Ryan Galiotto

Posts Tagged ‘sports’

Mike Tyson: Triumph and Tragedy

There have been few figures in the world of boxing - or sports in general for that matter who have taken a larger place in popular culture than has Mike Tyson. Tyson is one of the most fearsome opponents ever to step into the boxing ring; in fact, he often won matches before they had begun, so intimidated were other boxers of this man. He has done prison time, fought drug addiction and generally become infamous both in and out of the ring.

Mike Tyson’s Rise to Stardom and the Heavyweight Championship

By the time he reached adulthood, Mike Tyson already had racked up a string of arrests, having had dozens of run-ins with the law. However, it was boxing that began to turn his life around, giving him structure and an outlet for his energy. His trainer and in many ways, surrogate father Cus D’Amato ingrained focus and a competitive drive to win in the young Tyson. Following the death of this father figure, Tyson rapidly began to unravel and quickly fell from grace with the sports world.

Tyson made a huge splash in the sport, becoming known almost overnight as a champion in waiting. In his first 19 bouts, he won by knockout, often before the first round was finished! Even after winning the title, Tyson continued to defend the title and won other belts soon after. It seemed that he was at least for the time being, unbeatable.

The Beginning of the End

It was the upset victory of James Buster Douglas (with 1-42 odds against him) in the tenth round of a brutal match which cost Tyson both his title belt and the impression that he simply could not be beaten. Before long, Tyson would be in prison, serving a sentence for a rape.

Once released, Tyson returned to boxing; something which boxing enthusiasts and gawkers alike had looked forward to. Tyson regained a title belt soon - but then he faced Evander Holyfield and was stopped in his tracks in the 11th round. In a rematch of the bout, Tyson bit Holyfield’s ear, a now infamous event. Tyson was disqualified, naturally. Since then there have been some comebacks and some crushing defeats, such as his loss to Lennox Lewis and Tyson is widely viewed as an athlete who has lost his drive and is merely desperate for money.

Mike Tyson Today

Tyson is more famous now for his facial tattoos and his many arrests and stints in rehab clinics. There is still talk now and again of a Tyson comeback and the boxer has expressed remorse for his actions both publicly and privately. He seems to still be finding his way in the world - it is still far too early to say what may lie in Tyson’s future.

One of the greatest players ever to step up to the green, Arnold Palmer was born in Latrobe, PA - a city which is justifiably proud of its most famous native son. Ever since his first major tournament win all the way back in 1955, Palmer has been one of the biggest names in golf - many fans refer to him as “The King”. Along with Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus, Palmer is one of the Big Three names in the golf world. Palmer’s playing was in large part responsible for the increased interest in golf as a spectator sport once games began to be televised in the 1950s.

Arnold began early, having learned his love for the game from his father, Deacon; a greens keeper at the Latrobe Country Club. At the tender age of seven, Palmer scored a 70 at the nearby Bent Creek Country Club, an impressive achievement, especially considering his age. Palmer cut his teeth in the game on the then only nine hole Latrobe Country Club course, on which he was allowed to play early in the morning and late in the afternoon when members did not have tee times scheduled.

He attended the popular Wake Forest University appropriately on a golf scholarship and served for three years in the Coast Guard. During this time, while continuing to develop his golf skills, he married Winifred Walker who he met while playing in a Pennsylvania golf tourney. During his rookie season, he won the Canadian Open and surged ahead with personality and business ideas that made golf a sport people became interested in and wanted to watch-many people give Palmer the credit for the sport becoming so popular.

He won his first major championship at the 1958 Masters and by 1960, he claimed his title as one of golf’s leading stars. Signing with sports agent Mark McCormack, in 1960, McCormack was asked in later years what made Arnold so special. He replied, “his good looks, his modest background, the way he played golf, his risk taking and wearing his heart on his sleeve, and his involvement in so many exciting early televised finishes.” Palmer was one the first US player to win The Open Championship in England-Ben Hogan won it in 1953; making Arnold an international star in the eyes of golf fans everywhere. Arnold won seven major championships including The Masters in 1958, 1960, 1962, and 1964; the US Open in 1960; and, The Open Championship in 1961 and 1962. His best years were perhaps 1960-1963 where he championed 29 PGA Tour events in just four seasons.

