Sandra Bullock and The Academy Awards: preparing for the 2011 Oscars

Related searches: 2011 Oscars, AMPAS, Academy Awards, Bullock Oscar, The Blind Side, Michael Oher, Ravens NFL, Brigitte Daguerre, Melissa Smith, Michelle McGee, Bombshell McGee, Jesse James mistresses, Jesse James affairs, Sandra Bullock news and updates

So much has been written about Sandra Bullock and Jesse James, that the glow of Sandra Bullock's 2010 Oscar win has been diminished.

It's time to end that state of affairs.

Sandra Bullock achieved mega-stardom with her win for Best Actress in a Leading Role in the 82nd Academy Awards. At this point, it's appropriate to look back at that event, and also forward to the 2011 Oscars.

Sandra Bullock's path to the 2010 Oscars was set first, by an ever improving body of work that saw Bullock receive first major critical acclaim for her role as "Lucy" in While You Were Slepping, and then in Miss Congeniality, Crash, and The Proposal. By 2009 Sandra Bullock was an established star, and finally had a film vehicle that would give her the Oscar she deserved.

It was an outstanding performance as Leigh Anne Tuohy, the tough-minded, determined guardian of (Baltimore Ravens Offensive Tackle) Michael Oher in the movie The Blind Side, based on the book of the same name by Michael Lewis that was that vehicle. In all Sandra Bullock was nominated eight times and won awards four time, including the Academy Award for Best Actress. While the early favorite was Bullock's friend and rival Meryl Streep for Julia & Julia, Bullock's Screen Actors Guild and Golden Globe wins made winning The Oscar a forgone conclusion.

On March 7th, 2010, it happened. Sandra Bullock received a standing ovation as she rose to accept the award after hearing her name called by Sean Penn. In her speech Bullock was modest and took time to thank the actresses competing against her....

Did I really earn this or did I just wear you all down? I would like to thank the Academy for allowing me in the last month to have the most incredible ride with rooms full of artists that I see tonight and that I've worked with before and I hope to work with in the future, who inspire me and blaze trails for us. Four of them that I've fallen deeply in love with I share this night with and I share this award with.

Gabby, I love you so much. You are exquisite. You are beyond words to me. Carey, your grace and your elegance and your beauty and your talent makes me sick. Helen, I feel like we are family through family and I don't have the words to express just what I think of you. And Meryl, you know what I think of you and you are such a good kisser.

Here's the video of Sandra Bullock's acceptance speech:



After her win at The Oscars, Bullock talked about getting back to normal:



All of this sets the stage for the 2011 Oscars, where Sandra Bullock will almost certainly be asked to preset.

As for the 2011 Oscars, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced these key dates for the 83rd Annual Academy Awards:

Saturday, November 13, 2010: Governors Awards presentation
Wednesday, December 1, 2010: Official Screen Credits forms due
Monday, December 27, 2010: Nominations ballots mailed
Friday, January 14, 2011: Nominations polls close 5 p.m. PT
Tuesday, January 25, 2011: Nominations announced 5:30 a.m. PT, Samuel Goldwyn Theater
Wednesday, February 2, 2011: Final ballots mailed
Monday, February 7, 2011: Nominees Luncheon
Saturday, February 12, 2011: Scientific and Technical Awards presentation
Tuesday, February 22, 2011: Final polls close 5 p.m. PT
Sunday, February 27, 2011: 83rd Annual Academy Awards presentation

As the AMPAS list reports, The 2011 Oscars will be held Sunday, February 27, 2011. I look forward to seeing Sandra Bullock there, and here's toward a new effort to restore her well-deserved luster in the face of a personal tragedy played before the World.

Erykah Badu window seat video uncut: Badu naked, gets shot; why?

There's no question but that Erykah Badu's managed to capture the Zeitgeist with Erykah Badu Window Seat Video Uncut if only for one day, but the thinking here is it's going to be for another three, especially since Badu's managed to piss off the City of Dallas for making it there without a permit.

