Sports come in many guises. There are team sports such as soccer, hockey, and rugby. And individual sports such as golf, tennis, and athletics. Some of these sports involve high levels of physical contact, whereas others don't allow for any contact with the opponent.
But what is it that makes a sport a sport?
A quick search for a definition of sport produced the following:
'an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition'
I think the key here is the need for both physical exertion and competition to be present. A spelling beemay be competitive but it does not include physical exertion and therefore is not a sport. Similarly scuba diving involves physical exertion but is not competitive - again, this means it is not a sport.
The problem that this definition brings is that it does not specifically define the level of physical exertion that is required. Angling is often listed as a sport, though many would argue that it shouldn't be. Then again, there is physical exertion involved in casting a lure over long distances or bringing a large fish to the shore.
It's interesting to note that entertainment doesn't feature anywhere in the definition of sport, though usually sports are performed in front of an audience.
Debates over whether a particular activity belongs as a sport can sometimes be heated. I think, in general though, that is doesn't really matter too much whether an activity is classified as a sport or as something else. It's not going to change the fact that there are certain sports that will continue to be regarded as primary sports such as the various forms of football. And there are other more obscure sports that only really surface (on the public's radar) every four years when the Olympics are on. We should enjoy sports in all their diversity and not worry too much about their classification!
Learn more about this author, Simon Wright. Click here to send this author comments or questions.
She knows that the Holy Grail is still missing and Jesus is still a bachelor. Even though Don Brown and Ron Howard have tried very hard to bring to their own conclusion both mysteries.
Although most of the French press at the Cannes Film Festival laugh at Don Brown theory of Jesus being married to Mary Magdalene and have a progeny still living today. Also the Vatican threw a warning to all Catholics, that Jesus was not a married man of divine inspiration'. Of course all that controversy suited the movie into bankable publicity.
In my book, the movie is aprime rate political and historical thriller. The acting performances throughout the film are the best seen in this decade. Tom Hanks as Robert Langdon is equal to his talent and credibility Audrey Tautou (Sophie Neveu) is perhaps the talent revelation of this movie with Paul Bettany, as Silas an albinos monk who wears a bloody silica on top of flogging himself to expire his sins. Only Ian Mc Lelland ( Sir Leigh Teabing ) doesn't seem to belong to this story.
Ron Howard is a skilled movie maker. He knew how to weave this very complicated story concocted by Don Brow, a prolific writer who sold over 60 millions of his book THE DA VINCI CODE which became the most sold novel in the world at all time.
The locations are breathtaking and rarely have we never seen such of powerful locations on the silver screen. The photography and the editing are Oscar material.
I haven't read the book and I found easy to follow the complicated and fast story line. But if you pay attention and get involved in Sophie Neveu and Robert Langdom chase you grab the spiritual force behind this great picture. I give it a ten out of ten and I wish Ron Howard and his crew the best of luck at the Oscar night, next spring.
Mona Lisa will keep smiling knowing that was all fiction just like the Priory of Sion secret organization that Leonardo Da Vinci would have been a member. Despite bad and controversial publicity Brian Grazer (producer) will be laughing all the way to the bank.
Learn more about this author, Roger Cardinal. Click here to send this author comments or questions.
Other than the theme exploring the inscrutable code about alleged heretical bloodline of Jesus, The Da Vinci Code is ironically conservative in presentation compared to what its detractors is condemning it for. This work of fiction turns out to be an honest audio-visual counterpart of the book; however, its too play safe execution tends to become quite bland and disappointing.
The Da Vinci Code seems to be a rehash of worn out themes explored in writing and various forms of art. The book is creative and intellectually challenging under the genius of Dan Brown. With his fetish on art, codes, cryptology, symbols, anagrams, conspiracy theories, mysteries, and the like, the phenomenal success of his novel is naturally struck by worldwide protests.
The film overtly tries to balance things out. Apart from trying to clear itself by rendering no factual theological claims to alter historical chronicling (just pure combination of art, suspense, and imagination), it presents a fictional story about the blank supposition that Jesus and Mary Magdalene got actually got married. Supporting this claim is Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper with Mary Magdalene in the painting. This represents the Grail bloodline by dichotomizing Jesus and Mary Magdalene with a V-contour to manifest the Grail as a womb.
The Da Vinci Code clearly becomes too cautious of the religious groups’ breakout that the film suffers tremendously with it. The impressive special effects provides a creative presentation of the anagrams and codes as extension of Robert Langdon’s mind. The ingeniously placed flashbacks make the film seamless in terms of visuals; but the film still looks too contrived in terms of emotional space and execution.
