2011年8月3日星期三

Stan Van Gundy considering career in politics after coaching

Like most Americans, Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was fed up with the government’s protracted fight over the national debt ceiling.

Unlike most Americans, Van Gundy wants to do something about it.

Van Gundy, who enjoys watching political shows and reading magazines such as Time and Newsweek in his free time, said he’s thought about pursuing a career in politics once he’s done coaching. He isn’t sure what level of politics, but he has seriously considered the possibility.

“I don’t like what’s going on,” Van Gundy said of the recent happenings in Washington, D.C. “I think sometimes you can sit around and complain. Look, I want to coach for as long as I can. But when that’s done — depending on where my family situation is — yeah, I’d think about it. I certainly would think about it.

“I’m fed up with the people in our government. Because I’m fed up, instead of complaining about it, I plan to do something about it.”

It’s not unheard of for former sports figures to dabble in politics in today’s world. Former NBA all-star Kevin Johnson is the mayor of Sacramento, legendary Nebraska coach Tom Osborne was elected to congress and ex-Steelers wide receiver Lynn Swann ran for governor of Pennsylvania in 2006.

And several former athletes eventually became presidents — such as Gerald Ford (won two football national titles at Michigan), Dwight Eisenhower (started at running back for Army when Army was good) and Ronald Reagan (two-sport star at Eureka) — although Van Gundy said he’d never want to be president because “I don’t know if I’m smart enough for that; I want someone smarter than me to be president.”

Van Gundy wouldn’t say what political party he’d support for fear of offending any fans or misrepresenting the Magic organization. While his salary puts him in the Republican tax bracket, he’s clearly an anti-establishment — or at least anti-Stern — sort of guy, so it’s tough to really put a finger on his political ideals.

Van Gundy did say it’d be difficult for him to get elected in the swing state of Florida, but he meant that more as an indictment on certain politicians than any political party.

“I think some of my political views would be tough for me to get elected from where I live — let’s put it that way,” he said. “I see the views that people use to get elected, and I’m not sure I’m on that side. I might just be setting myself up for defeat.”

For the record, Van Gundy is registered in Seminole County but didn’t designate a party affiliation.

2011年7月11日星期一

ASA sends final list of nominees

Athletics South Africa (ASA) distributed the final list of nominees to its members on Monday for the federation's vacant positions of president and vice-president.

There were no changes to the list that was sent to the provinces and board members at the weekend, which was later withdrawn.

The two positions, previously held by former president Leonard Chuene and vice-president Kakata Maponyane, who were both banned by the SA Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee in February, will be filled at a special ASA general meeting on July 30.

Incumbent ASA chairman James Evans emerged from the list of nominees as the front runner in the early stages of the race for the president's post. He received six nominations.

“It is encouraging that so many people are standing for election and showing the willingness to sacrifice their time for the sport,” Evans said.

“As long as everyone has accepted nominations in good faith and the elections are fair, it bodes well for the future of the sport.”

Evans, also the head of Western Province Athletics (WPA), received nominations from WPA, Eastern Province Athletics (EPA), Athletics Griqualand West (AGW), South African Masters Athletics (SAMA), University Sport South Africa (USSA) and a member of the road running commission.

James Mokoka of Athletics Gauteng North (AGN), Hendrick Ramaala of Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) and Harold Adams of Boland Athletics (BA) each received three nominations.

Adams, the official ASA team doctor at a number of previous global championships, was nominated by BA, North Western Cape Athletics (NWCA) and an ASA board member. His name was also put forward by the same group for the post of vice-president.

Mokoka was nominated by AGN, Athletics Free State (AFS) and a road running commission member.

Marathon runner and assistant ASA administrator Ramaala received nominations from CGA, fellow board member Geraldine Pillay, 3 000m steeplechase athlete Ruben Ramolefi and a member of the cross country commission.

William Mokatsanyane of the SA Schools Athletics committee (Sasa) received the backing for president from Sasa and Athletics Vaal Triangle (AVT).

KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) president Aleck Skhosana, together with Motlatsi Keikabile of Athletics North West North (ANWN) and Tshifiwa Makhoshi of Limpopo Athletics (Lima), each received nominations from their respective provinces.

Among the nominees on the list for the vice-president's seat were ASA athletes' chair and former sprinter Geraldine Pillay, who put forward her own name and received the backing of AGW.

Ramaala received five nominations for the vice-president's position, the most of all the nominees.

His name was put forward by EPA, Sama, CGA, WPA and a cross country commission member.

Fellow ASA board member Aleck Skhosana, with the second most nominations for vice-president, received the backing of KZNA, AVT and a road running commission member.

The remaining six nominees, Motlatsi Keikabile (ANWN), James Moloi (CGA), Godfrey Goliath (EPA), Mike Mbabane (EPA), Glen Bentley (USSA) and William Mokatsanyane (Sasa) received one nomination each.

