Mammoth Blog

FlipATicket.com - New From the Creators of BlueBucs.com

Sun, 20 Feb 2011 09:45:00 -0500

Ticket Brokers World Wide Are Welcome To Join FlipATicket The Ticket Revolution Has Begun

Fri, 28 Jan 2011 17:05:00 -0500

FlipATicket.com - New From the Creators of BlueBucs.com

FlipATicket.com today announced that it is leading the charge of brokers who have united and said, "Enough is enough!". Over the course of the last several years, brokers have witnessed drastic changes the ticket industry has undergone; so drastic, in fact, that it is difficult to fully grasp. If you were told five years ago that EI would be purchased by Ticketmaster, or that StubHub would be purchased by eBay, or that TN would morph into a gargantuan network of thousands of brokers, or that Ticket Technology would be bought by StubHub/eBay, or that LiveNation would buy every venue under the sun and ditch Ticketmaster for their own ticketing service, only to merge with Ticketmaster a few months later, would you have believed any of it? Who could have imagined that all of those things would take place in five short years?

Perhaps a better question would be: How have these changes helped your business? Let's see...

Fewer places to list your tickets.
Little to no access to other brokers to work trades.
Fee after fee after fee after fee piled up on top of you.
Policy changes, sometimes daily.

And what is the result of these changes that we have all witnessed? You, the broker, are left holding the short end of the stick, working harder to earn less. Your choice of places to buy, sell, and trade tickets has been boiled down to making a decision between the lesser of all that is evil. That's how you grow a business, right? No, we didn't think so either.

A number of months back, the folks behind BlueBucs.com sat down and started working on ideas of how to counteract the absurdity that has transpired in our industry, and to help brokers regain control over their business and costs. They poured over so many ideas and options that it is impossible to enumerate, but their brainstorming team always came back to two primary "must do" points:

Control costs for brokers and consumers.
Keep it simple and effective, a la Google. Read More

FlipATicket.com - New From the Creators of BlueBucs.com

Mon, 24 Jan 2011 12:46:00 -0500

If you were told five years ago that EI would be purchased by Ticketmaster, or that StubHub would be purchased by eBay, or that TN would morph into a gargantuan network of thousands of brokers, or that Ticket Technology would be bought by StubHub/eBay, or that LiveNation would buy every venue under the sun and ditch Ticketmaster for their own ticketing service, only to merge with Ticketmaster a few months later, would you have believed any of it? Who could have imagined that all of those things would take place in five short years?

Perhaps a better question would be: How have these changes helped your business? Let's see...

* Fewer places to list your tickets.
* Little to no access to other brokers to work trades.
* Fee after fee after fee after fee piled up on top of you.
* Policy changes, sometimes daily.

* Control costs for brokers and consumers.
* Keep it simple and effective, a la Google.

Brokers need to be able to effectively communicate with one another, and consumers need to be able to do a simple search, find the tickets they want, and make a purchase. Neither the broker nor the consumer should be gouged with a litany of fees. Folks are tired of the nickel-and-dime games!

Imagine, if you will..

* No more throwing away thousands (or tens of thousands) of dollars in fees each year.
* No more ridiculous "rules" and policy changes each week that are impossible for anyone (including those imposing them) to keep up with.
* No more bowing to your "master", the ticket exchange. They should work for you, not the other way around!

The solution is FlipATicket.com, a brand new, back-to-basics site for brokers to buy and sell tickets, and retail outlet for consumer sales.

Will FlipATicket be the next StubHub, or EI, or TN? Absolutely not. And we don't want to be! Those guys define "ticket exchange", and "ticket exchange" is the problem that FlipATicket is designed to solve! Rather, the goal is to build a platform designed by, run by, and geared for ticket brokers. A platform that offers you an affordable and effective alternative for listing, buying, and selling tickets. A platform with a simple fee structure so that you don't need to hire an IRS agent to help you figure out how much revenue you just lost.

FlipATicket.com will attract customers who are just as tired as you are of dealing with a "ticket exchange". Customers that will appreciate never having to call the horrendous customer service line of a "ticket exchange", because they can now contact you, the seller, directly. The bottom line is, FlipATicket.com will provide you with more opportunities for sales to customers who are *yours*, and both you and your customer will be paying less fees!

We are currently operating in a beta test, which will run until Monday, February 28, 2011. During the beta test period, all ticket brokers will be able to buy, sell, and trade tickets - free of charge, our way of saying "Thank you!" for helping us work out any bugs and for providing feedback on features and future development ideas. As a special added bonus, during the beta test period, registered brokers will have free limited access to our flagship website, BlueBucs.com (the #1 source of presale and onsale information).

