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Heat vs. Spurs: What to Watch For

2013-06-06T12:03:00.002-07:00

Miami Heat, What to watch for:

The Miami Heat, coming off of a grueling seven game series, have the momentum as far as being game ready and in game shape. Will they be able to keep up the intensity that propelled them to a game seven victory? If recent media publications hold to form, LeBron “King” James will not settle for anything less.
Can an ailing Dwyane Wade continue to drink from the fountain of youth for as long as it takes to finish off the series?
Can the more athletic Miami Heat contain Tony Parker, who has looked like the second best player in the playoffs up to this point? Since the Spurs don't have that one athletic player that can control/take over the game, I wouldn't be surprised to see LBJ guarding Tony Parker during critical moments of the series.
Will the real Chris Bosh resurface? If Bosh can manage to stay consistent with his mid range/ 3pt shot, it will open up lanes for LeBron as well as Wade, Chalmers and Cole.
Will the role players be able to out-duel the Spurs from beyond the arc?
Can Spoelstra make enough in game adjustments to counter Greg Popovich's gameplan?

San Antonio Spurs, What to watch for:

The San Antonio Spurs, coming off of a nine day layoff: can they run their well rested/aged legs into shape before Miami gets a chance to settle into the game.
Can Manu Ginobili be the spark plug and bench production needed to pace the Spurs as the starters get a breathier?
Will the teamwork and unselfishness of the Spurs be enough to stiffen the speed and athleticism of the Heat.
Can Tony Parker continue his domination going against the determined reigning champs?
Will the Spurs role players of Danny Green, Matt Bonner, Boris Diaw and Tiago Splitter produce enough plays that will not show up on the boxscore?
Will Popovich allow Leonard to match-up 1 on 1 with Lebron, or will he employ multiple strategies to make Lebron and company uncomfortable throughout the series?

Finals Prediction: The athleticism and overall will of the Miami Heat will be enough to win back to back championships fueling more anger into the basketball world, only because LeBron "The King" will be on top yet again.

Heat 4, Spurs 2

Predictions/Thoughts???
Leave a comment!

Fan at Missouri Valley tournament hits half-court shot but misses out on $50,000 prize

2013-03-11T08:29:00.003-07:00

When Alex Permann sank a half-court shot during a contest before the Missouri Valley title game on Sunday afternoon, the 24-year-old Missouri-St. Louis optometry student leapt in the air and pumped his fists like he'd just won the $50,000 cash prize.

Unfortunately for Permann, there was a problem: He hadn't properly followed directions.
Like most halftime shooting contests, participants had to make a layup, free throw, 3-pointer and half-court heave in less than 24 seconds to win. Permann hit the layup on his first try and the free throw on his second, then headed straight to the mid-court line even though both the PA announcer and fans in the crowd were shouting at him not to forget the 3-pointer.
Reached by phone after the game, Permann said he was trying to focus on the shots and he wasn't paying attention to those who were screaming at him. He thought he won the $50,000 when his half-court shot fell, but he realized his mistake when he saw people on the court pointing at the 3-point line and the basketball.
"There was a miscommunication and I was given some instructions that didn't match the instructions the announcer said," Permann said. "I was so excited to be out there that I didn't pay attention to what he said. I had in my mind what I was going to do before I went out there."
Tournament organizers huddled after Permann's shots to figure out how to handle the unusual situation and they came up with a compromise. Permann won't get his $50,000 because he didn't hit all four shots, but he'll receive tickets for life to the Missouri Valley tournament and four VIP passes and a three-day hotel stay for next year's event.
Permann admits he's disappointed not to be leaving with the money, but he's satisfied with the compromise. He saw Creighton's 68-65 victory over Wichita State from the front row, he sank a half-court shot in front of a sold-out arena and he'll be back again for many years to come.
"Overall, today was definitely a good [experience]," Permann said. "I'm happy they gave us tickets for life and all the other stuff. Money would be great but that's a pretty good consolation."

Source: USA Today

[NBA] R.I.P. Brandon Knight

2013-03-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

Well Not Really....

