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Celebrity Gossip Roundup: Chickadee Wants Her Scratch & Kylie Jenner Called Racist

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April 7, 2015

Celebrity Gossip Roundup: Chickadee Wants Her Scratch & Kylie Jenner Called Racist

This week’s rumor mill opens up with thieving rappers, another Kardashian/Jenner controversy and Honey Boo Boo might be cancelled, but Mama June has her Chickadee’s feather ruffled.

DMX and His Crew Robs Young Fan?

So when you haven’t really been doing anything in the rap game for a minute and I guess funds get kind of low, there is one way to ease the burden you sometimes feel on your wallet- rob someone at a gas station. That is exactly what one New Jersey man is claiming rapper DMX did to him over the Easter holiday weekend. Police are now investing a report that the Ruff Riders leader and his crew robbed an unarmed man at a gas station on Easter Sunday. The victim, 21, says in the report that he went to greet the rapper, being that he recognized him, around 12:30am on April 5^th. They had a brief conversation about rap music then one of DMX’s homeboys pulled out a gun and demanded money from the young man.

The victim pulled $3,200 from his pocket and the rapper quickly grabbed it from his hand and took off in a one of four Black Cadillac Escalades. He followed the cars to get a license plate number.

No arrests have been made but if this is truly what went down, DMX and his people deserve to pay. This 44 year old nigga aint got no business going around robing people for money. He has made more than enough cash in his lifetime and for him to stick it this guy like that is immature, dangerous and grossly wrong.

Kylie Jenner in Black Face?

Over the weekend, Kylie Jenner caused a raucous when she posted on her Instagram account questionable pictures that pretty much looked like she was made up in black face. The “artistic” pictures from an obvious professional photo shoot show her with considerably darker skin with an iridescent glow. People have made a fuss about it and some “activists” are claiming racism.

Let me give you the real low down on these pictures. They are actually very nice and my first instinct when I saw them was not “this shit is offensive.” I can, kind of, see why people might say that it is black face but in all honesty, you have to really be looking for it and I think the people that do are the ones who see everything in black and white. My advice to them and anyone who sees this as a racist taunt is to shut the fuck up… they are just pictures.

You can agree or not agree by viewing them here.

Lil Kim’s Ex Boyfriend on Trial for Six Murders

I have to hand it to some of these famous women. They really know how to pick them. If the men in their lives are not beating their ass in the front seat of a luxury car on the night of the Grammys, they are on trail for murdering six people. Such is the case for legendary female rap artist Lil Kim.

Her former boo Damion “World” Hardy went on trial last Wednesday for allegedly ordering six murders and leading a drug gang. This is of course from a decade ago but in the eyes of the law (whatever the hell that means in today’s society) if/when you get caught, you have to pay for the crime.

According to the New York Times:

“Hardy was reportedly the leader of a gang called the Cash Money Brothers, which is accused of committing multiple murders and importing and trafficking narcotics for more than a decade, Hardy was first arrested in 2004 for his involvement in drug trafficking.”

Well damn World, did you have to go and do them like that? Furthermore, court official documents say:

“He’s accused of ordering the assassination of a bouncer at a Brooklyn roller-skating rink in 1998 and that of a former bodyguard of Mike Tyson in 2003… He handed out death sentences with a simple line: ‘he has to go,’” prosecuted Rena Paul said during Brooklyn Federal Court. “World’s order was to kill on sight.”

These are some pretty big accusations. I always wonder what it is that make a man think that he has the right to take the life of another man and once more, what makes a woman attracted to such a man.

Lil Kim and her camp haven’t responded to the story as of this writing.

Mama June’s Daughter Tells Her to Pay Up or Else

Don’t you just love the great examples of mother/daughter love we see on display on TV and in the media nowadays? Well if you remember a little TV show called Here Comes Honey Boo, Boo, you know that there was always some kind of dysfunction going on with the characters.

One of the central stars was the matriarch of the family, Mama June, who is now being threatened by her daughter Anna “Chickadee” Cardwell for some of the money that June is making now that the show is over.

With reports that she is making about six figures (paparazzi shoots, TV interviews, backyard hoe downs… you know… the usual) Chickadee feels like she is entitled to get some of that action. In her view, she was a part of the show that made her momma and sister famous so she needs to get a little something, something too.

Now what kind of mother would deny her daughter a lot in her fortune, I don’t know. But it is clear that there is some bad blood here that only stands to get worse.

Novak Djokovic Mea Culpas Ball Boy: 2015 Miami Open

Jackie Warner

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April 7, 2015

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Novak Djokovic Mea Culpas Ball Boy: 2015 Miami Open

Winning the 2015 Miami Open was great for Novak Djokovic, but that was shortlived after he watched himself play the ass to the ball boy assigned to him the day he beat Andy Murray. Djokovic, known for his short temper, but always giving back to fans was smart enough to quickly tape an apology to the ball boy and his fans about his outburst. You can check out both videos below.

Tennis champion Novak Djokovic has apologised to a startled ball boy and his parents after the Serbian player startled him during his final showdown with Andy Murray.

Djokovic started shouting at his backroom team after he lost the second set of the Miami Open to Murray.

During the tirade, Djokovic grabbed a towel from the shocked youngster who was caught up in the crossfire.

Umpire Damien Dumusois issued Djokovic a warning for the way he shouted at his support team, but there was no reprimand for the manner in which he treated the ball boy.

However, following his victory, Djokovic posted a message on his Facebook page apologising to the youngster and his parents.

He said: ‘It’s probably been the best start to a season aside from 2011 that I had in my career, and I can’t be more grateful for all the support I’m getting from you guys and I’m enjoying my time playing and competing and hopefully I brought a smile to your faces.

