Wideman made waves throughout the world of hockey last night as he cross-checked a linesman from behind after taking a hit against the boards. From concussion talk to intention, there"s no lack of drama in this incident.
Dennis Wideman was the topic of discussion throughout the hockey world last night because of the incident in the second period of the Calgary Flames game against the Nashville Predators.
During the game, it was shown that Wideman was hit into the boards awkwardly as the play continued down to the other end of the ice. As Wideman made his way towards the Flames bench, he was keeled over, not looking up. As he approached the Predators bench, his head came up but we couldn"t see if he noticed linesman, Don Henderson, or not. And then Wideman"s arms came up and he cross-checked Henderson from behind. The linesman fell to the ice as Wideman continued to make his way onto the Flames bench.
Here"s a short clip from SBNation"s twitter feed (vid via @JayGold85).
What you don"t see in that clip is that Wideman sat on the bench with his head down afterwards, unaware of the incident. He didn"t seem fazed at all about what had happened. It makes me wonder if he even understood the severity of the situation. In his post-game interview in the locker room, he looked sincere in his explanation of the events.
Here"s avideo of the post-game interview from the National Post. In the interview, Wideman states, "I took a pretty hard hit...pain in my shoulder and neck...I was just trying to get off the ice." I think this is what leads people to believe that Wideman may have been suffering from concussion issues at that time, but Wideman would not comment either way whether or not he felt any concussion symptoms. He only said he felt some pain. But, my question is, if it was concussion symptoms, why did he continue to play in the third period?
Wideman also stated, "at the last second, I looked up and saw him and I couldn"t avoid it...I didn"t know how to get out of the way of him." Considering the angle of the camera, there"s no way for us to tell if he did or did not look at Henderson before he cross-checked him. So we"re left to take Wideman"s word on this.
He also made it very clear that he apologized to Henderson and added, "I would never intentionally try to hit a linesman or ref." I believe this in every way because I"ve seen Wideman in some near misses in the past and he"s done everything to try and avoid a collision.
Wideman closed by stating, "it was an accident and I feel really bad about it."
Regardless, rules are rules and Wideman clearly broke the rules. Last night, after the game, Darren Haynes tweeted out the rules governing this type of incident.
You can also view the entire NHL rulebook onlinehere.
Now, for the sake of arguement, let"s assume that Wideman didn"t have intent to injure, as he has clearly stated in his post-game interview. If that"s the case, rule 40.2 would be thrown out as it applies only to situations where there is intent. Which leaves rule 40.1 and 40.3 for us to debate. Rule 40.1 doesn"t apply to Wideman because it refers to moments when officials get involved in an altercation and there was no altercation at that time.
Rule 40.3 is the one I"d like to focus on. It states,
"40.3 Automatic Suspension - Category II - Any player who deliberatelyapplies physical force to an official in any manner (excluding actionsas set out in Category I), which physical force is applied without intentto injure, or who spits on an official, shall be automatically suspendedfor not less than ten (10) games."
The key words here are, "without intent to inure," and I think this applies to Wideman, based on what he said after the game. If the NHL looks at the post-game interview, when Wideman expressed his regret and his lack of intentions, this will be the only rule that will apply in this situation and, based on rule 40.3, Wideman should get suspended at least 10 games.
I think Wideman honestly believes he did nothing wrong in the collision with Henderson. I believe he thought it was just another bump into a linesman that happens once in a while. I don"t believe he understood how bad the situation looked. Even so, he hit an official and the rules state that he should get disciplined.
What will happen to Dennis Wideman remains to be seen, but we will make sure to have all the updates as they happen here on M&G.
In spite of everything that has happened or might happen, we hope that lineman, Don Henderson, is okay. It"s never a good situation when someone gets hurt in a hockey game.
Chris Pine Plays A Human-Sized Hero In "The Finest Hours" Please enable Javascript to watch this video
KUNG FU PANDA 3
Grade: A-
A nominee for animated pic of the year (Ill bet!)IMDB tells me this has been the longest wait for a sequel to a Dreamworks computer-animated film thus far. But its well worth the wait. I wonder if the villain had anything to do with the time taken to create this third installment to the Kung-Fu Panda franchise. For the original, we had bad kitty Tai Lung voiced by Ian McShane, and he was a great villain, dripping with menace. But Lord Shen, the peacock from KFP2, never quite reached the same threat-level of his villainous predecessor, even though he was voiced by Gary Oldman.
