USA’s Olympic Baseball Team Earns Right to Play in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

Written by Julie Smith

The Americans won the Olympic gold medal in the year 2000, but didn’t succeed to qualify for the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. This year the United States of America’s Olympic Baseball Team earned the right to participate in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing by beating Panama 11 - 5 on Sunday night. Cuba also qualified for the Olympics after winning the game against Mexico 4 - 0. Both qualified teams will play against each other next Tuesday. The U.S. record stands at 5-1 in the tournament, while Cuba is 6-0. Tuesday marks the final game for both teams.

The Americans won the Olympic gold medal in the year 2000, but didn’t succeed to qualify for the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. This year the United States of America’s Olympic Baseball Team earned the right to participate in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing by beating Panama 11 - 5 on Sunday night. Cuba also qualified for the Olympics after winning the game against Mexico 4 - 0. Both qualified teams will play against each other next Tuesday. The U.S. record stands at 5-1 in the tournament, while Cuba is 6-0. Tuesday marks the final game for both teams.

During the U.S. - Panama game, Bobby Hill had three hits with an RBI (Run Batted In) and scored twice for the USA’s team, which fell behind 1-0 in the first inning, but scored 10 runs over the next four frames. Michael Bourn and Billy Butler had two runs each one for the U.S. and two RBIs. Michael Bourn tripled in two runs in the bottom of the second inning letting USA’s score ahead of its opponent’s and then knocked out Panama starter Elpidio Pinto by scoring three times in the third.

Greg Smith allowed one run, struck out five and walked two in 3 1/3 innings for the United States. Nic Ungs tossed the next 3 2/3 frames for the win.

Baseball is the first sport in which Americans have earned a spot in the 2008 Olympics. Baseball game’s inventors and the champions of the 2000 Sydney Olympics missed the 2004 Olympics as they didn’t get to qualify at the Americas Qualifier.

About Author
Julie Smith is one of the most recognized copy writers on Sports and currently writes for http://www.instantactionsports.com.

Written by David Horne

Basketball is definitely a global sport that has shown continued growth over recent years. The USA with the NBA and its college basketball system undoubtedly has the toughest competitions in the world that attracts the world’s best players. However, the USA has not always dominated the Olympics and on several occasions they have been embarrassed by some unexpected defeats to lesser known teams.

The USA always enters the Olympics as favorites but their inability to gel and play as a team has brought about some bad losses. The question will be is will they have a team of players who play like individuals or will they put aside their egos and play as a team. If they play as a team then they should win the gold medal.

In 1972 the Soviet Union beat the USA to win the gold in a controversial game. After 1988 the Olympics opened the sport up for professional players to play which saw the greatest basketball team of all time to compete in 1992. The “Dream Team” lead by Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were just unbeatable and put on a show for all the world to see. Most of the players on the other teams were star struck by playing against these legends of the game.

In 1992 Michael Jordan was the team’s second highest scorer with 14.9 points per game and he had a tournament high 37 steals. The U.S. defeated Croatia 117-85 in the final and as a result Michael Jordan earned his second Olympic gold medal.

David Stern of the NBA has stated a number of times that they wish to expand and promote the game of basketball in China. As a result they have played and will continue to play more exhibition games in China. The presence of China’s greatest player, Yao Ming in the NBA has helped to increase the popularity of basketball in China.

The following teams have already qualified for the Beijing 2008 Olympics: Angola (African Champion), Argentina (Americas runner-up), Australia (Oceania Champion), China (host), Iran (Asian Champion), Lithuania (European Bronze medallist), Russia (European Champion), Spain (World Champion) and USA (Champion of the Americas).

The remaining three positions for the Beijing Olympics will be decided in the twelve team FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men that will take place in Athens, Greece on July 14th. The tournament will involve the following teams: Cameroon and Cape Verde (Africa), Brazil and Canada (Americas), Lebanon, Puerto Rico and the Republic of Korea (Asia), Greece, Germany, Croatia, and Slovenia (Europe) and New Zealand (Oceania). The draw for this tournament will be held on July 20, 2008 in Athens.

The semi finals are scheduled to be played on August 22nd and the finals two days later on August 24th. Although the Americans often underplay the importance of the Olympic Games it is guaranteed that this time they will want to restore their global dominance in basketball by coming out and performing at their best. Anything less than a gold medal will be taken as a failure by many players and supporters in the USA.

Visit Beijing Basketball for Information on the 2008 Beijing Olympics Here >>>>

Written by Ally White

For some the Home Run Derby might be an event meant for the people to enjoy themselves in wholesome fun. For others it might be one of the last loose ends of the so called “steroid era” in Major League Baseball. If you really analyze it, it could have a little bit of both. And for some it just is a But it is the manifestation of the time when baseball’s obsession with the home runs became damaging.

