talents.

On their predecessor, PS3 and Xbox Madden 10 has really innovated. The football game video game experience even more lifelike has really been made by PS3 and Xbox Madden 10. This is in no small part due to such new features as the PRO-TAK animation technology and the more realistic player momentum. In their praise, it is no surprise that the reviewers have all been unanimous. To playing on Sundays they have declared that this is as close as you will come. In high esteem no wonder football game video game fans hold this one. You recognize the deal here, we are guessing. If you desire to outscore your rivals at PS3 and Xbox Madden 10 it behooves you to have a strong knowledge of the fundamentals. And by that, we mean that you should avoid those fledgling errors, lest your opponent hang you out to dry. Sure you’ve all but memorized the PS3 and Xbox Madden 10 playbook recognize which play industrial plant best in which scenario so do. A simple piece of advice that you should not forget here is, and just in case you Xbox and PS3 sports game players need reminding. Even though it enables you to do good yardage, do not acquire crazy with the passing. In physics, every action produces an equal because as we learned (or something like that, did pass physics I never). You really run a serious lay on the line of acquiring intercepted, and the downside to passing is. Turnover is not a good thing in the game of PS3 and Xbox Madden 10. So, before you start gainsaying the video game world at large, recognize the game – and recognize all the correct moves.

Of advice another helpful bit — “be prepared” and follow the boy scouts mantra. Be prepared to act quickly in case you end up throwing one too many passes, in this case — and intercepted they get. Do not let your opponent’s gain lay the stage for a crippling overcome. Just get in there with a strong defense, in the case of an interception. Nothing worse than watching helplessly as your foreman intercepts, then literally takes the ball and makes off with it. Inquire the Indianapolis Colts, if you do not believe me. There is no debating it, yeah — one of the all time great sports video games, PS3 and Xbox Madden is, truly. As much as we idolize all the other PlayStation and Xbox sports video games, really an unbeatable series is PS3 and Xbox Madden. For the hardcore video game community, this is the PlayStation and Xbox football video game that has placed the standard in football video games. To cement your reputation in the video game world, if you really desire, conquering the fundamentals of PS3 and Xbox Madden 10 is where to begin.

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The Australian football pools season gets under way in April, and Australian-based pools coupons are published in Britain from mid-late May onward. Australian pools are a very different proposition to British pools. Team-form based systems still work, but with a few tweaks. Analysis of the historical data uncovers some interesting patterns which can be useful in optimising the odds for football pools players.

So What’s Different?

* The game. Aussie football is not soccer as we know it. It is much more physical and injury rates are much higher than in soccer.

* Playing standards. The best teams play well below the standard of even an English third division team.

* Teams die and are re-born regularly and change their names regularly.

* There are usually several instances of points deductions for breaking of rules each season.

* The difference in performance between top and bottom sides in a division can be massive, and when this is the case then a lower performing team might not even show for a match, resulting in a forfeit.

* With a forfeited match, a score of even 10-0 can be awarded against the loser, which has a big impact on goal difference.

* Players change teams with great regularity, and the move of just one good player can make a massive difference to team’s performance.

It really is a frontiersman’s game!

Whilst most serious punters accept that ‘playing to form’ is much more apparent in Australian football because of the much wider range of standards within a given league, there are other interesting aspects too. For example, the statistics show that when a team loses at home, then the probability of winning its next match, if it is an ‘Away’, is relatively high.

Typically, almost half of teams avoid losing in away games following a home defeat.

This means that when completing an Aussie pools coupon, the punter needs a much stronger bias towards Away wins than would be the case in the English football pools.

Home-Away-Draw Sequences

More detailed analysis of the home-lose-win sequences can be rewarding, and uncovering ‘Away’ bankers for a coupon is possible – something which is unthinkable on the English coupon (think about some of the ‘certain away wins’ in the English Premiership in the most recent season, which just didn’t turn out to be as expected).

