Baseball-Nationals convince LaRoche to extend Washington stay

Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Washington Nationals finally persuaded Adam LaRoche to put pen to paper on Tuesday after spending the first half of the off-season courting their lead slugger.
The free agent inked a two-year deal worth $24 million with an option for a third season, adding solidity to an improving Nationals team and rewarding the franchise for their patience.
The 33-year-old had earlier declined to re-sign with the Nationals as he sought out a three-year deal but the first baseman eventually opted to return to a team where he has spent the last two seasons.
"We were patient with Adam and his representatives," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo told the team's website (washingtonnationals.mlb.com).
"At the end of the day, I think we both agreed (Washington) was the best place for Adam to be."
Last season, LaRoche was instrumental in helping lead the Nationals to their first post-season berth since the team relocated from Montreal in 2004.
He hit .271 and led the team with 33 home runs and 100 RBIs as Washington (98-64) captured the National League East Division with the best overall MLB record.
Washington were beaten 3-2 in the best-of-five NL Division Series by the St Louis Cardinals, giving up four runs in the top of the ninth inning to fall 9-7 in the series decider. (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles; Editing by John O'Brien)

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Nationals convince LaRoche to extend Washington stay

(Reuters) - The Washington Nationals finally persuaded Adam LaRoche to put pen to paper on Tuesday after spending the first half of the off-season courting their lead slugger.
The free agent inked a two-year deal worth $24 million with an option for a third season, adding solidity to an improving Nationals team and rewarding the franchise for their patience.
The 33-year-old had earlier declined to re-sign with the Nationals as he sought out a three-year deal but the first baseman eventually opted to return to a team where he has spent the last two seasons.
"We were patient with Adam and his representatives," Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo told the team's website (washingtonnationals.mlb.com).
"At the end of the day, I think we both agreed (Washington) was the best place for Adam to be."
Last season, LaRoche was instrumental in helping lead the Nationals to their first post-season berth since the team relocated from Montreal in 2004.
He hit .271 and led the team with 33 home runs and 100 RBIs as Washington (98-64) captured the National League East Division with the best overall MLB record.
Washington were beaten 3-2 in the best-of-five NL Division Series by the St Louis Cardinals, giving up four runs in the top of the ninth inning to fall 9-7 in the series decider.

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Baseball-Record earnings for South Korean league

Jan 9 (Reuters) - South Korean baseball underlined its continuing growth by posting a record $33 million in revenue last year, local media reported on Wednesday.
Winning gold at the Beijing Olympics and finishing runners-up at the 2009 World Baseball Classic boosted baseball's popularity and attendances crossed the 7 million-mark for the first time last year, Yonhap News agency reported.
The league pocketed 35 billion won ($32.9 million) in 2012, bettering the 34 billion it earned a year earlier, the report said citing figures from the marketing wing of the Korea Baseball Organisation (KBO).
The league received 25 billion won from its television broadcasting contract and 8 billion from corporate sponsorship, while 2 billion came from merchandise sales.
Each of the eight KBO clubs, having collectively drawn 7.15 million fans, took home 3.8 billion won after the league broke its attendance record for the fourth straight year.
The KBO will welcome a ninth club this year in what would be the league's first expansion since 1991 while another team could be included in 2015.

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NFL-Mularkey sacked as Jaguars head coach

Jan 10 (Reuters) - Mike Mularkey was fired as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars after one season in charge, the National Football team said on Thursday.
"I informed Mike today that he will not return as head coach of the Jaguars," said Jaguars newly hired general manager David Caldwell in a statement. "I know Mike well and do not want anyone to misinterpret the rationale behind my decision.
"Mike is an excellent coach and I am sure he will succeed in his next stop in the NFL. However, I must do what I believe is best for the Jacksonville Jaguars and immediately explore every avenue possible to turn our football team around."
Jacksonville finished last season with a franchise worst mark of 2-14, matching the Kansas City Chiefs for the NFL's worst record.
The Jaguars clo

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NFL player Junior Seau had brain disease CTE

