Six long months of hard played hockey will come to an end
this weekend in El Paso, Texas and just one of the four teams currently left standing
in the Western States Hockey League Playoffs will be named the 2012 Thorne Cup
Champion.
In round-robin play (Thursday thru Saturday) each team gets
the chance to play one another just one time and after completion of those six
contests, the top two teams remaining will faceoff on Sunday afternoon with the
prestigious Thorne Cup on the line.
Game One: Idaho Jr.
Steelheads (Mountain Division Champions) vs. Fresno Monsters (Western Division
Champions)
The talk of the tournament coming in was the rematch of the
top two teams in the league, as the Fresno Monsters and Idaho Jr. Steelheads kicked
off the Thorne Cup Finals in fine fashion.
Despite winning the regular season league title, the
Monsters were still considered an underdog against their former division foe,
even though they had beaten Idaho two out of the three games they played against
one another back in October.
Since that time however, Idaho has undoubtedly been the
hottest team in the league, rattling off a league-record 30 straight victories
and falling just one point shy of Fresnos regular season point total.
In what are usually face-paced, physical games against one
another, each team played surprisingly passive hockey in the opening period, as
it looked as thought the two heavyweights shadowboxed over the opening 20
minutes of play.
Although neither team was able to light up the scoreboard,
the Monsters seemed to hold a slight edge, outshooting the favored Jr.
Steelheads 8-4 in the opening frame, while also gaining momentum after killing
off a lengthy 5-on-3 Idaho power play.
Idaho started the second period slowly as well but were able
to weather an early Fresno storm, behind solid goaltending from Jordyn Kaufer.
After hitting the reset button, the Jr. Steelheads picked
up their play as the period wore on and eventually got on the board first, as Filip Kasaly corralled a puck out of a
net-mouth scrum and lifted it past rookie goaltender Tom McGuckin to begin the scoring at 8:08.
The momentum carried into the middle of the period for
Idaho, as they swarmed for minutes at a time in the Fresno zone.
With under a minute left before the intermission, the
Monsters peppered Kaufer in hopes of heading to the locker room knotted at one.
The Stillwater, Minnesota native stood strong however and on
the ensuing rush, Idaho would go up 2-0, after a perfect finish to a beautiful
passing play.
Ben Hanus drove
the net and took a cross-ice pass from a spinning Fillip Kasaly, re-directing
it past a sprawling McGuckin with just 49 seconds left before the buzzer; furthering
Idahos hold on the contest.
The Monsters would come out aggressive to begin the third
and get within a goal while on the power play, as defenseman Tommy Nouries seeing-eye wrist shot
beat Kaufer thru traffic and for a moment, the Monsters looked as if theyd
eventually tie the game.
Then came the penalties, as the Monsters began to cut ruts
to the box and lose a bit of focus.
It started when veteran forward Don Coyle got hit with a major penalty for high-sticking, prompting
theirleading-scorer thru the first two rounds of the playoffs, Jason Beisinger, to lose his cool and
eventually be assessed a ten-minute misconduct for his actions.
Just two minutes later, one of their top defensemen Gunnar Dircks got called for a kicking
major, which also carried a game misconduct with it, further shortening the
Fresno bench.
After Idaho took a penalty of their own, bumping their
advantage down to that of a 4-on-3, Fresno took to the rush, looking to tie the
game while shorthanded.
Josiah Nikkel led
a two-on-one rush into the Idaho zone with fellow veteran Nick McKee speeding down the opposite wing. Nikkel, usually spot-on
with his passing, narrowly missed the blade of McKee and the puck rode the
boards back the other way. Noticing their opponents exhaustion, Idaho looked
to exploit it with a counter-rush.
It worked wonders, as an odd-man rush developed with the end
product being a Justin Videen
redirect goal off of a feed from Vance
Bridgman, extending the lead back to two and essentially putting the game
on ice with 7:01 left in regulation.
The Monsters would put up a fight late but couldnt beat
Kaufer again, as ultimately, penalties did Fresno in and Idaho escaped with the
victory, despite being outshot 27-25 for the game.
The two rivals played one another tight but both teams got
away from the game late and neither played their best hockey.
Kaufer remains nearly perfect in net for Idaho, still without
a regulation loss throughout the entire regular season and playoffs.
Despite the loss, the rookie McGuckin has seemingly stolen
the starting job from veteran Marcus Harbison, who just like Kaufer, did not
lose in regulation all regular season and playoffs but has still been relegated
to bench duty due to the stellar play of the New Jersey native.
Idahos power play clicked on one of their four chances,
while Fresnos lone goal was put up while on one of their six man-advantages.
The win keeps the momentum going for Idaho, although theyll
need to be much better if they hope to remain perfect moving forward in the
tournament.
Fresno, on the other
hand, is suddenly faced with adversity and will more than likely need to win
their next two games if theyd like to play a fourth game for the championship.
Player of the Game:
Filip Kasaly (Forward, Idaho Jr. Steelheads)
Game Two: El Paso Rhinos
(Mid-West Division Champions/Host) vs. Dallas Ice Jets (Mid-West Division
Runner-Up)
The only team of the four still playing, the Dallas Ice Jets
came into the weekend looking to prove that they belonged.
After a convincing 2-1 victory over a powerful host team,
they did just that in their opening game of the Thorne Cup Finals.
Just two weeks ago, the Ice Jets traveled the 10 hours to El
Paso for a divisional finals series with the Rhinos and were swept with
relative ease. Those two losses had two weeks to marinate in the minds of the Dallas
players and coaching staff and it showed, as they came out on fire in a game
that was played at a much higher pace than the prior matinee.
Playing in front of the home crowd, the Rhinos came out and
threw their weight around early but it was the Ice Jets that hit them where it
counted.
With the contest scoreless late in the first, forward Austin Azurdia blazed over the El Paso
blueline and was able to cut thru two defensemen, breaking in two-on-one
against Rhinos goaltender Trent Caspar.
Azurdia looked off the pass and held onto the puck long
enough, waiting for the Caspar to go down before placing his shot directly
under the bar and in, giving the Ice Jets the early lead on a fantastic
individual effort.
Just 1:17 into the second period, Dallas extended their lead
to two thanks to a goal by Christian
Elsborg, again the product of the speed of the Ice Jets backing off the El
Paso defense.
Chace Jackson
carried the puck into the Rhinos zone and got off a wrister that was turned
away by Caspar. Jacksons speed however, backed off the defense so much that
the puck sat untouched in the crease. Richard
Bohans put back chance was turned aside but Elsborg made no mistake on the
third try, finding twine for the fifth time in the postseason.
The rest of the period, the Ice Jets did a great job of
forcing the play to the outside and giving up very little, if any, solid
scoring chances.
With the home crowd getting antsy late in the period, the
Rhinos finally gave them something to cheer about, as Tomas Stastny one-timed a deflected shot off the stick of
defenseman Gunnar Bjorklund up and over
the glove of goaltender Michael Baldwin,
giving the Rhinos some momentum to take into the locker room.
As was expected, the Rhinos were again physical in the third
period but the Ice Jets continually made the smart plays and kept everything to
the outside, making it very easy on Baldwin.
