Monday, January 31, 2011
Oracle to pay $46 million to settle kickbacks complaint
Fight for the Troops 2 weigh-in: Mitrione and Hague get to know each other
All the UFC fighters on the Fight for the Troops 2 card are ready to go, but it looked like Matt Mitrione and Tim Hague were ready to thrown down on the stage during the weigh-in Ft. Hood in Killeen, Tx. (video).
After weighing in at a combined 516 pounds, the big boys got nose-to-nose (18:15 mark).
Mitrone, who generally fights around 253, was at a UFC career-high 260 while Hague was slimmer than normal at 256.5.
It was also worth keeping an eye on the condition of the fighters in the other heavyweight bout.
Joey Beltran, a blown up light heavyweight, looked doughy as usual. He's survived fighting at 230 with a little extra meat around his midsection, but his opponent Pat Barry has shown that if he blows up too much it can hurt his cause.
Barry weighed a UFC career-high 248 before his loss at UFC 115 to Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic. He was between 233-237 during his first three UFC fights. Today, he weighed in at a more manageable 240.
The main event fighters, Evan Dunham and Melvin Guillard both arrived on weight as did the remaining 18 fighters.
Mike Guymon and DaMarques Johnson produced one of the goofiest weigh-in staredowns in the history of fighting, as both fighters smiled for the camera (9:10 mark).
Yves Edwards was also in a relaxed mood. He made weight while eating potato chips on the scale and was even nice enough to offer Cody McKenzie a few chips (10:45 mark).
Let's not leave out the Octagon girls. Those camouflage numbers were pretty nice.
MAIN CARD
Evan Dunham (156) vs. Melvin Guillard (155)
Tim Hague (256.5) vs. Matt Mitrione (260)
Mark Hominick (145.5) vs. George Roop (145)
Pat Barry (240) vs. Joey Beltran (230)
Cole Miller (155.5) vs. Matt Wiman (155)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Yves Edwards (155) vs. Cody McKenzie (155)
Mike Guymon (170.5) vs. DaMarques Johnson (170)
PRELIMINARY CARD
Mike Brown (146) vs. Rani Yahya (145)
Willamy Freire (155) vs. Waylon Lowe (156)
Amilcar Alves (171) vs. Charlie Brenneman (171)
Chris Cariaso (135) vs. Will Campuzano (135)
ESPN acquires U.S. broadcast rights for 2012, 2016 European Championships
ESPN has acquired U.S. broadcast rights to soccer's European Championship in 2012 and 2016 and will televise every game of both tournaments.
Wintry blast for Super Bowl too early for trouble
Czisny?s Return Ends in Skating Title
Weekend Look Back: Upsets abound, yet Buckeyes above fray
Herschel's involvement in MMA prompts one columnist to call the sport a circus
I want to like this sport. I want to understand it. I want to cover it, and write about it, and take it seriously. But how can I while the sport itself aims to be a circus?
Canzano wrote that in the Oregonian on Saturday in advance of Walker's fight this coming weekend against someone named Scott Carson.
[...] This matchup is a joke. It feels like Tonya Harding boxing. And dwarf Eddie Gaedel having an at-bat for the St. Louis Browns in 1951. And it's Chad Ocho Cinco racing against a horse.
Canzano then made sure to point out that Walker is fighting for Strikeforce not the UFC.
It's worth noting that Strikeforce is promoting this bout. That operation is a more sensationalized, more desperate younger cousin of the UFC. Hard-core mixed martial arts fans are quick to point this out and dismiss this as no big deal. Trouble is, the peripheral sports fan who is just getting to know the sport can't, and won't, make this distinction. I can't, either.
He's right, but frankly, in spite of James Toney's lengthy boxing resume, Walker may have stood a better shot in the cage at UFC 118 against Randy Couture. The UFC played the circus game a bit last year too.
Is Canzano, who's also a talk show host on Portland's biggest sports talk station, overreacting or does he speak for many casual and non-MMA fans?
Feel free to reach out to Canzano to debate the topic on Twitter @johncanzanobft, but remember to be civil. There's no reason to represent the MMA fanbase poorly.
Packers? Rodgers Has Deep Roots in Chico
Louisville Upends UConn in Double-OT
Filed under: Connecticut, Louisville, Big East
STORRS, Conn. -- Rick Pitino has been with his Louisville basketball team every step of the way this season, but you get the impression he is having a hard time comprehending the comeback ability of the Cardinals. He did everything but rub his eyes in disbelief Saturday after Louisville rallied from a nine-point, second-half deficit to upset No. 5 Connecticut, 79-78, in double overtime at Gampel Pavilion.
It really was something to see. And it's safe to say Kemba Walker, a candidate for national player of the year, and the rest of the Huskies wish they had never witnessed it.
"It was a gutty performance," Pitino said. "I can't say enough about our guys. I thought I saw it all with Marquette, saw it all with the last game (against West Virginia). But this game, to me, is the capper of the season for us right now."
Against Marquette on Jan. 15, Louisville rallied from an 18-point deficit with 5:44 remaining to win, 71-70. Three days ago, the Cardinals trailed West Virginia by 12 in the second half and won 55-54 on Peyton Siva's driving scoop shot off the glass with 4.5 seconds remaining.
Now, No. 23 Louisville (17-4, 6-2) has moved into sole possession of second place in the Big East. And Siva, a 5-foot-11 sophomore guard, was in the middle of everything again -- especially the UConn defense, which couldn't stop him from getting to the rim at the end of the game.
