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The NBA has announced the scenarios for the start time for the fourth and fifth games of the Denver Nuggets/New Orleans Hornets first round series.
Start time and network assignment for game four on Monday, April 27 in New Orleans depends on whether or not the Jazz can defeat the Lakers at least once. A fifth game in the Lakers/Jazz series would bump the Nuggets/Hornets off TNT and on to NBATV with a starting time of 6:30 PM Mountain time. If the Lakers sweep the Jazz Denver will play the Hornets at 7:30 PM Mountain on TNT.
For game five in Denver on Wednesday, April 29 the Nuggets and Hornets will play on TNT at 8:30 PM Mountain unless Atlanta and Cleveland both sweep their series against the Heat and Pistons respectively. Should neither one of those series have a game five, then game five of the Nuggets/Hornets series will be the lone game of the evening and start time will be 7:00 PM Mountain on TNT.
Regarding the start time for game four the way the Jazz are playing a sweep by the Lakers is a decent possibility and no Lakers puts the Nuggets on TNT at 7:30 PM Mountain. However, I think Utah should be able to win one game at home and that would mean the Nuggets and Hornets would be relegated to NBATV (Altitude would still carry the game locally) with a 6:30 PM Mountain start. As far as game five I do not know about the Pistons, but I suspect Dwyane Wade will find a way to win at least one game against the Hawks and thus game five for the Nuggets will be at 8:30 PM on TNT.
Chris Andersen finished ninth in the Defensive Player of the Year voting. Dwight Howard won the award, but Birdman finished ahead of defensive stalwarts Rajon Rondo, Tim Duncan and Marcus Camby (who received one third place vote).
Andersen was received two second place votes and four third place votes for a total of ten points. Howard eeked out 542 points.
Linas Kleiza finished 314th just ahead of Eddy Curry.
George Karl finished fifth in the Coach of the Year voting behind Nate McMillan, Stan Van Gundy, Rick Adelman and winner Mike Brown.
Karl recieved 11 first place votes from the 124 voters and ended up with a total of 117 points 238 behind Brown.
I cannot really argue with the results of the voting. Cleveland clearly took a large step forward and all the coaches in the top five did a very good job.
I was fortunate to have been a guest on another podcast this morning with Alejandro de los Rios of The Gambit (a New Orleans magazine similar to 5280) and this time I was opposite Bradley Handwerger from WWLTV.com. We look back at game one and discuss Chauncey's big night and whether or not the Hornets can make this a series.
Click here to download the file directly.
It is only one game and I am trying not to get too carried away so I am going to try to remain composed and will simply say I enjoyed that thoroughly.
There were three aspects of the Nuggets performance that simply blew me away. The first was the clutch shooting of Chauncey Billups. Normally the clutch arrives at the end of games. Tonight Chauncey showed us what it means to be clutch early in a game.
The Nuggets know how important this series is for the franchise and to start the game they played like they felt the pressure. At the end of the first quarter Nuggets not named Chauncey Billups had shot 2-12 and committed six turnovers. Billups was 5-6 with no turnovers. While the rest of the team was fretting about what might happen if they lost this game Chauncey with the calm and confidence of a player who has actually made it out of the first round.
Without Chauncey stepping up and keeping Denver in the game early on there is no telling how tight the Nuggets' sphincters would have become. Chauncey's incredible play allowed Denver the opportunity to relax and just play basketball. By the time the third quarter came around the Nuggets had settled in and were just playing basketball. They buried the Hornets with a 21-0 run spanning the third and fourth quarters and the game was over.
There were times this season where I have wished to see more on court leadership from Chauncey. After watching him tonight I feel foolish for questioning that aspect of his personality. He clearly came alive tonight and even though there will be nights where his shot is not falling he will still bring his leadership night in and night out. (For a little bit more insight on Chauncey's performance click here and go to item three.)
The second aspect of the Nuggets' win, which was and will be equally important to what Chauncey brings to the table, was the Nuggets' great defense. In order for the Hornets to win this series Chris Paul is going to have to be otherworldly. Tonight he was simply himself and that was not good enough. The Nuggets were able to force four turnovers and held him to 36.8% shooting. More importantly Denver was able to keep him from owning the paint.
We mentioned the Nuggets 21-0 run in the second half. In order to complete a 21-0 run you have to hold the opponents to zero points while you score 21.
The run began with New Orleans going to West in the post on back to back possessions which both resulted in turnovers. The next possession Chris Paul, being pressured by Chris Andersen and Chauncey Billups, lost the ball. After that West was able to get in the paint, but missed a layup (although he did not get credit for a block on the play, I think Birdman got enough of a fingertip on it to reroute the ball). To end the quarter J.R. Smith made a great hustle play to tip the ball away from Devin Brown and off his leg forcing yet another turnover.
We have talked about how the Nuggets can play great defense when they are focused. Tonight was a great defensive effort from everyone. Carmelo had a couple of moments that had me going nuts (both switches for no reason), but from start to finish I believe this was his best defensive game of his NBA career.
The third aspect of this game I thought was important was how the Nuggets not only matched the intensity and desire of Chris Paul, they surpassed it. Denver was certainly the hungrier team and they showed it. Whenever two teams play each other for a week or two they develop some bad blood and you get some shoving matches, harsh words and intense glares. Tonight's game felt like game four from that standpoint. It was very physical and while a player like Tyson Chandler was pushing and bumping into people just for the sake of appearing physical, the Nuggets played the game with physicality. What I mean by that is defensively and on the boards they made sure they accomplished what they wanted whether holding their ground or clearing space. They were not bumping into other players away from the ball just to be physical, they were playing basketball physically.
The other big story was Melo's performance. The glass half full version is Denver had a great offensive game without Melo having a big night. (In fact, he was on the bench for the entirety of the 21-0 run and did not play at all over the final 15:11.) He still contributed on defense and he has nowhere to go but up. The glass half empty version is he has a history of shooting a low percentage in the playoffs and his 4-12 performance in game one will only serve to exacerbate things. I still think Melo will have a big series. New Orleans is paying a lot of attention to him, doubling and showing help as soon as he touches the ball, but I still think he will do a better job of attacking the rim and his jumper will start falling.
Denver may have made it by the Hornets without Melo tonight, but they will need him to produce on offense if they are going to win this series.
The Nuggets have won the first game for the third time in their six recent playoff appearances. I think this time they actually win the series.
Additional Round 1 Game 1 Nuggets
Mindboggling Game Stats
Pace Factor: 92.2 – A little slow for a Nuggets home game, but still quicker than what New Orleans likes.
Defensive Efficiency: 91.1 – Incredible performance. The Hornets shot merely 35.1% on two point shots.
Offensive Efficiency: 122.6 – A great rating for the postseason where things are supposed to slow down and points are supposed to be difficult to come by.
Featured Blogs: Hornets 24/7 | At the Hive
Can you feel it? The Denver Nuggets are on the precipice. They are favored to make it to the second round. After two decades of futility during which you could argue the Nuggets were one of the worst three or four franchises in the entire NBA they are finally a division champion with a high seed. More importantly they are expected to make it out of the first round of the playoffs.
The next few weeks will either become the experiences that most Nugget fans point to when asked what their favorite Nuggets memory is or we will witness another chapter written in the story of a franchise that simply cannot earn success. Division championships, All-Star appearances, all-time victory totals, they all pale in comparison to the next step.
The next few games are what we will remember. This is why we attach ourselves to a silly sports team. This is why we watch and obsess and fret.
It begins tonight and when and how it ends is all that matters.
This is what we have been waiting for year after frustrating year. It's time.
There are a few things to cover before I get to perhaps the first link dump I have ever done.
A lot of people seem to think Denver will win this series in six games because that is what you say when you think it will be a competitive series, but will not go seven games. I do not believe Denver will win in six games because I do not see Chris Paul losing game six at home.
Some people are dismissing the Hornets because they believe a single player cannot carry a team to the championship. That is true, but one great player can carry a team past the first round.
Also, one area I did not get to delve into in my series of pre series posts was how the Hornets will defend Carmelo Anthony. Melo will be covered by Peja Stojakovic, James Posey and Rasual Butler. Peja will play Melo based on how he is hurting him. He will begin by laying off of Anthony in an attempt to entice him to settle for the jumper. If and when Melo hits a couple of jumpers then Peja will crowd him. Look for Carmelo to drive and go to the post. When Melo posts up the Hornets will double him. During the season they came with the second defender on the catch, but it is certainly possible they will try to mix it up and bring help when he puts the ball on the floor.
Melo will need to keep from settling for the jumper and when he is doubled his teammates must move without the ball and give him options.
