It’s Football Gift Basket Time of the YearComments Off
Administrator posted in football on November 19th, 2008

We?re reaching the NFL?s ?run for the playoffs? time of year. Between mid December and the Super Bowl, the best games of the season are on TV Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Whether you gather at your home or a friend?s, a true football fan provides his guests snacks and treats. So grab a basket and let?s fill it with a selection any fan would love.

First, let?s start with your favorite team and find some logo items. Being a Bears fan I usually start with a chip and dip snack bowl. I?ll compliment that with cooler cups in my team?s colors; blue and orange. I?m a nervous fan when the ?home team? plays so I always include a nerf football or two, to squeeze away my anxiety or to throw the deep post pattern to my speedy wide receiver in the comfort of the family room.

Okay, now to the important items in my gift basket, the snacks. I have a weakness for chips and dip so I include potato chips and onion dip as well as tortilla chips and hot salsa. Peanuts (not in the shell I?ve learned) are a must as is popcorn. Last but not least, summer sausage, very cheddar cheese and my favorite wheat crackers are included to provide us sustenance during our three and half hour gridiron spectacle.

A fan works up a mighty thirst during a long NFL game so a few cold drinks need to go in the basket as well. A few beers, a bottle of wine and a couple bottles of cream soda top the gift basket off. That?s a selection that should appeal to any fan with a fine palette.

So you?ve created the perfect gift basket for watching a football game with your family and friends. So get comfortable in front of the fireplace, and munch and sip your favorite team to victory. You?ve scored a touchdown with this gift before the kick off with a unique and customized gift idea.

http://www.articlecity.com

About The Author

Larry Flynn owns Ardent Partners Inc. a professional internet marketing firm in Mesquite, NV. The company?s first website http://www.1greatgiftbasket.com offers a large selection of quality and affordable gift baskets for all occasions.

Using Asian Handicap to Win at Betting FootballComments Off
Administrator posted in football on November 19th, 2008

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Background

Odds and their movements present a unique opportunity to gauge what the bookie thinks and how the markets react to them.

Although the position that bookmakers take in public relations exercises is that they stand to make the most when there is an equal amount of bets on both teams in a match, the reality is that sometimes bookmakers think that a certain outcome is likely and use the odds as a psychological tool to draw the public into betting on the team they think will lose.

As the public likes to bet on favourites most times and these favourites do not lose or draw often enough for the bookmakers’ appetite, it makes sense that they use this psychological function mostly in Asian Handicap odds.

Considering how bookmakers always win from the general betting public in the long run, it is wise to piggyback on the bookies’ predictions by considering how they market the odds.

Exploiting the Odds You can tell what the bookie is trying to achieve from the early odds. If the top of the table-team is giving a ? ball handicap to the number two team in the table, it is too high. The bookie is seducing you to bet on the underdog.

How do you tell if people have fallen for the trap?

Study the movement of the odds. Study it over two or three days. Check for large trends once or twice a day for three days and check the odds a last time an hour or two just before the match.

You can tell that most of the public are betting on a team when the price and odds on the team gets less favourable. Take note of heavy action where odds or prices have big movements. Normally, the bookie likes to lay traps on favourites and popular teams which the public likes to bet on. So look out for favourable opening or early odds on these teams which eventually climb to normal levels when the match is about to start. (This take some experience and study.) Check match facts against the odds movements. Check for Class, Form, Motivation and other factors as described in THE GUIDE. Is there something that most of the public wouldn’t know? If the non-favourite team exhibits traits that could help them win (or draw) or if the favourite team has some factors going against them, bet on the underdog just like the bookie, when the betting public is going heavy on the favourites.

The Other Parties Involved

That was the most common scenario. However, there are other parties around - big timers with inside knowledge, betting syndicates, match-fixers, etc who are not necessarily friendly to the bookie.

Sometimes, the big odd movements are caused by these parties (less often) and not by the betting public. When you see particularly heavy betting on weak teams, check the various factors and if you realise there’s no reason for it, be aware of such ‘big boy’ action going on. In this case, go with the flow of the betting. That is, bet on those teams which are being bet heavily on. How do you make sure that the heavy betting is by these big boys in the know? Check out the forums. If everyone there seems to say they are betting on one team but the betting odds prove that money is being poured on the other, you will know that the heavy betting is not done by the Joe Publics. The bookies need to let the public win sometimes. When? When the action is low. When you see little action on popular favourites from the odds movement and the asian handicap is reasonably high against the favourites, you might choose to bet on the favourites then. Examples

Note: For the study of odds movements, we approach match analysis with a conspiracy theory kind of angle and assume that bookmakers have insider knowledge or are almost able to know outcomes of games based on connections or highly qualified handicappers, researchers etc on their payroll or both.

