Recent research in one of my fields of special interest, gene technology, has uncovered something that I have known intuitively for some time - the presence of the “stupid” gene. This gene is present in all humans without exception, but is especially active in sports people - particularly Squash players and footballers.

A good example is the story related to me by an Australian friend who told of talented rugby footballer who, in the last minute of the game was able to kick a field (drop) goal. This would have been an excellent achievement had his side not been trailing by four points, a field goal being worth only three. At the time his team was attacking the opposition’s goal line and may have scored a try (touchdown) worth five points. His team may have won the match, but his goal ensured that they would lose it.

This was a classic case of the stupid gene controlling the player’s actions.

In the game of Squash, recent events have caused me to see the stupid gene in action first hand. Of late, a number of young players who climb my mountain to seek wisdom on the Squash court, have shown me the power of the stupid gene is by no means diminishing but on the contrary, increasing. Every strategy has been explored and implemented leaving no stone unturned in trying to find a solution to the blight on the Squash game of these tyros.

After the obligatory series of drills, tactical routines and games, we normally spend a few precious moments playing a game. Suddenly their previous tactical control and discipline deserts them and it is short, short, short. They play the ball short at the earliest opportunity and sometimes earlier. Despite the hours of instruction on the tactics of this sacred game (which verges on indoctrination), they persist in throwing these basics out the window, or should that be the court door.

Let me explain that I am a man very close to two score and ten, with a serious back ailment, injured groin, and totally lacking in physical fitness. I am, in short, a cripple. Despite this, I am able to return the vast majority of their short shots with ease, to the extent that within a shot or two I have won the rally. Usually frustrated by this they try to go shorter (that is, lower) with the inevitable result. Tin.

Oh how I have tried to provide corrective advice. Hit the ball deeper to force me into the back corners, thus gaining control of the T, placing themselves in a position to take advantage of any loose shots I might play. But no, I am able to virtually set up camp in the front half of the court. These young tyros think me a genius. I do no more than accept their gifts. This they cannot see.

On rare occasions when I struggle to retrieve their short shots, I must collect my composure at the front of the court, allowing my opponent an easy winner. Instead, I watch with mixed emotions as the tin becomes my saviour. Why hadn’t they hit the ball to length for a simple winner?” I enquire. The invariable reply is “I was trying”. Yes, very trying.

Now it doesn’t take a guru to point out that to hit the ball deep, one must have height - about two metres above the tin. The reason they have played this shot is that the stupid gene has completely overridden the “I don’t think that’s a particularly good idea” gene. Trying to provide corrective advice at the time is ineffectual. They are still in the grips of this most obnoxious of human building blocks.

I should point out that no one is immune from the stupid gene. Some time ago, whilst playing a formidable opponent who made the trek up to my mountain court, I was taken over by this gene. A normally reliable backhand volley started to break down. Did I decide that discretion was the better part of valour and refrain from playing the shot? No the stupid gene forced me to continue to play the shot till the all too brief and bitter end.

I meditated for many hours in the lotus position at the T, trying to eradicate these behaviours. Thinking I achieved the ultimate and had taken the “stup” out of stupid and only left the “id”, I played a superb match against the same opponent until the fourth game when I was down 2 - 7. I realised that the stupid gene was causing me to go short too often. Fortunately, the mental strength gained from the countless hours of meditation, I was able to correct my behaviour and take that fourth game and the match.

My solution is not to use this gene as an excuse. As we all have it, we are all at a similar disadvantage. It is those who learn to control this characteristic who will succeed. And of course those who learn the lesson: even cripples can get short stuff.

The Squash Courtier provides slightly off center comment on Squash and life at http://www.squashgame.info, one of the world’s leading Squash resouce web sites. To view the original article with useful links, use this link: Even Cripples Get the Short Stuff.

© Copyright 2004 Unlimited use permitted with this notice.

Fishing in Salt Water

There will always be challenges whether one decides to fish
either in the river or in the open sea. The important thing to
remember is to have patience waiting for the fish and doing your
best to catch it when it appears.

