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When it comes to the NFL, football fans enjoy the challenge of either wagering on the individual games or participating in fantasy sports pools to help enjoy the weekly games but one of the most challenging games for fans to participate in is the NFL Survivor Pool.

Although many believe that NFL Survivor Pools are simply a game of luck there is quite a fair amount of strategy that goes into winning an NFL Survivor Pool.

With parity in the NFL being so dominant, it has become more difficult to win a survivor pool and with the jackpots ranging from $100 up to $50,000 in some pools, the competition can be fierce.

Our site, RealMoneyFantasyLeagues.com has sponsored our own 2012 NFL Survivor Pool with a guaranteed prize pool of $1000. Knowing how difficult it is to win a Survivor pool, we have created a cheat sheet for players who may need help determining the winning picks for the year.

To all those that enter our 2012 NFL Survivor Pool we wish you luck and we look forward to crowning our winner with a $1,000 prize.

NFL Survivor Picks for Week 1 – 17

Below are the Survivor Pool picks that we feel have the best shot at winning each week for the entire 2012 NFL Season. Try out our picks at our 2012 NFL Survivor Pool.

Week 1 Pick

CHICAGO BEARS to beat the Indianapolis Colts

As “Luck” would have it, this will be the coming out party for number 1 overall pick Andrew Luck. Bright lights, big televised game as well as playing on the road to start the year…what more could you ask for? The Colts will be “Luck”y if they win 4 games this year and this will not be one of them. A tough Bears defense as well as an improved offense leaves the Colts with no chance to win. Take Da Bears and get your pick ready for Week 2.

Week 2 Pick

NY GIANTS to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The New York Giants are the defending SuperBowl champions have made only a few changes to their team from last year. Tampa Bay is still a team in rebuilding mode looking to find chemistry in 2012. The Giants will have an extra 4 days of rest from their season opener so this should a pretty easy win. If there is a point of concern it would be that this could be a letdown game following a big divisional opener against the Cowboys. Bottom line, we still like the Giants to win without too much trouble.

Week 3 Pick

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS to beat the Kansas City Chiefs

For the Chiefs this will be the second straight road game and playing inside the Superdome against Brees and the Saints offense won’t be much fun. Despite the mess the Saints had with offseason suspensions, they should start to find their form by the 3^rd game of the season and should be able to rack up the points against a weak Chiefs pass defense.

Week 4 Pick

ARIZONA CARDINALS to beat the Miami Dolphins

Write down this prediction – Week 4 of the NFL season could see a lot of Survivor players get knocked out of their pools. Most of the scheduled games are fierce divisional rivalries which are always games to avoid in Survivor contests. We will pick a safer game with a home team facing an opponent across the country. This game isn’t an easy pick, but the Cardinals should be able to exploit the soft Miami Dolphin pass defense and score the win.

Week 5 Pick

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS to beat the Buffalo Bills

The Bills will be coming off a tough game against the Patriots and they could be set for a letdown against the 49ers. San Fran’s defense should be able to swallow up the inconsistent Bills offense and since the Bills will be crossing time zones getting to the Bay, we would be shocked if they even show up in this one.

Week 6 Pick

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS to beat the Kansas City Chiefs

This pick will be scrutinized but Tampa Bay will be coming off their bye and will be well-rested in front of their home crowd. The Chiefs will be facing an NFC team after playing a tough game against the Baltimore Ravens in week 5. Take the Bucs and use a better team another week.

Week 7 Pick

OAKLAND RAIDERS to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars

The Oakland Raiders always play well in the “black hole”.  With McFadden back running and a better offense led by Carson Palmer, the Raiders should be hitting their stride by week 7. Although the Jaguars will be coming off a bye which is always a concern, they will still be travelling across the country to play a superior Raiders team.

Week 8 Pick

GREEN BAY PACKERS to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars

Not a guaranteed win – but a 99.9% lock.  Green Bay will be in the cozy confines of Lambeau Field just as the weather will begin to be a factor in games. Jacksonville will be travelling from Oakland for their second tough road game in a row and will face possibly the best team in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers should have a stat filling day against the Jaguars and an easy win for your Survivor pool.

