Vernon Earl Monroe is a former NBA basketball player whose nicknames have included; Earl the Pearl, Black Magic and Black Jesus. Drafted in the first round of the NBA draft in 1967 to the Baltimore Bullets (now the Washington Wizards), Earl Monroe was well known for his playing passing and play-making style and for his flamboyant flowing dribbling.

Earl Monroe received the Rookie of The Year due to his scoring average of 24 points in a game and to later score 56 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. He also set a record for scoring 13 points in one overtime victory against the Detroit Pistons. In 2007 his number 10 jersey was retired by the Washington Wizards.

In 1971, Monroe was traded to the New York Knicks, taking them to the 1973 NBA Championships. Monroe retired in the 1980 season due to serious injuries to his knees. A four time NBA all-star had played in 926 NBA career games and had an outstanding 17, 454 total points scored. The New York Knicks retired Monroe’s number 15 jersey. He transformed the game of basketball to an art form. His style and unique playing on-court plays paved the way to how current players play today. Todays players must give a salute to Earl the Pearl bringing excitement and skills to the game of basketball. Players like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James all show skills that were learned thanks to Earl.

Earl the Pearl’s career championships include; named of the 50 players on the NBA 50th Anniversary All-Time Team in 1996, enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame, and was chosen commissioner of the United States Basketball League in 1985.

About the Author: Eddie Delgado is the owner and writer for http://www.VintageSportsCardMemorabilia.com VSCM is the ultimate NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL sports card and memorabilia site for serious collectors.

The term functional fitness comes from the world of athletics where the coach doesn’t really care what you look like in a photograph or the mirror. Instead he cares about how fast you can run, how high you can jump, how far and how fast can you throw, how hard and how often can you hit, and how accurately can you shoot, etc?

You can resemble the Frankenstein monster himself, but if you can perform these previously mentioned tasks with great efficiency, power, endurance, flexibility, fluidity, and coordination you’ll look astonishingly beautiful to any coach. But to be fair to the coach, there’s something inherently attractive, and yes beautiful about the human body in motion, just ask the ancient Greeks who turned the likes of a human discus thrower into great art, including sculptures that we still admire in the 21st century.

Air Jordan Mid-Air

But if we turn the page to the modern era, think of the silhouetted Michael Jordan launching himself from the top of the free throw circle, ball in one hand, en route to slam dunking a basketball. Think of Bear greats Gayle Sayers and Devon Hester bobbing and weaving their way through 11 defenders bent on their immediate destruction.

Think of Jumpin’ Joe Dimmagio swinging his classic baseball bat, Jesse Owens sprinting or long jumping in Nazi Germany, Muhammad Ali demolishing Sonny Listen or George Foreman and you will recognize that there is a distinct sense of beauty in the powerful and efficient movements of the human body itself.

Opposed to Excess and Complication

In other words, in the world of functional fitness you don’t need a movie star’s face to be considered beautiful. In the world of functional fitness you don’t need Mary Kay, Maybelline, Revlon, Rolex, Ralph Lauren, ear rings, or mega muscles to cause a viewer to stand awestruck over the beauty of the human body in motion. In the world of functional beauty it’s all about the human body in motion doing what it’s capable of doing with maximum efficiency and flow whether running, jumping, throwing, catching, swinging, hitting, climbing, shooting, diving, pushing, pulling, twirling, or dancing.

Self Confidence of Functional Fitness

And along with functional fitness comes a unique, inner form of self confidence and self respect that’s not for sale at the cosmetic counter or the local pharmacy, on the latest television infomercial, or even over the vast Internet. Functional fitness is 33% earned, 33% genetic, and 33% inherited opportunity. But it’s never 100% purchased. Functional fitness and functional beauty are essentially simple, natural, lean, efficient, and opposed to excess in any form. They’re also fast, quick, flexible, balanced, coordinated, rhythmic, powerful, purposeful, and fully capable of enduring.

