A $200 gift certificate to Amazon to do whatever you please.

How do you win?

That’s easy.

All you have to do is leave a comment on any five of these blogs. You can choose which posts that you want to comment on, but one of them MUST be the horse racing blog – Thoroughbred Fever.

• All Poker Addicts
• BCS Frenzy
• College Fast Break
• Dejuiced
• Every Morning Quarterback
• Girls Dig Sports
• Green Posse
• Hockey Beat
• Hoops Fantasy
• Jab and Grapple
• Knuckle Curve
• Light the Torch
• NBA Obsessed
• Sneaks ‘N Gear
• Squib Kick
• The Fantasy Kickoff
• The Footie
• Thoroughbred Fever

Contest ends at 9:00am on Monday. On Monday morning, we will track all the entries and draw a random winner who will be emailed the $200 gift certificate.

Easy right?

Start Commenting!!

Photo credit: b5media

Post from: EveryJoe

Win a $200 Amazon Gift Certificate To Celebrate the Breeder’s Cup

We could go any which way with this theme and I decided to list the Top 10 Greatest Women Athletes of all time (according to yours truly, of course.)

So, here they are in order from ten to one, starting with …

10. Sheryl Swoopes

Swoopes played one-on-one against Air Jordan and was instrumental in getting the WNBA off the ground and running. She played in both the 1994 and 1996 Olympics, won back-to-back championships with the Houston Comets and logged the WNBA’s first ever triple double. Oh, and she was the first woman to ever have her own basketball shoe — the Nike Air Swoopes!

9. Bonnie Blair

Blair made her Olympic debut at the age of 20 in 1984. She competed in the 500-meter race and came in eighth place. It would be the only time she would lose a race from then on. Blair went on to win five consecutive gold medals in 1998, 1992 and 1994.

8. Mary Lou Retton

Before Shawn Johnson, there was the lovable Mary Lou. Retton was also sixteen when she captured her golden moment at the 1984 Olympics. She needed a flawless vault in order to catapult herself in front of the leader of the all-around competition for the gold medal. And Retton seized the moment, scored perfectly and stuck the landing. She became a household name, graced the cover of magazines (Sports Illustrated) and Wheaties boxes everywhere, and made numerous appearances on television.

7. Chris Evert

Evert is probably best known for her tennis rivalry with 6. Martina Navratilova.

Both women changed the face of women’s tennis. Evert won 157 career singles titles and Navratilova won 167. Navratilova had more wins against Evert with 43-37.

5. Florence Griffith Joyner

Flo-Jo is the sister-in-law of Jackie Joyner-Kersee, but you would think they were blood-related because of their uncanny speed abilities. She ran the 100m in 10.49 seconds in 1988, a world record that stood for a decade.

4. Mia Hamm

Hamm is known as the Michael Jordan of women’s soccer (also an alum of the University of North Carolina) and considered the best female to ever dribble a soccer ball. She’s the world’s all-time leading scorer, a four-time NCAA champion, a two-time World Cup champion, and an Olympic gold medalist. Oh yeah, her silhouette is also going to be used at the new logo for the new women’s professional soccer league. Not a bad resume, eh?

3. Nancy Lieberman-Cline
Liberman probably could have balled in the NBA and held her own. She was that good. With her no-look passes and on-court intelligence, Lieberman was dubbed “Lady Magic.” She led Old Dominion to two National Championships and played in the WNBA. She now serves at the general manager and coach of the Detroit Shock.

2. Billie Jean King

King will go down in history (or herstory) as the woman who beat Bobby Riggs in the famous “Battle of the Sexes” match. With that single win, she cemented the ammo for the argument that women are just as good as men in sports. Oh, there’s also those 39 Grand Slam wins and 695 match victories. But who’s counting?

1. Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Kersee could very well be considered the greatest women’s Olympic athlete of all time. Not only did she excel in track and field, but Kersee was also a Pac-10 basketball player at UCLA. Her world record of 7,291 points in the event, set in Seoul, still stands, and Joyner-Kersee has the top six performances in history.

*Some information provided by Sports Illustrated

Post from: EveryJoe

Top 10 Greatest Women Athletes

• Sandy kicks off the favorite talk with her favorite Olympic sport at Light the Torch.
• Sandy also discusses her favorite golfer – Tom Weiskopf – at Green Posse.
• Michael talks about not showing favoritism at Jab and Grapple.
• Tim talks about Tony Stewart and Stewart-Haas Racing at Do You NASCAR.
• Lyndsey tells all about being a Kansas City Chiefs fan at Girls Dig Sports.
• Tony talks about his favorite team – the Houston Astros – at Inside the Ballpark.
• Jodie tells us about favorite players, teams and more across many sports at Gossip on Sports.
• Cherie reminisces about her favorite moments as an Ohio State fan at Dejuiced.
• Stephen talks about his favorite baseball teams of 2008 at Knuckle Curve.
• Stephen also discusses his five favorite fantasy basketball players at HoopsFantasy.
• David talks about America’s favorite spectator sport at Every Morning Quarterback.
• Kori discusses her favorite fantasy football players at The Fantasy Kickoff.

