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Michael Sam Out But Not Done With NFL

Shane Mclendon
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Michael Sam Out But Not Done With NFL

michael sam out but not done

I am sure there are going to be many people who question the Rams’ decision to cut Michael Sam from their roster. Some will say good riddance, while others will say he was unjustly cut because he is gay. The fact is that he was cut because he was not quite good enough to make the team, at least in the eyes of the coaches. I don’t think that the guy’s sexuality played any part in the Rams’ decision. It is not like he sprung the news on them after the draft.

The NFL is the ultimate corporate competition. Is there racism, sexism, and other prejudices? Obviously. The NFL is part of the real world that has all these things. But if a football player can help a team win games, he will make the roster. I have no doubt about this fact. Coaches want to win to keep their jobs and because they are competitive as hell. They will take the best guys for the job. Whether that player is black, green, gay, straight, ugly, handsome, ignorant, hard to deal with, a team player, or a distraction does not matter in the big picture. Can the player help the team….that is the biggest concern for a coaching staff. I may be naive, but I see that as truth. If Michael Sam was better than his competition, he would still be on the Rams’ roster.

I believe that the Rams will sign the former Missouri star to their practice squad. That is the best place for him for now. He has been with the team, knows the people there, and may be more comfortable with familiar surroundings. Unless another team is offering him a roster spot, the practice squad of the Rams is a good fit. It won’t be easy to break through to get on the actual team. That will be a grind. Other players have done it, so there is no reason Sam can’t do it as well. This will really test how badly he wants to play in the NFL though. Getting a check to be a on the practice team is still a check, but it is without the glory of game day. Practice is no fun for most athletes, and practice is all he will be doing…the entire season. It will be interesting to see how far he is willing to take his NFL dream.

What if Sam never makes an NFL roster? What will be his career path? I have no idea, but he seems like a bright, ambitious guy who could work in football broadcasting, coaching, or any number of related fields. Or he could end up like many other football players and just work a normal career. There would be no shame in that either. Making it to the NFL full time is not something that a high percentage of athletes can accomplish obviously. Michael Sam did a truly brave thing in coming out of the closet. Football is not a place where open mindedness runs rampant. He knew what he was facing when he made the announcement. Now he faces an uphill battle that has more to do with his football ability than his sexuality. He has shown that he is not afraid of the spotlight or hard work. He knew the Rams were stacked at defensive line and he still made a good showing in the preseason. I don’t know if Michael Sam will ever play another down in an NFL game. I feel like he has the talent to do so, but in the NFL, talent is plentiful. He will need to outwork, outsmart, and outplay his competition to rise above. Even if he never makes it, he has went above what most people are willing to do in life.

Translated: Roger Goodell Press Conference 2014 Owners Meeting

Shane Mclendon
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Translated: Roger Goodell Press Conference 2014 Owners Meeting

roger goodell press conference 2014 controversy

Roger Goodell had his press conference on Tuesday, May 20th at the owners meeting in Atlanta. The full transcript is available here. Since Goodell is a former lawyer, it may be hard for the average Joe to understand what the hell he is actually saying. Let me do the translating for you on some key questions asked of Goodell. These are my interpretations of the Commish’s answers to reporter’s questions, not to be taken literally, lest I be sued by the lawyer friends of said Commish.

On whether there have been any developments on discipline for Jim Irsay:

“There have been no charges so until we more information and more facts, we will let it play out a little longer.”

Translation – “We are holding steady on Mr. Irsay, as he is keeping his nose clean. One more fuck up though, and we will treat him like Donald Sterling.”

On whether the league has a comment about a lawsuit filed against the NFL regarding players’ use of painkillers:

“I was only made aware of it just briefly. I do not believe any of our attorneys have had the opportunity to look at it. As you know, I have been in meetings all day.”

Translation – “OMG, another lawsuit, really. So you think we force fed these jocks pain pills? They are grown men, they know what they are taking. They are in pain man! They play football!”

On what he’s learned from the NBA’s handling of Donald Sterling:

“I think they’ve made the right decisions. I salute Adam Silver for being decisive. He made the right statement and he’s doing the right things.”

Translation – “I would have to be an idiot to say anything negative about the punishment of a racist old white guy. I would condone the electrocution of Sterling, if you asked me publicly.”

NFL Preseason Week 3 Roundup 2014

Shane Mclendon
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nfl preseason 2014 images

For all intents and purposes the NFL preseason is over. There is one more game for teams to play, but the starters are basically done. Roster cuts and personnel decisions are being made right now like a corporate firing wave. That is a fact of life in the pros. Don’t make the cut in high school or college, you still can attend school. Miss a roster in the NFL, and you won’t be signing any autographs at the stadium come week one. You might be working security at the stadium, but that will be about it.

Week three did shine more light on what is to come once the regular season starts next Thursday night on September the 4th. We know that Geno Smith will be the Jets starter, something I would have put a few dollars against. I felt like he had such a horrendous year in 2013 that Mike Vick would have little trouble unseating him. However, even Vick became more and more public about the fact that Smith was going to get another chance. He was the top pick for the Jets last year. They have to give him and their own decision making in the draft the benefit of the doubt I guess. I would doubt seriously he could have a worse year than his rookie campaign, but I may be underestimating his penchant for throwing picks. 21 INTs was not a great start to a career. It is usually the end of one.

