Friday, September 28, 2007
Verrrryyy Interesting
Two-headed turtle goes on display in Pa.
Thu Sep 27, 9:50 PM ET
A pet store has bought a two-headed turtle from a collector and plans to keep it on display, the store manager said. The 2-month-old turtle, actually conjoined red-eared slider twins, fits on a silver dollar.
It has two heads sticking out from opposite ends of its shell, along with a pair of front feet on each side. But there is just one set of back feet and one tail.
The turtle is apparently healthy, and the species can live 15 to 20 years, said Jay Jacoby, manager of Big Al's Aquarium Supercenter in East Norriton. The turtle has not yet been named.
The store would not disclose how much it paid.
The same exotic-turtle collector sold another Big Al's store a conjoined-twin turtle about 20 years ago, Jacoby said. The man lives in Florida, but he declined to identify him.
Thu Sep 27, 9:50 PM ET
A pet store has bought a two-headed turtle from a collector and plans to keep it on display, the store manager said. The 2-month-old turtle, actually conjoined red-eared slider twins, fits on a silver dollar.
It has two heads sticking out from opposite ends of its shell, along with a pair of front feet on each side. But there is just one set of back feet and one tail.
The turtle is apparently healthy, and the species can live 15 to 20 years, said Jay Jacoby, manager of Big Al's Aquarium Supercenter in East Norriton. The turtle has not yet been named.
The store would not disclose how much it paid.
The same exotic-turtle collector sold another Big Al's store a conjoined-twin turtle about 20 years ago, Jacoby said. The man lives in Florida, but he declined to identify him.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Today is Marry Your Baby Daddy Day!
So knocked up ladies, go find your sperminator and make it legal!
http://www.marryyourbabydaddy.com/event_info.html
http://www.marryyourbabydaddy.com/event_info.html
Maroney babycakes!
One of my favorite players on the Pats, Laurence Maroney is doing a great job with the Pats this season. I'm glad that he's got a contract for about 4-5 more years with the Pats bc he's a really great player. Click below for an article featuring Maroney in the Boston Globe:
The Education of a Coach
I want this book so bad, or at least for the Queen's Public Library to carry it. But of course, they don't. It's the biography of Coach Belichick. 
Brady
Tom Brady focuses on mechanics for Monday's game. Click on the link to read about it in the Boston Globe:
Finally!!! Boots for Plus-Sized Calves
From today's NY Post:"Besides T&A, there's little sartotial salvation for women endowed with outsize, uh, fringe body parts. For example, ladies who are more generously blessed in the lower leg region often find there's nothing more demoralizing than boot shopping. And even the skinniest girl can sport near-elephantine calves.
Enter a handful of specialty retailers with fat-calf boot solutions at a variety of prices. Texas-based bootmaker Ayla sells trendy higher-end boots that are custom-sized based on calf circumference measurements. Silhouettes offers many of their styles in an extra-wide 17-inch calf. And womanwithin.com has pages and pages of extended calf sizes."
I have had this problem for years! Plus sized calves are what I have and I hate them! Or atleast hate them when I can't zip up a freakin boot- and now they specially make them! A god send.
It's Thursday!
Which means tomorrow is Friday!!!
I am planning on going back to school for massage therapy- touchy touchy! This job is not doing anything for me.
I am planning on going back to school for massage therapy- touchy touchy! This job is not doing anything for me.
Oh lord have mercy!
This is a photo from PerezHilton.com of Justin at his last show of the Future Sex/Love Sounds tour. I was going to find one without Perez's marking all over it but then I realized holy shit i just wanna LICK him!!! ahhhh he is so unbelievably hot I can't take it. Now this body is the work of art.Wednesday, September 26, 2007
I'VE BEEN SAYING THIS ALL ALONG!!!
I've been saying this all along- that Magnolia Bakery cupcakes are sooooo overrated! Dry cupcake, too sweet frosting- and that's exactly what the NY Post says too! ahhhh i'm so glad someone else wrote about this- the Magnolia cupcakes suck! Crumbs is wayyyy better.
THE 10 MOST OVERRATED DISHES IN N.Y.C.
By REED TUCKER
By REED TUCKER
September 26, 2007 -- Head down to the corner of Bleecker and 11th Street on any given day, and you’re likely to find a line of some 40 people snaking around the corner, rain or shine. What are they waiting for - citizenship? Springsteen tickets? A chance to win custody of Britney’s kids?
Nope. Cupcakes - and oddly enough, not even ones with weed baked in them. We asked.
Such is the power of Magnolia Bakery, the city’s legendary mini-cake emporium, which is to baked goods what Jack Nicholson is to womanizing and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is to ill-fitting menswear.
Only one question remains: Um, why exactly? Here’s the cold, hard truth: Magnolia’s cupcakes aren’t that good. And they’re certainly not worthy of all the hype, articles and long lines. But instead of shrinking, Magnolia’s myth is expanding: The bakery recently announced it will open an Upper West Side branch.
The problem is not exclusive to Magnolia or even baked goods. Nearly every category of food in the city has its unassailable king, a restaurant or dish whose myth has been fortified by so many residents, polls and writers over the years that its position as “the best” is nearly impossible to tarnish.
Ask someone what the city’s best burger, steak or frozen yogurt is, and you can predict what the responses will be. It’s a foodie version of what psychologist Irving Janis famously called “groupthink,” i.e., making incorrect decisions after peer pressure leads to a deterioration of “mental efficiency and reality testing.”
Jim Leff, co-founder of Chowhound, knocks us all back to reality.
“There is no force out there updating these tired, long-outdated opinions. Lazy food writers and eager publicists harp on the same names, which eventually reach critical mass among foodies. These arbitrary, static judgments remain forever, like fossils,” Leff says.
Leff also points out that this groupthink might actually keep us from exploring other options, keeping us from discovering tacos, cupcakes and other items that are superior to the “the best.”
Nance Greenspan, owner of Burgers & Cupcakes, a 23rd Street restaurant that turns out wonderfully moist cupcakes in far more pleasing varieties than Magnolia, says changing entrenched opinions is difficult.
“Magnolia was on ‘Sex and the City.’ You can’t compete with the kind of exposure they had. You have to just say, ‘Try mine. They’re bigger, they look better,’ ” she says.
The city is full of proprietors in the same situation. No one says these items are terrible - many are quite tasty - just that maybe it’s time to stop giving them a pass and open our minds to alternatives.
reed.tucker@nypost.com
Magnolia Bakery cupcakes
Carrie Bradshaw and groups hopping off tour buses find them scrumptious; the discerning find them too sweet, too dry and recoil at the thick, armor-like coating of buttercream.
Pinkberry frozen yogurt
Even the day after a news report showed mice scurrying around inside the Upper East Side location, the line was out the door and halfway down the block. Pinkberry’s two varieties aren’t nearly creamy or flavorful enough for our tastes.
Carnegie Deli
Is this a sandwich or a dare? How bout unpiling some of that seven pounds of pastrami, fellas?
The Corner Bistro burger
Talk about your sacred cows. Sure it’s tasty, but many pubs around town offer a hamburger that’s just as good. And word is, the Bistro’s quality is sliding after a longtime chef bolted for the Stoned Crow.
Mamoun’s Falafel
The MacDougal Street hole-in-the-wall was established in 1971. So was its lettuce, apparently. Any chance we could get something a little crispier and less brown?
Lombardi’s pizza
Some pie lovers are put off by the black, charred crust and the judicious amount of cheese.
Joe: The Art of Coffee
The morning lines aren’t this long because of their admittedly good coffee, but because the baristas have to finish catching up on what happened on “Laguna Beach” last night. Seriously.
Nobu
The Japanese restaurant is diminished by two factors: It can never be as good as you’ve heard, and its menu has been so copied you can eat like you’re at Nobu without waiting at Nobu.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
It’s hard to fathom how there could be a 45-minute wait on a Tuesday night at any BBQ restaurant, when the city has exploded over the past few years with equally worthy pulled-pork joints.
Sylvia’s
The Harlem restaurant has a rich history, but you know a place has lost it when even Williamsburg has better soul food.
Goody grub drops
These five standouts serve eats as good as the legends.
40 Carrots
1000 Third Ave., at 59th Street; (212) 705-3085 In the basement of Bloomingdale’s this has some of the creamiest, tangiest yogurt in N.Y.C.
Amy Ruth’s
113 W. 116th St.; (212) 280-8779 Crispy fried chicken served atop a waffle and a formidable list of
sides make Amy Ruth’s the soul food champ.
Mr. Falafel
226 Seventh Ave., Park Slope, Brooklyn; (718) 768-4961 This place should be renamed Mr. Kefta
Kabob. It’s to die for as is, natch, the falafel.
Finnegan’s Wake
1361 First Ave. at 73rd Street; (212) 737-3664 Just down the street from another burger legend, JG Melon, this Irish pub has a juicy, broiled Bistro-esque burger - without the line.
Pies-N-Thighs
351 Kent Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn; (347) 282-6005 Dinosaur gets all the Q love, but try Pies’
smoky pulled pork piled on a soft bun.
Nope. Cupcakes - and oddly enough, not even ones with weed baked in them. We asked.
Such is the power of Magnolia Bakery, the city’s legendary mini-cake emporium, which is to baked goods what Jack Nicholson is to womanizing and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is to ill-fitting menswear.
Only one question remains: Um, why exactly? Here’s the cold, hard truth: Magnolia’s cupcakes aren’t that good. And they’re certainly not worthy of all the hype, articles and long lines. But instead of shrinking, Magnolia’s myth is expanding: The bakery recently announced it will open an Upper West Side branch.
The problem is not exclusive to Magnolia or even baked goods. Nearly every category of food in the city has its unassailable king, a restaurant or dish whose myth has been fortified by so many residents, polls and writers over the years that its position as “the best” is nearly impossible to tarnish.
Ask someone what the city’s best burger, steak or frozen yogurt is, and you can predict what the responses will be. It’s a foodie version of what psychologist Irving Janis famously called “groupthink,” i.e., making incorrect decisions after peer pressure leads to a deterioration of “mental efficiency and reality testing.”
Jim Leff, co-founder of Chowhound, knocks us all back to reality.
“There is no force out there updating these tired, long-outdated opinions. Lazy food writers and eager publicists harp on the same names, which eventually reach critical mass among foodies. These arbitrary, static judgments remain forever, like fossils,” Leff says.
Leff also points out that this groupthink might actually keep us from exploring other options, keeping us from discovering tacos, cupcakes and other items that are superior to the “the best.”
Nance Greenspan, owner of Burgers & Cupcakes, a 23rd Street restaurant that turns out wonderfully moist cupcakes in far more pleasing varieties than Magnolia, says changing entrenched opinions is difficult.
