Friday, December 31, 2010

Paul Rudd Playing That Guy in College Everyone Called "Jesus"

Samaire Armstrong Selita Ebanks Michael Michele Marisa Tomei Shannyn Sossamon

UFC 125 Weigh In: Results and Reaction

The final hurdle for Saturday night's main event showdown at UFC 125 was cleared on Friday as top contender Gray Maynard and UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar took to the scales.

Weighing in at 155 pounds, Edgar is determined to avenge the only loss on his record. He was defeated by Maynard in April 2008 at UFC Fight Night 13. It was a lopsided fight, as Maynard used his superior wrestling to paint the canvas with Edgar's back sweat for all three rounds.

Since the loss, Edgar has racked up five consecutive victories. His most recent string of wins came from his back to back unanimous decision nods over former Lightweight Champion B.J. Penn. Despite securing victories over former champions in Penn and Sean Sherk, Edgar still comes into this bout a significant underdog. Will he prove the MMA world wrong again?

"I'm gonna walk away with a win and seek revenge. I have to start the new year off right," said Edgar.

Meanwhile, Maynard has seemingly waited a lifetime to get this opportunity to compete for UFC gold. It has been a bitter sight for Maynard to watch the man he defeated ascend the UFC ranks faster than him. Undefeated in his MMA career, Maynard has earned wins over Edgar, Kenny Florian, Jim Miller, Nate Diaz and Roger Huerta.

The past won't matter on Saturday night as "The Bully" finally gets his chance to show the world that he is the uncrowned Lightweight king.

"I'm gonna go out and get the win," said Maynard.

UFC 125: Resolution takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The card also includes the Middleweight tilt between hard-nosed strikers Chris Leben (186) and Brian Stann (186), a possible do or die Light Heavyweight scrap between Brandon Vera (205) and Thiago Silva (206), a Welterweight duel between savvy grapplers Nate Diaz (170) and Dong Hyun Kim (171) and a highly anticipated Lightweight showdown between fan favorite Clay Guida (156) and MMA legend Takanori Gomi (155).

Weigh-In Results

UFC Lightweight Championship

Frankie Edgar (155) vs. Gray Maynard (155)

 

Chris Leben (186) vs. Brian Stann (186)

Brandon Vera (205) vs. Thiago Silva (206)

Nate Diaz (170) vs. Dong Hyun Kim (171)

Clay Guida (156) vs. Takanori Gomi (155)

 

Jeremy Stephens (156) vs. Marcus Davis (156)

Josh Grispi (146) vs. Dustin Poirier (145)

Phil Baroni (186) vs. Brad Tavares (185)

Mike Thomas Brown (146) vs. Diego Nunes (146)

Daniel Roberts (171) vs. Greg Soto (171)

Jacob Volkmann (156) vs. Antonio McKee (156)

Izabella Scorupco Carla Campbell Penélope Cruz Kristen Bell The Pussycat Dolls

National Championship Game: Why Auburn Will Beat Oregon

National Championship Game: Why Auburn Will Beat Oregon

Bowl season may be in full swing, but the National Championship is still over a week away.

I will preface this article by saying that I think Oregon wins this game. However, if they don't these will be 10 reasons why Cam Newton and the Auburn Tigers will win the BCS Championship.

Let us know what you think. Do you have the Tigers winning or the Ducks?

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LeBron James accused of 'shameful display of selfishness' by Cavaliers

? LeBron James called 'self-titled former King' after Miami move
? Majority owner says Cleveland will win NBA title before James

The owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers has called LeBron James selfish for his decision to seek a championship with the Miami Heat and promised the hard-luck city an NBA title before the six-times All-Star gets one.

In a letter to Cavaliers fans, the team's majority owner, Dan Gilbert, said he was disappointed that James opted to join his fellow All-Stars Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami and felt the nationally televised announcement was inappropriate.

"If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our 'motivation' to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels," Gilbert wrote.

"I personally guarantee that the Cleveland Cavaliers will win an NBA championship before the self-titled former 'King' wins one ... you can take it to the bank."

James opted to deliver his decision during an hour-long programme on cable network after weeks of speculation on whether he would stick with his hometown Cavaliers or jump to one of the other five teams who courted his services.

His decision dealt a major blow to a city that has not celebrated a professional sports championship since 1964 and has developed a widely known reputation for failing in key games.

Without James on the payroll, the Cavaliers can now look to bolster their roster by signing players from what is regarded as one of the deepest pools of free agents. "I promise you that our energy, focus, capital, knowledge and experience will be directed at one thing and one thing only: delivering you the championship you have long deserved and is long overdue," wrote Gilbert.

The Heat, who last celebrated an NBA title in 2006, were clearly in a much more upbeat mood as the team usher in a new chapter.

"We are thrilled that LeBron James and Chris Bosh have decided to come to Miami to join forces with our truly great player, Dwyane Wade," the Heat coach, Pat Riley, said in a statement.

"We are looking forward to the opportunity of building something that our fans in Miami will be proud of for a long, long time. The journey is just beginning."


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NBA Rumors: Would Carmelo Anthony Put The New York Knicks Into Title Contention?

