Web Posts: June 2009

Hello, Cleveland! Cavaliers add Shaq to LeBron's court

Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

CLEVELAND -- One is the King, a reigning MVP who at age 24 needs only a championship to complete his résumé. The other is a larger-than-life personality who might be past the prime of his career but remains an undeniable force and hungers for a fifth NBA title.
COMMENTARY
Dealing for Shaq worth risk to LeBron's Cavs by Ken Berger
• What's Your Take? Tell Ken your opinion!

LeBron and Shaq. Teammates.
The Cleveland Cavaliers executed a blockbuster trade Thursday to unite the superstars, acquiring Shaquille O'Neal from the Phoenix Suns in hopes he can help LeBron James deliver this seemingly sports-cursed city its first major pro championship in 45 years.
• Berger: No effect on LeBron extension Doyel: Happy for LeBron
The deal creates a tandem that instantly rivals any in sports today and calls to mind some of the great duos in NBA history: Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bob Cousy and Bill Russell -- Shaq himself and Kobe Bryant.
More important, if Cleveland's gamble works and the 37-year-old O'Neal delivers a title, it could keep James around. James is an Akron native, knows Cleveland's pained sports history and has always maintained he wants to stay in his home state, but there is no guarantee he will sign an extension with the Cavs. Cleveland can offer him one as early as this summer.
COMMENTARY
Cavs' move for Shaq more noisemaker than game-changer by Ray Ratto
• What's Your Take? Tell Ray your opinion!

But that's for another day.
Hours before an NBA Draft that figured to be overshadowed by the Shaq-to-the-Cavs move, the reality of James playing with O'Neal, a 15-time All-Star, was just sinking in.
"Shaq is an incredible ballplayer and a four-time NBA champion," James said in a statement sent to the Associated Press. "I have a lot of respect for him and his game. It will be a real honor to play with Shaq as my teammates and I look forward to another great season with the Cavs."
The Cavs sent center Ben Wallace and swingman Sasha Pavlovic to the Suns, along with a second-round pick in the 2010 draft and $500,000 in cash, for O'Neal, the 7-foot-1 center who won three straight titles from 2000 to 2002 with Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. O'Neal's fourth title came with Dwyane Wade in Miami in 2006.
The teams first talked about a deal in February but couldn't work out an agreement before the deadline, a missed opportunity that cost the Cavaliers in this year's playoffs when they had no answer inside for Orlando center Dwight Howard in the Eastern Conference finals.
After the Cavaliers were eliminated with a Game 6 loss, a frustrated James stormed off the floor in Orlando without shaking the hands of any Magic players, including Howard, his U.S. Olympic teammate.
Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry and Phoenix GM Steve Kerr, former teammates and close friends, never closed the book on the O'Neal deal and finally reached an agreement early Thursday morning.
Ferry completed the deal because he wants to win a title. Now.
"Our goals are aligned with what our players want, including LeBron, and that's to win a championship and win it next year," Ferry said. "We don't want to be patient. We want to be a team that has sustainable success. We want to be a team like we were this year when if you don't win a championship you lose some sleep.
"But at the same time we want to be more than that. We want to be the team that wins it. This was a move made towards putting ourselves in better position next season."
For sheer celebrity value, the O'Neal-James tandem is as captivating as any on the sports landscape. And if it works, and lasts, the pairing may one day belong in the same company as some of the all-time combinations.
For now, the Cavaliers, who came up short this year despite winning 66 regular-season games and their first eight playoff games, are only thinking of unseating the Lakers as champions next June.
O'Neal could be the missing piece. But there's no guarantee he'll stay healthy, and it's way too early to know what impact his arrival will have on Cleveland coach Mike Brown's offense or the Cavs' chemistry -- or whether he and James, who have been friends for several years, can coexist.
Ferry said he isn't worried about there being any kind of personality clash between the megastars.
"They both badly want to win," Ferry said. "Our team and organization want to win. With that leading it, everything else is going to work out."
O'Neal is coming off an All-Star season with the Suns, averaging 17.8 points and 8.4 rebounds in 75 games, but there were times he clogged Phoenix's high-powered offense. Still, the 7-foot-1, 325-pounder can be a defensive stopper.

"He is a force," Ferry said. "Always has been, still is. He's a wall around the basket -- a tall, long wall. Offensively, he's going to get double teamed. He's a good passer. He's a great receiver. ... He's a smart basketball player and he's a guy that our guys will respect. I think it's going to work very well."
The Shaq experiment failed in Phoenix. The Suns won one playoff game in O'Neal's season-and-a-half, and this spring the Suns failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
Ferry, who said O'Neal's arrival could push longtime starting center Zydrunas Ilgauskas to a backup role, is convinced O'Neal will be able to adjust to Cleveland and vice versa.
"Phoenix played a different way when they had him," he said. "It was a drastic change. We're more of a half-court team. We play more of the tempo that fits Shaq's game."
The Suns got little in return for O'Neal, but the deal gives them financial flexibility in the future. All told, they will save $10 million.
"Obviously the last few years we've had a very high payroll," Kerr said. "We've had a very good team and we've made a big, strong push. Clearly the last couple of years we've been on the decline, and things have not worked out as well as we had hoped, so now it's time to adjust."
The 34-year-old Wallace, who after the season said he might retire, is in the final year of his deal and is scheduled to make $14 million. The Suns plan to buy out Pavlovic, who has $1.5 million of his $4.95 million contract guaranteed.
For the Cavs, up front costs are less important than a chance to finally win it all.