In 1960, Arnold was named Sports Illustrated top pro athlete of the year and he won the Sportsman of the Year award. His fans, known as “Arnie’s Army,” cheered when their Arnie became the first man to reach one million dollars in career earnings in 1967. Even with pros like Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player playing alongside him, Arnold managed to win a PGA Tour every year all the way up to 1970 and in 1971 he enjoyed a rejuvenation of his career winning four events.

Arnold won the Vardon Trophy for low score average four different times and played on six Ryder Cup teams. By 1980, the acclaimed golfer was eligible for the Senior PGA Tour and with his name alone, helped make the tour successful. The tourney would eventually be renamed as the Champions Tour. On the Senior Tour he won ten events on the tour and with the help of his agent McCormack, Palmer became tops in pay for endorsements, sponsorships, and charity events. He has also won the revered Presidential Medal of Freedom Award presented to him by George W. Bush.

In 2004, Arnold played in The Masters for the last time-his 50th consecutive appearance and when he missed the cut at the 2005 US Senior Open, he then announced he would not play any further senior majors, retiring from golf in 2006. To the delight of Arnie’s Army, one of his most memorable events was during the 2004 Bay Hill Invitational where standing over 200 yards from the 18th green, he lashed his second shot onto the green with a driver. Even Arnold smiled and celebrated the moment along with his grandson/caddie, Sam Saunders.

Arnold Palmer remains active in the golf world, being involved in the Bay Hill Club and Lodge (which is where the Arnolf Palmer Invitational is held), being one of the driving forces behind the Golf Channel and assisting in the building of one of China’s first golf courses. Palmer also started the Arnold Palmer Design Company and since 1971, he has been owner of the Latrobe Country Club where he got his first taste of the game. Golf Digest ranked Palmer as one of the top ten players of all time and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame and a winner of the PGA Tour Lifetime Achievement Award (which he won in 1988). Palmer lives in Orlando, Florida where he still enjoys getting in a round of golf - and being an ambassador for the game of golf to the world.

The success of Barry Bonds’ baseball career was really just the beginning of a story that may eventually overshadow his achievements. As an outfielder, Bonds racked up four MVP awards, each one of them in consecutive years. He was a player in the 2007 World Series, and has become one of the most well known baseball players of his time. In 2006, he was busy slugging homeruns and passed Ruth and Aaron to land in first place for the most homers of any ball player.

Sadly, there may be an asterisk next to all of these records. Bonds has admitted to steroid usage (although he denies having willingly or knowingly taken the drug), something which was long rumored. Bonds did not exactly have a rapport with the fans, despite his performance on the diamond. Many hated him and he gladly returned the favor. Bonds burned so many bridges that no team was willing to sign him on for the 2008 season (and he has no contracts lined up for the 2009 season at the time of this writing), despite his holding the record for career home runs at 762 and most home runs in a single season at 73.

With an accomplished career and his financial security already assured, Bonds became a target of investigation in connection to the Bay Area Laboratory Cooperative case and was charged with perjury for having lied about his steroid use.

This has cast a pall over his entire career. Fans questioned the validity of his MVP awards and his achievements within the game - and the league itself has also expressed concern. Achievements which came through the use of steroids, the reasoning goes, are not to be valued as highly as those accomplished solely through an athlete’s natural faculties.

This overshadowed an impressive baseball career that started out in high school. As he was finishing his final term in high school, Bonds was approached by the Giants. As he finished his high school career, the negotiations between Bonds and the Giants were not going as well as projected, and college seemed like a better choice. He continued to play baseball in college and excelled during this time, including seven consecutive hits during the College World Series. He was then named the All American selection that year by Sporting News.

Barry Bonds is still facing obstruction of justice charges that will not be heard in court until March of 2009. The federal prosecutor had submitted paperwork with a typo, alleging that the steroid use, which Bonds still argues he did not take knowingly, was tested for, and found positive in 2001 rather than the year 2000. This year makes a difference due to testing laws that were not implemented until a later date.