On Tuesday, March 1, 2011, all beta test accounts will be disabled, and broker accounts will be available for a nominal fee. A monthly subscription will be available for $39, or you can save 5% by choosing the annual subscription at a rate of just $444. There will be no additional fees to buy, sell, and trade your tickets on FlipATicket.com.

However, we are offering special discount pricing for those who choose to partner with us during the beta launch period. We have allotted a limited number of FlipATicket memberships at deeply discounted prices. As of this posting, only 25 of these spots are available. They are available only while they last, or until the beta test ends, whichever occurs first. Choose from one of the following:

* Founding Member Lifetime Membership - A one-time fee of $999. Never pay another penny to buy, sell, and trade your tickets on FlipATicket.com.
* Charter Membership - Annual subscription rate of just $365. Yes, you read correctly. Just $1 a day to buy, sell, and trade your tickets on FlipATicket.com, with no additional fees.

Again, these are being offered on a first come, first served basis. They are going fast, and will never again be offered.

Can we compete on sheer volume of sales from day one? No, we can't. But by partnering with FlipATicket.com, we can all work together and slowly but surely take back our industry, one-by-one as brokers decide for themselves: "Enough is enough!"

Big 12 Football Championship Game Tickets

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 23:04:00 -0500

Need Tickets for the Big 12 Football Championship Game at Dallas Cowboys Stadium? We have Flippin' Great Seats! www.FlipATicket.com

2009 Heisman Finalists' Released

Tue, 08 Dec 2009 09:48:00 -0500

Tim Brown, the 1987 Heisman Trophy winner from Notre Dame, announced the finalists for the 75th Annual Heisman Memorial Trophy Award live on ESPN's 6pm edition of SportsCenter. Stanford running back Toby Gerhart, Alabama running back Mark Ingram, Texas quarterback Colt McCoy, Nebraska defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and Florida quarterback Tim Tebow were revealed as the five contenders for the award.

All five finalists will be invited to New York for the live Heisman Announcement on ESPN Saturday at 8pm EST presented by Nissan. This is the first time five finalists were invited for the presentation since 2004.

Gerhart would be Stanford's second Heisman winner since Jim Plunkett won in 1970. Since returning from a knee injury that halted his season in 2007, Gerhart has dazzled on the field.
This season the senior has 311 rushes for 1,736 yards and 26 touchdowns. Gerhart is the second player in school history to rush for 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Right now, he is second on Stanford's all-time rushing list with 3,182 yards behind Darrin Nelson, who finished his career with 4,033 yards. Gerhart leads the PAC-10 in rushing yards and touchdowns.
Ingram is looking to take home Alabama's first Heisman Trophy award. The sophomore powered through SEC defenses all seasons to be the top rusher in the league. This season he rushed for 1,542 yards on 249 attempts with 15 touchdowns.

He is the first Crimson Tide to be invited to New York since quarterback Jay Barker attended in 1994. The previous year wide receiver David Palmer finished third, which is Alabama's highest showing in the Heisman race.

McCoy is a repeat finalist finishing second to Oklahoma's Sam Bradford last season with 1,604 points. He would be the third Heisman winner from Texas joining Earl Campbell ('77) and Ricky Williams ('98) and the first quarterback to win. McCoy has won 45 games in his collegiate career the most in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivsion history.

The senior is 330 of 468 attempts for 3,512 yards and 27 touchdowns. He has also produced on the ground rushing for 348 yards and 3 touchdowns. McCoy leads the Big 12 in total yards with 3,860. He was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year this year. For the second straight year, two finalists will face each other in the BCS Championship as McCoy will go up against Ingram.

Suh attempts to become only the second true defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy. Charles Woodson of Michigan accomplished that feat in 1997. He is the first defensive tackle to be invited to New York since Warren Sapp of Miami attended in 1994.

The senior and 2009 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year holds Nebraska season records for interceptions by a defensive tackle (2), interception returns for touchdowns by a defensive tackle (2) and a career record for interceptions by a defensive tackle (3). He will be the Cornhuskers fourth Heisman recipient behind Johnny Rodgers ('72), Mike Rozier ('83) and Eric Crouch ('01).

Tebow attempts to become the second two-time Heisman winner following Archie Griffin in 1974 and 1975. Last year, Tebow finished with 1,575 points- the most for a third-place finalist.
The senior capped off his incredible career this season leading the Gators in rushing with 859 yards and 13 touchdowns. He eclipsed Herschel Walker Southeastern Conference record for most career rushing touchdowns this season (56). In the air, Tebow has completed 182 passes out of 279 attempts for 2,413 yards and 18 touchdowns.

