Posted Wednesday December 19, 2012 8:00 PM GMT

Jessica Stroup Sherilyn Fenn

“Jack Reacher” Featurette Starring Tom Cruise Released: Watch Here! is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

FX now airs six fights, not the usual four, prior to the Dec. 8′s main-card broadcast on FOX.

The bouts include bantamweights Mike Easton (13-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) vs. Raphael Assuncao (18-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and featherweights Dennis Siver (20-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) vs. Nam Phan (18-10 MMA, 2-3 UFC).

UFC on FOX 5 takes place Dec. 8 at Seattle’s KeyArena and features a main event between lightweight champion Benson Henderson and top contender Nate Diaz.

Although FUEL TV carried past UFC on FOX prelims, they now head to the bigger FX. Other bouts part of next week’s three-hour broadcast, which follows additional prelims on Facebook, include heavyweights Brendan Schaub (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) vs. Lavar Johnson (17-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC), “The Ultimate Fighter 15″ lightweight winner Michael Chiesa (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. Marcus LeVesseur (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC), “TUF 13″ runner-up Ramsey Nijem (6-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. fellow lightweight Joe Proctor (8-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), and lightweights Yves Edwards (41-18-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) vs. Jeremy Stephens (20-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC).

The full UFC on FOX 5 card includes:

MAIN CARD (FOX, 8 p.m. ET)

• Champ Benson Henderson vs. Nate Diaz (for lightweight title)
• Alexander Gustafsson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
• Rory MacDonald vs. B.J. Penn
• Matt Brown vs. Mike Swick

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 5 p.m. ET)

• Lavar Johnson vs. Brendan Schaub
• Mike Chiesa vs. Marcus LeVesseur
• Raphael Assuncao vs. Mike Easton
• Nam Phan vs. Dennis Siver
• Ramsey Nijem vs. Joe Proctor
• Yves Edwards vs. Jeremy Stephens

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 3:30 p.m. ET)

• Daron Cruickshank vs. Henry Martinez
• John Albert vs. Scott Jorgensen
• Tim Means vs. Abel Trujillo

For more on UFC on FOX 5, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Mike Easton)

Jessica Drake Alex Kingston

UFC on FOX 5′s FX-televised prelims add Easton-Assuncao and Siver-Phan is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted December 19th, 2012 by Marissa & filed under Junk Drawer, SFW, The Daily Dose (Entertainment News).

Michelle Branch Sonia Couling

Celebs.com Junk Drawer: Ke$ha, Tom Cruise and Shaun White is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

The last two lockouts produced gold medals for the Canadian junior team. But in comparison there only is one Canadian junior dream team — in 2004-05.

I guess I’m one of those bitter old guys who believes yesteryear was better.

Recently, I floated out an idea to a friend and long-time NHL scout that the two Canadian junior teams put together for the NHL lockout of 1994-95 and 2004-05 were close in talent.

After all, both won gold. Both didn’t lose a game.

“Come on, not even close,” the NHL scout said. “There was much more talent on the 2005 team. Did that first team have anybody close to a Sidney Crosby or Shea Weber? No way.

“Count up how many Stanley Cups the players from each team has won, and most of those players have only seven years in the NHL.”

Okay, okay. Settle down, my friend.

He was right, of course. Besides the fact that the 1994-95 Canadian under-20 team went a perfect 7-0 and outscored the opposition 49-22 under head coach Don Hay. A decade later, the Canadian juniors went 6-0 and walloped opponents by a combined score of 41-7 with Brent Sutter behind the bench, and dominated Alex Ovechkin and the Russians 6-1 in the final.

The 1994-95 championship, hosted by Red Deer, Alta., was the third in a streak of five in a row for Canada. Ten years later, when Crosby and company won in Grand Forks, N.D., snapped a seven year gold-less slump for the Canadian junior team program.

Already, players from that 2004-05 team have a combined 11 Stanley Cup rings in Andrew Ladd (2006, 2010), Ryan Getzlaf (2007), Corey Perry (2007), Sidney Crosby (2009), Colin Fraser (2010, 2012), Brent Seabrook (2010), Patrice Bergeron (2011), Jeff Carter (2012) and Mike Richards (2012).

Ed Jovanovksi (1996), Ryan Smyth (2006), Shean Donovan (2007) and Wade Redden all went to Stanley Cup finals, but the only NHL championships among the 1994-95 Canadian junior team were from Jeff Friesen with the 2002-03 New Jersey Devils and Jason Botterill as a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins front office in 2009.

I guess there was only one dream team when it comes to Canadian junior hockey.

Here are the number of NHL games each player has suited up for from both Canadian junior teams:

2005 Candian juniors       1995 Canadian juniors

G Rejean Beauchemin 0     G Dan Cloutier 351
G Jeff Glass 0                    G Jamie Storr 219
D Cam Barker 296              D Chad Allan 0
D Shawn Belle 20               D Bryan McCabe 1135
D Braydon Coburn 460        D Nolan Baumgartner 143
D Dion Phaneuf 552            D Wade Redden 994
D Brent Seabrook 552         D Lee Sorochan 3
D Danny Syvret 59              D Jamie Rivers 454
D Shea Weber 480              D Ed Jovanovski 1085
F Patrice Bergeron 537        F Larry Courville 33
F Jeff Carter 516                  F Jason Allison 552
F Jeremy Colliton 57            F Todd Harvey 671
F Sidney Crosby 434           F Darcy Tucker 947
F Nigel Dawes 212              F Jeff O’Neill 821
F Stephen Dixon 0              F Alexandre Daigle 616
F Colin Fraser 291              F Ryan Smyth 1151
F Ryan Getzlaf 512             F Jason Botterill 88
F Andrew Ladd 484             F Shean Donovan 951
F Clarke MacArthur 363      F Denis Pederson 435
F Corey Perry 530              F Eric Daze 601
F Mike Richards 527           FJeff Friesen 893
F Anthony Stewart 262        F Marty Murray 261

  Total 7,144                         Total 12,867

Back to accessibility links

Nancy Allen Sophie Lee

Wharnsby: Crosby-led Canadian juniors only dream team is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

The team announced Tuesday that wide receiver Malcolm Floyd, running back Ryan Mathews and offensive lineman Reggie Wells have been moved to injured reserve.

Floyd suffered an ankle injury against the Panthers, while Mathews broke his left clavicle. Wells’ injury hasn’t been disclosed.

Floyd set a career-high with 56 receptions this season, adding 814 yards and five touchdowns. Floyd’s exit from the picture could give Robert Meachem a chance to finish his lost first season in San Diego on a high note.

According to UT-San Diego, Meachem will count a guaranteed $6.875 million against the 2013 cap. He has two catches for 18 yards since Week 7.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.

Barbara Flynn Nancy Allen

Chargers place Ryan Mathews, Malcom Floyd on IR is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Tuesday December 18, 2012 8:19 PM GMT

Rebecca Gibney Lillian Muller

Ke$ha Responds to “Die Young” Controversy: “I was FORCED TO Sing Those Lyrics” is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Tuesday December 18, 2012 4:55 PM GMT

Jessica Drake Alex Kingston

One Direction Reveals Sneak Peek of “Kiss You” Music Video: Watch Here! is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

source Amanda Doherty

Pauly D — I’m Getting a NEW Reality Show … Not on MTV is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Denise Van Outen Betty White

Pauly D — I’m Getting a NEW Reality Show … Not on MTV is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Monday December 17, 2012 10:50 PM GMT

Eliza Szonert Catherine Deelay

Megan Fox talks “This is 40″ on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

On a day where Denver Broncos’ Von Miller and San Francisco 49ers’ Aldon Smith were quiet, Watt dominated the Indianapolis Colts: 10 tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks, and four more quarterback hits.

Watt now has 19.5 sacks on the season. He’s tied with Smith for the league lead and is only three sacks away from Michael Strahan’s record.

“I’ve been preparing my whole life for this type of stuff,” Watt said via the Houston Chronicle. “It’s just starting to come to fruition. One thing I can say is, I’m happy it’s not over. I’ve got plenty of football left, and I can get so much better. … The fun is just beginning.”

The intense race for the playoffs is in full gear. Check out the latest situation in the postseason chase. More …

I’ve seen enough. Watt has my hypothetical vote for the league’s best defensive player. He’s been more consistently dominating from the interior than Miller or Smith have been on the edges.

The big question left is whether Watt will re-write the record book. Don’t bet against it; Watt has another game against Indianapolis in Week 17.

Ann-Maree Biggar Josie Maran

J.J. Watt ties sack lead, eyes Michael Strahan’s record is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

“Our team and our players wanted him today on the sideline,” Jones said Sunday, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Jerry’s mother (Stacey Jackson) asked us directly as a group. She said, ‘Support him. Help him. He needs your help. Jerry wants that. I want that.’ His teammates asked him to come and be down there with them.”

Brent’s presence didn’t sit well with some, including CBS analyst Boomer Esiason, who called it “disgraceful” during the network’s pregame show. “Football players are an example and Josh Brent is the worst of those examples,” Esiason said via the Star-Telegram.

We have to imagine that Esiason didn’t have all the facts before commenting. The fact that Brown’s mother, who has continually supported Brent after the tragic event, asked the team to help the nose tackle and wanted him on the sideline with his teammates means a lot in this situation.

Brent’s actions the night of December 8 were ignorant and reckless and it cost the life of his best friend. However, in the wake of tragedies, the worst thing we can do is not discuss them, to sweep them under the rug or banish them from the sideline. Instead, these issues need to be fleshed out in the open and discussed. Ignorance is the greater crime.

Jones also confirmed Sunday that the Cowboys helped Brown’s family with the funeral costs.

“We wanted to make sure financially they could really be OK to have the funeral and do everything they needed to do,” Jones said via the Dallas Morning News. “We needed to help because there is a period of time that you have when you have some benefits. We helped financially.”

The positive moves, an overtime victory and a share of the NFC East…it was a good Sunday for America’s Team.

Follow Kevin Patra on Twitter @kpatra.

Alek Wek Killing Hiedi

Jerry Jones defends Josh Brent’s presence on sideline is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Sunday December 16, 2012 9:39 PM GMT

Sonya Kraus Angelu DeLeon

Kelly Clarkson’s Rockin’ Night at the 2012 VH1 Divas Concert is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Famke Janssen Thora Birch

Ray Lewis to Judge — Don’t Let My Baby Mama CSI My Bank Accounts!!! is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Ivana Trump Marlee Matlin

CT Shooter Adam Lanza — Learned How to Fire Guns … From His Mom is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Basharat Peer interviews William Dalrymple about his new book in the Hindustan Times:

William Dalrymple can be deceptive. He cultivates an image of nonchalance. It is rare to see him pontificate about the difficulties of research across languages, and the art of popular history in a social setting. He is most likely to speak about a hike or a trip to Istanbul. Then, a few years pass and he has produced another tome of meticulously researched history. Dalrymple’s gregarious exterior hides a disciplined writer, who disappears from public view for months, looking for unused manuscripts, finding the right translators, and typing for hours on a wooden desk in a hut in a corner of the garden of his house in Mehrauli. For his new book, Return of a King: The Battle for Afghanistan 1839-42, Dalrymple worked in archives in Delhi, Lahore, and Kabul, and found the most important Afghan accounts of the first British-Afghan war in an old Kabul bookshop. Here are excerpts from an interview:

What made you write this book? 

There are a lot of books about Afghanistan, but few about Afghan history. What brought me to write this book was thinking about Afghan history after rereading Peter Hopkirk’s classic The Great Game. It is a bit dated and features a lot of “treacherous Orientals”. Return of a King is the first book about the first Afghan war using Afghan sources, telling the stories from an Afghan point of view as well. It is the defining conflict that the Afghans remember as the source of their independence that they alone in this region never succumbed to colonial rule. 18,000 soldiers of the East India Company marched into Afghanistan in 1839 and, according to legend, one man returns alive from this debacle. The British army is destroyed at the peak of the British Empire.

More here.

Posted by S. Abbas Raza at 09:49 AM | Permalink

Sophia Bush Danniella Westbrook

Sex, lies and slaughter is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Check out the best photos of Broncos vs. Ravens matchups through the years.

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs will play against the Denver Broncos barring a late setback, a team source told NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport.

Suggs tore his right biceps two weeks ago in a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and did not play last week against the Washington Redskins.

The team always contended Suggs could play if he could handle the pain and have the range of movement to protect himself.

The Ravens need as much of a pass rush as they can get against MVP candidate Peyton Manning. The Ravens are the lone AFC division leader that has not clinched a playoff spot. They need wins to keep the cushion in between them and the Bengals and Steelers.

Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.

Jacqueline McKenzie Carey Mulligan

Terrell Suggs set to give it a go for Baltimore Ravens is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Carey Mulligan Catherine Bosley

Trey Songz Arrested for Assaulting a Woman with Money is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Saturday December 15, 2012 12:37 PM GMT

Andrea Thompson Jackie Chan

Maryna Linchuk: St. Barts Bikini Babe is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

CBC Sports is about to reveal its Top 10 most influential people in Canadian sport on Sports Weekend this Saturday. The way I see it, there aren’t enough athletes on the list.

CBC Sports is about to reveal its Top 10 most influential people in Canadian sport on Sports Weekend this Saturday. The way I see it, there aren’t enough athletes on the list.

At the top, you’ll find the NHL commissioner. But there’s a union organizer right behind him and a professional baseball executive, too. The head of the Canadian Olympic Committee is front and centre as are the men in the boardrooms of the CFL. Meantime, only three bonafide athletes made the cut, according to our editorial board.

That’s because power and influence in sport have, for too long, been defined by what happens on the sidelines.
 
It’s evident that money talks and those who have the power to spend it on salaries or dole it out to various national athletes and teams carry the big stick. This has become a widely accepted notion, that sport is nothing if not business.

That’s why you tend to find administrators, media moguls and major corporate sponsors on these kinds of lists. Those who pull the strings behind the scenes have a major influence on what the fans eventually see and how sport is presented.

According to this formula, those who patronize sport have little to no power. Do the power brokers pulling the strings during the NHL lockout fiasco really care about the consumer? It’s obvious that they don’t. They assume that rabid hockey fans will rush back to arenas when play resumes.

In Canada, they may be right. South of the border, in some of the swing states of hockey, well, they just might be looking at an entirely different animal.

So where does all of this leave the stars of sport themselves, the athletes? Ultimately, who has the power to create an iconic sporting moment like Lou Marsh Award winner Christine Sinclair did when she almost singlehandedly put soccer on the map in this country at the London Olympics? The answer is precious few Canadians.

Listen to how the man in charge of the Canadian Soccer Association described Sinclair’s affect on sport. 

