Kody Brown and his "Sister Wives" might need to invest in some good fences -- because a few of their new neighbors aren't happy the polygamist reality show stars have moved into their hood.
As TMZ first reported, Brown and his fam recently relocated to Las Vegas so they could explore new job opportunities. TMZ spoke with several of the new neighbors and while some sound tolerant of the Brown clan ("It's a quiet neighborhood, and as long as it stays drama free, then we're fine") others want nothing to do with them.
One neighbor told us, "I don't want my family surrounded by polygamists."
Another was upset because now her young children are asking her about polygamy -- and now she plans on moving. She told us, "I am not tolerating the polygamists or their TV show in my neighborhood."
Showing posts with label Home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home. Show all posts
Monday, January 31, 2011
Heat at Full Throttle to End Thunder Home Streak
Miami finally had its Big 3 of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh reunited, and Oklahoma City's top trio was at its best, too.
Yet none of those stars came away with the biggest shot of the game.
Eddie House hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 22.2 seconds left, then added two free throws to seal the Miami Heat's 108-103 victory in a Sunday showcase in which their All-Star triumvirate played together for the first time in nearly three weeks.
"Any time Eddie raises and shoots, you think it's going in," Wade said. "He's one of those guys that look for the moment."
Wade scored 32 points, James added 23 points and 13 rebounds and Bosh had 20 points -- and coach Erik Spoelstra pulled the right string by putting House into the lineup during a timeout after Kevin Durant's jumper had put the Thunder up 103-102 with 34.3 seconds left.
Wade missed a jumper from the left wing, Mike Miller snagged the rebound and kicked it out to James, who passed it over to House for a 3 on the right sideline that made it 105-103.
"He's a unique player because he's ready and ignitable without rhythm minutes. Not many players in this league, you can do that," Spoelstra said. "You throw him in, he hasn't played, if he's been sitting for a while, he feels like he's hot."
Durant scored 33 points but missed a contested jumper along the left baseline with 15 seconds left that would've put the Thunder back on top. Jeff Green had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Russell Westbrook added 21 points and 10 assists as Oklahoma City's top three scorers all reached 20 points for just the third time this season.
It still wasn't enough to match a similar performance from Miami's Big 3, who all eclipsed 20 points in the same game for the 11th time. The Heat are 9-2 when that happens.
"I don't look at it as the 'big three.' They may look at it like that over there, but over here we're a whole group," Durant said.
After House's go-ahead 3, James contested Durant's attempt to tie it at the other end and Nick Collison swatted the rebound toward midcourt. Wade tracked it down and got fouled, hit his first free throw before missing the second, and that rebound was initially awarded to the Thunder after it went out of bounds under the basket with 6.9 seconds left.
James walked back to the huddle saying confidently, "It's our ball" -- and a replay proved him right. The ball deflected off Collison, and House hit two free throws to close it out.
"We don't take moral victories here. We wanted to win that game," Durant said. "We had the game won and we just didn't. Moral victories have been out the door for two years now."
Bosh had been sidelined four games with a sprained left ankle and Wade had missed two of those game due to migraine headaches and a wrist injury. Before that, James missed two games, also with a sprained left ankle. It had been since Jan. 12 since all three played together.
"It felt good to have guys back. It threw us off a little bit early. We hadn't played with each other for a while. But with Chris coming back early, to try to gut it out and go tonight, we needed just to get wins," Wade said. "Hopefully, we can build on it."
The Heat had been scuffling, losing five of six before beating Detroit by a point Friday night on James Jones' disputed block of Austin Daye's dunk at the buzzer. Oklahoma City, meeanwhile, had lost three of four and then needed overtime to beat Minnesota and Washington -- both in last place -- in their last two games.
Wade staked the Heat to their largest lead by spinning away from Westbrook for a jumper along the left baseline that made it 98-90 with 5:51 to play and finished a 13-2 run.
But Wade was still upset after Serge Ibaka blocked his layup attempt on Miami's next possession and drew a technical foul after Green got a fast-break layup at the other end that would start a 13-4 comeback for Oklahoma City.
Westbrook and Durant each hit a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to one, and the Thunder got a chance to go ahead after Bosh's missed jumper on a failed attempt to draw a foul against Durant -- with the same rip move Durant uses frequently to catch opponents reaching in against him.
Durant came around a screen and connected on a jumper from the top of the key with 34.3 seconds left to put Oklahoma City up 103-102. It was one of only two shots Durant made in 10 second-half attempts, with most of his damage coming from foul line. He was 11 for 13 in the second half and finished 16 for 19.
"We had the game won," Durant said. "We played good defense on Wade, he missed the shot and we just couldn't rebound. Eddie House is a big-time, big-game player. He hit a big shot, and that's the game."
