Tuesday, 31 January 2012
Blazers F Batum out with bruised knee (AP)
Patriots understand: With this Giants offense, it?s a whole new ballgame
When the New England Patriots lost to the New York Giants 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII, defense was the real story. Eli Manning was the game's Most Valuable Player, but many would argue that the award should have done to defensive lineman Justin Tuck, who got in Tom Brady's face all day and made consistent passing impossible for a usually near-perfect quarterback.
Fast-forward four years, and the issues facing the Patriots are different this time, though New York's front four is every bit the beast it was then. Eli Manning is no longer that young but inconsistent quarterback who benefitted from a David Tyree miracle catch ? he's now one of the most reliable quarterbacks in the game. The trio of Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and Victor Cruz is one of the best receiver corps in the NFL, and surely the most underrated. When the two teams faced off in Week 9, the result was a 24-20 Giants win, and Nicks didn't even play in that game.
A Patriots defense that has been one of the worst against the pass all season went with an interesting set of strategies in that game. They rarely blitzed ? in fact, New England registered no sacks in the contest ? but there were enough zone blitzes and other intermediate coverage concepts to affect Manning's ability to get things moving to his favorite formation ? the three-receiver set.
Of his 39 total attempts, Manning threw 22 passes with three receivers on the field, and he completed just eight for 109 yards. Safety Patrick Chung was often tasked to hood any slot and slant coverage, and beat the daylights out of whoever came over the middle. The Pats played more nickel and dime sets as opposed to bringing the house.
It was a great strategy, but the Giants have now seen it, and the Patriots know that they're facing an offense that's more efficient now. Second-year defensive back Devin McCourty, who struggled at cornerback in 2011 after a strong rookie campaign and has alternated at safety at times, said on Thursday that with Nicks back in the fold, it's a whole new ballgame.
"It kind of changed how they played compared to how they're playing now," McCourty said of Nicks' addition. "They have a great quarterback. Eli has been doing a great job. They have three phenomenal receivers. They made plays all throughout the playoffs, whether Cruz, Manningham or Nicks. I think if you put those guys together with a quarterback like that, they create so many different matchup problems that throughout any playoff game they're taking advantage. That's why you see so many different guys have big games each of the different games. I think just to prepare for all those guys is the toughest thing."
McCourty and his defense will also have to worry about a Giants' running game that has shown some improvement in the postseason after a lifeless turn at times before. The Patriots didn't just avoid Nicks; they also didn't face Ahmad Bradshaw, and New England has had issues with running backs who can bounce outside and force pursuing linebackers to break contain. That balance could play havoc with a Patriots' offense that will likely be playing against a higher-scoring opponent than it did four years ago.
"Yeah, probably," McCourty said, when asked if the Giants had the most balanced offense they've faced all season. "Looking at their offense, with [Ahmad] Bradshaw, [Brandon] Jacobs and [D.J.] Ware in the backfield ? just when you think about especially Jacobs' and Ware's ability to catch balls out of the backfield and you put that together with the receivers they have, everybody can make a catch. The biggest thing is [with] all those guys -- after they get the ball in their hands they're dangerous."
Defensive lineman Vince Wilfork has enjoyed a dominant postseason, and it's possible that against Manning, he'll have to have a similar effect to the one Tuck had on Brady in that last Super Bowl if the Pats want to exact revenge.
"It was a game that went down to the last minute so you can always go back and look to see what you could have done differently," Wilfork said of that Week 9 game. "But I'll tell you what, it was 0-0 at the half. You had two sides that were basically not giving one another [anything]. Everything we got we had to earn and that's what it's going to be. You have two football teams that are coached very, very well. [Tom] Coughlin's done a great job with those guys and it shows. Their defense turned it around and they're making plays and it's just a tough bunch so we're going to have to make more plays."
Wilfork was equally complimentary of Manning's present abilities. "You've seen him grow. You've seen a guy not making the bonehead mistakes. He's protecting the football and that's first and foremost. When you can protect the football offensively, you have a good shot. And I think with the guys surrounding him that can make plays - that's all they have to do is protect the ball and they'll find themselves in pretty good shape. So it's just a team that's going to grind it out for 60 minutes ? if we make a mistake or anyone that faces them made a mistake, it's going to cost them."
Understanding the challenge is the first step. The Patriots have another week to prepare for a Super Bowl that could end a lot of four-year nightmares.
AUDIO: 'Children killed by snipers in Homs'
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-middle-east-16798827
British teenager bikes on top of water for charity, won?t say how
A British teenager raised awareness for flood victims in London's Lake District by riding his bicycle on a lake 75-feet deep.
Matt Whitehurst, 16, insists the pictures are real but won't reveal how he managed to perch his bicycle atop the waters of England's Lake Buttermere. He performed the stunt to promote an upcoming cycling event that will raise money to build bridges destroyed in 2009 flooding.
"I can't and won't say how I did it, but plenty of people saw me and they'll confirm it wasn't a camera trick," he said.�"The photos are real."
I'm sure the photos are very much real. So is the platform in the water on which Whitehurt's bike is likely standing.
