With the completion of the
EDP Cascais Girls Pro in Portugal & the crowning of
Carissa Moore (HAW), 21, as the 2013 ASP Women's Champion, this season’s ASP Women’s World Championship Tour (WCT) has drawn to a close. In a year that witnessed the world’s best
female surfers compete at Snapper Rocks, Margaret River, Bells Beach,
Taranaki, Barra da Tijuca, Huntington Beach, Hossegor & Cascais, 2013
not only hosted one of the closest battles ever seen for the world
surfing crown, but also a fierce fight in terms of qualification &
requalification for next year’s elite tour.
The 2014 ASP Top 17, the world’s best female
surfers, will be comprised of the Top 10 finishers on the 2013 ASP
Women’s WCT rankings, the top 6 finishers on the ASP Women’s World
Tour rankings, barring surfers who have already qualified through the
Top 10 on the ASP Women’s WCT rankings, & the ASP wildcard.
This year’s ASP Wildcard has been allocated to Alana Blanchard
(HAW), 23, who finished Equal 10th on the 2013 ASP Women’s World
Championship Tour rankings. She will rejoin the elite ASP Top 17 in
2014.
The 2014 ASP Women’s World Championship Tour (WCT) schedule will be
announced in the coming weeks, but it has already been confirmed that
the world-class cobblestone rights & lefts of Southern California Lower Trestles will join the tour next season.
Two-time U.S. champion Ashley Wagner is on a mission as she approaches
Sochi. She is the first woman to win consecutive U.S. titles since Michelle Kwan in 2005, is the leading lady of U.S. figure skating. She has won 6 international medals since
the 2009-10 season, including gold medals at the 2012 Four Continents
Championship, 2012 Skate America & 2012 Trophee Eric Bompard. Ashley Wagner was born on May 16, 1991.
Pulling at his cap & pulling at small sized bottle of
champagne he was holding, he spoke with a keen intelligence. It is this which separates him from his rivals
as much as his driving. Maybe, Nico Rosberg, who was
second to him in Sunday's Indian Grand Prix, is the closest to him here
too. And Vettel was determined not to have a
bad time. He talked about his
childhood & his love for his family, about his desire to explore
India & about the Red Bull team who had helped him to achieve so much. Ultimately, though, the
discussion returned to Vettel himself & how he now rates himself
against the best drivers there have ever been. Only
the mixed strategies & the possibility of heavy traffic was
expected to trouble pole-sitter Vettel in India. The champion-elect was always going to pit earlier than the four
drivers in the top 10, including his team-mate, Mark Webber, who had
chosen the harder, medium level. Vettel confounded everyone by pitting
early, at the end of the second lap, & then carving his way through
the traffic with some imperious driving. He did not lead every
lap, which he had done in the previous two races at the Buddh circuit,
but, cutting through the field from almost the back, he was 17th after
his early pit stop & he was more dominant than ever. Webber, who
had collided with the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen & Fernando Alonso's
Ferrari in the opening laps, dropped out of the contest two-thirds of
the way through, with alternator trouble. At that stage, &
even from the very beginning, there was going to be only one winner.
Through
the season we'll guess what the NFL playoff picture will look like when
the season ends. You might be 6-2 at the halfway mark, but that doesn't
mean you'll be standing on top of your division at the end. It's
important to note this is our ever-changing prediction of how we think
things will play out & not necessarily a current plugging-in of teams
with the corresponding records.
Think of it as "bracketology" for the pigskin set.
J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Jets! So Geno and Rex to the East title?
Why not? I am tired of under-estimating this team & looking foolish
nearly every week. It is time
to stop getting so caught up in the Patriots name & look at reality. Tom Brady is struggling & New England’s defense is ranked 18th in the NFL.
More important, New York defeated New England this past Sunday & the
Jets are 2-1 in the AFC East.
Why Denver still at No. 1 in the AFC...Could make a case for a few teams
No one expected Denver to finished 16-0, so there is no reason to panic
after one loss. Denver’s defense has its issues, 48 points allowed
against Dallas & 39 versus Indianapolis but let’s see what happens
when the Broncos host Kansas City on Nov. 17. For now, let's believe
Denver is the team to beat.
What about Kansas City in the AFC West? 7-0 record gives a nice head start
Don't buy into the argument that Kansas City has not played anybody this
season because this was a group of nobody's last year. Kansas City
deserves a lot of credit & that defense has been impressive. Wouldn't you
rather be cautious when it comes to a surprise team than jump in feet
first?
