2017 Time Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Source: http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/01/16/real-madrid-sevilla-unbeaten-streak-ends-40-la-liga-sampaoli
HBOs new Paolo Sorrentino series The Young Pope, starring Jude Law as a shrewd, ironic, pedantic, doubting, resolute, and ruthless man and the Catholic Churchs first American pope is not an imaginative, hyper-not-realistic version of the church, as one TV critic suggested today at TCA and Sorrentino corrected immediately.
It is possible that, after Pope Francis, the next pope could be somebody like the character played by Law, the Italian Sorrentino said. This is the thing many experts in the church told me, and so the idea was to do a next pope, the future pope.
In the series, Laws Lenny Belardo, aka Pius XIII, is young and charming, and his election seems to be the result of a simple yet effective media strategy devised by the College of Cardinals. Naturally, this led to a certain number of questions during the TCA panel about the rise of strawmen, cults of personality, desperate people searching for answers, political movements in Europe and, yes, Donald Trump.
Said Law, Great creative minds have natural antennae that read what is in the ether. This project, he added, came from the religious terrain of the past and Italian political terrain of the past, and a certain amount of pre-emptive registry of what is going on internationally. He called the show a cautionary tale of where voting into the unknown can lead you.
What is he not for you? a critic asked Law aboutLenny, tossing out the names Marcus Aurelius, St. Francis, Dalai Lama, and Donald Trump, among others.
Maybe the one thing that differentiates him from all of the above is hes not a liar, Law responded. Hes full of contradictionsbut he doesnt lie. Hes a man of conviction from his own standpoint and hes trying to understand his heart and his faith. Imagine getting the top job and having a direct line to the person who has seen him through his lonely existence, which is G*d, and the line is busy.
The first part of the 10-episode series debuts this Sunday, January 15, 9 pm; the second part will follow the next night, same time. The remaining episodes will air subsequent Sundays and Mondays, 9 pm.
Diane Keaton stars as Sister Mary, a nun from the U.S. now living in Vatican City. The cast also includes Silvio Orlando, Scott Shepherd, Ccile de France, Javier Cmara, Ludivine Sagnier, Toni Bertorelli and James Cromwell.Sorrentino said hes working on a second season.
Another critic wondered who came up with the idea of the pope smoking cigarettes, Law or Sorrentino.
Pope Benedict, Law responded. It was inspired by Benedict, who liked a cigarette after mass. That kind of detail is something joyful for an actor to sink his teeth into, Law enthused.
Source: http://deadline.com/2017/01/donald-trump-young-pope-jude-law-paolo-sorrentino-hbo-tca-1201886908/
A getaway with (almost) the entire family. The Bachelorette season 12 lovebirds JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers recently headed out on a road trip with his parents and oldest brother, Luke Rodgers, although estranged middle sibling Aaron Rodgers was notably absent.
PHOTOS: "The Bachelor" Season 21: Meet Nick Viall"s Bachelorettes!Fletcher posted a video to Snapchat on Saturday, December 17, from a car ride that shows the fellow travelers: fianc Jordan, his parents, Ed and Darla, and Luke and Luke"s girlfriend, Airelle Snyder. The former Bachelorette, 26, captioned the post, "Family road trip." It"s unclear where the group"s final destination is.
JoJo Fletcher and Jordan Rodgers (second and third from right) on a family vacation. Courtesy Luke Rodgers/InstagramThe Bachelor season 20 runner-up also posted another video that day of the family playing a game together, with Jordan doubled over in laughter over a response from Luke. And Fletcher posted a number of pics and videos to Snapchat of the family at a whiskey tasting and later enjoying time at an ice-skating rink.
PHOTOS: "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" Engagement Rings Through the YearsLuke has shared a couple pics to Instagram from the trip, including a selfie he snapped of everyone sitting at a table at the Red Bicycle Coffee and Crepes in Nashville. "Family brunch at the @redbicyclecoffee!" he wrote. Perhaps this was a favorite haunt of 28-year-old Jordan"s from his Nashville days, before he moved to Dallas to live with Fletcher after their finale aired in August.
