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When each quarterback takes his spot behind the center and reads the defense, he won't stare at nameless faces from several miles down the road. He'll look into the eyes of his classmates, peers and friends.
When the linemen get into their stances, they'll line up across from future teammates.
It's been this way since the Russellville School District split the Whirlwinds into two teams in 2000, but it won't be that way much longer.
RJHS will consolidate into one Whirlwinds team for the 2014 season. Thursday will be the last time the East (1-8, 1-5 River Valley Conference) and the West (0-9, 0-6) will meet on Colors Day for the traditional rivalry game. Thursday will be the end of an era.
"I wouldn't say there has been a lot of trash talking," Westside head coach Jim Peters said. "But there is a lot of Eastside is better, or Westside is better. They have a lot of fun with it here at the school, going back and forth."
Peters took the head coaching job for the West earlier this summer. This is his first and last time to participate in the rivalry game.
"It's a lot of fun, I think," Peters said. "I was expecting more of a distraction this week from the kids, but it really hasn't been. The kids are excited about it. They've been looking forward to it all year long, and I'm really excited about doing this, especially because this season, our seasons have been almost just alike and now we meet here at the end in similar situations."
For the majority of the year, the East and West practice on opposite ends of the same field and come together occasionally as a scout team for each other, but Eastside head coach Eston Jones took his team away from the prying eyes of the West for this match-up to a secondary field on the opposite side of the junior high.
Not every ninth-grader will get to participate in Thursday's rivalry game. Westside quarterback Ryan Meador left the Little Rock Christian game last week with a mild concussion and will not be able to play.
Still, according to Meador's father David Meador, the injury highlighted the unity between the two teams.
"Many, many East parents began calling and texting to check on the well-being of Ryan," David Meador said. "East players were concerned and it was almost as if the East victory became secondary to the condition of the injured West player, even though it was just a minor concussion."
The camaraderie between East and West is nothing new to Eastside head coach Easton Jones.
"I think it starts with the coaches," Peters said. "We're all buddies. We support each other during the season. All the coaches on both sides are good friends. We always keep it friendly. It's nothing to see two football guys, East and West, walking down the hall together.
"They're all Russellville boys. There's only one night they line up against each other.
"They wouldn't have it any other way, but after the game you'll see them hugging and shaking hands and things will go back to normal."
Eastside, which defeated the Vionia Junior Eagles 26-8 last week, will carry the enthusiasm of victory into Thursday's game. Jones said he believed it could give them an edge of the West.
"We have to come out fired up," Jones said. "We have to pray together as a team like we did last week, and we have to be physical. They finally saw it all come together on Thursday, and we are still smiling. That was a very emotional experience, and I think we're going to carry that into this week."
The two schools may never face each other as rivals after Thursday, but the team should be stronger for it. Peters said he thought the school would miss it.
"I think people will be excited to see them as a whole team next year," he said. "But I think the school will miss having the East-West game and all the excitement that comes with it."
Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.


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New Kids on the Block / Courtesy PMK BNC
By Amanda Wicks
New Kids on the Block are back in a big way this year. Besides announcing a major tour with Paula Abdul and Boyz II Men, the group will be releasing their new EP Thankful.
Related: New Kids on the Block to Tour with Paula Abdul and Boyz II Men
The five-track EP will be available on May 12th, the same night the guys kick off their tour in Columbus, Ohio. Fans who pre-order the album will receive an instant download of "One More Night." In their first single, they beg to spend one more night with the woman they love. The group debuted the song on The Late Late Show with James Corden on Monday (March 6th).
New Kids on the Block released their last album TEN in 2013. Check out the tracklist and single "One More Night" below.
- Heartbeat
- Thankful
- One More Night
- Hard (Not Luvin U)
- Still Sounds Good

subset: commoncrawl


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CHINA'S state news agency says a Chinese aircraft has spotted three suspicious objects floating in a search area for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet.
Xinhua News Agency said today that the Chinese military plane Ilyushin IL-76 sighted the three floating objects of white, red and orange colours respectively, from an altitude of 300 metres.
The Australian Navy's HMAS Toowoomba left Fleet Base West near Perth tonight to join the search. It will be carrying a Seahawk helicopter. The 1800km trip will take about three days, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority says.
RAN Frigate HMAS Toowoomba to join #MH370 search. Has cabability to embark a Seahawk helicopter (RAN photo) #military pic.twitter.com/5Ed0X8WQpv
— Flying Kangaroo (@FlynKangaroo) March 29, 2014
It comes as the Ocean Shield, an Australian Navy Ship that has been fitted with US black box recovery equipment, is set to head to the search area tomorrow.
The black box emits a ping that can be picked up from an ocean depth of just over 4km, but the batteries powering the signal last just 30 days and are set to run out on April 7.
The search area west of Perth shifted north on Friday after the likely path of MH370 was updated.
Five aircraft also spotted debris in the ocean on Friday.
But AMSA warns the objects cannot be verified as linked to the Malaysia Airlines flight until they are picked up by ships.
Authorities say weather conditions for today's search are favourable but expected to deteriorate in the afternoon.
Eight aircraft and six ships are involved in the search.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott told reporters this morning black box recovery equipment was about to be put on a navy ship in Perth.
"It will be taken to the most prospective search area and if there is good reason to deploy it, it will be deployed,'' he said in Sydney.
He said no debris had been recovered despite the number of vessels in the updated search area.
"We should not underestimate the difficulty of this work,'' he said.
#MH370 #australia #amsa's planned search area today pic.twitter.com/WL9hHq7pbZ
— ST Foreign Desk (@STForeignDesk) March 29, 2014
"These are inhospitable seas. We are trying to find small bits of wreckage in a vast ocean.''
New Zealand Air Vice-Marshal Kevin Short told media today a cluster of 11 white rectangular objects was sitting just below the surface about 1600km west of Perth.
"It's hard to identify because all you're seeing is this one-metre rectangular piece of material.''
The plane carrying 239 people, including six Australians and two New Zealanders, disappeared on March 8.
MALAYSIA's defence and acting transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein says "miracles do happen" in relation to remote chances of any survivors from MH370.
The Minister was speaking after meeting family members of passengers on board MH370 today for more than two hours.
He said the hardest part of the meeting with the husbands, wives, brothers, sisters and relatives of the passengers on board MH370 was seeing the hope in their eyes.
But asked if it was unrealistic to believe that anyone may have survived the jet's plunge into the icy waters of the southern Indian Ocean 22 days ago, Mr Hussein said: "Miracles do happen, remote or otherwise."
He said the families had wanted an assurance that the search to find the plane would continue.
"I gave them that assurance," he said.
"Secondly they said that no matter how remote, hope against hope, please continue looking for survivors. I have said that from the beginning, no matter how remote, I am hoping against hope and I totally appreciate and understand their feelings. If there is any lead or information that involves survivors that has always been our priority."
Mr Hussein said he had told families the best they could do was pray and hope.
"I have told the families I cannot give them false hope. The best we can do is pray ... as long as there is even a remote chance that there is a survivor we will pray and do whatever it takes," he said.
Mr Hussein said that so far authorities had six sightings of possible debris on satellite images and he understood there had been visual sightings today but so far no efforts to retrieve debris had been undertaken.
"Putting aside all the speculation, putting aside all the stories about sightings, putting aside all the conspiracy theories, they (families) only want to know where their loved ones are. This is one question that I don't have the answer to," Mr Hussein said.
"They wanted an assurance on our part to continue the search and that I have given, not only on behalf of the Malaysian Government but of so many nations that are involved in this search and rescue operations."
Mr Hussein attended the meeting at the Everly Hotel in Kuala Lumpur, where Malaysian families of passengers are staying with relatives, including the crew's families and some Chinese families.
Afterwards, Selamat Omar, whose flight engineer son Mohd Khairul Amri Selamat was on the plane, said he was heartened by the Minister's visit and would not believe, until it was certain, that all the passengers had perished.
Mohamad Sahril, whose cousin was on the plane echoed the sentiments, saying many families still harboured hope that there could be survivors.
A Chinese patrol ship is leading the hunt to locate multipe objects of various colours spotted in a search for the missing jet, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said today.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said this morning that today's weather is expected initially to be suitable for searching but conditions are expected to deteriorate later in the day.
"The Chinese Maritime Safety Administration ship Haixun 01 has been on scene for relocating objects from first light," AMSA said in a statement.
A total of eight planes will be part of today's search, including three Royal Australian Air Force P3 Orions, a Japanese Coast Guard jet, a Japanese P3 Orion, a Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion, a Chinese People's Liberation Army Air Force Ilyushin IL-76, and one civil jet acting as a communications relay.
"The objects cannot be verified or discounted as being from MH370 until they are relocated and recovered by ships,'' AMSA said in a statement.
"It is not known how much flotsam, such as from fishing activities, is ordinarily there. At least one distinctive fishing object has been identified.''
The first aircraft to depart from Perth was the Chinese Ilyushin IL-76 at 9.05am. The first RAAF P3 Orion departed at 9.50am, with two others scheduled to depart about 12pm and 2pm.
The civil jet is scheduled to depart about 1pm.
The Japan Coast Guard jet is scheduled to depart about 2pm, the Royal New Zealand Air Force P3 Orion about 3pm and the Japanese P3 Orion is scheduled to depart about 4pm
Six ships are expected to reach the search area today, tasked with relocating the objects sighted, but will arrive late in the day or after dark, AMSA said in a statement.
A RNZAF Orion first spotted the objects, which were white or light in colour, and a RAAF Orion then also found the two objects, reporting they were blue or grey rectangular shapes.
A second RAAF Orion also spotted more objects on a separate search at a different site roughly 546km away, AMSA said.
"@AMSA_News: The search for #MH370 focussing on the new area is planned to continue today, weather permitting. More details to follow."