All of the free agent, trade talk is now surrounding Carmelo Anthony, the difference making forward, who is currently playing for the Denver Nuggets.

Carmelo is a difference making player and really knows how to get it done.

He has made it known that he wants to go to New York and play for the Knicks, and wants out of Denver.

We can only assume that after what happened with Bosh and James over the offseason, the Nuggets will try to get something for Anthony instead of letting him slip into the depths of free agency.

If Carmelo is sent to the Knicks, will he put them into contention for an NBA title?

James Evens is a Purdue student and Basketball/Football Featured Columnist for the Boilermakers, along with being a Writing Intern at Bleacher Report.   Follow him on Twitter or like him on Facebook

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Meineke Car Care Bowl: Gidery Down

South Florida has an injury. Tight End Kevin Gidrey was helped off the field after being injured on a running play.

He was rolled up on from behind. He was helped off the field and his return is in question. This has not slowed down the Bulls as they are now at midfield.

South Florida is grinding out the clock with aball control approach.

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2011 NFL Draft: 10 Players With Most to Lose at Senior Bowl

After all the typical bowl games are over, the one most important to NFL scouts takes place.

The Senior Bowl annually pits the nation's best player against one another in an attempt to see who is the best of the best.

Some players will skip the game in order to protect their draft stock. Others will see it as an opportunity to show that they belong in the nation's top tier.

But which players, if they accept the Senior Bowl's invite, have the most to lose? 

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Tyreke Evans' Game-Winner From Beyond Halfcourt Snaps Kings' Losing Streak

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The Sacramento Kings may have the worst record in the league, their coach and general manager may be holding onto their jobs by a thread and their best player may be on the verge of sitting for a month or two with injury, but they'll always have this:



Beating the buzzer with a desperate heave from 50 feet away, Tyreke Evans finally gave the tortured fans at ARCO Arena reason to celebrate. The 100-98 win over the Memphis Grizzlies snapped the Kings' eight-game losing streak, and marked just the second win in the last 18 games.

Had Evans missed the last-second prayer, Wednesday's game, a meaningless affair between two last-place teams, would have been quickly forgotten. But by making the shot, Evans provided perhaps the most incredible ending to a game this year -- no matter what the sport.

 

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Chick-fil-A Bowl: Gamecocks Can Kick Off The New Year With a Win

As the Gamecocks and Seminoles prepare to do battle on New Years Eve many eyes will be watching. Not just because the Chic-Fil-A bowl will be airing nationally, but because many recruits have interest in both schools. The Gamecocks currently have 18 players on their roster from the state of Florida.

The SEC East will be much improved in 2011, but the Gamecocks will return several of their stars, as well as solid back ups, and they have a top 25 recruiting class coming in for 2011. 2010 to this point has been a great season for the Gamecocks with a few head scratching losses along the way. To beat Florida State would essentially start 2011 with a win.

2011 can be an even better season than 2010 for the Gamecocks. With one game left to play there is no time to look ahead. The Seminoles are a very good team, with star players in all the right places. The 2010 Chic-Fil-A Bowl may be one of the better bowls of the season.

With two great defensive fronts against pretty good offenses the game shouldn't lack for excitement. The Gamecocks are three point favorites, for entertainment purposes only of course. To see either team totally dominate would be surprising.

The Gamecocks as always will depend on the usual suspects. Lattimore, Garcia, and Jeffery. Tori Gurley, Brian Maddox and Patrick DiMarco will likely also play big roles in the offensive production. The departing Ladi Ajiboye will anchor a defensive front who will be sack hungry.

The Head Ball Coach faces a familiar foe in a Florida State, but a foe he hasn't seen in quite some time. He will play in a familiar location, the Georgia Dome, one he played in just a few weeks ago in a losing effort against BCS Championship bound Auburn.

The Gamecocks need more than their usual suspects to come out victorious. The time of possession battle may be a huge factor in determining who is the Champion of the Chi-Fil-A bowl. Lattimore will weigh heavily on that outcome, but the Head Ball Coach will need to stick with the run even if it isn't gaining big chunks.

In doing so it will open up the air game for Stephen Garcia and his targets, and with this being a bowl game, expect to see Connor Shaw make his way into the game at some point as well. Patrick DiMarco will also be looking to extend his games with touchdowns streak to three.

For the Gamecocks seniors who have been a part of one of the best seasons of Gamecock football with their trip to the SEC Championship, you have to know that they want to end it with a championship. In turn the underclassmen want to help their departing teammates and build for their future.

With what many consider to be too many bowl games now the Chic-Fil-A Bowl will be one to watch for sure. Two conference runners up, marquee names, strong units, and two teams hungry for a primetime win. There will be a sea of garnet in the Georgia dome for this game as both teams fans will be out en mass.

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Kobe Bryant Leads NBA All-Star Voting

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Kobe Bryant remains the leading vote-getter for the 2011 NBA All-Star Game with 1,153,694 votes, the league announced Thursday. Dwight Howard (988,572) leads all players in the Eastern Conference, while Miami's LeBron James (969,459) and Dwyane Wade (938,402) place third and fourth in the league.