Kung Fu Panda 3 Courtesy: Dreamworks
But Dreamworks brought their A-game for Kung Fu Panda 3, and also brought onboard a more intimidating villainKai, voiced by J.K. Simmons. More IMDB info reads that director Jennifer Yuh made Kai the bull a supernatural entity to make him a more distinct. Making him an old friend of Master Oogway and a peer to Master Shifu (voiced by Dustin Hoffman) make him a threat with intimate knowledge of our heroes and the skill to match. He could take them all down, as he did with the other masters of Kung Fu. And with each victory, he is strengthened by the chi (or life force) of the opponent he defeats.
So the stakes are high in KFP3, as are the laughs. Our fab 5 is back and as underutilized as ever (but then again, the franchise isnt called Furious Five -- thats a whole `nother thing completely): Tigress (Angelina Jolie), Monkey (Jackie Chan), Mantis (Seth Rogen), Viper (Lucy Liu), and Crane (David Cross). Along with Dragon Warrior Po (Jack Black), they battle the evil Kai to keep the Valley of Peace safe, and restore the life force to the Masters hes defeated.
Kung Fu Panda 3 Courtesy: Dreamworks
But theyre not alone. Already graced with an incredible voice-cast, KFP3 ups the ante with the aforementioned Oscar-winner Simmons, and Oscar-contender Bryan Cranston as Pos birth father, Li. This new relationship brings an extra dimension to Pos motivation, and also more background to his character, as does a possible love interest in the fat and furry form of fellow panda Mei Mei, voiced by Kate Hudson. Rebel Wilson was the original choice for Mei Mei, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts; she might have been a funnier choice, but Hudson imbues Mei Mei with a sultry style.
Cranstons Li also gives the secret weapon of the franchise more to do, with the great James Hong once again reprising his role as Pos adopted father, Mr. Ping. Im so happy the filmmakers recognized Hongs talent and Pings importance, and didnt allow him to be pushed into the background even with everything else happening onscreen. Indeed, his plotline is central to the story as a whole, and resolves wonderfully, with his every line a joy to hear.
Kung Fu Panda 3 Courtesy: Dreamworks
But thats par for this advanced course, as the filmmakers get so much right in KFP3. Its rated merely PG for martial arts action, and the obligatory and very mild rude humor is kept to a minimum. Its a brisk 95 minutes for parents of fidgety kids, and the usual lessons learned are at least wholesome and entertaining. This is very much a family-oriented affair, and even some of Angelina Jolie"s own children got in on the act, as voice extras. The animation is beyond first rate, and the sore never distracts, only supports.
But the filmmakers also continue to enrich each installment with something new. Po not only grows more powerful with each movie, but his world more enriched, this time with a new, extended family, and a rich history.Who knew so much could be said about a panda who learns kung fu?---95 minutesRated PG for martial arts action and some mild rude humorDirectors: Alessandro Carloni, Jennifer YuhWriters: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn BergerStarring: Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Dustin Hoffman, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Kate Hudson, J.K. Simmons
THE FINEST HOURS
GRADE: B
Director Craig Gillespie is a bit of a chameleon. His films run the gamut of quality and genre. Hes helmed such lowbrow stuff as 2007s Mr. Woodcock, horror like the Fright Night remake in 2011, family-friendly fare such as 2014s Million Dollar Arm, and the wonderful Lars and the Real Girl, also in 2007.
With such a mixed pedigree, you may not expect him to be able to shift back into quality family film mode, but he does so with The Finest Hours, based on the book The Finest Hours: The True Story of the U.S. Coast Guard"s Most Daring Sea Rescue by Casey Sherman and Michael J. Tougias.
Although creative license was taken to keep it well under the PG-13 bar (indeed, its so more for intense sequences of peril than salty language), the guts of the story are there, and depicted with much more gusto than you might expect from a somewhat sanitized version of what was no doubt a very severe experience.
In the winter of 1952, New England was hammered by violent weather. Two oil tankers were severely damaged in the storm, miles from shore and also miles apart. Crews were immediately dispatched to the closer and more easily reached tanker, the Fort Mercer. But a 3rd ranked crew was sent in the other direction, and on February 18, these 4 members of the Coast Guard rescued an astounding 32 of the 33 men stranded at sea in the wreckage of the Pendleton. And although the film is cleaned-up to be more presentable, care was taken to stick to the facts of story itself.