El Paso would only really challenge with under a minute remaining,
as they enjoyed a 5-on-3 power play with 36 seconds left and made it a 6-on-3
after pulling Caspar. It was all for naught though, as Dallas was fundamentally
strong, getting in lanes and blocking chances, while allowing just a single
shot to reach Baldwin, squeaking by with the 2-1 upset victory.
The win is huge for the Ice Jets and their team psyche, as
another loss, especially to El Paso, could have done it for their tournament.
Instead, theyre 1-0 with a great chance of sneaking into he title game.
Michael Baldwin took the win in net, stopping 35 of the 36 El
Paso shots he faced, including a few flurries near the end.
Caspar was hit with the loss for the Rhinos, allowing just
two goals on 28 shots faced.
Neither team converted on four power plays each, as the game
was as tight as an even strength showdown as you will see.
Player of the Game:
Austin Azurdia (Forward, Dallas Ice Jets)
Day one is in the books and it was full of surprises, as both
games kept the crowd on the edge of their seats. Expect day two to be more of the
same, as both clashes can be seen online at www.b2livetv.com
with a FREE pre-game show on the
Western States Hockey Leagues Facebook Page (via Fasthockey.com) starting 15
minutes prior to puck-drop and post-game show immediately following each game,
including interviews, stats and much more!
Fridays schedule
of games:
2 PM MST: Dallas Ice
Jets (1-0-0) vs. Fresno Monsters (0-1-0)
7:30 PM MST: Idaho
Jr. Steelheads (1-0-0) vs. El Paso Rhinos (0-1-0)
Advances in technology have brought the video gaming experience closer to that of traditional physical games. Although systems, such as the Wii, that incorporate these features fly off the shelves, the increasingly complex technology may alienate certain segments of the population, including seniors. In their upcoming Ergonomics in Design article, Putting Fun Into Video Games for Older Adults, authors Anne McLaughlin and colleagues conclude that even games for all ages do not adequately meet older adults needs and suggest how game developers can increase the benefits while reducing the physical, cognitive, and affective costs of play.
McLaughlin et.al conducted two focus groups with adults over age 65 (average age 82) and observed as the participants, either alone or with another person, played a Wii game called Boom Blox for 15 days. Certain types of video games can have many benefits for seniors, including improved cognitive performance, increased social interaction, and feelings of success, achievement, and self-esteem. Many of these benefits were found to occur in the current study.
Costs observed by the researchers included difficulties caused by physical and cognitive changes that accompany aging; for example, problems reading text, identifying objects, activating the Wiimote, or recalling what was read or the meaning of an unlabeled icon.
Many current games are social and active, and they adapt to different player abilities so all can enjoy participating at once, said McLaughlin. However, this isnt true of all games, and games in the past tended to be the opposite: individual, inactive, and with few gradations of difficulty available. Ive recently seen a number of studies touting the benefits of even moderate physical activity for older adults, and todays games can be incredibly active.
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) Even though the NFLs new rule for postseason overtime has never come into play, its being expanded for the regular season, too.
NFL owners passed the playoff overtime rule for the regular schedule Wednesday. All games that go into overtime now cannot end on a field goal on the first possession.
The opposing team must get one series, and if it also kicks a field goal, the extra period continues. Of course, if it fails to score it loses, and if it gets a touchdown, it wins.
The rule has not been a factor since it was instituted in 2010, with only two playoff games going to OT. One ended on the first play, Tim Tebows 80-yard touchdown pass to Demaryius Thomas for a Denver victory over Pittsburgh. The other had several possessions for each team before the Giants beat the 49ers in the NFC title game this season.
The vote on adopting the new overtime rule was 30-2.
Owners also have given the replay official permission to review turnovers just as he reviews all scoring plays.
Other rules changes: a team will lose a down for illegally kicking a loose ball; too many men on the field becomes a dead ball foul; and a player receiving a crackback block is now considered a defenseless player and the hit will result in a 15-yard penalty.
Not passed were proposals to have the booth official handle video reviews rather than the referee, and outlawing the horse-collar tackle made on quarterbacks in the pocket.
Given the NFLs concern with player safety, the failure to extend the horse-collar rule seemed surprising. But competition committee chairman Rich McKay said the ownership didnt think this can impact on player safety.
The rule was developed for the open field tackle when a defender has the chance to do something else (in making the tackle), he said. Hes also able to use the runners momentum against him. We didnt think that applied to the pocket, didnt see the injury risk.
Several bylaw changes were tabled until the league meetings in May, including expanding preseason rosters to 90, designating one player suffering a major injury before Week 2 of the season as eligible to return from injured reserve, and moving the trading deadline back two weeks to after Week 8.
McKay expects them to pass at the next meetings in Atlanta.
There were good ideas and suggestions, no resistance, he said. Well work on the language.
Commissioner Roger Goodell reiterated the leagues strong stance against non-contract bonuses such as the Saints bounty program that got coach Sean Payton suspended for one year and cost New Orleans a $500,000 fine and two second-round draft choice. Goodell said the league will not allow any cash payments between players, whether the clubs are involved or not.
Its not permissible and we are going to take that out of the game, he said.
Goodell expects to speak with players union head DeMaurice Smith before the end of the week and hopes to have the NFLPAs recommendations on punishment for players involved in the bounties by then or soon after. The league will be scheduling additional hearings in the investigation.
Also:
The NFL will not be awarding the 2016 Super Bowl, its 50th, to any city this year. Goodell said he expects many bidders for the game.
Its an important game for us, he said. Were looking at plans to make it spectacular.
Theres been speculation the league was hoping a suitable stadium would be in place in Los Angeles by 2016. The first Super Bowl was played in the LA Coliseum.
The league is prepared to make an agreement with the union on HGH testing if a population study is the only thing standing in the way.
The 18-game schedule has not been discussed and the NFL wants to go through a full cycle of the offseason schedule that came with the new collective bargaining agreement before reviewing the subject.
No consensus has been reached in the medical community on the value of having an independent neurologist on the sidelines during games. Discussions likely will continue.
– Barry Wilner
NFL coaches speak on bounties
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) NFL coaches plan to go right at the leagues most sensitive subject bounties when they get together with players next month.
Although a few shied away from commenting at owners meetings this week about the New Orleans Saints extra payments, under which players were rewarded for big hits on specific opponents, most coaches said its an important subject to address with the media and with their players.
The whole league will talk about it, Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Wednesday.
The commissioner wants the entire league to make sure its discussed to go forward using it as an example, to stress there is no place for that in our league.
Last week, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Saints coach Sean Payton for all of the 2012 season after the league investigated that teams bounties. Goodell also ordered every principal owner and head coach in the league to certify in writing that their team does not have any sort of pay-for-performance system.
Several coaches echoed Coughlin, hoping they only will need to bring it up once with their players. Clubs will gather for workouts in mid-April.
Its definitely necessary to mention it, said Ron Rivera, whose Carolina Panthers play the Saints twice a year in the NFC South. The precedent has been set by the commissioner and they need to understand that and it is not to be broached again. Going forward, we wont have to go over these things again.
Paytons former defensive coordinator, Gregg Williams, is barred indefinitely for overseeing the system. Williams was hired as defensive coordinator in St. Louis earlier this year.
Joe Vitt, Paytons assistant head coach, was suspended for six games, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis got eight games, and the team was fined $500,000. New Orleans also loses a second-round pick in each of the next two drafts.
Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz stressed how easy it is to cross the line from acceptable rewards to something sinister.
