text:
September 3, 2005
Chief Justice Rehnquist dies.
ADDED: I am stunned. I can't believe he's gone. He has been so important for so long. It's hard to believe there's a news story capable of overshadowing Katrina. I wonder what Bush will do. Do you think he might elevate Justice Thomas to Chief Justice? Do you think Judge Roberts will be chosen? A new era is upon us. What an effect this man has had! He was one of the greatest Wisconsin citizens ever, born here in Milwaukee, in 1924.
37 comments:
- Menlo Bob said...
Convene the coalition of the embittered. Start with a blanket non-endorsement of everyone and end by inventing new reasons that the electorial minority must prevail. After all, a fetus somewhere is awaiting oblivion and we must not fail 'it'.
- Robert said...
Such a shame. Love him or hate him he certainly had an effect on our country's jurisprudence. We will not again see his like.
- ploopusgirl said...
Oh, Menlo Bob, good to see you were able to get in your pro-life dig in. I just hope your daughter isn't raped, ends up pregnant, and has no option but to give birth to the child. That'd truly be a shame.
- EddieP said...
Menlo Bob
The man isn't in the ground yet. Fer Chrissakes let up on the sniping.
- John said...
I'm not quite stunned. He was a pretty old bird. But respect him I do for sticking in there till the end. May he rest in peace.
- vbspurs said...
Incredible reaction. I had the same, and though I mentioned in my blogpost of today that everyone expected him to die, it's still a shock.
Not the dying part, but the timing part.
I also once mentioned to the Anchoress that my mother calls Bush the "unlucky-lucky" President, because bad things happen to him...and yet something always intervenes to take the heat away.
Katrina Bush-blame-a-thon was reaching critical mass, in such a cynical politicised way, and yet poor SCOTUS CJ Rehnquist passes away, giving the media a breather from their hysterics.
And on Tuesday the Roberts hearings start!
RIP CJ Rehnquist. You served us all very well.
- sunking278 said...
No, this does not overshadow Katrina. An old aristocrat has passed on; he can Rest in Peace, whatever. Potentially thousands of elderly people have died in Louisiana and Mississippi. But nevermind them, right? We can talk about the Supreme Court at some later date. Hannity is live on Fox News right now falling over himself because he finally doesn't have to talk about the poor black folks dying in New Orleans. Disgusting. Rehnquist, Roberts, the Supreme Court, and everything else just doesn't matter when parts of our country are suffering like never before. This doesn't deserve more than thirty seconds of coverage.
- ploopusgirl said...
Sunking, I couldn't agree more. I think you're my favorite.
- vnjagvet said...
For anyone suffering from insomnia this evening, CSPAN 3 has on the hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee on the confirmation of Chief Rehnquist.
Senator Paul Simon was just, in his rambling way asking about the extent to which equal protection clause should be applied to overturn state or federal legislation.
Now he is asking about Rehnquist's health issues.
- John Althouse Cohen said...
Sunking: Katrina is having the biggest effect on people's lives right now, but the death of the Chief Justice will also have a big effect on a lot of people's lives, though not immediately. It is possible for two very important things to happen simultaneously.
- _Jon said...
From his diagnosis to his passing was 9 months or so. As someone who has seen who Cancer behaves, it appears they did not catch it in time. It must have spread before they found it.
He probably didn't have more than a 10% chance back in October.
And he knew it.
- Decklin Foster said...
Ann, forgive me for asking what must be a very basic question, but what happens now while we have eight justices? Does Roberts still replace O'Connor?
- Jamie said...
Godspped, Mr. Chief Justice.
Roberts is going to suffer for this. Democrats will brutalize him to make Bush wary of nominating another conservative to replace Rehnquist. If he makes it through unscathed, I wouldn't be surprised if he gets elevated to Chief Justice. it would be the third Senate confirmation hearing he's passed in what? Three years?
I'd like to see Thomas as Chief justice, but I think he'll want to avois going through another ordeal like his confirmation hearings. Too bad, really.
- Ann Althouse said...
Decklin: Roberts is nominated to take O'Connor's seat, but Bush could change that either before or after the confirmation, presumably before. I would not be surprised if he did.
Jim: CSpan3! I want CSpan3! We only get 1 and 2.
- Beldar said...
Decklin asked, "[W]hat happens now while we have eight justices? Does Roberts still replace O'Connor?"
Short answer: Yes, Roberts will still probably replace O'Connor, and business will probably continue as usual; the temporary vacancy in the Chief Justice's spot is unlikely to be outcome-determinative in any particular case.
Long answer:
There is now a vacancy in the office of Chief Justice of the United States, and there are only eight members of the Supreme Court. Until the President nominates and the Senate confirms a new Chief Justice, the Supreme Court (which is currently in recess until the beginning of the October 2004 Term) will continue to operate with only eight (Associate) Justices.
Justice O'Connor is, technically, still one of those eight. Her resignation does not become effective until the Senate confirms her successor. DC Circuit Judge John Roberts is the nominee to be her successor, and unless his nomination is withdrawn by President Bush, it's reasonable to presume that the Senate will continue to deliberate on that nomination and that in due course he will be confirmed, upon which event he'll take Justice O'Connor's place among the eight Associate Justices.
It's possible, but I think fairly unlikely, that President Bush might withdraw Judge Roberts' nomination to be Justice O'Connor's successor and instead nominate him to become the new Chief Justice. Regardless, however, Justice O'Connor will continue to serve until the successor to her seat (whether Judge Roberts or someone else) is confirmed by the Senate.
I expect that President Bush will nominate a proposed new Chief Justice within the next two weeks, but it's highly unlikely that such a nominee would be confirmed by the Senate in time to be sworn in before the beginning of the Supreme Court's new term in October 2005. In all probability, the Supreme Court (with either Justice O'Connor or with new-Justice Roberts as her successor) will begin its proceedings in October with only eight members.
Senior-most Associate Justice Stevens will preside over the Court's activities until a new Chief Justice is nominated and confirmed. That's really not a very big deal; he still gets only one vote, plus the right to assign the initial drafting of proposed majority opinions on those particular cases in which he's voted with the tentative majority, but that very, very rarely affects the actual outcome of individual cases. (Indeed, Justice Stevens has already had that privilege for many years in those cases in which Chief Justice Rehnquist was not among the tentative-majority during the preliminary post-argument vote.) Justice Stevens' temporary presidence will be mostly symbolic and procedural (and I have no doubt that he'll handle those functions superbly and noncontroversially).
If the Senate does not act promptly to confirm whomever President Bush nominates to succeed the late Chief Justice Rehnquist, Pres. Bush might well use his constitutional power to make a "recess appointment" during the next Senate recess (e.g., over the Thanksgiving holiday). The recess appointee would immediately be sworn in and begin acting as Chief Justice, subject to either later confirmation or expiration of his/her recess appointment (at year-end 2006, I think?). My guess is that the Administration will push hard to have a new Chief Justice confirmed before year-end 2005, however, and will only go the "recess appointment" route if there's a filibuster; the possibility of a recess appointment (and Pres. Bush's demonstrated willingness to use his recess appointment power, e.g., with Circuit Judges Pryor and Pickering) may make a filibuster somewhat less likely. That Chief Justice Rehnquist has been so reliably "conservative" perhaps makes a knock-down drag-out full-court filibustering fight over his successor less likely than if, for example, we were looking at replacing Justice Stevens.
When there is a 4-4 voting split on the Court with only 8 Justices participating in the vote on a particular case, the procedural effect of that tie vote is to automatically affirm the decision of the lower court (typically one of the federal [circuit] courts of appeals or a state supreme court). There's considerable informal precedent from past decades, however, for cases that are split 4-4 at the internal conference after oral argument (or, sometimes, other especially important close votes, e.g., tentative 5-3 splits) to instead be re-calendared to be re-argued and finally decided later in the term, or in the following term, when the Court is back to its full complement of nine members. It's therefore fairly unlikely that the vacancy created by Chief Justice Rehnquist's death in office will cause some extraordinary shift in precedent.
- Beldar said...
Jamie wrote, "Roberts is going to suffer for this."
Actually, I think not. My (very subjective) perception is that the poitical left is pretty frustrated with their inability to get any traction in opposing Judge Roberts' nomination. Whether Dubya decides to (a) elevate Scalia or Thomas to CJ and nominate a new Associate Justice, or (b) simply to nominate an entirely new face as CJ, or (c) even to transform Roberts' nomination to the CJ spot instead of O'Connors', there will inevitably be a new face for the opposition to shoot at. I don't think any of the other potential nominees (at least those discussed before Roberts' nomination came out) have anywhere close to the amount of Teflon sheathing that Roberts has proven to have. So I suspect that the new face, whoever that turns out to be, is who will "suffer," and that the net result of Chief Justice Rehnquist's death may be that Judge Roberts' nomination indeed turns into a complete cakewalk.
- Joan said...
_Jon, those of us in the thyroid cancer community have known ever since Rehnquist's initial announcement that his situation was dire. Upwards of 95% of thyroid cancer patients are able to treat it as a chronic disease after initial treatment is completed, with no change in their life expectancy. But Rehnquist's only treatment was a trach, to ease his breathing. He underwent neither thyroidectomy nor radioactive iodine treatments. Given those facts, it seems most likely that he had one of the more serious variants of the disease.
I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer just a few days before the news of Rehnquist's illness was made public. From where I stand, I understand perfectly his refusal to retire. He knew he didn't have too long to live -- why bother to retire?
Having two openings on the court is sure to cause all sorts of sniping. I'm really not looking forward to it. I suppose it's just naive to hope that Congress will just get on with things and not obstruct.
- Charlie (Colorado) said...
Took the DU kids four minutes to come up with a way to see this as a Karl Rove conspiracy.
Makes the whole thing doubly sad.
- XWL said...
On FNC just hours after the announcement of his death Alan Dershowitz of Harvard Law called Chief Justice Rehnquist a "Republican Thug" and said that NO law school taught his writings cause he was a poor writer and a judicial activist for the conservative cause who was inconsistent in his application of the constitution.
All I can say is wow, what an amazing lack of grace or comity.
And is that true? Was Rehnquist's writings really ignored by Law schools in general, and if so, is that a product of his writing or is that a sign of the leftward tilt of Law faculty?
- Ann Althouse said...
Was Dershowitz talking about his books, perhaps? Obviously, one has to teach the opinions he's written, regardless of how you like them! But it is possible to completely disrespect them. It's possible to read them and say, essentially, well, this is just right-wing ideology.
- Carl said...
