Archive for June, 2011
Lifetime Freestyle Paddleboards
June 30th, 2011 by Ben Remington
Lifetime Products, Inc. is a polyethylene specializing company based out of Utah, with a diverse portfolio of products ranging from basketball systems to folding tables. You’ve likely used one of their products before, as they are an industry leader. Now, they’re making a big splash in the proverbial and literal water.
Lifetime has come out with a line of paddleboards targeting the beginners and budget conscience enthusiasts, with the Lifetime Freestyle Paddleboard. Typical paddleboards are geared towards seasoned vets, offering responsive boards without much adjustment needed. The Freestyle is a durable, high density polyethylene board with adjustable fins, an adjustable fiberglass paddle, and EVA foam across most of the top for better grip. Lifetime promises that along with providing a fun experience for beginners or veterans, the board will not crack, fade or peel. With its 9′8″ size, it is slightly smaller than most paddleboards, making it easier to navigate and transport, along with being very lightweight. Its innovative design is also good for use in both surf and flat water conditions, providing better stability and tracking capabilities.
One of the most interesting aspects of the Lifetime Freestyle is the price. While most paddleboards can cost upwards of $600, the Freestyle checks in at a reasonable $399, and can be found at Sports Authority’s around the country, along with several online stores, including the Lifetime Store. To start your paddleboarding adventure, find a Sports Authority near you using Sportrabbit.com.
Bryce Harper SwingAway Commercial
June 26th, 2011 by Ben RemingtonEarlier this month, we wrote about Bryce Harper signing a deal to endorse the SwingAway. Now there is a new commercial featuring Bryce and the product.
The 2011 Baseball All Star Game
June 25th, 2011 by Ben RemingtonWe’re still weeks away from baseball’s midsummer classic, and yet I find myself thinking about it. Maybe because it’s my fantasy league’s trade deadline, maybe it’s because I really do enjoy the Home Run Derby, unlike some baseball purists.
Or maybe because the selection process is quite flawed. Right now, if you’re a big fan of the All Star Game, I hope you like the Yankees too, because they will make up over half the AL starting roster. But that is just one of my many gripes. I think that the fans who vote, on the whole, simply vote for name recognition, and obviously have a pretty narrow roster of players from around the league outside of their home town team. This coupled with the heavy, heavy east coast bias is turning a great honor into something that is more or less eyerolled at by knowledgeable baseball fans. Here’s the leading vote getters, as of June 20 & 14, respectively:
NL
Brian McCann C Atl- Can’t argue
Albert Pujols 1st Stl- Going to change with his injury, but I’m not so sure he deserved to make it anyway- hitting .279, granted with 17 homers, Fielder is numerically crushing him.
Brandon Phillips 2B Cin- Not sure how he’s leading it, with Rickie Weeks having another monster season for the Crew.
Placido Polanco 3B Phi – Sure he’s hitting ok in a weak stat position, but I’ve got a soft spot for Chipper.
Troy Tulowitzki SS Col- Toss up with him and Reyes- Power vs. Speed. I love me some Tulo though
Ryan Braun, Lance Berkman & Matt Holliday OF- All 3 are having great years, but Kemp is notably absent. Maybe the baseball world dislikes him as much as I do.
AL
Russell Martin C Nyy- Really? This is one of my biggest complaints. Sure, Martin is having a decent season, but Alex Avila is hitting a full 70 points higher than him, with similar or better power numbers across the board. If you’re asking who Alex Avila is, you’re part of the problem, buddy.
Adrian Gonzalez 1B Bos- Thankfully, A-Gone just passed Teixeira, which is great because Gonzalez deserves the honor more. His numbers are ridiculous.
Robinson Cano 2B Nyy- A Yankee selection I wholeheartedly agree with.
Alex Rodriguez 3B Nyy- Sure, his numbers justify it, but even if he were batting .240, he’d get in.
Derek Jeter SS Nyy- What is this, a lifetime achievement award? .260 with 2 HR. Asdrubal Cabrera or Elvis Andrus, please.
