Vote For The 2010 Premier Player of College Football Thousands of fans have gone to the polls at www.premierplayers.com to select The 2010 Premier Player of College Football – Have you? If not, there is still time as the polls are open until December 5th for you and your friends to make your selections. The five athletes with the most votes get invited to The Premier Player of College Football Charitable Awards Dinner at the University of South Florida Marshall Center in Tampa, FL, on January 15th, 2011. As of the end of October, here are the current standings of the athletes on the ballots. Andy Dalton, Texas Christian University, QB 0% Dion Lewis, Pittsburgh Panthers 0% Evan Royster, Penn State NittanyLions 0% Garrett Gilbert, Texas Longhorns 0% Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State, RB 2% Jake Locker, Washington, QB 8% John Brantley, Florida, QB 0% John Clay, Wisconsin, RB 0% Jordan Jefferson, Louisiana State, QB 0% Kellen Moore, Boise State, QB 0% Andrew Luck, Stanford, QB 0% Alshon Jeffery, South Carolina, WR 0% Cameron Newton, Auburn, QB 4% Ryan Broyles, Oklahoma, WR 2%
Mark Herzlich, Boston, LB 0% Mark Ingram, Alabama Crimson, RB 0% Ricky Stanzi, Iowa, RB 60% Ryan Mallett, Arkansas, QB 12% Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State, QB 0% Christian Ponder, Florida State, QB 0% Jacory Harris, Miami, QB 0% LaMichael James, Oregon, RB 0% Noel Devin, W. Virginia, RB 0% Tyrod Taylor, Virginia Tech, RB 0% Kirk Cousins, Michigan State, QB 0% Denard Robinson, Michigan, QB 4% Taylor Martinez, Nebraska, QB 6% Patrick Peterson, Louisiana State, CB 2%
Vote at www.premierplayers.com and call 800-470-0250 to purchase your tickets.
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PUBLISHING CEO & PUBLISHER Carnell Moore CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Steve Wright Marc Jenkins Sam Smoot Monique Davis Dotson Richard Brown CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER Cherrielet P. Mercado For advertising information e-mail: Advertise@premierplayers.com
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Cameron Newton has the Tiger Nation celebrating a No. 2 ranking in the BCS poll, but the AP Top 25 lists Boise State at No. 2. See The Problems With Polls – Will The Best Teams Play For The Title?
AP PHOTO CREDITS Carlos Osorio Gerry Broome Gus Ruelas Brett Flashnick John Miller Wilfredo Lee Nati Harnik Ed Reinke Andy Manis Phil Sandlin p6,7 Matt Cilley Rick Bowmer Dave Martin p8,9 Alan Diaz Tony Gutierrez Kerry Smith Lisa Norman-Hudson Rick Bowmer Dave Martin Andy Manis p12 John Miller p13 Eric Gay p15 Jae C. Hong p18 David J. Phillip p20 Jim R. Bounds p22 Jessica Hill p23 Susan Walsh p24 Monica Sticker p26 Chris O’Meara Kathy Willens p27 Reed Saxon p30
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12 Sound Off 24 Community 26 Interview 28 Travel 30 Player’s Ink
October Upsets What is Wrong with the Polls?
15 Miami Turns Up the Heat 16 NBA (Tear Out) 22 NCAA Team Rankings
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Kentucky wide receiver Randall Cobb (18) splits a trio of South Carolina defenders as he runs the ball during their game in Lexington, Ky., Oct. 16th. Unranked Kentucky won the game 31-28 over then No. 10 South Carolina.
Florida punter Chas Henry (17), Mississippi State cornerback Wade Bonner (7) and Florida holder John Crofoot (47) watch as Henry misses a last second field goal attempt during their game in Gainesville, Fla., on Oct. 16th. Unranked Mississippi State defeated No. 22 Florida 10-7.