On December 18, Luke posted a photo of the group at a pizzeria in Georgia. "Pizza. Beer. Family," he captioned it, adding the hashtags #christmasvacation and #rodgersfamilyvaca.
Watch Bachelor Nick Viall Get Slapped, Break Down in Tears in Trailer Bachelor"s Emily and Haley Ferguson Finalizing Deal for Spinoff Josh Murray, Amanda Stanton Split: What Went Wrong?Of course, one notable relative who was MIA during the trip is Aaron, the quarterback for the Green Bay Packers who has famously had a falling-out with his family. Aaron"s name came up frequently during Fletcher"s Bachelorette season, especially since he was not present during jordan"s hometown date at the family home in Chico, California.
PHOTOS: Biggest Costar Feuds Ever! These Celebrities Cant Stand Each Other Off-ScreenA family insider previously told Us Weekly that Aaron"s girlfriend, actress Olivia Munn, is atthe center of the tension, as the family members don"t get along with her. According to a recent Bleacher Report story, Aaron hasn"t spoken to his family since December 2014.
Sign up now for the Us Weekly newsletter to get breaking celebrity news, hot pics and more delivered straight to your inbox!
Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/jojo-fletcher-jordan-rodgers-take-trip-with-his-family-minus-aaron-w457001
If the Chiefs are going to win a home playoff game for the first time in 22 years against the Steelers on Sunday, there"s a good chance Tyreek Hill will have a major role in victory.
The fifth-round pick from West Alabama has added a big-play dimension to the Chiefs as a throwback to a different era, a player who can do it all. Hill has evoked comparisons to Devin Hester as a returner special teams coordinator Dave Toub has declared Hill the fastest player he ever has coached and Gale Sayers as an offensive threat.
He leads the team with 12 touchdowns and has scored four different ways, the first rookie since Sayers in 1965 to have at least two rushing touchdowns, two receiving touchdowns and punt and kick return scores. He went on a tear to help the Chiefs win the AFC West, scoring eight touchdowns since Week 12 as his offensive role increased with wide receiver Jeremy Maclin sidelined four games with a groin injury.
Hill"s highlight tapes are stunning. He"s a blur turning the corner and heading upfield against coverage units and he has enough power at 5-foot-10, 185 pounds that he can"t be tackled easily. He scored on a kickoff return, reception and run in a nationally televised Sunday night victory over the Broncos Nov. 27.
"The first time I saw him on tape I said, "Wow, this is another Devin-like player,"" said former Broncos special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis, who the Jaguars hired Friday for the same position. "He went off against us. This guy is so explosive. You"re not catching him in the open spaces."
As much as Hill"s phenomenal athletic ability is dissected (he ran a 4.24-second, 40-yard dash at his pro day) so is his past, which made him a controversial selection when the Chiefs drafted him. Hill was arrested in December 2014 while at Oklahoma State, the week after his punt return touchdown helped lift the Cowboys to a victory over rival Oklahoma. He was charged with felony domestic abuse by strangulation for attacking his girlfriend, who was eight weeks pregnant at the time. He was accused of throwing his girlfriend like a "rag doll" to the floor before putting her in a headlock and punching her in the stomach.
Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy kicked Hill off the team and he eventually pleaded guilty to domestic abuse, receiving a deferred prison sentence of three years. If he completes the terms of his probation without incident, his record will be cleared. Hill was ordered to complete a domestic-abuse evaluation, an anger-management course and enroll in a batterer"s program. The district attorney consulted with the victim before reaching the plea agreement.
The more the Chiefs have won, the more the national spotlight has shined on Hill the electric player and Hill the domestic abuser. General manager John Dorsey implored fans to "trust us" after drafting Hill following a vetting that Toub said involved area scout Ryne Nutt and assistant general manager Chris Ballard. Remember, Chiefs coach Andy Reid created a home for Michael Vick with the Eagles after the quarterback did 19 months in federal prison for a dogfighting conviction.
