NFL Analysis: How Will the Houston Texans Utilize Roc Carmichael, Lestar Jean in 2012?</h1> <article> <h1>NFL Analysis: How Will the Houston Texans Utilize Roc Carmichael, Lestar Jean in 2012?</h1> <p>TheXLog — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:17:09 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>Second year NFL players, Roc Carmichael and Lestar Jean may have taken different paths to land with the Texans in 2011 but their two paths merged in Houston after the lockout ended last season. </p> <p>Carmichael, a fourth round draft pick and Jean, who surprisingly went undrafted, both found themselves joining camp and hoping to compete for time at the cornerback and receiver positions. Carmichael flashed immediately in camp with his speed combined with aggressiveness and physicality. Jean’s time in camp ramped up week after week. Lestar was getting off the press and flying by corners. He showed the ability to make leaping grabs and started drawing more interests from the coaches. He even made his presence known in a preseason game before his shoulder injury hit. Roc also injured his shoulder but it came before he was even able to face NFL competition in live game action. So, both rookies heard those dreaded two words…injured reserve.</p> <p>The injured reserve rule states that any player placed on IR will not be able to return until after the season is over. The NFL is weighing a change to the rule that would allow for one player per team to be allowed to return to practice six weeks after being placed on IR and return to game action eight weeks later. Because this was not in place last season, both rookies spent 2011 as spectators. While on the sideline they witnessed their franchise make the playoffs for the first time in team history. Watching week after week and not being able to contribute ate away at the two rookies. While most NFL players were ready for their much needed break and to get away from the game for a few months, Jean and Carmichael went to work.</p> <p>Over the last few months, the now healthy second year players have been battling one-on-one. Their goal was to make each other better and to polish off the rough edges of their game. They understood that the NFL is a competitive league and no one will feel sorry for you. They had to get better and needed to show growth from 2011 to 2012. Roc and Lestar were able to get their nose in the playbook and become comfortable with the team’s scheme during the season. Now during the one-on-ones they could actually put their knowledge to work and catch up with the team before the 2012 OTAs started. After interviewing Jean and Carmichael earlier this offseason, I asked if they could give me a brief video displaying the footwork and some of the drills. They obliged with this short footage that displays some of what they’ve been doing for the last few months.</p> <p><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rl75ONya5I0?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></p> <p>In interviews that I’ve done with Jean over the last two seasons, he has stated that he has always been a 9 route runner. From pee wee all the way up to last season, he’s been mostly comfortable with getting over the top for the home run. Jean said that he wants to become a complete receiver and become comfortable with the whole route tree. Getting vertical and going up for the ball is second nature to Lestar but he’s been dedicated to beating the press and improving his footwork and route running. Having a physical, quick corner with good hips battling him daily for the last few months will definitely pay off for the driven Jean.</p> <p>Carmichael has always been able to flip his hips with the best of them and he’s more than capable of coming up on the backs or jamming receivers. That being said, Roc will face a lot of fast, tall receivers in the NFL. Facing off against the 6’3, 215 pound Jean at the line of scrimmage, day after day, will only increase his confidence in getting the bump without being beat wide, inside, or deep.</p> <p>Andre Johnson’s nagging injuries and the lack of depth at receiver were a huge issue for the Texans last season. Jean didn’t join the team under the best conditions, going undrafted before deciding to sign with Houston. Fortunately for Lestar, his head coach has a successful track record with allowing undrafted players to prove their worth. Arian Foster is the first to come to mind but if you go back to Gary Kubiak’s Denver days with Mike Shanahan, you could draw a more compatible comparison for Jean. Rod Smith had the greatest career of any undrafted wide receiver to play the game. Smith is joining the Bronco’s ring of honor this year and it keeps the success of hidden gems fresh in the mind of many, including Kubiak.</p> <p><a href="http://www.fantasyfootballfest.com/" target="_blank"> </a></p> <p>The question isn’t whether Jean is good enough to start in the NFL, it’s where does he start on this team. In my opinion, his natural role is that of the one being filled by Andre Johnson. It’s a no-brainer that he should provide depth behind Andre as the number one receiver but I’m a firm believer that you have to get your best players on the field. Kubiak wants to improve the play of the number two receiver on the Texans. Kevin Walter is a sure handed receiver but his lack of play making skills after the catch isn’t NFL starter, quality. The Texans also selected receivers, Devier Posey and Keshawn Martin in April’s draft. The competition doesn’t stop there as Jean’s fellow undrafted competition from last year, Jeff Maehl is joined by this year’s class of undrafted guys in Jerrell Jackson, Dwight Jones, and Mario Louis.</p> <p>Out of the latter group, Jackson is the only one that intrigues me. Jones and Louis are too raw to compete with the other top six but may find a spot on the practice squad. Jerrell looked good when Blaine Gabbert was his quarterback at Missouri and put up solid numbers, despite not being one of the top targets on the offense. The receiver position is one of the hardest positions in the NFL to come in and contribute early at. The Texans loved the way Posey went over the middle at Ohio State and snatched the ball out of the air. I doubt he’ll be up to speed anytime soon and between the two, Kubiak would take the safer bet of the two, between the rookie and the veteran Walter. It wouldn’t appear that Jean would be the best fit in Walter’s role but Kubiak could look to adapt the offense to get his best receivers on the field more.</p> <p>That brings us to the slot. Houston selected Martin with the intentions of being their slot receiver. This may be the route they go but I would also consider the 6’3 Jean to take over the position in a role similar to that of the 6’4, 2006, seventh round pick, Marques Colston in New Orleans. It’s only May and I haven’t seen Lestar in competition since he’s improved his footwork and route running. How much he’s improved overall will dictate his role. The receiver depth in Houston probably won’t be decided until late August. Regardless of the role, Lestar Jean will definitely be a name to keep an ear out for in 2012.</p> <p>The Texans secondary was vastly improved last season. Largely due to the acquisitions of Johnathan Joseph and Danieal Manning but also thanks in part to the relentless pass rush of the Texans’ front seven. Opposite of Joseph, the Texans used Kareem Jackson and Jason Allen last season. Allen has since left for Cincinnati via free agency. Vance Joseph, the Texans’ secondary coach and Wade Phillips swear by Jackson and look for him to take a huge step in 2012. Kareem showed improvement in 2011 over his rookie campaign in 2010, but that’s not saying much. The defense was clearly better with Allen starting opposite of Johnathan Joseph but Houston kept forcing the issue with Kareem Jackson.</p> <p>Houston drafted Roc Carmichael in the fourth round last season but that was after drafting another cornerback, Brandon Harris in the second round. Rumor is that they also had a second round grade on Carmichael and were surprised that he was there in the fourth. The Texans used Brandon Harris mostly in the nickel last season. Fans of the team felt that Harris must of been a disappointment due to his lack of playing time. Actually, Brice McCain dictated Harris’ lack of playing time due to his own excellent play. McCain took a huge step in progression that the team now hopes for in Jackson’s game. I understand the desire to get Harris on the field as he will be a talented corner but they liked him at nickel for a reason. They should look at him in dime packages or consider a move to safety if they feel that strong of a desire to get him on the field. Back to the starters position opposite of Johnathan Joseph and enter Roc Carmichael into the conversation.</p> <p>Carmichael is everything that Kareem Jackson was drafted to be. When the Texans used a first round pick to draft Kareem, they said they loved his physical play, how he stepped up against the run, and how he came from an NFL ready defense led by Nick Saban. Roc played at Virginia Tech, which he refers to as the new DB (defensive back) U (University). You can’t deny the cornerback talent that the Hokies put out. Carmichael routinely showed a presence versus the run in college and the ability to redirect receivers. He’s by far a faster cornerback than Jackson with much better hips. </p> <p>The biggest difference in their game is Carmichael’s ability to play the ball in coverage. What drives Texans’ fans crazy is when Kareem actually sticks with his man in coverage but allows a pass to sail right past his helmet for the completion. Numerous times, Jackson is in position for the pass breakup but never finishes it due to lack of awareness. The Texans have always forced the issues with some players before finally cutting ties a year or two too late. I expect the situation with Kareem to go the same route. Houston will give Kareem another opportunity but then the team will slowly switch to a rotation between Kareem and Roc. After Carmichael is given the opportunity to trot out there with the starters, I would be shocked if he didn’t force the Texans hand to make the switch permanent.</p> <p>I’m projecting a lot out of these two players but based on college game film, current roster, and the shear drive that these two individuals showed throughout the offseason, I believe these are fair assessments. It’s the NFL and everything is fluid. Kareem Jackson could develop and make a huge step from year two to year three, in the same manner that Brice McCain did. Devier Posey and Keshawn Martin could impress and catch on to the NFL speed and playbook faster than most rookies at their position. They’re all projections but with the determination of the second year guys, my money would be Roc and Lestar. We will all have a better feel for the competition come August.</p> <ul> <li><strong><a href="http://thexlog.com/category/xtra-point-football/nfl/" target="_blank">More NFL Coverage</a></strong></li> </ul> <p><a href="http://rotoexperts.com/fantasy-baseball-package-2012/" target="_blank"></a></p> <p><a href="http://rotoexperts.com/fantasy-football-package-2012" target="_blank"></a></p> <p><em>Jayson Braddock is an NFL Scout / NFL Writer & On-Air Personality. Jayson is also a football insider for the Dylan Gwinn show on 790 AM in Houston, TX - Listeners NOT in the Houston metropolitan area can hear Jayson on </em><a href="http://www.appsafari.com/fun/6634/iheart-radio/"><em>iheart radio</em></a><em> or </em><a href="http://sports790.com/main.html"><em>sports790.com</em></a><em>. You can also catch Jayson on Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio with Scott Engel and the morning crew every Thursday at 10:30am ET. You may email Jayson directly @ <a href="mailto:jayson.braddock@rotoexperts.com">jayson.braddock@rotoexperts.com</a> or follow him on Twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/JaysonBraddock">JaysonBraddock</a></em></p> </article> <article> <h1>Video: Lawrence Taylor is Getting Back to Having a Good Time</h1> <p>Class Act Sports — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:12:54 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>Lawrence Taylor was one of the most feared linebackers in the game when he played in the NFL. The 13-year veteran spent all of his time with the New York Giants, winning two Super Bowls, making 10-straight Pro Bowls from 1981-1990 and winning the MVP award in 1986.</p> <p>Taylor was on hand at Nat Moore’s Golf Outing in Florida in March, helping out the good cause.</p> <blockquote><p>“Having a good time. A little slow but other than that, it is a great event. I do it every year,” Taylor told Joy Taylor of <a href="http://Class%20Act%20Sports">Class Act Sports</a>.</p> </blockquote> <p>The 1999 Hall of Fame inductee knows how important helping kids is, and looks up to Nat Moore.</p> <blockquote><p>“Nat has always been a fixture in the community. He does a lot of different things throughout the year and I’ve always been here to support him because in Miami, Nat is the Man,” Lawrence Taylor said.</p> <p></p> </blockquote> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.classactsports.com/sports/nfl/ed-too-tall-jones-supports-nfl-rival-nat-moores-foundation/" rel="bookmark" title="Ed “Too Tall” Jones Supports Former NFL Rival Nat Moore’s Foundation">Ed “Too Tall” Jones Supports Former NFL Rival Nat Moore’s Foundation</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.classactsports.com/sports/nfl/hall-famer-chris-doleman-supports-nfl-players-charities/" rel="bookmark" title="Hall Of Famer Chris Doleman Supports Former NFL Players’ Charities">Hall Of Famer Chris Doleman Supports Former NFL Players’ Charities</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.classactsports.com/sports/nfl/jason-taylor-foundation-golf-outing-success-once-again/" rel="bookmark" title="Jason Taylor Foundation Golf Outing A Success Once Again">Jason Taylor Foundation Golf Outing A Success Once Again</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.classactsports.com/sports/nfl/erik-mcmillan-helps-march-dimes/" rel="bookmark" title="Erik McMillan Helps Out With March of Dimes">Erik McMillan Helps Out With March of Dimes</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.classactsports.com/sports/nfl/former-raven-jonathan-ogden-uses-golf-gives-back-to-community/" rel="bookmark" title="Former Raven Jonathan Ogden Uses Golf to Give Back to Community">Former Raven Jonathan Ogden Uses Golf to Give Back to Community</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.classactsports.com/sports/pga/donald-trump-ready-to-give-doral-golf-course-renovation/" rel="bookmark" title="Donald Trump Ready To Give Doral Golf Course A Renovation">Donald Trump Ready To Give Doral Golf Course A Renovation</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.classactsports.com/sports/nfl/versatile-tight-end-evan-rodriguez-drafted-by-bears/" rel="bookmark" title="Versatile Tight End Evan Rodriguez Drafted by Bears">Versatile Tight End Evan Rodriguez Drafted by Bears</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.classactsports.com/sports/nfl/fred-mccrary-inspired-bynat-moores-charity-work/" rel="bookmark" title="Fred McCrary Inspired By Nat Moore’s Charity Work">Fred McCrary Inspired By Nat Moore’s Charity Work</a></p> <p>Get more great <a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nfl/ed-too-tall-jones-supports-former-rival-nat-moore#" id="itxthook3" rel="nofollow">sports</a> analysis over at <a href="http://www.classactsports.com/sports/nfl/lawrence-taylor-says-nat-moore-is-the-man-in-miami/">Class Act Sports</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>2012 NBA Playoff Wrap-Up: Los Angeles Lakers</h1> <p>The No Look Pass — Thu, 31 May 2012 12:08:44 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>The Lakers are never used to this; they didn't get past the second round for the second consecutive year. This time around, they fell to the young and hungry Oklahoma City Thunder. I bring back Andy Kamenetzky (<a href="http://twitter.com/ESPNLandOLakers">@ESPNLandOLakers</a>) from <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/">Land O' Lakers</a> under the <a href="http://espnlosangeles.com">ESPN L.A.</a> umbrella. We discuss the Lakers' playoff run and where they go from here (by the way, shoutout to his brother, Brian, also for helping me out throughout the playoff run).</p> <p>--</p> <p>This is obviously not what we wanted out of the Lakers. Whose performance disappointed you the most in these playoffs?</p> <p><em>There are, unfortunately, lots of legitimate choices. The bench wasn't great (but what else is new). Pau Gasol trailed off after a very strong start, and there were times he could/should have forced the aggressive issue more. Ramon Sessions was obviously a postseason disappointment. Even Kobe Bryant played poorly down the stretch of Game 2 and 4 losses. </em></p> <p><em>But to a large degree, Gasol remained the victim/scapegoat of a fuzzily defined role that plays against many strengths in a system that remains under construction. He wasn't truly in a position to deliver as capable. And Sessions also wouldn't be the first young player overwhelmed by his first playoffs. Plus, he also wasn't allowed to play to his strengths (high pick-and-roll), which didn't help his case while navigating a whole new world. As for Kobe, he was the only guy who showed up in Game 6 against Denver, despite needing IV fluids to finish the game. This wasn't his best postseason of his career, but as always, he came to play.</em></p> <p><em>Thus, I'd probably say Andrew Bynum, even though he enjoyed some very high end performances. Why? Because the low points were largely the result of his own disengagement. Drew wasn't mentally and emotionally reliable enough at a time when his presence could make or break any prayer of a deep run. I didn't necessarily expect Bynum to carry the Lakers through the playoffs, since that's realistic to begin with. But I was disappointed he wasn't more game to try.</em></p> <p>Did you, at some point, think that the Oklahoma City series was winnable?</p> <p><em>Winnable? Sure. The Lakers were in a realistic chance to win games 2 and 4 (particularly 4), and bricked the execution down the stretch in both cases. I imagine this eats away at the players, and it should. On the other hand, the Thunder obviously had a hand in these comebacks, and most importantly, were opportunistic when the door suddenly opened. For all the talk about the Lakers' veteran experience vs. OKC's young core, the Thunder proved by far the mentally tougher team. They made fewer mistakes while boasting a higher margin for error. Combined with the fact they're the better team to begin with and the right team ultimately advanced.</em></p> <p>There are a lot of things to be done with this Laker team... but what should be the primary focus for the Lakers in the offseason?</p> <p><em>Soul searching the future with Bynum. Is he really capable of being a franchise face? A pillar of this organization moving forward? The talent is obviously there, but there are responsibilities that go along with that gig. The jury remains decidedly out as to whether he can pull it off. If the front office has lingering doubts about Drew being the guy, shop him, because Bynum will land the best return, whether Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, or someone in the ball park. And if they do believe in Drew as the next torch bearer, then folks like Kobe Bryant, Mitch Kupchak, Mike Brown and Jim Buss need to stay in his ear all summer about the leadership expected from him and the importance he carries. Based on his insightful exit interview comments, Bynum understands this. But understanding and doing are two different things. This is a massive decision, a potential game-changer for the franchise.</em></p> <p>Follow Rey-Rey on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/thenolookpass">@TheNoLookPass</a>. And "LIKE" us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-No-Look-Pass/205969143451?ref=mf">FaceBook</a>. Thank you!</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.thenolookpass.com/2012/05/17/tnlp-talks-to-a-c-green/" rel="bookmark" title="Permalink to TNLP Talks To A.C. Green">TNLP Talks To A.C. 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They weren't going to give LeBron James and Dwyane Wade good looks at all. The Heat didn't seem fully prepared for it. Combined with that surprise and poor spacing, Miami didn't have a hot start.</p> <p>On the other side, Boston was seemingly making everything. Rajon Rondo, in particular, was hitting nearly every perimeter jumper Miami was giving him. Of course, the narrative here is to let Rajon Rondo shoot those jumpers but people probably didn't know that he's not so horrible from 16-23 feet. He shot 39 percent from that area, which is actually the same as an "improved" Tony Parker.</p> <p>The Celtics led as many as 15 points in the second quarter but Mario Chalmers kept them within striking distance. Finally, Wade scored his first bucket before the half ended and the Heat were able to chop the lead down to 53-46. At least, Wade was no longer an invisible man for the Heat.</p> <p>Boston was shooting so hot in the first half that they were going to come down to Earth in the second half. At the same time, Miami started hitting some jumpers. Then they had a huge 12-0 run near the end of the third quarter. It looked like, despite all of Boston's efforts, that Miami was going to run away with the game.</p> <p>But Boston countered with an 8-0 run in the fourth quarter to take an 88-85 lead. Later on, a Shane Battier three tied the game at 94. The Heat were ahead, 99-96, with 47 seconds left when Ray Allen (DUH!) hit a 3 that tied the game. LeBron James missed a jumper that would've won the game in regulation and that got everyone that's a non-LeBron fan excited, of course. But the Celtics were going into the extra period with no Paul Pierce, who had fouled out.</p> <p>Rondo single-handedly carried the Celtics in OT. But when they were deadlocked at 105, the referees missed this Wade swipe on a difficult Rondo lay-up.</p> <p></p> <p>The Heat took advantage by going five-on-four while Rondo was on the floor. Udonis Haslem, who had made big shots for them all game, gave the lead to Miami for good after his slam. Rondo, incredibly, made two three-pointers at the end to give the Celtics slight hope but freethrows by the Heat put it away. Miami is now up, 2-0.</p> <p>Let me rant here for a little bit. About that Wade foul on Rondo that the refs missed? Okay. So they missed it. One play shouldn't decide the game. It shouldn't have come to that. There were chances by Boston earlier to put the game away... and even after that foul, Boston had plenty of chances to stop Miami. They didn't so they go home with a loss.</p> <p>I confess to not even seeing that foul in real-time. Did I wonder if there was a foul? Sure. But these are bang bang calls... so if I was a ref, then I would've missed it. Should the refs have seen it? Perhaps.</p> <p>Now conspiracy theorists are going to have a ball. But regardless of who won that game, it doesn't even matter. "Oh, the NBA wanted Miami to win!" "Oh, Stern wanted Boston to go to the Finals!" But see, if Boston thought the refs weren't being fair... try this <a href="http://t.co/zFeAqY0M">one</a> for size. And this <a href="http://t.co/yjL9iknR">one</a>, too.</p> <p>Also, Miami took 18 more freethrows than Boston... and the Celtics fouled the Heat 15 more times. But here's a newsflash: how was an old Celtic team supposed to defend possibly the most athletic team in the league in Miami? How are they supposed to stop them? Dirty tricks, right? Fouling them, right? Hope the Heat miss foul shots, right?</p> <p>Let's just accept that the referees are going to be horrible at times. But at the same token, let's see other people officiate a game. Refereeing everywhere is difficult and horrible (I should know; I played in a rec league where officiating was ALSO horrible). Basketball has a lot of bang bang calls. They're not going to be perfect so teams have to adjust to them. In this sport, there are plenty of chances to make up for missed calls, missed baskets, and missed plays. Basketball games DO NOT come down to one play.</p> <p>You wanna know Rajon Rondo's statline despite the loss? He played all 53 minutes and put in 44 points (16/24 shooting), 8 rebounds, and 10 assists, UN-FRIGGIN'-BELIEVABLE. Pierce had 21 points, who was definitely needed in OT. And Garnett had 18 points in an otherwise horrible performance.