Ann, I wondered about Roberts for chief as well. Beldar, I'm not sure I understand why you think that unlikely? I rate a recess appointment as nearly unthinkable, in that it pushes the confirmation battle closer to the '06 midterm election.
- This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
- Ann Althouse said...
Quxxo: Don't reprint the entire text of an article. Here's the link to your article. Feel free to summarize it and make whatever point you have. You may quote a short passage from it, but it's not right to reprint the whole thing.
- angryblackconservative said...
What goes around comes around. Karma: the most anti environment judge on the supreme court dies of cancer to the thyroid; the part of the human body that is most sensitive to toxins, pollutants, carcinogens, and other damaging environmental changes.
- Joan said...
angryblackconservative, I don't know where you're getting your information about thyroid cancer, but you're assertion that the thyroid is the part of the human body that is most sensitive to toxins, pollutants, carcinogens, and other damaging environmental changes is just bizarre.
Only 1% or less of all cancers diagnosed are thyroid cancers, and only about 3% of those cases are of the type that the Chief Justice succumbed to. If the thyroid were as delicate as you propose, wouldn't thyroid cancer be rampant? It is true that the thyroid is the most vulnerable to damage from radiation, but how many people really have to worry about that?
Trying to connect the death of the Chief Justice to hurricane Katrina as some kind of ironic karmic twist is ridiculous.
- Beldar said...
Carl, I'm working on the presumption, justifiable or not, that the Administration was not caught by surprise by the Chief Justice's demise, and that when Dubya nominated Roberts for O'Connor's seat, he was expecting the CJ's death or retirement some time before the end of Dubya's second term. I think they have someone else already in mind for the CJ slot -- quite possibly someone considerably more controversial than Roberts. I believe the WH has accurately assessed Roberts as being relatively/comparatively noncontroversial, and therefore likely to be confirmed even as (what's perceived by the Left to be) the replacement of a "swing vote." Rehnquist was definitely not a swing vote, and I expect the WH to fill the seat opened by his death (whether it's an associate justice slot opened by elevating Scalia or Thomas to CJ, or the CJ slot itself) with someone whom the Left would have fought much harder were he/she nominated to replace O'Connor. But obviously, I'm just guessing here, and I could be completely wrong.
- Mark Daniels said...
Were Bush to elevate someone from the Court, I think it would more likely be Scalia than Thomas. Both would be lightning rods in any confirmation process, but Thomas even more than Scalia. Scalia is more highly esteemed for his intellect than is Thomas, even by foes. Scalia is also tighter with Cheney and other members of the Bush Administration, it would seem, than Thomas.
Having said all that, I think there's a less than 50% chance that Bush will nominate either of them for Chief Justice. As a result of Chief Justice Rehnquist's death, the Roberts confirmation hearings are apt to be even more bruising and contentious than they were going to be already. Because Roberts is nominated to replace a justice regarded as a "swing" vote (although on balance, I think, one has to identify O'Connor as a conventional conservative jurist), his nomination was already more important and had larger implications than if he were simply a conservative judge appointed by a conservative President to replace a conservative Justice. Because the President gets to appoint two new members of the court, giving the conservatives an edge, liberals and conservatives will feel greater urgency to either thwart or facilitate Roberts' confirmation by the Senate.
The President already has a list of Chief Justice nominees left over from the days just months ago, when many thought that Renhquist would resign. So, I think that he's likely to nominate someone relatively quickly.
Assuming that the list isn't closed, if I were advising the President, purely from a political standpoint, I would counsel him not to appoint either Scalia or Thomas for the chief justiceship. Their opponents' arguments against them are all well-rehearsed and particularly in the case of Thomas, there is no need to conduct a re-run of his associate justice confirmation hearings. From the President's standpoint, there's no reason to go to the Alamo for Scalia or Thomas when he's already got them and their votes on the Court.
This might in fact be the time for the President to nominate someone like I was suggesting earlier for O'Connor's spot: A conservative pol possessing credibility with Dems and solid judicial credentials, one who can sail through the process and not arouse consternation from the right or vituperation from the left. To me that looks like Orrin Hatch or, for a slightly younger tilt, Mike DeWine.
- Menlo Bob said...
Pllopusgirl, I'll take note of the fact that you feel abortion rights is the main problem facing the Surpreme Court and not subverting the constitution to invent new rights.
Eddiep, I appreciate your advice. Please tell me when I'm free to speak.
- Carl said...
I'm guessing as well, but we know a few things:
1) the Administration has done it's homework, interviewing several candidates years ago.
2) of all the plausible and/or mentioned candidates, Roberts stands out as having more "Chief-like" talents (friendly, consensus building, willing to compromise). I admit I don't personally know the others, so it's pure hearsay. But, Roberts's Senate confirmation as associate would make confirmation as chief easier a year later. And if we assume appointment # 2 is either more conservative than Roberts or has a more attackable paper trail, better to risk "Borking" with an associate than the chief. And, of course, opponents can be expected to fight harder if the chief seat is at issue.
So, even assuming perfect knowledge of Rehnquist's health, why not get your #1 choice in, and -- no later than a year from nomination -- elevate Roberts?
- Joan said...
Believe me, the Administration knew very well that Rehnquist was not going to be around much longer.
This kind of politics is one thing they are usually good at. It's going to be interesting to see this unwind.
Ploopusgirl, you're being unusually short-sighted. Yes, the devastation of Katrina is horrific and will be affecting the lives of Gulf Coast residents for years to come. But Supreme Court appointments and the decisions made by those appointees will/could affect the lives of every U.S. citizen from now until we as a nation cease to exist (nothing like a little hyperbole on a Sunday morning.) I'm surprised how quickly you are dismissing the newsworthiness of Rehnquist's death.
- Rossputin said...
The reaction of the left so far has been reprehensible, and I don't expect that to change as we work through the process of filling two Supreme Court vacancies.
If you're interested, you can read my thoughts on this particular issue at
- appell8 said...
Beldar, I agree with Carl that John Roberts would be an ideal Chief, for the reasons he mentions. You may be right that the WH has another plan, but I would be delighted to see Roberts shifted to Chief and someone like Mike McConnell or J. Harvie Wilkinson -- or Miguel Estrada -- nominated for associate.
And, it is certainly fitting to pause to appreciate CJ Rehnquist's long and devoted service.
- Jim Gust said...
Following up on Rehnquist's reputation at law schools, he was pretty much held in contempt when I took Con Law at Boston University in 1976. His opinion in National League of Cities v. Usery was seen as an attempt to turn the clock back 50 years. This was before he was chief, and the faculty seemed to hope his tenure as an associate justice would be short.
Nevertheless, the next year he was invited to be one of the guest judges at our moot court competition, which surprised me. I guess the administration was more conservative than the professors. He was treated with public courtesy and respect, and he seemed to be a bright and articulate person, and a perceptive judge.
I'm not surprised that the elitest New England law schools never warmed to him. Is that true around the rest of the country?
- XWL said...
As far as what Dershowitz meant by not teaching Rehnquist, it was a quick hit and run diatribe so it is hard to know what he meant exactly (probably on purpose).
And as far as possible replacements I think President Bush should fuel partisan conflict rather than try to assuage it (make the Democrats, once again, the party of NO!), therefore may I suggest nominating Justice Janice Rogers Brown as the next Chief Justice of the SCOTUS.
She has the intellect, demeanor and life history to be an excellent and historic Chief Justice (the only proof needed is that she was on the California Supreme Court and garnered the respect of her colleagues across the ideological spectrum), but since large swathes of the Democratic party have portrayed her (unfairly) as an extremist they will be placed in the uncomfortable position of stonewalling the appointment of the first minority and the first female Chief Justice.
If the Democrats do the unexpected and demur to her choice as Chief, then her service will be great for this nation, and if they do the expected and block her, and effectively cripple the Supreme Court through months of partisan bickering then I think they will be held accountable come the next election cycle.
- ploopusgirl said...
Excuse me, Menlo, but in the first comment of this thread, you said, "After all, a fetus somewhere is awaiting oblivion and we must not fail 'it'."
My reply was to this sentence of yours, not based on any of my own opinions. If abortion is of prime importance to anyone here, it's you and not me.
Joan: While I'll agree to your basic premise, the coverage we'll be seeing on Rehnquist today and for the next couple of days will be a reminiscing of what a great justice he was/how much he did for the country. It will have little to do with the next elect, and even less to do with our own personal futures. This weekend, the media should be focused on Katrina.
- leaddog2 said...
May God rest the soul of Chief Justice Rehnquist!
May he also rest the souls of those who chose to stay in the path of Katrina, or were forced to do so by the total incompetence of the New Orleans emergency management "leaders".
Those disusting so-alled "leaders" have been screaming really loud. They want to divert attention from their own culpable criminal negilgence.
At last count, over 360 city buses were NEVER USED by New Orleans local officials for evacuations. Over 210 school buses parked less that 2 miles from the Superdome were never used and a day later were under water.
That is 570 buses. If you use them once with 50 people each aboard that removes 28,500 people out of harm's way and clears the Superdome on Sunday before the storm. If you use them twice, you move out 57,000 people and clear the New Orleans Convention Center before the levee breaks.
That is part of the public New Orleans plan. They chose not to follow it. I suspect some of the local New Orleans people will eventually do time for gross criminal negligence. They should!
- Lyn said...
Here's a thought from Garth at Broken Masterpieces...


text:
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Ask if incoming callers can dial '1' for voicemail to mobile.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Boom Goes the Dynamite: 03.14.09Posted by nvr1983 on March 14th, 2009
Welcome back to the weekend edition of Boom Goes the Dynamite. First off I'd like to commend rtmsf for his strong work on yesterday's BGtD. You guys really have no idea how exhausting it is doing a full day's worth of this is and he managed to do it with only a short break although it almost caused me to give up working on the site after being forced to endure the American–Holy Cross game yesterday. As he outlined in his After the Buzzer post last night/this morning, there are 12 conference championship games today. For the sake of maintaining our sanity and having enough energy in the tank for our huge March Madness preview, we'll be taking multiple shifts but we promise to coordinate it so you won't miss anything during our handoffs.
6:00 AM: Yes. That's actually the time I'm starting this thanks to a "short nap" that ended up going from 9 PM to 5 AM. Obviously my posts will be infrequent in the early morning hours, but I'll be passing along some news and links to you before the games start at 11 AM. The New York Times has been stepping it up with their college sports blog "The Quad" recently and has an interesting post on Louisville's Terrence Williams and his pre-game ritual of the giving himself a pep talk during the national anthem. Before anybody thinks this might be a Chris Jackson Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf situation, it should be noted that Williams actually stands during the anthem and is supposedly talking about family members that he has lost and asking that everyone on the court avoids injuries. Of course, we can't verify this, but if we have any lip-readers in our vast legion of RTC readers, we would love hear your take on this particularly if you have seen this is in person.
