Vanderbilt Commodores tickets - Reporting Strategy and Personnel
by Gen Wright
People of Nashville are looking forward to 31st December, not just to celebrate the arrival of the New Year but also to witness a nail biting match between the Boston College Eagles and the Vanderbilt Commodores. Boston College will be representing the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in the eleventh annual Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl and will be facing Southeastern Conference’s (SEC) Vanderbilt University.
The Boston College Eagles are making their second postseason appearance in Nashville and have a formidable line up. Their defense is virtually impregnable. The Eagles lead the ACC in rushing defense and rank second in scoring defense in winning the Atlantic Division for the second straight year. They are the nation’s longest bowl winners, with nine wins in a row. They last participated in the bowl in 2001.
Fans would love to see Vanderbilt score and more over see a good fighting match; Vanderbilt will be the favorites amongst the crowd as they are the home team. They are playing their first bowl game after 1982. The Vanderbilt captain DJ Moore would be expecting a good performance from his team; he himself is second in the SEC in interceptions. The Commodores were ranked third in their regular season in SEC east.
Since the Commodores are playing in a bowl match after as long as 26 years, it makes all the more necessary for their fans to see the match because you don’t want to wait for another 26 years, do you? The game would be tough because they are pitted against the Eagles who have won nine straight bowl appearances. Vandy on the other hand will be entering with a streak of losses. They lost six of its last seven games. Vandy’s offense is not of the level that they can match the physical and skillful might of the Eagles.
The Commodores will be banking on some of its key players to deliver. Captain D.J. Moore is one of the players to look out for. Moore will be playing more than half of the game on the offense and is the only player on the offense who can create some worries in the defense camp of the Eagles. Moore is explosive and will also return punts and kickoffs.
The redshirt freshman, Chris Marve, started all throughout the season and was amongst the leaders in the team in tackles, he has the brains to diagnose plays and the speed to get there, plus the technique to avoid blockers.
Steven Stone is the most likely D-lineman to mount a pass rush. He’ll match up against big Anthony Castonzo and Rich Lapham. They are big but they can be beaten with speeding on the edge. Right Back Jared Hawkins is raring to go out in the field as he spent the last season dealing with his foot injury. The Eagles will be a tough nut to crack for Hawkins as they are one of the top 10 rush defenses in the nation. But as long as the line can get off the ball quickly and get leverage against mammoth Ron Brace and B.J. Raji, they can be cracked. Hawkins can prove worthy and crack the defense if he gets to the crease.
The Music city bowl is in its eleventh year. The bowl is a post season collegiate bowl which features the teams from Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) and the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The 2007 Bowl game between Kentucky and Florida State was a full house and caught more than five million eyeballs on Television.
When you need tickets for the Vanderbilt Commodores you can count on Ticket America to get you the best seats at the best prices. If you need tickets Ticket America is the place to get them. To get Vanderbilt Commodores College Football tickets before anyone else visit our website today!
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Simple, Do It Yourself Gel Coat Repairs
by Douglas Malat
Got a scrap, crack, or soft deck on your power boat or sailboat? Here’s a quick, easy fix that will save you money. There are many different ways to go about the repair, but my method works and is not too difficult to master.
Let’s get started fixing that crack.
Did you jib pole come loose? Did the anchor swing too wildly or did your landlubber friend forget to tell you he had on his golf shoes? Don’t laugh…it happens. I used to get all upset when I saw the slightest damage to my gel coat and thought it would never be the same. You will always see it even after a mint fix. But no one else will, even if the fix is not perfect. Power boats get cracks here and there from the pounding as they cut through waves. Sailboats get it the same way, plus all the heeling over they do.
I have read all the books and articles and found they all do a great repair. Some more complicated than others. I took the best from each and now do this procedure for a great fix.
What you’ll need:
1. Get a Bondo can (auto/marine body filler), that is short and wide, with a plastic top. This comes with the catalyst you will need.