But incase you missed it check out what LA Clippers center DeAndre Jordan did to him last night.(Video inside)

2013 has not started off to well for Mr Knight. First the Kyrie Irving situation at All-Star Weekend, now this? Good God!

Republicans Destroy Mitt Romney

2012-10-23T17:07:00.000-07:00

Whose Time is Up in Philadelphia: Vick or Andy?

2012-10-09T07:31:00.003-07:00

As a die hard Eagles fan, it’s tough to see my team go through so many ups and downs with mental errors and mishaps that can be easily avoided. As a fan that watches football on a general scale, it’s only right to think and wonder, “what if”. What if this didn’t happen, what if they would have done this? The bag of what ifs has just about been consumed by every Eagles fan imaginable. It’s about time to put up or get out. That is referring to the situation with the Eagles, Michael Vick and the longest tenured coach in the NFL today, Andy Reid. Whose time is up in Philadelphia?

It’s easy to look on the field and see that Mike Vick isn’t performing up to the expectations of the staff as well as fans alike. As players are criticized game after game, it’s time to take a look into the people that are supposed to put the players in the best position to succeed: the coaches. Yes Vick has been erratic with passes, yes Vick has fumbled the ball away, at times, where it’s most detrimental to the team, yes Vick has not read the blitz as well as a Manning, Brady or Bree's, but most of this comes down to preparation during the week, before the games ever take place, and that falls on the coaches. How many times have you seen Manning communicate with the O-line and backs, pointing out blitzers, re-routing receivers, as if he’s in the coaching box with the opposing coordinator? How many times have you seen Brady make a check at the line as he sees blitzers show their hand pre-snap? How many times have you seen Bree's identify the blitz, and make a split second throw to the tight end or receiver? Too many times!! So why is it so hard for Vick as well as the coaching staff to implement some type of audible system for situations like this? It would be nice to think they have it, but from the results of plays against the blitz, I wouldn’t bet my money on it! That is what the off season is for: what most teams made excuses about not having last year.

I’m not going to place blame on just one individual here since a team should float and sink together, but lets take a look at the two most important people navigating the ship into all too familiar territory.

Why Vick's time is up:

Between last year and this year as a starter, Vick has become a liability in ball security both with passing and becoming a runner. The knock on Vick before this season was he wouldn’t be able to make it through a whole season, but as this season would indicate, if you continuously give the opponent the ball, it limits your chances of actually getting hurt during the process of the game. With weapons such as Desean, Maclin, Celek, McCoy, and you can even throw in Avant as being one of the best overall slot receivers in the league, you have no excuses for averaging 16 ppg. Averaging a measly 16 ppg equates to being very fortunate to having a 3-2 record heading toward a match up against the struggling Lions. 16 ppg also happens to be SECOND TO THE LOWEST only above the quarterback challenged Jaguars, but more specifically on Vick. Failing to recognize the blitz...on occasion can be forgiven at times, but recognizing the blitz, and not adjusting accordingly is unacceptable for a quarterback that has been in the NFL for this long. For sacks and interceptions to happen continuously because you don’t do a check at the line, displays that you are not progressing as a quarterback. Quite frankly, if you are not capable of getting the job done, as Jay-z would put it...”On to the next one”!!!

Why Andy Reid's time is up:

I don’t know where to begin with this one.

Time after time Andy has given moments to applaud him as well as moments that make you wish he was ushered out of town along with the Donovan McNabb era. I don’t think any issue is more frowned upon than what many see as the catalyst to success in the NFL: play calling! In my opinion as well as I’m sure, in many “expert analyst” opinions, if you have what could be considered one of the top 3 running backs in the entire NFL, you would cater your game plan around him to make sure he touches the ball a MINIMUM of 20 times per game, and that's being generous in an effort to preserve him. In all honesty, the minimum should be 20 rushing attempts, PERIOD!

