Sports

Federer Nadal A New Type Of Sports Rivalry

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These two players, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal – considered by all to be two of the best tennis players in the world – have kept tennis fans in thrall since their first meeting in 2004 with their unique and unusual rivalry. No matter who the other player is facing, some mention is always made of that Federer Nadal rivalry, even if they dont end up battling each other in court in that particular tournament. If you dont believe us, just check out any Federer news story, where youll be bound to see some mention of Rafael Nadal in the same article. What keeps us all glued to their rivalry however is that this is a sports rivalry of a new kind, neither player behaves in the manner that you would expect of someone engaged in a long term professional war with someone. At times, the Federer Nadal rivalry is also so unique that rather than looking like each others nemesis, the two players seem as close as best friends or even brothers.

The impact of their rivalry has certainly had a major effect on bringing professional level tennis to wider attention, and the fact that the two players are at the very height of their on court powers does nothing to harm this either. But just what is it about this particular rivalry that makes it so unique and different, and is that the reason why we cant seem to get enough of it?

Surprisingly, both Nadal and Federer have a good-natured personal relationship as well as a competitive one on court. Regardless of how competitive and aggressive they are towards each other when theyre standing on opposite ends of the baseline, they still maintain and present a high regard of each other with only the slight criticisms made referring to their playing styles or particular matches. Unlike many other rivalries of a sporting nature, there is a deep undercurrent of mutual respect and admiration from both players running through it, preventing any comments or criticisms from taking on a personal nature.

The two players have also used their famous rivalry and the publicity that playing it up generates to accomplish philanthropic achievements as well as career ones. Federer and Nadal have collaborated on charity exhibition matches to raise money for their two charitable interests, something that would be difficult to achieve without the cultural impact that it has had. Nadal himself has also always found the rivalry to be particularly significant, a bit like the rivalry that may occur between a master of martial arts and his upcoming student, because to him Federer is a role model and a template for success in the tennis world.

Super Bowl XLVIII Interview with Obama – Will O’Reilly find the Character or paint a Caricature

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Obama says Fox makes a -caricature’ of him – is there no truth in parody?

In the late eighties I had the good fortune of having for my friend, a Bavarian born caricature artist who was formerly the head of the art department for a major U.S. newspaper in Texas. He was going through a Bohemian lifestyle period in his life and could be found daily in the French Quarter of New Orleans setting up to do caricatures of visitors and natives alike.

Black and white pictures were the cheapest, but people were more apt to ask for the full color renderings which amplified their particular features and qualities. My friend was a master of color and shade and the pictures almost had a portrait effect laid hard into the caricature that people seemed to love.

I will not forget the answer he gave me, when one day, I asked him how he decided what features he would accent about a person to produce the uniqueness of each drawing.

He said there were two ways to decide what features to amplify. The first was, to decide for himself based on what he saw and what he heard as he engaged his subjects in conversations about where they were from, their jobs and careers, and other personal information. Very few people trusted him to decide what features he would choose to clinch the drawing. He said that deciding for them, was only used as a last resort, but why?

More often than not when he decided, they were not pleased with the final result. In fact, in some cases they would be offended. Although he was brutally honest in his artistic product, it wasn’t always exactly how his customers perceived themselves. If they were snobbish he caught it, if they were sloppy he caught that, but they wouldn’t accept that kind of honesty about themselves.

He solved the problem of the dissatisfied customer by asking them what they wanted to see exaggerated and blown out of proportion. The result was almost comical and at times – totally embarrassing.

Men with slight builds were depicted with barreling chests and powerful muscles. Women who were not so good looking were cast as luscious beauties. That is the point.

If we look at Mr. Obama through his own eyes to decide how well he is doing or what image he thinks he is impressing upon us, he will doubtless look just fine to most and great to some.

Is that what news organizations and agencies are supposed to do. Should they resort to a party line, a controlled access report or a pile of pre-pandered propaganda to inform us of what is going on with the President? If that is what we want; there are plenty of networks offering just that and little else.

Fox news has some loud mouths self-absorbed commentators and a few outright cornballs in their roster, but as far as the slogan -fair and balanced,’ can meet with any reasonable expectation, they are the only kid on the block and by no means the new kid on the block.

They can motivate without trying to mesmerize, they can expostulate without expletives and extraneous hyperbole. We are not stupid. We know O’Reilly is a hot headed Irishmen who sometimes ought to tone it down, but we are sure he is showing us his real character and not his feigned caricature.

We can disagree with him and others at Fox, but we know that they are trying to offer us an un-impeded view of events as they come down in real time. They don’t always get it, but they never ask those who they are reporting on – how they want to be depicted.

This is what makes our president insecure with Fox. What we must all remember is that, this is the president’s problem, not Fox’s problem, and by no means, is it our problem.

In the first Super Bowl interview O’Reilly kept pounding the president with the now classic, -Why do so many Americans hate you.- Mr. Obama squirmed away from directly answering that question and re-directed O’Reilly’s questioning with labored if not nervous subtlety.