Junior Seau, one of the NFL's best and fiercest players for two decades, suffered from a degenerative brain disease often associated with repeated blows to the head when he committed suicide last May, the National Institutes of Health said in a study released Thursday.
The NIH, based in Bethesda, Md., said Seau's brain revealed abnormalities consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE. It said that the study included unidentified brains, one of which was Seau's, and that the findings on Seau were similar to autopsies of people "with exposure to repetitive head injuries."
Seau's family requested the analysis of his brain.
The star linebacker played for 20 NFL seasons with San Diego, Miami and New England before retiring in 2009. He died of a self-inflicted shotgun wound.
He joins a list of several dozen football players who were found to have CTE. Boston University's center for study of the disease reported last month that 34 former pro players and nine who played only college football suffered from CTE.
"I was not surprised after learning a little about CTE that he had it," Seau's 23-year-old son Tyler said. "He did play so many years at that level. I was more just kind of angry I didn't do something more and have the awareness to help him more, and now it is too late.
"I don't think any of us were aware of the side effects that could be going on with head trauma until he passed away. We didn't know his behavior was from head trauma."
That behavior, according to Tyler Seau and Junior's ex-wife Gina, included wild mood swings, irrationality, forgetfulness, insomnia and depression.
The NFL faces lawsuits by thousands of former players who say the league withheld information on the harmful effects concussions. According to an AP review of 175 lawsuits, 3,818 players have sued. At least 26 Hall of Famer members are among the players who have done so.
Seau is not the first former NFL player who killed himself, then was found to have CTE. Dave Duerson and Ray Easterling are the others.
"He emotionally detached himself and would kind of 'go away' for a little bit," Tyler Seau said. "And then the depression and things like that. It started to progressively get worse."
He hid it well in public, they said. But not when he was with family or close friends.
Dr. Russell Lonser, who oversaw the study, said Seau's brain was "independently evaluated by multiple experts, in a blind fashion."
"We had the opportunity to get multiple experts involved in a way they wouldn't be able to directly identify his tissue even if they knew he was one of the individuals studied," he said.
The National Football League, in an email to the AP, said: "We appreciate the Seau family's cooperation with the National Institutes of Health. The finding underscores the recognized need for additional research to accelerate a fuller understanding of CTE.
"The NFL, both directly and in partnership with the NIH, Centers for Disease Control and other leading organizations, is committed to supporting a wide range of independent medical and scientific research that will both address CTE and promote the long-term health and safety of athletes at all levels."
NFL teams have given a $30 million research grant to the NIH.
Before shooting himself, Duerson, a former Chicago Bears defensive back, left a note asking that his brain be studied for signs of trauma. His family filed a wrongful-death suit against the NFL, claiming the league didn't do enough to prevent or treat the concussions that severely damaged his brain.
Easterling played safety for the Falcons in the 1970s. After his career, he suffered from dementia, depression and insomnia, according to his wife, Mary Ann. He committed suicide last April.
Mary Ann Easterling is among the plaintiffs who have sued the NFL.
"It was important to us to get to the bottom of this, the truth," Gina Seau said, "and now that it has been conclusively determined from every expert that he had obviously had it, CTE, we just hope it is taken more seriously.
"You can't deny it exists, and it is hard to deny there is a link between head trauma and CTE. There's such strong evidence correlating head trauma and collisions and CTE."
Tyler Seau played football through high school and for two years in college. He says he has no symptoms of brain trauma.
Gina Seau's son Jake, now a high school junior, played football for two seasons but has switched to lacrosse and has been recruited to play at Duke.
"Lacrosse is really his sport and what he is passionate about," she said. "He is a good football player and probably could continue. But especially now watching what his dad went through, he says, 'Why would I risk lacrosse for football?'
"I didn't have to have a discussion with him after we saw what Junior went through."
Her 12-year-old son, Hunter, has shown no interest in playing football.
"That's fine with me," she said.

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Mularkey fired as Jaguars head coach

(Reuters) - Mike Mularkey was fired as head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars after one season in charge, the National Football team said on Thursday.
"I informed Mike today that he will not return as head coach of the Jaguars," said Jaguars newly hired general manager David Caldwell in a statement. "I know Mike well and do not want anyone to misinterpret the rationale behind my decision.
"Mike is an excellent coach and I am sure he will succeed in his next stop in the NFL. However, I must do what I believe is best for the Jacksonville Jaguars and immediately explore every avenue possible to turn our football team around."
Jacksonville finished last season with a franchise worst mark of 2-14, matching the Kansas City Chiefs for the NFL's worst record.
The Jaguars closed out the campaign with a five game losing streak - winning just once in their final 13 contests.
Mularkey, who was also head coach of the Buffalo Bills for two losing seasons (2004-05), becomes the eighth NFL head coach to be sacked since the end of the regular season.

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Redskins' RG3 to have knee surgery

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert Griffin III is having surgery Wednesday on a torn ligament in his right knee — and to see if there's a second ligament that also needs to be repaired.
Baylor coach Art Briles confirmed to USA Today and The Associated Press on Tuesday night that the Washington Redskins rookie has a torn lateral collateral ligament. He said the surgery also will determine whether Griffin has damaged his ACL in that knee.
A person close to Griffin, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Redskins have not made an announcement, also confirmed the details surrounding Griffin's injury to the AP.
A torn LCL requires a rehabilitation period of several months, possibly extending into training camp and the start of next season. A torn ACL is a more severe injury, typically requiring nine to 12 months of recovery.
Griffin missed most of the 2009 season for Baylor after tearing his ACL in the same knee, getting injured on the game's opening drive against Northwestern State but not leaving until halftime. He recovered to win the Heisman Trophy two years later.
"RG3 will be good as new, though. I know that!" Briles said in a text message to the AP.
Griffin sprained the LCL last month against the Baltimore Ravens and missed one game. He returned wearing a bulky black brace and reinjured the knee at least twice in Sunday's playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, prompting a national debate over whether coach Mike Shanahan endangered his franchise player's career by not taking him out of the game sooner.
The Redskins said an MRI taken after the game was inconclusive, so Griffin flew to Florida on Tuesday for a more detailed examination conducted by orthopedist James Andrews. Andrews will perform the surgery Wednesday.

