Sports Blog

Over the past few decades, we have seen an astronomical rise in professional athletes’ salaries. For example, during the 1960’s the minimum wage for a baseball player was $6,000, while the league average was somewhere in the ballpark of $19,000. Now, however, players with the most meager of salaries make about as much as the President of the United States. As a result of the jump, the league average is now roughly $1.5 million.

Now, I’m not here to question whether or not players actually deserve the salaries they receive. After all, this is America. We are capitalists. Enough said. However, when it comes to spending so much money on one player, it is vastly important to choose the right kind of player. Otherwise, a team may as well flush the money right down the toilet.

So, what kind of player is a good investment? Well, obviously the player needs talent. If a professional organization is going to shell out upwards of a million dollars, the player better be capable of performing. But, is that it? Can a player be immensely talented and be a good investment? Maybe. Take a look at the following players and tell me what the link is between them.

Rafael Palmeiro, Darryl Strawberry, Steven Jackson, Michael Vick, Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson and half of the Cincinnati Bengals’ team.

The common characteristic is that each of these players is very, very good at playing his respective sport. However, there is another common characteristic; and that is each of these players has had off-the-field problems of one type or another. Rafael Palmeiro had a steroids scandal. Darryl Strawberry struggled with a drug addiction. Steven Jackson, Pacman Jones, Tank Johnson and the Bengals have all run into trouble with the law. As a result of these improprieties, every single one of these players has all been out of commission for a lengthy period at one time or another. Essentially, when they have off-the-field problems, they are being paid for nothing. Furthermore, these types of players drag their team’s name through the mud and give them a questionable reputation. Any good investor will tell you that if you don’t earn a return on your investment, you made a bad decision and should change your tactics.

So, what change in tactics should recruiters implement? Well, in my opinion, recruiters need to look for talent as well as character. Take Derek Jeter for example. He is a stand-out player and a stand-up person off the field. Even though Jeter earns a lot of money, he is worth the investment. If recruiters would focus on both talent and character, they would have better results.      

Nishan Wilde is VP of Sales at Robbins Sports and Athletics, an online provider of athletic apparel and equipment, featuring Gym Bags and Portable Scoreboards.  

Over the past couple weeks, I have been absolutely captivated by the College World Series. Watching these youngsters play their hearts out for a chance to win the coveted national championship was truly a memorable experience. From epic, extra-inning battles to the traditional victory dogpile at the pitcher’s mound, the College World Series had everything to offer a sports fan. However, over the course of the tournament, one particular moment left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton were deadlocked in extra innings during one the tournament’s numerous elimination games. Everything that the players had done during the season boiled down to this one moment. Then, in the bottom of the 13th inning, it all came crashing down - a UC Irvine player blatantly stepped into an inside pitch, putting him on base and eventually creating the winning run. The Cal State Fullerton players must have been experiencing a combination of heartbreak and complete outrage. The umpire had a perfect view of the Irvine player as he leaned into the inside pitch. But, instead of penalizing UC Irvine for the infraction, the player was allowed to take first base. Even in the face of a furious complaint from the Fullerton coach, which evetually resulted in his ejection, the umpire refused to reverse the call. 

This instance reminds me of all the absolutely horrific calls over the years. It seems as if referees make critical mistakes on a consistent basis year in and year out. Remember Diego Maradona’s infamous “Hand of God” goal against England that eventually led to an Argentine World Cup victory? Or, I don’t think anyone can forget when George Brett was called out for having too much tar on his bat, when the rule clearly states that the bat can be removed from the game but the player cannot be called out. There have been so many crucial blunders over the years that a question inevitably rises to surface of sports fans’ minds - What can be done about the problem? Can we simply say that the players will police the game themselves? No, that would never work. Referees are a necessary evil without which there would be even more controversy.

So, how can the the various sports commissioners ensure that these types of occurrences do not continue happening? In my opinion, the only way to resolve the issue is to treat referees and umpires like players. When a player does something outrageous, he or she if fined, and if the situation warrants it, suspended. The same thing should happen to referees. If they make an absolutely ridiculous call, they should be fined and/or suspended. Maybe then, in the face economic punishment, referees would begin to wise up and start limiting the number of ghastly calls they make.

