Fantasy Sports Betting is Causing Concern in Some Circles

Sports have always had a certain tie with gambling. Athletics of all types have always captured and held the interest of those who made money off of learning statistics and making educated guesses using algorithms as a basis for their knowledge. They have also captured the interest of fans, people who feel as though they know a lot about a sport or a team simply because they’ve been watching for a long time and are passionate about their alliance. When groups like these meet over a common subject, there is always going to be gambling of some sort. The fans trust their judgement and instinct and the professionals trust the math. As I’m sure you’ve noticed, there has been a recent explosion in online fantasy-based sports gambling. the ads are showing up everywhere and they’re relentless in trying to convince you to sign up and spend your hard-earned money on fantasy sports gambling. This sudden, and very public, push for what is clearly a form of gambling is now drawing both questions and ire from governmental and nongovernmental organizations that have been traditionally opposed to gambling which is still, in most states, illegal. Now, as fantasy gambling is clearly becoming more popular and making a push for more customers, these groups and organizations are wrestling with how to approach this new form of sports entertainment…

For the full article, go to BryanLockley.net.

Tiger Woods is Still the Most Valuable Sports Brand

What comes to one’s mind when asked to think of Tiger Woods? I asked a few friends and got a range of answers stretching to his wife chasing him with a golf club to going down in history as one of the greatest golf players until his spectacular flameout. What I didn’t get, and which came as a surprise to me when I read about it, was an answer pointing to Tiger Woods being the most valuable brand in sports. That’s right. To this day, the former number 1 and currently ranked number 334th golfer in the world is still the most valuable brand in the all sports. With a brand value of $30 million, Woods is still doing fine…

For the full article, go to BryanLockley.net.

Finding a Home for Florida’s Sports Hall of Fame

After spending six years in the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex of Auburndale, the Florida Sports Hall of Fame Preview Center recently relocated to the Central Florida Visitor Information Center in Polk County. The Executive Director of the Hall of Fame is hoping that the new location will allow “unparalleled access for millions of visitors in the coming years,” which will be crucial to maintaining the site.

Apparently, at the previous facility, the Hall of Fame wasn’t open during weekends, which is crazy given that most people would be most likely to visit then. The Information Center will be open from “sun up to sun down,” which will definitely give more people the opportunity to take advantage of the museum. That and the fact that the visitor’s center already has a draw of 55,000 plus visitors.

For the full article, go to BryanLockley.net

Bryan Lockley: Medicine Ball Slam

No Curry, No Problem

Warrior Nation had a major scare during last Sunday’s game four victory over the Houston Rockets. Their star player, Stephen Curry slid awkwardly on a wet spot on the court while attempting to guard Houston’s Trevor Ariza shortly before halftime. Curry grabbed his knee in pain and limped off the court. On Monday he was taken for an MRI and it revealed Curry will miss at least the next two weeks with a sprained right MCL.

“From our perspective, relatively good news,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers said Monday.

The Warriors are doing surprisingly well without their front man.

Many people were unaware on how the Warriors would respond after hearing the news that their best player will be out for a few weeks at the least. Well, let’s just say last night the Warriors made a statement to the whole NBA that they are not just a one man team.  Curry’s backcourt partner Klay Thompson got things rolling early on. He started things of with a quick three pointer to get the sell-out crowd at Oracle Arena going. Thompson finished with seven three pointers and 27 points to help lead the Warriors into the second round of the playoffs without their injured superstar. Thompson became the first player in NBA history to make at least seven 3s in consecutive playoff games.

Draymond Green also had a great game. He finished with 15 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists. The Warriors will take on the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers vs Portland Trail Blazers series.  After the game, Green said “Everybody, they think Steph goes down and the entire series changes. But we thought otherwise”. This was a big victory for the Warriors organization as they look to repeat as NBA champions come June.

From the moment Curry went down, the Warriors took their game up a notch with a spectacular second half in Game 4, finishing the 121-94 victory with a playoff-record 21 3-pointers and 38 assists on 46 field goals.

It won’t be easy for the Warriors to get back to NBA Finals without Steph Curry, but they have proved that they can ride the ship until he returns.

 

Bryan Lockley

from Bryan Lockley and Sports http://ift.tt/1ObCdUG

Fitness Bands Are Often Abandoned Within Months

As you know, I’ve been a proponent of fitness bands in the past. They are on the forefront of fitness technology and, as the price continues todrop, they seem to be poised to become even more popular than they already are. However recent studies are now pointing to a new issue in the world and business of fitness bands: they are frequently abandoned only months after being purchased and used. While this doesn’t mean that sales are going down (in fact, they’re still strong and going up), it does mean that investors are now proceeding with more caution regarding the longevity of this niche in the fitness market…

For the full article, go to BryanLockley.org.