EPL 2011-12: Who Will Win The Golden Boot?

The Golden Boot is an award given to the top scorer in an English Premier League season, at the end of it. The first player to reach 10, 20 and 30 goals in a season is also awarded the Golden Boot.

Who will win the Golden Boot in the current season? In the opening week of the Premiership, there have been several goalscorers, including Manchester United's Rooney, and Liverpool's Suarez, among others from Bolton, Blackburn, Wolves, Wigan, Norwich, and West Brom.

In the last season (2010-11) the award was won jointly by Dimitar Berbatov playing for Manchester United and Carlos Tevez playing for Manchester City. Both scored 20 goals; Berbatov played 32 games to achieve the feat, while Tevez took one game fewer.

The record for the most goals in a Premier league season is 42, jointly held by Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer. However, this record was achieved in a 42-game season. (This was before the the 1995-96 season when the number of teams was reduced from 22 to 20.)

Currently, the Premier League is played in a 38-game season, and the record for this length is 31 goals, achieved by Alan Shearer and Cristiano Ronaldo. The most Golden Boots won has been four, by Theirry Henry, while playing for Arsenal. Shearer won the award thrice, playing fro Blackburn and Newcastle.

In the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons, three players won the award scoring 18 goals apiece. apart from those two seasons and the last season, when Berbatov and Tevez won it jointly, in all the other seasons, there has only been a single winner of the Golden Boot.

Apart from Theirry Henry and Alan Shearer, three others have won the award more than once, the others being Didier Drogba, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Michael Owen, all of whom won it twice each. Hasselbaink, like Shearer, was the only other player to win it with two clubs.

In 19 seasons, the winner of the Golden Boot has been associated with the title winners on only 9 occasions giving the lie to the assumption that the highest scorer must necessarily belong to the champion team.

The last English player to win the award was Kevin Phillips in 1999-2000, while the first foreign player to win it solely was Holland's Hasselbaink in 2000-01; he had earlier shared it with Dwight Yorke of Trinidad and Tobago in 1998-99.

France and Holland have had more than one winner, among players from six countries other than England to have won the Golden Boot. While Alan Shearer took all of 42 games to win it in the 1994-95 season, Michael Owen played just 30 games in Liverpool's 1998-99 season to score 18 goals and make the Golden Boot his own. The highest strike rate for a Golden Boot winner was set by Cristiano Ronaldo when he scored 31 goals in 34 games, during the 2007-08 in which his team Manchester united won the Premiership.

For the latest sports gossip, including the English Premier League, click http://www.sportingattitude.com.

Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

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Manchester United Football Club - Can They Win Their 20th League Title?

Manchester United Football Club can rightfully claim to be the best English football club ever thanks to its record 19th Premier League title. This club has always been very popular with fans of this game because of the passion it brings to the field and the assurance with which it picks up titles. However, it has seen great success over the past two decades thanks to the inspired guidance provided by its manager, Sir Alex Ferguson. Sir Alex has managed to steer the Red Devils to unprecedented success even under the difficult and unpopular ownership of the Glazers.

There is a lot of buzz in footballing circles regarding the possibility of this club winning a record 20th Premier League title. In fact, it is common knowledge that Sir Alex is very keen to win this title because he wants to cement his reputation as the most successful manager British football has ever seen. He will want to retire soon, now that he is 70! Needless to say, supporters of the Red Devils will be behind them all the way with a variety of football cheers and chants. However, this is not going to be an easy task if Liverpool has anything to say in this matter!

The previous season's title was won in spite of lackluster performances by the team. However, it seems very unlikely that they will have the same luxury this season because it is going to be a tough fight. Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov will have to put in quite a few sterling performances in order to ensure that the team does well. Sir Alex will also have to find a suitable replacement for Owen Hargreaves in order to put together a winning team that can take on any challenge.