Bryant, a three-time All-Star MVP (2002, 2007 and 2009), has been voted a starter in each of the last 12 All-Star games, although he missed last season's contest in Dallas due to injury. This season's game will be played Feb. 20 in Los Angeles on Bryant's home court at STAPLES Center. Paper balloting for the All-Star game will continue through Jan. 17, while electronic ballots can be cast through Jan. 23. The starters will be announced on Jan. 27, and the reserves will be announced on Feb. 3.

The latest returns also suggest a passing of the torch in Boston, as Rajon Rondo (777,310) so far has been named on more ballots than any of the Celtics' Big Three of Kevin Garnett (712,555), Paul Pierce (381,348) or Ray Allen (392,441). Rondo and Garnett are second among the East's guards and forwards, respectively, putting them on pace to earn a stating job -- provided they're healthy. Rondo, who's recently missed time with a sprained ankle, is expected to return Friday, but Garnett, who left Wednesday's game with a leg injury, is sidelined indefinitely.

In the West, Kevin Durant (735,521) and Carmelo Anthony (602,516) are the current leaders among forwards, although Pau Gasol (597,201) doesn't have much ground to make up to earn a starting job. Chris Paul (585,690) is second among the West's guards, possessing a healthy lead over Manu Ginobili (403,632).

Yao Ming (376,283), who's already been ruled out for the remainder of the season, is the runaway leader among the West's centers, with Andrew Bynum (376,283) a distant second. If Yao finishes as the top vote-getter at center, NBA commissioner David Stern will name a replacement for his spot on the roster, and the West's coach, currently slated to be Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, will choose a starter.

 

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Who Should (and Shouldn't) Get an Invite to the US National Team's January Camp

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u.s. national team mls chris wondolowskiNext month, U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley will hold his annual January camp at the Home Depot Center outside Los Angeles. The camp, which culminates with a friendly against Chile on Jan. 22, will be the first chance for Bradley and his staff to begin shaping the talent pool for the 2014 World Cup.

With that in mind, FanHouse takes a look at four fresh faces that deserve an invitation, as well as three veterans who do not. U.S. Soccer will announce the roster on Tuesday afternoon.

 

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Thursday, December 30, 2010

With Experience and Security, Richard Jefferson Shines for Spurs

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Richard Jefferson had said late last season he might opt out of his lucrative contract and become a free agent. But many believed the likelihood of that was the same as Tim Duncan starring in a rap video.

Well, the only San Antonio Spur appearing in a rap video lately has been DeJuan Blair in P.O.P.'s "2 Hard Living.'' But Jefferson did opt of a contract that would have paid him $15 million this season for the Spurs, and it looks to be a move that has benefited both sides.

The small forward re-signed with the Spurs, getting a four-year, $39 million deal. And he's been one reason San Antonio why has an NBA-best 27-4 record.

 

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Armed and Dominant: Year of the Pitcher



All this week, the FanHouse staff will look back at the most significant baseball storylines of 2010.


In China, 2010 was the Year of the Tiger.

In Major League Baseball, it was the Year of the Pitcher.

Finally.

After nearly 20 years of an offensive boom, hurlers took back the game in 2010. The Giants won the World Series with great starters and a rag-tag lineup. There were two perfect games, one near-perfecto and four other no-hitters, including the second-ever in the postseason.

We should have known it was coming when the defensive play of the year came on Opening Day -- and it, too, was by a pitcher.

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What's On Tonight Extra: New Year's Eve and New Year's Day Special Events

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ABC presents the annual 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest' starting at 11:30.With the East Coast and Midwest recovering from snowstorms, the West Coast getting deluged by winter rains and the mountain states about to get hit with a chilling cold snap, there probably won't be much entertaining done outside the home this New Year's holiday. Luckily, television is stepping up in its usual way to provide all manner of visual entertainment.

From series marathons, to New Year's Eve specials to college bowl game upon college bowl game, the major networks and cable outlets are preparing for your immobility come Friday. On top of that, some networks have decided sneak in a few season and series premieres. Plus, Oprah launches her new OWN network on the first day of 2011.

To keep track of all these happenings, here's a breakdown of special programming for New Year's Eve 2010 and New Year's Day 2011.

 

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HaikuLeaks Turns the Wikileaks Cables Into Poetry

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haikuleaksThe diplomatic cables released by Wikileaks -- 1830 of them, so far -- have unsurprisingly been the source of a lot of controversy. What's more surprising is that they've also been the source of haiku poetry.

A site called HaikuLeaks used a computer algorithm to find 65 different haikus within the Wikileaks documents, and some of them are pretty great.

I mean, LimerickLeaks would have been funnier, but unintentional poems like

As is typical,
the Pope stayed above the fray
and did not comment.

might actually pass as decent haiku to a non-expert. Who knew Wikileaks was supporting the arts?

 

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Starr Andrews Brings Willow Smith to the Ice Rink

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starr andrews'Whip My Hair' was, hands down, one of the coolest songs to sprout from the internet this year. Of all people to pay tribute to the hair of black women and see it go viral before actually charting (and birthing an equally impressive, imaginative music video), Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith's nine-year-old daughter, Willow, was possibly the last person one might imagine to do the job. But she did it, and she did it damn well, in the process inspiring "future Olympian" Starr Andrews to bring the jam to the ice.

