The most frequent means of marketing sports services is some variation on the theme that so-and-so is “red hot” and therefore should pay him his money and follow his moves. Corrupted services do this by creating all sorts of confusing and contradictory rating systems and hyperbolic descriptions for their games. How many times have you heard a handicapper brag about “16-2 in his 500 MWC Stars of the Month” or say that his “Southern Conference total for the month is 60% lifetime”?

Basically, the worst in this industry can slice and dice their stats in any number of ways to appear “hot”. Or they can do what many of them do and just lie about their performance. When I started out as a sports handicapper, the internet didn’t exist (at least as it exists today) and I had to rely on a phone for line and score updates. This phone dialer was sponsored by a bunch of scalpers who aren’t noted for their veracity, and had to wait a few releases to get their 900 numbers before hitting the scores. A bit of a Faustian bargain, to say the least, but it was an effective way to keep up with scores in the pre-internet dark ages.

So one night we were at a party thrown by a guy we didn’t really like. My team and I were racking our brains to come up with some bad pranks to play on the guy. Someone had the idea to accumulate some 900# charges on our brand’s phone bill. Since there is no such thing as 900# directory assistance, I returned the only 900# I could remember: one of the dialer ads that had punched its digits into my memory through the sheer force of repetition.

For the sake of discussion, I decided to write down every play in the NBA. I had less faith in his handicap ability than in a forecast based on a dowsing rod or Ouija board, but since I wasn’t paying for the call, I figured I’d just see how the guy was doing. I wrote down his plays and checked his performance the next morning.

In his favor, the whole went 5-3 in his 8 plays. By any standard, a 5-3 night is a solid performance. Later that day I called the scoreboard and waited for everyone to start bragging about their 5-3 night. To my surprise, the whole thing didn’t say a word about their 5-3 night. That’s because he was too bragging about his mythical 7-1 the day before.

Now, I understand that the revelation boiler room fans like about his performance is on par with “pro wrestling is fake” or “the games at the fair are not up to date” as self-evident truths. The point I’m trying to make though is that the desire to be the “hot dealer” is so great that the tout felt they had to embellish a solid performance the night before.

So despite the fact that some handicappers like his performance, what’s wrong with trying to ride the hot handicapper? A lot: Not only is this an ineffective way to assess a forecaster’s skills, but it also has a number of statistical and theoretical shortcomings.

The easiest way to explain what I’m talking about is to borrow a disclaimer you’ll hear in every mutual fund commercial: “Past performance is no guarantee of future results.” The sports betting environment, like that of stocks, commodities and other financial instruments, is a market and is subject to many of the same trends as other financial institutions (what economists call “market dynamics”).

The fact that the success or failure of a sports bet depends to a certain extent on the “whims” of a market (of odds and point differentials) and, to a greater extent, on other external events beyond the control of the bettor, exacerbates which is already a matter of simple logic: what a handicapper does over a period of time (whether it be a day, a week, a month or a season) has no intrinsic correlation between the performance of a one-year handicapper and the next. In other words, the sports betting market and the random patterns of events acting on it don’t care if I hit 60% last year. If I don’t do my job, analyze the numbers, get good betting prices, and take a few breaks along the way, I can end up beaten regardless of how well I performed in a subsequent period of time.

Advice bet football is short for learning the best tips for every football bet you are betting on. It takes time to earn a steady income betting on the NFL lines, but finding the right sports handicap for all your picks could be the best thing that ever happened to you. For a low monthly fee of $50.00 or less, you can find a professional sports handicapper who will give you expert picks with an 82% winning percentage or punter. Professional sports handicappers not only guarantee a winning percentage of 82% or higher, but there are some who will give you a full refund if you don’t make a profit during the month.

The good thing about a professional sports handicapper is that you will consistently win 82% of all your picks or more and wager a football bet tax free. Each individual win results in your money being instantly placed within your sports betting account. From within your sports betting account, you can instantly cash out directly to your bank account within 2-3 business days. When using a professional sports handicap for all your selections, you will most likely bet on a football spread bet. A football spread bet is a type of bet where you will be given a spread that must be covered in order to win that game. For example, let’s take 2 random NFL teams. The Dallas Cowboys against the Green Bay Packers. The game is played in Dallas and the Dallas Cowboys will be favorites by -3.5 points. What that means is that if you pick the Dallas Cowboys to win the game, they must win by at least 4 points! If you pick the Green Bay Packers to win the game, they can lose by 3 points and you still win! This is by far the best football bet online because once you master NFL point spreads there is no telling how much money you will win.

Personally, paying for a sports handicap is a MUST. You are guaranteed to make a profit month after month. The more money you invest, the more money you will earn each month. You must start with X amount of money the first month. You convert that X amount of money into Z amount of money. You take your amount of money Z (all your winnings for the month) and use it for all your future bets. Put your X amount of money back into your bank, and now from this point on you will ONLY play with winning money. Win money is the best type of money you could play with because even if you lose, you don’t really lose anything. Now you can bet on US soccer games all day long and consistently earn a living from your winnings alone! It is guaranteed money and some people choose not to follow it for unknown reasons. I hope you start believing in the NFL betting lines and eventually quit your day job because of all the winnings piling up! I wish you the best of luck!

