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What Better Gift for a Tim Tebow Fan than a Signed Tim Tebow Jersey?

ECJ — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 01:22:19 +0000

Click here to get an authentic signed Tim Tebow Denver Broncos Jersey from Sports Memorabilia

Whether you enjoy the way Tim Tebow plays football, appreciate his clean-cut image, or even admire his devotion to his faith, one thing is for sure: if you’re a Tim Tebow fan, there could be nothing more fun to get than a signed Tim Tebow Denver Broncos jersey. And if you’re shopping for a Tim Tebow fan, what better gift to give him or her?

A signed Tim Tebow jersey might be the hottest sports memorabilia item in the world right now. And you can get a Denver Broncos Tim Tebow jersey autographed by Tim from Sports Memorabilia by clicking here.

If you want a jersey signed by Tim Tebow, don’t wait, because these mementos of the Tim Tebow saga are going fast. As you might imagine.

Tim Tebow and the Broncos versus the Patriots tomorrow

Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos are slated to play the New England Patriots tomorrow in a game that has implications not only for the upcoming NFL playoffs, but for the ever-expanding scope of “Tebowmania.” (And if you want to attend, there are still tickets for this game available from TicketNetwork.)

Since taking over as the starting quarterback for the Broncos, Tebow has played a big part in engineering a 7-1 record, which has enabled the Broncos to climb atop the AFC West standings. This winning record has included miraculous comeback wins against the Chargers and Bears, due in no small part to Tebow’s uncanny knack for raising his performance in the fourth quarter.

It must be added, though, that it’s been far from a Tebow-only show. The team has come together in a big way, and stand-out performers such as kicker Matt Prater and pass-rushers Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil are also driving the winning momentum. But many of Tebow’s teammates credit his will to win and ability to lead for helping keep the Broncos’ confidence high — an attitude that leads to resilience and a will to work together even as the team falls behind (which they’ve done a lot). The Broncos are almost making a Russian-roulette-style habit of fourth-quarter comebacks.

Even if the Broncos lose to New England, they are very likely to make the playoffs, since they face only Kansas City and Buffalo in the remaining two games of the season. How will Tim Tebow add to his legend when the Broncos appear in the playoffs for the first time since 2005?

It remains to be seen, obviously, and it should be entertaining. But first there’s a significant game tomorrow that may be the most anticipated game of this NFL season — and all because Tebow’s fame has become a world-wide phenomenon. People like a winner. They like unusual characters. They like athletes who defy the odds to win. And for those reasons and more, they like Tim Tebow. (All except certain former NFL quarterbacks who just can’t seem to stop criticizing his play — and, you know, they might think about easing up on him; he’s getting better every week).

If you want a signed Tim Tebow Jersey for yourself, or to give as a gift, no time like the present…

You can get an authentic signed jersey with Tim Tebow’s autograph now and become a driver aboard the Tim Tebow bandwagon — or you can lose out on the opportunity because these pieces of sports lore are going fast. Get the jersey and either keep it to enjoy one of your favorite players, hope that it appreciates as an investment as Tebow’s career unfolds, or give it as an amazing gift to a Tim Tebow fan.

This hand-signed, blue custom Denver Broncos number 15 Tim Tebow jersey is available right now from Sports Memorabilia — a trusted online purveyor of sports memorabilia and collectibles for 10 years, with a track record of reliable customer service in supplying the merchandise that rabid sports fans crave. Click here to see Sports Memorabilia’s 100% guarantee of authenticity that applies to every piece of sports memorabilia they sell — a guarantee that means you can be confident that the signed Tim Tebow jersey you’re getting is authentic.

In other words, it’s guaranteed to carry the signature of the “Mile High Messiah” himself.

So, enjoy either getting or giving the Tim Tebow autographed Denver Broncos jersey this holiday season.

PS: If you want a piece of sports memorabilia from earlier in Tim Tebow’s career, you can also get a signed jersey from his Heisman-winning days as a player at the University of Florida — a college career than saw him lead the Gators to two national championships.

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Who Will Be Left to Play the NBA Eastern Conference Finals After the Rapture Occurs?

ECJ — Sat, 21 May 2011 02:53:27 +0000

As a basketball fan, I’m concerned about how many players will be left behind to complete the NBA Eastern Conference Finals after the Rapture occurs tomorrow.

As many of you have heard, Harold Camping, founder of a Christian radio station and an engineer, has predicted that the Rapture will occur on May 21, 2011 — an event in which Christians who believe in Harold Camping and Family Radio and who are non-evil, humble, and God-fearing will be levitated into the clouds. These Raptured folks will never return. Since Harold Camping has a degree in civil engineering, we’ll give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he’s right about that. So what does that mean for the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls, their fans, and the outcome of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals?

After the Rapture, how many players will be left behind on earth to experience the tribulation and play the remaining 5 games*? And, more importantly, who is likely to win the Series? (It is currently tied 1-1.)

Well, as to that first question, I’m pretty sure there will be some players left. I don’t know who specifically of the players on the Heat or the Bulls believe in Harold Camping’s prediction, which makes predicting who will be around for Game 3 on Sunday tricky — about as hard as predicting the winner of this series — but, while not many NBA players can be considered totally non-evil, humble, and God-fearing, there must be at least some who are. Or who are at least self-professed Christians.

Will Lebron remain and Rose rise?

Lebron will definitely still be around. His religious affiliation appears to be Roman Catholic, so he should be left behind based on that criterion alone, according to Rapture experts (who take a dim view of Catholics). Additionally, he is not humble, since he speaks of himself in the third person. So that’s a relief, eh, Heat fans? And also a blessing for the Heat’s owner, Micky Arison, who is paying Lebron $110 million. (Micky will be also be at AmericanAirlines Arena on Sunday, too, so Lebron can count on a continuing paycheck.) Also, apparently Lebron James is a member of the Illuminati, so that lets him right out.

With Lebron available for Miami, one’s mind immediately jumps to the fate of Chicago’s Derrick Rose. Will the Bulls still have their lone superstar? It’s hard to tell what religion Derrick is. The youngest-ever MVP worships basketball, obviously. However, the first tattoo he ever got was a cross with the words “Only God Can Judge Me.” This may put him on shaky ground, Rapture-wise, because it would have been better for him if the tattoo stated, “Only Harold Camping Can Judge Me.” But I think the real deal-breaker, Rapture-wise, is his “Poohdini” tattoo, which shows an image of a wizard holding a staff and a basketball. We know from their many pronouncements on the subject that Christians think wizards are in league with the Devil — after all, Christians are the ones who tried to have Harry Potter books banned from school libraries. So, I think the wizard inked on the shoulder should disqualify Derrick Rose from being Raptured. Sorry, Derrick, no clouds for you. Whew… close one, Bulls fans!

Okay, so we’ve got at least two guys staying on earth. What about Dwyane Wade? We know he’s Christian. We know he wears number 3 because of the Holy Trinity. And he tithes 10% of his salary to his Chicago church. If that weren’t bad enough (from a basketball fan’s point of view), his mother is an ordained Baptist minister. So, Dwyane is gone. Dwyane might as well already be walking through the pearly gates. He will not be available to start on Sunday. Or ever again. In other words, he’ll be a first-round draft pick by God.

The remainder of Miami’s roster

What about Chris Bosh? Well, he’s an intelligent guy — good student, went to Georgia Tech — so we can infer from that that he’s not one of Harold Camping’s followers. On the other hand, he was dumb enough to get involved with his “Basketball Wife” ex-girlfriend, so maybe, you know, he could have some religious tendencies. But not enough, I’d guess. Bosh should be around.

So now we’ve got Lebron James and Chris Bosh against Derrick Rose. Will Joakim Noah and Carlos Boozer still be on Rose’s team? Well, when he commented on religion for an interview once, Joakim said, “I believe in God, but I don’t have a particular God… I definitely want to learn about different religions. The more people know about religion and other people’s culture, the less ignorance and conflict there will be.” That pretty much excuses Noah from Rapture-hood. Christians do have a particular God and they do not want to learn about other peoples’ religions and they are not opposed to ignorance and conflict (I mean, look at Galileo, and the Crusades, and evolution, and that whole witch-burning episode, and the Inquisition), so yeah, the Bulls’ premier defensive stopper will be available for Game 3. And Carlos Boozer? He once commented that Mormons are “not bad at all.” That statement right there ensures that he’ll be missing the Rapture express. Sorry, Carlos. Plus, he has his own shoe with Nike, who, as we know, is a Greek goddess. That should put the kabosh on any remaining doubts about his post-Rapture status. In other words, Boozer will still be around to post up the non-righteous Chris Bosh.

