Yahoo!7 Answers Blog Australia

A few weeks ago, we announced that we were conducting “The World Interviews David Beckham“, live and exclusive on Yahoo!.

We gave you the chance to participate, by posing the question: “If you could ask David Beckham one question, what will you ask him and why?“. The winner would receive a football signed by David Beckham as well as the opportunity to have their question presented during the interview. How cool is that?

We are pleased to announce that mum of 3 j’s has won with her question: How do you and Victoria cope as parents? Are you hands on like the rest of us or do you rely on Nanny’s to raise the children. Do your kids realise how famous their parents are?.

There’s a box of goodies on the way to her in the mail, along with the jabulani ball signed by David.

mum of 3 j’s question was also chosen to be included in the Yahoo! interview that was streamed live across the world last night. As it was the middle of the night for Australia, our colleagues in Singapore kindly asked the question on behalf of Yahoo!7 and the Australian Answers Community.

You can catch mum of 3 j’s question at approximately 28:25 into the interview. David talked for quite some time in response! If you wish to view a larger version, please visit Yahoo!7 Sport.

Once again, congratulations to mum of 3 j’s! We hope you enjoy your football and the interview

Kate
Community Manager

Well, yesterday was a pretty special day, as David Beckham was interviewed by the world! Seeing him respond to questions from Answers contributors from Australia and around the world was amazing.

He came across as a really genuine guy, speaking openly about low points in his life, how he met and first kissed Victoria and what their  “date nights” are like.  Despite his global susperstar status, his love for football came across repeatedly.

We could probably go on at length about what it was like to be part of this global spectacle but honestly, you just need to watch the video:

The city of New York and one of the world’s most recognisable baseball teams, the New York Yankees, have plunged into mourning with the death of team owner – George Steinbrenner.

It is reported that Steinbrenner, aged 80, suffered a massive heart attack at home in Florida and subsequently passed away.

Steinbrenner, along with a group of private investors, bought the troubled New York Yankees back in 1973. Under his watch it has grown to one of the most successful baseball franchises and renowned the world over.

“Winning is the most important thing in my life, after breathing,” Steinbrenner once said.

Willing to spend heavily to sign star players, he demanded results and got them as the Yankees won seven World Series titles and 11 American League pennants since he bought the fabled club in 1973. The Yankees won their record 27th World Series title in 2009.

“He took, literally, a dying franchise and turned it into arguably the greatest franchise in American sports and along the way probably saved baseball,” said Sal Galatioto, president of Galatioto Sports Partners, a sports banking firm that has done business with the Yankees.

“It’s a great loss to the Yankee players and fans,” said Easwall Semper, 65, a lifelong fan wearing a Yankees cap in midtown Manhattan. “He was a fair man. He had his own ways.”

Source: Yahoo!7 Sports

Whilst I am not personally a Yankees fan, lifelong Phillies for me, one definitely has to respect his business acumen and successes as an owner. He was also well known for supporting numerous charities. No one can deny the achievements of the Yankees under his control have contributed to the continued prosperity and growth of baseball in America and throughout the world, at both professional and junior levels.

This brings us to the following question:

• What is your favourite memory of the New York Yankees with George Steinbrenner at the helm and why?

Leave a comment on the question above or leave a comment below!

Kate
Community Manager

David Beckham needs no introduction. He is one of the most iconic athletes and decorated football players of all-time. He is the second most capped England player in history, scoring in three FIFA World Cups.  However, David’s name now stretches beyond just football –in recent years, his name has also become synonymous with style, fashion, and recently, through his work as UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, he has become known as a key advocate of charity work.

Here at Yahoo! we are honoured to have David as our Global Ambassador working with Yahoo! Sport to interact with as many fans as possible and sharing his thoughts on subjects ranging from his favourite World Cup player to his preparation for the big day – with much more in between!  If you haven’t checked this out already, take a look at David’s coverage on Yahoo!.

Here’s a taste of one his interviews:

The World Interviews David Beckham

Following the World Cup, we’ll be conducting one more interview with David and like everything else in his career; it’s going to be BIG!

We will be hosting The World Interviews David Beckham LIVE and exclusive on Yahoo! And YOU – the Answers community, are the ones with the golden opportunity to have your question put to David.

