Mammoth Blog

University of Michigan seniors welcome 1 last shot at Ohio State

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:03:00 -0600

Although small, the senior class of the Michigan football team has experienced enough to span several classes.

From the 2006 season -- during which the Wolverines reached No. 2 in the national rankings and nearly beat Ohio State for a spot in the national title game -- to Lloyd Carr's retirement to the past two years of once-in-a-generation futility, the seniors have seen it all.

Many of their classmates have departed -- five fifth-year seniors remain from the 2005 freshman class and 13 from the 2006 class -- but the ones who endured through the tumult have impressed U-M coach Rich Rodriguez.

"I think the greatest accomplishment you can have as a college football player is completing through your senior year and graduating," Rodriguez said, entering Saturday's noon regular-season finale against Ohio State. "Even more so than making All-American, All-Big Ten, you've devoted four or five years of your life to the university, to the program, to your teammates. You want it to be a special week that they remember.

"Obviously, if you play well in a game and you win the game, it makes the memory even more so. ... It's a small group. I've only been with them a couple years, didn't recruit 'em. But I have a lot of fond memories of them. It's a very, very special group to me. They're great young men. They're all on track to already graduate or will graduate. They've given an awful lot to this program."

A year ago, the sentiments were the same, but it was a different feeling. Many of those players lasted through the year because it was their last one and leaving the program would have been difficult. This year's group of players showed a more stable commitment, knowing they had at least two years with the new coaching staff.

Unfortunately for these Wolverines, they've experienced many new lows during their final two years and also share the albatross held by their two preceding four-year senior classes -- no wins over the Buckeyes.

"It would be real important," said linebacker Stevie Brown, named one of the Wolverines' permanent captains Thursday, along with fellow seniors Brandon Graham, Zoltan Mesko and Mark Ortmann. "It will be my last game in the Big House so I do want to go out with a win."

Graham, who may be one of the few players whose individual career followed the path he expected, was asked about realizing his career could end Saturday -- if U-M loses, there will be no bowl trip for the second straight year -- and had to catch himself talking about it for fearing he would start crying.

Ortmann, the team's starting left tackle, also knows the importance of the rivalry game.

"It's something that's been playing in all of our minds," Ortmann said. "The past two seasons we've broken a lot of (negative) records that we've held and set a lot of new ones. But it'd be a great way to go out, beating Ohio State and maybe starting a new record there."

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Penn State at Michigan State College Football Odds

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:58:00 -0600

The Penn State Nittany Lions will travel to East Lansing and take on the Spartans from Michigan State this week. Michigan State had a nice come from behind victory last week at Purdue and is looking to end the regular season on a strong note. Revenge will also be on the minds of the Spartans after being beaten 49-18 at Penn State last year. Penn State is 9-2 and is looking like they are in good shape to head to solid New Year's Day Bowl. Get an extra $500 to bet on football when you sign up at BetUS and make an initial deposit of $500 or more.

The Nittany Lions are 9-2 on the year, but in some circles they were expected to do even more. They have lost two home games to Ohio State and Iowa this year, their only two games against solid opponents. The offense has been good, but not great. Daryll Clark is a good senior leader for the team and has thrown 19 touchdown compared to 10 interceptions on the year. Evan Royster started the season slowly, but as the offensive line has improved his numbers have gone back up and he is averaging 5.6 yards per carry this season. The real strength of the Nittany Lions is definitely their defense. Defensively they are giving up 11.6 points per game and only 94 yards on the ground per game. The last three weeks they have given up 19 points per game and 357 total yards per game, so they'll need to get back to early season form in this one.

Michigan State has had a very up and down year so far this season. The low points were the home loss to Central Michigan and the road loss to an injury plagued Minnesota squad. On the other side though they had a nice overtime victory over Michigan and an impressive comeback win against Purdue last weekend. The offense is scoring 31 points per game behind the steady leadership of quarterback Kirk Cousins. Cousins has done an excellent job stepping in at quarterback, throwing for 2,305 yards and 17 touchdowns. Cousins has taken good care of the football, only throwing 5 interceptions on the year. The Spartans are deep at the tailback position, but have become a primarily passing team late in the year. The Michigan State defense has been erratic. The defense is giving up more than 300 passing yards per game in the last 3 outings, so they'll definitely need to get that pass defense figured out.

