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Top 7 Most Underrated NFL Players 2014 2015 Season

Rick Bouch

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January 22, 2015

Top 7 Most Underrated NFL Players 2014 2015 Season

They are on every roster in the National Football League. They are players that the average pro football fan has never heard of unless said players play for their favorite team. Here is a look at seven of the NFL’s most unsung heroes.

Marcell Dareus, DT Buffalo

The fourth-year defensive tackle out of Alabama was selected a first-team All-Pro for the first time after his stellar 2014 season. Dareus recorded 35 tackles and had 10 sacks on a Bills defense that ranked fourth in the league in total defense. Dareus and the Buffalo defense were keys to the Bills turnaround this year as they wound up 9-7 and were in contention for a playoff berth right up to the end of the regular season. The 6-3, 319-pound Dareus was also named to his second Pro Bowl.

Antonio Brown, WR Pittsburgh

Just a sixth-round draft choice out of Central Michigan, the fifth-year pro was the NFL’s leading receiver in 2014. He caught 129 passes for 1,698 yards and 13 touchdowns. Brown was absolutely brilliant all season. In the Steelers’ demolition of Indianapolis in Week 8, he caught 10 passes for 133 yards and two of QB Ben Rothlisberger’s six TD passes. Brown was also an effective kick returner for Pittsburgh. Unlike many of the league’s bigger names at the position, Brown doesn’t possess great size (5-10, 186) or phenomenal speed, but does have a knack for making plays.

Travis Kelce, TE Kansas City

Dwain Bowe was not the Kansas City Chiefs leading receiver in 2014. It was Kelce, a 6-5, 250-pound freak of a tight end. Kelce caught 67 passes for 862 yards from the Chiefs other unsung hero, quarterback Alex Smith. Kelce was a high school quarterback that made the transition to tight end at the University of Cincinnati. He came into his own this year and when Smith needed a go-to guy on third down, Kelce was the answer.

Alex Smith, QB Kansas City

Smith flies under the radar when discussing top-flight quarterbacks in the NFL. After winning the MVP of last year’s Pro Bowl, Smith followed it up with a solid 2014 season when he completed over 65 percent of passes for 3,265 yards and 18 touchdowns. More importantly, Smith led the Chiefs to a 7-3 start and had Kansas City flirting with the postseason right up until season’s end. The former Utah QB is often overshadowed by Chiefs running back Jamaal Charles, an accomplished runner and receiver.

C.J. Mosley, LB Baltimore

A first-round draft pick out of Alabama, Mosley stepped right into the Baltimore Ravens starting lineup and excelled immediately. He registered 133 tackles, good for seventh in the NFL, and added three sacks and two interceptions. For his efforts, Mosley was selected to the Pro Bowl, a huge honor for a rookie. He also was named a second-team All-Pro. At 6-2, 235, Mosley has the size to fill the run and the speed to cover in pass coverage. He was on the field for almost every Ravens defensive snap – all but 15. Barring injury, Mosley has the makings of a great career ahead of him.

Jordy Nelson, WR Green Bay

Year after year, Nelson continues to impress. He finished fourth in the NFL in receiving yards catching 98 passes for 1,519 yards. He was on the receiving end of 13 Aaron Rodgers’ TD passes. Nelson is used to being overlooked. He was one of the best athletes in the state of Kansas but only had one opportunity to play FBS football…at Kansas State. We all know the results. His 1,519 receiving yards this season is a new Packers single-season record.

Russell Wilson, QB Seattle

By the time his career is finished, Wilson may go down as the most underrated player in the history of the game. All this guy does is win. He is 36-12 in three seasons with a Super Bowl under his belt and he’s working on a second. This season he completed 63.1 percent of his passes for 3,475 yards and 20 touchdowns. Wilson was the team’s second-leading rusher with 849 yards and a whopping 7.2 yards per carry.

Cookie’s Jamal Will Be A Star: EMPIRE Season 1 Ep 3 Recap

The Curvy Girl Diva

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January 22, 2015

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Cookie’s Jamal Will Be A Star: EMPIRE Season 1 Ep 3 Recap

Here we are. Another week of Empire drama to talk about. Over the last three episodes, we’ve watched a story develop that becomes more sophisticated with each episode (as least as sophisticated as it can get Fox).

As mentioned before, at first glance Empire looks like Starz Network’s 50 Cent produced Power. Both are black lead shows with central conflicts between the leading actors and actresses. While Power displayed a passive aggressive tension between Omari Hardwick and Natiri Naughton, Empire has Terrence Howard and Taraji Henson duke it out on every episode. And each week they nearly come to blows literally.

Now, as I said, I am a supporter of black Hollywood, but at times it seems Lee Daniels and the writers are simply relying on the chemistry Howard and Henson had in Hustle and Flow instead of creating believable dialogue and demanding competent acting from the other characters. I mean really, the previews for the following weeks are more intriguing than the actual episodes. But I digress.

Anyway, getting on to the recap, this week opens up with two of Empire’s female artists performing together. One of them bumps into the other and she gets mad. Her manager wants to talk to Lucious because he’s has some things to discuss. Lucious speaks to him in his trailer where he proceeds to beat the hell out of the guy with a crowbar. Really Lucious? Ya had to let him know whose boss huh? I guess it is true, you can take the nigga out the hood but… well you know the rest.

We are taken back to Philly for Bunkie’s funeral in this episode too. Gladys Knight makes a cameo as a church singing mother. Tasha Smith pops up as Cookie’s sister (interesting) and… are you ready for it… good old Lucious himself speaks at the funeral. Smdh… Grime just oozes from this dude. For the record, I still don’t feel Howard in this role completely. Don’t get me wrong, he’s an incredible actor and Lucious does feel dangerous and deceptive, but for all of Empire’s attempts to portray him as a lying, murderous, arrogant homophobe, they aren’t convincing me to hate him. He’s obviously the villain of the show, but Howard’s charisma wants us to see him win.

