Body Slam: A Forgotten Movie of the Rock ‘n’ Wrestling Era

“Rock ‘n’ Wrestling” refers to a significant crossover between the worlds of professional wrestling and rock music that took place in the 1980s. It primarily revolves around the partnership between the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) and the music industry, particularly with the involvement of musicians and collaborations with MTV.

During this era, the WWF recognized the potential of combining the popularity of professional wrestling with the mainstream appeal of rock music to create a larger fan base. This led to various initiatives and events that blended the two worlds, resulting in a phenomenon known as “Rock ‘n’ Wrestling.”

One of the key figures in this crossover was Cyndi Lauper, a prominent pop singer of the time. Lauper’s association with professional wrestling began when she appeared as a manager for wrestler Wendi Richter. This led to a storyline feud between Richter and Lauper’s rival manager, Captain Lou Albano, which culminated in a highly publicized match at the inaugural WrestleMania event in 1985.

The success of this collaboration prompted further integration of music and wrestling. The WWF featured rock musicians in their programming, such as Rick Derringer performing “Real American” for Hulk Hogan’s entrance theme. Additionally, the WWF created animated series called Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling, which featured animated versions of wrestlers teaming up with various rock stars in comedic adventures.

The “Rock ‘n’ Wrestling” era represented a significant period of cross-promotion and entertainment convergence, bringing together the larger-than-life personalities of professional wrestling with the energy and appeal of rock music. It played a crucial role in expanding the fanbase of both industries and capturing the pop culture zeitgeist of the 1980s.

The natural progression of this awesome pairing was to bring the action of pro wrestling and sounds of rock music to the movie screen. However, this is where interest seemed to stop for most people. Perhaps purchasing a ticket and spending a day at the movies was always going to be a bit overkill for fans perfectly happy to watch Cyndi Lauper just have fun from their own living room for or parents who got a free cartoon for their kids every Saturday morning. Whatever the reasons, this effort to hit the big screen ultimately left us with movies like No Holds Barred (which Jim Ross once referred to as No Profits Allowed) and the should be cult-classic Body Slam.

Body Slam was a comedy released in 1986, revolving around a down-on-his-luck music promoter named M. Harry Smilac, played by Dirk Benedict of The A-Team fame. Smilac just happens to get involved in the world of professional wrestling and mischief ensues.

The film follows Smilac as he encounters a washed-up pro wrestler named “Quick” Rick Roberts, portrayed by Rowdy Roddy Piper. Smilac sees an opportunity to combine his love for music and wrestling by managing Quick Rick and a wrestling rock band called Kick at the same time.

With the help of his assistant Candace, played by Tanya Roberts, Smilac sets out to promote Quick Rick and his wrestling partner Tonga Tom, played by Sam Fatu. They embark on a tour with Kick, hoping to achieve success and fame by merging the worlds of music and wrestling. As the story progresses, Smilac faces challenges, including rival wrestling promoters, the constant chaos of managing a group of wrestlers and musicians, and the difficulty of putting on a show that features both live music and wrestling. Of-course the film culminates in a climactic showdown and a high-stakes wrestling match.

Body Slam combines elements of comedy, wrestling action, and music, creating an entertaining story about an unlikely group of characters trying to find success and redemption in their respective fields. Other wrestlers and personalities of note appearing in the film include Captain Lou Albano, Afa Anoai, Barbarian, Billy Barty, John Astin, Fans of The A-Team will especially enjoy this film as Dirk Benedict drives around in a Ferrari in some scenes and is essentially playing the Templeton Peck character (he juggled commitments to both projects during this time). That’s perfectly fine because Rock ‘n’ Wresting is a venture that the Face man would get into to make a buck.

Body Slam was not a financial success. The film was met with negative reviews and failed to attract a significant audience. The movie’s poor performance contributed to its status as a relatively obscure and forgotten film today. While it has gained a small following among fans of professional wrestling and ’80s movies, it hasn’t achieved the same level of cult status as some other films from the era. Its lack of critical acclaim and commercial success prevented it from attaining widespread recognition or a dedicated cult following. This isn’t surprising when thinking about the mainstream audience but perhaps a little more unexpected when considering the fandom of wrestling fans.  

