The “Good Guy”: A Profile of the Celtics’ Ray Allen

Born July 20, 1975 as Walter Ray Allen, he might be better known today as Ray Allen of the Boston Celtics. Allen has an extensive list of accomplishments, including many charitable contributions of both time and money that have caused him to be dubbed as Sporting News’ “Good Guy” in 2000 and 2001.

Allen sits as a member of the All-Star Advisory Council for the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA youth basketball support program, as well as serving as the NBA’s spokesman for the Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund. The six foot five, 250-pound basketball star also began the “Ray of Hope” Foundation, which gives aid to charity organizations in various areas. A man of many talents not confined solely to the world of basketball, Allen even played a starring role in the movie He Got Game.

On a personal note, Allen has said that his favorite books include The Alchemist, and the Chicken Soup for the Soul series. He also enjoys the television series X-files and the movie entitled The Green Mile, which he has said brings tears to his eyes.

Ray Allen attended the University of Connecticut, where he was named honorary captain for their All-Century Team. He was drafted in 1996 in the first round, being the fifth pick by the Timberwolves. Allen played for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1996 through 2002, and the Seattle Supersonics from 2002 to 2007. In March of 2007, the Sonics announced that he would miss the remainder of the basketball season, due to bone spurs in his left ankle. Although he had fourteen games remaining in the season, Allen had already averaged a career high or 26.4 points in first fifty-five games of the season. This is an especially remarkable accomplishment because it was his shortest season, excluding a 1999 season that was abbreviated by lockout.

Most recently, Allen was traded to the Boston Celtics, in addition to Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, and Jeff Green. Ray Allen has demonstrated excitement to be on the new team. Allen’s salary in 2007 was $14,611,570. Time will tell what basketball’s “good guy” can do for the Celtics.

Scuba Diving Vacations

Are you going diving for your vacation? Are you ready?

You need to have your scuba certification card and your own set of scuba gear. Once you do, then you are all set to go underwater.

Scuba diving, however, is not a sport for the lone wolf. You need to have a diving buddy on every dive you take, especially if you are making a vacation out of it. Do you have a diving buddy with whom you do all of your regular diving?

If not, then you need to become familiar with other scuba divers that you can go diving with sometimes. In fact, many diving groups have a collection of the contact information of scuba divers, known as a buddy board.

Many scuba divers live in locations that have cold climates, so for them, the sport is merely a vacation event. If you are able to travel to warmer climates, we have a complete list of exciting dive destinations throughout the world. Why not copy the whole list and visit them one spot at a time for some amazing diving?

For your diving pleasure, we have included some really handy pointers for planning your dive, locating a dive shop, finding scuba tanks, renting scuba gear, and so much more! Dive safely and dive often!

Fun Facts About Poker

Poker is gaining in popularity every year, and the past few years have been unprecedented in terms of the attention poker has been gaining. Poker tournaments are a huge draw, both live and on television, and the most successful poker players are treated like sports heroes.

Poker is the most popular form of the class of card games known as vying games. What makes poker a vying game is that the players make their bets based on a partially, or even completely, concealed set of cards. This means that strategy is essential to success, as is the proverbial “poker face.”

It is believed that poker began as a card gave played with a deck of only 20 cards. That game, described in 1829 by the English actor Joseph Crowell, consisted of four players betting on whose hand was most valuable.

This type of poker is believed to have originated in New Orleans, but from there it quickly spread to the rest of the country, driven partly by the many riverboats that roamed the Mississippi, bringing poker from New Orleans to the communities and cities downstream. Betting has always been a big part of the poker experience, from these early riverboat days to the multimillion dollar tournaments seen today in Las Vegas and elsewhere.

As the game of poker gained popularity, the original 20 card deck was soon replaced by the standard English deck consisting of 52 cards. Many additions to the rules of the game were made as it increased in popularity. For instance, during the Civil War years the tradition of players being permitted to discard cards and get replacements was introduced into the rules.

Other enhancements, such as the introduction of the wild card followed. The wild card was first introduced around 1875, followed by the introduction of split-pot poker in 1900 and the spread of community poker games in the 1920s.

The game of poker continues to evolve today, with the advent of video poker, online poker tournaments and of course those big money tournaments held around the country. Whether it is played just for fun or for big money, poker continues to be a favorite pastime among gamblers and card game lovers alike.

History and Events of the Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, California

A spectacular event held each January, the Pasadena Rose Bowl is one of the all-time favorites in college football, and is often called the "Granddaddy of Them All". The Rose Bowl game is not only the most famous of all college bowl games, but it's also the oldest. The game is usually held on or around New Year's Day.

