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Showing posts with label Basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Basketball. Show all posts

Monday, October 1, 2012

When you think about Ervin "Magic" Johnson's game, you wonder how he could have been one of the best point guards in the history of the NBA. Magic lacked great speed his moves weren't exactly smooth or graceful, and he wasn't a great leaper. He wasn't exactly a great shooter as well. What he did do that was great, was play each moment of every game with one thought in his mind. He asked himself "What can I do, right now, to help my team win this basketball game?

During the 1980's nobody came up with the right answer more often than Magic did. 9 times in 12 seasons Magic Johnson led the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA finals. Five of those times the Lakers won the NBA championship. During three of those championship victories, Magic Johnson was awarded the MVP.

Interesting Facts About Magic Johnson:

One of Magic's most embarrassing moments was when he was leading the LA Lakers out of the locker room in his first basketball game ever as a Laker. He was so nervous that he forgot to tie the drawstring on his warm up pants, which caused him to fall flat on his face when he went out on the court to take his warm up shots. Every time that the Lakers played in Detroit, his mom made fried chicken and fixings for the whole team. Her sweet potato pie became tradition after the game. When Magic moved into his Bel Air mansion, the boy that lived next to him asked if Magic Johnson could play. The next thing the boy knew, Magic Johnson had grabbed a pair of shoes and was out shooting baskets with him!

Magic Johnson Timeline Biography

1980: Wins 1st NBA Championship trophy

1982: Averages an NBA best 2.7 steals per game

1987: Leads the league in assists for the 4th time

1991: Wins 2nd All Star MVP award

Other interesting facts about Magic Johnson:

As a child, Magic Johsnon belonged to the Boys and Girls Club in Lansing, Michigan. As an adult he supports their national organization and the Challenger Club of South Central Los Angeles. He also organizes a Mid Summer's night's Magic, a basketball game to benefit the United Negro College Fund. Since learning he was HIV positive back in 1991 he has set up the Magic Johnson AIDS foundation. Till this day Magic Johnson has done wonders for communities all over the world with his charitable efforts.

Saturday, March 3, 2012

Basketball - A Sport For Every Age

Even if you've never been a sports fan, you've probably still played a little basketball. It's a perfect sport, really, as basketball can be played by people of every age, in any part of the world, with just a couple of people or a whole group. You can even enjoy basketball by yourself if you want to. Obviously, you need quite a few people gathered together in teams to play an "official" game of basketball. But basketball can be enjoyed outside the b-ball court, as well, and can be a great way to simply get some exercise while honing basic motor skills and hand-eye coordination. These aspects make basketball a great sport to get your kids started in when they are very young. Don't limit them to waiting to try out for the school basketball team-you can get your kids started learning the skills imparted by basketball from the time they can walk; possibly even before that.


Backyard Basketball


The beauty of basketball is that you don't have to have access to a fancy court or expensive equipment, as you do with some other popular sports. All you need to enjoy a little basketball is a ball and a hoop. It doesn't even have to be a regulation hoop, unless you plan to use it for "serious" basketball games, as well. You can install a partial basketball court in your own backyard, or even simply install a hoop alongside your driveway. Don't have a way to install a permanent basketball hoop? No problem. Get a portable one. These come in a wide variety of styles and sizes. They're pretty budget friendly, too!


Once you've got your basketball hoop and surface established, simply enjoy it. You can shoot some hoops by yourself, with your kids, or even play a partial game with your pals. Casual basketball is so flexible that you can have fun with it in a variety of ways.


Start 'Em Young


Even little kids can play basketball, and they probably benefit the most from the skills utilized in the game. Start your kids out young by getting them a small, portable basketball hoop and practice simple skills with them like dribbling, passing and shooting. These basketball hoops are designed to grow with your child up to a point, so as your kids grow, the hoop can be gradually raised until they are ready to play basketball with full size equipment.


You can get your children started learning some of the important skills taught by basketball even before you get them a hoop. Motor skills and hand-eye coordination are developed by simply learning to handle a basketball.


Practice Anywhere


One of the greatest things about basketball is how versatile the game can be. Shooting skills can be practiced anywhere-even in the house. You can install small basketball hoops on the back of doors, etc. for casual shooting practice anytime!


