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Kei Nishikori Holds On To Barcelona Open Title

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kei nishikori holds on to barcelona title 2015

Kei Nishikori, the only man in tennis currently who can rival Novak Djokovic just held on to his Barcelona Open Title after defeating Pablo Andujar. This man has had an incredible year and is proving to be a very formidable opponent, and if he and Djokovic can wind up on the court together, it will truly be a match to watch.

Kei Nishikori completed his second successful title defence of the season on Sunday at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, defeating home hope Pablo Andujar 6-4, 6-4 at the Real Club de Tenis Barcelona.

pablo andujar vs kei nishikori 2015 barcelona open

Nishikori, who earned a three-peat at the Memphis Open earlier in the year, joined former World No. 1’s Rafael Nadal, Thomas Muster, Mats Wilander,Ivan Lendl and Ilie Nastase, along with Andres Gomez, as players to retain the Barcelona crown in the Open Era.

After exchanging breaks to open the match, both players remained on serve until the 10th game when Nishikori pounced on an opportunity to claim the opening set. The top seed opened the court with a slew of blistering groundstrokes to grab the decisive break.

Andujar would not be discouraged, breaking immediately to open the second set after drawing an error behind a rifled forehand at Nishikori’s feet. The Spaniard pressed for an insurance break two games later, but his Japanese opponent dug deep and would not be denied, leveling the set at 4-4 with a break back in the eighth game and breaking again to seal the win after one hour and 35 minutes.

kei nishikori shirtless for barcelona open 2015

With Shakira and boyfriend FC Barcelona defender Gerard Pique in attendance, the World No. 5 claimed his ninth ATP World Tour trophy overall, improving to a dominant 21-1 when competing as the top seed.

Andujar, who falls to 3-4 in tour-level finals, was bidding to become the 12th different Spaniard to emerge with the Trofeo Conde de Godó crown. Prior to Nishikori’s title run in 2014, the tournament had boasted a home grown champion for 11 consecutive years.

Netflix BLOODLINE Review

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It only took me a couple of seconds to decide I wanted to check out “Bloodline” once I saw Kyle Chandler was staring in the Netflix original series. Chandler has been a favorite of mine since way back when he was on “Early Edition” in 1996, and of course his work as Coach Taylor on the “Friday Night Lights” series on NBC. It took me about ten days to watch all 13 episodes of “Bloodline” and if I were not so busy I could have went through it in a weekend.

The show didn’t disappoint me at all and it would have had to have been historically bad for me not to watch it all the way through since Chandler was a part of the deal. Chandler was good as usual, playing the role of John Rayburn, the stable go-to brother in the family. The story is set at a beach front hotel in the Florida Keys and the scenery is very cool in a laid back way. Spoiler alert ahead…..

kyle chandler on bloodline 2015

The big surprise for most viewers of the show was Ben Mendelsohn playing the part of Danny Rayburn, a perpetual screw up. I believed every second of Mendelsohn’s performance as a chain smoking train wreck who was just moments away from going nuclear on his family in every scene. He looked the part of the unredeemable prodigal son that no one wants to return home, ever.

kyle chandler with sissy spacek on bloodline 2015

The story isn’t very complicated. Danny Rayburn comes home to his family’s successful hotel business after years of ups and downs in his own life, mostly downs. Of course his mama, played by Sissy Spacek, loves her oldest child and welcomes him back as always. His dad and siblings are certainly not giving him the benefit of the doubt. Everyone has family members like this of course. People that you once adored as kids, that grew up to be adult nightmares. If you take a moment and can’t think of such a person in your own family, then you are likely that drama magnet that causes family members to breathe a sigh of relief when they see you absent from the Christmas get together!

Danny Rayburn wasn’t always a bad guy. He was likely a normal teenager until the drowning of his sister. He took her out on a boat and she ended up dead as a result of getting her hand caught in some coral. Once his dad found out, a beating ensued. The family covered up the injuries to young Danny by claiming he was the victim of a hit and run. Even his young siblings went along with the story and of course Danny was too young stand up for himself to his dad. This event would set the teenager on a path of destruction. Once he returned to his family home he meant to return the favor.

Danny seemed harmless enough to begin with once he started working at the hotel. But it didn’t take him long to ratchet things up a bit by getting in on the drug trade. To make sure he pulled his family down with him, he had the drugs come in on fishing boats to the hotel. So if he ever got caught he would destroy what his family had built over the 45 years they had been in business. His life was already a wreck so it was no big deal for him to drag the rest of the Rayburn crew down with him, even dear old mom.

This entire drug scheme finally got uncovered by Meg Rayburn, the lawyer sister. So she lets her brother John know about it. Surely the detective can fix this mess. Not so much. John tries to warn Danny and it blows up in his face when his slimy brother warns his drug kingpin boss about an upcoming sting. Danny had the upper hand on his family and he knew they couldn’t touch him.