Bengals over Colts
Two things not to like about the Colts: Reggie Wayne’s injury & Trent Richardson. Wayne’s season-ending injury will really hurt quarterback Andrew Luck, but Richardson has made Cleveland's front office look like a group of geniuses & that is hard to do. Indianapolis has enough talent to make the playoffs, but Cincinnati is a better team.
Can't move you off the Lions in the North
Green Bay loses tight end Jermichael Finely & Chicago is without Jay Cutler
for at least four weeks. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is without
receiver Randall Cobb & Finley, while the Bears could collapse again
without Cutler. In 2011, Chicago started 7-3 before Cutler sustained a
thumb injury & the Bears dropped five straight. The stars are
aligning for Detroit.
A No. 3 seed seems high for a team coming out of that sloppy division
I would not bet money on Dallas making the Super Bowl,
but this team is good. Dallas won this past Sunday without running back
DeMarco Murray, which says a lot about the Cowboys’ defense. I expect
Dallas to struggle against Detroit on Sunday, but heat up down the
stretch.
Peter Edward Rose was born on April 14, 1941, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He
grew up in nearby Anderson Ferry. His dad, Harry, was known as "Big
Pete". He had been a boxer & a semi-pro football player, & Pete credited
him as the model for what would become his intense, hard charging style.
After playing football & baseball at Western Hills High School, Pete
signed with the hometown Cincinnati Reds.
Nicknamed "Charlie Hustle" by All-Star Yankees pitcher, Whitey Ford, Pete made his major league debut in 1963 & went on to win the National
League Rookie of the Year award. In the coming years, the
switch hitter would establish himself as one of the best players in
baseball. Rose surpassed 200 hits for the first of a record 10 times in
1965, notched batting titles in 1968 & 1969, & won Gold Gloves for
his outfield defense in 1969 & 1970. He rubbed some people the wrong way with his intensity. He separated
Cleveland Indians catcher, Ray Fosse's shoulder in a home plate collision
during the 1973 All-Star game, & sparked a brawl with his hard slide
into Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson during the 1973 playoffs. But there
was no denying his greatness that same season, Pete won his third
batting title & was named the NL Most Valuable Player.
Rose starred for the "Big Red Machine" Cincinnati teams that won
back to back World Series championships in 1975 & 1976, & set an NL
record with a 44-game hit streak in 1978. Traded to the Philadelphia
Phillies after that season, he helped them win their first World Series
in franchise history in 1980. Pete spent half of a season with the Montreal Expos in 1984, then
returned to Cincinnati as player-manager. On September 11, 1985, he
recorded career hit No. 4,192 to break the 57 year old record held by
baseball great Ty Cobb. Pete ended his playing career after the 1986 season with 4,256 total
hits, & held the all time records with 3,562 games played &
14,053 at bats.
Pete continued to serve as manager of the Reds, but after suspicions
arose about his gambling habits, the Commissioner's office hired former
Justice Department prosecutor John Dowd to launch an investigation. Dowd
uncovered evidence that Rose had bet on baseball games & on August
23, 1989, Commissioner Bart Giamatti suspended Rose from baseball for
life. He landed in more trouble the following year, earning a five month
sentence in a Federal correctional institution for tax evasion. Pete applied for reinstatement to baseball in 1997 & after years
of denying the charges, he finally admitted to betting on games just
before the release of his 2004 autobiography, My Prison Without Bars.
The Hit King remains in exile from the sport & he regularly signs
autographs at a Las Vegas memorabilia store & makes television/radio appearances as he waits for his chance at redemption.
WHY PETE ROSE SHOULD BE IN HALL OF FAME
Pete Rose was placed on Baseball's ineligible list in 1989 when
Commissioner of Baseball A. Bartlett Giamatti decided that Rose had
bet on baseball games, including games involving his own team, the
Cincinnati Reds. The agreement specifically stated that Rose was
confirming nor denying he had gambled on baseball. However, Pete Rose
wrote in his book " My Prison Without Bars", that he admitted to
Commissioner Bud Selig that he indeed gambled on baseball & his team,
but that they would win not lose. There are rumors though, that
personally Giamatti was out to get Rose. During Giamatti's stint as the
National League President he suspended Rose for 30 days for shoving an
umpire. During the suspension, behind the scenes, Rose blasted Giamatti
throughout the baseball community. This stung Giamatti &
made him never relinquish his decision. There also has been talk that
before stepping down & turning over the Commisioner of MLB to Bud
Selig, that Giamatti privately told Selig to never lift the ban on Rose.
