Leonard Weaver's status

I spoke with Leonard Weaver's agent, who said that three teams called him today to say they had a sincere interest in Weaver. However, Weaver's agent also said that the second-round pick a team would have to give Seattle as compensation is scaring folks off. That being said, he said it is more likely than not that Weaver returns to the Seahawks. Whether that is with a long-term deal or with playing under the $1.47 million tender offer remains to be seen. He said Weaver is not the type of guy who thinks the grass is greener, so his hope is to sign a long-term deal.

Also, on the last thread somebody posted a comment that's contact with Philly is going to be six years for $47.2 million. It is actually six years years for $57 million, John Clayton and Adam Schefter are reporting, so that puts his average salary right around what Marcus Trufant is being paid with the franchise tag.

Also, Alge Crumpler made $2.925 last year and was scheduled to make $3.4 million this year, so I would think that is the type of money they are looking for from whomever signs him. Tim Ruskell has to ask himself -- or probably already has -- is it worth it to give Crumpler that type of money if he feels he can get a long-term solution in the draft.

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Buddy Miles, Hendrix drummer was 60

Not too many musicians follow this particular career arc, who died yesterday in Austin of congestive heart failure, began as a session player with the Delfonics and on records such as the Jaynetts' 1963 hit "Sally Go Round the Roses." He played with Wilson Pickett then hooked up with Jimi Hendrix on "Electric Ladyland." After being fired by Hendrix's managers, Miles moved on to play with Carlos Santana and to form his own band. He served time for theft and started bands inside San Quentin and Chino, and after getting out in 1985 he portrayed Claymation figure Buddy Raisin in television commercials for the California Raisin Advisory Board. LAT Rest of the story: Miles figured in a milestone moment in Los Angeles rock history as the drummer when Hendrix and Eric Burdon jammed on stage at Newport '69, the city's first big rock festival. It took place at Devonshire Downs in Northridge in June 1969. Hendrix had played poorly in his scheduled Friday night set, so on Sunday afternoon — after thousands had broken down the fences to gain entry — he returned to play with Burdon and Miles. Fans near the stage "may have heard the best performance of their lives," the LAT reviewer wrote at the time. Here are some pages about the jam session from Burdon's book and a recent blog account by a fan who was there.
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Retire, Republican Ralph

Once again is launching a presidential campaign he can’t possibly win. Why? What can he possibly hope to achieve, apart from helping John McCain? The fact is, while Nader can’t win, he could very well deliver us four more years of Bush-Cheney policies.

Not many people aside from his most fervent supporters would call Nader a likeable person, which raises his first problem: To win, he’d need to convince tens of millions of people to vote for him, rather than the candidates of the two main parties. He simply can’t do that. There are too many people who dislike him, and his lack of warmth won’t attract new voters to make up the difference.

Then there’s the arithmetic: No third party candidate has won the presidency since Abraham Lincoln in 1860, and it’s probably impossible for Nader to do so. He’d have to, first, qualify for the ballot in states with enough Electoral Votes to win, and it’s doubtful he can. Then, he’d have to convince at least a plurality of the voters in all those states to vote for him, which I don’t believe he can do (see above).

What Nader can do is siphon off enough votes in close states to deliver those states to McCain and the Republicans, just as he helped deliver Florida to Bush in 2000. But even when he doesn’t do that, he helps to weaken the Democratic nominee by reinforcing Republican propaganda that the Democrats and their candidate are bad. This he did in both 2000 and 2004, helping the Bush campaign again.

Democrats and Republicans alike know all this. Among Republican candidates, Mike Huckabee was at least honest about it when he told CNN "I think it always would probably pull votes away from the Democrats and not the Republicans, so naturally, Republicans would welcome his entry into the race."

Indeed, in 2004 the Democratic Party worked openly to keep Nader off state ballots and it was common knowledge that the Republican Party funded efforts to get Nader on them. They will spare no expense to help Nader this time, either, because his campaign will help theirs.

If Ralph really cares about America as he says he does, and if he really wants to see the country change as he claims, then he ought to do the right thing and stop helping to elect Republicans. Retire, Ralph. America doesn’t need you, and the people who want to see freedom restored to America don’t want you. But the Republicans do.
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Tennessee For real at #1

This is a follow up to my previous article "Is Tennessee for real?"

The question got answered tonight, Tennessee is for real!

Can you believe with Chris Lofton having no three pointers, yes zero threes for Chris, Tennessee pulled off arguable the greatest win in Volunteer basketball history.

The fact that Lofton only scored 7 points, even though 4 of those points were crucial to Tennessee's win, is a testimony to Tennessee being a number one team. When your best three point shooter is down and you still win against the number one team in the nation, then you can truely say "We are for real". You can also say that has pulled these guys togather as a team that can play even when one of their finest is down. This is what teamwork is all about. With Chism,Prince, The Smiths and Lofton and the rest, this team has no stars but they are all stars.

It was a great game to watch and everything you would expect from a #1 vs #2 matchup. Truly Tennessee can now be taken seriously. They rose to the occasion and proved to us all they deserve to be called No. 1

I know it might be early to predict. there is still plenty of b-ball to be played. But I predict you will see Tennessee playing in the final four and most likely in the championship game. Against who? Your guess is as good as mine.

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Friday Look Ahead: Forget Sampson, we have an epic battle to watch

It's a shame this crazy saga continues to unfold at Indiana as it shouldn't overshadow Saturday's No. 1 vs. No. 2 tilt between Memphis and Tennessee, Gary Parrish says in Friday Look Ahead.

