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Sport’s rich and illustrious history has given us many teams which have become true icons of their respective sport.

Much is down due to the image, history and culture that is so strongly associated sports side. Be it the red of Ferrari, the Haka of the All Blacks or the distinctive yellow and red ties of the Marylebone Cricket Club.

Other sides owe their iconic status due to the fact that it took an especially brave man to place a sports spread bet against a side so obviously superior. Los Galácticos of Real Madrid in both the late 1950’s and 1990’s or the all-conquering Dallas Cowboys or Chicago Bulls of the 1990’s could lay claim to such an honour.

Here we look at some of the most iconic teams ever to grace the world of sport – would you have bet against them?

Brazil:

Without doubt the most famous national team in the world. Football is in the soul of all Brazilians, whether learning the game on Copacabana beach or in the slums of Sao Paolo - wearing the yellow jersey is what all young boys dream of. They are the most successful team in World Cup history, winning no less than five times. Almost always starting as favourites on the spread betting market, they last clinched the title in 2002. The combination of the final victory against Germany and Ronaldo winning the Golden Boot saw many punters empty the bookies satchels.

Real Madrid:

Real Madrid is Spain’s best supported team and many repute them to be the biggest football club in the world. They have won the European Cup an astonishing nine times, including a remarkable run of five straight victories between 1956 and 1960. Players like Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane have graced the hallowed Bernabéu turf, but recent successes have been slim on the ground. Los Blancos did however lift their 30th La Liga title in 2007 with many spread betting punters who follow David Beckham celebrating.

Ferrari:

An iconic car and an iconic brand. Enzo Ferrari was the brains behind the operation and in 1929 Scuderia Ferrari was founded in Marinello, northern Italy. Enzo was forced to sell the company to Fiat - another giant of Italian motoring - in 1969, but remained closely associated with the company until his death in 1988. Ferrari is one of the leading teams in Formula 1 and dominated the drivers’ and construction championships’ in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s, primarily due to Michael Schumacher – many people’s idea of the greatest ever driver. Spread betting punters regularly made huge sums by buying his total World Championship points which regularly exceeded 100 points. For F1 fans the world over, seeing that distinctive red flash take the chequered flag has always been a familiar sight.

Liverpool:

Widely regarded as the most successful club in English football, Liverpool have won the European Cup five times. Their heyday in the 1970’s and 1980’s involved the reigns of two of the all-time great managers, Bill Shankly and Bob Paisley. They have won the Championship a record 18 times, but have not lifted the trophy since 1990. New manager Rafael Benitez has spent a great deal of money trying to build a Championship winning side, but his greatest achievement so far came when his side over-turned a 3-0 deficit to beat hot favourites AC Milan in the final of the Champions League in Istanbul in 2005. Online punters could have backed them at massive odds on the spread during the game before they eventually clinched the match in a penalty shoot-out.

Manchester United:

Often thought to be the best supported football club in the world, Manchester United regularly attract sell-out crowds of over 75,000 people, with ticket waiting lists that are the envy of many clubs around the world. They are the current Premier League champions and their victory in 2006/2007 was their 16th League Championship. Sir Alex Ferguson is the current longest serving manager in England, first taking the helm at Old Trafford on 6th November 1986. He forked out over £50million in the transfer market this season and United had been installed as clear favourites for the title before a ball had been kicked.

NY Yankees:

Hailing from The Bronx area of New York City, the New York Yankees have won a total of 26 World Series trophies which makes them the most successful club of all time. The Yankees had been known as the Baltimore Orioles from their conception in 1903, but it wasn’t until 1913 when they moved to New York that they became referred to as the New York Yankees. Their most famous sons include sporting legends Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio.

LA Lakers:

The LA Lakers began life in Minneapolis as the Minneapolis Lakers before re-locating to Los Angeles in 1960. They have won 14 championships in their history and hold the record for the longest consecutive run of victories, 33. Top players including Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O’Neal have helped secure their position as the key basketball franchise in the US. However, it was Kobe Bryant who amassed an incredible 81 points in one game against the Toronto Raptors on 22nd January 2006 – the second highest score ever in league history. Spread betting companies all over the world lost huge amounts as Bryant continued scoring at an extraordinary rate.