— Hannah Scott (@HannahRScott) March 28, 2014
New Zealand Air Vice-Marshal Kevin Short said today that one of the objects appeared to be a fishing buoy but the others were white, rectangular in shape and floating just below the surface, each no larger than a metre in length.
"Our crew couldn't identify anything that would say it was definitely from the Malaysian aircraft," Short said today.
"I think the main issue is that those objects will have to be picked up by a ship so they can physically examine them."
The debris must now be relocated and recovered by ships before they can be verified.
Photographs of the objects were to be assessed overnight.
The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was shifted north after new information from Malaysian crash investigators.
RNZAF Orion spotted objects in #MH370 search area, identity to be established. Soon to land @ RAAF Pearce. AMSA awaiting imagery. 1/2
— AMSA News (@AMSA_News) March 28, 2014
Japanese authorities also announced overnight that they have satellite images which show a number of floating objects about 2500km southwest of Perth.
This comes as Malaysian authorities today received satellite imagery from Thailand.
"Early this morning we received separate satellite imagery from the Thai authorities which also showed potential objects," Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said.
"These new satellite images join those released by Australia, China, France, and Malaysia, all of which are with RCC Australia.
"The range of potential objects, and the difficulty in re-identifying them shows just how complex this investigation is. We remain grateful to all our partners for continuing to assist in the search operations."
Authorities said the location of the search area is the reason why some countries have withdrawn from the search effort.
Relatives of the Chinese passengers aboard missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have demanded China mount its own inquiry into the disappearance, a letter shows.
The letter, sent to Beijing's special envoy in Kuala Lumpur, denounced Malaysia's handling of the search and asked the Chinese government to set up its own "investigation office''.
A committee set up by relatives of the 153 Chinese passengers has begun discussions with lawyers about a potential lawsuit against Malaysia Airlines, a move that the family members have hotly debated among themselves.
"We question Malaysia's motivations in misleading and delaying so as to miss the best moment to find MH370,'' the relatives wrote in the letter to special envoy Zhang Yesui on Thursday, blasting Kuala Lumpur's behaviour as "irresponsible'' and "inhumane''.
"We earnestly request that China establish an investigation office into MH370,'' the letter states, also urging "an effective communication system between the relatives and the government''.
RT @STForeignDesk: Mass walk-out by relatives of #MH370 Chinese passengers, in protest of "useless" briefing. pic.twitter.com/xcpHD0GA9W
— The Straits Times (@STcom) March 28, 2014
Asked about the request, foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters today: "We have repeatedly pointed out that under the current circumstances what is pressing now is the search.''
There were 153 Chinese citizens on board the flight and the letter came days after frustrated family members staged a protest in front of the Malaysian embassy in Beijing.
Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said it was not yet clear whether Malaysia and China would continue a co-share arrangement on the flight route between Kuala Lumpur and Beijing.
"We obviously will be in discussion with China Southern on this because that flight is a co-share," he said.
"So far Boeing has not provided any form of funding but they are in full cooperation with the investigation team, and ourselves as well, trying to find out what happened to MH370."
When asked about compensation for the relatives of victims, Mr Yahya said that what families wanted most was evidence of the aircraft.
"We are obviously talking to the various legal parties and the families on this," he said.
"So far what we have been requested is actually, certainly by the family members, is to identify the evidence affirmatively which means they want to see evidence in terms of the aircraft.
"They are still looking for the evidence of the aircraft. That's why the search has actually intensified to make sure we can locate the aircraft."
New analysis of radar data from Malaysia Airlines' flight MH370's initial hour in the air indicates the plane flew faster and crashed sooner than previously thought.
The search off Perth on Friday shifted dramatically, more than 1000km northeast and closer to the Australian coast, after Malaysian authorities shared "a new credible lead".
Australia is no longer convinced the satellite images that supposedly depicted debris fields in the southern Indian Ocean are bits of floating plane fuselage or flotsam associated with the wreck of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
A senior source close to the search said it had cooled on its belief that a debris field of 122 objects was related to plane wreckage. The source also said that reports a Thai satellite had located a separate debris field of some 300 objects were not being treated as credible by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority or the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.
The Australian authorities had not received any formal information from Thailand and have now dismissed the reports, which they first heard via the media.
It is not clear what the white specks seen on satellite — some reported to be as large as 20m — did in fact show.
But Australia is of the view that it has thoroughly combed the area where 122 objects were supposedly seen, and despite unconfirmed aerial sightings of three objects in the area, ships had found nothing.
On day 21 of the search John Young, manager of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority's emergency response division, said this afternoon that four planes were in the area, and that six ships were on the way to the new zone, which was "now our best place to go".
"We have moved on from (previous) search areas,'' said Mr Young.
"The search we've had to date is what we had at the time. New information will emerge.
"I don't count the original work a waste of time.''
Martin Dolan, chief commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), Australia's investigation agency, said this is the best estimate of the area where the aircraft is likely to have crashed into the ocean.
"We have taken into account drift information as well as the likely entry point of the aircraft into the water," he said.
The key pieces of information being analysed relate to early positional information from the aircraft and its later polling of the satellite through its aircraft systems, he said.
"The new information is based on continuing analysis of radar data about the aircraft's movement between the South China Sea and the Straits of Malacca before contact was lost.
"This continuing analysis indicated the plane was travelling faster than previously estimated, resulting in increased fuel usage and reducing the possible distance the aircraft travelled south into the Indian Ocean.
"Radar and satellite polling data has been combined with information about the likely performance of the aircraft, speed and fuel consumption in particular, to arrive at the best assessment of the area at which the aircraft is likely to have entered the water.
"The information provided by the international investigation team is the most credible lead that we currently have in the search for aircraft wreckage."
Mr Dolan said the information needed to be continually adjusted for the length of time elapsed since the aircraft went missing and the likelihood of any drift of any wreckage floating on the ocean surface.
"Finally we stress that under the international convention Malaysia has investigative responsibility for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. At this stage ATSB's main task is to assist in the search for the aircraft."
The new search area is approximately 319,000 square kilometres and around 1850 km west of Perth. AMSA resumed Friday's search with a total of 10 aircraft and six ships.
My Young said the search area remains large: about 319,000 square kilometres with sea depths in the new area range from 2000 metres to 4000 metres.
Planes and ships had spent a week searching about 2500km southwest of Perth, whereas now they are searching about 1850km west of the city.
Mr Young said that as the new search zone is closer to Perth, where planes are being flown from, spotters have longer time on the scene than before. Until now, they only had one to two hours before having to return to RAAF air base Pearce.
"We're now doing much better than that,'' Mr Young said.
He added the "best information" about where to search related to the aircraft's flight path, rather than satellite imagery of possible debris.
"Anything we can have about movement of aircraft creates the greatest degree of confidence," he said.
"We've also had satellite imagery. Satellite imagery has been followed up but actually had not produced any sightings for us but that might change in the future.
"We also use sophisticated oceanographic modelling to determine where objects will move. In terms of keeping the search area confined, knowing what happens to the water is very important."
A host of images from Japanese, Thai and French satellites had given searchers hope — now apparently false — that a debris field from the plane was in the earlier search area. Collectively they detected hundreds of objects ranging from 1 metre to about 20 metres in length.
Mike Coffin, the executive director of the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies at Australia's University of Tasmania, said the frequency of the apparent false alarms raised questions about the quality of the satellite data, though it's also possible that the satellites detected real objects that were simply unrelated to the plane. Mr Coffin has sailed in that part of the ocean.
"There is all kinds of debris in the ocean,'' he said.
"When you are out there, you see stuff all the time.''
Mr Young said a "significant amount of random dispersion of objects" would have occurred in the 21 days since the plane crashed, steadily increasing the size of the search area.
Weather conditions in the new search area will also be more favourable, he said.
As the search continues, Malaysia Airlines is struggling to control the backlash from China and took a swipe at the media over its irresponsible reporting.
"Malaysia Airlines wishes to thank media publications that have been responsible in their reporting of MH370," it said in a statement.
"We shall continue to cooperate in providing such information as we can but independent investigations are now underway and we do operate under strict constraints in this regard.
"In the meantime our top priority remains to provide any and all assistance to the families of the passengers and crew."
Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he has been briefed about the new radar data analysis of the flight path.
"This is a credible new lead and will be thoroughly investigated today," Mr Abbott said.
"This is an extraordinarily difficult search, and an agonising wait for family and friends of the passengers and crew," he added.
"As I have said from the start, we owe it to them to follow every credible lead and to keep the public informed of significant new developments. That is what we are doing."
The Prime Minister said leading experts from around the world are working to solve this "baffling mystery".
"It has been a truly remarkable international effort."
"We will continue to work closely with the Malaysian and Chinese governments and with all our international partners to locate MH370 and find answers to what happened to it."
It was announced on Thursday that Thai and Japanese satellites had spotted other floating objects ranging from two to 16 metres in length, about 2700 kilometres southwest of Perth.
"But we cannot — dare not — confirm they are debris from the plane," said Anond Snidvongs, director of Thailand's space technology development agency.
Japan's Cabinet Satellite Intelligence Centre said their analysis showed 10 objects in the search area, suggesting a debris field.
The objects were up to eight metres in length and four metres wide.
Jiji Press cited an official at the office as saying they were "highly likely'' to be from the plane.
SEARCH ZONE: Understanding the Indian Ocean
But relatives of the 239 people aboard the Malaysia Airlines flight expressed their frustration at yet more satellite discoveries that have not been backed up by the recovery of any actual debris.
"Until something is picked up and analysed to make sure it's from MH370 we can't believe it, but without anything found it's just clues,'' Steve Wang, whose 57-year-old mother was aboard the flight, said in Beijing.
"Without that, it's useless."
Wang Zhen, whose parents were aboard the missing plane, said in a telephone interview in Beijing that he was becoming exasperated.
"There is nothing I can do but to wait, and wait,'' he said. "I'm also furious, but what is the use of getting furious?''
