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PostHeaderIcon Boating And Recreation On Canadian Waterways

If you are looking for unparalleled scenery, and a place to enjoy an assortment of outdoor sports, you might want to consider taking a vacation in Canada. You will find a wide variety of awe inspiring terrain, one of a kind wildlife, and more than enough waterways for recreation. Canada has some new boating laws for pleasure crafts you need to know.

Okanagan Valley is almost a desert because it is so dry, but there is plenty of water available to put a boat in and enjoy your leisure. This area is adored by thousands of people, both local and guest, with unequaled variety of climate and landscape, it is the perfect place for boating and sailing. But sure you have an operators card if your boat is motor powered.

Adams River is the place to go when every fourth year the sockeye salmon return to their place of birth, by the millions. A world famous event is enjoyed from many locations along the waterway, and there are plenty of lodges and resorts to provide travelers who want to soak up some time indoors, for a change.

For those who do not have their own boat, there is Big Rideau Lake where you will find a boaters paradise. The waterway consists of lakes and rivers that are connected by canals. Whatever way you travel there, you can rent a boat, just remember that you will have to have a craft operator card for motorized boats.

With an astounding array of 100,000 lakes, of which some are therapeutic, are found in Saskatchewan. This province is not only offers a variety of lakes for the dream of any fisherman, it simply provides a fabulous holiday. There have been Walleye salmon caught weighing over 18 pounds. If you were to catch one of these you could honestly say you were a sport.

On a clear day, Ontario beaches seem more like the Caribbean than Canada, with rafts and boats enjoying the same waters. Lake Erie is fed from the west by the Huron river and from the east by St. Clair. This a mecca of boating activity and a battleground of the War of 1812, if you are in Canadian waters you will need to comply with their boating laws and regulations.

The Great Lakes and the connecting channels form the largest fresh water system on earth. These lakes are clearly seen from the moon, and have interesting shapes, with one of them looking like a wolfs head. They are fed by numerous rivers, and if spread out evenly the water they contain could cover the United States in 9.5 feet of water.

Jet boating with a boat license is popular in the Alberta Canadian Rockies, with in excess of 600 lakes, and a perfect place to go scuba diving. A sport known as waterboarding is found here in Alberta, where surfing the rapids entertains young and old. For a diversion from the water activity you might be interested in taking a ride on the Rocky Mountaineer, whose train tour will transport you to Vancouver.

Taking the boat on Lake Ontario this weekend? Don’t get caught without an Ontario boating license. Take time today to sit a boat exam. You can take the boat test online and have a PCOC License today.

PostHeaderIcon A Look At Horse Mats

Animals are a great joy to many people who take a lot of pride in tending to the needs of their pets. Providing them a clean dry place to live is just as important as making sure they have plenty of water, food and exercise. Horses have some additional needs that can be managed by the use of horse mats that help maintain health and cleanliness of the horse stables.

Cleaning out the horse stalls is probably the least enjoyable experience for an equestrian, but with the help of easy to clean mats the job takes much less time. With the extra time you have more time to enjoy riding and just being with your favorite equine friend. There are plenty of reasons to go horseback riding.

Once the horse stables are clean it is time to go riding, and every good equestrian knows that is the best time of all. Fresh air, sunshine and a nice breeze, there is nothing else that can equal the sensation of being so free. Over hill, over dale, and off to the neighbors house to meet with the rest of riders.

There is no other way for an equestrian to spend time than horseback riding with friends. However, you are glad you bought mats for the trailer to help the horses keep their balance while pulling off down the road. With horses loaded the sense of adventure mounts and the riders load up in their trucks and off to the new trail ride.

Having arrived at the destination, the horses are being unloaded and everyone saddles up for the ride to the hills. Saddles and bridles of all types and descriptions jingle a tune only an equestrian sing along with. There a sense of lyrics that fill the atmosphere with the days of fun ahead. Riding off into the forest are an assortment of horse breeds in many sizes and shapes.

Someone shouts out the way to go and all the other riders rein their mounts to follow in that direction. A short distance down the path and the opening of a large cave looms on the left, as some of the horses become skittish and jump to the side. Riders grab leather in an effort to hold on, and everyone cheers and shouts as laughter fills the air.