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Liveblogging The Presidential Debate, Part IV

Liveblogging, Part IV

8:40: Clinton hits a HUGE HOME RUN when she notes that she has been through some tough times in her life. Cheers and whistles. Hells yeah, HillDog. (Damn it, I was emailing someone at an Austin TV station just then and missed the thing that got her all the applause.) She says she is honored to be there with Obama, reaches over and shakes his hand. THIS IS A MOMENT FOR HILLARY. SHE HAS THIS CROWD. SHE HAS WON THIS DEBATE, HANDILY.

8:38: Obama says no single moments and talks about rocky periods during his youth?

8:38: One final question. Leadership, who is ready, leader’s judgment…what was the moment that tested you the most (if anyone says 9/11 I will WEEP AND VOMIT).

8:37: Obama says the will of the voters is what is ultimately will determine who the next nominee will be. Says that what is most important to voters is that we have a government that is listening to them again. MORE PERSONAL STORIES about meeting mothers. Does he ever meet any dads or kids or grandmas? People are tired of government run by the powerful and connected, he says.

8:36: Clinton says she isn’t worried and it will work out and we’ll move on and become a unified party

8:35: Now they are talking about Super Delegates. Notes that it would be a problem if super delegates selected something different than the public.

8:33: Oh, Clinton has more than 300 million in earmarks, but, of course, she has a bigger more heavily populated state. Says Obama supported wasteful taxcuts of Bush administration. Mentions the $400 billion deficit (Oh, my god…is this the 1988 (-ish?) presidential campaign where everyone talked about the deficit? No, but maybe it should be–good show to HillDog for mentioning it.). It is important that we look at where the money has gone under President Bush. The larger question is who is going to move us toward presidential responsibility, Clinton says.
8:32 Obama says that isn’t true and they’ve disclosed all of their earmarks. (Why didn’t he give us a link?) Talks about &#8220” where all federal spending is online and transparent (wait, wasn’t John Cornyn pimping doing a bill on this like two weeks ago?) Says he has been consistently in favor of more disclosure on earmarks. These are worthy projects in our states (somebody hand me a list of OBAMA EARMARKS, STAT! Team Hillary, where are you?

8:31 Obama has criticized earmarks, but the question notes he was responsible for $91 million in earmarks he REFUSES TO DISCLOSE.

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"Conservatives Don't Really Concern Themselves with the New York Times Anyway"

Fox's "business news" guy, Neil Cavuto, skipped business news today (February 21, 2008) for the umpteenth time (the urgency of the elections and all, you know) to concentrate on the New York Times' article about John McCain, riots in, and how the bad weather we've been having is punishment from God. (Forget global warming. Fox is trying to take us back to the Dark Ages.)

One of his NYT/McCain segments featured J.T. Freire, who was on to address, per the chyron, "Calls to Boycott NY Times; McCain Claims 'Smear' Job."

Cavuto introduced Freire with,

All the news, meanwhile, that's fit to flop? Why, this hour, the New York Times may already be regretting that front page assault on Senator John McCain in a moment, First, how it is raising calls for a nationwide boycott. One of those calls coming from journalist J.P. Freire, a former employee of the New York Times. J.P., what are you doing?

Freire said "basically" what I'm saying is that if you "want to have reliable journalism or any sort of ah, any sort of standards when it comes to reporting the right things, maybe what you should do, is you should avoid going to the New York Times because what this story has shown us is that they can't be relied on to tell a decent story, especially when it comes to John McCain."

Freire said the Times' reporting is "frequently tainted" and you "can't rely on it." You need to "figure out where you're going to get your news from." (Think about it Fox watchers.)

But the money quote? "Conservatives don't really concern themselves with the New York Times anyway."

Comment: Haahaahaahaa! Pretty funny, huh? I laughed out loud at that one. This on a day when every single conservative in the country is tripping over him or herself to get to a microphone to rip the New York Times. These guys are such lying hypocrites comedians!

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NY Times Hits McCain...Now That He's the Nominee

There were rumors back in December that the NY Times had a potentially damaging story about John McCain, but apparently they didn't want to release it until and unless he became the nominee. Well, here's comes, and at best it's thinly sourced and full of anonymous informants:

WASHINGTON — Early in Senator John McCain’s first run for the White House eight years ago, waves of anxiety swept through his small circle of advisers.

A female lobbyist had been turning up with him at fund-raisers, visiting his offices and accompanying him on a client’s corporate jet. Convinced the relationship had become romantic, some of his top advisers intervened to protect the candidate from himself — instructing staff members to block the woman’s access, privately warning her away and repeatedly confronting him, several people involved in the campaign said on the condition of anonymity.

When news organizations reported that Mr. McCain had written letters to government regulators on behalf of the lobbyist’s client, the former campaign associates said, some aides feared for a time that attention would fall on her involvement.

Mr. McCain, 71, and the lobbyist, 40, both say they never had a romantic relationship. But to his advisers, even the appearance of a close bond with a lobbyist whose clients often had business before the Senate committee Mr. McCain led threatened the story of redemption and rectitude that defined his political identity.

Given McCain's participation in what became known as the "Keating 5", past scandals have always been a concern. This one looks like a real stretch, but now that McCain has sewn up the nomination, what better time for the Times to start slinging the mud.

This doesn't pass the smell test.

UPDATE: McCain responds:

"It is a shame that the New York Times has lowered its standards to engage in a hit and run smear campaign," said communications director Jill Hazelbaker, in a prepared statement sent about an hour after the Times posted their story online. "John McCain has a 24-year record of serving our country with honor and integrity. He has never violated the public trust, never done favors for special interests or lobbyists, and he will not allow a smear campaign to distract from the issues at stake in this election.

