Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Chip Kelly Should Angle for the Indianapolis Colts Job ... Or Go Into ...


Breaking News: Eagles Release Head Coach Chip Kelly | NFL News

Chip Kelly is out in Philadelphia. His reign of terror in the City of Brotherly Love has come to a swiftly-guillotined end. Things starting going south last year, as the offense began to regress and the Eagles went from 9-3 to out of the playoffs. This year, after Kelly won a power struggle behind the scenes, his moves faltered and he paid the price.

He never could get a really good quarterback, and that was at least in part his fault. Sure, the Eagles werent in a position to draft a franchise QB, and they dont go on trees, but he went in on Sam Bradford this year in a trade, after signing Mark Sanchez (who has still been awful), and riding Nick Foles. That, along with jettisoning other talent on offense (that didnt meld personality-wise) led to the offensive demise.

DeMarco Murray Reportedly Told Jeffrey Lurie He Had No Confidence in Chip Kelly as a Coach10hr ago

Even with all that, the Eagles are 9th in Net Yards per Pass Attempt since the start of 2013 season. Look at the other teams on the list in front of Philadelphia and directly behind them, in terms of who the primary quarterback during that success has been. Its not even close in terms of doing more with less, personnel-wise, than what the Eagles have done with who theyve had at the most important position.

Of course, theres one team out there with a top QB prospect and a supporting cast set up to have more success than theyve shown to date. Its one that ranks solidly behind the Eagles in terms of passing production over the last three years. And no, Im not talking about the Tennessee Titans. Plenty of folks will point to the Mariota connection, and the Titans having a high pick.

Indianapolis Colts are the Most Painful Team to Watch in the NFL This Year3w ago

But if Im Kelly, Im angling for the Colts job. Maybe dont go down the road of trying to find success from someone like Sam Bradford or Mark Sanchez again, Chip. Andrew Luck is in place. T.Y. Hilton, Donte Moncrief, and Philip Dorsett are in place and dont seem to be as abrasive in the locker room as DeSean Jackson (and yes, removing that type of playmaker cost the Eagles dearly, and hopefully Chip learned that). Your #1 hurdle to longevity and success is removed.

Add in that Indianapolis is arguably even bigger of a disappointment than the Eagles. In the division they are in, what they have done this year is a major letdown, even with the Luck injury. Chuck Pagano and Ryan Grigson are at odds. If you think that Kelly made poor decisions with personnel, consider where the Colts roster is with Grigsons major decisions (Luck was a no-brainer).

This is the opportunity for Jim Irsay to clean house, bring in a new personnel person to work with Kelly (dont let him shop for the groceries on defense) and embark on the next era. Im confident that Kelly can work in the NFL if he learns from his mistakes and gets a QB.

Barring that, I think his other move (and this assumes that the Eagles would be on the hook for his coaching salary) is not to rush it and go into television for a year, charm the establishment and the media. He can be a funny guy and I think he would play well on TV. ESPN and the other networks would crave him. His demand for a NFL job wont be any worse a year from now, and he can sit back and take stock, and h**l also have the college options as a leverage point (even though Kelly insists he still wants to coach in the NFL).

After that, I would rank his options as:

3) Tennessee with the Mariota connection, and cap space and young team with small media market and suppressed expectations;

4) San Francisco, if they want to give Colin Kaepernick another go and move on from the easily-replaceable Jim Tomsula;

5) Miami, where he could see if he could get something out of Ryan Tannehill and look like a genius.

6-98) anywhere else outside of Ohio;

..

99) the Browns.

Source: http://thebiglead.com/2015/12/29/chip-kelly-should-angle-for-the-indianapolis-colts-job-or-go-into-television-for-a-year/

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Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Ethan Couch, "Affluenza" Teenager, Had Last Party Before Fleeing, Officials Say


LIVE: Affluenza Teen #EthanCouch Caught in Mexico, No Charges in Death of 12-Yr-Old, Extreme Weather
Photo Ethan Couch after he was taken into custody in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Monday. Credit Jalisco State Prosecutors Office, via Associated Press

FORT WORTH Before fleeing to Mexico with his mother to avoid prison, the Texas teenager made famous by the defense that he was too rich and spoiled to take responsibility for killing four people in a drunken-driving accident, had what amounted to a going-away party, part of an escape plan crafted in advance, law enforcement officials said on Tuesday, hours after the pair were caught.