The game of basketball has been around for more than 100 years. It can be played virtually anywhere, by just about anyone. So, get out there and shoot some hoops!


 


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Sunday, February 19, 2012

History of Basketball

The history of basketball is much easier to trace than other sports. It is clear that Dr. James Naismith is credited with creating basketball and much of basketball history. Dr. Naismith, born in 1861 in Ontario, Canada first came up with the concept of basketball during his youth school days in the area where he played a game that involved knocking a rock off an object by attempting to throw another rock at it. The game obviously evolved from there and began the history of basketball.

Mr. Naismith taught at the YMCA School in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1891, where the sport of basketball was created. He was faced with a problem of finding a sport that could be played indoors during the harsh Massachusetts winters. He needed to come up with a game that could be played in and outdoors and one that adopted a sense of skill and not just brawn. He first developed the game by involving a soccer ball and two peach baskets, who would have ever thought basketball history, could come from a soccer ball.

In addition to creating basketball Dr. Naismith became a medical doctor focused on sports science and was a minister. Naismith watched his sport grow to become one of the world's most popular sports that saw its entrance in the Olympics in 1936 at Berlin and he fixed himself a spot in basketball history.

The history of basketball began with teams of five and was the sports standard by 1897. The sport became popular to both men and women and began to spread throughout Canada and the US. The US servicemen took the sport overseas with them in WWII and the history of basketball became global.

U.S. colleges accepted the game and began to have it as a standard college sport. College basketball history took off around the late 1890's and the first college game began at the Madison Square Garden in New York.

Professional basketball history first began when the National Basketball League was created in the late 1800's around 1898. The league however did not last and was broken up after 5 years providing a rough start to basketball history. The break up just led to a number of random leagues forming themselves in the early 1900's and each was very loosely organized. Ironically enough the first super team was the Celtics but they were from New York City not Boston. The famous Harlem globetrotters were also founded around this time in 1927 and hold a place in basketball history as being the most entertaining of basketball teams.

It wasn't until 1949 that two professional basketball leagues the NBL and the BAA merged to create what we all know now as the National Basketball Association or the NBA. The Boston Celtics dominated the NBA from the late 1950s through the 1960s. By the 1960s, professional teams had formed throughout the United States and basketball was a mainstream powerhouse. Players such as Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russel and Kareem Abdul-Jabar all became household names that drew millions to watch them play as they all found a spot in basketball history.

National Basketball Association fell off the charts and was surpassed by football in popularity through the 1970's then got a resurgence from the popular Larry Bird and Magic Johnson era. Michael Jordan carried the league through the eighties and nineties and the torch has been passed on to Shaquille O'neal, Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. The history of basketball has never been so fascinating and it is all thanks to Dr. James Naismith.


Saturday, June 4, 2011

Shaq retires

Shaq O'Neal, 39, made his retirement official, reiterating what he revealed in a video posted to Twitter two days earlier that his NBA playing days are over. Saying those words where he did brought a full-circle piece of closure to his career, since it all ended at his home in a suburb of Orlando, the city where his pro days began when the Magic made him the No. 1 pick in 1992.

''Never thought this day would come,'' O'Neal said. ''Father Time has finally caught up with Shaquille O'Neal.''

Speculation has been high for weeks that O'Neal's playing days were over, and what was widely expected became real on Wednesday. It took him 10 seconds to announce his plan in a video posted to Twitter, and as few athletes in the world could do, those 10 seconds turned into a three-day story. Tributes have poured in since, and on Friday, O'Neal thanked just about everyone he could remember.

His parents, thanking his father for his disciplinary ways and his mother for sneaking him cake, milk and cookies when that discipline prevented the boy from getting his own. His brothers and sisters. His six children, who got an apology for his schedule demands and a promise that they would keep going to Toys ''R'' Us. His fans worldwide. The NBA and Commissioner David Stern. The camaraderie in the locker room. The six teams he played with.

''And I'm really going to miss the free throws,'' deadpanned O'Neal, a notoriously bad foul-shooter.

A joker, all the way to the end.

He would not have it any other way.