7:00 AM: Before I head out for a few minutes to take care of some errands like stocking up on groceries for the coming storm where I probably won't leave my apartment for 3 weeks. I thought I would pass along one of my favorite things we are doing at RTC right now. We enlisted the help of our correspondents and got them to send us their favorite March memories. We narrowed down the submissions to the 16 best entries and are counting down to #1, which will be revealed on Wednesday (the day before the tournament starts). I'd encourage you to check out the entries we have so far and keep on coming back throughout the day to see what they selected as their favorite March memories and then chime in with your memories on those moments.
8:45 AM: Ok. False alarm on that grocery run. Apparently Costco doesn't open until 9:30 so after this post I'll be on a short break. So today's RTC East breakfast is brought to you by Flour Bakery and consists of their Bobby Flay-slaying "Sticky Buns" and a twice-baked brioche. Here's a quick run-down of the games (title game in red–there's a lot of red) that I will be focusing on today:
Early Games
- UMBC vs. Binghamton at 11 AM on ESPN2 for the America East title
- Memphis vs. #3 Tulsa at 11:35 AM on CBS for the Conference USA title
Afternoon Games
- Mississippi State vs. #16 LSU at 1 PM on ESPN2 and Raycom in the SEC semifinals
- #6 Michigan State vs. Ohio State at 1:30 PM on CBS in the Big 10 semifinals
- #1 UNC vs. #22 FSU at 1:30 PM on ESPN and Raycom in the ACC semifinals
- Tennessee vs. Auburn at 3 PM on ESPN2 and Raycom in the SEC semifinals
- Maryland vs. #8 Duke at 3:30 PM on ESPN and Raycom in the ACC semifinals
- #25 Illinois vs. #24 Purdue at 4 PM on CBS in the Big 10 semifinals
Evening Games
- #23 Arizona State vs. USC at 6 PM on CBS for the Pac-10 title
- Baylor vs. #15 Missouri at 6 PM on ESPN for the Big 12 title
- Temple vs. Duquesne at 6 PM on ESPN2 for the Atlantic 10 title
Late Night Games
- San Diego State vs. Utah at 7 PM on Versus for the Moutain West title
- Morgan State vs. Norfolk State at 7 PM on ESPNU for the MEAC title (Periodic score updates for this one)
- Buffalo vs. Akron at 8 PM on ESPN2 for the MAC title
- #5 Louisville vs. #20 Syracuse at 9 PM on ESPN for the Big East title
- Jackson State vs. Alabama State at 9 PM on ESPNU for the SWAC title (Periodic score updates for this one)
- Utah State vs. Nevada at 10 PM on ESPN2 for the WAC title
- Cal State-Northridge vs. Pacific at 11:59 PM on ESPN2 for the Big West title (This one is questionable)
10:55 AM: Ok. I'm back from my extended Costco run and have enough food to last me through the week. A quick summary on the early games. In the America East, Binghamton is a 5-6 point favorite (depending on your gambling establishment of choice). Honestly, I'm surprised that they aren't bigger favorites since they come in at 22-8 while UMBC comes in 15-16 and the game is at Binghamton. It could be interesting though as they split the season series in the regular season with Binghamton winning the last game of the regular season at home against UMBC 71-51. I'm guessing the America East commissioner is rooting for UMBC to avoid the embarrassment of the CBS announcers having to explain why the conference's regular season leading scorer (D.J Rivera) was left off the all-conference team. In Conference USA, Memphis is a 14-point favorite against Tulsa. Memphis might be playing for a #1 seed even with their ridiculously easy schedule. We're hoping this game is more like the first time they met (a 55-54 Memphis win) rather the last time they met (a 63-37 Memphis win). I have a sneaking suspicion that it is going to be more like the latter, but we'll be following it anyways to get a last look at Memphis before CBS's new Billy Packer rips the NCAA selection committee for putting them over a Big East team.
11:05 AM: Breakfast at Binghampton? Actually that looks kind of tempting. I'm going to grab something to eat now. Are we going to get any shots of, or better yet an interview with, Tony Kornheiser (Binghamton's most famous and vocal alum)?
11:25 AM: It has actually been a decent game so far. Kornheiser must be going nuts unless he's still watching replays of American Idol. I have to say that as much as playing the game at a team's home court must stink for the opponent it really adds to the atmosphere. I guess it's not the best idea economically for the bigger conferences who can fill big arenas for their tournaments, but for small conferences with the appropriate geography I'm all for it. And best of all, we might get another "rush the court". Memphis-Tulsa will be starting on CBS in a few minutes.
11:35 AM: It looks like CBS is trying to cheer Bill Simmons up after Holy Cross getting blown out by American as they brought Gus Johnson in for the Memphis-Tulsa game.
11:40 AM: Some clock problems at America East with the Kornheisers up 29-21. Memphis has jumped out to 5-0 lead after a Tyreke Evans "and 1".
11:45 AM: Since we're early I decided to look up famous alumni from the America East to compete with Kornheiser:
- Albany: Harvey Milk and Bob Ryan (Why couldn't we have that as the finals? We could have had an All-America East PTI on Friday.) Wrong Bob Ryan.
- Binghamton: Karl Ravech, Paul Reiser, and Kornheiser
- Boston University: Martin Luther King Jr., Jason Alexander, Michael Chiklis, Geena Davis, Olympia Dukakis, Faye Dunaway, Mariel Hemingway, Julianne Moore, Howard Stern, Marisa Tomei, Bill Simmons (apparently he got his master's there), Raja Bell, Jim Craig, Mike Eruzione, Chris Drury, F. Lee Bailey, and your favorite college basketball blogger
- Hartford: Jeff Bagwell, Vin Baker, and Dionne Warwick
- Maine: Stephen King, Rick Carlisle, and Paul Kariya.
- UMBC: Dan Patrick (Wrong one). Some help here?
- New Hampshire: Jack Edwards
- Stony Brook: Joy Behar and Laura Schlessinger (Yikes. I feel sorry for any guys who went here.)
- Vermont: Ben Affleck, Jack Arute, John LeClair, Ryan Russillo, and Martin St. Louis.
That's based on a quick review of Wikipedia. If I missed anybody, let me know.
Noon: Ok. That took longer than I expected. Binghamton is up 36-27 at half. Reggie Fuller is having a huge game (14 points on 7/7 FG for a 9.9 PPG guy). Memphis is up 20-15 with 6:23 left in the first half.
12:15 PM: Jablo, I have no idea about that. My shot doesn't even hit rim so it doesn't come into play when I'm out there. . .I wouldn't think that they altered the rims for different leagues. USA Basketball doesn't mention a difference, but I'm not sure what "mihe nutes" are either.
12:20 PM: Bad decision there by Matt Spadafora to go for the contested layup there when he had a 3-on-1 especially since we have the same vertical. He should have passed to either the guy on the wing or the man trailing the play to get a better look. Tulsa is only down by 5 with 1:50 left in the 1st half. Could a close game be enough to get Tulsa in the tournament?
12:30 PM: Ok. Somebody at CBS has to clown Jerome Jordan for whatever he was trying to do at the end of the 1st half. Memphis is up by 8 going into half. It's been a pretty ugly shooting display so far with Memphis shooting a blistering 28.6% FG while Tulsa is shooting 25.8%. Binghamton is up 54-45 with 8:26 left.
12:35 PM: It looks like both Seth Davis and Greg Anthony are reading RTC as they think Terrence Williams should have been the Big East POY. By the way, what's with the CBS guys going with the monochromatic shirt and tie? Did their producer hear that it leads to higher ratings? I might change out of my red t-shirt into a black one to match my shorts. Be back in a few minutes.
12:40 PM: Ok. I'm back with higher ratings already. Binghamton is up by 7 with 6 minutes left. They can almost taste a NCAA bid there. Speaking of the tournament, check out Zach's new RTC Bracketology to see the latest bracket. Kornheisers are predicted as a 14 seed in the NCAA tournament.
12:45 PM: UMBC has cut it to a 6-point game with 3:20 left. If I were coaching either team, I would just give the ball to Reggie Fuller or Rich Flemming and have them shoot as soon as they touch the ball. Each guy is 7/7 FG today. Is there a reason that Fuller hasn't taken a FG attempt this half?
12:55 PM: Emanuel Mayben just got called for a 5-second. I can't remember seeing a guy get called for it with so little pressure on him. Just a mental slip-up by Mayden. Binghamton still up by 6 with 1:07 left.
12:57 PM: Interesting factoid that you will hear all week long if Binghamton holds on: Rivera was a nephew of the late Hank Gathers.
1:00 PM: Say it, ESPN! Say it! "Rush the court"!!! Where's the plug? Congrats to the Kornheisers. He will be insufferable on PTI this week. Michael Wilbon should take the week off.
1:05 PM: Memphis has opened up an 18-point lead with 9:33 left. Say hello to the NIT, Tulsa. LSU-Mississippi State just tipped in Tampa/St. Pete. The SEC is awful this year. They're looking at 2-3 teams unless Auburn or MSU can win the conference tournament.
1:10 PM: Did ESPN just bring Jeanine Edwards down from the ACC tournament to the SEC tournament the day after Kentucky was eliminated? If that's not ESPN's way of telling us that the Edwards-Billy Gillispie feud is real, I don't know what is. Fortunately for Jeanine, she will still have a jog after the season is over.
1:20 PM: This Memphis game is over (25-point lead with 5:45 left) and now they're just playing for a #1 seed. UNC-FSU should get underway in about 10 minutes. A win by UNC should guarantee them the #1 overall seed.
1:25 PM: Pretty nasty fall by Kodi Augustus who seems to be ok. He got a 3-for-1 (knee, back, and head). Hopefully the Duke fans won't get too upset about me mentioning that.
1:35 PM: Interesting note for all the Duke-haters out there: Garrett Temple, who shut down J.J. Redick in his last game at Duke, is a senior now at LSU. Just looking at his numbers, it doesn't look like Garrett has improved much during his time in Baton Rouge, but maybe some LSU fans can correct me. I'm guessing that Temple's contributions are more like what Michael Lewis was talking about in his piece on Shane Battier.
1:40 PM: The analysts on ESPN2 just screwed up correlation and causation when discussing the difference between being seeded #1 or #2. I don't think a #15 is that much better than a #16 or a #7 is that much better than a #8. It has more to do with the higher seeded team and its consistency rather than how tough the road is itself.
