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GOLF Uncategorized

From Range to course – Beginner’s guide to Golf

Unreal expectations

Most people that are serious about improving at Golf spend a fair amount of time at the Range, or in a Simulator.  I’m currently helping a friend of mine who is brand new to the game develop her swing at the Range.  Chances are good that she won’t actually play on her first course until next Summer.  Almost a full year away.  She began playing in April of this year so she will have been practicing at the Range or in a Simulator for over a year before she feels ready to take on a course.  Now not everybody has her patience.  I definitely didn’t.  In my first Season I began going to the Range in March, and played my first game on a course in June.  I had developed a poor but repeatable swing, and felt relatively confident with my 3 Hybrid, and Pitching Wedge.  I was ready!

No I wasn’t!

Something that every Beginner needs to know about Range, and Simulator practice.  It doesn’t actually prepare you for the real thing!  First of all hitting off the Fairway is very different from hitting off a mat.  At the Range, or in a Simulator you are always on even ground.  That isn’t the case in most situations on a course.  Even Tee boxes can be a little uneven.  Think about what an inch of difference in contact can make on your ball flight.  Another huge difference between hitting off a mat, and hitting off the ground is the amount of resistance each provides.  When you are at the Range hitting shot after shot a decent distance.  What you might fail to realize is how a mat can correct an imperfect swing.  You’ve probably seen many videos about making contact with the ground after hitting the ball.  The preferred angle of attack with an Iron is down through the ball, taking a divot that’s beyond the ball’s original position.  Most Beginners do the opposite.  They make contact with the ground just before they make contact with the ball, or as they make contact with the ball.  The reason for this is due to the amount of time they spend at the Range, or in a Simulator when they begin developing a swing.  It’s very unnatural, and possibly painful to swing at a downward angle with the intention to make contact with a solid surface.  Almost everyone begins as a “Picker”, hoping to essentially sweep the ball off the mat by making contact with the mat, and ball at the same time.  An unfortunate side effect of this is when we make contact with the mat before the ball.  The resistance of the surface will quite often help us make good contact with the ball.  That won’t happen at the course, unless you are playing on frozen ground in November.  Making contact with the ground before the ball will usually result in a “chunky” shot.  Whenever you hear someone say they “chunked” it, or caught one really “fat”.  That’s what they are talking about.  Usually this results in a shot that doesn’t travel very far at all.  It can be really confusing to a Beginner who has never experienced a shot that looked or felt like that one did.  At the Range, or in a Simulator the usual miss is a topped ball.  When only the bottom of your club makes contact with the ball.  This is considered by most to be hitting the ball “thin”.  You know when you hit those low line drives with something as lofted as your Wedge.  That’s what happens when you catch it “thin”.  What’s confusing when you are first developing your swing at the Range is how a poor swing that makes contact with the ground behind the ball, doesn’t sweep low enough to make contact with the ground at all, or actually makes contact with the ground beyond the ball but comes in at to steep an angle can all result in a thin shot.  The natural response to this in our minds is to focus on making hard contact with the mat as close to the ball as possible.  Expect a lot of ugly chunky contact if you take that opinion to the course.  The other issue that this creates is how contact with the ground can effect the squareness of your club face at impact.  If the ground didn’t effect your swing then hitting out of the Rough wouldn’t be an issue.  Anything that impedes your swing path to the ball will affect it’s flight.  If contact with the ground before the ball causes your club face to twist open just a little, you will hit a slice.  For the most part mats don’t effect your club face very much at all when you make contact with them.  Keep all of these things in mind when you head out to the course for the first time.

I know the difference but my course play still suffers!

As a Beginner that’s played a lot of Rounds of Golf.  I’ve gone through the great Range practice on Wednesday, didn’t seem to help at the course on Saturday.  So many times I have wondered what is wrong with my swing that day.  The answer was actually nothing.  There are a few factors that come into play on a course that are never a consideration at the Range.  Tee boxes are in different locations.  This seems like an insignificant thing but it’s not.  When you are at the Range you are continuously hitting balls from the same spot, with the same wind position, at the same targets, and in most cases zero hazards to worry about.  The wind is a far greater factor than most Beginners realize.  Hitting a ball 100 yards into an open field is a lot easier than hitting a ball 100 yards over a Pond.  Golf courses are designed to not only test your skill, and physical ability.  The courses are also designed to test you mentally.  I’ve yet to come across a Range, or Simulator that can recreate that.  Every shot you take that can be potentially lost in a hazard adds additional stress.  All around you there are other people playing that might get a good laugh at your expense if you Chunk one into the water.  These aren’t things that effect your swing at Range, or in a Simulator.  The best advice I can give you is that you shouldn’t worry about what other people think.  In most cases they are too focused on their own game to notice yours.  When dealing with Hazards, it’s best to just focus on the ball, and not the target.  Keep your head down through the swing, and believe in the result.  Beginners tend to focus on the target when needing to clear a Hazard.  By lifting their head too early to see if they have cleared the Hazard.  They end up making poor contact with the ball, and ending in trouble.