The families' anger has not diminished this week; the Straits Times reported that Malaysian authorities infuriated passengers' loved ones by telling them at a briefing this week that there was "sealed evidence that cannot be made public" in relation to the missing flight.
"The sealed evidence included air traffic control radio transcript, radar data and airport security recordings," the paper reported.
The remarks by Malaysian authorities — made at the Metropark Lido Hotel in Beijing — have not been reported by other major newspapers, despite being widely shared on social media.
New pictures were taken by Thailand's only earth observation satellite on Monday but took several days to process and were relayed to Malaysian authorities on Wednesday.
The discovery was reported less than 24 hours after the Malaysian government revealed 122 objects had been seen about 2557 kilometres from Perth, ranging in length from one metre to 23 metres.
It's unknown whether the satellites detected the same objects; currents in the ocean can run a meter per second and wind also could move material.
Thailand faced criticism after announcing more than a week after the jet's disappearance on March 8 that its radar had picked up an "unknown aircraft" minutes after flight MH370 last transmitted its location.
The Thai air force said it did not report the findings earlier as the plane was not considered a threat.
The Malaysia Airlines plane is presumed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean with 239 people on board after mysteriously diverting from its Kuala Lumpur-Beijing path and apparently flying for hours in the opposite direction.
Thunderstorms and gale-force winds grounded the international air search for wreckage on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the specialist visual spotters who have spent countless hours searching the vast Indian Ocean for signs of the missing plane are battling fatigue and tricks of the mind.
For all the fancy technology on board the planes and vessels scouring the swirling waters, the best tool searchers have are their own eyes — but they can play tricks or blink at the wrong moment.
RELATED: How MH370 saga will impact on Malaysia
"Thinking about that is what keeps you going over what can be really, really long and quite dull missions at times,'' says one searcher. "Is it going to be behind this next wave?''
"You might be looking for a single canoe in the vastness of the Pacific and we do find them.
"So there is always hope.''


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Hangover Sports Roundup
Lobos crash back to reality, 49ers bully Packers
Lobo Football
When the University of New Mexico defeated the Southern Jaguars 66-21 their opening weekend, it was the fresh start the football program desperately needed. For the first time in three years every part of the team worked in sync, showing some potential for Lobo Football to be successful again. The only only damper on the victory was the fact they beat a poor team from a weak conference. Southern offered little opposition and little opportunity for UNM to show their stuff beyond a spectacular halftime show. So when the Lobos squared off against the No.15 Texas Longhorns, fans and critics were given an accurate depiction of New Mexico's football program.
Lobo fans watching the first half had reason to feel okay as their defense kept Texas to a less-than-terrifying 17-0 lead at halftime. But after UNM quarterback B.R. Holbrook suffered a concussion in the second quarter, the optimism quickly turned into panic. The Longhorns proved why they are a true college football powerhouse by forcing four Lobo turnovers and a crushing final score of 45-0. Even though UNM suffered another beat-down at the hands of a top college football team, the Lobos had a solid ground attack and were even able to rush for 206 yards. Local sports talk radio were surely filled with calls angry and depressed fans already claiming this season was a failure. But sensible fans can hardly expect head coach Bob Davie to work a miracle in one season. Former coach Mike Locksley caused huge damage to an already fragile program. It's going take years to transform UNM into a threatening college football program. As for this season, if Davie can lead his team to a decent performance at Texas Tech before the big grudge match against New Mexico State, the Lobos should feel confident heading into Mountain West Conference play.
NFL Opening Weekend
Just two years ago, The San Francisco 49ers looked like the shell of a franchise that won five Super Bowls. But ever since second-year head coach Jim Harbaugh took over, honor and respect have been restored to the Bay Area. Last year, the 49ers proved to be a dark horse when came out of nowhere to go 13-2, win their division and play in the NFC Championship game. With the target off their backs, the 'Niners looked towards a tough season opener against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field this last weekend. Meanwhile, the Packers were looking to erase the memory of losing to the eventual Super Bowl Champions the New York Giants. If the 49ers could defeat Green Bay on the road, it would seal their place as one of the elite teams of the league.
San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith exercised his new offensive weapons Mario Manningham and Randy Moss while picking apart the Packer defense. Along with Frank Gore's power-running game, he led the 49ers into a 16-7 lead at halftime. Aaron Rodgers was able to move the ball for Green Bay but failed to make the game-changing play that would have captured the lead. The Packers cut the Niners' 16-point lead to just 8 in the fourth quarter. But Harbaugh's signature defense held steady and managed to avoid a last-second Green Bay comeback. San Francisco's 30-22 victory should give them the momentum they need moving forward into the season and will potentially set them up for a repeat of last year's success and beyond.
A rookie's guide to picking a fantasy football league
Top site destinations to get you and your team to the top.
When online fantasy football gained popularity, almost all my friends wanted a piece of the action. I had always been the kind of fan that obsessed over how many yards Michael Vick could run or how many touchdowns Aaron Rogers could throw, but it wasn't until recently that I finally caved and joined the fantasy league craze. Entering a league for the first time can be very intimidating, but with the right league, first time players can easily convert into fantasy junkies (and less productive members of society). Several sites provide different experiences for various skill levels as well as tools for any player to dominate in their league.
ESPN.com Fantasy League pairs up with television programs like Sportscenter, NFL Live and Fantasy Football Now to allow players to spend every second with their team. Sign-up is as simple as a link to a player's Facebook account. For rookies, taking the time to go over the rules of ESPN Fantasy is a must. Beginners may also find it beneficial to watch ESPN's Matthew Berry's introduction videos, which teach aspects of play stretching from selecting a league to picking available free agents. The site offers pre-season pointers, cheat sheets and video previews of top-projected performers which help in picking the most efficient team. Basic ESPN Fantasy League play is free, but to get the most out of the site, users will have to dig into their wallets and sign up for the perks of being an ESPN Insider. ESPN's Fantasy League mobile app also does an awesome job of condensing the larger site to help players keep tabs on their teams. The ESPN Fantasy League generally does a great job of integrating television, internet and mobile devices to create an enjoyable experience.
Naturally, the NFL offers its own fantasy football site, but unlike ESPN, they raise the stakes by offering the best players opportunities to win prizes—including tickets to Super Bowl XLVII. The site is free to sign up and play, but users can also play in a paid league which offers additional prizes like signed jerseys, game balls and authentic memorabilia. But, with bigger prizes comes a more difficult layout and the loss of free guides. The scoring system can also be confusing and complicated for new players, giving an advantage to those with more xperience. The site does offer some cool game-tracking features such as video highlights. Users can also watch NFL Fantasy Live every weekday and on Sundays to get the latest news and advice. The mobile app rivals ESPN's by including live scores, recent news and the ability to create and join leagues. While the league offers increased difficulty, there's a lot to like if fantasy junkies want to take their game to that next level.
Hangover Sports Roundup
Fresh and unsung U.S. Olympic medalists
As always, the Olympic Games provided memorable sporting moments that will be talked about for years to come. Highlights of 2012 include Usain Bolt making history by winning three medals in back-to-back Olympics, and Michael Phelps becoming the most-decorated (and arguably greatest) Olympian in history. But with a limited amount of sports featured on the NBC primetime telecast, many athletic feats won't get the attention and respect they deserve. To be specific, let's examine two athletes who not only won gold but are also primed to make history in future Olympic Games.
Outside of the wrestling and combat-sports community, Jordan Burroughs was a relative unknown despite his two NCAA titles and All-American status at the University of Nebraska. Burroughs' success in college has caught the attention of the Mixed Martial Arts world to make the crossover. However, he had other plans by beginning his quest to become the greatest American wrestler ever. The 2011 World Championships saw Burroughs win the 74kg championship and made him a favorite to win gold in London. Burroughs embraced his role as the new star of American wrestling by changing his Twitter handle to @alliseeisgold. His confidence and swagger proved to be a valuable asset in defeating a difficult field of Iranian and Russian wrestlers. In the final, Burroughs achieved his destiny by overcoming his 2011 World Championship foe, Sadegh Saeed Goudarzi to claim gold. Along with extending his 38-straight international freestyle match winning streak, the 24-year old got a nice $250,000 bonus from the Living the Dream Medal Fund. When asked what his future held, Burroughs sees more championships and medals on the horizon. If he continues to win gold, he might be in line to replace Phelps as the face of the USA Olympic team.
The United States has always had a strong history in the sport of boxing in the Olympic games. But lately it has been struggling, with the men's team failing to medal for the first time in history. With talk of creating different plans to revitalize America's dominance in boxing, there was pressure on the women to deliver. For the first time, women were allowed compete in boxing. Most of the attention before the games went to Marlen Esparza who appeared in various commercials leading into London. Esparza captured the bronze in the flyweight division, but the youngest member of the team, Claressa Shields, earned the gold. Shields has a classic underdog boxing story growing up in a tough neighborhood in Flint, Michigan. Despite her personal struggles, Shields became the first woman to win a gold medal in women's boxing and was the only gold medalist for USA boxing. She's only 17-years old but experts are already stating she's the new face of boxing in America. With Holly Holm being unknown outside of New Mexico, Shields could fill the void that Laila Ali once had. And with Shields being fairly young, she'd surely excel in future Olympics, although she may capitalize on her newfound fameand turn pro. But if Shields turns her sights to the 2016 Rio Games, USA boxing future may lie with the women instead of the men.
Olympics basketball forecast
Team USA had better watch out for Spain and Argentina
In 2008, the United States basketball team was on a mission to restore our title as the best basketball nation in the world. Named the "Redeem Team," Team USA showed dominance resembling the classic Dream Teams of the past en route to the gold medal. They were under massive pressure from the nation to deliver following the disappointment of the 2004 team. This year's team is more worried about bragging about upstaging the 1992 Dream Team and dunking exhibitions than defending the title. Despite being lead by LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, key players like Dwyane Wade and Derrick Rose are injured.
