Some Knowledge

Fishing is an enjoyable sport that does not take a lot of gear to participate in.  A person can go to almost any department store and buy a simple fishing rod and reel for a little cash.  Some Mr. Twister plastic lures is all the bait you will need to catch as many fish as you want.  Be sure to buy a fishing license, which only costs a few dollars.

It is important to look for clean water if you are going to eat the fish you catch.  Muddy water or polluted water will affect the taste and healthiness of the fish you catch.  If you are going to go to the trouble of getting all the gear and going fishing, you may as well eat what you catch.  Look for clean lakes and ponds and rivers that are not downstream from any factories or sewage treatment plants.  Dams are a good place to look for a fishing site.  If you are lost for a place to catch fish, there are books that are published that list different fishing sites in your area.

A spincasting reel is one of the easiest to use.  There is a button on the reel that holds the line when you press it.  You swing the rod, then release the button and the line pays out as your lure is cast.  You will need either lead-head jigs or a sinker on your line to allow the lure to travel a good distance when you cast.  A spinning reel is a bit more complicated, but is still easy to use.  You flip the bail and hold the line with your finger.  When you cast, you release the line and let your lure fly out over the water.  You will want to reel in your lure with a good steady motion, so it’s action is good and it attracts the attention of any fish.

When you are fishing, look for underwater structures that the fish may be hiding in.  This means rocks and fallen logs.  Also look for weeds that may harbor insects.  Fish over and along these areas and you will be more likely to catch something.  When a fish takes your lure, set the hook by pulling back on the rod and then reel it in.  You will want either a bucket or some kind of creel or a stringer to keep your fish alive in the water as you continue to fish.

Fishing is an enjoyable sport even if you do not catch anything.  You will be out on the shore of a lake or river, looking at the scenery.  You will be part of nature, and play out a scenario of man that goes far back in history, even before writing was invented.  If you go out in a boat you will have the waves to rock you and the boat to float you anywhere you want to go.  However you go fishing, it is a time to relax and enjoy yourself.  You will learn about nature and what it means to catch your own food.

Big Brown came from the far outside to win the 134th Kentucky Derby.  The thoroughbred held back for the first half of the race, pacing the field.  At the far corner, Big Brown came on strong and took the lead on the home stretch.  Opening it up on the race for the wire, Big Brown pulled ahead by five lengths to take the win.

On a sad note, after the race, the second place finisher, Eight Belles, broke both front ankles and was immediately euthanized.

Big Brown is now undefeated in four races.

Yes, today is the run for the roses.  The 134th annual Kentucky Derby starts at 6:04 pm EDT this evening.  If you can’t get to Churchill Downs to see the race in person, you can watch on NBC starting at 4:00 pm.

The Kentucky Derby is probably the most famous race in all thoroughbred racing.  It is the first race in the Triple Crown.  Horse racing is not one of the most popular sports on TV.  Except for this race, the Belmont and the Preakness, you will probably not find another horse race on TV all year.  The big attraction of horse racing is of course betting.  If you want a list of the current odds, and it’s still before post time, check out the official Kentucky Derby site here.

Horses are marvelous animals.  They are big, they run fast, they eat a lot, and they are a lot of work to take care of.  The horses that run in the Derby are also very expensive.  If you are looking to buy one of these beasts, you might find a deal on one here.  A horse is of course, more expensive than just the purchase price.  You have to supply it with food, shelter, veterinary services, and training.  Horses can also be dangerous animals to be around.

The television industry this year has really been promoting the Derby.  I’ve been seeing news reports on this race on CNN all week.  They have also been pushing bourbon, as in mint juleps.  I guess if you are going to bet your hard-earned cash on a horse race, you might want to slug back a good dose of whiskey, if you like that sort of thing.  Myself, I’ll stay sober and maybe catch the race on TV.  The actual race only takes a couple minutes, and it will be interesting to watch the horses run.

The winner of the 2007 Kentucky Derby was a horse named Street Sense.  Street Sense was a three year old stallion bred and owned by James Tafel.  He was trained by Carl Nafzger, who also trained Unbridled, the winner of the 1990 Kentucky Derby.  Street Sense was ridden by jockey Calvin Borel.

Second place went to Hard Spun, and Curlin came in third.

The 2008 Kentucky Derby will be run on May 3 this year.  For a look at the contenders and various other information on the Triple Crown check out this site.  There is a list of horses with links to their records and also information on trainers and jockeys.

This morning, the 112th Boston Marathon begins.  The race is run from Hopkinton to Boston along a 26.22 mile course.  Approximately 25,000 runners will be competing this year.  The course, over the hilly terrain of New England, is considered one of the best routes in the world.  Every year, thousands of fans line the route and cheer on the runners.

A good article about the race and it’s history can be found on Wikipedia.  This year there is $575,000 up for grabs in prize money.  Weather this year is expected to be good, with partly sunny skies and a high near 60 F.  The race will start at 10:00 Eastern Daylight Time with the elite female runners and wheelchair racers going earlier.

Bostonmarathon.org has live web coverage of the event with leaderboards and current stats for the race.  You can see a list of the top runners and get updates and live reports from the race.  There is also information on the biographies and personal records of some of the leaders available by clicking on their names on the leaderboard.

In order to run in the Boston Marathon you have to first qualify.  To qualify, you must run a recognized marathon in a time that is less then the minimum required by the Boston Athletic Association.  The men’s open record for the race is 2 hours, 7 minutes, 14 seconds, and the women’s record is 2 hours, 20 minutes, 43 seconds.

Looking for the 2008 NFL season schedule?  Then go here to ESPN Sports.  This schedule lists times, what games are on TV and has links to get tickets or travel help.

Looking for the 2008 college football schedule?  Then try here at ESPN again for a listing of televised games.

Now, if you want to find out who’s going to win all these games, you’re out of luck.  Here’s a shareware program that claims to pick winners with 65% accuracy.  It’s a bit old and costs some money though.  If you want current stats and records or just want to do your research before you watch any games the 2008 NFL Record & Fact Book is a highly rated source of information.

So, you like bull riding.  Here’s a video of Justin McBride riding Chicken on a Chain, a world champion bull on the PBR bull riding circuit.

Owned by Jeff Robinson, Mike Tedesco, and Larry the Cable Guy, this bull has an 85.25% buckoff percentage.  His stats can be seen here.  Chicken on a Chain is an American Bucking Bull.  If you want to read something about how bucking bulls are bred, check out this article in the New York Times.

I occasionally watch bull riding on the TV, but really wonder about this sport.  I don’t know why anyone would want to bang themselves around like that.  It’s got to be for the money.  I guess if you’re a cowboy and horses are just too tame for you to ride, go ahead and tie yourself to a bull.