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It’s obvious who should take the first shot for the Washington Redskins next fall. The answer is so clear that anyone who thinks otherwise needs to have their brains examined. Maybe new head coach Joe Gibbs should order Patrick Ramsey to get a CT scan before mini-camp takes place.

Not only should Mark Brunell be designated the starting quarterback right now, but he shouldn’t have to compete for the job until at least 2005. Simply put, Brunell is a proven NFL quarterback and Ramsey is not. . Brunell has started eight seasons (excluding 2003), while Ramsey has yet to start 20 games. Owner Dan Snyder gave Gibbs an unspoken mandate to make it to the Super Bowl in the next three seasons. Who is most likely to make it?

There is no legitimate argument anyone can give for Ramsey to start before a healthy Brunell in 2004. Let’s break down some of the reasons given why Ramsey should start:

– Ramsey is the quarterback of the future – There’s no question that Ramsey has the potential to solidify the Redskins’ quarterback situation for years to come. If the organization believes Ramsey is the right person for the next several years, he will one day have to take over the starting job. However, he will have to endure growing pains if or when he takes over the job. Ideally, a third-year quarterback who has started parts of his first two years should be ready to begin to spice up his game. In Ramsey’s case, you have to throw away everything he’s learned in his first two seasons. The coaching staff needs to handle Ramsey like he’s a rookie. This is not an ideal situation to claim a starting quarterback job. With up to a third of the roster changing, new players need to transition with a proven quarterback.

-Ramsey has a big advantage: If this is a reason to give a quarterback a starting job, then Browning Nagle, Rick Mirer and Heath Shuler should all start in this league. Ramsey has potential, but he’s not sure. Although he posted good stats when he played at Tulane, he did so in a pass-friendly offense against the middle of the main competition. He can’t be fairly evaluated in his first two seasons because he didn’t receive legitimate NFL training and wasn’t in a proper offensive system. A year from now, after he’s been evaluated by an offensive staff with over 70 years of NFL experience, it will be determined how much potential he really has. This determination must be made at the practice range, not the FedEx range.

-Ramsey’s toughness earned him the right to lead the team in 2004. -Since when are NFL games won by the ability to take a beating? There’s a lot more to being an NFL quarterback than sitting in the pocket and taking a beating. While his attitude and competitiveness were excellent in a very bad situation last year, that doesn’t mean he can be an effective quarterback in the NFL. Ramsey’s toughness bore down on his teammates, but to maintain that respect, he will have to produce yards, points and wins. He will be in a much better position to produce in 2005 when he has a year under this coaching staff.

What hasn’t been mentioned is how Ramsey’s response to this situation makes it clear that he’s not ready to lead this team. After the Redskins announced they were acquiring Brunell, Ramsey’s agent publicly campaigned for a trade, where Ramsey could start. Given that he stands to earn nearly $2 million in incentives, it’s understandable why he wants to start somewhere in the league. However, he accepted the contract when he signed it, and he may not want to risk his image for more than $2 million when he could earn between $30 and $100 million before he ends his career. Any dispute should have taken place behind closed doors. The fact that he tried to force this publicly calls into question his ability to be a professional. Taking a beating doesn’t make a quarterback a pro. There are thousands of people who would have taken the same physical beating for his base salary last year.

Snyder has been scrutinized for many personal moves since owning the Redskins, and with good reason. Brunell could be the most expensive backup quarterback in the NFL by next year. At least Ramsey will probably have a year to rest and learn how to be an NFL quarterback. He maybe he should learn to bite his tongue while he does it. If he’s going to be the quarterback people think he can be, it’ll be a good lesson.

10. Felix Hernandez (Seattle Mariners) –

While Felix Hernandez has only made 4 major league starts this year, he has made enough in those 4 starts for him to be recognized as one of the best rookies in the majors. He currently has a 1.24 ERA and has been dominating opponents with the ease of a savvy veteran. Felix Hernandez is only 19 years old and probably the best pitching prospect since Mark Prior. While he is still very early in Felix’s career, he seems to have a very bright future ahead of him as a dominant No. 1 starter.