It"s a hot-button topic in the NFL, which has been rocked by domestic violence cases since video of former Ravens running back Ray Rice slugging his then-fiancee surfaced in September 2014 and Panthers defensive end Greg Hardy was accused of beating his girlfriend. Some have suggested the only difference between Rice, who hasn"t played a down since then, and Hill is the existence of the video. Those with that view overlook the fact that Rice averaged 3.1 yards per carry in 2013 and was a declining talent at a position teams increasingly believe the scheme is more important than the talent. If Rice averaged 4.5 yards per carry in his last season, it"s likely some team would have signed him.
A lot of teams don"t want players with domestic abuse history on their rosters but there is an old adage that you don"t build a competitive roster with only choir boys. It"s interesting to juxtapose the Chiefs" selection of Hill and the Seahawks" choice of defensive end Frank Clark in the second round in 2015 against the Bears" signing of defensive end Ray McDonald in March 2015.
Clark was kicked off the team at Michigan in November 2014 after he was charged with first-degree misdemeanor domestic violence. He had 10 sacks this season. McDonald was a declining veteran when the Bears signed him to fortify the line as the team converted to a 3-4 defense. He didn"t last two months before he was released after getting in trouble again.
Perhaps it reinforces the idea that if you"re going to take a risk on a player with serious character issues, he should be a home run for the roster if he stays out of trouble. Would the Bears have been any better than the 6-10 team they were in 2015 if McDonald had been on the roster? Probably not. Hill has become an offensive player like Hester never was and he"s as dangerous as a returner. Clark is a young pass rusher for the Seahawks to build around.
It"s worth wondering if Bears general manager Ryan Pace will get an opportunity to add a player with a checkered past in the future after swinging and missing with McDonald, an addition that required the approval of Chairman George McCaskey.
The Chiefs declined to make Hill available to media on Wednesday and Thursday this week but shielding him from microphones and cameras isn"t going to make the storyline go away.
Hill wasn"t a secret coming out of West Alabama. Every team knew about him after his one season at Oklahoma State. What has been eye-opening is the way Hill has contributed on offense, something the Bears couldn"t do with Hester during his rookie season in 2006. Hill had 860 yards from scrimmage, 103 more than Hester"s career-best year on offense.
"He was a guy from the jump who was getting sprinkled in," quarterback Alex Smith said. "Going back to OTAs, everyone was aware of him from Day 1. He seemed to be making plays and never really slowed down. Never hit the wall. Then, I think a big turning point was when (Maclin) went down for those few weeks, it was kind of an opportunity for Tyreek to play a little more on all downs and not just specialty stuff. He didn"t skip a beat there. We ask a lot of him."
Hill led the NFL with a 15.2-yard average on punt returns. Hester was better than that in three seasons and the test of time isn"t one many elite returners pass.
"Some guys burn out," Toub said. "It"s a flash-in-the-pan position. Obviously, Tyreek has a long row to hoe to even talk about him in the same conversation as Devin (as a returner)."
The conversation regarding Hill is multifaceted and it"s going to remain that way whether the Chiefs keep him under wraps or not. There always is going to be a sliding scale when it comes to off-field transgressions, including domestic abuse, and what teams will tolerate and it"s based on talent. That"s what makes signing such players so polarizing.
"The good thing about tyreek is he is a legit football player," Maclin said. "You can"t take anything away from the greatest returner to play the game (in Hester), but this kid right here is special."
bmbiggs@chicagotribune.com
Twitter @BradBiggs
Sam Farmer"s pick
The Steelers are hot, and they pounded the Chiefs in their last meeting. But the Chiefs play Ben Roethlisberger tough at home and they are consistent. Chiefs 23, Steelers 21.
Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-tyreek-hill-biggs-nfl-playoffs-spt-0115-20170114-column.html
The Latest on the NFL"s divisional playoffs Sunday. (all times Eastern):
Oddsmakers in Las Vegas make the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons favorites to meet in the Super Bowl.
Atlanta is a 4-point favorite to beat Green Bay at home next Sunday, while New England is a 5.5-point pick at most sports books to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Patriots opened as a 4.5-point favorite after the Steelers edged the Kansas City Chiefs. But money came in on the Patriots like it has all season in sports books, pushing the point spread up.
Both games are expected to be high scoring affairs, with the over/under for the Patriots-Steelers at 51.5 points and the total for the Packers-Falcons game a whopping 60.5 points.
