The Tax Cheapo

There is no question that the public loves the Patriots. The Patriots are starting to be considered a modern day dynasty in the National Football League. Coupled with the fact that everybody considers the Jaguars a joke, gives us a huge point spread.

There are a lot of reason to like the Patriots at home off of a regular season loss to the Miami Dolphins. Whether they threw that game or not, there is no way that these Patriots are going to go down easily but will their motivation get them to win beyond 8 points. At home in the unfriendly confines of Foxboro, it is possible.

There are also a lot of reasons to like the Jaguars. They are 12-4 this season but their losses came against Indianapolis, Denver, and on the road to St. Louis. The largest margin of defeat for any of their losses was exactly 8 points to the Indianapolis Colts. With the weather conditions in Foxboro in January the way it is, we expect a low scoring tight game.

Jacksonville is traditionally known as a defensive team but if you checked the game they ended the season with, they scored 40. They really had their offense rolling in their 16th game just like they had most of the season. They are trying to come into the playoffs with a lot of momentum but going against the confident veteran squad of the Patriots, they should struggle and it will be surprising to seem them win this game outright.

We suggest taking the Under 37 and the Jacksonville Jaguars +8 in this game as our Free Football Picks on January 7, 2006.

We provide free football picks to all the viewers to our website.

If you are a fan of the game of baseball, you may not have given much thought to how the game has been changed by the historical evolution of the baseball bat.

Americans became infatuated with baseball in the early 1800s, and by 1860 the sport was definitely the ‘national pastime’, with players using early versions of baseball bats to slug the ball around a regulation field.
You probably know that Abner Doubleday invented the game of baseball, but you may not know that New Yorker, Alexander Cartwright designed the configuration and dimensions of the baseball field during the 1840s. His New York Knickerbocker Base Ball Club, developed the first set of league rules.

The first historical record of a league baseball game was the 1846 Knickerbocker duel with the New York Baseball Club (the Knickerbockers LOST at Elysian Fields, in Hoboken, New Jersey.
The National Association of Base Ball Players was founded in 1848, and became the first organized baseball league in the United States.
By the time this league was formed, the baseball bat had already gone through quite an evolution! Unlike the baseball bats of today, baseball bats of yore were not regulated for weight, length or anything else for that matter. Bats came in all shapes and sizes.
In the 1800s when baseball was in its infancy, baseball bats were often made by the players, and the bat might be long or short, fat or skinny, heavy or light. As the game evolved, players soon figured out that rounded baseball bats were the best.

In 1859, baseball bats were limited to 2.5″ or less in diameter, though your bat could be as LONG as you preferred, and it could be round or flat! About 10 years later, the length of all baseball bats was limited to 42″. And that length limitation still applies today.
The Louisville slugger baseball bat was invented in 1884. If you are a big fan of baseball, you probably already know that! But what you may not know is that the Louisville slugger baseball bat was the brainchild of a seventeen year old by the name of John Hillerich. John and his father were woodworkers.

John attended a baseball game in Louisville, and saw a player by the name of Pete Browning get very angry after he broke his favorite bat during the game.
After the game, he asked Browning if he could make him a new baseball bat and Browning went with him to his shop, where they chose a piece of white ash wood for his new baseball bat.
The next day, Browning had a great game, and all the other players wanted to know about the bat he was using. Soon, other players were flocking to the Hillerich woodworking shop to get their own baseball bats, and the Louisville slugger was born!
During the 1890s, the regulations were changed again to specify that baseball bats must be round, and that a bat could not be flat on the end. Diameter limitations increased to 2.75″.

Metal baseball bats were invented in the 1920s, but it would be 50 years before they would be used in baseball. Today, aluminum bats are used in Little League baseball, although Major League Baseball does not use metal bats because of safety concerns and because the use of metal bats would significantly change the competition.
Bats made out of aluminum, graphite and titanium drive the ball farther and higher than wooden bats, so the use of metal bats in Major League Baseball would change the game forever!
In 1991, the ash bat was changed yet again by the design of the Baum baseball bat which has a resin core impregnated with fiber and yarn to make the bat lighter. The ash exterior was preserved, but these bats were bouncier and it was estimated that using this new lighter core bat would improve hitting speed by 5%.

From the original hickory bats of the 1800s to the ash bats of 1900 and beyond, we saw the advent of the maple bat in the early 2000s.
150 years of baseball, have wrought a lot of changes in the baseball bat and in other tools of the game and we will probably see more as the game evolves.