From the way some of us see it there might be some problems with the Derby as it is currently constituted. For some the main problem with the Derby now is that the whole event should be over in about 45 minutes, before it became a mini-series, it was a lot more fun.

Another problem is that the Derby grew in popularity about the same time the use of performance-enhancing substances did. The reaction from a portion of the baseball public to these related developments has completely dual. People ask the players not to take the terrible steroids, but still they are hungry and eager for the player to hit that baseball further and further. I personally do not see it as a coincidence that five former Derby winners have been implicated in steroid usage and these five have been convicted.

Right now with the situations the MLB is going trough and it would do well to put as much distance as possible between itself and the events that involve no skills but extraordinary strength. The Derby is a push in the other direction. And that is not said to cast any doubt upon the integrity of the current participants. We could even harshly qualify it as a constant reminder of how the game of baseball and the MLB started with the drug use trouble.

About the Author:
Ally White is a top senior copy writer on sportsbook action for Instant Action Sports.

Written by Aidan Sugrue

As the ol’ song goes…”Just do the Twist”… well not quite…but the right “little twist” will set you on the right track to turbo-charging your drives. We’ve all heard of the famous X-factor and how crucial it is to turbo-charging the range of your drive. We’ll, here’s an amazing tweak that you can apply for immediate results that will help you master your X-technique. You can look forward to more power and greater distance in those long drives and with a whole lot less effort..

A Little Twist - Isolate your hips from your shoulders for a longer drive. The power in your stroke is directly related to the angular difference between your shoulders and your hips at the outer range of your backswing. The more the merrier. We’re talking about the famous X-factor as first coined by Jim McLean back in 1992. The “X” refers to the cross created by an imaginary line through your hips as it intersects an imaginary line through your shoulders when viewed from above.

At the top of your backswing – You should have the biggest differential between your shoulders and your hips, typically about 30 degrees. The differential lessens as you move through the downswing. Your power is directly related to this maximum differential and not to the overall angle that you generate between the club and the target line at the extreme of your backswing. It’s doesn’t mater how far you turn If there’s no twist between your shoulders and your hips you’ll have no power. And that’s no fun.

Your X-factor angle decreases through the downswing to about 20 degrees at impact. It’s crucial that your hips continue to lead your shoulders through the full range of motion or your swing. Your hips should end up turned about 30-40 degrees towards the target at impact. About three quarters of your body weight will naturally transfer from your trailing foot to your leading foot as you complete the stroke. If your hips do not have enough twist at impact (say they’re square at impact) your shots will tend to shoot off to the right (if you are right handed golfer) because the path of the club-head is obstructed. So avoid this by being intentional about your twist.

Here’s a Useful Image. Think of your torso as a coil spring. Imagine your shoulders at the upper end with your hips at the lower end. Do you have the picture? Now grasp your spring at the upper (shoulder) end and rotate it around its longitudinal axis without securing the lower end. As you might expect, you’ll encounter no resistance because the bottom end is not attached to anything. Now repeat the twisting action. But this time, secure the bottom end of your spring with your other hand. Notice that the more you twist the more resistance you experience as the twist (or X-factor) increases. This coiling is the mechanism behind a power swing. Now imagine suddenly releasing the shoulder end of your imaginary spring. Can you see the speed and power as your shoulder unwinds like a sling shot whipping towards the ball.

Turbo-Boost Your Drives - You can consciously increase your X-differential by turning your hips towards the direction of the target just as your shoulders complete the backswing. If you are right handed, you’ll turn your hips counter clockwise and the reverse if you are a leftie. By accentuating your hip action in the direction of the target you will “turbo-boost” your drives. That extra “little twist” acts to give your more torsion through the unwind phase of your stroke with a noticeable and effortless increase in speed and power at the club head.

You’ve heard of air-guitar? Well there’s also air-golf. Practice turbo-boosting your drives whenever you have a few idle minutes during your day. Hold your hands together as if grasping an imaginary driver (your air driver). Move your arms to the top of the back swing position. Use your legs, turn your hips in the opposite direction. You’ll experience a nice stretch in your abdomen and what’s more it feels good. It won’t be long before you become a master of isolation and you enjoy those longer drives from the get go! And with longer drives you will hit more greens and score better.

About The Author:
Aidan Sugrue is a Golf Enthusiast and creator of Hot Golf Secrets the Internet’s hottest resource for free golf tips, golf lessons and golf instruction.

