Thursday, November 29, 2012

Modern Technology has Given Us a Wonderful Range of Sports Sunglasses

Modern technology has given us a wonderful range of sports sunglasses frames and sports sunglasses lenses made to both enhance and stand up to the demands of the sports enthusiast with lightweight, flexible, durable materials, no-slip frames and a wide variety of lens options. The sports sunglasses and discount sunglasses are made to suit whatever sporting activity you might be considering whether it be golfing, skiing, snow boarding, playing tennis, motorcycling, cycling, kayaking, boating, water skiing, fishing, mountain climbing, snow shoeing, mountain biking, playing baseball, running or jogging the options have never been more abundant.

One of the most important aspects of the sports sunglasses is the lenses. The optical quality and visual enhancement of sports lenses has never been better. Lens colors such as brown, yellow, green, gray, rose, amber and orange can help enhance your sports performance by filtering out colors and allowing you to see what is most important. Polycarbonate lenses are a popular choice as they are impact resistant and very strong which is helpful when it comes to sports. Having lenses that are impact resistant is also a necessary factor when it comes to children wearing sunglasses, impact resistant means the lenses won't shatter if bumped or knocked.

The sports sunglasses frames available are just as important as the lenses you choose. Sports sunglasses frames can be found in lightweight and durable frame materials such as polyamide which keeps it shape even when under stress. Goggle frames made of softer flexible materials like rubber, nylon and propionate prove to be excellent as they hold their shape and will not become brittle in the cold temperatures when skiing or snow boarding and therefore will not injure your face. It is possible to find good quality discounted sunglasses, replica sunglasses and sports sunglasses frames to accommodate whatever sporting activity you choose to participate in.

When it comes to sports sunglasses polarized lenses are another popular option as they are ideal for water and winter sports where water and snow can increase the reflective glare, especially on flat surfaces. Polarized sunglasses lenses absorb approximately ninety eight percent of reflective glare offering glare free vision for your sporting activities. Polarized sunglasses are excellent choices for boating, water skiing, skiing, snow boarding, golfing, motorcycling, cycling and jogging with polarized lenses also available in ski goggles. Polarized sunglasses come in a wide variety of designs, colors and styles and can be found on discount sunglasses sites at affordable prices for everyone.

Female Tattoo Gallery - Tattoos for Women

Feminine tattoos are very popular with a lot of women. Female tattoos have become very popular during the past two decades. Until then women sporting ink were frowned upon by the society. They were looked down upon as being women of loose moral values. They were known as being rebellious in nature and being wanton women. Tattoos were considered to be a purely male domain. However, these things started changing when female celebrities started sporting tattoos during the later part of the 1970's. Very soon it became such a craze amongst women that it is no longer considered to be a taboo if a woman sports a tattoo.

If you are looking for good female tattoos, then you must visit an online female tattoo gallery. A female tattoo gallery is an online store that is exclusive meant for women looking for tattoos. Since the internet is an ocean, it is important that you choose a female tattoo gallery that has a very large collection of female tattoos. It is generally believed that women prefer to sport small and pretty looking tattoos. Normally, women tattoos are less aggressive and do not reflect violence and aggression. The tattoos generally tend to have thinner lines than men's tattoos.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Online Sports Trading - A Viable Investment?

What if there was some way to tap into the ever-growing popularity of world-wide sport that could turn the gambling factor of sports betting into an investment vehicle producing sustainable results over the long-term such as equity trading?

Sports Trading was conceptualized and bridge between conventional sports betting and real-world stock trading was built.

Please note: generalizations are used in this article because sport trading exchanges can differ in nature and offerings.

What is Sports Trading?

You may immediately associate sports trading with that of card trading but until fairly recently, sports trading has taken on another exciting meaning.

Although the actual definition of sports trading may differ exactly depending on the type of exchange in question, it is essentially the act of investing in virtual sports issues or contracts (i.e. sports teams, players or markets).

Sports trading is not to be confused with sports betting (betting against a bookmaker) or some other form of fancy gambling, sports trading runs along the same investment lines as trading on a conventional stock market exchange (e.g. Wall Street).

Participants of:

    Fantasy sports games
    Stock trading simulation games
    Sports betting exchanges


will identify a commonalty with a typical sports trading exchange.