Schwartz said past awards hes given out while working for the Tennessee Titans and the Lions baseball bats or a boxing glove for big hits had league approval, because they didnt have any monetary significance.
It was part of the game-ball program. It wasnt part of anything else, Schwartz said. A recognition system has been in effect for football since pee wee ball. We give out game balls. We give out trophies at the end of the season for all different things. A lot of colleges give out stickers on helmets; high schools give out stickers on helmets. Theres a big difference between things like that and things like bounties.
Schwartz noted that its not unheard of for QBs to buy gifts for their linemen, or for running backs to do the same if they have a big season.
That would all receive very good press, he said. I think what this shows is how fine some of the lines are and how easy it is to go from something like that thats been around and has been part of football to something that should never be part of football and is not good for our game.
The NFL sent lead counsel Jeff Pash and security director Jeffrey Miller to New Orleans to speak with the Saints about the bounties one day before they hosted Detroit in a wild-card game in January. The league officials told owner Tom Benson to make sure no bounty system still was in place.
New Orleans had already beaten Detroit in the regular season, when Lions pass rusher Ndamukong Suh was serving a suspension for stomping an opponent.
Was Schwartz aware of anything untoward by the Saints, either time?
Other than we got beat twice? he said. They were physical games but I dont recall them drawing any penalties. We were the only ones drawing penalties (in Week 13). I dont recall anything that the guys thought was extra.
Mike Smiths Falcons are the Saints main rival in their division. Atlanta-New Orleans games usually are close, always are feisty.
It is a physical game and there are rules we must play by, Smith said. As coaches, it is important we make sure we coach to that.
One of the NFLs most physical teams and most fined is Pittsburgh. Star linebacker James Harrison was suspended one game in 2011 for a hit to a defenseless player, Browns quarterback Colt McCoy. Harrison was deemed a repeat offender, and he frequently has been fined by Goodell for illegal hits.
Pittsburgh coach Mike Tomlin said hes heard of other teams supposedly placing bounties on the Steelers.
That talk has been around, but for us, its not something that weve engaged in, Tomlin said. Weve always been somewhat amused by it. Not that its amusing, of course.
Seattle coach Pete Carroll spent 15 years working in the NFL before going to Southern California for nine hugely successful seasons in college football. He returned to the pros in 2010.
He misses the aura that surrounded some players with a tough-guy image, but recognized that times change.
The lore of the players that were unique theres not a place for that in a way, he said. Those of us who are the old-school guys, we miss that. We miss the uniqueness of the tough guys and the way that they were able to demonstrate that. But now, it just doesnt fit.
– Barry Wilner
Team Capsules
Payton, Saints have decisions looming this week
NEW ORLEANS (AP) Saints owner Tom Benson left the NFL meetings Wednesday and headed back to New Orleans, where his teams top brass had major matters to discuss during what could be Sean Paytons last week of work in 2012.
Team spokesman Greg Bensel said no decisions had been made on an interim coach after a meeting Tuesday with Bill Parcells. Payton has made it clear he is hoping Parcells can help New Orleans move forward whether he wants to get back into coaching or not.
Payton considers Parcells his mentor, and has spoken with him several times since learning last week that the NFL intended to suspend him for all of the coming season starting this Sunday for his role in New Orleans bounty program. Payton said most of those conversations concerned how Parcells might handle a similar situation, not whether he was interested in returning to the sideline in the Big Easy.
Yet when asked why Parcells, a finalist for the Hall of Fame this season who turns 71 in August, would make a good fit as interim coach, Payton had some definite ideas.
Hes a great teacher, Payton said Tuesday at the NFL owners meeting in Palm Beach. Certainly Im biased, having worked with him. But hes a Hall of Fame head coach. And I would also say theres some things probably set up in the framework of our program that would be exactly how he would have set those things up had he been the head coach (in New Orleans) in 06. So theres some carry-over that way.
The Saints bounty system overshadowed much of the business discussed at the NFL owners meetings.
Its definitely necessary to mention it, said Ron Rivera, whose Carolina Panthers play the Saints twice a year in the NFC South. The precedent has been set by the commissioner and they need to understand that and it is not to be broached again. Going forward, we wont have to go over these things again.
The Saints are still trying to figure out to regroup from the fallout.
It could be a few days before Saints, who are looking to make the playoffs for a fourth straight season, decide on an interim coach.
Payton said he has not decided whether to appeal and has until Monday to so, a move that could give him a little more time at work. However, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said he would expedite such an appeal, meaning Paytons suspension might not be delayed for long.
Should there be an appeal, the Saints would want to see whether it results in a reduced penalty before deciding whether to look within or outside of the organization for Paytons stand-in.
It would just be considering all options, to be fair and really trying to do our homework on each option before making a decision, Payton said. Theres a lot of small steps here before we would get to that point of having to make a decision.
If Parcells does decide to come to New Orleans, he would take the reins from a coach he hired as an offensive assistant in Dallas back in 2003. Payton worked under Parcells for three seasons before getting his first shot as a head coach in 2006, when the Saints returned to the city after being displaced for months by Hurricane Katrina.
There are also three strong candidates among Saints assistants to take over as interim coach: offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer. Payton expressed confidence in the abilities of his own assistants to compensate for his absence, but also voiced some misgivings about saddling those coaches with additional responsibilities.
We feel like weve got a number of good candidates on the staff, Payton said. The trick then is what it does to affect their roles that they currently have.
Payton spent only Tuesday at the NFL meetings and planned to be back at work in New Orleans on Wednesday, trying to tie up as many loose ends as he could in the next few days.
Ive got a lot of to-do things right now specific to football, Payton said. The offseason calendar, all of that has been laid out already. Everything has been basically planned all the way up to the Hall of Fame game. … Between now and then, theres a lot of little things that Ill try to make sure we get covered and handed over to our coaches so that they have a pretty good understanding as to what Im looking for.
General manager Mickey Loomis will be able to oversee the draft and work up until the season starts. Then he is slated to serve his eight-game suspension for failing to put a stop to the bounty system in a timely way. Assistant head coach Joe Vitt, who also coaches linebackers, is facing a six-game suspension.
The NFLs investigation in New Orleans found that Payton initially lied to league investigators about the existence of a bounty and instructed his defensive assistants to do the same. Payton twice apologized for his role in an enterprise that offered payouts for knocking out opponents, saying he takes full responsibility for a system that operated for three years under his watch.
As many as 27 players also could be sanctioned for their role in the scandal.
Payton said he didnt want the scandal to taint or tarnish his teams recent success.
Well get through this, he said. This will be a challenge. … You know, weve gone through a lot of adversity and weve won a lot of games in really a short window of time. And I know our players are leaders both within the locker room and the coaching staff will look at this as a challenge and a little bit as an opportunity.
In addition to the penalties for Payton, Loomis and Vitt, Goodell also fined the Saints $500,000 and took away second-round draft choices in 2012 and 2013.
– Brett Martel
Jets can have headlines, Giants have trophy
PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) Giants coach Tom Coughlin wasnt exactly gloating. Well, maybe he was.Asked at the NFC coaches breakfast about all the attention the New York Jets have been getting with their trade for Tim Tebow and contract extension for Mark Sanchez in other words, their budding quarterback controversy Coughlin simply smiled and said:
You know who won the Super Bowl even if were not on front page. New Yorkers know.