Example 1.

EPL Match Day: 19 Mar 2005

Chelsea vs Crystal Palace 2.05 0 : 1 3/4 1.85

Analysis

Chelsea was giving the same 1.75 handicap to West Brom the previous EPL fixture and won the game 1-0 with a single goal from Didier Drogba. Chelsea was then leading the table with 8 points more than the nearest contender for the title, Man U. Expectations was that Chelsea would trash WBA, who was a relegation struggler. The very high and rather rare handicap of 1.75 given by the bookies seemed to confirm this fact. Punters lapped this up, confident of a sound trashing of WBA by Chelsea and bet on Chelsea despite the high handicap. Ever notice how top teams quite often (not always) beat bottom ones by small margins? Chelsea won 1-0.

Knowing that the memory of this was still fresh in the minds of punters, bookmakers posted the same opening handicap for Chelsea the following week at 1.75. Naturally, punters shied away from backing Chelsea this time, afraid of a similar scoreline with another relegation struggler, Crystal Palace. Some of them even bet on Palace, evidenced by slightly dropping prices on the underdog, thinking perhaps Chelsea were losing their form. This was even though they had won their previous game.

Score? Chelsea 4, Palace 1.

The bookies met two objectives with this match. They confused the public with the same handicap and the same team at different times and the favourites won heavily without much betting on them. Punters missed this opportunity to win from betting on their favourites but they noticed the scoreline and regained their confidence in the favourite again. Try not to get trapped in this hidden but vicious cycle.

Take note however, that on any matchday, there is seldom the case that all the favourites fail to clear the handicap, even when the public is betting heavily on them. Some will clear and some won’t most match days. It is up to you to identify them based on researching the usual factors and the odds.

Example 2

UEFA Match Day: 17 Mar 2005

Sporting Lissabon vs Middlesbrough 2.05 0 : 1/2 1.85

When you see odds like these, you first have to recognize certain factors outside the movements of these odds.

Middlesbrough is an upper mid-table team in the English Premier League, the most popular league worldwide. Sporting Lisbon is a fine team from Portugal but relatively unknown when compared to Middlebrough even though they have produced some of the best known names in football currently like Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo.

People tend to bet on teams they know and think of less heard-of teams as not up to par. We reason, ‘Hey, if they’re that good, I would have heard more of them, right?’

Well, we do not know the answer to that but we know that when a relatively well-known team is given a 0.5 handicap by a less-popular team, everybody bets on the popular team, confident that they can at least draw with the ‘obscure’ team.

Sporting Lisbon had won the previous reverse fixture 3-2. Punters were sure Boro would go all out to win this match to avoid disqualification from the UEFA Cup. Well, if so, why were the bookies so kind as to award Boro a 1/2-ball handicap?

This is the psychological function of the odds used to the fullest by the bookmakers to fool the public. A check with the odds confirm that prices on Middlesbrough are getting lower.

We do not know what the bookies know but the final score?

Sporting 1 Boro 0.

Example 3

SPL Match Day 20 Mar 2005

190305 Valencia vs Getafe 2.00 0 : 1 1.90

200305 Valencia vs Getafe 1.975 0 : 1 1.925

Valencia was 6th and Getafe 13th on the Primera Liga table. A one-ball handicap was a lot to give for a separation of just 7 places.

Valencia had just lost their last game and Getafe was getting known as a giant-killer, beating Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao and drawing with Deportivo and Real Betis recently the previous four games.

You have to question just why Valencia was giving a one-ball handicap when Getafe was in hot form. There the bookies go again.

Not much movement in the odds (above) to suggest heavy backing of Valencia by the public to warrant such a handicap.

Verdict: Bet Valencia

Final Score: Valencia 3 Getafe 1

Conclusion

There is no such thing as a foolproof method. Sometimes, even the bookies/big boys make mistakes or events occur which have not been expected. Also, sometimes the big bookies intentionally let the public have a good week or two (rarer and rarer though) - to let losses wipe out the smaller bookies and throw off anyone who’s on to their game.

On the whole, however, it is a very accurate way to predict winners based on the number of winning bets this has produced for some pro-bettors. Remember that mastering this is something of an artform and takes some time and experience to get good at. Hone your analytical skills and try to think like the bookie. This is not for every match so just be on the lookout for unusual activity.

As always, when unsure, lay off. .

About the Author

J Armstrong is a professional handicapper and author of ‘The Guide to Winning Football Bets’. He also runs members-only tipping service, The Football Betting Edge at http://www.footballtip.co.uk

Enlightenment, or World Cup Football?Comments Off
Administrator posted in football on November 18th, 2008

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Football (English/Euro) is 1 of my passions. Last World Cup, I got cable just for that spectacular month. General Hospital is the only TV that I ever watch, but for that July, I was glued to the box like any other normal, crazed person!

