President Ronald Reagan is affectionately labeled “The Gipper” as a result of his film portrayal of the legendary Notre Dames football player. The nickname is so firmly attached to the president that the real Gipper is almost forgotten.

The true story is clouded by the fog of time. His hometown of Laurium, on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, maintains a website dedicated to his local hero. This is true: he was born Feb. 18, 1895 to Mr. and Mrs. Matthew Gipp.

He attended Calumet public schools, but never played soccer in high school. However, he was a versatile athlete. He participated in track and field, hockey, sandlot football, and organized baseball. The Laurium baseball team was the Upper Peninsula champion in 1915, with George playing center field.

Gipp hadn’t thought of going to college. However, he dominated baseball, billiards, poker, and dice. His greatest achievement was winning a gold watch for ballroom dancing.

The beefy six-foot, 180-pound Gipp at age 21 was persuaded by a Notre Dame graduate that he could get a baseball scholarship for asking.

Beyond these statistics, we must trust sports historians.

James A. Cox offers a colorful account of Gipp’s spectacular career. It begins on a fall afternoon in 1916 with two freshmen playing baseball on the playing field of a Midwestern college.

Without warning, a soccer ball passes over the fence from a nearby playing field where the school’s varsity was practicing. Hit one of the young men. He grabs the errant soccer ball and kicks it over the fence 70 meters away.

Across the field, a coach whistles in amazement and runs up. “Hey you! You with the ball. What’s your name?”

“Gipp” is the laconic answer.

“Where are you from?

“Michigan.”

“Play high school football?”

“Not.”

“Well, I think you will be a soccer player,” says the coach. “Get out tomorrow. We’ll follow you and see what you can do.”

The young man shrugs. “I don’t know,” he says vaguely. “I don’t particularly care about soccer.”

This was the meeting of Gorge Gipp and Knute Rockne. A few days later, Gipp shows up for a test.

* * *

There was no difficulty in switching scholarships when it emerged that he could rush 100 yards in ten seconds, throw accurate passes to the middle of the field, and kick 60-yard punts with ease. He became an All-American running back.

Gipp built a reputation in his first out-of-town game with the freshman team against Western Michigan State Normal. Cox wrote:

“Playing as a running back, Gipp accumulates yards. But the score is 7-7 as the fourth quarter runs out with just a couple of minutes to go.

“The Irish have the ball. The quarterback calls punt formation: kick and play for the tie.

“Gipp objects. He wants to try a field goal. The quarterback looks at him as he would a madman. From where the kicker will be, to the opposite post, which at that moment was on the goal line, there were more than 60 yards However, the quarterback orders “Punt.”

“The ball snaps, Gipp drops it to the ground first, as was the custom then, gets a perfect bounce and throws the ball through the studs. It was a 62-yard field goal that earned him a lasting spot in the field. logbook “.

* * *

In the spring of his freshman year, Gipp tried out for the baseball team and succeeded as an outfielder. He played only one game.

Ignoring a signal to knock, he threw the ball over the fence for a home run.

“Why?” asked the manager. “Don’t you remember the signs?”

“Sure,” Gipp replied, “but it’s too hot to be running around the bases after a hit.” The next day, he turned in his baseball uniform and concentrated on soccer.

He made a living by waiting tables in the university canteen for food and lodging. He raised money playing in nearby industrial and semi-professional baseball leagues.

He also frequented billiard halls and other low places in South Bend.

A hangout called Hullie & Mikes became their second home. He once said, “I’m the best freelance player to ever attend Notre Dame.”

His roommate, Arthur (Dutch) Bergman, explained:

“No one in South Bend could beat him at the lighthouse, billiards, pool, poker, or bridge. He studied percentages in throwing the dice and he could fade those bones in a way that made the pros dizzy. pockets, he was the terror of the salons.

“He never played with other students, although his littering skills helped pay the way through Notre Dame for more than a few of his friends. I’ve seen him win $ 500 at a game of dice and then spend his winnings buying food for homeless families in South Bend “.

Gipp cut so many classes in 1919 that he was expelled from school. He took a job as a house player at the Hullie & Mikes gambling emporium.

Horrified, Notre Dame alumni sports fans flooded the university with complaints. The university gave him a special exam, which he passed, and reinstated him. From then on, Gipp got to practice when he wanted, doing what he wanted to do. Nobody complained. The coaches and players knew that he was fervently dedicated to winning. The team revolved around him.

The 1920 season established Gipp as “immortal.”

On a Saturday afternoon, Notre Dame found itself a 17-14 deficit to Army.

In the locker room, Rockne unleashed one of his famous fight speeches at halftime. Gipp looked bored. Rockne turned to Gipp and challenged him: “I guess you have no interest in this game.” Gipp replied, “Don’t worry, I have $ 500 and I don’t intend to spend my money.”

By the end of the game, Gipp had accumulated 385 yards rushing, more than the entire Army team. He scored a touchdown by executing a kickoff, threw two precise passes to set up a touchdown. Almost single-handedly he led Notre Dame to a 27-17 comeback victory.

