Prime News of the World: November 2015

Monday, November 30, 2015

"Revenant," "Hateful Eight" Put a b****y Bow on the Season

With everything but the still under-wraps Star Wars: The Force Awakens now having unspooled for Oscar voters this year, the seasons cards are pretty much on the table. In a month (Dec. 30), ballots will be in hand, and Academy members will start to decide on nominees. But Alejandro G. Irritus The Revenant and Quentin Tarantinos The Hateful Eight will be sending them to the polls with a violent pair of final salvos.

Violence and how it will be perceived by the Academy is frequently a topic of discussion this time of year. Many wondered in 2013 if the brutality of 12 Years a Slave would push voters to the relative safety of Gravity. That didnt happen (though some openly admitted to voting for Steve McQueens slavery drama on historical principle without having seen it). The year prior, Tarantinos own slavery yarn, Django Unchained, walked away with two Academy Awards. Joel and Ethan Coens No Country for Old Men (2007) was dark and gruesome, but the Cormac McCarthy adaptation took the top prize, as did, a year earlier, The Departed, which overcame its b****y genre conventions to become Martin Scorseses first best picture winner. Gladiator, Braveheart, The Silence of the Lambs all violent, and all grabbed Oscars brass ring.

So to dismiss films like The Revenant and The Hateful Eight on the grounds of brutality would, of course, be folly. But context is everything. For example, people might be more sensitive to material such as this in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris. That goes for box office as much as it does awards.

Is there cause for concern? If I was directing 24: The Movie, yeah, I might be a little worried, Tarantino told me recently. But I dont think theres any correlation between my Agatha Christie Western and whats going on in Paris with ISIS.

While thats true, with both Hateful and Revenant landing on Christmas Day, the dynamic will be interesting to observe, particularly as they dive into the blood bath in such distinctly different ways. The violence of The Revenant is realistic, depicting the horrors of mortal combat in nature. The film opens with a battle akin to Saving Private Ryans Normandy invasion sequence, only with arrows instead of bullets. The effects of a vicious bear mauling, captured in one riveting shot, are grotesque, and incapacitate the protagonist for much of the films 150-minute running time. Flesh is ripped, torn and haphazardly sewn throughout the picture.

The violence of The Hateful Eight, meanwhile, is stylized in genre fashion, as is Tarantinos wont. Much of it comes in the final act, after the director has carefully turned the screws for nearly three hours (assisted greatly by Ennio Morricones ominous giallo-influenced score), which makes it all the more affecting. Jennifer Jason Leighs character is on the receiving end of enough battery to make cries of misogyny a safe bet. A head is quite literally blown off in (glorious 70mm) closeup.

And both films feature their own versions of emasculation. So theres that.

Is all this a liability? Each film is more than the sum of its violent parts, so not necessarily. The Revenant will likely win Emmanuel Lubezki his third straight cinematography Oscar, and the film also could pick up a pair of sound awards, while Leonardo DiCaprio will be in the thick of the best actor debate for putting himself through the physical wringer. The Hateful Eight, meanwhile, could spark a cottage industry of high-end celluloid and large-format presentations that a number of filmmakers will no doubt adore.

Any way you look at it, an Oscar season that has seen journalist heroes, stranded astronauts, computer pioneers and a young girls cute little anthropomorphized emotions is about to go out with a crimson bang.

Source: http://variety.com/2015/film/in-contention/revenant-hateful-eight-oscar-violence-1201649060/

The best, the worst and the all-time ranking of Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant made it official Sunday Night -- the 2015-16 NBA season will be his last. Our panel of Insiders assesses where Kobe ranks among NBA and L.A. legends, analyzes his greatest strengths and weakness and shares favorite memories.

1. Where does Kobe rank historically among the NBA"s greatest players?Insider

Where does Kobe rank all time? What made him great? To read the full 5-on-5 debate, become an Insider today.