The college football betting lines show Penn State as a 3 point road favorite in this game. The posted total is set at 47.5 points. If you are making football picks on this game remember these trends: the home team is 9-3 against the spread in the last 12 meetings between these two and the over is 10-2-1 in the last 13 meetings between these teams.

Expect the Michigan State Spartans to come out throwing the ball, which means their offensive line will need to protect Kirk Cousins against a strong defensive front from Penn State. Penn State will try to control the the football and cash in on every opportunity available to them. The turnover battle will be critical in this game. Expect a very good game!

My college football pickswent 6-1 last weekend and I have already set my card for this weekend. With two plays on ESPN's Friday night game and a huge trio of 5 star top plays for Saturday I am ready to beat the books again this weekend. Take a look at the premium packages available and remember all of them come with a guarantee.

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Ohio State at Michigan College Football Odds

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:55:00 -0600

t is one of the greatest rivalries in all of sports, and it will take place this Saturday at noon eastern time. A game simply known as "The Big One" in the midwest, the Ohio State vs. Michigan battle takes on a life of its own every single year. This year the Buckeyes have clinched the Rose Bowl Berth and sit 10th in the BCS standings, but Rich Rodriguez's Wolverines would love nothing more than to upset the Buckeyes and become bowl eligible themselves. Get an extra $500 to bet on football when you sign up at BetUS and make an initial deposit of $500 or more.

The Ohio State Buckeyes haven't done things in a very pretty way this year, but that is kind of the way Jim Tressel's teams often win. The team is very strong defensively, but the offense isn't where it needs to be for them to be among the best teams in the country. Terrelle Pryor has been a bit of a disappointment to most Buckeye fans this year since so much was expected from him. Pryor is completing just 55.8% of his passes and has thrown 9 interceptions this season. Pryor has shown some improvement in recent weeks, but the offense is very vanilla and Pryor has been most dangerous when he is running the football. Between Pryor and Brandon Saine the Buckeyes often have two speedsters in the backfield and two guys who can break free and go the distance at any time. Devier Posey is emerging as a top wide receiver and has 47 catches on the season. The defense has been terrific this year, giving up a measly 12.2 points per game and just 258 total yards per game. Many times this year the Buckeyes have relied on the defense and their great defensive line, and most of the time they have done their job beautifully.

The Michigan Wolverines started the season well and were actually ranked in the top 25, but they have since fallen on hard times and have lost 6 of their last 7 games. Tate Forcier is proving to be a very nice addition at quarterback. The freshman has proven adept at running the football when needed and is progressing nicely as a passer. The running game at Michigan has been pretty good, averaging 195 yards per game and making the offense perfectly balanced. The offense is clearly much improved from a year ago. The defense is where the real problems are for Michigan. In the last 3 games the defense is giving up an average of 40 points per game and 488 total yards. If the Wolverines are to stay in this game they will need the defense to step up in a big way.

The college football betting lines for this weekend show Ohio State as a 12 point favorite even though the game is being played in Ann Arbor. The posted total is set at 47 points. Those of you making football predictions for this game will want to know that the Buckeyes are 20-6 against the spread in their last 26 road games and they are 4-1 against the spread in their last 5 games at Michigan.

Ohio State will likely continue their conservative play calling, so it will be up to Michigan to prove they can stop the run. If Ohio State runs with ease, this game could get ugly fast. If Michigan makes Pryor air it out often, the game could go down to the wire. Expect the Ohio State defensive line to give Michigan fits in this one. I think the Buckeyes win this one, but predicting these rivalry games isn't easy at all!

Last weekend I went 6-1 on college football picks. This weekend I have a full slate of games covered, with two picks for Friday night and 6 more for Saturday's games. Saturday's card includes a trio of 5 star top play picks. Check out all the premium packages available, and remember all of those packages are guaranteed.