There was an enlightenment course that I wanted to do around that time. I arranged things just right for uninterrupted World Cup! No way was I going anywhere when there were games to be watched! Hell no!

7 months pregnant with my 2nd child, I lived and died for football that month. It really fed my soul. It actually was a great lead-in to my awakening that August on The Avatar Course.

I was in heaven. My team, Brazil, won everything! I was ecstatic! I cheered, I danced, I jumped up and down like a crazy person. I sang, I screamed and had a great party through all hours of the night.

I was relieved that my country of origin - Jamaica - was not in the World Cup. How could I bear to watch JA play Brazil? Who would I pick to win? Damn. My national anthem and the Reggae Boyz, or my Brazilian men with the exotic, and hypnotizing moves? Thank God I didn’t have to choose! Relief…

This year, the World Cup finals are the exact same week that I had decided to be in service as an Avatar Master for 1 of our International courses in Florida. Oh my God. I considered not going to the course. So, naturally, 1 of my sisters who has never, ever been interested in self-help, now decides to show an interest in her spiritual awakening! Enlightenment? Not now honey, I have men to watch on TV! What’s the karma for that?

Okay, so I will show up.

I put my Avatar tools to good use to creatively explore assisting others with their awakening, doing my reading and writing assignments and taping my 2 or 3 games a night, watching every one and still walking up fresh and present for you the next morning! Of course I can have it all! Now I’m living! Being fully present in the moment, so alive that my heart is bursting open with excitement, joy and passion. That’s living. Bring it on baby!

When you find something you love, go for it, revel in it, soak it up! Enjoy being with it in that moment, for that is all that there is. The moment.

Nicola Karesh is an Avatar Master/Wizard, licensed and trained to deliver the Avatar Course worldwide. For more information, visit her online at:

http://www.inducing-consciousness.com and http://www.inducingconsciousness.blogspot.com

About the Author

Nicola is an Avatar Master, licensed and trained to deliver the number one self-development course in the world, The Avatar Course. She has a Master’s in Counselor Education and her certification as a substance abuse professional counselor since 1985.

Originally from Jamaica, Nicola lives in the mountains of North Carolina, where she home-schools her 2 children - a task which provides her with great opportunities to grow and to practise what she preaches!

Wine: A Worthy Teammate for FootballComments Off
Administrator posted in football on November 18th, 2008

(ARA) - Football and beer go together like baseball and hotdogs, but what about football and wine? Traditionally, wine has been benched on Sundays. But if you prefer to serve your guests something a step up from a can of suds, a nice glass of Cabernet Sauvignon on a chilly, fall afternoon can score a touchdown with your friends.

Kim Caffrey, football fanatic and senior wine educator at Beringer Vineyards, shares her winning strategy for scoring big with wine on football Sunday:

Evaluate your Players

First, look at the wines available to you and what each one has to offer. Some traditional favorites are Chardonnay, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay is a versatile white wine that combines both citrus and ripe pear flavors with a soft, rounded body and hints of spice that make it a good match-up for a variety of foods. Merlot, a popular pick, has a good fruit pop with silky raspberry and black cherry flavors that make it a great all-purpose player. Cabernet Sauvignon is the linebacker on this team, with a big, bold taste that can stand up to the spicy, rich flavors of football snacks. But dont forget about the ringer, something no one will expect but that is sure to win applause, like the Shiraz-Cabernet from Stone Cellars by Beringer. This team-up of Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon has the deep, black fruit flavors of Cabernet combined with a kick of spice and red currant from the Shiraz — itll be a favorite for Sunday afternoons.

Select your lineup

Second, you need to look at the food you will be serving and select wines that will support the team well. The flavors of the food and the wine should interact together, not overpower each other. Dont worry if you have Buffalo wings and nachos on the menu, there are wines that will still pair nicely. Wines with good fruit flavors, soft tannins, and a medium-weight body are very versatile and can pair with a variety foods. The rich sauce and spiciness of the buffalo wings would play well with something like a Cabernet Sauvignon or the Shiraz-Cabernet mentioned above. I also suggest expanding the menu for a variety of different foods that complement wine. For example, there are lots of fun dips that are delicious and easy, such as a spinach and mushroom puff pastry footballs with a Merlot or a cheesy crab dip with a Chardonnay.

