High Street Headache

July 1, 2010

Lamar Odom Signs Contract To Return To NBA Champs

Filed under: Sport — Tags: , , , , , , — Ross Everett @ 7:25 am

After a month long free agency soap opera, both Lamar Odom and the Los Angeles Lakers got what they really wanted all along. The Lakers retained the services of their valuable sixth man, and Odom will return to the team after an intense recruiting pitch from the Miami Heat. On Friday, Odom officially signed his new contract with the NBA Champions thus insuring that the nucleus of the roster will remain intact.

Terms of the deal werent immediately released, but both player and team appeared relieved that things had worked out. In early July, negotiations broke down after some miscommunication between Odom’s agent and Lakers’ owner Dr. Jerry Buss. While Odom worked to mend fences”including several personal phone calls to Dr. Buss”his agent was receiving interest from a number of teams. Miami, in particular, was extremely interest bringing out some heavy hitters including Dwayne Wade and Pat Riley to make a recruiting pitch.

None of the competing offers were as compelling as returning to the NBA champion Lakers. At the official signing ceremony, he hinted that a dynasty could be in the making:

“I guess basketball-wise, I feel complete. I want to feel it again. It’s kind of an overwhelming feeling. I get goose bumps when I think about it, and as long as I continue to play professional basketball, I want to always feel that. The way I feel during the summer, I always want to feel that. If we can win six, seven, eight, nine, 10 championships in a row, I want to experience that.”

The only significant loss to last years NBA title winning team was Trevor Ariza, but the teams signing of Ron Artest is likely an upgrade. Artest brings not only his infamous swagger and intensity, but an element of toughness and versatility that Ariza lacked. Such was Odoms commitment to the Lakers is that even during his free agency, he helped recruit Artest to sign with the team:

“I spoke to Ron two days before he signed, and I told him how important I think it is for him to come here. Because I know how hard he works, he needs to experience basketball at its best, at the highest level, and he needs to become a Laker. Two days after that, he signed.”

Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak was understandably elated at Odom’s return:

“Three or four months ago, I didn’t think it could be possible that we could basically bring this team back in whole. Lamar had a wonderful season that ended on the best possible note you could have, and Lamar had a lot of options. … Here it is, July 31, and we have brought back everybody that we wanted to bring back.”

Odom noted that his perception of L.A. as his home made a big difference in his decision:

“I didn’t want my kids to have to change schools — just the little things. I’m comfortable here. I’ve been here since I was’ years old. I’m proud to be playing for what I think is the most popular brand in sports.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Southern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

June 20, 2010

Phillies Sign Slugger Ryan Howard To Big Money Deal

Filed under: Sport — Tags: , , , , , , — Ross Everett @ 7:05 am

Philadelphia Phillies’ slugger Ryan Howard has two years remaining on his current contract with the club, but the team had no interest in potentially losing him as a free agent. For that reason, the Phillies have worked out a hefty contract extension with Howard that will pay him an average $25 million a year for the next five years. The deal is the second richest in Major League baseball behind the New York Yankees’ shortstop Alex Rodriguez who pulls down a cool $27.5 million per season.

Howard spoke of his loyalty to the team as the main reason that he accepted the deal without hesitation:

“That wasn’t a very hard decision.”

“I tell you what, it’s a great feeling to have that security and know where you’re going to be. I feel what I’ve been doing over the last couple of years, I feel pretty confident that down the road, I’ll be right where I want to be and still doing the same things.”

He then threw in a playful jab at the notoriously pugnacious Philadelphia fans:

“Hopefully there’s no riots taking place back in Philly.”

Philadelphia’s GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. was also in a jovial mood in announcing the deal:

“As part of this deal, he has agreed to buy a second home for me.”

He then gave a more serious take:

“We just felt it was good timing for us. We felt No. 1, he’s one of the elite offensive players in the game. We could have waited another year and a half or so and dealt with it later on, but the fact of the matter is we decided he is that important to our organization and to our club and to our future.”

Howard’s agent Casey Close was also positive:

“This is a very good contract for him. The reason he felt the time was right was he loves his teammates, he loves the city. He wanted to be a part of something special for a long time to come.”