How Do You Get It?

So how do you get it? There’s an age old adage that says “form follows function.” In other words, what you do heavily influences or even dictates what you look like. So, for example, if you do a lot of long distance running your body will eventually begin to take on the form of a lean long distance runner. If you do a lot of swimming your body will eventually begin to take on the form of a swimmer’s body. If you pump a lot of iron, do a lot of gymnastics, play a lot of tennis, take up ball room dancing, tai chi, or sitting in front of a computer eight hours a day week in and week out, those choices will be reflected in the form of your physical presence, your body.

A Form of Beauty to Be Reckoned With

Form follows function. Function precedes form. Functional fitness is essentially dynamic not static, and is a form of beauty to be recognized and to be reckoned with.

Rick Osbourne is an ex-physical educator and coach (17 years) who currently writes for a living and serves as the Executive Director of Operation Pull Your Own Weight, (http://www.pullyourownweight.net) an informational web site that’s dedicated to eliminating childhood obesity in one decade. If you’re interested in childhood obesity prevention, then check it out any time. Osbourne is also a public speaker, and he’s recently published a book entitled “Operation Pull Your Own Weight: A Radically Simple Solution to Childhood Obesity,” (on the website) that provides practical minded parents and educators with “a simple, easily implemented, easily documented, and affordable solution to childhood obesity,” according to the American Society of Exercise Physiologists (http://www.asep.org). Osbourne can be reached at Osbourne.rick@gmail.com

Eastern Michigan University is a major public university in Michigan. It’s located in Ypsilanti, which is about 35 miles west of Detroit, and only 8 miles east of Ann Arbor (home of the University of Michigan). Being in the middle of a major metropolitan area makes it an ideal commuter school, and it’s proximity to Detroit Metro Airport (just a 15 minute drive), makes it perfect for out-of-towners, as well.

The University itself consists of 122 buildings making up the 5 colleges: Arts & Sciences, Business, Education, Health & Human Services and Technology, as well as a Graduate School. The campus sits on 800 acres in a small town setting, with close proximity to major cities giving students plenty to keep them occupied during their “down time”.

Eastern Michigan University was founded in 1849 (when it was known as the Michigan State Normal School), and has been known as Eastern Michigan University since 1959. The official school nickname has been the Eagles since 1991, after they acquiesced to Native American concerns over their use of the previous school nickname - The Hurons. The student body of roughly 23,000 is split about 60/40 on the female to male ratio, and the EMU administration claims Eastern Michigan University has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.

EMU has one of the most well respected Forensics teams in the nation, having placed in the top 10 at the NFA national championship every year since they began in 1971, including ten team national championships and 66 individual national championships. Eastern Michigan University is in the MAC, and has had some success in varsity sports, including several appearances by their basketball team in “The Big Dance”.

An interesting, but little known fact is that the Halle Library (named for benefactor, and EMU alum Bruce Halle, founder of Discount Tire Stores) houses one of the largest collections of children’s literature in the world. This state of the art library (the only one on campus) is four stories tall and several stories underground, as well. It includes full wireless internet connectivity, along with free tutoring for all students.

Several notable people have graduated from Eastern. Along with the aforementioned Mr. Halle, there were several members of Congress including Charles Potter, Dr. Royal S. Copeland and Carl Pursell, James Coburn - a Four-Star General and Rodney Slater - US Secretary of Transportation under President Clinton. There have also been several notable people in the sports world including George “Ice Man” Gervin, Bob Welch, Charlie Batch, Earl Boykins and Jack Roush - CEO and owner of NASCAR’s Roush Racing. Of special note is a member of the faculty at EMU - Dr. Robert Citino, professor of history noted as having the highest rating of any professor in the country on RateMyProfessor.com. Rather impressive for a history professor!

Overall, Eastern Michigan University would be a wise choice for prospective students due to its relatively affordable tuition, close proximity to Detroit, safe campus setting and quality education. For more information, see the links below.

