Kiss Kyrie Goodbye

The Celtics are on the precipice of a season-ending defeat to the Milwaukee Bucks and soon
travels plans will be made to whatever exotic destinations multi-million-dollar athletes travel.
The end will most likely occur this Wednesday night as the best sports betting sites found all in
one place at Sportsbook Review, are hanging the Bucks as 9 to 9 ½ point home favorites in
Game 5. However, if the Celtics wrangle a Game 6, they will return to the Garden and will be
ousted in front of their home crowd if things go as they did in their previous two in Boston.
Should, by some divine intervention, the Green get to a Game 7 then at least we can say they
were gritty, determined, and resilient even if they ultimately lose. If they win Game 7…well,
they won’t because they will be long gone before then.
And now we focus our attention on the Celtics’ most polarizing superstar in recent memory,
Kyrie “Flip the Switch” Irving. Apparently, the regular season meant more than he believed
because the postseason came and the switch that was supposed to be flipped, where the
Celtics would suddenly morph into the team that had everyone salivating before the season
began, never really materialized. Sure, they swept the Pacers, but Indiana was a shadow of
their former selves without Victor Oladipo and barely recognizable as a legitimate playoff entry.
And now all of that bravado has turned into bluster with the C’s getting spanked by a bona fide
championship contender.
Gun to your head, will Kyrie return to Boston and sign a multiyear pact? Remember, this pistol
is loaded, and your answer will either be your best or your last. Only the most optimistic fans
would say yes because Kyrie will be a Celtic no longer once he hits free agency this summer. He
came to Boston looking to be the alpha dog amongst a pack of talented pups. To say Kyrie was a
disappointment would be unfair because he was as good as advertised in his two years in
Boston if you look at his numbers.
But the thing is, his greatness didn’t seem to translate into making his teammates better. It
seemed to be all about Kyrie and less about the team. Maybe that’s the missing link and why
Kyrie is a much better Robin than a Batman. Imagine Scottie Pippen carrying a team without
Michael Jordan at his side? How about Kevin McHale without Larry Bird or Clyde “The Glide”
Drexler without the Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon? There are some players who thrive as the
main attraction and others whose greatness emerges basking in their glow. Irving is the latter
and without LeBron, it wasn’t that he wilted statistically but he just wasn’t as important as he
had been with King James in Cleveland.
We will soon know for sure where Kyrie will land but his destination will have much to do with
where other free agent superstars will join him or where he will join them. Maybe he winds up

on the Knicks with Kevin Durant or returns to his mentor in LA where he will once again be part
of the most dynamic duo in NBA history
as a member of the Lakers. It’s become apparent that
the NBA hotbed that is Boston, is a bit too scrutinizing for his taste and a destination where he
is constantly feted, rather than questioned, would be more to his liking. Whether an athlete is a
member of the Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots, or Bruins, he must know that this fanbase is rabid and
eager to embrace when the going is good but ready to revolt when times get tough. Well, the
going got tough here for Kyrie and it looks like the tough will get going…right out of Boston.

Isaiah Wynn last August

How the Patriots’ Tackle Spots Could Look Very Different This Season

It goes without saying that the Patriots currently have a large surplus at the tackle position on their offensive line. Funny enough, this strong group is the same group that had plenty of question marks on the first day of free agency when Trent Brown left for Oakland.

With all that being said, with all the Patriots’ additions to their tackle posistions, the loss of Trent Brown now seems somewhat insignificant. This is of course making two key assumptions; Jared Veldheer has the ability to start, and Isaiah Wynn has properly healed from his egregious Achilles injury last August.

Patriots Tackle Outlook

The Patriots currently have Isaiah Wynn, Marcus Cannon, Jared Veldheer, Dan Skipper, Cole Croston, Yondy Cajuste, Calvin Anderson, Cedrick Lang, and Tyree St. Louis all listed at the tackle spot. Their influx of tackles provides a lot of flexibility for coaches Dante Scarnecchia, Josh McDaniels, and de facto GM Bill Belichick.

Coach Scar Has Plenty of Options

Scarnecchia will obviously benefit the most from all these moves, as he will be the closest to these players. Coach Scar will now have to make the decision on where Isaiah Wynn plays this season and decide the roles of Jared Veldheer, Marcus Cannon, Yondy Cajuste.

Expect Cajuste to Be a Sponge This Year

In all likelihood, Yondy Cajuste, the fourth round selection out of West Virginia, will play a LaAdrian Waddle type role and mostly sit back in his first year. Although, he can potentially play the game a lot like Trent Brown did in his one season with the Patriots. Asking him to do what Trent did however, will take time.

…And Then There Were Three

Now, narrowing down the two starters on this line gets tricky. All three players (Wynn, Cannon, and Veldheer) could merit the distinction of being a starter on this team. However, it seems like Isaiah Wynn’s Achilles could answer the whole question.