The Heisman trophy is awarded to the most outstanding college football player in the United States as determined by 870 media representatives, 55 living Heisman winners and one overall fan vote through a partnership with Nissan, Heisman's presenting sponsor.

"This has been an extraordinary year for college football and the Heisman race," said Robert Whalen, Executive Director of The Heisman Trophy Trust. "We anticipate the announcement of the newest member to the elite Heisman Fraternity and continuing our celebration of 75 years of tremendous Heisman History."

Kimbo Slice scores UFC win

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:54:00 -0500

The UFC's Kimbo Slice won his first UFC battle on Saturday night, outpointing veteran mixed martial arts fighter Houston Alexander.

For Slice, who had been knocked out in his previous two cage fights, the victory was step one on the road to establishing himself as a legitimate fighter.

Slice did have to cut weight to compete at the light heavyweight level, slimming down to a lean 215 pounds.
Slice may compete at the light heavyweight level if continues his career in the UFC. Slice gained famed as street fighter on YouTube, but his professional career sputtered after he was knocked out in 14 seconds on national television.

Kentucky Wildcats football team headed to Music City Bowl

Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:16:00 -0500

The University of Kentucky football team is headed to the Music City Bowl for the third time in four seasons.

The Tennessean newspaper of Nashville, Tenn., citing an unnamed source, reported on its website Tuesday night that the Music City Bowl will extend an invitation to UK this week.

The official announcement of UK's bowl destination is not expected until Sunday.

UK athletics officials could not confirm the Music City Bowl bid on Tuesday, nor could Scott Ramsey, the president and CEO of the Music City Bowl, who said that Southeastern Conference-affiliated bowls had been instructed not to make their team selections public on Tuesday.

But Ramsey confirmed that the Wildcats are "very high" on the Music City Bowl's wish list, adding that he was "very optimistic" that the bowl would be able to extend an invitation to UK.

The Music City Bowl, which pits an SEC team against an ACC opponent, will kick off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 27.

source>>>

With trillions of dollars at stake, Americans deserve some discussion of the climate-gate e-mails.

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:08:00 -0500

With the Copenhagen climate talks starting next week, climate-gate keeps getting worse. There is no precedent for so many academics engaging in coordinated efforts to distort research for political ends. The problems go well beyond deleting e-mails to prevent their disclosure from a Freedom of Information Act request. The UN claims that "there is 'virtually no possibility' of a few scientists" biasing their reports. But it doesn't just involve a few minor figures: implicated are the most powerful and well placed people in academia -- heads of departments and centers.

The Climatic Research Unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia, which has been at the center of the scandal, has been incredibly influential in the global warming debate. The CRU collected the world's most extensive surface temperature data set by far and its research and mathematical models formed the basis of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 2007 report.

But the CRU's temperature data and all of the research done with it are now in question. The leaked e-mails show that the scientists at the CRU don't know how their data was put together. CRU took individual temperature readings at individual stations and averaged the information out to produce temperature readings over larger areas. The problem comes in how they did the averaging. One of the leaked documents states that "our flagship gridded data product is produced by [a method that] renders the station counts totally meaningless" and "so, we can have a proper result, but only by including a load of garbage!" There were also significant coding errors in the data. Weather stations that are claimed to exist in Canada aren't there -- leading one memo to speculate that the stations "were even invented somewhere other than Canada!"

The computer code used to create the data the CRU has used contains programmer notes that indicate that the aggregated data were constructed to show an increase in temperatures. The programmer notes include: "Apply a VERY ARTIFICAL correction for decline!!" and "Low pass filtering at century and longer time scales never gets rid of the trend -- so eventually I start to scale down the 120-yr low pass time series to mimic the effect of removing/adding longer time scales!" The programmers apparently had to try at least a couple of adjustments before they could get their aggregated data to show an increase in temperatures.

All this could in theory be correctable by going back and starting from scratch with the original "raw" data, but the CRU apparently threw out much of the data used to create their temperature measures. We now only have the temperature measures that they created.

The extent to which these academics are willing to go to get the results they want can be seen in their attacks on others. Upset that the editor of Geophysical Research Letters, Jim Saiers, and the journal Climate Research had published research that questioned man-made global warming, these e-mails reveal an attempt to remove Saiers as editor, prevent others from publishing in these journals or citing their work, and, even worse, exclude work critical of the man-made global warming theory from being cited by the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

-- Tom Wigley, a scientist with the U.S. National Center for Atmospheric Research wrote in one of the e-mails: "If you think that Saiers is in the greenhouse skeptics camp, then, if we can find documentary evidence of this, we could go through official AGU channels to get him ousted." Saiers' term as editor ended the following year. In another e-mail, Wigley wrote: "If we could reduce the ocean blip by, say, 0.15 deg C, then this would be significant for the global mean -- but we'd still have to explain the land blip."

