Source: Memphis moving to Big East

Memphis is the latest school to sign up for a spot in the new Big East.

A person familiar with the decision says Memphis is joining the Big East for all sports in 2013. the person spoke to the associated Press on condition of anonymity because an official announcement would be made today.

The Big East announced it would hold a teleconference with Commissioner John Marinatto, University of Memphis President Shirley C. Raines and Memphis Athletic director R.C. Johnson, though it did not give any details about what would be discussed.

Johnson said a news conference would be held in Memphis after the teleconference to discuss the university’s athletic affiliation.

The Tigers will become the fourth Conference USA team to move to the Big East in the last two months, along with Houston, Central Florida and SMU.

RB Williams announces retirement

OWINGS MILLS, Md. — Ricky Williams is retiring from the NFL.

The 34-year-old Williams told the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday he won’t be back to fulfill the second year of a contract he signed in August. Playing as a backup to Ray Rice this year, Williams ran for 444 yards and scored two touchdowns.

He also became the 26th player in NFL history to reach 10,000 yards rushing, reaching the plateau in the season finale at Cincinnati.

“the NFL has been an amazing page in this chapter of my life,” Williams said. “I pray that all successive adventures offer me the same potential for growth, success and most importantly, fun.”

Clippers lose Billups to torn tendon

LOS ANGELES — Clippers guard Chauncey Billups will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his left Achilles tendon during Los Angeles’ 107-102 victory over the Magic in Orlando on Monday night.

The team says an MRI on Tuesday confirmed Billups’ injury.

Billups will return to Los Angeles on Thursday for further evaluation. the Clippers say a date for surgery hasn’t been determined.

The five-time All-Star, whom the Clippers claimed off waivers in December, was averaging 14.9 points and 4.0 assists in 30.4 minutes per game this season.

Contador may appeal doping ban

MADRID — Alberto Contador vowed Tuesday to return to the pinnacle of cycling, maintaining his innocence in the face of a two-year doping ban that stripped the Spanish star of his 2010 Tour de France title.

He said his lawyers are considering whether to appeal the ban handed down by sport’s highest court and insisted that even if the punishment stands he will return to challenge for more Tour titles.

The penalty is retroactive and will expire in August.

“I’m sure of one thing: I want to come back to ride the best races,” Contador said at a news conference, making in his first comments since Monday’s verdict ended an 18-month doping investigation that again highlighted cycling’s long-standing problem with banned substances.

Dodgers, Kershaw agree to deal

LOS ANGELES — NL Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw and the Los Angeles Dodgers avoided a salary arbitration hearing next week, agreeing to a $19 million, two-year contract.

Tuesday’s deal for the 23-year-old left-hander calls for a $500,000 signing bonus and salaries of $7.5 million this year and $11 million in 2013. it covers all but his final year of arbitration eligibility.

The agreement mirrors that of San Francisco’s Tim Lincecum, who in his first time eligible for arbitration two years ago agreed to a $23 million, two-year deal.

Kershaw was 21-5 with a 2.28 ERA and 248 strikeouts last year, winning the NL pitching triple crown. After making $500,000, he had asked for $10 million in arbitration and had been offered $6.5 million.

Source: Memphis moving to Big East

Source: Memphis moving to Big East is a post from: skincaresecretsforyou.com/blog

I didn’t want to believe in Jeremy Lin at first. Dude burst onto the scene with a miracle game – after being cut by the Warriors and Rockets earlier this season, he dropped 25 points and 7 assists for the Knicks against the New Jersey Nets on Saturday night. It seemed too good to be true. not because of anything Lin did in particular, but because the Nets are awful, and, after all, flukes happen in the NBA from time to time. Earlier this year, John Lucas III – who’s been cut by the Rockets, Thunder, Heat, Bulls and Snaidero Udine of the Italian League during his professional career – dropped 25 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in his first career start against the Bucks. In the 9 games he’s played since then, he’s scored a total of 27 points, and was jumped over by LeBron James. I, sadly, expected that to happen to Lin.

and it still could. But last night against the Utah Jazz, Jeremy Lin came up big again. he dropped 28 points, found teammates for eight assists, and lead the Knicks to their second-straight win. I still have no idea what’s going on here, but Lin looks confident on the court, and honestly, pretty talented. He’s got nice court-vision, a quick first step, and the ability to finish around the basket. he hit the big shot against the Jazz, finally putting the game away for good with a back-breaking, shot-clock beating three. and hell, unlike Toney Douglas, Mike Bibby and Iman Shumpert, he actually seems to be an NBA-caliber point guard. (Shumpert’s an NBA-caliber player, don’t get me wrong. He’s just not a point guard.)

