Jerramy Stevens released from jail after DUI sentence

TORRANCE, Calif. (AP) -- Former Seattle Seahawks tight end Jerramy Stevens has been freed from jail in Los Angeles County after serving two days of a 30-day sentence for drunken driving.

Jail records show that Stevens was booked on Friday morning and released Sunday afternoon. He still must complete a two-year alcohol program and four years of probation.

Stevens, who's married to soccer star Hope Solo, was arrested in Manhattan Beach, California, in January while driving a U.S. women's soccer team van at night with the lights off.

Authorities said his blood-alcohol level was nearly twice the legal limit, and he pleaded no contest to misdemeanor drunken driving.

Solo was Stevens' passenger. She was suspended from the national team for 30 days for what were described as health-related issues.

Football players find no one way to train in offseason

While several of the area’s top football players use track as a way to springboard their way into the football season, it is not the only way for elite athletes to be in peak physical condition for the grueling summer months.

Offseason work is all about getting bigger, faster and stronger, and that does not have to be done with blocks and a baton.

Walk into Total Athletic Development’s new Granville facility on the average day, and the training does not look too different from what athletes are doing on the track. Owner Clint Cox began working with football players on their strength, explosion and change of direction soon after the 2014 season ended.

“If you want to run track because you love track, want to be a part of a team or play a spring sport, then run track. It could be a great sport for people,” Cox said. “If you want to run track because it will make you faster for football, there are probably other ways to do that to make it geared toward a football player’s needs.”

Cox noted the importance of avoiding a one-size-fits-all approach. Some of his athletes are already strong and need to increase their flexibility, whereas others need the weight training to hold up during a long fall.

Nick Showman, owner of Showtime Strength & Performance, has a mix of football players. Whereas several are working with Showman in place of competing in a spring sport, others, including Utica’s Colton Danison, are using their work with him to supplement one.

“With (Danison) specifically, he is a super strong kid, so we have to keep his mobility up,” Showman said. “We have to keep his hips and his hamstrings to where they are not too tight. His max weight is heavy right now, so it is more speed and accessory work to complement his weak areas.”

Newark assistant football coach Terrell White certainly sees benefit in keeping the Wildcats on the athletic fields so to speak. White is assisting with the track program in hopes of seeing more athletes move in that direction.

Newark plays in the Ohio Capital Conference-Ohio Division, one of the state’s most competitive conferences in most every sport. White said success and confidence can carry over to the following season.

“It’s still a question of mental toughness,” he said. “No matter what sport, I like the fact that they have to compete. You show up to win.”

Johnstown senior Cody Farley has nothing against track, but he simply needed a break each spring. After playing football and basketball each of his four years at Johnstown, Farley wanted a chance to move at his own pace.

That is not to say Farley was kicking his feet up. He and his football teammates, many of whom do not play a spring sport, lifted four days a week each spring.

“Once it started to get warm out, we would do agility training to work on our foot speed and off-the-ball quickness,” said Farley, who will play running back at Denison University next fall.

Farley said the informal work in the spring was a great bonding experience for the Johnnies. A tight-knit senior class fed off each other on the field while winning the Licking County League-Small School Division title.

“Because of the bonding, once actual practice starts, you know how hard you can push and how hard you can push all of the other guys,” Farley said. “It gets intense, and you don’t want your teammates to give up.”

Ask Watkins Memorial junior Evan Caniff, however, and he says nothing beats track. He can catch a kickoff at the goal line and be in the opposite end zone in less than 11 seconds.

“It helps a lot with getting a burst, so I can go from 0 to 100 real quick,” he said

Highest paid sports players in the world

Posted on Mar 19 2015 - 2:51pm by EconomicFigures

We all love sports. We all love the excitement it brings to our lives. Whether a team sport or not, we all follow the best players. We all idolize them.