Major Leagues Baseball Committee will have to vote Pete Rose
in. To get in Rose will need 75% of votes from the 65 member committee.
Though some are on record saying that they will not vote for him, a lot
of high profile Hall of Famer's do want him in & will give him their
vote. Hank Aaron is one of those voices saying recently, "I would
certainly like to see him in....He belongs in, really. His
career is one that he needs to be right here in the middle of all of
this”. If players such as Aaron respect what he did in the game,
shouldn’t the Commissioner?
There is no real evidence or proof that Rose bet against the Reds when
he was their manager. Yes, he has admitted to gambling on baseball over
52 games for an average of $10,000 per game. However, he has said that
he always bet that the Red's would win the game, not lose. There is no
choice but to take him at his word.
Remember...without proof in this "great" nation of ours, you can not just presume
someone is guilty.
STEROIDS...You probably guessed this was coming. Yes, steroids or
using illegal performance enhancing drugs is cheating. When players such
as McGwire, Ortiz, A-Rod, or Ramirez say things such as, it never
helped me hit better or I used it to recover from an injury, they
are lying & cheating the game. In my opinion, this steroid issue is way worse than
gambling. Many players who used steroids will eventually become Hall of Famers. What can baseball do? Ban
an entire generation of players from getting in the Hall of Fame...no
that’s not going to happen. Baseball is not going to stop having
induction ceremonies. They are going to have to induct some
of these players. This makes gambling seem a little tame, wouldn't you
think?
This is by far the most obvious reason why Pete Rose should be a member
of the Hall of Fame. If you are still not convinced sit back, relax &
check out the numbers he put up in his amazing career.
Rose played from 1963-1986. In that amazingly long time span, showing his longevity, he had 14,053 at Bats...2,165 Runs Scored...1,314
RBI's...160 Home Runs... .303 Life Time Batting Average... .375 Life Time On
Base Percentage...Two Gold Glove Awards...Three Batting Titles...Rookie of
the Year Award...MVP Award...Three World Series Championships...17
All-Star appearances...5 different positions... & 4,256 hits!
The numbers are amazing & so was his career. It's time for Pete Rose
to be a Hall of Fame.
Ben Johnson tried to claim the title of World’s Fastest Man and Olympic
gold in 1988, however he failed to pass the drug test after winning the
race and both honors went to Carl Lewis.
BARRY BONDS
Baseball star Barry Bonds broke the home run record but he also broke
the law & after years of allegations of steroid use was finality
convicted of obstruction of justice in 2011.
TONYA HARDING
Figure skater Tonya Harding hired a hit-man to do her cheating for her by basking in the knee of arch-rival Nancy Kerrigan.
MIKE TYSON
Mike Tyson literally took a bite out of the competition when he bit a
chunk out of heavy weight opponent Evander Holyfield’s ear in June 1997.
CHINESE WOMEN'S OLYMPIC GYMNASTIC TEAM
The Chinese women’s Olympic gymnastic team came under speculation over a
number of their members being under the the mandatory age of 16.
MARTY McSORLEY
Los Angeles Kings hockey player Marty McSorley got caught red handed in
the Stanley Cup finals playing with an illegally curved stick.
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
Eight players of the Chicago White Sox including “Shoeless” Joe Jackson
were banned from baseball for life after they plotted to deliberately
lose the 1919 World Series.
Cruising across fresh powder on two super fat tires? Sign up.
Otherwise known as winter mountain biking, fat biking began in Alaska in
the late 1990s, as yet another adventurous way to make it across the
infamous 1,100-mile Iditarod trail. Mountain bikes with smaller, less
stable wheels couldn’t cut it through all the snow & ice, so Alaskan
Mark Gronewald designed a model with squishy, pumped up to only about 8
PSI, 3.7 inch wide tires, excellent traction, & a relatively light
frame to successfully make the trek. Now these balloon wheeled bicycles
are blowing up. Ski areas across the country are offering fat bike
rentals & use of their Nordic trail systems for recreational riding, just this month, the Winter Mountain Games in Vail, Colorado (mountaingames.com)
added the Winter Mountain Bike National Championships to its annual
events lineup. For more info on how, where, & what to ride, check out : surlybikes.com & fat-bike.com.