Notes
Yet none of those stars came away with the biggest shot of the game.
Eddie House hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 22.2 seconds left, then added two free throws to seal the Miami Heat's 108-103 victory in a Sunday showcase in which their All-Star triumvirate played together for the first time in nearly three weeks.
"Any time Eddie raises and shoots, you think it's going in," Wade said. "He's one of those guys that look for the moment."
Wade scored 32 points, James added 23 points and 13 rebounds and Bosh had 20 points -- and coach Erik Spoelstra pulled the right string by putting House into the lineup during a timeout after Kevin Durant's jumper had put the Thunder up 103-102 with 34.3 seconds left.
Wade missed a jumper from the left wing, Mike Miller snagged the rebound and kicked it out to James, who passed it over to House for a 3 on the right sideline that made it 105-103.
"He's a unique player because he's ready and ignitable without rhythm minutes. Not many players in this league, you can do that," Spoelstra said. "You throw him in, he hasn't played, if he's been sitting for a while, he feels like he's hot."
Durant scored 33 points but missed a contested jumper along the left baseline with 15 seconds left that would've put the Thunder back on top. Jeff Green had 23 points and 11 rebounds, and Russell Westbrook added 21 points and 10 assists as Oklahoma City's top three scorers all reached 20 points for just the third time this season.
It still wasn't enough to match a similar performance from Miami's Big 3, who all eclipsed 20 points in the same game for the 11th time. The Heat are 9-2 when that happens.
"I don't look at it as the 'big three.' They may look at it like that over there, but over here we're a whole group," Durant said.
After House's go-ahead 3, James contested Durant's attempt to tie it at the other end and Nick Collison swatted the rebound toward midcourt. Wade tracked it down and got fouled, hit his first free throw before missing the second, and that rebound was initially awarded to the Thunder after it went out of bounds under the basket with 6.9 seconds left.
James walked back to the huddle saying confidently, "It's our ball" -- and a replay proved him right. The ball deflected off Collison, and House hit two free throws to close it out.
"We don't take moral victories here. We wanted to win that game," Durant said. "We had the game won and we just didn't. Moral victories have been out the door for two years now."
Bosh had been sidelined four games with a sprained left ankle and Wade had missed two of those game due to migraine headaches and a wrist injury. Before that, James missed two games, also with a sprained left ankle. It had been since Jan. 12 since all three played together.
"It felt good to have guys back. It threw us off a little bit early. We hadn't played with each other for a while. But with Chris coming back early, to try to gut it out and go tonight, we needed just to get wins," Wade said. "Hopefully, we can build on it."
The Heat had been scuffling, losing five of six before beating Detroit by a point Friday night on James Jones' disputed block of Austin Daye's dunk at the buzzer. Oklahoma City, meeanwhile, had lost three of four and then needed overtime to beat Minnesota and Washington -- both in last place -- in their last two games.
Wade staked the Heat to their largest lead by spinning away from Westbrook for a jumper along the left baseline that made it 98-90 with 5:51 to play and finished a 13-2 run.
But Wade was still upset after Serge Ibaka blocked his layup attempt on Miami's next possession and drew a technical foul after Green got a fast-break layup at the other end that would start a 13-4 comeback for Oklahoma City.
Westbrook and Durant each hit a pair of free throws to cut the deficit to one, and the Thunder got a chance to go ahead after Bosh's missed jumper on a failed attempt to draw a foul against Durant -- with the same rip move Durant uses frequently to catch opponents reaching in against him.
Durant came around a screen and connected on a jumper from the top of the key with 34.3 seconds left to put Oklahoma City up 103-102. It was one of only two shots Durant made in 10 second-half attempts, with most of his damage coming from foul line. He was 11 for 13 in the second half and finished 16 for 19.
"We had the game won," Durant said. "We played good defense on Wade, he missed the shot and we just couldn't rebound. Eddie House is a big-time, big-game player. He hit a big shot, and that's the game."
Notes
- Bosh and Durant received a double technical foul in the first quarter after Bosh hacked Harden to prevent a fast-break basket. Westbrook got one for swinging his fist in the air after being whistled for a personal foul in the final minute of the first half.
- James' eight first-quarter assists were the most in period by a Heat player this season.
- The Thunder were seeking their longest home winning streak since leaving Seattle.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Marlins will be Home Team at Seattle
A three-game series between the Florida Marlins and Mariners June 24-26 has been moved from Miami to Seattle because of a U2 concert.
An appearance by Bono and U2 in late June will force the Marlins to move three home games against the Mariners to Seattle.
