"I Have A Dream" - The Full Video Speech Of Martin Luther King

This proves the amazing value of YouTube and other video distribution systems. We now have history right at our fingertips. What's presented to you above is the video of what some call the greatest speech ever given in history, Dr. Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream Speech". Below, the text of the speech.

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. So we have come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quick sands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive.

Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair.

I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification; one day right there in Alabama, little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.

This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with a new meaning, "My country, 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring."

And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania!

Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado!

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California!

But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia!

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee!

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, When we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

SUPER BOWL XLI : Miami Hotel Rates Double For Event - NY Times

The Super Bowl Means Super-Size Hotel Rates

By JENNIFER CONLIN - NY TIMES
Published: January 14, 2007

Finding a moderately priced hotel room in Miami during the winter is never easy, but securing one over Super Bowl weekend (Feb. 2 to 5) is a totally different ballgame, regardless of availability.

This weekend, for instance, the rate for a double room at the Miami Airport Holiday Inn is $190. For the night before the Super Bowl , that room goes for $430. At the already pricey Delano, a city view deluxe room that would have cost $775 for last night is more than twice that amount, $1,625, on Feb. 4 (and it’s booked solid). Even the ultraexpensive Setai is requiring guests to stay a minimum of seven nights during Super Bowl week, at $950 a night for a double room.

Robert Tuchman, president of TSE Sports & Entertainment (www.tseworld.com), said his company was selling four-night Super Bowl packages with upper-level game tickets, but without air fare. For example, $5,850 a person gets a double room at the Westin in Fort Lauderdale, while $7,350 a person puts you in a penthouse suite at the Albion South Beach.

(The actual ticket prices are $600 and $700. Most tickets are technically available through the 30 National Football League teams, but are essentially sold out. Brokers charge far more for the tickets.)

“When you couple the Super Bowl with a great location like Miami, hotels can charge five times their normal price,” Mr. Tuchman said, adding that last year’s location, Detroit (featuring the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers, above), was a bit of a bust. “We only sent around 300 people,” he said. “This year, we already have a thousand.”

His packages include an autographed football, a celebrity golf tournament and a Sunday morning chat with a former N.F.L. player or coach.

Loyal N.F.L. team followers might prefer “fan packages,” starting this week, from Sports Traveler (www.sportstraveler.net), a Chicago-based company. It is $6,300 to $7,500, including three or four nights accommodation, reserved game tickets and air fare from your championship team’s city. A required deposit of $200 to $500 is refunded if your team doesn’t make the big game. But, as Mr. Tuchman said, “The Super Bowl has become such a spectacle, most people don’t even come anymore just for the game.”

CBS Has Only Sold 70 Percent Of Super Bowl XLI Ads - Mediaweek

January 15, 2007

By John Consoli Mediaweek

NEW YORK -- The Super Bowl has become a super pain for the broadcast networks to sell.

Case in point: CBS this year. With just three weeks to go until kickoff, the network has sold slightly more than 70% of the in-game commercial units. And with a total of 58 spots, the network still has about 16 slots available.

With so much potential revenue and prestige at stake—CBS could take in as much as $140 million on the three-hour game alone, in addition to millions from the six hours of pre-game programming—the three weeks prior to kickoff can generate severe angst for sales teams facing fourth and goal.

One media agency executive described this current Super Bowl selling season: "CBS is definitely in hustle mode, trying to come up with any innovative way possible to move those in-game units."

As the cost of a 30-second spot rises each year, so does the pressure on advertisers to come up with innovative and creative spots that will be talked about and acted upon by the 78 million viewers who tune in. The growing popularity of polls such as USA Today Ad Meter, which have consumers rate the in-game commercials the next day, has become a major factor in the decision-making process of advertisers as to whether or not they should create a spot and run it in the Super Bowl.

One network sales executive, who has sold past Super Bowls, said the next two weeks are crucial for CBS to get a bulk of the remaining units sold before Feb. 5. "It's OK to go into the week before the game with three or four units left, but it can be a real problem if you have more than that," the exec said.

The closer to game day, the more the ad community is in the driver's seat as far as trying to price down the spots because the network cannot sharply lower prices without running the risk of alienating clients who came in early and paid more.

While the remaining spots are mostly in fourth quarter and early birds most likely are in the first half when the attention level is usually higher, no advertiser, regardless of placement, is going to be happy seeing a straggler get in the game at a deep discount.

"There are always Super Bowl units still available at this point, but this year there seem to be more left than the norm," said one media exec, echoing the viewpoint of many contacted for this story.

But John Bogusz, CBS evp-sports sales and marketing, and Tony Taranto, svp of NFL sales at CBS, both insist the network is right where it was sellout level-wise when it televised the Super Bowls in '01 and '04.

"It is getting to be a harder sell, and we do wish more advertisers would embrace it for what it is and take advantage of the huge audience it draws," said Bogusz, acknowledging the harder slog to sell out. Added Taranto, "Advertisers should realize that in addition to the in-game units, those ads are going to be replayed all over the Internet in the days and weeks following the game. Awareness levels for those ads rise every year."

But that heightened awareness of the commercials—not the price tag per spot, which this year ranges anywhere from $2 million to $2.6 million depending on pod location and quantity bought—can be the problem, according to media agencies charged with buying Super Bowl spots for clients.

"The decision an advertiser faces is not a price dilemma," said Marc Goldstein, CEO at media agency MindShare. "The reason advertisers may not go in is because of creative issues. No one wants to run an old commercial in the Super Bowl, so you have to go out and spend money to produce a new one. And the advertiser wants to make sure that this commercial does well in all the recall and opinion polls the next day. Many advertisers feel if they do not have a new product to launch, it is not worth the risk."

Giants Select Jerry Reese As General Manager - Only Third Black GM In NFL History - NFL.com

Giants tap Jerry Reese as general manager
NFL.com wire reports


EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (Jan. 15, 2007) -- The New York Giants hired Jerry Reese as their general manager, making him only the third black GM in NFL history.

Reese, who served as the team's director of player personnel the past four years, was considered the favorite among the Giants' in-house candidates to replace Ernie Accorsi, who held the post for nine seasons before retiring.

The 43-year-old Reese will formally be introduced as general manager and senior vice president at a news conference Jan. 16, the team said on its Web site.

The only other black general managers in the NFL are Baltimore's Ozzie Newsome and Houston's Rick Smith. There are several black men who have considerable say in front offices, notably Rod Graves of Arizona, whose title is senior vice president-football operations. Ray Anderson was vice president of the Atlanta Falcons for the past four years before moving to the NFL in August as senior vice president of football operations.

There were seven black head coaches in the NFL last season, the most ever. Two of them, Dennis Green of the Cardinals and Art Shell of Oakland, were fired after the season, although Shell will remain in the Raiders front office.

Critics of the NFL's minority hiring policy have generally praised the league for increasing the number of minority coaches, but have pointed out that there is a void in the front office.

Last month, when Reese was mentioned as the favorite for the job, Indianapolis coach Tony Dungy, the senior black head coach, said: "That's great -- just to have an African-American mentioned that way is great."

A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin, Reese first joined the Giants' scouting department in 1994 after working on the coaching staff at his alma mater.

As the Giants' player personnel director, he oversaw all aspects of college scouting and had most of the responsibility for the draft. Reese previously served as assistant director of pro personnel for three years.


AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Chargers' LaDainian Tomlinson Goes Off On Bill Belichick And The New England Patriots; Calls Them "No Class" Organization

I've included the video version of LT's rant as well.



LT rips Pats' 'no class' dance on field logo

And so begins a nasty new rivalry. And this is one born not from two good teams in the same division, but from the way two good teams treat each other when they play. I think LT has something of a point. Moreover, my own mother pointed out that had it been Terrell Owens who was responsible for the nasty act at the end of the game, he'd have been criticized and fined. Not so with the Patriots.

By Jay Posner and Kevin Acee
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS
January 15, 2007

No team wants to watch another team celebrate on its home field, especially after a playoff game. But several Chargers were particularly disturbed at the way New England celebrated after yesterday's AFC divisional playoff game.

And no one was more upset than league MVP LaDainian Tomlinson, who had to be restrained by more than one Patriots player from going after another New England player. Tomlinson later accused some Patriots of showing “no class at all” and added “maybe it comes from the head coach (Bill Belichick).”

Said Tomlinson: “I would never, ever react in that way. You guys know me; I'm a very classy person. I wouldn't have reacted like that, so yes, I was upset, very upset.