Although sport trading is still somewhat dwarfed by the sports betting and real-world trading industries, there is no question of the future popularity for this concept as people from all backgrounds are coming together to trade be it virtual stocks or issues or real contracts for real money on any sports related market, offered by the online sport trading exchange.

Sports trading exchanges are developing sophisticated technology, commonly employing a proprietary trading platform and in most cases, with a Level II type trading interface.

It is typical of a global sports trading exchange to offer around-the-clock (i.e. 24/7) trading as exchange members are not inhibited with limited or set trading hours so are free trade anytime, from anyplace around the world.

Female Tattoo Gallery - Popular Tattoos Women Want

Female tattoos or feminine designed tattoos are usually favored by women or girls are becoming increasingly familiar as tattooing became more socially acceptable, largely due to the many celebrities who publicly sported tattoos. These can be usually found in a great female tattoo gallery.

This kind of female tattoo gallery has tattoos that are usually smaller and prettier. Popular designs might include a butterfly, a flower or a Celtic design. Women's tattoo designs are also less heavy, less aggressive-looking. They tend to have thinner lines, though this is, of course, a generalization rather than a rule.

Women nowadays are gradually opting for large tattoos. 'New school' hearts, stars, roses and tribal tattoo designs on the lower back are increasingly being asked for by females. Therefore these days, a female tattoo gallery will have these popular designs as women are becoming more experimental in the shapes and sizes of their designs.

Many tattooists and female tattoo gallery report that when musicians, especially hip-hop artists get tattoos, there is usually a particular tattoo that is very popular. The popularity of lower back and stomach placement of tattoos suggests that most women still don't want their tattoos to be too obvious and also a desire for a more sexual placement of the tattoo.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Sports Magazines For The Sports Enthusiasts

Sports journalism in dedicated sports magazines offers reports on events like competitions and tournaments and related sports news. There are many sports magazines that have been mocked and called "toy magazines" for showing no concern for the 'serious' topics covered by various news desks. Today, sports coverage has grown in importance, just as the different sports themselves have grown in wealth and influence and a lot of subsequent power and recognition.

Sports journalism in sports magazines is an essential component of the news media organization. Sports journalism in sports magazines includes a sports department that is devoted solely to diligent sports reporting. Some of the world renowned magazines dedicated to sports are Sports Illustrated and Sports Round Up.

The reporters of various sports magazines have a tough time with sports teams from around the world. While some are not always very accommodating with sports journalists, others are known to allow sports reporters into locker rooms for interviews and some extra information. There are also sports teams that provide extensive information support, even if the reporting proves unfavorable to them. There are certain countries where sports coverage is often barely tolerated by the clubs and players.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Sports Collectibles Mean Big Bucks For Retailers and Individuals Alike

There is no doubt that sports generate big bucks in the U.S. One needs only to look at the salaries of top professional players or the attendance at major sporting events to realize there's lots and lots of money changing hands.

The NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB bring in about $11 billion in annual revenue, and that's after expenses that include paying their average players anywhere from $1.25 million (on the low end in the National Football League) to nearly $5 million for the average player in the National Basketball Association.

Add to that the $52 billion spent each year in the U.S. on sports equipment and the $57 billion on sports apparel and shoes, and the money just keeps piling up. No matter what resource you use to define the overall sports marketplace, the numbers are staggering. A reasonable estimate for the money brought in by sports to our U.S. economy is $425 billion a year.

So it should be no surprise to learn that, when it comes to sports memorabilia and sports collectibles, there's also money to be made. From sports franchises and giant retailers to individuals selling on line, there are people making money with sports collectibles every single day.

The great thing about sports collectibles is that their popularity crosses the line from professional to amateur and collegiate sports. Fans buy miniature Oklahoma Sooners football helmets, autographed hockey pucks by pro stars, and virtually anything with the logo of their favorite football or baseball team. Tiger Woods is a pro athlete without a team, but on any given day you'll find over 3000 items on eBay related to him, and his personal line of golf apparel, the Tiger Woods Collection, makes hundreds of millions every year.