Erykah Badu Window Seat Video Uncut has started talk because it channels the JFK Assassination in Dallas. But what was left out of the discussion was that Erykah Badu herself strips naked and is shot in the video, which is below:



While there may have been a deliberate attempt to upset people by generating the question "Why focus on a presidential assassination?", it's not clear that was the actual intent of the video. Apparently what Erykah Badu is trying to say is she's shedding her skin to be who she is, but society has a way of trying to destroy anyone who would seek to be who they are outside the cultural bounds assembled for them.

The end result is assassination.

What's interesting about her take, which I don't agree with, is that it comes at a time when self-expression has found its outlet in New Media. Anyone can quickly express who they are via video, blogs, websites, and podcasts. Moreover, they can do it safely. Just look at what Erykah Badu herself has done with Erykah Badu Window Seat Video Uncut.

But the real story is how Erykah Badu cracked the Internet marketing code by producing a video that in some way touches the sensibilities of American culture and makes us think.

The question is will the City of Dallas attempt to press charges, or just leave Erykah Badu alone.

I hope Dallas has better things to do.

Ricky Martin dice que es gay, pero su no es gran cosa para nadie

For the English version, click here.

Ricky Martin dijo al mundo que oye es gay y si bien no es gran cosa en este rincón, de Ricky Martin salen causó revuelo, y consiguió algo tan excitado que dejó el enlace al sitio web incorrecto de su cuenta de Twitter!

El cantante latino Ricky Martin, quien ganó fama mundial por su canción Livin 'La Vida Loca utilizado su cuenta de Twitter para arruinar la noticia de que que contiene un enlace a una página de su sitio web Rickymartinmusic.com. Bueno, el sitio que dirigió a los seguidores no está funcionando a partir de 4:17 PM PST. Lo que surge es "Bad Request (Invalid Hostname)".

Después de curiosear, era evidente que el enlace al sitio web de Ricky Martin tiene en su cuenta de Twitter no es la correcta. Ahora, es Rickymartin.com

Según la agencia Associated Press, Ricky Martin, que es de 38 años, decidió que no quería guardar secretos en el armario. Pero, ¿qué armario? Francamente, este blogger se sorprendió al saber de Ricky Martin era recta. Sí, Ricky Martin, tiene dos hijos y las mujeres les gusta ver que se mueva, pero Martin activado en mi "tiempo cada Gaydar 'Yo lo vi. Así que no sorprende aquí.

¿Qué aficionados Ricky Martin parece? Había 303 comentarios en su página web, aquí una muestra:

Mon, 03/29/2010 - 18:53 — libracolo
Ricky - Your friends will always be your friends, your family will always be your family, the people who genuinely respect you as a father and an artist could care less who you are sleeping with. Continue to live your life with the same amount of dignity and pride you have done so far and let the naysayers and the haters burn in hell. It's not my place to judge your lifestyle, I love your music, and your humanitarian service, and the rest is your personal business. You have just as much right to love anyone you please (man or woman) as the next person. Never feel ashamed!

Mon, 03/29/2010 - 18:55 — gloriaelizabeth
Ricky no importa tu sexualidad, te seguiré amando toda mi vida como le he hecho desde que era una niña, y lo haré toda mi vida, estás siempre en mi corazón y seguirás en el, no importa lo que pase, es un amor verdadero que nada lo puede apagar, eres un hombre incleíble, hermoso, bondadoso, exitoso, lo demas no importa, siempre te amaré, y contarás con mi apoyo. que dios te bendiga.besos y abrazos con todo mi amor.

Mon, 03/29/2010 - 18:52 — aleennyc
Hi. Congratulations on finally freeing yourself from the ball and chain that living a closeted life is. The load off your shoulders must be monumental. you are now free to pursue hapiness in the fullest of ways. i hope you will continue to give us more of the wonderful music you have given us over the years. Best to you and yours.

Algunos comentaristas piensan Ricky Martin será salpicado con "los fallos y las críticas", como escribió una persona, pero en este día y en este momento realmente no creo que la decisión de Martin de salir tiene tanto impacto como lo hubiera lo había hecho en la década de 1990. Mientras que Ricky Martin no va más "de Adam Lambert" y actuar como el chico gay enojado, está bien.

Francamente, me siento aliviada. Yo no tengo a ponerme celosa cuando las mujeres hablan de Ricky Martin se mueve más! Ricky Martin hará bien, la conclusión es que él es feliz.

