WWE Scrapbook, Part 2 of Paying Homage to Umaga: Life Without Armando Estrada

by on January 29, 2012

Umaga is the Samoan word for “the end,” which is sad irony to the career of Eddie Fatu, better known as Umaga in World Wrestling Entertainment.

Today, I pay homage to the man who quickly gained a reputation as one of the most agile monsters in WWE history.

If you missed it, you can view part one here.

After putting Armando Estrada on the shelf, Bobby Lashley was ready to represent Donald Trump and beat Umaga, meaning Vince McMahon would be forced to swallow his pride and have his head shaved bald. 

With “Stone Cold” Steve Austin as the special guest referee, Umaga and Lashley proved that all big men were not stiff. 

Lashley won the match after Austin hit the Stunner on Umaga, setting up the spear.

With gobs of interference, this feud continued, with the McMahon family backing the Samoan Bulldozer, Umaga.

The team of Shane McMahon, Vince and Umaga beat Lashley for the ECW Championship at Backlash, after Umaga lost the Intercontinental title to Santino Marella, who had the aid of Lashley.

Vince McMahon was the new ECW champion, though—not Umaga.

The same match happened three times more, one of which being a street fight. Vince lost his ECW championship at One Night Stand when he was beaten by Lashley.

Umaga, in what seemed to be a demotion, re-ignited a feud with Santino Marella.

Marella had taken Umaga’s intercontinental championship with help from Bobby Lashley. Umaga, now finished with Lashley, was looking to get the gold back in its rightful owner’s hands.

The Samoan Bulldozer did just that, defeating Santino to capture WWE gold for just the second time in his career.

It wasn’t, however, before Umaga lost by disqualification due to his refusal to stop delivering rapid punches to Santino’s head in the corner.

For the first time in his WWE career, Umaga shifted to a tweener role for a few weeks. 

He teamed with then-WWE champion John Cena to take on Randy Orton and Carlito. 

Now with “Samoa” tattooed across his chest, Umaga looked to be re-branding himself a bit in the summer of 2008.

Orton and Umaga started the match, although the crowd was hot for Cena.

Umaga nailed the Legend Killer with an uppercut, whipped him off the ropes and layed him out with an elbow to the neck.

The Samoan pounded his opponent in the corner, showing no remorse for a man who was considered one of his biggest allies through most of his career. 

Orton, though, shifted across the ring to reverse a Samoan Wrecking Ball and tag Carlito in.

The two double-teamed the Bulldozer right away like a pack of hungry wolves.

The stubborn Umaga didn’t allowed Orton and Carlito to Irish-whip him, instead clotheslining the team, a move for which the WWE universe roared!

John Cena came in as backup, and this unlikely pair tossed Orton and Carlito out of the ring.

In disbelief, Cena and Umaga glared into each other’s eyes as Raw went to commercial break. 

Back live from new York City, Umaga slapped the hand of his usual foe to finish off Carlito for him. 

Cena controlled the bout, attempting an F-U.

Carlito blindly tagged out, fought out of Cena’s finishing moved and sent Cena through the ropes with a double-fisted strike.

Orton, a cocky, young, aggressive heel at the time, worked on his longtime rival on the outside while Carlito distracted the referee.

Umaga simply stood on the apron as a spectator during this ordeal.

Soon after Cena rolled under the bottom rope, Carlito decimated the WWE champion.

Keep in mind, these two had feuded for the United States championship on SmackDown in previous years, so they were not without history.

One could argue that Carlito’s best work of his WWE career was with John Cena.

The heels kept tagging in and out, continuing the methodical dissection of Cena. the cliche that if you’ve seen one Cena, you’ve seen them all came into play, as it always does.

He leaped to Umaga for the hot tag, and the Bulldozer demolished Orton and Carlito.

To end it, Cena pinned Carlito after an F-U, with Umaga hovering around him. 

Cena smirked at Umaga as the monster stood and watched him raise his gold above his head.

No attacks, not even a hint of dissension between the two left you wondering if Umaga was in for a full-fledged face turn.

Umaga beat mr. Anderson and Carlito at SummerSlam but attacked Jeff Hardy during a match with Anderson.

This of course, took any seeds planted for a face turn and ripped them out of the ground. Umaga’s status as a heel was set in stone for at least a little bit longer.

As it turned out, Umaga remained a heel through the rest of his career, though, not once fully a face.

Heck, it was extremely rare this monster would speak English on television, leaving us no real clue if he had any talent on the microphone.

Then again, that was the phenomenal thing about his character: He could get over and be interpreted perfectly without speaking a word that the audience understood. 

He was just that good.

The next week, Jeff Hardy faced Umaga one-on-one for his championship gold. 

Hardy was aggressive for Raw’s opening bout, playing the role of David in this matchup of David versus Goliath.  

The aggressive style was working up until a monster right hand to the chin of the the Charismatic Enigma, who was bouncing off the ropes hoping to knock this superheavyweight off his feet.

The newly-themed unpredictable Samoan Bulldozer maintained control over Hardy. just when it looked as though Hardy would come back, Umaga thwarted his hope of once again becoming intercontinental champion.

Usually, Hardy’s speed could play a role, but this big man was just as fast.