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Source: http://espn.go.com/nba/insider/story/_/id/14254816/5-5-experts-break-kobe-bryant-retirement-historical-greatness-nba

Gold Standard: "The Revenant" draws blood in Oscar race

Welcome to the Gold Standard, the newsletter from the Los Angeles Times that will help guide you through the ins and outs of the awards season, leading up to the Oscars. ImGlenn Whipp, The Times" awards columnist and your newsletter host. Let"s look at what happened this week.

Spirit Awards begin to define the races

Film Independent"s Spirit Awards nominees were announced Tuesday. To be eligible, movies must be American productions with a budget of no more than $20 million. That leaves out many contenders, including three of my favorite movies from this year -- "Brooklyn," "Son of Saul" and "45 Years."

The three movies leading the Spirit nominations -- Todd Haynes" romance "Carol," the journalism procedural "Spotlight" and the child-soldier war drama "Beasts of No Nation" -- received boosts heading into the Thanksgiving weekend, when many awards voters catch up on seeing movies.

Also of note: The Spirits, like the Golden Globes, placed "Carol" actress Rooney Mara in the lead category, along with co-star Cate Blanchett. The Weinstein Co. has been campaigning for Mara as a supporting actress. It"ll be interesting to see where she lands with Oscar voters.

Michael B. Jordan stars in "Creed." (Warner Bros.)

Can crowd-pleasing "Creed" find favor with the academy?

It"s Thanksgiving weekend and everyone wants a recommendation of a movie they can watch with their entire family. (Yes, even that oddball uncle who hates Hollywood.)

The answer this year: "Creed," Ryan Coogler"s "Rocky" spinoff that just opened in theaters. How good is it? Audiences around town have been cheering and applauding during the closing credits.

Will it engage enough academy members to become an Oscar contender? I wrote about that here. Sylvester Stallone, tired, tender, should find votes for his supporting work. (Who doesn"t love a comeback?) And Michael B. Jordan absolutely belongs in the lead actor discussion for his empathetic portrait of the troubled title character, a young boxer searching for identity. It"s a star-making turn.

Golden Globes predictions

The Hollywood Foreign Press Assn. will announce its nominations for the Golden Globes on Dec. 10. Figuring out the whims of these 82 voters isn"t easy, but I have a go at ithere. And I already have the hearty approval of at least one of the potential nominees.

"The Revenant" a grueling endurance test

Alejandro G. Inarritu"s western "The Revenant" had its first screening for awards voters and press this week. My colleague Rebecca Keegan filed this report from watching the 2-hour, 36-minute revenge tale at the academy"s Samuel L. Goldwyn Theater. It"s b****y, brutal, bold,exhilarating and exhausting. I don"t know that it will win Inarritu a second consecutive Oscar following "Birdman" or if it will win Leonardo DiCaprio his first. But I do know cinematographerEmmanuel Lubezki is a movie G*d. And he"s about to win his third straight Oscar for his stunning work in the film.

Lily Tomlin, left, Charlotte Rampling, Cate Blanchett, Helen Mirren, Saoirse Ronan and Brie Larson at The Envelope"s lead actress roundtable. (Kirk McCoy / Los Angeles Times)

Profiling the contenders

Times staff writer Lorraine Ali sat down with Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara to talk about the"secrets, codes and forbidden topics and taboos" in Todd Haynes" lesbian romance "Carol." Blanchett also joined Helen Mirren, Brie Larson, Lily Tomlin, Charlotte Rampling and Saoirse Ronan to talk about the challenges of navigating the machinery of celebrity, among many other topics, at The Times" lead actress roundtable.

"Why are we talking about women like they"re aliens?" Larson wondered. "We"re talking about them like it"s a niche genre. It"s like, "Some zombie movies did good. You think we"re gonna be making zombie movies forever?" We"re talking about half of human beings."

Feedback?

I"d love to hear from you. Email me atglenn.whipp@latimes.com.

