Fans of the mothership 'Law & Order' take note: Alana De La Garza is joining the cast of NBC's struggling 'Law & Order: Los Angeles.' Hooray! And it gets better: She's playing her 'Law & Order' character, ADA Connie Rubirosa.
According to Deadline Hollywood, the L&O veteran completes the casting overhaul that began with the dismissal of three actors and and the move of Alfred Molina's character to detective.
De La Garza joined 'Law & Order' in season 17 and was with the show until it ended in May 2010.
"I hope fans of the 'mothership' will be happy to see the return of Alana's character, Connie Rubirosa, one of the longest-running assistant prosecutors on 'Law & Order,'" Dick Wolf, the show's creator, said. "Alana has a huge following and it will be interesting to follow her character as she comes to terms with Los Angeles justice."
In other casting news ...
o. William Petersen will return to 'CSI.' An upcoming story features Grissom's mother and wife, Sara, but CBS did not confirm if Petersen will appear in that episode. The actor left the series in 2009. [Entertainment Weekly]
o. Laura Vandervoort is returning to 'Smallville.' The 'V' star will reprise her Supergirl role in one of the final five episodes of the hit CW series. [TVLine]
o. Jordana Brewster is the new face of 'Dallas.' The 'Fast and the Furious' star will play Elena, the daughter of the ranch's cook who is in a love triangle with J.R.'s son, John Ross, and Bobby and Pam Ewing's son, Christopher. [Deadline Hollywood]
To promote Katy Perry's upcoming guest spot on 'How I Met Your Mother,' Neil Patrick Harris tweeted these promos he filmed with Perry. What's weird is that instead of clips from the show, they're 'Saturday Night Live'-style promos, with Perry announcing her appearance and Harris making funny quips as himself (but channeling his character, Barney).
It's all very strange -- couldn't the show have released some actual footage? Or is Perry's acting that questionable? Still, we're excited for next week's episode, especially since HIMYM is a repeat tonight. View the clip after the jump.
Super Bowl XLV: 10 Most Ridiculous Quotes in Super Bowl Media Day History
Media day is always a wild scene leading up to the Super Bowl. Not only are the football players ready to let lose and give some funny quotes, the media is also in rare form.
When it comes to media day, you can typically count on a few strange media members who have no intention of even watching the Super Bowl, but who want to make a scene.
Well, that annual rite of passage for the Super Bowl teams is just a day away meaning now is a good time to look back at past media days to remember some of the more ridiculous moments in media day history.
So without further ado, here are the ten most ridiculous quotes in media day history.
ORLANDO, Fla. - This isn't the worst thing to happen to Cleveland Cavaliers coach Byron Scott. It's not even the worst basketball thing.
Not even close.
Scott may have won three NBA championships as a player and reached the NBA Finals twice as a head coach, but he is no stranger to tough basketball times.
Scott and his Cavs lost their 20th consecutive game Sunday night, 103-87, to the Magic, leaving them just three away from the NBA record for consecutive losses - set by a team on which Scott played a key role.
Scott may have found fame playing alongside Magic Johnson as part of the Showtime Los Angeles Lakers, but he also spent one miserable season with the first-year expansion Vancouver Grizzlies, which lost 23 consecutive games during the 1995-96 season.
I don't think many of us understand how devastating and sacrilegious it is for a Mormon to break up a marriage. We're having enough trouble understanding how the whole polygamist sex schedule might work. So imagine the the worst possible thing that could happen to your family and double that, because that's what Bill Henrickson is on the precipice of.
His first wife is questioning the very faith that brought them together, his third wife is having an identity crisis, and, to make matters worse, his second wife would love nothing more than to be the only one left standing. And here I thought relationships were difficult when you don't like the same kinds of movies.
Members of the New York Cosmos' office staff -- the only people currently employed by the soccer club without a team -- began arriving at their Manhattan headquarters at 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Selling a product that doesn't exist is mighty hard work.
By that time, the British media already was in a lather over the late-night announcement that the company/logo had hired former Manchester United forward, Nike pitchman, occasional actor and dime-store philosopher Eric Cantona as director of soccer.
The Atlanta Falcons had stars all over the map in the 2011 Pro Bowl yesterday. Mike Smith coached the NFC All-Stars, Matt Ryan was the top quarterback, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez were the top contributors in the passing game, and Michael Turner was also solid at running back.
What does this prove? It makes it look like the Falcons are an outstanding team who was able to crush the AFC without a second thought. In reality, it means very little. The Packers did not take part in the Pro Bowl, so once you take our their offense, the Falcons' players are, for the most part, the obvious choices to list as starters.
Beyond that, there were no Steelers on the field for the AFC, so the best defense was sitting at home. Outplaying Champ Bailey and Haloti Ngata is all well and good, but it's a far cry from Troy Polamalu or Brett Keisel, or James Harrison for that matter.
That's not to say the Falcons as emerged as the best team. They did in this year's Pro Bowl. At best though, it shows that they are the third best team in the league right now, and that's if you believe the Pro Bowl means that much. If you saw the Alex Mack run, you know that it certainly does not.
The coverage, analysis and forecasting ahead of the MLS SuperDraft may increase with every passing year, but as Thursday's proceedings in Baltimore so-clearly illustrated, the event is as unpredictable as ever.
