A Few Interesting FC Bayern Munich Facts

German Premier League or Bundesliga has many high-profile football clubs competing in it for the title. There is no doubt that Bayern Munich has been enjoying its monopoly in Bundesliga for quite a few seasons. It is one of the most popular international football clubs. Needless to say, Bayern’s growing popularity has led the fans all over the globe to gather several important pieces of information and facts about the club. Here are a few Bayern Munich facts that the fans are less likely to like giving a miss to.

· The club’s full name is FC Bayern Munchen AG. It was established in 1900. That means the club is a 100-year old entity. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious clubs in Europe.

· Franz Beckenbauer, one of the best footballers in the world, was once the chairman of the club. The football legend later went on to become an advisor to this club. His contribution helped the club a lot to gain an envious position that it is still enjoying.

· FC Bayern Munich is, by far, the most dominating team in Bundesliga and has won the title more than 20 times till date. Not only has the club been most popular in the German League but has also made an impressive name for itself internationally.

· Allianz Arena is the home ground of the club and can host about 70,000 football lovers. Needless to say, the club receives the warmest reception on their home turf and has won a number of memorable matches there.

· The first ever title won by this club was in 1909 in the Bavarian Championship and since then, they have never looked back.

· Bayern Munich was initially started by the Munich Gymnastic club.

· The club lifted their first ever European Championship cup by defeating Atletico Madrid with a 4-0 score and managed to defend their title for three years in a row. The team has similar credits of defending their «Champion» status in other leagues as well.

· The club is run much like a standard company, with 90% of its shares being owned by the club and remaining 10% by Adidas. BM is one of the most profitable international football clubs.

· It is one of the very few clubs to have won the European cup, the UEFA Cup and the Cup Winners Cup.

· Oliver Kahn set a record of keeping clean sheets for maximum number of times in 2001-2002. However, BM goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer has smashed the record by maintaining 20 clean sheets. Players from this club have been nominated for the Ballon D’Or 15 times till date and won it 5 times.

· The 2014-2015 Bundesliga season saw Bayern win the Championship title for the fourth year in a row.

· Seven Bayern players played for Germany in the FIFA World Cup hosted by Brazil. Germany had an impressive run throughout the campaign and won the World Cup for the fifth time.

· FC Bayern Munich has made it to the DFB Cup semifinals for eight times straight.

Golden goals intend to scoop out details about the most celebrity clubs in Europe to keep adding to knowledge of their fans. Keep reading the website and its blog to stay updated on football news.

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How to Play Fantasy Basketball

With the start of the NBA season underway, NBA fans across the country are lining up to play fantasy basketball. The two most popular formats being used include season long fantasy leagues and daily NBA fantasy contests. Both formats are available online through popular sports sites like Yahoo.com, NBA.com, DraftKings.com and FanDuel.com among others. Each format requires a different approach, which provides a little something for players of all experience levels.

NBA Fantasy Leagues

For years now, fantasy sports leagues have been run for the benefit of managers who want to manage their own team through the rigors of an entire season. While most leagues are played for fun, some league commissioners will organize leagues with an entry fee and prize money being distributed at the end of the season.

The process starts with an organized draft. The most popular draft format is the standard «snake-draft» where a players’ draft position is determined by random draw. For returning keeper leagues, the draft positions might be determined by the manager’s placing in the prior season. Over the past few years, auction drafts have increased in popularity. With this format, each manager is given a bankroll, which is used to bid on players until their roster is full.

In both formats, each manager is required to draft a full team of players based on the league’s setup configuration. Most leagues have as many as 10 starting roster positions plus bench players. Depending on the league’s rules, managers can make player moves on either a daily basis or weekly basis. Scoring is determined by league rules and the competition is head-to-head on a weekly basis. Towards the end of the season, the teams with the best overall records head off into the playoffs, which usually cover the last 2-3 weeks of the NBA regular season.

