Sports Then and Now

Athletes that play any sports know that their natural talent alone will not get the job done on the field. Half of the battle comes from the process of preparation before a game begins. Like Benjamin Franklin once said, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” In the following piece, you will learn the best tips necessary for having an advantage in preparation over the competition.

Visualization

In life as in sports, it is important for one to see the bottom line in their mind’s eye before the action manifests itself during in-game action. One must always begin with the end in mind. It is essential that an athlete engage in a great deal of mental imagery. These mental images must have specificity and be of great detail. For example, a basketball player can sit in the stands overlooking the basketball court before everyone else and go every game situation in his head before the game begins. This is especially helpful when it comes to a player going over critical late-game situations.

They Master Motivation

During a long season, athletes must do whatever it takes to keep themselves motivated throughout the season. A motivated player will have the energy to push through the internal and external pain. They are able to navigate through the difficult day-to-day circumstances and keep themselves in an enhanced state of preparation and readiness. A motivated player exudes self-confidence. Players can develop their self-confidence by engaging in positive self-talk. If effectively done, positive self-talk can regulate an athlete’s mindset to the point that they are ready to conquer the world by the time the game starts. Read the rest of this entry →

Steph Curry scored 22 points to lead a balanced Golden State offense in a game one win.

Game 1 between the Utah Jazz and the Golden State Warriors was exactly what everybody expected. Golden State got off to a hot start at Oracle Arena and cruised to a 106-94 victory.

The Warriors now have a perfect 5-0 record in the playoffs and don’t look like they’ll be challenged in this semifinals series.

But then again, Utah has some issues that prevented them from being as competitive as they would’ve liked. Let’s discuss what these issues were, along with if you should consider betting on the Jazz.

Utah vs Golden State Game 2 Betting Odds Released by BetOnline.ag

Point Spread: Utah +12.5 (-110); Golden State -12.5(-110)
Money line: Utah +700; Golden State -1400
Totals: 204 (over -115) (under -105)
Gametime: 10:30pm ET on Thursday, May 4

Golden State Warriors Game 2 Preview

As mentioned in the introduction, Golden State didn’t have much of a problem with Utah. They were up by 12 early in the second quarter and never looked threatened from there on out.

All five Warrior starters scored in double digits, with Steph Curry leading the way with 22 points. Five bench players also scored for Golden State too.

Perhaps the most-telling sign of Golden State’s easy victory is that they got 32 assists. Utah had trouble staying with Curry, which led to plenty of defensive breakdowns and easy baskets for the Warriors.

Golden State doesn’t need to change much heading into Game 2 of this series. Their defense was strong, they made shots, and they did a good job of dealing with Utah’s slowed-down pace. The Warriors will look to replicate their success in an effort to go up 2-0. Read the rest of this entry →

Many Americans are passionate about sports, and if you share this love of the sporting world, consider earning a degree in sports management. While plenty of people love watching and participating in sports, the sports management degree plan is relatively uncommon and many people are unaware of what sports managers really do. If you’re interested in learning more about earning a degree in sports management, it’s important to gain an understanding of the degree plan and career outlook.

What You’ll Do

If the title of sports manager sounds intriguing, it’s time to learn about what you can expect to do on a day-to-day basis in this type of position. As a sports manager, there are a wide variety of tasks that you can expect to be responsible for after you’ve completed your undergraduate degree. Depending upon where you work, you can expect to manage the roster of teammates on college or professional sports team, or you might take on a more clerical role and manage the office and marketing campaigns of a sports team.

Required Education

If you’d love to have a career in sports, it’s important to think about the education required to meet your goals. While the hiring standards are different between employers, most professional sports managers have a minimum education of an associate’s degree. If you’d like to boost your chances of landing your dream job, earn a sports management degree online from Adelphi.

What You’ll Gain From This Career

Before you officially decide to apply to start your sports management degree, you might be wondering what you’ll gain from a career in this field. For many sports fans, the number one reason to pursue this type of career is the ability to feel passionate about your work. If you’re able to work with a sports team, you’ll likely get to meet some of the players that you’ve always idolized and enjoyed watching. In addition to feeling passionate about your work, there are several other reasons to start taking classes to earn a degree in sports management. Read the rest of this entry →

Make no mistake about it … online gambling and bingo have become huge business. Billions of dollars in revenue is now being generated online, and it’s not just with basic apps that rely on advertising; it’s in direct wagers and betting from players. There’s a massive market for companies and merchants to tap into, as long as you hit the right market.