1:42 PM: Jeanine, so what do you think about Billy Gillispie?
1:45 PM: So I'm not getting the ESPN feed of FSU-UNC. I guess Raycom has the coverage in Boston so if anything interesting happens with the announcers there let me know. I'm assuming that ESPN moved Erin Andrews to the ACC conference tournament since the Big 10 conference tournament (where she was at yesterday) went from ESPN to CBS. Mark Titus must be crushed.
1:50 PM: As a follow-up to that, I'm guessing that Erin pulled rank on Jeanine and took the ACC sending Jeanine down to Tampa to cover the SEC. I'm hoping that Jeanine didn't suffer the indignity of having to fly coach. . .
1:55 PM: Couple quick non-basketball questions before I get back to analyzing the games. What is that covering mid-court in Indianapolis? I'm guessing it is one color to represent each of the 11 schools in the Big 10. It looks like we have an early favorite for next year's edition of America's ugliest courts. Has Clark Kellogg replaced Billy Packer as Jim Nantz's partner? Does this mean he'll be covering the Final 4? I'm not sure I'm ok with that. Who would you guys choose out of CBS's roster of analysts to be Nantz's partner?
2:00 PM: Mississippi State is up 31-29 at halftime. Jarvis Varnado is having a big game even without racking up a ton of blocks (13 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 blocks). Marcus Thornton is off to a slow start with just 8 points on 3/10 FG. Ohio State is up 19-15 midway through the first half thanks to a hot start from William Buford (7 points on 3/3 FG). UNC is up 12-9 with 11:43 left in the game. Some Raycom guy just said there isn't an appreciable drop-off going from Ty Lawson to Larry Drew II and Bobby Frasor. Unforunately, the video feed from the game isn't working so I'm stuck listening to BS like that. Seriously, how does that guy have a job?
2:05 PM: Nice job by Arinze. He's obviously better at correcting me than he is at the FT line. That's what happens when I take on too big of a task while trying to do something else (like BGtD).
2:10 PM: The Buckeyes are getting sloppy with the ball, but the Spartans have failed to capitalize as they haven't scored in over 4 minutes. UNC is up 21-19 with 5:44 left in the first half. I finally have video back so I can tell you more about this game in a bit.
2:20 PM: Interesting post by Jeff Goodman today that mentions one of the candidates for the Boston University job is current Louisville assistant. . .Richard Pitino (yes, that's his son). It would be interesting to see Richard start out at the same school that his father did. I have to say that BU isn't a big-time hoops program. It's a distant second on Commonwealth Avenue to Terrier hockey. It would be interesting to see how Richard handles the pressure at a small program, but one in a big city with a vicious media that will be more than willing to go after the son of a failed Celtics coach. That is assuming those same vultures still have jobs. . .I still can't figure out what kind of hand "surgery" Chester Frazier had that would enable him to come back next week. The only two things that I can think of would be the removal of a ganglion cyst, which wouldn't have occurred at practice like his injury was reported to be, or a closed reduction, which isn't surgery (and wouldn't take Frazier that long to recover from). Does anybody have some insight into what his injury might be? I've heard that it might be a "small" fracture, but that doesn't seem to fit what Illinois is telling everybody although they could be lying.
2:30 PM: Quick scoreboard check: UNC is up 32-29 at half. Wayne Ellington is carrying the Tar Heels with 13 points while Tyler Hansbrough is having an off-day (6 points on 1/7 FG although he did pick up 6 rebounds). Ohio State is up 34-29 as they continue to ride the hot hand of William Buford (13 points on 6/7 FG and 5 rebounds). Maybe this will finally make Big 10 homers stop talking about Michigan State as a #1 seed. MSU is up by 8 with 10 minutes left in the game. It looks like they might knock off another bubble team.
2:35 PM: Seth Davis obviously hasn't been looking at his brackets recently. Most people have Binghamton as a #14 seed, but it seems like Seth was suggesting that they're a #16 seed. I can't wait for Kornheiser to crush him on PTI this week.
2:40 PM: If you're wondering if there is a sports story that can take the attention away from March Madness, we may have found it. Cleveland Browns WR Donte Stallworth hit and killed a pedestrian with his Bentley around 7 AM this morning.
2:50 PM: Varnado got away with one there on Thornton. Varnado has been a beast today. He's taking this Mississippi State team into the NCAA tournament. I'm sure that every 4/5 seed will be praying that they avoid him when the brackets are announced on Selection Sunday. Like the ESPN guys, I would post his stats today, but the scorekeepers are way off right now so I'm not going to embarrass them.
3:00 PM: Looks like LSU is done as Thornton fouls out with MSU up by 16 with 2:36 left. We're going to check out the other games, but keep an eye on this in case the Tigers find a way to battle back.
3:03 PM: Mark, thanks for the kind words. If you know anybody at any of those networks, have them e-mail me. You should keep on checking back as we are planning on having the most thorough coverage of the NCAA tournament anywhere (without a media pass unless the NCAA gets on board).
3:05 PM: MSU secures a spot in the SEC final tomorrow with a 67-57 win. Meanwhile in Indianapolis, Ohio State is up by a baker's dozen on the Spartans. Interesting thought by Jim Nantz, could they drop to a #3 seed? I doubt it with all the other top 10 teams losing, but I think it points out just how ridiculous their claim to a #1 seed was before. FSU is up 52-50 with 11:18 left. I'll be following this game as it looks like the only interesting one on right now.
3:15 PM: A couple quick links while I'm momentarily away from the TV. . .Check out Ray Floriani's take on the Syracuse-UConn 6-OT thriller. You should also check out a cool feature that we found that lets you look at what the NCAA Selection Committee sees when they determine who gets a bid tomorrow evening (opens to Wake Forest, but you can look at any other team too).
3:25 PM: Is Hansbrough the 3rd most important player on the Tar Heels? I don't think there is any question that Lawson is the most important player on the team, but I think that Ellington's outside shooting may be more important to Roy Williams than Psycho T's tough interior play because he has several other players who can play inside.
3:30 PM: Sam Cassell is sitting/standing behind the FSU bench. I guess they don't have any need for him in Sacramento (not much to cheer about on the bench out there).
3:35 PM: A foul on Hansbrough? In a crucial situation? That can't be right. I don't care what the replay shows. Tyler does not foul. The FSU guy must have swung his head into Tyler's hand. The FSU lead is down to 1 with 3:33 left. Toney Douglas is having a huge game with 25 points so far. In Indy, MSU has cut it to 10 with 3:50 left after B.J. Mullens mishandles a pass inside. Did Tom Izzo tell his guys they don't need a 3 with almost 4 minutes left? They just took 3 straight shots from beyond the arc when they didn't really have a good look.
3:40 PM: The other SEC semifinal just tipped pitting Tennessee against Auburn. The bubble teams have to be pulling for Bruce Pearl because a MSU-Auburn final would mean one of the bubble teams would definitely be out as neither of those teams has a shot to get an at-large bid. A lay-up and a pair of FTs by Evan "The Villain" Turner puts the Buckeyes up by 16 with less than 2:33 left and should fnish off the Spartans. UNC takes the lead at 70-69 with 58.2 seconds left and FSU has the ball.
3:45 PM: A bad foul by Ed Davis sends Toney Douglas to the line and he hits both to give FSU the lead with 45 seconds left and 11-12 second differential. Hansbrough just pulled a Trajan Langdon and Derwin Kitchens hits a pair of FTs to extend the lead to 3. Ellington misses a 3 and Danny Green blows off an open Hansbrough then proceeds to miss a game-tying 3 at the buzzer.
3:50 PM: Thanks for the heads up, Tyler. I figured I was going to make a bonehead mistake typing this much even if it was a really obvious one.
4:05 PM: Tennessee is up 30-22 with less than 6:30 left in the 1st half. Auburn might want to start playing some D. The Vols are shooting 67% FG right now.
4:10 PM: I missed most of the Mike Slive, the head of the Selection Committee and SEC commissioner (the one that can't play basketball not the one who can't follow up a lead on a Ponzi scheme although I can't imagine that the latter would be that good on the court either), interview, but I'm guessing he was really vague making the entire interview a huge waste of time. Can anyone confirm this?
4:12 PM: Just saw JR's latest comments about the live blogs. Do you guys want this style (BGtD) or using the CoverItLive technology (like we do for RTC Live when I'm courtside)? Leave your answers in the comment section to help us decide what to do.
4:15 PM: It looks like Miami and Utah are trying to recreate the Syracuse-UConn game as they are currently in the 3rd OT. I'm going to guess that nobody will be talking about that game tomorrow morning. NCAA > NBA.
4:20 PM: Hansbrough is 3 points shy of Redick's ACC record right now. Get ready for at least a week of features on the chase and stories about his family including at least one feature on his disabled brother. The Vols are up by 11 at half. We have a nice little battle developing between Wayne Chism (16 points) and Korvotney Barber (14 points). Maryland is off to a quick start against Duke. They up 7-2 just 4 minutes into the game.
4:25 PM: It looks like Nolan Smith has returned from the concussion he suffered the last time these two teams played. Do you think he reminded his teammates to call out screens before the game? He looks a little rusty right now missing a lay-up that Kyle Singler put back. We'll be following Smith's play throughout the game to see how effective he will be this March.
4:40 PM: Apparently Barber injured his arm at the end of the first half. I'd just put a ton of Icy Hot on it. I always found the burning sensation made me forget the pain. Poor transition defense by the Vols leads to an open 3 and Auburn cuts it to 7. Duke responded with a 16-6 run after its slow start. They up by 5 with 8:54 left in the first half. Purdue is up by 8 midway through the first half. Illinois is killing itself with turnovers and poor defense off of them (4 TOs leading to 9 points).
4:55 PM: The Raycom guys are giving Danny Ferry praise for taking LeBron James when he fell into his lap with the #1 pick making the Cavs one of the top teams in the NBA. Maryland is up by 1 with 1:49 left while Purdue is up by 13 with 3:45 left. The Vols are hanging onto a 6-point lead with 10:30 left
5:05 PM: We're at halftime in the ACC and Big 10. Duke is up by 2 behind Singler's 12 points and 6 rebounds. Purdue is absolutely hammering Illinois, who had missed 13 straight shots. Matt Painter's squad is up 37-17 and were nearly up 40-17 as a heave at the buzzer hit the back of the rim. Well at least there are 2 good games to watch (Duke-Maryland and Tennessee-Auburn).
