Sports Blog

It’s true. The Warriors do not have the strongest frontcourt. In almost every game they play, the Warriors find themselves being outrebounded by their bigger, stronger opponents.

It’s true. The Warriors need another big man to play alongside Andris Biedrins. And until Brandon Wright starts playing to his potential, there is going to be a gaping hole in the Warriors’ lineup. A hole that frontcourt-dominated Western Conference teams will exploit night in and night out.

But what’s not true is the notion that the recent signing of Chris Webber is going to resolve the rebounding situation. The Warriors are a quick, young, fiery team that like to run and gun, eventually tiring and outscoring their opponents. Chris Webber is literally the antithesis of the Warriors. He is old. He is slow. He is lackluster. Yes, Chris Webber is a big guy who can get a rebound every now and then. But, if you have watched him play over the last few seasons, he has become a perimeter player. Whereas with youth come speedy, explosive moves to the basket, with old age come lethargic, telegraphed ones. So, now Webber incresingly settles for the outside shot rather than banging in the paint. If you tell me that is what the Warriors need right now, you are out of your mind. Now, if the Warriors were able to pick up a quick, Shawn Marion type, that would be one thing. But I think we can all say with quite a lot of confidence that Chris Webber isn’t that type of player.

Another reason why Webber is not and cannot be the solution to the problem is that he and Nellie don’t exactly see eye to eye. I know, I know. Everybody is getting caught up in the nostalgia of it all, falling for the “I am glad I’m coming home” and “I started here, now I want to end here” lines. But the fact of the matter is that the Warriors are a team that is driven by comraderie and synergy. If Webber does anything to mess that up (history tells us that he might do just that), the Warriors may revert back to their old, losing ways. I do not want to see that happen. So singning Webber may not have been the brightest of ideas.

However, what I have written so far is a moot point seeing as how the Warriors have already signed Webber. The $1.2 million is already down the drain and it’s now a thing of the past. As for the future though, Nellie needs to keep an eye on Webber. As a die-hard Warriors fan, I would rather waste $1.2 million and not play him than waste $1.2 million and have him bring the team down. Having a losing season again is just not an option. Like it or not, Webber is going to be a Warrior this season. But something tells me that Webber’s swan song isn’t going to pan out like he hopes.

 

Nishan Wilde is VP of Sales for Robbins Sports, an online resource for Baseball Uniforms, Track Uniforms and Punching Bags.

Ever since Tom Brady’s infamous mid-day stroll, equipped with a less than fashionable walking boot on his right foot, there has been a countless number of players, fans and analysts all speculating over Brady’s role in the upcoming Super Bowl. Some say that he will not be able to produce his best football as his mobility will be limited by this injury. Others say that Brady is faking, attempting the lull the Giants into a false sense of security before the big game.

Honestly, though, I think those of the latter group are full of it. Yes, Belichick did resort to cheating earlier in the season with his ever-so-shady filming debacle. But do you think the Patriots would really risk not having Brady on the field the week before the biggest game of the year? I doubt it. After all, we are talking about Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. Brady has been in this situation before. He has won three Super Bowl rings without any of these so-called head games and trickery. So why do it now? Why not just let Brady and the rest of the 18-0 Patriots loose like they have been doing all season?

Something tells me that Brady’s injury is real. The risk of having a sub-par Tom Brady in a winner-take-all game is just too high. Not practicing for a week could throw off his rhythm. And having a quarterback who is out of sync could mean the difference between a 4th Super Bowl ring or an almost historic 18-1 season. Yeah, there is too much riding on this game for Belichick and company to pull a stupid stunt like that. In my opinion, the cloud of secrecy surrounding Brady’s injury is to make sure that the Giants don’t find out what kind of injury Brady is suffering from. I mean, would you want the opposing defensive line to know exactly where to hit Brady to ensure he will not get back up? Neither does Belichick.