"Americans are sick and tired of this kind of gutter politics, and there is nothing in this story to suggest that John McCain has ever violated the principles that have guided his career."

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GDC 08: Gears of War 2 Coming This November

Today’s Microsoft GDC keynote was punctuated with a big announcement which really wasn’t all that surprising – a Gears of War 2 trailer was shown that showed a grand total of no gameplay, followed by Cliff Bleszinski coming onstage with the chainsaw gun (a Lancer, if memory serves me right). With a release date of November 20008, he promises the game will be “bigger, better, and far more badass in every way,” which is all you could really expect from a sequel to a game like Gears.

You can view the trailer at GameVideos or grab it from the Xbox Live Marketplace so that you can watch it again and again in an attempt to find some hidden goodies.

Just don’t expect to find much.

via 1UP

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Related Articles at Gaming Today:

• Imagine a World with No Gears of War Multiplayer
• Gears Of War Figures On The Way
• Gears of War Pumpkin-Carving Contest: Chainsaw Optional
• Gears of War PC Trailer Leaked
• Rumor Squashed: Gears of War NOT Coming to the PS3

American Idol Top Twelve Boys: Is The Talent The Best Yet?

To kick off the American Idol 7 top twelve boys’ performance show, host Ryan Seacrest set the bar high. Seacrest claimed, “People are saying this year’s talent is the best yet.” After Seacrest introduced the top twelve boys and the judges, David Hernandez was the first to perform.

David Hernandez sang “In The Midnight Hour.” Randy Jackson said, “I thought you did a really good job. It fell a little apart at the end.” Paula Abdul said, “You’ve got brilliant vocals to rely on.” Simon Cowell said, “It was actually better than I thought it was going to be, to be honest.”

Chikezie sang “I Love You More Today Than Yesterday.” Randy Jackson said, “The only problem for me is that you’re a little bit of an old fashioned singer.” Paula Abdul said, “Nothing makes me happier than to see you here on the stage.” Simon Cowell said “I absolutely hated the whole performance, and I’ll tell you why. Let me finish, the suit is hideous.” Chikezie interrupted, “Hold up, player, white, grey, and black, come on dude, who’s your stylist, Charlie Chaplin?”

David Cook sang “So Happy Together.” Randy Jackson said, “You worked it out.” Paul Abdul said, “I have to tell you it was a bit worthy.” Simon Cowell said, “I thought it was good. I thought you shouted the song a little bit in the middle.”

Jason Yeager sang “Moon River.” Randy Jackson said, “Make sure you never lose your concentration while you’re singing a song like that.” Paula Abdul said, “I have such sentimental value to that song. I did my first ballet recital to that song.” Simon Cowell said, “I’m going to be honest with you. I think it was very cruise ship, the whole performance.”

Robbie Carrico sang “One Is The Loneliest Number.” Randy Jackson said, “Nice one, Robbie.” Paula Abdul said, “I think you picked the perfect song for you.” Simon Cowell said, “I would say it’s the only performance we’ve seen tonight which has any semblance of making sense.”

David Archuleta sang “Shop Around.” Randy Jackson said, “You sang that song so mature for somebody seventeen.” Paula Abdul said, “You really did a great job.” Simon Cowell said, “That was by a comfortable mile the best performance of the night so far.”

Danny Noriega sang “Jailhouse Rock.” Randy Jackson said, “I actually thought it was pretty good.” Paula Abdul said, “It was very warm, almost scalding.” Simon Cowell said, “I thought the performance was verging on grotesque.” 

Luke Menard sang “Everybody’s Talkin’.” Randy Jackson said, “It was very pitchy for me all the way through.” Paula Abdul said, “I don’t feel that this was the best song choice for you.” Simon Cowell said, “It was forgettable.”

Colton Berry sang “Suspicious Minds.” Randy Jackson said, “You did a pretty good job on it, I think.” Paula Abdul said, “I don’t feel it’s your best performance, but I do think you gave it an eager and fun attempt.” Simon Cowell said, “I’m not looking at a recording artist or listening to a recording artist, and that is my issue.”

Garrett Haley sang “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do.” Randy Jackson said, “The thing that struck me with this performance is that you didn’t do anything with it.” Paula Abdul said, “If you stay at that slow tempo, it brings the performance down.” Simon Cowell said, “It was boring, your voice sounded a bit whiney, you look terrified, and it looks as if you’ve been shut up in your bedroom for about a month.”

Jason Castro played guitar and sang “What A Day For A Daydream.” Randy Jackson said, “It didn’t blow me away, but it was alright.” Paula Abdul said, “For me, you did blow me away.” Simon Cowell said, “I thought that was in the top two performances of the night.”

Michael Johns sang “Light My Fire.” Randy Jackson said, “What a way to end a great night.” Paula Abdul said, “It was an excellent way to end the night.” Simon Cowell said, “I would say Michael that you are the most consistent contestant we’ve had.” 

So, is this year’s talent the best yet? Based on the boys’ performances, it’s still too early to make that label, but there is definitely some talent this year. The biggest surprise of the night was David Archuleta. David comes across as a shy, young kid; but he sings with confidence and passion. The fact that he’s also very humble about his amazing talent will also make him likable to viewers.

The second biggest surprise of the night was Jason Castro, but that’s just because none of his auditions had been shown on the show. Jason was the only semifinalist to play an instrument, and it paid off. He was easily among the top three performances of the night.

So, who was the other semifinalist that gave one of the three best performances of the night? No surprise, it was Michael Johns. Everyone knew that Michael Johns could sing from the auditions, and he proved to be just as consistently great as ever.