Thanks for reading and hopefully you visit all the great blogs here at b5media often.

Image credit: istockphoto

Post from: EveryJoe

Other b5 Sports Channel Favorites

Well since football season is right around the corner, I’ll talk about my favorite football team. You’d think that because I grew up in Buffalo, NY, I’d be a Bills fan through and through. Not so my friends. While I can appreciate my hometown football team and cheer them on because of loyalty, my favor lies with another … I’ve been a Kansas City Chiefs fan since I was 12 years old.

People always ask me why and I just don’t have a clear answer. It started with Nintendo I suppose and a little game called Tecmo Bowl that my twin brother and I used to play all the time. I would always be the Chiefs and he would always be the Falcons or the Bills. From then on I started watching and following the team diligently. I even put together a scrap book and knew more players on their roster than the average football fan. I could reel off stats from each season from 1992 all the way to 1997. I stopped the scrapbooking when I went off to college. And though I never followed the team as closely as I had throughout my middle and high school years, I still always tuned in for a game.

I remember when the Chiefs traveled to Buffalo to play in the 1993 AFC Championship game. I had saved up all of my paper route money to buy a Starter Chiefs jacket. My father had season tickets so naturally he took me to the game. Only, I wasn’t allowed to wear any Chief stuff. He thought I’d get heckled or worse, and who could blame him? Football fans can get rowdy. It was one of the most memorable games I had ever seen. And to see Joe Montana up close, well that was just a bonus. (Side note: I was a fan before the Joe Montana days at Kansas City as well as after he was gone, so I don’t want to hear “you just liked them because of him” …)

Though my team got pummeled in the game and that pretty much capped off their 90’s run, I never lost faith that someday the Chiefs would make it all the way back to the Superbowl. I have a goal to see at least one game in Arrowhead Stadium. And the Bills travel to play the Chiefs this November.

Who knows … maybe I’ll finally make the trip.

What’s your favorite football team and why?

Photo provided by Newscom

Post from: EveryJoe

Favorites

• Ryan from College Fast Break tells us how he enjoys the summer without college basketball.
• David from Every Morning Quarterback discusses how summer vacation is over … at least for NFL players.
• Jodie at Gossip on Sports chats about how Dwyane Wade almost ruined her day at the beach.
• Cherie from Dejuiced talks about her summer fun as baseball leads up to pre-season football and then college football.
• Lyndsey at Girls Dig Sports tell us about her good times at the Gus Macker national 3-on-3 basketball tournament.
• Sandy at Green Posse talks about the British Open which begins on July 17th. She also discusses the ultimate sports fun this summer – the Beijing Olympics on Light The Torch.
• Tony at Inside the Ballpark talks about the Midsummer Classic and his experience at the All-Star break festivities back in 2005.
• Michael from Jab & Grapple loves WWEís SummerSlam and reminisces back to the first SummerSlam back in 1988.
• Jeanne at Hockey Beat tells us ways to enjoy hockey during the summertime.
• Stephen at Hoops Fantasy discusses the fun of NBA Summer League. He also talks about the Home Run Derby over at Knuckle Curve.
• Jyle loves about kicking around a soccer ball at The Footie and wearing your favorite pair of sneakers at Sneaks ‘N Gear.
• Kori at The Fantasy Kickoff talks about preparing for your fantasy draft in the summertime.

What are you doing for fun this summer? Visit one of the b5 sports blogs and let us know about your sports summer fun.

Photo credit: istockphoto

Post from: EveryJoe

Summer Fun

If there was one sport I could play every day of my life, it would be basketball. I’ve loved basketball since the days Michael Jordan dunked from the free throw line, Magic Johnson passed the ball right while looking left, and Larry Bird could basically hit the bottom of the net from anywhere on the court. I grew up playing basketball with my brothers and their friends on the playground, played on my high school team, and spent my summers at numerous basketball camps. And whenever the Gus Macker three-on-three tournament came to town, I was always ready and willing to participate.

The Gus Macker is a national three-on-three basketball tournament that visits numerous cities throughout the country. Of course, as I’ve gotten older and lost a few quick steps here and there, I haven’t been able to play basketball as often as I would like. My brothers have since moved away, with one residing in Atlanta and the other in Boston. This past winter we toyed with the idea of playing in the Gus Macker tournament as a family when it came through Buffalo. At the end of June, that idea became a reality.

Four people were needed for a team with three players on the court at a time and one sub. Both of my brothers and I recruited another childhood friend of ours to form the ever-impressive entourage, the “Darc Angels.” My sister-in-law even made us T-shirts bearing the name. We registered as a co-ed team but there were so few co-ed teams entered, we were put into a bracket with only male players. To say that I wasn’t a bit intimidated would be a complete lie. Sure, I grew up playing against boys. But these were no longer boys; these were big, sweaty guys, some beer-bellied and some ripped like Rambo, and all were unwilling to cut a female player any slack.