There is no other aroma like those experienced in the forest of earthen smells, mixed with the fresh air coming in on a breeze, and a picnic table in the clearing invites the riders to stop and rest. Tying their horses to the hitch rail, and removing the food items from saddle bags, the club begins to start a fire in the cook pit. There are plenty of hamburgers to grill of the fire, and someone brought enough marshmallows for everyone to enjoy.

This place was chosen for the saddle club meeting because just around the cliff side is a natural waterfall that fills a pond nearly half the size of a football field. After everyone has enjoy the cook out and roasting marshmallows, they mount up on the horses riding bareback and head for the water. The horses especially like to swim and the riders hang onto the thick manes.

Looking for a cost-effective stall mat for your horses? These environmentally-friendly rubber mats may be just what you need. These stall flooring provide comfortable support for your horses, and help to relieve join pressure and can absorb shocks.

PostHeaderIcon Polywood For Your Elegant Space

Listening to your neighbors say: “Wow! Our neighbor’s outdoor patio is beautiful! We ought to ensure that we will renovate our space and do something precisely like that!” certainly makes you really feel like you’ve done something that ought to entitle you to some Guinness record or something like that. Well, alright, that is certainly an overreaction however the thing is that doing something that is worthy of praise can make people’s ego soar higher. But you know what would really be good? Have some polywood for the patio!

Come to think of it: if you have this room in your home, a room which is ideal for relaxation, you normally would certainly wish to make it a point that whatever you set in there is really worth the expense and not provide you with anxiety! How will you be able to turn a patio into a room of living in comfort and not a room of terror? The key would be to make sure your home furniture is constructed free of worries.

The very first thing that you must do is to see to it that you have checked the pieces yourself. It would be nice that you see the pieces yourself because there could be some problems that you would spot. It would be easier to find replacements or to change the order in its entirety!

Another thing that you should do is to look for the right designs. You have to remember that any fixture is an investment. It is therefore very important that you put an eye on where you put your money. It is not enough that you just get the pieces that look great, they must be sturdy enough as well.

The third thing to remember is the fact that the materials should be ones that would withstand the tough climate outdoors. See, you’ve got this very lovely patio fixture but then the materials would certainly inform you at first glance that the seats and tables are going to last for only a couple of months. Would you not think that it would just be a waste of money to buy them? Rather than making it a waste, you could opt to purchase ones which are made of materials like polywood. You could be sure that the material utilized is absolutely nothing close to easily infested by wear and tear as well as insects and pests.

Lastly, you would have to make sure that you simply take extra care of your home furniture. The deal is that you have polywood for sure but then if there is certainly a way that you could also ensure that the wood would be treated, be given added protection against pests like termites, then it’s going to work certainly well. Apart from treatment, you have to also provide shelter for the fixture to ensure that they don’t get exposed directly to the elements of the climate. Say you may decide to get a big tent for the patio or perhaps a huge patio umbrella so as the chairs and tables would nevertheless be shielded regardless of all the rains, sunshine and snowfall that would arrive.

Looking for excellent site that is risk-free and will deliver the finest products is hard to find. Premiereadirondackchairs.com stands to its name of giving top of the line Polywood and patio furniture. Visit them now and pick your choice or try garden benches.

PostHeaderIcon Japan’s Judo Gold Medalist Satoshi Ishii Looks For A ‘Home’ In MMA

It may be a bit of a stretch to call Satoshi Ishii the Michael Phelps of Japan, but not by much. His victory in the heavyweight judo competition at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing was easily the defining moment of the games for his countrymen and was considered by most media outlets the #1 highlight of the year in all of sports. Though Japan does well at the Olympics for a country of its size and has won gold medals in a number of sports, its important to keep in mind that until the late’70s judo was the country’s most popular sport.

Ishii himself is also a marketing dream. Hes especially big by Japanese standards with 240 pounds packed on his bulky 511 frame. Not surprisingly, hes tough as nails and a terror on the mat but away from the gym he comes off like an awkwardly cheerful overgrown boy. He definitely seems younger than his 22 years, but gives off the vibe of a nice neighbor boy who youd gladly pay to mow your lawn. Unlike his telegenic American gold medalist counterpart Phelps, who acts as if he spent as much time working on media relations as his backstroke heading up to the Olympic games, Ishii’s demeanor is of an athlete who literally spent the bulk of his life in a gym only to emerge and find himself a national hero.