We’ve asked you the question:

• If you could ask David Beckham one question, what will you ask him and why?

Maybe you want to ask about how his career took off? His future ambitions beyond football?  Or even find out what it is really like to walk out onto the pitch with 100,000 fans cheering your name?

Whatever your question, come up with the most original, interesting, topical or relevant question and yours could be the one we ask when the World Interviews David Beckham on July 14^th GMT!

If that isn’t enough… we’ll also be rewarding the Best Answer for Yahoo!7 Answers with a football signed by David Beckham!!

Remember that your answer MUST follow all the Community Guidelines and Terms of Service. If you do not follow these guidelines your question will NOT be considered.

By answering the question you will be accepting our Competition Terms and Conditions.  The competition is only open to residents of AUSTRALIA.

The Winner

We’ll be announcing the Best Answer and competition winner on Tuesday July 13th and will contact the winner through the email address associated with the Yahoo! Answers account.

The winning question will be announced on this blog and on our Facebook and Twitter pages.   Follow us on Twitter or ‘Like’ us on Facebook and you’ll get the updates immediately.

To enter, head to Yahoo!7 Answers and leave your question for David – please don’t leave your question in the comments below.

Happy answering and Good Luck!

– Yahoo!7 Answers Team

Did you know that you can set your allegiance for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Yahoo!7 Mail? Even better, you can share it with all your friends across Yahoo!7 and Facebook!

How does it work?

Tasla from the Yahoo!7 Mail Team, has put together a step-by-step tutorial:

“…you will see a flag icon in the status area – the flag is based on the regional version and language of Yahoo! Mail that you use – If you have a Yahoo!7 Mail account, you will see the Australian flag.

By clicking on the flag, Yahoo!7 Mail will auto-fill your status message with a short phrase of support for that country.”

To read the rest of the tutorial, head on over to the Yahoo!7 Mail & Messenger Blog for further details.

The Yahoo!7 Lifestyle Team is asking the following question on Yahoo!7 Answers:

• What methods are you using to stay awake to watch the World Cup?

Have you been staying up late or getting up early to catch the games? Leave a comment on the question above or leave a comment below!

Kate
Community Manager

The NRL has taken the task of disciplining one of the most successful Rugby League clubs seriously, stripping the Melbourne Storm of two Premiership and three minor Premiership titles. In addition, all competitions points accrued to date have been removed and the club will not be awarded any further points for the remainder of the 2010. They have also been fined $500,000 and will be forced to return $1.1m in prize-money with the prize-money being distributed evenly among the other fifteen clubs.

It is reported they have been found to have been breaching the salary cap on multiple occasions over a number of years in excess of $1.7 million.

The NRL has uncovered breaches estimated to be in excess of $1.7million over five years, around $400,000 in 2009 and with a projected breach of $700,000 in 2010.

While the amount itself is cause for concern, the most damning indictment is the systematic attempt by persons within the club to conceal payments from the Salary Cap auditor and, it would now seem certain from the club’s Board and from its owners, on an ongoing basis,” Mr Gallop said.

“It was through this system that they were able to attract and retain some of the biggest names in Rugby League.”

Source: Yahoo!7 Sports News

We’d like to know your thoughts on this controversial move by the NRL:

• What would be the most appropriate punishment for NRL clubs that bring the game into disrepute?

Leave a comment below or on the question above!

Kate
Community Manager

The Pakistan Cricket Board has taken the task of disciplining their players for recent infighting during Pakistan’s tour of Autralia, rather seriously; issuing lifetime bans from international Cricket for former captains, Younus Khan and Mohammad Yousuf.

It is reported they were charged with bringing the game into disrepute over their bickering and attitudes, which in turn affected the entire team and their performance. Other players have been issued with fines and bans ranging from six months to a year.

Speaking to the Cricinfo website, the PCB’s legal adviser Taffazul Rizvi explained the ramifications for Khan and Yousuf.

“They will not be part of any Pakistan team in any format from here on,” he said, adding that the PCB had stopped short of imposing a so-called life ban.

“A life ban means they cannot play domestic cricket or any other similar cricket, but we are not stopping them from that. They can play domestic cricket or county cricket here and abroad.”