This young talent, obviously inspired by the video for the song, makes ice skating look both easy and totally hip, two things usually unfamiliar to the amateur skater.


 

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ESPNEWS Anchor Will Selva Plucks Column for Lead to Highlights

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In his lead-in to narration of the highlights to Tuesday's San Antonio-Los Angeles game, ESPNEWS anchor Will Selva advised Lakers fans not to worry about the team's loss to Miami in the much ballyhooed Christmas Day meeting with Miami. Instead, they'd be better served, Selva said, being concerned with the Spurs.

It was an interesting thought. Too bad someone else had already expressed it.

Nearly word for word, Selva used the lead of a column written by Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register to advance the game. Think not? Here are the first three sentences of Ding's piece:
Christmas isn't over yet, Lakers fans. The big game, it turns out, will be the game after the supposed Game of the Year. In San Antonio on Tuesday night, the Lakers will be out to give themselves and their fans the much-needed gift of hope.
Here's a transcript of Selva's lead to the highlights:
Christmas isn't over yet, Lakers fans. The big game, it turns out, is the game after the supposed Game of the Year. In San Antonio on Tuesday night, the Lakers were out to give themselves and their fans the much needed gift of hope.


Save for a couple of verb tenses, Selva's lead sounds identical to what Ding wrote. And Ding thought so, too. In a blog post, Ding noted the sensation of returning to his hotel room after the game and hearing what he had written coming through the TV, without receiving credit for having written it.

"Honestly, it wasn't my best lead, come to think of it. Sorry about that, Will. Unbelievable," wrote Ding.

We're awaiting comment from ESPN .

Oddly enough, the half-hour ended with a segment called, "No, He Didn't."

We couldn't make that up.

 

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Andrew Bynum, Brimming With Potential, Slowly Works Into Shape

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Andrew Bynum

LOS ANGELES -- Other than with Shaquille O'Neal, Phil Jackson hasn't had greatness in the pivot during his coaching career. He did still win three titles with former star Bill Cartwright at center and three with never-was star Luc Longley manning the middle.

So Andrew Bynum could be regarded as the second-best center Jackson has coached ever. The only problem is the Lakers' coach can't get him on the floor much.

So pardon Jackson's frustration regarding Bynum, who has been slow to return to form this season while coming off yet another knee injury. Jackson knows what kind of potential he has in Bynum, who is just 23 but has shown some impressive flashes in his six-year career.

"Just reactions right now,'' Jackson said about Bynum still not being close to 100 percent after he has played in six games after missing the first 24 of the season due to a right knee surgery. "Conditioning is part of that. I think his reactive ability and just reacting to the ball and the game is still an issue.

"Andrew's heavy. He's a muscular kid, but I don't think he's overweight per se. But he could probably stand to lose 10 pounds and be lighter and have less of a load to carry.''

 

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Robbie Findley Signs With England's Nottingham Forest

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robbie findleyU.S. national team forward Robbie Findley will be showcasing his beguiling (and often infuriating) combination of athleticism and clumsiness in the English second division beginning next month after reaching a 2.5-year deal with one-time European power Nottingham Forest.

Findley must secure a work permit to validate the contract, which should not be too much trouble for a player whose 10 appearances in 14 national team games this year was equaled by only Michael Bradley and Jonathan Bornstein.

"With his great pace and progression in the game at the moment we feel he will be an excellent addition to Forest in the Championship," Nottingham coach Billy Davies said on Thursday.

"He's got electric pace and the ability to cause problems. Robbie has got an eye for goal and he's a player who is desperate to play on this kind of stage."

 

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No Loan for Landon Donovan This Winter

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landon donovanFatigued following a very busy year that included the World Cup, a long season with the Los Angeles Galaxy and his successful loan to Everton, Landon Donovan announced Tuesday afternoon that he won't be heading over to Europe during the current MLS offseason and that he'll focus on resting and preparing for the 2011 campaign.

Recent reports had linked the U.S. national team star to Newcastle United, Fulham and, of course, the Toffees (plus Manchester City over the summer).

"While I enjoyed my time at Everton last season and still appreciate all the support their fans have given me, I feel that it is important to continue to rest and recover this offseason as opposed to going on loan," Donovan said.

"I never considered being loaned to a club other than Everton, but I have been playing nearly non-stop for the past two years and I believe that this decision will allow me to perform at my best for the Galaxy and the national team throughout the upcoming year."

Donovan, 28, signed a new four-year contract with L.A. last December that pays him $2.1 million per year.

This year he played 10 games at Everton, eight with the national team and at least 29 with the Galaxy (not counting U.S. Open Cup and exhibitions). He spent January 2009 at Bayern Munich.

He was named U.S. Soccer athlete of the year on Monday.

"We think in the best interest of the club and the player that Landon continues his postseason break and begins preparations for what will be a challenging year in 2011 at both the domestic and international levels," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said.

L.A. qualified for the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League, scheduled to take place next fall, by virtue of winning the MLS Supporters Shield last season.

The Galaxy are committed to keeping David Beckham around for the entire MLS season as well.