Since there are no hard and fast numbers associated specifically with sports collectibles, one can only assume that individuals, online and retail stores, large corporations, and sports franchises in the sports memorabilia business are all making money. You can also assume that the numbers just keep on growing.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Tips on Finding Sports Betting Picks Available

Are you interested in sports betting? Are you looking for some sports betting picks online? If your answer is yes, then I have some really great news for you! Written in this article are tips in helping you find sports betting picks available online. There are thousands of sites online nowadays that offer this service so in the event that you are looking for a place, there's a pretty darn good chance you won't have a problem finding you. Listed below are just a few of some of the best sites that can be found online today. If you are really serious about your search for picks, then there is no reason in the world to check these out!

Vegas D Sports -

Vegas D Sports is finally here to give you some of the best sports betting picks available. Also, this site offers a unique service focused on delivering the most powerful information for sports betting available. With their commitment to offering sports services, it's no wonder that Vegas D Sports successfully achieved the very best in sports betting selections and obtained experts sports analysis from some of the top sports handicappers in Las Vegas.

Ultimate Capper -

I bet you have heard Ultimate Capper as being one of the largest sports betting sites on the web these days. Well, this website in particular offers free sports betting picks for those who are looking for it. Their sports picks include free baseball picks, NBA basketball picks, NFL football picks, and hockey picks. And, perhaps what's nice to know about Ultimate Capper's picks is that Doc's Sports, one of their clients, has consistently beat the books with the use of their college and NBA basketball picks for more than 30 years.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Modern Trends in Sports Administration and Management

One of the major factors militating against the development of sports in Nigeria today is lack of effective management. A lot of solutions are being proffered by concerned and patriotic Nigerians daily to bail us out the quagmire. One of such solutions is this text entitled "Modern Trends in Sports Administration and Management". It is written by Dr. Joseph Awoyinfa, a lecturer in the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education, Faculty of Education, University of Lagos, Nigeria; a researcher and educational consultant. I was the person invited by the author and the university to review the book when it was presented to the public on December 4, 2008 in Nigeria.

According to Awoyinfa, it is a truism all over the world that sport is now a reference issue which can no longer be ignored at various sectors of the economy and spheres of life. The author adds that this text thus takes a critical look at topical issues in sports administration and management, dwelling on theories and principles of modern trends in sports administration and management such as leadership, organisation, planning, motivation, etc.

The text contains 16 chapters. Chapter one is christened "the concept of sports management". Here, Awoyinfa says management is a concept that implies different things to different people at different times, thus leading to its multiplicity of definitions. He explains that management has been variously described as an art, a science, a person or people, a discipline and a process.

This author expatiates that as an art, sports management is all about carrying out sports organisational functions and tasks through people; while as a science, sports management is about establishing sports philosophy, laws, theories, principles, processes and practices. As an organisation, according to him, sports management is defined as a means of creating formal structures and an establishment based on a mission, objectives, targets, functions and tasks.

Awoyinfa says as a person or group of people, sports management may refer to the head alone or to all the senior staff, committee, etc.; while as a discipline, management is a field of study with various subjects and topics. The author illuminates that sports management as a process is about a systematic way of doing things. Awoyinfa highlights management functions in sports administration as planning, organising, staffing, directing/leading, controlling, coordination, budgeting and evaluation. On whom a sports manager is, this author educates that a sports manager is anyone at any level of sport organisation who directs
the efforts of other people towards the achievement of organisational goals sport-wise.

Chapter two is based on the subject matter of evolution and trends of sports management thought. Here, Awoyinfa discloses that the development of thoughts on sports management dates back to the days when people first attempted to accomplish goals by working together in a group. In his words, "There was serious thinking and theorising about managing many years before the dawn of the twentieth (20th) century, which marked the beginning of modern sports management thought. Major efforts to develop theories and principles of sports management began from the early twentieth (20th) century with the work of Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol. The industrial revolution of the nineteenth (19th) century probably provided the climate for this very serious theorising."

Awoyinfa adds that since the turn of the 20th century, writers on sports management and business theory have been propounding different theories about how to manage work and personnel more efficiently and effectively. This author educates that the three main schools of management thought are: the classical; the human-behavioural; and the integrative. Awoyinfa also highlights early sports management theorists; principles and characteristics of scientific management; appraisal of the scientific management theory, etc., in this chapter.

Chapter three is thematically labelled "principles of sports management". In this chapter, the educational consultant explains that sports principles are the basic laws on which the practice of sports management is built. He adds that management principles must therefore be based on general terms for them to be applicable within sport organisations of varying sizes and character. "Modern sports managers and administrators are expected to be able to identify and use appropriate principles that are relevant to particular situations. This is because no single principle can suit all administrative situations," submits Awoyinfa.