Anytime your star running back carries the ball only 13 times, in a complete game, yet your quarterback has 37 attempts, and the score displays as though you threw 37 times, ran 13 times and your quarterback wasn’t having the best of games, it becomes time to question more than the play calling. Once the discrepancy becomes this mesmerizing, it’s time to put into question your desire to lead your team to the ultimate destiny which is the Lombardi Trophy. A coach that wants to protect his often injured, unpredictable quarterback, that stands behind a makeshift offensive line doesn’t hang him out to try by having him throw uncontrollably like he’s trying to pad his stats on the latest Madden rendition. A coach with the correct wits about himself would rely on his pro-bowl running back to set up the play action, or soften the defense from the extensive pass rush brought on by the need to pass every 3 out 4 plays because “we thought we could beat them in that area” as Andy would say. A coach with wits about himself would hand the ball off to his top tier running back on first and goal instead of letting the turnover prone quarterback do a draw. A coach with wits about himself would have his team prepared for a full 60 minutes of football rather than the, 2012 comeback kid Eagles. All of the issues mentioned are correctable, very correctable, to a coach that is willing to admit that maybe the way of the last 13 years, of passing at every opportunity is a way of the past. That maybe this team is more suited for a balanced attack, with Shady leading the charge. The only flaw in that plan is Andy has to make that determination. If the last 13 years are any indication of what to expect, do not expect much to change!

So whose time is up in the city of brotherly love?
I’ll leave you to make your own assessment in regards to that. Tune into Real Talk Radio with Jon and Rashad Thursday October 11th for my ultimate conclusion. Check out the video below of how a blitz read should be handled!

[NFL] Time To Panic In New England?

2012-09-24T06:22:00.000-07:00

DON'T PANIC!

With the New England Patriots now (1-2) to start the NFL season is it time to panic? Is the Bill Belichick era coming to an end? Many have indeed hit the panic button but I’m going to say don’t panic just yet! The Patriots have indeed taken two early losses which for most teams is normal but for the Pats that’s just something that we are not used to seeing. The first lost was handed to them by an Arizona Cardinal team that is actually looking quite impressive at 3-0, which is something else that we are not used to seeing, and of course the second loss came last night in a Sunday night shootout at the Baltimore Ravens. Those are legitimate losses and we all know Tom Brady, he is taking notes on what went wrong and where it went wrong. Many will say it went wrong because of the officiating but hey the Ravens had plenty of calls that didn’t go their way either so that argument could go on all day. Release the finger off of the panic button for now as the Pats travel to the Buffalo bills next week and with the uncertainty if CJ Spiller will be playing it should be a walk in the park for New England. If the Patriots lose in Buffalo next week I would say it’s safe to put the finger maybe the whole hand on the panic button!

- SportsEntRadio

Missy Elliott & Timbaland on the Breakfast Club

2012-09-22T07:42:00.001-07:00

G.O.O.D. Music on the Breakfast Club

2012-09-22T07:38:00.002-07:00

Big K.R.I.T. on the Breakfast Club

2012-09-22T07:35:00.002-07:00

Philadelphia's Own NFL Films Pres Steve Sabol dies at 69

2012-09-19T09:08:00.001-07:00

NEW YORK (AP) NFL Films President Steve Sabol, half of the father-son team that revolutionized sports broadcasting and mythologized pro football into the country's favorite sport, died Tuesday from brain cancer. He was 69. In March 2011, Sabol was diagnosed with a tumor on the left side of his brain after being hospitalized for a seizure.

His father, Ed, founded NFL Films, and Steve was there working beside him right from the start in 1964. They introduced a series of innovations now taken for granted today, from slow-motion replays to blooper reels to sticking microphones on coaches and players. And they hired the "Voice of God," John Facenda, to read lyrical descriptions in solemn tones.
"Steve Sabol was the creative genius behind the remarkable work of NFL Films," NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement from the league confirming Sabol's death. "Steve's passion for football was matched by his incredible talent and energy. Steve's legacy will be part of the NFL forever. He was a major contributor to the success of the NFL, a man who changed the way we look at football and sports, and a great friend."
Ed Sabol was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame last year. The two received the Lifetime Achievement Emmy from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2003.
"We see the game as art as much as sport," Steve Sabol told The Associated Press before his father's Hall induction. "That helped us nurture not only the game's traditions but to develop its mythology: America's Team, The Catch, The Frozen Tundra."