-- Professor Mann, the Director of the Earth System Science Center at Pennsylvania State University, wrote: "Perhaps we should encourage our colleagues in the climate research community to no longer submit to, or cite papers in, this journal."

-- Professor Phil Jones, head of the CRU and contributing author to the United Nation's IPCC report chapter titled "Detection of Climate Change and Attribution of Causes," wrote: "I can't see either of these papers being in the next IPCC report. Kevin [Trenberth] and I will keep them out somehow -- even if we have to redefine what the peer-review literature is!"

Despite all this, ABC, CBS, and NBC have failed to even mention anything about this scandal on their news broadcasts. CNN has covered it, but has minimized any concerns. The Obama administration has also either dismissed these events as either irrelevant or just completely ignored them. With trillions of dollars at stake for the climate decisions that are going to be made next week in Copenhagen, Americans deserve some discussion of these e-mails and what they mean.

source>>>

Another UFC champ goes down

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:17:00 -0500

One wonders if the UFC titel belts are made out of poisonous lead.

Anderson Silva the UFC's middleweight
champ, like heavyweight champ Brock Lesnar before him, has bowed out of his next title defense.

Silva, according to mmajunkie.com, had bone chips removed from his right elbow in October, and the joint has reportedly proved slow to heal. Silva will not fight Vitor Belfort on Feb. 6 in UFC 109 and reportedly likely won't be ready to fight until April.

The two were supposed to fight on Jan. 2 at UFC 108 but that was also pushed because of Silva's injured elbow.

What now for the UFC? How is the UFC going to stay relevant in the early part of 2010 with two of its biggest stars out for a while?

source>>>>

Men?s AP Top 25 College Basketball Rankings Week 3

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:09:00 -0500

The AP Top 25 men's college basketball rankings have been released and once again the Kansas Jayhawks have held on to the top spot following a week that included a 30-point blowout over Oakland on Wednesday and a 37-point pasting of Tennessee Tech on Friday.

Texas inched up one spot to #2 after the Michigan State Spartans suffered a surprising loss to the Florida Gators on Friday. That loss sent the Spartans tumbling, eventually settling at #9 this week in the AP Top 25 while the Longhorns used their impressive win over Pittsburgh to claim the #2 spot.

Villanova round out the top three after they jumped one spot this week after the Wildcats topped La Salle on Saturday. In addition to Villanova the Big East can also claim West Virginia and Syracuse in the top eight teams.

Voters were clearly impressed with Florida's victory over Michigan State as the Gators jumped from unranked to #13 this week. The SEC has already taken some shots for early losses this year but the Gators win helped restore some confidence in the conference which counts the Kentucky Wildcats (#5) and the Tennessee Volunteers (#11) as their only other ranked teams in the Top 25. In comparison the Big East landed seven teams.

AP Top 25 Week 3

1. Kansas (63) 5-0 1,623

2. Texas (1) 5-0 1,508

3. Villanova 6-0 1,442

4. Purdue 5-0 1,389

5. Kentucky 6-0 1,333

6. Duke 6-0 1,316

7. West Virginia 5-0 1,238

8. Syracuse (1) 6-0 1,183

9. Michigan State 5-1 1,109

10. North Carolina 6-1 961

11. Tennessee 5-1 936

12. Washington 5-0 893

13. Florida 6-0 777

14. Connecticut 4-1 742

15. Ohio State 5-1 702

16. Georgetown 4-0 588

17. Gonzaga 5-1 491

18. Clemson 6-1 426

19. Texas A&M 5-1 284

20. Louisville 4-1 252

21. Florida State 6-1 219

22. Cincinnati 4-1 205

23. Butler 4-2 200

24. UNLV 5-0 191

25. Portland 5-1 120

source>>>

The Cincinnati Bearcats in the Top 25 this week in AP College Basketball Poll

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:58:00 -0500

The Cincinnati Bearcats were rewarded for their outstanding showing in the EA Sports Maui Invitational tournament last week with their first Top 25 ranking of the young season.

The Bearcats joined four other Big East schools in the Top 25, coming in at No. 22 in the AP poll and No. 24 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Amazingly, this is the Bearcats' first AP ranking since January, 2006 and the first Coaches Poll ranking since March 2005.