About the author: J. Vincent Burr is the creator and chief educational writer for the college review site MyNextCollege.com, which contains even more information about Eastern Michigan University.

Basketball and football spreads are generally created to balance action and/or predict the final results. Therefore you can almost guarantee the novice gambler a losing season. Baseball is money in your pocket because of the way the odds are created.

Baseball betting odds are based on an estimation on a team’s probability of winning the game. This is toughest to gauge by the sportsbook and because most gamblers do not understand this, they have losing seasons betting on baseball too.

During your past years in betting baseball, how many have you seen odds of like -200 when a pitcher like Randy Johnson or Pedro Martinez is pitching? If you were to bet this game 300 times, you would have to win 200 times to break even. Therefore it is imperative that you analyze the game in detail and make a prediction on a team’s probability to win in order to win.

A few tips for betting baseball that I know improves a team’s probability of winning is if the team is coming off of a win, if the team is coming off a series sweep, if the team is playing against a lefty/righty depending on the team’s batting strengths, if their pitcher is on a hot streak.

Learn additional tips for successful betting on baseball and you will win large this baseball season.

The 2008 years draft proved to be one of the most exciting drafts to date. The NFL Draft is by far the greatest of all professional drafts for it’s clear cut schedules, consistent evaluations and the fact that the majority of America is deeply involved in college football.

In Baseball, players are taken from High school as well as college and most everyone takes a good 4 to 5 years before having Major League ready talent. If that.

In Basketball, you are lucky if 5 of the years First Round picks go on to even make an All-Star game… And Hockey? I don’t even want to begin with Hockey.

Most NFL Hopefuls have in mind what they plan to do their final year of College whether it be their Junior campaign or Senior season. They begin the year with a heavy dosage of practices, they have the fun and always exciting Spring Game, they play 10 to 12 important games and then gear up for their final game in College which we all hope is a coveted Bowl Game.

It doesn’t end there, then we have two established “All-Star” games, followed by extended training sessions to prepare for an all-too-important Pro Day on the field of their choice. Before you know it, the Combine is upon everyone and the constant media battle of evaluations takes way for the remaining 6 weeks before Draft Day.

It isn’t easy for the players, but just as note able it isn’t easy for the Scouting Officials for each team. It’s a year round job that doesn’t get any easier after the season like everyone else’s.

With that said, let us appreciate the time and effort put in by all sides and I begin my review of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2008 NFL Draft selections.

Round 1 - Pick 20 - CB Aqib Talib - Kansas - 6′0 - 202 Pounds - 4.45 40 Yard Dash

All through the draft process the debates continued for the Buccaneers, Wide Receiver or Defensive Back? Eventually, the answer was provided with Kansas Corner Aqib Talib who is the perfect Make it or Break it type player. He is a great athlete who can run, jump and catch like a Receiver.

He’s more suited for the Zone Coverage but he doesn’t play physical. He’s cocky, but he takes risk. He will push for the starting position in camp and be one of two things. He’ll be a star or he’ll be gone in 3 to 4 years.

He finished his College career with 34 games, 162 tackles, 43 pass deflections and 13 interceptions.

I Would Have Taken - CB Mike Jenkins - South Florida 5′10 - 197 Pounds - 4.40 40 Yard Dash

Had I been picking for the Buccaneers at pick twenty I would have gone with local star Mike Jenkins. Not only does he add excitement to an improving fan base, but he plays the type of physical that the Buccaneers ask from their corners. He has fluid hips, long arms and can change directions quick. I’d say his only downside is the fact that he has shaky footwork and would take longer to polish.

At USF, he often scared Quarterbacks from throwing his direction meanwhile racking up 133 tackles, 41 pass deflections and 6 interceptions in 53 career games.