Following the English midfielder's comments over the weekend that he was interested in a stint in Europe that might keep him on Fabio Capello's national team radar, L.A. issued this statement to the Associated Press:

"We are not aware that David is looking to be loaned to any other team and we are fully expecting he reports with the rest of his Galaxy teammates in late January for the upcoming season."

 

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'Muppets with People Eyes' - I'm Not Sure Whether to Laugh or Frown

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If you're living and breathing, you probably have deep childhood memories involving the Muppets, so you're either gonna be really excited or kind of weirded out by Muppets with People Eyes.

It's a single topic tumblr from Wonder-Tonic (the dude who brought you On the Bro'd and the Michael Bay-ifier) that follows two general internet truths:
  • we love Photoshop, and
  • we love throwback childhood memory stuff
So on paper these Muppets are foolproof meme gold, and they're hilarious at first (Fozzie's my favorite), but if you gaze into those eyes long enough they start to look a little too real for comfort.

 

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Guy Puts Camera on End of Sword, Takes Awesome Video

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A couple of guys at Swordfish 2010, a convention in Sweden for historical European martial arts, duct-taped a camera to the end of a sword and see if it would stay put while they did some tricks with it.

Luckily, they taped the camera on well enough that it didn't budge, and the resulting swordtip's-POV video is totally awesome.

Check it out as they keep kicking things up a notch and realizing that they can move pretty fast without the camera going anywhere.

 

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Last Shot - Chairman of the Corn

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squirrel eating corn

Thanks for your headline, Mary!

Big news, Urlbots! We've officially handed all our Last Shot headline duties off to you. Every afternoon M-F, we'll post the Last Shot on our Facebook page and from there it's up to you guys to come up with the best headlines you can think of. We'll feature our favorite on the homepage every day at 6pm ET.

 

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Jenn Sterger's Attorney Rips NFL Over Brett Favre Fine

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The National Football League is really the Good Old Boys League, so says the attorney for Jenn Sterger.

Joseph Conway, who represented Sterger during her claims of sexual harassment by Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre, blasted the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement Wednesday after the league announced its three-month investigation found no violation of the Code of Conduct policy in the relationship between Favre and the former New York Jets employee two years ago.

"My client and I are extremely disappointed, but not surprised, at today's NFL announcement that Brett Favre did not violate the NFL 'workplace conduct' policy," Conway wrote in an e-mail sent to FanHouse and other media outlets. "While I am not privy to how Mr. Goodell reached such a finding, we strongly disagree with his conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to support a violation of the policy."



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Elton John's Son, Hugh Hefner And iPhone Durability In Today's Twitter-Wood

Elton John has been receiving congratulatory notes from around Twitter-Wood this week, thanks to the birth of his son Zachary. Neil Patrick Harris even wants to pencil in some play dates as soon as possible.
In other tweets, Olivia Wilde graciously accepted some congrats from Chris Kattan, while John Cusack attempted to clear up some confusion [...]

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NFL Picks Week 17: Jaguars Have Hope is That Enough?

NFL Picks Week 17: The Jaguars were never supposed to be here. They would have been glad to be considered a mediocre team from the AFC South. Instead, they have put together quite the season. They have overachieved so much that they now have the division kings, the Indianapolis Colts on the ropes.

The Jaguars need a win in Houston. The question for them is can the Colts actually lose a must win game at home. That is one component that must happen for the Jaguars to do the unthinkable and surpass the Colts for hold of the AFC South.

The other component is the Jags need to win on the road. That is simply impossible without their leaders that got them to this point. Jacksonville will be without David Garrard and Maurice Jones-Drew. That fact is too daunting for the Jaguars to surpass. The Texans should get over on this one.

Prediction: Jaguars 20, Texans 24

Related Story: Brett Favre Effect: A Look at the Vikings Season If Favre Had Stayed Retired

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NFL Power Rankings Week 17: Baltimore Ravens are AFC's Second Best Team

NFL Power Rankings Week 17: The Baltimore Ravens will likely enter the playoffs as the No. 5 seed in the AFC.

But the Ravens are really putting it all together at the right time.

Baltimore has rattled off five wins in their last six games, including big victories over New Orleans and Tampa Bay, and Ray Rice has been hot near the season's end (320 total yards and two touchdowns the last two games).

Although the Ravens have been getting their wins, that secondary is still a bit shaky.

Baltimore recently gave up 267 yards and three touchdowns to Drew Brees and was also torched by Matt Schaub for 393 passing yards and three touchdowns.

The Ravens have the offensive weapons and defensive talent to contend for a Super Bowl, but that pass defense has to improve.

Related Story: NFL Power Rankings Week 17: Did Mike Singletary Leave 49ers at the Back?

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Mike Singletary: 10 Teams That Could Use Him As Defensive Coordinator

The dismissal of former 49ers head coach Mike Singletary Sunday Night may have turned the heads of several NFL GMs.

Singletary leapfrogged the traditional coaching hierarchy when Mike Nolan was fired by Jed York.

The former Monster of the Midway was the 49ers linebackers coach and assistant head coach. He had a fiery disposition and strong charisma and was thus the logical candidate to be the team's interim head coach.

At season's end, Singletary held a 5-4 record as interim head coach, while the team itself was 7-9. The sensible move was to entrust the 49ers to the former Hall of Fame linebacker, and let him recreate the team in his image.