Monday, October 15, 2012

The National Service Factor in Sports Development

National Service (NS) is one of the key foundations, together with multiculturalism and religious harmony, in Singapore's unique social fabric. Every male of the modern generation has gone through the rites of NS, including our very best athletes. These athletes leave their schools as future sports champions of our nation, but very few of them actually fulfill their potential to do Singapore proud in international competitions. What happened to these potential sports stars? Did NS hinder their passion and motivation to excel in their sports? Why do so few carry on in their sports after school and NS? In our national quest for more sporting excellence and glories, perhaps it is time to re-look at our NS policy and see how we can truly support and encourage the journeys of these potential sports stars without necessarily compromising the security of the nation.

The argument that NS is detrimental to the development and continuous journey of our budding athletes from school is not new. Athletes who are affected have been fighting for years to get the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) to make special concessions and arrangements for them to continue with their training programs with their sports coaches. In most cases, MINDEF has adopted a general guide line that athletes can still continue with their sports career as long as their obligations with their respective NS units are not compromised. This basically means that athletes will have to count on the good graces of their commanding officers to make special arrangements for them to continue training, and at the same time fulfill their training and duties with their units. A most difficult task at best. Any top class athlete will tell you that in order to be successful and be competitive with the rest of the other world class athletes, training twice a day, seven day a week, with full nutritional and physiological support is common practice. NS training by itself is already tough, and asking our athletes to spend time in NS and train at the same time is just not possible. When faced with this situation, most of our athletes have no choice but to drop out. Only a handful, with good fortunate and determination will be able to find the time to balance the NS commitments and training to the effect that some measure of success is possible. Even these athletes do not compare well when competing against other sportsmen from around the world. How do sportsmen in countries without compulsory NS fair? Let us investigate a bit further.

In the Olympic Games, the usual powerhouses that garner the most medals include countries like China, USA, Russia, Australia, Britain, Germany, and to a certain extend South Korea and Japan. Do these countries have compulsory military service? The answer is no. A logical conclusion here is that their athletes have unimpeded paths towards their sporting ambitions and peak performance in sports. Of course some might argue that these countries are large in terms of their population size. China has a population of 1.3 billion. Surely, from these mass of people, champions for various sports can be found. That is true. Let us now examine countries with similar population as Singapore and compare their sport achievements.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Peak Performance in Sports

In the sports arena, peak performance in sports has always been a much sought after state by players and coaches of all levels. Whether the athletes are school boys soccer players or Olympians striving for their Gold medals, peak performance in sports has always attracted athletes and coaches alike. In our modern age of sports, where sports science is at a stratospheric level and rising, what are the factors that when applied correctly can lead sports participants to peak performance in sports? Are there secrets to sporting excellence? Are these factors easily manipulated for the benefits of the athletes? This article discusses the factors that can lead athletes and coaches to peak performance in sports.

There has been many articles and books detailing principles, programs, success factors and the like that can lead to peak performance in sports. Many authors have written at length about them and in many ways, the principles and factors are universal. The principles of progressive resistance, variety, goal specific training, recovery, etc are all undisputed underlying reasons that allows athletes to achieve peak performance in sports. This article goes a step further by exploring these universal factors in a different light. In the process, I hope to give athletes and coaches alike how to practically apply these principles and which are the factors with higher weightage in terms of achieving success and peak performance in sports.

There are basically two set of factors we need to look into. Technical and human factors. Let us take a look at the former set of factors first;

Technical Factors

1. Quality Preparation
2. Mastering Individual Skills
3. High Fitness Levels
4. Understanding Overall Team Play
5. Filling Up Key Positions of the Team
6. Minimise Errors in Games

1. Quality Preparation

The hard work for any sports season begins with the preseason training which is very intensive. No body likes this season, as the work and training required is often very boring and painful. But this has to be done for the athletes to be optimally prepared for the rigours of the competitive phase. The endurance, strength, speed and skill volumes must be done. Not just the volume of work, but how much quality is put into the preparation phase is vital as well. When players cut corners and put in training at face value without their heart and soul, it will show up later in the competition as fatigue, injuries or lack of sharpness in their performance. Peak performance in sports cannot be possible under such circumstances. The quality of preseason preparation is even more important in youth sports.