Again, this is down to the performance range within a given league – very wide in Australian football, and relatively much narrower in British soccer. Indeed, predicting Away wins is much more lucrative for Aussie pools.

League Differences

Now in the UK football pools, some people may have a view about biasing draw selections towards (or away from) Scottish leagues, for example. In Australian pools, there are clear differences in performance statistics across the various leagues (there may be up to twelve or thirteen leagues appearing on an Australian football pools coupon); this affects the strategy for draw selection on the Treble Chance football pools.

Fixed Odds

Finally, fixed odds betting on Aussie pools can be rewarding if enough time and effort is put into analysing the bookmakers’ odds. The wide range of performance levels means that occasionally a bookie may miscalculate odds and make it possible to lay bets across bookmakers which are almost certain to pay. That is the subject of another article.

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Are you shopping for new shoes for your sports player and are considering getting them some youth football cleats? If our children want to play sports then as parents we all want to provide them with the ability to follow their dreams so that they can get some type of scholarship when they get older. If you are a parent then chances are you will do anything to help your child follow their dreams. We all want to prove to our children that it is possible to dream and achieve their goals.

If you are shopping for the internet for some great shopping tips that you can use when shopping for youth football equipment; then be sure to read this entire article. We all should realize that there is certain equipment that they will need to help keep them safe. If you are unsure of what type of gear to get; then you will need to seek professional assistance from someone who can ensure you get the right gear.

As consumers the most important thing to look for when shopping for football equipment is to ensure that it is designed to keep your sports player safe. Football is a very popular sport; however it involves a lot of contact and this is the main reason we need to ensure that the football gear that they wear is safe.

Mouth Pieces For Football: Every parent should realize that the mouth piece can prevent your child from accidents on the football field. No parent ever wants to deal with unnecessary dental work that could easily cost thousands.

As you begin shopping for these mouth pieces you will notice that they come in many different shapes and sizes. It is important that you find one that fits your child correctly as this can easily prevent them from losing it during the game and experiencing an accident.

We all need to realize that the shoes that our football player wears is extremely important. Youth football cleats are great for grabbing a hold of the field which has been known to prevent those unwanted slips and falls. You can easily find some cheap football cleats online that will help your child score more points during the game.

Anyone who loves playing football should know what it takes to shop for the right equipment that they will need to keep them safe. You can easily browse the site below for all your sporting goods needs and get the best deals online.

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I work in the media. This has allowed me to be around the big names in different sports like basketball, tennis, and football. I work as a sports reporter by the way and of all the sports that I have covered, football is my favourite. Ever since I was young I was interested in football. In fact I was playing in the junior football league back in my hometown as a goalkeeper wearing goalkeeper shirts.

When I was in high school until when I was in college I continued to play football and was really doing good in my role in the field in my goalkeeper shirts. Football also paved the way for me to finish my college as a beneficiary of the sports scholarship in the university. I finished a degree in mass communication. I figured out that this is really what I wanted to do since I was young. Playing football is just my second love.

Many were disappointed in my decision to stop playing football and stop wearing my goalkeeper shirts after I finished college. They said, they would have wanted to see me continue playing and may be make it to any of the national teams. I really appreciate it and I took it as a compliment. More often than not I find myself explaining that I love playing football. I have always enjoyed being out there in the field and experience the rush and exhilaration of being able to entertain and be a part of a working team achieving a common goal to win the match. Although, I don’t actually find myself out there in the field for long, and to be a part of a major media network and be a sports journalist is what I really dreamed of.

My personal experience in football while I was still wearing my goalkeeper shits during my early days in school became an advantage for me when I applied in one of the country’s best media network. I used what I have learned when I was still a football player and applied my own personal techniques in covering different football matches and my bosses seemed to like it. I also get positive feedback from viewers.

I guess having the personal experience in football gave me ideas and personal insights on the player’s side of the story. It couldn’t be more interesting than me injecting my thoughts and views when I’m doing interviews and reporting the happening in the football field. I may not be wearing my goalkeeper shirts anymore but I’m still very happy.