October Upsets
San Diego State over No. 23 Air Force, 27-25, Oct. 16th Hawaii over No. 19 Nevada, 27-21, Oct. 16th Washington over No. 24 Oregon State, Oct. 16th Iowa State over No. 19 Texas, 28-21, Oct. 23rd Syracuse over No. 20 West Virginia, 19-14, Oct. 23rd No. 16 Nebraska over No. 14 Oklahoma State, 51-41, Oct. 23rd Baylor over No. 22 Kansas State, 47-42, Oct. 23rd No. 11 Missouri over BCS No. 1 Oklahoma, 36-27, Oct. 23rd NC State beat No. 16 Florida State, 28-24, Oct. 27th Virginia beats No. 22 Miami, 24-19, Oct. 30th No. 18 Iowa downs No. 5 Michigan State,37-6, Oct. 30th No. 14 Nebraska beats No. 6 Missouri, 31-17, Oct. 30th
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Oregon States’ Jacquizz Rogers(1) is stopped by Arizona’s Lolomana Mikaele (94) and Ricky Elmore (44) during their game at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Oct. 9th. However, the 9th ranked Wildcats could not stop the unranked Beavers from winning 29-27.
Virginia Tech wide receiver Jarrett Boykin (81) runs for the go-ahead touchdown as North Carolina State linebacker Audie Cole (42) chases during their game in Raleigh, N.C., Oct. 2nd. Unranked Virginia Tech won 41-30 over then No. 23 ranked NC State.
Ohio State running back Dan Herron, left, is pushed back by Wisconsin’s Kevin Claxton (37) and Louis Nzegwu (93) during their game, Oct. 16th, in Madison, Wis. No. 18 Wisconsin upset No. 1 Ohio State 31-18.
Wisconsin quarterback Scott Tolzien (16) is hit by Michigan State defensive end Denzel Drone (52) during a college football game in East Lansing, Mich., Oct. 2nd. Then No. 24 Michigan State beat No. 11 Wisconsin 34-24.
South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery, left, breaks through the Alabama defensive line during their game, Oct. 9th,in Columbia, S.C. The No. 19 Gamecocks beat No. 1 ranked Alabama, 35-21.
Texas running back Cody Johnson (31) is chased by Nebraska linebacker Lavonte David (4) during their game in Lincoln, Neb., Oct. 16th. Unranked Texas beat No. 5 Nebraska 20-13.
Florida State safety Nick Moody, right, breaks up a pass intended for Miami wide receiver Leonard Hankerson during their game, Oct. 9th, in Miami. The No. 23 ranked Seminoles upset the 13th ranked Hurricanes, 45-17.
Washington running back Chris Polk moves between Southern California cornerback Shareece Wright (24) and safety Jawanza Starling (29) for a first down during their game, Oct. 2nd,in Los Angeles. Unranked Washington won 32-31 over then 18th ranked USC.
What Is Wrong With The Polls? By Steve Wright
Boise State’s Doug Martin (22) celebrates after scoring against Louisiana Tech during the second half of an NCAA college football game. The undefeated Broncos have had two perfect seasons in the last four years but have yet to play for the national championship.
Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton looks for running room during a game Oct. 23rd, 2010. The Tigers have clawed their way into the national title hunt but still have some big games to win – against Alabama and the Southeastern Conference Championship.
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he fall brings with it a number of certainties in modern day America. The nights will draw in, baseball will end, and another thrilling college football season will be spoiled by the selection process that decides who plays in the championship game. In the end, a season in which amateur athletes put their body on the line week after week, sweating blood and tears for the cause, comes down to nothing more than a popularity contest. There has to be a better system than this. The Bowl Championship Series poll is released every Sunday from about six weeks into the season until the final game of the year has been played. As there is no playoff, and there are too many teams for a round robin league, FBS (Football Bowl Subdivision) college football is the only sport in
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the world in which a team can go undefeated and STILL not get a chance to play for national title. This leaves the entire fate of a team down to a formula which is split into three parts: Coaches’ Poll, Harris Poll and computer rankings.