Steve Sabol received 35 Emmys for writing, cinematography, editing, directing and producing. No one else had ever earned that many in as many different categories.
He began his career as a cinematographer under his father. Steve was the perfect fit for the job: an all-Rocky Mountain Conference running back at Colorado College majoring in art history.
"His work humanized the players, coaches and people who have made the National Football League so great," said San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York.
The Sabols' advances included everything from reverse angle replays to filming pregame locker room speeches to setting highlights to pop music.
"Today of course those techniques are so common it's hard to imagine just how radical they once were," the younger Sabol told the AP last year. "Believe me, it wasn't always easy getting people to accept them, but I think it was worth the effort."
An accomplished collage artist, Sabol exhibited at the ArtExpo in New York, the Avant Gallery in Miami, the Govinda Gallery in Washington, the Milan Gallery in Fort Worth, Texas, and the Garth Davidson Gallery in Moorestown, N.J.

It was Steve's high school football games in Philadelphia that gave Ed his only experience filming sports before he won the rights to chronicle the 1962 NFL championship game.
"This is a sad day for football fans everywhere," Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said. "As someone who grew up watching NFL Films creations, I can attest to Steve's vision and contribution to the incredible popularity of this sport. His, along with his father, Ed's, creativity and passion for the game cultivated many, many avid fans."

LeSean McCoy claims replacement ref told him ‘I need you for my fantasy’ during game

2012-09-18T08:49:00.002-07:00

Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy claims a replacement ref approached him during a game and said, “McCoy, come on, I need you for my fantasy,’ thus furthering the widely-held belief that the lockout between the NFL and its officials is killing the season.

According to a report Tuesday morning from Stephen Douglas of Big Lead Sports, citing comments that McCoy made as a guest this week on the 94WIP Players Lounge, McCoy said that he got the impression that the refs on the field this season are no different than the fans in the stands. The ref had been telling him about his NFL fantasy team before he made that specific comment to McCoy:

“They’re like fans, kind of though,” McCoy said. “I’ll be honest, they’re like fans. One of the refs was talking about his fantasy team, like ‘McCoy, come on, I need you for my fantasy,’ ahhh, what?!”

McCoy also revealed that Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis intimidated a ref this season to the point where the official had trouble speaking:

“During the game, they made like a bad call or something, the ref, and I see Ray Lewis like pump his chest up, trying to scare him,” LeSean McCoy told 94WIP’s Anthony Gargano and Ike Reese on the 94WIP Player’s Lounge on Monday. “Don’t you know [the ref] started stuttering? I’m like ‘what’s this?!’”

After a Week 1 start in which the referees seemed to defy expectations from the public and league executives, the replacements have become the subject of criticism in Week 2. The league issued a memo to its coaches this week warning them not to bully the replacement refs. Hours before Sunday’s game between the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers, the NFL was notified that a replacement official that was scheduled to officiate the game had posted to Facebook pictures of himself in Saints gear tailgating at one of the team’s preseason games in August.

For audio of McCoy’s recent comments, click here.
Source: SI

Mother and child killed in Coatesville fire

2012-09-18T05:38:00.001-07:00

COATESVILLE, Pa. - September 18, 2012 (WPVI) -- A mother and her young son are dead after heavy flames tore through their Chester County home, and fire officials say the simple devices that warn people of these things, were not working. Fire officials say there were no working smoke detectors inside the home, though neighbors tell Action News that there were working smoke detectors elsewhere in the building. Firefighters were called to the 500 block of E Chestnut Street in Coatesville around 12:30 Tuesday morning. Crews arrived to find heavy flames, which had spread to two nearby homes - a fourth home experienced minor damage. There were reports of people trapped inside, so when crews got to work, rescuing seven or eight people from rooftops. Other people evacuated themselves. But then firefighters discovered the mother and that little boy in an upstairs bedroom. They had already succumbed. he Red Cross is assisting 38 people, including eight children, at a community shelter. Firefighters say they did face some challenges fighting this fire. oatesville Fire Chief Jim Lentz tells us, "There were challenges, absolutely. We were faced with balloon construction in this type of neighborhood, where fire spreads rapidly.
There was heavy fire conditions upon arrival with no evidence of smoke detectors. Obviously, smoke detectors are an early indication of fire. And when fire gets this far advanced, it complicates the fire departments operation to provide rescue and suppression operations." An infant and an adult were taken to the hospital. The mother of the infant tells Action News it was done just as a precaution. The adult victim tells us he went because he had some minor smoke inhalation. hestnut Street has reopened and fire crews have rolled out but restoration crews remain on the scene. Residents were able to get back inside to gather a few belongings before houses were boarded up this morning. The cause of this fire remains under investigation.