It was Umaga’s failed Diving Headbutt that would turn the tides, dazing the monster by driving his own head into the canvas.

With a series of clotheslines, a dropkick, a sunset flip and a baseball slide, Hardy got Umaga flat on his back, only to reach a quick two-count.

Hardy measured for the Twist of Fate. although Umaga reversed, Hardy leaped to the top rope for Whisper In the Wind.

Umaga was again reeling, but still alive to keep his title.

He hit the Black Hole Slam on a flying Jeff Hardy, only garnering a two-count.

Umaga was ironically the one to crash and burn on a top-rope attempt, when Hardy unbalanced the big man into an uneasy fall.

The Samoan kicked out just after three, sending him through the ropes and out of harm’s way. Hardy looked shocked as the referee handed him the intercontinental championship. 

Umaga recovered quickly from this upset loss, appearing in a match with Triple H for the WWE championship at No Mercy.

Trips struck Umaga with a sledgehammer in a two-on-one match also including mr. Kennedy (on Umaga’s team), and would later beat the giant at the pay-per-view to retain the title.

The two continued their rivalry into Survivor Series, with Umaga’s team of MVP, mr. Kennedy, Finlay and big Daddy V getting the short end of the stick, as seemingly all do against the Cerebral Assassin. 

This led into a WrestleMania feud with Batista, where they battled for brand supremacy. Batista represented the SmackDown brand, while Umaga represented Raw.

With Raw general manager William Regal claiming he pitied SmackDown’s Batista just days before the epic WrestleMania encounter, the Animal proved he could go toe-to-toe with Umaga.

In the match, the two agile big men had a pretty good showing, somewhat similar to Umaga’s match with Bobby Lashley at the previous year’s WrestleMania.

Like that previous match, Umaga lost to give the fans a nice feeling about their favorites heading into the later matches. 

To complete his Raw stint, Umaga lost to Jeff Hardy at Extreme Rules in a falls-count-anywhere match. it ended with a Swanton Bomb off a equipment truck outside, where cameras did not show the landing. 

Umaga was then moved to the SmackDown roster, where he had a match with Triple H that ended at the hands of the Legacy (Randy Orton, Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes.)

The Samoan soon got injured at an August 2 house show in Knoxville, Tenn., sidelining him for the coming months. 

Upon his return, he sparked his first feud as a member of the SmackDown roster.

It would turn out to be his last.

This feud was sparked with mr. Money In the Bank, CM Punk.

Punk was looking to build up a head of steam so he could cash in on Jeff Hardy and transform into a Straight Edge Messiah. 

This culminated in a Samoan Strap Match at Extreme Rules in 2009. 

Punk was competing in his last match until his career would skyrocket to all-new heights, while it was Umaga’s last match altogether.

Referee Charles Robinson tied the leather strap around the wrist of the Samoan Bulldozer  and the second City Saint.

Jim Ross had already picked Umaga to win, and now he, along with Todd Grisham, were attempting to wrap their minds around how Punk was going to drag this superheavyweight around the ring to touch each ring post.

Umaga pulled Punk in but was met with a series of elbows to the face. 

Punk’s aggression continued with roundhouse kicks and the reversal of what was sure to be a splash into the corner.

Nonetheless, a simple two-handed slap to the chest left CM Punk reeling. 

Umaga eased his way to touching the first turnbuckle, same with the second. Punk, though, got up and hit his flying knee out of nowhere. 

The Bulldog failed, as did Umaga’s splash. 

Punk kicked the heart area of the Samoan monster, allowing him to touch the first two turnbuckles only to be slammed into the third. A Samoan Drop was next.

Umaga slowed things down by whipping the flesh on Punk’s back with the leather strap. Punk, in agony, raised off the mat to taste the taped foot of his opponent. 

The beatdown continued afterwards with another whip and two headbutts (one standing, one jumping). Umaga pulled Punk’s carcus from the middle of the ring to the the post, using the strap to apply force on the Chicago native’s shoulder, which was not-so-comfortably resting on the post. 

Umaga slammed that same shoulder into the steel steps as he made his way back in the ring.

He hit a frontward suplex, landing CM Punk in position to take a super kick to send him to the outside.

Umaga touched the first two turnbuckles, but the 200-pound weight known as CM Punk was stopping him from reaching the other two. He failed to reach the third turnbuckle after stretching, walking right into a roundhouse kick to the skull. 

Punk nailed a Springboard Dive off the rope. his GTS, however, failed, playing into Umaga’s flying kick. 

Punk dodged the turnbuckle in the nick of time, as a 350-pound giant was looking to crush him. He pulled the strap, already in between Umaga’s legs, into a sensitive region. 

After a couple minutes, Punk’s Bulldog worked this time around. 

He crawled his way to touching three quarters of the turnbuckles, yet a Black Hole Slam stopped him in his tracks and forced another new sequence.

Punk wrapped his legs around the bottom rope as Umaga slapped the third turnbuckle, not allowing him to bulldoze his way into victory.

Umaga chose to charge this time. Punk, though, pulled the top rope, and Umaga flew to the outside. 

Punk again reached three turnbuckles, with Umaga’s sheer strength not letting him touch the final one. 