Major League Baseball said Thursday the change was made because of the scheduling conflict at Sun Life Stadium. The rock band U2 is scheduled to play at the stadium June 29 and the Marlins must vacate the stadium to allow setup time for the concert.
Marlins president David Samson told MLB.com that the team was anticipating the series would be moved and invoiced the Marlins' season-ticket holders for only 78 games this season.
"What happened was U2 had to reschedule for a year later, and the baseball schedule was such that there was no other way to have us at home that series," Samson told MLB.com. "We obviously couldn't play at home, because we don't control the stadium. For one final season, we are tenants.
"So we worked closely with baseball for an alternate venue. The best and only solution was to play the games in Seattle."
The Marlins are scheduled to move to a retractable-roof stadium in 2012 and will change their name to the Miami Marlins next season.
Florida will remain the home team and will bat last, and the series will be played under NL rules, without a designated hitter.
An appearance by Bono and U2 in late June will force the Marlins to move three home games against the Mariners to Seattle.
Major League Baseball said Thursday the change was made because of the scheduling conflict at Sun Life Stadium. The rock band U2 is scheduled to play at the stadium June 29 and the Marlins must vacate the stadium to allow setup time for the concert.
Marlins president David Samson told MLB.com that the team was anticipating the series would be moved and invoiced the Marlins' season-ticket holders for only 78 games this season.
"What happened was U2 had to reschedule for a year later, and the baseball schedule was such that there was no other way to have us at home that series," Samson told MLB.com. "We obviously couldn't play at home, because we don't control the stadium. For one final season, we are tenants.
"So we worked closely with baseball for an alternate venue. The best and only solution was to play the games in Seattle."
The Marlins are scheduled to move to a retractable-roof stadium in 2012 and will change their name to the Miami Marlins next season.
Florida will remain the home team and will bat last, and the series will be played under NL rules, without a designated hitter.
Monday, January 24, 2011
Injury Problems Send Graeme Swann Home
Graeme Swann has been forced out of the one-day series against Australia by injury as England's casualty list continues to grow. He picked up a knee problem during the first Twenty20 and has now suffered a back strain and will be returning to the UK to recover for next month's World Cup.
Swann played the second T20 and first one-day international in Melbourne but has missed the last two matches. It had been hoped he would be able to take part towards the end of the series, but a back spasm a couple of days ago added to his problems, leaving England another key bowler short as they aim to bounce back from 3-0 down.
"It's frustrating to return home from the tour early but the priority for me now is the World Cup and getting my body right so that I am able to play an important role for England throughout the tournament," Swann said. "I will be following the rest of the series and hope to see England put in some positive performances over the next fortnight. I've had the time of my life over here and bringing back the Ashes is something that will always stay with me."
Andy Flower, the England team director, said Swann would be taking the earliest flight home. "He's unfortunately got a strain in his lower back and that allied with his knee problem means it's best for him to go home and get ready for the World Cup now," Flower said.
It leaves England with Michael Yardy and James Tredwell to fill the spin roles for the remainder of the series but neither offer the attacking option of Swann and his absence has been felt during the middle overs.
"It's a big blow, he's an important part of our side," Flower said. "He's a world-class performer and full of confidence after the Ashes. But these things happen, we are coming towards the end of a long, hard tour and certainly the physical challenges are starting to take their toll."
Swann is the second player to fly home from the one-day series after Tim Bresnan picked up a calf strain in Hobart. England have not been able to field their first-choice attack at any stage in the limited-overs games due to Stuart Broad's absence and James Anderson being rested. Anderson, though, is available for the Adelaide match on Wednesday and will provide valuable experience as England aim to stay in the series.
Flower, meanwhile, has looked upon the loss of his main bowlers as a valuable chance to give experience to some younger and less experienced one-day players. One of the topics Flower has often mentioned is the need to have more than just a first eleven that is good enough because of the demanding international schedules.
"One of the areas I've been really happy with on this tour is the fact that some of our fringe players have come in and done very well," he said. "People like Bresnan in the Tests who did superbly, Tremlett the same. These guys stepped into the breach and I think we've seen Shahzad grow in the first three limited-overs games.
"I think they are great opportunities for some of our fringe players now. With the schedules we are given we are going to need a squad in which we can certainly rotate fast bowlers, because they are the ones at greatest risk of injury."
England's major issue has been a lack of consistency from the batsmen although Kevin Pietersen is fit again which will provide some extra power to the middle order. His replacement in Sydney, Paul Collingwood, continued to struggle with 1 and Flower admitted he was concerned but hinted at retaining him.
"Yes, of course we are. And he is," Flower said. "But we need him to be in form for the World Cup and again there's a good opportunity tomorrow for him to get that form."