The men's basketball team finished as runner-up in the Maui Invitational after losing to No. 17 Gonzaga in overtime of the championship game. On the way to the finals, the Bearcats knocked off two ranked foes in consecutive nights: No. 24 Vanderbilt and No. 21 Maryland.

In addition to being ranked for the first time this season, the Maui tournament served as a great first step in building UC's post-season resume with tough-fought games against three ranked opponents.

The Bearcats next game is Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at 7:30 P.M. against Texas Southern (3-4) of the SWAC.

Early Intervention May Benefit Autistic Toddlers

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:45:00 -0500

A new, home-based program for toddlers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) that combines behavioral change techniques in a playful environment boosted the children's IQ, language ability, and social interaction skills more than a community-based program, according to a new study.

The home-based program included up to 20 hours a week of therapist intervention, plus the intervention of parents, who were taught the same skills.

''This intervention is designed to be appropriate for children as young as 12 months of age," says study researcher Geraldine Dawson, PhD, chief science officer of Autism Speaks, a science and advocacy organization. She conducted the research while a professor of psychology and director of the University of Washington's Autism Center, Seattle.

''We found that after two years the children who received the intervention had made significant gains in their IQ, their language ability, their adaptive behavior, and their social interaction," Dawson tells WebMD.

The IQ of children in the new home-based program -- called the Early Start Denver Model -- rose on average about 18 points after two years, she says. The IQ of the children in the community-based comparison group increased seven points.

''When you see an IQ gain that is this large, the child is much more likely to be able to enter a regular classroom and develop friendships," Dawson says.

The study is published online in the journal Pediatrics.
Intervention in Young Children

Early intervention for children with autism, a developmental disorder estimated to affect one in 150 or more U.S. children, has been evaluated for years. More than 20 years ago, a report of early behavioral intervention found that nearly half the children given the intervention could be mainstreamed into regular classrooms and had IQ gains.

But experts still disagree about whether early intervention makes a long-term difference in autism, which is marked by impairments in communication and socialization, and repetitive, disruptive behavior.

The new study is believed to be the first scientific study that looked at intervening in children so young. "Our entire group was under 2 and a half," says Sally Rogers, PhD, professor of psychiatry, University of California Davis MIND Institute, who developed the intervention with Dawson.

The intervention combines an established approach known as applied behavioral analysis (teaching children new behaviors and changing harmful ones by repetition and practice) with relationship-based techniques presented in a playful manner that interests the child. "When you are working with very young children, it makes sense you would use a more play-based approach," Dawson says.

For instance, a session might include playing with balls, with the therapist tossing them into a bucket, repeating the word ball, and inviting the child to mimic her.

The researchers evaluated 48 children diagnosed with ASD at 18-30 months old, randomly assigning them to the intervention group or referring them to community-based programs. The children had either autistic disorder or pervasive developmental disorder, not otherwise specified (PDD NOS), a milder condition in which some features of autism are identified. At the end, two years later, just three had dropped out of the study.

The goal was to tap into the so-called ''plasticity'' of the young brain and capitalize on the learning potential of the children, thus limiting the damaging effects of autism.

Those in the early-start model averaged about 15.2 hours a week with the therapist, although 20 were made available. Parents logged, on average, another 16.3 hours a week and the kids got about 5.2 hours in other therapies, such as speech therapy.

Children in the comparison group got an average of 9.1 hours of individual therapy and 9.3 hours weekly of group interventions. continue>>>

eBay set for Xmas rush

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:38:00 -0500

On-line auction house Ebay was expecting early bird shoppers to steal a march on the Christmas shopping rush by flocking to the website on Sunday.

Many internet retailers are expecting their busiest day of trading on Monday but Ebay was bracing itself for a surge of 5 million visitors on Sunday.

As Sunday is usually the site's busiest day of the week the trading surge is coming a day early for Ebay, said a spokeswoman.

The site is predicting a rise on last year's 4.5 million customers on the same day last year with 14 gifts bought every second. source>>>

Save Big On Cyber Monday

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:15:00 -0500

his past Friday was the U.S. holiday known as Black Friday. It's the ritual where we all get up at 3am, grab a coffee and some donuts and head to a store to wait out in the cold for the one flat panel television they have in stock for $99. Tomorrow brings the next big shopping day -- this time it's Cyber Monday and it will be held online.

Here are my top picks for places to find the best deals. As always, never ever make a purchase online without first checking if there is a coupon or cash back available. To do this, go to Google and enter the merchant's name and the word coupon (e.g. Best Buy coupon). Also make sure to read the reviews of the products you are considering. I like to always check Amazon for any products I buy as there are normally a good amount of reviews for nearly any product.