The detective investigating Bunkie’s murder visits Lucious to see if he might have any idea who would want to do murder his friend. Lucious tries to throw him off the scent but it is obvious the cop suspects him. A homeless man later confirms to the detective that the “lion” he saw the night of the killing was indeed, Lucious. How you gonna get out of that one Lu?

Cookie continues her campaign for Jamal to be recognized as an artist by his homophobic father, recruiting the services of Puma, a retired songwriter from the hood, played by Cuba Gooding Jr. She wants him to write a hit for Jamal. It is apparent that Cookie and Puma share a past, the depth of which is still unknown at this point. The introduction of Puma is good too because her character desperately needs a love interest and this show desperately needs at least one sane black male character.

Cookie continues to support Jamal’s career and gay lifestyle, opposing Lucius vehemently which leads to one of the major conflicts of the episode. Puma gives Cookie a song for Jamal which happens to be one he wrote about her all those years ago. Jamal performs it at an intimate dinner in honor of Hakeem and his new love interest Tiana, thrown by Anika but run by his mother. The look on Lucious’ face says it all as the tune is familiar to him. After hearing his son play it, he says to Anika, right in front of Jamal, that he never liked the song until he heard Jamal’s arrangement and that it would be really good for John Legend. COME ON Lucious. Are you that cold and calloused? Jamal and his “bitch” Michael storm out, back to their apartment.

Now Lee Daniels said that this show was going to address issues ignored in the black community such as homophobia. Another issue that I’m assuming to be addressed is mental health. As we learned last week, Andre is bipolar. This week, he called in a “favor” to the Deputy Mayor Alverez (which involved him turning her around on her desk and hitting from the back during work hours… must be nice) at the request of his father to find out what the cop snooping around about Bunkie’s death has uncovered. His story really didn’t develop much, although we did find out that he and his wife Rhonda are obviously into role playing. And by role playing I mean she pretends to be the Deputy Mayor and Andre calls her “Deputy Mayor Alverez.” Um letting your man call you his ex AND knowing that he boned her earlier that day…White girl problems.

Lastly, and easy to forget, is the punk ass rapper, Hakeem. Side note: I don’t understand why the writers want his talent to rival Jamal’s. He’s a rapper and his brother a singer. There’s no comparison. The only thing that was interesting here is that his mommy issues come to light in a much more obvious way because he secretly has a fling going on with a much older, sexy woman played by Naomi Campbell.

This episode ends with Jamal getting a visit from Lucious, they argue and daddy Lyon exclaims how he doesn’t know his son. He then says something about paying the bills for his apartment which causes Jamal to throw the keys at Lucious feet, grab his bitch… I mean Michael… storm out with his things and declare, “I’m going to take his empire.”

Fade to black, roll credits, see you next week.

Can Technology Stay Ahead Of Hackers?

Marius Manuella

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January 22, 2015

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can technology stay ahead of those hackers images 2015

It’s a computer user’s nightmare out there, a security apocalypse. It sounds alarming because it is; especially if you have a credit card and buy stuff online, if you love playing games with paid downloadable content and if you have a business or a ranking position in the business. There are hacking news and alerts left and right; hostile states hacking other countries, organized hackers defacing websites in protest of something, hackers stealing tons of financial and contact information from various websites, private nude photos and sex videos of celebrities stolen and leaked online and the most alarming, the NSA observing your cookware purchases. Anything with a camera and connected online can be used to monitor movements. Rumored hardware-based backdoors from servers to mobiles mandated by the US-NSA or built-in by Chinese companies. We should at least be concerned. Even though technology has become more mainstream and is steadily growing more advanced, so are security threats. As long as there’s financial or political gains, black hat hackers, will continue to breach computers of individuals, businesses and governments. The question is, will technology ever be able to stay ahead of hackers or are hackers necessary for technology to keep advancing?

Technology hasn’t really stagnated in recent years, in fact, it has grown by leaps and bounds and has permeated the lives of a majority of people. We have mobile phones more powerful than supercomputers a couple of decades ago. Cameras with resolutions that when printed can result in vivid billboard-sized images. Wireless data transfer people three decades back would have considered impossible. Tiny SD cards that can store the contents of a building full of magnetic tapes. Businesses needed to grow and expand and use the internet as a medium of communication and eventually, a medium of business. What seems to have laxed however, is the need for security as well as security technologies. The advent of the internet and social media has left the world wide open, with everyone willing to reach out and touch someone leaving security to take a backseat.

But as technology advances, so do security threats. Technology has advanced so much, bringing with it more undiscovered security holes than security experts can patch. Technology with mass money-making potential gets rolled out and vulnerabilities are often discovered and addressed later. Hackers figure out these security holes and use them before they’re discovered and plugged.

Hackers now have more advanced tools at their disposal and their numbers grow steadily since learning to hack has become easier and the benefits more lucrative. With more and more businesses going online, sensitive documents transferred over the wires, people readily giving away sensitive private information to social media, hackers have more than enough motivation to breach supposedly secure institutions for money, for power or just for the fun of it. Here are a number of news and rumors about hacked systems, in case you were too occupied with Game of Thrones and cat videos.

North Korea allegedly hacked Sony Pictures in retaliation for the film, The Interview which ridicules its current ruler Kim Jong Un.
Sony PlayStation Network and Xbox Live goes down because of DDOS attacks.
Thousands of Sony PlayStation Network accounts were hacked by a group called Lulzsec and users were advised to change their passwords
Major stores such as Target and Home Depot hacked for credit card information.
Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox files for bankruptcy after more than 400 million dollars in bitcoins were stolen
China allegedly hacked Boeing and plans various US military planes in its bid for military expansion.
Apple’s iCloud service hacked causing several celebrities’ pictures to be leaked online
Anonymous hacking group hacks various government sites in protest of various topics.