So, sure, this could all fall apart tomorrow. But Lin’s had a Taiwanese animation made about him. ESPN’s going to be talking about him all day. He’s the toast of New York City – even during the week after the Giants won the Super Bowl. instead of expecting the worst, I’m going to relax, enjoy this run, and hope to high heaven that it continues.

Jeremy Lin Leads Knicks To Win Over Jazz, 99-88

Jeremy Lin Leads Knicks To Win Over Jazz, 99-88 is a post from: skincaresecretsforyou.com/blog

Paul Pierce is just 10 points shy of leap-froggin ahead of Larry Legend, placing him just behind John Havliceck on the all-time scoring list for the Boston Celtics. Pierce should reach the milestone tonight against the Bobcats. From the Herald: “Bird retired with 21,791 regular-season points. John Havlicek, the all-time franchise leader, is a galaxy away with 26,395, which remains the 12th-highest regular-season total in NBA history. but in strictly offensive terms, a question remains of exactly how Pierce fits in with his forebearers — those who were strictly Celtics. Bird and Sam Jones were better pure shooters. Kevin McHale had the unparalleled post-up game, and Bob Cousy remains the franchise’s single most creative force. but could the NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week, with everything from his in-between game, 3-point threat and unique ability to reach the rim and get fouled, be the best pure scorer of them all? the Herald put that question to Bird last weekend, and the Pacers president paused a long time before answering. he, after all, may head that group himself. He’s about to be passed on an iconic list, and that’s never a comfortable realization. When Bird finally answered, he referenced the man who still looms over them all — the ageless Havlicek. ‘I didn’t watch Havlicek play and all of the guys who came before like (Bill) Russell,’ Bird said. “But Paul has been able to do it in a variety of ways. what the guy can give you in the offensive end is remarkable.’ but not so remarkable that he stands alone — at least not in this building. Doc Rivers, who played against Bird and has coached Pierce in his prime, wanted no part of a debate. ‘Something I stay out of,’ Rivers said. ‘Paul has been great and deserves everything he gets, and Larry was great, but I don’t ever compare guys. (But) Paul is more of a scorer. he can pass, and he’s also a great rebounder. Larry did everything. It was great (for this franchise) to have them both. That’s the way I look at it.’”

16 Responses to “Paul Pierce to Pass Larry Bird as 2nd Greatest Scorer in Celtics History”

Paul Pierce to Pass Larry Bird as 2nd Greatest Scorer in Celtics History

Paul Pierce to Pass Larry Bird as 2nd Greatest Scorer in Celtics History is a post from: skincaresecretsforyou.com/blog

As news broke this morning that Prop 8 was declared unconstitutional, celebs couldn’t help but voice their opinion on Twitter!

It’s been a hard battle in the same-sex marriage debate, and finally this morning word spread like wild fire about the uplifting news! Judge Stephen Reinhardt, one of the court’s more liberal judges, stated: “Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California.”

Former boy bander Lance Bass, Kelly Osbourne and Ellen Degeneres had nothing but positive things to say! Check out who else voiced their opinion about this controversial topic!

As many new marriage opportunities open up for same-sex couples, the controversial law could be well on its way to reaching the U.S. Supreme Court! He’s what some of our fav celebs had to say:

Lance Bass couldn’t help but state the obvious in his tweet this morning

Well duh!RT @HuffingtonPost: Prop 8, California’s same-sex marriage ban, declared unconstitutional huff.to/yRhmYy

— Lance Bass (@LanceBass) February 7, 2012

Talk show host and ever lovable Ellen Degeneres couldn’t be happier!

Today we took another step towards equality. #Prop8 was found unconstitutional again. I couldn’t be happier. — Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) February 7, 2012

Kelly Osbourne cried tears of joy for this momentous day!

Are my ears hearing this corectly? If so my eyes are filling with tears of joy! thank you lord #Prop8IsUnconstitutional!

— Kelly Osbourne (@MissKellyO) February 7, 2012

Olivia Wilde seemed just as pumped about the news.

Woohoo!! Die Prop 8 Die!!!! 9th Circuit just ruled you unconstitutional. next step Supreme Court! — olivia wilde (@oliviawilde) February 7, 2012

Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson declared he won’t stop until everyone is free to marry!

Historic! #Prop8 is unconstitutional. @AFER & I won’t stop until ALL Americans are #free2marry. Sign> bit.ly/pledge8 & RT

— Jesse Tyler Ferguson (@jessetyler) February 7, 2012

We’re sure more celebs will have tons of things to say and will stay hopeful for more positive Prop 8 news! Let us know your thoughts and reactions and make sure to check out the NoH8 campaign gallery!

Source: noh8campaign.com

Lance Bass News – Celebrities Tweet about Prop 8! (PHOTOS) – Celebuzz

Lance Bass News – Celebrities Tweet about Prop 8! (PHOTOS) – Celebuzz is a post from: skincaresecretsforyou.com/blog

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit’s public information office expects a ruling on Tuesday, Feb. 7 by 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern Time in the Perry v. Brown case challenging the constitutionality of Proposition 8.

