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VIDEO: Ed Carpenter Crashes During Indy 500 Qualifying

admin — Sun, 20 May 2012 00:02:58 +0000

When an open-wheel car hits the wall at Indy, the result can be a scary thing to watch. These are lightweight, open cockpit cars flying around the track at over 220 miles per hour, with drivers pushing their rides to the extreme. This is especially true in qualifying, when cars are pushed to the limit to get into the field and, perhaps, earn a spot near the front of the starting grid. There were three crashes on Pole Day, the day in which drivers battle for the pole position and 23 others. Oriol Servia spun around and tapped a wall , but it wasn’t too bad. Bryan Clauson hit the wall pretty hard coming out a turn, tearing up the back-end of his car. And then there was Ed Carpenter. That looked real bad at the time. On the plus side, the cockpits of these cars are made extremely well — meant to protect the drivers from crashes such as the ones listed above. All three drivers walked away just fine, though their cars had seen better days. The incidents put each behind the eight ball as they try to qualify, though, and many teams are scrambling ahead of bump day.

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VIDEO: Ed Carpenter Crashes During Indy 500 Qualifying

NEUROLOGY: Reopening The Phineas Gage Case….

admin — Sun, 20 May 2012 00:00:16 +0000

NEUROLOGY: Reopening The Phineas Gage Case.

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NEUROLOGY: Reopening The Phineas Gage Case….

Gingrich stumps for Romney, calls for unity

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:33:03 +0000

(CNN) – In his first campaign swing for Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich this weekend called for party unity and a need to rally behind the likely GOP presidential nominee. “We’re now all on the same team, period,” Gingrich said at the Georgia GOP convention Friday, according to the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer. – Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker His comments came in a speech to a crowd that largely backed him when he won the Peach State’s primary in March. Prior to dropping out of the race in early May, the former Georgia congressman and House speaker had previously vowed to stay in the running until the August convention to collect delegates and get out his message. The strategy had some Republicans worried about party division, as Gingrich continually tried to court the more conservative factions of the GOP. On Friday, however, he said it was time for the party to come together and stand with Romney. At the convention, he stressed the importance of making a Republican sweep not only in the Oval Office this November, but also in elections across the country. “I am not for a narrow victory,” he said. “I am for crushing the left in every single way.” His remarks were coded with stronger language for Romney than when he first endorsed the candidate during his suspension speech just weeks ago. At the time, Gingrich gave lukewarm praise, saying Romney was only conservative when compared to President Barack Obama. In the following days, Gingrich began to step up his support and argued Romney had “earned” his way to represent the party his fall. This weekend Gingrich also focused on Obama. In an interview with CNN affiliate WTVM, Gingrich said the president’s recent decision to back same-sex marriage – despite having once opposed it – qualified him as a flip-flopper. “It’s unfortunate he’s so political, but it eliminates any attack on Romney about ever flip-flopping when you have Obama flip-flopping on something that big, and doing it immediately after the people of North Carolina voted ‘no,’” Gingrich said. “It’s almost like he was insulting the people of North Carolina.” Last week, North Carolina voted in favor of a constitutional amendment banning marriage and domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. Gingrich’s campaign appearances this weekend marked the first of a string of stops the former candidate will make for his former opponent. The two will share the stage together for the first time at the end of May at a Las Vegas campaign event.

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Gingrich stumps for Romney, calls for unity

College Football Superconferences May Be Coming, Big 12 Source Opines

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:26:29 +0000

According to an anonymous Big 12 source, college football could be moving toward consolidating into four superconferences , the Dallas Morning News reports. The news comes on the heels of the Big 12 and the SEC agreeing to a five-year deal that would pit the champion of one conference against the other in a bowl game . “I really can’t believe I’m saying this,” one Big 12 school source said. “We might be moving to four superconferences — and the Big 12 would be one of those.” How might this work and what might the Big 12/SEC bowl deal be telling us about the future? Jason Kirk has a few ideas and explored them on Saturday morning . Along with the other Big 12 and the SEC, the Big Ten and the Pac-12 would seem to be the most likely candidates to expand. Of course, the standard caveats about unnamed sources apply. The Big 12, once on the brink of disappearing, is back in a position of strength within the college football ranks after striking two 13-year television deals with FOX and ESPN thought to be worth a combined $2.6 billion.

