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Monday, August 31, 2009

Should-of, Would-of, Could-of...

But didn't.

So after my post on Saturday of calling SVA and Qdel a good bet. What happens?

I place a limit buy on SVA. That is to buy it as long as it does not go above a certain price. After all, if it jumps up, I figure that day traders will do a little pump and dump and it will go down and I will end up paying too much.

So what happens, it opens higher than my limit price and never looks back.

Monday SVA opened 14% higher. My limit price was 10% higher.

It then progresses to go up nearly another 40%!!! In one day!!!

That is a 53% gain !!!

That is not hype, that is hysterics!!!

Read more...

Sunday, August 30, 2009

Yuk...

Dog days of summer certainly wilted my August Watch lists.























At least I eeeked out a small monthly profit with PWRD and HGRD and for the year I am still quite a bit ahead of all the major indexes.

Lets see how well I do in September....

Read more...

Saturday, August 29, 2009

Time to Stock up?















In the old days...
Back to school meant more shopping. More shopping meant spending more money on the economy.

Now a days...
Back to school means snuffled noses, sneezes, germs and the dreaded H1N1 !!!
And stock market hype!!!

At this point, I'd like to thank the following....

WHO for saying that this flu season could be even worse.
and
The pharma companies (some of them at least) finally getting around to developing a vaccine.

The swine flu (pandemic) index I put together last spring is once again on the move.





















This week alone has seen quite a rise in two of my favorites on the is list; Qdel and SVA.

QDEL - develops the test for the flu which your doctor does when you go to him or her and say you don't feel well.

SVA - develops the vaccine you take, so you don't have to take the test.

Though I might be a day (in this case a week) late and a dollar short, I think it is time once again (for those who a willing to take a bit of a risk) to ride the hype wave.

As always, invest wisely and good luck surfing!

Read more...

Thursday, August 27, 2009

The Skinny on the Roster...









Two preseason games down, two to go, 27 players to cut, still a few uncertainties to iron out.

When it comes to talent, the Redskins enjoy an embarrassment of riches. They have more No. 1 and No. 2 picks on their current roster than any other team in the NFC East. They count a dozen first-rounders and 11 more players chosen in the second round.

The Redskins will have to cut five players by Sept. 1. Then they’ll travel to Jacksonville to play the Jaguars on Sept. 3 before lopping another 22 off the roster to set the final 53.

It takes more than talent to win in the NFL. There’s a need for the three Cs--coaching, coherence, chemistry. A good staff can utilize its best players well and make the most of the ones with lesser skills.

{insert comments about ownership and having a good GM, or lack there-of, here} ;-)

“It is the most difficult task to find that chemistry of the 53,” coach Jim Zorn says.

Versatility helps the people who aren’t likely to start or whose chances to make the roster hinge on performances yet to be seen. The more roles a player on the bubble can fill, the better his chances.

Marko Mitchell, the seventh-round draft pick, fits the Redskins well as the fifth receiver but had limited experience as a special teams participant in college. He has worked hard to catch up on that in training camp and also caught a touchdown pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers. The veteran cornerbacks go out of their way to abuse him, which means they’re developing a certain respect for his skills. But has he done enough to elevate himself above a veteran like D.J. Hackett or other youngsters like Keith Eloi and Trent Shelton?

That fifth receiver spot is one of several the Redskins must ponder. They don’t really have too many issues in terms of starters and that means the moves they made and the players they acquired provided help.

Here’s a look at some of the areas once viewed as problems or vacancies and how they’ve been filled:


Left guard: The Redskins signed Derrick Dockery, who played the first four years of his career before joining the Buffalo Bills as a free agent. The Bills released him as part of their total overhaul of their line. His reinsertion next to left tackle Chris Samuels went seamlessly during the off-season. This is an upgrade over Pete Kendall.

Right tackle: The Redskins cut Jon Jansen and asked Stephon Heyer, a third-year player, to win this job. Heyer filled in for Samuels at the end of last season and played the left side at Maryland but had started on the right side for the Redskins. After a minor knee injury early in camp, Heyer stepped it up and nailed down this job. “He’s a legit tackle,” says offensive line coach Joe Bugel. “He deserves to be the starter.”

Wide receiver: Malcolm Kelly seems to have made greater strides than Devin Thomas and could be the No. 2 receiver behind Santana Moss. That would move Antwaan Randle El to the slot. At 6-4, Kelly presents a great target. Zorn says a decision about Kelly and Thomas might not crystallize “until a couple of games into the season. I think they really are even now.”

Quarterback: Jason Campbell remains the starter but faces pressure to get the first-team offense in the end zone against the Patriots. His numbers have not been good. Todd Collins did not get pushed for the No. 2 job by Colt Brennan, who in turn is getting pushed for the No. 3 job by rookie free agent Chase Daniel. That’s a duel that will continue in Jacksonville.

Strong-side linebacker: No. 1 pick Brian Orakpo takes over for Marcus Washington. He’ll line up at linebacker on first down for sure but figures to move to right end in passing situations. He continues to work on his drops and coverage responsibilities as a ‘backer. His ability to rush the passer with quickness shines through.

Defensive tackle: This was not a weakness but the Redskins signed Albert Haynesworth to a contract that could be worth well over $100 million. His impact on opponents will be gauged during the season but the two-time All Pro pick not only makes the guys around him better but the guys across from him as well. “He is getting Dockery ready to play,” Bugel says. “Dock has to go against him in pass protection every day and it’s full bore and Albert can move this building if he decides to do it. He’s made Dock a more aware pass protector.”

Punter: Signing free agent Hunter Smith solved multiple problems after the team burned through three punters last year. Smith can boot the ball but he also excels as a holder. Last year’s trio could not claim that as a strength and it impacted the kicker.

Kicker: Guessing that Shaun Suisham will fend off Dave Rayner and return for another season. Suisham missed an NFL-high 10 field goal tries last season though a number of them can be laid off on poor holds by the aforementioned punters.

Two games down, two to go. Time enough for some jobs to be won or lost and for confidence to build or erode.

All referenced material and pictures from the Washington Post
Talent Rich
Pre-Season Questions

Read more...

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Can you hear me now...










So, a while ago I got a HD radio for my car. I got it mostly because the CD in my other radio broke.

Well, one of the features this new radio has is the ability to connect to a Bluetooth device (with an optional adapter of course).