</p> <p>LeBron didn't have the best shooting game (7/20) but he had 34-10-7 (18/24 freethrows). It'll go unappreciated because he didn't hit the game-winning shot. Wade had 23 points. Super Nintendo Chalmers was handy on pulling the Chrono Trigger in that game; he had 22 big points. And Haslem was really key today with his 13 points and 11 boards.</p> <p>It was a valiant effort by the Celtics. They made Wade and LeBron work hard. And Rondo had his supernova game. And it still wasn't enough. Plus the Celtics have to be tired (especially with Rondo going the distance). This game is as deflating as you can get. Will they have enough juice in Game 3? Once again, home games can do wonders for some teams. I don't count on Miami playing this bad again but can the Celtics put on another performance like this? Because I'm not sure if Rondo can repeat that kind of play again (although, yes, some of the Celtic players CAN play better).</p> <p>Top this one, <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/search/%23THUNDERSPURS">#THUNDERSPURS</a>.</p> <p>PHOTO CREDITS: 1, 4, 6) Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images. 2) <a href="http://3030.com">Jose3030</a>. 3) <a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/theshmoes">theshmoes</a> from <a href="http://silverscreenandroll.com">Silver Screen and Roll</a>. 5) I don't know. I just Googled Chrono Trigger (photos 1, 4, 6 edited by <a href="http://twitter.com/PaytonWales">Payton Wales</a>).</p> <p>Follow Rey-Rey on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/thenolookpass">@TheNoLookPass</a>. And "LIKE" us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-No-Look-Pass/205969143451?ref=mf">FaceBook</a>. Thank you!</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.thenolookpass.com/2012/05/17/tnlp-talks-to-a-c-green/" rel="bookmark" title="Permalink to TNLP Talks To A.C. 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I thought a perfect follow up to that story would be for me to project Iowa’s college football win totals for the 2012 season.</p> <p>5Dimes has yet to post a number for Iowa’s college football win totals for this upcoming season, so this exercise will give us a perfect opportunity to estimate their season win totals and then debate the number.</p> <p><strong>College Football Win Totals: Iowa 2012</strong> <p>In previous articles we have estimated <a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/1405/college-football-season-win-totals-oregon/" title=" Oregon">college football win totals for Oregon</a> and <a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/1607/college-football-win-totals-will-alabama-repeat/" title="College Football WIn Totals - Will Alabama Repeat?">Alabama</a>. Using a similar method let’s take a look at Iowa’s college football win totals for 2012.</p> <p>The first thing I like to do when evaluating college football win totals is take a look at who did that team lose, who’s coming back, who’s replacing the lost starters, what positions got hit hardest, etc.</p> <p>In Iowa’s case, for the 3rd season in a row, they had 6 players taken in the NFL draft and 5 more players signed free agent contracts. Add in the loss of starting RB Marcus Coker and I calculate that the Hawkeyes lost 6 starters on both sides of the ball.</p> <p><strong>Not as much talent on the 2012 team</strong> <p>According to a few of the early 2013 NFL draft projections, the Hawkeyes do not appear to have any NFL first round talent on hand this season. Per CFN and CBS Sports, Iowa’s best prospects for this year appear to be:</p> <p>QB – James Vandenberg</p> <p>OC – James Ferentz</p> <p>LB – James Morris</p> <p>WR – Keenan Davis</p> <p>CB – Micah Hyde</p> <p>However, none of these players are projected any higher than the third round. The real concern for Iowa, and the main reason they do not appear to have as much talent and depth on hand in 2012, is the Hawkeyes are having an <a href="http://www.blackheartgoldpants.com/2012/1/19/2718104/the-epilogue-part-4-the-attrition-issue-and-iowa-football" title=" The Attrition Issue and Iowa Football.">attrition problem</a>.</p> <p>“Unfortunately, the problem hasn’t gotten any better since then (the Iowa State loss); if anything it’s gotten worse.”</p> <p><strong>Schedule and Projected Win Probabilities</strong> <p>The next important factor when estimating college football win totals is to take a close look at the schedule. Not only do you need to look at each opponent, but you need to analyze the makeup of each game on the schedule.</p> <p>Which games are at home or on the road? Are there any possible let-down spots? Are they playing an opponent coming off a bye?</p> <p>In Iowa’s case the schedule sets up quite nicely for the Hawkeyes. The non-conference schedule is embarrassingly easy . They play two MAC schools (NIU at a neutral site and CMU at home), depleted rival Iowa State at Kinnick and an FCS opponent (NIU).</p> <p>The Big 10 schedule is also very manageable with only trips to East Lansing (Michigan State) and Ann Arbor (Michigan) appearing as likely losses.</p> <p>The first thing I do is calculate the probability of Iowa winning each game. I have placed this number, in bold, to the right of each opponent.</p> <p>Below is Iowa’s 2012 football schedule.</p> <p>09/01 vs NIU (Chicago) (85%)</p> <p>09/08 vs Iowa State (65%)</p> <p>09/15 vs Northern Iowa (95%)</p> <p>09/22 vs Central Michigan (90%)</p> <p>09/29 vs Minnesota (70%)</p> <p>10/13 @ Michigan State (35%)</p> <p>10/20 vs Penn State (50%)</p> <p>10/27 @ Northwestern (50%)</p> <p>11/03 @ Indiana (70%)</p> <p>11/10 vs Purdue (60%)</p> <p>11/17 @ Michigan (35%)</p> <p>11/23 vs Nebraska (50%)</p> <p>The total number I come up for Iowa is 755, or 7.55 wins based on the win probability numbers. As you can see, only two games appear to be likely losses on Iowa’s schedule — a road game at Michigan State and a road game at Michigan. There are six likely wins and four toss ups.</p> <p><strong>Iowa Over 7.5 Wins</strong> <p>Based on these numbers I have Iowa winning between 7 and 8 games. I’m not too confident in Iowa’s returning talent and experience, however, I do like that 3 of the 4 games I project as a toss-up are at home (Penn State, Purdue & Nebraska).</p> <p>I have to believe that Iowa’s season win totals will be released at over/under 7.5, at which point, depending on the odds I will make my decision as the whether or not I want to wager on the Hawkeyes going over 7.5 wins. If however, Iowa’s college football win totals are set at 7 (or less), I will definitely be taking a shot on the Hawkeyes.</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/2002/big-12-football-most-improved-overrated-teams/" rel="bookmark" title=" Most Improved & Overrated TeamsPermanent Link to ">Big 12 Football: Most Improved & Overrated Teams </a></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/1997/big-12-football-2012s-breakout-stars/" rel="bookmark" title=" 2012′s Breakout Stars?Permanent Link to ">Big 12 Football: 2012′s Breakout Stars? </a></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/2079/texas-is-phil-steeles-no-1-surprise-team-of-2012/" rel="bookmark" title="Texas is Phil Steele’s No. 1 surprise team of 2012Permanent Link to ">Texas is Phil Steele’s No. 1 surprise team of 2012</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/1990/big-12-football-who-will-challenge-ou-for-the-conference-title-2/" rel="bookmark" title=" Who Will Challenge OU For The Conference Title?Permanent Link to ">Big 12 Football: Who Will Challenge OU For the Conferece </a></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/2035/the-big-12-ou-or-texas-in-2012-2/" rel="bookmark" title=" OU or Texas in 2012?Permanent Link to ">The Big 12: OU or Texas in 2012? </a></p> <p>Get more great college football analysis over at <a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/">Saturday Edge</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Patrick Cote vs. Cung Le Set for UFC 148</h1> <p>Fightline — Thu, 31 May 2012 11:39:14 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>Patrick Cote will return to the UFC, as "The Predator" has been tabbed to replace <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/79/rich-franklin/">Rich Franklin</a> at <em>UFC 148</em>. Cote will meet <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/107/cung-le/">Cung Le</a>, according to a report by <a href="http://mmajunkie.com/news/28968/cung-le-vs-patrick-cote-targeted-for-ufc-148.mma?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter" target="_blank">MMAjunkie.com</a>.</p> <p>Cote (17-7) is 4-7 in his <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/ufc-news/">UFC</a> career. He was the No. 1 contender, falling to <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/80/anderson-silva/">Anderson Silva</a> in a bout for the UFC middleweight title at <em>UFC 90</em> when he blew out his knee in the third round. Following losses to Alan Belcher and Tom Lawlor, Cote was released.</p> <p>Since that time, however, Cote has won four consecutive fights, three of which have come over ex-UFC fighters. Le (7-2) is 0-1 in his UFC career, falling to <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/82/wanderlei-silva/">Wanderlei Silva</a>.</p> <p>Franklin was recently announced as the replacement fighter for <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/102/vitor-belfort/">Vitor Belfort</a> against Silva. Belfort broke his hand in training and was forced out.</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <ul class="bullet-item"> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548755/patrick-cote/">Patrick Cote Replaces Rich Franklin In Fight Vs. 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Again</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548750/arianny-celeste/">More Details From Arianny Celeste's Domestic Violence Case (With Mugshots)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548749/ufc-on-fox-diaz-vs-miller/">Rousimar Palhares Says He Was Sick During Alan Belcher Fight</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548748/anderson-silva/">Video: Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons Calls Out "Wussy Liar" Anderson Silva</a></li> </ul> <p>Get more great MMA news and analysis over at<a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548754/roy-nelson/"> Fightline</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Roy Nelson Has His Eye on Brock Lesnar</h1> <p>Fightline — Thu, 31 May 2012 11:36:40 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>UFC Heavyweight Roy "Big Country" Nelson treats opinions like he treats cheeseburgers: the man never holds back.</p> <p>When interviewed on <em>Inside MMA</em> with <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/111/bas-rutten/">Bas Rutten</a> and Kenny Rice, the always-confident, portly pugilist shared his thoughts on a potential return for former <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/ufc-news/">UFC</a> Heavyweight Champion <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/85/brock-lesnar/">Brock Lesnar</a>.</p> <p>"If they actually make him [Lesnar] comeback, or he thinks about coming back, he'll probably come back to fight <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/101/frank-mir/">Frank Mir</a>," said Nelson. "I think that's the only fight that he thinks he can win, but you know what, I'd love to have that fight with Brock."</p> <p>Fresh off of his quick KO victory over Dave "Pee-Wee" Herman, "Big Country" also stated in response to a potential matchup with K-1 veteran Mark Hunt that he did not care who his next opponent was, and seemed convinced that a victory over his next opponent would lead to a title shot.</p> <p>"A fight with Mark Hunt would be good, but all you have to do is fight anybody in the UFC and that will give you the next title shot."</p> <p>While Nelson is entitled to his opinions on how championship matchmaking operates in the UFC, the corpulent IFL and Ultimate Fighter veteran may have to string together more than two wins in a row to get back into the good graces of <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/197/dana-white/">Dana White</a> and Lorenzo Fertitta; both of whom have publicly implored the heavyweight to take his diet and career more seriously by dropping down to the 205 lb. division.</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <ul class="bullet-item"> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548755/patrick-cote/">Patrick Cote Replaces Rich Franklin In Fight Vs. 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"It's one of those things where I tore my ACL and I'm lucky that's all I tore. A lot of times, people tear ACL, meniscus, LCL, all that kind of stuff.</p> <p>"If I continue to train vigorously, like I need to in order to prepare for a fight, the chances of me tearing everything else in my knee are very high."</p> <p>As for how much time off the Bantamweight titleholder will need to recover from his injury, Cruz is unsure, and has no interest in rushing the process more than necessary.</p> <p>"Doctors are telling me about 9 months… you gotta take all the time you need because when you're competing at a championship level you have to be 100% when fighting against these guys."</p> <p>"These guys" the Champ is alluding to are up-and-comers like Renan Barao and Michael McDonald, as well as perennial contender and Cruz's nemesis, Urijah Faber.</p> <p>Cruz also discussed the mental aspect of the knee injury that cause significant distress, such as watching Faber and Barao square off on a date that "The Dominator" was set to face "The California Kid," to defend his belt.</p> <p>"The key is staying positive… the hard part [about the injury] will be watching these guys [Faber and Barao] fight."</p> <p>Now complete with filming <em>TUF: Live</em>, Cruz was also asked how he felt about the potential for this past season's contestants.</p> <p>"A lot of them [contestants] will come out to Alliance to train with me. The point of this show is to prepare these guys for the UFC and the rest of their careers. I think I've given them all the tools to prepare them and show them what it takes to compete at the highest level. You're going to see a great career out of a lot of them."</p> <p>As the interview closed out, Cruz shared his picks on the upcoming <em>TUF: Live Finale</em>, favoring New Yorker Al Iaquinta over Mike Chiesa, who spent the overwhelming majority of this past season coping with the passing of his father.</p> <p>Chiesa's mental toughness and ability to sacrifice for his career are reasons why the Champ sees the bout against the bearded wrestler training out of Spokane, WA going to the judges' score cards.</p> <p>"You can't count out Chiesa. The dude is tough as nails. He's hearted through this entire tournament with one of the toughest things to physically deal with… the passing of a family member."</p> <p>For his last question with Cruz, Helwani asked the fighter with serious vested interest in the outcome of the fight for the UFC Interim Bantamweight belt, who he believes will be his next opponent after the injury.</p> <p>"I think Faber's going to win. If he's smart, he takes down Barao. In the end, Faber is going to be able to grind out a win against him, a decision. In a five-round fight, I favor Faber," opined the Champ, completing the interview with an alliterative rhyming couplet.</p> <p>Al Iaquinta and Mike Chiesa face off this weekend at the <em>TUF: Live Finale</em>, while Urijah Faber meets Renan Barao July 7 at <em>UFC 148</em>, to decide Cruz's next challenger to the belt.</p> <p>The full interview is below:</p> <p><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/q3hG2hEG1fY?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <ul class="bullet-item"> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548755/patrick-cote/">Patrick Cote Replaces Rich Franklin In Fight Vs. 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He has earned all of his other victories by KO or TKO and all but one of them in the first round. The Team Nogueira product will be competing outside of Brazil for the first time when he travels Los Angeles this summer to meet Davis.</p> <p>Davis will be looking to rebound from his first defeat as a professional, which came against <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/103/rashad-evans/">Rashad Evans</a> this past January. Prior to that unanimous decision loss, Davis had put together a nine-fight winning streak that included wins over Brian Stann, Alexander Gustafsson, Tim Boetsch and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.</p> <p><em><em>UFC on Fox 4</em></em> will take place on August 4 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <ul class="bullet-item"> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548755/patrick-cote/">Patrick Cote Replaces Rich Franklin In Fight Vs. 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Again</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548750/arianny-celeste/">More Details From Arianny Celeste's Domestic Violence Case (With Mugshots)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548749/ufc-on-fox-diaz-vs-miller/">Rousimar Palhares Says He Was Sick During Alan Belcher Fight</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548748/anderson-silva/">Video: Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons Calls Out "Wussy Liar" Anderson Silva</a></li> </ul> <p>Get more great MMA news and analysis over at<a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548752/wanderlei-silva/"> Fightline</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Rick Story vs. Brock Jardine Going Down on June 22</h1> <p>Fightline — Thu, 31 May 2012 11:29:25 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>Just three weeks after the <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/ufc-news/">UFC</a> announced Swedish fighter Papy Abedi would step in to face Rick "The Horror" Story in place of Rich "The Raging Bull" Attonito at <em>UFC on FX: Maynard vs Guida</em>, the Swede has been forced to withdraw from the bout due to an injury.</p> <p>Story's third opponent scheduled for a June 22 showdown will be UFC newcomer, Brock "The Machine" Jardine. Training out of The Pit Elevated in Utah with TUF veterans Court McGee and Ramsey Nijem, Jardine is looking to improve his record to an almost perfect 10-1. Jardine's sole loss of his young welterweight career came at the hands of TUF champion, Tony Ferguson, back in September 2010.</p> <p>As Jardine looks to take advantage of the biggest moment of his fighting life, both Story and UFC matchmaker, Joe Silva, are likely hoping "The Machine" can stay healthy for the next couple weeks leading up to his Octagon debut.</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <ul class="bullet-item"> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548755/patrick-cote/">Patrick Cote Replaces Rich Franklin In Fight Vs. 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Again</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548750/arianny-celeste/">More Details From Arianny Celeste's Domestic Violence Case (With Mugshots)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548749/ufc-on-fox-diaz-vs-miller/">Rousimar Palhares Says He Was Sick During Alan Belcher Fight</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548748/anderson-silva/">Video: Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons Calls Out "Wussy Liar" Anderson Silva</a></li> </ul> <p>Get more great MMA news and analysis over at<a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548751/rick-story/"> Fightline</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Additional Info About Arianny Celeste's Domestic Violence Case Emerges</h1> <p>Fightline — Thu, 31 May 2012 11:26:47 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>From the Las Vegas Sun, more details have been released on <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/ufc-news/">UFC</a> ring card girl Arianny Celeste's recent arrest for battery domestic violence.</p> <p>The 26-year-old was taken into custody early last Saturday morning from the Wynn hotel in Las Vegas along with her 34-year-old boyfriend Praveen Chandra, who was also charged with one count of battery domestic violence.</p> <p>According to the police report, a Wynn employee heard crashing in Celeste's hotel room, followed by the octagon girl sprinting from the room. Police were alerted and arrived on the scene, where they collected statements from both before taking them into custody.</p> <p>Celeste alleges that Chandra choked her and grabbed her right arm while arguing; she had scratches on her right arm. Chandra alleges that Celeste kicked him in the nose during a limo ride when the argument started; he had scratches on his arms and chest. Chandra denied touching Celeste and provided portions of the argument he had captured on his cell phone during which he is asking her why she kicked him in the nose.</p> <p>The two are due before a Las Vegas District Court judge this Friday morning at 10:45.</p> <p>His and hers mugshots below:<br><br></p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <ul class="bullet-item"> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548755/patrick-cote/">Patrick Cote Replaces Rich Franklin In Fight Vs. 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Again</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548750/arianny-celeste/">More Details From Arianny Celeste's Domestic Violence Case (With Mugshots)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548749/ufc-on-fox-diaz-vs-miller/">Rousimar Palhares Says He Was Sick During Alan Belcher Fight</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548748/anderson-silva/">Video: Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons Calls Out "Wussy Liar" Anderson Silva</a></li> </ul> <p>Get more great MMA news and analysis over at<a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548750/arianny-celeste/"> Fightline</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Rousimar Palhares Offers Excuse for Why He Wasn't at Full Strength During Fight vs. Alan Belcher</h1> <p>Fightline — Thu, 31 May 2012 11:24:15 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>In a recent interview with TATAME, <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/ufc-news/">UFC</a> Middleweight Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares shared that he was not feeling 100% coming into his bout with Alan "The Talent" Belcher.</p> <p>"I couldn't do anything, I was too sick. I don't really want to talk about it so it doesn't sound like an excuse and I'm not taking anything away from him [Belcher]… I was not strong enough. It wasn't my day, literally. I was dead, I couldn't move," explained the Brazilian.</p> <p>Although this was "Toquinho's" third loss in his ten Octagon appearances, Palhares guaranteed a performance like that against Belcher will not happen again, as well as promising improvement.</p> <p>"That [loss] is only going to strengthen me and I'll become a champion… My plan now is to train and never step up on the ring like I did this time."</p> <p>Rousimar Palhares was KO'd in the initial round of his fight with Alan Belcher at <em>UFC on Fox: Diaz vs Miller</em>, after the leglock specialist stubbornly held onto several heel hook attempts, leaving the Brazilian open to powerful shots from the top by Belcher.</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <ul class="bullet-item"> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548755/patrick-cote/">Patrick Cote Replaces Rich Franklin In Fight Vs. 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Again</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548750/arianny-celeste/">More Details From Arianny Celeste's Domestic Violence Case (With Mugshots)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548749/ufc-on-fox-diaz-vs-miller/">Rousimar Palhares Says He Was Sick During Alan Belcher Fight</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548748/anderson-silva/">Video: Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons Calls Out "Wussy Liar" Anderson Silva</a></li> </ul> <p>Get more great MMA news and analysis over at<a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548749/ufc-on-fox-diaz-vs-miller/"> Fightline</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons Has Some Harsh Words for Anderson Silva</h1> <p>Fightline — Thu, 31 May 2012 11:21:24 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>UFC middleweight champion <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/80/anderson-silva/">Anderson Silva</a> has ruffled some feathers with his recently penned book, which includes controversial stories like his almost-shooting of Rafael Cordeiro over the cancellation of the jiu-jitsu classes he taught at Chute Boxe.