Sandbag Swinging Exercises|Sandbag Training

Sandbag Swinging Exercises

Josh Henkin has provided us with a great video about sand bag training. The sandbag swing is very similar to the kettlebell swing, the exercises in this video could be utilised with a kettlebell too.




I have been playing around with sandbags for a while and boy do they give you an intense workout which is great as they cost next to nothing to make up if you're strapped for cash.

Sandbag Swinging Exercises|Sandbag Training

SPANISH CUP 2008/09: LAST 32 TEAM PHASE - THURSDAY RESULT

The last & only game left to play in the 1ºst leg of the SPANISH CUPended in a surprise REAL UNION 3 - REAL MADRID 2. The 2ºBDivision side put in a grand game against a Real Madrid team fullof substitutes. The result is bad at first sight, but encouraging forReal Madrid in their return 2ºleg game were Real will enjoy the awaygoal advantage.Huge scare in the 13th m, as memories of Sevilla player

Kettlebell Band Bench Negative

Kettlebell Band Bench Press Negative

I had an idea how to use my kettlebells and stretch bands altogether to try and help my bench press.
In this video clip I have a 40kg and 32kg kettlebell on both sides of the bar (total of 164kg including the 20kg bar) suspended by green and black 'Ironwoody' stretch bands.

The beauty of this exercise is that the weight feels so much heavier at the top because you're taking the full load of the weight and the kettlebells are moving up and down and side to side making the bar realy unstable When you finally give in the weight doesn't come crashing down and cave your chest in, you just get the weight of the bar as bands are long enough to prevent this so it kind of acts as a safety mechanism too.

The main point of concern being that if you're hands aren't spaced correctly they may shoot back and hit the uprights, so if you try it be careful.

In this video I try and hold for as long as possible then tried for a 'Bench Press'
AS you can see I failed miserably but will try just holding for longer to and build upto a bigger bench press.

Kettlebell Band Bench Negative 164kg

Technorati Tags: bench press, negative bench, ecentric bench press, kettlebells, ironwoody

SPANISH CUP 2008/09: LAST 32 TEAM PHASE - 1º LEG RESULTS

Some surprise results tonight in the Spanish Cup, like the defeat ofVillareal (5-0) & Sevilla FC. See all the results below.SPANISH CUP last 32 team phase, Wednesday 1ºleg results:Benidorm 0 - FC Barcelona 1 (Yesterday)Ponferridina 1 - Sevilla 0Portugalete 1 - Valencia 4Orihuela 0 - At.Madrid 1Poli Ejido 5 - Villareal 0Hercules 1 - Valladolid 5Rayo V 1 - Almeria 2Celta 2 - Espanyol 2Castellon 0 -

FIFA WORLD PLAYER: 6 SPANIARDS IN NOMINATIONS

The list of 23 players nominated for this years "FIFA World Player"has 6 Spaniards: Casillas, Fabregas, Xavi, Iniesta, Torres & Villa, plusa whole lot more who play in Spanish Clubs. See list below:Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus) & Iker Casillas (Real Madrid).Defender: John Terry (Chelsea).Midfielders: Michael Ballack (Chelsea), Deco (Chelsea), Cesc Fábregas(Arsenal), Steven Gerrard (

Kettlebell Training For Grip

Kettlebell Training For Grip Strength

Had a crack at the kettlebell band curl last night. The exercise was inspired by Jedd Johnson of the Diesel Crew after I read his article on straight to the bar Click link to read it.

The exercise is fantastic and a different animal altogether compared to the standard curl and really provided a means to train the forearms in a manner not usually experienced.

Great thinking on Jedd's part!

I loved the exercise and will keep it as part of my training arsenal.

My forearms feel totally smoked today!

NBA Opening Day Thoughts

I wasn't actually able to watch any of the games, but my observations based on highlights and box scores:

- Derrick Rose is really good. Obviously we know he's not a great shooter at this point, but when you get 9 assists, and 3 steals as a PG in your first game, you're doing something right. If only Mike D'Antoni had waited and taken the Bulls job instead of New York.

- When Tyrus Thomas came out of college I thought he was a poor man's cross between Shawn Marion and Amare Stoudemire, but he's never really played consistently the first 2 years. So I'm pretty excited to see what he'll do if he gets PT like he did tonight (41 mins). The results were encouraging... 15 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 1 block. And he's still only 22. Crazy. Bulls could be better than everyone thinks.

- Joe Alexander, DNP Coach's Decision. Never good for a top 10 pick. (though maybe there's more to the story that I just don't know about)

- So the Celtics are still really good at defense. And Paul Pierce should probably be considered (if he isn't already) a top 5 NBA player, maybe top 3. But got to be concerned about Ray Allen if you're the Celts... he obviously showed signs of slowing down during the playoff run last year, and while it's only 1 game (against a good defensive team to boot), 8 points on 2/9 shooting in 41 minutes isn't exactly encouraging.

- I guess it's a little early to anoint Portland as a playoff team already. Anyone know why Greg Oden only played 13 minutes?

- As long as Lamar Odom remains content in his role at 6th man (obviously some skepticism here), Lakers certainly look like the team to beat on paper.

What did you notice?

SPANISH CUP 2008/09: LAST 32 TEAMS - FC BARCELONA THANKS TO BOJAN

The SPANISH CUP has entered the last 32 team phase with thebig mayor 1º Division Clubs making their appearance tonight.FC BARCELONA played inferior BENIDORM away in the 1ºst legclash to win by a solitary goal by BOJAN in the 55th min.Barça left some big names at home: Xavi, Iniesta, Valdez, Messi... & suffered all night against a team that decided to "build" adefensive wall, wait & counter-attack

REAL MADRID IS DICTATOR FRANCO FOOTBALL CLUB.

The Manchester United Manager/Coach Sir Alex Ferguson hasgiven an interview to "GQ" were his comments have let SFS down.So much so, that my estime for this Football professional has fallen to a level that I believe this man is a complete idiot, a clown & a morron.It hurts me to say this, really, but to comment in 2008 that Real Madridis the Football team of Dictator Franco is absolutely absurd.

Training Routines

Training Routines

Do you need a training routine?

Good question!

Do you?

It's dependant on a couple of things if you're training or working out (i.e are you training routines leading somewhere?) and how much time you have.

I often believe everyone is looking on the internet for THE 'Training Routine', you know the one that will transform you from Zero to Hero in about 28 days. This certainly doesn't exist anywhere, I'm pretty sure about that.

But what does exist is lots of information about other peoples training routines that can help you design your own. This is very good as there is nothing like learning and training a the same time.

I like to think that I could strip down a training routine into about two exercises just like Pavel does in 'Power to the People' (which is a must read by the way, google it if you don't know). In this training routine he takes just 2 exercises and that's it. I've done this type of routine before with great success. It just depends where you are heading and if it's towards a goal. I would highly recommend getting one as it's a surefire way to keep on going.

So if you don't have a goal yet then get one and start working towards it and design your own training routine around it.

Check out my previous post regarding Training or Working out

Strongman Training

Strongman Training

Still not got around to the VO2mAX test due still being under the weather. It's 10 o'clock at night and comtemplating whether to have a go or not?

MmmmmmM! Still a possibility. Will let you know what becomes of this thought!

Anyway, why I'm here!

The idea of Strongman Training with regards to doing a Strongman comp has been passing through my head (as it has many times before). Since being a young boy (about 5 years old from what I can remember) I have always loved the thought of being strong and the idea of lifting things above my head. I can still remember all the early WSM events with vivid memories. Such greats as Jon Paul Sigmarson, Bill Kazmaier and Geoff Capes.

I suppose this is why I really love the kettlebell. It looks so rugged, manly and 'Old school'(sorry ladies)..........something you would imagine people in Oldtime gyms lifting and getting incredibly strong from (as they probably did). This is where I link the two together as kettlebells for me are as much a strength/strongman activity as a fitness one too.

So after 34 years I've made up my mind to do what I feel comes naturally to me and look for a 'Strongman competition' here in the UK. I've lifted kettlebells, stones and weights and feel this would be a natural move for me to have a 'goal' to train for.

I've even had a go at some kettlebell 'Strongman training' utilising bars, bands and kettlebells so would be a great idea to keep these ideas moving on and try and think of some more.

With bands and bars aside the kettlebell does great by itself for strongman training when used for farmers walk, overhead walks/lifts, throwing and general 'kettlebell wrestling'

I'm off to invent some kettlebell strongman training routines that I'll share with you soon.