Play for the moment, not the score

Your first few times out to the course I wouldn’t even bother keeping track of your score.  I think my first time out I shot 58 over par.  Obviously I was seriously disappointed right.  Actually I thoroughly enjoyed myself!  I had no clue what my score was while I was playing.  My playing partner was keeping score privately.  What I remember is a Putt I sunk from off the Green with a fair amount of break in it, and the single Tee shot I hit on a Par 3 that actually found the Green.  Those two shots had me eager to come back, and play again the following week.  If you focus on the small accomplishments you make each time you play.  You won’t just love this game, you’ll keep improving.  Two Seasons later I shot 29 over on the exact same course.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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FANTASY Uncategorized

Week 3 Fantasy league recap & Top 10 – Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-24

A very scary 1-2

My teams are both 1-2 in my featured Fantasy Leagues.  As I had previously mentioned in last week’s recap I’m not worried about either team.  Despite being 1-2 in my Gridiron Pros League.  My team actually leads the League in total Fantasy points gained so far.  I actually have 36 more Fantasy points than the next closest Team.  Unfortunately I also have the highest amount of total points scored against me as well.  That’s why I am only 1-2 despite being the strongest Team in the league.  Things are quite similar in my True Fanatics League.  I have the third highest scoring team but only a 1-2 record.  Last week I mentioned that despite being 0-2 at that time I wasn’t worried.  The combination of Tom Brady and Le’Veon Bell with a good supporting crew of Wide Receivers was sure to start winning.  That happened this week and I had the top scoring team.

The numbers don’t lie

As disappointing as it is to be currently ranked in the bottom half of the standings.  My Fantasy Teams are performing as expected, or even better than I had hoped.  So far I’ve been lucky enough to have all my key players make it through the first three weeks without serious injury.  Currently my starting Quarterback in each League has performed well.  The Quarterback position is one that’s become increasingly difficult to predict.  My middle Round draft picks have performed great, which usually leads to Fantasy success.  I would be surprised if my Teams aren’t having winning Seasons by Week 7.

 The true Top 10

With the first three weeks in the books I thought it would be interesting to see who the Top 10 performers are at this point.  Based on depth of position, total performance, and future potential, a current PPR draft might look like this.

Pick 1 – Kareem Hunt

Kareem Hunt has become the focal point of the Kansas City Chiefs Offence.  As both a Runner and Receiver he’s on his way to having the kind of Season we would expect from David Johnson(injured) or Le’Veon Bell(underperforming).  It wouldn’t surprise me at all if he finishes the Season as a Top 3 Running Back.

Pick 2 – Todd Gurley

No one expected the L.A. Rams to be competitive.  How Todd Gurley would perform after a lacklustre Season was anyone’s guess as well.  Well the LA Rams have been competitive, and a large part of the success is due to the hard running of Todd Gurley.  Gurley is a proven workhorse who shouldn’t have a problem running hard for a full Season.  How he finishes the Season is going to depend on how long the L.A. Rams can stay competitive.

Pick 3 – Antonio Brown

Finally a Player that has landed where many of us would have expected at the beginning of the Season.  Antonio Brown keeps doing what Antonio Brown does. He runs perfect routes, gets open when Roethlisberger is in trouble, and makes spectacular catches.  He’s on one of the most potent offences in the league.  He will finish the Season as a Top 3 Wide Receiver again.

Pick 4 – Stefon Diggs

A mid Round pick in most people’s minds.  Stefon Diggs has been a human highlight reel throughout the first three weeks of the Season.  What I like most about his performances is the attitude he’s been playing with.  Diggs looks like a Top 3 Receiver at this point.  Along with Adam Thielen the Minnesota Vikings have looked like a potent Offence.  I believe that they will continue to cause matchup problems for Defences.  Diggs is sure to have a great year.

Pick 5 – Tom Brady

The ageless wonder is off to a great start once again.  He’s averaging almost 3 touchdowns per game, and over 350 yards.  Numbers like that warrant a first Round pick.  Quarterbacks are a bit of a risky pick early, but if the draft was today I’d take Brady.  Plus it’s the Patriots.  You can bet the farm that they are going to remain competitive.

Pick 6 – Devonta Freeman

Another Player you would expect to get picked somewhere in the middle of the first Round.  Devonta Freeman hasn’t disappointed.  The Atlanta Falcons are still a high octane Offence that relies heavily on their Running Backs.  Even though Tevin Coleman is still a factor.  Freeman is the number one RB in Atlanta for sure.  As long as he stays healthy Freeman will continue to produce.

Pick 7 – Chris Thompson

Thompson has been the bright spot on a totally revamped Offence.  With DeSean Jackson, and Pierre Garcon leaving in the off season, we didn’t know what to expect from the Washington Redskins Offence.  Nobody thought their top performer would be Chris Thompson.  Given a chance to really shine because Rob Kelley had a minor injury.  Thompson has excelled as the lead back.  Unfortunately with Kelley’s imminent return, it looks like Thompson will be reduced to a complimentary role.  He will still produce but his opportunities will be limited.  If it wasn’t for this he would rank higher up on this list.

Pick 8 – Tyreek Hill

Tyreek Hill is so much more than a Wide Receiver.  There has been claims of “offensive weapon” players before.  None of them were nearly as deserving as Tyreek Hill.  Kansas City has found the right way to utilize him.  With Kareem Hunt keeping Defences honest, Tyreek Hill is in a situation where he creates mismatches.  Hill is going to have a great season.

Pick 9 – Ty Montgomery

It used to be a rule of mine to avoid Green Bay Packers Running Backs.  It took them converting a Wide Receiver into a Running Back to finally make it worthwhile.  I actually drafted Ty Montgomery in one of my featured Leagues because he was the best RB available. I actually got him in the fourth Round.  Well if the draft was today that would be a steal.  Sure I expected him to catch balls out of the backfield.  What has surprised me is how hard of a Runner he is.  With Aaron Rodgers leading the Offence, it hasn’t been difficult for Montgomery to find room to run.  There are concerns about his durability as a lead Running Back.  Green Bay is making an effort to keep him healthy by limiting his total touches.  That’s the only thing that keeps him from being higher on this list.

