Archive for 'Sports' Category
A Summarized History of Basketball
15 June 2007 <You would be surprised to know the fact that, even if basketball seems quite a recent and contemporary sport, its origins date from the 19th century. More precisely, at the end of that century, a university professor was thinking about various ways to improve his students’ physical abilities. In order to do so, he actually adapted the rules of the game called “Duck on a Rock” and managed to set the basis for a new sport. Still, this game seemed a lot like a certain type of handball and did not present all the rules of basketball, as we know it today. For example, there was no dribbling, since the game was mostly focused on the bounce passes to the teammates.
Shortly after that, women started to play the same sport, while causing, at the same time, certain debates. The first basketball game was played in an educational environment, meaning at YMCA. Due to its great popularity, the new game spread quite fast all throughout United States, and was played in various clubs (at first in amateur clubs, then in professional ones). At the same time, basketball was intensively played in universities, where it actually started.
There is another interesting thing when talking about the history of basketball: at first, this game was not played with the ball that is used today. Instead, a soccer ball was used (which was lighter and with less elasticity). Just in the middle of the previous century, the famous and typical orange ball was introduced as the official ball of this game. At the same time, dribbling became an important part of the basketball game.
Fitness Tips - How to Build Muscles Fast
4 June 2007 <Think about it: you can’t actually get fit without practicing fitness, since the two words are actually related. Sure, you can lose weight without fitness, but your body will not look tones or fit, in case you do not weight train. But guess what happens? Most people start a fitness program in order to tone up or to build muscles fast and, due to the fact that they can’t actually see results in a week or two, they give up. In order to avoid being in this situation, here are some basic things you should know in case you want to build muscles fast and efficiently:
First of all, you should eat enough. But what should you eat? The answer is quite simple: as many proteins and vitamins. Avoid junk food and processed carbs, avoid great amounts of fat, but consume meat, fruits, veggies, eggs, dairy products and integral carbohydrates.
Secondly, you might be surprised to know that you can’t actually grow muscles fast and properly, in case you do not warm up correctly. Furthermore, a good warm up can prevent various accidents. For sure, a good warm up is followed by a proper training. In order to benefit from a proper training, choose a complex gym, with an experienced trainer. Make sure you use appropriate weights and do not exhaust yourself from the beginning.
There is one more thing: in case you want to build muscles fast and to actually grow, then you might need to take supplements. But which one of these actually work and which ones are healthy? The best thing is to ask both a nutritionist and a fitness specialist. Tell them your desires, listen to their advice and make sure you don’t make any abuses. Extra vitamins and minerals can help you increase your strength in any context, so taking them involves no risks, but there are many more which can be tricky in certain situations. Good luck!
Obsessed about Your Weight? Easy Steps to Fight Pounds with the Fitness Ally
21 May 2007 <Which woman can raise her hand and solemnly swear that she has never worried about her weight or that she has never considered taking up fitness classes? The lucky ones who can do this are very few, surely enough. For the rest, fitness is by far the best ally possible. Endless low-calorie diets, jogging or starving to death are well-known nightmares women usually go through on the way towards beauty. But if you are truly willing to lose the unwanted weight and get into shape, you will know that fitness is the most appropriate solution for you.
You don’t have to panic about muscular pains to follow invariably after physic exercising. No worry about this! Fitness has come a long way! Nowadays fitness techniques don’t ask you to spend half your mornings on the bicycle or stretching ‘till the bones hurt, on the contrary, they are short, very effective sessions which make your body work with every inch. And what is more, after such a session you will feel freshened up and not dieing to take a shower and go to bed.
Weight lifting, moving in slow motion or music aerobics, you name it, are all available and ready to take up new members. Just think of the many benefits of fitness: fat-burning, faster-working metabolism, loss of cholesterol, decrease of heart stress and lots and lots of relaxation! What stops you from joining a class right away? Surely enough, the fitness program works tight with a soft regime, as it would be practically pointless to swallow up a whole cheese pizza and then work out for twenty minutes.
Fitness is all about determination and wanting to keep your body healthy and gorgeous. And, it is common sense, once you have that great body you were dreaming about, your spirit is very likely to improve and be invaded by a feeling of happiness. So, what are you waiting for?
The Greatest Baseball Players of all Times
4 March 2007 <It is hard to compare the baseball players of different eras, due to the amount of players that have played the game. Anyway, here is a list of the baseball players that can be considered the top 10 baseball players of all time:
You can find the new rating system, along with each players total win share:
- Babe Ruth is the first with 758 win shares and comes out as the best ever.
- Followed by Ted Williams whose 728 win shares extrapolated for the years, he is second only to Ruth.
- Ty Comb and Willie Mays are considered to be on the same position. Comb had 726 total win shares and Mays had 642 total win shares. Mays finished only 25 shares behind Comb but adjusting for the time line these two seem about even. The opened question is about who was the greatest all around ever.
- Hank Aaron had 643 win shares, while Honus Wagner finished with 655 total win shares, but the time line favors Aaron.
- Star Musial had 604 win shares. Even thought he could have finished even higher than Hank Aaron, his career was blurred by allegations of steroid use.
- Tris Speaker collected 633 win shares and was shadowed by Cob and Ruth.
- Michey Mantle finished 565 win shares. Mantle was the best player in the league every year from 1954-1964, except for 1963. He was still posting good numbers when he retired at the age of 36. You can select your favorite baseball player from this top list, since they were all remarkable sportsmen.
Basic Rules in the European Football
3 March 2007 <Although I’m not a fan of sports, and especially of football, be it American or European, I am interested in finding out where, when and how the European football appeared, this “sport with the foot” that is highly appreciated worldwide. Apparently, 4000 years ago, in Japan and in China, the men used to play a round a leather all. The Greeks and the Romans also practiced the games with the ball where the legs and the hands were authorized. At the end of the 19th century, in England, a new game was created, namely soccer. Soccer’s rules are completely different from those that are applied in the American football.
The European football is played by respecting a set of rules, called the Laws of the Game. Two teams of eleven players each will try to hit a round ball, having the purpose of introducing it the adversary goal gate. The team that scores the biggest number of goals is declared a winner, but if both teams have managed to score the same number of goals, then the score is considered to be equal.
One of the most important rules in football is not to touch the ball with your hand, except when you’re executing an out, namely when you have to re-introduce the ball on the field from the margin of the field. The game is finished only when the ball surpasses with its entire circumference a line that is marking the field, or when the arbitrator whistles.
If you are interested in playing this game, then you definitely have to form a complete team because each member has its role in the game. The positions that the coach settles for each player are supposed to be respected because, otherwise, there would be a complete mess on the field.