Pop Legend Michael Jackson Dead at 50

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Music icon Michael Jackson, whose fame spanned from his childhood with the legendary Jackson 5 to a superstar solo career that earned him the nickname 'King of Pop,' died Thursday afternoon at a Los Angeles hospital. He was 50.
His brother Jermaine Jackson confirmed Jackson 's death from suspected cardiac arrest at a press conference Thursday evening.
Jermaine Jackson said his brother's physician was with him at his home at the time of his suspected cardiac arrest, and both the physician and the paramedics who transported Jackson to the UCLA Medical Center attempted to resuscitate him.
"Upon arriving at the hospital at approximately 1:14 p.m. a team of doctors, including emergency physicians and cardiologists, attempted to resuscitate him for a period of more than one hour, but they were unsuccessful," he said.
"My family request that the media please respect our privacy during this time, and may all love be with you Michael, always. We love you."

The L.A. County Coroner's Office has taken possession of Jackson's body and an autopsy is expected Friday.
Los Angeles Police Department spokesman Lt. Greg Strenk said the department's robbery-homicide department was investigating Jackson's death because of the high-profile nature of the pop star.
Multiple reports said he had gone into cardiac arrest, though the official cause of death wasn't immediately known. A news conference is expected later Thursday at the hospital, where fans have gathered to pay tribute to the singer.
Jackson's death brought a tragic end to a long, bizarre, sometimes farcical decline from his peak in the 1980s, when he was popular music's premier all-around performer, a uniter of black and white music who shattered the race barrier on MTV, dominated the charts and dazzled even more on stage.

Woman finds treasure with metal detector

HEMEL HEMPSTEAD, England, June 25 (UPI) -- A British woman said her seven years of combing fields and beaches with a metal detector paid off with a 15th-century piece of gold valued at about $400,000.
Mary Hannaby, 57, said she and her son, Michael, 33, were walking in a Hertfordshire field when they discovered the item, believed to be part of a reliquary or pendant, four inches below the ground, a position experts said it has likely been in for about 500 years, The Daily Telegraph reported Thursday.
"You can literally miss things by inches," Michael Hannaby said. "We couldn't believe it. We always dreamed of finding treasure."
Roger Bland, head of treasure at the British Museum, said the item, which depicts the Holy Trinity, is an "important find" but the museum does not have the funds to participate in its auction, scheduled for July 9 at Sotheby's in London.

D.C. train crash death toll at 9

WASHINGTON, June 23 (UPI) -- The investigation into the deadly Washington Metro train
collision Tuesday focused on equipment meant to keep trains separated on the tracks.
The Washington Post reported nine people died and 80 people were injured in the Monday evening rush-hour crash of one train into the rear of another train that had stopped short of the station. The second train struck the first train so forcefully that one car from the moving train landed on top of the stopped train.
Officials said special cranes were brought to the crash site at the above-ground Fort Totten station to remove debris layer by layer while crews searched between layers for passengers, CNN reported.
The Post reported federal officials said the operator of the Metro train that hit the stationary train apparently had activated its emergency brakes.
Debbie Hersman of the National Transportation Safety Board said the emergency brake button was depressed, and the tracks showed evidence the brakes had engaged. Investigators also said the striking train was in automatic mode, which means onboard computers should have controlled its speed and stopped it before it got too close to the stationary train.
The Metro was designed with a computerized signal system that is supposed to prevent trains from colliding, the Post reported. The system is supposed to detect the position of trains to maintain a safe distance. If the trains get too close, the computers automatically apply the brakes, stopping the trains.
NTSB inspectors said they had warned Metro officials that older trains -- such as the one that struck the stopped train -- either should be retrofitted with updated safety features or retired. The older train was scheduled to be retired in 2012.
In a statement, U.S. President Barack Obama said: "Michelle and I were saddened by the terrible accident in northeast Washington, D.C., today. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families and friends affected by this tragedy. I want to thank the brave first responders who arrived immediately to save lives."

England's women cruise to World Twenty20 final win over New Zealand

For the second time in the space of three months England's women have won a world championship. In March they beat New Zealand by four wickets to take the 50-over title; today at Lord's in the World Twenty20 final the margin was greater still, England winning by six wickets and with three overs spare.
It was an utterly authoritative performance, especially with the ball. England were outstanding, New Zealand underwhelming, their technique against the swinging ball badly exposed by the skilful English attack.
Having won the toss and chosen to field, England's opening bowlers Laura Marsh and Katherine Brunt destroyed the New Zealand order, removing their two best batters within the first three overs. Brunt, sporting a shiny black eye after an accident during fielding practice, was superb. Her spell of 4–2–6–3 essentially decided the match inside the first powerplay. Marsh dismissed Suzie Bates in the fifth over of the day, having her superbly stumped by Sarah Taylor.
It was Brunt's spell, though, which was decisive. Bowling with immaculate control and extracting impressive swing under the overcast skies, she removed the tournament's top run-scorer, Aimee Watkins, with the first ball of her second over. She then produced a maiden, pinning Amy Satterthwaite back in the crease with a string of perfect yorkers. The pressure told in her final over, a double-wicket maiden. Lisa Doolan, a touch too clever for her own good, contrived to scoop the ball straight into Taylor's gloves, and Rachel Priest top-edged a pull shot, Brunt following through to take the catch herself.
New Zealand were 23 for four after only eight overs. Already scuppered, they spent the rest of the innings slowly sinking. Amy Satterthwaite endured long enough to scrape together 19 from 42 balls, but with the team combining to score only four boundaries between them, they never looked like setting a total which would challenge England. Attempts at late-order hitting only prompted a rash of late wickets.
The chase was slow and steady, befitting what was at stake and while there was the odd hiccup the two Taylors, Sarah and Claire, batted with calm conviction. Sarah Taylor's 23 included two fine fours, but it was Claire Taylor who saw the team through to the target, taking her time over a stately 39. Fittingly for the captain she hit the winning runs, crashing four through mid-off.
Printable version
Send to a friend
Share

