Monday, January 4, 2016

Injuries to hamper Warriors" run?


Golden State Warriors vs Houston Rockets | Full Game Highlights | 2015-16 NBA REGULAR SEASON (60fps)

For now, Saturday night doesn"t leave a huge void in the Golden State Warriors" season. Stephen Curry left the game after re-injuring his sore shin when it got knocked when trying to navigate some screens and stay in front of Jameer Nelson against the Denver Nuggets. Curry was subbed out at the 2:16 mark of the second quarter when he was noticeably limping, and never returned.

The result of the injury was a fascinating look into what may lie ahead for the Warriors in their pursuit of the best record in NBA history, the 72-10 Chicago Bulls. The Warriors want this record and they"ve been pretty adamant about finding the requisite motivation in order to be up for all of these games in a way that does harken back to the insane competitive nature of Michael Jordan. But when you take away that team"s M.J., does such a feat become impossible to attain or even approach?

Golden State is currently 31-2, which is still the best start in NBA history. They"re still one game ahead of that Bulls team, which was 30-3 after 33 games. To keep up with this pace, the Warriors can"t miss Curry for too many games. Per Ben Golliver of Sports Illustrated, the Warriors are now 74-9 in their previous 83 regular-season games in which Curry plays. They need Curry to play if they want to be historical.

Luckily for them, this is a bit of a light week until Friday. They have Sunday off before facing the Charlotte Hornets on Monday at home and the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday in Los Angeles. Then they have Wednesday and Thursday off before a back-to-back with Portland and Sacramento. That"s a relatively light schedule until Friday to allow the injury to heal up. Can they get by if Curry misses just one of those games against Charlotte or Los Angeles? What if he misses both?

Draymond Green has stepped up in Curry"s absence after a poor showing against Dallas (11 points, nine rebounds, four assists, 4-of-15 shooting). He rebounded against Houston for a 10-point, 11-rebound, 16-assist performance the next night before following that up Saturday night against Denver with 29 points, 17 rebounds, 14 assists, and four steals. While it"s not easy for Green to put up these crazy numbers, even though it"s his sixth triple-double of the season and second back-to-back triple-double of the season, Green instantly becomes the Warriors" leader on the court when Curry is out.

The problem though is how much focus can they retain and foster when Curry is out? They nearly blew a 26-point lead at home against a Denver team that isn"t very good, escaping with an overtime victory. The team has been without Harrison Barnes since November 27 due to an ankle sprain. Leandro Barbosa has missed four straight games with a sprained shoulder. Festus Ezeli has a foot injury.

People don"t want to see players get injured, but this is the test the Warriors are facing now, which they avoided last season when they were healthy. That"s when they won 67 games and marched to a title. That"s when the question of whether or not they were lucky crept up and fueled them to this blistering start to the season. And this is what befalls so many seemingly great teams looking to challenge what the Bulls did in 1995-96.

The grind of the season comes with bumps in the road. Jordan was able to play all 82 games for the Bulls that season, but Scottie Pippen missed five games, Dennis Rodman missed 18 games, and Luc Longley missed 20. Enduring injuries is one thing, but enduring injuries while challenging history seems almost futile.

Curry could be back next game and not miss another contest this season. Or this shin injury might take some time to fully heal, and cause an absence far more times than the Warriors are hoping to see. It"s not the end of the world. If things fall apart in this pursuit of the all-time, they can still end up with the best record in basketball and march to a second title. You just don"t get to see history challenged all that often and this Warriors team seemed to have the right kind of motivated to keep challenging.

How many games will the Warriors miss Steph Curry? (USATSI)

Source: http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/25435981/steph-curry-re-injures-shin-and-warriors-now-scrambling-vs-history

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Saoirse Ronan praises "the power of Ryan Gosling" for teaching people how to ...


Eva Mendes Talks Heritage, Ryan Gosling Changing Diapers | TODAY

This article originally appeared on PEOPLE.com.

Saoirse Ronanis confirming what weve always suspected.

