Are The 76ers Ready Enough To Go To The Eastern Conference Finals?

Just less than a week ago, NBA analysts and experts were fully sold on the idea that this is the year the so-called Philly “process” gets realized. After all, the Sixers just ran over the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs, winning 3-1 to set a meeting with the Boston Celtics.

But things have quickly gone south. The undermanned Celtics squad have managed to outplay the dynamic duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and the rest of their vaunted “United Nations” starters of Marco Belinelli, Ersan Ilyasova, and J.J. Redick. As of this writing, Philly is down 3-0 and is now almost guaranteed not to progress to the conference finals.

Image source: theaustralian.com.au

Of course, we’re not taking anything away from the great job Boston have done in matching up with the 76ers. But the bleak scenario facing Philly just boils down to playoffs inexperience. For one, they were leading the Celtics during Game 2 in Boston by more than 20 points. Yet they still managed to lose the game in overtime.

As the 76ers lick their wounds, they look forward not so much to winning Game 4 at home (and making the series a little less lopsided) as assessing how to reach the next level. After all, we can permit this iteration of the team their shortcomings; they have already overachieved as it is after recent horrible, losing seasons. The process simply must go on.

Image source: sportingnews.com

Bob Mims is a true-blue sports fan from Memphis. Aside from catching up on basketball games, he is a follower of the SEC college football and a devoted fan of the Ole Miss. Visit this blogfor more sports reads.

Why Yoga Is Good For Your Mental Health

Yoga is often practiced for increased strength and flexibility. But there’s been an impressive link between the exercise routine and improved mental health, with practitioners and experts highlighting yoga’s ability to enhance mood and help reduce anxiety and stress when done regularly. Here are some of these mental health perks.

Image source: Pixabay.com 

Stress and anxiety relief 

Stress and anxiety can take physical and mental toll on the body, leading to feelings of nervousness, frustration, and worry. Stress can result in problems hypertension and uncontrolled diabetes. Yoga brings calm, relaxation, and a feeling of fluidity and meditation. 

Increased mindfulness

Mindfulness means being able to focus on the present without judgment or worry, and it increased one’s connection to the body and self. It synchronized with emotions and can help improve stress levels and social relationships.

Improved sleep 

Cutting out caffeine and improving the bedroom environment aren’t the only things that can help sleep – yoga’s breathing and stress reduction techniques can also help defeat insomnia and lead to sound, restful sleep at night. 

Building a sense of self 

Yoga helps one get to know the self better and cultivate a more loving, non-judgmental relationship with it. There are self-trust and greater confidence that one is healthier and more attuned to what the body needs. 

Better romance 

The ability to be more at peace and centered enables one to transmit the same benefits to a partner, viewing them with the same compassionate and unconditional love. This, in turn, can translate to better, more fulfilling romantic relationships.

Image source:  Pixabay.com 

Bob Mims is a football enthusiast from Memphis and a true-blue sports fan. He also does golf, the P90X workout, swimming, and yoga. More articles like this on this blog.

'Undefeated': A Must-Watch Football Documentary

North Memphis is home to many impoverished children, most of which are African-American, who had to grow up with no father figure to raise them. It is also home to the Manassas High School, whose football team had not found short- or long-term success before the team signed Bill Courtney as coach in 2004.

Image source: weinsteinco.com

Prior to Courtney’s hiring, the ragtag bunch of inner-city black kids had not won a football game for more than 10 years. And since its founding in 1899, the Manassas Tigers had not yet won a single playoff game. With all the danger the children face on a daily basis (their hometown was once considered the crime capital of the U.S.), it would be hard to imagine them giving much of their focus on the sport rather than on survival.

But once Courtney entered the scene, everything changed. He not only became the kids’ coach but also became something of a father to them. What is even more impressive is that this was not even his day job; he was a volunteer coach, along with all his staff.

The football team’s turnaround, particularly the inspiring story of then eight-grader O.C. Brown, caught the attention of three filmmakers, co-directors Daniel Lindsay and T.J. Martin and producer Rich Middlemas, in 2011. They traveled to Tennessee with the intent of filming a documentary about the offensive tackle, whose life story mirrored that of Michael Oher, the subject of the critically-acclaimed biography, “The Blind Side.”

Image source: thedailybeast.com

Ultimately, the film centered on not just Brown, but also the journey of the entire team during the 2009 season. Though it was titled “Undefeated,” the documentary showed the Manassas Tigers losing its first game a few minutes into the movie. It becomes apparent then that the title should not be taken in the literal sense, instead, it describes the resilience of the inspiring football team.

Bob Mims of Memphis, TN, is passionate about films, with the Oscar-winning 'Undefeated' at the top of his must-watch movies. Visit this blog for more on his interests.

Reasons P90X is better for everyday living

Reasons P90X is better for everyday living When the folks over at Beachbody.com brainstormed its follow-up to P90, it had Tony Horton come up with a more in-depth, comprehensive set of exercise routines called P90X. The routines are 40 to 60 minutes long and perfect for the everyday Joe. Here are few reasons why the P90X is the ideal regimen to follow. 

Image source: beachbodylive.com

Time and money 

P90X is a perfect time and money saver. It eliminates the need to go to a gym, which means that one would no longer have to travel or pay for a gym membership. The circuit format of the routines makes sure that rest intervals are kept to a minimum. The only expense for a person here would be for dumbbells, a yoga mat (if desired) and the purchase of the DVDs. 

Functional fitness

While P90X weight routines focus on building strength and chiseling the physique, there are some routines such as Cardio X and Kempo X that are high cardio and emulate everyday movement. This is called functional fitness in which a person exercises to maximize the capability of his body. 

Workout schedule

The workout schedule is laid out for participants. It is fixed in such a way that there is a logical progression to one’s regimen. There are also several schedules that can be found on the internet for people with different health goals.

Image source: dietspotlight.com

Bob Mims is from Memphis, TN. He regularly does P90X to stay in tip top shape. To learn more about Bob and his hobbies, check out this page.