Everyday, they offer us something extraordinary in their respective gaming fields. Those players are paid accordingly. Here are top 10 highest paid athletes in the world in 2014.

1	Floyd Mayweather	105m usd	Boxing
2	Cristiano Ronaldo	80m usd	Soccer
3	LeBron James	72,3m usd	Basketball
4	Lionel Messi	64,7m usd	Soccer
5	Kobe Bryant	61,5m usd	Basketball
6	Tiger Woods	61,2m usd	Golf
7	Roger Federer	56,2m usd	Tennis
8	Phil Mickelson	53,2m usd	Golf
9	Rafael Nadal	44,5m usd	Tennis
10	Matt Ryan	43,8m usd	Football

Floyd Mayweather

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. (born Floyd Joy Sinclair, February 24, 1977) is an American professional boxer. He is undefeated as aprofessional and is a five-division world champion, having won eleven world titles and the lineal championship in four different weight classes. Mayweather is a two-time Ring magazine Fighter of the Year (winning the award in 1998 and 2007); he also won the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) Fighter of the Year award in 2007 and the Best Fighter ESPY Award in 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2014

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, GOIH (born 5 February 1985), known as Cristiano Ronaldo(Portuguese pronunciation: [kɾɨʃtiˈɐnu ʁuˈnaɫdu]), is a Portuguese professional footballer who plays for Spanish club Real Madrid C.F. and the Portugal national team. He is a forward and serves as captain for Portugal.

By the age of 22, Ronaldo had received Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year nominations. The following year, in 2008, he won his first Ballon d’Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards. He followed this up by winning the FIFA Ballon d’Or in2013 and 2014. He also won the 2013–14 UEFA Best Player in Europe Award. In January 2014, Ronaldo scored his 400th senior career goal for club and country aged 28.

LeBron James

LeBron Raymone James (/ləˈbrɒn/; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for theCleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing at 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) and weighing 250 lb (113 kg), he has started at the small forward and power forward positions. James has won two NBA championships, four NBA Most Valuable Player Awards, two NBA Finals MVP Awards, two Olympic gold medals, an NBA scoring title, and the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. He has also been selected to 11 NBA All-Star teams, 10 All-NBA teams, and six All-Defensive teams, and is the Cavaliers’ all-time leading scorer.

Rules of Football for Kids

Football is a popular sport for kids to play and to watch.

Football is a uniquely American sport and often a favorite of kids. Whether they are playing or watching their favorite pro team, understanding the rules is the first step to enjoying the game. 

The Game

The object of the game of football is to score points by getting the ball over your opponent’s goal line. The ball can be carried, thrown or kicked over the goal line and into the end zone, a 10-yard area beyond the goal line. In order to get the ball to the goal line, the team that has the football has four chances -- called downs -- to move the ball at least 10 yards down the 100-yard field. If they cannot gain at least 10 yards in four attempts, the ball is turned over to the other team.

Starting the Game

There is a coin toss at the beginning of the game, and the team that wins has the choice to kick the ball to the other team or to receive the kickoff, getting the first possession of the ball. At the start of the second half of play, the team that received at the start kicks off. The receiver who catches the ball can run with it down the field toward the other team’s goal. Members of the defensive team can stop the runner by tackling -- or knocking down -- the ball carrier. Play stops at the point where the ball carrier is tackled.

Playing the Game

The ball is placed at the point where the receiver was tackled. This point is called the line of scrimmage. Players line up on either side of the ball for the first down. A member of the offensive team -- or the team that has the ball -- places his hands on the ball. When the play starts, this player -- called the center -- tosses the ball between his legs to the quarterback, who is positioned behind the center. The quarterback can then throw the ball to another player, or run with it. If the ball travels 10 yards or more, either by being carried by the quarterback or caught or carried by another player, there is another first down. If the ball travels less than 10 yards before the ball carrier is tackled, it becomes second down. The ball must be moved a total of 10 yards in four downs in order for the offense to get a first down and retain control of the ball.

