Monday, September 17, 2012
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
Tough draw for basketball's Boomers
Australia's men's basketball team has avoided the might of the United States but still faces a tough task at the London Olympics after the draw for the pools was made in Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday.
The Boomers have been drawn in Group B alongside hosts Great Britain, European heavyweights Spain, the highly-rated China and Brazil, with another qualifier yet to be determined.
Defending champions the United States have been drawn in Group A alongside Argentina, Tunisia and France, with the Americans favourites to claim their fifth gold medal in six Olympic tournaments.
The top four teams from each group qualify for the quarter-finals, with the final set to take place on August 12.
In the women's draw, the Opals face a similarly tough task after they were drawn with hosts Great Britain, Russia, Brazil and two further qualifiers.
Australia has lost the last three women's Olympic finals to arch-rivals the United States, which inflicted a comprehensive defeat on the Opals in the gold-medal game in Beijing.
Men's tournament
Group A: Argentina, France, Tunisia, USA, two qualifiers
Group B: Australia, Brazil, China, Great Britain, Spain and qualifier
Women's tournament
Group A: Angola, China, USA, three qualifiers
Group B: Australia, Brazil, Great Britain, Russia, two qualifiers
Tags: sport, olympics-summer, basketball, england, united-kingdom First posted May 01, 2012 06:37:00Monday, April 30, 2012
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Better Basketball's Better Passing
The pre-Titanic Leonardo DiCaprio stars as Jim Carroll, the poet and musician who spent much of his adolescence addicted to heroin and shooting hoops with fellow Catholic high school kids. As a biography, the film doesn't amount to more than the sum of its gritty scenes of smack use, violence, perversions (poor Bruno Kirby plays a lecherous coach who comes on to young Jim), and the usual scream-and-puke dramas that go along with a cold-turkey session. Director Scott Kalvert doesn't seem to realize that most people don't know who Carroll is and therefore can't possibly understand why they should care about his gutterball youth. DiCaprio, having nowhere to go with his performance but maintain Carroll's tailspin, is boring and redundant. Some kind of allusion to the literary and rock & roll life that follows the mess we're watching might have been helpful. --Tom KeoghPrice:
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Plastic Basketballs
Plastic basketballs are mainly used for advertising during basketball games, showing support for a particular team, as fun invitation to parties and get together, or as souvenirs. Plastic basketballs are very inexpensive, usually costing around $1-$3. Many websites and stores retailing plastic basketballs also customize or imprint them. The term plastic basketball is inclusive of both plastic and vinyl basketballs.
Vinyl basketballs are softer than plastic or acrylic basketballs. They are lobbed into crowds of spectators at basketball matches for advertising purposes, or to display support for a team. The promotional balls have a company or product logo imprinted on them while the basketballs showing team support have the team logo and a slogan showing backing for the team. Vinyl basketballs can be re-inflated, unlike plastic balls, and they are softer.
Extra-Mile.com retails the best plastic basketballs. It sells both plastic and vinyl basketballs with custom logos or slogans. A 3 ¼" diameter plastic basketball costs around $1.5 for 100 balls. As the quantity of balls ordered increase, the price comes down. So 500 plastic balls sell for around $1 each. They are available in red, blue, green, yellow and orange colors. These basketballs are also in demand as corporate gifts and souvenirs at corporate functions and fundraisers. MiniSportsBalls.com also retails vinyl and plastic mini basketballs of 4 ½" diameter. Each plastic ball costs $2 for 50 balls, with $20 extra for printing a single color design on it. Pepco.Poms.com also retails 3 ¾" colored basketballs of plastic. They are lightweight and have an imprint area panel of 2 ¼" diameter. Then there are stores like Blair Candy, which have put plastic basketballs to innovative usage by filling them up with candy and referee whistles to be distributed during games and parties.
The reason plastic basketballs are preferred over leather or rubber imprinted basketballs is that they are cheaper, lighter and more durable. There is no fear of punctures or ruptures, or any need to re-inflate these balls.
Basketballs provides detailed information about basketballs, imprinted basketballs, and more. Basketballs is affiliated with Hockey Goalie Equipment [http://www.e-hockeyequipment.com].
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Wholesale Basketballs
Purchasing basketballs wholesale is a good option for basketball leagues, training centers, schools and institutions promoting basketball. Buying basketballs in bulk is a good way to get a large number of basketballs without spending much money.