Coughlin also says he doesnt believe in rotating quarterbacks.
I dont have a lot of experience with that, Coughlin said, again smiling at the thought he has Eli Manning, a two-time Super Bowl winner. Once you start to develop your guy, you like him to have the ball in his hand.
Coughlin seemed aghast when asked if he would take the ball out of his starting QBs hands for, say, 20 snaps a game.
With our guy? he said. I dont do hypotheticals.
Not so theoretical is the coach getting a contract extension. Giants owner John Mara said the team expects to work out an extension for the 65-year-old Coughlin very soon, probably within a month or so. It likely will be the final contract for Coughlin, who last year received an extension through 2012.
Theres talk, Coughlin said, and quite frankly, it will get done.
He indicated it will be for several years.
Coughlin also said he wouldnt discount Bill Parcells, his former boss and longtime confidant, considering the interim coachs role with the New Orleans Saints. The Saints spoke with Parcells about the job on Tuesday; coach Sean Payton is suspended for the 2012 season for his part in the teams bounty system that targeted opponents for hits that could injure them.
I had one conversation (after the Super Bowl) with Bill and it was as if he had the league and all the key situations in your games and the other games on the tip of his tongue, Coughlin said. He knew the ins and out of our season. It seemed like he knew the ins and outs of every teams seasons.
– Barry Wilner
AP source: Jacobs agrees with 49ers
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) The San Francisco 49ers added another member of last seasons Super Bowl-champion New York Giants on Wednesday, agreeing to terms with veteran running back Brandon Jacobs on a one-year contract.
ESPN first reported Jacobs would join the NFC West champion 49ers. A person with knowledge of the negotiations confirmed the deal Wednesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team had yet to make a formal announcement. Jacobs was released March 9 by the Giants after he failed to reach agreement on a restructured deal.
He is expected to play behind Frank Gore and could share the backup role with second-year pro Kendall Hunter.
Jacobs spent seven seasons with New York, winning two Super Bowls and beating the 49ers 20-17 in overtime of the NFC championship game at Candlestick Park on Jan. 22.
The 29-year-old Jacobs ran for 571 yards and seven touchdowns last season as a backup to Ahmad Bradshaw. He is the fourth-leading rusher in franchise history with 4,849 yards, but saw his role diminish with the emergence of Bradshaw.
A fourth-round draft pick in 2005, Jacobs rushed for 56 touchdowns. He had 1,000-yard seasons in 2007 and 2008, but his carries and yardage dipped the past two seasons. He gained 823 yards in 2010, and had just 152 carries and a 3.8-yard average last season.
Jacobs had expressed hopes after the 21-17 Super Bowl win over New England that he would be able to work out a deal and stay with the Giants.
Its been a great ride, Jacobs said.
Jacobs was drafted out of Southern Illinois. He began his college career at Coffeyville Community College and transferred to Auburn before finally settling in with the Salukis.
Jacobs becomes the second member of the reigning Super Bowl champions to join the Niners this month. Wide receiver Mario Manningham signed a two-year deal last week to join an upgraded receiving corps that also features Randy Moss making a comeback after he was out of football last year.
– Janie McCauley
Vikings re-sign WR Aromashodu
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) The Minnesota Vikings have re-signed receiver Devin Aromashodu to a one-year deal.The team announced the deal on Wednesday, continuing an offseason filled with low-impact signings that are geared more toward adding depth than making headlines.
In his first season with the Vikings last year, Aromashodu caught 26 passes for 468 yards and three touchdowns. He signed with the Vikings after three seasons in Chicago and was one of the teams best blocking receivers.
His best game came against Denver last December, when he had six catches for 90 yards.
Aromashodu is entering his sixth season in the NFL. The Vikings are also expected to address needs at receiver in the NFL draft at the end of April.
Barber signs for 16th season
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) Cornerback Ronde Barber is returning to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for his 16th NFL season.Barber signed a one-year contract Wednesday to come back to the only team hes played for. He started 16 games last season for the Bucs, starting every game since Week 10 in 1999 the longest active streak in the NFL.
Barber has 43 career interceptions and 27 career sacks, making him the only player in NFL history with 40 or more picks and 25 or more sacks in a career.He is a three-time All-Pro and won a Super Bowl at the end of the 2002 season.
Tampa Bay also re-signed restricted free agent tackle Demar Dotson to a two-year contract.
Bears agree to one-year deal with Thomas
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (AP) The Chicago Bears and receiver Devin Thomas have agreed to a one-year contract.Thomas has 43 receptions for 482 yards in four seasons with Washington, Carolina and the New York Giants.
He was mainly a special-teams contributor for the Giants last season and recovered two fumbles in the NFC title game against San Francisco, including one that set up the winning field goal in overtime, for the eventual Super Bowl champions.The Bears announced the move Wednesday on their website.
Elsewhere
Two charged in $2.2M scheme against Colts Freeney
LOS ANGELES (AP) A financial adviser for Indianapolis Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney and the advisers lover have been arrested on federal wire fraud charges that allege they swindled about $2.2 million from the lineman.
Eva Weinberg, 48, of Los Angeles, and Michael Stern, 51, of Miami, were arrested last week by FBI agents who believe the couple were trying to flee the United States.
Stern appeared in a Miami courtroom Wednesday and will be extradited in the coming weeks to California, where he and Weinberg face charges.
Mr. Stern denies he violated the law and its his position he and Ms. Weinberg didnt steal any money from Mr. Freeney, said Sterns attorney, Henry Bell.
Weinberg has posted $225,000 bond. A phone message left for her attorney, Mark Byrne, was not immediately returned. Freeney was not available for comment, his publicist said.
An FBI affidavit only identified Freeney by his initials, but Bell confirmed that the perennial Pro Bowler was the purported victim.
Weinberg worked as Freeneys financial adviser for the past two years after leaving Bank of America Corp.s Merrill Lynch financial management division. She handled his personal finances, real estate investments and business dealings involving a Hollywood restaurant, Rolling Stone LA.
About $2.2 million was wired in nearly 140 separate transactions from Freeneys bank account by Weinberg to Arms Reach Consulting, a company owned by Stern, between June 2010 and October 2011, authorities said. Freeney didnt approve the transfers and was unaware Stern was the recipient.
Stern told a confidential informant in recorded conversations that the money transferred to him by Weinberg was to be used to pay his bills and personal expenses, according to the affidavit. He also said $1.5 million was going to be put toward buying a private jet, court records show.
The informant also told investigators that Stern intended to flee the US, possibly to the Bahamas, Trinidad or Israel, and had plans to travel to Los Angeles to get Weinberg before she was arrested.
Freeney, 32, has recorded 102 1/2 sacks in his 10-year professional career and is scheduled to make a base salary of $14 million in 2012.
– Greg Risling
ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Rangers penalty kill may have allowed two Wild power play goals in Tuesday nights 3-2 Blueshirts win, but John Tortorella is confident based on the units track record this season that theyll push past it.
The coach felt especially that Mikko Koivus goal to make it 2-2 was a result of an unfortunate bounce of a Tom Gilbert shot from the point that Henrik Lundqvist saved, but Devin Setoguchi got a piece in front, the puck popped all the way back to Dany Heatley in the left circle, and he zipped a cross-ice pass to Koivu to finish into an open net.