The Coaches’ Poll
To believe that the coaches poll is a valid indicator of the best team in the country, you must first believe that the voting coaches watch every snap of every game on any given Saturday. I wonder if Alabama figured in all those hours of random game
watching when they handed Nick Saban his latest extension. It is of course ludicrous to even begin to think that coaches watch all these games. With all due respect to Urban Meyer or Chip Kelly, I would be shocked if either of them had any idea who the starting QB is for the Troy Trojans (Corey Robinson for those keeping score). This system was made to look foolish when Mack Brown admitted that he didn’t fill in his ballot and instead had one of his staff members pick his top 25. The reason was that Brown did not have time to fill out his ballot due to the demands of being the head coach at Texas. Simply put, if a coach cannot even find 10 minutes to type some team names on a document, how can he watch the volume of games required to truly know who is the best school in the nation? The next issue is that of bias. It is established that coaches do not watch enough games to know every team in the country, so it should come as no surprise that when the votes come in there are certain trends that emerge. The fact that coaches get to vote for their own teams is ridiculously self serving in a sport where one or two positions higher in the pre-bowl game standings can result in more money and a better bowl game. In 2008, for example, Rutgers Head Coach Greg Schiano voted his team 11 spots higher than his team ended up being ranked. Of the 15 coaches who voted their team into the final top 25 poll, only Frank Beamer of Virginia Tech actually ranked his team lower than the spot they landed in. Another obvious bias that finds its way into the coaches’ poll is that of location. This is a bias born both out of lack of knowledge and also from the “old boys club” mentality. A great example of this is another 2008 poll which saw Texas receive just four first place votes of which three came from Gene Chizik (a former Texas coordinator), Mike Price (coach of UTEP), and Todd Dodge (former QB at Texas).
The Harris Poll
The Harris poll is probably the least talked about part of the BCS selection process because, of the three sections, it makes the most sense. The poll is made up of a mix of media members, former players, ex-coaches, and administrators. Each of the 11 conferences in the FBS submits candidates and 10 voters are randomly selected from each, plus four panelists representing the independent institutions. Though the Harris poll is not without its problems, the issue of bias comes in whenever you have people who are affiliated with a school on the voting panel. However, it is generally thought that there are enough voters from a diverse enough range to keep that bias low. In addition, the voters on this panel actually have the time and the will to watch enough games to have an idea as to which teams are actually good, as opposed to relying on word of mouth.
Oregon running back LaMichael James carries the ball during an NCAA college football game Oct. 16th against UCLA. The Ducks are currently at the top of the polls and will probably play for the national title if they win out.
The Computers
The final third of the BCS formula comes from the computer rankings. Six computer formulas collate all the data from the season and each kicks out a ranking based on their findings. The highest and lowest rankings are removed and the other four are averaged to assign a ranking to each team. Great in theory, but not in practice. College football is a game of emotion. Year after year, underdogs rise up on any given Saturday and take down teams who, based on computer statistics, should destroy them. The computers cannot see games. Sure, in this system, they are the only way to remove bias, but should any sport be decided based on a set of figures thrown into a machine rather than on a field? Ask a Boise State team that has been unbeaten in two of the last four seasons just how they feel about computer rankings. How computers cannot take into account the fact that bigger teams simply will not play Boise, resulting in the low strength of schedule that the computers hate. The BCS poll system doesn’t work and the fans, as well as many players, would like to see something different when it comes to deciding who is the best team in college football. If any sport could put on a playoff system for the ages, it is FBS college football using the major bowls as playoff games to crown a true champion. It needs to happen soon. PREMIER PLAYERS
The All-New FordHybrid: Ranger 2011 Lincoln MKZ Ford Motor Company - America’s largest domestic hybrid seller - is further broadening its aggressive electrification plan and second generation of hybrid technology with the new 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, a premium midsize car poised to be the most fuel-efficient luxury sedan in America.
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1) Fans cheer on Miami during an NCAA college football game against North Carolina in Miami, Miami won 33-10. 2) A TCU fan is tossed upward following a score by the Horned Frogs during an NCAA college football game against Air Force. TCU won 38-7. 3) Mississippi State fans get into the spirit before an NCAA college football game against UAB. 4) Tennessee fans sing “Rocky Top” before an NCAA college football game Alabama. 5) Oregon fans spell “Ducks” in the stands before a college football game against UCLA. 6) Arkansas fans cheer during a 65-43 loss to Auburn. 7) Wisconsin fans react at an NCAA football game against Ohio State, Saturday.
Washington’s cheerleaders pose for a photo before the start of an NCAA college football game against Arizona at Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Ariz., Saturday, Oct. 23th, 2010.