Another name that has been tossed around a ton is Kelvin Benjamin, wide out for the Carolina Panthers. He has played well in the preseason, impressing coaches with his hands and big play potential. Seeing how the Panthers have little promise otherwise in the receiving corps, the rookie from Florida State may end up leading the team in receptions and any other category involving a catch. He has good size and might be the real deal. The Panthers and especially Cam Newton better hope that is so.

The Seattle Seahawks are playing the preseason like their heads are on fire and tail feathers catching. Scoring 75 points in their last couple games is not just a coincidence. They are putting in something to these exhibition games that is very unusual this time of year. It is called effort and enthusiasm. Can they keep it up for the next 20 or so weeks? That is what it will take to get back to the Super Bowl. Repeating is no easy task, especially in the NFL. Players are already comfortable since they make millions. Add in some success and the hunger sort of quietly goes away. We will see if Pete Carroll, master motivator, can get his team to buy in again. He got thousands to dump ice water on themselves for a good cause, so I would not doubt him in 2014.

With all the Johnny Manziel talk settling down for now, Blake Bortles is getting some due attention. The rookie played well for the most part in his opportunities through week three. He wasn’t perfect last week but he appears to be the top QB from this draft thus far. That could fall apart as soon as the real action starts, especially in Jacksonville. The Jags have gotten a few nods for being exciting on offense though. I will have to see it to believe it. Not sure where I would see it, as this team is not on national games of the week very often, or ever honestly. Look for the Johnny Manziel buzz to start back as soon as Cleveland sputters. I say week three is a good guess.

Julio Jones is getting plenty of love for his play thus far. He is a fun wide out to watch and I hope he does have his best year yet. I do think Roddy White is just better though, and I don’t know why he doesn’t get the attention Jones does. White may not be the speedster that the younger Jones is, but he is still the man in Atlanta. Julio Jones needs a couple more years to come out of that shadow. He will get there, but the big media people want to push it before it really happens.

Some quarterback play has been ugly this preseason. Colin Kaepernick has looked less than his usual self. His protection has not been great, so that is a big part of it. But he just got a huge new contract, so Niner fans don’t want excuses. Cam Newton looks rusty after coming back from his ankle injury of 2013. He needs all his parts to operate properly to make Carolina into a playoff team again this year. It may take him a couple more games to get comfortable with his ankle, which basically fell off his foot last year. If Oakland really thought Matt Schaub was the answer at the QB1 spot, then they are now being fed some reality. He is shot as a quarterback in this league. He now has a noodle for an arm, and the confidence of a freshmen asking out a hot senior cheerleader. The Raiders will continue to be the Raiders for another year it seems.

One QB who is surprisingly off, is Alex Smith. The usually steady game manager has been flustered so far in the preseason. He is not doing well behind a line that is shaky at best. The Chiefs will play a tougher set of teams this year as well. That will not make it quite as easy as 2013 when KC made their bones with some weak opponents.

Booing a QB in the preseason is a bad sign and a bad scene. Real bad scene. Buffalo has seen enough of EJ Manuel to tell he is not a viable answer for them. But they are stuck with him. There is not much else to turn to. If there were another option, they would be starting. It is a shame to see a very proud fan base suffer though a bad quarterbacking situation. But this is the NFL, and no one is going to feel sorry for them. My pity evaporated since that last sentence as well, as I look toward September 4th and the first regular season NFL game of 2014.

NFL Preseason Week 2 Roundup

Shane Mclendon
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NFL Preseason Week 2 Roundup

nfl preseason 2014 images

What can we take away from the past two weeks of NFL preseason action? Lots of small injuries, little to no star QB or running back action, and Johnny Manziel will dominate the headlines all season long. There is no groundbreaking news in the preseason usually. If there is, it is often really bad news, like drug suspensions, off the field knuckleheadedness, or season ending injuries. So for most teams, no news is good news in the exhibition season.

The best part of preseason so far has been HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’. The show never fails to deliver epic behind the scenes drama. If they were to cover ten teams each year, I think I would want to watch each one still. It is hard to watch the guys get cut, which is like seeing a corporate firing basically. The positive parts show vets trying to mentor the rookies. Also seeing Matt Ryan as a genuine leader is something you don’t get a true feel for during game play. Not that he is not a big time player inside of games. It is just more human during practice and in meetings with no helmets or crowd noise.

Speaking of the Falcons, they got destroyed in their second preseason matchup as they faced the Texans. The Falcons’ offensive line has been nothing to brag about for the past couple of years. This game did not increase their ranking judging from the highlights of Jadeveon Clowney running past the line to get a kill shot on Falcons tailback, Antone Smith. He proceeded to sack Matt Ryan right after that play just in case anyone missed his skills on the previous play. Losing in the preseason is not that big of a deal, but you don’t want to get blown out. Mike Smith will have a lot to say before the Birds’ next game against the Tennessee Titans.

Cowboy fans have to be relieved that Tony Romo looked like his old self after back surgery. He played very well in limited action against the Ravens. He had a nice TD throw to Dez Bryant that covered 31 yards. Romo and the boys came up short 37-30, but there again, this game’s score is less important than Romo playing at a high level. In this game, Ray Rice left early, as if he would have played much anyway. He apparently had just a small shoulder bruise. It does not take much for players to exit preseason games. Trainers are going to be extra cautious of course. No sense getting your starting tailback hurt 18 weeks before the playoffs.

In other action, the Jets outscored the Bengals 25-17. Shocking to me is the fact that Geno Smith and Mike Vick are both on the same level so far. The Jets are doing the right thing in saying the job is Smith’s to lose. After all, he was a number one pick for the team. He may have been awful last year. No ‘may have’ to it, he was awful in every sense of reality. But the Jets have to give him a chance to be the QB they drafted him to be. If they gave up on him too quickly, they look like morons for ever drafting him. And if they need to go back to him at some point this season, they don’t want to have destroyed his confidence.