One of the main reasons so many visitors travel to the Bahamas is, of course, for its wonderfully warm climate, beautiful turquoise waters, and friendly faces. But with these 700 islands and cays off the Florida coast, it can give you 30 more reasons (and counting) for what you’re missing if you choose to just sit on the beach or stay at a resort for your entire vacation.

1. Clifton Heritage Site – If you travel to the Bahamas and visit this location, you will find that it is packed with wonderful natural evidence where you can bird watch and learn about our environment. This place is also steeped in history dating back to the slave era, where many ruins of the old slave houses still stand.

2. Garden Groves: The Garden Groves of Grand Bahama is another wildlife oasis where you can kayak, walk with birds, and learn more about the natural vegetation of Grand Bahama Island.

3. Bimini- Sapona “1920s Ruins” – If you ever travel to the Bahamas off the coast of South Bimini, Cat Cay is an old barge that was commissioned by Henry Ford in the late 1920s during the Prohibition era. Back then it was known as a “speakeasy”/private club at sea that was accessible by boat but shallow enough that divers could get there too. It came closest to the Bahamas during a hurricane in 1929.

4. Bimini Road – The legend of Bimini Road has been around for decades. Legend tells of the path that leads to the acclaimed lost city of Atlantis. Underwater archaeologists from around the world travel to the Bahamas to study the underwater wonder.

5. Bimini Myths – One of our smallest islands off the Florida coast has a lot of history and even bigger legendary myths. Spanish explorer Ponce de León is known to have explored this island in search of the acclaimed fountain of youth. The island’s tour guides will be happy to guide you to the point where it once flourished this spring.

6. Hemingway’s Fishing Lodge: You can’t travel to the Bahamas and not hear about Ernest Hemingway’s favorite fishing spot and lodge on the island of Bimini. A noted and acclaimed sport fisherman, the author was known to spend a lot of time here fishing, writing, and getting to know the locals here on Bimini.

7. Joulter Cays: Joulter Cays on Andros Island is a unique spot for those interested in “bone fishing,” bird watching, snorkeling, swimming, you name it. Such a rare and unique place in all of the Bahamas, due to its particular sand-like dust and several endangered species of animals that live there. The Bahamas National Trust is applying for it to become another protected wildlife area in the Bahamas.

8. Androsia Batik – Known as the national fabric of the Bahamas. The Androsia factor houses the original Androsia design. They come in many colors and patterns and if you get a chance to visit them one day they will show you exactly how it’s done.

9. Red Bay Village: One of the best kept secrets in the Bahamas… I didn’t even know about this one despite my trip to the Bahamas. Red Bay Village is a remote village in northern Andros that was once inhabited by an African tribe who lived as the Seminole Indians over 50 years ago. The descendants of this tribe still exist and maintain their traditions to this day.

10. Mount Alvernia – Mount Alvernia is the highest point above sea level in the Bahamas. Located on Cat Island, its highest peak will give you great panoramic views of the island.

11. Hermitage: Located on Mount Alvernia Cat Island, the Hermitage was the first Catholic church and monastery in the Bahamas dating back to the time of Columbus. This is one of the oldest relics ever found in the Bahamas.

12. Deveaux Mansion: The ruins of the Deveaux mansion are more than just another slave plantation property. Deveaux was a naval officer who helped capture Nassau from the Spanish in 1783.

13. First Land Fall Landmarks: San Salvador Island is known as the place of discovery and the initial birth of the Bahamas as we know it today. The first landfall monuments include the stone cross that is supposed to replicate the first (wooden) cross that Christopher Columbus placed on the beach the day he landed on the island and claimed it for Spain.

14. Dixon Hill Lighthouse – The Dixon Hill Lighthouse is one of the last hand-operated lighthouses in the Bahamas. Built by John Dixon on his plantation, the lighthouse uses more than 400,000 candles lit with kerosene oil to protect ships at night.

15. HMS Conqueror: HMS was an English ship that was built in 1855 in Devon, England, and served in the Crimean War. After the wreck of her ship in 1861, the ship remains sunk 30 feet into a Staghorn gully near Rum Cay in front of breaking barrier reefs. It is considered an underwater museum and is owned by the Bahamian government.

16. Fortune Island – Sometimes confusingly called Long Cay, where experts believe this was the island Columbus named after Queen Isabella of Spain for financing his exhibition. There is only one settlement called Albert Town which is considered a ghost town and is rumored to be occupied by the lost souls that once lived there. But what gives this island its acclaimed name is Fortune Hill, which is visible from 19 km (12 miles) out to sea. Legend has it that hundreds of Bahamians arrived here hoping to be picked up by ocean freighters, who would take them to their fortune and new life in Central America.

17. French Wells Bay – If you ever travel to the Bahamas, you’ll see that one of Crooked Island’s gems is French Wells Bay. It is a beautiful wetland area that is filled with dense mangroves and is home to many wild birds that come from North America to hibernate in the Bahamas during the winter months.

18. Marine Farms Fortress – Come see the abandoned British fort that defended Crooked Island and the southern Bahamas in the War of 1812.

19. US Military Base – Over the years, there have been several US military bases on various islands in the Bahamas. At least two settled on the islands of Eleuthera and another on the island of Andros. This base, however, is located in Mayaguana and was built in the 1950s. It is the only base that can be accessed with a tour guide. Many of these bases were used for training sessions for the United States Army.

20. Southwest Point – Southwest Point in Inagua is popular for its clear view of the island of Cuba from the manual lighthouse.