Contact us

EmailClose
Recipient's email address
Your first name
Your surname
Add a note (optional)

Your IP address will be logged
Share
Digg
reddit
Google Bookmarks
Twitter
del.icio.us
StumbleUpon
Newsvine
livejournal
Facebook
Mixx it!
Contact usClose
Contact the Sport editorfootball.editor@guardianunlimited.co.uk
Report errors or inaccuracies: userhelp@guardian.co.uk
Letters for publication should be sent to: letters@guardian.co.uk
If you need help using the site: userhelp@guardian.co.uk
Call the main Guardian and Observer switchboard: +44 (0)20 3353 2000
Advertising guide
License/buy our content
Sport
Twenty20 ·
Women's cricket ·
Cricket
More news

England's women cruise to World Twenty20 final win over New Zealand

2 dead in bridge crash

Shortly after 11 a.m., a southbound vehicle crossed the center line into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with a second vehicle, according to the Florida Highway Patrol.
One vehicle burst into flames. Midway Fire District Battalion Chief Shannon Stone said both drivers were killed on impact.
The names of the two drivers had not been released late Saturday by the FHP because family members of one driver could not be reached, FHP officials said.
Motorist Cindy Lozier of Pace was headed south across the bridge from Milton and witnessed the aftermath of the crash.
"As I got on the bridge, I saw the billowing smoke," Lozier said. "As I got over the hump, I could see fire about 20 feet high. The vehicle was completely engulfed in flames."
Both lanes of traffic on the bridge were blocked for more than three hours as authorities worked to clear the wreckage and inspect the bridge for damage.
The driver of a third vehicle, whose identity also was unavailable, suffered minor injuries when the vehicle was struck by debris from the crash. The third driver refused medical treatment at the scene, Stone said.
The accident is under investigation.

NCAA Football 10 TeamBuilder available now!

Image by calaggie via Flickr

06/01/09 1:33 PM
TeamBuilder - one of the year's most highly anticipated video game features - is now available for the first time at http://teambuilder.easports.com. TeamBuilder is an all-new, online create-a-school feature that revolutionizes the user's ability to produce personalized content for NCAA Football 10. The teams created via the TeamBuilder web application will be available for use in the Xbox 360 and PS3 versions of NCAA Football 10 when the title hits shelves on July 14th. The original packaging of NCAA Football 10 will contain a code that unlocks 12 slots, allowing users to save up to 12 created teams to the console hard drive. Those who pre-order NCAA Football 10 will receive a code for an additional 13 slots, allowing them to save 25 created teams directly to the console hard drive.
With the capability to upload logos and numerous customization options for uniforms, fields, rosters, and much more, TeamBuilder gives users the opportunity to design completely original teams with infinite possibilities. Plus, preloaded logos for several Football Championship Subdivision schools will allow users to add more teams to NCAA Football 10. With its intuitively designed online database that is searchable across several fields, TeamBuilder allows users to share their unique, customized content with ease. A football fan's dream, TeamBuilder will enable users to experience the excitement and pageantry of college football, defined by their own personalized creations.
First introduced in NCAA Football 2000 on the PlayStation, create-a-school has been a favorite feature of sports gamers for years. The PS2 version made its debut in NCAA Football 2003 and for the past three years, fans have anxiously awaited the next generation of create-a-school. The wait is now over, as EA SPORTS proudly presents the arrival of TeamBuilder, a revolution in create-a-school history.

Pakistan orders manhunt for Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud

Islamabad accuses country's most wanted man of involvement in suicide bombings it says have killed at least 1,200 people

Men carry the coffin of Muslim cleric Sarfraz Naeemi, an anti-Taliban cleric whose killing has been followed by Pakistan launching attacks against the militant leader Baitullah Mehsud. Photograph: Adrees Latif/Reuters
The Pakistan government has ordered the army to hunt down the Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud in his mountain hideout in South Waziristan.
"Baitullah Mehsud is the root cause of all evils," said the governor of North-West Frontier province, Owais Ghani, announcing the operation in Islamabad.
The precise details of the manhunt remain unclear and the military said it was "evaluating the orders". But the operation promises to be a tough campaign against a determined enemy in some of the world's most difficult fighting terrain.
South Waziristan is a rugged mountainous area that was the scene of fierce battles between British colonial forces and tribal rebels during the 1930s and 40s. It is considered a possible hiding place of Osama bin Laden.
Mehsud, a former bodybuilder and smuggler, is the most prominent of Pakistan's Taliban leaders. His Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group has allies across the tribal belt and has participated in recent battles against the Pakistani army in the Swat valley.
Mehsud has become public enemy number one in Pakistan for his role in dozens of suicide bombings in major cities over the past two years that the government says has killed over 1,200 people. But he has denied involvement in the most notorious attack of recent years – the assassination of the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto in December 2007.
Limited operations against him have already started. Fighting erupted over the weekend in the village of Spinkai Raghzai, at the entrance to Mehsud's mountain demesne.
The nature and size of the forthcoming operation remain unclear. An army spokesman, Major General Athar Abbas, told the Associated Press: "The government has made the announcement. We will give a comment after evaluating the orders."
The operation is of great interest to the US because Waziristan is the base for hundreds of foreign al-Qaida fighters, some of whom are believed to be plotting attacks on the west.
Waziristan is also the base for several large groups of Pakistani Taliban fighters, who use the rugged terrain to cross into Afghanistan and fight US-led Nato forces.
Over the weekend a presumed US drone attacked a three-vehicle convoy near Makeen, in Mehsud's area, killing five people.
The most pressing question for the army is whether the other two major Taliban commanders in the area – Qari Gul Bahadur in North Waziristan and Maulvi Nazeer in the south – will join hands with Mehsud. The three militant leaders, previously rivals, formed a tactical alliance earlier this year.
Mehsud also faces an internal challenge from a fellow tribesman, Qari Zainuddin. But Zainuddin has limited forces and is tainted in the eyes of some tribesmen by his supposed support from the army. A second, less significant, challenge to Mehsud comes from a commander called Turkistan, who controls territory in the neighbouring Bhittani area.