“When you go to the middle of our field and you start doing the dance that Shawne Merriman is known for, that's disrespectful to me and I can't sit there and watch that.”

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers said he saw some Patriots pointing to the scoreboard, doing Merriman's “Lights Out” dance and stomping on the Chargers helmet logo at midfield.

“They won and they deserve a lot of credit,” Rivers said. “Personally I was disappointed in the way they handled winning. I mean, for as much as everybody said they expected them to win, they didn't act like it. But that's neither here nor there. They're playing next week and we're not.

“I think what got LT, and I was right there, was just a little of the taunting. Hey, celebrate – we'd have been sprinting on the field, too, I guarantee you. But it was a little finger pointing and I don't know where it came from.”

The teams will play in Foxboro next season, and Chargers linebacker Shaun Phillips said he can't wait.

“Every time I will play New England it will be a personal grudge,” Phillips said. “That was very classless. . . . When we went in and beat their head in New England (last season), blew them out (41-17), we did nothing but compliment them and say they were a good team. We would never disrespect a team like that. We have class, and that's how classless individuals are. Shaun Phillips will have a grudge against them the rest of his career.”

Added Phillips: “What it is, they didn't expect to win and they won, so they were excited.”

The Patriots were not available to answer the Chargers' comments, although linebacker Rosevelt Colvin said San Diego's players “talked from the beginning to the end. We'll take the win.”

Reggie Bush - Gets Jacked Up By Eagles Sheldon Brown In NFC Divisional Playoff Game

This was the shot heard 'round the World when it happened, and it's still getting noticed today. Reggie Bush was in the middle of catching a swing pass, when Sheldon Brown rushed up and simply gave a hard, high textbook tackle using his shoulder and not leading with his head. Here's the video:

San Francisco-Based KNBR's Rod Brooks -- Who's Black -- Puts Down Black Coaches

Last Monday, January 8th, San Francisco-based KNBR's Rob Brooks (pictured) said, in response to a take that one college team should hire a black coach, "Notre Dame tried one of those and look what happened to them."

"One of those," sounds like a disease the way Brooks put it.

That comment led me to write this email to members of the California sports media community -- an email list that includes Tony Bruno and Rod Brooks. It's not just an email denouncing what Brooks said, but how KNBR conducts it's business. But more to the point on Martin Luther King's Birthday, it's terrible to know that there are African Americans who would waste no time in putting down someone else because they're black.

Here's what I wrote:

Greetings All,

I understand "Mr C In Heaven" but I have this take: what KNBR's Rod Brooks says goes out to millions of people locally in Northern California -- it's not small time at all. The San Francisco Bay Area has the highest ad costs per ratings point of any part of the country.

Some of those listeners form their opinions from what they hear on KNBR. I hear it from time to time, someone litterally parroting what was said on KNBR. People use sports talk radio to essentially "think" for them. And the more the message touches that person's more baser feelings -- like racial matters -- the more likely it is to stick. But that doesn't make it OK to be racist; indeed, it's every reason why one should not be. For all practical purposes, Brooks is a kind of role model, though a negative one at this time. I leave room for improvement.

That's why what someone like Brooks said Monday was socially irresponsible, not to mention a reflection of self-hatred. It does a lot of damage to the matter of the deconstruction and ultimate destruction of the racist way; what better tool to maintain racist thoughts amoung whites, Latino's, and Asians than a black person who puts other blacks down by referring to African American coaches as "one of those" tried by Notre Dame, as if black coaches were viruses.

Grrrr....

Moreover, it -- this race-based approach -- is not even good ratings at all. Just because KNBR may claim good Arbitron numbers doesn't mean they can't be better. I'd be willing to bet that KNBR's numbers are actually terrible when compared to their potential. I could go on about how the radio station's website system is not only poorly designed, but not engineered for it to rank high in any Google-search of note related to KNBR's sports content and not even well-coordinated with its radio shows.

This hurts the radio shows and rating potential. If I bought KNBR, I'd tear it all up and rebuild from the bottom up.

Plus, KNBR's people -- it's personalities -- come off more often than not as "Angry white guys" -- attempting to stop any and all conversations about race by saying "You're playing the race card" and using this childish Right Wing term as if it was a kind of conversational hand grenade -- and it's almost laughable that a prominent black personality would assist them. But that seems to be what's happening. I've heard this before from others and as a constant listener to the show, I can document and write a book on them. People don't want to hear this at all. Please knock it off.

KNBR does not know how to reach the fan base of any of the major Bay Area sports teams. The smaller college sports organizations get no mention or play at all. The sponsorship program is lacking. KNBR knows how to develop personalities, but misses the boat in building a cohesive media information system. By a country mile. (And yes, I know what the answer to this is.) Moreover, there's little in the way of really substantive sports talk conversation. Here's an example:

On January 8th 2003, the Philadephia Eagles beat the Green Bay Packers in a wild-card playoff game which featured a 4th and 26 convertion by Eagles QB Donovan McNabb. On a recap of the game on KNBR, Ralph and Tom had on as a guest a female beat writer from Phili who really knew her stuff. She explained that the Packers middle linebacker was out of position and should have been deeper than he was in the coverage, thus allowing the pass completion.

While she talked, Ralph and Tom had little to offer to keep the conversation going. It was disheartening for me. Obviously by my recall of the event, it had an impact on me. I then started to monitor sports talk radio here with the "null hypothesis" that there was little of substance -- discussion of strategy, business, law, etc. -- that was offered. To date, I've had little content example from KNBR to cause me to refute my initial hypothesis.

Another example was when I was on as a guest regarding the Super Bowl and Jerry Brown in 2005. Rather than ask me substantive questions about why Oakland came to within eight NFL owner votes of landing the game Jacksonville won, Rod Brooks decided to take me on regarding Oakland as a host city.

It was not a smart move on his part, as I knew my subject and he did not. Moreover, I was very angry that Brooks and KNBR would continue a pattern of not only non-support, but attempted destruction of our Super Bowl Bid efforts and attempts to insult me.

My own mother observed that KNBR "could not stand someone who was smart and Black." I reminded her that it was radio, but then I thought about the matter from her point of view and the fact that I was assuming some KNBR people didn't know I was Black when they may have, and then recanted my initially polyanic view. I started thinking about my past experiences with KNBR.

It started in 2000, when Radnich had me on and asked how could we sell out the Super Bowl, when the Coliseum had sell out problems. Why ask that? I pointed out that all Super Bowls were sellouts. But here I am BUSTING MY ASS to bring this thing to the Bay Area, and KNBR's taking pot shots at me and the bid. It's like getting shot by what are supposed to be your own troops.

I told Agnew about this -- actually was real pissed about it -- because it would NOT have harmed KNBR to be a booster for the Super Bowl. Not at all. The Bay Area needs the shot in the arm. But we can't improve economically with KNBR pulling the rug out of what we do. It's stupid. It really is. I could not get over what the reason for the treatment was and so then, absent any logical explanation, figured that maybe my Mom had a point. After all, KTVU has never treated me that way; not at all and not even to this day. Neither does KPIX or KGO. So I had an example of how I was supposed to be treated by the media in working on a Super Bowl Bid and doing anything of substance in the community.

Man!

It's one thing to ask good questions, but the ones aimed at me were just plain bad and nasty. All of my friends who listened to me were happy that I not only defended myself, but basically made Rod sound less than informed, which was true. Moreover, it's all too common at KNBR.

The standard idea is that the people don't want substance (that's what Bob Agnew contends); but I charge that KNBR does not know how to give it in an entertaining way. When you have people who know sports so well they can talk about it in plain english, it's fun to listen to.

Tom Tolbert KNOWS basketball, and so is a joy to hear him talk on that subject, it really is. But football? KNBR has no one on the talk shows who really does know modern football strategy, methods, trends, and techniques. No one. It seems that the station has decided to allow more of the "emotion stirring" words and that opens the door to a point of view that is hard to mistake as anything but racist at times.

The point I'm making is that the station can't afford to have racist content, regardless of who it's coming from. It's bad for business. It's terrible for society. It's retrograde. PLEASE I emplore you all to reach for a higher standard. The Bay Area is becoming what it seems to hate the most in what it things Southern cities are -- racist. (Just take a look at the comments made by some Oaklanders toward Ignacio De La Fuente on Monday. Or the SF 49ers VideoGate scandal. Or the SF Police Video. Or the frightening high arrest rate for Blacks in San Francisco. I could go on and on.)

Atlanta is now much more progressive than the SF Bay Area -- ever hear the "Two Live Stews" -- but the SF Bay Area is under the age-old fantasy that it's better.