Daily NBA Fantasy Contests

For managers who like their action fast and furious with cash on the line, popular fantasy sites provide access to daily contests. These daily contest come in a variety of formats that are listed on the website. Managers can choose to compete heat-to-head with a smaller group of managers ranging from 2 to 25 contestants. These contests are usually designed and posted by one of the contestants who then open up the entry process to any contestant who would like to participate based on the contest’s setup. The entry fees range from $5 all the way up to $1,000 per contestant. While some contests are winner takes all, contests with more than 10 contestants might offer small consolation prizes. In all contests, the fantasy sports site will take a fee (usually 10%) to cover administrative costs plus profits.

The other popular format is sponsored contests provided by the website. These contests usually have thousands of entries with huge guaranteed prize packages in the offering for a relatively small entry fee. The larger the participation in these contests, the higher the number of places that will get paid. The prize packages might include large cash prizes, consumer goods or special event prize packages where something like a Super Bowl weekend might be on the line. Many times, managers can earn a free entry fee by winning smaller satellite contests along the way.

The contest rules and scoring parameters are provided by the website. Each manager gets a salary cap (normally $50,000) to use when selecting players. Each player that is scheduled to play on a given night will be assigned a salary cap value. Obviously, the better the player, the higher the value. The team structure is usually PG, SG, SF, PF, C, G, F, and UTIL player.

Now that you have a general idea how to play fantasy basketball, it’s time to join in the fray. If you choose to play in daily contests, you need to remember that a lot of managers have a significant amount of experience, which might leave you at a disadvantage. The bottom line is you should never put more money on the line than you can afford to lose.

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Football Betting Advice – How to Bet Smart

General Football Betting Tips

1.It’s obvious but it is the most important don’t bet more than you can afford to lose.

2. The only advantage that punters have over the Bookies is that we can choose not to bet, these days the bookies have to offer odds on nearly everything but we don’t have to take them. If you don’t see something worth betting on then save your money for another day. Self-discipline is everything.

3.There is no such thing as a dead cert. My mate once lost £500 on a 1/4 dead cert. He’s a fool, don’t be a fool!

4. Pick the team not the odds. It amazes me how easily swayed some of my mates are by the odds the bookies put up. You should pick your teams before you even check the odds and stick with them, whether consciously or not they will influence your decision.

5. If something looks too good to be true then it probably is.

6. Scrutinise bookmakers specials. Specials should be avoided, the general rule being if the bookies are trying to encourage you to pick a team you should do the opposite and oppose them.

7. Team news, team news, team news. It’s important. If a teams main creative player or goalscorer are injured it seriously hampers there chances of winning.

8. Oppose favourites, bookmakers don’t often get it wrong but they do get lazy. They often overrate teams because they now that people will pick them purely on reputation.

That’s all for now, Good luck folks!

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The Perfect Three Point Stance

It really amazes me how many youth players that do not know how to get into a proper three point stance. The three point stance should be taught very early in a player’s career. When a player starts out in flag football, one of the primary objectives of the coach should be teaching the fundamentals. Unfortunately, that is not always the case as many of these coaches get caught up in winning. It’s sad to watch these idiots care more about a winning record (especially when the league is non-competitive) than teaching the kids proper football. Teaching a player the proper stance is vital since it will be a necessary skill they will need their entire playing career. Remember, if two players are equal in size, strength and desire then the player with the better fundamentals will have the advantage every time.

Take a good look at the image above it show a perfect three point stance. Here are the fine points:

1. Legs are spread just a bit wider than shoulder length.

2. One foot is staggered slightly further back than the other.

3. Knees are bent at an almost perfect 90 degree angle.

4. Players back is almost perpendicular to the ground.

5. Players down arm keep player’s balance with a VERY slight lean forward.

6. Players other arm is at a 90 degree angle placed on his opposite thigh.

7. Players head is UP.

This is a perfect three point stance. This should be practiced and reviewed daily, making sure each player knows how to fire out of his stance. I guarantee you will see the benefits almost immediately.

At every practice, no matter what the age level, you need to be working on the proper stance. As a player progresses throughout his career in football his stance should be automatic. Teaching a player how to get into, hold and fire out of the proper stance is a skill they will benefit from their entire playing career.