How do you get rid of an unwanted family member? Moving is an option as well as just staying away from them. That wasn’t going to work in this case. A bus trip out of town was too easy so things had to get primal. And who had to clean all this crap up, Mr. Dependable of course, John Rayburn. If you are the responsible sibling in your family, you may know the feeling. You probably haven’t had to deal with a maniac like Danny, but if you had, perhaps murder would have been the only way out of a bad situation.

kyle chandler with dead brother in bloodline 2015

John tried to simply let things play out after he stole Danny’s boss’s drugs. A hitman failed to finish off the human cockroach so John Rayburn, who was sworn to “protect and serve”, had to whack his brother to protect the family. It was no easy thing to do even with all the devious acts Danny had perpetrated since his return. The guilt of covering up the beating years ago still had hold of the upstanding detective. That didn’t stop him after Danny taunted him one too many times however. A tree limb to the back of the skull and a struggle into the water ended with Danny Rayburn face down in the sea, dying a similar death to his sister that started this chain of terrible events.

Being a police officer, John knew how to cover all this up even though a panic attack sent him to the hospital. That nearly derailed things as his sister and other drunk brother had to manage the situation until he was well enough to tie up the loose ends.

danny rayburn burning on boat in bloodline 2015

The finale ended with the Rayburns intact, except for the dad and Danny Rayburn of course. Many wonder what the second season, to be released in 2016, will have to offer with no Danny, the best character on the show. That should be no issue at all. There is an irritated drug kingpin still out a pile of money that may seek revenge. Other brother Kevin isn’t exactly stable and remains sober only a few hours a day, so he could easily get caught up in a debacle. And of course they can put Kyle Chandler in any scenario and he will shine. Without Ben Mendelsohn around next year, Chandler is the obvious focal point…except maybe for Danny’s son who shows up at the end of the finale.

This kid could be a chance for the Rayburns to make up for turning their backs on Danny as a youngster. That would be a nice story line except for the fact that the teenager looks like and probably is the devil’s spawn.

REAL HOUSEWIVES OF ATLANTA Ep 721: Finale NeNe Leakes Still Unsure of Returning

real housewives of atlanta ep 721 images 2015

It finally happened. Last night was the season finale of the Real Housewives of Atlanta and I am happy to say that the ladies actually kept it classy… even Porsha Williams.

Kenya Moore continues working on her show “Life Twirls On” in hopes to get it done within a short time frame in order to shop it around. She really wants the other ladies to see it and experience what she has been working so hard on. I have to hand it to Kenya. Of course I still think she is totally full of herself but she really put her heart into making this pilot. Now whether or not it is good is a totally different story. She also revealed that the tickets NeNe said she was going to give to all the ladies have somehow gotten lost in the mail. How inconvenient.

In fact none of the ladies attended her opening night on Broadway, not even her new gal pal Phaedra Parks.

cynthia and peter for bar on real housewives of atlanta 205

Then there is Cynthia Bailey and she is working with Peter on their new Bar One venture. She is officially partnering with him to take the bar to the next level. As they go through the old location, they reminisce about good times and how the bar was a very big part of their marriage.

They go looking at another building that Peter has rented and get a call from Apollo who is, of course in prison. He tells them he is holding on pretty well but he hasn’t seen his kids. Cynthia is hesitant about hearing or saying anything because the last time she was involved in Apollo’s situation, “it was a big chocolate mess.”

Kandi and Todd talk in their kitchen about the invitation they received from her mom to come over for her house warming party. Todd, of course, feels a certain way about it all because of the tension that exists between her mom and him. He has an issue with her because of the things that she said about his parents. I am sure there are other reasons as well Todd …cough… prenup… cough.

mama joyce with kandi on real housewives of atlanta todd apology 2015

All of Kandi’s family is there eating and having a good time (the food looks really good by the way). During the dinner, Kandi’s mom thanks her daughter for the house. Kandi Burrus then announces that Todd’s show has gotten picked up for another season, which means she is going to L.A. This is also the first time that her daughter has heard about it and it obliviously not happy. Her mom is especially not happy about it and it shows on her face.

She asks her mom what she thinks and her mom, (out of the blue) apologizes to Todd for anything she has done to offend him. She says some other stuff (you know… how she only repeated things about his mother that was told her) and it is totally awkward. Like, I am talking about crickets chirping and being able to hear a pen drop awkward. In the end, they hug it out, but Todd is still pissed because it doesn’t think it was genuine.

We see Phaedra and her kids making cookies. During her confessionals, she admits that she doesn’t want to take them to see Apollo in prison but is torn because she knows that it can harm them either way.

nene leakes cinderlla time on real housewives of atlanta 2015

Then there is NeNe Leakes, and she is in New York for the opening of her Broadway show, Cinderella. She says that she hasn’t heard from any of the ladies except for Phaedra. According to her, the invitation she extended to them was very real but she is pretty sure none of them is going to take her up on it. As I mentioned earlier, she is right.

The show takes place and afterward, everyone makes a big fuss over her, it being her first time on Broadway and all. It seems to have gone very well and we even see her signing autographs and greeting fans. It seems that she is a big deal.

kenya greets party guests for rhoa life twirls on 2015v

Back in Atlanta, Kenya Moore has a screening at a mansion for her show, invites all the ladies and it is all kinds of fancy. The girls arrive and it is extravagant. She has a harp player, a singer (who sings “life twirls on” in opera). For the record, they probably look the best that I’ve seen them this season.

