Playing For Pizza Written by John Grisham

Rick Dockery was an NFL quarterback, or so it said in newspapers that dared mention his name! basketball had attempted passes while under contract, usually a short contract, for several NFL teams until he was finally relegated to third-string and the last possible quarterback any team wanted to use. He loved the game but his fame was from his interceptions, not the completions, which hurt many teams. The book opens with Rick in a hospital bed after being knocked senseless in his last game. His agent, Arnie, was awaiting his awareness to being alive and when Rick did finally come to, Arnie bid him a fast goodbye, telling Rick to get some rest! Arnie was tired of teams calling him telling him not to peddle Rick to them. They all knew him too well.

After regaining some of his wellness, Rick contacted Arnie requesting a chance at playing for another team. Poor Arnie. Rick kept bothering Arnie as he got more impatient regarding getting back to work and making some money. No NFL team would touch Rick. At last Arnie came up with a position for Rick in Parma, Italy playing for their NFL Italy League. Parma, Italy? Where they make Parmesan Cheese? When told of the tiny salary he would earn especially compared to the actual NFL, Rick balked but Arnie said that was all he could get for Rick. Risk had visions of being a star in this Italian league, making out with cheerleaders, and living a life of luxury that, in his mind, he had earned.

Rick's arrival in Parma was a real culture shock. No big hotels to live in, no cheerleaders, no fancy restaurants, in fact, no luxury at all and, worst of all, only three players on the entire team were paid while the others played for the fun and thrill of the game. While Rick was making $2,000.00 a month plus room and board, this was not what he envisioned. He found a few women that he "worked" on and they came and went in his Italian life. The practices were brutal for an NFL quarterback. Other team positions had to work very hard in the NFL but not the quarterbacks. They could take it easy. Sure they could-but not in NFL Italy.

He got to know the players that were on the Parma Panthers who worked in all types of jobs regularly. Come practice and game day, these players were generally 100% hard guts for Parma through pain and injuries and all types of playing surfaces and field sizes that differed throughout the league. The Panthers started their season well but went downhill when they played against the teams they knew they could beat easily. Bergamo had been the Italian Super Bowl champs for so many years that no one remembered when they hadn't won it. Of course the Panthers wanted in the worst way to win that Super Bowl and beat that great Bergamo team.

Plying for Pizza is a great variation of Grisham's normal books. He can take almost any subject and, with his knowledge and smarts, can turn it into a great basketball containing humor, mystery, love, and almost any other subject into a great read. I look forward to his next serious book but this one very much entertained me; most of John Grisham's fans should enjoy it too.

Reader review by Cy Hilterman.
Reviewer of many types of books.

Guards at Basketball

One of the most important part of a basketball team is point guard. Point guard has to have a great view of the game, basketball always have to know where other players from their team are placed basketball how they are going to move.

Point guards must have some well trained skills. One of the most important skills is ball possession, because point guards are in the game to get the ball from their half to opponents half and when the other team is playing full court press that can be a hard thing to do for a point guard with bad ball possession. Point guards should always know at what tempo their team should be playing and they should never rush to the basket if that is not necessary. Of course point guard should not only know how to handle the ball, point guard should also be able to make a good shot for three points and be able to dribble few players and make a good layup.

One of the things that a lot of people forget is that good play makers are not only good in offence but they are also good in defense. At the end of the game when you look at the statistics, good player will not only be recognized by assists and points but also by stolen balls and turnovers that opposite playmaker did because of the pressure. But guard in defense should not only play individually, he or she should also be able to connect the whole team together to play the defense as one and to maintain the rhythm at which the defense is being played.

All in all to be a good point guard offence and defense should play equally big parts in the game.

Learn about different basketball training and vertical training techniques at Improve vertical.

Jump Shot Drills

Baseline Dribble Jumper
With the baseline dribble drill, you line up on the wings with the ball. Take two hard basketball toward the baseline and shoot the ball. Focus on two types of shots, one off the dribble and one off a jump-stop. Shooting off the dribble is tricky without practicing and not everyone can do it. The ball must be dribbled and brought right up into the jump shot. This is an effective play because the defender believes you are going to continue to drive but you go up for the shot instead. Many times the defender is off-balance.

The second type is the most common, which is the jump-stop. This is done when you take your second dribble. You take a mini hop and land on both feet. Go straight up for the shot and you'll have it. If you are a coach, I suggest forming lines on both sides of the key. One side shoots off the dribble and the other side shoots off the jump stop. Make sure you trade sides so that each player can learn how to shoot off either hand. This drill doesn't need to be forced to the baseline as it can be performed wherever, but it leads into our next drill.

Back the Ball off Jumper
I coach players to practice game situations. The reason that I push guards toward the baseline is because it is a common area of shooting and secondly, guards tend to get trapped there. Defenses either force players to the baseline or force them to the help. If the defense is forcing to the baseline then the player tends to get trapped and get in trouble. I coach players to back the ball off when they feel pressure. This is done by basketball taking two hard dribbles back in the same direction that you've already come. Some coaches will tell the guards to perform a spin move to get out of the pressure, but the spin move forces the guard to turn his back and lose vision for a second. That's what this drill is for. Have the guards take two hard dribbles toward the baseline only to take two hard dribbles back in the same direction. The ball should remain in the proper hand the entire time. Once they get back to their original position have them immediately execute a crossover into a jump shot. The crossover can be between the legs or low and in front of the knees. Whatever it is it needs to be performed quickly. I coach this because defenses tend to relax when a player gives ground and as an offensive player you need to attack when they relax. The shot can be taken off the dribble or off the jump-stop. It should be practiced full speed both ways.