</p> <p>Today, Brazilian MMA legend Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons was filmed putting Silva on blast for a few stories included in the book that he believes were misrepresented or outright fabrications. Check out the video below:</p> <p><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/rZKLy7CsHrU?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <ul class="bullet-item"> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548755/patrick-cote/">Patrick Cote Replaces Rich Franklin In Fight Vs. Cung Le At "UFC 148"</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548754/roy-nelson/">Roy “Big Country” Nelson Would Love To Welcome Brock Lesnar Back To UFC</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548753/dominick-cruz/">Dominick Cruz Discusses Knee Injury, TUF Experience, Faber-Barao</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548752/wanderlei-silva/">Wagner Prado To Face Phil Davis In Griggs' Place</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548751/rick-story/">Rick Story Facing New Opponent... Again</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548750/arianny-celeste/">More Details From Arianny Celeste's Domestic Violence Case (With Mugshots)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548749/ufc-on-fox-diaz-vs-miller/">Rousimar Palhares Says He Was Sick During Alan Belcher Fight</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548748/anderson-silva/">Video: Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons Calls Out "Wussy Liar" Anderson Silva</a></li> </ul> <p>Get more great MMA news and analysis over at<a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548748/anderson-silva/"> Fightline</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Martin Kampmann Already Looking Past Jake Ellenberger</h1> <p>Fightline — Thu, 31 May 2012 11:18:24 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann will look to pick up his third straight win this Friday night when he takes on fellow top welterweight Jake Ellenberger in the main event of <em><a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/events/2012/209/the-ultimate-fighter-live-finale/"><em>The Ultimate Fighter: Live Finale</em></a></em>.</p> <p>If he's able to secure victory that night, the 30-year-old Dutchman is hoping that he'll be granted the chance to fight for the title (though he never specifies if its Condit or GSP's strap that he's after).</p> <p>"Jake, he's a tough opponent, but I'm tougher than him and I'm gonna beat him June 1st," Kampmann told FightHubTV this week. "I just beat some tough guys and Ellenberger's in the top of the division, too. That's why they matched us up and put us in the main event, because they know we make a good fight. When I beat him, I wanna fight for the title next."</p> <p>With proper champion <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/92/georges-st-pierre/">Georges St-Pierre</a> on the sidelines rehabbing a knee injury and interim titleholder <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/217/carlos-condit/">Carlos Condit</a> sitting on his belt to ensure he has a chance to fight the champion when he's healthy, Kampmann is probably going to have to wait awhile before he gets a shot at the title -- even with a win over Ellenberger this weekend.</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <ul class="bullet-item"> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548755/patrick-cote/">Patrick Cote Replaces Rich Franklin In Fight Vs. 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Again</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548750/arianny-celeste/">More Details From Arianny Celeste's Domestic Violence Case (With Mugshots)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548749/ufc-on-fox-diaz-vs-miller/">Rousimar Palhares Says He Was Sick During Alan Belcher Fight</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548748/anderson-silva/">Video: Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons Calls Out "Wussy Liar" Anderson Silva</a></li> </ul> <p>Get more great MMA news and analysis over at<a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548747/martin-kampmann/"> Fightline</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Adam Levine Dishes on Sex with Women</h1> <p>Amore Magazine — Thu, 31 May 2012 05:09:53 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="http://www.amoremagazine.com/adam-levine/" target="_blank">Adam Levine</a> is the kind of guy that every male in America wishes he could be, a rock star and the ability to date any girl he wants.<br><br>Does he know that? Yes, but he wants to tell you what women mean to him in the June issue of <em>Details</em> magazine.</p> <p><strong>"There's two kinds of men: There are men who are f-cking misogynist pigs, and then there are men who just really love women, who think they're the most amazing people in the world. And that's me. Maybe the reason I was promiscuous, and wanted to sleep with a lot of them, is that I love them so much."</strong></p> <p>But is he really that high on himself?</p> <p><strong>"I've always felt a little misrepresented in the world," he says. "I felt like people only knew me as a singer who dated pretty girls. A little bit of a bimbo. Maybe I was kind of a bimbo."</strong><br><br><strong>"I was the music dude that was naked all the time with the girls, and that's fine, no problem with that," he continues. "But I wanted to create a little balance. When The Voice came around, I thought, 'People now know that I have a brain.'"</strong></p> <p>And his early life, he was surrounded by women:</p> <p><strong>"After my parents split, my mom moved in with her brother's ex-wife -- my aunt --who was also newly single," he tells Details. "So I was living in a house with two jilted women, plus my cousin, who's more like my sister, and my brother, Michael, who we eventually find out is gay. Just the estrogen alone . . . You know when you're 14 and terrified to talk to a girl? I didn't suffer much from that. It seemed very natural to me to talk to girls."</strong></p> <p>Ahh, it's good to be Adam Levine!</p> </article> <article> <h1>Video: Kathie Lee Gifford Asks Martin Short About Marriage to his Dead Wife</h1> <p>Michael Allen — Thu, 31 May 2012 04:58:41 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>On the 'Today' show, Wednesday, actor/comedian Martin Short did an interview with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb to promote 'Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted' (video below).</p> <p>At one point, Gifford asked Short: “And you and Nancy have one of the greatest marriages of anybody in show business. How many years now for you guys?”</p> <p>However, Short’s wife Nancy Dolman died of ovarian cancer back in August 2010.</p> <p>Short spared Gifford some well-deserved embarrassment, even after she followed up her marriage question with another comment about how “in love” Short and Dolman still are.</p> <p>Following a commercial break, Gifford finally acknowledged her mistake and apologized (watch the second video for that).</p> <p><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=1663585072001&linkBaseURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.celebuzz.com%2Fvideo-post%2Fkathie-lee-gifford-asks-martin-short-about-his-wife-doesnt-know-she-died-2-years-ago%2F&playerID=111285850001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAFOjEdNk~,Ccf1BJmYkhML2OA3FEsF4-tPam_YW9WW&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true"><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com"><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></p> <p><param name="movie" value="http://c.brightcove.com/services/viewer/federated_f9?isVid=1&isUI=1"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="flashVars" value="videoId=1663585083001&linkBaseURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.celebuzz.com%2Fvideo-post%2Fkathie-lee-gifford-asks-martin-short-about-his-wife-doesnt-know-she-died-2-years-ago%2F&playerID=111285850001&playerKey=AQ~~,AAAAFOjEdNk~,Ccf1BJmYkhML2OA3FEsF4-tPam_YW9WW&domain=embed&dynamicStreaming=true"><param name="base" value="http://admin.brightcove.com"><param name="seamlesstabbing" value="false"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></p> </article> <article> <h1>Picture: Selena Gomez Poses Braless for UNICEF</h1> <p>Have U Heard — Thu, 31 May 2012 04:49:39 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p><strong>Selena Gomez</strong> shared a photo of herself on twitter to help support the organization UNICEF.</p> <p>It seems in all of her excitement to post the photo she forgot one thing…..her bra.</p> <p>Selena will definitely get the word out there since the photo is sure to go viral.</p> <p>Gomez was promoting a good cause. The Sahel region of Africa is suffering a food and nutrition crisis, particularly affecting children.</p> <p>Selena has been making<a href="http://haveuheard.net/2012/05/justin-bieber-wanted-man-after-altercation-paparazz/" target="_blank"> headlines </a>lately for all the wrong reasons, the most recent headlines involved her and boyfriend, Justin Bieber scuffling with photographers after a night out together.</p> <p>What do you think of Selena’s braless look?</p> </article> <article> <h1>Video: 250,000 Americans to Lose Unemployment Benefits</h1> <p>Michael Allen — Thu, 31 May 2012 04:43:19 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>In February, Congress put restrictions on extended unemployment benefits in states in which the unemployment rate has dropped, so as many as a quarter of a million people will lose their benefits much sooner than expected, reports CBS News (video below).</p> <p>The checks are stopping for the people who have the most difficulty finding work, the long-term unemployed. More than five million people have been out of work for longer than half a year.</p> <p>Federal benefit extensions, which supplemented state funds for payments up to 99 weeks, were intended help the unemployed until the job market improved.</p> <p>Next month, an additional 70,000 people will lose benefits earlier than they expected, bringing the number of people cut off prematurely this year to close to half a million, according to the National Employment Law Project.</p> <p></p> </article> <article> <h1>JCPenney Features Gay Dads in Father's Day Ad</h1> <p>Michael Allen — Thu, 31 May 2012 04:28:31 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>JCPenney has just launched a new Fathers’ Day advertisement (pictured left) featuring a gay couple with their children, which portrays “real-life dads Todd Koch and Cooper Smith with their children, Claire and Mason.”</p> <p>The ad reads: "First Pals: What makes Dad so cool? He’s the swim coach, tent maker, best friend, bike fixer and hug giver — all rolled into one. Or two."</p> <p>In February, when JCPenney came under fire from One Million Moms for hiring gay comedian Ellen DeGeneres as their spokesperson, but the store stood behind its partnership with Ellen.<br> </p> </article> <article> <h1>Video: Metta World Peace Becomes Metta Man</h1> <p>Michael Allen — Thu, 31 May 2012 04:21:30 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>Los Angeles Laker basketball player 'Metta World Peace' becomes 'Metta Man' in a new public service announcement for Limelight Mental Health (video below).</p> <p>In the PSA, Metta World Peace says: "I may do some wild stunts at times, but there's something I'm really serious about... mental health."</p> <p>It's more than a bit ironic that Metta World Peace is doing a PSA for mental health, following his infamous elbow blow to Oklahoma City guard James Harden and admitting that talk therapy doesn't cure his own mental health problems.</p> <p>But that doesn't slow down Metta Man, who skateboards, does acrobatic flips and dunks basketballs, all for the cause of mental health.</p> <p>If you have difficulty <a href="http://www/livingwithanxiety/com/controlling-anxiety-and-panic-attacks/htm">controlling anxiety</a>, please watch the video below and go to this <a href="http://www/livingwithanxiety/com/controlling-anxiety-and-panic-attacks/htm">web site</a>.</p> <p></p> </article> <article> <h1>An Arcade Classic is Making a Comeback</h1> <p>NuyoRiquena — Thu, 31 May 2012 03:21:43 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="http://www.warnerbros.com/videogames/now-available/batman-arkham-city/eb8fed9d-ff1f-43c2-8800-fc6c0c8023bf.html" target="_blank">Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment</a> is rebooting the legendary combat driving series, <em><strong>Spy Hunter. </strong></em>It was 30 years ago Spy Hunter entered the arcades and now fans of the classic game will be able to get their hands on the game again when it returns on the <strong>PlayStation Vita</strong> and <strong>Nintendo 3DS</strong> in the fall. *<em>Note: If 30 is considered a classic than more than half of the gamers around are classics and/or vintage. </em></p> <p align="justify">Gamers new to the title won't be disapointed with <em><strong>Spy Hunter</strong></em> when they take on the role of the "Agent," the driver of the high-tech G-6155 Interceptor supercar. The super car fully loaded with the advanced weaponry you'll need to take on an international terrorist organization hellbent on world domination - aren't they all? </p> <p align="justify">The Interceptor [think Batmobile or Knight Rider] will transform from car to off-road assault vehicle to speed boat seemlessly which allows players to go almost anywhere. Players will have multiple upgrades for the Interceptor's weapons and gadgets throughout the course of the game. A nex-gen addition comes in the form of additional support from an unmanned aerial support drone. Taking down enemy bases with total annihilation will make defeat so much better. In a recent announcement I also learned <em><strong>Spy Hunter</strong></em> will feature amazing crash choreography and a "camera system that follows the action in slow motion to let players savor the destruction they created." </p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify"></p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify">"<em><strong>Spy Hunter's</strong></em> classic gameplay has been upgraded to give PlayStation Vita and 3DS players a new, adrenaline-charged experience. Gamers now have more choice in the transformation and customization with greater hand controls, brilliant graphics and enhanced action cameras." -<em><strong>Samantha Ryan</strong>, SVP of Production and Development for Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment</em></p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p align="justify"> </p> <p><strong>~ ~ ~</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.nfamousgamers.com/bio/nuyoriquena"><strong><em>Chastity “NuyoRique</em></strong><strong><em>ñ</em></strong><strong><em>a” Irizarry</em></strong></a><em> is the Executive Editor of </em><em><a href="http://nfamousgamers.com/">Nfamous Gamers</a> and Video Games and Technology Editor for Opposing Views</em><em>. You can follow her on </em><a href="http://twiter.com/nuyoriquena"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and read more at </em><a href="http://nuyoriquena.com/"><em>NuyoRique</em><em>ñ</em><em>a</em></a><em>.</em></p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </article> <article> <h1>Photo: Anthony Davis in a Hornets Hat 2 Weeks Before the 2012 NBA Draft Lottery</h1> <p>Alex Groberman — Thu, 31 May 2012 02:30:36 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>The New Orleans Hornets <a href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nba/76ers/new-orleans-hornets-wins-2012-nba-draft-lottery-complete-results">won the 2012 NBA Draft Lottery on Wednesday night</a>. Because Kentucky superstar Anthony Davis if far and away the best prospect available in this year’s draft, he’ll be the player they use their No. 1 overall selection on. So far, so good, right?</p> <p>Here is where things take a turn for the weird.</p> <p>About two weeks ago, this picture was posted on <a href="http://www.terezowens.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/anthony-davis.jpg">TerezOwens</a>:</p> <p></p> <p>Yup, that’s exactly what you think it is: Anthony Davis in a Hornets hat. Conspiracy! But wait, that’s not a <em>New Orleans</em> Hornets hat. That’s actually a <em>Charlotte</em> Hornets hat. So what does that mean? Well, perhaps Davis realized that his two likeliest landing spots were Charlotte or New Orleans, so he played it safe by wearing a hat that worked in either case. That’s probably it.</p> <p>Except, of course, it isn’t. Heading into draft night, <a href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nba/76ers/2012-nba-draft-lottery-odds-percentages-bobcats-wizards-cavs-nets-kings-bucks-and">both the Washington Wizards <em>and </em>the Cleveland Cavaliers had a better shot of landing the No. 1 pick than the Hornets did</a>. Conspiracy!</p> <p>But really, though…</p> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Cleveland lost a once in a generation player, got the #1 pick. Hornets lost a once in a generation player, got the #1 pick. Up next, Orlando</p> <p>— Nate Jones (@JonesOnTheNBA) <a data-datetime="00" href="https://twitter.com/JonesOnTheNBA/status/207991566265102337">May 31, 2012</a></p></blockquote> <p>Dum, dum, dum.</p> <p>(Kudos <a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/2012-nba-draft-lottery-anthony-davis.html">Footbasket</a>)</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nba/photo-michael-jordan-s-son-marcus-sent-pornstar-rachel-roxxx-embarrassing-tweet">Photo: Michael Jordan’s Son, Marcus, Sent Pornstar Rachel Roxxx this Embarrassing Tweet</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/ncaa-football/pac-12/hardcore-porn-movie-was-shot-los-angeles-memorial-coliseum-2001">A Hardcore Porn Movie was Shot at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2001</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Alabama, Auburn, South Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee and Ole Miss Players to Watch in 2012</h1> <p>Saturday Edge — Thu, 31 May 2012 00:40:20 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>A few days ago we kicked off our SEC football Q & A sessions by talking about the teams that could contend with Georgia in the east and LSU or Alabama in the west. Today we will take a look at some of the unknown players in the league who could become stars this season.</p> <p>Joining us once again is Kevin from <a href="http://www.collegefootballzealots.com/" title="College Football Zealots">College Football Zealots</a>, Lisa Cornwell from <a href="http://sofriedsports.com/" title="So Fried Sports">So Fried Sports</a> and John Pennington from <a href="http://www.mrsec.com/" title="MrSEC">MrSEC</a>. Let’s get right to it …</p> <p><a href="http://www.collegefootballzealots.com/" title="College Football Zealots">Kevin – College Football Zealots</a>: The obvious answer to this question is some of the quarterbacks throughout the league. Kiehl Frazier for Auburn is a guy who has all the talent in the world but I think he’s still a year away from becoming a “star”. The winner of the Florida QB battle between Jacoby Brissett and Jeff Driskel will have a chance to become a big star. Of course there is Zach Mettenberger of LSU. He waited his turn last year but this year he has locked down the starting QB job for the Tigers and the college football world is looking for big things from him. Those are some QBs to keep an eye on. I think Mettenberger will have the best season but Frazier might have the highest upside once he gets settled in.</p> <p>Here are a few other names to keep an eye on:</p> <p>Alabama- Under Nick Saban, it’s been the running back position that has produced big offensively. Mark Ingram and Trent Richardson are household names in the college football world and the next “big name” arrived on campus earlier this year. TJ Yeldon is just a true freshman but he was eye-poppingly good earlier this year in a high school all-star game and he doubled that feat in Alabama’s A-Day Game where he won the MVP Award. He’s going to be a good one.</p> <p>Auburn- LB Corey Lemonier was the only guy who stood out on Auburn’s defense when I watched them last year. This year, Auburn upgrades it’s DC as they hired Brian Van Gorder and I would look for him to continue to grow as he enters his junior year. Look for big things from him.</p> <p>Georgia- keep an eye on the tight end position and sophomore Jay Rome. Orson Charles has moved onto the NFL and Rome and Arthur Lynch will be taking his spot. Both guys are more of a traditional tight end and fit better with Georgia’s offense. Charles was a fantastic athlete but OC Mike Bobo struggled to work him into the offense consistently. I think you will see Rome and Lynch really step up in his absence. Also, keep an eye on speedy WR Justin Scott Wesley (JSW). He will get some early playing time due to Malcolm Mitchell doing double-duty on offense and defense. He might not put up big time numbers simply because Georgia will go six or seven deep at receiver this year but JSW will make some noise.</p> <p>South Carolina- Bruce Ellington. Alshon Jeffrey was the Gamecocks receiving corps last year but this year there will be two or three guys that will share the spotlight. QB Connor Shaw hasn’t developed a consistent deep ball yet so expect the Gamecocks to try to get the ball to Ellington in a variety of ways to take some of the heat off of Marcus Lattimore.</p> <p>Tennessee- I think Justin Hunter is a known commodity but he’s only had 33 receptions in his college career so far (only played three games last year due to injury). He is the Vols best receiver and if he can stay healthy he will give the Vols and Derek Dooley some hope this season.</p> <p>Ole Miss- WR Donte Moncrief caught 31 passes as a freshman last year for 454 yards. He played in an inept offense. If Hugh Freeze can find a quarterback who can run his offense then Moncrief is going to be a terror for opposing defenses to try and defend.</p> <p>I wrote a couple of articles for my site earlier this year about rising sophomores that need to step up and that kind of fits in with the theme of this question. Here are some links to some other players to keep an eye on in the SEC <a href="http://www.collegefootballzealots.com/2012-articles/april/seven-sophomores-who-must-step-up-in-the-sec-east.html" title="Seven Sophomores who must step up in the SEC east">East</a> and <a href="http://www.collegefootballzealots.com/2012-articles/march/six-sophomores-who-must-step-up-in-the-sec-west.html" title="Six sophomores who must step up in the SEC west">West</a>.</p> <p><a href="http://sofriedsports.com/" title="So Fried Sports">Lisa Cornwell – So Fried Sports</a>: Latroy Pittman (WR – Florida): I’m not sure if a whole lot of people outside the state of Florida have heard of Pittman but after this season I think SEC fans will know him well. Pittman (a true freshman) was given high marks by Will Muschamp during spring practice. He’s also on a team that desperately needs a go-to receiver after last season’s offensive struggles. I wouldn’t be surprised to see new offensive coordinator Brent Pease make Pittman a focus this fall.</p> <p>Eddie Lacy (RB – Alabama): A lot of people may not remember too much about Lacy because he was Trent Richardson’s backup last season. But, keep in mind, he averaged 7.1 yards per carry in 2011 for 674 yards. Lacy also had seven rushing touchdowns, which was a third of what Richardson had. But he also only got a third of the carries. If Lacy is fully recovered from the turf toe injury he battled this spring, Alabama’s ground game will be just as potent as ever.</p> <p>Steven Jenkins (LB – Texas A&M): Besides a new conference, the Aggies are facing plenty of other changes this year, including a switch from the 3-4 to a 4-3 defense. With this move, Damontre Moore will become a full-time pass rusher at the defensive end position. Jenkins had an impressive spring an is expected to fill Moore’s shoes nicely. Jenkins is so high on the radar that he recently made <a href="http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/blog/bruce-feldman/19054235/top-10-the-most-pleasant-surprise-players-of-the-spring" title=" The most pleasant surprise players of the spring">CBSSports.com’s Bruce Feldman’s List of Top 10:</a> The most pleasant surprise players of the spring, coming in at No.4.</p> <p><a href="http://www.mrsec.com/" title="MrSEC">John Pennington – MrSEC</a>: Running backs Eddy Lacy and TJ Yeldon will be called upon to replace the production of Trent Richardson at Alabama. If there’s no major drop-off in production, one or both of those guys will get plenty of pub.