Knowing the Market

Anyone worth their weight understands how important it is to know the market. A football league isn’t going to be targeting a general audience who has no interest in this or other sports.

The online gambling world is massive and it draws in a wide range of people from all walks of life and from around the world and that can make it seem as though marketing to such a wide audience would be difficult, but think about this: they love games, they love competition, and they’re a captive audience. What’s not to love about that?

Sponsorship Deals

When you have a sports league, like football (soccer to those fans across the pond), you drive business by sponsorship deals. When you have the name of your league, team, or even a favorite player front and centre, it gets people thinking about that sporting event.

Nothing really goes together better than sports and online gaming and bingo. That’s because many of the people who love these online games also have a thrill for either watching and cheering on a favorite team or placing some well thought out wagers on an upcoming game.

Sky Bingo is one of those online gaming sites that draws in thousands of fans every day. These men and women are riveted to their computer screen, tablet, or even their smartphones while engaged in some heated bingo. They wait almost impatiently for the next number to be called, checking their cards, and waiting for that precious word ‘bingo’ to be highlighted on the screen.

But a person isn’t going to just be staring at the numbers … they’re going to be looking around that screen and that’s where these sponsorship/advertising opportunities are so powerful. Read the rest of this entry →

As a coach, it should be your top priority to keep your athletes safe. In fact, it may be a higher priority than trying to win the game. The good news is that there are many steps that you can take to keep your players safe while also putting them in the best position to succeed.

Take a Conservative Approach to the Game

It may be possible to keep injuries to a minimum by taking a conservative approach to the game. For instance, you may want to prevent younger pitchers from throwing pitches involving the use of their elbow. Football coaches may discourage quarterbacks from throwing passes to wide receivers in the middle of the field.

Make Players Wear Optional Safety Equipment

Athletes will do anything for a competitive edge even if it may put their physical health at risk. This means that they may wear smaller pads or even forego pads at all if it slows them down or otherwise hinders their ability to play the game properly. As a coach, you should only play those who wear all required and even optional equipment as well to make sure no one gets hurt. Read the rest of this entry →

We’ve all seen and laughed at the commercial where the guy is pretending to pay attention to his girlfriend when he’s actually sneaking a peek at his phone to catch the game. For better or worse, this is a reality these days, as there is almost no way for you to miss watching a sporting event. Technology has not only made missing the big game impossible, but it’s also completely altered the way in which we watch our favorite sporting events. From social media and high def TV to tablets and even drones, read on for more info on five tech items that are changing the way we watch sports. What’s the over/under you’re going to love this? We’ll take the over!

1. Social Media

Remember when we thought social media was just a phase? We’ll give you a minute to LOL. Not only is this not a passing fad but it’s also quickly picking up speed in its reach and in its mediums. As with nearly everything in modern day life, this form of media has had a direct effect on the way we watch sports. From watching live events online and interacting with the actual players on Twitter to video highlights on Facebook and following the Instagram feeds of our favorite athletes, social media has made us all even bigger superfans. Head of Sports Broadcast Partnerships at Twitter Andrew Barge has even dubbed Twitter “the world’s largest digital sports bar.” Not only does social media give us access to the actual events, but it also gives us a way to chat about our favorite games/matches for days (or even months!) after they’ve happened. Fast food chain Wendy’s recently upped the madness ante on March Madness by offering an online sports bracket. This is a sports fan’s dream and social media only adds to the hype.

2. Drones

While drones used in an official capacity for sporting events are fairly strictly regulated, there are people using commercial drones to capture incredible footage. They were used in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi to film skiing and snowboarding. According to this article on sUAS News, “Drones have also been used to film Formula One races, the X Games, the AMA Supercross Series, high school football practices, and extreme sports events such as surfing, snowboarding, and skateboarding.” The NFL primarily uses CableCam systems, which is actually the case in point in favor of drones, as these cable-suspended camera systems are limited in the areas they can cover. While the future of drones used in an official capacity for sports coverage is uncertain due to FAA and other regulations, many are pushing for drone use due its ability to catch otherwise impossible angles. Read the rest of this entry →