In today’s youth football world, organizations like USA Football are preaching getting away from more contact in practices. They are advocates of «head up» tackling and are now promoting «heads up» blocking which is accomplished from a two point stance. I think these changes are great, but it still is not a substitute for teaching the kids a proper three point stance. I’m all for the new and safer method of tackling and blocking, but many teams are not following the «new way» so we need to have our kids prepared no matter what techniques our opponents are using.

ACTION ITEM – If you live with a player, have a relative or even a neighbor kid that plays football (tackle or flag) start working with him today (even if it’s only a few minutes each day) and follow the bullet points and image above teaching him the perfect stance.

For more information like this as well as more information regarding coaching please visit our site at http://coachingyouthfootballtowin.com.

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Fantasy Football Tips to Play Fantasy Football Like a Pro

The best way to learn any subject is to experience it firsthand. No amount of cheatsheets, checklists, buddy advice, or new ideas can replace the wisdom that comes with years of experience.

The good news is that it is possible to glean some knowledge from those that have been there before. Our science is built by standing on the shoulders of giants, and our games are the same way.

The following are tips every fantasy football pro learns through their experience.

1. Understand what type of league you are in.

The type of league is a factor in the value of a player. Brandin Cooks is a prime example; Cooks was a great pickup in dynasty leagues last year, but wasn’t more than a sleeper option in redraft leagues until this year. After gaining some experience, he’s projected as a potential stud.

2. Know your league’s roster rules.

Sure, it would have been great to have Marshawn Lynch, DeMarco Murray, and LeSean McCoy as your first three picks, but if the starting lineup can only include two running backs, a lot of points will go to waste while another position suffers. A pro always has a full roster plan in mind.

3. Vary picks based on scoring system.

Having a great quarterback is nice, but most leagues nerf their scoring capability by reducing the number of points earned from passing stats. Aaron Rodgers is worth a high draft pick at six points per TD and one point per 20 passing yards. Four per TD and one point per 30? Not so much.

The most common example is PPR (points per reception). Wide receivers gain value, and the running back rankings get shuffled. Matt Forte is a mid to low end RB1 in traditional scoring, but in a league that uses PPR, he’s a stud. One point per reception adds 100 points to his total in 2014 alone.

4. Draft safer picks early.

Not every «safe» player gets to play the season, but it’s possible to reduce the risk. Every player available early is a great player. Aside from last year, picking Adrian Peterson over Darren «Glass Man» McFadden was a no brainer to any pro. Early picks are the cornerstones of a team, and picking an injury or legal risk in the first round is unnecessary.

5. Draft for upside after starters and subs are set.

Grabbing a halfway decent starter as a second or third backup wide receiver may sound great, but it’s a terrible idea. Players can and will go down during the season. More importantly, players can and will pop in a given year. Arian Foster the year he broke out, Kelvin Benjamin last year, and Alfred Blue and Davante Adams this year are great examples of «sleepers»- players that surprised most owners and put up top end fantasy scores. The league champion will likely have one or two starters that no one expected, and unless a league uses 20 man rosters replacement level players to cover bye weeks and injuries will be readily available.

6. Never draft a kicker or defense early.

Every rule has exceptions, but think about the previous tip. Acquiring a top end kicker or defense requires a pick somewhere in the eight to tenth rounds, a good range to pick top end sleepers. Kickers vary wildly from year to year, and many pro fantasy players use a different defense each week to chase easy matchups. A «streaming defense» can outperform even top end defenses. That doesn’t mean drafting the Seahawks isn’t worth the pick, there’s just more value in waiting on a top defense.

These are just the beginning. It’s possible to write entire novels on fantasy football, and each and every rule can occasionally be broken. The key is to remember this one word: value. The best fantasy football owners find ways to generate extra value and acquire better players for a lower cost.

Take these tips, play like a pro, and win your league if you can. Good luck!

