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Wednesday, January 4, 2012

?72 Summit Series was Canada?s most important battle in the Cold War

Before Mike Eruzione, there was Paul Henderson.

If you don?t recognize the second name, you?re not alone. While most American sports fans have at least a passing familiarity with ?The Miracle on Ice,? few are aware that the extension of the Cold War to international ice hockey began in earnest eight years earlier when a team from the Soviet Union and an all-star squad of Canadian NHL players faced off in the 1972 Summit Series.

The eight-game series featured some of the most compelling ? and violent ? ice hockey ever played, as the entire Canadian nation suddenly found itself on the front lines of the global propaganda battle against Communism.

To date, most accounts of the series have come from Canadian or Russian sources, but that changed yesterday with the debut of ?Cold War on Ice: Summit Series ?72,? on the NBC Sports Network.

The documentary is the brainchild of Ross Greenburg, the television producer best known for his long association with HBO Sports, where he produced programs like ?Sports of the 20th Century,? ?Real Sports? and ?Hard Knocks.? No longer with the pay cable giant, Greenburg is now producing programming in conjunction with the NHL, and this 90-minute film is the first project out of the box for the new venture.

To borrow a term from another sport, the result is an absolute home run. Mixing vintage footage with contemporary interviews with many of the players who did battle with one another, ?Cold War on Ice? successfully evokes a time when every sports battle with the Russians was a proxy for the showdown between East and West. It is not to be missed.

The program will re-air on the NBC Sports Network on January 8 at 10:30 p.m., Janaury 9 at 7:00 p.m. and January 12 at 9:30 p.m.

Eric McErlain blogs at?Off Wing Opinion, a Forbes ?Best of the Web? winner. In 2006 he wrote a ?bloggers bill of rights? to help? integrate bloggers into the Washington Capitals? press box. Eric has also written for Deadspin, NBC Sports and the Sporting News, and covers sports television for The TV News.?Follow Eric on Twitter.

Source: http://dailycaller.com/2012/01/03/72-summit-series-was-canadas-most-important-battle-in-the-cold-war/

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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

NBA: Ron Artest Reveals Why He Decided to Change His Name to Metta World Peace

If you?ve ever had the chance to talk withRon Artest?or?Metta World Peace, you?re in for a treat. Always the most interesting man in the locker room, you know you?re going to get a real answer instead of a rehearsed one. But for some reason, the Lakers swingman has been mum on the reasoning behind his name change, until now. ?Read more after the jump.

@Shay_Marie x @gametimegirl

From Sports Radio Interviews:

?A lot of people ask me that. ? It?s a question that I really don?t need to answer. If you look at what?s happening in the world, it?s pretty much self-explanatory. I think it?s something that was cool. I am a different type of person. I like to do things different and I always like to have fun. I like to entertain. At the same time, anytime I get a chance to get a good message across, I do that. I think it?s good for kids to see that all the stuff they see on the news that?s going on internationally, that people do want to change.?

Change seems to be the operative word for World Peace this season. Not only on the back of his jersey, but with his role on the Lakers.?Mike Brown?decided to bring him off the bench and have him lead the second unit after starting all 82 games in L.A. last season. In fact, until this year, World Peace had started every regular season game he played in since arriving in 2009. With the Lakers off to a 2-2 start, it?s going to be an uphill battle all season.

?I think we?ve just got to work hard,? he said. ?It?s going to be a lot of hard work and nothing?s going to be given to us. For the most part, it?s like starting from square one.?

DIME

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Source: http://www.inflexwetrust.com/2012/01/01/nba-ron-artest-reveals-why-he-decided-to-change-his-name-to-metta-world-peace/

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Katy Perry And Russell Brand's Divorce 'Not A Surprise'

'They were a sort of odd, mismatched pair,' celebrity-news expert says.
By Jocelyn Vena

Russell Brand and Katy Perry in 2010
Photo: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

While fans of Katy Perry and Russell Brand might be surprised by the news of their divorce, those who work in the celebrity world are hardly shocked by the news. Celebrity-news experts say that from the beginning, the pair struck them as an odd couple, despite their equally charming and eccentric personalities.

"From the get-go, I thought they were a sort of odd, mismatched pair," David Caplan, a noted celebrity-news editor who has worked at publications such as People and Star, explained to MTV News. "She's so glamorous, pop and sexy, and he is diametrically not like that. He's a nice and funny guy, and from my encounters with her, I found her to be funny, have a sarcastic edge and a blast, but they weren't a match. Plus, she's more of a partier than he now, so their lifestyles were at odds."

See a timeline of Katy Perry and Russell Brand's relationship.

Despite what anyone may have thought or what rumors about the pair were swirling in the lead-up to the announcement, the twosome always seemed intent on denying the reports. "Katy and Russell's split is not a surprise," Caplan said. "It's one of those celeb splits where the writing was on the wall for months, so much so that they denied any marital trouble on 'The Ellen DeGeneres Show' several weeks ago, which is uncommon for celebs to acknowledge tabloids reports.

