Sports Then and Now

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t was a game that epitomized March Madness. The 1992 East Regional Final of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament between Duke and Kentucky was as thrilling a game as one can imagine. Basketball pundits and fans everywhere witnessed a game for the ages. It was an instant classic packed with as much drama as a play on broadway in New York City.

Actually, it was played in Philadelphia, PA at The Spectrum and featured the east region’s top two seeds. On Saturday March 28, 1992, the Blue Devils and the Wildcats battled in a game that is remembered as a theatrical masterpiece. Veteran broadcasters Verne Lundquist and Len Elmore called the game for CBS Sports and did a masterful job. With a trip to The Final Four on the line, the two nationally ranked powers went back-and-forth much of the game leading up to a frantic, thrilling, and dramatic finish.

Having just fallen behind by one point on a Kentucky basket after which they used their final timeout with 2.1 seconds left in overtime, Duke inbounded the ball under the Wildcats’ basket. Sophomore forward Grant Hill prepared to make the long inbounds pass which was nearly the full length of the court. The call by Lundquist sounded like this:

“There’s the pass to Laettner…puts it up…(Buzzer sounds) Yessssssssssss!

Hill’s long inbounds pass was caught by 6-11 senior forward/center Christian Laettner just outside the top of the foul line where he made a turnaround jumper as time expired. Echoes of Lundquist’s call have lingered on for decades since this fabled play.

Ecstasy resulted for the Blue Devils while Kentucky was left in anguish. Laettner’s basket, a swish, lifted Duke to an improbable 104-103 win and sent the Blue Devils to The Final Four for the fifth straight year. Wildcat senior forwards John Pelphrey and Deron Feldhaus, each standing 6-7, defended Laettner on the final play. Pelphrey made a reach for the ball before backing off to avoid fouling for Kentucky. Feldhaus was closer and raised both arms up on Laettner as he took the epic shot.

In the very southwest of Texas, situated on the Rio Grande, sits El Paso, the 23^rd largest city in the nation.

And yet – there are no major league sports teams there.

Though there are approximately 678,000 residents there, the number doesn’t necessarily dictate major leagues teams.

Despite that, there are still plenty of local teams at the collegiate level to enjoy. The University of Texas El Paso itself has numerous Division I teams across sports.

The next time you’re in the area looking at El Paso houses for sale, check out one of these organizations.

El Paso Rhinos

The Rhinos are the premier amateur junior ice hockey team in the city. Former El Paso Buzzards pro hockey player Cory Herman founded the team in 2006 and serves as head coach.

Syracuse versus Duke.

Coaching legends, hall-of-famers, and close friends in Jim Boeheim of the Orange and Mike Krzyzewski of the Blue Devils. The duo are the two winningest coaches in college basketball history and are coaching royalty. Cameron Crazzies and record-setting Carrier Dome crowds. Plain and simple it is must see television.

For nearly a decade the matchup has been a featured attraction in the Atlantic Coast Conference and all of college basketball. The sport welcomed the annual clash of titans when Syracuse joined the ACC in 2013. Since then this matchup has been nothing short of brilliant.

Double-digit seeds usually have a short stay in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. In fact, only five double- digit seeds have ever reached the Final Four since 1979 when the selection committee began seeding teams. While the intrigue, drama, and excitement of this event is largely built on these lower seeds knocking off their favored counterparts, they typically have been eliminated during the first weekend of play after a win or two if you include the First Four which started in 2011. Not if you are Syracuse.

The Orange have defied the odds. Syracuse has advanced to the Sweet 16 in three of the last five NCAA tournaments as a double-digit seed. The Orange are there this year as a No. 11 seed and will meet No. 2 Houston in the Midwest regional semifinals tonight. Tip-off is set for 9:55 pm EST.

While this success is a credit to the coaching of hall-of-fame head coach Jim Boeheim and his heavily capable assistants, it is also Syracuse’s fabled 2-3 zone defense that is a major factor in befuddling opponents as they are not used to it. A proven winner and an elite coach, Boeheim and his assistants do a masterful job of getting the most out of their players and improving during the season. While the Orange have finished anywhere between sixth and 10^th in the final ACC regular season standings over the last six seasons, Syracuse is typically on the upswing the last week of the regular season as they head into March.

Sport is indeed a big part of every society. Playing a game or watching sport games and placing tips or picks on the scores have always been a thrilling means of recreation.

That being said, some areas of sports are more compelling in tipping than others. Most Sport fans in Australia watch games and follow them while they are part of some sort of tipping competition with their friends & family. 

Due to the popularity of friendly tipping competitions sport fans in Australia are always looking for accurate odds online. 

In the modern world, tipping is simpler than ever before – anyone can tip online without really having to leave the living room – it is only a case of a few steps. 

Here’s a list of the most popular sports in australians tip on 

Rugby League: 

Australians have their own way to play rugby however most  rugby matches in Australia  start with a kick-off as one side kicks the ball towards the opposing half and then tries to take hold of it. The team in charge then continues to shift the ball up the pitch by hand or kicking it. There are guidelines on how to pass the ball and also how long the teams will be allowed to maintain hold of it until it passes to their rivals. 

The National Rugby League is one of the most loved and enjoyed sporting events in Australia. Aussies enjoy the game by not just watching it but tipping on it and religiously keeping track of their favourite teams and players to keep up with the NRL odds.

The clear favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award this season, LaMelo Ball is a special player. Upon entering the All-Star break, he ranked first among rookies in total points (553), rebounds (211), assists (221) and steals (57) despite not starting a game for the Hornets until February 1. 

The only rookie in the last sixty years to lead on four fronts, even team owner Michael Jordan has been impressed with his progress, telling AP;

“I think Melo has adjusted to the NBA game better than any of us ever thought this early in his career, he has exceeded our expectations so far this season.”

Here’s a roundup containing the top six LaMelo Ball rookie cards, along with investment advice during his white-hot streak.

Top 6 LaMelo Ball Rookie Cards 

As the third pick in the 2020 draft, there’s an abundance of Ball RCs, especially if you factor in for the hundreds of parallel versions. To make things a bit easier, we’ve selected the top six Melo rookie cards below, with something to suit almost every budget.

2020 LaMelo Ball Hoops RC #223

The 2020-21 Hoops set contains many of the first RCs released this season, and it’s where we’ll begin. 

Melo’s base card is reasonably simple, with an image of the player located in the middle, holding a basketball in his right hand. The image is set against a black background, with an oval shaped border which will change colour depending on the parallel. 

There’s an RC logo located on the top right corner, and his name is found in chrome at the bottom.

2020-21 Hoops Parallels: Blue, Hyper Blue, Neon Green, Purple, Purple Explosion, Purple Winter, Red Backs, Teal Explosion, Winter, Yellow, Premium Box Base (/199), Silver (/199), Green (/99), Hyper Red (/99), Green Explosion (/89), Red (/75), Teal (/70), Blue Explosion (/59), Artist Proof (/25), Hyper Green (/25), Orange (/25), Orange Explosion (/25), Red Explosion (/15), Artist Proof Gold (/10), Hyper Gold (/10), Tribute Autograph (/10), Artist Proof Black (1/1) 

2020 LaMelo Ball Donruss Rated Rookie RC #202

Another popular Melo RC that is still reasonably affordable, the Rated Rookie subset contains the next card to make the list. It focuses on the player, with a simple image of the star holding a ball in both hands.  

Don’t let the lack of an autograph put you off, graded copies of the rarer parallels are definitely worth holding onto.