The reason non-individual users prefer buying basketballs wholesale is the sheer cost effectiveness. Almost all wholesale basketball dealers and retailers will give discounts with an increasing number of balls bought. The more orders placed, the heavier the discount. While an individual person will not need to buy more than one or two basketballs for normal usage, a coaching center, for example, may need dozens of basketballs for training it's students. Basketball wholesalers offer heavy concessions keeping these users in mind.
Atafa.com, the website of ATAFA Sporting Goods Store, for example, wholesales many basketball products like basketball nets, smaller indoor nets, and other sports equipment. The cost of the basketballs become cheaper as the number of balls bought increases. If an order is placed for a minimum of 500 balls, each colorful indoor/outdoor basketball will come for around $4-$5. Orders over 2,500 basketballs are entitled to still heavier discounts. The single colored outdoor basketball can be ordered for $3 per piece for 500 basketballs. This scheme is ideal for large basketball retailers.
Apart from sports merchandisers, basketballs can be ordered in bulk from wholesale dealers who retail all kinds of sports and non-sports goods. LiquidationStock.COM, for example, retails store returned or overstock clearance goods. Basketball here come with double discounts, firstly because of the low price on overstocked or rejected goods, and secondly because of the discount offered on bulk purchases. Opentip.COM, for example, offers basketballs on factory outlet prices if bulk purchase is involved. A Spalding Infusion Composite Basketball, for example, retails for $40 if purchased in large numbers. CloseOutCentral.COM retails Rawlings Basketballs at $3 each for 24 or more balls.
Purchasing basketballs in bulk is therefore ideal for those who want to save money and be spared the hassle of ordering repeatedly or ordering from many different stores if they need a large number.
Basketballs provides detailed information about basketballs, imprinted basketballs, and more. Basketballs is affiliated with Hockey Goalie Equipment [http://www.e-hockeyequipment.com].
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
A Perfect Pass - Promotional Basketballs
There is an almost infinite variety of promotional items that are connected to the sporting world. There is sporting equipment itself, the things actually used in the games, and then there is a huge range of accessories that support the playing of the game. Balls, water bottles, t-shirts, sweat bands, hats, bats, tees, socks, mats, towels, shorts, sweats, and jerseys are only some of the promotional items that you can get that have a connection to sports. People enjoy playing many different kinds of sports, and your promotional items can make those activities more enjoyable for their lives.
Basketball, for example, is one of this country's most popular sports. If your clients or customers, their spouses or kids enjoy this game, a free branded basketball with your company's logo and name on it is a gift they will truly enjoy. A promotional basketball will keep your company's information in their sights as they relax in their driveway or enjoy a pick-up game at the gym. They will come to associate your brand with fun and fitness, an association that can only benefit you in the long run.
Promotional basketballs come in many different sets, styles, and arrangements. You can get them in the standard competition size in the classic orange, or in a variety of colours that complement your business's name and logo. You can purchase mini basketballs, which look just like normal basketballs but are about half the diameter. These are excellent toys for both adults and children. These mini basketballs are also available in sets with hoops and back boards, with your logo printed on the back board.
In addition to basketballs themselves, there are a plethora of items that are basketball shaped or basketball themed, any of which can bear your logo. There are Frisbees that are printed like basketballs, pens with basketball tops, bubble blowers with basketball tops, stress balls that look like basketballs, basketball banks, basketball yoyos, inflatable basketball beach balls, basketball maracas, basketball pillows, basketball key chains, basketball stuffed animals, basketball notebooks, basketball can holders, basketball cell phone holders, basketball picture frames, basketball clocks, basketball memo holders, basketball jerseys, basketball bottle coolers, basketball refrigerators, basketball mug, basketball magnets, basketball kick balls, basketball ashtrays, basketball mints, and yet more basketball themed items that put your logo in people's line of vision.
Most of these branded basketballs and basketball related items are quite inexpensive and can be distributed in large quantities to crowds of people. The most expensive items are the good quality basketballs themselves, which run around £10 in most cases (except of course for the basketball shaped refrigerators, which are usually over £100). Branded basketballs are especially good items to give out at trade shows, fairs, or other events where other businesses are giving out promotional items, since items that encourage people to have a good time will stand out from other less enjoyable products. Any time your product and logo is associated with fun, both you and your customers can benefit from the relaxing atmosphere that comes with it.
Matt Franks is director of Fluid Branding, the UK's leading online supplier of Promotional Basketballs and other Promotional Products. You can also find a wide range of Eco Friendly promotional products, including Recycled, Organic and Sustainable items at Eco Incentives.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
The Complete Book on Basketball's Flex Offense
A 96 page detailed book on Basketball's Flex Offense that includes 183 clearly explained diagrams about one of the most effective offenses in basketball.
Check it out!