Can"t get enough about awards season? Follow me at@glennwhippon Twitter

Source: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/goldstandard/la-et-mn-awards-newsletter-20151125-htmlstory.html

Sunday, November 29, 2015

Lakshman: Giving thanks this Stanford football season

In the glorious landscape of time off from school with friends and family, Thanksgiving just might be my favorite holiday. It stands for serious reflection, a much-needed space for gratitude as opposed to just another cog in the Hallmark Industrial Complex. Its acceptable to eat yourself into a coma. And, above all, its inextricably linked with football.

As we get set to celebrate another Thanksgiving, with the most important Saturday of the regular season right on its heels, I want to take a moment to give thanks for another wild, wacky football season and specifically the team that practically defines my existence.

David Shaw 2.0

Weve all seen the shirt, the op-ed pieces, the raw emotion from Stanfords head man that incites enough adrenaline to run through a brick wall. I love the new David Shaw just as much as everyone else it adds pure joy to a game that couldnt get any more exciting. But thats not exactly why Im thankful for David Shaw 2.0.

Instead, I go back to the 2014 UCLA game and the story of cornerback Ronnie Harris feeling compelled by some mystical force on the sideline to implore his head coach to let it out and share those in-game moments with his players. In the process, Shaw affirmed his status as a players coach, one who truly cares about the well-being of his guys and is willing to adapt to maintain that commitment. Can you imagine Nick Saban making such a significant adjustment in his approach after a sideline conversation with a player? Stanford should feel grateful to have a native son in Shaw leading the charge and, rebounding from a rough stretch in 2014, he and his coaching staff are doing as fine of a job as anyone in the country.

Brennan Scarlett

You are stranded on a deserted island, in anguish from the beating sun and rendered immobile by severe dehydration. Then, a neatly wrapped package washes up on shore at just the right time to save your life. Is it food? Is it water? No, its something much better: defensive end Brennan Scarlett.

Its hard to understate just how much Scarlett has meant to this team both in terms of on-field production and as a locker room presence. Prior to training camp, Stanford was looking perilously thin at defensive line long gone were the days when the Cardinal had the luxury of bringing in an NFL player in Josh Mauro off the bench. As if the situation werentdire enough, Stanford then lost Harrison Phillips for the season against Northwestern. Scarlett, the first graduate transfer in program history from that other school across the Bay, no less went from a key piece expected to add depth to a key piece expected to keep the Cardinals season afloat. And he has done exactly that.

A former team captain at Cal, Scarlett has proven to be a valuable voice of leadership and, in the course of just four months, has emerged as one of the best interviews on the team. If thats not enough of a reason, at least we can all agree to be thankful for the picture below. Pure, unadulterated bliss.

#BeatCal pic.twitter.com/o4sK2rsijB

Alan George (@treeSIDjorge) November 22, 2015

The Tunnel Workers Union

No matter what type of gameplan an opponent demands, Stanfords offensive identity revolves around dominating in the trenches, and this years O-line has more than lived up to the task, launching Stanford right back into the thick of the national conversation after a disappointing start. Theres a lot to be thankful for amongst this group. For starters, theres Outland Trophy finalist and the nations best left guard Josh Garnett, who forms half of the formidable Bash Bros duo with Kyle Murphy along the left side of the line. Then, theres everybodys favorite teammate center Graham Shuler, not to mention the host of other talents that see the field including Johnny Caspers, Casey Tucker and jumbo linemen David Bright, Brendon Austin, Nick Davidson and Brandon Fanaika.

For a group that buildsitsreputation by serving up pancakes every Saturday, the Tunnel Workers Union is always approachable and never fails to provide an honest, intelligent interview. They are as nice off the field as they are menacing and merciless on it.

Speed, speed and more speed

In Tuesdays press conference, Christian McCaffrey was asked to put together the best relay team out of the current roster. After some thought, he named Isaiah Brandt-Sims, Michael Rector and Bryce Love, before hesitating once more. McCaffrey speculated that he might not be in the top five or six on the team before quickly adding, Id fight for it.