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RG3 to have surgery on torn right knee ligament

WASHINGTON (AP) — Robert Griffin III is having surgery Wednesday on a torn ligament in his right knee — and to see if there's a second ligament that also needs to be repaired.
Baylor coach Art Briles confirmed to USA Today and The Associated Press on Tuesday night that the Washington Redskins rookie has a torn lateral collateral ligament. He said the surgery also will determine whether Griffin has damaged the ACL in that knee.
A person close to Griffin, speaking on condition of anonymity because the Redskins have not made an announcement, also confirmed the details surrounding Griffin's injury to the AP.
A torn LCL requires a rehabilitation period of several months, possibly extending into training camp and the start of next season. A torn ACL is a more severe injury, typically requiring nine to 12 months of recovery, although Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson make a remarkable return this season some eight months after tearing an ACL — and nearly broke the NFL's single-season rushing record.
Griffin tore his ACL in the same knee while playing for Baylor in the third game of the 2009 season and missed the rest of the year. He was injured on the opening drive against Northwestern State but kept playing until halftime.
Griffin came back to win the Heisman Trophy two years later, and Briles predicted a similar recovery this time.
"RG3 will be good as new, though. I know that!" Briles said in a text message to the AP.
Griffin sprained the LCL last month against the Baltimore Ravens and missed one game. He returned wearing a bulky black brace for subsequent games and reinjured the knee at least twice in Sunday's playoff loss to the Seattle Seahawks, prompting a national debate over whether coach Mike Shanahan endangered his franchise player's career by not taking him out sooner.
The Redskins said an MRI taken after the game was inconclusive, so Griffin flew to Florida on Tuesday for a more detailed examination conducted by orthopedist James Andrews. Andrews will perform the surgery Wednesday.
Griffin, the No. 2 overall pick, was one of several rookie quarterbacks to make an instant impact on the league this season. He set the NFL record for best season passer rating by a rookie QB and led the Redskins to their first NFC East title in 13 years.
But Griffin also had to leave three games early due to injuries — two because of his knee and one because of a concussion — and missed a fourth altogether because of the knee. Shanahan repeatedly said Griffin had clearance from doctors to return to play, but the coach also said he trusted Griffin's own word when deciding that the rookie should continue during Sunday's game — even though Griffin was clearly struggling after reinjuring the knee in the first quarter.
Griffin remained in the game until the fourth quarter, when he hurt the knee again while fielding a bad shotgun snap.

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Cowboys defensive coordinator Ryan not returning

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Dallas defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was fired Tuesday after his injury-depleted unit struggled in a pair of season-ending losses that kept the Cowboys out of the playoffs for a third straight year.
Ryan was let go a day after running backs coach Skip Peete was fired, and less than a week after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said things were going to get "uncomfortable" at team headquarters in nearby Irving.
"At this time, the decision has been made to move forward in a different direction philosophically on defense," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said in a statement. "I have an immense amount of respect for Rob as a person and as a football coach."
Ryan spent two seasons with the Cowboys after he was fired two years into the same job in Cleveland. He didn't hide his displeasure over being let go by the Browns before the Cowboys played them this season. He struck a different tone Tuesday.
"I enjoyed my time here," Ryan told The Dallas Morning News. "I have no hard feelings. But it doesn't matter if I coach here or not. I will find another spot."
The Cowboys finished with four defensive starters on injured reserve, including both Sean Lee and Bruce Carter at inside linebacker — a critical position for Ryan's 3-4 scheme. A fifth starter, nose tackle Jay Ratliff, missed all but six games with ankle and groin injuries. Nickel cornerback Orlando Scandrick was sidelined the last five games with a wrist injury.
Several Dallas players reacted with surprise on Twitter.
"It was a privilege to play under Coach Rob Ryan! One of the greatest," defensive end Jason Hatcher wrote. "Sad day. I'm hurting right now."
The Cowboys finished 14th in total defense this season under Ryan, the twin brother of New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, but couldn't stop the New Orleans passing game or the Washington rushing attack when they still controlled their playoff fate in the last two weeks of the regular season.
Drew Brees threw for 446 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-31 overtime win for New Orleans. Dallas still had playoff hopes in the finale against Washington, but rookie Alfred Morris rushed for 200 yards despite quarterback Robert Griffin being limited by a right knee injury in the Redskins' 28-18 win.
The Cowboys were 19th in total defense in Ryan's first year but had one of the worst pass defenses in team history.
Following consecutive 8-8 seasons, Dallas is 128-128 since the start of 1997 season. The Cowboys have just one playoff win in that span.

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NFL-Cowboys release defensive coordinator Ryan

Jan 8 (Reuters) - The Dallas Cowboys released fiery defensive coordinator Rob Ryan on Tuesday after another disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs.
Ryan, the twin brother of New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, had spent the last two seasons with the Cowboys where his demonstrative demeanor made him a colorful figure on the sidelines.
The Dallas defense did not show enough improvement, however, as they struggled with injuries and finished last in the NFL in interceptions.
Demanding owner Jerry Jones promised changes after the team finished 8-8 for the second consecutive year. The Cowboys have not reached the post-season since 2009.
"At this time, the decision has been made to move forward in a different direction philosophically on defense," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said in a statement.
"I have an immense amount of respect for Rob as a person and as a football coach and I wish him and his family the very best." (Writing by Jahmal Corner in Los Angeles. Editing by Patrick Johnston)

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Cowboys release defensive coordinator Ryan

The Dallas Cowboys released fiery defensive coordinator Rob Ryan on Tuesday after another disappointing season that saw them miss the playoffs.
Ryan, the twin brother of New York Jets coach Rex Ryan, had spent the last two seasons with the Cowboys where his demonstrative demeanor made him a colorful figure on the sidelines.
The Dallas defense did not show enough improvement, however, as they struggled with injuries and finished last in the NFL in interceptions.
Demanding owner Jerry Jones promised changes after the team finished 8-8 for the second consecutive year. The Cowboys have not reached the post-season since 2009.
"At this time, the decision has been made to move forward in a different direction philosophically on defense," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said in a statement.
"I have an immense amount of respect for Rob as a person and as a football coach and I wish him and his family the very best.