The long anticipated appeals court ruling is expected to address three issues: (1) whether former U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker should have recused himself from hearing the case because he is gay and had a long-time partner with whom he was not married; (2) whether the proponents of Proposition 8 have the right to appeal Walker’s decision striking down Proposition 8 as unconstitutional when none of the state defendants chose to do so; and (3) whether, if Walker did not need to recuse himself and the proponents do have the right to appeal, Walker was correct that Proposition 8 violates Californians’ due process and equal protection rights guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution.

What’s the background?

In May 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled, in a 4-3 decision, that California’s Constitution prohibited the state from discriminating against same-sex couples in the state’s marriage laws. by mid-June, couples began marrying — although the future of same-sex marriage in the state already was headed to the November ballot.

Then, after about 18,000 same-sex couples had married in the state, on Nov. 4, 2008, the voters of the state of California elected Barack Obama president — but also voted to pass Proposition 8, which amended California’s Constitution to add, “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid or recognized in California.” This created an upending of an otherwise joyous night for progressives, which was borne out by protests across the state — and country — in the weeks that followed.

With the vote, though, the marriages came to a halt. an attempt to have the initiative thrown out under state law, brought by the organizations who had supported the original lawsuit, was unsuccessful. the May 2009 ruling of the California Supreme Court upholding the amendment as valid, however, galvanized, once again, opponents of Proposition 8.

What’s this case?

The same day that the California Supreme Court ruled, word came that, very quietly, the law firm of Gibson Dunn & Crutcher LLP, with help from the law firm of Boies Schiller & Flexner LLP, had a few days earlier filed the lawsuit in federal court that all of the LGBT legal organizations had been avoiding: a direct, federal challenge to a state ban on marriage equality.

The challenge was not just any challenge, of course. it was not only that two of the leading national law firms were serving as the lawyers for plaintiffs Kristin Perry, Sandra Stier, Paul Katami and Jeffrey Zarrillo — because big law firms had been helping the LGBT legal groups with cases for years. it was, instead, the lead lawyers, Ted Olson and David Boies, who made the headlines. the sparring partners in Bush v. Gore had come together to press the case for marriage equality.

The organization formed to bring the challenge — the American Foundation for Equal Rights — was an unknown entity until the day of the filing, and its leader, Chad Griffin, had — also quietly — pulled together the support of his PR firm, the Olson/Boies team and some Hollywood heavyweights gay and straight, including Milk screenwriter Dustin Lance Black and director Rob Reiner.

The headlines continued, but the case also moved forward quickly, with the proponents of Proposition 8 moving to intervene in the case to defend Proposition 8. Walker allowed this, noting at the time that this made sense considering that neither then-Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger nor then-Attorney General Jerry Brown were going to defend the initiative at trial. In January 2010, a three-week trial was held, with closing arguments held in June 2010.

What was the trial court’s decision?

On Aug. 4, 2010, U.S. District Court Judge Vaughn Walker held that Proposition 8 violated the federal constitutional guarantees of equal protection of the laws and due process of law, which protects “fundamental” rights — including marriage.

Regarding equal protection, he found that “Proposition 8 fails to advance any rational basis in singling out gay men and lesbians for denial of a marriage license.” he concluded, “Because California has no interest in discriminating against gay men and lesbians, and because Proposition 8 prevents California from fulfilling its constitutional obligation to provide marriages on an equal basis, the court concludes that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.”

Regarding due process, he noted that marriage has been considered by the U.S. Supreme Court to be a fundamental right that he found was defined as “the right to choose a spouse and, with mutual consent, join together and form a household.” he went on to discuss past marriage restrictions, including racial ones, then concluded, “Plaintiffs do not seek recognition of a new right. to characterize plaintiffs’ objective as ‘the right to same-sex marriage’ would suggest that plaintiffs seek something different from what opposite-sex couples across the state enjoy — namely, marriage. rather, plaintiffs ask California to recognize their relationships for what they are: marriages.”

What happened in the appeal thus far?

The state defendants — then Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and then-Attorney General Jerry Brown — decided not to appeal Walker’s decision. the proponents of Proposition 8, however, did appeal.

The appeals court first heard oral arguments on the appeal on Dec. 6, 2010, at which time the issues of the proponents’ standing to bring the appeal and the underlying constitutionality of the initiative amending California’s constitution to prohibit same-sex couples from marrying were considered by the three-judge panel hearing the appeal.