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Shaka Smart: CAA?s Virginia teams are better than the ACC?s
Virginia's emergence this season as a Top 25-caliber team hasn't altered VCU coach Shaka Smart's opinion of who the best programs in the state are.
Asked Monday on a teleconference with reporters whether it's important to him for VCU be considered the state of Virginia's top program, Smart acknowledged that was crucial for recruiting. He then pointed out that Colonial Athletic Association powers VCU, George Mason and Old Dominion have each enjoyed more success than Virginia and Virginia Tech in recent years.
"There's certain schools you end up recruiting against and maybe schools that aren't even in our league that kind of beat their chest and say they have the best program in the state," Smart said. "The reality is if you go by the numbers, if you go by postseason, if you go by guys going to the NBA, the best programs in the state are in the CAA and it's not even close.
"In terms of recent success, in terms of postseason appearances and success, in terms of some of the players that have come through our program, George Mason, Old Dominion, yes, I think we are ahead of them."
Although Smart's argument that it's "not even close" may be a little over the top, it's still difficult to find a season recently before this one in which the state's best team hasn't hailed from the CAA. Virginia Tech has won 19 or more games each of the past five years and Virginia is in the midst of a revival under Tony Bennett, but the CAA trio has enjoyed far more postseason success.
In the last six years, Old Dominion, George Mason and VCU have combined to produce nine NCAA tournament berths, 12 NCAA tournament victories and two Final Fours. In that same time span, Virginia and Virginia Tech have each made one NCAA tournament appearance, both falling in the second round in 2007. �
It would be easier to evaluate the disparity between the Virginia's CAA and ACC teams if there was a head-to-head history, but both Virginia Tech and Virginia have traditionally chosen not to schedule Old Dominion, George Mason or VCU.
Virginia did play George Mason for the first time in 14 years in Charlottesville on Dec. 6 and thumped the Patriots 68-48. George Mason also could have earned a matchup with Virginia Tech this season in the quarterfinals of the Preseason NIT but the Patriots lost to Florida International the previous round.
George Mason coach Paul Hewitt previously coached at Georgia Tech, so he has seen both sides of this debate. Although he admitted that Virginia and Virginia Tech may be slightly more athletic in most years, he echoed Smart's sentiments, pointing out that there's no doubt which conference's in-state schools have been more successful.
"I don't think there's any comparison actually from a historical perspective," Hewitt said. "In terms of matchups, player for player, they've got some bigtime players in both of those programs, but the way we're judged these days as coaches is how you do in the NCAA tournament and that kind of speaks for itself."
Monday, 30 January 2012
Texas community trucks in water to stem shortage
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_latest/~3/uNlhGrJVkoc/index.html
Awwww: Read a 7-year-old?s heart-melting letter to Kyle Williams
There's at least one letter I hope he got, though. Ben Mankiewicz at The Huffington Post passes along a letter written to Williams by his friend's little boy: a 7-year-old named Owen. Owen loves his 49ers and was as crestfallen as any other Niners fan when the Giants pulled out the overtime victory. Here's Owen's story, from Mankiewicz:
He was crying, saying of Kyle Williams, with the distinct sobs of a seven-year-old between each word, "But... why... did he... have to... fumble?"
[...]
Trying to get his son to stop crying, Michael asked him, "If you feel this way, how sad do you think Kyle Williams is?"
Owen paused a second, then asked his dad, "Can I write him a letter to make him feel better?"
Here's that letter:
All together now: Awwwww.
Here's the full text (and yes, it's unedited for grammar and spelling, but this kid is 7 ? the Twitter lynch mob has no such excuse):
Dear Mr. Williams:
We just watched the Playoff game. I feel really bad for you but I wanted to tell you that you had a great season. you sould be very proud, so I wanted to say thank you.
I am your #1 FAN!
Owen Shure
Los Angeles, CAp.s. your awsome
All it took to transform sobbing, frustrated anger into human compassion is one thoughtful question from a concerned father. I love that. It's human nature to get angry when things don't go our way; everyone does. But as evolved humans, we learn to get past that, and quickly move on to understanding, patience and basic respect for our fellow man.
Owen just learned that lesson at age 7. As Twitter showed us after the Kyle Williams incident, a lot of people still haven't. Maybe this letter can teach them.
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Browns beat writer reassigned after insulting team owner on Twitter
Last week, Grossi sent out the following message regarding Lerner:�"He's a pathetic figure, the most irrelevant billionaire in the world."
He later deleted the tweet and apologized about it, blaming every social networker's avenged foe, inadvertence. "It was inappropriate and not meant to be tweeted," he said, according to Pro Football Talk, "but it was inappropriate nonetheless."
Cleveland Scene reported Wednesday that multiple sources confirmed Grossi's apology wasn't enough to save his job as Browns beat writer.
I sympathize with Grossi. Even if his excuse sounds a little too "dog ate my homework," it's not like the insult was so egregious that it merited removal from the beat. Pathetic and irrelevant are two of the kinder things I've read about Randy Lerner in the past few years.