I do hope that we as a collective wake up and improve this matter.

Thanks,

Zennie Abraham, Jr.
Chairman and CEO
Sports Business Simulations
510-387-9809
www.sbs-world.com

"Colts Can Mix Toughness With Finess" - Tony Dungy - AP and Random News From Indy

Dungy: Colts can mix toughness with finesse

CLIFF BRUNT

Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS - Tony Dungy couldn't help but smile when asked about the Colts' toughness in the closing minutes of their playoff victory over the Ravens.

All season, Dungy's Colts have been criticized for being just a finesse team. But Indianapolis clinched the 15-6 win Saturday in Baltimore with a smash-mouth, 13-play, 47-yard drive that included 11 runs and took more than 7 minutes off the clock.

The drive ended with Adam Vinatieri's 35-yard field goal with 23 seconds left that sent the Colts into the AFC championship game at home next Sunday against New England.

"I was proud of the way we won," Dungy said. "We went in there and you had to win a dogfight. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't the type of game we normally play, but we were able to get it done."

Dungy said the effort was extra special because it happened in Baltimore against a Ravens team that prides itself on toughness.

"To be able to go on the road and win in a hostile environment, to be able to outperform a team that's built for that, that's really built for a running game and defending the run ... when we had to run against the No. 1 defense, we were able to do that. Whatever it takes."

Lost among Vinatieri's five field goals was the fact that Colts running back Dominic Rhodes had 10 carries for 35 yards on the final drive. He finished with 14 carries for 56 yards.

Dungy said Rhodes' effort epitomized the Colts' performance.

"Dominic Rhodes, I thought, was outstanding in the second half, keeping things going," Dungy said. "He made a couple of big third-down runs and using up that time. That was really a big drive against a great defense."

Rookie Joseph Addai started the game at running back, but he sat out most of the second half after he aggravated a shoulder injury.

"Joseph wasn't 100 percent and Dom was running well," Dungy said. "I think Joseph could have played, but again, like last week, there was no need because Dom was getting the job done for us."

Dungy didn't give a definitive update on Addai's status for the AFC Championship Game. He had missed most of last week's practices with the injury.

"I think he'll be pretty much the same way he's been," Dungy said. "Having another day of rest should help him. It's a little early to tell, but I think it's going to be fine."

The roles were reversed for Addai and Rhodes for much of the season. Rhodes would start, but would see limited action after halftime. Addai would come off the bench and close.

Addai was the up-and-coming star during the regular season. He ran for 1,081 yards and seven touchdowns and quickly became a crowd favorite. Rhodes, who waited patiently for years as Edgerrin James' backup, ran for 641 yards and scored five touchdowns.

When the game at Baltimore was on the line, Dungy went with his five-year veteran. Dungy said Rhodes handled losing his starting slot well and showed professionalism by stepping in and performing well.

"It wasn't a demotion and he understood that," Dungy said. "We were just going to start the game with Joseph. Dom's ended up finishing the last two games. Dom knew he was still going to be involved. He knew he was still get a lot of carries and be in at critical times, so it really hasn't been that much different. They both still split the carries relatively evenly."

The toughness the Colts showed to get that last field goal left one of the game's toughest players, Ravens quarterback Steve McNair, with little time to work his magic. The Colts had faced McNair twice a year when he played for the Tennessee Titans, and knew better than to give him an opportunity.

"We've been involved with Steve McNair many times," Dungy said. "You don't want to give him the ball back with a six-point lead and any time left on the clock, so we knew we wanted to make at least two or three first downs there. If we could get into field-goal range, that was the ultimate."

After Beating Michael Strahan In Court, Jean Strahan Says "I'm Going to Disney World!" - NY Post

Wow. It reads like Michael Strahan really treated his wife terribly.

$15 MIL PENALTY TOPPLES GIANT
STRAHAN'S EX WINS ALMOST ALL
By JEANE MacINTOSH and TODD VENEZIA

January 13, 2007 -- A judge sacked Michael Strahan's bank account yesterday, ordering the New York Giants defensive end to pay his ex-wife Jean a whopping $15.3 million plus hundreds of thousands of dollars in child support as part of their divorce.

Judge James Convery blasted Strahan in a written ruling, saying the arguments he used to get out of coughing up the dough lacked "any credible evidence."

The ruling means the gap-toothed grid standout will have to give his ex-wife more than half his net worth - as Convery held him to a prenuptial agreement stipulating he give Jean 50 percent of their joint marital assets and 20 percent of his yearly income from each year they were married.

Strahan tried to argue that he wasn't responsible for the 20 percent because his wife failed to ask for it every year. But the judge said that "the plaintiff is not credible in his claim that the defendant never asked for her separate funds."

Jean, who married the football player in 1999, celebrated the ruling yesterday.

"It pays to tell the truth, and I told the truth," she said. "I never asked for a penny more than the prenup that Michael and his lawyers wrote and made me sign. And all I ever asked for was that to be upheld.

"I'm thrilled that it was."

The decision came after a divorce battle that left the popular player's stellar reputation battered by allegations of adultery, forgery, lying and perversion.

It is also a huge financial tackle. Strahan must pay the $15.3 million and the extra child support even though his net worth is only about $22 million, according to court records.

With his career in its twilight years, this could be a blow from which his bank account never recovers.

But Jean said yesterday that it was his own fault. Strahan himself devised the uneven distribution spelled out in a prenup.

"He and his lawyer wrote it and made me sign it the night before we got married," Jean said. "We were, at the time, very much in love."

Jean Strahan had originally sought roughly $14 million, but the judge gave her back interest on the 20 percent annuity, raising the payout by $1.25 million.

The Giant will also have to pay $18,000 per month in child support, and will have to hand over a $311,150 lump sum for support dating back to August 2005. Jean will also get one of his four houses, but will have to pay him back for half of the mansion in Montclair, N.J.

Strahan lawyer Vicky Zigler declined to comment after receiving the decision in Essex County Family Court yesterday.

The couple was officially divorced last July after an acrimonious court battle that included allegations that Strahan:
* Ditched his wife and twin 2-year-old daughters, Isabella and Sophia, to hang out with alleged mistress Nicole "Cupcake" D'Oliveira on a trip to Phoenix.
* Jetted off to Caribbean islands with various other women, including the woman who sold the family their antique chairs.
* Secretly videotaped Jean's sister, Denise, while she undressed in a guest bedroom. Cops were called, and Jean left him for a while, but he then allegedly came back after he deposited $30,000 in her bank account.
* Forged her name on financial documents that were entered into the case.
* Hounded her and tried to use lawyers to intimidate her into changing their prenup.

In yesterday's ruling, Judge Convery also blasted Strahan for not remembering his wedding anniversary or wife's birthday.
Jean Strahan got the news of the decision at her lawyer's office. She exclaimed: "I'm going to Disney World!"

Profootballtalk.com - USC Assistant Coach Steve Sarkisian Rumored To Be Favorite Of Raiders For Head Coaching Job

The point of this process is that the Raiders job is not the mot sought after in the NFL. Otherwise, why focus on an unproven college assistant coach? And why not talk to a person like Hue Jackson of the Bengals?

TALK BUILDS OF SARKISIAN TO RAIDERS - Profootballtalk.com

There's increasing chatter in league circles that USC assistant coach Steve Sarkisian could be in line to become the next coach of the Oakland Raiders.

Sarkisian, 32, would become the youngest coach in the league.

As one league insider pointed out to us, why not simply hire Sarkisian to be the offensive coordinator? It would still be a step up for him, and he likely would accept it. With John Shoop recently gone, the spot is wide open.

No hire can be made to replace Art Shell until at least one minority candidate is interviewed. And if too many people around the league become convinced that the position is going to Sarkisian, it might be hard to persuade a minority candidate to sit for the job.

Another candidate who has generated some buzz, but who has not yet been interviewed or named as a candidate, is former Vikings and Cardinals coach Dennis Green.

Indianapolis Colts Await The New England Patriots For The AFC Title Game

What is a classic battle is well-recounted in this Indy Star article.

Familiar foe, in the dome
Patriots meet Colts for crown in AFC

By Mike Chappell
mike.chappell@indystar.com

Brace yourself, Indy, for the most important football event that's ever visited the Circle City.

One step away from their first Super Bowl appearance in more than three decades, the Colts will attempt to take that monumental step against nemesis New England on Sunday evening in the RCA Dome. The No. 4-seeded Patriots earned their spot in the AFC Championship Game by upsetting No. 1 seed San Diego 24-21 on Sunday, sending the conference title game to Indianapolis.