At the 2016 Palm Springs International Film Festival Gala on Saturday, the Brooklyn actress, 21, sang the praises of Ryan Gosling to PEOPLE, noting that no one could pronounce her Irish name (Ser-sha) until the actor intervened.

Presenting Ronan with the New Hollywood Award at the Hollywood Film Awards in November, Gosling said, Its Ser-sha, like inertia and suddenly, people started pronouncing her name correctly.

Someone sent me a photo two weeks later of a cinema in Minnesota, and on the sign in the front it said Brooklyn and then underneath it said, Ser-sha, Like Inertia, Ronan tells PEOPLE. I couldnt believe it! They actually put it on the front of the cinema, so the power of Ryan Gosling is stronger than anything else.

While presenting her award, Gosling had also called Ronan one of his favorite actresses and people. The feeling is clearly mutual.

Hes like, Jesus or something, like a blond Canadian Jesus, Ronan tells PEOPLE.

The Irish starlet learned of her Golden Globe nomination Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Drama for her role as an Irish immigrant in Brooklyn while she was at the nail salon.

I was in the nail salon getting my nails done and my phone kept dinging, but I couldnt answer because my nails were wet. When I finally answered, I got the news, she previously told PEOPLE, noting that she shrieked with excitement. I told everyone at the salon. They were congratulating me, and we even popped champagne.

Reporting by ReaganAlexander

Source: http://www.ew.com/article/2016/01/03/saoirse-ronan-name-pronunciation-ryan-gosling

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What"s trending in the NFL: Eagles interview familiar face for coaching job


"96 Carolina/Clemson game-Duce Staley highlights

Here are the top stories from Saturday:

Running backs coach Duce Staley interviews for Eagles" vacant coaching position

From Mike Triplett"s fantasy football mailbag, on whether Cam Newton or Carson Palmer should be started in Week 17: "You can"t possibly bail on Cam Newton or Carson Palmer now that they"ve brought you this far, right? Actually, I do see the dilemma here -- mostly because I think Ben Roethlisberger and Matt Ryan should have big games themselves. Roethlisberger"s playoff life is on the line, and he"s facing a vulnerable Cleveland Browns defense. Meanwhile, Ryan is facing a New Orleans Saints defense that has already set the NFL record for touchdown passes allowed in a season (43). So I wouldn"t blame anyone for "playing it safe" and going with those guys in these scenarios."

Raiders defensive back Charles Woodson says he has no regrets as he approaches his final NFL game.

From James Walker"s story on the chances that Olivier Vernon is playing his final game with the Dolphins on Sunday: "Miami has a lot of issues facing the team this offseason, including a tight salary cap and major changes looming on the coaching staff. Vernon, who is 25 and entering the prime of his career, certainly won"t come cheap. He is tied for the team lead with seven sacks and has 28.5 sacks in four seasons. There should be plenty of teams interested in that kind of production on the open market."

Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg to enter NFL draft (by Jared Shanker)

From Rich Cimini"s mailbag, on possible salary-cap casualties for the Jets: "The biggest name, of course, is Antonio Cromartie. Why him? He"ll be 32 and he"s an easy cut because of the way his contract is structured. He has three years left on his deal, but none of it is guaranteed. His cap charge for 2016 is $8 million, and they can wipe the entire amount from the cap by releasing him -- and I believe they will. Cromartie has played better in recent weeks, but I wonder how much of that is due to the competition. "

Why the Bengals don"t plan on resting starters vs. the Ravens (by Coley Harvey)

From ESPN Stats & Information research: Dolphins receiver Jarvis Landry"s 188 receptions are the most in NFL history through a player"s first two seasons.

Source: http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/page/whatstrending160102/trending-nfl-philadelphia-eagles-interview-duce-staley-replace-chip-kelly-head-coach

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Gisela Mota y el drama de los municipios


Sicarios asesinan a Gisela Mota, alcaldesa de Temixco, Morelos/ Atalo Mata

04 de Enero de 2016

Mal inicia la semana para el que ahorcan en lunes, dice el refrn. Podramos ampliarlo, sin embargo: mal inicia el ao para el pas que vuelve a la pesadilla de los crmenes polticos, mal inicia el ao para las economas mundiales cuando la titular del FMI seala que las previsiones son desalentadoras, mal inicia el ao para la estabilidad internacional cuando, con las amenazas de atentados terroristas en varios pases todava frescas, Arabia Saud e Irn rompen relaciones diplomticas por motivos religiosos.

