Sports Then and Now

Week 1 had a lot, but Week 2 might have it beat. There was everything from a weather delay (those 49ers) to four last-second wins, of course some interesting quirks mixed in and who could forget about the Manning Bowl. Here are your Week 2 NFL headlines.

Aaron Rodgers was the top performer in Week 2.

Tom Brady threw a touchdown pass in his 50^th consecutive game as the Patriots beat the Jets, 13-10, to open the week on Thursday Night Football, but was also below a 50-percent completion rate for the first time since 2009. He now sits just four behind the all-time record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass. New England forced four turnovers and now have at least one in 29 straight games, the longest since the Eagles did that between 2003-04. The win gave the Pats 12 straight victories over division opponents, which is the longest current streak in the league, according to Elias. The only other time the Patriots began a season 2-0 with both wins by three points or less was in 1999. They won this one despite having more punts (11) than first downs (9) – the first time that has happened in the Bill Belichick era. Julian Edelman had 13 catches, but just 78 yards. That is the third-fewest yards in a 13-catch game in the Super Bowl Era. Brady improved to 6-0 in his career in games played on a Thursday.

Cordarrelle Patterson tied a team record with a 105-yard kickoff return for a touchdown as the Vikings fell to 0-2 with a 31-30 loss to the Bears. Adrian Peterson had 100 rushing yards and has just 193 through two games. He had only 144 last year, however. After doing so nine times last season, the Bears scored their first defensive touchdown of 2013 with an interception return from Tim Jennings in the win. Their 10 defensive touchdowns since the start of last year are the most in the league. Devin Hester had 249 kick return yards in the win, setting a new franchise record. Jay Cutler hit Martellus Bennett on a 16-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left in one of four games to be decided in the final seconds. Bennett became the fourth player in Bears’ history to catch a touchdown in each of his first two games with the team.

Aaron Rodgers threw for 335 yards in the first half alone as the Packers got out to a 24-0 lead and topped the Redskins, 38-20. Rodgers finished the game 34-of-42 with a career-high 480 yards – tying the Packers’ record. In so doing, he became the first NFL quarterback to record 480 yards passing and throw four touchdowns with no interceptions since Y.A. Tittle in 1962. James Starks had 132 yards rushing and became Green Bay’s first 100-yard rusher since 2010.  They won their eighth straight home game and their 21st of 22. Washington fell behind 24-0 after two quarters and have now been outscored 50-7 in the first half this season. The Pack now rank second in the NFL with 66 points scored. The Broncos, who are first, have scored 66 points in the second half. Read the rest of this entry →

Mayrhofen Ski Resort is one of the top skiing and snowboarding destinations in Europe

Picking a snow resort to head to for the winter is like picking lunch from an endless menu – there’s just so much to choose from. And it’s not just the resort you get your pick of, there are hotels at the base of different mountains, all-inclusive or half-board and whether to opt for a luxury lodge or humble hostel; you could drive yourself a bit mad going through your options but hopefully the Snowfusion & Extremepie list of the top 3 Snowboarding destinations in Europe will help you narrow it down just a bit.

Mayrhofen, Austria
Mayrhofen tops our list because it’s got the best of everything – superb location, excellent facilities for everyone from the novice to the seasoned pro, and thanks to its proximity to the Hintertux Glacier it offers all year-round boarding too. The resort is characterized by its laid-back and relaxed vibe and recognized for the superb Vans Penken Park; the best to be found in Europe.  If you’re after a resort that offers more than the top-quality free riding terrain to really enjoy your own on-piste adventures then this is the one for you. Mayrhofen is world renowned for its additional events so if you fancy a little time away from your own snow bombing downhill, then you can enjoy watching others while you enjoy a beer slope side. Read the rest of this entry →

Adrenaline Alley is one of the top indoor skate parks in the world.

Think of the best skate parks in the world and images of awesome skate spots over the pond will probably come to mind. Rails, ramps and concrete jungles all grinded to within an inch of their life; nothing else tops the bucket list for a skater like a US skate spot. But here in the UK we’ve got our fair share of skate parks to rival those desirable stateside locations – here are Vapourised best three that you really should visit.