</p> <p>Defensive end Dee Ford — the MVP of Auburn’s spring game — will be called on to provide a pass rush for the Tigers. He missed all of last season with a back injury, but this spring he looked solid and showed the ability to wreak havoc off the edge.</p> <p>Kentucky offensive coordinator Randy Sanders has helped Andre Woodson and then Mike Hartline put up good numbers in Lexington. Now he’s got second-year quarterback Maxwell Smith to coach. Smith showed flashes after taking over the starting job last season. Based on past performance, he could be a guy that Sanders coaxes good numbers from.</p> <p><strong>The Saturday Edge</strong>: I am most anxious to see how Zach Mettenberger performs at LSU. From everything I am reading, this kid is an upgrade over both Jefferson and Lee. In our <a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/get-our-7-essential-tips-for-betting-on-college-football-free/" title="7 essential tips for betting on college football">7 part series – Essential Tips For Betting On College Football</a>, I reference an article written by former University of Washington QB Brock Huard in Tip # 6: <a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/tip-6-how-important-is-the-qb-position-in-college-football/" title="How important is the QB position in college football">How important is the QB position in college football?</a> Huard suggests that if USC’s Matt Barkley had been under center for LSU in the BCS title game last January, chances are, LSU would be getting ready to defend a BCS title right now. I personally don’t agree with this assessment/analogy, however it does make you wonder how much better LSU’s offense can be with a playmaker like Mettenberger under center.</p> <p>Also, check out Kevin’s post <a href="http://www.collegefootballzealots.com/2012-articles/may/sec-east-who-will-challenge-georgia-a-south-carolina.html" title=" Who will challenge Georgia & South Carolina?">SEC East: Who Will Challenge Georgia & South Carolina?</a> He expands on his answer to yesterday’s question “Who can contend with Georgia in the east and LSU or Alabama in the west?” More specifically he delves deeper into the SEC east portion of the question.</p> <p>Come back tomorrow as we discuss which team will show the greatest improvement over last season, and which team is overrated. And don’t forget to leave us your questions and comments below. Thanks – Pez.</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/2002/big-12-football-most-improved-overrated-teams/" rel="bookmark" title=" Most Improved & Overrated TeamsPermanent Link to ">Big 12 Football: Most Improved & Overrated Teams </a></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/1997/big-12-football-2012s-breakout-stars/" rel="bookmark" title=" 2012′s Breakout Stars?Permanent Link to ">Big 12 Football: 2012′s Breakout Stars? </a></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/2079/texas-is-phil-steeles-no-1-surprise-team-of-2012/" rel="bookmark" title="Texas is Phil Steele’s No. 1 surprise team of 2012Permanent Link to ">Texas is Phil Steele’s No. 1 surprise team of 2012</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/1990/big-12-football-who-will-challenge-ou-for-the-conference-title-2/" rel="bookmark" title=" Who Will Challenge OU For The Conference Title?Permanent Link to ">Big 12 Football: Who Will Challenge OU For the Conferece </a></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/2035/the-big-12-ou-or-texas-in-2012-2/" rel="bookmark" title=" OU or Texas in 2012?Permanent Link to ">The Big 12: OU or Texas in 2012? </a></p> <p>Get more great college football analysis over at <a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/">Saturday Edge</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>New Orleans Hornets Win 2012 NBA Draft Lottery; Complete Results</h1> <p>Alex Groberman — Thu, 31 May 2012 00:22:11 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>With 26 teams officially out of the championship hunt, every franchise no longer in contention now turns to the NBA Draft.</p> <p>Whether you’re a squad that’s on the cusp of a playoff berth or a team that’s just struggling to earn a bit of respect from your fans, the draft is about as good of an opportunity as you’re going to get to find a single diamond in the rough talent who will guide you from irrelevance to prominence. </p> <p>The New Orleans Hornets may have won the Anthony Davis Sweepstakes this year, but the 2012 NBA Draft is deep enough from top to bottom for <em>every </em>participant to land a quality player. Make sure to check out our pre-lottery mock drafts below to see how we envision this thing turning out.</p> <p>Here are the full 2012 NBA Draft Lottery results:</p> <p>14. Houston Rockets</p> <p>13. Phoenix Suns</p> <p>12. Milwaukee Bucks</p> <p>11. Portland Trail Blazers</p> <p>10. New Orleans Hornets</p> <p>9. Detroit Pistons</p> <p>8. Toronto Raptors</p> <p>7. Golden State Warriors</p> <p>6. Brooklyn Nets (Goes to Portland)</p> <p>5. Sacramento Kings</p> <p>4. Cleveland Cavaliers</p> <p>3. Washington Wizards</p> <p>2. Charlotte Bobcats</p> <p>1. New Orleans Hornets</p> <p><strong>Note:</strong> <a href="http://www.blinesportsshow.com/">And make sure to tune into The Bottom Line Sports Show on Tuesday as they talk all things NBA and NBA Draft. </a></p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nba/bobcats/photo-anthony-davis-hornets-hat-2-weeks-2012-nba-draft-lottery">Photo: Anthony Davis in a Hornets Hat 2 Weeks Before the 2012 NBA Draft Lottery</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nba/76ers/2012-nba-mock-draft-v30-picks-24-30">2012 NBA Mock Draft V3.0: Picks 24-30</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nba/76ers/2012-nba-mock-draft-v30-picks-16-23">2012 NBA Mock Draft V3.0: Picks 16-23</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nba/76ers/2012-nba-mock-draft-v30-picks-8-15">2012 NBA Mock Draft V3.0: Picks 8-15</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nba/76ers/2012-nba-mock-draft-v30-picks-1-7">2012 NBA Mock Draft V3.0: Picks 1-7</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nba/nba-rumors-good-news-nets-dwight-howard-wants-ditch-orlando-magic-again">NBA Rumors: Good News Nets, Dwight Howard Wants to Ditch the Orlando Magic Again</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nba/photo-michael-jordan-s-son-marcus-sent-pornstar-rachel-roxxx-embarrassing-tweet">Photo: Michael Jordan’s Son, Marcus, Sent Pornstar Rachel Roxxx this Embarrassing Tweet</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>2012 Stanley Cup Finals: New Jersey Devils vs. Los Angeles Kings Preview, Predictions</h1> <p>Contrarian Fanatics — Wed, 30 May 2012 23:37:14 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p><em>By Rob Kotaska</em></p> <p>Yet another biased prediction: one part admiration for a captain, one part bitter vitriol for a franchise that mucked up a sport I love for the better part of fifteen years. I’ve made no bones about my preference for the Kings to win, surely Dustin Brown will bring the Cup to the Finger Lakes. If he doesn’t Brown will join an eternal, “no backsies” sh**list residing with skell the likes of Brett Hull and Leon Lett. My feelings regarding the Devils and their riding the neutral zone trap to three Cups and almost unwatchable hockey.</p> <p>So here is the emotional pick: Kings in five game. Brodeur will carry the Devils away from a sweep, but not before it is too late for anything but saving face.</p> <p>Now onto the more clinical side, as best I can.</p> <p>Forwards:</p> <p>Anze Kopitar has been a revelation to me this post-season. Prior to the 2012 playoffs his name was familiar to me only through ” EA’s NHL series” and trade deadline rumors. He was always on the cusp, but never seemed to hit that next level. If Dustin Brown were not from Ithaca he would be in a similar boat as Kopitar, anonymous outside those small parts of the NHL universe. It seems to have taken his name being bandied about as trade chum to get Brown to hit the next level. Other than an unfortunate knee-to-knee hit with Michal Rosival he has had an almost flawless post season.</p> <p>The depth of the Kings forward play has been the big surprise with Dwight King, Jared Stoll and Trevor Lewis chipping in a fair share for 3rd and 4th liners. And then there is the reclamation line of Dustin Penner, Mike Richards and Jeff Carter. For me they are the difference in this series. If they play as they have this postseason or better the Kings are shoe ins for the Cup.</p> <p>That is not to say that the Devils have been one-dimensional. Zach Parise has been impressive as always. Jersey has gotten timely goals from their 3rd and 4th lines as well. My favorite player on their from line is Adam Henrique. It is all too NHL and Canadian that a benefit of the Devils going this deep is that he has not had to work the tobacco farm back in Ontario this spring.</p> <p>Defense:</p> <p>The Devils have a better corp than most people realize. Zidlicky was a slick trade deadline move and Volchenkov is a great shot blocker, a lesson learned the hard way during the 2007 Eastern Conference Finals. The wild card is Henrik Tallinder. Though often the whipping boy of many Sabres fan, including yours truly, he has solid post-season credentials. His injury in the 2006 Eastern Conference Finals gave the Canes a leg up in the series. Jay McKee and his infected shin guard may have been the final dagger for that Sabres squad, but Hank the Stank’s injury started the bleed out in a big way.</p> <p>The Kings defense is 1-6 the better squad. My admiration for Rob Scuderi is well documented, he has the chops to clamp down on Kovalchuk or Parise. Drew Doughty is criminally underrated. +10 while averaging 25:53 minutes of ice time is ridiculously impressive, especially when you are lined up against the top line shift after shift. Willie Mitchell deserves major kudos for his +8 and 25:28 ice time in the post-season. I am concerned the extra ice time will take its toll on the 13 year vet.</p> <p>Goaltender:</p> <p>Marty Brodeur is a three-time Cup winner an all time great, maybe the best ever at his position and deserves the respect that comes with that legacy. At this point in his career he is also the 2nd best goaltender in this series.</p> <p>It would not shock me if he could outplay Jonathan Quick, but it is not likely either. Quick has come into his own, and is the best American goaltender in the NHL right now. Sorry Ryan Miller, you have been surpassed.</p> <p>How my brain sees it:</p> <p>I hate to have the same prediction as Barry Melrose but I see the <strong>Kings in six,</strong> and the Cup parading through the streets of Ithaca in a few weeks.</p> <p><em>“Mark it Dude</em>“</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/25/swing-your-sword-is-a-great-read/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to “Swing Your Sword” is a Great Read">“Swing Your Sword” is a Great Read</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/14/the-not-so-odd-couple/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to The (Not So) Odd Couple">The (Not So) Odd Couple</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/14/osi-the-troglodyte-tweeter/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Osi the Troglodyte Tweeter">Osi the Troglodyte Tweeter</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/13/2012-nhl-eastern-conference-finals-prediction-two-hated-teams-enter-one-hated-team-will-leave/" rel="bookmark" title=" Two Hated Teams Enter, One Hated Team Will Leave">2012 NHL Eastern Conference Finals Prediction: Two Hated Teams Enter, One Hated Team Will Leave</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/09/the-best-of-the-west/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to The Best of the West">The Best of the West</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/07/talladega-nights-come-true/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to ‘Talladega Nights’ Come True">‘Talladega Nights’ Come True</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/06/breaking-news-albert-pujols-will-be-just-fine/" rel="bookmark" title=" Albert Pujols Will Be Just Fine">Breaking News: Albert Pujols Will Be Just Fine</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/05/virtual-mo/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Virtual Mo">Virtual Mo</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/04/42-at-42-a-haters-perspective-updated/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to 42 at “42″, A “Hater’s” Perspective (Updated)">42 at “42″, A “Hater’s” Perspective (Updated)</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/04/should-mariano-rivera-call-it-a-career/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Should Mariano Rivera Call It A Career?">Should Mariano Rivera Call It A Career?</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/03/media-misses-the-point-with-seau/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Media Misses the Point With Seau">Media Misses the Point With Seau</a></p> <p>Get more great <a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/mlb/what-should-new-york-yankees-do-andy-pettitte-david-robertson#" id="itxthook0" rel="nofollow">sports</a> analysis over at <a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/30/2012-stanley-cup-finals-prediction/">Contrarian Fanatics</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Los Angeles Clippers Decide Not to Upgrade, Stick with Vinny Del Negro</h1> <p>The No Look Pass — Wed, 30 May 2012 23:20:44 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>Vinny Del Negro's option year has been picked up by the Clippers. He'll be coaching them for the 2012-13 season.</p> <p>I was pretty positive that they were going to pick up his option year after the Clippers pulled off a Game 7 win over the Grizzlies AT Memphis. There's something to be said about a squad that wins a Game 7 on the road. The Clippers also had their best winning regular season percentage under Del Negro. So he was going to get rewarded for that.</p> <p>I just thought they had a chance to upgrade their coach. Stan Van Gundy was available. They could've tried for his brother, Jeff. Jerry Sloan is now trying to get back into coaching. Mike D'Antoni is around as well as Nate McMillan. And even though Phil Jackson was pretty much next to impossible, Neil Olshey has been so good as an executive that I wouldn't have been surprised if he was somehow able to nab him as a coach. But as it is, they went with the cheapest option. Clipper fans can only hope that Del Negro, who is a young coach, can learn and improve within the next year or so. The Clippers just really need to show Chris Paul, who will be a free agent after next season, that they are committed to winning and that they're not the stupid franchise that they were in the past.</p> <p>Their next move? They have to lock up Olshey, who has been working without a contract. There is talk that Portland is trying to sign Olshey for their general manager job. I'm sure Olshey would want to see this Clipper project through but money talks. Clippers better sign him as soon as possible.</p> <p>The next year for the Clippers could be a make-or-break campaign. I just felt it didn't have to come to that had they signed a more proven head man.</p> <p>PHOTO CREDIT: Harry How/Getty Images.</p> <p>Follow Rey-Rey on Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/thenolookpass">@TheNoLookPass</a>. And "LIKE" us on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-No-Look-Pass/205969143451?ref=mf">FaceBook</a>. Thank you!</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.thenolookpass.com/2012/05/17/tnlp-talks-to-a-c-green/" rel="bookmark" title="Permalink to TNLP Talks To A.C. Green">TNLP Talks To A.C. 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Andrew Cuomo to take special measures to see that I'll Have Another is protected in the days leading up to the final Triple Crown race on June 9.</p> <p>Time to Step Up Against Shady Training <p>O'Neill has been <a href="http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2012/05/17/winning-ky-derby-trainer-drugged-horses.aspx" target="_blank">cited more than a dozen times</a> for violating numerous drug rules in multiple states, culminating in <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2012/may/24/sports/la-sp-doug-oneill-20120525" target="_blank">his suspension last week</a> by the California Horse Racing Board. According to a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/11/sports/trainer-of-kentucky-derby-winner-has-a-troubled-record.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all" target="_blank">recent New York Times report</a>, O'Neill's horses also break down or show signs of injury at more than twice the national rate.</p> <p>Gov. Cuomo cares about thoroughbreds—he recently <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/sports/state-seizes-control-of-new-york-racing-association.html" target="_blank">took control of horse racing</a> in his state, suspending the badly managed New York Racing Association and forming a government board charged with reforming drug use and protecting the health and safety of horses and jockeys.</p> <p>So PETA is urging Gov. Cuomo to follow through on this goal by putting I'll Have Another on round-the-clock surveillance in the five days before the Belmont to make sure that he won't be doped up on any of the dangerous substances that O'Neill has used in the past.</p> <p> </p> <p>Related Searches</p> <ul> <li><a href="//www.opposingviews.com/sponsored/search-results2?searchKey=horseracing+">horseracing</a></li> </article> <article> <h1>Manny Ramirez Makes a Night of Minor League Baseball Even More Interesting</h1> <p>TheXLog — Wed, 30 May 2012 23:16:16 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>A few nights ago my wife and I took in a Triple-A game between the Sacramento River Cats and the Reno Stars. The River Cats are an Oakland A’s affiliate and the Stars fill the same role for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Sacramento can be pretty brutal in the summer, so the mild spring weather, the light traffic, and a couple of free tickets from our friend John Cuneo, made taking in the game a breeze. Plus, we’d get to see how the rehabilitating Manny Ramirez is coming along.</p> <p>Ramirez is playing briefly for the River Cats as he works his way back from his negotiated 50-game suspension for his second violation of MLB’s substance abuse policy. Naturally, the fans in Sacramento are excited about seeing one of baseball’s most interesting, if maddening, players of the last 15 years. Our seats were 3 rows back from the first base dugout, so we had a good view of Ramirez and his fellow minor leaguers all night.</p> <p>I love minor league baseball. You just never know what or who you’re going to see at a minor league game. There used to be an independent team about an hour’s drive from here called the Sonoma County Crushers. The team’s mascot – a huge, hairy thing called the Abominable Sonoman – has got to be in the mascot pantheon. Jeffrey “HacMan” Leonard was the Crushers’ manager one year. Kevin Mitchell, a member of the San Francisco Giants’ 1989 NL championship team and league MVP that year, did a stint on the team, as did Bobby Bonds, Jr., brother of Barry Bonds. We saw them all, mascot included.</p> <p>When we lived in Columbia, South Carolina, we took in a few Capital City Bombers’ games. The Bombers, in the South Atlantic League, were a Single-A ball club and part of the Mets organization. I don’t recall who any of the players were, but in the early 1990s their manager was a guy named Ron Washington who has gone on to much bigger and better things with the Texas Rangers.</p> <p>A few nights ago at Raley Field we had the good fortune of sitting right behind a Little League team from West Sacramento. They were at the game with their two coaches. You’ve got to tip your hat to these guys. It was Sunday evening during a three-day holiday weekend and rather than throwing down a couple of cold ones at the backyard barbeque, they were taking a group of boys to a professional ballgame. And there were two moments in the game that made me feel the connection of that game and those kids to baseball’s past and future in a way that reaffirms my deep affection for the game.</p> <p><a href="http://www.fantasyfootballfest.com/" target="_blank"> </a></p> <p>In the bottom of the 3rd inning the River Cats managed to load the bases for Ramirez. During his 1st inning at-bat, Manny looked all of his nearly 40 years. He watched two perfect strikes, fouled off some high cheese, and then waved lamely at a breaking ball he should have spit on. Not too impressive. But in the 3rd inning he brought his 555 career big league home runs to the plate with the bases juiced. As he dug in, a couple of the Little Leaguers right in front of me asked their coach if they could go get some cotton candy. He told them to stick around, that they might get to see Manny Ramirez hit a grand slam. That’s a good coach. They stuck around and Manny drew a walk, so they took off for the concession stands. Luckily, they got back in their seats just in time to see the next batter, Chris Carter, blast a towering shot deep over the left field fence for that grand slam. Carter has yet to prove himself at the major league level, quite the opposite, unfortunately. If he does, these kids can say they saw him before he made it big. And at least they can say, “I saw Chris Carter hit the grand slam that Manny Ramirez should have hit.” That’s a great lead in to any story one of those kids tells about last night’s game 30 years from now.</p> <p>That grand slam was fun, but the moment that really got me was right at the top of the game. We’d already stood for the Anthem and the River Cats’ pitcher was taking his warm-up tosses. The Reno Stars’ manager came over to coach third base. First of all, the fact that the manager doubles as the third base coach in Triple-A, just like a high school coach, kills me. He seems like he’s more part of the game out there. Turns out Reno’s manager is Brett Butler. Butler was one of the premier lead-off men of the 1980s and 1990s, and a member of the San Francisco Giants’ 1989 World Series team. As soon as I realized who he was I called out his name and started applauding. One of the Little League coaches, also recognizing who he was, did the same and told his kids to give Butler a hand. Butler turned, smiled, and waved, and in that moment, a group of 10 and 11 year old boys were connected, through their applause of a smiling Brett Butler, to an era that seems like yesterday to guys like me, but is history to them. It’s as if my Little League coach had told me forty years ago to wave to Pee Wee Reese, or Pepper Martin, or Johnny Pesky.</p> <p>Manny Ramirez likes to call himself one of the greatest right-handed hitters in the history of the game. But those Little League coaches, those 10 or so kids, with their mismatched hats, sticky faces, and beat up gloves, and a smile and a wave from Brett Butler provided something more profound than anything Manny came close to last night.</p> <ul> <li><strong><a href="http://thexlog.com/category/xtra-bases/mlb/" target="_blank">More MLB Coverage</a></strong></li> </ul> <p><a href="http://rotoexperts.com/fantasy-baseball-package-2012/" target="_blank"></a></p> <p><a href="http://rotoexperts.com/fantasy-football-package-2012" target="_blank"></a></p> <p><em><strong>Jonathan Dyer</strong> has been a baseball fanatic since playing Little League in the 1960s, and he’s been following the Oakland A’s since moving to the Bay Area in the late 1970s when he watched Rickey Henderson play for Billy Martin. Dyer, the author of three novels, now brings his long-term perspective to writing about baseball, connecting the modern game to its historic context. You may email Jonathan directly at <a href="mailto:jpdyer@sbcglobal.net"> jpdyer@sbcglobal.net</a> or follow him on Twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/dyer_jp">dyer_jp</a>. You can follow his progress on two new novels he’s writing at <a href="http://www.booksbyjonathandyer.webs.com">www.booksbyjonathandyer.webs.com</a></em></p> </article> <article> <h1>What is Mitt Romney Thinking with Donald Trump?</h1> <p>Robert Reich — Wed, 30 May 2012 23:14:45 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>What could Romney’s handlers be thinking when they hyped his connection with Donald Trump — fundraising with Trump, offering supporters the possibility of a meal with Trump, relishing Trump’s attention and endorsement? </p> <p>Trump signifies everything Romney presumably doesn’t want people to associate with himself — conspicuous wealth, arrogance, hubris, and a distinct preference for money over all other human values.