Round 2 - Pick 58 - WR Dexter Jackson - Appalachian State 5′9 - 182 Pounds - 4.37 40 Yard Dash

This is the guy I would have taken, so I am proud of Tampa with this selection. He is a speed demon who can be as elusive as anyone in this league and has taken hits for his small size. Some consider him a poor mans DeSean Jackson, but I believe he’s right there with him without the Character issues. He can make difficult catches and has great return skills for a team who has returned 1 kick(last season) for a touchdown in the history of the franchise.

Now the fact that he is 5′9 scared some coaches from taking him, but Steve Smith has proved small receivers can strive and I have no doubt in my mind that he can contribute down the road in the likes of Smith and Santana Moss. The one thing that will keep him from immediately contributing rather than 2 or 3 spectacular potential proving plays is the fact that he played in a Spread formation in college and will have to learn to run routes in coverages that don’t expose his speed like in Appalachian.

He played in 55 career games racking up 110 Receptions, 1,846 Yards and 14 Touchdowns.

Round 3- Pick 83 - G - Jeremy Zuttah - Rutgers 6′3 - 303 Pounds - 4.99 40 Yard Dash

I don’t believe that the Buccaneers should have taken a lineman in the 3rd round in this years draft, because it wasn’t a prying need for the Bucs and he wont contribute for 2 to 3 seasons at the soonest.

He does play with an explosive first step and is very powerful inside, but he isn’t real big and doesn’t have great footwork. Despite an amazing work ethic, he has never truly dominated an opponent on the college level. His real upside is the fact that he can play any of the 3 positions, though he will never see action at Tackle unless an injury forces his services.

I Would Have Taken - LB - Phillip Wheeler - Georgia Tech 6′2 - 248 Pounds - 4.67 40 Yard Dash

I really feel that the Buccaneers could have made good on improving this aging defense with the addition of Phillip Wheeler. He is a tremendous athlete with speed and the burst of Ray Lewis or our own Derrick Brooks. He can run sideline to sideline and he hits like a truck. One thing that I love about him is that he always wraps up, he never arm tackles. He has a great motor and is smart as you can expect from a Rookie. Though the Buccaneers wouldn’t utilize him to his complete potential, he has a great first step in blitzing and proved to be one of the best in college the last 2 seasons.

Now he isn’t real strong and sometimes he can be a little too aggressive, but those are traits that can be fixed in the weight room and through Monte Kiffin.

He is like a big Safety who plays Linebacker, but I think he is going to shine in Indianapolis where he was taken. He reminds me a lot of D.J. Williams of the Denver Broncos.

In his college career he played 51 games with 247 tackles, 18.5 sacks and 4 Interceptions.

Round 4 - Pick 115 - DT - Dre Moore - Maryland 6′4 - 305 Pounds - 4.86 40 Yard Dash

Not often do you find a Defensive Tackle with the Bulk, Strength, Size and tenacity that Dre Moore has shown in Maryland. That is why I couldn’t have been happier for the Bucs with this selection.

He has some character problems and has been seen to take plays off, but he has a nasty demeanor who reminds me of Warren Sapp. In fact, I think he could be better than Sapp when it is all said and done if he works towards his potential.

In Round 4, this was a steal to take a guy with Top 10 potential. Monte Kiffin and Jon Gruden will do 1 of 2 things. They can speak to this kid, he will listen and improve. They can yell at this kid, he will get frustrated and stall. Let’s hope for the first.

In 44 games, Moore made 140 tackles and 10.5 sacks.

Round 5 - Pick 160- QB - Josh Johnson - Sand Diego 6′2 - 213 Pounds - 4.55 40 Yard Dash

Josh Johnson is an interesting prospect. I would have gone a different direction, but he has good mechanics, a good arm and is confident like he owns the team. Jon Gruden loves him(which is a good thing) and he has the frame to get big and play big.