Umaga took control, climbing to the top rope.

Punk pulled him off, eventually hitting the GTS and leaping to slap the fourth rope, proclaiming a triumphant win in the process.

Just days later, Eddie Fatu failed to comply with the WWE’s wellness policy, and refused to go to the required rehab.

Therefore, he was released from his contract on June 8, 2009. 

Just months later, on December 3, 2009, Fatu died after being found not breathing, with blood coming out of his nose. 

He was pronounced dead at the age of 36. 

He is survived by a family enriched in professional wrestling history: uncles Afa and Sika, the Wild Samoans and Chief Peter Maivia; his brothers, Tonga Kid and Rikishi; his cousins, the Rock, Yokozuna, Matt “Rosey” Anoa’i, Samu Anoa’i and Afa Anoa’i Jr.; and his grandfather Reverand Anoa’i Amituana’i.

To read more of my work, along with many others, check out EnigmaticWrestling.com. also, you can follow me on Twitter @THERYANFRYE.

Thanks for reading. any form of feedback is greatly appreciated. 

WWE Scrapbook, Part 2 of Paying Homage to Umaga: Life Without Armando Estrada

Misfits – Asbos With Super Powers

by on January 28, 2012

Misfits is the story of five teenage criminals, who meet during community service. Some are typical ASBOs, others smart-mouthed, but they all have something in common: superhero powers Fun

The series opens with the gang introducing themselves informally, and their crimes are revealed. out of nowhere, storm clouds gather in the sky, stuff falls from the sky, and the gang are suspended in lightning. this is how they attain special powers, which are slowly divulged through the course of the first episode. their probation officer, Tony, who hates the calibre of people he has to work with, is also affected by the storm.

Kelly, who’s doing community service after getting into a public brawl, develops telepathy. it causes problems in her personal life, as she thinks her dog is talking to her and hears her boyfriend’s thoughts. Simon is an introverted arsonist, who gains the power of invisibility.

Nathan is precocious and annoying, gets kicked out of home by his mother and becomes a homeless. Eventually taking up residence in the local communtiy centre. He provides much of the comic relief, and finds himself attracted to chav Kelly. He doesn’t appear to possess any special powers, something which frustrates him.

Curtis, a former athlete who is caught for possession, gains the power of time manipulation. Alisha is a good-time girl who’s doing community service for drunk driving, has the power to make anyone who touches her want to have sex with her. Tony gains the power of super-strength, and animalistic abilities. his eyes go white and he gets very aggressive, even dangerous. He makes for a very interesting first episode, to say the least.

The group make a pact to keep the storm and their powers a secret, as no one will believe young offenders anyway. They soon realise that others in the area were also affected by the storm, as evidenced by their unusual powers. They’re offered guidance by probation worker Sally, but she has an agenda. Fans of Skins will recognise that each episode revolves around a certain character. I’m not a big fan of it myself, but I can see why someone who likes Skins would like Misfits.

At nearly an hour long, each episode will keep you enticed, the end credits roll far too early for my liking. it might sound like a Heroes rip-off, but trust me it’s not. There’s plenty of dark humour, without which it could be pretentious.

In fact it’s so good, it will make you want to commit a crime so you can do community service (caution: experience may differ). Compelling, funny, dark and twisted, I can’t wait for the second series.

IRS – Statute of Limitations on IRS Tax Debts

by on January 28, 2012

There is a statute of limitation on tax debts. according to the law the amount of money that you owe to the IRS can be collected only within a period of 10 years from the original date of the assessment. Once the period is over, the tax debts will be removed automatically as a result of which you will become free from your IRS problem. Some people think that they can save money by not paying IRS for a certain period in these 10 years. But that is not true. IRS has got enough powers so it will use the necessary measures to collect the payment from you. They know how to collect money from a person. in certain cases they also place a tax lien on the person’s assets and credit. this lien will remain for 10 years. You won’t be able to take any loan due to the presence of tax lien. So, the debtor will try to make the payment as early as possible to release the lien.

You can give a request to the IRS to remove the tax lien. the request is given by using the ‘Offer in Compromise’ (OIC) feature of the IRS. But it takes about one year to arrive at a decision for the request. Also, it is advised to not use this method as a stalling tactic because the IRS can prosecute individuals that do this. So, it would be better if you work closely with the IRS so that such harsh measures by IRS can be avoided. You cannot be sure that your OIC application will be accepted. if IRS denies it then the statute of limitations period continues. So, now the total period becomes approximately 11 years.

Statute of limitations period will be increased if you file a bankruptcy. IRS cannot obtain any information of the debtor until a decision is made on the request. thus, the limitation period increases. if you are not capable of handling the IRS problems in case of tax debt then you can use the service of a tax relief professional. he will help you to get rid of the troubles. But you will have to pay him too.

IRS – Statute of Limitations on IRS Tax Debts

Where Did The X Games Originate

by on January 28, 2012

Where did the X Games Originate :
In 1993, ESPN came up with a new idea. the idea was to arrange a meet of athletes from extreme sports. after two years, they managed to organize this meet.

The first X-games tournament was arranged in Rhode Island, and at Mount Snow, Vermont.
The dates decided were from June 24 to July 1, 1995.
So, that was the first time when ‘X Games’ initiated.

