Red Knights Entering a Battle They Can’t Win

Their chief weapons may be surprise, surprise and fear, but Manchester United’s Red Knights are facing a tough challenge in ousting the Glazer family from their Old Trafford hot seats. Similarly at Liverpool, where Tom Hicks and George Gillett have frequently subjected manager Rafael Benitez to a Spanish Inquisition, a takeover by supporters remains a distant possibility. These two great rivals might not like to admit it, but they have a lot in common at the moment.

A massive amount of debt totalling almost £1billion between them, disaffected supporters who now view home matches as the perfect chance to protest, hated American owners who are seen as damaging to their clubs’ proud history and traditions, important players sold off and not adequately replaced, and a desire to once again return to their local, supporter-owned roots. There’s a lot going on in Manchester and Merseyside.

There will be widespread sniggering when it is discovered that the “Red Knights” – a group of business-minded Manchester United supporters intent on raising the capital to buy the club from the Glazers – are based in the City, the city of London that is. A “United supporting heartland” they’ll laugh, but at least their hearts are in the right place, firmly in Manchester.

Similarly the “Share Liverpool FC” group, which was launched over two years ago, are seeking to put the club back in the hands of supporters. When the plan was launched, Rogan Taylor, a football business lecturer and the group’s driving force, hoped that as many as 100,000 fans could own a piece of the club and have a say in the running of it, such as at FC Barcelona. Two years on it looks like a pipedream.

Estimates place the sum that the Red Knights would need to purchase United as close to £1billion. The Glazers paid an initial £272million when they bought United in 2005, borrowing the rest of the overall £810million cost from banks. With that debt now risen to £716million, and the Glazers unlikely, and unwilling, to sell without a profit, the size of the task becomes clearer, while Share Liverpool FC’s initial estimate of needing £500million to buy the club now looks outdated. The Reds are £237million in debt.

The prospect of English football’s two most successful clubs operating in the hands of the people who know and love them is a welcome one. Success both at home and abroad would mean even more if it was achieved with the backing of the right people, and who’s to say that it wouldn’t happen? The clubs are big enough and popular enough to have millions of fans worldwide. Billions watch on television around the world when they face each other in the Premier League, which they’ll do later this month. A “joint protest” has been tentatively motioned.

While the actions and hopes of both supporters’ groups are commendable, they look doomed to failure.

Both appear to lack the amount of multi-billions that now appear to be conducive to success at the top level of the game, and would Liverpool supporters really complain if their club was bought by rumoured interested party Mukesh Ambani, India’s wealthiest man and the world’s seventh-richest? As long as he wasn’t called Tom or George, paid for the best players and got rid of the debt he’d be welcomed with open arms.

For it is that level of wealth that both clubs need to attract. Today’s latest “world football rich list” from Deloitte places United third and Liverpool seventh in terms of income, but they continue to haemorrhage money due to debts.

The arrival of some Red Knights to save the day looks sadly like the stuff of fairytale. Heroes will have to be found elsewhere.

Author biography:
Scott Milsom writes for bettor.com on a wide range of sports subjects, from football (soccer) to boxing to tennis. Visit bettor.com to read our latest sports blogs and articles, plus find questions and answers to common sports questions.

PGA Golf 2010

The 2010 PGA season is going to be one we will soon not forget.  The fall of Tiger Woods and the rise of the unknown.  Who will step up to the plate in Tiger’s absence?  Ian Poulter came on strong in the Accenture Match Play, despite the cloud of Wood’s press conference from the day before looming over head.  Given the current climate, one can only imagine the thoughts going through Phil Mickelson’s head.  This could be Phil’s time, this  has to be his time.  Without Tiger in the field, Phil has a chance to catapult himself back into the limelight.  I don’t know about you, but when I think Phil, I think choke artist, I see the ball bouncing of roof at the US Open.