21. Inagua Lands & Sea Park – Home to the largest flamingo reserves in the Caribbean located on Great Inagua Island, just outside of Matthew Town.

22. Preachers Cay – Known as a safe haven for Eleutheran adventurers during the 17th century, when they first made landfall. Preachers Cave was used back then as a church meeting place by the Adventurers. The cave is located off the north coast of the island of Eleuthera.

23. Glass Window Bridge: Several miles from Preachers Cave in Eleuthera sits one of the many wonders of the world known as the Glass Window Bridge. What is so special about this place is the union of the serene turquoise waters on one side and the turbulent dark blue waters of the Atlantic on the other. Even though the bridge itself (which carries people from the north to the south of the island) has been damaged by past hurricanes and weather surges over the years, the monster of nature is truly something to marvel at.

24. Deans Blue Hole – There are many blue holes located on various islands in the Bahamas. But Deans Blue Hole, located on Deadman’s Cay, Long Island, is not only one of the deepest, it’s one of the prettiest and most easily accessible blue holes in the Bahamas. Right next to the beach and hidden under a cave like cliff, you will find it in plain sight.

25. The Pink Sands: If you ever plan to travel to the Bahamas, you must visit our Pink Sand beaches on Harbor Island, Long Island, and various parts of the island of Eleuthera. Check out the science behind it on our Harbor Island page (see benchmarks after this article)

26. Hope Town Lighthouse – The Hope Town Lighthouse in Hope Town Abaco is one of the oldest manual lighthouses in the Bahamas. It stands out from any other lighthouse in the Bahamas with its red and white horizontal stripes.

27. Loyalist Memorial – The Loyalist Memorial is a small art space of several bust figures of various members of the Loyalist community who travel to the Bahamas to avoid political persecution during the American War of Independence. The monument is a tribute to those who helped build the community not only on Abaco but also on other islands in the Bahamas.

28. Albury Boat Builders – A generation boat building company that is committed to building the best quality boats and ships in the region. If you stop by here you can learn how everything is done and meet the family.

29. Darby Castle – Darby Castle is a dilapidated old mansion located on Big Darby Island, which is one of five islands owned by the late plantation owner Sir Baxter (known as a Nazi sympathizer). In the 1800s, the Darby Islands were one of the largest employers in the southern Bahamas, producing everything from cotton to food production.

30. Pretty Molly Bay & The Hermitage In Exuma – Great Exuma is an island steeped in history and relics of old slave plantations, and stories where you can learn more about our country and its past. One of these most popular stories can be found in Pretty Molly Bay, named after the slave Pretty Molly who lived on Exuma and took her own life walking into the water. Some say they have seen her ghost enter the water at night. You will find similar stories in the Williamstown area, where many slave plantations were established.

The first question that new students always ask me is: “What kind of tap shoes should I buy?” Since this is the season when many students take tap classes for the first time, I thought this short list of tips might be helpful and timely.

The names most new students come across are Bloch Tap Shoes and Capezio Tap Shoes. Lucky for you, I remember when these names meant nothing to me, either! Let’s go beyond the names and get to the council.

Your first pair of tap shoes should fit snugly.

Comfort is the most important consideration when buying tap shoes. If the shoe doesn’t fit, style and sound quality won’t really matter. A tap shoe should fit snug. There is no need to have extra room in a tap shoe unless you are still growing or have a medical condition. Over time, and with frequent use (and practice), shoe leather will stretch quite a bit… this means that if you start with a shoe that’s too big, you’re likely to eventually break a mirror or head. from some poor member of the audience. with that!

The style of the tap shoe is up to you

Quality tap shoes tend to last a long time, and you don’t want to marry something you can’t bear to look at. Ladies this means if you really want heels get them, if you don’t mind don’t get them. Sorry guys, most men’s tap shoes don’t have high heels.

Heels (not that I wear them) can be a bit more difficult to balance on and will require you to be a bit more alert while dancing. If you’re willing to do the extra work, go for it. Otherwise, stick with the flats.

In general, I recommend a firm, leather character tap shoe with a “box” toe box (supports the toes) and a firm sole (supports the foot).

You should spend as much as possible on tap shoes… No!

I knew that would get your attention. Tap shoes can be very expensive, but there are many reasons not to spend a lot of money on them.

Here are a few:

– You’re a beginner. Very expensive shoes are not going to change that. Did Michael Jordan basketball shoes make you play like Michael Jordan?

– If you later decide that tap dancing is not for you, do you really want to lose $150? FYI… The tap shoe resale market is not very generous.

– You probably don’t know what you like in a tap shoe yet. After tap dancing for a while, you’ll have a better idea of ​​your personal preferences and what’s important to you.

A good price for your first pair is between $30 and $70, although this isn’t a hard rule. The most popular brands, as mentioned above, are Capezio tap shoes, Bloch tap shoes, and Leo’s.

Please note that taps are sometimes not included with the shoes and are an additional $20. You may also have to pay a few bucks to have them installed at a local shoe repair shop.

I hope you found this short guide to buying tap shoes useful!

Sometimes I hate mornings. You see, I have dogs. There is a right way to raise and train pets and a wrong way. Go the wrong way and trust me you will pay for it. I’ll give you a typical day in my life and help you find ways to avoid unnecessary puppy mess. Training your pets and spending time with them is extremely important to you and your pet.