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New York gunman left note declaring plan to kill people

A gunman who killed two volunteer firefighters and wounded two others in a Christmas Eve ambush in upstate New York left a typewritten note saying he planned to burn down his neighborhood and start "killing people," authorities said on Tuesday.
The gunman, William Spengler, 62, opened fire on volunteer firefighters who responded to a house fire he deliberately set early on Monday morning in Webster, New York, a suburb of Rochester, authorities said.
Spengler shot and killed himself in an ensuing gunfight with police. He had spent 17 years in prison for beating his 92-year-old grandmother to death with a hammer in 1981, authorities said.
Police said Spengler set the fire, laying a trap for the firefighters, and began shooting when they arrived.
He left a typewritten note describing his intent, Webster Police Chief Gerald Pickering said at a televised news conference.
"I still have to get ready to see how much of the neighborhood I can burn down and do what I like doing best, killing people," Pickering read from the gunman's statement.
Investigators had found human remains in Spengler's burned-out house, where he lived with his sister, Cheryl Spengler, 67, Pickering said. The remains are assumed to be the sister's and a medical examiner will determine the cause of death.
"A CLEAR AMBUSH"
Spengler started shooting at the arriving firefighters before they got out of their fire truck, Pickering said. He shot out the truck's windshield as they tried to drive away, he said.
"This was a clear ambush on first responders," Pickering said. Police fired back at the gunman, he said. "It was a combat condition. They were shooting at muzzle flash," Pickering said.
Spengler was in a natural depression in an embankment near a tree when he opened fire, he said.
His motive for attacking firefighters remained unknown, Pickering said. It may have been related to contributions his mother had made to the local fire department, he said.
Pickering said he was not sure what the victims were shot with, but said Spengler had an "arsenal of ammunition" and three weapons - a Smith & Wesson .38 caliber revolver, a pump-action Mossberg shotgun, and a .223 Bushmaster rifle with a flash suppressor.
The same model Bushmaster rifle was used in the killing of 20 students and six teachers in Newtown, Connecticut, on December 14.
Authorities with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were checking on the origin of the weapons, he said.
As a convicted felon, Spengler could not legally own guns. Pickering said authorities were examining potential links between the weapons and thefts of guns in the county.
The firefighters killed in the attack were Lieutenant Michael Chiapperini and Tomasz Kaczowka, authorities said.
The injured firefighters were identified as Joseph Hofsetter and Theodore Scardino. Both men were listed in guarded condition at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.
An off-duty police officer was wounded by shrapnel as he drove past the scene. The officer was treated at a hospital and released.
Seven homes in the neighborhood were destroyed by the fire, and two were uninhabitable, Pickering said.

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Link between pot, psychosis goes both ways in kids

 Marijuana (cannabis) use may be linked to the development of psychotic symptoms in teens - but the reverse could also be true: psychosis in adolescents may be linked to later pot use, according to a new Dutch study.
"We have focused mainly on temporal order; is it the chicken or the egg? As the study shows, it is a bidirectional relationship," wrote the study's lead author Merel Griffith-Lendering, a doctoral candidate at Leiden University in The Netherlands, in an email to Reuters Health.
Previous research established links between marijuana and psychosis, but scientists questioned whether pot use increased the risk of mental illness, or whether people were using pot to ease their psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions.
"What is interesting in this study is that both processes are going on at the same time," said Dr. Gregory Seeger, medical director for addiction services at Rochester General Hospital in upstate New York.
He told Reuters Health that researchers have been especially concerned about what tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active property in pot, could do to a teenager's growing brain.
"That's a very vulnerable period of time for brain development," and individuals with a family history of schizophrenia and psychosis seem to be more sensitive to the toxic effects of THC, he said.
A 2010 study of 3,800 Australian teenagers found that those who used marijuana were twice as likely to develop psychosis compared to teens who never smoked pot (see Reuters Health article of March 1, 2010 here:).
But that study also found that those who suffered from hallucinations and delusions when they were younger were also more likely to use pot early on.
CHICKEN v. EGG
For the new study, published in the journal Addiction, the researchers wanted to see which came first: pot or psychosis.
Griffith-Lendering and her colleagues used information on 2,120 Dutch teenagers, who were surveyed about their pot use when they were about 14, 16 and 19 years old.
The teens also took psychosis vulnerability tests that asked - among other things - about their ability to concentrate, their feelings of loneliness and whether they see things other people don't.
Overall, the researchers found 940 teens, or about 44 percent, reported smoking pot, and there was a bidirectional link between pot use and psychosis.
For example, using pot at 16 years old was linked to psychotic symptoms three years later, and psychotic symptoms at age 16 were linked to pot use at age 19.
This was true even when the researchers accounted for mental illness in the kids' families, alcohol use and tobacco use.
Griffith-Lendering said she could not say how much more likely young pot users were to exhibit psychotic symptoms later on.
Also, the new study cannot prove one causes the other. Genetics may also explain the link between pot use and psychosis, said Griffith-Lendering.
"We can say for some people that cannabis comes first and psychosis comes second, but for some people they have some (undiagnosed) psychosis (and) perhaps cannabis makes them feel better," said Dr. Marta Di Forti, of King's College, London, who was not involved with the new research.
Di Forti, who has studied the link between pot and psychosis, told Reuters Health she considers pot a risk factor for psychosis - not a cause.
Seeger, who was also not involved with the new study, said that there needs to be more public awareness of the connection.
"I think the marijuana is not a harmless substance. Especially for teenagers, there should be more of a public health message out there that marijuana has a public health risk," he said.
Griffith-Lendering agrees.
"Given the severity and impact of psychotic disorders, prevention programs should take this information into consideration," she said.