Week 9 Pick

HOUSTON TEXANS to beat the Buffalo Bills

Both these teams will be coming off a bye week so that advantage is removed. The Texans are the better team and Buffalo has a poor run defense allowing the Texans and Arian Foster to exploit the Bills all day.  Houston is the home team and home field advantage should always be considered when picking your teams in an NFL Survivor Pool. We have a lot of confidence that Houston should pull this one out.

Week 10 Pick

BALTIMORE RAVENS to beat the Oakland Raiders

The Raiders travel across the country to take on the tough defensive Baltimore Ravens. The weather should be colder than Oakland is used to allowing Ray Rice the opportunity to exploit the weaker run defense of the Raiders. The Ravens should be able to control the ball and walk away with the win.

Week 11 Pick

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS to beat the Indianapolis Colts

In a game that used to be circled on the calendar is now just another game as the Colts head to snowy New England. Andrew Luck will be facing one of the best defensive minded coaches in Bill Belichek and will be left dizzy with the defensive schemes that he will be facing. While the Patriots will be trying to secure top spot in the AFC East, Indy will be on their way to securing a top 5 draft pick in next year’s draft. This should be a blowout win for the Patriots.

Week 12 Pick

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES to beat the Carolina Panthers

Another tough week for players that will still be active in their Survivor Pool. Of all the games on the board, the Monday Night game between the two fastest quarterbacks in the NFL (provided they are still healthy by Week 12) is the one we like the most. Michael Vick and the Eagles have more weapons on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball than Cam Newton does. The Eagles will be playing at home in prime time in a much anticipated game of running QB’s, but we like the Eagles to pull out the victory as the better overall team.

Week 13 Pick

DETROIT LIONS to beat the Indianapolis Colts

It’s like Bizarro World in the NFL; the Lions are favored over the Colts.  Indy is in the rebuilding phase of the franchise, while Detroit is a legitimate playoff contender. The Lions will also have an extra three days’ rest after their Thanksgiving Day game and while the Lions are looking at a playoff spot, the Colts will be playing out the schedule into next year’s draft.  Lions win big in this one.

Week 14 Pick

PITTSBURGH STEELERS to beat the San Diego Chargers

The Steelers and their offense should be firing on all cylinders heading into a cold December game against the warm weather San Diego Chargers. The Chargers will be travelling across the country to play Pittsburgh and playing in a hostile environment in what is likely to be nasty and cold weather should be enough for the Steelers to win.

Week 15 Pick

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS to beat the Carolina Panthers

At this point of the NFL Survivor pool we are faced with some tough choices in making a pick as most of the stronger teams have already been used in previous weeks. With the Chargers likely still fighting for a wildcard spot and the Panthers probably out of the playoff running and playing out the string, we like the Chargers to win in a close game.

Week 16 Pick

DENVER BRONCOS to beat the Cleveland Browns

Will Peyton Manning’s arm still hold up by this point of the season?  Will the Denver Broncos still be in a playoff battle? We are assuming the answer will be YES to both those questions. Regardless of what Denver will be doing, the Browns are still a bad team and should be making offseason plans by this point.

Week 17 Pick

TENNESSEE TITANS to beat the Jacksonville Jaguars

If by Week 17 you haven’t already won your 2012 NFL Survivor Pool then now is the time to throw out all of your Survivor Pool strategies out the window.  You must face teams that are sitting key players, teams that are desperate for a playoff spot and teams that have mentally checked out by this time and are playing not to get hurt. The Titans should still be playing for a wildcard whereas the Jaguars will have nothing to gain in this game. Take the Titans and claim your 2012 NFL Survivor Pool Prize!

Author bio: Alex K. is a writer and partner at Real Money Fantasy Leagues, a website which focuses on connecting to and promoting daily fantasy sports. Sign up today to our inaugural 2012 NFL Survivor Pool and take your shot at a guaranteed $1,000 prize.

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It is mind-boggling that a simple piece of athletic equipment such as the tennis racquet has and continues to symbolize versatility. It unites the races, woos crowds, acts as a collector’s item and helps raise funds for various global charities.

Throughout the decades, we have seen an array of athletes from different nations come together on a tennis court and demonstrate great skills and superior sportsmanship. Across the seas, families and friends gather around television sets and computers to watch tennis matches with great anticipation. Even third world countries such as Kenya have established tennis programs on make-shift courts created on dirt fields. Time and again, children have shown us one can learn how to operate a racquet at any age, anywhere.