‘Also I want to reflect on a bad moment that happened in the final against Andy when I lost the second set. I yelled to my camp and my box in frustration.

‘I saw the replay. Unfortunately a ball boy was in the middle of it and I really, really feel sorry and regret that he was there. There was absolutely no intention whatsoever to hurt him or scare him in any kind of way. I sincerely hope he forgives me. I really apologise.’

Djokovic then extended his apology to the boy’s parents.

‘I do care about children a lot right now and I look at it in a much different way,’ he added.

‘So I want to apologise to his parents for this situation as well. As a father I wouldn’t wish that something like this happens to my son.

‘Again I sincerely hope you can forgive me and that we can move on. Unfortunately sometimes the emotions get the better of you.

‘Also times as a professional athlete you learn how to control them and how to stay composed and mentally strong. But on a hot day like this when Andy was playing well and pushing all my buttons it wasn’t easy.

Novak Djokovic Yells at ball boy startling him:

Novak Djokovic apologizes to ball boy and fans:

JUSTIFIED Ep 611 Recap: Raylon Has To Kill Boon

Shane Mclendon

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April 7, 2015

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JUSTIFIED Ep 611 Recap: Raylon Has To Kill Boon

Apparently the U.S. Marshals Service on Justified is really really concerned about Avery Markham’s money, so much so that they have made Ava Crowder their #1 priority. It’s as if she has stolen government money. Art made his return to headquarters looking like a new man, literally. Dude had really let himself go while on medical leave. He was back to try and clean up the mess that has occurred under Rachel’s watch, as if Raylan was a boy scout before Art went away.

It turns out that Boyd didn’t have much sympathy for what might happen to Ava should Markham’s men find her before the authorities do. Getting shot by his backstabbing fiancé can turn man bitter. He finally gave Raylan a lead, telling him to start with her drunk uncle Zachariah. That’s a good lead since Ava has put her life in the hands of her wild haired uncle as they hide out at a mountain supply station on their way to see the mysterious Grubes, who can help them get out of the territory through some hidden roads.

Mikey is still pissed at Duffy, who remains cuffed to his own fold out RV table. Katherine Hale gets the call from Mikey to tell her about his boss being the rat and she should come on over. She is excited at this news, but has to deal with Markham first. They come to some kind of gangster lover’s agreement to keep not trusting each other as lovers then as husband and wife eventually.

I enjoyed a “Billy Jack” reference for the second time in two nights, once on ‘Better Call Saul’, then Wynn Duffy used the reference to describe Mikey’s “code.” Mike, who hates being called Mikey by the way, has a lot of pent up anger as we found out how resentful he was about never getting to choose the music while driving the RV. A Jersey shore looking guy living in a RV within the boundaries of Kentucky likes classical music! Who would have guessed.

As the Marshals closed in on Ava and Zachariah, Carl and Earl are in a bad spot with Markham having dirty cops holding them. And David Vasquez suspects Raylan could be in on the theft by Ava since he just let her get away when he usually loves to shoot criminals that try to escape him. This is ridiculous of course, but the show needs a dick like Vasquez to cause trouble for the real law enforcers.

Carl is forced to help Markham who uses Earl as leverage. Carl is to get some info on the money from Boyd who is cuffed to his hospital bed. This went horribly for the dirty cop who lets him in Crowder’s room and for Carl. The cop ended up with a brain bleed from the pistol whipping administered by Carl. The silver tongued Boyd talked Carl into letting him loose so they could, “save your brother, kill that son of a bitch (Markham), and get you half of that $10 million.” Those were empty promises of course. Carl asked what chaos Boyd was talking about as a distraction for them to escape the hospital just before Boyd ended the pawn’s life with a shot to the chest. Boyd could have used Carl, but I guess he didn’t care to have a gun pressed into his temple earlier by Carl.

Earl would have met a similar demise as Carl, had Raylan not shown up to retrieve him from the local cops on the take from Avery Markham. It was quite a chore to convince the dirty deputy to let Earl go, but he was finally convinced when Raylan described his vision of the officer “without any teeth.”

Wynn Duffy’s RV has been home to some epic ‘Justified’ scenes, but the scene this week topped them all. It will likely be the last we see of the infamous motorcoach. Katherine Hale strolls in with ‘Pachelbel’s Canon’ playing in the background. Mikey goes against everything he learned in bodyguard school by giving up his gun at Hale’s request. She is there to murder his boss and he thinks it wise to disarm himself? Insanity! Oh and having a change of heart just as Hale is about to blast Duffy’s rat face into the slideouts of the RV was not great timing. The woman gave Mikey the chance to move, but he didn’t listen so he received a gut shot. It was utter chaos after that, with that beautiful song still playing. Her mistake was not aiming better. Mike is a tough SOB so he snatched the cougar up and began tossing her around like a rag doll, pressing her over his head at one point with a move The Ultimate Warrior would have been proud of. She shot him a few more times as Wynn Duffy screamed wildly as he hid under the table he was attached to. Mike finally put her down with a crushing blow to her throat. The last image she saw was the rat that caused her all this trouble to begin with. Mikey faded and asked Duffy to hold him as he left Harlan for good. Sux to seek Mike go, but damn what a way to go out.

Raylan delivered the news of Katherine Hale’s demise to Markham, after the Marshal and Boon had an intense stare down that just built the tension for the last two episodes coming up. I don’t have any inside spoiler info, but Boon’s death is going to be unforgettable. It’s coming. Markham was truly hurt by the news as he and Hale really did love each other in some twisted way.

Of course Ava’s grand getaway plan goes to pig shit as Grubes has died long ago in his cabin all alone. Boyd is headed her way and Raylan is also going to be on her tail now. She and Zachariah will need a lot of luck to ever get to spend even $100 out of the $10 million at their disposal. That kind of money is plenty to enlist more help from Limehouse though.