Bing Shopping
While I haven't found any real reason to switch to Bing for general searches, Bing Shopping is a great way to get paid for shopping at a variety of popular online merchants. Bing is running a "gold rush" through December 2nd. The gold rush offers increased cash back amounts -- for example, Dell is offering 20%, eBay 10%, HP 20% and Footlocker is offering 25% cash back. Always read the details to make sure your purchases qualify for the cash back reward. If you find a deal on Bing Shopping, make sure to setup a cash back account first and then shop so that you receive the cash back amount.

Fatwallet and Slickdeals
These two forums are my favorite for finding deals. Both Fatwallet and Slickdeals offer forums that are loaded with super deal hunters that post the best deals from across the web. You can also request help in finding a deal. While both sites have other content, I find the forums to be the best place to start. Fatwallet also offers cashback on about 200 stores so make sure you signup for a Fatwallet account. What's great is that the purchase still goes through the merchant's site just like a normal purchase.

Coupon Sites
There are a variety of coupon sites that are providing lists for Cyber Monday sales. CyberMonday.net displays a variety of deals plus coupons for stores including Walmart and BestBuy. RetailMeNot has a listing of coupons for over 200 stores.

Always remember that just because a site says that the product is on sale, doesn't mean it really is. Check prices before making any purchase to make sure it is a deal. Also, if it's your first time shopping at a merchant, make sure that you check their ratings for shipping, returns and customer service. source>>>

Notre Dame fires head football coach Charlie Weis

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:02:00 -0500

Charlie Weis is out as Notre Dame head football coach, a source close to the program told the Daily News.

AD Jack Swarbrick has decided to make a change after Weis finished the season with a 6-6 record and four straight losses to Navy, Pitt, Connecticut and Stanford.

Weis coached Notre Dame for five years and leaves with a 35-27 record. He has told friends in South Bend he has at least six offers from NFL teams to become their offensive coordinator.

Jeff Gordon The one man responsible for creating the monster

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:56:00 -0500

Blame it on Jeff Gordon.

If only he had averted his eyes from the kid in the red and white car running the perfect line around Darlington Raceway at that test session so many years ago. If only he hadn't passed his name on to team owner Rick Hendrick. If only he hadn't sat in a conference room with the chief executive officer of Lowe's, swallowed hard, and said, yeah, sure, of course the guy is capable of winning races and championships.
Gordon / Johnson
Points/Rank (full years)

Year Gordon Johnson Diff.
2002 4,607/4 4,600/5 +7
2003 4,785/4 4,932/2 -147
2004* 6,490/2 6,498/2 -8
2005* 4,174/11^ 6,406/5 -2,232
2006* 6,256/6 6,475/1 -219
2007* 6,646 6,723/1 -77
2008* 6,316 6,684/1 -368
2009*~ 6,323/3 6,492/1 -169
* Chase years
^ Didn't make Chase
~ 35 races

How different modern NASCAR history would be. How ironic that the man most responsible for unleashing Jimmie Johnson upon the world is the driver who likely would have gained the most had the once-unknown Busch driver never been unearthed.

"I'm very proud of what that team has accomplished. I'm proud to have been a part of it from the beginning," Gordon said at Homestead-Miami Speedway, site of Sunday's season finale, where Johnson likely will secure his record-breaking fourth consecutive championship on NASCAR's highest level.

"It's a bittersweet thing, because as a driver, you know, we won the championship in '01 when they ran their first race. They watched us win that championship in '01. I think maybe in '02 I finished ahead of him in points. I don't think I've finished ahead of him in points since then. It just reminds me of when the 24 team came together, the people that made that happen, how it came together, how it clicked, all the right things happening. It reminds me a lot about that. You know, I'm happy for those guys, being able to be a part of something like that."

Gordon laughs about it now, this realization that he created a monster. But without Johnson in the way, the driver of the No. 24 car unquestionably wins a fifth championship in 2007, the season when he stockpiled an amazing 30 top-10s yet fell 77 points short of the crown. He'd have a more-than-realistic shot at a sixth title this year, given that he's 61 points behind second place Mark Martin. As it stands now, though, they're all watching Johnson continue a march that may not end until the sport's greatest record is equaled.

Even Gordon, made wary of such prognostications by personal experience -- he heard plenty of talk about seven championships himself after he won his fourth and still most recent title in 2001 -- concedes the possibility given Johnson's success under the current championship format.

