This is very sad...
Baseball's Leyritz Charged With Manslaughter After Car Crash
By Danielle Sessa and Dan Bollerman
Dec. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Former Major League Baseball catcher Jim Leyritz was charged with manslaughter while driving under the influence after a traffic accident in Florida early this morning that killed a woman, authorities said.
Leyritz, who turned 44 yesterday, was also charged with DUI property damage and was released from the Broward County Jail around 3 p.m. after posting $11,000 bond, Fort Lauderdale police Detective Katherine Collins said in a telephone interview.
He didn't respond to a message left by Bloomberg News on his mobile telephone.
Leyritz, who lives in Davie, Florida, was driving a 2006 Ford Expedition in Fort Lauderdale when it collided with a 2000 Mitsubishi Montero driven by 30-year-old Fredia Ann Veitch around 3:20 a.m. local time, police said in an incident report.
Veitch was ejected from her vehicle, which had rolled over in the crash, authorities said. She was transported to Broward General Medical Center, where she died, police said. Veitch, who lived in Plantation, Florida, was married with two children, Miami television station WPLG reported.
Leyritz, who had watery eyes, a flushed face and an odor of alcohol, underwent several field-sobriety tests, police said.
He was arrested on suspicion of DUI after declining to take a Breathalyzer test and have blood drawn for analysis, police said. Leyritz later was taken to the same hospital, where blood was taken ``above his refusal'' at 6:10 a.m. and 7:12 a.m. and sent to the Broward County Medical Examiner's office to be analyzed. The investigation is continuing, police said.
Leyritz played parts of nine seasons with the New York Yankees during a major-league career from 1990-2000. He was a member of the Yankees' World Series champions in 1996 and 1999 and played for five other major-league teams.
To contact the reporters on this story: Danielle Sessa in New York at dsessa@bloomberg.net ; Dan Bollerman in New York at dbollerman@bloomberg.net
Bloomberg.com - Leyritz
Friday, December 28, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Baboosh Baby Launched by Actress Brooke Burke
Brooke Burke launches Baboosh Baby
Atlanta, GA 12/21/2007 12:18 AM GMT (FINDITT)
Actress Brooke Burke is pregnant with her fourth child and has launched a new online baby store, Baboosh Baby, that features eco-friendly post-partum wraps. The 36-year-old says after three children, she’s an expert how to get her figure back and suggests a Taut Belly Wrap. “You pull it super tight and Velcro it. It feels good for all of that baby skin. I swear by it,” she says.
“As a Hollywood mom, I’ve met tons of interesting people and had access to the best stylist and designers, as well as the trendiest products. But still, I was unable to find some of the keys things I need before, during and after my three pregnancies,” a message on her site reads. “I wanted to give my body its best shot at staying healthy and regaining its shape naturally and quickly. It inspired me to create baboosh.”
Her online store also offers diaper bag, wraps, and tees.
transworldnews.com Baboosh Baby
2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Has Everyone Talking
2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 rocks
Author : Helen Steele
www.earthtimes.org
It's a vehicle that has even the purists drooling. The 2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 was unveiled by General Motors on Wednesday much to the delight of 'Vette fans. The vehicle is also due to be showcased at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month.
Although the ZR1 is based on the Z06 Corvette, its performance is much sharper than the latter. The body is made of carbon fiber, but it hides the supercharged LS9 engine under it. This engine is GM's latest offering and combines eight cylinders.
The 'Vette ZR1 uses a sixth-generation Eaton supercharger in order to hit torque of 585 pound-feet. Harlan Charles, project manager for the Corvette unit at GM was mum on the actual power of the ZR1 but he revealed that it was "capable of producing at least 100 horsepower per liter. That's at least 620 horsepower, and approximately 595 lb.-ft. of torque."
The 15.5-inch carbon-ceramic front rotors are kept quite and cool by brake cooling ducts. The ZR1 aims to compete with fast cars like the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano F1 coupe.
Although the pricing model is yet to be released, it is expected that the ZR1 will cost at least $100,000.
earthtimes.org Corvette ZR1
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Time Person of the Year - Vladmir Putin
Ugh...Putin Named Time "Person of the Year"
23 minutes ago
NEW YORK (AP) — Time magazine on Wednesday named Russian President Vladimir Putin its 2007 "Person of the Year."
The nod went to the Russian leader because of Putin's "extraordinary feat of leadership in taking a country that was in chaos and bringing it stability," said Richard Stengel, Time's managing editor.
Putin, 55, is enormously popular in Russia, presiding over a resurgent economy flush with revenue from oil and natural gas. But critics say he has moved the country away from Russia's democratic reforms of the 1990s by tightening control of the media, courts and parliament.
"He's the new czar of Russia and he's dangerous in the sense that he doesn't care about civil liberties, he doesn't care about free speech," Stengel said.
Putin recently endorsed protoge Dmitry Medvedev's presidential bid, and later said he would accept Medvedev's offer to serve as prime minister if Medvedev is elected in the March 2 election.
Many believe Putin would remain Russia's real leader, regardless of his title, though Putin has said he would not undermine his successor. The Russian constitution limits presidents to two consecutive terms.
Others who were in the running for Person of the Year included Nobel Prize-winner Al Gore and author J.K. Rowling.
This year's choice was a return to the magazine's tradition of picking an individual rather than last year's choice of anyone creating or using content on the World Wide Web.
Previous individual winners have included Bono, President George W. Bush and Amazon.com CEO and founder Jeff Bezos.
AP - Person of the Year
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Britney's Sister, Jamie Lynn Spears Pregnant
Oh man...another one of them is reproducing. Sad.
Jamie Lynn Spears Says She's Pregnant NEW YORK (AP) — Another Spears baby is reportedly on the way — and it's not Britney's. Jamie Lynn Spears, the 16-year-old "Zoey 101" star and sister of Britney, told OK! magazine that she's pregnant and that the father is her boyfriend, Casey Aldridge.
"It was a shock for both of us, so unexpected," she said. "I was in complete and total shock and so was he."
Spears is 12 weeks along and initially kept the news to herself when she learned of the pregnancy from an at-home test and subsequent doctor visit, she told the celebrity magazine, which hits stands in New York on Wednesday and the rest of the country by Friday.
What message does she want to send to other teens about premarital sex? "I definitely don't think it's something you should do; it's better to wait," she told the magazine. "But I can't be judgmental because it's a position I put myself in."
After she found out from a doctor that she was pregnant, she said, "I took two weeks to myself where I didn't tell anybody."
"Only one of my friends knew because I needed to work out what I would do for myself before I let anyone's opinion affect my decision. Then I told my parents and my friends. I was scared, but I had to do what was right for me," she said.
Spears broke the news to her mother, Lynne, just before Thanksgiving, the magazine reported.
"She was very upset because it wasn't what she expected at all," Spears said. "A week after, she had time to cope with it and became very supportive."
Lynne Spears, already grandmother to Britney's young sons, told the magazine: "I didn't believe it because Jamie Lynn's always been so conscientious. She's never late for her curfew. I was in shock. I mean, this is my 16-year-old baby."
She said her actress daughter, the telegenic heroine of her popular Nickelodeon series, has known Aldridge for years and began dating him in high school.
But in a recent interview with The Associated Press, Spears said she had no steady boyfriend. "I kind of just keep my options open," she said. "I have a bunch of friends that I always hang out with, a bunch of guy friends." She declined to talk about her older sister.
Spears spoke to the AP shortly before Thanksgiving, the day she told OK! she informed her mother about the pregnancy.
Jamie Lynn plans to raise the baby in her home state of Louisiana — "so it can have a normal family life."
Nickelodeon released a statement: "We respect Jamie Lynn's decision to take responsibility in this sensitive and personal situation. We know this is a very difficult time for her and her family, and our primary concern right now is for Jamie Lynn's well being."
A publicist for the network did not immediately respond to phone and e-mail requests for additional comment.
"Zoey 101" is scheduled to conclude its third season Jan. 4 with a cliffhanger episode in which Spears' character must decide whether to leave her fictional Pacific Coast Academy boarding school in California to join her parents in London.
The show is scheduled to resume in February, and its producer, Dan Schneider, has said filming on the fourth season has already been completed.
ap.google.com Spears Pregnant
Pro Bowl Announcements
11 Cowboys, eight Patriots highlight Pro Bowl rosters
New York, NY (Sports Network) - The NFC and AFC Pro Bowl rosters were announced on Tuesday and the Dallas Cowboys led all teams with 11 selections.
The Patriots and Chargers led the way in the AFC with eight players being named from each team, including New England quarterback Tom Brady and San Diego running back LaDainian Tomlinson as starters.
The Pro Bowl rosters were compiled in voting from a combination of fans, players and coaches. The Pro Bowl will take place Sunday, February 10 in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The currently undefeated Patriots will send eight players to the Pro Bowl for the first time since 1985, and the team's eight Pro Bowl picks tie the 1985 squad with the most Patriots Pro Bowl players since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger. Wide receiver Randy Moss, who will also start, earned his sixth career Pro Bowl nod, while Brady will head to Hawaii for the fourth time in his career.
Moss leads the NFL with 19 touchdown receptions, a total that ranks second in league history to Jerry Rice’s record 22 scoring catches in 1987.
Tomlinson, who currently ranks second in the NFL in rushing and leads the league with 14 rushing touchdowns, earned his fifth Pro Bowl invitation of his career.
Chargers fullback Lorenzo Neal was also named as a starter, as was wide receiver Reggie Wayne of the Colts.
Other New England starters were offensive tackle Matt Light, guard Logan Mankins, defensive tackle Vince Wilfork, linebacker Mike Vrabel and cornerback Asante Samuel. Pats center Dan Koppen was named as a reserve.
Other Charger starters were tight end Antonio Gates and special teamer Kassim Osgood, while guard Kris Dielman, defensive tackle Jamal Williams, linebacker Shawne Merriman and cornerback Antonio Cromartie were honored as reserves.
Neal will make his fourth trip to the Pro Bowl, and Gates will make his fourth straight trip to Honolulu.
In the NFC, seven of the franchise record-tying 11 Cowboys will be starters. Wide receiver Terrell Owens; tight end Jason Witten; offensive linemen Flozell Adams, Leonard Davis and Andre Gurode; linebacker DeMarcus Ware and kicker Nick Folk were selected starters.
Quarterback Tony Romo, running back Marion Barber, safety Ken Hamlin and cornerback Terence Newman were chosen as reserves.
The other offensive starters include Green Bay's Brett Favre at quarterback, rookie sensation Adrian Peterson at running back, and his Vikings' teammate Tony Richardson at fullback.
This marks Favre's ninth Pro Bowl selection of his storied career and first since 2003. He has had a record-breaking season. In addition to becoming the winningest QB in NFL history and tossing the most TD passes in league history earlier this season, he surpassed Dan Marino as the all-time passing leader this past Sunday with 61,405 yards.
This season he has completed 67.1 percent of his passes for 3,905 yards with 26 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
Peterson has run for 1,278 yards and 12 touchdowns this season. His efforts include a 224-yard three-TD rushing performance against the Bears on October 14.
"This is a great honor as a rookie and I'm proud to be selected," said Peterson. "This was one of my goals coming into the season and it feels good to accomplish that. I'm blessed by the individual honor, but I know we have some team goals we are still striving for."
The remainder of the offensive line starters consist of Minnesota's Steve Hutchinson and Seattle's Walter Jones, while Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald will start opposite Owens at wide receiver.