Raylan has ditched his badge and Art will be coming after him if he doesn’t bring in Ava and the money in 48 hours. This is an implausible story line, but they need to make this a challenge for the hero Raylan. No fun having him in a chopper hunting down Ava and the money with 50 cops behind him. He needs to get it done alone.

The last two episodes will need to wrap up quite a bit. Raylan will need to kill Boon, probably Boyd, take down Markham (for what I’m not sure since the Marshals have bent over backward to get the crook’s money back), and figure out what to do about Ava. I’d like to see her get away clean with some of the cash at least. I don’t really care what happens to Zachariah but I can see him sacrificing himself for her in the end. There should be plenty of action in the final two episodes. It will be interesting to see who gets to leave Harlan alive. My money is always on Raylan Givens.

Goodbye Passwords, Hello Windows 10

Tech News

Marius Manuella

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April 7, 2015

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Windows 10 shows much promise. Many see it as what Windows 8 should have been. In my honest opinion, if it’s as fast and responsive as Windows 8 then it’s a real keeper. Right now, it’s still a work in progress and is a bit slower than Windows 8.1. There are a lot of cool new stuff that warrants the version skip such as the new Spartan Browser, the return of the Start Menu, Virtual Desktops (finally), Holo Lens and the password replacement system Windows Hello.

The problem with passwords, whether they’re easy to remember no-brainers like someone’s birthday or a license plate (the most notorious being: ‘x’, ‘password’, 123456’); hard-to-guess keywords with a few numbers and letters mixed in (Agent Mulder’s TRUSTN01); or those recommended mandatory minimum eight-character difficult-to-remember supposedly secure no one likes to use passwords that can’t be made without at least one uppercase, one lowercase, one number and one special character (S3cur!7y) is—that they can be hacked. In fact, the latter mouthful-type password is said to be more hackable than long, easy to remember ones. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious sounds nice right about now.

Password management is no picnic either. A casual internet user can have at least three to five passwords at a given time plus at least one password for office work. Remembering them or looking up these passwords can be a chore. In order to keep our emails, our bank transactions, our Xbox Live accounts, our credit card information and our porn stash secure, these passwords need to be changed from time to time. Some passwords need to be changed in as long as six months to as short as a day for super secure establishments. It’s hard enough to remember them but to have to come up with something new every three months is quite tedious. Seriously, I have difficulty remembering my relatives’ birthdays without some effort. Websites and applications later came up with methods to reset passwords in case we do forget. Security questions themselves are hard tedious to work on every time we sign up for some sort of account. iCloud for example has three security questions. And the point of all this is…

…that through Windows Hello, Microsoft has finally come up with a system that will do away with passwords almost entirely, at least for Windows 10 and future Windows systems. Windows Hello is the new password system built into Windows 10 that makes use of biometrics technologies such as fingerprint scanning, facial and iris recognition. Windows Hello allows users to log on to their Windows 10 machines using fingerprints, their eyes or their face. What’s good about this is, that users won’t have to worry about remembering another PIN or password. The same way Apple and Samsung did away with PINs on the iPhone 5S and Samsung Galaxy 5 via their respective fingerprint scanners.

When we say finally come up, is that the technology of fingerprint, facial and iris recognition isn’t new. All these technologies are applied for real in very secure establishments, not just in movies. Fingerprint scanners are built into many high-end laptops. As mentioned, Apple and Samsung put fingerprint scanning technology closer to the consumer. The higher demand for smartphones and tablets made the technology cheaper. Standalone fingerprint scanners are also getting less expensive. With that in mind, laptops, tablets and cellphones with fingerprint scanners similar to Apple’s or Samsung’s should be within reach to many consumers. These and improving facial recognition technologies finally prompted Microsoft to include the security features of Windows Hello into Windows 10. It’s also really a competitive move by Microsoft against the aforementioned companies to counter the same features already found in iOS and Android.

Aside from fingerprint scanning, users will soon be able to unlock their PCs, laptops and gadgets via iris and facial recognition. Users can stare at their gadget’s front camera to unlock the device. This will be done through Intel’s RealSense technology which could be built in to future laptops and PCs. RealSense cameras have the ability to sense ‘depth’ which makes it a great solution for true facial recognition since current facial recognition technologies can easily be fooled by masks or pictures. PCs and laptops that already have fingerprint scanners can already take advantage of Windows Hello.

In a world digitally at war with hacking incidents happening left and right, passwords as we now know them seem insecure compared to security done with biometrics. Biometrics is not as hackable as text-based passwords. With Windows Hello, people who can’t be bothered to think of passwords, the guys that use no-brainers, the corporate security leaks will be just as secure as everyone else. Apple has done it, Samsung has done it, Sony has done it, then why should it be big news if Microsoft does it? It’s because a huge percentage of computers all over the world use Windows. Their systems and apps revolve around Windows and Microsoft has made it their mission (through their one year free upgrade to Windows 10) to increase that user base. It makes great sense to improve password-level security through Windows Hello. Biometrics integration will further secure Windows’ position as the top business OS. If all goes well, Windows Hello will find its way into other Windows or non-Windows platforms thus helping to render conventional passwords obsolete.

For the average Joe, it will simply make accessing their Windows devices faster and easier. They wouldn’t have to worry about keeping a list of passwords or a list of security questions and answers. Accessing Email, Skype, Facebook and other accounts will be as easy as tapping a finger or staring into the front cam. What they have to worry about are severed fingers and damaged eyes, but the chances of that is probably less than the chances of their credit card numbers getting lifted from WalMart or Playstation Online.