Swann played the second T20 and first one-day international in Melbourne but has missed the last two matches. It had been hoped he would be able to take part towards the end of the series, but a back spasm a couple of days ago added to his problems, leaving England another key bowler short as they aim to bounce back from 3-0 down.
"It's frustrating to return home from the tour early but the priority for me now is the World Cup and getting my body right so that I am able to play an important role for England throughout the tournament," Swann said. "I will be following the rest of the series and hope to see England put in some positive performances over the next fortnight. I've had the time of my life over here and bringing back the Ashes is something that will always stay with me."
Andy Flower, the England team director, said Swann would be taking the earliest flight home. "He's unfortunately got a strain in his lower back and that allied with his knee problem means it's best for him to go home and get ready for the World Cup now," Flower said.
It leaves England with Michael Yardy and James Tredwell to fill the spin roles for the remainder of the series but neither offer the attacking option of Swann and his absence has been felt during the middle overs.
"It's a big blow, he's an important part of our side," Flower said. "He's a world-class performer and full of confidence after the Ashes. But these things happen, we are coming towards the end of a long, hard tour and certainly the physical challenges are starting to take their toll."
Swann is the second player to fly home from the one-day series after Tim Bresnan picked up a calf strain in Hobart. England have not been able to field their first-choice attack at any stage in the limited-overs games due to Stuart Broad's absence and James Anderson being rested. Anderson, though, is available for the Adelaide match on Wednesday and will provide valuable experience as England aim to stay in the series.
Flower, meanwhile, has looked upon the loss of his main bowlers as a valuable chance to give experience to some younger and less experienced one-day players. One of the topics Flower has often mentioned is the need to have more than just a first eleven that is good enough because of the demanding international schedules.
"One of the areas I've been really happy with on this tour is the fact that some of our fringe players have come in and done very well," he said. "People like Bresnan in the Tests who did superbly, Tremlett the same. These guys stepped into the breach and I think we've seen Shahzad grow in the first three limited-overs games.
"I think they are great opportunities for some of our fringe players now. With the schedules we are given we are going to need a squad in which we can certainly rotate fast bowlers, because they are the ones at greatest risk of injury."
England's major issue has been a lack of consistency from the batsmen although Kevin Pietersen is fit again which will provide some extra power to the middle order. His replacement in Sydney, Paul Collingwood, continued to struggle with 1 and Flower admitted he was concerned but hinted at retaining him.
"Yes, of course we are. And he is," Flower said. "But we need him to be in form for the World Cup and again there's a good opportunity tomorrow for him to get that form."
Cam Newton, Auburn Feted at Home
Cam Newton and Auburn's football team put on one last Saturday afternoon show at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
With an estimated 78,000 fans on hand, including hundreds of students crowded onto the field before the stage, the Tigers celebrated their first national championship in 53 years.
It also turned into a farewell for stars Newton and Nick Fairley, both skipping their senior seasons to enter the NFL draft. Newton slapped hands as he danced along the line of students, then struck a Heisman pose at the podium and sang out, "War Eagle."
He thanked the fans for standing by him through the revelations that his father, Cecil, sought payment to sign with Mississippi State, a scandal that shadowed Newton for the season's final two months.
"You never stopped believing in me," Newton said. "People have asked me over and over, how did I handle the distractions. The simple answer is, God, family and you, my Auburn family. You never lost faith in me and that means more to me than words can ever say. You will be in my heart forever."
The biggest applause came when Auburn introduced Fairley and Newton. Both took turns at the podium, along with Gov. Robert Bentley -- who is from Tuscaloosa -- and others.
Coach Gene Chizik related a story that he said demonstrated what kind of teammates Newton and Fairley were.
"Thirty minutes before the national championship game, and I didn't know whether they were going to come back or not," he said. "I called them in and said, 'I want you guys to be team captains.'
"I didn't know if they were ever going to get a chance to walk out on that field again. They looked at me simultaneously and said, 'Coach we can't do that. You've got to pick two more seniors.' "
Former players presented Newton with the Heisman Trophy and Fairley with the Lombardi Award on the stage. The Southeastern Conference and various national title trophies also were presented, before fans gathered for a reverse Tiger Walk back to the football complex.
The scoreboard clock had 20:10 remaining. And the board read 22-19, the final score of the title game against Oregon.
Auburn topped rival Alabama in one category. The Crimson Tide's similar event last year drew an estimated 38,000, but those fans hadn't waited nearly as long.
The Tigers hadn't won a national title since 1957, and that team's quarterback, Lloyd Nix, was among the speakers.
Chizik took the opportunity to praise the fans and his team once again.