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College Football Superconferences May Be Coming, Big 12 Source Opines

Jonathan Quick’s Jersey Just A Big Stop Sign

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:24:24 +0000

via Joey Kaufman , who found it at L.A. Live.

Darius Paige Commits To Alabama

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:23:09 +0000

Darius Paige, a little known defensive line recruit, has committed to the Alabama Crimson Tide . Paige stars for Pensacola (Fla.) Booker T. Washington High School, and has been a relative unknown until this point, likely due to his film not being distributed to the major recruiting services or even YouTube. His other major offers are from Louisville and Kentucky. Paige stands 6’4″ and weighs 285 pounds, which would make him a defensive tackle for most schools but, in Alabama’s 3-4 alignment, he will likely play the 5-technique end position. “I committed to Alabama,” Paige told BamaOnline . “The reason why I decided to commit to them is they’ll stick with me, they have a good winning program, and it’s kind of close to home. Little else is known about Paige. It’s likely he had a strong end to the 2011 season, and that he has continued to develop during the offseason. Paige is the 13th commitment of the 2014 class for the Crimson Tide. Follow @SBNRecruiting

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Darius Paige Commits To Alabama

NAACP backs same-sex marriage

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:23:00 +0000

(CNN) – The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People on Saturday announced its backing of same-sex marriage, more than a week after President Barack Obama also expressed support for the issue. “The mission of the NAACP has always been to ensure political, social and economic equality of all people,” Roslyn M. Brock, chairman of the NAACP’s board of directors, said in a statement. – Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker She added: “We have and will oppose efforts to codify discrimination into law.” Following Obama’s announcement last week, speculation swirled over whether his decision would spark political backlash among some in the black evangelical community, which has traditionally been against same-sex marriage. Meanwhile, some prominent African-American religious leaders, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson and the Rev. Joseph Lowery, praised Obama’s support for same-sex marriage last week. The NAACP in the recent past has stood in favor of gay rights issues, notably opposing Proposition 8 in California, the Defense of Marriage Act, and North Carolina’s constitutional amendment that bans marriage and domestic partnerships for same-sex couples. “Civil marriage is a civil right and a matter of civil law. The NAACP’s support for marriage equality is deeply rooted in the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution and equal protection of all people,” said the group’s president, Benjamin Todd Jealous. – CNN’s Martina Stewart contributed to this report.

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NAACP backs same-sex marriage