But just think about that for a second. The Cardinals Heisman Trophy contender, the supersonic playmaker set to eclipse Barry Sanders NCAA all-purpose yards record and Toby Gerharts single-season rushing mark, may not even be one of the five fastest players on the team. Speed absolutely kills, and Im thankful we get to live in an age where we can see so many otherworldly athletes take the field at once and flip the script on the narrative of Stanfords offense as slow and lumbering in 4.3 to 4.4 seconds.

Meanwhile, McCaffrey deserves his own moment of thanks. As someone who missed watching Andrew Luck by a year and Gerhart by several more, No. 5 is the most breathtaking player I have seen in college and hes truly special to watch.

The seniors

Through the highs and lows of four years, the members of thissenior class have maintained the culture of excellence on the field instilled by theirpredecessors, while pushing the ceiling even higher with three Pac-12 Championship appearances in four seasons. It will be tough to watch so many of them run through that tunnel at Stanford Stadium for the final time, but the gratitude for so many great memories should outweigh any premature nostalgia. After all, despite 40 wins under their belts since 2012, theres still plenty of big time football left. And thats something for which Im sure we can all agree to be thankful.

Ask Vihan what foods he will be consuming on his way towards eating himself into a coma at vihan at stanford.edu

Source: http://www.stanforddaily.com/2015/11/26/lakshman-giving-thanks-this-stanford-football-season/

Bedlam Blowout: OU Wins Big 12 with 58-23 Win Over OSU

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The 110th meeting of Bedlamhad a slight delay as a photographer took a spill and had to be carted off.

The Cowboys took the opening kick, but had to punt to the Sooners who missed a 47 yard field goal on their first possession.

Oklahoma State"s ensuing possession resulted in Ben Grogan knocking a 43 yard field goal through the uprights. Cowboys had a 3-0 lead.

Alex Ross took the next kickoff 90 yards to the OSU four yard line. The very next play, Baker Mayfield threw a 4 yard touchdown to Sterling Shepard to give the Sooners a 7-3 advantage.

Oklahoma State responded with a five play, 70 yard drive culminating in a 26 yard touchdown pass from JW Walsh to Jhajuan Seales. OSU on top 10-7.

Per the ABC broadcast, the Cowboys are holding Mason Rudolph out due to a foot injury, but hasn"t been completely ruled out of the game.

Meanwhile, Samaje Perine took his second carry of the game 68 yards for a touchdown giving Oklahoma a 14-10 lead.

On Oklahoma"s next possession, it was Joe Mixon"s turn to break off a long run. The redshirt freshman scampered 66 yards to the end zone giving the Sooners an 11 point lead, 21-10.

The high powered Sooner offense struck again on their next possession after forcing an OSU punt. Baker Mayfield connected with Dimitri Flowers on a 5 yard touchdown pass giving OU a 28-10 lead. It"s Mayfield"s second touchdown pass of the contest.

Mason Rudolph made his first Bedlam appearance of the game on the nextOSU drive, but after throwing two in-completions, he threw a pick six to Jordan Thomas which he returned 32 yards for the score. The extra point was blocked. The Sooners had a 34-10 lead. 27 unanswered points by Oklahoma.

OSU wouldn"t be silenced long. JW Walsh returned as OSU QB and threw a 72 yard touchdown to James Washington. Cowboys cut the Sooner lead to 17, still trailing 34-17.

The points didn"t stop after that. Samaje Perine found pay dirt for a second time as he rumbled 25 yards for a touchdown on OU"s next possession. The Sooners went on top 41-17. Oklahoma"s 41 points have come off of 33 plays.

JW Walsh made his first mistake of the game on OSU"s next drive throwing an interception to Jordan Thomas. It was Thomas" second interception of the contest. It led to a 40 yard Austin Seibert field goal giving OU a 44-17 advantage.

