Author: Staff (Page 66 of 144)

      Can Brady Hoke bring Michigan back to elite status?

      November 11, 2013 /

      Brady Hoke SSH

      Should Brady Hoke still get a pass as he tries to undo the damage Rich Rodriguez did to the Michigan program? Or should he be help accountable for the mess we’re still seeing in Ann Arbor?

      Michigan fans are losing patience, though Big Ten fans are also getting frustrated. Sure, as an Ohio State fan, it’s always fun to watch the Buckeyes stomp Michigan, and that has become a regular occurrence in the past 15 years. But the strength of the conference is seriously compromised when Michigan consistently plays like Purdue. Beating Michigan becomes an afterthought as opposed to a quality win that impresses around the country.

      Jason Whitlock is a friend of Hoke’s, and he believes that Hoke will ultimately be successful at Michigan, but he has some harsh words for what’s going on now with the programs.

      Brady Hoke, lost in the riches of Michigan, has momentarily lost who he is.

      Hoke walked on at Ball State. No one wanted him. He turned himself into a starting linebacker on the 1978 Ball State team that finished 10-1. He was the captain of the 1980 squad.

      As coach at Ball State, he didn’t have an office. The school barely supported the football program. He took a bunch of kids few programs wanted, won a dozen games, and produced a crop of players that included three NFL offensive linemen, an NFL tight end, an NFL quarterback, and a receiver who would’ve played in the league if not for a neck injury. At San Diego State, he did the exact same thing, and the Aztecs didn’t even have their own stadium.

      Brady Hoke is an underdog. He has an attitude, a chip. He’s self-made. He always has something to prove. It’s one of the reasons he connects with Tom Brady, a kid Hoke recruited to Michigan, a QB who plays with a massive chip in the NFL.

      For three straight years, Hoke has been a recruiting star, landing high-profile recruits from all across the country, swiping talent from Ohio State and other blue-chip programs. Hoke might get the No. 1 class in 2014.

      He’s five-star struck. On the recruiting trail, he has sacrificed character, grit and maturity for ratings stars. His top recruit in 2013, freshman running back Derrick Green, reported to camp 20 pounds overweight. Green is soft. On Saturday, the 245-pounder dove at the ankles of a blitzing linebacker and whiffed. Green barely plays.

      He goes on to rip other Michigan recruits from the Hoke era along with stars on the team like Taylor Lewan who he accuses of “coasting.” I have no idea whether Whitlock is right here. He may be going too easy on his friend and taking out his frustrations on the players. Would Urban Meyer be having these problems?

      Bob Wojnowski is harsher when evaluating Hoke, blaming the problems at Michigan on “poor coaching.”

      Hoke came to town with some bluster and bravado, refusing to call “Ohio State” by its proper name bu instead just saying “Ohio.” Perhaps he should focus more on fundamentals as opposed to making waves at press conferences. In the end, the losses with drown out everything else.

      College Football

      Best Soccer Games & Apps to Play On-the-Go

      November 11, 2013 /

      ID-10081875 soccer
      Free image courtesy of bulldogza/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

      If you are a soccer fan, you are likely already heavily tuned into your favorite team’s games. However, due to time differences, busy schedules, and sometimes a lack of broadcasting, it can be difficult to see every game live and stay on top of the latest scores and news.

      As a gift to all soccer games enthusiasts, we are writing up 10 popular and useful soccer applications. This way, you can now enjoy your games on the go, play for fun, and keep up with stats. Whether you have an iPhone, Android, Samsung, or iPad, you should be able to get these apps and games on your mobile device easily. Take a look at our top 10 list and never miss another goal!

      1. Sky Sports Live Football Score Center: This application sets Jeff Stelling and his gang right on your pocket, with the by-the minute action from each of the games on Serie A, Premier League, and the Evo-Stick League.

      2. Sun+Goals –free (Needs Subscription): This ESPN application proved to become popular this last season. The speedy access is often achievable on clips of goals at exactly no cost. A subscription of this app is needed with its interesting and fascinating content idea with Alan Shearer and Stan Collymore in Spain.