While the experts debated whether University of Akron's Darlington Nagbe or Perry Kitchen would be the first overall pick, the Vancouver Whitecaps were heading in a completely different direction.
With the top selection, Vancouver chose striker Omar Salgado, a raw 17-year-old striker with enticing skills and physical tools who may not even be eligible until September. Nagbe and Kitchen may be considered can't-miss talents, but the Whitecaps had no qualms about passing them over in favor of an uncertain long-term project.
The History, Discovery and Learning Channels are no longer anything like they used to be. Everyone knows this. Compare their lineups. It's a regular internet joke. Sometimes done well, sometimes not.
In this one-minute clip, the Learning Channel gets mocked in a deadpan parody that doesn't oversell its jokes. I snorted.
Last night's 'Saturday Night Live' was hardly what you'd call a Mark Zuckerberg Production, but it did feature a spirited cameo from the Facebook co-founder.
As predicted, Zuckerberg wasn't about to let Jesse Eisenberg -- newly Oscar-nominated for playing the young lawsuit magnet in 'The Social Network' -- hog the 'SNL' spotlight.
During the 27-year-old actor's stammering monologue about his faux bravado in nervewracking situations, a hoodie-clad Andy Samberg sidled onstage impersonating Zuckerberg. And while they bantered, 'SNL' impresario Lorne Michaels stood offstage, wondering which joker was actually the 26-year-old Time Person of the Year.
By Lorne's side? The real deal.
Zuck delivered his punch lines with a grin ("Those guys are such nerds. I invented 'poking!'"), and soon stepped onstage as Samberg skedaddled ("Wait, have you two not met? Awkward!").
It was a stilted summit meeting, but as a Winklevoss might put it, very collegial ... in a dorky way ... where one of the dorks is a bazillionaire.
Someone said something shocking on a TNT NBA studio show Thursday night. No shock there, not with Charles Barkley as one of the analysts.
Except, the stunning statement didn't happen in a studio, but rather on the floor of Madison Square Garden. And it wasn't said by Barkley, but by comedian Tracy Morgan, who made the startling declaration that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was attractive.
Really, really attractive.
Here's the set-up: Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson were conducting business at MSG in advance of the Miami Heat-New York Knicks game, which TNT televised. The trio were discussing the pending NBA All-Star Game and Thursday's announcement of the Eastern and Western Conference starters, when Morgan, who stars in the NBC sitcom "30 Rock" happened by their makeshift set.
Barkley and Smith asked Morgan whom he thought merited inclusion on the All-Star roster. Then Morgan was asked to choose between Palin and Tina Fey, who created "30 Rock," and has impersonated Palin on "SNL."
That's when Morgan said that Palin, the former Republican vice presidential nominee was "good masturbation material." It may have marked one of the few times that the normally loquacious Barkley has ever been speechless.
TNT, however, recovered quickly, issuing a statement from spokesman Jeff Pomeroy that read: "It's unfortunate Mr. Morgan showed a lack of judgment on our air with his inappropriate comments."
But despite the rocky start to his career, sources close to the situation have confirmed to FanHouse that Crittenton will attempt to get his NBA career back on track after recently signing a contract to play in the NBA D-League. The 6-foot-5 guard won't clear waivers until Thursday, only then learning where he'll be playing the rest of this season.
Team president Larry Bird announced the firing Sunday, saying: "This isn't all on Jim. All of us share in the responsibility for where we're at and where we need to go."
Assistant coach Frank Vogel will take over the team on an interim basis.
O'Brien and the Pacers sport a 17-27 record, ranking 10th in the East. The team is also reeling of late, losing their past eight games.
O'Brien was 121-169 in four seasons with the Pacers. Despite the poor output, the Pacers' best player in his coaching days was Danny Granger - an All-Star talent, but more help was clearly needed as players such Roy Hibbert and Darren Collison continue to struggle.
Vogel has been a scout for the Los Angeles Lakers and Washington Wizards, and also served as an assistant coach for O'Brien in Philadelphia and Boston. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Washington Capitals have changed their system to focus more on defense in order to be more successful during the playoffs but will that shift pay off? During the month of December the Capitals finished with a record of 5-6-3, which included an eight game losing streak. Washington followed up December with a 5-3-4 record in January and sit in fifth spot overall in the Eastern Conference. The Capitals were shutout three times in January and only scored two or fewer goals in seven of the 12 games. This new system has fantasy players so frustrated as they drafted Capitals expecting a lot of offense. Alexander Ovechkin scored just nine points and Nicklas Backstrom scored ten points in the month of January. Only time will tell if the Capitals are on the right path to the Stanley Cup.
Here is some great information for helping you to decide who to dress for the upcoming fantasy hockey week.
Aaron Brouwer is the co-creator of www.fantasyhockeycoach.com. FHC is a free fantasy hockey service that developed a ranking system combining post-lockout statistics, current factors and our own hockey knowledge. Brouwer writes about the Calgary Flames on Bleacher Report. You can contact Coach Brouwer at brouwer@fantasyhockeycoach.com.
Emmanuel Adebayor has joined Real Madrid on loan for the remainder of the La Liga season. With Los Blancos having the option to retain his services in the future. The Togolese striker has great size and pace; however, Adebayor has yet prove he has the goal scoring prowess on the biggest stages of world football.
He has caused controversy everywhere he has been, most notably demanding more money from Arsene Wenger and falling out of first team football and fighting with Roberto Mancini at Manchester City.