2011年7月3日星期日

Rivera coughs up lead; Mets win in 10 to avoid Yankees sweep

NEW YORK (AP) — Down to their last strike against Mariano Rivera, the New York Mets wouldn't wilt. And when Jason Bay lined a game-winning single in the 10th inning, an elated Jose Reyes found himself leaping around in the clubhouse.
All in all, that might have been the best sign of the day for the feisty Mets.
Pinch-hitter Ronny Paulino came through with a tying single off Rivera, Bay drove home the winning run and the Mets ended the New York Yankees' seven-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory Sunday.
"I was jumping right here. I was watching right here," Reyes said in front of his locker. "That's a huge win for us."
BOX SCORE: Mets 3, Yankees 2
Playing without their ailing shortstop, the Mets were shut down by Freddy Garcia for seven innings before rallying against Rivera in the ninth to avoid a Subway Series sweep at Citi Field.
With two outs and nobody on in the ninth, Bay walked on a full count. He went to third on Lucas Duda's single and scored the tying run when Paulino punched a 1-2 pitch through the right side.
"I was just trying to put the ball in play," Paulino said. "Shorten my swing and get a good pitch to hit."
Rivera, selected for his 12th All-Star team earlier in the day, dropped his head on the mound after his fourth blown save in 25 chances this season.
Ruben Tejada then hit a sharp grounder that scooted under the glove of fill-in shortstop Ramiro Pena for an error, and Duda tried to score from second. With fans of both teams in a frenzy, left fielder Brett Gardner came up throwing and cut down Duda at the plate to send the game to extra innings.
"It's the highest high and the lowest low, probably for the fans, too. But it's twice as bad in the dugout," Bay said. "That game, there was a lot going on."
Pinch-hitter Scott Hairston drew a leadoff walk from Luis Ayala (1-2) in the 10th and the Mets loaded the bases when Pena booted Daniel Murphy's slow grounder with two outs.
Hector Noesi entered to face Bay, who lined an 0-1 pitch into right-center for a single. Hairston raised his fist as he crossed the plate and Bay, stuck in a two-year slump since signing a $66 million contract with the Mets, was mobbed by teammates on the infield.
"I've been through a lot of ups and downs. A lot more downs," Bay said after the Mets stopped a three-game skid. "It was nice, A, to be in that spot and, B, to come through. It was great."
Francisco Rodriguez (2-2) pitched two scoreless innings for the win.
"Give them credit. They battled against Mo in the ninth and got it done later," Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira said.
Gardner tripled off Jason Isringhausen in the eighth and scored on a sacrifice fly by All-Star starter Curtis Granderson, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead.
"It's a frustrating loss for us," manager Joe Girardi said.
Reyes sat out as the Mets anxiously awaited MRI results on his tight left hamstring. The test revealed a Grade 1 strain, the mildest kind, and he might be able to return to the lineup in a few days.
"It's a big relief," teammate Carlos Beltran said. "We depend so much on him."
Reyes, elected by fans to start for the National League in the All-Star game July 12, left Saturday's loss after two innings. But the news Sunday was a positive sign for a player with a history of long-term leg injuries.
"Just a little bit of a strain. I mean, nothing big," Reyes said. "I know we're going to take it one day at a time and see what happens, but it's real good news. Today when I got up, I felt even better than yesterday. So that's very good news."
The Mets were hit with another injury when knuckleballer R.A. Dickey was pulled after five innings because of tightness in his left buttocks. He slipped on the wet mound while making a pitch in the fourth.
Dickey, however, said he expects to make his next start.
Rain fell much of the morning and the start was pushed back by 89 minutes, though it hardly drizzled during the delay. Girardi intercepted the umpires as they walked out onto the field and engaged them in a discussion that lasted a few minutes.
By the time Dickey was ready to go, Garcia had just begun to walk in from the bullpen. So everyone waited while Garcia crossed the outfield and Dickey took some extra warmup tosses.
After the game, Girardi said there was miscommunication about the start time after the delay.
"Freddy just didn't have enough time," Girardi said.
Girardi also came out for a long argument after Russell Martin was tagged out in a seventh-inning rundown.
Beltran, also selected to the NL All-Star team, doubled with two outs in the first and scored on Murphy's single.
The Yankees tied it in the fifth. Robinson Cano led off with a double for the first hit off Dickey, and Nick Swisher followed with an RBI single.
NOTES: The Yankees optioned rookie RHP Ivan Nova to Class AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to open a spot in the rotation for RHP Phil Hughes, who will come off the disabled list to pitch Wednesday in Cleveland. RHP Lance Pendleton was recalled from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to provide a fresh arm in the bullpen. … Pena started in place of Eduardo Nunez, held out with a tight right hamstring. Nunez, subbing for injured Derek Jeter, was 7-for-8 with a homer and three doubles in the first two games of the series. … Jeter was scheduled to play his second rehab game Sunday night for Class AA Trenton, weather permitting. He is expected to rejoin the Yankees on Monday in Cleveland. … Beltran earned his sixth All-Star selection.

2011年6月29日星期三

Transformers: Dark of the Moon' aims to revive 3-D movies

LOS ANGELES — About five years ago, Shia LaBeouf stormed the offices of Michael Bay, planning to rip the director's head off. The actor, then 20, had just auditioned for Bay's action opus Transformers and thought he nailed it. Bay seemed delighted when LaBeouf ad-libbed lines as the two made up their own bot-dialogue.