Penalties

Football is a very physical game, and there are a lot of rules designed to protect players from getting hurt. For example, when tackling an opposing player, a player cannot grab the other player’s face mask or shoulder pads. Players cannot tackle a player who does not have the ball from behind, and they cannot interfere with the kicker or a player who is receiving a pass. Violations are punished by the offending team having to move back on the field, further away from the opposing goal.

Scoring

When the football is carried or passed into the end zone it is a touchdown, and 6 points are awarded to the offensive team. After the touchdown, that same team has the opportunity to score either 1 or 2 additional points. Kicking the ball from the 2-yard line through the upright goal posts scores 1 point. Carrying or passing the ball into the end zone scores 2 points. A field goal -- when the ball is kicked through the upright goal posts in the end zone -- is worth 3 points. A safety -- when the player holding the ball is tackled in his own end zone -- scores 2 poinby Karen Doyle, Demand Mediats for the defensive team.

Beginner's Guide to Football

One 11-man team has possession of the football. It is called the offense and it tries to advance the ball down the field-by running with the ball or throwing it - and score points by crossing the goal line and getting into an area called the end zone.

The other team (also with 11 players) is called the defense. It tries to stop the offensive team and make it give up possession of the ball. If the team with the ball does score or is forced to give up possession, the offensive and defensive teams switch roles (the offensive team goes on defense and the defensive team goes on offense). And so on, back and forth, until all four quarters of the game have been played.

In order to make it easier to coordinate the information in this digest, the topics discussed generally follow the order of the rule book.

THE FIELD
The field measures 100 yards long and 53 yards wide. Little white markings on the field called yard markers help the players, officials, and the fans keep track of the ball. Probably the most important part of the field is the end zone. It's an additional 10 yards on each end of the field. This is where the points add up! When the offense - the team with possession of the ball-gets the ball into the opponent's end zone, they score points.

TIMING

Games are divided into four 15-minute quarters, separated by a 12-minute break at halftime. There are also 2-minute breaks at the end of the first and third quarters as teams change ends of the field after every 15 minutes of play. At the end of the first and third quarters, the team with the ball retains possession heading into the following quarter. That is not the case before halftime. The second half starts with a kickoff in the same way as the game began in the first quarter.

Each offensive team has 40 seconds from the end of a given play until they must snap of the ball for the start of the next play, otherwise they will be penalized.

The clock stops at the end of incomplete passing plays, when a player goes out of bounds, or when a penalty is called. The clock starts again when the ball is re-spotted by an official.

If a game is tied at the end of regulation, a 15-minute overtime period will be played. In the NFL, this is sudden death and the first team to score wins. Possession is determined before the period begins by a coin toss.

THE PLAYERS

Each team has 3 separate units: the offense (see section below), those players who are on the field when the team has possession of the ball; the defense (see section below), players who line up to stop the other team's offense; and special teams that only come in on kicking situations (punts, field goals, and kickoffs). Only 11 players are on the field from one team at any one time.

To see how the players line up click here

THE KICKOFF

A game starts with the kickoff. The ball is placed on a kicking tee at the defense's 30-yard line, and a special kicker (a "placekicker") kicks the ball to the offense A kick return man from the offense will try to catch the ball and advance it by running. Where he is stopped is the point from which the offense will begin its drive, or series of offensive plays. When a kickoff is caught in the offense's own end zone, the kick returner can either run the ball out of the end zone, or kneel in the end zone to signal a touchback - a sign to stop the play. The ball is then placed on the 20-yard line, where the offense begins play.

FIRST DOWN

All progress in a football game is measured in yards. The offensive team tries to get as much "yardage" as it can to try and move closer to the opponent's end zone. Each time the offense gets the ball, it has four downs, or chances, in which to gain 10 yards. If the offensive team successfully moves the ball 10 or more yards, it earns a first down, and another set of four downs. If the offense fails to gain 10 yards, it loses possession of the ball. The defense tries to prevent the offense not only from scoring, but also from gaining the 10 yards needed for a first down. If the offense reaches fourth down, it usually punts the ball (kicks it away). This forces the other team to begin its drive further down the field.