Ricky Martin says he's gay, but its no big deal to anyone

Ricky Martin told the World that hey's gay and while it's no big deal in this corner, Ricky Martin's coming out caused a stir, and got him so excited he put down the wrong website link from his Twitter account!

Latin singer Ricky Martin who gained Worldwide fame for his song Livin' La Vida Loca used his Twitter account to blast the news that which contained a link to a page on his website Rickymartinmusic.com. Well, the site he directed followers to is not working as of 4:17 PM PST. What comes up is "Bad Request (Invalid Hostname)."

After poking around , it was apparent that the website link Ricky Martin has on his twitter account is the wrong one. Now, it's Rickymartin.com

According to the Associated Press, Ricky Martin, who's 38, decided he didn't want to keep any secrets in the closet. But what closet? Frankly this blogger was surprised to learn Ricky Martin was straight. Yeah, Ricky Martin has two kids and women love to see him move, but Martin activated on my "Gaydar' every time I saw him. So no surprises here.

What do Ricky Martin fans think? There were 303 comments on his website; here's a sample:

Mon, 03/29/2010 - 18:53 — libracolo
Ricky - Your friends will always be your friends, your family will always be your family, the people who genuinely respect you as a father and an artist could care less who you are sleeping with. Continue to live your life with the same amount of dignity and pride you have done so far and let the naysayers and the haters burn in hell. It's not my place to judge your lifestyle, I love your music, and your humanitarian service, and the rest is your personal business. You have just as much right to love anyone you please (man or woman) as the next person. Never feel ashamed!

Mon, 03/29/2010 - 18:55 — gloriaelizabeth
Ricky no importa tu sexualidad, te seguiré amando toda mi vida como le he hecho desde que era una niña, y lo haré toda mi vida, estás siempre en mi corazón y seguirás en el, no importa lo que pase, es un amor verdadero que nada lo puede apagar, eres un hombre incleíble, hermoso, bondadoso, exitoso, lo demas no importa, siempre te amaré, y contarás con mi apoyo. que dios te bendiga.besos y abrazos con todo mi amor.

Mon, 03/29/2010 - 18:52 — aleennyc
Hi. Congratulations on finally freeing yourself from the ball and chain that living a closeted life is. The load off your shoulders must be monumental. you are now free to pursue hapiness in the fullest of ways. i hope you will continue to give us more of the wonderful music you have given us over the years. Best to you and yours.

Some commenters think Ricky Martin will be peppered with "judgements and criticism" as one person wrote, but in this day and at this time I really don't think Martin's decision to come out has as much impact as it would have had he done it in the 1990s. As long as Ricky Martin doesn't go "Adam Lambert" and act like the Angry Gay Guy he's OK.

Frankly, I'm relieved. I don't have to get jealous when women talk about Ricky Martin's moves any more! Ricky Martin will do alright; the bottom line is that he's happy.

Sandra Bullock seeks divorce from Jesse James - again

Related searches: Brigitte Daguerre, Melissa Smith, Michelle McGee, Bombshell McGee, Jesse James mistresses, Jesse James affairs, Sandra Bullock news and updates

Pop Eater and The Vancouver Sun, and are reporting that Sandra Bullock is headed home to California and to seek a divorce from her husband Jesse James.

This Sandra Bullock rumor has been active for about 10 days now, and the first wave of Internet chatter withstood Bullock's publicist's attempt to drive it down. Sandra Bullock's publicist was not available to confirm or deny the fresh rumor as of 12:17 PM PST Monday.

Pop Eater's Rob Shuter reports that Sandra Bullock is returning to LA "to confront Jesse," setting up expectations of a heavyweight championship fight. Shuter blogs that a friend of Bullock's told him that her marriage is over and it's "impossible" for them to get back together.

What's confusing is Pop Eater reports that Bullock is flying back to California from Texas, whereas RadarOnline has it that Bullock's "camping out" at her Hollywood Hills home, which is not far from Cameron Diaz.

Putting it all together, Bullock reportedly moved out of the home she shared with Jesse James, is staying in the other home she bought for $1.485 million in 2001 (So it's worth a lot more now), but has been in Austin, Texas where RadarOnline claims she "owns a slew of businesses" in Austin, Texas, and has returned to Los Angeles to, as Pop Eater puts it, seek a divorce and confront Jesse James.