Joining Ware as starting linebackers are Seattle's Julian Peterson and Lofa Tatupu. The defensive line consists of Green Bay's Aaron Kampman, Seattle's Patrick Kerney and Minnesota's Kevin Williams and Pat Williams.
The NFC's starting defensive backs are Green Bay's Al Harris and Seattle's Marcus Trufant at corner and Minnesota's Darren Sharper at strong safety.
Washington Redskins free safety Sean Taylor, who was killed last month after being shot during a burglary at his Florida home, earned a starting nod.
He had five interceptions at the time of his death.
Joining the first-timer Folk as special teamers for the NFC, is San Francisco punter Andy Lee, also a first time selection, kick returner Devin Hester of the Chicago Bears and specialist Brendon Ayanbadejo of the Bears.
Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck joins Romo as a reserve quarterback, while Philadelphia's Brian Westbrook joins Barber as a reserve running back. Green Bay's Donald Driver and St. Louis' Torry Holt are the reserve wide outs, Washington's Chris Cooley is the backup tight end; and Washington's Chris Samuels, Philadelphia's Shawn Andrews and Minnesota's Matt Birk are the reserve offensive linemen.
In addition to Newman and Hamlin as reserve defensive players for the NFC are, defensive linemen Osi Umenyiora of the Giants and Chicago's Tommie Harris. The Bears' Lance Briggs and San Francisco's Patrick Willis are the reserve linebackers.
Other offensive starters for the AFC were tackle Jason Peters of Buffalo, Pittsburgh guard Alan Faneca and Colts center Jeff Saturday.
The other AFC defensive starters were defensive ends Jared Allen of Kansas City and Kyle Vanden Bosch of Tennessee, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth of the Titans, linebackers James Harrison of Pittsburgh, and DeMeco Ryans of Houston, cornerback Champ Baily of Denver, and safeties Ed Reed of Baltimore and Bob Sanders of the Colts.
The punter will be Oakland's Shane Lechler, while Rob Bironas will handle the place-kicking duties for the AFC. Cleveland's Josh Cribbs was voted as the kick returner.
Quarterbacks Peyton Manning of the Colts and Ben Roethlisberger of the Steelers were named reserves. The other running backs were Joseph Addai of the Colts and Pittsburgh's Willie Parker. One other Steeler was selected - reserve safety Troy Polamalu.
Manning was named to the game for the eighth time in 10 NFL seasons and the sixth time in as many years.
Cleveland's Braylon Edwards and Cincinnati's T.J. Houshmandzadeh were voted as reserve wide receivers, while KC tight end Tony Gonzalez is going to his ninth consecutive Pro Bowl, this time in a reserve role.
"We are very proud that Tony Gonzalez has been selected to his ninth consecutive Pro Bowl," Chiefs president Carl Peterson said. "Very few players have displayed the outstanding level of consistency that Tony has demonstrated over the years."
Baltimore tackle Jonathan Ogden was selected to his 11th Pro Bowl, while Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was chosen to his eighth and Miami defensive end Jason Taylor to his sixth.
12/18 18:10:18 ET
John Berg, "House M.D." Actor Found Dead
'House M.D.,' 'Monk' actor John Berg dead at 58
From wire service reports
Article Launched: 12/17/2007 01:11:49 PM PST
VAN NUYS - Television character actor John Berg, who appeared in shows such as "House M.D." and "Monk," was found dead in his Van Nuys home, authorities said today.
The body of the 58-year-old actor was discovered shortly before 1 p.m. Sunday in the residence in the 6500 block of Nagle Avenue, said Capt. Ed Winter of the coroner's office.
The cause of death was not immediately disclosed. An autopsy was pending. Authorities went to the actor's residence on a "welfare check" call, Winter said.
Berg has also appeared on shows such as "NCIS," "The Practice," "Boston Legal" and "Law & Order."
dailybreeze.com - John Berg
Flatley Wins $11M in Tyna Marie Robertson Case
Judge in LA Orders $11M for Flatley
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A woman who accused Michael Flatley of sexual assault has been ordered to pay him more than $11 million for making false allegations to extort money from him, according to documents obtained Monday.
Superior Court Judge Michael L. Stern found that real estate agent Tyna Marie Robertson had defamed and intentionally inflicted emotional distress upon Flatley, 49, who appeared in "Riverdance," "Lord of the Dance," "Feet of Flames" and "Celtic Tiger."
Robertson had alleged Flatley raped her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2002 and threatened to sue unless he agreed to pay a "seven figures" settlement, according to court papers.
Police declined to press criminal charges, and Flatley said the sex was consensual.
Robertson then filed a $33 million lawsuit in Illinois alleging sexual assault, but it was dismissed.
Flatley countered with a lawsuit against Robertson and her lawyer D. Dean Mauro claiming extortion, intentional infliction of emotional distress and defamation.
The California Supreme Court held in July 2006 that Mauro had committed extortion, and he settled the case by making "a substantial payment" to Flatley, according to a statement from the dancer's lawyer, Ricardo P. Cestero.
The judgment order against Robertson formalized a ruling made by Stern during a hearing this month.
Flatley plans to donate any recovery on the settlement to charity, Cestero said.
Telephone numbers for Robertson and Mauro were not listed.
Robertson is the ex-girlfriend of Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher, and the two have battled in court themselves over their young son, Kennedy.
ap.google.com - Flatley
Monday, December 17, 2007
Farewell Dan Fogelberg - A Tribute
This quiet man of music quietly passed away Sunday at his home in Maine. He left us with a legacy of music that touched our hearts and souls. Simple music with heartfelt lyrics that would often bring a tear to my eye, particularly "Longer", "To The Morning", and "Leader of the Band". If you are unfamiliar with his music, please listen to the clips below - I hope you'll be as touched as I have by his music all these many years. Farewell, Dan - you'll be missed.
Rich Rodriquez Newest Wolverine
UPDATE: Rodriguez introduced as Wolverine
By Jake Stump
Daily Mail Capitol Reporter
New Michigan Wolverines football coach Rich Rodriguez today did not specifically address why he suddenly left West Virginia University other than to say it was time for him to move on.
"I'm just changing jobs," he said at a press conference in Ann Arbor.
Rodriguez dodged questions about the reasons behind his departure from the Morgantown two weeks before a Fiesta Bowl showdown with the Oklahoma Sooners.
Rodriguez repeatedly stated that it was the most difficult decision in his career and that he'd rather not talk about the past and WVU.
"I don't think there's a need to talk about the past process," Rodriguez said in response to a reporter's question concerning his talks with Michigan. "Everything was first class. Everything was dealt with in a forthright manner."
Rodriguez said he still hadn't talked to WVU officials about his decision or the Oklahoma game, but he made it clear that he wouldn't coach the Mountaineers in the Jan. 2 bowl. The letter of his resignation that a graduate assistant passed along to Athletic Director Ed Pastilong on Sunday said he was resigning effective Jan. 3.
"If a coach stays on, he becomes the focus of the game," he said. "I don't want to be a distraction."
The 44-year-old native of Grant Town, Marion County, tried focusing more on his goals at Michigan rather than West Virginia during the press conference.
He opened the press conference attempting to joke around by saying, "What a great crowd. They must be giving away free hats or something."
He later quoted a scene from the Disney movie, "Lion King."
Rodriguez also acknowledged former WVU basketball coach John Beilein, who, too, left the Mountaineers for the Wolverines this year.
"I'm excited to be back with my good friend John Beilein," he said. "I was excited when his house sold quickly. Hopefully, mine will do the same."
When asked how he would deal with the buyout and his WVU contract, Rodriguez said that decision was left to the university.
He was also asked about Michigan's rivalry with Ohio State.
"The hecklers let me know about that yesterday," said Rodriguez, who was met with a chorus of jeers and insults from Mountaineer fans as he and his family departed Sunday from Morgantown Municipal Airport.
"What bothered me most was getting that 'O-H thing (Ohio State's football cheer),'" he continued.
Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin introduced their new coach at the press conference. Martin noted that Fielding Yost, who won four national championships with Michigan in the early 1900s, grew up in Fairview, five miles from Rodriguez's hometown of Grant Town.
Rodriguez introduced his family at the press conference and talked a little about his hometown. He joked that Grant Town had a sign that said 'Home of Rich Rodriguez' but that residents probably already scratched it out.
"Some people are a little upset and probably will stay so," he said. "But I hope for the great people in the state of West Virginia, they'll look at what we've done in the last seven years."
Charleston Daily Mail
By Jake Stump
Daily Mail Capitol Reporter
New Michigan Wolverines football coach Rich Rodriguez today did not specifically address why he suddenly left West Virginia University other than to say it was time for him to move on.
"I'm just changing jobs," he said at a press conference in Ann Arbor.
Rodriguez dodged questions about the reasons behind his departure from the Morgantown two weeks before a Fiesta Bowl showdown with the Oklahoma Sooners.
Rodriguez repeatedly stated that it was the most difficult decision in his career and that he'd rather not talk about the past and WVU.
"I don't think there's a need to talk about the past process," Rodriguez said in response to a reporter's question concerning his talks with Michigan. "Everything was first class. Everything was dealt with in a forthright manner."
Rodriguez said he still hadn't talked to WVU officials about his decision or the Oklahoma game, but he made it clear that he wouldn't coach the Mountaineers in the Jan. 2 bowl. The letter of his resignation that a graduate assistant passed along to Athletic Director Ed Pastilong on Sunday said he was resigning effective Jan. 3.
"If a coach stays on, he becomes the focus of the game," he said. "I don't want to be a distraction."
The 44-year-old native of Grant Town, Marion County, tried focusing more on his goals at Michigan rather than West Virginia during the press conference.
He opened the press conference attempting to joke around by saying, "What a great crowd. They must be giving away free hats or something."
He later quoted a scene from the Disney movie, "Lion King."
Rodriguez also acknowledged former WVU basketball coach John Beilein, who, too, left the Mountaineers for the Wolverines this year.
"I'm excited to be back with my good friend John Beilein," he said. "I was excited when his house sold quickly. Hopefully, mine will do the same."
When asked how he would deal with the buyout and his WVU contract, Rodriguez said that decision was left to the university.
He was also asked about Michigan's rivalry with Ohio State.
"The hecklers let me know about that yesterday," said Rodriguez, who was met with a chorus of jeers and insults from Mountaineer fans as he and his family departed Sunday from Morgantown Municipal Airport.
"What bothered me most was getting that 'O-H thing (Ohio State's football cheer),'" he continued.
Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin introduced their new coach at the press conference. Martin noted that Fielding Yost, who won four national championships with Michigan in the early 1900s, grew up in Fairview, five miles from Rodriguez's hometown of Grant Town.
Rodriguez introduced his family at the press conference and talked a little about his hometown. He joked that Grant Town had a sign that said 'Home of Rich Rodriguez' but that residents probably already scratched it out.
"Some people are a little upset and probably will stay so," he said. "But I hope for the great people in the state of West Virginia, they'll look at what we've done in the last seven years."
Charleston Daily Mail
Alycia Lane Attacks NY Cop
Alycia Lane: The Police Report
Here's a part of a deposition regarding Alycia Lane, who allegedly pulled a Jason Michaels Saturday night in New York City.