Dallas Cowboys:

Dallas Cowboys are one of the most famous names in American sport. They share the record with the San Francisco 49ers and Pittsburgh Steelers for Super Bowl wins with five victories. They hold numerous records for victories and winning streaks, but it was their three Super Bowl wins in four years (1992-1995) that really set them apart from their rivals. The Super Bowl is one of the biggest betting events in world sport and Dallas have cost spread betting bookmakers fortunes over the years.

All Blacks:

Rugby wasn’t introduced to New Zealand until 1860, but it has since become the national sport of the country and the ‘All Blacks’ are the national team of New Zealand. The All Blacks wear black shirts, shorts and socks, and always perform a traditional Mâori dance known as the ‘Haka’ before any international game. This is designed to scare the opposition before going into battle. New Zealand are the clear favourites for the 2008 World Cup and are many punters ideas of a banker.

Barbarians:

Also known as the ‘Baa-Baas’, the Barbarians are the only international rugby team with which players are invited to play for them. Formed iat a meeting in Bradford in 1890, they have no club house, have never played a home game and don’t even have their own socks. The uniform is traditionally black and white hoops with players allowed to wear the socks from their own clubs. The Baa-Baas have always played with an open, fluid style that often leads to high scores and dramatic matches. Gareth Edwards’ try against the All Blacks in 1973 is widely regarded as one of the best of all time.

MCC:

The most famous member’s club in the world of cricket is the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) based at Lords. It is widely believed that a gentleman called Thomas Wood founded the club in the late 18th Century which then became the governing body of cricket both in England and around the world. Members, of which there are over 20,000, have to wear the traditional red and yellow blazer and tie when in attendance at the home of cricket. However, those wanting to join the club will probably have to wait over 18 years before they are accepted.

Chris Williams is sports activist and loves writing about sports and sports related updates like Football Spread Betting

Will Ferrell prepares Ryan Kalil for the NFL draft… this is hilarious

It is often difficult to compare the legendary players of Major League Baseball in that by making comparisons based on statistics, the focus generally falls on the sheer performance on the field. It also tends to reflect on what effect those numbers have had in the teams’ success and how an individual players’ success has bolstered a team to championship levels. Other players, no matter how individually successful, are too often viewed in an also-ran status because of the perception that their effort never was enough to allow the team to stand on a championship podium. Baseball is a team sport, yet a team sport loosely based on individual effort. Looking past the numbers to the intangibles of attitude and enthusiasm for the game, the greatness of a player cannot be judged merely on statistics. Ernie Banks is one such player in MLB history.

Ernie Banks was one of the greatest players, coaches and personalities to ever don a Cubs Uniform. Considered by many to be the most popular player ever, Banks was known to be a likable fellow. He was easy-going and was a friend to everyone he knew. Some sources say that he originated the phrase “I never met a man I didn’t like.” Banks was quiet and unassuming. He let his bat and his glove do the talking for him. He had an unending enthusiasm for the game of baseball. As the legend goes, after the Cubs finished getting stomped twice in a double-header, Ernie Banks reportedly suggested; “let’s play three.” On numerous occasions, Banks was quoted as having said; “It’s a beautiful day for a baseball game. Let’s play two!” Any picture of Ernie Banks from his playing days exudes the joy he derived from playing the game of baseball. There are none that don’t feature that broad, infectious smile that he has become famous for. He was so popular, in fact, he became known as Mr. Cub. Many sources attribute the never-say-die and “baseball is fun” attitude of the Cubs organization directly to Ernie Banks.

Even though the Chicago Cubs’ last World Series triumph was in 1908 and their last appearance in the World Series was in 1945 (which they dramatically lost in a seventh game), there still exists no greater hopeful and inspired team in MLB than Chicago’s “lovable losers”. Hope springs eternal, as they say, and after nearly 100 years, “eternal” is starting to live up to its reputation as being a very, very long time.