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Leo Ferris: The Man Who Saved The NBA

The early days of basketball often seen slow fan-unfriendly low scoring matches that often left spectators bored. Games often only got into the 40’s and many of the best players averaged less than 15 points a game. Many early basketball games looked more like a glorified version of the children’s game of keep-away than an action packed professional sport. This style of play culminated in a game between Minneapolis and Fort Wayne, where the Pistons of Fort Wayne held the ball most of the second half nursing a 1 point lead over the Lakers. The Pistons would win 19-18 in the lowest scoring game in NBA history. Prior to that the fewest points ever score 33 points, just 4 fewer than both teams scored, and that game was one the opening night of the NBA, or BAA as it was called back then.

This pace bored fans, many of whom were promised an action packed fun experience and attendance and interest in the new league had begun to dip. The NBA needed a solution and needed it fast. The solution was an ingenious one and one that would revolutionize the game as we know it. A simple clock, with just 24 seconds on it would forever change the game.

The clock was the brain child of Syracuse Nationals general manager Leo Ferris, a man that the NBA has long forgotten in one of the biggest travesties in the games history. Ferris, is as important to the early days of the NBA as anyone and one could argue that without Ferris there would be no NBA today; and there definitely would be no Atlanta Hawks, or Philadelphia 76ers. The NBA would look much different today without Ferris’s input all those years ago.

Ferris got his start with basketball not in the NBA but in the NBL when in 1946 he helped found the Buffalo Bisons. The Bisons were pretty much a failure in upstate New York and after only 13 games the Bisons picked up and left the shores of Lake Erie and heated to the American Heartland in Molina, Illinois. Technically, the team played in Molina and Rock Island, Illinois and Davenport, Iowa but most of their games were played in Molina. The team was called the Tri-Cities Blackhawks and while they struggled the foundation of one of the longest tenured NBA teams was laid. The Blackhawks would eventually move to Milwaukee, where they took on the moniker Hawks, and than move to St Louis and finally to Atlanta.

Shortly after the team moved to Tri-Cities Ferris would go on to make one of his first major shake ups of the basketball world when he signed Pop Gates for the all-black New York Ren’s to a contract. African-American players had played in the NBL before, but only during the early 1940s when World War II had taken a lot of the white players from the NBL. Gates was the first black player signed to a contract when there was not a necessity for them, and the first one signed because of his skill and talent and not because the league needed players. Gates would re-join the Rens when they joined the NBL as the Dayton Rens two years later.

After only a season with the Blackhawks, Ferris returned to his native upstate New York and began as the general manager of the NBL’s Syracuse Nationals. As manager of the Nationals he scored a huge coup for the Nationals and the NBL when he lured highly coveted big man Dolph Schayes away from the New York Knicks of the upstart BAA.

The BAA and NBL rivalry only got worse, with the BAA stealing away most of the best players from the NBL and starting in 1948 the BAA started taking the best teams as well. In 1947 the Minneapolis Lakers, Rochester Royals and Indianapolis Kautskies left the NBL for the BAA. The Nationals were now in an uncertain league and they and the NBL desperately needed to find a solution, and Leo Ferris would find that solution.

Starting in the spring of 1949 Ferris started meeting with executives of the BAA, at first it was an attempt to possible get the Nationals into the growing league, but would soon expand to merging the two leagues. The talks ended in August of 1949 when an agreement was reached to merge the NBL and BAA and form the NBA. The BAA only wanted to absorb two teams; the Nationals, and the upstart Indianapolis Olympians; who would replace the Jets. Ferris managed to talk the BAA into accepting both of those teams, as well as the Denver Nuggets, Sheboygan Redskins, Anderson Packers and the Blackhawks. He originally wanted the merger to include Oshkosh, Hammond and Dayton, but financial backing ruined Oshkosh’s attempt to relocate to Milwaukee and Hammond was thought too close to Chicago where the BAA already had a team. The Rens of Dayton were not allowed to join because their players consisted of black players. In addition to the Rens not being allowed to join, black players on Syracuse also had to be let go.