The bottom line is Brady has sustained some type of injury. What exactly, nobody knows. But mark my words, Tom Brady will be playing in the Super Bowl this Sunday, spreading the ball around the field just like he has done all season. He may be a little hobbled, but the Giants should be concerned with how they are going to stop the potent Patriot offense rather than keying in on Brady’s injury.

 

Nishan Wilde is VP of Sales for Robbins Sports and Athletics, an online resource for Baseball Uniforms, Track Uniforms and Stopwatches.

For me, there is nothing better than hearing some hard-core rock music when I walk into a gym to get my exercise on.  The music helps me get pumped up and ready to break a sweat.  It really seems to help create the atmosphere for working out.  Recently, in Utah County, a group of college students were on the verge of protesting Gold Gym because of the choice of music and videos that were being played.  Luckily however, their petitions were heard and settled before the planned protest was put into action.

 This issue here was a report of too many videos which the student claimed to be pornographic.  A list of videos was created and sent to the executives of Gold Gym, upon which the executives determined that the videos were in fact not in accordance with the media that they wish to display in their facilities.  In response, the gym has agreed to closely view any music videos to assure that they match the moral standard of the gym’s policies before they will play them in the gym. 

I can understand the frustration.  In order for me to have a good exercise, I need to be able to feel the adrenaline flowing through the gym.  The atmosphere has a great impact on the quality of my workout.  When I was in school in Hawaii last year, I was often frustrated when I went to the school’s gym.  It wasn’t because I felt that the type of music there had a demoralizing effect.  It was, however, similar.  Whenever I walking into the gym, there slow-beat, pop music playing.  It was like walking into a fairy land and expecting to get pumped up and have a good workout.

I personally am good with the desicion that Gold’s Gym made.  If the videos being played in the gym created an atmosphere that is not good for its clients, it is better to change it to make the clients happy.  Afterall, without their clients, their would be no business.  I have not had a chance to go into the gym and see the result that it must have made on the atmosphere of the gym, but news articles claim that the students are thrilled with the decision and will continue to workout at Gold’s Gym.

 

Wade Boden is the Artwork Director of Robbins Sports and Athletics, an online source for gym bags, punching bags, and much more!

So, you have finally bought a punching bag and now are excited to get going on some home workouts. Hanging the bag is the next step. But, in your mind you are a little hesitant to hang such a heavy object, thinking that after you do so it will be ripped out of the ceiling as a result of its weight and bulk. 

So, what is the proper way to hang a punching bag? Is there a way to ensure that the bag will not damage the ceiling? Yes, there is.

For a bag up to 125 lbs. any traditional chain and swivel assembly will be strong enough to hold the punching bag without causing any kind of structural damage. These assemblies are pretty straight forward. All you have to do is drill a hole into the ceiling where you are attaching the bag. Then, insert the eye bolt (these come with the bag) into the drilled hole. Next, you attach the chain and swivel to the eye bolt and connect the bag to the chain. Pretty simple. Now, you are ready to take out that pent up energy on the bag.

However, if you have a punching bag that weighs more than 125 lbs., hanging it with a traditional chain and swivel assembly may get you into some trouble. Simply put, most traditional chain and swivel assembly sets are not strong enough to hold such a heavy bag and will eventually come loose and fall from the ceiling. For these kinds of bags, you need to get another type of ceiling mount so as to avoid any damage.

The product you will need is called a heavy bag ceiling mount. All of boxing’s premier suppliers sell them, including Everlast Boxing and Balazs Boxing. Instead of drilling just one eye bolt into the ceiling, heavy bag ceiling mounts consist of steel platforms into which 4 bolts are drilled into the ceiling. The eye bolt is then attached to the steel platform, transferring the weight and pressure from the eye bolt to the steel structure which can hold a lot more weight. This ensures that your heavy bag is secure enough to withstand the movment and pressure it is going to experience during workouts

To sum up, if you are looking to get a punching bag, don’t think that you can just hang any bag with any kind of ceiling mounting system. If you ahve a heavy bag it is worth it to shell out a few extra bucks to avoid doing permanent damage to your house or gym.