</p> <p>Trump, like Romney, represents almost everything that’s wrong with the American economy today — an unprecedented amount of wealth and power at the very top, widespread insecurity and declining real wages for everyone else, and a form of casino capitalism that places huge bets with other peoples’ money and depends on everyone else to bail it out when the bets turn sour.</p> <p>But wait a minute. Perhaps Romney’s handlers are smarter than they seem. Maybe Mitt has decided to let it all hang out. Rather than try to hide what’s obvious to everyone, the new strategy is to make Romney’s liabilities into assets by flaunting them. Be even bigger and bolder. Money rules!</p> <p>In fact, they’re mulling an even bigger and bolder move. They recall how Bill Clinton’s choice of Al Gore as running mate in 1992 — someone very much like Clinton — accentuated Clinton’s youthful energy, the new generation he represented, and the new start Clinton wanted to give America.</p> <p>So they figure Mitt’s choice of Trump as running mate will allow Mitt to celebrate his boundless capacity to make money, the “I’ve got mine and the hell with you” financiers and CEOs he represents, and the social Darwinism that he and the regressive right are convinced will be good for America.</p> <p>The new bumper-sticker: <strong>ROMNEY-TRUMP IN 2012. YOU’RE FIRED!</strong></p> <p> </p> </article> <article> <h1>How Abstinence Got Me Pregnant</h1> <p>Shannon Bradley-Colleary — Wed, 30 May 2012 23:01:32 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>“Are there any side effects to going off the pill,” I asked Dr. Frankenweiller, my ob-gyn.</p> <p>“Yes,” he replied, “Pregnancy.”</p> <p>And he was right. One month to the day after going off the pill I was pregnant. I blame it on deciding to practice abstinence.</p> <p>Let me backtrack.</p> <p>My father ruined any shot I had at teen pregnancy the night senior second baseman Mike Sheridan came to call at our home and my dad answered the door conveniently cleaning his Magnum .45. <a href="http://thewomanformerlyknownasbeautiful.com/about">I was Homecoming Queen of Upland High School in 1983 and I couldn’t get a date</a>. There wasn’t any boy brave enough to attempt to steal my virginity, they were all pretty sure my dad wasn’t afraid of going to jail.</p> <p>So it wasn’t until college, when I fell in love with <a href="http://thewomanformerlyknownasbeautiful.com/2011/12/monday-sins-the-ghost-of-boyfriends-past.html">my first boyfriend freshman year</a>, that I relinquished my virginity behind a couch amidst a sea of Cheez-It crumbs in an off-campus apartment while my boyfriend’s roommates farted and belched like cannon-fire in adjacent rooms.</p> <p>“So <em>this</em> is sex?” I thought. ”<em>This</em> is what everyone’s talking about? It’s so lame!” First time sex is, by definition, awkward. We did not use contraception the first time we had sex. We didn’t use contraception because I was, up until that point, abstinent. Despite all of the kissing and petting and steaming up of car windows in that first month of our relationship I hadn’t made up my mind to have intercourse. I expected to be more premeditated and rational about it. Picking a date together and a place — I’d really hoped for a fern draped cave just off the <em>Blue Lagoon – s</em>o when the time came, somewhat unexpectedly, I wasn’t prepared.</p> <p>And let me say this, my boyfriend was in love with me, he was responsible as far as any 20-year old young man can be, but protection wasn’t as high on his list in the heat of the moment because <em>he</em> couldn’t get pregnant. MEN CAN’T GET PREGNANT! You’re welcome. So when their hormones take over the consequences seem much further removed.</p> <p>I quickly began taking the birth control pill, conceding that I was not going to be abstinent as much as I thought I should be, and thankfully we did not get pregnant from our first time.</p> <p>Which brings me to my point. I believe sex should NOT BE a MORAL ISSUE, it should be a PRACTICAL ISSUE.</p> <p>Contraceptives to avoid STDs and pregnancy. Waiting for a lover who cares about you to mitigate heart break (although I suspect a little heart break in a lifetime is unavoidable).</p> <p>That 19-year old girl behind the couch believed sex was a moral issue. I thought if I had sex before marriage I was a slut, a whore and would be JUDGED BY GOD. Hence I took no precautions and hoped I would be able to abstain. I fell madly in love and try as I might to keep our relationship vertical, I failed — as do a vast majority of perfectly intelligent young men and women.</p> <p>I think making sex a MORAL ISSUE, with abstinence as its mascot, <em>encourages furtive behavior</em>. Oh, there are names I could fling about (Ted Haggard – abstinence proponent who has sex with male prostitutes while snorting meth), but I’ll try to keep the politics personal.</p> <p>I used the birth control pill for the next five years in my first relationship. When that relationship ended I became a bit of a serial monogamist. At the end of a third unsuccessful relationship I took stock and realized that at 25 I had no idea what I was doing with men. My heart had been broken and I’d broken a couple of hearts. I decided to take a big step back, a leave of absence as it were. In a word, I decided to be abstinent once again.</p> <p>I had that conversation with my ob-gyn and despite his warnings that a side-effect of discontinuing use of the birth control pill was pregnancy, I stopped taking it anyhow.</p> <p>I did very well until …</p> <p>One of the young men whose heart I’d broken wouldn’t give up. He loved me in a wild, passionate, willing-to-make-a-fool-of-himself way. I’d find roses on my windshield after work. Poetry on my answering machine. Declarations of love on bended knee in the mildewy busboy’s station at the restaurant where we both worked.</p> <p>Then one night he appeared at my door bearing a Christmas gift. I told him I couldn’t take his Christmas gift. It came in a blue Tiffany’s box. I told him he was crazy, that he couldn’t afford that on a food expediter’s salary (he’d been demoted from waiter). I opened it and inside was a small, simple silver heart. He’d bought one for me and one just like it for his 10-year old sister.</p> <p>I think you may suspect what happened next.</p> <p>Suffice to say in the heat of the moment we hoped the rhythm method would work. Two weeks later I was pregnant. I would say “we” were pregnant, but it really was only me<a href="http://thewomanformerlyknownasbeautiful.com/2012/03/im-pro-choice-because-i-love-my-kids.html">. I was and am still pro-choice</a>. I knew I had options. I considered them all, including marriage, which this young man sweetly offered. But I never had to make a choice because the morning the United States began its bombing of Iraq in the First Gulf War I began to miscarry. I was surprised at the sense of loss I felt for this unwanted pregnancy, but was also grateful to be spared making a choice that might haunt me the rest of my days.</p> <p>I think ABSTINENCE ONLY flies in the face of nature and the biological imperative. People who choose abstinence as a self-protective measure have my admiration, because I was incapable. But making abstinence a moral imperative just breeds shame, self-loathing and, more often than not, failure to live up to the ideal.</p> <p>When I was 36 and 38 I gave birth to my two beautiful daughters. They came at just the right time, with exactly the right partner, my husband Henry. That wouldn’t have been possible without birth control. I hope both of my daughters will wait until a ripe old age (35?) before they engage in sexual activity and I hope they will only give themselves to men who cherish them, but when they’re in high school I’ll be taking them to Planned Parenthood. No shame. No blame. Knowledge is power.</p> <p>Shannon blogs at <a href="http://thewomanformerlyknownasbeautiful.com/2012/05/abstinence-made-me-pregnant.html">The Woman Formerly Known as Beautiful</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Fans Will Ultimately Pay for the Atlanta Falcons' New Stadium</h1> <p>SportsFans.org — Wed, 30 May 2012 22:56:47 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>As we’ve told you, there is an <a href="http://sportsfans.org/2012/04/insanity-atlanta-falcons-pushing-plan-to-demolish-20-year-old-georgia-dome/">absolutely absurd push</a> in Atlanta to demolish the 17-year-old Georgia Dome and build a billion-dollar new stadium for the Falcons because owner Arthur Blank isn’t making enough money on luxury seating in the Dome.</p> <p>The city (by which we mean the government) is supporting the plan, so fans may be the only ones left to stop this madness. Why should fans care if the Falcons build a new stadium? Because they will have to pay A LOT of money for it.</p> <p>First, there’s the public’s share of the costs of the new stadium, then there’s the Falcons’ share. The Falcons will pass on these costs to fans in terms of higher ticket prices, parking and concession costs and personal seat licenses.</p> <p>The <em>Atlanta Journal Constitution</em> studied the last three stadiums built and found that ticket prices jumped by an average of 26% in the season the stadium opened, in addition to the thousands of dollars some fans had to fork over for personal seat licenses. The entire article is a must read, which you can do <a href="http://www.ajc.com/sports/fans-pay-the-price-1447331.html">here</a>.</p> <p>Especially galling is owner Arthur Blank’s deflection of a question from a fan about a new stadium resulting in higher ticket prices. Keep in mind that Blank is pushing for a new stadium simply so he can generate more revenue. So he’s willing to price out fans like 67-year-old Judy King, described in the article as a 31-year season ticket holder who has already seen her ticket prices jump from $13/game in 1981 to $129/game today. If she has to pay hundreds more for her tickets, plus an expensive personal seat license, she says, “I’d tell them, I’m sorry, but you’ve just lost one of your most loyal fans.”</p> <p>The greed of NFL owners continues to astonish…</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://sportsfans.org/2012/05/new-vikings-stadium-finally-a-go-time-will-tell-at-what-cost/" rel="bookmark" title="Permalink to New Vikings Stadium Finally a Go — Time Will Tell at What Cost">New Vikings Stadium Finally a Go — Time Will Tell at What Cost</a></p> <p><a href="http://sportsfans.org/2012/05/nfl-com-asking-readers-to-compare-players-wives-girlfriends/" rel="bookmark" title="Permalink to NFL.com Asking Readers to “Compare” Players’ Wives, Girlfriends">NFL.com Asking Readers to “Compare” Players’ Wives, Girlfriends</a></p> <p><a href="http://sportsfans.org/2012/05/serious-political-football-being-played-in-minnesota-over-stadium-subsidies/" rel="bookmark" title="Permalink to Serious Political Football Being Played in Minnesota Over Stadium Subsidies">Serious Political Football Being Played in Minnesota Over Stadium Subsidies</a></p> <p><a href="http://sportsfans.org/2012/04/now-the-bcs-wants-to-hear-from-you-on-twitter/" rel="bookmark" title="Permalink to Now The BCS Wants to Hear From You…(On Twitter)">Now The BCS Wants to Hear From You…(On Twitter)</a></p> <p><a href="http://sportsfans.org/2012/04/bcs-to-recommend-college-football-final-four/" rel="bookmark" title="Permalink to BCS to Recommend College Football Final Four">BCS to Recommend College Football Final Four</a></p> <p>Get more great sports analysis over at <a href="http://sportsfans.org/2012/05/must-read-fans-pay-the-price-for-new-stadiums/">SportsFans.org</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Benson Henderson Says Rematch vs. Frankie Edgar Will Look "Pretty Similar" to 1st Fight</h1> <p>Fightline — Wed, 30 May 2012 22:49:57 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>Benson Henderson defeated <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/204/frankie-edgar/">Frankie Edgar</a> by unanimous decision this past February at <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/events/2012/198/ufc-144-japan/"><em>UFC 144</em></a> to become the <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/ufc-news/">UFC</a> lightweight champion.</p> <p>However, as almost all fights that Edgar is involved in tend to turn out, their battle was closely contested and the verdict controversial as a result. The former champ was granted a rematch because many people that the decision could and should have gone the other way and will get another swing at Henderson later on this summer.</p> <p>Speaking with Spencer Lazara for MMAInterviews, Henderson discussed the rematch, relaying his belief that their second match will probably look very similar to their first.</p> <p>"Pretty similar," Henderson replied when asked if he thought the rematch would look much different from their last fight, or the same. "I think we're both gonna do the same dance steps. He might learn a few new twirls and twists, I might do a few new twirls and twists and what not. But, for the most part, I think it's gonna be the same old dance. I intend on it ending the same way the first one did: with my hand raised."</p> <p>Though not yet official, Henderson-Edgar 2 is expected to take place on August 11 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado.</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <ul class="bullet-item"> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548752/wanderlei-silva/">Wagner Prado To Face Phil Davis In Griggs' Place</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548751/rick-story/">Rick Story Facing New Opponent… Again</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548750/arianny-celeste/">More Details From Arianny Celeste's Domestic Violence Case (With Mugshots)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548749/ufc-on-fox-diaz-vs-miller/">Rousimar Palhares Says He Was Sick During Alan Belcher Fight</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548748/anderson-silva/">Video: Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons Calls Out "Wussy Liar" Anderson Silva</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548747/martin-kampmann/">Martin Kampmann Eyeing Title Shot With Win Over Ellenberger</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548746/ben-henderson/">Bendo Thinks Frankie Edgar Rematch Will Be The Same Old Dance</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548745/rashad-evans/">Rashad Evans Talks Jon Jones' DUI</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548744/rich-franklin/">UFC Finds Replacement For Vitor Belfort To Face Wanderlei Silva At UFC 147</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548743/">Matt Brown In, Matt Riddle Out, To Face Luis Ramos At "UFC On FX 4"</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548742/jake-ellenberger/">Video: Go 1-On-1 With Jake Ellenberger</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548741/ufc-146-dos-santos-vs-mir/">"UFC 146: Dos Santos Vs. Mir" Medical Suspensions Issued</a></li> </ul> <p>Get more great MMA news and analysis over at<a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548746/ben-henderson/"> Fightline</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Rashad Evans Offers Thoughts on Jon Jones' Arrest</h1> <p>Fightline — Wed, 30 May 2012 22:46:19 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>Less than a month after he defeated <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/103/rashad-evans/">Rashad Evans</a> at <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/ufc-news/">UFC</a> 145, <a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/profiles/216/jon-jones/">Jon Jones</a> was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence after crashing his Bentley into a telephone pole in the early morning hours of May 19 in Binghamton, New York.<br><br>As news of the wreck spread, many MMA fans gleefully celebrated Jones' misfortune. Now the idea that there's a large gap between Jones' public image and private life was finally validated -- the champion is fake and they knew it all along.</p> <p>One man who has been a very vocal participant in the "Jones is fake" movement is Rashad Evans, the champion's former training partner and most recent opponent. Leading up to their fight, Evans told anyone who would listen that Jones is a different man behind the scenes. But now, with their rivalry buried (or at least cooled), Evans only wishes Jones the best on his mission to get back on track, taking a more mature approach than kicking the man while he's down.</p> <p>"Honestly, it's hard to really say if it surprised me. I just hate to see that happen to him, or to anybody for that matter," Evans said on this week's episode of <em>UFC Tonight</em>. "Some people could've really got hurt. Thankfully nobody did get hurt. Hopefully, he learned his lesson from it and he can continue to move on and be a great champion."</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <ul class="bullet-item"> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548752/wanderlei-silva/">Wagner Prado To Face Phil Davis In Griggs' Place</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548751/rick-story/">Rick Story Facing New Opponent… Again</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548750/arianny-celeste/">More Details From Arianny Celeste's Domestic Violence Case (With Mugshots)</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548749/ufc-on-fox-diaz-vs-miller/">Rousimar Palhares Says He Was Sick During Alan Belcher Fight</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548748/anderson-silva/">Video: Jose "Pele" Landi-Jons Calls Out "Wussy Liar" Anderson Silva</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548747/martin-kampmann/">Martin Kampmann Eyeing Title Shot With Win Over Ellenberger</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548746/ben-henderson/">Bendo Thinks Frankie Edgar Rematch Will Be The Same Old Dance</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548745/rashad-evans/">Rashad Evans Talks Jon Jones' DUI</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548744/rich-franklin/">UFC Finds Replacement For Vitor Belfort To Face Wanderlei Silva At UFC 147</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548743/">Matt Brown In, Matt Riddle Out, To Face Luis Ramos At "UFC On FX 4"</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548742/jake-ellenberger/">Video: Go 1-On-1 With Jake Ellenberger</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.FightLine.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548741/ufc-146-dos-santos-vs-mir/">"UFC 146: Dos Santos Vs. Mir" Medical Suspensions Issued</a></li> </ul> <p>Get more great MMA news and analysis over at<a href="http://www.fightline.com/fl/news/2012/0530/548745/rashad-evans/"> Fightline</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>College Football Analysis: What Sort of Year Will the Oklahoma Sooners Have in 2012?</h1> <p>Saturday Edge — Wed, 30 May 2012 22:45:48 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>his will be an interesting year to say the least for not only the Oklahoma Sooners, but the Big 12 in general. The good news for OU is the Stoops brothers are back together again after almost a decade apart. Landry Jones deciding not to declare for the NFL draft, and come back to play his senior season was also good news.</p> <p>OU has Question Marks in 2012 <p>The first major question that needs to be addressed by the Oklahoma coaching staff is the mass exodus of WR’s. Head coach Bob Stoops <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/football/ncaa/05/10/oklahoma.suspensions.ap/index.html" title="OU Indefinite Suspensions">indefinitely suspended</a> WR’s Trey Franks, Kameel Jackson, Jaz Reynolds and DB Quentin Hayes last week for violation of team rules. And there isn’t any indication that any of the these WR’s will be back this season, or ever. We are talking about what would have been OU’s number 3, 4 & 5 receivers on the roster. All gone.</p> <p>In the last year, OU has gone from having a bottomless well of depth at WR, to basically now being down to two. The rest of the WR’s on the roster haven’t played a down of division 1 football. To make matters worse, OU doesn’t have any proven TE’s this season.</p> <p>Another big question is what kind of expectations can OU have for a defense that was ranked 60th last season and lost their 4 best players? My best guess is Mike Stoops will be the X Factor in this scenario. He will <a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1180422-oklahoma-football-mike-stoops-will-simplify-and-strengthen-sooners-defense" title=" Mike Stoops will Simplify the Defense">simplify this defense</a>, and eventually raise it to another level.</p> <p>But can he do it right out of the gate, or will it take a year or two to really grasp the system? Tough call. But in my opinion OU will need to be a top 20 defense to win the Big 12 this season. One advantage they’ll have over last season is they will not be facing two 1st round NFL QB’s on the road this time around (Robert Griffin III @ Baylor and Brendan Weeden @ Oklahoma State). I don’t believe any team in the Big 12 this year is as good on offense as Baylor or OSU were last season. Not even West Virginia.</p> <p>OU’s Situation Could Have Been Worse <p>Just think how bad OU’s receiver situation would have been if Landry Jones had decided to go pro. It would mean OU would be preparing to break in a new QB with an almost entirely new receiving corp this fall. Yikes!</p> <p>Another big positive for the offense is the return of a talented and veteran offensive line. The OL allowed 11 sacks last season on nearly 600 pass attempts, which was among the nations best.</p> <p>The Sooners do have a few questions that need to be answered at the RB position. Whaley, OU’s best RB, is still questionable coming into this fall off his season ending injury last year. With Whaley still questionable, and with a new TE to break in, I think it might be unrealistic for OU to rely on the run game more than the pass game given their recent history.</p> <p>This is the biggest problem I have with the OU offense. I would like to see them use more power sets like they did in the Adrian Peterson days, and rely more on the run. I think until OU becomes more of a grind it out offense, they will continue to have problems at times on offense, especially when they go up against the better defenses on their schedule.</p> <p>So Where Does All This Leave OU for the 2012 Season? <p>OU has a new 2nd year OC who has to try to piece together a WR corp that is relatively green, unfamiliar with the offense, and unproven at the next level. And they need to stay healthy.</p> <p>OU will be breaking in some new players on the D-Line. But should be very good in the back 7. The biggest question through the spring is can they get a pass rush on the QB? So far the answer has been no. If they can improve in that area this summer, the defense could end up being the biggest surprise and OU’s greatest strength.</p> <p>The Big 12 Could Be Crazy in 2012 <p>My gut feeling is this is going to be a crazy year in the Big 12. There will be many close games played. Home field advantage is going to be huge. OU has to play West Virginia and TCU on the road. But I think it is to OU’s advantage that those games are played in the second half of the season after Mike Stoops’ defense has settled in and learned their assignments.</p> <p>Still, there are plenty of roadblocks left with Texas in Dallas, Texas Tech in Lubbock, and maybe the one game people are counting on as an automatic win, Notre Dame in Norman. But I believe Notre Dame could be one of the surprise teams in college football this year because of their improved defense, and more physical offensive line.</p> <p>OU doesn’t play the Irish until the 7th game. Notre Dame will have played a pretty brutal schedule up to that point, and will be battle tested coming into Norman. This is a very dangerous spot for the Sooners. This game will be played right in the middle of the conference schedule. I do not recall OU ever playing a non-conference opponent of this caliber at this point in the season.</p> <p>OU’s 2012 Season Win Total <p>From a betting perspective, OU may not be a bad bet to win the conference at (+105) odds. But I don’t think they are a good bet at over 9.5 wins (-190) The juice is simply too high for the question marks and inexperience that surround this team.</p> <p>I think it’s going to be a dogfight when OU goes to Morgantown. Same with TCU. And even though I’m a diehard Sooners fan, and would like nothing more than to piss on the carcass of Texas this year, does anybody really think that it’s going to be as easy as it was last year? Not me. I think that game will be battle.