Gip paid a price for the performance that day. He was tired, pale, and a little bloody. His distress was so obvious that the West Point crowd stood and watched him in amazement as he left the field.

There were four games left in the season. A clean sweep would give Notre Dame a shot at the national championship.

Purdue fell 28-0. In Indiana the following week, Gipp suffered a shoulder dislocation that makes him bench with bandages. The Hoosiers built a 10-0 lead, which they held in the fourth quarter.

The Irish advanced to the 2-yard line, but stalled. Gipp jumped off the bench and yelled at Rockne, “I’m going in!”

“Come back! ‘Roared Rockne.

Gipp ignored the command. On the second play, he crashed for a touchdown. He then kicked the extra point and returned to his bench.

On Notre Dame’s next possession, as time ran out, the Irish worked the ball to the 15-yard line. Once again, Gipp rushed from the bench to take over.

He drew back for a tying dropkick to tie the game. The Hoosiers broke in to block it. Calmly, Gipp threw the ball to a catcher at the 1-yard line. On the next play, with the entire Indiana team converging on Gipp, he slammed into the tackle with his injured arm stuck. It was a ruse. The Notre Dame quarterback danced into the end zone with the ball for the winning touchdown.

As the team returned to South Bend, Gipp went to Chicago to teach a high school team how to throw kicks. The icy wind caused pain, fever and a sore throat. Back in South Bend, Gipp went to his sickbed.

The following Friday, against Northwestern, Rockne kept Gipp feverish on the bench until the fourth quarter. Then to the chants of the crowd: “We want Gipp!” – allowed his star to play a few plays – finished off with a 55-yard touchdown pass to rack up a 33-7 loss. .

* * *

On Thanksgiving, Notre Dame defeated Michigan State 25-0 to complete its second straight win-win season, but Gipp wasn’t there. He was in the hospital with pneumonia and strep throat, a serious illness before the antibiotics.

It was clear that Gipp was doomed. On December 14, 1920, he converted to Catholicism and received the last rites. His mother, brother, sister and Coach Rockne watched by his bed, while the entire student body knelt in the snow on campus praying for him.

While I was in a coma, someone whispered, “It’s hard to go.”

Gipp heard him and woke up. “What’s so tough about it?” he said dismissively.

Beyond this, we only have Rockne’s version.

Gipp turned to Rockne. “I have to go, Rock,” he whispered. “Okay. At some point when the team faces that, when things go wrong and the counterattacks are beating the guys, tell them to come in with everything they have and win just one for the Gipper.”

There are doubts that the generally modest Gipp actually delivered the dramatic deathbed speech, but Rockne always swore it was true.

Yet eight years passed before Rockne felt the need to invoke George Gipp’s last words.

It was at Yankee Stadium, New York, on November 12, 1928. Notre Dame had lost two games. An undefeated Army team held regular Fighting Irish to a goalless draw at halftime. In the locker room, Rockne stood up and addressed his tired players.

“Guys, I want to tell you a story that I never thought I would have to tell.”

Then Rockne recounted, in a serious voice, George Gipp’s final challenge. When it climaxed – “Come in and win one for the Gipper” – the players are said to have opened the locker room door and ran onto the field. The Irish played the second half as if the legend of Notre Dame led the way.

At the end of the game, the score was Notre Dame 12, Army 6.

The Gipper had scored for the last time, from the grave.

The great quest that almost every team in the National Football League participates in at one point or another is the search for the next great quarterback. This doesn’t even have to mean the next great quarterback of all time, it can sometimes mean the next great quarterback in a team’s history. Finding that diamond in the rough is for fans, a dream come true. Having a great quarterback means that a team will almost certainly be competitive, if not successful. The Pittsburgh Steelers became one of those teams in 2004 when they selected Ben Roethlisberger from the University of Miami in Ohio.

For such a young quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger has already accomplished a lot, including multiple Super Bowl victories, Pro Bowl appearances and becoming the leader of a franchise rich in history. However, not much is known about him, and here are five interesting facts any fan should know about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

-In four of the first seven years of Ben’s career, he finished the season with exactly the same number of touchdown passes thrown for the season. His statistics for 2004, 2005, 2008 and 2010 show that he has 17 total touchdown passes.

-As of the 2010 NFL season, Ben Roethlisberger had thrown more touchdown passes, 19 in total, against the Cleveland Browns than against any other team in the league.

-Throughout the 2010 NFL season, the only players to have caught ten or more touchdown passes during Roethlisberger’s career are Hines Ward (39), Heath Miller (26), Santonio Holmes (17), Mike Wallace (13) and Nate Washington (11).

-Ben’s first career TD pass came in a 30-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in 2004. He came in the fourth quarter and went for three yards. It was Pittsburgh’s first score of the game and he was caught by Antwaan Randle El.

-Throughout the 2010 NFL season, Ben Roethlisberger had thrown 144 touchdown passes during his career. He pitched 88 of those during the first half of the games he played and only 56 of them in the second half.