Because  of sportsevents.com I have been able to attend several golf tournaments over the years at a reasonable price.  This has allowed me to get up close and personal with the tour.  The tour isn’t like your local country club, this is cut throat competition.  I digress.  I know when Tiger does comeback he will be poised to dismantle the field, not just beat them.  I still think to some extent Tiger feels like he didn’t owe us an apology.  Golf is why we watch him, not his off course activities.  I maybe crazy, but I kind of agree.  I want to seem him hit 30 ft putts and drive the ball 300 yards, do as you please otherwise.  But, I see how his sponsors are looking at things to.  You can’t have a public affair and endorse Gatorade at the same time.  I think the scandal is great for golf’s popularity.  I see people coming out in flocks this year.   Be sure to handle all your golf travel needs with www.sportevents.com .

How to assemble a longboard

Before buying a longboard, you will have to consider the type of longboarding you will do. If you are just looking to cruise around, just about any board will do. if you are looking to get into the extreme side of longboarding, then you will need something with a little more technology in it. Something like a deck from loaded longboards or a sector nine.

If you purchase a complete longboard, there isn’t much this guide can tell you other than don’t buy a cheap knockoff. You are probably reading for some info on piecing your own deck together, though, so we will start with the wheels.

The first thing you’ll need to buy if you’re putting a longboard together is a good pair of wheels. Longboard wheels are usually soft. A regular skateboarder would use hard wheels, but longboarders want to feel as little of the road as possible. Soft wheels absorb a lot of the road and give the rider a nice smooth ride. Soft wheels also help the longboarder brake when they’re sliding – hard wheels will just slide, while soft wheels grip the road and slow the board down.

You will also need a longboard deck. The only company that really makes these is loaded longboards. Fortunately, loaded longboards are great decks. You can also buy a loaded complete, but some people like to put their own together. Be sure to read about the different types of flex that loaded longboards offer, as it will affect your riding experience.

The last thing to pick is a good set of trucks. There are different sets of trucks out there and the best way to find out which ones work well for you is to try them. Most stores should have the trucks you’re looking at setup on another board and should be happy to let you try them out. If you can’t test them, though, just make sure that you buy yourself some wide trucks. They can always be replaced later.

That’s about it for putting together a longboard. You’ll find as you go through everything that the best way to piece a skateboard together is to go to a shop and look at all the components. Find parts that suit you and your riding style, then put everything together. You shouldn’t be too disappointed if you’ve taken the time to find quality parts.

The writer really likes longboarding and everything about it. He’s been a passionate longboarder for many years now, and likes to think that he is quite knowledgeable about longboarding. If you’re trying to find a place to purchase loaded longboards after reading this, feel free to check out http://www.the-skateboard-shop.com/

How to Slide a Longboard

Before learning how to slide, you will need to find a nice piece of flat land to practice your sliding stance. Practicing your sliding stance on flat land makes things easier, plus you don’t have to worry about the whole falling off while going fast thing. If you’re finding that the flat area isn’t enough, move to the grass. It’s even easier to balance on a good patch of grass.

Now, you are ready to practice sliding. First off, sliding is as easy as losing traction. All you have to do to slide is to get the back wheels to lose traction. From there, the front wheels lose traction and then suddenly you’re sliding. Start by watching some youtube videos on sliding. Try to mimic the stances that the pros get into and you will understand the correct way to slide. The motion is this: squat down with one knee on the board, grab the deck, and push out the back. You’re now ready to try it on a slope.

Don’t forget that the very first time you attempt to slide, you will be going quite fast. You will also probably fall. This is natural – failure precedes success. Sliding also can’t be done at slow speeds. This means you will be sliding at high speeds. This makes sliding scary.

One board that many downhill longboarders use is the loaded longboard. The loaded longboard was specifically designed with downhill longboarders in mind, and using a loaded longboard will definitely make your sliding experience easier and more pleasant. The reason these boards are so superior has to do with the fact that they are shaped specially, and, more importantly, the trucks are installed differently than on other longboards. This makes for a better sliding experience.