The Nuggets seem to have a big advantage although with the long layoffs between games the Hornets will ride their starters as long as possible. Even so the Nuggets must dominate whoever Byron Scott decides to rely on amongst Posey, Hilton Armstrong, Shawn Marks, Antonio Daniels, Julian Wright and Morris Peterson.
In case you missed it in my podcast or chat with Hornets 24/7 my prediction is Nuggets in seven.
On to the link dump.
News Items
Hornets 24/7 – Saturday News Wrap | Sunday News Wrap
Dave McMenamin of NBA.com – The pressure is on the Nuggets to win.
Various Insightful Previews
New Nuggets blog Nuggets Nuggetz – The Balkman vs Bowen matchup
At the Hive – Amazing graphs!
TrueHoop Blogger Smackdown hosted by Hardwood Paroxysm
Chris Tomasson – Melo says Nuggets in seven.
There is no doubt that the Denver Nuggets are going to have to defend the pick and roll at least competently in order to have a chance in this series. The Denver bigs are all capable of playing good to great pick and roll defense. Nene, Kenyon Martin and Chris Andersen all move their feet well for their size and should be very useful in slowing Chris Paul down.
The Nuggets seemed to get better and better at defending Chris Paul as the season wore on. In the final meeting between the two teams Denver forced Paul into six turnovers thanks to an aggressive trapping scheme. However, it is important to note that the Hornets were playing without Peja Stojakovic and Tyson Chandler. Trapping Paul will not be as easy with Chandler diving down the lane and Peja spotted up on the weak side.
Denver will need to employ more than one scheme as Paul will be able to solve anything they throw at him eventually. Look for the Nuggets to trap, to surround Paul with a soft umbrella of help designed to keep him out of the lane and even to switch. In an interview on Friday with 1510 AM George Karl said the coaching staff had considered starting Melo or Kenyon on Paul. By starting with a mismatch they can then switch and then have everyone matched up correctly. Of course, in that situation my response would be to skip the pick and roll and exploit the mismatch. I imagine someone like Chris Paul would figure that out as well. However, in watching film from the previous matchups whenever the Nuggets switched Paul would almost exclusively pass off to the screener. I wonder if he will be so passive in the playoffs.
Once again I have put together some clips of the Nuggets pick and roll defense looking at both successes and failures. It should come as no surprise that the Hornets were able to take advantage of the slightest breakdown or belated rotation by earning a quality shot. As I point out in the video instead of Julian Wright taking open jumpers, in the playoffs it will be Peja.
Chris Paul showed last season that he is capable of raising his game to incredible levels in the playoffs and Denver will have to deal with a determined, supremely talented and aggressive player. The one thing that really frightens me is Paul's ability to draw fouls. Look for him to drive into the body of the Nuggets' bigs in an attempt to draw fouls. If he can get two out of the threesome of Nene, Kenyon and Birdman into foul trouble it will be a big advantage for New Orleans.
Paul is going to play like a man possessed and Denver better be ready to match his desire and intensity.
One of the key matchups in the upcoming series between the Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Hornets will be the battle between big men David West and Kenyon Martin. The good news for Nuggets fans is that we do not have to hope and pray that Kenyon can outscore West, because the chances of that are similar to the chances that the Celtics, Spurs and Blazers all lose at home on the first day of the 2009 NBA playoffs. Well, maybe that is not the best analogy, but you get the idea.
Kenyon is a superb defender, especially when he puts his mind to it and I think he will have a much greater chance for success than the previous postseason when George Karl chose to have him cover the NBA MVP Kobe Bryant.
He can move laterally as well as any power forward in the NBA yet can still hold his own in the post. Kenyon is far from an infallible defensive player, but a player like David West is right in his wheel house. The players Kenyon struggles with are ones who are either heavier or taller than him. Size wise both players are listed at 6' 9" and 240 pounds and Kenyon is certainly capable of dealing with anything West can bring to the table.
Even so West will get his points. Despite not being blessed with explosive athleticism West is still a very good scorer. He is not a player you think of as taking you down to the block and abuse you, but if you do not respect his touch around the rim he can embarrass you. West is also a capable driver and will utilize spin moves and pump fakes to get a clear shot at the rim. However, his most effective weapon is his jumper. West can kill you without ever setting foot in the lane and that makes him a difficult cover.
Once again I have put together some video to see how these two matchup and I think the video shows what an even matchup it will be.
You will notice that all of those clips were of Kenyon covering West. It is vital that Kenyon keeps West from posting big scoring nights it is also important that this does not become a matchup that is only worth watching at one end of the floor. Kenyon is a capable scorer as well and he has the talent to put some points up on West himself. It seems to me that since his back and rib troubles Kenyon has not been going to the rim nether as frequently nor as effectively as he did earlier in the season. We have not seen much of his spin move and push shot from the lane and I think it is important that Kenyon make West work at both ends of the court.
The Hornets supporting cast is not good enough to afford a down series from West. Peja Stojakovic and Tyson Chandler look to be less than 100% and if West is held in check it will be virtually impossible for the Hornets to win. Over the previous two seasons against the Nuggets West has played in six games and only made 44 of 106 field goal attempts. That is only 42.3% and it is more than 5% lower than he shot over those two seasons.
If West only hits 42% of his shots over the next couple of weeks I think the Nuggets are a shoe in for the conference semifinals.
Two big questions we all face heading into the Nuggets/Hornets series is how healthy is Tyson Chandler and what kind of impact will he have? Chandler himself claims to only be about 70% healthy so what that means we will have to wait and see. Chandler did not play in any of the four contests between the two teams this season, but we can look back to previous matchups to see what his presence means for the Hornets.
I have compiled some clips from game 44 of last season. Chandler had ten points on four for five shooting and 16 rebounds as the Hornets defeated the Carmelo-less Nuggets 117-93 in New Orleans. However, Chandler only had one block and played somewhat passively on the defensive end.
I do my typically sterling job narrating the eight clips, but watch for the timing he and Paul have on the pick and roll. The duo combines to execute on plays where Chandler cuts to the rim immediately, when he makes a delayed cut and even in transition. You have to wonder with Chandler missing so much time if they will still possess that sense of timing and chemistry.
Defensively I thought it was interesting how Chandler was content to watch the action. He moves well and generally is in the right position, but his lack of big shot blocking numbers can be attributed to the fact he is content to let his opponent score largely unchallenged. We see the opposite end of that spectrum in Birdman who launches himself at shots that he has no business attacking, but we have also seen Birdman have a larger impact through forcing altered shots than Chandler does in the clips to follow.
Again these clips are from last season when Chandler was healthy. Who knows how much of this performance he can duplicate. According to Ryan and Niall at Hornets 24/7 Chandler had four throw downs of the pick and roll in the last game against the Spurs. However, if he is feeling any discomfort I would expect him to play ever more passively on defense and hopefully Nene can take advantage of that.
I took part in a podcast with Niall Doherty from Hornets 24/7 (I think I will be communicating more with Niall and Ryan than my family over the next week or two) and Alejandro de los Rios from various publications and we analyzed the matchups between the coaches and starting five. The podcast is posted over at Blog of New Orleans or you can click here to donwload the MP3 file.
With the Spurs, Blazers and Nuggets all tied at 54-28 the NBA had to break the tie between the three teams for their draft position. In one sense it really did not matter to the Nuggets how it played out as their pick is going to Oklahoma City anyway (who will apparently pass it on to Chicago). On the other hand I think we all want Portland picking as late in the draft as possible.
The tie was broken by random drawing and the Blazers came out with the pick 24, the Spurs have selection 25 and
Denver Oklahoma City Chicago fell to number 26.