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How to Play Fantasy Football for Beginners

If you are entering the world of fantasy football for the first time, you are sure to wonder why it took you so long to come around. Playing fantasy football, whether for fun or real money, is a great way to enjoy one of America’s favorite sports, professional football. As a beginner, you will most likely be playing with experienced managers that already know the nuances of the game. This quick guide is designed to show how to play fantasy football for beginners, and maybe level the playing field just a little.

Picking a League Format

When you sign onto a free or real money fantasy football site, you will be asked to register. If it’s a real money site, you will also be asked to make a deposit. Free sites typically are used for league play where you draft a team and play that team in a league format for an entire season. Real money sites focus on weekly competitions where you pay the contest fee and choose your team for that specific contest only based on salary cap limitations. Regardless of which format you choose, you must take the time to understand the rules and the scoring in order to decide how to best develop your team.

Tips on Picking Players

As a beginner, you will most likely have a casual approach to picking players, preferring not to invest a great deal of time on statistical analysis. That’s fine and understandable, but you should be aware that some of your competition will use that information, which provides a bit of an advantage over those who don’t.

Tips for Picking Players in an Annual League Format

Note: standard leagues use offensive skilled position players, kickers and team defenses only. If individual defensive players are included, it is referred to as a «IDP» league. Beginners should avoid auction drafts and stick with standard «snake» drafts.

1. As you are drafting your team, pick the best available player for each specific position first before you start drafting backup players.

2. Draft a balanced team and try not to over-focus on one particular position. Also, you want to avoid drafting your favorite players unless they will truly benefit you in the scoring.

3. Look for a «scoring bias» in the scoring rules. This refers to the notion that some leagues sets scoring rules that might favor the QB a little. If so, you want a top QB. If not, you should give a little extra focus to running backs and wide receivers.

4. Pick kickers and team defenses towards the end of the draft as they seldom provided any real advantage over a full season.

5. Watch your «bye» weeks. You want to make sure both your QBs don’t have the same bye week, which would force you to the waiver wire or to lose points.

Tips for Picking Players for Weekly Contests

When playing for money, you should alter your focus. You are not drafting players, you are selecting the best group of players you can without exceeding the salary cap.

1. Find value by selecting good offensive players scheduled to play against bad defensive teams. On the other side of the coin, you should avoid offensive players going up against the best defenses.

2. You should read weather reports and try to avoid players who might be playing in rain or snow. If you selected your teams well in advance, go back and make adjustments as necessary before game time.

3. Look for streaking players who may be under-valued and avoid slumping players who may be over-valued. Don’t be afraid to play the trends.

4. Use every dime of your salary cap.

5. Never play with more money than you can afford to lose.

Every week, it is up to you to manage your team. In league formats, fellow managers are expecting you to show up and play every week to the best of your ability whether you are in first place or last. As time passes, you will better understand the objectives and will start making better decisions. At the end of the day, this is a game. Have a great time and enjoy.

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Indianapolis Semi-Pro Football Team Wins National Championship

The Hoosier Hurricanes invaded Homestead, Florida for last weekend’s 4th annual Minor League Football News (MLFN) Super Football Weekend strong winded and left with reign.

In a game dominated by defense, the Hurricanes hammered the Carolina Express 41-0 to win MLFN’s AA National Championship.

«To reach this point so quickly is incredible,» said Hurricanes head coach John Starlin. «I really feel like a proud father to all of those guys.»

While the ‘Canes’ offense was strong, the play of their defense was dominant. The ‘Canes forced eight turnovers and controlled the Express’ offense, which towered over them in size and power. Early in the contest, it looked like the Express were going to use their Power I offensive attack to run right down the throat of the ‘Canes’ defense. When the Express were forced to throw, however, the speedy Hurricane secondary was able to take the game away. The first of four Express interceptions was thrown on that opening drive, and the Hurricanes never looked back.

«They were a tough team to scout, but I really think they underestimated our speed,» said Starlin. «Other coaches from their league were able to help me out as far as scouting, but I knew as solid as our defense was that we could play with anybody.»

Staying with the defensive theme of the game, linebacker Deon Smith was awarded the game’s MVP for his 12 tackle performance. He also intercepted a pass and forced a fumble.