Very often in schools, the playing seasons for many sports start almost immediately when the school year starts. With our children away for long vacations, our athletes very often return to school to face competitions with very little training time. Team play, fitness building and mental preparation are supposed to be done in 2-3 weeks, which in a sports world is almost impossible and impractical. This kind of preparation is also detrimental to the development of our children. Under these circumstances, coaches and teachers (and parents if possible) have a very important responsibility to ensure that our athletes are well prepared for competition. Training programmes for sports ought to be drawn up and implemented at year's end previously. Our athletes need to understand that that their season effectively began when their examinations are over. With a training programme started, coaches and teachers can than instruct athletes about a vacation training programme as well. Each athlete should have one whereby, they can do something to improve their playing abilities during their break away from school. It could include things like maintain a certain standard of fitness through endurance activities like cycling, running or swimming, playing catch and pitching in the backyard with their siblings, or even individual practices to improve certain skills. The main thing here is to preserve and improve what has been attained in the preceding season, so that athletes do not return back to school and start from scratch. Simply planning and training this way will ensure quality preparation for the sports teams to attain peak performance in sports later.

2. Mastering Individual Skills

In all sports and games, there are certain skill sets and skills that are considered basic and necessary. These must be achieved by athletes before they can play at a higher level later. In basketball, dribbling and executing a proper lay-up are crucial. Throwing, catching and fielding skills are a must in baseball and softball. The push-pass and receiving a pass are necessary skills in hockey and floor ball. The list goes on. In preseason training, or at the earliest playing stage, these essential skills must be made known to our young players, and all efforts and time must be spent on mastering these basic skills. Without these skills, a coach will find it very difficult to execute more complex team plays to achieve peak performance in sports. If strikers cannot even control a long pass from a teammate, how can we expect the same player to hold up the ball well up field against oppositions defenders and execute lay-off passed to oncoming teammates in support. It will be wise for coaches to develop these skills early and also for players to keep improving themselves in these skills even though they might feel that they are good enough already.

Even at professional levels, these basic skills for their sports is important for peak performance in sports. The repertoire of skills required and the intensity of how these skills are performed at the highest levels are even more acute. At the highest levels where opponents are very evenly match in all areas, one mistake can often result in a win or loss. It is even more important for professionals to master all the skills required of the game or sports. Only under such intense conditions can peak performance in sports be possible.

3. High Fitness Levels

At high school levels, many athletes would not have reached their maximal physical development yet no matter how much they train. Physiologically speaking, the development in this area in youths is very varied. Some children reach a high fitness standard faster than others, while others have body types that will only respond to training optimally when they get older. Hence, it can be assumed that a team with the fittest group of players will have the most advantage. No matter how skillful your opponents are, if you are fitter than him or her, you will be able to overcome your lack of fitness by reacting rapidly to overcome your short fall. Let's say, you are out dribbled by a more skillful opponent in soccer. But if you are fitter than your opponent who have just out-dribbled you, you will be able to track back fast enough to cover your position again. This edge in fitness for youth is very important at the later stages of the game too, as players tend to tire faster at this age. A fitter team will definitely be able to prevail and score more later in the game. Players at this age need to be convinced of this need for fitness, and be encouraged to do whatever they can to attain the highest level of fitness possible.

How about professionals? Without a doubt, professional athletes are expected to possess fitness at the highest levels. If they are not, their opponents will be and consequently, they will outperform them and reach their peak performance in sports. Generally speaking, professional sportsmen know how to get into great shape and maintain that till the end of the season. Their physical bodies are also in the best state to be developed to their fullest potential.

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

The Effective Sports Coach

In this day and age of mega salaries for professional athletes in any sports, it is not surprising that many still consider the talented players key to any successful sports team. Owners of professional teams and fans very commonly forget the effective sports coach is the most important person in the team. Instead of spending obscene amounts to lure the best players to the club, owners of sports franchises should invest the most optimum money in the effective sports coach.

He will determine the success or failure of the team. But what exactly does an effective coach possess? How does an effective coach deal with his players? How can the sports coach plan and conduct his campaign such that his players and team ultimate reach their peak performance in sports? These are some of the questions we will explore in a good coach in this article. If you were to study the history of effective coaching, you will not fail to notice that very often these coaches produce very cohesive teams.