The woes of the Cubs have been compounded over the years. They produced a twenty-year stretch (1947-1967) of finishing in the lower half of their division for the regular season, partly during the Ernie Banks era. Yet, every new season brings with it the possibility of getting to the World Series and finally breaking the “billy goat curse”, a curse put on Wrigley field and the Cubs during the fifth game of the 1945 World Series. As the story goes, a local Chicago bar owner attended the game and was allowed entrance under somewhat unusual circumstances. When ordered to leave Wrigley field for bringing his goat with him, reportedly a “foul smelling goat”, Billy Sianis’ curse was issued to the effect that a World Series would never again be played in the confines of Wrigley field.

As the myth surrounding the validity of the curse grows with each passing non-contention season, it has a simple and comfortable existence in baseball, the sport that prefers urban myth, legend and superstition to logic. In 2003, the curse was nearly broken when the Cubs matched up with the Atlanta Braves for the National League Divisional Series. With a 3-game to 2 lead in the series and winning game 6 at 3-0 in the top of the eighth inning against the Florida Marlins, the “billy goat curse” infused itself once again. The Cubs lost game 6 and then eventually lost game 7, which meant no chance for a World Series game to be played at Wrigley Field. The Marlins went on to win the World Series in 2003.

Ernie Banks never had the opportunity to play in the League Championship Series, the World Series, or any post-season game. He did, however, take pride in himself, and his ball-club by consistently leading the league in many areas. Banks was an all-star every season from 1955 to 1962. He also made the all-stars cut in 1965, 1967 and 1969. Setting an early standard for future Iron Men, Banks played in 424 consecutive games from the day he became a Cub, a record at the time. His longest consecutive game streak stands at 717. He hit 40 homeruns in 1955, a record for MLB shortstops, and led the National League in homers in 1958 with 47 over-the-fence blasts. Banks hit 5 grand slams in 1955, and topped 100 RBIs. He was awarded the NL Most Valuable Player in 1958 and again in 1959. A mind-blowing accomplishment if we take into consideration the fact that the Cubs were no where close to being in contention for winning the division pennant. His 1959 MVP season boasted 45 homeruns and led the League with 143 RBIs. Ernie Banks earned the NL Golden Glove award at shortstop in 1960, and had the fewest errors in MLB. He also led the National league in homers and RBIs that year.

Over the course of his career, Ernie Banks became the Cub’s all-time leader in:

* Games played (2,528)

* At-bats (9,421)

* Total bases (4,706)

* Home runs (512)

Banks also established many NL records, entered into the MLB Hall of Fame in 1977, and his number 14 was the first to be retired by the Cubs. When finished with playing in 1971, he went on to coaching with the Cubs. In May of 1973, when Cubs manager Whitey Lockman was ejected for arguing a call, Banks managed the rest of the game. He was technically the first African-American to manage in Major League Baseball.

Infused into the heart of every Cub fan (and there are many) is the spirit and exuberance and the love for the game of baseball that was epitomized by Ernie Banks. He brought so much more than just outstanding performances and good statistics to the game. He did so with vigor, zest and a capacity to enjoy the game that has incurably infected Cub fans all over this planet.

By FR Penn sponsored by http://www.stubhub.com/ . StubHub sells sports tickets, baseball tickets, theater tickets and more to just about any event in the world. Please link to this site when using this article.

10 Tallest Players in NBA History



1.) Manute Bol

Height: 7′7”   Weight: 225 Pounds

Manute Bol played 10 seasons in the NBA (1985-1995). He played for four different teams: Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers. He averaged 18.7 minutes played per game over his career, but only 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 points per game. Considering all he has to do is catch the ball and lay it into the basketball without jumping, how come he only averaged 2.6 points per game? He was known for his blocked-shot ability. He set a rookie record in his 1985-1986 rookie season blocking 397 shots. He is also tied for the most blocked shots in one-half with eleven and is tied for the most blocked shots for one quarter with eight, in which he accomplished twice. He still holds the record for most blocked shots per minute with (.176). He also played with Muggsy Bogues during the Bogues 1987 rookie season pairing the tallest and shortest players in NBA history in one season. He is also the only player in NBA history to block more shots then he has scored.