This is one sports fan who cannot take any more lackadaisical outings by referees. I think that implementing some kind of new regulatory regime, devoted to scrutinizing and punishing referees who make mistakes will go along way towards correcting the current problem. If you think I am wrong, just ask Joe Crawford. Do you think he would have given Tim Duncan those ridiculous technical fouls had he known he was going to be suspended indefinitely? I think not. Putting referees on such a short leash would definitely improve the quality of their decision makeing and, in turn,  improve the quality of sports.

Nishan Wilde is VP of Sales at Robbins Sports and Athletics, an online resource for athletic apparel and equipment, featuring Gym Bags and Portable Scoreboards.

Over the past century, women have come along way in terms of equality. Ever since Women’s Suffrage (which, by the way, may be the worst name ever for women’s equality), in most apsects women have been put on a level playing field with their male counterparts. During the brunt of the 20th Century, women largely spent their time tending to the home. However, as a society we have since left those archaic times, and women currently comprise nearly 50% of the work force.

So, the next question that comes to mind is whether or not this equality issue should be taken to the next level, allowing women to participate in sports that are predominantly played by men. Here are my thoughts on the issue.

I generally feel as if I am a progressive thinker. In no way, shape or form do I believe that women are of a lesser life form than men. Women are just as intelligent, talented and capable as men, far surpassing men in some areas. However, when it comes to sports, it is a virtual certainty that men are bigger, faster and stronger than women. As a result, it is no secret that women find it rather difficult to compete with men. But, does that mean that women should be excluded from the male side of sports? Not necessarily. I feel that in sports like swimming, golf, track, and tennis, women should be allowed to compete with men if they feel up to the task. You may be wondering why women should be allowed to compete in some sports and not others. Here is why. The aforementioned sports are individual, non-contact sports. If there is no physical contact between the contestants, the outcome of the game depends less on physical prowess than on skill. Physicality still is a factor, but not nearly as much as in team or contact sports. When skill is the main deteminant, I don’t see any reason why women should not be able to play with men.

However, when it comes to contact sports like football, bsketball, soccer and hockey, I personally don’t think that women should be allowed to compete. My reasoning is two fold. First, when women and men play together, men find themselves at a distinct disadvantage. Men have been raised to treat women with respect and kindness. This notion definitely shows up on the playing field. For example, when in college I participated in co-ed intramural sports. As I found myself playing against a female opponent, I felt bad taking the ball away from her. Furthermore, even if I did decide to take the ball, I did it in a very unnatural way, trying not to be too rough. I simply did not want to be that “jerk” who was too physical with a girl. Because of experiences similar to my own, I feel that women should not be allowed to play contact sports with men.

The second reason I am against women in male team or contact sports is as follows. I have heard countless horror stories of sexist treatment of women who play male sports. The one that comes to mind occurred in 1999. At the University of Colorado, a young women by the name of Katie Hinda played on the football team as a replacement placekicker. During her tenure at Colorado, she was subjected to sexual harassment on a daily basis, eventually claiming that she had been raped by a fellow teammate. Regarding whether or not women should be allowed to play sports with men, I thing this instance speaks for itself.

In summation, I want to reiterate my belief that women are equal to men. However, when it comes to contact sports, there are just too many issues and obstacles in the way. Not only are men at a psychological disadvantage because of our society’s consensus towards gentle treatment of women, but also, women can often times find themselves in very compromising, even dangerous situations. Therefore, women in men’s sports is not a good idea.     

Here at Robbins Sports and Athletics, we run an online sporting goods business. As a result, we interact with numerous customers on a regular basis. The way we do business with our customers is as follows. The customer either calls our toll free line or visits our site in order to acquire various sporting goods. We then ship the goods out of any one of many offices throughout the country. So, you could say a huge part of our business is the way we handle shipping issues. Therefore, I would like to say a few things about shipping with which customers may or may not be familiar.