OSU added a 36 yard Ben Grogan field goal as time expired in the first half. The Sooners led 44-20 at the half.

Oklahoma State struck first in the 2nd half adding a 21 yard Ben Grogan field goal. His third of the night. Pokes still trail the Sooners 44-23.

The Sooners cruised in the 2nd half though. Baker Mayfield and Joe Mixon both ran a touchdown in as Oklahoma earned a 58-23 win in Bedlam.

With the win Bob Stoops wins his 9th Big 12 Championship in 17 seasons.

Baker Mayfield finished 17-25, 180 yards, and two touchdown passes. He also rushed 11 times for 77 yards and a touchdown.

Bedlam went to the running backs. Samaje Perine, who left with an ankle injury, but later returned, rushed 17 times for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Joe Mixon added two touchdowns to go with 14 carries and 136 yards.

JW Walsh played well going 25-42, 325 yards and two touchdowns.

Now a waiting game begins for Oklahoma. Will the College Football Playoff committee vote them one of the four teams vying for the National Championship.

Source: http://kfor.com/2015/11/28/110th-bedlam-battle-underway/

NCAA Football: UNH"s Powell a reluctant star

DURHAM --When it comes to playing football at the University of New Hampshire, it took tight end Jordan Powell longer than most to get with the program.

Powell, a 6-foot-3, 244-pound junior, was named to the All-CAA First Team last week. He enters todays FCS playoff game against Colgate leading UNH in receptions (44), receiving yards (445) and touchdown receptions (five).

Until last spring, however, Powell was fighting the UNH way. He said he had no trust in what the coaches were asking him to do, and spent too much time butting heads with UNH head coach Sean McDonnell.

Me and him had some great discussions on who he was and what he was doing and I was on him, McDonnell said. I was on him hard, because I saw raw potential. He just had never played at the pace that we play at, and more importantly, that you need to be good.

It started for me last spring knowing that he was starting to play well. He was catching the ball well, blocking well, catching and taking hits well. (During) preseason camp there was a better feel about him. Now early (this season) I dont think we had our feel on exactly how we were going to get everybody the football. Ryan (offensive coordinator Ryan Carty) always had a lot of confidence in Jordan. I wanted to be the guy to see it in the pudding, to see it in the games.

Powell began this season with six catches for 39 yards and one touchdown in his college career. He said he and McDonnell didnt see eye to eye until late in his sophomore year.

I didnt trust what they were making me do in the beginning, Powell said. I was like, "Why am I doing this?" I didnt believe in it. I was on the scout team. I didnt buy into the program. I hated it. I was not about it.

(McDonnell) pulled me into his office one day and just talked to me. He was like, Listen. This is what every player has done. All the older players have been through it.

Then the moment I started putting the pieces together I was like, "OK, everyone has done this. Something has to be going right. Were a successful program throughout the years. I have to start buying into it."

Powell, of Forked River, N.J., has caught at least one pass in each of UNHs 11 games this season, and has at least three receptions in eight of those 11 contests. His most productive game was UNHs 24-14 victory at Albany. He caught 10 passes for 96 yards and a TD in the victory.

Hes become a key figure in a UNH offense thats averaging 24.3 points per game and 203.0 yards passing per game.

To go from where he was to First Team All-Conference? McDonnell said. I wouldnt have been saying that a year ago at this time, and I wouldnt have been saying it six months ago at this time. But the first five weeks of the season I saw the way he was practicing and playing and I thought he had reached a level of what we expect from that position.

When weve been good, weve always had a good tight end.

rbrown@unionleader.com

Source: http://www.unionleader.com/article/20151128/SPORTS22/151129308%26source%3DRSS

Saturday, November 28, 2015

USC vs. UCLA: Kickoff Time, TV/Radio Channel Listings and Odds

Saturdays USC vs. UCLA rivalry will be for all of the marbles in the Pac-12 South, as both teams enter with even records in conference and hold tiebreakers over Utah.