Find and buy a baseball bat and learn everything you need to know about baseball bats by visiting our web site: Baseball Bat

1955 Brooklyn Dodgers
They won the pennant by 13.5 games.
Scored 857 runs while allowing 650 runs
Finally beat the New York Yankees in
The World Series. They had five future
Hall of Famers on the team. Duke Snider,
Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Roy
Campenella, and Sandy Koufax.

1961 New York Yankees
They won 109 games. They had
Six players with at least 20 home runs led
by Mickey Mantle (54 home runs)
and Roger Maris (61 home runs), setting
a record for most home runs in a year.
Beat the Reds in the World Series four games
to one.

1969 Mets

Because they finished the previous year 24 games
out of first place. They had most of the same players
in 1969 that they had in 1968. Because they
seemed to create an aura of invincibility.
This is one team for the ages.

1976 Cincinnati Reds
Won all seven of their playoff games.
Scored 857 runs while allowing 633.
Seven pitchers with double digit wins.
Won pennant by ten games.
Three future Hall of Famers
Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Perez.

1984 Detroit Tigers
Won the Eastern Division by 15 games.
Started the season in first place and stayed there
for the entire year. Winning 35 of their first 40 games.

1998 New York Yankees
Won their division by 22 games.
Including playoffs they won 125 games
and lost only 50 games for an overall
714 winning per cent age.
They scored more than 300 runs over their
opponents. 965 runs – opposition 656 runs.
Ten players with at least 10 home runs.

So there you have it. My greatest teams
of all time.

Aron Wallad has been a baseball lover for over 45 years. His passions have included; playing, watching, reading, evaluating, and coaching the game he adores. Do you love inspiring quotes, unusual statistics and most of all, heartwarming baseball stories? If you love baseball you will love his baseball ezine.

Go here right now to join his ezine http://www.baseballsprideandjoy.com/index.php?tag=ezart

Contact Aron at aron@baseballsprideandjoy.com

Baseball caps serve many functions. They aren’t just seen on the field but on the streets, in the stands and almost anyone you look. Baseball caps have an interesting history, the first ones were worn by the New York Knickerbockers and they were made of straw.

There have been many styles of baseball caps throughout the years, ten different styles were advertised in 1888 in Spaulding’s Base Ball Guide. You could buy a baseball cap for 12 cents to $2.

Now baseball caps are available in numerous styles and colors. You can get a baseball cap that represents your favorite team. Baseball caps are sold at all the professional games and in sporting good and specialty stores around the world.

Baseball caps are worn by people of all walks of life and income levels. You see baseball caps not only at the games but at restaurants, parties, on the beach and in airports.

People sometimes wear baseball caps to make a statement about which team they support. The lucky ones have had their baseball caps signed by a favorite player. These baseball caps are treasured by their owners.

Baseball caps are comfortable to wear and adjustable. They are often made of fabric that “breathes” making them a cool choice even on a hot day. Baseball caps keep the sun out of your face and even deflect raindrops.

There is no age limit to the wearing of a baseball cap. From the smallest of children to the oldest fan, there is a baseball cap made to suit nearly everyone.

Whether you are a faithful attendee of the pro baseball games or just someone who likes to wear baseball caps, check out all the baseball caps and find one or two or three…. that is calling your name.

Ken Austin
Baseball Gear and Equipment
Roses and Rose Gardening

Landlords and rehabbers take notice – you may soon be focused on the new concepts of “Virtual Real Estate Investing“. What is meant by “Virtual Real Estate Investing” ranges from online games like SecondLife (where real profit can be made) to the use of internet technologies to make normal real estate investors more profitable.

In order to figure out the truth of the matter, I sought out Bryan Ellis, whose experience in the fledgling industry is truly impressive.

Ellis says he adopted the term “virtual real estate investing” sometime before Y2K after he realized that making money online is conceptually very similar to making money with physical real estate.

An example of the similar nature of “virtual” and “physical” real estate Bryan Ellis likes to point out is the methods of making a profit from domain names compared to physical real estate. “There’s a huge difference between a website and a piece of real estate, but the ways you can profit from them are similar: ‘flipping’, rental/leasing, advertising sales, etc…all of these apply to both markets” he states.