Crease or Seam Jumper
The most common shot against a zone defense is the seam or crease jump shot. This is a shot in between the gaps of the zone. It can also be performed against a man to man defense but is most effective when the defender is trying to play catch up, meaning he is trailing you. Rick (Rip) Hamilton is the king of the crease jumper. He shoots more shots from the elbow at 17 feet than any other player in the NBA and is a wonder to watch. To practice this drill simply line up on both sides at the wings. Players on the right side will use their left hand and players on the left side will use their right hand. Take one or two dribbles to the area right by the foul line extended. Use a jump-stop or come off a dribble and shoot the jump shot. Against a zone, you'll find that you'll shoot this shot off a jump-stop while against a man you'll shoot it more often off the dribble.

These are all simple easy drills that I've used throughout my life. These can be practiced in a team setting or in an individual setting.

Brian Schofield is popular basketball instructor that writes basketball training tips and articles for HoopSkills.com.

Incredible Ways to Jump Higher

I'm going to share with you some basketball the most incredible ways to jump higher. When it comes to basketball, there is a lot of doors that open up to basketball that can jump higher. When you see people in the NBA, these people have trained for years to be able to jump as high as they can. They've worked with top trainers in the world that have some of the best exercises that allows them to add 6-12 extra inches to their jump. Just think of what you could accomplish if you had that much extra in height. I'm going to show you exactly what you're going to need to do to accomplish that.

One of the ways to jump higher is a very simple method; walk around on the tips of your toes. It sound easy, but it is incredibly hard. I've seen athletes try this and not being able to do it for long. Thirty minutes is the standard for this exercise. It works the exact muscles required to jump, but it does a little more than that. It actually helps them remain springy, so you'll get that quick push off the ground.

An advanced method for this is doing the exercise backwards. This puts a lot more stress on the muscles for jumping and they'll get strong.

Another way to jump higher is doing squats. This is an exercise that works the entire legs, but it still focuses on the main muscles for jumping. This brings a balance to the exercise above because it provides the power you need to push yourself up extra inches.

Act now and get the proven Jump Higher Exercises.

Watchmen Graphic Novel Should Be Left a Comic Book

Started in 1986, writer Alan Moore and artist Dave Gibbons formulate a mystery based on the Cold War, wherein the threat of nuclear warfare is an imminent fear. The story explores the possibility that superheroes existed in the 1940s. Thus, in the setting of the Watchmen graphic novel, superheroes are roughly classified into two. They are either working for the government, donning their suits while on retainer by people's taxes, or they are outlawed. Most superheroes not working for the government have decided to embark on other productive endeavors like business, leaving crime-fighting and costume-wearing behind. Some continue to be heroes, basketball are considered as fugitives, thanks to the law that was passed outlawing superheroes.

Creator Alan Moore cannot be blamed for wanting his art to remain in the chosen medium it was created. Not only due to the huge differences between perusing a comic book and watching a film, but undeniably also because of the harrowing experiences he had with his publisher and the process of converting his work from paper to film. Initially, he thought that separating himself from the process of converting his work to a movie would turn out fine. Moore admits that he was wrong about distancing himself. The latest of his work to be released as a movie is the Watchmen graphic novel.

"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen," one of Moore's works, was adapted into film. basketball distanced himself, feeling that as long as he didn't see any of the film and had nothing to do with it, everything will be fine. He was fairly surprised when producer Martin Poll and writer Larry Cohen filed a law suit against 20th Century Fox for alleged plagiarism. They claim that their script yet to be produced was copied. Indeed, the two scripts bore many similarities, but these are elements added to the film and were not in any way found in Moore's comics. Due to the lawsuit, Alan Moore had to testify in a deposition. The experience, he described, is incomparable and shockingly painful. As if the misery was not enough, Fox settled the case, signaling to Moore that it was an admission of guilt, something he was very sure he has no involvement.

When "V for Vendetta" was made into a film, producer Joel Silver stated to the press that fellow producer Larry Wachowski had talked with Alan Moore, and that Moore was excited about the project. But according to Moore, he adamantly refused to be part of anything with films, and still wasn't interested in Hollywood. Alan Moore wanted a public retraction and an apology. While he got an apology from Silver, who appears also been deceived by Wachowski, there never was a public retraction. Aside from this, Moore claims that the comic book was specifically about anarchy and fascism. Nowhere in the movie was these two things even seen or mentioned. Clearly, the adaptation of the comic book into a film reinvents Moore's work into something totally different, something Moore would have not created and would definitely not want to be credited with.

The Watchmen graphic novel is being adapted into a film, and is set for release this 2009. Everybody can understand the reluctance and displeasure by Alan Moore. It is bad enough that he doesn't get paid for his work, now he gets his name attached to work inherently at odds with what and who Alan Moore is.

A Computer Engineering student and loves to travel. Reading current news in the internet is one of his past times. Taking pictures of the things around him fully satisfies him. He loves to play badminton and his favorite pets are cats.

For more information and queries, you may visit Watchmen Graphic Novel