Online Pretty News

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Alabama football: Crimson Tide on verge of unprecedented run

Alabama Football - Postseason Hype 2015

Ralph D. Russo | The Associeated Press

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. Regardless of the outcome of Monday night"s College Football Playoff championship game between No. 1 Clemson and No. 2 Alabama, a case can be made that no team in the history of the sport has had a better run than the Crimson Tide under coach Nick Saban.

If Alabama beats the Tigers to win a fourth national title in seven seasons, the argument may be settled.

There was talk early in the season after Alabama lost to Mississippi that the Tide dynasty was in decline. Now Alabama (13-1) is one victory away from an unprecedented achievement.

The Tide can become just the third school in college football"s poll era, dating back to the creation of The Associated Press media poll in 1936, to win four championships in a 10-year span.

Notre Dame won four in seven seasons from 1943-49, but big-time college football is hardly comparable now to then. Those Fighting Irish didn"t play in bowl games and never needed more than nine victories to be the best in the country.

Miami won four championships in nine seasons (1983-91), but none of those teams had to play more than 12 games.

Alabama"s four championships under Saban, who took over in 2007, have all come in at least 13-game seasons.

"I mean, it"s incredible," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said Sunday during a news conference with Saban. Swinney heaped so much praise on his counterpart during the half-hour session with reporters that Saban looked a little uncomfortable.

"Coach Saban, what he"s done, I mean, he"s one of the greatest coaches that ever coached the game," Swinney said.

Saban also has a BCS title from his time at LSU, giving him four overall. Only former Alabama coach Bear Bryant with six has more.

"This is the first one I"ve sniffed as a coach, and he"s going for his fifth," said Swinney, who is in his eighth season at Clemson. "It"s incredible."

Clemson has one national championship to its credit. Behind Danny Ford, an Alabama native and former Tide player for Bryant, the Tigers won the title in 1981 by beating favored Nebraska in the Orange Bowl.

The Tigers are back on the biggest stage and again being led by an Alabaman and former Tide player. Swinney grew up near Birmingham and played for Alabama when Gene Stallings was the coach in the early 1990s. He was on the Tide team that won a national championship in 1992, upsetting Miami in the Sugar Bowl. Alabama then went through a long dry spell until Saban arrived.

"People will say, well, anybody can go win at Alabama," Swinney said. "Not everybody can coach a great team. Not everybody can coach a great player, and I think he has a gift to be able to do that."

Under Swinney, the Tigers have won at least 10 games each of the last five seasons, just like Alabama. And Clemson has its own shot at history: If the Tigers win the national title, they would become the first team to achieve a 15-0 season.

RELATED: Swinney leads Tigers with a smile

"We want to be a program that is competing at this level on a consistent basis and I think to do that, you"ve got to be a top-10, top-15 type program year in and year out," Swinney said.

Alabama has been even better than that. Since going 7-6 in Saban"s first season, the Tide is 97-12 and has never finished out of the final AP top 10.

No surprise: Saban has not been part of the legacy talk this week. Pondering his place in history won"t help his players Monday night at University of Phoenix Stadium.

"I owe them as the leader of the organization," Saban said. "I owe them our best as coaches and people who can support them to give them the best opportunity to be successful in the next challenge that they have.

"So I"ve got no time to think about that stuff."

This article was written by Ralph D. Russo from The Associated Press and was legally licensed through the NewsCred publisher network.

Source: http://www.ncaa.com/news/football/article/2016-01-11/alabama-football-crimson-tide-verge-unprecedented-run

Disney Channel"s "The Jersey" Star Dies at 31

Former Disney Star Michael Galeota Dead at 31

Michael Galeota, who starred in Disney Channels The Jersey in the late 90s and early 00s, died Sunday. He was 31.

It is with tremendous heartfelt sadness to announce the passing of Michael James Galeota on January 10th, reads a statement on a Go Fund Me page to raise money for his burial, created by Galeotas family.

He was a precious gift loving, giving, compassionate, joyful and intelligent, the post continues. A great inspiration for anyone that heard his genuine, humble, witty and joyful voice, or experienced his smile, laughter and love for just a moment. To know him was to love him.

The Go Fund Me page for Galeota has currently raised nearly $9,000 of its $25,000 goal. Interestingly, the biggest donation of $5,000 comes from a donor calling his or herself Shia L. While theres no confirmation of the identity of that donor, actor Shia Labeouf starred on the Disney Channels Even Stevens at the same time Galeota was on The Jersey.