Steeler fans are excited about rookie linebacker, Ryan Shazier. The kid racked up nine tackles and an INT. Not bad for the youngster from Ohio St. Bills fans are less excited about their QB, EJ Manuel. The Bills’ signal caller has been less than accurate to say the least and has not thrown a touchdown yet in the preseason. The Bills also were not happy to see rookie wideout Sammy Watkins leave the game with an injury. However it was just one of those, “OMG our first round speedster has a boo-boo, get him out of there!” moves. It turns out Watkins just had a slight rib bruise.

Green Bay looked great in their win over St. Louis. Rodgers has his offense on track even this early in the year. No surprise there with him being the best in the game today. The Rams were pleased with their own passer, Sam Bradford, who was back in action after last year’s knee injury and long months of rehab. The Rams rookie running back from Auburn, Tre Mason, did not show much of a threat to take over many starts from Zac Stacy. He gained little yardage, and did not seem to be very in sync with the pass protection, a death blow for a rookie running back. You have to be able to protect the quarterback.

If the Giants are to make a turnaround from last year’s debacle of a season, they will need Eli Manning to play like he is capable of doing. In a win over the Colts, he looked average at best. That won’t cut it for the Giants, who will not sniff another Super Bowl without Manning at the top of his game. The Colts’ Trent Richardson needs to get with the program quick this year. He was truly disappointing in 2013 after coming over from the Browns. The guy has the talent, but that is not enough in the NFL. Hard work, dedication, and focus will be needed if he is to start for Indy all year. Former Colt, Edgerrin James, has been mentoring the young man this offseason, so possibly that will be of help to the former star at Bama.

In other games of note from week two:

The Patriots beat Philly in a preseason shootout 42-35. A high scoring preseason game is pretty entertaining even if the outcome does not mean a whole lot.

The Seahawks found it necessary to let Russell Wilson play a fair amount compared to other star QBs in the league. This helped Seattle put a whooping on San Diego 41-14. Wilson was 11-13 and ran for two scores.

Not to leave out our boy Johnny Football, the Browns fell to the Redskins 24-23. Manziel made the news with his bird shot to the Washington defense. Easy, J-Football. It is only August. Save that for the real action.

Future Of Windows Phone Still Uncertain

Curt Johnson
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Future Of Windows Phone Still Uncertain

windows phone future still uncertain 2015

There were high hopes for the Windows Phone when it first hit the market. Microsoft users were thrilled to have a viable option in mobile phones that did not include Apple or Android devices. However, once the Windows Phone was released it failed to perform as well as Microsoft had expected it to. One of the first problems with the Windows Phone was that people were finding it wasn’t measuring up to the smartphones already on the market, much less exceeding them in quality, dependability and ease of use.

A lot of today’s smartphone users swear by Apple and Google, two of the biggest names in today’s mobile technology industry. This in itself did a lot to hurt the expected success of the Windows Phone. Microsoft also somewhat shot themselves in the foot by purchasing Nokia in the hopes of entering it into the market as another competitor within the family of smartphones. The problem with this is that the company sunk so much money into purchasing Nokia that if left them with significantly less than what it should have cost to produce a Windows Phone that could be a solid competitor. Since the Windows Phone came into the game so late, it is missing some of the features that Apple and Androids have had the most success with, positioning the Windows Phone as the underdog.

A fresh new user interface is usually a good thing, but Microsoft hasn’t had the success with it that one would think they would have. Sometimes different is not necessarily better, and that has been the case with the Windows Phone. Granted, the user interface of these phones is something most consumers have had no trouble with, but it holds a smaller number of apps than its competitors and in a mobile app hungry world, that may have been a big mistake on the part of Microsoft. It’s decidedly noticeable absence of a notification bar hasn’t done anything to convince mobile app addicted users that the Windows Phone is a superior choice to others. These avid fans were also displeased with the fact that few of the apps available for the Windows Phone are free. Considering both Apple and Android offer a wide variety of free apps, Microsoft really dropped the ball in that respect.

One issue that surrounded the Windows Phone since it was first released in 2010 is that over the last four years is that it hasn’t undergone very many changes to keep up with the demands of today’s smartphone users. While every Windows 8 phone had a bold and vibrant color to it, users are looking for a little more in their phones today, and Microsoft simply wasn’t delivering it.

One thing that Microsoft is trying to do in order to improve sales of the Windows Phone is to release new versions of the phone with features similar to Kinect features, which have been a big hit with mobile users across the country. They are rolling out the 3D Touch feature, which will allow users to perform tasks such as answering the phone by simply holding their phone up to their ear and then putting the phone in one’s pocket to hang it up. The thinking behind this is that Microsoft wants to make using a mobile phone as easy as it can possibly be. For busy working people this may very well end up being a huge selling point.

With the newly released Windows Phone 8.1 making more of a splash than its predecessor did the future of this smartphone may be looking up somewhat. The Windows Phone 8.1 reportedly delivers a much better YouTube viewing experience than previous versions of the Windows Phone and even allows users to play videos while still keeping the screen locked. Complete with Internet Explorer 11, the latest version of the company’s browser, surfing the web on the Windows Phone 8.1 is now easier than ever. It is due to this update to the browser that videos can be viewed flawlessly on the device. When a user views a video embedded into a website the video no longer takes over the whole screen so users can still see the website while watching the video. If a user has to temporarily stop watching a video in order to check on app notifications the video automatically pauses while they do so. Users are also excited about the fact that skipping ahead during any video is as easy as swiping their finger across the screen.