Bonds has been spending his time away from the diamond by working with children’s hospitals, a public service which has comforted many sick and even terminally ill children. Bonds holds an honorary chairmanship from the Macy’s Tree Lighting committee - this committee raises money for UCSF Children’s Hospital Palliative Care Program, a children’s hospice.

Deciding to get a bike is the easy part. Figuring out which bike to get can get complicated. But it doesn’t have to be stressful. If you remember to these tips, researching the right bike for you will be fun and easy. Remember these guidelines and you’ll end up getting a great bike for you.

1.Assess your needs. One of the best ways to waste your time and money is to purchase something that isn’t right for you. There are so many options to choose from that it actually helps to be particular. Think about the ways that you plan to use your bike, how often will you be using it and how much maintenance it may need. What you are looking for may be totally different from what you need.

2.Mind the dip. I’ve seen so many casual cyclists make the mistake of buying an expensive mountain bike just to cruise around the look park paths. The most expensive bike out there is the one you buy that is completely wrong for you. Make sure you consider your environment. Are you travelling in an urban area or on an unpaved hiking trail? Either way, there is a bike out there specifically designed for your needs.

3.Know your skill level. If you’ve done the Tour de France, chances are you won’t need any help choosing the right bicycle and your skill level probably falls into the top 1% of the world. If you don’t fall into that category, here are few things to keep in mind. Are you looking for a bike to give you an interval workout? Do you plan on travelling on a lot of steep hills? Are you planning on hauling heavy loads with your bicycle? If you are not looking at your bike as a means to facilitate your only exercise, you may be looking for more of a comfort bike.

4.Review, Research, Repeat. I’m not suggesting that you write a book report on the history of the bicycle and its socioeconomic influence on the human race. It is a good idea to have knowledge about the bikes that suit your needs. You may be surprised by the amount of options available. In addition, some bike retailers may be more reliable than others. Reading the reviews of other people and researching your bike are great independent tools to help you on your way.

5.Play 20 questions. I have found that many people are scared to look stupid or are too shy to ask a lot of questions in a face to face setting. They tend to feel intimidated and end up buying something they don’t want or need. With the internet so readily available, it offers those people the opportunity to ask many questions anonymously. Find a blog or internet bike shop and send an email. Not only will you get answers to your questions, you can use the email as a reference while researching products.

6.Know your size and fit. There are multiple factors that affect the decision behind the right bicycle. Height, weight, fitness level, gender and even age all contribute to the customization of a good bike. Safety should be the number one concern on any bike owners mind. Not just road safety or judging conditions, you do not want to put any unnecessary strain on your back, neck, legs or arms.

7.Don’t take my word for it. Though your interest in cycling may be new to you, there are many addicts out there. Beginners, cruiser, mountain bikers and “live to bike” types; your research should not be limited to retail experts. Ask those folks who are into it or getting into it, just like you. Their input is independent and free!

8.Visit a bike shop. There is a lot to be said for testing out a product before purchasing it. Although you may be able to save a lot of money by purchasing online, the last stage of research might be best served in a bike shop. Most bike shops will have knowledgeable personnel available to let you feel out a bike before purchase. In addition, if you do purchase your bike online, being aware of bike shop policies on maintenance is a great way to establish a relationship should you ever need any repairs.

9.Birds of a Feather flock together. If going to a bike shop is too inconvenient or bike sales people are too overzealous for you, borrow a bike from friend. More than likely, your friends share similar interests and fitness level. Even if you a friends with a bike enthusiast, he or she will still be able to offer some advice on brands and characteristics to suit your needs.

10.Buy what you like. The best way to ensure a good bike purchasing experience is to like what you buy. While research is important, don’t go into paralysis through analysis. If you’ve found something that works for you, don’t over think it.

Buying a bicycle does not have to be a stressful experience. In fact, one should be excited to get out there and ride. Taking a cruise on a new bike on a beautiful spring day can do wonders for your physical and emotional fitness. Take these tips and find your ride.

How do I choose a snowboard? As you are choosing your snowboarding equipment, the first thing, of course, is the actual snowboard itself. Your choice will depend upon the type of snowboarding you will be doing: freestyle, all mountain (also known as alpine) or snowboard racing. If you are an amateur and only occasionally snowboard, you will probably not need the top of the line board, boots or bindings.