Source: 6abc

[NEW MUSIC] J. Cole/Diggy Simmons/Drake/DJ Drama & More

2012-09-17T14:44:00.000-07:00

J Cole - Im A Fool

Diggy Simmons - Fall Down (J Cole Diss)

Drake - Where Were You

DJ Drama - Never Die Feat. Jadakiss Cee-Lo Green Jeezy Nipsey Hussle

How Could You Vote For Romney?

2012-09-17T14:33:00.004-07:00

Mitt Romney received an unfriendly welcome from California and Los Angeles Latino elected officials Monday morning before his speech to Latino business leaders and U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in downtown LA.

When Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney spoke to Latino business leaders Monday in downtown Los Angeles, he faced a combination of two demographics that, in general, do not support him: Latinos and Angelenos.

And local Latino elected officials did not give him the warmest welcome.

A couple hours before Romney's speech before the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Latino elected officials from Los Angeles and around California held a counter press conference in downtown LA to show their support for President Barack Obama.

"You know, this isn’t Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan’s only attempt to turn back the clock and change the way Americans and Latinos perceive their bad policies, and this wont be the last time," state Sen. Alex Padilla said.

"Latinos stand to lose the most from Romney’s insistence on the same failed economic policies that brought our economy to the brink of collapse, his $5 trillion in tax breaks weighted to the wealthiest Americans, and his belief that we should let foreclosures 'hit the bottom,'" he continued.

See Full Story Here

Mitt Romney Budget Would Actually Increase National Debt: Analysis

2012-09-17T14:28:00.004-07:00

Mitt Romney's budget plan would dramatically increase the national debt, a new report by Business Insider has found.

If cutting the national debt really is "a moral imperative," as the Romney campaign suggests, then their own plan might not be up to snuff.

Business Insider's Henry Blodget and Eric Platt published an analysis of the Republican presidential candidate's budget plan on Monday, and found that the national debt would exceed the size of the economy within a decade if the U.S. government implemented Romney's proposals.

That's not just cynicism. Even if the economy grows more quickly than is likely, the Romney budget would increase both the national debt and budget deficit, the report found. For example, the authors assumed no recessions would occur over the next ten years, an optimistic scenario in which the Romney plan would nevertheless increase the budget deficit and national debt.

See Full Story Here

[NFL] Are The Redskins Cursed???

2012-09-17T14:15:00.002-07:00

ASHBURN, Va. --Washington Redskins two-time Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Orakpo and defensive end Adam Carriker are out for the season with injuries.

Coach Mike Shanahan said Monday that Orakpo suffered another tear of the pectoral muscle near his left shoulder in Sunday's 31-28 loss to the St. Louis Rams.

Orakpo had surgery on the same shoulder after suffering a similar injury in the final game of last season.

Carriker tore the quad tendon at the base of his right knee in the first quarter of Sunday's game.

The Redskins now have to replace two defensive starters on a team that has allowed 63 points in its first two games.

Source: ESPN

Mitt Romney Video: Barack Obama Voters 'Dependent On Government'

2012-09-17T14:12:00.001-07:00

WASHINGTON -- The overwhelming majority of voters who back President Barack Obama do so because they are "dependent on government" and "believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing," Mitt Romney told a closed-door gathering of about 30 major donors earlier this year, according to video of the event that has surfaced on the Internet.

The person who uploaded a series of potentially inflammatory videos from the fundraiser has claimed authorship of them in an email exchange with The Huffington Post. The source said he or she wishes to remain anonymous for professional reasons and to avoid a lawsuit. The videos, which have created a buzz on the Internet, were blurred and at times blacked out to obscure the location of the filming, the source said.