Here are the results of the tiebreaker drawings:
§ Washington (19-63) won a tiebreaker with the Los Angeles Clippers
§ Minnesota (24-58) won a tiebreaker with Memphis
§ Milwaukee (34-48) won a tiebreaker with New Jersey
§ Chicago (41-41) won a tiebreaker with Philadelphia
§ Portland (54-28) won a tiebreaker with Denver and San Antonio; San
Antonio then won a tiebreaker with Denver
And the draft order:
Sacramento 17-65 250 (lottery chances out of 1,000)
Washington 19-63 178
LA Clippers 19-63 177
Oklahoma City 23-59 119
Minnesota 24-58 76
Memphis 24-58 75
Golden State 29-53 43
New York 32-50 28
Toronto 33-49 17
Milwaukee 34-48 10
New Jersey 34-48 9
Charlotte 35-47 7
Indiana 36-46 6
Phoenix 46-36 5
The order for the remainder of the first round picks is as follows:
15. Detroit 39-43
16. Chicago 41-41
17. Philadelphia 41-41
18. Miami (To Minnesota) 43-39
19. Atlanta 47-35
20. Utah 48-34
21. New Orleans 49-33
22. Dallas 50-32
23. Houston (To Sacramento) 53-29
24. Portland 54-28
25. San Antonio (To Oklahoma City) 54-28
26. Denver (To Chicago via Oklahoma City) 54-28
27. Orlando (To Memphis) 59-23
28. Boston (To Minnesota) 62-20
29. LA Lakers 65-17
30. Cleveland 66-16
31. Sacramento
32/33. LA Clippers (To Portland)
32/33. Washington
34. Oklahoma City (To Denver)
35/36. Memphis
35/36. Minnesota (To Detroit)
37. Golden State (To San Antonio via Phoenix)
38. New York (To Portland via Chicago)
39. Toronto (To Detroit)
40/41. New Jersey (To Charlotte via Oklahoma City)
40/41. Milwaukee
42. Charlotte (To LA Lakers)
43. Indiana (To Miami)
44. Detroit
45. Philadelphia (To Minnesota via Miami)
46. Chicago (To Cleveland)
47. Miami (To Minnesota)
48. Phoenix
49. Atlanta
50. Utah
51. New Orleans (To San Antonio via Toronto)
52. Dallas (To Indiana)
53. Houston (To San Antonio)
54. San Antonio (To Charlotte)
55. Denver (To Portland)
56. Portland
57. Orlando (To Phoenix via Oklahoma City)
58. Boston
59. LA Lakers
60. Cleveland (To Miami)
It is time to chat with Niall Doherty and Ryan Schwan from Hornets 24/7. Send in your questions and get ready for a ton of Nuggets/Hornets analysis.
First off make sure you carve out some time to take part in a live chat here at RMC featuring Niall Doherty and Ryan Schwan from the exceptional blog Hornets 24/7 tonight (Thursday) at 7:00 PM Mountain. You can ask questions or just read along. You choose your own level of involvement just like Project Mayhem in Fight Club.
I am not sure any of us should be excited about the fact the Nuggets drew the New Orleans Hornets in the first round. While it is true the Hornets have been struggling down the stretch run they are a very dangerous team. The only major difference between this season and last was health. During the 2007-08 season during which the Hornets won 56 games to earn the second seed in the west, Peja Stojakovic played 77 games and Tyson Chandler played in 79. This season Peja appeared in only 61 games largely due to a balky back and Chandler was on the floor for only 45 contests thanks to a bum ankle.
Tyson Chandler is back having played in the season finale last night in San Antonio and in his 45 appearances this season the Hornets are 30-15 on the season, a 55 win pace, compared to 19-14 without him. We all know how deadly Chris Paul can be running the pick and roll and he is only that much better with Chandler flying down the lane towards the rim. Defensively Chandler has never blocked more than 1.8 shots a game in his career, but he is a great rebounder and also adds a presence in the lane that the Hornets lack otherwise.
Peja's health issues has had a major impact on the Hornets' three point shooting. Last season New Orleans was in a statistical dead heat for the league lead in three point shooting percentage by hitting 38.9% from behind the arc. This season they are a very mediocre 36.4%. If you look at their individual shooting percentages they are all very similar to last season except for one. Peja dropped from 44.1% last season to a still respectable, but un-Peja like 37.8% this season. He has seemingly recovered, but he has only made one of his previous ten three point attempts so either his back is still bothering him or he is ready to bust out. Only time will tell.
Turning to the Nuggets Melo has struggled with various schemes and individual defenders in the playoffs over the years. I think finally he has a good matchup. He will be covered primarily by Peja and James Posey. We all know Peja has no chance covering Melo, but I do not think Posey can hang with him either. Posey has a rep of being a very good defender, but he does not have the quickness or strength to cover Melo one on one. They way Melo has been attacking the rim and posting up more frequently over the previous couple of weeks I think he has a big series.
Also the Nuggets have shown good progress over the course of the season in defending the pick and roll. Paul will always get his assists, but over the last two meetings, both in New Orleans, the Nuggets forced him into committing five turnovers in one game and six in the other. If the Nuggets can continue that success they will be in great shape.
Finally, I believe the Nuggets have one major intangible on their side and that is the red hot desire to finally win a first round playoff series. We have seen changes, some big (Chauncey Billups), some small (a slight uptick in Melo's defense, George Karl standing during many games) in this team since last season and they have all been spurred by the desire to make a move in the playoffs. This is the year for that to happen and the players know it. I think we will see a focus and drive that we have not seen from them before.
Do not get me wrong, Chris Paul is a competitor and his will to win may be stronger than any individual Nugget player and David West is a fighter as well, but collectively I do not see the Hornets matching the Nuggets' desire and that is a huge key to this matchup. We have seen how powerful the Nuggets can be when they play with focus and I think we are going to see a very focused group.
We have two more days until game day so look for plenty more coverage to come from the chat tonight to some video, a podcast appearance or two and the answers to questions not everyone will be asking such as can James Posey replace the great play the Hornets received last post season from Jannero Pargo?
Update: Hornets 24/7 has an incredible rundown of news covering both the Nuggets and Hornets and Andrew at Denver Stiffs lays out a blueprint for what the Nuggets must do differently this year to succeed in the playoffs.
According to the NBA the Denver Nuggets will open the 2009 NBA Playoffs at home on Sunday April 19 at 8:30 Mountain time. It will before the first time Denver has enjoyed home court advantage since 1988 and I think the Pepsi Center will be rocking.
Game two will be Wednesday, April 22 in Denver at 8:30 PM Mountain time. Both of the first two games will be broadcast by TNT.
The third game is slated for 11:00 AM Mountain time in New Orleans on Saturday, April 25 and will air on ESPN.
The NBA has yet to schedule any of the other games.
The very first game of the playoffs will be Saturday morning at 10:30 AM Mountain time between the defending champion Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls.
You can look forward to a buttload of playoff coverage here at RMC and it will kick off with a live chat with Niall and Ryan at Hornets 24/7 tomorrow night at 7:00 PM Mountain.
Update: We do know the dates for the other games, just not the start times. Game four will be on Monday, April 27 and the if necessary games are Wednesday, April 29 in Denver, Friday, May 1 at New Orleans and should there be a game seven, it will be on Sunday, May 3 in Denver.
Complete first round schedule:
Local EDT Broadcast
Western Conference
L.A. Lakers vs. Utah
Game 1 – Sun April 19 Utah at L.A. Lakers 12:00PM 3:00PM ABC/R
Game 2 – Tue April 21 Utah at L.A. Lakers 7:30PM 10:30PM TNT
Game 3 – Thu April 23 L.A. Lakers at Utah 8:30PM 10:30PM TNT
Game 4 – Sat April 25 L.A. Lakers at Utah 7:00PM 9:00PM ESPN/R
Game 5 * Mon April 27 Utah at L.A. Lakers TBD TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 30 L.A. Lakers at Utah TBD TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 2 Utah at L.A. Lakers TBD TBD TNT
Denver vs. New Orleans
Game 1 – Sun April 19 New Orleans at Denver 8:30PM 10:30PM TNT
Game 2 – Wed April 22 New Orleans at Denver 8:30PM 10:30PM TNT
Game 3 – Sat April 25 Denver at New Orleans 12:00PM 1:00PM ESPN
Game 4 – Mon April 27 Denver at New Orleans TBD TBD TBD
Game 5 * Wed April 29 New Orleans at Denver TBD TBD TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 1 Denver at New Orleans TBD TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 3 New Orleans at Denver TBD TBD TBD
San Antonio vs. Dallas
Game 1 – Sat April 18 Dallas at San Antonio 7:00PM 8:00PM ESPN/R
Game 2 – Mon April 20 Dallas at San Antonio 8:30PM 9:30PM TNT
Game 3 – Thu April 23 San Antonio at Dallas 7:30PM 8:30PM NBATV
Game 4 – Sat April 25 San Antonio at Dallas 3:00PM 4:00PM TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 28 Dallas at San Antonio TBD TBD TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 1 San Antonio at Dallas TBD TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 3 Dallas at San Antonio TBD TBD TBD
Portland vs. Houston
Game 1 – Sat April 18 Houston at Portland 7:30PM 10:30PM ESPN
Game 2 – Tue April 21 Houston at Portland 7:00PM 10:00PM NBATV
Game 3 – Fri April 24 Portland at Houston 8:30PM 9:30PM ESPN
Game 4 – Sun April 26 Portland at Houston 8:00PM 9:00PM TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 28 Houston at Portland TBD TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 30 Portland at Houston TBD TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 2 Houston at Portland TBD TBD TNT
Eastern Conference
Cleveland vs. Detroit
Game 1 – Sat April 18 Detroit at Cleveland 3:00PM 3:00PM ABC
Game 2 – Tue April 21 Detroit at Cleveland 8:00PM 8:00PM TNT
Game 3 – Fri April 24 Cleveland at Detroit 7:00PM 7:00PM ESPN