Once everyone has arrived, Kenya arrives makes a grand entrance by ascending a staircase in a wedding dress (it is her character’s wedding she says). She even jumps the broom). A few of the ladies look confused but try to hide their bewilderment. She then leads them to a theatre where she gives them an intro to the “Life Twirls On” pilot. The girls see the show and they have mixed reviews about it, but most of them are positive. Kandi says that she thinks it was actually not bad and that she did a good job.

kenya moore rhoa life twirls on party 2015 images

After the showing, they go and have some more fun in a photo booth with even people who cannot stand each other (Porsha and Claudia) taking pictures together. They seem to still be high on the good vibes from the Philippines which is refreshing and hopefully, sincere.

At the end, they give an update on all the girls and believe it or not, the night goes off without a pinch of drama and that… that is amazing.

It seems that they may have saved the drama for the reunion because the previews for next week defiantly look promising. Naturally, NeNe Leakes is doing her usual creating drama and making claims that she doesn’t want to return to Season 8, but after her doing this stunt for a couple years, we know it’s just all about the money for this woman. Her charm is gone and she has become what we know as the true ugly American sadly.

It’s been interesting how calm the show is when she’s not around, but the minute she’s in the room, you can feel her anger, insecurity and just plain ugly side come out. This is what Bravo wants and loves though so they’ll keep throwing money at her until ratings begin to drop and the budget goes even further out of control. She’s trying hard to get Claudia Jordan out, but she was one of the best breath of fresh air this season and is the one who can actually make NeNe Leakes nervous as fans have flocked to her very quickly. Like NeNe, Claudia is a big gay man magnet which is a big part of the audience so life moves on NeNe, and if you don’t remember who you are, it’ll pass you by. So now off, to watch that reunion!

Real Housewives Of Atlanta Reunion Best Of Highlights:

BRING IT! Ep 213: Kayla Shows Purple Diamonds How To Win

bring it ep 213 kayla shows purple diamonds how to win 2015

This week the Dancing Dolls are back and they are coming for blood on Bring It! Their rivals are none other than the Purple Diamonds and according to Ms. D, they have to “sock it to them from start to finish.”

Because DD has had issues with PD for years, they are not focusing on what happened in the past, but on what they are doing right now because there is no way they are going to lose (it would be their third time losing to the other Jackson, MI home team).

kayla doing dancing dolls cuts on bring it 2015

Ms. D let’s Kayla run everything this week from doing the choreography, to leading the practices to doing the cuts. Yes it is up to her to decide who does not get to dance in the battle stance against the Purple Diamonds. Hmmm, I wonder how the other parents are going to react to her cutting their daughters since they always have something to say about Ms. D’s cuts.

She doesn’t waste any time and dives right into getting the girls in shape.  All of this is of course leading up to what’s to come next week – Battle Royale. Diana is actually doing this to get Kayla, as the captain, “in the right frame of mind.” The pressure is going to be on like no other time during the season and she has to put all things aside and get in the zone.

selena and dancing dolls moms nervous on bring it 213 2015

She runs  into a little frustration with how Ms. D seems to not let her lead the team the way that she wants. So while Kayla is trying to get the girls right, Diana keeps asking her all kinds of questions and stays on her to the point that Kayla is very upset (hot tears run down her face). She is embarrassed by how Ms. D came on the floor and totally changed her formation and of course her momma, Tina, is not happy about it either. She feels like Diana is not trusting Kayla but she has no doubt that Kayla is able to be successful with leading the girls. “You know how to run this practice Kayla… run this Damn Practice.” That’s what I’m talking about momma. Support your baby.

Ms. D calls Kayla to the side because she needs her to be tough as steel. She talks to her about getting upset and she tells her that she cannot just back down when she gets frustrated. Kayla is definitely feeling the pressure and Ms. D tells her to grab the team by the ranks, handle it and leave the tears at home.

The times come for cuts and she does it her own way. The parents watch from outside the Dollhouse like they always do. She ends up not cutting anyone (awww), which really takes the drama down several notches from what usually happens with Diana.

After she makes the cuts, things in practice don’t seem to be going so well and it makes Diana wonder if she made a mistake letting Kayla do everything this week..

dancing dolls prayer for purple diamonds bring it 2015

The day of the competition comes and the tension is high as usually. Each team comes in screaming their mantra going in their corners. As the parents sit in the bleachers (as they always do) they see Tracy from the Miami Superstars team and they are like, “what the hell is she doing here.”

dancing dolls moms watching purple diamonds battle bring it recap 2015

Tina says, “She is very smart for being here but I just wish I didn’t have to see her.” She doesn’t really make a fuss or anything but her presence is definitely known and felt.

Diana sees Tracy and you know she confronts her by asking her why she was there. Tracy says this is supposed to be the best of the south so why wouldn’t she be here. This girl is so full of herself by the way, which really isn’t a good look. Diana asks her if she has a camera in her bag (being funny but also very serious) and Tracy says, “girl please.”