“That award is a tribute to Christine and her teammates and all they’ve done in both our national and international sporting communities in 2012,” said Peter Montopoli, the CSA’s general secretary.

In Halifax, there is further proof of Sinclair’s influence. Soccer clinics sold out immediately once parents became aware Sinclair would be there to teach their kids.

“The enthusiasm of parents trying to get the kids into the camp, I don’t know how to describe it to you,” George Athanasiou of Soccer Nova Scotia told the National Post. “Plenty of people were begging for us to put them into the camp.”

Now that’s real influence in sport — the power to motivate young people and make them want to play. 

Further to that, who’s been a bigger game changer in hockey than Sidney Crosby? Who sells as many sweaters with his/her name on the back?  When Crosby plays, fans get excited and come to watch.

And who’s a better role model than the indomitable speed skater/cyclist Clara Hughes? Very few people can inspire Canadians of all ages and from all walks of life as she can. The same can be said of Milos Raonic, who has sparked a Canadian tennis revival because of his dramatic rise in the world rankings. 

Georges St. Pierre has turned a nation on to UFC and become a champion to millions with his victorious return from injury and to the top of a vicious and uncompromising sport.

Once quarterback Ricky Ray arrived in Toronto, the lamentable Argonauts thought of and then won the 100th Grey Cup in their hometown and captured the imagination of the country’s largest and most diverse city.

The point is this: athletes have the ultimate influence by virtue of their performances.

Only the athletes have the power to compete and to win or lose. They send the message. They deliver on the promise. They are the reason the fans watch. Real power in sport only exists because of what transpires on the field of play.

What’s On CBC Sports Weekend

CBC Sports Weekend is on the air at 3 p.m. ET this Saturday.

Cross Country World Cup action comes to Canmore, Alta., with the Canadian men led by trailblazers Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw. Olympic gold medalist Chandra Crawford, a Canmore native, is the last Canadian to win on the course in 2008 and is back competing on home snow for the first time in three seasons.

In Europe, the Canadian Cowboys saddle up for a World Cup downhill at Val Gardena, Italy. They’re led by reigning world champion Erik Guay, who has looked sharp in training. But they’ll have to deal with Norwegian ace Aksel Lund Svindal, who won Friday’s super-G by a wide margin.

Plus, our Big Picture panel featuring Jenn Heil, Perdita Felicien and Jonathon Gatehouse of Maclean’s magazine tackles the subject of power and influence in sport as CBC Sports reveals it’s Top 10 most influential people in Canadian sport.

Back to accessibility links

Jackie Chan Laura Dern

Russell: Power and influence in Canadian sport is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

FX now airs six fights, not the usual four, prior to the Dec. 8′s main-card broadcast on FOX.

The bouts include bantamweights Mike Easton (13-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) vs. Raphael Assuncao (18-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and featherweights Dennis Siver (20-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) vs. Nam Phan (18-10 MMA, 2-3 UFC).

UFC on FOX 5 takes place Dec. 8 at Seattle’s KeyArena and features a main event between lightweight champion Benson Henderson and top contender Nate Diaz.

Although FUEL TV carried past UFC on FOX prelims, they now head to the bigger FX. Other bouts part of next week’s three-hour broadcast, which follows additional prelims on Facebook, include heavyweights Brendan Schaub (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) vs. Lavar Johnson (17-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC), “The Ultimate Fighter 15″ lightweight winner Michael Chiesa (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. Marcus LeVesseur (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC), “TUF 13″ runner-up Ramsey Nijem (6-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. fellow lightweight Joe Proctor (8-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), and lightweights Yves Edwards (41-18-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) vs. Jeremy Stephens (20-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC).

The full UFC on FOX 5 card includes:

MAIN CARD (FOX, 8 p.m. ET)

• Champ Benson Henderson vs. Nate Diaz (for lightweight title)
• Alexander Gustafsson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
• Rory MacDonald vs. B.J. Penn
• Matt Brown vs. Mike Swick

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 5 p.m. ET)

• Lavar Johnson vs. Brendan Schaub
• Mike Chiesa vs. Marcus LeVesseur
• Raphael Assuncao vs. Mike Easton
• Nam Phan vs. Dennis Siver
• Ramsey Nijem vs. Joe Proctor
• Yves Edwards vs. Jeremy Stephens

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 3:30 p.m. ET)

• Daron Cruickshank vs. Henry Martinez
• John Albert vs. Scott Jorgensen
• Tim Means vs. Abel Trujillo

For more on UFC on FOX 5, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Mike Easton)

Anne Heche Lavinia Milosovici

UFC on FOX 5′s FX-televised prelims add Easton-Assuncao and Siver-Phan is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

CBC Sports is about to reveal its Top 10 most influential people in Canadian sport on Sports Weekend this Saturday. The way I see it, there aren’t enough athletes on the list.

CBC Sports is about to reveal its Top 10 most influential people in Canadian sport on Sports Weekend this Saturday. The way I see it, there aren’t enough athletes on the list.

At the top, you’ll find the NHL commissioner. But there’s a union organizer right behind him and a professional baseball executive, too. The head of the Canadian Olympic Committee is front and centre as are the men in the boardrooms of the CFL. Meantime, only three bonafide athletes made the cut, according to our editorial board.

That’s because power and influence in sport have, for too long, been defined by what happens on the sidelines.
 
It’s evident that money talks and those who have the power to spend it on salaries or dole it out to various national athletes and teams carry the big stick. This has become a widely accepted notion, that sport is nothing if not business.

That’s why you tend to find administrators, media moguls and major corporate sponsors on these kinds of lists. Those who pull the strings behind the scenes have a major influence on what the fans eventually see and how sport is presented.

According to this formula, those who patronize sport have little to no power. Do the power brokers pulling the strings during the NHL lockout fiasco really care about the consumer? It’s obvious that they don’t. They assume that rabid hockey fans will rush back to arenas when play resumes.

In Canada, they may be right. South of the border, in some of the swing states of hockey, well, they just might be looking at an entirely different animal.

So where does all of this leave the stars of sport themselves, the athletes? Ultimately, who has the power to create an iconic sporting moment like Lou Marsh Award winner Christine Sinclair did when she almost singlehandedly put soccer on the map in this country at the London Olympics? The answer is precious few Canadians.

Listen to how the man in charge of the Canadian Soccer Association described Sinclair’s affect on sport. 

“That award is a tribute to Christine and her teammates and all they’ve done in both our national and international sporting communities in 2012,” said Peter Montopoli, the CSA’s general secretary.

In Halifax, there is further proof of Sinclair’s influence. Soccer clinics sold out immediately once parents became aware Sinclair would be there to teach their kids.

“The enthusiasm of parents trying to get the kids into the camp, I don’t know how to describe it to you,” George Athanasiou of Soccer Nova Scotia told the National Post. “Plenty of people were begging for us to put them into the camp.”

Now that’s real influence in sport — the power to motivate young people and make them want to play. 

Further to that, who’s been a bigger game changer in hockey than Sidney Crosby? Who sells as many sweaters with his/her name on the back?  When Crosby plays, fans get excited and come to watch.

And who’s a better role model than the indomitable speed skater/cyclist Clara Hughes? Very few people can inspire Canadians of all ages and from all walks of life as she can. The same can be said of Milos Raonic, who has sparked a Canadian tennis revival because of his dramatic rise in the world rankings. 

Georges St. Pierre has turned a nation on to UFC and become a champion to millions with his victorious return from injury and to the top of a vicious and uncompromising sport.

Once quarterback Ricky Ray arrived in Toronto, the lamentable Argonauts thought of and then won the 100th Grey Cup in their hometown and captured the imagination of the country’s largest and most diverse city.

The point is this: athletes have the ultimate influence by virtue of their performances.

Only the athletes have the power to compete and to win or lose. They send the message. They deliver on the promise. They are the reason the fans watch. Real power in sport only exists because of what transpires on the field of play.

What’s On CBC Sports Weekend

CBC Sports Weekend is on the air at 3 p.m. ET this Saturday.

Cross Country World Cup action comes to Canmore, Alta., with the Canadian men led by trailblazers Alex Harvey and Devon Kershaw. Olympic gold medalist Chandra Crawford, a Canmore native, is the last Canadian to win on the course in 2008 and is back competing on home snow for the first time in three seasons.

In Europe, the Canadian Cowboys saddle up for a World Cup downhill at Val Gardena, Italy. They’re led by reigning world champion Erik Guay, who has looked sharp in training. But they’ll have to deal with Norwegian ace Aksel Lund Svindal, who won Friday’s super-G by a wide margin.

Plus, our Big Picture panel featuring Jenn Heil, Perdita Felicien and Jonathon Gatehouse of Maclean’s magazine tackles the subject of power and influence in sport as CBC Sports reveals it’s Top 10 most influential people in Canadian sport.

Back to accessibility links

Meredith Vieira Ian McKellen

Russell: Power and influence in Canadian sport is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Ronson believes a recent victory over fellow lightweight Ryan Healy proves he’s capable of joining his well-known teammates in the UFC.

“I would like for this fight to put me on the next level, but we’ll see how it goes,” he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Ronson (12-2) dominated Healy (23-12) over three rounds to earn a unanimous-decision win at this past Friday’s Score Fighting Series 7 event, which took place at Hamilton Place Theatre in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The event’s main card, including Ronson’s feet, aired on AXS TV.

One judge scored the lopsided fight 30-25 in favor of Ronson, a native of nearby London, Ontario. The crowd, including 75 of his friends and family, chanted “UFC” during the action.

Ronson, though, snickered at the thought of a UFC offer on his desk.

“I didn’t know they came that soon,” he joked. “Was I supposed to get it on Saturday?”

The 26-year-old has had far more time to win over his training partners at London’s Adrenaline Training Center, which Sam Stout, Chris Horodecki and Mark Hominick founded. An endorsement from the Canadian MMA stars won him the representation of agent Rob Roveta.

“They’re pulling for me,” Ronson said. “We’ll see if I get that call.”

The resources at Ronson’s disposal were considerably smaller in his early career. He trained at a kickboxing academy in London and had few grappling partners.

“I would do jiu-jitsu with the guys that were there,” he said, “with guys that didn’t know what jiu-jitsu was, and I was fighting MMA.”

That changed when Ronson joined Adrenaline in September 2010. Although he went 1-2 in his next three outings, including an eye-opening loss to the well-rounded Mike Ricci of “The Ultimate Fighter 16″ fame, he has won his past seven fights.

And Healy, who’s brother is current Strikeforce contender Pat Healy, couldn’t keep the fight on the mat to ground and pound him.

Although satisfied with his win, Ronson expressed frustration at being unable to finish his opponent, who took no fewer than three head kicks in the waining minute of the third and final round.

“I was just upset because I think I landed six or seven clean ones with my power leg and two or three with my lead leg, and I was like, ‘This guy has to go down from one of these,’” Ronson said. “So I threw the one and he wobbled, so I’m like, ‘One more and he’s going down.’ I hit him with the second one, and he didn’t go down. The more he didn’t go down, the more I wanted to hurt him and try to knock him out.”

The knockout didn’t come, but Ronson certainly made a statement about his abilities.

If the UFC comes calling, he said he’d like to fight in February. But in reality, any time will do.

“If they call me and say, ‘Do you want to fight this guy,’ I’m not going to say no,” Ronson said.

For more on Score Fighting Series 7, stay tuned to the MMA Events section of the site.

Laura Dern Malin Akerman

Jesse Ronson guns for UFC contract following weekend win over Ryan Healy is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Barbara Streisand Rebekah

Marilyn Manson — I Got SLASHED OPEN During Fight in Switzerland is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

That’s just not how he’s wired.

In a conversation with Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports, Reid made it clear that he doesn’t plan to spend any time off from the NFL.

“That’s not where I’m at,” Reid said when asked about a potential sabbatical. “No. Listen, I’m a coach. I don’t hide that from anybody. This is what I do. And I enjoy doing it. I love every day of it. I sure like winning more than losing, but I also am very privileged to be a coach in the National Football League.”

Reid has done a nice job righting the Eagles’ ship with Nick Foles at the helm. Their effort improved in Dallas two weeks ago, and they pulled off a scintillating comeback in Tampa last week. Reid was as fired up at the end of that game as we can remember. Foles has a lot of potential. This is not a coach that looks like he wants a rest.

“No, I’ve got the energy,” Reid said. “The energy is there. Listen, you’d have to talk to people around me. I’m not gonna sit here and … you know how I am. I keep my energy level up. I enjoy what I’m doing.”

“After his son died, I thought maybe [he needed a year away],” Eagles tight end Brent Celek told Silver. “But he’s still really into it. He wants to win a world championship. Not only does he want to win one, but he wants to win one in Philly.”

We can’t imagine the Eagles retaining Reid, although crazier things have happened. There has been a lot of speculation Reid would like to land in San Diego, but it’s an awkward fit. NFL.com’s Albert Breer reports that Chargers director of player personnel Jimmy Raye will take over the team’s operations. Reid isn’t going to want to work under Raye or anyone else.

But he will surely be working somewhere.

Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.

get more Susan George

Andy Reid has no intention of taking year off from NFL is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Suh doesn’t necessarily believe that player exists.

“I don’t care,” Suh said, according to the Detroit Free Press. “You know where my locker is if you got something to say to me. But I really, honestly, in my heart of hearts, I really don’t think it’s true. And it’s unfortunate that things are written like that.

“I mean, if it is true, it is true. If it’s not, it’s not.”

The anonymous player also attacked Suh’s behavior.

“When stars act like that, everybody else thinks it’s OK to act like that,” the player said. “It’s like with kids. You let one get a little out of control, the other one does the same thing pretty quick. It’s human nature.”

Suh responded to that, too.

“I won a personal championship in winning shot put, so, in essence, I knew how to win individually,” Suh said. “As a team, I’ve gone far with my football teams. We went deep into the playoffs in high school; we went to big bowl games in college and played in some huge games. One of my last games in college was a pretty big game. I went to the Big 12 championship. So I’ve been there, I’ve done a lot of things and have been fortunate for that.

“I feel like being able to go back on those examples and being through those particular things that I’ve had an inkling of how to win. It’s been a little bit different in the league, but I mean, we had a pretty good year last year. Not saying it was the best year, ’cause we still lost six games, but you have some sense of knowing how to get things done. But we’re on the same team.”

We’re at the point where Suh can’t win. Most have made up their minds about who he is, and they’re not changing it. Suh actually is playing as well as he has all year.

Suh is the NFL’s biggest villain — plain and simple. Say hello to the bad guy.

Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.