TJ, my mean, fierce, spiteful miniature poodle (yes a poodle can be fierce, you’d be mad too if you were a boy and everyone thought you should wear pink sweaters and a bow) relieves himself on my leg and leaves loads of his contempt for me on the ground. I call him the “Miracle Dumper” because he walks and becomes number two at the same time. There’s nothing like a smart pump to ruin your nice, clean shoes first thing in the morning.

But is that normal?

From time to time he has an “accident” in the house. Maybe I should call him on purpose because I think he’s doing it to annoy me. It’s not my fault it’s so cute that people want to stuff it into a pink fleece. I think he has some deficiency problems and miracle dumping is his therapy. But that can be fixed with due care. In my case, as soon as I see him start to duck, I run for a plastic bag, launching myself into a prostrate position trying to catch his nasty projectiles like I’m a catcher in a baseball glove hooking a wayward knuckleball. The problem is that it doesn’t sit still long enough to stop the process. Not a great way to start the day.

So there I sit, face down, lying on the floor at 4 am with an empty bag in my hand and my face only inches from the beautiful gift he left me. Maybe I’ll make her wear a pink sweater from now on.

Geez…it’s not dawn yet, let me have a cup of coffee at least. Why can’t you be like Buddy, my good dog? For God’s sake, it’s raining outside too, now what do I do? The designated dog walking area is across the street, that’s where everyone is supposed to go, but for today as there’s no one around and it’s raining, Fugheddaboudit!

The good thing is that my apartment is on the ground floor with a large grassy area in front. Hell, I’m not going out there in my nightgown, with an umbrella with a flashlight and a poop scoop in hand. You could be arrested, even in New York. It’s bad enough I have to follow the little bugger around the house with a bag like a deranged catcher chasing a bunt. He would be soaked while he waited, and my shoes would be soaked. Who’s to know, anyway? There’s my neighbor, Fred, who has a habit of crossing the lawn on his way to his car. But he’s a well-mannered guy. I’ll take my chances.

I can’t help but love my dogs. Maybe that’s the problem, maybe I love them too much. The general rule is that you have to take responsibility for your pet and her mischievous behavior, even the stray piles she leaves behind. “Responsible dog ownership means more than just loving your dog. It’s a serious lifelong commitment that takes time and a lot of attention. Don’t forget: when Fido misbehaves, you’re the one who has to take the blame.”

The first step in properly training your dog or any pet is taking responsibility for him or her. Although we adore them, we must teach them and maintain discipline so that they do what they are supposed to do. It doesn’t mean they won’t love you. In fact, it means the exact opposite. A dog or pet that respects you and your discipline will probably love you. And he won’t leave you early birthday presents in stinky piles on the floor.

My pets aren’t that bad. I love them very much, but the life and behavior of any pet can be improved. Sometimes I call TJ Slippery Louie because he’s so fast. He is insecure, occasionally showing aggressive behavior to both me and Buddy, my beloved Cocker Spaniel, even though TJ has been neutered. It is important to spay and neuter animals if you are not going to breed them. Not only does it help control animal populations, it’s good for your pet. The last thing anyone needs is a super playful pet that assaults their visitors’ knees every chance they get.

TJ is usually very nice, he’ll lick the skin off your face, but he can be pretty unpredictable so I treat him with kid gloves. While Buddy is quiet and quiet, TJ is hyperactive. He is eight years old. Hyper is common for poodles, smooth is common for cocker spaniels. Although TJ Loves Buddy, he is also bullied by him. He is a bully. If Buddy comes near him while he’s eating, he bites him, so I always keep them apart at mealtimes. Again, it’s important to set boundaries with his animals. It is instinctive for a dog to protect food from him, so I take the precaution of keeping them apart at mealtimes. That’s another key part of raising animals, spending time with your pets. This is how you learn about them so that you can train them properly. Ignoring your pet or not spending time with it is a bad habit. If you are always traveling or on the go, then you should not have a pet.

My dogs are inseparable. I call them my bookends. TJ sleeps on one side of the couch while Buddy sleeps on the other side. Buddy and TJ bring joy to my life. Dogs are intelligent and have their own personalities. If I tell TJ to take a bath, the little shrimp starts howling like he’s torturing it. Instead, Buddy dances the St. Vitus dance, swaying like a break dancer with a bad case of Poison Ivy. For all of us who have pets, whether they are dogs, cats or any other type of pet, they are tremendously valuable to our lives. You are also valuable to their lives and you must remember this. Pets give us an internal feeling of joy and happiness. Pets make their owners laugh, which not only loosens facial muscles, but also helps lower blood pressure. This contributes to a longer and healthier existence for both of you. So I appreciate TJ’s annoying interruptions even when I’m writing.

Simply put, pets can help you live longer, so you need to take care of them. You have to give them exercise, but exercise is good for you too. Walking them, taking them swimming, even taking them for a walk is amazing exercise. Of course, proper training can fix surprises in the bathroom in a much more efficient way.

“Every time you take your pet out, say over and over again ‘go potty’. Take her out and ’empty’ her often so she can’t get into the house.”

The most important way to train your pet and keep it happy and healthy is to spend time with it. Believe it or not, dogs suffer from separation anxiety. They may have panic attacks, and this leads to bad behavior, both when you are out and after you get home. Pets will act to make you pay for leaving them alone. They are smart that way. They will not only leave you with sports piles to clean up, but they will destroy your house, destroying books and papers, scratching doors and damaging furniture.