We, as consumers and even as free nations need to be concerned or be aware of these incidents. Jobs could disappear if our hacked companies suddenly shut down, our online game achievements could suddenly disappear or worse our games unplayable, our buying and travel habits could be hacked and used against us and our most private moments could be exposed and your webcam and game console cameras could be watching you as you read this.

With all the hacking and spying news going on, what are technology companies and governments doing about it?

For starters, people are always advised to change their passwords regularly every time a major news about hacking is reported. Passwords are often the first entry points used by hackers when hacking into systems from outside using compatible software. Weak passwords of important employees can open up a company to hackers.
People are advised to download or purchase the newest antivirus and antimalware versions for their computers. These days, viruses and malware are more than just an annoyance. They are often used by hackers to breach individuals and companies from the inside. Sensitive information of unsuspecting users from contacts, to passwords, to individual keystrokes are sent back to whoever authored the virus or malware. Antivirus companies continue to work to study and make solutions for every reported malware and virus as well as think of new measures to identify any strange computer activity from unidentified infections.
People are encouraged to use new versions of operating systems and software or update their existing ones. The words zero-day and vulnerability gets mentioned a lot. That’s because software companies try to discover any vulnerabilities within their product before or as soon as hackers discover any potential holes. Sometimes hackers don’t need passwords, they can control your system remotely through these holes. Companies actually employ hackers (called white hats or security professionals) to find these holes for them thus making hackers actually necessary to advance and secure their products.
Businesses are encouraged to purchase hardware or software firewalls to prevent hacking. It’s recommended for businesses that can afford them to buy hardware firewalls since they do most of the work in seeking their systems secure. These firewalls can be updated and configured to keep out most attacks or keep information contained.

Basically, security technology continues to advance. Several phone models now use fingerprint scanners for tighter security. Other phones and computers use patterns and image recognition as passwords which aren’t so easily hacked. Software publishers continue to discover security problems by themselves or through the help of security professionals.

In the end, hackers are needed to advance security technologies. Without hackers and their personal, malicious and financial motivations, there would be no need to keep advancing security technologies. As long as there’s something to be gained in breaching an institution’s security there will always be someone willing to break it. Technology will advanced to thwart that beginning the cycle anew.

And lastly, it’s the people who should be made aware because it’s often the human factor that hackers depend on no matter how advanced the security technologies become. For one, people need to set up more secure passwords from the online gaming console user up to company CEOs. There are still people who use simple, easy-to-guess passwords or those who don’t bother changing their very old ones. Businesses, no matter how small but use the internet need to get serious in investing on more security hardware, software and services. There are computers out there that don’t bother installing anti-viruses. Security is useless for people who don’t bother and it’s the first line of defense for those who do.

10 Insane Dana White Answers On UFC

Shane Mclendon

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January 22, 2015

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Dana White is the most fascinating head of a pro sport today. The president of the UFC is actually one of the most interesting sports figures in any position. His style is a straight shooting, no BS way of doing business. He does not mind ruffling some feathers no matter the subject or the person he is dealing with. With such a character and his penchant for speaking his mind, I would like to ask Dana White these 10 questions if I ever got the chance. I’ve added some of his answers too, which are purely fictional, but I could see coming out of the man’s mouth.

What do you think of all the NFL lawsuits by former players and how can the UFC avoid such legal issues?

White: “The NFL guys of the past have a right to a settlement as concussions were not well researched. Going forward, no player is unaware of the risks of football. The same goes for MMA. Guys know the risks involved with our business. They sure don’t mind the money and fame along the way.”

“We have some lawsuits currently and I think it is ridiculous that guys are suing us simply because they can’t make it here anymore. We are not stopping these guys from working in other MMA promotions. Is it my fault that no other organization is as successful as the UFC? Should we just start a freaking charity for other fight promotions to help them get traction! Maybe these fighters should have done more inside the Octagon and they wouldn’t need to find lawyers advertising on daytime TV.”

Who is the best boxer in the history of the sport? I know Anderson Silva is his choice for best MMA fighter ever.

White: “I would say for the short term it was Mike Tyson. At his peak I think he would have beaten anyone. There was a three year period where he was better than Ali or any other greats no matter the weight class. It’s too bad he went completely nuts there for a while and Don King had a lot to do with that by stealing most of his money, allegedly.”

Is there any point in boxing continuing as a sport? Isn’t it too far gone to recover?

White: “There is no point to it. Boxing is dead. There is one fight people really want to see and that is Mayweather and Pacquiao. But it is almost too late for even that superfight. They both are on the backside of greatness at this point. Mayweather is the only boxer that is holding things together with his big PPV draw. The fact that most fans just want to see him finally get knocked out is where most of those dollars come from. Boxing was once a great sport, but the fools running it have taken it so far off the right path that it will never be the same.”

How will you know when the UFC is oversaturated or watered down? Could you really be objective on this or would you need some advisers to help with this?

White: “First, I don’t need advisers. Do you see how successful I have been? Advisers would just get in my way. I will know the UFC is oversaturated when I no longer have former fighters trying to sue us I guess. That will mean I am letting too many weak ass guys stay in the UFC too long and fans don’t want that kind of action.”

Can Anderson Silva really come back to being anything close to what he was prior to his leg being shattered in the rematch with Weidman?

White: “Silva is the greatest fighter I have ever seen in MMA. That said, I would be scared to even get back in the ring again if I were him. His leg basically fell off the last time he fought. We have a helicopter scheduled to be on hand for the Diaz fight just in case any of his limbs become detached in that big fight coming up.”

Do you think there is someone out there to replace Ronda Rousey if she leaves for a Hollywood type career?

White: “It would be would be hard to replace Rousey obviously. She is the total package of beauty, charm, and being a hell of a fighter. We are doing what we can to line up some possible ladies to fill her shoes once she is gone from the UFC. A nice body and a pretty face is not hard to find. Those qualities along with the ability to actually win fights is a hard combo. We are trying to get beauty consultants for a few of our better female fighters to improve their looks also.”