The last part is doubtful. But the fact is Jesse James has been linked to four alleged mistresses: Melissa Smith, Brigitte Daguerre, an alleged Mistress 4 who's represented by Gloria Allred, and the Nazi-bikini-wearing Michelle "Bombshell" McGee.

Stay tuned. There's more...

Miley Cyrus getting out of music and Twitter a big mistake

Related searches: Miley Cyrus, Twitter, The Last Song, Hanna Montana, Party in The USA, Teen Choice Awards

Teen pop mega-star Miley Cyrus announced she was getting out of music and before that she cut her Twitter account. Miley Crus has said she only wants to do movies, but someone needs to tell her she's not yet big enough or good enough as an actress to command the kind of per-fllm dollars on the level of a Julia Roberts or Anne Hathaway.

Music and Twitter have been Miley Cyrus' one-two punch to stardom. Everything Miley's enjoyed has come more from her music and her frankly sexually-charged marketing of it than even Hanna Montana. Giving that up, while may be a joyous idea to some, is a bad business move.

Miley Cyrus needs two or three more really blockbuster albums before she should call it a day for music. From that Cyrus had one incredible breakout marketing period that ended last fall. When Miley was "cooking" the media was eating up her tweets for breakfast and it seemed almost anything with her name on it moved off the shelves. And her controversial stripper pole dance at the Teen Choice Awards was edgy, daring, and something too much beyond her years, but it really got her into the mainstream spotlight.



All of Miley Cyrus success was caused by music and Twitter and far more than Hanna Montana. The process of people being able to buy and replay sounds and retweet tweets every day serves as instant marketing for Miley. When people get tired of the music inventory that's out there, that's it, because Cyrus' song inventory's not a large one. She has Party in The USA and that's about it for hits.

The only way Miley Cyrus is going to even maintain the massive PR buzz that helped her get to where she is today is by following the Paris Hilton strategy: being at every party, dating a bunch of guys, and having a sex tape. Baser? Yes. Simple? Of course. Effective? Yep.

But Miley Cyrus talent is in music. She should stick to it and work on getting better at it.

Moscow Russia subway bombing causes BART and DC Metro alerts

The suicide bombing in Moscow that killed 38 people during the morning rush hour and was allegedly done by female suicide bombers representing "a terrorist group from the North Caucasus region" according to Alexander Bortnikov of the russian Federal Security Service as reported by CNN.

The suicide bombing in Moscow has put the industrialized World on high alert; in America, BART, the Bay Area Rapid Transit System that serves The San Francisco Bay Area, and the DC Metro subway system that serves the Washington DC region are the focus of heightened security efforts.

Washington DC Metro police are conducting random inspections of stations and rail yards and BART Spokesperson Linton Johnson explained that BART police have taken similar alert actions. "BART has long been a part of Bay Area Counter-terrorism efforts", Johnson said this morning. Johnson says that BART riders don't have to worry about their safety. Indeed, BART has maintained a campaign of making sure riders also served as the "eyes and ears" of the system. "We have 3,000 employees and 300,000 riders, so the extra eyes and ears help us," Johnson said.

If you see any strange and potentially dangerous activity on BART, call (877) 679-7000, extension 7040. On DC Metro the number is 1-888-919-CRIME.

City of Oakland should make statement against racism

The City of Oakland, California's post-World War II history has been one of deep racial diversity and integration. Racist actions were few and far between but that's changing and it's happened in fits and starts over the last six years. This blogger has been in Oakland since 1974.

Never in less than a year (pay attention to that) have there been incidents like racist statements against Martin Luther King Day written on the bathroom walls of an establishment like Cafe Van Kleef in downtown Oakland, or even worse, a Swastika painted on the same Greek Orthodox Cathedral that serves as the home of the annual Greek Festival, an event I love to attend, or Yoshi's in Oakland making a jazz compilation of performers at the club without a single black jazz performer in it.

Something's going on. I personally think Oakland has been invaded by the "New Oaklander": the person who's only lived in Oakland as much as 10 years, from 2000 to 2010 at best, and does not know or really care about Oakland's proud racial history. This has produced an ugly pattern I was actually talking with a friend about who's very involved in local politics and is a business owner.