 

Nishan Wilde is VP of Sales at Robbins Sports and Athletics, an online source for Punching Bags, Baseball Uniforms and Track Uniforms.

I am a Golden State Warriors fan. Everyone close to me knows that when the Warriors are on TV (only a few times a year unless you live in the Bay Area, which I do not), I am on the couch in my ‘We Believe’ t-shirt. After a mediocre season last year that ended with a bang, the Warriors have been doing pretty well this season. Currently, they are in 8th place, grasping to a 1/2 game lead on the Utah Jazz. The Warriors started out the season badly, losing their first 6 games. But since then, they have been one of the best teams in the league and are poised for another playoff run. However, at any moment it seems as if one of the other teams could overtake them and slip into the 8th and final western playoff berth. The West is just that competitive. Only 5 games separate the Warriors from the 1st place Phoenix Suns.

On the other side of the country, it is a whole different story. The Celtics, Pistons and Magic are clearly the best teams in the East. And the only reason they do not have better records is the fact that they are forced to play western conference teams from time to time. As opposed to the competitive situation in the West, highlighted by the Warriors’ plight, the East is kind of pathetic. For example, the 7th and 8th spots in the East are held by teams who are under .500. If the Warriors were in the Eastern Conference, they would be in 4th place, a game behind the Magic.

So, why does the NBA reward these less-than-mediocre teams and let them compete in the playoffs? Doesn’t it seem unfair that teams who win much more than 50% of their games have their season cut short, while other teams who have not done as well are deemed “playoff caliber” tems? I don’t know about you, but to me that is messed up. What I would prefer seeing is a system where there are no conferences or divisions at all. A structure in which every team plays all of the other teams an equal number of times. Then, compare records and take the 16 teams with the best records. It sounds simple, right? So why is it not like this? I do not have the answer for that.

For the Warriors to have to play all of the powerhouse teams of the West and still have a winning record is an amazing thing for a young, up-and-coming team. They should be rewarded for their accomplishments. They should not be in a fight for the last spot in the playoffs when teams like Toronto, Atlanta and Indiana can just waltz into the playoffs with shaky records.

If the aforementioned all-encompassing system were in effect, here is who would make the playoffs if they were to start today: 1. Boston Celtics 2. Detroit Pistons 3. Phoenix Suns 4. New Orleans Hornets 5. LA Lakers 6. Dallas Mavericks 7. San Antonio Spurs 8. Portland Trail Blazers 9. Orlando Magic 10. Denver Nuggets 11. Golden State Warriors 12. Utah Jazz 13. Washington Wizards 14. Cleveland Cavaliers 15/16. Toronto Raptors tied with the Houston Rockets. In a sitation like this, the Warriors would easily make the playoffs and teams like the Hawks and Pacers would not be rewarded for their sub-par seasons. That is the kind of league I want to see.

 

Nishan Wilde is VP of Sales for Robbins Sports and Athletics, an online resource for Basketball Hoops, Baseball Uniforms and Punching Bags.

As a company that sells jerseys for various sports team across the nation, we often have the opportunity of printing logos and numbers on the jersey.  In order to provide our services at competitive prices, we have recently decided to find an alternative to the cost for the materials for screen printing.  While many of the choices that we could make could have a huge effect on the quality of the finished jersey, we decided to look for an alternative that would not affect the quality.  The solution that we found was to replace the expensive film for vellum paper.

 Vellum, meaning a translucent white writing surface has been around for a long time.  Originally it was used by the ancient Hebrews and was prepared from animal skins.  A few thousand years later, in the 19th century, a type of paper was create with similar characteristics to the ancient Hebrew Vellum.  This paper, vellum paper, in now available in various colors and sizes.  For a screen printer, this semi-translucent paper seems to be a great cost alternative to the expensive film that can be used to transfer an image from a computer to a screen for printing.