Ultimately, you’ll find that your beloved pets will reward you with more than you can imagine—not just a little pile of poop in the middle of your living room! You have to get to know their personalities, adjust to their needs, and convince them to conform to acceptable behavior as well. This process is not bad. It doesn’t mean you won’t be standing outside your house at 4am in the rain letting your dog relieve himself, it means you’ll be happy not to have to clean the floor later and have moments and memories that will last a lifetime. Moments a pet owner wouldn’t trade for anything. Even a little poodle can carve out a big place for itself in your heart. We should all give them the time and attention their love and care deserve.

I am a big sports fan. I love the NFL and have been a fan of the Oakland Raiders my entire life. In fact, at age 8, I received a Kenny Stabler football uniform for Christmas. The NFL has always been a part of my life and I look forward to it every year. I love the fall season as it comes to a close and football is a big part of that for me. So it is with sadness that I have seen professional sports in this country become totally neutral and a joke for any intelligent fan to watch.

However, it seems that the NFL is becoming more like the NBA in that the players play and the refs call the shots. The players no longer decide who wins the game on their own merits, the referees do. It’s sickening to see when EVERY game contains multiple – ghost pass interference calls. Peyton Manning has another chance to score because he got hit in the head: he’s wearing a helmet! Touchdowns are removed every game by some new non-rule rule and all previous rules are either ignored or interpreted differently. Lost fumbles where it was obviously not a fumble, but stands because the team ran out of challenges. If you watch games like I do, you see this in every game. Refs over reproducing and over parsing to the point where it’s no longer a game, but a rule interpretation war. You can’t even look at a quarterback anymore without getting fined and a 15-yard penalty and games are frequently decided late for pass interference. Just ask Pittsburgh’s James Harrison how he feels about the $100k he’s earned this year alone.

Yeah, winning the games by superior athletic ability, skill, training, planning, those days are long gone. Now, if the refs interpret the decisions in favor of their teams, they COULD win. Or if your team contains a superstar player. For example, if Ed Reed or Ray Lewis hit hard, then they are great ‘busting’ players. But if an Oakland Raider hits, well, the Raiders are a dirty team that take a lot of penalties.

Perhaps it was repetition and technology that changed gaming forever, but now, like basketball, soccer has become a game of whoever gets the most calls wins. You do not believe me? It started with the ‘tuck rule’ a few years ago when the Patriots got a spot in the Super Bowl. Watch Kobe or Lebron shoot 15-20 free kicks per game, EVERY game if you have any doubt. Oh, and now, if you complain, you’ll get a technical and sent off after two, so fans can pay huge and expensive ticket prices to watch the players on the bench play.

It costs an average of $450 for a family of 4 to watch an NFL game. Now, instead of watching the game, you can spend that money to watch an umpire stick their head under a hood and interpret a rule you didn’t even know existed. What a thrill!

Along with this, there is likely to be a lockout between owners and players. Millionaires against billionaires deciding what to do with the money from a game that isn’t even a real game anymore.

Maybe watch hockey…

Baseball may be known as the national pastime, but there’s little debate about which sport Americans are most passionate about, and that’s NFL football. In many sports markets across the country, the NFL is a topic that never leaves the airwaves, regardless of the time of year. It’s late April, the 2006 MLB season is underway, and in case you haven’t noticed, the NHL and NBA playoffs have already begun. But turn on your favorite sports radio station and the NFL draft will dominate all other topics in the world of sports.

The hot debate this year is what the Houston Texans will do with the number one overall pick. Will they take USC Reggie Bush’s must-see RB? Or is hometown boy QB Vince Young the way they’ll go? We know that Matt Leinart is no longer a lock to be the Saints’ number two, now that they have signed free agent QB Drew Brees. So is OT D’Brickashaw Ferguson a future saint? What will the Titans do, at pick three, if Steve McNair really stands his ground and refuses to return to Tennessee? There are so many interesting and drama-filled storylines that make this year’s draft one of the most intriguing in recent memory, and thus begs the million-dollar question: which projected first-round pick will have the biggest impact on the game? the NFL?

I think this is a very interesting question and one that can be debated until draft guru Mel Kiper gets a new hairdo. Everyone knows the Bushes, Leinarts and Youngs of the world. I have no doubt that all three of these players will eventually have good, if not great, NFL careers. What about the aforementioned D’Brickashaw Ferguson, the 6’6″, 312-pound OT out of the University of Virginia? He compares very well physically against some of the best OTs in the NFL. Walter Jones, Jon Runyan and Tra Thomas just to name a few. There’s also little doubt that Ferguson will be a very good player in the NFL. But a player who has flown a bit under the draft pundits’ radar, in my opinion, will not only have the most immediate impact in the NFL, but when it’s all said and done, he could be leading the draft class this year. His name is Michael Huff, DB from the University of Texas. Yes, that’s right, I said Michael Huff. Let me explain it.

There is no question that the NFL is a league of copycats. Week after week and season after season, teams study what works and copy it. It is also a league of trends. Here are some trends that will help me explain how a DB, in Michael Huff, will be the biggest impact player in the first round of this year’s draft.