9. Joey Gathright (Tampa Bay Devil Rays) –

Joey Gathright is one of the fastest players in Major League Baseball. Since he only has 100 at-bats to his name, he can’t be ranked higher, but he has proven to be an excellent starting center fielder in the major leagues. He is hitting .286 and has already stolen 10 bases. Expect Gathright to fight for the stolen base title for years to come.

8. Robinson Cano (New York Yankees)-

Robinson Cano has done an excellent job at second base for the Yankees this year. He has hit .277, but he also played very well defensively at second base. Playing for the New York Yankees is also a tough proposition for any player, let alone a rookie. With the Yankees struggling to make the playoffs, the team has been under more scrutiny than ever, and Cano has handled it with all the class one could hope for.

7. Zach Duke (Pittsburgh Pirates) –

Zach Duke has shown that he has an incredibly nasty overhead curve, along with a 90 mph heater. At this point, he has a 1.87 ERA while he is 6-0 to start his major league career. Duke also pitched a lot of innings in the minors this year, so the Pirates might try to shut him down so he doesn’t burn out. Duke has shown that he is the real deal and that he could be a force on the Pirates’ staff for years to come.

6. Tadahito Iguchi (Chicago White Sox)-

Tadahito has hit .280 for the White Sox this year, but his value has been moving runners on the second hole for the White Sox. One of the big reasons the White Sox have been successful this year has been because the team has played solid fundamental baseball. A big part of his team has been Tadahito, who has consistently sacrificed his own at-bats for the good of the team. While Tadahito’s stats may not catch your eye, he has joined Major League Baseball and played an integral role in a playoff-caliber baseball club.

5. Ervin Santana (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)-

Ervin Santana has gone 7-5 with a 4.41 ERA for the Angels this year. As the year has progressed, Ervin has become a better and better pitcher. With the Angels fighting for a playoff spot, Ervin has become a key part of the Angels’ rotation. Santana hasn’t allowed more than 3 runs in his last 7 starts, and with that kind of production, you can expect Santana to be in the Angels’ rotation for years to come.

4. Joe Blanton (Oakland Athletics) –

Blanton has done an excellent job in his first full season in the major leagues. Blanton was heavily touted in the minor leagues, and he has come in and done the job for the A’s this year. Blanton has a 3.75 ERA this year, but he has shown flashes of brilliance and appears to be the No. 1 starter the A’s have been looking for.

3. Willy Taveras (Houston Astros)-

Willy Taveras has had an incredible rookie season for the Astros. He is currently hitting .301 with 31 stolen bases. He has also played excellent CF and has been a huge boost to the Astros lineup all season. When he gets on base, it’s very hard to keep him from stealing second. With Taveras in center field, the Astros have found his leadoff hitter for the present and the future.

2. Gustavo Chacin (Toronto Blue Jays)-

Gustavo has had an excellent season this year for the hapless Blue Jays. His 3.40 ERA ranks ninth in the American League. Lefties are currently only hitting .198 against him, while he went 11-6 for a losing Blue Jays team. Chacín has shown that he could become a top-tier starter in the Major Leagues in the very near future.

1. Houston Street (Oakland Athletics)-

Houston Street has been absolutely phenomenal for the Oakland Athletics this year. When Octavio Dotel came down for the A’s there was a big hole in the closer role. Mr. Street came in and not only performed well, but helped propel the A’s into the playoffs. Street has a 1.31 ERA with 16 saves and a .92 WHIP. Street should win AL Rookie of the Year this year, and with the type of arm he possesses, he could be a dominant closer for many years to come.

Honorable Mentions: Nick Swisher, Andrew Sisco, Bobby Jenks, Scott Kazmir, Chien-Ming Wang, Matt Murton, Lance Niekro, Garrett Atkins, Jeff Francoeur, Chris Duffy, Prince Fielder, Delmon Young

Marshall Teague and the Hudson Hornet

February 11 was a great day for the car and the driver. On that day in 1951, NASCAR driver Marshall Teague drove a Hudson Hornet to victory in the 160-mile Daytona Grand National in Daytona Beach, Florida. It was a foretaste of things to come for both of them. The Hornet had an innovative “step-down” chassis design and a lower center of gravity that improved handling. In 1951, the manufacturer equipped the car with a larger engine. The Hornet was a powerhouse on the NASCAR circuit until 1955, when rule changes emphasized power over handling.