"I have obviously degraded the quality to attempt to camo the location," said the clandestine filmmaker. The original, which has not been posted in full, is very high quality, the source said.

The source has given the full video to Mother Jones' David Corn, the source said.

The videos capture Romney speaking loosely about Obama supporters, immigrants, privilege and a host of other controversial issues. The candidate seems unguarded and displays the sense of humor that is often mentioned by those close to him, but is so rarely on public display.

See Full Story here

Oprah's Next Chapter: User Raymond

2012-09-17T14:05:00.002-07:00

Evelyn Lozada Fix My Life Interview

2012-09-17T14:04:00.001-07:00

50 Cent Breakfast Club Interview

2012-09-17T13:58:00.004-07:00

DMX Breakfast Club Interview

2012-09-17T13:58:00.000-07:00

The NBA is coming!!!

2012-09-14T08:59:00.000-07:00

In less than a month, the NBA preseason will kick off!

With all of the blockbuster transactions taking place since the end of the 2011-12 NBA season, none was more talked about than the acquisition of Dwight Howard to the L.A. Lakers. Most considered this a right of way to the ensuing NBA Finals....concluding with an NBA Championship, a 6th championship, a championship that would further entrench Kobe Bryant in the talks of one of the best, if not the best to ever play this game. For the typical fan, landing a mega superstar whom is practically in the prime of his career, to supplement an aging star, although, not your average, is plenty of reason to strengthen the belief that your team has one upped the competition. Where it all looks good on paper, there’s the other side, reality, that speaks volumes!

You don’t know where you’re going until you’ve known where you’ve been! That speaks to the trend of Superstars joining forces to try and duplicate what was initiated by Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics for the 2007-08 season. Setting the trend was a milestone, but following the trend has been detrimental to some (New York Knicks) while rewarding for others such as the defending champs, the Miami Heat. The assemblance of superstars is just the beginning as the Miami Heat learned throughout the 2010-11 season. The cohesiveness on the court is what matters most. With Boston you had the perfect combination of Ray Allen the shooter/ floor spacer, Paul Pierce the slasher/ finisher and Kevin Garnett the leader/defender/post threat/big man that could space the floor. With the greatness of the Big 3 emerged the coming out party of Rajon Rondo, the maestro that kept everything in sync. Although the big 3 in Miami and LA weren’t structured in the same fashion as Boston, they each have their own intricate parts that can make them successful for years to come (Miami) and for the immediate future (LA).

Does LA now have enough ammunition to dethrone OKC as defending Western Conference Champions, or is this just another power move by a major market team that brings another story of intrigue to the Lakers, as well as the sporting industry as a whole?

Stay tuned for the NBA PREVIEW: “Dwight Howard: SuperMan Savior in Hollywood” , Power Rankings and much more.

Be sure to subscribe to SportsEntRadio for updates!

The Greatest Female Athlete Ever? The Amazing Summer of Serena Williams

2012-09-14T07:46:00.000-07:00

These were the two best women’s tennis players in the world going at it inside Ashe Stadium for the U.S. Open title, and the winner would become the legitimate No. 1, no matter what rankings the stupid computer spits out on Monday. And really, this could have gone either way.

First, Victoria Azarenka was serving for the match at 5-4 in the third set, and then she was serving to try and stay in the match with a suddenly reawakened Serena Williams.

The Summer of Serena ended Sunday with her victory, 6-2, 2-6, 7-5, her 15th major title and an exultant coda to a season that included a Wimbledon championship and two Olympic gold medals. This was far from perfect tennis, and it certainly wasn’t as easy as everyone expected.
The match was tense, dramatic, meandering, disappointing, uplifting. These women’s finals at the U.S. Open are notoriously flat, one-sided affairs - there hadn’t been a three-set final since Steffi Graf beat Monica Seles in 1995 - and that’s the way this final began, too.
Williams, who had beaten Azarenka nine of 10 times, required just 34 minutes to take that first set.

A funny thing happened on the way to a rote rout, however. Azarenka tamed her fragile forehand, out-rallied Williams on most of the longer points and the American started forcing shots. Williams was guilty of 45 unforced errors in this match, mostly by trying for too much, hoping to end points early.