The audience doesn’t get involved, unlike with the book where the reader becomes part of Langdon’s search and decoding. In the book, the reader is part of the quest, of the action, and of the emotion. In the film, the viewer is a mere spectator. The viewer mostly watches Langdon’s back, his reactions and the seamless extension of his mind where the moving planets and well-lit letters are seen. He interprets the clues. He decodes. The audience watches. Even the suspense and thrill of knowing what’s next is lost. Ron Howard carefully treats the visuals with tight and intimate shots, and yet the audience can’t dig
Losing weight is not rocket science, but still it seems harder to accomplish than building one for most of us. Why losing weight becomes such a challenge? .Is it your lifestyle? , Is your will power letting you down? Or have you caught the obesity epidemic which is becoming far too common? More often than not the reasons are combination of all these factors, and some times more pathological reasons like hormonal imbalance.
Today life is on fast track. We don't have seconds to spare, most wish there were 48 hours in a day. People are overworked, stressed and tired to do anything at the end of the day. We can't change our routines and lifestyle at the height of our careers, we just think oh maybe not this week, or this year, may be when I have more time on my hands, or maybe when my kids grow up, and so on. It usually just doesn't happen until you finally retire, and by that time you have already done the damage. It takes more time to repair the damage than it would have to prevent it in the first place. So what should we do to lose weight and keep it off in today's busy lifestyles and fast food culture? Here are some pointers.
Start now and be done with the excuses
If you are like me you are thinking, yeah, I should lose some weight, improve my lifestyle, and start exercising and so on. But when the time comes to act, we begin by saying, "oh I can't start right now because!" we come up with many different reasons every time. Well my advice is, stop making excuses and start right now, no matter what you are doing, or where you are, whether you are reading this in front of computer, or at work or at library. Don't leave it on some future date. Decide that your next meal will be a healthy one.
Stick with it and don't give up.
Know for a fact that there is no speed dieting, it takes time and commitment. Most of the time what happens is we start dieting, work on it for few weeks and expect our body to respond right away with lost pounds, but actually what happens is your body resists to change at first, then slowly it adjusts to your new eating habits and it takes time, may be few weeks or months for some but it does change and you do lose weight on healthy diet if you stick with it. And if you are a veteran dieter, been there done that kind of person, don't give up, keep trying and just start over again with new enthusiasm.
Maintain a food diary.
I know many of you have heard or tried this before, but it really worked for me. When I wrote down everything I ate during the
by Vicky Ann Smiths you don't have a wall to help you start out and move around by; this can make skating funnier as you attempt to stand up right. Falling over is a learning curve, you'll end up with a few bruises before the day is over; to get up again keep your fingers curled into your palms in case the blade of another skate comes too close.
If you live in a place without natural ice rinks, many cities now have artificial rinks in busy locations. These have the benefit of being structurally safe and it does not have to snow or the temperature drop below freezing. You do need to plan in advance to buy tickets for certain sessions which may only last one
hour. They are artificially lit for starlight skating.
On lakes and rivers you must not skate after dark; you are unable to see weak areas in the ice and open spots of water. Before you leave check theweather report, rain and high winds can ruin your day and compromise your safety if you are not expecting them. If you are prepared with a basic first aid kit, are aware of your surroundings, can improvise if an accident should occur and carry a cell phone you should be able to enjoy your day without worry.
Ice skating was born outdoors and thousands enjoy this coldCreated on: January 21, 2008
In winter many rivers and lakes freeze over creating natural ice rinks perfect for ice skating in the fresh air. If you are planning a trip your first decision is to choose a suitable location. Find out where thSuper-Glide Synthetic Icee popular lakes are, the easily accessible and thickest iced ones are, these will provide the best skating.
Wrap up in layers, staying warm is vital against the cold and makes the day more enjoyable; basic hat, scarf and gloves can make a big difference if the wind chill picks up. Take high energy snacks and drinks with you to stave off the chill. Ice skates need to fit properly to prevent injuring your feet or ankles; it is advisable to bring extra layers with you and a spare pair of socks and glove.
When you are on the ice be aware of other skaters, follow the main flow of people, going the opposite way can cause a crash. There is no need to stay in this circle, crossing diagonally, performing tricks is all part of ice skating, everyone has their own pace especially as beginners.
On lakes and river activity every year all around the world.
The Wizards didn't invent show basketball, but their place in history, as a major player in this genre is undeniable. Started in 1962, by a determined sports promoter, Howie Davis, the Wizards continue the tradition began in the thirties of great basketball, and adding in some hot dog and mustard! Now in the 21st century, the Wizards, led by Todd Davis, have modernized show basketball, with their version called, Tricks, Hoops, And Alley-Oops!
The Harlem Wizards are equally impressive for their basketball dominance, their tricks, slams and personality.