Related post:

Strongman Training

Recent Sports Law Scholarship

Recent scholarship includes:

Walter T. Champion, Jr., The O. J. trial as a metaphor for racism in sports, 33 THURGOOD MARSHALL LAW REVIEW 157 (2007)

andré douglas pond cummings, Pushing weight, 33 THURGOOD MARSHALL LAW REVIEW 95 (2007)

Timothy Davis, Tort liability of coaches for injuries to professional athletes: overcoming policy and doctrinal barriers, 76 UMKC LAW REVIEW 571 (2008)
A. Jerome Dees, Access or interest: why Brown has benefited African-American women more than Title IX, 76 UMKC LAW REVIEW 625 (2008)

N. Jeremi Duru, Exploring Jethroe’s injustice: the impact of an ex-ballplayer’s legal quest for a pension on the movement for restorative racial justice, 76 UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI LAW REVIEW 793 (2008)

Kenneth D. Ferguson, Blurring the boundary lines between amateur and professional sports, 76 UMKC LAW REVIEW 643 (2008)

Linda Sheryl Greene, Football coach contracts: what does the student-athlete have to do with it?, 76 UMKC LAW REVIEW 665 (2008)

Brandon Gutshall, Note, A new uniform: NCAA policy and student-athlete misconduct, 76 UMKC LAW REVIEW 727 (2008)

Jonathan Little, Running against the wind: sex discrimination in high school girl’s cross country, 76 UMKC LAW REVIEW 711 (2008)

Adam B. Marks, Note, Personnel foul on the National Football League Players Association: how union executive director Gene Upshaw failed the union’s members by not fighting the enactment of the personal conduct policy, 40 CONNECTICUT LAW REVIEW 1581 (2008)

Alfred Dennis Mathewson, By education or commerce: the legal basis for the federal regulation of the economic structure of intercollegiate athletics, 76 UMKC LAW REVIEW 597 (2008)

Shane C. Mecham and Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Head case: an agent’s guide to protecting their NFL clients from concussions and associated risks, 76 UMKC LAW REVIEW 699 (2008)

Aaron Mensh, Note, “Upon further review”: why a sports stadium can justify an eminent domain taking, 40 CONNECTICUT LAW REVIEW 1623 (2008)

Lara Krigel Pabst, Note, Embodying the Olympic spirit: why Paralympic athletes should be entitled to proportionate benefits under the Americans With Disabilities Act, 76 UMKC LAW REVIEW 751 (2008)

Deborah L. Rhode and Christopher J. Walker, Gender equity in college athletics: women coaches as a case study, 4 STANFORD JOURNAL OF CIVIL RIGHTS & CIVIL LIBERTIES 1 (2008)

Benjamin C. Thompson, Note, Personal foul…15 years in jail: sports’ problem with excessive violence and the severe punishment solution, 76 UMKC LAW REVIEW 769 (2008)

Patrick K. Thornton, The legacy of Johnnie Cochran, Jr.: the National Football League’s Rooney Rule, 33 THURGOOD MARSHALL LAW REVIEW 77 (2007)

5 SPANIARDS IN THE 2007/2008 WORLD 11 FIFPRO SIDE

A total of 57,500 Professional World Footballers have placed theirvotes as part of the FIFPro Association & have given ManchseterUnited Portugues International CRISTIANO RONALDO the BestPlayer for 2007/2008 Award.Aaprt from this, the Association elected it´s World 11 Team for2007/2008 with 5 Spanish players in the side: Casillas (RealMadrid); Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid); Carles Puyol (FCBarcelona)

More Discussion on Sports Journalism Ethics

NCAA Champion Magazine's Gary Brown wrote an interesting feature article titled, Truth Be Told?, which highlights the sports journalism ethics problem that I have been writing about extensively over the past several months. Here are some excerpts:

At no time in history have information, analysis and interpretation been so plentiful in sports journalism. In the last 30 years alone, USA Today has printed it, ESPN has televised it, the Web has synthesized it and talk radio has amplified it. While that feeds fans’ frenzy, the information arms race has turned sports reporters into personalities, columnists into entertainers and editors into marketing directors.
....

Greg Bowers, an assistant professor at the Missouri School of Journalism and sports editor of the Columbia Missourian, said sportswriters realized with ESPN’s emergence in the 1980s and the rise of the Internet in the 1990s that merely reviewing what happened on the field of play wasn’t as important since most of the audience already knew the outcome. “The old reason for buying the paper is gone,” he said. “What journalists are trying to do is create a new reason for buying the paper.” That has meant giving readers something unique, and that change has resulted in a bent toward writers offering more inflammatory commentary and becoming more visibly a part of the story – perhaps even crossing a line from reporting to entertaining. “The traditional game story died years ago,” Bowers said. “Offering depth and analysis and telling the behind-the-scenes stories is where sports journalism has gone. Whether it’s the right direction has yet to be determined.”
.....

Does the media environment naturally provoke reaction or is provocation itself the real aim? For some, [Penn State journalism professor Malcolm] Moran said, it’s the latter. “As the environment has become shrill, the only way some people think they can be heard above the din is to be even more shrill,” he said. “Many executives measure a columnist by the number of responses he or she gets. Some columnists are outraged by that premise, but others market themselves as contrarians.”
....

Whereas at one time sportswriter Dick Young was setting the agenda, now the brash, outrageous talk show host is. “And it’s risky,” Moran said, “because it’s not always journalism, but ratings-driven. The potential for manipulation and exploiting subject matter is a lot greater when you’re looking for ratings points.”

The rapidly changing delivery model of journalism in the 21st Century, the increasing competition among news sources, and the economic pressures and incentives (including the quest for ratings) is killing journalism ethics. As Brown mentions in his article, the essentials of journalism -- fairness, toughness and accuracy -- "are under duress in a time-to-fill environment." However, the First Amendment shield afforded the press in defamation, false light and privacy actions, and developed in an entirely different journalism environment over 40 years ago, provides today's profit-making press with little incentive to be concerned about journalism ethics principles. But arguably, the justification for the constitutional shield is getting weaker in this century as the press increasingly becomes less trustworthy.

SPANISH FOOTBALL - LA LIGA 2008/09 - ROUND 8 SUNDAY RESULTS

Great Sunday of Spanish Football in Round 8 of "La Liga". Here arethe results, scorers & images of the night.Great & crazy game at VILLAREAL who saw how ATLETICO DEMADRID with 10 men came back from the dead to equalize to seethe match finish in a 4-4 draw.Atletico started on fire with SIMAO scoring in the 1ºst min & thenDIEGO FORLAN in the 21st. Then the disaster, when Atletico midfielderBenegas

SPANISH FOOTBALL - LA LIGA 2008/09 - ROUND 8 SATURDAY GAMES RESULT

FC BARCELONA steamrolled ALMERIA 5- 0 with a HAT TRICK from SAMUEL ETO´O included. Here is the VIDEO off the highlightswith other goals from HENRY & ALVESThe commentator is great!OSASUNA just can´t get it right, they try hard but still need to findthe that extra somthing & luck to break a win. Last night REALBETIS won 0-2 away with goals from AURELIO & PAVONE(above)

FOOTBALL (SOCCER) HUMOUR

Its Saturday, its a wonderful sunny day in Madrid & life´s goodat this "zen" moment. Allow SFS to share with you this funny video& hopefully pull a smile out of you. Enjoy!

BUSQUETS - SPANISH FOOTBALL REVELATION - CATCHES THE ATTENTION OF ARSENAL & JUVENTUS

FC BARCELONA is a World famous "factory" of producing Footballtalents as its "youth policy" & Club set up has proven throught theyears: Messi, Xavi, Cesc, Iniesta, Puyol, Bojan, Pique...etc.Another name gets added, that of SERGIO BUSQUETS (below) sonof former Barça goalkeeper Carles Busquets, who is becoming theplayer revelation of this season & is catching the interest of the bigEuropean

Old School Strength with Kettlebells

Old School Strength with Kettlebells

The other week I had a go at several Old School Kettlebell exercises namely the '2 hands anyhow' which lead me on to the double kettlebell clean and heave with a 60kg kettlebell and a 48 kg kettlebell. Total of 108kg's.

Over the past few months I have had several failed attempts at the 108kg kettlebell clean so was truly pleased to be able to clean and heave overhead 5 times.

The clean itself was possible due to many weeks of intense kettlebell snatching and many double kettlebell swings, so I found the clean came quite easy but definitely was not something I expected do immediately despite the little voice in the back of my mind telling me I'd done enough to make it happen.

It's the type of thing that has come to me through training something else and not the specific thing you were trying to do which is a nice little tip.....

When you plant the seed, don't keep digging it up to see if it's grown, allow it to grow naturally and when you see it for the first time it will be a nice but expected suprise.