[Related video: Cavs owner's bizarre T.P. tweet]
So what if Grossi isn't fond of Lerner. Disliking Dan Snyder is practically a requirement for Washington, D.C., journalists. And it's not like beat writers or reporters are without bias. It's merely their job to present information without any. Grossi's work was deemed to be fair enough to keep his job prior to his tweet. Are we supposed to believe that he's now incapable of doing the same work because he made his private beliefs public?
No, and I don't think the Cleveland Plain Dealer believes that either. Grossi was reassigned because these things are all about appearances.
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You can bet on whether Kelly Clarkson forgets a word to the national anthem
Continuing on a grand tradition of ridiculous Super Bowl prop bets, leading online sports gaming website, Bovada (formerly Bodog), is offering multiple wagers on Kelly Clarkson's rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner." The usual "how long will the anthem be" odds take a backseat this year to a new wager inspired by Christina Aguilera's Super Bowl XLV debacle.
Will Kelly Clarkson forget or omit one word from the national anthem?
Yes (+250)
First, let me explain what "+250" means if you're not familiar with the logistics of wagering. If you put $100 down on Clarkson forgetting a word, there's a 250 percent chance that you have a major gambling problem. (It actually means you win $250 for every $100 wagered.)
The odds are set up to indicate that Clarkson won't forget a word. This�fact suggests oddsmakers of the world, like the rest of us, have little respect for Aguilera and Cyndi Lauper. I think that's the safe bet. You'd think if you were singing the next Super Bowl anthem after Aguilera you'd memorize the words like they were your ATM code.
[Rewind: Cyndi Lauper messes up national anthem at U.S. Open]
How long will it take Kelly Clarkson to sing the national anthem?
Over/under: 1 minute, 34 seconds
The fine folks at Stock Lemon Blog have researched Clarkson's three biggest anthem renditions and found that she was under the 94-second mark in each of them. Going with the under seems like the easy call. But that's what they want you to do. Surely, singing in front of 100 million people will provide an overblown intro and extra flourish on the high notes. It's not like Clarkson is Jennifer Hudson, who shrilly and pompously lasted 2 minutes, 29 seconds in her performance at Super Bowl XLIII, but she won't be speeding either.
What will Kelly Clarkson wear to sing the national anthem?
-- Super Bowl XLVI or official NFL shirt (+200)
-- Colts jersey or shirt (+1200)
-- Patriots jersey or shirt (+1200)
-- Giants jersey or shirt (+1500)
-- Anything else (-300)
Kelly Clarkson won "American Idol," so she knows how to pander to the crowd. She'd get ultimate respect from America if she sent out someone in a Peyton Manning jersey and then ran up from behind, pushed her down and performed wearing an Andrew Luck jersey instead. We can dream.
[Related: Aerosmith singer Stephen Tyler botches 'Star-spangled Banner' rendition]
Will Kelly Clarkson's bare belly be showing when she sings the national anthem?
Yes (+300)
No, but I bet Vince Wilfork's will be.
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Super Bowl XLVI reinforces the value of the Parcells coaching tree
As time goes by, it's easy to think of Bill Parcells as the Don Corleone of the NFL. Even through the end of his tenure in Miami (which was the football equivalent of the Don playing in the garden with his grandson), Parcells has seemed like the guy whose ring you'd need to kiss when it comes to football acumen. The winner of two Super Bowls with the New York Giants, Parcells also turned around the New England Patriots, the New York Jets, and the Miami Dolphins as a coach and personnel executive. His attention to detail and focus on fundamentals transcends eras.
In addition, Parcells has perhaps the best and biggest coaching tree this side of Bill Walsh. And for the second time in four seasons, two of his former assistants ? Bill Belichick and Tom Coughlin ? are facing off in a Super Bowl of their own. The now-retired Parcells, who works for ESPN as an analyst, can stand back as a proud father of sorts and see what his charges have done.
Coughlin served as Parcells' receivers coach from 1998 through 1990. Parcells called Coughlin �a "coach's coach" when talking to the New York Daily News on Friday, and his praise expanded when he spoke to ESPN's Mike Greenberg and Mike Golic a few days ago.
"Tom kind of took the same route I did as a coach, starting in a very, very small Division III school. He was mowing the grass and lining the fields, and doing all the tasks that a coach in one of those situations has to do. So he came up the hard way and people who do that learn the ropes. Tom, by his experience, starting off at a very low level as a coach -- I did the same things at Hastings College in Nebraska -- makes you appreciate it when things change for the better."
Coughlin actually got his start as a head coach at the Rochester Institute of Technology, which is fabulous.
Parcells' relationship with Belichick goes back even further and is a bit more complicated ? the two men worked together as assistant for the Giants in 1981 and 1982, and Belichick became the Tuna's defensive coordinator in 1985, two years after Parcells became the main man. They worked together again in 1996, when Belichick was Parcells' assistant head coach in New England, and the two men moved back to the Meadowlands in 1997, when Parcells' took the Jets' job. Belichick was considered to be the heir to Parcells' job there, but he pulled out at the last minute and accepted Robert Kraft's offer to rebuild the Pats back into a Super Bowl team.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Belichick picked up three Super Bowl titles from 2001 through 2004 and lost to Coughlin's Giants at the end of the 2007 season in one of the biggest upsets in NFL history. With the rematch set, Parcells also reflected on Belichick's abilities:
"You know Bill Belichick was the son of a coach, I knew his father [Steve] very well. He came up [with] football all his life ? I think Bill was taught by his dad on what was necessary."