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Freshman pours in 27 points to lead #4 Kentucky past Sam Houston State 102-92

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:30:00 -0600

DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points and 18 rebounds to help No. 4 Kentucky outlast Sam Houston State 102-92 on Thursday night in the Cancun Challenge.

Patrick Patterson had 20 points and nine boards and John Wall added 21 points and six assists as the Wildcats (3-0) overcame a record-setting shooting performance by the Bearkats (2-1).

Sam Houston State (2-1) hung around deep into the second half behind stellar 3-point shooting, led by senior guard Corey Allmond, who poured in 37 points and made a Rupp Arena record 11 3-pointers. The Bearkats made 18 of 38 3-pointers and never let Kentucky get comfortable.

The Wildcats survived behind Cousins and Patterson, who had little trouble doing whatever they wanted against the shorter, smaller Bearkats. Kentucky outscored Sam Houston State 48-18 in the paint and held a 48-33 advantage on the boards while shooting 60 percent from the floor.

Still, it wasn't exactly the kind of crisp performance coach John Calipari was looking for after Kentucky narrowly escaped an upset bid by Miami (Ohio) on Monday.

Wall hit a last-second jumper to lift the Wildcats to victory against the RedHawks.

There were no such heroics necessary this time, but the joy felt during Wall's dynamic debut was replaced with a sense of unease as Kentucky allowed another opponent to go crazy from behind the arc.

Calipari called Miami's performance - the RedHawks made 15 of 26 3-pointers - somewhat of a fluke and said he was "ecstatic" after the Wildcats rallied from an 18-point deficit to win.

He wasn't quite so cheery when Kentucky failed to put away the Bearkats, a member of the Southland Conference.

The Wildcats never trailed, but the inability to slow down Allmond or get any production from the bench - Kentucky's reserves did not score a single point - left Calipari in a frenzy.

He called timeout after timeout hoping to get his team to play with some defensive intensity. It never happened.

Allmond simply wouldn't let it. He hardly seemed bothered while being guarded by Wall, considered the top freshman in the country. Allmond knocked down eight 3-pointers in the first half alone. Some of the shots were flat-out ridiculous, including a double-pump leaning 3-pointer with Wall all over him.

Kentucky still managed to lead 53-42 at the half then opened the second half on a 7-0 run to push the lead to 18. Yet they simply couldn't get free.

Every time the Wildcats appeared to be ready to break it open, they would commit a turnover and the Bearkats would answer with another deep jumper.

Sam Houston State pulled to 81-73 with 6:58 remaining before one last burst by the Wildcats pushed the lead to 94-77. The Bearkats never got closer than 10 the rest of the way, but Kentucky's sloppy play had Calipari leaving the floor in a huff visibly angry at his team's lethargic defensive performance.

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Signed copies of Sarah Palin's new book "Going Rogue" showing up on eBay

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:27:00 -0600

Signed copies of Sarah Palin's new book "Going Rogue" have already started to appear on the popular auction website "eBay."

Autographed copies we found are fetching as low as $51 and as high as one "buy it now" for $150.

And some wanting to prove the signatures authenticity are bundling it with a photo taken while the book was being signed.

So if you missed your chance to get a signed copy on your own, you may find your copy online. But remember if a deal is too good to be true, it probably is.

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Rusty Wallace Racing to move from Chevrolet to Toyota next season

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:19:00 -0600

Rusty Wallace Racing will switch from Chevrolet to Toyota next season, with Steve Wallace and Brendan Gaughan running the Nos. 66 and 62 Camrys, respectively, in NASCAR's Nationwide Series.

In addition, team owner Rusty Wallace has signed a personal services agreement under which the former Cup champion and current ESPN analyst will represent the Toyota brand nationally. Wallace owns a Toyota dealership in Morristown, Tenn.

"Our team's decision on manufacturers involved input from a lot of people within the organization," Wallace said. "We decided that, at the end of the day, our goal as a race team is simple: to win races and championships. Thus, we all had to take a long look at which manufacturer partner could best help us reach that goal."