He insisted he will not return, nor will he coach anyone but his three sons. His career ends with 28,596 points, 13,099 rebounds, 15 All-Star selections, four championships and three NBA finals MVP awards.

Friday, March 18, 2011

NCAA basketball Watch Online Live on your Computer

March Madness time once again here, and all the basketball enthusiasts have their face fixated on this important NCAA basketball event to determine of the college basketball champions. Match-ups will be made, and new rivalry will be born when the best 64 teams from a face in a tournament and done.


This NCAA basketball tournament is an American tradition that sends millions of sports fans in a synchronized frenzy each year, that is why it is known as the March Madness. This tournament is played over a period of 3 weeks, starting on the third week of March. The 64th and 65th teams will play in the opening round, then the real tournament begins. Many enthusiasts will surely be finding ways on how to watch NCAA basketball live online on their computer.


The field of 64 teams is trimmed to 32 about the first 2 days of the tournament. Then in the next 2 days, the field is trimmed to 16, which is known as the sweet 16. They take a 4-day break before resuming their game. The field is then stripped from 16 to 4 on the second week of the tournament, which is then named as the Final Four.


In the third and last week, the Final Four fight out in April for the ncaa basketball Crown. Although these last four games are played in April, they are still full of the syndrome of March Madness. The men's semifinal matches will be played on the first Saturday of April. The winners will then face each other on the following Monday.


For you to watch NCAA basketball live online, you must create a live streaming internet tool. The top tool we use is a tv for pc software. But be careful, because although there are a lot of tv for pc software available on the web today, most of them do not work, and not worth your time. Some will terminate your internet connection, others may place spyware, or they are just difficult to use, and not user-friendly.


The top tv for pc software passed rigid testing and development. They also have an excellent service, and a lot of channels of different races. Apart from the college basketball games, you can also look at nba, baseball, nfl, tennis and other sports, movies, foreign sports channels, news, and more channels.


For requirements that are needed, a broadband connection is recommended to get the best audio and video quality. A windows pc is necessary.


You should also know that the top tv for pc software comes with a price, because the testing and development doesn't come cheap. You only need to pay a small one-time fee, but after that, nothing more. You will then have access to the thousands of channels in the tv for pc software. So if you look at NCAA basketball live online on your computer, choose the most reliable tv for pc software.


 

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Looking forward to March Madness and the NCAA Basketball Betting

March Madness betting is a high time of the year. Every NCAA tournament game is television and you can use the first two rounds on the internet free. Bet the NCAA basketball tournament has never been easier.


During the college basketball season, you can easily value in the underdogs, especially in the lesser followed conferences. There are over 300 teams in the top division in college basketball. Each team plays about 20 games in the regular season, some teams approach 30 games-and this is for their conference tournaments. The NCAA Tournament is another story.


When betting of the NCAA basketball tournament is the best to find the value in the Favorites in the beginning of the tournament. Thinking about this for a second. The lesser known colleges have become stronger. The competition is better. There are tournaments in years passed with more disruption than would otherwise occur. Public stigma in NCAA Basketball Betting in today's betting arena is that the underdogs have as good a chance as the Favorites. The audience loves the Cinderella story of the smaller school beat the big time program.


Since the public perception in relation to betting the tournament is that each team a chance to fight, including the underdogs, the rules are set not on public perception, but on the most likely statistical outcome of each game. Use this to your advantage. More public betting dollars are bet on the underdogs in this tournament than in the regular season. That makes the Favorites more valuable. Sports books know that public bettors are more likely to bet on an underdog in the NCAA tournament and they their lines according to this public betting patterns.


The Favorites are worth more in the first two rounds than they continue in the tournament. If the tournament goes on and there are fewer games are handicapped, the lines are sharper and the value of the Favorites. That's not to say there is no value in the favorite team, but it reduces deeper in the tournament.


Lines between-3 and-5 cover more often than any other line. If you click a game with this rule balanced action see, take the favorite. Likewise, if you're the underdog bring in more money than the favorite see, take the favorite. This would be the most seductive line in the NCAA tournament for a public gambler. They keep from jumping on the underdog here because they believe that if the game could close, there is a very good chance the underdog will cover or even win the game outright. Unfortunately for public bettors covers such as mentioned above, the favorite this rule far more often than other rules. This is especially true in the first two rounds.