Unfortunately, Mike Bibby won’t be shooting any more 3′s for Miami. He states that he’s a Christian on his MySpace page and he has said that he’s a religious person. And who are we to doubt Mike? MySpace is almost certainly good enough for God, so it’s floaty-uppy for Mike.

Miami center Joel Anthony will also not be around. He went to a Christian school. Plus, he’s Canadian, which almost automatically makes him humble. But Mario Chalmers should still be on Miami’s roster. It’s not clear what his religion is, but he lost a stare-down to Blake Griffin once, so there’s some evidence that he’s more intimidated by Blake Griffin than he is by God. Rapture is for the God-fearing, not the Blake-fearing. We’ll assume Mario will not be joining the faithful in the firmament. What about Erick Dampier and Zydrunas Ilgauskas? Will Miami have any height remaining at center? Doesn’t look good regarding Dampier. Erick attended church every Sunday as a kid and now he does things like work with the Boys and Girls Club of Mississippi every off-season. I’m pretty sure Erick will be hoovered up. Regarding Ilgauskas, prospects appear a little better. 79% of Lithuanians profess to be Roman Catholic and, according to many Christian Fundamentalists, Catholics just don’t make the grade with God. Moreover, in a 2005 poll, only 49% of Lithuanians believe there is a God (though that doesn’t quite square with the preceding stat on Roman Catholicism). In any event, if Zydrunas has a religion, it’s most likely Roman Catholic, and if he doesn’t, he probably doesn’t believe in God. Either way, it’s ixnay on the apture-Ray for ydrunas-Zay. Finally — and this is probably the most significant — Zydrunas Ilgauskas professes to enjoy reading books. So, though Ilgauskas hasn’t exactly been a force of biblical proportions in the playoffs up until now, he’ll at least look intimidating sitting on the bench. Jamaal Magloire? Another Canadian. He’ll be gone… He operates several charitable foundations and runs clinics for underprivileged children. If that isn’t enough, in high school he played for the Saints.

How about Udonis Haslem, who has made important contributions to the Heat since the Conference Finals began? I think he’ll be around. He wants to be the mayor of Miami when he’s done playing. No politician is genuinely humble, non-evil, and God-fearing. Juwan Howard? In the first two games, he’s 0-1. Who cares?

What remaining heathen will Chicago have?

Chicago-wise, we have to take a look at Luol Deng. He grew up in a Christian family in Sudan but, after moving to Egypt, he respectfully helped his Muslim friends celebrate Ramadan. Whoa, Bulls fans — you dodged a Rapture-bullet there, and should be able to count on some continued scoring punch from Deng, with his Muslim-respecting feet remaining firmly on the ground. Except, of course, when he’s dunking on Lebron.

Solid Chicago sub Taj Gibson is a bit more of an unsure thing. Though he attended Calvary Christian School in San Fernando, CA, where he received a “Christ-centered education,” he states that his favorite basketball players are Jamaal Tinsley and Lamar Odom. See, I’m pretty sure that’s the kind of humor God doesn’t appreciate. Even worse, Taj posterized Dwyane Wade with a dunk in Game 1 of the series. We already know how much God likes Dwyane Wade. I think heaven won’t be able to use Taj. Fortunately, Chicago will be able to use his defense and rebounding.

How about Kyle Korver? Kyle is like, what, -2 for 18 so far in this series? But soon his shooting slump will not matter, one way or another, because Kyle has been described as a “great young Christian man,” and his father is an evangelical pastor with his own church. Tomorrow, Kyle will be going to that big gym in the sky, along with his father and Harold Camping.

And what of the rest of the bench-sitters on both teams? Brian Scalabrine and Kurt Thomas for the Bulls? Eddie House and Dexter Pittman for the Heat? Well, let’s look at it statistically. According to Harold Camping, about 200 million people will be Raptured up on May 21. That’s 200 million out of a population of 6 billion. So that means that each of the remaining players has a 1 in 30 chance of being sucked into the sky. The thing is, each of those players has shown himself to be capable of beating the odds — first by becoming NBA players, which only a few hundred people get to be, and second by still being in the playoffs while 26 other NBA teams are sitting at home on their butts on their Elite home theater loungers. Just by those very facts, we must assume that these exceptional men will once again defy the odds and be taken into God’s bosom tomorrow, along with the other lucky 200 million humble, non-evil, God-fearing, Harold Camping-believing Christians.

Which is fine, because, even though they’re NBA scrubs, they’re still scrubs.

So where does that leave things with regard to the Eastern Conference Finals? It’ll be Lebron, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, Ilgauskas, and Haslem versus Rose, Joakim Noah, Boozer, Deng, and Taj Gibson. A permanently elevated Wade will be too much of a liability for Miami to overcome. I pick Chicago in 6.

* If necessary

The Most Entertaining Potential Match-up for the 2011 NBA Finals

ECJ — Sat, 16 Apr 2011 00:01:16 +0000

The NBA playoffs begin tomorrow and there is at least one match-up in the first round in each conference (Boston versus New York in the east and Oklahoma City versus Denver in the west), that should not only be highly entertaining, but not too lopsided. After the lower seeds are winnowed out, the competition will only intensify in subsequent rounds as the best and hungriest players in the league scratch and claw their way to the 2011 NBA title. (Do you want to see at least one playoff game in person? Is your local ticket vendor sold out? You can still find NBA Playoff tickets here for reasonable prices.)

But which two teams would it be fascinating to see in the Finals? Who would be the ideal match-up?

How about the New York Knicks versus the Denver Nuggets?

Twists and Turns of the Regular Season

The 2010-11 NBA season has been interesting and dramatic in a number of ways. Remember the prediction that the Heat would win more than 72 games? (Here’s what I had to say about that in November.) There was the unexpected dominance of San Antonio (until late in the season, at least). There were Blake Griffin’s jaw-dropping highlights. There was the big trade between Orlando and Phoenix. There was Jerry Sloan’s shocking retirement. And how about Kevin Love schooling the league in how to rebound and put up double-doubles? (53 consecutive games? Who could have predicted that?) And there was the soap opera surrounding the fate of Carmelo Anthony. As soon as he refused to sign the contract extension that the Nuggets offered him, along with putting his Denver mansion up for sale, basketball fans in Denver could see the texting on the wall: “C ya.” Anthony played his usual brand of impressive one-on-one ball up until he was traded to the Knicks for, well, the entire Knicks team. Denver fans — some of the more knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and optimistic around the league — even refrained from booing him during home games until the bitter end (there were some boos as the trade deadline approached and it became clear that Anthony was going to spurn Colorado for the bright lights of the east coast). I suppose the folks in the stands hoped he might change his mind if they were nice to him.

At least we didn’t have to wait until the summer for him to have his own lame ESPN show about which team he’d go to.

But you know what was odd about it all? Almost before the ink on his new contract was dry, Anthony became a sort of distant memory in Denver. Nuggets fans immediately embraced the 10 or 15 new players (yeah, I’m exaggerating) who arrived in town. They were eagerly curious to see what sort of team they had on their hands. Sure, they missed home-town hero Chauncey Billups, who was an unfortunate casualty of the trade crossfire and had to reluctantly pack his bags for New York. But as for the general feeling, it was sort of like: Carmelo… Been-There-Done-That.

In New York, after getting a closer look at Melo in a few home games, it seems Knicks fans began to wonder: just what sort of player have we got here?

What New York got was an effective scorer who is never reluctant to single-handedly attack the basket, sometimes against double and triple teams. What they’ve also got is a player who will never make the All-NBA defensive team. What they’ve got is a superstar who has yet to figure out how to make his team better, how to elevate the strengths of his teammates. And if he hasn’t figured that out by now, after seven years in the league, he may never figure it out.