Parcells also said that it's a mistake to file the two coaches away as similar in personality or approach ? it's just that the results are equally impressive in recent years.
"I think they do have an awful lot in common; I think their persona is just a little different on the part of each of them. Both of them were straight football guys, intense competitors, very thorough, quite intense in their preparations, and certainly both of them would get the information to the players very, very well.
By the way, that Parcells coaching tree spans far beyond Belichick and Coughlin. Sean Payton of the Saints, who has his own Super Bowl title, got his NFL doctorate as Parcells' assistant head coach and quarterback guru in Dallas. Eric Mangini comes from that tree, as does Tony Sparano, as does Romeo Crennel, who just replaced Todd Haley (another Parcells acolyte) in Kansas City. Add Mike Nolan, Charlie Weis, Al Groh, Ray Handley, and Chris Palmer to the list, and you've got quite the roster of men who have survived and thrived under Parcells' laser glare and exacting standards.
But of those who learned under Parcells, none are as successful as the two coaches who will face off again in Super Bowl XLVI.
Video: Memphis dancer's crazy title celebration goes viral
Earlier this year, the University of Memphis spirit squad won the national championship in hip-hop dance. Captain Marina Barrett was understandably excited about the achievement, as she demonstrated by celebrating with an uncontrollable thrashing dance when the announcement was made.�
The video quality is subpar and the guys filming it are laughing in the background. It's such a hilarious clip that neither of those things matter:
On an episode of "Seinfeld," it was said that Elaine's dancing looked like a full-bodied dry heave set to music. That's an apt description of this. Multiple viewings of the clip make it even funnier, but my favorite part is how quickly Ms. Barrett composes herself for the ESPN interview. She goes from wild flailing to calm manner in an instant.
The competition aired last weekend and the video quickly went viral. In its first four days on YouTube, the clip generated over 200,000 views.
Barrett is taking her newfound attention in stride. She told WMC-TV in Memphis:
"It's my senior year, I'm graduating and we've all worked so hard. I let everything go. I was just like so pumped, I wasn't able to contain myself. I think that could be cool for the girls to maybe get some recruits to come out and be on this team because it's a great team."
A great team with an early leg-up on some new choreography for next year.
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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/post/Video-Memphis-dancer-s-crazy-title-celebration-?urn=top-329379
Sunday, 29 January 2012
Demi's daughter Rumer rushes to the frail star's side
Source: http://www.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/201201267078/demi-moore-hospital-exhaustion-split/
S Sudan shuts oil output amid row
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Michael Jackson - The Way You Make Me Feel
- Artist: Michael Jackson
- Label: Epic
- Director:
- Album: Live Experience
Source:
http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1102&vid=208859
The Super Bowl isn?t really much of a rematch, but what the heck, let?s go with it
Player-for-player, though, there's not a lot of rematch in this rematch. Of the 92 players who will be suited up for the big game, just over 20 had anything to do with the 2008 game. Sixteen Giants remain from the XLII team (D.J. Ware was a Giant then, but wasn't active for that game), while the Patriots retain just seven (oddly, one of them is Ross Ventrone, who was active for the Pats in '08, while in 2012, they keep firing him for their own amusement).
Here's a list of the XLII veterans still kicking around:
New York Giants:
Eli Manning, Quarterback.
Brandon Jacobs, Running Back.
Ahmad Bradshaw, Running Back.
D.J. Ware, Running Back.
David Diehl, Tackle.
Kareem McKenzie, Tackle.
Chris Snee, Guard.
Kevin Boothe, Guard.
Osi Umenyiora, Defensive End.
Justin Tuck, Defensive End.
Dave Tollefson, Defensive End.
Chase Blackburn, Linebacker.
Zak DeOssie, Linebacker.
Corey Webster, Cornerback.
Aaron Ross, Cornerback.
Lawrence Tynes, Kicker.
New England Patriots:
Tom Brady, Quarterback.
Wes Welker, Wide Receiver.
Matt Light, Left Tackle.
Logan Mankins, Guard.
Vince Wilfork, Defensive Tackle.
Ross Ventrone, Safety.
Steven Gostkowski, Kicker.
I'm not saying that the idea that this is a rematch is wrong, necessarily ? just that it's not the entire story. A team's identity is pretty well tied to a team's quarterback, and both of those strapping young lads return. The Giants were Eli's team in 2008 just as they are today, and obviously, the same is true of Tom Brady.
Both placekickers return, though I'd imagine that if you're Lawrence Tynes, kicking against the Patriots is pretty similar to kicking against any other team in the league. Wes Welker and Corey Webster will renew acquaintances. Matt Light and Logan Mankins will see a lot of the same pass rushers they saw in '08, but Vince Wilfork is the only Patriot who will remember chasing Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw in XLII.
Outside of those things, it will just be a bunch of guys playing football against each other without much history behind it.