So here it is:

Double KB Clean and Heave 108kg

As I have been a little ill this week I have not yet had another crack at the 6min VO2max Kettlebell test with the 24kg, I plan to crack this at the weekend as I'm feeling much better now. Will post my findings and results soon

THE REAL MADRID 2009 SIGNNING STRATEGY

Here are news stories from the two main Spanish Sports dailys"As" & "Marca" at times contradictory. The first gives the scoopon the REAL MADRID 2009 Signning Strategy & the second on thenew Real Madrid signning objective.According to "As", REAL MADRID will not make any signningsin the January 2009 Winter market & will instead go all out forCRISTIANO RONALDO. If the Manchester United star becomes

UEFA CUP GROUP QUALIFIERS 2008/09

Three Spanish teams in action tonight in the UEFA CUP Groupqualifying stage with varied results.SEVILLA FC played STUTTGART & settled things in two minutesthat gave them the 2-0 victory in Group C. The goals came in the 15thmin via ROMARIC ( above)...& in the 16th min via RENATO (above); it was enough.The Germans fought hard & hit the post in the 66 th min via Gomez,but Sevilla took the

REAL MADRID : DOUGLAS COSTA IS THE MAN

"Of course, I would want to play in Real Madrid". These are thewords of young Brazilian & GREMIO midfielder DOUGLAS COSTAto Spanish daily "Marca".REAL MADRID, along with Manchester United, are after the services ofthis promising player. Gremio does´nt mind transfering but will askthat the player stay until Junio 2009 because Gremio is leading itslocal League & are in Copa Libertadores. Stay tuned

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP C & D QUALIFIERS 2008/09: FC BARCELONA WINS & ATLETICO SAVES THE DAY

FC BARCELONA wished the top spot of Group C & did so in grandstyle steamrolling BASILEA 5-0. The goals came all in 48 mins startingwith MESSI (3rd m), BUSQUETS ( 14th m), BOJAN ( 21st & 48th m)& XAVI ( 48th min).This sould secure Barça qualification for the next stage of Champions & give the side a great moral boost to face the local League with confidence& faith in its game.Nice to see young

Kettlebell Training Adam T Glass Style

Kettlebell Training Adam T Glass Style

Awesome stuff from Adam T Glass in his new video.

Adam does some really interesting stuff with kettlebells and bending at the same time.

Great move as he's really set off some ideas shooting around my head. Loving it!

Also, Adam is working on hitting a bottoms up press with a 48kg beast. Total respect at a body weight of 210lbs




Check out my bottoms up beast press

VALENCIA CF WANTS TO TIE UP NICOLA KALINIC

VALENCIA CF has sent its´Football Director Fernando Gomezto Split (Croatia) to attempt tie up HAJDUK SPLIT 20 year oldInternational forward NICOLA KALINIC (below).Valencia is said to have offered 7M€ for Kalinic who has alreadyscored 10 goals in 11 games. Some local media have already taggedthe player the "new Suker".News from Spanish daily "As" say that Hajduk will ask for more money& the

Sports Law Symposium at Villanova University School of Law This Saturday

I look forward to joining Howard, Marc, Jeffrey Standen, and others at Villanova University School of Law this Saturday (Oct. 25) for the 2008 Villanova Sports and Entertainment Law Journal's sympsoium on "The House that Taxpayers Built: Stadiums, Speech, and Public Funding."

Here is information on the sympisium's two panels:

Panel 1: Public Financing and Potential Government Entanglement in Private Sport Stadiums (1:00 to 2:30 p.m.)

Panelists

• Marc Edelman, Visiting Assistant Professor Rutgers University School of Law, Camden
• Everett M. Johnson, Attorney, Wilentz, Goldman & Spitzer P.A.
• Victor A. Matheson, Professor of Economics, College of the Holy Cross
• Nick E. Sakiewicz, CEO & Operating Partner, Keystone Sports and Entertainment, LLC
• Robert T. Miller (moderator), Associate Professor of Law, Villanova University School of Law
  

Panel 2: Stadiums as Public Spaces and the Application of the Public Forum Doctrine (2:45 to 4:15 p.m.)

Panelists

• Michael McCann, Visiting Associate Professor of Law, Boston College Law School/Associate Professor of Law, Vermont Law School
  
• Jeffrey Standen, Professor of Law, Willamette University College of Law
• Howard M.Wasserman, Associate Professor of Law, Florida International College of Law
• Catherine J. Lanctot (Moderator), Professor of Law Villanova University School of Law

For more information, click here.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE GROUP H & E QUALIFIERS 2008: REAL MADRID LOSE & VILLAREAL WIN

REAL MADRID again lost at Turin against a disciplined & wellorganized JUVENTUS that rocked the Spaniards early with a goal& displaced them again in the early 2ºhalf to scored their 2º goal.Real Madrid reacted late & was the owner of the 2ºhalf with a goal,post & near misses, but it was too late. The final score was 2-1 to put the Italians leaders of Group H.Real Madrid lost this match because of

KAKA ENDORSES DAVID VILLA FOR "GOLDEN BALL AWARD"

Last years "France Football Golden Ball" winner Brazilian &AC MILAN midfielder KAKA, has publically gone on record togive his "thumbs up" & support to Spanish International &VALENCIA CF forward DAVID VILLA for this years prize.Kaka considers that David Villa should be in the Top 5 places, if not, at least fighting for the 2009 "Golden Ball". He considers Villa asvital for the Spanish National

Kettlebell Fat Boy Failure VO2max

Kettlebell Fat Boy Failure at VO2MAX Test

I went for a VO2 MAX test as planned last night with the 24kg kettlebell.

I failed to even finish it!

I had a nice warm up of around 150 snatches in sets of 20 & 30 and was feeling good.

I then set up my countdown clock for 6 mins 20 secs (this allowed 20 secs to get set) and went for it.

The first minute was left hand for 16 reps then 18 on the right and back for 20 on the left which is when the voice inside my head said 'STOP you fat git!'

I managed a measly 3 mins of reps. Which left 3 to go. I wasn't totally knackered out and probably could have made it through the whole test but the demon in my head said no!

I did however feel pretty good after the 3min bout and will return later in the week and complete the test even if it kills me!

It's made me realise that the fitness side of my training is missing and also that VO2 MAX Training isn't that easy (my memories of burning up on the concept2 now don't seem so distant). Also, trying to keep a set cadence with the snatches really tunes you in to yourself, another reminder of stroke length on the concept2 rower!

RELATED POST: VO2 MAX Kettlebell Test

MLBPA Claims to Have Evidence Baseball Teams Colluded Against Barry Bonds

ESPN recently reported that the Major League Baseball Players Association ("MLBPA") claims to have uncovered evidence that certain Major League Baseball teams colluded against Barry Bonds in violation of Article XX(E) of the Major League Baseball Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Although the MLBPA has not made the alleged evidence public, this news is hardly surprising given that Bonds's agent Jeff Borris claimed earlier this year that he offered Bonds's services to "numerous" clubs for the major league-minimum salary of $390,000, but there were no takers.

Article XX(E)(1) of the CBA states as follows:

The utilization or non-utilization of rights [under Baseball's reserve system] is an individual matter to be determined solely by each Player and each Club for his or her own benefit. Players shall not act in concert with other Players and Clubs shall not act in concert with other Clubs.

Article XX(E)(2) then awards any player harmed by collusion the right to recover treble damages, including lost salary and lost contract years. This means that if but-for collusion Barry Bonds would have been able to sign a two-year, $10 million contract, Bonds would be able to recover up to $60 million (2 years * $10 million * 3) from the teams that colluded against his interests (presuming, of course, an arbitator finds collusion).

This is not the first time that the Major League Baseball clubs have allegedly violated the game's collusion clause. In the late 1980s, arbitrators on three separate occasions found MLB club owners liable for colluding against player interests. The clubs eventually settled those grievances by paying $280 million to the players union. Thereafter, in 2006, MLB club owners agreed to pay an additional $12 million to the union to settle collusion grievances from the 2002-03 off-season.

For those of you interested in a more detailed history of Baseball collusion, here is a law review article that I wrote on that topic several years ago for the Loyola of L.A. Entertainment Law Journal. In addition, I am putting the finishing touches on a new article entitled "Moving Past Collusion in Major League Baseball: Healing Old Wounds and Preventing New Ones." That article will appear in the Fall 2008 Wayne Law Review, and includes a brief section on the Bonds allegations.

(An abridged version of this entry was cross-posted on Sports Judge Blog)

2008 MLB Salary Report Card

Since 2005, I have been posting my Annual MLB Salary Report Card, which tends to prove each year a relatively weak correlation between a team's success and its total payroll. [Here are my past reports for 2005, 2006 and 2007.] This year's report leads to the same conclusion (based upon the USA Today salary database and rounded to the nearest million).

I've always thought that there is some threshold level of payroll by which a team is pretty much guaranteed to at least make the playoffs, but I was even proven wrong about that this year. The three teams with the highest payrolls in all of baseball -- Yankees ($209M), Mets ($138M) and Tigers ($138M) -- didn't even make the playoffs this year. [Note that these amounts do not reflect any luxury tax payments.] Last year, the Yankees spent about $20M less than they did this year but made the playoffs. Indeed, the Tigers keep spending more each year and keep doing worse. In 2006 they made the playoffs with an $83M payroll; in 2007 they failed to make the playoffs with a $95M payroll; and this year they finished last in the AL Central with a $138M payroll.

The team with the 4th highest payroll -- the Red Sox at $133M -- just got knocked out of the playoffs by the Devil Rays who advance to the World Series with the 2nd lowest payroll of $44M. And the Phillies advance to the World Series this year and are spending less than $100M with the 12th highest payroll. The Marlins had a very respectable year with the lowest payroll of $22M, finishing third in the NL East with an 84-77 record. But the Mariners really overpaid again this year -- they lost 101 games with a $118M payroll. And then of course there are the Twins who (once again) had a successful year with their low $57M payroll, finishing just one game behind the White Sox who spent more than twice as much ($121M) this year.