The merge proved successful as the 17 team NBA seen initial success, but the old NBL teams had given up too much power in the merger and despite Ferris’s best efforts the league kicked out 5 of the former NBL teams the next season.

The 1950 season saw the Lakers continue their dominance and the Pistons thought the only way to stop them was to hold on to a one point lead and the ball. This was the event that usurer in Leo Ferris’s clock or more commonly known as the shot clock. Ferris had always liked math and had been good at it, and he used math to come up with the 24 second clock. He took the number of seconds in a 48-minute game (2,880) and divided that by the average number of shots in a game (120) to get to 24 seconds.

It took 4 more years for the league to implement the shot clocks and when they did the league seen a jump in scoring by nearly 20 points a game and gone were the days of games ending up in the 40s. In fact, since the introduction of the shot clock there has been only 20 regular season games were a team has scored less than 60 points, and only one were a team scored less than 50 and only one playoff game were a team scored less then 60 points.

The introduction of the shot clock caused the game to enter into an era of frenzied paces, with teams scoring what were once thought of as impossible number of points. In 1954-55 Neil Johnston lead the NBA in scoring with 22 points a game, seven years later Wilt Chamberlain would set the NBA record by averaging 50 points a game.

Ferris would only stick around the NBA for one season after his clock was introduced before permanently leaving the league and the game to develop real-estate. It was a shockingly short career for someone who would have such a profound impact on the game.

Despite all that he accomplished, Ferris has yet to be introduced into the Naismith Hall-of-Fame. He has been a finalist multiple times but never made it to the enshrinement portion. This is likely due to the utter and complete disregard and disdain that the NBA has often shown towards the NBL and its former players and staff.

Excluding Ferris has been one of the worst tragedies that the NBA has done in its 70 plus years of existence. Many people are in the Hall-of-Fame who have lesser resumes than Ferris and yet Ferris gets overlooked time and again. Maybe, hopefully, 2018 will be the year for the man who may have saved the NBA.

Resources and references come from http://nbahoopsonline.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/9883795

Photo Credit: John Lent/AP

An Adventure into the Wild: The National Parks of Sri Lanka

Are you a fellow wildlife enthusiast? Then visiting the National Parks is a must when you’re in Sri Lanka. The country is blessed with a number of these jungle-clad areas housing diverse species of flora and fauna. Read on to discover some of the most popular National Parks of Sri Lanka. Our friends from the Travellanka Connection break down the top 5!

Wilpattu National Park

Located 30 kilometers west of Anuradhapura, Wilpattu National Park has declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1905. It was later elevated to “National Park” status. Spanning an area of no less than 131,693 hectares, this is the largest National Park in Sri Lanka. Wilpattu National Park has a unique topography; a complex of around 50 wetlands known as “Villus”. Surrounded by open, grassy plains, “Villus” are shallow lakes filled with rainwater. The best time to visit this National Park is the dry season between May to September. One would be able to spot an array of wildlife species including sambar deer, crocodiles, wild boars, wild elephants, and especially the elusive Sri Lankan leopard.

Yala National Park

Book a Sri Lanka Holiday Package to explore the famous Yala National Park; the second-largest wildlife reserve and one of the first protected sanctuaries to have been established in the tear-drop island nation. This National Park is home to over 31 mammals and more than 124 species of birds. The terrain boasts lush, green environs, and is home to its fair share of reptiles and other lagoon fauna. Embark on a jeep safari to spot the elusive leopard. These safaris are available during early morning and evening hours. Travel Lanka Connection and similar other reputed travel companies will put together carefully curated itineraries to suit all your travel needs – and this can include a safari to Yala National Park as well!

Kumana National Park

Kumana National Park is nestled on the eastern fringes of Yala National Park; however, it is considered a wildlife hub in its own right. Famous among avid birders and ornithologists, this National Park is blessed with a number of magnificent bird species. A few of the most prized bird species that one can spot here include the rare, black-necked storks, egrets, hawk eagles, godwits, and ibises. The park is also a prime location to spot many wildlife species such as sambar deer and elephants.