But before the Olympics, America will play some tune-up games to get ready for London. They already passed their first test by embarrassing the Dominican Republic 113-59. John Calipari lent his services to the Dominican but it was no match for the athleticism and talent of the United States. However, the victory was bittersweet as L.A Clippers star Blake Griffin was injured in practice prior to tip-off. Now Team USA coach Mike Krzyzewski must depend on No. 1 pick Anthony Davis to play big minutes against difficult international competition. Most basketball fans are assuming Team USA should destroy the competition, but with a limited time to gel as a unit and injuries, international teams should feel optimistic to pull off the upset.
Spain failed to capture the gold against Team USA in Beijing in 2008, but they pose the biggest threat to America's gold medal chances. NBA veterans Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka will dominate the middle and should give them an advantage over every other team in the Olympic tournament. Pau Gasol, Rudy Fernandez and José Calderon round out the rest of the pros to give Spain a combination of speed and experience. By avoiding the Americans in group play, Spain shouldn't have in trouble make it to the medal round. When they final collide with Team USA, the only advantage Spain will have is their inside presence. Without injured point guard Ricky Rubio and the lack of a true superstar, they will have to hope America gets cocky and overconfident in order to prevail.
Similar to Spain, Argentina is on the quest for revenge. In '08, Argentina went 4-1 in group play but fell to America in the tournament round. Manu Ginobili led fellow NBA pros Carlos Delfino and Luís Scola on one of the most experienced teams in the tournament. Even though Argentina finds themselves in the same group as Team USA, they shouldn't feel intimidated as they defeated the United States in the 2004 Olympic Games. They may lack the number of pros compared to other top international teams, but their success in international competitions make Argentina a contender to win gold in London.
Hangover Sports Roundup
Tiger passes Jack, NBA's free agent frenzy begins
The PGA Tour had enjoyed a period of time when nearly everyone thought Tiger Woods was finished competing for any major titles. Besides all of Woods' personal struggles, injuries plagued any attempt of a comeback. But 2012 may be the year Tiger finally got his bite back. Before the AT&T National, he'd won two tournaments (no majors) in 2012 but was ranked fourth in the world golf rankings. In yesterday's final round at the Congressional, Woods shot a 2-under 69 to outlast Bo Van Pelt and capture the title. Woods' third victory of the year moves him into second place for the most all-time PGA tour victories. Even though he didn't dominate the tournament, the fire and intensity that made Woods a champion seems to be back. The post-tournament press conference was the first example of the old Tiger, as he seemed defiant and borderline arrogant. If Woods' swagger has returned, other PGA golfers should be very concerned.
NBA Free Agency
The moment the Miami Heat won the NBA Finals, every team in the league began to form plans to land the biggest free agents during the off-season.
Dwight Howard is one of the most talented big men in the league, but he's also the most mysterious. Howard's indecisive choices have made him one of the most disliked athletes in the NBA. Despite the Stan Van Gundy firing, Howard still wants out of Orlando, but he'll have to play by the Magic's rules. Because he opted into another year of his contract, Howard can only beg and plead through the media to be traded. Since Howard is only interested in one team, Brooklyn, Orlando should take its time in making a decision—and probably won't mind making one of the league's to superstars suffer.
If Dwight Howard truly wants to leave Orlando, he'll need to open his mind to playing in other cities. Especially if free-agent supersatr Deron Williams leaves Brooklyn—making it a much-less desirable team to play for.
Aging veterans Ray Allen and Steve Nash are on the wish list of any team looking to win a title. Nash has to most lucrative offers with his home country's Toronto Raptors offering a three-year $36 million deal. But money may mean less for Nash, who's still looking to win his first-ever NBA title. While Dallas and Miami may have a shot, look for the Knicks to be factor in the negotiations. Nash lives in New York and would be reunited with former Suns teammate Amar'e Stoudemire.
As for Ray Allen, along with his current team, the Boston Celtics, teams such as Miami and the Grizzlies are looking to land his services. Allen has already won a title and was unhappy coming off the bench last season, which may make Boston less appealing. If the Grizzlies can offer Allen a similar deal as other teams in the league, Memphis could be the favorite. But if Allen wants to capture another championship, he'll have an easier team shooting threes in Miami. Which ever team he chooses, Allen still remains one of the most deadly shooters in the game.
Holly Holm gets revenge, Miami turns up the heat on Thunder
Who's says revenge isn't sweet? Holly Holm got some much need retribution in a unanimous-decision victory over Anne Sophie Mathis on Saturday night at the Route 66 Casino. In December, the pair fought a back-and-forth affair that saw Mathis getting the better of Holm with a seventh-round knockout. In the rematch, Holm used a strategy to outbox Mathis instead of engaging in a brawl to avoid getting knocked out. The gameplan may have not been the most crowd pleasing but it got the job done and impressed the judges to earn the 97-93, 96-94, 99-91 victory. Now the debate begins over what move Holm will make next. Along with being an accomplished boxer, she's also had success with mixed martial arts. Despite women's MMA being relatively new, the sport has already made some popular stars and Holm could be next if she makes the full transition. But in the meantime, Mathis will most likely request a rematch away from Albuquerque and in her home country of France. For now, Holm looks to enjoy some time off, but whatever decision Holm makes, the Burque boxing fans will be watching very closely.
Lebron James has been declared the best player in the world by many NBA experts. James has every basketball ability any player dreams of. But when the NBA Finals began, everyone was quick to declare Kevin Durant the new king. Because of James' past inability to perform in the Finals, it has opened the door for Durant to become the league's best player. Despite tuning the media out with antics such as reading The Hunger Games prior to a big matchup, James seems to have taken his game to the next level by averaging 30 points during the 2012 Finals. In the critical game three, James put his finals nightmares behind him, scoring 29 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. He proved the reign of King James has perhaps only begun by hitting a clutch three in the fourth quarter and outplaying Kevin Durant.
Durant did have 26 points and 6 rebounds, but was in serious foul trouble throughout the game (just like in game two). The Thunder made a run in the fourth quarter to cut the Heat lead, but Miami scored the final seven points to prevent any Oklahoma City comeback. The 85-91 loss puts the Thunder in a 2-1 hole and makes game four a must win. Luckily for the Thunder, it's been in this situation before, being down 2-0 to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. OKC will need to correct the mistakes if they are going to get back into the series. So far Durant has performed well in his first Finals appearance, but he'll have to find a way to outplay a more determined and focused Lebron James. Game might be the beginning of the King James era, or it may end before it even gets started.
Johnny Tapia's Memorial, Trout defeats Rodriguez, Celtics cool off Heat
New Mexico Boxing
The world of boxing suffered a massive loss when Johnny Tapia passed away on Sunday, May 27. Along with being a five-time world champion, Tapia managed to be a positive member of the community while being a respected figure in the sports world. On Sunday night, thousands waited in line to pay their respects to the champ at University Arena. Several members of the boxing community were in attendance, and others offered tributes though video messages. If your're wondering how much Tapia meant to the boxing world, or just want to relive a classic bout, check out one of most memorable fights in his career when he battled Danny Romero in Las Vegas in 1997.
Las Cruces native and WBA 154-pound world champion Austin Trout retained his title by defeating Delvin Rodriguez by unanimous decision on scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 117-111. Fans and media were unhappy with Trout's performance, but he got the win and is now in the running to face rising star Canelo Alvarez. Alvarez' original opponent Paul Williams pulled out after a motorcycle crash and his replacement James Kirkland declined the bout after originally accepting it. Hopefully the sport of boxing will do the right thing and give Trout a chance to prove his worth to a larger boxing audience. But his critics are out in force to prevent the fight from happening, not to mention that Alvarez' promoter, Golden Boy Productions, is unlikely to put a fighter with a difficult style against a rising star.
NBA Playoffs
Let the bashing begin. Haters of the Heat had plenty of ammo to throw at Miami for its game four performance. Between being down by 18-points at halftime, LeBron James fouling out and Dwyane Wade missing the game winning shot the seemingly unstoppable Heat looked vulnerable. For casual fans, Boston's 93-91 win may be a sign of Miami cracking, but those who look closer know it's no time to panic. These teams have developed a heated rivalry by playing close and physical basketball. While Boston has many flaws, the Heat isn't able to exploit them. Chris Bosh's injury enabled the Celtics score 17 second-chance points and get 11 offensive rebounds, despite losing the overall rebounding battle. Momentum may lie with the Celtics, but the Heat have the homecourt advantage and may get the services of Bosh after all. If Miami gets Bosh close to 100 percent and its bench can produce, Boston is in trouble.
Warrior Dash, recapped
What do get when you throw an adventure race, live bands and fried food into a blender? You get the Warrior Dash.
On Cinco de Mayo, participants made their way through 13 challenging obstacles at the Founders Ranch in Edgewood, NM. A race more about physical toughness than speed, Warrior Dash pushes anyone who dares accept the challenge. It was a fun atmosphere which saw racers young and old wearing costumes ranging from Village People to masked wrestlers.
The races went in 30 minute intervals, with loud music in the background and the charismatic race announcer preparing the pack to make the transformation into "warriors." Some solo warriors pushed through the course as quickly as possible, others went through each obstacle as a team. After racers completed the 5K course, they were greeted by volunteers ready to give medals, water, bananas and received mud hugs from the dirty "warriors." Spectators cheered on friends and loved ones to not only finish but also get as dirty as possible by sliding toward the end of the course.
The warriors may have found themselves covered in mud from head to toe, but everyone was in good spirits, attempting to get cleaned off by massive a water hose, or remaining covered in their badge of honor. The conclusion of the race was just the beginning as muddy warriors took pictures in front of the dirty Warrior Dash sign and enjoyed food and live music.
For people still deciding whether to try crawling under barbed wire, mud pits and jumping over fire, race director Alex Yount says the goal of the race is to challenge you while having a once in a lifetime experience.