The three judges are Judge Stephen Reinhardt, a Carter appointee known for being one of the most unabashedly liberal of judges in the appellate courts; Judge Michael Daly Hawkins, President Clinton’s first nominee to the Ninth Circuit; and Judge N. Randy Smith, a conservative Bush appointee who attended Brigham Young University for both undergraduate and law school education and previously served as the head of the Idaho Republican Party.

Those judges, on Jan. 4, 2011, sent a certified question to the California Supreme Court, asking it to answer two questions about California state law: (1) whether “the official proponents of an initiative measure possess either a particularized interest in the initiative’s validity” or (2) whether they have “the authority to assert the State’s interest in the initiative’s validity.” the California Supreme Court accepted the certified question, heard arguments on the matter on Sept. 6, 2011, and decided that the proponents would have “the authority to assert the State’s interest” under state law.

The Ninth Circuit then sought additional briefing on that matter, which the parties submitted to the court. the court also heard oral arguments on Dec. 8, 2011, about whether Walker should have recused himself from hearing the case.

What will happen on Tuesday and beyond?

On Tuesday, the Ninth Circuit is expected to rule on the questions of Walker’s recusal and the proponents’ standing. the court, if it holds that recusal was not necessary and that the proponents do have standing, will address the constitutionality of Proposition 8. as the public information office is not the court’s judges, its words are not law, but today’s notice does gloss over the standing question, which would make it appear that the court is likely to find that the proponents do have standing — which was to be expected in light of the California Supreme Court’s decision on that matter.

[UPDATE @ 5:30P: as the Ninth Circuit previously had issued a stay of the trial court's judgment pending appeal, there is no reason to think that the court's opinion -- should it affirm the unconstitutionality of Proposition 8 -- will take effect immediately. the judges almost certainly will issue a stay of their decision to allow the proponents to decide whether they will appeal such a decision.]

At that point, any party dissatisfied with the ruling could seek en banc review, which would require all the active Ninth Circuit judges to vote whether en banc consideration will be given. If a majority supports en banc consideration, then the chief judge of the circuit, Judge Alex Kozinski, and 10 randomly selected appellate judges from the circuit will hear the en banc appeal.

Then further review by the full Ninth Circuit — referred to as “super en banc” consideration — or a request to the Supreme Court to hear the case could follow.

Ninth Circuit Prop 8 Ruling on Tuesday — A Guide to Understanding What’s Happening

Ninth Circuit Prop 8 Ruling on Tuesday — A Guide to Understanding What’s Happening is a post from: skincaresecretsforyou.com/blog

On the other end of all that suffering is the biggest dose of glittery magic — the reward of making it to Broadway. It’s a high stakes world with huge payoffs, which should make for thrilling TV. And  "Smash" is, for the most part, that. (I'll admit that as as a former theater camp attendee, I squealed more than once upon first viewing). but also, I find myself secretly wishing that we could see the pilot script for the version originally developed at Showtime, which was reportedly a little darker, more insidery. perhaps a little less mass appeal, a little less sun, could do the show good. the window of "making it" in this world is so slim, and the stakes of "Smash" don't match those of real life. In the pilot, the glossy musical numbers are as catchy as they come, but they come sandwiching more lackluster scenes with characters that could use some roughing up.

Debra Messing’s grand return to the small screen (save "the Starter Wife" because … well) is convenient for fans of her work in "will and Grace" because she is basically playing Grace anew. Think about it; artsy alpha-female in a nonsexual but almost-married partnership with a persnickety gay man. Tom (Christian Borle) is slightly more flamboyant than will was, but in essence, it’s a well-worn pairing, and no one pulls off the role of straight wingwoman like Messing.

Here, she is saddled with the groany B-plot of pretending to care about adopting a baby. (Note to producers: If you don’t let Messing’s screen hubby, played by Brian D’Arcy James, sing on this show, it will be as much of a waste as using a 1962 Pinot to cook with.) and it is clear that show runner Theresa Rebeck and company need to flesh out Messing’s home life if we are to care about it even half as much as we do about the musical numbers.

Though it is painful to see Messing rattle off a bunch of treacly exposition about Marilyn Monroe’s bigger message (“she glows with it like a saint”) in selling us on the Marilyn-themed show-within-a-show, I’m willing to chalk this up to the producers thinking they may have to spell out who Marilyn is for a generation raised on Lindsay Lohan posing as Monroe and not the real thing. 

The real women of the hour are McPhee and Megan Hilty, also known as the new Eve Harrington and Margo Channing of prime time. the one thing that "Smash" had to do in its first episode was get us to like and root for them both, and in a trick I still can’t quite figure out, I think it pulled that off.

McPhee’s audition needed to wow us in order to pull us over to her side, and after so much ceaseless promotion and pre-leaked footage, I was worried that the charm factor would have evaporated before she even began. but McPhee has this something, this twinkle in her eye and crystal clarity to her voice, that makes her impossible to ignore. she pulled it out for "American Idol," when her rendition of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" conjured visions of Miss Garland herself, and she does it again here. she made an overplayed Christina Aguilera ballad feel like a masterpiece, and I think we can all agree that this is a feat. 