Airboarding
Boogie boarding is easy enough until you try it in the snow. The
Airboard is an inflatable, 48-inch long, A-shaped raft that you ride
head first down the mountain (Skeleton-style). Created by a Swiss
snowboarder looking for a safer way to enjoy the slopes post-injury, the
Airboard can be found all over Europe & was introduced in the U.S.
almost a decade ago. With grooves on its bottom to help control your
speed & easy to grip side handles to help control your turns, it’s
basically a more sophisticated version of the snow tube. How do you
stop? Turn hard enough to do a 90-degree hockey stop or simply
slow yourself down gradually by digging your boots into the snow. This
speedy slider can be found at several ski resorts across the country &
tons of places abroad. But if it’s not there, general snow tubing is a
solid alternate. For more info, visit airboard.com.
Snow Kayaking
Don’t act surprised you knew those thrill seeking river guides would
come up with a way to keep their kayaks in use during the winter months.
Enter snow kayaking. And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like:
kayaking in the snow. Experienced kayakers hit the slopes sporting
helmets & cold weather gear to practice paddling down
terrain that’s similar to what it would be like if rapids were frozen
over & covered with snow. It’s not for the faint of heart. Most ski
resorts don’t allow the kayaks on site, so your best bet for
learning is in the back-country, with an instructor. Start with easy,
wide open hills with no obstructions & go from there. If you want to
compete, or see the pros do it, Monarch Mountain ski resort in Colorado
hosts an annual Kayaks on Snow race in April (skimonarch.com). For more details, visit kayaking.com.
Snow Scooting
If a scooter & a snowboard had a baby, it would be the Snow-Scoot.
Created in 1991, this sorta BMX snow bike was designed specifically for
hitting the slopes. Its base is pretty much a split snowboard, so you
still want to use the edges shifting your weight from side to side to
steer & control your speed through the snow, but instead of standing
sideways, as you would on a typical snowboard, you stand facing forward.
It also has handle bars to help guide your way down the mountain. The
trickiest part is getting on and off the lift: Attach the surf leash to
one foot & when the lift approaches, place the Snow-Scoot in front of
you, resting its handle bars on your lap & letting the board hang down.
Then, wrap your legs around its front. When you get to the exit, let
your board touch down, & glide off the lift. Lots of resorts let you
take the Snow-Scoot into their terrain parks. Find out more about how,
where, & what to ride at snowscootusa.com.
Ice Climbing
Chances are you may have heard about this one. But you thought it was
something only extreme adrenaline junkies tackled, right? Wrong. Turns
out anyone can climb up a frozen waterfall if they want to. You just
have to have the right gear and a good guide to get it done safely. Your
guide should set you up with mountaineering boots, crampons - sleeves
made of sharp blades that you strap on to the bottoms of your boots to
give you traction in the ice and snow, two ice axes, one for each
hand, & a helmet. There’s a good shot you’ll be belaying, which means
you’re connected to your guide & a sturdy rock above with a rope
that’s securely attached to a harness around your waist, so you can
climb without fear of falling. To climb, you essentially kick each foot
into the ice slightly above & in front of you, then swing each axe
overhead, hooking into the ice above you to pull yourself up. For more
info on how, where, & what to climb, check out apexmountainschool.com and theuiaa.org.
Monday, October 14, 2013
This is baseball's postseason for you: As soon as you think it's figured
out, the moment it appears as though the script is headed in a certain
direction, something big, something truly grand happens. For the first 16 innings of the American League Championship Series, the
team that scored more runs than any other club in the Majors during the
regular season had been shut down, held to one measly tick on the
scoreboard. One swing later, that all changed. One inning later, the series had changed & so had the October script.
With the Road to the World Series taking a couple of surprising
twists Sunday night, the Red Sox pulled out a victory that simply saved
their season, sending the ALCS back to Detroit a split, rather than
leaving home swept in their own ballpark & hoping for a miracle on the
road. Big Papi wasn't going to let that happen & in the end a Red Sox
catcher brought out a bit of nostalgia, sending the Red Sox walking off
with a postseason victory.
