via i.telegraph.co.uk

Continue reading this post »

via www.nysun.com

"My definition of a free society is a society where it is safe to be unpopular" said Adlai E. Stevenson (quotationspage.com). Unfortunately, badminton has been unpopular for a long time in America the land of freedom. However, the United States of America (USA) Badminton team put in a good effort at the 2008 Summer Olympics. But, they went home empty handed without any medals. Part of the reason why the USA Badminton team lost was because they do not have a huge talent pool to pick from to develop a Olympic team. In addition, badminton is considered more of a backyard sport in America. It’s not a hugely popular sport in the USA such as in China, Malaysia, Denmark, and Indonesia. But, why isn't badminton popular in America?

First, badminton isn't even the most popular racquet sport in the USA. Tennis is the most popular racquet sport in America and its drawing tons of interest in young athletes that could be competing in badminton. No one really dreams about being a badminton star in America. One reason is because there has not been any star badminton players in America like there are tennis stars such as Serena Williams, Pete Sampras or Andre Agassi. Star athletes help bring exposure to the sport and that increases young people’s interest in playing it. There are a few good USA badminton players such as Howard Bach and Tony Gunawan. But, they do not get the media attention needed to become well known in America.

America is not one of the best countries in the world at badminton. Since USA is not dominating and consistently winning events this is keeping the media from providing any attention to American badminton. The 2008 Summer Olympics the USA team in Beijing did not end the competition ranked highly. To illustrate, the highest ranked teams were China, Indonesia, South Korea, and Malaysia. These countries that finished in the top ranking in the Summer Olympics is continually dominating the sport. American sports fan do not like to see their country gets beat by other countries. And until America gets more competitive at Badminton the USA will continually overlook the sport.

Another issue in drawing America interest in badminton is the salary for badminton athletes are substantially lower when compared to professional athletes in other sports. For example, Datuk Lee Chong Wei won the Super Series Finals on January 11th and he took home a 15,000 dollar check. The compensation for that win is a lots lower than the amount that other athletes get paid such as basketball players, football players or tennis players. For instance, Roger Federer and Pete Sampras both made over 30 million dollars in their careers. It’s very rare for a badminton athlete to make that much in their career. That has hurt the amount of American athletes that are drawn to the sport especially when most people equate a professional athletic career as a way to become wealthy.

Thus, badminton hardly draws any interests even though it’s a Olympic sport in America. But, if the USA team keeps improving and eventually starts winning medals in the Olympics. Then that will increase exposure and bring much needed attention to the fun and enjoyable sport of badminton. There are definitely young athletes that would make the needed sacrifices to become part of the USA badminton team so that they could possibility accomplish the great feat of becoming a gold winner for their country in the Olympics.

Works Cited

26 Sept. 2009 http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/1383.html

via dnews.isgreat.org

"Riches get their value from the mind of the possessor; they are blessings to those who know how to use them, and curses to those who do not" said Terence of the Roman Republic (thinkexist.com). The Heisman trophy award can be good to win it may be an indicator of future success. But, there, also have been many Heisman trophy winners that have had unsuccessful professional careers. This has led for many football experts and fans to believe that there is a Heisman jinx. Therefore, is winning the Heisman a blessing or a curse?

There have several Heisman winners that have had unsuccessful professional football careers. Jason White has been hit by the Heisman jinx. Jason White had a phenomenal college career. He won the Heisman Trophy in 2003 after he threw 40 touchdowns and he had only eight interceptions. He is currently the University of Oklahoma's all-time leader in career passing years with 8,012 and 81 touchdown passes. Jason White never had an NFL career despite his previous successful feats. He received a tryout from Kansas City Chiefs. They decided not to sign him. He was then signed by Tennessee Titans. However, he decided to quit football because of bad knees.