Earlier, X Games had only 9 different sports, but soon, it attracted 198,000 viewers.
As this tournament became very popular, ESPN decided to organize it every year. since then, it is called X-games.

Next year, this event was organized at Rhode Island.

This time it attracted 200,000 audiences. Meanwhile, ESPN declared Winter X Games Tournament as well. it was organized at the Snow Summit Mountain Resort in Big Bear Lake, California. the dates were from January 30 to February 2, 1997.

After that, 1997-1998 Summer X games were played in San Diego. the second Winter X Games were held in 1998. This time, location was changed to Crested Butte, Colorado.
Crested Butte also hosted the Winter Games in 1999. it was the time when the Summer Games shifted to San Francisco for two years.

ESPN has come up with many other events correlated with X Games. the X Trials are called ‘qualifying events’ for the tournament.
The ‘Xperience’ is a promotional tour for the tournament.

So, X Games have been evolved a lot since then. Nowadays, the popularity of X Games can be seen. People are just crazy about the tournament.

Winter X Games 16 Highlights: Colten Moore Wins Gold Despite Horrific Crash

by on January 28, 2012

Winter X Games 16 kicked off on Thursday night, and those who watched were given quite a show, filled with crazy stunts and some big-time crashes.

Colten Moore has only been riding a snowmobile for three years, and some thought he might be done for good after falling from such insane heights early in the competition. he landed awkwardly after a horrific crash, and few expected him to keep going.

However, Moore didn’t let it get to him. he fought back to get to the finals, and ended up winning gold in the Snowmobile Freestyle event.  

As with any extreme sport, crashes are going to happen. the hope is that the athlete is OK first and foremost, but after watching some of these crashes it’s hard to wonder how they get back up and compete. 

Some are far worse than others, and with the height Moore reached in this jump, this crash ranks fairly high in the worst of the worst.

Had he not been able to flip his body over it could have been much more serious. 

Moore’s effort to stay in the competition and end up winning just goes to show that the athletes in the X Games are some of the best, and most competitive, in the world. 

They work very hard to get there, and they won’t let anything stand in their way. 

The Snowmobile Freestyle event has been a part of the X Games for six years now, and each time somebody different has won it. 

The next event using a snowmobile in the X Games is the Snowmobile Best Trick, which will take place on Sunday. 

Follow E_ROCK12 on Twitter

AFC North 2007 Previews and Projections

by on January 28, 2012

1) Baltimore: The Ravens won’t find the sledding so easy this year after posting a regular season mark of 13-3 last year, pushing them will be the Pittsburgh Steelers who are only 2 years removed from winning a Super Bowl and whose QB is now back at full strength following last years near fatal off season motorcycle accident and emergency appendicitis surgery. The same holds true for the Cincinnati Bengals whose QB is also now back at full strength after using last season as a spring board of sorts to regain his confidence following a devastating knee injury.

The Ravens have one of the NFL’s best one-two punches at QB with Steve McNair under center and former starter Kyle Boller backing him up, but they will need to get their offensive act together quickly if they want to repeat as divisional champs with regard to having a few new faces needing to learn the offense, they have a new running back (Willis McGahee), a new fullback (Justin Green or rookie Le’Ron McClain), a couple of new offensive lineman (former starters Tony Pashos and Edwin Mulitalo are gone), and a new offensive coordinator (Rick Neuheisel was promoted).

Defensively the Ravens will once again be one of the best units in the NFL, however, they are also another year older and will have to replace Pro Bowl linebacker Adalius Thomas. Baltimore posted a mark of 6-10 just two short years ago and posted a mark of 13-3 last year which needless to say is a huge 7 win improvement from one year to the next, the thought here is that the Ravens win total will fall somewhere in the middle. Projected record: 10-6

**Look to play ON the Ravens in their home opening Sept 16th game against the visiting Jets, both teams enter this affair fresh off a divisional game and Baltimore is actually playing on a short week having just played a season opening Monday nighter at Cincy, however, don’t lose sight of the fact that the Ravens own one of the best home field advantages in the league as evidenced by winning 42 of their last 56 home games (75%) in straight up fashion. its a very safe assumption to make that the Ravens will be favored in this game, with that in mind, a peek into the ole history book reveals that Baltimore has now covered 13 of their last 16 home games ATS (81.25%) when installed as a home favorite during the month of September

2) Pittsburgh: A new era will start with the opening season kickoff in Steeler country as 35 year old first time HC Mike Tomlin takes over for the departed Bill Cowher who was the Black and Gold’s leader for 15 years, Pittsburgh also had to replace offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt and assistant HC Russ Grimm who also coached the offensive line, Whisenhunt is now the HC for the Arizona Cardinals and he took Russ Grimm with him as his assistant HC. Pittsburgh replaced Whisenhunt with Bruce Arians who had coached the Steelers WR’s for the past three years, which means that the offensive philosophy will in all likelihood remain virtually the same which is a plus when you have a change at the helm.