The two-day tournament began on a Saturday. The New Era Cap Company, a sponsor of the tournament, provided registration services at their Flagship Store in downtown Buffalo. Our designated court was off the main drag on a side street, which was ideal because there weren’t crowds of people walking on either side of us. We were, as they say, off the beaten path. Our bracket consisted of players of the same skill level, which is how each bracket is determined. Sixteen teams were playing for the coveted Gus Macker first place trophy and brand-new New Era baseball caps.

We arrived at our court early on Saturday to warm up a bit. Some games started as early as 8 a.m. Luckily, our first game was scheduled for 11 a.m. Since we were playing in an all-male bracket, I was forced to use a men’s basketball. It weighs a tad bit more than a female ball, so I knew I’d have to put a little more muscle behind my shot. Each game was played to 15 by ones, with two point shots counting from beyond a line of red-and-yellow tape. Games were also limited to a half hour to keep the tournament on schedule.

Our first game was an easy win. There was a dapper-looking fellow who happened to be shorter than me — and I’m only 5’3”! I guarded him and was able to take the ball to the net more than a few times. After a short shooting drought, I scored the first basket for our team. We cruised after that, making most of our shots and advanced to the next game later that day. Again, I was able to guard a player on the opposite team who happened to be my size. We beat them soundly, and advanced to our third game of the day.

By then we had been out in the sun all afternoon and were exhausted. The last game was extremely physical and I found myself getting bounced around the court as easily as the ball. Each player was taller than me and when I’d put up a shot, the ball was simply swatted out of my hands. We exchanged baskets back and forth for a while. But, with 10 seconds left to play and the score tied, our fourth player (a childhood friend) hit the game-winning shot from behind the two-point line and we ended up with an undefeated record for the day.

On Sunday, we arrived for our first game hoping to carry forth the same magic that had ended the previous day. Unfortunately, there weren’t any more rabbits to pull out of our hats. Our shots were off the mark and the physical play from the day before had tired us all out. We reached third place, with only two other teams left to fight it out for the championship. But they were bigger and more aggressive, and every shot they put up seem to have a beacon guiding it directly into the bottom of the net. We lost two games in a row, and in a double elimination tournament that’s enough to knock you out.

Though the Darc Angles didn’t take home first place, we did end up with the third place title. They even gave us bronze trophies! Overall, it was a fun-filled tournament. Every team we played against exhibited good sportsmanship and I was treated with respect as the only female on the court.

I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the Gus Macker and was happy to spend two full days playing nothing but basketball. It was also a great opportunity for me to interact with my family, because it brought us together to play a sport we all love and enjoy. We not only played as a family, we played as a team. And it didn’t hurt that we walked away with a trophy either. Maybe next year we’ll take first place and win a couple of New Era baseball caps.

Now that’s what I call “Summer Fun!”

Post from: EveryJoe

Basketball + Summer = Fun

This week’s theme at the b5media Sports Channel is “Feelin’ Good.” Today we highlight the feel good stories, charity work and other positive aspects from the world of sports. Oftentimes, we hear more about the negative news and don’t accentuate the positive impact of athletes and sports.

Let’s look at our rundown about what has us feelin’ good about sports today.

• Allison at BCS Frenzy talks about Fighting Illini coach Ron Zook and Coaches vs. Cancer.
• Blake at All Poker Addicts tells us about what makes him feel good in poker.
• Michael at Jab and Grapple discusses the WWE and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
• Sandy at Green Posse tells us about warming up before golf to make sure that you feel good.
• Jeanne at Light the Torch was feeling good about her interview with gymnast Paul Hamm.
• Cherie at Dejuiced lets us know about Greg Oden and his charity work.
• David at Every Morning Quarterback talks about the NFL rookies and their visit to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• Tony at Inside the Ballpark discusses Astros first baseman Lance Berkman and his charity work with kids.
• Tim at Do You NASCAR talks about Marcos Ambrose and the Wood Brothers return to prosperity.
• Don at Getting Reel tells us about Elton Luce Jr. and his support of The Armed Forces Foundation.
• Jyle at The Footie discusses the many charities of David Beckham.
• Ryan at College Fastbreak talks about former Tennessee guard Chris Lofton and his quiet victory over cancer.
• Stephen at Hoops Fantasy lets us know about David Robinson and his Carver Academy.
• Stephen tells us more at Knuckle Curve concerning Josh Hamilton’s battle back from injuries and drug use.
• Joe at Ladies Court discusses how the Phoenix Mercury are giving back.
• Lyndsey at Girls Dig Sports talks about “Lil’ Bit” Shannon Bobbitt and her road to the WNBA.
• Jodie at Gossip on Sports tells us how a sports bra saved an alpine hiker.
• Erica at Rackets and Balls lets us know that John McEnroe is selling a Warhol portrait to benefit Habitat for Humanity.
• Jeanne at Hockey Beat tells us about the NHL’s “Hockey Fights Cancer” campaign.
• Kori at The Fantasy Kickoff discusses George Martin’s cross country journey to support Heroes of Ground Zero.

Photo credit: istockphoto

Post from: EveryJoe

The B5 Sports Channel Is “Feelin’ Good!”