As for real-life Broadway vet Hilty, I have the highest hopes for her this season. Rumor has it that in the early development of the show, Ivy Lynn was much more of a villain, a real Margo with claws out, and they neutered the character a bit to make her more relatable. That way, the tension of who gets the part means something to us — we need to care about our starlets equally so that we can stay hooked as the casting process drags on.

That said, I think they may have softened Hilty’s Ivy because as a ruthless doer with ceaseless ambition, she would have been unstoppable. those are the kind of people that make it to the bright lights, after all. and Hilty is so good, especially in the Marilyn mold; she has the curves to pull it off and this air of mischief and play that screams early Norma Jean. If they didn’t shackle Ivy with a ton of weaknesses, there would be no competition at all.

As for the other characters, we’ll get to them next week. There’s a bit of intrigue as to why Tom and Derek hate each other (first guess: it has to do with other late-night meetings involving Derek’s loft and actress baiting), and Ellis is lucky to have his job after that whole YouLenz debacle (but then, what composer/lyricist team can resist a youth waxing eloquent about the theater in this day and age?). Dev is handsome and dull, and Karen’s parents should probably know what dinner in New York costs by now.

And if the series ever underutilizes Anjelica Huston this way again, then no amount of zazzle and boxstepping can save "Smash." any good producer should know the cardinal Broadway rule: you never keep a diva in the wings. 

And now, our weekly Showstopper Ranking for the songs:  

1. “Let Me Be your Star”: 4.5 out of 5 Jazz Hands 

"Smash" composers Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, the duo behind "Hairspray," have their work cut out for them. not only do they have to write 11-o-clock numbers week after week for a show, they are secretly penning the eventual Broadway transfer that will happen if "Smash" is a hit. I’d be interested in a companion reality show revealing how the pair comes up with this stuff each week, but just as the show doesn’t reveal Messing/Borle’s creative process, I suppose some things are best left to mystery. the winning number from the pair is the show’s closing audition song. Yes, the lyrics are a bit strained — “it’s magic we’ll be making” is not something a native English speaker would say — but Hilty and McPhee’s desperate “GIVE ME THIS ROLE” belting and homemade beauty marks sell the hell out of the thing. when McPhee throws back her head at the end to reveal the fact that even her neck is dying for the part, I gasped. 

2. “The National Pastime”: 3 Jazz Hands

Plus: clever innuendo. minus: choreography that involved straddling a dancer’s face. plus: Hilty’s breathy ditz voice as Marilyn. I love it. minus: Hilty’s ditz voice as Marilyn. I also hate it.

3. “Never Gave all the Heart”: 2 Jazz Hands

We only saw a bit of this number, and while the drama critic Michael Riedel thought it was a "Smash," it felt too sleepy even for the show’s requisite torch song. 

What were your favorite moments? let me know in the comments.

RELATED:

TV review: "Smash"

NBC hopes "Smash" is a hit

Debra Messing talks about "Smash"

— Rachel Syme 

Photo: Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee in "Smash." Credit: will Hart / NBC.

‘Smash’ premiere recap: Curtain Up

‘Smash’ premiere recap: Curtain Up is a post from: skincaresecretsforyou.com/blog

The overhead smash is a highly under-practiced shot in tennis, but a crucial shot for ending points. if you have a strong overhead it puts the pressure on your opponent because they know they’ll have to pass you or perish. Let’s discuss the vital steps to hitting an effective overhead.

Let’s start with the proper grip. Since most overheads are hit at the net with a serve like swing the best grip is, you guessed it, the continental. this will allow you to angle the overhead to any area of the court without straining the wrist. Furthermore, since both the forehand and backhand volley are hit with a continental grip you wont have to think about changing grip if your opponent decides to try a lob.

The second step and most crucial is footwork that pesty topic keeps coming up and it is no less important in hitting a great overhead. The biggest mistake I see beginners make is that they move backwards with their chest facing the net. this is both dangerous and inefficient. The best way to handle an overhead is to turn sideways and side step forward and backward depending on how deep the lob is. this will allow you to move backwards quicker, but also allow you to change directions in case you misjudge the depth.

Finally, the best piece of advice I ever received on hitting great overheads has to deal with the mentality of hitting the shot. Anytime you see your opponent hit a lob tell yourself mentally that the point is over. An overhead is your chance to win the point so act like it Have confidence to hit the ball hard they don’t call it an overhead smash for nothing Smash that thing and win the point

Smash It – The Overhead Smash in Tennis

Smash It – The Overhead Smash in Tennis is a post from: skincaresecretsforyou.com/blog

CLEVELAND (AP) – Rookie Kyrie Irving made a driving layup in traffic with 15.8 seconds left to give the Cleveland Cavaliers a 91-88 win over the defending NBA champion Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.