Intolerancia, violencia, egosmo llevado al extremo. Sin importar que se trate de una cuestin de f, como en el caso del clrigo chita ejecutado en das pasados; una cuestin econmica, como el perverso juego entre los precios del petrleo y las tasas de inters, que pareciera tener destinatarios concretos, o de una cuestin sobre poltica y la falta de capacidad, o de voluntad, para lidiar con el crimen organizado. En todos los casos, como siempre, quien pierde es el ciudadano comn.

Lo que est pasando en Morelos no es sino un reflejo de lo que ocurre en el resto del pas. Y es terrible: mientras que los polticos se enfrascan en discusiones estriles, la gente sigue muriendo, el desarrollo se detiene, la desconfianza sigue creciendo. La gente simplemente ha dejado de creer en las instituciones del Estado y en su capacidad para hacer frente a los retos que afectan a la sociedad. Y no es para menos: quien tendra que estar gobernando el estado ha sido rebasado por los problemas que debera de resolver, mientras sigue su propia agenda y alimenta sus propias e irreales ambiciones; quien tendra que estar festejando goles, comentando deportes, o atendiendo sus restaurantes, es ahora el alcalde de una de las ciudades ms complicadas del pas, y no tiene idea de cmo hacerlo.

Lo mismo que pasa en otros estados, con gobernadores ambiciosos y alcaldes sin preparacin. Ramrez y Blanco no son casos aislados, sino el eptome de un sistema poltico corrupto y alejado de la ciudadana en las intenciones y en los hechos. El cobarde asesinato de Gisela Mota llena de espanto y zozobra ms an, si cabe, por ser mujer, y es un aviso que debe ser atendido no slo por las autoridades, sino por la sociedad entera. Hemos pasado el momento de las declaraciones, de los operativos espectaculares, de los planes de contingencia. En realidad nada ha cambiado: la inseguridad no disminuye, la desigualdad se acrecienta, la desconfianza campea y se extiende sin control. Siendo realistas, es poco lo que pueden hacer las autoridades para regresar la calma a la sociedad si sta no se involucra directamente en la solucin.

Lo ocurrido en Temixco nos marca el camino: los municipios son la base de la estructura social y, sin embargo, es en su interior donde se alojan los vicios propios de la gestin improvisada. La autoridad municipal es quien tiene el contacto ms cercano con la gente, y donde por lo general comienzan los actos de corrupcin y los abusos de poder. Es quien conoce lo que pasa de primera mano, es quien puede tomar las decisiones que inciden de inmediato en la confianza de los ciudadanos. Es, tambin, quien se encuentra sujeto a la amenaza cotidiana del crimen organizado.

En este momento, el reto para el Estado mexicano, en su conjunto, es la creacin de una sociedad ms inclusiva, en la que los individuos y colectivos sociales puedan participar en la construccin de la paz y expresar su opinin en un marco de respeto irrestricto a los derechos humanos. Y no puede ocurrir sino a nivel municipal. Es urgente, y es la nica salida: es tiempo de entender que no llegaremos a ningn lado a menos de que rememos, todos, en la misma direccin.

Source: http://www.excelsior.com.mx/opinion/victor-beltri/2016/01/04/1066701

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Chris Brown Responds to Assault Allegations, Slams "Crazy Individuals Who Keep ...


Chris Brown - Little More (Royalty) [Explicit Version]

Imeh Akpanudosen/ Getty Images

Chris Brown took to Instagram to speak out against recent assault allegations that were leveled against him.

The 26-year-old "Don"t Judge Me" singer shared a downtrodden selfie on Saturday evening, and wrote in the caption that he plans on "keeping my circle small in 2016!"