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Jamie McMurray joins Bass Pro Shops NASCAR team

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:09:00 -0600

Springfield-based Bass Pro Shops will have a southwest Missourian driving its NASCAR Sprint Cup vehicle for the 2010 season.

Joplin native Jamie McMurray will be behind the wheel of the No. 1 Bass Pro Chevrolet as he joins Earnhardt Ganassi Racing. He replaces Martin Truex Jr., who has been sponsored by Bass Pro since 2003. Truex is leaving Earnhardt Ganassi for Michael Waltrip Racing next season.

McMurray is a seven-year NASCAR veteran, and his career began with what was then Chip Ganassi Racing in 2002, when he took the checkered flag at Lowe's Motor Speedway in his second career race.

"We are proud to be able to continue our long relationship with Teresa Earnhardt and Chip Ganassi and we are also excited that a fine young feller from our home state, Jamie McMurray, will be our driver," Bass Pro Shops's Johnny Morris said in a news release.

The 2010 season will be Bass Pro's fifth as a primary sponsor on the NASCAR circuit.
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4 Explosive Efusjon Events

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:07:00 -0600

December City Tour; 4 Explosive Events!

Save the Dates! I will be co-hosting Efusjon Super Socials in the following cities in December:

December 1st, Las Vegas
December 9th: Salt Lake City/Riverton, UT
December 15th: Jackson, Mississippi
December 18th: Tampa, Florida
December 20th: Orlando, Florida.

You can download flyers for each event at: http://www.facebook.com/l/27f92;bit.ly/6ErgEU.

To Your Success,

Mike Rangel

Efusjon Home Run Club Matrix Masters Call

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 12:01:00 -0600

Matrix Masters Call will be on Monday, November 23, 2009 at 10pm est.
Please make sure every executive on your teams are aware of this call.

If you are an executive with the Home Run Club please check your email or contact another executive to get the number.

"Power of 3" Challenge: Here are three simple steps you can follow to get off to a fast start

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:25:00 -0600

"Power of 3" Challenge: Here are three simple steps you can follow to get off to a fast start in Efusjon:

Step 1: Develop a deep-seeded belief in the Efusjon product by drinking it daily. Remember, people buy belief!

Step 2: Create a sense of urgency to immediately get your 3 and make yourself an Executive within hours or days. Congratulations! You have now earned $225 in Associate Product Volume Bonuses that will be paid to you the following week and you have a 115% return on your initial investment.

Step 3: You are also able serve as the Coach/Trainer for the 3 people that you personally sponsor into the club. For each of these 3 people that you help get to Executive within 30 days from the date they join, you will receive a $200 Coaching Product Volume Bonus paid the following week. Simply put, if you help each of your 3 personally enrolled members reach Executive within 30 days, you will receive a total of $600 in Coaching Product Volume Bonuses and you now also qualify to receive 100% of the money due to you in monthly matrix residual income ($5.10/month for direct distributors and $1.50/month for overlap distributors).

Following the above 3 steps will have made you $825 in total Product Volume Bonuses, and you will also be receiving $60 in monthly matrix residual income starting the following month. How powerful that all of this money is paid to you off of only having 12 people in your matrix (3 + 9 = 12)

http://www2.seemymatrix.com/forums/index.php/topic,350.0.html

Teamplayer: Once who unites others toward a shared destiny

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:30:00 -0600

One man can be a crucial ingredient on a team, but one man cannot make a team. Kareem Abdul-Jabbor http://twitter.com/efusjonmmi

Teamplayer: Once who unites others toward a shared destiny through information & ideas, empowering others & developing trust. D Kinlaw http://twitter.com/efusjonmmi

The greatest danger a team faces isn't that it won't become successful, but that it will, and then cease to improve. Mark Sanborn http://twitter.com/efusjonmmi

The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team. John Wooden
http://twitter.com/efusjonmmi

Ohio State Buckeyes Beat Iowa and get trip to The Rose Bowl

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:39:00 -0600

The oldest of the Buckeyes sent Ohio State back to the Granddaddy of all bowls.