Weeks passed, and no offer. Worse, word had spread among actors that Bay was using LaBeouf's lines to audition other actors. "I said, 'Dude, you're ripping me off,'" LaBeouf recalls. "He said he had other actors he liked, especially this guy in Canada. I was (furious)."
A few days later, Bay called LaBeouf to not only offer the part but to admit there was no other actor in the running. "He wanted to make sure I was in," LaBeouf says. "He played me a little, but he got what he needed."
What Bay needs today depends on who's talking about the most divisive director in Hollywood. Film critics, particularly, think the director of Armageddon, Pearl Harbor and Bad Boys needs an ego liposuction and a writing coach.
Actors, fans and even academicians believe he needs a break from the critical barrage. Whatever shortcomings Bay has as a dramatic filmmaker, they say, he makes up for in action — and profits.
"I don't know why people like to take so many shots," Bay says at a park bench on the Paramount Pictures lot, where he had just wrapped Transformers: Dark of the Moon. "I think the media does that with anyone who has success. I make movies that audiences like, that I'd want to see. That's all. It helps take off some of the pressure."
The pressure is on Bay, 46, and his third installment of the Hasbro toy franchise, which opens Tuesday in select IMAX and 3-D theaters and nationwide Wednesday.
Though just about everyone (including Bay) considers the picture a blockbuster shoo-in — some projections run as high as $500 million — Bay knows he's late to the 3-D game. And since 2009's 3-D spectacle Avatar became the biggest movie of all time at $701 million, Bay says, the game has gone downhill.
So he has taken it upon himself to revive the fad.
"There are many movies that have done it very badly," he says. "The studios have gone for quick profits and audiences are feeling (angry). People aren't taking the time and spending the money to do it right. I am."
Bringing 3-D into the light
No one is going to accuse Bay of being a spendthrift. While he denies reports that his film cost $400 million, he won't talk figures. He does acknowledge destroying 532 cars during filming.
"I don't comment on budgets," he says. "But I did tell Paramount that it was going to be expensive to shoot this in 3-D, and they were a little shocked at the price.
"But you really want to know how much this one costs? A movie ticket."
For all the bravado, Bay still is covering his bets. Last week, he sent a letter to more than 2,000 theater projectionists, urging them to set bulbs at their highest setting. (Bay has accused theater owners of keeping bulbs too dim to save on energy costs.)
"It is critical your projectors play to the brightness levels specified for the best results," he wrote on Paramount letterhead. "We are all in this together." He also took a passing swipe at previous 3-D movies, calling them "dark (and) dingy."
To entice exhibitors, Bay offered to ship extra-bright "Platinum 6" prints of the film to any theater that could project in 6-foot lamberts, the brightest possible luminance for current projectors. About 2,000 of the 3,900 theaters qualified for the deluxe prints, Paramount says.
(Check with your multiplex if you're particular about which print it's showing.)
Bay concedes he has done an about-face on 3-D, a format he once said did not fit with his "aggressive style" of filmmaking, namely, quick cuts and unrelenting action. The technology typically requires longer shots to give the eye time to react to its depth of field.
But when James Cameron invited him to the set of Avatar, Bay began to see possibilities.
"At first I thought, 'This isn't for me,'" he recalls. "The cameras were big, the sets were cold. It wasn't my style."
But he considers Cameron a godfather of sorts and was swayed by his plea. "He said, 'You need to do one. We need big movies in 3-D or it's not going to work.'"
Bay took nine months to study the technology, hired Cameron's staff for his film and bankrolled millions to construct portable cameras that he could take into Chicago, where the movie was shot.
He also changed his thinking. Known for films that can resemble music videos and Chevy commercials, Bay opted for longer tracking shots for Moon, which posits that robots have been feuding in the Milky Way since Neil Armstrong (in on the alien presence) took one giant leap for mankind.
Much of the old cast returns, including John Turturro and Tyrese Gibson (though Rosie Huntington-Whiteley replaces Megan Fox as the distressed lass).
And while directors such as Martin Scorsese and Ang Lee plan to employ 3-D to add visual nuance to their upcoming films, Bay believes Hollywood has it backward. What's missing, he says, is the leap-in-your-seat thrill of '50s 3-D pictures like Cat-Women of the Moon and Robot Monster.
"It's such an amazing technology, and it's been wasted," he says. "We did things that have never been done. I don't say this often, but this is a movie you should see in 3-D."
Bay’s style invites vitriol
Not everyone is holding their breath. Bay's style has earned him scorn since he was a boy, when he nearly burned down his Los Angeles home with his first movie.
Bay was about 10 when he made his first flick, an untitled Super 8 action romp involving his train set, a toy dinosaur and firecrackers he rigged along the tracks (he has always been nuts for pyrotechnics). A train derailment, though, set the curtains ablaze and attracted the fire department — and a grounding.
His grandfather, a Russian-born factory owner who manufactured denim, took Bay for a walk and suggested that when he was done with the movie silliness, "I could come home and help him stone-wash jeans," Bay says.
Bay never came home. After a stint as a 15-year-old intern for George Lucas, where he filed storyboards for Raiders of the Lost Ark, he attended Wesleyan University in Connecticut and majored in English and film.
"Even then it was clear that he was born to be a director of visually splendid but narratively challenged summer popcorn movies," says Jon Sherman, a former classmate and now an assistant professor of film at Kenyon College in Ohio.
As a brash college student, Bay employed large casts and special effects "when most of us were making pretentious, handheld black-and-white short films," Sherman says.
"Look, I've seen Pearl Harbor three times and I still don't understand the story," Sherman says of Bay's 2001 hit. "And I'm pretty familiar with the events it's based on. But every time I watch it, my jaw drops at Michael Bay's visual chops."
Bay's style has earned him an inordinate amount of vitriol. There's a website dedicated to besmirching him, and critics salivate at getting him in their cross hairs.
Of the second Transformers film, 2009's Revenge of the Fallen, Roger Ebert wrote: "If you want to save yourself the ticket price, go into the kitchen, cue up a male choir singing the music of hell, and get a kid to start banging pots and pans together."
If Bay is fazed by the criticism, it doesn't show. He's even willing to join the cacophony against Transformers 2. Ask him why those talking toys needed a third film and he'll tell you: The second one stunk.
"Frankly, the writing wasn't there," he says. "We had a writers' strike, so the script wasn't where we wanted. It's the wrong way to make a movie."
Critics may debate whether Bay knows the right way, but there's no arguing he has tapped into public tastes more successfully than most directors. Bay's eight movies have averaged $187 million in the USA alone, and Revenge of the Fallen is the 11th biggest film on record at $402 million.
"Every other director I've worked with wants to give you the artistic meaning behind every scene," LaBeouf says. "But sometimes, you're just picking up your wallet and leaving the room. There's not some intelligentsia message.
"Michael gets that. There's no ping-pong table on his set. The money goes toward making the movie — one people want to see."
Not that the director needs a defender.
"You'll hear people say now, 'Oh, I don't want to see something in 3-D,'" Bay says. "That's wrong, because what they've seen is 3-D done poorly. Directors stage scenes improperly. This isn't going to be one of those movies."