Assuming Wynn is not completely ready to preform, the answer will be that Marcus Cannon starts at right tackle and Jared Veldheer at left.

Wynn with a healthy Achilles muddies the waters, and could potentially ship Marcus Cannon out of Foxboro.

Why Veldheer’s Job Seems Safe

Simply based off the money he received, it seems very plausible that he should be carved into one of the starting tackle spots. Although the exact details of his contract remain undisclosed, we know that he could earn a max value of 6.5 million dollars this season. Bill Belichick and Nick Casiero do not pay camp bodies, or even backup tackles, 6.5 million dollars. The Patriots must like this guy, therefore, his job seems pretty safe for now. Veldheer also primarily played right tackle for the Cardinals and Broncos. This puts him primarily in competition with Marcus Cannon.

A Healthy Wynn Could Place Cannon on the Trade Block

Remember when the Patriots traded Logan Mankins to the Buccaneers before the season started a few years back? Belichick could make another big trade of an offensive tackle before the season starts this year too.

Cannon just came off one of his better seasons in a while. A season where his health was better than normal, and he was a very solid right tackle last season.

If Coach Scarnecchia decides that Isaiah Wynn is ready to make a big impact in essentially his rookie season, Cannon might be in trouble and sold for his highest value.

Cannon could become obsolete with Wynn, Veldheer, and Cajuste in the picture. And his contract and age might be too hefty for Belichick and the Patriots.

An aging player with a decreasing role and a contract north of 7.4 million dollars each of the next two seasons normally gets floated in trade talks by teams. With Bill Belichick, a hit to Cannon’s role and value on this team will have the Patriots’ GM making phone calls off the hook.

Cannon better hope Wynn does not upstage him, otherwise Cannon may not be blocking for Tom Brady too much longer.

My Prediction

I believe in Wynn’s abilities and so do the Patriots. Thus, Wynn plays left tackle and Jared Veldheer plays right tackle.

Veldheer played right tackle in Arizona and in Denver. With his contract and Wynn impressing like I believe he will, it currently is very hard to see Cannon keeping his job here in New England.

Furthermore, Cannon gets traded for a defensive lineman, safety, or maybe even another target for Brady.

Injuries always happen in training camp and preseason. If a tackle goes down for an extended period of time, expect Belichick to welch off another team’s desperation and get his highest value for Cannon. Assuming he did not already trade him

Red Sox – Mariners Series Preview

It seems a long time ago that the Mariners handed the Red Sox a 3-1 series defeat to open the season. Now over a month later the Mariners comes to face a surging Red Sox. The Sox took their May record to 7-2 and got themselves back to .500 on the season for the first time since the season began.

5/10 Eduardo Rodriguez vs. Erik Swanson (R) 7:10 pm NESN

5/11 Rick Porcello vs. Felix Hernandez (R) 1:05 pm NESN

5/12 Josh Smith vs. Marco Gonzales (L) 1:05 pm NESN

NOTABLE NUMBERS

The Red Sox face two starting pitchers in Swanson (ERA: 4.94) and Hernandez (ERA: 5.20) who have struggled this season. However, they have had contrasting experiences on the road in 2019. Swanson has a 3.95 ERA on the road, compared to an ERA of 6.16 on the road for Hernandez.

Josh Smith’s first career start for the Red Sox was somewhat of a disaster, as he allowed four earned runs in just 3 1/3 innings. Unfortunately, that is representative of his career as a starter so far. In 41 2/3 innings as a starter, Smith has a 6.48 ERA. However, with David Price and Nathan Eovaldi on the IL, the Red Sox need their 31-year old righty to step up in this start.

This season has been somewhat of a disaster for both Rodriguez and Porcello. However, the shining ray of light in two tough seasons has been their home form. Rodriguez has a 3.63 ERA and 22 strikeouts in 17 1/3 inning in Fenway Park this season. Similarly, Porcello has 3.00 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 18 innings.

Over 20 career games “King Felix” has been a thorn in the Red Sox side. There have been a handful of occasions where the Red Sox got to him in his career, but for the large part he has been very impressive. Hernandez is no longer the pitcher he once was, but the Red Sox should still be wary, as he held them to just two runs in seven innings in his one outing against them last season.

The Red Sox offense stumbled a little in Baltimore, scoring just 11 runs across those three games. However in amongst that there were home runs for Andrew Benintendi (4), J.D. Martinez (5) and Mookie Betts (7). If those three can springboard into a big series against the Mariners, the Red Sox can sail to a plus .500 record for the first time this season.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

The Rotation: I think I have mentioned the rotation in every series preview I have done this season. It would be lovely if we could just get some more of these question marks answered. The ace in the pack, Chris Sale, has calmed any fears. But now we need Porcello or Rodriguez to step up. Frankly, anything we get from Smith and Hector Velasquez is a major bonus, but for this team to continue this momentum the current #2 and #3 guys in this rotation have to step up.