Make the necessary plays

Once you have your wines and foods selected, the last step is the seamless execution of the two for a crowd-pleasing victory. When determining how much wine to buy, figure that there are five glasses to a bottle. For football parties, I recommend easy magnum-sized bottles, which are double the regular size (ten glasses per bottle). Come on, its football — a game where big always means better. And a magnum-size wine bottle is made to last through the game.

Kim Caffreys Favorite Football Party Recipes

Spinach & Mushroom Puff Pastry Footballs Pair with Stone Cellars Merlot

Makes 18 appetizers:

1/2 pound mushrooms, finely chopped

1 large shallot, minced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 small yellow onion, finely chopped

3 ounces fresh Chevre goat cheese

1 teaspoon fresh tarragon

3 tablespoon olive oil

5 ounces frozen spinach, thawed, chopped and drained

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

One package frozen puff pastry sheets, thawed

One egg, slightly beaten

In large skillet over medium heat, saute onions and shallots in olive oil until slightly tender. Add mushrooms and garlic and saute until very tender (approximately 10 minutes), stirring regularly. Add spinach, crumbled goat cheese, tarragon, nutmeg and salt and pepper to taste. Incorporate goat cheese and spinach well. Remove from heat.

On lightly floured surface, roll puff pastry sheet into a 12 inch by 12 inch square. Cut into nine 3 inch by 3 inch squares and glaze edges with egg. Place a heaping teaspoon of the mushroom/spinach mixture in center of each square. Fold each square in half diagonally forming a “football” triangle shape. Place on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet, seal edges with a fork and glaze tops with egg. Cook for 12 to 15 minutes in 400 degree oven. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve, or freeze and reheat at 350 F as needed.

Crab and Artichoke Dip Pair with Stone Cellars Chardonnay

1 onion, chopped

1 package of frozen artichoke hearts

2 tablespoons garlic

3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cup half and half

1/2 cup of parmesan

2 teaspoon lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 pound of crabmeat

Preheat oven to 375 F. Lightly oil an 11-inch gratin or other shallow baking dish.

Cook artichoke hearts according to package instructions, then drain well and finely chop. In a heavy skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter and add onion and garlic and saut until soft and golden. Stir in artichokes and transfer mixture to bowl.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in saucepan over moderately low heat, then add flour to create a roux, stirring until a light brown hue develops, approximately 3 minutes. Add half-and-half, constantly whisking until it thickens and slightly boils. Reduce heat and simmer, continuing to whisk for about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in artichoke mixture, parmesan, lemon juice, salt, and crabmeat. Place mixture in baking dish and bake in the middle of the oven for approximately 20 to 25 minutes. Dip can be prepared (but not baked) one day ahead and chilled, covered.

Courtesy of ARA Content

About the author:

Courtesy of ARA Content

From Bare Bones To Big Bucks - The Evolution Of American FootballComments Off
Administrator posted in football on November 18th, 2008

By the end of October, baseball fans pack up the party with the boys of summer, and prepare for the cold months ahead with a long list of hard-hitting heavyweights ready to take the field as the Sunday afternoon, Monday night, and holiday highlight for the winter months. But, football as we know it today started as a bare bones game, evolving through continents, colleges and contracts over the years.

Like most things, football can be traced back to the ancient Greeks and Romans, who played a version of football which then carried over to medieval Italy, where a game called ?calcio,? the Italian word for ?soccer,? began to flourish. Years later, in England, a young man at the Rugby Boys? School got tired of kicking the ball around the field, and decided to pick it up and run. That was the beginning of Rugby.

Rugby merged back and forth through different sets of rules from Australia to England, and eventually to the States in 1869, when Rutgers and Princeton played a game that resembled something more like soccer than football. It wasn?t until 1875 that the ball came off the ground. Harvard and Yale fixed a field meeting of the Ivy Leagues, and the Intercollegiate Football Association (IFA) was created to finalize the match up in 1876.

In upcoming years, a prominent Yale player named Walter Camp convinced the IFA to change a series of rules that pushed the game closer to the version of football we know today. Intercollegiate football evolved through the 1800?s, until the downfall of the IFA in 1895. In 1920, organizers from 10 professional football teams across the country met, and the American Professional Football Association was born. It was reorganized a year later, and in 1922 renamed the National Football League, and that was just the beginning.

The rules changed, the league expanded with conferences and changed again with the addition of conference divisions. In the 1970?s throwing the ball accompanied the traditional run, and in the 90?s the emphasis moved from field goals to two-point conversions.

Today, football is big business. Players demand more money, entertainment is a regular part of televised games, and the retail industry makes a fortune helping fans maintain team loyalty and personal nostalgia for a game they grew up with. Sports Nostalgia Company, Mitchell & Ness sells everything from jackets to pennants to remember unforgettable moments of games past, and the players that made them happen. Mitchell & Ness?s business was born out of fans? desire to remember the old days with throwback jerseys of NFL favorites like Joe Namath, Marcus Allen, and Steve Young.