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Miami Turns Up the Heat By Marc Jenkins
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Miami Heat’s LeBron James throws powder into the air prior to the team’s NBA preseason basketball game against the San Antonio Spurs in San Antonio. All or nothing. That’s the message from two-time reigning NBA MVP LeBron James, and it’s crystal clear. He came to Miami to win a championship many of them, actually and the Heat enter a season of colossal expectations.
he draft has passed, the “decision” has been made (thankfully), training camp is over and the preseason is done. . . which now means it’s time for the 2010-11 NBA season to finally commence. The 2010-11 campaign has been one of the most anticipated seasons in recent professional sports memory. Most of that expectancy is due to the fact that for several months now hoops fans and followers have all wondered what the newly assembled Miami Heat would actually look like together on the hardwood. Some of it is also due to the other big name players who changed locations during the summer and how they will help their new squads improve. All of the wondering and speculating can be put to rest; the time is now here to witness 1,230 fast-paced, action packed regular season NBA contests. The Heat is definitely on in Miami as the Justice League (Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh) looks to live up
to all the expectations that have been placed on them to win an NBA title or three. The addition of James and Bosh along with the resigning of Wade has everyone in South Beach thinking dynasty similar to the Ming, the Yuan and Blake Carrington’s. In order to accomplish that mission it will take enormous sacrifice from these super heroes who are accustomed to saving the world on their own and now must learn to rely on one another as a unit. Miami’s bench and role players present the major question that must be answered as the Justice League are just three players and championship teams generally consist of at least eight players who contribute to winning. Who will be the other five guys for this year’s edition of the Heat if they truly aspire to win it all? Heat president Pat Riley and head coach Erik Spoelstra thought they filled the role of knock down shooter with Mike Miller. However, Miller will be sidelined until the All-Star break after fracturing and tearing some ligaments in his right thumb while defending James in practice. The Heat is going to need continue pg 18
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NOVEMBER 2010 (ET) Friday, November 5 Milwaukee at Indiana New Jersey at Orlando Cleveland at Philadelphia Charlotte at Detroit Washington at New York Chicago at Boston Miami at New Orleans Atlanta at Minnesota Memphis at Phoenix LA Clippers at Denver Utah at Golden State Toronto at LA Lakers
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Saturday, November 6 Cleveland at Washington Orlando at Charlotte New Jersey at Miami New Orleans at Milwaukee Houston at San Antonio Denver at Dallas LA Clippers at Utah Toronto at Portland Memphis at Sacramento
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Sunday, November 7 Philadelphia at New York Phoenix at Atlanta Golden State at Detroit Minnesota at Houston Boston at Oklahoma City Portland at LA Lakers
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Atlanta at Orlando Golden State at Toronto San Antonio at Charlotte Denver at Chicago Phoenix at Memphis Boston at Dallas
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Denver at Indiana Cleveland at New Jersey Utah at Miami LA Clippers at New Orleans New York at Milwaukee Detroit at Portland Minnesota at LA Lakers
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Milwaukee at Atlanta
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Monday, November 8
Tuesday, November 9
Wednesday, November 10
Utah at Orlando Golden State at Washington Charlotte at Toronto Jersey at Cleveland Golden State at New York Philadelphia at Oklahoma Dallas at Memphis LA Clippers at San Antonio Minnesota at Sacramento
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Golden State at Chicago Boston at Miami LA Lakers at Denver
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Utah at Atlanta Houston at Indiana Toronto at Orlando Charlotte at Washington New York at Minnesota Philadelphia at Dallas Sacramento at Phoenix Portland at Oklahoma City Detroit at LA Clippers
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Orlando at New Jersey
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Thursday, November 11
Friday, November 12
Saturday, November 13
Utah at Charlotte Indiana at Cleveland Toronto at Miami Portland at New Orleans Washington at Chicago Boston at Memphis Golden State at Milwaukee Philadelphia at San Antonio
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Minnesota at Atlanta Detroit at Sacramento San Antonio at Oklahoma Houston at New York Phoenix at LA Lakers
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Memphis at Orlando Minnesota at Charlotte New Orleans at Dallas Denver at Phoenix Oklahoma City at Utah Detroit at Golden State New Jersey at LA Clippers