Hitting: It might be time to start worrying about Jackie Bradley. His batting average is a woeful .142, and he has just three extra base hits in 123 plate appearances. On the bright side, he has stolen three bases, and his defense is a long way from being a liability. However, he is one of three hitters on the current 25-man roster with a batting average below .200, and this is the time of the season where that becomes a major concern.

EXPECTATIONS

A little hiccup in game two against the Orioles could not stop the Red Sox getting to .500 for the first time since Opening Day. However, they remain five games behind the impressive Rays, and are still 3.5 games behind a banged up Yankees squad. This series against a Mariners team flailing at 2-7 in May gives them the perfect opportunity to try and make a dent in the lead of those two teams.

The threat from the Mariners is their hitting. They rank first in both runs scored and home runs, as well as third in slugging percentage. However, their rotation is not great, and this is the weakest part of it. Unfortunately, this is also the weakest part of the Red Sox! This could be a fun high scoring weekend, which hopefully the Red Sox can escape from with a 2-1 record.

Essential Features of a Successful Sports Gambler

Sports betting is a thing that predicts the outcome of sports. It is also known as sports gambling. The person who does this is known as sports bettor or sports handicapper or sports gambler.

There are thousands of sports gamblers who are performing very well. There are also many forum for sports gamblers on the internet. But what distinguishes an extraordinary sports gambler from rest of others!!! Certain features and characteristics must a sports gamblers possess if he really wants to be successful.

Some of these features are as under:

Perfect Knowledge:

A sports gambler must have the ideal knowledge of the sports he is betting for. If he does not know the rules, details and particulars of the betting and sports, all his effort will go in vain.

A perfect knowledge makes a person perfect gambler. He must be aware of all the ins and outs of the sports.

Avoid Prejudices:

To be a successful gambler

For sports, one should avoid all sorts of prejudices. It should always be in the mind of the sports gambler that favouritism doesn’t work all the time. The person or horse or anything you like in the game doesn’t mean that he will win all the time.

A successful sports gambler always do research work and surveys. This in-depth research makes the basis for its predictions. All the work should be proper and based on facts and figures.

Try a Few Bookmakers:

Always focus on the famous saying “Do not put all your eggs in one basket”. Sports gambling is a sort of business, and you are going to invest in it. Therefore you must try to move around the markets. You must not focus only on one bookmaker.

By sterling, around the market, you will probably get the idea of the situation in a better way and can predict much accurately.

Superb Money Management:

A wise sports gambler is one who has sufficient knowledge of money management. As sports gamblers have to play with money, so investing money and finances will surely bring fortunes for the gambler.

A sports bettor must maintain strict guidelines not only for themselves but for others also. They should retain themselves within the circle, of those guidelines specially meant for money management. If they, themselves will not follow the rules then others will surely not do.

Discipline:

Discipline is something fundamental and vital in sports handicapping. Without being punctual and disciplined a personally even think of becoming an enjoyable and successful sports gambler.

By following the discipline, the sports gambler will make strategies for the long run and will stick to those strategies. Sports Gambler can focus on discipline in many ways. Some of the techniques are:

  • Bankroll management
  • Stacking rolls
  • Attacking plan of wagon etc.

Excellent Analytical Skills:

Without having the skill of profound observations and analysis, a sports gambler can do nothing. You have to deal with substantial raw information and data in case of gambling. This data should be analysed firmly and wisely. If you want to be successful as a sports gambler, you need to analyse data intelligently, process the data according to the situation and get the result. These results will go you in gaining experience and previous track of a specific player or sports.

Robert Kraft NEEDS to Sell the Revs

Revs overview

Robert Kraft is the worst owner in soccer history. If you’re a Revs fan reading this article, you’ll mostly agree with everything I have to say. If you’re a Patriots fan, you might be wondering who the Revs even are. In case you didn’t know, the Revs are Robert Kraft’s other team. Although they really shouldn’t be. Kraft has owned the New England Revolution since 1996, but has done almost nothing to help them out since then. Robert Kraft spends almost no money on his team, settles for mediocrity, and has almost no involvement with the team. You might be thinking, why would he care about them? Well just like every other sports team, the Revs have their own passionate supporters who are dying to see the day their team can lift the MLS Cup. Unfortunately, unless Kraft severely changes his business mentality that won’t happen under Robert Kraft.

Via Google

Soccer is more than a business

Robert Kraft looks at the Revs as a business. At the end of the day, if he makes a profit From ticket sales and concessions he’s content with that. Essentially the way he runs the Revs would be equivalent to him being OK with the Patriots finishing out of the playoffs every single year as long as he makes a profit. This is not the way you want to run a team, especially not a soccer team. He never invests in soccer, ever. We’ve been looking for our own stadium since 2006. Playing at Gillette Stadium does not work for the Revs. There’s no public transportation to get there, and they sell maybe 20,000 tickets on average per game. This leaves almost 50,000 empty seats, making the atmosphere almost nonexistent.