With Madrid's defensive struggles so far this season, they felt it was a necessity to sign a big name striker on loan than securing their woes in the back line. This was primarily due to an injury to Gonzalo Higuain and continued turmoil with Karim Benzema up front.
Here are some players who could offer an immediate impact and sure up the back without disrupting team continuity and chemistry in the process.
It's been a busy month for Jennifer Love Hewitt: She attended her first Golden Globes award ceremony as a nominee (receiving a Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or a Motion Picture Made for Television nod for the Lifetime movie 'The Client List'), she co-stars with Betty White in the sweet Hallmark movie 'The Lost Valentine' (Jan. 30, 8PM ET, CBS) and, once again, she's made headlines this week with the story of how she's already picked out her own engagement ring.
RALEIGH, N.C. -- There has been a threefold increase in games lost due to concussions suffered through accidental collisions in the NHL this season, an alarming trend commissioner Gary Bettman noted before the NHL SuperSkills competition at RBC Center on Saturday.
"The ideal number of concussions would be zero," Bettman said. "Our objective would be to come as close as possible to get that result without changing the fundamentals of our game. We are doing whatever possible to limit the amount of concussions."
Concussions suffered in fights and through hits delivered to the body where a player's head then strikes the glass, boards or ice have also increased this season. Bettman refused to disclose the specific numbers.
He added that the number of concussions from blindside hits to the head was down, largely due to the rule implemented last March that barred such collisions. Hits to the head deemed legal under NHL rules have also resulted in fewer man games lost, according to Bettman.
Cliff Lee hasn't even thrown a single pitch for the Phillies since signing his contract in December, yet the discussion surrounding him has been rampant -- at least if you're the Rangers and the Yankees, two teams he decided against playing for this offseason.
Yankees president Randy Levine thinks otherwise and became the latest Yankees front office member -- first came Brian Cashman, then Hal Steinbrenner -- to grab some headlines in a very quiet offseason for a team normally the subject of many.
"I think Chuck is delusional," Levine told ESPNewYork.com. "He has been running the Rangers for a few minutes and seems to believe he's mastered what everyone else is thinking. I think he should let Cliff Lee speak for himself."
"I'll be impressed when he demonstrates he can keep the Rangers off welfare," Levine said. "What I mean is make them not be a revenue-sharing recipient for three years in a row, without taking financing from baseball or advance money from television networks. Then I'll be impressed."
All that matters at this point is that the Phillies saw an opportunity to nab the All-Star lefty -- and they seized it. All to the chagrin of two seemingly bitter franchises.
The Rangers finished with a payroll at just over $55 million last season, while the Yankees topped in at just over $206 million. Regardless of Levine's comments, Greenberg probably thinks his Rangers had the last laugh over the Yankees in the ALCS. However, neither was able to one-up the other this offseason by reeling in the prize of free agent market.
Houston Marathon 2011: Why Have Marathons Become So Popular?
Running a marathon is something that most people didn't do. However, in recent years, the popularity of marathons has exploded and become more accessible to the common person.
One of the reasons is the fitness culture that we live in. People are more focused on healthy living and running and completing a marathon is something that is a badge of honor and a statement to the level of fitness that you have as a person.
Everyone wants to be able to say they ran a marathon and brag to their friends about doing it, that never hurt the popularity of a sport. Not only that, but with charities getting behind these events, giving back to the community and supporting causes for less fortunate people or trying to find cures for illnesses is something that a lot of people support and motivates people to try and makes things easier for the world around them.
Would you ever run a marathon?
Running a marathon is one of the hardest things you can do and is a major accomplishment that we've seen done more often by people like you and me.
The New Jersey Nets star on the NBA coming to London, reading Harry Potter and his favourite pasta shape
Welcome to London, Devin ... It's a pleasure to be here.
Yeah, maybe for you. Have you had a good look around? Not so much. I saw Big Ben, and I think we drove past Buckingham Palace yesterday, but that was as much as I've got to see. I've had a good look around my hotel.
But the good news is you'll be back in March, and actually playing some basketball ... Yeah, I'm really looking forward to it. The crowds here are great. We played here two years ago against Miami and the crowd was amazing then. I watch a little bit of football on TV so I know a little bit what to expect from you guys.
Do you think Britain is ready to become a nation of basketballaholics? I do think it could take off. People are curious enough, and I think it's popular enough already.
Are we more likely to fall for basketball than you are to take up football? I think it's even. America already loves soccer. A lot of my friends played it when they were kids.
So you'll be back here regularly from now on? I think that's the trend they're trying to start ? to follow in the NFL's footsteps, have two different teams play here every year, try to globalise the game. When you see it up close and personal as opposed to on TV, it's got more of an effect.
Will the rest of Europe/the world get a visit too, or is it a special treat just for us? I think the goal is for it to go to other European cities. It's sort of a test run here and then it can expand. I think pretty soon you'll see every NBA team play at least two games a season overseas.
Won't they miss you back in wherever-it-is-you-play? I don't think so. We're moving to a new building and a new city ? they haven't had us for that long so I don't think they'll miss us for a couple of days.
