The Greatest Modern Day Mixed Martial Artists

The title of G.O.A.T. in MMA is thrown around pretty lightly these days. Many MMA fans believe their favorites should be called the greatest of all-time. I would also like to throw our hat in the octagon and give my opinion on who I think is MMA’s GOAT in the modern, sporting era.

Image source: lowkickmma.com

The Last Emperor

For more than 10 years, Fedor Emelianenko went on undefeated in the MMA world. Yes, for over a decade, no fighter could ever beat the highly-touted Russian, who seemed to have the answer for everything his opponents would come up with. Although his best years are clearly behind him, the legend of Fedor’s dominance will live on forever.

The Spider

No other UFC fighter was as revered and feared as Anderson Silva was at his prime. He did things in the octagon that nobody thought was possible and beat his opponents in ways no one could imagine. He was a champion for over 2,400 days, defending his title on 10 different occasions. He was simply on another level.

GSP

Georges St. Pierre is the greatest welterweight fighter of all time, period. He defended his belt 12 times and has almost never lost a single round in his MMA career. GSP’s ability to pull off his game plan perfectly makes him the most effective and well-rounded fighter in the UFC in perhaps, ever.

Image source: mmafighting.com

Hi, I’m James DeVellis. I’m starting my own blog to get ahead of the curve in the sports writing industry. For more about the stuff I love, check this link.

The wonder that was the 2017-2018 Boston Celtics

Before the 2017-2018 season started, the Boston Celtics looked like one of the most formidable teams on paper. They had a solid roster of role players and acquired Cavs’ star guard, Kyrie Irving, and Jazz standout forward, Gordon Hayward. 

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Then the season started. And Hayward suffered a season-ending injury. 

From being one of the highly-favored teams in the East, the Celtics’ stock dropped. But only by a bit, since they still had Irving leading the charge and the team was putting up an incredible showing throughout the first half of the season. 

Then it was Irving’s turn to suffer a season-ending injury, weeks before the playoffs. 

This time, only true green-blooded Celtic fans believed their team could attain any measure of success in the playoffs. But behind the genius of Brad Stevens, and an entire lineup devoted to the ideals of teamwork, the Celtics, without their superstars managed to beat heavily-favored teams in Milwaukee and Philly, and only fell to Lebron James and the Cavs in seven games. 

To give credit to any one player on the roster is to do the team a major disservice. Without the contribution of all these guys, Brad Stevens’ master strategies wouldn’t have come to fruition. 

This year, count on them to rule the East. 

Image source: nba.com

Hello there! My name is James DeVellis. I’m a college student majoring in sports business. My goal is to be a full-fledged sports writer someday. For more sports updates, visit this blog.

Writing Tips For The First-Time Sports Blogger

A lot of Americans are into sports or are fans of the various professional sports in the country. We like to catch up on the latest news and read insights on our favorite teams. A good pastime then (and maybe even a career move) is to write sports blogs. Hereunder are tips for the beginning sports blogger.

The first step is to decide on the sport you want to focus on and the readers you want to reach. This is establishing your niche. Are you into baseball, football, or basketball? It’s going to be hard to try to cover all major sports especially at the start, so focus on one.

Image source: uicookies.com

The next move is to think of a catchy name for your blog and set it up. There are tons of blog sites you can use, from BlogSpot and WordPress to Tumblr and Weebly. Come up with maybe a witty name or one that is easily connected by readers to the sport you are committing to writing about.

The writing itself should be less formal, with but touches of opinion and lots of factual information and stats. You have to be up to date on what’s happening and what’s brewing in the rumor mill (like trades, coaching changes, etc.) about all the teams in the sport. Also keep in mind that, unless you want to devote your blog to a particular team, you’ve to maintain a sense of objectivity. It all begins with finding a good angle or slant.

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My name is James DeVellis, a Sports Business student based in Arizona. I want to be a successful writer one day, so I use the social media platform to get my words out there. For more of my writings, visit this page.

World Cup Series: Franz Beckenbauer And Gerd Muller

Thank the stars that we’ve all come to another World Cup year. The entire wait felt like forever. Now, there are only a few months to go before the world’s greatest sporting spectacle once again decides who lifts the cup. Germany is defending the title it won in Brazil. But it’s common knowledge that the team’s been a force to reckon with on the world stage for decades. Let’s remember two of its all-time greats.

                 Image source: arjyomitra94.wordpress.com

Franz Beckenbauer

Called the Kaizer, Franz Beckenbauer is commonly referred to by historians and sportswriters as the greatest German player in history. He won the Cup twice – once as a player in 1974, and once as a manager in 1990. As a player, Beckenbauer not only led the team on the pitch, his play was so innovative that he actually created a new position called the “sweeper” position, in which a player can both attack and defend and create plays from the back and bring the ball all the way forward. With the Kaizer, there would be no sweepers.