"You are the best fans in the United States of America," he said. "And you have helped us and been a huge part of being the best football team in the United States of America."
As for the team: "I was asked right before the national championship, 'Coach, do you have a great team?' We'd won 13, and I said, 'Ask me in one more week.' I can emphatically say this is a great football team."
Chizik said he told athletic director Jay Jacobs before his hiring that a title was coming.
"I said, 'I don't know how long it's going to take. I'm not going to put a timeline on it -- but we will win a championship. You can bank that one,' " the coach said.
This team will lose 23 seniors, 13 of them starters, and its two biggest stars.
Newton and Fairley are projected first-round picks, with the All-American defensive tackle drawing buzz that he might be the No. 1 overall selection.
Newton was asked if it was worth it to leave Auburn with labor problems and a potential lockout hovering over the NFL.
"It's kind of a bittersweet situation that we're in right now, because what other way can you picture us going out than the way we went out this year?" he said. "With a lockout looming, will it happen? That's the risk you've got to take."
With an estimated 78,000 fans on hand, including hundreds of students crowded onto the field before the stage, the Tigers celebrated their first national championship in 53 years.
It also turned into a farewell for stars Newton and Nick Fairley, both skipping their senior seasons to enter the NFL draft. Newton slapped hands as he danced along the line of students, then struck a Heisman pose at the podium and sang out, "War Eagle."
He thanked the fans for standing by him through the revelations that his father, Cecil, sought payment to sign with Mississippi State, a scandal that shadowed Newton for the season's final two months.
"You never stopped believing in me," Newton said. "People have asked me over and over, how did I handle the distractions. The simple answer is, God, family and you, my Auburn family. You never lost faith in me and that means more to me than words can ever say. You will be in my heart forever."
The biggest applause came when Auburn introduced Fairley and Newton. Both took turns at the podium, along with Gov. Robert Bentley -- who is from Tuscaloosa -- and others.
Coach Gene Chizik related a story that he said demonstrated what kind of teammates Newton and Fairley were.
"Thirty minutes before the national championship game, and I didn't know whether they were going to come back or not," he said. "I called them in and said, 'I want you guys to be team captains.'
"I didn't know if they were ever going to get a chance to walk out on that field again. They looked at me simultaneously and said, 'Coach we can't do that. You've got to pick two more seniors.' "
Former players presented Newton with the Heisman Trophy and Fairley with the Lombardi Award on the stage. The Southeastern Conference and various national title trophies also were presented, before fans gathered for a reverse Tiger Walk back to the football complex.
The scoreboard clock had 20:10 remaining. And the board read 22-19, the final score of the title game against Oregon.
Auburn topped rival Alabama in one category. The Crimson Tide's similar event last year drew an estimated 38,000, but those fans hadn't waited nearly as long.
The Tigers hadn't won a national title since 1957, and that team's quarterback, Lloyd Nix, was among the speakers.
Chizik took the opportunity to praise the fans and his team once again.
"You are the best fans in the United States of America," he said. "And you have helped us and been a huge part of being the best football team in the United States of America."
As for the team: "I was asked right before the national championship, 'Coach, do you have a great team?' We'd won 13, and I said, 'Ask me in one more week.' I can emphatically say this is a great football team."
Chizik said he told athletic director Jay Jacobs before his hiring that a title was coming.
"I said, 'I don't know how long it's going to take. I'm not going to put a timeline on it -- but we will win a championship. You can bank that one,' " the coach said.
This team will lose 23 seniors, 13 of them starters, and its two biggest stars.
Newton and Fairley are projected first-round picks, with the All-American defensive tackle drawing buzz that he might be the No. 1 overall selection.
Newton was asked if it was worth it to leave Auburn with labor problems and a potential lockout hovering over the NFL.
"It's kind of a bittersweet situation that we're in right now, because what other way can you picture us going out than the way we went out this year?" he said. "With a lockout looming, will it happen? That's the risk you've got to take."
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Fitness Guru Jack LaLanne, 96, Dies at Calif. Home
Fitness guru Jack LaLanne, 96, dies at Calif. home
Fitness guru Jack LaLanne, who inspired television viewers to trim down and pump iron decades before exercise became a national obsession, has died at age 96.
His agent, Rick Hersh, says LaLanne died of respiratory failure due to pneumonia Sunday afternoon at his home in Morro Bay on California's central coast.
Hersh says Lalanne ate healthy and exercised every day of his life up until the end.
LaLanne credited fitness with transforming his life as a teen, and he worked over the next eight decades to transform others' lives, too.
He said, "The only way you can hurt the body is not use it." LaLanne's workout show was a television staple from the 1950s to '70s. He maintained a youthful physique into his 80s.