Devin Barclay, a 26-year-old former pro soccer player, kicked a 39-yard field goal in overtime to give No. 10 Ohio State a 27-24 victory Saturday over No. 15 Iowa and send the Buckeyes to the Rose Bowl for the first time in 13 years.

"None of our kids have gone to the Rose Bowl. I haven't been there in 25 years (since) I was an assistant coach in the 1985 Rose Bowl," coach Jim Tressel said. "There's nothing like it. It's a great feeling."

The Buckeyes (9-2, 6-1) clinched at least a share of their fifth consecutive Big Ten title and the conference's automatic BCS bid.

"It means everything to us," linebacker Austin Spitler said. "Senior day, we're going to remember this for the rest of our lives. This is a special moment."

Week 12 College Football Betting Lines

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:21:00 -0600

One of college football's most storied rivalries resumes this Saturday when the Ohio State Buckeyes battle the Michigan Wolverines. On paper, this is not one of the more competitive match-ups between these two as Michigan has struggled in the second half of their season. Ohio State has already locked up a Rose Bowl bid, but a win over Michigan is always on the agenda for the Buckeyes. Michigan is getting 12 points.

Clemson will look to wrap up the ACC Atlantic division with a win over Virginia. RB CJ Spiller has made a strong case to be considered for the Heisman Trophy this year and if the Tigers keep winning it will only help. A rematch with Georgia Tech is in store if Clemson can get the W. The college football odds show the Tigers are giving 21 points to the Cavaliers.

The 13th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes host the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a match-up where the winner is awarded the Floyd of Rosedale. Iowa embarrassed Minnesota last year, running away with a 55-0 victory in the final game that would be played at the Metrodome. The Hawks have won 4 of the last 5 in the series and seem to have the upper hand once again. Iowa is a 10 point favorite on home turf.

Notre Dame will take on its second Big East opponent in a row when the Uconn Huskies roll into town. Charlie Weis might be on his way out after yet another disappointing season in South Bend. QB Jimmy Clausen has had an exceptional season and has raised his draft stock with his play on the field. Uconn has not won a game since the tragic stabbing death of starting CB Jasper Howard. The Huskies are getting 6 points.

Get a $500 match bonus this season that you can use for all of your football betting when you open a new account with BetUS and deposit at least $500.

The "Big Game" rivalry resumes when Cal travels South to Palo Alto to face off against Stanford. Both teams are coming off big wins with Stanford's being the bigger of the two as they absolutely worked USC. Cal won last year by 21, but this is a different Stanford squad with true freshman Andrew Luck behind center. The Golden Bears are getting 7 points.

Oklahoma and Texas Tech will hook up in a Big 12 South battle in a game where you might not see a snap from under center. The Sooners have to start planning for next season as their 4 losses are the most since 2005. Sam Bradford's decision to comeback for another year of college could end up costing him millions of dollars. Texas Tech has battled injuries throughout the year, especially at the quarterback position and have had a hard time building any momentum. The Red Raiders are getting 6 points at home.

LSU @ Ole Miss is a key showdown in the SEC West as LSU tries to stay in the picture for a BCS Bowl Bid. The Tigers could be without starting QB Jordan Jefferson for a second straight game. Ole Miss RB Dexter McCluster ran wild on a tough Tennessee defense last week as he scored four times and eclipsed the 250 yard mark. The Runnin' Rebels are a 4 point underdog in The Grove.

Visit Betfirms this week for college football picks from the best handicappers in the business. You won't find more winning football picks anywhere on the web!

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Jordan Crawford gets career-high 24 points as Xavier crushes Bowling Green 101-57

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:13:00 -0600

ans "oohed" at Jordan Crawford's fade away jump shot and "aahed" when, seconds later, he stole the ball and scored a fast-break basket.

Crawford later swooped in for a one-handed stickback jam that gave XU a 36-point lead over Bowling Green, and Cintas Center exploded into a frenzied celebration.

The Falcons simply had no answer for the sophomore guard - or the rest of the Musketeers.

Crawford led five double-figure scorers with a career-high 24 points in the Musketeers' 101-57 rout of Bowling Green before 10,067 fans.