Baseball time is here once again Go watch our Giants score again Go hit the ball on the field Look at those Giants and the bases they steal We hope the pennant is in sight again Giants try your best again Go, go Giants and win today We are with you giants all the way. (Lyrics from a souvenir recording of Art Mineo Combo, song written by Joe Jordan}.

Does anyone remember that little melody? It was “Go Giants Go,” introduced by Joe Jordan in 1963. It was available at 45 RPM and was part of the merchandise sold at the Tacoma Giants souvenir shop at Cheney Stadium. He couldn’t have been the only kid in T-town who embezzled his father from his weekly allowance. It only cost four bits (50 cents) and I didn’t even have to clean our basement. What a deal!

“Go Giants Go” was performed one day during the intermission of a twin-bill. Joe Jordan was joined by the 80-member Lincoln High School band, the school’s 50-member men’s choir, and the Tacoma Giants Booster Club led by baritone Jack Sonntag. And other times it sounded through the stadium’s public address system, drowning out the home run from the foghorn, the ringing of cowbells, and the hum of the organ in the stands. To this day, I have very much in my possession, “Go Giants Go” in my personal hall of fame and keepsake box. I have even duplicated it on a CD.

The following story is about my love for baseball when I was young and the passion I have for the sport today. My hometown is in Tacoma, Washington. This story takes place there back in the 60s.

I was only seven years old when the San Francisco Giants franchised their farm club to Tacoma’s beautiful Cheney Stadium in 1960. Cheney Stadium was built and completed by local logger Ben Cheney. Who would have imagined that the next six years would be the most impressionable of my life? I often wondered what meant more to me during the hot summer days of the early to mid-60s: watching my older brothers win a tie during the days of the Kiwanis Soap Box Derby or watching the hectic Tacoma Giants finale. pitcher Juan Marichal on the mound and excellence on the pitch from shortstop Gil Garrido, my hero then, No. 17. If he was near Bantz Boulevard, he had the best of both worlds. Let’s not forget the Cheney Studs playing hard on nearby Heidelberg course. I always chose the land of the “Giants”.

With these memories thrown so intricately back to yesteryear, I recall the sports entertainment battle where Tightwad Hill made its barrier between the Soap Box Derby race track and Cheney Stadium. I can almost feel the wild yellow-flowered scotch broom as it puffed up the hill from the soap box court to the high fence in left field of Cheney Stadium. I equipped myself with binoculars as I slyly turned away from my parents’ watchful gaze. I can even feel my mother pinch my right arm as it disappears from the dusty derby hill. Wow, he had a hint of obedience! I didn’t care.I endured all the pain. It was worth it.

But it was all worth it back then, because wherever I appeared I wore my old black baseball cap with the orange capital “T” representing the Tacoma Giants. I was simply a Giants fan and would rather hear the creak of a Louisville slugger than the thud of the planks at the start line and the wave of the checkered flag at the derby finish line.

If people thought I was a Giants fan, then I should introduce them to my dad. It was almost “like father, like son” with us and the Giants. After all, Dad was the one who took us to the first game at Cheney Stadium forty-seven years ago. I remember the many nights my father worked in his garage. He’d be listening to his tube radio late at night, tuned to “Mr. Voice of the Giants,” Don Hill. “The Giants win, the Giants win! How about that, Giants fans?” Hill would acquit. Then Hill would close with “see you later and be a good sports fan.”

Another winning game was over. I couldn’t get enough. My brothers couldn’t get enough. And most of all, my father couldn’t get enough of it. However, my mom had enough. She was too busy putting old newspapers on the kitchen floor. Dad would run in from the garage and trace grease and dirt all over his clean floor, only to repeat the matching game countless times for us kids. I can still see him smiling, his lips serving him gallantly. It almost sounded like Don Hill.

My dad was one of us when it came to the Tacoma Giants. He would be very excited. I wonder if my mother was happy with the Giants. I don’t think any love was lost. From April to September, I always had the pile of old newspapers in the hallway near the kitchen. Specifically for the Tacoma Giants, Don Hill, and my dad. It took a lot of newspapers to unfold that unwanted rug. Newspapers would disappear after September, only to return the following spring.

Dad did his best to get Mom interested in the Giants, but it took us all to cheer her on. Especially when it came to the double headlines on Mother’s Day Sunday. That was a nine-inning game plus a seven-inning game after the game. He was in favor of the 16 delicious fun tickets. If I did it my way, there would always be extra tickets. I begged and begged for more baseball until there were holes in the knees of my jeans.

But now it’s been over 47 years and that April excitement keeps coming back every spring. Cheney Stadium has seen seven professional baseball teams hit its walls and sometimes break the hearts of its fans. And we must not forget the days when Cheney Stadium was home to the land of the Giants, Cubs, Twins, Yankees, Tugs and Tigers. And now, for the past twelve years, they are proud to be the Tacoma Rainiers, the agricultural club of the Seattle Mariners.