For one, take a look at how things have changed with running back. There is so much specialization at this position these days that a true number one running back is no longer essential in the NFL to win games. There are first and second down backs, third down backs, short yardage backs, red zone backs, speedy backs, and bruise backs, as well as blocking backs. The Giants had Lightning and Thunder, Atlanta had Dunn and Duckett, the world champion Steelers had “Fast” Willie Parker and The Bus, and the Broncos, who for years have had the best run scheme in the league, recently they have had a herd of runners. which gets 10-15 keys per set. So the importance of the league having a true number one endorsement has diminished over the years in the NFL. Just ask Edgerrin James. That is a trend that supports my case. Reggie Bush may end up sharing carries and never get a chance to be the man. If he becomes the Texans’ No. 1, he’ll no doubt share carries with current running back Domanick Davis. This trend harms his case because he is the player who will have the most impact.

Next, take a look at the QB position. Most of the time these days the quarterback is simply asked to manage the game, make as few mistakes as possible, and is told, “Whatever you do, don’t lose the game for the team.” They are not being asked to win games like before, but are being asked not to turn the ball over in critical parts of the game. You can win games in the NFL with a QB who just doesn’t make mistakes. They are no longer required to carry the team on their backs and win every game. Check out Ben Roethlisberger’s stats from Super Bowl XL. He finished 9 of 21 for 123 yards, 2 interceptions and zero touchdown passes. Those aren’t huge numbers or statistics you’d expect to see from a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. But what he did was manage the game and he didn’t make any critical mistakes in the crucial moments of the game. So the number two trend in the league is to have a quarterback that just doesn’t lose games for the team. Therefore, quarterbacks often have the ball taken out of their hands and placed in the belly of one of the two best running backs on the team. Leinart and Young will deliver the ball a lot more than they will shoot it. That leaves them out of the race for the biggest impact player in this year’s draft.

That brings me to the third trend I see in the NFL. This is the trend I think more teams should embrace, the trend I’m counting on to prove my point that Huff is the man in this draft. The trend is going back to the days of having a hard-hitting safety running down the field making plays and wreaking havoc on opposition receivers, running backs, and quarterbacks. I’m talking about a safety who can defend the pass as well as fill the box and hit the back with the ball. A safety that makes the quarterback and receiver think twice before going over the middle, thus taking that part of the field away. Ronnie Lott and Steve Atwater come to mind as old-school hard-hitting safeties who were impact players.

These days, take a look at the impact Troy Polamalu and Sean Taylor have had on their respective teams. Without Polamalu’s hard-hitting play, the Steelers are a very different team. Polamalu had 73 tackles, 18 assists, 3 sacks and 2 steals at safety for the Steelers last year. Additionally, he was second among all defensive players in the playoffs with 24 tackles. Taylor had 60 tackles, 10 assists, 2 steals and 10 assists defended for the Redskins a year ago. Once again, big numbers for a security. Other impact insurance companies are Ed Reed, John Lynch and Roy Williams.

NFL Football Futures Betting @ WagerWeb.com Sportsbook

Let’s analyze Michael Huff’s vital signs. He is listed at 6′, 204 lbs. In Texas he played both SS and CB. A 6-foot safety who can hit and has the speed to run and cover is very hard to find. At the combine, Huff ran a 4.34 40-yard dash. Another fact that I find helpful to Huff is that he leaves Texas as a fifth-year student. He is mature and ready for the NFL. He’s a prime candidate at free safety in the NFL, but he has the speed to play corner. Plus, I’m sure the team that drafts him will immediately put 10-15lbs of muscle on his already stout 204lbs. framework. What specimen would that be at 6′, 220 lbs. In his senior year at Texas he had 109 tackles, 36 more than the 73 he had as a junior. That goes back to the level of maturity he’s reached after five seasons in learning to play.

I think looking around the league at the success teams have had with these safe playmakers makes Michael Huff a great pick for the San Francisco 49ers at pick number six. The 49ers finished last in total defense a season ago and gave up more than 390 yards of total offense per game. Huff would help in both areas and he would do it right away. Huff should be the first DB selected in this year’s draft and will likely face Virginia Tech’s Jimmy Williams for that honor. I think the days of having a hard-hitting safety to anchor your defense are back in the NFL and I like it. Michael Huff is the next big thing to hit the NFL and when I say hit, I mean it. Huff is the man in this year’s draft and he will be a fixture for years to come as an elite DB in the NFL.

The 2006 NFL Amateur Draft begins Saturday, April 29 live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City and can be viewed on ESPN. At noon the Houston Texans will officially be on the clock. Let the writing begin. For my part, I can’t wait.

Too many times Texas coach Mack Brown has been in full-blown apology mode after facing Bob Stoops and the Oklahoma Sooners in the Cotton Bowl. It happened again last Saturday after Brown’s Longhorns were embarrassed by the Sooners and Bob Stoops, this time 63-21. It’s the kind of blowout defeat that’s eerily all too familiar to the Longhorn Nation.

Before we throw a whole lot of Bevo spending on Coach Brown, let’s stress that his record in Texas stands on its own. Brown is 145-41 at Texas with nine 10-win seasons (something Texas had accomplished just twice in the 14 years before his arrival). The Longhorns won the 2005 National Championship and an argument could be made that they were one Colt McCoy injury away from winning it again in 2009.