Source: Yahoo!7 Sports News

We’d like to know your thoughts on this controversial move by the PCB:

• Is the banning of Mohammad Yousuf and Younus Khan from playing for Pakistan for life, a fitting penalty?

Leave a comment below or on the question above!

Kate
Community Manager

Photo by inka7791

Welcome to week two of the Yahoo! Answers “Get Fit Program.” Last week we told you how you can meet other people looking to share fitness ideas in a Yahoo! Group called “Get Fit, Stay Healthy,” shared some practical exercise tips for corporate employees, and provided a few tips on how to shed excess pounds to tone up your muscles.

This week, our fitness pros, Joanne and Joan from Plus One Health Management have picked a few more questions to answer from the community—you can find their answers below.

Question: “I need help with eating healthy at school when all they sell is cheese fries and pizza!” – Danni

Answer: I can understand your frustration, if you are trying to eat healthy but the healthy options are limited.  You may want to bring your lunch to school, to avoid temptation, and to be prepared.  You can also talk with the foodservice provider to suggest healthier options.  Healthy foods that cafeteria providers sometimes have include sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, baked chicken or fish, and pasta with veggies. Good luck! Also remember that if you are limited on food and have to eat pizza, you can try walking around your school campus with friends to ensure that you’re including a healthy activity with your lunch.

Question: What’s the best way to stretch before working out? – Chris

Answer: Prior to a workout, a warm-up that includes dynamic stretching should be performed. Dynamic stretching involves performing low-intensity movements similar to your workout activity. For example, squats help to get the muscles warm for any type of lower body activity. Static stretching (stretch and hold) is the most beneficial if it is performed after a workout. Not sure what the difference is between dynamic or static stretching is? Check out the definition from our pros, here.

Question: Are there any standing up ab exercises you could do, say, in the shower or waiting in line (that might be awkward)? – Hah.

Answer: Wow you’re really thinking! However, I don’t recommend exercising in the shower as you could slip and injure yourself. Instead, when you’re safe and dry, try standing up tall and tighten your abs. Practice good posture, suck in your abs and maintain normal breathing—all of these things will help you maintain a tight core and help work your abs.

Question from Shine: How do I start exercising when I’m already out of shape?

Answer: Start slowly, but make it count—don’t overdo it. Progress quickly,  keep it up, and read this article for even more tips from Shine.

Check back next week for even more tips from our fitness gurus as they answer even more of your health and fitness questions!

Photo by colonnade

Each January many people across the world make a similar New Year’s resolution: to lose weight, get fit, or get healthy. And each January, they start the year off right—with the best of intentions, and the best laid plans, but about a week in, they run into a road block: where do they go from here?

If you’re one of these people, Yahoo! Answers is here to help! We’ve enlisted the help of Joan Arico and Joanne Haggerty: two fitness pros from Plus One Health Management, Inc., who work with the staff at Yahoo! Headquarters in Sunnyvale, California.

Over the next few days, you’ll have the opportunity to post your fitness related questions to the open question found here and Joan and Joanne will select a handful and answer them over the next few weeks. With your questions and their help, together we’ll help get the Yahoo! Answers community in shape for 2010!

Each week, we’ll feature one question on the blog, as well as health tips and tricks that will help you get in shape and meet your health goals for 2010.

Joan and Joanne: Our Fitness Gurus

Joan Arico

Joan has over 25 years of experience in Corporate Fitness and is certified in both Group Exercise Instruction and Personal Training . She is an AFAA Certified Group Exercise Instructor, AFAA Certified Personal Trainer, BS Degree Recreation Administration, CPR/AED Certified.

Joanne Haggerty

Joanne believes that physical activity should be an integral part of your life as much as is brushing your teeth, but far more fun and enjoyable. She is a personal trainer and works in both individual and group wellness programs.

Between the two of them, they have more than 33 years of fitness and health experience in both the personal and professional sector. Both enjoy sharing fitness and lifestyle tips with others in addition to keeping Yahoo! healthy!

Please note that all questions must be in line with the Yahoo! Answers Community Guidelines and you should always check with your medical professional before starting any new treatment or health routine. Please review the full disclaimer here.

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Photo by colonnade