"I"m done taking the care of grown a*s men. And I"m going to be hella rich after all the lawsuits I file from these crazy individuals who keep lying on my name," Brown wrote. "Happy NEW YEAR! Time for some of us to grow the f**k up!"

WATCH: Singer Chris Brown Is a Suspect in Las Vegas Hotel Assault

Brown is a suspect in a battery investigation after an assault occurred at the Palms Hotel in Las Vegas on Saturday, the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department confirmed to ET.

The alleged victim, Liziane Gutierrez, claims Brown punched her in the face at a private after party held in his suites.

Gutierrez, a Brazilian model, was escorted off the hotel property because of the disturbance, but she later returned to file the report. Detectives could not reach Brown in his suite and later learned he had left the hotel before officers arrived at the scene.

WATCH: Chris Brown Admits He Was an "A**hole": I Thought "So What, F**k It, I Got Money"

Brown"s rep, however, vehemently denies the allegations made by Gutierrez, calling her accusations "completely false and not based in reality," in a statement released to ET on Saturday.

"Making false accusations seems to be a pattern of behavior for Ms. Gutierrez. Whatever her motives, her statements are unequivocally untrue," the rep said.

NEWS: Chris Brown Banned From Canada, Tour Dates Canceled Hours Before Show

Additionally, Brown"s rep claims that Gutierrez had a "total meltdown" at the hotel, which included "throwing her purse to the ground and claiming that she "could buy everyone in the hotel."" Brown"s rep asserts that Gutierrez"s Las Vegas assault allegation seems "like a clear case of retaliation for her bruised ego" ET has also reached out to Brown"s lawyer and the alleged victim.

For more on the accusations stemming from Saturday"s alleged altercation, check out the video below.

Source: http://www.etonline.com/news/179117_chris_brown_responds_to_assault_allegations_slams_crazy_individuals_who_keep_lying_on_my_name/

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Sunday, January 3, 2016

Citrus Bowl notebook: Taylor reaches goal


2016 Citrus Bowl Highlights Michigan vs Florida
<p>ORLANDO - Junior tailback Kelvin Taylor"s goal going into the Citrus Bowl was to eclipse the 1,000-yard rushing mark for the season and close his Florida career with a victory over Michigan.</p><p>He achieved only half of his goal.</p><p>He rushed for 50 yards to bring his season total to 1,035, but the Gators were blown out by Michigan 41-7.</p><p>I"m very thankful, but it was a sad day today, he said. I wish I had gotten the win today, but we came up with an "L".</p><p>Taylor did come up with enough yards to join his father, Fred Taylor, as a 1,000-yard rusher for the Gators. The elder Taylor ended the 1997 season with 1, 292 yards rushing, 234 coming in a victory over Penn State in the Citrus Bowl.</p><p>That definitely was my goal, Kelvin Taylor said of joining the 1,000-yard club. My offensive line, those guys helped me out with that goal. They did a great job for me. I"m very thankful and blessed with great coaches and great teammates.</p><p><b>Double move gets Hargreaves III</b></p><p>UF coach Jim McElwain talked earlier in the week about how the Florida defensive backs had to be wary of double moves by the Michigan wide receivers. All-American cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III apparently did not heed the warning.</p><p>Hargreaves bit hard on a double move by UM wide receiver Jehu Chesson in the second quarter and got burned for a 31-yard touchdown pass that gave the Wolverines a 14-7 lead.</p><p>Hargreaves was replaced in the lineup by sophomore Quincy Wilson for the last UM series in the first half and half of the Wolverines" first series of the second half.</p><p> After the game, McElwain said Hargreaves was not benched.</p><p> That"s the standard rotation we play with the corners, he said.</p><p><b>Gators young up front</b></p><p> As expected, the Gators started three true freshmen on the offensive line against Michigan"s fourth-ranked defense.</p><p> Martez Ivey started at left guard, Tyler Jordan at right guard and Fred Johnson at right tackle, where he replaced ineligible starter Mason Halter.</p><p> With Jordan starting at guard, senior Trip Thurman made the start at center.</p><p> Ivey"s day did not last long. He appeared to injure his leg on the game"s first series and did not return. Antonio Riles replaced him.</p><p> The young line did a good job holding up in the first half, helping the Gators roll up 245 yards of total offense. But the strong Michigan defensive front dominated the line in the second half.</p><p><b>McGee, Hardin sit it out</b></p><p> Sixth-year senior tight end Jake McGee, who talked earlier in the week about how positive his final season has been, did not have a chance to play in his last game as a Gator.</p><p> McGee sustained a pulled hamstring in practice Tuesday. He tried to go through warm-ups, but he struggled and the decision was made to sit him.</p><p> Struggling starting place-kicker Austin Hardin also was held out after sustaining a sprained ankle in Thursday"s walk-through practice. He did not dress out and was wearing a protective boot on his left foot.</p><p>With Hardin out, the kickoffs were made by walk-on Dallas Stubbs. Walk-on Neil MacInnes, who has an injured ACL, kicked UF"s extra point and would have kicked field goals.</p><p>Two players were injured in the game -- outside linebacker Jarrad Davis and defensive end Cece Jefferson. McElwain said Davis got his eggs scrambled, while Jefferson blew a wheel.</p><p><b>Record for Callaway</b></p><p>With his 26-yard reception in the first quarter, wide receiver Antonio Callaway broke the school record for reception yards for a true freshman. Callaway surpassed Reidel Anthony, who had 615 receiving yards in 1994.</p><p> Callaway finished the game with five catches for 75 yards, giving him 678 for the season.</p><p><b>Morrison the tackling machine</b></p><p> Senior middle linebacker Antonio Morrison had four tackles in the first half, pushing his total for the season over 100. He is only the second Gator since 1983 to record 100 tackles or more in back-to-back seasons.</p><p> The others to do it are Carlton Miles (1991-92) and Ed Robinson (1992-93).</p><p><b>Advantage Michigan</b></p><p>The Wolverines are 3-0 against Florida, with all the wins coming in bowl games played in the Sunshine State this century: 2003 Outback, 2008 Capital One and Friday.</p>