"Warrior Dash is truly for everyone, the goal of Warrior Dash is to challenge your self. So we had people come out that are marathon runners that are trying to get the best time on the course, and we also had people come out that never ran a race before in their lives."
With around 11,000 New Mexicans making this year's event a success, Yount says the registration for the 2013 edition of the Dash has already started.
Hangover Sports Roundup
Mayweather defeats Cotto, Nate Diaz submits Jim Miller
Floyd Mayweather Jr. Vs. Miguel Cotto
The sport of boxing may only have a couple of mega stars, but whenever they're in action the sports world always takes notice. Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. fought Miguel Cotto for the WBA Super Welterweight title in what turned out to be a compelling fight this Saturday night.
Despite Cotto being the champion, he was a massive underdog among casual fans and Vegas odds makers. Usually, whenever any fighter faces Mayweather, he is overmatched and often embarrassed by defensive boxing skills and technique. Surprisingly, Cotto was aggressive and was able to damage Mayweather. Many experts in chat rooms and Twitter had the fight close heading into the second half of the bout. But eventually supreme conditioning and counter punches carried Mayweather into victory. While the judges scorecard of (118-110, 117-111, 117-111) for Mayweather conveyed a lopsided win, Cotto seemed to have gained more fans and respect in defeat than any of his wins. If Cotto gets a couple of high profile wins, it wouldn't be out of the question to request a rematch or face Manny Pacquiao for the second time.
As for the now 43-0 (26 KO) Mayweather, his next opponent will be a jail cell as he serves time for misdemeanor domestic violence. Once he's done serving his 87-day sentence, the pressure of putting together the super fight between himself and Pacquiao should reach its boiling point. The potential matchup would be the biggest pay-per-view attraction in the history of the sport, but fans' patience is starting to wear thin. If Pacquiao is dominant over Timothy Bradley, hopefully the wheels will start to go into motion for Pacquiao and Mayweather to finally collide.
UFC on Fox 3
It was a jam-packed weekend of sports, but lost in the shuffle was the Ultimate Fighting Championship on network television. While the card was lacking in star power, it tried to make up in exciting action. The main event featured Nate Diaz vs. Jim Miller to possibly determine the next challenger for the Lightweight title.
Before the fight, Miller had a slight edge among mixed martial arts experts, but when they squared off, Diaz used superior boxing to confuse and damage Miller. Then, in round two, Diaz used his signature Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu to gain the guillotine choke and make Miller tap for the first time in his career. Ever since Diaz moved to Lightweight, he's looked almost unstoppable by dominating Takanori Gomi and Donald Cerrone. Now Diaz has proved he's a worthy challenger for champion, Benson Henderson. Since Henderson will face Frankie Edgar in a rematch in August, Diaz would most likely take another bout to stay active rather than take a long break. Since older brother Nick Diaz is suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Nate has gained all the attention and maybe has become a breakout star for the UFC. If Nate Diaz takes another fight and defeats Anthony Pettis, he will no doubt stand on his own as an elite fighter in MMA.
NFL Draft, Bulls lose Rose, Clippers shock the Grizzlies
While some football fans think the NFL Draft resembles the male version of "America's Next Top Model," most cannot contain their excitement whenever they see the commissioner give his awkward handshake to the new recruits of the league.
The Indianapolis Colts and Washington Redskins took the suspense out of their first two picks in selecting Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III (respectively), but the draft still contained some surprises. Cleveland Browns General Manager Tom Heckert chose to overhaul the offense by selecting Alabama running back Trent Richardson and Oklahoma quarterback Brandon Weeden in the first round. Current Browns starting QB Colt McCoy showed some promise last season, but the Browns needed to make some power moves to make sure they're no longer an afterthought. Another surprise was the Dallas Cowboys moving to sixth pick of the first round to select LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne. Even though the Cowboys had to give up 14th and 45th overall picks to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it was a necessary sacrifice to ensure Dallas improve its much-criticized defense.
As for the University of New Mexico, no Lobos were selected in the draft, but three defensive players have signed free-agent deals to play at the next level. Leading the pack is Carmen Messina, who shockingly wasn't selected but signed a contract with the improved Detroit Lions. All-Mountain West safety honorable mention Bubba Forrest was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals and defensive end Jaymar Latchison used Twitter to state he signed a contract with the Green Bay Packers.
Chicago Bulls vs. Philadelphia Sixers
Everything was working perfectly for the Chicago Bulls in game one against the Philadelphia Sixers. The Bulls bench was performing well and the starters were showing why they were the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Derrick Rose's triple double was almost in sight with 1:22 remaining in the fourth quarter. Then the unthinkable happen: Rose drove in the lane and tore his ACL. Pain and fear was written all over Rose's face as he was helped to the locker room. The Bulls went on to win game one, 103-91, but it seems their title hopes have all but disappeared. An 18-9 record without Derrick Rose in the regular season means Chicago has reacted well without their captain. Now its up to Joakim Noah, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer and Richard Hamilton to step up and prove the Bulls are still a serious threat to win the title.
Memphis Grizzlies vs. Los Angeles Clippers
It was a party in Memphis as the Grizzlies had a dominate 27-point lead in game one. With the Clippers down by 21 in the fourth, head coach Vinny Del Negro removed point guard Chris Paul from the game. But Paul pleaded with Del Negro for one more shot to at least gain a moral victory. Instead, Paul had seven assists and hit two clutch free throws to take a 99-98 lead with 23.7 seconds left. Rudy Gay had a chance to be the hero but missed a fade-away jumper to give the Clippers the stunning victory. Now Los Angeles has stolen home court and the momentum of the series. To make matters worse, rumors have now heated up regarding tension between Rudy Gay and Zach Randolph. The Grizzlies have tons of potential and have good fundamental skills to make a respectable run in the playoffs. But if they can't put a stop to their issues, the Clippers will embarrass the Grizz.


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CRN Data Center News
Partners say they are not impressed with Sun Microsystems co-founder and billionaire investor Vinod Khosla's take on the merger of Dell and EMC.
Lenovo's Counting On Hyper-Converged To Drive Growth, Beat CompetitorsAlready in the midst of an aggressive play to be the lowest-cost enterprise vendor, Lenovo says it is intensifying the attack on its competitors with an eye on double-digit growth in the red-hot hyper-converged infrastructure market.
Lenovo Cites Hardware, Channel Strengths In Bid For More PartnersLenovo's channel chief used his keynote at this week's Varnex partner conference, held by Synnex, to discuss how his company depends on the channel to open customer doors.
Telecoms Consider Ditching Data Centers To Stay In The Cloud RaceOffloading data center assets could be a boon to telecom providers because it would free them up to focus on cloud applications and support and hopefully gain a competitive edge.
Here's Who Made Gartner's 2015 Magic Quadrant For Data Center OutsourcingCompanies such as IBM, HP, Dell and CSC are leading the way in data center outsourcing, Gartner said, but Indian providers are becoming more competitive by lightening their assets and focusing on remote managed services.
CenturyLink Considers Selling Its Data Centers: What Would That Mean To Partners?As CenturyLink explores alternatives for its data center operations, partners says the company's value lies in the outcomes it provides -- not the physical locations it owns.
Hyper-Converged Newcomer Lenovo Inks OEM Agreement With Red-Hot Startup NutanixLenovo came late to the hyper-converged space, but it's making up for lost time by inking a new OEM agreement with Nutanix, widely regarded as the leader of this nascent market.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Partners Prepping For Growth After SplitNow that Hewlett Packard has officially split in two, solution providers teaming with Hewlett Packard Enterprise are ready to capitalize on the company's new focus and start turning it into sales growth.
Virtual Instruments, A Startup Led By Microsoft Chairman John Thompson, Lays Off More Than Half Its StaffThe infrastructure performance management startup helmed by Thompson undergoes massive layoffs as it shifts to a more cloud-like sales model.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise CEO Whitman To Ring The NYSE Bell, Ingram Micro CEO To Join HerPartners will join CEO Meg Whitman on Monday as she debuts the new Hewlett Packard Enterprise by ringing the opening bell for the New York Stock Exchange.
New Chapter For A Silicon Valley Crown Jewel: Hewlett-Packard Becomes HP Inc. And Hewlett Packard EnterpriseHewlett-Packard employees and partners are looking forward to a new era of innovation as the once $110 billion company splits in two and becomes Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP Inc.
CyrusOne Fortifies Five More Data Centers With CenturyLink Fiber Network BackboneCenturyLink has built out its fiber network to more U.S. data centers, giving customers in-net connectivity between cloud and service provider facilities.
CRN Dell World Exclusive: Dell's Cook Details 11 Big Partner Program MovesDell channel chief Cheryl Cook gives CRN the lowdown on new channel rebates, incentives, competencies and more taking center stage at the kickoff of Dell World Tuesday.
CRN's Coverage Of Dell World 2015Dell World 2015 is underway and eyes of the tech world are focused in Austin, Texas in the wake of the PC giant's announcenment that it will acquire EMC for $67 billion.
EMC Partners Rush To Dell World, Dell Foes Are Becoming Dell FriendsThe hottest conversation at Dell's annual conference in Austin, Texas this week is how EMC solution providers can cozy up to Dell in the wake of Dell's $67 billion acquisition of the storage market leader.
Michael Dell: EMC Acquisition Sets Stage For 'Much Stronger' Relationship With Cisco'I do think VCE is a great business, and it sets the stage for a potentially much stronger partnership with Cisco going forward, which you might be surprised to hear me say,' Dell said, 'but their new CEO Chuck Robbins and I had a lot of good discussions in the last day.'
Dell Buys EMC: Top 10 Partner TakeawaysLet's unpack the largest tech deal ever and take a closer look at how this acquisition will impact channel partners.
Would A Dell-Owned VMware Throw Monkey Wrench Into Dell-Microsoft Relationship?As the dust settles from the blockbuster Dell-EMC deal, partners of VMware and Microsoft have different views on what will happen if Michael Dell decides to keep VMware as opposed to spinning it off.