The last time you were here, some English bloke took the mickey out of you on a practise court and the video went viral. Some people thought it was all a set-up arranged by Adidas. What's the truth? I believe it was arranged. Still, I let him get past me too easily and the video was a bit embarrassing. I learned a valuable lesson. Actually I ran into his brother yesterday ? he did an interview with me. We're trying to set up a rematch right now ? I think I'll take that one a little bit more seriously.
And what ? other than revenge ? are your goals for the season? For the team, the target's always to get into the play-offs. Me, I'm trying to get into my all-star form that I had two years ago.
Your other famous moment was a 47-foot buzzer-beater last year that is now known as "the Harris Heave". Do you practise that kind of stuff? Not really, that's just down to instinct.
So if you tried that shot 10 times, how many would go in? I'd say out of 10 I'd hit at least three.
That's pretty good going. Who'd get more, though? Who's the best basketball player in the entire world? Got to be Kobe Bryant. He's been up there a while now.
Enough about basketball, what was the last concert you went to? I believe the last one I went to was Alicia Keys, but I go to a fair amount. I'm going to see Eminem and Jay-Z play together at Yankee Stadium next week.
And what was the last thing you saw at the cinema? I just went to see Inception the other day. It was pretty good, but I hear it's better the second time around so I might have to see it again.
Do you read much? Is there a book you could recommend to Small Talk's avid readership? The last book I read was the last Harry Potter. I think you guys have all read it already.
You've got a pretty intricate tattoo going on down your arm. What's that of exactly? That's kind of my conscience. It's just there with me, all the time. I wouldn't say I designed it but I had a hand in it, me and the tattoo artist himself.
Cheese or chocolate? Well, I'm from Wisconsin so I've got to say cheese.
No it isn't. Small Talk has never heard of cheese from Wisconsin? It's true. I think Wisconsin cheddar's the big one.
What's your favourite pasta shape? I like Fettucini Alfredo, so it's fettucini, right?
Fettucini, you say. An intriguing choice. And who would win a fight between a lion and a tiger? A lion ? he's the king of the jungle.
A popular yet considered answer. I'd better give you a little time for souvenir shopping before you head home. Thanks Small Talk. I'll get a souvenir if I can find one.
Good luck Devin, bye! Bye!
NBA Games ? London 2011 will see the New Jersey Nets take on the Toronto Raptors at The O2 on March 4 and 5, 2011 in the first ever NBA Regular Season Games in Europe. Tickets are now on sale at www.theo2.co.uk.
Hello, ladies! The Old Spice Guy, Isaiah Mustafa, is back with a new YouTube video. He's online again to announce that he's made a campaign of new advertisements that "carry an entertainment value that is second to none."
The only preview we have of these new ads is a glimpse into Isaiah's deep brown eyes. And for most of us, that's enough. I can't wait to see what the new ads have in store, because the Old Spice Guy ads have been consistently great, and I'm sure these body-wash marketing geniuses have come up with some creative new way to show off Mr. Mustafa's infuriatingly perfect body.
LONDON (AP) -- One of British soccer's leading television commentators was fired Tuesday, a day after being taken off the air and temporarily suspended for making sexist remarks about a female match official.
Andy Gray, the face of Sky Sports' soccer coverage for the past two decades, was dismissed by the broadcaster after "new evidence of unacceptable and offensive behavior" that took place off-air last month.
The former Scotland striker and broadcast colleague Richard Keys had been reprimanded and removed from duty Monday for making derogatory comments about lineswoman Sian Massey, former referee Wendy Toms and West Ham executive Karren Brady.
"Andy Gray's contract has been terminated for unacceptable behavior," Sky Sports managing director Barney Francis said Tuesday. "We have no hesitation in taking this action after becoming aware of new information today."
As fellow Bleacher Report writer Joe M. wrote, it has been reported that Kevin Nash and Booker T have re-signed with the WWE. Click here to read more, I'll warn you it does involve *SPOILERS.*
Most people hate this move, but not me.
First of all, TNA is now screwed. The "they" was supposed to be a reunited Main Event Mafia, and without Nash and Booker T, the only available former Mafia member is Sting. If TNA chooses to go with Steiner and Sting as "they," it would look awful.
Now to the WWE; if this turns out to be longer than one night only, it gives the WWE some much needed established talent. Lately, they've been struggling with having almost exclusively young talent.
They now bring in guys that don't have to be built up, just reintroduced. Will reintroducing be an issue with the younger fan base? Probably, but that's an easy fix.
It adds fresh blood to the roster and gives them many new options for feuds. It's been a while since both Booker and Nash have been in the WWE, so the roster has changed drastically.
In Nash's case, he left in 2003. If you want an idea of the turnover on the roster, go look at the WWE roster from 2003.
Both of these guys can have fresh feuds with younger talent and put guys over. I'm not implying they should be jobbers, but you can find a nice mix. I'm not sure if egos will get in the way of that, I guess we'll have to wait and see.
What are your thoughts on the WWE bringing back Kevin Nash and Booker T? Good move or bad move? Thanks for reading!
Like my writing? Now you can check out my brand new blog, Sports 24/7. Soon, this site will have many articles I don't publish on Bleacher Report. It's a work in a progress, so if it doesn't satisfy you yet, there will be more to come!
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.
SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State's first loss of the basketball season isn't without potential benefits, for either me or the Aztecs.
l'm less likely to hear weird hippie music when the next basketball polls come out. As SDSU climbed to fourth nationally, each poll seemed a hallucination of Grateful Dead magnitude.