RANGERS WIN AND ISLES HELP GIVE BLUESHIRTS THREE-POINT LEAD
Brian Boyle played one of his most physical games, but the Rangers primary penalty killer was in the penalty box for delay of game on the first Wild power play goal. Derek Stepan lost the faceoff to open the power play, and Minnesota zipped the puck around before Kyle Brodziak out-positioned Ryan McDonagh in front of Lundqvist to put hom a Cal Clutterbuck rebound.
But again, the Rangers have no reason to panic over their penalty-killing unit. Prior to Tuesday, they had killed 8-of-8 opponents power plays in the previous four games.
The biggest question, as it has been all season, is the power play.
The Rangers are 0-for-8 in the past three games on the man advantage, including an 0-for-4 collar with six shots on net against the Wild Tuesday night.
Tortorella used a first unit of Michael Del Zotto and Brad Richards at the points, with Artem Anisimov, Derek Stepan and Ryan Callahan at the forward spots. His second and seldom-used second unit had Dan Girardi and Anton Stralman at the points, with Brandon Dubinsky, Brian Boyle and Marian Gaborik at forward.
After the game, Tortorella made it sound like some great revelation that we might see Stralman more on the power play, maybe with the first group, because I want to see what he can do there. He must really not remember Stralmans significant contribution to keeping the puck moving on the power play in the games leading up to his benching following a March 15 loss to Pittsburgh.
Stralman has five assists in his last eight games played, including the secondary assist on Boyles goal in the first period Tuesday night on a shot from the right point. Only one of those assists came on the power play, and he has just two power play points on the season both against the Islanders but still, its not like we need to see what can do there. It became pretty obvious a couple weeks ago.
On Boyles goal with 8:37 remaining in the first on Tuesday night, Marian Gaborik made a nifty move to hit Stralman at the point. Stralman, replacing Tim Erixon and in the lineup for the first time since March 15, threw a shot on net that Boyle tipped down. Brandon Dubinsky gathered and hit the left post with a shot in front, and Boyle swooped in and hammered home the puck as it bounced along the goal line.
Wild forward Erik Christensen, whom the Rangers traded to Minnesota along with a conditional seventh-round pick for AHL forward Casey Wellman on Feb. 3, helped with his passing on the Wild power play but was ineffective in 11:24 of ice time.
About five minutes prior to Ruslan Fedotenkos go-ahead goal, linemate Chad Rau won a battle in the offensive zone and basically put the game on Christensens tape with a pass into the crease to Lundqvists right and the score tied 2-2. Christensen had made the correct cut and was there to receive the tap-in, but he never put his stick on the ice, like he wasnt looking for the pass.
The Rangers (48-21-7, 103 points) conclude their final back-to-back of the regular season Wednesday night in Winnipeg against the Jets (35-33-8, 78 points). Winnipeg is the desperate 10th seed behind 7-seed Ottawa (88 points), 8-seed Buffalo (86 points) and 9-seed Washington (84 points).
The Blueshirts have outscored the Jets 8-1 in three meetings this season with a 3-0-0 record.
Now read all about what John Tortorella and the Rangers players had to say following Tuesday nights win over the Wild:
RANGERS POSTGAME TRANSCRIPT
RYAN McDONAGH
On his pass to Ruslan Fedotenko for the go-ahead goal: I didnt even know he was there. I just know our system and our structure, like we have guys going to the net. I created some space for myself off Dannys pass.
On holding on to pull the game out in the third period: Its not always going to be pretty with us, but we have a good 60 minute effort most nights. We play hard for each other. We block shots. We had some big blocks from Brian Boyle. Its not always pretty, but we know were comfortable in tight situations, so its great to see it come together again in the third period like that.
On whether the Rangers are back to that team that gets two points every night, even when they dont play well: Its close. I wouldnt say its all the way there. I hope everyone in this room would say its not all the way there yet, because there are always details and things you want to improve and things to increase intensity-wise in the playoffs that much more. So we need to keep on working on details and things will come our way down the stretch.
BRIAN BOYLE
On whether Rangers played well other than two breakdowns on penalty kill: We talked about it before, we just want to iron out any of our deficiencies, stuff we havent been doing as well as we had early in the season. A lot of focus went to our backcheck and some communication there, but it kind of crept into our PK tonight, so were gonna have to be better there. The two points are big for us, but thats obviously where we want to be better, and well address it.
On whether Rangers see a major difference between first and fourth seeds: Were fighting to get as many points as we can and play as well as we can. Were doing our best not to worry about other teams.
On whether he knew during second intermission that Islanders had beaten the Penguins: No, I didnt know that. We were more concerned with our second period. Our play slipped a little bit on our PK and we wanted to address that and come back hard and win the third period. We did a good job.
On whether he played one of his most physical games, like a play in the third period when he basically punched Cal Clutterbuck to the ice with his glove on: Yeah, it was battles. Its areas on the ice. That was a spot on the ice where I didnt think I could whack the puck so I gave him everything I could so he couldnt whack it past me. I try and do it all the time, honestly. Some games therell be more opportunity. A couple times in the first it mightve looked like I was hitting guys but they were coming at me and hitting me, and I was ready for it and knocked lsquo;em down, so thats good. Ive got to play like that. Thatll give me more space, and I think it did. It felt good tonight.
MARIAN GABORIK
On his smile when he scored the goal: Of course. It felt good. Big win. I mean it always feels good to win at this building, and Im glad Ive played here for the Rangers twice and we get two wins. Its a really big one for us now with six games to go.
On whether its different to score in his former teams building than to just get an assist: Its nice to get the goal. It feels good, especially if it helps the team. It was a 2-2 game and a big goal by Feds there. We needed this win.
On whether he signaled to Richards on the goal: Yeah we had like a setup play, and he made a nice play in front of the net. I got it on my back and tried to put it on my forehand and get a good shot off, so it worked out well.
On having to work hard for the win: It wasnt easy. I dont think it was a pretty game to watch. We didnt get a lot of momentum or a lot of forecheck as we wanted to, but we got two points, which is huge.
On whether hes tempted to walk down to the other locker room when he comes back to Xcel Energy Center: (laughs) No.
On whether past surgeries have healed his injuries completely: I dont look back on it. I feel good and just try to stay on top of things and manage what I have to. So far, so good.
On whether he thinks Wild made a big mistake allowing him to leave: I dont think about it. It is what it is. I dont look at the past.
On whether he feels like this is his house: Well its special to come here. I had a great time here, so its special to come in here and more special to get a win for the Rangers.
On whether this is the quietest Xcel Energy Center crowd for any goal hes scored there: (laughs) Yeah, I heard some boos. It doesnt surprise me, but Im glad we got the win.
JOHN TORTORELLA
On whether hes pleased the Rangers are getting secondary scoring: It was a game we were looking to try to get that second one, try to get a two-goal lead, couldnt, couldnt kill a penalty. But we stayed with it, and Feds scores a goal for us, Brian Boyle scores a goal, so thats good.
On McDonagh stepping up and creating on offense: Hes a guy that wants to extend himself offensively, improve there. He has made tremendous improvements in that, along with probably him and Danny have been our steadiest defensemen all year long. With the minutes he racks and who hes playing against, at such a young age, its really good, its really good.