He observed that blacks and whites in North Oakland don't seem to mix. When he goes to a meeting on crime it's almost all white; when he' in the community he will see someone black. People who are active in North Oakland don't seem to have friends who are of color and by that he means black (and he's white). This is his observation. It's a view he shared as we were sitting down at Merritt Station Cafe next to Lake Merritt, and we both noticed the pattern and shared our views.

What covers this problem is the flip side and that's Oakland's open diversity. It's here and wonderfully out in the open, but so much so it masks a reality that blacks, whites, Asians, and Latinos don't mix as well as they did when the late Lionel Wilson was Mayor of Oakland.

Mayor Wilson set the tone: his was an interracial marriage. Mayor Wilson's wife Dorothy was white and had a wonderful zest for life such that she would dance in the Safeway Grocery Store on College Avenue at night. I know because I saw her do it. It was hilarious.

That Oakland was such that the Black Film Makers Hall of Fame was not just an African American event, it was for everyone. Todays Oakland is racially divided such that there are events like The Crucible which seems to be all white or events in The Fruitvale that are all Latino or restaurants like Flora that are mostly white where Pican on Broadway is mostly black.

(And one wonders why I'm such a fan of The Lake Chalet Restaurant. The owners are new to Oakland, but they do "get" Oakland.)

The point is that Oakland's quietly become racially divided. It didn't just happen. It started just over six years ago. And I wrote about the way patrons of color were treated at certain new bars that opened up. Bars that catered to a young white kind of punk and grunge crowd. But fortunately, the bar owners listened and the climate has improved greatly.

And that's the point. We're at the stage in our society where statements and policies against racism must be made. We can't go on with the idea that diversity and racial integration "just happen"; we have to make them happen.

Oakland's not for burning, but in the 21st Century Oaklanders must keep racial and ethnic intolerance from doing so. The City of Oakland should not just pass a resolution against racism but have a campaign to inform the world in an inexpensive way that racism is not tolerated.

How?

City emails signatures and literature should have a simple statement that Oakland's a hate-free city. The City of Oakland's website should have a section page that lists fines and jail punishment for hate crimes. Finally, a video statement by not just the Mayor, but each Oakland councilmember and anyone else who wants to make one should be up at YouTube channel devoted just to this issue in Oakland. And Oakland should have a week that is devoted to "mixing" - people deliberately going to places and events produced by folks who don't look like them. Oakland bloggers should point to racist actions as a matter of course, to expose and report them.

Perhaps you have other ideas, but thinking of what can be done without spending money. We need to do something to stop racist acts like that done to the Greek Orthodox Cathedral.

Nada Prouty should be pardoned by President Obama

Related searches: Nada Prouty, CBS News, 60 minutes, Bush Administration arab, Hezbollah, terrorist group, American Patriot, Captain America

Nada Prouty, ex-FBI agent and CIA covert terrorism officer, was featured on CBS News 60 minutes, Sunday. Nada Prouty is no one to mess with. Prouty can effectively operate an assault rifle, had one of the nations highest security clearances, worked while pregnant, speak several languages including Arabic, saved American lives, and by all appearances is an American Patriot, and the real-life Captain America.

In this CBS video, Nada Prouty explains her case, and how she helped apprehend the mastermind of the hijacking of Pan Am flight 73. Proty got his confession and now he's spending 160 years in jail.

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Watch CBS News Videos Online

But a 2007 Bush Administration effort to stop terrorist financing led investigators to Michigan, and a Lebanese-American restaurant owner named Talal Chahine, who happened to be Nada Prouty's brother in law. Then, prosecutors found a photo of Chahine with a spritual leader connected to Hezbollah, so the charge from Detroit prosecutors was that Nada Prouty saw classified documents about the terrorist group Hezbollah.

Prouty said she had little to do with Talal Chahine, and considered him "a womanizer who was cheating on her sister." But even with that, prosecutors stuck with a weak case based on classified documents that according to CBS News, were never produced. In other words, because the prosecutors said the documents were classified, they claimed they could not show them. Which is a weird trick to get around the appearance that they actually had no evidence to back their claim.