To be able to fish, a person needs to get a fishing license
since this is a requirement by law and the regulations regarding
fishing varies from one state to the other.

The first thing one needs for salt water fishing is a boat. It
can range from a simple row boat to a yacht. The size of this
vessel depends on how many people will join the trip.

For people who will do it in-shore, a 15 foot sailboat that
comes with a cuddy forward to serve as a shelter when it rains
should do the job. The boat should not be heavy and yet
adequately sturdy to not be swayed by the action of strong waves
or some bumps on the beach or on the rocks.

One should always try the edges of the perimeter first instead
of plopping bait or lure in the middle. This is because it will
scare the other fish away. By going through the sides first, one
will have a better chance of catching unsuspecting fish in the
middle.

If one decides to go “down below” some time, a cod-line is a
necessity for everybody to enjoy saltwater fishing. A perch-line
will also be good and if it’s time for mackerel fishing, a
mackerel jig will be an excellent help.

The right time to start salt water fishing is on the ebb tide.
This should be during an early time of the morning to ensure
that the trip will be a productive one. This will put the tide
in one’s favor and if the wind is light or not fair, this will
also help in going home quickly.

The best place to start fishing is going to a fishing ground
that is well known to the locals.

Many anglers who are too impatient move from one spot to another
which at times make these people miss a hotspot further
decreasing the chances of catching fish. It is advisable to cast
out a couple of times before moving on using different types of
bait. This should be done from the shallowest to the deepest
point.

Sharks in the area can disrupt people from catching fish. By
pouring some fish blood on a paper towel or newspaper and
rolling it into a ball then casting it overboard, sharks will
follow the current and leave the area increasing the chances of
catching fish.

It took years for the medical community to finally learn what causes a side stitch. Suddenly a runner develops pain in the right upper part of the belly, just underneath the ribs in the front. With each step the pain worsens. Doctors proposed all sorts of explanations for side stitch and most were nonsense.

A side stitch is not caused by gas in the colon because it is not relived by passing gas. It is not caused by a liver swollen with blood during running, because the liver has a very distensible capsule and does not enlarge much during exercise. It is not caused by cramps in the belly muscles because the belly muscles are not held rigidly when you have a side stitch, and it does not hurt when you push on the belly muscles. Lack of oxygen to the diaphragm doesn’t cause them because blood flow to the diaphragm is not shut off by running. They are not caused by trapped gas in the lungs because gas does not get trapped in the lungs during exercise.

The first reasonable explanation and successful treatment came from Dr. Tim Noakes. Thick fibrous bands called ligaments extend downward from your diaphragm to hold your liver in place. When you run, your liver drops at the exact time that your diaphragm goes up, stretching the ligaments and causing pain.

Humans have a fixed pattern of breathing when they run. They have a two to one breathing ratio, breathing once for each two strides. Most people breathe out when the right foot strikes the ground. When you breathe out, your diaphragm goes up, and at the same time, the force of your foot strike causes your liver to go down. This stretches the ligaments that attach the liver to your diaphragm, causing pain. So the cause of a side stitch during hard running is a stretching of the ligaments that hold the liver to the diaphragm and the cure is to relieve the stretching of the ligaments.

When you get a side stitch, stop running and press your hand deep into your liver to raise it up against your diaphragm. At the same time, purse your lips and blow out against the tightly held lips as hard as you can. Pushing the liver up stops stretching the ligaments. Breathing out hard empties your lungs. Usually the pain is relieved immediately and you can resume running as soon as the pain disappears.

Dr. Gabe Mirkin has been a radio talk show host for 25 years and practicing physician for more than 40 years; he is board certified in four specialties, including sports medicine. Read or listen to hundreds of his fitness and health reports at http://www.DrMirkin.com

Free weekly newsletter on fitness, health and nutrition

A native of Chicago, Illinois, Donovan McNabb was born on November 25, 1976. After attending Syracuse University, McNabb now serves as quarterback for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles.