And what sort of team did Denver wind up with? Only a group of somewhat undersung guys that manged to go 18-7 after the trade, the highest-scoring team in the NBA (one place ahead of guess-who — New York). But in addition to scoring, the Nuggets had suddenly acquired a dimension of scrappy, turnover-producing defense and share-the-ball selflessness that hadn’t been consistently seen since Anthony’s advent in town. They even started boxing out on the boards (which the Knicks do not do, and Anthony won’t change that).

In basketball, teamwork is paramount. While it generally takes a superstar or two to win a championship, superstars only win if they meld their talents effectively with the rest of the team, if they synergistically leverage their ability by helping raise the level of everyone else. In addition, they’ve got to be a multi-dimensional superstar. They can’t just be good at one thing, like scoring. They’ve got to be great at scoring and defense, or rebounding and defense, or defense and passing. Jordan was great in at least 3 areas (scoring, defense, and passing). So was Bill Russell (defense, rebounding, and he became a good passer). Kobe is great at scoring and defense. Notice a trend here? Any superstar who intends to win a championship must play effective defense, or at least not make many defensive mistakes. Melo is a good scorer.

Click for NBA gear from FansEdge

After the trade, the Nuggets began to play better team basketball. They began figuring out how to blend their skills effectively. There could be a different star each night. In the absence of the eclipsing superstar gas-giant planet that was Melo, they began to blossom as a team and individually. And they began having more fun.

Ty Lawson, promoted to a starting role, almost immediately came into his own as a point guard (and added an element of quickness on defense that was lacking with Chauncey Billups). J. R. Smith began to wield his formidable talents more selflessly and intelligently. The players from the Knicks — former Tar Heel Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari — showed that they could play well both individually and in support of others. This team without a superstar began to play some pretty good ball. And as they had fun (sometimes 5 or more players scoring in double figures in a game), they made it entertaining to watch.

Now the “real season” begins…

There’s a lot of tension and excitement in the NBA playoffs, the so-called “real” season. But what would be more dramatic than a match-up in the NBA Finals between the Nuggets and the Knicks? You’d have solid team play and defense pitted against two scoring superstars in Anthony and Stoudemire, with the backdrop of the trade to sweeten the pot. There would be the sub-plot of student-versus-master with Ty Lawson and Chauncey Billups. You’d have the aspect of no coach in the league knowing better how to play against Carmelo than George Karl. Yet Mike D’Antoni would have intimate knowledge of his ex-Knicks’ strengths and weaknesses. You’d have Denver fans anxious to observe Anthony learning yet again that individual accomplishment alone is not what wins championships. And New York fans ambivalently watching their former, somewhat under-appreciated players kick their ass.

Click to see great NBA murals at Fathead

A fair amount of unlikely things would have to happen for that match-up to occur. First, the Knicks would have to beat the Celtics in the first round, which is unlikely. And they would be heavily favored to lose against any team they would subsequently face if they somehow got past Boston.

Second, the Nuggets would most likely have to beat both the Spurs and the Lakers to win the western conference. While they haven’t fared badly against those teams this season, it’s a different proposition in the playoffs. If the Lakers make it to the conference finals (as seems likely, since Kobe Bryant is still the one player in the league who wants to win a championship more than anyone else, including Lebron), the Nuggets would somehow have to prove that the Lakers don’t have their number. Maybe, just maybe, with what in essence is a brand new team, they could do that.

But first they have to get past the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. And, as of this moment, that also seems unlikely. Some of the most important Nuggets players (Arron Afflalo, Nene, Lawson) are banged up. And Oklahoma had begun to play some formidable ball as the regular season concluded. Kevin Durant is hitting on all cylinders, Westbrook and Harden are playing well, and the addition of Kendrick Perkins has really strengthened them inside. Even if all the Nuggets players were healthy, the Thunder would be a tough match-up for them.

But, we’ll see. That’s what they play the series for.

Of course, if you’re a Chicago or Orlando or New Orleans fan, you won’t prefer to see the Knicks versus the Nuggets. But if your team happens to lose, what match-up would be more entertaining for those who appreciate multiple dramatic threads in a playoff series?

In any event, if you’ve never been to an NBA playoff game, you should try to attend at least one. The electric atmosphere and intensity of the games are something to experience close up. And if you buy your playoff tickets through TicketNetwork (and it’s likely they will be your best bet, since many local venues have already sold out of their allotment), NBA playoff tickets are surprisingly affordable. For example, you can get tickets for as low as $24 to the game in Denver between the Thunder and the Nuggets on April 24. You can find tickets for around $30 to see the Heat against the Pacers in Miami on April 18. You can find tickets for as low as $13 to see the Grizzlies versus the Spurs on April 23 in Memphis. All of these and every other NBA playoff game are available now from TicketNetwork, an efficient, secure, guaranteed way to buy tickets online. Their website is informative and clear to use, plus they’re known for good customer service. (I wouldn’t recommend them if they weren’t one of the better ticket-brokers around.)

And, since you’re reading this post, you can even get a deal. TicketNetwork has provided me with a coupon code I can pass along to you. Right now, place an order over $350 at TicketNetwork.com and get $10 off using coupon code AFF$10. Let your friends know about it, too, via the sharing buttons below. (But don’t wait, because this deal ends April 30.)

It’s a great time of year to be a basketball fan. Catch a game! And, if you like, leave a comment about your take on the NBA playoffs below…

Alvaro Quiros Drives to the Lead in the 2011 Masters Using His Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver

ECJ — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 04:53:42 +0000

Alvaro Quiros is one of the longest drivers among pro golfers and his ability to blast tee shots to the 330-yard mark and beyond has now been coupled with one of the most advanced golf drivers ever created — the Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver.

The combination of the Callaway RAZR Hawk and Quiros’ talent propelled him to a share of the lead on the first day of the 2011 Masters Tournament.

This apparently is no fluke. After Callaway released the RAZR Hawk Driver to the world in February, Quiros promptly used it to capture the Dubai Desert Classic in, well, classic fashion, hitting a hole-in-one on the 11th hole (after triple-bogeying the eighth) to win by one stroke. (And the week before, also using the new Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver, fellow Callaway pro Thomas Bjorn out-dueled Quiros and won the Qatar Masters title.) After years of middling-to-good results on the European Tour, the 28-year-old Spaniard seems to have hit his stride at just the right time. As he mentions in a Callaway bio video, when he finally got clubs made for him (as a boy, he used his father’s heavy clubs), he found that his quick swing, long arms, and height allowed him to regularly hit golf drives which most mortals can only dream about. (An “average” golfer hits a drive around 200 yards.) On the first day of the 2011 Masters Tournament, he was hitting crazy-long, achieving the best distance out of a field of 99 players, and also putted effectively to card a 65 and share the top of the leader board with Rory McIlroy.

What does this have to do with you? Maybe you’ve been thinking about upgrading your golf equipment, and a great driver is one of the best things to start with…

The drive in golf is perhaps the most crucial shot on each hole (a view shared by Ben Hogan, among others), and the Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver is a precision instrument that still manages to do a great amount of violence to the ball. When it’s time to tee it up, if you can’t consistently drive it straight (or draw it around a corner or fade it away from water), almost no amount of skill with the irons will save you (unless you’re Phil Mickelson). And if you can’t drive it accurately and fairly long — whether as a pro, a low-handicap amateur, or an aspiring recreational golfer — you’ll never get to take full advantage of your ability to make a reasonable putt.

In other words, the drive is the foundation of the score on a given hole, and the Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver is a cutting-edge implement that will enable you to propel the ball down the fairway in impressive fashion and give yourself the best opportunity to birdie the hole.

Pro Reviews of the Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver

Here’s what some of the professional testers at PGA.com had to say about the RAZR Hawk Driver after they tested it along with a collection of other new drivers in March, 2011:

“Among the top-rated models in the test. RAZR Hawk packs a big punch.”
“Several testers hit the club longer than their current club — as much as 20 yards farther — with consistent results.”
“Heel or toe hits are quite playable.”
“Very stable, head-heavy feel; shots jump off the springy face…”
“Improved feel over previous Callaway composite drivers.”
“Testers hit all sorts of shots with ease; repeatable, hot flight.”