The actor went to the hospital last week after complaining of abdominal pains and left Wednesday, according to TMZ, which first reported the news. After not hearing from him later in the week, one of his friends apparently went to check on him Sunday at his Glendale home and climbed through the window when Galeota didnt answer the door. He was found lying on the living room floor.

His death is currently said to be due to natural causes, and Galeota has battled hypertension, high cholesterol and diverticulitis. An autopsy is pending.

The Jersey premiered on the Disney Channel in 1999, based on the Monday Night Football Club books by Gordon Korman. Galeota starred as Nick Lighter, one of the four teens with access to the jersey, a magical garment that transports the wearer into the body of a professional athlete. The series finale aired in 2004.

Before The Jersey, Galeota had other roles in his youth, including in 1996 film Clubhouse Detectives and 1995s Bushwacked. He also appeared in episodes of E.R. and Ally McBeal in 1995 and 1997, respectively. The Jersey, however, marked his last acting role.

Source: http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&fd=R&ct2=us&usg=AFQjCNFerWvX_4uFnSsZg3Z-OtPQ2xPZlw&clid=c3a7d30bb8a4878e06b80cf16b898331&ei=qDiVVoiXL8iZ3QGiz4zYDA&url=https://variety.com/2016/tv/obituaries-people-news/michael-galeota-dead-the-jersey-disney-channel-1201677280/

Merkel under pressure within CDU as Cologne police detail assaults

Logic - Under Pressure (Full Version)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel faced growing pressure to harden her line on refugees on Monday as the first extensive police report on New Year"s Eve violence in Cologne documented rampant sexual assaults on women by gangs of young migrant men.

Cologne police said at least 11 foreigners, including Pakistanis, Guineans and Syrians, had been injured on Sunday evening in attacks by hooligans bent on revenge for the assaults in the western city.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere condemned those attacks and warned against a broader backlash against refugees following the events in Cologne, which have deepened skepticism towards Merkel"s policy of welcoming migrants.

The right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD) party seized on the latest developments to attack the chancellor while members of her own conservative party warned that integrating the hundreds of thousands of migrants who arrived last year would fail if the influx were not stopped immediately.

"If the influx continues as it has, then integration can"t work," said Carsten Linnemann, a lawmaker in Merkel"s Christian Democrats (CDU).

"If we get another 800,000 or a million people arriving this year, then we won"t be able to do this," he added, playing on Merkel"s optimistic "we can do this" mantra.

Speaking on Monday evening, Merkel said Europe was "vulnerable" because it was not yet in control of the situation as it would like to be.

Source: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/01/12/merkel-under-pressure-within-cdu-as-cologne-police-detail-assaults.html

Disney-Star stirbt mit nur 31: Michael Galeota ist tot!

Disney"s "The Jersey" / Coaches Wife Voice Over / Michael Galeota - Paisley Baker

Schock-Nachricht aus Amerika! Der ehemalige Disney-Star Michael "Mike" Galeota ist tot. Der junge Schauspieler verstarb mit nur 31 Jahren auf tragische Weise.

Screenshot "The Jersey" Er spielte in der Disney-Sendung "The Jersey" mit und wurde dadurch bekannt

Vergangene Woche ging Michael Galeota ins Krankenhaus, klagte ber starke Bauchschmerzen. Doch entgegen dem Rat der rzte verlie er dieses nach wenigen Untersuchungen wieder freiwillig. Nun ist der Schauspieler tot. Der erst 31-Jhrige, der durch die Disney-Sendung "The Jersey" bekannt wurde, starb offenbar ganz alleine in seinem Haus in Glendale. Wie TMZ berichtet, machten sich die Freunde von Mike, wie sie ihn nannten, Sorgen, weil er schon mehrere Tage kein Lebenszeichen von sich gegeben hatte. Als ein Freund das Haus aufsuchte und sich durch das Fenster Zugang verschaffte, machte er im Wohnzimmer die furchtbare Entdeckung: Der Schauspieler lag leblos auf dem Boden.

Facebook / Mike Galeota Weil er ber Bauchschmerzen klagte, wurde er im Krankenhaus behandelt

Warum Michael mit nur 31 Jahren sterben musste, ist noch nicht bekannt. Fakt ist, dass er an Bluthochdruck litt und seine Cholesterinwerte viel zu hoch waren. Auch kmpfte er mit einer Entzndung im Verdauungstrakt, die wohl auch die Bauchschmerzen verursacht hat. Die rzte gehen laut TMZ von einem natrlichen Tod aus, die Autopsie steht noch aus.