Making Strides?

One of the better things to come out of the Revs camp recently is the rumor that Kraft has pledged to spend up to $400 million on a new stadium. As mentioned earlier, a stadium is the number 1 priority for the Revs right now. They’ve been looking since 2006 and haven’t been able to close a deal on a site. A few years ago they came very close to sealing a deal at Bayside, but it ultimately failed. So when it came out that Kraft was willing to spend 400 million on a stadium, people got excited. Although we’ve heard this story before, but it goes nowhere. Will this be the time that the rumor comes true? We’ll have to wait and see.

Struggle

This season, the Revs are on pace to finish last in the league. The same GM who has gotten them to the playoffs 3 times in the last 9 years has not been fired yet. It’s up to Robert Kraft to make a move. He either needs to sell the Revs to someone who will get us a stadium, invest in the team, has ambitions of winning the MLS Cup. Or, Robert Kraft needs to step up and put his wallet where is mouth is. A $35 million training facility is nice, but without a stadium, or quality players, it’s nothing. It is a stepping stone towards greatness, but there are hundreds of other stones left to go

The Origin and History of Football

It can be said that football is one of the sports that has existed for a long time and attracted the attention of millions of people around the world. The fact of the matter is that the football is known as king sport because of its appeal and its charisma. In terms of entertainment, football is an entertaining sport that connects the hearts of people globally. However, not all of us understand the origin and history of this sport. The following article will give you some necessary information about the history of football and its formation and development.

What is football?

In fact, football also has another name is soccer. It is a team sport played between two different teams with two goalposts on the rectangular ground. If the two teams have the same number of times the ball is put into the opponent’s goal, or no team can do this, the match will end with a draw or two teams will have a penalty shoot-out to decide to win or lose.

In fact, football is “King sport”. Source: https://thevang.live/

Each team consists of 11 players and each player will play different roles in the team such as midfielder, striker, goalkeeper, centre defender. Besides, each team has few substitute player.

To score goals, a team needs to bring the ball into the opponent’s goal, the players are only allowed to use their feet to move the ball, except for the goalkeeper, no one is allowed to use the hand to catch the ball. By the end of the match, the team that scored more goals will be the winner. It is true to say that football is fast becoming a popular sport because of simple tools and rules, everyone can play in many forms.

According to FIFA statistics, more than 250 million people regularly play football in over 200 countries in 2001. Nowadays, football has gone through many steps to develop its strength to a new level.

Basic rules of football

The players except the goalkeeper are allowed to use any part of the body to play the ball except their arms and hands. In a normal football game, players can play in any position and can bring the ball in any direction on the field, if a player falls into the offside position, this player cannot receive the ball. Based on these basic rules, players often use their feet to perform technical movements such as dribbling, passing the ball to teammates, kicking the ball, with the main purpose is to find a way to put the ball into the opponent’s goalposts and prevent the opponent from putting the ball into the goalpost.

However, players of two teams may collide through ball matches, but they must never make mistakes in the rules of the game such as pushing opponents, playing by hand, etc.

The referee and the referee’s assistant (known as the linesman) are the ones who make sure the ball is made fair and lawful. The referee used a whistle and two types of cards including yellow cards, and red cards; the main referee is responsible for starting, ending or suspending the match.

The referee is responsible for starting, ending or suspending the match. Source: fifa.com

A football match usually has two halves, each of 45 minutes with a 15-minute break between halves. In fact, players often have to add extra time.

Which country invented football?

In is true to say that for a long time, there were many sports that had similar versions of football but different in terms of techniques, rules, and forms of play held in many parts of the world; one good example for that is harpastum. Many people believe that football originated from England because England was dubbed the homeland of football; but in fact it is not. In fact, England is just a ticketing country for the first football matches.

Besides, according to the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association). World Football Association, the oldest football version is called Cuju.

Cuju is the ancient Chinese soccer.

Cuju is an ancient Chinese soccer game. Cuju originated in China in the 2nd or 3rd century BC under the Han Dynasty; this sport is also played in many countries such as Japan, Korea, Vietnam, etc. At first it was only played as a physical exercise by the Han army. Later, a number of other primitive football versions began to appear in some countries such as Kemari in Japan, Harpastum in Rome and Episkyros in Greece.

Another, Many ancient sports have a form similar to football such as Calcio Forentino (A sport that is popular in the Florentina region), La soule, Rugby, etc.

The history of football formation through the ages

As mentioned above, football was born around the 2nd or 3rd century BC in China. By the middle of the 19th century, this sport was popular in some schools in England. The first football club was formed in 1824 with the name “The Foot-Ball club” and this club located in Edinburgh, Scotland.