Pick 10 – Rob Gronkowski

Lets be honest here.  As long as Gronkowski is healthy he’s the best Tight End in football.  He leads all Tight Ends after the first three weeks.  I don’t think anyone is surprised by that.  If it wasn’t for his injury concerns Gronkowski would probably be a Top 6 pick.  It’s almost a guarantee that he will effectively miss games.  In my opinion, as long as he doesn’t miss 4 games, or the  playoffs he’s worth a Top 10 pick.

Well there you have it.  If you have a combination of any of these Players then you are probably doing well.  Unless you are me of course.  I have a combination of Antonio Brown, Stefon Diggs, Tom Brady, Chris Thompson, and Ty Montgomery between my two featured Teams.  Sure I’m 1-2 in both of those Leagues.  Now you know why I’m really not worried.

 

 

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GAMING Uncategorized

A sad reality. The Gamer in me GL-12

I didn’t want to believe it

For the last two months I’ve used my free time at home to play XCOM2 on the PS4.  The game is a year old now, but I never got around to finishing it when it was first released.  I’ve always loved the XCOM games, and this one is no exception.  What brought me back to it was the lack of interesting games that have been released this year.  I’m a bit picky with the games I choose to purchase.  I usually find something of interest every couple of months, but not this year.  Actually the next game I’m interested in purchasing is Hidden Agenda by the makers of Until Dawn.   Hopefully it doesn’t run into some last minute issues and get pushed back.  Not having anything new of interest for so long has had me feeling disappointed with my PS4.  I haven’t bothered discussing it because I felt like it was just me that felt this way.  Keep in mind that there have been some big game releases this year.  They’ve just been games that felt too much like games I’ve played before.  Injustice 2 and Tekken 7 we’re welcomed by fight game fans.  The Witcher 3 set the modern Open World Fantasy game standard.  Horizon: Zero Dawn, Nioh, and Resident Evil 7 are just a few others that made quite a few gamers happy.  Still none of these titles had me waiting for the game store to open on release day.  So obviously it had to be me right?

Not so fast

Last night I had a few friends over to my place for a birthday get together.  Ironically part of what made this party a success was playing That’s You on my PS4.  Even though I haven’t rushed out to the video game store that often this year.  I have taken advantage of the monthly releases PS Plus offers.  That’s You was one such release that has been worth downloading.  While playing the game one of my friends asked me if I use my PS4 very much anymore?  The question surprised me, but I answered quickly.  “Not really” I said.  “The only game I’ve been playing lately is XCOM2” I told him.  He wasn’t surprised at all.  He hadn’t played a game on his PS4 for months.  Another one of my friends decided to join the conversation, and he felt the same way.  The last game he bought on release day was Resident Evil 7.

He absolutely loved the game, but unfortunately beat the game in a single weekend.  All of us agreed that the majority of games that have been released this year are pretty generic.  They felt the same way as me.  Keep in mind that all of us are casual gamers.  We don’t play video games every day.  We will binge play a game we really like until it’s completed.  That just doesn’t happen all that often anymore.

What does it all mean?

Now that I know that it isn’t just me.  I have to wonder how this has negatively affected the video game market.  If more and more people are disinterested about the types of games being released these days.  Then the number of games sold must be decreasing.  If you have read my previous gaming posts.  Then you’ll know that I believe that the large video game production companies are releasing too many games each year.  A reduced interest could actually be the reason why.  If you don’t expect to sell a huge number of copies of a single game.  Then why not just attempt to sell an average number of copies of many games.  As long as you divide your development budget between all the games.  That way your expected profits will remain same.  All you really require is for the hardcore Gamers to blindly buy whatever you release.  Trust me,  more people buy every hyped game that comes out than you think.

All the recent talk about PS5 development.  The Ultra HD upgrade consoles that are already on the market.  The introduction of Playlink to allow more people to play in a party atmosphere.  All of this is beginning to feel like an industry that’s getting desperate for our attention.

The problem with peaking

What really caused all of this to happen?  I’ll tell you what did it.  Technology has peaked.  It wasn’t all that long ago that a major Game release meant that the quality of video games was about to take a step forward.  We couldn’t wait to see the improved graphics, or amazing attention to detail.  Even if the game wasn’t great.  Experiencing the newest technology at work for the first time made it worthwhile.

I just hope that Hidden Agenda doesn’t disappoint.  It’s the follow up to Until Dawn, which was the last game I purchased that really impressed me.  It is taking advantage of the Playlink system which adds to my interest.  Sony does deserve some credit for looking ahead to where video games are going.  Playlink and Playstation VR could be what keeps them on top for the foreseeable future.

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FISHING Uncategorized

Why Fishing? The Right Angle RA-13

What do you love about Fishing?

Every now and then I’ll have a friend ask me, “hey what are you up to this weekend”?  “I’m going fishing”, is my answer.

“Fishing”

The way they say it as both a question why, and a confused combination of how and where?  Now I’m sure that a lot of you get that same why response.  I get the confused combination of how and where because I live in the heart of Toronto.  Even though Toronto is situated on Lake Ontario, quite a few people still assume that it isn’t a place to go fishing.  Come on people, it isn’t just any old lake.  It’s a Great Lake!  That being the case I only spend roughly half of my time fishing in Toronto on Lake Ontario.  I fish many of the rivers and ponds in the city as well.  Now keep in mind that I prefer to fish from shore.  If I owned a boat I’d spend far more time fishing Lake Ontario.