Manchester United Football Club has always had an excellent relationship with its supporters. If you too are one then you should be prepared for a very eventful Premier League season. Make sure that you know all about the match fixtures so that you can catch all the best ones. In addition, it's a good idea for you to be aware of all the football cheers and chants that the team inspires so that you too can join in the revelry. This season will be awaited by all football fans to see whether Manchester United Football Club can really hold on to its status of being the greatest football club in England.

Read about the chances Manchester United Football Club has of winning a 20th Premier League title. Be prepared with this club's football cheers and chants so that you can support its campaign to win the title.

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Who Will Be Top NFL Rookie in 2011?

Highly Athletic" QB's have a tendency to not win Super Bowls. Michael Vick of the Philadelphia Eagles is great to watch, but un-athletic, Trent Dilfer-types win the Super Bowl. Vince Young was highly athletic, but he couldn't win with a pretty decent team in the Tennessee Titans. DeMarcus Russell was athletic, but had no work ethic. Tim Tebow is athletic, has a great work ethic, but plodding Payton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts and Tom Brady of the New England Patriots are the guys that win Super Bowls. So, not only will Cam Newton not be a Super Bowl QB, he will have a passing rating of less than 60 this year, and he will not be able to read NFL defenses for a long time, because "athletic" QB's are put in a spread offense in college and have major difficulty making the translation to the NFL. (Hear that Tim Tebow?)

It's tough for a defensive rookie to be Rookie of the Year. To stand out on defensive, you need to either get lots of interceptions or lots of sacks. Will Von Miller or Marcell Dareus get lots of sacks with the Denver Broncos and the Buffalo Bills respectively? I doubt it. The rest of the defense isn't good enough. But then, someone like Patrick Peterson of the Arizona Cardinals can pick off a few passes here and there with a team that is not horrible on defense.

Jake Locker, Blaine Gabbert and Christian Ponder, all QB's won't be playing this year, so they are not even in the running. Offensive tackles like Tyron Smith and Nate Solder are never selected.

Nick Fairley of the Detroit Lions has a pretty good chance of being the top rookie because he will be playing with Ndamukong Suh. Opposing teams will be focusing on Suh, which will give Fairley an opportunity for big numbers in sacks, takeaways and tackles. And remember, at one time, Nick Fairley was on the list for being selected number 1 in the draft. So, it will not surprise me if he is the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Wide receivers can put up numbers as rookies that get them a lot of attention, but they need two things: a good quarterback and a good WR as a teammate. If you don't have a quarterback who knows what he is doing, and you don't have another wide receiver to attract the attention of the defense, you're in deep trouble. A.J. Green can be a great receiver. Too bad he wasn't available for the Browns. But, who on the Cincinnati Bengals is throwing to him? Bruce Gradkowski? I guess so. Definitely not second round QB Andy Dalton, who was regarded the 6th quarterback in a weak QB year.

Which leaves us with WR Julio Jones of the Atlanta Falcons. Who is his QB? Matt Ryan. Doesn't get much better than that. Who else is catching the ball in Atlanta: Tony Gonzalez, future hall of famer. Looks like a great opportunity for a rookie to put up the numbers needed to win the crown.

But wait, there's more! A sleeper! Yes, its Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, selected 28th in the draft by the New Orleans Saints. The team is great, the quarterback is great, the offense is great, and he was the first running back taken in the draft. This has all of the sounds of a 1,500 yard year for Mr. Ingram, in which case, he will be a shoo-in for NFL Rookie of the Year.

http://sportadore.com - where the world speaks of sports

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6 Steps to Successful Football Practice Plans

Now that the season has started for many of us, and will soon for the rest, we have to consider our practice plans. How efficiently and effectively you plan your practice is how good your practice will be.

Do any of these sound like your football squad?

You have no football practice plan. You wing it. Sometimes the things that need to get done, get done. Other times, you forget. You run completely on instinct.

You spend tons of time creating a practice schedule, sometimes as long as the practice itself will be. But when your football practice starts, you find yourself extending periods, cutting special teams, and losing the focus you had earlier that day.