“Magnolia was on ‘Sex and the City.’ You can’t compete with the kind of exposure they had. You have to just say, ‘Try mine. They’re bigger, they look better,’ ” she says.
The city is full of proprietors in the same situation. No one says these items are terrible - many are quite tasty - just that maybe it’s time to stop giving them a pass and open our minds to alternatives.
reed.tucker@nypost.com
Magnolia Bakery cupcakes
Carrie Bradshaw and groups hopping off tour buses find them scrumptious; the discerning find them too sweet, too dry and recoil at the thick, armor-like coating of buttercream.
Pinkberry frozen yogurt
Even the day after a news report showed mice scurrying around inside the Upper East Side location, the line was out the door and halfway down the block. Pinkberry’s two varieties aren’t nearly creamy or flavorful enough for our tastes.
Carnegie Deli
Is this a sandwich or a dare? How bout unpiling some of that seven pounds of pastrami, fellas?
The Corner Bistro burger
Talk about your sacred cows. Sure it’s tasty, but many pubs around town offer a hamburger that’s just as good. And word is, the Bistro’s quality is sliding after a longtime chef bolted for the Stoned Crow.
Mamoun’s Falafel
The MacDougal Street hole-in-the-wall was established in 1971. So was its lettuce, apparently. Any chance we could get something a little crispier and less brown?
Lombardi’s pizza
Some pie lovers are put off by the black, charred crust and the judicious amount of cheese.
Joe: The Art of Coffee
The morning lines aren’t this long because of their admittedly good coffee, but because the baristas have to finish catching up on what happened on “Laguna Beach” last night. Seriously.
Nobu
The Japanese restaurant is diminished by two factors: It can never be as good as you’ve heard, and its menu has been so copied you can eat like you’re at Nobu without waiting at Nobu.
Dinosaur Bar-B-Que
It’s hard to fathom how there could be a 45-minute wait on a Tuesday night at any BBQ restaurant, when the city has exploded over the past few years with equally worthy pulled-pork joints.
Sylvia’s
The Harlem restaurant has a rich history, but you know a place has lost it when even Williamsburg has better soul food.
Goody grub drops
These five standouts serve eats as good as the legends.
40 Carrots
1000 Third Ave., at 59th Street; (212) 705-3085 In the basement of Bloomingdale’s this has some of the creamiest, tangiest yogurt in N.Y.C.
Amy Ruth’s
113 W. 116th St.; (212) 280-8779 Crispy fried chicken served atop a waffle and a formidable list of
sides make Amy Ruth’s the soul food champ.
Mr. Falafel
226 Seventh Ave., Park Slope, Brooklyn; (718) 768-4961 This place should be renamed Mr. Kefta
Kabob. It’s to die for as is, natch, the falafel.
Finnegan’s Wake
1361 First Ave. at 73rd Street; (212) 737-3664 Just down the street from another burger legend, JG Melon, this Irish pub has a juicy, broiled Bistro-esque burger - without the line.
Pies-N-Thighs
351 Kent Ave., Williamsburg, Brooklyn; (347) 282-6005 Dinosaur gets all the Q love, but try Pies’
smoky pulled pork piled on a soft bun.
RIP Tupac
My black goldfish, Tupac, died last night. Just like his namesake, he was the first to go. It was very upsetting considering I only had him for 72 hours. Once i remember to bring in my camera i will post his picture.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
Little Earthquakes
Since I have nothing to do at work, I read books like they're going out of style. I finished this book yesterday, "Little Earthquakes" by Jennifer Weiner. It's soooo good! I think she's a fabulous writer.
Sooooo sweet!!!
Crossword puzzle solved with a hitch
Mon Sep 24, 6:10 PM ET
It was the crossword puzzle fan's version of getting his marriage proposal plastered on a stadium Jumbotron.
Aric Egmont and Jennie Bass were working on a puzzle titled "Popping the question" in the latest issue of The Boston Globe Sunday magazine. Bass spotted her sister's name and her best friend's name, but initially thought it was just a coincidence.
Then they got to 111 across: "Generic proposal" (Jen + Aric generic). The answer: "Will you marry me?"
"We get to the `Will you marry me?' clue, and I said, `Will you marry me, Jenny?' I got up, got the ring, and got down on one knee and she screamed, and hugged me. It took her a minute to say yes," Egmont told the Globe.
Egmont, 29, of Cambridge, contacted the magazine this summer to ask if the people who create the crossword puzzles would write a special puzzle for him.
Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon, a married puzzle-writing team who have been writing Globe magazine crossword puzzles for years, agreed. Their puzzle included several variations on proposals; for example, "Macrame artist's proposal" was "Let's tie the knot."
The tricky part was writing an entire puzzle that would be clear to the happy couple, but not obscure to all the other readers who do the puzzles.
Bass, 29, said there was no reason for her to suspect anything when they started doing the puzzle.
"Then he got up and came back with a box and it was pure elation," she said.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Give me doughnuts- or give me death!
Seniors balk at ban on free doughnuts
By JIM FITZGERALD, Associated Press WriterSun Sep 23, 1:48 PM ET
It was just another morning at the senior center: Women were sewing, men were playing pool — and seven demonstrators, average age 76, were picketing outside, demanding doughnuts.
They wore sandwich boards proclaiming, "Give Us Our Just Desserts" and "They're Carbs, Not Contraband."
At issue is a decision to refuse free doughnuts, pies and breads that were being donated to senior centers around Putnam County, north of New York City. Officials were concerned that the county was setting a bad nutritional precedent by providing mounds of doughnuts and other sweets to seniors.
The picketers said they were objecting not to a lack of sweets but that they weren't consulted about the ban.
"Lack of respect is what it's all about," said Joe Hajkowski, 75, a former labor union official who organized the demonstration. He said officials had implied that seniors were gorging themselves on jelly doughnuts and were too senile to make the choice for themselves.
C. Michael Sibilia said, "I'm 86, not 8."
Inside, some seniors said they missed the doughnuts but others said they were glad to see them go.
"It was disgusting the way people went after them," said 80-year-old Rita Jorgensen. "I think the senior center did them a favor by taking it away."
Stan Tuttle, coordinator of nutritional services for the county's Office for the Aging, said the program had gotten out of control. As many as 16 cases of breads, cakes and pastries were delivered, by various means, to the William Koehler Memorial Senior Center each day. Some were moldy and some had been stored overnight in the trunks of volunteers' cars, he said.
Caregivers there and elsewhere say the doughnut debate illustrates the difficulty of balancing nutrition and choice when providing meals to the elderly.
"Senior citizens can walk down to the store and buy doughnuts. Nobody's stopping them," said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington.
But he notes that older people have high rates of heart disease and high blood pressure and says senior citizen centers, nursing homes and assisted-living centers should not be worsening the health problems of seniors.
At the North East Bronx Senior Citizen Center, lunch is served five times a week (suggested contribution $1.50).
"We don't tell them what to do, we don't force them to eat what's good for them. But we certainly don't give them anything that's bad for them," said center director Silvia Ponce.
The church-basement senior center, one of 325 under the New York City Department for the Aging, has a mostly Italian-American clientele, a Naples-born cook and a menu that includes eggplant parmigiana, linguini with clams and manicotti.
"We try to give them what they like," said the cook, Stella Bruno.
The lunches have to supply one-third of the federal minimum daily requirements in such categories as calories, protein, vitamin C and vitamin A, said Chris Miller, spokesman for the department.
The Bronx center offers coffee, tea, bagels and rolls in the morning, but nothing in the doughnut family.
"The sweetest thing here is the raisin in the raisin bagel," said Nicholas Volpicella, 87.
Maureen Janowski, director of nutrition resources for Morrison Senior Dining in Atlanta, which provides meals at more than 370 senior living communities, says residents' food preferences depend somewhat on their age. Those born between 1901 and 1925 generally prefer meat and potatoes, and those born between 1925 and 1942 are "a little more trendy, a little more adventurous, a lot more nutrition-savvy," she said.
"They have choices, and we show them how to make good choices," she said.
At the Bronx center, Bruno said she tries to help the seniors avoid the bad buffet choices when they take a trip to Atlantic City. As a group was departing, she handed them bag lunches — with a roast beef sandwich, cranberry juice and carrot sticks.
"Protein, vitamin C, vitamin A," she said.
By JIM FITZGERALD, Associated Press WriterSun Sep 23, 1:48 PM ET
It was just another morning at the senior center: Women were sewing, men were playing pool — and seven demonstrators, average age 76, were picketing outside, demanding doughnuts.
They wore sandwich boards proclaiming, "Give Us Our Just Desserts" and "They're Carbs, Not Contraband."
At issue is a decision to refuse free doughnuts, pies and breads that were being donated to senior centers around Putnam County, north of New York City. Officials were concerned that the county was setting a bad nutritional precedent by providing mounds of doughnuts and other sweets to seniors.
The picketers said they were objecting not to a lack of sweets but that they weren't consulted about the ban.
"Lack of respect is what it's all about," said Joe Hajkowski, 75, a former labor union official who organized the demonstration. He said officials had implied that seniors were gorging themselves on jelly doughnuts and were too senile to make the choice for themselves.
C. Michael Sibilia said, "I'm 86, not 8."
Inside, some seniors said they missed the doughnuts but others said they were glad to see them go.
"It was disgusting the way people went after them," said 80-year-old Rita Jorgensen. "I think the senior center did them a favor by taking it away."
Stan Tuttle, coordinator of nutritional services for the county's Office for the Aging, said the program had gotten out of control. As many as 16 cases of breads, cakes and pastries were delivered, by various means, to the William Koehler Memorial Senior Center each day. Some were moldy and some had been stored overnight in the trunks of volunteers' cars, he said.
Caregivers there and elsewhere say the doughnut debate illustrates the difficulty of balancing nutrition and choice when providing meals to the elderly.
"Senior citizens can walk down to the store and buy doughnuts. Nobody's stopping them," said Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest in Washington.
But he notes that older people have high rates of heart disease and high blood pressure and says senior citizen centers, nursing homes and assisted-living centers should not be worsening the health problems of seniors.
At the North East Bronx Senior Citizen Center, lunch is served five times a week (suggested contribution $1.50).
"We don't tell them what to do, we don't force them to eat what's good for them. But we certainly don't give them anything that's bad for them," said center director Silvia Ponce.
The church-basement senior center, one of 325 under the New York City Department for the Aging, has a mostly Italian-American clientele, a Naples-born cook and a menu that includes eggplant parmigiana, linguini with clams and manicotti.
"We try to give them what they like," said the cook, Stella Bruno.