1. Shipping Late in the Week

Often times we get requests for overnight or 2nd day air shipping for products purchased on Thursday or Friday. Those who do this think “well, if I buy it Thursday and ship it through UPS 2nd day air, it should get here by Saturday, right?” Wrong. UPS and Fed Ex, the two most commonly used shipping companies, rarely ship on Saturday or Sunday. And when they do ship on weekends, the prices are absoltely exorbitant. So, overnight or 2nd day deliveries ordered late in the week will almost always show up on Monday. This means that if you need something for the weekend, clarify that you need it on a specific day and be prepared to pay a premium price. The alternative is to wait a few more days. To sum up, whether you are shipping UPS Ground or Fed Ex overnight, the number of days they quote you on are business days, Monday through Friday. Weekends generally are not accounted for.

2. Shipping Cut-off Times

Much like the aformentioned business day dilemma that so many find themselves in, cut-off times can be a problem for customers as well. Each company has a shipping cut-off time. For example, whereas one company we deal with will not ship any orders placed after noon, another company has a cut-off time of 3 PM. Depending on the company, you have to get your orders in at a certain time, or else it will not ship until the next day. We have received customer complaints in the past saying that we did not ship their respective orders on the right day, but in actuality we processed their orders immediately. However, the cut-off time had already elapsed. 

The point I am trying to make is this. When ordering a product, make sure you know what the shipping procedures are and be sure to adhere to them. If you don’t, you may not receive your shipment at  the desired time.    

RobbinsSports.com is an online provider of athletic apparel and equipment anywhere from baseball uniforms to gymnastic equipment. Lately we have been getting a lot of orders for mesh uniforms, so I wanted to say a few words about the different kinds of mesh fabrics we offer.

The first fabric is called Probrite. Probrite is the finest mesh (smallest holes) we offer. If you were to get a uniform with this material in any color besides white, it would be made of 100% Nylon Heavyweight. However, for white jerseys the material would be 100% Polyester Heavyweight. Because this material is Heavyweight, it is a bit heavier than the usual mesh. Below is a picture of what probrite looks like.

RobbinsSports.com also offers what is called Mini Mesh. Mini Mesh, like Probrite has very small holes. Colors are made of 100% Nylon and depending on whether you seek durability or comfort, the fabric density would either be 100 or 70 denier resepctively. The white uniforms, on the other hand, are made of 100% Polyester. Below is a picture of what the Mini Mesh looks like.

The Probrite and Mini Mesh are what you would see for professional or little league baseball jerseys. Any other type of mesh would not be fine enough to be a professional looking jersey. Because the Probite and Mini Mesh are such fine fabrics, at first glance they may not seem like mesh at all.

The next mesh fabric RobbinsSports.com offers is called Tricot Mesh. It too can be made of either 100% Nylon or 100% Polyester depending on whether or not you want comfort or strength. Nylon is for comfort and Polyester is for strength. The Tricot Mesh is usually seen on basketball shorts and uniforms. So if you are wanting to outfit a basketball team with mesh jerseys, they will be Tricot Mesh jerseys. The reason for this is the fact that while playing basketball, players want the fabric to breath. Below is a picture of the Tricot Mesh and it shows that the Tricot Mesh is a little less fine than the Mini Mesh or the Probite.

The final type of mesh fabric that RobbinsSports.com offers is Porthole Mesh. Porthole Mesh is the kind of fabric you would normally see on practice jerseys, whether they are football, soccer, or basketball practice jerseys. The difference between the Porthole Mesh and the other mesh fabrics is that the density of the fabric is so slight the jerseys are almost see through. Below is a picture of the Porthole Mesh.

If you are trying to outfit a team, make sure that you know the difference between these types of fabrics or else you may be disappointed with the quality of the your products. Remember, not all mesh products are the same, so it is wise to figure out what you want before you order. Also, abiding by the following tips will help extend the life of the products.