Betting the NCAA tournament is easy if you think outside the box . Don't forget, the favorite of the audience, but i watch if the public started changing their betting patterns. Capitalize on this switch in mentality and look long and hard at betting Favorites early.


 

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

The simplest strategy to win using NCAA basketball Odds

In recent years has seen many leave NCAA basketball talents to go pro. However, it does not affect the fun and excitement that the games have to offer. Of the flashy dishes and the incredible plays the exciting dunks, as well as shots from way down town offers the NCAA a good form of entertainment for everyone of all ages.


These factors are what the ideal basketball games to bet on the NCAA created. Not only will you be able to enjoy all possible enjoyment that basketball has to offer, but you can also earn money at the same time. This is a good idea for the die hard basketball fans, especially those who want to earn extra money while engaging in something that they really love. Winning not necessarily come easily at first, but with experience and knowledge of how to make use of the NCAA basketball odds, can easily be reached.


Inexperienced bettors and gamblers would tend to wonder what basketball odds. Actually, these pieces of information that is used as a basis on choosing which team to a bet. The Ncaa basketball odds are future speculations based on the teams performance past, as well as the teams current status. These are usually created by the oddsmakers in the various online sports betting sites that exist today are present.


The Ncaa basketball odds are extremely useful especially for inexperienced bettors because it serves as a guide on which team to bet on, as well as what kind of bet. Also, it gives some sort of prediction about the possible results of the matches on what teams will win or lose. Ncaa basketball odds can also give a balancing factor for the matches with the weaker teams gain extra points are added to their final score that will form the basis of who will win or lose.


An example of the use of NCAA basketball odds is a possible up and coming game between Duke and Virginia Tech. Since no teams basically the same in skills and statistics are, it will give a fair chance to fight for both sides to be balanced. As Duke is currently the weaker team, she will be considered a point 6 favorite between the two. That means 6 points will be added to the final score of Duke. If Duke WINS, the 6 points is ignored, but if they lose, then it will be used. If the instance that there will be a tie in the score even after the points are already added to and nobody WINS or loses on the their commitment.


The use of NCAA basketball odds is really very economical and can cause many profits if used properly. And it could be a lot easier if the gambler can make use of any of the various betting and basketball oddsmaker sites online. Indeed, with NCAA basketball odds, money also can be fun and exciting.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

History of NCAA basketball

There are many great teams in the NCAA since its inception. One of the largest schools of all times is the UCLA Bruins. They are the school with the most Championships in the history of the Association. They currently have a total of 104 team championships won. The school with the second most Championships is Stanford with 97 team championships. This does not mean that these schools most total wins out of all schools, it simply means that they have won the most Championships. During the school year 2008-2009 won the Pacific 10 Conference a whopping 11 NCAA Championships. The following two conferences behind the PAC-10, the ACC and the Big Ten. They each won a total of five. There are currently a total of 87 national championships each year. Forty-four of these women and forty are men. That leaves three other Championships, which are the coed sports.


there are 32 Division I conferences included in NCAA basketball. There are in these 32 conferences 347 schools who compete for a ultimate goal: a national championship. Each Conference will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA men's Division I Basketball Championship Tournament. Many people call this tournament March Madness or The Big Dance. Coaches from all three divisions of the NCAA basketball get together to determine the rules and regulations of the NCAA men's basketball. Many of the rules imposed on the NCAA are often used in the NBA, but there are some that are unique to the NCAA. Every NCAA Game is divided into two halves which consist of every twenty minutes.


This is different than the NBA or another level of basketball, because all others play four quarters. The NCAA has a 35-second shot clock, while the NBA a 34 second shot clock. The NBA is the team only 8 seconds to cross from half Court, while the NCAA for ten seconds. The three point line in the college game is less distance than the NBA lines for three points. NCAA the three point line the same as high school, but it changed in May 2007. The distance from the three point line to the Backboard is now 20 feet nine inches. Another difference in the rules between the NBA and the NCAA is the amount of errors allowed to each player. The NBA allows each player to receive six personal errors before being forced to leave the game, while the NCAA only allow five errors. This maintains the same ratio of minutes played and the amount of errors.


