AllSportsPortal Blog

Dear AllSportsPortal.com Readers,

Welcome to the Sports Newsletter (1/5/2009). In this edition we have included news, articles and videos. You can find more resources on our website: AllSportsPortal.com.

Sports News

Steelers‘ Harrison is AP Defensive Player of Year (AP)
James Harrison slams down the current version of the Steel Curtain better than any Pittsburgh Steeler, earning him The Associated Press 2008 Defensive Player of the Year award. (More)

Downing father reveals ‘frustration‘
Stewart Downing’s father has claimed his son has little choice but to leave Middlesbrough if he wants to fulfil his ambitions. (More)

Eagles fly past Vikings with 26-14 playoff victory
All but forgotten as postseason contenders, Donovan McNabb and the Philadelphia Eagles have a playoff win. Next up: the Super Bowl champions.Brian Westbrook caught a short pass out of the backfield and zigzagged through the Minnesota defense for a devastating 71-yard touchdown midway through the fourth quarter, and the Eagles spoiled the Vikings’ first home playoff game in eight years with a 26-14 victory Sunday.’I've seen this team have confidence in each other and try to have one another’s back,’ McNabb said. ‘What you’re seeing is a team playing with a lot of energy, playing with emotion, and just having fun.’ (More)

Boston College stuns No. 1 North Carolina 85-78 (AP)
Tyrese Rice and Boston College put an end to all that talk of whether No. 1 North Carolina could go unbeaten. (More)

5 takeaways help Ravens mow down Dolphins 27-9 (AP)
The Baltimore Ravens had Chad Pennington spinning, ducking, on his heels and on his back. When he did manage to get a pass away, they were often there to snatch it. The Ravens came up with four interceptions, including one returned 64 yards for a touchdown by Ed Reed, and won 27-9 Sunday to spoil the Miami Dolphins’ first playoff game in seven seasons. (More)

Longhorns, Buckeyes ready for Fiesta Bowl (AP)
Texas coach Mack Brown has a theory about bowl games. (More)

Atlanta‘s Mike Smith edges Miami‘s Sparano for NFL Coach of Year award
Mike Smith and Tony Sparano performed so brilliantly as rookie head coaches it was almost impossible to separate them. (More)

Sports Videos

Funny Sports Bloopers

Funny Sports Bloopers!!

Sports Articles

The Evolution of Bikes and Bike Frames
The bicycle was invented in 1817. A few may know that it has a German origin. When it was first introduced by its inventor, Karl Drais, it does not have pedals yet and can only be moved by pushing. (More)

Which Sports to Choose For Your Kids?
Is your child aggressive, nervous or passive? There is certainly a sport activity which is appropriate to him or her! Experts will say it to you, sport activity supports the development of the child on the physical and psychological aspects. Here are some suggestions of sports to which you could initiate your child, this summer, according to its temperament. (More)

Kart Racing Time is Upon Us - Are You Ready?
Kart racing time is getting closer. Do you have your equipment up and in good shape? Are you about ready to go? If this is going to be your first year of competing, there are several things you need to have ready to go within the next couple weeks. Most of you probably already know. There are such things as a good helmet, (utmost importance) then the neck brace, the gloves, jacket, shoes and pants. These all need to be good quality stuff. (More)

Life After Sport - Coping With Retirement
Retirement is a dream for many, and yet for many athletes it can be a time of struggle. After success in one area of life it can be difficult to find new direction and to cope with life after sport. During a sporting career, an athlete has a coach, has goals, self-discipline and a strong sense of identity. How can an athlete retain all that and succeed beyond sport? (More)

This newsletter is provided by AllSportsPortal.com.

Sports News

Huskers Off to Gator Bowl… Without their Coaches
It’s a moment Husker players and coaches have been anticipating: getting on a plane headed to the gator bowl. (More)

Randy Johnson, Giants agree to 1-year deal (AP)
Randy Johnson had a fairly simple free-agent wish list. The San Francisco Giants badly wanted a pitcher with the Big Unit’s talent and experience and could meet those requests. (More)

Guerin reaches 400 goals, Islanders win
December 26, 2008 - 8:33 p.m. Bill Guerin scored twice to reach 400 goals, Rick DiPietro made 28 saves in his first game since late October, and the New York Islanders snapped a 10-game losing streak with a 4-1 … (More)

Phillips will return as Dallas coach
Wade Phillips will be back as coach of the Dallas Cowboys next season, and Jason Garrett will remain in charge of the offense, regardless of whether the team makes the playoffs, club owner Jerry Jones said … (More)

Ashton may miss the rest of the season
West Ham’s hopes of Premier League survival have been hit by the news Dean Ashton may miss the rest of the season through injury. (More)

Sports Videos

Funny Sports Bloopers

Funny Sports Bloopers!!

Top 10 sports most awkward interviews

The top 10 of the most awkward interviews.

Sports Articles

As Volleyball Coach High School
His role as volleyball coach high school involves more than teaching players how to bump, set and spike. You need to work with school administrators and parents in improving student while calling … (More)

Frescoball - The Perfect Beach Sport
Beach tennis (”frescoball” in Portuguese) is a great exercise and a perfect pastime for the beach. Learn all about it here. (More)

Minimum Rules Needed For Air Hockey
If you’re ready to begin playing air hockey there are some important things you need to know before you begin. If you want to play the right way you need to know a minimum of 5 air hockey rules. Just follow these five rules for a fun, fair game of air hockey. (More)

This newsletter is provided by AllSportsPortal.com.