So the other week, one of my co-workers went on spending spree and bought a whole bunch of Apple products like a Mac and iPhone. The mac I could understand because she is going back to college and her current computer is probably older than mine. The iPhone was a surprise to me. Needless to say both are really nice to have and hardly a day goes by that she does not come in all giddy about some new feature, or app, that she discovered with either her mac, or iPhone, or both.

But anyway, one day she comes in and is raving about how she has done the coolest little thing with her iPhone. It connects up with her Prius radio and she can talk and listen to phone calls through her car audio system.

This gets me to thinking that I have been meaning to do the same with my phone and radio. So I hop online and take a look for the optional adapter that is required to do this.

Wow! it is almost as expensive as the new radio was in the first place.
So I hop on over to e-bay and take a look and low and behold someone has a used one for auction. I put it on my watch list and 3 days later jump in with 20sec left and make a bid. I won! :-) And it only cost me about 1/2 the price! :-) :-)

So, I have installed the adapter, sync'd up my phone, and can now receive and make calls with my car radio!

Cool!

Read more...

Something to talk about...

And it all revolves around Quarterbacks!

I could have called this "The Class of 2005"

"The new kid in town"

"Size matters...NOT!"

"Who really cares about number 1"

"My predictions..."

Lets start with the class of 2005.
Aaron Rodgers was drafted in the 1st round and is now flourishing as a big time starter.

Alex Smith, also drafted in that very same first round (actually #1 overall), has fallen off a cliff!

Jason Campbell, drafted one spot behind Aaron, does not have any more excuses and needs to step up in this, his contract year.
Will he follow the path of Alex or Aaron?
The jury is still out on him - for now...

Now for the "new kid in town and size matters... NOT!"

The new kid is Chase Daniels. He ,amazingly, went undrafted. Came to the Redskins because he wanted to study under Zorn. And now has shown everyone that he has the talent and the brains to run a NFL offense.

Actually, all the Redskins have to do is look at their history for top QB's who do not necessarily fit the BIG and TALL mold of the NFL Franchise QB's.

Joe Theismann
Height: 6-0 Weight: 192
4th round pick
Career Stats
TDS 160
INT 138
YDS 25,206
RTG 77.4

Sonny Jurgensen
Height: 5-11 Weight: 202
4th round pick
Career Stats
TDS 255
INT 189
YDS 32,224
RTG 82.6



This leads me to my "who cares about number 1"

I took a quick look at the history of Superbowl QB's...

Out of 56 QB's,
27 were drafted in the first round
29 were not
2 of those 29 were not drafted at all!!!

Some of the noteworthy non 1st rounders...

Of course Tom Brady
The previously mentioned Joe Theismann
Joe Montana
Fran Tarkenton
Johnny Unitas
Roger Staubach
Bart Starr

You can look at the list here

And last but not least... My predictions...

This is actually tied into the class of 2005, non 1st rounders, and undrafted QB's.

Shaun Hill has been named starting QB for the San Francisco 49's.
He beat out Alex the cliff jumper.

His career stats so far...
TDS 18
INT 9
Passing yards 2,547
QB Rating 90.5

Not bad for a local 2002 undrafted University of Maryland football player.

Read more...

Sunday, August 23, 2009

A football weekend - part 2

A loss, A loss, A win, and A pretty good...

So, this weekend was:

The first game(s) of the youth football season.

The big drawing for Mega Millions.

The Redskins first pre-season home game.

And the draft for my other league. (The one I'm not commish for)

We ended up loosing our first game. But this is not so bad. We played the division champions from last year, and they are still really good. The final score was 12 - 0.
Even though we lost and did not score - the other team really had bigger and faster kids than us; I think the team did really well. They learned valuable lessons about staying home on defense, and following through with your blocks and tackles.



Just in case anybody from my team is reading this blog, "everyone needs to go back to work Monday Morning". Sorry, the bad news is that the lottery commission just does not yet realize that we are supposed to have the winning ticket. The good news is that nobody else convinced them either...






Last night was the Redskins first pre-season home game and unlike last week; they decided to show up and play some football. Everyone played well, except Jason Campbell, and I was especially impressed with a lot of the second team guys. Chase Daniel, who the Redskins picked up as an undrafted free agent showed a lot of poise and command of the game and orchestrated some really good scoring drives. Marcus Mason continued his impressive pre-season performances from last year and showed everyone he is for real. Marko Mitchell continued to show his catching ability by a nice grab up high in the air for a TD. Malcolm Kelly beat the Steelers secondary early, the offensive line gave Campbell plenty of time, but Campbell just could not connect with his receivers last night. Maybe Zorn should put Daniel in first next week to send a message....

And last but certainly not least; Saturday was the draft for my other Fantasy Football league.

So, how did I do in this one? For a totally blind automatic draft...
Not so bad I think... (I had second pick)

The Pariahs

QB

Aaron Rodgers
Shaun Hill
Jason Campbell

RB

Adrian Peterson
Ronnie Brown
Mewelde Moore
Darren Sproles


WR

Lee Evans
Vincent Jackson
Justin Gage
Ted Ginn
Brian Robiskie

TE

Chris Cooley

K

John Carney
David Akers

Def/ST

Baltimore Ravens

Read more...

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Ready, Aim, KICK !!!



I just love stuff like this and I can not wait for every kicker in the NFL to take aim at Jerry's Big Screen!




Punter kicks into HD screen over field.

Read more...

Friday, August 21, 2009

Money Jars...And Curses...

I have been at the same company for almost eight years now.
Over that period of time I have seen lots of "money jars".

There is the ever popular swear jar.










And the happy hour fund.










A variation on the swear jar...










My team and I; We have "The Retirement Fund".

This is the jar that we all throw spare change into on a fairly regular basis.

It is not for any of the reasons listed above. It is used for whenever the lottery gets really big. Such as now....

Over $200 Million.

What is funny is, sometimes the jar gets full before a really huge jackpot. And folks think that turning in the jar for the basic $12 million starting jackpot is , somehow , not really worth it.

Huh? Come on guys. OK, so $12 million divided by 8 is 1.5 million for each of us!

Maybe, not quite enough to retire comfortably on... Maybe...

After all its only like someone coming up to you on the street and handing you a check for $900,000 tax free.

As Jeff Foxworthy would say... "that sure would put a dent in the ol' Pinto payments".

So, now it is my turn to collect the jar and turn in the coins for lottery tickets.
Instead of going to the local 7-11 counter and having the poor lady behind the register count out all those coins, I go to the Coinstar machine and get the cash. Sure it costs 8% fee, but I throw in an extra dollar to help cover that cost.