The AA national title was the perfect end to a season that was already storybook for the Indianapolis squad, founded by co-owners Starlin, David Day, and NFL wide receiver Reggie Wayne. In their first year of existence, the Hurricanes were awarded Best New Team in the Midwest by MLFN after finishing 13-1 in the Ohio Valley Football League (OVFL). Their OVFL season finished with a Super Bowl victory over the Charlotte (MI) Roughriders, 21-0.

«This has really been a dream season for us,» said Starlin.

Starlin’s players have also won numerous accolades from MLFN. Four ‘Canes were honored with Midwest All-American status: Derrick Ellis was an honorable mention Midwest All-American at running back, wide receiver Scott Penick made second team Midwest All-American, and Corey Crumpton and Charles Avant were first and second team at defensive back, respectively.

Ellis, a former «Mr. Indiana» while playing running back in high school, was also named Running Back of the Year in the Midwest Region by MLFN.

The Hurricanes will return to the OVFL next season and compete to become the first ever back-to-back champion in league history, a feat no team has accomplished in 40 years of competition.

«We are trying to develop something special here,» said Starlin.

It certainly looks like the Hurricanes are off to a roaring start.

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Accessing Football News Via Online Sources

As you know, England is mad about football. Being the spiritual home of the beautiful game, almost everyone in the nation is in love with the sport and is well regarded as the biggest passion of the people. This passionate support for the game is no more evident that in the North East of England, where the fans of Sunderland and Newcastle, live breathe and eat football. Every football fans just can’t wait for the football matches at the weekend to start and as soon as one game is completed, they are fast looking forward to the next one.

Thankfully, now with the advent of the internet we do not have to wait until the weekend for our daily dosage of football drama. We can now keep up to date with the latest news on online news websites or watching the many24 hour sports channels dedicated to football. The online websites and television networks are very popular as the appetite for all things football is hardly ever satisfied.

On the internet, we football fans have a huge selection of football websites to choose from. You can visit some general football websites such as FootfallFanCast.com or SkySports.com, or you can visit the official club website and club specific blogs which are usually run by fans. The best would be to visit all the websites that you can so that you get the full 360 degree perspective of any story, be it from a neutral source or die-hard supporter.

One of the main concerns for any supporter of a club is transfer news and rumours. As fans, we love to know who is being connected with the club or who is potential. Even though there are only two transfer windows, it does not stop the rumour mill from churning out stories about every club and player to keep the fans on their toes. With 24 hour news sources like online website and cable networks, you can get up to the minute breaking news should some interesting rumour about a player were to hit the grapevine.

Another interesting phenomenon that has taken the online world by storm is the proliferation of blogs written by fans. Football fans are a vocal lot and they have now taken their debate to the online world where they can voice their pleasures and displeasure at the club and players freely. It makes for an interesting read because you can hardly find two football fans with the same opinion about a club or player.

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JT Thomas Inducted Into Minor League Football News Hall of Fame

James «JT» Thomas, former linebacker of the West Virginia Mountaineers, will be inducted into the Minor League Football News Hall of Fame on Thursday, December 6, 2007 at the Oasis Resort Hotel & Casino in Mesquite, Nevada.

Thomas’ nomination was reviewed by the MLFN’s Board of Directors, and he received notification of his acceptance on July 30.

«It is truly an honor to be receiving this award,» said Thomas. «I owe a big thank you to everyone for supporting me through the years.»

Thomas has used strong leadership skills, tireless work ethic, and passion for the game to become a driving force in the development and promotion of minor league and semi-professional football across the Midwest.

The story of JT Thomas’ football career can be broken into three distinct chapters: player, coach, and executive. Thomas’ collegiate career started at Fort Scott Community College (Kansas) in 1992. Following his sophomore season, Thomas transferred to West Virginia University (WVU).