After their “run in” Diana goes back and tells the girls that Tracy is there, just to make sure they are not caught off guard.

kayla chair split dancing dolls vs purple diamonds 2015

The stand battle is up and PD opens up with a routine that makes fun of DD, even bringing someone out to act like Ms D. and making fun of Sunjai. When it’s DD’s turn, they go out there and they bring it. Their energy is on 100 and the girls look great. Even Tracy had to admit how good they look. And of course Sunjai is bringing it extra hard too.

bring it purple diamonds vs dancing dolls 2015

Everything is going pretty well for PD when during one of their turns, they do a lift and one of the girls drops the other right one her head. They also bring out a guy who is supposed to be a drum major to me, really didn’t go over well.

kayla coach wins dancing dolls vs purple diamonds bring it 2015

In the end, the Dancing Dolls take home the win for the stance battle and that is everything.

The next time that the Purple Diamonds and the Dancing Dolls meet is next week at the Battle Royale and DD plan to come at every team from “all different directions.”

BRING IT! Ep 212 Recap: Dancing Dolls Do Some Ms Jackson

 

This week on Bring It!, the Dancing Dolls are competing in creative dance and stance and their biggest rivals this week is the Prancing Tigerettes. If you remember from last week, the Baby Dolls lost both categories the competed in to the Prancing Tigerettes.

Because of last week’s loss and the way in which the coach, Quincy, of the Prancing Tigerettes, acted when they won, Diana is not playing with them. They are going to bring it and are taking no prisoners.

It is always so interesting to me when a man is the coach of these teams because I have yet to see a man coach manly. They always have to act like a woman, which is a whole other story in itself. Many times though, they are more “extra” with the whole way in which they act and their gestures than the female coaches, which is just too much. With this coach, Quincy is always talking about kicking somebody’s ass, hurting somebody and other violent actions. He chants while they walk past him in single file, “kick ass all day long” and I don’t think that that’s a good way to encourage the girls to do their best.

Anyway, Diana tells DD that they need to bring it because the Prancing Tigerettes are coming to win that trophy. But Ms. D is not worried about it. “Now it is my turn to get some payback.”

She goes through the cuts process and this week, Star, one of Selena’s prized daughters, doesn’t make it and she, as usual, does not like it. But what they all have to realize is that Diana is not playing with them. “I will cut you the day of the competition.”

In the episode, Selena has a blind date in which is a break from the usual. She got to focus on herself for a change (well that’s what she says) and it felt good for her. Her date’s name is Jason and he is nice looking and seems to be put together. They talk, well really Selena does all the talking and she is just so animated. Even in her  confessionals she is super extra. I always wonder if she does it because she doesn’t know how to act in front of the camera, but I’ve concluded, after seeing her on her date with Jason, that may just be the way she is all the time.

The day of competition, Selena pulls Diana to the side to talk to her about Star being able to dance. She asks the coach what she needs to do to help her and Diana tells her to back the hell back and leave her alone. Apparently she did the same thing to Sunjai and when she backs off of her, she became a great danger. Selena doesn’t want to hear this and presses Ms. D to give her more advice. Diana gets frustrated and walks away while Selena keeps talking.

The Prancing Tigerettes hit the floor for the creative competition, which is a decades theme that all teams had to abide by, and they do the 80’s. They did a good job for the most part with even Diana saying that they looked good.

kayla watching prancing tigerettes on bring it lifetime 2015

When the Dancing Dolls get out there, they do their Janet Jackson inspired routine and they kill it. From their costumes to their movements, they have it going on. After the girls finish their dance, Diana has a run in with Quincy where she accuses him of stealing some of the girls dance moves. “Woooooow” is pretty much all he has to say and seems to be appalled that she would even suggest that. After their confrontation he goes back to his girls and tells them to “Merk they ass.” This is the shit I am talking about. I think he is totally out of line and is the most inappropriate of the rival coaches we have seen so far on the show this season.

kayla and dancing dolls vs prancing tigerettes bring it 2015

The stand battle is up and you can just feel the tension is super high. I do have to say that the Prancing Tigerettes reputation definitely precedes them because even the DD parents say that they are giving their girls a run for their money.

For the record, the Prancing Tigerettes are super good, which is something that I hate to admit because their coach is such an ass. They end up doing just what Diana said that they would- stealing DD’s moves. It annoys me that he even acted like he didn’t know what she was talking about because his girls did some of DD’s SIGNATURE dance moves.

dancing dolls vs prancing tigerettes 2015 bring it

In the end, DD takes home first place for the creative dance and they whooped the Prancing Tigerettes ass in stand battle. They were indeed better. Of course Quincy didn’t like the outcome because his girls “slayed… they clowned today.” Um, no they didn’t boo, boo. DD was better and is why they won.

Very glad that they won this one and it is all building up to the Battle Royale.

2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs: Flames vs Ducks & Blackhawks Move On

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2015 stanley cup playoffs flames beat canucks images

Saturday’s results from the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs saw two teams advance to the second round. Two more may join them by the end of Sunday as there are two pivotal game sixes scheduled for April 26th.