5:16 PM: Ok, thanks to nvr1983 for getting us through the first half of the day but he's getting some fresh air while BGTD will roll on with multiple big games left to go… just coming out of the half in the ACC and Big 10 here. Purdue is up 100 on Illinois so we're moving that one to the 13″ tv for now. Meanwhile, UT is up eleven on Auburn in Tampa, but there are only 2.5 minutes left there. This is a good thing for the voodoo people. They still need Duke to take control of this game, though, because Maryland can beat Florida St. if they make it there tomorrow.
5:21 PM: If we're lucky we might get another 30-pt game out of Illinois today. They've already had two this year – Minnesota and Penn St. Quick word on Vitale calling the Duke-Maryland game. We've noticed in the past few weeks he's been really quiet. He missed the GameDay game at Cal completely, and this is the first ACC Tourney game (we think) he's called. Of course it's Duke. But is he just saving his voice, or does he have some other problem? Tennessee is about to move into the SEC finals.
5:25 PM: Hilarious. It doesn't matter which league tournament you're listening to, you'll hear a partisan announcer "making the case" for why that particular league deserves more than X number of teams. Jimmy Dykes just tried that argument with the SEC, which according to Lunardi, only has two teams in. He said that the SEC hurt itself because it knew it was a young league, and the SOS was hurt by it. WRONG. The SEC hurt itself by losing to all those garbage teams more than scheduling them. Kentucky losing to VMI. Auburn and Alabama losing to Mercer. Going 4-5 against the A10. Going 15-21 against the rest of the BCS conferences without a single winning record against any. That's the problem. It wasn't scheduling, it was losing.
5:36 PM: Be sure to get ready for Selection Monday! Sometimes advertising really annoys me.
5:41 PM: If Vasquez can catch fire here, Duke is toast. What did Gerald Henderson eat this morning – he looks like complete garbage out there (2-11 so far). Purdue is still up twenty on Illinois (stuck at 30), and we're convinced that the Boilers are the best team in the Big Ten when fully healthy. Something isn't right with that MSU team, and it hasn't been all year (in our view).
5:45 PM: This hasn't gotten a lot of press because of all the attention on this year's teams, but Vitale/Patrick reminded me of it, and that's the insane class that Memphis has put together for next season if the reports are true. Think about this – the word is that consensus #1 player John Wall is leaning to John Calipari's Tigers, and they already have the consensus #2 (6'9 DeMarcus Cousins) and #3 (6'6 Xavier Henry) players coming in next year. Fab Three? Nobody has ever done something like this before. The Fab Five had three top ten recruits including consensus #1 Webber, but good lord! Better get any licks you can on Memphis now…
5:51 PM: I'd just like to clarify on the Vitale comment above that I really hope that he's just taking it easy on his voice as well. As much as I love to clown him for his partisanship and protection of his coaching buddies, there is no single greater ambassador for the game. Period. Maryland is finished. They can't win if Vasquez is playing poorly, and this 9-0 run by Duke has pretty much finished off the Terps.
5:54 PM: Gotta win six in a row, except for the fact that #1 seeds get to the Four at a 2:1 margin over #2 seeds. Probably because they're generally better teams.
5:57 PM: Illinois breaks forty! Really an unbalanced team – #2 defensive efficiency and #138 offensive efficiency. Yet despite that lack of offensive prowess, they're a very good team in terms of passing the ball for baskets – 70% of their hoops are assisted.
6:01 PM: Maybe we spoke a little too soon on Maryland's demise – the Terps had a shot in the air to cut the lead to four. Huge rebound by Singler, and GW is disgusted. So it'll be Purdue and Ohio St. in tomorrow's Big 10 Final. OSU is playing a lot better, but so is Purdue. The Buckeyes beat Purdue when Hummel was out injured, but they got humiliated in W. Lafayette a few weeks later when he was back.
6:06 PM: Big three by Maryland there to cut it back to two possessions, but we just don't see Duke blowing this one like the Terps did in 2002.
6:11 PM: Eric Hayes is on fire right now. I'd give him the ball for another three. Wow, Vasquez was very near to getting that down to cut it to three.
6:20 PM: Ok, Duke moves on to face FSU in the ACC Finals tomorrow. Both of their previous games were very good, games that FSU could have won. It'll be interesting to see if FSU might lose a little focus after knocking off #1 today, though.
6:23 PM: On to the next round of games, which includes no fewer than three championships on at once. On ESPN2, we have the A10 championship game, also known as the Voodoo Game because whoever wins will steal a spot from a team on the proverbial bubble. Remember that College Chalktalk is live-blogging that game from courtside if you're interested. On ESPN is the Big 12 title game between Baylor and Mizzou, and despite the cold shooting to start, we figure this one might go triple digits with the way these guys love to run up and down. Finally, over on CBS we have Arizona St.-USC and this might be one of the first times all year many people will get to see the "new and improved" Demar DeRozan for the Trojans. Three excellent games to keep an eye on…
6:29 PM: Ron Franklin just said Baylor's Tweety Carter scored 7400 pts in high school competition (six years). That's incomprehensible, so we'll just move on. People have been saying that Baylor "re-discovered" their defense in the Big 12 Tourney to make this run, but the numbers don't really bear out that viewpoint. The Nebraska game, yes, but the Texas and Kansas games, not so much.
6:40 PM: ASU is looking strong early against USC, with Ty Abbott already dropping 8 on the Trojans. Remember, USC probably needs to win this game to make the Dance. Temple and Duquesne are in a tight one in AC, with Temple leading by two.
6:42 PM: By the way, we're down to under-24 hours until the Selection Show. :-)
6:44 PM: Wow, James Harden just looks like an NBA two-guard. Maybe it's the beard, but more likely it's the silky way with which he handles and shoots the ball. Of course he hasn't shot much yet, but give it time.
6:48 PM: Mizzou has made a bit of a run to take the lead back from Baylor; meanwhile, USC is hanging with ASU and Temple has taken a five-pt lead into halftime in Atlantic City. DeMarre Carroll just got a weight-room "and-one" as Steve Lavin would call it. Mamadou Diene has 0 pts, 3 fouls, which comes on the heels of yesterday's 0 pts/5 fouls performance. Would you believe that his point/foul ratio is a healthy 0.91. Yes, he has more fouls (55) on the season than points (50), playing 10.5 minutes per game. Nearly a foul every five minutes – wow.
6:56 PM: James Harden may be on his way to a trip-dub here, already with five assists (the hardest part). He'll get double figures in pts easy; the hardest part will be getting the rebounds. Daniel Hackett and DeRozan are the players keeping USC alive, but ASU appears to be the more confident and aggressive team right now.
6:59 PM: Harden with another NBA-level move to create space and drop a 24-footer at the buzzer. If he played for Duke or Carolina, he probably would have been NPOY over Griffin. Mizzou finished up the half with a four-pt lead. 37-33, expect this one to open up a little more in the second stanza.
7:06 PM: Wasn't aware that Duquesne is the youngest team in the country, but that's what they just said on the A10 title game coverage. I count nine freshmen on their roster, all most of them don't really play. In the starting lineup, it appears they start two frosh, two sophs and a senior. Not as young as I would have expected.
7:16 PM. Ok, we'll play. Just got a comment with a link to the below photo, courtesy of InsideCarolina.com. We'll even be nice and assume these images weren't cherrypicked to show the least amount of contact. So tell us, fair readers, is the below image from yesterday's VT-UNC game a foul or a jump?
7:21 PM: USC came out of the half really pushing, and they're on a 10-2 run to get it within six. The Trojan defense is really stepping up here, getting a few turnovers already. Floyd must have really gotten after them in the locker room.
7:24 PM: Temple has moved back up eight on Duquesne, and we're back in the Big 12 as well. Seriously, is there anything much better than this stuff? When we're sitting through some endless baseball game next August, we'll be thinking about the games we're watching now and during the next few weeks.
7:26 PM: Mizzou's ball movement was outstanding there to find an open three on the skip pass. Mike Anderson has really done a great job with this program to put the Tigers in position to win the Big 12 championship. They haven't even been to the Tourney since 2003, and we think Missouri is the most successful NCAA program to have never tasted a F4. If we're wrong about that, let us know.
7:28 PM: Maybe everyone is at dinner with their families right now, but here's my take on the above photo from yesterday's UNC-VT game. If the standard is that a player can reach around someone to touch the ball, that's fine, but that's not a tie-up. However, if you are allowed to essentially hug someone from their side to continue to keep their hand on the ball, then you've crossed over into physical contact creating a competitive advantage for the defender, which in our book, is a foul. In the third frame, really? Hugging someone from their side is not a foul? I see substantial skin-on-skin contact. Please explain this to me.
7:32 PM: USC will not go quietly. They're down four and showing a lot of athleticism and quick hands in their fullcourt pressure. Temple is up five in the A10 final with about 4:30 left – we'll make sure this doesn't lose us.
7:36 PM: Baylor is down nine, but they're starting to realize it's now or never and have gotten very aggressive offensively the last few possessions.
7:38 PM: Just updating scores again, but the Mtn West and the MEAC are playing their championships now as well – SDSU and Morgan St. have early leads. The MAC will begin in about twenty minutes.
7:43 PM: USC is back within two and Mizzou is still up seven, while Temple remains up six with under-two to go in the A10. Duquesne has had several possessions to cut that lead, but haven't been able to get it done.
7:48 PM: Temple is finishing off Duquesne, who hasn't scored a point in forever. Another great conference tournament for Fran Dunphy in only his third year on the job there. It will be Christmas in March for the Owls, as we'll see them again next week in the first round! In the Pac-10, SC can't quite get over the hump against ASU – both teams are showing signs of fatigue. Who can gut out the last five+ minutes the most?
7:52 PM: Derozan is having another great game, with 23 and counting. He appears to have fresher legs than everyone else out there, but maybe that's just younger legs. Mizzou has gone on another run in Oklahoma City to really put Baylor in a tough spot, down thirteen now.
7:55 PM: Baylor picked the wrong day to go cold from three – they're currently sitting at 5-22, and they're going to need at least 3-4 to get back into this game and have a chance to win it. Ok, there's one. Still time…
7:58 PM: Kinda glad we're not watching the Mtn West final right now – SDSU leads 20-18 over Utah at the half. Ugh.
8:01 PM: Punch, counter-punch in the Pac-10 title game. Great execution on offense on both ends right now. You get the sense that if USC could get one major stop they could win this game. HUGE three for Dwight Lewis from the corner – do they get that stop?
8:03 PM: Where has this USC team been all year? They got the stop, and now Hackett goes to the line (smart move, btw) after driving it down the lane and getting fouled. SC is now all the way back, and in fact, have a one-pt lead. Guess who will get the ball now – maybe the all-american who can score on anybody?