Deponent states that deponent was approaching an intoxicated male and directing said male to return to a Taxi when defendant placed a camera against deponent's face. Deponent observed officer grab defendant's arm (holding the camera) in an attempt to move it away from deponent's face. Deponent states that defendant said in substance to officer: I DON'T GIVE A FUCK WHO YOU ARE I AM A REPORTER YOU FUCKING DYKE. Deponent further states that deponent observed defendant strike officer about the face. Deponent states that defendant's strike caused officer to sustain two lacerations to officer's face and caused swelling."
That actually gives the reporter thing some context. It now reads more like: I'm taking photos in my capacity as a journalist, although I don't think "I am a reporter, you fucking dyke!" is the best way to express that statement.
The Daily News' Dan Gross, Regina Medina and Bob Cooney have some fun details, including: "A station source said Lane's iPhone was confiscated by cops as evidence." The New York Post says Alycia has always been saying "Fuck the police."
Lane, a Long Island native, is a former reporter and anchor for cable station News 12 in The Bronx and covered the 1999 shooting of Amadou Diallo, the unarmed immigrant killed by 40 police bulles.
Wait, isn't it 41? Either way, Lane's lawyer denies the charges, and Alycia was crying, so now we should all feel bad for her. Really.
willdo.philadelphiaweekly.com Alycia Lane
Friday, December 14, 2007
Jodi Foster Comes Out?
Upon receiving the Sherry Lansing Leadership Award, Jodi Foster recently thanked her longtime companion, Cydney Bernard, saying "my beautiful Cydney who sticks with me through all the rotten and the bliss". Although she didn't come right out and say she was gay, this was a pretty big admission for the very private Foster. Too bad the whole "coming out" or "not coming out" thing has to be such a big deal...doesn't matter to me one way or the other.
Rich Rodriquez in Talks with Michigan
West Virginia's Rich Rodriguez meets with U-M today
December 14, 2007
By MICHAEL ROSENBERG and MARK SNYDER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITERS
Michigan has a new leading candidate to be its new football coach: West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez.
Rodriguez met with Michigan athletic director Bill Martin and school president Mary Sue Coleman in Toledo today to discuss the open position, two people at U-M confirmed to the Free Press. The Sporting News first reported the meeting this afternoon.
Rodriguez, who is set to make $1.8 million this season according to a USA Today study of coaches' contracts, signed a second amendment to his contract in August 2007. His contract now runs through the 2013 season.
The major obstacle to a potential deal could be his buyout clause, which stands at $4 million if he leaves Morgantown, W. Va., before Aug. 31, 2008. That was part of the amendment signed last year that boosted his pay from its previous total of around $1 million.
After Rodriguez flirted with Alabama almost exactly a year ago, with some reports even stating he had accepted the job, he decided to remain at his alma mater. At the time, that contract offer was reported to be six years, $12 million.
His career record is 60-26. The Mountaineers have won at least 10 games in each of the past three seasons and are headed to the Fiesta Bowl to face Oklahoma this year after just missing out on a trip to the Bowl Championship Series national title game when they lost the season finale to Pittsburgh.
Rodriguez has coached West Virginia since the 2001 season, after coaching as an offensive coordinator under Tommy Bowden first at Tulane in 1997-98 and then 1999-2000 at Clemson.
He played three seasons at West Virginia under legend Don Nehlen, a former Michigan assistant under Bo Schembechler.
freep.com - Detroit Free Press
freep.com Rich Rodriquez
December 14, 2007
By MICHAEL ROSENBERG and MARK SNYDER
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITERS
Michigan has a new leading candidate to be its new football coach: West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez.
Rodriguez met with Michigan athletic director Bill Martin and school president Mary Sue Coleman in Toledo today to discuss the open position, two people at U-M confirmed to the Free Press. The Sporting News first reported the meeting this afternoon.
Rodriguez, who is set to make $1.8 million this season according to a USA Today study of coaches' contracts, signed a second amendment to his contract in August 2007. His contract now runs through the 2013 season.
The major obstacle to a potential deal could be his buyout clause, which stands at $4 million if he leaves Morgantown, W. Va., before Aug. 31, 2008. That was part of the amendment signed last year that boosted his pay from its previous total of around $1 million.
After Rodriguez flirted with Alabama almost exactly a year ago, with some reports even stating he had accepted the job, he decided to remain at his alma mater. At the time, that contract offer was reported to be six years, $12 million.
His career record is 60-26. The Mountaineers have won at least 10 games in each of the past three seasons and are headed to the Fiesta Bowl to face Oklahoma this year after just missing out on a trip to the Bowl Championship Series national title game when they lost the season finale to Pittsburgh.
Rodriguez has coached West Virginia since the 2001 season, after coaching as an offensive coordinator under Tommy Bowden first at Tulane in 1997-98 and then 1999-2000 at Clemson.
He played three seasons at West Virginia under legend Don Nehlen, a former Michigan assistant under Bo Schembechler.
freep.com - Detroit Free Press
freep.com Rich Rodriquez
Chris Evert, Greg Norman Engaged
Chris Evert, Greg Norman Are Engaged
PAARL, South Africa (AP) — Chris Evert and Greg Norman are engaged, less than a year after divorces from longtime spouses. The couple got engaged Sunday night, said Tami Starr, director of Chris Evert Charities in Boca Raton, Fla.
"They're not sure of a wedding date yet," Starr said. "They're both extremely happy they've found each other."
Evert, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, wore a large diamond on her ring finger at a news conference Friday to announce a new tennis center at Pearl Valley Golf Estates, which is hosting the South African Open. Norman is playing in the tournament.
Evert and former husband Andy Mill, a World Cup and Olympic skier from Colorado, divorced last December after 18 years of marriage. The 52-year-old tennis great previously was married to British tennis player John Lloyd.
In September, Norman reached a multimillion-dollar divorce settlement with his wife of 26 years, Laura Andrassy. The 52-year-old Australian won the British Open in 1986 and 1993.
Associated Press
AP Evert Norman
PAARL, South Africa (AP) — Chris Evert and Greg Norman are engaged, less than a year after divorces from longtime spouses. The couple got engaged Sunday night, said Tami Starr, director of Chris Evert Charities in Boca Raton, Fla.
"They're not sure of a wedding date yet," Starr said. "They're both extremely happy they've found each other."
Evert, who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles, wore a large diamond on her ring finger at a news conference Friday to announce a new tennis center at Pearl Valley Golf Estates, which is hosting the South African Open. Norman is playing in the tournament.
Evert and former husband Andy Mill, a World Cup and Olympic skier from Colorado, divorced last December after 18 years of marriage. The 52-year-old tennis great previously was married to British tennis player John Lloyd.
In September, Norman reached a multimillion-dollar divorce settlement with his wife of 26 years, Laura Andrassy. The 52-year-old Australian won the British Open in 1986 and 1993.
Associated Press
AP Evert Norman
I Am Legend Review
Man, this looks good...I'll be first in line.
Review: 'I Am Legend' a taut thriller
By Tom Charity
Special to CNN
(CNN) -- If anyone's going to be the last man on Earth, then Will Smith seems like an ideal candidate.
Cool and athletic, focused and unflappable, he's not someone who's going to give up on humanity just because the odds are stacked against him. Even at several billion to one, he's still adamant he can fix this thing.
A third movie version of Richard Matheson's classic sci-fi novel "I Am Legend" has been on the table at Warner Bros. for a long time. In the '90s, Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about following in the footsteps of Vincent Price and Charlton Heston (remember "The Omega Man"?).
Smith is such a different type, it's odd to think that he's taken over this mantle. In fact, he's scored consistently well in sci-fi, from "Independence Day" through "Men in Black" and "I, Robot," and there's no reason to suppose the tense, scary "I Am Legend" won't continue that impressive box office run, even if the movie itself flags on the last lap.
The opening couldn't be sharper. A television news report hails a medical breakthrough -- a viral cure for cancer, no less. Cut to New York three years later: abandoned cars, no one in sight, grass growing waist-high around Times Square. Something has gone very, very wrong.
Smith is Robert Neville. The cover of Time on his fridge door pictures a "Soldier. Scientist. Savior?" but that hanging question mark is well chosen, and we divine that his immunity is pure chance.
He's not quite alone. Neville patrols Fifth Avenue in his Mustang with Sam, a German Shepherd (also immune to the airborne virus), broadcasting into the void, then returning home to his Washington Square townhouse to put up the shutters before nightfall.
That's when the "Dark Seekers" venture out: feral, contaminated people with a rabid appetite for flesh but no pupil dilation reflex to protect them against sunlight.
By now, anyone who caught "28 Days Later" or last year's sequel "28 Weeks Later" may be experiencing deja vu -- in fact, if they called this movie "2.8 Years Later" it could pass as the third installment in the series with very little tweaking. Which is not to downplay the special frisson of seeing the Brooklyn Bridge ripped across the middle, for example.
Wisely dispensing with the Luddite rhetoric that bogged down "The Omega Man," "I Am Legend" doesn't have much time for Neville the soldier. While Chuck Heston dedicated himself to exterminating the albino hordes, Will Smith starts out firmly on the other end of the kill-or-cure scale.
At the same time, the film suggests his self-sufficient scientific rationalism is not enough. By day 1,001 he's on the point of suicide -- which is when the movie gets God in the comely intervention of born-again Alice Braga.
If the last half-hour feels thrown together, "Constantine" director Francis Lawrence mostly makes a virtue of the lean script, getting in and out quick, suppressing those inevitable nagging questions (are cockroaches immune?), always stressing Neville's solitary isolation.
So often, sci-fi is overproduced, but "I Am Legend" doesn't look like a CGI extravaganza. It looks like edgy suspense movie shot on the fly in New York City after the fall. And because of that, it's all the more effective.
"I Am Legend" is rated PG-13 and runs 100 minutes. For Entertainment Weekly's take, click here.
CNN Entertainment
cnn.com I Am Legend
Review: 'I Am Legend' a taut thriller
By Tom Charity
Special to CNN
(CNN) -- If anyone's going to be the last man on Earth, then Will Smith seems like an ideal candidate.
Cool and athletic, focused and unflappable, he's not someone who's going to give up on humanity just because the odds are stacked against him. Even at several billion to one, he's still adamant he can fix this thing.
A third movie version of Richard Matheson's classic sci-fi novel "I Am Legend" has been on the table at Warner Bros. for a long time. In the '90s, Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about following in the footsteps of Vincent Price and Charlton Heston (remember "The Omega Man"?).
Smith is such a different type, it's odd to think that he's taken over this mantle. In fact, he's scored consistently well in sci-fi, from "Independence Day" through "Men in Black" and "I, Robot," and there's no reason to suppose the tense, scary "I Am Legend" won't continue that impressive box office run, even if the movie itself flags on the last lap.
The opening couldn't be sharper. A television news report hails a medical breakthrough -- a viral cure for cancer, no less. Cut to New York three years later: abandoned cars, no one in sight, grass growing waist-high around Times Square. Something has gone very, very wrong.
Smith is Robert Neville. The cover of Time on his fridge door pictures a "Soldier. Scientist. Savior?" but that hanging question mark is well chosen, and we divine that his immunity is pure chance.
He's not quite alone. Neville patrols Fifth Avenue in his Mustang with Sam, a German Shepherd (also immune to the airborne virus), broadcasting into the void, then returning home to his Washington Square townhouse to put up the shutters before nightfall.
That's when the "Dark Seekers" venture out: feral, contaminated people with a rabid appetite for flesh but no pupil dilation reflex to protect them against sunlight.