Natalie Portman Gary Estrada

Ndamukong Suh doubts Lions teammate criticized him is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Wednesday December 12, 2012 5:45 PM GMT

Venus Williams Jodie Foster

Jessica Simpson Eating for Two in Calabasas? is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Sara Cox Kyla Cole

Rapper A$AP Rocky Pleads Guilty to Attempted Grand Larceny is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Tuesday December 11, 2012 11:15 PM GMT

Jenny Agutter Victoria Beckham

Leonardo DiCaprio’s Dapper “Django Unchained” Premiere Arrival is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Rebekah Emily Symons

Brooke Mueller’s Twins Left With Denise Richards is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Monday December 10, 2012 11:41 PM GMT

Thora Birch Veronika Zemanova

Katie Holmes Supports Broadway Dreams Foundation at Champagne & Caroling Gala is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Kyla Cole Rosa Blasa

Brooke Mueller Faces Jail For Drinking Alcohol While On Probation is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Monday December 10, 2012 5:20 PM GMT

Catherine Bosley Nigel Hawthorne

Alessandra Ambrosio & Anja’s Sassy Stroll is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

FX now airs six fights, not the usual four, prior to the Dec. 8′s main-card broadcast on FOX.

The bouts include bantamweights Mike Easton (13-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) vs. Raphael Assuncao (18-4 MMA, 2-1 UFC) and featherweights Dennis Siver (20-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC) vs. Nam Phan (18-10 MMA, 2-3 UFC).

UFC on FOX 5 takes place Dec. 8 at Seattle’s KeyArena and features a main event between lightweight champion Benson Henderson and top contender Nate Diaz.

Although FUEL TV carried past UFC on FOX prelims, they now head to the bigger FX. Other bouts part of next week’s three-hour broadcast, which follows additional prelims on Facebook, include heavyweights Brendan Schaub (8-3 MMA, 4-3 UFC) vs. Lavar Johnson (17-6 MMA, 2-1 UFC), “The Ultimate Fighter 15″ lightweight winner Michael Chiesa (8-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) vs. Marcus LeVesseur (22-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC), “TUF 13″ runner-up Ramsey Nijem (6-2 MMA, 2-1 UFC) vs. fellow lightweight Joe Proctor (8-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), and lightweights Yves Edwards (41-18-1 MMA, 9-6 UFC) vs. Jeremy Stephens (20-8 MMA, 7-6 UFC).

The full UFC on FOX 5 card includes:

MAIN CARD (FOX, 8 p.m. ET)

• Champ Benson Henderson vs. Nate Diaz (for lightweight title)
• Alexander Gustafsson vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
• Rory MacDonald vs. B.J. Penn
• Matt Brown vs. Mike Swick

PRELIMINARY CARD (FX, 5 p.m. ET)

• Lavar Johnson vs. Brendan Schaub
• Mike Chiesa vs. Marcus LeVesseur
• Raphael Assuncao vs. Mike Easton
• Nam Phan vs. Dennis Siver
• Ramsey Nijem vs. Joe Proctor
• Yves Edwards vs. Jeremy Stephens

PRELIMINARY CARD (Facebook, 3:30 p.m. ET)

• Daron Cruickshank vs. Henry Martinez
• John Albert vs. Scott Jorgensen
• Tim Means vs. Abel Trujillo

For more on UFC on FOX 5, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Mike Easton)

Ali Landry read other stories

UFC on FOX 5′s FX-televised prelims add Easton-Assuncao and Siver-Phan is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Here’s what we know about the Washington Redskins quarterback after his team’s 31-28 overtime victory over the Baltimore Ravens:

1. Griffin left the game with less than two minutes remaining in regulation after he took a massive hit from Ravens nose tackle Haloti Ngata. Griffin returned for four plays, but he was limping badly. He didn’t play in overtime.

“I was trying to make a play, and as soon as I turned it inside, I said, ‘Oh lord, here we go,’ ” Griffin said. “It was a freak play, my leg got hit after I was already down. It was pretty painful. Just praying that I’ll be all right.”

2. Griffin says he’ll undergo an MRI, but the first look at the severity of the injury was positive.

“I’m not a doctor, but I know what an ACL feels like, and it doesn’t feel like an ACL,” Griffin said. “(The doctors) said my ligaments feel good, but it depends on what the MRI says. I’m feeling positive vibes from them and from the team.”

3. We’re feeling positive vibes, too. Consider: The Redskins allowed Griffin to go back on the sideline in uniform after examining him in the locker room. They wouldn’t have risked that if they believed Griffin was seriously hurt.

The Redskins also allowed Griffin to conduct his normal postgame interview from the podium. A player usually doesn’t do that after he has been hurt.

Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.

Anne Heche Lavinia Milosovici

RG3 positive about knee injury after Redskins’ victory is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

For the first time since the tragic death of Canadian racer Nik Zoricic, ski cross returns to competition on the world stage this weekend.

The World Cup picks up at Nakiska, Alta. in what is an exhilarating but at times, risky pursuit still in its’ formative stages.

“It’s an exciting sport and an attractive sport,” muses Bebe Zoricic. “And when done properly it can be a safe sport.”

Zoricic is a gentle soul and openly discusses the circumstances surrounding the loss of his son at a race in Grindelwald, Switzerland last March.  

“Racers are out there to compete and to go fast,” Bebe says. “They have to believe that someone is accountable for their safety.”

So far pleas by the Zoricic family for an independent and transparent investigation by Swiss authorities and FIS — the sport’s governing body — have gone almost completely unanswered. Just this week they received the police report from Grindelwald, but it was written in German and they have, as yet, been unable to determine its value.

Still, Bebe will make the trip to Nakiska to see the others race for the first time since Nik was killed.  

He says he wouldn’t miss it.

“I’m excited to go and see Nik’s friends and to be there to support them as they race on the World Cup again.” 

Ski Cross made its Olympic debut at the 2010 Vancouver Games and the first gold medallist is a Canadian, Ashleigh McIvor, who will be broadcasting the event for CBC this weekend.  

She understands that Nik Zoricic’s death in Switzerland last March is a daunting reminder that sport can be a dangerous thing and that athletes as well as organizers must be vigilant when it comes to safety.

“It’s very important to give these horrible occurrences the respect they deserve,” McIvor said from her home in Whistler, B.C. “Nik is the first friend I’ve lost in Ski Cross and I pray he is the last. But you’ve got to keep pushing forward.” 

Honouring Nik Zoricic

To that end, the Canadian team will wear uniforms that reflect the blue jeans Nik once donned during an early competition. The entire Ski Cross tour has had a full eight months to consider his passing.  

Alpine Canada and the officials who will run the World Cup races at Nakiska have made provisions for room in the finish line area so that the dangers Nik Zoricic faced will be minimized.  

As an organization, Alpine Canada is a leader in athlete safety and is becoming increasingly frustrated by other powerful interests in the sport who are dragging their feet on this issue.

Bebe, himself a ski coach, will attend the upcoming event at Nakiska still searching for the reasons behind his son’s death. But he is also convinced the sport has to move onwards.

“I was dearly hoping that you could be interviewing me about my athletes who have hopes of qualifying for Sochi,” Bebe says to me. “I’m so sorry that this has to be about remembering Nik’s death.” 

It is a heart-wrenching moment.  

A parent who has lost a child doing something he loved. At the same time a coach who is inspired by sport and the magic it provides as well as the lessons it teaches. 

Ashleigh McIvor summed it up best.

“When the first race comes around it’s important to focus on the task at hand,” she figured. “And not to dwell on the friend we’ve lost.”

There is always something at stake in sport. There will forever be risks to take.  It is, like it or not, part of the allure of high performance and ultimately, what drives human beings to compete.

At Nakiska, Ski Cross will take a major step in the process of its maturation. The course has been made safer. The untimely death of Nik Zoricic will have been respectfully remembered.

If only Bebe Zoricic and his family could get a little closure and someone to be accountable for the mistakes that were made, the oversights which compounded a tragic accident.

In the meantime, life on the field of play marches on.

What’s on CBC Sports Weekend

Back to accessibility links

Gail Porter Donna Gubbay

Field of Play: Life goes on for ski cross at Nakiska is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Thursday December 6, 2012 7:58 PM GMT

Marlee Matlin Rebecca Romijn

Jennifer Garner Fuels Up on the “Dallas Buyers Club” Set is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Pete Prisco of CBSSports.com reports that AFC Pro Bowl players went after Newton especially hard in last season’s game because of how the Carolina Panthers quarterback acted during the week.

“He was a total —hole,” one unnamed AFC player told Prisco. “Who did he think he was? He acted like the big s—. Here he was at his first game and he acted like he was the star. Guys didn’t like that.”

Among Newton’s reported offenses in Hawaii: He acted “standoffish” and like a “diva.” He big-timed an AFC player’s autograph request for a family member. He “dissed” Ray Lewis

“That’s the godfather there,” one player told Prisco. “Can you believe he did that?”

The players apparently were upset Newton “acted better” than them. Fine. We just don’t understand why they couldn’t go on the record to say it.

Unnamed sources make all the sense in the world in some situations, but it’s odd that these players wouldn’t attach their names to such name-calling. Maybe they know it all sounds a little childish.

Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.

Ivana Trump Marlee Matlin

Cam Newton reportedly a problem at 2012 Pro Bowl is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Wednesday December 5, 2012 10:51 PM GMT

Betty White George Lucas

Uma Thurman Brings Style to the “Playing for Keeps” Premiere is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted by S. Abbas Raza at 10:38 AM | Permalink

Robyn Douglas Alessia Marcuzzi

Three Beats for Beatbox Flute Movement I is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Matt Hardy, a 17-year-old Shenendehowa High School student, suffered a concussion and broken bones in a car accident that killed two fellow students, according to reports. A driver in the other vehicle failed sobriety tests at the scene.

Shortly after the accident, the hashtag #TebowCallMatt trended nationally on Twitter. Before long, more than 50,000 Twitter users had retweeted the hashtag, according to Cimini.

The word got to Tebow, who called Hardy just two hours after the hashtag was first posted. Hardy’s brother, Michael, tweeted: “TIM TEBOW JUST GOT OFF THE PHONE WITH MATT! SUCH A CLASS ACT!!”

Tebow later took to Twitter to discuss the call.

It’s been a difficult season on the field for Tebow, but that doesn’t seem to have changed who he is.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @DanHanzus.

Michelle Branch Sonia Couling

Tim Tebow calls New York teen injured in car accident is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

The problem with Hollywood happy endings is that they usually come with a nice, tidy little moral and gloss over some of the more glaring plot points.

That’s been the case with MLS and David Beckham these past few weeks. The story? The Legend of David Beckham. The plot holes? Filled with terms like ‘over-delivered’ and ‘saved MLS’ peppered throughout.

Beckham’s time in North American soccer has been one fantastic, big screen experience after another. From the time he arrived in red-carpet fashion, to how he exited, flashbulbs popping as he won back-to-back MLS Cups, his impact has been mythologized, over-hyped and generally over-blown.

And now, like a poorly constructed period piece, it’s being filled with revisionist history as the game’s leaders lump praise on to a man who is being credited with raising league wide attendances, spurring expansion franchises and inspiring stadiums to be built.

Last week, MLS commissioner Don Garber kicked off the re-writing of Beckham’s time in North America by calling him an ‘unbelievable ambassador.’ He credited the average midfielder with helping to bring legitimacy to the league and taking it to a new level.

A level, he would note, that they felt they could exceed now that he was departing, but lumped the lion’s share of the growth on the first MLS designated player.

This from Garber, the same man who fielded countless questions about Beckham’s injuries, absences and attitude during those first three years of his contract. Is he doing enough? Does he want to be here? Is he worth all the money? And while the commissioner didn’t ever really throw the Golden Boy under the bus during that time, as the missed games mounted and the transfers abroad dragged on, he didn’t exactly give him a ringing endorsement either.

Teammate Landon Donovan jumped in on the love fest as well last week; lavishing praise on the man he once called a bad teammate. Proving, if nothing else, that memories are short and winning erases all bad feelings.

In fact, those bad feelings toward Becks were largely the story for the first few years of the Beckham Experiment in North America – the tale of an absent superstar who was raking in $6.5 million a season while his teammates’ paltry salaries allowed them the luxury of taking the bus to work.

In the middle of all this controversy however, MLS was methodically going about grabbing market share and building a bigger audience for soccer on this side of the globe. Their soccer-specific stadium strategy alone – something that allows them to solely control the ancillary revenues at their games – should be heralded as the major reason for bringing stability to the once fledgling league.

Shirt sponsors, national television deals and a commitment to developing players through their academies are all success stories coming from the same period that Beckham supposedly saved soccer.

Did he have a hand in any of that? Of course, not.

Did he help negotiate to bring other big name players here – the likes of Robbie Keane and Thierry Henry? Nope. Then he must have somehow helped Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Philadelphia and Montreal secure expansion franchises. Again, no.

Yet, he of varied haircut fame has been credited – directly and indirectly – in a number of places as somehow having an influence over all of that. And it fails to mention, despite all the inroads the league has made, that television ratings during that time really haven’t moved a whole lot, even with all the pomp and circumstance.

It would be foolish to undervalue the impact having an underwear model, acting as the face of MLS, has had on the league. It certainly helped to attract the attention of the mainstream media and probably even introduced a few new fans to the beautiful game.

But, even with all the Hollywood hype, Beckham didn’t make soccer relevant in North America; MLS, as a league, has done that on its own. 

Back to accessibility links

Robin Quivers Kevin Smith

Rycroft: Beckham’s MLS impact overstated is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio
Wisconsin Badgers vs. 6 Stanford Cardinal
January 1, 5 PM ET on ESPN

Wisconsin: First Big Ten team to reach Rose Bowl in three straight seasons since Michigan did so from 1976 to 1978. Wisconsin has lost each of its last two Rose Bowl appearances (those Michigan teams lost all three). The Badgers’ last Rose Bowl win was in the 1999 season against Stanford.

Stanford: First Pac-12 title and Rose Bowl berth since 1999 season. Stanford’s last Rose Bowl win was a 13-12 victory over Michigan on January 1, 1972– 40 years to the day of this game.

Discover Orange Bowl
15 Northern Illinois Huskies vs. 12 Florida State Seminoles
January 1, 8:30 PM ET on ESPN

Northern Illinois: First BCS bowl berth in school history; First non-AQ team to reach a BCS bowl without being undefeated.

Florida State: Extends longest current bowl-berth streak with 31st straight bowl berth; First BCS bowl berth since 2005 season. The Seminoles have lost their last three Orange Bowl appearances (2000, 2003, 2005 seasons), last winning 31-26 over Notre Dame on January 1, 1996.

Allstate Sugar Bowl
21 Louisville Cardinals vs. 4 Florida Gators
January 2, 8:30 PM ET on ESPN

Louisville: Third straight bowl berth, second BCS bowl berth (first since 2006).

