Monthly Archive for July, 2011

NFL, Players Union Finally Reach Agreement For Pro Football in 2011

By: Zack Stovall, July 25, 2011 in Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , .

There's no crying in football, but at least there's football.

The NFL Players Union and the team owners finally came to an agreement Monday, paving the road for professional football in 2011.

The NFL Lockout, which began way back in March, pitted the NFL Players Association against the owners of each of the 32 NFL teams, with each staking a claim at roughly $9 billion dollars in revenue. Each side wanted a larger slice of the revenue, with the owners taking a slight advantage, 53 percent to the players’ 47 percent.

One concession made by the owners was the 18-game season proposed by them, and ultimately rejected by the players. Players cited an added risk to injury with no paid incentive, and vehemently appealed the proposal. In a compromise, the issue can be brought back up again in 2013, with the players still having the deciding vote.

The deal is slated to last for ten years. Rookies, free agents and all other personnel are allowed back into their teams’ facilities tomorrow.

The main point: FOOTBALL THIS YEAR!

Fatal Heat Wave Passing Through Midwest Toward the East Coast

By: Zack Stovall, July 21, 2011 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

HEATWAVE 2K11!

Remember the Good Ole Snowpacalypes and the Snowmeggedons from this past winter? Being under feet upon feet of snow and absolutely LOVING IT?

Okay, not really. While it doesn’t seem so long ago everyone was complaining about record a record cold snap, a heat wave is currently sweeping through the Midwest en route to the Beltway and East Coast.

In Kansas City, Missouri, as many as 13 people have died from what may be heat related causes. The mayor of Kansas City, Sly James, said that the deaths were from people who were more susceptible to heat-related injuries, such as the elderly or those who didn’t have access to air conditioning.

Take extra precaution this summer when being out in the heat. Remember to stay thoroughly hydrated and avoid prolonged exertion outside, and, as always, use sunscreen to avoid UV radiation and sun poisoning.

Three Presumed Dead After Waterfall Plunge at Yosemite National Park

By: Zack Stovall, July 20, 2011 in News. 0 Comments Tags: .

Vernal Fall in Yosemite Park

It’s been a rough summer for Yosemite National Park.

One tourist to the national landmark was recently mauled to death by grizzly bear earlier this month. The incident was the first death by an animal attack since 1986. The attack happened after a man stumbled upon a mother grizzly and her cubs.

Today, three tourists – Ninos Yacoub, 27, Hormiz David, 22, and Ramina Badal, 21 – were seen going over Vernal Falls on by other tourists. The three had been warned to stay out of the river.

“It’s a 317-foot vertical drop over rushing water. It’s not something that somebody can survive, unfortunately,” park spokesman Scott Gediman said. “It’s a tragic situation.”

Yosemite National Park spans  761,268 acres of eastern California and is connected to the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountains, with over 3.7 million people visiting annually.

Jonnie Marbles Attacks Rupert Murdoch With a Pie in the Face

By: Zack Stovall, July 19, 2011 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , .

FANCY PIE FLINGING FIGHT!

I would say “Boy, I knew Rupert Murdoch’s got some pie on his face, but this is ridiculous!” but that’s an old, played, tired joke from decades ago, and no one wants to hear it. The same can be said for throwing pies into someone’s face.

In perhaps the most odd/kind-of-funny-in-a-British-sort-of-way twist in the entire Murdoch scandal, in which he had to shutter the British tabloid “News of the World” due to a phone hacking scandal that has gripped Great Britain, a comedian/activist named Jonnie Marbles actually threw a pie made of shaving cream into the face of Rupert Murdoch during his testimony to members of British Parliament.

I didn’t make not one word of that up. Not. One. Word.

Marbles was arrested, but not before Murdoch’s (third) wife, Wendi Deng, tried to beat Marbles about the head and ears, even landing a couple of strikes before security escorted him out. At the end of the day, Murdoch gave the rest of his testimony without his coat and was still very, very rich.

My only question: I thought pies to the face were an American, Three Stooges-esque form of giving someone whatfor? Shouldn’t Jonnie Marbles have Silly Walked into Murdoch or something?

“The Dark Knight Rises” Trailer FINALLY Hits Theaters and the Web

By: Zack Stovall, July 18, 2011 in Movies. 0 Comments Tags: , .

After years since the last Academy Award-winning chapter of the latest Batman franchise, the first teaser trailer for the third and final film, The Dark Knight Rises, has hit theaters and has been leaked in HD on the Internet.

Writer and Director Christopher Nolan has stated that this will be the final chapter in his popular take on the film, rounding out a trilogy that has been financially and critically successful. In this film, Batman must take on the uber-muscular villain Bane, played by Tom Hardy with whom Nolan worked on the smash hit Inception. The role of Bruce Wayne/Batman has been played to much acclaim by recent Oscar-winner Christian Bale, who won Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Fighter.

While the first film of the set, 2005′s Batman Begins, was very successful, its sequel, 2008′s The Dark Knight surpassed all expectations, becoming one of the most successful films of the year, one of the best sequels of all time, and landing the late Heath Ledger only the second posthumous Academy Award for his role as the psychotic and scarred Joker, one of the most infamous of all villains in any genre ever.

However, fans will have to wait to see the Caped Crusader’s film. The Dark Knight Rises is scheduled to be released in the Summer of 2012.

Tiger Woods-less British Open Halfway Through, Unknowns Glover and Clarke Leading Into the Weekend

By: Zack Stovall, July 15, 2011 in Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Sinking 90-ft Eagle putts helps Darren Clarke to get an early lead.