2.) Gheorghe Muresan

Height: 7′7”   Weight: 303 Pounds

Gheorghe Muresan played only 6 seasons in the NBA (1993-2000). He played for two different teams, the Washington Bullets and New Jersey Nets. He averaged 21.9 minutes per game over his career, but only 6.4 rebounds and 9.8 points per game. Another big man, yet a fairy low rebounds/per game average. Some of you might remember Gheorghe Muresan from the movie “My Giant” (1998), where he starred with Billy Crystal and Kathleen Quinlan.                                         





3.) Yao Ming

Height: 7′6”   Weight: 310 Pounds

Yao Ming played 6 full seasons and is still currently in his 7th season in the NBA (2002-Present). He has played for the Houston Rockets his whole career in the NBA. He averaged 32.6 minutes per game, while ripping down 9.2 rebounds and scoring 19 points per game till this day. Unlike the 2 tallest centers in the NBA, Yao Ming has been a workhorse and knows how to tally a stat sheet and is the only player in the top 10 tallest NBA players that is still playing.                                                                     





4.) Shawn Bradley

Height: 7′6”   Weight: 275 Pounds

Shawn Bradley played 12 seasons (1993-2005). He has played for three different teams:Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, and Dallas Mavericks, where he spent the majority of his career. He averaged 23.5 minutes, 6.3 rebounds and 8.1 points per game during his career. Although he did average 2.5 blocks per game over his career, he has been known for a “Giant” who got dunked on many time.



5.) Chuck Nevitt

Height: 7′5”   Weight:250 Pounds

Chuck Nevitt played 9 seasons in the NBA (1982-1994). He did not play in 3 seasons over the 12 years of his career. He played for five teams throughout his career: Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and San Antonio Spurs. He did not play more then 45 games in any season and just averaged 5.3 minutes, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.6 points per game throughout his career. Throughout his career he basically got play time during garbage minutes meaning his team usually had a big lead or was down to much to make a comeback, especially in Detroit. While in Detroit, the fans called Detroit’s blow-outs, when Nevitt was able to get his minutes, “Nevitt Time”. His nine seasons of minutes played totaled up to be about the length of 18 full NBA games.                  





6.) Slavko Vranes

Height: 7′5”   Weight: 275 Pounds

Slavko Vranes only played three minutes in one game with the Portland Trailblazers during his entire NBA career (2003-2004). He was drafted by the New York Knicks in 2003, but was released during the season, not playing one minute of any Knicks game. The Portland Trailblazers signed him a month after his release from the New York Knicks to a 10-day contract, where he played his only three minutes in the NBA.



7.) Mark Eaton

Height: 7′4”   Weight: 290 Pounds

Mark Eaton played 11 seasons in the NBA (1982-1993) and spent his whole career with the Utah Jazz. He averaged 28.8 minutes, 7.9 rebounds, and 6.0 points per game throughout his career. Mark Eaton was known for being a monster on defense averaging 3.5 blocks per game over his career and during his third season in the NBA he averaged a whopping 5.6 blocks per game.