2011年6月23日星期四

Serena and Venus Williams play on less-prominent Court 2 at Wimbledon -- is it a sports and gender issue?

On Day 2 at Wimbledon, defending champion Serena Williams managed to defeat Aravane Rezai after much time off the tennis court dealing with blood clots in her lungs and injuries to her feet. On Wednesday, Venus Williams beat Kimiko Date-Krumm, returning to form after withdrawing from the Australian Open in January due to injury.

As blogged Monday, Serena (and now sister Venus) provided strong evidence that for top-tier athletes, mental toughness matters as much as, maybe even more than, a physical edge. Theirs are the sorts of stories that makes for great TV.
And yet, as Serena noted Thursday, the sisters have gotten placed on the smaller Court 2 once each thus far. Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and other male tennis players always seem to be on Centre Court or Court 1, which are far more prominent venues. (Centre Court seats about 15,000; Court 1 seats more than 11,000; Court 2 seats a mere 4,000.) Are top male players being favored over the equivalent female stars?

Officials say no, but it may speak to the problem of women and sports coverage. A 2010 study coauthored by USC's Michael Messner found that after women's share of local TV sports news rose from 5% 1989 to its peak of 8.7% in 1999, coverage has plummeted to a paltry 1.6%.

Think even the Williams sisters' star power can't overcome such gender issues in sports, or that it's merely unfortunate coincidence? Post your thoughts below.

2011年6月15日星期三

Greek Prime Minister to reshuffle cabinet

Greece's Prime Minister, struggling to ensure Parliamentary approval for a crucial austerity bill, said Wednesday he would reshuffle his Cabinet and seek a vote of confidence for his new government this week, after coalition talks with opposition parties failed.

George Papandreou has been struggling to contain an internal party revolt over the new austerity package that is the main condition for continued funding from an international bailout and avoiding a devastating default that would knock the global economy and undermine the future of the eurozone.
Mr. Papandreou's announcement came after hours of negotiations on a day when central Athens was rocked once more by anti-austerity riots and the debt-ridden country came under massive pressure from markets.

Wednesday's political maneuvering and violence on the streets of the Greek capital triggered a selloff in global financial markets as investors worried that a default in Greece could hurt banks in other countries in a chain reaction experts predicted would be catastrophic. Yields on the country's 10-year bonds reached new record highs, spiraling to 18.4 percent.

“Tomorrow I will form a new government and immediately afterwards I will ask for a vote of confidence from Parliament,” the Prime Minister said, adding that “The country is facing critical times.”

Mr. Papandreou and conservative party leader Antonis Samaras held their telephone negotiations Wednesday afternoon. The conservatives' conditions for participating in a potential grand coalition were that Mr. Papandreou leave his current position as Prime Minister, and the new government renegotiate the bailout agreement, an opposition party official said. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of the negotiations.

Other opposition party officials publicly called for Mr. Papandreou's resignation.

Wednesday's talks “reached the point that there should be a government of national unity and that Mr. Papandreou should not remain Prime Minister, because he symbolizes the failure of the last 18 months,” senior conservative party official Panos Panagiotopoulos said on Mega TV.

Mr. Papandreou said that while he “clarified that my responsibility has no dependence on official posts,” such conditions were unacceptable.

“Before the meaningful issues were negotiated, conditions were made public that could not be accepted,” he said, adding that they would have kept “the country in a lingering state of instability and introversion, while the vital national issue remains dealing with the national debt.”

The emergency talks began as riot police clashed with thousands of youths in the main square outside Parliament. Police fired repeated volleys of tear gas to repel rioters hurling firebombs and ripped-up paving stones. A crowd of youths smashed the windows of a luxury hotel in the square. More than 60 people were injured, including 36 police.

The new austerity package, which runs two years beyond the current government's mandate to 2015, has sparked widespread protests and a revolt from within Mr. Papandreou's Socialist party. He saw his majority in the 300-seat Parliament reduced to five on Tuesday after one of his deputies rebelled and declared himself an independent. Another deputy has said he will not vote for the austerity package.

But the measures must be passed by Parliament before the end of the month if debt-ridden Greece is to continue receiving funding from its international bailout.

2011年6月6日星期一

Lavoy Allen, LaceDarius Dunn sit on sidelines of Nets' workout with injuries

Lavoy Allen sat in street clothes on the sidelines at the Nets’ practice facility, left to watch the team’s draft prospects work out.
To get selected in the NBA Draft, he needs to answer a nagging question about his work ethic, but he could not provide any answers today, and he wasn’t the only one.
Of the six players originally scheduled to showcase themselves in East Rutherford, only two made it onto the floor. Two other players were called in as late additions.
Allen, a center from Temple, and Baylor guard LaceDarius Dunn both missed the workout with sprained ankles. Georgia guard Travis Leslie was out due to turf toe, while Jereme Richmond, a guard who left Illinois after his freshman season, was scheduled to appear but did not.
Dunn and Allen had their NBA stock hurt by being on the sideline because the two borderline second-round picks need to impress. They both have question marks attached to their résumés.
Although he is the all-time leading scorer in Big 12 history, Dunn’s senior season got off to a rough start as he was suspended for the first three games due to an arrest for aggravated assault stemming from a domestic incident.
He was not indicted, but knows what to expect from the NBA decision-makers.
“That’s the main question,” Dunn said. “They probably ask me about basketball, but eventually I know that question is coming. I get it all the time.
“I tell them the same thing. I tell them that it happened and that’s over with and I’m willing to move forward and focus on basketball.”
General manager Billy King acknowledged that the Nets’ conversation with Dunn will include questions about that incident.
“Yeah, we’ll talk to him about that,” King said. “We do our background checks so we have a lot of information.”
While Dunn will still have the chance to put any fears to rest during an interview, Allen’s inability to work out was more consequential because of inquiries about his effort on the court.
“He’s got a lot of skill, but there are times when he didn’t always show it or play 100 percent,” King said. “But he’s got all the tools to play at this level and that’s up to him how much he wants it.”
Flashing a grin, Allen said he has become used to that line of questioning and thinks it may all be a case of misunderstanding.
“I hear that all the time, that’s one of the things I try to prove in these workouts,” Allen said.
“No matter who I’m working out against, I’m trying to be the best guy on the floor and show them I have a high motor. I think people get confused at the pace I play the game. I play at a little bit of a slower pace than most people, but I think I still perform well when I do play.
“When I’m out there playing, in my mind it feels like I’m going 100 miles per hour, but when I look on film I think, well it was kind of slow.”
Former Seton Hall guard Eniel Polynice and Northern Illinois center Sean Kowal were the last-minute replacements.
They participated alongside Xavier forward Jamel McLean and Northeastern guard Chaisson Allen.