MOVING THE BALL - The Run and the Pass

A play begins with the snap. At the line of scrimmage (the position on the field where the play begins), the quarterback loudly calls out a play in code and the player in front of him, the center, passes, or snaps the ball under his legs to the quarterback. From there, the quarterback can either throw the ball, hand it off, or run with it.

THE RUN

There are two main ways for the offense to advance the ball. The first is called a run. This occurs when the quarterback hands the ball off to a running back, who then tries to gain as many yards as possible by eluding defensive players. The quarterback is also allowed to run with the ball.

THE PASS

The other alternative to running the ball is to throw it. Or as they say in football, pass it! Usually, the quarterback does the passing, though there are times when another player may pass the ball to confuse the defense. Actually, anyone on the offensive team is allowed to pass the ball as long as the pass is thrown from behind the line of scrimmage. A pass is complete if the ball is caught by another offensive player, usually the "wide receiver" or "tight end." If the ball hits the ground before someone catches it, it is called an incomplete pass.

THE TACKLE

The defense prevents the offense from advancing the ball by bringing the ball carrier to the ground. A player is tackled when one or both of his knees touch the ground. The play is then over. A play also ends when a player runs out of bounds.

SCORING

The object of the game is to score the most points. There are four ways to score points in football.

TOUCHDOWN = 6 POINTS

A touchdown is the biggest single score in a football game. It is worth six points, and it allows the scoring team an opportunity to attempt to get an extra point. To score a touchdown, the ball must be carried across the goal line into the end zone, caught in the end zone, or a fumble recovered in the end zone, or an untouched kickoff recovered in the end zone by the kicking team.

EXTRA POINT and the TWO-POINT CONVERSION = 1 or 2 POINTS

Immediately following a touchdown, the ball is placed at the opponent's two-yard line, where the offense has two options. Usually the offense will kick an extra point, also called the point after touchdown, conversion, or PAT. If the offense successfully kicks the ball through the goal posts, it earns one point. The offense can also score two points by running or throwing the ball into the end zone in the same manner as you would score a touchdown. Since going for two points is more difficult than kicking an extra point, the offense generally chooses to kick the extra point.

FIELD GOAL = 3 POINTS

If the offense cannot score a touchdown, it may try to kick a field goal. Field goals are worth three points and often are the deciding plays in the last seconds of close games. They can be attempted from anywhere on the field on any down, but generally are kicked from inside the defense's 45-yard line on fourth down. For a field goal to be "good", the placekicker (or field goal kicker) must kick the ball through the goal-post uprights and over the crossbar. The defense tries to block the kick and stop the ball from reaching the goal post.

SAFETY = 2 POINTS

The safety is worth two points. A safety occurs when the offensive ball carrier is tackled behind his own goal line.

TURNOVERS

While trying to advance the football to the end zone, the offense may accidentally turn the ball over to the defense in one of two ways:

THE FUMBLE

When the ball carrier or passer drops the ball, that's a fumble. Any player on the field can recover the ball by diving on it or he can run with it. The team that recovers a fumble either gets-or retains-possession of the ball.

THE INTERCEPTION

An aggressive defense can regain possession of the ball by catching (intercepting) passes meant for players on the other team. Both fumble recoveries and interceptions can be run back into the end zone for touchdowns.

THE TWO SIDES OF THE BALL

THE OFFENSE

Whichever team has possession of the ball is the offense. While only the quarterback, the wide receivers and tight ends, and the running backs can legally handle the ball, it is the quarterback who is the leader of the team and the playmaker. In fact, he's a man of many talents - he not only throws the ball, he outlines each play to his team.