Minneriya National Park

Minneriya National Park is located in the middle of the famous cultural triangle of Sri Lanka. It is mostly famous for “The Gathering”, which is believed to be the world’s largest congregation of Asian elephants. The best time to witness this spectacular phenomenon is during the dry season, which spans from July to October; hundreds of elephants gather around the lake in search of water, creating a majestic scenery for the onlookers. Apart from the elephants, many inhabitants call this relatively small National Park their home, and these include the purple-faced langur monkeys, spotted deer, sambar, and macaques.

Wasgamuwa National Park

Located approximately 225 kilometres away from Colombo, Wasgamuwa National Park is bordered by two rivers – Mahaweli Ganga and Amban Ganga (‘ganga’ translates to ‘river’ in English). The park is dominated by a dry-mixed evergreen forest and is characterized by tall trees such as Weera, Palu, and Burutha. From November to May, tourists can spot large herds of elephants. These gentle giants migrate to the nearby Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks during the dry season. Apart from mammals such as purple-faced langur monkeys and wild boars, Wasgamuwa National Park is famous for birds such as the endemic red-faced mal koha, Ceylon jungle fowl, and lesser adjutant stork.

How To Speak The Language Of Disc Golf

By popular demand, Disc Golf blogger Steven Pease breaks down the language barrier for FSM readers…

Most people who play disc golf know the regular terms and language. There are lots of other words that people use for describing things that happen on the course. Words not in the dictionary, or in the general vocabulary for disc golf. I have gathered some interesting terms from other players, and from what I’ve read that other players use. I will share the common ones, and some better ones that are not common that I have found.

I got a great story sent to me a couple years ago. A player who was new went out to play a round with his dad, there was a reporter and a photographer at the course from the local paper. He asked if you could take a couple pictures for a story they were doing on disc golf; the guy said sure. The photographer got into position about 50 feet up the edge of the fairway; the guy let loose with his drive and hit the photographer square in the chest with his driver.

Very embarrassing and funny now, but no one wants to do that. I love this story because it shows exactly why everyone wants to get better. I put together terms that I have learned over the past 30 years of playing disc golf. Terms that will make you feel that you know what others are talking about. Disc golf is one of the fastest growing sports in the world. One of the main reasons for its popularity is players of almost any age and ability can play.

I play with guys half my age and I consistently beat them. I am 62 years old and in good shape. I know people older that still play. There are no limitations. If you can get around the course, you can play. If you have never played, you should. If you play now, keep on playing. It’s great exercise, and it’s a great way to socialize. As far as sports go, it is also very inexpensive. You can start with as few as three discs. A driver, a midrange and a putter. For just around $30 you can get started. Most courses are free to play.

Common disc golf language

• Ace Getting the disc in the basket on the first shot
• Hyzer Releasing the disc with he edge closest to your body highest than the other edge.
• Anhyzer The outside is higher than the inside edge.
• Overstable The disc wants to hyzer into the ground when you release it. To make it not hyzer, you must snap it and throw it hard with a slight anhyzer.
• Understabe Can throw with less spin, less snap to fly straight.
• Turnover When you throw the disc hard with good snap; it will turn opposite the way it normally will turn. If you’re throwing right hand back hand it will turn to the right.
• S Curve The flight of the disc starts as an anhyzer, then will hyzer at the end of the flight.
• Snap The amount of spin on the disc at release from your hand.
• Driving The throw from the tee box.
• Approach The shot from the drive to the basket.
• Putt Throwing the disc into the basket.
• Grip How you hold the disc when you’re throwing.