The lunches have to supply one-third of the federal minimum daily requirements in such categories as calories, protein, vitamin C and vitamin A, said Chris Miller, spokesman for the department.
The Bronx center offers coffee, tea, bagels and rolls in the morning, but nothing in the doughnut family.
"The sweetest thing here is the raisin in the raisin bagel," said Nicholas Volpicella, 87.
Maureen Janowski, director of nutrition resources for Morrison Senior Dining in Atlanta, which provides meals at more than 370 senior living communities, says residents' food preferences depend somewhat on their age. Those born between 1901 and 1925 generally prefer meat and potatoes, and those born between 1925 and 1942 are "a little more trendy, a little more adventurous, a lot more nutrition-savvy," she said.
"They have choices, and we show them how to make good choices," she said.
At the Bronx center, Bruno said she tries to help the seniors avoid the bad buffet choices when they take a trip to Atlantic City. As a group was departing, she handed them bag lunches — with a roast beef sandwich, cranberry juice and carrot sticks.
"Protein, vitamin C, vitamin A," she said.
Starting small
On Saturday I got two new goldfish! I forgot to bring in my camera, but once I do I will upload pics of them. They're names are Biggie and Tupac. Much to roommate's dismay, I am taking the necessary steps to see if I can take care of something other than myself! I want to get a dog and hopefully this will ease me into having a bigger pet with more responsibilities.
Join your local library
I read a lot of books and it's a good thing that I belong to Queens Public Library! I always feel guilty if i buy a book and don't like it; then i feel like i wasted my money, but with the library you can just return them! join a library and donate your old books!
Friday, September 21, 2007
The Guy Not Taken
A great book! Again, finished it one day. It is a collection of short stories and all of them are enjoyable to read. Jennifer Weiner is one of my favorite authors bc she makes me laugh the entire time and the way she writes the characters is relatable and you can picture a bit of yourself in all of them. 
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Jena 6 Rally
I think that this is complete bullshit that there is still racism in this country, since America was built on immigrants coming to a new land. Not suprising though, that the deep South still harbors resentment towards other races that aren't white. If you haven't been following the Jena 6 story, then you're seriously under a rock. Read the article below:
Thousands Rally in La. to Support Jena 6
Thursday September 20, 2007 2:01 PM
By MARY FOSTER
Associated Press Writer
JENA, La. (AP) - Traffic jammed the two-lane road leading into the tiny town of Jena early Thursday as thousands of demonstrators gathered in support of six black teens initially charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white classmate.
The Rev. Al Sharpton said it could be the beginning of the 21st century's civil rights movement, one that would challenge disparities in the justice system.
``You cannot have justice meted out based on who you are rather than what you did,'' Sharpton told CBS's ``The Early Show'' Thursday.
The six were charged a few months after the local prosecutor declined to charge three white high school students who hung nooses in a tree on their high school grounds. Five of the black teens were initially charged with attempted murder, but that charge was reduced to battery for all but one, who has yet to be arraigned; the sixth teen was charged as a juvenile.
``This is the most blatant example of disparity in the justice system that we've seen,'' Sharpton said Thursday. ``You can't have two standards of justice. We didn't bring race in it, those that hung the nooses brought the race into it.''
District Attorney Reed Walters, breaking a long public silence, denied Wednesday that racism was involved.
He said he didn't prosecute the students accused of hanging the nooses because he could find no Louisiana law under which they could be charged. ``I cannot overemphasize what a villainous act that was. The people that did it should be ashamed of what they unleashed on this town,'' Walters said.
In the beating case, he said, four of the defendants were of adult age under Louisiana law and the only juvenile charged as an adult, Mychal Bell, had a prior criminal record.
``This case has been portrayed by the news media as being about race,'' he said. ``And the fact that it takes place in a small southern town lends itself to that portrayal. But it is not and never has been about race. It is about finding justice for an innocent victim and holding people accountable for their actions.''
The white teen who was beaten, Justin Barker, was knocked unconscious, his face badly swollen and bloodied, though he was able to attend a school function later that night.
Bell, 16 at the time of the attack, is the only one of the ``Jena Six'' to be tried so far. He was convicted on an aggravated second-degree battery count that could have sent him to prison for 15 years, but the conviction was overturned last week when a state appeals court said he should not have been tried as an adult.
Thursday's protest had been planned to coincide with Bell's sentencing, but organizers decided to press ahead even after the conviction was thrown out. Bell remains in jail while prosecutors prepare an appeal. He has been unable to meet the $90,000 bond.
``We all have family members about the age of these guys. We said it could have been one of them. We wanted to try to do something,'' said Angela Merrick, 36, of Atlanta, who drove with three friends from Atlanta to protest the treatment of the ``Jena Six''.
The rally was heavily promoted on black Web sites, blogs, radio and publications.
Students came from schools across the region, including historically black colleges like Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, Howard University, Hampton University and Southern University.
Tina Cheatham missed the civil rights marches at Selma, Montgomery and Little Rock, but she had no intention of missing another brush with history. The 24-year-old Georgia Southern University graduate drove all night to reach tiny Jena in central Louisiana.
``It was a good chance to be part of something historic since I wasn't around for the civil rights movement. This is kind of the 21st century version of it,'' she said.
Others supported the effort but worried that it could erode race relations in Jena even further.
``I don't think it will cause any major confrontations,'' said Odessa Hickman, 72, ``but there is probably going to be some friendships lost.''
In Jena, with only 3,500 residents, some residents worried about safety. Hotels were booked from as far away as Natchez, Miss., to Alexandria, La.
Red Cross officials manned first aid stations near the local courthouse and had water and snacks on hand. Portable toilets and flashing street signs to aid in traffic direction were in place. At the courthouse troopers chatted amiably with each other and with demonstrators who began showing up well before dawn.
Sharpton, who helped organize the protest, met Bell at the courthouse Wednesday morning. He said Bell is heartened by the show of support and wants to make sure it stays peaceful.
``He doesn't want anything done that would disparage his name - no violence, not even a negative word,'' Sharpton said.
---
Associated Press writers Michael Kunzelman in Alexandria, La., and Errin Haines in Atlanta contributed to this story.
Thousands Rally in La. to Support Jena 6
Thursday September 20, 2007 2:01 PM
By MARY FOSTER
Associated Press Writer
JENA, La. (AP) - Traffic jammed the two-lane road leading into the tiny town of Jena early Thursday as thousands of demonstrators gathered in support of six black teens initially charged with attempted murder in the beating of a white classmate.
The Rev. Al Sharpton said it could be the beginning of the 21st century's civil rights movement, one that would challenge disparities in the justice system.
``You cannot have justice meted out based on who you are rather than what you did,'' Sharpton told CBS's ``The Early Show'' Thursday.
The six were charged a few months after the local prosecutor declined to charge three white high school students who hung nooses in a tree on their high school grounds. Five of the black teens were initially charged with attempted murder, but that charge was reduced to battery for all but one, who has yet to be arraigned; the sixth teen was charged as a juvenile.
``This is the most blatant example of disparity in the justice system that we've seen,'' Sharpton said Thursday. ``You can't have two standards of justice. We didn't bring race in it, those that hung the nooses brought the race into it.''
District Attorney Reed Walters, breaking a long public silence, denied Wednesday that racism was involved.
He said he didn't prosecute the students accused of hanging the nooses because he could find no Louisiana law under which they could be charged. ``I cannot overemphasize what a villainous act that was. The people that did it should be ashamed of what they unleashed on this town,'' Walters said.
In the beating case, he said, four of the defendants were of adult age under Louisiana law and the only juvenile charged as an adult, Mychal Bell, had a prior criminal record.
``This case has been portrayed by the news media as being about race,'' he said. ``And the fact that it takes place in a small southern town lends itself to that portrayal. But it is not and never has been about race. It is about finding justice for an innocent victim and holding people accountable for their actions.''
The white teen who was beaten, Justin Barker, was knocked unconscious, his face badly swollen and bloodied, though he was able to attend a school function later that night.
Bell, 16 at the time of the attack, is the only one of the ``Jena Six'' to be tried so far. He was convicted on an aggravated second-degree battery count that could have sent him to prison for 15 years, but the conviction was overturned last week when a state appeals court said he should not have been tried as an adult.
Thursday's protest had been planned to coincide with Bell's sentencing, but organizers decided to press ahead even after the conviction was thrown out. Bell remains in jail while prosecutors prepare an appeal. He has been unable to meet the $90,000 bond.
``We all have family members about the age of these guys. We said it could have been one of them. We wanted to try to do something,'' said Angela Merrick, 36, of Atlanta, who drove with three friends from Atlanta to protest the treatment of the ``Jena Six''.
The rally was heavily promoted on black Web sites, blogs, radio and publications.
Students came from schools across the region, including historically black colleges like Morehouse College, Spelman College, Clark Atlanta University, Howard University, Hampton University and Southern University.
Tina Cheatham missed the civil rights marches at Selma, Montgomery and Little Rock, but she had no intention of missing another brush with history. The 24-year-old Georgia Southern University graduate drove all night to reach tiny Jena in central Louisiana.
``It was a good chance to be part of something historic since I wasn't around for the civil rights movement. This is kind of the 21st century version of it,'' she said.
Others supported the effort but worried that it could erode race relations in Jena even further.
``I don't think it will cause any major confrontations,'' said Odessa Hickman, 72, ``but there is probably going to be some friendships lost.''
In Jena, with only 3,500 residents, some residents worried about safety. Hotels were booked from as far away as Natchez, Miss., to Alexandria, La.
Red Cross officials manned first aid stations near the local courthouse and had water and snacks on hand. Portable toilets and flashing street signs to aid in traffic direction were in place. At the courthouse troopers chatted amiably with each other and with demonstrators who began showing up well before dawn.
Sharpton, who helped organize the protest, met Bell at the courthouse Wednesday morning. He said Bell is heartened by the show of support and wants to make sure it stays peaceful.
``He doesn't want anything done that would disparage his name - no violence, not even a negative word,'' Sharpton said.
---
Associated Press writers Michael Kunzelman in Alexandria, La., and Errin Haines in Atlanta contributed to this story.
Hey, Sexy Lady!!!
Pictures are circulating the internet about Ms. Oscar de la Hoya posing in women's underwear, fishnets, heels, and a wig! They're hilarious. His people are saying that the photos are doctored with Photoshop, but I don't know, I personally think they are actually him and he just is too embarressed to admit it! A Scores stripper took the pictures when she was hired by him to "pleasure" him. Click on the link below to see them in all the pretty glory!!!
SATC production starts today in NY!