Game 4 – Sun April 26 Cleveland at Detroit 3:30PM 3:30PM ABC/R
Game 5 * Wed April 29 Detroit at Cleveland TBD TBD TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 1 Cleveland at Detroit TBD TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 3 Detroit at Cleveland TBD TBD TBD
Boston vs. Chicago
Game 1 – Sat April 18 Chicago at Boston 12:30PM 12:30PM ESPN
Game 2 – Mon April 20 Chicago at Boston 7:00PM 7:00PM TNT
Game 3 – Thu April 23 Boston at Chicago 7:00PM 8:00PM TNT
Game 4 – Sun April 26 Boston at Chicago 12:00PM 1:00PM ABC
Game 5 * Tue April 28 Chicago at Boston TBD TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 30 Boston at Chicago TBD TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 2 Chicago at Boston TBD TBD TNT
Orlando vs. Philadelphia
Game 1 – Sun April 19 Philadelphia at Orlando 5:30PM 5:30PM TNT
Game 2 – Wed April 22 Philadelphia at Orlando 7:00PM 7:00PM NBATV
Game 3 – Fri April 24 Orlando at Philadelphia 8:00PM 8:00PM ESPN2
Game 4 – Sun April 26 Orlando at Philadelphia 6:30PM 6:30PM TNT
Game 5 * Tue April 28 Philadelphia at Orlando TBD TBD TBD
Game 6 * Thu April 30 Orlando at Philadelphia TBD TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sat May 2 Philadelphia at Orlando TBD TBD TNT
Atlanta vs. Miami
Game 1 – Sun April 19 Miami at Atlanta 8:00PM 8:00PM TNT
Game 2 – Wed April 22 Miami at Atlanta 8:00PM 8:00PM TNT
Game 3 – Sat April 25 Atlanta at Miami 6:30PM 6:30PM TNT
Game 4 – Mon April 27 Atlanta at Miami TBD TBD TBD
Game 5 * Wed April 29 Miami at Atlanta TBD TBD TBD
Game 6 * Fri May 1 Atlanta at Miami TBD TBD TBD
Game 7 * Sun May 3 Miami at Atlanta TBD TBD TBD


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Rival Sons Contest Winners
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The Lyric Art winner for Rival Son's has been picked.full article
The Lyric Art winner for Rival Son's has been picked.full article
Get ready for our next exciting Lyric Art contest for Jennifer Nettles single "His Hands"full article
Rival Sons want you to get creative with the music from their new album 'Great Western Valkyrie'.full article
The winners have been carefully chosen for the LP's Lyric Art Contest! Read to find out more.full article
Pick your favorite line from "Night Like This" and design/share your TuneWiki lyric art for prizes!full article
The Lyric Art to be featured in the upcoming Lyric Art video by Twin Forks has been decided and the winners have been announced!full article
Be a part of the new Lyric Video for "Back To You" from our new album, available everywhere Feb 25 (pre-order now)!full article
The Goo Goo Dolls winners have been announced! Thanks for the great submissions everyone.full article
Just in time for the Holiday Season comes a Lyric Art Contest for Goo Goo Doll's single "Come To Me".full article
The Active Child Lyric Art Contest has ended and after much deliberation the winners have been chosen!full article

subset: commoncrawl


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Text banking is another great feature from LSB that delivers your financial information wherever and whenever you need it! It's FREE with your LSB Account, and simple to use! Text banking can be used to quickly:
The summer is drawing to a close, but there's still time to plan a family camping trip vacation. It's a great, budget-friendly trip for your family that allows you to be active and spend quality time together away from distractions. While camping is a budget-friendly vacation alternative, it can get expensive fast if you're not well-prepared. Lincoln Savings Bank wants you to enjoy the rest of the summer and save money, so check out these tips for saving money while camping!
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text: The Zan wiki last edited by jroxychix on 02/13/14 11:06AM View full history HistorySuperfriendsBoth Zan and his twin sister Jayna are form the planet Exxor and they have a monkey named Gleek.Their first appearance was in the Superfriends TV show. They also appeared in the Superfriends comic (where they were much more competent than portrayed on the television version).For their powers to activate they have to touch knuckles and they have to say "Wonder Twin Powers Activate". Zan can transform into any state of water: liquid, ice, steam, mist; or an ice structure: for example an ice cage or an ice sled. Jayna can transform into any animal, even extinct, mythical, or alien.Extreme JusticeAn updated version appeared as an alien slaves in Extreme Justice (a JLA spin-off) and after Zan and Jayna fought with the team they later became members of that version of the Justice League. Later they appeared as members of Young Justice wearing new costumes that closely resembled normal clothes for a teenager (with their initials on them) instead of their purple and black slave suits with gold power harnesses.PowersWhen Zan makes physical contact with his sister he can turn into water in any state (ice or vapor as well as water) and can even become a ice monster or a living water creature. He can partially shift his body to turn his fingers into ice claws. He shares a telepathic link with JaynaIn other mediaSmallville (TV Series)Zan as he appeared on SmallvilleThe past of Zan and his twinsister Jayna is unknown. Both always told, they are transfer students from Sweden but know one believed that. Since that, Zan and Jayna living on the streets their whole life. The only other history they have was that they once had a father who told them to always stay together, because they are stronger as a team. The origin of their powers is also unknown. Zan and Jayna are proud fans of The Blur (later known as Superman) and tried to follow in his footsteps.Zan was played by the actor David Gallagher. Both, Zan and Jayna only appeared in one episode of season nine, called "Idol".Justice League Unlimited (Cartoon Series)In the Justice League Unlimited cartoon a version appeared named Downpour.


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Hey there, I'm Amara, 16. Just an average girl with a blog. I tend to blog my feelings at the time and random things which may make me smile or happy. You might aswell click the follow button now that you're here (;
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The best, worst of customer support
What do businesses do right -- or wrong -- when they provide phone-based customer service? Research points to some of the reasons why customers come away either satisfied or frustrated.
A call to a customer service department is, in many cases, enough to spike a customer's blood pressure.
There are long hold times, irritating music or, worse, repeated advertisements. After connecting to a call center, perhaps one staffed by reps with foreign accents, you will probably be rushed into a quick and easy "fix" that may, or may not, solve the problem, since many call centers rate their reps' success by how many customers they handle in a set amount of time.
Why are so many customer calls handled so poorly?
Peter Leppik is the CEO of Vocal Laboratories, also known as Vocalabs, a Minnesota company that digs deep into what some companies do right, and wrong, when it comes to customer-support calls. Rather than cast a broad net, his firm's approach to its National Customer Service Survey -- ongoing research on customer satisfaction with phone-based customer service -- focuses in depth on three vertical markets: computer technical support, mobile phone customer service and major national consumer banks.
What phone support should -- or can -- accomplish varies from industry to industry, sector to sector. For retailers, for example, customers may complain about being routed to a centralized support center. But the alternative, having staff answer phones at each location, distracts staff from being on the floor helping in-person customers.
The computer marketplace
The computer marketplace has its own unique challenges.
"There are a lot of things that can be fully automated," Leppik says. "But with tech support there are actually very few things that can be fully automated."
Apple, year after year, has been lauded by customers and consumer groups for having stellar customer support, and overall Vocalabs' research bears out that reputation.
"In most industries there are one or two companies that really get it," Leppik says. "In terms of tech support, Apple has a reputation that is justified. The statistics we have collected show that they are significantly ahead of their peers."
What Apple has done right, and where others flounder, is in the "strategic decision that they are going to compete on the basis of customer service," Leppik says.
It is a lesson other companies might want to emulate.
"You don't necessarily have to spend a whole lot more money providing a level of service, but what's important is that everybody on that front line understands that what the company does is important," Leppik says. "There are a lot of companies that do not feel like that customer service is important. They send the jobs to India. (For others), they are giving the message to employees that what they are doing is strategically important and the company cares and is watching."
Despite accolades, Apple does occasionally stumble and could be losing its edge as competitors make improvements.
Vocalab's 2011 surveys found that Apple continues to lead Dell and Hewlett-Packard in customer-service quality for phone-based technical support. But customers are reporting more problems with the automated part of their calls.
In telephone interviews immediately following a support call, 58% of Apple customers were "very satisfied" with the experience during the first six months of 2011, compared with 47% of Dell customers and 53% of HP customers. Apple's satisfaction score is down 15 points from a year ago, though, while HP has improved nine points over the past two years.
Customers remain highly satisfied with Apple's support agents, with 77% of customers in the first six months of last year being "very satisfied" with their technician, compared with 56% of Dell customers and 61% of HP customers.