The script really was that simple, in the end. David Ortiz popped an eighth-inning grand slam, the latest ever to tie a game in the postseason & Jarrod Saltlamacchia
pushed Boston to a 6-5 comeback victory over the Tigers in Game 2 of
the ALCS with the first walk-off hit by a Red Sox catcher in postseason
play since Carlton Fisk's famous homer to finish Game 6 of the 1975
World Series.
Nobody has ever seen major league baseball played the way it is being
played this postseason. A nearly decade-long trend of increased
strikeouts in baseball is being taken to the extreme this postseason,
when a groundball, nevermind an actual hit, is cause for excitement. The Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals {the three highest scoring teams in baseball this year} & Los Angeles Dodgers combined to score two runs in two League Championship Games yesterday while striking out 41 times.
Postseason baseball traditionally leans more toward pitching than
hitting. The tournament format generally takes back ends of rotations
and middle relievers out of play, a surfeit of off days allows a manager
to rely on his best arms more often & advanced scouting reports are
more detailed & focused. Intelligence favors pitching & defense
more than offense. Odd starting times with the sun lower in the sky
create poor hitting conditions. Now layer those factors atop what has been happening in baseball over
the last decade or so, as average velocity & spin rates by pitchers
has increased & as hitters have come to accept strikeouts as no worse
than any other form of an out. Strikeout rates increased this year to a
record high for the seventh straight year.
You wind up with this formula: more pitchers with swing & miss stuff
plus more hitters who don't care about striking out plus the usual
postseason schedule factors equals an unprecedented style of baseball.
The baseball has never been in play less often than it has this
postseason.
Twenty-three games into the postseason, get a whiff at what has happened to baseball this October:
One out of every three batters that steps to the plate this
postseason strikes out or walks...546 of 1,627 batters or 34 % of
all plate appearances.
Saturday was the first day in baseball history with two 1-0 postseason games on the same day.
Total 1-0 postseason games in the past week: three. Total 1-0 postseason games in the previous 11 years 2002-2012 : three.
Batting average of all teams this postseason: .231.
The Dodgers, Cardinals, Red Sox & Tigers combined to bat 1-for-27 with runners in scoring position yesterday .037.
Postseason games this year are averaging 17.48 strikeouts per game.
That's up 16 percent from the regular season average this year {15.1} & up 51 percent from how the game was played just 20 years ago {11.6}.
The results from the first three LCS games: a .159 batting average,
no home runs, seven runs & 65 strikeouts with an average time of game
of 3:48. That's an average of one run every 98 minutes.
If you like close, low-scoring games, you're in luck. Thirteen of the 23
games have been decided by one or two runs. But if you like to see the
ball put in play & the action of fielders, baserunners & the
baseball in motion, you have my condolences. But you cannot deny baseball has been trending
in this direction for years & we are closer & closer to asking when
the normal ebbs & flows of the game will turn this around, or whether
procedures & rules need to be addressed to encourage the ball in play
more often.
If you live in America, of course you are! Bring out the beer and
chicken wings and huddle up around the big-screen to cheer on your
favorite team. To sports fans, the next best thing to a football game is
the beautiful group of ladies standing on the sidelines with pom-poms.
There are currently 6 NFL teams that do not have cheerleader squads; the Chicago Bears, Cleveland
Browns, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, New York Giants & Pittsburgh
Steelers have decided not to have cheerleaders for various reasons,
mostly stupidity.
Some organizations blame their frigid winter climates while some team
owners believe having cheerleading squads takes away from the overall
game day experience. I won’t tell these people how to run their teams,
as they are some of the winningest franchises in American football history. Whether you love the game of football or only watch the Super Bowl for
the commercials, you’re sure to love the scantily clad pretty dancers on the
sidelines.
Patriots Cheerleaders make their 7th trip to China
The Patriots Cheerleaders will travel throughout China for two
weeks to participate in the NFL Home Field events held in Guangzhou,
Beijing and Shanghai.
Four Patriots Cheerleaders have been invited to China to participate in
the NFL Home Field initiative. The ladies will visit Guangzhou, Beijing & Shanghai where they will teach youth cheer clinics, conduct media
interviews, make performances & engage Chinese fans. In an effort to
increase awareness of NFL & the New England Patriots, the Patriots
Cheerleaders have already made six trips to China. The first trip
brought squad members to Beijing & Shanghai where the ladies
interacted with the growing number of American football fans established
there. Next, squad members returned to China to promote the NFL
playoffs. The squad visited the country for the third time after
receiving an invitation from the Beijing Organizing Committee for the
Games of the XXIX Olympiad to organize a week-long cheer/dance clinic
for Chinese cheerleaders & dancers who performed at Olympic related
events. The fourth visit was to celebrate the Super Bowl & associated
festivities with Chinese fans. In 2012, the Patriots Cheerleaders
traveled to China twice to participate in NFL Experience events in
Shanghai & Beijing.