One feature of the Windows Phone 8.1 that consumers love is that they can use the Microsoft app for live lock screens that allows them to easily change the way information such as notifications and the time and date appear on the screen. There are six unique layouts to choose from, so users who get bored easily can change up their screen whenever they want. The included wall papers allow users to give their screen a new style when the mood strikes. Photos stored on the phone can also be used as wallpaper on a user’s home screen and they can set it to change the wallpaper in intervals of every one, four or 12 hours. While the live lick app is currently in beta mode, users are already taking full advantage of it.

Microsoft had announced that by the end of 2014 they should have released two updates for both the Windows Phone and the Windows Phone 8.1, with another update reportedly being released sometime in 2015. As of the beginning of August 2014 many Windows Phone 8.1 users had already received their update with more users to follow. The already released update is reportedly extending support for Windows Phones and their features to China and the U.K, with consumers in the Australian market finally getting access to the phone.

While the Windows Phone was not an immediate hot seller for Microsoft, it is slowly gaining a loyal following of its own among consumers.

NFL Preseason Winding Down 2014

Shane Mclendon
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NFL Preseason Winding Down 2014

nfl preseason 2014 winding down

I find myself really excited about preseason NFL football right before it gets rolling. After week one is nice to have some football to talk about. We all know it isn’t “real football”, but there are guys dressed like football players using an actual football. And it is something to watch on TV, which is sorely lacking in the summer time. Unless you like watching an 842 game baseball season, you are as deprived as me when it comes to quality television. HBO being the exception.

After week two of NFL exhibition games, I start to lose my enthusiasm. I start checking the college football schedule for some upcoming games which will be “real ones”. Tomorrow night starts up college football in case you are unaware, which I doubt. I still try to watch all the preseason action possible. I don’t want to miss anything. But basically I try to see what I can of the starters and sort of listen to the game in the background after the third string makes their way to the field.

There were some big happenings after week three of the preseason though. The main story has to beSam Bradford going down with another ACL injury. The Rams’ starting QB missed most of last year with the same injury on the same leg. That is an awful turn of events for the team clearly, not to mention for Bradford himself. His days are most likely over as a starting QB in The National Football League. His confidence in his body is shot I am sure. If not, any team’s confidence in his body is surely non-existent. This guy had a stellar career at Oklahoma, and while I wasn’t high on him as a pro, I hate to see him go out this way. The Rams and their fan base had such high hopes after Bradford’s rookie year. Those hopes are gone forever. They now face a long season of mediocrity ahead. If they are lucky, they will lose about 13 games. That sounds crazy, but an awful season would put them in position to replace Bradford with a high draft pick. A mediocre season will not help them in that area.

With week four of the preseason, we will now see some unspectacular games with guys that may not be around much longer. Final cuts will be made. That means some guys will be working at Home Depot and doing construction in a few more weeks. The bright lights of the NFL will be replaced with reality. Not all stories can go the way of a Kurt Warner. From grocery store worker to Super Bowl MVP was a once in a lifetime event. Most players who are undrafted and not expected to make a roster, simply go back to real life. The NFL is a fantasy world to many of the players we have seen over the past three weeks.

If week four does hold any allure, it may be the Seahawks versus the Raiders game. The Seahawks have played the preseason like it was a play-in tournament to see who gets to play 16 regular season games. I don’t know if that is a great idea from an injury standpoint, having Russell Wilson running for scores and the like. But as we saw with Bradford, an injury can happen at anytime, no matter what level of effort the team is going for in a game. The good news is that the regular season is just one week and a day away. To quote Bart Scott, “Can’t Wait”!

August UFC Rankings 2014

Shane Mclendon
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August UFC Rankings 2014

ufc ultimate fighting championship logo 2015

Flyweight

Champion : Demetrious Johnson

1          John Dodson

2          Joseph Benavidez

3          Ian McCall

4          John Moraga

5   Jussier Formiga

6          Ali Bagautinov

7          John Lineker

8          Chris Cariaso

9          Brad Pickett

10        Zach Makovsky

11        Timothy Elliott

12        Dustin Ortiz

13        Louis Gaudinot

14        Kyoji Horiguchi

15        Scott Jorgensen

 

 Bantamweight

Champion : T.J. Dillashaw

1          Renan Barao

2          Urijah Faber

3          Raphael Assuncao

4          Michael McDonald

5          Eddie Wineland

6          Takeya Mizugaki

7          Iuri Alcantara

8          Bryan Caraway

9          Johnny Eduardo

10        Alex Caceres

11        Dominick Cruz

12        Francisco Rivera

13        Erik Perez

14        Mike Easton

15        Wilson Reis

 

 

Featherweight

Champion : Jose Aldo

1          Chad Mendes

2          Frankie Edgar

3          Cub Swanson

4          Ricardo Lamas

5          Dustin Poirier

6          Chan Sung Jung

7          Dennis Bermudez

8          Nik Lentz

9          Conor McGregor

10        Dennis Siver

11        Jeremy Stephens

12        Clay Guida

13        Darren Elkins

14        Charles Oliveira

15        Tatsuya Kawajiri

 

 