The third-seeded Colts (14-4) reached their third AFC title game since 1995 by stuffing the second-seeded Baltimore Ravens 15-6 Saturday. They then sat back and waited for their opposition to be determined.

Hello, Patriots. They advanced when rookie place-kicker Stephen Gostkowski made a 31-yard field goal with 1:10 remaining.
Talk about instant karma. The Colts KO'd the Ravens on the strength of five field goals by former Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri, who was replaced in New England by Gostkowski.

"There will be a lot of (story) angles there, with them finally having to come here, with Vinatieri on our side, with all the history between the two teams,'' Colts coach Tony Dungy said before Sunday's game when asked to address the possibility of the Patriots visiting Indy.

All will unfold in front of what promises to be a raucous sellout crowd in the RCA Dome.

"Playing at home,'' Dungy said, "is what you like for your fans.''

Now, it's up to the Colts to seal the deal. And there's perhaps no more appropriate final hurdle to clear than the Patriots.
New England (14-4) has won three of the past five Super Bowls, and used the Colts as steppingstones twice, each time in Foxborough, Mass. The Patriots dismissed the Colts 24-14 in the AFC title game after the 2003 season, then dominated them 20-3 the following season in the divisional round.

The Colts have gained a measure of revenge in the past two regular seasons, again in Gillette Stadium. They snapped a six-game losing streak to the Patriots in 2005 with a 40-21 victory, then posted a 27-20 win on Nov. 5.

New England, Dungy said, "obviously is an organization and team we have a lot of respect for.''

"Tom Brady is still doing all those things that cause you to win games,'' he said. "I don't think they're a team anyone wants to play.''

The Colts, though, welcome the opportunity. The last time the franchise reached the Super Bowl was after the 1970 season, and it still called Baltimore home. The Colts defeated Dallas 16-13 to win Super Bowl V.

There won't be a lack of story lines:

Brady versus Colts' counterpart Peyton Manning. Brady is 12-1 in the postseason, Manning 5-6.

Vinatieri kicking against the team that opted not to re-sign him after the 2005 season. All he's done for the Colts is convert all eight of his field goal attempts in the postseason.

Manning and offensive coordinator Tom Moore matching wits with Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

The Patriots making their first visit to Indy since 2003, when they stopped running back Edgerrin James short of the goal line in the closing seconds to preserve a 34-31 win.

The Colts attempting to finish what they were unable to a year ago. They squandered home-field advantage throughout the playoffs by losing to Pittsburgh 21-18 in the RCA Dome in the divisional round.

Dungy attempting to become the first black coach to take his team to the Super Bowl.

All Dungy requires of his Colts is to continue to play at a high level and with poise even though they must do so on a pressurized, national stage.

"If you can do the things you normally do . . . when the stakes are really high, that's what it takes,'' he said.

Bill Belichick''s Adjustments and Tom Brady's Mental Toughness Lead Patriots To AFC Title Game - From ESPN

Patriots teach Chargers a lesson in playoff football

By John Clayton
ESPN.com
Archive

SAN DIEGO -- Sunday's AFC Divisional playoff game between the Patriots and Chargers was a clinic in why BelichickBradyball is a Super Bowl success and Martyball continues to fall flat in the playoffs.

Following the Patriots' 24-21 win, Belichick is 13-2 in playoff games. Schottenheimer is 5-13 and has lost six straight postseason games. The uncanny way in which the Patriots rallied from an eight-point deficit in the final 8:35 is why Belechick could be heading to the Pro Football Hall of Fame once he gives up coaching. Despite 200 career victories -- a total that should qualify him for those honors -- Schottenheimer isn't even guaranteed a job with the Chargers next season despite a 14-3 season.

Schottenheimer may not have gone as conservative in his offensive play-calling as in past playoff eliminations, but the failures against the Patriots hit on a striking theme. The Chargers played not to lose. The Chargers called 19 first-down running plays for LaDainian Tomlinson, including five in which he gained 11 or more yards. Belichick and Tom Brady were all over the place. Brady couldn't find his rhythm in the first half so they junked some two-tight end sets and went to a three-receiver offense, sprinkling in some no-huddle once he got a rhythm.

The Chargers continued playing not to lose, while the Patriots just tried to make enough plays to be one play ahead of San Diego at the end of the game. That strategy is why the Patriots, who were outplayed and somewhat dominated by the Chargers early in the game, sneaked away with a three-point victory and a chance to go against their playoff rivals -- the Indianapolis Colts.

"The definition of mental toughness is not letting anything get to you," Brady said after the game. "It's just staying focused not matter what's swirling around you, just continuing to mentally fight through whatever obstacles there might be, whether that be a certain play or situation or a bunch of things that come up as a football player. We have a bunch of mentally tough guys. Even though it doesn't all go well you still have to believe in yourself and have the confidence that you can go out there and play."

Peyton Manning and the Colts have developed that type of mentality. Despite a run defense that was one of the worst in NFL history during the regular season, the defense tightened up in playoff wins over the Chiefs and Ravens. Manning hasn't played his best but the Colts are winning the type of playoff games they lost in the past. The Patriots have been doing that for years.

Here's the lesson Belichick and Brady taught Schottenheimer and the Chargers on Sunday. Do whatever it takes.

Brady was awful for all but the final drive of the first half. The Chargers executed a solid, conservative game plan. Tomlinson was great on first downs, but the Patriots defense wasn't concerned as long as Tomlinson didn't bust long touchdown runs. Tomlinson wasn't going to beat them with 10-yard runs. Eventually, inexperienced playoff quarterback Philip Rivers had to make a play, and the Patriots were ready to stop him.

The Chargers led 14-3 and could have started running away with the game. Brady was frustrated, but like a hitter who keeps coming to the plate, he still had a chance to hit the home run. Brady completed only four of his first 12 for 38 yards. But he completed five of seven passes in a two-minute drive before the half and hit Jabar Gaffney with a 6-yard touchdown pass to cut the lead to 14-10.

"I couldn't get into a rhythm," Brady said. "We were trying to throw quick stuff. That wasn't working. We tried to throw screens. That wasn't working. We tried to call runs. That wasn't working. We couldn't find any rhythm as an offense. Every time I would come to the sidelines, I'd say, 'Let's try something else."'

Belichick did. Brady went completely to the air in the second half. The Patriots spread the field with three receivers, which is pretty amazing for a team criticized for not wanting to pay receivers David Givens and Deion Branch.

In the second half, Brady completed 18 of 32 passes for 177 yards. Sure, he threw three interceptions on the game. But Belichick kept trying to let Brady improvise and make the plays that would eventually let the Patriots win.

"We kept battling for 60 minutes," Belichick said. "It was a very competitive game. There was an ebb and flow. At times, they had a little bit of the upper hand. At times, we had a little bit of the upper hand. It was a physical, tough football game. We just made one more play than they did."

As he has done so often in these big games, Schottenheimer played the field-position game. The Chargers' average starting point was their 37, but they had three possessions that started at midfield or in Patriots territory. The Chargers had a touchdown and two punts in those possessions. The Patriots had six starts inside their own 20.

Perhaps the strangest call of the game came in the first quarter. Schottenheimer went for a fourth-and-11 instead of attempting a 49-yard field goal by the AFC's Pro Bowl kicker Nate Kaeding. Naturally, the fourth-down play didn't work. The Patriots drove for a 50-yard field goal by rookie, Stephen Gostkowski to take a 3-0 lead.

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"The definition of mental toughness is not letting anything get to you. It's just staying focused not matter what's swirling around you, just continuing to mentally fight through whatever obstacles there might be, whether that be a certain play or situation or a bunch of things that come up as a football player."
Tom Brady, Patriots QB

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"I thought we had a play that we could use that would make the yardage," Schottenheimer said. "The intention was to be very aggressive. I thought we had a play that would get it and Cam Cameron said, 'I've got one' and we went ahead and did it."

That three-point swing came back to haunt the Chargers, as did so many plays Sunday. Things started unraveling in the third and fourth quarters. Chargers cornerback Drayton Florence got a 15-yard unnecessary roughing penalty after Brady was stopped on a third-down sack at the Chargers' 36-yard line. That kept the drive alive, with Gostkowski eventually hitting a 34-yard field goal to cut the Chargers' lead to 14-13.

Tackle Shane Olivea got an unnecessary roughing penalty after an extra point following a Tomlinson TD that put San Diego ahead 21-13 in the fourth quarter. Kicking off from their 15, the Chargers handed great field position to the Patriots.