Last night in Calgary, the Flames eliminated the Vancouver Canucks 4-2 in their series. The Canucks held a lead fairly late in the game however Calgary, behind four goals in the third period, avoided a game seven back in Vancouver with a 7-4 game six victory. Two of the third period goals were empty-netters however the winner was scored at 15:43 of the third period by Matt Stajan.

karri ramo holds off canucks for calgary flames win stanley cup playoffs 2015karri ramo holds off canucks for calgary flames win stanley cup playoffs 2015

“Things happen so quickly out there and even when I go home, I’ll probably blink my eyes and still have to pinch myself to realize what happened,” said Stajan. “That’s why we play the games. This is a special moment.”

“I’m just happy it didn’t go to overtime and we found a way here.”

Jiri Hudler and Michael Ferland each had a pair of goals including empty-netters in front of a delirious Scotiabank Saddledome. Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan also scored for Calgary.

The Flames last advanced beyond the opening round in 2004 when they reached the Stanley Cup final and lost in seven games to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

“You have to give them credit,” said Canucks coach Willie Desjardins. “They found ways all year and they found a way again tonight. I’m proud of our guys. One hundred and one points this year was a good run.”

Flames starter Jonas Hiller was pulled early in the first after allowing two goals on three shots. Karri Ramo stopped 21-of-22 shots for the win.

Luca Sbisa, Brandon McMillan, Jannik Hansen and Radim Vrbata scored for the Canucks, who led 3-0 early in the first period and 4-3 midway through the second. Ryan Miller made 28 saves in the loss.

“We looked at this game as a must-win on home ice,” said Monahan. “We could knock them out and move onto the second round. We were still excited on the bench being down three-nothing. We did whatever we could to push back and we found a way.”

calgary flames move forward in stanley cup playoffs 2015

Calgary’s fourth line of Stajan, Ferland and David Jones produced the winner with a siege on Miller in the third. The Vancouver goalie made an initial save on Ferland, but Stajan banged in the rebound.

The hosts stumbled out of the gate, however, as the Canucks rattled off three unanswered goals on their first four shots. Hiller was replaced by Ramo after Vancouver’s second goal at 7:32 and Ramo gave up a goal on the first shot he faced.

Calgary scored late in the first and twice early in the second to revive the Saddledome, but Sbisa restored Vancouver’s lead at 10:36.

calgary flames take on anaheim ducks stanley cup playoffs 2015

The Flames now advance to face the Anaheim Ducks, a team that swept the Winnipeg Jets earlier in the playoffs. While Anaheim promises to be well-rested when the second round series starts, Calgary, in avoiding going to a seventh game, will have a little bit of extra time to prepare. The victory over Vancouver represents the first playoff series victory for Calgary since the 2004 Stanley Cup run season.

blackhawks beat predators for stanley cup playoffs 2015

In other action the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Nashville Predators in game six of their first round series. Nashville appeared to have a comfortable lead in the game in the early going as the Preds jumped out to a 3-1 lead. However Chicago tied the game before the two teams went to intermission and the game remained tied until the late minutes of the third period. Duncan Keith tallied the series winner for Chicago at about the 16 minute mark to send the Blackhawks back into the second round. Keith also had two assists in the game.

minnesota wild vs blues stanley cup playoffs 2015

Chicago now await the winner of the St. Louis Blues/Minnesota Wild series, one that could be resolved by Sunday evening. The Wild lead their series 3-2 and they will host game six Sunday afternoon. Other Sunday action will feature the Montreal Canadiens against the Ottawa Senators, two teams that will play game six of their series from Canada’s capital Sunday evening with the Canadiens leading 3-2.

In other action on Saturday the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in game five of their series. The victory gives the wings a 3-2 series lead. Lastly, the New York Islanders defeated the Washington Capitals to knot their series at three games a piece.

Kanye West: Bruce Jenner’s Biggest Defender With Kardashians

kanye west was bruce jenners biggest defender to kim kardashian 2015 gossip

Being allergic to anything Kardashian related, I decided to skip the highly anticipated Bruce Jenner interview with Diane Sawyer to spend sometime binge watching old X-Files episodes on Netflix. Because yeah, that’s how much I care about that. However, there was one article the next morning about the infamous interview that really caught my attention: the surprising statement that Bruce Jenner made about Kanye West being the individual who made Kim Kardashain less judgmental towards her own father. Maybe not her biological father, but he’s raised her from a small child as if she was his own.

WOW. I have so many thoughts on this I don’t even know where to begin! According to Bruce, Kanye told Kim that even though he’s married to the most “beautiful woman in the world” he would be nothing if he couldn’t be himself. I don’t know about you, but those words sound pretty impressive coming from Kanye. It’s also proof of what a lot of  us knew all along: Kanye is no dummy, but he’s willing to act like one just to get attention and make millions.

