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.

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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. 

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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.

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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? 

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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. 

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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.

Why Many Athletes go Broke After Their Retirement

According to Sports Illustrated, 60 percent of former NBA players went broke within five years of retiring. That’s more than half of the players earning millions of dollars in the average span of 8 to 14 years. Unfortunately, bankruptcy isn’t uncommon among former professional athletes.

So, why, with all their money, do these people file for bankruptcy so quickly? Here are the most common reasons behind this problem.

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Lifestyle: If you’re earning millions of dollars a year, there’s no limit to what you can buy, and these players have some of the most expensive lifestyles in the world. To give you some perspective, Scottie Pippen once bought a jet for $4 million that didn’t even fly.

Lack of financial literacy: Most professional athletes weren’t born wealthy. These people, who have suddenly come into a great deal of wealth, do not have enough knowledge when it comes to investing their money. Maybe they know they need to, but they don’t actually have an idea where to invest. So, they just hire investment professionals to make the investments for them.

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The entourage: Finally, and probably the biggest reason for bankruptcy, is the entourage. Allen Iverson is known to surround himself with 60 bodyguards. A professional athlete surrounds himself with different people to help him take care of his financial interests, safety, and time management. Employing these people are expensive, that’s why when the paychecks stop coming in, you will be left with no savings but only dues.

Hi, my name is James DeVellis, and I’m a college student from Arizona majoring in sports administration. Check out my LinkedIn profile to know more about me.

Us Open: For Sports Or For Business?

New York City is a tennis favorite, thanks to its unusual impoliteness compared to other cities where Grand Slams are held. The fans here are noisier and are more free and players know that. With the Grand Slam’s glee over Maria Sharapova’s return to the tour, some players may have been a little annoyed.

Maria Sharapova is a timeless tennis champion, yet her involvement in doping got her off the rankings for 15 months, following the decision of the Women’s Tennis Association to suspend her. As almost everybody in the sporting loop knows the name Maria Sharapova, she proved that her existence is not defined by suspension, nor her peers’ comments and backlashes. Nike and Head didn’t cut their support for Maria as she remains to be the top face of women’s tennis.

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Between US Open and Roland Garros, it was the US Open that granted Maria a wild-card entry. Dismayed with the Slam’s decision, some WTA players expressed their thoughts on Maria’s entry, and how the tournament could have picked a better deserving player for the slot. Some players are in support of Sharapova said that the tournament respects the sport and the Association’s decision as Maria had already served her time off-court. Although she had been playing since April this year, Roland Garros skipped her, and she missed Wimbledon because of a thigh injury.

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Tennis fans are rejoicing over the return of Maria, and so are her sponsors. For the US Open alone, she debuted an all-black Nike outfit that would sure shoot up the sales of Nike’s tennis gear. There was a slight increase in the ticket sales as fans would like to see Maria play again after a long time. Coming back stronger than ever, her peers believe it’s because of business why she was granted the wild-card entry. She ranks lower than everyone in the draw, yet she gets to play in Arthur Ashe.

Hi there! James DeVellis here. I’m a college student majoring in sports management. While I’m studying, I write blogs to hone my skills as a sports writer. Follow me on Twitter for quick updates.

NBA G.O.A.T. talk

Since Lebron James passed Michael Jordan in playoff points a few weeks ago, the buzz of him threatening Jordan’s G.O.A.T. status has been getting louder. But that’s all it is. Noise. For James to really pass MJ as basketball’s G.O.A.T., he’d need more people recognizing him as the G.O.A.T., which is again, an impossibility. 

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Sure, some basketball experts and players say LBJ can do more on the floor. Some might even throw stats into the conversation. However, it still won’t be enough. 

One of the telling factors in the MJ-LBJ comparison is the fact that when MJ attained an aura of invincibility, he was indeed, invincible. He couldn’t be beaten. Of course, he had a great team, and an awesome number two in Scottie Pippen, but LBJ had amazing super teams as well with Miami and the current Cavs roster. But LBJ never really attained the aura of invincibility MJ did. 

Another huge part in deciding the MJ-LBJ debate is the fact that LBJ is just not likable. He may have legions of fans, but that number is dwarfed by MJ fans, who up to today, are still loyal beyond any shadow of a doubt. Think 20 years from now, when some new player is dominating the league, how many will insist that LBJ is that G.O.A.T.? How many will still root for MJ? 

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Hello there! I’m James DeVellis, and I’ve always been fascinated with the world of sports. Subscribe to my blog to read more on the stuff I love.