Florida: 22nd straight bowl berth, seventh BCS bowl berth (first since 2009). The 22 straight is the second-longest current streak, trailing only Florida State. The Gators last Sugar Bowl appearance was a 51-24 win over Cincinnati in the 2009 season.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl
4 Oregon Ducks vs. 5 Kansas State Wildcats
January 3, 8:30 PM ET on ESPN

Oregon: Eighth straight bowl berth and fourth straight BCS bowl berth (all four coming under Chip Kelly). Oregon won its previous Fiesta Bowl appearance, in the 2001 season against Colorado.

Kansas State: First BCS bowl berth since the 2003 season. This is Kansas State’s third Fiesta Bowl appearance, having won in 1997 against Syracuse and lost in the 2003 season to Ohio State.

Discover BCS National Championship
1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish vs. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide
January 7, 8:30 PM ET on ESPN

Notre Dame: First BCS title-game berth; seeking first national championship since 1988

Alabama: Seeking to become first school to win three national championships in four-year span since Nebraska (1994-1995, 1997)

Killing Hiedi Michelle Vieth

BCS snapshot: First glimpse at matchups is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Gina Hiraizumi Paula Jai Parker

Meet Ed Sheeran Today at the WSJ Cafe is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

American skiers have produced the top four spots on the podium so far, including back-to-back wins for the amazing Lindsey Vonn.

Editor’s note: This was submitted and published after Vonn’s second victory. She completed the Lake Louise “hat trick” on Sunday with a win in the super-G.

The stars of the last few days in the Rockies – aside from the gorgeous Lake Louise skiing area and the hundreds of incredible volunteers preparing the mountain for World Cup racing -  have been wearing Stars and Stripes.

American skiers have produced the top four spots on the podium so far, including back-to-back wins for the amazing Lindsey Vonn.

Vonn caused a few people to gasp when she almost got caught in the ‘fishnet’ section of the course. At the time, she was more than half a second behind, but proceeded to set the fastest intervals in the final two sections, blazing to a winning time of 1:52.90.

Skiing to the top

That win – the 55th World Cup win of her career – came hot on the heels of her 12th win in the first Lake Louise downhill, on Friday.  Vonn is now tied with Switzerland’s Vreni Schnieder with 55 World Cup wins, second only to Austrian Anne-Marrie Mosser-Proell.

I can’t say enough about the professionalism with which Vonn approaches her role as ambassador for her sport. At least five times this week she stopped by our CBC broadcast location in the finish area and answered all manner of questions with the grace and style of a champion. In addition, she opened her heart in an interview with CBC Sports’ Scott Russell earlier this week and talked about a myriad of topics, including the pain she felt when her request to compete against the men here at Lake Louise was summarily dismissed by the International Ski Federation. (By the way, she apologized when she was one minute late for that interview. We hadn’t noticed.)

Behind Vonn both days in downhill racing at Lake Louise was her American teammate, Stacey Cook. Friday’s second place result was Cook’s first ever trip to the podium in her 150th career starts. She stood arm and arm with her mother Sharon as they waited anxiously to see if her result would stand up.

Proud parents

Almost a decade of training had finally paid off. It’s not a usual occurrence for Sharon and Dean Cook to travel to World Cup races to watch their daughter. Stacey says it’s only once every few years that they make the journey, but she might want to encourage them to visit a few more stops on the tour. 

Cook, who races for the Mammoth Mountain Ski Team of northern California also told me that she does not come from a “sporty” family. Her parents were not athletes but somehow their “no pressure” tactics have produced one of the best downhill racers in the world. Incidentally, the “no pressure” approach worked for her brother Gary, too. He’s a former football player – a punter – who played for the University of Nevada Runnin’ Rebels of the NCAA and even had a “cup of coffee” (as they say in the hockey world) with the NFL’s Oakland Raiders.

According to Vonn, Stacey Cook’s success is no fluke. Vonn told CBCSports.ca viewers that Stacey Cook has been winning all of the training runs in the last month or so and it should be no surprise that she finally turns it into World Cup success.

Practice makes perfect

Cook won these training runs at a facility that the U.S. ski team recently opened in Copper Mountain, Colorado. It’s a place specifically designed to prepare American athletes for the demands of World Cup racing. According to their website, “it has been meticulously shaped to mimic all aspects of World Cup races venues across the globe.”

Last season, the American women’s team – lead by Vonn – won the team title by an astounding 636 points over Austria. You’ve got to think the new training centre played a major role in that success.

With this weekend’s dominance by Vonn and Cook, another title could be in the making. And keep in mind, Julia Mancuso has yet to land on the podium this season. The 28-year-old from Squaw Valley has three Olympic medals and four world championship medals along with 31 World Cup podium spots. She is among a group of six American women who are in the coveted top 30 of World Cup Ski downhill racing.

American alpine racers are on a roll, and the rest of the ski world is playing catch up.

Back to accessibility links

Denise Van Outen Betty White

Snoek: Stars & stripes flying high over Lake Louise is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Glenn Close Kristy Hinze

The Game — LAPD Shows Him Mercy on His Birthday is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Seriously, I can’t think of too many arenas in the world with a better name than that for an ice-skating competition.

After six Grand Prix events the season has come to the climax of the series, or as I like to call it, ‘The Showdown at the Sochi Corral’, more formally known as The Iceberg Skating Palace.

Seriously, I can’t think of too many arenas in the world with a better name than that for an ice-skating competition.

From December 6th through 9th, the top six from each discipline will get a crack at the Grand Prix title and all that goes with it. But it’s also an up-close-and-personal chance to get a feeling for what the Olympics might be like in that venue in just over a year from now. I should have used bold print for the word ‘might’ in that last sentence. With all of the hype, colour, spectacle, security and world-level buzz that will be around the real deal in February of 2014, this event is really only a hint of what it ‘might’ be like.

Let’s dig in and have some fun getting excited about this event.

Men

Tatsuki Machida of Japan – My only surprise in this event is how Tatsuki, with two good competitions, worked his way into the top six. He accumulated enough points with his victory in China and a third in Skate America to place fourth. With confidence, solid programs and scary costumes, he took over the spot that most had held for Jeremy Abbott or Nobunari Oda. After watching Oda practice in Toronto, I had a spot reserved for him, but that is why we compete instead of reserving spots.

A big part of me wishes that I still competed because I believe this is a high mark in men’s skating and that to stay at the top of this strong field is something to be proud of. But another part of me feels sorry for these guys because mistakes don’t put you in second, they put you out of the event, and leave you in the dust.

Javier Fernandez of Spain – He seems ready to challenge. I call him ‘the boy next door.’ Watch for quads that, at times, look so easy that they seem simple.

Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan – He seems to be working well with Brian Orser, his new coach, and you can see that he is starting to believe in his ability to routinely put together a short and a long program in the same event. Having Yuzu and Javi training side by side in Toronto makes them both better. It’s like a tag-team match and Patrick Chan is the target.

Patrick Chan of Canada – He told the world to chill out a bit with his win in Russia and that everybody needs to have some down time. Of course, when your down time includes four falls in one event you can see why folks would worry. May I remind everyone how hard this is and when flying at the top range of your ability things can and do go wrong. These guys aren’t just doing the quad anymore, they do multiple quads and follow that up with great choreography, spins that leave you both dizzy and tired and demanding footwork that includes upper body movement.

Sheesh, I’m tired just writing about it.

Daisuke Takahashi of Japan – When it comes to upper body movement, Daisuke has it and more. What he needs is a tad more altitude on his quad attempts, but when the wind is coming in at just the right angle, he finds it.

Takahiko Kozuka of Japan – He is still my pick as best ‘skater’. Patrick has amazing feet and builds speed with ease, almost magical actually, but for blade magic it’s still Taka for me. Like Daisuke, he too needs the sun and the moon to line up for a clean quad to happen, but he’s going for it and perseverance pays off… Right!

My pick for a winner is….the audience. Get used to it, I’m not picking winners.

Dance

The top three teams in the world all won both of their Grand Prix events… Shocking! Oh wait, they didn’t compete against each other. Shocking!

Nope, skating fans have to wait for them to go against each other here in the final, and to be honest, it’s fine with me. At each of the events we got a good look at their new programs and watched as they each made little changes in their game plans and now seem ready to strut out into the street, and face the music. (I tried for a gun fight/dance blend there but don’t think it really worked!)

Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France – Even their names have rhythm! They have been using their creative programs to steadily climb the ranks. Along the way their skating has improved (especially Fabian) and I find them worthy podium skaters.

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada – You know that I’m a skater, but when I watch them I’m simply a fan. They have me at hello. These two won the Olympics and just kept going and the sport thanks them for that. The long program of Carmen on paper did not ring as such a good idea, but I love being wrong about something that turns out so right. I think that this program is unbeatable if skated well.

Meryl Davis and Charlie White from the U.S. – They’re working hard both on and off the ice. With interviews designed to help us notice their new connection and lots of on-ice hugging it is obvious they felt they could improve on their togetherness. Their long program misses the mark for me though, and the distance between the pack and these two gets smaller.

Admittedly, these are my words alone and the judges don’t seem to agree. Dance is almost as much emotion as it is steps, speed and skill for me and I’m a fan of this team, but still think their long program is vulnerable. But, I won’t be a judge in Sochi at the Grand Prix so tune in and see.

Ekaterina Bobrova and Dimitri Soloviev of Russia – I could not really take them seriously before this season! I saw two skaters with tonnes of gestures and speed but they were so… what’s the word I am looking for here… busy! They were so busy out there trying to be good that you could not see that they actually were good. They’re wonderful and their new material from choreographer Alexander Zhulin, is brilliant. Take away all the unnecessary noise and you can see this team skate.  

Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov of Russia – A team for the future, but just how far into the future I’m not sure. Both are beautiful and talented, but I still see that they haven’t found their groove. The best is yet to come.

Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte of Italy – These two skaters are a true team and seem to help each other along the way during their performances. They have a wonderful ease together and are enjoyable to watch.

The team that surprised me with their absence in the Grand Prix Final was Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Canada. The hardest thing after a home run is to hit another one when next up to bat. This may have been part of the problem with their results this year as fans and judges alike felt their long program did not compete with their own program from the year before.

There are many theories and this is just one of them. They’re busy learning from their competitions and from many sources and I expect them to come back refreshed and hungry. That statue WILL come to life for everybody next time!

Pairs

When it comes to pairs there is good news and bad news. Good news if you’re a fan of Canadian skaters and bad news if you were expecting to see reigning World Pairs Champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy compete in the Grand Prix Final. In the same way the top dancers stayed away from each other, either by design or fluke, the top two pair teams in the world were waiting for this showdown. OK, the Russians were to be sure. We all wish Aliona a speedy recovery from her illness.

Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov of Russia – Years and years in the sport have given these two skaters the base they needed to come together and in a short amount of time rise to the top of the field. Not world champions yet, it only seems a matter of time until they will own that title as well. Another ‘around the water cooler’ fun-factor with this team is that he seems to be the diva, not her.

Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov of Russia – Even though Russia has three teams in the top six in the world, I do not feel the dominance of days gone by. This team is mismatched and save their on-ice connection for the hug and bow. Too bad they can’t seem to include it in their performance. Many beautiful skating moments, just missing the big picture for me.

Qing Pang and Jian Tong of China – While on the topic of connecting with each other during a program I think this team has really improved in this area. I love their throws and always think that they have a chance with their abilities to challenge the best. They didn’t win silver at the Olympics in Vancouver without a fight.

Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov of Russia – Veterans through and through, this team has overcome many difficult situations and still enter the ring for more. In the past we have seen Yuko skate through injuries that would keep the tough guys on the bench, but then again it must be impossible to throw a right with a dislocated shoulder. She seems to have the ability to, literally, put her arm back in the socket during the program and still keep going. I’ve jumped on and off their bandwagon so many times that I’ve lost count. Each time I watch them compete, I need to clear my head of anything from the past and keep an open mind. Any success they have coming their way has been fought hard for.

Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada – Something has changed with this team. In their short time together I found their programs were a step ahead of the team as if they were pretending to be good and not comfortable with that situation. This year they are so comfortable with each other that their programs have a real truth to them. Now I watch and simply enjoy as the choreography seems to play out naturally. They have done a great amount of work in a short time and now attempt the most difficult side by side jumps in the world of pairs.

Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch of Canada – This event is huge for this team. They’ve lost momentum in their competitive career and do not want to let other pair teams, especially anyone from their home country, get the best of them. They have a risky technical long program that can pay dividends, but it needs to be skated clean. With a new image that is not as easy to sell as the peppy, perky themes of the past, they have some work to do. I believe they’ll come to this event ready to fight but that the next few months are even more important.

Ladies

Ashley Wagner of the U.S. – Known as the ‘almost girl’ for quite some time, she now has everybody talking about her potential. In fact, the phrase World Champion is being thrown around … and for good reason. With a steady technical approach and eyes that can stare down an angry rhino, she has my attention and I expect big things. This is her year to grab a world title and of all the ladies competing this season I think she has the best chance.

Mao Asada of Japan – With an Olympic medal already in her trophy cabinet, her biggest competition has been the judges. She has had to re-tool her jumping technique to get rid of edge changes and under-rotations. This is a hard task but something she has tackled well.  I have not seen or heard much about her triple axel lately. If that jump were to make a comeback, it sure would help her out. What she does have is exquisite skating and musical skills. She’s wonderful to watch with or without that pesky triple axel.

Kiira Korpi of Finland – One of the best things in skating is watching a skater keep working until good things start to happen. Perseverance often pays off and this lady is a prime example. Her stiff knees have, in my opinion, been a big factor in her lack of consistency technically. These same knees have held back her skating skills as well.

An example of her dedication came when she went to visit Shae-Lynn Bourne. Shae did a good job at bringing out those skater’s knees she needed. I see a smoother more consistent skater this time round and she is a wonderful addition to the Grand Prix Final

Akiko Suzuki of Japan – Same message. Here is a skater who actually quit skating for a few years only to find that she needed it in her life and she now skates exactly like this sport saved her. She has made wonderful choices in music and costume and her maturity out on the ice makes you melt. Research her a little bit and you will find a feel-good story waiting for you.

Julia Lipnitskaia of Russia – I recommend getting to know her as she may be a player someday, but she has many hurdles to climb over before that moment can happen. Unfortunately she was hit by one of those hurdles in training this week so she will not be in the Grand Prix Final.  She needs more time for her maturity to catch up to her talent. She has jumps, oh yes she can jump but is still a little girl in the ladies event. Confidence comes to this little one in truckloads, but it needs to be tempered.

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia – Another little Russian fireball who took the skating world by storm last season. She has grown and things are not quite as easy this season but she has made the Grand Prix Final.