The automated part of the call is a different story, with only 24% of Apple customers being "very satisfied" with that part of the experience, trailing Dell's 36% and HP's 40%. In this survey period, 40% of Apple customers reported a problem with the automated part of the call, nearly double the 21% rate from a year earlier.
"Apple used to be well ahead of the pack in tech support," Leppik said at the time of the study. "Now it would be fair to say that they are merely at the front of the pack. Apple used to lead on nearly every metric for support quality. Now there are several metrics where Apple is tied with its competition, or even trails."
Mobile providers
Leppik cites Sprint as an example of a company that has made customer-service improvements -- and the difficulty a company can have trying to maintain that edge.
"Sprint historically has had very poor customer service," he says. "At the beginning of 2010, they made a decision that they were going to improve their service level, and we saw their numbers go way up."
Sprint made impressive service gains during 2010, moving from the bottom of Vocalabs' rankings in 2009 to being statistically tied for first place in many key metrics.
"They were still kind of mediocre, but compared to where they had been, they were doing a whole lot better," Leppik says. "But then, in 2011, I don't know what their thinking was exactly, but it was very obvious that they had turned their focus on customer service to other things, and the numbers went right back down. That's an example of what happened when customer service is a flavor of the month."
Leppik stresses that he has no firsthand knowledge of Sprint's internal strategy decisions regarding customer support. The company, however, appears to be making the common mistake of treating this aspect of customer service as a "project, not process."
"I think a lot of this goes back to the view of customer service as infrastructure," he says. "You build infrastructure, and then it's there and you don't have to keep building it every year. But customer service really is not infrastructure. In a lot of companies it is the only time a customer actually communicates directly with the company. That has far more power on that customer's perception than anything else the company can really do.
"The thing about customer service, as a strategy, is that you can't do it for a short period," he adds. "It is something that can be very powerful, but it takes time to change the overall perception of a company. It takes a lot of repeated positive customer experiences. It takes a lot of time for that word-of-mouth shift. If you are looking at this quarter's financial results, it's not always obvious that the investment is paying off."
In October research, Vocalabs found that AT&T recovered in the quality of customer service, while Sprint continued to lose ground.
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During the three months ending Sept. 30, 66% of AT&T customers surveyed were "very satisfied" with the experience, up from 56% in the prior period, while 53% of Sprint customers gave the experience their top rating, down from 64%.
This compares with the 55% percent of T-Mobile and 60% of Verizon customers who were similarly satisfied.
The anecdotal reviews of customers, positive or negative, are crucial.
"One negative experience has a lot more of a powerful effect than multiple positive experiences," Leppik says. "You have to have a long-term, sustained effort, and it can be like turning around a battleship. One positive experience for one customer is good, but what you need to have is multiple positive experiences for all customers over time, so they come to see that the company is treating them consistently well and it is not just getting the right person on the right day. The positive effect of this is that once you have done that, you build up a store of good will, and there's a little more leeway for making mistakes."
Isolated event and company announcements can sometimes have a temporary influence on how successful a customer service approach is. Looking at a recent drop in satisfaction levels for AT&T, Leppik suspects that the now-abandoned merger with T-Mobile may have been a culprit.
"We are not entirely certain why it went down, but what we saw in our numbers is that right after the merger was announced, it dropped, then bounced back up in pretty short order," he says. "Our best guess is that what was happening is that they were getting a lot of calls from customers asking about the merger, and the context was something the customer service reps were not prepared for. They weren't prepared for the volume, and they weren't prepared to answer the questions."
By contrast, Verizon saw an uptick that coincided with its offering of the iPhone and the relative simplicity of that product.
What about banks?
Banks have a unique set of challenges, in that they need to strike a balance between offloading routine inquiries to an automated system and providing on-demand assistance.
"I think people are generally less forgiving when their money is involved," Leppik says. "There is a certain amount of urgency. There are a lot of routine transactions that are very easy to self-serve, then, every now and then, you have something which, at least in the customer's mind, is a real crisis.
"There is a myth in the customer-service business that there are some customers who are only going to be happy if they can deal with a person," he adds. "I think online banking is a great example of how that is really not true. For basic transactions -- checking your account balance, finding out if a check has cleared, that sort of thing -- people really do prefer an online channel. It is easier, quicker and you don't have to wait to talk to somebody."
The point of failure is when banks get "into the mindset that when a customer picks up a phone and calls them, they need to try to keep them away from a live agent," he explains, adding that this backfires when a customer has already had a service failure and needs to escalate to live assistance.
Bank of America and Wells Fargo had better phone-based customer service than Chase and Citi, according to an October survey by Vocalabs. In telephone interviews conducted immediately after a customer-service call, 68% of Bank of America customers surveyed were "very satisfied" with the experience, while 63% of Wells Fargo customers gave the experience their top rating. This compares with the 56% of Chase and 52% of Citi customers who were similarly satisfied.
Problem resolution is an issue industrywide, the study found. Bank of America, Chase and Wells Fargo were statistically tied, with 64%, 66% and 64%, respectively, of customers' problems resolved on the customer-service call, while 57% of Citi customers surveyed reported their problems were solved.
"Even among routine transactions like checking account balances, over 30% of the customers we interviewed did not get what they wanted on the customer-service call," Leppik says. "Our survey shows that problem resolution is a major driver of business goals like customer loyalty. It also costs a lot of money to serve customers who call back multiple times.
"Many companies have this mistaken notion that providing good customer service is necessarily more expensive than what they are doing today," he says of call center service in general. "We find there are a lot of companies who are providing very inefficient customer service. They end up spending too much money to provide a poor level of service. The key really is to pay attention to the right things, to incentivize the right things, and they can often provide better customer service for comparable amounts of money."
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A representative from the State of Tennessee Comptroller's Office spent an entire week at the Chuckey and Cross Anchor Utility Districts in Greene County earlier this month, according to the utility districts' attorney Ed Kershaw.
Kershaw says the employee from the comptroller's office reviewed documents and interviewed several people during his time in Greeneville.
Leaders of the two local utilities previously said they wanted the state to take a closer look at a situation there.
Earlier this month, the board placed four employees on paid administrative leave: retired manager Shirley Collins, her husband inspector Willie Collins, their daughter acting manager Kandie Jennings and her husband license operator Bill Jennings.
Utility district employees, all related, put on paid administrative leaveCopyright 2013 WJHL. All rights reserved.
1350 13th AvenueColumbus, GA 31901
Telephone: 706.323.3333
Fax: 706.327.6655
Email: email@example.com


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Congressman Bobby Rush dons a hoodie in support of Trayvon Martin, violating House dress code.
Via The Absolute Funniest Posts
Sometimes infomercials make me question the fate of humanity.
Other times they just make me laugh hysterically.
Via The Absolute Funniest Posts
Muhammad Ali on the Vietnam War Draft
(Source: cavahamdoullah)
Via oddly satisfied.
Erykah Badu in Paris late 96, some months before her highly acclaimed debut album Baduizm'.
Id watch it #honeybooboo #honeybooboochild


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Filed in: jackie farkas Illustration design tshirt You and Who philanthropy
Just received a request to provide a design for this awesome company, You and Who. If you haven't heard of them they not only give exposure to some great up and coming artists but also for every tshirt they sell they donate the same tshirt to someone in need.
Check out their website HERE, they sell the shirts there (as well as in boutiques in 33 cities). I'll make sure to update when I have my piece done for them as well as when it goes on sale!


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Men's Nike LIVESTRONG Element Half-Zip
If you are a year round athlete who doesn't let the weather slow you down, the Nike LIVESTRONG Element Half-Zip Running Jacket is the all-utility tool that you need this season. This comfortable jacket is designed to set you up for success no matter what work out you throw at it.
The mock-neck and Dri-FIT fabric are designed to help keep you warm during cold weather training sessions. This moisture wicking design combined with the mesh underarm panels for ventilation is the perfect combination for temperature control.
Don't let the cold stop you from being successful this season. Instead, gear up without excess bulk in the Nike LIVESTRONG Element Half-Zip Running Jacket.
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Is it posible to search completed tasks with filters?
Asked on Jan 25, 2014 - 08:09
All responses
Replied on Jan 25, 2014 - 18:04
Hi There,
No, you can not filter for completed tasks, but any view you access, by searching or project etc, there is the Completed list icon (the clock) at the very bottom.
Replied on Jan 25, 2014 - 18:40
Thank you for info.


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Published on October 2nd, 2013 | by James Lomond
Should The Doctor Sound English?
There is insurrection amongst the Scottish Who-mafia! David Tennant has accused his countryman and successor-in-waiting, Peter Capaldi, of being 'lazy' if he uses his native Scottish accent to play the part of the Twelfth Doctor. Fellow Scot, Steven Moffat is "pretty certain" Capaldi will use his own accent when he debuts this Christmas. Now Tennant is obviously indulging in friendly media-banter, but it raises a fair question – should the Doctor sound English?