In two seasons at Fort Scott – both as team captain – Thomas earned two All-Kansas Jayhawk Conference honors at outside linebacker and Defensive Player of the Game in 1992’s Valley of the Sun Bowl. At inside linebacker for WVU, Thomas received two Mountaineer Club Awards for on-field excellence, earned two All-Big East team honors, and won Defensive Player of the Game in the 1994 CarQuest Bowl. He also led both teams in tackles each season.

A successful college career led Thomas to the semi-pro football circuit in 1996 with the Charleston Rockets, where he was able to play with former WVU great Major Harris. Returning to outside linebacker, Thomas led the team in tackles and became a league All-Star as the Rockets finished their 11-game regular season 10-1. Thomas attempted to carry his success from semi-pro ball to the Arena Football League in 1997 with the Albany Firebirds, but sustained a career ending leg injury on the third day of training camp.

Instead of a helmet and pads, the next step of Thomas’ football career featured a headset and clipboard. After a stint as Defensive Coordinator for a championship team of 13-16 year olds, Thomas returned to semi-pro football in 2000 as Head Coach of the West Virginia WHAM! Located in Morgantown, WV, Thomas compiled a .695 winning percentage (41 wins, 18 losses), won three Coach of the Year awards, and coached three league All-Star games in six seasons as WHAM! head coach.

In 2001, Thomas also led the WHAM! to the Mid-Ohio Football League (MOFL) Championship.

During the 2003 season, Thomas took over full ownership of the WHAM! When he stepped off the WHAM! sideline in 2005, he decided to shift his focus full-time towards developing the success of semi-professional football and the WHAM! franchise. In the two years since he has stopped coaching, Thomas has held executive positions within the Ohio Valley Football League and the MOFL. In January of 2007, Thomas was promoted to MOFL Commissioner.

Currently, Thomas oversees the day-to-day operations of the MOFL – an expanding, 10-team semi-pro league across Ohio, Michigan, and Kentucky. His love for semi-professional football is matched only by his desire to see the MOFL – and every minor league football organization – produce a football product that is competitive, organized, developed, and entertaining for the players in the game and the fans in the stands.

Thomas also serves as a Semi-Professional Sports Consultant with League Level, LLC, a company that provides marketing and promotional strategies for organizations with an emphasis in amateur and semi-professional athletics.

He currently resides in Morgantown, WV, with his wife Rochelle and two children, Jared, 3, and AJ, 10 months. Thomas also has son, JT Thomas III, from a previous relationship.

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The True Nigeria You Never See

Countless media sources highlight the bad, amoral and ugly Nigeria, so the good gets left behind. As a Nigerian now living out West, I know to take everything I see in the news about my country with a grain of salt. I turn on the news, and almost every headline I read about Nigeria goes along the lines of, «Nigeria in Crisis», «Hundreds killed in Nigeria», «Terror in Nigeria,» and the extensive list of ugly and depressing headlines continue. However, the media doesn’t celebrate the people that do put in work to turn the country around; people who believe in their home and are willing to glorify it to whatever length it takes.

Nigeria as a country is far from its negative illustrations, and before reading this, you should believe that too. Although, I cannot deny that to an extent, Nigeria is truly not amongst the safest places to live. In fact, why would I leave my home and move out West if it were so safe, beautiful and generally positive? The truth is, just like every other country (but mostly developing countries), the people are tired of their corrupt leaders and have decided to take the matters of survival into their very hands. People have opted out from ethical societal norms of living, and begun to do anything and everything to survive, crime included… corruption, disregard of human rights, child labour, and so much more. So, I cannot sit here and deny the fact that Nigeria is indeed a land that breeds a host of crimes, and inhumane actions. But it is home; home for me; home for so many other people that are born into that system of survival; home for people that have no other option but to live a broken lifestyle; home for people that have no choice but to survive.

So even if I sit in my plush chairs, and type freely and safely at my laptop in public, without any immediate fear for my general safety while sipping on a pretentious yet delicious beverage from Starbucks out West, I cannot help but yearn for my home in the East. I yearn for my family, and hope that one day, Nigeria truly becomes a safe haven for all of the people that have left. It is in my moments of looking out for my country that I came across the incredible work of Devesh Uba (also known as Snap It Oga). In the past year, his name has diffused over all of social media. From Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr, he is everywhere, and more importantly, he is everywhere because of the nature of his photographs.