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Central African Republic rebels seize central town, defying foreign troops

 Rebels in Central African Republic seized the central town of Kaga Bandoro on Tuesday despite the presence of foreign troops meant to support the government, a government official said.
The fall of the town, 333 km (207 miles) north of the capital Bangui, came hours after the Seleka rebel alliance said they would suspend their push and means they now have a firm grip on the north and east of the fragile nation.
"They took the town after a short battle despite the surprising lack of action from the Chadian (soldiers)," Rigobert Enza, who works in Kaga Bandoro's mayor's office, told Reuters after he fled to Sibut, the next town to the south.
Foreign soldiers in Kaga Bandoro include Chadians dispatched in the last few weeks to help Bangui tackle the latest rebellion as well as members of a regional stabilization force made up of soldiers from across Central Africa.
Neither rebel nor government officials were available for comment. But the daughter of a second local government official in the town said she had received a call from her father confirming the town had been occupied by rebels.
CAR, a mineral-rich but land-locked former French colony, has been plagued by insecurity since independence in 1960.
President Francois Bozize came to power in 2003 after a brief war and has won two elections since then.
But facing several internal rebellions and the spill-over from conflicts in neighboring Chad and Sudan, he has struggled to stabilize the nation.
"The situation has become very serious," a senior official in the president's camp told Reuters, asking not to be named.
The rebels are made up of fighters from several previous rebel groups and complain that Bozize has failed to stick to the terms of a 2007 peace deal.

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5 Ways This Obama Inauguration Will Be Different

1. Fewer People
President Obama’s inauguration as the first African-American president drew 1.8 million people to the National Mall—some of whom flew across the country and the world to be in D.C. for Obama’s big day. Second inaugurations tend to be more low-key, and Obama’s will be no exception. His second is expected to draw only half as many people, according to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. That’s probably a good thing for the National Mall: After Obama’s 2009 swearing in, the National Park Service and its partners cleaned about 100 tons of debris—including blankets, sleeping bags, and lawn chairs.
2. Downsized Celebrations
Although Obama’s first inauguration took place as the economy was cratering, that didn’t dampen the festivities. Bruce Springsteen and Bono rocked on the Mall, and the new president and first lady kicked up their heels at 10 official inaugural balls. But after a prolonged recession and an expensive reelection campaign, the president’s inaugural committee has downsized its plans. There could be as few as two official inaugural balls in 2013, according to The Wall Street Journal, and they’re slated to take place in the staid Washington Convention Center. It remains to be seen whether outside groups—like private companies and advocacy organizations in town—will similarly downsize their own party plans. As in 2009, Obama’s second inauguration will kick off with a day of community service.
3. More Corporate Money
Presidential Inauguration Committees always raise money to pay for the parade, the balls, and other festivities. Back in 2009, Obama sought to limit the influence of outside cash: He refused to accept corporate contributions, and he capped individual donations at $50,000. Four years later, big money is getting a big embrace. Obama is accepting unlimited donations from corporations, although he’s still not accepting donations from super PACs and lobbyists, The New York Times reports. The president’s finance team is offering groups that donate $1 million a special package of inaugural activities; individuals can contribute $250,000 to get the same package.
4. Cementing History, Not Making History
Obama’s reelection proves that the 2008 election wasn’t a fluke. His first victory was groundbreaking; his second gives him time to cement his legacy. Obama’s second inauguration will still allow history buffs to draw some powerful connections, however. He’ll be sworn in three weeks after the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and will deliver his second inaugural address on Martin Luther King Day. It might be hard for Obama (or his speechwriters) to resist referencing the civil war or the civil-rights movement in his remarks.
5. Two Swearing-In Ceremonies
The Constitution requires that new presidents be sworn in on Jan. 20, but that falls on a Sunday this year. It’s long been deemed inappropriate to host a showy inauguration ceremony on the Sabbath, so that means Obama gets to take the oath of office twice: he’ll be sworn in in a private ceremony at the White House on the 20th, and will take part in a big public ceremony at the Capitol on the 21st. The last president to take two oaths in this way?  Ronald Reagan, in 1985.

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Egypt approves constitution drafted by Mursi allies