But after driving to the Chargers' 41, Brady was picked off by Marlon McCree with just over six minutes left in the game. Troy Brown stripped the ball from McCree's hands, though, and Reche Caldwell recovered it, giving the Patriots a first down and new life.

Five plays later, Brady hits Caldwell with a 4-yard touchdown. Kevin Faulk took a direct snap and ran it into the end zone and just like that the game was tied.

The final straw came with 2:31 left in regulation. Brady spotted the Chargers in press man-to-man coverage at the line of scrimmage. He hit Caldwell down the sideline for a 49-yard completion that set up Gostkowski's game-winning 34-yard field goal.

It was the last play the Patriots made to win the game. The Chargers played not to lose. The Patriots played to stay in the game and give themselves a chance to make winning plays. In the end, that's exactly what they did.

John Clayton is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.

Steelers Offensive Coordinator Ken Whisenhunt Is Arizona Cardinals New Head Coach - ESPN

He did place his personal stamp on the Steelers offense and that was more than revealed in Super Bowl XL.

Whisenhunt hired as Cardinals' new head coach
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com

Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, one of the hottest candidates during the current NFL hiring cycle, has signed a four-year contract to become the new head coach of the Arizona Cardinals.

Whisenhunt will be introduced as the successor to Dennis Green at a Tuesday news conference. Financial details of the contract -- which includes a team option for a fifth year -- were not yet available. Based on what the Cardinals have paid coaches in the past, Whisenhunt probably will earn an annual salary in the $2.5 million range.

"I'm really excited," Whisenhunt said by phone Sunday evening. "I really think it's a great opportunity. It's a team with a lot of young talent on both sides of the ball. The more I studied the situation, the better it looked, and the more I wanted that job. I can't wait to get started."

Whisenhunt, 44, met for a second time with Arizona officials on Friday, as the Cardinals continued their follow-up round of interviews aimed at finding a new coach. The Cardinals interviewed eight candidates in the initial round, then brought back Houston Texans assistant head coach Mike Sherman and Whisenhunt for second interviews.

"In the end, we felt that Ken was the best fit for this organization," said Rod Graves, Cardinals vice president for football operations, "and we felt that because of the leadership that he portrayed. He presented a well-organized and thorough plan moving forward. We liked it.''

The second interview went well and the two sides opened negotiations on Saturday. There had been reports the Cardinals first offered the position to Sherman, but team officials denied that.

"It became apparent to us, particularly when we got into the second phase of our interview process, that Ken began to separate himself from the other candidates," Graves said.

Whisenhunt also interviewed for openings with the Steelers, the Atlanta Falcons and Miami Dolphins.

An Atlanta native who played collegiately at Georgia Tech, and then played tight end for the Falcons for four (1985-88) of his nine NFL seasons, Whisenhunt certainly seems a good fit for a Cardinals team that is loaded with young offensive talent.

Arizona was seeking a coach to work with quarterback Matt Leinart, and Whisenhunt's development of Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh impressed the Cardinals' brass. Arizona also has solid young players on defense and Whisenhunt might retain current coordinator Clancy Pendergast to lead that unit.

A fearless playcaller, and adept at creating advantageous matchups, Whisenhunt has been Pittsburgh's offensive coordinator since 2004. Under his stewardship, the Steelers' offense statistically ranked No. 7 in the NFL in 2006. The Steelers were 16th in 2004 and 15th in 2005, when they won Super Bowl XL.

Although some perceive Whisenhunt's strengths as the creative use of formations, motion and personnel packages, he also believes in a power-based running game.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior writer for ESPN.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Jack Baeur Bites Artery Of Bad Guy And Donald Trump's Apprentice

I saw the first episode of "24" and while I was waiting for The Apprentice to come on. OK. I admit it. I'm an Apprentice junkie. But I've got some disagreement with the idea of having it in LA. It's nothing against LA. But it's just that The Apprentice is a show with a distinctively New York cut. It doesn't mix with LA. Thus, it comes at no surprise that "24's" Jack Bauer bit the artery out of the bad guy and The Apprentice with one chomp.

Wait? Biting? Yep. Biting.

It was a move distinctively Jack Baeur. Creative. Unexpected. Necessary. Efficient. Brutal. And it's acts like that which keep even Apprentice junkies like me looking at the show, when I'm suppose to turn the channel. It's hard to do.

But eventually I did and watched Trump's show with my Mom. It was the usual Apprentice formula. But this time, this brotha named Carey decided he was going to let his being Gay impact a business decision. This dude insisted on wearing a pair of tight pink shorts no normal man would be caught in. The idea was that clothing buyers were going to buy those shorts! No way. But Carey insisted on the design and on his wearing it on a fashion runway.

As you might have guessed, Carey got fired.

I don't know what happened to the end of the "24" two hour episode, but it was so good it made me think twice about what I did. But in the end I know why. I'm an Apprentice junkie, but if Baeur keeps up his run of unexpected bites, I could become a "24" junkiee, too.

Eric Clapton's Layla - An Enduring Song - Video

This is perhaps one of the most popular songs in the history of modern music. Layla as performed by Eric Clapton has been in commercials, spoofed, and copied many times over.

According to Wikipedia, Layla...

is the title track on the Derek and the Dominos album Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, released in December 1970. It is considered one of rock music's definitive love songs,[2] featuring an unmistakable guitar figure, played by Eric Clapton and Duane Allman, as lead-in. Its famously contrasting movements were composed separately by Clapton and Jim Gordon.
Inspired by Clapton's unrequited love for Pattie Boyd, the wife of his friend George Harrison, "Layla" was unsuccessful on its initial release.[3] The song has since experienced great critical and popular acclaim. Two versions have achieved chart success, first in 1972 and again twenty years later.

Background

In 1966, George Harrison married Pattie Boyd, a model he met during the filming of A Hard Day's Night. During the late 1960s, Clapton and Harrison, as two of the top English guitarists of the day, became firm friends. Clapton contributed guitar work on Harrison's song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" on The Beatles' White Album, and Harrison played guitar pseudonymously on Cream's "Badge" from Goodbye. However, trouble was brewing for Clapton. His supergroups Cream and Blind Faith had broken apart, his growing drug use would lead to a life-threatening heroin addiction, and, when Boyd came to Clapton for aid during marital troubles, Clapton fell desperately in love with her.

The title, "Layla", was inspired by a love story, The Story of Layla / Layla and Majnun (ليلى ومجنون), by the Persian classical poet Nezami. When he wrote "Layla", Clapton had recently been given a copy of the story by a friend (reportedly Ian Dallas)[5] who was in the process of converting to Islam. Nezami's tale, about a moon-princess who was married off by her father to someone other than the man who was desperately in love with her, resulting in his madness (in Persian, Majnun, مجنون, means "madman"), struck a deep chord with Clapton.[4]
Boyd divorced Harrison in 1977 and married Clapton in 1979. Harrison was not bitter about the divorce and attended Clapton's wedding with Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. During their marriage, Clapton wrote another love ballad for her, "Wonderful Tonight". Their marriage later developed difficulties over Clapton's alcoholism and his extramarital affair with Yvonne Khan Kelly, and in 1985 he left Boyd altogether for Italian model Lori del Santo, with whom he had a child. Clapton and Boyd divorced in 1989 after several years of separation. Boyd currently lives with the property developer Rod Weston.

In an interview with Songfacts, Bobby Whitlock, who was a member of Derek and the Dominos and good friends with both Harrison and Clapton, explains the situation between Clapton and Pattie around the time he wrote Layla:

“ I was there when they were supposedly sneaking around. You don't sneak very well when you're a world figure. He was all hot on Pattie and I was dating her sister. They had this thing going on that supposedly was behind George's back. Well, George didn't really care. He said, 'You can have her.' That kind of defuses it when Eric says, 'I'm taking your wife' and he says, 'Take her.' They got married and evidently, she wasn't what he wanted after all. The hunt was better than the kill. That happens, but apparently Pattie is real happy now with some guy who's not a guitar player. Good for her and good for Eric for moving on with his life. George got on with his life, that's for sure.

Michael Strahan To Pay Ex-Wife $15 Million - That's Not His Wife

One tall drink of water...
Originally uploaded by Amy Loo Who.

That's a woman named Amy and they're not dating but I'm sure she wishes otherwise given her description of the photo. It's a picture taken at the Coors Convention in Hawaii. Now as for Michael Strahan, he's to pay his wife $15 million because of a prenuptual agreement he signed.

Here's the story...

NEWARK, N.J. AP — A judge has ordered NFL star Michael Strahan to pay his ex-wife $15.3 million — more than half-his net worth — holding the defensive end to the prenuptial agreement he signed.