Who is the most disappointing UFC fighter ever?

White: “Kimbo Slice. The guy was a Youtube sensation but his skills were nothing unless he was fighting a hungover construction worker in a parking lot. He found out quickly on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ that he had a lot to learn. We got as much mileage out of his little sideshow as possible.”

If you had to narrow it down, what is the one turning point that made the UFC go from irrelevant to a big time sport?

White: “The moment I got involved with the sport. Once I set my mind to it, there was no way we were not going to be successful. After all look at how many idiots watch wrestling every week. That fake stuff is hugely successful. And baseball. People still sit through hours of spitting, cup adjusting, stepping away from the plate, and that stupid seventh inning stretch deal. I knew if these other sports were thriving, we would make it as long as I was in charge.”

Would you ever try a PPV right after the Super Bowl? It seems like a good way to get a big audience to carry over to a UFC event.

White: “Yes we are working on that now. We would like to get a Budweiser partnership on that. I envision us going live with a two fight PPV with four awesome fighters right after the Super Bowl ends. Fans mostly don’t want to watch the Lombardi Trophy presentation or the ridiculous interviews with 124 year old NFL owners. Having a PPV to turn to just after the football game and a couple hours before they pass out from all the day’s beer consumption would work well.

What UFC fighter has been the biggest headache over the years? I have a feeling I know the answer, but White might surprise me on this one.

White: “Tito Ortiz of course. The man was just a thorn in my side at every turn. He had a good run as champion I will admit. If he had just not acted like a fool, he would still have a place in the UFC in

Top 7 Most Overrated NFL Players 2014-2015

Rick Bouch

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January 22, 2015

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Top 7 Most Overrated NFL Players 2014-2015

Some NFL players just don’t live up to the hype. The 2014-2015 season witnessed several of these players and their abysmal seasons. Here are the seven most overrated players in the league in 2014.

Mike Wallace, WR Miami

When Wallace was in Pittsburgh a few years ago, he was one of the most dangerous receivers in the NFL. Sure, he went from Ben Rothlisberger to Ryan Tannehill at QB, but that’s no excuse for his serious lack of production. He did lead the Dolphins in receiving yards with 862 on 67 receptions. He was nowhere near the threat that he was in Pittsburgh. Plus, Wallace’s attitude put him in head coach Joe Philbin’s doghouse during the season. In the Dolphin’s final game of the season, Philbin benched Wallace in the second half for arguing with the coaching staff.

Matt Kalil, OT Minnesota

After being the fourth overall player selected in the 2012 NFL Draft, Kalil has gone from a pretty productive rookie to a player on the way out of Minnesota. He has gotten progressively worse since his Pro Bowl appearance after that rookie season. In 2014, Kalil gave up 10 sacks, an absolute no-no for a left tackle in the league. Midway through the season, NFL Draft writer Jeff Risdon pointed out that Kalil had the worst overall grade of any offensive player in the entire league. Pretty pathetic for someone mentioned in the same sentence as Hall of Fame OT Anthony Munoz.

DeSean Jackson, WR Washington

So, the Redskins went out and chased down DeSean Jackson last offseason. While the former Eagles star did average over 20 yards a catch, he was still just a very mediocre receiver on a pretty poor team. And, yes, the Redskins had some quarterback issues, but Jackson caught just 56 passes and scored only six touchdowns. He was not much of a threat running the ball on reverses or on punt or kickoff returns. For his sub-par efforts in 2014, Jackson made $8 million (which included his $5 million signing bonus) which comes to just under $143,000 per reception. What a bargain!

Danny Amendola, WR New England

When Wes Welker left New England for Denver, the Patriots thought they found his replacement in Amendola who, like Welker, caught a zillion passes while at Texas Tech. After catching 54 passes in 2013, Amendola followed up with a measly 27 receptions for a less-than-eye-popping 200 yards. He did play an important role in the Divisional Round playoff game against Baltimore when he scored two touchdowns, but overall Amendola’s season was a bust.

Johnny Manziel, QB Cleveland

With all the hoopla that came with the drafting of Johnny Football, fans would have thought Cleveland drafted the savior of the franchise. Well, the savior got beat out for the starting job by Brian Hoyer. He did finally start, in Week 15, against Cincinnati. The former Heisman Trophy winner completed 10-of-18 passes for a whopping 80 yards and threw two picks. His passer rating for the day? Mmmmm….27.3 and he was sacked three times. The Browns lost that game 30-0, but Manziel would start again the following week against Carolina. He was 3-of-8 before a hamstring injury in the second quarter effectively ended his rookie season. For the record, Johnny Football did earn $83,319…per completion!

Trent Richardson, RB Indianapolis

When you are a former No. 1 draft pick and early in your second season your team is trying to trade you, it might be a sign that you’re overrated. Richardson was traded to Indianapolis last season and this season was able to lead the Colts in rushing….with 519 yards. For those keeping score, that is 32 yards a game over the course of 16 games. Richardson lost his starting job to Dan Herron and didn’t even make the trip to the AFC title game after he missed a walkthrough the day before the game. Indianapolis will have to figure out what to do with Richardson next season as he is scheduled to make $3.2 million.

Robert Griffin III, QB Washington

For all NFL teams considering drafting a quarterback that played in a spread offense in college – don’t. No matter how good of an athlete he may be, you just don’t want another RGIII. Griffin had a tremendous rookie season, dropped off in 2013, and in 2014 was just terrible. He suffered a dislocated ankle in the Redskins second game and went on to play in just nine total games. In those nine games, the former Heisman Trophy winner was sacked 33 times and, while once a running threat, managed just 176 yards rushing. With the play of Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy, could Griffin be on his way out of Washington?

NCAA 2015: Can they move forward or just fade away?