The Hudson Motor Company

• Founded on February 24, 1909 by eight Detroit businessmen
• The company is named after JLHudson, a Detroit department store entrepreneur and one of the original founders.
• Roy Chapin, Sr., the experienced industry investor, had been a young executive with Ransom E. Olds.
• In 1929, Hudson produced 300,000 cars, making it the third largest automaker in the US.
• On January 14, 1954, Hudson merged with Nash-Kelvinator to become American Motors.
• In the 2006 animated film “Cars,” Paul Newman provided the voice for the character, “Doc Hudson.” Doc was once known as the Fabulous Hornet, holding a record for the most wins (27) in a single season. His license plate was 51HHMD.

Known as the “King of the Beach” for his racing at his hometown track, Marshall Teague won seven NASCAR Grand National Races between 1949 and 1952. Prior to the 1951 season, he traveled from Michigan to Hudson, where he filed without an appointment. By the end of the visit, he had laid the groundwork for a relationship with the company that would see the car and driver dominate the circuit until 1953. Teague left NASCAR that year, in a dispute with the circuit’s founder, Bill France, Sr. He went on to drive on the AAA and USAC circuits.

Nine years after his historic run in the Hudson Hornet, on February 11, 1959, he was back at Daytona. It would be his last race. Teague was killed trying to set a closed court record in a reconfigured Indy car at the newly opened Dayton International Speedway. The test session was just before the April debut of the USAC Indy-style roadster championship, and eleven days before the first Daytona 500. Marshall’s death upset Bill France so much that he never again participated in Indy-style racing at Daytona Speedway.

Marshall Teague Career Highlights

• NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Statistics

• 23 races run over 4 years.
• Best Cup Position: 62 – 1949 (Strictly Stock)
• First race: 1949 Daytona Beach Road Course
• First Win: 1951 Daytona Beach Road Course
• Last win: 1952 Speedway Park (Jacksonville)
• Wins-7 Top Tens-11 Poles-3

• National Auto Racing Press Association Hall of Fame (1968)
• 1951 AAA Stock Car Driver of the Year
• 1952 and 1954 AAA Series Car National Champion
• National Motorsports Hall of Fame (1988)
• TRS/NASCAR Mechanics Hall of Fame (1989)
• American Association of Motoring Writers and Broadcasters Hall of Fame (1991)

While rugby has never had the same level of television exposure as football, it seems to become much more popular in recent years. Many people’s memories of rugby are of shivering in the rain at school and praying that the big guy doesn’t come anywhere, but it’s a great game to watch from the comfort of your living room! With rugby seeming to get better deals on TV these days, for those who may be new to rugby, here are ten things you probably didn’t know about the sport.

1. What is an attempt called?

A try is called a try, because when the game was first played, no points were awarded for touching the ball at your opponent’s end of the field. However, what did win you over was an attempt, or an attempt, to reach the finish line.

2. The game is named after the British school where it was invented

When football was played in English schools in the 19th century, there were no formal rules to the game and each school created its own rule book. A boy named William Webb Ellis, who attended Rugby School, is believed to have invented the game of rugby when he decided to take the ball and run towards the goal during a football match. The Rugby Union World Cup is still called the Web Ellis Cup to this day.

3. Rugby balls were first made from pig bladders.

Rugby balls and soccer balls used to be made with a pig’s bladder for the inside. Unfortunately, pig bladders did not heal very well and often rotted. The wife of the man, who made the rugby balls at the Rugby School in the 19th century, died from the effects of fumes she inhaled from the balls.

4. The current Olympic champions are the USA.

By a twist of fate, the current reigning Olympic champions in the sport of rugby are the USA and they have held that title since 1924. The reason is that rugby was eliminated as an Olympic sport in that year.

5. Two different types of Rugby are played

Just to make it even more confusing for non-experts, there are two types of rugby that are played, rugby league and rugby union. The games are very similar, but the rules are quite different, including a different scoring system.

6. The big scores

One of the differences between soccer and rugby that anyone new to the sport will notice is the big scores. The largest score difference ever recorded in an international match was in a game between Australia and Namibia, when Australia won the game by 142 points to nil.