THE OFFENSIVE PLAYERS

• The quarterback ("QB") passes or hands off the ball.
• The center snaps the ball to the QB and blocks the defense.
• 2 guards and 2 tackles keep the defense at bay.
• 2/4 wide receivers catch the ball thrown by the QB.
• 1 or 2 running backs take the ball and run with it.
• 1 or 2 tight ends block the defense and can also catches passes.

THE DEFENSE

The job of the defense is to stop the offense. The 11 men on the defensive team all work together to keep the offense from advancing toward the defense's end zone.

THE DEFENSIVE PLAYERS

• Linebackers defend against the pass, and push forward to stop the run or tackle the QB.
• The defensive line (ends and tackles) battles head-to-head against the offensive line.
• Cornerbacks and safeties defend against the pass from the QB to the wide receiver and help to stop the run.

American Football Basics: Checkers on Grass

Football basics are pretty basic. American football is a game, after all. Not rocket science. Like most things we don't know (which means things we haven't yet learned), those who DO know football basics often disguise them in a sea of jargon, which can make us feel stupid. And who can enjoy something that makes them feel stupid, right?

Now, we've got plenty of jargon for you in our sections on football rules,positions, penalties, plays and even a little basic football strategy, any and all of which we trust you will not use to make others feel stupid . . . except maybe those who made you feel stupid in the first place. Ditto for our American football history and trivia, which should provide you with great material for placing bets with those know-it-alls. But before moving on to the details, it's useful to first take a look at the most basic of football basics: The Big Picture.

American football is a game in which there are two teams of eleven players each (that is, eleven players for each team allowed on the field at any one time; there are plenty more waiting on the sidelines, . . . but that's another story).

And speaking of sidelines, here's a look at them, with a regulation football field in between.

You'll notice that, when seen in this diagram version, a football field resembles an old-fashioned board game, like checkers.

And at its most basic, that's pretty much what football is: checkers on grass.

As in checkers, the "pieces" are attempting to move into their opponents' territory. In checkers,the pieces move from box to box. In football, it's line to line. Note the stripes marked across the hundred-yard football field at five-yard intervals. The rule is that a team must move the ball forward a minimum of ten yards in four tries (called 'downs') in order to get another chance to move the ball ten yards in four downs.

Yes, we know: it sounds a lot like 'the bear went over the mountain.' Because, in a way, that's what it is. We told you American football was basic!

But, of course, the ultimate goal is to move the ball all the way into the opponent's end zone, which you can also see marked on our diagram, one at each end of the football field.

If you're a romantic, you might see this as an invasion of the wicked King's castle, with the Knights of Truth and Justice (your team) prevailing over the Forces of Evil (their team.) Trouble is, whether our "checkers" become knights or just plain old football players (your choice), when they actually move out onto the grass (or AstroTurf, as the case may be), they start moving a lot faster than your average little round checker.

To the beginner, this can make a football game look a lot like a half-price sale at Filene's.

Which means, of course, that football basics - no matter how basic football basics may be - can be a little tough to see!

But don't worry. We'll get into more strategies for seeing through the madness in our section on how to watch a game of football on television. Meanwhile, to get you started, we suggest you simply focus on the ebb and flow of the teams as a whole as they move up and down the football field.

Note that each side takes turns at being offense (the team with the ball) and defense (the team who tries to stop the team with the ball). Sort of like, when you turn around, your left becomes your right.

For now, don't worry about which individual has the ball. It's too small to see most of the time anyway, besides which,as you'll discover in our advanced tutorials, American football is a game of deception, and the offense is always trying to deceive the defense into thinking someone has the ball when they don't.

So, yes: we've got football terms, rules, positions, penalties, plays, and strategy waiting for you in the wings. But concentrating on the simple ebb and flow of the teams is a kinder, gentler wayfor you to get comfortable with the football basics you'll need to understand the game.