- Tim Dahlberg reporting from Las Vegas
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11:20 p.m.
There will be quite a group of quarterbacks in the NFL"s conference championship games next weekend: Tom Brady"s New England Patriots host Ben Roethlisberger"s Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC, and Matt Ryan"s Atlanta Falcons host Aaron Rodgers" Green Bay Packers in the NFC.
The Steelers got past the Kansas City Chiefs 18-16 on Sunday night in the final divisional-round game. Earlier Sunday, Rodgers completed a 36-yard pass along the sideline on third-and-20 to Jared Cook with 3 seconds remaining to set up Mason Crosby"s 51-yard winning field goal in a 34-31 thriller against the Dallas Cowboys.
The Patriots and Falcons advanced Saturday.
Brady owns four Super Bowl titles, Roethlisberger two, and Rodgers one. Ryan never has appeared in a Super Bowl, but he is the quarterback on the All-Pro team this season and the favorite to win MVP.
Rodgers and Ryan already engaged in one thrilling showdown this season, when Atlanta edged Green Bay 33-32 on Oct. 30 in Week 8.
A week earlier, Brady and the Patriots won 27-16 against a Steelers team missing an injured Roethlisberger.
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11:20 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to get a rematch with the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game.
Chris Boswell set an NFL record with six field goals, Le"Veon Bell broke his own franchise playoff record by running for 170 yards as the Steelers advanced to the AFC title game for the first time since the 2010 season.
The Patriots beat the Steelers 27-16 on Oct. 23. Pittsburgh played without quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who was out with a knee injury.
The Steelers have won nine straight games.
Alex Smith threw for 172 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Spencer Ware ran for a 1-yard score with 2:43 remaining to get the Chiefs within two points. They converted a two-point conversion but it was called by due to a holding penalty on left tackle Eric Fisher. The ensuing pass fell incomplete and Pittsburgh ran out the clock.
Kansas City remains winless at home in the playoffs since the 1993 postseason.
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11:06
A holding penalty may have cost the Kansas City Chiefs a chance to extend their season.
Spencer Ware scored on a 1-yard touchdown run to bring the Chiefs within 18-16 of the Pittsburgh Steelers with 2:43 left. Kansas City went for a two-point conversion to tie it and converted, but left tackle Eric Fisher was called for holding when he dragged down Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison.
The flag pushed the ball back to the 12 and Alex Smith"s pass into the end zone fell incomplete.
Kansas City is searching for its first home playoff win since the 1993 postseason.
___
10:44 p.m.
Le"Veon Bell just keeps rewriting the Pittsburgh record book. Chris Boswell is adding himself to the NFL"s postseason record book.
Bell broke Hall of Famer Franco Harris" franchise mark for yards rushing in a postseason game running for 167 yards in the Steelers" wild-card win over Miami. Harris ran for 158 yards in the 1975 Super Bowl win over Minnesota, and Bell needed only three quarters to improve that mark.
Against the Chiefs, Bell had to keep running into the fourth quarter to top himself. He picked up 2 yards on first-and-10 to reach 168 yards on his 29th carry.
Boswell did Bell one better.
The Pittsburgh kicker already had tied the NFL mark for most field goals in a game with five, a mark also held by 10 others. He capped the drive that Bell set the franchise mark for yards rushing in a game by kicking a 43-yard field goal for his sixth of the game.
That puts Boswell, who also kicked six field goals against Cincinnati during the regular season, the record all to himself at six.
His field goal put Pittsburgh up 18-10 with 9:53 left.
___
10:35 p.m.
The Kansas City Chiefs are being dominated statistically, but they"re still within striking distance of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh took a 15-10 lead into the fourth quarter behind five field goals by Chris Boswell. That ties an NFL record for most field goals in a playoff game.
The Steelers have 333 yards of total offense compared to just 150 for the Chiefs, but Kansas City drew within five on a 48-yard field goal by Cairo Santos late in the third quarter.
The Steelers are 9-0 when leading after three quarters this season.
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9:55 p.m.
Might want to start calling them the 4 Bs. Or maybe even the 5 Bs.