2011年5月29日星期日

Vai's View: Jimmer and Jazz could net perfect match

I had an interesting conversation with two NBA GMs this week about Jimmer Fredette following the rookie combine in Chicago last weekend. One told me Jimmer will be a scorer in the NBA because of his unique range, will likely play point guard at the next level, and in his opinion, will definitely be a lottery pick.

As for his defensive liabilities, the other GM told me most of his colleagues were impressed with Jimmer's athleticism, quickness and strength — that Jimmer is probably a better defensive player than he's been given credit for. Certainly, he has the tools to improve his defensive skills, but given his size he can still be exploited — especially if he's a two. At 6-foot-2, he's better suited to play the one than the two, just as the other GM suggested.

Of course, no one knows where he'll go or when or if he'll play the point, shooting guard, both or come off the bench.
Frankly, I want to see him go to the Jazz at 12. I admire the Millers, but I'm not a Jazz fan.

I follow the 76ers, but not because I work in Philly. I was a 76ers fan as a kid because I loved their backcourt of Maurice Cheeks at point and Andrew Toney at shooting guard, with a front court that included Julius "Doctor J" Erving at small forward and Moses Malone at center. My favorite player was Toney, because he tortured the Celtics — my least favorite team — earning the nickname, "The Boston Strangler."

I have a different reason for wanting to see Jimmer stay in Utah, and it has nothing to do with Jimmermania helping ticket sales or whether he can replace Deron Williams as the team's next great point guard.

Utah will probably use their third pick on a big man, their greater need as it's likely Jimmer will still be there at 12.

The reason I'd like Jimmer to remain in Utah is simple: he's still single. I'm told he's in a serious relationship with a BYU co-ed who will be a cheerleader next year. Good for him.

All of us who are LDS and played professional sports understand the challenges he'll face. If you're married, the transition is much easier to the jet-set life of a seven-figure salary, first-class travel, five-star hotels, team security by former FBI agents and unscrupulous women who await in lobbies, restaurants and stadiums.
If you're single, it's a treacherous minefield. Jimmer may have gotten a glimpse of it this year as the national player of the year, but the NBA life will be an entirely different thing. Unlike politics, professional sports forces you to declare and define your faith. A locker room full of type-A alpha-males WILL NOT allow room for wavering. Do you go to strip clubs with the guys or go home? Do you go to bars for beers with the fellas or go wander the mall? Do you succumb to women who throw themselves at you or go to the Institute building and play ping-pong?
If you're married, you always have someone to go home to, but if you're an LDS single trying to stay worthy, well, it's easy to feel lonely — even in the Big Apple or in Beantown, where everyone knows your name.

Personally, I never quite understood how an LDS athlete at a Utah school — BYU, Utah, Weber State, Utah State or SUU — can leave for the pros without a wife at his side. I mean, who has more opportunities to date marriage-eligible, temple-worthy college co-eds than a jock? Seriously. If a knucklehead like me could do it ...

Of course, no one should feel sorry for Jimmer. Most people would trade places with him in a New York minute.

Perhaps the most notable of the LDS athletes to enter professional sports as a bachelor was Steve Young. Dale Murphy was a 19-year-old convert, nonetheless, found himself a young single adult in pro baseball.

What Steve and Dale had in common besides their movie-star looks, priesthood worthiness and unlimited earning power, was they both returned to Provo in the off-season.

Both took classes at BYU — Steve as a law student and Dale as an undergraduate — while looking for Mrs. Right.

The city where you play may have a strong YSA program or local colleges with Institute programs, but none of them match the pool of eligible young women available in Utah. Hence, many of the LDS bachelor pros continue to return to Utah. Some, didn't even play college ball in Utah schools.

Jimmer could go to Milwaukee at 10 or Phoenix at 13, if the Jazz pass on him at 12. I played in both towns as a Packer and a Cardinal — there are more Saints in Phoenix so more YSA wards, and there is a vibrant Institute at ASU. But neither Milwaukee nor Phoenix have as many YSAs as Utah.

I've come across scores of handsome, wealthy, smart and, of course, athletic LDS members, just here in Philadelphia — current Eagles linebacker Stewart Bradley and former Eagles receiver and returned missionary Kevin Curtis among them. Shawn Bradley was single when he was drafted by the Sixers in the early '90s, but he found his wife in a singles' ward in Philly. Bryan Kehl was a bachelor in New York when he arrived as a rookie and while he played with the Giants. He found his eternal companion and is now married.

Former NBA player Mark Madsen, former NFL player/analyst Trevor Matich, Denver Broncos lineman Shawn Murphy, Rockies pitcher Matt Lindstrom, Washington Redskin DL Ma'ake Kemoeatu, Oakland Raider David Nixon and recent Eagles draftee Stanley Havili are just some of the LDS pros who were single when they left college. I know some but not all of them, so if any have since married, it hasn't been long.
Once you leave college, it gets harder, not easier to find a spouse, and it's the same if you're headed to the NBA or IBM. I've talked to dozens of single LDS pro athletes who lament their squandered opportunities while in college — especially former Cougars — to find a worthy mate.

