The news was recently released that Spur’s coach, Gregg Popovich was named NBA coach of the year. That is a great honor to be sure and Popovich is undoubtedly a very good coach. He’s been in the game for a good many years and has had winning records all along the way. This particular year he lead his team to a 50 win season and the number one position in the Western Conference. He gives credit to his talented team, especially the two all-stars who wear number 45 and number 9 on their respective basketball jerseys. He also freely admits that it’s a lot easier to win when your management has drafted players such as David Robinson who played with the spurs for 14 years and their current center, Tim Duncan. Even so, this is a coach who
obviously knows how to get the job done. In his very long career (39 years as a coach) he has managed to get the most out of his talented teams. In the 16 years he’s been with the San Antonio Spurs he has racked up four championships and that is no small feat when you consider the talent that exists in the NBA. This is Popovich’s second nod as coach of the year. The first award came after his team won the national championship in 2003.
If you are wondering about the popularity of the reigning NFL stars, you have only to check out the sales of their football jerseys to see who is on the top of the pack. The position seems to volley up and down depending on who has recently been traded or drafted or who is the current MVP in their sport. If you are a big baseball fan you are probably aware that the New York Yankees are the team that leads in baseball jersey sales. In the world of football, all-star Peyton Manning who recently joined Denver Broncos is holding the spot for top jersey sales even though he has yet to play a game for that organization. This indicates that hopes are high for the newly acquired Bronco player who suffered last season in the number of his jerseys that were sold due to his long recovery from neck surgery. Meanwhile, Tim Tebow is also doing well with sales of his newly designed New York Jets jersey at the number two spot. Another Manning brother, Eli, holds the third top selling spot as the New York Giants quarterback. While quarterbacks typically are top jersey sellers, other positions are popular as well. Chicago Bears linebacker, Brian Urlacher is currently the fourth most popular name on football jerseys.
There were a lot of people who pretty much wrote off the Utah Jazz this year. After the turmoil and drama of last year with losing Coach Sloan in the middle of the season and losing our premier players to other teams, many felt that this new squad of young players wasn’t going to get very far. There definitely wasn’t much hope held that they would make the NBA play-offs and yet that is exactly what this scrappy, persistent team has done. Even a couple of weeks ago the nay-sayers announced that the Jazz’s season was done and that it was time for them to start thinking about next year. Instead the guys who have worn the basketball uniforms emboldened with the Jazz insignia will be once again be putting those uniforms on to compete in the play-offs which will begin this week-end. While others may have lost confidence in the team, the players themselves kept the hope alive and played to win each time out on the court. Because of their “never give up attitude” the home town fans are going to have some more hard-fought games to cheer about.
There’s a secret that a lot of people don’t know about. It’s the fact that boxing can provide much needed relief from stress besides providing an outlet for pent-up frustration and worry. And that’s not all. Boxing must certainly rate as one of the premier sports for conditioning and toning the body and strengthening muscles, not to mention burning tons of calories in the process.
With a minimum of equipment (good boxing gloves and a punching dummy or punching bag) one can elevate their physical fitness to a degree that may not have thought possible.
While there remain millions of people who have not yet been introduced to the sport of boxing as a participant, there are many thousands of others who have found that boxing is just the outlet they need in their lives. Many of those thousands are younger people who have channeled into a much more positive life after discovery this age-old sporting activity. The National Golden Gloves Tournament which will be held in May will include many participants who have taken the road to a better life and left behind a troubled existence through the sport of boxing. Some of them claim that boxing literally saved their lives.
Certainly boxing is not the only sport that provides stress relief and an avenue to physical fitness but it is one that a growing number of people are turning to.
The season that almost didn’t happen at all is now approaching the final few regular games before post season play begins. So, how are things looking for basketball’s elite teams at this point in time? Obviously, the answer to that question has a good deal to do with the success (or lack thereof) of the team you are rooting for. If you happen to be a big fan of the guys who wear the black, silver and white basketball uniforms of the San Antonio Spurs you are probably feeling pretty good about the season. If, however, you have been cheering for the team from Charlotte or the squad from New Orleans, no doubt you are glad that the dismal season is nearing an end. For those who align themselves with teams who fall somewhere in the middle of the pack, hopes are still alive that perhaps a play-off appearance will be possible.
Basketball commissioner, David Stern recently commented that the rules associated with the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement have made it a more competitive field for all of the teams. It’s no longer possible for the mega-wealthy owners to stack the deck against the other teams by stockpiling players, using exceptions and other manipulative measures to ensure their success. It gives small market teams like the Utah Jazz, the San Antonio Spurs a more even playing field in which to operate their franchises. As the basketball year winds down, fans are hoping that off-season trades and increased enthusiasm will lead to an even better NBA season next year
The sport of boxing is enjoyed by millions of people throughout the world and the reasons for this are many. Obviously, it is an excellent form of exercise. It tones and strengthens muscles, improves stamina, alleviates stress and burns calories. Besides this, it is just plain fun. When a person decides to pull on a pair of boxing gloves and get started on this sport, they are in for a great new adventure. Boxing has also been known to change the direction for young people who were heading down dangerous paths in life.