Brad Redford scored 12 points on 3-pointers, Jason Love notched a double-double with 12 points and a career-tying 12 rebounds, Terrell Holloway added 12 points, Mark Lyons chipped in 10, and the Muskies rolled to a 2-0 start.

Coach Chris Mack said the Muskies were as "good as we could be" offensively in the first half in finding shooters, getting the ball to the middle of the Falcons' zone and making plays.

Crawford agreed.

"We did a lot of work on our zone offense in practice the last couple days," Crawford said. "We kept beating it into our heads, and we came out and did a good job."

Love, who eluded 6-foot-9, 285-pound center Otis Polk for the double double, said the Muskies settled down after the game's first few minutes, which featured a tie and three lead changes. That's when the Muskies established their defense and pushed the pace on offense.

XU was so dominant, it cracked the record books several times over.

- Forty-four points were the Muskies' largest margin of victory since a 98-49 win over Coppin State in 2007.

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Could Johnson be the greatest we've ever seen?

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:08:00 -0600

One day, it is going to end. Jimmie Johnson knows this. One day someone else will be the dominant driver on the Sprint Cup circuit, and Johnson will be chasing him, just as everyone is currently chasing Johnson. Although it seems difficult to believe now, as the Hendrick Motorsports driver and his invincible No. 48 team charge toward their fourth consecutive championship, the cyclical nature of NASCAR will at some point inevitably topple them from the summit.

There's a reason why, over nearly six decades of competition, only one man was able to win three straight championships. There's a reason why, before Johnson, nobody seriously threatened to win four in a row.
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When that day comes, I hope I can handle it as well as the guys I've respected growing up have, because it won't be easy. Losing sucks. We all hate it.
"
JIMMIE JOHNSON

They say the only constant in NASCAR is change, and over time change will wear anyone down -- even Johnson, although right now he looks like he could go on winning titles forever. At some point, he'll take a step backward, begin to decline. He knows this as well as anyone else. Mentally, he's even begun to prepare for it.

"I'm well aware that things have gone great for the last three years. I'm obviously hoping for a fourth," he said. "But at some point I won't be that guy. It will be somebody else. Somebody else will be doing it. I've always been aware of those things through my career. I've been very fortunate to race with and be mentored by other champions and guys that have been very successful. To watch how graceful they've been, [motocross legend] Rick Johnson, [ASA champion] Gary St. Amant, Jeff Gordon, there have been a lot of guys through the years that have worked with me. I've been aware of that, and I've always in the back of my mind said, 'That's how I want to kind of handle things, to be and act.' I do pay attention to that. I am aware of it. When that day comes, I hope I can handle it as well as the guys I've respected growing up have, because it won't be easy. Losing sucks. We all hate it."

And yet, it may be a while still before Johnson has to deal with it. A 25th-place finish Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway will net him an expected fourth straight crown, and he'll undoubtedly be the favorite to win his fifth next season. Johnson is in the midst of a historic, unprecedented stretch of success, one which defies all the usual NASCAR caveats about how difficult it is to stay on top. Today, Johnson and his team look every bit as flawless and as bulletproof as they did in 2006, an eternity ago by the standards of this sport. It could be years and years still before they come back to the field. And by then, this former unknown from El Cajon, Calif., could be well on his way to becoming the greatest NASCAR driver of all time.

Usurping the holy trinity of Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jeff Gordon? Should Johnson take care of business on Sunday, it's absolutely and completely possible. No question, getting there would be fraught with difficulty, and clearly Johnson's smooth, unflappable style makes all this look much easier than it really is. But everything, from his age to the state of the sport today, is on his side. Given what he's already accomplished, and the potential he still has in front of him, there are no limits to what he may achieve. continue>>>

Jimmie Johnson is on the cusp of becoming the fourth member of the four-title club.

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:06:00 -0600

Much has been made, and rightly so, of the record. It stood for nearly three decades, owned solely by one simple, private man who lived on a South Carolina plantation, and as the years passed it came to be seen as unbreakable. And then came this unknown from Southern California, this former dirt biker and off-road racer, who attacked his sport with a surgical precision and an unflappable cool. Cale Yarborough and Jimmie Johnson stand side-by-side in history, the only drivers to win three consecutive championships on NASCAR's premier division, but only for a few more days.