It will be interesting to see what happens with the defense as new HC Mike Tomlin elected to retain defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau who loves to run a zone blitz hybrid defense while HC Mike Tomlin is a Tony Dungy trained Tampa-2 defense kinda guy who is fresh off a stint as the Vikings defensive coordinator. in general terms most teams that experience a head coaching change tend to struggle in the early going of a new season, I don’t think that will happen with Pittsburgh because they essentially will have the same philosophy being coached on both sides of the ball as in previous years, add to that the fact that Pittsburgh has a solid veteran nucleus and a healthy QB and its not a stretch to expect improvement over last years mark of 8-8.

In the final analysis Pittsburgh will show improvement this season but the improvement may not be seen in the win/loss column because of the fact that they reside in a tough division that includes two games each against Baltimore and Cincinnati and also have a very tough non divisional schedule which includes games at Arizona, at Denver, at new England, and at St Louis and also includes home dates against visiting Seattle and Jacksonville. Projected record: 9-7

**Look to play AGAINST the Steelers in their season opening home game versus Buffalo on Sept. 16th, with the public in mind we should be getting exceptional line value in this affair because the Steelers will have just taken Cleveland apart in their season opener and Denver will have probably done the same to Buffalo. The Bills performed well as a doggie last year in covering 7 of 10 ATS in this role and that includes covering at new England and at Miami last year to start the season while receiving +9.5 and +6.5 respectively, its also nice to know that according to the ole history book Buffalo has covered an amazing 14 of their last 16 games ATS during week 2 of a new season.

3) Cincinnati: The Ben Gals won the AFC North divisional crown in 2005 with a regular season record of 11-5 only to have their Super Bowl dreams flushed down the proverbial toilet when QB Carson Palmer went down with a knee injury against Pittsburgh in the playoffs. Physically Palmer was able to make it back to the field of play last season but emotional scars from that injury lingered and contributed to Cincinnati posting a mark of 8-8 last season, however, not all the blame should be shouldered by Palmer and his offense because they received little in the way of help from a Ben Gal defense that ranked a shoddy 31st in the league by seasons end.

Needless to say CIncy HC Marvin Lewis has his work cut out for him with regard to his defense, however, the high powered Cincinnati offense returns basically intact, though the team needs to find a third receiver to replace the suspended Chris Henry, and must also sort out a running back depth chart where rookie Kenny Irons (Auburn), former Michigan first-round pick Chris Perry, and Kenny Watson will all be fighting for touches behind starting RB Rudi Johnson.

Cincinnati had a pretty good draft and they have a fairly easy to navigate non divisional schedule with regard to getting to face new England, the Jets, Arizona, and St Louis all at home in Bengal land, outside of the AFC North the toughest road game for Cincinnati will be their week three trip to Seattle, but the good news is that they will have an extra day of rest following their trip home to Cincinnati from Seattle as they will be facing the Pats at home on MNF the following week. Projected record: 8-8

**Look to play On these Ben Gals when they visit Kansas City on Oct 14th, Cincy will be fresh from a week of rest and will have refocused after opening their season up by playing three of their first four games against playoff bound competition. The Ben Gals opened last season with a 23-10 win at KC as 2 point road doggies but may be the slight favorite in this affair and if that is the case its nice to know that Cincy was now covered 7 or their past 8 games ATS versus the AFC West and according to the ole history book Cincy is in their best role when installed as a road favorite as evidenced by covering 7 of 8 times ATS over the past three seasons in this situation

4) Cleveland: HC Romeo Crennel and his coaching staff have their work cut out for them this season as they must improve an offense that ranked 31st and a defense that ranked 27th last year if they want to retain their jobs next year. in truth the Brownies had an excellent draft highlighted by snagging OT Joe Thomas and QB Brady Quinn in the first round and CB Eric Wright in the second round. in an attempt to bolster the offensive line Cleveland also brought in free agent and former Bengal OG Eric Steinbach to pair up with LeCharles Bentley who missed the entire 2006 season after blowing out his knee during the first practice of last years training camp. Cleveland also brought in former Raven RB Jamal Lewis, who has a lot to prove this year, to run behind what should be a pretty good line should they remain healthy and gel as a unit.

Defensively Cleveland struggled to stop the run last year as evidenced by ranking 27th out of 32 teams in this category, as a means of taking care of this problem the Brownies brought in Robaire Smith from the Titans and Shaun Smith from the Bengals to hopefully raise the overall level of play. in the big picture Cleveland has the tough task of residing in the AFC North which has three playoff caliber teams in Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and instate rival Cincinnati which means that the Brownies will once again be in the basement waiting on next years elevator. Projected record: 5-11

** look to play AGAINST these Brownies when they visit Oakland on Sept 23rd, Cleveland will have had played their first two games of the season at home against Pittsburgh and Cincinnati which are two of their biggest rivals and they have a home game against Baltimore on deck following this contest, which means that Cleveland is in a sandwich game when they visit the Raiders. this contest is a revenger for Oakland who lost at home to Cleveland last year by the final of 21-24 as 2.5 point home doggies, the Raiders had a top 10 defense last year and they should be able to exact some revenge against a Cleveland team that is fresh off two hard hitting divisional games.

Jim Campbell runs http://www.footballforecastor.com which has been an internet based sports handicapping service since 1997, you will be hard pressed to find another handicapper that has had the kind of success Jim has had, over the past eight years he has maintained one of the very best winning percentages of any sports handicapping service.