Slovenia reports 1st case of swine flu

Image by xaminmo via Flickr

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — The Slovenian Health Ministry has confirmed the country's first case of swine flu in a young woman who recently visited New York.
The ministry says the woman felt symptoms Wednesday while on a plane from New York to Venice in neighboring Italy, from where she returned to Slovenia.
It says she immediately checked in into a clinic in the Slovene capital of Ljubljana, and a laboratory at the state's Institute for Public Health confirmed she had swine flu.
The ministry said Friday the woman is being treated with Tamiflu antiviral medicine but is not in a hospital.
The World Health Organization declared a swine flu pandemic on June 11. WHO says 35,928 people in 76 countries have been infected and 163 have died.
FIND MORE STORIES IN:
Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Court upholds $372,000 sanctions against lawyer

Image by Keith Allison via Flickr

The Associated Press
ATLANTA -- The federal appeals court in Atlanta has upheld $372,000 in sanctions against one of Michael Vick's bankruptcy lawyers in an unrelated case.
The sanctions stemmed from a bankruptcy case in Florida involving Evergreen Securities Ltd., which authorities say cheated investors around the world of an estimated $214 million in a 1990s Ponzi scheme.
Peter R. Ginsberg of New York, who represented one of the principals, tried to get U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Arthur B. Briskman of Orlando removed from the case. Briskman imposed monetary sanctions and barred Ginsberg from practicing in the Bankruptcy Court of Middle Florida for five years.
A federal judge upheld the sanctions, and a three-judge 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel concurred in an opinion Thursday.

The Miami Herald is pleased to provide this opportunity to share information, experiences and observations about what's in the news. Some of the comments may be reprinted elsewhere in the site or in the newspaper. We encourage lively, open debate on the issues of the day, and ask that you refrain from profanity, hate speech, personal comments and remarks that are off point. In order to post comments, you must be a registered user of MiamiHerald.com. Your username will show along with the comments you post. Thank you for taking the time to offer your thoughts.
Comments (0)

U.S. ports set to deal with Cuba

By Rick Jervis, USA TODAY
NEW ORLEANS — Some U.S. port cities are putting plans in place to increase travel and trade with Cuba — just in case relations with the communist island begin to thaw.
U.S. lawmakers are still far from lifting the 47-year-old trade embargo on Cuba, but the election of Barack Obama, along with a Democratically controlled U.S. Congress, has some city leaders banking on improved relations.
In New Orleans, city officials met recently with trade and Cuba experts to discuss how to rekindle relationships in Cuba and bolster trade with the island if relations improve. Leaders also plan to take part in a trip to Cuba with Tulane University this fall.
"We have the right geography, given where we're located, as well as historic ties," says Councilman Arnie Fielkow. "We need to start developing the relationships and getting ready for the time when the U.S. brings down the embargo."
Other developments include:
FIND MORE STORIES IN:
• Mobile, Ala., is adding its representatives to a group of 60 state and trade officials visiting Cuba in July.
• In a recent report, the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce analyzed the economic impact to the city if the embargo is lifted, even if Cuba remains communist.
• Rep. Kathy Castor, from Tampa, has requested that her city be allowed to have direct charter flights to Cuba to let Cuban Americans more easily visit the island.
Through executive order, Obama already has made it easier for Cuban Americans in the U.S. to visit relatives in Cuba and authorized expansion of telecommunication service to the island, says John Kavulich, a policy adviser with the U.S.-Cuba Trade and Economic Council, a non-profit group that provides information on trade issues with Cuba.
Congress also has loosened restrictions on sending agricultural items, he says.
Increased trade with Cuba could bring a much-needed economic boost to port cities at a time when communities are looking for ways to weather the recession.
"It would be good for everyone all around," says Steven Cernak, director of the Port of Galveston.
However, even if restrictions continue to relax, Cuba is drowning under large amounts of debt and has a reputation for not paying bills on time, Kavulich says. U.S. companies are willing to sell Cuba rice, poultry and other items allowed under the embargo because U.S. law requires Cuba to pay upfront, he says.
"There are always those who believe that Cuba represents a country like Saudi Arabia 90 miles south of the U.S., with unlimited resources," Kavulich says. "The reality is Cuba remains a bankrupt country."
Loosening up gateway of New Orleans
Havana and New Orleans were two of colonial Spain's most important New World ports in the 18th and 19th centuries. The two cities were vibrant trading partners right up to the 1962 U.S. embargo, Fielkow says. That tie is one of the reasons New Orleans is seeking stronger links with Cuba.
Even under the embargo, many of the products allowed into Cuba come through the Port of New Orleans, says Robert Landry, the port's marketing director. The port has seen a steady increase in the amount of poultry dispatched to Cuba, from 9,500 tons in 2005 to 18,500 tons last year, according to port records.
Bolstering that relationship could significantly improve the city's economy, still battered by the 2005 floods, and recapture New Orleans' status as a "gateway to the Americas," Fielkow says.
Mobile, Ala., rooted in history with Cuba
The ties between Mobile and Cuba stretch back more than 300 years. Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, the French-Canadian trapper who founded Mobile in 1702, is buried in Havana's cathedral, says Mobile Mayor Sam Jones. (D'Iberville's brother, Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, later developed New Orleans.)
A 9-foot-tall statute of d'Iberville stands in downtown Mobile, facing Havana.
A similar statue stands on Havana's seaside Malecon, facing Mobile, Jones says.
The loosening of trade restrictions with Cuba "has been something we've been waiting to happen for some time," Jones says.
Jones may still have awhile to wait, says Phil Peters, a Cuba analyst with the Arlington, Va.-based Lexington Institute. Changes to the embargo would likely require Cuban officials to make notable economic, democratic or human rights changes, he says. Lifting of the embargo "is a few steps down the road still," Peters says.