7. The centenary whistle of the world cup

At the start of each rugby world cup, the tournament kicks off when the referee blows a centenary whistle. It is the same whistle that was used for a match played in 1924 between England and New Zealand at the Olympic Games in Paris.

8. The rugby world cup has never been held by a team

The New Zealand team are the favorites to win the 2015 rugby world cup and if they win they will be the first to reach a rugby world cup, because the title has never been held by a team, since the tournament began. in 1987.

9. A rugby coach invented basketball

New England rugby coach James Naismith is credited with inventing basketball. It is said that he invented basketball so his rugby team could train indoors when the weather was too bad to train outside.

10. The singing of the national anthem at sporting events began with rugby.

The traditional singing of national anthems before an international sporting event began in rugby. It began when Welsh rugby fans responded to the New Zealand team’s Maori war dance with their own national anthem in 1905. Then the singing of national anthems before a match was officially adopted.

In 2008, the New York Giants became the NFL’s hottest weekly picks every week by leading the Earth, Wind, and Fire combination of Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Derrick Ward to an NFC East title. .

Two years later, things have changed as Ward has moved on and Bradshaw has been named the new G-Men starter. If you were wondering how the move would affect Brandon Jacobs, just ask. Most likely, his silence says a lot. Last week, Jacobs publicly expressed her distaste for his role and spoke with head coach Tom Coughlin. Asked for further clarification after Wednesday’s practice, Jacobs dodged questions by backing away from reporters surrounding his locker.

At this point, it doesn’t matter if he says it verbally because Jacobs’ behavior has told everyone everything they need to know about his feelings about being No. 2 on the depth chart. For the past three seasons, Jacobs has been the leading pony in the Big Blue running stable. He was a 1,000-yard rusher in 2007 and 2008 despite splitting carries, sometimes three ways.

Even in 2009, when Bradshaw began to see a few more touches from Jacobs, the great running back still rushed for 835 yards. But he looked different. Jacobs looked more like an attempt to get to the hole. The explosion from him seemed to be gone. After posting 12 runs of 20 yards or more in 2008, that number dropped to just 2 the following season. He seemed to lose his nose for the end zone, scoring just 5 times in 2009 after rushing for 15 touchdowns the season before. That last number is especially troubling for a 6-foot-4, 265-pound bulldozer who began his life in the NFL as a short-yardage and goal-line specialist.

Ahmad Bradshaw enters. The fourth-year running back has steadily gained more playing time during his tenure in New York, rising from a kick returner to a contributor who made Derrick Ward expendable. And it’s about more than just running the ball. Last season, Bradshaw caught 21 passes and seems to be a more reliable receiver out of the backfield than Jacobs ever has been.

Lest anyone who recruited Brandon Jacobs to their fantasy teams panic, keep in mind that while Bradshaw will likely have a lot of work in his 20s and 20s, Jacobs will likely remain the number one choice in the lineup. goal for the Giants. That means touchdowns remain a strong possibility for Jacobs’ owners. It also means Ahmad Bradshaw can provide value in certain matchups for owners who pick their weekly NFL picks.

For this week, whatever backup you have, it’s best to use it as a number three backup or flex position until you have a better idea of ​​how the Giants plan to rotate the two.

If you love Native American rattles, you will definitely benefit from adding them to your drumming circles and powwows. Jingle bells are great Native American icons that represent indigenous tribes and their unique culture. They are also among the most popular musical instruments to be played in ceremonial rituals in various Indian tribes. Jingle bells, for many years and for most American Indians, have always played an important role in the spiritual connection with the creator, as well as for use in public gatherings.

As you read about the intriguing history of American Indians and their use of Native American rattles, you will find that they are symbolic among indigenous tribes and are essential to the tribal ceremony in which they are used. They are said to symbolize the animal, plant and mineral kingdoms. The animal kingdom is exemplified in the shape of the bell’s decorative bowl or feather. The mineral kingdom is represented by the rocks that create the sound or also by the paint used for the artwork represented on the rattle. And, the plant kingdom is symbolized by the mango.