Irving, who is showing a knack for last-second drama in his first season, finished with 20 points and Anderson Varejao added 17 points and 17 rebounds for the Cavs.

After Irving’s second game-winning layup in a week, Jason Terry missed an off-balance three-pointer with 2.2 seconds left for Dallas. after a replay review gave the Mavericks a final chance, Brandan Wright missed a desperation shot at the horn. the Mavericks didn’t score a field goal in the final 4:13.

• RESULTS: Saturday’s complete NBA scoreboard

Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points and passed Elgin Baylor for 22nd place on the NBA’s scoring list.

Before hitting his late layup, Irving made a similar one — after Varejao’s seventh offensive rebound — with 2:36 left to give the Cavs an 87-86 lead.

The Mavericks, who were so efficient on the way to their title last season, seemed lost on offense in the closing minutes. Terry missed with 2:14 to go and he made a bad pass in the lane to a cutting Nowitzki, who then had his own miss with one minute left.

Varejao dropped a runner in the lane to put the Cavaliers ahead 89-86 with 41.4 seconds left. Terry’s two free throws got the Mavericks within one, and that’s when Irving, Cleveland’s young star, put the game in his hands.

He drove the left side, created some space near the basket and flipped in his shot right-handed off the glass.

Down by eight at halftime and playing ragged offensive, the Cavaliers reeled off 13 consecutive points in the third quarter, in which they outscored the Mavericks 27-13 and somehow took a 70-64 lead into the fourth.

Last spring, the Mavericks were adopted by Cleveland as the city rooted hard for them in the NBA finals when they denied LeBron James and the Miami Heat a championship.

“I heard some things about it,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “Last year was great for us. we know people were pulling for us and that was one of the special things about it.”

The Mavericks, who played their fifth game without point guard Jason Kidd (calf) were cheered during pregame introductions by Cavaliers fans, who were espeically noisy for Nowitzki, the finals MVP last season.

But the loudest ovations came later for Irving, who is not only proving to be worthy of the no. 1 overall pick but showing superstar qualities at the age of 19.

Nowitzki was perfect in the first half, making all five shots from the field and four straight free throws while scoring 15 points. But he was just 4-for-10 after halftime and couldn’t come up with the big basket when the Mavericks desperately needed it.

The Cavs scored only 15 points in the first quarter, when they shot 22% (6-for-27) and forward Luke Harangody shot an ugly three-pointer that slammed off the backboard and threatened to harm anyone in its path.

It didn’t get much better for Cleveland in the second quarter, but the Cavs only trailed 51-43 at halftime.

Knicks 99, Nets 92

NEW YORK — Jeremy Lin scored a career-high 25 points and New York salvaged the finale of a back-to-back-to-back set by beating New Jersey Nets.

Lin came off the bench to control a struggling offense, adding seven assists while outplaying Nets All-Star point guard Deron Williams.

Amare Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler each added 17 points for the Knicks, who won for just the third time in 14 games. they fell just short in losses to Chicago and Boston over the last two nights before picking up a much-needed victory Saturday.

Williams had 21 points and 11 assists for the Nets, while Kris Humphries added 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Lin, who played at Harvard, was the catalyst for the Knicks, who have been desperate for production at point guard while they wait for Baron Davis to finally become available.

Jazz 96, Lakers 87

SALT LAKE CITY — Al Jefferson scored 18 points, Paul Millsap had 16, and Earl Watson keyed a game-clinching 14-0 fourth quarter run to help the Utah Jazz beat the Los Angeles Lakers.

Watson scored eight points and had six assists in the fourth quarter as the Jazz beat the Lakers for the first time in three tries this season.

After he stole the ball from Pau Gasol at the top of the key and fed Derrick Favors for a dunk, Lakers coach Mike Brown went ballistic and charged after official Zach Zarba.

Brown received two quick technicals and was ejected with 8:34 to play.

Watson threw an alley-oop to C.J. Miles that brought the crowd to its feet and then capped the 14-0 run with a three-pointer with 6:18 to play that gave Utah its biggest lead of the game, 83-68.

Kobe Bryant scored 26 points and Gasol had 24 points and 16 rebounds but the Lakers dropped to 3-8 on the road.

Blazers 117, Nuggets 97

PORTLAND, Ore. —Nicolas Batum set a Trail Blazers record with nine three-pointers and scored a career-high 33 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 29 points and the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Denver Nuggets.

Gerald Wallace had 17 points and Marcus Camby had 20 rebounds for Portland. Batum made a career-high nine three-pointers, the most in an NBA game this season and a franchise record for the Blazers.