Carson-Newman Releases 2009 Football Schedule

Image via Wikipedia

Carson-Newman Releases 2009 Football Schedule
Eagles open with trips to Winona State, UNA
The Eagles will play six home games in 2009.
March 23, 2009
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - A trip to Florence, Ala. to face three-time national champion North Alabama and a trip to Minnesota highlight Carson-Newman's 2009 football schedule released on Monday.
The Eagles open their season at Winona State University in Winona, Minn. on Thursday night August 27. The Warriors were 6-5 in 2008 and play in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, which is also home to defending D-II national champion, Minnesota-Duluth . The game will mark the first time Carson-Newman has played a game in Minnesota.
The Eagles will travel to the University of North Alabama for a Saturday night affair on September 5. UNA took the '08 meeting in Jefferson City, 20-13.
Carson-Newman hosts Campbellville (Ky.) in their home opener on Sept. 10. In the second of two Thursday night games on the schedule. The game begins a rare three-game home stand
A first-ever meeting with the University of North Carolina at Pembroke on Sept. 19 wraps up the Eagles non-conference schedule. The Braves were 9-1 last season.
C-N's South Atlantic Conference opener comes in the form of a Sept. 26 visit from Newberry College.
Rival Catawba visits Mossy Creek for homecoming on Oct. 10. The slate also includes October road games at Mars Hill (Oct. 3), Lenoir-Rhyne (Oct. 17), and Wingate (Oct. 31) on Halloween. C-N will host Brevard on Oct. 24.
The Eagles wrap up their regular season by hosting Tusculum on November 7 at Burke-Tarr Stadium. The NCAA Division II Playoffs begin November 14. The D-II national championship game is Dec. 12 in Florence, Ala.
The Eagles were 7-4 in 2008, winning their 20th South Atlantic Conference title and reaching the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
Quotes from Carson-Newman Head Coach Ken Sparks:"It's a tough schedule. I'm not sure anyone in the country has tougher back-to-back opening games, and certainly not on the road. Those two will be tough, especially when you consider the travel to Minnesota...We look forward to playing North Alabama again. UNA is a proud program and Braly (Municipal Stadium) has been a tough place for us through the years, but we're looking forward to the challenge...We've been to Massachusetts, Utah, and now Minnesota in the last three years to play games, but a lot of D-II teams just are not willing to play us...With the NAIA game with Campbellsville, we've got 11 games and six home games, and we're excited about that."

2009 Carson-Newman Football Schedule
Date
Opponent
Location
Time
Aug. 27 (Thurs.)
at Winona State (Minn.)
Winona, Minn.
8 p.m.
Sept. 5
at North Alabama
Florence, Ala.
7 p.m.
Sept. 10 (Thurs.)
Campbellsville
Jefferson City, Tenn.
7 p.m.
Sept. 19
UNC Pembroke
Jefferson City, Tenn.
1 p.m.
Sept. 26
Newberry*
Jefferson City, Tenn.
1 p.m.
Oct. 3
at Mars Hill*
Mars Hill, N.C.
1:30 p.m.
Oct. 10
Catawba (HC)*
Jefferson City, Tenn.
3 p.m.
Oct. 17
at Lenoir-Rhyne*
Hickory, N.C.
7 p.m.
Oct. 24
Brevard*
Jefferson City, Tenn.
1 p.m.
Oct. 31
at Wingate*
Wingate, N.C.
1:30 p.m.
Nov. 7
Tusculum*
Jefferson City, Tenn.
1 p.m.
* South Atlantic Conference game
(HC) - Homecoming
- All Times Eastern

Gas prices climb for 50th straight day

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Gas prices climb for 50th straight day
CHRIS KAHN • AP Energy Writer • June 17, 2009