With the world of hip-hop (as the breakout show Empire boldly highlighted) being very prejudiced against the LGBT community, it’s really brave for Kanye to step up and make a statement like this even if it was said in private. And although Bruce says she’s less judgmental of him, that’s still not a sign that she is more supportive. Who would have thought Kanye West would be more accepting of a transgender person than Kim? Especially when they have a big LGBT fan base.

bruce jenner talks how kardashian family turned against him 2015 gossip

Jenner also revealed that although the Jenner children were very supportive, the Kardashian children turned their back on him. They also refused to make statements during his interview time so that they could save those moments for their own show. Really? Even during a personal time like this, their television ratings are more important  to them than their dad? What great kids huh? Having a transgender parent wouldn’t be easy for any child, but I don’t think turning your back on your parent is acceptable either. Jenner has never shown any signs of being a less than excellent dad and I think he deserves love and support for his brave journey from his own children.

kardashian family kris jenner support bruce jenner transition now 2015

Naturally, now they’ve all jumped on social media praising him after everyone has declared the interview a success, but what else would you expect from a family who measures Q score ratings more importantly than child rearing or development. Jenner’s has said that Khloe is having the biggest issues with his transition mainly because she’s had some big losses in her life after losing her father.

While I’m praising Kanye West for being such a wise husband, I really wanted to praise Jenner for finally revealing to the world who he truly is. I had to take away some cool points however, when he said that he’s a transgender conservative republican.

What?

I don’t understand why people continue to side with a party that would have no interest in supporting their lifestyle. Sure, he has money like a Republican but that’s about as republican as he can get. Not cool Jenner, Not cool.

However, back to Kanye. While this isn’t enough to make me want to buy concert tickets from him or even his next album, I do think this shows there’s another, smarter, side of Kanye behind his Hollywood persona. A persona that at the end of the day we can all get on board with.

Calgary Flames vs Vancouver Canucks Game 6: 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs

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flames vs canucks game 6 stanley cup playoffs 2015

The Calgary Flames had a chance to eliminate the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night and in many ways it felt as though they were poised to do just that. Calgary had already won a game in Vancouver in their first round 2015 NHL Stanley Cup playoffs series and the Flames held an early lead in game five. Furthermore Vancouver appeared quite hapless following well-documented playoff woes in recent seasons and, if they lost on Thursday, then no one would have been that surprised.

nick bonino scores for canucks win 2015 stanley cup

However the Canucks were not to be eliminated in game five as they overcame a one-goal deficit on Thursday. Nick Bonino scored in the second period for Vancouver and then Daniel Sedin tallied his second goal of the 2015 NHL playoffs.

canucks beat flames stanley cup playoffs 2015

It’s telling and unflattering to a team’s skaters when a losing goaltender actually receives the top star of a particular game. Jonas Hiller, as far as NHL.com’s stars go, did just that after game five as he made 41 saves on 43 shots in a losing effort. Calgary’s skaters did not have much to offer in front of their netminder as they only took twenty shots, including just one on the power play for the whole night.

jonas hiller saved flames from canucks scoring stanley cup playoffs 2015jonas hiller saved flames from canucks scoring stanley cup playoffs 2015

Much appears to hinge on Saturday night’s game six, a game that will come from Alberta. Calgary’s best opportunity to win the series is clearly to defend their home ice and they will only have one opportunity to do that. Should the Flames fail then Vancouver would head home with full confidence and they would easily become the favorites to advance to the second round.

Recent headlines regarding this series are focusing on comments made by Mikael Backlund, a center for the Flames. An NHL.com article written by Aaron Vickers quotes Backlund as stating that “there’s no way (the Flames are) going to lose” game six. Backlund further clarified his comments: while “there no way” that the Flames will lose his comment doesn’t “guarantee anything.”

There’s a contradiction there in my opinion but Vickers takes the comments to mean that “The guarantee isn’t there, but the confidence is.” In truth saying that “there’s no way” that your team is going to lose and then stating that you don’t guarantee a win might actually hint at a lack of confidence. It’s as though Backlund began to offer a guarantee and then backed off for some reason.

calgary flames vs canucks game 6 stanley cup playoffs 2015

According to betting odds the Flames are not a guarantee at all. In fact they enter game six as very mild favorites, priced at -129 (about 10/13) with bet365. Those odds, which reflect general opinions on the upcoming match, suggest that the Flames have about a 56% chance of winning game six – roughly the chances of a pair holding up against two unsuited overcards in Texas Hold’em.

Personally I think that the Flames are slightly stronger favorites than that but there’s definitely a way Calgary could lose. It will all be settled on the ice on Saturday night, with a start time of 9pm ET.