Blessed with 20/20 hindsight, we can now say with relative certainty that Singletary was not ready for the responsibility, and many agree he would have been better suited for defensive coordinator.

It's highly doubtful the NFL has seen the last of Samurai Mike, and there are at least ten teams who need a defensive coordinator enough to give the man an interview.

Having been a student of Buddy Ryan, Mike could find great comfort in coordinating a defense. After all, defense has been the mainstay of his entire career.

In fact, no one really ever questioned his ability—even as a coach—until offense entered the equation.

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Miami Heat's big-name trio to make temperatures soar | Robert Schatten

Capture of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh was a masterstroke, and now the South Beach franchise aim to cash in

The Miami Heat are having a summer to remember down on South Beach. It all started with their stupendous coup de grace in the first week of free agency, when the Heat managed to convince LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh ? three standout players among a stellar cast who were available this summer ? to agree to smaller contracts than they could have commanded.

In a league where money often has as much pulling power as location, James, Bosh and Wade ? who excelled together on the victorious USA team at the 2008 Olympics ? agreed to take $2-3m less per year than the maximum salary to play together in Miami.

Over the past two years, Miami, like many teams in the NBA, have planned meticulously for this summer. The possibility of landing one or more of the megastars on offer encouraged several teams to build a roster designed to disintegrate at the close of the 2009-10 season.

Entering the free-agency period, the Heat had only its two second-year players, Mario Chalmers and Michael Beasley, still under contract for 2010-11. On 1 July, the contracts of the rest of the Heat roster expired. The departure of the erratic Beasley, offloaded to Minnesota for future draft picks, shrank the payroll to just $2m. James, Wade and Bosh took up a combined $42m of the NBA's $56.1m salary cap, leaving the Heat, and revered general manager Pat Riley, to assemble a supporting cast on a shoestring budget.

Once the big-name trio had committed, and with Chalmers already under contract, Riley had around $15m remaining in available salary ? not much to recruit eight or nine players capable of helping carry the championship to South Beach. Initially there seemed little action to follow up the 'Miami Thrice's' arrival, but towards the end of last week, the Heat began reeling in new signings with remarkable speed.

The first to announce his commitment, unsurprisingly, was seven-year Heat player Udonis Haslem. A South Florida native Haslem, who like Wade has spent his entire NBA career on South Beach, received more lucrative offers from elsewhere but was always likely to return to the Heat. He has held an important position in the franchise over the last four years as the lynchpin and captain of a young, developing team, and won the hearts of Miami's fans in the process.

With Haslem's signature secured, the Heat stepped up their efforts to bolster the roster. On Friday and Saturday, they announced the arrivals of sharpshooter Mike Miller and centre Zydrunas Ilgauskas, signings which ate up the rest of the salary cap.

Under NBA rules, Miami could now only offer the veterans' minimum contract (which the league sets, and which increases according to how many years a player has been in the NBA) and could no longer afford to keep several promising young players, notably Daequan Cook and Dorell Wright.

Centres Joel Anthony and Dexter Pittman were signed to minimum deals on Sunday and the spree continued this week with forwards Jamaal Magloire, James Jones and Juwan Howard, and point guard Carlos Arroyo.

This week's arrivals go a long way to completing Miami's likely rotation for the forthcoming season. Guard/forward Miller, who will play a key role as the most respected three-point shooter on the roster, roomed with Haslem in college and was recruited by Wade. More than a few NBA coaches will likely turn to zone defences to keep James and Wade from penetrating inside and getting to the basket, which means Miller's ability to hit perimeter shots could be crucial to Miami's fortunes. James Jones, another wing player with a reputation as a three-point shooter, will perform a similar role so long as he can stay healthy, a major concern in the last two years.

Ilgauskas, the 7ft 3in Lithuanian who has spent all 11 of his NBA seasons with Cleveland, figures to become the starting centre for the Heat, a role he was occupying quite capably for the Cavaliers until Shaquille O'Neal's arrival last season. He will be backed up at the centre spot by Anthony, with second-round draft pick Pittman providing extra depth. Arroyo will compete with Chalmers for the starter's position at point guard, just as he did last season.

Magloire, who featured in just 21 games for Miami during an injury-hampered 2009-10 campaign, is on the roster as a backup option in case more than one of the others goes down with an injury. Howard proved last season with the injury-depleted Trail Blazers that he can still produce a solid contribution when called on, but at almost 37 years of age and entering his 17th NBA campaign, is seen as more of a solid veteran presence to bring experience to the dressing room.

On Draft night, the Heat made what could the most under-rated selection by taking multi-talented but fragile forward Da'Sean Butler in the second round. If Butler can prove his fitness, he has enough potential to be given a roster spot and the time to improve. That would take the Heat to 14 committed players and unless Riley has trades in mind, that will probably be the end of things.

In principle, the Heat shouldn't struggle to gel this roster. It has all the necessary components in place. The team is mostly assembled way ahead of training camp so time is on their side. The three superstars, James, Wade and Bosh, have proved before that they can perform spectacularly in tandem. In Haslem and Howard, Miami have proven leaders; Anthony, Ilgauskas and Miller fill the need any team has for a shot-blocker, rebounder and shooter, respectively. Jones, when healthy, is an extra threat on the wings, and Chalmers is an improving young point guard who will contribute energy and enthusiasm.