With the ability to offer him the most money and exposure, it seemed almost a fait accompli that Ishii would sign with DREAM and K-1 parent group FEG. Obviously its a good idea to keep your options open in negotiations, so he also reportedly talked to Sengoku parent World Victory Road and Antonio Inoki’s Inoki Genome Federation pro wrestling group. As expected, however, FEG reportedly presented Ishii with the most lucrative offer: 500 million yen (roughly $5.5 million US) to fight on DREAM and K-1 cards, with incentive bonuses based on his drawing power and performance. He would very likely become the highest paid mixed martial artist in the world before he’d even stepped into the ring for the first time. The tentative plan was for Ishii to appear on the year end K-1/DREAM Fields Dynamite! joint show, if not fighting at least in a heavily hyped opportunity for FEG to unveil their investment.

Ishii then shocked the Japanese fight sport world by categorically rejecting FEGs offer, saying that it was his lifelong dream to fight in the UFC. While this rationale might sound plausible to a US based fan, its akin to a top college baseball player from a SEC school turning down a big offer from the Atlanta Braves saying that its his lifelong dream to play for the Yomiuri Giants in Japan Central League. It frequently comes a shock to US MMA fans when immersed in Japans culture for the first time just how low the UFC ranks in the countrys fight sport pantheon. In MMA, their profile is lower than DREAM and Sengoku, but even smaller groups like Shooto and DEEP. Overall, the interest in and prestige of the UFC is well below not only boxing but even Japanese pro wrestling (puroresu).

Ishii then travelled to Las Vegas for UFC 92, with the Japanese media in tow covering his every move. There were countless photo opportunities with Dana White, who spoke of Ishii in glowing terms, along with top UFC stars. Upon his return to Japan, he was repeatedly photographed wearing UFC t-shirts while speaking enthusiastically about Dana White, Lorenzo Fertitta and everyone else involved with the promotion.

At age 22, Ishiis got plenty of time to develop as a fighter. His biggest downside risk from signing with Zuffa is financial since hed be lucky to get a fraction of what FEG is willing to pay him. The competitive logic of learning his craft slowly notwithstanding, theres a huge risk in automatically assuming that he can fight for the UFC for a few years and then cash a big check when he returns to Japan as the potential of injury and changing market conditions could seriously impact his market value.

Theres another very realistic scenario that it was all a negotiating ploy by Ishii. The UFC was likely willing to play along, figuring that their investment of a few plane tickets and hotel suites would be worth the resulting PR surge in Japan.

With the recent revelation that Ishii has broken off UFC negotiations to entertain offers from other parties thats starting to look like the plausible explanation for the once hot and heavy courtship between Ishii and Zuffa.

As a postscript to the Ishiis relationship with the UFC, it apparently opened the doors for his move to the US where hell be training with the American Top Team in Florida. That alone is a positive for his future development as a fighter, as hell be training with a whos who of professional fighting.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

PostHeaderIcon Redskins To Stay With Zorn As Coach For Now

Washington Redskins head coach Jim Zorn is off of the hot seat-at least temporarily. After a recent swoon that saw him stripped of play calling duties for the NFL team, Zorn got a vote of confidence from upper management on Friday. His head isn’t entirely out of the noose, however, as the reprieve will last only to the end of the season unless some marked improvement is seen in the second half. The Redskins’ defense has played well this year but their offense has been marked by a profound lack of productivity.

Executive Vice President of Football Operations Vinny Cerrato had the following statement:

“Jim Zorn is the head coach of the Washington Redskins and will be for the rest of this season, and hopefully into the future.”

“The frustration is very high, everywhere around here. But the relationships internally within this organization, quite frankly, remain the same.”

For his part, Zorn was unimpressed by the vote of ’semi-confidence’:

“I don’t necessarily have a reaction to that because I am the head coach. I want to be here for the next 10 years. That’s my story.”

While he didn’t express much personal relief from the management statement, he said he hoped it would benefit his players:

“If it comforts the players – awesome! But I think our players are focused regardless of what the situation is. Whatever has to be said, I guess it has to be said, but we go on.”