During a career in Division 1-AA he threw for 9,699 yards, 113 Touchdowns and only 15 Interceptions. That is crazy. He had a 43 to 1 Touchdown to Interception ratio his senior season. That speaks volumes, but remember that it was in Division 1-AA.

He will have to adjust to a Professional Playbook and that might take some time. His potential is great, but he doesn’t look as good on paper right now as fellow small school star Taverous Jackson who is having troubles in Minnesota.

The thing that keeps me on the fence with Johnson is the fact that he had a horrible showing in the combine. He did not throw well with the lights on.

I Would Have Taken - QB - Colt Brennan - Hawaii 6′2 - 220 Pounds - 4.85 40 Yard Dash

I would have taken this guy. Most people have came down on Colt Brennan. “He plays in a system”, “He was kicked out of Colorado”, “He is too small” and “His throwing motion won’t work in the NFL.” That’s what I hear.

Newsflash, this kid can play. What is the difference in the level of play or system from Josh Johnson’s? His numbers don’t lie. He threw for 14,193 Yards, 131 Touchdowns and 42 Interceptions with a carer 70.4 completion percentage. This is in 38 games I might add.

He has the quickest release in the draft, he has outstanding touch and timing and he is poise in the pocket. He can stand and throw or he can throw on the run. He lead the Hawaii Warriors to National Notation. That speaks for something and he did it alone.

One thing that sold me on Colt Brennan is that his Offensive Line did not block for him in their Bowl Game with Georgia. He was sacked, beaten and pressured all game. He took hits that make you cringe. Yet, he stood in their and he kept his cool. He continued to make throws that his receivers would drop. He never dropped his head, lost composure and this was his final game of his career. I value that.

In the end, these 2 QB’s are quite similar and Brennan plays in Washington. We will have to see.

Round 6 - Pick 175 - LB - Geno Hayes - Florida State 6′0 - 226 Pounds - 4.64 40 Yard Dash

Geno Hayes is a great player. He is fast, he is an athlete, he has a burst, he can wrap up and he can cover. That is why the Buccaneers took him. He can cover.

Now he is kind of small and isn’t as physical as you would like, but he is the type of player that makes you feel like you ‘haven’t seen all of him yet’. He could have stayed at FSU for his senior season and who knows… He could have been a 1st round pick.

That’s how I feel about this guy. He has a huge “Who Knows” on his jersey. At times, he was the force everyone expected from him coming out of High School when he joined the Seminoles. Other times he was burying his head into the ground after another costly mistake(Literally, pictures to proove it).

I want him to succeed now and eventually succeed Derrick Brooks. I feel he could beef up and play on that side. He is an interesting pick.

In 36 games for FSU he had 156 tackles, 8 sacks and 2 Interceptions.

I Would Have Taken - S - Caleb Campbell - Army 6′1 - 229 Pounds - 4.60 40 Yard Dash

I would have taken Caleb Campbell. He is a beast at Safety. For the Buccaneers, he would have been the second coming of John Lynch. From Army, he has incredible intangibles, is a work horse and is an outstanding leader. He gives off the vibes of a young Pat Tillman.

He is a big player who plays physical and uses his strength to pop and drive defenders. That is his bread and butter. He isn’t a cover Safety and might draw later comparisons to Roy Williams of Dallas, but his intensity is bar none.

In just 43 games, he racked up 307 tackles, 12 Pass Deflections and 6 Interceptions.

Round 7 Pick 238- RB - Cory Boyd - South Carolina 6′0 - 213 Pounds - 4.51 40 Yard Dash

Cory Boyd was a steal in the 7th and I don’t know how he fell so far. Running back is becoming stacked in the NFL with players with “potential” and that must have hurt his stock.

Still, he has the frame to one day play Fullback if he hits the weight room and improves his blocking. He has the speed and leg drive of that of our own Mike Alstott. He has great hands out of the backfield and has good vision for a big back.