A recent story of a young man who turned to boxing as a way to relieve tension and anger illustrates this point. He had been making poor choices and bad decisions which had resulted in a diminished sense of self worth and quality of life. He was also the oldest brother in a family of four sons and felt some responsibility to his younger siblings who tended to emulate his actions and attitudes. Boxing was a sport that this young man had been drawn to since he was a young child but it wasn’t until he was approaching adulthood that he actively participated in it. He soon recognized that boxing could humble even the most aggressive, the most confident and the most skilled individual. . He confessed that he had no idea it would be so challenging or so fulfilling and that it would become such an important part of his life. Boxing provided the outlet for his excess energy and the focus that was needed in his life.
Staying Motivated Is Hard Work
Isn’t it fascinating that no matter how much you enjoy something, there are times when the interest level seems to wane. It’s just human nature not to be able to sustain hyper enthusiasm for the long haul. It ebbs and flows. No matter what your sport of choice, you have likely noticed that at times you can’t seem to find all the time you’d like to devote to your activity. Then comes the “other times” when you can’t find the energy or the desire to make it happen.
This phenomenon is frustrating to be sure, but it’s one that is experienced by just about everyone who has ever become in a sporting activity. Most boxers will tell you that they are passionate about their sport but if they are completely honest they will also admit that on certain days it is all that can do to lace up the old boxing gloves and begin sparring with an opponent or inflicting punishment on the punching dummy. Basketball players, football players, cycling enthusiasts and participants in every other sport suffer the same dilemma from time to time. The trick is to not get de-railed when that loss of enthusiasm hits but to muster the strength (mental and physical) to stick to the routine. One of the blessings of routine workouts (or consistent involvement in sporting activities) is that the more you do it, the easier it becomes. It becomes a lot harder to lace up the gym shoes for the morning jog when you have let some time go by since your last run.
Just know that when the “down times” come that if you stay with it and work through the doldrums, the passion will return along with your energy level and feelings of satisfaction.`
No matter what it is one chooses to do for exercise, whether slipping on a cycling jersey and climbing on their bike or strapping on the boxing gloves for a good workout, the important thing is just to do it. Besides the obvious benefits of a more toned body and significant help in weight control, exercise is just plain good for the mind and body in general. Examples abound of those who have committed to make exercise an important part of their lives. Is the name Jack LaLanne familiar? This world-renowned body-builder and fitness guru inspired millions to get into the exercise routine and eat more nutritiously. He was convinced that the survival of our country depended on it’s populace being healthy and physically fit. He kept himself in prime condition throughout his life, gaining the admiration of fans such as Arnold Schwarzenegger who fondly referred to LaLanne as an “animal” after he was beaten by LaLanne an informal contest when the former was 21 years of age and LaLanne was 54.
More recently, a former Mr. Universe by the name of Manohar Aich made the news when he turned 100 years old, still sporting rippling muscles and a healthy body. While most of us don’t anticipate becoming professional body builders or living to be 100 years old, it is within our grasp to stay active and keep our bodies as healthy and fit as possible in order to live our best lives.
The financial necessity yet painful separation of Peyton Manning from the Indianapolis Colts has taken place. Manning is without doubt one of the greatest players to ever put on a football jersey and strap a football helmet to his head. He is not only a former Super Bowl champion but also the NFL’s only four-time MVP. Those are credentials that likely won’t be repeated by anyone in the foreseeable future. Leaving the Colts franchise is not something that Manning had ever wanted to do. It was well-known that he had hoped to finish the illustrious career that he had carved out in a Colts uniform. When he signed his five-year, $90 million dollar contract last July, he was thrilled that he would be finishing out his career in Indianapolis. Sadly, however, that was not to be. Due to a neck injury sustained near seasons end in 2010, he was forced to sit out the entire 2011 season which involved four separate neck surgeries and months of recuperation. Colts management appeared to be as emotional about Manning’s release as was the player himself but deemed the financial drain of keeping Manning on the payroll too costly. The Colts own the number one pick in next months draft and it looks likely that they will take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. Hopefully Luck will be a good fit for the Indianapolis team and it is obvious that he will be bringing some amazing statistics of his own with him. Even so, trying to replace someone who has racked up more than 50,000 passing yards, 350 touchdown passes and over 200 consecutive starts will not be an easy task. True greatness does not come along every day and great is one of the adjectives that best describes Peyton Manning. Both on and off the field this has been a man who displayed the talent and demeanor that is rare in individuals. He will be missed by not only his teammates and the city who reveres him but by the millions throughout the country who have delighted in watching his unparallel skills on the football field.
Expectations were high for the Pac-12 “Conference of Champions” this year. After all, it was once almost revered among basketball die-hards as the elite conference in the league. That has all changed this year thanks to the lackluster play and unfulfilled expectations of most of the teams in the conference. Just because guys donned the basketball uniforms of formerly great teams such as the Arizona Wildcats and the California Bears it didn’t mean that they were going to play stellar basketball. It has been a most disappointing season to put it mildly. The best teams in the league this year have been Washington and Cal who stand with a record of 14-3 and 13-4 respectively.
Arizona State is a dismal 5-12 with Utah and USC doing even more poorly with records of 3-14 and 1-16 respectively. So what has happened to this league that had appeared so promising? The sad fact is that of these 12 teams, there will likely be only 2, or possibly 3 that make it into the 68-team field of the NCAA play-offs. That is discouraging for the many thousands of fans who had thought the Pac-12 would be the conference to follow this year.