There is no denying that the sports business these days is awash in bright lights ...
Quite often, though, the same can't be said for the people or practices involved.
The passage of time, the fading of origins and the constant superseding of slang can combine to cause some curious contemporary contexts.
To start, have you ever really thought about how pedantic the word 'quarterback' is? When the innovators who metamorphosed rugby into gridiron football were telling players where to stand, it was only logical to have someone placed all the way behind the line called a 'fullback.' By then, soccer already had two defending positions which used that term, so they surely provided the acceptable sporting frame of reference. For the gridiron game's founding fathers to next place another player halfway between the fullback and the linemen and call him a 'halfback' made sense, too. But, perhaps they overdid this theme by sticking a third player halfway between the halfback and the linemen and arriving at the unfortunately obvious titling conclusion.
It only figures that such a mathematically correct --- but verbally clumsy --- location of a player would turn out to describe the most important position in the game. Any sports fan has heard that word a thousand times and surely doesn't think twice anymore about what it means or how silly it sounds. The rest of the salient world, though, is left to wonder what minds like those had named their kids.
On the other hand, the venerable game of cricket doesn't even think the word 'silly' sounds silly. Players' positions in that game are also defined by their location, and they actually have a series of spots called 'silly point,' 'silly mid-off' and 'silly mid-on.' In this case, it's truth in advertising. That's because they're placed so close to the batsman that solid contact from a full swing could result in serious bodily harm from a scorching line drive, which means that someone would have to be absolutely foolhardy to play there. Or, maybe just silly. (Just so you're aware that all cricketers aren't that crazy, the 'silly' locations are only occupied when the fielding team believes the batsman will only take defensive swings to protect his wicket.)
Certain topics just weren't discussed in public a century ago. So, a gridiron position like 'tight end' or a rugby position like 'hooker' never gave anyone a second thought. That was then. I'm assuming those athletes frame their conversations with non-fans more carefully now.
There are times when even the sports media should think deeper about their choice of words. Sports fans often have to do a double-take at headlines being thrust before them. Here's a recent offering from ESPN.com:
"Panel to Look at Claims Against Skeleton Coach."
While it might have been tempting to muse if the story was about some incident after a play was 'long dead,' only a hardcore Winter Olympics maven would recognize that a coach for the headfirst sledding events is in some sort of trouble. The sleighs involved in that discipline acquired the name 'skeleton' by a logic that was similar to that of the resultant term for putting a player a quarter of the way between the fullback and the center: the sled involved is literally a bare-bones equivalent of a bobsleigh or a luge, and the engineers must have gotten to it before the marketers did. Of course, if you've ever seen this sport in action, you could easily believe that its moniker was derived from what was left of an athlete if he ever lost control of his sled at 70mph.
Given the apparent discord between sports terminology and the perception of those same words and phrases by the rest of the world, it's not surprising that sometimes, ordinary words can be a cause of confusion to those who have spent their lives in the sporting arena.
In the late 1960s, two former gridiron football stars-turned-broadcasters --- New York Giants great, Pat Summerall, and Philadelphia Eagles receiver, Tom Brookshier --- were covering a game involving the Washington Redskins. At the time, those two were better known for socializing before the game than for preparing themselves for the broadcast. Brookshier, especially, seemed to depend on the depth charts and player profiles laid before them in the booth, rather than doing his own research.
During the course of the game, a kickoff came to a relatively unknown Redskin named Herb Mul-Key. He got a couple of key initial blocks, found a seam and scampered for a substantial return. It definitely warranted a comment from the analyst, which was Brookshier's role.
However, he clearly didn't know anything about Herb Mul-Key. All he could do was look for something of note on the player-bio card, and he thought he found something.
"I see," he announced, "that Mul-Key went to No-Knee College. I've never heard of that school."
Summerall's pause was extended. Finally, with subtle exasperation, he finally made the correction.
"I believe the word is 'None,' Tom."
Brookshire was truly a man trapped in sports. I guess that meant, to him, the cue card had something in common with the term for another rugby position:
It was a tight head prop.
Hunting Wild Turkey: More Than Just a Wild Goose Chase
Turkey hunting is one of the most enjoyable and the fastest growing forms of hunting today. The most successful turkey hunters use different techniques just to locate a bird. Many techniques are applied and each turkey hunter would swear by their methods.
There are certain truths though that most hunters will agree upon. Some of them are obvious enough, like, being in a camouflage helps hunters stay hidden within gun range. Or movement is the supreme enemy of the turkey hunters. Much more than this, practicing makes your skills as a turkey hunter better. And the excitement of the turkey hunt will hone the hunter's alertness.
Like any sport, there are certain rules and regulations one must follow, here are some rules you need to remember:
• You will need a turkey hunting permit and a small game hunting license - it is required when hunting wild turkeys. You can only buy one turkey permit each year. If you have filled your limit, you may call for another turkey hunter but you can never bring any fire arm or even a bow.