Since that loss to Alabama in the 2009 title game, Brown, and the Longhorns are very little Texas like 17 and 14. More discriminated against is that Brown has done nothing against Bob Stoops and Oklahoma, losing all three games since 2009 by an average score. from 48 to 19. Don’t think this is just an outdated trend because Brown has beaten Oklahoma just six times in 15 tries. Against Stoops, who came to Norman a year after Brown came to Austin, Brown is 5-9.

Mack Brown has been around long enough to know the importance of the Texas-Oklahoma rivalry. Although it is increasingly difficult to call it a rivalry because that assumes that both teams are winning. As an assistant to Barry Switzer in the mid-1980s, he asked Switzer, “What do you have to do to keep your job here and what do you have to do to keep everyone happy?” As recounted by Brown, Switzer’s response was brief: “You’ve got to beat Texas.” Switzer surely passed that little nugget of information on to Bob Stoops, who apparently took him at his word.

As stable as Mack Brown appears to be in Texas, he won’t last much longer if the Longhorns’ fortunes don’t turn against the Sooners. Texas fans can tolerate losing to Texas Tech or even Baylor from time to time, but the Orangebloods don’t appreciate the sour taste of State Fair Corny Dogs with Oklahoma mustard on top.

Maybe it would be different if OR simply had a huge talent advantage. Texas and Oklahoma have consistently produced the top 10 national recruiting classes. Take a look at how much talent both schools are transitioning to the NFL, and you’ll find that Oklahoma currently has a respectable 24 players on NFL rosters. Texas has a whopping 41. That means one of two things is happening to give OU the lead in this series. Either the Texas recruits have been overrated or the Oklahoma coaching staff has been “training” their talent better than Mack and the Texas staff. The NFL numbers lead me to wonder about training. Mack Brown has always been known as a great recruiter, as has Bob Stoops. Both men rely heavily on the “xyo” coordinators in the game.

The Texas team I saw on Saturday was not ready to play and that falls to the head coach. It’s his job to make sure that all the strategy and game planning makes sense and is understood by all players. The most imperative thing for a head coach is that he have his team mentally sharpened to a razor’s edge. He is an eminence that cannot be underestimated when it comes to gaining an edge on the competition. As has been the case in far too many previous meetings with Oklahoma, it was the Sooners who showed enthusiasm and awareness. Texas was prone to errors and slow to react, on the field, on the sidelines and up in the coaches’ booth.

That’s on Mack Brown and I’m sure he’s perfectly willing to take the heat for it all. He has always been an honest guy, not afraid to divulge his demerits. That’s a good thing because he deservedly should take a lot of flak for what happened Saturday.

Brown has a $3.5 million buyout in Texas and with his track record and the money he’s earned for college, it’s not likely he’s going anywhere anytime soon. He used to think that meant he was free to retire of his own choosing and join Darrell Royal as the greatest coach in Texas history. But if he’s not careful he’ll tarnish that future.

Brown is still on solid ground, but he’s not as concrete as he used to be and could fall on him if he doesn’t find a way to beat Oklahoma in 2013.

1. Make Great Cupcakes: Cupcakes are great from scratch because most recipes use only 5-6 ingredients. My personal recipe uses only baking soda, baking powder, flour, buttermilk, salt, and butter. The most important thing to remember to ensure your cookies are fluffy is to make sure you use cold butter and leave the butter in small pieces throughout the mixing process. A common mistake is to mix the butter lightly into the batter. If you leave the butter in chunks while the cookies cook, the butter will layer the dough and the result will be fluffier. This also serves to make any puff pastry from scratch. Another great idea is to take the batter and layer it thinly over the top of a bowl of soup, then bake the entire bowl in the oven. This will give your soups a beautifully fluffy top. Of course, make sure your bowl is oven-safe before you bake it.

2. Get a really good nonstick pan – If you’re tired of food sticking to the bottom of your cookware, then you really need to invest in a great nonstick pan. The one I have only cost me $30 and I can easily cook an egg without any oil and without breaking the yolk. I’m very partial to Caphalon’s commercial lines, but definitely check out Anolon, T-Fal, and Farberware too. Some other very important features are whether the pan comes with a lid, whether or not the handle gets hot when cooking, and how long other buyers have found the nonstick surface to last. Be sure not to confuse nonstick with hard anodized. Hard anodizing is definitely not non-stick and you will be very frustrated if you confuse the two. The added bonus of a nonstick pan is that cleanup is really easy. Place your pan under water and most foreign foods will easily slide off.

3. Grill or fry chicken without getting it stuck in the pan – One of the biggest problems when cooking chicken is trying to get it off the grill or pan. The key is to be patient. Use a spatula and wait for the chicken to come loose, because it will. Of course, if you didn’t use oil, the chicken would most likely get stuck anyway. But all proteins reach a certain temperature where they will be released and it’s just a matter of being patient and waiting for this to happen.

4. It’s never too late to marinate: Many people end up eating bland food because they think they don’t have time to marinate their food. Even if you only have less than an hour, you can still make a great marinade. Just make the marinade twice as strong and use strong flavors. Here are some quick marinades that have worked for me: balsamic vinaigrette, soy sauce and minced garlic, or lemon juice/zest and white wine. Also try using dry fries like crushed red pepper and garlic powder.

5. Use kosher salt for seasoning: Kosher salt is what all professional cooks use, and for good reason. Regular iodized salt breaks down immediately when added to water. In contrast, kosher salt breaks down more slowly and imparts a more pronounced flavor to whatever you’re cooking. If you want your steaks to taste like steakhouse quality, all you need is kosher salt and coarsely ground black pepper.

6. Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is Pasta’s Best Friend: After cooking your pasta, be sure to toss your pasta with some extra virgin olive oil immediately. Otherwise, you will find that the paste will start to stick after a short period of time. Never refrigerate plain pasta without adding olive oil. If you do, you’ll end up pulling a big block of pasta out of the fridge. Also, when you boil pasta, be sure to add one cup of kosher salt per gallon of water. This is what will give the pasta its flavor.

7. Make Amazing French Toast: The best way to make amazing French toast is to avoid using regular bread. Extraordinary French toasts are made with specialty pastries or breads. Try cutting up a pound cake from your local grocery store and making it into French toast the same way you normally would bread. Another great idea is to make French toast with banana bread.

8. Make cake frosting. Making cake icing is one of the simplest secrets in the world of pastry. To make the frosting, all you need is water and powdered sugar. Start with the powdered sugar in a bowl and slowly add water until you get the consistency you like. Then just use the frosting to make even more delicious scones, cakes, and other pastries.

9. Keep your kitchen knife sharp. A common misconception is that people cut themselves in the kitchen because their knives are too sharp. The reason for most kitchen cutting accidents is actually quite the opposite. When you use a dull knife, the knife will slip out of whatever you are cooking and this is when the knife usually cuts into your hand. To keep your knife sharp, use a diamond steel and run the knife down the steel at an 18 degree angle.

10. Crack an egg without shelling the glass. This sounds easy enough, but it’s surprising how many seasoned cooks still experience the hassle of having eggshells in their favorite foods. The way to avoid this is to first gently tap the center of the egg against a hard surface. Then use both hands to do the rest. If you are right-handed, hold the egg in your left hand and use your right thumb to push the center in and then separate the egg with both hands. If you are left handed, just change the directions above.

Good luck with your culinary adventures!

Playing music without looking at the page requires knowledge, skill, and desire. Local jazz musician Marvin Falcon demonstrates this talent naturally by playing his guitars and ukulele. “I’m a jazz guitarist with a classical interest,” he says.

Originally from Brooklyn, Falcon began playing the ukulele as a teenager. He explains: “I went with my friend to help take care of his uncle’s son. My friend asked his uncle to play the ukulele. I was surprised that his uncle was missing his right hand due to a childhood accident. I asked him how Was he going to touch his uncle with one hand? My friend said just watch and listen.” The guy put on a watch strap tied to the ukulele stump. The band had a felt pick attached to it. The pick would extend so that it could strum. “He not only played, but also played melodies. It was magnificent. His uncle talked about life-changing moments, and this was definitely one for me.”

Falcon knew then that he wanted to play the ukulele. “I asked my mom for 5 bucks and bought a plastic ukulele. I would sit in my dad’s office and play while performances were going on. I also played with my friend’s uncle. I learned to play just by ear. I don’t know what the music was something you would write, I thought it was just an environmental thing.”

Falcon played the ukulele in a band with friends from high school. One of the guys suggested that Falcon learn to play the guitar and call an instructor he knew. “My friends wouldn’t let me out of the phone booth until I talked to the guy.” His name was Stanley Solow. “I explained to Stanley that I don’t have a guitar. He was so welcoming that he made me play my ukulele for him, and then he instantly helped me pick up the guitar and read music, which is a gateway to the world of music. He has his own vocabulary and sound. Solow became a personal mentor. Now I was in a career I didn’t choose, it seemed to me.”

After graduating from college and playing guitar professionally in the US, Falcon returned to New York in the ’60s and began teaching. He received a call from a popular black musician, Miriam Makeba, to play guitar for a political performance. When Falcon asked for the music, they instead gave him earlier recordings that they had to learn the material by ear. Falcon explains; “It was an adventure. We only rehearsed in apartments. I was never told that Makeba’s performance starts in total darkness. I was worried about finding my guitar positions. I was introduced to Makeba, the drums started, and I only had to play one chord repeatedly during That part. Then Makeba stepped into the spotlight in an outfit that reflected a lot of light. I used that lighting to play the rest of the show, which was a huge hit.” Following that performance, Falcon went on a tour with Makeba to Africa, which included musician Harry Bellafonte to honor Kenya’s emancipation from British rule.

In 1972, Falcon moved to Allentown with his wife and two children. His daughter Ted is a professional violinist living in Brazil. Falcon has played the ukulele with Ted on numerous occasions, which he says is a blessing. “We just know how to play together. We don’t even have to look at the page or at each other.” They played together in Mayfair. It once included Falcon’s daughter singing along with them on stage.

Falcon feels: “In Allentown, jazz musicians think I’m classical, and classical musicians think I’m more jazzy. My background comes from the world of jazz, which is creating music in the moment. I think therefore, it’s easier for a jazz musician to become a classical player. Jazz musicians can immediately analyze music and understand it from a musical point of view.” He is very passionate about the difference between the two.

Falcon rehearses weekly with a group in his home studio. He can play pretty much anything from memory. He still performs regularly with a band called the Barrel House Brothers at Steelstacks and The Speakeasy Bookstore in Bethlehem. They play traditional jazz from the ’20s and ’30s. Falcon will also be teaching a ukulele course in September at the Lehigh County Senior Center. “I’m a gun for hire. I can understand music from the composer’s point of view when I play it.”