By now, anyone who caught "28 Days Later" or last year's sequel "28 Weeks Later" may be experiencing deja vu -- in fact, if they called this movie "2.8 Years Later" it could pass as the third installment in the series with very little tweaking. Which is not to downplay the special frisson of seeing the Brooklyn Bridge ripped across the middle, for example.
Wisely dispensing with the Luddite rhetoric that bogged down "The Omega Man," "I Am Legend" doesn't have much time for Neville the soldier. While Chuck Heston dedicated himself to exterminating the albino hordes, Will Smith starts out firmly on the other end of the kill-or-cure scale.
At the same time, the film suggests his self-sufficient scientific rationalism is not enough. By day 1,001 he's on the point of suicide -- which is when the movie gets God in the comely intervention of born-again Alice Braga.
If the last half-hour feels thrown together, "Constantine" director Francis Lawrence mostly makes a virtue of the lean script, getting in and out quick, suppressing those inevitable nagging questions (are cockroaches immune?), always stressing Neville's solitary isolation.
So often, sci-fi is overproduced, but "I Am Legend" doesn't look like a CGI extravaganza. It looks like edgy suspense movie shot on the fly in New York City after the fall. And because of that, it's all the more effective.
"I Am Legend" is rated PG-13 and runs 100 minutes. For Entertainment Weekly's take, click here.
CNN Entertainment
cnn.com I Am Legend
Snow Globe Boy Wants to Set Record
Haha! Ya gotta love this!
Snow Globe Boy Seeking World Record
Ben Eckerson, a 24-year-old production coordinator at McKinney advertising agency in Durham, N.C., has been spending much of the past several days sitting inside a giant inflatable snow globe. As of Friday morning, Eckerson had been in the globe for nearly three full days.
Eckerson's snow globe adventure is being shown live, 24-hours per day, 7 days peer week through a webcam at snowglobeboy.mckinney.com. According to the site, he is hoping to set a world record for time spent in such a spot, and hopes to spread some holiday cheer.
He has been spending all but 51 minutes per day inside the snow globe, and utilizes those minutes away to take care of personal needs. All of his meals are delivered to him inside the snow globe, which is located inside the McKinney headquarters building.
Eckerson also has a number of items in the snowglobe to keep himself entertained, including a Playstation, exercise equipment, games, and paper towels.
The idea initially behind the snow globe was to send out a different, creative, yet green holiday card this year, and so the agency came up with the snow globe idea - sending out digital cards through the website. The idea quickly snowballed, and "Snow Globe Boy" became an internet phenomenon.
He says has hes received so many emails since entering the snow globe that he can't even respond to them all. Eckerson plans to leave the globe Friday to attend the company's holiday party.
Cleveland Leader
clevelandleader.com
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Capital One Launches Card Lab
I gotta say, this is pretty cool...
Capital One launches Card Lab
By Lauren Bell
Capital One Financial Corporation has launched the online tool Capital One Card Lab.
Card Lab is an interactive Web site where consumers can build their own Capital One credit cards. Card-builders can choose from a menu of introductory offers, interest rates, annual fees and rewards. Capital One also provides options for front-of-card designs.
“This whole concept is basically playing off the emerging trend of control shifting from company to consumer,” said Pam Girardo, spokesperson for Capital One. “Consumers want to be in the driver’s seat. This is a new level of control in the credit card space, and we believe it will drive loyalty and confidence in customers. The confidence they get from creating the card themselves will make us top-of-wallet.”
Capital One currently markets the Card Lab with online advertisements, but the
company plans to roll out a direct mail campaign in the future. Girardo said the Card Lab will not replace Capital One’s direct mail and other card-marketing efforts.
Card Lab provides a glossary of account terms, defining options as the user rolls a mouse over a term. The site also grays out choices that don’t work together —a feature that prevents consumers from making unusable card while showing them the effects of their previous selections.
“Card Lab offers a whole new level in transparency, and consumers are getting an education in key credit card accounts terminology,” Girardo added. “It’s putting the trade-off decisions in the hands of consumers and giving a peek under the tent.”
Once a card is fully designed, site users fill out an online application, and, if approved, they receive their card in the mail within seven to 10 days. Applicants will be notified of approval within a few minutes of entering their information on the site. Application information is kept in the same secure database as all of Capital One’s online credit applications.
Enhancements will be added to Card Lab in the coming months. One new feature will be “image card,” which allows users to put an image of their choice — such as an uploaded photograph — on the front of their card.
Capital One owns Capital One Bank, Capital One Auto Finance Inc. and Capital One NA. The company is headquartered in McLean, VA.
Lauren Bell is a reporter covering media, circulation issues, CRM and database. Reach her at lauren.bell@dmnews.com.
dmnews.com
Capital One launches Card Lab
By Lauren Bell
Capital One Financial Corporation has launched the online tool Capital One Card Lab.
Card Lab is an interactive Web site where consumers can build their own Capital One credit cards. Card-builders can choose from a menu of introductory offers, interest rates, annual fees and rewards. Capital One also provides options for front-of-card designs.
“This whole concept is basically playing off the emerging trend of control shifting from company to consumer,” said Pam Girardo, spokesperson for Capital One. “Consumers want to be in the driver’s seat. This is a new level of control in the credit card space, and we believe it will drive loyalty and confidence in customers. The confidence they get from creating the card themselves will make us top-of-wallet.”
Capital One currently markets the Card Lab with online advertisements, but the
company plans to roll out a direct mail campaign in the future. Girardo said the Card Lab will not replace Capital One’s direct mail and other card-marketing efforts.
Card Lab provides a glossary of account terms, defining options as the user rolls a mouse over a term. The site also grays out choices that don’t work together —a feature that prevents consumers from making unusable card while showing them the effects of their previous selections.
“Card Lab offers a whole new level in transparency, and consumers are getting an education in key credit card accounts terminology,” Girardo added. “It’s putting the trade-off decisions in the hands of consumers and giving a peek under the tent.”
Once a card is fully designed, site users fill out an online application, and, if approved, they receive their card in the mail within seven to 10 days. Applicants will be notified of approval within a few minutes of entering their information on the site. Application information is kept in the same secure database as all of Capital One’s online credit applications.
Enhancements will be added to Card Lab in the coming months. One new feature will be “image card,” which allows users to put an image of their choice — such as an uploaded photograph — on the front of their card.
Capital One owns Capital One Bank, Capital One Auto Finance Inc. and Capital One NA. The company is headquartered in McLean, VA.
Lauren Bell is a reporter covering media, circulation issues, CRM and database. Reach her at lauren.bell@dmnews.com.
dmnews.com
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Paris Hilton and All That Gold
I hope she gets a rash...Paris Hilton wears nothing but a coat of gold paint in a new ad campaign for a champagne brand.
Rich Prosecco
The ad for Rich Prosecco shows the socialite posing provocatively in a desert setting.
Hilton was in Berlin Wednesday to promote the drink, which comes in a can rather than a bottle. And she took the opportunity to stump for a boyfriend.
"Right now I'm single but I am looking for a nice boy," Paris told reporters. "He should be funny, smart and loyal."
Hilton also put in a good word for the environment.
"I changed all the light bulbs to energy safe light bulbs and I'm buying a hybrid car right now," Hilton said, adding that she also turned off the lights at home, didn't leave the TV on or the water running when she left the home. "Little things that people can do every day to make a huge difference."
Fox News
Fox News Hilton Story
(Be sure to visit Foxnews.com for their photo essay)
Legendary Ike Turner Dead at 76
Musician Ike Turner dies at 76
By ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press Writer
SAN DIEGO - Ike Turner, whose role as one of rock's critical architects was overshadowed by his ogrelike image as the man who brutally abused former wife Tina Turner, died Wednesday at his home in suburban San Diego. He was 76.
Turner died at his San Marcos home, Scott M. Hanover of Thrill Entertainment Group, which managed Turner's career, told The Associated Press.
There was no immediate word on the cause of death, which was first reported by celebrity Web site TMZ.com.
Turner managed to rehabilitate his image somewhat in later years, touring around the globe with his band the Kings of Rhythm and drawing critical acclaim for his work. He won a Grammy in 2007 in the traditional blues album category for "Risin' With the Blues."
But his image is forever identified as the drug-addicted, wife-abusing husband of Tina Turner. He was hauntingly portrayed by Laurence Fishburne in the movie "What's Love Got To Do With It," based on Tina Turner's autobiography.
In a 2001 interview with The Associated Press, Turner denied his ex-wife's claims of abuse and expressed frustration that he had been demonized in the media while his historic role in rock's beginnings had been ignored.
"You can go ask Snoop Dogg or Eminem, you can ask the Rolling Stones or (Eric) Clapton, or you can ask anybody — anybody, they all know my contribution to music, but it hasn't been in print about what I've done or what I've contributed until now," he said.
Turner, a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, is credited by many rock historians with making the first rock 'n' roll record, "Rocket 88," in 1951. Produced by the legendary Sam Phillips, it was groundbreaking for its use of distorted electric guitar.
But as would be the case for most of his career, Turner, a prolific session guitarist and piano player, was not the star on the record — it was recorded with Turner's band but credited to singer Jackie Brenston.
And it would be another singer — a young woman named Anna Mae Bullock — who would bring Turner his greatest fame, and infamy.
Turner met the 18-year-old Bullock, whom he would later marry, in 1959 and quickly made the husky-voiced woman the lead singer of his group, refashioning her into the sexy Tina Turner. Her stage persona was highlighted by short skirts and stiletto heels that made her legs her most visible asset. But despite the glamorous image, she still sang with the grit and fervor of a rock singer with a twist of soul.
The pair would have two sons. They also produced a string of hits. The first, "A Fool In Love," was a top R&B song in 1959, and others followed, including "I Idolize You" and "It's Gonna Work Out Fine."
But over the years their genre-defying sound would make them favorites on the rock 'n' roll scene, as they opened for acts like the Rolling Stones.
Their densely layered hit "River Deep, Mountain High" was one of producer Phil Spector's proudest creations. A rousing version of "Proud Mary," a cover of the Creedence Clearwater Revival hit, became their signature song and won them a Grammy for best R&B vocal performance by a group.
Still, their hits were often sporadic, and while their public life depicted a powerful, dynamic duo, Tina Turner would later charge that her husband was an overbearing wife abuser and cocaine addict.
In her 1987 autobiography, "I, Tina," she narrated a harrowing tale of abuse, including suffering a broken nose. She said that cycle ended after a vicious fight between the pair in the back seat of a car in Las Vegas, where they were scheduled to perform.
It was the only time she ever fought back against her husband, Turner said.
After the two broke up, both fell into obscurity and endured money woes for years before Tina Turner made a dramatic comeback in 1982 with the release of the album "Private Dancer," a multiplatinum success with hits such as "Let's Stay Together" and "What's Love Got To Do With It."
The movie based on her life, "What's Love Got To Do With It," was also a hit, earning Angela Bassett an Oscar nomination.
But Fishburne's glowering depiction of Ike Turner also furthered Turner's reputation as a rock villain.
Meanwhile, Turner never again had the success he enjoyed with his former wife.
After years of drug abuse, he was jailed in 1989 and served 17 months.
Turner told the AP he originally began using drugs to stay awake and handle the rigors of nonstop touring during his glory years.