It's a shame to see the Indians spend more money this year than usual. Last year, with the 8th lowest payroll in all of baseball ($62M), Cleveland breezed through the AL Central by an 8-game margin and tied Boston for the best record in all of baseball. And in 2005 they had a 93-69 record with only a $42M payroll. This year they spend $80M and have a mediocre .500 season. Perhaps they'll go back to doing what works and lower their payroll next year.

VO2 Max Kettlebell Test

VO2 Max Kettlebell Test

Here's Rifs video of the last few sets of a PR. This is what VO2max kettlebells is all about.



Will be finding my cadence tonight and then moving on from there.

SPANISH FOOTBALL - LA LIGA ROUND 7 - 2008/09 SUNDAY GAMES RESULTS

Great Sunday of Spanish Football with Round 7 continuing & giving plenty of goals to the fans.VALENCIA CF continues its merry way & remains the classification leader after winning NUMANCIA 4-0. DAVID VILLA (above) scoredtwice (3min & 88min) to take his personal tally to 8 goals from 7 games.Along with Villa, MATA scored in the 72th min & VICENTE.VALLADOLID came back from death to grab a goal in

VO2 Max Kettlebells

VO2 Max Kettlebells

Come tommorrow I will be starting a couble of VO2 Max Kettlebell sessions per week in the style of 'Rif'

I've made the decision to 'go lighter' for a while to allow my body to recover from all the hammering I've been giving myself with the heavy kettlebells.

I'm looking forward to the definite buzz that VO2 Max training gives you, I would go as far to say a 'high' that VO2MAX training gives you.

But I hear you say 'but Rob your a fat lad and when have you ever done VO2 Training?'..... well it's only about 4 years since I was pretty hot on the Concept2 Indoor rower with a personal best of 6 mins 7 secs for 2000m (Also 3rd place in North England Champs). I also completed a 100,000m row in 7 hours and 1 min 3 secs.

So, having visited rifsblog quite frequently recently I decided to challenge myself with some VO2MAX training. Very similar to my concept2 days when I would do loads of 20 on 20 off training 30:30 60:60 and lots of tabata style torture training. I really feel this kind of training cleans your whole system out and really re charges your batteries.

Seeing how Rif and the gang are progressing I'll be following for a while

If you're unsure of how VO2max kettlebell training works check out this fine article here

So.... here we go

7 SPANIARDS IN FRANCE FOOTBALL "GOLDEN BALL" AWARD 2008 CANDIDATES

The French magazine "France Football" has handed in its 30 candidatesin the running for the prestigious "Golden Ball Award" that heralds the"Best Player In The World" prize.Spain is the country with most players & has 7 player within the 30candidates. The winner will be announced on the 2ºnd of December, withCristiano Ronaldo of MAnchester United the hot favourite along withLionel Messi of FC

INDOOR FOOTBALL WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 2008: BRAZIL 6 - SPAIN 5

Brazil won Spain on penalties in today´s Indoor Football WorldChampionship Final held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). The game wasa tough affair of strategy, discipline & little chances which finishedafter extra time with a 2-2 result that took the match into the penaltiesstage.The two time World & defending Champions Spain missed twice - Torras& Marcelo - to give the 2008 title to Brazil. The end

Seton Hall Sports Law Symposium

On November 7, the Seton Hall University School of Law Journal of Sports & Entertainment Law is hosting The 2008 Seton Hall Sports & Entertainment Law Symposium: From the Arena to the Streets - The Pressures Placed on Athletes, Entertainers, and Management. The event is being co-sponsored by the Entertainment, Arts & Sports Law Sections of the New Jersey State Bar Association and the New York State Bar Association, and attendees can earn up to five New York CLE credits.

Keynote Speaker:

Scheduled time: 1:15-2:15 P.M. with a short break following.

Jeff Vanderbeek, Chairman and Managing Partner, New Jersey Devils

Panel 1: Constructing and Operating Sport and Entertainment Facilities, presented by Lowenstein Sandler, PC

Scheduled time: 9:30-11:00 A.M.

Description: This panel will explore the legal and business issues related to constructing and operating public and private facilities.

Moderator: Mark Conrad, Assoc. Prof. of Business Law, Fordham University

Panelists:
Mark Stefanacci, Chief Operating Officer and Legal Counsel, New Jersey Sports & Exhibition Authority
Andrew Lee, General Counsel, New York Jets
Philip Weinberg, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, Comcast-Spectacor, LP
Michael Rowe, President and CEO, Positive Impact, Inc.
P. Jason Hadley, Counsel, Lowenstein Sandler PC

Panel 2: Health of Professional Athletes and Obligations to Perform

Scheduled time: 11:00-12:20 P.M., with lunch to follow from 12:20-1:15 P.M.

Description: This panel will explore legal issues related to the tension between athletes' obligations to play the game and to tend to serious injuries such as concussions.

Moderator: John R. Kettle III, Professor of Entertainment Law, Copyright & Trademark, & Intellectual Property, Rutgers-Newark Law School

Panelists:
Leonard Marshall, Retired New York Giants football player
Roger Abrams, Professor of Law, Northeastern University School of Law
Michael Weiner, General Counsel, Major League Baseball Players Association
Andrew Bondarowicz, Esq., Owner and President, The Aregatta Group, Inc.

Panel 3: Entertainers' and Athletes' Conduct Unrelated to Their Employment, presented by Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, PA

Scheduled time: 2:15 - 3:45 P.M.

Description: This panel will explore legal issues related to how socially unacceptable conduct that occurs outside talent's business obligations impacts his/her contractual duties and success.

Moderator: Scott Shagin, Entertainment Lawyer, Music Manager, Adjunct Professor at Seton Hall University School of Law

Panelists:
Fernando M. Pinguelo, Esq., Partner and Chair of the Entertainment Law Group, Norris, McLaughlin & Marcus, PA
Rick Karcher, Assoc. Prof. of Law and Dir., Center for Law and Sports, Florida Coastal School of Law
Anthony Caruso, Esq., Partner and Chair of Sports & Entertainment Practice Group, Archer & Greiner, PC
Marc Edelman, Attorney and Visiting Professor, Rutgers-Camden Law School

Information on how to register for the event is here.

SPANISH FOOTBALL - LA LIGA ROUND 7 - 2008/09 SATURDAY GAMES RESULTS

Two games played on Saturday as part of Round 7 of "La Liga" withReal Madrid taking the derby over Atletico de Madrid, & a hard foughtgame between Espanyol & Villareal that finished without goals.ATLETICO DE MADRID lost 1 - 2 to REAL MADRID in an intense"derby" that had it all: goals, red cards, action & last second miracles.The summary is the following. A goal in the 1ºst min by VANNISTELROOY

Does anti-discrimination law require ESPN to suspend Lou Holtz over "Hitler" comments?

As I was trying to set up my TiVo to record last night's Hawai`i-Boise State game, I was, as most ESPN viewers at the time likely were, shocked to hear Lou Holtz observe, "Hitler was a great leader too." Holtz was commenting on Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez; his comments clearly upset co-hosts Rece Davis and Mark May. Davis immediately tried to explain away the comments--"by which you mean, of course..."--or something of that nature; and Mark May's sideways glance was a bit more wide-eyed than usual.

Pat at Fan IQ writes that there "HAD to be a better analogy." Deadspin covers the slip here, and suggests that Holtz may be "taking some time off." Holtz has already had to issue one on-air apology this week for his anti-Colt McCoy tirade, and another mea culpa is surely in the works.

A few months back, ESPN.com columnist Jemele Hill was suspended after comparing the Boston Celtics to the evil Nazi leader. If the network treats Holtz any differently, Hill should definitely contact an employment discrimination lawyer.

ATLETICO - REAL: THE LAST MADRID DERBY - 26/08/08. WHO WILL WIN TONIGHT?

This is the VIDEO of the last ATLETICO DE MADRID - REALMADRID Derby celebrated the 26/08/2007. Result 2-1 in Real´s favour with goals from Aguero; Raul & Sneijder.As an Atletico supporter, SFS hopes that this time we can win tonightsbig clash :)SFS will give the match summary late (very late) tonight

FCC as Race Car Sponsor?

Today's issue of Multichannel News reported that the Federal Communications Commission has decided to follow the lead of the U.S. Postal Service and become a sponsor of a team, in this case NASCAR driver David Gilliland, who agreed to use his No. 38 to display an advertisement trumpeting the conversion of the television signal from the sixty plus year old analog standard to digital. Gilliland, ranked 27th in the standings, recorded one top-5 and two top-10 finishes, with no speedway victories in 2008. He will receive $350,000 for the commission.