      3. FourFourTwo Stats Zone: This mainly offers the entire analysis of the Premier League games, from the possession of work rates and passes maps to even the basic shot of the players. It has a pool of meaningful information that further adds fantastic insights on soccer teams, pub trivia and sports betting.

      4. Football Manager Handheld 2013: This portable port and personal computer game has accumulated thousands to millions of hours from the youth. It retains the many compulsive enjoyment to users plus the smooth learning curve and breadth of teams.

      5. New Star Soccer: This is the excellent footy stimulator that enables you to command the career of a player who has to fight the clashing interests of playing the modernized game of sponsor commitments, high-maintenance girlfriends and gambling.

      6. Sky Go (requires a Sky subscription): This is the essential application for any iPhone user or Sky Sports subscriber on iOS that lets you subscribe the game live. The urge of tweeting the # winning is even possible.

      7. Score! Classic Goals (for free): The previous tournaments are spotted, from Dennis Bergkamp’s successful volley to Michael Owen’s mazy goal. Also, this has its better rating system and requires unlocking the next set.

      8. TeamStream (for free): This information and news service from the United States sporting giant, called “The Bleacher Report”, enables you select the most-liked teams. Then, tweeting or scraping stories are possible over the internet.

      9. BBC Sport (for free): This is an official sports application that places all of the recent soccer news. The captivating soap opera is greatly followed with the live commentaries from the renowned journalists of BBC. Once you feel like you’ve covered all the news, latest rumors, and most recent stats, you may want to move over to the mobile games at NordicBet and have your hand at some fun betting.

      10. MatchPint (for free): This application enables you to find the games on television and tells you which of the pubs are shown. This has its multitude of users and a simple interface that serves as an excellent-scorer in your eyes.

      Are you using any of these apps or games now? Which are you favorite and why?

      Soccer

      Should You Rely On Computer Handicapping?

      November 5, 2013 /

      Ubaldo Jimenez Cleveland Indians home dubut

      Placing bets in multiple sports games at the same time requires more than manual handicapping techniques. Computer handicapping presents a viable solution, as the automated system can create statistics and calculations quickly. Even when compared with the methodology of a professional, calculations made by software is far more consistent. This is because there is always a tendency for “human error.”

      And when correctly utilized, the software can place the odds in your favor by painting a canvas of the possible winner of a future race. As for judging factors, you always have the option of generating ratings from the computer and making modifications based on unaccounted for variables.
      Computer handicapping can be used in different sports including:

      1. Baseball

      The right baseball handicapping program can go a long way in generating a positive ROI (in some cases for the entire season). It will also give you a competitive advantage over a square handicapper, but most of the results depend on the accuracy of the data. Regardless of whether the data is downloaded from an online site or entered manually, it needs to be spot on because the software itself will be worthless if the facts are incorrect.

      Moreover, a good program will make modifications from what it has learned from the previous seasons. This is done through propriety technology used in software that features a learning module (AI or Artificial Intelligence). It is just like Siri on iPhone, the voice assistant that makes suggestions after learning about the behavior of the user.

      2. Horse Racing

      A horse racing handicapping software becomes imperative if you are planning on betting multiple races at once. This is because there are far too many jockeys, tracks and races, so it becomes impossible to rely on a manual handicapping technique. Good software will be easy to use and you don’t have to configure the models, dimension sets and factors for each new race.

      This is because the systems are based on learning by doing, so most of the data is saved under user names and the same variables are taken into account for future races. Some offerings also give an option to automate models based on recent data and place bet parameters to draw a line between the safest and the best bets.

      3. NFL

      NFL handicapping programs can be used for over/under wagering as well as direct bets. Some of them can also make graphs and pie charts for each team, showcasing the number of points earned and the yards gained by different players. Those graphics are then converted into a spreadsheet to advise you over wagering and direct betting in football.

      The technology generates automated scoring of over/under results as well as wins. You can also find options to make a ledger, to compare success in a particular game, week, month or year to the previous game, week, month or year.

      So computer handicapping technology does have a role to play and, combined with the manual input of missing factors, it can increase the chances of monetary success.

      horse racing, MLB, NFL

      Can Team USA go far in 2014 World Cup?