Among his many accomplishments, Donovan McNabb was named the Big East Conference’s Offensive Player of the Decade for the 1990’s and Offensive Player of the Year for 1996, 1997 and 1998. In addition, he was named as the first-team all-conference quarterback during every one of his four seasons. With so many recognitions, it came as no surprise when Donovan McNabb set his sights on the NFL and professional stardom.

Even in his earliest years, Donovan McNabb showed an interest in sports as he was assigned as the quarterback for Mount Carmel high School in Chicago. At the conclusion of high school, McNabb strongly considered attending the University of Nebraska, but later decided to enroll at Syracuse instead. There, he is known as one of the school’s most decorated athletes in history. A four-year starting quarterback and a reserve on the college’s respected basketball team, Donovan McNabb is no stranger to competition.

In 1999, Donovan McNabb was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles. The following year, which marked his first full season as an NFL starter, McNabb placed second in the Associated Press MVP voting. In 2001, he earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl after another successful season with the Eagles. Early in the 2002 season, Donovan McNabb was injured during a sack by two of the Arizona Cardinal players. After having his ankle taped, McNabb returned to complete the same game that ended after 255 yards and 4 touchdowns courtesy of Donovan McNabb’s undeniable strength. After being initially reported as a sprain, the x-rays later revealed that McNabb actually suffered a broken ankle.

Despite some controversy in the 2003 season, Donovan McNabb lead his team to the NFC championship game. In 2004, the winning streak continued as the Eagles progressed to the Super Bowl XXXIX, where McNabb started as the team’s quarterback. Even though they were not victorious, McNabb had more than proven his skills on the field and against all competitors.

During the 2005 season, McNabb suffered another injury and one that would ultimately end his season early. On November 21, he confirmed his decision to proceed with surgery. His strong family support system, which consists of a wife and daughter, were important to McNabb’s recovery. His parents, Sam and Wilma, have gained their own fame after appearing in commercials

OVERVIEW: NFC South

In the NFC South look for Tampa Bay and Carolina to catch and over take the Falcons in 2005, the fall from grace will fall on the shoulders of QB Michael Vick who has been to a large extent a product of media hype, sure the guy runs like a deer but so do most wide receivers and that is exactly what Vick is, a wide receiver playing out of position.

Remember the media hype surrounding Pittsburgh QB Kordell Stewart when he was in his “Slash” role with the Steelers? Then you also remember that he ended up saddling his team with disappointing loss after loss once other teams in his division and conference figured out how contain him in the pocket and make him play catch with his receivers.

Somehow someway the Falcons finished with a record of 11-5 straight up and 7-9 ATS during the regular season last year, a closer look see reveals that Atlanta won six games by a grand total of 16 points, in other words more than half of the Falcons 11 regular season wins were by an average point difference of only 2.6 points per game which includes defeating the Niners, Cardinals, and Giants by a total point difference of only 9 points and to think that these three teams finished 2004 with a combined straight up record of 14-34.

Michael Vick had the worst statistics of any playoff QB last season as evidenced by his 14 to 12 TD to INT ratio, a QB rating of only 78.1, and throwing for a mere 2313 total passing yards, to put things into perspective consider that Peyton Manning finished 2004 with a TD to INT ratio of 49 to 10 with 4557 total passing yards and a QB rating of 121.1, Viking QB Duante Culpepper finished the year with a TD to INT ratio of 39 to 11 with 4717 total passing yards and a QB rating of 110.9.

I won’t bore you with the statistics of the remaining 2004 Playoff QB’s but trust me when I say each of the remaining playoff QB’s had numbers better than Vick, but to put things another way, consider that Titan backup QB Billy Volek came off the bench in relief of sidelined QB Steve McNair last year and ended up with a TD to INT ratio of 18 to 10 with 2486 total passing yards and a QB rating of 87…enough said.

In reality Atlanta had a good season due to the fact that Tampa Bay and Carolina had injury filled bad seasons, look for that to change in 2005 when considering that the Panthers had a total of 14 players sidelined with injury during the first half of 2004 which was the root cause for their shoddy 1-7 straight up and 3-5 ATS start, however, the Panthers started to get healthy during the second half of 2004 and rebounded to post a 6-2 straight up and 6-1-1 ATS record with both losses coming by way of a field goal.