And its quite a story. Chris Pine plays Bernie Webber, a young man whos not so green, having been down the harsh road to rescue before, but sadly, has come up empty handed. There are folks in town who dont like him, since he couldnt save some of their own in previous years rescue attempts. Hes a humbled man, who cant even bring himself to ask his lady friend Miriam (Holliday Grainger) to marry him.
But hes also dedicated, and maybe wanting to prove himself in the face of his past trails. So when the storm hits and the Pendleton is in trouble, he obeys his questionable superior officer (Eric Bana), who orders him out on the 70 waves to mount a rescue. But due to Webbers past, he cant get any of the experienced shipmates to accompany him, and so he picks the least among them for a suicide attempt of rescue. Amazingly they succeed, but they probably would not have save for the efforts of the men onboard the Pendleton, led by an understated Casey Affleck playing Ray Sybert.
Syberts not too popular, either, preferring to stay below maintaining the engines, rather than on the deck forming relationships. But he convinces the men to follow through with his wild scheme to keep the beleaguered Pendleton afloat long enough for the crew to be rescued.
And so its a twin tale of redemption for two men who unknowingly team up to save the day. Pine does a great job not swaggering as a sea-swept James T. Kirk, and instead being quite convincing as an underdog whos just trying to do the right thing. And although reserved in his portrayal, such reserve ties into the introverted nature of Sybert, and Affleck nails every scene.
The action sequences are surprisingly well-done, and again really earned the -13 aspect of the PG-13 rating. Im not sure the 3D was necessary, but the might of the waves, the violent nature of the storm, and the catastrophic effect they took on the Pendleton make the peril to the crew convincing, even if they whistle and literally sing (a bit) while they work. It is a Disney film after all, but it doesnt pull its punches when it needs to hit hard. And considering the S.O.P. of films these days, I certainly didnt miss the admittedly more authentic harsh language.---117 minutesRated PG-13 for intense sequences of perilDirected by: Craig GillespieWriting Credits: Scott Silver (screenplay) and Paul Tamasy (screenplay) & Eric Johnson (screenplay), Casey Sherman (book) and Michael J. Tougias (book)Starring: Chris Pine, Holliday Grainger, Casey Affleck, Ben Foster, Eric Bana
THE DIVISION BETA DARK ZONE w/ The MainStreamers (Xbox One)
Tom Clancy The Division beta already has players experiencing the open world action-RPG game. Already available are first-time game play experiences, tips for beginners, and specifics regarding the Dark Zone. At first glance, there does appear to be an overwhelming amount of hovering graphics, icons, and HUD items, distracting NPC dialogue, and so on, but the beta is a learning process for the developer to get things right before launch.
Heres how you could improve graphics in #TheDivision beta on consoleshttps://t.co/qA4jcU0SKL pic.twitter.com/3ZArDcZVDF
VG247 (@VG247) January 29, 2016
The beta servers are now live. Today, the beta is available on Xbox, and tomorrow it becomes available for PC and PlayStation 4.
The following Division sample video is not safe for work (NSFW), as it contains video game violence and profane language.
The Division does live up to the hype of being a non-fantasy, dragon/troll fighting RPG in that its about player-focused development on an individual level. Basically, it hones in on the advancement of your specific character.
Theres more to it than just a tactical shoot em up situation, but the ability to customize your characters equipment at a mathematical level, according to a report at Lazy Gamer, which lends its appeal to those who appreciate such an advancement. There does appear to be an evolution of character development in The Division game once weapons and gear are discovered on the bodies of fresh kills or in boxes, and then utilized or even customized at a later time for further improvements in the field like in the Dark Zone.
The Division gameplay experience reported by The Lazy Gamer and their corresponding video, gave unto a limited access to player traits when partaking in missions. There does seem to be an initial fortification process of taking over The Post Office as a base of operations. Later, your first, and only, story mission to complete involves securing the Medical Wing to achieve one of the three abilities your division agent possesses.
Another part of The Division game is that the AI does keep you on your toes as they take on a more aggressive, tactical stance when firing and maneuvering towards your flanks. In case you do get cold feet after sitting for too long, they come your way and are even reactionary to your own advances, which is pretty remarkable.