Footwork is weight control. It is correct body position for strokes, and out of it all strokes should grow. In explaining the various forms of stroke and footwork I am writing as a right-hand player. Left-handers should simply reverse the feet.

Racquet grip is a very essential part of stroke, because a faulty grip will ruin the finest serving. It is a natural grip for a top forehand drive. It is inherently weak for the backhand, as the only natural shot is a chop stroke.

To acquire the forehand grip, hold the racquet with the edge of the frame towards the ground and the face perpendicular, the handle towards the body, and “shake hands” with it, just as if you were greeting a friend. The handle settled comfortably and naturally into the hand, the line of the arm, hand, and racquet are one. The swing brings the racquet head on a line with the arm, and the whole racquet is merely an extension of it.

The backhand grip is a quarter circle turn of hand on the handle, bringing the hand on top of the handle and the knuckles directly up. The shot travels ACROSS the wrist.

Read more

DANA POINT, Calif. (AP)—No more flip decisions.

Rather than heads or tails, baseball general managers plan to recommend that sites for division and wild-card tiebreakers be decided by wins and losses.

“The team that performed better against the other team I think is the one that deserves to have home-field advantage, not an arbitrary coin flip,” San Diego Padres general manager Kevin Towers said Thursday as the annual GMs meeting ended.

MLB staff is drafting a proposal for the GMs to consider next month when they gather at the winter meetings in Las Vegas, according to Jimmie Lee Solomon, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner’s office. Head-to-head record between the tied clubs appears likely to be the first tiebreaker.

“I think it’s better to decide it on the field,” Texas Rangers GM Jon Daniels said.

The advantage of coin flips—or drawing of lots in the unlikely event of three- or four-way deadlocks—is that the clubs know the site of tiebreaker games in advance. Under a performance-based system, the sites might not be decided until the final day of the regular season.

GMs will discuss the matter with their staffs before the winter meetings from Dec. 8-11.

“They’re going to go back to talk to their ticket people, their stadium operations people, their special events people, to see how it would work,” Solomon said.

Any change recommended by the GMs would have to be approved by owners and the players’ association.

New provided by: All Sports Portal.

Below is a video on How to Use Other Sports in Tennis Practice

Provided by: http://www.allsportsportal.com

For a golfer, one of the most important things that he should examine is his golf club because according to experts, it is one of the main reasons why they do not hit the ball. This is the exact reason why the Ping golf club was born.

Karsten Solheim was the one who invented the ping golf club with different intentions. The story has it that Karsten was practicing golf but he could not hit the ball so he started to practice up to the time that he began to design and experiment his very own putter so that he could play better through it. He thought of designing his own putter without a figment of a though that it would be known worldwide. By the year 1959, his putter experiments had evolved into 1A design. While deciding for the name, he heard the sound of his putter and declared proudly to his wife that he would name the putter from its sound, hence the name “ping”. At that same year, Sports Illustrated published an article in their August issue regarding the ping golf club dubbing it as a musical putter.

Read more

Source: http://www.allsportsportal.com

Mountain biking is a great way to explore the outdoors,  stay in shape, or just have fun. Racing down the side of a mountain is a lot of fun indeed, although it can also be quite dangerous.  Even though it’s dangerous, if you ride with caution, it can be enjoyed by the entire family.

Styles of mountain biking

Mountain biking can best be characterized into three different styles - downhill, free riding, and cross
country.  Even though the different styles are similar in some ways, they still require different skills.  The style that you pick will determine the type of bike you get.

Locations for mountain biking

The sport can best be thought of as biking on an unpaved surface.  Many areas throughout North America have  specific locations designed for mountain biking.  Before you decide to go down a trail, you should always check with your local park to get the routes, regulations, and
any rules that they may have.

You can also find groups that have mountain bike rides and competitions.  You can look on the internet or even in a local paper and see exactly what’s available in your area.  You may be able to find groups for the more advanced riders as well as beginners.

Becoming a great biker

Endurance and stamina are a must for a great mountain biker.  It will also take ambition and practice to succeed as well as conquer the course.  Like all other sports, it takes time and practice.  Those just beginning will have to get past the bumps and bruises from falling off the bike.

Selecting your mountain bike

The bike you select is more of a personal choice, and a big determining factor on the type of riding you will be doing.  Bikes come in all styles, shapes, and prices, which will make selecting one for yourself very difficult indeed. 

You should use the internet to help you shop for a bike, even do some price comparisons online as well before you make a purchase.  Before you buy a bike, always ask to try it out first.  A great mountain biker will become one with his or her own bike.  When buying, make sure you check for comfort, how it fits, even how it is geared.

Staying safe when riding

Mountain bike riding on unpaved roads can be very dangerous, as mentioned earlier.  Anytime you are riding, you should wear a helmet, along with knee and elbow pads.  If you are following a group or riding in the  woods you should strongly consider a pair of goggles as well.  Safety should be your top priority and never taken lightly anytime you are mountain biking.

Source: All Sports Portal

Roger Federer and his media minions have been getting a lot of mileage out of the redemption angle at this year’s U.S. Open.

He’s gone most of a year without winning a Grand Slam title and, after holding the No. 1 ranking for 237 consecutive weeks, it has belonged to Rafael Nadal for three weeks and counting now.

Federer, who has generated an enormous amount of sympathy, will play for his fifth straight U.S. Open title on Monday night.

Read More