Some interesting stories for April 18, 2008:
Enthusiasts find big is not always best with social networks - Bigger is not always better when it comes to social networks, and sports is a prime example of niche social networks succeeding.
Happy Friday, everyone!
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green
What would it take to drop greenhouse gases by 50 percent by the 2030s? An EPA representative says a 75 mpg CAFE standard. Yikes. That sounds like a lot, but the mpge of an electric vehicle can handle it, and we find two new EVs over in Beijing this weekend, the Great Wall Peri EV and the BYD e6 electric MPV. As for the American RE-EV, here’s a clarification on those Chevy Volt mule spy shots that are floating around.
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The impending saga and sloppy divorce between Chad Johnson and the Bengals now seems inevitable. Whatever happened in the past, the showmanship, the celebrations, the dominance, the swagger, the bond between young promising QB and talented, yet flashy WR…IS OVER. We’re talking about irreconcilable differences. And everything we saw coming was confirmed by T.J Housmendwhathisname yesterday. Apparently, Chad, T,J and Carson aren’t as buddy-buddy as we thought.
So, what does this leave for the future of not only my Fantasy Football team, but also the career of Chad Johsnon? If anything, T.O proved you can still salvage a career after an ugly (team destroying divorce), but you really can’t fully repair your reputation. The likeable and loveable Ocho Cinco had better surround himself with some damn good PR folks or that famed persona and rep goes up in flames. Don’t think for a second that the Bengals have any intentions of trading him. Nope, there just going to move on and sweep his baggage under the rug.
Fair or not, Chad’s going to have to weigh some other options while he initiates “operation shutdown.” Now, we’ve seen holdouts in the NFL before, but we are talking about Chad Johnson here. Can we honestly assume that he is going to go quietly into the night until his situation is resolved? Yeah, I didn’t think so…Chad is going to be looking for a camera, a platform at every corner. And that’s why I pieced together a half-ass attempt at imagining just what Chad will do with his time off. Follow me..
1. “I Luv 85″: A VH1 reality TV show much like “Flavor of Love” or “Rock of Love.” You get the picture; a bunch of slutty chicks battle it out to stay in “Ocho Cinco’s” L.A mansion. Sound like a winner? Hmmm.
2. Dancing with the Stars: Ok, I had to make sure you were still with me. Don’t fall asleep. If you hit in me the flat…I’m taking it the house.
3. NFL Countdown: Who would you rather watch bicker and banter about Football; Chad or his illegitimate cousin Keyshawn?
Boomer: “Chad, you’re thoughts on the Bengals at the Steelers today.”
4. Race another horse.
5. The Canadian Football League: If it worked for Ricky Williams, couldn’t it work for Chad. On second thought…
6. Stage a press conference with his agent for PTI and be seen lifting weights in his driveway.
7. Overdose on prescription pills and have his publicist announce he tried to commit suicide. Ooops.
8. Publish a book, leaking all the dirty secrets, life and times of the Cincinnati Bengals over the past few years. Like you wouldn’t read that.
9. Visit Chris Henry in jail.
10. Just shut up and play, all while lobbying to be traded to Dallas. OK, that ain’t gonna happen.
And that’s all I got, please feel free to add your more creative suggestions in the comments section below. Good day.
Here’s a look at the top 10 closers in fantasy baseball through Wednesday night’s games.
IDP Fantasy Football Jabber. Carolina LB situation, Jason Taylor still on the block? CHargers LB’s, Pacman and the Dallas secondary, more…
Footballjabber posted 52 minutes ago from footballjabber.com [link]
Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NFL, Jason Taylor, Dallas Cowboys
It has been rumored for some time, but Baltimore quarterback Steve McNair appears set to announce his retirement from the NFL later today. McNair bounced in and out of the Baltimore lineup during 2007 as he experienced a series of injuries. He last appeared in Week 10 against the Bengals. A separated shoulder ultimately ended his season and helped the 13-year NFL veteran to make his decision.
Ozzie Newsome and company will now get back to work on their draft-day efforts. The logical move here is seemingly to work toward securing a pick high enough to draft Boston College quarterback Matt Ryan. However, the yearly question of whether Jonathan Ogden will strap it on for another season is still on the air. The sure-fire first ballot Hall of Famer (I know. The NFL is a tricky beast in that regard, but I’m standing by it.) has said that he’ll make his decision in advance of the draft.