The second set was lost, and then suddenly Williams was broken at love in the seventh game of the third set on three ground-stroke errors and a double fault. It was falling apart out there, in full view of the shocked spectators.

“Obviously, I never give up, never quit,” said Williams, who even kept her cool after an early foot-fault call. “I’ve come back in so many matches. Obviously, I would have liked to win easy. But this is a more exciting way to win. You don’t know what to expect.”

Williams, within two points of losing the match on her own serve in the ninth game, broke back in the 10th, and the match ended in the 12th on three successive errors by Azarenka. Within one point of a tiebreaker, she netted a backhand, then sailed a forehand and a backhand long.

Williams, relieved and jubilant, fell flat on the hardcourt. She rose, leaped five times, shook hands across the net, climbed up on a flower pot to hug her mom. Azarenka slumped in her chair, sobbing under the towel draped over her head.

“It hurt deeply,” Azarenka said. “I feel proud of myself in some ways, but still sad. There is no room for mistake, no room for wrong decision. It’s so tense. You have to know what you’re doing, trust yourself. When that fear and adrenaline is coming, you have to stand tall and face it.”

The Greatest of All Time: Muhammad Ali Honored With Liberty Medal

2012-09-14T07:19:00.002-07:00

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Boxing legend Muhammad Ali received the prestigious Liberty Medal last night at an outdoor ceremony at the National Constitution Center.
There was a standing ovation and some chanted “Ali” over and over.

(Credit: John McDevitt)

Muhammad Ali, 70, received the Liberty Medal for his fight for human rights, civil rights and religious freedom. Ali has been battling Parkinson’s disease for the past 30 years. On his behalf, his wife Lonnie delivered the acceptance speech.
“Many people admire and respect Muhammad for his principals, even some of those who may not have originally, but I hope that these people also admire and respect the principals of the country that gave him the freedom to do what he did.”

Ali continued, “Muhammad is a beacon of hope, of compassion, of the goodness of humanity. And tonight, he is deeply honored, and humbled, as are we, to be a beacon of liberty.”
Muhammad Ali’s daughter Laila also participated in the ceremony. Other participants included Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, former Philadelphia 76er Dikembe Mutombo, and singer Roberta Flack, who performed “The Impossible Dream.”
By John McDevit

Chester High's(PA) Rondae Jefferson Signs With The Arizona Wildcats

2012-09-14T05:44:00.002-07:00

With the departure of small forwards Solomon Hill and Kevin Parrom and the influx of Arizona's returning talent, the timing for Rondae Jefferson to join the Wildcats in 2013 could not be better. Jefferson, ESPN's No. 14 prospect in the Class of 2013, had been looking at Florida, Texas, Rutgers, Syracuse, Memphis and Temple. Jefferson's brother, Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson, stayed in Philadelphia to play for Temple, and Rondae was in tune with the benefits of leaving home. "When you go away, you can really focus," Jefferson said. "You don't know anybody, you have to learn. It makes you really focus."

Jefferson hasn't had any problem focusing on his game during the high school season. Since losing the seventh game of his sophomore season, Jefferson's Chester team has 58 consecutive wins and a pair of state titles.

Arizona coach Sean Miller, a native of Pennsylvania, recruited the city when he was at Xavier. The Wildcats were the pre-summer favorite to land Jefferson, and the courtship culminated with an in-home visit Thursday evening when Jefferson offered up his pledge. Jefferson's commitment moves the Wildcats to No. 8 in the updated ESPN class rankings for 2013.

Arizona spent all of last recruiting season shoring up its frontcourt, and its 2012 class of four consisted of three headliners taller than 6-foot-8, including two who were McDonald's All-Americans.

This year, the Wildcats have addressed the perimeter and the hybrid small forward position. Elliott Pitts (Dublin, Calif./De La Salle), another ESPN 100 prospect, committed to the Wildcats in August.

Miller's focus was on toughness and team, and Jefferson exemplifies both.

The last player to commit to Arizona from Philadelphia was point guard Mustafa Shakur in 2003. Since arriving at Arizona, Miller has made it a point to recruit both coasts, landing center Kaleb Tarczewski from the Northeast in 2012.

Source: espn