 

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

3 NCAA Teams who have excelled in both men's basketball and football

Keeps you watching football as much as you want to watch basketball? In the world of the NCAA, it is usual that teams have a solid football squad or a solid basketball squad. For example, is the Duke Blue Devils have won three Division I NCAA Basketball Championships, all their football team usually less-than-stellar. Meanwhile, while Alabama's football team has won 12 national championships, their basketball team is a team consistently under the radar.


However, some NCAA schools have excelled in football and basketball. here are some excellent examples:


1. Cincinnati Bearcats
The Bearcats football team has not only played in 10 bowl games; It has a winning record of 6-4 in these bowls, and the last three of them won. Cincinnati appeared in the Sun Bowl twice, the Motor City Bowl twice, and most recently, in the PapaJohns.com Bowl.


Meanwhile, the Wildcats basketball team also. The team has appeared in the NCAA mens basketball tournament 24 times. Travelling for the tournament two national championships for the Cincinnati Bearcats (1961, 1962), and a loss in the championship game (1963).


2. Florida Gators
The Gators football team, for which the sports drink Gatorade was called, has won two national championships. During the season 1996-1997, past Florida QB Steve Spurrier returned to coach his alma mater a 12-1 season, and a national championship. Florida beat Florida State in the sugar bowl. Then during the season 2006-2007 the Gators won their second national championship, walloping of the Ohio State Buckeyes, 41-14. In addition to their national championships, the Florida produced three Heisman Trophy winners:


o Steve Spurrier (1966)
o Danny Wuerffel (1996)
o Tim Tebow (2007)


Basketball team of the Florida Gators ' man has recently risen to the forefront. In 2000, the team made its first appearance of NCAA championship, although it lost to Michigan State, 89-76. However, the Gators would be "chompions" in 2006, winning their first NCAA title. The Gators demolished UCLA, 73-57. Then in 2007 defended her title, Florida by defeating Ohio State 84-75.


3. UCLA Bruins
Although better known for his basketball team, achieved the Bruins football team great success, over the years. The Bruins biggest success came in 1954, when the team was co-national champions. UCLA also has won 17 Conference titles. In 1967, the UCLA football team also produced a Heisman Trophy winner: Gary Beban.


Meanwhile, the UCLA Bruins basketball team already spectacular. It has won 11 NCAA Championships, which is more than any other team. Under the renowned coach John Wooden won the Bruins 10 titles in the span of 12 years! The team is undefeated during four years (1964, 1967, 1972, 1973). UCLA won its most recent NCAA Championship in 1995. Since 2006 the team also appeared in three back-to back-to-back Final Fours in the NCAA tournament.


While it is commendable to Excel in NCAA men's basketball or football, it is excellent to Excel in both sports. Cheer on your favorite NCAA team to victory in both sport-or both!

Monday, February 21, 2011

Steeped in tradition-a history of the NCAA men's Basketball Tournament

The excitement and tradition of "March Madness" as we know it today has been shaped by many significant events in NCAA tournament history: The first NCAA men's basketball tournament was held in 1939 with the first championship game held at Northwestern on March 27, 1939. Only eight teams competed in two regions. Oregon defeated Ohio State in the championship, and the West region held a third-place game.


Although the NCAA tournament now determines the national champion, that was not always the case. Until the 1950's, the NIT was considered a more prestigious tournament than the NCAA, and teams often chose to enter the NIT and bypass the NCAA tourney. Because of this dichotomy, two of the best centers of the 1940's never met in an NCAA tourney.  George Mikan's DePaul team traditionally entered the NIT, while Bob Kurland's Oklahoma A&M (now Oklahoma State) won two NCAA titles. Several schools entered both tournaments. One such team, City College of New York (CCNY) led by Irwin Dambrot, won both in 1950. Ironically, CCNY defeated Bradley University in the finals of both tournaments. Another school, Utah in 1944, entered the NIT, lost in the first round, and then went on to win the NCAA title. Kentucky pulled off a similar accomplishment in 1949, losing in the second round of the NIT and then going on to win the NCAA Tournament.