As you study the Native American uses of rattles and how they are played, you will learn that virtually all Indian tribes and cultures, including the Navajo culture, play rattles in their ceremonies. Among the many types of Indian rattles, along with the popular gourd rattles and tortoise shell rattles, the simple rawhide rattle is the most widely used among Native American tribes. The images, such as the Navajo bear or the Navajo eagle, used in the artwork placed on the bells, differ from tribe to tribe. You will find it interesting that the different tribes, including the Cherokee, Navajo, Apache, Pueblo, Zuni, and Hopi, can be identified by the variations of beautiful art in their crafts. One thing these tribes have in common is that they all play rattles in many ceremonial events and as part of music, dance, medicine, and spirituality.

Native rattles are really very attractive and are made from various natural materials such as tortoise shell, leather, rawhide, beads and Native American feathers. Fur, fringe, seeds, rocks, antlers, horns, bones and shells are used to create that unique Indian style. Mud beads, blue corn, manzanita seeds or small smooth stones like those found in the mouth of an anthill are also sometimes placed in the bells to give it the desired sound.

The natives have always used music, songs, stories and legends to express their beliefs and cultural customs to each other and to the outside world. It is in harmony with these ways of learning that the bells have become an important part of the ceremonies and rituals of the indigenous peoples.

That is the reason why there is nothing more exciting than owning authentic Indian musical instruments and handicrafts. You can easily buy Indian rattles online and also in stores that sell rustic decor. If you’re fascinated with authentic Indian musical instruments, or looking for the right instrument to use for your percussion ceremonies, you’ll definitely be drawn to the unique sound of Native American rattles.

The Los Angeles Lakers were the representatives of the Western Conference in the 2009 NBA Finals. The Lakers finished with the best record in the West during the 2008-09 regular season, thus earning the No. 1 seed and lead to play at home during the Western Conference playoffs. Here are brief recaps of the 2009 Los Angeles Lakers NBA Western Conference playoff series:

1.First Round. As the No. 1 seed in the West, the Lakers drew the No. 8 seed Utah Jazz in the first round. The Lakers won the first 2 games at home with lackluster performances that drew criticism from the media and fans. The Jazz then won Game 3 in Salt Lake City before the Lakers rallied to win Game 4 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. The Lakers closed out the series by beating the Utah Jazz in game 5 at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

2.Second Round. In the second round, the Lakers were paired with the Houston Rockets who had just eliminated the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round. The Rockets stunned the Lakers and won Game 1 on the Lakers’ home court before the Lakers rallied to win Game 2 and tie the series 1-1. The Lakers then played a big Game 3 at Houston’s home to win and regain home court advantage. Things looked bleak for the Houston Rockets when their superstar center Yao Ming was ruled out of the rest of the playoffs after suffering an injury in game 3, but the Rockets played with sheer determination to win 2 of the next 3 games and force the game. decisive. game 7. The Lakers responded to the challenge and won game 7 handily at home to finish off the Rockets.

3. Conference Finals. The Lakers faced the upstart Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals. Led by forward Carmelo Anthony and point guard Chauncey Billups, the Nuggets had blasted through their previous two rounds of the playoffs. But the Lakers were able to win Game 1 at home before the Nuggets beat the Lakers in Game 2 and tied the series 1-1. The Lakers and Nuggets split the next two games in Denver, before the Lakers won the critical fifth game in Los Angeles. Fans on both sides expected a close and hard-fought Game 6 in Denver, but the Lakers won the game handily to close out the Nuggets and advance to the 2009 NBA Finals.

Employment Practices Liability Insurance (EPLI) is insurance that helps protect you against claims from your employees that result from the general conduct of your business.

Are you, the business owner, more likely to be sued by a third party or by an employee?
The answer in most cases by a significant and growing margin… is an employee.

According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the average number of Employment Practices Liability (EPLI) cases filed per year is a staggering 80,000 cases. According to a recent study, the average payout for an employee-related claim increased more than 30% to approximately $180,000.

This new wave of litigation is not limited to large corporations. Small and medium businesses are being devastated by EPL lawsuits. A recent case illustrates the problem.

A jury in Philadelphia found in favor of a plaintiff who worked at a water treatment company with fifteen employees. The plaintiff was the subject of national origin slurs and sued. After deliberating for only half an hour, the jury awarded the plaintiff $200,000 in back wages, $100,000 for emotional distress and $265,000 for the plaintiff’s attorneys, for a total of $565,000.