All Miami could want for now would be some extra depth at the guard spots, and a solid perimeter defender to take some of the workload off Wade and James. On paper, this team is certainly strong enough to challenge for a title, if only because there doesn't seem to be a defensive scheme which can handle the "Miami Thrice". As people pointed out when Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce united in Boston three years ago, you can't double-team three players.


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4Chan User Poll Is Total Garbage, Says Moot - Here Are 5 More Fake Website Polls

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A recent survey of 4chan, conducted by the user genkouhande, has been decried by 4chan founder Christopher "moot" Poole as "total garbage."

The poll covers things like demographics and sexual habits, and it does seem to confirm a lot of stereotypes about the site's audience. It says they're young, white and into pornography, and that they generally feel new users on 4chan are a bad thing. It also shows that 4chan users spend most of their time on the notorious "random" board, /b/, ignoring the site's 48 other boards.

Because this poll, total garbage or not, seems so spot-on when it comes to stereotyping 4chan users, we decided to conduct a few of our own extremely fake polls. We've made up our own results that reenforce what you already knew about popular websites like Yelp, Etsy and even YouPorn.

urlesque fake user polls of etsy yelp deviantart somethingawful and youporn

 

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'Glory Daze': Eli Channels 'Top Gun's' Tom Cruise to Get a Girl (VIDEO)

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Eli Uses 'Top Gun' Tips on 'Glory Daze''Top Gun' is all the rage for the 1980s college kids in 'Glory Daze' (Tue., 10PM ET on TBS). Eli decides to take several cues from the film to pick up a woman. In a white Navy uniform à la Tom Cruise, he struts past a tall, buxom blonde. She approaches him, saying breathily, "So you just point, wink, blow my mind and then leave me hanging?" He replies, "That's what we call a fly-by."

As they dance, they flirt in 'Top Gun' lingo. "Permission to go below the hard deck?" she asks. Permission granted.

 

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Adam Robinson Arrested for Marijuana Possession

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Adam Robinson, already suspended from the Hawkeyes and not with the team for Tuesday's Insight Bowl, was arrested and cited Monday night for possession of marijuana.

An Iowa state trooper stopped a vehicle in which Robinson was a passenger for a missing license plate, and detected the smell of marijuana from inside the car. After a search, marijuana was found. Robinson was released on his own recognizance and ordered to appear in court on Jan. 5.

Earlier in December, the team announced that Robinson would not play in the Insight Bowl against Missouri.

"While Adam has been cleared medically," Kirk Ferentz said on Dec. 14, referencing two concussions suffered by Robinson this season, "he will not be participating in the upcoming Insight Bowl game as a result of failing to comply with team expectations and policies. Adam will have the option to rejoin the team when classes resume in January."

Robinson was Iowa's leading rusher for the last two seasons, with 942 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.

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Video: Arsenal Climbs to Second Place With 3-1 Defeat of Chelsea

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arsenal chelseaArsenal confirmed its championship credentials, and Chelsea's were plunged into doubt, as the Gunners throttled their cross-town rivals, 3-1, on Tuesday at Emirates Stadium.

Chelsea, which started the Premier League season with five consecutive wins and looked like it would run away with its second straight title in September, now has gone winless in its past six straight league matches.

 

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No Loan for Landon Donovan This Winter

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landon donovanFatigued following a very busy year that included the World Cup, a long season with the Los Angeles Galaxy and his successful loan to Everton, Landon Donovan announced Tuesday afternoon that he won't be heading over to Europe during the current MLS offseason and that he'll focus on resting and preparing for the 2011 campaign.

Recent reports had linked the U.S. national team star to Newcastle United, Fulham and, of course, the Toffees (plus Manchester City over the summer).

"While I enjoyed my time at Everton last season and still appreciate all the support their fans have given me, I feel that it is important to continue to rest and recover this offseason as opposed to going on loan," Donovan said.

"I never considered being loaned to a club other than Everton, but I have been playing nearly non-stop for the past two years and I believe that this decision will allow me to perform at my best for the Galaxy and the national team throughout the upcoming year."

Donovan, 28, signed a new four-year contract with L.A. last December that pays him $2.1 million per year.

This year he played 10 games at Everton, eight with the national team and at least 29 with the Galaxy (not counting U.S. Open Cup and exhibitions). He spent January 2009 at Bayern Munich.

He was named U.S. Soccer athlete of the year on Monday.

"We think in the best interest of the club and the player that Landon continues his postseason break and begins preparations for what will be a challenging year in 2011 at both the domestic and international levels," Galaxy coach Bruce Arena said.

L.A. qualified for the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League, scheduled to take place next fall, by virtue of winning the MLS Supporters Shield last season.

The Galaxy are committed to keeping David Beckham around for the entire MLS season as well.

Following the English midfielder's comments over the weekend that he was interested in a stint in Europe that might keep him on Fabio Capello's national team radar, L.A. issued this statement to the Associated Press:

"We are not aware that David is looking to be loaned to any other team and we are fully expecting he reports with the rest of his Galaxy teammates in late January for the upcoming season."