The teenager, Ethan Couch, 18, and his mother, Tonya Couch, 48, were arrested by Mexican authorities in the resort city of Puerto Vallarta on Monday evening, less than three weeks after they became fugitives. Officials in both countries said that Mr. Couch, who they said had dyed his hair and beard in an attempt at disguise, would be returned to Texas to face justice, though how long that would take remained unclear.

We learned through some interviews that what we suspected all along had happened, that they had planned to disappear, that they even had something that was akin to a going-away party before they left town, Dee Anderson, the Tarrant County sheriff, said at a news conference in Fort Worth. To investigators, he said, the information meant that what we suspected had happened, that it was carefully planned and timed to get out of the country.

Mr. Couch was 16 when he killed four pedestrians in a drunken-driving crash near Fort Worth and pleaded guilty to four counts of manslaughter. His case quickly made national headlines twice: When a defense witness testified that he suffered from affluenza, too influenced by privilege and his parents permissiveness to know right from wrong; and when a judge appeared to accept the argument, and sentenced him to 10 years probation, rather than prison.

The sheriff said on Monday that he was not at all surprised that Mr. Couchs mother had not only helped him flee, but fled with him. It has been clear from the time of the accident, he said, that theres just no chance that she will ever think he needs to be punished or held accountable.

We have now had an arrest warrant issued for Tonya Couch for hindering apprehension, he added.

Early this month, a Twitter user posted a six-second video that appeared to show Mr. Couch, barely out of an alcohol rehabilitation program, drinking at a party, and prosecutors began looking into whether he had violated the terms of his probation.

Before the video surfaced, prosecutors had already asked the juvenile court that had handled his case to transfer it to adult court, where the penalty for a probation violation could be to spend the rest of his 10-year probation in prison. Sharen Wilson, the Tarrant County district attorney, said that if the case remained in juvenile court, Mr. Couch could not be locked up past his 19th birthday, in April.

A hearing has been scheduled for Jan. 19 on the request to move the case to adult court, and he could face additional charges for fleeing. His lawyers declined to comment, noting that they have not had a chance to speak with him since his arrest.

Ms. Wilson and Mr. Anderson both made clear that they viewed Mr. Couchs recent actions as a chance to make up for what they called the unjustified leniency the court showed him two years ago. And the sheriff adamantly defended the use of extensive resources, from multiple agencies, in an international manhunt for a teenage probation violator.

Go talk to those four families who lost loved ones and who spent Christmas without their loved ones because he decided to drink three times the legal limit of alcohol and drive recklessly and kill four innocent people, Sheriff Anderson said. The details of the crime, and then the lack of justice in the sentence, outraged people in this area in a way that I havent ever seen people outraged. There was a strong, strong public demand for him to be brought to justice.

He added, I personally felt like justice was denied at the first juncture, and I had everything possible invested in this to get him back and Im not apologizing for it. I dont believe that the community and the public wanted anything less than us to use every available means to bring him back.

Mexican authorities arrested the Couches at 6 p.m. on Monday in Colonia 5 de Diciembre, a neighborhood on the southern end of Puerto Vallarta, according to the Jalisco State prosecutors office. State officials said the pair were taken into custody at the intersection of Colombia and Argentina Streets, just three blocks from the beach, in an area teeming with American tourists. The Couches were handed over to Mexicos National Institute of Migration for being in the country unlawfully, and will be returned to the United States, the Jalisco State prosecutors office said.

The office released a photo of Mr. Couch, his blond hair, and red beard and mustache, died dark brown.

Sheriff Anderson said there was no sign so far that Mr. Couchs father, who is divorced from his mother, had any role in their flight. I dont have any information about anybody assisting, and it remains unclear whether anyone else knew they intended to flee, he said, but that remains under investigation.

Investigators received helpful information from people who know the Couches, and dozens and dozens of calls of sightings of them or their pickup truck, he said. The pair are believed to have driven the truck from the Fort Worth area deep into Mexico, but he would not say whether they still had it with them, or how they supported themselves on the run.

He was, at best, looking at a life of exile, Sheriff Anderson said of Mr. Couch.

A crucial piece of information indicating that they were in Puerto Vallarta came on Dec. 24, the sheriff said, but he would not elaborate. The problem with it was, as you can imagine, Puerto Vallarta at Christmas time, a tremendous amount of tourists down there, so American people were prevalent everywhere, it wouldnt be somewhere they were going to stick out, he said.