To one’s surprise, the old-style wooden racquet has also become a collector’s item. From the antique racquets made in the late 1800s to the player-endorsed wooden racquets that were used during most of the 20th century, wooden racquets are collected around the world and highly sought after. The aesthetically pleasing ornate construction gives these racquets a classy and unique look. Surprisingly, these collectors’ delights can be found in consignment stores and can also be purchased on eBay. Often, wooden racquets that are autographed by tennis legends are sold at auctions and fundraisers.

Tennis champions have also used their celebrity status for philanthropic purposes, from Andre Agassi to Billie Jean King. Agassi and his wife Stefi Graff have helped fund charter schools in Nevada and Milwaukee. Former champion, Billie Jean King has partnered with singer Sir Elton John to raise money for AIDS charities. Since its inception, the World Team Tennis Smash Hits has raised over $10 million to benefit AIDS victims. With such charitable acts, athletes have proven that sports and humanities are compatible. Whether raising funds for children with special needs or AIDS victims, tennis stars have made a significant effort towards worthy causes.

Recently in Toronto, the Emirates Airlines racquet Return Program assists thousands of inner-city children acquire their own racquets. Emirates collects junior-sized racquets and donates them to thousands of Toronto’s inner-city youth every summer. The program also promotes healthy choices and physical activity by developing tennis programs in different localities. According to representative,

Peter Bedard, “The most important lesson we’ve learned is that once a kid gets an appropriate sized racquet, they can immediately begin to play and feel the excitement of tennis.”

The tennis racquet promotes healthy activity and self-confidence. With the advent of tennis backboards, players do not need to rely or wait for a partner to play against. Backboards help improve backhands and serves. In addition, tennis ball machines help players to improve their skill-set while providing some cardiovascular training. From preschoolers to adolescents and senior citizens, tennis is a game that can be played by anyone.

Celia Taghdiri is a freelance writer with an English/Journalism background. Her articles have been featured in the San Diego Union Tribune and various magazines. As a tennis writer, she enjoys writing about philanthropic efforts made by the tennis community.

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The article talks about the history of the golf tee, and the types now available, before finishing with a link to the rules about a legal tee is.

When you start on one of those trails around the internet – you know the kind of thing, you start looking for one thing, that leads to another, then another, and before you know it the afternoon is gone – you come across plenty of interesting hints and tips.  There is a lot of stuff showing you things like how to tee up a golf ball or what the latest thoughts are on the use of specialist golf putters, but often there is too much information and it’s hard to find what you actually need.

One of the things I’m interested in is the history of the sport.  I’ve made a bit of a study of it, and noticed that quite a few other golfers feel the same way as me.  It’s useful to know how certain items developed, as even if you don’t find the history thrilling it can help to understand how and when you should use different things.

Take golf tees, for example.  You’ll find lots of web pages telling you about the latest designs, but not many that tell you about the history of them and how the design has improved over the years.  The focus on much of the internet is on marketing – someone has to pay for it – so much of what you see is geared towards sales.

You won’t find many pages that tell you, for example, that the first golf tee was only developed in 1889, and was a rubber three-pronged affair which just sat on the ground.  The first tee as we know it, which was pushed into the ground and was made of wood, was patented three years later.  Before that, players either hit the ball straight from the ground or used a little mound of sand to place the ball on.  One can only imagine what frustrations that caused, and what drove someone to devise something that was consistent and easy to use no matter where they were or what the ground was like.

The golf tee remained something of a niche product though until around the 1920’s.  A Dr Lowell had the idea of mass producing them, which reduced the costs, and he also painted them red so they could be seen more easily in the grass.  An early piece of marketing using two pro golfers to promote the tee did it no harm, and it soon became the standard accessory for all golfers.

Since then, of course, there have been a number of variations on the same basic theme.  You can get long or short tees, depending on how high you want your ball to sit.  They are now made of different materials, such as plastic as well as wood, and they come in a variety of colours.  You also have the different tops, with some having the traditional cup shape, and some sporting ‘bristles’ or similar which supposedly reduce the resistance against the ball, allowing it to travel further.  There isn’t much room for new designs now though, as the rules around tees leave little doubt about what is and isn’t allowed.