• Using rifles and hand guns are not allowed. You can only hunt using your bow and arrow, shot guns with shot sizes no larger than number two or smaller than number eight. These are the only weapons for catching wild turkeys.
• And you must fill out the tag which only comes with your permit and attach it to the turkey you shoot straight away.
• Do not disturb hen turkeys or their nests.
• Searching with a dog during spring is not permitted. But you may hunt with it during the fall season.
• You must not use any intensifying device to locate or hunt turkeys during open seasons.
Here are also some tips for a successful and safe turkey hunting season:
• If you will leave your gear and your turkey with another person, make sure to leave the following information for emergency purposes.
1. your name
2. your phone number
3. your address
4. your license hunting number
5. your turkey permit number
6. the 3rd party's name
7. the 3rd party's address
8. if necessary, your veterinarian's name too
9. his or her contact number
• Look for signs of recent wild turkey activities. Locate appropriate calling locations. These signs includes tracks and droppings. Droppings offer positive data that wild turkeys are located in that area. It also indicates the bird's sex. For gobblers, they have j-shaped, elongated droppings and hair-like feathers known as the beard extended from the breast. The beard is normally three to ten inches long. Most of them have spurs on the lower legs. Beard and spur length tend to increase with age. Some hens also have the beard but only 10 percent of their population contain it. Their head in general are dull gray-blue color, with pink and red coloration. Their breast feathers have a buff or white tip giving the hen it's attractive and eye catching color.
• Turkeys possess a strong sense of hearing and sharp vision. You should remain unmoving while calling them. A camouflage outfit is also recommended in this kind of hunting hobby. Even hunters wrap their shotguns in camouflage to prevent gun barrel from being detected through their shiny metal.
Niall Barco has been learning about turkey hunting for five years. Turkey-Hunting.info offers news, information, tips and views about turkey hunting equipment.
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Preventing Kneeboarding Pain
Knee pain affects most people at one time or another. The knees hold up the weight of the body and allow leg movement especially in kneeboarding. The usual stress of years of activity and wear can create pain that can range from dull to weakening. Sports like kneeboarding and exercise in general have the potential for knee pain and injury. Even people who do not exercise are vulnerable to knee pain from falls, sprains or degenerative conditions such as arthritis in some ways or another.
In the case of kneeboarding, some kinds of knee pain are caused by sudden injuries or falls especially when you are doing extreme tricks on the water. Other conditions are the effect of overuse or inflammation of the knee.
There are ways to have fun on the kneeboard without causing your body pain. Here is how you can prevent kneeboarding pain.
Although kneeboarding is a fun and exciting sport, the fun goes out the window when you are in pain and injured. Kneeboarding makes the body more susceptible to pain mostly because the bouncing of the board from the water causes stress on the body. It is not unusual to experience pain in the knees, back, and feet or ankles while you are doing knee boarding. However, there are ways to lessen the pain, if nor prevent it all together.
• The composition of the kneeboard can be one factor when determining the amount of strain put on the body. Strain can translate to pain or may cause to injury. You should know the distinction in the types of kneeboards as there are basically two types. The plastic boards are thicker and has a tendency to absorb impact more than the thinner compression molded boards. The plastic boards tend to ride higher on the water, therefore causing less pull on the body. However, compression molded boards ride lower in the water. The trade off is that the compression boards are generally better for competition and performing extreme tricks. They edge better in the water, aiding in the set-up of aerial maneuvers.
• Fitting both types of boards with additional padding can help to lessen the strain on the body. Pads are best placed underneath the knees, shins, and ankles and attached to the board with spray adhesive or contact cement.
• When kneeboarding, as well as all other boat-towed sports, you should begin with stretching before going into the water. You should pay attention to stretching your neck, arms, shoulders, legs, abdominal area, back, and ankles. A few minutes of stretching can prevent what could turn into day's worth of pain.
• By maintaining a good posture while kneeboarding, you can help prevent body pain. Instead of sitting directly on top of your heels with the feet directly below the buttocks try place your feet at an angle and to the side of the body. This placement puts the outside of the hips on top of feet.
• When riding on the kneeboard, you should keep your back straight with the shoulders slightly back. Leaning forward adds strain to the body and gives you a feel of less control. You should keep your arms bent and close to the body.
• Lastly, but very important, you should listen to your body. If you are in pain while kneeboarding you should take steps to rectify the problem.
Nicola Kennedy is an enthusiastic kneeboarder. Kneeboarding-Supplies.info offers news, information, views and kneeboarding tips.
Copyright http://www.Kneeboarding-Supplies.info All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links back to Kneeboarding-Supplies.info are included intact.