You have a great football practice schedule and fully intend to follow it. But you get so into your drills that you forget to look at your watch, almost every day. You run over on periods and scramble to get caught back up.

If so, there is good news and bad news. First, the good news: There are great programs, Championship teams, all over this country that are just like you.

Bad news? There are a whole lot more teams out there who run a tight ship, follow a schedule, get the job done on time, and win championships.

To plan an effective practice, you need to consider 6 steps (maybe 5?):

Warm-Up: Get your players loose, work on flexibility and movement issues, relieve tightness, and in general prevent injury - do it all with a good warm-up. A mixture of dynamic and static stretching, with a focus on hip flexibility, will do the trick.

Individuals: This is your money portion of the practice. I know that many of you have so few coaches that focusing on position-specific skills is difficult, but find a way. At least work on blocking, defeating blocks and tackling - those apply to every one! Have a good staff? Take care of your E.D.D.s - Every Day Drills that your players must be able to execute to be successful. After that, work on specific skills for your upcoming opponent.

Teaching: Install new fronts, formations, plays, stunts, blitzes, etc. This may be within an individual period or as a team, but take time to teach at a slow pace.

Group: Split the parts of your team up. We work 3 drills at once: Inside, Outside Weak, and Outside Strong drills. We may be working against Inside Trap or Iso with the Mike Linebacker and two tackles inside, while working with the End, OLB, Safety and Corner on either side against outside running plays. We are maximizing reps here - the backside OLB is not learning anything in Team when you run a sweep away from him!

Team: Put it all together. Show a variety of looks, try to recreate the game for your kids. Show them your opponent's best plays, try to sequence them the way your opponent would, mix up calls and get them aligning and attacking! This is the only portion of our practice that is at actual game pace, by the way. Most of our day we will not even go to the ground. I hope that this year our team will be good enough to stay off the ground in team, too!

Conditioning: We do not condition (this is where the "Maybe" comes in!). I do not think it is wrong to run a few gassers at the end of practice. But if your kids are in shape coming in - probably due to your off-season program - and you run an upbeat, fast-paced practice with minimal standing around, you should not have much need for conditioning. If you are still running gassers in the last week of your season, you do not understand the human body. Sorry for offending you, but you need to change. But feel your own kids out, and if they are out of shape coming into the season, throw in some extra running here (no more than 40 yards). To be more effective, use a Pursuit Drill or some other football-related conditioning that will help you much more than straight-line work.

Need to know how to organize all of this? Check out a sample practice, both filled in and blank:

Sample Practice Plan

Now, we have solved the problem for the folks in the first group.

If you fall into the second category and frequently ignore your practice schedule, you need to commit to it. FORCE yourself to follow the practice plan. At the end of the week, evaluate your progress. What could you have done to better your football team? Work that into your next week's schedule. Constantly tell yourself during practice that you will adjust the next schedule, not the current one.

For those folks in the third group, find someone on staff with an Android phone and get them to visit the Android Market. Search for CoachTime. CoachTime is an Android Application developed to keep you on schedule. Put the number of periods, length of period (we use 20 Periods for 6 Minutes each in a normal 2 hour practice), and insert the names of your periods.

An alarm sounds every period to tell you to switch drills, focus, etc. Try out CoachTime and get on schedule!

To help keep your team on schedule in any sport, use CoachTime for Android or search CoachTime on the Android Market on your phone. Learn more about great football practices at Football-Defense.com.

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Drag Racing Horsepower

When talking about drag racing horsepower, there are two main questions you will be asked. 1. How fast do you want to go? 2. How much money do you have to spend? I was led to believe (as most drag racing beginners are also) that you gotta have lots of money in order to build a fast hot rod. Is this really true?

This is true if you plan on buying every gadget and part out there to increase your horsepower, trying to buy horsepower can literally run into the thousands of dollars; but lucky for some of you, I was born a good ole country po-boy and all my life had to improvise when others could splurge.