2. Sandpaper/wet and dry (emery cloth), 1 sheet of each: #220, #320, #400, #600
3. Gel Coat color from the manufacturer - it’s worth the wait to get it. If not, you can use white gel coat with the tints you need to get it right. Most stores have a chart.
You can mix the gel coat over the winter. Get the right color card from Home Depot, and you can play with the color over the winter, until you get a match, and save it in a jar for the spring.
4. Acetone
5. Masking Tape
6. Spray bottle, sold in marine supply or hardware stores.
7. Screwdriver or metal pick
8. Newspaper
As you can see from the materials list, there need not be a great expense in performing your own repair. These materials can last through 10 repairs. Each time you take care of the crack yourself, you can save yourself hundreds of dollars.
1. In order to repair a crack, clear the area. Take a good look at it and then take some acetone on a rag and clean in and around the crack. A little goes a long way. Too much is no good. This cleans the wax, dirt, and stains off so you now can see clearly how far the crack really goes and what color you should mix, too. The factory gel coat that was sent is the original color of the boat’s gel coat. By sanding lightly with 300 grit wet you will bring this color out, but it will not match the rest of the boat. You may have to add a touch of yellow or gray/black to get that faded color. Look from the sun. If you plan to compound to the original color, then go with the factory color, otherwise, tint it down.
2. Now that the gel coat is ready, let’s get back to the crack. After using some acetone and sanding right around and in the crack, use a flat hand screwdriver or metal pick to loosen any material in the crack. Make good, fat edges at either side of the crack. Chip away at it until you get to good, uncracked gel coat. Sand the area, blow out and acetone again.
3. Tape around the area you are working on, close to the crack. Then tape newspaper around it to catch any overspray.
4. Get the sprayer, read the instructions. Pour the gel coat (factory or mixed) into the jar. Add some acetone to cut the thickness of the gel coat so it can spray out. Add the proper amount of catalyst, stir and screw the jar back on and you’re ready to go.
5. If the crack is deep, you need to add some plastic filler (bondo). You can use the type that has fiberglass strands. A white colored filler is preferable. Mix the proper amount of catalyst into the filler and squeeze it into the crack. If the crack is small, use a flathead screwdriver. Keep it just in the crack. Use masking tape along the edges, if you need. You can keep it level with the surrounding gel coat, because when it dries, you will sand it lightly with the 220 or 300 grit and make a slight depression in the plastic. Drying time will vary according to the temperature and amount of catalyst used. Pull the excess masking tape away. Use acetone to wash away the masking tape glue and any impurities.
6. Find a piece of cardboard to spray on. Feel the force and the amount that comes out of the sprayer. Press the nozzle to move it to the right. Release nozzle. Press the nozzle again, move to the left and so on to get a smooth coat. Now, spray the repair area with the same motion. See how it looks before you repeat the process. Don’t try to complete it in one or two shots. Slow and easy. It will cover. You can put extra coats on because you will do sanding next. Don’t put too much on. Let it dry. It’s good to do this in 70 - 80 degree weather. If it is cooler out, point a utility light at it. It should harden it in anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour, varying according to the outside temperature. If you want, you can leave it overnight. If it still doesn’t set, use the acetone to get it off and try again with a better combo of catalyst. You will get good at this one you do it several times, just like riding a bike.
7. After the gel coat hardens, take that plastic cup top and put some water in it. Rip a 1” x 4” piece of emery cloth off the 220 or 300 grit. Soak it a bit and also put some water over the repairs. Wipe it around. Now, with the emery cloth pliable, lightly sand over the repair. Feel the coarseness of the area you are sanding. Add more water if it feels pretty flush with the surrounding area. Move to 400 grit, then to 600 grit. Get it nice and wet. Watch not to take too much gel coat off. Do a little check.