Scott Dixon drove a great race on Sunday, but I have to say I was really hoping Danica Patrick would win the race. She was definitely robbed out of at least placing in the Indy 500. Danica was unable to finish for the first time since she has driven the Indy.

With only 29 laps to go, Ryan Briscoe clipped her car and left her with a broken left rear suspension. Crowd-favorite Patrick was unable to make a good run for the lead because of problems with her car. For much of the race she continually complained to her crew over the radio about how it was handling.

The race was full of crashes and mechanical failures with the bright yellow caution flag being waved eight times throughout the 69 lap race. However that didn’t seem to be much of a deterrent for Scott Dixon. During the final round of stops, Dixon raced ahead of Vitor Meira out of the pits and steadily held off Marco Andretti. Meira ended up finishing the race as runner-up finishing 1.75 seconds behind.

In an exciting finish to the challenging race, Dixon’s spotter yelled over the radio to Dixon, “You’re clear now” and with Dixon having only two more turns to go, his spotter said, “Bring it home! Bring it home!”

Bring it home was exactly what Scott Dixon did! He was clearly at the advantage with the strongest car.

I knew Charles Barkley would come through, nevermind what all you naysayers are thinking. According to the Associated Press, his $400K gambling debt has been made good on.

On May 20th, Sir Charles first sent the Wynn Casino a check for $400,000 and then went on to pay the the Clark County District Attorney’s office in Las Vegas, $40,000 statutory and bad check processing fees that were incurred that he was initially unaware of. According to Wynn Las Vegas spokeswoman, Jennifer Dunne, the casino has been paid in full for the May 14, 2008 civil suit filed against him.

The 45-year old retired NBA pro has gambled away $10 Million dollars over the years. Charles Barkley, who is currently the NBA Analyst for Turner Network Television (TNT) states that he won’t be gambling any time in the near future. Barkley said, “For right now, the next year or two, I’m not going to gamble. Just because I can afford to lose money doesn’t mean I should do it.”

There’s a cute little video over at NESW Sports that you have to check out. Well it gave me a bit of a chuckle anyways!

I’m probably partial to the video because the rally monkey is wearing an LA Angel’s shirt and my two oldest boys play baseball both play for the Angels in different divisions of our Little League. Also, this upcoming week are the final games that will decide who goes to playoffs and bracket place and Tournament of Champions. “Believe in the power of the rally monkey!”

Here’s a bit of the excerpt preluding it:

ESPN SportsCenter Commercial, Rally Monkey Gets Fired

ESPN SportsCenter Commercial, Rally Monkey Gets Fired. Sad thing happen during economic troubles. Purse strings get tight. Primates can not keep their jobs. The jobs always go to humans. I feel so sorry for……for the rest of this and the video, please visit www.NeswSports.com.

There is no doubt in my mind that retired NBA all-star Charles Barkley will make good on his gambling debt to the Wynn Casino in Las Vegas. Obviously still proving to be controversial, the fact remains that Barkley is still one of the most respected athletes, with 23,468 career points and one of fifty of the all time greatest basketball players in NBA history. Personally, I think he will won’t waste any time in straightening this situation out.

Please check out the story regarding Barkley’s latest gambling controversy at www.PokerOwnage.com. Here is an excerpt:

Charles Barkley To Pay Up $400,000 Debt to the Wynn Casino.

It was revealed earlier in the week that Hall of Fame NBA star Charles Barkley was in some very hot water with the world-renown Wynn Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.

And when I say hot, I mean $400,000 in debt kind of “hot.”

Legal representatives of the Wynn Casino, which is owned by hotel mogul Steve Wynn, filed a civil complaint this past Wednesday trying to get recourse for the money that was owed up to them by Barkley himself. The Las Vegas Sun got wind of the complaint and made the story public, funneling an array of media bombs that has people now wondering if the former NBA superstar……For the rest of this article, please visit www.PokerOwnage.com.

There are 3 types of handicaps out there. They include: (1) honest handicaps; (2) sandbagger handicaps and (3) Hollywood handicaps.

Thankfully, the most common type of handicap is the honest handicap. This is a handicap that is determined by using a standard and accepted formula as defined by the governing golf body in a particular country. The golfer who carries an honest handicap is conscientious about keeping accurate scores, adhering to the accepted rules of golf and of considering all rounds played when applying the handicap formula.

The golfer who can be considered to be carrying a sandbagger handicap goes out of his way to make sure that his “official” handicap is somewhat higher than what it should be. The reason for doing this is pretty obvious. When competing in Net Score competitions (often involving money or prizes) he can have a distinct advantage.