The 2-year-old son of NFL star Adrian Peterson died Friday in a South
Dakota hospital after he was allegedly beaten by a man dating the boy's
mother, the Sioux Falls Argus Leader reported. A release from the Sioux City police department said a toddler died
"from injuries sustained during the aggravated assault Wednesday." It
said it was witholding the child's name but the Associated Press said a
person with knowledge of the situation had confirmed it was
Peterson's son. The police said Joseph Robert Patterson had made a court appearance in the case & was being held on $750,000 cash bond. Patterson, 27, was arrested Thursday night & is charged with
aggravated assault & aggravated battery of an infant.
The arrest was made after police & paramedics were called to an
apartment at 5:43 p.m. Wednesday & found the 2-year-old victim with
injuries consistent with abuse.
Speaking to reporters about an hour after the time of death
although it was not immediately clear if he knew about it, AP reported
the Minnesota Vikings running back said he was certain he would play
Sunday against Carolina. "I'll be ready to roll, focused," Peterson said. "I will be playing Sunday, without a doubt."
Later Friday, after news of the boy's death spread, Peterson thanked
his family, fans & even fans of other NFL teams for their support. He tweeted, "The NFL is a fraternity of brothers & I am thankful
for the tweets, phone calls & text messages from my fellow players." Earlier Friday, Peterson was on the field for stretching with the
Vikings. He left for the locker room briefly during special teams
drills, which he doesn't participate in, & returned later. "This is a private matter & I'm just going to ask you all to
respect my privacy, & that's all I'm going to say about the
situation," Peterson said after practice Friday.
Australian
Franchise Flags have arrived at LFL offices!
Teams will be able to
proudly wave their colors at home games this season. What colors will
you bleed; Brigade Maroon, Maidens Purple, Angels Yellow or Surge Blue?
Not your average swimsuit & lingerie model so don’t judge her by her looks. Modeling is her passion & when she's doing it, it never feels
like work, but other than beauty she also has brains. She owns a web &
graphic design firm & she specializes in photo & video editing. She is
also a talent recruiter, a serious net-worker, & an all around
entrepreneur. Heather loves electronics, computers, & video games so she's
in a way a computer geek trapped in a hot body. She's a fun down
to earth girl that gets along with everyone & enjoys meeting new
people, she is definitely a people’s person.
Heather is proud to say she grew up in a small country town, Jarrettsville,
MD, because it is what molded her into who she is today. She moved to Florida
about 10 years ago & recently moved to Miami. Motivation,
dedication, drive, ambition, & her personality is what keeps her
booked. When Heather puts her mind to something she never give up & she doesn't
stop until she gets it. She's worked really hard to get where she is & she
will continue to push forward. For fun she enjoys going to the gun range
with the boys to shoot big guns, yeah that’s right big guns only.
She also enjoys skydiving, water skiing, paintballing, & pretty much
anything that will make her heart race. She likes comedy & horror films, & she loves all types of music as long as it has a fun energetic beat. If
you want to hang with her, you should know that she's a big prankster. She's even gone as far as staging a car jacking. Heather's guy friends loves
hanging out with her because she's not your average girl, she's more like
one of the boys. Heather is a risk taker & she's extremely adventurous, which
is why she loves trying new things. She will try it at least once & if she doesn't like it she
just won’t do it again, plain & simple. She's a strong believer that
everyone needs to live a little & take advantage of everything that
life has to offer. Life is short & she wants to have as many experiences
as she can. With Heather, it’s the little things that count,
like a beautiful sunset, a funny joke, or a home cooked meal. In life, she
most values her family that is always there for her, & her true friends
who always support her. Heather feels very fortunate & she is grateful for
everything she has in her life.
Saturday's WBO featherweight title fight can be a hallmark moment if
Puerto Rico's Orlando Cruz defeats Orlando Salido and becomes the first
openly gay boxer to win a title belt. But ask those in the boxing world & they'll say it's no big deal.