Repeatable hot flight — that sounds like what you need, doesn’t it? That’s what Alvaro Quiros is experiencing.

Click to see spec's of the Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver

You can tell from their product description of this golf club that Callaway is proud of it. The Forged Composite technology they used to build the club was developed in collaboration with Lamborghini; engineers from the two companies fabricated a material that uses millions of “turbostratic carbon fibers” to precisely control the thickness and shape of the head. The new material is one-third as dense as titanium yet features a greater load-carrying capacity per unit mass in bending. This translates to greater lightness in the head, which enables a longer club configuration for faster head speed, ball speed, and greater distance without sacrificing “forgiveness.”

Anyway, you’ve got to figure that any golf club developed in conjunction with Lamborghini has got to be cool.

Customer Reviews of the RAZR Hawk Driver

What does this translate to for, say, an intermediate player? Here’s a review of the Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver from a customer (who plays “every couple of months”) at Golfsmith:

“Yes, this Callaway driver is great! I’ve tested a lot of the drivers but the Callaway definitely tops it… This driver is much better than their Diablo and the feel is fantastic. I have the Callaway FT-9 Tour which is almost a mirror to the new RAZR. Give it a chance and rip it… you will not be disappointed.”

Here’s what a couple of customers had to say about the RAZR Hawk Driver on the Callaway site:

“I like the way it looks when at address. It is easier to hit than I thought it would be and gave me 20 yards more in my drives — it gave me 20 yards further distance in my swing and the comments from my fellow golfers were: ’Boy, did you hit the ball much farther than you did before’.”

“Head volume/size seems to be a little smaller, and really sets up ‘clean’ and square at address. Forgiveness appears to be excellent, especially mis-hits on the toe. Distance is excellent, and feel/playability performance is not compromised as a result of the improved distance. I’m really not into the adjustment features of a number of new clubs, so I really like the clean set-up of this club, and simplicity. The last thing I need is a wrench or some other tool to tote around with [sic]. Sometimes, great clubs should just be left alone.”

Get a Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver for yourself, and you’ll want to be left alone to hone your driving distance and accuracy. And, after all, isn’t golf ultimately about hitting the ball in a satisfying way? Lower scores…impressing your buddies…feeling confident in your game are all great, too, but when you come right down to it, a well-hit golf shot is its own reward. And you should seriously consider adding the Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver to your bag if you want to experience that feeling more often. You can get it from In the Hole Golf or Golfsmith right now — two outstanding places to shop for a huge selection of the best golf equipment online, with good prices (featuring frequent coupons and sales — see the various banners and links on this page for current deals) and excellent customer service. (The RAZR Hawk Driver comes in a Tour version and other models, too. Click here to see current Masters-related deals at Golfsmith and shop for the entire RAZR Hawk line, but note: some items from the Callaway brand and other brands are excluded from some deals.)

As for the fate of Alvaro Quiros in the current Masters Tournament, time will tell… Today he gave up a little ground, but he’s still in the thick of things. As the final two rounds loom, and he finds himself in contention on the weekend for the first time in his career at Augusta National, this is what he’ll be carrying in his bag:

Callaway RAZR Hawk Driver, 9.5°, with Grafalloy Blue X shaft
Callaway X Tour Fairway Woods (13°), X (15.5°), with Grafalloy Blue X shafts
Callaway RAZR X Muscleback Irons (which will be available to everyone on May 1, 2011). In the meantime, you can get his previous irons: Callaway X Prototype Irons (3 PW)
Callaway X-Forged Vintage Wedges (51° and 58°) with Rifle Lite 8.0 shafts
Odyssey Black Series i#1 Putter
Callaway Tour iz Balls (also used by Phil Mickelson)

If you want to emulate a player who’s starting to break into golf’s upper echelons, consider taking advantage of what the above excellent golf equipment can do for your game. You can get it all at Golfsmith (where you can also take advantage of their “Playability Guarantee”) or In the Hole Golf. It remains to be seen whether Quiros can prevail in a major* over veterans such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, as well as young guns like Rory McIlroy, but with his ability to go long and the best equipment modern technology can offer, he’s given himself a fighting chance, and that’s all any tournament pro can ask for.

And when you want to see how long you’re driving the ball with your new club(s), use the Garmin Approach G5 Touchscreen golf GPS unit.

Speaking of asking for things, take advantage of the following coupons to stock up on golf gear now at Golfsmith and In the Hole Golf (note that certain items of some brands, including Callaway, are excluded from some deals):

Closeout Sale on FootJoy Shoes Starting at just $39.99 only at Golfsmith.com!

Get Free Shipping on any order over $75 at InTheHoleGolf.com. Expires 10/31/11

Save 10% Off your order with code GT7G3NFS only at Golfsmith.com! Offer ends 10/31/11

*Update 4/11/11: Quiros shot 75 on Saturday and 74 on Sunday to finish tied for 27th — the same position, incidentally, as Phil Mickelson.

Cheap 2011 Calendars

ECJ — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 04:37:50 +0000

Some of the best 2011 calendars are on sale now for a good discount at Calendars.com. These are the cheapest calendars you can get for this year. (On April 19, use coupon code SPRING to get half off ALL 2011 calendars that aren’t already marked down.)

This sale of 2011 calendars will only last for a limited time. Calendars.com has probably the best selection of calendars available online. And right now, many of their most popular wall and desk calendars are priced at 50 – 75% off. That is a cheap calendar! So for all of you who’ve been waiting to find a calendar at a reduced price, wait no more…

Update on 9/8/11: Today is the final day to buy 2011 calendars at Calendars.com. Click here to get them for up to 90% off. 90% off is about as cheap as you can get without being free! (And of course, you can find calendars guys will like for 2012 now, too.)

But you may wonder: can you still get a decent, interesting calendar a quarter of the way through 2011? Sure. For canine fans, their discounted 2011 calendars include popular dog calendars — such as a pug calendar, for all you pug fans – and a greyhound calendar for under $5!

You can find an even bigger selection of dog calendars on sale at their associated site, DogBreedStore.com.

In addition, Calendars.com is discounting other popular categories, such as folk art calendars, music calendars, and sports calendars. And you can find educational, mind-expanding options, such as a scientific calendar or history calendar. Just search all the categories on their site. The selection they offer is huge and you will get free shipping when you place an order of $20 or more, or $5 flat rate shipping…

I previously posted a more in-depth review of some of the best, most entertaining, most creative 2011 calendars, which you can find here.

But be sure to check out this sale of inexpensive calendars now at Calendars.com because it will only last a limited time. Find something cool and entertaining for your wall or desk for a great sale price (that will, you know, also tell you the date)! Or take advantage of cheap calendars to give as gifts…

Calendars.com has customer reviews and staff reviews (including videos) of many of their most popular calendars, which means you can buy with greater confidence. (And when I say “cheap,” I don’t mean mediocre quality, I mean “inexpensive.” As in: “good deal.”) Here, for example, is one customer’s review of a pug calendar (For the Love of Pugs 2011 Deluxe Wall Calendar):

“Beautiful photos and good quality paper! I enjoy ordering calendars from you. The service is great and the price is right.”

Get Ready for Your Super Bowl Party, Part 2: Food

ECJ — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 17:54:44 +0000

Now that you’ve taken care of your party-ware, decorations, and equipment for your Super Bowl party (and if you haven’t, see my previous post on Super Bowl party supplies), it’s time to put the crowning touch on it: food.

The heart of any well-executed, successful gathering is the food. And though this is a party focused on a football game, the food you serve will be at least as memorable (if you do it right) as the big plays and the commercials.

Of course, this being a Super Bowl party and all, your main dish will probably be meat. What kind of meat is up to you, but you can’t go wrong by offering several options. The question then is: where to get it?

Now, it may seem a little odd that I’m recommending getting your Super Bowl party food online (after all, can’t you just go to the supermarket and pick up some ground beef?), especially if you’ve never ordered food online before, but it’s a sure path to scrumptiousness and the appreciation of your guests. Think about it. Most people are still not terribly accustomed to ordering food online. Therefore, the companies that have been successfully selling food online for awhile must be doing something very right. In other words, they have a superior product. That being the case, you can’t go wrong by patronizing the following online merchants.