Honourable mentions – Americans Christina Gao and Mirai Nagasu. I think that the U.S. Nationals will be interesting to watch. And, if these two get an honourable mention, then a ticker-tape parade goes out to Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada.  

This young lady has impressed the world with her last few events. Not only did she win her only Grand Prix event but she won it with style. So much style that I think the rest of the world is afraid of her and when Skate Canada tried to get her into another Grand Prix event to give her a chance to qualify for the final they had no luck. She would have needed much luck to have a spot open up for her but I say that the fact she does not get to go this time round is just fine. Stay on your own schedule and timing, Kaetlyn, and keep having fun when you compete. Your smiling face and confidence and showmanship is so refreshing. Keep it up.

Did I miss anybody or anything? Of course I did. Skating is so full of different equations from two footing, to potential, to new costume versus old. Anyway, keep chatting, keep watching and keep supporting the skaters that inspire you and enjoy the Grand Prix final. These skaters have all worked hard to get to this event and I am looking forward to it playing out.

Jump up high, spin down low, go Grand Prix Final skaters. Go, go, go!

Back to accessibility links

Christine Anu Rachael Leigh Cook

Browning: Grand Prix final is the ‘Showdown at the Sochi Corral’ is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Pete Travis Annalise Braakensiek

Hugh Hefner & Crystal Harris — We’re Getting Married! is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Janice Renney Jacqueline McKenzie

Hugh Hefner & Crystal Harris — We’re Getting Married! is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Ronson believes a recent victory over fellow lightweight Ryan Healy proves he’s capable of joining his well-known teammates in the UFC.

“I would like for this fight to put me on the next level, but we’ll see how it goes,” he told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com).

Ronson (12-2) dominated Healy (23-12) over three rounds to earn a unanimous-decision win at this past Friday’s Score Fighting Series 7 event, which took place at Hamilton Place Theatre in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The event’s main card, including Ronson’s feet, aired on AXS TV.

One judge scored the lopsided fight 30-25 in favor of Ronson, a native of nearby London, Ontario. The crowd, including 75 of his friends and family, chanted “UFC” during the action.

Ronson, though, snickered at the thought of a UFC offer on his desk.

“I didn’t know they came that soon,” he joked. “Was I supposed to get it on Saturday?”

The 26-year-old has had far more time to win over his training partners at London’s Adrenaline Training Center, which Sam Stout, Chris Horodecki and Mark Hominick founded. An endorsement from the Canadian MMA stars won him the representation of agent Rob Roveta.

“They’re pulling for me,” Ronson said. “We’ll see if I get that call.”

The resources at Ronson’s disposal were considerably smaller in his early career. He trained at a kickboxing academy in London and had few grappling partners.

“I would do jiu-jitsu with the guys that were there,” he said, “with guys that didn’t know what jiu-jitsu was, and I was fighting MMA.”

That changed when Ronson joined Adrenaline in September 2010. Although he went 1-2 in his next three outings, including an eye-opening loss to the well-rounded Mike Ricci of “The Ultimate Fighter 16″ fame, he has won his past seven fights.

And Healy, who’s brother is current Strikeforce contender Pat Healy, couldn’t keep the fight on the mat to ground and pound him.

Although satisfied with his win, Ronson expressed frustration at being unable to finish his opponent, who took no fewer than three head kicks in the waining minute of the third and final round.

“I was just upset because I think I landed six or seven clean ones with my power leg and two or three with my lead leg, and I was like, ‘This guy has to go down from one of these,’” Ronson said. “So I threw the one and he wobbled, so I’m like, ‘One more and he’s going down.’ I hit him with the second one, and he didn’t go down. The more he didn’t go down, the more I wanted to hurt him and try to knock him out.”

The knockout didn’t come, but Ronson certainly made a statement about his abilities.

If the UFC comes calling, he said he’d like to fight in February. But in reality, any time will do.

“If they call me and say, ‘Do you want to fight this guy,’ I’m not going to say no,” Ronson said.

For more on Score Fighting Series 7, stay tuned to the MMA Events section of the site.

Anne Heche Lavinia Milosovici

Jesse Ronson guns for UFC contract following weekend win over Ryan Healy is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Barbara Bouchet Janice Renney

Infographic: Lindsey Vonn vs. the men is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Entrepreneurs “give back” to society not only in taxes but in products that improve our lives — and in charity. While individual success is aided by public institutions, private associations such as family and community often play a larger role.

Obama is not a quasi-communist; he is just a liberal. Yet at a time when more than 40 percent of our gross domestic product is spent by government, we should be asking how much government is too much. Obama’s speech suggests that his instinct is for more, not less.

Full column at Newsday.

Justine Bateman Andrea Thompson

Don’t Give Government Too Much Credit is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Meredith Vieira Ian McKellen

Lindsay Lohan — Guzzling Two Liters of Vodka Per Day is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Drake Farrah Fawcett

‘Honey Boo Boo’ Star ARRESTED — ‘Sir, Where’s the Gorilla Suit’ is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

“I guess it’s for the well-being of whoever was down, because I guess he was crying and whatnot,” McMillian told FoxSportsWisconsin.com on Thursday. “I guess something was wrong with him, but it was a clean hit. I think they more so threw the flag because of his reaction instead of the actual contact.”

McMillian isn’t the first to have this complaint. Some players believe the NFL often fines on the result of a hit rather than the contact itself.

“(The coaches) said, ‘I don’t know what else to tell you. I don’t want to change anything different about what you did,’ ” McMillian said. ” ‘You lowered your target, you led with your shoulder, it wasn’t helmet to helmet.’

“I don’t know what (the referees) are looking for me to do. I can’t pull up, I’m already coming full speed. You can’t just stop.”

Bennett was hit in the end zone a moment after an Eli Manning pass sailed by him.

The Packers have had a player fined three weeks in a row, leading McMillian to float a conspiracy theory.

“I think (the NFL) has got a hit out on us,” McMillian said. “We’re trying to play a physical football game, and it calls to be physical in this game of football. Just to have rules and regulations on to how and to where to hit a player, it’s hard.

“You want to go all out, you want to leave everything on the field, but that’s a little bit of an aspect of the game they’re trying to take away. They’re trying to take it away.”

Those are a lot of accusations from the rookie. But 21 stacks is a lot of cash for a fourth-round draft pick. We can understand his frustration.

Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.

Ashley Greene Holly Sampson

Jerron McMillian: NFL has hit out for Green Bay Packers is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Whitworth fully expects to be fined after he and Raiders defenders Tommy Kelly and Lamarr Houston were ejected for the fourth-quarter chaos. Money is one thing, but Whitworth is more irritated over Raiders players he says hit him and gouged his eyes during the melee.

“I’d hope there would be guys on their team that would address that, but it is what it is,” Whitworth told The Associated Press. “You’ve got guys that want to make names for themselves and can’t, and then they get frustrated. It’s their opportunity to do something they feel and be tough, but that ain’t tough. Face-to-face is tough.

“Most of those guys, they are what they are — they’re cowards. And if they really wanted to have an issue with you, they’d address you. But they obviously don’t.”

The fight started after Houston dropped Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton to ground on a fourth-quarter play called dead for a false-start penalty. Whitworth then went after Houston and all hell broke loose. Whitworth said he found himself under a pile where Oakland players clawed at his eyes.

“I haven’t watched the film,” he said. “If I watch it, I’ll go find those people, so I really don’t want to know.”

Dalton defended his lineman this week, saying he was thankful to have a player like Whitworth watching his back. The behemoth says he’d do it all over again.

“I would still confront the guy,” Whitworth said. “And what I still believe — and why I called those guys cowards — is Lamarr Houston and I simply grabbed each other and were shoving, and that’s all it would have been. But the other guys that jumped in and started swinging and throwing a bunch of punches and doing things to try to get ahold of us — that were taking cheap shots on me — that’s what makes it a fight.”

Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.

Nathalie Oberman Diamond

Andrew Whitworth calls Oakland Raiders ‘cowards’ is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Harrison: Week 13 Power Rankings

Twenty-six of the NFL’s 32 teams are on the move — some up, some down — in Elliot Harrison‘s updated pecking order. More …

Suh will pay a $30,000 fine for his hit, a source informed of the fine told NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, although Suh claims the kick was unintentional. The NFL had a hard time determining intent in this case. Otherwise, we suspect the fine would have been higher and Suh could have been suspended.

Suh believes he’s an unnecessary target for negative stories, but he continues to find himself in the headlines because of his actions on the field and in his car. He has lost $243,147 in fines and lost income, according to the Detroit Free Press. Another recent traffic violation spurred Lions coach Jim Schwartz to say that every NFL player should hire a driver.

For now, Suh can just ask his agent to appeal the fine if he believes he was wronged.

Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.

Jack Black source

Ndamukong Suh fined $30,000 by NFL for groin kick is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Olivia Pascal Kimberly Joseph

Gabriel Aubry — Criminal Charges ‘Highly Unlikely’ After Olivier Martinez Beatdown is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Appearing at a Lions event Tuesday, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said he doesn’t expect a change in the rule during the regular season, but said “we may evaluate it as it relates to the postseason,” according to the Detroit Free Press.

NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport said Tuesday on “NFL Total Access” that a change prior to the postseason could be approved since the playing field will be leveled at that time, providing a natural starting point.

Following a Houston Texans touchdown in which running back Justin Forsett was clearly down by contact, Schwartz made the mistake of throwing his challenge flag. All scoring plays automatically are subject to review, and any team challenging a play in that instance is subject to an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

Under the current rule, “the Replay Official cannot initiate a review of any ruling against a team that commits a foul that delays the next snap.”

The Lions got burned by a flawed rule that the NFL appears intent on changing — possibly as soon as January.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.

Coco Sumner Christy Turlington

Roger Goodell: NFL challenge rule could change soon is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Newton threw for two touchdowns and ran for two more Monday night, leading the Panthers to a 30-22 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Newton had circled this date as a chance to face boyhood idol Michael Vick on the national stage. Newton didn’t get that wish, but it still was a very special night for the 2011 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Newton finished 18-of-28 passing for 306 yards, the two TDs and no turnovers — by far his best effort of the season.

Newton’s raw ability can leave you in awe. On his first rushing TD, he launched himself over Eagles safety Nate Allen and reached his right arm across the goal line, his big hand wrapped around the football like it was a Nerf toy. ESPN analyst Jon Gruden later said Newton was “playing the position in a way I’ve never seen played.”

Of course, this was the version of Newton many people expected to see on a regular basis. Newton has hit a plateau in his second NFL season, but the Panthers will take positive feelings out of 2012 if Superman can finish on a roll.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.

Gail Porter Donna Gubbay

Cam Newton returns to form in Carolina Panthers’ win is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Monday November 26, 2012 10:04 PM GMT

Argentinian Cheerleaders Gail Porter

Oprah Reveals Hidden Breast Cancer Scare is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Entrepreneurs “give back” to society not only in taxes but in products that improve our lives — and in charity. While individual success is aided by public institutions, private associations such as family and community often play a larger role.

Obama is not a quasi-communist; he is just a liberal. Yet at a time when more than 40 percent of our gross domestic product is spent by government, we should be asking how much government is too much. Obama’s speech suggests that his instinct is for more, not less.

Full column at Newsday.

Diane Lane Mariah Carey

Don’t Give Government Too Much Credit is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Tom Breese (5-0) meets Warren Kee (7-1-1) for the promotion’s British welterweight title while Dale Hardiman (9-3) takes on Steve Ray (11-3) for the British lightweight belt. Headlining the card is a middleweight bout between UFC vet Xavier Foupa-Pokam (22-18) and BAMMA regular Jack Marshman (11-1).

BAMMA 11 takes place Saturday at National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, England. The main card airs live on AXS TV at 4 p.m. ET.

Foupa-Pokam was 20-9 when he signed with the UFC in 2009. But the Frenchman is just 2-9 since then. He dropped a unanimous decision to Denis Kang at UFC 97, then returned just five weeks later and was stopped by Drew McFedries just 37 seconds into the fight at UFC 98 and was released.

A win over Joey Guel from a doctor’s stoppage at the end of the first round at Super Fight League 1 this past March is his lone win in seven fights. This past month, he dropped a unanimous decision to Claudio Henrique da Silva at SFL 6. He’ll be fighting for the second time under the BAMMA banner.

Marshman will be looking to build another win streak. He started his career 10-0 with nine stoppages before losing a middleweight title fight to Tom Watson in the BAMMA 9 main event. Watson went on to sign with the UFC. Now Marshman looks for his second straight after a quick first-round submission of Andrew Punshon at BAMMA 10 in September. Ten of his 11 wins have come by stoppage, with six in the first round.

Breese will look to stay perfect for his career, as well as perfect under the BAMMA banner. All five of his fights have come for the promotion, and all have come by stoppage. In September, he stopped Jack Magee with a first-round triangle choke for his fourth choke submission in five fights. Before that, he stopped Mark Tucker with a knockout from a body shot at BAMMA 9 in March.

Kee started his career perfect at 7-0 before a draw with John Quinn at Cage Warriors 41 in April 2011. About a year later, he suffered his first setback when he was stopped by Bola Omoyele in the first round at an Ultimate Challenge event in England.

Hardiman goes after the BAMMA lightweight title after getting back in the win column with a second-round knockout of Ido Pariente at Cage Warriors 48 in July. He has eight of his nine wins by stoppage, including six submissions, and has won both his BAMMA fights.

Ray looks to make it three straight when he makes his BAMMA debut. The Scotsman has 10 stoppages in his 11 wins and is 3-1 in 2012, including back-to-back finishes since a March loss.

Rounding out the main card are a light heavyweight fight between Jason Jones (19-9) and Linton Vassell (10-3) and a middleweight bout featuring Sam Boo (5-7) and Alex Reid (9-9-1), who in August got back in the win column after an eight-fight winless skid.

The complete card for BAMMA 11 includes:

MAIN CARD (AXS TV, 4 p.m. ET)

• Xavier Foupa-Pokam vs. Jack Marshman
• Jason Jones vs. Linton Vassell
• Sam Boo vs. Alex Reid
• Tom Breese vs. Warren Kee – for welterweight title
• Dale Hardiman vs. Steve Ray – for lightweight title

PRELIMINARY CARD

• Max Nunes vs. Kevin Thompson
• Marcin Lazarz vs. Sam Mensah
• James Doolan vs. Spencer Hewitt
• Richie Downes vs. Jeremy Petley
• Marc Allen vs. Kyle Redfern
• Andrew Fisher vs. Andy Green
• Yannick Bahati vs. Ben Constantine
• Bryan Creighton vs. Dawid Farycki
• Jonny Bilton vs. Leon Edwards
• Thomas Denham vs. Mike Neun

For more on BAMMA 11, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.