On whether Boyle played one of his better games: One of his more physical games, made a huge defensive play in the corner late in the game as far as just not giving in and leaning on a guy. Scores a goal, I think he was 10-and-5 in faceoffs. This is a guy that continues to grow. He ends up with six shots on net. Hes been a huge cog for us consistently here for quite a while.
On Rangers avoiding a letdown against an unfamiliar Wild team: Were trying to create some momentum. We had some ups and downs. There were some momentum swings in the game, but our guys find a way to win a game, so we go on to Winnipeg.
On whether the Rangers played their game in the third period: It was OK. The thing Id like to see us do more is to dictate the play a little bit more. I thought we did a lot of counterpunching where we didnt extend ourselves with the forecheck. I mean, I dont think we played badly. Weve talked about defending better. I think we did. I think they had nine scoring chances against us tonight, but Id still like to see us with a little bit more tempo in that type of situation. Still defend, but get more into a tempo as far as our forecheck.
On whether Gaborik gets up a little bit more to play in Minnesota: I dont know. He hasnt been here that often. I really dont pay attention to it that much Its a great pass by Richie, and its a huge goal for us. He played well.
On whether Stralman played well: He played better, played better. And I think you may see him a little bit more on the power play, maybe with the first group. I want to see what he can do there. But you could see as far as the ice time going into the third period and in the third period, we kept him in it. I thought he was stronger on the puck screwed up one time off of one draw where he got stripped, but I thought he was stronger on the boards and made some good outlet passes.
On the penalty kill struggles: Well they got a little puck luck on the second one, just like we did on the third one. The puck bounces all over the place, they bang it in. Feds gets a, we get a lucky bounce there and we bang it in. The first goal, Mac just ends up too far away from the net and cant get back on the right side of that guy. So thats been really good for us all year long. I thought we were a little unlucky tonight, especially on the second one.
BRAD RICHARDS
On whether he knew about the Penguins loss: Dont ask me about the Penguins. If you have questions about the Rangers, Ill answer those.
On the Rangers ability to get two points vs. the Wild: Its one of those games where you can get lulled to sleep and play at different levels, and the level of the game either way didnt get up to a great level of play. So it was good that mentally we stayed with it and we knew that we probably werent as sharp as some nights and things werent moving around like they are some nights. It wasnt how we drew it up, but we had a good bounce and a couple good saves and we get a win.
HENRIK LUNDQVIST
On the win over Minnesota: I think we can still work on some details as a group, personally as well. We can always get better. I felt like this was a really strong game, though, especially five on five. We did a lot of good things. We were smart out there, the way we played the puck.
On whether he knew at second intermission that Penguins had lost: No, and I dont really care. We talked about it the last few weeks. We focus on ourselves and our game to try to get that going and build our confidence. We dont really pay attention to other teams. Well see where we end up in the end, but its important for us to focus on our game and not think too much about what teams are doing.
Have a question about the Blueshirts or a comment? Find Pat on Twitter at @NYDNRangers.
Both Gamestop (GME) and Netflix (NFLX) are transitioning from physical to digital business models. They both have around 20MM (18M Powerup Rewards, 23M Netflix Subscribers) members in their formal programs. They both have to prove themselves in digital, perhaps in direct competition with content creators.
But Gamestop
-
benefits from a demographic shift from watching to gaming
-
is more heavily shorted than Netflix
-
is harder for outsiders to understand, compared to Netflix
-
has a lower P/E than Netflix
I dont hate Netflix, I dont love Gamestop, but I love money, and I think the market has left some on the table here.
Ill be honest with you. I dont know which direction these streaming leaders are headed. Thats why I like this streaming neutral bet. Its a way of saying to the market with your money, I dont know what will happen in streaming, but I dont think Netflix is 3 times more fertile than Gamestop.
How does Netflix add value, and why does the market understand this?
Netflix adds value by offering a viable alternative to traditional consumption mediums for television and movies. Netflix is a simplifier that does not require a lot of technological literacy. This overall value proposition to the consumer is in turn simple for the market to understand.
How does Gamestop add value, and why does the market not understand this?
Gamestop adds value by creating a resale market for physical games. The stock market does not understand why this value should endure a shift to digital. What the stock market misses is Gamestops interaction with the consumer. By gamifying the purchase or trading of games, Gamestop induces a net increase in new game purchases. And this relationship of a game around the games can endure across digital. Meanwhile the devices used to play games will allow Gamestop to continue its market making and repair operations in the pre-owned space.
Brick and mortar has the market confused.
Okay, so Netflix doesnt have to pay rent and cashiers for retail outlets, and Gamestop does. Guess what? Apple (AAPL) has stores. So physical presence can be profitable, even when the product transcends retail distribution.
Netflix built its brand with a discovery algorithm that is no longer special. But Netflix still has a special relationship with consumers, as does Gamestop. I am agnostic as to Netflixs overall prospects. But relative to Gamestop, I see no big reason for the streaming middleman to be treated as different from Netflix. The market will realize this soon enough. So I think Gamestop will outperform Netflix substantially through 2013.
Disclosure: I have no positions in any stocks mentioned, and no plans to initiate any positions within the next 72 hours.
Palm Beach, Fla. Jim Schwartz got that grin on his face, the one that warns hes about to zing you.
Because the Lions defense faltered so badly down the stretch last season, Schwartz has been asked several times about possibly tweaking his defensive schemes and even amending the wide-nine technique theyve deployed the last two seasons.
I dont think it wouldve made a whole lot of sense to put the franchise tag on (defensive end) Cliff Avril, he said, and then all of a sudden change the technique he was asked to play.
Zing.
In a wide-nine technique, the defensive ends set up well outside the offensive tackles and the three linebackers are bunched up inside them. It gives the ends a more direct line to quarterbacks, but it puts a lot of pressure on linebackers to plug wider gaps.
Schwartz said Wednesday that all aspects of the defensive system have been reviewed, just as it is every season. But the conclusion remains the same the system works.
We are very confident in the defensive schemes we play, Schwartz said. And they do change from year to year. Some things become more useful as time goes on and some things less. Other things fit your personnel better.
But (the wide nine) is something that fits our personnel very well and weve been effective with it. We dont view it at all as a detriment. We view it as a positive.
The Lions gave up 45 points in each of the last two games losses to Green Bay and, in the wildcard playoff game, to New Orleans. They gave up 240 points (30 per game) in the final eight games of the regular season, after yielding 147 (18.3) in the first eight.
Injuries, not scheme, was the culprit, according to Schwartz. The Lions fought through significant injuries on the defensive line (Nick Fairley, Lawrence Jackson, Corey Williams and Willie Young all missed time) and especially in the secondary (Chris Houston, Aaron Berry, Louis Delmas and Amari Spievey).
The cornerback position is a place we still have work to do, Schwartz said. We talked about our depth up front and we saw that they were able to stay relatively productive (despite the injuries). The secondary wasnt the same. When we had injuries at the end of the season, we didnt respond the way that we need to.
Among the other items Schwartz addressed Wednesday:
* On Fairley, Schwartz said that during his rehab from foot surgery last fall, he gained 18 pounds of muscle. After he broke his foot he attacked the weight room, Schwartz said. He couldnt run. It didnt do him any good to stand out there on the field. He just went into the weight room and put on a lot of muscle. Schwartz said his ratio of added muscle-to-fat was 18-to-1.