On Saturday, the Marshals Service, through the American Consulate in Guadalajara, the capital of Jalisco State, notified Mexican officials that Mr. Couch and his mother might be in Puerto Vallarta, and asked the local authorities to search for them, Jalisco officials said.

Two years ago, the case crystallized widespread outrage that rich, white defendants like Mr. Couch receive more lenient treatment than poor, minority ones.

What was striking about Mr. Couchs defense was that his lawyers argued that he deserved leniency precisely because of his privileged upbringing.

The defenses affluenza argument drew angry reactions, as did the sentence of probation, which included a prohibition on drinking alcohol, and a requirement that he complete a rehabilitation program. A headline on an article about the case in TheWeek.com read, Being rich is now a get-out-of-jail-free card.

The case dates to June 15, 2013, when Mr. Couch and some friends stole beer from a store and later went for a drive with him at the wheel. Speeding on a dark country road outside Burleson, a suburb of Fort Worth, he plowed a pickup truck into four pedestrians, killing all of them, and hit two vehicles before his truck flipped over. A teenager who was among Mr. Couchs passengers was thrown from the vehicle and was left paralyzed and brain damaged.

Hours later, Mr. Couch recorded a blood alcohol level of 0.24 percent, three times the legal limit for drivers of drinking age, and he tested positive for prescription sedatives. He later pleaded guilty to charges including four counts of manslaughter.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/30/us/affluenza-ethan-couch-mexico.html

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Marvel Studios boss Kevin Feige explains the powers of Benedict Cumberbatch"s ...


Collider Movie Talk - First Doctor Strange Images, Star Wars Smashes New Records

Everyone knows Ant-Man can control ants, Iron Man has a flying weapon-suit, and the Hulk is the man to call if you want something smashed. But what powers are possessed bythe titular hero of Marvels new superhero movie Doctor Strange (out Nov. 4)?In the comic books, this New York-based surgeon-turned sorcererhas a largearray of magical assetsup his proverbial sleeve andMarvel Studiospresident Kevin Feige says the same is true of Benedict Cumberbatchs hero in director Scott Derricksonsbig screen origin story.

He can do a whole host of things, eventually, explainsFeige, who is also the producer of Doctor Strange.He does cast spells,which in the comicshave very sort of tongue-twisty fun names. We dont want to shy away from that, because thats what makes DoctorStrangeDoctorStrange. He has a Cloak of Levitation that allows him to fly,but he doesnt fly like Supermanor like Thor. Its almost got a consciousness of its own, this cloak, which, again, gives us a superhero with a red cape which weve seen a few times but allows us to do it in a wholly unique and wholly original way. He can create these mandalas of light that he can use as shields and he can use as sort of weapons. He can create portalas that will open before your eyes that he can step through and go to other places around the world. And frankly, even in this film, well only touch upon what a lot of his powers are.

RELATED: 6 Exclusive Photos of Marvels Mystical, Magical Doctor Strange

Strange is also helped by an amulet known as The Eye of Agamotto. The Cloak of Levitation [and] the Eye of Agamotto are his two signature pieces, says Feige. In this film, the Eye is a very important relic that can be quite dangerous if used in the wrong hands, because it has the ability to do any numberof things, the most dangerous of which is,it can sort of manipulate probabilities. Which is also another way of saying, screw around with time which is part of our story.

To continue reading more on Doctor Strange, pick up Entertainment Weeklys First Look issue, on newsstands Tuesday, or buy it here.

Source: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/12/29/doctor-strange-benedict-cumberbatch-powers

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Miranda Lambert Is Dating Anderson East


Anderson East - Satisfy Me [Live from Fame Studios]

Miranda Lambert; Anderson East

Taylor Hill/Getty; Lloyd Bishop/NBC/Getty

12/29/2015 AT 12:25 PM EST

Miranda Lambert is moving on from ex Blake Shelton with a new man.

The country cutie is dating Anderson East, a Nashville-based musician, PEOPLE confirms.

East, whose real name is Michael Cameron Anderson, is 27 and currently touring behind his 2015 album Delilah.

Originally from Alabama, the singer attended Middle Tennessee State for college before permanently relocating to Music City, he told Paste earlier this year.

VIDEO: Jessie James Decker"s Inside Perspective on Blake and Miranda"s Split

Lambert and Shelton split in July after four years of marriage.

"I"m still processing everything and figuring out where to go and what happened," Lambert shared in the January issue of Cosmopolitan.