Player Invented Disc Golf Terms

• Dead man When your putt hits the side of the basket and drops to the ground.
• Chain smoking Several great putts in a row.
• Bogey Sandwich A scorecard with a par bogey bogey par.
• Black ace Acing the wrong hole.
• Cabbage The weeds in the rough.
• Chastity belt The yellow band on the Innova baskets.
• Clank The sound that a putt makes when in hits the chastity belt.
• Hit the nickel A putt that hits the number plate.
• Horking A huge long throw.
• Locals route Taking an unconventional path to get you to the basket.
• Lumber jacking When you’re hitting every tree.
• Mirkwood Very thick woods.
• Nickel A score of 5 on a hole.
• Nuclear shule Very thick rough.
• Fly by Putt correct height, but sails by the basket.
• Fluke deuce A two from something very lucky happening.
• Gaack Missed a short putt.
• Grenade A shot that is high and falls fast to the ground.
• Head Banger When your drive lands under the basket and you might bang your head on the basket as you pick it up.

More Disc Golf Terms

• Paper plate An understable disc.
• pig putt A putt that’s really bad.
• Pinball A shot that hits several trees.
• Pinball Wizard Continually hitting multiple trees.
• Rooted When the tree root stops you shot from skipping.
• Saturn A score of 6 (saturn is the 6th planet)
• Shank Any shot that does not do what you wanted.
• Shule Heavy weeds off the fairway.
• Sneak In flight instruction to the disc.
• Snob A throw with the nose of the disc up.
• Snowman A score of 8.
• Spinach Bushes, trees, and undergrowth.
• Taco To hit a tree so hard it folds like a taco.
• Tombstone A disco golf disc that hits the ground, and remains standing on the edge.
• Treefelction The tree gives you a good deflection.
• Valet service When you park your drive under the basket.
• CRF Candy fundraiser.
• CTP Closest drive to the pole.
• DL Dead last in the order of throwing.
• FAT When you hit the first available tree.
• LB Lucky bounce.
• SED Seeing eye disc.
• YSA You’re still away.
• Gust from the Gods When the wind blows the disc way off line.
• Getting greasy Sneaking through the trees.
• Lawn dart A disco that has landed partially buried in the ground.
• Merked When you get hit in the head from someones throw off of a tree.
• Tombstone For those discs that stick on edge in muddy ground.
• Helicopter A shot that needs to come straight down at the end without curving.
• A rip The perfect drive.

The terms in the top section are ones you need to know. These terms will help you understand the game and how to play and how to play better. The rest are just temps other players use when they are playing.

FSM First Look: UNBREAKABLE

After years of rejection but with constant hustle, Jay Glazer has built a career as one of the most iconic sports insiders, earning himself a spot on the Emmy award-winning Fox NFL Sunday, a role as the confidant of coaches and players across the league, and a role as himself alongside Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson on HBO series Ballers. His gym, Unbreakable Performance Center, attracts some of the biggest names in Hollywood, and is the headquarters to the powerful charity MVP (Merging Vets and Players) that Jay founded in 2015.  MVP began as a weekly physical and mental health huddle with combat veterans and retired athletes has expanded to seven locations, helping soldiers and players transition to a new team.

In Unbreakable, Jay Glazer talks directly to you, his teammates, and shares his truth. All of his success from his screeching-and-swerving joy ride through professional football, the media, the fighting world, Hollywood, the military-warrior community, comes with a side of relentless depression and anxiety. Living in the gray, as Jay calls it, is just a constant for him. And, in order to work through the gray and succeed, Jay has to maintain an Unbreakable Mindset. With this book, you can too.

·        Be of Service—help others and help yourself in the process

·        Build Your Team—give support, get support

·        Never Underestimate the Power of Laughter—never take yourself too seriously

·        Be Proud of Your Scars—our trauma makes us who we are

Throughout Unbreakable, Jay will use his stories—featuring some of the biggest, baddest, and most fascinating characters in the public eye today—to show how he walks this walk, has learned that while the gray is very real, it doesn’t have to define him. And it doesn’t have to define you either.

Click here for a sneak peak of the actual book available April 4, 2023 and keep reading for a very special message from Jay himself:

Hey Teammate,

We all face obstacles-physical, emotional, between the ears. The good news is that everything we have fought back against can empower us, IF WE KNOW HOW TO USE IT. My obstacles happen to be anxiety and depression. I call it living in the gray, and I’ve been mired in it my whole life. To be honest, it sucks. But I have also recently recognized that this same gray that has held me down has also empowered me to make my wildest dreams come true. You have probably overcome many of your own obstacles, but you’ve been too close to the conflict to clearly see what you’ve accomplished. We are all UNBREAKABLE, no matter what we do, who we are, or what traumas we may have experienced. We just need to admit that we can’t walk this walk alone.