* On whether he saw anything untoward from the Saints, relative to bounty-hunting, during their two games last year, he said, Other than we got beat twice? They were physical games but I dont recall them drawing any penalties. We were the only ones drawing penalties (in the first meeting in Week 13). I dont recall anything that the guys thought was extra.
* On running back Mikel Leshoures progress, he said, I never put timetables on these things, but I would be surprised if he wasnt ready before (training camp). Leshoure is coming back from Achilles tendon surgery.
Twitter@cmccosky
Two down. Two more to go.
Ohio State and Louisville locked up their trips to the Final Four on Saturday. Now four more teams will look to secure the final two spots this afternoon.
Todays matchups feature three traditional powerhouse programs that are quite familiar with this stage of the NCAA tournament. The fourth participant, Baylor, is in the Elite Eight for the second time in three seasons.
Baylor (3) vs. Kentucky (1), 2:20 pm ET, CBS
Things to know: Baylor has the tools, talent and length to make this game interesting.
When the NCAA tournament field was announced, this potential matchup was as intriguing as any in the South Region because Baylor possesses the type of athletes and size to challenge the Wildcats.
Five players with 7-foot wingspans (or greater). A 1-3-1 zone thats as unique — with its athletes, talent and size — as Syracuses.
Quincy Acy is more than a beard. The 6-foot-7 senior had 20 points and 15 rebounds in Fridays win over Xavier in the Sweet 16.
Brady Heslip is 15-for-25 (60 percent) from beyond the arc in the NCAA tournament. And even though hes been inconsistent in the Big Dance, Perry Jones III (14 points, five rebounds against the Musketeers) is built for this matchup.
The Bears were overlooked and criticized as Missouri and Kansas fought for the Big 12 title, but theyre solid on offense (10th in Ken Pomeroys adjusted offensive efficiency ratings) and defense (39th in defensive efficiency).
But. But. But, theyre playing Kentucky.
Indiana scored 90 points against the Wildcats on Friday. The Hoosiers hit 52 percent of their shot attempts and only committed eight turnovers. Christian Watford (27 points) and Cody Zeller (20 points) led five double-figure scorers. And Kentuckys Anthony Davis played just 25 minutes after early foul trouble.
And still, the Hoosiers couldnt pull off the upset.
Kentucky scored 102 points and only turned the ball over six times. The Wildcats always seem to have another gear, another level that their opponents cant match.
Indiana would have advanced past every other remaining team with its effort Friday. But the Wildcats are different.
Baylor, however, could offer Kentucky its greatest matchup challenges since its nonconference game against North Carolina. The Wildcats, however, won that game, too.
Look for Baylor to go at Davis hard in the first half. They have the bodies and theyll use them and try to lure Davis into early foul trouble. On defense, the Bears will try to use their length to force difficult shots in the lane. Look for Kentucky to challenge Baylor on both ends of the floor and exploit the Bears tendency to play timid early in physical games.
The journey: Baylor defeated South Dakota State, Colorado and Xavier to reach the Elite Eight. Kentucky beat Western Kentucky, Iowa State and Indiana to earn the opportunity to compete in the Final Four.
Monitor his progress: Perry Jones length, athleticism and talent make NBA scouts salivate. But the bulk of his career has been defined by potential, not production. This has to be the game in which Jones proves himself. He had just nine points combined in his teams first two NCAA tournament games. The Bears will need him, however, against Kentucky. If hes really a lottery pick, if hes really worthy of that multimillion-dollar contract, then one would think that Jones has to showcase his abilities in this matchup.
Numbers to impress your friends: The Bears have reached the Elite Eight twice. But they didnt beat a single-digit seed either time. In the 2010 NCAA tournament, the Bears beat Sam Houston State (14-seed), Old Dominion (11-seed) and Saint Marys (10-seed). This year, they beat South Dakota State (14-seed), Colorado (11-seed) and Xavier (10-seed). Davis has blocked five or more shots in 17 games this season.
Games most critical question: Will Baylor point guard Pierre Jacksons shot selection disrupt Bears offense?
The matchup: Acy versus Davis. Zeller drew quick fouls against Davis. Acy will attack Davis early, too.
Dont touch that remote because … Kentucky is playing. Seriously. The Wildcats have had a special season thus far. With that talent and swagger, theyre always entertaining. But a Baylor upset isnt a ridiculous notion.
Kansas (2) vs. North Carolina (1), 5:05 pm ET, CBS
Things to know: Nine years ago, Roy Williams left Kansas for North Carolina.
And his stand against his former team in the Elite Eight is actually a secondary storyline in this matchup.
Ohio took North Carolina to overtime Friday in a fascinating Sweet 16 matchup. The Tar Heels didnt look like the same team without starting point guard Kendall Marshall.
The sophomore suffered a wrist injury that kept him out of that game. And now, were all wondering if well see a Willis Reed-like appearance on Sunday.
Marshall told reporters that he wouldnt have played if the game had been held Saturday. But he did go through practice. Will he play?
Well, Marshall also told reporters that I could be out there playing when asked if the Kansas matchup is a possibility.
Instead of chatter about Williams facing Kansas, the main intrigue surrounds Marshall. Hes such a crucial player for the Tar Heels and that was evident as the Tar Heels struggled with Ohio.
The Jayhawks havent been flawless, either. They beat both Purdue in the round of 32 and NC State in the Sweet 16 by three points.
But theyre here. And they definitely have the talent to beat the Tar Heels, especially if Marshall cant go.
Jeff Withey (10 blocks against the Wolfpack) and Thomas Robinson (18 points and 15 rebounds against NC State) have comprised one of the nations top frontcourts. Plus, the Jayhawks are fourth on Pomeroys defensive efficiency ratings.
But the Tar Heels are still a potent force even without Marshall. Tyler Zeller recorded 20 points and 22 rebounds against Ohio. Zeller, John Henson and Harrison Barnes could carry the Tar Heels to New Orleans. Reggie Bullock played a star role against Ohio with 17 points.
Stilman White, Marshalls replacement, only scored two points but he played above-average defense.
With or without Marshall, this should be a great game. If he plays, it might be a classic.
Look for Tyshawn Taylor to challenge White early on both ends of the floor. Look for the Tar Heels to minimize Whites role and get the ball to Zeller and Henson early in the shot clock so they can attack and try to draw first-half fouls against Withey and Robinson. This is all assuming Marshall remains sidelined.
The journey: Kansas beat Detroit, Purdue and NC State to reach the Elite Eight. North Carolina defeated Vermont, Creighton and Ohio.
Monitor his progress: White doesnt have to replace Marshalls offensive production. He cant. But his defense will be crucial again, especially with the explosive Taylor running the show for the Jayhawks.
Numbers to impress your friends: Taylor has committed 10 turnovers in the NCAA tournament (three games). Prior to playing 32 minutes against Ohio, White registered double-digit minutes just once during the regular season (11 minutes against Nicholls State Dec. 19).
Games most critical question: If Marshall plays, will he be healthy enough to make an impact?
The matchup: Withey versus Zeller. The tournaments top interior defender (not named Davis) against one of the nations top big men.
Dont touch that remote because … Zeller has been a beast. Marshall might play. Withey nearly broke an NCAA tournament record for blocked shots against NC State. Robinson is a star. Need any more reasons?
