Cyber Max

It is tough to be married and a gun nut. Your partner never understands the necessity for the
purchase of one more firearm. In practical language one firearm might be enough. One
pistol, one rifle and one shotgun. That sounds normal, doesn’t it? Who said that normalcy
affects gun ownership. My wife has witnessed my purchases of firearms. Time is important
concerning the actions of your wife in regard to firearm purchases. One purchase every five
or six years does not seem out of the norm. A gun could wear out through usage during that
time frame. It is the other purchases that have to be carried on in a clandestine fashion.

Who needs several gun purchase a year? No one really needs that many guns. It is not a
need but an obsession. What are you going to do with that many firearms? You only have
one set of arms. No one has taught me how to shoot with my feet yet.

I always explain to my wife that firearms acquisitions are an investment in our future. I take
out an old book and show her how firearm prices have risen over a 30 year period. My trips
to the gun shows are not hidden from my wife. The fast flight from the truck to my gun vault
are conducted at record speed.

I sold most of my guns after my return from service in the army overseas. I was sick of what
they could do to my fellow man. I did my time as a scout which involved training on many
different weapons systems. After a couple of months of an empty gun locker I began to miss
the hunting ventures of my youth. I first bought a gun for target practice. Shooting this
firearm began to bring back more memories of my youth. Solo trips to the field began to
rejuvenate my interest in the shooting sports. I grew up shooting rabbits and squirrels on my
families farm.

My wife is not a gun nut but she does understand my purchases as long as they are
reasonable. Reasonable left this house many years ago. Because of the high crime rate in
our area my wife asked me for a firearm for one of her Christmas presents one year. I
purchased a pistol that I felt that she could tolerate. Range sessions began to follow.

Although she is not the best shot on the planet she can hold her own in risky situations. I
hope to get her involved more in the shooting sports so that I will be able to avoid the looks of
hopelessness that grace her countenance upon her witnessing another firearm purchase.

Upon my death these guns better be worth the price that I have been quoting to my wife or
there may be unpleasant repercussions. I do not want to go to hell for lying.

Steve Graham is an avid hunter and fisherman and shares his experiences and knowledge with others.

http://buckskinnews.blogspot.com/

http://goodstuffintexas.blogspot.com/

http://huntn-n-fishn.blogspot.com/

Tags: firearm, gun, gun locker, guns, pistol, rifle, Sportsfirearm, gun, gun locker, guns, pistol, rifle, Sports

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Take a breather. The dog days of summer have come and gone.

Thermometers might disagree, but sports bettors should be notified that the best action of the summer is fast approaching.

Bettors typically grow tired of Major League Baseball’s regular season monotony by the end of July. Then, like a cool sea breeze, the NFL blesses bored bettors with a breath of fresh air.

NFL training camps opened for the season on July 27. Over the following two weeks, teams begin a grueling schedule of curfews, diets, and two-a-days to get in shape for the upcoming season. In the following month, all 32 NFL teams will work toward making the playoffs.

The NFL begins its pre-season this week. This time of year is without question the best kept secret in sportsbook wagering.

Most NFL fans know that very little can be learned from pre-season games. The main purpose for the scrimmage-style contests is for coaches to make starting lineup evaluations. Last year’s starters are only on the field for a few plays, mainly to avoid getting rusty for the pending season. While they see their only bench time of the season, reserve players and rookies get the majority of snaps, hoping that their performance will earn them a roster spot.

For the first (and only) time of the NFL season, line makers have no advantage. They are creating lines blindly, forced to set the spread as if the games are regular-season contests.

The reason they are in this situation is simple. No consideration can be made on their part for how reserve players and rookies play. How can bookies create an accurate line when players they haven’t seen play are taking the snaps?

Example. When the St. Louis Rams play the Kansas City Chiefs on August 23, the spread and over/under will be set assuming that KC’s defense (one of the five WORST in 2003) is lining up for each snap against St. Louis’ high flying passing attack, which ranked third in 2003.

The spread for this contest could favor St. Louis (for this example, we’ll say it does). The Rams’ three-headed offensive monster (quarterback Marc Bulger; receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt) likely will not play past halftime. Also, KC’s one-man offensive machine, running back Priest Holmes, should see more bench than turf. These two events make the game wide open. Your guess about the outcome is as good as the bookies.

The second half should see the field full of unproven players. Who knows where the game will go from there? Will it be a low-scoring contest, or a barnburner? No one can be totally sure. This comes as great news for bettors, and bad news for bookies.

“The NFL pre-season is easily the most unpredictable time for offshore sportsbooks,” said Anthony Wayne, marketing director for EWINNER.com (http://www.ewinner.com). “Very often, the field is full of players who have similar skills. Without big game playmakers on the field, how are line makers supposed to know who the favorite will be?”

Following below are several pre-season contests which could prove to be very beneficial to the sports bettor. Strike while the iron is hot. (All spread statistics courtesy of Gold Sheet):

New York Giants at Carolina Panthers, 8/19, 8pm on FOX: New York finished a dismal 4-12 last year, and failed to cover the spread in their final eight games However, they have reloaded by acquiring quarterback Kurt Warner as a mentor to rookie quarterback Eli Manning, and have a new coach, former Jaguars leader Tom Coughlin. Coughlin is a pre-season safe bet, with a 16-8-1 exhibition record against the spread.

With the exception of their offensive line, Carolina has maintained most of the lineup which won the NFC championship last season. The Panthers have covered the spread in their last five pre-season contests, but four of them were as the underdog. During the 2003 regular season, they went 3-9 when favored.

Bet on: Coughlin and his G-men, especially if Carolina is favored.

Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens, 8/12, 8pm on ESPN: After an off-season of drastic changes, Atlanta has nothing to do but improve after finishing 2003 with the league’s worst defense. New coach Jim Mora, Jr. is going to put some youth in their booth, and with Michael Vick healthy, 2004’s Falcons should play more like 2002’s playoff team. During Vick’s first two seasons, Atlanta was 7-1 during exhibition season; last season, they went 0-4 (Vick broke his leg in Atlanta’s second pre-season game).

Baltimore should be the beast of the AFC North this year, as well as a contender for the Super Bowl from week one. Quarterback Kyle Boller will be a year learned, and their top rushing offense (thanks to marathon HB Jamal Lewis), will be complimented by newly acquired wideout Kevin Johnson. This team should improve on last season’s 10-6 record, as their storied defense remains one of the NFL’s fiercest. Head Coach Brian Billick is 11-4 career in exhibition games against the spread, and is 6-2 as the underdog. Last year, the Ravens only went 1-3.

Bet on: Atlanta if Vick is healthy. Keep an eye on Baltimore, especially if they are the underdog.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Philadelphia Eagles, 8/26, 8pm on ESPN: Pittsburgh has a lot to recover from after last season; mainly injuries. Their offense was only imposing on paper, thanks to injuries on the offensive line and a lack of carries for “The Bus” (Jerome Bettis), who only averaged 3.3 yards per touch. Head coach Bill Cowher has turned into a perennial pre-season choke artist. Last year, his team was 0-4 heading into the regular season, and they have had trouble covering the spread in past seasons as well (0-4 the last two seasons at home versus the spread).

Philadelphia is once again the favorite to go to the Super Bowl in the NFC. They addressed their two most pending needs in the off-season, adding wideout Terrell Owens and defensive end Jevon Kearse. The Eagles also have a tendency to choke. Unfortunately, the pre-season is no different. For his career, coach Andy Reid is 2-7 in exhibitions when favored at home.

Bet on: Philly. These games don’t count. They’re less likely to blow it.

Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys, 8/30, 8pm on ABC: The Titans cut a lot of salary (and talent) in the off-season, but they will still find a way to compete for the playoffs thanks to ironman QB Steve McNair. Tennessee’s 13 draft picks will see a ton of snaps before the season starts, as this team attempts to gel into a solid unit. A virtual lock in exhibitions, the Titans covered all four games last pre-season against the spread, and over the last four schedules are 7-1 in away exhibitions. As an underdog, they are more of a sure bet, a perfect 6-0.

Eddie George, a Titan as late as July, now runs for Dallas. George should carry a large chip on his shoulder after being one of Tennessee’s salary cap casualties. The 2004 Cowboys will also feature wideout Keyshawn Johnson, and rookie QB/retired minor league baseball player Drew Henson. Henson is going to see quite a lot of snaps in exhibitions to get rid of his diamond rust. Dallas was 10-6 last season, which is Bill Parcell’s best first season record as a head coach. However, quality opponents (teams with a winning record) went 4-2 against them last season, 3-1 against the spread.

Bet on: Titans. With their record in the pre-season, and Dallas’ tendency to lose to good teams, this should be a sure win.

For more information on NFL wagering, plus links to preferred online sportsbooks, check out Bet-Online-Sports (http://www.bet-online-sports.com).

Jonathan is a starving, struggling writer who aspires to work in public and media relations when he graduates college. He is a marketing intern with Advanced Telecom Services (http://www.advancedtele.com) and a freelance Web Consultant.

Tags: NFL WAGERING, ONLINE SPORT B, ONLINE SPORT BOOK, SPORT BOOK, SPORT BOOK BETTING, SPORT BOOK GAMBLINGNFL WAGERING, ONLINE SPORT B, ONLINE SPORT BOOK, SPORT BOOK, SPORT BOOK BETTING, SPORT BOOK GAMBLING

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With spring in the air, flower’s and baseball are in full bloom. As the father of a nine-year old son, each day is spent perfecting the art of baseball. This includes making that perfect pitch to first base, snagging those ground balls and driving those hits when we’re in the batters box. Oh, did I say we, sorry, I meant, when my son is in the batters box.

My son and I haven’t quit practicing baseball since last year. You see, he loves baseball and as many young players, has dreams of growing up to play Major League Baseball. For this reason, I must make sure he’s doing everything right, avoiding any mistakes humanly possible, or should I?

Before my son started playing baseball, we would often go to the ballpark and watch other kids practice and play. One thing I found amusing and often disturbing was parent involvement and sideline coaching to the point of disrupting the entire game. To my dismay, I vowed to never be this sort of parent.

Oh, how we tend to forget those famous words, “I’ll never be that kind of parent”. It usually starts out with a simple shout from the stands “pay attention” or “get your head in the game” and then before you know it, your standing on the side, shouting and pointing out every mistake your child makes. Thankfully, I haven’t reached this point, although it has been brought to my attention that my scorning frowns and sideline presence are quite distracting.

It is so important for parents to remember, these are youth sports. These are our children and they need our support and encouragement. We as parents have to let our children have fun and learn at their own pace. My son brought this to my attention when he said “dad, I know when I mess up but it makes me play worse when you look like your mad at me”.

Sports play a very important role in teaching children how to function in society and being able to work as a team. As parents support and encourage your children to play sports. Have fun!

About The Author

Charles & Lisa French are active members of the Sports Developement Community. Feel free to contact us and visit our site on Decorating Country Home.

http://www.decorating-country-home.com

burtf51@bellsouth.net

Tags: coach, family, kids, parents, Sports, summercoach, family, kids, parents, Sports, summer

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