–Jay Glazer

FSM Scouting Report: MOX

Book/Movie Title: Mox

Total Pages/Duration: 271 pages (Hardcover)

Author/Director: Jon Moxley

Pace of Play: Inconsistent sums up the pace of this autobiography. Based on the quick hitting prologue, the reader may get the feeling they’re about to buckle in for a wild ride. However, the book ends up feeling more “stop-and-go” by the final few pages. A page turner, this is not. There is never a sense of urgency to find out what’s coming next.

Strengths: The strength of this book comes from Moxley’s raw storytelling. He adds in some jokes and adjectives, but he usually gets to his point rather quickly (it’s just that one point quickly leads to an unrelated point which leads to yet another unrelated story and so on. The good news is that all the tangents are relatively brief). For example, the chapter about the late Brodie Lee starts off simply with, “Brodie died today.” Another chapter about a bully named Scott Baio goes into violent detail about Mox’s first significant fight. 

Weaknesses: The structure of this book is that there is no real structure. At least that’s clear from the beginning which helps the reader prepare. Maybe it was done on purpose to get a sense of what it’s like in Moxley’s head but it’s definitely a weakness in this case. Reading the stream of consciousness of someone who has ADHD can be a double-edged sword. The chapter about Mox receiving his training and paying his dues was surprisingly slow and boring. The tedious detail in that chapter came from out of nowhere. Lastly, professional wrestling books are generally known for some cool glossy photos, usually in the middle of the book. Mox has none. We just get a bunch of random pictures randomly placed, with some randomly in black and white (pretty random right?).

Unique Attributes: This book is unique in that it reads like a collection of short stories about Jon Moxley. One chapter doesn’t always lead into the next (there is a chapter about how to make a sandwich which includes diagrams) but it was a nice experience to read a crazy anecdote here and there over a few weeks. While most stories aren’t about the WWE, the best ones certainly involve Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and the creation of the Shield.

Scout’s Recommendations: Mox is definitely worth a read if you’re a fan of WWE, AEW, New Japan or any other of the many organizations that exist now. Chances are Jon Moxley has wrestled in most of them and has a story to share. If you’re not a wrestling fan, avoid this one at all costs as it’s just going to be one big confusing mess.

12 Things You Need to Know Before Betting The 2022 NBA Finals

The matchups are yet to be decided, but here are 12 facts you should know before placing your NBA Finals bets. Some of these little-known facts and figures can be the keys to placing winning bets. But keep in mind, betting lines are subject to change. Online sportsbooks such as BetUS.com update their NBA odds regularly.

1. The winner of Game 1 has claimed the title in 14 of the last 20 NBA Finals.

2. The home team has won Game One in 15 of the last 16 NBA Finals, excluding the 2020 championship, which was played on a neutral court. That trend could continue, so keep an eye on the NBA lines once the Finals are decided.

3. The team with home-court advantage has also won the championship in 14 of the last 20 NBA Finals. Golden State will have home-court advantage no matter its opponent. Dallas would have homecourt advantage over Boston but not Miami.

4. Since the NBA Finals MVP was first awarded in 1969, only two players — Joe White (1976) and Chauncey Billups (2004) — are among eligible players on the outside looking in at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. The other 51 are either enshrined, still active or waiting to become eligible. That means the MVP will be: Steph Curry (+225), Jayson Tatum (+250), Jimmy Butler (+550) or Luka Doncic (+650).

5. The East has not had consecutive titles from different teams since Detroit and Chicago won back-to-back championships in 1990 and 1991. The winner of Miami and Boston will try to end that streak after Milwaukee won last year.

6. The last time a team outside the top two seeds represented the West was the 2012 Mavericks, who won the title vs. Miami as a No. 3 seed. The last time a No. 4 seed did the same? The 2008 Mavericks, who lost the championship series to Miami. Could we see a rubber match?