San Diego State above blue bloods Kentucky, Connecticut and North Carolina? Like visions of tangerine trees and marmalade skies.
Earthy clarity may also be a dividend for coach Steve Fisher and his Aztecs (20-1) from Wednesday's 13-point loss at No. 9 Brigham Young. Better to win, sure, but better to discover the fault lines now than in the NCAA Tournament, where the Aztecs are 0-6.
The best BYU team in 20 years, despite trailing at halftime, schooled SDSU at times. "Very well-coached" and "very well put together" is how Aztecs point guard D.J. Gay described the Cougars (20-1) Friday.
The carousel of Miami Heat guards shuffling constantly in and out of lineup coupled with injuries the team has suffered recently has now brought Eddie House back to being a steady contributor to the team who originally drafted him back in 2000.
Though slowed by a right ankle sprain that limited his minutes against the New York Knicks on Thursday, House stepped up and provided a much-needed boost off the bench to continue building on his blossoming production as of late. Putting aside the Knicks game, he's averaged 13.3 points and scored in double figures in all of the games along with knocking down 14 three-pointers.
Relegated to spectator during the Heat's dominant stretch for the last month and a half, House chose to stay positive and be ready if coach Erik Spoelstra needed him.
"Of course it's tough when you're not playing," admitted House after helping the Heat to a much-needed win against the scrappy Detroit Pistons with 15 points. "But that's the thing about it, you sit there and look at it in a negative light then when your number gets called you'll probably have negative results."
LeBron James has announced that he will sign for the Miami Heat. Bringing an end to weeks of speculation, James made the announcement live in an hour-long TV special, revealing that "this fall I am going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat". The deal is expected to make James, 25, one of the richest sportsmen in the world and could earn him over $100m in salary alone.
James, who plays as a small forward, was a free agent after spending seven years with the Cleveland Cavaliers, his hometown club. As one of the biggest names in basketball, he received offers from several clubs, including the New York Knicks and the Chicago Bulls. However, he opted to sign for the team he believed will give him "the best opportunity to win and to win now and to win in the future. Winning is a huge thing for me".
He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2003-04 and NBA Most Valuable Player in both 2008-09 and 2009-10. In 2007 he took Cleveland to the NBA Finals, where they were beaten by 4-0 by the San Antonio Spurs. However, he never managed to lead the Cavaliers to an NBA title, and he cited his belief that Miami have "a great chance of winning and winning for multiple years" as his primary reason for joining them. He will join up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who committed to the Heat on Wednesday, and together, James predicted, they will make a "real good team".
Speculation concerning the destination of 'King James', as he has been nicknamed, has dominated the media coverage in the US over recent weeks. It reached such a fever pitch that it even impacted on the options market, with interest exploding in Madison Square Garden options earlier in the day as speculation linked James with the New York Knicks, owned by MSG. President Barack Obama, a Chicago Bulls fan, joined the debate by suggesting James "would fit in pretty well" at the Bulls. However, the hype and publicity surrounding his announcement turned the move into a drawn-out saga, and many will be relieved that the 'The Summer of LeBron' is finally over.
A number of other deals have been announced today - deadline day for free agents - including four-time NBA All-Star Joe Johnson signing a six-year, $123.7m deal with the Atlanta Hawks. Two-time All-Star forward Carlos Boozer joined Chicago Bulls in a sign-and-trade deal with Utah Jazz for a reported $75m over five years. Jazz spokesman Jonathan Rinehart said Utah sent him along with a future protected second-round pick to the Bulls for a trade exception. In a busy day for the Bulls, they received the rights to the Washington Wizards' Belarusian Vladimir Veremeenko in exchange for guard Kirk Hinrich and the draft rights of first-round pick Kevin Seraphin.
So if you've seen Showtime's hit series Dexter, you're familiar with a couple of recurring schticks that no one ever seems to acknowledge as ridiculous. For instance, the fact that talking to Deb is like playing Mad Libs with swear words, or that Miami Metro is really horrible at giving their serial killers catchy names.
Well thank goodness the people over at LandlineTV have put together a pitch-perfect parody, because even if you haven't seen an episode I feel like you'll be able to appreciate the greatness. That, and it saves you the time of actually having to watch Dexter.
James's move to the Miami Heat with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade heralds a new era. Now sport stars create their own teams
As someone who grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, I understand the anger of Cleveland fans over the decision of the city's superstar basketball player, LeBron James, to leave Ohio in order to join the Miami Heat. Cleveland's great institutions ? the Cleveland Orchestra, the Cleveland Art Museum, the Cleveland Clinic ? evoke pride but not much joy. Pro-sports are what make the news and unite Clevelanders.
When I was in junior high school, students were allowed to skip class and go to the opening day baseball game of the Cleveland Indians. All we had to do was show our teacher that our parents had bought us a ticket. Supporting the team, like paying local sales taxes, was looked on as a civic duty.
What is hard to understand in the case of LeBron James is the rage of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert. "As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier," Gilbert wrote in an open letter to Cleveland fans. "This shocking act of disloyalty from our home grown 'chosen one' sends the exact opposite lesson of what we would want our children to learn."
All this rage is coming from a man who regularly buys and sells players. On the surface, it seems little more than the hypocrisy of a businessman who had a deal fall through. But behind Gilbert's rage is more than hypocrisy. What infuriated Gilbert was that his money wasn't enough to retain the services of LeBron James. James and two other friends from the American Olympic basketball team, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade, decided that they wanted to become the nucleus of the best team in professional basketball.