“Are they even safe to eat”?

I get this question quite often as well.  Yes the fish you catch in and around Toronto are safe to eat.  We’re talking about Toronto here, not Chernobyl!  Now do I eat the fish that I catch?  Actually I don’t.  I’m strictly a catch and release fisherman.  “Then what’s the point” they ask?  I get this question quite often as well.  It’s usually followed by “what if you don’t catch anything”?  Of course I would like to land that trophy fish every time I go out.  Of course we all know that it just doesn’t happen.  Honestly though it doesn’t really matter.  Whether I catch or not, just being out on a beautiful day with only the sound of the river is satisfying enough.  In fact I enjoy some of the exact same things fishing provides that another one of my favourite sports Golf provides.  You get to escape from the daily grind, enjoy beautiful scenery, feel a sense of solitude not easily found within a city, and challenge yourself to improve a skill not easily mastered.  There is also the possibility of something absolutely amazing happening.  Catching that particular species of fish that’s incredibly rare, or hitting that hole in one.  If that doesn’t keep you coming back then you must be a total pessimist.  Look I’m not a world class professional fisherman by anyone’s standard.  I’m not sponsored by Minn-Kota, or Mepps.

Do I expect to land a trophy Musky some day?  Damn right I do!  It isn’t like I travel up north and fish Musky filled rivers.  People have caught Musky in the Greater Toronto Area before, so why can’t I.  To really be passionate about fishing.  You have to believe that a day will come that inspires a story that you will tell for years to come.  The kind of story that captivates an audience whether they are also Anglers or not.  A story that you are so proud of, that you grin every time you tell it.

If you haven’t read my The Right Angle RA-12 My greatest catch post, then I suggest that you do.  It contains one such story.  This particular story happened when I was still a kid.  Obviously I still tell it.  Like any great fishing story it only gets better the more you tell it.  People can’t stop asking me why I fish?

The sunrise that warms you while you are fishing on the river.

That monster strike when you least expect it.

That amazing story that you never get tired of telling.

The possibility of something truly magical happening at any moment.

Now you know why.

 

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FANTASY Uncategorized

Week 2 Fantasy league recap – Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-23

AFC West for the win

I’ve been saying this for the last few years.  The AFC West is the toughest Division in Football.

Except for the LA Chargers who have started their Season 0-2.  Keep in mind that they lost both games by less than a touchdown.  The rest of the Division is 2-0.  Have absolutely no fear starting any of the AFC West star players.  There’s a very good chance that you won your Game this week if you did.

Unfortunately for me I don’t have many AFC West players on either of my highlight Fantasy Teams.  In my True Fanatics League I remain winless.  Even though I have had very high performers each Week, somebody else on my roster lets me down.  To put that in perspective I’m starting Brady at Quarterback.  With only two quarters left to play on Monday it looked like I was going to go 2-0 in my Gridiron Pros League.  Matt Stafford was my acting Quarterback, but unfortunately the Detroit Lions switched to a Run focused Offence.  C’est la vie.  Still my Team performed well.  Everyone had double digit Fantasy points except for the Kicker.  Who really counts on points from their kicker?

Free points to be had

If any of your Fantasy Players are facing these Defences, then seriously consider starting them!  I made a point of telling you to start any of your Oakland Raider Players in Week 2 because they were facing the NY Jets.  I was correct in a big way!  This should hold true for most of the Season.  Another Defence that invites their opponents to score at will is the Indianapolis Colts.  As long as Andrew Luck is out, and the Colt Offence can’t sustain drives.  The Colts D will be exhausted by half time.  Start your Fantasy Players against them.  The last of the here have some free Fantasy points Defences has been on this list for the last four Seasons. The New Orleans Saints.  Somewhere along the line the Saints must have decided that their Offence was so good with Drew Brees under center.  That assembling a decent Defence wasn’t necessary.  Starting my Wide Receivers, and Running Backs against the Saints D has been a winning formula for me for years.  If you are unsure which game to watch on Sunday.  Just go with the New Orleans Saints game.  It’s sure to be a shoot out.  Brady had the best first quarter of his career Week 2 against the New Orleans Saints Defence.  Think about how long Brady has been in the league.  Keep in mind that he did this without someone like Edelman, Welker, or Moss in the lineup.  Does the New Orleans Saints Defence suck?  Yes it does!

0-2 Panic

You’ve started the Season 0-2.  Should you be in panic mode?  Well my Team in my True Fanatics League is 0-2 and I’m not.  Whether you should be in panic mode will depend on your roster to some extent.  If you are one of the unfortunate people to draft David Johnson first overall, then went WR-WR before getting your next Running Back.  Now you are desperately lacking at RB.  Well you might be worried. Here’s why I’m not worried.