In 1848, the Cambridge Law – the oldest modern football law-was enacted after a meeting of representatives of universities such as Shrewbury, Rugby, Winchester, Eton, Harrow, etc. The meeting was held at Trinity College campus of Cambridge University to agree on new rules for football sport.

In the 1850s, began to form a series of amateur football teams with different rules, the most prominent of which was the Sheffield FC club. This club is also one of the oldest clubs in the world still exists.

However, the fact of the matter is that each club builds itself a separate rules makes it difficult to run the game and cause controversy. Thus, on October 26, 1863, representatives of several London football clubs held a meeting to form the Football Association (FA) with the goal of establishing and managing common rules that apply to all teams. After 5 days of discussion and debate, on December 8, the FA officially announced the complete law of 13 articles.

In 1886, the International Football Association Board (IFAB) was established in Manchester with the participation of representatives from the Scottish Football Association, Football Association of Ireland, Wales and FA. This agency is responsible for managing and monitoring football laws worldwide.

It is possible that football sports began to become more popular and thrive in the early years of the 20th century. Thus, it is necessary to organize a unified agency with the task of overseeing world football matches. There have also been many previous discussions on the establishment of an international agency, but all were unsuccessful.

In May 1904, FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) was established in Paris and the head was Mr. Robert Guerin. Especoally, immediately upon its founding, FIFA announced that it would use and respect the law that the FA has made. In 2008, FIFA had more than 200 members who were representatives from more than 200 countries and territories.

At the present age, football in the world has moved to a more professional level with millions of people watching a match live and billions of people watching through TV channels or network socials. There is no denying that football worthy of the title of “sports king”.

All in all, football is not only the most attractive sport on the planet but also a sport that has a great influence on the sports and society of the nations today and for many years to come.

How does a fat burner work? The science behind the supplement.

“A fat burner will only work if you do”

-Ancient proverb

Will Grier, WVU quarterback with Gilette Stadium in the background.

In all seriousness, it’s easy to get enticed by the promise of shedding pounds overnight or dropping pant sizes in a week. Anything that’s promising you that is either lying or has the potential to kill you.

Fat burners, however, do have their place in the fitness world. Assuming you’ve tied down your nutrition and exercise programs (no, you can’t just take a fat burner and hope for the best), supplemental help can speed up your results. Faster results tend to produce more satisfaction and compliance to workout and nutrition programs, so that’s a really positive outcome.

What to expect from a fat burner

Depending on your starting fitness level, training hour per week, and dietary interventions, it’s realistic to lose around an extra pound per week with a fat burner. Now, that may not seem like much. But remember – there’s no magic pill for weight loss. If it took years to build up, don’t expect it to take days to reverse. One pound a week is over 50 lbs a year, and that’s a drastic difference in the long-term.

Fat burners work by stimulating thermogenesis and free fat metabolism. They provide key nutrient signals for the body to metabolize fat for energy instead of something else. It doesn’t work if you don’t more and/or keep adding too much fat to make a difference.

How does a fat burner work?

Good fat burners stimulate specific enzymes and hormones that promote lipolysis. Lipolysis is the breakdown of fat within the body. As some fat is free-flowing and other is stored, effective fat burners mobilize that stored fat to the bloodstream where it can be broken down for energy and release.

Other considerations include lifestyle changes when it comes to fat loss. Are you training in a fasted state or caloric deficit, but still looking to maintain lean body mass? It might behoove you, then, to supplement with something that preserves that muscle mass.

When we’re training on an empty stomach, our body will search to metabolize whatever it can, including muscle. Therefore, good fat burners will contain things like beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate, a metabolite of leucine that neutralizes muscle damage during training.

Finally, most fat burners focus on thermogenesis, or the process of generating heat. If you’ve ever counted calories, you might be familiar with this process. A calorie is defined as the amount of energy required to raise one gram of water one degree Celsius.

It’s basically a measure of heat. Therefore, when you’re burning calories, you’ve creating heat. Fat burners stimulate greater thermogenesis than normal, resulting in more calories burnt from the same activity

Best fat burning supplements

Some things just work better than others. Others are a waste of your money, and some will even ruin your health. So what are the best ingredients for a fat burner?

HMB (ß-Hydroxy ß-Methylbutyrate)

It’s widely understood that training in a fasted state can facilitate fat oxidation. The less immediate fuel you have for your workout, the more your body will hack into your fat storage for resources. There’s just one issue – it can also hack in to muscle.

HMB neutralizes those muscle damaging enzymes that could hinder your success. As a metabolite of leucine, it optimizes fasted training by actually enhancing muscle strength. Leucine and its metabolites signal protein synthesis through the mTOR pathway.