Jack LaLanne's feats via wiki
-1954 (age 40): swam the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, underwater, with 140 pounds (64 kg; 10 st) of equipment, including two air tanks. A world record.
1955 (age 41): swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco while handcuffed. When interviewed afterwards he was quoted as saying that the worst thing about the ordeal was being handcuffed, which reduced his chance to Star Jump significantly.
1956 (age 42): set a world record of 1,033 push-ups in 23 minutes on You Asked For It, a television program with Art Baker.
1957 (age 43): swam the Golden Gate channel while towing a 2,500-pound (1,100 kg; 180 st) cabin cruiser. The swift ocean currents turned this one-mile (1.6 km) swim into a swimming distance of 6.5 miles (10.5 km).
1958 (age 44): maneuvered a paddleboard nonstop from Farallon Islands to the San Francisco shore. The 30-mile (48 km) trip took 9.5 hours.
1959 (age 45): did 1,000 star jumps and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hour, 22 minutes and The Jack LaLanne Show went nationwide.
1974 (age 60): For the second time, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf. Again, he was handcuffed, but this time he was also shackled and towed a 1,000-pound (450 kg; 71 st) boat.
1975 (age 61): Repeating his performance of 21 years earlier, he again swam the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge, underwater and handcuffed, but this time he was shackled and towed a 1,000-pound (450 kg; 71 st) boat.
1976 (age 62): To commemorate the "Spirit of '76", United States Bicentennial, he swam one mile (1.6 km) in Long Beach Harbor. He was handcuffed and shackled, and he towed 13 boats (representing the 13 original colonies) containing 76 people.
1979 (age 65): towed 65 boats in Lake Ashinoko, near Tokyo, Japan. He was handcuffed and shackled, and the boats were filled with 6,500 pounds (2,900 kg; 460 st) of Louisiana Pacific wood pulp.
1980 (age 66): towed 10 boats in North Miami, Florida. The boats carried 77 people, and he towed them for over one mile (1.6 km) in less than one hour.
1994 (age 80): Once again handcuffed and shackled, he fought strong winds and currents as he swam 1.5 miles (2.4 km) while towing 80 boats with 80 people from the Queensway Bay Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary.
Fitness guru Jack LaLanne, who inspired television viewers to trim down and pump iron decades before exercise became a national obsession, has died at age 96.
His agent, Rick Hersh, says LaLanne died of respiratory failure due to pneumonia Sunday afternoon at his home in Morro Bay on California's central coast.
Hersh says Lalanne ate healthy and exercised every day of his life up until the end.
LaLanne credited fitness with transforming his life as a teen, and he worked over the next eight decades to transform others' lives, too.
He said, "The only way you can hurt the body is not use it." LaLanne's workout show was a television staple from the 1950s to '70s. He maintained a youthful physique into his 80s.
Jack LaLanne's feats via wiki
-1954 (age 40): swam the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, underwater, with 140 pounds (64 kg; 10 st) of equipment, including two air tanks. A world record.
1955 (age 41): swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco while handcuffed. When interviewed afterwards he was quoted as saying that the worst thing about the ordeal was being handcuffed, which reduced his chance to Star Jump significantly.
1956 (age 42): set a world record of 1,033 push-ups in 23 minutes on You Asked For It, a television program with Art Baker.
1957 (age 43): swam the Golden Gate channel while towing a 2,500-pound (1,100 kg; 180 st) cabin cruiser. The swift ocean currents turned this one-mile (1.6 km) swim into a swimming distance of 6.5 miles (10.5 km).
1958 (age 44): maneuvered a paddleboard nonstop from Farallon Islands to the San Francisco shore. The 30-mile (48 km) trip took 9.5 hours.
1959 (age 45): did 1,000 star jumps and 1,000 chin-ups in 1 hour, 22 minutes and The Jack LaLanne Show went nationwide.
1974 (age 60): For the second time, he swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf. Again, he was handcuffed, but this time he was also shackled and towed a 1,000-pound (450 kg; 71 st) boat.
1975 (age 61): Repeating his performance of 21 years earlier, he again swam the entire length of the Golden Gate Bridge, underwater and handcuffed, but this time he was shackled and towed a 1,000-pound (450 kg; 71 st) boat.
1976 (age 62): To commemorate the "Spirit of '76", United States Bicentennial, he swam one mile (1.6 km) in Long Beach Harbor. He was handcuffed and shackled, and he towed 13 boats (representing the 13 original colonies) containing 76 people.
1979 (age 65): towed 65 boats in Lake Ashinoko, near Tokyo, Japan. He was handcuffed and shackled, and the boats were filled with 6,500 pounds (2,900 kg; 460 st) of Louisiana Pacific wood pulp.