I still have Tom Brady, Le’Veon Bell, and a group of WRs that can put up great points any week.  Le’Veon Bell hasn’t had a breakout game yet, but looked like he was ready to in Week 2.  Trust me when I tell you that he will still finish the Season as one of the Top 3 Running Backs in Fantasy.  Brady had a terrible first Week, and then lit up the Saints in Week 2.  Yes it was the Saints, but I can expect the Brady/Bell combination to win me at least 6 games this year.  My Wide Receivers group of Stefon Diggs, Doug Baldwin, Pierre Garcon, and Larry Fitzgerald can all produce like WR1s.  Diggs has already proven that he can have monster games with Sam Bradford under center.  Doug Baldwin is the man in Seattle.  Seattle’s first two games of the season were low scoring affairs, but that’s sure to change.  This being a half PPR league both Larry Fitzgerald, and Pierre Garcon are sure to provide a higher floor of production each Week.  If you pay close attention to my waiver claims.  You will see that I’m targeting the handcuff for my Running Back Rob Kelley because he’s a little banged up.  I’m also looking to upgrade my backup QB from Andy Dalton to Trevor Siemian.  I’m happy switching between Hunter Henry and Charles Clay at Tight End.  Sure my Running Backs are mediocre after Le’Veon Bell.  If you are in a competitive Fantasy League with 12+ Teams you should probably have a weakness somewhere.  What you need to figure out is if your team can win when it counts?  As long as I get into the Playoffs.  My combination of Star Players that play on teams with real world Playoff implications means that my Fantasy Team should produce during the Fantasy Playoffs.  If you are unsure about whether you should be making early Season moves, use the Playoff potential as your guide.

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FANTASY Uncategorized

Are you kidding me NFL Gameday! Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-22

Poor Analysis

I was watching NFL Gameday yesterday, and during their game predictions I actually got disgusted.  Not a single one of them on their panel predicted the Denver Broncos to win in their home stadium.  Only Michael Irvin gave The NFC Champion Atlanta Falcons a chance against the team they smashed not too long ago in their house.  The Denver Broncos with arguably the best Defence in football against a team that hasn’t beaten them in years.  Actually the Dallas Cowboys have had their worst win percentage against the Denver Broncos.  So how is it that not one single analyst (Michael Irvin excepted) picked either of those teams to win?  As far as I can tell it’s because they analyze a Team’s success by the potential for individual achievement.  They thought that the Green Bay Packers were going to beat the Atlanta Falcons because Aaron Rodgers is “unstoppable”.  Well that just wasn’t the case was it?  Actually Desmond Trufant and the Atlanta Defence made him look average.  Ezekial Elliot was supposed to run rampant over the Denver Broncos defence according to the Gameday crew.  WRONG!  Sure the Broncos D gave up some running yards last year.  That was the only chink in their armour last Season.  What do you think they were addressing all off season?  With a Defence that talented, it didn’t occur to even one of you that they might be able to fix one single weakness?  Well fix it they did.  Ezekiel had the worst game of his short career.  So bad in fact that statistically it was like he wasn’t even playing for the first half of the game.  Are your memories so short that you have already forgotten that this Denver Broncos Defence carried that team to the Superbowl Championship only two Seasons ago?  People keep saying that Peyton Manning led that team.  Wake up!  The Quarterback play that Season may have been the worst statistically for a Superbowl Championship team.  Manning didn’t win the Superbowl.  The Denver Broncos Defence did.  Von Miller has the MVP trophy to prove it.

What’s wrong with the Bengals?

I’ve watched a fair amount of both Cincinnati Bengals games this Season.  It boggles me how poorly they are playing.  You would expect a team with so many offensive Weapons to actually score a couple touchdowns.  Well the ownership did what owners do.  They fired OC Ken Zampese, and gave the job to Quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor.  Even though it’s a serious promotion for Lazor, he can’t be too thrilled about it.  Sure there might have been a few questionable calls in third and long situations, but honestly when isn’t there?  I don’t think Zampese shit the bed.  I just feel like the Bengals haven’t been executing.  People are calling for Dalton’s head on a platter.  When I watch the games, some of those missed passes are far too off target to simply be poor throws by Andy Dalton.  They are most likely the result of incorrect, or poor route running.  If that isn’t the case, and Dalton is actually missing his receivers by that much.  Then well, maybe it is time for a change.  I also get the feeling that it could be a case of having too much of a good thing.  Jeremy Hill, Giovanni Bernard, Joe Mixon, Brandon LaFell, Alex Erickson, John Ross, and A.J. Green makes for a lot of mouths to feed.  Some times having too many targets can muddle up an Offence.  I believe that the New Orleans Saints are having the exact same problem.  Especially when it concerns the Running Backs.  Both teams have three Running Backs on the roster that could handle significantly more touches per game.  Unless the Offensive line is doing a great job of making holes for them to run through.  A Running Back requires multiple carries to test a Defensive line for weaknesses.  Places that they themselves can power through, or slip tackles to turn a run for no gain into at least 3 yards.  Without those additional touches then they are essentially running blind.  One of Cincinnati’s greatest strengths in recent years has been their two Running Back system.  Wearing out a Defence by continuously switching between their two Running Backs while providing each Back with a fair amount of touches.  Currently the Atlanta Falcons are having a great deal of success doing that with Devonta Freeman, and Tevin Coleman.  Hopefully the Cincinnati Bengals revert back to what has worked for them in the past.  A healthy dose of two Running Backs, and passes over the top when Defences are forced to respect the Run, and leave A.J. Green in single coverage.  Sounds like a winning formula to me.

What’s ahead

Normally I wouldn’t post a Fantasy Football article on Monday morning, but the Gameday crew just forced me to say something.  I will still have my Fantasy Football recap on Wednesday.  Doesn’t look like a good Week 2 for me.  Moves will have to be made.

