Tyson and Holyfield in talks over rematch

Evander Holyfield has raised the prospect of a rematch of his infamous world heavyweight title fight with Mike Tyson despite both men being into their 40s.

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Wow. I don't know if I have any other word to describe this. This will be a train wreck. It really is a shame what happened to Tyson....the man could've been an all time great. Killed the sport too as Boxing hasn't been relevant since and with the rise of MMA never will.

Minaya decided against adding McNamee to staff in '07

Brian McNamee, the former strength trainer for Roger Clemens and a primary figure in Major League Baseball's doping scandal, was close to becoming a member of the Mets' coaching staff last season, according to the New York Post.

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Kudos to Omar. Boy were we close to having the Mets be the "face of steroids" in NY rather then the Yankees.

Texas university giving freshmen iPhones and iPod touches

ACU began exploring uses for mobile devices in the summer of 2007 and ran a pilot study with faculty and and educational technology developers to determine how the iPhone could be used by students. The group came up with quite a few uses for the devices, devising more than 15 iPhone applications that they hoped will be useful to students.

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What a ploy to recruit more students.

Whoopi Goldberg needs a better staff

Generally I don't have much of a problem with celebrity sports fans. A lot of people have a problem with celebrities sitting court side I usually don't. They've made their money and can spend it in any way as long as they are not hurting anyone. What I do have a problem with is bandwagon sports fans who know absolutely nothing. Whoopi Goldberg who I am a fan of was one of the speakers at the Giants Super Bowl parade. About a week later on The View she had no idea that David Tyree and not Amani Toomer was the one who made "the play."


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Bring your WiFi enabled DESKTOP to Starbucks

Ever brought in a Wifi enabled desktop someplace that offers free wifi?

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Brilliant. You knew something like this would happen sooner or later.

2008 Rutgers Football schedule

Hopefully the open date turns out to be someone good. As a season ticket holder there is not much there if you want to see good games.

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Robed Obama Photo Sparks Row

The photograph shows Mr Obama wearing a white turban and a white robe presented to him by elders in north-eastern Kenya.

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The fact that this is "news" is pathetic. When will this segment of the American populace grow up? A guy wearing something that is not "western".....ooh....must mean he can't be president.

Mats Sundin should accept a trade out of Toronto

As everyone knows I am a big time hockey fan. More importantly I am a big time Toronto Maple Leafs fan. During his tenure in Toronto, Mats Sundin has never been my favorite Leaf but I know what he has meant to the Leafs all these years. I understand the Leafs never went to the finals under his leadership and that they did underachieve at times...Mats Sundin has represented the city of Toronto well on and off the ice. It really is sad that the Leafs never did get him a set wing man in all his years. I can't even begin to count all the guys that have come and gone without being the proper #2 that every successful team needs.

With that said the time has come to move....at least for the time being. I have no doubt in my mind that if at the end of the year he wanted to return to Toronto the Leafs would welcome him back. Accepting a trade now would help all parties involved. The Leafs can get a dynamic young player or two along with much needed draft picks. Sundin can go to a contender and make a run for that ring that has alluded Toronto for four decades.

While I respect his decision of wanting to finish his career in Toronto I don't see why he can't accept a deal now. Don't get me wrong...I respect the loyalty shown to the team but it is not like he has been a lifelong Leaf. I would probably think of this differently if it was someone who had spent his entire career in Toronto.

The city of Toronto needs the Leafs to be great once again. A Mats Sundin trade now speeds up the process.

CNN: US shoots down satellite

According to CNN just a few minutes ago the US successfully shot down the "dead" spy satellite. It really is a scary thought that this can be done. Something like this will surely be the start of a World War some day as taking out a few satellites can clearly damage a country's infrastructure with the disruption of the likes of cellphones and GPS units.

Obama needs to stop being so cocky

So I was watching Hillary's speech when Obama comes out and interrupts the speech. Yes this has been a heated fight so far but if he does win the nomination he needs the Clinton's in his corner. Why not just let her finish? His charisma would have outshine Hillary anyways.

The greatest prank ever pulled

Trade bait? Something's fishy
Did Kyle Kendrick get sent packing to Japan? Nah, he just got punked.