Pittsburgh"s three Bs of Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le"Veon Bell have some company in kicker Chris Boswell and linebacker Bud Dupree.
Boswell drilled four field goals during the first half as the Steelers built a 12-7 lead. While Dupree did a little bit of everything as Pittsburgh kept the Chiefs in check after giving up a touchdown on the opening drive.
Roethlisberger is 14 of 23 for 170 yards but also threw an interception in the end zone after he apparently checked out of a running play to a pass.
Bell is at 101 yards rushing through the first half while Antonio Brown already has five receptions for 101 yards.
The Steelers are 9-1 when leading at the half this season.
___
9:24 p.m.
A tornado warning has anyone still left at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, taking shelter.
The area around the stadium was under a tornado warning about 80 minutes after Green Bay beat the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys 34-31 in an NFC divisional playoff game.
Lightning could be seen through windows at the stadium. Any fans still inside the stadium along with reporters and other workers were warned to stay inside and away from exterior windows. Some fans sat in seats even as the big video board warned "Severe Weather. Please Take Shelter."
___
9:03 p.m.
Everyone was so worried about ice hitting Kansas City for the divisional round of the playoffs, nobody gave much thought to fog rolling into town.
With temperatures warming than expected for the Steelers-Chiefs game, which was moved to Sunday night because of the forecast, a misty fog descended on Arrowhead Stadium. It obscured the lights in the upper corners of the stadium and kept drifting across the field throughout the first half.
It hardly helped matters when smoke from the fireworks mixed with the mist.
Not that the weather seemed to be putting a damper on the fans. They packed the stadium for the Chiefs" first home playoff game since January 2011 well before kickoff.
- Dave Skretta in Kansas City
__
8:50 p.m.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are moving the ball but settling for field goals.
Chris Boswell booted his second field goal of the first quarter to pull the Steelers within 7-6 of the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Steelers piled up 121 yards on their first two drives only to have them bog down in Chiefs territory.
Roethlisberger found Antonio Brown for a 50-yard gain but also overthrew Brown on third down.
Brown has a reception of at least 50 yards in each of his last three games.
___
8 p.m.
Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers are headed to the NFC championship game for the first time since the 2014 season after a thrilling finish in Dallas.
Mason Crosby kicked a 51-yard field goal as time expired, and the Packers edged the NFC"s top-seeded Cowboys 34-31 on Sunday. The kick was set up by a Jared Cook 35-yard reception as he was sliding out of bounds.
Rodgers threw for 320 yards and two touchdowns as the Packers (12-6) won their eighth straight.
The Cowboys (13-4) rallied twice, first from 18 points down and again after the Packers went up 31-28 with 1:33 left on a 56-yard field goal by Crosby.
But Rodgers had the ball last to set up Crosby for the winning field goal.
The Packers will visit Atlanta in Rodgers" third NFC title game.
___
7:50 p.m.
Just like that, the NFC divisional playoff game is tied up again.
Dan Bailey kicked a 52-yard field goal for the Cowboys with 35 seconds left to tie the game at 31.
After Mason Crosby"s 56-yard field goal with 1:33 left put the Packers up, the Cowboys went 42 yards in six plays for Bailey"s game-tying kick.
Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have two timeouts left.
___
7:45 p.m.
Mason Crosby"s kick wasn"t pretty, but it went through the uprights. His 56-yard field goal with 1:33 left has put the Green Bay Packers up 31-28.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, the first rookie in the Super Bowl era with three TD passes in a playoff game, will get another possession.
___
7:25 p.m.
The Dallas Cowboys have tied their NFC divisional playoff game against Green Bay at 28-all with 4:08 left in regulation.
Dak Prescott converted a 2-point conversion with a hard-nosed run right after throwing a 7-yard TD to Dez Bryant. It was Bryant"s second touchdown of the game.
Dallas trailed by 15 points going into the fourth quarter.
In the Super Bowl era, only the 1972 Cowboys and the 2002 San Francisco 49ers have won a postseason game after going into the fourth quarter down by 15 points.
- Stephen Hawkins reported from Arlington, Texas
___
7 p.m.