"Those guys are on a roll right now, and I don't really see it slowing down," Gordon said. "I think they're very capable of doing it again next year. You know, that's still just five. Seven is a big number. That's tough to get to. I remember a lot of people telling me or asking me, oh man, seven is in reach, seven is in reach. A lot changed.

"To me the only difference is, I don't compare the championships those guys won, or the ones I won, to the new championship. It's totally different. If they continue to keep the 10 races in the Chase that are in there now, I don't know if there's anybody better than the 48 team at those 10 races, those 10 tracks.

source>>>

Jimmie Johnson eases to record fourth consecutive title

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:42:00 -0500

"How 'bout some history?!" Jimmie Johnson shouted as the crossed the finish line at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

No, Johnson didn't win Sunday's Ford 400. Denny Hamlin did. But Johnson accomplished something far more significant than a victory in a single event. His fifth-place finish was more than good enough to clinch his fourth Cup Series title in a row, breaking a tie with Cale Yarborough for most consecutive championships.

"History, boys," Johnson continued. "No one ever -- ever! I don't know how to thank you guys. Thank you so much."

Johnson's title run also completed Hendrick Motorsports' sweep of the top three positions in the final standings, the first time an organization has achieved that distinction. In winning his fourth Chase, Johnson finished 141 points ahead of Mark Martin, who entered Sunday's race 108 points behind his teammate and finished 12th.

Jeff Gordon secured a third-place finish in the points with a sixth-place run.

All but lost in the hoopla surrounding Johnson's record run was Hamlin's fourth victory of the season and his second in the Chase. Surging into the lead after a restart on Lap 222 of 267, Hamlin crossed the stripe 2.632 seconds ahead of Jeff Burton, who posted his second consecutive runner-up finish and his fourth top-10 in a row.

Burton's Richard Childress Racing teammate Kevin Harvick ran third, and Kurt Busch locked up fourth in the Chase standings with a fourth-place finish.

After Hamlin did a celebratory burnout on the frontstretch, and the championship stage was rolled into position, Johnson did an elaborate burnout of his own that started near the entrance to pit road and continued down the front straightaway.

After the smoke settled, Johnson embraced the enormity of what he had just accomplished.

"The truth of it is, to do something that's never been done in this sport -- to love the sport like I do and respect it like I do -- and the greats: Petty, Earnhardt, Gordon ... to do something they've never done is so awesome. To win four championships in eight years, what this team has done ... I don't know where to start. It's unbelievable."

With his niece Alesha Gainey facing an emergency liver transplant in North Carolina, team owner Rick Hendrick wasn't at Homestead to celebrate Johnson's record and several others that accrued to the organization. Hendrick Motorsports won its ninth owners' championship, tying Petty Enterprises for most all time.

In addition, Hendrick won its aggregate 12th owners' championship in NASCAR's top three national series, a NASCAR best. Crew chief Chad Knaus also extended his record number of consecutive Cup titles to four.

"Heavy hearts and prayers with the boss man and the family," Martin said, paying homage to Hendrick. "That sort of takes a little bit of the shine off of it. But congratulations to Hendrick Motorsports, to Jimmie Johnson -- Superman -- and to my team."

Johnson never let up in pursuit of the championship. He raced hard for wins in nine of the 10 Chase races, and for all 400 miles at Homestead, where he threatened to try to run down the leaders to better his eventual fifth-place finish.

It made for a sometimes testy drive into history for Johnson, who was at times annoyed at rival drivers and even Gordon, the mentor and teammate who helped him land his job with Hendrick Motorsports.

Nobody gave Johnson anything, either. The other drivers raced hard around him all day, making Johnson earn every point.

After several tense laps chasing Gordon for fifth place -- Johnson at one point complained over his radio, "I let him go, now why won't he just go somewhere!" -- he asked Knaus if he had enough time to catch Hamlin and the leaders.

Hamlin, who collected his eighth career victory, won from the 38th starting position in a No. 11 Toyota that improved as daylight turned to night, thanks to crew chief Mike Ford's astute adjustments to the car. He managed to keep pace with Johnson at times during the Chase but fell out of contention with three DNFs.

"We're going to be there, I promise you," Hamlin said. "I promise you, the next couple years, we're going to win the championship. But right now, there's no one more deserving than Jimmie."

Even Gordon, who won four quick titles early in his career but has been shut out since 2001, is impressed.

"As a competitor, that Johnson ticks me off. As a friend, teammate, fellow car owner, they're amazing," Gordon said. "I never thought in my career, in my lifetime, I'd see somebody win four in a row. To see it happening right in front of your eyes makes it even more extraordinary."