Besides which, since the teams are color-coded for your viewing convenience, all you have to do to get stared is pick a color and start rooting for your color to get into the other color's end zone more often than they get into yours. Now, how's that for basic football basics!?!

American Football Rules (the Short Version!)

The Official Rules of the NFL fill over one-hundred pages. The basic football rules you actually need to know to so that you can figure out what's going on (and maybe even enjoy the game) are summarized for you on this one little page.

It's sort of like all those new telephone devices that come with multiple-page instructions. Maybe you won't be able to create a major motion picture without reading the whole thing, but you can probably call your mother after page one. 

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Football Rules for the Structure of the Game:

Football is played on a rectangular field one hundred yards long x 160 yards wide, with a ten foot long area at each end called the end zone.

There are two opposing teams of eleven players each, with each team having opposite halves of the football field as their 'territory.' The teams take turns at either being the Offense (having the ball in their possession and trying to score points) or the Defense (trying to stop the offense from scoring points).

Time of play is 60 minutes, divided into four fifteen-minute segments (called quarters). Yes, we know: you've never heard of a football game that lasted only an hour. That's because these guys take more time-outs than your average pre-schooler.

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Football Rules for Scoring Points:

Touchdown - scores six points if the ball is thrown or carried into the opponent's end zone.

Point after Touchdown/Extra point - as the names imply, after a touchdown is scored, the scoring team has an opportunity to score additional points by either kicking the ball between the goal posts in the end zone (one point) or throwing or carrying the ball into the end zone from two yards away (i.e., the two-yard line) for two additional points.

Field Goal - even if a team has failed to get into the end zone for a touchdown during their possession, they may feel they are close enough to exercise the option of kicking the ball between the goal posts for three points.

Safety - If an offensive player who has the ball in his possession gets stuck in his own end zone, and is tackled there by a defensive player, thedefense is awarded two points. This, perhaps not surprisingly, is the most uncommon way to score points.

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Football Rules for Starting a Game:

The coin toss - before the game begins, the referee and team captains get together for a good old-fashioned coin toss, with the visiting team calling heads or tails. Winner gets to choose either to have his team start the game with the ball in their possession (receiving the kickoff) or picking which end of the field he wants for his team's 'territory.' The latter may not sound like a big deal, but sometimes having the sun in your face or the wind at your back can make a difference. In any event, the positions are reversed before the start of the third quarter (aka the beginning of the second half), and the ends of the field being defended are traded at the end of each quarter.

The kickoff - yes, a football game really does start with an actual kickoff. The football is kicked by the defense to the offense to start the action at the beginning of the game, at the beginning of the second half of the game, and after points have been scored.

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Football Rules for Playing a Game:

When a team has possession of the ball (i.e., they are 'on offense'), the object is to move the ball forward into the end zone, or, barring that, to move the ball a minimum of ten yards in four attempts (called downs, the first of each series being 'first down,' and so on). To make it easy to keep track of their success or failure ,the playing field has lines drawn across it at five-yard intervals, with the yard numbers noted every ten yards (as you can see in the above diagram of a football field).

If the offense fails to move the football forward the required ten yards, they must turn the ball over to their opponent.

If the offense takes all four downs and fails to move the ball the required ten yards, the ball is turned over to the other team at that point on the field. That is, the defense now becomes the offense at the exact place where the offense has been stopped.

The offense also has the option, on fourth down, of kicking the ball to the opponent when they have failed to make the requird ten yards and have too far to go to take a chance of making it on the remaining down. As you can see, if they have to turn over the ball to the opposition after failing to make ten yards in four downs, where they are on the playing field when this happens is key. If they are still closer to their own end zone than to that of their opponent, if they give the ball to their opponent at that place on the field, they have placed their opponent closer to being able to enter their end zone and score against them. In that case, they can (and usually do) use the option of kicking the ball to their opponent such that the ball winds up as far away from their end zone as possible.