Driving the three players was a perfectionist's view of the game itself. Their combined salaries ? each will receive more than $100m over the next six years ? were actually $15m less than they might have got through maximum deals with separate teams.
In basketball, as in most professional sports, it is owners working with general managers who are traditionally responsible for assembling a team. James, Bosh and Wade, in remaking the Miami Heat, were, in effect, saying that idea is old hat. Owners are not the only ones who can put together a great team. Talented players can do the same job just as well.
In one of the few businesses in America in which workers have greater name recognition than the executives who pay them, the result has been a sports revolution. Owners such as Dan Gilbert have now been warned: the old formula for making a profit based on fielding mediocre teams and charging high ticket prices is in jeopardy. Players who want to see their sport played at the highest level can create their own teams. The example set by James, Bosh and Wade can be duplicated by others.
Kim Clijsters claimed her fourth Grand Slam on Saturday, defeating Li Na in what was one of the better women’s finals of recent years.
Li raced out to an opening set lead from her solid power-hitting base, but Clijsters responded, reacted and changed her game to take the final two sets and, with it, her first ever Happy Slam title.
Clijsters’ comeback hinged on much more than unforced errors, instead featuring elite defense and a series of tactical moves and inch-perfect ground strokes that battered Li into submission.
Here’s a brief breakdown and analysis of a few ways Clijsters toppled Li and truly earned the right to call herself “Aussie Kim.”
Li Na made the most of the break point chances she earned in the first set, but it was all set up by decent serving, backhands down the line and cross-court forehands.
Although Li’s first-serve percentage (62 percent) was below her tournament average (70 percent), it was clear that her gameplan was to attack the Clijsters forehand with the first serve and then go to the backhand with the slower second serve.
The image on the left shows the service pattern (with first serves highlighted with red dots), while the graphic on the right shows the winners that she hit.
Clijsters, usually so strong from the baseline on the backhand side, didn't seem to have a great idea what to do with the hard, flat ground strokes of Li, and she made a number of unexpected errors from the middle of the court that seemed out of character.
The graphic below shows that Clijsters struggled most when she was dealing not with angled balls hit to the edges of the court, but with low balls deep on her backhand wing.
These weren't generally shots where she was trying to lace a winner, rather just balls that she was trying to return deep to put pressure on Li.
Second Set
After falling behind 2-3, Clijsters reeled off four consecutive games to tie the match up at a set apiece and force a decider for the championship.
She was serving better, returning more aggressively and really going for her shots and that really proved to be a decisive factor, as Li's game remained more or less unchanged.
Maybe just as important as her decision to mix up her game with slices, topspin forehands and looped returns was her ability to pull Li outside the court to open up space for her forehand.
I counted six forehand winners from the baseline and a couple more volleys at the net as Clijsters really started to beat Li at her own game.
Just as Li sent down a barrage of baseline winners in the second set of her semifinal against Caroline Wozniacki, Clijsters did exactly the same.
On the left is a graphic showing Clijsters' second-set winners against Li, while the one on the right shows Li's second-set winners against Wozniacki for comparison.
Note the similarities in the ability to hit clean winners from short balls, to put away chances at the net and the skill to hit precisely to either court off either wing.
Li knew Clijsters was going to hit a lot of winners from the forehand wing (she had 66 in her other matches) and it proved to be how she fought back into things today.
Li was looking really comfortable at a set and 2-2, so it;s no surprise that Clijsters went back to what she feels most comfortable with.
One final observation from that second set was about Li's return game. She came into the final having won more points on an opponent's first serve than anybody else in the tournament.
She had the right idea to be patient with Clijsters in the first set when the Belgian was struggling mightily on serve, but she made absolutely no changes when Clijsters upped her first-serve percentage to 72 percent in the second.
As you can see, she was being much less aggressive on the second serve in the deuce court in the second set (right), and because Clijsters was making a lot more serves up the middle, Li really couldn't get comfortable in one spot as she could in the first, when she knew that every serve at 15-15 or deuce was coming right into her happy zone on the forehand.
Third Set
If you want to talk about how efficient Clijsters was in that third set, look no further than the fact that she dropped just one point on her first serve and that she made just five unforced errors to Li's 15.
Li began pressing and trying to hit her way back into contention, but Clijsters' defense was remarkable and her forehand held up under the scrutiny of the big points.
She got into the court to attack balls that were coming back with little pace, and just as she hit deep winners down the line, she also used the angles to go cross court with passing shots.
Between better serving, a more reliable forehand, an adaptable gameplan, fewer unforced errors from the baseline and a rugged determination not to let any balls get past her, Clijsters was able to see off Li 6-3 in the third to etch her name onto the trophy and forever into history.
A major knee injury, lengthy rehab and his subsequent banishment to the furthest end of AC Milan's bench haven't left U.S. national team center back Oguchi Onyewu with much to be happy about over the past 18 months.
So it's no surprise the 28-year-old seemed ecstatic after playing 90 minutes and scoring a goal in a friendly against a German fourth-division club.
Making his first appearance with FC Twente since signing a loan deal earlier in the week, Onyewu went the distance and nodded home a corner kick during the Dutch champion's 2-2 draw with Sportfreunde Lotte on Saturday.
