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Moving on from football, to India’s passion, my joy and the game of eleven fools (as George Bernard Shaw described it) cricket. I think a very few people in India do not know what cricket is, and the rest constitute the millions of fools who are ardent followers of the Men in Blue (the BCCI Indian Cricket team marketed to the core). Cricket for many Indians (including me) is larger than life and the basis of life itself. Cricket is to India what football is to Brazil. Ask a true Indian cricket fan what he/she longs, lives for and cherishes the most and he/she will say “To watch India win the match!” (accompanied with a big smile).

One of the happiest moments of my life was to watch India make it to the World Cup finals in 2003. Unfortunately the 23rd March 2003 also turned out to be one of the saddest, apparently Ricky Ponting (Punter) had other plans, and as his nickname suggests better placed bets. A few mistakes by the Indian cricket team captained very ably by Sourav Ganguly (Dada,Prince of Calcutta, God of the off-side) saw me, and many Indians, on that fateful day reduced to tears, in our “Men In Blue” Tri-Colour painted T-Shirts and faces. Heartbroken we wiped the tears off and hoped we would get to see that moment of glory which the generation before us had witnessed at Lords in 1983. That moment where the underdogs, Kapil Dev’s Indian cricket team won us the world cup against the then invincible West Indian Cricket team.

Cricket my love, my passion and a truly beautiful game. I say that because, there are a few things in life, more beautiful for an Indian cricket fan than that lovely Sachin Tendulkar straight drive (down the ground), or that immaculate Rahul Dravid square cut and not to forget the perfectly timed drives on the off-side by the God of the off-side Sourav Ganguly. Makes cricket seem a touch romantic (Yuvraj makes cricket literally romantic, to his female fans, he is also great at fielding and very good at batting, sorry ladies).

It is often said Indians get too emotional about cricket (I am accused of the same), well the accusations are correct. I mean people do get emotional in life at some point of time. Life without cricket is unimaginable, sometimes I wonder why? Then I remember that cricket flows through my veins and I inherited the passion (like many Indians). I remember my life in two phases, one before the 1992 World Cup and the other after it,courtesy Dad (though he does not admit it, he loves cricket as much, maybe more). Cricket might not be played in the Gentleman’s outfit anymore but has lost little of its captivating magic.

ProVFX Visual Effects and Editing School has been written by Pranay Rupani who is a Freelance Writer

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When it comes to developments in sports entertainment, without a doubt, fantasy football has been one of the biggest trends over the past few years. With its invention occurring over forty years ago, fantasy football never really found a strong fan base until the explosion of the internet. Now, fans across the world are united, watching their games with their laptops ready, making trades and shouting as if they were Wall Street stockbrokers.

Its origin is credited to Bill Winkenbach, an Oakland Raiders partner who discussed his idea for the game with reporters in New York. They created the rules, and fantasy football was born. Years later, the internet is abuzz with thousands of sites dedicating themselves to the latest stats and news regarding players, allowing fans to get an edge at beating their friends. Fantasy football consists of individually governed leagues consisting of around 10 to 12 players. Drafts are chosen from the NFL roster and from week to week, you face off one on one versus other players to see who’s dream team performs the best that week. Points are tabulated, and a winner of the league is crowned based on their win-loss record versus the other players. Many sites offer the opportunity to set up a league free of charge with extra stats and updates sometimes being offered for an extra charge.

You don’t need to perform your fantasy football league online, either; you can simply download a rule book for the game and do it pen-and-paper style with your friends. The online connectivity offers an option to compete with the best of the best throughout the nation, with some sites even having cash prize championships on who can draft the best league. Fantasy football offers some much needed interactivity when it comes to watching a football game; when you’ve got your pride on the line, you’re definitely going to get more into games. Plus, you don’t need to draft a team; you can pick and choose from players across the league, making games that would normally seem uninteresting a matter of fantasy league life and death. All in all, it’s highly recommended if you’re a football fan that’s looking to add a little excitement to watching the sport.

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Here is how I see the Top 10 picks in the 2010 NFL Draft playing out as of April 8th.