“Trashed” Demi Moore Danced on Tables Weeks Before Hospitalization

by on January 28, 2012

Weeks before Demi Moore was rushed to a Los Angeles hospital for “exhaustion,” the 49-year-old night owl was partying the night away at Hollywood hot spot Beacher’s Madhouse.

On the night of January 11, the Margin call actress was spotted “table dancing while three guys sat there watching,” an eyewitness tells Us Weekly. “She was trashed.”

PHOTOS: Demi Moore’s shrinking figure

Surrounded by celebs including Brody Jenner, Jersey Shore’s Paul “DJ Pauly D” DelVecchio and Miley Cyrus, Moore “looked super skinny.”

For those who know Moore, it’s not surprising to see her acting out. after coming to terms with Ashton Kutcher‘s multiple infidelities (most notably with 22-year-old party girl Sara Leal), the actress announced plans to end her six-year marriage in November.

PHOTOS: Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher, the way they were

Since then, Moore has bumped into her 33-year-old ex at least twice: on December 1 at a West Hollywood private members’ club (“He gave her a hug and they spoke for a few minutes,” an onlooker told Us) and January 13 at a pre-Golden Globes party in West Hollywood.

“I saw him briefly say hi to her, but that was it,” a partygoer said of their January 13 run-in. “They spent most of the evening keeping a distance.”

VIDEO: Sara Leal opens up to Us about her night with Ashton

On January 15, Rumer Willis accompanied her mom to Sean Penn‘s Cinema for Peace Event Benefiting J/P Haitian Relief Organization in L.A. “Demi ordered about a dozen Red Bulls that night,” a source says. The Striptease star also “took a ton of pictures of people with her iPhone” throughout the night, the source adds. “She was excited to see anyone who approached her.”

Moore — who is reportedly also being treated for substance abuse — is currently in treatment.

PHOTOS: Celebrity rehab centers

“Because of the stresses in her life right now, Demi has chosen to seek professional assistance to treat her exhaustion and improve her overall health,” her rep told Us Tuesday. “She looks forward to getting well and is grateful for the support of her family and friends.”

Pro Football, Pro Basketball Collide in 14th-Annual Gridiron Celebrity Hoops Basketball Game

by on January 28, 2012

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 27, 2012 — /PRNewswire/ — What do six-time NFL Pro-Bowl player Terrell “T.O.” Owens, Multi-Platinum recording artist/actor Chris Brown, Dallas Cowboys player Dez Bryant, NBA Champion Rasheed Wallace and 2011 WNBA MVP Tamika Catchings have in common? they are all participating in the Gridiron Celebrity Hoops XIV All-Star Game Super Bowl weekend. Gridiron Celebrity Hoops XIV, the first and only celebrity basketball game to become officially sanctioned by the National Football League will, for the 14th-consecutive year, pit two star-studded leagues – the National Foster Care (NFC) and the American Foster Care (AFC) – against one another in a showdown at Butler University.  next to the Super Bowl itself, it’s the hottest game ticket in town!

This family- and fan-favorite basketball game, now independently produced exclusively by Jam Sports Productions, is where more than three dozen celebrities and professional athletes will take center court on Saturday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. at Butler University’s Hinkle Fieldhouse. In addition to the electrifying basketball game, fans can meet the celebrities, get free autographs, take pictures and participate in fun and safe indoor contests in an environment that embodies energy of the sights, sounds and actions of the NFL.

Gridiron XIV creates a one-of-a-kind fan experience, but its effects are long lasting. the hoops event’s benefactor is Juli’s Kids Motivated to Succeed (Juli’s Kids), a nonprofit whose mission is to enrich the lives of abused, abandoned, neglected and homeless children and teens. the annual Gridiron event is the largest fundraiser for the charity.

“This event is an opportunity to witness the best of both worlds as football heroes play in a spectacular game of basketball in such a legendary venue,” said Juli M. Jordan, event creator and executive producer of Jam Sports Productions, the production company behind the event. “We are proud that Gridiron Celebrity Hoops touches so many Super Bowl fans while supporting children in need nationally and locally. I was adopted. Working with children waiting to be adopted is my life’s passion. “

Each year, Juli’s Kids selects a local charitable organization in the Super Bowl host city that serves the city’s abused and neglected children. In 2012, Juli’s Kids has selected the Indiana Department of Child Services (DCS). DCS protects children who are victims of abuse or neglect and strengthens families through services that focus on family support and preservation. the Department also administers child support, child protection, adoption and foster care throughout the state of Indiana. Youths in foster care will be able to come to the game as complimentary VIP guests for a day to remember.

For more information on celebrities and to purchase VIP tickets, which are $300 and include courtside floor seats and special backstage access, visit www.footballhoops.com or call 301-868-8856 (limited quantity). VIP tickets are sold exclusively via Jam Sports Productions.

General admission tickets are available in the lower level for $60, mid-level for $40 and upper level for $20 through Ticketmaster online at www.ticketmaster.com or in person at any Ticketmaster outlet or by calling 1-800-745-3000. Tickets also available at the Butler University Ticket Box Office (Hinkle Fieldhouse, 510 W. 49th St., Indianapolis).