Classic Steakburger from Kansas City Steak Company

First, the meat. Here your go-to source is Kansas City Steak Company. Since 1932, they’ve been supplying top-quality meat, raised in the mid-west (as you’d expect from a company established in Kansas), to discerning carnivores throughout the nation. They’ve embraced the most modern distribution channels over the decades, so it’s only fitting that they’ve established a successful presence on the Internet. Their steaks are second to none (for example, their Wagyu Kobe Filet Mignon), but since this is a Super Bowl party and not the celebration of your company being bought by Google, you’ll probably want to go with their specialty steakburgers and hot dogs. You don’t have to be completely traditional, though. Kansas City Steak Company also offers chicken and turkey, ribs, and seafood. And when you’re done eating all that, they even provide gourmet desserts. (See compliments for Kansas City Steak Company from the knowledgeable guys at Chowhound.)

A side of smoked salmon from Mackenzie Limited

But as I said, you will score even more points with your guests by going with several meat options. And to expand your fare, rely on Mackenzie Limited. Their claim to fame is smoked salmon. I mean, really good smoked salmon, including smoked salmon from Scotland. In business since 1984, Mackenzie Limited has expanded its catalog over the years to include 350 of the best gourmet products available online. (In fact, you might want to add to your bucket list: “Eat every kind of food that Mackenzie Limited sells at least once.”) They offer lamb, beef, pork, caviar, duck, turkey, and chicken — even vegetarian entrées (should for some reason you wish to go in that direction for a party celebrating football’s most intensive gladitorial mayhem). They even have hors d’oeuvres — and for starters, you should definitely consider offering your guests some warm lobster spread and artichoke gruyere dip. They have desserts, too. For example, their Whoopie Pies – shaped like X’s and O’s – are perfect for a gridiron get-together.

If you’re a particular fan of hot dogs, you also might want to expand your links options with sausages, frankfurters, and knockwurst from Gourmet Food Store, such as the duck and pork sausage with figs (pictured at left). They have a variety of sausages made in the old-world European style, including kielbasa and Spanish chorizo. Get some good hot dog buns, a few condiments (from Gourmet Food Store — or see below for further condiment sources) and you’ll be set. To purchase hot dog buns in quantity and save, you can go to Food Service Direct. They have, for example, Mountain Farm whole grain hot dog buns. And if you need additional kitchen implements or hard-to-find food items, Food Service Direct has about 50,000 high-quality products from which to choose. Or try the gluten-free tapioca hot dog buns from ENER-G (from Buy.com in bulk).

If you want to go in a more premium direction — think surf-and-turf — you can add lobster to your steakburgers (or steak) by going to Lobsters-Online, a company located on Cape Cod that for over 35 years has been shipping lobsters and other seafood throughout the USA. They have expanded their offerings to include free-range, grass-fed beef from Montana, so you can take advantage of their lobster-tail-and-meat combos or their surf-and-turf feasts. Click here to see all their delicious offerings and to order (and to find out how to handle your live lobsters after they’re delivered).

Pommery Meaux Grain Mustard from Fairway Marketplace

Getting back to hors d’oeuvres and other things to complement your meal, I wanted to mention that Sur La Table, well-known by cooking aficionados for their extensive inventory of high-quality kitchen tools and equipment, also has food — quite a large selection of good things to eat.

And in that regard, if you’re in any way a cheese lover — and, when you have some crackers around, who isn’t? — you should check out their collection. They particularly feature cheeses from the Di Bruno Brothers company of Philadelphia and Academia Barilla in Italy. If you want some unusual, excellent cheese for your party, try the Di Bruno American Cheese Sampler. And for sandwich condiments and meat marinades, check out Sur La Table’s condiments section — blue cheese dijon mustard, cranberry horseradish sauce, and smoky apple barbecue sauce, among others.

Plus, if you need a charcoal starter, an indoor grill (could be raining or snowing that day, you know), a meat thermometer, or a grill pan, they’ve got that covered, as well.

A second excellent place to get all sorts of unusual appetizers and exotic foods online is Fairway Marketplace, New York City’s legendary market, whose slogan is “Like No Other Market.” Foodies in New York are devoted to Fairway Market, so you know they must have something on the ball. Click the previous text link to check their selection of food, coffee, condiments, sauces, and more. Or just click on the picture of the Pommery Meaux Grain Mustard above to get some for your burgers and brats (trust me, this is great mustard).

Another online store known for their comprehensive supply of cooking equipment is Cooking.com but again, you might not be aware that they carry a lot of tasty food items, too, such as: a 2-pound sampler of favorite igourmet cheeses, Australian Watercrackers, Paula Deen Hot Sauce and Marsh Mud Cookies, etc. And if you’re looking for some appetizing recipes, they have over 8,000 to browse, including football party appetizers.

Carnitas from MexGrocer

Click for a serving basket from Mex Grocer

Nowadays it’s hard to find a party anywhere in America that doesn’t include at least a bit of Mexican fare. I mean, how did we get along, appetizer-wise, before tortilla chips and guacamole? Tacos and burritos have become almost as popular as hamburgers. Salsa can be found on top of almost anything, and then there are refried beans and carnitas… If you want interesting Mexican food to spice up your Super Bowl shindig, check out MexGrocer, the popular and highly-rated site for anything and everything having to do with Mexican cuisine. They offer, for example, complete kits for preparing your own tamales. They have more brands of salsa than you can shake a piñata at (I like Herdez myself), as well as habanero sauces, many kinds of dried and canned peppers, and chorizo. They have sections devoted to gourmet foods and Mexican recipes. And, of course, all the hardware you need to cook the stuff. Oh, and dozens of types of tortilla (and other) chips. The site is easily navigated and the prices and customer service are good.

And if you want to get even more exotic in the food department with your appetizers and main dishes, go to La Tienda – authentic food and kitchen items from Spain: paella, serrano ham, bread, wine, cheese, olives, and more. Their site repays repeated exploration — you can feel yourself absorbing more worldliness as you wander through it (not to mention getting hungry). Even if you choose another direction than Spanish food for your Super Bowl bash, you’ll want to come back to La Tienda for a future event or just to try something for yourself. Once you do, you’ll likely be a customer for life.

Now for a bit different kind of service: if you’re in Green Bay Packers land (i.e., most of Wisconsin), and environs, you can order groceries from Peapod – everything from brats to pizza to pickles to beer to soda. They deliver within certain areas on the east coast, too. Click here to take advantage of food and related items delivered to your door, including fully cooked meals. Why go out and shop at various stores when you can order everything you want online – from meat to fresh vegetables — and have it brought over for a nominal fee? You can use the time you save to make final adjustments to your fantasy football team. Or to get creative in the kitchen. Or for sleeping. Once you experience the convenience of Peapod’s service, it becomes habit-forming. You’ll wonder why you ever wasted all that time driving and shopping. Go to their site now to see if they’re available in your area (and, for a limited time, get $10 off your first order using code PPAFF10). If you’re in Manhattan, you can get $15 off your first order using code NYCJ15. If you’re in the Philadelphia area, you can save $20 off your first order at Peapod.com using code AFFL20.

Another extensive online shopping service is offered by Ozbo. And not only do they have hundreds of thousands of products, including popular brands of prepared foods and other groceries, they discount everything, sometimes quite impressively. People are finding they can use Ozbo to get many of their most useful and perishable household items (such as diapers, pet supplies, batteries, and paper towels), save money, and have everything delivered right to their door. Party-wise, they have popular brands of chips, condiments, snacks, olives, pickles, etc., not to mention balloons and decorative napkins. Additionally, customers tend to rave about Ozbo’s customer service (they’re a Shopwiki approved store, for one thing). There’s a reason Ozbo has experienced explosive growth since its founding over 30 years ago — they do things right, now offering over 1,000,000 products on the Web, and prompt shipping. Use the search box below to find what you want at Ozbo.