When Christopher Eccleston brought the character back to our screens in 2005 he used his own Mancunian accent, prompting Rose to challenge him on his alien credentials and his famous reply, that "lots of planets have a North!" But the fact that it matters at all begs the question of what features make up a character when their body and personality can completely change every few years…
Every time a new actor steps into the role, debate rages over whether the Doctor could or should be a woman or a different ethnicity. Arguably the way we speak is almost as important to how we see our own or anyone's identity. For example, while I would be more than happy with an actor of any ethnic background in the role, I'm not sure I could believe that a Doctor with a strong American or French accent was really the same character… but perhaps someday I'll be proven wrong. The fact is most English people speak with a regional accent and don't really sound like the Doctor.
One concern might be that Capaldi's Scots accent encouraging closer comparison with his role as bad-mouthed spin-doctor, Malcolm Tucker, in The Thick of It. Be that as it may. I'm sure I remember McCoy giving us a subtly Scottish Doctor back in the 80s and this won't be the first time the character's accent has strayed North of the border. So whether it's a soft Caledonian brogue, Glaswegian growl or 'Queen's English', what do you think? Should the Doctor sound English -or British- or could any accent work?
121 Responses to Should The Doctor Sound English?
This is an interesting topic of conversation. The only actors not to use their 'real voice' in the role were Tennant of course, and Troughton who pitched it slightly higher. I don't mind what accent the Dr uses, but I suspect Capaldi will use his own accent as to be honest I don't think he can do another. I don't recall him doing so in past roles.
He has, in Doctor Who, ironically. And Torchwood. In both, he played main with flat English accents
I honestly dont care… does it matter?
Yes it does matter. Our whole media is dominated by the Scottish accent. The scots even wanted Walender to include a scottish accent. If other accents were fairly represented, no problem, but I have grown to despise hearing it because the preferential discrimination towards scotland.
David Tennant only got to use his real voice once in Tooth and Claw but beside that he did not Peter should not be aloud to use his real voice
"Peter should not be aloud to use his real voice"
ALLOWED… not aloud….. ugh!
He shouldn't be 'aloud' apparently… So sign language it is then!
But all the Doctors used their voice besides Tennant… Also, not allowed to use his real voice? That's like saying someone isn't allowed to chew with their teeth… It's not a voice job it's an acting job…
So if he comes out with a Southern American accent it's all good with you??
Well for many years until recently the BBC made it mandatory for British actor and actresses with strong regional accents including those with regional English accents e.g. Yorkshire to learn the 'Queen's English' if they want to appear on television. This is why RP is occasionally called the 'BBC accent'.
i don't see that his accent truly matters all that much. It is honestly I think too hard to expect them all to sound the same. So I think it is okay for Peter to make the doctor Scottish. Although if he does i think i will have a hard time not wishing that David had also been "lazy" and used his native Scottish accent as well. (Loved the episode Tooth and Claw were he teased us with a Scottish Doctor).
Well no, plenty of actors didn't use their own accent as they had to use RP to work at the BBC. It may be their accents now, but it wouldn't have been when they were growing up – Tom Baker is from Liverpool and Colin Baker grew up in Rochdale – he has mentioned on more than one occasion that he couldn't use his own accent as an actor.
Persoanlly, I'm looking forward to having a Scottish Doctor. However, I think that an accent outside of the British Isles and surrounding islands wouldn't work as well.
Tom Baker IS from Liverpool, but he certainly does not speak in a Scouse accent. His real voice is effectively the same voice he uses as the doctor.
I'm pretty sure Sylvester McCoy didn't change his accent, but his is fairly soft anyway, but I agree, it doesn't really matter as the regeneration process does strange things to a body!
I think there are accents that may not be the best for the Doctor… But Scotland is one of the ones that fits for me. As an American Whovian, I think I'd be weirded out if the Doctor spoke with an American accent. I think European accents ranging are where it should stick; Even Irish wouldn't be terrible; But Russian, American, any hispanic or asian culture accents would just seem so strange. I'm not entirely sure Australian would work, either; but It wouldn't be as much of a deal.
To clarify: I have no issues with people who speak in particular accents. This post reflects my opinion of the Doctor's possible mannerisms and that's all. Lord knows the internet loves to take a person's opinion and shove it straight back down their throat…
"Lord knows the internet loves to take a person's opinion…"
This one sentence sums up a lot for me. It's not the internet shoving your opinion back at you, it's the people using the internet! They're the ones being mean and not having to face your reaction and doing it from afar (as I am right now… sorry!)
I may be old, but my daughters aren't and they comment on how people are just mean because they can be. Please don't de-humanise the interactions you have online. There are real people behind all the comments, both good and bad, put there.
And to stay on topic, I totally agree with your opinion. And I love a Scottish accent in particular.
Not only does it not matter what accent the Doctor has, I don't see any reason he shouldn't be a she. I suppose the close resemblance to Terran is too well engrained to change, but wouldn't it be a kick to see a Sauntarin Doc?!
This raises an interesting question: what language *is* the Doctor speaking? He's from Gallifrey, after all, and so he's not a native English speaker. While he claims to be able to speak horse and baby, how do we know that it's not just the TARDIS's translation circuits doing all the work?
I think that the fact that he has any kind of accent at all is just the result of the TARDIS playing around.
Yes know I have often thought or wondered that myself. But if that's the case then why are people or aliens who have never been in the TARDIS able to understand him? Is he speaking their language and bcuz of the TARDIS we're able to understand? We know from the Christmas Invasion that the translation circuit is tied in with the Doctor himself.
I wonder if they're allowing it bcuz his accent is much softer than David's? Maybe they feel like he'll be more easily understood? Even when Sylvester used his accent you could hardly hear it. That's definitely a good question though.
His accent is indeed much less obvious than David's. Some people have problems understanding him in other shows, although I never did.
The TARDIS is not able to translate Gallifreyan, so presumably when he speaks to his companions he is actually speaking English. I imagine his abilities to speak horse and baby are the result of the TARDIS's translation circuits, but that might be too much of an explanation for those situations so he just says, "I speak baby" to simplify.
I guess from my point of view, SOMETHING should remain the same from doctor to doctor…Otherwise it's just a bunch of randoms going by the same name. I'm not saying it has to be the accent, but at some point we have to decide what makes the Doctor, "THE Doctor". What is it, besides title and regeneration, that connects each face, each personality?
I'd say his basic values, the core of his personality, and his "presence" for want of a better phrase. The Doctor has to have charisma; he has to be the cleverest person in the room, whether he revels in his cleverness or conceals it.
For me it's just that "spark" when I'm watching a new incarnation's first episode. Either he's The Doctor or he isn't; and fortunately so far, almost every incarnation has passed that test!
to an international audience , like me from India, what matters is that he should be understandable. But a distinctive accent will definitely add fun to "Doctory"
I love Capaldi's accent. Please keep it!
The Doctor sounding English is part of his charm. So dear sir it does indeed matter a jot.
I don't think anyone should throw there R away its there identity it would be great to have a Scottish doctor I think david should have done the same thing
Why shouldn't The Doctor change his accent now and then? If Eccleston could sound Mancunian, Capaldi should certainly be allowed to stay Scots. Speaking as a Scouser (albeit one without an accent – at least when I'm being "professional) I find the latter easier on the ear than the former!
Frankly if Tennant really has said that it's a slip by a man who is usually pretty media-savvy. It'll just stir up needless controversy, as if there's not usually enough of that around the show!
He was asked at the BFI screening on Sunday and that's when he said it. I saw the video he didn't laugh or anything he was perfectly serious while everyone else was laughing. Yes he's media savvy but when he has a strong opinion about something he definitely vocalizes it.
Accusing another actor of "laziness" is a bit strong in my view – although fair enough if DT feels that way. I don't judge an actor's qualities (and David Tennant is a damned fine actor!) on how many accents they can do, though. I judge them on their ability to convey what their character is saying/feeling at any given time.
In that respect, both DT and PC score very highly!
So 9 had a Northern accent. 10 had a more London accent (probably an influence of Rose). Doesn't it make sense that with the loss of Amy, the Doctor takes on a Scottish accent? Remember she's "imprinted on his hearts" after all.
I agree. In this series I've always felt that whoever he cares for the most or the most influence in him definitely influences who the Doctor is when he regenerates. And since Amy was with him for 10 years and as much as he loved her why wouldn't she influence the next Doctor. Glad I'm not the only one who thinks or wonders about that
i am an American to us Americans everyone from UK sound same because British tv show reruns on BBC America and all British rock star from uk try use same accent . i would like see David tennant use American accent in next major role.