In 1941, the East region added a third-place game into the schedule, and in 1946, a national third-place game was held for the first time; the game would be a fixture until 1980. In 1951, the tournament expanded to 16 teams, and in 1952, Seattle was the site of the first true "Final Four," with both semifinal games and the championship game in one city. It was 1956 when the tournament was divided into four regions. Some of the most astounding and telling events in college basketball were to follow: North Carolina defeated Wilt Chamberlain and Kansas 54-53 in three overtimes to win the title in 1957. The legend of dominance emerged in 1962 when John Wooden's UCLA team makes the first of 13 Final Four appearances over the next 15 seasons.


Reflecting the race and civil rights issues of the time, Loyola (Illinois) was matched up with Mississippi State in a 1963 men's basketball tournament regional semifinal. Mississippi State, an all-white team, fled the town in the middle of the night despite protests from the governor and state police of Mississippi to play a Loyola team that features four black starters. Mississippi State overcame an unwritten Mississippi rule against playing integrated teams with a cloak-and-dagger flight to the North just one step ahead of a court injunction. Triumphantly, Loyola beat Mississippi State and went on to win the title. In 1966, Texas Western (now UTEP), with an all-black starting five, defeats an all-white Kentucky team to win the national title.


In 1973, with the championship game held on Monday night for the first time, UCLA behind Bill Walton's 44 points on 21 of 22 shooting, won its seventh straight championship, defeating Memphis State. NC State, led by David Thompson, ends UCLA's title run in 1974, defeating the Bruins in the national semifinals in double overtime.


The following year, the NCAA tournament expanded to 32 teams, and then allowed more than one school from each conference to participate. Prior to this ruling, the restriction prevented several great teams from competing in the tournament, including the 1974 Maryland team. They finished the season nationally ranked #4, yet lost the ACC Conference final game to top-ranked NC State prior to the start of the tournament. After that, the NCAA began to allow more than one team per conference to participate. In 1976, Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosier squad completed an undefeated season with a victory over Michigan in the championship game.  The Hoosiers are the last team to go undefeated and win the title.


The tournament expanded to 40 teams in 1979, and teams were seeded for the first time.  "Magic" Earvin Johnson leads Michigan State over Larry Bird and Indiana State to win the national championship.  The game drew the attention of millions throughout the country; its 24.1 TV rating remains the highest ever for a college basketball game and is still considered one of the greatest match-ups in NCAA Tournament history.


Expansion followed in 1980 to 48 teams, and then in 1983, to 53 teams.  In what many believe is the greatest Cinderella story in college basketball, North Carolina State's Lorenzo Charles dunks the ball as time expires in the 1983 championship game to lead the Wolfpack to a 54-52 win over heavily favored Akeem Olajuwon and Houston. Perhaps no one figure in college basketball history more personified the spirit of March Madness than Coach Jim Valvano. His underdog North Carolina State Wolfpack did what many consider a miracle by making an incredible run through the 1983 Tournament. Culminating in the defeat of the highly touted "Phi Slamma Jamma" squad from the University of Houston, Valvano was rocketed into the media limelight and quickly became the symbol of exuberance and enthusiasm. He discovered soon afterward that he had bone cancer, and for a short time became a commentator for college basketball. Before his death at age 47, he was named the recipient of the Arthur Ashe award for courage at the first ESPN ESPY awards. It was at this time he announced the formation of the V Foundation for cancer research.


In 1985 the tournament expanded to 64 teams.  A Villanova Wildcat team shot a 22 for 28 field goal percentage to defeat Patrick Ewing and defending champion Georgetown in the championship game. Villanova remains the lowest seed (#8) to win the championship. In 1991, Duke upset undefeated UNLV in the semifinals and went on to win the national championship. In 1997, Arizona, led by Mike Bibby, Jason Terry and Miles Simon, becomes the first school to defeat three #1 seeds en route to the national championship, winning against Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky.


The NCAA Tournament's popularity has grown to rival that of the World Series, the Olympics and the Super Bowl. CBS Sports in 1999 negotiated an 11-year, $6 billion agreement for television, radio, Internet, corporate marketing, licensing, publishing, home video and Hoop City rights for the Division I men's basketball championship.