</p> <p>Texas will be a hard team to beat wherever they play despite their shortcomings at QB. Whenever you field the best defense in the conference, you have to be given a fighters chance in every game. Especially if there is any improvement at all from the Texas offense. So OU has plenty of potential stumbling blocks in 2012.</p> <p>Four Year Starter at QB <p>With 4 year starter Landry Jones returning at QB, OU will have a distinct advantage at that position in almost every game. Especially the tight games. But that’s only as long as the Offensive Coordinator and Jones are on the same page.</p> <p>The last thing OC Huepel wants to see is the the injury nightmares he endured last year. Huepel was simply too green to make the right decisions and plug in the players needed for the offense in those circumstances. Hopefully he’s learned from his bad breaks and mistakes, and OU can move forward in 2012.</p> <p>But even in a perfect scenario where everything comes together on offense, winning this conference will be tough. My prediction is OU wins or ties for the conference title and I agree with the <a href="http://www.blatanthomerism.com/2012-articles/may/engineering-an-early-win-total-for-oklahoma.html" title="Engineering an early win total for Oklahoma">Blantant Homerism</a> site that calculates a 9 to 10 win season for the Good Guys. However, I will gladly eat crow if the Sooners go 11-1 or 12-0 and make it to the Mythical National Championnship game. But the experience factor at some key skill positions tells me it probably won’t happen this year.</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/2002/big-12-football-most-improved-overrated-teams/" rel="bookmark" title=" Most Improved & Overrated TeamsPermanent Link to ">Big 12 Football: Most Improved & Overrated Teams </a></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/1997/big-12-football-2012s-breakout-stars/" rel="bookmark" title=" 2012′s Breakout Stars?Permanent Link to ">Big 12 Football: 2012′s Breakout Stars? </a></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/2079/texas-is-phil-steeles-no-1-surprise-team-of-2012/" rel="bookmark" title="Texas is Phil Steele’s No. 1 surprise team of 2012Permanent Link to ">Texas is Phil Steele’s No. 1 surprise team of 2012</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/1990/big-12-football-who-will-challenge-ou-for-the-conference-title-2/" rel="bookmark" title=" Who Will Challenge OU For The Conference Title?Permanent Link to ">Big 12 Football: Who Will Challenge OU For the Conferece </a></p> <p><a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/2035/the-big-12-ou-or-texas-in-2012-2/" rel="bookmark" title=" OU or Texas in 2012?Permanent Link to ">The Big 12: OU or Texas in 2012? </a></p> <p>Get more great college football analysis over at <a href="http://www.saturdayedge.com/1709/the-oklahoma-sooners-2012-season-outlook/">Saturday Edge</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>College Football Recruiting: Ali Groves Links Up with South Carolina</h1> <p>LifeofaGamecock — Wed, 30 May 2012 22:31:06 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>The Gamecocks <a href="http://southcarolina.247sports.com/Article/Peach-State-corner-makes-No-14-75433">picked</a> up a late night commitment Tuesday evening when Ali Groves ended his recruitment by committing to the University of South Carolina.</p> <p>Groves is from the always strong Stephenson High School, which was very good to the Gamecocks in the 2012 class. Groves had offers from schools like Vanderbilt, Pitt, Ole Miss, Syracuse and Illinois before choosing to be a Gamecock.</p> <p>South Carolina envisions the 5'11" 177-pound player to be a cornerback at the next level. He has the ability to play safety as well but South Carolina needs cornerbacks and Groves is the man for the job. He has great speed as evidenced by his highlight video, but also looks like he's a big hitter.</p> <p>USC's business school seemed to be a big attraction for Groves as was his relationship with recruiter Lorenzo Ward. He's got a chance for early playing time so add all that up and Groves went ahead and pulled the trigger.</p> <p>Groves is a three-star recruit on <a href="http://247sports.com/Player/Ali-Groves-8333">247sports.com </a>and is the Gamecocks 14th commitment in the recruiting class of 2013.</p> <p><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZCK3vBA3jak?version=3&hl=en_US"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://lifeofagamecock.com/slideshows/gamecock-football-recruiting-2013-s-most-important-recruits-left-for-gamecocks">Gamecock Football Recruiting: 2013's Most Important Recruits Left For Gamecocks</a></p> <p><a href="http://lifeofagamecock.com/articles/south-carolina-video-frank-martin-at-the-sec-spring-meetings">South Carolina Video: Frank Martin at the SEC Spring Meetings</a></p> <p>Get more great South Carolina sports analysis over at <a href="http://lifeofagamecock.com/articles/gamecock-football-recruiting-ali-groves-becomes-no-14-for-the-gamecocks">Life of a Gamecock</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Orlando Magic Parting Ways with Stan Van Gundy Was Best for Everyone</h1> <p>SportsChump — Wed, 30 May 2012 22:25:35 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>I walked into the Pebble Creek clubhouse at the turn, to quench my thirst with a refreshing Jack Daniels and Coca-Cola cocktail last Tuesday afternoon. The lukewarm cans of Yuengling on the front nine weren’t sitting well. Like any good sports fan, I glanced at the television while the bartender prepared my drink.</p> <p>There I saw it, the sound of inevitability. Stan Van Gundy and Otis Smith had both been dismissed from their positions with the Orlando Magic. Operation Clean Sweep.</p> <p>Their dismissals, or at least Van Gundy’s, was only a matter of time, his desk probably cleaned out long before the news arrived. Otis Smith had bought the groceries, but the cupboard had gone bare.</p> <p>Ultimately, Stan became a man fighting a lost cause. Like it or not, the NBA is a superstar’s league. Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets. Regardless of whether Dwight Howard is the short-term solution, long-term solution, both or neither for the Orlando Magic, he is still their center, their best scorer, their best defender, their best rebounder, their best player and certainly their most marketable.</p> <p>Once upon a time, Dwight and Stan got along famously. Dwight would willingly do impressions of Stan and Stan understood that Dwight was his chance at coaching immortality. In the end, it didn’t quite work out that well as Stan is now out of a job and Dwight, for the time being, remains in Orlando.</p> <p>My take on Stan Van? I liked the guy. Was he the kind of coach that would end up with a ring? Who knows? He led Orlando to the Finals, just not one giant step farther for Magic-kind. Five seasons with the Magic, five post-seasons with the Magic. With a 259-135 regular-season record, Stan won nearly 66% of its games. Orlando will soon find out whether his replacement will be able to duplicate that success.</p> <p>At this point, outsiders can only guess whether the DeVos family is consulting Dwight on their future hires, all the while his decision to stay or leave remains undetermined. One thing, however, is for certain. The Stan Van Gundy era is over in Orlando. And he can probably sleep better at night because of it.</p> <p>The future of the Orlando Magic now hangs in the balance. This is a franchise that has twice been to the NBA Finals but in a hyper-competitive league that features a handful of superstars in a few, concentrated markets, the Magic are going to have to be as aggressive as possible in wooing athletes to play in their town. The LeBrons, Wades and Durants of the world only come around so often and there’s no one on the horizon near as talented as them.</p> <p>Since the 1980s, and probably farther back than that, only one team has won an NBA title without a bona fide superstar. Lose Dwight, or fail to replace him with equivalent talent and the Magic might just seal their fate. Despite all Dwight’s whining, that’s what Magic fans fear most: life without the big man.</p> <p>So now we sit, wait and hope for the best. As we’ve seen lately, it may get worse before it gets a whole lot better.</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://sportschump.net/2012/05/22/snl-spoofs-stephen-a-smith-video/9172/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to SNL spoofs Stephen A. Smith (video)">SNL spoofs Stephen A. Smith (video)</a></p> <p><a href="http://sportschump.net/2012/05/21/carmelo-anthony-the-new-york-knicks-and-whether-chuckers-win-championships-a-statistical-analysis/9158/" rel="bookmark" title=" A statistical analysis">Carmelo Anthony, the New York Knicks and whether chuckers win championships: A statistical analysis</a></p> <p><a href="http://sportschump.net/2012/05/16/an-ode-to-kevin-garnett/9125/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to An ode to Kevin Garnett">An ode to Kevin Garnett</a></p> <p><a href="http://sportschump.net/2012/05/07/what-if-the-solo-hole-in-one-scenario/9073/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to What if? The solo hole-in-one scenario">What if? The solo hole-in-one scenario</a></p> <p><a href="http://sportschump.net/2012/05/03/blindsided-by-quinton-aaron/9065/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Blindsided by Quinton Aaron">Blindsided by Quinton Aaron</a></p> <p><a href="http://sportschump.net/2012/05/01/amare-stoudemire-fire-extinguisher-altercation-sparks-twitter-madness/9050/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Amare Stoudemire-Fire Extinguisher altercation sparks Twitter madness">Amare Stoudemire-Fire Extinguisher altercation sparks Twitter madness</a></p> <p><a href="http://sportschump.net/2012/04/30/holding-court-vol-3-better-late-than-never-first-round-nba-playoff-predictions/9024/" rel="bookmark" title=" Better Late Than Never First Round NBA Playoff Predictions">Holding Court, Vol. 3: Better Late Than Never First Round NBA Playoff Predictions</a></p> <p>Get more great sports analysis over at <a href="http://sportschump.net/2012/05/21/carmelo-anthony-the-new-york-knicks-and-whether-chuckers-win-championships-a-statistical-analysis/9158/">Sports Chump</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Why Can't Barry Bonds Just Go Away?</h1> <p>TheXLog — Wed, 30 May 2012 22:22:34 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>Did anyone else get a chance to read the <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/Barry-Bonds-moves-forward-from-conviction-may-rejoin-San-Francisco-Giants-052812" target="_blank">AP story on Barry Bonds</a> about the fact that he accepts the fact that he’s a convicted felon? Boy am I steamed. What planet is this guy on? I wish he would just go away. Does he think we are all fools? Check out this quote…</p> <p><em>”Do I have any regrets? What happened happened. It’s there. It is what it is. I live with it. I’m a convicted felon for obstruction of justice, and that’s who I am. I live with it.”</em> Bonds said at the Diamondbacks-Giants game. <em>”I went through the system. And that’s what it is. And that’s what I got. I went through the system. I’m in an appeal process right now. I was never convicted of steroids.”</em></p> <p>You were never convicted of steroids? Barry, O.J. wasn’t convicted of murder and trees that fall in the woods do in fact make a sound even though no one is there to hear them.</p> <p><a href="http://www.fantasyfootballfest.com/" target="_blank"> </a></p> <p>In 1986, Bonds’ weight was listed at 185 lbs. He was listed at 206 lbs in 1997; 228 lbs in 2001; and at 236 lbs in 2007. First of all, when Bonds first came up with the Pirates he was so light that they inflated his weight so he didn’t appear to be a scrawny kid. Then in his later years he was so heavy they shaved pounds off his weight so as to not draw attention to the steroid use. Giants’ sources universally agree that 236 pounds was at least 20 pounds below his actual weight. Now he claims that he’s 212 lbs because he’s into cycling? I’m guessing that no longer taking steroids has nothing to do with his weight loss…</p> <p>Look at the picture in the link to the story I provided above; his head shrunk! Is anyone going to suggest that cyclists are known for having small heads? Pu-lease…</p> <p>If the San Francisco Giants give this jerk a job, it will be like sanctioning his steroid use. Go away Barry, Go away… Just jump into the bay. Go away…</p> <ul> <li><strong><a href="http://thexlog.com/category/xtra-bases/mlb/" target="_blank">More MLB Coverage</a></strong></li> </ul> <p><a href="http://rotoexperts.com/fantasy-baseball-package-2012/" target="_blank"></a></p> <p><a href="http://rotoexperts.com/fantasy-football-package-2012" target="_blank"></a></p> <p><em>The founder and former owner of MC3 Sports Media, Mike Cardano is the Sr. Business Administrator for RotoExperts and the Executive Director here at TheXLog.com. You may email Mike @ <a href="mailto:michael.cardano@rotoexperts.com">michael.cardano@rotoexperts.com</a> or follow him on Twitter @<a href="http://twitter.com/MikeCardano">MikeCardano</a>. Listen to Mike on Sirius XM Fantasy Sports Radio with Scott Engel and the morning crew Tuesday mornings at 10am ET.</em></p> </article> <article> <h1>2012 Fantasy Baseball Round-Up: Josh Hamilton, Albert Pujols, Randall Delgado and More</h1> <p>The Fantasy Fix — Wed, 30 May 2012 22:18:52 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>San Diego Padres at Chicago Cubs: Both managers argued calls in the top of the seventh, the first time I can remember seeing that. Ultimately, it looked like Jeff Samardzija was helped out of a bases loaded 1 out jam by a poor call at first. That said, up until the seventh, Samardzija was straight dealing. After the controversial play, Samardzija got pinch hitter Jesus Guzman to strike out on a slider way out of the zone to end that threat. However, the wheels were loosened in the seventh and fell off completely in the eighth. Shawn Camp relieved and got out of a jam without much damage. Camp was then lifted in the ninth after getting Chase Headley out in favor of James Russell, who converted the first save in his career. Alfonso Soriano hit a homer and he has four homers in the last nine games…when he hot, he hot. Carlos Quentin also homered, welcome back to being healthy, if only he could stay that way.<br><br>In case you care, there was a very bizarre interview with Duff Goldman after he sung “Take Me out to the Ballgame,” which he clearly didn’t know the words to. In fairness, Goldman did enjoy his time and didn’t just go through the motions. That said, I definitely don’t watch many Cubs games…<br> <br>Chicago White Sox at Tampa Bay Rays: So, I totally forgot Orlando Hudson was on the Sox. Moving on…it was death by singles for James Shields last night, as he gave up 10 hits in six+ innings. He walked one batter and struck out eight. It was one of those games were bloops didn’t find gloves. After Shields excited the game, the boomsticks came out, as Dayan Viciedo hit a homer to extend the lead. Alexei Ramirez also chipped in two RBIs and should be rounding into form any time now. On the other side of the ledger, Hideki Matsui started in left field and hit his first homer of the year. Go figure. There wasn’t much other offense from the Rays, as Philip Humber and the Sox bullpen shut them down. If Humber can get his control under, well, umm, control, he’ll end up with solid numbers the rest of the way. He’s a decent speculative add, just based on the fact that he’ll get to face the Minnesota Twins a few more times.<br><br>Color man, Brian Anderson: “I will Michael Flatley you.” I enjoy him and not only because of his odd history with the expansion draft.<br><br>Kansas City Royals at Cleveland Indians: This one was more or less over after the second inning. Again Justin Masterson was owned by left handed batters, as he struggled to complete six, ultimately giving up eight runs (seven earned) and nine hits. At least he didn’t walk anyone and he fanned eight. Mike Moustakas went deep and collected four RBIs, while Alex Gordon had two hits and is batting .232/.324/.358. I’d go out and get him if possible. Jose Lopez keeps getting at bats for the Indians. While he is an OBP suck, he is capable of hitting .270 with double digit pop ROTW.<br><br>St. Louis Cardinals at Atlanta Braves: Randall Delgado and Jake Westbrook pitched well enough to keep their squads in the game, but not much better. Dan Uggla provided the bulk of the offense for the Braves, blasting a three-run homer and Yadier Molina did a ton of damage for the cards, hitting a homer and knocking in three. Meanwhile, Carlos Beltran was all over the bases and stole his sixth bag. When healthy, good lord he good. Matt Adams went 0/3 but walked and has a .400 OBP.<br><br>Washington Nationals at Miami Marlins: Anibal Sanchez was his usual dominate self, as the Nationals got just eight base runners all game. Heath Bell worked a relatively painless ninth for his ninth save. Hanley Ramirez hit his eighth HR and Giancarlo Stanton chipped in a double and RBI. Aside from Bryce Harper’s fourth triple, not much happened offensively for the Nats. Edwin Jackson wasn’t great but put together a decent outing all things told.<br><br>Baltimore Orioles at Toronto Blue Jays: You really can’t use Jake Arrieta in every start. He’s at best a match-ups guy, who was evident as the Jays took him to task: 4.1 IPs, six earned runs, three walks, five K’s. Arrieta now has a 5.37 ERA. Still, it did appear the O’s pitchers were getting squeezed a bit and Matt Wieters was ejected in the fifth for arguing. While the Jays had a lot of hits, only three were for extra bases. Brett Lawrie had a double and three RBIs. When he adjusts to the adjustments pitchers have made, watch out. Rickey Romero was as effective as necessary in a tough AL East matchup, going six, allowing seven base runners and K’ing seven. Adam Jones hit a homer and extended his hit streak. Chris Davis added a HR in the sixth and Jones hit his second homer of the game in the ninth off Casey Janssen to make the final score just a bit closer.<br><br>Philadelphia Phillies at New York Mets: Joe Blanton somehow gave up HRs to the pitchers spot twice, once to Mets starter Jeremy Hefner and then to Scott Hairston who pinch hit for Hefner. All told, it was a horrible outing for Blanton as he allowed 11 base runners in five plus. For the Phillies, Brian Schneider also homered, so it was bizarro HR game. Jimmy Rollins collected two hits and should get back to being a decent contributor sometime soon. After a lengthy rain delay, Frank Francisco came on and secured his 14th save relatively easily. When he’s healthy, he’s solid.<br><br>Seattle Mariners at Texas Rangers: Josh Hamilton hit another homer and collected three RBIs. Outside of that, though, Jason Vargas pitched pretty well, got the win and remains a solid match-up play. Certainly few started him last night, but his 3.45 ERA is no joke. Meanwhile Scott Feldman, Alexi Ogando and Mike Adams gave this game away. The Mariners just jabbed their way to runs, with only three extra base hits. Dustin Ackley was back in the line-up and leading off. He scored a run, collected an RBI and stole a base.<br><br>Oakland Athletics at Minnesota Twins: Not surprisingly, this match-up resulted in very little offense, even though neither pitcher actually pitched well. Jarrod Parker walked four and struck out four and Cole DeVries walked five and struck out just one. The Twins threatened in the eighth when Grant Balfour issued two ball fours, but couldn’t actually get a hit. Then, in the ninth against an inferior reliever (Brian Fuentes), Jamey Carroll collected a leadoff single. Denard Span went down 0-2 before taking four straight balls. Ben Revere then popped up a bunt to give Fuentes his first out. He then got Joe Mauer on a ground out fielder’s choice (which with decent defense could have been a double play). Josh Willingham, lefty killer, came to the plate and promptly yanked one out of the park for a three-run walk off homer. Brian Fuentes, not so good. At some point it’ll be Ryan Cook’s job. It’s just a matter of how long the A’s want to “audition” Balfour and Fuentes for possible trades.<br><br>Detroit Tigers at Boston Red Sox: After battling late inning rain delays, the Red Sox ultimately prevailed and went above .500 for the first time all season. This was not Justin Verlander’s best outing as his curveball seemed to be left up and over often. David Ortiz provided a ton of punch with a double, homer and two RBIs. Scott Podsednik now has a .467/.467/.733. Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder provided a bulk of the offense off Daniel Bard. Bard was solid, but only struck out four batters. Alfredo Aceves shut the door on the three-run save.<br><br>Cincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates: Charlie Morton, not so good at pitching, the Reds, pretty good at hitting (although not so much at getting on base). Jay Bruce doubled twice, Todd Frazier doubled and tripled, and Homer Bailey added an RBI for the Reds. Go get Frazier now, he’s a .260 or so hitter, but can provide a good bit of pop. Unfortunately but also typical, the majority of the offense for the Pirates came from Andrew McCutchen, who had the only extra base hit. Bailey was the star of the game, going the distance and lowering his ERA to 3.73. Bailey has added a bit of MPHs on his fast ball and slider and has been using his FB much more. That has resulted in a 10% swinging strike rate, which hasn’t shown up in increased K/9, yet. You’d have to think he could add some more K’s in the rest of his starts and he should get decent run support, making him a solid SP option.<br> <br>Oh, and on Monday night, Frazier saved some poor dude’s life by administering the Heimlich to “dislodge a sizeable piece of meat.” Remember to chew, children.<br><br>New York Yankees at Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Andy Pettitte finally showed his age in failing to shut down the Angels and plucky young upstart Albert Pujols. Pettitte is, at best, a match-ups option who can get you some wins. On the other hand, Pujols is someone you should probably start every game, he went 2/4 with his eighth HR. Mark Trumbo also homered (his ninth) and stole a base (his fourth). Trumbo is batting an amazing .338/.390/.609. While his BABIP (.393) makes it unlikely he continues to hit so well, he looks more and more like a .270/.275 hitter with near 30 HR pop. At this point, the Angels are going to keep running him out there. Oh, and that Dan Haren guy? He shut down the Yanks. He’s good, you should have bought low.<br><br>Arizona Diamondbacks at San Francisco Giants: Clay Hensley got the win and Santiago Casilla the save. Neither pitcher allowed a base runner. Buster Posey provided the majority of the Giants offense, doubling and collecting two RBIs. Angel Pagan batted fifth, went 2/4 and stole a base. He’s hitting .313/.356/.469. I wish I owned him more. The Diamondbacks were stymied all night, as they totaled nine base runners. Justin Upton and Chris Young doubled.<br><br>Milwaukee Brewers at Los Angeles Dodgers: Another low-scoring affair as young pitcher Nathan Eovaldi took the bump. Eovaldi is a solid prospect with some upside given his division/ballpark. Unfortunately, the two runs he allowed were one more than some dude named Michael Fiers allowed. Fiers has actually thrown some good innings at AAA the last few seasons. He’s old (26) but commands the zone well and sometimes that’s enough. Ryan Braun hit another homer. If he slipped in your draft and the draft was after he was cleared, shame on you and your league mates. Oh, Braun also stole a base.<br><br>Got the itch for daily fantasy baseball? Check out these <a href="http://www.thefantasyfix.com/daily-fantasy-games.html" title="">highly recommended sites!</a><br><br><em>Written by Albert Lang exclusively for <a href="http://www.thefantasyfix.com/index.html" title="">TheFantasyFix.com</a></em><br><br>Follow Albert on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/h2h_corner" target="_blank" title="">@h2h_corner</a><br><br>or <strong>for </strong><a href="http://www.thefantasyfix.com/free-fantasy-sports-advice.html" title=""><strong>Free Fantasy Sports Advice</strong></a><strong> use our </strong><a href="http://www.thefantasyfix.com/free-fantasy-sports-advice.html" title=""><strong>Quick Fix</strong></a><strong> to get help with your </strong><strong>team!