Brief Rose Bowl History

An important part of the Tournament of Roses and accompanied by the famous Rose Bowl Parade, the Rose Bowl game was first held in 1902 with Michigan enjoying a victory over Stanford.
The next game wasn't played until 1916, when Washington State won while playing against Brown. Since the 1916 Rose Bowl game, the event has been held annually in Pasadena. The 1942 Rose Bowl game was the only game that was held in another location (Durham, NC) because of limited travel during World War II.

The Pasadena Rose Bowl stadium was built in 1923, but up until that time, the games were played at Pasadena's Tournament Park. Traditionally, one team would be chosen from the east and the other from the Pacific Coast Conference, which are known today as the "Pac 10" and "Big Ten". The team selection policy changed, however, in 2002 when the team choices became more influenced by the other Bowls. Each
year, there's still an attempt to select teams using the traditional methods.

Pasadena, CA - Rose Bowl Host

Pasadena has hosted the Rose Bowl for over one hundred years. The city is located only fifteen minutes from Los Angeles and sits at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. Pasadena is home to the well-known California Institute of Technology as well as many popular restaurants and shops. The historical buildings combined with the Tournament of Roses event gives Pasadena a tremendous tourism appeal.

Teams of the Rose Bowl Game

There have been around ninety Rose Bowl games since its opening in 1902, and many college teams from around the United States have been able to participate over the last decade.

A few of the most frequent participants are listed below:

*University of Southern California
*University of Wisconsin
*University of Washington
*University of Michigan
*Stanford University
*University of California, Los Angeles
*University of Alabama
*Ohio State University

Teams and Wins in Recent Years:

2001 Washington 34 Purdue 24
2002 Miami 37 Nebraska 14
2003 Oklahoma 34 Washington State 14
2004 Southern California 28 Michigan 14
2005 Texas 38 Michigan 37

Fans should buy Rose Bowl tickets early to reserve great seats. Rose Bowl tickets can normally be purchased online and hassle free. Fans can attend the Rose Bowl of Pasadena, CA for a great game, enjoy the Rose Bowl parade and also see the great sights of Pasadena all in one trip.

Planning an End-of-Season Sports Party

After a long, hard season playing your favorite sport, it’s time to celebrate in style. Whether you're coming home with the trophies or simply celebrating your hard-working team, the season will eventually come to an end.  Your kids are ready to celebrate their sweat and tears---and they deserve it.  It's time to plan your end-of-season party!
While it may seem intimidating, planning your end-of-season party doesn't have to be a chore.  In fact, party planning is now a breeze. There are literally hundreds of companies just waiting to help you celebrate; or you can simply celebrate the old-fashioned way. To begin your end-of-season jubilation, you simply need to follow a few easy steps.

Choose your party squad.
Your child’s sport is focused on teamwork, right? Then, take advantage of this fact, and create your own “party squad” to help with the organization.

There are plenty of parents that would be happy to give you a helping hand. You simply need to ask. Just choose between one to three people to help run things smoothly.  By choosing a small number, you'll make decision planning easier.

Choose your location.
You are your party squad now need to decide whether to celebrate at a “party place”, or celebrate the old-fashioned way. If you would like to go out, great choices include a local pizza parlor, ice cream shop, or burger joint. Other popular choices include activity-based parties, such as a nearby batting cage, miniature golf course, arcade or bowling alley.  But make sure the establishment has room to seat all your attendees.
Our team’s favorite party spot is a teammate’s backyard. His family generously donated use of their huge backyard, swimming pool, swing set, and barbecue. Each family brought food (potluck-style), and we had an incredibly good time. Remind your families to bring their soccer chairs!

Call your establishments. 
Once you've settled on a party place, call them to verify the price and date information.  Some locations may have limited availability.  Others may simply be out of your price range.  Then make a list of your favorite options, and select two or three dates, just incase some team members have a prior commitment.

Decide on a date.
Once you've picked several dates, run them by the coach.  Your coach will know when the trophies are delivered, and he or she may even want to make a speech.  You’ll definitely want to ensure that your coach will be able to attend.
If the date works well with your coach, it's time to run it by the rest of the team.  Remember, it's very difficult to find a date that works for everyone. The secret is to find out which date does NOT work for invitees.  Then choose the date that fits the majority.

Prepare the invitations.
While you don't need written invitations, you do need to figure out who you will invite.  Are you only inviting the team members?  Or are their parents welcome?  What about younger (or older) siblings and grandparents?
It’s tempting to invite everyone (that makes for a great party!), but things can quickly get out of hand. Before extending the invitations, consider how the number of guests will affect your party plans. You may be limited by the facilities that you have. Perhaps your “backyard” can only accommodate a certain number of people. If you have an off-site party, how will the number of guests affect the price?  Will siblings need to make a financial contribution, too?