8:05 PM: Mizzou is still up nine on Baylor with 2:40 to go. But we're really interested in this USC-ASU game. Remember, USC probably needs to get this stop to make the Tournament next week. Here we go…
8:06 PM: Didn't like that drive by Harden there into the gut of the lane and the Pac-10's best shot-blocker. Harden was probably also guilty of a charge there. Can USC knock another bubble team off the list? How're you feeling right now, Creighton and St. Mary's? Providence and Auburn?
8:09 PM: What a hustle play to knock it off of Harden as the ball was sailing out of bounds! Gotta say… we've been a big fan of Harden's all year but we haven't liked any of these decisions down the stretch. Over in the Big 12, Mizzou is going to win the conference title, so all the bubblers can rest easy on Baylor's inclusion. They will not steal a spot.
8:13 PM: Nobody is going to want to see USC in their pod. They have A-grade talent; it just took them a whilel to put it together this year. And Demar Derozan has come of age in the last week – with 25 today, he set a new career-high and averaged 21/9 in the Pac-10 Tourney. Who the hell is the guy in the stocking hat on the court celebrating with the Trojans?
8:25 PM: I'm back to replace rtmsf who is taking a well-deserved break. Quick rundown of the scores to set the stage: Akron is up 12-8 on Buffalo with 11:22 left in the 1st half; Utah is up 35-31 on San Diego State with 10:31 left in the game; Morgan State is up 44-37 on Norfolk State with 14:21 left in the game.
8:35 PM: I just read through rtmsf's commentary. I would like to point out that I was on the USC bandwagon as a dangerous darkhorse back in early February (see bottom of the post). Where were Katz, Davis, Winn, Lunardi, Wahl, Gottlieb, Digger, Bilas, Vitale, Davis, and company on that one? The only ones who saw this USC run coming were our loyal readers. That's why you come here–analysis and mind-blowing predictions that you won't find anywhere else. As for Derozan's performance, is this the college basketball equivalent of a contract year (March greatness–>NBA Draft)?
8:40 PM: I'm going to go ahead and file this MWC title game under the "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" column. I don't need any tempo or offensive efficiency numbers to tell me that this game is U-G-L-Y. Luke Nevill may have sealed it a free throw to extend it to an 8-point game with 5:20 left. Of course, Ryan Amoroso responds with a 3 to kill my previous comment, but I'm sticking with it. Nevill misses the front end of a one-and one. Aztec ball down by 5 with 4:30 left.
8:45 PM: ESPN.com is predicting Nevill as a 2nd round pick or being undrafted. I haven't seen him play that much, but I can't see a 7'2″ guy with a reasonable offensive repetoire being undrafted. I would think he might be able to go mid 2nd round.
8:50 PM: Ok. That possession was just ugly all-around. I think that explains why Nevill may go undrafted and why San Diego State isn't in the tournament. Why does Utah have it's name on the back of the jerseys? Why are they the Runnin' Utes? Shouldn't UNLV have a trademark on the term "Runnin'" at least in its own conference? Are they the Runnin' Utes for everything? The swim team? Yeah. This game is that boring. Utah is up by 5 with 37.9 seconds left after Shaun Green splits a pair of FTs.
8:55 PM: I have to say the atmosphere in the Thomas & Mack Center is depressing. I'm not sure if it's the acoustics in there or that all the fans have hangovers and are debating whether they should gamble again tonight or go to Crazyhorse, but the arena sounds like it is the end of a meaningless mid-season 40-point blowout instead of a 3-point game with 21.4 seconds left with a conference title and a NCAA bid on the line.
9:00 PM: Richie Williams has hit back-to-back 3s to cut the margin to a single point with 5.7 seconds left and Lawrence Borha at the line. He splits them, but Williams was stripped on his attempt to be Danny Ainge. Congrats to Utah. That was about 7 seconds of excitement from the crowd–nice job West Coasters.
9:10 PM: Syracuse-Louisville is about to tip. I didn't get to see Terrence Williams doing his own lyrics to it, but I only caught it from the middle. Out of curiousity, did the fans who went the Syracuse-West Virginia game last night want a refund because they only got 1 OT? By the way, if you're looking for a guy who will be object of opposing fan's ire during the tournament (outside of the usual suspects from Duke and UNC) look no further than Eric Devendorf. Scott Van Pelt basically called him out on his show yesterday show for all of his trash-talking and antics. At the risk of infuriating the sensitive Syracuse fans, I'll say it again: fatigue might affect Syracuse (gasp). I have to say I like Louisville's choice of Biggie for their introduction song. I guess he qualifies as old-school for most of these guys since he was "assassinated" when they were in elementary school.
9:15 PM: Jason, we're over 7000 words right now. I'd be surprised if even 1% of those mentioned that call if you don't count the stuff where we are responding to yo. I would say the better evidence is the video from yesterday not some freeze frames of the event. Back to the games. . .Morgan State just punched its ticket to the dance. If you're upset that we didn't cover it, blame Comcast since we don't get ESPNU. This is their first NCAA appearance in school history. They're predicted to be a #16 seed according to most bracketologists so Colin Cowherd thinks they should be shot now to be put out of their misery. Akron is up 43-27 with 15:44 minutes left. It looks like they are in control here. Back over to ESPN for the big boys game.
9:25 PM: JR, we agree on both of your points. We linked to an article about what Williams does in the pre-game earlier in the day. It seems harmless.
9:35 PM: I analyzed this almost 2 weeks ago, but it's worth noting that at that time Syracuse and Louisville were the worst FT shooting teams in the top 25. Syracuse's is primarily related to Arinze Onuaku's horrendous FT shooting (comes into tonight shooting .300–a solid batting average not so much as a FT percentage), but Louisville is just a poor FT shooting team without anybody bringing them down. Just something to think about when we get to crunch time.
9:40 PM: Kind of depressing to see Gerry McNamara in the crowd so soon after he played at Syracuse. I would have assumed he could have played for a couple years in Europe. It looks like he is still floating around the NBDL playing for the Reno Bighorns, but waived for "personal reasons" according to Wikipedia. I can't verify it. Can anybody here confirm or deny it?
9:45 PM: Nice. Doris Burke coming through for me with an interview with McNamara. What is ESPN thinking calling McNamara the star of that 2003 title run? I was at that East Regional in Albany and while McNamara was a good player (I thought he was every bit as good in college–not talking about pro potential–as Jameer Nelson) and that was 100% Carmelo Anthony's team.
9:50 PM: Kristof Ongenaet just took a hard fall. It was a pretty hard fall, but no chance of any serious spinal injury based on how his back/head hit. He was pretty lucky that he didn't flip about 15 degrees further or it could have been ugly. Syracuse is up by 5 with less than a minute to go.
9:55 PM: Syracuse closes a 13-2 run go into half with an 8-point lead. They looked surprisingly fresh in the first half. I think shooting 53.3% FG including 50% from 3 helps that. Louisville needs to get a few 3s to drop after going 4/15 from beyond the arc in the 1st half. Having T-Will show up offensively in the 2nd half would be nice too (2 points on 1/6 FG). Preston Knowles is keeping Louisville in this game with 12 first half points off the bench. Meanwhile, Akron is holding onto a 12-point lead with 3:51 left.
10:10 PM: It looks like Akron has this one wrapped up. It's a minor upset as most people had Buffalo winning this game. I'd expect them to be a #14 seed. Get ready for plenty of stories about Keith Dambrot, who coached some guy named LeBron in high school. Apparently, they are still very close. Who will use their icon first to recruit high school talent? Dambrot with LeBron or Craig Robinson with Barack Obama?
10:20 PM: Louisville has tied it in less than 3 minutes and has the ball again after a carless Syracuse turnover. I hope this isn't all the minutes catching up with the Orangmen.
10:25 PM: Utah State is already up 21-4 and we're not even midway through the 1st half. This may be the only update we have of this game until we congratulate Utah State on getting a NCAA bid.
10:30 PM: Syracuse needs to be careful here. They're only down by 3 right now, but if they're not careful Louisville could open up a big lead. At least they're getting offensive rebounds, but they missed 4 consecutive 3s. Are their legs starting to go?
10:32 PM: This is exactly what I was talking about. Louisville is up by 8 (+16 in the first 6 minutes of the 2nd half). Can Syracuse rally yet again?
10:45 PM: How is T-Will 30th on Chad Ford's draft board? Oh yeah. It's Chad Ford's draft board. The same guy who argued for Darko Milicic over Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh.
10:55 PM: This game looks like it could be over if Louisville plays smart, which means no more dumb shots. Did you hear that Edgar Sosa?
11:00 PM: Quick check-in on the other games tonight. It looks like a jumped the gun on that WAC game. Utah State is only up by 5 at half against Nevada. Alabama State is up by 7 with 3:37 left. It looks like they'll be in the tournament by 11:15.
11:15 PM: Congrats to Louisville for sweeping the regular season and post-season titles. You know for a guy who is so politically correct, Jay Bilas is using the word "courageous" a lot. It just seems like he is the kind of guy who would be on a talk show lecturing somebody not to throw around words like that for things that aren't life and death. Still, here's a tip of the hat to Syracuse for making this such an interesting Big East tournament.
11:20 PM: Congrats to Alabama State. This will be their 3rd tournament trip. Their previous 2 trips ended in 1st round losses to Michigan State (2001) and Duke (2004). That might be the toughest pair of opponents of any team to make it to the tournament twice.
11:25 PM: Checking back in with you for the late, late shift here. We've still got more basketball on our hoops agenda tonight. Utah St. is up eleven on the road at Nevada, and the Big West Championship between Pacific and Northridge comes after that one. Then we're down to the four tomorrow. That's it.
11:32 PM: Maybe it's because we're on the west coast and we hear him more often, but does anyone else like listening to Stephen Bardo call games? Seriously, we think he does a pretty good job. Anyway, getting back to the matter at hand, we're pretty surprised that Nevada is playing so poorly in front of a home crowd ready to explode there.
11:41 PM: Nevada is shooting an atrocious 24% from the field in this game. At home. Way to lay an egg, fellas. Look at some of these numbers – Armon Johnson (2-13), Brandon Fields (0-7), Luke Babbitt (1-9). Ouch.
11:47 PM: So Stew Morrill refuses to play "name" teams unless they'll do home-and-homes with USU? Yeah, it's nice to have principles, but he needs to realize that playing people anytime, anwhere, anyhow is what builds your brand. See Gonzaga ca. 1999 for lesson on this. Looks like it won't matter, though. They're getting in anyway after this destruction of Nevada.