RELATED:10 Best USC Football Performances vs. UCLA

The Trojans are looking for a win to end the Bruins three-game winning streak, as well as clinch a spot in their first ever Pac-12 Championship Game. UCLA has twice gone to the conferences final game, though did so in 2011 on behalf of USC, who was sanctioned.

Kick off is set for 12:30 p.m. on ABC or ESPN2 depending on your region, with Sean McDonough on the call. Chris Spielmanwill provide color analysis while Todd McShay will handle reports from the sideline.

Radio listeners can also catch the national broadcast on ESPN Radio with Roxy Berstein along with former UCLA quarterback Tom Ramsey.

As usual, Pete Arbogast will handle the local radio broadcast on 710 ESPNLA, the official home of the Trojans in Los Angeles. John Jackson joins him as the color commentator with Jordan Moore on the sidelines.

For those outside the Los Angeles area, the game will also be aired in Ontario, San Bernardino County and the Inland Empire on 1510 KSPA-AM, in Palm Springs on 1010 KXPS-AM, in Barstow on 1230 KSZL-AM, in Las Vegas on 1400 KSHP-AM, in Fresno on 96.7 KALZ-FM and in Visalia on 1400 KRZR-AM. Those with access to a computer and internet can also listen live on USCTrojans.com.

Channel Listings:

DirecTV:Channel 209 (ESPN2)Dish:Channel 143(ESPN2)AT&T U-Verse:Channels 1606/606(ESPN2)Verizon FiOS:Channels 574/74(ESPN2)Google Fiber:Channel 214Time Warner Cable:Click here for your local guide.Live Stream:Watch ESPN

Betting Odds: USC(-3)

The line opened with the Trojansfavored by 3.5points and its stayed just about there throughout the week. The over/under is 62 points.

Source: http://reignoftroy.com/2015/11/28/usc-vs-ucla-kickoff-time-tvradio-channel-listings-and-odds/

The 7 Most Picturesque Christmas Tree Farms Around the Country

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Ians Christmas Adventure ParkBeckwith, Ontario, Canada

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Big Johns Christmas TreesAtlanta, Georgia

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Perfect Christmas Tree FarmPhillipsburg, New Jersey

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Bengtson Christmas Tree FarmPeotone, Illinois

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Its part of the post-Thanksgiving ritual: going to shop for a Christmas tree. And while its easy to pop over to the local hardware store to choose that spruce or fir, theres nothing quite like packing a thermos of cocoa, bundling up, and heading a bit further afield to pick one straight from the farm. Above, seven picturesque locations around the country. Chopping down your own tree: optional.

Source: http://www.vogue.com/13371484/christmas-tree-farms/

Why Urban Outfitters Is Buying a Chain of Restaurants -- Yes, Restaurants

Updated from Nov. 17 to include details on pricing.

E-commerce has been forcing many retailers toget creative, and Urban Outfitters (URBN - Get Report) has just taken that to a new level.

Urban Outfitters (URBN - Get Report) today announced that it would be buying Philadelphia-based restaurant group Vetri Family, famous for its pizza chain Pizzeria Vetri. The deal is expected to close by the end of the year and will cost Urban Outfitters $20 million.

Despite the low price, investors were not too happy with the news. Shares of Urban Outfitters were down as much as 12.6% Tuesday morning, though they have since rebounded a bit.

While this isn"t Urban Outfitters" first acquisition, Vetri is certainly its most interesting and surprising one, since it"s so far outsideits main apparel and decor markets.

In a statement this morning, Urban Outfitters offered one explanation for the deal. "Spending on casual dining is expanding rapidly, and thus, we believe there is tremendous opportunity to expand the Pizzeria Vetri concept," Urban Outfitters CEO Richard A. Hayne said.