As was team manager Charlie Manuel:

“This is absolutely great. We signed Ryan Howard quite a few years ago and that means we’re keeping him. He’s one of our guys, he is a Phillie. It’s big for our team. That’s what you set out for. He’s very worthy of it. He is a great player and he is going to continue to be a great player for a while. Everything about it’s good.”

There is some risk involved for the ball club-despite a team option for the 2017 season they’re banking that Howard will remain a high level offensive player. The size of the contract, if nothing else, would make him almost impossible to trade. The Phillies have cooled off somewhat since a red hot start, but are still in first place in the National League East.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance writer who covers travel, poker and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, falconry and deep sea diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.

June 12, 2010

Get Dodgers Tickets And Enjoy The Privileges Of Ticket Holders

Filed under: Sport — Tags: , — William Thornton @ 7:04 am

The game of baseball is America’s favorite pastime. That’s why when there are major baseball events you always see baseball stadiums packed with fans and baseball lovers. People go to baseball stadiums to fully enjoy the game, and you can see a lot fans and baseball enthusiasts fill the stadiums. One of the baseball teams that has a huge fan base is the Los Angeles Dodgers. Because of their great achievements, more and more baseball lovers are following them wherever they play.

Almost everyone in California knows the LA Dodgers. The team has established a good record in the history of baseball, and for that they have successfully taken the hearts of many baseball lovers. The experience you have when watching your favorite team in the stadiums is really fun and entertaining. To enjoy these great moments you need to get a hold of the Dodgers tickets.

There are places where you can easily get a hold of these Dodger tickets. You can locate ticketing centers in any nearby mall or shopping centers around. To fully enjoy the Dodger game, you may want to get one earlier than game time to make sure you get the best seat.

Another place where you can get Dodgers tickets is through the Internet. You can make a web-based purchase of these tickets. These online sites have access to almost every game in MLB, so following the games of your favorite baseball team can be done in just a few clicks. Once the purchase is complete, simply print a copy of the ticket and use it to have access to the game. Getting these tickets online is quick and easy.

You will surely enjoy every baseball game you experience the thrill and excitement of watching the actual games of your favorite team. The only way you can have access to these exciting games is to get a hold of the Dodgers ticket.

You can also have access to the team’s training site when you have these Dodger tickets. Seeing your favorite Dodger player in training is another plus that you can get when you purchase these game passes. You see there’s a lot of fun when you have Dodgers Tickets.

Rudy Lancaster is a football fanatic and writes for football events. He prides himself in finding the best dodgers tickets online. He agrees that the best dodger tickets are found at www.dodgerstickets.net

May 22, 2010

Chiefs Star Lenny Dawson

Filed under: Sport — Tags: , , — Freddie Brister @ 7:04 am

Since 1963, the Kansas City Chiefs have been the city’s professional football representative. First created in 1960 and named the Dallas Texans, they moved to Kansas City three years later – where they have remained to this day. A charter franchise in the now defunct American Football League, the Chiefs now compete in the American Football Conference’s (AFC) Western Division. There have been many great players over the last five decades who have worn the Chiefs uniform, but one of the greatest Chiefs ever was former quarterback and Hall of Famer Leonard “Len” Dawson.

Len’s early career

Quarterback Lenny Dawson was a star long before he hit the professional ranks. He led his Purdue Boilermakers in three successful seasons first. His presence with the Purdue team was never a foregone conclusion, however, as he was also heavily recruited by the Buckeyes of Ohio State. Eventually, his decision came down to the type of offense that the teams ran and his newfound fondness for Purdue’s coach. History was kind to both the team and Dawson, since he led all of his competition in the Big Ten Conference in each of the three years he started as quarterback, while posting gaudy passing yard numbers throughout.

A nomadic beginning to a pro career

Though he was a much anticipated rookie, Dawson failed to really find a home in either Pittsburgh or Cleveland. At the time, both had star quarterbacks, and Lenny was of little use to either team. When he was released in 1962, it provided him the opportunity to rejoin his old college coach who was then coaching the Dallas Texans. His initial campaign as the Texans starter resulted in winning the season touchdown titles, while also snaring the most yards per attempted pass. He was the AFL’s MVP that year, and cheerily followed the team as it moved the next year to its Kansas City home.