 Egyptian voters overwhelmingly approved a constitution drafted by President Mohamed Mursi's allies, results announced on Tuesday showed, proving that liberals, leftists and Christians have been powerless to halt the march of Islamists in power.
Final elections commission figures showed the constitution adopted with 63.8 percent of the vote in the referendum held over two days this month, giving Mursi's Islamists their third straight electoral victory since veteran autocrat Hosni Mubarak was toppled in a 2011 revolution.
Opposition groups had taken to the streets to block what they see as a move to ram through a charter that mixes politics and religion dangerously and ignores the rights of minorities.
Mursi says the text - Egypt's first constitution since Mubarak's fall - offers enough protection for minorities, and adopting it quickly is necessary to end two years of turmoil and political uncertainty that has wrecked the economy.
"I hope all national powers will now start working together now to build a new Egypt," Murad Ali, a senior official in the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, told Reuters.
"I see this as the best constitution in Egypt's history."
In a sign that weeks of unrest have taken a further toll on the economy, the government ordered new restrictions on foreign currency apparently designed to prevent capital flight. Leaving or entering with more than $10,000 cash is now banned.
Two years since waves of unrest broke out across the Middle East and North Africa - sweeping away long-entrenched rulers in Tunisia, Libya and Yemen as well as Egypt - well-organized Islamist parties have emerged as the main beneficiaries.
Urban secularists and liberals who were behind the revolts complain that their success has been hijacked.
"We need a better constitution," said Khaled Dawood, an opposition spokesman. "It does not represent all Egyptians."
Mursi's opponents say the new constitution could allow clerics to intervene in lawmaking, while offering scant protections to minorities and women. Mursi dismisses those criticisms, and many Egyptians are fed up with street protest movements that have prevented a return to normality.
Immediately after the announcement, a small group of protesters set tires on fire and blocked traffic near the central Tahrir square, the cradle of Egypt's uprising, but there were no immediate signs of violence or major demonstrations.
Washington, which provides billions of dollars a year in military and other support for Egypt and regards it as a pillar of security in the Middle East, called on Egyptian politicians to bridge divisions and on all sides to reject violence.
"President Mursi, as the democratically elected leader of Egypt, has a special responsibility to move forward in a way that recognizes the urgent need to bridge divisions," State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell said. He noted that many Egyptians had voiced "significant concerns" over the constitutional process.
WORSENING ECONOMY
The government says its opponents are worsening the economic crisis by prolonging political upheaval. It has pledged to impose unpopular tax increases and spending cuts to win a loan package from the International Monetary Fund.
The ban on travelling with more than $10,000 in cash followed a pledge by the central bank to take unspecified measures to protect Egyptian banks. Some Egyptians have begun withdrawing their savings in fear of more restrictions.
"I am not going to put any more money in the bank and neither will many of the people I know," said Ayman Osama, father of two young children.
He said he had taken out the equivalent of about $16,000 from his account this week and planned to withdraw more, adding that he had also told his wife to buy more gold jewellery.
The "yes" vote paves the way for a parliamentary election in about two months, setting the stage for another battle between surging Islamists and their fractious opponents.
The final result, announced by the election commission, matched - to the last decimal place - an earlier unofficial tally announced by Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood.
But the opposition said it was disappointed - it had appealed for the result to be amended to reflect what it described as major vote violations during the two-round vote.
Officials said there were no violations serious enough to change the result significantly. "We have seriously investigated all the complaints," said judge Samir Abu el-Matti of the Supreme Election Committee. The final turnout was 32.9 percent.
SENSE OF CRISIS
The referendum has sharpened painful divisions in the Arab world's most populous nation and a growing atmosphere of crisis has gripped Egypt's polarized society.
Anxiety about the economy deepened this week when Standard and Poor's cut Egypt's long-term credit rating. Prime Minister Hisham Kandil told the nation of 83 million on Tuesday the government was committed to fixing the economy.
"The main goals that the government is working towards now is plugging the budget deficit, and working on increasing growth to boost employment rates, curb inflation, and increase the competitiveness of Egyptian exports," he said.
The referendum follows Islamist victories in parliamentary and presidential elections, representing a decisive shift in a country at the heart of the Arab world where Mursi's Muslim Brotherhood was suppressed for generations by military rulers.
However, secularist and liberal opposition members hope they can organize better in time for the next parliamentary vote.
Hossam El-Din Ali, a 35-year-old newspaper vendor in central Cairo, said he agreed the new constitution would help bring some political stability but like many others he feared the possible economic austerity measures lying ahead.
"People don't want higher prices. People are upset about this," he said. "There is recession, things are not moving. But I am wishing for the best, God willing.

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RB Richardson thinks Saban will stay at Alabama

BEREA, Ohio (AP) — Trent Richardson would be surprised if Nick Saban followed him from Alabama to the Cleveland Browns.
Saban, who will lead the Crimson Tide against Notre Dame in the BCS national championship game in Miami on Jan. 7, has been mentioned as returning to the NFL, perhaps with the Browns if second-year coach Pat Shurmur is fired at season's end.
"I can't see him coming to the NFL," Richardson said Wednesday. "I would be very shocked."
And Richardson knows the coach quite well. After all, he was a standout running back for Saban at Alabama before being selected in the first round by Cleveland in April. Richardson ran for 1,679 yards last season for the Crimson Tide.
"How can you get tired of winning," Richardson asked. "He's got so much going there. He has no reason to leave. He gets what he needs and he treats his program like the NFL (anyway). He makes sure his players are prepared for the game and prepared for the next level when the time comes."
Any exit to the NFL wouldn't be foreign to Saban, who led Alabama to national titles in 2009 and 2011. He left his post at LSU, in fact, to become coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2005. After going 15-17 in two seasons there, he went back to the SEC, this time in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
"I can see him staying at Alabama," Richardson said, "and retiring at Alabama."
Saban, who played and coached at Kent State, has Cleveland roots, as well. He was the Browns defensive coordinator from 1991-94, which has helped to spark the speculation.
"I don't believe it," Richardson said. "Rumors are rumors. I don't buy into it and that's one thing he taught me to do — not buy into rumors."
Richardson is more concerned with playing the playoff-bound Denver Broncos (11-3) on Sunday. The No. 3 overall pick is 46 yards shy of surpassing Hall of Fame standout Jim Brown's 55-year-old team rookie rushing record of 942 yards for the Browns (5-9).
"I'm ready for a big day," Richardson said. "Anytime Jim Brown's name is mentioned, it is big for me. Huge."
Richardson, who missed all of training camp after having minor surgery on his left knee in July, has already set a new franchise rookie mark with 11 rushing touchdowns. Overall, he has 258 carries for 897 yards.
"I'm good to go," he said. "No issues with the knee. None. With the ribs, I am not going to stop playing ball. I am going to keep on going no matter what."
All that said, he did reveal for the first time that he occasionally had trouble breathing in his first few games with the injury. He has adjusted his mindset to ignore the pain. He doesn't anticipate difficulty in Denver's mile-high thin air.
"I've never played there, but I'll be OK," he said. "If I need oxygen, I'll take it and go play."
Shurmur has not considered resting Richardson, either.
"He'll play," he said. "None of us are 100 percent right now. I think that's fair to say at this time of year. Guys are playing through things."
___
NOTES: DB Dmitri Patterson, released by Cleveland on Monday, landed with Miami. Shurmur declined to say why Patterson was cut: "I'm not going to talk about the whys or what-fors there. I will say this though, I'm happy for him that he's going to be able to finish out the year in Miami. That will be great for him." ... TE Jordan Cameron (head) and DL Frostee Rucker (groin) did not practice. ... WR Jordan Norwood practiced for the first time since sustaining a foot injury Oct. 7. He's not on the active roster. ... TE George Bryan was signed to the practice squad. He played at N.C. State (2008-11) and was in camp with Dallas last spring. ... The Browns are 3-0 vs. the AFC West, with the first-place Broncos on deck.