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GOLF Uncategorized

Don’t forget the little things, Swing thoughts – Beginner’s guide to Golf

So many swing thoughts

Before, during, and inevitably after we think about our swing.  There’s so much going through our heads that sometimes we are the instruments of our own demise.  We forget that as complicated as the game of Golf can be.  In order to succeed at it things need to be simple.  I’m sure you have all seen videos, or read articles relating to swing instruction.  Too often they describe swing path, angle of attack, transfer of weight, club head release, follow through, the direction your belt buckle should face at the conclusion of your swing, and I could keep going on and on.  How are you ever going to make successful contact with the ball if you are thinking about all of these things at once?  When I was first developing a swing, my only thought was to make contact with the ball.  After a few trips out to the Range I was able to make pretty consistent contact.  Of course I had very little distance, or directional control.  In an attempt to further develop my swing I started watching those videos I mentioned.  What I learned is that too much information can do more harm than good.

It wasn’t all useless though

There are a few tips I picked up on that I believe can help any Beginner.  First of all it’s important to separate your swing setup from the actual swing.  Too many Beginners concentrate on both at once.  It sounds quite easy to do, but it isn’t.  What happens is that during your practice backswing, or waggle you adjust your stance.  While doing so you begin to think about your swing.  The two thoughts become one.  What I’ve learned to do is make my practice backswing a part of my setup.  Once I’m satisfied with my position I take a moment to clear my head.  Then I begin my swing preparation.  I’ve simplified my swing thought to three things.  A smooth controlled backswing, then a balanced fore swing without drifting my weight from back to front too much, and a complete follow through.  That’s it!  To be honest I am limiting my maximum distance by purposefully decreasing my weight transfer.  What it does do is significantly reduce the number of miss hits I make.  For me that’s far more important.  Another tip I can offer you that will surely improve your scores, is to hit every putt with the intention to go three feet passed the hole.  Any putt that comes up short has no chance of rolling in.  Better to hit your ball too far passed the hole than leave it short.  An additional bonus to playing this way is that you get a lot of practice hitting 3 to 5 foot putts.  You will get so accustomed to hitting them that soon any putt within 5 feet will feel automatic.

Short shots are the most important

When it comes to practice, spend the majority of your time working on your shorter clubs.  In actuality you should spend the most time practicing your putting stroke.  Then you should spend almost as much time working on your Wedge game.  Then your Irons, your Hybrids, your Woods, and last of all your Driver.  Too many Beginners do this in reverse.  Think of it in terms of what you will likely use the most during a Round.  As a Beginner there’s a very good chance that you will have to make 2 or 3 putts per hole.  You might have to hit 2 or 3 Wedge shots as well.  On average only 1 or 2 Iron shots are required per hole.  Most holes only require 1 shot with a Wood or Hybrid.  Most of the courses I play only require the Driver on a couple of the holes on the entire course.  It wouldn’t make much of a difference to my final score if I hit my Driver best.  If I was in top form with my Putter and Wedges though.  I could easily reduce my final score by at least one stroke per hole.  In fact it only took me about 12 months of regular practice with my Putter and Wedges to reduce my handicap from a 36 to 20.  I have to admit that I’m not very consistent with my Driver yet.  In some cases I don’t even use it once during a Round.  That hasn’t prevented me from reducing my scores though.

Remember that you are a Beginner

It’s very easy to get tempted to play some of the more professional style courses in your area.  Be realistic about your expectations when you do.  There can be a huge increase in difficulty.  Don’t be a hero and play from the back Tees.  Don’t get too preoccupied with your score to Par.  Just focus on making good shots, and playing within your ability.  Trust me you will enjoy the experience far more.

Beginner’s guide to Golf

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GAMING Uncategorized

Boardgames are back The Gamer in me GL-11

Disconnected

I’m old enough to remember a time when the kids in my neighborhood would decide where to meet that evening on the bus ride home.  Maybe we would all get together at the local baseball diamond, or meet up at my place to play pond hockey in the winter.  Sometimes just a couple of us would go to a friend’s house to play video games, or board games.  You see we weren’t all connected to one another by Smart phones.  We didn’t have Facebook, or Instagram to immediately find out what everyone else was up to.  You couldn’t just sign in to your cellphone Game account, Xbox account, or Playstation account to play a game over the internet with a friend.  You had to go out of your way to see a friend, play a game together, or just find out what they were up to.  The irony of it all is that the more we try to become connected through technology.  The more disconnected we have become. The art of conversation has suffered.  They say that a picture is worth a thousand words.  Well we as a digital society have begun to rely on it.  Why take the time to describe something that happened to you.  When you can just snap a picture or shoot a short video of it. It’s all so very convenient, but there’s something missing.  Something each and every one of us naturally craves.

A sense of sharing and togetherness

The most fun I’ve ever had playing a video game is with three friends offline.  The game was called Champions: Return to Arms for the PS2.  If you are unfamiliar with the game, it’s very similar to Diablo.  The graphics weren’t especially great.  Like Diablo it was basically a loot and character advancement style of game.  What made it great wasn’t the game. It was the shared experience, and teamwork it required to succeed.  All four of us together in my living room enjoying the game as a team.  If one of us made a hilarious mistake.  We all laughed together.  If we beat a level boss.  We all celebrated the victory together.  I didn’t snap a picture, or shoot a short video so my friends could laugh, or celebrate after the fact.  You see that’s what is missing.  The shared moment.  Outside of Sports, there isn’t much that we need to do together anymore.  It’s for this reason that there has been such a huge resurgence in Board Games.