They currently own the longest known winning streak in all of professional sports, over 2,800 games! It is more than just their ability to excel on the court that has fueled their longstanding love affair with basketball fans. It is their utter commitment to touching fans, and providing them with a basketball experience that is joyous, astoundingly skillful, exciting and sometimes so hilarious that they leave fans laughing so hard that their boots come loose!
Howie Davis felt that although the Globetrotters were legendary, they were not above competition! He felt that he could bring a fire and creativity to the Wizards to do it even better!
Who knew then, that 50 years later, the Wizards would continue to carve out their own basketball legacy, and take the tradition of show basketball, and evolve it into the trick-hoops & alley-oops of the 21st century?
Other than the Wizards and the Globetrotters, no other entertainment basketball team has survived the test of time and made worldwide fans like these two storied franchises.
THE WIZARDS EVOLVE BEYOND SHOW BALL...
In 2002, Harlem Wizards, "Speedy, "A-Train", and "Mr. Handles", and soon-to-be Wizard "Trikz" appeared in that groundbreaking NIKE commercial, and ex-Wizards like "The Main Event" starred with And1, it reminded us of the great basketball and entertainment talent that the Wizards have always provided.
But while the Wizards continue to break new ground, they have always had a rich tradition of attracting the games best and brightest. NBA Legends like Connie Hawkins and Tiny Archibald have toured with the Wizards. Hawthorne Wingo, Mario Elie, Hollis Copeland and over 25 NBA'ers in total have played with the Wizards.
Streetball Legends like "Sudden Sam" Worthen (Chicago Bulls), "SPEEDY" Williams (Current Wizard), "The Main Event" ,Frankie Bradshaw, Larry "Butterfly" Cheatham, Ed "Czar" Simmons, Frank "Shake & Bake" Streety, , "Headache", Guy Hughes, Clarence "MUGSY" Leggett and "Tojo" Henderson (Current Wizards) Tom "Sundance Kid" Chapin, Vincent White, James "Peanuts" Woolard and other greats have shown their various skills on tour with the Harlem Wizards.
Today's group of Harlem Wizards is as fresh, exciting and innovative as any that have donned the famed purple, black and gold jerseys. Seeing the Wizards is a rare chance to experience basketball history; past, present and future.
On any given night you might just see the next amazing new trick, or the extension of the world's longest winning streak, or the emergence of yet another of the most talented ballers on the planet, you just never know. But one thing's for certain, you will be thrilled, you will be entertained, and for a couple of hours you will believe that there is nothing in the world more fun than basketball.
THE FOUNDING OF THE HARLEM WIZARDS
In 1943, a Sports Promoter, and at the time, Sergeant and Recreation Director at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, in Dayton, Ohio, Howie Davis was called upon to provide an emergency 8th team for the World Championship of Basketball Tournament in Chicago. In just one week, he put together the Dayton Dive Bombers Basketball team.
Their first round opponent was the Harlem Globetrotters. Howie Davis, 24, an admirer of the Globetrotters and Abe Saperstein's fusion of Sports and Entertainment, was excited by the challenge. In one of the biggest upsets in sports history, the Dayton Dive Bombers beat the previous World Champions in their first game ever played!
However If Abe Saperstein hadn't refused to shake Howie Davis'hand after the game, would the competitive fuel for starting the Wizards ever have happened? One thing is certain, Davis was inspired that night, and nearly two decades later he launched his own traveling show team - the Harlem Wizards.
Sports entertainment has a stigma of being mindless pop culture, in some cases glorifying violence for the sake of entertainment[2], and has been criticized as such in popular media, often through lampooning: the film Idiocracy portrays a future where sports entertainment permeates the global culture: the president is an active champion professional wrestler and capital punishment consists of a combinationdemolition derby, monster truck event and gladiator duel, and is a highly popular television broadcast. Fiction with a dystopian future setting often portrays deadly futuristic games as popular sports entertainment, including the movie The Running Man, video games such as Smash TV and the Twisted Metal series, and the roleplaying gameShadowrun, which features Urban Brawl and Combat Biking
Many notable names in the USA openly admit enjoying certain forms of sports entertainment while many others have taken part in it or made paid contributions. Professional basketball playerShaquille O'Neal has a reputation as a long time pro-wrestling fan and attendsWWE events several times per year, and Floyd Mayweather expressed interest in fulfilling a WWE career after he retires from professionalboxing. Chicago BearsAmerican football player Brian Urlacher, who admits to being a pro wrestling fan, made an attempt to leave football to wrestle for TNA Wrestling full time until the Chicago Bears forced him to stop.
The widespread popularity in the United States for the main form of sports entertainment, professional wrestling, has caused politicians to use it to reach voters, particularly young males. President Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain recorded video messages for broadcast on the WWE to encourage the audience of WWE Monday Night Raw to vote, and George W Bush did a prerecorded video for the WWE's annual Tribute to the Troops show.