The NFC divisional playoff game is a one-score game after Dak Prescott and Aaron Rodgers traded interceptions late in the third quarter.
Dallas was on the move when Prescott tried to throw a short pass to Cole Beasley. Micah Hyde stepped in front of the pass for an interception.
On the Packers ensuing drive, Rodgers badly overthrew a receiver and the ball was picked off by Jeff Heath. The safety made a diving catch, then got up and returned it 27 yards.
The Cowboys still had the ball after Heath"s interception when the third quarter ended with them trailing 28-13. They scored to cut the lead to 28-20 early in the fourth.
- Stephen Hawkins reported from Arlington, Texas
___
6:35 p.m.
Packers safety Morgan Burnett won"t play in the second half against the Cowboys because of quad injury.
Burnett apparently got hurt on the opening drive of the game when he collided with teammate LaDarius Gunter when they were both trying to defend a pass thrown toward Dez Bryant .
Both were slow to get up after that play. Gunter was tended by trainers on the field while Burnett went to the sideline.
When the Cowboys offense took the field for their second possession, Gunter was back in the game.
The Packers said after halftime that Burnett, who hadn"t played since the opening series, was out for the rest of the game
- Stephen Hawkins reported from Arlington, Texas
___
6:20 p.m.
The Green Bay Packers lead the Cowboys 21-13 at halftime.
Dallas was facing its largest deficit of the season halfway through the second quarter before scoring 10 points on its last two drives.
Green Bay will get the ball to start the second half.
Aaron Rodgers is 15 of 24 passing for 191 yards with a touchdown. Ty Montgomery has only four carries for 26 yards, but also has his first two rushing touchdowns ever in the postseason .
Cowboys rookie quarterback Dak Prescott is 10-of-18 for 147 yards with a 40-yard TD to Dez Bryant.
Ezekiel Elliott, the other standout rookie in the Dallas backfield, has 10 carries for 44 yards.
- Stephen Hawkins reported from Arlington, Texas
___
4:55 p.m.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers got a free play when the Dallas Cowboys jumped offside, and he made it count.
With flags on the field, Rodgers threw deep - and a 34-yard touchdown pass to tight end Richard Rodgers . That ended the Packers opening drive, putting them up 7-3 and quieting momentarily the raucous sellout crowd attending the first NFC Divisional playoff game at AT&T Stadium.
Dallas had the ball first and went ahead 3-0 on Dan Bailey"s 50-yard field goal.
- Stephen Hawkins reported from Arlington, Texas
___
4:20 p.m.
The severe ice storm projected for the Kansas City area turned out relatively tame.
By the time the NFC game kicked off in Dallas, about when the AFC matchup of the Steelers at the Chiefs would have been ending, it was 33 degrees at Arrowhead Stadium. The rain was coming down, though not by any means torrentially, and ice was not an issue.
The game was moved from 1:05 p.m. Eastern to 7:20 p.m. so fans could avoid the worst of the expected ice.
Indeed, the parking lots were rapidly filling up and tailgating was in full swing.
A gray tarp covered the field inside the stadium, with hot air being pumped under the tarp to keep the turf warm. The Chiefs resodded the field earlier this week.
- Barry Wilner reported from Kansas City
___
3:25 p.m.
Old playoff foes are set to meet again with the Green Bay Packers visiting the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys in an NFC divisional game.
It"s the eighth meeting - tied for the most against any opponent for both franchises. The Cowboys faced the Los Angeles Rams eight times in a span of 13 seasons from 1973-85. Green Bay just had its eighth playoff game against the New York Giants, a 38-13 win last weekend.
The Packers won the most recent meeting, 26-21 in the divisional round two years ago in a game made famous by Dallas receiver Dez Bryant"s catch that wasn"t .
Dallas coach Jason Garrett was quarterback Troy Aikman"s backup when the Cowboys beat the Packers three straight years in the playoffs while winning two Super Bowls from 1993-95.
The Cowboys have a 4-3 series lead in the playoffs. The overall series is tied at 17-all.