Sex and the City production has started filming today in New York. I am so excited for this movie and am so glad that everyone that was in the tv series has signed on for the film. I have high hopes for this film! Click on the link below for a plot spoiler:
http://omg.yahoo.com/sex-and-the-city-is-back-%5Bspoiler-alert%5D/news/2556
http://omg.yahoo.com/sex-and-the-city-is-back-%5Bspoiler-alert%5D/news/2556
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Great Book!
I just finished this book by Jennifer Weiner, "Goodnight Nobody." It's really good and a quick read. The character is hilarious and she makes fun of her kids the entire time.
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Young, Confused, and don't know what to do
I am getting that oh-shit-what-am-i-doing-with-my-life itch back. i recently started this new job in May and have a feeling that this is not what i want to be doing; albeit currently i'm just answering their phones for them and it's fine getting paid to read a book every other day, but i need something more fulfilling.
Monday, September 17, 2007
Welker profile
The Boston Globe has a profile on Wes Welker's amazingness:
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/09/17/newcomer_welker_catching_on_in_big_way/
http://www.boston.com/sports/football/patriots/articles/2007/09/17/newcomer_welker_catching_on_in_big_way/
ESPN's SportsGuy's wife, SportsGal
Bill Simmons, a writer for ESPN, also known as "SportsGuy," lost a bet a couple years ago to his wife and the winning result is SportsGal (his wife) being able to write a column every Friday that he cannot edit. It's called the SportsGal Rant. This was her column this past Friday; it's hilarious:SPORTS GAL'S RANT
Right now, I'm eight and a half months pregnant and have a giant bowling ball in my stomach. I can't sleep and I pee every hour on the hour. Every time I lay down, I feel like someone's kicking field goals inside me. My daughter constantly wants me to hold her even though I can't hold a bag of groceries at this point. I'm always 20 degrees hotter than everyone else, but Bill lowers the air conditioning every time I'm not looking so I call him the Air Conditioning Nazi. I'm very emotional and can't watch any movie where a dog gets killed or someone might die of cancer because I don't want the water works to start flowing. If I seem especially mean in these rants over the next few weeks, don't blame me -- blame God for deciding that it would be a good idea for women to have babies and men to watch football every Sunday. I wish Bill was carrying this kid and I could go over to a friend's house to watch TV for eight straight hours under the flimsy excuse that "it's my job." Yeah, it was also your job not to knock me up in time for football season.Just know that I'm extremely concerned. Our second baby is due right between Game 7 of the World Series and the start of the NBA season, and during the middle of football season as well. Bill claims this won't be a major problem. Ohhhhhh-kay. I keep having this nightmare that I'll be in labor in agonizing pain, but every time I look up for support from Bill, he'll be pretending to care while he's really trying to figure out how to get split-screen on the 13-inch hospital TV. If that happens, I will be the first pregnant woman to file for divorce at the same time they're administering the epidural. The other problem is that we can't decide on a name. We're having a son and Bill thinks we should name it after him because he's a third and the kid would be a fourth. I love the logic of that one -- sure, let me carry the kid for 10 months, and then we'll name it after you. That's an awesome idea. Even when he jokes that we should name him D'Bill or LaBill so he'll be a good athlete, it makes me mad. Everything makes me mad right now. Did I mention that I'm eight and a half months pregnant?I refuse to discuss names any more, I want to see Bill's performance in the final days of the pregnancy first. If he's watching sports every spare second and saying things like, "Why did you have to go into labor during Game 6 of the World Series, what were you thinking?", then I'm naming this kid Peyton Manning Simmons and that will be that. Anyway, I'm sorry this week's rant isn't about Britney throwing her career down the toilet, but I had to get that off my swollen chest. Now I have to go pee again. Here are my Week 2 picks: Falcons +10.5, Pitt -9.5, Browns +6.5, Texans +6.5, Tenn +6.5, NO -3, SF +3, Miami +3.5, Minn +3, Zona +2.5, KC +12, Ravens -10, Oak +9.5, Pats -3, Wash +7.
Last week: 9-5-2Season: 9-5-2
Read the SportsGuy's column every Friday to read the SportsGal's rant on Espn.com
Belichick's contract extended
There were small rumors going around that Bill Belichick might be considering retiring in the near future, mostly set off by the new team acquisitions this season, but it is not so. Pats owner, Bob Kraft, and head Coach Bill Belichick agreed to a long term coaching extension deal that will have Belichick as the Pats head coach until at least 2013. Details of his contract and guidelines are private. Click below for more information:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3023193
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3023193
Welker was on Fire!!!
Wes Welker, new to the Patriots this season (last season he was on the Dolphins) had a stand out game last night against the Chargers. He is amazing. I love him.Chargers got beat!!!
Hahahahahahaa oh the cackle of victory. The Pats beat the Charger 38-14, which is exactly the same score as last week when the Pats beat the Jets. So much for the video! Click below to get more details on the game last night:
Mets vs. Phillies game 9.14.07
We were at Shea Stadium Friday night for the Mets game against the Phillies. They were doing well but then lost 3-2. oh well, it was still fun! and i got to see my man, Jose Reyes.
Friday, September 14, 2007
Mets vs. Philly tonight at Shea!!!
Going to see the Mets tonight against the Phillies! I hope they win, the Phillies have beat the Mets in all seven previous games even though the Mets are 9.5 games ahead. GOOOO METS!!!
Belichick fined, Pats fined, 1st round draft pick taken away
The outcome of "Videogate" was released last night. Commissioner Goodell fined the Pats club $250,000; Belichick was fined $500,000 (the maximum amount allowed); and took away the Pats first round draft pick if they get to the playoffs (which they will). Read more by clicking the link below:
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Awwwwww
The abandoned monkey who has found love with a pigeon
13th September 2007
Comments (14) They're an odd couple in every sense but a monkey and a pigeon have become inseparable at an animal sanctuary in China.
The 12-week-old macaque - who was abandoned by his mother - was close to death when it was rescued on Neilingding Island, in Goangdong Province.
After being taken to an animal hospital his health began to improve but he seemed spiritless - until he developed a friendship with a white pigeon.
Comments (14) They're an odd couple in every sense but a monkey and a pigeon have become inseparable at an animal sanctuary in China.
The 12-week-old macaque - who was abandoned by his mother - was close to death when it was rescued on Neilingding Island, in Goangdong Province.
After being taken to an animal hospital his health began to improve but he seemed spiritless - until he developed a friendship with a white pigeon.
The blossoming relationship helped to revive the macaque who has developed a new lease of life, say staff at the sanctuary.
Now the unlikely duo are never far from each other's side, but they aren't the only ones to strike up an unusual friendship.
Earlier this year a pig adopted a tiger cub and raised him along with her piglets because his mother couldn't feed him.
And in 2005 a baby dear named Mi-Lu befriended lurcher Geoffrey at the Knowsley Animal Park in Merseyside after she was rejected by her mother.
Now the unlikely duo are never far from each other's side, but they aren't the only ones to strike up an unusual friendship.
Earlier this year a pig adopted a tiger cub and raised him along with her piglets because his mother couldn't feed him.
And in 2005 a baby dear named Mi-Lu befriended lurcher Geoffrey at the Knowsley Animal Park in Merseyside after she was rejected by her mother.
Thank you Bill Simmons
ESPN's Bill Simmons wrote an article that perfectly describes everything and anything about the situation involving my Pats. Click below to read his article:
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070912
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070912
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
THE GOOD LIFE
Kanye's new CD "Graduation" is off the chain!!! "The Good Life" is my absolute favorite and is my myspace song. i cannot stop playing it.
Damn Naomi! always getting the hot ones
Lewis Hamilton is another one of my fav loves. He's the first and only black person to race for the MacLaren Formula One Racing team. He's on the left of this picture. He's sick nasty at racing and sooooo gorgeous. There are rumors that him and Naomi Campbell are dating/hooking up. This is so annoying, Naomi always gets the hottest guys: Usher and now Lewis? Uh, I'm so jealous.
From the NY Post:
From the NY Post:Need For Speed
IT'S too early to talk about a romance, but attendees at last week's GQ Man of the Year awards in London couldn't help noticing that Naomi Campbell hit it off with British race car driver Lewis Hamilton. "They were flirting outrageously," one guest said. "They sat together during the dinner and Naomi presented Lewis with the Best Sportsman of the Year award. He then invited her to the Brazilian Grand Prix in October, which she duly accepted." This wouldn't be the first time Campbell has blazed the Formula One love trail. She had a stormy four-year relationship with Italian Renault team boss Flavio Briatore.
IT'S too early to talk about a romance, but attendees at last week's GQ Man of the Year awards in London couldn't help noticing that Naomi Campbell hit it off with British race car driver Lewis Hamilton. "They were flirting outrageously," one guest said. "They sat together during the dinner and Naomi presented Lewis with the Best Sportsman of the Year award. He then invited her to the Brazilian Grand Prix in October, which she duly accepted." This wouldn't be the first time Campbell has blazed the Formula One love trail. She had a stormy four-year relationship with Italian Renault team boss Flavio Briatore.
Unfortunately, we got caught.
NFL players look for any edge they can get
By Jeffri ChadihaESPN.com(Archive)
Kansas City Chiefs coach Herm Edwards uses a familiar message to end the speech he gives his team on Saturday nights before games.
Although he can be notoriously loquacious, Edwards refrains from drawing upon predictable clichés or gimmicky references in such moments. Instead, he delivers a brief, pointed statement that leaves his players knowing exactly what their responsibilities are.
"I tell them to do whatever it takes to get ready to play," Edwards said. "As long as it's legal, I want them to do it."
The operative phrase here is "as long as it's legal." Although Edwards isn't encouraging his players to break rules, he does emphasize that they need to understand a simple tenet of survival in the NFL: Gamesmanship, even if it falls into the category of cheating, is a way of life. In other words, if a man isn't looking for a way to gain an advantage, he's really courting plenty of heartache. Losing in the NFL is bad enough. To lose without using everything at your disposal, well, that's a fate nobody wants to accept.
It's a reality players and coaches all eventually learn. They might see offensive linemen tightening their jerseys so defenders can't grab their uniforms and create crucial leverage. They may hear about the manipulation of an injury report to hide a star player's health status. They also probably know about more covert behavior -- such as exotic cocktails that generate higher energy levels for players during games or coaches who scan reams of game film in search of information on an opponent's audibles.
As Tampa Bay quarterback Jeff Garcia said: "Everybody in this league is trying to find a way to get away with something that creates an advantage. If they get caught doing something, they'll get penalized. But if they don't, they'll keep doing it as long as they can."
Stealing audibles, for example, is quite common. Current Detroit Lions president Matt Millen was a master at that during his 12-year career. He apparently could hear 10 audibles and know what each one meant by the start of the second half.