Facebook / Mike Galeota Auf eigenen Willen verlie er dieses aber schnell wieder - nun ist er tot

Source: http://www.promiflash.de/news/2016/01/11/disney-star-stirbt-mit-nur-31-michael-galeota-ist-tot.html

Lady Gaga and Taylor Kinney had s*x on a canvas for photo shoot

Lady Gaga Doesn"t Thank Fiance Taylor Kinney in Golden Globes Acceptance Speech

October 19, 2015. Singer Lady Gaga arrives with Taylor Kinney for the premiere of the film "Rock the Kasbah" in New York.(Reuters)

Lady Gaga may have recorded an album with Tony Bennett but she has not relinquished being one of the most provocative performers of her generation.

She and fiance Taylor Kinney had s*x on a canvas for the cover of V Magazines issue for peace. The magazine is selling prints of the cover for $50. All the proceeds will be going to the pop stars Born this Way Foundation.

"We made love on the canvas on a Sunday in Chicago," she wrote in the issue. "We made love amidst chaos. We talked about shootings. We made love amidst terrorism. And we talked about how people"s hearts are also suffering all over the world as they watch and witness a swell of violence."

Lady Gaga co-starred as the Countess in American Horror Story: Hotel while Kinney can be seen in the upcoming film The Forest.

Click here to see photo.

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2016/01/10/lady-gaga-and-taylor-kinney-had-s*x-on-canvas-for-photo-shoot/

Charlie Carver retires after 20 years in car selling industry

Carver Twins - Moments
MIAMI Charlie Carver, long time car salesman at Vance Ford Lincoln dealership in Miami, is hanging up his hat to retire after 20 years of service.Carver says he has sold a total of 2,022 cars up until his last day on New Years Eve.Before selling cars, Carver worked with semi-tractor trailers.I grew up in the trucking industry, Carver said. I was in the service field running shops and maintaining 18 wheelers.Carver said he got involved in the car industry by luck and started working at a dealership in Joplin in 1990.I just fell into it, Carver said. I started out at Gus Shaffer Ford in Joplin and ended up here at Vance Ford.At Gus Shaffer, Carver sold cars for five years then accepted a job at Vance Ford in 1995, where he has stayed for approximately 20 years.Its been a good experience, Carver said. Ive enjoyed it.Throughout the decades, Carver said that cars have changed dramatically, whether it comes to body styles or accessories.The cars are a lot more hi-tech than what it was in the "90s, Carver said. Theyre more computerized. The older cars, you could recognize it and know what it was. Today, cars look the same. They all have the same shape and body style.Carver said he tries to give the rookie salesman advice and that the customer is their main priority.I try to tell the new salesman to treat the customers right, Carver said. Everyones different and you have to treat them all different. As long as you treat them right and be fair with them, you will have a repeat customer.Carver is not only a car salesman, but a car enthusiast, as well.He has numerous antique model cars that he has been restoring and collecting over the years.Ive got a 1917 International, a 1939 International, a 1947 International and a 1955 Ford," he said. "I always grew up with the International cars. My whole working career, I started out with International Harvesters and spent a lot of years working on International trucks."For several years, Carvers 1917 International was featured in Miami parades.I was in the parade for about 12 years, Carver said. I used to pull a float with it and would decorate it all up.Colleagues and employees of Vance Ford stopped by Carvers desk on Thursday to wish him well and to have a happy retirement.Carvers a joy to be around, Vance Ford owner John Vance said. He does bank runs everyday, tag office runs and he sells cars while hes out doing it.Page 2 of 2 - A crowd of colleagues gathered outside of Carvers office to present him with a gift for his service and dedication to the dealership.In our appreciation for all that youve done for us, we present you with this gift, Vance said. A Citizens Satellite watch. Youll never have to set time again.The watch was a symbolic gift to Carver because the watch he currently wears was given to him after selling 1,000 cars at Vance Ford.John Vance has known Carver for more than 10 years and said that he will be irreplaceable.I can honestly say that there has never been a disappointing time that I regretted knowing him or regretted his friendship, Vance said. Hes done a great job of promoting our business and promoting the city of Miami.Colleague and good friend Khristi Andrade, office manager, said that Carver was like a father figure to her.I call him Pops, Andrade said. He does all of my running for me, and hes very well known in the community. Hes going to be greatly missed.

Source: http://www.miamiok.com/article/20160102/BUSINESS/160109961

Merkel under pressure as Cologne police detail assaults

UNDER PRESSURE (Garry"s Mod Prop Hunt)

BERLIN German Chancellor Angela Merkel faced growing pressure to harden her line on refugees on Monday as the first extensive police report on New Year"s Eve violence in Cologne documented rampant sexual assaults on women by gangs of young migrant men.

Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere condemned those attacks and warned against a broader backlash against refugees following the events in Cologne, which have deepened scepticism towards Merkel"s policy of welcoming migrants.

"If the influx continues as it has, then integration can"t work," said Carsten Linnemann, a lawmaker in Merkel"s Christian Democrats (CDU). "If we get another 800,000 or a million people arriving this year, then we won"t be able to do this," he added, playing on Merkel"s optimistic "we can do this" mantra.

Speaking on Monday evening, Merkel said Europe was "vulnerable" because it was not yet in control of the situation as it would like to be.

In the eastern city of Leipzig, well over 2,000 anti-Muslim LEGIDA protestors took to the streets, their ranks swelled by anger over the Cologne attacks. They yelled "Merkel needs to go!" and one carried a sign featuring Merkel wearing a hijab and the words: "Merkel, take your Muslims with you and get lost".

A police spokeswoman said there was a roughly equal number of counter-demonstrators.

A report from the Interior Ministry in North Rhine-Wesphalia (NRW) state, where Cologne lies, said 516 criminal complaints had been registered, 237 of which were of a sexual nature.

A separate report from the Cologne police gave graphic descriptions of the crimes, listing case after case of women surrounded by gangs of men who put their hands in the victims" pants and skirts, grabbed them between the legs, on the buttocks and the b*****s, often while stealing their wallets and cell phones.

A total of 19 suspects have been identified, all foreigners.

NRW Interior Minister Ralf Jaeger spoke of "serious failures" by the police, who were significantly outnumbered but never called for reinforcements.

He also criticized them for refusing to communicate in the days after New Year"s Eve that the vast majority of the perpetrators were people with migration backgrounds, blaming this on misguided "political correctness".

"More than 1,000 Arab and North African men gathered on New Year"s Eve near Cologne cathedral and the main train station. Among them were many refugees that came to Germany in the past months," Jaeger told a special parliamentary committee in NRW.

"After alcohol and drug excesses came the excesses of violence, peaking with people who carried out fantasies of sexual power."

A survey conducted by polling group Forsa for RTL television showed 60 percent of respondents saw no reason to change their attitude towards foreigners after the assaults. About 37 percent said they viewed foreigners more critically.

In Leipzig, Olaf Schwermer, one of the LEGIDA protestors, said he was concerned about more attacks if borders were not closed and migrants not deported: "What happened in Cologne only gave us a taste of what"s about to come," he said.

Elsewhere in the city around 250 right-wingers, probably soccer hooligans, were detained after they set bins on fire, damaged property and set off fireworks, a police spokeswoman said.

DANGEROUS

Jaeger said the sexual assaults had come mainly from North Africans who had traveled to Cologne from other cities, but he too warned against a broader backlash against migrants.

"To label certain groups, to stigmatize them as sexual criminals, would not only be wrong, it would be dangerous," he said. "Those people who make a direct link between immigration and violence are playing into the hands of right-wing extremists."

Police officer Norbert Wagner told a news conference that rocker and hooligan gangs had published an appeal on the Internet on Sunday to join them in "violence-free strolls" through Cologne, when in fact they were prowling for foreigners.

Among the victims were six Pakistanis, three Guineans and two Syrians. Witnesses had also seen another man of African origin being attacked, but his identity was unclear because he had not contacted authorities, Wagner said.

No arrests have been made. Local police are beefing up their presence in downtown Cologne in the coming days

The Cologne police force has also set up a 100-strong team to investigate the New Year"s Eve attacks and survey exchanges on social media in the run-up to the night.

Merkel has repeatedly resisted pressure to introduce a cap on the number of migrants entering Germany, arguing this would mean shutting the borders, a step that would doom Europe"s Schengen free-travel zone.

She has talked tougher in recent months, vowing in December to "measurably reduce" arrivals and promising at the weekend to give authorities more powers to crack down on migrants who commit crimes, including deporting them.

But her opponents have been swift to blame her for the events in Cologne.

"Anyone who opens the borders wide must know that they are bringing Tahrir Square to Germany," leading AfD politician Dirk Driesang said, referring to the square in Cairo that was the scene of protests and sexual assaults in 2011.

(Additional reporting by Tina Bellon in Leipzig, Matthias Inverardi in Duesseldorf and Claudia Doerries in Berlin; Writing by Noah Barkin; Editing by Tom Heneghan)

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-assaults-idUSKCN0UP0Y220160112