Likewise, Matt Leinart success in college has not transferred to success in the NFL. He had arguably one of the greatest college football careers ever. He won two national championships with USC. He won the Heisman trophy in 2004. Additionally, he led USC Trojans to a 34 game winning streak. He was a consistent winner at USC. He was 37-2 as a starter. He is USC's all time leader in career TD passes and completion percentage. He is only second behind Carson Palmer in completions and yardage. He entered the NFL as the 10th overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft. He did fall somewhat in the NFL draft. He was not the first Quarterback (QB) selected despite his great college career. Matt Leinart played in 11 games in 2006-07 NFL season. He had marginal numbers with 11 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. The Arizona Cardinals had the four wins and seven losses with him as the starter. But, his season was ended due to injuries. The 2007-08 season he started five games.  Then his season was ended due to injury again. The 2008-09 NFL season began with a highly contested quarterback battle for the starting job between Matt Leinart and Kurt Warner. Kurt Warner officially won the job after Leinart threw three interceptions versus Oakland Raiders in the third preseason game. Now going into the 2009-10 season Leinart is in a highly contested battle for the backup QB job with Brian St. Pierre.

Similarly, Eric Crouch’s great college career did not lead to professional success. Crouch is Nebraska all- time total offense leader with 7,915 total yards. He also is the Big 12 all-time career rushing quarterback leader. He was very fast and he had a great athleticism. He was a game breaker. For instance, he had against Missouri a 95 yard touchdown run the longest in school history. He is also the 3rd player in Division one history to rush for 3,000 yards in his career and pass for 4,000 yards. He was drafted by St. Louis Rams as a wide receiver (WR). He still wanted to play QB. Although he was told his athleticism and his short build were better suited for WR.  He decided to leave the Rams since he could not play QB. He was later signed as QB by the Green Bay Packers. But he quit and he asked to be released after the Packers choose to draft University of California QB Aaron Rodgers. He later signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as a safety. He was sent to play in NFL Europe. He is now currently a free agent.

There have been a few Heisman winners that have not been affected by the Heisman jinx. Most of the Heisman winners that have had success in professional ranks have played positions other than QB, such as HB and WR. There have been some exceptions where quarterbacks have not been affected by the Heisman jinx too. But, it is mainly positions such as HB and WR that have had the most success in the NFL after winning the Heisman. For instance, Tim Brown was not affected by the Heisman Jinx. He won the Heisman trophy award in 1987. He had an impressive professional career. He was named to the pro bowl nine times. He ended his career with 1.094 receptions, 14,934 receiving yards and 100 TDs. Likewise, Charles Woodson won the Heisman trophy in 1997. He is the only defensive player ever to win the Heisman Trophy. He has continued his success in football at the professional ranks. He has been named to five pro bowls. He has had over 643 tackles along with 36 interceptions. He in his prime was a shutdown cornerback. QBs were afraid to throw to his side of the field. Additionally, Barry Sanders won the Heisman trophy in 1988. He had both a brilliant career in college and the professional career. He is arguably the greatest running back in NFL history. He rushed for 15,269 yards in his career. He had his own unique style. He was too quick for defenders to hit on a consistent basis. He was an amazing football player. He routinely embarrassed defenders that made attempts to tackle him.

Another reason the Heisman jinx is continuing is because whoever is the QB on the best team in college football usually wins the Heisman. There have been exceptions where it was truly the best player. But, that is rarely the case. This is why a lot of Heisman winners are failing in the NFL. If the Heisman winner was selected on solely their individual feats and not also based on their teams success then this would happen less. But if a great player is on an average or bad team they have little chance to win the Heisman. Equally important, some Heisman winners fail in the NFL because they are not suited for the NFL style of play. For instance, Andre Ware had great success in college because he was good in the innovative run and shoot offense. Once he got to the NFL he could no longer play in that type of offensive system. He was not as good in the NFL pro style offense. There have been other Heisman winning QBs that were not suited for the NFL pro style offense such as Danny Wuerffel.

The Heisman jinx does exist in football today. It is going to continue. The only way it would stop is if the Heisman trophy was selected differently.  It is doubtful that the selection process will ever change. Therefore, winning the Heisman will continue to be a blessing and a curse. 

via www.geocities.com

via image.examiner.com 

 "To be a warrior is not a simple matter of wishing to be one. It is rather an endless struggle that will go on to the very last moment of our lives. Nobody is born a warrior, in exactly the same way that nobody is born an average man. We make ourselves into one or the other" said Carlos Castaneda (thinkexist.com).  Arturo Gatti choose to be a warrior in his boxing career. He refused to quit even when it looked obvious that he was going to lose. He did not win every fight. However, his opponents had to be to try to defeat a man that was willing to die in the ring. He was truly the definition of a warrior.