So when it came to building my first race car, I had to work harder and think harder to compete with the other drag racers who had store bought horsepower.

Over the years, I proved many people wrong when it came to producing horsepower on a budget, and now I am going to share my secrets on where to find hidden horsepower for basically little to no money at all.

You may be surprised to find horsepower hiding in so many unexpected places. Of course, the obvious way to gain horsepower cheaply is to reduce the weight of your car. There are numerous ways to do this which I tell about in my article weight loss for cars.

Now let's take a look at some less obvious ways to gain free horsepower. First of all, just engage the old grey matter(your brain) and really think about the parts of your car which can be removed or by-passed in order to get more power to the rear wheels.

1. You can reduce drag by putting an electric water pump drive on your car to turn the water pump, but you will need a battery charger on hand if you do this. Note: This will keep the engine cool if you remove the belt completely.

2. Certain parts take lots of energy to run, such as the alternator, power steering pump, A/C unit, water pump and air pump, because they are all driven by the crankshaft, so when you completely remove the serpentine belt and make a pass, you free up some serious horsepower. By doing this, you can transfer about 20-40 hp your rear end.

When I staged up at the light, I would take my belt completely off to rob power from the electrical system and crankshaft, by doing this, you must charge batteries in between rounds so keep a good battery charger on hand, and basically all I had running was the electrical water pump to keep the engine cool. This would free up about 20-30 horsepower.

3. Another trick you can do is instead of using the basic distributor, I would purchase a crank trigger to fire my spark plugs and this would take the drag and load off the camshaft gear.

4. More cheap horsepower is hiding and just waiting to be found when you add a set of underdrive pulleys or swap a short belt at the track. Pulleys will reduce drag on the engine by slowing the pulley speed.

5. Want to produce 10-30 horsepower with a simple change and very little money, then add a windage tray which bolts to the bottom of the engine and serves as a blocker between t he crank and the oil in the pan, and as the engine runs, it keeps oil off the counter weights of the crankshaft and reduces drag.

Even better, you can use a deep sump oil pan, it's better because it increases the distance from the crankshaft to the oil sump. The best pan is an aftermarket one which will have a mesh screen and prevents oil from splashing on the crankshaft. The very best in oil control is a dry sump which holds the oil in a separate tank, and no oil is left in the oil pan.

6. Your wheels can cause some serious drag which is known as rolling resistance. By running your front tires with as much air in them as possible you will reduce drag and improve your times.

There are several other things you can do to your car to reduce drag. Learn to make horsepower the cheap, easy, simple and sometimes free way. Drag racing horsepower doesn't have to be expensive for drag racing beginners but just accessible with just a little help from the drag racing tutor.

I am Julius R. Parker, the drag racing tutor. I have been drag racing and building hot rods for over 35 years. I focus primarily on helping drag racing beginners to learn the ins and outs of drag racing. I use old school tips, tricks and methods combined with modern technology to make it easy and simple to learn about hot rods, drag racing and building fast cars.

The more you know about drag racing horsepower, the faster you can go. Learn simple, easy, and cheap methods of making more horsepower by visiting http://www.drag-racing-tutor.com

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One Of The Best Basketball Shoes Ever Made

Do you remember the last shot that the greatest basketball player of all time took? Basketball fans certainly do. But even casual sports fans and the public in general can recall Michael Jordan's last shot. The shot that beat the Utah Jazz in game 6 of the 1998 NBA Finals. The same shot that ripped out the hearts of every basketball fan residing in Salt Lake City. Do you remember the shoes Mr. Jordan was wearing that night? Unless you are a true sneakerhead, you probably don't. If you are a sneakerhead, you are counting down the day to the holiday season. In December 2011, the last shoe "His Airness" ever wore in a NBA championship game, the AJ XIV, will be released.