11:59 PM: What's that? BGTD hits the eighteen-hr mark for today! Ok, not really. But at least thirteen hrs where games were actually ongoing. Who else is still churning away producing top-drawer commentary other than us here at RTC? Not even Jay Bilas, and Andy Katz hasn't been seen anywhere today. Slacker.
12:08 AM: That's a big time championship win for Utah St. – on the bubble? Fuhgeddaboutit. They marched into a major rival's house and pretty much stole their hearts from the tip to secure that bid. Well done, USU. Well done.
12:11 AM: Whoa. A Miles Simon sighting! Had no idea that guy was doing broadcasting these days. I think the last time I saw him the Arizona Wildcats were getting demolished in the E8 by Utah. I was in a Hooters knockoff bar in Tampa, FL. Don't ask.
12:17 AM: Apparently Scott Van Pelt just mentioned RTC on Sportscenter. See, there's a reason we do what we do. Good thing it was VP and not one of the other guys, though. Always dug him; knew he had some good taste. Thanks to the commenters for the notification. I'll try to throw it up on here in a little while.
12:25 AM: Looking at the Big West here, we were in the Anaheim Convention Center back in November and it was only marginally less crowded as this game. SoCal people are so blase about college hoops. Northridge is up 15-3 and Pacific doesn't look like they knew they had a game tonight.
12:37 AM: Jeez, Northridge is blitzing Pacific right now.
12:50 AM: Pizza man came, and we're trying to get this clip up. Sorry about that. Anyway, Pacific has awakened, and is down only ten at this point. Maybe they should move this conference tournament to campus sites – it's just hard to get excited when there's so few people watching.
12:56 AM: Pacific has scored seven pts in the last 90 seconds, which was more than they had for the first ten minutes. Did you guys know that Pacific is the 334th slowest tempo in the nation this year? They are something like 20-1 when they score under 60 pts this season.
1:08 AM: Lunardi has Maryland, Creighton and St. Mary's in over Arizona, SDSU, Penn St., and Auburn. Actually, on the sniff test, we agree with all of that. Arizona would be the one question mark, maybe vs. Maryland, but we could live with it. We keep getting these updates, but what Dick Cheney-like bunker do they have him hidden away in tonight? Why doesn't someone apply some Nate Silver regression techniques on bracketology? That'd put Lunardi out of business. File that away on the RTC to-do list.
1:16 AM: Ok, here goes… last part of the clip. Although, admittedly, Get On The Floor!! would have been an acceptable blog title as well. Until someone came along and called themselves Going onto the Court, that is…
1:36 AM: Got sidetracked again. Stupid planning. Anyway, Pacific has cut this to within two, and we're really starting to wonder if Northridge is going to have the sack to finish off what they started. Right now all the momentum is definitely Pacific's way. Miles Simon pulls out the national championship talk, straight out of the Jay Williams-at-Duke rotation when he first started calling games and hosting in the studio.
1:44 AM: Ok, so now Lunardi has also moved Memphis ahead of UConn on the top-seed line. How do you justify this? Anyone? If UConn had played only twenty games this year, their schedule still would have been tougher than Memphis'.
2:09 AM: Huge jumper there for Northridge to get the lead back to four pts, then Pacific missed one of two FTs to shoot themselves in the foot a little bit.
2:13 AM: Brian LeDuc hit a big three to cut the lead back to two from the top of the key. Less than a minute remaining here. Pacific needs a stop here…
2:15 AM: What a horrendous possession for Northridge there. Dribble around, nearly lose the ball, and then throw up a 30-footer. About the only good thing from that possession was that it lasted the full shot clock. But Pacific will have 22 seconds to go.
2:17 AM: Great decision by Michael Kirby there. Thought he was going to get suckered into a bad three with the overplaying defense there, but he remained composed and took it to the rim. Got the first…. and got the second. Clutch.
2:20 AM: Wow, Northridge damn near nailed that shot from 40 feet. Pacific has to feel good though; this is as close as they've been since the very beginning of the game.
2:24 AM: A three-ball followed by a traditional three-pt play and we're still tied. Maybe this one will go to six OTs.
2:27 AM: Could have been a charge there, but Northridge will try to kill some clock here. We have a strange feeling that if Northridge scores on this possession, the game will be over. Dagger three from Mels, and now the Matadors are up five.
2:29 AM: That was one of the more boneheaded plays I've ever seen in that situation. Mels is lucky he hasn't been buried under the arena by head coach Bobby Braswell after that play.
2:31 AM: How on earth did Northridge miss both of those layups? It appears that Northridge is in control, but who knows with this team. I think we've found the team most likely to get certifiable against someone next week.
2:34 AM: Northridge has been to the NCAAs once before, in 2001, where they lost to Kansas by 25 pts. It's over. CSN hangs on by a thread, and they're heading to the Dance. Bobby Braswell should be proud of his troops for showing enough guts to hang on despite giving up the big lead.
2:36 AM: And that's it for today, folks. Pretty good day. Four games left tomorrow, really only one of which could influence the bubble (if Miss. St. beats Tennessee). Then it's bracket time, baby. RTC will of course have BGTD going through the games tomorrow and we'll run RTC Live during the Selection Show. As always, join us and tell us what we're doing wrong. Sleep on that globule, Hoops Nation.


text: August 2003 Regional & Bilateral Agreements and a TRIPS-plus world: The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) Provides an overview, based on intellectual property rights negotiations in the Americas, of some of the implications of regional and bilateral Trade Related aspects of Intellectual Property (TRIPs) plus agreements for the current minimum standards under TRIPs. It discusses the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) in relation to TRIPs, and argues that the push towards ever-stronger IPRs threatens to undermine the balance achieved in many national laws and the capacity of developing countries to use flexibilities existing at the international level to achieve developmental and public policy goals. This is TRIPs Issues Paper number 1, published by QUNO, Geneva and the Quaker International Affairs Programme (QIAP), Ottawa. Author: David Vivas-EuguiLanguages: EspañolCountries / Regions: North AmericaCentral AmericaSouth America Related Files Regional & Bilateral Agreements and a TRIPS-plus world: The Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA) 326.41 KB Acuerdos regionales y bilaterales y un mundo más allá de los ADPIC: El Acuerdo de Libre Comercio de las Américas (ALCA) 265.59 KB Related Areas of Work Trade & Development Past Work


text: Bingo Drive Free Coins, Free Credits, Free Bonuses, Free Keys, Free Spins, Free Tickets, Free Rounds, Free Tricks and Free Cheats. Gifts Are Updated Daily and frequently, so make Sure to check back often for new gifts. Collect Below One by One or by Using our COLLECT ALL Feature. No Login Required, No Download Required. Tell your friends about us, by using the Like and Share button above!


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Monday, April 06, 2009
Kentucky Oaks 135 update (4.6.09)
L & M Racing's Rachel Alexandra may have earned the role of favorite in the 135th Kentucky Oaks (Grade I) on May 1 at Churchill Downjs when she romped to an effortless 8 ½-length romp in the $250,000 Fantasy Stakes (GII) at Oaklawn Park.
The Hal Wiggins-trained daughter of Medaglia d'Oro, the 1-9 favorite in a field of five 3-year-old fillies, never had an anxious moment as she galloped to victory under jockey Calvin Borel. She covered the 1 1/16-mile distance in 1:43.36. It was the fourth consecutive victory for Rachel Alexandra, a streak that began with a victory in the Golden Rod (GII) at Churchill Downs last fall.
Wiggins said Rachel Alexandra would ship to Churchill Downs on Wednesday to continue her preparation for the Kentucky Oaks.
Afleet Deceit finished second in the Fantasy, three lengths in front of Just Jenda.
Rachel Alexandra was such a heavy favorite that Oaklawn Park did not allow show wagering in the Fantasy, but still had to pay out a minus win pool of $3,382 and a minus place pool of $227,722.
Longshot Hooh Why jumped to the lead at the start and never surrendered that position on her way to a 24-1 upset victory in Saturday's $400,000 Ashland Stakes (GI) at Keeneland.
Runner-up Gozzip Girl was flying at the finish, but fell a neck shy of catching the winner, while reigning juvenile filly champion Stardom Bound finished third under regular jockey Mike Smith. The loss by Stardom Bound snapped a string of five consecutive victories in Grade I races by the champion.
"I'm at a loss for words, really. It certainly wasn't her 'A' game," said Smith, "She got away slow, but she always does. Actually it (the pace) was good for her. They were going slow, but she's closed on a slow pace before."
Jockey Corey Lanerie picked up the mount on Hooh Why when jockey Rene Douglas took off his mounts at Keeneland earlier in the day. The move resulted in Lanerie's first Grade I win. The winner
covered 1 1/16 miles over the synthetic Polytrack surface in 1:43.80 for trainer Donna Dupuy.
Hooh Why went off at long odds despite near-miss against Stardom Bound in her previous race in the Santa Anita Oaks, where she finished third, just a head back of the champion..
Evita Argentina, a winner over males in the San Vicente (GII) at Santa Anita last time out, heads a field of seven 3-year-old fillies in Wednesday's $150,000 Beaumont (GII) at Keeneland.
The John Sadler-trained fllly will break from the rail post under Garrett Gomez in the Beaumont, which is run at the Beard Course distance of seven furlongs, 184 feet. Multiple stakes winner Selva appears to be Evita Argentina's main rival in the Beaumont.
Hollywood Starlet (GI) winner Laragh prepped for an expected start in Saturday's Comely (GII) at Aqueduct with a five-furlong work on Sunday at Belmont Park.
The John Terranova II trainee covered the distance in 1:00.20 over a "fast" track in preparation for her first start of the year. The gray filly is being pointed toward the Kentucky Oaks.
Read more articles in the Churchill Downs category.


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If you liked Mercedes-Benz's recent CLA compact sedan but want something with a bigger helping of rugged, pay attention to the Shanghai Auto Show.
It's there that the German automaker will debut an all-new concept dubbed the GLA. This small crossover SUV shares a platform with the CLA sedan, as well as Mercedes' A- and B-class cars sold elsewhere around the globe.
"The Concept GLA marks a new approach for us in the compact SUV segment," Joachim Schmidt, executive vice president for Mercedes marketing, said in a statement. "This is a sporty and more coupe-like evolution of this category of vehicle."
Photos: Mercedes Concept GLA debuts ahead of Shanghai
Though the GLA shown in China is officially a concept, it's virtually certain that Mercedes will produce the vehicle, most likely in time for an on-sale date in late 2014.