Monitor the money.
Now that you've made the major decisions, it's time for the unpopular one:  how much should everyone contribute?  Ask each team member to contribute enough to cover the cost of the party and the coach's gift.  Even if the cost seems high, it’s better to ask upfront than to ask for additional funds later.
If siblings will be attending, work out a separate additional fee for them.  For example, you may state, “Each player is asked to donate $20 for the party to cover 2 games of laser tag, refreshments, and the coach’s gift. Siblings are welcome to attend, however, an additional fee of $15 per sibling is needed to cover party costs.” This way, team members are only paying for the actually attendees.
Make sure that you collect the money beforehand.  You don't want to personally get stuck with the bill.

Gifting the coach.
Traditionally, the team offers a small gift to thank the coach for his or her time.  After all, the coach has donated hours upon hours for practice, games, planning, and meeting with the other coaches. While you don’t see much of this behind-the-scenes work, I assure you that your coach has put a lot of work into the team.
A small gift is just a special way to say thank you. During your shopping spree, remember that your coach is probably a volunteer, and would really appreciate any thoughtful gift. In fact, a heartfelt spoken "thank you" means more than you can imagine. One year, our coach received a handwritten thank-you note from one of the team parents. To this day, that thank-you note is one of his most treasured possessions. 
Gifts can range form small trinkets to gift cards and handmade photo albums.  It's not the price that matters---it's the thought.  Your coach will love anything that you offer.

Review the refreshments.
Now that you have arranged for the party place, it’s time to determine the types of refreshments that will be available. Of course, this will depend upon the arrangements that you have already made. If you have scheduled the party at a burger joint or pizza parlor, then the refreshments have already been arranged. However, if you are doing a backyard barbecue, you will want to arrange some sort of potluck menu. Usually, people are asked to bring their own meat (burgers, hot dogs, etc.), a dish to share (garden salad, watermelon, etc.), and an extra (napkins, cola, etc.).
During this phase, make sure to ask if anyone has food allergies. Team members and siblings may be allergic to peanuts, nuts, etc.

Consider the extras.
Find out if your establishment provides the "extras" that make a party special.  If not, ask each team member to bring a small item.  Extras include the food, drinks, paper or plastic products, balloons, etc.
Remember the cake!

What's a party without a cake?  Celebrate your season with a team cake.  The kids will love to see their team's name in print!  And it will make a great picture for the photo album. (Also, remember the extras for the cake: knife, forks, and small plates.)

Have fun!
Now that’s you’ve done all the hard work, it’s time to relax. Parties are for celebrating!  So pat yourself on the back, and enjoy yourself.  And don' t forget to stay in touch with your sports friends.  You might see them again next season!  

NASCAR fans

NASCAR fans are visible fans. There are no closet NASCAR fans. They wear their colors and numbers loud and proud and can be spotted just about anywhere. So how do you spot one? Well it won't be hard, but just in case, let's get a clue on the NASCAR fan.

First, they have a favorite number. It will range from 00 to 99. That's not a typo, their favorite number could be 00. This number will grace the rear window of their car, minivan, SUV, truck, motorcycle, amateur stock car, kid's bike, ATV, dirt bike. This number may not only be on the rear window, but it could be on the doors, bumpers or antenna. And it's not just on their toys, it could also be on their bodies. There have been numbers tattooed on body parts and cut into hairdos. It could even be painted onto the bare chest of NASCAR race fans in the stands. The number is very important.

Second, they have a favorite driver. This driver is bestowed the greatest honor of having their name shouted out at various intervals when seen by another fan. Their name will appear on the birth certificates of the greatest NASCAR fans' children. Names like Jeff Gordon Smith or Bill Elliott Jones are everywhere, you just have to ask. The drivers name is emblazoned on license plates on the front of their vehicles and in some cases above the doors.

Third, it's all in the apparel. Most NASCAR fans will not leave the house without something to identify them as a fan of a driver. Honestly, most men will not leave the house without a hat which immediately signifies them as a fan of Matt Kenseth, Rusty Wallace, Mark Martin, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., etc. And the t-shirts are just as important. Shirts with pictures of your drivers car, driver, their championship year(s), catch phrases, the races they've won and their names are embellished loud and proud and worn daily by some.
And finally, home may be where the heart is but it's also where a NASCAR fan displays the pride of his collection. There you will find more commemorative plates attached to their walls and in their chine hutches than you can imagine. There you will find a flag flying just below the red, white and blue honoring their driver, his car, his number and his colors. There you will find hutches, shelves and rooms dedicated to their driver and his team. You will find die-cast cars, bobble head dolls, license plates, autographed photos and/or posters, more flags, caps and shirts. This fan has dedicated his house as an official museum.