Added Burton: "If you would have told me four years ago that someone would win four championships in a row, I would have told you you were crazy."

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Lance Smith Departing CMT to Pursue Acting Career

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:28:00 -0500

Lance Smith, host of CMT's Top 20 Countdown, will be pursuing an acting career and other opportunities when his contract with the network expires in December. He says he reached the decision following several months of analyzing his long-term career goals. Before coming to CMT in 2001, Smith had already spent time in L.A. to concentrate on his acting career. "I'll continue to pursue a place in front of a mike or camera, but it will be under a different set of lights," Smith said of his departure from the network. "Once upon a time, before my decade-long stint as a host, I was an actor, and it's time to wear that hat once again. I will forever be grateful for every chance and opportunity given to me by CMT and country music. There's not a better fan base in the world. But most of all I will miss the crews -- my friends behind the scenes. It's the show behind the curtain that I was most fortunate to see." He is already working on the production of an independent feature film. A search is underway to find a new host for Top 20 Countdown.

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John Rich Cleared of Assault and Harassment Charges in Nashville

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:26:00 -0500

A Nashville judge has dismissed assault and harassment charges against John Rich in connection with an altercation involving former Nashville Star contestant Jared Ashley. Following testimony Friday (Nov. 20), General Sessions Judge John Aaron Holt dismissed the criminal charges that were filed after Ashley claimed Rich "sucker punched" him in the jaw in March at the Big & Rich member's private club, the Spot, in downtown Nashville. Rich said Ashley entered the club without permission and refused to cooperate when security guards asked him to leave. During Friday's hearing, Rich acknowledged he pushed Ashley but denied that he punched him. He testified, "In one motion, I took his drink out of his hand and pushed him back out of my space." In dismissing the charges, the judge noted that the Spot is a private club and that there was no evidence that Ashley sustained any injuries. Friday's hearing was in connection with the criminal charges, but Rich and Ashley's civil suits against each other are still pending.

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Taylor Swift Wins Big at the American Music Awards, Including Artist of the Year

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 15:06:00 -0500

Taylor Swift won in five categories -- including overall artist of the year -- at the 2009 American Music Awards presented Sunday (Nov. 22) at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. Swift was in London for rehearsals for Monday's (Nov. 23) concert at Wembley Arena and accepted three of the fan-voted awards via satellite.

The other artist of the year nominees were Kings of Leon, Lady Gaga, Eminem and the late Michael Jackson.

"Music has never been, ultimately, about competition," Swift said in accepting the night's top honor. "To even be mentioned in a category with Michael Jackson -- who we'll miss and love forever -- is an unimaginable honor. I just want to say I'm sending my love to the Jackson family and Janet for reaching out to me the way that you have.

"And to the fans, you have given me so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving, and I hope you guys have an awesome Thanksgiving. I miss and I love you."

Swift also won the favorite female artist award in the pop/rock and country categories, and she was named favorite adult contemporary artist in a field that included Daughtry and Jason Mraz. Her Fearless album was voted favorite country album.

In the country category, Keith Urban was named favorite male artist, and Rascal Flatts received their fourth consecutive award as favorite band, duo or group.

In one of the more interesting turns of the evening, Gloriana received the breakthrough artist of the year award. Fans voted via cell phone in the category sponsored by T-Mobile. The other contenders were Lady Gaga, Keri Hilson and Kid Cudi. Most media observers predicted Lady Gaga as the most likely winner.

Gloriana member Tom Gossin openly acknowledged the surprise factor of their win.

"We're Gloriana from Nashville, Tenn.," he said. "We're a country group. Could we get a show of hands of everybody that just said, 'Who the heck is Gloriana?' Well, you're not alone." He continued, "We've got so many people to thank ... starting with Miss Taylor Swift. She believed in us and took us out on tour this year before anybody knew who we were, so thank you, Taylor."

In accepting Rascal Flatts' latest AMA honor, Gary LeVox told the crowd, "You guys have been amazing employers this year. Thank you. Keep employing us." He went on to thank several of their business associates, including "all the accountants that take out taxes on every single thing we do."

When Swift accepted the favorite female country artist award, she said, "I want to say thank you to country radio for giving fans a chance to hear my music. Thank you to everybody who came out to see my Fearless tour this summer and this year. Thank you to everybody who follows me on Twitter and goes to my Web site and fan sites. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. This means the world to me."

In a three-hour show that leaned heavily toward pop, R&B and hip-hop, Keith Urban performed "Kiss a Girl," and Carrie Underwood sang her latest No. 1 single, "Cowboy Casanova."

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