In 2013, Uba, a street photographer from India disregarded the many negative labels that propaganda media is fond of attaching to Nigeria, especially its commercial capital city, Lagos. This city is widely known as the second fastest growing city in Africa, and it is undoubtedly rich with diversity, culture, vitality, tourism, as well as extreme over population. Uba ventured out from his hometown in India to the vibrant city life of Lagos – armed with no fear from all of the negative information he had previously heard about the country – travelled to the city on his own to work and live for a year.

«Before moving here, I spent a lot of time researching Lagos and Nigeria, only to be discouraged when I did not find any positive stories or pictures. However, when I finally arrived and started to spend more time around the city, I realized there are several positive things about the culture that most media conveniently ignore. There is art almost everywhere… on Danfos, on streets, on shop signboards, on school walls and so on. The people of Lagos ‘hustle’ and do it with a smile. The colors of the markets are so vibrant and the ‘never say die’ spirit of people here is just so inspiring. The Nigerian love for food, football and music is just infectious», Uba opens up about his immediate perception of the city life in Lagos in a feature interview for Spirited Pursuit (SP), a blog and social media hub for travelling photographers.

With this overall surprise at how different Nigerians seemed in person, Uba launched his widely known brand called Snap It Oga. However he also states in his SP interview that this name wasn’t his brainchild but rather, «The first few people I photographed in Lagos would say ‘Snap it, Oga!’ when I was looking at them through my camera’s viewfinder; the name just stuck, so I just ran with it», he explains. And for many Nigerians reading this, we can all agree that Snap It Oga is indeed incredibly Nigerian and an invitation to the way of its people, as ‘Snap’ is a slang term (broken/pidgin English) for ‘take the photo’ and ‘Oga’ is typically a name given to a foreigner, or any one that is considered superior in Nigeria.

Apart from Lagos state, Uba has travelled almost everywhere in Nigeria from East to West, and his reactions about the disparity between the people he meets and the people he hears about in the media seems to grow large with every day he spends on the streets capturing photographs. It is because of this difference in illustrations of the kinds of people that live in the country that inspired Uba to launch Snap It Oga, a blog space where he catalogues all of the photographs he captures, and shares it to his various social media accounts and to his followers, without any media filter.

In my opinion, Uba has the right formula. Experiencing Nigeria and its people should be subjective, real, and free of judgment. I am not stating that there is no truth to the Nigeria you see in the media, all I’m saying is that like every country, Nigeria is made up of people, and it is these people that define the country. It is unfortunate that we’ve let our perceptions of Nigeria be shaped by the select few bad people, while ignoring the majority of great and genuinely kind Nigerians. Uba resonates with this too, as he states in his SP feature, «One of my worst memories as a photographer in Lagos was on the streets of Ajegunle when I was there to capture street art. The roads were pretty bad, so our car got stuck on a bump. Out of nowhere, ‘area boys’ surrounded us and started banging the car’s glass hysterically. Somehow my driver was able to calm them down by telling them his brother lives on the same street and runs a saloon in the local market. We were finally able to get some help from some kind people who stopped after all of the chaos ended. I can’t lie though; those were the most uncomfortable 20-25 minutes of my life. Despite this negative experience, I have had many great and positive experiences here in Lagos that make up for the bad ones».

So even if all that comes to mind when you hear or think of Nigeria is danger, don’t let that stop you from an opportunity to visit one of the most culturally diverse and successful nations in Africa. Nigeria is made up of deeply rooted traditionally and culturally rich elements that will shock and excite every keen and nonjudgmental explorer that has the opportunity to visit its land. From the beautiful clear blue waters, unparalleled ranches, incredible game reserves, warm springs, magnificent waterfalls, rich African history museums, and so much more, Nigeria has it all. So, do yourself a favour, turn off the television, plan that trip out to Nigeria against all odds like Uba, and explore like never before.

Website: https://www.wingd.ca/

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