      November 2, 2013 /

      It’s been quite a run for the US national soccer team. The gang defeated Mexico in Columbus in September behind goals by Eddie Johnson and Landon Donovan, giving them their seventh consecutive World Cup berth. Then the drama got even more interesting when the US team came from behind to defeat Panama, which then kept arch-rival Mexico’s World Cup chances alive. The result was a huge wave of gratitude in the Mexican press, while Mexico did their part with a dramatic bicycle kick for the winning goal against Costa Rica.

      We’ll see if Mexico ends up joining the World Cup field as they’ll play in World Cup playoff round against New Zealand. But now we can start thinking about whether the United States can make a real run in the 2014 FIFA World Cup. We all know there will be a ton of live World Cup betting both leading up to and during the World Cup as this is still the most popular sport in the world. But when it comes to national teams, you have to acknowledge that a ton of the betting will be emotional. People bet with their hearts. That’s just the nature of things and it’s even more pronounced in this tournament.

      Also, in the early rounds things can be very unpredictable. Even if the finals often see the traditional powers matching up, there are plenty of shocking results along the way.

      Many US fans are pleasantly surprised with the recent developments, as the Jurgen Klinsmann era didn’t get off to a smooth start. But once the team got in a groove with Klinsmann’s approach, they proceeded to dominate their region. The question remains however as to how this team can respond to facing the world powers in the World Cup. Klinsmann has noted that the Brazil tournament will be packed with quality teams but that much will hing on the upcoming World Cup draw on December 6th. Will the US end up in a tough “Group of Death” or will they slide into one of the easier groups? Once that happens, real analysis can begin as to how this particular US can match up against the round one opponents.

      Soccer

      The Future of Sports Consoles

      October 31, 2013 /

      ID-100137511 By franky242 Playing Game Console
      Free image courtesy of franky242/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

      Since the earliest gaming platform came out, programmers and designers have always been trying to one-up each other (and themselves) each year by delivering a more interactive and realistic gaming experience. Sports games are notoriously difficult to make playable, which is perhaps why every year studios attempt to hone their pre-existing model with something even better. Both hockey and soccer seem to have pushed themselves to the front of the line in recent years, with corporate sponsorships from the NHL and FIFA allowing them to push the boundaries.

      The most notable changes to hockey and soccer games has been advances in how a player is able to control and entire team. This has involved easier methods of switching between players (for instance, when you pass the ball to a designated player, being able to switch to the receiving player with the click of a button). Many games have suffered from clumsy interactions between the players on the screen, especially soccer games where the gameplay is constantly shifting and which makes for difficult transpositions.

      Another has been trying to incorporate the feel of the sport into the game – many golf games are successful not just because of their gameplay, but because they’re able to take the player onto the golf course and give them the impression of actually being there. Likewise, the audio in FIFA and NHL games is crucial. When you bicycle kick the ball into the net, not only do you hear the fans roar with applause, but the announcer is just as excited.

      Another key movement in the world of sports games has been, again thanks to sponsorship and the assistance of actual athletes, realistic portrayals of players. Using mapping techniques and with graphics that are unprecedented in terms of being able to render human faces, you can now in a very literal sense step into the skates of Wayne Gretzky or golf shoes of Tiger Woods. Although perhaps this appears as a merely decorative addition, the ability to play with players who actually look like the real athletes makes for an increasingly immersive experience.
      On top of this, sports has always had a certain psychological niche in the minds of fans. People have been betting on hockey-pools and fantasy leagues since the game’s inception, and it will be interesting to see where technology will take us. It’s conceivable that in the future fantasy football, hockey, basketball, and soccer could just as easily be rendered for us in a videogame.

      Although we’re still a long way off in making gaming completely digitalized, the level of realism we’ve seen in the past five years can only be expected to increase, and both gamers and fans alike are at the forefront of this experience. However, it’s also interesting to think about how this will affect the actual sport itself, if at all. There is little chance that we will start to enjoy the virtual more than an actual soccer match, and it’s the relationship between the two – being able to see a soccer game, and then play it – that allows both the sport and its videogame counterpart to work so well together.

      General Sports

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