Find Gridiron XIV on Facebook at “Superbowl Gridiron Celebrity Hoops” and follow the event on Twitter at @footballhoops and @juliMjordan.

SOURCE Jam Sports Productions

Norquist: Impeach Obama over taxes?

by on January 28, 2012

Jugeared Jesus and his administration, among numerous and sundry other offenses, has:

1. ignored and side-stepped court orders involving BP imbroglio

2. Recess (not) appointments

3. Allowing Justice to thumb its nose at Congress

4. Allowing Fast & Furious to take place on his watch, and then silence on the obfuscation and dereliction taking place at DOJ

5. Overstepped his Constitutional authority by leaps and bounds with legislation through regulation, highly questionable executive orders, and other means…

Feel free to add to the list, this is just off of the top of my head

……………………

but it’ll never happen, Grover. Not a great idea, unless there is a Jugeared Administration left in 2014 AND the (R)s take the other side of Congress. Even then, it’s highly unlikely.

All that said, I believe mr. Norquist’s point, however awkwardly made, was that Ojesus will be guaranteeing a Republican majority if he lets the cuts expire in the fashion to which he referred.

hillbillyjim on January 28, 2012 at 6:16 PM

Norquist: Impeach Obama over taxes?

Fairmont presses out ‘W’

by on January 28, 2012

FAIRMONT – Megan Fuhrman brings an intangible element to the Fairmont girls basketball team’s turnover-creating, full-court press.

Shannon Christianson produced 12 of her game-best 13 points to help trigger the Cardinals’ 14-0 second-half opening surge, orchestrated by the backcourt ball-hawking skills of Fuhrman and freshman guard Sierra Schultz on Thursday night in Fairmont.

Justine Gerdts delivered nine points and six rebounds, Kayla Lardy supplied eight points and a game-high nine boards, while Schultz distributed a game-leading six assists to complement six points in guiding Fairmont to a 52-45 South Central Conference triumph over the Waseca Bluejays at Cardinal Gym.

“Justine did a nice job of attacking the basket for us during the start of the second half,” Cardinal mentor Don Waletich said in reference to his senior starting small forward’s clutch four consecutive free throws on the heels of intermission. “Megan Fuhrman’s intensity really got our run-and-jump defense going, too, and everyone else seemed to feed off of it.

“I also thought our girls did a nice job of defending (Waseca center Katie) Miller in the post. that was key.”

After the SCC rivals battled to four ties during a back-and-forth first half, the Bluejays transformed a three-point deficit into a one-point halftime edge. Miller scored the final two of her five first-half points on a baseline leaner at the 39-second juncture before freshman post Kirstin Simmons hit a leaner in the lane just before the buzzer.

Waletich’s halftime speech spurred the Cardinals to a pivotal 14-0 surge out of the lockerroom, triggered by the red-and-white’s swarming full-court pressure.

Christianson hit a leaner in the low post off a Schultz entry pass before Schultz fed the basketball to Christianson on the heels of a Waseca turnover for a quick 26-23 edge.

Christianson garnered a steal, flipped the theft to Schultz, who spotted Fuhrman for the lay-in to cause the Bluejays to call timeout at the 16:42 mark.

The short recess did not help Waseca’s cause as Gerdts drove the paint to earn two free throws, Schultz zipped an entry pass to Christianson for a long-step left-handed lay-in before Gerdts sank two more charity tosses. Gerdts’ end-to-end drive against the Bluejays’ press widened Fairmont’s margin to 36-23 and caused another Waseca timeout at the 14:19 juncture.

Forward Lindsey Malecha then reeled off eight unanswered points to trigger Waseca’s countering 10-0 run to help inch the visitors within three on the scoreboard.

Christianson, however, ended the Cardinals’ scoreless run with a free throw and a putback basket with eight minutes to go.

Jordyn Hedberg’s drive through traffic and Miller’s step-back 12-footer from the left wing later inched the Bluejays to 41-40 with 5:14 remaining in the second half.

Christianson, however, converted Emily Kim’s entry pass into a traditional 3-point play to trigger an 8-0 knockout run.

Kamara Cone converted Schultz’s assist into a low-post leaner, Fuhrman sank a solo free throw after a steal before Cone returned the favor to Schultz on a drive in traffic.

Schultz’s two free throws with 14.2 seconds left in regulation iced the Cardinals’ seven-point winning margin.

Malecha topped the Bluejays with 12 points, while Miller finished with eight points, seven rebounds, a game-best five steals and three assists.

Fairmont (7-5, 3-2 SCC) plays host to North Sentral Kossuth/Armstrong-Ringsted at 4 p.m. Saturday at Cardinal Gym in Fairmont.

Waseca (5-7, 3-3) hits the road to Class 2A, no. 3-ranked new Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva on Tuesday.

Madison Geerdes produced 25 points, six rebounds and three assists to steer Fairmont to a 53-49 victory over Waseca during B-squad action Thursday in Fairmont.

Emily Kim contributed seven points and five rebounds to the Cardinals’ triumph, Courtney Guetter pocketed six steals, Pauli Anderson chipped in four steals, while Ashten Atzenhoefer doled out three assists for Fairmont (9-1).