Quarterback Jason Campbell sounded relieved:

“That should relieve a lot of tension and a lot of stress. Guys don’t have to worry about thinking about it or talking about it. We were the soap opera for the NFL the last two weeks so hopefully it’ll calm down a little bit.”

Ceratto also had a different take on the removal of Zorn’s play calling duties:

“Look at all the things that we’ve done to try to help. You could have done other things drastically. No, you have confidence in him, because you want him to do well. Hopefully we can just concentrate and focus on winning football games.

He also expressed confidence in offensive consultant-and new offensive playcaller-Sherm Lewis’ ability to do the job:

“You don’t forget how to ride a bike if you hadn’t rode your bike in four years.”

The Redskins have slumped to a 2-4 record in the early part of the NFL season despite being the first team in league history to play six straight games against winless teams. Washington will host the Philadelphia Eagles this Monday night before a bye week. After the bye, they’ll return to action on the road against the Atlanta Falcons on November 8.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and respected authority on soccer betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

PostHeaderIcon Earning A Living With Horror Movies

As odd as it always seems, most people just love to sit together in a darkened theater, or in a darkened living room, getting scared witless by watching horror movies. The psychology of this trait is still a bit confusing, so that does not have to be deal with in depth here. But people sure do like scary movies, do they not?

Maybe it is the adrenaline rush when the scary monster jumps onto the screen. Maybe it is the fact that folks can allow themselves to get frightened knowing all along that it is all make believe. Certainly it is the opportunity for a date to get closer together and maybe squeeze hands. Yeah, scary movies are fun indeed.

So when one is watching those things, does one ever wonder what kind of sick mind is putting them all together? Many do, and some to the point of fascination. There is a stereotypical type; they go to wacky conventions dressed up like ghouls and vampires on their time off. But those running those conventions know something that others do not.

The reason it is such an easy opening opportunity is because so many of them are done so cheaply. It is no film making secret that scary movies can be made on the cheap and still turn a profit. In fact, some have gone on to tremendous success after being made on the lowest of the low budgets. So with no money to spend they cannot hire big names. Here is where newbies, the vast unknown field of talent, can get that elusive first gig.

Think about the makeup guys. Some of them are more famous than the directors, because they are the ones making the splatter so real, and the monsters so scary looking. But it is a good bet they started out stealing makeup from their mom and dressing up the family dog. Artists have to start somewhere, so here is a good spot to try to be an assistant or something.

As for budding screenwriters, surely they can cobble together a good script for a fright fest. It will be easier when it is realized that all horror plots are very much alike. Only the monsters really change. So they can go back to the classic screams and see if they can do an update or add a particularly sick twist to the plot. Again, many screenwriters did the same thing to get started.

And as far as the acting goes, if an actor can scream really good, and if they are attractive enough, it should not be too hard to find a small role, in which the character gets killed off pretty early on in the film, and start building a resume reel thereby. Again, many of these types of films are very low budget, so the return in any work put into to them could be substantial.

The bottom line is that low budget films need low budget help. But that low budget has been known to turn into big bucks when the quirky little horror movies become box office bonanzas or video smashes. The world of movie making is hard to crack, but these types of films are a great tool to try with.

Looking for the best selection of vampire movies online? Then be sure to visit Frightflicks.com – offering a massive selection of horror movies, vampire movies and zombie movies.

PostHeaderIcon UFC Struggles To Sell Tickets For Their Latest Event

Portland, Oregon has long been considered a hotbed of mixed martial arts. The area is home to numerous MMA gyms, the most famous being Gresham’s Team Quest. Regional MMA promotions like Matt Lindland’s SportFight and amateur MMA draws good crowds, and there’s few markets in the country that have such a strong mainstream acceptance and understanding of mixed martial arts.

The UFC originally planned to hold an event in Portland last year, but when Randy Couture resigned with the promotion and agreed to fight Brock Lesnar UFC 91 was moved to Las Vegas MGM Grand Garden Arena. The UFC rescheduled their Rose City debut for August 29th, headlined by a matchup between local hero Couture and tough PRIDE vet Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. They anticipated a fever pitch for Coutures homecoming and the UFCs first ever trip to the Pacific Northwest.