Siva led Louisville with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting from the field. Those numbers are important, but the thing people will remember are the easy baskets he scored. Siva's layup with 29 seconds left in regulation tied the game at 59-59. His stunning and forceful dunk forced the second overtime. Then he got into the lane for two more driving layups in the second overtime.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Thompson leads Washington St. past No. 17 Washington
Goal: Oh, You (Red) Devils
USC loses to Arizona and ones who got away
Reporting from Tucson
Poppy Montgomery Portia de Rossi Rachael Leigh Cook Rachel Bilson
Winning doesn't wipe away Big Ben's past
Lindsay Lohan -- 'Worried' About Charlie Sheen
Filed under: Charlie Sheen, Lindsay Lohan, Nurse!, Developing Stories
Lindsay Lohan believes Charlie Sheen is in the midst of a "life or death situation" ... and has told friends she's "thrilled" that he's checked himself into a rehab center. Sources close to Lohan tell us ... Lindsay is "worried" about Sheen because his… Read moreNHL All-Star Game Broadcast Promoted Throughout New NBCUniversal Platforms
Filed under: NHL Media Watch
As Comcast takes over NBC Universal just before midnight Friday, hockey will be impacted in a potentially positive way. According to an industry source, the NHL All-Star Game -- broadcast on VERSUS on Sunday -- has been selected as the first "cross-channel priority" for the new NBCUniversal.A "cross-channel priority" is an initiative identified by the network's marketing council to receive broad promotion across NBCUniversal's numerous platforms.
NBCUniversal has been successfully employing the initiative for big events such as the Olympics, NFL Kickoff, movie premieres like "Despicable Me" and the launch of "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" at Universal Theme Park in Orlando, Fla.
Now that NBCUniversal has combined with Comcast's media assets, the cross-promotional capabilities are larger than ever. The new NBCUniversal has 20 channels and more than 40 websites to use to promote its "cross-channel priorities." As a result, the 2011 NHL All-Star Game stands to benefit -- as could the NHL for years to come if it enters a long-term broadcast partnership with NBC.
Honda Sales Up 19% Globally for 2010 ? Sells 80% in Asia
Vanessa Simmons Veronica Kay Veronika Vaeková Victoria Beckham
Honda Sales Up 19% Globally for 2010 ? Sells 80% in Asia
'1-2-3, White House!' Woodson finds voice for Pack
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Amazon.com: The Wal-Mart of Android apps?
Last week I talked about the forthcoming Amazon Appstore for Android and how I thought developers could benefit from increased competition in the software distribution market. I still think that's true, but in using the Amazon Appstore as my example, I may have spoken too soon. The more I look at the fine print, the more skeptical I become that Amazon.com's move will be a real boon to Android developers.
At the Pro Bowl, One Big Happy Family
Microsoft-HP integration deal yields four new appliances
Almost exactly one year has passed since HP and Microsoft trumpeted a three-year, $250 million "infrastructure-to-apps" partnership throug
Minki van der Westhuizen Miranda Kerr Mischa Barton Missi Pyle
Cisco insists it has a cloud strategy
There's a telling moment near the beginning of a video interview with Lew Tucker, Cisco CTO of cloud computing.
Herschel could put aside MMA for a return to the NFL
Don't tell Herschel Walker he's being ridiculous. The former NFL running back probably won't be swayed. He put together a borderline Hall of Fame career in the NFL without lifting a weight. Then he turned to an Olympic quest at age 29 and made a U.S. two-man bobsled team in the 1992 Olympics. His latest endeavor is a career in mixed martial arts. Now in typical Walker fashion, he said he's not done. His next dream is to return to the NFL when he's 50.
"I tell people I may even try out for football again and show people I can do that. I'd be the George Foreman of football and come back and do that one more time," Walker, 48, said on a conference call.
As he preps for his second career pro MMA fight, this weekend in San Jose against Scott Carson, Walker still believes he could clash helmets with athletes who may be 25 years younger than him.
"There is a 100 percent guarantee that today I could help a football team out," said Walker.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal pointed out that Walker claims he can still run with the best athletes in the world:
Walker said he was clocked at a mind-boggling 4.38 in the 40-yard dash after his MMA debut last year and that his time right now would certainly be sub-4.5.
The 1982 Heisman Trophy winner said it's just a matter of fitting a football comeback into his schedule.
"If I can fit it in my schedule, yes I would do it," he said. "I 100 percent guarantee today I could help a football team out."
Pretty strange, right? It's par for the course with Walker, who has a ripped body in his late 40s in spite of a diet that would make most doctors cringe.
"Most every nutritionist in the world has told me 'You can't do that. You can't do that.' And my thing is 'Guys, I've been doing this for over 20-something years," Walker said. "It's not something that I just started doing because I've was turning into an MMA fighter. I was doing it when I was playing football. And it works for me. I'm not going to say it's going to work for everyone else."
Walker said his NFL teams of choice would be the Minnesota Vikings or Atlanta Falcons. Since Walker's not dispensing advice to others, maybe we should all stop telling the legend to cross another sports hurdle in the future.
Gisele Bündchen Giuliana DePandi Giulianna Ramirez Grace Park
Indy tipping contest scores
Honorable mention goes to [...]
Jan. 24, 1935: First Canned Beer Sold
The American Can Co. began experimenting with canned beer in 1909. But the cans couldn’t withstand the pressure from carbonation — up to 80 [...]
HOG CALLS: Wilson ready for his shot as Hogs? QB
Georgianna Robertson Georgina Grenville Gina Carano Gina Gershon
To Increase Production, Jeter Tries Subtracting a Step
Friday, January 28, 2011
Trustee Seeks Hundreds of Millions From Mets Owners Over Madoff Fraud
UJRadio Presents: Joe Wasilewski on Crocs and the Congo! - Jan 29,2011
Join Danny& Andy as we chat with Joe and find out about his latest adventures plus bring you news and an overall good time. Join us Friday nigh at 10pm live on Urban Jungles Radio!
Joe Wasilewski
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