The production version of the vehicle would be the GLA250. It will be all-wheel-drive and powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that's nearly identical to the one in the CLA. The engine will make 208 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It will be hooked up to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Shortly after the production GLA250 goes on sale, it's also likely that an AMG version will come to market. The GLA45 AMG should have a similar output to its CLA45 AMG cousin; 355 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque.
The compact GLA sits about 4 inches shorter than the BMW X1 that Highway 1 recently tested, but it's a few inches higher and wider. Mercedes hasn't released pricing information, but given that it's mechanically similar to the CLA sedan -- which will start around $30,000 when it goes on sale in September -- the GLA probably will be priced in the same range.
Porsche refreshes Panamera lineup, adds plug-in hybrid model
Iconic hot-rod company Shelby American driving in new directions
Maserati to unveil all-new midsize Ghibli sedan at Shanghai Auto Show


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All right, all you Twilighters, the wait is almost over.
Breaking Dawn Part 2, the highly anticipated final instalment of the Twilight movie series, is in the theatres and Stephenie Meyer's bank-breaking story of star-crossed, vampire-to-human love will come to a close.
The fifth and final film is slightly different from the other movies in the series. For one, Bella's finally a vampire and she and Edward have a child together. They also have to battle the most powerful vampire coven in order to keep their child alive.
You may have only seen the other films once when they hit theatres, but let's be honest, you probably watched them 15 times more when they came out on DVD and on-demand.
Either way, it's been a full year (and a whole lot of off-screen drama) since Breaking Dawn Part 1 hit the big screen. If you need to brush up on your Twi-Q before you head to the show, this quiz will get your wheels turning again.
Add how many answers you get correct, and see just how big of a Twihard you really are. (Answers below.)
1. What city did Bella live in before she moved to Forks, Wash?
A. Jacksonville, Fla.
B. Phoenix
C. Salem, Ore.
D. Santa Fe, N.M.
2. In Eclipse, who does Bella punch in the face?
A. Jacob
B. Edward
C. Jared
D. James
3. What American Indian tribe do Jacob and his werewolf pack belong to?
A. Quileute
B. Chinook
C. Sanpoil
D. Chelan
4. What state was Jasper Hale (born Jasper Whitlock) originally from?
A. California
B. Texas
C. Georgia
D. Arizona
5. Who does Jacob imprint, an involuntary act of finding one's soul mate?
A. Renesmee
B. Leah
C. Bella
D. Rosalie
6. What is Edward missing from his bedroom?
A. Television
B. Dresser
C. Bed
D. Windows
7. Why do the Cullens avoid going out into the sunlight?
A. They would burst into flames.
B. Their skin would turn red.
C. They would bleed.
D. Their skin sparkles.
8. What is Bella's stepdad's name?
A. Carlisle
B. Charlie
C. Phil
D. Bob
9. What game does Bella play with the Cullens in the first instalment of the saga series, Twilight?
A. Flag football
B. Soccer
C. Basketball
D. Baseball
10. What are the names of the three elders of the Volturi?
A. Aro, Caius and Marcus
B. Alec, Marcus and Caius
C. Caius, Jane and Marcus
D. Aro, Caius and Alec
11. In New Moon, how does Edward intend to commit suicide?
A. By encouraging a werewolf attack
B. By drinking poison
C. By stepping out into the sunlight
D. By provoking the Volturi
12. What is the Volturi's duty?
A. To protect humans from vampires
B. To ensure that vampires' existence remain a secret from humans
C. To turn humans into vampires, thus increasing the vampire population
D. To create peace between vampires and mortals
13. Who is James, who appears in the first movie, Twilight?
A. One of Bella's friends at school
B. Alice's husband
C. A "tracker" vampire
D. Edward's adopted brother
14. In Breaking Dawn Part 1, who believes Renesmee to be an "immortal child," a young human child that's been turned into a vampire, and informs the Volturi of her existence?
A. Victoria
B. Irina
C. Carmen
D. Tanya
15. In Eclipse, who teaches the Cullens and the Wolves to fight the newborn vampires?
A. Jasper
B. Edward
C. Carlisle
D. Jacob
16. In New Moon, who voted against Bella becoming a vampire?
A. Edward
B. Edward and Rosalie
C. Carlisle and Edward
D. Carlisle and Rosalie
17. The Twilight Saga is based on four novels, with one of the novels broken into two films. What order does the series go in from first to last?
A. Twilight, Eclipse, New Moon, Breaking Dawn
B. Eclipse, New Moon, Twilight, Breaking Dawn
C. New Moon, Eclipse, Twilight, Breaking Dawn
D. Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn
1) B. Phoenix
2) A. Jacob
3) A. Quileute
4) B. Texas
5) A. Renesmee
6) C. Bed
7) D. Their skin sparkles
8) C. Phil
9) D. Baseball
10) A. Aro, Caius and Marcus
11) D. By provoking the Volturi
12) B. To ensure that vampires' existence remain a secret from humans
13) C. A "tracker" vampire
14) B. Irina
15) A. Jasper
16) B. Edward and Rosalie
17) D. Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn
0-4 points: To Twi or not to Twi? You don't really remember. You'll need to go back and watch most of the movies before you see the last instalment, or you might be lost through the whole movie.
5-8 points: Twi, Twi again. It's been a while, so recollection of all the details is sketchy. But you're slapping your forehead because you know that you knew all the answers at some point.
9-12 points: Good Twi. You've seen the movies or read the books recently enough to have a firm grasp of the characters, plot and details. Have fun at the last movie.
13-17 points: Twi-athlete. Congratulations. You're worthy of calling yourself a Twihard. You're the ones who will be posting Twitter reviews immediately after the movie, helping us decide whether to fork over the cash or wait till it's out on DVD.


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Game 1
Davis, Calif. – In the first game of a three game series at Big West foe UC Davis (15-25), UC Santa Barbara (26-17) was unable to produce much offensively, missing numerous scoring chances while falling 5-2. The loss ended a five game winning streak for the Gauchos, all in conference play.
UCSB jumped on the Aggies early, scoring a pair of runs in the first three innings. In the top of the first, Shelby Wisdom worked a two out walk and MeShalon Moore proceeded to hit a double to left center to drive in the first run of the game. In the third, Moore hit another double and was driven in by Kathryn Pilpil's single to left.
While the Gauchos had taken a slim lead, they missed a golden opportunity in the top of the second to really create a significant deficit for Davis. After a couple of walks and a fielding error that allowed Kristen Clark to reach base, Santa Barbara had the bases loaded for Arianna Palomares. Unfortunately, Palomares popped out to right field to end the threat.
Shelby Wisdom received the loss for the Gauchos in an outing where she really only had one bad inning. Other than the bottom of the fourth, Wisdom only allowed one base hit, and the only runner other than that to reach came on an error.
In the fourth, the Aggies hit a pair of solo home runs to lead off the inning and tie the game. Then, with two outs, a triple for Davis cleared the bases and gave them the lead for good at 5-2.
UCSB threatened to come back in both the fifth and sixth innings, but both efforts were thwarted by the Aggies.
In the fifth, the Gauchos used two walks to put runners at first and second with one out, but fly outs by Pilpil and Samantha Stark ended the inning. In the sixth, DeJanee Moore was hit by a pitch and Emily Brucelas walked to put two runners on with no outs, but a Stacy Cavazos fly out and an unusual double play hit in to by Clark kept the Gauchos scoreless for the frame.
Game 2
In the second game of the doubleheader, UC Santa Barbara found their offensive stroke and put nine runs on the board over the final three inings to drop UC Davis 9-2. UCSB improves to 27-17 and 7-4 in conference play.
Shelby Wisdom went the distance for her 20th complete game of the season and improves her record to 15-12 with the win. She allowed two earned runs in the first inning but shut down the Aggies for the rest of the game and lowered her team-high ERA to 3.25.
Down 2-0 for most of the game, the Gauchos had only mustered one hit through the first four innings. Heading into the top of the fifth that would change with DeJanee Moore leading things off with a single to center field. A sacrifice bunt from Emily Brucelas moved the runner into scoring position and back-to-back hits from Stacy Cavazos and Kristen Clark tied the score up at 2-2. The Gauchos would capitalize on two Aggie errors in the inning and cross the plate one more time to take a 3-2 lead.
Looking to add some insurance runs, Lauren Boser led off the sixth inning with a base hit through the right side. DeJanee Moore followed by reaching on a fielder's choice when Boser was thrown out at second. After yet another throwing error from the Aggies, Moore advance to third base and was knocked in on a sacrifice fly from Cavazos.
With a 4-2 lead, UCSB blew the game wide open in the seventh. They scored five runs on five hits in the inning after batting around in the order. Kathryn Pilpil, Boser and Clark all had RBI singles while DeJanee Moore knocked in two runs with her base hit to take a commanding 9-2 lead.
UCSB and UC Davis will square off one more time in the rubber match of the series tomorrow at 12:00 p.m.


text:
Cub Scout Bowling
From MeritBadgeDotOrg
Revision as of 17:48, March 12, 2008 by Milominderbinder2 (Talk | contribs)
| Bowling
Belt Loop and Pin
Bowling Sports Belt Loop
Belt Loop Requirements
Complete these three requirements:
- 1. Explain to your leader or adult partner the rules of courtesy and safety for bowling.
- 2. Show how to pick out a ball of proper weight and with finger holes that fit your hand.
- 3. Play a complete game with your family or den.
Sports Pin Requirements
Earn the Bowling belt loop, and complete five of the following requirements:
- 1. Give a brief history of the sport of bowling.
- 2. Define the following terms: strike, spare, split, miss, and foul. Show their symbols for scoring.
- 3. Demonstrate proper stance, delivery, balance, and follow-through to your leader or adult partner.
- 4. Try different types of delivery and hand positions and see which work best for you.
- 5. Score a complete game using a score sheet and the proper symbols.
- 6. Play at least four games and chart your progress. Figure out your average score.
- 7. Compete in a Scout, family, school, or community bowling tournament.
- 8. Take bowling lessons.
- 9. Attend a parent, high school, college, or professional bowling competition.
- 10. Visit a bowling alley and learn about the care and maintenance of the bowling lanes, pins, and racks.
- Earning the Cub Scout Bowling Belt Loop while a Webelos Scout is an option for requirement 3 of the Webelos Sportsman Activity Badge.
- Details on earning a Cub Scout Sports or Academic pin or belt loop multiple times
Related achievements, electives, or other awards
- Tiger Cub Scout
- Wolf Cub Scout
- Bear Cub Scout
- Webelos Scout
- Webelos Sportsman Activity Badge requirement 3
- Cub Scout Academics and Sports Program
- Awards