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Football Week 16 Ticket Deals on Whiztix.com

Week 16 is the second to last week of the football season. Whiztix.com has all the best deals to get into the games.

Ardsley, New York (PRWEB) December 20, 2012
While the NFL season winds down, the playoff races are starting to get really interesting. Tickets can still be had for even the best games at decent prices. According to Whiztix.com tickets for games are at surprisingly good prices. To see the Steelers at home in a matchup vs their division rival the Bengals, tickets are currently at $95. Games featuring home teams whom are already eliminated from the playoffs can often be purchased for less than $20, for example to see the Colts play the Chiefs in Kansas City, tickets are currently at $14.
Saturday 12/22/12

Atlanta Falcons At Detroit Lions 8:30 PM Est. at Ford Field in Detroit

Tickets Starting at $29
Sunday 12/23/12

New Orleans Saints At Dallas Cowboys 1:00 PM Est. at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas

Tickets Starting at $130
Tennessee Titans At Green Bay Packers 1:00 PM Est. at Lambeau Field in Green Bay

Tickets Starting at $123
Indianapolis Colts @ Kansas City Chiefs 1:00 PM Est. at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City

Tickets Starting at $14
Buffalo Bills @ Miami Dolphins 1:00 PM Est. at Sun Life Stadium in Miami

Tickets Starting at $30
San Diego Chargers @ New York Jets 1:00 PM Est. at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford

Tickets Starting at $34 - Whiztix expects these tickets to fall significantly in price due to the Jets elimination from the playoffs on Monday Night.
Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles 1:00 PM Est. at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia

Tickets Starting at $60
Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers 1:00 PM Est. at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh

Tickets Starting at $95
St. Louis Rams @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1:00 PM Est. at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay

Tickets Starting at $30
Oakland Raiders @ Carolina Panthers 1:00 PM Est. at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte

Tickets Starting at $33
New England Patriots @ Jacksonville Jaguars 1:00 PM Est. at EverBank Field in Jacksonville

Tickets Starting at $44
Minnesota Vikings @ Houston Texans 1:00 PM Est. at Reliant Stadium in Houston

Tickets Starting at $176
Cleveland Browns @ Denver Broncos 4:05 PM EST at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver

Tickets Starting at $75
Chicago Bears @ Arizona Cardinals 4:25 PM Est. at University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix

Tickets Starting at $71
New York Giants @ Baltimore Ravens 4:25 PM Est. at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore

Tickets Starting at $143
San Francisco 49ers @ Seattle Seahawks 8:20 PM Est. at CenturyLink Field in San Francisco

Tickets Starting at $212
Adam Taxin
Taxin 376 LLC
9149607261

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Why more NFL teams should start rookie QBs

Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III, and Russell Wilson are on the verge of making playoff history
If the NFL playoffs started today, a record three rookie quarterbacks would be leading their teams into the postseason. With two weeks left to play, Indianapolis' Andrew Luck, Washington's Robert Griffin III, and Seattle's Russell Wilson all have their teams roaring toward unexpected postseason berths.
This is no fluke. It's a reflection of the new approach teams have begun to take with their freshman play-callers.
Teams used to insist that rookie quarterbacks weren't ready to lead a team to victory. When the Cincinnati Bengals selected Carson Palmer with the first overall pick in the 2003 draft, they hailed him as their new franchise player. Yet the following season, Palmer never once left the sidelines. The Bengals benched their prized rookie for the entire year, thinking he would develop faster by first watching a veteran quarterback. This was hardly unusual. Teams had long believed that rookies should be nurtured and eased into the pros. If you threw them right into the deep end, went the conventional wisdom, they would surely sink.
Michael Vick, the first overall pick in 2001, started just two games his rookie year. Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger, Phillip Rivers, and Aaron Rodgers — all highly-touted first round picks — began their careers as spectators, too.
In recent years, however, teams have been more adventurous with their new talent. In turn, more and more rookies have proven the old watch-and-learn system wrong.
Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh surprised everyone by naming rookie Joe Flacco his starting quarterback prior to the 2008 season. Flacco promptly led the Ravens to the AFC championship game, falling one win shy of the Super Bowl. That same year, fellow freshman QB Matt Ryan started every game for the Atlanta Falcons and took his team to the playoffs.
Mark Sanchez followed suit in 2009 with the New York Jets, driving his team to the AFC title game. And last year, Cincinnati's Andy Dalton and Houston's T.J Yates became the first rookie quarterbacks to face each other in a playoff game.
Since the AFL and NFL merged in 1970, just 11 freshman quarterbacks have started a playoff game; six have done so since 2004.
Even QBs whose teams failed to make the postseason have turned in sparkling rookie seasons in recent years. In 2010, Sam Bradford brought the St. Louis Rams, fresh off a one-win season, to the brink of the playoffs. And last year, number one pick Cam Newton obliterated a slew of rookie passing records.
In no season has this new phenomenon been more prominent than the current one. Five rookie quarterbacks started on opening day this year. Never before had more than two rookie quarterbacks done so.