After this fun and amazing stop at coinstar, I make my way over to the previously mentioned 7-11 and wait in line to get my tickets.

After all this just happens to be lunch hour and there are lots of folks buying 7-11 hot dogs, Nachos, beer, and soda...

Hmmm, this get me to thinking two things...

A) Maybe it is not the Health Care System we should be looking to reform...
B) I notice the other VA lottery game called Win for Life!

Now, I know this game from the commercials. If you win the jackpot, you get $1000 a week for Life!

Pretty cool. So while I was waiting for the guys to finish buying out the 7-11 supply of dogs, chips, and beverages for their crews, I got into reading the particulars of the Win for Life Lottery.

The fine print says the grand prize is $1,000 a week for 10 years.
What?

Do they know something I don't?

Is this a cruel curse? Like Congratulations! you win the jackpot! And don't worry about the only 10 years to live stuff...

I know, maybe the game started in 2002 and it is a funny ploy on the 2012 end of the world scenario...

Nope, it started in 2006 (I looked it up later on the internet)

Then I noticed that, like other big jackpot drawings, they have a one time cash out option. You can get $1,000 a week for 10 years or you can get a one time $520,000 payment.

Normally I would choose the one time pay out option because the same amount of money now is worth a lot more (hopefully) than the same amount 10 or 20 years from now.

But with the "for life" option thrown into this seemingly innocent lottery game, I find the whole thing rather uncomfortable...

So this means that one can earn an extra $1,000 a week and you get 10 years to live.
or
$520,000 to throw one hell of a party before tomorrow.

I think I will stick with the standard Mega Millions Drawing...

10 tickets please...

Thank you.

Read more...

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Quips and Quotes...

Here are two of my favorite Quips and Quotes from today...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Headline: VIKINGS TO DUMP JACKSON SOON ...









QUOTE(#2):
Originally posted 07:16 AM ET 08.19 by Cheesy Texan


So when Favre's arm falls off and Sage realizes he's Sage Rosenfeld, John David Booty will get the starting nod. Damn good strategy, Vikes!!!




So, that would be a booty call then. HA! I slay me!!










---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Headline Raiders :
Raiders head coach Tom Cable punches assistant Randy Hanson.









"That's absurd! Every Raider knows weapons are much more effective!"

Read more...

NFL Reality Shows...

So, the other day I was looking at suggestions for Fantasy Football Team names and realized that they would be perfect titles for reality TV episodes.

Here are some potential episode (AKA Fantasy Football Team Names) for Life on the sidelines...

Kibbles and Vicks
Eli, The Other White Manning
Forgetting Brandon Marshall
Cassel Greyskull
Goodell’s Morality Squad
FavreDollar Footlongs
Farve From Over
Forte-fied
WD-Forte
Burressted Development
ORTON (hears a) WHO?
Flacco Seagulls
I Dream of Mangini
Cutler's Last Stand
Home is where the Portis
I’m so Zorny
Have Bush? Get Barber!
Victorious Secret
Touchdown There
Show me the TD's!
The I.R.S.
Because the I.R.S. always wins, no matter what. There’s no beating the I.R.S.
(I know, that last one is not truly football related but it was too good to pass up)

And the NFL could also market special commemorative sports items based on each show...

Such as this one...



















(NOTE)
If I were the type of person to speak out about such things as the NFL's double standards, hypocritical or ethical or not, spin of profiting after a crimes or meddling with players lives and money... I probably would do so here...

But, I'm not. So, I won't.

Sorry.

Read more...

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

I can hear it in their thoughts and see it in their faces...

I don't get it....
How could I have missed it?
Vick to an NFC East Opponent!!!
I've got to think of something...

And to think I could have had a prima donna premier QB buy my side right now, if only...





PSSssst!
Hey I can still run and throw...

A Little...

Maybe half the season...

I could come in on 3rd down...

Have you heard of wildcat?




Me and Jason in the same backfield...

I bet he could block...






I hear where you are coming from and I've got your number!!!











Just some of the things that tick me off...

Unwarranted Hype...
Brett Favre Hype...
Michael Vick Hype...
Dan Snyder...

Read more...

Sunday, August 16, 2009

A football weekend !!!

This weekend was, in my mind, the real start of the football season.

Saturday was the "official" opening day ceremony for the county youth football league.
It started at 9:00 am and the weather was perfect.

The entire event is held at a local high school football field and all the kids got to scrimmage each other on the big kids field.

On the way over to the school; this is how perfect the weather was; we got a chance to see about 4 or 5 hot air balloons taking off, a couple ultralights flying around and even a couple barnstormers from the nearby "flying circus" air show already up in the air.

The whole opening day event also had a bunch of concession stands, T-shirt booth (where one could get your teams logo and or kids name put on it), and raffles for 50/50 prizes. Of course all this helped benefit the league and added to the fun of the event.

All the parents got to sit up in the stands and they had the stadium PA system and score boards up and running too.

All in all a great start to the day!!!

But wait, I'm not done...

Saturday evening was my Fantasy League Live Draft and Party!!!

We have a league comprised of 12 teams, each owned by either co-workers or former co-workers from the company I work for. And the league just happens to be spread out across the county with about half here in the DC metro area and the other half out in California. So we have an East and West division in the Borderless Fantasy Football League.

Most of the East Coast division gathered at one persons house, (the guy with the Kegerator) with each person bringing something to munch on. My perfect wife ordered some delicious BBQ ribs online from Tony Roma's. They are sooo good, I almost did not want to share! but I brought them along anyway.

So we all arrived at Steve's house about 30-40 minutes before the start of the draft, hooked up our laptops, turned on the TV for pre-season action, dished out the food and drink, and dialed up the conference call!

All in time to watch the ESPN count down clock for the start of the draft!

We had the draft order randomized and the ESPN super computer automatically determined the order about 1 hour before the start of the draft. This year we had a couple last minute ( 3 days prior ) requested changes which everyone thought were good ideas, but just not feasible to do correctly in time for the draft. These were to make the league a Keeper League and to have draft order based on last years standings. So I set it up for a keeper league ( 1 franchise player) for next year and we will implement the standings based order next year as well.

So, how did I do? Well I ended up drawing 6th out of 12. Now this is not so bad since I always ended up picking near the middle of each round. But I can say that we all, including me, had more than our fair share of "groans" and "jeers" as our next top choice player was picked by somebody else! I got very few of my "top choices" but we will see how this season goes.