Home in the Chiefs jersey

As a Chief, Len got his old accuracy back. This was important, because the Chiefs were using that same mobile pocket system that he had experienced in college. He soon became the AFL’s perennial passing leader, with his 1966 season being so successful that his team was invited to participate in the AFL-NFL matchup that s now known as Super Bowl I. Against the then-dynasty of Lombardi, Starr, and the rest of the Packers, there was little that the upstart Chiefs could do to stop the Packers from winning the game going away. Nevertheless, Dawson was still in competent form during a losing effort, as he compiled more than 200 yards passing and one touchdown.

Super Bowl IV

It wouldn’t take long for those hopes to be realized, either. The Chiefs went back to the Super Bowl three short seasons later and had no Packers with which to contend this time. Their opponent was the team from Minnesota – the Vikings – and this time the Chiefs made sure they won the game. At the time, no one would have expected it to be the Chief’s sole Super Bowl title. Lenny Dawson was rightfully ushered into professional football’s legendary Hall of Fame in 1987, just 12 years after retiring from football. His time with the Chiefs will always be remembered with great fondness by the franchise’s fans, and he will always be – to many fans of the game – one of the trailblazers who demonstrated that teams from the AFL could be just as good as their NFL counterparts.

Freddie Brister begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlightingend_of_the_skype_highlighting is a huge fan of all sports and recommends checking out his Kansas City Chiefs Watch and Kansas City Royals watch at his shop.

April 26, 2010

Fundamental Snowboarding Expertise For The Uncomfortable Types

Filed under: Sport — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Eddie Lamb @ 7:03 am

Snowboarding is an exciting sport, but it takes a good deal of practice. It also takes balance, and timing, and a certain amount of bravado. It is easy to hurt yourself if you are just learning, so take a little time to read these hints. Then your first trip to the ski slopes won’t be your last!

First, check a weather report. The best weather for first-timers is something close to a blizzard. This will give you smaller class sizes, and something soft to land on, (i.e. LOTS of snow). You will fall down a lot as you learn, so you definitely want a soft landing.

Don’t go early in the season, and don’t go late. Too early means not enough snow, and you will be landing on a ‘mountain’ with a decorative white cover (Ouch!). Too late means that repeated thawing and refreezing has turned most of the snow to ice just below the surface, which is also not a happy landing. The best time to go is mid-season, late December through January, depending on weather conditions.

Do NOT ask a friend, boyfriend, or girlfriend to teach you. This will end up in frustration, because chances are, they are not trained in how to TEACH, no matter how skillful they may personally be at it.

Do NOT assume you will be able to figure it out on your own. You will not be able to, and will probably hurt yourself and others in the process. That’s the hardest part: not smacking into the other people inevitably using the same snow as you.

Try a lesson from a trained professional. The ski resorts have droves of instructors just itching to send you down the slopes on your first snowboarding adventure. You could sign up for a class, but you may find your fellow students are all six years old. If you can, take a private lesson. They’re not much more expensive, and you get an instructor all to yourself. The more time you get with an instructor, the more likely you are to have fun and learn some actual skills.

When you take lessons, either on your own, or in a group, LISTEN to your instructor. Assume the teacher knows more than you and pay attention. Also try to put into practice what they tell you.

Remember that if you do follow all the instructors suggestions and you’re still not ‘getting it’, you can always ask the resort for a refund or do-over. It is in their best interest that you succeed (and come back again and spend more money). They may not automatically accommodate you, but it never hurts to ask.

The thrill of snowboarding attracts all kinds of people, particularly after the Winter Olympics. Start your adventure off with a little knowledge and a little prudence, and then go have a wonderful time!

Checking out snowboard tricks is a great way to spend some time in the season, so learning those tricks is a great way to get yourself some of that attention. You’ll need good snowboarding rails and don’t forget to keep an eye out for girls snowboarding. For all the information you’ll need, please visit our website now.

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