</strong></p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.thefantasyfix.com/1/post/2012/04/schwimmer-alonly-42212.html" title="">2012 Fantasy Baseball, AL-Only:</a><a href="http://www.thefantasyfix.com/1/post/2012/04/schwimmer-alonly-42212.html" title="">Time to target Drew Smyly, Danny Duffy</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.thefantasyfix.com/1/post/2012/04/mims-dailyfix-42712.html" title="">Fantasy Baseball Daily Fix: Humber gets rocked & a bad day for closers</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.thefantasyfix.com/1/post/2012/04/koltun-machadohamilton-42512.html">Fantasy Baseball Prospect Cage Match: Manny Machado vs. Billy Hamilton</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.thefantasyfix.com/1/post/2012/04/harrison-waiverwireweek5-42812.html">Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire, Week 5:</a><a href="http://www.thefantasyfix.com/1/post/2012/04/harrison-waiverwireweek5-42812.html"> Mike Trout, Bryce Harper Promoted</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.thefantasyfix.com/1/post/2012/04/bryce-sitstart-43012.html">Week 5 Sit Em, Start Em: Reimold shows no signs of slowing down</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>MMA Analysis: Martin Kampmann Looking to Make a Statement vs. Jake Ellenberger</h1> <p>MMA Sucka — Wed, 30 May 2012 22:15:15 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>Martin Kampmann (19-5) has silently chipped away at a respectable record inside the elite 170-pound division but this Friday night’s main event clash with top-ranked contender Jake Ellenberger (27-5) at <em>The Ultimate Fighter 15 Finale</em> might be the most important of his career yet.</p> <p>“The Hitman” has had two impressive performances in a row for entirely different reasons – First he took care of promising rising-star Rick Story shutting down his offence to win a convincing decision then he overcame a lot of adversity en route to a final frame submission win over for title-challenger Thiago Alves.</p> <p>The speed, power and tree chopping leg kicks of the Brazilian will pester anyone at 170-pounds and it seemed like it would overwhelm the Dutchman who showed a world of heart to overcome the odds and force the guillotine choke in the final minute of action.</p> <p>Now he gets another hard-hitting 170-pounder in Jake Ellenberger — The Reign Training Center product has only tasted defeat once in the octagon to interim champion Carlos Condit, rattling off six-straight victories since.</p> <p>With a victory this Friday night at the Palms Casino Resort in Paradise, Nevada he will be killing three birds with one stone, not only will he be pushed to the top of the contenders list but he also beats a fighter who holds two wins over men who have beaten him in the octagon.</p> <blockquote><p>“Yeah, but he has losses to guys that I’ve won against. Styles make fights. He’s got a loss to condit, it was a close fight. I think he’s got a loss to Story outside of the UFC, so you know styles make fights,” He says “I’m sure he’s gotten better since those losses and so have I. It should make a good fight and it shouldn’t matter who he beat in the past. Right now this fight is between me and him.” he says.</p> </blockquote> <p>The Nebraskan he meets in the eight-sided cage in a few days has stated that he doesn’t feel Kampmann is in his league, predicting that he will put him in a way in under two rounds.</p> <blockquote><p>“He’s going to be in for a surprise then. I think I have way more tools to beat him, than he has to beat me. I can win this fight in a lot of ways and I’m going to show you on Friday.” He told MMASucka.com</p> <p>He continued “I feel I’m dangerous wherever the fight goes. I can hurt him standing up and I can submit you if you give me your neck or your arm or whatever. I have got a lot of ways I can finish the fight. I feel<br>confident in my wrestling as well. I just have to stay focused and fight my best, then I don’t think Ellenberger has got a chance.”</p> </blockquote> <p>UFC figurehead Dana White has stated that the winner of this five-round affair will be at the front of the queue to challenge for a welterweight title, but the division is packed to the rafters with challengers creating a different level of unpredictability.</p> <blockquote><p>“We have a lot of really tough guys in the welterweight division. I think it’s one of the toughest weight classes. GSP he’s the guy on top and he’s the champ for a reason. There are a lot of young and hungry guys.”</p> </blockquote> <p>With talented fighters like two-time NCAA Division I champ Johny Hendricks and Nick Diaz if/when he returns to the cage at the top of the ranks he still think he’s worthy of a title-shot if he notches his tenth octagon victory.</p> <blockquote><p>“I think I’m the number one contender. Just let me beat Jake Ellenberger first.” He stated.</p> </blockquote> <p>______________________________________________________________</p> <p>Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/justinfauxmma">@justinfauxmma on Twitter </a>and keep up with the latest news by following <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/MMASucka">@MMASucka </a>on Twitter and on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#%21/mmasucka">Facebook</a></p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/dana-white-talks-peds-nick-diaz-jon-jones-future-ufc-strikeforce/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">Dana White talks PEDs, Nick Diaz, Jon Jones and the future of UFC and Strikeforce</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/bc-fight-scene/battlefield-fight-league-16-heavyweight-champ-title-middleweight-champ-crowned/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">Battlefield Fight League 16: heavyweight champ keeps his title, new middleweight champ crowned</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/netflix-explands-ufc-content-offering-canada/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">Netflix expands UFC content offering in Canada</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/asian-mma/featherweight-tilt-booked-fc-4-destiny-warriors/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">Featherweight tilt booked for ONE FC 4: Destiny of Warriors</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/asian-mma/history-fighting-championship-hosts-asia-mma-summit-2012-week/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">History will be made as ONE Fighting Championship hosts ‘ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012’ this week</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/junior-dos-santos-validated-fox-deal-ufc-146/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">Junior dos Santos validated the FOX deal at UFC 146</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/ufc-146-winners/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">UFC 146: What’s next for the winners?</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/ufc-146-video-highlights/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">UFC 146 video highlights</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/mmasucka-radio-martin-kampmann-mike-hackert-carlin-bardsley/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">MMASucka Radio w/ Martin Kampmann, Mike Hackert and Carlin Bardsley</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/vitor-belfort-injured-forced-withdraw-ufc-147/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">Vitor Belfort injured and forced to withdraw from UFC 147</a></p> <p>Get more great MMA news and analysis over at <a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/martin-kampmann-number-contender-beat-jake-ellenberger/">MMA Sucka</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Rich Franklin Steps in for Vitor Belfort, Will Fight Wanderlei Silva at UFC 147</h1> <p>MMA Sucka — Wed, 30 May 2012 22:12:14 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>Following UFC 146, it was announced that the main event for UFC 147 had been put in a murky situation. Vitor Belfort unforunately had to withdraw from the fight due to injury. UFC President Dana White announced at the post-fight press conference that Wanderlei Silva would stay on the card as one half of the main event.</p> <p>Earlier today the UFC officially announced that Vitor Silva would be replaced by former UFC middleweight champion, Rich Franklin (28-6-1).</p> <blockquote><p>UFC 147 now has a new five-round main event, as former middleweight champion Rich Franklin will face “The Axe Murderer” Wanderlei Silva in a 190-pound catchweight feature. The two first met at UFC 99 in Germany, where Franklin earned a decision win and both men took home Fight of the Night bonuses.</p> <p>Silva was originally set to face fellow TUF Brasil coach Vitor Belfort in a rematch of their 1998 UFC Brazil bout, but a hand injury forced Belfort to withdraw from the event.</p> </blockquote> <p>Franklin has been on a bit of a roller coaster ride since he lost his middleweight title to Anderson Silva back at UFC 64 in October of 2006. He has gone 5-5 since that fight.</p> <p>Their first fight back at UFC 99 was all out fireworks and as mentioned above earned them fight of the night honors. Look for this one to go the same way.</p> <p>Hopefully this is the last change we see to the UFC 147 card.</p> <p>___________________________________________________________</p> <p>Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/jerbrand" target="_blank">@JerBrand on Twitter </a>and keep up with the latest news by following <a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/MMASucka">@MMASucka </a>on Twitter and on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/#%21/mmasucka">Facebook</a></p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/dana-white-talks-peds-nick-diaz-jon-jones-future-ufc-strikeforce/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">Dana White talks PEDs, Nick Diaz, Jon Jones and the future of UFC and Strikeforce</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/bc-fight-scene/battlefield-fight-league-16-heavyweight-champ-title-middleweight-champ-crowned/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">Battlefield Fight League 16: heavyweight champ keeps his title, new middleweight champ crowned</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/netflix-explands-ufc-content-offering-canada/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">Netflix expands UFC content offering in Canada</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/asian-mma/featherweight-tilt-booked-fc-4-destiny-warriors/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">Featherweight tilt booked for ONE FC 4: Destiny of Warriors</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/asian-mma/history-fighting-championship-hosts-asia-mma-summit-2012-week/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">History will be made as ONE Fighting Championship hosts ‘ONE Asia MMA Summit 2012’ this week</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/junior-dos-santos-validated-fox-deal-ufc-146/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">Junior dos Santos validated the FOX deal at UFC 146</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/ufc-146-winners/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">UFC 146: What’s next for the winners?</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/ufc-146-video-highlights/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">UFC 146 video highlights</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/mmasucka-radio-martin-kampmann-mike-hackert-carlin-bardsley/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">MMASucka Radio w/ Martin Kampmann, Mike Hackert and Carlin Bardsley</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/vitor-belfort-injured-forced-withdraw-ufc-147/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to ">Vitor Belfort injured and forced to withdraw from UFC 147</a></p> <p>Get more great MMA news and analysis over at <a href="http://www.mmasucka.com/news/rich-franklin-replaces-injured-vitor-belfort-wanderlei-silva-ufc-147/">MMA Sucka</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Why Mike Leach's “Swing Your Sword” is a Great Read</h1> <p>Contrarian Fanatics — Wed, 30 May 2012 22:08:55 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p><em>By Rob Kotaska</em></p> <p>As I watched the college bowls in winter of 2009 I wondered how anyone could send their son to Mike Leach. The folks at ESPN went out of their way to say that while Craig James was a colleague. The reporting on what transpired in Lubbock to poor Adam James was clear cut: he was punished for being hurt. The younger James was allegedly locked in a 4×10 electrical closet at Coach Leach’s direction due to his inability to practice as a result of a concussion. According to ESPN it was a clear cut case of a coach’s runaway ego.</p> <p>What I knew of Coach Leach at the time was that he loved to throw the ball and had a confidence, bordering on arrogance. His antics, which were known to me largely through clips on Sportscenter, had him on the wrong side of the fence. His persona put me off. Looking back that perception was built on incomplete information, and was completely unfair.</p> <p>A few days after the initial media storm I saw an interview with Coach Leach on ESPN. He claimed that his firing had nothing to do with the Adam James discipline, which he claimed did not go down as reported, but rather it was due to the University big wigs not wanting to pay a bonus due at the end of the year. It seemed to be a wild accusation to throw the discussion off of how he bullied the wrong kid. Echoes of a “vast right-wing conspiracy” echoed in my mind, really? That is the reason they went after you at this time?</p> <p>The next news cycle came, and swept the Leach-James issue out of my consciousness. I had not thought about it for quite some time when Mike Leach’s book, “Swing Your Sword” came to my attention. I ordered the book through Interlibrary Loan (Sorry Mike. If it makes paperback I will hand it out as gifts).</p> <p>The memoir starts, as many do, with his roots. He moved all over due to his dad’s job as a forester, before they settled in Wyoming. Mike goes out of his way to talk about how he was always drawn to leadership and learning new things. He is my Uncle Kel, a man who reads every plaque at any historical site you might be unfortunate enough to visit with him. Trust me, it takes forever.</p> <p>Mike went from undergrad at BYU, to law school, to a Sports Academy before working his way up the coaching ranks. His first job in football paid $3000 a year. From there he moved up as an Offensive Coordinator at a NAIA school, to D II in Georgia, and finally the SEC. What I found more remarkable about Mike than his own words were the quotes that others lent to his book. He is obviously a man of deep loyalties who receives that back in spades.</p> <p>From the first chapter, before the incident was even addressed, I was sold that there was no way that this man locked one of his players in the conditions reported. Mike Leach is by all accounts in the book an intelligent man with boatloads of integrity.</p> <p>I am not saying that his version of events is not slanted. It would be human nature to see things from your personal certain point of view. But after reading “Swing Your Sword” I can give Coach Leach the highest recommendation I can think of: he is someone I would consider sending my son to (after meeting him face-to-face of course).</p> <p>This fall in addition to my normal Orange allegiance I will be paying close attention to and rooting for the Washington State Cougars. I feel like I owe Coach Leach at least that much for thinking ill of him back in Bowl Season 2009. If you love football, memoirs, leadership, or all of the above check out this book. You will not be disappointed, unless perhaps your last name is James.</p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/25/swing-your-sword-is-a-great-read/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to “Swing Your Sword” is a Great Read">“Swing Your Sword” is a Great Read</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/14/the-not-so-odd-couple/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to The (Not So) Odd Couple">The (Not So) Odd Couple</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/14/osi-the-troglodyte-tweeter/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Osi the Troglodyte Tweeter">Osi the Troglodyte Tweeter</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/13/2012-nhl-eastern-conference-finals-prediction-two-hated-teams-enter-one-hated-team-will-leave/" rel="bookmark" title=" Two Hated Teams Enter, One Hated Team Will Leave">2012 NHL Eastern Conference Finals Prediction: Two Hated Teams Enter, One Hated Team Will Leave</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/09/the-best-of-the-west/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to The Best of the West">The Best of the West</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/07/talladega-nights-come-true/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to ‘Talladega Nights’ Come True">‘Talladega Nights’ Come True</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/06/breaking-news-albert-pujols-will-be-just-fine/" rel="bookmark" title=" Albert Pujols Will Be Just Fine">Breaking News: Albert Pujols Will Be Just Fine</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/05/virtual-mo/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Virtual Mo">Virtual Mo</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/04/42-at-42-a-haters-perspective-updated/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to 42 at “42″, A “Hater’s” Perspective (Updated)">42 at “42″, A “Hater’s” Perspective (Updated)</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/04/should-mariano-rivera-call-it-a-career/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Should Mariano Rivera Call It A Career?">Should Mariano Rivera Call It A Career?</a></p> <p><a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/03/media-misses-the-point-with-seau/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent Link to Media Misses the Point With Seau">Media Misses the Point With Seau</a></p> <p>Get more great <a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/mlb/what-should-new-york-yankees-do-andy-pettitte-david-robertson#" id="itxthook0" rel="nofollow">sports</a> analysis over at <a href="http://contrarianfanatics.com/2012/05/28/the-spring-of-donruss/">Contrarian Fanatics</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Movie Review: "Chernobyl Diaries"</h1> <p>Jackie K Cooper — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:59:01 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>“Chernobyl Diaries” (Warner Brothers)</p> <p align="left">“Chernobyl Diaries” is a horror movie whose main claim to fame is that it is produced by Oren Pell, the man behind the “Paranormal Activity” films. That link alone should be enough to draw in a fairly sizeable audience. Once they arrive however they are probably going to be disappointed because all of the skills on display in that series of movies is missing from this one.</p> <p align="left">“Chernobyl Diaries” is one of those movies where the characters on screen do one dumb thing after another. The audience is screaming “don’t go there!” and off the people go. Also the ultimate outcome of the film is fairly predictable from the beginning. When it happens the audience thinks yes that is where I thought it was leading.</p> <p align="left">The plot centers on a group of young people who are touring Europe. They are Chris (Jesse McCartney), and his girlfriend Natalie (Olivia Dudley) and her friend Amanda (Devin Kelley). When they reach Kiev they meet up with Chris’ brother Paul (Jonathan Sadowski). Paul is the impulsive brother and he talks Chris and his group into taking a quick trip to the city of Prypiat which is right outside the Chernobyl nuclear reactors which melted down in 1986.</p> <p align="left">The tour guide for this adventure is a guy named Yuri (Dimitri Diatchenko), who has also talked another couple, Michael (Nathan Phillips) and Zoe (Ingrid Bolso Berdal), into making the trip. They all get in a van for a couple of hours tour of this site. When they plan to return the van will not crank and all hell breaks loose from there.</p> <p align="left">Is the movie scary? Yes, it is. It has the requisite number of dark places to investigate with mutant people or animals always a possibility. The unknown is what is scary – not what is actually shown.</p> <p align="left">The plot of the film does not hold up when you look back over the occurrences in the film. When you question who, what and how things were happening it all adds up to a big huh! But it is mildly entertaining while it is all taking place.</p> <p align="left">The locale of the film adds to the suspense of the story while the actors just run around screaming and not doing any real acting. Most of these actors have not been heard of in the past and will probably not be heard of in the future.</p> <p align="left">The movie is rated R for profanity and violence.</p> <p align="left">“Chernobyl Diaries” is a film with a few thrills but it is certainly no “Paranormal Activity.” This film will be over and done with in theaters in just a few days. It will probably attract a much bigger audience on Blu-Ray.</p> <p align="left">I scored “Chernobyl Diaries” a radiated 4 out of 10.</p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left">Photo courtesy of: Warner Brothers</p> <p align="left">For more reviews visit: <a href="http://www.jackiekcooper.com">www.jackiekcooper.com</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>THQ Changes Their Game</h1> <p>NuyoRiquena — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:55:08 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/THQ" target="_blank">THQ</a> recently it had appointed a new president, "effective immediately." <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Rubin" target="_blank">Jason Rubin</a> has officially taken the helm. Rubin is no noob in the industry. For those who don't already know, he has 20 years of in the video game and digital sectors. Rubin co-founded <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naughty_Dog" target="_blank"><strong>Naughty Dog</strong></a>, the company responsible for the <em>Uncharted</em> franchise. While at Naughty Dog, Rubin served as the co-creator and game director of the “<em>Crash Bandicoot</em>” PlayStation and “<em>Jak and Daxter</em>” PlayStation 2 series of games, which combined have sold over 40 million copies worldwide. Rubin also co-founded Flektor, a media mashup tool, which was acquired in 2007 by Fox Interactive Media, a division of Newscorp. Jason Kay, also a co-founder of Flektor, has been confirmed as the new Chief Strategy Officer. Kay brings his experience at Activision, Columbia House and Home Box Office with him.</p> <p>“Jason’s proven track record in the industry speaks for itself, and he is one of the brightest minds in the business,” said Brian Farrell, THQ's Chairman and CEO. “We believe he can be a game changer and can contribute immensely to executing on our strategy of delivering quality connected core game experiences.”</p> <p><strong>THQ</strong> has said they plan a much needed realignment of its focus. The company will be making the transition from maker of licensed games to a developer of AAA “Core” games for multiple platforms. The makeover would allow them to compete on a in the major leagues with such companies as EA and Activision.</p> <p>With an upcoming line-up which includes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darksiders" target="_blank"><em>Darksiders® II </em></a>(from Vigil Games), <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saints_Row_(series)" target="_blank">Saint’s Row®: The Third</a>™ - Enter the Dominatrix</em> (from Volition, Inc.), <em><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Company_of_Heroes" target="_blank">Company of Heroes</a>® 2 </em>(from Relic Entertainment), as well as <em><a href="http://www.thq.com/us/metrolastlight/360" target="_blank">Metro: Last Light</a>, <a href="http://www.thq.com/us/south-park-the-game/360" target="_blank">South Park™: The Game</a> </em>and<em> <a href="http://www.thq.com/us/wwe-13/ps3" target="_blank">WWE</a>® </em> I am certainly hoping they can turn things around.</p> <p>And because this isn't quite enough change to shake things up, <a href="http://www.thq.com/go/language/select?origin_url=aHR0cDovL3d3dy50aHEuY29tLw..