While researching into this alternative, I had to take in to account whether or not this would affect the quality of the prints.  I found that for our setup, this would really have no effect on the outcome of our products.  In our office, we print our digital art with an EPSON R1800 Inkjet Printer.  The quality of the initial print with the given paper will work great with our setup.  The research shows that Inkjet printers do just fine with vellum paper, whereas Laserjet printers don’t seem to work as well for vellum paper. 

 With this discovery, I decided to investigate further in this matter.  One negative effect that the vellum paper can have is that it tends to shrink over time.  This can be a problem if you are printing multi-colored logos.  It can make it more difficult to match up the negatives if they have been filed over a long period of time.  For our business, this tends to not be a problem as most of the logos that we print are only one color, which means that matching up patterns typically is not a problem for us.

 With this decision, it appears that we will be able to save a little bit of money and therefore be able to more easily compete with the other screen printing businesses. Before this, we were paying nearly $1.00 per 8.5 x 14 sheet of film, where as with this new alternative, we will be paying roughly $.10 per sheet. 

So, if you are using an Inkjet printer designing mostly one color prints, go for the less costly alternative to the transparent film and start using vellum paper. 

 

Wade Boden is the Artwork Director of Robbins Sports, where you can order and have custom artwork done on Basketball Uniforms, Track Uniforms, and Baseball Uniforms.

Not to take anything away from the importance of playing solid defense, but baseball teams generally tend to try to stack their lineups with players who can create something offensively.  I’ve often heard coaches and scouts say that a good hitter has potential purely because of his ability to produce runs.  The perspective is that defensive skills can be developed later.  If your hitting skills are good enough, you might not have to worry much about defense at all, even in the pros.  Just have a look at Manny Ramirez.  Half the time it seems like he doesn’t know much about what’s happening in field.  But, he’s as good a hitter as you’ll find.  Again, I’m not trying to discredit the value of good defense.  It’s just that winning games is so dependent upon scoring runs that learning to hit well should be the first priority of any up-and-coming baseball player who isn’t planning a pitching career.  With that said, here are some tips for becoming a better hitter.

Slowing Down the Ball
Have you ever watched a slow-motion replay of someone missing a slider by a couple feet.  When I see something like that, it almost seems at some point as if the hitter is purposely missing the ball.  Why?  Because it all happens so quickly that at some point between the batter’s choosing to swing at the ball and the pop of the catcher’s mitt there is a disconnect.  During that period of time - as the ball moves closer to the hitter, the hitter actually loses sight of the ball altogether.  The trick, then, is to develop your reflexes and eye-hand coordination so that you are essentially slowing the ball down.  Your increase in reaction time gives you the extra split second you need to swing the bat in the ball’s path rather than partially or completely missing.  There are many drills you can use to speed up your reaction time, from taking batting practice using a high speed pitching machine to throwing a ball against the wall and catching it on the rebound. 

Bat Speed
Being capable of swinging the bat quickly is important for a few reasons.  First of all, a bat that is moving faster hits the ball harder than one that’s not moving as fast.  Second of all, quick bat speed gives the hitter a slightly longer period of time to make up his mind on a pitch.  Deciding whether a ball that’s moving 90+ miles per hour is going to move up or down, or if it’s in the strike zone, is a difficult task.  Your ability to move the bat quickly through the strike zone will give you more time to make that important decision.

Bat speed is dependent upon a hitter’s strength and technique.  Developing good bat speed is, like all elements of baseball, a matter of repetition.  Swinging a weighted bat is a good way to develop good bat speed.  Your time spent in the weightroom will go a long way towards getting you the bat speed you need to be a consistent hitter.