What they received instead was an outpouring of apathy from the community. As of early this week, there had been as few as 8,500 tickets sold in the 21,000 seat Rose Garden Arena. Even media sources like Yahoo Sports, who invariably put a positive spin on everything the UFC, does are reporting just over 10,000 tickets sold.

Earlier in the week Zuffa announced the postponement of a WEC event scheduled for Youngstown, Ohio. The official reason given was an injury to main event fighter Ben Henderson, and while thats not been confirmed several sources have indicated that he did suffer a minor setback during training. Some suggest that the real reason was poor ticket sales.

While Youngstown could have been a bad choice for a MMA event all along, the UFC will probably blame the economy for the poor showing of live ticket sales in Portland. While the high unemployment rate nationally and regionally doesnt help things, it doesnt appear to be a major factor in the UFCs struggles to sell tickets in the Rose City. Many people who self identify as casual or serious fans of the UFC had no idea that an event was being held in Portland at all. The local media hasnt helped either, with Portlands largest newspaper providing little print coverage of UFC 102 claiming that its not a major sport.

Even among fans who *did* know that UFC 102 was coming to Portland, theres no buzz whatsoever. Theres a variety of reasons for this”many fans have suggested that the high ticket prices werent justified by a relatively weak card. Others have suggested that they would be interested in attending the event, but theres a whole slew of competing events this weekend including the Oregon State Fair.

The UFC has a misguided notion that they can simply put their name on an arena marquee and local fans will pay top dollar for tickets regardless of who is fighting on the card or what else is going on that night. The reality has demonstrated otherwise with poor ticket sales in Portland and other markets.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and noted authority on football betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

PostHeaderIcon Hall Of Famer Coleman Pink Slipped By UFC

Not too long ago, Mark Coleman headlined UFC 109 facing Randy Couture. Several days later, he’s apparently no longer good enough to remain in the UFC at all. On Wednesday, following a lopsided loss to Couture the UFC released Coleman from his contract and cut the veteran heavyweight. Coleman is now free to sign with any other promotion, but at 46 years of age his most likely-and most advisable-course of action is retirement. Retirement is a tough thing for any pro athlete to swallow, however, and fighters in particular have had difficulty in ending their career gracefully.

Coleman became the first UFC fighter to be cut immediately after headlining a PPV event. Others have left due to drug test failures or for other opportunities, but none have ever been cut from their contract. Sources close to the UFC suggest that it was a decision no one wanted to make, but that all felt was unavoidable due to Coleman’s age and deteriorating skills.

While the fact that Coleman is a shell of the fighter he was at his prime, the UFC’s suggestion that they have his best interest at heart is somewhat duplicitous. He was kept around and booked into last Saturday’s fight–a fight that no one particularly had any interest in seeing in the first place–simply because he was a fighter that Randy Couture could beat. Were the UFC interested in the well being of their aging fighters there’s several others on the roster that should also be cut for the same justification as Coleman. Couture, Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell are all well past their prime but they’re still under contract and will all likely fight again. No one wants to *see* an endless parade of old timers into the octagon, but the UFC seems determined to shove their version of the ’senior’s tour’ down the throats of the MMA fanbase.

Coleman’s age has never been a secret and his diminished skill level was evident to anyone who has watched his recent fights. If the UFC was really interested in his physical well being, the main event against Couture should have never taken place. The fight itself wasn’t exactly one that UFC fans had been clamoring for and one that met with derision from the MMA media from the time it was announced. The fact that the PPV buyrate for the event will end up as one of the lowest in recent history pretty much sums up the story.

While retirement would be in Coleman’s best interest, he may attempt to fight in a smaller US promotion or in Japan where he’s well known from his time in PRIDE. He’s already a member of the UFC Hall of Fame with a 26-10 career record and has fought the best in the world including Fedor Emelianenko, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Mirko Cro Cop.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and respected authority on baseball betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

PostHeaderIcon What’s So Special About Contact Lenses

If you need help correcting your vision, contact lenses may be just what you are looking for. You do have the choice of wearing glasses, but not too many people are happy about wearing them. These lenses may be an alternative for you. Glasses have a tendency to slide down your nose when you sweat and have a terrible glare. With contact lenses, you don’t have to worry about any of that, but there are some things that you need to be aware of.