"But then came news this week that they had a big blowup and spent Christmas apart," he added. "Very far apart — she in Hawaii, and he in London. You don't get much farther apart! Plus, in between 'Ellen' and Christmas, there were multiple reports of them on the rocks. And unlike so many other rumblings about celeb couples on the skids, this was totally true, and they clearly decided not to keep it a secret and just put on a happy front."

However, it seems that as much as they wanted to squelch talk of a breakup, in the end, it all came crashing down. "Katy and Russell's marriage has been under pressure for some time," said Rob Shuter, columnist for HuffPost Celebrity. "I'm surprised Russell did so many interviews denying the troubles. The truth always comes out. When a married couple choose not to spend the holidays together, you know something is up, if they are celebs or just regular folks."

Perry and Brand announced their split Friday, after one year of marriage. While Brand released a statement about the separation, as of press time, Perry had yet to speak about it.

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Monday, January 2, 2012

Legal Skills Prof Blog: The Legal Brief: The New Paradigm

? Happy New Year | Main | Tip for new lawyers: Using timesheets to impress clients ?

January 1, 2012

The Legal Brief: The New Paradigm

Attorney David Perlman argues that recent years have given rise to a? new paradigm for legal briefs:

The new paradigm has five essential

elements. A brief should state a theme

at the outset; relay the facts through

a flowing, engaging story, creating

an initial impression of who should

prevail; zero in on the essential legal

authority, yet, at the same time, anchor

legal argument to underlying policies

and principles; display a literary style

that is relaxed, conversational, and nonpedantic;

and appeal to the eye.

The full article appears in the Fall 2011 issue of the Philadelphia Lawyer and is well worth reading.

(ljs)

January 1, 2012 | Permalink

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Sunday, January 1, 2012

Afghan president welcomes US remarks on Taliban

FILE - In this Sept. 20, 2011 file photo, President Barack Obama meets with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in New York. The Obama administration hopes to restore momentum in the spring to U.S. talks with the Taliban insurgency that had reached a critical point before falling apart this month because of objections from Afghan President Hamid Karzai, U.S. and Afghan officials said. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Saturday welcomed remarks from the Obama administration saying that Taliban insurgents were not America's enemies.

Earlier this month, Vice President Joe Biden said in an interview with Newsweek magazine that the Islamist militants did not represent a threat to U.S. interests unless they continued to shelter al-Qaida.

Biden's comments came amid reports that the Obama administration and other governments are trying to establish a peace process with the Taliban to help end the 10-year war.

"I am very happy that the American government has announced that the Taliban are not their enemies," Karzai said in a speech to the Afghan Academy of Sciences. "We hope that this message will help the Afghans reach peace and stability."

A senior U.S. official has told The Associated Press that Washington plans to continue a series of secret meetings with Taliban representatives in Europe and the Persian Gulf region next year.

The U.S. outreach this year had progressed to the point that there was active discussion of two steps the Taliban seeks as precursors to negotiations, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

Trust-building measures under discussion involve setting up a Taliban headquarters office and the release from the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, of about five Afghan prisoners believed affiliated with the Taliban.

On Tuesday, Karzai said his government would accept the Taliban establishing a liaison office in Turkey, Qatar or Saudi Arabia for the purpose of holding peace talks.

Meanwhile, NATO troops on Saturday handed over responsibility for security in three districts of the embattled southern Helmand province to Afghan forces.

Helmand governor's office said these included Marjah district ? the site of a major offensive by coalition forces last year. Coalition operations to rout the Taliban in February 2010 yielded slower than expected returns, but a troop buildup later in the year pushed insurgents out of the main center of the district.

Nad Ali, which had been run by British troops, also transitioned from NATO to Afghan security control, a statement said.

The handovers in Helmand are part of the second phase in a transition NATO and Karzai hope will leave Afghan forces in control of the entire country by the end of 2014, when the U.S.-led coalition's combat mission is scheduled to end.

Meanwhile, in London the Ministry of Defense announced that one of the two NATO service members killed in Afghanistan on Friday was a British soldier. The death brought to 394 the number of British troops who have died since the start of operations in Afghanistan in 2001.

A total of 27 NATO troops have died so far in December, while the year's toll is 543. The yearly total is considerably lower than for 2010, when more than 700 troops died.

___

Associated Press writer Rahim Faiez contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2011-12-31-AS-Afghanistan/id-7e2118aae14f459f80979bb5d6dfb851

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Miss. St. celebrates 23-17 win over Wake Forest

Mississippi State defensive back Jay Hughes (30) and defensive back Wade Bonner (7) celebrate in the final moments of the Music City Bowl NCAA college football game on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, in Nashville, Tenn. Mississippi State won 23-17. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Mississippi State players, including Darius Slay (47), Corey Broomfield (25), Marcus Green (32) and Louis Watson (20), celebrate after beating Wake Forest in the Music City Bowl NCAA college football game on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, in Nashville, Tenn. Mississippi State won 23-17. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Mississippi State offensive linesman Templeton Hardy (68) slaps hands with fans after defeating Wake Forest 23-17 to win the Music City Bowl NCAA college football game on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Mississippi State running back Vick Ballard holds up the trophy after defeating Wake Forest to win the Music City Bowl NCAA college football game on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, in Nashville, Tenn. Ballard ran for two touchdowns and a career-high 180 yards as Mississippi State won 23-17 for its fifth straight bowl victory. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

Mississippi State head coach Dan Mullen, center, is congratulated by Wake Forest head coach Jim Grobe, left, after Mississippi State won the Music City Bowl NCAA college football game 23-17 on Friday, Dec. 30, 2011, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ? Capping a tough season playing in the Southeastern Conference with a bowl victory means the Mississippi State Bulldogs are celebrating how they finished rather than lamenting what might have been.