Shane Mclendon

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January 22, 2015

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NCAA 2015: Can they move forward or just fade away?

Now that the 2014 college football season has wrapped up we can take a look at the ugliness of the NCAA as they move into 2015. Just because football ended doesn’t mean that the NCAA will stop taking advantage of athletes, spouting hypocrisies, and ruining college sports in general. The NCAA basketball tourney is just a couple months away so the money hoarding entity that runs college athletics will be back in the hot spotlight. More and more media personalities with some guts will begin to question the millions raked in and why the players get so little of cash pie.

I wrote a top ten list of things the NCAA could do to improve their image. Some were actual things they could and should do. Other points were just put out there to shame the NCAA further. But I don’t expect this corrupt institution to do anything to make real change. They are too set in their ways and they want to keep the power that they have gotten used to having. Power is a hard thing to let go of and greed has blinded the folks in charge at the top.

I really believe that the NCAA has to go away eventfully. I don’t know how that will occur, but these big conferences will surely see they don’t need a governing body to run their sports. It is all about the dollar bills. Once some smart younger people find a way to make more money and simultaneously cut out the NCAA, then the old guard will be escorted from the party of college athletics. And it could not happen soon enough for me and millions of fans around the country. We are sick of the NCAA’s rules and poor treatment of the players who make the sports enjoyable to watch.

The NCAA’s rule book reared its ugly head in the National Title Game when marijuana use came into play once again. Darren Carrington, one of Oregon’s leading wide receivers, and Ayele Forde a big time special teams player messed up and smoked some hippie lettuce. For that awful crime, they missed the biggest football game of their lives. I will say that they should have known better. I get that “rules are rules” so these players need to be smarter about their recreational activities so close to game time.

However the rules on marijuana are ridiculous. Wow, kids are smoking weed in college! Some even drink alcohol. Shocking I know. There is no good reason that marijuana should be illegal in a free country like the USA. And if college athletes want to get high, they are adults so let them. If the drug affects their ability to play the game at a high level, no pun intended, then they will lose their spot to a better player on the team. That is clearly not the case for these two players who had helped their team get to the title game. You think this was the first time they blazed up all year? Come on. They played great during the year and likely smoked up on a weekly basis. So what.

I don’t think young high schoolers need to be smoking weed just because of their immaturity. And I don’t find meth or cocaine to be good ideas for people of any age. Although making them illegal has not stopped or slowed their use. Marijuana is a different animal and most sane folks without an agenda would agree it is no more harmful than alcohol. Less so, many would argue. By the way I don’t partake of the mary jane and never have to this point. So my opinion is as unbiased as possible.

I don’t envision 2015 as the year the NCAA just happens to start acting in a moral fashion. It is going to be more of the same I am afraid. Players will be suspended for more violations that should not even be violations. Money will be withheld for coaches, university presidents, and of course the higher ups inside the NCAA itself. And fans will flock to all the big time games, buying tickets en masse as millions sit in front of big screens watching all the action from home.’

I almost hope the NCAA gets even worse this year. The worse they behave, the more bad press they will get. If they were smart they could save themselves by simply cleaning up their act. If they did so they could hang on to some of their power and most of their jobs. They are not smart though so I hope to see them really amp up the hostility toward players so that more fans will get pissed. I want to see more guys like Jay Bilas with big platforms shame the organization publicly. More and more momentum will lead to the demise of the NCAA. It cannot hold up forever.

I know my little one man protest against the NCAA does not mean much. But more and more people will jump on board hopefully. Fans love football so much but surely they will find a soft spot for the athletes getting mistreated. There were a bunch of young people sitting on Wall Street to protest what they perceived as an unfair economic system last year. I hope some of those people can see the unfairness of the NCAA and do something about it. The NCAA is not long for this world and I have a eulogy ready when it flatlines.

English Premier League Soccer Game Week 22 Review

Luka Alario

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January 22, 2015

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English Premier League Soccer Game Week 22 Review

Things are heating up in the Premier League. Last Game Week in England was a bit different as seven out of ten matches were won by away teams and only one game ended in a draw.

The biggest game of the weekend was played at the Etihad as the reigning champions, Manchester City played host to Arsenal. Over the last few years, Arsene Wenger’s men haven’t had good fortune playing against either of the Manchester sides in Manchester. But the North Londoners gave a fantastic performance and picked up three points on Sunday against all odds. Santi Cazorla scored from the penalty spot and Giroud’s header made it 2 – 0 in favor of the English giants. Both the teams have different ambitions this season. The Citizens are gunning to retain their title, whereas Arsenal are pursuing the Champions League spot.

Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United scraped a win at Loftus Road against Queens Park Rangers. The 20-time English champions struggled in the first half and a lot of it was blamed on the Dutchman’s starting formation. In the second half, the substitution of Fellaini inspired the Manchester giants to score two goals before the final whistle. James Wilson and Fellaini scored a goal each as the match ended 0 -2. The Colombian skipper, Radamel Falcao made it into BBC’s Team of the Week, but there have been real doubts about his stay at Old Trafford beyond this summer. In other words, his clock at Manchester United is ticking very quickly and he needs to prove his worth to earn a permanent contract from the Red Devils.

Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool is also back in contention for the Champions League spot. Their form, of late, has been quite impressive and they even held the high flying Chelsea in the midweek Capital One Cup semi-final. The game ended 1 – 1 at Anfield on Tuesday. With Daniel Sturridge not far away, the five-time European champions have a good chance to finish within top four as they are only five points behind the fourth placed, Man United.

The biggest winners of the weekend were Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea FC. The West Londoners moved five points clear at the top of the table, after winning 0 – 5 against Gary Monk’s Swansea City. But they have a crunch tie against Manchester City in ten days time where City could bring back the five point gap to two.