 

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Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Small Talk: Luol Deng

The Chicago Bulls and Great Britain forward on Cesc F�bregas's future and why he'd like to live in the film Avatar

Hi Luol how are you? Good. How you doin?

How confident are you feeling about this summer's Eurobasket qualifiers? I'm excited, we've got a young team, a very athletic team. We lack some experience but I'd say it will be fun.

Is there more pressure on you with Great Britain than when you're playing with Chicago ? with you being the man and having to carry the team? Yeah, definitely. The other difference is that in Chicago it's 82 games, here it's eight games and you've got to qualify. These are really like play-off games. Every game if you lose, it really hurts you.

You personally are one of the big reasons to be hopeful about this GB basketball team's prospects at the 2012 Olympics, but we hear you're also pretty good at football. Clearly we need some help there too, so do you think you could be persuaded to switch codes? [Chortling] I think I've got to find out exactly where my skill level is. I haven't played since I was 14. Back then when I played I was really good at it. But it's been a while so I'd really have to test where I'm at.

Small Talk envisages a role for you as a big target man to replace Emile Heskey ... I played midfield and I played striker. I kinda played a little similar to [Patrick] Vieira but a lot of times I ended up playing striker.

You're known to be a big Arsenal fan. Do you think they should sell Cesc F�bregas? I think he's going to stay. I hope he does.

You must move in the same circles ? do you ever hang out with the guys on the team? I used to but I haven't in a while. Back when [Thierry] Henry was there I knew a lot of guys on the team then, I was going to practice and stuff. But the last person I really kept in touch with was Philippe Senderos. But I haven't spoken to him in a while.

What's the worst film you've ever seen? The worst? Nobody ever remembers the worst film they ever saw.

On the contrary, in Small Talk's experience everyone does. Nobody. I remember the best, I don't remember the worst. Damn, what's the worst movie I ever saw? See ? I don't remember the name.

What's the best, then? Recently Avatar was the best I've ever seen. I wanted to go and live there. If I could find Avatar I would leave right away and go live there.

Really? Not put off by the enormous dragons, shiny panthers and hamfisted scripting? I like all that though! If I go to Avatar, I'd have some long hair, I'd connect it to the horse, I'd get on the dragon. I wouldn't need gas. Gas costs a lot of money.

Small Talk likes to hope they're paying you enough in Chicago that you don't have to worry too much about gas money. [Laughs] Yeah, but still. If I'm in Avatar I won't need no money, I won't need no credit cards.

Do you believe in aliens then? I definitely do. I believe it's a big universe, there's something out there somewhere. I think whoever reaches the other one first will probably have the better technology.

Yeah, if they get here first we're probably toast, right? Well if they get here first they'll be able to go away and come back. We won't be able to chase them.

What would you do if you were invisible for a day? Wow. I wouldn't like to be invisible for a day. But if I was ? I'd probably be up to no good. I don't know if I can even say that, but I'd be up to no good.

Spying on people? I wouldn't spy on people but ? uh ? I don't know. You know I wouldn't want to be invisible I don't think. I don't like sneaking up on people.

OK, so you don't want to be invisible, but if you could have one super-power what would it be? I always used to say when I was younger that if I had one super-power I would want to read minds. But the older I got, now I really don't want to read minds because I don't want to know what the other person is thinking.

People think a lot of bad stuff ? Maybe I'd travel through time. I would go back all the way to my ancestors and see how it really was back then. I think I would love it ? it would just show you how they had no worries back then.

What's your favourite vegetable? Man, I hate vegetables.

But you're an athlete Luol, you have to eat a lot of vegetables. No, trust me, I eat a lot of vegetables, but I hate them. It's one of those things, it's like doing sit-ups. I hate to do sit-ups, but you know you're going to look good. So my favourite vegetable ? maybe carrot? Is carrot even a vegetable.

It certainly is. Cheese or chocolate. Chocolate, for sure.

Steak or cake? Cake.

Jam or jelly? Jam or jelly? Jam and jelly are the same thing.

Bah ? Small Talk was attempting to test your British credentials after so long in the States. Nah, I go for jam innit.

Good man. Lastly, can you tell us a joke? Can I tell you a joke? Nah, I can't think of one. I really can't ? you've put me on the spot. Even though I joke a lot, I can't think of one.

How about you tell us about the best locker room prank you've seen in your time as a player? One time a rookie ? I'm not going to tell you his name ? was trying to be smart so what the vets did was they took his clothes from the locker room while he showered after the game. And you know after the game you have nothing there. The equipment guy takes everything away and you have to go out because your family's waiting. But he just stayed there for hours. Eventually the equipment guy, who had gone home, had to come back to the stadium because he just wouldn't leave.

A classic manoeuvre. Thanks for all your time Luol, good luck with the qualifiers. Appreciate it, thanks.

British Basketball and the GB Men's and Women's team are sponsored by Standard Life, the leading long term savings and investments company. Standard Life has over 6 million customers worldwide and provides an extensive range of products and services, aimed at meeting the financial requirements of customers throughout their lives.


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