1980 (age 66): towed 10 boats in North Miami, Florida. The boats carried 77 people, and he towed them for over one mile (1.6 km) in less than one hour.
1994 (age 80): Once again handcuffed and shackled, he fought strong winds and currents as he swam 1.5 miles (2.4 km) while towing 80 boats with 80 people from the Queensway Bay Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary.
Friday, January 21, 2011
'Wonder Woman' Project Finds a Home at NBC
ComicsThe ol’ girl will fly this fall after all: NBC has picked up the Wonder Woman pilot from David E. Kelley. Ironically, NBC was the final network to pass on bringing back the superhero over a week ago, but that was before the new regime was officially in place in light of the impending Comcast takeover. Robert Greenblatt is now spearheading primetime as chairman. (On Thursday, head of programming Angela Bromstad announced she was leaving).
The pilot’s cost may not be a concern to Greenblatt, the wunderkind who revitalized Showtime with critical faves like Dexter and Weeds. One factor that seemed to have sunk the Wonder Woman project the first time around was the price of rebooting the series, with the studio requiring a rich license fee to bring the iconic character back to life. But then, NBC has been down this road before: It rebooted Bionic Woman. Kelley’s take incorporated the superhero’s signature lasso, cuffs, and plane in the script, and insiders said it was a serious, non-campy take on the DC Comics character. For years, various writers and producers (including Joss Whedon) have tried to bring back Wonder Woman, but the character has proved difficult to resurrect.
Kelley is already executive producing Harry’s Law for NBC, the new drama starring Kathy Bates.
In other business Friday, NBC also ordered a drama pilot from Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City), dubbed Mann’s World. It chronicles a celebrity hair stylist in Los Angeles.
The pilot’s cost may not be a concern to Greenblatt, the wunderkind who revitalized Showtime with critical faves like Dexter and Weeds. One factor that seemed to have sunk the Wonder Woman project the first time around was the price of rebooting the series, with the studio requiring a rich license fee to bring the iconic character back to life. But then, NBC has been down this road before: It rebooted Bionic Woman. Kelley’s take incorporated the superhero’s signature lasso, cuffs, and plane in the script, and insiders said it was a serious, non-campy take on the DC Comics character. For years, various writers and producers (including Joss Whedon) have tried to bring back Wonder Woman, but the character has proved difficult to resurrect.
Kelley is already executive producing Harry’s Law for NBC, the new drama starring Kathy Bates.
In other business Friday, NBC also ordered a drama pilot from Michael Patrick King (Sex and the City), dubbed Mann’s World. It chronicles a celebrity hair stylist in Los Angeles.
Adorable Father and Daughter Perform Internet Sensation 'Home' on 'Ellen'
Ellen DeGeneres has kept the hits coming as of late, from showcasing the talents of YouTube sensation Greyson Chance to her brief stint on 'American Idol,' but Ellen's guests today may be some of her cutest work yet.
Two weeks after video of California-based single dad and college student Jorge Narvaez and his daughter, Alexa, performing Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' 'Home' hit the web, Ellen invited the duo on the show to sing.
After their performance, Ellen presented 6-year-old Alexa with dozens of gifts, but the adorable little girl was more interested in giving audience members hugs than playing with her new toys. See the song and compare it to the duo's original version after the jump.
Compare with Jorge and Alexa's original version:
Two weeks after video of California-based single dad and college student Jorge Narvaez and his daughter, Alexa, performing Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros' 'Home' hit the web, Ellen invited the duo on the show to sing.
After their performance, Ellen presented 6-year-old Alexa with dozens of gifts, but the adorable little girl was more interested in giving audience members hugs than playing with her new toys. See the song and compare it to the duo's original version after the jump.
Compare with Jorge and Alexa's original version:
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
NBA's Substantial Home Court Advantage: What Makes Players Worse On The Road?
SBNation.com's awesome Jon Bois put together a comprehensive and intriguing look at home court advantage in pro sports. As it turns out, among NBA teams over the last three full seasons, the Utah Jazz have the largest spread between home and road performance, with the Denver Nuggets and (for some bizarre reason) Indiana Pacers just behind.
But perhaps most interesting is that NBA teams have a collective home court advantage much stronger than those of their NFL, Major League Baseball and NHL counterparts. From 2007-08 through 2009-10, NBA teams, had they played all 82 games at home, would have won an addition 10.1 percent of matches. The figure for the NFL was just 6.4 percent, baseball was at 5.4 percent and the NHL at 5.2 percent.
That's pretty odd, considering weather isn't a factor in the NBA (as it is in baseball and football) and every NBA court is spacially the same (as opposed to baseball's unique parks). So why do NBA teams win so much more frequently at home? Because of the inherent nature of the NBA schedule.
