Observations from the world of sports, by Jordon
May 12, 2008
IS NASCAR TURNING IN TO BASKETBALL?
I |
’m a huge NASCAR fan. However, sometimes I wonder about the format. It often seems to resemble basketball. Here’s what I mean. Basketball will never overtake football or even baseball as the most watched sport in America, simply because 90% of the time, the game is dull until the end. Even when it gets to the end, it’s drawn out endlessly with timeouts, fouls, and free throws. Rarely is it worthwhile to tune in to the game until the final few minutes, because no matter what happens before that, either team has a chance to win it in the last minutes or seconds.
NASCAR is similar. A guy can wreck or have serious trouble on lap 10 or 100, and still be in front at the end of the race. The running order changes endlessly. Cars who were black flagged and go to the end of the pack, still regularly end up in the top ten or even winning the race.
Don’t think so? Take Kyle Busch at last week’s Darlington race. He was penalized early in the race for a lug nut infraction. He went to the back of the pack. Guess where is finished? Of course you already know – he won the race.
Do you really need to invest four or five hours watching the race, when all that really matters are the last few laps? With the exception of the cars that are out of the race, and the cars that are laps down, anyone has a chance to win the race right up until the end.
Let’s do something to make sure this doesn’t get out of control. Otherwise, you’re going to get people tuning out until The Chase (the playoffs), just like they do in basketball, and they’ll only be hanging around for the last few minutes. The sponsors will love that. See you at the foul line with 1.6 seconds to go.
"Discover The Explosive Secrets How To Win 97% Of Your Sports Bets From A Statistics Doctorate And Betting Professional"
"I Make Over $12,000 A Week Betting on Sports. In Less Time Than It Takes For You To Eat Dinner, YOU, The Average Joe, Can Discover The Secrets Of My Sports Betting System And Catapult Yourself To Untold Winnings For Life!"
(No Sports Knowledge Or Betting Experience Needed!)
April 25, 2008
GREASE YOUR CLUB
W |
hat if I told you I have a very simple way to hit the ball father and straighter without changing your swing, your equipment, or your ball? You’d probably think I’m nuts. Of course, I am nuts, but that’s beside the point. I promise you it’s true. The only problem is that this method is not legal, so use it at your own discretion.
Here’s the secret: grease your club. ‘What the hell does that mean?’ By ‘grease your club’, I’m talking about applying a thin coat of Vaseline to the clubface. I don’t know all of the physics behind it, but it works. You’ll notice your drives straighten out immediately. They’ll also go farther than you’ve ever hit it. All I can say is give it a try.
The only problem is that it becomes addictive. You might not be able to stop. The other problem is that if you’re betting with Guido the mafia muscle, and he finds out what you’re doing, you might end up sleeping with the fishes. Again, use it at your discretion.
"Discover The Explosive Secrets How To Win 97% Of Your Sports Bets From A Statistics Doctorate And Betting Professional"
"I Make Over $12,000 A Week Betting on Sports. In Less Time Than It Takes For You To Eat Dinner, YOU, The Average Joe, Can Discover The Secrets Of My Sports Betting System And Catapult Yourself To Untold Winnings For Life!"
(No Sports Knowledge Or Betting Experience Needed!)
April 22, 2008
HOLE IN ONE
A |
hole in one is a strange thing. Some people play golf every week for 50 years and never experience it. Others play once a year and have several. Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, and Byron Nelson combined for only 14 holes in one in their lifetimes. It’s a rare feat indeed.
But to those of us who’ve experienced it, it’s a story and a thrill that we’ll never forget. I’ve been playing golf off and on for over 30 years. In that time, I’ve had one hole in one. It happened about three years ago under the most unlikely circumstances.
I was playing with brother. I wasn’t certain whether I was going to be able to play that day, since my chronic back problems flared up a few days before and my back went out. It was bad. I could barely walk upright. But I stretched it over several days, rested, and iced it. I decided to give it a try. After all, it takes more than a severe back injury to keep me off the course.
My approach was simple: swing very easy to ensure I don’t throw my back out. It took some getting used to, but it worked like a charm. My ‘easy’ swings were traveling nearly as far as my brother’s drives, and he was digging in with all he had.
My hole in one can on a 175 yard par three. Uphill, but you could still see the flag and hole. I selected 5 iron. I swung easy. The ball had a somewhat low trajectory, fading towards the flag. I watched intently as it rolled towards the hole, never expecting that it would go in. I was just hoping that it would stop somewhere near it to give me a good birdie opportunity. But to my amazement, it went in. I threw my hands up in the air and yelled ‘yeah, that’s what I’m talking about’ or something similar. My brother and I weren’t in to high fives or anything. So he just simply said ‘nice shot’ and smiled.
I did the obligatory slow walk up to the hole and peeked in to the cup. I retrieved the ball and waved to the invisible crowd. Then I threw the ball into the lake. Not really. Actually, I put the ball aside. A few weeks later I bought a golf scorecard plaque with a place to hold the ball. I highlighted the hole in one. I have it on the wall of my office to this day. The hole in one helped me to a 77 that day. That, and swinging easy. Give it a try.
Email me with your hole in one stories / thoughts.