St. Louis Rams ” Sam Bradford, Quarterback, Oklahoma: Bradford is going to be the pick; it’s nearly a lock. He looked great at his pro day and has filled out considerably since last season, putting to bed some of the concerns about his slight frame contributing to future injuries. The Rams will probably be tempted to select Ndamukong Suh or Gerald McCoy here, but they’ve taken a defensive lineman in the first round two of the past three seasons. The team recently released Marc Bulger, so they don’t have much to speak of at the quarterback position, and the organization has to find a way to sell NFL tickets. Selecting a quarterback will get people in St. Louis excited and give the team a franchise quarterback to pair with running back Steven Jackson.

Detroit Lions ” Ndamukong Suh, Defensive Tackle, Nebraska: They could definitely opt for Russell Okung here, but I think the recent acquisition of Rob Sims has shifted their focus back to Suh. I think McCoy is a better pro prospect, but Suh could be the safer pick. His strength won’t allow him to dominate people to the level he did in college, but he should be extremely effective right off the bat.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers ” Gerald McCoy, Defensive Tackle, Oklahoma: McCoy is the number one player on my draft board and I think the Bucs would be very happy to select him. They need an interior lineman and McCoy has Pro Bowl potential written all over him. He gets great penetration and should consistently find his way into opponents’ backfields. He’ll be a much better pass-rusher than Suh and could end up being comparable against the run.

Washington Redskins ” Russell Okung, Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma State: I had Jimmy Clausen slated here until Washington acquired Donovan McNabb via trade. I think they’ll look to protect their new quarterback with the best offensive line prospect in this draft class. Okung plays with a mean streak and has major potential.

Kansas City Chiefs ” Bryan Bulaga, Offensive Tackle, Iowa: The Chiefs need to find a way to protect their big investment from last offseason, quarterback Matt Cassel. Cassel played pretty well in 2009 considering he was consistently getting hit and hurried, so the team should go out and get someone to protect his blind side. Bulaga isn’t the elite prospect that Okung is, but he’s on the next tier.

Seattle Seahawks ” Eric Berry, Safety, Tennessee: Pete Carroll would love to get his hands on a player like Berry, who is what everyone thought Taylor Mays was at this time last year. Berry is a ball hawk and can be a huge playmaker if allowed to roam.

Cleveland Browns ” Dan Williams, Defensive Tackle, Tennessee: ESPN’s Todd McShay floated this idea out there and I have to admit that I like it. It seems a bit early for Williams, but he’s a hot name right now and could be the guy that makes the most sense here for Cleveland. I think Holmgren wants Berry but would settle for Williams here, especially with Shaun Rogers’ recent run-in with the law.

Oakland Raiders ” Anthony Davis, Offensive Tackle, Rutgers: Bruce Campbell is just too much of a reach here. However, Davis has a ton of potential as well and I think is reasonable enough for Oakland to snatch up. The knock on Davis is his attitude, but I think his potential will outweigh that in the eyes of the Raiders.

Buffalo Bills ” Trent Williams, Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma: Even with Jimmy Clausen available, I think the Bills will opt for Williams if he’s still on the board ” or at least they should. He’s ready to play now and the Bills should start building this team through the trenches. He can probably play right tackle for a year before making the transition to the left side.

Jacksonville Jaguars ” Derrick Morgan, Defensive End, Georgia Tech: The Jags haven’t been unable to generate much of a pass rush in recent seasons, especially from the outside. While Morgan isn’t an elite pass-rusher, he does project to be a very good end that plays equally well against the run and pass.

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This is going to take place in South Africa in the summer of 2010. The participating teams are determined by the qualifying matches that has been held on each continent between the time periods of august 2007 to November 2009. As the time left for the world cup is decreasing day by day so the preparations for the world cup are in final stages. We will mention here some of the news related to this event.

South Africa grabbed the luck to be the seat for World Cup 2010. The ceremony will be launched on June/July 2010. These sports and events takes place all around ten stadiums and cities comprising the Cape Town. The stadiums have been sketched and the building has started. In fact the tickets are for sale on the various venues put up on the website.