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Philadelphia at Cleveland Atlanta at Indiana
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Sunday, November 14
Monday, November 15
Tuesday, November 16
Toronto at Washingt LA Lakers at Milwau Portland at Memphi Chicago at Houston New York at Denver
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Phoenix at Miami Toronto at Philadelp Washington at Bosto LA Lakers at Detroit Dallas at New Orlea LA Clippers at Minne Houston at Oklahom New Jersey at Utah Chicago at San Anto New York at Sacram
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LA Clippers at Indian Phoenix at Orlando Denver at Portland
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Oklahoma City at Bo Milwaukee at Philad Memphis at Washing Houston at Toronto
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Charlotte at Miami Cleveland at New Orleans LA Lakers at Minnesota San Antonio at Utah Chicago at Dallas New Jersey at Sacramento New York at Golden State
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Saturday, November 20
Orlando at Indiana 7:00 PM Phoenix at Charlotte 7:00 PM Dallas at Atlanta 8:00 PM Miami at Memphis 8:00 PM Oklahoma City at Milwaukee 8:30 PM Cleveland at San Antonio 8:30 PM New Jersey at Denver 9:00 PM Utah at Portland 10:00 PM New York at LA Clippers 10:30 PM
Sunday, November 21 Boston at Toronto Washington at Detroit New Orleans at Sacramento Golden State at LA Lakers
1:00 PM 6:00 PM 6:00 PM 9:30 PM
Boston at Atlanta Indiana at Miami
7:00 PM 7:30 PM
Monday, November 22
Minnesota at Oklahoma City 8:00 PM Phoenix at Houston 8:30 PM Orlando at San Antonio 8:30 PM Sacramento at Utah 9:00 PM Denver at Golden State 10:30 PM New Orleans at LA Clippers 10:30 PM
Tuesday, November 23 Cleveland at Indiana Atlanta at New Jersey Philadelphia at Washington Charlotte at New York Detroit at Dallas Chicago at LA Lakers
7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:30 PM 8:30 PM 10:30 PM
Milwaukee at Cleveland Philadelphia at Toronto New York at Charlotte New Jersey at Boston Miami at Orlando San Antonio at Minnesota Dallas at Oklahoma City Detroit at Memphis Golden State at Houston Chicago at Phoenix New Orleans at Utah
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Wednesday, November 24
Thursday, November 25
Washington at Atlanta 8:00 PM Sacramento at LA Clippers 10:30 PM
Friday, November 26 Cleveland at Orlando Houston at Charlotte Toronto at Boston Milwaukee at Detroit Philadelphia at Miami Oklahoma City at Indiana Dallas at San Antonio Chicago at Denver LA Clippers at Phoenix LA Lakers at Utah Golden State at Memphis New Orleans at Portland
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Atlanta at New York Orlando at Washington Memphis at Cleveland New Jersey at Philadelphia Golden State at Minnesota Miami at Dallas Charlotte at Milwaukee
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Chicago at Sacramento
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Sunday, November 28
Atlanta at Toronto 1:00 PM New York at Detroit 1:30 PM San Antonio at New Orleans 3:00 PM Utah at LA Clippers 3:30 PM Oklahoma City at Houston 7:00 PM Portland at New Jersey 7:00 PM Phoenix at Denver 8:00 PM Indiana at LA Lakers 9:30 PM
Monday, November 29 Washington at Miami New Orleans at Oklahoma Houston at Dallas Milwaukee at Utah
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Tuesday, November 30
Boston at Cleveland 7:00 PM Detroit at Orlando 7:00 PM Portland at Philadelphia 7:00 PM New Jersey at New York 7:30 PM LA Lakers at Memphis 8:00 PM Indiana at Sacramento 10:00PM San Antonio at Golden State 10:30 PM
(Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Ron production out of Udonis Haslem, Artest and Derek Fisher) that Mario Chalmers, newly acquired team has to be the favorite to Jerry Stackhouse and rookie win it all. The Lakers lost Jordan Dexter Pittman. Farmer via free agency, but gained On paper, there isn’t another Matt Barnes and Steve Blake in starting lineup in the NBA that order to bolster their bench for can truly match the talent level the long haul of the regular season of the Heat. However, the games and playoffs. are played on the court and not Despite being the champs cut down pieces of tree bark used the Lakers also have questions to write or print on. I don’t see surrounding their chances to win Miami having the instant success the title. The first being Bryant’s that the 2007-08 Boston Celtics, right knee and the second being who won 29 of their first 32 Andrew Bynum’s right knew. games, 66 games in the regular Both had off-season arthroscopic season, 82 games overall including surgery and their abilities to the post season, and an NBA return to the Lakers playing at championship immediately after similar levels to what they did last assembling their Big Three. If Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant retrieves a loose ball season will be imperative to L.A.’s the Heat wants to seriously think success. If they’re healthy