Rock holds off McIlroy and Woods
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How to get your hands on Super Bowl tickets
The answer is yes, if that regular person is ready to part with a large amount of cash.
Don't expect to get tickets through your team just because you own season tickets. Not long after the New York Giants clinched their Super Bowl berth, a large portion of their season ticket holders found out they weren't going to get tickets to the big game. They held a lottery to decide which of their fans could buy tickets for face value of $900. Most didn't get good news.
Go through a ticket broker, but be prepared to spend a pretty penny: To actually get into Lucas Oil Stadium, expect to spend at least $2,500 per ticket. Stub Hub's tickets start at $2,450 for individual seats. Circle City Tickets, a broker based in Indianapolis, has seats starting at $2,760 in the highest reaches of the stadium. SeatGeek reports the average seat is $3,470, making it the most expensive event they've ever tracked.
Tickets near the 50-yard line cost $16,200 per seat. To bring a group of four and sit in prime seats, you're looking at $64,000, which could buy your tickets to the Super Bowl or put a down payment on a four-bedroom house in suburban Indianapolis. You can also buy a suite for $600,000, which would also buy you a 5,700 square-foot home.
Buy a travel package: If you don't live near Indianapolis, you'll need to figure out a way to get there. Travel agencies are offering packages that take care of your ticket, hotel, ground transportation and airfare. From Boston, packages start at $5,455 per person, and it takes the hassle out of your travel planning.
Attend everything but the game: If you're looking for the Super Bowl experience, and aren't as interested in the two teams playing, there is still plenty for you to do in Indy without blowing your kid's college fund. Check out the circus of media day for just $38. Stop by the Super Bowl Village. Go to the Taste of the NFL to enjoy food from every NFL city. Attendance at the Maxim Party will cost you at least $1,500, but you'll likely get much closer to an NFL player than you would from the nosebleeds of a seat for double that amount.
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Saturday, 28 January 2012
VIDEO: African Union opens new �127m HQ
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-africa-16778440
Arab League suspends Syria mission
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Columbus Blue Jackets to play host for 2013 NHL All-Star Game
The selection of Columbus for next year's event has taken awhile. According to Portzline, the Blue Jackets have shown interest in the past, but a few factors played into the delayed decision.
From the Dispatch:
In the past, the NHL would not approve Columbus as a host for the game because the area around Nationwide Arena lacked a sufficient number of high-end hotel rooms needed to house sponsors, celebrities, players, etc. But a 500-room Hilton, being built just blocks from Nationwide Arena, is planned for completion by Sept. 2012, a month before the 2012-13 season opens.
Also, the league informed Columbus two years ago that it would not be considered as a host city until it achieved financial stability in the form of a new lease agreement.
That agreement was struck last month, when Franklin County commissioners approved a plan in which money from the still-under-construction West Side casino will be used by Franklin County to buy Nationwide Arena. In return, Nationwide has assumed a 30 percent ownership stake in the franchise.
Columbus makes it seven of the last eight All-Star Games to be hosted by first-time cities. You'd have to believe Phoenix might have been in the mix, but the uncertainty of their future makes that choice impossible.
So congratulations Rick Nash on your 2013 NHL All-Star captaincy ... that is, if you're not traded anywhere before then.
Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy
Raiders confirm choice of Broncos' Allen (AP)
Five teams who most need to win this weekend
There aren't a ton of titanic showdowns between ranked teams this weekend, but a handful of teams play games that could have a significant impact on their NCAA tournament hopes next month. Here are five teams that I think most need to win this weekend in order to feel confident about their at-large chances:
1. Middle Tennessee State (20-2, 9-0): Even with victories over Ole Miss, UCLA, Akron and Belmont, Middle Tennessee State's impressive record is still lacking a signature victory strong enough to make it feel good about its at-large chances. Thankfully the Blue Raiders have one more chance to get that on Saturday when they visit Vanderbilt for a rare late-January non-league game that surely is more difficult than what the Commodores envisioned when they scheduled it. A win Saturday gives Middle Tennessee the chance to earn an at-large bid with a dominant record in the Sun Belt. A loss and even if the Blue Raiders win at North Texas and Denver next week, the only way they can feel secure about their NCAA tournament chances is to win the Sun Belt tournament.
2. Alabama (13-8, 2-4): Unlike last season when Alabama went 12-4 in the SEC and still missed the NCAA tournament, it won't be the Tide's performance out of league this season that relegates them to the NIT. Alabama beat Wichita State, Purdue, Oakland, VCU and Maryland in November, but the Tide haven't won a significant game since. A four-game losing streak in SEC play culminating in Wednesday's ugly loss at South Carolina has put pressure on Alabama to avoid a loss at home against surging Arkansas on Saturday. The Tide still has a Top 50 RPI and a favorable second-half SEC schedule, but they'll be leaving themselves little margin for error in February if they fall to 2-5 in SEC play.