Former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle John Randle also was fairly intuitive. He once heard an opposing quarterback call out "A-78" and yelled to his teammates that a three-step drop was coming. When the quarterback tried to throw, he just jumped into the air and nearly deflected the pass.
There are subtle tricks players use -- whether it's a cornerback holding a receiver on pass plays or an offensive lineman altering his stances so he doesn't tip off a run or a pass -- but the coaches are even more creative.
When Marty Schottenheimer coached the Cleveland Browns in the late 1980s, he routinely sent a scout to watch the signals opposing teams used to relay messages from coaches to players. When the scout returned, Schottenheimer's staff would watch the game film and match the signals to the plays that followed.
Edwards said the same is true today. It's common for coaches to watch standard game tapes (which include shots from the press box and end zone angles), sideline tapes (which usually wind up on highlight shows and include footage of players and coaches talking on the sidelines) and even the television shows of opposing coaches for tips.
These men then watch the footage with the same scrutiny FBI agents reserve for reviewing a wiretap recording.
"We want to hear what's being said in case you hear an audible or a [defensive] check," Edwards said. "Coaches have a saying: "Anything you say can and will be used against you.'"
Former Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell and Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis would support that notion. When their teams met in a 1980 AFC divisional playoff game, Modell thought he held the upper hand because he didn't use heated benches on the sidelines in Municipal Stadium, a place where frigid temperatures could torment opponents in the winter.
However, Davis countered with his own idea: He borrowed some heated benches from New York Giants owner Wellington Mara. The NFL eventually forced Davis to provide those benches to Cleveland, as well, but Davis didn't mind. His team won the game, 14-12.
The list of examples is endless. Former New England coach Ron Meyer once sent a snowplow driven by a local inmate on furlough onto the field in a 1982 game against Miami, and the inmate cleared a patch in a snow-covered field for the eventual game-winning field goal. That said, there are other factors that result in gamesmanship.
Some people simply have ultracompetitive personalities, such as former Redskins coach George Allen. He once sent an equipment manager on a five-hour drive from Washington, D.C., to West Virginia to retrieve some spring water. He had read that it could help his players stay more energized.
Will Wolford, an offensive lineman who played 13 years in the NFL, once bragged on a radio show that a police officer gave him Kevlar that he used to line the padded gloves he wore in games.
The parity in the NFL leads to gamesmanship, as well.
"This is a strategic game, and there are no slouches out there playing," said Kansas City offensive tackle Kyle Turley, a nine-year veteran. "You're talking about the best coaches and players in the business. And when everything is that even, you have to use everything you have."
Turley actually taught this lesson to Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams, the first pick in the 2006 draft, in a preseason game last season. Although Williams had 20 pounds on 275-pound Turley, Turley lured him into rushing at such a torrid pace that Williams eventually lost his leverage, allowing Turley to hurl the rookie onto his rump.
It turned out Turley had learned the technique by studying videotape of the man who created the "Hump" move, Hall of Fame defensive end Reggie White. "You could say I welcomed the kid to the NFL," Turley said.
Turley didn't just learn by watching his elders. He has also had the chance to meet retired greats such as Dan Dierdorf, Jim Lachey and Jackie Slater, all of whom offered tips from their playing days. In fact, many older players admit there has been quite a change in gamesmanship through the decades.
"There really is an odd disparity when you start to divide up the eras," said ESPN television analyst Bill Curry, who played center for four teams from 1965 to 1974. "The guys from the 1940s and '50s pride themselves on knocking guys into the bench and gouging out eyes. There were only a couple guys in the league who were like that when I played. But we did have our codes. The most basic one was that we wouldn't do something that would end a career."
There were still violent ideas in the minds of some players during the 1960s and '70s -- "I can remember when defensive linemen taped hockey pucks and ashtrays to their hands to use in a head slap," said Raymond Chester, a former tight end with the Colts and Raiders -- but the tactics certainly involved more thought.
Curry said his Baltimore Colts teammates actually studied the officials to the extent that they knew which referees would call certain penalties. "There was an umpire named Pat Harder who always called two penalties a game," Curry said. "And they were always on the same guy."
Of course, there were also more memorable tactics in those days. Billy Ray Smith Sr., a defensive end who played on three teams from 1957 to 1970, once chewed tobacco during a game and spit on the fingers of opposing linemen to provoke false starts.
Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus was so adept at learning his opponent's snap counts that he would yell it out as soon as the quarterback started his cadence. And when Edwards started his career as a Philadelphia Eagles cornerback in 1977, coaches warned players to watch their playbooks during walk-through sessions in opposing stadiums.
"Things had a way of disappearing back in those days," Edwards said.
Most of the retired players interviewed for this story agree it was easier to use tricks in their day. With fewer teams and less specialization, there were simply more opportunities to set up an opponent. The scrutiny also wasn't as high. As television became a more dominant presence in the NFL, so did the value of protecting the league's image.
Said San Diego Chargers offensive tackle Roman Oben: "There were teams that nobody ever saw on television in the 1970s because the marquee teams usually got a lot of exposure and they probably had the best officials, too. So guys could definitely get away with more stuff then."
The rules also are much tougher now, especially when it comes to another popular means of gaining an advantage: the use of banned substances. Most people think of steroids when cheating comes up, but the league's decision to ban the stimulant ephedra in 2001 had a major impact on players.
Before the rule, it was common for players to drink "party balls" before games -- a potion concocted from ephedra, Coca-Cola and Ultimate Orange (a drink used by weightlifters that is said to offer more explosive power than seven shots of espresso) -- to maintain a higher energy level throughout the contest. Unfortunately, the consequences of drinking those potions without properly hydrating were scary.
When Oben played for the Giants, he once drank a party ball before a 1999 game against Washington. After drinking a couple of beers in the parking lot after the loss, he cramped up so much later that night that his girlfriend nearly called an ambulance.
Two years later, the death of former Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Korey Stringer brought even more attention to ephedra. Although toxicology reports never revealed that Stringer had ephedra in his system when he died at training camp, the team's lawyers did present testimony that he used a supplement laced with the substance before every game during his playing career.
Even before that moment, the league had taken a harsher stance on governing the game. Currently, one violation of the NFL banned substance policy results in a four-game suspension.
On the field, officials scrutinize uniforms more closely than ever and vicious plays -- such as defenders launching themselves at helpless receivers -- produce exorbitant fines.
"I wouldn't have made any money in today's league," said former Raiders cornerback Lester Hayes, who played from 1977 to 1986 and roughed up plenty of receivers. "They fine people so much now that I would've had negative amounts in my paychecks."
The league also has sent a stronger message to coaches. In 1998, the NFL fined Broncos coach Mike Shanahan $15,000 for failing to list quarterback John Elway on the Denver injury report despite the fact that Elway had ribs so sore they eventually prevented him from starting that week's game (Shanahan responded by listing 22 players on the next week's report, 20 of whom were labeled "probable").
During 2005, the league also levied a $25,000 fine against then Atlanta Falcons coach Jim Mora for using his cell phone during a game. Mora had used the phone in an overtime loss to Tampa Bay to learn how a tie would affect Atlanta's playoff chances.
Mora's former boss, Falcons general manager Rich McKay, serves as co-chairman of the NFL's competition committee, and his group annually looks at ways to continue governing the game.
"It's not a hard job because the league regulates itself pretty well," McKay said. "If a team figures out [a way to gain an edge], then teams report it and we usually deal with it the next season. But everything has been tried. And we ultimately devote a couple pages in every report on how to address it."
McKay's committee has regulated plenty -- from kickers who used worn footballs because they produced longer kicks to defensive linemen who sprayed silicone on their jerseys to keep offensive linemen from holding -- but there is only so much the NFL can monitor.
Even Edwards admits he found his way around at least one rule in his playing days. When the NFL outlawed Stickum after the 1980 season, Edwards continued to dab a small amount on the inside of his cleats, just below his ankles. Whenever he faced obvious passing downs, he'd reach down and rub some on his fingers.
Of course, Edwards wasn't the only player using that trick. He just understood the necessity of using every advantage. And he believes that is one thing that will never change in the NFL.
"It's definitely a different league now," Edwards said. "People are concerned about the image more than ever. But I also know there'll always be some gamesmanship going on. That's just how this business works."
Jeffri Chadiha is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
By Jeffri ChadihaESPN.com(Archive)
Kansas City Chiefs coach Herm Edwards uses a familiar message to end the speech he gives his team on Saturday nights before games.
Although he can be notoriously loquacious, Edwards refrains from drawing upon predictable clichés or gimmicky references in such moments. Instead, he delivers a brief, pointed statement that leaves his players knowing exactly what their responsibilities are.
"I tell them to do whatever it takes to get ready to play," Edwards said. "As long as it's legal, I want them to do it."
The operative phrase here is "as long as it's legal." Although Edwards isn't encouraging his players to break rules, he does emphasize that they need to understand a simple tenet of survival in the NFL: Gamesmanship, even if it falls into the category of cheating, is a way of life. In other words, if a man isn't looking for a way to gain an advantage, he's really courting plenty of heartache. Losing in the NFL is bad enough. To lose without using everything at your disposal, well, that's a fate nobody wants to accept.
It's a reality players and coaches all eventually learn. They might see offensive linemen tightening their jerseys so defenders can't grab their uniforms and create crucial leverage. They may hear about the manipulation of an injury report to hide a star player's health status. They also probably know about more covert behavior -- such as exotic cocktails that generate higher energy levels for players during games or coaches who scan reams of game film in search of information on an opponent's audibles.
As Tampa Bay quarterback Jeff Garcia said: "Everybody in this league is trying to find a way to get away with something that creates an advantage. If they get caught doing something, they'll get penalized. But if they don't, they'll keep doing it as long as they can."
Stealing audibles, for example, is quite common. Current Detroit Lions president Matt Millen was a master at that during his 12-year career. He apparently could hear 10 audibles and know what each one meant by the start of the second half.
Former Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle John Randle also was fairly intuitive. He once heard an opposing quarterback call out "A-78" and yelled to his teammates that a three-step drop was coming. When the quarterback tried to throw, he just jumped into the air and nearly deflected the pass.
There are subtle tricks players use -- whether it's a cornerback holding a receiver on pass plays or an offensive lineman altering his stances so he doesn't tip off a run or a pass -- but the coaches are even more creative.
When Marty Schottenheimer coached the Cleveland Browns in the late 1980s, he routinely sent a scout to watch the signals opposing teams used to relay messages from coaches to players. When the scout returned, Schottenheimer's staff would watch the game film and match the signals to the plays that followed.
Edwards said the same is true today. It's common for coaches to watch standard game tapes (which include shots from the press box and end zone angles), sideline tapes (which usually wind up on highlight shows and include footage of players and coaches talking on the sidelines) and even the television shows of opposing coaches for tips.