Valeria Golino Janice Joplin

Welterweight, lightweight titles on line at Saturday’s BAMMA 11 card in England is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Smack in the middle of the rowdiness and reverie in downtown Toronto on the eve of the 100^th Grey Cup, CFL referee Glen Johnson and his officiating crew gathered for a quiet dinner with their spouses.

The 51-year-old referee from Winnipeg and his cohorts discussed their coveted assignment for the big game between the Calgary Stampeders and the hometown Toronto Argonauts. For Johnson, it also was a time of reflection.

You see, officiating CFL games is in his blood. His father Gord was a CFL ref for 16 years and he officiated four Grey Cups. This will be Glen’s 400^th CFL game and 10^th Grey Cup, making Glen and his dad the only father-son tandem to referee Canada’s biggest football game.

“It means a lot,” said Johnson, a senior vice-president with Toronto-based Intelliware Software Development. “I think of it as a summary of a body of work over a long time. One perspective, this is just one game. There was No. 99, this is 100 and there will be a 101. It just happened to be me this year.

“But I feel a little different. I feel this is something I’ve always wanted to do. Ten years ago I was looking at this game and saying ‘Boy, I wish I’m on the 100^th. I hope I earn that and that I’m the guy.’ So it’s kind of a culmination for me. It’s just a lot of hard work over a long period of time.”

Words of wisdom

A long time ago the referee-father preached to the referee-son to let the players play, to stay out of their way and only get involved when necessary. Following these words of wisdom has the younger Johnson at the top of his class and a favourite with the current crop of CFLers.

“He’s a consummate artist at it now,” said George Black, head of CFL officials. “He’s as good as anybody we’ve ever had in terms of calling penalties, rules understanding, presentation, crew management, game management. He’s at the top of the heap.”

One of the reasons why Johnson, in his 23^rd CFL season, has been at the top of the heap is his athletic background. As a youth, he played football and baseball, but packed in those sports to concentrate on hockey. He played in the Manitoba Junior Hockey League and a couple seasons with the University of Winnipeg.

“Because I played hockey I understand what it’s like to compete and that helps me deal with the players and what happens in games,” Johnson said.

Johnson certainly experienced an extreme baptism when he began officiating in the CFL. His first game was on the opening weekend in 1990 in Regina, when the Saskatchewan Roughriders played host to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in a rematch of that exciting 1989 Grey Cup game at the SkyDome.

Ticats head coach Al Bruno was still hot at the officials from the tight championship game seven months earlier, and as the back judge that day Johnson heard it from Bruno for four quarters.

It was “kid this, kid that.” Of course, because of his youthful appearance the most common refrain from coaches, players and fans in those early days was “did your dad drive you to the game?”

But Johnson survived and progressed. His first Grey Cup was a historical game, too. The 1994 championship at B.C. place pitted the hometown Lions against the first United States-based team, Baltimore, to advance to the Grey Cup. B.C. kicker Lui Passaglia gave Vancouver a party with his last-second field goal.

The most exciting of his Grey Cup games was in 2005, also at B.C. Place, when the Edmonton Eskimos outlasted the Montreal Alouettes 38-35 in overtime. It was and still is only the second overtime game in Grey Cup history.

Too many men

Then there was the 13^th player on the field game two years ago. The poor Roughriders had too many men on the field when Alouettes kicker Damon Duval missed his game-winning attempt. But with Johnson standing behind him, Duval was given a second try because of the penalty and gave Montreal the win.

“When I saw three flags go up in the defensive backfield I knew it could only be one thing,” Johnson said. “The odds of that happening were astronomical.”

So how has the officiating crew prepared for the 100^th Grey Cup? They held an administrative meeting on Thursday, a film session on Friday to study the tendencies of the Stampeders and Argonauts from the West and East finals.

On Saturday, the officials went through their own walk-through with TSN to discuss camera angles and other necessary matters. On Sunday, Johnson will have another morning meeting with his crew, an afternoon nap and arrive for the game at Rogers Centre at 4 p.m., 2 ½ hours before kickoff.

One nice part for Johnson about refereeing the 100^th Grey Cup is that he will have some fans in the stands. Not only will his father, whom he talks to on most game days, be there, but so will his brothers, Garth and Gary, sister Lori and wife Karen Ann.

“And my mom will be back at home watching and critiquing like she always does,” Johnson said.

A true family affair.  

Back to accessibility links

Neriah Davis Lori Petty

Wharnsby: Grey Cup referee Johnson has earned his stripes is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

The Toronto Argonauts (9-9, 2-0 in the playoffs) will defeat the Calgary Stampeders (11-7, 2-0) in the 100th Grey Cup game on Sunday evening at Rogers Centre.

For years, your correspondent has been making Grey Cup picks by going against recent trends and trying to be the smartest person in the room.

Never works. Especially that last part.

This year, it’s a choice between the hottest quarterback in the CFL versus the hottest team. I’m going with the quarterback.

The Toronto Argonauts (9-9, 2-0 in the playoffs) will defeat the Calgary Stampeders (11-7, 2-0) in the 100th Grey Cup game on Sunday evening at Rogers Centre.

Ricky Ray, Ricky Ray, Ricky Ray. Fans of opposing teams are probably sick of hearing that name as the Argos have come sailing towards the island of Colchis, looking for the Golden Fleece.

There’s just no avoiding a quarterback who in the last four contests has completed 95 of 130 passes (73 per cent) for 1,336 yards, 11 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Extrapolated over an 18-game schedule, that would be just over 6,000 yards — Doug Flutie territory.

It’s not just the numbers, however, it’s the way his teammates have raised their games to match — routes are sharper, blocks are stronger, the o-line will kill for this man.

There’s another man they’ll go to the wall for as well, and that’s running back Chad Kackert.

Rather than steal a stat of the week from Sun Media’s Ian Busby (our normal approach), we’ve come up with one of our own. If you multiply Kackert’s yards per carry (6.4) by Jon Cornish’s carries (259), you get 1,496 yards — just a hair more than the Calgary star.

And the Toronto runner, who took over from Cory Boyd at mid-season, has 100 carries in the bag, so it’s a fair enough comparison. Call it even.

Add in Chad Owens, the CFL’s best player, top receiver and new pro football record holder for most combined yards in a season, and you have a potent offensive attack that’s going to be tough for Calgary to stop.

Toronto has won five straight games against the Stampeders — a meaningless stat you’ve heard all week. Three of those wins were before GM Jim Barker blew the Toronto roster up and rebuilt it this season.

For 2012, the Double Blue won a sloppy, penalty and turnover-filled 39-36 affair in Week 2 that left neither coach happy. In Week 8, a much-tighter 22-14 result went to Toronto.

Though the new Argo offence was still being inserted in the first half of the year, Ray was still able to complete 51 of 73 passes (70 per cent) for 713 yards and three scores against the White Stallions.

They were also able to run — Boyd for 101 yards in the first, Kackert for 94 in the second.

Kevin Glenn was not bad at QB for Calgary, going 37 of 54 (68 per cent) for 464 yards and three scores.

Leading us to Cornish. He was held to 39 yards (with a fumble) and 43 yards in the two games. Strange, considering how vulnerable to the ground game Toronto was in the first half of the schedule.

It didn’t help that the Argo defence was targeting Cornish with late hits, actions that left Brandon Isaac and Marcus Ball fined after the second game between the two.

Before you take the worst prognosticator in football’s word for it, however, there are a few things to consider:

• Glenn is a man on a mission. Back in 2007, he had the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on a roll when he shattered a forearm in the East final, missing a chance to play in the Grey Cup game. Now, thanks to an injury to Drew Tate (a badly concussed right wrist), the opportunity has arrived.
• Rush ends Charleston Hughes, against Tony Washington, and Anwar Stewart, against Chris Van Zeyl, could make this a long day for Ray if they win the one-one-one battles along the lines.
• Nik Lewis. A big-time, big-game receiver (100 catches, 1,241 yards and one horrid Twitter mistake) can go off at any time, and against Toronto he’s caught 13 balls this year for 163 yards and two scores.
• Stopping Owens. Calgary has been good at this, by comparison to other teams, holding him to 87 yards catching and 108 on returns in the second game, and 88 catching with 116 in returns in the first. That sounds like a lot, but trust us, it’s pretty good.
• John Hufnagel. The Calgary coach is so much more experienced in these things than rookie Scott Milanovich, who made a couple of incautious calls last week against Montreal.

Having built myself an exit door in case everything goes wrong (it usually does, so please don’t bet the house on my account), it’s still not enough to dissuade.

Because of this: Ricky Ray, the best gift Edmonton could possibly bestow on Toronto until they get that oil pipeline reversed, is now 10-2 in the post-season. Just two losses in a dozen.

He will not permit anything but a Grey Cup victory.

Back to accessibility links

read other stories Lara Bingle

Kelly: Argos QB Ricky Ray too hot for Stampeders is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Let me begin by posing a simple question: Why are so many scholars today in the humanities and social sciences fascinated by the idea of affect? In an obvious sense an answer is not difficult to find; one has only to attend to what those scholars say. “In this paper I want to think about affect in cities and about affective cities,” geographer Nigel Thrift explains, “and, above all, about what the political consequences of thinking more explicitly about these topics might be– once it is accepted that the `political decision is itself produced by a series of inhuman or pre-subjective forces and intensities.’” Similarly, cultural critic Eric Shouse states that “the importance of affect rests upon the fact that in many cases the message consciously received may be of less import to the receiver of that message than his or her nonconscious affective resonances with the source of the message.” He adds that the power of many forms of media lies “not so much in their ideological effects, but in their ability to create affective resonances independent of content or meaning.” In the same spirit, political philosopher and social theorist Brian Massumi, one of the most influential affect theorists in the humanities and social sciences today, attributes Ronald Reagan’s success as a politician to his ability to “produce ideological effects by nonideological means. . . . His means were affective.”

more from Ruth Leys with responses at Critical Inquiry here.

Posted by Morgan Meis at 11:00 AM | Permalink

Kristen Wiig Heidi Klum

debating affect is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Let me begin by posing a simple question: Why are so many scholars today in the humanities and social sciences fascinated by the idea of affect? In an obvious sense an answer is not difficult to find; one has only to attend to what those scholars say. “In this paper I want to think about affect in cities and about affective cities,” geographer Nigel Thrift explains, “and, above all, about what the political consequences of thinking more explicitly about these topics might be– once it is accepted that the `political decision is itself produced by a series of inhuman or pre-subjective forces and intensities.’” Similarly, cultural critic Eric Shouse states that “the importance of affect rests upon the fact that in many cases the message consciously received may be of less import to the receiver of that message than his or her nonconscious affective resonances with the source of the message.” He adds that the power of many forms of media lies “not so much in their ideological effects, but in their ability to create affective resonances independent of content or meaning.” In the same spirit, political philosopher and social theorist Brian Massumi, one of the most influential affect theorists in the humanities and social sciences today, attributes Ronald Reagan’s success as a politician to his ability to “produce ideological effects by nonideological means. . . . His means were affective.”

more from Ruth Leys with responses at Critical Inquiry here.

Posted by Morgan Meis at 11:00 AM | Permalink

Barbara Flynn Nancy Allen

debating affect is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Thursday November 22, 2012 10:08 PM GMT

Emma Watson Valeria Golino

Diane Kruger Lights Up The Champs Elysees is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

The 29-year-old Canadian fighter, who made an impressive UFC debut earlier this year, made the announcement on Thursday on his personal blog.

Denis cited concerns over potential brain injuries.

Denis (11-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) signed with the UFC after posting a 10-2 record in organizations such as World Victory Road/Sengoku and KOTC. Then, in his UFC debut, he scored a 22-second knockout of Joseph Sandoval via stinging standing elbow strikes. But then came a submission loss to Roland Delorme in May in a back-and-forth bout.

Even before that defeat, Denis, a former Ph.D. student in biochemistry, had begun research into brain injuries following an especially vicious knockout loss to Marlon Sandro in 2009.

“After my first loss, a devastating knockout where Marlon Sandro dribbled my head on the canvas like a basketball, I did lots of research on concussions,” he wrote. “As a graduate student at the university of Ottawa, I had access to all peer reviewed scientific journals. No surprise to find that concussions = bad. However, I found something that had never occurred to me. Sub-concussive trauma. Basically, a blow to the head that doesn’t lead to a concussion. When it happens, you feel fine, and continue on.”

Denis learned, he wrote, that even athletes who don’t suffer concussions are still doing damage from the sub-concussive trauma.

Denis initially said he would quit fighting when he suffered one more concussion. But after reading about sub-concussive trauma and noticing blows were affecting him more and more during routine training sessions, he decided to call it quits.

“In the last couple years, and especially in the last few months leading up to my May 5 fight, while sparring I would notice that when I got hit, it would affect me more and more,” he wrote. “When I first started sparring I would run through punches unaffected. Not only that, but now training at Tristar, I am literally training with the world’s best. We are all training at the highest level, all for the same reasons. Could I fight in the UFC, against the best fighters in our solar system, literally trained killers, without sparring in training? Not really, so what was I to do? I have made the decision to retire.”

Denis said he’s not sure what he’ll do next, and he’s not sure he’s ready to resume his studies. But he said he’s comfortable with his decision to call it quits during what most would consider the prime of his career.

“I am a human being, and I was born with only one brain, and I want to take care of it so that I will recognize the ones I love when I get older,” he said.

Olivia Pascal Kimberly Joseph

UFC bantamweight Nick Denis retires, cites potential brain injuries is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

get more Susan George

Oprah’s Favorite Things — New List CRUSHES Body Odor Pandemic is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

“It looks like our best opportunity would be to end up with the best record in the NFC East,” Jones said, via The Star-Telegram. “I don’t know what that’s going to be. I don’t know if 8-8 will get it there or not, and I sure don’t know if we’re going to be 8-8.

“I’m not trying to be negative, but we’ve got to play these guys again. With how impressed I am with how they played, we’ve got our hands full up there for the last ball game.”

Oh my. The Cowboys are 5-6, and Jones isn’t sure if the team can make it to 8-8. He’s saying he’s in awe of RG3. That’s not the bombastic, confident Jones we know. This guy is a little sad.

Jones was asked if coach Jason Garrett was making any progress.

“That would be real difficult right now, because you would have to point to things like comebacks, and that’s hollow when you are not winning the game,” Jones said. “Or last week we win one, and we have to come back to win it, but we don’t win it playing well. So that’s hollow right now.”

This is a hollow-sounding owner. The Cowboys aren’t out of it at 5-6, but they haven’t shown anything to indicate they are ready to go on a winning streak. Jones knows it.

Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.

Rachael Leigh Cook Barbara Bouchet

Jerry Jones not sure Dallas Cowboys can go 8-8 is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Entrepreneurs “give back” to society not only in taxes but in products that improve our lives — and in charity. While individual success is aided by public institutions, private associations such as family and community often play a larger role.