1. Do Not Dry Clean

2. Do Not Wash in Hot Water

3. Do Not Use Chlorine Bleach

4. Do Not Use Fabric Softener

5. Do Not Wash Whites and Colors Together

6. Do Not Overload the Washing Machine

7. Do Not Machine Dry on High Heat

8. Do Not Leave Wet or Damp Garments in Travel Bag, in a Pele With Other Clothing or in a Washing Machine.

In the early and mid 90’s, this question was all too simple – Michael Jordan. He won 6 straight championships with the Bulls and was virtually unstoppable in the playoffs. But, since his departure from the NBA, has there really been anyone as dominant in sports? The answer to that question is yes. However, the athlete who has been most dominant over the past decade is not necessarily on the forefront of our minds.

So who could it be? The following is a list of honorable mentions followed by the most dominant athlete himself.

5. Kobe Bryant

Ever since making the leap from high school to the NBA, Kobe Bryant has shown that he is definitely one of the most exciting players in the league. But, does that make him as dominant as Jordan? I don’t know; let’s size them up. They both have led the league in scoring. They both have won championships, and they both have 3-peated. But Jordan 3-peated twice, and Kobe had Shaquille O’neal as his backup. So, no, Kobe is not as dominant. To prove this, ever since Shaq left, what has Kobe done? Not much.

4. Tom Brady

Has there ever been a more calm and collected quarterback? Over the past decade, Tom Brady has been the most clutch player in the NFL, dissecting even the most impenetrable defenses with ease. By moving the ball around to so many different receivers and running backs, it is near impossible to figure out the Patriot’s offense. Tom Brady has been the winner of three Super Bowl titles out of the last six. Winning the championship every other year is pretty dominant, but not as dominant as Jordan.

3. Tim Duncan

With his latest title coming just last week, Tim Duncan has cemented his spot as the quintessential power forward in the game. With his overpowering defense, technically-perfect footwork and his cheeky bank shots, he is tough to handle even for a double team. However, even though the Spurs may be considered the dynasty of the 21^st century, they are no match for Jordan’s Bulls.

2. Tiger Woods

The Stanford phenom has really developed into a historical figure in golf. With 57 PGA wins, including 12 Majors, there are only two other players in history worth mentioning in the same breath with Tiger Woods. They are Jack Nicklaus and Bobby Jones. Jack Nicklaus is the all-time leader in terms of wins with 73 PGA wins and 18 Majors. But, he played for 24 years. Tiger has only been playing for 11. Who do you think will end up with more? As far as Bobby Jones is concerned, even though he was the most prominent golfer of his time, he chose to stay within the amateur ranks, playing for fun. Without a doubt, over the past decade, Tiger Woods has been untouchable. So, is Tiger more dominant than Jordan? Yes, I think so. But, even so, he is still not the most dominant player of the last decade.

1. Roger Federer

Try these stats on for size. 31-match winning streak at Wimbledon. 7 straight major tournament finals victories. 3 straight Wimbledon and 3 straight US Open championships. Only player ever to win a major tournament without dropping a set. This man is unbelievable. Jordan was very good too, but it took him a little while to get started. Federer, on the other hand, came into the professional ranks, racket blazing and defeated all who stood in his way. He has been the number 1 player in the world for 5 years in a row. Has he been more dominant than Jordan? In a word - yes.

 
The aforementioned players are all amazing players in their own right. However, there is one player who supersedes them all. His name is Michael Phelps.

What has he done? Oh, just a few things. First, when he was 15 years old, he broke the world record in the 200 meter butterfly, making him the youngest swimmer in history to hold a world record. Then, two years later, he broke another world record as he became the fastest man to ever swim the 400 meter individual medley, showing his all-around swimming ability. After that, in the 2004 Olympic Games, he became the first swimmer to win 8 medals, a feat which has been matched only by Alexander Dityatin, a Russian gymnast. During those games, Phelps set records in almost every event in which he swam. Since 2001, he has never finished lower than third in any major competition, in any event. He currently holds 6 world records. These amazing feats not only solidify him as the most dominant swimmer of his era, but raises the question as to whether he is the greatest swimmer ever. Furthermore, he is still very young. He has the chance to win 8 more medals at the Beijing Olympic games. Simply put, no one can beat this guy. He is definitely the most dominant athlete in the world at the present moment and is likely to uphold that status for years to come.      

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