This year's rookies aren't flailing away either. Leading the pack is Griffin, whose 104.2 passer rating — a composite measure of key passing statistics like completions, passing yards, and touchdowns — ranks second in the NFL behind only Rodgers, last year's league MVP. If Griffin keeps up the pace, he would destroy the record for the highest rookie passer rating ever. On top of that, his 6.7 rushing yards per attempt leads the league — not just among quarterbacks, but among all players.
By Total Quarterback Rating — a more nuanced version of passer rating created by ESPN — the big three rookie passers (Luck, Griffin, and Wilson) all rank in the top 11 league-wide. And even lesser-name rookies are enjoying relative success. Ryan Tannehill is turning in a respectable season for the struggling Miami Dolphins. And with Griffin out last week due to injury, rookie teammate Kirk Cousins picked up the win, throwing for 329 yards and two touchdowns.
Perhaps the driving factor behind this surge of rookie success is that college football has transformed in recent years to more closely resemble the pro game. College coaches have placed an increased emphasis on passing, and have adopted more and more NFL-style formations and plays — in some cases, college teams have even developed new tactics later appropriated their pro counterparts. As a result, college passers now enter the league with a built-in knowledge of the playing style, allowing them to more seamlessly transition between the two levels.

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Kicking Coach Lee McDonald Has Been Selected to Coach at the National Camp Series (NCS) Super Camp VII Being Held February 16-17, 2013, in Orlando, FL, According to NCS Founder Michael Husted

New Jersey Kicking Coach Lee McDonald, of Special Teams Solutions, has been selected to coach at the National Camp Series (NCS) Super Camp VII being held February 16-17, 2013, in Orlando, FL, according to kicking coach Michael Husted.

San Diego, CA (PRWEB) December 20, 2012
New Jersey Kicking Coach, of Special Teams Solutions, has been selected to coach at the National Camp Series (NCS) Super Camp VII being held February 16-17, 2013, in Orlando, FL, a two day kicking camp which will feature some of the country’s best high school kickers, punters and snappers.
McDonald says he is looking forward to being at the NCS Super Camp again this year.
"The Super Camp is the ultimate experience for high school specialists looking to compete at the highest level,” says McDonald. “The best of the best specialty coaches provide unmatched instruction while aspiring college kickers, punters and snappers from across the country put their skills to the test on the nation's only standardized, objective platform. It's all about learning to perform when the lights are on!"
McDonald has both a strong coaching and playing background as a kicker. He signed a full scholarship to Rutgers University from where he earned a B.A. and M.Ed. The former Scarlet Knight is known for his 1999 game winning overtime field goal that upset the Syracuse Orangemen 24-21.
McDonald also garnered Special Teams Player of the Week honors twice during his career and was twice named to the Big East Conference Academic Team. McDonald then kicked for the Buffalo Destroyers of the Arena Football League and the Norfolk Nighthawks where he set several Arena 2 football kicking records including most field goals in one game (6) that earned him AF2 Player of the Week honors.
Michael Husted, who founded NCS after kicking in the NFL for 9 years, is now a kicking coach in San Diego, CA. He says Super VII is about great coaches, great instructions and great evaluations and he is looking forward to having McDonald coaching at Super Camp VII.
"All of our NCS coaches are eager to get down to Orlando in February to help teach as well as evaluate the top kickers, punters and long snappers from all across the country and outside the US,” says Husted. "This is the only camp where high school specialists will have a chance to work with some of the best kicking coaches in the world."
"The quality of instructors for our Super Camp is outstanding and continues to grow every year,” says Husted. “The NCS Network is committed to helping young athletes learn proper technique as well as to help them navigate through the recruiting process so that they can leverage their sport to get a college education.”
Husted says that by utilizing its Kicking IndeX (KIX) Player Rating System, NCS provides an objective evaluation platform for student-athletes who want to showcase their capabilities to colleges and universities for recruiting purposes.
By sorting through over six years of historical event data, the KIX system determines a kicker’s rankings by cross-referencing player data to determine how the athletes stack up against others, both presently and historically.
"The NCS levels the playing field for those who don't want to get caught up in all of the 'politics' that occurs in the kicking industry,” says Husted. “If you can kick, punt or snap, the NCS KIX system will let a young kicking specialist’s skills speak for themselves. No excuses. No explanations."
Go here for more about Super Camp VII.
Go here for more about Lee McDonald and Special Teams Solutions.
Go here for more about kicking coach Michael Husted.
Michael Husted
National Camp Series
888.702.0682

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