Gatti had many memorable fights in his boxing career. Gatti participated in Ring Magazine's fight of the year four times in 1997, 1998, 2002, and 2003. His trilogy with Mick Ward is considered one of the greatest trilogies in boxing history. He won two out of the three trilogies. His third boxing match against Mickey Ward was a tough fight. He did not let broken hands signal to him that it was time to quit his fights. He broke his twice repaired right hand in the fourth round. He overcame being knocked down in the sixth round. He prevailed after those trying experiences in the fight to beat Ward by decision. Gatti fought with a broken hand when he defeated Gianluca Branco by decision on January 24th, 2004. He also fought many times bloody and he fought with his eyes swollen and closed. His boxing match against Wilson Rodriguez he fought with his right eye closing and he came back in that fight to knock out Rodriguez.

He used a never say quit attitude in all his boxing matches. His was a throwback to the old era of boxers. Unlike many of today fighters that do not have the same heart. Many boxers today are quitting fights instead of finishing them. Arturo Gatti had a brawling style. Gatti had an all-out attacking style that led to bloody fights in the ring. In addition, he had good boxing skills too. He was given the nickname of Thunder for the power of his punches. His was a throwback to the old era of boxers.

Gatti was the people's champion in boxing. He had a special connection with his fans that most fighters could only dream of having. He is one of a few boxers that could lose a fight and he still would not lose his fans. For example, after he lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr.  Gatti said that his fans in the following weeks still showed their love for him.  They were still anticipating his next fight and when he would get back in the ring again. His fans also loved him because he was a humble fighter. "Gatti was very humble, He always made sure that people around him felt important" said Stephen Larouche a Montreal trainer (ca.entertainment.yahoo.com). He was far from the best fighter. But, his fans could appreciate the passion he showed for the sport of boxing by giving a true full effort every time he stepped in the ring. He will truly be missed by boxing fans throughout the world.

Works Cited
24 July 2009 http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/warrior/
24 July 2009 http://ca.entertainment.yahoo.com/s/capress/090711/sports/box_gatti_obit

via i.a.cnn.net

"Change is the essence of life. Be willing to surrender what you are for what you could become" said Mahatma Gandhi (thinkexist.com). Maurice Clarett is ready to surrender his old bad habits. He realizes that he made several poor decisions. He does not want to continue to live the wrong way. He is a man trying to change.

Maurice Clarett has made some mistakes. He started to make bad decisions in 2003. He filed a false police report claiming more, then 10,000 dollars in items were stolen from a car he borrowed from a local car dealership. He pleaded guilty to lesser criminal charges. He is currently serving a seven and a half years sentence in prison. But, he may apply for early release after three and half years. He filed a guilty plea to armed robbery charges regarding an incident in 2006 and he plead guilty to charges in regard to a police chase and resisting arrest.

Maurice Clarett realizes he needs to change. He is ready to use his celebrity in good ways. He wants to be a good role model for others going through harsh circumstances. "Instead of entertaining people with my life, I am using certain events to educate, inspire and help others make conscious choices so they can avoid circumstances like this (sports.espn.go.com)." There is a new found maturity in him. He is ready to be a new man that takes care of all his responbilities. He wants to maximize his opporunities instead of squandering them as he did in the past. He is no longer accepting anything but the best in life. "Understand my struggle so you can respect my hustle. I am never coming back here believe that. First class living from the day I get out I will never settle for less, ever again. That goes for communication, personal relationships, housing education, friendships, and travel arraigements. Everything I have the fire in my eyes said Maurice Clarett (mauriceclarett.wordpress.com)"

Maurice Clarett has a new pursuit toward excellence in his life. He has a daily blog about his prison life. He does not have a computer access. But, his family and friends post if for him. His blog shows his new goals. For instance, he enrolled in a distance learning program at Ohio University. He is trying to earn a bachelor's degree in Geriatrics and Gerontology. He also is interested in public speaking. He wants to be a motivational speaker and help people overcome tough times and obstacles in their life. In addition, he has hinted that he still loves football. He is considering  coming back to the sport.