Under the agreement, Jean Strahan was entitled to 50 percent of their joint marital assets and 20 percent of his yearly income from each year they were married.

Strahan had claimed that he wasn't responsible for the 20 percent because his wife failed to ask for it every year.

But state Superior Court Judge James Convery disagreed, saying in his ruling that "the plaintiff is not credible in his claim that the defendant never asked for her separate funds."

In addition to the $15.3 million, Convery awarded Jean Strahan hundreds of thousands of dollars in child support

Jean, who married the football player in 1999, said she was elated with the ruling.

"It pays to tell the truth, and I told the truth," she told the New York Post for Saturday editions. "I never asked for a penny more than the prenup that Michael and his lawyers wrote and made me sign. And all I ever asked for was that to be upheld."

Carolyn Kepcher From The Apprentice At Another After Party

Carolyn Apprentice, originally uploaded by charlespham.

Here's Carolyn Kepcher at another Apprentice After Party, this one after season 5 of the show. She's with photog Charles Pham.

The Apprentice Carolyn Kepcher with Arleen and PopVulture

carolyn with arleen and me, take 1, originally uploaded by popvulture.

Carolyn Kepcher, the star of all of the Apprentice shows until Donald Trump fired her last fall, is seen here with the ever-smling PopVulture at the 2005 Apprentice After Party.

George Ross From The Trump Organization With Arleen and PopVulture

george with arleen and me, originally uploaded by popvulture.

The ever-daring and present PopVulture is in this photo of George taken at the 2005 Apprentice After Party, and who appeared on The Apprentice from the first year to 2006.

Sugar Ray Leonard and PopVulture At The Apprentice 2005 After Party

sugar ray leonard and me, originally uploaded by popvulture.

What's Sugar Ray Leonard doing at the 2005 Apprentce After Party? Well, he's working with Mark Burnett on the then-new "Contender" show, so I guess he got invited! Anyway, PopVulture gets around!

Omarosa From The Apprentice 1 Gets Down At The 2005 After Party

omarosa gets down, originally uploaded by popvulture.

Actiing every bit as one would expect, according to PopVulture, Omaroda, the famously outspoken and energetic face of the first Apprentice, holds court at the 2005 After Party.

Craig From Apprentice 3 with Jen, Arleen, and PopVulture

craig with jen, arleen, and me, originally uploaded by popvulture.

If you remember, Craig famously tangled with Kendra Todd on Apprentice 3, and came in second to her. He's here with PopVulture and her friends.

Tana At The Apprentice After Party With "PopVulture"

tana and me, originally uploaded by popvulture.

PopVulture gets around. Here's another photo of her with The Apprentice second-place finisher Tana at the same 2005 after-party.

Kendra Todd And "PopVulture" At The 2005 Apprentice After Party

kendra and me, originally uploaded by popvulture.

Kendra Todd won Season 3 of "The Apprentice." PopVulture's friend Chris Tragos snapped this photo of her with Kendra at "The Apprentice" Season 3 after-party at Planet Hollywood in New York City. It seems that PopVulture is in the media business, and so was invited to the event.

The Apprentice, Randall In NYC 2005

The Apprentice, originally uploaded by spychic.

Back in April, I this person happened upon a group filming a reality TV show and snapped a few shots. Little did I know he was later to become the winner of THE APPRENTICE.

Congratulations Randall!

[Filming of the "The Apprentice", NYC , April 14, 2005]

NFC Divisional Playoffs - New Orleans Saints Beat The Philadelphia Eagles 27-24

Big-play Saints ride magic carpet into NFC title game
Photo Wire

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Who needs Mardi Gras when you're one game from the Super Bowl?

Deuce McAllister and rookie sensation Reggie Bush gave this battered city a reason to throw itself a party, carrying the New Orleans Saints where they've never been before -- one game from the Super Bowl.

To constant chants of "DEUCE!" or "REG-GIE! REG-GIE!" the Saints used an assortment of spectacular plays to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 27-24.

"This year, some things have happened for us and it's like, wow, this may be destiny," McAllister said.

Outside the Lines
"Outside the Lines" (Sunday on ESPN, 9:30 a.m. ET), takes a look at Peyton Manning's legacy. Full details
"It means everything," Bush said. "All that stuff we went through as a team, these are the type of games we live for. And this game is even bigger for the city."

The Saints are the first team in NFL history to make a conference championship after losing 13 or more games the previous season.

With victory secured for the Saints (11-6) on McAllister's powerful rushes for a clinching first down to run out the clock, team owner Tom Benson did his "Benson Boogie" on the field. The players hugged and saluted their long-suffering fans while a jazz band belted out tunes.

"I think it means a tremendous amount," quarterback Drew Brees said. "You could see it and feel it after the game, people still standing and yelling and screaming."

It was the veteran McAllister with his two touchdowns and team playoff mark of 143 yards rushing, and the rookie Bush with his collection of magnificent moves, that made the difference in the raucous Superdome.

"It's my first opportunity to be in the playoffs, I didn't want to be one and out," McAllister said. "I didn't want to say, 'If I had done this or prepared differently, we would have been successful.'

"It's just the determination of this team and this city -- to give them everything we have."

Even after Brees' high pitchout got away from Bush with 3:18 remaining and Philadelphia recovering, the Saints would not be denied. Their defense held Brian Westbrook, who was brilliant for the Eagles (11-7), near midfield.

McAllister became the first Saints player to rush for more than 100 yards in the playoffs.

"Deuce was fantastic tonight and they weren't going to stop him," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "He ran his heart out."

McAllister scored on a 5-yard run and an 11-yard pass in the third quarter.

The Eagles, who won six in a row after losing quarterback Donovan McNabb, got a superb performance from Westbrook, who rushed for 116 yards and scored twice, including a 62-yard run that was a franchise playoff record.

Quarterback Jeff Garcia's run of success ended, but he combined with former Saints receiver Donte' Stallworth on an Eagles-record 75-yard touchdown in the first half.

McAllister, who missed 11 games last season with a knee injury, has been overshadowed by the spectacular Bush and surprising seventh-round draft pick Marques Colston. But he came through when he was needed most against the NFC's hottest team.

So did Bush, the 2005 Heisman Trophy winner whose arrival after Houston passed on him in the draft lifted the spirits of the Gulf Region. He scored on an eye-popping 4-yard run in the first half and had an equally scintillating 25-yarder to set up one of John Carney's two field goals.

So let the parties begin -- at least until the conference title game.

"There's still a lot of work to be done," said Payton, the NFL Coach of the Year. "We just hope we can put a little kick in their step Monday and Tuesday, and give them something to look forward to next weekend."

McAllister's 28-yard run set up Carney's 33-yard field goal for an early lead. And Carney's 23-yarder in the second quarter that made it 6-0 also was the result of a long run -- by Bush.

The rookie started to his right, but with a bunch of Eagles in his way, he reversed field. After faking going down the middle, he sped to the left sideline and picked up 25 yards.

Brees then threw his best pass of the half for a 35-yard gain to Devery Henderson behind Rod Hood, who was in for injured Lito Sheppard, Philadelphia's best cover cornerback.

Garcia trumped that with his perfect pass to Stallworth beyond Fred Thomas, the longest pass play and longest touchdown in Philly's playoff history.

The Saints accepted the challenge and marched 78 yards in 14 plays. Bush pulled off another stunner when, from the Eagles 4, he was stopped up the middle, broke right and outraced the defense to the corner of the end zone for a 13-7 lead.

But Philly's resourcefulness on third downs highlighted an 80-yard drive to the go-ahead TD on a 1-yard leap over the pile by Westbrook. Garcia found Reggie Brown for 32 yards and Hank Baskett for 25 on third-down plays, with both receivers wide open.

The half ended in confusion. First, punter Steve Weatherford gained 15 yards and a first down when he saw his kick was about to be blocked and he took off to the right. Then Brees' desperation pass into a group in the end zone momentarily was caught by Colston. William James then ripped it loose, and the Saints stayed on the field hoping for a video review by the replay booth. The Eagles, meanwhile, headed to the locker room, soon followed by the officials.

Game notes
Eagles All-Pro tackle Shawn Andrews injured his neck in the first half and was taken to a hospital with swelling. ... Eagles LB Shawn Barber injured his ankle. ... The Saints also beat the Eagles 27-24 here during the season. ... Stallworth finished with 100 yards on three catches for Philly, while Colston had five for 55 and seldom-used tight end Billy Miller caught four passes for 64 yards for the Saints.