VMware Shares Hammered After Dell-EMC Deal Unveiled, Analyst Warns Of 'Nightmare' ScenarioThe blockbuster news of Dell's bid to acquire EMC and VMware for $67 billion has sent some investors running for the exits, but are their fears warranted?
SimpliVity CEO: Dell-EMC Is Our Chance To Show Off Real InnovationSimpliVity CEO Doron Kempel said Monday at the Best of Breed Conference in Orlando, Fla. that Dell's $67 billion bid to acquire EMC is a huge opportunity for his company to show off technology that is more about the future than the past. From ITBestofBreed.com


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With the 2012 season in the books, Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear and his staff must now turn their attention to the 2013 season. One player who will not be a part of the squad next year is midfielder Colin Clark. Clark and the Dynamo agreed to part ways at the conclusion of this past season.
"It's been decided that we're going to part ways with Colin Clark and let him go in another direction in his career," Dynamo president Chris Canetti told the Houston Chronicle.
Clark was acquired by the Dynamo in a trade with the Colorado Rapids in September 2010. In two full seasons in Houston, Clark made 43 regular season appearances (23 starts) and tallied five goals and three assists. Clark's lone goal of the 2012 season came in a 1-0 home win over Real Salt Lake on Sept. 6. The Colorado native also started all four CONCACAF Champions League group stage matches in 2012 and recorded two assists as the Dynamo advanced out of their group and into the quarterfinals of the tournament.
I'd like to thank the @houstondynamo Staff, FO, & Fans for the opportunity to represent your outstanding franchise.— Colin Clark (@cOlin_cLark7) December 3, 2012


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lol, yeah, RZA's acting wasn't anything special.
Still, This is exactly the kind of movie I was expecting. Music was on point.
lol, yeah, RZA's acting wasn't anything special.
Still, This is exactly the kind of movie I was expecting. Music was on point.
The brutal offspring of Conan and Red Sonja.
Unloyal Snakes get thrown in boilin Lakes Of Hot Oil
saw it last night. experts are predicting a #3 or 4 opening this weekend for about $8.5 million. not bad for a $20 mil budget and a bunch of theaters closed because of the storm.
RZA's acting wasn't anything special. He should've just played himself, instead of trying to act....a la Q in his movies. Also, RZA as a narrator wasn't the best of choices because his voice takes you in/out of the story. Masta Killa should've did it.
It's a good movie, great for a first time filmmaker. I enjoyed it and if you couldn't really follow, Jack Knife said it best "for the gold".
"When it come to this ish here/y'all about to sit there/soon to rock thaat robe, crouched in a big chair/studded up crown with 40-below wrist wear/prove y'all clowns couldn't uf wit the flow, this here"
Supported and caught the late show last night. Wu-Tang Forever!
i havnt seen it yet...but i heard there are tons of ester eggs in in it...like stuff from other classic kung fu movies....
most of the reviews i have seen that are bad.,..are people who dont watch kung fu movies or even know any thing about them
but what do i know i havnt seen it yet
Was I The Only One Pissin My Panties When the "unpredictable" Beat pops up, during that zen-yi fight.I mite have to watch it again simply cause i diped during the end credits, and there seem to be some TReats in there.
Unloyal Snakes get thrown in boilin Lakes Of Hot Oil
i'm also very proud of rza's accomplishment here. this is a HUGE HUGE HUGE step. even if i didnt like the film, i still recognize what rza has done here......going from attempted murder charge in the projects of NY, to making the greatest contribution to hiphop EVER....with the hardest & biggest group of guys imaginable, to hollywood, and now director/writer/star of a major motion picture released throughout the world, with QT's name on it (greatest filmmaker of all time). AMAZING! plus, developing an incredible friend/business network.
RZA should've just stayed behind the camera. his acting and narration didn't work at all. but it was a fun b-movie. critics are taking it too seriously
I'd give it a 8 out of 10, probably like a 75/100.
At first it felt real weird because all the characters were speaking perfect english, then i eventually got used to it and really enjoyed it. Gordon Liu absolutely killed it, got goosebumps thinking about how RZA grew up watching Liu as the Master Killer in 36 Chambers now he can see himself on screen training under him.
RZA never makes a move without careful thought. Moments after walking on to the set for his exclusive photo shoot with rolling out, RZA pulled a chair up to the edge of a chessboard and began playing himself in the strategic game. Before moving each chess piece, he studied the board as if facing a formidable opponent.
Seeing the chessboard from both sides has advantages. For RZA, his solitary chess game wasnt just to kill time. It was an example of how he approaches life.
I apply mathematics to my way of life, RZA revealed when asked about the creation of the Wu-Tang Clan. Chess is a game that allows you to think ahead. I had the vision of what I could do with the Wu-Tang Clan. I went back to my neighborhood and got all of my emcee buddies. I told them that if they gave me five years of their life, I could take them to number one. In five years, we were at the top of the charts.
Indeed, RZA was the mastermind behind the Wu-Tang Clan and the acclaimed solo releases from Ol Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah and GZA.
The Wu-Tang Clan is one of the most heralded rap crews in rap music history. But RZA was never satisfied with only achieving success in hip-hop.
He wanted to take his vision to another level.
He took the same principles that propelled Wu-Tang Clan to greatness, and applied them to his venture into filmmaking.
This week, RZAs directorial debut, The Man With the Iron Fists, hits theaters nationwide. A rapper-producer helming a $20 million motion picture might be considered a checkmate in chess terms. But those who have followed RZAs career since the 90s, know that this is only an opening move, much like the Queens Gambit.
How did the game of chess reflect what you created with the Wu-Tang Clan?
Im the abbot. Every rapper was like a superhero. I watched the cartoon Voltron. All of the Voltron lions are powerful by themselves. But when you form Voltron, thats when the Defender of the Universe comes down and pulls out the blazing sword. I applied that concept to us. I applied the chessboard. One of our first videos was Chess Boxing. In that video, it was me and GZA playing chess and members of the Wu-Tang were pieces on the chessboard.
Brothers played their position[s] throughout the course of our rise in hip-hop. My only rule was that it had to be a dictatorship. With the notoriety, there was competition at times but they still followed my ideas. Things almost got physical at times. In the beginning, it was so tight that one member got a deal and it helped another member get a deal.
Everyone has an idea for a film. How did you make it a reality?
Foresight is important. I had a five-year plan for myself. No one knew about it except my wife and I. I went to Quentin Tarantino, who became my mentor. I was his student. I went to film festivals and was on the set of Kill Bill. I took some of my own money and filmed a movie called Wu-Tang vs. The Golden Phoenix. I had a chance to taste what it would be like. I studied books and script writing for five years. After five years, I wrote my first screenplay. It was good, but it wasnt great. I pitched it to Eli Roth and he helped me flesh out the ideas to make it bigger. I learned from him and it led to 130 pages and we took it to the studio. The studio saw an artist. They were impressed by the idea. Most production studios believe that a rapper would make another Boyz N the Hood or movie about where he grew up. I wanted to take hip-hop to another level when I made this film.
What was Quentin Tarantinos role?
Hes on board as a producer. The thing about kung fu films is that they are big on an international level. But we dont really get many of those films in the U.S. We wanted to separate from the 50 other films that are made internationally. We added Quentin Tarantino and hes the master. But after Kill Bill, no one filled that void. Im looking to fill the void with The Man With the Iron Fists. If its done properly and were accepted by the public, there is an audience that will come see films like this every year.
If you created a kung fu film based on five fierce women, who would you choose as your leading ladies?
Lucy Liu has a natural knack for action films. Zoe Saldana did a great job in Columbiana. Shes very agile and beautiful. Scarlett Johansson did a good job with The Avengers. I would bring in Pam Grier to be a godmother who could tell the young ladies what time it is. Jamie Chung she looks so sexy when she does a side kick. The kick alone is worth the price of admission. I would have a rainbow coalition of beautiful women.
Back to hip-hop, do you think its as creative as it was when the Wu-Tang Clan first came on the scene?
I think the creativity is there. You have artists like Wiz Khalifa, [who] harmonizes with his raps, Young Jeezy has a crazy voice, Rick Ross also has an immaculate voice. Drake has good lyrics and his own style. Hes not a thug, but he makes good music.
The creativity is there, but there is a lack of knowledge of self. A lot of the young brothers in rap dont have a clue about what the future is going to bring, because they have no knowledge of who they are to see ahead.
Before you do anything, you should understand what you are doing. Thats different in our culture. You have a generation that learned hip-hop from watching TV. A lot of them didnt actually walk the streets like the pioneers. Some brothers want to be rappers because its a moneymaking thing. We did it out of love. We woke up wanting to rhyme, but we also had a hunger for knowledge. In New York, before we formed the Wu-Tang, you would see book peddlers all over the city. There would be cyphers. The first cyphers werent about rapping or a battle. It was about brothers coming together [and] dropping the days mathematics and giving lessons.
I remember talking to Kanye West about it. Hes a focused brother. I got inspired by that. But I let him know the importance of his position and giving people something to aspire to. Because one spoon of chocolate can change a glass of milk.
We can't think of anyone living a cooler life than Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, aka RZA. As founding member and leader of seminal hip-hop collective Wu-Tang Clan, RZA established his production cred and incredible genre-hopping sensibilities in the early '90s. After becoming a Grammy-winning producer, he took his first step into the film world by composing the score to Jim Jarmusch's 1999 Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai. When Quentin Tarantino approached RZA about orchestrating the soundtrack to Kill Bill: Vol. 1, RZA's fate was sealed. He embarked on a samurai journey with Tarantino, observing and learning everything he could from the director. After seven years in the making, RZA is finally presenting to the world The Man With the Iron Fists. Co-written with Eli Roth and directed by RZA, the film is a love letter to the various influences that have inspired him since he was an eight-year-old kid growing up in Brooklynnamely, hip-hop and 42nd Street grindhouse kung-fu flicks.