If the Ravens are confident that Ogden can be ready for a full 16-game season (his toe was an issue last year), then turning their attention to the quarterback position is paramount. If not, then the Ravens need to be sure that the line is solidified for whomever assumes the quarterback position (and for those looking to draft Willis McGahee).
We’ve seen Kyle Boller in spurts since his arrival in the NFL back in 2003. He’s made some great throws, won fantasy owners a few games in spot starts (prior to 2007), but has been erratic to the point that I don’t believe anyone if fully confident going into the year with him as the clear-cut No. 1. The Ravens also drafted Heisman Trophy winner Troy Smith in 2007. Smith performed well in his two starts to close the year, demonstrating adequate arm strength and great elusiveness with his legs. Ozzie Newsome spoke highly of Smith’s practice efforts all of last season and expects him to be a starter down the road. But is 2008 too early? If nothing changes, Smith looks to be the starter in my mind.
Could a Daunte Culpepper or Byron Leftwich signing be on the horizon?
Enter the Brett Favre talk. Sure, the ink isn’t even dry on this story, and McNair’s press conference is yet to come, but this is an interesting twist to it, don’t you think? Sure, it’s all conjecture and speculation, but indulge me for a minute. We know Favre hasn’t filed his retirement papers yet, and he has made comments in the past two weeks to leave the door cracked open. Sure, it related to the Packers being in trouble, but what if a stiff wind were to catch the door and blow it open? He’d join a veteran squad with a strong defense (when healthy), top running back and several strong receiving options (including a fully healthy Todd Heap).
I know. It’s a longshot. I might have a better shot of the Storm calling me up for a spot in the infield (see the previous post). But it makes this off-season a little more interesting heading into the draft, doesn’t it?
I’ll be chatting with my good friends at WNST in Baltimore tomorrow morning. I’ll give you a sense of the fans’ feelings tomorrow evening.
Peace.
Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green
Al Gore: looking toward the future with a new slide show.
Jack Nicholson: driving a hydrogen car … in 1978.
And electric car (alleged) scam artist Michael Papp? Possibly facing new charges.
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Now that this fantasy season is finished, it is never too early to look ahead to next year. If you were in a championship matchup this week in a H-2-H league, hope you won!
The 2008 NFL schedules have been released, my football friends. I’m sure you are all eagerly penciling in your favorite match-ups and - if you’re like me - thinking about which games you’re going to have to miss due to mandatory wedding attendance requirements (note to self: remember not to tell your sister how you’ll really need Internet access to set your fantasy lineup over the weekend of her wedding; might not go over well that Frank Gore’s performance could weigh more heavily on my mind than her nuptials).
Haven’t had a chance to see the schedules yet? Find ‘em here at NFL.com. And sure, there are probably tons of journalists (and sports enthusiasts) eagerly spewing forth their thoughts on the best match-ups - for a taste of something different, turn to Cold, Hard Football Facts for a fresh slant with The dogs of war.
Other items to check out this week include:
Live Current Media Inc (LCM), a Vancouver, Canada based company has bagged the portal rights of the Indian Premier League for 10 years for $50 million, we have confirmed from sources. LCM owns the domain Cricket.com, and intends to develop it as a portal around the IPL. An Indian company may also be involved with the portal. We believe that live streaming rights are not a part of the deal since those are being sold separately - Willow TV has got rights for streaming content in the Americas. $50 million for just the portal rights may seem high, but these are exclusive, and come at the cost of preventing other websites access to the IPL. As per reports, LCM had recently rejected a $6 million offer for the domain Cricket.com.
Earlier known as Communicate.com, LCM used to be a domain name company. They stopped selling their domain name portfolio, and began using the domains as commerce sites. As was previously reported, around 90 percent of their revenue came from one e-commerce site - Perfume.com. The company owns 1100 domains, including Boxing.com, Brazil.com, Vietnam.com and importers.com, among others.
LCM also bought a fantasy Cricket Facebook application for $25,000 (plus a bonus of $10,000 if targets are met), according to a filing with the SEC. At present, there are three fantasy cricket applications on Facebook.
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