Now, enter the Dark Zone. Its a PvP area in the game where everyone is on equal ground. However, there are classifications.
If youre teamed up with your real-life buddies around town or are part of a online clan/squad, you may not have to worry about someone shooting you in the back, but anyone else other than your buddies has potential to shoot you on the spot and rob you. If youre going at it alone, even an extreme risk exists. In fact, it is highly recommended that you team up with someone.
That being said, to prepare yourself as a beginner in Tom Clancys The Division, VG24/7 put together some tips for those who want to make the best of the beta straight from the start.
The tips detail things you may overlook that could give you valuable experience points, multiple rogue encounters, where to find loot by taking the high road, weapon details and modification options, plus other tips that may better prepare yourself for the Dark Zone.
.@davegershgorn died playing #TheDivision but now he"s back! @TheDivisionGame https://t.co/4b3XjiLgyS pic.twitter.com/P4NSUyT8cP
Popular Science (@PopSci) January 29, 2016
For survival purposes and greater success, VG24/7 recommends going into The Divisions Dark Zone with a team. With that being said, theres a multi-player matching system called thedivision.the100.io, which is available on their site.
Here, the division agents are divided up based on level groupings in accordance with experience.
For those who go in alone, there are probably other wanderlust Division agents looking for someone else to play with. That said, theres an ability to engage in voice-chat with those wandering about the complex.
VG24/7 further explains The Division game details involving loot discovery and extraction, Dark Zone rogue agent ranking systems, keys and boxes, and the finally details information about dying in the Dark Zone, especially as a Rogue agent. It seems that theres some kind of karma factor here for being a baddie.
Tom Clancys The Dark Zone is available to the public come March 8.
Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:
Xerox The business services company will split into two separate companies and give board seats to investor Carl Icahn. Icahn told CNBC that the move is a good one and will greatly enhance shareholder value. Separately, Xerox beat estimates by 4 cents with adjusted quarterly profit of 32 cents per share, though revenue was shy of forecasts. Xerox also increased its quarterly dividend to 7 cents per share from 7 cents.
Whirlpool The appliance maker reported adjusted quarterly profit of $4.10 per share, beating estimates of $3.91, although revenue came in below analyst forecasts. Whirlpool benefited from cost and capacity cuts, and it did report record profits for 2015.
American Airlines Group The airline reported adjusted quarterly profit of $2.00 per share, beating estimates by 3 cents, with revenue matching forecasts.
Colgate-Palmolive The consumer products maker earned an adjusted 73 cents per share for the fourth quarter, 1 cent above estimates, with revenue slightly below forecasts. Colgate said organic sales are growing despite challenging economic conditions, and also announced it was taking a charge to change the way it accounts for its Venezuelan operations.
Tyco The fire protection and security products company came in 1 cent above estimates with adjusted quarterly profit of 42 cents per share, with revenue also above estimates. Tyco, which recently agreed to be bought by Johnson Controls, said it had a solid start to its fiscal year despite challenging macroeconomic conditions.
Phillips 66 The energy logistics company reported adjusted quarterly profit of $1.31 per share, 6 cents above estimates. The company said it was able to benefit from a diversified portfolio in a low-price environment.
Amazon.com Amazon reported quarterly profit of $1.00 per share, substantially below consensus estimates of $1.56. Revenue was slightly below forecasts as well, and the shares came under immediate pressure despite the highest-ever quarterly profit ever posted by the online retail giant.
Microsoft Microsoft beat estimates by 7 cents with adjusted quarterly profit of 78 cents per share, with revenue also above Wall Street forecasts. Microsoft"s bottom line was helped by improvement in its cloud services business as well as cost-cutting.
Visa Visa came in 1 cent above estimates with adjusted quarterly profit of 69 cents per share, although revenue was slightly short of Street targets. The credit card issuer also affirmed its full year earnings forecast, surprising some analysts who had expected a cut.
Amgen Amgen earned an adjusted $2.61 per share for its latest quarter, well above estimates of $2.29, with revenue essentially in line. The biotech firm is being helped by growing sales of rheumatoid arthritis drug Enbrel as well as cost cutting, and it raised its 2016 earnings and revenue guidance.
