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Statistically speaking, this has been a very interesting 2009 baseball season. ERAs are lower across the board, and you have to wonder if this is due to a pullback in steroid use or due to the emergence of some exceptional pitchers. I say it’s a little of each. Here are the top five contenders for the NL Cy Young award in 2009, all of it subject to change.

Dan Haren. With an 11-7 win-loss record, a 2.59 ERA, and an astounding WHIP of just 0.89, Haren has had an incredible 2009 season.

At least until the last few weeks, as he’s given up 4+ runs in several starts. Regardless, Haren’s numbers stand on their own.

Wandy Rodriguez. Before getting shelled his last time out, Wandy had given up just four total earned runs in seven starts since the beginning of July. This has lowered his ERA to a ridiculously low total, and if he keeps up this pace, who knows where he’ll be at the end of the year.

Matt Cain. Cain’s 12-4 record, 2.44 ERA, and 1.17 WHIP are generally overlooked because of Tim Lincecum’s out of control numbers, but Cain’s season is simply one of the best in baseball. An ERA of 2.44 is one of the best of the decade, and Cain’s terrific season is largely the reason for the Giants’ contention in the NL West.

Chris Carpenter. Easily the comeback player of the year, and wouldn’t it be something to win a Cy Young award in the same season? With 12 wins (and just 3 losses), a 2.27 ERA, and a WHIP below 1, Carpenter’s 2009 season has been legendary, especially when you consider the fact that he basically went two years without pitching whatsoever. Whether he wins it or not, I have to give my full respect to Carpenter.

Tim Lincecum (12-3, 2.19 ERA, 1.02 WHIP).
Lincecum appears to be the favorite for the Cy Young award at this point, and with good reason. These numbers are out of control! Between the ERA (best in the NL), his opposition’s batting average of .211, his four complete games, and most notably, his major league-high 205 strikeouts, Lincecum dominates the opposition nearly every time he takes the mound. He needs a haircut badly, but who really cares when you’re putting up numbers like these?

In addition to the pitchers above, there are a few other pitchers in the midst of exceptional seasons who could very easily contend for the award with a strong finish in August and September. These pitchers include the likes of Johan Santana, Adam Wainwright, Josh Johnson, Clayton Kershaw, and Javier Vazqeuz. Each of their seasons easily could have won the award in prior seasons. Should be an interesting finish.

If you want a good quality folding card table and accessories, probably the best place to start your comparison-shopping is online. Actually, your shopping for this is going to have several parts to it, ideally.

Before you begin shopping for your folding card table and accessories, you first need to consider what you want. You also need to set your budget. So firstly, figure out if you want a wood, resin, or metal table. Then determine how much you wish to spend. Will your folding card table and accessories only be used for fun, or will it be a more serious outlay of money for a table you can use for a long time? Consider all these things before you begin shopping for your folding card table and accessories.

What it’s made of

First of all, you should know that although wood is of course the “classiest” material you can have your folding card table and accessories be made from, it’s pretty expensive. In fact, high end tables can run you $400 easily, including chairs. That said, though, there are some pretty nifty resin or other tables out there made from less expensive materials that look just like wood, and in fact are even sturdier because they don’t suffer water damage in the same way wood can. And of course, if you wish, you can also go cheaper with simple, good sturdy resin or plastic tables that look just like what they are.

Metal is a fair choice, however it looks like what it is, and it is not simple to disguise it as you can with some resins. Meaning if you want a table that appears as if it is real wood, but has the strength to last through many years, you should select a “wood look” resin, or something like it.

What you will be paying

If you want to treat your card table as if it was a well made piece of furniture, and not abuse it, and if you are willing to invest a considerable amount of money on a table, then a $400 wood table set that comes with chairs is a great choice.

Nevertheless, know that you can spend far less and get something just as durable if not as aesthetically pleasing if you choose metal or resin. What you will pay is $100 for a table and four chairs, all the way up to $400 dollars for a better table and four chairs. What you spend depends on the budget that you have, and you do not have to spend a lot of money to get a good quality folding card table and accessories.

Buying your folding card table and accessories

I earlier mentioned that there were many parts to this. You will first need to decide what you want to purchase, and what your budget is. Then, go online, and browse and compare prices and styles and determine what is available to you. Armed with that information, you can now go out and hunt for folding card tables and accessories in stores.

One point to make here is that even though you may still want to buy online (because it’s usually cheaper to do it that way), you’ll still want to get a firsthand look. While you do that, take down model names, materials, etc., and then go back and do your final purchase online with the information you’ve gathered.

With a little bit of forethought and some elbow grease, you should be able to get a good folding card table and accessories for a price that’s well within your budget and that will serve your needs just fine.

If you are lucky enough to get the coveted first spot in your fantasy football league this year, take Turner. I know what you’re thinking. What about Adrian Peterson? He is sick. The guy is freakier than Paula Abdul in room full of young male singers. He’s got explosion, speed, and the necessary power to punch it in at the goal line. He is a stud.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Adrian Peterson. I think he’s a more talented running back than Michael Turner, or than anyone else out there for that matter. To me, it all comes down to the injuries though. During his first two seasons in college, Peterson was banged up and missed time.

In 2007, his rookie year, it was lateral collateral ligament in his right knee.Adrian Peterson is a ferocious competitor. He goes all out when he plays, but that also leads to injuries which is something we’ve seen time and time again with him. These constant injuries have to be a concern.

Peterson did play every game last season and those who owned him were lucky enough to enjoy a full season of the league’s best running back. The problem with this, though, is that he was injured in each of the preceding three seasons. It’s obviously possible that he plays every game in 2009, but I’d rather not bet against the odds again.