8. The final step is using a little white compound. Add a touch of water. Compound out lightly. Wash off thoroughly and wax. You’re done. Is it perfect? Maybe, but if not, no will see it unless you put blue gel coat where white should belong. In the meantime, you will forget about where it actually is as it fades in. A scrap is basically the same, just a large area. Sometimes a light sanding with 300 or 400 grit, nice and wet, will remove most and sometimes, surprisingly, all of the scrap without a gel coat repair. It just depends how deep it is.
With a little practice, you can save yourself a boat-load of money otherwise spent on having the gel coat refinished professionally. If doing it yourself is not your thing, you may find understanding the process helpful when consulting with a repair center.
Douglas Malat is a licensed captain, freelance writer and co-author of YachtAuthority.com, where you will find gel coat repair services in your area.
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Why Good Directional Control Keeps and Airplane’s Wing off the Ground
by Doug Daniel
I was recently asked about the possibility of a wingtip strike when landing in a typical light plane like a Cherokee or a Cessna 172. Specifically, I was asked about how far tha aileron control could be deflected without hitting the tarmac when one or both of the main landing gear is on the runway after landing at near stall speeds.
I will admit that I have never tried to hit the runway with my wing tip and I don’t know anyone who has. However, it certainly can be done. Perhaps a better question is: what crosswind landing technique will guarantee that the wingtip does not strike the tarmac?
I want to talk about landing techniques in a really strong crosswind before I tackle the issue of wingtip strikes. After all, wingtip strikes are not a credible issue except in crosswinds that approach the airplane’s crosswind limitations.
To make controlled crosswind landings, you should master the skill of pointing your airplane in the same direction that it moves over the ground. If the airplane is pointed in some other direction when you touchdown, the best you can hope for is abrupt side forces on your landing gear followed with a swerve as the airplane swings in the right direction. The worst is loss of directional control followed with a trip off side of the runway, possible ground loop, nose over, wingtip strike, or all of the above.
Pointing the airplane it the direction it moves is the most essential landing skill. It is not as easy as it sounds. And it certainly requires practice before it can be mastered. In a nutshell, here is how to do it:
Point the airplane in the direction that it travels by turning the nose with your rudder pedals alone. Move the airplane from side to side by changing your angle of bank with ailerons. Control airspeed or height above the runway by changing your pitch attitude with your elevator. This lets you keep your wheels pointed in the direction the airplane is moving and keep your airplane directly over the middle of the runway. This is exactly where you should be when you land.
Landing in a crosswind, you touch the runway while cross controlled. This is a steady state condition. Your airplane is not rolling around its long axis. That is to say that it has a steady angle of bank. In a general aviation, production light plane, you cannot cross control far enough to touch the wing tip.
The technique that works best is to try to keep the downwind main wheel barely off the runway as long as possible after you have touched down with the upwind wheel. To hold the downwind wheel off, you must continuously increase aileron control defection until it reaches its limit. Eventually, as the airplane continues to slow down, the ailerons lose power and the other main wheel will settle onto the runway.
Finally in any well executed crosswind landing, the aileron control will be pushed to its limit. An important point here is, that just like any other aspect of good airmanship, you should move your controls smoothly and with the purpose of changing the airplane’s attitude. A snap roll is the only situation where I deliberately move the controls violently.
Now, back to the subject: how could you strike a wing tip? I can think of two ways.
Suppose you suddenly and violently slapped the aileron control all the way to its limit. Two things would happen: the airplane would no longer be properly cross controlled, and it would start to roll. Now it is possible to strike the wingtip. In other words, you would have just fouled up a perfectly good crosswind landing. You would have put the airplane in a very difficult situation, one that would require a particularly skilled pilot to salvage. I don’t recommend it.
The more likely situation is that you land wings level in a strong crosswind. That is to say, not cross controlled. Here, the airplane is crabbed into the wind and the wheels are not aligned with the airplane’s path over the ground. Because the airplane is not aligned with its path through space, the wheels will generate a very strong side ways force on the undercarriage when they touch the runway. With luck, this results in a sideways skid. Just like in a car, if the wheels are far enough apart, the airplane skids until it either stops or straightens up. If the wheels are not far enough apart, you’re unlucky. The airplane rolls over, striking the ground with its wingtip.