Pump prices added a half cent overnight to a new national average of $2.679 a gallon, according to auto club AAA, Wright Express and Oil Price Information Service.
A gallon of regular gas has jumped nearly 37 cents in a month. That’s still cheaper than a gallon of gas three years ago at this point in June.Historically, filling station prices tend to rise during the summer as millions of vacationing Americans pour onto the highways. A surge in crude prices during the past few months and less production from the refiners that make gasoline has added even more pressure on prices.On Wednesday, crude oil dropped below $70 a barrel ahead of a key government report on petroleum supplies and consumption in the United States.
Benchmark crude for July delivery fell 92 cents to $69.55 on the New York Mercantile Exchange. In London, Brent prices fell 71 cents to $69.53 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange.
The Energy Information Administration is expected to show a 1.7 million-barrel drop in crude oil reserves for the week ended June 12, according to a survey by Platts, the energy information arm of McGraw-Hill Cos.
Platts also expects gasoline stockpiles to fall by 650,000 barrels.
Oil prices this week have come off eight-month highs near $73 a barrel amid some signs that the U.S. economy, while past the worst of a severe recession, is still weak. Crude prices have dropped with equities markets this week, and they continued to fall Wednesday though the dollar was week.
Because barrels are priced in U.S. currency, oil tends to rise when the dollar falls. In other Nymex trading, gasoline for July delivery fell 4.15 cents to $2.0296 a gallon and heating oil dropped 1.35 cents to $1.8115. Natural gas for July delivery added 2.1 cents to $4.150 per 1,000 cubic feet.

Tiger opens defense off the mark

Image by Richard Carter via Flickr

U.S. Open Early Highlights
Rain is the story for Tiger Woods and the players at the U.S. OpenTags: Golf
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- Tiger Woods' defense of the U.S. Open championship started with an adventure.
Woods pulled his tee shot 50 yards into the rough before scrambling for an improbable par on his opening hole Thursday morning, as increasingly strong rain pelted an already-moist course and led to a suspension less than 3½ hours after play began.
Playing alongside fellow reigning major winners Padraig Harrington and Angel Cabrera, Woods' first shot was so far off line he considered playing a second ball from the tee.
"Way left," caddie Steve Williams said to the world's No. 1 player on the tee box.
Woods eventually hit his second from near the front of a merchandise tent, his ball sailing well past the thickest rough alongside the opening fairway. He ended up playing off grass trampled by several days of foot traffic, then got up and down from a greenside bunker for par.
How good was his save? Cabrera and Harrington, both in decidedly better spots off the tee, made bogey.
As Woods worked to salvage his first hole, not far behind him crews worked to protect the drenched 18th hole. Hoses pumped water off that fairway, and four workers pushed squeegees on the green to keep it as dry as possible.
Eventually, workers all over the course couldn't keep up, and play was suspended at 10:16 a.m. ET with standing water on many fairways and greens. Jeff Brehaut, Johan Edfors, Andrew Parr and Ryan Spears were the only players under par when play was stopped, all at 1 under.
Woods was 1 over through six holes. When play resumes, he'll have a par putt on the 7th green, after both he and Cabrera chose to play third shots from the sand after the horns blew to stop the tournament.
Cabrera, Justin Leonard and Ian Poulter were among those at even par when play was halted. Other notables: Former U.S. Open champions Geoff Ogilvy, Jim Furyk and Michael Campbell were at 1 over; Boo Weekley and Zach Johnson were 2 over; and Harrington was 4 over.
Forecasters said all week that rain could have a serious effect on the tournament, especially during the first day. They couldn't have been more right, and the National Weather Service warned that up to 2 inches of rain could fall Thursday.
Rickie Fowler, an amateur who made the cut at last year's Open, was the first person to swing away from the opening hole Thursday. He arrived under cloudy skies at 6:54 a.m. ET.
It started raining two minutes later.
Shortly after play began, the USGA sent crews out to try and keep the greens dry, and volunteers shooed people away from the hill below the first tee, saying it was too rainslicked for anyone to walk upon.
"[Holes] one and 18, that's going to be the issue," said Jim Hyler, the chairman of the USGA's championship committee. "Eighteen is the real issue."
Bethpage is hard enough when dry.
It was set up as the second-longest U.S. Open layout in history, and as an added bonus, it was to have three different par-4s measuring more than 500 yards.
The USGA showed a bit of compassion in that regard Thursday. Hole No. 7 was played at 489 yards, down from 525, and the 10th and 12th holes both had tees slightly moved up, putting them just below 500 yards each.
Woods, who beat Rocco Mediate in a playoff last year at Torrey Pines for the title, is the favorite to repeat, because he's always the favorite whenever he plays.
If there's a people's favorite this week, though, it's Phil Mickelson.
Mickelson isn't from New York, but for the next week, those strangers behind the ropes at Bethpage Black are his new best friends. For his lone practice round Wednesday, many wore pink shirts and ribbons to show support for his wife Amy's fight with breast cancer. They shouted encouragement whenever the world's No. 2 player walked past and even sang a day-late verse of "Happy Birthday."
He was to tee off in the afternoon Thursday, although that hardly seemed certain because of the rain.
Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press