Works Cited
30 May 2009  <http://thinkexist.com/quotation/we_must_become_the_change_we_want_to_see/11442.html>
30 May 2009 <http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3948006>
30 May 2009 <http://mauriceclarett.wordpress.com/2009/04/09/conservation-to-myself-reflecting/>

85373479NL001_CARL_FROCH_VS (via BoxingPlanet.net)

"When you are through improving you are through" said Proverbs (thinkexist.com). Carl Froch will not have a great career if he does not improve. Carl Froch defended his WBC Super Middleweight title against Jermain Taylor on April 25th, 2009. He knocked out Jermain Taylor in the 12th round. However, he struggled most of the fight. His last fight showed that he needs to work on his boxing skills.

Carl Froch is still undefeated. His last two fights he has shown several weaknesses. Carl Froch does not have a good defense. He boxes with his hands down at his waist. He does not guard his face correctly. This is why Jermain Taylor knocked him down in the 3rd round. Besides, he does not have a good speed. He looks slow in the ring. He fights flat-footed. The super middleweight division has a lot of boxers that have better hand and foot speed.

Carl Froch has many strengths. He has a very good chin. The only time he was ever knocked down in his amateur or professional career was against Jermain Taylor. He can take punches that the average boxer would get knocked out by. He is a very strong fighter at super middleweight. He never gets overpowered against other super middleweights. He is a strong puncher and he has a good power. He has won 20 out of his 25 fights by knockout. He will always have a puncher's chance to win regardless of whom he fights. You need good intangibles to be a long reigning champion. Carl Froch has many good intangibles. He has a great determination, and a strong will. This was displayed in many of his previous fights. For instance, Jermain Taylor knocked him down and beat him to the punch in the first six or seven rounds of the fight. But, Carl Froch's belief that he could win never was stopped. He stayed on Jermain Taylor until the end of the 12th round when he knocked him out.

Carl Froch has a bright future. Super Middleweight is a division that has many top level fighters. For example, Andre Ward, Mikkel Kessler, Lucian Bute, and Andre Dirrell are all young talented fighters. If Carl Froch improves he could beat any fighter in the super middleweight division. Yet, he currently is not good enough to the best fighters in the super middleweight division. His lack of defense creates problems for him against fighters with good offense and superior athleticism such as Andre Ward and Mikkel Kessler. They would beat him to the punch. It's up to Carl Froch on how good he wants to be. The sky is the limit if Carl Froch keeps getting better. He needs to realize that improvement is needed if he wants a legendary career.

Works Cited
1 July 2009 <http://thinkexist.com/quotes/with/keyword/improving/>

via assets.espn.go.com

"I am what I am. Your going to love me or hate me. I don't want nothing in between. This is how I look. This is how I dress. This is how I act. These are my family. These are my friends. This is my life. I am what I am" said Allen Iverson (video.google.com/videoplay?). Allen Iverson is an individualist. He has the confidence to be himself. He is comfortable in his own skin. He refuses to be fake. He does not pretend that he is squeaky clean. He has been a lightning rod for controversy. Therefore, he has been labeled as an NBA bad boy.  He also has had problems with authority figures throughout his career. He had problems with the NBA commissioner David Stern and a few of his past coaches. Thus, Allen Iverson is a rebel without a cause.

Allen Iverson is the anti-Michael Jordan. He is seen as an anti-hero. He does not have the squeaky clean or non-threatening image that Michael Jordan had in his career. He is one of the first NBA superstars to wear cornrows. His hair style was seen as too ethnic by the media and the corporate world. He likes to wear skull caps and doo rags too. The NBA did not like that he wore a skull cap to the rookie of the year award presentation. The NBA refused to make the pictures from the award ceremony public. He has over nine tattoos. There is a deep meaning behind every one of his tattoos. His tattoos have led to issues in his career. For instance, the official NBA magazine Hoops magazine put him on their cover of their magazine. But, they airbrushed his tattoos. He thought this was ridiculous. Allen Iverson said: "if they do not like my tattoos, why don't they just pick another player" (www.alleniversonlive.com/tattoos/). The tattoos are not about being a bad boy. It's another way for him to express himself.