So, which two male semifinalists will be the first to go? David Archuleta, Jason Castro, and Michael Johns should all obviously be safe, but it could be any of the other contestants. Luke Menard, Garrett Haley, Chikezie, and David Hernandez are likely the most at risk of being among the first two eliminated.

Reality TV Magazine is your source for American Idol news. For other great American Idol news, please feel free to check out SirLinksALot: American Idol or SirLinksALot: Carly Smithson.

Photo Credit: Reality TV Magazine

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DancingÂ’s New Celebrity Lineup Announced

Three athletes, a magician and an Oscar-winning actress are just some of the celebrities whoÂ’ve signed on to compete on the sixth season of ABCÂ’s Dancing With the Stars.
The cast was revealed on Monday nightÂ’s Dance War finale. On Tuesday, Good Morning America will announce which pro dancers will be paired with the celebrity contestants.
HereÂ’s a rundown of whoÂ’s on board for the March 17 premiere:
Telenovela star Cristian de la Fuente

R&B singer Mario

Magician Penn Jillette

Actor Steve Guttenberg

Olympic Gold Medal Figure Skater Kristi Yamaguchi

Former tennis pro Monica Seles

NFL Player Jason Taylor

Actress Shannon Elizabeth

Radio/TV personality Adam Carolla

Actress Marissa Jaret Winokur

Oscar-winning actress Marlee Matlin

Actress Priscilla Presley

The announcement comes after months of media leaks on the Web. But still, there are some surprises, including Presley and current Miami Dolphin star Taylor — who told PEOPLE days before the announcement that he hadn’t informed his coaches or his teammates of his off-season endeavor.
“I’m going to turn off my text-messaging and my cell phone,” said Taylor in anticipation of a likely onslaught of ribbing from his colleagues.
Not that Dancing is for slouches. As earlier contestants can attest, the schedule is both mentally and physically demanding.
Half of the contestants will perform live on the March 17 premiere, and the other half will perform their first dances on Tuesday, March 18.
On March 24, the entire cast will perform a second dance. After the judgesÂ’ scores are combined with the popular fan vote for both weeks, two celebrities will be eliminated on the March 25 results show.

Beef now under recall has been served in R.I. schools

Rhode Island schools have served beef from a California slaughterhouse that is now subject to the largest recall in the United States, according to Andrea Bagnall Degos, spokeswoman for the state Department of Health.

“Some of the beef was sent to Rhode Island schools as meatballs through the school lunch program,” she said.

And at the moment, there is food from an August shipment that’s on hold, she said.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture yesterday ordered the recall of 143 million pounds of beef from Hallmark/Westland Meat Co., which is the subject of an animal-abuse investigation.

The recall affects beef products dating to Feb. 1, 2006, the federal agency said. The company provided meat to various federal programs.

The Health Department is also checking grocery and wholesale inventory. So far, Bagnall Degos said, the Department knows that Shaw's and Whole Foods did not receive product from this company.

It’s important to remember, Bagnall Degos said, that “there’s a low potential for illness.”

The recall was not due to any reported or suspected illness, but because the companies handling of the animals violated health regulations.

An undercover video showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts led to the largest recall in the United States. There's now a scramble to find out if any of the meat is still destined for school children's lunches.

-- projo.com staff writer Brandie M. Jefferson, with reports from Associated Press

Secretary of Agriculture Ed Schafer said his department has evidence that Westland did not routinely contact its veterinarian when cattle became non-ambulatory after passing inspection, violating health regulations.

"Because the cattle did not receive complete and proper inspection, Food Safety and Inspection Service has determined them to be unfit for human food and the company is conducting a recall," Schafer said in a statement.

A phone message left for Westland president Steve Mendell was not returned yesterday.

Agriculture officials said the massive recall surpasses a 1999 ban of 35 million pounds of ready-to-eat meats. No illnesses have been linked to the newly recalled meat, and officials said the health threat was likely small.

Officials estimate that about 37 million pounds of the recalled beef went to school programs, but they believe most of the meat probably has already been eaten.

"We don't know how much product is out there right now. We don't think there is a health hazard, but we do have to take this action," said Dr. Dick Raymond, USDA Undersecretary for Food Safety.

Federal officials suspended operations at Westland/Hallmark after an undercover video from the Humane Society of the United States surfaced showing crippled and sick animals being shoved with forklifts.

Two former employees were charged Friday. Five felony counts of animal cruelty and three misdemeanors were filed against a pen manager. Three misdemeanor counts - illegal movement of a non-ambulatory animal - were filed against an employee who worked under that manager. Both were fired.

Authorities said the video showed workers kicking, shocking and otherwise abusing "downer" animals that were apparently too sick or injured to walk into the slaughterhouse. Some animals had water forced down their throats, San Bernardino County prosecutor Michael Ramos said.

No charges have been filed against Westland, but an investigation by federal authorities continues.

About 150 school districts around the nation have stopped using ground beef from Hallmark Meat Packing Co., which is associated with Westland. Two fast-food chains, Jack-In-the-Box and In-N-Out, said they would not use beef from Westland/Hallmark.

Most of the beef was sent to distribution centers in bulk packages. The USDA said it will work with distributors to determine how much meat remains.

Federal regulations call for keeping downed cattle out of the food supply because they may pose a higher risk of contamination from E. coli, salmonella or mad cow disease since they typically wallow in feces and their immune systems are often weak.

Upon learning about the recall, some legislators criticized the USDA, saying the federal agency should conduct more thorough inspections to ensure tainted beef doesn't get to the public.