Innovation

How different are today’s video games from the ones we played 5 years ago?  The graphics are a little bit better, and more people can play together online than before, but that’s about it.  There aren’t too many video games these days that really surprise me.  That isn’t the case with Board Games.  Every year a new take on an old genre pops up.  Board Games used to be very linear.  Every time you played the game, how it progressed was the same.  Now you have games that randomly create the board as you play it.  Some games require you to build a card deck before you begin, while others have you build a deck during the game.  There are even games that are played with each other cooperatively, as opposed to against each other competitively.  It doesn’t matter what your interests are, there is a Board Game for everyone.  Even if you aren’t much of a Gamer.  Chances are that you will really enjoy yourself the next time you get together to play a Board Game.   You know why?  It’s because you will be with friends sharing the experience.

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FANTASY Uncategorized

Week 1 Fantasy League recap – Sports Fanatics play Fantasy SF-21

A wild week 1

The first week of the Fantasy Season can be summed up with one word, surprising!  Fantasy studs failed to show up, and a number of Players that weren’t even drafted had a major Fantasy impact.  You’ve got to feel bad for anyone who started Eli Manning, Andy Dalton, Carson Palmer, or Tom Brady at Quarterback.  How many of you started Tarik Cohen?  Anyone, anybody, Bueller?  How lucky were the Jameis Winston owners who picked up Sam Bradford or Alex Smith as a Free Agent to fill in for Week 1.  Consensus number 1 pick David Johnson goes down with a wrist injury.  That’s going to seriously change the power rankings in everyone’s League.  The heart and soul of the Kansas City Defence, Eric Berry is out for the Season.  Jacksonville looked like a Playoff ready Team against the Houston Texans.  Shit even the Browns looked like they could be competitive.

Waiver Wire insanity

You can expect things to get crazy on the waiver wire this week.  Tarik Cohen, Andre Ellington, Kenny Golloday, Corey Davis, Jesse James, Kerwynn Williams, Nelson Agholor, and Allen Hurns will all get picked up.  I believe that a few of these Players can significantly help your Fantasy Team, but not all of them.  Temper your expectations with Andre Ellington, Kerwynn Williams, Nelson Agholor, and Jesse James.  Every year I watch for Team Managers who get caught up in the Week 1 hype, and drop perfectly good Players for a flash in the pan.  Pay attention to who is being dropped.  You may land a steal.  If you do need a Wide Receiver.  I’d grab Kenny Golloday for sure.  Stafford loves throwing the ball to Players that can go up, and get it.  Golloday is that kind of Player.

Bad Bench calls

In the two featured Leagues I’m hosting.  Managers made a few costly Bench mistakes that cost them the win.  In the True Fanatics League Ball Breakerz, Raider in the North, and Cobe Life all lost their games due to poor lineup decisions.  That’s right, I’m guilty of it myself.  I went with Pierre Garcon over Stefon Diggs.  If that wasn’t bad enough.  I started the Falcons D over the Jaguars who had 10 friggin sacks! In the Gridiron Pros League Just Win Baby, Pixie’s Pirates, and RuinRevelation all made Game winning mistakes with their lineup.  Although it wouldn’t have been enough to beat my League leading 160.13 points.  Swaggy B left 44.2 points on the bench.  Decisions like that can not only cost you wins, but could be the difference between making the playoffs or just missing it.

Top score!

Looking ahead to Week 2

Now that we know what to expect from some of the Teams.  My Week 2 projections are based on what we have already seen.

Top QBs:  Tom Brady – yes he had a very pedestrian showing against the Kansas City Chiefs.  This week he faces the New Orleans Saints Defence that showed me nothing against the Vikings.  Expect Brady to finish with over 300 yards passing, and 2 Touchdowns.

Carson Palmer – sure Palmer was Mr. Interception this weekend.  Next week he faces the Indianapolis Colts that gave up 46 points to the L.A. Rams.  Also without David Johnson in the lineup I expect the Cardinals to throw a lot more.  Palmer should go over 300 yards, and score at least 2 Touchdowns.

David Carr – the Raiders face the lowly Jets.  Nuff said!  Carr will have a huge opportunity to showcase the Raiders high powered Offence.  I expect him to get 3 Touchdowns in this game.

Russell Wilson – the Seahawks are going to be feeling a lot of frustration after poor officiating cost them the win in Green Bay.  I expect the San Francisco Defence is going to find out what a frustrated Russell Wilson feels like on the scoreboard.  Instead of settling for Field Goals.  Wilson will be throwing Touchdowns.  Expect 300 yards, and 3 Touchdowns this week.

Top RBs: Dalvin Cook – this rookie is for real.  Whether it’s running between the tackles, turning the corner, or catching balls out of the backfield.  Cook can do it all.  Expecting him to find the End zone should be expected.  I wouldn’t be at all surprised if he went over 100 yards rushing again.

Marshawn Lynch – it’s going to feel great to be an Oakland Raider this week.  I can assure you that the Jets aren’t ready for Marshawn Lynch.  He will dominate this game on the ground.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets over 20 Fantasy points.

Devonta Freeman – his numbers weren’t the greatest this weekend but he managed a respectable Fantasy score because of the Touchdown.  Green Bay was limited by a stalwart Seattle Defence this week so scores were low.  I expect the Falcons/Packers game to be more of a shoot out.  Although the Green Bay Defence looked strong against the run.  They did appear weak against swing passes to Running Backs.  Expect Devonta Freeman to have more yards through the air than on the ground.  I expect him to find the End zone again.

Top WRs: Michael Crabtree – have you noticed a trend happening here.  Another Raider makes the list against the New York Jets.  Crabtree might be one of the most underrated Wide Receivers in the NFL.  He’s total money.  Don’t let anyone tell you any different.

Amari Cooper – both of Oakland’s Top Wide Receivers are going to have great days this week.  I expect both of them to find the End zone.  If you have Raiders on your roster just start them.