Chocolate-covered mini-pretzels from Chocolate.com

You know, thinking about snacks and appetizers, I want to make a suggestion here for something that would most likely be a hit at your party: chocolate-covered pretzels. What could be better than a combination of two of the most popular snack foods ever? If you go with them, your party will become legendary. You can serve them before kickoff, during halftime, and for dessert. Some of your guests will gorge themselves and beg for more. They will be grateful. You will be known as a party-hosting god. Find over 150 types of chocolate-covered pretzels at Chocolate.com. Offer different versions, and you will become a legend among your friends.

Cookies from Dancing Deer Baking Co.

Speaking of dessert, have you thought about that? You can’t have an outstanding feast without including something sweet at the end. There are impressive dessert options available at the companies listed above. However, I want to mention two more… First: Dancing Deer Baking Co.. In particular, their cookies are excellent, though they also carry brownies and cakes, too. Cookies are easy to serve and everybody likes them (particularly from Dancing Deer).

And second, if you want to go all out in a decadent direction, Savorique will supply the pièce de résistance your party deserves. They have just about any sweet thing you can imagine, but their cheesecakes are a special, gourmet dessert treat. (And this treat will help soothe the feelings of football fans if their team loses. Though it might require more than one piece.)

I know I haven’t mentioned much about beverages until now. Obviously, you’re gonna want something to drink. You’ll probably have some ideas about that (and maybe have your guests simply BYOB) and you don’t necessarily need to find your soda, beer, and whatnot online, but there is one thing that you can get online that might be better than what you’ll find at your local supermarket: wine.

If you’re doing a more elegant and sophisticated Super Bowl party, then you’ll probably want to offer some wine (for example, to go with your Ribeye Steaks or Spanish ham). And the place to go for wine recommendations and good prices on top-flight vintages is Personal Wine. They have high-quality wine for as little as $15 a bottle (and you can add a personalized label, which might be fun for the party) and, if you’re not sure what to try, browse the recommendations and reviews by their expert staff. For example, to go with steak: ’04 Wings Napa Cabernet Sauvignon.

After so much good food, some people will want coffee (particularly if it’s a cold day). The best choice here is Marley Coffee, a company run by Bob Marley’s son Rohan.

Though some might prefer tea. After all, it’s getting more popular and the health benefits are pretty significant. Who says a nice cup of green tea won’t complement the 12 ounces of beef you just consumed? It might add the crowning touch to your satiation. One of the best places to get tea, from Earl Gray to Rainforest Mate, is Mighty Leaf Tea.

On the other hand, maybe you just want to have a party focused almost exclusively on viewing the game — after all, that’s what everybody’s there for, right? Football. Some Super Bowl. You want to concentrate on watching two of the most successful NFL franchises in history knock each other’s heads off. Who has the bandwidth to eat much? But you’ll still want some nosh, if only to have something to do with your hands when you’re not throwing them up in the air at the bad calls. So: popcorn. That’s right, the snack that accompanies every quintessential American pastime. But not just any popcorn… you want popcorn made on your own popcorn machine from Stargate Cinema. Delicious and plentiful. Plus you can watch it pop. Your buddies will be impressed. Then, they’ll be even more impressed when it’s time to watch the game and you sit down on your Fortress Theater Seating chairs.

Popcorn, big overstuffed individual recliners, high-def TV, and the Super Bowl. What could possibly be better?

Now you’re ready for some football.

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Get Ready for Your Super Bowl Party, Part 1: Party Supplies and Accessories

ECJ — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 18:54:52 +0000

Click here to get a Super Bowl XLVI pennant

The biggest football day of the year is coming up and you’re planning on having a Super Bowl party, aren’t you? You know — whether it’s just a couple of your buds, a bag of chips and some brews, or you invite a crowd that fills every room of your house — football goes better with a bunch of friends. Following are ideas and resources for football-themed party supplies, decorations, and other stuff to help you host a Super Bowl party that you and your guests will enjoy. (Even if the game itself doesn’t live up to the hype.)

There are some good places online to get supplies for football game parties or a Super Bowl party specifically. I’ve combed the Internet to find the best deals and prices, plus suggestions for fun items you might want to include, from football-shaped serving trays to NFL Team gear to the right TV on which to watch the game…

First, you need some basic football party supplies — cups for beverages, plates for brats, pretzels, and burgers, bowls for chili, utensils to spear and scoop things, and napkins to save your couch from greasy fingerprints. How elaborate you get after those basics (table cloth, balloons, inflatable cooler?) is up to you (and is probably somewhat determined by whether you share your abode with a female). Where can you get Super-Bowl-themed eating equipment like that? Why, from BuyCostumes, of course.

For example, Super Bowl XLV plastic cups:

And a football-shaped serving tray:

Football-shaped serving tray

BuyCostumes is a lot more than just a costume store. Think of them as your one-stop event shop. They have everything you need to focus your Super Bowl party, to give it fun authenticity. Plus make it convenient: plastic silverware, paper plates — everything that can be thrown away (or recycled) afterwards, which is the American way. Or simply order a football party kit that’s pre-made. This year, you especially might want kits for the Green Bay Packers or the Pittsburgh Steelers.

On the other hand, if you take environmental considerations into account, you can get biodegradable plates, utensils, and other stuff at BuyGreen (which is also the American way).

Galvanized Tub for drinks

Want another good place to shop for sports-themed and football-themed decorations and gear? Try Wayfair.

For example, get a Galvanized Drink Tub to fill up with ice and cold beverages:

And a personalized football bar sign with your name:

You can use Kaskey Kids football guys to decorate a cake...or whatever.

Another decoration option that you might not think of is to use the football guys action figures from Kaskey Kids to decorate a cake, or cupcakes, or just set them up for the kids to play with during the party, or put them out on your serving table. They’ll lend a fun, almost “throwback” atmosphere, however you use them — the nostalgia for when you were first learning about the game as a kid. And Kaskey Kids sports action figures are fun to play with the rest of the year, too. See my in-depth post on all the fun things you can do with Kaskey Kids sports action figures.

A place that has more party supplies than Charlie Sheen is Target. Go to their homepage, and search on “Super Bowl Party.” You’ll find a lot of essential stuff at good prices and often with free shipping.

And another cost-effective place to get your Super Bowl accouterments is Buy.com. For example, check their Super Bowl Tailgate Party Gift Basket and Green Bay Packers 60-oz. pitcher, among other things.

As you’re taking in the game, rooting for your favorite team, getting het up, fan gear helps. For example, wouldn’t it be supportive to have an Aaron Rodgers jersey?

Or a Pittsburgh Steelers hoodie?

Or any of a number of other pieces of gear? The place to get all this is FansEdge.com, the one-stop shop to get everything related to fandom.

Along, that is, with Fathead. How would you like to decorate you wall with a life-size graphic of Troy Polamalu? Yeah, that’s what I thought. Get that and many other exceptionally noticeable life-size sports guy emblems at Fathead.

The Right TV for Watching the Game

Of course, all the party supplies, delicious food, and fan gear will ultimately mean little if you don’t have a TV that lives up to the significance of the game. You can’t watch the game on a 19-inch cathode ray tube television. No, man, you need a good HDTV. And if you’re going to get one, you may as well get the best: the 54-inch Panasonic Viera TC-P54VT25 Plasma HDTV. On this, the Super Bowl will become a religious experience: Religious. Experience.

And here’s a heads-up: Only until February 5, 2011, Sears has all Samsung and Panasonic TVs on sale for up to $1,000 off, plus free shipping on TVs $749 and up.

Not this.

This

Play Football at Your Party with an Official NFL Game Ball

Official NFL Game Football -- what the pros use

And, too, before the party you’ll want to work up a bit of an appetite so, after you become terminally bored with the 7-hour pre-game show, you’ll feel like going out and throwing the ol’ pigskin around with the boys (or girls). For that, you’ll need a pigskin. Don’t skimp on this. Inspiration is not a factor to be trifled with. Get the official Wilson F1100 Leather NFL Game Football from Online Sports — the place to fulfill virtually any sports-related need you have.

NFL Tickets

When it comes to not skimping on things, you might be one of those guys who wants to skip the home Super Bowl party entirely. Instead, you’re the kind of guy who needs to be in the thick of things. You want to be there, at the venue, live. (Or even better, you want to throw your party in a luxury box at the stadium.) If that’s the kind of guy you are, you’ll need tickets. They’re still available. Get them from TicketNetwork, one of the premier places online to acquire great tickets to the best sports events, including Super Bowl XLV packages. If that’s the way you roll, check their website now.