Here is my team as it stands now, after the draft.

SANTAS LITTLE HELPERS (0-0)

QB Jay Cutler, Chi
RB DeAngelo Williams, Car
RB Darren McFadden, Oak
RB/WR Chris Wells, Ari
WR Reggie Wayne, Ind
WR DeSean Jackson, Phi
WR/TE Devin Hester, Chi
TE Chris Cooley, Was
OP Shaun Hill, SF
DL Jay Alford, NYG
DB Gibril Wilson, Mia
DP Jon Beason, Car
D/ST Redskins D/ST, Was
K Robbie Gould, Chi
Bench Jason Campbell, Was QB
Bench Julius Jones, Sea RB
Bench Antwaan Randle El, Was WR
Bench Justin Gage, Ten WR
Bench Correll Buckhalter, Den RB
Bench 49ers D/ST, SF D/ST
Bench Hakeem Nicks, NYG WR

Read more...

Friday, August 14, 2009

3rd and 20...

Wednesday was my oldest son's birthday.

He turns the big 20.

Like me, he is into sports and music.

Unlike me, one of the sports he has really been getting into lately is Baseball.
So my wife did some shopping with that in mind. More on that later.

Se have a tradition in our house that the birthday person gets to choose dinner.

So, what fine cuisine did he choose?

Jerry's Subs and Pizza.

It had been a while since any of us had been there and the food and fries were really good.

Afterwards we opened presents. He has always liked the slightly off beat or different type of gifts and this year was no exception.

So, what did he get?

A baseball jersey!






















But not just any jersey...






















Which brings me to this weeks version of fun strip Fridays!

Read more...

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Bragging Rights...

OK, so I don't usually toot my own horn to much, but I feel compelled, just a little bit, here.




I saw this article on Yahoo finance and thought a couple of the stocks looked extremely familiar.

Zacks Releases Four Powerful ''Buy'' Stocks: Cognizant Technology Solutions Corp., Syntel Inc., Perfect World Co, Ltd. and Ruth's Hospitality Group, Inc.


And guess what, I had / have 2 of these identified on my watch lists.

Syntel Inc. (SYNT) was identified on my April watch list and is now up 92% since then.

Perfect World (PWRD) was identified on my July watch list and is up 41% since then.

Zacks.com. The industry’s leading independent research firm highlights one Zacks #1 Rank Strong Buy or a Zacks #2 Rank Buy stock for each of the four main styles of investing: Aggressive Growth, Growth & Income, Momentum, and Value.

Zacks #1 Rank Stocks have nearly tripled the S&P 500 since 1988, producing an average annual return of +26%. Performance has been notable even during volatile and down times. For example, during the last bear market, 2000-2002, the market tumbled -37.6% – but Zacks #1 Rank stocks gained +43.8%.


Looks like I’m in good company!!!

Looks like Zacks.com is in good company !!!

Maybe I’ll give Zacks free trial a try...

Read more...

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

All Quiet Please

Apparently when tournament officials raise their hands for silence, they don't mean just the spectators....

Tiger to be fined for criticism of official

CHASKA, Minn. -- Tiger Woods will be fined by the PGA Tour for his public criticism of a rules official after winning the Bridgestone Invitational, a tour official said Monday.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the tour does not publicize fines.

Woods was bothered after his four-shot victory Sunday because he and Padraig Harrington were put on the clock at the par-5 16th. He said that caused Harrington to rush three difficult shots, leading to triple bogey.

European Tour chief referee John Paramor told Woods and Harrington they were being timed.

Woods said he told Harrington after it was over, "I'm sorry that John got in the way of a great battle."

Paramor said the final pairing was well behind most of the back nine, but officials gave them time to catch up. They were still 17 minutes out of position on the 16th tee, when they were put on the clock.

Woods hooked his tee shot, punched out to 178 yards and hit an 8-iron that stopped a foot from the hole for birdie. From the right trees, Harrington hit a 5-iron to the edge of a bunker, went over the green, then hit a flop shot too hard and into the water. The four-shot swing took the drama from one of the most compelling final rounds of the year.

"I don't think that Paddy would have hit the pitch shot that way if he was able to take his time, look at it, analyze it," Woods said. "But he was on the clock, had to get up there quickly and hit it."

Harrington conceded he was rushed, although he said it would be unfair to give the final group preferential treatment.

Section VI-D in the PGA Tour's player handbook says, "It is an obligation of membership to refrain from comments to the news media that unreasonably attack or disparage tournaments, sponsors, fellow members, players or PGA Tour."

Read more...

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Fan Appreciation Day

A Real Washington Redskin Fan !!!



So, today was Redskin Fan Appreciation Day at Redskin Park.

William was so psyched he even put on Marks Football Cleats.













Mark and Genna couldn't wait to try on real life redskin gear!













The Day opens with the marching band and cheerleaders followed by the coaches pep talk, warm ups and finally a inter-squad scrimmage.

Apparently everyone decided to find the first and best available spot up on the hill near the complex where the players come out.

We got there just as the coaches pep talk was starting and, with a little more walking, managed to get a decent view of field from the far end zone corner and even had some shade available.













From here we could watch the field goal practice...



Watch the big boys warm up ....
























And get a chance to watch the action...



Mark even managed to get an autograph from #11 Devin Thomas.

All in all, a really good outing !!!

And next weekend is my leagues on-line draft party !!! Wooo Hooo !!!

Yes it is definitely time for some football !!!

Read more...

Friday, August 7, 2009

Animal Rescue

Here is a brief video that brings to light the hardships Antelope face everyday and the heroic efforts that a lucky few get to perform!

Read more...

Thursday, August 6, 2009

The Grant Effect

These are Wednesdays 1 day gains!!!

















First we had the Swine Flu hype.

Now we have the jump starting of the green auto industry and creation of new jobs hype.

You know the very same things that the big 3 in the auto industry failed to do themselves; now the federal government is doing it for them to the tune of 2.4 Billion Dollars.

In an article in the Wall Street Journal...

The Obama administration awarded $2.4 billion in grants to developers of next-generation car batteries and parts, a move designed to give a lift to the Big Three automakers and position the companies to lead the way in the development of a domestic electric-vehicle industry.


Some are saying that decisions were based, perhaps, on electoral maps, Political ties, and even preferential treatment. Me, I think it is a little bit of everything.

But I am not here to talk much on politics...

What I can tell you is that the stocks of the publicly traded companies included in this plan, saw a really good boost today.