I must admit: Its easy to see the parallels. After all, if you own a valuable piece of real estate, it’s “valuable” because other people are interested in that specific piece of property. Likewise, if you own a desirable domain name, others will find value in it because it serves their purposes. Regardless of the type of asset, you can sell or lease or use any number of strategies to turn the assets into cash.

In our next installment of this series on virtual real estate investing., Bryan Ellis will share the internet analogies to the physical concept of real estate development.

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Last year’s champion Kimmi Raikkonen expects to win once again the world’s most famous street circuit trophy: The Monaco Grand Prix which will take place next Sunday May 28.

Every F1 pilot wants to win the most famous race of the F1 calendar, since it is one of the slowest and hardest, due to its narrowness, and the fact that it is full of bumps and twists. Because of this, pilots can hardly over-take the other cars and any mistake can be critical. Consequently, pilots need to secure a good grid position.

Spaniard Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher have ruled in the last Formula One races while Raikkonen and his team: McLaren- Mercedes haven’t been that lucky. Between the years of 1984 and 1993 a McLaren car won eight out of nine years, with Ayrton Senna (Brazil) and Alain Prost (France) as pilots. Although from the last twelve races, the team McLaren- Mercedes has won only four times. The last victory was brought by Raikkonen a year ago.

In general, speeds aren’t high in the Monaco Grand Prix. Cars may reach a maximum of 290kph when they get to the famous tunnel, but the speed for a lap is less than 145kph. Therefore engineers must work on the low speed handling of the vehicle.

The race’s distance is 78 laps and the circuit length is 2.075 miles (3.340 kms). Monaco Grand Prix is always held on the next weekend after the Ascension Day.

About the Author:
Julie Smith is one of the most recognized copy writers on Sports Betting and currently writes for Instant Action Sports. Feel free to reprint this article in its entirety on your site, make sure to leave all links in place and do not modify any of the content.

After a chance meeting between Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone in the late 1800’s the two collaborated on Ford’s first automobile. It was the man that ultimately was the impetus for Bridgestone Tires that helped Mr. Ford resolve his problem of supporting such a large weight and also to give the ride a smoother touch.

From the hand that the Bridgestone Tire creator played in a historic moment in the history of the United States, through countless other innovations, Bridgestone has been there. With something that the average person gives very little attention to unless a problem arises, it’s interesting to consider what aspects must be focused on to make a good, reliable tire. Bridgestone has given considerable attention in the area of wet handling and traction, tire punctures, tire wear, ride comfort, noise reduction, among countless other areas that are indeed essential, if we drivers and riders are to continue to “forget” about the things that our autos rest upon.

A glance over this list offers, perhaps, two thoughts. At first glance, perhaps some sense of the mundane is considered (wet handling and tire punctures don’ exactly elicit the most contentious debates). But, upon some reflection the importance of these contributions to our everyday lives can easily be witnessed. It is from this that much respect can and should be given to the entrepreneurs that have offered so much to out lives, like the individuals at Bridgestone Tires.

George Murphy gives a new meaning to Bridgestone tires. Check our more info about cheap tires.

In baseball, hockey, football, and basketball, there are key positions that tend to be the dealmaker or breaker when the game is on the line. This doesn’t negate the fact that the four sports are true team efforts, with each position and player being important. Still, there are certain positions that more times than not are central in controlling the game when everything is at stake.

If you’re into wagering, understanding the importance of these positions in each game will give you an edge when analyzing teams or performing head to head evaluations. In this article, we’re going to focus on two positions from each sport, considering why they’re so important when it comes to big game performance.

BASKETBALL:

In basketball the central positions are point guard and center. Both call for very different players in terms of skills and physical make-up. Fans also perceive them differently, with the center drawing the most focus and the point guard often being overlooked.

Although point guards shoot the ball, it’s not their primary responsibility. Point guards run the offense when the team is on the court and for this reason this player must have good basketball sense and instincts and an ability to see the entire floor.

Thinking of the point guard as being a quarterback or an on-court coach may help you understand this position. To be successful, this guard has to possess the qualities of a QB or a head basketball coach. They must be calm under pressure, be able to read defenses and improvise in a split second.

Skills must include an ability to make plays by passing, dishing off, and penetrating the defense. The point guard needs quick hands and feet as he often controls the tempo of the game. An ability to make quick, seamless transitions when going from offense to defense is essential. The point guard is the ultimate, unselfish player whose importance and contributions are often overlooked by spectators.