Indianapolis Colts Beat The Baltimore Ravens 15-6 - Full Recap - ESPN

Vinatieri boots five FGs, boosts Colts over Ravens
Photo Wire

Baltimore Ravens quarterback Steve McNair wipes his face in the closing minutes of the AFC divisional playoff...
(AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy)

BALTIMORE (AP) -- Peyton Manning couldn't get Indianapolis into the end zone and, for once, it didn't matter.

That's because Adam Vinatieri provided the Colts with all the offense they needed to advance to the AFC championship game.

Signed during the offseason specifically for his playoff experience, Vinatieri kicked five field goals Saturday to put his name in the NFL record book and carry Indianapolis past the Baltimore Ravens 15-6.

"Adam's been exceptional all year," Colts coach Tony Dungy said. "You just feel like you're going to make it every time when he goes out there. In games like this, it's necessary."

Although unspectacular, Manning was efficient enough to make up for some of his previous playoff failures and keep alive his hope of playing in the Super Bowl for the first time. All he needed to do was get the Colts close enough for Vinatieri, who did the rest.

"I'm not sure if we ever won one before in the nine years I've played here without scoring a touchdown. My guess is no," Manning said. "You want to get touchdowns and it was frustrating to have to settle for field goals. But we saw how our defense was playing early, and we thought field goals would be enough -- if we got enough of them."

Vinatieri won two Super Bowls with late field goals and scored 117 points in the postseason for New England. He was signed by Indianapolis as a free agent to replace Mike Vanderjagt, who missed a 46-yard field goal with 17 seconds left last season in the Colts' 21-18 playoff loss to Pittsburgh.

Vinatieri justified the acquisition with a flawless performance against the Ravens, connecting on field goal tries of 23, 42, 51, 48 and 35 yards. The fourth kick gave him an NFL-record 33 career postseason field goals.

"Baltimore is the No. 1 defense in the league. Points are at a premium with them," Vinatieri said. "It's hard to score on those guys. The way our defense played -- they stepped up and kept them out of the end zone the whole time -- sometimes you win like that."

Indianapolis (14-4) never trailed in eliminating the No. 2-seeded Ravens (13-4), who were coming off a first-round bye and poised to extract a measure of revenge against the franchise that broke the hearts of Baltimore fans by sneaking out of the city to Indianapolis in March 1984.

"This football team is as disappointed as our fans are, which is matched tenfold by the players," Ravens coach Brian Billick said. "(The fans) were deserving of better than that, but it just wasn't going to happen and we will move forward now."

Not until next year. The third-seeded Colts, however, will next face the winner of Sunday's game between San Diego and New England. If the Patriots win, the game will be in Indianapolis.

Vinatieri, who kicked three field goals last week against Kansas City, broke the mark of 32 held by Gary Anderson. The record-setting kick came with 10:57 left in the third quarter and put the Colts ahead 12-3.

That was enough support for a defense that during the regular season finished last against the run. The Colts didn't allow a touchdown, held Jamal Lewis to 53 yards rushing and also forced four turnovers -- intercepting Steve McNair twice and recovering two fumbles.

"You can't turn the ball over in a championship-style game," Billick said. "That's an awful lot to overcome."

Like Vinatieri, McNair was obtained during the offseason because of his success in the playoffs. With McNair leading the way, the Ravens finished with nine wins in 10 games for the best regular-season record in franchise history.

But he went 18-of-29 for only 173 yards, and Baltimore managed only two field goals by Matt Stover in its first playoff game since 2003.

Manning finished 15-of-30 for 170 yards. The victory improved his career playoff record to 5-6.

Baltimore fans were looking forward to this game since the Colts advanced with a 23-8 win over Kansas City last week. Many in Baltimore have never really gotten over the Colts' move to Indianapolis nearly 23 years ago, and those emotions came to the forefront Saturday.

In a tribute to former Baltimore Colts quarterback John Unitas, who wore No. 19, someone in the lower deck unfurled a sign that read: "19 WILL ALWAYS BE BETTER THAN 18," the number worn by Manning.

The record crowd of 71,162 did all it could to hinder Manning's calls at the line, but he appeared undaunted by the noise from the outset. After the Ravens went three-and-out on their first possession, Manning put together an 11-play drive that produced a field goal.

The volume of the crowd dimmed even further during the ensuing drive, when Ravens tight end Todd Heap lost a fumble at the Baltimore 31 after being hit by Colts cornerback Nick Harper. Referees ruled Heap down, reversed the call after Dungy challenged the call, and Vinatieri followed with a field goal for a 6-0 lead.

Baltimore halved the deficit with a 40-yard field goal early in the second quarter. Ed Reed then picked off a pass by Manning, and the Ravens moved to the Indianapolis 5 before Antoine Bethea intercepted McNair's third-down throw at the 1.

It was the closest Baltimore would get to scoring a touchdown.

The Colts then held the ball for six minutes before Vinatieri kicked a 51-yard field goal that hit the crossbar and bounced through.

"I don't want to say I missed it. I just didn't hit it as good as I could," Vinatieri said. "Thank goodness it was just long enough."

AFC Divisonal Playoffs - Colts Outphysical Baltimore Ravens, 15 to 6

There's more on this, but it should noted that the Colts basically beat the Ravens at their own game of a strong running attack and stout defense. They now will play in the AFC Championship Game.

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue At The World Bowl XIV Press Conference

P1040361, originally uploaded by Tauri41.

No. NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue's not doing a sofft drink taste test, but waiting for a good question to come out of the audience of media types during the World Bowl.

Ray Anderson Eyes A Rum Cake At The NFL Holiday Office Party

Ray (my boss) and Keenan (in blue sweater) - looking over the rum cake, originally uploaded by kriscuz.

Ray Anderson, the NFL's Senior Vice President Of Football Operations and formerly of the Atlanta Falcons, is seen at the right (white shirt) in this photo from the NFL Holiday Open House eyeing a particularly tasty - looking rum cake.

The other person is "Keenan" who I don't know but works with the person who took the photo. On the other hand I met Ray at the Leigh Steinberg Super Bowl Party in Houston in 2004.

NFL Holiday Open House Party In Full Swing

In full swing, originally uploaded by kriscuz.

Here's another photo set from the NFL Holiday Open House Party. This just shows the event in full swing. You can see the throng of office workers meeting and greeting each other.

NFL Headquarters - Commissioner Roger Goodell in Background (in Blue shirt)

Lining the hall - Commissioner Goodell in background (in blue shirt), originally uploaded by kriscuz.

If you've ever wondered what an NFL office party looks like, here you go. This is a holiday party photo I found on Flickr and it features new NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell enjoying a little holiday cheer beer with NFL staffers. A bit of a tight fit for all in the cubicle enviroment, but chummy none the less.

The photo shows why Goodell's so well liked. He doesn't place himself above anyone else and treats all with the respect they deserve. He's "one of the guys" without being so much so that his position is compromised.

NBC NFL Rock Stars Glass Wall Overlooking Midtown

NBC NFL rock stars2.JPG
Originally uploaded by swingsha.

If you've ever wondered where that NBC glass wall that features the "Rock Stars" after each NFL Sunday Night Football telecast was located, here it is. It's right at the top of 30 Rock itself in New York City's Midtown Manhattan, and hence the term "Rock Stars."

NY Giants Give A Great Example Of A 4-3 Overset Front

IMG_7447
Originally uploaded by jacorbett70.

This defensive front was first used by the Pittsburgh Steelers and is now popularized by the Tampa Bay Bucs and Indy Colts, both coached by Tony Dungy. The idea of the front -- where the weakside defensive tackle is at an angle on the center and the strongside tackle playing between center and guard in what's called a "Three Technique" -- is to make the offensive line constrict, closing off running lanes and makikng an more effective pass rush.

Golden State Gamble - At Least Arnold's Adressing The Problem

Some economists are attacking Governor Schwarzenegger's plan for a kind of universal health care coverage.

But I give him credit for trying something that many have talked about but never actually attempted. It's a very democratic proposal. But more to the point, it does work to solve a real problem and that is the lack of health care coverage in the state of California.

Let's do it and see how we can make it better.

Is Sophia Bush The Next "Wonder Woman"?

Joss Whedon, in the seemingly eternal process of writing and casting the Wonder Woman Movie, has reportedly made an offer to Sophia Bush.

Who's she?