That's why I'd like to see Jimmer get drafted by the Jazz. It would increase his chance of being a husband.

2011年5月19日星期四

For LeBron James, NBA Fans Find It Easy to Forgive and Forget

red bottom heels
As LeBron James plays for the National Basketball Association's Eastern Conference championship and a berth in the finals, brand LeBron may finally be on its way back.
In the wake of "The Decision" -- the poorly received ESPN special last July in which Mr. James announced on live TV that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat -- the NBA superstar has quietly worked to repair his image, to the point where his No. 6 ended up as the league's best-selling jersey this year.

On Sunday, the largest audience in the history of NBA cable TV broadcasts watched Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals between Mr. James' Heat and the Chicago Bulls. Chicago leads the best-of-seven series 1-0 heading into tonight's Game 2.

That might not seem like much, but "it's a very good indication that he survived 'The Decision' debacle," said sports marketing expert Robert Tuchman.

"Most fans have memories like placekickers; they move on and forget prior gaffes," said David Carter, principal of the Los Angeles-based Sports Business Group and executive director of the University of Southern California Sports Business Institute. "The passage of time, and winning, certainly have helped him."

Ironically, Mr. James has done it by mostly keeping a low profile this season. While he has fronted the occasional spot for his sponsors, including a new State Farm commercial that began airing last month before the playoffs started, Mr. James has worked behind the scenes.

"His focus is basketball," said Maverick Carter, Mr. James' childhood friend and the president of his marketing company, LRMR Marketing & Branding. "We've done some things here and there, and he's built his brand in different ways, but his focus is on winning a championship."

Mr. James probably doesn't need to be any more ubiquitous than he had been. He and his handlers have picked the right spots, with endorsement deals with the world's biggest shoe and apparel company (Nike), the world's biggest soft-drink company (Coca-Cola), the world's biggest quick-serve restaurant chain (McDonald's) and the biggest insurance company in the U.S. (State Farm).

"You have to define 'back,'" said Steve Rosner, president of 16W Marketing in East Rutherford, N.J. "If you're saying his brand took a hit after the way it all went down, well, it did. If you're saying he's 'back,' I think it depends on who you're talking to."

Mr. Carter has orchestrated several deals this year involving Mr. James, almost all of them under the radar with the exception of an agreement for Mr. James to endorse Audemars Piguet watches and timepieces.

The basketball star will be actively involved in a State Farm initiative titled "26 Seconds," which will use music, sports and video to keep youngsters from dropping out of high school (which they do at the nationwide rate of one every 26 seconds).

Also last month, LRMR entered into a business partnership with Fenway Sports Management, with Messrs. James and Carter acquiring an interest in the English Premier League soccer club Liverpool FC, ranked as the sixth most valuable football team in the world by Forbes magazine.louboutin heels

That's not to say Mr. James hasn't had his missteps. In the aftermath of "The Decision" came his much-discussed Nike ad "What Should I Do?", which appeared just before the season began in October. The 90-second spot from Wieden & Kennedy featured highlights of the basketball star hitting back at critics, asking: "Should I admit I made mistakes? Should I really believe I ruined my legacy? Should I tell you I am not a role model? Should I be who you want me to be? Maybe I should just disappear?"

Intended to start rehabilitating his brand, it instead infuriated most fans to the point where the spot become parodied all over the internet. Mr. James also caught flack in January for tweeting after his former Cleveland teammates lost by 55 points to the Los Angeles Lakers: "Crazy. Karma is a b----. Gets you every time. Its [sic] not good to wish bad on anybody. God sees everything!"

The Heat also got off to a slow start and did not finish with the league's best record, as many predicted. At one point, during a five-game losing streak, coach Erik Spoelstra told the media that the players were so dejected that a couple of them were crying in the locker room. That set off an internet and social-media deluge.

In addition, Mr. James' mother, Gloria, was arrested in April for allegedly assaulting a parking lot attendant in Miami Beach, and earlier this month Mr. James offended the mental health community when his microphone picked up his whispering "That's retarded" to teammate Dwayne Wade after Mr. Wade was asked a question at a postgame press conference.

Interestingly enough, after beating the Boston Celtics last week in the Eastern Conference semifinals, Mr. James apologized to the fans of Cleveland during another postgame press conference, saying, "The way it panned out with all the friends and family and the fans back home, I apologize for the way it happened. I knew this opportunity [to join the Heat] was once in a lifetime."

Matt Moore, a columnist for CBSSports.com, wrote, "It's strange that James would be having this resurgence, even if the evidence is based on that of the casual fan. The biggest storylines of this season surrounding James are of the whole crying thing, the Heat's struggles, his mother getting arrested, and him generally making comments which make him look bad. Those are the stories that reach casual fans."

But Mr. Tuchman said most fans, except for those in Cleveland perhaps, forgive and forget.

"He is still definitely in the top few endorsers in all of sports. No doubt about it. His brand is still very strong," Mr. Tuchman said. "It's pretty impressive considering he has not even won a title yet. I could only imagine where he will be if the Heat do win the championship."