So, I am creating, like I did earlier this year for the swine flu, an Energy Grant watch list.

Maybe I will pick one if I think this is the beginning of a green wave.

As you know, I just love it when hype plays into the stock market.

You can see the Complete list of all companies, public and private, and universities here.

Read more...

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

He's a Maniac, Maniac!

Yes, start the disco music!

So much for the NFL anti-gambling policy. The NFL was anti-gambling because it could not profit from, or regulate it; until now...

Now, they can get a government endorsed promotion which has the "good for community" spin and of course fan involvement. Virginia historically says that approximately 95% of profits go towards the Public Schools. Though the skeptic in me doubts that applies to an NFL/Redskins endorsed promotion...

All the while getting more revenue from the fans, even the non-ticket holder fans!

How?

Well of course there is always the lure of easy money...

With THREE top prize tickets out there each worth a cool 1 Million Dollars!!!

This hook gets all the normal sports gamblers out of the closet and purchasing tickets.



But the real hook is for all those "I wish I could score some easy season tickets" fans out there!!!

Since you only stand about a 1 in 3 chance of winning anything at all, you can take any loosing ticket and enter it in a "Second Chance" drawing!




And what can you get with the Second Chance Drawing?
















What I find most interesting about this second chance prize list is the "value" attached to it. I think these "values" warrant some discussion and perhaps thought, especially regarding any "tax" implications...


Premium Club Season Tickets for 20 Years
Starting with the 2010 NFL pre-season and expiring at the conclusion of the 2029 NFL regular season. Two club seats (in the “Club A” seating area of the Club Level at FedExField) and one orange parking pass to all pre-season and regular-season home games at FedExField. The total prize value (including the taxes contributed on the winner’s behalf) is $273,900.00.

Luxury Suite for One Game
One catered luxury suite for up to 20 people, six purple parking passes and $1,000 in spending money. Good for one predetermined home game at FedExField during the 2009 season. The total prize value (including the taxes contributed on the winner’s behalf) is $29,000.00.

VIP Travel with the Team to Dallas
Round-trip travel on the team plane, local travel on the team bus, hotel accommodations in the team hotel and two tickets to the game. Each winner can bring one guest (at least 18 years old) and will receive $1,000 in spending money. The total prize value (including the taxes contributed on the winner’s behalf) is $15,200.00.

Premium Club Season Tickets
Two club seats (in the “Club A” seating area of the Club Level at FedExField) and one orange parking pass to all 2010 pre-season and regular-season home games at FedExField. The total prize value (including the taxes contributed on the winner’s behalf) is $13,700.00.

Redskins Player for a Day
Authentic one-day Redskins player contract includes: personalized Redskins jersey and player sideline hat, on-stage photo opportunity at Redskins Park behind Super Bowl trophies, Redskins “Chalk Talk” presented to the group by a Redskins coach or member of the Player Personnel Department, VIP tour of Redskins Park and $500 signing bonus. Each winner may bring one guest (18+). The prize value is $3,000.00.

VIP Practice Experience
VIP Practice Invite includes: opportunity to view practice from the sidelines (just as the coaches do), player sideline hat, white-panel Redskins football, opportunity to obtain autographs from players and coaches after practice, Redskins “Chalk Talk” presented to the group by a Redskins coach or member of the Player Personnel Department, VIP tour of Redskins Park and $500 signing bonus. Each winner may bring one guest (18+). The prize value is $3,000.00.

Premium Club Individual Game Tickets
Two club seats (in the “Club A” seating area of the Club Level at FedExField), one orange parking pass, and $500 in spending money. The total prize value is $1,500.00.

Game Worn Jerseys
One authentic game-used jersey signed by a Redskins player. The prize value is $1,000.00.

Authentic Redskins Helmet Signed by Player of Winner’s Choice
One authentic Redskins helmet signed by a current Redskins player, current coach, or available Hall of Fame alumni player or coach of the winner’s choice. The prize value is $500.00.

$500 Redskins Shopping Spree
One $500 Redskins Retail Store gift card. Expiration of the gift card will be no sooner than two years from mail date.

BUT IT GETS EVEN BETTER !!!!

There is not just one second chance drawing...but 9 total drawings!!!

First Drawing - Friday, August 28, 2009
Second Drawing - Friday, September 11, 2009
Third Drawing - Friday, September 25, 2009
Fourth Drawing - Friday, October 9, 2009
Fifth Drawing - Friday, October 23, 2009
Sixth Drawing - Friday, November 6, 2009
Seventh Drawing - Friday, November 20, 2009
Eighth Drawing - Friday, December 4, 2009
Ninth Drawing - Friday, March 26, 2010


And only loosing tickets received between each drawing are eligible for the next drawing.

For example... the first drawing is August 28th. To participate in this drawing,
entries must be received from Monday, August 3 to Thursday, August 27, 2009 11:59 pm.

To participate in the second drawing, you need to send in more loosing tickets between August 28th and September 10.

And so on and so on....

What a great hook!!!

What a great way to syphon even more money from your loyal fan base!!!

I can't wait to see what other "promotions" gambling schemes the NFL owners will come up with next!

Here is a copy of the official announcement.

Read more...

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Things Missed, And Not...






















Sports illustrated had an interesting article, or two about things we miss and do not miss in football.

Me, I am not sure I agree about the Miss or Not Miss part for all of the examples, but it gets me thinking about the old days and reminiscing...

Remember When...



1. The USFL:
Unlike its wayward uncle, the World Football League, the USFL had Hall of Fame talent (Jim Kelly, Sam Mills, Steve Young, Reggie White, Gary Zimmerman), brainpower on the sidelines (George Allen, Dom Capers, Jim Fassel, John Fox, Marv Levy, Steve Mariucci, Jim Mora, Steve Spurrier) and in the front office (John Butler, Carl Peterson and Bill Polian) and even a network-TV contract (ABC). It offered an opportunity for all-comers, with little egos from the players (outside of those involved in a bidding war with the NFL), plenty of offense (including the two-point conversion) and innovation (the use of instant replay). What it didn't have was smart owners, who foolishly blew the salary cap to overpay for stars and voted to switch from playing in the spring to competing directly with the NFL in the fall. –Richard Deitsch .