Rafael Nadal No Longer Odds Favorite for 2015 French Open

Jackie Warner

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April 7, 2015

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Rafael Nadal No Longer Odds Favorite for 2015 French Open

Rafael Nadal is going through a transition in his career like many athletes, and after riding high for so long, he’s hit the number five position on the ATP rankings chart which is his lowest in two years. After going through injuries, this isn’t surprising, but while odds makers are cutting him from their favorites list, fans still think the Spaniard has plenty left in the tank. With the upcoming Monte Carlo Masters coming up, here’s what the odds are currently on your favorite tennis players.

No tennis player has dominated the French Open like Rafael Nadal, but last year’s champ is no longer the sole favorite to win the tournament in 2015. Having failed to play like his old self through the first three months of 2015, his betting odds are now equal to that of Novak Djokovic.

Nadal had been the favorite for months, having won the French Open in nine of the last 10 years. His only loss came in 2009 when he lost in the fourth round to Robin Soderling, the eventual runner-up to Roger Federer. But despite Nadal’s dominance on clay, he hasn’t been nearly as good as Djokovic this year, giving the world’s No.1 player an equal chance to win the championship.

No tennis player has dominated the French Open like Rafael Nadal, but last year’s champ is no longer the sole favorite to win the tournament in 2015. Having failed to play like his old self through the first three months of 2015, his betting odds are now equal to that of Novak Djokovic.

Nadal had been the favorite for months, having won the French Open in nine of the last 10 years. His only loss came in 2009 when he lost in the fourth round to Robin Soderling, the eventual runner-up to Roger Federer. But despite Nadal’s dominance on clay, he hasn’t been nearly as good as Djokovic this year, giving the world’s No.1 player an equal chance to win the championship.

The best clay-court player of all-time might return to form once he starts playing on his favorite surface, but his struggles on grass and hard courts are difficult to ignore. Nadal has won just a single tournament in the last 10 months, and he continues to lose to players that aren’t ranked in the top 20.

Djokovic most recently reached the semifinal of the Miami Open, where Nadal was bounced in the third round by No.34 Fernando Verdasco. Djokovic defeated Andy Murray in the finals of the 2015 Australian Open to win the year’s first Grand Slam tournament, and he most recently beat Federer to capture the title at Indian Wells.

After Djokovic and Nadal, Stan Wawrinka has the best odds to win the French Open. Wawrinka, along with Marin Cilic, are the only two players outside of tennis’ “Big Four” that have won a Grand Slam championship since 2010. Cilic’s 50/1 odds tie him for 11th overall.

Kei Nishikori and Federer are tied for the fourth-best odds, followed by Andy Murray. The Brit will face Djokovic in the finals of the Miami Open on Sunday, looking for revenge after Djokovic topped him in the final match of this year’s Australian Open.

Below are the complete 2015 French Open betting odds for the tournament’s top competitors, courtesy of Bovada.lv.

Novak Djokovic 3/2

Rafael Nadal 3/2

Stan Wawrinka 16/1

Kei Nishikori 18/1

Roger Federer 18/1

Andy Murray 22/1

Juan Martin Del Potro 22/1

David Ferrer 33/1

Tomas Berdych 33/1

Grigor Dimitrov 40/1

Marin Cilic 50/1

Milos Raonic 50/1

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 66/1

Ernests Gulbis 80/1

Nicolas Almagro 80/1

Fabio Fognini 100/1

Gael Monfils 100/1

Duke Blue Devil’s Win Fifth NCAA Championship

Shane Mclendon

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April 7, 2015

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Duke Blue Devil’s Win Fifth NCAA Championship

The Duke Blue Devils, following their victory over the Wisconsin Badgers, claimed their fifth national championship for men’s basketball on Monday night. Mike Krzyzewski‘s crew defeated Bo Ryan’s in the final to conclude the 2015 March Madness NCAA basketball tournament. The final score from Indianapolis was 68-63.

For the Blue Devils, the victory restores one of college basketball‘s most prestigious programs to eminence. Since last winning the championship in 2010 the Blue Devils suffered a couple early round losses to unheralded programs. But with the title on Monday night, Coach K. has silenced any criticisms that came from underachievement in some recent seasons.

For the Badgers and Bo Ryan, the loss has to be devastating. That is especially the case given that Wisconsin were the favorites heading into the contest and they held a nine-point second half lead. Furthermore, Wisconsin, a school not known for appearances in college basketball’s final game, will lose their best player before the start of next season.

Frank Kaminsky, who had 21 points and 12 rebounds in the loss, has run out of eligibility and he will soon join the professional ranks. The Badgers could also lose Sam Dekker, a junior, to the NBA if the forward decides to go that way. While the Badgers will still have some talented players returning next season without their normal one-two punch, Bo Ryan will probably be looking at re-building at the ripe old age of 67.

That’s not a situation that will likely land Wisconsin with a 9-point lead in the second half of the national championship any time soon. Duke could very well be back in the national final next season but the hopes of Badger fans may have just come and gone for an entire generation.

Impact Of Jameis Winston & Marcus Mariota Skipping 2015 NFL Draft

Shane Mclendon

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April 7, 2015

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marcus mariota skipping 2015 nfl draft with jameis winston impact

I imagine Roger Goodell breathed a sigh of relief when Jameis Winston made it known he would not be at this year’s NFL Draft. It’s a rare thing to not have the likely number one overall pick on hand when his name is called, but Goodell would actually prefer it that way this year. If Jameis Winston was in Chicago for the 2015 NFL Draft he would have to answer lots of questions about his long list of off the field troubles while at Florida State. There is also no telling what kind of stupid comments the guy could make. He is certainly not the brightest guy ever to throw a football.