These men then watch the footage with the same scrutiny FBI agents reserve for reviewing a wiretap recording.
"We want to hear what's being said in case you hear an audible or a [defensive] check," Edwards said. "Coaches have a saying: "Anything you say can and will be used against you.'"
Former Cleveland Browns owner Art Modell and Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis would support that notion. When their teams met in a 1980 AFC divisional playoff game, Modell thought he held the upper hand because he didn't use heated benches on the sidelines in Municipal Stadium, a place where frigid temperatures could torment opponents in the winter.
However, Davis countered with his own idea: He borrowed some heated benches from New York Giants owner Wellington Mara. The NFL eventually forced Davis to provide those benches to Cleveland, as well, but Davis didn't mind. His team won the game, 14-12.
The list of examples is endless. Former New England coach Ron Meyer once sent a snowplow driven by a local inmate on furlough onto the field in a 1982 game against Miami, and the inmate cleared a patch in a snow-covered field for the eventual game-winning field goal. That said, there are other factors that result in gamesmanship.
Some people simply have ultracompetitive personalities, such as former Redskins coach George Allen. He once sent an equipment manager on a five-hour drive from Washington, D.C., to West Virginia to retrieve some spring water. He had read that it could help his players stay more energized.
Will Wolford, an offensive lineman who played 13 years in the NFL, once bragged on a radio show that a police officer gave him Kevlar that he used to line the padded gloves he wore in games.
The parity in the NFL leads to gamesmanship, as well.
"This is a strategic game, and there are no slouches out there playing," said Kansas City offensive tackle Kyle Turley, a nine-year veteran. "You're talking about the best coaches and players in the business. And when everything is that even, you have to use everything you have."
Turley actually taught this lesson to Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams, the first pick in the 2006 draft, in a preseason game last season. Although Williams had 20 pounds on 275-pound Turley, Turley lured him into rushing at such a torrid pace that Williams eventually lost his leverage, allowing Turley to hurl the rookie onto his rump.
It turned out Turley had learned the technique by studying videotape of the man who created the "Hump" move, Hall of Fame defensive end Reggie White. "You could say I welcomed the kid to the NFL," Turley said.
Turley didn't just learn by watching his elders. He has also had the chance to meet retired greats such as Dan Dierdorf, Jim Lachey and Jackie Slater, all of whom offered tips from their playing days. In fact, many older players admit there has been quite a change in gamesmanship through the decades.
"There really is an odd disparity when you start to divide up the eras," said ESPN television analyst Bill Curry, who played center for four teams from 1965 to 1974. "The guys from the 1940s and '50s pride themselves on knocking guys into the bench and gouging out eyes. There were only a couple guys in the league who were like that when I played. But we did have our codes. The most basic one was that we wouldn't do something that would end a career."
There were still violent ideas in the minds of some players during the 1960s and '70s -- "I can remember when defensive linemen taped hockey pucks and ashtrays to their hands to use in a head slap," said Raymond Chester, a former tight end with the Colts and Raiders -- but the tactics certainly involved more thought.
Curry said his Baltimore Colts teammates actually studied the officials to the extent that they knew which referees would call certain penalties. "There was an umpire named Pat Harder who always called two penalties a game," Curry said. "And they were always on the same guy."
Of course, there were also more memorable tactics in those days. Billy Ray Smith Sr., a defensive end who played on three teams from 1957 to 1970, once chewed tobacco during a game and spit on the fingers of opposing linemen to provoke false starts.
Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Dick Butkus was so adept at learning his opponent's snap counts that he would yell it out as soon as the quarterback started his cadence. And when Edwards started his career as a Philadelphia Eagles cornerback in 1977, coaches warned players to watch their playbooks during walk-through sessions in opposing stadiums.
"Things had a way of disappearing back in those days," Edwards said.
Most of the retired players interviewed for this story agree it was easier to use tricks in their day. With fewer teams and less specialization, there were simply more opportunities to set up an opponent. The scrutiny also wasn't as high. As television became a more dominant presence in the NFL, so did the value of protecting the league's image.
Said San Diego Chargers offensive tackle Roman Oben: "There were teams that nobody ever saw on television in the 1970s because the marquee teams usually got a lot of exposure and they probably had the best officials, too. So guys could definitely get away with more stuff then."
The rules also are much tougher now, especially when it comes to another popular means of gaining an advantage: the use of banned substances. Most people think of steroids when cheating comes up, but the league's decision to ban the stimulant ephedra in 2001 had a major impact on players.
Before the rule, it was common for players to drink "party balls" before games -- a potion concocted from ephedra, Coca-Cola and Ultimate Orange (a drink used by weightlifters that is said to offer more explosive power than seven shots of espresso) -- to maintain a higher energy level throughout the contest. Unfortunately, the consequences of drinking those potions without properly hydrating were scary.
When Oben played for the Giants, he once drank a party ball before a 1999 game against Washington. After drinking a couple of beers in the parking lot after the loss, he cramped up so much later that night that his girlfriend nearly called an ambulance.
Two years later, the death of former Minnesota Vikings offensive tackle Korey Stringer brought even more attention to ephedra. Although toxicology reports never revealed that Stringer had ephedra in his system when he died at training camp, the team's lawyers did present testimony that he used a supplement laced with the substance before every game during his playing career.
Even before that moment, the league had taken a harsher stance on governing the game. Currently, one violation of the NFL banned substance policy results in a four-game suspension.
On the field, officials scrutinize uniforms more closely than ever and vicious plays -- such as defenders launching themselves at helpless receivers -- produce exorbitant fines.
"I wouldn't have made any money in today's league," said former Raiders cornerback Lester Hayes, who played from 1977 to 1986 and roughed up plenty of receivers. "They fine people so much now that I would've had negative amounts in my paychecks."
The league also has sent a stronger message to coaches. In 1998, the NFL fined Broncos coach Mike Shanahan $15,000 for failing to list quarterback John Elway on the Denver injury report despite the fact that Elway had ribs so sore they eventually prevented him from starting that week's game (Shanahan responded by listing 22 players on the next week's report, 20 of whom were labeled "probable").
During 2005, the league also levied a $25,000 fine against then Atlanta Falcons coach Jim Mora for using his cell phone during a game. Mora had used the phone in an overtime loss to Tampa Bay to learn how a tie would affect Atlanta's playoff chances.
Mora's former boss, Falcons general manager Rich McKay, serves as co-chairman of the NFL's competition committee, and his group annually looks at ways to continue governing the game.
"It's not a hard job because the league regulates itself pretty well," McKay said. "If a team figures out [a way to gain an edge], then teams report it and we usually deal with it the next season. But everything has been tried. And we ultimately devote a couple pages in every report on how to address it."
McKay's committee has regulated plenty -- from kickers who used worn footballs because they produced longer kicks to defensive linemen who sprayed silicone on their jerseys to keep offensive linemen from holding -- but there is only so much the NFL can monitor.
Even Edwards admits he found his way around at least one rule in his playing days. When the NFL outlawed Stickum after the 1980 season, Edwards continued to dab a small amount on the inside of his cleats, just below his ankles. Whenever he faced obvious passing downs, he'd reach down and rub some on his fingers.
Of course, Edwards wasn't the only player using that trick. He just understood the necessity of using every advantage. And he believes that is one thing that will never change in the NFL.
"It's definitely a different league now," Edwards said. "People are concerned about the image more than ever. But I also know there'll always be some gamesmanship going on. That's just how this business works."
Jeffri Chadiha is a senior writer for ESPN.com.
Okay...
Belichick issues apology, says he's spoken with Goodell
ESPN.com news services
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick apologized to his team on Wednesday and confirmed that he has spoken to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about his "interpretation" of league rules that ban videotaping of the opposing sideline.
It was not clear what Belichick was apologizing for, and the coach repeatedly refused to elaborate on a one-paragraph statement issued 10 minutes before a regularly scheduled news conference to discuss Sunday night's game against the San Diego Chargers.
"At this point, we have not been notified of the league's ruling," Belichick said in a statement. "Although it remains a league matter, I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected, most of all ownership, staff and players. Following the league's decision, I will have further comment."
Belichick refused to elaborate on the statement several times during a news conference. After about 15 minutes discussing Sunday's game, he was pressed harder on his "interpretation of the rules," and the coach walked out of the room.
His statement follows ESPN's Chris Mortensen's report that the NFL is considering punishing the Patriots for spying.
Goodell has determined that the New England Patriots violated league rules Sunday when they videotaped defensive signals by the New York Jets' coaches, league sources told Mortensen.
NFL security officials confiscated a camera and videotape from Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella on the New England sidelines when it was suspected he was recording the Jets' defensive signals. Sources say the visual evidence confirmed the suspicion.
Goodell is considering severe sanctions, including the possibility of docking the Patriots "multiple draft picks" because it is the competitive violation in the wake of a stern warning to all teams since he became commissioner, the sources said. The Patriots have been suspected in previous incidents.
NFL security officials confiscated a camera and videotape from Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella on the New England sidelines when it was suspected he was recording the Jets' defensive signals. Sources say the visual evidence confirmed the suspicion.
Goodell is considering severe sanctions, including the possibility of docking the Patriots "multiple draft picks" because it is the competitive violation in the wake of a stern warning to all teams since he became commissioner, the sources said. The Patriots have been suspected in previous incidents.
A league spokesman, however, said only that an investigation is under way. Both teams said no decision has been made.
The statement was issued 10 minutes before the standard Wednesday media availability at which Belichick, like all NFL coaches, discusses Sunday's game. But few in the media workroom had come to hear about the San Diego Chargers. Belichick begged for a football question.
"Any questions about the Chargers?" he pleaded in his standard other-things-to-do monotone. "Want to talk about the football game? If not, I think that statement pretty much covers it."
It appeared that he might find no takers, before one reporter asked about defending against Chargers running back LaDanian Tomlinson.
The coach smiled.
"Whatever happens out there Sunday night, out there on the field, that's where everybody will make their statement," he said.
Information from The Associated Press and ESPN's Chris Mortensen was used in this report.
ESPN.com news services
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick apologized to his team on Wednesday and confirmed that he has spoken to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell about his "interpretation" of league rules that ban videotaping of the opposing sideline.
It was not clear what Belichick was apologizing for, and the coach repeatedly refused to elaborate on a one-paragraph statement issued 10 minutes before a regularly scheduled news conference to discuss Sunday night's game against the San Diego Chargers.
"At this point, we have not been notified of the league's ruling," Belichick said in a statement. "Although it remains a league matter, I want to apologize to everyone who has been affected, most of all ownership, staff and players. Following the league's decision, I will have further comment."