The lesson here is: use proper crosswind techniques and you will not need to worry about wingtip strikes.
Doug Daniel is a long time pilot, flight instructor, software engineering manager and author. His department developed the software for the out-the-window-displays for the space shuttle, F-117, RS-71 and numerous other exotic airplanes. His writing focuses on flying techniques designed to make flying easier and safer. If this was interesting, visit his website at http://www.FlyingSecretsRevealed.com/flying_questions/
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Tennis - Australian Open Begins In Few Weeks
by Peri Witny
Every professional tennis season unofficially begins with the Australian Open. There are always a few smaller tournaments in early January to kick off a season, but only when the players take their places at the first Grand Slam of the year does the action really heat up.
The 2009 Australian Open begins on January 19, the third week of the tennis season. Heading into next year, the ATP Tour rankings show Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, and Nikolay Davydenko as the Top 5 players. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, Gilles Simon, Andy Roddick, Juan Martin Del Potro, and James Blake round out the Top 10.
Only the Top 4, however, are considered serious threats to win the upcoming Australian Open, which is staged in Melbourne, Australia at historic Melbourne Park Tennis Center. Rod Laver Arena, named for the former Australian tennis great, will be the venue for the men’s title match on February 1, 2009.
Nadal recently put an end to Federer’s 237-week reign as the No. 1 player in the world. The pinnacle of Nadal’s journey to the elusive top spot came last season at Wimbledon, where he defeated the Swiss in a five-set classic to end Federer’s run of five consecutive titles at the All-England Club. Nadal also won his fourth straight French Open crown, the Olympic gold medal in men’s singles, the Masters Series event in Monte Carlo, and the Masters Series event in Hamburg. Injury concerns surrounding his knee are the only problems Nadal has to deal with heading into 2009.
Federer’s 2008 campaign was not up to normal Federer standards, and it started with a loss in the semifinals of the Australian Open. Federer has three Aussie Open titles, however, and he will be looking to restore his dominance Down Under next month. He should have a good chance of winning another title, as he salvaged his 2008 season by winning the last Grand Slam of the year at the U.S. Open.
Djokovic is the defending Australian Open champion, as he captured his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne by defeating Federer in the semifinals and Jo-Wilfried Tsonga in a four-set final. The Serb also won the last tournament of 2008, capturing the Masters Cup trophy. That victory gives Djokovic a full head of momentum heading into 2009.
A new Grand Slam contender, Murray, joined the fray in 2008. Murray finished runner-up to Roger Federer at the U.S. Open and won back-to-back Masters Series titles in Cincinnati and Madrid. The Scot also reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon.
The Australian Open, however, often produces a surprise finalist. Recent runner-up finishers include Rainer Schuettler in 2003, Marcos Baghdatis in 2006, Fernando Gonzalez in 2007, and Tsonga in 2008. If only one of the top four players reaches the 2009 title match, there are several other men worth keeping an eye on to fill the other spot. Del Potro won four consecutive ATP titles in July and August and did not lose a single match in between Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
Simon surged into the Top 10 with a title in Indianapolis, semifinal finishes at the Masters Series Canada and the Masters Cup, and a runner-up performance in Madrid. Up-and-coming youngsters who could be ready for Grand Slam greatness also include Marin Cilic and Ernests Gulbis.
ScoresPro provides Live Score and Results real time service, Tennis Livescore and Sports Results all over the world. Feel free to visit http://www.ScoresPro.com for Tennis Australian Open Live Results.
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Boat Values - What You Need to Know Before Buying
by Marinetrader
I want to give you a good idea of why used boats cost as much as they do so let’s start from the top.