When one thinks, “Center,” they usually envision a tall, big and dominant player. Great centers are good ball handlers, aggressive rebounders, and tough mentally. They actually have to be a little selfish, using their powerful position to control the boards. A center should be able to hit a mid-court jump shot. On defense, it’s the player in the center position who becomes the quarterback. Defensive rebounds are essential, which means the player in this position must be able to box out, be a strong jumper, and control the ball in tight situations.

If a team features both a premiere point guard and a strong center, chances are, if the game is close, they’ll have a good chance of winning it in the end. Take a second look at one-on-one match-ups in these important positions before wagering.

BASEBALL:

In a game of ball, it really comes down to pitching. It’s true that the thrills are often when the ball is put in play or poked over the fence. The sports moment considered by many to be the greatest of all time occurred on October 21, 1972, in the 72nd World Series when Carlton Fisk hit Pat Darcy’s slider around the Green Monster foul pole in the bottom of the 12th inning. Fisk was a heroyes. But the fact was Darcy’s arm was aching and tired. He had nothing left in him. It was as much a poor performance by Darcy as it was a clutch play by the Boston catcher.

In baseball, you’re considered to be a great hitter if in every ten at bats you get three hits. That figure alone denotes the dominant position pitching holds in a game where the hurler stands above everyone else on his mound. If a pitcher is on, even the best batsman will have a tough time hitting him.

Then there are the names we give these commanding playersthe stopper and the closer. A stopper is a starting pitcher who has the reputation of being able to “stop” a team’s losing streak. Think Roger Clemens, Bartolo Colon, or Pedro Martinez, to name a few. Stoppers give their team confidence, because the other players know that all they need is a minimum number of runs to win. One guy can control the outcome of a nine or 10-player game when the stopper is due to pitch.

Perhaps the most successful closer over the last 10 years has been the New York Yankee’s Mariano Rivera. For most of his career when he’s come into a game in the ninth inning with a one run lead, the game was over. Still, when a final inning thrower can’t close the deal, the loss goes to him, while the win goes to the other team.

Solid pitching wins championships and that means a team with a stable of starters who can go deep into the game and a “lights out” closer is almost impossible to beat.

HOCKEY:

Check out a goaltender’s save percentage and average goals allowed per game and you’ll get a good idea of a team’s chances of winning. Of course in order to be successful, a goalie needs some heads-up defensemen. But if a tender has allowed a low number of goals in the net and saved a high percentage of shots, chances are his ability to step up in pressure situations has been the key. If a goalie notches a ninety-percent save rate and 1.9 goals against, then that’s someone you can bet on.

The other thing about a great net minder is if his team knows he’s going to keep them in the game, they will gain confidence and believe that they can win. Great goaltending also frustrates opponents, making them press harder and taking them out of their game.

The second position, and this one creates a new dynamic in the offensive zone, is the center. Centers need to be able to win face-offs, lead the transition quickly from defense to offense, and create scoring opportunities by both shooting and passing. In hockey, passing and getting an assist is as important as scoring a goal (there’s a reason a player gets a point for either an assist or a goalthey’re both essential to winning).

Center Wayne Gretzkythe Great Oneended his amazing career with 894 goals and 1,963 assistsabout a 1 to 2 ratio. When evaluating centers look for that goal to assist relationship; it says the team has a real playmaker that can create game winning situations in numerous ways.

FOOTBALL:

Football is a complex game of strategy, patterns, planning, and improvisation. In baseball everyone comes in contact with the ball. It’s the same for basketball, and in hockey all players manipulate the puck.

Football’s a whole other game. There’s an entire group of players on the gridiron that rarely touch the ball; in fact if they do come in contact with it, chances are something has gone wrong. The one position that always has contact with the football is quarterback.

The QB is typically the playmaker. He must be able to comprehend a changing situation, analyze it, and react to it. In the 2006 playoffs, Peyton Manning had a difficult time adjusting to surprises created by the Pittsburgh Steelers, taking him out of his game. Quarterbacks who have a reputation for staying calm under pressure include New England’s Tom Brady and Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, while Dallas signal caller Drew Bledsoe’s gaffs have actually inspired the term “a Bledsoe moment.” A Bledsoe Moment occurs when pressure is at its greatest and the QB has a chance to win the game, only to fumble, throw an interception, or get sacked.