Lightweight

Champion : Anthony Pettis

1          Benson Henderson

2          Gilbert Melendez

3          Khabib Nurmagomedov

4          Donald Cerrone

5          Rafael dos Anjos

6          Josh Thomson

7          Bobby Green

8          Jim Miller

9          Myles Jury

10        Michael Johnson

11        Edson Barboza

12        Rustam Khabilov

13        Jorge Masvidal

14        Ross Pearson

15        Gray Maynard

 

Welterweight

Champion : Johny Hendricks

1          Robbie Lawler

2          Rory MacDonald

3          Tyron Woodley

4          Matt Brown

5   Carlos Condit

6          Hector Lombard

7          Jake Ellenberger

8          Demian Maia

9          Tarec Saffiedine

10        Dong Hyun Kim

11        Kelvin Gastelum

12        Gunnar Nelson

13        Mike Pyle

14        Ryan LaFlare

15        Rick Story

 

Middleweight

Champion : Chris Weidman

1          Anderson Silva

2          Vitor Belfort

3          Lyoto Machida

4          Jacare Souza

5          Luke Rockhold

6          Tim Kennedy

7          Gegard Mousasi

8          Michael Bisping

9          CB Dollaway

10        Costas Philippou

11        Yoel Romero

12        Francis Carmont

13        Mark Munoz

14        Tim Boetsch

15        Thales Leites

 

Light Heavyweight

Champion : Jon Jones

1          Alexander Gustafsson

2          Daniel Cormier

3          Rashad Evans

4          Anthony Johnson

5          Glover Teixeira

6          Phil Davis

7          Dan Henderson

8          Ryan Bader

9          Mauricio Rua

10        Ovince Saint Preux

11        Jimi Manuwa

12        Rafael Cavalcante

13        Vitor Belfort

14        Fabio Maldonado

15        Antonio Rogerio Nogueira

 

Heavyweight

Champion : Cain Velasquez

1          Fabricio Werdum

2          Junior Dos Santos

3          Travis Browne

4          Antonio Silva

5          Josh Barnett

6          Stipe Miocic

7          Mark Hunt

8          Roy Nelson

9          Alistair Overeem

10        Frank Mir

11        Gabriel Gonzaga

12        Stefan Struve

13        Minotauro Nogueira

14        Andrei Arlovski

15        Brendan Schaub

 

Women’s Bantamweight

Champion : Ronda Rousey

1          Cat Zingano

2          Miesha Tate

3          Sara McMann

4          Alexis Davis

5          Sarah Kaufman

6          Liz Carmouche

7          Jessica Eye

8          Amanda Nunes

9          Jessica Andrade

10        Bethe Correia

11        Julianna Pena

12        Germaine de Randamie

13        Leslie Smith

14        Raquel Pennington

15        Jessica Rakoczy

 

 

 

 

Google Glasses: A Blessing Or A Curse?

Julie Wein
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Google Glasses: A Blessing Or A Curse?

google glass fails 2015

Google has set the technology industry on fire with the release of its Google Glasses. These seemingly ordinary looking sunglasses are actually like something out of the 80’s cartoon show, the Jetsons. To sum it up, Google Glasses are basically a computer/camera you can wear on your face. There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the release of Google Glasses because some are singing their praises while others are protesting against the very things these glasses were designed to do.

Privacy rights activists are up in arms at the very existence of Google Glasses. Long before these glasses were even released to the public they were already facing controversy. One of the features of this product is that its built in camera allows people to take pictures and film videos of others anywhere, anytime and completely without their knowledge or permission. There have been numerous reports of people simply wearing these glasses in public and other people confronting them about it.

Certain businesses throughout the country had placed a ban on Google Glasses being used on their premises before the glasses were even released. Those who oppose this product most often do so, on the grounds that wearing them is an invasive type of surveillance. One of the concerns many individuals have expressed about these glasses are that they may be using them without even realizing they are. What people don’t realize when it comes to Google Glasses is that they can only record when they are specifically set to. Having the glasses set so that they can record can drain the device’s battery within one hour, making allowing them to record at all times extremely impractical. And the truth is that when the glasses are recording there is a light that indicates the device is in record mode. This somewhat debunks the myth that Google Glasses can be used to film people without their knowledge. Both casinos and movie theaters have or are ready to ban the use of Google Glasses from their properties. Since the property belongs to the businesses in question they have every right to tell their patrons that Google Glasses cannot be used in the establishment and glass users have no legal recourse.

One of the other concerns surrounding Google Glasses is that any information captured on them can automatically be uploaded to social networks and other public websites. Since the glasses have built in wifi it is easy for users’ glasses to connect to their iPhones or Android phones.

Among the latest concerns regarding Google Glasses and privacy is that the device has the ability to capture passwords that people enter into their tablets or smartphones. The video capturing devices included in Google Glasses can capture private information like passwords from as far as 10 feet away. This can be done because the software in the glasses monitors the shadows that one’s fingers give off when they type in their password. The device’s algorithm uses the pattern the shadows form to determine the numbers and/or letters a person is hitting on their keypad. Google is arguing that people have been able to spy on other people as they enter a PIN at an ATM for years before their product was even thought of, so Google Glasses are harmless at the end of the day.

At one point concerns about the use of Google Glasses were at such a high level that Google temporarily pulled the item from store shelves and online stores carrying them. At this point both the hardware and software is being tweaked by Google so these glasses could get recalled again at virtually any time. Prior to being available to the public Google Glasses were sold to developers and those willing to act as early adopters. Developers and early adopters have loved Google Glasses for their ability to deliver real time driving directions, traffic reports and other useful notifications for drivers. Customized apps can even be configured to work in conjunction with Google Glasses.