Source: http://www.gainesville.com/article/20160101/ARTICLES/160109980?Title%3DCitrus-Bowl-notebook-Taylor-reaches-goal

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Protestors try to interrupt Mummers Parade


Frailinger String Band - 2015 Mummers Parade - Philadelphia Mummers

Philadelphia"s traditional New Year"s Celebration was interrupted by protesters. Police worked hard to keep them off the parade route.

The protest was reminiscent of Occupy Philadelphia and used some of the same communications tactics as the protestors went through the crowd and into and out of subway tunnels in an attempt to confound and escape police officers who were keeping them from interrupting the march. Asa Kalif of the group Black Lives Matter says they targeted the event because they wanted to use a major public gathering to show their displeasure.

"We"re not going to apologize because we are black, we are not going to apologize because we are in a racist system, we"re going to shut it down each and every time."

Protesters march through the streets and sidewalks adjacent to the Mummers Parade. (Jonathan Wilson/for NewsWorks)

Protester Megan Malachi believes the mummer"s parade is inherently racist because of the use of blackface in the past and she as a child in Philadelphia never went to the event

"Our reasons for being out here is to raise awareness about the police terrorism which is historic and brutal in Philadelphia, we also have people out here representing groups who are part of the fight for 15 to get fast food workers a living wage, educational equality and environmental issues.

At its peak there were only about 50 protesters and police were able to keep all but a few off the streets, those who got through were arrested and taken away from the protest.

Michael McGrail marches with the Froggy Carr Comics. He says the protesters picked the wrong time to vent their frustrations.

"There are other places that are more productive and more constructive for them to make their point, now is not the time, all they are doing is alienating people by making this point to the general public."

Police had to stop several parade watchers from entering into physical confrontations with the protesters and there were many profanity laced shouting matches as the protesters and the parade watchers tussled along the parade route.

Asa Khalif a member of Black Lives Matter is arrested by Philadelphia Police. (Jonathan Wilson/for NewsWorks)

Source: http://www.newsworks.org/index.php/local/philadelphia/89642-protestors-try-to-interrupt-mummers-parade

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