So where does the next generation of NASCAR fans come from? Just check out the kids of this proud community. Their children drive miniature remote control cars, compete in soap box derbies, drive pedal cars with their parent's favorite driver on them. They wear t-shirts, hats, jackets and in some cases, diaper pants with names like Petty, Irvan, Elliott, Earnhardt, Wallace, Kenseth, Stewart, Johnson, Waltrip or Gordon. These children are cutting their teeth on the tri-oval of Daytona and hanging on by a thread until Homestead. They boo and cheer and love to watch the drivers crash. These are the next generation of NASCAR fans and possibly drivers.

So how do you identify a full-blown NASCAR fan? Check the head for a hat, their chest or back for a name, their car for a number, name or license plate. When visiting their home, look for the telltale signs of devotion: commemorative plates, die-cast cars, whole decorated rooms or a simple flag flying out front. Watch out for their children who are moving ahead in the sport and learning the insides of racing. These are the NASCAR fans and they're darn proud of it.

Learning How to Swim: The Basics

Have you always wanted to learn how to swim but were afraid to take
the step?  Are you bored with sitting on the sidelines while the rest of
your family has a blast in the pool?  If so, you can and should
learn to swim.  It's not only a fun thing to do - it's a safe thing
to do.  Everyone's around water from time to time.  Knowing how to
swim could literally save your life or someone else's life if a
water accident were to occur.

If you're ready to take that first step toward learning to swim,
read the tips below to help you get started.

Swimming and Safety

While learning to swim (and even after you learn), there are some
basic universal safety rules you should follow every time you enter
water.  Rules aren't designed to ruin everyone's fun, but to
protect swimmers as they have fun.

Below are some of the most basic safety rules to get you started:

1.  Swim in Clear Water

You should know how deep the water is before entering.  A clear
water pool is necessary when learning because one slip into a deep
drop-off of a river bed is simply too dangerous for a beginner.  
You should be able to keep your head above water comfortably while
learning.

2.  Wear a Life Jacket

Even though it can be uncomfortable, a life jacket will enable you
to adjust to the water safely.  You'll be able to gain confidence
more quickly as you learn swimming maneuvers.  Practice makes
perfect.  Wearing a life jacket allows you to "practice" with less
stress and anxiety.

3.  Hire a Skilled Instructor

You'll benefit tremendously by hiring a skilled instructor to teach
you how to swim.  An instructor can teach objectively and safely.  
Certified swimming instructors must go through training themselves
to become certified.  This benefits you because you're in the care
of someone who knows how to handle swimming dangers or emergencies.

Learning Swim Strokes and Movements

Below are some quick tips that reveal some of the swimming strokes
and movements you'll be learning.  The purpose of this list is not
to replace learning from an instructor, but only to enable you to
prepare and even practice the movements before taking your first
lesson.  Your swimming lesson will go much smoother if you know
what to expect.

Posture

Your posture will be important while swimming.  Your body will be
in a horizontal position.  You should keep your head and arms in
alignment with the remainder of your body to accomplish a smooth
swim and keep good balance.

Arm Strokes

Arm strokes are performed to move the body forward.  The more arm
strokes you do, the quicker you'll become tired.  Try to get the
most distance from each arm stroke to minimize time and fatigue.  
Arm strokes will improve over time although it might be a little
awkward in the beginning.

Leg Strokes

Just as your arm strokes act as a pulling method, your leg strokes
push you forward.  The arms and legs work together to create the
swimming motion.

Breathing While Swimming

Proper breathing is probably the most important thing when
swimming.  You should practice holding your breath above water, and
then also practice below water once you feel confident.  Breathe in
before you go under water, hold your breath while under the water,
and then exhale as you bring your head and body back up.  When
swimming under water, you'll exhale as you begin to swim forward.  
Doing this mobilizes you under the water.  As you become a more
experienced swimmer you might be able to hold your breath longer or
stay under the water longer as you swim.

Warning:  Never hold your breath beyond what you feel you can
handle or put yourself in a situation under water that causes you
to hold your breath too long. This is life threatening.  

You must walk before you can run just as you'll do very simple swim
techniques in the beginning.  Don't try to accomplish complicated
swim methods until you feel comfortable with the basics.  Diving,
swimming backwards, swimming under water and goofing off with your
family in the water will each come with time.  Take it slow, and
don't expect to be a champion swimmer after just a few lessons.

Swimming can be fun and safe if you follow the basic safety
precautions.  It's also great exercise!  Use the tips above to
prepare for your swimming lessons, and you'll be swimming solo
soon.

Written by Candice Pardue