With five years of his administration behind him, that question has already been answered. Now, we can only hope that Bill might ask for an explanation about why it has gone sour and what the president intends to do about it.

If the top dog at Fox doesn’t get all mushy in the presence of the Chief, perhaps this time he will paint the caricature based on what he actually sees and not what Mr. Obama wants him to see.

-And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.- (John 8: 32)

American Prophet.org has since 2005 featured the articles and reports of journalist Rev Michael Bresciani along with news and reviews that have earned this site the title of The Website for Insight. Millions have read his timely reports and articles in online journals and print publications across the nation and the globe. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook

Sports Massage In Leeds City Center

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At Sports Massage Leeds we are very proud of our 5 stars rating. We are working with people from different walks of life, no injury or problem is the same that’s why we take extra time before we start treatment to find underlying causes and then we work on the best treatment possible in every case. Our customer’s health is our no. 1 priority that’s why we are one of the best Sports Massage Clinic in Leeds and surround area. Our Treatment room in city center is located 20 yards away from Grand Theatre, walking distance from most business offices located in LS1 postcode. If you feel like we are right fit for you please give us a call on 07851106154 and book your free consultation. There are many more great testimonials from our clients on our website http://www.sportsmassage-leeds.co.uk let me mention few. Jennie Ellam Bodybuilder — Miss England After injuring my lower back in the gym, I was unable to train. I visited Martin and after just 2 sessions I felt relief. Immediately I was back to heavy training. Martin also found a couple of muscles knots in my upper back which had been there a long time!!! I added weekly sports massage session with Martin to my training routine, as professional bodybuilder I can’t afford to be off training due to injury, sports massage works as magic preventing muscles from injury.

Martin is very professional and talented at what he does. I would recommend him to anyone with injuries big or small.
Julie Hardy — Designer

Julie Hardy

I was recommended to contact Martin at Sports Massage Leeds after having a bad fall which left me with excruciating back pain ! After having only 2 sports massage sessions the pain started to ease which enabled me to start walking again. I found Martin to be very professional and understanding of the pain i was going through and would definitely recommend him.

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The Uses Of Lead In Sports And Hunting

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Many Sports take advantage of the properties of lead.
The properties of lead including high density, malleability, ease of casting and resistance to corrosion, promote its use in both professional and amateur sports.
For water based sports, lead is used for, ship ballast, diving weights and fishing lures
On Land, lead is used sports handicapping, and in golf clubs and tennis racquets.
Lead Bullets are obviously a key element in hunting and target shooting.
This article will provide information on the uses of lead in various sports and information about Nuclead Inc. a manufacturer of lead products and related services.
Ship Ballast
Because of its high density and resistance against corrosion, lead is used for the ballast in ships and sailing vessels.

Lead ballast is either external ballast, which is built into the keel or is internal ballast which can be in many forms including lead blocks, lead balls or lead ingots.

Lead Ship Ballast is used to provide distribution of weight, to counteract buoyancy and to provide stability. Lead ballast is used in sailboats to provide moment to resist the lateral forces on the sail. The lead weight is typically kept as low in the water as possible to provide the maximum righting moment that can be extracted from the given mass
Ballast Lead comes in a variety of sizes, shapes and grades; common is Machine Lead which is around 1-4% Antimony content and the balance is Pure Lead
External Ship Ballast
On many modern vessels, the keel is made of high density lead casting, including machined or cast-in fixtures. In some cases the lead keel can be cast in one piece, called a solid pattern or if it must be cast in a split pattern. Lead keel castings can range from 100 lbs to 200,000 lbs., and can take virtually any shape or size.
Lead keel bulbs are often used in sailing vessels, these provide additional turning moment to prevent tipping and allow the vessel to sail closer to the wind.
Sheet Lead can also be used for ballast applications when additional weight is required for wrapping Lead Keel Bulbs and Fins.
Internal Ship Ballast
Historical forms of ballast carried inside the hull were stones or sand. However lead ballast provides a more flexible and easier to use alternative. Internal lead ballast can consist of many forms including lead shot, lead ingots and lead blocks ranging in size from 10lbs and up.
Lead shot is an option for ballast requirements when space is tight. Lead shot is also excellent for trim ballast applications, keel centerboard ballast fills and lifting keel applications.
One piece internal lead keel castings are also sometimes used.
Lead Diving Weights
Divers wear lead weighting systems, lead weight belts or lead weights, to counteract the buoyancy of other diving equipment, such as diving suits and aluminum diving cylinders.
Lead Fishing sinkers
A lead fishing sinker is a weight used to force a lure or bait to sink sometimes to the bottom of the waterway. Sinkers are made of lead, since the material is inexpensive to produce and mold into a large variety of shapes for specific fishing applications.
For example, lead pyramid sinkers, shaped as the name implies, are used when it is desirable to anchor on the bottom of water bodies
Sports handicapping
Horse racing weights
Horses carry lead weights during the course of a race as a form of handicap. Such a race is also sometimes termed a “handicap.” The jockeys use saddle pads with pockets called lead pads to hold the lead weights.
These lead riding weights are assigned by the Racing secretary based on factors such as performances, distance so as to equalize the chances of the competitors.
Car racing weights
Lead racing weights, in the form of lead bricks or lead bars, are used in racing cars to balance the car to achieve optimal performance and to meet the weight restrictions that the car must fall within to meet specifications. They have to take into account the weight of all materials to construct the car: roll cage, engine, transmission, driver’s seat, fuel tank, weight of full fuel tank, weight of half empty fuel tank, oil, tires, the weight of the driver, weight of driver’s equipment, and many more items. Lead racing weights allow additional design flexibility.
Lead in Golf Clubs and Tennis Racquets
Custom golf club makers use powdered lead – either as pure lead, lead oxide or litharge lead (Litharge is one of the natural mineral forms of lead oxide) – to balance and weight the clubs. There is typically a cavity in the head, accessible through a small hole sealed with a screw. Swing weight can be adjusted by removing this screw, adding a measured amount of powdered lead and replacing and securing the screw with epoxy.
Lead rod has also been used to add weight in tennis racquet customization
Hunting and Target Shooting
Lead Alloy bullets
A lead bullet is a projectile. Thousands of years ago lead bullets were fired from slings but since the mid fourteenth century bullet has meant a projectile fired from a firearm. The original meaning of the word comes from the French boulette or small ball because early bullets were shaped that way and used gunpowder (black powder) for propellant.
Lead is an ideal bullet material because it is high in mass, relatively cheap, easy to obtain, easy to work and melts at a low temperature, making bullet manufacture easier.
Since the invention of rifles and higher nuzzle speeds, bullets have been made out of several variations of lead alloys of tin and antimony. The typical bullet shape is now a pointed cylinder instead of a round ball.
The main sporting applications for ammunition are hunting and marksmanship/target shooting.
Bullets with tips designed for use in hunting often use softer tips that expand to cause maximum damage to incapacitate the target and tend not to completely penetrate so that bystanders are not harmed.
These types of bullets are banned from military use by convention. Military bullets usually have hard tips or full metal jackets.
Conclusion