"For me, it doesn't matter," said Bob Arum, the Top Rank chairman &
Hall of Fame promoter who put the fight on the undercard of the Tim
Bradley-Juan Manuel Marquez main event Saturday at the Thomas & Mack
Center (HBO pay-per-view, 9p.m. ET). "The only thing that matters to me
is if he can throw punches. Anybody who makes an issue, 'Oh, he's gay,
he shouldn't fight,' is stupid. A guy's or woman's sexual orientation is
his or her own business."
Arum points out today's culture of
embracing & supporting Cruz is vastly different from when Arum started
his career half a century ago. "If I put on a fight with (Cruz)
then, there would be a thousand protesters saying it should be boycotted
because it involved a boxer who had a different sexual orientation,"
Arum said during Thursday's news conference. "The world has changed &
it has changed for the better. Because it has changed for the better,
we can all take pride in what is happening now." Cruz's fight has
created national buzz. He's scheduled for Good Morning America, ABC World
News & Nightline & a noted member of the LGBT community has taken
notice. "Boxing is such a macho sport & for Orlando Cruz to
come out & still be competing is a major step forward for the LGBT
community & for society in general," tennis legend & social activist
Billie Jean King said in a statement to The Desert Sun. "Athletes
like Orlando are so visible. Anytime a gay athlete allows us to enter a
new arena it gives us a chance to educate one more person & step over
one more hurdle."
It was anything but easy for Cruz. An Olympian
on the Puerto Rican team in 2000, Cruz said he had contemplated coming
out ever since he turned pro. "There had been talk around me for
many years about whether I was gay," Cruz said. "I have been waiting for
12 years. I was hesitant to make the announcement because I don't think
society was ready for it & I don't think the boxing community was
ready for it. "Boxing is a macho sport, everyone yelling gay slurs
all the time: 'Hey faggot! Kick his ass!' I was scared. I was worried
about other boxers. I was worried about the fans. I would cry many, many
nights thinking about it." Cruz said he had to see a psychologist
to help prepare him to make his announcement. Yet the reaction since he
came out more than a year ago has been mostly positive. "I feel
very free & happy having come out," he said. "I am happy with the
support all of the people have given me & I just want to continue to
work hard doing the things that I need to do to make history."
His opponent is unfazed by the public's focus on Cruz's sexuality. "I don't think about it," Salido, from Mexico, said through an interpreter. "I focus on myself. I'm a fighter & I'm a warrior. His social life is separate. I don't think of his sexuality. It's just two human beings fighting for a world title." After
the news conference Thursday, when the two boxers posed for pictures,
including the faceoff, Salido went to hug Cruz. "It's just a form of
saying good luck & a form of respect, that's it," Salido said,
then jokingly threw up his hands. "I shook his hand 10 times already."
Tim
Bradley Sr., the father of the WBO welterweight champion, said he looks
at Cruz solely as a boxer & is impressed by what he has seen.
Bradley's brother Michael, who died this year at 55, was gay. "You
identify who you are & as a person & as a human, you're not
supposed to judge anyone else," Bradley Sr. said. "It doesn't matter
what a person is. Different strokes for different strokes. I
don't judge no one. As long as a person is a great person, good heart & very professional inside & outside, it shouldn't matter."
Cruz
said he dreamed his whole career of winning a title in Las Vegas. The
social significance of a victory is not his main focus. Salido is a former two-time champ and thinks he can rough up Cruz. But Cruz is confident of his chances.
Jay Cutler threw two touchdown passes to Brandon Marshall & Tim Jennings had two of the Chicago Bears three interceptions against Eli Manning in a 27-21 victory over the winless New York Giants on Thursday night.
The Bears
(4-2) snapped a two-game slide following a 3-0 start. New York is 0-6
for the first time since the 1976 team dropped its first nine, a
stunning turn for a franchise that won the Super Bowl two years ago.
Cutler & Marshall were in tune early on, connecting for two
touchdowns & Jennings ran an interception back 48 yards as Chicago
built a 24-14 halftime lead. The Bears
were up by 13 when New York's Brandon Jacobs ran it in from the 1 in the closing seconds of the third after Jennings got called for interference against Hakeem Nicks
near the goal line. That cut it to 27-21, but Jennings made up for it
in a big way when he picked off an overthrown pass by Manning intended
for tight end Brandon Myers at the 12 with 1:54 left in the game.
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