The Wonderful Blog Which You ve Never Seen

Perhaps Johnny Damon’s in a panic (Why are you guys still petrified of the Yankees??) with the news of Curt Schilling’s return to the Red Sox in a bullpen role. But, this latest move by Boston, in the wake of Keith Foulke’s injury and ineffectiveness (4 blown saves and a 6.23 ERA), makes perfect sense. Granted, the Yankee will put together a run at Boston after the All Star break, regardless if Schilling is in the bullpen, rotation, or rehab. But, this bullpen is what is keeping the Yankees in the race, and I give Francona props for wanting to do something about it.

It’s apparent that Schilling’s ankle is not strong enough to pitch 6 or 7 innings at this time (see his last outing for Pawtucket), but he can be very valuable coming out of the pen, and giving the team a strong inning or two. The gutsy Schilling actually began his career as a reliever, before becoming one of the premier Starting Pitchers in baseball in the past decade. John Smoltz is living proof you can make a successful transformation from staff ace to closer. It doesn’t hurt that Schilling is a well respected veteran, and could provide a calming influence over a not-so-calm state of affairs.

Now, back to Damon’s comments before Wednesday’s game at Texas. “I don’t think he’s ready to be our closer,I think Bronson (Arroyo) would be our best choice as a closer. That’s if Mike Timlin’s not it.”. Okay Johnny, if Arroyo heads down to the bullpen, who takes his place in the rotation? Certainly not Schilling, he’d have to remain on the sidelines. Unless Boston goes exclusively to a four man rotation, they have to insert Jeremi Gonzalez (or another mediocre hurler) back into the “spot starter” role. That would be my idea of “panic”. If Timlin takes over for Foulke as team Fireman, then the entire bullpen will be forced to move up one spot. Like Rocket J Squirrel would say to Bullwinkle “Not again!! That trick never works!!!” Chances are, Theo Epstein will acquire an established middle reliever to help plug up the leaks in the bullpen boat.

Schilling, unlike too many of today’s players, is the true definition of at “team player”. If the mental picture of his bloody sock and decimated ankle last October in the ALCS doesn’t confirm that, I’m sorry for ya’. He has agreed to take on this role, which gets him back in the rotation without putting too much wear and tear on the ankle. In other words, Johnny, he’s doing this “for the team”. He will be a lot fresher than most starters when September rolls around, and if he’s healthy, more than likely he will be sharp (see Schilling’s past history).

Obviously, the Red Sox manager doesn’t see this as a reason for dissention. “This is not permanent,” Francona said of Schilling closing. “Whether it’s two weeks, two months, it’s not two years. We don’t know what’s going to happen. Two weeks ago, we weren’t having this conversation. We’re trying to do the best we can. I don’t think we have leeway to not win. Our job is to win. So we’re going to do the best we can to win.” Exactly!! Francona is smart enough to realize that if it’s not working, he’ll pull the plug on the experiment and go to plan B. Then, maybe Johnny Damon can set the pitching rotation and won’t be in such a panic over a team they eliminated from the Playoffs in 2004

John Onan (aka Ego74) is Sports Moderator at http://www.theopu.com and a regular Football Contributor at http://www.realfootball365.com

Tags: Baseball, boston, recreation, sportsBaseball, boston, recreation, sports

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A recent online survey of PC gamers has revealed that “The Sims” is one of the most popular and best-selling games of all time.

Electronic Arts, distributors of the game, announced that the virtual-life game created by Will Wright and Maxis, has sold over 7 million copies worldwide (2002) to dethrone Myst as the top-selling computer game of all time. If you combine The Sims with all its expansion versions, The Sims series will have accounted for more than 13 million sales worldwide.

The Sims was first released on February 4, 2000 and, since then, seven expansion packs and a sequel, The Sims 2, have been released.

The great appeal of the game is that, instead of meeting a set of objectives, players engage in a fully interactive environment and are encouraged to make choices about everyday living. It is up to the player to decide how he wants to spend his “virtual day,” with the only real objective being how to organize his time and activities to help him reach his personal goals.