Professional athletes are becoming more politically correct. Athletes are being groomed by their publicists and agents on what to say. Nonetheless, Allen Iverson keeps it real. He is politically incorrect. He speaks his mind. He addresses his critics directly. David Stern in 2005 issued a dress code in the NBA banning clothing associated with hip-hop culture." Iverson criticized Stern's dress code, saying that "It would not change a person's character regardless of what type of clothing they wore and that associating hip hop styles of dress with violent crime, drugs, or a bad image is racist"(en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_iverson). He is sick of defending himself. He got to the point of realizing that you're going to accept him or you're not going to accept him. He recently explained why he was not having a great season with the Detriot Pistions. He recently said that "I'd rather retire before I do this again. I can't be effective playing this way. It's harder than I thought it would be. I take my hat off to the guys who can come off the bench and be effective. It's tough for me. I'm struggling with it. I'm not used to it. It's tough for me both mentally and physically. I just have to find a way to get it done" (sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4035415).

 Allen Iverson playing style is relentless. He is a great penetrator and he attacks the perimeter. He is only six feet tall and about 165 pounds dripping wet. He plays fearlessly. He is not afraid to take it to the hoop against men twice his size. He is extremely bold on the court. He in a game during his rookie year against the Chicago Bulls challenged Michael Jordan to an one on one match-up. Iverson faked to his left, then crossed over to his right and blew past Jordan before sinking a jumper. This led to a standing ovation from the crowd. Besides, he is a very tough player. USA Today on February 18th, 2004 named him the No.2 toughest athlete in professional sports (/www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/sixers). Likewise, he is considered pound for pound toughest player in the NBA. He played in games with various injuries. He had over 30 different types of injuries throughout his career. His injuries include to name a but a few tailbone contusion, right shoulder dislocation, right kneed synovitis, and fractured left hand. He is also considered best scoring little men in the history of the NBA.

Iverson has always stirred up controversy because he refuses to be something he is not. He
does not want to be a puppet for the corporate world or the media. He believes in speaking the truth and he likes to stand up for his beliefs. He is a rebel and he is an NBA legend. Today's
generation of NBA fans will be telling stories about him to their kids. Iverson is a unique person. He will be missed when his career is over. No one knows what team he will be playing for next season. Nonetheless, he will be satisfied with his career when it's over because he did it his way.

Works Cited
9 May 2009 <http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1536099151531505830>
9 May 2009 <http://www.alleniversonlive.com/tattoos/>
9 May 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_iverson>
9 May 2009 <http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=4035415>
9 May 2009 <http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/sixers/2004-02-18-iverson-toughest_x.htm>

via www.timtebowfans.org

"Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence" said Vince Lombardi (quotationcollection.com). Tim Tebow has been chasing perfection in his career on and off the football field. He has accomplished a lot so far in his football career. He seems to be someone that always makes the right decisions. If his life was a movie the title would be "Did the Right Thing". It's good to have an athlete with good character especially since sports today have so many bad boy athletes that are involved in scandals such as Michael Vick, Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriguez. But, is Tim Tebow really perfect?

Continue reading this post »

via i37.photobucket.com

Greg Paulus is trying to become a two-sport athlete. Greg Paulus's collegiate basketball career has ended. He has decided to pursue a college football career. He is not the first athlete talented enough to play two sports at a high level. There have been several athletes whom have played two or more sports at the college or professional level. Yet, athletes are becoming more specialized and there are not many athletes that compete in more than one sport in college or the pros. However, there still has been many athletes from 1980s to the present that have played two sports or more? Who are the best multi-sports athletes in this era?

Continue reading this post »

via www.boxnews.com.ua

Out with old and in with the new is how its works in professional sports. Specially in boxing where older fighters get beaten into retirement. The 2008 year in boxing was the end for a generation of  future Hall of Fame American boxers. The most popular and best American fighters are now mostly past their prime and near retirement such as Roy Jones Jr., Evander Holyfield, Bernard Hopkins, and Oscar De La Hoya. So who are the new faces of American boxing?

Continue reading this post »