In the issue, the 32-year-old talked about the possibility of finding love again.

"If I ever were to get married again which is completely not on my radar at all right now I feel like it"s not about it being a step in life," she explained. "It"s not about a piece of paper or a diamond. It"s the way you feel about somebody and the commitment in your heart."

Shelton has also moved on, and has been dating fellow The Voice judge Gwen Stefani since November.

The pair haven"t been shy about their relationship, and most recently were spotted together enjoying a wine tour in Santa Barbara.

Source: http://www.people.com/article/miranda-lambert-dating-anderson-east

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Miko Grimes Eviscerates Ryan Tannehill, Dolphins Reporters In Scathing Tweets


NFL Wife Miko Grimes Arrested 4 Trespassing, Headbutting A Cop, U Know Normal Black Chick Stuff!

Miko Grimes, the wife of Miami Dolphins CB Brent Grimes, has had a contentious relationship with the Dolphins organization in the past. Today she took things up a notch - below is a selection of her recent tweets courtesy of SliceMiami:

For reference, the Tripple As are Adan Beaskey and Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, and Andrew Abramson of the Palm BeachPost.

And the piese deresistance

Tannehill has played poorly for the majority of the season, but none of that makes this series of tweets acceptable or a good idea in any way, shape, or form. If its true that Mike doesnt do anything without her husbands consent, then Brent may be lookin for a new job in theoffseason.

Source: http://thesportsquotient.com/nfl/2015/12/28/miko-grimes-eviscerates-ryan-tannehill-dolphins-reporters-in-scathing-tweets

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Doctor Strange producer on the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch: "We had to ...


Doctor Strange Benedict Cumberbatch Teaser Breakdown

Prior to Benedict Cumberbatchs casting in the lead role of Doctor Strange (out Nov. 4), several other actors were rumored to be in the frame for the part, including Joaquin Phoenix, Ethan Hawke, Matthew McConaughey, Ewan McGregor, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Oscar Isaac. Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige admits the company did consider alternative casting options forthe films titular surgeon-turned-sorcerer, but not because he had any doubts about Cumberbatchs thespian abilities.

RELATED: 6 Exclusive Photos of Marvels Mystical, Magical Doctor Strange

He was someone that we were very interested in for a very long time, says Feige, talking on the London set of Doctor Strange. [But] he kept getting more and more popular! [Laughs]Which is not [essential] for us.Chris Pratt was not popular when we cast him in Guardians. Thats not a prerequisite needed for us casting [someone]. But he kept getting more popular, and more popular, and he kept getting busier, and busier, and it looked like the timingwasnt going to work. So we looked at some other actors for a while and ultimately decided, We have to try and make it work with Benedict and with his schedule. Which is why we shifted the production schedule around.He finished Hamlet here in London, and I think had a day off, and then went to Kathmandu, Nepal, to shoot the first day of Doctor Strange.

To continue reading more on Doctor Strange, pick up Entertainment Weeklys First Look issue, on newsstands Tuesday, or buy it here.

Source: http://www.ew.com/article/2015/12/29/doctor-strange-benedict-cumberbatch-casting

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This Week in Dallas Stars Hockey: Happy New Year


Buon anno dalla Juventus - Happy New Year from Juventus

The Dallas Stars look to bring in the New Year in style with four games in the last week of 2015.

What a week it was.

The Dallas Stars stared down four games in the Central Division and took 7 of 8 possible points. The Stars came back against the MinnesotaWild, smashed the ChicagoBlackhawks, and manhandled the St. LouisBlues on Sunday night. The only loss over the stretch the Stars were able to rescue a point Saturday night in St. Louis.

Saturday night the Stars got pummeled, and still took the game all the way to a shootout. That says a lot about the team"s improvement in net and on the blue line.

Stars" fans also have to be encouraged by Kari Lehtonen"s showing on Sunday night. He didn"t have a lot of work to do, but he did it well. There is a long ways to go before the team has "accomplished" anything, but the raw materials of a Stanley Cup winner are on this team.

After a strange schedule last week, the Stars face another four-game week to welcome in 2016. Let"s dive in.

Tuesday 12/29/15 - Dallas Stars @ Columbus Blue Jackets

The Stars overwhelmed the Blue Jackets on December 15th when Columbus visited the American Airlines Center. The shot totals looked like a game that should have been closer, but an overwhelming second period effort by the Stars was too much for the Jackets in a 5-1 defeat.