2011年4月7日星期四

Kyle Rudolph to prove he's the best tight end in the NFL Draft

You can't beat Nr. 1.
That was the thinking behind Kyle Rudolph the NFL Draft in April, said shortly after a junior season.
Although limited to six late games with a thigh injury season, the former Notre Dame tight end is widely regarded as the best chance in one of the weakest position in this year.
NFLDraftScout.com, U.S. Scouting Service today, Rudolph prices in the 40th Players, but no tight end earned selection in the first two rounds.
Normally, you select a tight end in the first round,  said Rudolph.  As the No. 1 tight end, all agreed that there is no reason for me to return to school because he can not do better than his.  This does not mean he has rested on its laurels.
DRAFT TEST: If you want first round of the draft?
TOP 500 Ranking: Analysis of the best NFL prospectsAfter October surgery on two of the three main tendons that the thigh was hip, 21, to connect repair spent three months in the rehabilitation team doctors from Notre Dame, then several great opportunities in their class project three months training at Velocity Sports Performance in Redondo Beach, California
The goal: to restore the ability of Rudolph was one of the most promising young tight ends last season before his injury countries.
Any injury to a tendon important because it is a lengthy process of rehabilitation,  says director Ken Speed 鈥嬧€媀ick, who has also in Washington, former quarterback Jake Locker and Texas A & M outside linebacker Von Miller during the season trained.
A lot of people back there, but many people never returned his speed. Kyle for the muscle pull is fine now and the rest back.  This means that Rudolph could Scouts saw sewing jigsaw approach in the tape drive last season.
He is back to normal,  said Vick.  It will be another three to six months back to 100%, but it could go and play today if I had to.  But Rodolfo emphasizes the fact that 100% and certainly before pro scouts projected demand for the review in April Notre Dame for seven days, the training is to see the players the skills and athletic officials from the NFL.
I am completely healed, and I have no side effects of my hamstring,  he said.  Right now I'm just standing on my day. I think I'm ready. It's something to do what I like. I like going out and catch balls. I have done all along, but I was not 100%, so that now to be able to, so running is still exciting.  Experts say that much depends on the performance of Rodolfo in South Bend, Indiana, as a coach and scout, if the probability be decided in the class is worth a first round game.
I think the injury is a major concern,  says analyst Rob NFLDraftScout.com position.  He was prone to injuries because it is a physical player.
There must be some concern that this is a guy who tends to Garner.  Rank said Rodolfo best assets are of exceptional size (6-6, 259 pounds) and showed good hands, Rudolph by the capture of eight shots in each game against Michigan and Michigan State games in the second and third respectively in 2010, the Irish season.
If you build up a tight end from zero, which had to look,  said Rangel.  But it's still a work in progress in the impasse, despite its size.
Teams want talent to be able to easily get close, go and run any route, although not at high speed. What he is best raise and lower the ball.  The final diagnosis?
He is the No. 1 tight end in the draft, but unfortunately that is not saying much this year,  said Rangel.  I was surprised he was selected in the first round, and I am also surprised to see him slip from the second.  It is a prospect that Rudolph has asked me what would be his opinion if he had not fallen in October.
I played six games, and I have not played any of them healthy,  he said.  I think about her all the time how he would have done if I was 100%. But everything happens for a reason and I can not look back and think about such things.  During the difficult process of rehabilitation, Rudolph asked the opinion of the Seattle Seahawks tight end John Carlson, a former recruit Domenech Rudolph helped Notre Dame and is represented by the same agency, Rudolph first athlete.
He says I can not lose focus on the whole, and crazy, and many people say different things and you hear a lot of different things,  said Rudolph.
But the only thing you can control, cares and focus on the best in the way.  Rudolph says he will continue his development until April 28th evening, the project with the choice to take the first round begins. Rudolph to his family at his home in Cincinnati have for the future use on television, even if you wait another day for pickup.
My goal as a rookie it is the No. 1 tight end became the team where they land,  says Rudolph.
I can play the game for the better. Play in the NFL was my dream since I was 4 years and now I get it done.

2011年3月23日星期三

Americans can turn their neighbors in the Canadian Football Rules

The Canadian Football League (CFL) could exotic alternative, with its three low 12 players plus the field of movement and a conga line backfield, but offers the same action with nasty bone was the NFL American popular game.

are the eight teams in the league have been around 1958, and the Grey Cup - the Canadian equivalent of the Super Bowl - is for the 99th be contested this season.

Despite a rich history, the CFL has had limited exposure in the United States, and for the most part, remains a mystery to many Americans who are dedicated fans of the NFL.

But the CFL last year signed an agreement with the NFL Network to the games in the United States and the dispute over the network studied to add broadcast to fill a gap in programming as possible.

In terms of increasing exposure CFL (industrial action) may have some benefit,  said Michael Copeland, the CFL officer of the holding of Reuters.


The NFL Network has 14 games of the CFL last season, especially on Friday evening and was able to increase this number to 18 or more this year, if not, the NFL season to see start on time.

the number of spectators were described as modest, but the real value of the CFL was the exposure he received in a market that produce most of the players in the league continues.

I do not think our expectations were so great, but they were reasonable since they have a new property,  said Copeland.  I think they were impressed by the quality of the product and I think both are looking for, where it could go.

One of the advantages is that nice a game show great recruiting tool was for us.



For decades, thousands of American players have their way north of the border, where he found the foundation for a brilliant career in the NFL.

Moves Warren Moon, Doug Flutie, Jeff Garcia, Joe Theismann and all your favorites in the CFL before returning to the home of several lucrative contracts.