Belichick refused to elaborate on the statement several times during a news conference. After about 15 minutes discussing Sunday's game, he was pressed harder on his "interpretation of the rules," and the coach walked out of the room.
His statement follows ESPN's Chris Mortensen's report that the NFL is considering punishing the Patriots for spying.
Goodell has determined that the New England Patriots violated league rules Sunday when they videotaped defensive signals by the New York Jets' coaches, league sources told Mortensen.
NFL security officials confiscated a camera and videotape from Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella on the New England sidelines when it was suspected he was recording the Jets' defensive signals. Sources say the visual evidence confirmed the suspicion.
Goodell is considering severe sanctions, including the possibility of docking the Patriots "multiple draft picks" because it is the competitive violation in the wake of a stern warning to all teams since he became commissioner, the sources said. The Patriots have been suspected in previous incidents.
NFL security officials confiscated a camera and videotape from Patriots video assistant Matt Estrella on the New England sidelines when it was suspected he was recording the Jets' defensive signals. Sources say the visual evidence confirmed the suspicion.
Goodell is considering severe sanctions, including the possibility of docking the Patriots "multiple draft picks" because it is the competitive violation in the wake of a stern warning to all teams since he became commissioner, the sources said. The Patriots have been suspected in previous incidents.
A league spokesman, however, said only that an investigation is under way. Both teams said no decision has been made.
The statement was issued 10 minutes before the standard Wednesday media availability at which Belichick, like all NFL coaches, discusses Sunday's game. But few in the media workroom had come to hear about the San Diego Chargers. Belichick begged for a football question.
"Any questions about the Chargers?" he pleaded in his standard other-things-to-do monotone. "Want to talk about the football game? If not, I think that statement pretty much covers it."
It appeared that he might find no takers, before one reporter asked about defending against Chargers running back LaDanian Tomlinson.
The coach smiled.
"Whatever happens out there Sunday night, out there on the field, that's where everybody will make their statement," he said.
Information from The Associated Press and ESPN's Chris Mortensen was used in this report.
Songs that describe everything at this moment
Sing it out loud girlfriend; Christina is the best.
"Walk Away" and "Underappreciated" are songs that I can't stop listening to and singing out loud by myself at my desk alone.
Very disappointing
Yesterday it was confirmed that a Patriots video assistant had been taping the defensive coordinator's signals of the Jets during the Jets game. This is very disappointing, confusing and frustrating as a fan. For me, I always believed the Pats had won and were a great team bc they studied and worked hard- not bc they cheat. I just feel really let down. I still believe in my team and love them to death, but it's this one bad egg that has me all confused and wondering the ethics of what goes down. I mean, this could just be that he (Matt Estrella, the Pats video assistant) got caught and many other teams have slipped by when their own video assistants do the same thing. I don't know, i'm frustrated. especially since we're such a good team, that to have this attached to it just hinders the integrity of the team.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Henry back on the market
Thierry Henry's divorce has been finalized and he is now back on the single market. ahhhh he's so beautiful.
Why Britney SUCKED ASS
Thank you NY Post:September 11, 2007 -- Britney Spears has no one to blame but herself for her disastrous performance at the MTV Video Music Awards Sunday night. The lip-synching pop tart showed up for her big comeback late, unprepared and with a drink in her hand.
On Saturday, the day before the VMAs, Spears was scheduled to arrive at rehearsal at around 1 p.m. Our spy said, "She didn't even get to Las Vegas until 4:30 p.m. It was ridiculous . . . The production people at MTV were freaking out . . . Nobody can tell Britney what to do anymore. No one can control her. She is a mess."
Click Here For A New Gallery Of Britney During And After The Performance
Yesterday: Britney A Bust
Click Here For A Gallery Of Britney At The VMAs
To make matters worse, when she arrived in Vegas, Spears didn't go straight to rehearsals.
"She went to her hotel room and ordered a bunch of food and some frozen margaritas," the spy said. "She came down, like, an hour later with a frozen margarita in her hand."
When Spears preformed on Sunday, she stumbled a couple times and couldn't remember the words she was lip-syncing. She covered her mouth at one point but by the end of the song had simply given up any pretense of singing.
"The dance number was spectacular - without her," said our spy at rehearsal. "When the stand-in was rehearsing with the dancers, in the hours they were all waiting for her, it was amazing. Then Britney showed up and refused to do anything. The dancers were supposed to lift and twirl her in the air a few times, and that just wasn't going to happen. The more complicated dance moves had to be erased because she couldn't do them."
Meanwhile, Spears was agitated because she didn't like the outfit MTV had selected for her.
"MTV wanted her to wear a corset outfit. It would have looked great and covered a lot of things up, but she hated it and didn't think it was sexy enough."
Instead, Spears changed into a spangly bra-and-underwear outfit she'd brought with her that emphasized her weight gain over the last year.
MTV execs weren't the only ones worried about Spears' impending debacle. Another spy said, "The dancers were texting pals, asking them to pray for them. They were worried."
After Spears performed at the VMAs, she allegedly broke down in tears but then partied until 3 a.m. She changed outfits several times and again was photographed by paparazzi wearing no underwear.
A rep for Spears didn't return e-mails.
On Saturday, the day before the VMAs, Spears was scheduled to arrive at rehearsal at around 1 p.m. Our spy said, "She didn't even get to Las Vegas until 4:30 p.m. It was ridiculous . . . The production people at MTV were freaking out . . . Nobody can tell Britney what to do anymore. No one can control her. She is a mess."
Click Here For A New Gallery Of Britney During And After The Performance
Yesterday: Britney A Bust
Click Here For A Gallery Of Britney At The VMAs
To make matters worse, when she arrived in Vegas, Spears didn't go straight to rehearsals.
"She went to her hotel room and ordered a bunch of food and some frozen margaritas," the spy said. "She came down, like, an hour later with a frozen margarita in her hand."
When Spears preformed on Sunday, she stumbled a couple times and couldn't remember the words she was lip-syncing. She covered her mouth at one point but by the end of the song had simply given up any pretense of singing.
"The dance number was spectacular - without her," said our spy at rehearsal. "When the stand-in was rehearsing with the dancers, in the hours they were all waiting for her, it was amazing. Then Britney showed up and refused to do anything. The dancers were supposed to lift and twirl her in the air a few times, and that just wasn't going to happen. The more complicated dance moves had to be erased because she couldn't do them."
Meanwhile, Spears was agitated because she didn't like the outfit MTV had selected for her.
"MTV wanted her to wear a corset outfit. It would have looked great and covered a lot of things up, but she hated it and didn't think it was sexy enough."
Instead, Spears changed into a spangly bra-and-underwear outfit she'd brought with her that emphasized her weight gain over the last year.
MTV execs weren't the only ones worried about Spears' impending debacle. Another spy said, "The dancers were texting pals, asking them to pray for them. They were worried."
After Spears performed at the VMAs, she allegedly broke down in tears but then partied until 3 a.m. She changed outfits several times and again was photographed by paparazzi wearing no underwear.
A rep for Spears didn't return e-mails.
WE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER
We will always remember this day back in 2001 as lives were changed forever. Thoughts and prayers to anyone who was affected by the events that day.
Britney's people are putting the spin on things
Perez Hilton claims that Britney didn't cry at the end of her performance bc of Sarah Silverman's joke about calling her kids "beautiful mistakes" but she cried bc Britney knew she sucked. Allegedly, no one knew what Sarah was going to say before the actual show so there would be no way anyone would know before hand. click on the link below to read the full deets.
http://perezhilton.com/?p=5316
http://perezhilton.com/?p=5316
Monday, September 10, 2007
Soccer players have the best bodies
I've said this time and time again, soccer players have the best bodies. They're constantly running so they have that nice, lean physique that I love and they don't have huge gross big muscles. They're just impeccably cut, defined, and naturally hottt. This is ManU's Cristiano Ronaldo's backside. Got dam! Mmmmm i love that lower backside curve.... ugh, i just wanna slap his ass and grab it!
Little Maroney
I got heckled all day from Jets fans but that's okay bc I knew the Pats were going to win. Isn't roommate so hot? Mmmm i think so.
I drank the Kool-Aid
I have to admit when the Pats first drafted Randy Moss i was hesistant about how he was going to be with the team, was he going to hold them back with his shenanigans that he was known for in Oakland? or will he be the Pro-Bowler that he was known for previously? I decided to wait it out and see how he would develop on the team bc as all Pats fans know, Bill runs the team and Brady disperses the ball to whoever can get the TD, not just who is the "best" player.anyways, after yesterday's game, I am officially a Randy Moss fan.
Thank you ESPN for summing it up perfectly
Moss has huge day; Brady throws three TDs as Pats trounce Jets
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Randy Moss caught a long pass and stepped into the end zone, flashing the dominant playmaking ability that made him one of NFL's most feared wide receivers.
Looks like it's time for opposing defenses to get scared again.
Moss caught nine passes from Tom Brady for 183 yards and a touchdown in his New England debut, leading the Patriots to a 38-14 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. Ellis Hobbs also set an NFL record by taking the second-half kickoff 108 yards for a score.
"I was nervous before the game," Moss said. "I didn't know how much I was going to play or what might happen. I settled down after the first catch and the first hit. I don't think I ever was more anxious or more nervous. I didn't know how I would play."
Neither did anyone else, including the Patriots.
Moss, acquired from Oakland in a draft-day deal, missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury and it was unclear how much of an impact he would have with his new team, or if he'd even play against the Jets.
In the end, Moss made all the difference.
"I've been playing long enough so that I've pretty much got down catching balls and making plays after I get them," Moss said. "I've got that covered, but I've got to get my mind ready."
Moss was prepared after two miserable years with the Raiders. A perennial Pro Bowl receiver with Minnesota, he appeared rejuvenated Sunday, showing no ill effects from the missed time in camp.
"He was a great player before he got to the Patriots," Brady said. "Obviously, he's still a great player."
Brady, who faced little pressure from the Jets, was 22-of-28 for 297 yards and three touchdowns, including a 5-yarder to Benjamin Watson that was set up by catches of 22 and 33 yards by Moss. Brady continued his mastery of the Jets, improving to 7-0 against them at Giants Stadium, and 11-2 overall. Brady has thrown 17 touchdown passes and only five interceptions in his 14 appearances against the Jets.
With many fans still returning to their seats from the halftime break, Hobbs caught Mike Nugent's kickoff deep in the end zone and surprisingly ran it out.
"He was a great player before he got to the Patriots. Obviously, he's still a great player."
-- Tom Brady on Randy Moss
"It was one of those deals that when he started to run, you yell: 'No! No! No! ... Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!"' Welker said.