He tweeted afterward: "First friendly match with FC Twente, and your boy has already notched his first goal! We tied 2-2. Back on track! God is GREAT!!! BLESS!!!"
Dear Mother, Father, Carol, Sue, Uncle Rodney, Aunt Clarissa, and everyone at the Pineview Commune of Greater Appalachia,
Good grief! It's been a very interesting month for me in the booming metropolis of West Salem Falls: cars occasionally pass my house (what a thrill! I wait all day for this, when will it get old? Never), I had synthetic wool carpeting installed, I bought beans at the general store (get a load of this one: a SUPER market!), and today I bought my very first Word Processing Machine. I know, I know. But it's very hard to figure things out in this humming urban matrix. I can't just walk out my front door and stop a friendly neighbor to ask them, "Hey! What the heck is a light bulb?"I tried, actually, but the woman who was passing by at the time thought I was attempting to know her carnally. I tried again at the Super Market and was met with derisive laughter. Someone suggested I "Google" it. I was escorted into the camps of the local defense, The Salvation Army. All of the officers appeared to be off-duty and none were armed, but I was cautious nonetheless and readied myself for interrogation. Instead they offered me a used Word Processing Machine for only $45, and pressed into my hand a business card of a man named Ezekiel (how funny because as you know, especially Mother and Father, my name is also Ezekiel!) who they told me would "hook me up." I was afraid this other Ezekiel would tether me to a loaded cart or something of that nature, but instead what he "hooked up" was my Word Processing Machine! And what wonders I have found since he did, on a place he calls the Inner Net.
I have a hard time describing what happened to my Word Processing Machine after it became "hooked up": Ezekiel tried to contain his amazement, though I could not contain mine, at the fact that I seem to have mistakenly bought a Word Processing Machine that comes equipped with almost twenty years of backlogged scholarly material. "Who put this on there!" I yelled to Ezekiel, who was in the kitchen fixing himself a cup of water from the steel stream, "Boil that water first to get rid of the bugs!" He suggested I Google myself, but when I started to, he said that wasn't what he'd meant. He stayed for hours, so flummoxed was he by the machine I had bought, giving me a tour of the Inner Net's most impressive library. I can't wait to share what I have learned with you!
Most fascinating to me was the documentary film museum Your Tube. A tremendous thing, able to capture actual footage from the past, present, and -- I didn't believe it either! -- future. Imagine, being able to see real cave men in their natural habitat! I don't know how they do it! But I witnessed it, and it was astounding. Better than any museum or zoo, though I missed the ability to purchase snacks to enjoy along wtih the entertainment.
Another gem that I would not be foolish not to report: did you know that these documentarians managed to find a real, honest-to-goodness alien here on earth? He is a comedian (the alien) but most definitely an extra-terrestrial first and foremost. Father, I am glad you built that moat around the cabin last October, because you're right: aliens DO have claws, and I remain unconvinced that this alien, though humorous, is completely docile. I came away feeling that this little documentary had taught me an important survival skill. A tremendous achievement!
Ezekiel allowed me to absorb these revelations in the washroom. When I emerged, pale and with eyes full of wonder, I bid him goodbye as I could not wait to read all of Your Tube and to view its dozens (even hundreds!) of documentaries. I was itching to see dinosaurs, pilgrims, and even talking animals who speak both English and Japanese, but Ezekiel told me that there were even MORE treasures inside my new/used Word Processing Machine! "Ezekiel," he said, "have you ever read a block?"
"Ezekiel!" I answered. "I use those to build walls around my herds of sheep! I may have grown up sheltered and old-fashioned, but please, I know what blocks are!"
He explained that these are not blocks, but bogs. Surely, I explained, I know what bogs are, since the tsetse flies destroyed Pineview's cranberry harvest last year. He insisted that he was talking about something else: a book written in the first person with literally zillions of pages, telling the story of a family that spans generations, written by a young man named Gawker Media who lives in New York City, New York. I am enthralled: how does Mr. Media find time to work on this book all day, every day? Some of his prose is extremely well-developed (I think the book is called Keep Calm and Carry On, which of course is a World War II morale-boosting reference, but there's little about the war itself, so far. I'm only a few hundred pages in), other pages are indecipherable. He seems to know many languages, and there are lots of people who release their images to him so that he can build characters around them. He must have tremendous influence, especially since I'm over here in West Salem Falls and he's all the way in New York City, and I still managed to find him!
"How do you search out these fascinating people?" I asked Ezekiel, and he showed me another massive text, the Face Book. Ezekiel explained that, a long time ago, a prophet named McZuckerberg built a domain with fertile farms and lemonade stands and invited most of the country (he said "the world" but how is there room? How can the lemonade stands sustain them? I think he means "country") to live there, and once they moved in, they got sucked into their Word Processing Machines and turned into characters in McZuckerberg's book of words and pictures! Ezekiel kept mentioning a place called South Park where an instance of this was particularly noteworthy, including a massive battle called Kippordry (Mother, being home-schooled I must blame you for not informing me of this war! Major Kippordry lost every single one of his infantrymen and was cast into isolation-- Custer pales in comparison!).