3. North Carolina State (15-6, 4-2): The ACC appears assured of four bids from Florida State, North Carolina, Duke and Virginia, but at this point there's certainly no guarantee the league will command a fifth. The team with the best chance of becoming that fifth team is NC State, whose lone quality win is against a Texas team in the midst of a transition season. The Wolfpack looked outclassed against North Carolina in a 74-55 beatdown on Thursday night, but they'll get another chance at a marquee win Saturday when they host Virginia. With only a few chances for marquee wins left on the schedule, this is the type of game NC State needs to win.
4. BYU (18-5, 6-2): The combination of a home loss to Loyola Marymount and a dearth of quality non-league wins had BYU looking as though it could be NIT-bound before the Cougars got a desperately needed win at Virginia Tech on Wednesday. Now BYU returns home to play perhaps its two biggest games of the season: Saint Mary's on Saturday and Gonzaga on Thursday. If BYU avenges a Dec. 29 loss in Moraga on Saturday and wins its home game against the Zags five nights later, the Cougars will be in great position entering the final six games of the regular season. A split of those two games will leave BYU in precarious position and a pair of losses could force the Cougars to win the WCC tournament to earn an NCAA bid.
5. Stanford (15-5, 5-3): Believe it or not, Stanford's non-conference wins against Colorado State, North Carolina State and Oklahoma State are the best trio of victories any Pac-12 team could muster. Regardless, the league is so weak that the Cardinal won't be able to parlay those victories into an NCAA bid unless they win the conference title outright or at the very least get to 12 or 13 Pac-12 victories. That appeared to be a possibility before Stanford endured a road sweep at the hands of the Washington schools last week, dropping its Pac-12 record to a pedestrian 5-3 entering Sunday's road game at first-place Cal. Win that, and the Cardinal add a solid win to their resume and remain within striking distance of the conference lead. Lose that, and it's very difficult to envision Stanford winning enough games in the second half of conference play to merit an NCAA bid.
Police: Car bomb targets funeral in Baghdad
Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/edition_world/~3/LbFJIu9xPHE/index.html
Friday, 27 January 2012
Gap closing on top three - Murray
Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/sport1/hi/tennis/16765913.stm
NBC and Yum! Brands? unfortunately placed Kentucky Derby logo
Quick, what's the first thing that pops into your mind when you think of the Kentucky Derby? Affordable, meat-based fast-food chains, right?
Yum! Brands, the company that owns and operates KFC and Taco Bell, among other fast-food chains, has been the presenting sponsor of America's premier horse race since 2006. Given that both the Derby and the restaurant behemoth are based in Louisville, it was a natural fit. Except for the whole horse thing, of course. Like Taco Bell needs to invite comparisons about the quality of its meat. (Disclaimer: Taco Bell is delicious.)
That's a trivial point, though. As long as Yum! kept everybody's mind off all those potential wisecracks by keeping signage tasteful and away from any logo or picture that could lead to the thought of consuming a horse, there'd be no problem.
That's a screenshot from a commercial that's been running on NBC and Versus for the past few days. I'll say this about it, I'm much more aware of the Yum! brand than I was before seeing the ad.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to eat dinner. I'm so hungry I could eat a horse.
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Mike Tanier?s Senior Bowl Report: WR Juron Criner sees his stock rise
Criner could not do much to impress scouts or coaches during Thursday's practice: with no pads, no cleats and no field, there's not much any player can do to stand out. Luckily for Criner, he did enough during the early part of the week to not worry about whether he could stay "inbounds" in a convention center ballroom.
Criner, a 6-foot-2, 220-pound possession receiver from the University of Arizona, has probably helped his stock more than any other player during Senior Bowl practices this week. He was projected as a late-round pick by most experts before practices started. He has probably worked his way up to the middle rounds.
Criner does not have breakaway speed, but he appears to have the rest of the package. "I'm very agile for a man my size," Criner said after Thursday's practice. That agility was evident earlier in the week, when he made smooth cuts and adjusted to poorly thrown balls in live practices. Criner has also been demonstrating good hands and pass-catching technique, and he looks more fluid and comfortable running routes than some of the other big receivers on the South squad.
Janoris Jenkins (CB, North Alabama), the likely first-round pick who transferred from Florida because of personal issues, singled�Criner out as the hardest South receiver to cover this week during his Thursday press conference. "He's kinda got ball skills," Jenkins said. "If you hit his hand, he'll catch it. And he's tall."
Criner caught 82 passes for 1,233 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2010, but missed several weeks of offseason workouts to spend time with his sick mother. Rumors swirled that Criner was himself ill, perhaps gravely ill. He returned to the Wildcats in mid-August, only to have an appendectomy on Sept. 5. Criner was back on the field three weeks later, and ended the season with 75 catches for 956 yards and�11 touchdowns.
The offseason health issues may leave Criner undervalued on many draft boards: the "serious illness" rumor was out of control for a while, and it may have conflated into a "character issue" for armchair analysts. Criner's lack of pure speed is a more legitimate knock against him: He is a possession receiver, not a game breaker. There are also questions about an Arizona offense that gave Criner tons of open space to operate. "I didn't see very much press," Criner admitted about his college career in a no-huddle offense. "I was already lined up, got my signal from the quarterback, and I could just go."