Southampton are continuing their remarkable run in the league as they defeated Newcastle away from home. The match ended 1 – 2 in the favor of Saints and Ronald Koeman’s side have managed to stay at the third spot. But the season is far from over and the fight for the third and fourth spot will only get more intense. Stoke City and Crystal Palace are the other away teams which registered wins at the weekend and they did it against Leicester and Burnley respectively.

Tottenham Hotspurs played host to Sunderland and they won 2 – 1 courtesy of Vertonghen and Eriksen goals. The only other home team to win last weekend in the Premier League was West Ham United. The Hammers defeated Steve Bruce’s Hull City and the final score line was 3 – 0. Downing, Amalfitano and Andy Carroll got on target for West Ham.

West Brom traveled to Goodison Park in search of three points on Monday night. But Everton held them to a goalless draw and Roberto Martinez’s problems are getting bigger each week. The Merseyside team finished fifth in the table last season, but at present their chances of making in the top half of the table seem bleak. Some changes in the January transfer window could help their cause.

Spanish La Liga Soccer Game Week 19 Review 2015

Luka Alario

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January 22, 2015

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Spanish La Liga Soccer Game Week 19 Review 2015

The Spanish league hit its midway mark last weekend as all the teams except Real Madrid and Sevilla have now played nineteen games each. It was a typical week in La Liga as Leo Messi scored a hat-trick and Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace.

La Liga’s top three recorded comfortable wins over the weekend. The European champions, Real Madrid, visited Getafe in the hunt for three more points. Real weren’t happy with their goalless first half at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez. Toni Kroos came quite close to scoring just before the break as he rattled the crossbar. Two goals from the 2014 Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, and one from the Welshman, Gareth Bale, ensured a comfortable victory for Carlo Ancelotti’s men. The Portuguese skipper has taken his season tally to a whopping 36 goals now.

Real are currently at the summit of the league table with a game in hand. The ten-time European champions haven’t drawn a game in the league yet as they have recorded 15 wins and 3 losses in 18 matches. The Galacticos are closely followed by Barcelona in the league table.

The Blaugrana giants faced Depotivo La Coruna on Sunday and it was totally dominated by the little Argentine legend. After his fourth hat-trick this season, Lionel Messi has scored a total of 28 goals in just 26 games. In all competitions, Leo has averaged a little above a goal per game. The Catalonian giants won 0 – 4 as Messi scored three and an own goal by Sidnei in the 82^nd minute sealed three points for Luis Enrique’s side. The Barca ace’s first goal came in the 10^th minute as he scored with a sublime header. His second was a great team goal, which was finished by Messi in some style. His third goal came just after the hour mark as he scored with a fierce low drive into the bottom-right corner.

The rumors of Messi’s departure from Camp Nou are not going away as the Argentine skipper fuelled further speculation by stating “I don’t know where I’ll be next year” at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Zurich.

The reigning La Liga champions, Atletico Madrid invited Granada to Vicente Calderon on Sunday. The game ended 2 – 0 in the favor of Diego Simeone’s side. Granada, bottom of the league and without a permanent coach following Joaquin Caparros’ removal on Friday, made a good start but their hard work was undone 11 minutes before the half time interval when Abdoul Sissoko fouled Diego Godin in the penalty area. Mario Mandzukic scored the penalty to take his tally to16 goals.

With just six minutes remaining on the clock, Mario Mandzukic was substituted for Garcia, and Simeone’s change paid dividends four minutes later as the midfielder headed Turan’s cross from the right to pick up three points for the La Liga champions.

In other fixtures, Sevilla won 2 – 0 at home against Malaga, whereas Elche won 1 – 0 against Levante. David Moyes’ Real Sociedad were stunned at home by Rayo Vallecano. M.Contreiras Gonçalves scored the goal for Rayo in the 81^st minute of the game. The former Manchester United boss Moyes was serving his two match ban, which he got after altercation with the referee in the Copa del Rey exit past week.

Valencia also won their game at home against Almeria. The score line after the final whistle was 3 – 2. Valencia are fifth in the league with 38 points, only seven points behind the league leaders, Real Madrid. They can certainly challenge for the Champions League berth if they continue their form.

Other results of Game Week 19 in the Spanish La Liga: Espanyol 1 – 0 Celta de Vigo, Villarreal 2 – 0 Athletic Bilbao.

NBA Midseason Review 2015

Chris Maurice

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January 21, 2015

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It’s about halfway through the NBA season, and the standings so far are anything but ordinary. As it stands now the top eight teams in the league by order of win percentage are the Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Dallas Mavericks, and Toronto Raptors.

In other words, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Oklahoma City Thunder, Chicago Bulls, and Los Angeles Clippers are not the best teams in the NBA this season as they have been in the past. In fact, out of these teams only the Bulls are currently leading their division.

There is a trend happening right now in the NBA: the big market teams of the past decade are starting to decline as their super stars age, retire, and leave; whereas the old laughingstocks of the league are making the most of their draft picks and cap space and moving up in the rankings.

The Warriors are by far the best example of this current trend. Between 2008 and 2012 the Warriors missed the playoffs every season and only managed to finish with 30 or more wins twice in that five season span. In 2013 and 2014, however, the Warriors finished with the 6^th seed in the Western Conference with a better record each season.

Now, in 2015 after a terrific offseason the Warriors are sitting at the top of the NBA’s competitive Western Conference. By spending their losing seasons bringing in young stars like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson and then combining their talents with veteran All-Stars such as Andre Iguodala and David Lee.

The result has been absolutely terrific. The Warriors are 33-6 through 39 games, the best record in the NBA. Not only are the Warriors the favorites to take earn home court advantage throughout the playoffs (sitting 3.5 games ahead of the Trail Blazers) but they are also on pace to come close to the best regular season of all time (72-10, set by the 1996 Chicago Bulls).

With 39 games played and a league-leading average of 110.3 point per game, the Warriors have their sights locked on an NBA Finals appearance.