Absolutely love this pick for the Buccaneers. In 46 games, Boyd ran for 2,267 Yards, a 4.9 Average and 23 Touchdowns. He also caught 117 passes for 1,303 yards and 5 Touchdowns.

2008 Draft Summary

In all, the Buccaneers went with players they like for the future of the team. However, Aqib Talib is the only player with the potential to start right away. I expect him to lose the starting position to Phillip Buchannon, but play great in the Nickel formation and special teams.

I also expect Dexter Jackson to see some action at Wide Receiver, but be used as a return man primarily for the first 2 seasons. Jeremy Zuttah should play reserve to a steadily stronger offensive line while Dre Moore could jump into the Defensive rotation and become a force.

Josh Johnson is a project player and Geno Hayes will play backup to fellow FSU Linebacker Derrick Brooks so he wont see much action besides special teams.

Cory Boyd has a tough road ahead of him with such competition at Running back, but with Michael Bennett on the fence and Carnell Williams still injured he just might squeeze out an opening day jersey.

In all I would say the Buccaneers draft went well and we could see good things from this years Rookie Class.

http://www.BucsReport.com

Austin D. Carter

Gaming has become a great electronic pastime for children and adults of all ages. Playing games to keep the mind active has been shown to reduce depression in the physical handicapped. Some games help children learn problem solving. Playing games on the television is not a new concept. Console games are very popular including Nintendo Wii, Xbox and Sony Playstation 3. Satellite TV is now bringing gaming to our televisions with an optional package called Game Lounge.

DIRECTV has mastered the art of interactive content on the television with their mix channels and interactive sporting events. It is no surprise that they would bring gaming to subscribers homes. Games available on the Game Lounge are from a variety of categories. There are arcade, card, classic, word, and puzzle games. They have even included games in Spanish and children’s games from Cartoon Network, Mattel and Nick.

The lounge contains games that treasured favorites such as Mah Jong, Bejeweled, SCRABBLE Scramble, Sudoku, Backgammon, and MONOPOLY. They have also included several lesser known games such as Slingo Classic, Zen Solitaire, Star Dust, and Diner Dice.

Children games include Mattel’s Hot Wheels and Barbie Fashion. SpongeBob fans have two games to choose from in the Nick category. Cartoon Network Samurai Jack fans can adventure with Samurai Jack or tune in for Chowder.

DIRECTV has two ordering schemes available for access to all games. Subscribers can purchase a 24 hour pass or and All Access Pass for one month. All Access Pass subscribers can play up to 18 games at one time all day every day. DIRECTV also offers subscribers a six or twelve month option on their All Access Pass. Subscribers may also select a Nickelodeon Game Pass or Mattel Game Pass for a more specific gaming option.

Gaming with the Game Lounge is simple and easy to do with the standard remote control. The television is turned into a dynamic color display of games that draw the user into play. Color coded button instructions are included on the Game Lounge similar to those seen in the DIRECTV guide making it easy to use the gaming console.

The satellite TV carrier has been providing viewers with dynamic high-definition content, interactive programming, superior sports packages, and much more. The Game Lounge is just another step in the process of providing subscribers with outstanding entertainment via satellite. This satellite television provider brings subscribers over 265 channels of content including 95 HD channels. Premium movie channel packages are available with HBO, Cinemax, SHOWTIME, and Starz. Sports programming includes premium sports channels and sports packages for NFL, NASCAR, MLB, NBA, MLS, NHL and more.

Subscribers now have the option of turning the televisions into a entertaining pastime with gaming on the Game Lounge, DIRECTV channel 110.

Interactive receivers from DIRECTV are getting more and more user friendly. With many models providing the option to hook into your home network, the possibilities for growth are amazing. Users can now get programming on demand and can also control their home DVR from anywhere in the world where they have access to the internet. As technology continues to advance, we can only imagine what could come next in home entertainment. For now, head on over to Direct Star TV and check out the best deals on DIRECTV satellite TV available on the internet.