To Jason – I don't want to be rude, but please speak for yourself! Lots of American's can detect the differences in accents from the UK Don't lump the rest of us in just because you aren't able to. They are all very distinctive to me!
Agreed. There are big differences between English, Scottish, and Irish accents that are easily identifiable. And just like here there are regional and local accents are just as diverse.
Just bcuz some Americans can't hear the difference doesn't mean that all of us can't.
Does Wales not exist then? The Welsh accent has a wonderful musicality about it which I think would keenly suit the Doctor.
"[I] am an American [and] to us [Americans] [comma], everyone from [the] UK sound[s the] same because British [TV] show[s] rerun[no s] on BBC America and all British rock star[s] from [the] [UK] try to use [the] same accent." (Obviously not true.) "[I] would like to see David [T]ennant use [an] American accent in [his] next major role."
Geez, no wonder you can't tell the difference between accents. Your grasp of language is atrocious! (That means bad.)
As long as some people don't all start looking the same to you………..
David is actually using an American accent in his Broadchurch remake "Gracepoint". Here's an audio example…
And the original article I got the link from:
I think as an actor by not using his accent DT played it very clever. He can be Scottish in so many other roles from now on, and no one can accuse him of always portraying or sounding like The Doctor. He has eliminated the 'one trick pony' element to typecasting that is a constant worry for actors. Remember this was a huge role for him and at the time he was reasonable unknown. Matt I fear may have a few problems after Who. We shall see, casting Directors can be quite blinkered.
I think as long as it's British then I don't mind, if it was suddenly American for example it would lose it's charm and he would stop being the Doctor for me.
Clara: 'Why do you sound Scottish, suddenly, Doctor?'
Doctor: 'Why does EVERYONE in the universe speak English, Clara?'
…blame it on the TARDIS ~ "shimples"
It's been well documented that a senior official in the CBC, which co-produced the first couple years of the revival, made the serious request that the actors be overdubbed with Canadians in order to be able to sell the show in North America, and later on Sci-Fi Channel in the US infamously turned down DW for a while on the claim it was "too British." So there is some merit to the concern over whether the Doctor should be too localized in his accent. There wasn't anything "subtle" about McCoy's Scottish accent – but we can't really use the "and the show survived" argument because, really, it didn't. Were the low ratings that canned the show in 1989 in part due to viewers not being able to understand McCoy? No way of knowing of course. Still, McCoy set precedent. Capaldi is known in the UK for Tucker, but while the US film spinoff In the Loop was nominated for an Oscar, it's still an obscure film – I never heard of it before Capaldi was cast, myself. I personally don't think he will use his Scots accent, because there is going to be a concerted effort to distance his Doctor from Malcolm Tucker (not to mention his Torchwood role), and he certainly wasn't rolling his R's around in Fires of Pompeii nor is he likely to be doing so in the Three Musketeers show he's doing, so he's quite capable.
I just clicked the story link. I think it's ironic that a story about someone being "lazy", posted on the Guardian website, is actually reporting what a tabloid is reporting rather than something the newspaper went out and gathered information on itself. Tea, kettle, black!
I'd only have a problem if the accent is so thick that it's hard to understand. That was a common complaint with McCoy back in the day. Whether it was inferior sound work or him being n mush mouth, it was very difficult to hear him sometimes. During his coming out interview his accent seemed rather subdued, so I'm all good.
SPOILERS: People argue about whether he could be a different ethnicity, I say if Melody Pond can be black then regenerate to white then the Doctor can be any race, sex or sexuality the writers so choose.
Let's not get into that back/white male /female argument. Moffat answered that very well and considered in his Bury chat (best interview I've ever seen with the man) here http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=JeCM7LiThEs&desktop_uri=/watch?v=JeCM7LiThEs
I've heard the theory that his regenerations have to do with the situation he's regenerating in, so perhaps a Scottish accent could be explained away (story-wise) by his fondness for Amy's accent?
Where did the Doctor actually get his Doctorate?
In Glasgow in the 19th Century (The Moonbase)
He must have knocked about there long enough to pick up an accent,
even if it was delayed by a few regenerations..
If you were to make the argument that the Doctor shouldn't have a pronounced accent, then by that argument all of the new series Doctors should have spoken with the Queen's English like the first eight did. But they let Eccles keep his Northern accent, and even David and Matt have been less "proper" (for lack of a better word) in how they spoke.
So given that McCoy had his slight burr, and Eccleston had the pronounced Northern accent, I can't see any reason why Capaldi shouldn't be allowed to speak whatever way he chooses. Plus, compared to Tennant's native accent, hearing Capaldi during his introduction interview, I felt his accent was much softer.
I think he should have a mild Scottish accent, sort of like Sylvester McCoy.
Every planet has a Scotland
True but Its all that needs to be said so we can all move on.
My mom is really into Broadchurch, but she's having a hard time understanding David Tennant's Scottish accent. She thinks he needs subtitles. It would be much easier on non-British audiences if the accent was more mainstream.
Than she'll no doubt be quite pleased to see the US Fox produced version, which will also star David Tennant, playing the character as an American, which is in the works.
I don't really care for what accent Peter uses for the Doctor, I mean, obviously it'd have to be British, but not in particular English. Just my opinion
Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I think that the Doctor should remain the Doctor throughout his re-generations. What I mean is this; of course he becomes a new person with different quirks and a slightly different view on things, but if you break his character down and change him too much, he ceases to be THE DOCTOR. The Doctor is not a woman: never has been and never should be. The Doctor's character has always appeared ethnically English whether he was played by an Englishman or the few wonderful Scotsmen who have also played him. Because of this, his character should always be English no matter who plays him. If you change the characteristics of the Doctor too much and get rid of everything that makes him The Doctor, he will no longer be recognisable as the MAN that so many people have always called THE DOCTOR. David Tennant wanted to play The Doctor as a Scotsman, but Russell T. Davies asked him not to take The Doctor "touring the regions" and Tennant ultimately played him with an Estuary accent. Now, I know that Christopher Eccleston played The Doctor with a very distinguishable northern accent, but nonetheless, it is still ENGLISH! I know that Steven Moffat is in charge now, but why should he change the rules of what has always made this show great? How believable would it be if The Doctor was suddenly played by a Chinese woman with a thick Beijing-English accent? Not at all! Let's keep The Doctor's character somewhat intact when he re-generates.
See this is what I think but if you voice this opinion too loud people can get really arsey
When He regenerated into Tennant wasn't there a short special episode for Children in need and it was explained that the new doctor 'Imprints' from the first person he hears?
(its like psychological attatchment theory where newborn animals attach themselves to the first animal/person they see… )
so he got his London accent from Rose.
Maybe the Doctor had such a strong attachment to Amy, (deepened by the trauma of losing her) it carries through to the regeneration and affects his accent…
Doesn't really matter. Though I guess I'd struggle with a French accent or something. But the first doctor had an RP accent (as did everyone on TV in them days I guess) and you soon get past that.
Has to at least be a U.K. accent. I can accept Scottish, but I'd prefer Queen's English. His call, and I think he'll be great either way, but he'll get bonus points from me if he uses a proper British accent.
I agree with the fact that Doctor who wouldn't be the same with an american or French accent, but I think, as long as the accent remains in the UK, it'sfine
As an american fan of doctor who, i honestly can't tell the difference between a scottish accent and an english accent.
Really?! I love David's native accent. It's very recognizably different to me. I do agree that the Doctor's accent should remain somewhere in the British Isles. Scottish, English, Irish… all very soft accents as to be clear to everyone watching. Sometimes accents are very thick and hard to understand for non-natives. That would turn people off but as long as the accents are soft and from the British Isles then it doesn't matter to me. It was hard enough getting used to David speaking in an American accent never mind The Doctor speaking with one!
As long as he's not using an American accent, I'll be happy. As an American myself, that shouldn't be a big deal for me, but strangely, somehow it is. But I'd come to accept it, I expect.
I think it only matters to English people. The difference in the accent is so subtle, that people outside the uk won't notice it.
That is totally not true. The accents are very different and I can tell that without being English, Scottish, Welsh, or Irish.
Why has this been blown out of all proportion? David did not accuse him of being lazy, the Author of this article did not get the facts right. When David was being asked at the BFI screening about what he though of Peter Capaldi using his scottish accent, he was joking around or being "Deadpanned" as it was put on the BFI site so I suggest you all head over to the BFI website and read the whole interview before accusing David of anything.
I think David was just joking about it "being lazy." I think it's fine if Capaldi wants to use his native accent. I only required the Doctor to maintain an accent as long as it is U.K. native.