NBA teams play 41 games at home and 41 games on the road. But many of those NBA games come under duress, because the league always tries to shrink road trips in terms of total days spent travelling (and as such, in team-commissioned hotels and riding team-commissioned planes). As such, nearly all back-to-backs occur on the road. There's really no reason to schedule those episodes during home stands -- even though there are equal games on the road and at home, there is no financial or humanist rationale for keeping homestands as short as possible, as there is for road trips.
Ed Kupfer, currently a Rockets analyst, did a study on the APBRmetrics forum in early 2005 looking at factors in win probability. The language is technical, but in summary, after opponent quality and a home court advantage, days since a team's last game was the biggest factor in determining who wins a game. As teams on the road are typically (not always, but usually) on shorter rest, this serves as an added home court advantage (or more accurately, a road disadvantage).
They say one of the hardest things to do in the NBA is to play a fourth game in five nights -- basically the back end of a back-to-back right after a back-to-back. The fact that at least three and likely all four of those games came on the road dovetails right into Bois' findings that home court means a lot more in the NBA than anywhere else.
But perhaps most interesting is that NBA teams have a collective home court advantage much stronger than those of their NFL, Major League Baseball and NHL counterparts. From 2007-08 through 2009-10, NBA teams, had they played all 82 games at home, would have won an addition 10.1 percent of matches. The figure for the NFL was just 6.4 percent, baseball was at 5.4 percent and the NHL at 5.2 percent.
That's pretty odd, considering weather isn't a factor in the NBA (as it is in baseball and football) and every NBA court is spacially the same (as opposed to baseball's unique parks). So why do NBA teams win so much more frequently at home? Because of the inherent nature of the NBA schedule.
NBA teams play 41 games at home and 41 games on the road. But many of those NBA games come under duress, because the league always tries to shrink road trips in terms of total days spent travelling (and as such, in team-commissioned hotels and riding team-commissioned planes). As such, nearly all back-to-backs occur on the road. There's really no reason to schedule those episodes during home stands -- even though there are equal games on the road and at home, there is no financial or humanist rationale for keeping homestands as short as possible, as there is for road trips.
Ed Kupfer, currently a Rockets analyst, did a study on the APBRmetrics forum in early 2005 looking at factors in win probability. The language is technical, but in summary, after opponent quality and a home court advantage, days since a team's last game was the biggest factor in determining who wins a game. As teams on the road are typically (not always, but usually) on shorter rest, this serves as an added home court advantage (or more accurately, a road disadvantage).
They say one of the hardest things to do in the NBA is to play a fourth game in five nights -- basically the back end of a back-to-back right after a back-to-back. The fact that at least three and likely all four of those games came on the road dovetails right into Bois' findings that home court means a lot more in the NBA than anywhere else.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Kings To Call Power Balance Pavilion Home, Never Fall Down Again
The Sacramento Kings' ARCO Arena will be transformed into Power Balance Pavilion next month, reports SB Nation blog Sactown Royalty. You may recognize Power Balance as the snake oil salesmen who pitch rad bracelets that purport to imbue their wearers with superpowers like "awesome balance" and "sweet power." Power Balance, however, recently admitted these superpowers are nonexistent.
Essentially then, these are neat looking placebos to be used for decoration. Interestingly enough, that's just what DeMarcus Cousins, star of the Kings and wearer of Power Balance bands, had already thought of them before learning of his home court's new name.
From NBA.com reporter and all-around swell dude Jimmy Spencer:
I asked DeMarcus Cousins weeks ago if the Power Balances he wears on both wrists work. He laughed, "Hell no! These are just for decoration."
Well there you have have it; we will, however, see if Cousins changes his tune once Power Balance presents fat endorsement checks they've used to woo players like Lamar Odom, Shaquille O'Neal, Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings.
Meanwhile, The Basketball Jones has endeavored to redesign the Kings' logo in light of the news.
Essentially then, these are neat looking placebos to be used for decoration. Interestingly enough, that's just what DeMarcus Cousins, star of the Kings and wearer of Power Balance bands, had already thought of them before learning of his home court's new name.
From NBA.com reporter and all-around swell dude Jimmy Spencer:
I asked DeMarcus Cousins weeks ago if the Power Balances he wears on both wrists work. He laughed, "Hell no! These are just for decoration."
Well there you have have it; we will, however, see if Cousins changes his tune once Power Balance presents fat endorsement checks they've used to woo players like Lamar Odom, Shaquille O'Neal, Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings.
Meanwhile, The Basketball Jones has endeavored to redesign the Kings' logo in light of the news.
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