"Today marks the largest beef recall in U.S. history, and it involves the national school lunch program and other federal food and nutrition programs," said U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, chairman of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. "This begs the question: How much longer will we continue to test our luck with weak enforcement of federal food safety regulations?"

Advocacy groups also weighed in, noting the problems at Westland wouldn't have been revealed had it not been for animal right activists.

"On the one hand, I'm glad that the recall is taking place. On the other, it's somewhat disturbing, given that obviously much of this food has already been eaten," said Jean Halloran, director of food policy initiatives at Consumers Union. "It's really closing the barn door after the cows left."

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Newman outraces Stewart with help from Busch to win Daytona 500

has won the 50th running of the Daytona 500, giving team owner Roger Penske his first victory at NASCAR's biggest event.

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Around the Top 25: Saturday’s Late Results

I’m fairly certain that would’ve been considered the great college freshman of all-time had he ever been forced to play D-I.

–No. 13 Indiana 80, No. 10 Michigan State 61. “It’s not about me,” Kelvin Sampson said to Erin Andrews after the game. Actually, it is about you, coach. This whole deal is about you. I was hoping ESPN could show us a little more access to Sampson, who appeared to be somewhat welcoming, but they didn’t quite deliver as much as I would’ve hoped. As for the game, so much for any distraction. D.J. White’s knee injury looked ba-a-a-d, but it appears that he’ll probably be OK. Is Michigan State going to cash out earlier than many of us expected? I don’t know. What I do know is that Raymar Morgan (three freaking points in this one) isn’t nearly consistent enough to help this team, and not all of the shots are going to fall for Drew Neitzel when MSU is going to need them to.

–No. 1 Memphis 79, Alabama-Birmingham 78. If you’re rooting against Calipari, this game would make you pull a few hairs out. UAB had Memphis on the damn ropes and couldn’t close. Memphis, trailing by four with less than a minute to go, gets a shoddy call to get CD-R to the line. You can say that this team can’t make free throws, but their star made the one he needed to in order to get the win and keep the perfect campaign alive. UAB’s Lawrence Kinnard just barely doesn’t get the game-winner off in time. Oh what a highlight that would’ve been. Is Memphis wilting, or did they steal one from a pretty decent Blazers club? It’s up for you to decide.

–No. 11 Texas 82, Baylor 77. Baylor should’ve been able to steal this game away, but they were too sloppy in too many spots. Do that against a team that’s better than you and you’re probably not going to win. Dominic James puts 19 and 10 in the stat sheet for the ‘Horns, who can still steal a 2 seed before it’s all said and done.

–No. 18 Kansas State 100, Missouri 63. Kansas State hanging a hundred It’s just getting ridiculous at this point. Beastley brings his first 40-point performance of the season. Oh yeah: Michael also added 17 boards. He’s one game away from trying ‘Melo’s 22-in-a-season, double-double record. I now have to compare his year to Durant’s of last season. (I still give the edge to KD, but if K-State advances further in The Tournament this year, Beastley probably gets the edge.) Third 40-and-10 game in the past 12 years from a freshman (he and Hansbrough had the other two).

–No. 19 Purdue 71, Northwestern 56. Expected. Next.

–No. 21 Washington State 62, Oregon 53. Oregon, suddenly you’re about the eighth-best team in the Pac-10. How’d that happen? Ducks have lost six of their last nine and probably needs to steal a game against Southern Cal and/or UCLA this week.

–No. 25 Saint Mary’s 80, Loyola Marymount 49. Lowly Marymount never had a shot. Saint Mary’s, unfortunately, won’t be taken seriously until they play Gonzaga again.

Notable:

Auburn 90, Mississippi 78. Two words: Bad. Loss. Two more: Good. Bye. And two more: For. Now.

California 76, Arizona State 73. A win like this will probably get Cal in. You had to make the argument before the day began that ASU was more deserving of a bid, but when the Pac-10 keeps helping itself out by beating itself up, it’s hard to not invite at least seven teams to dance.

Oklahoma 66, Texas Tech 64. Shot of the day happened in this one. Did you miss it? David Godbold’s heave from 37 feet keeps Oklahoma on the good side of the bubble. There’s nothing of it on YouTube at the moment, but I’ll try and put it on the site as soon as I can get it.

Dayton 77, Temple 66. Dayton cures their woes; Temple sees the NCAA door shot.

Brigham Young 74, UNLV 48. Ugly, damaging loss for the Rebels. BYU avenges their 70-41 shellacking at the hands of Vegas from earlier in the season.

Mississippi State 80, Arkansas 74. Could have some bubble implications, but Miss. St. needed this game more than Arkansas.

Chicago State 86, N.J.I.T 76. 0-27…two more! Two more!

 

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Flying is Hard Work

Dwight Howard made a few jokes about his dunk contest preparation.

It was a little funny. But it was not light-hearted.

A year ago, after losing, he was clearly down -- the victim of a misunderstood, and under-appreciated sticker dunk.

So he didn't go crazy. He went corporate. To become Superman, first he spent a year as Clark Kent. He brainstormed. He workshopped. He field-tested. He focus-grouped with his teammates. As final preparation, he even abstained from candy and music for two weeks, to give himself a razor-sharp mental edge.

He recreated the razzle-dazzle of the ABA, with the goal orientation of an MBA.

Take the entire history of the dunk contest as evidence that coming up with creative new dunks is time-consuming and difficult. Never before has anyone come up with two truly inventive dunks in one competition. Howard? He came up with three.

That involves no small amount of effort.