Narrowing Your Target
You’ll notice skilled basketball players sometimes shooting on basketball goals that have much smaller diameters than the regulation size.  Instead of always practicing on a regulation size 18-inch basketball hoop, they’ll use a 13-inch hoop.  This forces them to shoot the ball with a little more arch and towards the very center of the hoop.  The same principle applies to hitting a baseball.  Your goal is to hit the ball at the very center.  The baseball equivalent of the 13-inch practice rim is to use a broom stick and bottle caps (or a similar setup) to teach yourself to aim at a smaller target using a narrower bat.  If you haven’t tried it before, you may find yourself a little frustrated at first, but as you train yourself to focus, you’ll find that your eye-hand coordination improves so that you can consistently put the wood on the caps.  You’re sure to see an increase in your ability to connect solidly with a baseball.

Watch Yourself
It’s always helpful to get feedback on what techniques and movements cause you to hit the ball well and what tendencies detract from your hitting ability.  Try videotaping yourself every so often.  Watch the video to see what you look like swinging the bat.  Slow it down so you can catch the details of what you’re doing both when you hit the ball well and when you struggle.  Each hitter has a unique style. Having a first-hand look at your posture and technique allows you to visualize the corrections you need to make and to become more confident in your hitting strengths.

Becoming a reliable hitter encompasses a range of skills within the skill.  There are thousands of tips and tricks that can be used to develop your hitting game and bring it to a higher level.  The ultimate end for expending the effort to become a better hitter will be a guaranteed spot in the lineup, and a lot of successful trips around the bases.

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Richard Robbins is one of the owners of RobbinsSports.com, an online retailer of baseball jerseys, baseball uniforms, and baseball equipment. 

Unlike in college football, where upsets were the rule not the exception, this season in college basketball is turning out to be pretty predicatable. The good teams are beating the bad teams, and you can almost guarantee who will be in the Final Four months before March Madness even begins. North Carolina, Memphis, Kansas and UCLA have been absolutely decimating the competition and are the teams to beat at the moment, with Tennessee, Duke and Georgetown right on their heels. After going weeks without suffering defeat, it seemed as if none of these teams would ever lose. But now, 10 weeks into the season, the dust has finally settled a bit and the cream, as it were, has risen to the top.

North Carolina, Kansas and Memphis are the only undefeated teams left in college basketball, and they are the likliest candidates for national champs this season. Each of these teams is consistently beating opponents by double digits and showing that they are in a league of their own. Honestly, watching these teams makes me feel that they are not quite good enough to be in the NBA, but certainly better than the college level. So, when tourney time comes and these teams inevitably saunter their way into the final rounds, who will win?

Well, here’s my Final Four: #4 UCLA vs #1 North Carolina and #2 Kansas vs. #3 Memphis. In my mind North Carolina will make easy work of UCLA and Kansas will overwhelm the Tigers. But in the championship game it is a complete wash. I mean, how can you beat a mirror? How can someone choose between two teams that are so similar in style? Both UNC and Kansas have insanely stifling defenses. And they both love to get out and run when that defense forces turnovers. In addition, both teams have strong, intelligent guards who can not only orchestrate the offense but also create for themselves. Both have big men who are agile and relentless in the paint and on the boards. Plus, UNC and Kansas both have a certain tenacity and will to win that other teams seem to lack.

Basically what I am saying is that, for me, March Madness may turn out to be a mere formality this year until the final game. Kansas and UNC are going to be there, no ifs ands or buts about it. However, whether Kansas wins that game or UNC wins that game is up to chance. Either team could be victorious. It all depends on how the game plays out. Whoever gets the fortunate bounces will come away champions.

 

Nishan Wilde is VP of Sales for Robbins Sports, an online resources for indoor and outdoor Portable Scoreboards, Baseball Uniforms and Punching Bags.

One of my favorite times of the NBA season is All-star weekend. Getting the best of the West and best of the East together in one location is an exciting time for any basketball fan. However, even though I enjoy the games immensely, especially the 3rd and 4th quarters when the game actually gets serious, I do have issues with this star-riddled weekend - namely the selection process.