In 2002, the NCAA tournament committee developed a "pod" system for the first and second rounds.  The system allows the top four seeds to play at a site as close to home as possible, without regard to the school's tournament region. In that year's tournament, Maryland became the first school to defeat five former national champions on their way to win their first title. In 2004, the regions became known by the regional final's host city instead of by their geographic names. The Final Four match-ups were set by committee prior to the tournament instead of on a rotating basis.  Connecticut, behind center Emeka Okafor, won its second title in six seasons. Last year, 2005, Roy William's North Carolina Tar Heels led by Sean May, held off the Fighting Illini to win the title game by a final score of 75-70.
Adversity, tragedy, and ultimate triumph; the downtrodden and beleaguered emerge through the journey as champions. The drama of hope intensified to euphoria, only to be dashed on the rocks of defeat in the ultimate test of poise and determination. The human experience in all its excellence and all its failures. Yes, this Tournament has it all.


 

Friday, February 18, 2011

4 Basketball game variations

Basketball is not only a strictly regulated rule play on a wooden courtyard. There are actually several different variations on the game that bring basketball to a new level.


Variety is one of the things that makes basketball such  a popular sport. With all the ways to play the game it is no wonder that people around the world play the game. This is true, regardless of who they are, how old they are or the limitations they can have physically.


Game variation 1: wheelchair basketball


Wheelchair basketball, as the name implies, is played in a wheelchair. The chairs are specially designed so that they move quickly and easily the Court. They are also players can be agile, just like the traditional basketball players.


Wheelchair basketball is a serious sport is regulated by the International (ITU) Wheelchair Basketball Federation.


Game Variation 2: Water Basketball


Water basketball, yet once as the name implies, is played in the water. It may be recreational or a regulated sports team. Water basketball, the rules are slightly different. Water basketball rules combine the rules for the traditional court basketball and water polo. There are, of course, no drip is involved in the water of basketball.


Game variation 3: Beach basketball


Beach basketball is played on the beach and is very different from other types of basketball. It is not as strict and many more physical game of basketball.


Beach basketball is played on a circular courtyard with no Backboard on the hoop. There is no drop because it is too hard on the sand. The ball is moved to the bottom of the Court of this by death or 2½ steps. There is also no out of range of beach basketball.


Game Variation 4: Informal basketball


Informal basketball is really not a real name for a type of basketball, but it is used here to simply describe the type of basketball that most people play - basketball where you play just for the pleasure of the sport. The best kind!


Informal play can have rules that you like, as long as everyone plays is committed to them. It can even not any organized play, but people just make baskets and fun.


Basketball is a very flexible sport. It can be played almost anywhere and in any case you can imagine. In fact, it probably was played almost everyway imaginable because it is also a popular sport. The thing about basketball that remains the same is the basket. Each variation in sport involves a ball and basket with the ultimate goal being to get the ball by the basket to score.


Yes, any how you play basketball it is the right way, as long as you have the ball and hoop. You can play in a way feels best for you with whatever rules you want. You can play with players as much as you want on any type of yard you want. The bottom line is that you simply have fun while you do it.


 

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Pro-Style basketball goals: how to choose the right system

There are several reasons for wanting to find a pro-style system in preparation for the purchase of a basketball hoop These reasons are important to consider when checking on options and features offered by each manufacturer.


One of the main reasons that people are interested in basketball pro-style systems because they or their children, aspire to become professionals in the game. Of course, it is logical that a proper goal of basketball is used in practice or training. For this reason, having a pro-style aims a plu goal just providing a sense of authenticity of shooting basketball hoops. Then that shop for the right system, don't forget to check that basketball goals considered as at least meet the minimum criteria to be considered "professional." Standard features of a pro-style basketball goal should include:


Glass tempered shocks or acrylic spine Board. Flexible, secessionist basketball hoop. Structure resistant to bad weather, including specialized antirust coating and nylon meeting metal metal bushings; Height adjustment mechanism to define the precise level of basketball hoop. Thick sturdy, padding around the position of the objective of basketball; Must comply with the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standards of safety in the design of basketball goal.