- Schuyler Dixon reported from Arlington, Texas
___
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Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.cbs8.com/story/34264987/the-latest-steelers-patriots-packers-falcons-next-weekend
2017 Time Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Source: http://www.si.com/nba/2017/01/12/new-york-knicks-carmelo-anthony-upset
Bishop Eddie Long built New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, one of the nation"s largest churches with some 30,000 members. The Atlanta megachurch pastor has died at age 63.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Today comes word that the well-known Atlanta area mega church Pastor Bishop Eddie Long passed away from cancer at the age of 63. Over the course of more than three decades in ministry, he built New Birth Missionary Baptist Church just outside of Atlanta into what has been believed to be one of the nation"s largest churches with some 30,000 members. He might be best known nationally for conducting the funeral services of Coretta Scott King, widow of the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. and a civil rights icon in her own right back in 2006 during which he hosted President George W. Bush and former presidents Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and George H.W. Bush.
But he also became a controversial figure for his lavish lifestyle and anti-LGBT positions and was later accused of sexual misconduct by several young men whom he had mentored. We wanted to hear more about him, so we"ve called the Reverend Asa Lee. He is associate dean for community life at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C., and has lectured on the history of the black church. Reverend Lee, welcome. Thank you so much for speaking with us.
ASA LEE: Glad to be here today.
MARTIN: Tell us a bit more about Bishop Long. What was he known for?
LEE: Well, Bishop Long"s ministry coincided with the rebirth of black Atlanta in the early "90s. And in many respects, Bishop Long was a pioneer in the merging of Baptists and Pentecostal sort of styles of worship into a very charismatic ministry and worship experience. And that, coupled with his strong Biblical preaching in African-American circles, really launched New Birth into a stratospheric ministry globally.
MARTIN: He also, though, as we noted, came under fire for a very lavish lifestyle, you know, extremely expensive, you know, cars and homes and other accoutrements. Could you talk a little bit more about that?
LEE: Yeah. So when we speak about sort of televangelism, this phenomenon of excessive wealth kind of is not unique to any one ethnic expression of televangelists. And Jonathan Walton, who"s a professor at Harvard who wrote a book in 2009 called "Watch This!: The Ethics And Aesthetics Of Black Televangelism" - and one of the things that he puts forth is just that Eddie, himself, Bishop Long, himself - in order to establish sort of the idea of G*d"s blessing from a prosperity perspective really use the wealth of his ministry to fund everything from multiple houses to airplanes to cars, etc. And then would use these assets, if you will, to say this is the blessing of G*d which is classic prosperity gospel ministry.
MARTIN: He among others did attract the attention of congressional investigators at one point. But what also attracted the attention of the authorities were these allegations of sexual misconduct that were brought by four young man whom he had mentored.
Now, these cases were settled outside of the criminal justice system, so there was never any sort of public finding of wrongdoing. But I did want to ask what impact did those allegations have, particularly in light of the fact that he was a noted preacher against same-s*x marriage and civil rights for same gender loving individuals? So what impact do you think those allegations had on his public standing, if you will?
LEE: They were absolutely devastating. bishop long"s ministry was built on what many would describe, and I would describe, as homophobic preaching and teaching, very conservative reading of scripture. And so his positions that he preached for a number of years put him in a position that when these allegations broke, they directly went to his character and spoke to his integrity and credibility as a minister. And so I believe that those allegations were a singular contributor to the demise of the New Birth ministry under Bishop Long.
MARTIN: How will you teach about Bishop Long"s ministry going forward?
LEE: Bishop Long"s ministry, although, it did a lot of good - let me be very clear when I say that there were a lot of moments of positive ministry moments where lives were changed in terms of social-economic standing - but the way in which that ministry took place was an emphasis on personal piety, holiness and not much the prophetic witness against injustices in the broader society.
And so in the African-American church, Eddie Long is one of those kinds of figures that is worth examining as a tipping point in the way in which the African-American church has centered itself in the community and the message that has been preached, specifically in the African-American community.
MARTIN: That is the Reverend Asa Lee. He"s associate dean for community life at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington. Reverend Lee, thank you so much for speaking with us.
LEE: Glad to be with you.
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Source: http://www.npr.org/2017/01/15/509984953/atlanta-megachurch-pastor-bishop-eddie-long-dies-at-63