I’m not looking over the broomstick at Tightwad Hill these days, and the Soap Box Derby is long gone. The Tacoma Giants are also gone. But the memories are still between Cheney Stadium and its Tacoma Rainiers today. Now I have discovered boxes and stands. As long as I and a few thousand others are fans, Tacoma baseball and Ben Cheney’s stadium will never die.

I sincerely hope that future generations will always catch this spirit of fun and hold on to these memories as I did and always will. I’ll see you all in the Cheney Stadium seats when I’m 77 because that 7-year-old will surely be there tomorrow.

For all you die-hard Tacoma Giant fans of yesteryear, a great book to read is titled, Six Seasons: A History of the Tacoma Giants 1960-1965, written by Jacob Jordan. This book covers it all. I highly recommend it. It is available on the Internet.

If Joe Jordan were alive today, he would have to review his song, “Go Giants Go.” His remake would have to be “Go, Rainiers Go – and win today. We are with you Rainiers all the time.”

Only the scientific method of dream interpretation accurately translates the meaning of dreams because it deciphers the meaning given to dream images by the unconscious mind, which is the producer of dreams. The unconscious mind that produces our dreams has a holy and perfect nature, whereas we are basically underdeveloped primates.

We possess a huge primitive consciousness (anti-consciousness) that is totally absurd, evil, cruel and indifferent like an animal. Our tiny human conscience is incapable of fighting against all the absurdity that we have inherited in our anti-conscience. We need the guidance of the unconscious mind in our dreams and in our daily reality.

Most dreams present us with dangerous situations because our anti-conscience is constantly attacking our conscience.

Here is a simple dream dictionary with the most important dream symbols indicating danger:

Blood – Blood in dreams represents psychological pain. When blood comes out of the dreamer’s head, it represents madness.

Crab – The dreamer finds himself in a dangerous situation because he cannot analyze his old traumas. He has to go through psychotherapy to be able to face his mistakes.

Devil – Someone is causing a lot of damage to the dreamer because he is controlled by his anti-conscience. The devil is an evil person from his environment.

Dizziness – When the dreamer is dizzy in a dream, this means that he will be seriously attacked by his anti-conscience.

Falling from height – The dreamer will have to face serious deceptions.

Flying in the air like a bird – The dreamer is far from reality.

Sea – The sea represents madness.

Shark – The shark represents schizophrenia.

Snake – An evil will even correct one of the dreamer’s mistakes.

Spider – If the dreamer does not act quickly and correct a mistake, he will have to face serious consequences in the future.

Rat – A person of the opposite sex will take advantage of the dreamer.

Teeth fall out – The dreamer makes serious mistakes that are ruining his life.

At the beginning of sleep therapy you will have dreams with negative dream symbols because you have to transform your personality. You also have to learn to protect yourself from the cruel world. Therefore, you will have nightmares, nightmares, and warnings.

You have to eliminate your wild and evil nature, so that you can have dreams with positive dream symbols. You must also learn to read people’s minds and understand who everyone around you really is.

Here are some dream symbols that indicate progress and evolution:

A great watch – The dreamer reached an important point or started an important mission.

Beautiful and peaceful bird – Good news for the dreamer. Many times the beautiful and peaceful bird indicates that the dreamer will meet a special person.

Diamonds – The dreamer found wisdom.

Flying by plane – The dreamer has reached a higher level of knowledge, after abandoning many misconceptions and old ideas.

Key code – When a dreamer has a dream about a key, this means that he will find an important solution to a complicated problem.

Money – Money in dreams represents psychic energy, good humor and courage.

Rain – The dreamer found an important solution to one of his problems.

Sunlight – Sunlight represents the real truth, while the light of a lamp represents the false truth created by human hypocrisy and the camouflage of superficiality.

Swan – The dreamer will reach a higher level of consciousness.

Wear sunglasses – The dreamer is rewarded for seeing the real truth.

Most dream symbols are negative because we inherit too much insanity in our anti-consciousness. However, as we pursue dream therapy, we eliminate our dangerous animal nature. So we have the opportunity to fully evolve and find true happiness.

Changing draft order picks can be an interesting conundrum for many fantasy football players. This short article describes what it means to trade selections, why people do it, and when it makes sense for them to do so. Of course, this only applies to the traditional snake eraser format.

Receiving your fantasy football draft pick is an exciting and sometimes terrifying time. Typically, the league commissioner will arrange for these selections to be determined prior to draft day so that teams thoroughly prepare for their first few rounds. Even if you get your pick a few minutes before the draft begins, a question will arise; Should I try changing my selection??

For those new to fantasy football, the draft pick is your position in the writing order. The order starts at 1 and each team takes turns choosing their first player according to the order of the draft. When the last person in the order chooses his player, he chooses again. The order then flows back to the player who chose first overall. This process is repeated. This is known as the classic snake eraser format. To provide clarity, our next example is a 10-team league. Overall selection number 1 will choose 1st, 20th, 21st, and so on.