Starring Russell Crowe and Lucy Liu, and featuring a hilarious breakout performance by Byron Mann as the head villain Silver Lion, the film contains all the gonzo violence, animal-themed clans, and scantily-clad women you would expect from a RZA movie. It's also a ton of fun. Interview caught up with RZA to discuss his tutelage under Tarantino, the evolution of Iron Fists, and what would be on his perfect triple-feature movie bill.
DREW FORTUNE: What was your first love, the music or the movies? I assume both were great escapes?
RZA: Music came first. I actually heard hip-hop before I saw a movie in a movie theater. I heard hip-hop first, at the tender age of seven, so that came first. I didn't see a movie until I was eight.
FORTUNE: Did you make an automatic connection between the two, in the sense that you could see how both fit in the other's world?
RZA: No, I didn't see that. I didn't discover how music and film could work together until Jim Jarmusch had me do Ghost Dog. When I think of my album, I was trying to make an audio movie. I didn't know that these two things had such a poetic wavelength that went together until Ghost Dog.
FORTUNE: When did you first put pen to paper on The Man With the Iron Fists? Do you remember when the first spark of an idea hit?
RZA: I first put pen to paper in the year 2005. I probably came up with about 90 pages by myself, trying to write a screenplay. I didn't know all the nuances of a screenplay, but I had a story that I saw clearly in my head. I was able to tell that story to my buddy Eli Roth, and he saw it clear in his head. He said if he ever had the chance to help, he would. When the chance came for him to help, he reached out and said "Hey Bobby, you still got that thing? Do you want to get it done?" He came on, and we sat down for about a year and half and wrote it out to a proper screenplay.
FORTUNE: Did you feel pressure throughout the process of adding to this kung-fu legacy that you love so much? Or was the motto, "Let's just have fun?"
RZA: The pressure came when I had so many people and so many A-listers in my hands. I had to deliver them safely to a location that I promised. So I was basically super-focused, and that was the pressure. I had a passion to write and make the film. It was something I wanted to do. Even writing the first 30 pages, spending the whole year with Eli toning it up into a proper screenplay; that was all done with no money. We weren't being paid to do it. It was being done as passion. Most things that come out good, in the beginning they have to have a strong passion. Wu-Tang Clan's first album, 36 Chambers, there wasn't a lot of money given to make that album. There was a lot of passion to make that album, and this is the same thing.
FORTUNE: You took a samurai/sensei journey with Tarantino. Like any good sensei, did he make you prove your commitment to the project?
RZA: I don't know, exactly. I never really questioned him about it. All I know is that I asked him, he said yes, and I showed up, yo. I took it serious, and he took it serious. I was never in his way. I was a fly on the wall. He never saw me breathing down his throat. When he wanted to show me something, he'd say "Hey Bobby, come take a look at this," and we'd both look through the lens. It was a really good energy, and we were kindred spirits.
FORTUNE: In terms of directing and choreography for Iron Fists, did you feel confident going in? There's a lot of action going on.
RZA: Before we started filming Iron Fists, I had already spent my own money and brought in some other great Asian actors. I brought in Robert Tai, who was the fight choreographer on Five Deadly Venoms. I brought him in for a couple weeks and filmed some stuff with my own money. I showed Eli and my producers what I could do and what I know. The action was no problem for me. I saw a lot of it in my head, though. My action director didn't want to do some of it! He thought it wasn't logical. I'm like, "No. It's logical."
FORTUNE: Did you have to physically draw out the stuff you saw in your head?
RZA: I had two storyboards, with over 150 pages storyboarded. If you see the storyboards, it's like 20 comics. We had to cut out a lot of the storyboard scenes, because the budget would never allow some of the stuff that I wanted to do.
FORTUNE: Did the MPAA come down on you at all? Did you have to be reeled in a lot?
RZA: No, I was conscious of it, because Quentin told me a lot about the MPAA. Eli told me the problems he had with them. So I was conscious of it. The best thing I had on this project, and I'm very grateful, is having Eli and Quentin there as a co-pilots. So, when I got to landmines, I had somebody there who had already stepped on one. "No Bobby, that's a landmine right there. You gotta jump over this one. You gotta be calm and just go through it."
FORTUNE: What's the hardest part of directing? As a natural collaborator, I assume working with the actors came pretty easily.
RZA: [laughs] The hardest part is lunch. You don't ever get your lunch, man. There's no sitting down as a director. Your brain does not turn off, even when you want it to. People told me about it, and I didn't believe it until it happened to me. You work 12-13 hours a day, go home to your hotel room, and guess what? You're fucking up five more hours, thinking about what you're gonna do the next day.
FORTUNE: Am I crazy, or was Bryon Mann's performance as Silver Lion inspired by Prince?
RZA: Well, Byron Mann did a screen test that was so cool. He didn't originally try out for Silver Lion. He tried out for Poison Dagger. But his screen test was so fucking cool that I wanted him to be Silver Lion. He blew me away. The odd thing was to have him evolve into this weird type of guy. With his hair, I can see the Prince in him, I can see the Rod Stewart, and I can see the motherfucking Tina Turner in him. Quentin told me that he thinks I found his star. When I saw him, we had already cast somebody else as Silver Lion. It was a guy who played a lot of roles in kung-fu movies. He already had the part, but would you believe that at the last minute, this guy came back and tried to double his money. He tried to fucking extort me. We already had a deal. I had already seen Byron's screen test, so I was like, "If this guy wants to break the deal, let him break it. Byron is incredible, and I'd love to have this guy." I remember pulling Eli aside and saying, "Fuck it. I already got my Christoph [Waltz]. I got a guy that's gonna break out like Christoph." Even my wife, who saw the movie for the first time at the premiere, was like, "Yo. Fucking Silver Lion. I love that guy!"
FORTUNE: In the movie, the Pink Blossom brothel is a 24/7 party. Did any of the onscreen debauchery translate to an offscreen party?
RZA: The set was concentrated and super focused. But we did have two parties, one in the middle and one at the end, and my Asian brothers know how to party. We got so drunk and had a good time. We had a party with about 700, 800 people. That's how big my crew was. It was really a beautiful thing, man. I'm so happy to be inspired by the Asian culture and these movies and then be able to go back and give back by bringing a movie to them, and have people on my payroll and bringing actors from their culture to the silver screen in America. It's been a blessing for me.
FORTUNE: If you were to plan your perfect triple feature, what would be on the bill?
RZA: I'd put Five Deadly Venoms on the bill. I'd put Kill Bill on there as well. I'd top it off with The Man With the Iron Fists, as of now. These are the ones where I'd be like "Yo, you gotta see these. These are a great collaboration of kung-fu and samurai movies." Five Deadly Venoms will set you up into the world and take you back to the classics. If I could do a fourth one, I'd do 36 Chambers, of course. Kill Bill shows you the animation, as well. I wrote a big animation scene for Iron Fists, but we couldn't afford all that. Kill Bill captures the anime, Japanese, and kung fu. Iron Fists captures the kung fu, the sci-fi, the Star Wars, the comic books, and the hip hop. So, that's the way I would do it for this year. Next year, who knows?


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Dardanelle School Board
DARDANELLE — The board elected Sherry Hicks president, Jerry Don Woods vice president and disbursing officer, Brandon Carter secretary and Jody Sigle alternate at its regular meeting Tuesday.
Carter, Woods, Superintendent John Thompson and Business Manager Jennifer Thaxton were chosen for the budget committee; Sigle, Hicks, middle school principal John David Keeling and Thompson were chosen for the policy committee. Sigle, board member Jerry Dawson, high school principal Marcia Lawrence, elementary school principal Terry Laughinghouse, primary school principal Sue Ann Jernigan and Thompson were chosen for the long-range planning committee.
In other business, the board approved:
• Purchasing a 2012 service truck and a 2007 bus.
• Adding a Key Club at the high school.
• Maternity leave requests from Lori Stokes and Melissa Scott.
• Hiring Tamera Knake as a bus driver.
Hector School Board
HECTOR — The board elected Gary McDonald president, Tony Haley — who was absent— vice president and Chas Riley secretary at its regular meeting Monday.
Superintendent Walt Davis told the board construction on the new elementary building is projected to be complete by May 2014 and presented the annual report to the public.
In other business, the board approved:
• Applying for a Joint Use Grant with the city of Hector.
• Accepting resignation of Buffie Huffman as food service worker.
• The annual risk assessment policy.
• Continuing to use ISEP for Medicaid billing.
LamarSchool Board
LAMAR — The board elected Jason James president, John Cochran vice president and Kevin Frost secretary at its regular meeting Monday.
It approved the extra duty salary schedule to be retroactive to the beginning of the school year.
In other business, the board approved:
• A computer bid from CDW-G for 210 Chromebooks for $60,984.
• A bid for wireless infrastructure improvements from IK Electric for $32,777.85.
• Renewing an agreement with Amplify for $12,604.
• Hiring Lucas Watson as assistant technology coordinator and Doty Torres as elementary school LPN.
Pottsville School Board
POTTSVILLE — Students of the Month were recognized by the Pottsville School Board, and Superintendent Larry Dugger gave the annual report to the public. No action was taken during Tuesday's meeting.


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My friend, Randy, has just started his rescue and has gotten to an overwhelming point when one of his girls who was recovering from spay surgery tried to jump out of her pen. She may have gotten hung up and broken her back. Her name is Madison and she is still at the vet's office in Modesto, CA.
Madison was one of 33 bunnies that came from a family that irresponsibly let two "easter" bunnies breed. By the time Randy got there he had to deal with 2 pregnant females and one little that was just a couple of weeks old along with possibly two litters of juveniles. A few days after getting them settled in his home the other female gave birth to a litter of 9 babies. It made him very upset to take in the original mother rabbit and have her litter aborted so she could be spayed. Add these bunnies to the 16 that Randy already had and you can see why he is not able to deal with a disabled rabbit and care for the rest.