This is Sophia Bush's resume:

Actress - filmography

"One Tree Hill" .... Brooke Davis (81 episodes, 2003-2007)
- Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (2007) TV Episode .... Brooke Davis
- Pictures of You (2007) TV Episode .... Brooke Davis
- Resolve (2007) TV Episode .... Brooke Davis
- Everything in it's Right Place (2007) TV Episode .... Brooke Davis
- Songs to Love and Die By (2006) TV Episode .... Brooke Davis
(76 more)
The Hitcher (2007) .... Grace Andrews
John Tucker Must Die (2006) .... Beth
Stay Alive (2006) .... October
Supercross (2005) .... Zoe Lang
"Nip/Tuck" .... Ridley (3 episodes, 2003)
- Cliff Mantegna (2003) TV Episode .... Ridley
- Megan O'Hara (2003) TV Episode .... Ridley
- Nanette Babcock (2003) TV Episode .... Ridley
Learning Curves (2003) .... Beth
"Sabrina, the Teenage Witch" .... Fate Mackenzie (1 episode, 2003)
... aka Sabrina (USA: promotional abbreviation)
... aka Sabrina Goes to College (USA: promotional title)
- Romance Looming (2003) TV Episode .... Fate Mackenzie
The Flannerys (2003) (TV)
Point of Origin (2002) (TV) .... Carrie Orr
... aka In the Heat of Fire (Europe: English title: DVD title)
Van Wilder (2002) .... Sally
... aka Van Wilder: Party Liaison (Australia) (Philippines: English title) (UK) (USA: working title)
... aka National Lampoon's Van Wilder (USA: complete title)
... aka Party Animals - ... wilder geht's nicht! (Germany)

Filmography as: Actress, Self

Self - filmography

Grrrl Power (2006) (V) .... Herself
"Punk'd" .... Herself (1 episode, 2005)
- Episode #6.2 (2005) TV Episode .... Herself
"Late Show with David Letterman" .... Herself (1 episode, 2005)
... aka Late Show Backstage (USA: title for episodes with guest hosts)
... aka The Late Show (USA: informal short title)
- Episode dated 21 January 2005 (2005) TV Episode .... Herself
"Total Request Live" .... Herself (1 episode, 2004)
... aka TRL (USA: promotional abbreviation)
... aka Total Request with Carson Daly (USA)
- Episode dated 1 November 2004 (2004) TV Episode .... Herself

For me, she lacks the Wonder Woman well-muscled body, so I remain skeptical.

Tim Lewis gone from Giants staff

'D' leader Lewis gets axed-See my Comments at the end....
BY ARTHUR STAPLE
Newsday Staff Writer

January 12, 2007

Tom Coughlin began his staff house-cleaning yesterday, firing defensive coordinator Tim Lewis. No replacement was named.

Lewis, 42, presided over the 25th-ranked defense in the NFL, down from 24th in 2005 and 13th in 2004, his first season with the team. Injuries were a major issue throughout Lewis' tenure. The Giants lost Michael Strahan for a total of 16 games, and in 2005 were without a slew of linebackers.

But Lewis' Cover-2 scheme didn't provide enough good pass defense the past two years, even with a pair of Pro Bowl ends in 2005. The Giants were 27th against the pass in 2005 and 28th this season.

"Different things happened," said linebacker LaVar Arrington, who suffered a torn Achilles tendon Oct. 23 just as he was starting to grasp the system better. "When you have a successful team, they usually feed off one another. Whatever their strengths are, you play to it. You make sure you lean toward your strengths, knowing what your weaknesses are. We just have to find that balance. And whenever you have a team as talented as the Giants that doesn't accomplish enough, somebody has to take the rap for it. Sometimes it's the players, sometimes it's coaches."

The Giants might have an interest in Dolphins defensive coordinator Dom Capers, who was Coughlin's coordinator with the Jaguars from 1999-2001. According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Capers turned down requests to be interviewed for the defensive coordinator jobs with the Falcons and Cowboys after he interviewed for the Dolphins' vacant head-coaching job.

Lewis also interviewed for that job, and he was a popular candidate last January, interviewing for five head-coaching slots. He was the Steelers' defensive coordinator from 2000-2003 after five seasons as their secondary coach.

Of the defensive assistants on the Giants' staff, line coach Mike Waufle has the best chance of being retained, having improved his group greatly during his three seasons. Linebackers coach Bill Sheridan also is popular, though his unit has been ravaged by injuries.

My Slant:
Ok so we knew this would happen, even if it wasn't all Lewis' fault because of the injuries. The cover-2 scheme wasn't working with the personnel here. Dom Capers isn't a bad coach either. Our intel informs us Capers is one of the candidates to replace Lewis. He's had his share of successes as well as failures. the Question is: what makes Coughlin think that Capers would do well here? Is Dom the guy he really wanted three years ago when he got the Job? Capers was still coaching the Houston Texans then, his second expansion franchise.
Many People are apt to say that The NFL just keeps recycling Old Coaches, not giving enough chances to new blood.
But look at what happens when college coaches try to make a jump to the Pros. How many have had even short term sucess?

Brian Schottenheimer could be headed To Miami

Schottenheimer in demand
Huizenga's plane makes stop at Republic Airport so Dolphins can talk to young offensive coordinator-see my end notes

BY TOM ROCK
Newsday Staff Writer

January 11, 2007

The Dolphins spoke with Jets offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer about their vacant head-coaching position yesterday, the first of what could be many nibbles at the son of Chargers coach Marty Schottenheimer, who is an up-and-comer in the eyes of many NFL insiders.

Shortly after the private 737 owned by Dolphins owner Wayne Huizenga spent the morning at Newark Airport, where the Dolphins spoke with Giants defensive coordinator Tim Lewis, the plane flew to Farmingdale's Republic Airport for an on-board, tarmac-bound meeting with Schottenheimer, according to a Dolphins official who requested anonymity.

According to flight reports, Huizenga's plane was at Republic for approximately 2 1/2 hours before flying to Detroit and a meeting with Lions offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Over the weekend, the plane also went to Costa Rica, where USC coach Pete Carroll was vacationing.

The search to replace Nick Saban is far from narrow, with more than a dozen coaches expected to meet with Dolphins ownership and management for pre-interviews in the coming days. After that, the group will be whittled down to three or four for more in-depth interviews in Miami, according to the Dolphins official.

Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum yesterday confirmed the Dolphins' interest in Schottenheimer and said the Jets have a "short list" of contingency candidates if they need to replace Schottenheimer - or any coach or player, for that matter. Running backs coach Jimmy Raye was offensive coordinator for five NFL teams, and wide receivers coach Noel Mazzone had that job at three colleges, but the Jets are just as likely to look outside the organization.

"If that situation were to present itself, we would consider in-house people and other coaches that would be available," Tannenbaum said. "It is like any other search. You want to get the best person that you can."

If Schottenheimer leaves, it would mean a fourth different offensive coordinator for the Jets in four years.

Schottenheimer is considered by many to have the makings of an NFL head coach, including a gregarious personality and a mind for the game. His limitation is lack of experience, but the Jets have shown that taking a chance on a young, developing coach can produce results.

Like Eric Mangini before he took the top Jets job last winter, Schottenheimer has only one year of experience as a coordinator. But in that year he impressed many around the league with his innovative no-huddle system based on the West Coast offense and loaded with shifts and misdirection.

The Jets' offense was ranked 25th in the NFL in yardage and 18th in scoring. Those are hardly staggering numbers, but Schottenheimer matched the system to his personnel very well, playing to strengths (Chad Pennington's intelligence) and sidestepping weaknesses (no feature running back). They used short passes to receivers as "extended handoffs" and tinkered with combinations of receivers, tight ends and running backs.

Schottenheimer, 33, was his father's quarterbacks coach for the Chargers from 2002-05 and for the Redskins in 2001. Under his guidance, two quarterbacks have won the NFL Comeback Player of the Year award: Drew Brees in 2004 and Pennington in 2006. The Dolphins may hope to sprinkle some of that comeback magic on Daunte Culpepper for 2007.

When Saban bolted for Alabama last week, Mangini was asked about the possibility of members of his staff interviewing for the job at a division rival. His own such move is a main source of the tension between him and Patriots coach Bill Belichick.

"It's part of the nature of the NFL," he said. "People change and move on, and through success, opportunities are created. Sometimes those opportunities are at different places. That's just the nature of the business."

The Dolphins might wind up passing on Schottenheimer, but the first branch of the Mangini coaching tree could be springing forth in the very near future.

And my Slant: This Kid is the reason Why Pennington is the comback player of the year. From the moment i saw him operate at Jets camp last summer, I knew he was the real deal, like his Dad. Infact when the Jets Offense had a miscue he made them run a lap while he foamed at the mouth(also just like daddy)! It would be a big loss for the Jets if he left.