The question remains, am I happy with this selection I received or do I want to try trading? All of this will signal the wishes of your core team. How to interpret: do you have a position that you want to put more emphasis on than others, or do you want to have a more balanced team? In some leagues, RB emphasizes the scoring setup, so you may want to focus on getting a strong group of running backs. In some leagues, the QB or WR are a very focused position. Before you get to draft day, start to understand the league’s scoring setup and come up with a game plan for how you want your main team to look like.

Strong in corridors

This year it looks like the running back position is going to be highly coveted. This means that around 12 of the first 15 selections will be the best projected riders. Of that group, there are about 4 or 5 that are considered elite and players cannot be absent. If you want to insure one of those guys, you’ll need to have the 1-5 choose in the order. A second plan to gain an advantage with the runners will be to choose later in the order, such as 8-10. This will give you the ability to pick a solid (but not elite) runner in the first round and take another around the turn. This would give him a strong starting team in RB.

Strong on receiver

The first option this year could be to win an elite wide receiver in the first round and a solid running back on the order turn. This would mean he’s off to a balanced start and could make a lot of sense in some leagues. This plan could happen if you had a mid to late first-round pick, like choose 7-10. If you want to be super charged in the WR position, it is even possible to grab 2 of the elite receivers in your rounds 1 and 2. This will make your running back situation quite shaky, but you will be ready for WR.

Strong in QB

This year it’s safe to say that most leagues will put less emphasis on the QB position. This is because there are a lot of capable starting quarterbacks. If you’re determined to land one of the top 3 elite quarterbacks, plan for them to be available from the beginning to the end of the second round. No matter which first-round pick you get, chances are that at least one of the best will be available in the second round.

All in all, it depends on him coming prepared with his core strategy before the draft. If you are fully determined on a certain range of selections, then definitely try switching to the selection that will give you the desired team composition. Most of the time, it is easier to trade lower than higher. Below is a quick simulation guide on the type of equipment you might have depending on your first round selection.

Selections 1-4

1. Adrian Peterson (RB), Demarco Murray (RB), Percy Harvin (WR)
2. Arian Foster (RB), Larry Fitzgerald (WR), David Wilson (RB)
3. Jamaal Charles (RB), Darren Mcfadden (RB), Dwayne Bowe (WR)

Selections 5-7

1. Ray Rice (RB), Matt Forte (RB), Percy Harvin (WR)
2. LeSean McCoy (RB), Maurice Jones-Drew (RB), Reggie Wayne (WR)
3. Calvin Johnson (WR), Maurice Jones-Drew (RB), Ryan Mathews (RB)

Selections 8-10

1. Matt Forte (RB), LeSean McCoy (RB), Andre Johnson (WR)
2. Trent Richardson (RB), Alfred Morris (RB), Dwayne Bowe (WR)
3. AJ Green (WR), Julio Jones (WR), Demarco Murray (RB)

The Costco model, a Toronto Star article suggests with the help of a couple of retail experts, is the antithesis of what LCBO should strive for, if profits are the Ontario government’s goal.

Costco’s simplified utility model offers many product categories, but with a limited selection in each category. For example, if you like strawberry-banana, cherry, or pineapple yogurt better, you’re out of luck. Costco sells Astro Balkan-style plain yogurt and has all the yogurt on an x-large-tub format shelf to itself, with no competitive brands in sight. Either you buy Astro tub yogurt, the multi-flavored mini-pak yogurt that ranks next on the shelf, or you don’t.

Note that the shelf also comes with unmatched physical space, creating a neat, easy-to-locate shopping experience.

Costco is primarily a staple seller, with some discretionary categories, with mandatory head office margins no more than 14-15 percentage points. That’s why you pay the prices you pay at Costco, with minimal publicity and in-store support, in a sparse and simple environment.

Now ask yourself how many brands of vodka are available on the shelves at LCBO. In how many flavors? At how many price points? That single category selection would never be available at Costco.

For the sake of discussion, let’s take that sparse setting, add in the myriad beer, wine, or spirits selections you have at the LCBO. It has created cluttered and confusing shelves that are difficult to navigate, with few premium-priced items in any category and little customer service to help figure out which wine is best served with which food. Basically, he has created the private liquor store in the United States. A private liquor store set up to sell you products.

LCBO, on the other hand, is selling aspirations and experiences discretionary wines, spirits and beer.

The LCBO is selling you an experience. The joy of cooking and drinking with friends, family or colleagues, in gatherings in your home or backyard. They inspired cooks with recipe ideas and suggests wine / food pairings for hosts on her website and in her magazine (more on that later).

They are promoting premium priced wines, brandy and spirits, and artistically designed themed gift packs as aspirational discretionary items for you to enjoy or give as gifts. These discretionary items, by the way, provide very healthy margins for their owners, you and me. Margins that wouldn’t necessarily hold up on the Costco model, despite what the retail experts they mention in the same article tell you. Psychology affects purchasing decisions, including what a consumer is willing to pay at a minimally dressed retail store like Costco, compared to one with the presence LCBO establishes in its stores, similar to The Bay. What retail outlet do you think the destination would be for $ 150 plus a bottle of wine or a good cognac?