Other crazy prizes:

– A jury awarded $80.7 million to a UPS supervisor who alleged a supervisor touched her chest during an argument.

– A New York jury found the NBA sexually discriminated when it failed to make a woman a regular-season referee, awarding $100,000 in lost wages and $8 million in punitive damages.

– A large P&C insurance company settled a $157 million sex discrimination class action lawsuit

– Mitsubishi settled two sexual harassment cases stemming from the same incidents for $45 million

– Publix Supermarket announced an $81 million settlement for a sexual harassment lawsuit

Here are just a few of the ways employees can file laws against employers:

1. Wrongful termination of employment
2. Age discrimination
3. Lack of hiring or promotion
4. Breach of an implied employment contract
5. Negligent hiring or evaluation
6. Sexual or other harassment in the workplace
7. Retaliatory treatment
8. Imposition of emotional distress
9. Employment-Related Misrepresentation
10. Violation of employment-related laws
11. Adverse change in terms of employment
12. Improper reference (deprivation of career opportunity)
13. Failure to grant tenure
14. Invasion of privacy
15. Insult, calumny or defamation

Companies are being destroyed by employee demands. The cost to employers includes defense costs and payment of damages. A business has to defend itself in a lawsuit, whether or not there is a judgment awarded. It can cost thousands of dollars to simply respond to an EEOC charge without a lawsuit.

How you can protect your business

The best way to protect your business is by creating an Employee Handbook.

Take the time to create employment policies and procedures for your company. The very act of researching and writing your procedures will allow you to assess how you run your business. Once you have written procedures in place and are careful to enforce those procedures, you will be better able to defend your company against accusations and employee laws.

Define hiring processes and create checklists for the entire hiring process to ensure all laws and procedures are followed.

Define disciplinary and/or dismissal procedures for employees.

Once you’ve written your employee handbook, have your attorney review it before posting it.

Once it’s published, meet with each employee, either individually or as a group, and go through the manual in detail. Ask each employee to sign, indicating that he has received a copy and that the Employee Handbook has been explained to him.

Next, be careful to strictly enforce employment procedures in the law and in your Employee Handbook. That also means you need to train your management team to follow the procedures in the Employee Handbook.

Insist on an exit interview for every terminated or terminated employee. At that interview, review all issues and have the employee sign off, saying the issues have been explained, whether or not the employee agrees.

Finally, the company must purchase labor practices liability insurance. EPLI policies generally cover wrongful termination, workplace harassment and discrimination claims. Key elements of coverage in an EPLI policy include defense costs for the business, as well as claims and jury verdict coverage.

Boost your brain’s performance with a game that can speed up your thinking, improve your memory, increase your alertness, and boost your spirits. It can even increase your concentration while driving, as long as you are not involved in a discussion about the game. Here are five reasons to play bridge to improve mental health.

1. It is challenging. Each hand of bridge is different and requires diligent concentration, causing positive chemical changes in the brain and piquing your interest in the next hand, then the next, and the next.

2. Activates all levels of brain function: receiving, remembering and thinking. Listen to the auctions, remember the opening lead and play of the cards, make inferences about why each card was played, and then deduce the best way to make your contract with possible tricks.

3. Provide a continuous learning experience. Bridge is a game that can activate your brain for a lifetime, from elementary school to 100 years old. Your skills improve with each hand played and each new tactic acquired. Beginners and experts alike read, study and discuss different methods of play to increase their skills.

4. He is social. Whether you’re playing a social game or a game sanctioned by the American Contract Bridge League, it provides an opportunity for conversation and fellowship. Researchers suggest that social interaction stimulates brain waves that increase alertness and awareness.

5. It’s rewarding… most of the time. When you’ve done your best, regardless of whether you win, your spirits rise (especially if you have a nice and supportive partner). These feelings activate brain activity resulting in better memory and learning.

Neuroscientists agree that an active mind decreases the chances of dementia by a large percentage. Start your brain workouts now. Call your local bridge club or senior center and make an appointment, then keep learning.

While I was home for the Christmas holidays, a few things changed and I also learned a few new things. One night while visiting the Jones family at their home in Delburne, AB, I realized something that was pretty obvious but I didn’t fully understand until that night. What happened was that while we were talking about the rodeo and all the things that happened last year, we came to the topic of fitness and how it affects us as rodeo participants.