Hobbs made a few cuts to the left sideline and took off untouched into the end zone to give New England a 21-7 lead 14 seconds into the third quarter.
"When you start going, you can feel it opening up more and more," Hobbs said. "You just want to head for that end zone. I always try to find that sixth or seventh gear, the gear they don't even make."
The previous record for longest kickoff return was 106 yards by three players, most recently by Roy Green of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979.
The play also tied the record for longest in NFL history, matching the 108-yard missed field goal returns by Chicago's Devin Hester last season against the Giants, and the Bears' Nathan Vasher the previous season against San Francisco.
"That was tough to swallow," Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. "It was tough for us to give up that."
Laveranues Coles had two touchdown catches for the Jets, who had a scare in the third quarter when quarterback Chad Pennington hobbled to the sideline with a lower right leg injury.
On second-and-12 from the Patriots 49, Pennington went back to throw and was hit hard by Jarvis Green. Pennington was slow to get up and was in obvious pain before standing up, then collapsing to the turf after taking a few steps. Pennington eventually hopped on his left leg to the sideline.
"I've never had a lower leg injury before," Pennington said. "I'm not going to lay there, I'll tell you that."
Pennington flung his helmet to the ground as he hopped over to the bench, where he was surrounded by team trainers. Kellen Clemens replaced him, but Pennington came back to start the Jets' next series with his right ankle heavily wrapped. He led the team on a scoring drive capped by Coles' 1-yard touchdown catch.
In the fourth quarter, Clemens again replaced Pennington, who decided it wasn't worth it to risk further injury. Pennington, 16-of-21 for 167 yards and the two touchdown passes to Coles, was uncertain how serious the injury is.
"The doctors are taking a look at it, and I'm sure I'll see them frequently this week and we'll go from there," he said before limping from the podium.
Game notesThe 183 yards receiving were the third-most in Moss' career. His career high is 204 at Chicago in 1999, and he had 190 yards receiving at Green Bay in 1998. ... Thomas Jones made his Jets debut and gained 42 yards on 14 carries.
Scouts Buzz
The Moss-Brady combination has finally arrived. The Patriots did a great job of moving Randy Moss around in the formation to create individual mismatches they could exploit on the back end against a Jets secondary that still lacks a shutdown corner. QB Tom Brady continues to play at an extremely high level and his ability to make all throws in the passing game and that placed a lot of pressure on the Jets defense. Moss displayed great hands, receiving skills and deep speed while adjusting downfield. He's still one of the best deep receivers in the NFL. He created mismatches all day that turned into explosive plays in the passing game and was productive on all three levels (short, intermediate and deep) in the passing game. The Patriots were extremely impressive in the opening week of the 2007 season.-- Keith Kidd, Scouts Inc.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Randy Moss caught a long pass and stepped into the end zone, flashing the dominant playmaking ability that made him one of NFL's most feared wide receivers.
Looks like it's time for opposing defenses to get scared again.
Moss caught nine passes from Tom Brady for 183 yards and a touchdown in his New England debut, leading the Patriots to a 38-14 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. Ellis Hobbs also set an NFL record by taking the second-half kickoff 108 yards for a score.
"I was nervous before the game," Moss said. "I didn't know how much I was going to play or what might happen. I settled down after the first catch and the first hit. I don't think I ever was more anxious or more nervous. I didn't know how I would play."
Neither did anyone else, including the Patriots.
Moss, acquired from Oakland in a draft-day deal, missed most of training camp with a hamstring injury and it was unclear how much of an impact he would have with his new team, or if he'd even play against the Jets.
In the end, Moss made all the difference.
"I've been playing long enough so that I've pretty much got down catching balls and making plays after I get them," Moss said. "I've got that covered, but I've got to get my mind ready."
Moss was prepared after two miserable years with the Raiders. A perennial Pro Bowl receiver with Minnesota, he appeared rejuvenated Sunday, showing no ill effects from the missed time in camp.
"He was a great player before he got to the Patriots," Brady said. "Obviously, he's still a great player."
Brady, who faced little pressure from the Jets, was 22-of-28 for 297 yards and three touchdowns, including a 5-yarder to Benjamin Watson that was set up by catches of 22 and 33 yards by Moss. Brady continued his mastery of the Jets, improving to 7-0 against them at Giants Stadium, and 11-2 overall. Brady has thrown 17 touchdown passes and only five interceptions in his 14 appearances against the Jets.
With many fans still returning to their seats from the halftime break, Hobbs caught Mike Nugent's kickoff deep in the end zone and surprisingly ran it out.
"He was a great player before he got to the Patriots. Obviously, he's still a great player."
-- Tom Brady on Randy Moss
"It was one of those deals that when he started to run, you yell: 'No! No! No! ... Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!"' Welker said.
Hobbs made a few cuts to the left sideline and took off untouched into the end zone to give New England a 21-7 lead 14 seconds into the third quarter.
"When you start going, you can feel it opening up more and more," Hobbs said. "You just want to head for that end zone. I always try to find that sixth or seventh gear, the gear they don't even make."
The previous record for longest kickoff return was 106 yards by three players, most recently by Roy Green of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1979.
The play also tied the record for longest in NFL history, matching the 108-yard missed field goal returns by Chicago's Devin Hester last season against the Giants, and the Bears' Nathan Vasher the previous season against San Francisco.
"That was tough to swallow," Jets linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. "It was tough for us to give up that."
Laveranues Coles had two touchdown catches for the Jets, who had a scare in the third quarter when quarterback Chad Pennington hobbled to the sideline with a lower right leg injury.
On second-and-12 from the Patriots 49, Pennington went back to throw and was hit hard by Jarvis Green. Pennington was slow to get up and was in obvious pain before standing up, then collapsing to the turf after taking a few steps. Pennington eventually hopped on his left leg to the sideline.
"I've never had a lower leg injury before," Pennington said. "I'm not going to lay there, I'll tell you that."
Pennington flung his helmet to the ground as he hopped over to the bench, where he was surrounded by team trainers. Kellen Clemens replaced him, but Pennington came back to start the Jets' next series with his right ankle heavily wrapped. He led the team on a scoring drive capped by Coles' 1-yard touchdown catch.
In the fourth quarter, Clemens again replaced Pennington, who decided it wasn't worth it to risk further injury. Pennington, 16-of-21 for 167 yards and the two touchdown passes to Coles, was uncertain how serious the injury is.
"The doctors are taking a look at it, and I'm sure I'll see them frequently this week and we'll go from there," he said before limping from the podium.
Game notesThe 183 yards receiving were the third-most in Moss' career. His career high is 204 at Chicago in 1999, and he had 190 yards receiving at Green Bay in 1998. ... Thomas Jones made his Jets debut and gained 42 yards on 14 carries.
Scouts Buzz
The Moss-Brady combination has finally arrived. The Patriots did a great job of moving Randy Moss around in the formation to create individual mismatches they could exploit on the back end against a Jets secondary that still lacks a shutdown corner. QB Tom Brady continues to play at an extremely high level and his ability to make all throws in the passing game and that placed a lot of pressure on the Jets defense. Moss displayed great hands, receiving skills and deep speed while adjusting downfield. He's still one of the best deep receivers in the NFL. He created mismatches all day that turned into explosive plays in the passing game and was productive on all three levels (short, intermediate and deep) in the passing game. The Patriots were extremely impressive in the opening week of the 2007 season.-- Keith Kidd, Scouts Inc.
BRITNEY BOMBED!
http://www.tmz.com/tmz_main_video?titleid=1173355354
If you didn't get a chance to catch some of britney's performance last night, TMZ has compiled some clips right here. To say it was terrible would be nice. Poor brit brit, she looked so dead in the eyes and as if she was going through the motions. chris brown's performance later on in the show was CRAZY!!! he is bananas. britney is bananas too but not in the same sense.
If you didn't get a chance to catch some of britney's performance last night, TMZ has compiled some clips right here. To say it was terrible would be nice. Poor brit brit, she looked so dead in the eyes and as if she was going through the motions. chris brown's performance later on in the show was CRAZY!!! he is bananas. britney is bananas too but not in the same sense.
Friday, September 7, 2007
PATS VS. JETS THIS SUNDAY AT 1PM!!!
Um, can we say excited?and i know i am going to get so much shit on sunday but i could care less. it'll be a really good game considering the new circumstances. either way though, i'll be pleased to just be there!
GOOOOOOOOOOOOO PATS BABY!!!
VMAs this sunday!
Britney is performing the MTV VMAs opener this sunday and it should be very, very, very, very interesting. First of all, she is sucking on hoodia lollipops which allegedly help you lose weight and give you energy- a total piece of crock; she's sleeping with creepy ass criss angel who is a media whore, and she will most likely be lipsynching... performance at its best!
anyways, she'll be entertaining to say the least. oh and she is doing the song "gimme more" which is soooooo good, my fav!
SPEDWAY SUCKS!
http://www.thebostonchannel.com/news/14063971/detail.html
hahahaa this is hilarious. in the town where i grew up, there is a huge rivalry between holliston and medway. two girls on the HHS soccer team pissed on the medway field and videotaped it which eventually got posted which eventually got seen by administrators. hilarious!
now, where is this video? i searched youtube and got nothing.
Porn books are the best
Sorry I haven't really posted anything today. i was precoccupied reading this book by Brenda Jackson, "What a woman wants." basically it's a hot porn book and now i want roommate right now.
Thursday, September 6, 2007
SEASON OPENER TONIGHT AT 8:30!
My man Reggie Bush is in the season opener tonight against the Colts. If i bet, my monies is on the Saints over the Colts. I hate the Colts; die die die.GOOOOO SAINTS!!!
Quite a handful
One of the photos in 50's new album cover. Obv that's a video ho wrapped around him, but got dam! if she wants to give some of that up, i'd be more than happy to take it from her! hell, i'll trade!
more lunges. more squats. more food.
i just wanna smack it.
OH. MY. GOOD. NESS.
MUST.
TAKE.
PANTS.
OFF.
NOW.
holy hotness....
...inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale...
"Hi Mr. Bush, i have some dirty laundry and my washer is broken, can i use your abs?"
Yigal Azrouel 9.5.07
The orange citrus color in the long dress is absolutely fabulous and perfect for spring. in fact, it's a perfect color for all seasons! i want that dress now. the "bandage" wrap dress reminds me a lot of the Herve Leger dress that a lot of celebs have been wearing lately. I still like it though. the green metallic flapper dress is great too. not a fan of the shoes though. they wouldve been better if that thick tan strap wasnt there, it's cutting off the line of the leg. on a normal person that would be some cause for concern but on a stick skinny model, it doesnt matter.
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