But determined to "get something" they kept digging, and what the "Detroit prosecutors" then found was that 18 years earlier, Nada Prouty was party in what's commonly called a "green card" marriage.

But somehow - for some reason - what's all too common was used to paint Nada Prouty as a person plotting to enter America as an illegal alien and pass secrets to terrorist groups; the same groups that have people Nady Prouty has apprehended or in some cases killed in defense of her country.

It's an obvious case of over-zealous prosecutors trying to connect un-connectable dots in Nada Prouty's past. If the U.S. Government went around looking at the marriages of every foreign born American citizen, and then finding those marriages to be "green card" associated and looking the current occupations of those persons, they could make a case, albeit a spurious one, for filing thousands of charges.

In Nada Prouty's case the CIA cleared her of any wrongdoing. Still Prouty pled guilty because, as she told 60 minutes, she was literally spent into a corner. The legal fees were too much for her to bear. CBS News reports that under pressure, Prouty:

...agreed to waive the 10-year statute of limitations on immigration fraud and plead guilty to two felonies related to the sham marriage. She also pled guilty to one misdemeanor count of unauthorized use of an FBI computer, a charge she now denies.

With all of this, where are American Conservatives to defend Nada Prodty? Well, being alarmist, idiotic, and ill-informed, that's where. By now it's logical to suspect the involvement of Michelle Malkin, who would be defending Nada Prouty if her name were Nathan Pride. But no.

Instead we get what in 2007 was Malkin's ill-informed blog rant, which fails to report any of the made-for-movie efforts this American Patriot has done in defense of America. Nada Prouty's Syrian-Lebanese background are the perfect target for Malkin's anglophilic blogging tendencies. But interestingly, Malkin backed off any further attacks on Nada Prody after 2007.

Well, the week is young.

And then we have Debbie Schlussel, who makes brazen accusations without looking at the case and brags about making up the name Jihad Jane for Nada Prouty in 2007 and in what has to be one of the most intellectually sloppy columns ever written in the New York Post.

Debbie Schlussel continues her baseless attacks in a new blog post not in the New York Post. Debbie Schlussel writes:

This woman is anything but an American patriot. She’s part of an Islamic terrorist gang who infiltrated this country at the highest levels and financed our enemies to the tune of tens of millions of dollars. It’s beyond nauseating that “60 Minutes” would take her side, fall for her BS.

("This woman?" Interesting.)

Since Nady Prouty is not part of "an Islamic terrorist gang" we can't take Debbie Schlussel's blog entry as anything more than mindless ranting by someone who, as an attorney, should know better.

Conservative Couch Potato blogging aside, President Obama should order Nada Prouty's case to be reopened at the very least, and should the investigation confirm what the CIA has already stated, that Nada's innocent, all charged dropped.

Then President Obama should pardon Nada Prouty. It would be a fitting apology for how she has been treated as well as all of the efforts she has taken to defend America.

Defintely, stay tuned.

President Obama surprise visit to Afghanistan shows resolve

Fresh from his Health Care Reform victory, President Barack Obama has found his sea legs and is apparently intent on keeping his promise of getting the U.S. out of Afghanistan by July 2011. Obama's surprise visit to Afghanistan took everyone aback, but it was necessary. All along Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai was identified as the one obstacle to successfully meeting this deadline.

The ability to trust Hamid Karzai has long been an issue in the Afghanistan war political theater. Karsai. Allegations of corruption and narco-terrorism have plagued Karsai's regime, and very nearly cost him the presidency in January of this year.

Still Obama elected to back Karsai and essentially give him another chance. While from all accounts the process of curbing the Taliban has gone well, it was Kasai's recent meeting with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and the insults to U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates over U.S. war occupation that followed, that raised eyebrows in America.

The Iranian leader Ahmadinejad said "We do not see the presence of foreign military forces in Afghanistan as a solution for peace in Afghanistan." It was unwise for Karzai to so openly meet with Ahmadinejad and not quickly denounce his Anti-Western statements, but Karzai plays fire with American allies. Obama's mission was the right call.