Jose Bautista, Curtis Granderson & Josh Hamilton OF- I love Josh Hamilton. I do. He’s maybe my favorite ballplayer. But Jacoby Ellsbury deserves this spot. I’m thinking fans are voting in Hamilton with the hopes of seeing another Home Run Derby for the ages. So, I’ll let it slide.
So there you have it, a few head scratchers and a few undeserving Yankees, and you have an unfortunate situation in your All Star Starting lineup. I’m not sure that MLB can do anything about it, and I’m also pretty sure I don’t want Bud Selig making any more idiotic changes to the game, but I’d like to see this end happily. I think we as voters need to be more responsible, and maybe votes from New York should count as half votes, something to restore integrity to this process. I’ll watch the game regardless, but I’d like to see more players that are lesser known, but more deserving make the game, to further educate the unknowing masses on this great game and the men who play it.
Top Fitness Retailer in Michigan: American Home Fitness
June 23rd, 2011 by Cale Loken
American Home Fitness is a Michigan based fitness store chain, with locations covering southeastern Michigan, also including a store in Ohio. They have stores in Ann Arbor, Auburn Hills, Lansing, Birmingham, Novi, Grand Rapids, Sterling Heights, Michigan and Sylvania, Ohio.
If you are looking for a store that sells the latest and greatest fitness technology, look no further, visit any one of their 8 locations. They carry fitness products for everyone. Elliptical machines, treadmills, commercial treadmills, rowers, stair climbers, stationary bikes, recumbent bikes, spin bikes, home gyms, free weights, dumbbells, and tons of fitness accessories. You can also find the new Elliptigo Bike at American Home Fitness. No need to research the top brands, they went ahead and did all that for you.
What sets American Home Fitness apart is that they are an authorized dealer of Precor fitness products, and that allows them to provide unmatched service compared to stores carrying product without such a relationship with the manufacturer. Along with selling Precor products, American Home Fitness sells a wide array of other manufacturers in the fitness industry, such as Pacemaster, True, Lemond, Lifecore, Lifespan, Hoist, Octane, Powerblock and more. They offer a wide array of prices in each fitness machine category, and although their website is still a work in progress, it is very user friendly and shops much like most internet retailer sites. American Home Fitness also employs fitness experts and is committed to providing the best service experience, even after the sale is made.
So if you’re looking for fitness equipment in the suburban Detroit area and surrounding cities, give American Home Fitness a try. Visit them on facebook or their website. Find a location near you at Sportrabbit.com.
Introducing the FastArm Pitching Trainer
June 20th, 2011 by Ben RemingtonIn the world of baseball, training is everything. From hitting off a tee to bullpen sessions, every ballplayer age 5-40 has to train. So, naturally, there are plenty of training aids out there. While many have an obvious advantage and function, some come along that raise an eyebrow for one reason or another. Today, I have the latter.
It’s called the FastArm, and it’s a trainer designed to improve your throwing arm from top to bottom. It’s basically a baseball on a bend shaft, with a handle at the end. I watched the video below, and it’s pretty convincing in helping a pitcher develop more arm strength and durability. Of course, having Neftali Feliz promote the product doesn’t hurt, either. Hopefully no one believes that they will start pumping out 100mph heat and knee buckling breaking balls because of a ball on a stick, but realistically, I think it’s a useful tool that at minimum helps a pitcher warm up quickly and effectively.
The FastArm was invented by former pitcher Bob Kaiser, who spent years in the minors, but only received a cup of coffee in the majors due to shoulder injuries. He has set out to prevent the same fate for young developing pitchers. They offer two models, the FastArm and FastArm Jr., for players age 7-11, both come in at an affordable $44.95. As for the skeptics and doubters, which is likely to be a strong contingent, they offer a 30 day, no questions asked money back guarantee, which is a nice thing to see from someone with a product that doesn’t prove it’s mettle without some vigorous use. So if you’d like to add velocity, durability and sharpen your throwing mechanics give the FastArm a whirl.
To find out a retailer that carries the FastArm in your area, search Sportrabbit.com.