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The game of golf was always considered as the game of classes and not many people adopted this game due to the cost involved in it. But since a decade ago it has been observed that the number of golfers has increased a lot and at a good rate. This is due to the training aids which are available at affordable rates. People can self-train themselves without spending too much money on personal golf trainers. A golf simulator is one such aid which can help any golfer learn and improve every aspect of their golf game. Since the market is full of various brands and types of golf simulators, it becomes quite tedious to select one. Few basic points to look for while choosing a golf simulator are mentioned here.

The most important thing to consider is the accuracy of these systems. There is no point in spending a fortune on these systems if they are not accurate. You want a system which shows you how your swing performs on a real golf course. You must always check your shots on a golf simulator and figure out if it is giving the same results of the shot which you normally would get on the golf course. It might not be 100% accurate but should be as close to 98 to 99 percent. Also check if you can use any golf clubs and balls with the simulator as there are many simulators which will recommend only specific clubs and balls, which is a sheer waste of money. Stay away from simulators which require you to attach any strings to your club for proper functioning as you will be restricted in your shots and not swing freely.

Camera based golf simulators have been tested and proven that they do give better accuracy than the simulators based on the infrared sensors. Since the camera is able to capture every aspect of golf club and ball while hitting, it can easily manipulate the distance and path it will travel and display it on the screen. Infrared can only capture the data when the ball passes through the infrared hence the software is not provided with enough data to calculate the distance and path which results in less accuracy. If you are a beginner, then you should definitely avoid infrared golf simulators, since the sensors are placed very close to the hitting zone and a miss shot can damage these sensors which are not easily replicable. Although camera based simulators have an edge over infrared, but does not necessarily mean that every camera based golf simulator will be better. There are many camera based golf simulators which perform poorly when compared to the infrared. This difference is due to the capabilities of the software also. So always test a system before making a final decision.

Once you have shortlisted some golf simulators based on accuracy it becomes important to see which provides the better functions and options. Look for the number of golf courses provided with the software. Also make sure that the courses you like to play most are there. Check whether the golf courses are 3D or 2D. A 3D course will provide you realism while playing and watching while 2D won’t. There are some simulators which offer 3D courses which are just 3D images, so you won’t see any movement on the course. This means no leaf movement or breezes on the course; only the ball will move. I hope these points will help you in deciding which golf simulator will suit you the best.

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A trophy is a symbol of achievement and excellence. In ancient times, it used to be a proof of victory during warfare. Trophies originated from the possession of human parts like in headhunting. With the arrival of civilization, this practice was considered taboo.  In ancient Greece, laurel wreaths were one of the first symbols of achievement. Other types of awards include an amphora, vase, and shield.

It was not until the 1600s that chalices or goblets were used as trophies. This started the trend of using cup designs, which established a certain standard in trophy making. Until now, trophy cups are quite popular. Sports events like the World Cup, Stanley Cup, FA Cup, and the FIFA World Cup named their prestigious sports competition after the highly coveted prize. Even Australia has trophies Melbourne Cup.

Trophies were not limited to sports. Later on, various fields of expertise, especially in the arts, have emerged with their own trophy designs. A human form or figure in theater and film like the Academy Award’s Oscar is one of the most popular designs.  People have become more creative and chose to have unique designs that are suitable to the award itself. A good example is the Hugo Award shaped like a spaceship to symbolize a most fitting award in science fiction.

Awards in academics are also very common. Teams or individuals are awarded a 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place trophy to represent a certain level of achievement. The towering trophies are popular because it is easy to base the level of achievement on the height and design of the trophy. This is similar to the idea of gold, silver, and bronze medals with gold as the highest achievement and bronze as the 3^rd place on the roster.

In modern times, trophies are simple proofs of achievement. Even a quiz bee winner and a top seller in a company can receive trophies. They may not be as impressive as prestigious awards, but they symbolize a great achievement or excellence in a particular field. Although trophies can now be made from cheap materials like plastic and acrylic, they can still be valuable to a recipient in some way or another.

Modern technology has also made it easy to mass produce trophies for whatever purpose. Even a little league game in your community can award winners with trophies and medals. Whether you’re looking for trophies Melbourne Cup, World Cup design, or a simple one to award a baseball team in your school, trophies are now easy to get with various suppliers around the world.

Author’s Bio: Burry Standox has taken his personal interest in trophies and awards and fashioned a business out of it. He is a successful owner of a local trophy store. He also writes for http://www.awardsandtrophies.com.au/

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It is just as much fun receiving awards as it is giving them. Awards are a tangible reminder for you and everyone else that you are a force to be reckoned with; a leader in your own right. For businesses, awards establish their companies as leaders, whose business success is to be admired and followed, if not overtaken.