Danilo Gallinari had 20 points and Ty Lawson and Kosta Koufos each added 16 to lead the Nuggets, who have lost four of their last five, including 93-89 Friday night to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bulls 113, Bucks 90

MILWAUKEE — Derrick Rose scored 21 points and had 13 assists and Luol Deng added 21 points in his return after missing seven games due to injury, as Chicago easily beat Milwaukee.

Playing before a sellout Bradley Center crowd that seemed to be filled with more fans rooting for the Bulls, Deng scored on a layup from Rose just 76 seconds into the game.

The Bucks trailed by 24 at halftime and never threatened in the second half, resting all five starters in the fourth quarter.

Deng was averaging 15.9 points and 7.5 rebounds before tearing a ligament in his left wrist Jan. 21 against Charlotte. He consulted with doctors before deciding against surgery, and his initial return against the Bucks appeared promising.

Clippers 107, Wizards 81

WASHINGTON — Blake Griffin had 21 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, and DeAndre Jordan had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead Los Angeles to a victory against Washington.

Mo Williams added 17 for the Clippers, who won for the fifth time in six games.

Nick Young and John Wall each scored 14 for Washington, which lost its fourth game in a row and dropped to 4-20 this season.

Griffin narrowly missed his second career triple-double, despite not playing in the fourth quarter as Los Angeles rested its starters.

Griffin had a number of his usual crowd-pleasing dunks, saving his best for last. With a minute to play in the third quarter, Griffin soared high for an alley-oop dunk from Williams.

The monster slam gave Los Angeles a 81-50 lead and earned the biggest cheer of the night from the Verizon Center crowd of 19,419. It was Washington’s largest crowd of the season.

Timberwolves 100, Rockets 91

MINNEAPOLIS — Kevin Love scored 25 points and grabbed 18 rebounds and Luke Ridnour added 22 points to lead Minnesota over Houston.

Minnesota won for the fifth time in seven games to reach .500 (12-12).

Kyle Lowry had 24 points and 11 assists for Houston and Luis Scola also had 24 points, but Kevin Martin scored a season-low two points on 1-for-10 shooting.

It was only the second time this season Martin, who entered the game averaging 20.7 points, didn’t score in double figures. It was his fewest point total since March of 2007, when he scored one point for Sacramento against Phoenix.

Kings 114, Warriors 106

SACRAMENTO — Marcus Thornton scored 28 points and Tyreke Evans had 26 points and nine assists to help the Sacramento Kings beat the Golden State Warriors 114-106 in overtime.

The Kings scored the first nine points in overtime to win consecutive games for the second time this season.

Dorrell Wright scored 24 points for Golden State, which made a season-high 16 three-pointers. Nate Robinson had 20 points, Monta Ellis scored 18, Klay Thompson had 16, andStephen Curry finished with 11.

Salmons made a three-pointer and Thompson scored inside on the next possession to give the Kings a 107-102 lead in overtime. a drive by Evans put the Kings up 111-102.

Pistons 89, Hornets 87

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. —Greg Monroe had 24 points and 16 rebounds and Detroit won a matchup of two of the NBA’s worst teams.

Rodney Stuckey added 17 for Detroit (6-20), which won consecutive games for the second time this season and had five scorers in double figures.

New Orleans (4-20) lost its fifth straight. Trevor Ariza led the Hornets with 26.

Both teams spent most of the game without their starting point guards. new Orleans’ Jarrett Jack missed the game with a knee injury, while Pistons rookie Brandon Knight sustained a broken nose early in the game when he was hit by Monroe’s elbow.

The Hornets led 44-41 at the half, but Monroe helped the Pistons take a 65-61 lead into the fourth quarter.

Suns 95, Bobcats 89

PHOENIX — Rarely used Robin Lopez scored nine consecutive points to spark a 12-2 run starting the fourth quarter and the Phoenix Suns rallied to beat Charlotte, the Bobcats’ 11th consecutive loss.

Michael Redd scored 17 points in his first start in nearly two years, Lopez finished with 13 and Marcin Gortat added 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Suns, who have won two of three.

Kemba Walker had 22 points and Reggie Williams added 11 for the Bobcats.

Charlotte has lost 11 straight on the road and has not won overall since Jan. 14 against Golden State.

Phoenix was without starting guard Jared Dudley, who was out with a thigh bruise.

Copyright 2012 the associated Press. All rights reserved. this material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Roundup: Irving leads Cavaliers past Mavericks

Roundup: Irving leads Cavaliers past Mavericks is a post from: skincaresecretsforyou.com/blog

How Much Car is enough?