Two seasons ago, I was lucky enough to have Peterson on my fantasy team. He was a stud, as good as they get. It brought me to the playoffs, but guess what happened when playoff time rolled around? He was injured. It destroyed my team.

Michael Turner is Atlanta’s featured back, and he isn’t constantly getting injured. He had a monster season last year, and I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t have another one this season especially considering Atlanta’s favorable schedule. They open up against the Ford family run Lions. Then they play the pathetic Rams and the offensively charged Chargers, not exactly the top defenses in the league.

The next couple of games are tough (Ravens and Pats), but the Falcons’ division is pretty weak defensively when you look at the Saints and Bucs. While the Panthers are obviously a great defensive team, two of the last four games the Falcons play are against New Orleans and Tampa Bay. This looks attractive.

All in all, he’s a safer bet at running back. It all depends on your tolerance for risk, but I can rest assured in building the rest of my team around a solid RB like Turner, having the peace of mind to know he probably won’t be hurt.

When most people think of gambling, they think of going to Vegas. But today you can play online casino games from the comfort of your own home, office, or anywhere your laptop can travel. And the cool thing is, an online casino lets you play with imaginary money instead of cash, so you don’t have to risk losing the shirt off your back!

In Las Vegas, Nevada, you don’t get second chances and you don’t get time to practice. Your money is on the line and at risk from the moment you start to play. With online casinos, you can participate in all the games using play money so nothing is at risk. Then, when you feel confident, you can put real money into an account and start making real bets if you desire.

From craps and slots to Texas hold ‘em and blackjack, the online casino games you can choose from are pretty much the same kind of games you’ll find in Vegas. And while you might prefer Vegas because of the exciting atmosphere, playing online offers a few advantages over going to the big city. For starters, you don’t have to travel or incur traveling expenses. And you can play whenever you want in your own comfortable home.

Another great thing about playing in an online casino is that many times they offer freerolls for actual money. These games typically have a lot of players to start with, but if you are a good poker player, you can win seats to higher money games, or actual cash to fund your real money account.

At an online casino, players typically make a natural progression from playing with imaginary money to trying out the freerolls and then actually betting real currency. This is a nice advantage over Vegas. With online casino games, you can also sometimes take advantage of opportunities to play and win cash without a financial investment at all. That’s another feature you won’t find in Vegas.

It’s not unheard of these days for people to learn how to play poker entirely online. They start out at the online casino games and keep getting better and better. Sometimes they will travel to Vegas to take a seat at a high stakes tournament if they win a seat at such a game, but often that experience is the poker player’s very first time in a real Vegas casino.

Because of the online casino games, players that always wanted to learn to play poker are able to easily. Most of the online casino sites have instructions on how to play the different games, and the play money feature allows you to practice without worrying about losing real money, like you do in Vegas.

Still, Vegas is an avid gambler’s dream destination, and if you play poker a lot, you’ll probably want to do it in Vegas at least once in your life, just to experience the noise and the intensity of the place. It’s a little different playing live and in person than online-since you have to decide what chips you want to throw in the middle and actually do it. But in many ways it is similar to what you learned online.

When it comes to Vegas Vs the online casino, there are many advantages to the online casino games and once you have perfected them, you may find yourself trying your luck in Vegas!

Actions speak louder than words and…threats. Especially in the Eastern Conference of the NBA. The Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavs have vowed to make it to the Finals this upcoming 2009-2010 season after a vigorous off season of personnel changes, but that road is long and narrow. The Orlando Magic are still the undisputed Eastern Conference champs and will be at least until next June when a new champion will be crowned or re-crowned.

Sure people are boasting about Shaq making LeBron an unstoppable phenom and Rasheed Wallace’s presence making Boston’s Big 3 + Rondo, A fab 5. But many sports writers and professional analysts are counting Orlando as an underdog. Again. Yep I said it,Again. Did Hedo Turkoglu and Courtney Lee really make Orlando a championship team?I think not. They were essential pieces to an almost perfect puzzle.This year’s team has better pieces that can make the puzzle complete. Let’s break down the off season’s moves for Orlando.

PG – Not a lot has changed. Jameer Nelson started the upward trend and Anthony Johnson was his backup. Same situation. Rafer did a really good job in the 3 playoff series against Philly, Boston, and Cleveland, but he would not mess well as a number 2 or potential 3 PG.

PF: Again, mostly the same in Orlando. Rashard Lewis will still occupy the PF slot, but backing him up will be Brandon Bass, a much better option than an aging Tony Battie. The team has also acquired Ryan Anderson from the Nets, a versatile forward who can score from long range.

C: Business as usual. Dwight Howard at center is about as much as any NBA team could possibly ask for. Backing him up will be Marcin Gortat.

SG: Probably the team’s weakest position, the team is at least deeper here. With Mickael Pietrus and Matt Barnes to choose from, both are formidable options at the position and both can contribute offensively and defensively. On the bench will be the young JJ Redick.

SF: The loss of Hedo Turkoglu was obviously hurtful to the Magic and their fans, but what better way to counter that than by signing Vince Carter? The team now has a legitimate superstar to play alongside Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis, and they’re simply dangerous for it.

So again, why are the Orlando Magic underdogs? Because they let Turkoglu and Courtney Lee leave? They have upgraded at their positions on all levels. This unit makes the Magic more versatile. They still have shooters but now they have adding play-making abilities and rebounding to their arsenal of talent. The Eastern Conference still belongs to the Magic and will be the team to beat in the East.