"My experience, man, with drugs — I can't say that I'm proud that I did drugs, but I'm glad I'm still alive to convey how I came through," he said. "I'm a good example that you can go to the bottom. ... I used to pray, `God, if you let me get three days clean, I will never look back.' But I never did get to three days. You know why? Because I would lie to myself. And then only when I went to jail, man, did I get those three days. And man, I haven't looked back since then."
But while he would readily admit to drug abuse, Turner always denied abusing his ex-wife.
After years out of the spotlight his career finally began to revive in 2001 when he released the album "Here and Now." The recording won rave reviews and a Grammy nomination and finally helped shift some of the public's attention away from his troubled past and onto his musical legacy.
"His last chapter in life shouldn't be drug abuse and the problems he had with Tina," said Rob Johnson, the producer of "Here and Now."
Turner spent his later years making more music and touring, even while he battled emphysema.
Robbie Montgomery — one of the "Ikettes," backup singers who worked with Ike and Tina Turner — said Turner's death was "devastating" to her.
"He gave me my start. He gave a million people their start," Montgomery said.
Accolades for Turner's early and later work continued to come in as he grew older, and the once-broke musician managed to garner a comfortable income as his songs were sampled by a variety of rap acts.
In interviews toward the end of his life, Turner would acknowledge having made many mistakes, but maintained he was still able to carry himself with pride.
"I know what I am in my heart. And I know regardless of what I've done, good and bad, it took it all to make me what I am today," he once told the AP.
___
Associated Press Music Writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody in New York and Associated Press Writer Robert Jablon in Los Angeles contributed to this story.
Yahoo News - Ike Turner
Jessica Alba Pregnant
Let's make that "Fantastic Three"...
Jessica Alba, star of the Fantastic Four movies, is expecting her first child with boyfriend Cash Warren.
"Jessica and Cash are expecting a baby in late spring [or] early summer," her spokesman told the People.com website.
Alba, 26, has been dating Warren since autumn 2004. The pair met on the first Fantastic Four film, on which Warren, 28, worked as a director's assistant.
Alba, recently seen in the comedy Good Luck Chuck, was named the sexiest woman in the world by FHM readers last April.
The actress played Sue Storm, aka the Invisible Girl, in 2005's Fantastic Four and its 2007 sequel.
Her other films include Sin City, Into the Blue and current US release Awake.
BBC News
BBC News - Alba
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Atlanta Falcons Bobby Petrino Resigns
Petrino resigns as Atlanta Falcons coach after 13 games, heads to Arkansas
ATLANTA - Bobby Petrino resigned as Atlanta Falcons coach on Tuesday, having lasted only 13 games with the NFL team. A person within the league told The Associated Press that Petrino quit to return to the college ranks at Arkansas.
He left Louisville in January to become Atlanta's coach for a five-year, US$24-million contract, largely because the Falcons felt he could help star quarterback Michael Vick reach his full potential.
A few months later, Vick came under investigation for a grisly dogfighting operation that eventually led him to plead guilty to federal charges. He was sentenced Monday to 23 months in prison without ever taking a snap for Petrino.
A source familiar with Patrino's decision, speaking on condition of anonymity because the school had not made an official announcement, said he was going to Arkansas. The Razorbacks have been looking for a coach for two weeks to replace Houston Nutt, who resigned after a tumultuous season and took the Mississippi job.
The school had no immediate comment on its coaching search.
The Falcons declined further comment beyond a terse, two-paragraph statement released Tuesday night. Owner Arthur Blank and general manager Rich McKay were scheduled to hold a news conference Wednesday.
There was no immediate word who would take over as head coach for the final three games, though defensive co-ordinator Mike Zimmer and offensive co-ordinator Hue Jackson would be the most logical candidates.
Petrino did not answer his cell phone or a call placed to his Atlanta-area home. His brother, Falcons receivers coach Paul Petrino, declined comment when reached on his cell phone.
"I don't think I can say anything about it right now," he said. "I'm sorry."
After losing Vick, Petrino tried three starting quarterbacks without success. The Falcons are 3-10 and assured of the 32nd losing season in their 42-year history.
The resignation of Petrino was another jarring blow to the Falcons, who dealt with Vick's legal troubles since the first day of training camp, when a plane flew overhead pulling a sign that said: "New team name? Dog Killers?"
Petrino assembled one of college football's highest-scoring offences at Louisville, but the Falcons were anemic without Vick. They also were plagued by injuries on the offensive line, which forced them to start two players who weren't even drafted out of college.
Just hours after Vick's sentencing in Richmond, Va., Atlanta took its fourth straight double-digit loss, 34-14 to the New Orleans Saints.
"Not a good day," Petrino said afterward.
The resignation had to be a major surprise to Blank, who fired Jim Mora just two seasons after he led the Falcons to the NFC championship game, and lured Petrino with a lucrative contract.
Before Monday's game, Blank said he felt better than ever about his decision to hire Petrino given all the adversity the team faced this season.
"I feel real fortunate we have a terrific guy leading our team, our CEO, in Bobby Petrino," Blank said. "I think he's proven to me he's a better head coach than we thought he was going to be, dealing with a set of cards we didn't see unfold this year, which probably never in the history of the NFL has anything like this happened. Bobby has done a wonderful job dealing with all of these issues. He's kept the players focused."
But there were signs of dissension, especially in the way Petrino dealt with his players.
He ran the team with an aloof style, feeling no reason to share his decisions on personnel with the affected players. He could walk through the locker room without speaking to anyone and was openly criticized by two of the team's stars, Pro Bowlers Alge Crumpler and DeAngelo Hall.
Petrino drew the ire of the veterans with his decision to cut nose tackle Grady Jackson, one of the team's most productive defensive linemen, during the bye week. Quarterback Joey Harrington was clearly perturbed a few weeks ago when, after leading the Falcons to two straight wins, he heard from the media that Petrino still considered injury prone Byron Leftwich the starter.
Against the Saints, the Falcons made another change at the most crucial offensive position, giving Chris Redman his first start since 2002. While Redman threw for 298 yards and two touchdowns, the Falcons lost again.
They have been outscored by an average of 18.5 points in their last four defeats.
After the latest loss, Petrino sounded as though he was still committed to getting the Falcons turned around.
"We'll come back on Wednesday to take a look at it, and then we'll get back to work," he said. "We have to find something to rally around."
But clearly, Petrino already had decided to abandon the sinking ship.
Alex Trebek Suffers Heart Attack
Thankfully, just a minor one...
Trebek Hospitalized With Heart Attack
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Longtime "Jeopardy!" host Alex Trebek was hospitalized Tuesday after a minor heart attack, a spokesman for the game show said. Trebek, 67, was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center late Monday night and was expected to remain there about two days for tests and observation, said show spokesman Jeff Ritter.
"Thankfully it was a minor heart attack," Ritter said. He did not give other details.
A post on the official "Jeopardy!" Web site said Trebek was "resting comfortably in a Los Angeles hospital, and he will be back in the studio for the next scheduled tapings in January." His heart attack was first reported by "Entertainment Tonight."
Trebek escaped a car crash unhurt in 2004 when he fell asleep at the wheel, sideswiped a string of mailboxes and wound up in a ditch, according to the California Highway Patrol. The Jan 30, 2004, accident happened in the town of Templeton, not far from Trebek's thoroughbred horse ranch.
"Jeopardy!" has been one of television's top-rated syndicated programs for more than 20 years. The Canadian-born Trebek has been its host since 1984.
He has been nominated numerous times for daytime Emmy Awards for game show host, winning twice.
Trebek, who holds a philosophy degree from the University of Ottawa, was a TV and radio reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Company before moving to the United States. He became a U.S. citizen in 1998.
He launched his U.S. game show career in 1983 as host of a show called "The Wizard of Odds." Other shows he's hosted include "Pitfall," "Battlestars," "The $128,000 Question," "Double Dare," "High Rollers," "Strategy" and "Reach for the Top." He also hosts the annual National Geography Bee in the U.S. and Canada.
Trebek and his wife, Jean, have two children.
Associated Press
AP - Trebec
Ryan White's Mother Upset Over Huckabee Comments
This isn't the only controversial comment by Huckabee. As reported on www.dailykos.com:
In August of 1998, Huckabee was one of 131 signatories to a full page USA Today Ad which declared: "I affirm the statement on the family issued by the 1998 Southern Baptist Convention." What was in the family statement from the SBC? "A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ."
The ad wasn't just a blanket, "we support the SBC statement," but rather highlighted details. The ad Huckabee signed specifically said of the SBC family statement: "You are right because you called wives to graciously submit to their husband's sacrificial leadership."
AIDS Comments Alarm Ryan White's Mother
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee's 15-year-old comments that AIDS patients should have been isolated have so alarmed the mother of Ryan White, an Indiana teenager whose life-ending battle with AIDS in the 1980s engrossed the nation, that she has asked for a meeting.
"I would be very willing to meet with them," the former Arkansas governor responded Tuesday while campaigning in western Iowa. "I would tell them we've come a long way in research, in treatment."
The GOP front-runner in Iowa's Jan. 3 caucuses stood by his 1992 comments in a broadcast interview Sunday, infuriating Jeanne White-Ginder, the late teen's mother and a board member of the AIDS Institute.
"It's so alarming to me," she said in a telephone interview Monday with The Associated Press from her home in Leesburg, Fla.
"It's very important to me that we don't live in the darkness" when people thought AIDS was transmitted through casual contact, such as by "kissing, tears, sweat and saliva," White-Ginder said. "We have to treat this disease like a disease, and like Ryan always said, not like a dirty word."
White was 13 when he was diagnosed with AIDS in December 1984, having contracted the disease from the blood-clotting agent used to treat his hemophilia. He was barred from school the following year out of fear the disease was spread casually. He died in 1990 at age 18.
On Tuesday, the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group, and the AIDS Institute sent a letter to Huckabee asking him to meet with White-Ginder — who declined in the interview to say what political party she belongs to — and calling his comments "completely beyond comprehension."
In response, Huckabee told reporters in Council Bluffs, Iowa: "I certainly never would want to say anything that would be hurtful to them or anyone else. I would have great regret and anxiety if I thought my comments were hurtful or in any way added to the already incredible pain that families have felt regardless of how they contracted AIDS."
Once an underdog, Huckabee has come under increased scrutiny as he has soared to the front-running position in the important Iowa caucuses and elsewhere over the past few weeks. He's faced criticism, in particular, for his comments on AIDS, and his records on parole, taxes and immigration in his decade as governor, and those issues were all but certain to be raised at a GOP debate in Iowa on Wednesday.
As a Senate candidate in 1992, Huckabee told the AP in a questionnaire that "we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague" if the federal government was going to deal with the spread of the disease effectively. "It is the first time in the history of civilization in which the carriers of a genuine plague have not been isolated from the general population, and in which this deadly disease for which there is no cure is being treated as a civil rights issue instead of the true health crisis it represents," he said then.
In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Huckabee denied that those words were a call to quarantine the AIDS population, although he did not explain how else isolation would be achieved. "I didn't say we should quarantine," he said. The idea was not to "lock people up."
Huckabee acknowledged the prevailing scientific view then, and since, that the virus that causes AIDS is not spread through casual contact, but said that was not certain.
Associated Press Writer Mike Glover in Council Bluffs, Iowa contributed to this report.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Queen Latifah Out and Engaged
Who knew? Apparently everyone but me...