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Teams and players have been busy again this NFL off-season. We’ve seen players run from their current team, get traded, be pushed out or just flat let go. Whatever the reasons were, they’ve lead to an off-season that has seen some big name fantasy players shift teams. With all that shifting, comes all the speculation of who’s going to do what and the impact on all teams and players affected. Depending on if you are a glass half full or half empty type that might determine your opinion on the expected future results. I like to think of myself as a “half full” kind of guy, but I’m struggling to get fired up about some of these moves this year. Regardless, it’s important to make sure you know all the key players that changed locations and if their new home is an upgrade or downgrade before you go into your 2010 Fantasy Football Auction or Draft. With that, let’s dig into some of the bigger names who have moved and determine if they move up or down on the Fantasy Fortune’s board along with the impact to their former team.

Quarterback:

Donovan McNabb was the big name move amidst the gun slingers. I’ve always liked Donovan as a fantasy QB and have had pretty good luck with him on my teams, despite the injuries. I love him for his week one performances….I feel like when he’s on your team; you’re a lock for a week one win. But hey, that’s only one week, there’s a whole season after that and it’s tough to imagine him getting better in Washington. McNabb had a good thing going with DeSean Jackson last year, but now he’s going to have to make due with a lot less in Washington. If he outperforms expectations in 2010, I think it is going to be based purely on him seeking vengeance and wanting to prove people wrong. Public perception is that Philly fans never really took to McNabb, and I don’t know why. Most teams would kill to have a QB like him. Trading him to a team in the same division will at least make for some interesting pre-game hype twice a year now for the otherwise boring PHI vs. WAS series. I’ll be routing for him to succeed, I just don’t think I’m taking a chance on him as my #1 QB. Speaking of players that won’t be on my team, I know you don’t care about Brady Quinn (Broncos) or Seneca Wallace (Browns), and neither do I. We try to analyze relevant fantasy players that you might actually have on your team.

McNabb to WAS:

McNabb: Downgrade.

PHI Offense: Downgrade. If only out of respect for the McNabb/Westbrook era being over. They get younger with their recent moves, but not necessarily better.

DeSean Jackson: Stable. Based on Kolb looking great in a couple games last year, hopefully he’ll be good enough to keep DeSean producing at a high level.

WAS Offense and WR’s: Upgrade. It’s tough to envision a star emerging from their WR core right now, but having Donovan will at least give this offense a chance.

Running Backs:

I wish players had more of a sense of humor when it comes to the products they choose to endorse. Take the “Shell of LT” (formerly known as LaDainian Tomlinson) for example. Shouldn’t he do some type of Car Wax commercial? Stay with me now; imagine LT in a cheesy green suit coat and slacks, “Our special formulated wax can keep your car looking new. You’re car may be 10 years old with countless miles, but now no one needs to know. Keep your car looking the exact same on the outside even though it’s a broken piece of junk on the inside!” Or how about doing a commercial for a tire shop that does re-treading? Are you telling me either of those businesses and LT wouldn’t get some good publicity out of that? Why not LT? Laugh at yourself a little bit, it’s ok, you’re image could use the upgrade from your current “pouty” self. You have millions in the bank and should never have to work again, have some fun. With that here are sulky takes from me and my view from the bench (with my arms crossed and bottom lip protruding out).

LT to the Jets:

LT: Downgrade. Not because of the Jets running game by any means. LT (31 yrs old at beginning of ’10 season) has regressed so much the last couple years I don’t see a comeback this year especially with the new up and coming stud, Shonn Greene, who should get most of the work. LT’s best chance to be relevant next year will be as a goal line vulture.

Shonn Greene: Downgrade. The swings have been violent for Greene’s stock this off-season; first T Jones goes to the Chiefs, making Greene look like a monster. Then they bring in LT along with all sorts of question marks on workload distribution. We might have to wait a little while for the Greene era to officially begin. If LT goes down, I absolutely love Greene.