La Liga Game Week 32 Review: Real Madrid & Barcelona Hit Semi-finals

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la liga week 32 recap images real madrid with barcelona 2015

It is all settled then. Real Madrid and Barcelona have advanced to the semi-final of the Champions League while the La Liga champions are held back to enjoy the last few matches remaining in the season.

atletico beats deportiva la liga soccer 2015

Diego Simeone’s were knocked out by Los Blancos in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final in the midweek games. Atletico won 1 – 2 at Deportivo on Saturday and looked ready to knock-out their city rivals. But Chicharito scored late in the second half of the game at the Santiago Bernabeu, defeating Atletico in the European competition yet again. Ancelotti’s men will face Juve in the semi-final on May 6th. Real Madrid also won last week putting pressure on the league leaders Barcelona. Real’s opponents on Saturday were Malaga and the score after referee’s final whistle was 3 – 1.

barcelona vs baryern munich for la liga semi finals 2015

Also, now there is a possibility of an El Clasico Champions League final. Barcelona’s opponents in the next round are Pep Guardiola’s Bayern Munich. It would certainly be the biggest match of the season as we have no clue what is in store for us. Guardiola knows the Barcelona inside-out and he knows what his former side is capable of. It will definitely be decided over the two legs.

pep guardiola bayern munich la liga soccer team 2015

“Everyone understands how special it is for me, for Thiago and for my staff. Barcelona was our life”, Pep Guardiola said after the draw.

“I’m here because of my time at Barcelona. If you’re in the semi-finals, you play against great teams. Of course, Barcelona are one of the best but at the end of the day it’s a football game.

“It will obviously be a special game. We need to study Barcelona. Barcelona are my home. What more can I say?…I don’t have anything bad to say about my former team or players. I won a lot with them”, he stressed.

“They have a new coach, but otherwise they still play like they did before. With great speed in attack”, Guardiola added.

“He has great qualities as a manager. We both know that the other wants to win. He’s a great guy, a great person. I’m happy to be going up against him.

“It’s not any easier in one, two or three games; it’s always difficult. They are a great team. The semi-final is not the most important match, but it is the most exciting”, he concluded.

barcelona beats off valencia la liga soccer 2015

Luis Enrique’s men won 2 – 0 against Valencia at Camp Nou last weekend and are continuing their strong run in all the competitions.

real sociedad lost to elche la liga 2015

On Monday, David Moyes’ Real Sociedad lost 1 – 0 to Elche and now they have slumped to the 12th spot on the La Liga table. They face Villarreal at home in their next fixture.

barcelona beats sevilla la liga 2015

Sevilla couldn’t make the most of Valencia’s loss at the hands of Barca. Unai Emery’s team drew 1 – 1 against Granada, who are fighting hard in the relegation zone. Cordoba also earned a point but they are still at the foot of the table with 20 points. However, Deportivo, 18th, have a decent chance of evading demotion.

Serie A Game Week 31 Review: Milan derby ends in a stalemate

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serie a soccer week 31 images milan derby 2015

The Milan derby used to be one of the most celebrated rivalries in world football, but on Sunday it seemed like an unending affair at San Siro. AC Milan and Inter don’t attract the same attention which they used to a few years ago. After 31 matches, Milan are 9th on the league table while their city rivals are 10th.

ac milan vs inter milan draw serie a soccer 2015

None of the sides was able to find the breakthrough goal and the match ended in a 0 – 0 draw. With seven games remaining in the end of this season, both the sides can realistically try to push for the Europa League spot.

juventus beats monaco serie a soccer 2015

The Italian champions grabbed three more points against the second place Lazio. It was a fantastic weekend for Juve as they also qualified for the Champions League semi-final by defeating Monaco in Turin. The Old Lady faces Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid. This clash against the European champions would test the steel in Allegri’s squad. Juventus certainly have the quality to beat Los Blancos and who knows this could be the year they clinch their third European title.

The former Juventus legend Pavel Nedved was thrilled for his former team. Nedved, who was in the losing team in the 2002-03 Champions League final, claimed that Juventus will give fierce competition to the Spanish giants over two legs.

pavel nedved for serie a soccer 2015

“It’s going to be amazing for the fans and for us, and we want to take our chances in these two games,” Nedved told Sky Sport Italia.

“Let’s say there’s still a long way to go. We’re up against monsters in the semifinals, but you can’t make predictions.

“I’m convinced we will play two great games and then we’ll see if we get into the final. We’ve come to the semis and we don’t want to stop here.”

The former midfielder warned all the remaining three sides are as dangerous as their opponents on May 6. He said, “It was always going to be difficult, whoever we got. I don’t think there are any advantages or disadvantages. We, to go through, have got to give it our utmost in both games.”

roma draws with atalanta serie a soccer 2015

Roma couldn’t capitalize on Lazio’s loss as they drew 1 – 1 at home against Atalanta. Napoli won 3 – 0 at Cagliari, but they are still five points behind the third place Roma. Although the table could look a bit different at the end if both the sides continue the same form.

parma beats off empoli serie a soccer 2015

The three clubs at the bottom of the table haven’t had a very productive week and their distance from the rest of the table is increasing every week. Parma earned a point against Empoli, while Cesena was involved in a goalless draw at Sampdoria. Cagliari were thrashed by Rafael Benitez’s Napoli.

Expect Kei Nishikori & David Ferrer For 2015 Barcelona Open Finals

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kei nishikori vs david ferrer 2015 barcelona open finals

The 2015 ATP Barcelona event continued on Friday with four quarterfinal matches producing four semifinalists. The day of action, which saw a Spaniard compete in each match, is now complete and there were a couple of upsets.