Everyone Wants in on Latifah Wedding
Queen Latifah's possible engagement to rumored girlfriend of four years Jeanette Jenkins is the hottest ticket in town.
No, folks aren't angling for an invite to the ceremony, they're falling all over themselves to break the coming-out news.
MediaTakeOut.com is just one of the sites claiming ownership of the story: "...We can tell you that we're 100% sure on this one. And we can also tell you that ABSOLUTELY NO ONE in the media (no magazines, no bloggers, no TV stations, no radio personalities - NO ONE) else is reporting this story right now."
But the New York Post also wants in on the action, posting a blind item on Monday that asked: "WHICH big Hollywood actress is about to come out of the closet? She's been living with her girlfriend in a small town, where all the neighbors know, and the two are now engaged to be married."
That was picked up by Perez Hilton—fittingly, the self-proclaimed Queen of All Media—with the header "Not So Blind Item" accompanied by a photo of the Queen and her, uh, queen.
Hey, Latifah, mazel tov if the nuptials news is true. But either way, may we suggest you register—stat!—to take advantage of all the attention this story is getting? Just imagine the toasters you could score!
eOnline
EOnline Gossip
Everyone Wants in on Latifah Wedding
Queen Latifah's possible engagement to rumored girlfriend of four years Jeanette Jenkins is the hottest ticket in town.
No, folks aren't angling for an invite to the ceremony, they're falling all over themselves to break the coming-out news.
MediaTakeOut.com is just one of the sites claiming ownership of the story: "...We can tell you that we're 100% sure on this one. And we can also tell you that ABSOLUTELY NO ONE in the media (no magazines, no bloggers, no TV stations, no radio personalities - NO ONE) else is reporting this story right now."
But the New York Post also wants in on the action, posting a blind item on Monday that asked: "WHICH big Hollywood actress is about to come out of the closet? She's been living with her girlfriend in a small town, where all the neighbors know, and the two are now engaged to be married."
That was picked up by Perez Hilton—fittingly, the self-proclaimed Queen of All Media—with the header "Not So Blind Item" accompanied by a photo of the Queen and her, uh, queen.
Hey, Latifah, mazel tov if the nuptials news is true. But either way, may we suggest you register—stat!—to take advantage of all the attention this story is getting? Just imagine the toasters you could score!
eOnline
EOnline Gossip
Nutty Buddy - Mark Littel, Protector of Men
Great invention, and the video is kinda funny too...
Meet man's new best friend
December 10, 2007
Mark Littell believes he has a better way to protect your boys, and, as his YouTube video shows, the former major leaguer will risk his manhood to prove it.
Perched on a wooden pallet, Littell braces himself as assistants aim the barrel of a pitching machine between his legs. On cue, the machine fires a baseball that smacks Littell right in the -- well, you know -- with a resounding whomp.
Littell stands and flexes his muscles, unfazed.
"Yes sir, folks," he says into the camera. "The Nutty Buddy: It's mean, it's tough, and it's right there for ya, every time."
Littell, 54, says nine seasons with the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals helped him design an athletic cup that's ahead of the competition.
"All people have to do is try it," Littell says.
At $19.95, the Nutty Buddy is on the high end in price, about twice as much as a typical athletic cup. But Littell is betting parents will buy them for their sons anyway in hopes the better fit will get them to wear the cups more often.
So far, Littell's company has sold 3,500 units through the Web.
Freep.com
Freep.com Nutty Buddy
See the video here:
Nutty Buddy Video
Meet man's new best friend
December 10, 2007
Mark Littell believes he has a better way to protect your boys, and, as his YouTube video shows, the former major leaguer will risk his manhood to prove it.
Perched on a wooden pallet, Littell braces himself as assistants aim the barrel of a pitching machine between his legs. On cue, the machine fires a baseball that smacks Littell right in the -- well, you know -- with a resounding whomp.
Littell stands and flexes his muscles, unfazed.
"Yes sir, folks," he says into the camera. "The Nutty Buddy: It's mean, it's tough, and it's right there for ya, every time."
Littell, 54, says nine seasons with the Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals helped him design an athletic cup that's ahead of the competition.
"All people have to do is try it," Littell says.
At $19.95, the Nutty Buddy is on the high end in price, about twice as much as a typical athletic cup. But Littell is betting parents will buy them for their sons anyway in hopes the better fit will get them to wear the cups more often.
So far, Littell's company has sold 3,500 units through the Web.
Freep.com
Freep.com Nutty Buddy
See the video here:
Nutty Buddy Video
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Prometa - Drug Cravings Ended Overnight?
Prescription For Addiction
60 Minutes' Scott Pelley Reports On A New Addiction Treatment
(CBS) Word is spreading fast about a new therapy that is said to break the grip of drug addiction in a simple treatment. Addicts who have tried everything and remained hopelessly hooked say their drug cravings ended almost overnight.
The therapy is called "Prometa." As correspondent Scott Pelley reports, it's being promoted by Terren Peizer, a former junk bond salesman whose business is business, not medicine. He skipped the usual medical research and government approvals to rush Prometa to market.
Why the shortcuts? Peizer, who stands to make millions, says there's no way he can sit on Prometa when he believes it's the miracle treatment that millions are dying for.
"And if you had a son. If you had a son or a daughter, and maybe you do. If he's strung out on meth. And he's going to kill himself. Would you, if you had the opportunity. And I said to you, will you treat your son with Prometa?" Peizer asks. "Would you take that option for your son?"
Terren Peizer is selling hope to the desperate. If what he says is true, he's hit on the first medical treatment for methamphetamine addiction -- a therapy that he says works for cocaine and alcohol, too.
An alcoholic getting treatment with Prometa visits a clinic three times, getting one drug, flumazenil, by infusion, and two more, gabapentin and hydroxyzine, in the form of pills; meth and cocaine addicts require two additional treatments later in the month. And patients take gabapentin daily for a month. Prometa's treatment plans also call for nutritional supplements and counseling sessions.
The drugs have been around for years, but none of them was developed to treat addiction.
Dave Smart tried Prometa. He'd been hooked on meth for 20 years. "I tried NA. I tried AA. I tried in-patient treatment centers. I tried outpatient treatment centers. I've been to jail and to prison many times for different crimes due to meth," Smart tells Pelley.
"But, Dave, you've got a wife of more than 20 years. You've got children. You've got grandchildren. None of that was worth quitting for?" Pelley asks.
"All of that is worth quitting for. But it has such a strong hold on me. It did have such a strong hold on me that I couldn't quit. Believe me, I tried. I hated it. I hated my life on dope," Smart says.
Almost two million Americans used meth last year. In Tacoma, Wash., Smart took Pelley to see the damage meth can do.
"We tore this place apart," Smart tells Pelley, outside an unoccupied house.
Addicts swarmed the unoccupied house like locusts, stripped it, and sold the scrap. "All the wiring we took out of there, the wiring out of the house, there was TVs and all kinds of things in the house, all taken out," Smart explains.
"You stole it and you sold it all," Pelley asks.
"That's the bottom line, yes," Smart says.
"You know this is the kind of thing I've seen in Baghdad," Pelley remarks.
"Yeah, that's what we do to get our dope," Smart says.
Eight months ago, Smart was on his way to buy dope when he stopped at a Prometa clinic. He'd heard about it on TV. After about an hour at the clinic, instead of going on to his meth dealer, he went home.
Smart says the cravings were gone overnight. "That's the way it worked for me," he says.
"Dave, you have to understand how that sounds too good to be true," Pelley remarks.
"I do understand how it sounds too good to be true," Smart says.
"You never would have believed it," Pelley asks.
"No, no," Smart says. "I never would have believed it. You're right. But it happened."
"This tool is different. This tool has a unique and powerful biological response that is very robust," says Dr. Matthew Torrington, the medical director of the Prometa Center of Los Angeles.
Dr. Torrington has done addiction research at UCLA. He started prescribing Prometa two years ago. Torrington says for an addict, Prometa is like brakes on a car.
"You're asking them to go down the arduous road of recovery without the ability to stop. And their brain says 'Go,' and it's on! Okay, and they just don't have the
ability to say no," he says. "Because their brain told them that they were hungry for drugs the way you would be hungry for air with a plastic bag over your head. Okay?"
The three drugs used in Prometa were approved by the FDA years ago, but not for addiction treatment. One was approved to treat overdoses of sedatives, another to treat seizures, the other to calm anxiety. In the 1990’s, a Spanish doctor put them together. The theory is they alter brain chemistry to end craving.
One patient explained it to Torrington like this: "He said, 'Look, Torrington, before the treatment my thought went, cocaine, cocaine, cocaine, cocaine, cocaine, cocaine, cocaine, after the treatment my thoughts went cocaine, I wonder what happened to that rental car I lost, I wonder what happened to my cell phone I wonder what happened to my luggage boy I met my mom is mad at me, boy am I hungry, boy am I tired, cocaine.' It wasn’t like he couldn’t remember cocaine anymore, it was that cocaine went from all he could think about to being just another thing on the list," Torrington explains.
CBS News
CBS News - Prometa
60 Minutes' Scott Pelley Reports On A New Addiction Treatment
(CBS) Word is spreading fast about a new therapy that is said to break the grip of drug addiction in a simple treatment. Addicts who have tried everything and remained hopelessly hooked say their drug cravings ended almost overnight.
The therapy is called "Prometa." As correspondent Scott Pelley reports, it's being promoted by Terren Peizer, a former junk bond salesman whose business is business, not medicine. He skipped the usual medical research and government approvals to rush Prometa to market.
Why the shortcuts? Peizer, who stands to make millions, says there's no way he can sit on Prometa when he believes it's the miracle treatment that millions are dying for.
"And if you had a son. If you had a son or a daughter, and maybe you do. If he's strung out on meth. And he's going to kill himself. Would you, if you had the opportunity. And I said to you, will you treat your son with Prometa?" Peizer asks. "Would you take that option for your son?"
Terren Peizer is selling hope to the desperate. If what he says is true, he's hit on the first medical treatment for methamphetamine addiction -- a therapy that he says works for cocaine and alcohol, too.
An alcoholic getting treatment with Prometa visits a clinic three times, getting one drug, flumazenil, by infusion, and two more, gabapentin and hydroxyzine, in the form of pills; meth and cocaine addicts require two additional treatments later in the month. And patients take gabapentin daily for a month. Prometa's treatment plans also call for nutritional supplements and counseling sessions.
The drugs have been around for years, but none of them was developed to treat addiction.
Dave Smart tried Prometa. He'd been hooked on meth for 20 years. "I tried NA. I tried AA. I tried in-patient treatment centers. I tried outpatient treatment centers. I've been to jail and to prison many times for different crimes due to meth," Smart tells Pelley.
"But, Dave, you've got a wife of more than 20 years. You've got children. You've got grandchildren. None of that was worth quitting for?" Pelley asks.
"All of that is worth quitting for. But it has such a strong hold on me. It did have such a strong hold on me that I couldn't quit. Believe me, I tried. I hated it. I hated my life on dope," Smart says.
Almost two million Americans used meth last year. In Tacoma, Wash., Smart took Pelley to see the damage meth can do.
"We tore this place apart," Smart tells Pelley, outside an unoccupied house.
Addicts swarmed the unoccupied house like locusts, stripped it, and sold the scrap. "All the wiring we took out of there, the wiring out of the house, there was TVs and all kinds of things in the house, all taken out," Smart explains.
"You stole it and you sold it all," Pelley asks.