Keep in mind that if you are a freestyle snowboarder, you will be looking for a shorter, more flexible board. All mountain snowboarders use a longer board than freestylers, and snowboard racers use the longest boards of all disciplines.

What kind of snowboard binding is best for me?

Again, your choice of all aspects of snowboarding equipment is entirely driven by how involved you are in the sport. If you are a professional alpine snowboarder, you will want the step in binding. The most common binding is the two-strap or rear entry binding, and the size will be in direct relationship to your boot size. Your bindings will be adjustable, but make sure that the fit is perfect for your boot size.

What kind of snowboard boots are best for me?

If you are a larger person, you will want a stiff boot to support your weight and give you greater maneuverability. This is a crucial piece of snowboarding equipment and you will want to do your homework very carefully!

Do I have to purchase a helmet?

Well, let me put it to you this way: how many heads do you have in a lifetime? Yes, you definitely want to purchase a helmet. And just as your boots should be the very best you can afford, so should your helmet be top of the line. Prevention of head injuries is the smartest thing a snowboarder can do! You will also want to buy a good pair of goggles that are tinted to shut out UV rays, and also to prevent eye injury from any foreign objects. Believe it or not, ice can cause substantial injury to the human eye!

Get the right snowboarding equipment for your level of participation in this excellent sport - and have fun on the slopes!

As the celebrated International Women month, it is great to recognize the strength of women in the field used to be dominated by men like sports. In this endeavor, form matters and for women who are into sports like archery, they have to undergo and observe proper training and exercise, have a healthy diet and start with archery equipments that are dependable.

Women have this keener eye for detail and quality. Generally, women love online shopping too. For all those who have the heart and the passion for sports like archery, Ebay and Amazon are the websites that top the list of online shopping sources. On the other hand, since archery involves a great deal of quality for equipments, you have to put in more time in choosing and in buying. Take note that these equipments are going to be used by nobody else but you. In addition, having reliable equipments can definitely make a difference on how you start being so into the sport. To develop the skill, you have to do a lot of practice first and it is always best to do it with the best equipments. Those that can last long and gives you the ease of using would surely help you improve your skills as time goes by.

Form matters a lot in sports. The biggest tip in archery is to develop the habit of arching. In order for you to achieve this, you have to set a constant time for practicing and to set routines that can develop your consistency because it plays a major role in molding you into the best archer you ever wished to become.

From bows to arrows, nocks, fletches and broadheads, there are places online where you can buy all these to complete your set. There has to be a balance between price and quality for these products. Another thing that has to be greatly considered is avoiding those replica products.

With so many online products all out for selling, you have to be very careful and cautious in buying each product that you want to own, that you want to be a part of your start as a sportswoman.

Born February 5, 1985, winger Cristiano Ronaldo of the English Premier League club Manchester United signed a $21.24 million contract in 2003 at the age of 18. In that year he was given his first cap while he played for the Portuguese. Cristiano went to the final of the UEFA Euro in 2004, where he delighted his fans when he scored the first international goal of his career.

Christiano Ronaldo was a big scorer in both the club and international scenes in the 2006-2007 season. His also got his first Premier League title and became that league’s best scorer for the season. The next year, Ronaldo he became the FIFPro World Player of the Year and was honored with the Ballon d’Or award. The young man’s career was heading into the stars already.

Maria Dolores dos Santos Averio and Jose Dinis Averiogave named Christiano “Ronaldo” after then-United States President Ronald Regan–but it wasn’t for his leadership skills, rather it was for his acting skills which made him his father’s favorite actor. Ronaldo also has two older sisters and a younger brother.

His early career began at the age of only eight where he played for the amateur team C.F. Andorinha-in 1995, Cristiano signed with CD Nacional, a local club. Overjoyed with his success, the Sporting CP club signed him after a three-day trial run; the amount of the signing has never been released. At the Sporting CP in Portugal, Ronaldo trained at the Alcochete, a footballer’s academy and was the only player ever to play for Sporting’s U-16, U-17, U-18 and B-team. In 2003, the Manchester United players begged for Sir Alex Ferguson to sign him-and so became a footballer and fan favorite.