Jones Jr.'s boxing/MMA card features Petruzelli, Lashley, Monson,others

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

from Roy Jones Jr.
By Dann Stupp, MMAjunkie.com Feb 13, 6:08 pm EST Buzz up!
Boxing great Roy Jones Jr. is returning to the ring for a March 21 hybrid boxing/MMA event that features many notables, including a bevy of UFC veterans.
"March Badness," promoted by Jones' Square Ring Promotions in association with Hirsch Borao Boxing, takes place at the Pensacola Civic Center in Florida and airs on pay per view.
Earning headliner status for the MMA portion of the event is Seth Petruzelli, who famously knocked out former EliteXC poster boy Kevin "Kimbo Slice" Ferguson in just 14 seconds at five months ago at "EliteXC: Heat."
Petruzelli (10-4), who took the fight on just a few hours' notice when Ken Shamrock was pulled from the card, fights for the first time since the October event. He'll take on former WEC light-heavyweight champion Doug "Rhino" Marshall (9-3).
Also scheduled for the event is former WWE star and three-time NCAA wrestling champion Bobby Lashley (1-0), who's on loan from the American Fight League. The Army vet made his professional debut in December and posted a 41-second TKO victory. His opponent for the March 21 event has not been announced.
In other action, former top UFC heavyweight contender Jeff Monson (27-8), who's 4-1 in his past five fights, takes on IFL heavyweight champion Roy "Big Country" Nelson (13-3), who's five-fight win streak was snapped by Andrei Arlovski during EliteXC's October "Heat" event.
MMAjunkie.com has learned that former UFC lightweight and "The Ultimate Fighter 4" cast member Din Thomas, who made his successful featherweight debut during a Feb. 7 show in Missouri, is also in negotiations to appear on the MMA portion of the card.
On the boxing portion of the card, Jones (52-5), an eight-time world champion and former Olympian, takes on Omar Sheika (27-8) in a light-heavyweight contest.
While most of the industry has shunned MMA, Jones has been one of few from the boxing world to heap praise on MMA and its fighters. He and UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva even campaigned for a boxing fight last year before UFC officials stepped in and nixed the plans.
Tickets for "March Badness," which range from $28 to $128, are currently on sale through Ticketmaster.com.
(Pictured: Seth Petruzelli)
Check out more UFC News at MMAjunkie.com. This story originally appeared on MMAjunkie.com and is syndicated on Yahoo! Sports as part of a content-partnership deal between the two sites.

Dodgers deciding Manny's schedule

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

LOS ANGELES -- Manny Ramirez appears to be a week away from beginning a minor league assignment as he nears the end of his 50-game suspension for violating Major League Baseball's substance abuse policy.
Manager Joe Torre said Wednesday that it was possible that Ramirez would start out playing for Class A Inland Empire next Thursday. The 66ers begin a three-game series at Lake Elsinore that day before playing their next three at home against Rancho Cucamonga, making it convenient for Ramirez to drive from his home in Pasadena.
"That's what we're thinking about. Just for the convenience of the whole thing," Torre said, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Ramirez is eligible to begin his assignment next Tuesday, but there are no games in the California League until Thursday because of their All-Star break. He is eligible to be reinstated on July 3, when the Dodgers are in San Diego.
"That's still conversational right now. There's nothing been scheduled," Torre said, according to the newspaper. "We've got to get him back on the field first."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Congratulations Madden NFL 10!

Image via CrunchBase

06/08/09 10:22 AM
1UP.com Best Sports Game of E3!
"...The game looks fantastic and includes plenty of subtle gameplay tweaks that will hopefully keep Madden at the top of the sports game heap..."
Read the complete article and see the full list of winners here.
GameFocus Best Sports Game of E3!
"...Most importantly, an Online Franchise mode finally makes its entrance this year and we could not be anymore happy. Can August arrive sooner?"
Read the complete article and see the full list of winners here.
G4 Best Best of E3 - Technical Achievement!
"...EA's been trending toward a more persistent sports experience with recent innovations in the FIFA and NHL franchises. Now it comes to a head with Madden 10's all-encompassing Online Franchise mode..."
Read the complete article and see the full list of winners here.

Star Trek Overview and Synopsis

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Star Trek
Opened May 7, 2009 Runtime:2 hr. 6 min.
PG-13
violence, sci-fi action and brief sexual content
From director J.J. Abrams ("Mission: Impossible III," "Lost" and "Alias"), producers Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk and screenwriters Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman ("Transformers," "MI: III") comes a new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time, "Star Trek," featuring a young, new crew venturing boldly where no one has gone before.Read More
See it in IMAX in a limited 2-WEEK-ONLY engagement: Star Trek: The IMAX Experience From Fancast: Get to Know Chris Pine, Anton Yelchin Chats on Chekov
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Bruce Greenwood, Karl Urban
Director: J.J. Abrams
Genres: Sci-Fi Action, Space Adventure, Science Fiction

The Taking of Pelham 123 Overview and Synopsis

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

The Taking of Pelham 123
Opened June 12, 2009 Runtime:1 hr. 44 min.
R
violence and pervasive language
A group of hijackers take a subway train and its passengers hostage, threatening to kill them if their ransom is not paid of 1 million dollars.
Fandango Features: Watch the latest The Taking of Pelham 123 trailer in HD & Photos - Travolta's Greatest (and Lamest) movie roles!
Cast: Denzel Washington, John Travolta, James Gandolfini, John Turturro, Luis Guzman, Michael Rispoli
Director: Tony Scott
Genres: Crime Thriller, Caper, Thriller
mboxCreate('mlpo_submovieinfo_empty');

NCAA should turn over FSU documents

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

NCAA should turn over FSU documents
Paul Flemming • News Journal Capital Bureau • June 12, 2009
TALLAHASSEE -- Attorney General Bill McCollum says the NCAA should release documents in its ongoing disciplinary case against Florida State athletics.