Sunday, that all changes. Barring an unforeseen and uncharacteristic collapse, Johnson will become the first driver to claim four consecutive crowns on what is now known as the Sprint Cup circuit. The evening at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be capped with the now-familiar sight of No. 48 team members holding up index fingers and spraying champagne. Johnson will move into a chapter of his own writing, as his four consecutive championships -- and counting, given that he'll be favored to win another next year -- take their rightful place among the greatest accomplishments the sport has ever seen.

But the record is only part of it. Four championships put Johnson in elite company, and would do so even if they had not come one after the other. At NASCAR's highest level, it's a plateau only three other men have reached. Even the numeral itself carries a great deal of significance; in some cultures the number four is a symbol of wholeness and completion, something that seems all too appropriate in this case. There are four seasons, four directions, four elements, four sides to a square.

And soon, for Johnson, there will be four championships. In one way he stands alone, but in another he has company. For in NASCAR, fourth titles have proven noteworthy for reasons other than just the number. Richard Petty's fourth championship season in 1972 ushered in the era of national sponsorship. Dale Earnhardt's fourth title in 1990 came amid one of the most gut-wrenching championship races the old points system ever produced. Jeff Gordon's fourth title in 2001 proved that he could stand on his own.

Now here comes Johnson, with his four-in-a-row record-breaker, ready to join an exclusive club. But he's not the charter member, mind you. As far as four championships are concerned, there are those who came before him -- drivers who may not have won their titles consecutively, but whose quartet of crowns set the bar equally as high. And it all begins with a snowy day in Chicago, a $250,000 handshake, and the man they call the King. source>>>

Chick-fil-A Bowl to visit Athens for Kentucky-Georgia game

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:56:00 -0600

Chick-fil-A Bowl representative Kevin Butler will visit Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga. on Saturday to scout the Kentucky-Georgia game. Both teams are being scouted as potential representatives in the 2009 Chick-fil-A Bowl on Dec. 31.

The ACC and SEC team selections for the 42nd edition of the Bowl will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 6. The Chick-fil-A Bowl is the oldest guaranteed ACC vs. SEC match-up in the bowl business.
Click here to find out more!

Following a victory at Vanderbilt last weekend, Kentucky (6-4, 2-4 SEC) is bowl eligible for a school-record fourth consecutive season. The Wildcats have won four of their last five, thanks in large part to their success running the football. In the last two wins, Kentucky has totaled 542 yards on the ground including a career-high 144 from junior Derrick Locke last weekend. A Chick-fil-A Bowl appearance would be the team's third overall and first since 1993.

Georgia (6-4, 4-3 SEC) enters the contest on a two-game winning streak and looking to improve its bowl stock. The Bulldogs have reached a bowl every year since Mark Richt became head coach in 2001 and are in line for their 13th consecutive postseason appearance.

With SEC-leading receiver A.J. Green expected to miss this weekend's game with an injury, the team must rely on another strong showing from its defense. The Wildcats' rush attack faces a Georgia defense that has surrendered a combined 102 yards on the ground in its last two games. Georgia's five appearances in the Chick-fil-A Bowl ties LSU for most among SEC teams, and the team most recently participated in 2006.

Georgia has defeated Kentucky in 16 of the last 18 meetings, including a 42-38 win in Lexington last season, to stretch their lead in the series to 49-11-2. A win would be Kentucky's first in Athens since 1977. Saturday's contest kicks off at 7:45 p.m. (EST) and will air on ESPN

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MMA Unveils New Definition Of 'Mobile Marketing'

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:53:00 -0600

Mobile marketing is tough enough without having to struggle to define it. The term itself is self-explanatory, right? Like long-haul trucking or indoor plumbing. Apparently not. To clear up any confusion, the Mobile Marketing Association has helpfully released a new definition of the term, which it describes as:

"A set of practices that enables organizations to communicate and engage with their audience in an interactive and relevant manner through any mobile device or network."