The first Portuguese player ever to sign with an English team, Cristiano now found himself backed by a talented club. But, he didn’t want the #7 that was so tied in with David Beckham and Eric Cantona; instead, wanting to be his own man, Cristiano took #23. In a 4-0 win over the Bolton Wanderers that year, Cristiano made his club debut in the 60th minute. Then in October of 2005, Christiano scored United’s 1,000th Premier League goal. Fans gave him the vote to take part in his first-ever FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year awards.

In 2006, Ronaldo attained consecutive Barclays Player of the Month awards, only the third player in history to do this since Dennis Bergkamp in 1997 and Robbie Fowler in 1996. Cristiano’s 50th career goal with Manchester United came against rivals Manchester City F.C. when they claimed their first Premier League title in just four years. Again, Ronaldo was voted the FIFPro Special Young Player of the Year Award and thought it looked like he might switch forces to play with the Real Madrids, he signed with United in April of 2006 for a cool $31 million a year-he became the highest player in United’s history.

In the 2006-07 season, Cristiano received three top honors including the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, the PFA Young Player of the Year, and the PFA Fans’ Player of the Year. The mischievous Cristiano was banned for three matches in the 2007-08 season but claimed his lesson was learned and he would not let rival team members rattle his performance in the future. In March of 2008, he became team Captain for United and outshined George Best’s forty-year old record of scoring 32 goals in the 1967-68 season; Cristiano scored thirty-five.

Just as it seemed Cristiano might head for the Real Madrid team, he remained committed to United for another year. Scoring is 100th and 101st goals in United’s 5-0 win over Stroke City in November, it seemed Ronaldo was headed for greatness, something most footballers only dream of. To end his season, Ronald accepted Manchester United’s first Ballon d’Or award since George Best won it in 1968. The magnificent Ronaldo finished his season with 446 points-quite the accomplishment for such a young player. We await the 2008-09 season to see more ways Cristiano will wow his fans all over the world.

As sad as it is, it’s time to say goodbye to the old Shea Stadium after 44 years of sports memories for all of us. It hardly seems possible that the Mets were an expansion team all these years after their cross-town American League rivals first took the field. It’s also hard to remember the stadium being called the Flushing Meadow Park Municipal Stadium, but that’s what it called until a movement was launched to name it in honor of William Shea.

Through the years Shea Stadium has been the home to some of the greatest baseball players ever to pick up a bat. Players like Duke Snider, Nolan Ryan, Warren Spahn, Tom Seaver, Willie Mays, Eddie Murray, Yogi Berra, Casey Stengel, Richie Ashburn, and Gary Carter who all became heroes in the baseball Hall of Fame. And who can forget the entertaining players like Lenny “Nails” Dykstra and Gil Hodges who just toughed it out on a daily basis?

There’s been good times and bad, ugly and outrageous, but at the end of the day, they are all great memories intertwined with the stadium’s history. We watched Dwight Gooden and Daryl Strawberry take the Mets to a World Series win over the Boston Red Sox in 1986. Unfortunately, the fame took its toll as both players spent the rest of their careers dealing with drug issues and other problems.

We saw them win their first Championship in 1969 with the Miracle Mets when no one really knew of a young man on the roster who would spend the next 27 years striking out 5,714 batters. In fact there were so many historic moments throughout the history of Shea Stadium we could literally write a book about it. However, when it’s all said and done, the stadium may be gone as a new chapter begins, but the memories will live in the hearts of Mets fans around the world for eternity.

When the world was stunned by the news of the September 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, Shea Stadium became a relief center for supplies, food, and a place for the victims to stay. Who can forget the first game after that fateful day when the Mets helped to heal the city? For New Yorkers, it was one of the most inspiring nights ever in baseball history. Thousands of fans packed the stadium to watch as the Mets took on the Atlanta Braves. Before the game started the rescue workers were honored and Diana Ross sang God Bless America. It was a very moving experience as the two teams shook hands, united in the face of the tragedy that shook the world. Yes, our Shea Stadium is like no other. May we always remember and look with anticipation to 50 more years of baseball history.

There has been a lot of discussion regarding the pros and cons of wood versus composite hockey sticks in the NHL that last couple of years. The fact of the matter is that wood hockey sticks are almost extinct in the NHL. But what about for the recreational player? Wood hockey sticks are a very viable, and sometimes preferred, option. We are going to cover the pros and cons of each stick.