MLS 2012, Week 11: The Biggest Day In World Soccer

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:21:33 +0000

Everyone all around the world will be watching MLS on Saturday. Saturday, May 19. It’s the biggest day of the year in world soccer. Everyone around the world will have their eyes glued to televisions as they watch the best the world has to offer in the world’s most popular sport. MLS, come on down! Vancouver Whitecaps vs. Seattle Sounders Saturday, 5:00 p.m. ET, MLS Live They might invent relegation just for the Timbers so this could end up being the Cascadia Cup. Pick: Seattle, 2-1. Montreal Impact vs. New York Red Bulls Saturday, 7:30 p.m., MLS Live This is the final time the Impact will play on the Olympic Stadium’s concrete turf, but the opening of Stade Saputo won’t give Jesse Marsch a midfielder who plays like, well, Jesse Marsch. Seriously, how does that happen? Pick: Draw, 1-1. D.C. United vs. Toronto FC Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Live It’s been 156 days since Toronto got a single point from a MLS match. If they hit 175 they lose their professional status. Pick: D.C., 2-0. New England Revolution vs. Houston Dynamo Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Live There was a time when the Dynamo used to be one of those teams that everyone laughed at for not having their own stadium and playing in some dump. Last week they opened BBVA Compass Stadium and stopped being one of those teams so now they get to go to play the Revs and laugh at them. Pick: Draw, 1-1. FC Dallas vs. Philadelphia Union Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Live The Union have been Nowak-ed, again. Pick: Dallas, 2-0. Colorado Rapids vs. Sporting Kansas City Saturday, 9:00 p.m. ET, MLS Live Remember when Sporting was the undisputed top team in MLS? That seems like a long time ago now, but at least Kansas City still has the best BBQ. Pick: Sporting, 2-0. Chivas USA vs. LA Galaxy Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, ESPN2 Chivas might be the best team in Los Angeles. That’s a real, legitimate possibility, even if you would have sent anyone who said that three months ago into a mental hospital. Pick: Los Angeles, 2-1. San Jose Earthquakes vs. Columbus Crew Saturday, 10:30 p.m. ET, MLS Live Guillermo Barros Schelotto is not walking through that door! Game, Quakes. Pick: San Jose, 2-0. Portland Timbers vs. Chicago Fire Sunday, 7:00 p.m. ET, Galavision JELD-WEN Field is still super cool. Too bad the Timbers aren’t cool, or anything else mildly good for that matter. Pick: Chicago, 2-0.

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MLS 2012, Week 11: The Biggest Day In World Soccer

NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race 2012: Jeff Gordon Looks To Gain Momentum

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:18:21 +0000

Despite all the adversity he’s faced this season, Jeff Gordon remains optimistic. Now he just needs some momentum to help his fading Chase hopes. Tonight’s NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race could well provide the needed boost for Gordon and his No. 24 team, which remains 25 points out of 20th place and a couple wins shy of a Wild Card berth. “I’ve said before that I don’t believe in luck and I’m not a very superstitious person, but we’re being tested for a reason right now,” Gordon said. “We don’t know what that reason is but we hope it will make us stronger.” While his miserable start to the season may be a point of stress for the No. 24 team, points don’t matter this weekend, allowing Gordon and crew chief Alan Gustafson the opportunity to take a step back and reevaluate their strategy for the remainder of the season. Gordon has had fast cars, but bad luck has been the culprit behind just one top-five and two top-10 finishes, and a fast car is exactly what Gordon will need if he’s to win his record-setting fourth Sprint All-Star Race. “If we’re in contention, we’re going to push hard,” he said. “… I’m glad we’re back to a 10-lap shootout at the end, because the highlights of this race will always show two guys running side-by-side through all the turns, and one slides up and hits the other and there’s a lot of contact coming to the checkered flag.” Despite not winning the event since 2001, Gordon has had a lot of success in the All-Star race in recent years. His average running position of 8.3 is fifth-best in Sprint Cup Series, and he has an average finish of 9.3. Can he win tonight and build momentum for the second half of the regular season? “We sure hope we can win this race,” Gordon said. “It’s been awhile since we’ve dominated or even been in contention to win the All-Star Race the way we used to, but I think we have a race car and race team that can do it this year.” Even if Gordon can’t win the race, Saturday night could provide an excellent opportunity for Gustafson to gather data in preparation for next Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 and Charlotte’s October Chase race. “We need points and we need wins,” Gordon said. “This 600 is a lot more important than the All-Star Race. We can use this as a test for next week and we’re going to go outside of our box a little bit in search of more speed.”

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NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race 2012: Jeff Gordon Looks To Gain Momentum

AT AMAZON, it’s the Summer Sale Event. Also, 15% off at checkout on select musical instruments an…

admin — Sat, 19 May 2012 23:00:01 +0000

AT AMAZON, it’s the Summer Sale Event. Also, 15% off at checkout on select musical instruments and gear.

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AT AMAZON, it’s the Summer Sale Event.

Also, 15% off at checkout on select musical instruments an…