A proper handicap, as mentioned above, must be based on all rounds played - good or bad. One “not so subtle” way to achieve the status of an elite sandbagger is to conveniently forget to enter good rounds but to be diligent to the extreme when it comes to entering bad rounds. If the golfer is “on a roll” with nothing but good rounds being shot, it may be necessary to make the supreme sacrifice and actually purposely play a bad round. “Gee, I just couldn’t hit a fairway today!”

The third type of golfer is the one who carries a Hollywood handicap. This type of player is extremely interesting. This golfer has his heart in the right place - he takes the game seriously and desperately wants to improve and, perhaps more importantly, to be recognized as an accomplished player by his friends and peers. For the typical Hollywood handicap player, the handicap is everything. He would rather carry a low handicap and lose money than carry an inflated handicap and win money. A rare, but interesting breed!

To make my point, you should understand that the first step in computing a handicap using the standard USGA formula is to convert the Gross Score to what is called the Adjusted Gross Score (AGS). The AGS is equal to or lower than the gross score with an adjustment made by reducing unusually high hole scores. For example, in the US a typical bogey golfer (with a handicap between 10 and 19) cannot take more than a 7 on any hole.

OK, so you should now understand the difference between the Gross Score and the Adjusted Gross Score. Well, for the Hollywood handicap golfer, there is no difference. In fact, the concept of a gross score becomes obsolete. If the player happens to balloon to a triple bogey or worse on a par 5, he will typically say “just put me down for a double”, knowing that anything higher will not affect his handicap. And of course, the “put me down for a double” statement will have that unmistakable inflection of “surely you would not expect a player of my stature to put down a number higher than that”. Hmm, I have to wonder what would happen if Tiger, participating in a PGA event and after playing a rare bad hole, were to say “just jot down a par for that hole”. It wouldn’t be pretty.

The final interesting thing about the Hollywood handicapper is that he will enjoy a cold beverage after a round of golf and discuss nonchalantly his final score. It would never occur to him that his 9 on the eighth hole should have any bearing on the validity of the score he discusses - a result where a 7 appears on the scorecard.

Still, when all the dust settles, I would rather play a Hollywood handicapper than a sandbagger in a heads up battle. Hey, who wouldn’t?

Written by Brian Yager

About the Author:
Brian Yager has keen interest in golf and his software development skills led to the creation of CaddieMasterPro, a personal handicap and performance analysis software program available at his website, CaddieMaster Golf Software and in North American retail outlets.

Bob Costas recently aired a live HBO special of CostasNOW that discussed in detail how the new era of media reports our sports. In segment two of the special, Costas focused on “The Internet and Impact of Bloggers”.

The special included video interviews with Deadspin.com editor Will Leitch as well as Pardon The Interruption host and Washington Post columnist Michael Wilbon, television writer/media critic Michael Schur. There was also a live panel that included Will Leitch, Braylon Edwards of the Cleveland Browns, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author H.G. “Buzz” Bissinger of the famed t.v. show “Friday Night Lights.

If you missed the special airing of CostasNOW, HBO and HBO2 will be showing repeats through the month of May as well as catching it on HBO on Demand.

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In relation to this, please check out a really cool spur-of-the-moment interview that Ethan Jaynes from NESW recently had with Bob Costas and Buzz Bissenger in regards to Deadspins Will Lietch. Here is an excerpt from the interview:

New Interview with Bob Costas and Buzz Bissenger, What makes a good writer?

Buzz Bissinger was recently on Costas Now on HBO. They ripped into Deadspins Will Leitch. Costas says he did not know Buzz would be so harsh, but it is obvious that he was a ringer. Costas is on record for not liking blogs. He is also on record for rethinking his stance on blogs. So, he brings in the left-hander Buzz to do his dirty work on his show.

I personally ran into Buzz Bissinger and did an impromptu interview. I call it “My Quest for a Good Sports Writer“. As we talked Bob Costas joined in. This was all a great surprise to me, but I was glad to get the great interview. It started off a little rocky, but then we got into a good debate.

• Ethan: Old newspaper writer,
• Buzz: Pulitzer Prize Winning Author.
• Ethan: Sorry I did not do my research for this interview. What makes a good writer?
• Buzz: I’m 53.
• Ethan : What?
• Buzz: I’m 53, I’m not old
• Ethan: Well, I can’t just call you “man”.
• Buzz: You could say Buzz.
• Ethan: I didn’t know you were called Buzz.
• Buzz: Well, You didn’t bother to find out did you?
• Ethan: I did say sorry about the old newspaper writer thing, but from behind…
• Buzz: What I object to, is you automatically treating me like an equal.
• Ethan: Well, I am a blogger.

This was just the tip of the interview, for the juiciest part of it please visit NESWSports.com!