While I'm not criticizing the need the inform the public on the DTV conversion, one wonders about the implications of such a sponsorship. Since NASCAR Sprint Cup events are televised, their content, if you will, comes under the FCC's jurisdiction. Imagine the (admittedly) unlikely but interesting scenarios: Say that Gilliland's car gets bumped by another car, is forced off the track and the driver storms out screaming and cursing at the other driver. The words are picked up and violate the FCC's indecency policies. Wouldn't that be embarrassing for the FCC to impose fines on broadcasters because of actions by a driver which it sponsored? Or, what if Gilliland or one of his investors wishes to purchase a broadcast property and obtain a license from that same commission? Would they include the FCC as a reference?

Yes, this is potential tempest in a teapot. But I do get a bit antsy when administrative agencies get involved in commercial activities. Imagine the potential. How about naming rights such as the SEC Golf Cup or the EPA Clay Court Championship? Maybe it would be better if the National Association of Broadcasters or some other trade association sponsor the ad?

LIONEL MESSI: THE YOUNG "STAR"

Here is a VIDEO of a very young LIONEL MESSI showing his classin 1993. The images says it all, a star is born:

Crazy Kettlebells

Crazy Kettlebells

Here we have a totally mental kettlebell/chain/band lift off blocks by vasallsh
Very similar style to Diesel Crew training, nice idea nonetheless.




Check out their site at accelerationperformance.ca

FERNANDO TORRES TO WATCH THE ALLETICO - LIVERPOOL CHAMPIONS CLASH AT HOME

It was the dream of FERNANDO TORRES, Atletico de Madridfans & Football Lovers in general to see the return of the prodigalson to the "Vicente Calderon" Stadium in Madrid for the Atleticode Madrid vs Liverpool Champions League clash next Wednesday.However, that dream went wrong when reality struck with theinjury of Fernando Torres last Wednesday night when representingSpain against Belgium. He was

FC BARCELONA CONSIDERS SETTING UP IN THE UNITED STATES

FC BARCELONA is reported to be considering entering in the capitalof a US Soccer Team in Miami, at least 50% is being said in the media.Barça see this as an opportunity to enter the US market which isevolving, & gaining more Spanish speaking Americans as their fans.As expected, Barcelona based daily "Mundo Deportivo" generates good humour on the subject as seen by their cartoon today by "KAP".

Kansas State Raises the Compensation Bar of Assistant Coaches

While much is talked about the exorbitant salaries of college head coaches, Rivals.coms's Bob McClellan has done some interesting research on the salaries of assistant basketball coaches (Kansas State's Hill Earns Surprising Salary). McClellan found one contract that sticks out like a sore thumb -- that of Kansas State's Dalonte Hill who will now be earning $420,000 in total compensation annually for the next four years! For the next four years, Hill will receive a base salary of $150,000 and "additional compensation" of $270,000. According to McClellan, the salaries of the 12 assistants at the schools in last season's Final Four, which range from $125,000 to $265,000, pale in comparison to what Hill will be paid in 2008-09. McClellan interviewed one SEC assistant who said, "The number ($420,000) is staggering. It might be better for assistant coaches if he got $300,000 because then it's closer to what some guys make and you could see asking for something close to that. But that number is just so far out there I don't think any assistant would go in and ask for more."

So why is KS paying him almost $200k more than the next highest paid assistant coach and $300k more than most assistant coaches make? Apparently, it has something to do with Hill's recruitment of Michael Beasley, who McClellan says "made Kansas State basketball relevant for the first time in more than a decade last season, and his presence put a few extra dollars in the pocket of the man responsible for luring him to Manhattan, Kan." Hill was Beasley's AAU coach and Beasley referred to him "like a big brother." According to McClellan, KS athletic director Bob Krause told the Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World that Hill put the K-State program on a different plane when he secured the signing of Beasley. Krause told the newspaper, "I'd hate to put a value on what the exposure, both print and electronic, has been on Michael. That's an identification with a guy who's a very strong advocate of K-State and, in his own words, will always be a part of the K-State family. Michael's love for K-State – it's priceless, just priceless."

Well, the exposure Beasley brings to KS is apparently worth at least two to three hundred grand per year. Perhaps Beasley is the one who should be renegotiating his contract with KS.

MLS and “New” Media (and the ice cream of the future)

The Sports Business Journal has an interesting article discussing DC United’s decision to develop and maintain its own website rather than use the centralized site created by the MLS (h/t to J Hutcherson over at ussoccerplayers.com). Why the move? Well, according to the article, one reason is the “growing impatience among MLS teams as the league continues to develop a digital strategy for the future.” Since the expiration of its agreement with MLB Advanced Media nearly two years ago, MLS “has never signed a new partnership or outlined a comprehensive digital strategy.”

A second reason? Like the New York Rangers, D.C. United feels it can do a better job than the league. The article quotes Doug Hicks, D.C. United’s vice president of communications: “We’re anxious to move forward with online opportunities…We feel the best way to brand and communicate with fans is to do it ourselves.”

A third reason? Unlike the New York Rangers—and any team in the NHL, NBA, or MLB— MLS teams can opt out of using the league’s centralized site.

Ceding the right to MLS teams to operate their own websites does not put much of a dent in MLS' claim to being a single entity. Certainly not like the dent made by the designated player rule. But, it is interesting to see the MLS decentralizing its “new” media while the NHL, MLB, and NBA are centralizing.

On a related note, when does “new media” simply become “media”? On a less related, but similar note, when do Dippin’ Dots, “the ice cream of the future,” just become “ice cream”? Dippin’ Dots were created in 1988. Are we in the “future” yet? And, how old does a song have to be before it gets played on the “oldies” station? Or, are there some songs that can never become “oldies” (I don’t envision hearing, “next on Oldies FM—Chubby Checker and a Nine Inch Nails rock block!). I wish I had answers. (Who says blogging isn’t a productive use of time??).

WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFIER: BELGIUM 1 - SPAIN 2

SPAIN took a big step forward tonight after defeating BELGIUM 1-2 in its Group qualifying game for the 2012 World Cup. It was a fabulous game to witness as both side displayed skill & determinationto go out & search for the win. It was Spain that managed to grab the victory towards the end of the match & remain the undisputed leader of it´s Group.The only bad news for Spain & Liverpool FC is the

Advanced Strength Training Program

Free Advanced Strength Training Program

Parth Shah has provided us with a superb Strength Training Program FOC, simple but nonetheless effective!

Why?

Well, many folks get stuck in a rut with their training routines and go stale which often leads to lack of reults. This training program consists of big lifts with short rest periods and low reps. So be prepared for big fat loss and high strength gains when you're on this style Strength Program.

It certainly should give you a kick up the behind if you've become used to taking plenty of rest between sets.

In fact I most likely will be giving this a whirl for myself.

Read the full article here Advanced Strength Training Program

The principles behind program don't just apply to traditional style weight training they can also be used on a kettlebell training program just as well.

Enjoy!

SFS REMEMBERS THE BEST WORLD CUP TEAM EVER: BRAZIL 1970

SFS was thinking about Spain´s World Cup Group qualifier againstBelgium tomorrow night & SFS was wondering that Spain has a verytalented side. However, if one thinks about good sides, the BRAZIL 1970World Cup Team & Champions, is probably the Best 11 players togetherin any National Team in History.SFS is a Universal Football & Sports fanatic, such Teams have a placehere along with anything that

Not a Beauty and The Beast

Not a Beauty and The Beast

This is definitely not a beauty but is definitely the Beast (48kg kettlebell)
I have been pressing this fellow out for a while but finally have gotten around to videoing the act of 'Bottoms Up Pressing of THE BEAST'




Tips:

To work upto bottom up pressing the Beast (or any KB for that matter), first work on practicing the bottoms up clean and hold. Simply clean the kettlebell bottoms up and hold, rinse and repeat. It's a great test of balance wrist/grip strength. Don't forget to change hands to get both hands strong in this lift.

As all training work up with lighter weights for higher reps. Keep at it until you succeed. It's that simple.

Related Posts: Kettlebells and The Beast

48kg Kettlebell the BEAST

TOURE & PEPE WITH SECRET CLUB ADMIRER´S IN ITALY

From Italy - "Tuttosport"- comes the news & rumour about JUVENTUSadmiration & interest in the services of FC BARCELONA midfield"powerhouse" YAYA TOUREThe Ivory Coast player is sitting on the bench lately & is frustratedwith the situation. It´s speculated that he may find the Juventus optiona possible solution. The figures said to be waved by the Italian Club is3.8M€ for the player & 10M€ for

Girevoy Sport

Girevoy Sport After 40

Although not over 40 (yet!) Girevoy Sport After 40 blog offers some superb diagramatic forms of Girevoy Sport. I found some excellent information on short cycle kettlebell jerking with kettlebells. Stuff such as static holds and an excellent transalation of a Russian text about training Gireviks. Brilliant info and can be found here under Stages of Training

I must admit that although I can achieve some fairly good results with heavy weight for a few reps, constant repping with 2 x 32kg kettlebells is not my thing at the moment but is something I am currently working on and trying to develop. I find the movement fine initially but then feel extremely uncomfortable. Maybe this is due to my build. However, I like a challenge so let's keep moving and improving.