Ryan Johansen was benched by John Tortorella in the third period of the last meeting. The Blue Jackets looked like they were on an upward trend early in Tortorella"s tenure in Columbus, but they have staggered in the last month and a half.

The Jackets looked frisky against Dallas, but they just couldn"t put enough pucks past Kari Lehtonen. The Stars were probably guilty of sitting back and absorbing pressure after they got out to a huge lead, but the Jackets proved they can be feisty.

Dallas just dusted the Central Division, finishing on an extreme high Sunday night. Nashville comes to town on New Years" Eve to open their season series against the Stars. The Stars will travel to Columbus for the game. This has all of the makings of a trap game.

Thursday 12/31/15 - Nashville Predators @ Dallas Stars

On New Years Eve, the Stars will host the Nashville Predators as these teams meet for the first time this season. The Preds have had a good year, but can"t seem to string together any prolonged success. Nashville has played 0.500 hockey for over a month.

The problem the Predators present to the Stars is similar to the St. Louis Blues. Nashville plays a slow game with suffocating and physical defense. You saw a case study on playing style Saturday and Sunday night against the Blues. Styles make fights, and whoever can enforce their style typically wins these kinds of games.

Pekka Rinne has been solid and this team has an incredible blue line. Roman Josi, Shea Weber, and Seth Jones make up a pretty intimidating defense. Josi and Jones in particular showed their stuff last year in the playoffs against the Blackhawks.

New Years Eve, Thursday night, and a rocking building should be appointment television.

Saturday 1/2/16 - Dallas Stars @ New Jersey Devils

The Devils have been competitive this year, contrary to popular opinion at the beginning of the season. New Jersey is three points out of a wildcard spot, but they have stumbled to 0.500 level hockey in the last month.

New Jersey have perhaps been the beneficiary of some timely scoring and handstands by Cory Schneider, but they are right in the thick of things in the Eastern Conference. The Devils have struggled to score; their 84 goals are only good for 26th in the league.

It seems that management finally agreed to acomplete rebuild, and the players have rewarded them by performing. The truth is this team is not very deep. If you can slow down Mike Cammalleri, Kyle Palmieri, and Adam Henrique the rest of the roster seems to run out of ideas. This is a young team trying to figure it out.

The Rock in Newark has not been kind to Dallas, and in the past the Devils were able to inflict their style of play on the Stars in Jersey. Dallas will look to take the Devils" great crowd out of the game early, and step on their throat. The longer you let young team hang around, the more dangerous they become.

Sunday 1/3/16 - Dallas Stars @ New York Islanders

Look! Another back-to-back!

Tough draw for Dallas facing an Islanders team early on Sunday after playing the Devils the night before, but this is the NHL. Everyone has their beef with the schedule makers, including the Isles who face the Pittsburgh Penguins the night before.

I guess the way Dallas has played after a back-to-back this season, maybe it isn"t a bad thing?

This figures to be a game with some subtle plot lines. John Tavares probably feels a bit had after Jamie Benn"s heroics for the Art Ross Trophy last year, and will probably be looking to prove a point when Benn and the Stars visit on Sunday.

Of course with Tavares, who can really tell when he is playing with a "point to prove"? Tavares is always awesome. He has fallen off the scoring pace this year, but he is always a handful.

The Islanders have had some struggles at times putting the puck in the net, but the defense has been consistently strong all season. Jaroslav Halak and Thomas Greiss have been lights out in net. No one wants to see either guy wearing the mask on any given night.

My heart tells me this will be a fast paced and up and down affair, but the way the islanders have rebuilt themselves over the last couple of years they may try to grind the game to a halt.

--

As an aside, the atmosphere in the American Airlines Center has been going through a resurgence this year. Slowly and steadily the fans seem to be more electric culminating with games at home against Chicago and St. Louis last week. Watching on television it feels like the fans are starting to create a playoff feel to every home game. It is easy to feel the energy, and I am not even there.

It was a great Christmas week of hockey in Dallas and the Stars look as good as they have all season.

This is a point in the season where it turns into a nightly grind, and the retooled Stars will be tested in entirely new ways. Will they continue to commit to shot blocking? Will the goalies stay hot? How many goals will Jamie Benn score?

This point in the season is where questions get answered. Watching this team grind is going to be fun.

Source: http://www.defendingbigd.com/2015/12/28/10672516/this-week-in-dallas-stars-hockey-happy-new-year

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