Proponents of Google Glasses are excited about the product, so much so that Harvard’s Business School is actually running a class where a case study is done on Google. Much of the talk within this class surrounds the marketing prospects of Google Glasses. The tech geeks of the world are already beginning to develop their own apps and programs that can be used with the device. These are the people who are embracing Google Glasses the most, as enterprises tend to want nothing to do with them.

In addition to Harvard offering a class on Google Glasses, there is talk about incorporating this product into high schools across the country. There are select educators throughout the United States that are serving as beta testers for the Glass Explorer Program Google has been running. So far these glasses are being used to show students lessons from a different perspective. Students are given a pair of Google Glasses to wear and the still images and live footage captured by the device is shown to students so they can view how they are learning. Google Glasses have already come in very handy by providing an online teacher in Switzerland with a way to take students on virtual tours that can offer them an educational experience they would never be exposed to otherwise. Once the teacher had completed the educational virtual tours he continued to use Google Glasses to film videos instructing students on math and science subjects. Other teachers have used them to broadcast lectures and demonstrations on Google+ allowing students all over the world to be exposed to a new way of learning.

As the popularity of Google Glasses continues marketing experts are anticipating that by 2019 250 million units of Google Glasses will have been shipped to interested consumers.  This is dependent upon Google Glasses taking off the same way that smartphones did when they first hit the market, though many experts feel that this is a quite likely scenario.

NFL 49ers Not Extending Jim Harbaugh Is A Mistake

Shane Mclendon
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NFL 49ers Not Extending Jim Harbaugh Is A Mistake

49ers not renewing jim harbaugh nfl images 2014

How valuable is a great NFL coach anyway? That is a great question and it is best asked to lowly teams that have not had a great coach in a while. Ask a Falcons fan if they love Mike Smith or if they would rather have any of the string of guys before him who could never even get back to back winning seasons. Ask Cleveland fans if they even know what a great coach might look like. A lot of those fans were not even driving automobiles the last time the Browns had a coach worthy of respect. The San Francisco 49ers have a great coach in Jim Harbaugh. Yet the owner, Jed York, believes it to be wise to wait until after the 2014 seasons to try and sign the head coach to a new contract.

In case you are in doubt of the super intense Harbaugh’s greatness, just take a look at what he has done. He made Stanford a legit power in college football. Those brainiacs were not exactly known for their football abilities before Harbaugh arrived on the scene. Stanford is still feeling the positive effects of having the guy run their program for four years.

What has the head coach done for the Niners since his 2011 arrival? The first year he took the team to 13-3 and a great playoff appearance. The franchise had not sniffed the playoffs since 2002. Had it not been for a couple of crazy fumbled punts, the 49ers would have reached the Super Bowl. That was just Harbaugh’s first season! Who does that? The team was 6-10 before he took over, so the change was a direct result of the leader. To makes sure nobody mistook his first year as a fluke, the coach has led his guys to two more NFC title games to make it three in a row. In other words, Harbaugh has coached three years in the NFL, making the NFC title game 100% of the time! They also made the Super Bowl in 2012 when they faced the Ravens.

Jim Harbaugh is a born winner. The proof is right here for any idiot to see. In case you do not understand, please go back and re-read the previous paragraph. He should not even have to negotiate with York for a new deal. He should send a text message to the team owner and wait for the contract to be faxed to his agent. When Michael Jordan signed his final contract with the Bulls, he told ownership there would be no haggling. He wanted like $33 million a year. He got it of course. MJ deserved the money and so does Harbaugh. It is all about what the coach has already done for the franchise, which was in dismal shape prior to the Michigan Man showing up. If he waits until his contract is up after the 2015 season, who knows what could happen. The team could falter with injuries or just have a bad year or two. Then ownership will have some leverage to low ball him. They will ignore the past success and try to save some dollars.

By letting this contract situation linger until the end of the season, York is rolling the dice on allowing Jim Harbaugh to take his talents elsewhere. It is not super urgent yet, as the coach is under contract for 2015 as well. But the longer he is kept waiting, the more likely it is that other teams will get a shot at the head coach. I don’t care about any petty problems the owner has with his coach / employee. It is up to an NFL owner, whom I would presume is fairly sharp since owners have managed to rack up billions, to get past small differences in order to benefit the franchise as a whole. Unless York wants his team to go the way of Jerry Jones‘ Cowboys, he better get over his drama with Harbaugh and sign the man to whatever deal that is fair to both parties. Who knows how much more success the Cowboys could have had if Jones had ironed out his problems with Jimmy Johnson. Unless Jed York wants to become a punching bag for the media, like Jerry Jones currently is, then he better grow up and put his NFL franchise ahead of his personal feelings for his coach.

I can see Jim Harbaugh getting pissed if this contract hold up lasts past next offseason and simply deciding to seek offers from other teams. At least ten teams are usually looking for a coach at the end of every year, so finding work won’t involve him searching Monster.com. With a resume like Harbaugh’s he would have his choice of maybe up to half the teams in the NFL. A team that was not even that unhappy with their head coach, might consider firing their guy to get a proven winner like what the 49ers currently have in Harbaugh.