Well done to Girevoy Sport After 40 for sharing some valuable information in the world of kettlebellin'

Rob

MSG New Media Antitrust Claim Survives Motion to Dismiss

While another NHL regular season has kicked off (faced off?) with relatively little fanfare, the MSG-NHL antitrust battle continues (see earlier posts by Marc here and here, and by Rick here). MSG can finally claim a victory, as Judge Preska denied the NHL's motion to dismiss with respect to the antitrust claims brought against its "New Media Strategy." Significantly, this case presents us with an opportunity to see if the single entity monster is out of the cage following the Seventh Circuit opinion in American Needle.

As Rick discussed, the Second Circuit affirmed Judge Preska’s denial of MSG’s motion for a preliminary injunction back in March 2008. MSG’s injunction challenged only the NHL’s New Media Strategy, which required, among other things, the migration of the MSG-owned Rangers’ website to an NHL-operated server. The Complaint filed by MSG, however, was much broader and challenged NHL restraints relating to four different categories: 1) merchandising and licensing, 2) broadcasting and streaming, 3) advertising and sponsorship, 4) and New Media.

In its motion to dismiss, the NHL raised two primary arguments. First, the NHL argued that all claims relating to the first three categories (ie, all non-New Media claims) were barred by a release in a Consent Agreement signed by MSG in 2005 (or, in the alternative, were barred by the doctrine of laches). Second, the NHL claimed that it constitutes a “single entity when deciding how to make and sell what only the venture can create” and thus is incapable of violating Section 1 of the Sherman Act (or, in the alternative, that MSG had failed to allege antitrust injury).

Judge Preska dismissed all of the non-New Media claims, finding that they were released pursuant to the Consent Agreement (and, in the alternative, were barred by the doctrine of laches). The Consent Agreement reads, in relevant part: “MSG forever releases and discharges [the NHL] from any and all claims…upon any legal or equitable theory [which] exist as of the date of the execution…relating to, or arising from, any hockey operations or any NHL activity, including, without limitation, the performance, presentation or exploitation of any hockey game….” Judge Preska held that the language of the release encompassed MSG’s non-New Media claims and that enforcement of the release would not violate public policy. In holding that the release does not violate public policy, Judge Preska essentially rejected the antitrust challenge to NHL’s various restrictions regarding merchandising, broadcasting, and advertising, concluding that the NHL’s “undisputed legitimacy diminishes the public policy concerns compared to those in the case of a Section 1 conspiracy whose very existence is unlawful, as in the case of a monopoly or price-fixing conspiracy.”

The New Media Strategy, however, did not exist at the time the Consent Agreement was signed, and thus was not barred by the general release. Judge Preska therefore had to determine if the single entity defense barred MSG’s New Media Strategy Section 1 antitrust claims. Although Judge Preska recognized that “[w]hat is essentially the same [single entity] argument has been rejected in a similar case by the Court of Appeals,” and that “[m]ost other Courts that have taken up the issue have reached the same conclusion,” Judge Preska concluded that the “Court need not—and will not—resolve the question at this juncture [because] the arguments advanced by the NHL in favor of single entity status require examining facts outside the pleadings.” In particular, Judge Preska noted that “there is no evidence in the record on the crucial question of market definition, let alone the inquiry into how the NHL actually operates as an economic actor in that market,” and “therefore the NHL’s arguments in favor of dismissal cannot be resolved at the pleading stage.”

Judge Preska’s brief discussion of the single entity question, however, does exhibit one of the more perplexing fundamental mistakes made by judges when considering the issue. Specifically, Judge Preska relied on the Fourth Circuit’s opinion in Seabury Management., Inc. v. Professional Golfers’ Ass’n of America, Inc., for support that the “PGA and a regional golfers association” constituted a single entity. Judge Easterbrook relied on the Seabury case for the same proposition in Chicago Pro Sports, Ltd. Partnership v. NBA, 95 F.3d 593 (7th Cir. 1996), and the NHL’s attorneys devoted an entire page to the case in their motion to dismiss.

The Seabury case, however, was brought against a trade association of professional golfers, the Professional Golfers’ Association of America. The case was not brought against PGA Tour, Inc., the producers of professional golf events in the United States. Contrary to what Judge Preska, Judge Easterbrook, and NHL counsel apparently believe, Seabury did not hold that a sports league or association and its member teams or tournaments constitute a single entity. Instead, Seabury only held that a trade association and a separately incorporated division of the association should be treated as a single entity for antitrust purposes because the two entities functioned as a “single economic unit.” Seabury thus lends little support to a sports league or association’s single entity argument.

Yet, Seabury continues to be cited as support for the single entity monster, which, for the time being at least (pending the next stage of this litigation) remains in the cage.*

*I believe the monster might be out of the cage with my use of the monster-out-of-the-cage expression. I blame (credit?) John Stearns (see description of Game 1).

THE WORST FC BARCELONA LINE-UP EVER?

Barcelona based Sports daily "Sport" called onto its readers to votefor what they consider the worst ever possible team line-up ever forFC BARCELONA.The results is the following:Rustu; Déhu; Christanval; Bogarde; Okunowo; Rochemback; Eskurza;Ciric; Amunike & Maxi Lopez.

REAL MADRID: CANNAVARO UNDISPUTED FOR SCHUSTER

Italian International Captain & REAL MADRID defender FABIOCANNAVARO finishes contract on the 30th of June 2009 & as offthe 1st of January 2009 can freely negotiate with any other Club hechooses too. Logically, Cannavaro wishes to know as soon a possibleReal Madrid´s position.Until recently, it was Real Madrid intention to let the Italian go,as young Argentine International defender EZQUIEL GARAY

Sprint Heave and Hauling Paleo Style

Paleo Sprint Heave and Hauling Workout

I've been checking out Theorytopractice.wordpress.com and found out about a superb workout Keith has been doing and would like to share it with you.

The Paleo Sprint Heave and Haul Workout hits every button for me as it is simplistic yet covers all bases for strength conditioning, core and power training in one go.

Here is workout in its entirety:

I have added a few comments in to allow me to do the workout with kettle bells

1. 60 meter sprints from a rolling start. 8 x ~90% effort. Approximately 1 minute between sprints.

Then perform:

1. Slosh pipe lunge x 20 steps (in my case this would be Zercher kettlebell band walk as I don't have a slosh pipe yet)
   
2. 30-lb medicine ball caber toss x 5 all-out heaves. (this could also be performed using a kettlebell of any weight you can manage to throw)
   

Three rounds of these two exercises, done back-to-back.

Excellent ... a real gem of a workout.

Don't ever be fooled by somethings simplicity, too many athletes are looking for this secret program or secret exercise and in plain Englis 'it doesn't exist' hard, smart training and dedication is what is needed to achieve your goals.

Rob

Two Hands Anyhow

Two Hands Anyhow




The 'Two Hands Anyhow' is an Old School exercise/lift almost extinct now but a favourite of the likes of Eugene Sandow and Arthur Saxon.

The lift involves doing a bent press and picking up another weight from the floor at the same time. The bent press in itself is an odd exercise as it isn't really a 'press' as such but an exercise in leverage. This however doesn't make it any easier as it's still a really tough manouver to perform and requires immense trunk/core power on top of aglity and shoulder strength with balance thrown in just for good measure.

The Two Hands Anyhow exerts a lot of force on your trunk at the sides (how technical) so should be performed with great care. Make sure you can perform a bent press before attempting the 2 hands anyhow.

As a little tip ... I find using slightly heavier weights in the bent press easier as I can work away from the weight instead of just pressing it out because it's too light. Try grinding away, around and down trying to leave the weight/ kettlebell where it is before attempting a windmill type exercise to return erect. Also, keep the reps low until you find out how your body reacts as it seriously works your lower back and trunk like you've never experienced.

Here's a video of me performing a 108kg Two Hands Anyhow lift (60kg overhead and 48kg from the floor) The press is a hybrid of a bent press and side press.

FORMULA 1 JAPAN GP 2008: ALONSO WINS

SFS has had little to say this year in the Formula One area, sinceFERNANDO ALONSO has had a terrible Renault car & a bad yearup till now. He won in Singapur - under lights - & now he returns towin today in the Japanese GP. It seems his team has finally managedto get the Renault automobile in shape late in the season & Alonsohis form as well.Great news for the Spaniard as he has been thinking

WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFIER:ESTONIA 0-SPAIN 3 (SEE VIDEO)

The current European Champions were given work tonight in theirGroup qualifying match. SPAIN defeated ESTONIA away 0-3 but the result is misleading to a certain extent, although Spain played well.Estonia planted a solid wall in defense & played to the counter-attackto had during the first 30 min Spain against the ropes, including aCasillas goal save to keep them out. However, Spain grabbed back

U/21 EURO CHAMPIONSHIP QUALIFIER: SWITZERLAND 2 - SPAIN 1

The Swiss & Spanish U/21 teams are battling to qualify for the nextqualifying phase of the U/21 Euro Championships to be held in Swedennext year. The first act - the away game - has ended withSwitzerland defeating Spain 2-1. Spain was out played & out smartedby the Swiss that frustrated & blocked the Spanish game all night.Now it´s all down to the return game were Spain must turn around the

More on Baylor and Age Discrimination

Mike's post on the possibility (however remote) that Elgin Baylor was a victim of age discrimination reminds me of some things I wrote after the $10-million verdict against the Knicks and Isiah Thomas for sexual harassment. I criticized the NBA's refusal to take any action action Thomas or the Knicks, and particularly its rationale that this simply was a "civil matter."