His first dunk involved passing the ball to himself off the back of the backboard, catching it in mid-air, and flushing it with his left hand while his head lingered somewhere out of bounds. That one, he says, he has been working on for two years.

For another dunk, he started with the ball balanced on a mini-hoop. A reporter had a great idea: since Howard had been denied the opportunity to raise the rim to twelve feet, had he considered starting that dunk with the mini-hoop at twelve feet, to prove his hops?

Howard had field-tested it, and didn't think the resulting dunk resulted in enough flair.

The "self-alley?" He had tried it out in front of enough friends that their texts, calls, and emails were enough to convince him to include it.

Just keep trying him. No one had out-prepared Dwight Howard, which is precisely why he won.

The dunks on this night were off-the-charts inventive. Regular dunks -- feats of athleticism -- were not contenders at all. For instance, when Kyle Lowry ran the baseline, lobbed the ball off the foam padding side of the basket support, only to have it caught and flushed spectatularly by a trailing Rudy Gay, the audience largely shrugged. Tonight we were spoiled by the likes of dunking as he blew out a candle stuck into the top of a cupcake resting atop the rim.

Howard, for his part, had four well-executed dunks with outside-the-box creativity.

Just a few days ago, ESPN's Scoop Jackson theorized that this weekend would feature the last dunk contest ever. And in the leadup to tonight's dunk contest, it seemed he might be right. As Howard himself noted, the mood was not all that electric as the dunkers emerged onto the court. Last night, at the D-League's dunk contest, Mike Taylor of the Idaho Stampede threw down a few that had everyone on the sidelines saying that he could win at the big show. There were even empty seats in this house at the outset of tonight's dunk contest, which certainly was not the case in contest's heyday, when the likes of Michael Jordan and Vince Carter were wowing the fans.

"I think," Howard said, with his work behind him and a trophy beside him, "the dunk contest is back."

(Photo: Timothy A. Clary, AFP via Getty Images)

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Sacramento has a losing team, but winning cheerleaders

It's been quite some time since our last professional sport cheerleader scandal (remember the Carolina Panther lesbian sex fun?) so I'm glad to hear that the Sacramento have been getting dirty in their spare time. I heard this weekend in the NBA All-Star weekend or something but.. who cares?

These pictures were taken recently and show a few cheerleaders "drinking alcohol and posed in various states of undress."

I like how the mainstream media uses the term 'various states of undress' rather than saying 'bent over in g-strings.' Touche Fox Sports.

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Now if you'll excuse me, I just got an interview request from the Washington Times. He says he wants to speak to me about Facebook whores but he's probably just doing a story on my bloody penis. It's cool.
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Anyone watching this?

Celeb game tonight for the start of Allstar weekend. I kind of want to see how Deon Sanders does but everyone else looks like trash. Actually Master P too. He has some real skills.

NEW ORLEANS TEAM
Ne-Yo (2008 Grammy for Best Contemp. Album)
Zach Gilford (Friday Night Lights)
Taylor Hicks (2006 American Idol Winner)
Seth Gilliam (The Wire)
James Lafferty (One Tree Hill)
Master P (Hip-hop Artist)
Ruth Riley (WNBA All-Star, San Antonio Silver Stars)
AJ Calloway (Extra)
Coach: Gabrielle Union, (Starship Dave)
General Manager: Stephen A. Smith (ESPN)
HORNETS TEAM
Chris Tucker (Rush Hour 3)
Common (2008 Grammy for Best Rap Perf. By a Duo or Group)
James Kyson Lee (Heroes)
Josh Peck (Drake and Josh)
Terry Crews (Everybody Hates Chris)
Deion Sanders (Two-Time Super Bowl Champion)
Swin Cash (WNBA All-Star, Detroit Shock)
Tony Potts (Access Hollywood)
Coach: Alyssa Milano, (Wisegal, Touch clothing)
General Manager: Bill Walton (NBA Legend and ESPN Analyst)

Bai Ling Mugshot!

was arrested at LAX airport today after allegedly stealing batteries and a couple of gossip rags! She should of swiped a SAG card instead!

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Gunman opens fire at N. Illinois U. hall (AP)

AP - A gunman opened fire in a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University on Thursday, injuring as many as 17 people before he killed himself, authorities said. "Police are confirming that the shooter is dead by a self-inflicted gunshot," the school said on its Web site.

Goodbye, My Friend ...

[On top today. New posts begin below - F.]

Today is a sad day in Blogtopia. We have learned, through a detective with the local police, that our dear friend Lurch has passed away. We didn't receive any details, the information is privileged for family members, but the cop was decent enough to give us that much.

I didn't know him that well, mostly through this blog and via email, but my wife and I feel honored we were able to break bread with him when he visited Long Island a year ago.

Lurch had a personality that drew one to him and the time we spent with him seemed far too short. Unfortunately, the trip he planned a few months back fell through and we're saddened another get-together is no longer in the cards.

What I know of his military service would fill a thimble, though I knew he served his nation with honor and distinction as an Army paratrooper during the war in Vietnam. Through his experience and study, he was one of the most knowledgeable people when it came to the workings of the service, strategy and tactics, and some of the best insight when it came to reading between the lines on defense issues. He was an invaluable resource as well as a friend.

Please join me in mourning our friend as well as passing on condolences to his family. I'm grateful for the time he spent with us here in Blogtopia, grateful for his insights, and grateful for the opportunity to have known him. I am proud to call him a brother in arms.

As they say in the Navy: Fair winds and following seas, my friend.

Until we meet again.

Cross-posted at Main & Central.