The powers that be of the NFL were probably not as happy when they found out that Marcus Mariota would not be attending the draft either. He will be watching the event with his family back in Hawaii. Mariota is not the consensus number one pick like Winston, but he will be the second quarterback taken this year unless something whacky occurs. So even though it is a positive for the NFL that Knucklehead Winston will be absent from the draft as his name is called first, having two of the top players missing may be a concern for the future of the NFL Draft. I will assure you that Roger Goodell doesn’t want this to begin a trend of guys just deciding to relax at home instead of coming in for the awkward hugs with the Commish as they go onstage to hold up their new team’s jersey.

I can see Dictator Goodell squashing any trend that could dampen the ratings for the draft. Players get fined for missing mandatory workouts, media appearances, and even their clothing, so skipping the draft could certainly be a fineable offense. College players finally getting some real money would certainly not want to write a check immediately upon arriving in the league. We’re not talking about late round guys here. We’re talking marquee players that get the TV viewers hyped and draw in the extreme fanatics that actually attend the NFL Draft live.

I doubt Winston and Mariota’s absence will hurt the ratings for the NFL Network’s coverage of the draft. Last year’s event crushed a couple of NBA and NHL playoff games in terms of TV ratings. It wasn’t even close. You know football is king when an event which entails the commissioner calling names, hugging players, and some talking heads breaking down the skill set of the guy just chosen, is the more popular TV option than playoff contests in two other major sports.

I am as big an NFL fan as anyone and watch as much NFL Network coverage as possible. To show you the depths of my degenerate love for the NFL, I viewed a replay of Super Bowl XLIII between the Steelers and Cardinals that aired this past weekend. The outcome was the same as when I saw it live six years ago, Steelers won. I usually watch the draft until I get bored with it. There isn’t a lot of action. I can easily check the headlines about an hour after it starts to see who went where. The only thing I miss by not watching the whole thing is a few poorly dressed young men who need to spend some money on a new wardrobe with their signing bonus. The highlight reels of players chosen are pretty good, but the main guys are players I have seen plenty of film on because of all the pre draft coverage.

Jameis Winston not being at the draft this year isn’t going to make me lose interest. I would probably be more apt to watch knowing I don’t have to watch him give a bunch of public relations speak about how he has to do better. I am sick of hearing how he “loves this game so much” and “how he is at peace on the football field.” I know about all I need to know about Jameis Winston, so his absence is going to be irrelevant to me. I’m sure some crazed fans would love to see the guy there and I know there will be tons of Tampa Bay Bucs jerseys sold with Winston’s name on the back.

Mariota doesn’t have the baggage that Winston has and is such a quiet guy that he would not add much to the coverage anyway. His reason for skipping the draft is so he can be at home with his entire family. I can see where a guy like him would want to avoid as much spotlight as possible. This will be the last NFL event he will be able to avoid without a fine though.

Roger Goodell will probably wait until next year to see if there is going to be an ongoing issue with big time players avoiding the draft event. Two players in one year is an oddity so there is no need to panic. The Commish needs to consider the problem of fining guys for not attending also. The league may not want to have a policy in place that forces guys to attend, when it may be a good thing that certain guys like Winston skip the spotlight. It keeps the player from embarrassing himself or the league on their big night. There will be plenty of time for Jameis Winston to say and do dumb things during the regular season. At least then there will be real games to distract us all from most of his off the field foolishness.

Duke Wins Fifth National Title & Defeats Wisconsin 68-63

Rick Bouch

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April 6, 2015

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Duke Wins Fifth National Title & Defeats Wisconsin 68-63

A late 10-0 run in the second half sparked by 19 of guard Tyus Jones’ 23 points led Duke to a 68-63 victory over Wisconsin to lay claim to the school’s fifth national championship. It is also the fifth national title for legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski, who now moves into second place behind only former UCLA head coach John Wooden.

A 3-pointer by Jones put a dagger into Wisconsin (36-4) with 1:24 to play giving the Blue Devils a commanding 66-58 lead. But, Naismith Player of the Year award winner Frank Kaminsky proved why he was worthy responding with a 3-pointer. Nigel Hayes scored on a dunk with just 50 seconds to go to cut the lead to 66-63, but it was Jones once again converting two free throws with 35 seconds left to ice the game.

Kaminsky’s performance was what college basketball fans would expect from the national player of the year. The 7-foot senior finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds. He showed why he will be one of the top picks in this year’s NBA Draft about midway through the second half.

Kaminsky would take the ball at the top of the key with just over nine minutes to play, put the ball on the floor, and execute a beautiful spin move to convert against Duke big man Jahlil Okafor. The 6-11 Okafor would commit his fourth foul on the play and was quickly removed from the game by Krzyzewski. Kaminsky calmly hit his free throw to complete the three-point play and give the Badgers a four-point lead, 54-50, with 9:18 to play.

The loss of Okafor did not have the effect that Wisconsin fans would have liked. He returned after that fourth foul to beat Kaminsky for two easy buckets and help Duke recover from an earlier second half deficit. Okafor, who was nominated for the Naismith Award, would score just 10 points and grab just three rebounds, but the rest of his freshman classmates picked up the slack.

Jones, who was named the tournament’s most outstanding player, hit 7-of-13 shots from the floor including 2-of-3 from 3-point range and finished with a game high 23 points. Fellow freshman Justise Winslow, who has enjoyed a solid tournament, added 11 points and nine rebounds.

It was the play of another Duke freshman that really helped the Blue Devils to their third national title won in Indianapolis. Grayson Allen, a 6-4 native of Jacksonville, Fla., came off the bench for Krzyzewski and scored 16 points after averaging just 4.0 per game all season. Ten of Allen’s points came in the second half.

The championship victory was Duke’s first since 2010, which was also won in Indianapolis. The Blue Devils also won in Indy back in 1991 when they were led by Christian Laettner and Grant Hill.