As such, taking a HMB before your workouts redirects the breakdown towards fat, and keeps your muscle growing.

Cayenne pepper

Cayenne pepper contains capsaicinoids, which activate your sympathetic nervous system. You have two autonomous (automatic) nervous systems – sympathetic and parasympathetic. They respond to your external situation. If under stress, sympathetic nervous system kicks in to prepare you to run, spit fire, or otherwise dominate. Your parasympathetic, on the other hand, is what helps digestion, rest, sleep, and general recovery.

In short, your sympathetic nervous system raises a big checkered flag to start the race to metabolize fat.

Cayenne pepper stimulates increased calorie burning during exercise. More importantly, it signals the hormones that promote fat-specific breakdown.

Forskolin

Forskolin, the active ingredient in the herb Coleus Forskohlii, activates metabolism. By triggering the adenylate cyclase enzyme, it raises concentration of a compound critical to thermogenesis. It’s like the lead domino in a cascade of events leading to the breakdown of triglycerides.

That stored body fat in your gut? Yeah, it’s all comprised of triglycerides. So forskolin helps mobilize and metabolize the problem areas.

Are fat burners safe?

It depends. Just like anything, you’ve got your good guys and your bad. Some of them contain dangerous synthetic stimulants that can cause harm. Others are perfectly safe and natural.

If a fat burner has gone out of its way to convince you of the “miraculous waist-shrinking effects overnight”, run the other way.

Instead, choose a fat burner with all-natural ingredients that’s been lab-tested for quality, such. There are plenty of natural supplements, such as cayenne pepper and forskolin, that induce thermogenesis and stimulate lipolysis. Your goal should be to optimize your natural metabolism, not introduce a dangerous substance in to your body.

Check every supplement with the manufacturer for purity, safety, and quality before purchase. If they’re third party tested, use all-natural ingredients, and ONLY include what’s on the label, you should be good to go.

Final thoughts

Overall, fat burners can be effective… if you choose the right ones. Beware the gimmicks and false promises. Choose natural ingredients that will enhance your body’s natural ability to breakdown fat. And continue to train! Again, nothing works unless you do.

Fat burners can definitely expedite your progress. And for many, that’s more than worth it.

Random Red Sox of the Day: Jody Reed

Drafted by the Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox selected Jody Reed out of Florida State University in the eighth round of the 1984 draft. Reed had already been through several draft phases, but never signed. He began play immediately in A-Ball at Winter Haven. After spending all of the 1985 season at Winter Haven as well, Reed started to climb the ladder.

In 1986 he played at both AA New Britain and AAA Pawtucket. Even though he had struggled at New Britain, Reed showed his promise in Pawtucket. In 1987 he played the full season at Pawtucket before a September call-up to the big leagues. Reed had batted .296 with seven home runs in AAA, earning his way up.

In 30 Major League at-bats that September he batted .300. He got his first start in a doubleheader on September 18th and collected three hits. Batting leadoff in the game, his first hit came off lefthander Jeff Ballard of the Orioles in the fifth inning.

BOSTON, MA – CIRCA 1988: Jody Reed #3 of the Boston Red Sox looks on prior to the start of a Major League Baseball game circa 1988 at Fenway Park. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Morgan’s Magic

Jody Reed struggled to begin the 1988 season, and manager John McNamara threatened to send him down to the minors. When McNamara was fired, with the Red Sox struggling to a 43-42 record, Reed was batting .237 as a part-time player.

Instead of sending him to the minors, new manager Joe Morgan did the opposite; making him his full-time starting shortstop, replacing Spike Owen. One of the big changes Morgan made was benching his older players who were scuffling and going with the younger guys. At short, Jody Reed may have been the biggest part of that.

The Red Sox went on an epic run, dubbed “Morgan’s Magic.” The Red Sox won 12 straight to begin Morgan’s reign, and 19 of 20. They also went on to win a record 24 consecutive home games at Fenway Park. For his part, Reed batted .477 during the 12 game win streak, and .432 during those first 20 games. Getting to play every day and having the confidence of his new manager did wonders for Jody Reed.

Reed finished the season with a .293 batting average and finished third in the Rookie of the Year vote. The Red Sox won the American League East following their huge run under Joe Morgan.

Jody Reed of the Red Sox bats against the Yankees during a game circa 1991 at Fenway Park. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

A Doubles Machine

Reed continued to start for the Red Sox over the remainder of his tenure with the team. In 1989 he split evenly between second base and shortstop, as the Red Sox lost their second baseman Marty Barrett to injury during the season and acquired shortstop Luis Rivera from the Expos.

Reed did his part, batting .288 with 42 doubles. Those doubles placed him third in the American League, as Reed started proving himself as a doubles machine in Fenway Park.