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Gary Coleman gets hitched, also rides bronco

Gary Coleman secretly wed a woman 18 years younger than him. The 40-year-old cowboy(?) married 22-year-old of Utah. Gary finally lost his virginity and claims to have found the woman with the right amount of looks and intelligence. Now he has someone to throw things at. Awww. Page Six reports:

Price said height wasn't a consideration because, "He was 10 feet tall to me because he was sweet." Still, the relationship isn't without its problems. "He lets his anger conquer him sometimes," Price admitted. "He throws things around, and sometimes he throws it in my direction."

I don't see what the big problem is. Gary Coleman likes to throw shit. Sheesh, wear kneepads. Or do that move where you put your hand on his head and he frantically bats at the air. That's the cornerstone to a good marriage. Or midget wrangling. Same thing. Now where's my little Oompa Loompa bride? Hey, get out of the cookie jar! You know I hate footprints on my Chips Ahoy, woman.

Photo: Splash News

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Was The Passenger Driving?

The story of little bit! Man, Paris' parents are going to be building a new wing on some DUI lawyer's house!

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Tom Lantos Dies

Dies (After Failing to Reach his Castle Before Sunrise)

Congressman of California, a notorious warmonger and the pious hypocrite, has died at the age of 80.

Lantos, who was relentlessly pushing for dismemberment of Serbia during the past decade, bullying the U.S. Congress to support the creation of a jihadist mafia state in Serbian Kosovo-Metohija province, famously declared America's support for Albanian Muslim terrorists and secessionists in Serbia will be recognized and cheered by the jihadists around the world:

"Just a reminder to the predominantly Muslim-led government[s] in this world that here is yet another example that the United States leads the way for the creation of a predominantly Muslim country in the very heart of Europe. This should be noted by both responsible leaders of Islamic governments, such as Indonesia, and also for jihadists of all color and hue. The United States’ principles are universal, and in this instance, the United States stands foursquare for the creation of an overwhelmingly Muslim country in the very heart of Europe," Lantos told the House Committee on Foreign Affairs in the April last year.

The Bela Lugosi of the House

A partial portrait of the late, by Wayne Madsen, CounterPunch.org

He is a fake, a phony and a complete fraud. He constantly stresses his victimhood: first as a Holocaust survivor in Nazi-run Hungary and then as a refugee when the Communists took power. He fancies himself as the leading human rights specialist on Capitol Hill. In fact, this odious so-called Democrat is a master of deception and propaganda and a wallower in corrupt campaign money.

Meet California Congressman. The Gollum-like Lantos has launched his latest string of invectives at France, Germany, and Belgium. He said "the failure of these three states to honor their commitments is beneath contempt" and that he is "particularly disgusted by the blind intransigence and utter ingratitude" of America's three NATO allies.

Lantos, who represents California's 12th District (San Mateo), has a history of just plain lying and intimidating others in order to push his sordid agenda.

He once told Clinton White House security chief Craig Livingstone, who was testifying before a House committee on the so-called "Travelgate" matter, that he should think about committing suicide. Lantos, who sounds a lot like Bela Lugosi, told the beleaguered aide, "At least Admiral Boorda had the decency to commit suicide," a reprehensible reference to the tragic suicide of the Chief of Naval Operations.

And who can forget the last time Lantos shilled for a Bush war on Iraq? On October 10, 1990, Lantos, who laughably chaired the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, held a meeting during which a 15-year-old Kuwaiti girl who only went by the name Nayirah told a sobbing hearing room that as a volunteer for a Kuwait hospital she personally witnessed Iraqi soldiers yank new born babies from their incubators, steal the incubators, and leave the infants on the cold floors to die. Lantos, it turns out, was in on a little scam he cooked up with Citizens for a Free Kuwait and an entity Lantos chaired called the Congressional Human Rights Foundation. In fact, both organizations were rump entities set up by the public relations firm Hill and Knowlton, the same company that is now shilling for the Saudis to fend off all criticism of Osama bin Laden's true paymasters.

Lantos, the consummate prevaricator, said that poor Nayirah's last name had to be kept confidential or otherwise her family in Kuwait might face reprisals from Iraqi occupiers. Nice try, but soon it was revealed that Nayirah's actual last name was Al Sabah and that she was the daughter of Kuwait's ambassador to the United States. But the disinformation soon caught on. George H. W. Bush traveled around the country condemning the Brute of Baghdad for throwing newborn babies on to the floors of Kuwaiti hospitals. Support for Bush's war skyrocketed as a result.

A Venomous, Hateful Little Man

Now, as another President Bush hones his plans to control Iraq through pro-consul and fellow Texan, General Tommy Franks, Lantos is bleating forth more disinformation about the "treacherous" French, Germans, and Belgians for not jumping into Bush's lap in the same manner as Britain's Tony Blair and Australia's John Howard.

Lantos' venomous brand of politics has earned him scorn from many of his House colleagues, especially those in the Congressional Black Caucus. Always quick to accuse those who don't stand with Israel of being anti-Semitic, Lantos is intolerant of African-American members who have accused the international diamond industry of responsibility for a large share of Africa's bloody civil wars and torment. Lantos has, in some cases, made no secret of his disdain for people of color who dare question his competency to lord over human rights issues from his Capitol Hill perch. The relationship between Lantos and Hill and Knowlton, the agents of past brutal dictatorships in Indonesia and Turkey, makes Lantos's congressional monopoly on human rights advocacy an outrageous fraud.

In 1992, high tech entrepreneur Glenn Tenney challenged Lantos in the Democratic primary. Although Lantos is well-known for his arrogance in Washington, Tenney and his supporters pointed out that this haughtiness extended to the constituents of the 12th District as well. But Lantos, who is propped up partly with the infusion of campaign funds from mob-controlled unions at San Francisco International Airport, remained invulnerable to the challenge.