Teams with a common goal, and players put the team and others before themselves. There is something magical about a team build on successful team spirit, and all effective sports coaches know this. That is why it is paramount from the on start that the coach builds this strong team spirit and cohesion right from the start. More than anything else, it is a team who knows the true value of team work, team spirit and team cohesion that will produce the most successful results and performances at the end of the day. Sports coaches do not need star players who play for themselves. They need players (not necessarily the most talented) who will die for the team. With these players, the coach can do wonders. Hence, for any aspiring person who wants to be an effective sports coach, build a team first before you train a team.

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

The Sports Nation

In this day and age, it is very difficult to find a country that does not have a strong emphasis to develop a Sports Nation. Apart from very under-privilege countries, most countries now have some form of initiative or structured programmes that drive them towards a becoming one. But what exact is a Sports Nation? What are the things different countries do in order to aspire to reach that status? Is it national policy that sports must play a prominent role in societies? These are some of the questions we will explore as we uncover the nature of a Sports Nation.

All aspiring Sports Nations have a hidden agenda these days, and that is to develop a healthier nation. Healthy people require less cost to look after as they age and develop. Encouraging an active and healthy lifestyle is an indirect way to tackle the demographic issues of higher life expectancy and rising health care cost. In countries that are considered welfare states, like Australia, Britain, France, and Canada, the health care cost of citizens are mainly bourn by government coffers. This could present a significant burden on the countries resources as health care cost has skyrocketed or will continue to skyrocket with time. Since 1965, health care cost has exploded exponential.

This geometric rise poses a very challenging problem to governments of the world as population growth has not receded. In fact the global population is forecast to breach the 9 billion mark by 2020. How than can governments cope with such pressing need to sustain their peoples? Developing a Sports Nation can be one long-term strategy to deal with this issue. The key is to keep people fit and strong and hopefully keep illnesses and diseases at bay, such that health care costs could be contained.

Another feature of why Sports Nations need to be developed more and more is the quest for greater publicity and positive image creation. In the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, China for the first time emerged the overall winner in terms of Gold Medals garnered during the games. It marks the rise and return of China to the peak ranks of world order. As a Sports Nation, China has created for itself lasting image and publicity that will last a long time. This kind of positive image gained has rubbed off effects on other countries in the world. Because of this Sports Nation image created, people suddenly view many things about China differently. For example, the sports training systems now become the darling for the world over to follow. Its sports equipment and products suddenly become more heavily bought. Chinese sports heroes became role models. In short, the country gets a shot in the arm, and the overall health of the country has improved. Sports Nations has a way to promote and excite people from all over the world, and it is a good thing to have.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Learn Sports Betting Vocabulary - The 1st Step to Make Money Betting on Sports

Those who've learned how to make money betting on sports a long time ago frequently try to give beginners or newbies the impression that the sports betting process is easy. Seasoned sports bettors may say things like: "Yeah, if you want to get in on the action, you just bet up to 10% of your bankroll, then the bookie gets the opening line from Vegas, but the oddsmaker may move the line to protect his vig-and of course you'll want to pay close attention to the spread, which is essentially a handicap that sportsbooks use to increase game competitiveness from your perspective; that also affects the overall handle." What? If that makes little or no sense to you at all, you'll want to read on to learn sports betting vocabulary-the 1st step to make money betting on sports.

SPORTS BETTING VOCABULARY YOU NEED TO KNOW

Action: Any kind of betting activity including sports betting.

Bankroll: The overall amount of money that you are comfortably willing to lose on all of your sports bets.

Bookie: An individual [as opposed to a business organization] who accepts and processes bets.

Handicap: Within the sports betting sphere, handicap means to give one team or opponent a point or scoring advantage in an attempt to level the level the sports betting field. Handicapping is practice of predicting the result of a competition for purposes like betting against the point spread. A favored team that wins by less than the point spread still wins the game, but all bets on that favored team would lose.

Handle: The total amount of money wagered on bets for a particular sports event.

Juice: The amount charged by the bookie or sportsbook for their services; same as profit or vig.

Money Line: Used instead of point spreads as a sort of handicapping method in low-scoring sports like baseball, ice hockey, and soccer.

Oddsmaker: Those who constantly study and research sports and set the money lines.