By Todd Zolecki

Inquirer Staff Writer
CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Phillies traded Kyle Kendrick yesterday.

To the Yomiuri Giants. In Japan. For Kobayashi Iwamura.

"Do they have good food in Japan?" a stunned Kendrick asked reporters, who circled his locker inside the clubhouse at Bright House Networks Field. "I don't know what to think right now."

Unbelievable, huh?

Indeed. The Phillies executed an elaborate prank on Kendrick, one so believable that it had their 23-year-old starting pitcher convinced that he needed to be on a 7:05 a.m. Delta Airlines flight today, connecting in Atlanta for the 14-hour, 30-minute trip to Tokyo. The accomplices in the ruse included assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr.; manager Charlie Manuel; Frank Coppenbarger, director of team travel and clubhouse service; Kendrick's agent, Joe Urbon; pitcher Brett Myers; and pretty much everybody else in the clubhouse.

"They got me," Kendrick said later. "I thought it was a done deal. I thought it really happened. Gosh, good thing it didn't."

Think these Phillies are a loose bunch?

The idea developed early last week, but those involved were borrowing an old idea. Phillies broadcaster Larry Andersen once pulled the same prank on former pitcher Wayne Gomes.

Amaro created an official-looking document on Phillies letterhead, spelling out the trade details, which Kendrick had to sign in triplicate. Coppenbarger also created a detailed itinerary for Kendrick's trip overseas.

After yesterday's workout, Kendrick went into the weight room, as usual, when Amaro pulled him out. He and Kendrick walked through the clubhouse together.

(Keep in mind, any time the assistant GM or GM pulls a player out of the weight room or clubhouse and walks him into the manager's office, something almost always is up.)

"Contract signed," J.D. Durbin said from across the room.

"What'd you do, Kendrick?" Myers asked.

Comcast, which had been in on the scheme from the start, had Manuel and Myers miked for the prank.

Kendrick took a seat in Manuel's office. The manager and Amaro explained that he had just been traded to Japan. (Major leaguers can't be traded to Japan, by the way.) Kendrick didn't seem to notice or care that a TV camera was filming the event because he had been told earlier that Comcast was following Manuel around for the day.

Then Coppenbarger handed Kendrick his flight schedule.

He explained to Kendrick that he tried to get him a layover for a night in Seattle (Kendrick is from Washington), but couldn't because his Japanese team needed him to arrive immediately.

Stunned, Kendrick left Manuel's office and staggered to his locker. He grabbed his cell phone and walked outside to call his agent.

"It happens," Urbon told Kendrick. "It's a chance for you to make some more money. This is going to be a big deal. This really never happens. The media over there is going to be big."

"All right," Kendrick said.

He hung up.

Kendrick returned to his locker, where Amaro brought over reporters, who didn't expect to be part of the gag. Amaro announced the trade.

"It was a deal we felt was important for us to make," he told reporters. "The fact of the matter is we're trying to get to the next level."

Then the questions started.

Did Manuel, who played in Japan, give you some tips?

"No, not at all," Kendrick said. "Um, I don't know what to think right now."

Have you had all your shots? Seriously, you need shots to go over there.

"Uh, no," Kendrick said. "I haven't. Um, I don't know. This is going to be a new little chapter I guess, huh?"

Are you upset?

Is your passport in order?

Have you talked to your agent?

Are you shocked?

"You know what I say?" Myers said, stepping in next to Kendrick. "You just got punked!"

The clubhouse erupted in laughter. Everybody could see the relief wash over Kendrick.

"I've never been so happy. Seriously," he said. "I was not getting on that flight in the morning. They got me."

And Kobayashi Iwamura? He's relieved, too.

If he only existed.

Link to the Philadelphia Inquirer Piece.
Video



Give everyone involved lots of credit. Trades are obviously an unfortunate part of the business......but what a humorous look at how it all goes down. The look on Kendrick's face is priceless.

MSNBC:Pentagon to shoot down broken spy satellite

Pentagon to shoot down broken spy satellite

Broken satellite expected to hit Earth in early March

BREAKING NEWS

The Associated Press

updated 12:10 p.m. ET, Thurs., Feb. 14, 2008

WASHINGTON - U.S. officials say the Pentagon is planning to shoot down a broken spy satellite expected to hit the Earth in early March.