2. Over-the-top touchdown/sack dances:
Why is there a push to sterilize a game that's born of pure aggression and raw emotion? "Act like you've been there before," they say. You know who says that? People who have never been there. Any one of us would turn into Chad Ochocinco or Terrell Owens if we reached the end zone in front of a national audience. We'd bust out Mark Gastineau's double-arm pump dance if we brought down a quarterback with 30,000-plus screaming fans egging us on. The way Barry Sanders would simply hand the ball back to the referee after scoring a touchdown was so novel because it was so different. If everybody did that, the NFL would be as dull as, well, baseball. Give me spontaneity. Give me Owens pulling a Sharpie out of his sock and autographing a ball. Give me Ernest Givens' electric slide and shimmy. Celebrations breathe unconformity into a league that punishes a player whose socks are too high. Come on, NFL, let these guys express themselves. I just did my part by breaking out the Ickey Shuffle. –Cory McCartney.

3. Al Davis when he was a football genius:
Raiders owner Al Davis takes a lot of flak for being stuck in a time warp and rightly so. The only thing more dated than his sartorial taste (how ‘bout those jumpsuits?) is his football mind. From the team's half-baked personnel decisions (paging Robert Gallery) to its dubious coaching hires to its bone-headed playcalling, there isn't a problem Davis hasn't made worse. The more he meddles, the harder it is to remember a time when Davis was the football equivalent of King Midas. When he took over the Raiders at age 33, he refashioned them into one of the most successful teams in pro sports. (The ledger: 13 division championships, an AFL championship, three Super Bowl titles and 15 playoff appearances in 19 years.) When the AFL was written off as a joke in the early 1960s, Davis, as its commissioner from 1966-70, remade it into a powerhouse, poaching so much of the NFL's top playing and coaching talent that the two leagues eventually merged. An equal-opportunity trailblazer as well, he didn't shrink from starting a Latino (Jim Plunkett) at quarterback, making a black man (Art Shell) his head coach or putting a woman (Amy Trask) in his front office. For a while there, it seemed like Davis couldn't miss. But then, somewhere in the between his LA-related legal battles with the NFL and his haggles with Jon Gruden, the old man lost his way. Moreover, the losses are mounting right along with the fans' restlessness. Will the Raiders ever get back to their winning ways? Probably, but it'd take one more genius move from Al to make that happen: He'd have to butt out. –Andrew Lawrence

4. Single-Bar Facemasks:
Once upon a time NFL players weren't afraid to reveal their mugs to millions of fawning fans. Back in the 1980s, the only thing separating a gridiron great from an oncoming 300-pound (OK, back then they were probably more like 250) lineman was a gray, acrylic bar. Former Cardinals and Browns kicker Scott Player was the last pro to wear the classic facemask: a single strip worn below the chin, rendering its protective qualities absolutely useless. Still there's no way to mask our disappointment that uni-bar was banned from the NFL in 2004, nearly 50 years after its inception. It was a simple, understated look that imbued those manly enough to bare their chin with an aura of uniqueness and grit – and also provided him clear lines of vision. And those vintage facemasks reassured fans that, yes, the Gary Anderson in the box score is clearly the one lining up his kick on the field. Instead of the single bars, we now have models such as ION 4D ROPO-UB-DWs, a jaw-like mask and reflective visor LaDainian Tomlinson (at least we think that's Tomlinson in there) straps on before heading to the line of scrimmage. Nowadays, players sport more facial coverage than Darth Vader. - Nicki Jhabvala

5. The College All-Stars vs. defending Super Bowl champions game:
Imagine top draft pick Matt Stafford facing the Steelers defense. Or Wake Forest All-America linebacker Aaron Curry chasing down Ben Roethlisberger. Well, it used to happen annually. A group of college all-stars played against the defending NFL champions (1933-1966) or Super Bowl champions (1967-75) every year except 1935 (when the Bears represented the pros). The series was canceled in 1977, with the NFL champions holding a commanding lead (31-9-2). The game folded because of the salary demands of the pros, but can you imagine the interest if this game replaced the current yawn-inducing Pro Bowl today? –R.D.

6. Well-dressed coaches:
When Hall of Fame coach Hank Stram roamed the sidelines in a black suit jacket and tie, along with a matching red vest and handkerchief, his players took notice. So did fans and opponents. Quite simply, the man looked like he was going to work. In 1990, after the NFL mandated that coaches don officially licensed NFL gear instead of blazers, the sport lost the couture classiness of men like Stram and Tom Landry. (We also long for the days of smartly-dressed college coaches such as Paul (Bear) Bryant.) San Francisco coach Mike Nolan had to negotiate with the league for three years before it finally allowed him to sport a suit on the sideline in 2007. If only Stram were around to admire Nolan's perseverance -- and to tell hoodie-wearing Patriots coach Bill Belichick he ought to draft a tailor. –N.J.

7. College football games played only on Saturday:Long ago you could fit your entire week's college football viewing experience into one tidy day. There wasn't this Thursday-Saturday smorgasbord with the occasional Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday games sprinkled in. It was part of what made a fall Saturday so special, the fact that the entire nation's focus was, for that one day, entirely on campuses across the land. It was our rite of autumn, a shared experience. Fridays were for high school football, Saturdays were dedicated to college contests and Sundays devoted solely to the NFL. Sure, giving us a Big East clash on Thursday feeds our 24/7 appetite for sports, but frankly it has killed some of the novelty of Saturdays, the one day alone that should belong to college football. –C.M.

8. The Statue Of Liberty Play in the NFL:
Give us your tired, your poor, your huddled masses -- as long as they aren't huddled at the 20-yard line and considering running what was once America's favorite sandlot play. The most famous use of the Statue of Liberty play in recent times came during the 2007 Fiesta Bowl between Boise State and Oklahoma. The play, dubbed "Statue Left" by the Broncos, featured quarterback Jared Zabransky faking a pass and issuing a behind-the-back handoff to Ian Johnson for the game-winning conversion. NFL teams rarely use the play, though the Dolphins did successfully execute the Statue of Liberty sequence for a two-point conversion in a 2007 game against the Jets. "The Statue of Liberty [play] has a high explosion rate, meaning that if it blows up, it blows up bad," former Bengals Sam Wyche told SI in 1987. "Coaches don't use it much, because they know if something looks tricky and doesn't work, they get labeled as 'tricky.'" –R.D.