McCollumn today sent a letter to the NCAA saying it must comply with Florida's open-records laws.
"As you know, the documents at issue are considered to be at the crux of a significant matter for Florida State University, its football program, and thousands of football fans throughout the state," McCollum said in his letter to NCAA President Myles Brand.
Florida State officials are appealing sanctions handed down by the NCAA earlier this year, vacating sports victories for teams that included players involved in an academic cheating scandal. Documents from the NCAA were only made available to FSU outside attorneys on a secure Web site that did not allow the documents to be downloaded or printed.
Barbara Petersen, president of the media-funded Florida First Amendment Foundation, said the NCAA's actions are clear violations of state law.
She said the NCAA's actions and a judge's decision to declare the documents closed were in direct violation of the state's constitution. She said the restrictions imposed on FSU by the NCAA were "completely meaningless" under Florida law.
"If we allowed the sender of a document to determine what we have access to, what would we have? Nothing" Petersen said. "We have case law that says you cannot contract away your open-records responsibilities."
FSU President T.K. Wetherell said earlier this week he'd prefer to release the documents but couldn't. "We don't want to keep it secret," he said.
Petersen said she did not blame FSU officials for the confidentiality agreement and its constraints required by the NCAA, characterizing the university's position as "between a rock and a hard place."
Officials at the NCAA "just don't seem to get it. The arrogance is just astounding. They are supposed to teach student athletes to be good citizens, that you can't cheat your way through life, and then they require this. I find that level of arrogance incredible," Petersen said.
Gov. Charlie Crist has said he supports transparency and openness for government institutions, though his office is not responsible for advisories on Florida law.
Petersen said the only remedy to the NCAA's continued violation is to file suit. McCollum's letter was advisory and took no action. McCollum did note there are criminal penalties for violations of the state's public-records law of up to one year in prison and a $1,000 fine.
Petersen said the First Amendment Foundation and media organizations have drafted a lawsuit to file for release of the records.
Next Page
undefined
Previous Page

Eagle Coaching Legend Dick Campbell Passes Away

Image via Wikipedia

Eagle Coaching Legend Dick Campbell Passes Away
Campbell led the Eagles to 25 wins a year from '58-'67
C-N
June 9, 2009
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Carson-Newman College basketball coaching legend Dick Campbell passed away on Tuesday afternoon. He was 81.
Campbell coached at Carson-Newman from 1958-'67, leading the Eagles to five NAIA National Tournament appearances, including a third place finish in 1964.
One of the most successful coaches in Carson-Newman history, Campbell led C-N to a 227-63 (.782) record during his nine seasons at Mossy Creek. He had six season of 25 wins or more, including a 30-4 campaign in 1963-'64, when the Eagles won five NAIA Tournament games to finish third in the country. The finish is still the highest in school history.
Campbell was named NAIA National Coach of the Year in 1965, after C-N finished the year 27-6. His teams won six consecutive Volunteer State Athletic Conference titles from 1961-'66.
While at C-N, Campbell coached five All-Americans including C-N's first All-American in any sport Chris Jones (1962) and two-time NAIA All-American Gil Luttrell (1963-`64). He is a member of both the Carson-Newman Hall of Fame and the Greater Knoxville Sports Hall of Fame.
Campbell left Carson-Newman in 1967 to become the head coach at The Citadel. He would later coach at both Xavier University and Belmont University.
Funeral arrangements will be made later in the week.

Obama extends same-sex benefits

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Obama extends same-sex benefits
Gay partners could receive health and pension benefits under the new rules
US President Barack Obama has signed a measure extending benefits to same-sex partners of federal government workers.
The move comes amid anger from Mr Obama's gay supporters that he has not done enough to protect the rights of gay Americans.
He has been criticised for failing to repeal the ban on gays in the US military and over a Justice Department legal opinion opposing gay marriage.
Several gay supporters have withdrawn from a fundraising event in protest.
Cautious welcome
Mr Obama's presidential order means that the gay partners of federal employees will get some health benefits currently enjoyed by the heterosexual partners of government workers.
It's not that he didn't follow through on his promises, he stabbed us in the back
John AravosisGay rights activist
The federal government is the largest employer in the US.
Employees' partners can now be added to a government insurance programme paying for long-term conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease.
They will also be allowed to take sick leave to care for a sick partner or non-biological child, the Associated Press reported.
However, the new order doesn't extend health care benefits or pensions for partners as many had hoped.
"We all have to acknowledge this is only one step," Mr Obama said in the Oval Office as he signed the order.
But what is being seen as an incremental step forward was not well-received by critics.
"When a president tells you he's going to be different, you believe him," John Aravosis, a Washington-based gay activist was quoted by AP as saying.
"It's not that he didn't follow through on his promises, he stabbed us in the back."

Gay rights activists have been disappointed with Mr Obama
During the presidential election campaign, Mr Obama expressed opposition to gay marriage.
Instead, he supported civil unions, which would give gay couples the same legal and financial benefits as married heterosexual couples.
Mr Obama has indicated his opposition to the US military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, under which gay servicemen and women are allowed to serve, but only if they do not publicly disclose their sexuality or engage in homosexual acts.
But since entering the White House, Mr Obama has done nothing to overturn the policy, and has declined to intervene in the cases of gay soldiers who have been thrown out of the military for being gay.
Frustrated
Administration officials say the president is seeking to repeal "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" as part of a "lasting and durable" solution, which precludes interventions in individual cases.
"The president agreed that... the policy wasn't working for our national interests, that he committed to change that policy, that he's working with the Secretary of Defence and the joint chiefs on making that happen," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs last month.
Mr Obama's failure to repeal the military ban is not the only issue that has frustrated gay rights campaigners.
Last week, the Department of Justice (DoJ) issued a legal opinion in response to a lawsuit challenging the legality of the Defence of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as being between a man and a woman.
The DoJ opinion sparked outrage in the gay community, because it compared same-sex marriages to incestuous and underage marriages.
A justice department spokesperson insisted that the president is opposed to the Defence of Marriage Act, but that until the act is repealed in Congress, the DoJ has a duty to defend the law as it stands.
But the controversial opinion prompted at least three prominent gay donors to the Democratic Party to withdraw from a party fundraiser, which is due to take place on 25 June.

Post Archive