Reed mostly started at second base in 1990, but played his old shortstop position some as well. The position switching didn’t affect his ability to hit doubles, as Reed led the entire Major Leagues with 45 doubles. He batted .289 and hit a career high five home runs. Yes, he didn’t have much for home run power, but all those doubles worked just fine.

1991 saw more success from Reed, as he stayed at second base all season. He matched his five home runs from the previous season, and his 42 doubles from 1989, while batting .283. To this point in his career, Reed had batted .288 and had averaged 43 doubles over the previous three seasons.

The magic went away in 1992 though. The Red Sox mistakenly fired Joe Morgan in the offseason, bringing in Butch Hobson. The whole team’s play declined in 1992, and Reed was not immune. He batted a career low .247, and only hit 27 doubles in his final season with the Red Sox.

Jody Reed #3 of the Boston Red Sox bats against the Toronto Blue Jays bats during a game circa 1990 at Exhibition Stadium in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)

Moving On

Reed bounced around over the rest of his Major League career. He played in Los Angeles with the Dodgers in 1993, batting .276 while playing excellent defense at second base, something that would become his thing. He only made five errors, posting a .993 fielding percentage. This fielding percentage was tops in the National League at the position.

He took some flak for turning down a big contract offer from the Dodgers, and then signing for much less elsewhere in the offseason. However, it seems like he wasn’t very happy in Los Angeles, and having to team with shortstop Jose Offerman, who was a disaster at the position. Good for him for prioritizing happiness over money!

Reed played with the Brewers in 1994. He led the league with a .995 fielding percentage at second base while turning the most double plays and making the most assists at second base. Seems like he had a strong case for the Gold Glove Award. In addition, Reed batted a solid .271 for the Brewers.

Reed spent the next two years playing in the lovely weather of San Diego. In 1995 he only made four errors, compiling a .994 fielding percentage. Although he made his most errors since 1992 in ’96, he still had a nice .987 fielding percentage. Reed batted .250 in his two seasons with the Padres.

He closed out his career in 1997 by playing in 52 games with the Detroit Tigers. Reed’s play had clearly declined, as he batted under .200. Still, he had carved out a nice career for himself. He led the league in several fielding categories at second base in the second half of his career, after finishing among the league leaders in doubles during the first half of it.

Run for the Black-Eyed Susans: Preakness Stakes Current Odds

Image by Gene Devine  posted in Unsplash

After the Kentucky Derby 2019, a famous horse race in the United States, betting odds and makeup of the field are expected to be known for the second leg of the Triple Crown races.  People are getting anxious and excited, and the focus will now turn to the upcoming Preakness Stakes 2019 on May 18. Safest betting sites like TVG, Bet America & TwinS are all up and ready for the bets to go up high now that it is fast approaching.

About the Race

Preakness Stakes is one of the most thrilling races, making up as the second leg in the legendary Triple Crowns’. Held annually, every third week of May the Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland will be filled again with multiple and diverse individuals eager to witness the performances of every contender. This year, 14 horses will race towards the finish line as it celebrates its 144th year in the horse racing industry.

Types of Bets

There are many betting types to choose from in horse racing. Three most basic bets in Preakness Stakes are:

            WIN BET The most common betting type and the most straightforward. If your pick finishes first, you’ll be paid out.

            PLACE BET – If your horse finishes first or second, then you can claim your wager win.

            SHOW BET – If your horse finishes anywhere in the first, second or third place then you will win.

Preakness Stakes also include other popular bets:

            EXACTA – You will win if you correctly select the first and second finishers in a race in exact order.

TRIFECTA -For you to win, you must pick the first, second and third finishers in the correct order. The reward has higher pay than the exacta.

SUPERFECTA – You should pick four horses that would place first, second, third, and fourth in the exact and same order as your pick.

Betting Odds

To predict the outcome of a particular event, or know how it is likely to happen, it is essential to learn how betting odds work. Betting involves money and with the right prediction, the more money you can win.  Odds serves just a guide for people to foresee the probability of an event to occur and how much money you will win if your bet wins.

Betting odds can be used to calculate winnings.  You can figure out how much money you win if you make a bet. Given as an example of 9/1 odd, that for every $1 you bet, you will earn $9. Upon using betting odds to calculate probability, using the case above, 9/1 can figure as 1 / (9+1) = 0.10. There is a 10% chance that the event will likely to happen.

Preakness Stakes Current Odds

Last year, Justify won the Preakness Stakes 2018. Even though the foggy weather, the colt made it his advantage to gallop even faster and finish first among other horses. Given this year’s Kentucky Derby 2019, Country House won the 145-year old race after the disqualification of Maximum Security. 

Despite claiming the winner in the first leg of the Triple Crown, Country House failed to become the favorite contender going into the second leg of the Triple Crown. Instead, Code of Honor who garnered the second place at the Kentucky Derby was expected to have higher chances of winning the 2019 Preakness Stakes.