And plan and book your trip to Dallas using Trip Advisor, probably the most trusted travel review and information site in the world. For good deals on flights and lodging, you can also check Easy Click Travel.

Are you ready for some football?

Not quite — you still have to get the food for your party.

An Interesting NBA Season Has Tipped Off — Get Your Tickets Now for the Best Games

ECJ — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:25:47 +0000

Will this be Kevin Durant's MVP season? (NBAE/Getty image)

I’m used to the NBA season starting on November 1 but, like daylight saving time and the advent of winter, basketball nowadays isn’t keeping to its traditional schedule (the opening game was October 26). Regardless, what should be one of the most interesting and dramatic NBA seasons since the 1990s is now under way.

You won’t want to miss it, so click here to get your NBA game tickets. (And keep reading to see current discount offers below from TicketNetwork.)

Of course, if you’re any kind of basketball fan, you’ll want to catch the Heat (if only to boo them), as well as Kevin Durant’s potential MVP performance, the debut season of rookie John Wall, and Tyreke Evans’ follow-up to his Rookie-of-the-Year honors, plus track whether the Lakers can get it together sufficiently to ride Kobe’s coattails to a three-peat. And then there’ll be Monta Ellis whirling like a dervish to the basket, Chris Paul racking up about 39 assists per game, and Shaq (egad!) in a Celtics uniform.

Miami has a group of basketball players you’ve probably already decided you’ll love to love or love to hate. But if nothing else, the over-Bloviated Three’s opening-game loss to the Celtics proves yet again the basketball truism that it’s the best TEAM that wins, particularly on the defensive end. Sure, nowadays you have to have at least one superstar and a couple of stellar supporting players to win a championship, but a superstar or two or three is no guarantee of getting it done. Without the team approach, defeat is inevitable. Case in point: the Lakers, with the best trio of offensive players ever assembled — Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, and Elgin Baylor — never won a championship. Who did they lose to? The aging ’69 Celtics and the fanatically team-centric Knicks. (By the way, as of today, Miami isn’t even leading their division.)

In any event, NBA 2010-11 should be a fascinating season for basketball fans. Will we see Miami against the Lakers in the Finals? Or will most everyone’s expectations get confounded and the championship be contested between the Magic and the Thunder?

73 games? Really?

What we won’t see, I guarantee, is Miami winning 73 games. It’s a long, arduous season and neither Dwyane Wade nor LeBron James have yet proven themselves to be consistently Jordan-esque in durability or impact (though Wade came close in the 2006 Finals). I can’t believe actual experts have predicted 73 wins. Still, you can follow the drama on ESPN’s somewhat breathless Heat Index. (Since the Heat lost to the Celtics, they can only lose 8 more games. Which would those 8 potentially be? They play Boston 3 more times; they play the Lakers twice; they play Orlando 3 more times; they play Oklahoma City twice; they play San Antonio twice; and they play Chicago 3 times. And some other team is bound to upset them at least once. (For example, in their 72-win season in 1995-96, the Bulls lost a game to the Raptors, who finished that season 21-61.) From here on, if they lose only one game apiece to each of those other top teams and get upset once by a lesser team, they can only lose 1 more game all season. What about the Nuggets, the Mavericks, and the Hornets? Heck, even Cleveland might dig deep into their ball-bag of hatred and pull out an upset. 73 is a very tall order, though the Heat do have the advantage of playing in the weaker Eastern Conference. So I would suggest 68, maybe… What do you think?

TicketNetwork is the place to get your NBA tickets. Why buy through them? TicketNetwork aggregates many reputable sellers of tickets into one great deal, often selling at prices 15% or more below the competition. Why wait for hours standing in line or on the computer to get tickets to a popular event? TicketNetwork usually has those tickets available now. They offer a 125% money-back guarantee if there is a delivery problem with your order (see details on their site). ControlScan and McAfee certify TicketNetwork as a safe shopping site. And the customer interface on their website is one of the best — clear, informative, easy to navigate, with cutting-edge functions to help you select your seats. Plus, they also frequently offer good promotions…

For example: Get $10 off an order of $350 or more by using coupon code AFF$10 during checkout (this deal is good through November 17, 2010, so don’t wait).

Or: Place an order of $250 or more today and they will email you a coupon for $20 off a future order of $250.

NBA regular season tickets are surprisingly affordable (as low as $5). Call up your buddies, arrive at the arena early, and soak up the atmosphere. Pro sports doesn’t get any flashier or more athletically exciting than the NBA.

Find tickets for the…

Knicks
Lakers
Magic
Celtics

and more.

Of course, TicketNetwork also has a full range of tickets for NFL, NHL, Broadway shows, concerts, etc.

And get fan gear to support your team from Fathead (where you can get a free TEAMMATE — a smaller emblem to stick on your wall, or anywhere – by spending $99 or more and using coupon code TEAMMATE at checkout).

Sure, Your Mom Would Appreciate Flowers for Mother’s Day — But What About Something Sorta Different?

ECJ — Wed, 05 May 2010 02:25:09 +0000

Don’t get me wrong — flowers are good and you know she’d love them. But why not go outside the conventional bounds and give her something rather different and memorable? Here’re some ideas…

Okay, if you’re committed to flowers, let’s get that out of the way first. You can still order in time for delivery for Mother’s Day (you do know it’s on May 9, right?). You can get them from Fleurop, the most extensive flower delivery service in the world (I said “extensive” not “expensive”). If you live in Poland you can order on Fleurop’s website and have them delivered to someone in Argentina. Or Nigeria. Or Iceland. And of course the United States. And vice versa. I’ve written previously about Fleurop’s history and scope in my post on humans and flowers. To order, click the text link above or the banner below. And if you are in the UK (or you mom is), you can order from Fleurop.co.uk. Get 10% off an order for a spring bouquet using code SPRING11 at checkout (through 4/30/11).

Now for some different suggestions… How about some customized Chuck Taylor shoes from Converse? I’ll bet you didn’t know you could design a pair. Or she can. Women are into Chuck Taylor’s now. The easiest thing would be to go the Converse site and get your mom a gift card (everybody likes gift cards) and she can design her own pair (on the site, click “Buy” and you’ll see Gift Cards under “Clothes and More”). Or she can choose something else cool out of their selection of apparel. You can have the card mailed. Or send it as an e-card, so it’ll be sure to be on time. Or you can order something like the Jack Purcell garment-dyed sneaker. Lots of options, and she’ll like any one of them.

Of course, when it comes to women (and moms are women, remember) clothes are always in order. But rather than get something ordinary from the local discount department store, how about something from Fossil? Not what you’d ordinarily think about for Mother’s Day, but that’s the idea. They have cool items and they’re offering free overnight shipping on orders over $100 (through 5/5). Use coupon code MOM100 during checkout. Need a specific suggestion? How about a Stella Bright watch, a ceramic watch, or jewelry? And there’s always gift cards.

How about some great food from Spain? That’s right, Spain. This is not Mexican food, this is Spanish food, and the place to get it in the U.S. is La Tienda, a business that imports lots of delicious and one-of-a-kind products from Spain. Their site deserves careful exploration. And their food merits appreciative dining. Maybe you can’t cook for your mom, but you can still give her something really tasty. And unique. They also have cookbooks, cookware, and beautiful ceramics, among many other things.

But let’s get back to customization. How about making her a one-of-a-kind product at Zazzle? You can make her a T-shirt, tote bag, apron, greeting card, mouse pad — they have almost 40 different products to choose from. Use one of your own digital photos. Go to Zazzle’s “Create” page and have at it. You can add your own text, too. Or, if you can’t quite come up with your own design, Zazzle has over a billion products to choose from, plus the Artsprojekt and Labz specialty sites (see the links in the top bar on their site). Use the Zazzle search bar to search on one of your mom’s interests and lots of product options will appear. You can often customize these products, too. Or you could try my Zazzle store (it’s got women’s clothing). You can select expedited shipping to make sure it arrives on time.