"That's the bottom line, yes," Smart says.
"You know this is the kind of thing I've seen in Baghdad," Pelley remarks.
"Yeah, that's what we do to get our dope," Smart says.
Eight months ago, Smart was on his way to buy dope when he stopped at a Prometa clinic. He'd heard about it on TV. After about an hour at the clinic, instead of going on to his meth dealer, he went home.
Smart says the cravings were gone overnight. "That's the way it worked for me," he says.
"Dave, you have to understand how that sounds too good to be true," Pelley remarks.
"I do understand how it sounds too good to be true," Smart says.
"You never would have believed it," Pelley asks.
"No, no," Smart says. "I never would have believed it. You're right. But it happened."
"This tool is different. This tool has a unique and powerful biological response that is very robust," says Dr. Matthew Torrington, the medical director of the Prometa Center of Los Angeles.
Dr. Torrington has done addiction research at UCLA. He started prescribing Prometa two years ago. Torrington says for an addict, Prometa is like brakes on a car.
"You're asking them to go down the arduous road of recovery without the ability to stop. And their brain says 'Go,' and it's on! Okay, and they just don't have the
ability to say no," he says. "Because their brain told them that they were hungry for drugs the way you would be hungry for air with a plastic bag over your head. Okay?"
The three drugs used in Prometa were approved by the FDA years ago, but not for addiction treatment. One was approved to treat overdoses of sedatives, another to treat seizures, the other to calm anxiety. In the 1990’s, a Spanish doctor put them together. The theory is they alter brain chemistry to end craving.
One patient explained it to Torrington like this: "He said, 'Look, Torrington, before the treatment my thought went, cocaine, cocaine, cocaine, cocaine, cocaine, cocaine, cocaine, after the treatment my thoughts went cocaine, I wonder what happened to that rental car I lost, I wonder what happened to my cell phone I wonder what happened to my luggage boy I met my mom is mad at me, boy am I hungry, boy am I tired, cocaine.' It wasn’t like he couldn’t remember cocaine anymore, it was that cocaine went from all he could think about to being just another thing on the list," Torrington explains.
CBS News
CBS News - Prometa
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Tebow Wins Heisman Trophy
For Florida Quarterback, It’s a Year of Firsts
By JOSHUA ROBINSON
Published: December 9, 2007
After becoming the first major college quarterback to throw 20 touchdown passes and run for 20 more touchdowns in a season, Florida’s Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.
Tebow earned 1,957 points and 462 first-place votes. The Arkansas senior running back Darren McFadden was the runner-up for the second year in a row, collecting 1,703 points and 291 first-pace votes, the most first-place votes a runner-up has received.
Hawaii’s senior quarterback Colt Brennan placed third with 632 points, and Missouri’s junior quarterback Chase Daniel was fourth with 425.
With his right hand in a cast, Tebow, 20, accepted the 25-pound bronze trophy and gave an emotional acceptance speech in which he thanked everyone from his strength and conditioning coach to his offensive linemen to Jesus. His nervousness was apparent when three times he repeated, “I love being a Gator, and I love Gator Nation.”
If Tebow had been an upperclassman, the victory might have been a landslide. But his status as a sophomore had many of the traditionalists among the voters wondering if the award should take into account a more complete college career.
“There are a lot of great freshmen and sophomores out there,” Tebow said. “And I’m just glad that I get to be the first one to win this.”
In each of his 12 games this season, Tebow had at least one rushing touchdown. He amassed 838 yards on 194 carries and scored 22 times. But that was only half his game. He also passed for 3,132 yards with 29 touchdowns and completed 68.5 percent of his throws.
Earlier in the week, Tebow won the Davey O’Brien award as the best quarterback in the country and the Maxwell Award, a prize separate from the Heisman for the nation’s best player. In recent years, however, the Maxwell has seemed somewhat ominous for Heisman hopefuls as no player has won both awards in the same season since Ron Dayne in 1999. Instead, Tebow became the second Florida quarterback in the last 11 years to win the Heisman, following Danny Wuerffel, one of Tebow’s childhood heroes.
But Wuerffel did not play in the kind of spread offense that has made 2007 the highest-scoring season in college football history.
The moment that stood out for many voters was Tebow’s 23-yard touchdown run against Florida State when he ducked out of a crunching tackle from a lineman and eluded two more defensive backs as he sprinted to the goal line. That was after he had avoided a sack on third-and-14 and rushed for 16 yards to keep the drive rolling.
Using his legs under pressure may have helped carried him to the Heisman, but it is also what first put him in the spotlight as a freshman. Playing behind Chris Leak, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Tebow was Florida Coach Urban Meyer’s choice in short-yardage situations. In his first Southeastern Conference game, against Tennessee, Tebow came in on a fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter and pounded his way to a critical first down to set up the go-ahead touchdown in a 21-20 victory.
He finished his freshman season with 469 yards rushing and a team-high 8 touchdown runs on 89 carries. He threw for only 358 yards, but none meant more than the 358th — a 1-yard touchdown pass on third-and-goal in the national championship game victory against Ohio State.
For McFadden, sitting at the ceremony only to hear someone else’s name called was an all-too familiar situation. Last year, he made the trip to New York only to watch Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith claim the trophy by the second-largest margin in history.
McFadden, a two-time SEC offensive player of the year and Walter Camp Player of the Year, made his strongest case for the Heisman with his performance in Arkansas’s 50-48 triple-overtime victory at Louisiana State. He rushed for 206 yards in that game, including a 73-yard touchdown sprint in the third quarter, and threw a 24-yard pass for a touchdown in the fourth.
The final Heisman picture did not come into focus until the last month or so with several other names being mentioned throughout the season. After rushing for a touchdown in each of his first eight games, Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon seemed like a legitimate candidate. But after a knee injury in a loss to Arizona cut his season short, his 20 touchdowns and 2,106 passing yards were not enough to earn him an invitation to New York.
West Virginia quarterback Pat White, who threw for 12 touchdowns and rushed for 14, might also have been considered in the mix as he led the Mountaineers to the brink of the national title game before the Mountaineers lost to Pittsburgh.
It was that same weekend that Brennan played his way into contention. With Hawaii putting the only perfect Football Bowl Subdivision record on the line against Washington last Saturday, he completed 42 of 50 passes to close a 21-point deficit and win the game with a 5-yard slant pass with 44 seconds to play. But Brennan’s critics are quick to point out that he faced a weak schedule this year — Hawaii did not play a team in the top 25 until November.
Two nationally televised games seemed to make and break Daniel’s chances. On Nov. 24, he led Missouri to a memorable 36-28 victory against Kansas, going 40 of 49 with no interceptions. A week later, however, he failed to throw a touchdown pass as Oklahoma trounced Missouri, 38-17.
But Daniel said he was under no illusions. “I’m just glad to be here, everyone knew it was going to Tim,” he said.
NY Times
NY Times Hiesman Trophy Winner
By JOSHUA ROBINSON
Published: December 9, 2007
After becoming the first major college quarterback to throw 20 touchdown passes and run for 20 more touchdowns in a season, Florida’s Tim Tebow became the first sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy on Saturday night.
Tebow earned 1,957 points and 462 first-place votes. The Arkansas senior running back Darren McFadden was the runner-up for the second year in a row, collecting 1,703 points and 291 first-pace votes, the most first-place votes a runner-up has received.
Hawaii’s senior quarterback Colt Brennan placed third with 632 points, and Missouri’s junior quarterback Chase Daniel was fourth with 425.
With his right hand in a cast, Tebow, 20, accepted the 25-pound bronze trophy and gave an emotional acceptance speech in which he thanked everyone from his strength and conditioning coach to his offensive linemen to Jesus. His nervousness was apparent when three times he repeated, “I love being a Gator, and I love Gator Nation.”
If Tebow had been an upperclassman, the victory might have been a landslide. But his status as a sophomore had many of the traditionalists among the voters wondering if the award should take into account a more complete college career.
“There are a lot of great freshmen and sophomores out there,” Tebow said. “And I’m just glad that I get to be the first one to win this.”
In each of his 12 games this season, Tebow had at least one rushing touchdown. He amassed 838 yards on 194 carries and scored 22 times. But that was only half his game. He also passed for 3,132 yards with 29 touchdowns and completed 68.5 percent of his throws.
Earlier in the week, Tebow won the Davey O’Brien award as the best quarterback in the country and the Maxwell Award, a prize separate from the Heisman for the nation’s best player. In recent years, however, the Maxwell has seemed somewhat ominous for Heisman hopefuls as no player has won both awards in the same season since Ron Dayne in 1999. Instead, Tebow became the second Florida quarterback in the last 11 years to win the Heisman, following Danny Wuerffel, one of Tebow’s childhood heroes.
But Wuerffel did not play in the kind of spread offense that has made 2007 the highest-scoring season in college football history.
The moment that stood out for many voters was Tebow’s 23-yard touchdown run against Florida State when he ducked out of a crunching tackle from a lineman and eluded two more defensive backs as he sprinted to the goal line. That was after he had avoided a sack on third-and-14 and rushed for 16 yards to keep the drive rolling.
Using his legs under pressure may have helped carried him to the Heisman, but it is also what first put him in the spotlight as a freshman. Playing behind Chris Leak, the 6-foot-3, 235-pound Tebow was Florida Coach Urban Meyer’s choice in short-yardage situations. In his first Southeastern Conference game, against Tennessee, Tebow came in on a fourth-and-1 in the fourth quarter and pounded his way to a critical first down to set up the go-ahead touchdown in a 21-20 victory.
He finished his freshman season with 469 yards rushing and a team-high 8 touchdown runs on 89 carries. He threw for only 358 yards, but none meant more than the 358th — a 1-yard touchdown pass on third-and-goal in the national championship game victory against Ohio State.
For McFadden, sitting at the ceremony only to hear someone else’s name called was an all-too familiar situation. Last year, he made the trip to New York only to watch Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith claim the trophy by the second-largest margin in history.
McFadden, a two-time SEC offensive player of the year and Walter Camp Player of the Year, made his strongest case for the Heisman with his performance in Arkansas’s 50-48 triple-overtime victory at Louisiana State. He rushed for 206 yards in that game, including a 73-yard touchdown sprint in the third quarter, and threw a 24-yard pass for a touchdown in the fourth.
The final Heisman picture did not come into focus until the last month or so with several other names being mentioned throughout the season. After rushing for a touchdown in each of his first eight games, Oregon quarterback Dennis Dixon seemed like a legitimate candidate. But after a knee injury in a loss to Arizona cut his season short, his 20 touchdowns and 2,106 passing yards were not enough to earn him an invitation to New York.
West Virginia quarterback Pat White, who threw for 12 touchdowns and rushed for 14, might also have been considered in the mix as he led the Mountaineers to the brink of the national title game before the Mountaineers lost to Pittsburgh.
It was that same weekend that Brennan played his way into contention. With Hawaii putting the only perfect Football Bowl Subdivision record on the line against Washington last Saturday, he completed 42 of 50 passes to close a 21-point deficit and win the game with a 5-yard slant pass with 44 seconds to play. But Brennan’s critics are quick to point out that he faced a weak schedule this year — Hawaii did not play a team in the top 25 until November.
Two nationally televised games seemed to make and break Daniel’s chances. On Nov. 24, he led Missouri to a memorable 36-28 victory against Kansas, going 40 of 49 with no interceptions. A week later, however, he failed to throw a touchdown pass as Oklahoma trounced Missouri, 38-17.