9. Old Mile High Stadium:
How can you not love a stadium where home fans sustained the world's loudest roar for 10 seconds (a reading of 128.74 decibels in 2000, beating the previous world record by 3.34 decibels)? The fact is Invesco Field, which opened in 2001, simply doesn't generate the noise old Mile High did. Rocky Mountain News columnist Dave Krieger described the old stadium as an erector set. "The upper decks bounced when the people bounced," Krieger wrote. "This scared the bejesus out of novice national TV announcers, who thought the whole thing was about to come apart. They had a tendency to sit down suddenly, as if this would steady things." Denver fans haven't tasted a title in the new stadium: The Broncos last won a Super Bowl in 1998. –R.D.

10. Quarterbacks calling their own plays:
It's a skill that's become all but extinct. Today's quarterbacks (save for Peyton Manning) rarely call their own plays except for the occasional audible. Offensive coordinators are in constant contact with today's NFL signal-callers thanks to high-tech equipment. Sure, you can argue that the addition of new technologies shows how much football strategy has evolved, but what's been lost is some of the natural and instinctive quality of the game, even with the formation and route adjustments quarterbacks have to make. Will the Steelers feature a full-fledged machine at QB in 10 years? Stay tuned. –N.J.

11. Frank Broyles:
More Southern than sweet tea and grits, Broyles teamed with Keith Jackson to form college football's definitive announcing team, back before it took a network roster to figure out who was in the booth. What made Broyles so indelible was in the way he could coax "ATH-uh-lete" into three syllables in that Dixie-bred drawl. It was also the way he'd always manage to ask Jackson, at least once a game, "Where was the safety-man?" And it was in his impeccable style, a trademark that he still maintains at age 84. Broyles, who retired as Arkansas athletic director in 2007, was recently spotted in New Orleans' Louis Armstrong International Airport wearing a three-piece suit … at 6 a.m. What made Broyles' performance in the booth so much more impressive is that he did it while serving as the Razorbacks' AD, yet managed to remain an objective analyst. Yet he did it with ease and defined the role of college football analyst, before we even knew it was being defined. –C.M.

12. Straight-on kickers:
The NFL hasn't had a full-time straight-on kicker since Mark Moseley retired in 1987. The prevailing wisdom nowadays is soccer-style guys -- like the foreign-born innovators of the 1960s, such as Charlie and Pete Gogolak, Jan Stenerud and Garo Yepremian -- can kick it longer and their accuracy is better. But Moseley, who played until age 38 and was a 65.6 percent career kicker, thinks the straight-ahead style could make a comeback if coaches start teaching it again. Too bad you can't find a square-toed shoe anymore. –R.D.

13. Spiked Footballs after TDs:
Before "The Fun Bunch," before Billy "White Shoes" Johnson, before the "Ickey Shuffle," and long before the "Lambeau Leap," there was Homer Jones. On Oct. 17, 1965, after he caught his first touchdown pass against the Eagles, the Giants receiver performed what he called his ultimate act of defiance: He spiked the football. Jones said he was trying to avoid the $500 league fine for throwing the ball in the stands. His act spawned decades of awkward, they're-so-bad-I-can't-help-but-watch post-touchdown celebrations, and the NFL has continuously upped the ante by levying additional fines. Thankfully there are no such restrictions in the flag football leagues where weekend warriors, living vicariously through their NFL idols, almost ritualistically celebrate lumbering into the end zone by spiking the pigskin. Homer's legacy lives on. —N.J.

14. Drop kicks:
Yes, they're legal, according to Rule 3, Section 8 of the NFL Rule Book. They're also cool, as Burt Reynolds proved in the original (and only one worth watching) The Longest Yard. Doug Flutie converted the league's last drop kick (on an extra point) in New England's 2005 regular-season finale against the Dolphins. His point-after attempt was the first successful drop kick in the NFL since Ray McLean of the Bears nailed one in the 1941 NFL Championship Game. Hall of Famer Earl "Dutch" Clark is the last player to successfully drop-kick a field goal in the NFL. According to NFL.com, he dropkicked a 17-yard field goal in the Lions' 16-7 victory over the Chicago Cardinals on Sept. 19, 1937. It's time for another attempt. –R.D.
Yes, they're legal, according to Rule 3, Section 8 of the NFL Rule Book. They're also cool, as Burt Reynolds proved in the original (and only one worth watching) The Longest Yard. Doug Flutie converted the league's last drop kick (on an extra point) in New England's 2005 regular-season finale against the Dolphins. His point-after attempt was the first successful drop kick in the NFL since Ray McLean of the Bears nailed one in the 1941 NFL Championship Game. Hall of Famer Earl "Dutch" Clark is the last player to successfully drop-kick a field goal in the NFL. According to NFL.com, he dropkicked a 17-yard field goal in the Lions' 16-7 victory over the Chicago Cardinals on Sept. 19, 1937. It's time for another attempt. –R.D.

15. The NFL in L.A.:
Like David Beckham's reputation, the interest in bringing an NFL franchise back to Los Angeles has waned in recent years. But the City of Angels has plenty of football memories worth remembering. L.A. hosted the first Super Bowl and the first three Pro Bowls; it was also home to the first pro scout (Eddie Kotal was hired by the Rams in 1948), the first black player to be drafted out of college (Paul "Tank" Younger, out of Grambling State) and the "most dominant line in football history" (The Fearsome Foursome). Though L.A. has two powerhouse programs in USC and UCLA, the college game can't fill the void left by the NFL. Then again, some would argue the Trojans are already a professional program. –N.J.

16. Two-bar facemask:
Terry Bradshaw wore one. So did Ken Anderson, Steve Largent, and Jim Plunkett. Though players tweaked the style over the years, the classic two-bar facemask was hard to miss in the NFL, with the bottom bar aligned with the base of the helmet and the top bar angled at about 30 degrees, like a pair of lips protruding from an oversized head. Today's NFL star could not care less about minimalist facemasks. Like cell phones, the more bars, the better. – N.J.

17. Tearaway jerseys:
You've seen the footage countless times: running back Earl Campbell runs around and over the Rams in November 1978, his No. 34 Houston Oilers jersey ending up in tatters before defenders finally bring him down. Campbell's run might be the defining moment of what might have been the worst-possible era to have been a defensive player in the NFL or college football. Russell Athletic's invention was a headache for defenders and lengthened games as players frequently had to go to the sidelines to don a new jersey when theirs fell apart. (Texas estimates that during Campbell's Heisman Trophy season of 1977 he went through 90 jerseys.) But boy did it look cool. Give me the old "T-shirt with numbers" over these newfangled high-tech fabrics any day.–C.M.