The basketball shoes that Michael Jordan wore during his career as the greatest player to ever play the game are refererred to as Air Jordans. Any basketball player, athlete of any sport, or for that matter, any human being that is aware of their surroundings knows what an Air Jordan sneaker is. Currently, AJ,s are being released as "Retros". Retros are the exact model that Michael wore on the court. 25 years after the Nike released the first Air Jordan model, the shoe is being released and purchased in record numbers. There are more colorways produced today in AJ's than ever before. AJ's just might be more popular today than when Mr. Jordan was actually playing the game.

The Air Jordan Retro XIV is going to be seeing a lot of upcoming released dates. Including the same shoe that Michael Jordan wore that fateful night. The same shot that sneaker aficionados refer to as the Air Jordan "Last Shot". Appropriately titled the "Last Shot", the Jordan XIV is coming to a retailer near you this December.The same shoe that Michael wore in getting his sixth NBA finals ring. The same shoe that broke the ankles of Byron Russell. The same shoe that would be the last shoe that Jordan wore before he retired.

The AJ XIV when first made, was just a continuation of the innovative design and engineering in the shoe game that Nike has become famous for. The shoe is made of full-grain leather and contains a Zoom Air cushioning unit. As with every Jordan shoe, the inspiration for the design came from Michael himself. In this case, his Ferrari 550 M was used to create shoe's look. The sleek design and high performance of this shoe make it one of the best basketball shoes ever made. Being that it was the AJ that Michael won his sixth and final championship in, makes it one of the most legendary basketball shoes ever made.

Start saving some green, December is right around the corner!

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Choosing The Best Boxing Gloves For You

Do you need help choosing the right pair of boxing gloves? If you are a beginner who is just entering the field of boxing you are likely confused by the wide array of choices and what all of the terminology means. This article will guide you through the process of choosing the right brand, material, weight, fit, and even color for your boxing needs, so that you will be well equipped with the right gloves when you enter the ring.

As with any type of apparel, when shopping for boxing gloves you are faced with a choice between cheaper entry level brands or higher priced premium brands. How do you choose which gloves are right for you? Consider how often you will be using the gloves and for how long. If you plan to box regularly, for example twice a week or more, then it would be wise to invest in high quality premium boxing gloves. Leather is best for heavy use as it is much more durable than cheaper synthetic materials. However if you are only interested in becoming a casual boxer a cheaper pair of gloves should be sufficient.

Deciding on the right weight of boxing gloves is often the most confusing part of this process, but it doesn't have to be. The weight you need depends on your body type and the level of protection you require. Keep in mind that a heavier weight will also provide a harder workout. As a general rule, most men opt for gloves with 14oz to 16oz weights, while women go for gloves weighing 10oz to 12oz.

One thing that cannot be stressed enough is that your boxing gloves need to fit! Have you ever heard the expression "fits like a glove"? You do not want a lose fit. A boxing glove that does not fit won't pack much of a wallop. Boxing gloves tend to stretch with use so it's a good idea to buy them a little snug. If you will be wrapping your hands, be sure to bring the hand wraps with you when you head out to purchase your gloves.

Does the color of your boxing gloves really matter? Well that all depends on your sense of style. A lot of boxers like to go for the classic black or white, but if you want to stand out in the ring, choosing a brighter color can do that for you. Of course the color of your gloves will not win you fights, but it can certainly get you noticed.

Now, with all of this information, how do you make your final decision and choose that perfect pair of boxing gloves? Well keep in mind the basic points that you need to factor in when choosing a pair of gloves: brand, material, weight, fit, and color. If you are still unsure why not get help from the pros? Talk to a friend who is a boxer, visit a local boxing ring, or go to a boxing equipment store to get tips.

To put it in a nut shell your boxing gloves need to be tailored to fit your needs, whether you're a man or woman, a casual or serious boxer. Think of them as an extension of yourself!

Visit UK Boxing store for a range of quality Boxing gloves and boxing equipment for all your boxing needs