Since there’s so many different types of contact lenses, you should know the advantages and disadvantages of each type, as each type specializes in something different. There are two kinds of lenses that are on the shelf today. Let’s start there. You may be familiar with a few of these.

If you wanted contacts, your doctor would have to prescribe them for you and you would have to pick them up from a pharmacy. Now, you can purchase them online. You don’t even need a doctor’s note. Many people that wear contacts don’t even need them! They just like to change the color of their eyes here and there.

Having vision problems can be terrible and a big inconvenience. If you love to play sports or just a really active person, glasses can cancel everything! But with contact lenses, you can do what you want when you want. Maybe you’re not active at all, but just hate glasses. This could be an alternative for you. Whether you are nearsighted, farsighted, or need bifocals, there is a contact that was ideally made for you.

If you still haven’t read a description that suits you, don’t worry, there’s more. Colored lenses are also very popular. There are so many colors available, you can run wild with your imagination!

With the colored contact lenses, they are just like any other medicated and prescribed lenses, but they are ideal for people with specific needs. Colored lenses are soft and have four different categories. The first category is visibility tint. With these, the contacts are slightly tented so that if you happen to drop one, you won’t have to kill yourself trying to find it or wasting money on purchasing a new pair.

If you don’t mind putting your contacts in every morning and taking them out at night, the daily disposables are just what you need. They get the job done and are just like the extended wears, but you can’t sleep in them and you can’t wear them for up to a month. You wear them for one day and throw them away. This type of lens would be a good idea for you if your body produces a lot more protein than normal. This way, you won’t get build up on your contacts that could cause your eyes to get irritated or infected.

Contacts that have color tint change the color of your eyes altogether. They are a lot darker than the visibility and enhancement tint lenses. A lot of people choose these because of all the cool colors that are available. The light-filtering tint lenses are ideally for athletes. With these lenses, some colors will be enhanced while some are just in the background and don’t stand out as much.

Looking for acuvue oasys or other types of contact lenses in Canada? Be sure to shop online and choose from a wide selection of eyeglasses and contact lenses at huge savings when compared to retail prices.

PostHeaderIcon Phillies Sign Ryan Howard To Hefty Contract Extension

Philadelphia Phillies’ slugger Ryan Howard has two years remaining on his current contract with the club, but the team had no interest in potentially losing him as a free agent. For that reason, the Phillies have worked out a hefty contract extension with Howard that will pay him an average $25 million a year for the next five years. The 30 year old Howard has played his entire career with the Phillies, leading the team to two consecutive World Series including a victory in 2008.

Howard spoke of his loyalty to the team as the main reason that he accepted the deal without hesitation:

“That wasn’t a very hard decision.”

“I tell you what, it’s a great feeling to have that security and know where you’re going to be. I feel what I’ve been doing over the last couple of years, I feel pretty confident that down the road, I’ll be right where I want to be and still doing the same things.”

He then threw in a playful jab at the notoriously hostile Philadelphia fans:

“Hopefully there’s no riots taking place back in Philly.”

Even Philadelphia’s GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. was in a joking mood in announcing the deal:

“As part of this deal, he has agreed to buy a second home for me.”

He then gave a more serious take on Howard’s extension:

“We just felt it was good timing for us. We felt No. 1, he’s one of the elite offensive players in the game. We could have waited another year and a half or so and dealt with it later on, but the fact of the matter is we decided he is that important to our organization and to our club and to our future.”

Howard’s agent Casey Close was also upbeat:

“This is a very good contract for him. The reason he felt the time was right was he loves his teammates, he loves the city. He wanted to be a part of something special for a long time to come.”

As was team manager Charlie Manuel:

“This is absolutely great. We signed Ryan Howard quite a few years ago and that means we’re keeping him. He’s one of our guys, he is a Phillie. It’s big for our team. That’s what you set out for. He’s very worthy of it. He is a great player and he is going to continue to be a great player for a while. Everything about it’s good.”

There is some risk involved for the ball club-despite a team option for the 2017 season they’re banking that Howard will remain a high level offensive player. The size of the contract, if nothing else, would make him almost impossible to trade. The Phillies have cooled off somewhat since a red hot start, but are still in first place in the National League East.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer who covers travel, casino gambling and sports handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, flower arranging and deep sea diving. He lives in Las Vegas with four dogs and a pet coyote.