Ezekiel, despite knowing of the mystical and ruinous powers of this tome, had himself become one of McZuckerberg's minions, and had the audacity (I pity him) to ask me to sign away my human form! I told him "no" very strongly, and spit in his eye to show my displeasure. He vomited, and that was that. I noticed a picture of an extremely fetching young woman sitting to the left of what Ezekiel told me were lyrics to a folk ballad called "Soul Sister" (about the Underground Railroad). I called out "hello!" but she couldn't hear me, as I had not submitted to McZuckerberg's political strategy. "You have to join for that," said Ezekiel, and when I pleaded for an alternative he offered up something called OKQP. It appears to be some sort of a barter pen, where one can write a bid for a woman's hand in marriage. Which is just what I need!
I relented and allowed Ezekiel to photograph me, feed the photo into the Word Processing Machine's gears, and type out some introductory offers (right now I have six alpacas on a lovely young woman in East Salem Falls who appears to come from pirate stock -- apparently pirates are extremely popular inside the Inner Net, OKQP in particular, and this woman, whose name is DontCare4Drama (a pirate name, sounds like), has spent a great deal of effort emphasizing her lack of willingness to discuss trading her booty. I took this to be an honorable sign! To be fair, if it is gold or diamonds, I would ask her to share her dry goods with me after we had wed. Of course I described the alpacas in great detail). She does not wear a bonnet, which is base, but she has many ancestral pirate tattoos and professes an interest in decency. Of which I have so much!
Alas, I must close this letter and attempt to "Google" the nearest horse-driven carriage to post it, but not without professing my true reason for writing: I am not sure you were aware that our ancestry has roots in Australia (Father, could this explain the missing chapter of your great-great-great Uncle Fardigran's family?), but amazingly, we do. And not only that, but a woman named Mrs. Lena Morrison A Widow (ironically, she actually seems to be a widow -- perhaps in Australia they have premonitory powers and named her this because they could see that she would become a widow? I can't wrap my head around it!) has, incredibly generously, made an oral will naming me (ME! Ezekiel! Could it be some mistake? No! It was addressed to me!) her sole heir. The point, loving family of Pineview, is that we will never want for anything ever again. The point: 8.500,000 US dollars. The period doesn't make sense in the context of the figure, but since the missive was awkwardly translated (written by her doctor, it seems she was too ill to write it herself), I have no choice but to assume that this means we have just amassed over eight million dollars. Ezekiel helped me draft a response, and now all I have to do is wait. Think of it: two (at least) more cranberry bogs to replace those that were demolished by the tsetses, the sturdiest burlap gowns for Mother and Aunt Clarissa, and perhaps several thoroughbreds to guide the plows.
Oh, I am beside myself! I will visit shortly to gather my alpacas in order to purchase my bride, just after I finish Keep Calm and Carry On. I feel I'm nearing the end, some of the characters are beginning to really come together and I think I've gotten a glimpse of a plot. Wonderful stuff, but I can't wait to come back. As you can see, I'm still with you in spirit.
Fans of the mothership 'Law & Order' take note: Alana De La Garza is joining the cast of NBC's struggling 'Law & Order: Los Angeles.' Hooray! And it gets better: She's playing her 'Law & Order' character, ADA Connie Rubirosa.
To promote Katy Perry's upcoming guest spot on 'How I Met Your Mother,' Neil Patrick Harris 
['Big Love' - 'Certain Poor Shepherds']
Members of the New York Cosmos' office staff -- the only people currently employed by the soccer club without a team -- began arriving at their Manhattan headquarters at 4 a.m. Wednesday.
The coverage, analysis and forecasting ahead of the MLS SuperDraft may increase with every passing year, but as Thursday's proceedings in Baltimore so-clearly illustrated, the event is as unpredictable as ever.
The History, Discovery and Learning Channels are no longer anything like they used to be. Everyone knows this. 
Last night's 'Saturday Night Live' was hardly what you'd call a Mark Zuckerberg Production, but it did feature a spirited cameo from the Facebook co-founder.
Someone said something shocking on a TNT 
Javaris Crittenton has had a pretty interesting career since being selected by the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the 2007 NBA Draft.
Jim O'Brien has been fired by the 
Cliff Lee hasn't even thrown a single pitch for the Phillies since signing his contract in December, yet the discussion surrounding him has been rampant -- at least if you're the Rangers and the Yankees, two teams he decided against playing for this offseason.
Hello, ladies! The 
LONDON (AP) -- One of British soccer's leading television commentators was fired Tuesday, a day after 
SAN DIEGO -- San Diego State's first loss of the basketball season isn't without potential benefits, for either me or the Aztecs. 
So if you've seen Showtime's hit series 
A major knee injury, lengthy rehab and his subsequent banishment to the furthest end of AC Milan's bench haven't left U.S. national team center back Oguchi Onyewu with much to be happy about over the past 18 months.
Dear Mother, Father, Carol, Sue, Uncle Rodney, Aunt Clarissa, and everyone at the Pineview Commune of Greater Appalachia,
He explained that these are not blocks, but bogs. Surely, I explained, I know what bogs are, since the tsetse flies destroyed Pineview's cranberry harvest last year. He insisted that he was talking 
Alas, I must close this letter and attempt to "Google" the nearest horse-driven carriage to post it, but not without professing my true reason for writing: I am not sure you were aware that our ancestry has roots in Australia (Father, could this explain the missing chapter of your great-great-great Uncle Fardigran's family?), but amazingly, we do. And not only that, but a woman named