In conclusion lead metal finds many uses in the sporting world today.

Rise In Popularity Of Sports Nutrition Products Amongst Adolescents And Baby Boomers

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Sports supplements were originally designed for professional sportsmen and athletes. These were ergogenic supplements meant to enhance athletic performance, increase muscle mass, and provide spurts of energy when needed. However, the real force driving the industry today is adolescents and baby boomers! Enthused by a desire to live long and healthy, these baby boomers have sent the sports supplement market soaring for more than a decade. Adolescents, or the younger generation, want to build muscle, enhance their sports performance, or use sports supplements as part of their diet regimen.

This popularity is marked by a fast rise in sales every year. According to research conducted by the Nutrition Business Journal, the fastest growth in the nutritional supplement market is in specialty supplements and in the sports nutrition sector, which has a growth expectancy of 6 percent right through 2010.

Sports Nutrition Products ‘ Rising Popularity

Baby Boomers
Baby boomers were the first generation to include fitness in their daily program even beyond middle age. These people are educated, have the spending power, are aware of their nutritional needs and desire to adopt proactive measures to maintain good health. According to Forbes, the number of health clubs has tripled since 1990. This is directly related to the number of men and women, over the age of 55, joining health clubs. In 2003, 6.3 million health club members were over 55 working out what they believe is a prescription for maintaining an active lifestyle. The intensity of growth is further substantiated when you think of the fact that there is a baby boomer turning 55 every 7 seconds!

Adolescents
Adolescents are another group of people who increasingly enjoys sports nutrition supplements for various reasons.

The problem of being overweight has tripled since the early 1970s and today about 15% of our children between the ages of 16-19 are overweight. Statistics keep rising, with an expected 25% of overweight children by 2010. Many of these adolescents use weight loss supplements.

Thirty to forty million children participate in organized athletic activities. About sixty percent of our children participate in school sports. There is pressure to perform and many of these children use supplements to enhance muscle mass and improve their sports performance. Nutritional sports supplements offer a better alternative to steroids which are considered unsafe and carry harmful side effects.

Bars, beverages and meal replacements are the most popular sports supplements in this category. Energy drinks sensationalized by celebrities or sports stars have become lucrative prospects.

Sports Nutrition Products ‘ Rising Prospects

The nutritional sports supplement manufacturing industry maybe a small segment of the entire nutritional supplement industry, but it consists of consumers who are dedicated. Those who invest in sports nutrition supplements are making an investment towards a determined goal. It could be to enhance sports performance, or to maintain good health and an active lifestyle.

Sports nutrition products, including weight loss products, are not only sold by retailers, but many health spas, gyms, health clubs carry sports supplements. This accounts for about 42 million people. Retail stores, chain stores and departments are other additional outlets.

Sports nutrition and weight loss is therefore a big business and still booming. In spite of the economic climate this industry is showing a respectable growth. With the new GMPs in place by June 2009 for medium sized manufacturers, the supplement industry will receive an added impetus. The newly enforced quality regulations will help to build more consumer trust in nutritional supplements.