there about winning a second Larry during the first half of a NBA preseason basketball shouldn’t be anything to prohibit O’Brien trophy this season, they game against the Utah Jazz in Anaheim, Calif., th Phil Jackson’s fourth three-peat must gel quickly and learn to play Tuesday, Oct. 19 , 2010. and Kobe from equaling Michael Jordan earning his sixth. as one immediately. With the Eastern Conference appearing to The west won’t be Bryant’s and the Lakers’ for too much be stronger than it has in over a decade and D-Wade missing longer as Kevin Durant and his Oklahoma City Thunder are all but three minutes of the preseason, it will be a dog-fight for ready to sound off and let the world hear their roar. Without them to advance to the NBA Finals. question Durant has placed his name amongst those who can Miami’s main competition in the East will come in the form of the defending conference champion Boston Celtics. The be heralded as the best player walking the face of the earth and he along with Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green should be able C’s have the entire gang returning (Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, to power this Thunder franchise for years to come. Third year Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo) along with a couple of new additions in the middle (Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal), swingman James Harden, energy bolt Serge Ibaka, and first round selection Cole Aldrich will provide plenty of skill and all seeking another lengthy and successful run at the O’Brien toughness coming off of the bench to give this team the totality Trophy. This may be Boston’s final run at a title as they are that championship contenders need. currently constructed with age and attrition setting in so there One of the Thunder’s biggest assets could also wind up is no question that this team of grizzled vets with championship becoming one of their biggest hindrances as well and that is creed will be completely focused on nothing less. their age. The average age on the roster is slightly over 24 years The Celts do have a few questions of their own and the first so while the future is definitely promising the here now could is how Kendrick Perkins returns following surgery to repair his get dicey due to lack of postseason experience. Last season, torn ACL this summer. Perkins was expected to return around they looked good against the Lakers in the opening round of mid-March but his rehabilitation progress is moving along the playoffs and they appeared as if they have what it takes so well that he may now return as early as January. The next physically and mentally to take the next step and be a major question is how much will Rajon Rondo continue to grow this factor in the Western Conference. The Thunder will give the season. If he can improve his shooting even more this year then Lakers another great challenge this postseason. However, the sky is the limit for the 2010-11 Celts. If not, they could be in this time it will be on the much larger stage of the Western for another disappointing game-seven loss. These two questions Conference Finals. It wouldn’t shock me one bit if the perfect will be answered in the next six months or so. storm brewed in Oklahoma City and the Thunder won it all. Out in the Western Conference the Los Angeles Lakers Miami has definitely turned up the heat for the season and appear poised to defend their back-to-back crowns and compete the rest of the NBA has taken notice. The Heat, along with the for a third consecutive title. Anytime a team has the best player Celtics, Lakers and Thunder, should all make this one of the best on the planet (Kobe Bryant), arguably the best head coach in NBA campaigns seen in quite awhile - enjoy hoops fans! NBA history (Phil Jackson) and a tremendous supporting cast 18
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LEBRON 8
With a new season comes an all new LeBron James signature shoe. The LEBRON 8 is built on a basketball specific Max Air 360 unit - combined with Flywire technology - for the ultimate cushioning with lightweight comfort and lockdown control.
Giants Win!
San Francisco Giants’ celebrate after winning baseball’s World Series against the Texas Rangers Monday, Nov. 1st, 2010, in Arlington, Texas. The Giants won 3-1 to capture their first World Series title.
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2011 NCAA Men’s Basketball Rankings AP Top 25 Preseason 1 Duke (55) 2 Michigan State (8) 3 Kansas State (2) 4 Ohio State 5 Pittsburgh 6 Villanova 7 Kansas 8 North Carolina 9 Florida 10 Syracuse 11 Kentucky 12 Gonzaga 13 Illinois 14 Purdue 15 Missouri 16 Baylor 17 Butler 18 Washington 19 Memphis 20 Georgetown 21 Virginia Tech 22 Temple 23 Tennessee 24 Brigham Young 25 San Diego State
Duke forward Kyle Singler brings the ball up court during an NCAA college basketball game against Saint Augustine, on Oct. 23, in Durham, N.C. Singler was the leading vote-getter and only repeat selection for The Associated Press preseason men’s basketball All-America team, Monday, Nov. 1st, 2010.