EMPIRE Ep 2 Recap: Everybody Needs A Cookie to crumble you

The Curvy Girl Diva

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January 21, 2015

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EMPIRE Ep 2 Recap: Everybody Needs A Cookie to crumble you

This week, we saw the second episode of the Lee Daniel’s Fox hip hop drama Empire. If you missed the pilot, allow me to do a short recap. Empire tells the story of ailing hip hop mogul, Lucious Lyon, (played by Terrance Howard) and his running of a music company which he has to eventually pass on to one of his three sons, all while dealing with his recently released from 17 years of prison ex-wife Cookie Lyon (played by Taraji P. Henson), who is coming for the business she helped fund (which is also the reason why she went to prison in the first place). Now that we have caught up, let’s talk about this week!

I will be honest, I was not sure about Empire when I saw the premiere and to be brutally open, I am still not sure. People have been comparing it to 50 Cent’s Starz drama Power, starring Omari Hardwrick, and by people I mean Mr. Curtis James Jackson himself. But’s that a whole other commentary. Nonetheless, after watching the show, I don’t feel the two are the same at all. In fact, Empire, a network program thus making it limited in some elements that cable shows aren’t, isn’t executed as stylishly and the characters are too “over the top.”

For the record, I don’t consider myself your average television watcher or movie goer. I have studied screenwriting and have written screenplays so I look at more than just the drama and the scandal. But I am also a supporter of black Hollywood so I tuned in for the second week and will more than likely keep tuning in.

Last Wednesday the story line was fleshed a little more and we started to see Lucious and his crew really get into it. We learned (spoiler alert) that the sickness he has is Lou Gehrig’s disease and he still has not told anyone. Albeit the only person who knows about it is Becky (played by Gabby Sidibe) because she snooped around in his bathroom and found the meds he was taking.

Of course Cookie brought the drama as expected, determined to make Lucious and everyone else see and acknowledge Jamal’s talent and potential as a viable and bankable artist who doesn’t need to stand in the shadows of his rapping brother Hakeem. She found herself a ghetto fabulous assistant, Portia, and continued to take aim for “what’s mine,” even joining Lucious and his “pretty little thang” Anika (played by Grace Gealey) for breakfast where she revealed that it was her $400,000 in drug money that started the record company in the first place. I’m pretty sure she didn’t know that part of the whole crazy ex-wife story

One of the developing story lines from the first episode which left us pretty much saying “dayuummm” was the killing of Lucious’ s right hand man AND Cookie’s cousin Bunkie (played by Antoine McKay) by Lucious. When the report that his body had been found made its way to the hip hop king, he showed just the right amount of remorse in front of the fam to ward off (for now) any suspicion of being the one behind the trigger. This scene was particularly interesting because at one point Cookie tried to console Hakeem and he angrily told her to (pretty much) “back the fuck off.”

And let’s talk about Hakeem. He is probably my least favorite character. His hostility toward his mother is too much and whenever we see it, it just doesn’t feel right. Like it’s not real. Hakeem’s whole persona as a spoiled little rich kid is totally annoying and way over the top too. I mean really, he is going to pull out his dick and just piss in the middle of the floor of a restaurant with all these white people around eating dinner and then end it all with a video (Worldstar!) where he disses Barack Obama which by the way, caused his daddy to get a phone call from the POTUS upset about the whole thing. I am sure that Obama has more to think about and deal with than some little punk being an asshole.

Next there is Andre who we found out (spoiler alert again) is bipolar. His wife works to convince him to go to the doctor and to take his meds, which apparently, if he doesn’t do, he gets… creepy. His plan of putting Cookie and Jamal against Lucious and Hakeem (all so he can be the one to take over the company) comes to a full blow with mommy and daddy arguing over Jamal performing, as well as Hakeem, at some big club. Lucious is not too keen on letting his gay son be seen on stage at such a big event for the label.

Alas, in the end, the performer who was supposed to back Hakeem up was fired by Lucious because, get this, he disrespected Cookie. Hmmmm. This caused the two brothers to, unbeknownst to the world, decide to perform together, surprising everyone in the room especially dear old dad, and launching Jamal out in the forefront with his brother.

The sneak peek for next week does look promising and appears to bring about another level of drama that can’t be good for Lucious’ health problems. All I’m going to say is it looks like they may have a lead on who killed Bunkie and the terms of an apparent deal Cookie’s made with the feds has taken an unexpected turn.

Sony 4K Bravia vs Samsung Curved UHD TV

Jackie Warner

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January 21, 2015

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Among the various 4k aka UHD televisions that are now flooding the market, the two televisions; Samsung Curved UHD and Sony 4K Bravia have been widely accepted by a great many people all over the world. The televisions are widely appreciated for a number of reasons that include the high quality picture quality and sound, their price as well as their weight and so on. These televisions are increasingly dragging the general mass from the cinema halls to their hall rooms. However, there are some very significant differences between these two televisions, which have created two different kinds of buyers for them. Here is some information for both the televisions that might help the readers to understand the main features that the two televisions have as well as their differences.

Samsung Curved UHD

Making a curved Ultra High Definition TV with a high level of headway and usefulness is no simple accomplishment. Indeed, it takes solid mechanical administration, particularly in the event that you are searching for refined outline too. Some individuals ask us what’s behind the Samsung Curved UHD TV that makes it stand separated. Our Curved UHD TV is improved for your review separation. Actually, we led a home visit consider in distinctive nations, and uncovered that most individuals with a 50″ TV view it from a normal separation of 3 to 4 meters. Our Curved UHD TV accompanies astonishing innovations that truly raise your experience, including the Auto Depth Enhancer, which significantly expands the inclination of profundity you get from review pictures on a curved screen. It works by part each one casing into zones Background Area, Center Area, Front Area—by breaking down the comparability of the brightness and color.

Summing everything up, we see our Curved UHD TV as both a triumph of building and advancement in structure. Intended to bear the cost of a definitive immersive survey encounter, the Samsung Curved UHD TV conveys all the truth of a surrounding film screen in a staggeringly beautiful bundle to the solace of your front.