Electronic Arts Electronic Arts came in 2 cents ahead of estimates with adjusted quarterly profit of $1.83 per share, with revenue in line. However, the video game producer did not raise its profit and sales forecasts as much as some analysts had expected following the release of the company"s "Star Wars"-themed game.
Flex Flex reported adjusted quarterly profit of $0.35 per share, 5 cents ahead of estimates, while the contract electronics manufacturer"s revenue also beat Street forecasts. The company, formerly known as Flextronics, saw sales drop from a year earlier, but also increased its gross margin to 6.7 percent from 5.8 percent.
Sony Sony beat estimates with its latest earnings and maintained its full year profit outlook. The company did say, however, it is bracing for a slowdown in the smartphone market, where it is a major supplier of image sensors for Apple"s iPhone.
Toyota Motor Toyota decided to buy out the portion of mini-vehicle maker Daihatsu that it doesn"t already own. The automaker will swap about a quarter share of its own stock for each Daihatsu share.
Alphabet Alphabet said it would separate out results from its Google unit from other areas when it releases its latest quarterly earnings on Monday.
BlackBerry BlackBerry may abandon its own operating system and transition to Android, according to a report in the Economic Times.
Align Technology The maker of the Invisalign dental brace system earned 60 cents per share for its latest quarter, 6 cents above estimates, with revenue above forecasts. The company also shipped more aligners to customers than analysts had been anticipating.
IS BRIANA JUNGWIRTH REALLY PREGNANT? || Analysis Louis Tomlinson has introduced his son to the world with a touching photo. This is seriously cute!
The One Direction singer shared a tender image cradling his first child, who was born to former flame Briana Jungwirth last week, and also revealed the name - Freddie Reign.
Gazing down lovingly at his newborn, Louis wrote alongside the image: "Meet my little lad, Freddie" and later thanked fans for their support with a tweet, saying: "Thank you so much for all the nice messages."
How adorable is that? Louis also revealed Freddie will take his surname, Tomlinson, simply writing: "Freddie Tommo" in a Tweet.
Meanwhile, proud new mum Briana also shared a heartwarming photo of herself in hospital shortly after giving birth to Freddie, and revealed his middle name is Reign. So those original baby name rumours weren"t too far off then!
Kissing the top of her baby"s head while he slept soundly, Briana captioned the image: "1/21/16. Freddie Reign. Love of my life."
Louis first announced the arrival of Freddie on Saturday 23 January, telling his Twitter followers: "I"m pleased to say my baby son was born yesterday :) He is healthy and pretty amazing :) I"m very happy!!"
It"s believed that Louis was by Briana"s side as she gave birth to the star"s first child, as he"s currently spending time in California to be close to the new mum and baby.
Briana and Louis went on a series of dates in May 2015, shortly after he split up from his long-term girlfriend Eleanor Calder.
He confirmed that he was going to be a dad during a chat with Good Morning America last August, telling fans he was "buzzing" to become a dad.
It certainly looks like he"s loving his new role, right?
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The lab at the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District in St. Paul is quiet in the winter. But, they are still monitoring theZikavirus.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. - The lab at the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District in St. Paul is quiet in the winter. But, they are still monitoring the Zika virus.
People in Minnesota shouldn"t be worried about local transmission of this virus right now, says vector ecologist Kirk Johnson.
Johnson says the Zika virus is only known to spread through two types of mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Johnson says they have found Aedes albopictus in Minnesota before, but it did not survive the winter. We do have similar types of mosquitoes in Minnesota, but none that are known to transmit Zika virus, he says.
The mosquitoes that do transmit the Zika virus are more common in the southern part of the United States.The Zika virus is being actively spread right now in south and central America.
Johnson says there"s concern about Minnesotans who are traveling to those parts of the world. We should expect to see multiple travel-associated cases of Zika infections in the U.S. and Minnesota residents in the next few months, he says.
Johnson says they"ll be watching closely for any new types of mosquitoes that could transmit the Zika virus when the winter comes to an end.
We"ll be observing as the season warms and we see the mosquito season start to spread further north whether this virus is actually being transmitted in the United States, he says.
The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District says pregnant women, or women who want to become pregnant, should be especially careful if they"re traveling to countries where the Zika virus is spreading.KARE 11 learned Thursday that most major airlines and cruise lines are now offering refunds, or offering to rebook flights, for pregnant travelers.