The advantages of the newer composite sticks are many. The sticks are lighter, they are more consistent from stick to stick and they have been engineered to provide player with a quicker shot. The quicker shot comes from the lower kick points in composite sticks. The kick point is the play on the hockey shaft where the stick bends when your stick the puck. With wood shafts the bend tends to be where you place your lower hand. This causes a larger and slower loading and release cycle. Low kick point composite sticks place the bend point at the bottom of the shaft near the blade. This provides a shorter loading and release cycle and the net result is a quicker shot.

The disadvantages of composite sticks are their feel and their (perceived) durability and cost. There is a commonly held belief that a wood stick telegraphs the sense of the puck on the stick better than a composite stick does. This difference in feel between wood and composite is getting smaller all of the time, to the point that you should try both and make your own decision. It is also believed by many that composite sticks break more frequently than wood sticks do. Many NHL teams have conducted their own research on this and they have found that the sticks break at the same frequency. The thing that does happen is that the wood sticks would feel like they were beginning to give out so players would get a new one before the break was obvious during game play. With composite sticks, they players can’t tell if one is about to break and so they tend to break in a very dramatic fashion during games.

For a beginning player a wood stick is a great first hockey stick. In your early years playing hockey, the advantages of a composite hockey stick over a wood one might be beyond your ability to take advantage of. The one exception to this is the lighter weight of the composite sticks. Beyond that price is often the factor that most influences a wood versus composite purchasing decision. The key thing to figure out is if the benefits of a composite stick are worth the extra cost to you.

After making your selection you still need to choose the blade pattern to match your preferences and whether you shoot right or left handed. Your stick will need to be long enough to come up to your chin area when you are standing in skates and hold the stick vertically with one end on the ice in front of you. Hockey sticks also have a flex to their shafts just like golf clubs do. You will need a flex that woks for your skill, style on overall body weight and strength.

Finding the best stick is a matter of personal choice. If it feels right to you it is probably the right hockey stick for you. Try out as many sticks as you can to get a feel for the ones that best suit your skills and type of play. Borrow your teammate’s sticks or try to find a hockey shop that has a hockey shooting gallery to do more than just hold and flex a new stick. Technology is changing fast as are your skills so there may be an even better stick out there waiting for you tomorrow.

You adore your pooch and you would like to do a little special so he stands apart from all the other pooches out there. Well, the best way to do that is with cool dog clothes. They are the ideal way to keep your dog looking and feeling fine.

Certainly, you can procure dog clothes for your pet besides there is way more choices than just those horrible discount sweaters that you might come across at your local department store. As a matter of fact, there are really a lot of fashionable choices to pick from currently starting with polo shirts. There are a lot of elegant selections that look just like the ones that you may procure for yourself. A number of of the other selections contain dresses, t-shirts, costumes for the holidays like Halloween and Christmas, and there are even those available for unique events including weddings for the reason that you can find tuxedos and wedding dresses made particularly for dogs.

As well to your pooch looking good, dog clothes are in addition practical too? How so, well they might keep your pet warm in those chilly winter days. Like, if you are going out for a walk with your friend when the weather is below freezing, then you can go get a coat to keep your four legged friend nice and warm. Otherwise, maybe it is raining outside and would like your pet to stay nice and dry when out on that walk, then a rain coat is something you could invest in for him or her. You might even procure boots to go with. For when the weather is just a bit on the cool side, sweaters are still a nice purchase, yet unlike those in the local department store, there are really a slew of smart options to select from.

For a convenient way to look into the dog clothes that you might procure for your little friend, the thing to do is to go online and do your shopping. It is in fact simple to do given that you do not have to actually go anywhere to do it. As a result, you dont have to drive in the car and be bothered about dealing with people at the store. You might in addition procure your dog’s routine necessities online as well. Like collars, dog bowls, and such, saving you even more time and money in the process as everything you paid for will be sent right to your door.

At the end of the day, if you care for your four legged friend, make certain the he or she knows it with dog clothes like Kitty Cat Applique Jersey. There are lots of outstanding selections available that will be sure to delight.