Senior Vick Ballard ran for 180 yards and the two longest touchdowns in the Bulldogs' bowl history, and Mississippi State beat Wake Forest 23-17 on Friday night in the Music City Bowl. The Bulldogs have won five straight bowls, two under coach Dan Mullen.

"It's big for the team and Mississippi State University because we go out with a winning season and going to a great bowl game," Ballard said.

Mississippi State's losses came to teams ranked either at the time of the game or going into the postseason, including three ranked in the Top 10 ? all in the SEC West.

Now the Bulldogs (7-6) have won consecutive bowls for only the second time and first since 1999-2000. Two of the Bulldogs' losses came to LSU and Alabama, who will play in the BCS national championship game Jan. 9.

Coach Dan Mullen said this win will propel the Bulldogs into the offseason, and their goal remains winning an SEC title.

"In the Southeastern Conference, that next step is a huge step to go play for that championship," Mullen said. "Look, the SEC West championship will be decided at the national championship game this year, I guess. That's the next step in this program, and that's a big step for us. But I think the players coming in now can see there is that light at the end of the tunnel."

Mississippi State overcame four turnovers thanks to Ballard's long TD runs and six sacks ? its highest total since piling up seven in a win over Florida in 2000.

"We thought they were going to bring the heat," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said. "At times, we just didn't protect as well as we could."

Wake Forest (6-7) snapped a two-game bowl winning streak. The Demon Deacons of the Atlantic Coast Conference have lost both bowls against the SEC and finished the season with losses in five of their last six games. They did double their win total of 2010.

Chris Relf started for the Bulldogs and played the whole game with Tyler Russell limited by a sprained knee. Relf ran for 64 yards and threw for 129 yards and a TD with two interceptions. Mullen said Russell would have played if something happened to Relf.

The Demon Deacons, who held the ball for more than 35 minutes, tried to rally.

They converted two fourth downs before Brandon Maye sacked Tanner Price for the sixth time, forcing Wake Forest to kick a 46-yard field goal to pull to 23-17 with 3:27 left. Wake Forest forced Mississippi State to punt, getting the ball back with 2:15 to go. But Price threw incomplete on three straight passes, the last to Terrence Davis on fourth-and-7 with 1:40 left.

"All in all, we had our chances," Grobe said. "We just didn't take advantage of them."

That had Bulldogs fans clanking their cowbells and chanting "S-E-C! S-E-C!" as Mississippi State ran out the clock. The Bulldogs picked up their trophy, then went to the edge of the stands to start high-fiving fans.

Ballard came just shy of Walter Packer's school-record of 183 yards rushing in the 1974 Sun Bowl against North Carolina. The senior more than compensated for a first-quarter fumble that led to Wake Forest's first TD and only lead with his 60-yard TD run.

"I haven't really fumbled too much all year," Ballard said. "I didn't let it get to me. I just knew I had to step up and make a play."

But both his TD runs remained a blur after the game, and Ballard said he couldn't remember how he got there.

"I just found a crease and hit it," Ballard said.

Mississippi State scored 16 straight points after that to take control, and the Bulldogs' 16-7 lead at halftime would have been bigger if not for three turnovers in the first half, including an interception in the end zone with a second left. Bud Noel intercepted Relf's pass at the Wake Forest 1 in the second half.

The Demon Deacons opened the second half by driving 64 yards before Tommy Bohanon ran in a TD from a yard out to pull Wake Forest to 16-14. But Mississippi State sacked Price four times in the third quarter alone and harassed him into plenty of throws that hit the ground before reaching receivers.

Relf scooped up a low snap in the shotgun and got the ball to Ballard, who ran through the middle of the line and outraced the Demon Deacons for a 72-yard TD with 12:53 left. That put the Bulldogs up 23-14 and gave Ballard 179 yards on 11 carries. His first TD came three plays after Wake Forest turned one of his fumbles into a 14-yard TD by Brandon Pendergrass.

Wake Forest nose guard Nikita Whitlock said he thought they did a good job stopping Ballard most of the game and blamed missed assignments, including some by himself, for the TDs.

"They took it to the house on us a couple times," Whitlock said.

Fletcher Cox had a sack and also blocked a 33-yard field goal, grabbed out of the air by teammate Johnthan Banks. That set up the Bulldogs' go-ahead drive as Relf broke loose for his longest run this season of 27 yards. Relf then dropped back and hit Arceto Clark with a 31-yard TD pass for a 13-7 lead with 12:41 left in the second quarter.