Wait, now you really are getting confused? Don't worry, MMA has a deeper explanation of the definition. In a release issued yesterday during its Mobile Marketing Forum in Los Angeles, the trade group says the key lies in the "two parts of its taxonomy." Uh oh. Get out your notebook.

1. "The 'set of practices' includes "activities, institutions, processes, industry players, standards, advertising and media, direct response, promotions, relationship management, CRM, customer services, loyalty, social marketing, and all the many faces and facets of marketing."

How can a set of practices include "institutions" and "industry players?" And what's the difference between "faces" and "facets?" I'd like further clarification on that. But on to the second part of the elaboration:

2. "To 'engage' means to "start relationships, acquire, generate activity, stimulate social interaction with organization and community members, [and] be present at time of consumers expressed need. Furthermore, engagement can be initiated by the consumer ('Pull' in form of a click or response) or by the marketer ('Push').

Thoroughly perplexed? Sorry, that's all the MMA has on the meaning of mobile marketing. If you want further elucidation, you'll have to follow up directly with the organization.

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1.25 Million Contract Mystery Flu In Ukraine As Flu Cases Spike In Russia, Belarus, Bulgaria, Serbia

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:10:00 -0600

The latest numbers out of Ukraine indicate that 1.25 million people have now contracted what is being called "the mystery flu". Over 65,000 of those have required hospitalization and 239 are officially reported to be dead. As the situation in Ukraine continues to become more dire, many health experts continue to be absolutely perplexed as to why the WHO continues to refuse to release the sequences from the samples taken from patients in Ukraine well over a week ago. Meanwhile, there has been a dramatic spike in flu cases in neighboring countries such as Russia, Belarus and Bulgaria. In addition, a dramatic increase in flu cases is being reported in Serbia, Norway, India and Canada. In many of these nations there are reports of the flu virus absolutely disintegrating the lungs of patients just like it is doing in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Professor Viktor Bachinsky recently commented on the behavior of this mystery flu, and his assessment of this virus is very sobering.....

"The virus, which causes death, is very aggressive, it does not strike the trachea, but immediately gets into the lungs and causes heavy swelling and solid hemorrhage. Mixed types of parainfluenza and influenza A/N1N1 lead to this state. This is a very toxic strain, which has not yet answered to the treatment of the Ministry of Health."

So what in the world is going on there?

Hopefully world health authorities will have some answers for us soon.

Meanwhile flu cases across the globe continue to spike.....

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Russian cybercriminals target H1N1 Swine flu fears

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:03:00 -0600

Report outlines massive affiliate campaigns pushing pharmaceuticals, including counterfeit Tamiflu, making Russian hackers millions.

Researchers at security vendor Sophos' Canadian-based research labs have released a report outlining how some Russian cybercriminals are making millions off the H1N1 flu by pushing counterfeit Tamiflu through well organized affiliate programs.

The cybercriminals have created an affiliate network to make it more difficult to track them down by distributing responsibility for different spam tasks while increasing advertising space to gain visibility and more potential victims. It's been an evolving process and today there are literally hundreds of malicious affiliate networks touting everything from phony dating websites, porn and pharmaceuticals such as Tamiflu.

Rather than direct spam campaigns that flood inboxes, the cybercriminals use Web marketing campaigns and drive potential victims to partner affiliate websites using a mixture of spam, search engine results (search engine optimization), blogs and forum posts, the report finds. Each affiliate gets a small cut but most of the profits go to cybercriminal gangs in Russia.

Many organize expensive parties for their members, send generous gifts for holidays, run lotteries where a top producer wins a luxury car, and the list goes on. In some cases, the war between different partnerkas turns ugly, where one portal may get DDoS'ed by a competing gang.

Members of the affiliate network learn how to mine Google Trends data for popular search terms, generate content and use appropriate linking to trick search engines into giving the malicious sites a higher slot in search results. The results are affiliate websites that have potential to get more than 10,000 page views a day, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

The good news says Sophos' Dmitry Samosseiko is that security researchers are gaining a better understanding of the affiliate networks and working closely with law enforcement to get rogue networks shut down.

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