According to the US Racing which is an award-winning international online horse racing service, Code of Honor placed at the top of the list having an odds of 5/2-followed by Country House with an odds of 3/1. War of Will with the odds of 4/1 same as Tacitus, 5/1 odds for Game Winner, Improbable having an odds of 15/2, Vekoma for 11/1, Laughing Fox and Alwaysmining with a chance of 12/1. 14/1 for Owendale and Anothertwistafate for a 16/1 odds.  More horses may race to the Preakness Stakes, but the decision-making process will involve a few factors. Some new names might also add up to the contenders when finalized during the week of the said race. Alwaysmining and Anothertwistafate are two non-Kentucky Derby horses, and they are worth keeping an eye for the upcoming race.

Takeaway

Betting is a fun and exciting thing to do, especially if the odds are too high that your pick will win on that race. It’s the betting that interests and appeals to the people. And as much as how impulsive you are to bet, learning the basics is essential before you put your money at risk.

The 2019  Preakness Stakes current odds serves as just a guide to help you pick the most likely to finish the race first. It does not assure a hundred percent win but will give you chances about the probability for it to occur.

The Celtics Are Just Getting Started

The Celtics are not finished. Everyone and their Podcast partner is writing them off. Boston sports radio is dancing over their graves. The team is at rock bottom, down 3-1 to the Greek Freak and a band of also-rans playing over their heads. But just like last year’s Patriots, rock bottom is where they strip out all the noise and bring it back to team basketball.

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving hasn’t forgotten how to play basketball. His talk isn’t for everyone, but it’s just talk. Between the lines this guy is a certified basketball genius, he’s just been a little sidetracked.

On Basketball Reference there is a stat called Game Score (GmSc). Like WAR in baseball, it’s a stat that tries to take everything into context. It’s not the be all end all, but it’s a nice umbrella of everything a basketball player is doing on the court. Over the 2016 playoffs Kyrie averaged 18.2 per game. Over the 2017 playoffs Kyrie averaged 18.1 per game. That is consistency over 39 games like you read about.

Right now Kyrie is averaging 15.8 in the 8 playoff games for the Celtics. That is not Kyrie Irving. But he had a similar eight game stretch in 2017, averaging 15.9 over the first eight games. Yes, Cleveland lost in the finals that year, but Kyrie went on to average 19.8 over the remaining 10 games.

Even the great Steph Curry looks less than sometimes. For example, he went 4-14 from 3 in his last playoff game. But people aren’t shoveling dirt on his playoffs. Forget the body language and ‘effort’ police. Kyrie Irving is not perfect, but he’s one of the best players in the NBA and a noted playoff performer. Count on a dominating performance in Game 5 and going forward.

Brad Stevens

Remember when Brad Stevens was the next great coach in the NBA? It wasn’t that long ago. And it wasn’t a flash in the pan. He grew to that level over years, not one great year.

Somewhere along the way he lost his voice this year. The team did not give an all out level all the time like they have in past years. This team did not meet the lofty expectations placed in them at the beginning of the year. Hey, they went to the Eastern Conference Finals without their best player. Of course there were high expectations. But ego, it seems, has gotten the better of them to this point.

But what can cut through all the noise of ego? Getting thumped on your home floor in the playoffs, pushing you to the brink of elimination, getting called out nation wide. When the players are reeling and wondering how they got here who can they turn to? Brad Stevens, the man with a plan. And when the players follow the plan of Brad Stevens, great things happen.

Stevens is being bashed for not throwing his players under the bus right now. That is building trust. Look for the players to start playing the Stevens game, team basketball, the best of the Celtics, in Game 5 and moving forward.

Bucks Over Their Heads

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a certified NBA Super Star. He’s so great his same now rolls off the tongue. But he is one man. Khris Middleton is pretty good.

But 33 year old George Hill averaged a 6.6 Game Score for the Cavs in the playoff last year. Verse the Celtics in the last two games? 15.75. Overall for this playoffs? 10. George Hill’s cameo as bad Kyrie is just that, a two game cameo.

Pat Connaughton turned into current George Hill the last two games with an 11.2 average Game Score. His total playoff average is 4.4. Give the 26 year old the benefit of the doubt and this year his average is 8.5 in the playoffs. He’s played the last two 30% better than that. It won’t last.

Some would say these Bucks are on a roll. From here it’s an aberration with a current expiration date.

Poking Marcus Smart

It is advisable to rile up Marcus Smart? Antetokounmpo thinks not.

A motivated Marcus Smart is almost as important as a healthy Marcus Smart. Expect good things from Marcus Smart in Game 5 and going forward.

The Bucks are playing over their heads, the Celtics are playing poorly. Getting humiliated was just what the Celtics needed to turn things around. Get ready for a different series starting tomorrow night.

Photo via AP/Charles Krupa