Sony 4K Bravia:

While everybody is going curved, Sony has chosen to toss a wedge in the mix. The decreased outline of the organization’s 2014 Bravia X9 4k line fills a different need, and not one that need to do with visuals. Rather Sony has utilized the additional land that fatter bottoms stand to stay in a superior set of speakers. From straight on the wedge shape is barely discernible, yet once you begin to move to the side, wedged-ness shows up. It’s in no way, shape or form obstructive – these are level 4k screens and the survey edge is the same as it would be on any such screen. With our eyes stuck to the 3840 x 2160 screen. Sony’s reps were tight-lipped on careful specs for the speakers, however did uncover that they are Sony-made. They come in 3 separate sizes and are stacked in plummeting distance across, and serve as remarkable stresses to the Tvs’ general look. The Bravia X9’s gimmick coordinated sub woofers, and in a demo corner inside Sony’s principle stall, we could feel their bark. One side of the corner was lined with sound engrossing material, so it wasn’t exactly like listening to the amusement at home, yet the result was ear enchantment. The speakers give an encompass sound encounter that is inundating. Likely because of Sony’s own sound tech, the different demos were fresh and high caliber. With respect to the 4k screen itself, there were no defects we could discover. The X9s gimmick something many refer to as X-tended Dynamic Range, which builds the scope of differentiation by 200%. Blacks don’t pass out, and brights aren’t blurred. The screens were a joy to take a gander at, and surely comparable to 4k offerings from different makers.

Predicting Ronda Rousey’s Earnings Before Leaving The UFC

Shane Mclendon

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January 21, 2015

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Everyone seems certain that Ronda Rousey will leave the UFC once she has enough film work to rake in millions without the possibility of being strangled or punched inside a steel cage. I tend to agree with that sentiment. Why would a hot young woman choose to continue fighting for dollars when she could simply let herself be molded into a female action star? Love of MMA might keep her a round for a while, but reality would set in eventually and she would bounce. No shame in doing what is best for her own life. Just because MMA brought her to the dance doesn’t mean she can’t choose to dance with a more attractive partner now that she is the star of the party. Hollywood will one day soon be that more attractive option for Rousey. Until that time she will keep cashing big checks from the UFC and endorsements should continue to add to her net worth. Also the UFC will continue to profit from her presence. She is one of the top draws for them right now even in a sport clearly dominated and populated by males.

According to reports, Rousey has a net worth of over two million dollars. Not bad for a young woman, just 27 years old, fighting for a company that had no intention of allowing female fighters in their Octagon just a couple years back. Her fight purses have increased steadily along side her popularity. People want to see her fight often and that is the way she likes it. She knows the window closes fast in sports, especially MMA fighting. It doesn’t take but one bad knockout for a fighter to become less than average. KOs have a way of sticking with fighters. Getting knocked unconscious is not an easy thing to get past if it is a bad enough punch or kick.

Rousey has earned roughly $330,000 in her two UFC fights this year. Those numbers include base pay and fight bonuses. That is a good living, but major endorsements would be a nice way to top that off. Rousey has some deals currently but no eye popping deals like Tiger Woods or the like. Movies seem to be the way she will ultimately make her money. She has been involved with The Expendables 3, the Entourage Movie, and Fast & Furious 7 so far. If she is received well, the sky is the limit.

Most athletes who try to go from the athletic arena to the big screen, fail ultimately. Some may have small level successes in straight to DVD movies or have tiny roles in big films. The outliers are there though, the best examples being Arnold Schwarzenegger and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Arney had a super successful action flick career. In the 80’s and 90’s he was in seemingly any movie in need of a muscled up hero. “The Rock” has taken on that role currently after bouncing from the WWE to try his chops in the acting game. If Ronda Rousey is to be a major movie star, she would do well to talk to Johnson for some advice. No one could have dreamed he would have achieved what he has outside of the pro wrestling world.

It is a rare time for the UFC. They have what many other sports would kill for…a polarizing individual that can bring in a whole new segment of fans. You think NASCAR wouldn’t love for Danica Patrick to be as skilled at driving as Ronda Rousey is at fighting? The female fans are half the possible market for any sport after all. I know Dana White is super savvy, but I hope he is not taking for granted just what kind of opportunity is before the UFC. With Rousey they can make huge leaps in ratings and overall growth. I’d hate for the UFC to squander a once on a generation talent that diversifies the sport and its audience.

I know Rousey is something special and once she exits the Octagon for the final time, it will be impossible for another female fighter to fill her shoes. That doesn’t mean that there won’t be more great female fighters to come along. Many young girls will get the inspiration to become MMA fighters as a direct result of watching the rowdy one. When an athlete spawns a whole new generation of athletes with her special talents and presence, that is when you know just how special that particular athlete was.

ronda rousey earning retirement from ufc mma 2015

How much will Rousey end up making while she is in the UFC? No one knows for sure but she is off to a good start with her first four fights there. It would take only one major company to realize the endorsement impact she could have on their brand for her to really back up the Brinks truck. I hope she gets one of those deals sooner rather than later. Maybe that will keep her in the UFC longer. The fight game needs her worse than Hollywood does at the moment. Once her work is done in the UFC, I hope she makes a killing in movies as well. There is no guarantee with that, but with her looks, work ethic, and the ‘it’ factor, I don’t envision a major flop on her part. Being one of the top draws in the UFC as a woman is an outrageous accomplishment. I am sure she can handle a few fake punches in film work, and remember some good one liners along the way. I like to see hard work pay off and Ronda Rousey deserves her big payday. Some people may say that she doesn’t belong in Hollywood, as she is an athlete, not an actress. To those I would simply point out the Kardashians and other untalented pseudo celebrities who are getting paid very nicely. Rousey actually has talent and should reap the rewards.

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