Oakland Marathon success means Oakland needs sports commission

Just a brief take on the Oakland Marathon and Oakland Running Festival held on this lovely weekend in Oakland and before the video's up in this space. First, congratulations to Race Director Gene Brtalik, who was a one-man band, meeting with officials, politicians, the media and people, even making sure that cups of water were filled for runners.

Regardless of who is named, Gene Brtalik of Corrigan Sports, and newly-minted Oaklander, made the Oakland Running Festival not just a reality, but a smoothly-running event.

What's annoying was the TV coverage by ABC Channel 7, who on Sunday afternoon ran a brief but oh-so-insulting clip that featured an unfortunately disabled and down-on-his-luck African American man saying that he essentially thought something bad was going on but saw something good, the event.

Then Channel 7 ran a story about another crime committed in Oakland - East Oakland.  Channel 7 didn't bother to talk to anyone else at the Oakland Marathon who was having a good time, African American, and obviously doing OK. Perhaps they will change this by the Sunday 10 PM news, but as of this writing what they did was to misrepresent Oakland.

The reality was that many Oaklanders and a lot of people from as far away as Denver, Colorado entered the Oakland Marathon and proved what I've said and tried to show for years: that Oakland needs a sports commission to follow on the Oakland-Alameda County Sports Commission I created in 1999, and to form the organizational seat for our bid for the 2005 Super Bowl.

The Oakland Marathon, like other large sports events in Oakland (the NBA All-Star game and the NCAA Elite Elight of 2006) happened by accident. (In the case of the All Star game it happened just because Oakland finished the rebuilt Oracle Arena. In the case of The NCAA Elite Eight, it was then-USF Athletic Director Bill Hogan who led the bid process; the City of Oakland had little to do with it.) Had Gene Brtalik not come to Oakland, the Oakland Marathon would not have happened. An Oakland Sports Commission can place Oakland in annual competition for events as well as house the intellectual and fiscal ability to stage the Oakland Marathon yet again.

While Oakland has a special events office, it's not focused on bidding for sports events. Indeed, Oakland's not a member of the National Association of Sports Commissions; it was after this blogger created the Oakland-Alameda County Sports Commission. But after my resignation from the City of Oakland in 2001, their was no effort to keep it going.

The Oakland Marathon's success should not surprise anyone and Channel 7's take was irresponsible and racist. What should surprise is that Oakland has no formal organization to draw, produce, and promote sports events.

Stay tuned.

Baylor University falls to Duke University; now Duke v. West Virginia

Related searches: baylor, duke university, where is baylor university located at, waco texas, duke

Coach Mike Krzyzewski leads the Blue Devils

It wasn't the greatest game but it did have the nation on the edge of its collective seat. Baylor University falls to Duke University 78 to 71 in the NCAA Elite Eight game played at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Now, it's Duke playing West Virginia for the right to go on to the NCAA Final Four in Indianapolis, Indiana one week from Monday.

Even though Baylor lost, it had its chances to win. But the main difference was Baylor's lack of discipline versus Duke's almost android-like mix of efficiency and emotion. Adept ball handling, offensive rebounds and second shots, and smooth threes made up for Duke's spotty defense. Eventually Duke seemed to wear down and frustrated Baylor.

Finally, the last three minutes and 36 seconds decided the game, but for this blogger it wasn't Duke overcoming its shooting slump, or Nolan Smith's threes, or their 18-5 second-half scoring run, but one play that ssealed the deal for Duke and drew curtains for Baylor.

It was Baylor's Quincy Acy rushing in to play enforcer after Duke's Jon Scheyer swung an elbow that looked like it connected with LaceDarius Dunn. Dunn could have got his SAG card with just a fall to the court, but he kept fighting for the ball; Acy rushed in and got Baylor the foul that should have went against Duke's Scheyer.

Baylor's lack of discipline was evident.

After the near-bench-clearing incident, Baylor was never the same, and Duke cruised to its eventual win. Now, Duke takes on West Virginia in a game that has the Blue Devil's giving 2 points to the Mountaineers.

Congratulations to Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who once again heads to the NCAA Final Four. While the lat time Duke was in this position was 2004, it's the 11th trip and seems like just yesterday even as wave after wave of improved NCAA basketball program has come and gone, there's Duke - always at least competitive.

Stay tuned.