Although baseball is known as America?s favorite past time, football is certainly in the running for taking the title. Football has become as much a staple at Thanksgiving as turkey and pie. Sunday tailgates are planned months in advance, and office pools change weekly with team standings.

Football is a modern game with ancient roots. It?s a game with loyal fans that brave the cold, suffer defeat, and turn up in droves to one of the most watched sports showdowns in February, right before the boys of summer head south for spring training.

About the Author: Nina Nocciolino is a copywriter with DMI Partners, an interactive marketing agency specializing in higher education, finance, retail and real estate. For more information, visit http://www.dmipartners.com.

Coaching Youth Football (Part 1) | Keys to SuccessComments Off
Administrator posted in football on November 18th, 2008

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In your role as a youth football coach, you will profoundly affect the lives of your players. By your approach to education, you can show your players how to handle all of the many challenges they will see throughout their lives.

Be Passionate
You have to coach for the correct reasons. You should concentrate on the lessons that will show your players proper morals. Important standards to teach are respect for authority, work ethic, competitiveness, and teamwork. A good youth football coach will also stress setting reachable goals and developing a plan of how to reach those goals. If you go into coaching for the wrong reasons, like seeking fame or an ego-boost, your players will know and they will not respect you as much.

Enjoy Teaching
Your key reason for instruction should be to assist kids in maturing into well-developed adults. Of course winning is important, but if it really is the only thing you care about, you won’t be able to find any satisfaction when you do win the big games. You have to give yourself a chance to enjoy the game, along with making it fun for your student athletes.

Have Patience
All great athletes have had a great coach behind them who was patient enough to teach them the necessary skills for their sport. Patience is not something everyone is born with, but it can be learned with time and experience. Many times a talented player will not develop until they finally get that one bit of coaching advice that makes everything click for them. As a coach, you must make sure to be patient with all of your players so that you will be there when their talent explodes.

Get Organized
You can’t get everything done that you will want to unless you have a solid, regimented schedule. Most NFL coaches are famous for their attention to detail and organization, so you should pattern yourself after the top of the profession. Make the most out of your limited practice time each day. Know what you need to get done that day before you begin practice. Discuss any key issues with your assistant coaches before setting your schedule so that there are no surprises once the players are on the field and ready to go.

Run an Efficient, Fast-Paced Practice
Do not waste precious practice time on conditioning and low-importance drills. Many coaches, especially at youth football levels, will make the mistake of grinding their players through useless drills just to impart toughness. Toughness and conditioning will both benefit more from a quick, well-organized practice with quality drills. Focus on drills that develop the skills your individual players are lacking. Of course, all fundamentals need to be refreshed from time to time, but you shouldn’t waste excessive time on the things they already do well. Minimize “standing around” time in your practices.

Many youth football coaches spend too much time teaching by talking instead of active teaching.It is much more effective to limit your explanation to short bursts after each player has run through the drill. Quickly show them what they did wrong or right during the drill and start the next player. You can continue talking while the players are in motion, but many coaches will bring the entire team’s practice to a standstill. Attention span can be a problem for kids, especially at the younger levels, so more information will be retained if you keep them moving and focused on the practice.

Keeping these basic ideas in mind will help any coach with their youth football team, no matter what the level or age-group. Enthusiasm, patience, and efficiency are the keys to success in winning and developing great youth football players. More tips will be available in future parts to this series.

About the Author

This article courtesy of www.clovisfootball.com, the source for Clovis football information. The author also runs www.fresnostatefan.com, a site dedicated to the Fresno State Bulldog football team.

Using Asian Handicap to Win at Betting FootballComments Off
Administrator posted in football on November 17th, 2008

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Background

Odds and their movements present a unique opportunity to gauge what the bookie thinks and how the markets react to them.

Although the position that bookmakers take in public relations exercises is that they stand to make the most when there is an equal amount of bets on both teams in a match, the reality is that sometimes bookmakers think that a certain outcome is likely and use the odds as a psychological tool to draw the public into betting on the team they think will lose.

As the public likes to bet on favourites most times and these favourites do not lose or draw often enough for the bookmakers’ appetite, it makes sense that they use this psychological function mostly in Asian Handicap odds.

Considering how bookmakers always win from the general betting public in the long run, it is wise to piggyback on the bookies’ predictions by considering how they market the odds.

Exploiting the Odds You can tell what the bookie is trying to achieve from the early odds. If the top of the table-team is giving a ? ball handicap to the number two team in the table, it is too high. The bookie is seducing you to bet on the underdog.