For the record, operating expenses of 16.2% in a retail environment is a reasonable number. As for the suggestion that LCBO reduce its marketing spend, readers should keep in mind that whenever a retailer like LCBO or Metro or Wal-Mart or Costco produces a brochure or magazine, suppliers cover the cost of production by paying for the advertising space. Marketing also helps communicate the experiences that LCBO sells.

If LCBO wanted to improve the returns it provides to the Ontario government, it could consider some of these options.

Negotiate with suppliers

The current model of predetermining margins, while setting the purchase price at that margin, is a curious option for any retail entity. Why not take advantage of your role as one of the largest liquor purchasing entities in the world to negotiate the best price? You can then decide to use the difference to lower retail prices or generate higher profits for the Ontario government. That’s potentially another $ 500 million to a billion dollars in our coffers.

Build relationships with the food industry

The LCBO website and monthly magazine features wines, spirits, and food pairings, with recipes geared toward home cooks. Why not expand that relationship and invite those food producers to run sampling programs with liquor sellers at LCBO stores, similar to Costco’s efforts in food sampling. Buyers become more familiar with the products being tested and receive recipe ideas that they can try at home, while you charge vendors for the privilege of direct access to your customer base. Sampling efforts also drive incremental sales, 10 to 40% above what those products would have sold without sampling.

I would also suggest working with, for example, Loblaws Kitchens on a co-branding opportunity, selling a selection of LCBO-exclusive premium gourmet food items that hosts and hostesses could serve their guests. That selection could be updated twice a year, complemented by other products like new ice cube moods, swizzle sticks, and serving napkins.

Both retailers could feature these foods combined with LCBO Liquors (another opportunity to charge participating liquor sellers) on PC Insiders Report, the Loblaws website, the magazine and the LCBO website.

Develop the craft brewers segment

Craft beer represents one of the fastest growing segments in LCBO, with Ontario’s craft brewers alone growing 20-30% annually for several years. Why not duplicate the successful Vintages model at LCBO for a selection of national and international craft beers within one store. Featured in store and online, it can drive repeat traffic, sales, and marketing. It does not compete directly with the Beer Store, which mainly markets value beers, while supporting not only local brewers, but products with higher production margins.

Today’s marketing of craft beers as individual bottles or cans, often cluttered on the shelves or on the floor, can make for a confusing and cumbersome shopping walk. Create an exclusive section in the store, encouraging craft brewers to offer multi-variety packs of their beers or as premium-priced singles, and you will create momentum and target market positioning for beer lovers and fans.

Improve LCBO website

Building on the LCBO’s aspirational positioning, and in addition to the aforementioned increased food presence, build a larger interactive presence, with how-to videos on recipes and lodging, including fun facts about featured spirits, including historical narration of their origins.

Try the online ordering options for in-store pickup on case orders of beer, wine, and hard liquor.

Sell ​​memberships for exclusive access to select premium wines and spirits not available anywhere else in Canada.

The LCBO may also encourage site visitors to sign up for continuous information updates on new products prior to market launch or special online coupons for in-store purchases. With stated permission, LCBO essentially builds a database of its customers (one of the largest liquor sellers globally), which it can then license to select marketers.

LCBO as agent or broker for other public or private liquor retailers

Why not leverage the buying power and spirits industry acumen of LCBO’s head office staff at a brokerage fee that you can charge other public spirits retailers or smaller private spirits entities. If provincial health ministries can negotiate better drug prices through bulk purchases, then there must be a similar opportunity in the liquor market, only in this case LCBO could charge a fee or take a percentage for the services provided to other liquor retailers.

Some of these ideas may not be feasible within the structure of the LCBO and provincial laws. The point is that many ideas can be explored to further develop the highly successful and profitable LCBO positioning.

Costco’s model, which ironically encapsulates The Beer Stores, eliminates those possibilities and, likely, at a revenue disadvantage for the Ontario government. The Bay model accentuates the lifestyles and experiences that consumers buy, at prices the government relies on to pay for the vast amount of public services that citizens rely on.

As usual, the mainstream media exaggerates another story that is not from the world of sports; What’s worse, the weekend news about Texas quarterback Vince Young’s Wonderlic score is likely inaccurate.

Young, who is currently in Indianapolis on the NFL Combine, was reported to score a dismal 6 on the 50-question test that NFL executives have used as a scouting tool to gauge the intelligence of a draft prospect.

An NFL spokesperson has claimed that scores don’t come out until a week after the combine, so as of now these reports are not just pure speculation by the media, but also border on slander if we find out within a week. from now that actually got a higher score.

According to more reliable sources, Young actually scored 16, which doesn’t exactly make him a genius, but he’s just below average compared to the 2005 draft hopefuls. I’m sure this is the case. , the major sports networks and newspapers will not provide us with wall-to-wall coverage of how badly they got it wrong; The damage is already done.