&skip_lang_redirect=1" target="_blank">THQ</a> also announced that Danny Bilson, EVP Core Games, is moving on to "pursue other interests" as will Dave Davis, SVP Core Studios. </p> <p> </p> <p>“<em>THQ has incredible internal and external game development teams, and an exciting slate of games in its development pipeline. The recent transformation of THQ into a creator of wholly-owned IP has placed it in a perfect position to leverage future trends in the game business. I look forward to working with the management team and board to realize the company’s goals</em>.” <strong>-Jason Rubin</strong></p> <p> </p> <p>I hope he's right. I'm rooting for him.</p> <p> </p> <p></p> <p> </p> <p><strong>~ ~ ~</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.nfamousgamers.com/bio/nuyoriquena"><strong><em>Chastity “NuyoRique</em></strong><strong><em>ñ</em></strong><strong><em>a” Irizarry</em></strong></a><em> is the Executive Editor of </em><em><a href="http://nfamousgamers.com/">Nfamous Gamers</a> and Video Games and Technology Editor for Opposing Views</em><em>. You can follow her on </em><a href="http://twiter.com/nuyoriquena"><em>Twitter</em></a><em> and read more at </em><a href="http://nuyoriquena.com/"><em>NuyoRique</em><em>ñ</em><em>a</em></a><em>.</em> <p> </p> <p> </p> <p> </p> </article> <article> <h1>Movie Review: "Men in Black 3"</h1> <p>Jackie K Cooper — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:55:06 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>“Men In Black III” (Sony Pictures)</p> <p align="left">We were first exposed to the “Men In Black” franchise in 1997, and the first sequel arrived in 2002. Now ten years later we get the second sequel “Men In Black III.” Perhaps the movie makers thought it had been long enough to pull out some of the same special effects and characters and sell them as new. It hasn’t. “MIB3” comes across as a movie full of something old and very little new.</p> <p align="left">At the start of the film Agent J (Will Smith) and Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) are still investigating alien offenses. J continues to try to get K to open up to him but K remains as tight lipped and private as possible. He will barely give out any information about Boris the Animal (Jemaine Clement), a deadly alien who just escaped from a lunar prison.</p> <p align="left">When K disappears and no one knows what happened to him, or can’t even remember him, J goes back in time to try to solve the mystery of K’s disappearance. Once he arrives in the year 1969 he meets a young Agent K (Josh Brolin). Together they go after Boris the Animal one more time.</p> <p align="left">This is a pretty simplistic rendering of the plot. It is much more complex and overdrawn than this. Plus there is the introduction of a character named Griffin (Michael Stuhlbarg) who seems to have some mysterious power to see and influence the future. All of the intertwining past and present stories get a bit confusing and overall just don’t mean that much. There is a bit of a twist at the end that is interesting.</p> <p align="left">The one part of “MIB3” that is unique, special and awesomely entertaining is Josh Brolin’s performance as the younger version of Tommy Lee Jones’ character. Brolin manages to create the look, the sound and the mannerisms of a young Agent K. His perfection in doing this is uncanny. If you close your eyes and just listen to the sound of his voice with its rhythm and tonal quality, it is Tommy Lee Jones.</p> <p align="left">Smith doesn’t bring anything new to his performance as Agent J. He is totally likeable but that is just him being Will Smith. There is nothing that he does which makes us feel that is uniquely Agent J. The same is true of Tommy Lee Jones performance as K. He has the same bag of tricks that he introduced in the original “MIB” film – his hangdog look, his frozen facial features, and his lack of communicative skills.</p> <p align="left">The film is rated PG-13 for profanity and violence.</p> <p align="left">Overall “MIB3” is just too much of an old thing. We have the same special effects in the presentation of aliens, and the same droll humor in the Men In Black agents. The only new weapon in the arsenal is the performance of Josh Brolin and that isn’t enough to put this film in the winner’s column.</p> <p align="left">I scored “Men In Black III” an alien-ated 5 out of 10.</p> <p align="left"> </p> <p align="left">Photo courtesy of: Sony Pictures</p> <p align="left">For more reviews visit: <a href="http://www.jackiekcooper.com">www.jackiekcooper.com</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Putting Roger Clemens' Alleged Lies in Perspective</h1> <p>The Sports Fan Manifesto — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:54:47 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>By Tom Semioli</p> <p>The 43rd President of the United States allegedly lied about weapons of mass destruction. His successor leads this country as if those alleged lies were truth.</p> <p>The 46th Vice President of the United States allegedly lied about weapons of mass destruction. His successor supports those alleged lies with his silence. The 66th Secretary of State allegedly lied about weapons of mass destruction. And a New York Times reporter absolutely wrote a fabricated front page story about the existence of weapons of mass destruction, prompting our nation to engage in military action. The United States may never be the same, let alone survive the 21st Century. These people walk free in our society, nor are they required to testify as to what they knew and when they knew it. If they did, I might be able to remove the “alleged” adjectives. Or you could read the Downing Street Memos.</p> <p>At what cost? Last time I checked the Iraq War scoreboard; over $1 trillion US taxpayer dollars spent, 4,487 US heroic service men and women gone, 32,322 courageous US servicemen and women wounded, civilian casualties conservatively estimated at well over 100,000, and more than 2.5 million civilians displaced. These numbers do not reflect the continuing “collateral damage” of tragic military and civilian suicides, needless deaths due to destroyed infrastructure and access to medical care, trade sanctions, and the unspeakable consequences of family upheaval, and resultant alcohol and drug addiction.</p> <p>An entertainer, commonly referred to as a “major league baseball pitcher,” who threw baseballs for the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees, and the Houston Astros to amuse American sports fans may or may not have taken performance enhancing drugs in order afford him the strength to throw the ball even faster, hence amusing us even more. Many of this entertainer’s peers on the baseball diamond engaged in similar behavior during this time – the 1990s.</p> <p>In that decade, I downgraded from a fanatic to a casual baseball observer due to a busy time in my career. Occasionally I would catch a game on a small monitor TV in a local bar -this was in the days before the now ubiquitous flat screen. It was undeniably obvious from the corner of my eye that the players on television were juiced – just like the artificially bloated, vein popping members of my gym club, just like some of my clients who were bursting out of their clothing, just like the larger than normal folks you’d see in every day life on the street, at the beach, in a bar – anywhere and everywhere. It was the age of steroids. What was the big secret?</p> <p>The slogan of the time was “chicks dig the long ball.” The owners profited greatly from the chemically enhanced scoring after the financial debacle that was the baseball strike. Scores of notable members of the sports media allegedly lied too. Many hold steadfast to this day that they didn’t know the players were juiced – regardless of the overwhelming evidence.</p> <p>The didn’t know – despite the fact that these “reporters” hung out with the players in the locker rooms, in clubs, on planes, trains, buses and automobiles. Shortstops hitting 50 homers! Players in their late 30s jettisoning baseballs out of massive stadiums! Could training techniques have advanced the physical talents of these players to such ridiculous heights? The answer is no. Watch clips of old school sluggers such as Reggie Jackson, Henry Aaron, and Ritchie Allen – they could be mistaken for high-school athletes when compared to modern day players. No amount of training could distort the human body to such exaggerated proportions.</p> <p>When reporters don’t report the truth, the public goes uninformed. How many lives of young adults – high-school and college players – were destroyed because they took steroids akin to their baseball heroes because they didn’t know better? Why aren’t these reporters on trial? Why aren’t they held responsible? What did they know and when did they know it?</p> <p>The juice is still flowing, my fellow Americans. And those baseball fanatics who revile such “convicted” ballplayers as Rafael Palmero, Barry Bonds and Mark McGuire should wear a white, cone shaped hat so the rest of us can avoid them. How did you not know?</p> <p>Aside from the athletes who harmed themselves, no one died because baseball players took steroids and allegedly lied about it. Nor was a nation plunged into war, debt, and self-doubt. Our brave soldiers, and the civilians they protect each and every day, were not put in harm’s way.</p> <p>So Roger Clemens may or may not be convicted and serve time for allegedly lying to a bunch of elected officials who are not particularly inclined to tell the truth either – the United States Congress. Whatever a jury decides, Clemens could have saved himself – if only he had allegedly lied about weapons of mass destruction instead.</p> <p>Get more great sports analysis over at <a href="http://sportsfanmanifesto.com/2012/05/29/what-if-roger-clemens-had-allegedly-lied-about-weapons-of-mass-destruction/">Sports Fan Manifesto</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>DVD Review: "John Carter"</h1> <p>Jackie K Cooper — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:51:14 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>“Better Than You’ll Expect”</p> <p>Let me say this loud and clear. I enjoyed “John Carter,” the new Disney movie when it played on the big screen and now that it is out on Blu Ray. After all the negatives pouring out around it I expected to be bored to tears or only mildly entertained. Instead I found myself enjoying the adventure, the romance and the comedy of it, and I stayed entertained until the end which was some two hours and twenty minutes later. A blessing of Blu Ray is you can pause it and take food and bathroom breaks.</p> <p>What did I like about the movie? I liked the plot which is based on an Edgar Rice Burroughs’ novel A PRINCESS OF MARS. In the story John Carter (Taylor Kitsch) is a Confederate veteran of the Civil War. He has moved on after the War and is searching for a fabled cave of gold. When he finds it he also finds a way of transportation to Mars.</p> <p>When he arrives on Mars he doesn’t know where he is. It takes a while before he understand this vast planet is Mars, a place where he can breathe the air and can take huge bounding leaps due to the lack of gravity. In short order he meets up with a group of beings known as the Tharks. They are very thin and have four arms. In truth they look like “Star Wars” Jar Jar Binks’ cousins.</p> <p>Later he meets a beautiful woman named Dejah Thoris (Lynn Collins), who is a princess of Mars. He decides to help her in her battle with another tribe on the planet. The evil ones are led by Sab Than (Dominic West). He is determined to marry Dejah Thoris and wipe out her people. This conflict is the crux of the story.</p> <p>What else did I like about the movie? I liked the actors. Kitsch and Collins make a hugely romantic couple who capture the hearts of the viewers. Kitsch is rugged and handsome, while Collins is beautiful and adventuresome. She can handle herself in any battle and fights side by side with Kitsch.</p> <p>Samantha Morton, Thomas Haden Church and Willem Dafoe provide voices for three of the Tharks and they are perfect for the characters. Ciaran Hines is impressive as Dejah Thoris’ father, while Cooper snarls as their enemy Sab Than.</p> <p>“John Carter” is a planet crossing adventure for the family. It has enough excitement, enough romance, enough action and enough humor to keep all viewers entertained. If you like big action movies full of great special effects and charismatic characters then this is the movie for you. At least it was the movie for me.</p> <p>Another movie I found entertaining is “Coriolanus,” the film version of Shakespeare’s play of the same name. This film marks Ralph Fiennes debut as a director and he also plays the title role. It is a very dramatic film and its modernization holds up.</p> <p>Fiennes is outstanding in the title role but he is matched scene for scene by Gerard Butler who plays his sworn enemy Tullus Affidius. These two men are so good they become an acting class. But then you also have the performances by Vanessa Redgrave and Jessica Chastain who elevate the material. It doesn’t get much better than this.</p> <p>Many people wanted to see the film when it was released to theaters and missed it. Now it is out on Blu-Ray and available across the board. Take advantage of that availability and watch it.</p> <p>Another film out on Blu-Ray is “Valley of the Sun,” a strange comedy about a porn star who goes to live with his parents in an Arizona retirement community. Johnny Whitworth plays Andy Taggart aka Vic Velour. He has had a fairly successful career as a porn star, but the everyday pressures of his life drive him to have a breakdown.</p> <p>His parents (Barry Corbin and Beth Grant) come to his rescue and take him home to their retirement community in Arizona. Andy thinks all his secrets are safe here but he is wrong, so wrong.</p> <p>The draw to this film is the performances by Corbin and Grant as the good intentioned parents. These are two seasoned actors who can get the most out of any material – and they do. Their talent elevates that of Whitworth.</p> <p> </p> <p>Photo courtesy of: Walt Disney Pictures</p> <p>For more reviews visit: <a href="http://www.jackiekcooper.com">www.jackiekcooper.com</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Los Angeles Clippers Sticking with Vinny Del Negro</h1> <p>FootBasket — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:50:15 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>The Los Angeles Clippers have decided to pick up their option on Vinny Del Negro. Obviously, that means he will stay as head coach for at least one more season.<br><br>Del Negro has put together a 72-76 record since he was first hired in 2010, not exactly an impressive mark. That said, he did have a pretty good season with the Clippers this year, helping them reach the playoffs -- mostly with Chris Paul and Blake Griffin leading the way.<br><br>Los Angeles went 40-26 in 2012, but they eventually got swept in the Western Conference Semifinals by the San Antonio Spurs.<br><br>To some, this move by Los Angeles comes as a surprise. However, it is pretty understandable that the team decided to retain him, all things considered.<br><br>What do you think of this move?<br><br><strong><em>Josh Dhani is the founder of FootBasket. He also contributes at <a href="http://hoopsauthority.com/">Hoops Authority</a> and <a href="http://8points9seconds.com/">Eight Points Nine Seconds</a>. You can read more about him at <a href="http://joshdhani.com/">his website</a>. Follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/joshdhani">@joshdhani</a>.</em></strong></p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/photo-dahntay-jones-george-hill-paul.html">Pacers Stars Decided to Hit Up Disney World</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/tony-sparano-tebow-could-be-seeing-one.html">Tim Tebow to See Anyone from 1 to 20 Snaps Per Game?</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/terrell-suggs-wants-to-prove-everyone.html">Terrell Suggs Insists He'll Play This Year</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/jim-mora-stunned-by-junior-seaus-death.html">Jim Mora Reacts to Junior Seau's Death</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/indiana-kentucky-series-will-be-coming.html">Indiana vs. Kentucky Series Coming to an End</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/2012-nba-playoffs-ranking-best.html">Ranking NBA Individual Performances</a></p> <p>Get more great <a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nba/chris-bosh-hurt-heats-game-1-victory-vs-pacers#" id="itxthook0" rel="nofollow">sports</a> stuff over at <a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/clippers-pick-up-option-on-vinny-del.html">Footbasket</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Would Ray Allen Sit Out a Game of this Celtics-Heat Series?</h1> <p>FootBasket — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:43:20 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>With Avery Bradley out for the rest of the season as a result of an unfortunate injury, Ray Allen found himself back in the starting line-up at shooting guard.<br><br>The veteran struggled in the first game of the Celtics' series versus the Heat, generally unable to guard Dwyane Wade <em>and</em> missing free throws -- something you don't usually see from Ray Allen.<br><br>Part of this is because he has been banged up lately. Boston Celtics head coach Doc Rivers suggested that Allen had the option of sitting out Game 2, if he wanted to.</p> <p>Allen said <em>thanks, but no thanks</em>.<br><br>"My trainers and I discussed (taking a game off)," Allen told <a href="http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/7984427/2012-nba-playoffs-boston-celtics-doc-rivers-says-ailing-ray-allen-sit-game">Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston</a>, "but I really, really do not want go that route. Just put me out there and let me do the best I can."<br><br>Rivers listened to his guy.<br><br><em>"Not yet," Rivers told reporters later in the day when asked about a potential move. "We're good. Ray is Ray. We're going to just keep rolling him out there and see what we can get. When we feel like he can't give it to us, we'll go with someone else. But I think right now, you have to give Ray a fighting chance."</em><br><br>Boston currently trails Miami 1-0 in the Eastern Conference Finals. They will play again Wednesday night.<br><br><em><strong>Josh Dhani is the founder of FootBasket. He also contributes at <a href="http://hoopsauthority.com/">Hoops Authority</a> and <a href="http://8points9seconds.com/">Eight Points Nine Seconds</a>. You can read more about him at <a href="http://joshdhani.com/">his website</a>. Follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/joshdhani">@joshdhani</a>.</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/photo-dahntay-jones-george-hill-paul.html">Pacers Stars Decided to Hit Up Disney World</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/tony-sparano-tebow-could-be-seeing-one.html">Tim Tebow to See Anyone from 1 to 20 Snaps Per Game?</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/terrell-suggs-wants-to-prove-everyone.html">Terrell Suggs Insists He'll Play This Year</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/jim-mora-stunned-by-junior-seaus-death.html">Jim Mora Reacts to Junior Seau's Death</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/indiana-kentucky-series-will-be-coming.html">Indiana vs. Kentucky Series Coming to an End</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/2012-nba-playoffs-ranking-best.html">Ranking NBA Individual Performances</a></p> <p>Get more great <a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nba/chris-bosh-hurt-heats-game-1-victory-vs-pacers#" id="itxthook0" rel="nofollow">sports</a> stuff over at <a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/2012-nba-playoffs-rumors-will-ray-allen.html">Footbasket</a>.</p> </article> <article> <h1>Should P. Diddy's Son Justin Combs Give Back UCLA Athletic Scholarship?</h1> <p>Zach Lisabeth — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:43:09 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>It's all about the Benjamins, baby.</p> <p>Sean “Puffy” Combs’ matriculating son Justin committed to playing Division I college football for UCLA a little less than a year ago. At that time, Justin Combs received an athletic scholarship totaling about $54,000.</p> <p>Since UCLA is a state school, the scholarship funds would have to come out of tax payer pockets. Given the ample means of the Combs family, you can see why more than a few California residents might find this a little disconcerting.</p> <p>Not surprisingly, some California tax payers are now demanding that Justin Combs give back his athletic scholarship to make that money available for students with greater need.</p> <p>But not everyone is outraged. CNN education contributor Dr. Steve Perry doesn’t like the way the masses are strong-arming Combs into giving back the money. According to Perry’s analysis, Combs earned that money fair and square by graduating from high school with a 3.75 GPA while playing cornerback at an elite level.<br><br>"He's done what he needs to do to be successful and in 'Ameritocracy' we have to accept that no matter who your father is, whether he be rich, poor or absent, that you can in fact be successful on your own merit," Perry said.</p> <p>Combs, Sr. was recently named the wealthiest artist in hip-hop, earning over $45 million already in 2012. Despite the weight of the silver spoon in Justin Combs’ mouth, he has yet to indicate any plans to return his scholarship award.</p> <p>What do you think? Does Justin Combs deserve his free ride as much as any other scholar athlete? Or does his family’s fortune preclude him from accepting public money?</p> <p><a class="proMainPic" href="http://www.zimbio.com/photos/Justin+Combs"></a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Miami Heat Respond to Rajon Rondo's "Hit the Deck" Comment</h1> <p>FootBasket — Wed, 30 May 2012 21:37:54 +0000</p> <div class="field field-type-filefield field-field-featured-image"> <div class="field-items"> <div class="field-item odd"> </div> </div> </div> <p>Following the Miami Heat's victory over the Boston Celtics this past Monday night, Rajon Rondo said that the C's need to be more physical.<br><br>"Nothing dirty but they have to hit the deck, too," Rondo said.<br><br>Hearing "hit the deck" really got LeBron James and Dwyane Wade excited. They told this much to <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2012/story/_/id/7984591/2012-nba-playoffs-lebron-james-dwyane-wade-deflect-rajon-rondo-hit-deck-comments">Brian Windhorst of ESPN</a>:<br><br><em>"I expect to be quote, unquote 'put on the deck' or whatever the case may be and then you go to the free-throw line," said James, who had 32 points in the Heat's 93-79 Game 1 win. "I don't need to prepare for something I already think is going to happen every game."<br><br>"We're men just like they're men; we're not going to let anyone just come and punk us," said Wade, who had 22 points in Game 1. "That is not our mentality, to go out there and make people hit the deck."</em><br><br>I honestly don't see why either of them really care. They shouldn't be worrying about what Rondo says, either way.<br><br>Just play, guys.<br><br><em><strong>Josh Dhani is the founder of FootBasket. He also contributes at <a href="http://hoopsauthority.com/">Hoops Authority</a> and <a href="http://8points9seconds.com/">Eight Points Nine Seconds</a>. You can read more about him at <a href="http://joshdhani.com/">his website</a>. Follow him on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/joshdhani">@joshdhani</a>.</strong></em></p> <p><strong>Related Content</strong></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/photo-dahntay-jones-george-hill-paul.html">Pacers Stars Decided to Hit Up Disney World</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/tony-sparano-tebow-could-be-seeing-one.html">Tim Tebow to See Anyone from 1 to 20 Snaps Per Game?</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/terrell-suggs-wants-to-prove-everyone.html">Terrell Suggs Insists He'll Play This Year</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/jim-mora-stunned-by-junior-seaus-death.html">Jim Mora Reacts to Junior Seau's Death</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/indiana-kentucky-series-will-be-coming.html">Indiana vs. Kentucky Series Coming to an End</a></p> <p><a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/2012-nba-playoffs-ranking-best.html">Ranking NBA Individual Performances</a></p> <p>Get more great <a class="itxtrst itxtrsta itxthook" href="http://www.opposingviews.com/i/sports/nba/chris-bosh-hurt-heats-game-1-victory-vs-pacers#" id="itxthook0" rel="nofollow">sports</a> stuff over at <a href="http://www.footbasket.com/2012/05/2012-nba-playoffs-lebron-james-dwyane.html">Footbasket</a>.</p> </article> </main></body></html>