Blue Earth Area 53, new Ulm 31 – Camille Driscoll scored 19 points to lead the Bucs to a 53-31 South Central Conference win over the Eagles on Thursday in new Ulm.

Krista Hassing collected nine points for Blue Earth Area, teammate Sara Warmka contributed seven points and Courtney Grandgenett delivered six more points.

Kelsy Kannegiesser scored 14 points to lead the Eagles.

Blue Earth Area (11-1, 4-1 South Central) plays at 4:15 p.m. Saturday in Hayfield.

Martin County West 46, Granada-Huntley-East Chain 24 – Freshman guard Taryn Tumbleson and sophomore forward Kate Thiesse each scored 10 points to lead the Mavericks to a 46-24 Valley Conference victory over the Mustangs on Thursday night at East Chain School.

Morgan Williamson and Bailey Tish each generated nine points for the Mavericks.

Anna Balcom led the Mustangs with five points, while teammate Amanda Cegelske grabbed five rebounds.

The Mavericks connected on 17 of 39 attempts from the floor and 10 of 17 from the free throw line. the Mustangs made 10 of 34 field goals on the game, while making 2 of 4 at the charity stripe.

The Mavericks held a 30-20 rebounding edge.

Martin County West (8-3, 5-1 Valley) plays host to Luverne on Saturday in Sherburn. Granada-Huntley-East Chain (4-7, 3-3 Valley) travels to Sleepy Eye St. Mary’s on Saturday.

Martin Luther 60, Cleveland 38 – Freshman guard Kayley Shoen scored a game-leading 16 points, grabbed five rebounds and snared four steals as the Knights chalked up a 60-38 Valley Conference triumph over the Clippers on Thursday night in Cleveland.

Point guard Effie Bentz produced 14 points, distributed four assists and garnered four steals for Martin Luther, while teammate Amber Schulz scored 11 points and added three steals.

The Knights were 18 of 47 from the floor, including 4 of 16 on 3-pointers, while going 10 of 19 on free throws.

Taylor Holicky led the Clippers with 12 points.

Martin Luther (3-9, 2-5 Valley) hosts Truman on Tuesday in Northrop.

Manson-Northwest Webster 63, North Sentral Kossuth/Armstrong-Ringsted 35 – the Cougars scored a 63-35 nonconference win over the Eagles on Thursday night in Manson, Iowa.

Kelsey Gerhart led the Eagles by generating 13 points, six rebounds and two assists, while Collete Haag scored eight points. Tori Johnson added two assists and two blocks to the Eagle totals.

North Sentral Kossuth/Armstrong-Ringsted (9-3, 6-0 Corn Belt) plays at 4 p.m. Saturday in Fairmont.

NSK/AR 2 11 12 10 – 35

Fairmont 63, Waseca 59 – Sophomore guard Mitch Pfingsten erupted for a career-high 35 points to lead the Cardinals to a 63-59 South Central Conference comeback triumph over the Bluejays on Thursday night in Waseca.

Pfingsten scored 27 points in the second half. the sharpshooting sophomore connected on 5 of 9 3-pointers, 5 of 9 from 2-point distance and 10 of 12 at the free throw line to help the Cardinals erase a 10-point halftime deficit.

Kevin Hanson neared double-double territory by producing 10 points and nine rebounds, while Michael Forster pulled down nine rebounds and doled out four assists for the Cardinals.

Brock Kolander led the Bluejays with 16 points.

Fairmont (9-2, 4-0 South Central) hosts North Sentral Kossuth/Armstrong-Ringsted at approximately 6 p.m. Saturday.

The Fairmont B-squad was a 50-44 winner over Waseca on Thursday.

Nick Roggow scored 16 points, while Josh Eversman added 10 points and five assists. Tadd Abel scored seven points. Fairmont (9-1) travels to Jackson County Central on Saturday.

Waseca scored a 61-34 win over the Cardinal C-squad.

Ben Abel scored 14 points and added six rebounds for the Cardinals, while Derek Hunwardsen had seven points and three steals. Dustin Slaughter tallied six points.

Fairmont (2-5) plays at 4:45 p.m. today in St. Clair.

Blue Earth Area 56, new Ulm 48 – Dallas Barslou scored a career-high 28 points to lead the Bucs to a 56-48 South Central Conference win over the Eagles on Thursday in Blue Earth.

Luke Monson and Sam Lee each scored five points for Blue Earth Area.

Tyler Dittrich scored 15 points for the Eagles.

The Bucs were 12 of 16 on free throws, while the Eagles were 10 of 14.

Blue Earth Area (4-6, 2-2 South Central) plays at 6 p.m. Saturday in Hayfield.

Manson-Northwest Webster 58, North Sentral Kossuth/Armstrong-Ringsted 31 – Brody Eischeid scored 24 points to lead the Cougars to a 58-31 nonconference win over the Eagles on Thursday in Manson, Iowa.

Travis Larson scored 13 points for the Eagles, while Aric Runge added eight points.

North Sentral Kossuth/Armstrong-Ringsted (5-7, 5-1 Corn Belt) plays at approximately 6 p.m. Saturday in Fairmont.

← Previous Entries