According to arguably the best talent screener of the last twenty years, former Dallas Cowboys and Miami Dolphins coach Jimmie Johnson paid very little attention to off-field testing and focused more on the movie of the game and how. a player reacted in game situations. . Ask USC coach Pete Carroll how effective Young is when things are down, he will tell you directly.

If you’re still not convinced how insignificant a low Wonderlic score is to predict NFL success, a pretty good Hall of Fame quarterback who has the most league passing records scored a 13. His name is Dan Marino.

Using a random line at a Las Vegas casino bookmaker for a mythical Yankees / Royals game, we see that New York is offered at -220 and Kansas City at +206 and from those betting lines we can calculate the implicit probability each team has of winning that. particular game.

To calculate the implied probability of winning for a favorite (where the probabilities are negative), take the absolute value of the probabilities and divide it by the absolute value of the probabilities plus 100. For the New York Yankees, the implied probability of winning is :

220 / (220 + 100) = 220/320 = 0.6875 = 68.75%

To calculate the implied probability of winning for a loser (where the probabilities are positive), divide 100 by the sum of the line plus 100. For the New York Yankees, the implied probability of winning is:

100 / (206 + 100) = 100/306 = 0.3268 = 32.68%

As for percentages, the sum of them is greater than 100, which is never a good sign for percentages; in fact, the sum of them is 101.43%. The additional 1.43% represents the bookmaker’s theoretical retention or more commonly called vigorish (and generally abbreviated to vig), which is the percentage amount charged by the bookmaker for its services. Assuming the bookmaker attracts the same action on both sides, then you will make a profit of 1.43% on the total amount of bets placed, but since they are unlikely to hit the same action on most betting lines , it is only a theoretical retention.

Since the winning percentages contain an element of vigor, we have to remove that to end up with the actual winning percentages, rather than the implicit ones, and this will give us the no vig line; This is done by dividing each implied profit percentage by the sum of both profit percentages.

For the New York Yankees, the actual probability of winning is:

0.6875 / 101.43 = 0.6778 = 67.78%

For the New York Yankees, the actual probability of winning is:

0.3268 / 101.43 = 0.3222 = 32.22%

Now we can convert the two actual winning odds into a no-wake line.

For an actual victory probability equal to or greater than 0.50 – or 50% in percentage terms – the formula (where FV is equal to the decimal probability of victory of the favorite team) for the Yankees line is:

-100 / ((1 / FV) – 1) = -100 / ((1 / 0.6778) – 1) = -210.4

For an actual win probability less than 0.50 – or 50% in percentage terms – the formula (where UD equals the loser’s decimal win probability) for the Royals line is:

((1 / UD) – 1) * 100 = ((1 / 0.3222) – 1) * 100 = +210.4

Since the sports betting vig has been removed from the lines, the lines are identical in absolute terms.

This example above is where there is a clear favorite (with negative odds) and a clear loser (with positive odds). However, in cases where there are two teams that are equally favored by the market or, more commonly, bet lines that use a point spread, the calculation is slightly different. In this case, the implied probability and the actual probability can be calculated using the example of the New York Yankees to calculate the implied and actual probability of winning.

Simply knowing how to calculate no-vig odds won’t make you a winning bettor, but you can use those odds to help you win; One way to do this is to create a model that is more accurate than a bookmaker’s starting lines.

Suppose tomorrow you model the game between the Yankees and the Royals and the lines are -160 / + 150 respectively and you model the game with a fair line of -170 / + 170. Obviously, the loser is not a good bet, since only you get a price of +150 in a game where you predict they should get +170. On the contrary, the -160 price is more attractive as the line is better than it has modeled. The -170 line you forecast turns into a 62.96% gain percentage compared to the actual -160 line which gives 61.54%; this means that taking the Yankees at a price of -160 gives you a 1.42% advantage.

When you bet with a positive edge (based on the line you bet versus the closing line of no vig, assuming you are betting on efficient markets), you will win in long-term sports betting. If you bet with a negative edge, just like in a roulette game at your local casino, you will be a loser for life.

The Minnesota Vikings have won 9 games per season for the past three years. It’s been a while since they broke that mark. Could this year be the one? In the weakened NFC, winning 9 games could get you to the playoffs. The Vikings caused offseason waves by signing OG Steve Hutchinson. They also let QB Daunte Culpepper go.

Quarterbacks

As mentioned, Daunte Culpepper finally took off. The offense will rest on Brad Johnson’s shoulders, yes, he’s still in the league. It seems like Brad Johnson has been around for quite some time. In fact, he is entering his fourteenth year in the NFL. Johnson is 38 years old and there are concerns about his durability. He still has some talent left, but it is fading. The Vikings also need to bring in a solid possible replacement for Johnson. In general, the quarterback position is average.