To showcase Michael Vick the NFL schedule maker saw fit to have Atlanta appear three times on Monday Night Football in 2005 including the season opening Monday Nighter which will be a playoff rematch against Philadelphia, in an attempt to make things easy on Vick in prime time each MNF appearance will take place on the Falcons home field.

With that being said, Atlanta’s three opponents on MNF will be the Eagles, the Jets, and the Saints and each team will have a passing attack that can fully expose the Falcons weak defensive secondary, for the sake of “Value” we will be wagering against Vick and company in each of these three Monday Night appearances and recommend that you do the same.

In our 2005 preview of the AFC West we made mention of the fact that the Oakland Raiders have gone 9-23 straight up and 9-22-1 ATS since their Super Bowl appearance following the 2002 season, remember who the Raiders opponent was in that Super bowl?

Of course you do, it was none other than the Tampa Bay Bucs. Like the Raiders these Bucs have also fallen on hard times over the past two seasons as evidenced by their 12-20 straight up and 12-19-1 ATS record since that January 26, 2003 Super Bowl appearance, historically speaking Tampa Bay’s two year record of 12-20 is the worst of any NFL team in history following a Super Bowl victory.

Tampa Bays woes have been offensive in nature when considering that the Buc defense held opponents to less than 300 yards per game on average for the fourth straight year in 2004, however, for the third time in this same four year span Tampa’s offense failed to average at least 100 rushing yards per contest and over the past four years have finished 30th, 27th, 23rd, and 29th in the league in rushing.

Look for Tampa Bay’s rushing numbers to improve dramatically in 2005 due to the drafting of RB Carnell “Cadillac” Williams, OT Chris Colmer, and OG Dan Buenning along with the free agent addition of former Jet TE Anthony Becht who was very instrumental in clearing the way for Jet RB Curtis Martin to rumble to four straight 1000 yard seasons including Martin’s career high 1697 yards in 2004.

New Orleans is an enigma in a lot of ways as they are now paying the price for being a middle of the road team over the last four years with regard to posting straight up marks of 8-8, 8-8. 9-7, and 7-9 since 2001 which has led to another very average draft for a very average team.

However, the odd thing about the Saints is that they have an HC with a defensive background in Jim Haslett, yet finished 32nd in the league last year in total defense, on the flip side of things the Saints are immensely talented on offense and managed to post a 4-0 straight up and ATS mark in their final four games of 2004 after posting a shoddy combined record of 5-11 straight up and 6-10 ATS over their final four games from 2000 to 2003, see what I mean? These Saints are a paradox.

In closing, I fully expect the public to over rate the Falcons in 2005 and as recommended above I would look to play against Michael Vick and company in each of their three MNF appearances and especially since the ole history book shows that Atlanta has posted a mark of 1-13 ATS in their previous 14 Monday Night games.

New Orleans opens up their regular season with a visit to Carolina and the Saints might just catch the Panthers looking ahead to week two when New England comes to Charlotte, NC for a rematch of the 2003 Super Bowl, its always nice to know that according to past history the doggie in Saint/Panther contests has a record of 6-1-1 ATS in the past eight meetings.

With regard to the Panthers and Buccaneers, barring injury I would recommend a wager on them each and every time they are installed as a doggie getting at least a field goal, the only exception to this is when Tampa travels to New England on December 17th as the Bucs will be playing their third straight road game and will be in a divisional sandwich having just played at Carolina and a home date with Atlanta on deck.

Jim Campbell is one of the nations most respected Sports Handicappers, he specializes in College and Pro Football, you can visit Jim at his website located at footballforecastor.com for all of your handicapping needs including free play selections, College and NFL stats, trends and award winning analysis on upcoming games.

With over 30 plus years experience in the handicapping profession Jim has built a solid reputation, his web based handicapping service at footballforecastor.com as been in existence since 1997 and year after year proves to be one of the very best handicapping services in America.