But one match that did not result in an upset included tournament favorite Kei Nishikori, the defending champion in Barcelona. Nishikori dropped one set against Roberto Bautista Agut however the other two sets were not competitive. Nishikori, top-seeded in Barcelona, advanced to the semifinals behind a 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 quarterfinal win.

Japan’s top player will next face Martin Klizan, a player who upset veteran Spaniard Tommy Robredo on Friday in straight sets 7-6, 6-4. Klizan, though he entered this week ranked just 29th in the world, is a very talented player and he has to feel as though he has a chance to win the Barcelona event. In one career head-to-head meeting against Nishikori, it was Klizan that advanced as the two met in the opening round of the 2014 French Open. One thing to note with that result however is that the Japanese star was not at full health, a factor that certainly affected his play last season at Roland Garros.

While the top half of the draw saw two Spaniards falter on Friday, the bottom half saw two Spaniards advance. David Ferrer, seeded third in Barca, took out Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber, a player who has been fairly quiet on tour of late. In the last semifinal Pablo Andujar, a modest clay courter, defeated Italy’s Fabio Fognini. Fognini will likely be dismayed with his performance on Friday as he failed to back-up a big win over tournament favorite Rafael Nadal.

The line scores in the latter two matches were as follows:

[3] D. Ferrer d. [12] P. Kohlschreiber 6-3, 7-5
P. Andujar d. [13] F. Fognini 6-1, 6-3

kei nishikori with david ferrer bulge tennis barcelona 2015

With the draw as it is, the most likely final would feature Nishikori and Ferrer. Between the two it is the Japanese star who has the winning record at 7-4, although Ferrer won their most recent match at ATP Acapulco not long ago.

The Barcelona event, part of the 500-series on tour, is part of the build up to the French Open, an event that’s scheduled to start in late May. ATP Barcelona also precedes both the Madrid Masters and the Rome Masters, tournaments in the 1000-series that will be played later this spring.

Kei Nishikori & David Ferrer Move To Semi-finals at 2015 Barcelona Open

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kei nishikori and david ferrer move on at barcelona open 2015

Just this week my fellow sports writer Shane Lambert wrote about Kei Nishikori possibly being the biggest rival to Novak Djokovic, and he’s on track to prove him right after making it to the semi-finals at the 2015 Barcelona Open. He took out Roberto Bautista in three sets 6–2, 3-6, 6-1 and joins David Ferrer at the semis.

Nishikori is 19-1 when a top seed at an ATP World Tour tournament, including title runs in 2014-15 Memphis, 2014 Kuala Lumpur and a runner-up finish at Acapulco in February.

The top-seeded Japanese star beat seventh seed Roberto Bautista Agut 6-2, 3-6, 6-1 for a place in the semi-finals. Nishikori, who also beat the Spaniard in the second round here last year, hit 25 winners and saved one of the two break points he faced in the one hour, 40-minute match.

kei nishikori killing it at barcelona open 2015

“I’m really happy with the way I’m playing right now, especially in the third set,” said Nishikori. “It was a really tough match.”

He will next play No. 14 seed Martin Klizan, who beat 2004 champion and ninth seed Tommy Robredo 7-6(5), 6-4 for a spot in the semi-finals.

In their first ATP World Tour meeting, the Slovakian hit 24 winners and saved all six break points faced in the one hour, 37-minute match.

With a semi-final berth, Klizan achieved his best showing so far in his third appearance at this ATP World Tour 500-level tournament. The 25 year old hoisted his third tour-level title two weeks ago in Casablanca (d. Gimeno Traver).

Nishikori and Klizan have clashed once before, in the first round of last year’sRoland Garros, which Klizan won in straight sets.

david ferrer moves to 2015 barcelona open semi finals

Ferrer Fights Way Into SF

Third seed David Ferrer advanced to the last four with a 6-3, 7-6(5) win over Philipp Kohlschreiber. With home crowd support behind him, the Spaniard saved five of the nine break points he faced in the one hour, 44-minute victory.

“Now I am in the semi-final, and I’m very happy for that,” said Ferrer.

A four-time finalist in Barcelona, Ferrer will face Pablo Andujar in the semi-finals after the World No. 66 beat Fabio Fognini 6-1, 6-3.

Andujar hit 12 winners and capitalised on five of his seven break point chances to fend off Rafael Nadal’s conqueror in 65 minutes.

Ferrer leads his FedEx ATP Head2Head series with Andujar 3-0, with all past meetings having been on clay. Photo above courtesy of Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell.

Second Seeds Ousted

Marin Draganja and Henri Kontinen knocked out second seeds Marcel Granollers and Marc Lopez 6-4, 1-6, 13-11 to reach the semi-finals. The Croatian/Finnish pair fired nine aces and saved six of nine break points faced in the 86-minute match. Their next opponents will be fourth seeds Alexander Peya and Bruno Soares.

Martin Klizan notched his second victory of the day, teaming with Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi to beat David Marrero and Tommy Robredo 6-3, 6-7(4), 10-6 and reach the doubles semi-finals. They will next face Jamie Murray and John Peers.