Running back

Chester Taylor plans to get the most carries this season. However, it is not proven. He came from the Ravens, where he had 292 yards on 41 carries. He showed some potential, but we’ll have to see how he does in the starting role. The Vikings need Taylor to be a 1,000-yard running back. To help him, the Vikings signed FB Tony Richardson from Kansas City. He’s a great blocker and could even be a pass receiver. At the very least, the Vikings should be average in the running game. They have the chance, thanks to recent signings including OG Steve Hutchinson, to be above average.

Receivers

Koren Robinson should be Brad Johnson’s main target. This is good and bad. Robinson can go to the field and make some plays. However, he has the untimely ability to throw critical passes. That’s what made Seattle let him go, that and a host of personal problems. For shorter routes and critical possessions, Johnson should turn to Travis Taylor. He is stable and will give you those critical shots. With a good combination, the Vikings could mix it up in the passing game. While they most likely don’t wreck the field, they could be slightly above average.

Defense and special teams

Linbackers are the weak link in defense. The Vikings are hoping the changes will take place, and their linebacker unit bumps it up a bit. The defensive line will feature a snub from Pro Bowl Pat Williams. He had a great season in 2005 and should have been a Pro Bowl selection, according to many. The high school is full of veterans and they could help make a difference. The defense has some work to do, but they could do a good job of winning games. Special teams received a much-needed boost with the addition of veteran Green Bay Packer Ryan Longwell.

Prediction 2006

The Minnesota Vikings made big moves in the offseason. If history is any guide, they will win 9 games this season. They have a mixed schedule. Eight of the games – Seattle, New England, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Washington, Carolina, Chicago (twice) – should be tough. Predicting that they will win 8-9 games in 2006 is a pretty safe bet.

The four most valuable rookie cards in the 1957-58 Topps hockey card pool feature players entering their third year in the National Hockey League. Because it was Topps’ first set from 1954-55 and Parkhurst was also empty of a set in 1956-57, several players were photographed on poster board for the first time.

The 1957-58 Topps set consists of 66 hockey cards featuring players from the Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, and New York Rangers. Gordie Howe and Glenn Hall are at the forefront of the most valuable cards in the collection. As with most sports cards, the Topps game of 1957-58 celebrates the achievements of the previous year.

Glenn Hall – Chicago Blackhawks

Card number 20 belongs to Glenn Hall, goalkeeper for the Chicago Blackhawks. Not only is the card the highest value rookie card at $ 400, it is one of the most valuable of the set. Hall played two games for the Detroit Red Wings in 1954-55 before playing in the 1970s for the Red Wings in 1955-56 and 1956-57. In 1956-57, he registered 2.23 goals against the average and recorded four shutouts.

1957-58 was Glenn’s first year with Chicago and is shown on the card as a member of the Blackhawks. Hall went on to play in the NHL until the end of the 1970-71 season. Along with the Red Wings and the Blackhawks, Glenn also played for the St. Louis Blues. Glenn Hall was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975.

Johnny Bucyk – Boston Bruins

Card number 10 is Johnny Bucyk’s rookie card and has a book value of $ 250. Like Glenn Hall, Bucyk played for the Detroit Red Wings in 1955-56 and 1956-57, with 1957-58 being his first. year with the Boston Bruins. In 1956-57, Johnny scored ten goals and assisted in eleven for 21 points in 66 games.

In that first year with Boston, the Bruins went straight to the Stanley Cup final before falling to the dynastic Montreal Canadiens. Bucyk played in the National Hockey League until the 1977-78 season, all with Boston. John Bucyk was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1981.

Norm Ullman – Detroit Red Wings

Card number 46 in the 1957-58 Topps set belongs to Norm Ullman and has a book value of $ 250. Like the two previous players, Ullman played for the Detroit Red Wings in 1955-56 and 1956-57. Unlike the other two, Norm remained with the Red Wings until a trade sent him to the Toronto Maple Leafs midway through the 1967-68 season.

In 1956-57, Ullman scored 16 and assisted on 36 for 52 points in 64 games. He was third in the team’s score behind Gordie Howe and Ted Lindsay. His 36 assists tied Norm for eighth in the NHL with Henri Richard of the Montreal Canadiens. His 52 points placed him 10th in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.

Norm played in the National Hockey League until the end of the 1974-75 season, appearing only with Toronto and Detroit. He spent another two years in the WHA with the Edmonton Oilers in 1975-76 and 1976-77. Norm Ullman was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982.

Pierre Pilote – Chicago Blackhawks

Pilote’s rookie card number 22 has a book value of $ 100. Pierre played in 20 games for the Blackhawks in 1955-56 and played the entire 70-game schedule in 1956-57. In that 1956-57 season, the defender scored three and assisted on 14 for 17 points in last place for the Blackhawks. His 117 minutes of penalty placed him fourth in the NHL.

Pierre played for Chicago from 1955-56 to 1967-68 before playing a final season in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 1968-69. Pilot won three consecutive Norris Trophies from 1962-63 to 1964-65 as the best defense in the NHL. Pierre Pilote was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975.