When’s the last time your mom had a nice vacation? You can get her a gift card to BedandBreakfast.com and she can select from more than 4,000 B&B’s and other lodgings around the U.S. and Canada. Imagine the fun she’d have choosing a place to go and stay. She could go with your dad, her BFF, or have her own adventure… They’re offering a deal for Mother’s Day, too — 10% off using this code: BBMOM10. See details at the site.

If not a vacation, how about an event? You could treat you mom to a show or concert. Just go to TicketNetwork to select from a huge array of current and upcoming events. How about Wicked? Or Cirque Du Soleil? Or Sting? TicketNetwork has good prices (usually lower than the competition — such as 15% off Broadway ticket orders over $200 with code BWAYSAVE15 through 6/15/10) and good customer service. And if she’s a sports fan (baseball — save 10% using code MLB2010 through 6/15; or tennis, anyone?) they’ve got that covered, too.

And if you send her on a trip or to an event (or even if you don’t), she might want to have some new luggage or a new handbag. Fortunately, eBags, probably the best one-stop shopping spot for getting things to carry stuff in, is letting me offer you a couple of deals in May. Get 10% off plus free shipping on a luggage order over $100 using coupon code COMJGRADS. And get an extra 15% off handbags using coupon code COMJMAYBAG. (These coupons expire on May 31.) Luggage-wise, see the Skyway Sigma Expandable Carry-On – $49.99 (58% Off) + FREE SHIPPING!

Corona Ergonomic Pruner

But maybe your mom wants to stay closer to home… Does she like to garden? How about a nice Corona pruner? (Corona makes some of the best forged tools.) Click the image to the right or here to find them for a discount at BIC Warehouse.

They feature a forged, heat-treated bypass blade. The angled head reduces wrist fatigue.

Does she like to bird-watch? How about a pair of binoculars from Cabelas? These Bushnell 10×42 All-purpose binoculars should fit the bill. And they’re not expensive.

Is she into “green” living? Then you’re sure to be able to find something for her at Real Goods, which carries a ton of environmentally-oriented products and gear.

How about music? Fortunately, I have just the thing: Bach’s Goldberg Variaions, played by Glenn Gould, an absolutely legendary recording. Everybody likes the Goldberg Variations. Or find something else out of a selection of 500,000 works at CD Universe, including movies and television shows.

Maybe your mom is a reader, too. So how about a magazine subscription? It’s the gift that keeps on giving every month… And not just any magazine subscription, but a discounted one. You can get great prices on a big selection of magazines, including many 2-for-1 offers, at University Subscription Service. It’s the only way I subscribe anymore. The prices are consistently the lowest I’ve found and the customer service is good. Just don’t get your mom Popular Mechanics (unless she’s a DIYer). She’d probably enjoy Elle, Smithsonian, Self, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, or any of a hundred others.

Does she enjoy wine? Then she would appreciate a bottle that you can personalize with a label just for her (and ratings of the wines help you choose). Or choose from over 600 products at Wines.com. There is no mininum order and prices start at $10 a bottle.

Click to see the caviar selection at Mackenzie Ltd.

And to go with that wine, how about caviar, or another gourmet food item, from Mackenzie Ltd., one of the best sources of gourmet food on the web? They import only the best foods from around the globe. They have chocolate, too. And I’m talkin’ good chocolate.

And then, of course, there’s a camera. Mothers like cameras because, for some reason, they always want to take a picture of you. So help her out. An outstanding place to find all things photographic is J&R Computer/Music World, New York’s legendary, block-long electronics store. Great prices and excellent customer service. You can order and get expedited shipping to have it there by this weekend. They have a ton of other Mother’s Day gift suggestions as well.

Speaking of suggestions… If none of the preceding ideas has grabbed you and you’re still wondering what to get, try Overstock. They carry millions of products and they have a convenient suggestion page for Mother’s Day gifts (something they provide for every holiday). Of course, their prices are second to none — and their suggestions are okay (not as good as mine, but not bad). And shipping is only $2.95 on your entire order. Give them a try.

If you want still more suggestions and discount deals (for example, Best Buy is offering some special promotions) that I didn’t have the space to include here, go to my GOOD DEALS AND OUTLETS page (for future reference, the link is in the top menu bar). I’m continually updating it with coupons, best-buys, closeouts, interesting products, sales, discounts, and promotions from the best vendors.

Hope this has helped. Just as dads appreciate something besides a steady stream of neckties, moms like variability, too. It shows you put some thought into it. Though, of course, you know she won’t complain about flowers…

And for any moms who’ve happened to run across this post… Happy Mother’s Day! Are your kids sort of clueless? Then share this post on your Facebook page or elsewhere with one of the social bookmarks below, or forward the URL. Who knows — they might just get the hint.

Get 2010 NBA Playoff Tickets for a Discount. Fan Gear, too.

ECJ — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 21:44:41 +0000

Now that the dust of the regular season has settled, it’s time for the “real season” to begin. Get discounted NBA playoff tickets from TicketNetwork. And to express your enthusiasm, find fan gear here, too.

At last, the NBA playoffs are set. The top 8 Western Conference teams have been gnawing on each other like rats in a too-small cage for the last month and the seedings came down to the final game of the season. Only 7 games separate the number 1 seed Lakers from the number 8 seed Oklahoma City Thunder. The Western Conference is obviously the class of the NBA — the bottom four playoff teams in the Eastern Conference (Miami, Milwaukee, Charlotte, and Chicago) would not even have made the playoffs if they’d been in the West. The Western Conference would be the class of the NBA, that is, except for one thing: LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Well, and Dwight Howard and the Magic. (Okay, that’s two things). Both of those teams had better records than any team in the West. Of course, they were in weaker divisions, too.

Who will be the first champion of the new decade? (10 years ago it was the Lakers, with Shaq getting MVP honors and Kobe his first ring.)

Remember some of last year’s dramatic series? Who can forget Boston over Chicago in 7 games (with a total of 7 OT’s), or the Lakers squeaking by the Nuggets in 6? This playoff season bodes well for more on-court fireworks, with several teams and stars peaking at the right time. The red-hot Phoenix Suns, with the ever-creative Steve Nash (who again led the league in assists) and the almost-forgotten-but-still-formidable Amare Stoudemire, have perhaps been the best team in the NBA since the All-Star break. The Mav’s have drastically improved with some effective trades. The Spurs finally have their “Big 3″ back. We’ll be treated to Kevin Durant’s first playoff appearance (after he became the youngest player ever to win the league scoring title last night). LeBron James is rested and Dwayne Wade is healthy. And Dwight Howard is coming off a monster season. You can never say for sure which series will be spectacular but one thing you can say for sure is that some of them will be. How will your team fare?

Of course, you’ll want to make it to some of the games. So I thought you’d like to know that TicketNetwork is offering a 10% discount on NBA playoff tickets. Just enter promotional code PLAYOFF10 during checkout to get the discount. And don’t wait to buy — a lot of these series are going to sell out. Check out the ticket prices now; they’re probably a lot more reasonable than you would expect (as low as $8 each). And if you spend over $250 today, they’ll give you $20 off on a future order.

Now, how will you be expressing your support as you attend the game (or watch on TV)?

How about a game jersey worn and signed by Tim Duncan?

Only $4,249

If that’s not something you want to wear to the game, you can get a regular Tim Duncan jersey…

Authentic team jersey worn by the Spurs

Or a Dwight Howard jersey…

Or a Kevin Durant youth jersey…

Kevin Durant Youth Jersey (only $35.99)

For something rather different, a Kobe Bryant Hesh from Skull Candy…

Kobe Bryant Hesh

Or a room-scale wall graphic of Derrick Rose from Fathead…

Huge Derrick Rose wall graphic

Or a cool Cleveland Cavaliers ball cap…

You can find gear and memorabilia for the NBA’s most popular teams:

And there’s much more. Click the banners below to find T-shirts, wristwatches, pennants, travel mugs – more NBA fan gear than you can shake a ballboy at. Who are you rooting for and what do you think their chances are? Leave a comment below. (I already went out on a limb for the Nuggets.)

Here’s Bango, the Bucks mascot, really getting into the spirit of the playoffs prior to the series with Atlanta…

Enjoy the playoffs, man. Don’t forget to get your tickets.