The mia rolls off the line in Cerizay on 14” electric wheels, to the tune of 61” of height, 65” of width, and (depending on the model) either 113” or 126” of length. it weighs just 1,675 lbs. and if you’re in Europe, you can buy it for 23,500 euros (Google says that’s about $31,000 USD today).

The mia isn’t just tiny and cute. As long-term Gas2 readers may remember, the prototype at the Frankfurt Auto Show was purely electrically driven. Of course, all production mias are also 100% battery electric and zero emission.

Mia designer Murat Guenak, head of corporate strategy for mia electric, developed a love of cars that aren’t powered solely by gasoline throughout his career. the question that he asked himself when designing the mia was incredibly simple:

“We kept coming back to the same question. What does a person really need to be mobile in an urban environment?”

Guenak seems to think city dwellers will do well with a range of about 81 miles packed into a frame small enough to fit into nearly any parking space. he also offers the mia L and the mia K, just in case a little more cargo room is in order. either way, the little mia is definitely more than adequate for most people’s daily needs.

Reduce, Re-use, Recycle

Then there’s the question of materials. Mobility, like so many other things, is inextricably linked to the availability of resources. Edwin Kohl, pharmaceutical entrepreneur and founder of mia electric SAS, is staking his future on the combination of renewable energy and electric cars (as we’ve said before, this is perhaps the greenest and therefore most awesome possible combination). the mia takes eco-friendliness one step farther, according to Kohl:

“I treasure the thoughtful concept of the mia. It’s easily built, constructed like an airplane. we not only use recycled and recyclable sheet metal, but the plastic can be recycled as well.”

Kohl trusts in the talent available in Cerizay as well – the production company Heuliez, which assembles the mia, has 20 years of experience in building electric cars for Peugeot and Citroen.

Whether or not the mia will be able to slip into the hearts of European drivers remains to be seen, but the German distribution company, Smiles AG, has decided that it most definitely will; they’ve set a sales goal of 500 units this year, with the first cars going on sale within this quarter. My question is when do we get an American release?

Questions? Opinions? let us know in the comments, below.

Source | Image: Oekonews.at.

More Mias on the Road in Europe

More Mias on the Road in Europe is a post from: skincaresecretsforyou.com/blog

Some people say that Peyton Manning is the the best Quarterback (QB) in the NFL but Tom Brady is only successful because he plays within his team’s system. I want to dispel the myth that Manning is the better QB. We think that there’s no comparison between the two players. Brady is leaps and bounds ahead of Manning when it comes to skill, smarts, football savvy and character.

Playing within the System – this is the most absurd argument I’ve ever heard of. all players play within their team’s system. maybe Manning would do better in the playoffs if he stuck to his team’s system. It’s obvious that Manning is easily flustered and not confident during playoff games.

Manning’s lack of confidence couldn’t have been more evident than on Sunday. Manning wilted like a dead weed every time he was pressured. He had no answer for the Pittsburgh Steelers defense. Manning is supposed to be one of the greatest QB’s ever. Now that’s a joke. I wouldn’t even put him in the top twenty five all time.

Brady on the other hand may play within a system but he knows how to handle the pressure of playoff games. I’ve seen Tom Brady under defensive pressure time and again and he seems to have the answer. I would place Tom Brady in the top ten all time QB list.

Playoff Record – Manning is 3-6 while Brady is 10-1. Manning has never beaten Brady in the playoffs. In fact Brady seems to outshine his opponent every time. So while Brady might play within a system, he’s found a way to outshine Manning.

Manning was expected to go to the Super Bowl this year but couldn’t even manage one victory in the playoffs. Manning had home field advantage over the Steelers but looked dazed, confused and amateurish on the field.

Super Bowl Record – this is the most definitive statistic. Brady has won three Super Bowls. Peyton Manning hasn’t won a Super Bowl. Until Manning wins a Super Bowl, I don’t think you can compare him to Brady. Brady is a proven winner while Manning is a proven loser.

Character – Brady is well ahead of Manning in the character department. Until Sunday, I thought Manning had character but then Manning blamed the lack of protection for his loss. That meant he blamed his offensive line. Can Manning only play when he doesn’t face any pressure? I think the answer is yes.

Manning doesn’t know how to play well when faced with a good defense. He lacks the character necessary to get the job done. When he fails he acts like a little child and blames his offensive line. Manning is a poor loser and doesn’t deserve our respect.

I didn’t hear Tom Brady blame his teammates after Saturday’s loss. Brady showed true character. I believe that he’ll return to the playoffs and have success. Manning on the other hand might make the playoffs but I think he lacks the character necessary to win playoff games.

If I had the choice of picking a quarterback, I would pick Tom Brady. Peyton Manning wouldn’t even make my short list. I don’t think Manning has the confidence or character to lead a team to the Super Bowl.

Brady vs. Manning

Brady vs. Manning is a post from: skincaresecretsforyou.com/blog