This is the first time U.S. military will use a missile to destroy a satellite in space, NBC News reports.

The spy satellite has lost all power and is expected to crash back on Earth in early March, spreading debris and potentially hazardous fuel over several hundred miles.

The Pentagon will rely on part of its Missle Defense System to destroy the satellite while still in orbit over the Pacific. The Navy will fire two or three SM-3 missiles from a cruiser and destroyer off the northwest coast of Hawaii.

The SM-3's, which are more of a medium-range interceptor, had to be modified — more fuel and new software — to reach the disabled spy satellite in orbit. If the intercept is successful and the satellite blown to bits, it appears most of the debris will become orbitting "space junk" and not re-enter the earth's atmopshere.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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This has never been tried before. Lets see if this works.

Congressional hearings on Steroids

Strange hearing. It is unbelievable that even a hearing on steroids has to be a partisan affair in congress. It seemed like the Democrats were basically questioning Clemens and the Republicans were questioning McNamee. I need to watch more of this tomorrow as I pretty much missed all of it today but Clemens does come out this looking pretty bad. The fact that his lawyers kept jumping in doesn't help his cause much. The fact that Andy Pettitte threw him under the bus doesn't help him much. Does he really expect people to believe that his wife got HGH....from this trainer no less....and he wasn't aware of it? I'm not saying McNamee is a saint....but I've always thought Clemens was a scum and he's proving me right every day. From the little that I saw of it today 2 congressmen stuck out as having done their work on this...and actually make it worthwile and they are Representative Elijah Cummings, D-Md and the chairman Representative Henry Waxman, D-CA. I will comment more on this tomorrow when hopefully I'll get a chance to catch more of this.

Rob Riggle from the Daily Show on the Writers strike ending.

Rob Riggle hails the return of the striking writers, but predicts only bad things for The Daily Show's host

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Congratulations Jay Triano

Jay Triano tonight becomes the first Canadian to coach in the NBA. He will be the acting head coach for the Raptors tonight against the undermanned New Jersey Nets while Sam Mitchell is away tending to family matters.

ESPN: Clemens told Pettite that his wife did HGH

So appearantly today in front of congress Clemens will validate claims from Pettite and McNamee that his wife did HGH. I wonder how that is going over in the Clemens household. Yet another McNamee charge that is going to be proven true.....I wonder how that is going for Clemens' defense.

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Obama vs McCain?

The McCain/Obama debates are going to be a repeat of the Nixon/Kennedy ones or even Reagan/Mondale. I mean McCain is pretty witty as his numerous appearances with Jon Stewart and Don Imus have shown but he is no match for Obama. Someone on his staff screwed up big time tonight. Why on earth did he come out to interrupt the Obama speech? First of all MSNBC didn't even pick up his speech until Obama was done with this. Secondly, why didn't he go before Obama? I understand why he couldn't go a little bit later as it is getting late on the east coast and you want that TV audience....but to basically cut into Obama's speech really highlights how bland of a speaker he really is. McCain and Obama pretty much started to campaign against each other today. McCain even stole a bit from Obama's stump speech with the whole "fired up and ready to go bit."

I loved the whole contrast with the two speeches. Obama speaking at a packed Kohl's Center with a really energetic vibe....McCain's speech looked and sounded like it was in someone's basement.



Obama's "fired up" Speech

Daily Show on CNNs Situation Room

Watch as Jon Stewart breaks down each of the screens in the Situation Room.



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Primary name game....courtesy of The Daily Show.

The cable news talking heads try to drum up nicknames for upcoming primaries while the candidates share their stamina regimens.

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Japanese Town rooting for Obama?

Ran across this on Yahoo News earlier.

Barack Obama, who has been credited with tapping support in unlikely places, is enjoying a groundswell of enthusiasm in a small city in western Japan, which is delighted to share his name.

Obama, Japan, is rooting for candidate Obama, hoping that if he becomes the US president he will put this ancient fishing town of 32,000 people firmly on the tourist map and, just maybe, choose it for an international summit.

Supporters in Obama -- which means "small shore" in Japanese -- have held parties to watch election results, put up posters wishing the senator luck and plan a special batch of the town's "manju" sweets bearing his likeness

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