7. The 2008 Celtics were the last No. 1 seed from the East to win a title without LeBron James on their roster. Miami has a chance to change that.

8. The last three head coaches to win NBA titles — Nick Nurse, Frank Vogel and Mike Budeholzer — were all first-timers. Golden State’s Steve Kerr has three titles, and Miami’s Erik Spoelstra has two, while Dallas’s Jason Kidd and Boston’s Ime Udoka are in search of their first rings as head coaches.

9. The average NBA Finals score has leveled out since skyrocketing to 236 points per game in 2017. Averages were about 217 PPG in both 2018 and 2019 before dipping to 214.5 in 2020 and sneaking back up to 221 in 2021. Keep an eye on the totals (or over/unders), as anything outside that range may give you a leg up.

10. Dallas finished 6-2 in the regular season vs. the three other remaining teams. Golden State went 4-4, Boston 3-4 and Miami 2-5.

11. How long will the series last? History says six games is the most likely result. Since the 1976 merger, six series have been 4-0 sweeps, 10 have ended in Game 5 and eight have finished in a do-or-die Game 7. The other 22 went six games.

12. Titles have been relatively even between the two conferences. The West holds a 26-24 advantage over the last 50 championship series, and the last 10 are split evenly at 5-5.

Smart bettors read between the lines, and keeping these twelve little-known stats, facts and figures in mind when laying your NBA Finals bets this year should improve your odds of making a profit as we send this year’s NBA season off to the history books.

Photo Credit: Designed by Freepik

Rail-Trails Are Hidden Gems, And Good for You Too!

Explore Your Local Trails, Enjoy Long-Term Health Benefits

(NewsUSA) – Stress — it’s everywhere. But there is an easy form of stress reduction that is as simple as opening your front door.

Spending time outside can help improve your physical and mental health, and you don’t have to be an extreme athlete to reap the benefits.

Studies show that simply going out for a walk in nature can help build strength and endurance, and contribute to feelings of relaxation and resilience. Being active outside has proven benefits for people’s minds and bodies.

Rail-trails in particular are ideal for individuals of all abilities and fitness levels to safely enjoy the outdoors. Rail-trails are multipurpose public paths created from former railroad corridor. That means they are flat or gently sloping, have a hard surface that makes them accessible to all types of activities and are available in rural and urban areas.

Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is a nonprofit organization dedicated to connecting communities across America with trails. One way they do this is through promoting the value of time spent outside — by encouraging people to make “trail moments” a regular part of their lives and sharing these experiences to inspire others to discover the convenience and joy of being active outside on trails.

“I feel really lucky to have grown up in Virginia, and now I live in Washington state, with lots of access to these trails, but there are literally thousands of miles of rail-trails all over the country,” says Miranda Webster, (@mirandagoesoutside) a longtime outdoor-enthusiast.

“So, whether you are mountain biking, hiking, walking your dog, or riding your bike, I hope that you’re able to find a trail near you where you can enjoy it as much as I have through my entire life,” she says.

Travel blogger Jeff Jenkins (@chubbydiaries_), based in Texas, has taken his wanderlust to local trails in a series of blogs and videos for the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy.

“Now, I’m showing people how to discover their own backyards, from their local cities to national parks, trails and the great outdoors,” says Mr. Jenkins, who has also created an online community for plus-sized travelers at chubbydiaries.com.

“So often people see trails as a way to get a little outdoor recreation, and yes, that’s true,” says Ian Mackay (@ians_ride), who regularly enjoys the trails in rural Washington state from his power wheelchair. “But it is so much more for me… having a safe trail space where I can go explore my own interests, interact with the community, and run my own errands is monumental to my happiness,” adds Mr. Mackay, who is also the founder of Ian’s Ride, a nonprofit organization.

This fall, Rails-to-Trails Conservancy is taking inspiration from the thousands of stories that people have shared about the personal impact of time spent outside on trails and encouraging people of all ages and abilities to make a habit of it. Their #TrailMoments 21-Day Challenge offers fun activities to encourage people to get out on the trail every day.