Down by nine with 13 minutes to play, Duke’s freshman outplayed and outscored Wisconsin by 14 points over the final two-thirds of the game. Wisconsin uncharacteristically missed 11-of-14 shots late in the second half. While the Badgers couldn’t convert possessions into points, the Duke freshmen, led by Jones, continued to score. The group scored 60 of Duke’s 68 points including every single point of the second half.

Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker, who was averaging over 20 points per game in the tournament, scored a very silent 12 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and had two assists. Dekker, who came up with several clutch baskets against Kentucky, shot 6-of-15 from the floor, but missed all six of his 3-point attempts (two were ugly looking air balls).

Hayes hit 3-of-4 from 3-point range and finished with 13 points while guard Bronson Koenig added 10 for the Badgers. Wisconsin head coach Bo Ryan, who has four NCAA Division III national championsips to his credit, failed in his first NCAA Division I final. The Badgers last won a national title in 1941.

Krzyzewski, the first NCAA Division I coach to reach 1,000 career wins, has now coached in nine NCAA finals. He won back-to-back titles in 1991 and ’92, won in 2001, and then again in 2010 and this year. The Basketball Hall of Fame member will now have a serious recruiting job to do. While he has one of the nation’s best, if not the best, high school recruiting classes coming to Durham next season, he may also have to work on keeping Jones and Winslow from jumping to the NBA.

Okafor will most likely head to the league and is projected as the first pick in the draft. Winslow is a 6-6 slasher who shoots well enough and can play defense and rebound. Jones performance in the final speaks to what the 6-1 guard can accomplish at the next level. If Krzyzewski can keep Winslow and Jones, he will also have Allen (winner of last year’s dunk contest at the McDonald’s High School All-America game) plus that high school recruiting class coming in the fall of 2016.

Rafael Nadal Tumbles To Number Five

Jackie Warner

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April 6, 2015

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After Rafael Nadal’s loss at the 2015 Miami Open, it was pretty much set that he’d be moving down the ATP rankings to Number 5 from Number 3, and today it’s been made real. The Spaniard has had his ups and downs the past couple years, but fans are still ready to keep pushing him back up the charts. Can he make it back up to even number 4, that’s something we’ll discuss.

Not only did Novak Djokovic tie Nadal on the list of most weeks at No. 1 with 141 (and is guaranteed to pass Rafa next Monday) but after Nadal’s early exit in Miami, he slipped two spots in the rankings, falling behind Andy Murray and Kei Nishikori. And this isn’t merely some cosmetic fall in the rankings, such as when college football or basketball teams slip in either poll in the middle of the season. This has major ramifications for Nadal, the upcoming European clay-court season and it’s culmination in Roland Garros for the French Open.

If Nadal is No. 5, he could see Novak Djokovic as early as a quarterfinal, a player such as Nishikori in the semis and Federer in the finals. Though Federer has never been a clay-court beast and is far from a dominant force on the surface, that’s still a murderer’s row. With a No. 4 ranking, Nadal is guaranteed to not see Federer or Djokovic until the semifinals, at the earliest.

So can Rafa move up to No. 4? It’s mostly out of his hands, but it looks like it’ll be a tough battle. Nadal, despite his (relatively) disappointing clay-court season in 2014, is still defending 1,870 points before the French.

Murray has an 805-point lead on Nadal and is only defending 270 points between here and Roland Garros. Essentially, Nadal can’t make the pass unless Murray plays extremely poorly and Nadal sweeps the three Masters 1000 events.

Nishikori, on the other hand, has a narrow 25-point lead over Nadal, something Rafa could overcome in one round of one tournament. And that might be what happens. Nishikori is defending winners’ points at Barcelona (500 points) while Nadal lost in the quarters.

But that forgets about the tournament that precedes Barcelona: Monte Carlo. Nishikori didn’t play in Monte Carlo last year, but is on the schedule for this year. Nadal is only defending quarterfinal points. But if Nishikori makes a run, he could tighten up, or take control of, the race. Nishikori also didn’t play the finale in Rome due to injury. Rafa finished with 600 points for being runner-up. There’s no word on whether Nishikori will play there, but you’d have to assume he will. That will be a golden opportunity to pick up free points on Nadal.

The real battle comes in Madrid, which both are expected to play. Nadal won it last year in a walkover against Nishikori, meaning Nadal has 1,000 points to defend and Nishikori has 600. Perhaps our question is decided here. An early exit by either would essentially clinch No. 4 for the other. Then again, if Nishikori wins Monte Carlo, maybe he’ll have things wrapped up well before Rome.

So what’s going to happen? I think Nadal, despite his recent woes, still does well enough to make up the minor gap with Nishikori, free Nishikori points at Monte Carlo and Rome be damned. There’s too much “Nishikori makes a deep run” in these scenarios. Still, that doesn’t mean Nishikori can’t do it and lead to the ridiculous site of the nine-time champion and five-time defending champ at Roland Garros entering the tournament as a ridiculous No. 5 seed. But that’s just numerical nonsense caused by a disappointing hard-court season: Nadal is still the king of clay until he gets dethroned at the French.

Duke & Wisconsin Win National Semifinals – Set Up NCAA Final

Rick Bouch

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April 6, 2015

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Duke & Wisconsin Win National Semifinals – Set Up NCAA Final

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski will have a chance at a fifth national title and Frank Kaminsky and Wisconsin pulled one of the great upsets in NCAA semifinals history ending Kentucky’s phenomenal run one game short of the national title game.