                               Image source: seasonstube.com

Gerd Muller

Gerd Muller is often on top, or near the top of the list of German footballers. Before Miroslav Klose broke the record for most goals in a German uniform in Brazil 2014, Muller was the top German goal scorer. He was born to find the back of the net as he also led the German top team Bayern Munich in scoring. Muller’s average goals per game is a breathtaking scoring almost two per game during his career.

Hi there! My name’s James DeVellis. I’m a college student from Arizona, taking up sports administration. I am gunning for a career in the sports industry as a writer. Follow me on Twitter for the hottest sports news.

College Ball Vs Nba: a Fan’s Perspective

While nobody can argue that the talent in the NBA is unlike any other on the planet, many other leagues can rival its excitement. One league is the NCAA. We’ve seen a lot of NCAA games. College teams aren’t as organized on offense (or defense) as the pros, but they more than make up for it in different ways.

                                Image source:Youtube.com

As ardent fans of our teams, we can say that cheering for our college takes on a different aura than cheering for our city’s franchise. For one, school spirit plays a major role and the fact that the players we have on our team are only there for a limited amount of time (four years at most) creates a sentimental atmosphere with every game.

Also, it can be argued that with NBA’s grueling schedule, the best players only give it their all come playoffs. Notice how teams sit their best players near the end of regular season to avoid injury. The NCAA is different. Every game counts, and every great player gets to play. They seldom relax, leaving it all on the floor.

There is also the factor of age since the majority of college fans are college students with a percentage of alumni. This allows for a rowdier time, and it helps that many of them know each other. NBA fans watching in arenas can’t say the same.

Hi there! My name’s James DeVellis. I’m a college student from Arizona, taking up sports administration. I am gunning for a career in the sports industry as a writer. Follow me on Twitter for the hottest sports news.

The most expensive sports memorabilia out there

It’s not enough for every hardcore sports fan to cheer on their favorite team. They have to have a collection of memorabilia that reminds them and others of how much they love their squad. But not all memorabilia are created equal. Some have that certain magic that makes them more valuable than the rest. 

Image source: thehistoryblog.com

Take for instance Babe Ruth’s New York Yankee’s jersey, which he donned in 1920. Factor in Babe Ruth being perhaps the biggest legend in American baseball history and the fact that historians speculate this to be his first ever Yankees jersey. The result? $4.4 million at an auction. This has been one of the most expensive pieces of sports memorabilia to date. 

Other sports memorabilia are affected by circumstance, like the baseball Mark McGwire hit at the expense of Carl Pavano and the Montreal Expos. On an ordinary day, that ball wouldn’t be worth as much as other classic memorabilia. But as fate would have it, it was McGwire’s 70th home run and a world record. It was also his last bat for the season. The ball would go on to sell for $3 million. 

An honorable mention goes to the Honus Wagner card released by American Tobacco Company in 1909. The card is said to be worth $2.8 million, making it the most expensive baseball card in history.

Image source: mensjournal.com

Hi, I’m James DeVellis. I’m a college student living in Arizona. I major in sports management and write blogs that focus on everything in the world of sports. Follow me here for more sports updates.

How will Dwyane Wade’s arrival help the Cavaliers?

It came as pleasant surprise to many that Dwyane Wade ultimately decided in favor of a reunion with former Miami co-star Lebron James, hightailing it to Cleveland. It’s no secret that the two are close; Wade held no grudge when James came back to Ohio. The more pressing question now is: How will this player movement help the Cavaliers in their quest for a second title in three years? 

Image source: cavsnation.com

More depth is the quick answer. Particularly in the guard position, where the Cavs already have the services of Derrick Rose, Jose Calderon, and J.R. Smith. Wade’s presence will equate to more rest for King James throughout the season, letting him run amok during the playoffs. LBJ loves to carry the ball down the court especially during fast breaks, but this was hampered in the previous year’s campaign with Kyrie Irving’s tendency to kill the shot clock with hero ball and less passing. This should be addressed by Wade’s arrival, alongside other key roster changes. 

Cleveland’s other acquisition is star guard Isaiah Thomas, who should have an instant impact on the Cleveland offense when he gets back from injury during the second half of the season. This all-star new guard cast should be more open to passing, leading to more threes from veterans Kyle Korver, Richard Jefferson, and Channing Frye. 

Ball movement will likewise lead to better inside plays from Kevin Love, Jae Crowder, and Tristan Thompson. Hustle should be upgraded, too, with Jeff Green and Iman Shumpert (who will be taking fewer threes this year) taking care of loose balls. Finally, Ante Zizic should be a huge boost at the center position (which was formerly the Cavs’ waterloo) since Tavares, Perkins, and Frye are not bulky nor strong enough to compete with other Eastern Conference bigs. 

Image source: sports.yahoo.com

Arizona-based James DeVellis is a college student majoring in sports business. He wants to be a full-fledged sports writer someday. For more sports updates, visit this blog.