Although Lantos's biography says he is the only Holocaust survivor to have ever served in Congress, it glosses over the fact that his wife, also a Holocaust survivor, and two daughters left the Jewish faith and are practicing Mormons. And it is also a well-known fact that the Latter Day Saints Church remains a prime backer of the Republican Party and George W. Bush. Nonetheless, Lantos was quick to hurl his hackneyed anti-Semitism charges at his two last challengers, Republican Michael Moloney, who favored cutting off all U.S. aid to Israel and Libertarian Maad Abu Ghazalah, a Palestinian refugee from the West Bank, who called for a more even-handed American foreign policy in the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

As eloquent Democrats like West Virginia Senator Robert Byrd and Wisconsin Senator Russ Feingold call into question Bush's Iraq adventure and his creeping totalitarianism at home, Lantos, to coin a phrase, remains, as always, "beneath contempt."

Entire article »

Hat tip: M.V. Pejakovich and FreeRepublic

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Review Four-Fer: Jazz Albums For Kids and Families

A while back, I wondered, "why are there not more great jazz albums for kids?" I could have substituted the word "good" for "great" and it still would have been a legitimate question. Still, the kids music jazz subgenre has picked up some steam since I wrote those words and with the recent appearance of a definitely great jazz album for kids, I thought it worthwhile to highlight some other new disks worth further exploration if you're looking to broaden the jazz section on your family's CD shelf (or whatever the iPod equivalent of that is).

Thirty Tigers' Jazz and Swing For Kids applies a big band (or at least one that approaches double digits) to 10 familiar kids' tunes. A glance at some of the titles, however, shows that they're mixing things up a little bit -- "Diddle Diddle Swing," for example, or the "Old MacDonald Jazz Remix" (a boogie-woogie which throws in a snippet of "Choo Choo Ch'Boogie" for good measure). Strong vocals ("Here Comes the Rain Itsy" gets turned into a rave-up) and a sense of playfulness are the strong points on this 33-minute CD.

The Doug Beavers Rovira Jazz Orchestra's Jazz, Baby! is, in many ways, a similar album. All 10 songs here are traditional ("Twinkle Twinkle," "Shortnin' Bread," "Working' On the Railroad"), and the vocals take center stage. If there is any difference it's that the arrangements are stronger, with strong versions of "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" that take full-advantage of a 20+ member big band being two highlights. "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain" is done in a fun cha-cha style. It's a polished recording, and while it's not targeted at adult listeners, those listeners who listen with their kids certainly won't begrudge time spent in its company. (Listen to several tracks from the 33-minute album here.)

While those two CDs certainly have much to recommend them, by sticking to traditional and familiar early childhood songs, they don't necessarily lend themselves to repeated listening over a long period of time -- they're CDs you might dip into occasionally.

Are there CDs worth more than an occasional dip? Well...

Baby Loves Jazz's latest CD, Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 & 2 certainly has its fair share of the standard childhood classics -- "Wheels On the Bus," "Skip To My Lou," and "Old Macdonald," to name a few. And its animated characters -- "Duck Ellington" (groan) or "Ella Elephant," for example -- clearly show who the CD is targeted at. But the album has more than its fair share of originals. Take the loopy "Blue Lemurs," a snappy little tune with piano accompaniment and the ear-wormy lyrics, "I like blue lemurs / And I don't know why." Or "Makes Me Want to Skat" and "We're a Band," which features "Ella Elephant," or, as we call her in the real world, Sharon Jones (of Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings), who scats up a storm. Whether original or traditional, the music from the small jazz combo backing the vocalists is top-notch.

At 46 tracks and nearly 90 minutes in length, this two-CD set is almost too long (I wonder if the original CD/book combos from which the tracks were selected might not be better introductions). But that length also provides a tremendous variety of styles to choose from, from the rap-jazz of "Duck Jam" to the slower album closer "Itsy Bitsy Spider." I would be surprised if any family couldn't find at least 30 minutes of music they'd want to hear many times over. (Listen to samples and download some tracks here and here.)

Finally, there's a possibility that Swingin' in Daddyland, the first foray into kids and family music from Vermont's Lewis Franco piqued my attention as I listened to all these jazz CDs precisely because it sounded different. And that could be true. But this CD, which features Franco and a 3-man band called The Missing Cats, swings in a relaxed way. Franco and his band play a lot of gypsy swing jazz tunes ("Swing 42," which sets Franco's original lyrics to an old Django Reinhardt tune, is a good example) but isn't afraid of different styles, such as the Western swing on "Stomp Stomp" or even the not-very-jazzy but lots of fun roots-rocker "Annabelle."

I came to think of Franco as a jazz version of Brady Rymer, who often takes as his subject family life, from both the child and parental perspective. His lyrics, especially "Have You Looked?," about a father who answers repeated questions from his daughter about where lost objects might be, deal with both perspectives with understanding and heart. You can listen to samples and a couple full tracks here. While this is definitely a jazz album, Swingin' in Daddyland I think would have broad appeal beyond those looking for just a "jazz album" -- it's my favorite of the four good albums here and is definitely recommended.

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Snyder's ineptness rears its ugly head again with coaching hire

is promoted to head coach after a whopping two weeks as the Redskins' new offensive coordinator. Is he more qualified than Jaguars defensive coordinator Gregg Williams? No, but Zorn might be a better yes-man for meddlesome owner Dan Snyder, Pete Prisco says.

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