During practices, Criner looked very comfortable at breaking press coverage. His size is an advantage against smaller cornerbacks, and Criner was able to release quickly to the inside to escape contact at the line. "I've definitely been tuned in when they've been talking about it: getting off the line of scrimmage better, better hand combat at the line." Criner's ability to beat the press will make him more valuable to teams that prefer to align bigger receivers at the line of scrimmage so smaller, shiftier players can work in the slot.
This has been a brutal week for offensive players, particularly receivers, to try to stand out. Quarterback play has been weak, and defenders have held a clear edge, particularly in South practices. Criner was the only receiver to really change anyone's perception of him, though others like Joe Adams of Arkansas, Patrick Edwards of Houston and Jeff Fuller of Texas A&M all had their moments. Criner's final draft position will depend on his 40-time: If he runs considerably faster than the 4.6 he is projected to run at the combine or at workouts, he may leap well into the early rounds.
The Dainese D-Air Racing Airbag Suit Comes to America
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/AsphaltandRubber/~3/C6VIsBbubTg/
Senate condemns UK over Falklands
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-latin-america-16735731
Why Is This News 38: Shutdown Corner?s MJD on the NFL?s kickoff
WHY IS THIS NEWS is the Yahoo! Sports Blogs' all-sports podcast, covering sports (and movies, and television, and whatever else strikes our fancy) through the eyes of our esteemed experts. We, as always, are Jay Busbee, the editor of From The Marbles and Devil Ball, and Kevin Kaduk, the editor of Big League Stew, and you are our reader/listener, and we thank you for that.
To play the podcast, click the link below or save it on your computer. You can also click on the iTunes button below (or right here) to subscribe through iTunes, or the RSS button below (or right here) to run the feed to other players. And if you can't get enough, you can follow us on Twitter at @jaybusbee and @bigleaguestew for further updates.
Why Is This News 38: Shutdown Corner's Mighty MJD on the start of the NFL season
Thursday, 26 January 2012
Ecstatic Jessica Chastain finds out about Oscar nomination at Armani Priv�
Source: http://www.hellomagazine.com/fashion/201201257059/armani-paris-haute-couture/
Deep Posts: AFC Championship Edition
-- Tom Brady got up early Monday morning for his weekly spot on Boston's WEEI radio station, and he of course had much to say about the Pats' 23-20 AFC championship game win over the Baltimore Ravens. "It's pedal to the metal for five months and now there is a light at the end of the tunnel for everybody. There is one game to play and it means everything. I can't wait, I'm excited. I wish I'd done a better job yesterday, but I'm thrilled to be a part of this team and lead our team onto the field in Indy."
As for the surprise loss the Pats took from the Giants in Super Bowl XLII, that's something Brady doesn't have much use for anymore. "I mean, time goes on, and I still can't watch highlights from that game. We had a great opportunity and we squandered it. We didn't play our very best and we realize [you have to when] playing against the best competition in the league where everything is on the table. ... But this team deserves to be there now." [Boston Herald]
-- Here's some good news for Mr. Brady ? tight end Rob Gronkowski will be ready for Super Bowl XLVI, despite the ankle injury he suffered against the Ravens. For once, the Bernard Pollard Effect was not entirely evident. [Boston Herald]
-- Peter King thought that there should have been more officiating review on two Sunday plays ? Ahmad Bradshaw's non-fumble that was apparently stopped by forward progress in the New York Giants-San Francisco 49ers game, and the near-touchdown pass from Joe Flacco to Lee Evans. Of course, Fox Sports officiating "expert" Mike Pereira said that appropriate due diligence was done on both plays, which means that more work almost certainly should have been done. It did look as if Evans lost the ball (with the assistance of Patriots defensive back Sterling Moore) before his second foot hit the ground, but it would have been nice for the officiating crews in both games to spend as much time reviewing the plays as they did searching for face time (yes, we're talking to YOU, Ed Hochuli). [SI.com]
-- Did Joe Flacco prove his doubters wrong, despite the fact that he apparently "lost" the AFC championship game? Some actually believe that in a loss, Baltimore's quarterback proved more than he did in many of his "wins." [Baltimore Sun]
-- Using its apparent mixture of astrology, "clutchiness" and whatever Skip Bayless blurted out that morning, the "World Wide Leader's" Total QBR stat (which is basically the wrong half of a concept Football Outsiders invented a decade ago) says that Tom Brady outperformed Flacco, which means that it was almost certainly the other way around. Brady did not throw a touchdown pass, and he had two picks. Flacco threw two touchdowns and had one pick. Sometimes (and this is coming from a "stat guy") stats can be very stupid things. So ? Mr. Brady, when you said that Flacco played better than you ? you was WRONG! [ESPN]
Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/deep-posts-afc-championship-edition-181325277.html
Strong sales for Etta James album
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/entertainment-arts-16739372
Video: Three-time Tour champion punches fan during race
We at Yahoo! Sports adhere to the time-honored "keep your hands to yourself" policy. Exceptions can be made, however, like in Friday's stage of the Tour de France when a fool dressed as a doctor and holding a blood bag got too close to three-time race winner Alberto Contador during the middle of the race:
Contador failed a drug test last year, hence the nuanced heckling from the man. (It would have been funnier if he held up�a piece of�filet mignon.)