Adrenaline Alley – Corby, Northamptonshire
How Adrenaline Alley came to be is a sad story with an immensely positive outcome. The owner’s son, John, had suffered as a young child with an undiagnosed brain tumor and was bullied by local louts but soon, he befriended local skaters and felt like he had found his place to fit in. He was attacked by the bullies and as a result his parents wanted to take that experience and let it drive them to create something positive. Dedicated to providing a safe and secure outlet for kids wanting to enjoy action sports without being condemned, the amazing indoor Adrenaline Alley skate park rose from the ground upwards and is continuing to expand. Sadly John died a few years ago but his legacy lives on in this 6 acre site and leads the UK in offering a ramp park, performance center, dirt jumps and a new scooter park. Read the rest of this entry →

Coed Y Brenin is a breathtaking and challenging mountain bike venue.

Nothing beats the feeling of freedom that you get from riding at full speed through a challenging mountain bike trail. Even the aching limbs, the bruises and scrapes you might incur as a result of falling after taking a track a bit too heavy make it all worthwhile. But when it comes to getting on your bike and going, the choice of trails available in the UK is vast and exciting – these are the Bikefusion top 3 which are just begging to be explored and enjoyed.

Coed y Brenin – North Wales
When it comes to perfect trails, stunning scenery and a spectacular, purpose-built state of the art eco visitor centre there’s only one place that can offer it all at its best – Coed y Brenin. Set in the beautiful Snowdonia Nation Park with fantastic view of the mountain and Cadair Idris, Coed y Brenin is not just a visual treat, so don’t let its gorgeous views fool you. Under the canopy of trees is a warren of all-weather singletrack that’ll test even the most experienced rider to their limits. The first forest developed for Mountain Biking, Coed y Brenin knows exactly what to throw at you, and with its network of downhill trails including the incredible False Teeth technical challenge you won’t be short of adrenaline rushes. It’s no surprise why Coed y Brenin is regarded as one of the best UK MTB Trail locations, if not one of the world’s best too. Read the rest of this entry →

Steve Reeves (far left) helped elevate interest in bodybuilding.

The roots of bodybuilding can be traced back as far as ancient Greece. But in those ancient times, it was not so much a tool for personal body modification as it was a method of training for sports that the ancient Greeks participated in. Since then of course, many have chosen bodybuilding as a means of attempting to achieve some sort of aesthetic muscular perfection. Some of these fitness mad individuals have now become household names.

Steve Reeves

In the late 1940s and 1950s, Hollywood heart throb Steve Reeves was largely responsible for bringing bodybuilding into the public consciousness in a big way. Prior to Reeves, bodybuilding was a relatively unknown sport and it was through Reeves’ series of movie roles that bodybuilding first gained recognition and interest from the general public. Considered by many now to be the Arnold Schwarzenegger of his era, Reeves won the 1947 Mr. America, the 1948 Mr. World and the 1950 Mr. Universe, putting him amongst the most prolific bodybuilders of his generation.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Undoubtedly the most famous of all professional bodybuilders, Arnold Schwarzenegger burst onto the international bodybuilding scene in 1966, known then as “The Austrian Oak”. At the age of only 23, Schwarzenegger became the youngest ever man to win the Mr. Olympia contest in 1970, a title he would hold for six consecutive years. On the brink of retirement from bodybuilding, Schwarzenegger was convinced by filmmakers George Butler and Robert Fiore to compete in Mr. Olympia one more time, an event which was captured in their documentary Pumping Iron. The film drew interest from Hollywood, and catapulted Schwarzenegger into international stardom.
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If you are thinking about betting on a sport the excellent thing about tennis is that the outcome can only be one way or another – there cannot be a draw. With tennis, after taking into consideration the favorites – any injuries they might have and if there are any up and coming stars to watch out for, anything can happen on the day because it is a game that is as much mental as it is physical.

You need to pay attention to how the players have been performing that season in order to make a good decision about who to bet on, and also pay attention to things such as on going rivalries. Sometimes a rivalry can make a match even more predictable as it can come down to who can push through the mental barriers the most.

Betting in an online casino, or betting on sports and TV shows has become so popular and easy to do, because of the sheer convenience, that you can lose track of your bets and how much you are winning and losing. So if you fancy placing a bet on a particular sports event or just fancy playing a casino game, head over to www.iphonecasino.co.nz and enjoy the experience from the comfort of your own home. But if you aren’t careful, this can be your downfall. The best thing to do is note down and keep records of all of your bets. Include details like who the opponents were, what the venue was, what the tournament was and at what stage, the stake, the price and of course the result.

If you do this and stick to it you may even start to see patterns emerging. It could tell you what you are doing wrong, what you are doing right. And hopefully, if you see that pattern you can correct it before it starts becoming an expensive mistake and interfering with your life.