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* Others receiving votes: Wisconsin 126, Texas 107, Georgia 67, West Virginia 65, Minnesota 55, Florida State 28, Wichita State 28, UNLV 21, Richmond 17, Murray State 15, Vanderbilt 14, North Carolina State 10, Arizona 8, Connecticut 8, Colorado 7, Mississippi State 7, UCLA 5, Ohio 4, Miami (FL) 4, Utah State 4, Xavier 4, Dayton 3, Old Dominion 2, New Mexico 1, Georgia Tech 1, Wofford 1
2011 NCAA Women’s Basketball Rankings AP Top 25 Preseason 1 Connecticut (39) 2 Baylor (1) 3 Stanford 4 Tennessee 5 Xavier 6 Duke 7 Ohio State 8 Texas A&M 9 Kentucky 10 Oklahoma 11 West Virginia 12 Notre Dame 13 Georgetown 14 St. John’s 15 North Carolina 16 UCLA 17 Texas 18 Florida State 19 Georgia 20 Iowa State 21 Maryland 22 Iowa 23 TCU 24 Vanderbilt 25 Michigan State Connecticut’s Maya Moore dances at the First Night NCAA college basketball exhibition, in Storrs, Conn., Friday, Oct. 15th, 2010. Moore is the second player ever to be a two-time unanimous choice on The Associated Press’ preseason AllAmerica team.
* Others receiving votes: LSU 75, Georgia Tech 73, Dayton 67, Gonzaga 64, DePaul 49, California 44, North Carolina State 28, Bowling Green 22, Nebraska 19, Temple 15, Wisconsin-Green Bay 15, San Diego State 8, Wisconsin 8, USC 7, James Madison 5, Rutgers 4, Arkansas-Little Rock 3, Arizona State 2, Pittsburgh 2, Kansas 1, Miami (FL) 1, Penn State 1, Tulane 1
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community
Washington Redskins linebacker London Fletcher, left, signs autographs for fans.
London Builds A Bridge To Our Future
By Sam Smoot
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ashington Redskin’s middle linebacker, London Fletcher, has demonstrated his undisputable dedication to his team on the field. London has never missed a game in his 11 year career. However, what makes London extraordinary is his dedication to the community. For his community involvement, London has earned three nominations for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, which awards NFL players for overall excellence on and off the field. In 2009, he was a finalist for the award. In 2003, London founded The “London’s Bridge” Foundation, a non-profit organization that addresses the issues facing underprivileged and underrepresented children. The foundation teaches children important life skills and lessons by building a standard of education, leadership, teamwork and recreation, while instilling values of volunteerism and philanthropy. The “London’s Bridge” Foundation stays busy in multiple cities in the U.S. including Cleveland, OH;
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Buffalo, NY; Washington, D.C.; and Charlotte, NC. The foundation’s website also provides a 24/7 mentoring program that allows people from all over the world to post their personal issues and receive advice or guidance from mentors or Mr. Fletcher himself. The next event for “London’s Bridge” will be the “London’s Brigade Event”. This event will focus on teamwork and volunteerism while providing Thanksgiving meals to 5,000 families. London and his “Brigade” will divide into five teams at the Redskin’s Annual Harvest Fest. Each team will be responsible for completing different tasks. The teams will be lead by different Redskins players and staff. London continues to be a force on and off the field. He has proven to be an excellent role model for children all over the country through his foundation by building a bridge to our future. For more information about The “London’s Bridge” Foundation, go to www.londonsbridge.org.
interview
Tantric
Marcus Ratzenboeck Electric Violinist 26
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In 2008 Tantric released what can either be considered their third album or their first. The rock band had been resurrected from the ashes by singer Hugo Ferreira after the group released two highly successful albums (2001’s self-titled platinum debut and 2004’s After We Go) and essentially called it quits. The End Begins, represents a new beginning and, in a way, a new band. The album was a success, spawning a Top 5 Active Rock single with “Down and Out.” Now, the album’s follow-up, Mind Control, firmly establishes that this inception of Tantric isn’t just a reincarnated version of an old band, but a career band with an unmistakable vision of who they are. After spending nearly two years on the road, both headlining and supporting bands like Saliva and Drowning Pool, the band members of Tantric returned home to begin penning their new album. Except home, for each member, was a different place in the U.S. So instead of sitting together in a rehearsal space in the same city, the members of Tantric wrote separately, sending files electronically to Hugo, who compiled them into working demos. After a few months, the band had written almost 30 songs.