How do you tell if people have fallen for the trap?

Study the movement of the odds. Study it over two or three days. Check for large trends once or twice a day for three days and check the odds a last time an hour or two just before the match.

You can tell that most of the public are betting on a team when the price and odds on the team gets less favourable. Take note of heavy action where odds or prices have big movements. Normally, the bookie likes to lay traps on favourites and popular teams which the public likes to bet on. So look out for favourable opening or early odds on these teams which eventually climb to normal levels when the match is about to start. (This take some experience and study.) Check match facts against the odds movements. Check for Class, Form, Motivation and other factors as described in THE GUIDE. Is there something that most of the public wouldn’t know? If the non-favourite team exhibits traits that could help them win (or draw) or if the favourite team has some factors going against them, bet on the underdog just like the bookie, when the betting public is going heavy on the favourites.

The Other Parties Involved

That was the most common scenario. However, there are other parties around - big timers with inside knowledge, betting syndicates, match-fixers, etc who are not necessarily friendly to the bookie.

Sometimes, the big odd movements are caused by these parties (less often) and not by the betting public. When you see particularly heavy betting on weak teams, check the various factors and if you realise there’s no reason for it, be aware of such ‘big boy’ action going on. In this case, go with the flow of the betting. That is, bet on those teams which are being bet heavily on. How do you make sure that the heavy betting is by these big boys in the know? Check out the forums. If everyone there seems to say they are betting on one team but the betting odds prove that money is being poured on the other, you will know that the heavy betting is not done by the Joe Publics. The bookies need to let the public win sometimes. When? When the action is low. When you see little action on popular favourites from the odds movement and the asian handicap is reasonably high against the favourites, you might choose to bet on the favourites then. Examples

Note: For the study of odds movements, we approach match analysis with a conspiracy theory kind of angle and assume that bookmakers have insider knowledge or are almost able to know outcomes of games based on connections or highly qualified handicappers, researchers etc on their payroll or both.

Example 1.

EPL Match Day: 19 Mar 2005

Chelsea vs Crystal Palace 2.05 0 : 1 3/4 1.85

Analysis

Chelsea was giving the same 1.75 handicap to West Brom the previous EPL fixture and won the game 1-0 with a single goal from Didier Drogba. Chelsea was then leading the table with 8 points more than the nearest contender for the title, Man U. Expectations was that Chelsea would trash WBA, who was a relegation struggler. The very high and rather rare handicap of 1.75 given by the bookies seemed to confirm this fact. Punters lapped this up, confident of a sound trashing of WBA by Chelsea and bet on Chelsea despite the high handicap. Ever notice how top teams quite often (not always) beat bottom ones by small margins? Chelsea won 1-0.

Knowing that the memory of this was still fresh in the minds of punters, bookmakers posted the same opening handicap for Chelsea the following week at 1.75. Naturally, punters shied away from backing Chelsea this time, afraid of a similar scoreline with another relegation struggler, Crystal Palace. Some of them even bet on Palace, evidenced by slightly dropping prices on the underdog, thinking perhaps Chelsea were losing their form. This was even though they had won their previous game.

Score? Chelsea 4, Palace 1.

The bookies met two objectives with this match. They confused the public with the same handicap and the same team at different times and the favourites won heavily without much betting on them. Punters missed this opportunity to win from betting on their favourites but they noticed the scoreline and regained their confidence in the favourite again. Try not to get trapped in this hidden but vicious cycle.

Take note however, that on any matchday, there is seldom the case that all the favourites fail to clear the handicap, even when the public is betting heavily on them. Some will clear and some won’t most match days. It is up to you to identify them based on researching the usual factors and the odds.

Example 2

UEFA Match Day: 17 Mar 2005

Sporting Lissabon vs Middlesbrough 2.05 0 : 1/2 1.85

When you see odds like these, you first have to recognize certain factors outside the movements of these odds.

Middlesbrough is an upper mid-table team in the English Premier League, the most popular league worldwide. Sporting Lisbon is a fine team from Portugal but relatively unknown when compared to Middlebrough even though they have produced some of the best known names in football currently like Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo.

People tend to bet on teams they know and think of less heard-of teams as not up to par. We reason, ‘Hey, if they’re that good, I would have heard more of them, right?’

Well, we do not know the answer to that but we know that when a relatively well-known team is given a 0.5 handicap by a less-popular team, everybody bets on the popular team, confident that they can at least draw with the ‘obscure’ team.

Sporting Lisbon had won the previous reverse fixture 3-2. Punters were sure Boro would go all out to win this match to avoid disqualification from the UEFA Cup. Well, if so, why were the bookies so kind as to award Boro a 1/2-ball handicap?