If someone were to ask you who would be the starting five for the West this year, you would probably insert Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitski and Yao Ming into the lineup - or something to that effect. But ask yourself why? Did you really take a look at their individual numbers and performances over the course of the first half of the season? Or, did you simply come up with the biggest names in the game? If you did, in fact, use the stats to help guide your decision, I applaud you. You are a true NBA fan. But, I would venture to say that most voters do not take the time and effort to see who is really deserving of an All-star selection.

For instance, everyone knows that Steve Nash is going to get the nod for starting point guard in the West. Now, is that because he has been the best point guard in the league or because his successive MVPs have made him a mega star? If you look at the numbers, you would see that Chris Paul should be the starting point guard having averaged 22 points, 11 assists, 3 steals and a 4 to 1 assists to turnover ratio per game. Nash only has better numbers in the assist category, leading Paul by just 1 assist per game. You could even make the argument for Baron Davis starting over Steve Nash as BD averages more points, rebounds, blocks and steals than Steve Nash.

Another prime example of this is Carlos Boozer. You would think that averaging 24 points and 11 rebounds a game would trump the 19 and 11 and 22 and 9 put up by Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitski, respectively. But will Boozer get the start at forward? No. It will be Dirk and Duncan every time. And why is that? Because fans vote for the big names and their favorite players, overlooking the deserving candidates.

My point is this. The All-star game is an absolute honor to those who are fortunate enough to participate. Let’s not take that honor away from the players who have outworked and outperformed the traditional “All-stars” this season. As voters, we need to avoid the popularity contest mentality and vote for the best players rather than the biggest names. 

 

Nishan Wilde is VP of Sales for Robbins Sports and Athletics, an online source for Basketball Hoops, Baseball Uniforms and Punching Bags.

One of my favorite times of the NBA season is All-star weekend. Getting the best of the West and best of the East together in one location is an exciting time for any basketball fan. However, even though I enjoy the games immensely, especially the 3rd and 4th quarters when the game actually gets serious, I do have issues with this star-riddled weekend - namely the selection process.

If someone were to ask you who would be the starting five for the West this year, you would probably insert Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitski and Yao Ming into the lineup - or something to that effect. But ask yourself why? Did you really take a look at their individual numbers and performances over the course of the first half of the season? Or, did you simply come up with the biggest names in the game? If you did, in fact, use the stats to help guide your decision, I applaud you. You are a true NBA fan. But, I would venture to say that most voters do not take the time and effort to see who is really deserving of an All-star selection.

For instance, everyone knows that Steve Nash is going to get the nod for starting point guard in the West. Now, is that because he has been the best point guard in the league or because his successive MVPs have made him a mega star? If you look at the numbers, you would see that Chris Paul should be the starting point guard having averaged 22 points, 11 assists, 3 steals and a 4 to 1 assists to turnover ratio per game. Nash only has better numbers in the assist category, leading Paul by just 1 assist per game. You could even make the argument for Baron Davis starting over Steve Nash as BD averages more points, rebounds, blocks and steals than Steve Nash.

Another prime example of this is Carlos Boozer. You would think that avergaing 24 points and 11 rebounds a game would trump the 19 and 11 and 22 and 9 put up by Tim Duncan and Dirk Nowitski, respectively. But will Boozer get the start at forward? No. It will be Dirk and Duncan every time. And why is that? Because fans vote for the big names and their favorite players, overlooking the deserving candidates.

My point is this. The All-star game is an absolute honor to those who are fortunate enough to participate. Let’s not take that honor away from the players who have outworked and outperformed the traditional “All-stars” this season.

 

Nishan Wilde is VP of Sales for Robbins Sports and Athletics, an online source for Basketball Hoops, Baseball Uniforms and Punching Bags.