full on and writing together. We never said ‘Let’s write a heavier record,’ this is just what happened. What is your favorite track on the album? Marcus: There are so many good tracks on the album so it’s hard to pick. “Walk Away” is probably one of my favorites. What band has inspired you the most? Marcus: I have to stick with the classics and say bands like Led Zeppelin, but there are so many bands that have inspired me. What is next for Tantric? Marcus: We are working on our next album now since touring is almost over. What is it that drives the band to be successful? Is it fame and fortune, passion for the music, or a little of both?
The band then reconvened in the secluded studio in Poconos. There, they spent a week experimenting with what they had written long distance for Mind Control. Inevitably, some of the numbers shifted and evolved during that week.
Marcus: Well clearly we are trying to make money doing this but if you’re not passionate about the music, there are a lot of different ways you can make money. As far as fame goes, I don’t really care if I’m not an “A lister.”
What was the best part of writing the album separately?
Which sports teams do you follow the most?
Marcus (electric violin): Well it was nice because we all live in different cities so we were able to stay at home and everyone does their own part and sends it to one another.
Marcus: I love the Tampa Bay Rays. We just performed at Tropicana Field and I’ve gotten to play “The Star Spangled Banner” there a few times. I also stay in contact with Evan Longoria.
Hugo (vocals): It was definitely more of collaboration than the last record in terms of writing. And we wrote it together even though we were thousands of miles apart. I don’t know how, but we really wrote an incredible record in a short period of time. I’ve always wanted to make a record like this.
If you could be any athlete, who would it be? Marcus: I would have to say Michael Jordan. I grew up in the Chicago area so I follow a lot of Chicago sports. Evan Longoria
What was the hardest part about writing the album separately? Marcus: I wouldn’t say it was harder writing it separately but we are writing our next album already and writing it together. Erik (bass): We had written the whole record over the computer so a lot of it changed once we got into the studio. When you have everyone in the same room the ideas start changing. What if we do this? What if we do that? How does “Mind Control” compares to your previous albums? Marcus: Well we had different producers, we took a different approach, and some of the textures of the songs are a little different. Erik: We definitely went heavier on this record. I think it has a lot to do with having all new members. This is the new band,
Michael Jordan
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travel SHOPS
Bayside Marketplace
401 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL 33132 baysidemarketplace.com
Dolphin Mall
11401 NW 12th St. Miami, FL 33172 shopdolphinmall.com
Downtown Miami Shopping District Biscayne Blvd. to 2nd Ave. West Southwest 1st St. to Northeast 3rd St. Miami, FL 33131 dwntwn.com
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Ocean Drive & 5th St. to Collins Ave & 21st St. Miami Beach, FL
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Coral Castle Museaum Vizcaya Meseum & Gardens NATURE
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Coral Castle Museum
40351 SW 192nd Ave. Homestead, FL 33034 everglades.com
Miami Beach, FL 33139 mbgarden.org
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3251 South Miami Ave. Miami, FL 33129 vizcayamuseum.org
28655 South Dixie Hwy. Miami, FL 33033 coralcastle.com
MIAMI AREA
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Miami Beach EATS
Bongos Cuban Café
601 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL 33132 bongoscubancafe.com
Blu La Pizzeria Delsole
7201 Southwest 59th Ave. South Miami, FL 33143 blurestaurantsgroup.com
Mia at Biscayne
20 Biscayne Blvd. Miami, FL 33132 miabiscayne.com
Half Moon Empanadas
f o e m ho
1616 Washington Ave. Miami Beach, FL 33139 halfmoonempanadas.com
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player’s ink
Reeves Nelson UCLA forward Reeves Nelson shows his tattoos during the NCAA college basketball team’s media day in Los Angeles on Oct. 13th, 2010. The 6’ 8” sophomore was a three-sport star (basketball, football and track) for the Crusaders at Modesto Christian High School. He chose to attend UCLA because of the, “Coaches, players, location and strength of academic program.” The pro athlete he admires most is three-time World Heavyweight Champion Muhammad Ali.
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