Fitness-wise, most of us are pretty fit when we start our rodeo careers. Starting the rodeo can be much more difficult when you are not physically fit. Once you discover a system, it becomes much easier. I see that more young participants will be more successful in rodeo in the future when fitness, flexibility and good nutrition are valued more deeply. The different transitions also play apart.

The biggest thing I’ve seen in some tough competitors I’m friends with is when they stop being a part of organized sports. I know when I made the most money riding bulls it was only a month after I was on the ice three times a day playing hockey and in the gym on days off. It was easy to do this at the time. I remember being able to do 15 pull-ups and 30+ one-leg squats like it was no big deal. The other day I tried it, and I could barely do six pull-ups, and my knee hurt doing regular squats.

A big difference related to being physically fit involves flexibility and simply being able to be more resilient.

Guess when I started getting injured? Not long after I finished playing hockey. Anyone looking at it from the outside would notice it. He took me breaking my collarbone and dislocating my shoulder a couple of times to see for myself. For some, it could just be motivation. They think they can get by without going to the gym and just being a cowboy, or being tough about it. Even if you are in good shape and in top physical condition, it is possible to get hurt. The truth is that when you are in good shape, your mind is also in a better state. With all cylinders running at 100 percent, your chances of getting hurt decrease; therefore, increasing their longevity in the sport.

Being physically fit is a big part of our sport. And physical fitness involves other aspects like chiropractic treatment and massage therapy. Both help keep you at your highest fitness levels. Chiropractors have been the most helpful I have come across so far. I dislocated my shoulder on June 19, 2009 in Killam, AB and with the help of my chiropractor I was back to 100 percent riding on July 3 in Brazil. However, this was no ordinary chiropractor. If you are looking for someone who can help you in this way, you need to find a chiropractor who does Active Release Techniques (ART).

ART helps you quickly regain strength in muscles that were previously injured or strained from previous trauma. A chiropractor who is qualified to use Graston tools will also be of great benefit.

After the first round of the 2009 WPB Finals, Miles Pennington found himself unable to straighten his back when walking or bending forward to put on shoes or boots without experiencing severe pain in his lower back.

He contemplated going out because he knew that if he went up there was a very good chance he would probably fall and possibly hurt himself more. She made the decision to seek help and find treatment so she could ride the next night. With the help of chiropractor, Dr. Nicole Fox of Red Deer, Alberta, on New Year’s Eve, Miles was able to compete; he even rode his bull that night at length and took home some money.

Although I am a bull rider, health is my number one value in life. Without health, I believe that a person would not really have anything else worthwhile in his life. Now you could say that being a bull rider and having health as your number one value are contradictory values. I see that this is perhaps somewhat true; however, being a bull rider is hard on your body at times, but that’s part of the game. I see riding bulls as a way to live my life on my own terms. There have been times when I have thought about doing things differently. When I think deeply about it, I think more about what really worries me and I realize that a person can get hurt anywhere.

We, as cowboys, are our own bosses. Unlike other professional athletes, we do not have athletic trainers by our side at all times of the day to attend to every complaint and pain. We may have things that bother us and we don’t do anything about it because we don’t have time, or just don’t have time to fix it. Some people think that the way forward is to get up and deal with the pain. I love being a cowboy and a bull rider and I would say I am both. I would also say that I am an athlete. However, since we don’t have coaches waiting for us like other professional athletes in sports like hockey or soccer, we have to take matters into our own hands.

There are rodeo cowboys who take care of themselves and then there are those who don’t take care of themselves. We can all make our own decisions at the rodeo. We don’t have a coach or boss telling us what we should and shouldn’t do, what we should and shouldn’t eat or drink, and whether or not we should go to the doctor when something might be wrong.

The ones who take care of themselves are the ones who most of the time progress in the sport. I’ve seen a few different people in my short career have to quit because they didn’t take care of themselves when they were my age or younger. You are the controller of your own destiny, the decisions you make ultimately help to follow the course of your life. You can live it however you want.

This article is my opinion. I am writing to let you know some of the things I have learned that I think will benefit you. I hope you enjoy reading my articles. I sure enjoy writing them and listening to some people who have helped me.