18. Jack Buck and Hank Stram calling CBS Radio's Monday Night Football games:
For nearly 20 years (beginning in 1978 and lasting through the 1995 season), Jack Buck and Hank Stram, the legendary gravel-throated sports broadcaster and the exuberant Super Bowl-winning Hall of Fame coach, entertained millions of NFL fans with a winning chemistry and Stram's remarkable ability to forecast a play before it happened. As SI's William Oscar Johnson once wrote of Stram, “he manages to avoid the roles of unemployed messiah and jargon-strangled technician so often foisted upon helpless football fans.” Both are gone now, which means a whole generation of football fans will never enjoy the pleasure of falling asleep listening to one of the great sports broadcasting partnerships. –R.D.

19. Stickum and Eye-Black:
The image of Lester Hayes smeared head-to-toe with Stickum is iconic in NFL lore. While others (primarily his Raiders teammates) used the sap-like substance sparingly, the cornerback nearly bathed in it. And, really, what was so bad about that? Hayes found a loophole in the system and capitalized on it, helping Oakland to two Super Bowl championships and himself to five Pro Bowls. Stickum was banned from the NFL in 1981 and, as a result, Hayes' stats took a nose dive. He became a “mere mortal,” he said. The eye black of old was made of actual grease, not over-priced tape with a cute little logo that is merely an extra licensing/merchandising arm for the league. Our take? Bring back the grease. –N.J.

20. The Wishbone:
Remember the tight end and the fullback? We do. Long before the spread was the formation du jour in college football, the triple-option wishbone attack dominated the college football landscape and made the Southwest Conference the place to play. Following the 1967 season, Texas coach Darrell Royal promoted linebackers coach Emory Bellard to offensive coordinator. As a former Texas high school coach Bellard was a proponent of option football and he changed the landscape of the college game. The wishbone delivered 30 straight wins for the Longhorns, national titles in 1969 and '70 and the “Game of the Century” -- a heart-stopping 15-14 victory over Arkansas in December 1969. –R.D.

21. Pete Rozelle:
Simply the best commissioner to ever serve a sport, Rozelle promoted financial equality between clubs and created the Super Bowl. As SI's Peter King once wrote of him, “Rozelle had a vision of what he wanted his sport to be. He would push and negotiate and persuade until he achieved it. His vision: closely contested games played in full stadiums and all over national television.” And that is the NFL we have today. –R.D.

22. The Orange Bowl in the Orange Bowl:
It was one of the few things that ever made sense about the Bowl Championship Series. Miami's Orange Bowl hosted its namesake game 60 times, featuring some of college football's most memorable moments. Best of all was the 1984 championship game, on the 50th anniversary of the Orange Bowl Classic, when hometown favorite Miami upset top-ranked Nebraska 31-30. Sure, the place was a rust bucket, the locker rooms were crappy, the facilities were pathetic and the quarters were cramped. But the game-time atmosphere was unlike any other, and its history as rich was as they come. Today the namesake game is played in a stadium temporarily named after Jimmy Buffett's beer. Turns out you can steal the Orange Bowl queen. –N.J.

23. Barefoot kickers:
The era of the barefoot kicker was relatively brief, but damn entertaining. Tony Franklin and Rich Karlis were the league's most famous shoeless booters, and ironically both played the majority of their careers in bad-weather cities. Franklin kicked for five years in Philadelphia and four in New England before finishing in Miami; Karlis was in Denver for seven years before playing for a season in the domes of Minnesota and Detroit. Both players claimed they had a better “feel” for the ball when kicking without a shoe, though no one seems to think that “feel” is worth much anymore as no NFL kicker has gone barefoot since the Rams' Jeff Wilkins did so briefly in 2002. Fans of Karlis and Franklin would sit in the stands without a shoe on one foot in support of their practice, even when the weather was freezing in those cities. In 1983, Karlis used a sanitary sock over his bare foot on a frigid day in Kansas City. “There was a 28-below-zero wind chill,” Karlis told SI in 1984. “I made a 24-yard field goal. But later, a woman stopped me in a Denver bank and told me I was a wimp.” – Bill Trocchi

24. Brent Musburger beginning a telecast on CBS: “You are looking LIVE …” :
He still wields that iconic opening line with the same smooth inflection, which invariably makes you think that wherever “you are looking” is the center of the sporting universe. Musburger's intro still sends a chill up my spine, but there's something lacking now that he no longer does it for CBS. The call never seemed better than when he issued it on The NFL Today during the opening montage of the day's marquee games. Musburger was dumped by CBS on April Fool's Day 1990, but the real joke was on the network. Musburger's signature still sounds great during college football broadcasts on ABC or ESPN. But as good as Greg Gumbel, Jim Nantz (who has even used Musburger's call, with his approval) and James Brown have been for CBS, it's just not the same. –C.M

25. Aloca Presents … Fantastic Finishes:The words immediately grabbed your attention at the tail end of an NFL broadcast in the 1980s. Upon the two-minute warning of the fourth quarter, Harry Kalas' unmistakable voice announced the coming of that day's “FAN-tastic finish.” Then, Kalas' deep-throated voice detailed harrowing escapes from impossible situations. Roger Staubach's Hail Mary pass to Drew Pearson against the Vikings in 1975 was on regular rotation, as was Franco Harris' Immaculate Reception and Steve Bartkowski leading the Falcons to a huge fourth-quarter comeback against the Packers. The Alcoa commercials came before ESPN Classic, HBO Sports, the NFL Network and the Internet, during the days when sports fans were not numb to dramatic, game-winning plays because they didn't come at us on a daily basis. –B.T.

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Monday, August 3, 2009

AFL Raiders














Welcome to my review of the Oakland Raiders web site and 50th anniversary tribute.

I only wish I was as fluent as they are....

See, they have multi-lingual versions of their website!!!

The Raiders maintain a global presence and communicate with the worldwide Raider Nation through the team's official web properties which feature original and translated content in six different languages - Tagalog, Japanese, German, Chinese, Spanish and English.

The Raiders became and continue to be the first and only NFL team to produce a full-service Spanish-language web site. During the 2004 regular season, the Raiders became the first team to offer original content in German with the launch of Raiders auf Deutsch.







Each site is geared towards those particular cultural interests and topicality!

Very Cool!

They also have a great Kids page which features downloadable pictures for kids to color, various games and contests.











And of course they have a well done history page.
























And feature all their 50th anniversary gear at their store...












And have a great Fan Page where you can download pictures, wallpapers, widgets, join a booster club or even start your own.

















Kudos to the Raiders !!! and Two Big Thumbs Up!

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