2011年3月15日星期二

Miami Dolphins players talk of lockouts, liters explore Dolphins

Dolphin response to the struggle of labor ranged from resentment moody. The NFL is said that more needs money, then they try to play again for us,  said Channing Crowder. However, players in the NFL. This is the fun part. They want everything and give us nothing.Ricky Williams, Twitter, urged his followers to pray for a resolution of work and assures us that prayer works if you believe it or not.Vontae Davis, Twitter cracked: Officially a lockout . I think I'm too fly to third world countries. I did everything at half price. Brian Hartline Twitter, if we apply for unemployment? LOL, not a football and not a [CBS] Two and a Half Men I thought this was America. But Earnest said in seeing the next Jake Long. I'm not worried about losing games. I do not think it will happen. If you want all the children together [training], because in two separate locations, where, when we come back, that not everyone knows what's going on on.Crowder he said Karlos Dansby and organize training Fielder Weston. But if the players are seriously injured could avoid the teams that will pay for the next season.
I have no problem with the owners earn more money if they will lose money,  said kicker Dan Carpenter. But we not only lose money to test his word. And the union says that the team loses money.
If the lock is long, I'm fine. I can take me,  said Crowder. But the younger Nolan Carroll, Jerry John, we do not have much money. When it comes to September, they have some money coming in Dansby has spoken to help their peers in need. A blockade could end in April? 6, when a judge in favor of the unions.
? Although the Dolphins plan to add at least one quarter challenge Chad Henne theyve people who do not know whether they purchase in a position, someone to beat the start the 2011 season certainly Henne said. If the lock is long, white hen Dolphins offense better than any competitor. And although the Dolphins are considering a number of veterans who can be signed or acted for a lockout during any errors.
They have internally about Kevin Kolb, Philadelphia spoken and demanded that comments from new running backs coach Jeff Nixon, an assistant Eagles the past four years. But there is a feeling, not with a 2011 first-round pick him.
The Dolphins not Carson Palmer, but do not know if the Bengals traded, or if he wants to play in Miami. In addition, his contract (expired 50 million over four years) a long detour. be considered when hes Donovan McNabb made to be released, but he knows hes down and had the same statistics Hennes 2010th
The dolphins could possibly end up with one of the other names will be available soon: Vince Young (Tennessee, have raised their concerns problems with the dolphins), Kerry Collins, Marc Bulger, Rex Grossman, Tarvaris Jackson, etc. hope, but the Dolphins that I'm more attractive, as Chad Pennington was doing when he fell to his knees in August 2008.

2011年2月28日星期一

Baldinger: Kevin Kolb has not shown he can start in the NFL

NFL Network analyst Brian Baldinger is 97.5 The Fan this afternoon with Johnny Marks and had not much to Eagles quarterback Kevin Kolb, one of the most players in the league will be said spoken.
Baldwin was a great defender of the Kolb from last season when the quarterback was named the starter, but backup quarterback does not impress the Eagles, he played last year.
He said he did not know how Kolb played when they put pressure liners last season. Baldwin said Kolb was captured in a higher percentage than any other quarter in the league. Number 4 was sacked 16 times this season by throwing the ball only 189 times. Percentage Thatsit huge and not very far from being dismissed for 10% of the time.
Most viewers blame poor play on the offensive line of bags, the piston has suffered, but the former Eagles offensive lineman,  said Kolb origin of some of the bags because he did not say pocketBaldy fixed in position piston attempt to escape the pressure and not to improve the analyst football.The NFL not trust that piston to remain in the pocket when throwing under pressure, success, and the ball. He kept saying that Kolb would not have thought he was now ready for an entry in the league. 陋 ats to say too much that a guy who had called the Eagles starter a year is not ready now for an entry in the NFL.
Baldwin will get the Eagles a first-round pick for Kolb. Do not agree with Paul Domowitchs belief that birds acquire the ability for a first round pick for backup signal caller. With all the teams that a quarter to the league, so I can not find first-round pick piston now he will never lead a decent life.
I hope none of the teams who hear in the light of trade for piston Baldy, what to say it, because if they did, they had been able to return.

2011年2月21日星期一

Source: Nets believe they will get Anthony

NEWARK, N.J. -- While the Nets remain confident about acquiring Carmelo Anthony, a person familiar with the trade talks says New Jersey is interested in acquiring some former Knicks if the Denver Nuggets decide to ship Anthony to New York.

The person insists the Nets remain "confident" they can acquire Anthony in a deal that would ship point guard Devin Harris, rookie Derrick Favours, two other players and four first-round draft picks to Denver. If the deal falls through or Anthony is dealt to the Knicks instead, the Nets are prepared to pick up some of the pieces.

The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak for the team.

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The Nets and Nuggets have talked about a deal in which New Jersey will send two first-round draft picks to Denver for Russian centre Timofey Mozgov and one of the three other players the Knicks reportedly are willing to send to Denver -- Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler or Raymond Felton -- according to the person familiar with the talks.

Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said Monday he was "ready for anything."

"I think everybody is waiting the next three days to see what happens, see the cosmetics, see if it's big," he said. "We're ready for anything but we do business as usual. We're preparing for Milwaukee."

The Knicks return from the all-star break against the Bucks on Wednesday, less than 24 hours before the trade deadline, not knowing what their roster may look like. Gallinari, Felton, Mozgov and Chandler were all at practice Monday.

Asked if he favoured trading for Anthony while giving up three starters, D'Antoni said: "We could sit here, debate all day, but I'm not going to do it. It's just not worth it."

Anthony had said he hoped to resolve his future by the end of All-Star weekend while the entire basketball world gathered in Los Angeles. Instead, he remains a Nugget for now.

Gallinari, whose name has been mentioned ever since the Anthony trade talks started, said he had not talked to Knicks president Donnie Walsh and D'Antoni.

"We didn't talk about it because it's been getting old," he said. "The same thing for a month, more than that. We're talking about this team, what I should do, what I could do and what's my job, reach our goals. We're not talking about the trade.

"It's tough to leave New York. It's part of the NBA life and it's part of how the NBA works. You got to deal with that."

The Melodrama reached perhaps its most bizarre point Sunday. Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov essentially said at least the Nets drove up New York's price. And the Knicks hierarchy insisted they were unified in their pursuit of the all-star forward amid reports someone who no longer works for the team -- Isiah Thomas -- was pulling the strings.

Anthony finally acknowledged meeting with Prokhorov and Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, saying they were "generic meetings that (the Nuggets) allowed me to take, but nothing specific."

------

AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney in Los Angeles and freelance writer Adriano Torres in Greenburgh, N.Y., contributed to this report.