It is bad that pro sports come down to money. However, without the dollars, we don’t get all the TV coverage, free fantasy football leagues, and awesome stadiums. Lebron James going back home to Cleveland is a nice story, but it is not like he went to work for the Red Cross. He will still get millions obviously. The 49ers have underpaid Jim Harbaugh as far as I am concerned. He signed the deal, yes. However, do you think they expected him to come in and make the conference title game three straight years? Of course not. If York were being honest, he would say that his head coach has greatly outperformed his contract. York should be honest with himself and realize that he has the chance to keep one of the top five NFL coaches with his team. We will see if pride gets in the way of that. I would like to see Harbaugh get the chance to finish what he has started in San Francisco. He has set the league on fire since he got there. It would be a shame to see his own boss destroy what he has manged to create for that legendary NFL football team.

Celebrity Gossip Roundup: Jackie Chan’s Son Jaycee Beijing Drug Bust

Julie Wein
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Celebrity Gossip Roundup: Jackie Chan’s Son Jaycee Beijing Drug Bust

jackie chan son jaycee busted in beijing for drugs

For the week of August 18th the gossip mill has been hot, hot, hot. So much has happened this week that is too hot not to be discussed.

The first piece of juicy gossip for the week is that action star and actor Jackie Chan’s son, Jaycee, was detained by Beijing, China authorities over charges related to illegal drugs, as they believe he is not only carrying, but using marijuana. An actor friend was arrested alongside Jaycee after both underwent drug testing. Authorities found and confiscated 100 grams of marijuana found in Jaycee’s house. The charges against him also include the accommodation of an individual using an illegal drug, which could result in a three year prison sentence.

When authorities raided Jaycee’s home the local news media aired the incident live, adding to the embarrassment Chan and his son must have felt to have this broadcast to their fans in China. Jaycee was filmed directing the authorities to where he was keeping the marijuana in his house, though his face was pixelated in an attempt to shield his identity. Jaycee’s management team, as well as the actor friend arrested alongside him, both spoke to the media about the incident. They delivered an apology on behalf of Jaycee and assured viewers that they would monitor his rehab experience and get him back on track with living his life abiding by the law. The actor friend also apologized and stated that he knew he had been a very bad example, presumably for not only Jaycee, but his fans as well.

As if this story isn’t embarrassing enough on its own, it becomes even more embarrassing when you find out that Jackie Chan was appointed as an anti- drug ambassador in 2009. The actor friend of Jaycee’s that was arrested along with him also appeared in an anti-drug campaign back in 2012.

In happier gossip for the week of August 18th, several celebrities are engaged or expecting. First up is Kevin Hart, who announced on Monday that he is officially engaged to Eniko Parrish, his girlfriend of five years. Hart reportedly proposed to his love on the occasion of her birthday. Ironically enough, the same day they became engaged, Hart’s ex Torrie Hart debuted a new TV show on VH1. Torrie claims that her relationship with Hart came to an end because of Parrish, but Kevin himself denies it.

In baby news, Milla Jovovich announced the impending birth of her second child with her husband. The only bad news about this is that because she is pregnant, the filming of the next Resident Evil movie is being put on hold until the actress gives birth.

To really make you feel old, the next Hollywood celebrity to become a grandfather is going to be, believe it or not, Kid Rock. At 43 years old he will be one of the younger grandfather’s in Hollywood. Kid Rock’s son, Bobby announced his girlfriend’s pregnancy on Sunday, August 17th.  She is reportedly four months along as of this week.

In not so happy gossip, Elizabeth Vargas, a reported for ABC’s newsmagazine 20/20 has just checked herself into rehab for an alcohol addiction. This is the not the first time she has had to do so and she has even publically stated that she is committed to beating her addiction to alcohol. On ABC’s part they are welcoming her back to 20/20 with open arms when she is healthy enough to return to work.

Justin Timberlake found himself in hot water this week after he tweeted a birthday message to Madonna that many found to be controversial. Though he called her a ninja, the feeling is that he used the word ninja to substitute for a word that starts with the letter N that many people find offensive.  The feeling is that the N word Timberlake used has become a common substitute for the N word he could not use. Following the controversy over this tweet, Timberlake deleted it and ended up inadvertently causing even more controversy. There have been those who have spoken out and stated that people are making too big of a deal over this. Likely this will blow over soon as the public moves on to the next celebrity they want to accuse of causing controversy.

Rumors are flying this week that a divorce between Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon is imminent. Though the couple is making regular public appearances and putting photos of themselves a couple on the Internet, sources are insistent that Nick Cannon has moved out of the house he shared with Carey in preparation for ending their marriage, though it has also been reported that they are only trying a trial separation. Only time will tell if there is any truth to this rumor.

While Jonas Bros star Joe Jonas was partying in Las Vegas for his birthday this week he reportedly hung out at club in the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino where he got a lap dance from a midget doing an impersonation of Miley Cyrus. There were also midgets at the party dressed as each of the three Jonas brothers.

Following the sudden and stunning suicide of Robin Williams it is rumored that one of the reasons he took his own life was that he was upset over the failure of his TV show, The Crazy Ones, after only one season. He reportedly felt that the series being cancelled was a personal failure on his part and may have worsened his depression.

Kourtney Kardashian, along with fiancé Scott Disick is fighting the former owner of their newly purchased California mansion. The mansion reportedly has several moldy rooms in it and Kardashian is accusing the man that sold them the mansion of doing nothing more than painting the rooms with mold in an attempt to hide it.

That’s it for this week’s celebrity gossip for the week of August 18th. Be sure to check out next week’s latest celebrity gossip right here.