Visit the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy website for more information and tips on making outdoor time part of your daily routine. www.railstotrails.org/trailmoments and @railstotrails #TrailMoments on social media.

FSM Scouting Report: 30 For 30 Shark

Book/Movie Title: 30 For 30: Shark

Total Pages/Duration: 76 minutes

Author/Director: Jason Hehir & Thomas Odelfelt

Pace of Play: Watching this documentary is similar to playing 18 holes of golf. Kind of dull for the most part but you do get some great moments of interest and excitement mixed in. While this doc clocks in just under 80 minutes, it feels like you’ve been watching for 2 hours by the time the credits roll.

Strengths: The strength of this documentary lies in the accessibility of Greg Norman. He takes on all questions about “choking” and even takes a literal walk through the Master’s course at Augusta, home of his 1996 heartbreak. He’s honest but also seems like he’s in denial. An honest denial? While the viewer gets a condensed back story and buildup, this documentary is really all about that 1996 choke job.

Weaknesses: Maybe we were spoiled by The Last Dance because there was no true drama in this doc. At times, things got boring. Norman’s low volume monotone voice didn’t help matters.

Unique Attributes: One the director’s is the same person who directed The Last Dance. There are some noticeable similarities in styles of each film.

The loveable Jack Nicklaus makes appearances throughout this documentary with some great insights. Always classy never sassy. Scott Van Pelt (SVP) also pops up often.

A montage of Norman driving Ferraris and riding on to golf courses on helicopters was perfectly set to ZZ Top’s Sharp Dressed Man. Some would say it’s the highlight of the entire film.  

Scout’s Recommendations: Subscribers of ESPN+ have access to this film and should definitely consider giving it a stream. It’s not really a film just for golf fans – most people will be able to relate to that moment of truth in their own life. Did they pull through under pressure or did they just pull a Shark?

Find out more about 30 For 30: Shark by clicking here.

Diveheart Adaptive Scuba Diving Trip Transforms Filmmaker’s Life

(NewsUSA) – Scuba diving can be an exotic and enriching activity for anyone, but for individuals with a range of physical or cognitive disabilities, the unique weightlessness of the underwater environment allows them to exercise, relax, have fun and gain confidence like no other experience. Children and adults with challenges, including traumatic brain injuries, amputation, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy and blindness can enjoy the physical and psychological benefits of scuba diving.

Diveheart, a Downers Grove, Ill.,-based nonprofit tax-exempt organization, has been helping youth, veterans and others with disabilities through adaptive scuba and scuba therapy since 2001.Last year, Los Angeles filmmaker David Marsh accompanied a Diveheart team on a scuba trip to Cozumel, Mexico, to make a documentary about the organization and its mission. For Marsh, the experience was life-changing, as he completed the trip and his filming despite the tragic personal loss of his son to a drug overdose just one week earlier.On the last day of the trip, Marsh shared his loss with the Diveheart team.

“David Marsh is amazing and awesome. Despite his loss and grief, he soldiered on and captured the spirit, love and hope that emerges from every Diveheart trip,” says Diveheart’s founder and president, Jim Elliott.”He captured the essence of our mission and shared the real-life experience of what Diveheart does to help those with disabilities experience freedom underwater.”

In the documentary, every day embraces a theme; day one is trust, day two is freedom and day three is adapting. Audiences will see how Marsh translated the feelings of the adaptive divers, who shared their losses, struggles, fears and hopes.

“We are so grateful to David for capturing Diveheart in action,” Elliott emphasizes. “My hope for this documentary is to raise awareness to Diveheart’s mission: to revolutionize rehabilitation by using zero gravity underwater to help those with everything from mobility issues to chronic pain and post-traumatic stress disorder. We help our participants find that self-confidence, personal strength and independence, and we will continue to do so in the years to come.

The documentary, “Adapting To Dive,” premieres at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, 2022, at Classic Cinemas Tivoli Theatre, 5021 Highland Ave. in Downers Grove, Ill. To see a trailer of the documentary, click here. Tickets are $12 for general admission and accessible seating.For more information about the documentary and tickets, click here.

Visit diveheart.org for more information about Diveheart.