Like real people, Sims (which also refers to the virtual character in the game as well as the game itself) have a certain amount of free will, which means they can choose to ignore a player’s commands and do something else that they think is more important, just like real people. For example, you may want to make them go to the supermarket or visit a friend, but if their energy level is too low, the Sim may just decide to sleep instead to build up his energy reserves.

The game calls for players to make decisions for their Sim characters about personal development (such as adding specific activities like exercise and reading to enhance creativity, and logic), personal hygiene (how often he must clean the house, do the dishes or take out the garbage), personal finances (what kind of job does he take on and how does he spend his income), eating, and sleeping.

Let’s say the Sim does not have enough eat or sleep, or has not created a healthy environment, they could get sick and die. If the Sim does not have enough recreational activities, his fun level bar falls and he becomes depressed (but never to the point that he commits suicide).

Players also have control over how their Sim character relates with other characters. They can make their Sim a nasty person who insults, slaps or even attacks other Sims, which usually means they get insulted, slapped and attacked in return.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Games, Boating, and
Sports

Tags: Games, Players, recreations, Sim, sportsGames, Players, recreations, Sim, sports

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Looking for a fun way to exercise and stay healthy? Doctors say that rebound exercising is one of the healthiest, safest kinds of exercise for your joints and heart. It’s aerobic, it’s fun, and it doesn’t put the same stress on your joints and tendons that impact exercise like jogging does. What’s rebounding? You probably know it better as ‘jumping on a trampoline’.

Trampolines for the garden or yard have become one of the hottest sports in the world. And why not? It’s great for you. You can do it alone or with others. You can use a trampoline to help you brush up on other skills - snowboarding, anyone? A trampoline in your back yard or garden is like having a gym right outside your door.

Alone or with others? Trampolining is a recognized Olympic sport, and was one of the official gymnastics events of the 2000 Olympics. It has been an official competitive sport since 1947, though it wasn’t recognized as one in the United States until 1967. Among the events that are held in official competitive trampolining and tumbling are Synchronized Trampoline in which two athletes perform identical routines on two trampolines, and the double mini-trampoline, in which one athlete performs on two mini-trampolines set at two different levels. Just think - a trampoline for your yard or garden could start your family off on the road to competitive success!

Even if you’ve got no ambitions to become a tumbling superstar, though, the health and fun benefits of having a trampoline in your yard/garden are clear.

To set up a trampoline, all you need is a backyard that is clear of obstruction around the width and height of the trampoline and for about 15 feet beyond. Trampolines come in many different sizes and styles to fit your space and your needs. Round, square, rectangular or octagonal, in sizes from 6 feet across to 30 - there’s a trampoline out there that’s perfect for your yard or garden space.

Rectangular trampolines are generally made of more durable materials than round ones because the design requires stronger materials. They have criss-crossed springs to draw the tension even, and create a uniform bouncing surface. You can buy rectangular trampolines in sizes starting as small as 10 feet in length.

By contrast, round trampolines have springs positioned around the perimeter and the tension tends to make a ’sweet spot’ in the very center. If you move out of the center, the focus of the tension shifts, making it harder to maintain your balance. The frame needed is lighter, and can be made of less expensive materials, making them cheaper to buy than other shapes.

There are special considerations if you’re buying a trampoline for the garden or yard for children to use. Pediatricians and children’s safety experts warn against allowing children to use standard trampolines for a number of reasons. These include the possibility of little fingers getting caught in trampoline springs, children falling off the edge of trampolines and children injuring themselves attempting tricks that they aren’t ready for. Because of those safety concerns, there are trampolines designed specifically for children that use a different style of spring, and accessories available to make trampolining safer for them. Among those are enclosure nets and non-slip surfaces.

Ian Wide has contributed many articles to sports related sites including pieces on trampolines.

Tags: exercise, fitness, recreation, sports, trampolinesexercise, fitness, recreation, sports, trampolines

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