At the time, I asked the following:

Suppose a white team executive fired his Black head coach because of the coach's race and explicitly used racial slurs in doing it and the coach prevails on a race discrimination claim, recovering major compensatory and punitive damages. Would Stern really do nothing to the executive because it is a "civil matter"? And what is the difference from what happened here? Is it a matter of coach as opposed to a non-basketball executive?

Age discrimination does not carry the same social outrage as race discrimination. But if Baylor does pursue this and prevails, maybe we are about to get some answers to my questions.

Was Former LA Clippers Executive Elgin Baylor Discriminated Against Because of Age?

I attempt to answer the legal implications of that question on ClipperBlog, which is run by ESPN.com's Kevin Arnovitz. Hope you have a chance to check it out.

FC BARCELONA TRANSFER RUMOURS: KEIRRISON & RAKITIC

Rumour has it that FC BARCELONA has tied up ahead ofValencia CF, Werner Bremen & CSKA Moscow the signning of20 year old Brazilian & CORITIBA striker KERRISON DESOUZA ( pic below). The speculated price is said to bearound the 13M€ mark & he may arrive to FC Barcelona duringthe "Winter Transfer" market period. What´s not clear is ifthe player will incorporate himself into the Barça squad or begiven

VOTING OPEN FOR "ONZE DE ORO": 9 SPANIARDS IN LIST

French Magazine "Onze Mondial" have put up their list of 52 candidatesso that their Internet readers can begin voting for the "Once De Oro"( The Golden Eleven), The Best Player & Best Coach. There are 9Spaniards in the list of candidates: Casillas, Ramos, Puyol, Senna, Cesc,Silva, Xavi, Torres, & Villa.The Magazine goes further & puts up its own choice of Golden 11players as shown on the mash up

FRANCE FOOTBALL GOLDEN BALL AWARD 2008: 5 CANDIDATES

Spanish daily "Marca" has run the story on this years upcomingFrance Football Golden Ball Award. According to most experts it´s a "5 horse" race, as France Football cuts its list to 30 candidateson the 21st of October.CRISTIANO RONALDO (Manchester United)The hot favourite. However, doubts have set in after a very poorEuro2008 performance & poor start in this seasons Premier Leaguedue to his ankle

Kettlebells and The Beast

Kettlebells and The Beast

To be a beast you need to be able to lift the beast.

I got my beast a while back and have since conquered it and moved onto heavier things. Such as the Titan Kettlebell.

Here KOBAKETTLEBELL really works hard to press out the BEAST (48kg) and show he is a beast. This is what it's all about..... pushing yourself and striving for THE EXTRA MILE. Welldone!

REAL MADRID SETS SIGHTS ON BENZEMA FOR 2009

News from local daily "As" explains that REAL MADRID has setitself the objective to seal & sign OLYMPIQUE DE LYON 20 yearold French International forward BENZEMAAccording to the paper, Real Madrid is already talking with theplayer & setting up the conditions. It´s speculated that the startingprice is around the 50M€ mark, this is due to his young age & provengoalscoring abilities. Stay tuned for

FIFA WORLD RANKING: SPAIN RETAINS Nº1

Great & proud news, SPAIN remain Nº1 in the FIFA World rankingfor the 4th consecutive month.Here is the listing of the Top 10:FIFA World ranking:.1. Spain 1.643 pts.2. Italy 1.365 pts.3. Germany 1.336 pts.4. Brazil 1.280 pts.5. Holland 1.258 pts.6. Croatia 1.223 pts.7. Argentina 1.200 pts.8. Chec. Rep 1.111 pts.9. Russia 1.076 pts10. Portugal 1.075 pt

MANCHESTER CITY EYES THIERRY HENRY

According to English press & local daily "Sport" English PremierLeague Club MANCHESTER CITY has it´s eyes set on Frenchman& FC BARCELONA forward THIERRY HENRY for the "Winter"Transfer season.Manchester City feels Henry could give them the extra quality tocomplement Robinho upfront & thus guarentee goals & theresult. Man City are still feeling the pain of it´s Premier Leaguedefeat against

Kettlebells For Strong Shoulders

Kettlebells For Strong Shoulders and Big Deadlift

Smitty from the Diesel Crew has posted a superb video of training with kettlebells, using some seriously clever methods.

I love the chains attached to the kettlebells off of blocks, brilliant. Use your brain to train!

Also, double kettlebell press is gonna be a goer for me. Great idea for holding one above your head whilst pressing the other kettlebell. Almost a seesaw kettlebell press but much harder. Shoulder training with kettlebells may just have got a bit harder.

Enjoy

Job Opportunities in Sports Law

Clay Chandler of the Mississippi Business Journal recently interviewed me to discuss the different kinds of sports law careers and how while a career in sports law is commonly viewed as a career as a sports agent, there are a variety of sports law fields that go less noticed -- sports litigation, NCAA compliance work, IP work work at a firm that involves sports law, working as counsel to a team, including a minor league team etc. Hope you have a chance to check out the article and please feel free to give your thoughts on careers in sports law in the comments section below.

Straighttothebar

Straighttothebar.com

Awesome, I'm over the moon as my kettlebell style heavy swing got featured on Straightothebar.com

Thanks to Scott Bird, Jedd Johnson and the crew over there, cheers!

Here's my original post if you didn't see it kettlehandle

Will be working with my 'kettlehandle' again soon, also thought about other exercises using her. Possible stacking it with a shed load of weight and attempting strongman training with her. Such as dragging it up steps in a fashion similar to that in WSM, only heavier (only joking!!)

Straighttothebar.com

WORLD CUP 2010 QUALIFIERS: SPANISH NATIONAL TEAM UPDATE & NEWS

Here are highlights of the Spanish National Team training at Madridtoday before they head to Estonia, & then to Belgium for their WorldCup 2010 Group qualifying games. The bad news from today’ssession is the injury to David Capel (Sevilla FC) who will miss bothgames & Santi Cazorla (Villareal) who was injuried today after contestinga ball with Pepe Reina & will attempt to recover in time. Should

Luke Walton Stalked by Woman

When the subject of "stalking" comes up, normally it's in the context of a male stalking a female. But with celebrities, it often seems to be the other way around, with the male being stalked by a female--David Letterman being stalked by Margaret Mary Ray and Richard Gere being stalked by Ursula Reichert-Habbishaw being two prime examples.

We can now add to that list a lesser-known celebrity, but one we're familiar with in the sports world: Los Angeles Lakers reserve forward Luke Walton (who of course is the son of Hall of Famer Bill Walton). Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register wrote a piece today on the tremendous amount of stress, anxiety, and life disruption Walton has experienced over the last year because a 34-year-old woman named Stacy Beshear has stalked him. Here is an excerpt from what Walton has had to deal with:

According to Walton, she sat in her car outside his house too many times to count – sometimes staying there when he left the house during the day, sometimes staying there when he went to sleep at night. She marked up his car with a Sharpie one time when he was too busy to sign an autograph.

She morphed into a race-car driver anytime Walton tried to elude her. She eyed him from the bleachers as he ran his basketball camp – sitting there for four consecutive days, seven hours per day. She even dared to approach his girlfriend.

Then a week and a half ago, she contorted her face in anger, stuck her arm out her car window, curled her hand to make it look like a gun and shot make-believe bullets at him.

Thankfully, police arrested Beshear on stalking charges, and a court issued a temporary restraining order prohibiting her from going near Walton. On November 6th she'll appear before a court on those charges and if convicted, the restraining order against her will be extended indefintely. We'll see what happens. For the rest of the story, which is a fascinating read, click here.

UEFA CUP 2008/09 GROUP QUALIFYING DRAW

UEFA has just had it´s draw to match up the teams in 8 groups of 5 teamswere after each outfit plays each other home & away the first 3º teamsqualify for the next stage.RACING OF SANTANDER was matched up in a very tough Group,here is the result:GROUP ARacing de Santander ; Schalke 04; París St. Germain; ManchesterCity & TwenteTwo time back to back winners SEVILLA FC have a more accessibleGroup,

SPANISH 2ºB DIVISION FOOTBALL: GOALKEEPER SCORES GOAL

It happened in the Fuerteventura vs Aguilas 2ºB Division game.Fuerteventura goalkeeper NAUZET scores a goal for his team fromhis own area, an event which is rare & worthy of a watch. See videoclip at min 2, 24:The above video is also a good excuse to see some 2ºB Division action whichdoes not get the media attention as higher levels of Football

Kettlebell Training with Adjustable Weight Kettlebell

Kettlebell Training with Adjustable Weight Kettlebell

Been banging out the repolas recently with my Kettlebell Challenge at the moment. After 360 swings with my 24kg I decided to finish off my session by unleashing my 'original kettlebell', well it's not really a kettlebell but my brother in law 'Pat Hodgson' welded it up for me when I was thinking about buying one.