Now you are pretty much ready to start sliding a longboard. Make sure to practice your motions really well, or when you get to the hill, you might get some unexpected results (death, serious injury, or maybe just some bruises and scrapes.) You can do it, though. It is easy. Just wear your safety gear and a helmet when you try it the first time.

The writer enjoys longboarding and everything about longboards. He has been a hardcore longboarder for many years now, and likes to think that he is quite knowledgeable about longboarding. If you’re trying to find a place to purchase loaded longboards after reading this, feel free to check out http://www.the-skateboard-shop.com/

Hard Being Haye

The problem with being heavyweight champion of the world is that everyone wants to fight you. While David Haye enjoys the helicopters, talk-shows and adulation of being the champ, a growing band of foes are lining up the Bermondsey fighter in their sights.

Haye makes his first title defence against John Ruiz on April the 3rd, should he successfully come through that the victor, as predicted, a wave of opponents will be unleashed upon him, as more and more people have started to call out “The Hayemaker”.

Both the Klitschkos have been gunning for Haye since he announced his plans to compete as a heavyweight. He has been vocal in his intentions to unify the title and far from complementary to Messer’s Vitali and Wladamir. The Hayemaker’s brash persona really seems to have rubbed the brothers up the wrong way, a scheduled match-up with Wladimir a year ago fell apart after Haye withdrew citing a back injury, but they have not forgotten about the British fighter.

Vitali has announced that 2010 will be his last year as a boxer and so Haye needs to move quickly to fight him. Vitali is trying to line up a fight against Haye victim Nicolay Valuev and may not have time to squeeze in the Bermondsey boy. The Klitschkos have always kept the Haye-hating in the family and if Vitali can’t fight him Wladimir will. However, Vitali is by far the better of the two despite the fact Wladamir holds the more belts and is the younger of the duo. Haye will want to take on the veteran, behind his fast talking mouth is an astute businessman and he always wants to generate as much publicity as he can. Beating Vitali in his last ever fight will certainly do that.

The Klitschko brothers aren’t the only ones who want a piece of Haye. Legendary light-heavyweight Bernard Hopkins also fancies a crack at the WBA heavyweight strap. There seems to be no stopping Hopkins in terms of age, he is now 45 and is still rated as one of the world’s top pound-for-pound fighters.

First “The Executioner” must face his old nemesis Roy Jones Jnr, as the two replay a match-up originally staged way back in 1993. However, he wants to end his career with a bang and stepping-up to the big boys and taking a world title will achieve that. Hopkins says of Haye, “Haye is not a giant heavyweight – he’s big but not that big. Roy Jones went up from light heavyweight to heavyweight and beat John Ruiz and I know I can do the same.”

Then there is a certain Audley Harrison. The Olympian seems to think he is back in business and has lined up Haye for an all British title battle. How “Fraudley” is in world title contention I don’t know, it is just a sad indictment of the heavyweight division. He is set to face Albert Sosnowski for the European title in April and that could be his gateway to a world title fight, a remarkable comeback it would be too. Although in typical Harrison fashion he has branded Haye “not a big enough name” for him. He said that he would rather face a Klitschko instead. This from a man who was knocked out by a rotund Martin Rogan, he should just be grateful anyone has any interest in him at all.

First Haye must take on Ruiz and “The Quietman” may prove a tougher opponent than Haye thinks. The American likes to get in tight and spoil fights. Haye’s marauding, fast-showman-like style will be quite be a contrast to Ruiz’s slugging. However, it will surely be a better spectacle than him dancing around a ring with the giant Valuev, but no way near as bizarre.

The Klitschko brothers remain top of Haye’s hit list, but in order to get to them he may have to work through a catalogue of other boxers first. Haye is quickly finding out that when you are number one, everyone is out to get you.

It’s tough at the top.

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