Obama is not a quasi-communist; he is just a liberal. Yet at a time when more than 40 percent of our gross domestic product is spent by government, we should be asking how much government is too much. Obama’s speech suggests that his instinct is for more, not less.

Full column at Newsday.

Jack Black source

Don’t Give Government Too Much Credit is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

“I know now that I was down, but I didn’t think I was during the play,” Forsett said after the Texans’ 34-31 overtime win over Schwartz’s Detroit Lions, via The Associated Press. “I didn’t think my knee hit, and there was no whistle, so I kept going.

“I wasn’t giving the touchdown back.”

It was the play of the game, a second-and-10 handoff that should’ve been marked down after an 8-yard gain. No whistle was blown, however, so Forsett regained his footing and took off running. Eighty-one yards later, he was in the end zone. That set the stage for the most embarrassing moment of Schwartz’s career (Non-Harbaugh-Related Division).

“Obviously, that’s a big break in the game for us,” Texans coach Gary Kubiak said. “But I think you make your breaks when you work your tail off.”

“Give him credit for continuing to play football,” Kubiak said of Forsett. “We talk about that all the time. You don’t stop, you play.”

Kubiak didn’t sound like a man with much sympathy for the coach on the other sideline.

“A rule’s a rule,” he said. “I know one thing: You’ve got to keep your flag tucked in your pocket.”

The man’s not wrong.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.

Renee O\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’conner Tara Reid

Justin Forsett admits he was down on touchdown run is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Instant Debate: Kaepernick or Smith?

Given a chance to shine, Colin Kaepernick shredded the Bears. Should he start for the 49ers going forward? More …

Alex Smith, the 49ers’ regular starting quarterback, still hasn’t been medically cleared from the concussion he sustained during a Week 10 tie with the St. Louis Rams.

The 49ers have been engulfed in a quarterback controversy after Kaepernick threw for 243 yards and two touchdowns during a Monday night beatdown of the Chicago Bears. Niners coach Jim Harbaugh said after the game that he’ll go with the “hot hand” at quarterback.

SI.com’s Jim Trotter reported Wednesday night that Harbaugh told Smith that Kaepernick will start at quarterback against the Saints. “I’m going with Kaepernick. Alex, I’m sorry,” Harbaugh told Smith, according to Trotter.

Smith later told ESPN.com — on the record — that Kaepernick would take all of the 49ers’ first-team reps during practice this week.

Follow Steve Wyche on Twitter @wyche89

Julia Brendler Theresa Russel

Colin Kaepernick given San Francisco 49ers’ first-team reps is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Redskins offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan said Garcon is not back just for show.

“I have no doubt. He can definitely contribute more,” Shanahan told The Washington Post on Wednesday. “But that’s not really up to him. That’s more up to the coverages that he gets and the looks that happen, and Robert going through the progressions.

“We called a few plays for him that didn’t go for him, but it depends on how they play it, but that’s really like that for any guy on our team.”

Garcon didn’t seem to be moving at full speed last week, but there were no next-day setbacks.

“I thought he did good,” Shanahan said. “When Pierre came back against Tampa and in the Atlanta game, he was out there battling through it, but it was obvious that he wasn’t running as well. He didn’t get too many opportunities (Sunday). He got some short throws and stuff.

“At times, he had a chance and we went the other way with the ball. But when we looked at him hard after the game, he’s still not 100 percent, but he was definitely running better than when he came back in those two games.”

Not sure if that made any fantasy owners who held onto Garcon all this time feel any better. At least Shanahan confirmed the Redskins are not running him out there as a decoy.

But Garcon’s game is built on his speed. Who knows if he’ll ever be able to hit that final gear with that foot in 2012?

UPDATE: Garcon is optimistic he can play Thursday, but has been telling teammates that he first must test himself on the turf at Cowboys Stadium, FOX Sports Insider and NFL Network contributor Jay Glazer reports.

Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.

Chyna (Joanie Laurer) Jennifer Garner

Pierre Garcon no decoy, Washington Redskins OC says is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Wednesday November 21, 2012 10:20 PM GMT

Paula Prentis Alicia Silverstone

Malin Akerman Serves Thanksgiving Dinner to the Homeless in L.A. is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted November 20th, 2012 by The Editor & filed under Photo Gallery, SFW, The Daily Dose (Entertainment News), Video.

Naomi Campbel Danneel Ackles

This Just Happened: Selena Gomez to Guest Design for Adidas NEO (Photo Gallery) is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Manning never said so, nor has Tom Coughlin or any New York Giants official. Still, the speculation on Manning’s arm has legs, helped along by the quarterback’s decision not to throw during the bulk of the Giants’ bye week.

During a guest spot on the “Double Coverage” podcast with Steve Wyche and Mark Kriegel, Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz was asked about — what else? — Eli Manning and his (hypothetically) fatigued appendage.

“I personally haven’t seen any ‘tired arm’ thing going from Eli,” said Cruz. “I think that any time the ball is thrown my way, it’s on point, it’s right where it needs to be and I catch it to the best of my ability.

“I think a lot of it has to do with depths of routes and just communication and being at the right place at the right time and things like that. I mean, me personally, I don’t see anything with Eli’s tired arm.”

Cruz said the real problem with the Giants’ offense has been a lack of continuity caused by injuries to Hakeem Nicks and others. With Nicks nearly back to full health, we’ll see if a more functional Giants offense shows up on Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers.

Follow Dan Hanzus on Twitter @danhanzus.

Neriah Davis Lori Petty

Victor Cruz: Eli Manning’s tired arm not issue for Giants is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Jackie Chan Laura Dern

‘Flaming Lips’ Singer Wayne Coyne Shuts Down OKC Airport … with a GRENADE is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Entrepreneurs “give back” to society not only in taxes but in products that improve our lives — and in charity. While individual success is aided by public institutions, private associations such as family and community often play a larger role.

Obama is not a quasi-communist; he is just a liberal. Yet at a time when more than 40 percent of our gross domestic product is spent by government, we should be asking how much government is too much. Obama’s speech suggests that his instinct is for more, not less.

Full column at Newsday.

Gail Porter Donna Gubbay

Don’t Give Government Too Much Credit is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

More here.

Posted by S. Abbas Raza at 12:10 AM | Permalink

Renee O\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\’conner Tara Reid

Einsteinian Perceptions is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

read other stories Lara Bingle

Kid Cudi Gives Up Custody Battle — You Can Keep Our Daughter is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Sunday November 18, 2012 9:02 PM GMT

Olivia Pascal Kimberly Joseph

Stacy Keibler Brings the Sexy yo the 2012 American Music Awards is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Christopher M. Davidson in Foreign Policy:

At first glance the Gulf monarchies look stable, at least compared to the broader region. In reality, however, the political and economic structures that underpin these highly autocratic states are coming under increasing pressure, and broad swathes of citizens are making hitherto unimaginable challenges to the ruling elites.

These six monarchies — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Oman — have faced down a number of different opposition movements over the years. However, for the most part, these movements have not been broad-based and have tended to represent only narrow sections of the indigenous populations. Moreover, given their various internal and external survival strategies — including distributive economic systems and overseas soft power accumulation — the incumbent regimes have generally been in strong, confident positions, and have usually been able to placate or sideline any opposition before it could gain too much traction. In most cases the Gulf monarchies have also been very effective at demonizing opponents, either branding them as foreign-backed fifth columns, as religious fundamentalists, or even as terrorists. In turn this has allowed rulers and their governments to portray themselves to the majority of citizens and most international observers as safe, reliable upholders of the status quo, and thus far preferable to any dangerous and unpredictable alternatives. Significantly, when modernizing forces have begun to impact their populations — often improving communications between citizens or their access to education — the Gulf monarchies have been effective at co-option, often bringing such forces under the umbrella of the state or members of ruling families, and thus managing to apply a mosaic model of traditional loyalties alongside modernization even in the first few years of the 21st century.

More recently, however, powerful opposition movements have emerged that have proved less easy to contain.

More here.

Posted by S. Abbas Raza at 01:01 PM | Permalink

Janice Joplin Marisol Thomas

Yes, the Gulf monarchs are in trouble is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Lavinia Milosovici Famke Janssen

P.K. Subban gets a job is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

If he clinches the title on Sunday, Keselowski will have won his first championship in just his third full Sprint Cup season. In NASCAR’s modern era (starting in 1972), only two drivers have won a title within their first three full seasons: Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt.

Earnhardt ended up winning a record-tying seven championships in his career, while Gordon is at four and still counting.

Two seasons ago, despite winning a Nationwide Series championship, Keselowski’s Sprint Cup performance was disappointing. He finished 25th in points, failing to finish better than 10th in any start.

The next season, with the addition of crew chief Paul Wolfe, Keselowski won three times and finished fifth in points. He was just the second driver in the modern era to run a full season and finish 25th or worse in points, and then rebound to win at least three races the following season, joining Kurt Busch.

This year, with a title, he’ll become the sixth driver in series history to win a Cup championship after finishing 25th or worse in points in the previous two seasons. But the other five didn’t run a full season the year they finished 25th or worse.

Keselowski had already made history prior to this year, dating back to his time racing part-time for Phoenix Racing and Hendrick Motorsports in 2009.

In just his fifth career start, Keselowski won his first Cup race. It was one of the most memorable races in recent history, a door-to-door battle that sent Carl Edwards flying into the catchfence. The win made him the first driver in series history to make his first career lap led the final lap of a race.

The win was one of the largest upsets in Cup history at the time. It remains the only Cup win for Phoenix Racing and made Keselowski one of just five drivers to win within his first five starts in series history, joining Trevor Bayne, Jamie McMurray, Kevin Harvick and Mark Donohue.

Keselowski can also complete the resume of his team, Penske Racing, which has won 15 Indianapolis 500s but has yet to win a NASCAR Cup Series title, coming closest in 1993 when Rusty Wallace finished second.

What’s more, Keselowski has five wins in 2012 and assuming he holds on for the championship, only one driver since 1990 would have more wins during his first Cup title season (seven by Jeff Gordon).

Keselowski will turn 29 next year, but he already has a career’s worth of accolades.

Heidi Klum Denise Van Outen

Keselowski consistency spells Cup title run is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Phillips shared his opinion when asked about Tim Dobbins’ $30,000 fine for a hit on Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who was later diagnosed with a concussion.

“I just don’t see the fairness,” Phillips told the Houston Chronicle. “I know Dobbins hit the guy. I understand that. (But) it’s his first offense. If a linebacker gets put out for the season, it’s $10,000 — but it’s $30,000 if the quarterback gets hit.”

Phillips was referencing the $10,000 fine New York Jets lineman Matt Slauson received for an illegal block the ended Texans linebacker Brian Cushing’s season. He also suggested that Cutler may have been concussed on one of his 11 runs. Cutler finished the half after the Dobbins hit.

“When did he get a concussion?” Phillips said. “You can’t say he got it (then) for sure. When (the quarterback) is throwing the ball, you have to be careful. You can’t determine if he’s one yard or two yards across the line of scrimmage.

“I’m not saying the guy shouldn’t be fined. I’m just saying I don’t understand the fine system. Because it’s on national TV and the Chicago quarterback got a concussion, now it’s a big fine.”

Follow Kareem Copeland on Twitter @kareemcopeland.

Tyler Faith Christine Anu

Wade Phillips: NFL is biased against defensive players is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Nov 15, 2012 at 8:45 pm ET

A welterweight matchup between perennial contender Jon Fitch (24-4-1 MMA, 14-2-1 UFC) and Brazilian submission ace Demian Maia (17-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) is the latest addition to February’s UFC 156 event.

UFC officials today announced the new contest.

Featuring a featherweight title fight between current champ Jose Aldo and former lightweight title holder Frankie Edgar, UFC 156 takes place Feb. 2 at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The evening’s main card airs on pay-per-view.

Maia currently boasts a two-fight win streak after downing Rick Story at this past month’s UFC 153 event in Rio de Janeiro and earning a bizarre TKO victory over Dong Hyun Kim at July’s UFC 148 fight card in Las Vegas. The two victories came after a disappointing 1-2 run that included losses to Chris Weidman and Mark Munoz.

Maia is a Fabio Gurgel black belt and former world champion jiu-jitsu player who one ea. However, his recent win over Story marked Maia’s first submission win since a 2009 tapout victory over Chael Sonnen.

Meanwhile, Fitch also fought at UFC 153 and earned a hard-fought unanimous-decision win over Erick Silva in a bout that was deemed the evening’s “Fight of the Night.” The bonus was much appreciated by Fitch, who openly admitted beforehand that a loss would likely result in him picking a full-tie job in  addition to his training duties.

Fitch had previously lost in stunning knockout fashion to Johny Hendricks and settled for a draw against B.J. Penn. Prior to those setbacks, he was 13-1 in his first 14 UFC fights and was generally considered the world’s second-best fighter at 170 pounds.

For more on UFC 156, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Pictured: Jon Fitch)

Melanie Alexander Rachel Ward

Jon Fitch vs. Demian Maia added to February’s UFC 156 event is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

The friend was taking part in a small amateur MMA show that weekend. The organizers needed another fighter, and the friend knew Green was a skilled wrestler at Buffalo before several failed marijuana drug tests ended his career.

But the friends knew how well Green performed in competitions, and he thought MMA could be a good fit for him.

“I said, ‘Sure, I want it,’” Green told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). “I won in the first round, and I had never had any training. Right after people were asking where I trained or what gym I was with, and I didn’t have one.”

After landing with Team BombSquad following that first fight, Green has built a successful resume. At 5-0, after a 3-0 amateur career, Green next takes on Brandon Fleming (2-1) in a 150-pound New England Fights bout on Saturday with the chance to stay undefeated.

Beyond staying unbeaten, Green is hoping to both back up his decision to enter MMA and advance to a higher level. He moved from Buffalo to Ithaca, N.Y., to be closer to Team BombSquad. To balance his training needs with helping to support his daughter, he works mostly 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. shifts at Target outside of training.

Still, he trains at least twice a day, or as much as three times a day if a fight is coming up. The former lacrosse player has taken to MMA’s man-on-man setup, which also drew him to wrestling in high school and led him to Buffalo.

Now the 23-year-old is advancing in a new career, and it has all happened quickly.

“If I keep doing well, after this fight, it could be the call I’ve been waiting for,” Green said. “I just have to be as committed as I can.”

Gifted from the start

The way Green tells it, he was a pretty good wrestler before he ever had any practice at it.

To underline that point, Green mentions that when a friend first asked him to participate in a summer wrestling tournament before high school, he thought to himself, “Like WWF? They have that in high school?”