If people are going to get that close to riders, they deserve to get pushed out of the way. Frankly, it's always amazed me how close fans can get to the cyclists during those uphill stages. Even the people who weren't being jerks and running on the course were still awfully close to getting run over by Contador's bike.
The Spaniard finished the day in sixth place overall.
How to get your hands on Super Bowl tickets
The answer is yes, if that regular person is ready to part with a large amount of cash.
Don't expect to get tickets through your team just because you own season tickets. Not long after the New York Giants clinched their Super Bowl berth, a large portion of their season ticket holders found out they weren't going to get tickets to the big game. They held a lottery to decide which of their fans could buy tickets for face value of $900. Most didn't get good news.
Go through a ticket broker, but be prepared to spend a pretty penny: To actually get into Lucas Oil Stadium, expect to spend at least $2,500 per ticket. Stub Hub's tickets start at $2,450 for individual seats. Circle City Tickets, a broker based in Indianapolis, has seats starting at $2,760 in the highest reaches of the stadium. SeatGeek reports the average seat is $3,470, making it the most expensive event they've ever tracked.
Tickets near the 50-yard line cost $16,200 per seat. To bring a group of four and sit in prime seats, you're looking at $64,000, which could buy your tickets to the Super Bowl or put a down payment on a four-bedroom house in suburban Indianapolis. You can also buy a suite for $600,000, which would also buy you a 5,700 square-foot home.
Buy a travel package: If you don't live near Indianapolis, you'll need to figure out a way to get there. Travel agencies are offering packages that take care of your ticket, hotel, ground transportation and airfare. From Boston, packages start at $5,455 per person, and it takes the hassle out of your travel planning.
Attend everything but the game: If you're looking for the Super Bowl experience, and aren't as interested in the two teams playing, there is still plenty for you to do in Indy without blowing your kid's college fund. Check out the circus of media day for just $38. Stop by the Super Bowl Village. Go to the Taste of the NFL to enjoy food from every NFL city. Attendance at the Maxim Party will cost you at least $1,500, but you'll likely get much closer to an NFL player than you would from the nosebleeds of a seat for double that amount.
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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nfl-shutdown-corner/hands-super-bowl-tickets-143018713.html
Boxing's Freddie Roach in unusual reality show (AP)
Wednesday, 25 January 2012
Nine former champions will go gray this season
Here's the only good thing about Nike unveiling unsightly gray jerseys on Wednesday for some of the nation's most tradition-rich college basketball programs: Each team is only required to wear them once.
The jerseys are the latest example of Nike's push to introduce gray ? sorry, "platinum" ? uniforms throughout college basketball. From Kansas State, to Texas, to Purdue, at least 20 prominent Division I programs have already worn a gray alternate jersey this season, the majority of which introduced theirs in the past 12 months.
New jerseys always inspire their share of grumbling, but the release of these has been especially polarizing.
An angry commenter on Kentucky Sports Radio wrote, "Big Blue Nation to Nike: Our colors are BLUE and WHITE." One minute later someone else correctly responded, "Guess what old people? They're not for you. They're for the players."
Indeed, in addition to the obvious merchandising opportunities, the motivation for schools to adopt alternate jerseys like these is often that players like them.� It only aids recruiting to send the message to prospects that they'll always be outfitted in the freshest, most up-to-date gear if they choose your school.
[See Slideshow of all the new jerseys here]
The fan base with the most reason to complain about the new look is Syracuse, which will now don the colors of their fiercest Big East rival, Georgetown. Just like Kentucky should never wear red, Michigan should never don scarlet and Duke shouldn't be caught dead in a lighter shade of blue, Syracuse shouldn't be in gray.
At least Nike was smart enough not to put Syracuse in gray against the Hoyas. The Orange will wear the jersey at home against South Florida on Feb. 22 and then hopefully it can be done with them for good.
Billy Cundiff misses potential game-tying FG; doesn?t want you to look at him
I'll always have compassion for kickers who end up missing the big one. Gary Anderson in the 1999 NFC championship game. Stanford kicker Jordan Williamson, just a couple of weeks ago. My heart bled for Nate Kaeding in the 2010 playoffs against the Jets. Scott Norwood, of course, is their patron saint.
Today, my heart goes out to Billy Cundiff. From just 32 yards away, he lined up for a kick that could've sent the AFC championship game into overtime, and he yanked the bejeezus out of it.
And sadness washed over the Ravens.
It's such a thankless job. If Cundiff hits that kick and the Ravens go on to win, he's not eligible to be a hero, because he's still just a kicker. He misses, though, and he's more than eligible for the label of scapegoat, failure, loser ? take your pick.
For example, see this tweet from ESPN's Stephen A. Smith (and a fellow kicker, Jay Feely, standing up for Cundiff).
And Cundiff certainly knows what's coming, in terms of vitriol that'll come his way. I can't really blame him for not wanting a camera in his face after the game.
Things are going to be tough for Billy Cundiff for a while.
UPDATE: Yeah, this seems about right.
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