But Daniel said he was under no illusions. “I’m just glad to be here, everyone knew it was going to Tim,” he said.
NY Times
NY Times Hiesman Trophy Winner
Hatton v. Mayweather Fight
Tidbits, teasers surrounding Hatton, Mayweather fight
editorials and opinion
By JEFF HANEY
Las Vegas Sun
Thursday, December 06, 2007
FIGHT FACTS
Principals: Floyd Mayweather Jr. (38-0, 24 KOs) vs. Ricky Hatton (43-0, 31 KOs), 12 scheduled rounds
At stake: Welterweight world championship
Date/site: Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena
Tickets: Sold out
Closed circuit: $50, MGM Mirage properties
TV: HBO Pay-Per-View, $54.95
Promoters: Golden Boy Promotions, Mayweather Promotions
Referee: Joe Cortez
KEY FIGHTS
A sampling of key fights and commentary by and about Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ricky Hatton:
FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.
Dec. 7, 2002: Unanimous decision vs. Jose Luis Castillo (rematch)
Hatton: "(Castillo) was able to bully him to the ropes a lot and ... I don't think Castillo has got as good or faster footwork as me."
April 8, 2006: Unanimous decision vs. Zab Judah
Hatton: "Zab opened up with his punches but he could not sustain his attack. I think Zab let (Mayweather) back into the fight. Zab lost it as much as Floyd won it."
May 5, 2007: Split decision vs. Oscar De La Hoya
Hatton: "Oscar nearly did it but I think he tired a little bit. Oscar is a little more of a tactician than a pressure fighter. I won't let up over the final six (rounds)."
RICKY HATTON
June 4, 2005: 11th-round TKO vs. Kostya Tszyu
Mayweather: "It looked like a wrestling match to me. Punch and hold, punch and hold."
Hatton: "Pain and tiredness didn't even come into the equation that night. I didn't feel any of it."
May 13, 2006: Unanimous decision vs. Luis Collazo
Billy Graham, Hatton's trainer: "(Hatton) put on far too much weight from the scales to the actual contest, which made him sluggish."
Mayweather: "Hatton lost to Collazo. He got a gift (in the scoring)."
June 23, 2007: 4th-round KO vs. Jose Luis Castillo
Mayweather: "He fights Castillo five years after I fought him. Castillo doesn't want to go 12 rounds. He punches Castillo to the body, Castillo turns around, walks away and goes to a knee."
Hatton: "A lot of people said I did a better job than Floyd did (in his most recent fight). Then again, a lot of people said Castillo was past his prime."
HATTON'S HOME KNOWN FOR ROCK, PUNK AS WELL AS BOXING:
The hardscrabble way of life in Manchester, England, hometown of Ricky Hatton and his trainer, Billy Graham, makes it a fertile breeding ground for fighters.
"Manchester is the boxing capital of Britain," Graham said. "Without boxing, I would be nothing."
But Manchester is known for more than boxing. A traditionally industrial city, it gave rise to several waves of rock and punk music, including bands such as the Hollies, the Smiths, the Buzzcocks and the Happy Mondays.
Decades before their music inspired Manchester brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher to form Oasis, the Beatles famously played several concerts in Manchester.
Morrissey, leader of the Smiths, immortalized the city in song with the great opening line of "The Headmaster Ritual": "Belligerent ghouls run Manchester schools."
On a more somber note, a 1996 Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb detonation in the city left 200 people injured and devastated local businesses.
Two football clubs -- soccer teams, to us -- divide the loyalty of Mancunians, or "Mancs." Hatton supports Manchester City, the team for which his father played, rather than the more famous Manchester United. Hatton also was a "footballer" as a youngster before making his mark in boxing.
"Ricky has influenced more young British boxers than anybody in the country," Graham said.
Scrippsnews.com
Hatton v. Mayweather Fight
editorials and opinion
By JEFF HANEY
Las Vegas Sun
Thursday, December 06, 2007
FIGHT FACTS
Principals: Floyd Mayweather Jr. (38-0, 24 KOs) vs. Ricky Hatton (43-0, 31 KOs), 12 scheduled rounds
At stake: Welterweight world championship
Date/site: Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena
Tickets: Sold out
Closed circuit: $50, MGM Mirage properties
TV: HBO Pay-Per-View, $54.95
Promoters: Golden Boy Promotions, Mayweather Promotions
Referee: Joe Cortez
KEY FIGHTS
A sampling of key fights and commentary by and about Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Ricky Hatton:
FLOYD MAYWEATHER JR.
Dec. 7, 2002: Unanimous decision vs. Jose Luis Castillo (rematch)
Hatton: "(Castillo) was able to bully him to the ropes a lot and ... I don't think Castillo has got as good or faster footwork as me."
April 8, 2006: Unanimous decision vs. Zab Judah
Hatton: "Zab opened up with his punches but he could not sustain his attack. I think Zab let (Mayweather) back into the fight. Zab lost it as much as Floyd won it."
May 5, 2007: Split decision vs. Oscar De La Hoya
Hatton: "Oscar nearly did it but I think he tired a little bit. Oscar is a little more of a tactician than a pressure fighter. I won't let up over the final six (rounds)."
RICKY HATTON
June 4, 2005: 11th-round TKO vs. Kostya Tszyu
Mayweather: "It looked like a wrestling match to me. Punch and hold, punch and hold."
Hatton: "Pain and tiredness didn't even come into the equation that night. I didn't feel any of it."
May 13, 2006: Unanimous decision vs. Luis Collazo
Billy Graham, Hatton's trainer: "(Hatton) put on far too much weight from the scales to the actual contest, which made him sluggish."
Mayweather: "Hatton lost to Collazo. He got a gift (in the scoring)."
June 23, 2007: 4th-round KO vs. Jose Luis Castillo
Mayweather: "He fights Castillo five years after I fought him. Castillo doesn't want to go 12 rounds. He punches Castillo to the body, Castillo turns around, walks away and goes to a knee."
Hatton: "A lot of people said I did a better job than Floyd did (in his most recent fight). Then again, a lot of people said Castillo was past his prime."
HATTON'S HOME KNOWN FOR ROCK, PUNK AS WELL AS BOXING:
The hardscrabble way of life in Manchester, England, hometown of Ricky Hatton and his trainer, Billy Graham, makes it a fertile breeding ground for fighters.
"Manchester is the boxing capital of Britain," Graham said. "Without boxing, I would be nothing."
But Manchester is known for more than boxing. A traditionally industrial city, it gave rise to several waves of rock and punk music, including bands such as the Hollies, the Smiths, the Buzzcocks and the Happy Mondays.
Decades before their music inspired Manchester brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher to form Oasis, the Beatles famously played several concerts in Manchester.
Morrissey, leader of the Smiths, immortalized the city in song with the great opening line of "The Headmaster Ritual": "Belligerent ghouls run Manchester schools."
On a more somber note, a 1996 Provisional Irish Republican Army bomb detonation in the city left 200 people injured and devastated local businesses.
Two football clubs -- soccer teams, to us -- divide the loyalty of Mancunians, or "Mancs." Hatton supports Manchester City, the team for which his father played, rather than the more famous Manchester United. Hatton also was a "footballer" as a youngster before making his mark in boxing.
"Ricky has influenced more young British boxers than anybody in the country," Graham said.
Scrippsnews.com
Hatton v. Mayweather Fight
Friday, December 7, 2007
Tiger Woods Wife, Elin Nordegren Woods Wins Libel Suit
As reported by the Associate Press...
Tiger Woods' Wife Wins Libel Lawsuit
By SHAWN POGATCHNIK
DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) — The wife of golfer Tiger Woods won $183,250 and an apology Friday from an Irish magazine that published an abusive article and a faked nude photo of her.
Trevor White, publisher of The Dubliner, conceded that the article — published in September 2006 when Ireland was hosting the Ryder Cup — "was cheap, tasteless, and deliberately offensive. It was also completely untrue."
The article visibly angered Woods during the opening day of competition, which the United States lost to Europe. His wife, Elin Nordegren Woods, welcomed the settlement in a statement Friday.
"The false and deeply offensive article in The Dubliner magazine, with the accompanying photograph of another woman wrongly claimed to be me, caused great personal distress to me and my family," she said.
Nordegren Woods said she would donate the money to a cancer charity in honor of Heather Clarke, the wife of Northern Ireland golfer Darren Clarke. She died of cancer before the Ryder Cup tournament.
As part of the settlement accepted by a Dublin court, The Dubliner must publish its lengthy apology in a variety of venues, including in its next issue. If the magazine fails to meet the conditions the award will be increased to $366,500 and the publishers will have to pay Nordegren Woods' legal costs.
"This regrettable episode in our lives in no way detracts from the great love of Ireland that Tiger and I share," Nordegren Woods said. "We look forward to experiencing the extraordinary warmth of its people and of our many friends in Ireland again in the future."
The September 2006 article's headline described the U.S. golfers' wives as "Ryder Cup filth." The story claimed that Woods' wife "can be found in a variety of sweaty poses on porn sites across the Web." It also insulted the wives of golfers Chad Campbell, David Toms and Jim Furyk, who did not sue.
"The photograph was not of Ms. Nordegren Woods. There are no such photographs of Ms. Nordegren Woods on internet sites or elsewhere. Ms. Nordegren Woods has never posed, or been photographed, nude. The story was utterly and comprehensively false," White said.
Associated Press
ap.google.com
Tiger Woods' Wife Wins Libel Lawsuit
By SHAWN POGATCHNIK
DUBLIN, Ireland (AP) — The wife of golfer Tiger Woods won $183,250 and an apology Friday from an Irish magazine that published an abusive article and a faked nude photo of her.
Trevor White, publisher of The Dubliner, conceded that the article — published in September 2006 when Ireland was hosting the Ryder Cup — "was cheap, tasteless, and deliberately offensive. It was also completely untrue."
The article visibly angered Woods during the opening day of competition, which the United States lost to Europe. His wife, Elin Nordegren Woods, welcomed the settlement in a statement Friday.
"The false and deeply offensive article in The Dubliner magazine, with the accompanying photograph of another woman wrongly claimed to be me, caused great personal distress to me and my family," she said.
Nordegren Woods said she would donate the money to a cancer charity in honor of Heather Clarke, the wife of Northern Ireland golfer Darren Clarke. She died of cancer before the Ryder Cup tournament.
As part of the settlement accepted by a Dublin court, The Dubliner must publish its lengthy apology in a variety of venues, including in its next issue. If the magazine fails to meet the conditions the award will be increased to $366,500 and the publishers will have to pay Nordegren Woods' legal costs.
"This regrettable episode in our lives in no way detracts from the great love of Ireland that Tiger and I share," Nordegren Woods said. "We look forward to experiencing the extraordinary warmth of its people and of our many friends in Ireland again in the future."
The September 2006 article's headline described the U.S. golfers' wives as "Ryder Cup filth." The story claimed that Woods' wife "can be found in a variety of sweaty poses on porn sites across the Web." It also insulted the wives of golfers Chad Campbell, David Toms and Jim Furyk, who did not sue.
"The photograph was not of Ms. Nordegren Woods. There are no such photographs of Ms. Nordegren Woods on internet sites or elsewhere. Ms. Nordegren Woods has never posed, or been photographed, nude. The story was utterly and comprehensively false," White said.
Associated Press
ap.google.com
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