The qualifications for the World cup 2010 in South Africa are over and the teams which will compete on the finals are Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Chile, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Honduras, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, North Korea, Paraguay, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Uruguay and United States of America.

There are many reasons why the World Cup will tend to be success this time in South Africa. South African seashores put forward dirt free waters, fair shores and security nets. South Africa is reputed for its marvelous wines. A trip to South Africa is not whole devoid of chipping in the grandiose mountain collections.

Of course the unspoiled nature of South Africa is also of huge interest for those who will visit the World Football Championship in 2010 and will be able to combine the sporting entertainment with some great trips across this unique continent.

You will never have to worry about food in South Africa; the tastes are appealing to any people from whichever part of the world. Surprising games and expedition screening with trips are obtainable on ease. There are lots more that you can enjoy even after the World Cup days. Make it now or never!!!

STADIUM DEVELOPMENT FOR THE WORLD CUP: The inspection tour that consists of about 50 operational experts from FIFA and members of the local organizing committee visited South Africa in the month of October to inspect the progress of the stadiums made for the world cup. This committee visited all the five stadiums that are being built for the world cup. This team is very satisfied with the progress. The stadiums are now complete. In most of the stadiums the work left includes laying of grass, getting the seats in and stadium precincts.

BUYING TICKETS FOR WORLD CUP 2010: it has been discovered that there are about 100 false websites that are selling tickets of world cup. These websites have duped thousands of football lovers as they are thinking that they have got the tickets when actually they have not. There are only a dozen of genuine websites that are selling tickets for the world cup, starting with FIFA.com and there are only a few companies that are authorized to sell packages to South Africa. So be careful before purchasing the tickets. We can recommend you the site below specialized and created exclusively for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa.

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The most popular sport of India is undoubtedly cricket; call it religion, love or life. The people of India are very passionate about the Gentleman’s game. Cricket is to India what football is to Brazil. Every lane, by-lane (gully cricket a unique invention) and ground in India is filled with cricket lovers and followers. Every little boy dreams of being a Gavaskar, Tendulkar, Dravid, Kapil or Kumble and playing for the Indian team and rightly so as cricketers are no ordinary beings in India, they are Gods. They represent the dream of India.

Cricket runs through the veins of Indians and I also have not been spared by “Cricketaria”. They refer to cricket as just a game, well for an Indian cricket fan that game is a little more important than life. Every Indian fan prays for an Indian victory, whether it is a test match or a one day international. The passion, the love for cricket is second to none and it is baffling and very disappointing to fans and fanatics that unlike the Brazilian Football team the Indian cricket team does not dominate world cricket.

The love and commitment to the game is the same. Both play with all their heart and are never short of fan support. The sport is played everywhere, but the dominance of Brazil is often undisputed. There is no shortage of great players as well. For a Ronaldo, we have a Tendulkar. Arguably India has one of the best players in the world playing for them and this has been so even in the past. None have attained the glory of Bradman’s Invincibles, or the West Indian teams.

In sharp contrast Brazil always is a force to reckon with in football. It can be said that Australia bear similarities to Brazil in that respect but I doubt if the Aussies are as passionate about cricket. The true Indian fan desires to see the Indian cricket team reach the dizzying heights that the Brazilian football team has managed to attain. World Cup 2011 beckons (this time India is hosting it) and this Indian fan’s plea to the “Men in Blue” is to bring India to the cricketing glory it deserves.

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The Kaizer Chiefs

Kaizer Chiefs are a South African football team from the Soweto region of the South African capital, Johannesburg. They were foundd on the 7th January 1970. Kaizer Chiefs are undoubtable South Africa’s most successfull football club. Also, they are the countries most supported team with an estimated 16 million fans being spread over South Africa and it’s neighbouring countries. Kaizer Chiefs are also an extremely famous named club in England after Leeds based indie band named themselves after the club due to former Chiefs player Lucas Radabe transferring directly between the two clubs.