They didn’t, of course, but Green was looking for another opportunity. He had played football, basketball and lacrosse throughout his youth, but his smaller size made those more difficult by high school. He had been raised by a mother who worked in the school cafeteria and a father who worked for an airline to be active and adaptable.

So when a friend asked him to try a summer wrestling tournament, he agreed.

“I won the tournament,” he said. “I was just being physical like I had done in football, and I liked that about wrestling.”

So he joined the high school wrestling team in Henrietta, N.Y., near Rochester. After a successful high school career, he thought about taking some time off to enjoy life with his brother and his friends. But he saw his brother get into some trouble when he left sports as a high school student, and he kept getting calls from Buffalo.

Finally, he decided to wrestle for Buffalo. After redshirting his first year on campus, he became a skilled member of the team and ranked in some individual national polls. As a sophomore, though, he failed the first of three drug tests, which led to his leaving the team.

He promised his mother he would finish his degree in health and human services, so he remained on campus. Until a friend offered him a short-notice, no-training amateur MMA opportunity.

Things happen quickly

Once Green impressed in his amateur debut, he decided he wanted to try MMA as a career and went looking for the right place to train.

A friend knew some people in California, and he thought it would be a nice place to go live and train. But, it was awfully far away.

Then another friend pointed him toward Ithaca. He made a connection with Team BombSquad owner, operator and head trainer Ryan Ciotoli, who invited Green to come train at the facility for a week or two to give it a try. Then before long, Ciotoli called back with an opportunity to take a fight.

“They just kept calling me with fights,” he said. “I just kept taking them.”

After going 3-0 as an amateur, Green turned pro. He moved from Buffalo to Ithaca following his second pro fight to commit himself more to the team. He had finished his degree, and he found the Target job with strange hours so he wouldn’t interrupt his training.

In August, Green took on Ryan Peterson at a Cage Fury Fighting Championships show with his first chance to fully commit to preparing for a fight, and he won by split decision. In September, with even more commitment, he topped Matt DiMarcantonio by unanimous decision at Gladius Fights 1.

“I feel I can take anybody down,” Green said. “I just need to work on my standup and other things to get better. But I feel I can do a lot.”

He hopes to show that on Saturday. Originally, Green was going to have his first title fight in the show, but some changes led to a different opponent. He said he was disappointed he wouldn’t be fighting for a title, but he hopes even bigger opportunities will come soon.

“I think I need to get my wins up, and I want to keep moving up,” he said. “So that starts this weekend.”

Award-winning newspaper reporter Kyle Nagel pens “Fight Path” each week. The column focuses on the circumstances that led fighters to a profession in MMA. Know a fighter with an interesting story? Email us at news [at] mmajunkie.com.

Tammy Gretchen Robyn Douglas

Fight Path: Team BombSquad offered Dez Green a second chance and new career is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

This is familiar territory for the Montreal Alouettes and quarterback Anthony Calvillo, pro-football’s all time leading passer.

Montreal and their 40-year-old leader on offence had a week off to rest up as they try for their ninth Grey Cup appearance in the last 13 years, while the Argos were forced to fight for the chance to meet the Als at Olympic Stadium this Sunday.

Montreal has the upper hand when it comes to the season series numbers, having beaten the Toronto twice in three tries, which includes a 24-12 decision on the road on Oct. 14 that clinched first in the East.

But in that game, Toronto was without their new and not-so-secret weapon, quarterback Ricky Ray. After missing that last defeat to Montreal, the veteran QB has thrown for 10 touchdowns and just one pick in his last three starts.

Ray and his Argos are fresh off what must have been a satisfying 42-26 win over his former club, the Edmonton Eskimos, in the CFL East semi.

So we have two clubs with more than capable men under centre, looking for a trip to the 100th Grey Cup and we want to know from you: who will win the CFL East final?

Who will win the CFL East final

with files from The Canadian Press

Kim Cooper Nicole Richie

Vote: Who will win the CFL East final? is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Wednesday November 14, 2012 7:05 PM GMT

Sienna Miller Jack Black

Sofia Vergara: Pretty and Preggers on the Set of “Modern Family” is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Jamie Foxx knows it takes a lot to measure up to Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh … like a chair.

The 44-year-old actor pulled a Tom Cruise by jumping onto some furniture to pose for a pic with the 6’11 NBA star at the GQ Men of the Year party in L.A. on Tuesday.

Even Oscar winners need a boost every now and then.

Carla Bonner Claudia Schiffer

Chris Bosh & Jamie Foxx — Are Finally on the Same Level is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Toronto has acquired shortstop Jose Reyes, left-hander Mark Buehrle and right-hander Josh Johnson from Miami as part of a mega-deal, a person familiar with the agreement said Tuesday.

The person confirmed the trade to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the teams weren’t officially commenting. The person said the trade sent several of the Blue Jays’ top prospects to Miami.

According to reports, infielder Emilio Bonifacio and catcher John Buck have also been traded to the Jays in exchange for a package that includes Yunel Escobar, the shortstop who fell out of favour in Toronto after writing an anti-gay slur on his eyeblack in Spanish on Sept. 15.

Miami is also said to receive Adeiny Hechavarria, major-league starter Henderson Alvarez, catcher Jeff Mathis and prospects.

“Watcha think Toronto?! I’m still waiting for those ‘It’s Official’ words4. But I am beyond excited for the city, fans and the team,” tweeted Blue Jays starting pitcher Ricky Romero, adding the hashtag “.Boom.”

When reached by The Canadian Press, a spokesperson for the Toronto Blue Jays declined comment.

Much-needed boost

The deal gave an immediate boost to the Blue Jays, who have not reached the playoffs since winning their second consecutive World Series in 1993. Toronto went 73-89 this season and finished fourth in the AL East for the fourth straight year, again falling short in a division that includes big spenders.

The additions of Reyes, Johnson and Buehrle will address several roster needs Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos hoped to resolve in the off-season.

Toronto’s 2012 season was marred by a series of injuries that devastated its pitching, particularly the starting rotation, and the controversy surrounding Escobar.

The 29-year-old Cuban infielder apologized after the incident and was suspended for three games as punishment.

He was booed at the Rogers Centre in first game back in Toronto, despite catching the ceremonial first pitch from David Testo, a former MLS soccer player who is openly gay.

Anthopoulos said at the time: “He made a terrible mistake and is going to have to be accountable.”

Infield upgrade

Reyes will be a significant upgrade over Escobar on the field, as he hit .287 with 40 steals in 160 games for Miami. The 29-year-old spent nine years with the New York Mets before signing a six-year, US$106 million contract with the Marlins.

He’s a four-time all-star and won a Silver Slugger in 2006. Reyes is a career .291 hitter, with 92 home runs, 480 runs batted in and 410 stolen bases.

Bonifacio finished this year with 30 runs, 11 RBIs and 30 stolen bases while batting .258 in a injury-shortened season. In 2011, he had 78 runs, 36 RBIs and 40 stolen bases with a .296 batting average.

He’s played in the outfield, at third base and as a shortstop.

“Its a good day to be a bluejay!” tweeted Toronto slugger Jose Bautista.

The trade with the Marlins also addresses Toronto’s badly depleted pitching corps.

By the end of the regular season the Blue Jays had lost the services of starters J.A. Happ (fractured right foot), Drew Hutchinson (right UCL sprain), Kyle Drabek (torn right elbow ligament) and Dustin McGowan (Plantar fasciitis, right foot).

Toronto also lost relievers Luis Perez (torn ligament in left elbow) and Sergio Santos (right shoulder inflammation) to injury.

All six pitchers had been placed on the 60-day disabled list.

Are the Jays a new favourite to win the AL East?

Further, starter Jesse Litsch didn’t play at all in 2012 as he recovered from surgery on his right shoulder.

Johnson, who led the NL in ERA in 2010, went 8-14 this year with a 3.81 earned-run average for the Marlins, who endured a dismal season in their new ballpark and began dismantling the team in July.

Johnson was limited to nine starts in 2011 because of right shoulder inflammation.

He was named an all-star in 2009 and 2010, the year he led the NL with a 2.30 ERA and finished the season 11-6 after signing a four-year contract worth US$39 million.

Buehrle was a major free agent signing for the Marlins in the 2011 off-season, signing a four-year, $58 million deal on Dec. 7.

He compiled a 13-13 record in Miami, with a 3.74 ERA and 125 strikeouts. In his 13-year career in the majors Buehrle has 174 wins, 132 losses, a 3.82 ERA and 1,521 strikeouts.

Buehrle also pitched MLB’s 18th perfect game, retiring all 27 Tampa Bay Rays hitters he faced on July 23, 2009.

Toronto is still looking for a new manager after John Farrell moved to the Boston Red Sox.

The Marlins have a long history of payroll purges, and in their 20 seasons they have reached the post-season only twice, as wild-card teams in 1997 and 2003. Both times they won the World Series.

Johnson is owed $13.75 million next season. Reyes has $96 million left on a deal expiring in 2018. Buehrle has $52 million remaining on a deal expiring in 2015.

The stunning agreement came less than a year after the Marlins added Reyes, Buehrle and closer Heath Bell in an uncharacteristic $191 million spending binge as they moved into a new ballpark. The acquisitions raised high hopes, but the Marlins instead finished last in the NL East.

The latest paring of salary actually began in July, when the Marlins parted with former NL batting champion Hanley Ramirez, second baseman Omar Infante and right-hander Anibal Sanchez, among others. Bell, the team’s high-profile bust, was traded to Arizona last month.

Under owner Jeffrey Loria, long the target of fan acrimony, the Marlins have usually been among baseball’s thriftiest teams. Management pledged that would change with the new ballpark, but team officials were disappointed with attendance in 2012, and revenue fell far short of their projections.

Even so, the blockbuster deal came as a shock. The players involved must undergo physicals before the trade becomes final.

Giancarlo Stanton, the Marlins’ precocious slugger, wasn’t involved in the deal but wasn’t happy about it.

Stanton said he was mad about the deal “Plain & Simple,” he tweeted shortly after the news broke.

The swap was easier for the Marlins to swing because of their longstanding policy of refusing to include no-trade clauses in contracts.

Martina Warren Hugh Grant

Jays acquire Reyes, Buehrle, Johnson from Marlins: report is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Heidi Klum Denise Van Outen

Sesame Street Accuser — Recants Underage Sex Allegations Against Elmo Voice Actor Kevin Clash is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Tuesday November 13, 2012 8:07 PM GMT

British Marines Cher

Berenice Marlohe: Stylish in Sydney for “Skyfall” is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

DogVacay is a marketplace where pet owners can find qualified local caregivers. The company has raised $6 million to expand its vibrant community and roster of services nationwide. 

DogVacay eliminates the need to put pets in kennels by supplying individuals that can watch the dogs instead. Experienced and qualified hosts create profiles with information about their home and pet owners can browse, book and pay online. The rates are cheaper than that of the typical kennel, and pets benefit from staying in a comfortable environment.

There is significant interest on both ends of the platform, both for owners who need help caring for their pet, and for suppliers who can feed their bank account (and their soul) by indulging their passion for dogs. Along with supervision, DogVacay offers complimentary insurance, 24/7 emergency veterinary care, customer service, and daily photo and video updates.

The business was founded by husband and wife duo Aaron and Karine Hirschorn after seeking kennel alternatives for their own dogs, Rocky and Rambo. Before starting DogVacay, they watched over 100 dogs in their home and saw there was high demand for this type of service. The company has since acquired thousands of hosts and users across the country, paid over $1 million to pet-sitters, and logged 50,000 doggie nights.

This first institutional round of financing came from Benchmark Capital and will be put towards expansing the community and roster of services nationwide. Other investors include First Round Capital, Science, Quest Venture Partners, Baroda Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, and angels.

DogVacay is based in Santa Monica, CA and has 20 employees. The other dog on the block is Rover.com, which also helps owners find dog sitters.

Lori Petty Gina Hiraizumi

DogVacay lets owners and sitters indulge their puppy love, worry-free is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

NFL.com and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday the organization is bracing itself for a serious injury to the quarterback’s right shoulder, according to someone briefed on the situation. The team is awaiting Tuesday’s MRI results.

The original word on Roethlisberger’s injury was that it was a sprain. NFL.com and NFL Network’s Albert Breer reported Tuesday that doctors still lack clarity on the extent of the injury, according to a club source and a second source briefed on the situation. Roethlisberger remains in a considerable amount of pain.

Coaches haven’t been informed about Big Ben’s status for Sunday night’s game against the Baltimore Ravens, but the expectation is that backup Byron Leftwich will possibly start Sunday night and could be in line to play multiple games, Rapoport reported.

A team source told Breer coaches were told it “might be tough this week” for Roethlisberger to play, but even that is “not for sure.” Until doctors give the word, even Roethlisberger is unclear about his status for Baltimore.

Roethlisberger was injured during the third quarter of Monday night’s 16-13 overtime victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. He was taken to a local hospital after landing on his throwing shoulder on a sack by Chiefs defenders Justin Houston and Tamba Hali.

The 6-3 Steelers sit one game behind the 7-2 Ravens in the AFC North. Monday night’s injury to Roethlisberger could shake up that race considerably. Without their elite quarterback under center, this isn’t remotely the same offense in Pittsburgh.

UPDATE:  Steelers coach Mike Tomlin confirmed Tuesday that Roethlisberger has a sprained shoulder, more specifically a Sternoclavicular joint injury. Tomlin said Roethlisberger currently is questionable for Sunday’s game.

Follow Marc Sessler on Twitter @MarcSesslerNFL.

Black Eyed Peas Sarah Ryan

Mike Tomlin: Ben Roethlisberger has shoulder sprain is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Posted Monday November 12, 2012 3:35 PM GMT

Michelle Branch Sonia Couling

Sean Penn & Cisco Adler: Kickin’ It in Cabo is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

Michael Vick was taken to the locker room during Sunday’s game against the Dallas Cowboys and and was diagnosed with a concussion. He has been ruled out. Vick also has an eye injury after being slammed to the turf by Cowboys nose tackle Jay Ratliff.

The Eagles are down just to Foles at quarterback, as third-stringer Trent Edwards is inactive and wide receiver Jason Avant, who serves as the emergency QB, is out with a hamstring.

Foles lit up the Eagles with a huge preseason performance. It remains to be seen how hurt Vick proves to be longterm, but this might be Foles’ chance to grab the starting job for good. It’s remarkable it took this long for Vick to leave a game this season considering the punishment that he’s taken.

Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.

Alessia Marcuzzi Romane Bohringer

Michael Vick suffers concussion for Philadelphia Eagles is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!

by MMAjunkie.com Staff on Nov 11, 2012 at 9:00 am ET

Jodie Foster Olivia Pascal

Bellator 80 highlights video: Volkov, Martinez advance in tournaments, Warren rolls is a post from: The Best Suited News For You!