I had about 17kg on it when he gave it to me and I remember thinking how much heavier than 17kg it felt. Well, I slapped a bit more weight on yesterday and got swinging with it.

Looking at it I think you may call it 'the kettlestacks ugly brother'. No! I've just renamed it the kettlehandle It's definitely an adjustable weight kettlebell and definitely can give you a good workout. Which is all I'm interested in!

Check out my nasty kettlebell training (kettlehandle) video, manged to swing with 100kg.



kettlehandle kettlebell training

Monday Morning Sports Law

Some Monday morning links:

* Pete Thamel of the New York Times has a really interesting piece on how Brandon Jennings--the 19-year-old American basketball star who opted to play professionally Italy while waiting to become eligible for the NBA Draft--is doing in Rome. Long story short: he, his mom, and younger brother appear to be doing great. Jennings is apparently making around a million dollars this year, after tax, between basketball and endorsement income (check out Darren Rovell's CNBC piece on Jennings' lucrative endorsement deal with Under Armour -- Jennings stands to earn more in endorsement income this year than any pick from the 2008 NBA Draft, save for the top three players selected, Michael Beasely, Derrick Rose, and O.J. Mayo). 19 years old, a million bucks to play hoops, and getting to live in luxury in Rome with his family -- Jennings' life sounds pretty good to me. Along those lines, Jennings and his family are living in a luxury apartment that is paid for by his team, Lottomatica Roma, while his brother is attending an elite private school for international students, his $20,000 a year tuition also paid for by the team.

* Pete Thamel with another interesting piece on how the NBA's age limit might lead to high school players going to Europe instead of going to college. Given Jennings' very appealing situation described above, it's not surprising to think that some players who graduate from high school in 2009 may follow him. Alan Milstein recently blogged about this same topic on Sports Law Blog.

* Robb Stokar over at Athletes Access Blog writes about Travis Henry's recent arrest on drug charges.

* I have a new column on SI.com on the implications of O.J. Simpson's guilty verdict. My thanks to Professor Mark Obbie and the Carnegie Legal Reporting Program at Syracuse University's Newhouse School of Communications for their kind words about my column in their piece "O.J. Sentencing Math: SI Wins". I also thank Professor Douglas Berman of the Moritz College of Law at The Ohio State University for his nice words on his Sentencing Law and Policy Blog.

Chicago Cubs and the Curse of Legal Formalism

On Saturday night, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Cubs 3-1, completely a dominating three-game sweep in the National League Division Series in which they outscored the Cubs 20-6. Thus will it be more than 100 years between world championships for the Cubs, who famously last won in 1908. This century of losing has been blamed on everything from billy goats to black cats to twenty-something fans in head phones to the refusal to install lights at Wrigley Field. I want to suggest a new source: legal formalism.

In addition to being the centennial of the Cubs' last championship, 1908 also was the centennial of one of the game's most infamous gaffes, by Fred "Bonehead' Merkle. Some detailed history. On September 23 of that year, the Giants and Cubs, tied for first place, played at New York's Polo Grounds. Tied 1-1 with two outs and runners at first (Merkle, then a rookie first-baseman) and third, the Giants' Al Bridwell singled, scoring the runner from third, and apparently winning the game.Giant fans immediately ran onto the field, a common practice in those days, both to celebrate and to head to the stadium exit in right field that was closest to the trains and streetcars home. To get out of the crowd, Merkle turned right and headed for the clubhouse, which was located behind centerfield (the Polo Grounds remains my favorite of the now-deceased ballparks), without touching second base. That left the force at second base in effect. Amid the chaos, Cubs second baseman Johnny Evers got a ball (no one knows for sure whether it was the actual ball that had been hit on the play and that fact never has been established; some stories have a Giants player throwing the actual batted ball into the stands) and tagged second base and umpire Hank O'Day called Merkle out on the force, which nullified the run and ended the inning. The game then was called because of darkness and declared a tie. The teams finished the season tied, so the tie game was replayed; the Cubs won 4-2, winning the pennant and then the World Series--their last.

And here we have legal formalism at work. O'Day's call was correct under MLB rules. A run does not score if a trailing runner is forced out at another base for the third out of the inning. And there seems no dispute that Merkle did not touch second. On the other hand, the crowd had stormed the field, so Merkle's decision to get off the field as quickly as possible is understandable. It was common in those days for fans to come onto the field and for players to head for safety, even without touching the base. The rule was not well-known and was not regularly enforced. And, of course, we do not know whether the ball that Evers had when he tagged the base was the right ball. On the other hand, some accounts have Evers trying the same move a few weeks earlier on the same umpire--it did not work then because the umpire had not watched to see whether the runner touched second. But O'Day was on notice when it counted.

So how does karma work? One way would be to deny the Cubs the benefit of the "tainted" victory by having them lose the World Series. Another way would be to give the Cubs the benefit of the Series that year--and never letting them have it again. So, if you are an 8-year-old Chicagoan in 1908, which do your choose?

By the way, I have been looking at current Major League Baseball rules (Download 04_starting_ending_game.pdf) and it appears the result would be the same under current rules. Rule 4.09(a) addresses this situation and requires that all runners touch the next base. Rule 4.09(b) provides that in a walk-off situation (run scoring in the last half of the final inning), the runner on third must touch home and the batter must touch first, with no mention of any other runners. But that rule is limited only to plays with the bases full which force the runner on third to advance--not the situation in 1908, because the runner on third was not forced to come home. A comment creates an exception when fans rush the field and prevent either from touching the necessary base, with the bases awarded because of fan interference. But that comment is limited only to Rule 4.09(b), which, again, does not cover the 1908 situation. Am I reading the rule correctly?

Or maybe umpires impose flexibility as a matter of their own discretion. In 1976, the Yankees won the ALCS when Chris Chambliss hit a home run to lead-off the ninth inning. Thousands of fans descended on the field to celebrate, pull up grass, and (I have read) try to steal pieces of padding off the outfield fence) as Chambliss tried to get around the bases; he eventually gave up and ran for the safety of the clubhouse. Later, after the field had been cleared, the umpires pulled Chambliss out of the clubhouse and had him touch home plate. Formalist, to be sure. Call this a mix of formalism and pragmatism--make sure the batter touches the bases, but allow him to get out of the madness of the moment without penalty.

SPANISH FOOTBALL - LA LIGA 2008/09 - ROUND 6 SUNDAY GAMES RESULT

Plenty of goals & last minute comebacks in todays ROUND 6 matchesof the Spanish League. Here is a summary of the results, scorers &imagines of Sunday clashes.SEVILLA FC did a demolition act on ATHLETIC DE BILBAO &jumped into Champions classification position with a 4-0 victory.KANOUTE got the scoreboard rolling with his goal in the 26th min,followed by RENATO in the 40th min. The goals continued

SERGIO AGUERO, MARADONA & MEZGAYA - "DALMA Y GIANNINA SON MI INSPIRACION"

Believe it or not, the family is the family & a singing family at that.Atletico de Madrid star SERGIO AGUERO is father to the son thatMaradona´s daughther Giannina is soon to have, making the greatMaradona grandfather. The singer of Argentine group MEZGAYA,Ezequiel Aguero is dating Sergio Aguero´s sister & thus explains theclose connection - sounds like a "bizarre love triangle".All 3 have

LA LIGA 2008/09 VIDEO - GOALS - HIGHLIGHTS: FC BARCELONA 6 - AT.MADRID 1

By popular demand, here is the video of last nights demolition job byBarça over Atletico de Madrid:

SPANISH FOOTBALL - LA LIGA 2008/09 - ROUND 6 SATURDAY GAMES

Two games of Round 6 played tonight & SFS would like to be brief - ifallowed - with it´s resume tonight.Fantastic comeback by VILLAREAL against REAL BETIS with a 2-1. Betis did a serious game & deserved a draw, BUT Villareal is Villareal, & its a very good team.Goals :Villareal 2 ( Gonzalo 69th min & Llorente (above) 71st min) -Betis 1 ( Damiá 19th min)The above picture is the image. FC BARCELONA

60 KG Kettlebell Snatch

60 KG Kettlebell Snatch

Hey up!

Since I got the Titan Kettlebell from London Kettlebells I've never had a crack at snatching it until yesterday.

This was inspired by jimmyjimmyf who also snatched it recently

Got fairly well warmed up with swings and snatches with 20kg, 40kg and 48kg kettlebells before swings with the Titan 60kg bell.

The below video is the result. Not really pretty but managed to snatch it. Will be attempting/working up to dead start snatches very soon




60 KG Kettlebell Snatch