As far as visible professional benefits go, receiving a well-deserved trophy Canberra creates an impact on a lot of things and not just a company’s reputation. It also influences their advertising endeavors by drawing advertisers in, as well, of course, as potential clients. This is especially helpful if a company has taken advantage of the power of the internet, where every achievement and every accolade is magnified for everyone to see. Awards make potential clients check out a company’s profile to see what the fuss is all about and as every business owner knows, it takes 3 seconds to grab a customer’s attention and a whole lot more time than that to keep it. Getting a trophy will certainly help them in that aspect.

As far as a company’s productivity goes, getting and giving awards promotes a healthier work environment, with employees always being at the top of their game. Productivity at an all-time high translates to all-time high profits, higher employee retention rates and lesser turnovers. This also results in happier employees who come to work every day. Another great thing is that it encourages healthy competition and increases a person’s drive to strive. A work environment without a little competition going on can be a little boring, don’t you think?

Also, in this day and age where much store is set by achievements, a trophy Canberra holds immeasurable value compared to a substantial pay raise or job promotion. An employee feels pride and joy in their work whenever they see the shining monument that recognizes and acknowledges their hard work and innumerable contributions to the organization. The feeling that one has made a difference is nothing that money can buy and certainly a memory that one can cherish for a lifetime. When a person knows deep down that they are considered the best in what they do, it satisfies their intrinsic human need for acceptance and validation. 

More importantly, these awards contribute immensely to boosting one’s confidence and self-esteem, enabling better performance and higher motivation. One looks forward to the next task and works to go over and beyond their limits to achieve their goals.

Author’s Bio:

Burry Standox has taken a personal interest in trophies and awards and fashioned a business out of it. He is a successful owner of a local trophy store. He also writes for http://www.awardsandtrophies.com.au/.

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Whenever a history of rugby is mentioned, the name of William Webb Ellis will soon crop up. Ellis was a pupil of Rugby school – a town in Warwickshire – in 1823, when he flouted the rules of football as played at the school at the time, and picked up the ball and ran with it.

In reality, though, there is little evidence to support this story, and games involving a team of players trying to pass and carry a ball over a line defended by the opposition go back much further. There are records of how various English towns would celebrate a feast day by staging a game which involves propelling a ball over a long distance, with an opposing team trying to do similar in the opposite direction – the most famous of which is that which takes place every Shrove Tuesday in Ashbourne, Derbyshire.

Various regional versions of the game are recorded as being played as far back as the ninth century, when the Vikings documented a game called knattleikr (don’t ask how it was pronounced!), and Cnapan was played in Wales, while Campball was commonplace in East Anglia.

Eventually, the British sense of fair play deemed that some form of rules was needed. Handling of the ball was actually allowed in the version of football played at Rugby school from the 1750s onwards, but it was almost a century later, in 1845, when the rules for a game which resemble that we know today were first drawn up.

Various games involving carrying and kicking a ball soon appeared in the country’s public schools, but the Rugby variant soon became dominant, leading to a tournament being established between the country’s leading public schools. In what was seen as an acceptance of the Rugby version of the game, the ‘Cambridge Rules’ of 1848 expressly allowed the ball to be carried in the hands at this event.

Eventually, and perhaps inevitably, the more violent aspects of the game had to be curbed, so, in 1871, a meeting was held in London, attended by 21 clubs, at which the Rugby Football Union was formed.

Its members, in turn, formed a committee, and asked three of their number, all legal experts, to formulate a set of rules. Over the next decade, separate unions were established in Scotland, Ireland and Wales, and took these rules as the template for their game.

In 1895, however, a group of teams from the north of England set the wheels rolling on a form of the game which involved compensating their players – who were mainly factory workers – for the time they had to take off to train for and play and game. Hence, the Northern Rugby Football Union was formed, which in turn refined the rules of the game, to produce their own version – rugby league.

Both versions now have massive followings around the world, and are played at many levels, the highest being regularly televised in its respective countries. And while the divide between ‘league’ and ‘union’ remains, both games succeed in attracting new generations of players to keep them going strong.

Jaimy Howard is a freelance writer interested in sport and specialising in insurance for footballers and cricket club insurance. 

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