How do I learn the lingo?

There may be a lot of jargon you're unfamiliar with if you're new to Sports Services. Here is a list containing some of the common terms used within the Sportswire.com Site and in the Sports Service industry:

The Handicapper's League

A group of Professional Sports Handicappers who are willing to have their performance records documented. They compete for the attention of visitors to the Site in several categories. These results are automatically calculated by our Automatic Sports Monitoring System and documented for the Handicapper's League Members publication via the World Wide Web.

Sports Service

A Sports Service is the same as a Professional Handicapper. "ABC" Sports Service may choose to hire one or more Professional Handicappers to make selections for it.

Selection or Pick

This means that this is the team that is being touted as the winner against the spread. Ex: "My pick is Dallas -7 over Buffalo" or "My selection is Dallas -7 over Buffalo".

The Posted Line or Vegas Line

The exact odds by which all Handicappers will be judged. Frozen in time Fridays at Noon Eastern, The SportsChronicles.com Official Posted Line assures a neutral playing field for all of its League Members as well as protects the public confidence in SportsChronicles.com's stringent documentation procedures.

Top Plays

A Top Play is defined as a Professional Handicapper's top rating of a selection. Ex:"My Top Play of the day is Dallas -7 over Buffalo." Top as opposed to Regular Play. In SportsChronicles.com's Virtual Sportsbook (opening in early 1996), a Top Play is 500 *'s. In the Professional Handicappers section, a Top Play has no stars associated with it but nonetheless, it is categorized separately from a Regular Play. It determines the Handicapper's "strength" of a selection.

Regular Plays

A Regular Play is defined as an average rated play. A Professional Handicapper may have one or two Top Plays a week plus 5 or 6 regular selections. Regular is a rating of normal or average, as opposed to Top Play which is not average.

Overall plays

Overall plays are defined as the won/loss record of a Handicapper's Top Plays and his Regular Plays. If a Professional Handicapper has a Top Play record of 10-1, and a Regular Play record of 5-3, then his overall record is 15-4 (15 winners and 4 losers).

NFL Top Play record

The combination of all NFL Top Plays for the weekend plus any Monday Night Football Top Plays.

NFL Regular Play record

The combination of all NFL Regular Plays for the weekend plus any Monday Night Football Regular Plays.

Overall NFL Record

The combination of all NFL Regular Plays and all NFL Top Plays with all Monday Night Football Regular and Top Plays.

Overall Football Record

The combination of College Football records and NFL football records. Ditto for Basketball.

Click here for further detail of all sports categories .