This is the psychological function of the odds used to the fullest by the bookmakers to fool the public. A check with the odds confirm that prices on Middlesbrough are getting lower.

We do not know what the bookies know but the final score?

Sporting 1 Boro 0.

Example 3

SPL Match Day 20 Mar 2005

190305 Valencia vs Getafe 2.00 0 : 1 1.90

200305 Valencia vs Getafe 1.975 0 : 1 1.925

Valencia was 6th and Getafe 13th on the Primera Liga table. A one-ball handicap was a lot to give for a separation of just 7 places.

Valencia had just lost their last game and Getafe was getting known as a giant-killer, beating Real Madrid and Athletic Bilbao and drawing with Deportivo and Real Betis recently the previous four games.

You have to question just why Valencia was giving a one-ball handicap when Getafe was in hot form. There the bookies go again.

Not much movement in the odds (above) to suggest heavy backing of Valencia by the public to warrant such a handicap.

Verdict: Bet Valencia

Final Score: Valencia 3 Getafe 1

Conclusion

There is no such thing as a foolproof method. Sometimes, even the bookies/big boys make mistakes or events occur which have not been expected. Also, sometimes the big bookies intentionally let the public have a good week or two (rarer and rarer though) - to let losses wipe out the smaller bookies and throw off anyone who’s on to their game.

On the whole, however, it is a very accurate way to predict winners based on the number of winning bets this has produced for some pro-bettors. Remember that mastering this is something of an artform and takes some time and experience to get good at. Hone your analytical skills and try to think like the bookie. This is not for every match so just be on the lookout for unusual activity.

As always, when unsure, lay off. .

About the Author

J Armstrong is a professional handicapper and author of ‘The Guide to Winning Football Bets’. He also runs members-only tipping service, The Football Betting Edge at http://www.footballtip.co.uk

What is fantasy football and how do you play?Comments Off
Administrator posted in football on November 17th, 2008

Fantasy football is growing more and more popular by the second. It seems like everywhere you look you see another ad for a fantasy football related product or service and everyone is talking about this great game. But what is fantasy football, and more importantly, how do you play?

At the most basic level, fantasy football is a statistic-based game. You select real-world NFL players that will make up your fantasy team roster and score points based on how they perform in real-world NFL games. If your fantasy team scores more points than other fantasy teams in your league, you win.

With just this basic idea, there’s an unlimited amount of variations on how to play fantasy football, and many fanatics have spent countless hours creating their own specific and detailed rules.

Sound interesting? Then here are some general steps and advice to starting your own fantasy football league.

Pick a commissioner

The first and most important step in starting your own fantasy football league is to pick a league commissioner. The commissioner will be the leader of your league. They’ll be responsible for defining and enforcing your league rules. The commissioner is also in charge of organizing league events, calculating team scores, and keeping all teams informed and involved throughout the season.

As you can see, this is a very important decision. A good commissioner can make for a great fantasy football experience but a weak commissioner will quickly sap all the fun out of your league. Make sure to select someone who is willing to put in the required work, who is diplomatic and fair with others, and who is detailed oriented.

Note: For more information about selecting a commissioner and what’s involved in the job I recommend you read the article The Army had Patton … You Have a Fantasy League Commissioner by Joseph Legler at http://www.draftwizard.com .

Get a group of people to play

Once you’ve got a quality commissioner in place, your next step is to get a group of people together who want to play. Most leagues are made up of 12 teams, but with a little creativity in your scheduling, you can play with just about any number of people.

Fantasy football may be a statistic-based game, but the real addiction behind the game is the community that it’s played around so try to find other players that enjoy football at or around the same level that you do. Statistic lovers will enjoy fantasy football more if they are playing against other statistic lovers, casual NFL fans will enjoy playing with other casual NFL fans more than any other level of player. If you’re a hardcore NFL fan that knows everything there is to know about football, you can easily crush the casual NFL fan in a fantasy football league, but chances are you won’t have much fun doing it.

Set up your rules

So you’ve got a commissioner and a group of players, now it’s time to set up your rules. It’s important to set up strict and well-defined rules for your league, but try not to sap all the fun out of the game with restricting rules. Your rules should be used more as guidelines than as laws. Be flexible enough to allow for change when a rule is shown to be inaccurate or the majority of your league demands such. Your rules are there to add structure to the game play. Remember that in the end, the game is supposed to be about fun.

Some general rules that you’ll want to cover include what your roster limitations are, how trades will work, how free agency works, what your scoring rules are, and how team disputes will be handled.

