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Thursday, January 24, 2008

Major League Soccer - Then & Now

With its primary goal to be the worlds most competitive and prestigious soccer league, along with one of Americas premier sports and entertainment properties, Major League soccer is a large part of worldwide soccer news and is making great strides toward accomplishing its objective. With 6 teams making up the Eastern Conference and an equal number featured in the Western Conference, Major League soccer is going strong with 12 clubs in only its 11th season.

However, soccer news recalls that the league has made great achievements since its inception in 1993. Its inaugural season began in 1995 and soccer news stirred around the new formation of teams, event locations and new players. In 1996, soccer news reported the Leagues first player draft and spring training. As attendance continued to grow, espn began televising soccer news and popularity soared across the nation. During this year, more soccer news reports and members of the media began covering MLS events. Supporters turned out in large fashion to catch a glimpse of their favorite teams and players.

In 1998, Major League soccer underwent its first expansion season, which meant big changes for the League. With the addition of two teams, which brought the club count from its original 10 to the 12, soccer news introduced the latest League members as Chicago and miami. Both teams proved powerful during their first year as they advanced to the playoffs. The following year, in 1999, Columbus Crew stadium officially opened as the first major league stadium in the united States that was constructed specifically for soccer. Its presence paid off as thousands of fans packed the house to watch featured competitions.

In 2002, Major League soccer removed 2 of their 12 clubs from the roster and once again returned to 10 teams. Tampa Bay and miami were no longer League teams, but were replaced in 2004 with other expansion teams. Real Salt Lake and club Deportivo Chivas usa joined the League and brought the club number back up to its current 12 teams.

The clubs of Major League soccer consist of both domestic and international competitors. With such a diverse roster, players are constantly being featured in soccer news magazines, soccer news televised programs and interviews.

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Thoughtful Golf Gifts For Golf Lovers

If any of your friends or family are golfers, you may wonder what kind of present you could give them. It can be hard to choose, but, if you know how interested the player is, and how experienced they are, then you can make the selection process a little easier.

There are some golf gifts that any golfer will appreciate. If you can get someone vouchers for a round at their favorite course, then they will most certainly enjoy that. Usually, vouchers are good for a round of 18 holes, but many courses will allow them to be used in batches of 9, making them ideal gifts for even casual golfers. If you are buying vouchers, make sure that you buy them at the right rate if your friend qualifies for a certain discount, often vouchers will be available at that rate too.

Another great gift for golf lovers are golf balls. golf Balls are another of the many golf gifts that most players will enjoy. bear in mind that the recipient may be partial to a specific brand ball. Nevertheless, if you give someone the gift of golf balls, there is an excellent chance they will appreciate them and use them. You should know that there are different compression ratings for golf balls and they are used in different weather, but these details may not be crucial for your weekend hobby golfer. Just make sure that you don't buy your male friends what may be considered to be women's golf balls.

Let Them Choose

If you are thinking of buying golf clubs, then perhaps you should reconsider. They are a very personal choice, and most golfers would prefer to test out the clubs themselves, and select them based on their own preferences. A gift certificate for a sports store would be much better than spending money on clubs that are unlikely to get used. Either ask them what set of clubs they would like, or give them a gift certificate, and let them choose their own.

Another golf gift that would be most welcome would be a towel that hangs on their bag to wipe their hands or club heads. A ball retriever would also be generally acceptable by everyone. They can be very handy and are used when fishing balls from water hazards. And for youngsters who may want to surprise Dad with a golf gift, a bag of wood tees would always be welcomed by any golfer.

You could also think about getting them a range finder, a stroke counter, or some other score keeping device, or some golf clothing such as gloves or a cap. There are lots of great golf gifts out there, you just need to find out what they already have, and what they may be interested in. The fact that you have chosen to take an interest in their hobby and selected an interesting gift for them will stand for itself, and they are sure to appreciate whatever you pick out for them.

Visit http://vacation.every1loves2travel.com for great golf vacation destinations, and helpful articles and tips about golf holidays.

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