The Chiefs were founded by Chincha Guluva, a South African who appeared in the North Americam Soccer League for the Atlanta Chiefs and were one of the first South African clubs to become a professional outfit. This enabled the Chiefs to commence an extremely successful period that saw them win almost 80 trophies in just 36 years. The highlight of this period came during the 2001/02 season where they lifted the CAF Cup Winners Cup, the Vodacom Challenge trophy, the BP Top Eight and the Coca-Cola Cup. Traditionally the winners of the CAF Champions League (known as “The Mandela Cup” after political leader Nelson Mandela) enters the Super Cup against the CAF Champions League victors. Kaiser Chiefs matched up against Egypt’s Al-Ahly and were later crowned “CAF club of the year”

A club with such a vast success within their domestic competitions can normally expect success within their continental competitions. However, Kaizer Chief’s attempts at African competition have been opposed by bans from the CAF (Confederation of African Football). In the absence of CAF competition Kaizer Chiefs copmete in the Vodacom Challenge that sees the Chiefs and their long time Soweto rivals the Orlando Pirates compete with a respected European club upon invitation. The Chiefs are four times victors of the Vodacom Challenge, most notably in 2006 when they defeated a Manchester United team.

As mentioned previously, Kaiser Chiefs and the Orlando Pirates are fierce rivals with both clubs located within the Soweto region. This fiercely contested match is the highlight of the South African season and is renowned for attracting large attendances, consistently higher than the average Premier Soccer League match. Often the match becomes a decided as to the league title winners. Over thirty-four matches between the rivals the Chief’s have won twelve matches, drawn twelve and lost just ten.

Kaizer Chiefs play the majority of their home matches at the Amakhosi Stadium. In early 2010 ground renovations were completed in readiness for the 2010 World Cup held in South Africa. The 55,000 seater stadium is now owned by the Kaizer Chiefs making it the first stadium to be owned by a South African club. The Amakhosi Stadium is being developed at a cost of R1.2 billion. The stadium will later play host to other sports such as South Africa’s most popular two sports, Rugby and Cricket as well as including a large retail development. Kaiser Chiefs will use their new stadia as a platform to develop their youth development programme helping to ensure the long term future of the club.

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Get all guaranteed NFL picks, football picks, college football picks and more online. Do not lose a single day. Win more sports bets with NCAA, NHL, NBA, NFL, and MLB picks. Beginners as well as seasoned sports handicappers can get news on the latest free prediction for daily and weekly games, a game analysis, money-line, over or under and parlays. There may also be info on sports betting.

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Betting online can be thrilling as well as confusing because there are numerous gambling options available to players. Sports’ betting is similar to other types of wagering as all of them provide the same thrill and excitement. The players get a chance to put their money in the hope of earning attractive cash prizes. It is advisable that apart from luck, players have some pre-requisite knowledge of wagering systems to be successful and earn big rewards. Big risks can only be taken with some knowledge.

Beware of scams on the web and trust only the most respected sports handicapping services. Apart from NFL picks, there are sites that just offer odds. Most sites offer sports betting lines for all the major sports books for free. There are only a few sites that offer options where the players’ sports picks are guaranteed to generate profits. These sites thoroughly research picks from the handicappers. These sites are also able to give the lowest prices for services of handicappers.

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The handicapper’s record is a good way to determine if he is reliable. For instance an average bettor wins around 5 percent of his bets. Someone who does thorough research can hit that up to 30 percent, but a good handicapper would be able to call the NFL picks with at least 60 percent accuracy, if not higher. Another factor is his years of experience. For instance, anybody who has been in the business would be better than who has just completed a year in the same.

Read the players’ testimonials on the website to know what they feel about the websites. Review the trends to gauge whether or not to pay heed to a particular pick. Subscribe to the email list of the handicapper whom you zero in on. Keep a tab on his website regularly and ensure that you read the updates.

Getting the right pick depends on the player also. He will have to carefully review the information being offered and choose the right handicapper. Research yourself to make sure that you are selecting an expert who really knows his job.

NFL picks and NFL betting advice is provided all year long on these websites. Follow the NFL and college football picks all season long while betting on sports to make good money. Online betting is similar to a land based casino. You bet your money on a particular game and, depending on the result you either lose or win some.

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