SD Running Game: Upgrade. Addition by subtraction? Ouch, sorry LT. It’s sad to see the great ones deteriorate so quickly. SD has become more pass heavy and I don’t see Darren Sproles lasting a whole season given his size. The upgrade here comes due to the potential of Ryan Matthews taking full time roll in a stellar offense. He could be an absolute beast of a rookie.

Thomas Jones to the Chiefs:

T. Jones: Downgrade. He’s another year older and was already old to begin with (he’ll be 32 at start of season). Jamaal Charles was great last year in the lead role. This could end up being a full split of the work here, yuck.

Jamaal Charles: Reluctant Downgrade. Errrr, I really liked him down the stretch last year, he’s the only thing the Chiefs had going for them. But with Jones in house it’s tough to imagine Charles getting the same number of touches in 2010.

Chester Taylor to the Bears:

C. Taylor: Mild Upgrade. He put up decent numbers for a backup behind AP in Minnesota. The Bears might not be a better system, but he could easily overtake Forte as the lead dog in their running attack. Another inter-division trade, so he gets two cracks at the Vikes, but that isn’t usually a good thing for opposing runners.

AP and Vikes running game: Slight upgrade to AP due to increased touches, downgrade to Vikes running game as a whole. AP is so good, but is he going to hold onto the ball next year? Bringing in Toby Gerhart from Stanford is interesting as well. You wouldn’t think he would steal goal line or crunch time touches, but he not a 3rd down/pass catching back, so why did they bring him in….time will tell.

Westbrook to Wherever:

Sadly it doesn’t matter. If he was a three course meal, he’d already have the salad fork and main course fork sticking in him…….now we’re just waiting for that final dessert fork to be stuck in him. It was a good run until concussions took there toll. R.I.P. to one of the best combo running/catching backs fantasy has seen.

Wide Receivers:

Three big name Wide Receivers bounced around this off-season. They’re not your stereotypical group of WR’s with the “me first” attitude, trouble making, and generally unlikable clubhouse guys. Oh, wait, who am writing about again…..whoops, scratch that. Denny you want to take it from here, “they are who we thought they were!”

Brandon Marshall to the Dolphins:

B. Marshall: Stable. If he can flourish with Kyle Orton as his QB, I’ll trust him in any offense at this point until proven otherwise.

Chad Henne: Upgrade. The bar is set pretty low; he’s young enough that he should make some decent progress this year.

Kyle Orton: Downgrade. You can’t really have a lot of confidence in Orton based on the front office moves made by Denver this off-season; brought in Brady Quinn and drafted Tim Tebow. Not exactly a ringing endorsement in your starting QB from 2009.

Anquan Boldin to the Ravens:

A. Boldin: Upgrade*. The asterisk is for the fact that I’m saying he’s going from Matt Leinart to Joe Flacco, not Warner to Flacco, which would be a downgrade using that comparison.

Joe Flacco: Upgrade. It can’t hurt to have a guy like Boldin going out for passes; he’s a big, athletic target who always plays with a chip on his shoulder.

Matt Leinart: Downgrade. Dear Arizona fans, I’d be nervous. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

Santonio Holmes to the Jets:

S. Holmes: Downgrade. Hate on Roethlisberger all you want as a person, but he’s a solid QB and Sanchez, while he shows promise, has a ways to go. The Jets are obviously a very run heavy offense as well. Oh, and don’t forget the suspension to start the year, ouch.

Ben Roethlisberger: Downgrade. I knew he was lying when he said he was going to Disney World after those Super Bowl wins.

Mark Sanchez: Upgrade. Again, real life issues aside, Holmes has been pretty good, not great. He will help the Jets passing game.

All in all, a decent amount of big name players moving around, but things seems to skew a bit more heavily towards downgraded situations than upgrades, in relation to a player’s rank on the overall and positional player rankings.

Don’t agree with any of these takes? Let us know. Come check out our site and post your comments to the message board under the “Forums” page.

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Ana Ivanovic