The other player who often has the game in his hands, or rather on the tip of his toe, is the field goal kicker. The Colts’ Mike Vanderjagt missed a game tying kick against Pittsburgh in the 2006 playoff game, which Indianapolis lost. Former Patriot and now Colt, Adam Vinatieri is considered to be the ultimate big game, pressure kicker because of his numerous last moment playoff field goals that have won games.

Ironically, field goal kickers probably have more single moment pressure on them than quarterbacks. Consider the fact that when a kicker comes out on the field, they have usually been put in a position by the offense to score. It’s expected that they will score. If they miss, they’ve lost an opportunity. If a quarterback throws an incompletion on second down, he’s got another chance to make good; if a kicker shanks his field goal, there’s no second chance.

To be a high-pressure kicker, the player does not have to be a great athlete, but he does need to be an accurate kicker with a strong leg. The other requirement is an ability to focus and perform under extreme stress. In fact, the player really has to relish being in that situation.

Kickers usually either possess or don’t possess this ability. This quality links kickers with goaltenders and closers. In each of their individual sports, these players are considered to be a unique breedable to be completely calm while performing at optimum levels under unrelenting stress.

Next time you’re comparing teams, especially in playoff and tournament situations, look closely at the specific positions that we’ve highlighted. More often than not the performance of these players will be the difference between victory and defeat.

This article was written by Paul Mroczka for www.thegreek.com/. The Greek Sportsbook & Casino is a must have sports betting and entertainment portal with one of the largest wagering menus available online. Reproductions of this article are encouraged but must include a link pointing to www.thegreek.com/.

Its white-knuckle racing all the way at Talladega Superspeedway! The speeds that used to be possible at Talladega are no more. It is one of two tracks on the NASCAR circuit that forces teams to run a restrictor plate to limit the engine horsepower, which in turn limits the top speed of the cars. Built in 1969, this challenging tri-oval course is a little over 2.5 miles and the banking degrees sure take some talent!

The first winner of a NASCAR race at Talladega was Richard Brickhouse in 1969. Speed records have been recorded at Talladega Superspeedway and it is known as the biggest and fastest motorsports facility in the World. If NASCAR thrills are what you seek, then Talladega is the place you oughta be!

The Aaron’s 499 is a NASCAR Nextel Cup stock car race held at Talladega. The race is 500 miles (188 laps) and has always been held in early May or late April. The Aaron’s 499 is also one of four races currently run with restrictor plates. The others are the UAW Ford 500, the Pepsi 400, and the Daytona 500. The 1997 Aarons 499 race, won by Mark Martin, was the fastest NASCAR race to date ever run, at an average speed of 188.354 mph (303.126 km/h).

Past Aaron’s 499 Winners:

2005 Jeff Gordon – 194 laps / 516.04 miles (green-white-checkered)

2004 Jeff Gordon
2003 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2002 Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
2001 Bobby Hamilton
2000 Jeff Gordon
1999 Dale Earnhardt
1998 Bobby Labonte
1997 Mark Martin (race postponed two weeks due to rain)

1996 Sterling Marlin
1995 Mark Martin
1994 Dale Earnhardt
1993 Ernie Irvan
1992 Davey Allison

1991 Harry Gant (race postponed from Sunday to Monday due to rain)

1990 Dale Earnhardt
1989 Davey Allison
1988 Phil Parsons
1987 Davey Allison – 178 laps / 473.48 miles (darkness – caused by long delay caused by repairs to repair damaged catchfencing in a Lap 22 crash)

1986 Bobby Allison
1985 Bill Elliott
1984 Cale Yarborough
1983 Richard Petty
1982 Darrell Waltrip

1981 Bobby Allison
1980 Buddy Baker
1979 Bobby Allison
1978 Cale Yarborough
1977 Darrell Waltrip
1976 Buddy Baker
1975 Buddy Baker
1974 David Pearson – 170 laps – 452.2 miles (energy crisis)

1973 David Pearson
1972 David Pearson
1971 Donnie Allison
1970 Pete Hamilton

If you are ever in Eastaboga, Alabama, Talladega Superspeedway is a must see. The Aaron’s 499 is the most well-known race held at Talladega, and it’s become well known throughout the NASCAR racing circuit.

Curry Hayes is the owner of Race Fans Friend, the premier online NASCAR ticket agency. For years racing fans have enjoyed the convenience, security, and affordability of purchasing all their NASCAR tickets through Race Fans Friend.