I hate to sound terribly American here, but I can't tell the difference between the regions of England's accents. I know they exist but I thought that the 9th Doctor and Rose had the same accent. I couldn't tell the difference. And while I do recognize a scottish accent over an english one, the difference is so minute to anyone outside England that from a world audience point of view I don't think it matters.
Hi Boring American, Do you feel the same way when the American Accent is mangled by Brits on your television screens?
I wouldn't have a problem either way, and Tennant was obviously joking, if you watch the video it was just banter…
however if the rumours are true that his previous roles in both Tirchwood and Doctor Who are somehow going to be tied in to the plot, then i guess it would make sense that he would use the same accent as he did for those parts…
Tennant probably didn't even say it and it's the media s**t stirring. I don't think that the Doctor should ever be a woman or change ethnicity, but the accent? As long as it's British (or Irish would be OK) seems fine to me. Any European, American or Aussie would be just wrong. Scot? Nae bother.
I don't think it matter, but quite frankly I'd prefer him to sound like himself. Scottish. I think it was quite a petty statement that Tennant made, to be honest.
3 cheers for Mr Tenant, a great Scot
'ow about a Caribbean accent mon?!?!
I think he's stating it's lazy because he was forced to give up his Scottish accent. I think that the Doctors accent may have something to do with the fact that most of the time, when he's on Earth, he's in London. Maybe if he was in Scotland more or even the US more his accent would change. In that case I believe his accent should stay the same. But I really could care less (I LOVE Scottish accents lol) so long as Doctor Who stays on television.
Perhaps he can speak in whatever that language was that Jodie Foster had in that movie where her character was raised in the woods………..
I see no problem with the accent changing from Doctor to Doctor. If the Doctor can regenerate as different grown men, having varying accents seems minor compared to the rest of the changes. The accents have all been different regional variations anyway, so why not Scottish?
Years ago some smartass tried to "catch out" Colin Baker, and asked why the Doctor always spoke with a British accent. Colin replied that the Doctor speaks with a Gallifreyan accent, and that person was clearly unable to tell the difference. I DID find Eccleston's accent wrong for the Doctor, but not Mccoys'. Whatever some people may choose to believe, the Doctor is a Time LORD. He comes from one of the ancient Houses. He needs to sound like a noble. I have no problem with a Scots accent, but it needs to be noble Scottish, rather than commoner.
The new one should sound like Capaldi. That's it.
People aren't upset because Capaldi might retain a Scottish accent; they're upset because they think it's unfair that their golden boy Tennant didn't get to keep his and this hideous interloper (in their minds) does. They're already in an uproar about Matt Smith 1. not de-regenerating into their One True Doctor and 2. regenerating into an 'old man.' This is just another excuse for them to hate on the new guy, and it's gotten silly.
David Tennet (McDonald) should sound like he should.. from Paisley, Scotland! his accent is beautiful, much less thick then Peter's (since hes from the highlands) but Dave portraid an english accenct really well, his shakespeare is none to be compaired I don't understand why he was made to portray an engish accent.. the british isle's are the "british isle's" right?
Don't please bug some one for joking, he ment it in a sarcastic manner to the directors/publishers "writer Russell T Davies did not want the Doctor's accent – touring the regions", so he used Estuary English instead" :/ i look forward to seeing a good man useing his scottish accent and hopefully Peter capaldi can use his… ummm next a woman doctor ….


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Dr. Susan Maturo has been practicing veterinary medicine for more than two decades. Upon graduating from Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine in 1988, she worked as an associate veterinarian in her home state of CT. She then worked in several small animal practices in MD before establishing the Animal Medical Center of Watkins Park in 1992.
Treating dogs, cats, ferrets and small pocket pets, Dr. Maturo has particular interests in preventative medicine, nutrition, geriatric (senior) patients, dentistry, and, soft tissue surgery. She believes in treating the whole patient and follows a rational approach to vaccination to promote optimal pet health.
Dr. Maturo is a member of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Maryland Veterinary Medical Association, and the Veterinary Dental Society.
Dr. Sara Chapman graduated from Ohio State University in 1985. After a few years in conventional practice, she noticed that pets with chronic problems often didn't get any better, and was discouraged with the side effects of many of the conventional treatments. So she began to tailor her treatment to the individual patient, using nutrition, reduced vaccination and fewer big drugs whenever possible.
In 1995, she became interested in homeopathy after her own, chronically lame, horse responded dramatically to it. While living in England, she graduated from the three-year course of the Homeopathic Professional Teaching Group (Oxford, UK) in May 2002, and passed the exams to become a Veterinary Member of the Faculty of Homeopathy (VetMFHom - UK) later that year. During 2007-2008, Dr. Chapman took the International Association of Veterinary Acupuncture course in acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in San Antonio, and passed her qualifying exam in acupuncture.
Dr. Chapman is a member of the Academy of Veterinary Homeopathy; the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association; the American Veterinary Medical Association; and, the National Center for Homeopathy. She is also a member of the British Association of Homeopathic Veterinary Surgeons; the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (UK); the Faculty of Homeopathy (UK); the International Association for Veterinary Homeopathy; and, the International Veterinary Acupuncture Society.
Dr. Kellie Corcoran has been a veterinarian for the past 7 ½ years. After graduating from Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2005, Dr. Corcoran worked at a small animal practice in Manhattan, Kansas, as well as an emergency clinic in Topeka, Kansas. She and her husband moved to Maryland in 2009, where she continued practicing small animal medicine.
Dr. Corcoran treats dogs, cats, and several species of exotic pets, but her special interests include endocrinology, dermatology, and soft-tissue surgery. She believes that preventative medicine is the key to raising a healthy, happy pet. She is also interested in raising awareness of the importance of adopting rescue animals.
Dr. Corcoran lives with her husband and rescue dog Rocko. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family, watching K-State football & basketball games, horseback riding, playing the violin, and attending Orioles baseball games.


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TEAMS: New York Yankees
Alex Rodriguez can't seem to get himself into the news involving baseball. But he is doing a fantabulous job with alleged illegal activity. We are well versed in A-Rod's alleged use of PEDs from a Miami-based medical clinic, and his alleged hiring of an individual to purchase records of his said involvement. Now we have word that the New York Yankees injured third baseman is once again being linked to a high-stakes poker group.
This group was investigated by the feds back in 2011, and A-Rod was allegedly involved with them at that time as well. Of course, the Yankees told him to stay away from such games as far back as 2005.
Other celebrities linked to the group are Matt Damon, Tobey Maguire, and Leonardo DiCaprio.
The alleged ringleader of the group is Molly Bloom, sister to former Olympic skier, Jeremy Bloom. She is accused of laundering nearly $50 million.
Jeter has setback; new crack revealed in ankle
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It's a great stylus for annotating and sketching, but you might find the Wacom Bamboo Stylus Fineline a little harder to use for long stretches of writing or printing.
The Olympus Stylus SP-100 is a problem-solver camera, giving zoom fiends a simple -- and clever -- way to keep athletes, wildlife, and other targets in your sights.
For those who crave an enthusiast compact with more zoom range, the Olympus Stylus 1 should be high on your list for its excellent balance of performance, design, and features.
The Olympus Stylus 730 has some great design points, but its slow performance and noisy images seriously hurt its overall rating.
It looks good and its features are nice, but the Olympus Stylus 820's photos and performance simply aren't up to snuff.
This small 10-megapixel shooter can produce great shots if the scene is well lit, but watch out for noise at about ISO 200.
It's a bit slow, and control freaks will be disappointed, but the Olympus Stylus 740 is still a very nice snapshot camera.
It's a bit slow and lacks manual exposure controls, but the Olympus Stylus 750 is still a very nice snapshot camera.


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This was a big hit at my daughters bridal shower. I noticed that some LOVED them a lot but I thought they were just okay ... but then I have always been a picky eater. I will definitately make them again for a special luncheon.
Curried Chicken Tea Sandwiches
nuttymomof5 Posted: 11/07/08
liesal Posted: 02/10/09
Excellent! Mixed the ingredients together except for the almonds and coconut and made a day ahead. Then added other ingredients and placed on croissants right before serving. My lady friends raved about it!
Browniequeen Posted: 10/10/09
If you want to give this a bit of a kick, use mango chutney instead of the marmalade. It's also much better made a day ahead, to let the flavors marry
meganlaurel Posted: 04/19/13
I have made these sandwiches for years- and they are ALWAYS a hit. The curry flavor is not strong at all, and if you don't like coconut you can leave it out (though I do love coconut and happen to think it really makes the sandwiches that much better). I've made it on many types of bread, and the pumpernickel is just fantastic!
Grammy45 Posted: 03/20/12
Made these for a dear friends retirement party. They were excellent and everyone wanted the recipe. I made everything the day before expect the almonds and coconut. I assembled them prior to serving and was done in a flash. I will make these again and again.