The British Open is one of golf’s most hallowed tournaments, indeed, one of the biggest championships in all of sports. Without golf’s former No. 1 player, Tiger Woods, in the mix, the field has been open for newcomers, such as Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, and older veterans who have been toiling in Tiger’s shadow, such as McIlroy’s countryman Darren Clarke, to win some Majors of their own.

The 2011 Open Championship is being held in Sandwich, England at the Royal St. George’s course. The British Open is typified by links courses that require precise shots, and strong winds that make such precision difficult to attain.

A pair of unknowns goes into the weekend for the lead at four under par, Clarke and American Lucas Glover, who is also sporting the tournament’s best beard. A bevy of contenders, such as Miguel Angel Jimenez and American Chad Campbell, narrowly trail. Even amateur Tom Lewis, a Brit and crowd favorite, finds himself in the top 15 after some amazing drives and even more amazing putts.

At this stage, it’s still anyone’s tournament. I’m still betting Tiger Woods wins it from his recliner, making it the GREATEST COME FROM BEHIND VICTORY EVER!

2011 Emmy Nominations Are Out: HBO Dominates

By: Zack Stovall, July 14, 2011 in Television. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

BUSCEMI WANTS GET THAT EMMY.

The 2011 Emmy Nominations have been released, with some familiar faces as well as newcomers also getting their due.

The big story here is HBO and their 104 nominations. That’s one hundred and four nominations. The next closest station was CBS, with 50 nominations. I’m no mathematician, but I think that’s less than half of HBO’s nominations, making the premium pay channel the landslide favorite so far.

The individual shows with the largest number of nominations were AMC’s booze-soaked-advertdrama “Mad Men” with 19, HBO’s freshman drama”Boardwalk Empire” with 18 (whose star, Steve Buscemi, was also nominated), ABC comedy “Modern Family” garnered 17 nods and the new HBO Medieval-horse-decapitating-awesome-drama “Game of Thrones” grabbed 13.

For the top comedy category, CBS’s “The Big Bang Theory” was finally able to break through and get nominated along with returning nominees “Modern Family”, “Glee”, “The Office” and “30 Rock.”

The Emmys will be broadcast on September 18th, on FOX.

USA Womens’ Soccer Beats France 3-1, Advances to World Cup Finals

By: Zack Stovall, July 13, 2011 in Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , .

You go, girl. You go.

Don’t worry guys: USA Womens’ Soccer is back on the map.

For the first time since the squad won it all way back in 1999, Team USA has advanced to the Womens’ World Cup Finals, defeating the French team in a tightly contested 3-1 match.

After scoring in the first ten minutes, Team USA failed to score another point for the next hour, and allowed France’s Sonia Bompastor to float in a cross from 30 yards away, leaving US Goalie Hope Solo out of position and letting Gaetane Thiney slip a shot in to tie the match in the 55th minute.

In the 79th minute, however, Abby Wombach, who many consider to be the heart and soul of this year’s squad, took a corner kick and deftly put the ball in the goal with her trademark header.

Team USA moves on to the finals against Japan, who upset Sweden, 3-1, Sunday.

MLB All-Star Game Tonight in Phoenix, AZ

By: Zack Stovall, July 12, 2011 in Sports. 0 Comments Tags: , .

The Midsummer Classic, the Major League Baseball All-Star game is tonight from Phoenix, Arizona, home to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Players from both leagues will travel to the D-Back’s Chase Park in order to compete for a chance at home field advantage in the World Series.

Phillies ace Roy Halladay is the National League’s starting pitcher, while Angels pitcher Jared Weaver is starting for the AL. Halladay pitched a perfect game and a no-hitter last season, with the final no-hitter coming in the first round of the playoffs, while Weaver is starting his first All-Star game. Coincidentally, Halladay has already started the Midsummer Classic, just one of three players to start for both leagues after having started for the AL’s Toronto Blue Jays.

This year’s All-Star Game has been marked by notable absences. Sluggers Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols have both had recent trips to the DL eliminating them from the roster (even though Pujols returned a month ahead of schedule), and future Hall-of-Famer Derek Jeter, SS for the New York Yankees, is taking time off to rest a sore calf and from exhaustion with the pressure of achieving 3,000 hits.

Last night, Yankee Robinson Cano won the Home Run Derby, an annual precursor to the All-Star Game.

EA Sports’ “NCAA Football 12″ Video Game Releasing Tomorrow

By: Zack Stovall, July 11, 2011 in News. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

FOOBAW FOOBAW FOOBAW

With the NFL Lockout continuing to loom large over the collective consciousness of the sport’s fans, college football, even with its bevy of imperfections, could likely be the highest-caliber of football that will be watched this upcoming Autumn.

With college football already being wildly popular, and with the potential for it to be an even greater draw this season, the stage is set perfectly for one of the most popular annual video game releases, “NCAA Football 12.”

There are several new features to the game, including more realistic tackling and more detailed fans in the stands and mascots. But the most interesting feature has to be the Road to Glory setting, in which you can create a character and play their entire senior year of high school, playoffs and all (TAKE STATE!), go through a simulated recruiting process and play for whichever college recruits you. This is a new layer of authenticity and realism games rarely achieve, and should be fun to take rivalries all the way back to the good ole high school days.

I just can’t wait until the games go all the way back to Pop Warner football. They can call it the Overaggressive Father Living Out His Own Shattered College Football Dreams Through His Young Children setting.