By KEVIN D. ROBERTS
Assistant Sports Editor
The annual Thanksgiving morning battle between the Torrington and Watertown football teams has produced plenty of heroics and physical games in its 45-year history.
The series is tied 22-22-1, thanks to three straight wins by the Red Raiders.
The Torrington win streak began with a thriller in 2008 at the Robert H. Frost Sports Complex at Torrington High School. The Raiders trailed the Indians 13-6 with 3:18 remaining in the game, but junior quarterback Chris Deberry led the team 80 yards. His 13-yard touchdown pass to Darrick Williams made it 13-12 with no time left on the clock. Instead of going for the extra point, first-year head coach Dan Dunaj elected to go for two. Deberry rolled to his left and found the end zone for a thrilling 14-13 victory.
Given the close games that have occurred throughout the years, it cant be much of surprise that the first matchup between these two rivals, in 1966, ended in an 8-8 tie.
My brother Jim played in that, Torrington assistant coach and longtime trainer Mike lsquo;Doc McKenna said during practice last Tuesday.
In that game, Torringtons Mike Amminato had a shoe-top tackle of Watertowns Chris Burke for the game-tying safety late in the third quarter.
McKenna recalled his senior year game, a 16-15 win in 1972. The year before, a key fumble doomed the Raiders in a loss.
Theres been some good football players that have played in it, McKenna said of the rivalry.
In 1973 and 1974, Torrington topped Watertown by identical 7-6 scores, thanks to an extra point by Dan Jacobs in both contests.
In 1981, little-used senior place kicker Mike McCarthy made a 17-yard field goal with 17 seconds left to give the Raiders an 18-15 win over the Indians. Continued…
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Nine teams composed of members from the business and media communities in Quinte competed in nine offbeat physical games that were featured at the Minute To Win It Corporate Challenge in support of United Way of Quinte, at the Belleville YMCA.
With so many great games available on Android and iPhone smart phones and Angry Birds available on all it would seem our portable gaming jones would be satisfied.
Not so fast, says Sony. On Feb. 22, 2012, the companys latest portable gaming gadget, the Vita, will go on sale for $250 for the Wi-Fi only model and $300 for a Wi-Fi plus 3G version.
I got a chance to fiddle with Vita earlier this week. Im no gamer Im too OCD to start, especially since I already play Scrabble waaaaaay too much (and dont want to turn into Alec Baldwin) but I do know a sophisticated piece of digital machinery and the most advanced portable gaming gadget ever when I see it. And I saw it.
Heres everything you need to know about the Sony Vita.
Simple specs
Youll notice two obvious attributes on Vita its bright 5-inch, 960 x 576 pixel touch screen and, even more impressive for gamers, dual joysticks, a first for a portable game device.
What you wont see but feel is Vitas rear, which also is touch-sensitive for additional game control. Like many of Vitas new features (described in more depth below), games have to be specially designed to take advantage of this rear touch surface.
As noted, Im no gamer so I dont know why you need a touch screen on both front and rear and two joysticks Im not even sure how you can physically coordinate the manipulation all four of these plus all the buttons in the heat of shooting the alien action, but Im sure you hard core gamers out there likely can think of a multitude of multi-input scenarios.
Behind Vitas visible controls are a quad core processor (most bleeding-edge smart phones offer just dual core engines) to enable more sophisticated graphics and gaming performance, a magnetometer (a compass to you and me), an accelerometer and a gyroscope, just like a smart phone, all so action on the screen can react to you simply moving Vita around.
Like on a smart phone, youll be able to watch movies, view photos, play music, map yourself via GPS and surf the Web on a full Web browser on Vita.
Vita has slots for two memory cards, both proprietary: the Vita Game Card, around the size of a standard SD card, on which physical games will be sold in stores, and something called removable media (clever name, eh?), a micro SD-like card on which to store downloaded games, along with your music, photos, movies, and other media.
There is no user storage memory on the Vita. Removable cards will be available in 4, 8, 16 and 32 GB capacities. Prices on these memory cards havent been set yet.
Vitas special features
Sony has assembled something beyond a collection of specs and silicon, imbuing Vita with some fancy features to take advantage both of the likely presence of a PlayStation 3 (PS3) in your home and the cloud.
Cross Play and Cross Save, for instance, lets you play a game on PS3, save your place in the cloud, download the saved version to Vita and continue playing, then back to PS3 again.
Thats the good news. The bad news is, Cross Play and Cross save works only on games designed for it. Worse, you have to buy both the PS3 and the Vita version of the game, which I think is absurd. Sony is thinking of bundling both versions together, which only slightly lowers the absurdity level.
Remote Connect does just what it sounds like via Wi-Fi, Vita can communicate with your home PS3 from wherever you are in the world to play games or movies stored there.
At home, you can use Vita as a PS3 controller using Bluetooth. On some PS3 games played on your big screen HDTV, youll be able to set strategy on the Vita screen, away from the prying eyes of your opponents.
In Party mode, you can text or chat with up to eight fellow Vita players even if everyone is playing a different game, a portable playing first, according to Sony. For chatting, at least half the players have to be connected via Wi-Fi.
And, most impressively, if you opt into Near, your Vita will be able to see other Vita Wi-Fi/3G-connected players who have opted into Near and who are playing the same game you are over several kilometers. You can then invite them to play against you. If youre bothered by all the social gaming activity, you can turn Near to play alone.
Part of Near is a new kind of virtual geocaching. You can leave virtual objects from particular games in real-life places a park, a store, a street corner, whatever for other gamers to treasure hunt. When the hunters get near the objects physical hiding place, it appears on their screen within the context of the game.
As you can see, theres a lot Vita can do that your Android or iPhone cant at least right now.
Vitas games
No prices have been set the games that will be available at or soon after Vitas launch (15 at least, likely more). These Vita games will include:
- WipEout 2048, a high velocity anti-gravity racing game.
- MLB 12: The Show, startlingly life-like major league baseball action.
- Uncharted: Golden Abyss, which follows the cinematic exploring adventures of someone called Nathan Drake.
- Sound Shapes, a musical game.
- LittleBigPlanet, starring Sackboy (whoever he is).
- ModNation Racers, some sort of weird racing game.
- Ruin, a social action fantasy game.
- Reality Fighters, an augmented reality fighting game in which the Vita camera can capture the gamers face to be morphed onto the game fighters, one aspect of Vitas face-tracking camera capability.
- Little Deviants, a cartoon adventure game.
- Gravity Rush, a colorful third-person adventure in which apparently the laws of gravity are more like suggestions.
- Hot Shots Golf World Invitational, which Im guessing is a golf game.
- Super Stardust Delta, the latest installment in the popular (so Im told) asteroid blasting adventure.
- Hustle Kings, a virtual pool (as in cue sticks and cue balls, not swimming) game.
- Escape Plan, in which you guide the hapless Lil and Laarg through labyrinths filled with puzzles and traps. What would they do without you?
- Resistance: Burning Skies, which is described as taking place the night before Resistance 2, filling in the lost yearshellip;of the day the Chimera came to NYC. Theres my argument restrict immigration.
- Unit 13, a military shooter with 36 missions; me, I would have chosen a different identifier if I was going into life-threatening situations.
And thats most of what space allows me to tell you about Sonys Vita.