In the second of Saturday’s semifinals, Kaminsky proved why he is the nation’s best player – he was awarded the Naismith Player of the Year trophy over championship weekend. The Badgers 7-footer shot 7-of-11 from the floor and scored 20 points to lead head coach Bo Ryan and company to the national championship game with a 71-64 win over Kentucky. Kaminsky also had 11 rebounds, two blocked shots, and two assists.

Wisconsin’s Sam Dekker, the 6-9 junior who has been on a tear during the NCAA tournament, added 16 points for the Badgers who appeared to be in for a long day against the previously unbeaten Wildcats.

After the game’s opening tip, one of Kentucky’s 7-footers, Willie Cauley-Stein, electrified the crowd with a huge rim-rattling dunk to give the Wildcats an early 5-0 lead. The Badgers, however, were unfazed.

The game then went into frenzy mode as both teams battled back and forth. Wisconsin took an eight-point lead, the biggest of the game, with just under 15 minutes to play in the game. Kentucky head coach John Calipari, who will be inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame, and his Wildcats proved why they were the nation’s best team throughout the regular season by tying the game and going on an 8-0 run to take a four-point lead.

It would be Dekker who would open things up near the end of the game. The Badgers forward hit a three-pointer at the 1:44 mark and then Kaminsky and guard Bronson Koenig each hit a pair of free throws to ice the game.

Duke Downs Michigan State

In Saturday’s first game, the Blue Devils found the going tough in the beginning but led by their fabulous freshman – Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow – went on to defeat coach Tom Izzo and the Spartans, 81-61.

Winslow finished with 19 points and Okafor, a Naismith Player of the Year nominee, added 18 and six rebounds. Senior guard Quinn Cook scored 17 points as Duke reached the national championship game for the third time in Indianapolis. The city has been good to the Blue Devils.

In 1991 behind Christian Laettner, Duke won its first title under Krzyzewski in Indy. The Blue Devils returned to the city in 2010 and won their fourth and most recent title when they defeated Butler. Ironically, Michigan State was also part of that Final Four.

Izzo’s Spartans made five of their first seven shots and moved out to an eight-point lead just six minutes into the game. Duke then settled down and showed the kind of championship play that has helped them win 17 of their last 18 games. The only loss was to Notre Dame, an Elite Eight team, in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament.

It was an incredible run for the Spartans, the only non-No. 1 seed in the Final Four. A month before the tourney, MSU looked like it may have trouble even getting an at-large bid. But, Izzo’s squad proved resilient at the right time winning 12 of its last 15 games of the season (including the tournament).

Izzo is now 3-4 in national semifinal games. This will be the school’s 11^th appearance in an NCAA final. Duke won titles in 1991, ’92, 2001, and 2010. With a win in the title game, Krzyzewski would increase his total to five, which would place him second behind former UCLA head coach John Wooden who won 11 titles.

Monday’s Final

Wisconsin will play in the championship game for the first time since 1941. Under head coach Bud Foster, the Badgers finished 20-3 and won that year’s national title. Kaminsky is he school’s first Naismith award winner. The senior averaged 18.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game during the regular season. He has averaged over 22 points per game during the tournament and will be one of the keys against a formidable Duke frontline.

Dekker, who has also averaged over 20 points a game in the tournament, could be the difference maker in the final. At 6-9, the Wisconsin native gives defenses match up problems with his ability to hit long range 3-pointers and put the ball on the floor and get to the basket.

Duke will rely on its best player, Okafor, in the final. The battle between the 6-11 Okafor and the 7-foot Kaminsky will go down as one of the best in recent NCAA finals history.

A win for Wisconsin would give Ryan his first NCAA Division I title as a head coach. Ryan, who was passed over for the College Basketball Hall of Fame this year, won four championships as the head coach at Wisconsin-Platteville, a Division III school, in the 1990s.

Cleveland’s Quarter Million Dollar Texting Plan

Shane Mclendon

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April 6, 2015

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Cleveland’s Quarter Million Dollar Texting Plan

If you thought your family cell phone bill was expensive with all the texting done by your teenage kids, you ain’t seen nothing yet. The Cleveland Browns got slapped with a $250,000 fine as a result of their GM, Ray Farmer, for sending a texts during a game to a coach in 2014. Farmer will also face a four game suspension as a result of his illegal texting. The good news was that Cleveland didn’t lose any draft picks. They can handle a big fine with loose change found in the box seat cushions, and the absence of the GM for four games is hardly a devastating blow. Farmer will have done most of his work long before the season starts. His suspension starts at midnight the Sunday before Cleveland’s first game in 2015, so most GMs are not making blockbuster type chess moves that close to opening kickoff.

Cleveland came out OK after this little incident. No matter what you think about the rules against teams using certain electronic devices during games, violating the rules puts the team in a bad spot. Atlanta wasn’t let off the hook so easily when they were caught pumping in extra noise during home games. They were fined $350K, $100K more than the Browns, and lost a fifth round draft pick in 2016. Oh and they cut Roddy White loose also…..not the two time state wrestling champion turned NFL wideout, some other dude who executed the brilliant crowd noise plan that helped propel the Falcons to an exciting 6-10 record. I can only assume that the Falcons got a harsher penalty because their actions had at least the chance to impact a game. Farmer texting a quarterbacks coach with his thoughts on the play calling was a non-factor in all reality.

Browns’ owner Jimmy Haslam had this to say about the penalty. “We accept the league’s ruling,” Haslam said. “Ray made a mistake and takes full responsibility for his role in violating the policy. It is critical that we make better decisions. Ray has tremendous integrity and I know has great remorse for what occurred. We are all committed to learning from this and making the Browns a stronger and better organization.” I’m sure Mr. Haslam has better things to do with a quarter mill than to hand it to the league for some teenage girl type texts that had Farmer allegedly upset with his offensive coordinator at the time. Hopefully these fines go the toNFL Player Care Foundation and the NFLPA’s Player Assistance Trust just like on the field player fines. At least some good would come of this boneheaded move by Ray Farmer that provided no advantage to his team.