NFL Pre-Season Week 2 Overview 2014: All About Johnny Manziel

Shane Mclendon
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NFL Pre-Season Week 2 Overview 2014: All About Johnny Manziel

johnny manziel fingering bulge 2014 nfl quarterback images

What have we learned after two weeks of NFL preseason football? Even though the superstars only make cameo-like appearances in the preseason, there are some things to be gleaned from these exhibition games. There are rookies trying to make plays just to get on a 53 man roster. There are journeymen trying to do the same. There are also good players who had a bad 2013 season attempting to right their ship.

After these two weeks of NFL play, it is obvious that anything Johnny Manziel does will make the news. We knew that going into the season though. He is a lightning rod for attention, good or bad. He played well in his first game versus Detroit. In that game he did show that he is willing to risk his body to make plays, even when an easy pass is available. In game two against the Redskins, Manziel let the defense get to him a bit. He gave them the old middle finger after being razzed, which will cost him a little bit of cash from that rookie contract. Not a big deal, but why do something that is going to get you fined, especially in the preseason.

Eli Manning had a forgettable year in 2013. He tried to do too much to keep the Giants’ season afloat. But he only added weight to the sinking ship as he threw 27 interceptions. He has not exactly looked like a two time Super Bowl quarterback so far in the preseason. That may not be much of an indicator of the real games that will start in about three weeks, but it is a bit concerning for NY Giant fans.

The Atlanta Falcons should likely just burn the coaches film of their loss to the Texans. They were hammered 32-7 and more importantly lost starting lineman, Sam Baker to a bad knee injury. Look for some nasty coaching comments on Tuesday night’s ‘Hard Knocks‘. I don’t like to see my home team knocked around, but it should make for some interesting HBO TV tonight.

In a less than shocking development, Jadeveon Clowney is impressing folks around the league. Against the Falcons he was physically dominant and made some highlight reel plays in the Birds’ backfield. This rookie has the body of a veteran and will only get better as he learns the pro game.

A rash of bruises and bumps is sidelining some veteran NFL players. “Small versions of turf toe”, bruised ribs, and “a walk down a grassy knoll injury” made mini headlines this past week. No way stuff like this would keep a guy out of a game in the regular season. But this is the preseason, where guys secure in their position on the team will find anyway to get out of practice.

You can’t tell much from QB play since the starters barely get to work up a sweat. But Andy Dalton and Matt Cassel have looked good in very limited work. There are a handful of quarterbacks who have completed 100 percent of their passes, which tells you how much they are in games. In that group is someone named Ricky Stanzi, whom I would have guessed was a dance choreographer just by the name.Teddy Bridgewater of the Vikings will have to really impress next week to have a shot at starting early in the year. He has been lackluster as Cassel is playing at a high level.

We are gaining ground on the regular season. The first real game will be on NBC on Thursday, September 4th at 8:30. That should be a great game  between the Packers and world champion Seahawks. Sunday is full of good matchups and Monday Night Football will have a double header for us.

Future NFL Fails

Shane Mclendon
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Future NFL Fails

2014 will be the starting point for some great NFL players. It will also be the launching pad for a dismal career filled with unrealized potential. It is sad but true that there will be many rookies that just don’t pan out. A few of those rookies will be high profile players. A new Dish advertisement pokes fun at a few of these former NFL busts. It is a pretty great commercial that features some recognizable guys.

Matt Lienart is in the ad shown grilling and staring off into space when someone mentions college. That was indeed his heyday. The former USC star was a legend at the collegiate level but a complete flop as a pro. JaMarcus Russell is in the ad as well. He was a major mistake for the Raiders who took him at the overall #1 spot in 2007. He had no success in the NFL, and really should not have been so highly drafted in the first place. The Raiders are known to do inexplicable things though. Brian Bosworth and Heath Shuler round out the cast for the Dish ad. Both players were highly touted but ended up big disappointments.

I’m glad these former players are able to take a little ribbing. I am sure that has not always been the case. It is not easy to go from a prideful pro athlete to being dumped by your profession. Today’s NFLers can take some substance from the commercial though. NFL careers are not guaranteed and neither are the contracts. A player can be cut at any moment. Contracts only have significant guaranteed money for the elite players. It matters not what a player did in college. Those stats and accomplishments won’t carry over to the pro league. Leinart had an amazing career in college, as did Bosworth. Once they made it to the big boy league they were exposed as also rans.

I don’t know what makes some players flop and others into ten year NFL vets. It has to be a combination of issues. Certainly hard work, dedication to the craft, and avoiding injuries is a big part of the equation. But there are other hidden factors like timing, teammates, and just weird circumstances that can affect a rookie’s future in the NFL. I have witnessed guys that I thought had no chance of making any significant impact in the NFL go on to be Pro Bowlers. I have also seen can’t miss prospects fold up like a paper airplane once the real action started.

We won’t know which rookies will end up as flops or superstars just yet. It will take a few years to truly see the results. Kids like Johnny Manziel, Teddy Bridgewater, and Jake Matthews have the chance to make or break their own careers. They can’t control everything, but they are in charge of themselves. There is no shame in not making it as an NFL player longterm. Most players never make it to this level clearly. The shame comes when a player does not put in the work, discipline, and dedication needed to be a pro football player.

Players that were drafted high like the guys in the Dish ad will have every chance to succeed. Big money is paid for high draftees so teams must give them playing time to justify their own draft decisions. In a couple more weeks we will start to see what some of these rookies will do with the opportunities before them. Hopefully, none of these current rookies will end up on a Dish ad that clowns NFL busts. The reality is that many rookies won’t even reach that level of notoriety. They will simply disappear if they don’t perform.

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