Randy has had 4 rabbits that were taken by other rescues but it is not enough. He works a full-time job and has made arrangements with his vet to spay and neuter all of the babies. That is going to cost a lot. He is not complaining and is determined to get them all done without any other mishaps.
Is there anyone who can help Randy with this little girl? Madison is half agouti of unknown breed and half Dwarf Hotot. The mother is an agouti and the father is a Hotot. Here's a link to her picture on the rescue page on facebook. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=225507880799294&set=a.223144521035630.71841.100000202514207&type=1
This is the name of the rescue that Madison is now in. Trinket's Memorial Rabbit Sanctuary, Ceres, CA. You can contact me or find the rescue on facebook. We are currently working on setting up a page on petfinder.
Here is a recent picture of Madison. She is sitting even though she has a lower back injury.
Thank you Beka and Sarita. This poor bun needs help ASAP. Randy has no experience with a disabled bunny. I have contacted someone who has one to see if they can talk him through some of the issues but he needs to find a home for her so she will be getting better care than he can give her and the rest of his bunnies. Right now while he is in the process of separating litters and doing the neuter/spays he has way too much on his plate.
Thank you everyone for your concern, but Madison is doing great now. I did some studying and am able to take care of her now. She is no longer available, as I will keep her here as a sanctuary bunny.


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"The Good Wife," in four outstanding seasons, has taken the "Law & Order" ripped-from-the-headlines ethos to new levels while turning it on its head.
The courtroom drama aspect of the show borrows frequently from current events (a hazing death and a military rape were among recent subplots). And the premise – a wife sticking by her politician husband, at least publicly, after he's undone by a prostitution scandal – certainly found roots in the sordid downfall of then-New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer in 2008, 18 months before the show's debut.
But now, "The Good Wife" appears to be ahead of the headlines game. The CBS show, set for an explosive season finale Sunday, could be seen as an inspiration for – or at least a strangely coincidental presaging of – the possible return of another disgraced New York pol: former U.S. Rep. Anthony Weiner.
Even if he's not a fan, Weiner might want to tune in with his own publicly loyal wife, Huma Abedin, for some pointers on comebacks – and perhaps a cautionary tale of ambition and betrayal testing the limits of love and forgiveness.
"The Good Wife" extended its streak this season as network television's most adult drama – not only in pushing the bounds of steaminess, but in daring to treat its audience as intelligent humans.
Julianna Margulies' Alicia Florrick character has grown, over some 90 episodes, from a wife-done-wrong to a battler who fought to regain her legal career to a participant in a steamy affair to a reborn, calculating political wife, with an agenda of protecting herself and her kids.
In the latest episode, Alicia shed the last of her goodie-goodie veneer to slam her husband's gubernatorial rival on television as an alcoholic. With her husband, Peter, rising from convict to district attorney to the likely next governor of Illinois, she's gone from powerless victim to holding all the cards. He can't do it without her.
But even as she promises to finally renew her marital vows with an apparently reformed Peter as Election Day looms, she finds herself inextricably drawn to Will Gardner, her partner in law and lust.
If anyone thought their relationship would simply fade away when the curtain fell on Season 3, that's not "The Good Wife – and not real life, where yearnings linger, along with resentments.
The most compelling moments of "The Good Wife" take place not in the courtroom or the bedroom, but internally, as best conveyed by Margulies, who boasts television's most expressive face. The theme of forgiveness, public and otherwise, consistently plays out in new forms, week to week.
It's difficult not to think of Alicia's recent interview with Charlie Rose, playing himself on the "The Good Wife," when considering Weiner and Abedin's public return in The New York Times Magazine this month, nearly two years after he tweeted himself into infamy.
Alicia told Rose the press is overly "interested in Peter's failings as a family man." Abedin told The Times: "I did spend a lot of time saying and thinking: 'I. Don't. Understand.' And it took a long time to be able to sit on a couch next to Anthony and say, 'O.K., I understand and I forgive.' It was the right choice for me. I didn't make it lightly."
She presumably had some heart-to-heart chats with her boss, Hillary Clinton, the ultimate political "Good Wife," whose own ambitions could help extend her streak of making history.
It's unknown whether Abedin and Weiner will be watching "The Good Wife" as his possible mayoral run generates new headlines. But we wouldn't miss the show. In the meantime, check out a preview of Sunday's "Good Wife" season finale below:
Hester is founding director of the award-winning, multi-media NYCity News Service at the City University of New York Graduate School of Journalism. He is the former City Editor of the New York Daily News, where he started as a reporter in 1992. Follow him on Twitter.


text: Hot shots: Dallas Morning News photographers' favorite photos of 2013 Filed under Photo Slideshows at Dec 2013 Get Daily Dallas News Headlines Sign Up Don't miss a story. Like us on Facebook. Like Dallas News' Facebook Page Get Unlimited Digital Access Your first month is less than a dollar. $0.99 for first 4 weeks Subscribe Now View Comments


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via @mnwild, the best white sweaters in the NHL
The Minnesota Wild are an interesting team to follow (I say this about most teams in the NHL, but trust me. It is SUPER true about the Minnesota Wild). Two years after the then-Biggest Debate Ever About The Validity Of Shot Metrics created a giant rift between online folk and Wild fans, Wild management have stressed a puck-possession philosophy, and the early returns are quite good.
It's not good for the Wild in that they've become an unstoppable juggernaut like San Jose or Colorado (note–??) but only the Sharks thus far have taken a higher percentage of shots than Minnesota. It's still remarkably early to judge, but if a team is taking close to 60% of the overall shots after 6 games, you can say with reasonably high confidence that they'll be a plus-possession team for the remainder of the season. At 3-1-2, their record isn't going to turn very many heads, but they're right there among the top teams in the league in the early going.
The "3" in the Wild 3-1-2 record have all come in a row, including a surprisingly close 2-1 win over Buffalo yesterday.
Still not enough games for us to have a reliable chart of numbers that will be predictive throughout the season, so instead I wanted to turn you to the Maple Leafs penalty kill.
I think if there's an area in performance the Leafs can reasonably expect to decline from now until the end of the season (I say "reasonably" here very liberally) it's the 90.9% penalty killing rate. Using these numbers from Behind the Net I've taken the goals against, shots against and penalty kill save rate of the Leafs from this season (and last season) and also the "best ever" performance by a team in an 82-game season since the data came available:
|Leafs 2013
|Leafs 2013-2014
|82-game best
|4v5 SA/60
|4v5 GA/60
In each category, performances from 2014 make up about 70% of the Top 15 and performances from 2013 make up about 25%. The law of large numbers comes into play here. If you've read some of the studies done that shows shots are a better predictor of future special teams success than goals, you may be worried that the Leafs are not even as close to dominant in preventing shots on the PK as they were in 2013.
In this case, the Leafs over the last 54 games have allowed 4.0 goals against and 44.2 shots against per 60 minutes of penalty kill time [tallying up stats from HockeyAnalysis]. Both numbers would put them among elite teams.
But, gee, even as a kid I hated looking at stats from the start of the season because everything looked so wrong. It's worse in baseball when every player has a batting average that's a multiple of five, or a hitter you particularly like is hitting .180 to start the year, and you wonder why they flash the stat across the screen because it has absolutely no meaning in a little sample. It's the numbers equivalent of "it's too early. I never eat December snowflakes."
James van Riemsdyk – Tyler Bozak – Phil Kessel
David Broll – Nazem Kadri – Joffrey Lupul
Mason Raymond – Dave Bolland – Josh Leivo
Carter Ashton – Jay McClement – Colton Orr
Carl Gunnarsson – Dion Phaneuf
Morgan Rielly – Cody Franson
Paul Ranger – Jake Gardiner
Van Riemsdyk was off yesterday with a "maintenance day". He's "questionable" tonight, meaning that Troy Bodie finds his way into the lineup should JvR not be ready to go. If that's the case, you have to think that Randy Carlyle puts Kessel with Kadri and Lupul, no? On Hockey Night on Saturday the broadcasters were talking about how Carlyle liked to identify "pairs" of players to work alongside each other. Raymond and Bolland have been joined at the hip this season, as have Kadri-Lupul, and I can't think that Bodie provides a suitable replacement for JvR at the top of the lineup.
Per dailyfaceoff with the one change listed: Michael Russo suggested that defenceman Marco Scandella will be in for Mat Dumba.
Zach Parise – Mikko Koivu – Nino Niederreiter
Dany Heatley – Mikael Granlund – Jason Pominville
Matt Cooke – Kyle Brodziak – Justin Fontaine
Torrey Mitchell – Zenon Konopka – Stephane Veilleux
Ryan Suter – Jonas Brodin
Keith Ballard – Jared Spurgeon
Marco Scandella – Clayton Stoner
For the first time ever, you have probably heard of everybody in the Wild Top 6.
Niederreiter has just one goal so far on the season, but is third on the team in shots on goal with 14 (Parise has 35 through 6 games, which is nutty). El Niño has had a weird career thus far—in the 2012 season, he scored a single goal on 74 shots on goal for a 1.4% shooting rate. In Bridgeport last season, playing 74 games in the American Hockey League, he scored 28 goals on 230 shots—a 12.2% career rate. He was a dominant scorer in junior hockey and was taken fifth overall for a reason, but his inability to score at the NHL-level early in his career was probably a reason why the New York Islanders were willing to part with him for so little.
Forget a puck-possession philosophy, the acquisition of Niederreiter represents the underrated Al Arbour "get good players" philosophy.
James Reimer takes the pipes tonight, replacing Goalie Bot 45. The Wild are playing the second half of a back-to-back so we can safely assume that Darcy Kuemper will start for the Wild, since it was Josh Harding yesterday. Kuemper has just eight NHL appearances and just 42 AHL appearances, so it's tough to tell if he's any good.
The Leafs and the Wild drop the puck at 7:00 Eastern. Click here to sign up for Streakcred.