8.) Rik Smits

Height: 7′4”   Weight: 265 Pounds

Rik Smits played 12 seasons in the NBA (1988-2000). Just like Mark Eaton, Rik Smits played his NBA career with one team, the Indiana Pacers. He averaged 26.6 minutes played, 6.1 rebounds, and 14.8 points scored per game during his career. Similar to Ralph Sampson and Mark Eaton, Rik Smits has had very a productive career.                                            





9.) Ralph Sampson

Height: 7′4”   Weight: 235 Pounds

Ralph Simpson played 9 seasons in the NBA (1983-1992). He played for four different teams: Houston Rockets, (where he spent the first half of his career), Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, and Washington Bullets. He averaged 29.8 minutes played, 8.8 rebounds, and 15.4 points per game throughout his NBA career. He was teammates with another 7-foot player ,Hakeem Olajuwon, they were nicknamed the “Twin Towers”.Throughout the middle of his career he battled knee injuries because of his big frame and when he was traded for the Rockets he was never able to stay healthy for a full season of games battling with knee and back injuries.                       





10.) Priest Lauderdale

Height: 7′4”   Weight: 325 Pounds

Priest Lauderdale only played 2 seasons in the NBA (1996-1998). He played one season with the Atlanta Hawks and one season with the Denver Nuggets. During his two-year career in the NBA, he averaged 7.1 minutes, 1.9 rebounds, and 3.4 points. After he left the NBA, he went to play basketball in Bulgaria.

SportsGuru36 originally published this article at sports site, rootzoo.com. He’s known to be an NBA expert and his opinions are highly valued. Besides analyzing players, he loves to analyze sports rosters. He’s also found a new love for writing sports articles.

The largest American football league – the National Football League (NFL) – consists of 32 teams from all over the United States. It is one of the four major professional sports leagues in North America – the others being the Major League Baseball (MLB), National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Hockey League (NHL).

The NFL is divided into two conferences – the National Football Conference (NFC) and the American Football Conference (AFC), which are further divided into four divisions each, each division consisting of four teams. Each of these divisions is designated as East West, North, and South.

American football, played under NFL, descended from Rugby football played in England, and reached the United States via Canada in 1874. Professional football dates back to 1892 when William ‘Pudge’ Heffelfinger was paid $500 by the Allegheny Athletic Association to take part in a game, on November 12, against Pittsburgh Athletic Club. This makes him the first professional player on record. Professional football spread over the next few decades.

The American Professional Football Association, the predecessor of the NFL, was founded in 1920, and changed to its current name in 1922.

The NFL Season

Prior to the regular season, which is generally from September to December, or early January, the NFL season features a four game preseason, or exhibition season, running from early August to early September. This is followed by a 16 game 17-week regular season. Following the regular season, starting in January, six teams each from the AFL and the NFL play a single elimination tournament – the NFL playoffs.

The playoffs end with the Super Bowl – the NFL Championship. The top team from each of the two leagues – the AFL and the NFL – plays in the Super Bowl. The day incidentally is considered an unofficial American national holiday! The Super Bowl was usually played the Sunday following the playoffs, but of late, it has been held on the first Sunday of February, every year.

The Super Bowl is the most watched sport on American television, with companies spending millions on commercials. The game is held for the Sunday night prime time audience on the East Coast. The winner of the Super Bowl in February is crowned the champion of the previous year. The Indianapolis Colts - who won the Super Bowl XLI in February 2007, are the champions of the 2006 season.

Football Tickets

The games of the NFL being so popular with a large fan following, the NFL tickets are hot property. Whether you are looking to purchase the NFL tickets for the pre-season, regular season, or for the playoffs, they are not easy to lay your hands on.

NFL tickets for the Super Bowl would be a near impossibility – so much is the interest it generates. NFL tickets for most of the games are sold out the moment they come on sale.

Legitimate ticket brokers have the wherewithal to arrange your NFL tickets for you. As a word of caution: you should buy your NFL tickets from legitimate ticket brokers that are members of the National Association of Ticket Brokers (NATB) who ensure you tickets of your choice.

Al is the webmaster of Sportstickets411.com a NFL Tickets information site for sports entertainment with event and venue history as well as NFL tickets links

A short clip of Matt Vasgersian swearing on MLB Network during a live broadcast. He might have been rehearsing but nevertheless it was caught on camera! The TV was never turned off, only the picture went black as Matt kept talking. Matt Vasgersian….you bad boy! Thank you Time Warner Cable for HD DVR!!