Set up your league schedule

Next up, you’ll need to put together a schedule for your league. Because your fantasy teams are made up of real-world NFL players and your points are based on their performance in real-world games, your schedule should be set within the course of the NFL regular season. It’s recommended that the final game of your fantasy season be no later than the second to last game of the NFL regular season. This is because many real-world NFL teams rest their stars once they have qualified for the playoffs. These stars are almost certainly the same players that some of the teams in your league rely on. Additionally if your schedule goes into the playoffs, there is a strong chance that many of the real-world NFL players on various fantasy teams won’t have any active games left.

Whenever possible, you should try to create a schedule which allows each team to play every other team in the league at least once.

Note: Draftwizard.com has a great tool to help you Create your fantasy league schedule.

Draft your teams

Now that you’ve got your commissioner, set up your rules, and put together your fantasy schedule you’re ready to have your fantasy draft. The point of your draft is to let all the teams in your league fill out their rosters in as fair and simple a way as possible.

Try to schedule the draft for a time when everyone can attend and participate. In general live drafts make for a more community filled and fun league, but, especially at first, a live draft can be a slow and drawn out process. The more organized and structured you can make your draft, the more fun each team should have and the quicker the whole process should go.

Note: Draftwizard.com has a great tool to set up and run your draft.

Play your games

Finally, you’re ready to play your games! Submit your starting lineup, keep an eye out for possible trades or free agent pickups, gloat about your success, and trash talk to your league mates when they fail.

Most important of all, remember that fantasy football is a game and the basic idea, whether you’re winning or losing, should be to have fun. So enjoy!

Kevin Marshall is the founder of various fantasy sports sites including www.draftwizard.com and www.supermug.com. When he’s not deep into coding new and improved features for one of these sites, he’s generally doing research which has helped him to win his league championship two years in a row!

Dice Sports Games That Are Fun; the Pro Football Game.Comments Off
Administrator posted in football on November 17th, 2008

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This is the next installment in a world of incredibly fun sports games played with dice. In the first installment I taught you how to play the college version of “Dice Football”. That was the simplest of all my dice sports games. Now it is time to start getting a little more complex. As, in all my dice football games you will need two dice, notebook paper and a pen or pencil.

You will recall that in the college version you got your box score set up so that you can begin the game and just take turns for four quarters. In the pro version the top team is always the home team and they always go first in the first and third quarters only. In the second and fourth quarters the visitor team goes first which allows the home team the advantage of “coming back” to win.

Both teams will only get three rolls of the two dice per quarter–instead of the five rolls per team in the college version. This discrepancy in rolls is due to the fact that it is much harder to score points in the pros than it is in college football. Oddly enough, it is also harder to shut out a pro team than a college team. That will be reflected in the field goal section below. You always allow the two teams to make their rolls (3) in the quarter all at once. In short, both teams roll two dice three times for each quarter of the game. Remember, the home team goes first in the first and third quarters only!

Just like in the college game scoring occurs when the two dice hit “doubles”. That is a touchdown and it’s worth six points. For the extra point you would roll two dice also–unlike the single one dice roll in college. If the dice roll results in “snake-eyes” (a pair of ones), the extra point is missed. Remember, you get three rolls of two dice per quarter per team.

Just as in the college game field goals can be attempted whenever one roll of dice results in a total of either a ten (4 & 6) or eleven (5 & 6). At that point you roll one dice to see if the field goal is good. When you attempt a field goal in the pro game and you roll a one, two, three, or four the field goal is good. Roll a five or six and that means you missed.

This is an example of how the pro game can break down. The home team rolls the dice two times before a pair of “fives” result…Touchdown! The home team rolls one dice and it results in a four…extra point is good–seven points total. The visitor then takes two rolls before rolling an eleven, which is a field goal attempt. He then rolls a two which means that the field goal is good. The total score at the end of the first quarter is home-7, visitors-3.

Neither team scores again until the fourth quarter. The visitor goes first and rolls once before rolling a ten. He rolls a six on his field goal attempt which means that he missed. Then he rolls doubles on his third and last toss and makes a successful extra point roll. His final score in the game is 10 points. Then the home team rolls three times and scores “doubles” on his last roll. He makes the extra point and wins the game with a final score of 14 to 10.

If the score ends in a tie just alternate one roll of two dice between the two teams until someone scores. In the next article I’ll teach you about handicapping the college and pro football dice games which allows you to play entire seasons and get “real-time” results. Till then, keep on rolling.

About the Author

John DeJong is the creative designer for NotMeUSA. He’s been writing humorous advertisements for over 25 years. All the funny t-shirts, fun pill bottles, and gag spray bottles were created by him. You can see all his designs by visiting

From Bare Bones To Big Bucks - The Evolution Of American FootballComments Off
Administrator posted in football on November 17th, 2008