Larry Fitzgerald – he’s still the number 1 Wide Receiver in Arizona for good reason.  Look for Fitzgerald to go over 100 yards receiving.  I expect Carson Palmer to lean on his most trusted Receiver in David Johnson’s absence.

Mike Evans – by the time the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play their first game.  Mike Evans will be chomping at the bit.  The Chicago Bears played a pretty good game this weekend, and almost beat the Atlanta Falcons.  Don’t read too much into that.  I think the Falcons took them too lightly, and are still adjusting to a new guy calling the plays.  The Bucs will come out firing, and Evans is a total mismatch.  He could very well be the top scoring Wide Receiver this week.

Top TEs:  Rob Gronkowski – he was hardly a factor in last week’s loss to the Chiefs.  You can bet that the Patriots won’t make that mistake twice.  Gronkowski is going to do what he does best.  He’s going to catch balls in traffic, in the End zone.

Jimmy Graham – the Seahawks were forced to keep Graham back in protection for most of the game.  That won’t be the case this week.  I expect the Seahawks to protect Russell Wilson by increasing the number of short to intermediate passes.  Jimmy Graham matches up well against any linebacker.  He will be the go to Receiver on third down.

Zack Ertz – if the Philadelphia Eagles hope to keep pace with the Kansas Chiefs.  They will need to excel against all levels of their Defence.  Ertz will be the key to keeping the Kansas City Linebackers from blitzing at will, or dropping back into robber positions.  A great possession Tight End.  I wouldn’t be surprised if he gets the highest percentage of targets, and a touchdown in this contest.

Categories
GOLF Uncategorized

Dealing with Injuries Starting from Scratch SS-17

Remain Patient

We are in the last month of Summer.  The temperature has already dropped, and shorts aren’t always an option.  My last three Rounds of Golf were excellent by my standards.  My ball striking has been good.  My chipping has been great.  I’m satisfied with the way I’ve been putting.  I have kept the blow up Holes to a minimum.  All in all my game is where I hoped it would be about two months earlier than I had hoped.   Amidst all the excitement, and celebration I’ve been feeling the inevitable happens.  I severely pull a muscle in my back.  Not a big deal right.  I’ll take a week to relax, and then loosen up at the Range.  Well it only took about 10 balls at the Range to realize that my back was going to require a lot more rest.  What to do now?  What if all the progress I’ve made is slowly fading away with each day I don’t get out and play?  I’m sure many of you have worried about the exact same thing.  Maybe it wasn’t due to injury.  You could have been on vacation, or were blocked from playing by weather.  It can feel like any considerable amount of time spent away from Golf, can have you feeling like you are starting over when you return to the game.   Trust me when I tell you,  that isn’t the case at all.  The reason I can assure you of that is because every step you make to improve your game is significant.   If you haven’t read my Beginner Golf Focus Starting from Scratch SS-16

I suggest that you do.  Your game improves because you have found your grip, perfected your backswing, know your distances with each club, and increased the number of shots you can effectively make.  These aren’t things that you will easily forget, because it took an incredible amount of time to learn them in the first place.

Change your Focus

Everyone has cancelled a day of Golf for some reason beyond their control.  On those days I’ll make up for it by hitting a few Putts on my putting mat at home.  Maybe I’ll watch the Golf Fix on Golf channel, and see if I can pick up a few tips.  Sometimes I will go over previous Rounds of Golf that I’ve played to see where different choices would have benefitted me.  Would I rather be playing a Round of Golf?  Of course I would.  There are many ways to improve your game without actually playing though.  In some cases your handicap has a better chance to improve if you take a moment to really analyze your previous Rounds of Golf.  Learning where your game is weak, and then focusing on ways to either improve it, or avoid those situations in upcoming Rounds of Golf.  This can significantly improve your scores without experiencing a major improvement in your actual game.  Just by treating long Par 4s as Par 5s has reduced my handicap by 3 strokes.  I was able to identify that approaches to the Green over 150 yards were dangerous plays for me.  It was a far better play to lay up, and leave myself with a 50 to 100 yard approach.  By limiting my mistakes I was able to improve my scores.

Check your equipment

The more your game improves, the happier you will be with your Golf equipment.  Don’t believe me?  Think about how quickly you are at your local store, or online reading reviews when you aren’t playing well.  Hit a few slices with your Driver the last time you were out.  You can’t get to your local store fast enough to try whatever is new.  90% of the time it isn’t your equipment that’s holding you back.  What about the 10% of the time that it is?  If you are sidelined by injury.  Take this time to really inspect your equipment.  Maybe you haven’t changed your grips in a while.  Could be the perfect time to get the whole set regripped.  How are the grooves on your Wedges?  Do they still have grooves?  Are the hosels still tight on all of your Woods?  These are things that many of us tend to overlook during the Golf Season.  I switched from a Standard to a Midsize grip this year, and it made a huge difference.  Take notice of new technology on the market that may help improve your game.  I know a couple of guys I play with that had never tried a Hybrid club before.  They thought that Hybrid clubs were only for Beginners until I urged them to try one.  They were amazed by the versatility, and penetrating ball flight.  One of them immediately bought one to replace their 4 Iron.   Don’t dismiss everything you read about as being some sort of gimmick.  Improving your game isn’t just about becoming a better Golfer.  It’s also about identifying which equipment is right for you.

Even when life throws you a curve ball, and something prevents you from playing.  There are a lot of things that you can still do to get your Golf fix.  You can even use the time creatively to improve your future scores.