On other pages on my website, you will read about the absence of a Yacht Blue Book. Yes, that’s right, there is no such thing. There is one for automobiles but not for boats. If you call any used car dealer or bank in North America and name any production automobile, they will quote a value of within a few dollars of each other. This is due to the multi-billion dollar, organized wholesale car auction system.
With over 2,200 boat manufacturers (USCG Listings) in North America there is no such wholesale market for boats and the older a boat gets the bigger the price discrepancies. And keep in mind that boats and yachts are not built on an assembly line. I’ve been through my share of boat building plants including Hatteras, Bertram and Carver. Boats are built like houses, one step at a time. Very labor intensive, boats are built, cars are assembled. So you can easily see why new boats cost thousands, perhaps millions of dollars to produce. Powerboats cost more to produce than sailboats as they are more complex.
Generally speaking boats do not appreciate in value. But they do reach a point in their life where they do not loose any more value. Much like antique automobiles, the rarer a boat is, the more it will be in demand. A 40 year old Huckins will often bring more money today than when it was first commissioned. But boats generally depreciate about 10% a year.
So you are looking at that 1984 40 foot Albin trawler, with a single Lehman and 2 staterooms. What is it worth? What is a fair price? Simply speaking, that Albin is only worth what you are willing to give and the seller is willing to take. So where do you start?
Here is what you need to know when considering prices of boats. The owner has established his asking price with consultation with his listing Broker based upon several factors. I do the same with my sellers.
In what condition is the boat? Good boats always command higher prices, always! A newer boat in poor condition will bring less than an older boat in good condition always!. By condition I am speaking of both cosmetics (cleanliness, gelcoat, paint, woodwork, canvas) and structural issues involving fuel tanks, rudder posts, blisters etc. The more upgrades and maintenance that has been completed, the more you should expect to pay as the owner knows this. He also knows that you will have already looked at the worn out boats and have rejected them too.
How old is the boat? See above. This factored in but is not the deciding factor.
How motivated is the seller? Some owners want to move their boat as quickly as possible and any thing close to an asking price might be acceptable. This doesn’t happen often but it does occur.
How many of these 40′ Albins are there on the market? Remember, the more demand for the boat, the higher the price will usually be. And I find that most people will not travel far to buy a boat, so boats in California will not be in competition with East Coast boats.
And lastly, and perhaps the most important factor in determining that asking price will be recent past sales history of similar makes and models. The recent past sales history is available only to Brokers however through our multiple listing service, YachtWorld. It will give me the recent demand for this 40′ Albin and at what selling prices have been in different parts of the USA. It tells me what people are asking and what people are paying!
So when you are looking at this Albin and you have found at what seems to be a great boat for $50,000.00 and all of the others are in the $85 - $100,000.00 range, there is a reason for this. Remember, condition, condition, condition! Be carefull as new fuel tanks will cost you about $30,000.00 to replace, and rudder posts about $8000.00. But if you can live with the problems with the boat, then by all means buy it. I am just wanting you to know not to expect a problem - free boat for the low, low price; you’ll pay for what you get.
So now you are thinking, are all boat prices negotiable? Certainly they are. Everything has its selling price and neither the listing Broker nor the owner may know what that price will be. Only a serious buyer with money on the table will be able to find that out through negotiations. but I will tell you that as of 11/24/2008, boats are selling at about 15% off of asking prices.
Another factor that comes to mind is that powerboats always sale for more than sailboats. I ran this search on the MLS system and found that a 1985 40′ sailboat will have an asking price in the low $100s, however a 1985 trawler or motoryacht will be in the $130 - $140s. Sailors sometimes get sticker shock when they began to search for powerboats.
Mike Dickens is the owner/operator of Paradise Yachts, located in Florida USA. Paradise Yachts assists customers in buying, selling and shipping used yachts worldwide.Visit our boat website at www.paradiseyachtsales.net and our Cruising Center at www.paradiseyachtsales.net/CruisingCenter.html
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