Basketball goal manufacturers offer many additional features that can make their system yet more desirable choice. Often, consumers find that they prefer hoops basketball with special amenities or key benefits when the company such a significant investment. Some of these special additional features can include:
Motorized height adjustment. Portability. Night of basketball hoop turns on easy do-it-yourself installation; Guarantee of sustainability
Portability is a concept many people associated generally with the goals of basketball. Most people assume once they install their goal, it will be at best add to the resale value of their home when they move because it will have to stay there. This is not always the case, because some manufacturers of basketball goal designed the system for portability. With a large number of these systems, the sole objective post is simply unbolted the anchor installed in concrete supporting basketball hoop. Subsequently, under old concrete and the anchor system as a whole can be relocated to a new location. There is nothing more than a matter of pouring new concrete and installating into a new anchor .


For many people looking to buy a basketball goal, the cost is often a review. The goals of basketball pro features will obviously to make them more expensive that a residential system based portable or streamlined. Pro basketball hoops tend to range from almost $ 700 up to $2,000 or more, with the objectives of high-end, including such options as fires Hoop and height adjustment motorized. However, because many of them are designed for portability, an investment in a basketball system can be considered long term and valid for individuals training seriously.


 

Monday, February 14, 2011

A brief history of basketball

Modern basketball can trace its origins in early December 1891 when Dr. James Naismith, Canadian physical education teacher and instructor of premises in Springfield, Massachusetts, YMCA Training School was desperately seeking an indoor game asset and to adapt to cold and snowy New England winters. After trying several different games and their too dangerous or not quite suitable for gyms, Naismith wrote the essential rules of basketball, integration of some of the rules of popular game for children of the time, "Ducks on a pond," and then nailed to a basket of fish on a threatening way, ten feet above the playing surface. Course, since peach baskets were always closed bottoms, retrieve a ball after a player scored a basket has been terribly ineffective - incredibly, the game would stop someone retrieve the ball with an ankle. And while the first official game was played in January 1892, gymnasium YMCA Naismith handwritten diaries at the time indicate that he was extremely nervous about the new game he invented, fearing that his basketball would be.


Strangely, the first official basketball game, there were nine players on a side and the winning team won a close fought battle of 1-0 with a ball of 25 feet - the Tribunal barely half of the Court of today! In 1897, teams of five had become standard. Around the same time, women's basketball was developed at Smith College neighbor when Sandra Berenson, a physical education teacher at Collège changing many rules for women to play. It has proved that, Berenson was fascinated by the values of teamwork, sportsmanship and vigorous exercise that promoted basketball and began to organize some of the women's basketball games premiere in 1893. In 1899 Berenson rules for Eurobasket women were published, and at the turn of the century, it is the Publisher of the legendary basketball Guide female A.G. Spaulding spread her version of basketball across the country to countless physical educators across the country.


Indeed, with the help of many YMCA instructors, basketball is promoted in the United States and Canada, pensionable so the way to the game to establish a varsity sport many secondary schools. Unfortunately (and), the YMCA has begun to discourage basketball in 1905, fearing that rowdy; Rough and belligerent crowds play distracters of mission of the organization. But it matters as much as amateurs, colleges, lyceums clubs and even several clubs short-term basketball and leagues not only fill the empty but also contributed to promote the game. Basketball became so popular that the ancestor of the NCAA, known as the Intercollegiate Athletic Association at the United States and the Amateur Athletic Union fought for control of the rules of the game and its future.


A little known fact is that in the early decades, basketball has been primarily played soccer balls that were difficult to dribble. Most of the games was composed of players from the ball between them to advance this Court long. It was not for awhile until a bullet has been specifically designed and made for basketball and often the basketballs were improperly made, creating a strange scene for lovers of modern basketball. Wait for the end of the 1940s, where NCAA became incredibly popular and sufficiently viable to pave the way for the National Basketball Association that Tony Hinkle developed popularity basketball orange fans know so. Of course, do not forget that Naismith was also influential in the promotion and the creation of the College basketball where he became the first team from the University of Kansas basketball. And manage, many of the first students and disciples of Naismith becomes important in the history of the NCAA including Amos Alonzo Stagg, Forrest "phog" Allen and Adolph Rupp.