Cleveland has had their share of troubles in the past couple of years. They had one of the most promising talents at wide out with Josh Gordon, only to have him derail his own career with failed drug tests. They took a shot at one of the most exciting QBs to come out of college lately with Johnny Manziel, only to watch him party his way to rehab. Cleveland has a way of falling apart each and every year. Their fans have to be careful not to get too excited when good things happen. They have to know that the other shoe is about to drop. Nothing good ever lasts with the Browns.

This entire texting ordeal didn’t harm Cleveland financially and they didn’t suffer a loss in the draft (until they pick another bust). It did embarrass the franchise though. The incident showed a riff between head coach Mike Pettine and GM Ray Farmer. The head coach doesn’t like to be publicly questioned by anyone, especially during a game! An NFL coach has enough pressure on him without getting play call assistance from a guy in a suit nowhere near the action.

The major incidents this past season that we know about, involved the Patriots, Falcons, and Browns. In my opinion none of these actions, although illegal in the NFL rulebook, amounted to much. The Falcons little noise trick was of no consequence. The Browns didn’t end up in the playoffs as a result of texting help from their GM. And even if the Patriots are found to have deflated their footballs against the Colts, it wasn’t the deciding factor in that game. Of the three teams I say that the Patriots alleged actions would have had a bigger impact than the other two, but still not a huge deal in that particular game.

If this penalty is the worst thing that happens to the Browns next season (don’t count on it), then their fans will take it. The city of Cleveland is one of the unluckiest in the history of pro sports. A suspended GM and a $250K phone bill is nothing compared to having John Elway ruin Super Bowl hopes, Ernest Byner coughing up the ball on his way to a Super Bowl trip, and an alleged king leaving their NBA franchise. Cleveland should be toughened up by now. It will take more than a slap on the wrist to get this city down.

New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees is NOT for Sale

Chris Maurice

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April 6, 2015

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New Orleans Saints: Drew Brees is NOT for Sale

After the New Orleans Saints sent tight end Jimmy Graham to the Seattle Seahawks on the first day of the 2015 NFL league year, rumors immediately started to swirl around that no one within the Saints organization was safe—even quarterback Drew Brees.

Aside from Peyton Manning, Brees has been the best quarterback in the NFL since arriving in the Big Easy back in 2006. Brees has not had a single season in New Orleans with less than 4,300 passing yards. He has four seasons with over 5,000 yards, including two in a row in 2012 and 2013, both of which are NFL records.

Despite the Saints 7-9 finish in 2014, Brees still had a great statistical season with over 4,900 yards and 33 touchdowns. Of course, with Graham gone those numbers may be dropping a bit in 2015. Needless to say, Brees was shocked to learn that his favorite target had been shipped out to Washington.

“I think it shocked all of us,” said Brees. “A lot of crazy things happened, though, during the course of free agency for a lot of different teams. Unfortunately, you’ve been around long enough, you see some of these things happen at times. If anything it shows the confidence our organization has in the young players, especially the young skill players on offense, just feeling like those are guys that now have a chance to step up and fill a big void and fill a big role and continue to progress forward.”

Brees may be confident in the future of the team, but rumors soon emerged that he may not be a part of that future—instead, the Saints would trade their future Hall of Famer to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 1^st pick in the 2015 NFL Draft in order to select Marcus Mariota.

The Bucs aren’t the only team that has sent the Saints an offer for the Pro Bowl quarterback, the Buffalo Bills, Cleveland Browns, and Jacksonville Jaguars have all made an effort to obtain Brees so far this offseason. Well, let’s face it: the Saints have no interest in E.J. Manuel, Johnny Manziel, Blake Bortles, or any other mediocre, unproven quarterbacks teams may offer.

Sean Payton ended those silly rumors:

“We can’t control [the rumors],” Payton said. “What do you do when there’s no truth to any of it? There’s not one, like, iota. So if someone’s written something like that, it’s either been taken out of context completely or just fabricated. I think we’re in an age where we’re seeing a lot of speculative reporting, as opposed to a story.

“And then if a fan’s reading it and they don’t understand it, then, ‘Holy cow, I heard this is gonna happen.’ So that sooner or speculative, whatever you want to call it, reporting can’t affect us.

“There’s no truth to any of that. He’s a part of where we’re going. And we’ve got a number of areas we’ve got to improve on. But his production and where we’ve been able to finish offensively, those things will take care of themselves.”

That’s the bottom line—Drew Brees is an integral part of the future of this franchise moving forward. The trade rumors are all nonsense; but if so many people actually believe it, then it must be at least somewhat plausible, and it is to a degree.

Brees is 36 years old, which means he’s approaching the end of his life as a quarterback; so maybe it’s about time the Saints start planning for the future. What better way to prepare yourself for the next 10 seasons than trading away an established veteran to a desperate team for a high draft pick or a solid young quarterback? Brees may be old; but as shown by the offers the Saints have received, there are a lot of teams out there who desperately need some stability at the position, even if it be for only three or so more seasons.

Brees claims that he’s will play until he’s 45, but there’s a point where the body just can’t keep up with the mind’s high expectations. The Saints aren’t going to have Brees for more than five more seasons, and so they need to decide on the future of the franchise soon:

Do they stick with the quarterback that has brought them years of success, a Super Bowl victory, and hope for the future after the city was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina as he rides out his last few seasons in the NFL? Or do they abandon him with a joke of a franchise for the end of his Hall of Fame career, despite his clear intentions to stay with the city and people of New Orleans?

Maybe there is a point where this game becomes more than just a business.

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