But an underlying reason for the purchase seems to be the increasing threat of e-commerce.

"Retailers are struggling with how to get traffic in stores," said FBR & Co. analyst Susan Anderson. Consumers are increasingly shopping online, which makes it harder and harder for retailers like Urban Outfitters to draw them into a physical store.

OnUrban Outfitters" second quarter earnings call, Hayne noted that a slowdown in the store channel could be due to increased online shopping over the Labor Day holiday weekend when people were traveling. And it seems that things haven"t gotten much better since then. Shares of Urban Outfitters have declined17% in the past three months, due to slowing retail sales and slumping profit margins.The company"s stock was trading down almost 9% in early afternoon trading on Monday.

Meanwhile, the food industry has been left largely unscathed by the internet.

"Until they invent actual replicators like on Star Trek, e-commerce is not a threat to the restaurant business," Vetri co-founder Jeff Benjamin told Philly.com.

For now it seems that itsnew restaurant business will operate as usual, but down the line, Urban Outfitters could potentially look at integrating some of its food offerings intoits stores to draw traffic, Anderson suggested. Urban Outfitters has experimented with adding bars and restaurants to some of its New York stores in the past, and this acquisition could be a way to further those tests.

"All the retailers nowadays are trying to drive more and more traffic into the stores, so this could be another way to drive traffic down the road," Anderson said.

Forrester analyst Sucharita Mulpuru-Kodali also thought the Vetri acquisition was a good move. "Restaurants are a rapidly growing area of retail; retailers can run really lucrative restaurants and retailers need to diversify so a sector like this is smart," she said.

Urban Outfitters reported its third quarter earnings after the close on Monday, missing on revenue with$825 million versus expectations of $872.8 million. Earnings, though, were as expected -- 42 cents per share.

Urban Outfitters did not immediately respond to request for comment.

Source: http://www.thestreet.com/story/13367184/1/why-urban-outfitters-is-buying-a-chain-of-restaurants-yes-restaurants.html

TCU ends Baylor"s Playoff hopes in double OT 28-21

TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Trevone Boykin looks for room to run.(Photo: Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports)

FORT WORTH Breaking down No. 16 TCUs 28-21 overtime victory Friday against No. 7 Baylor:

THE BIG PICTURE: Even though both teams have had star-crossed seasons, Baylor would have been very much alive for a Big 12 title had it won Friday, needing only Oklahoma State to beat Oklahoma on Saturday to be named outright champions.

That may not have really mattered to the College Football Playoff committee, especially with Baylor down to third-string quarterback Chris Johnson. But at 11-1 with a Big 12 title and maybe some chaos to come, Baylor might have had an argument.

Thats all moot now, though, as TCU pulled out a game with plenty at stake to finish its season 10-2. Given the injuries Gary Pattersons team sustained on defense all year long and to its star offensive players late in the season, thats a tremendous coaching job. Though TCU will fall short of the playoff again, it"s at least some consolation to end the league title hopes of a hated rival.

Now, the winner of Bedlam on Saturday in Stillwater, Okla., will be the outright Big 12 champion.

WHAT WELL BE TALKING ABOUT: After waiting all season for a rematch of Baylors classic 61-58 victory last year, we got a game between Baylors third-string quarterback and a banged-up Trevone Boykin played in wind and steady rain. In other words, it was a complete mess.

Frankly, the game wasnt very entertaining and we didnt learn much about either team. But it had to be played and was fascinating in its own way because every snap had the potential for folly.

With two days of precipitation hitting the Fort Worth area, the field was basically a slick mud pit. Combined with a waterlogged ball, passing became almost impossible, which is a problem given how much both of these spread offenses rely on speed and perimeter throws. And the rain was worse in person than it looked on television.

Frankly, the game wasnt very entertaining, and we didnt learn much about either team. But it had to be played and was fascinating in its own way because every snap had the potential for folly.

THE DECIDING PLAY: Facing third-and-goal from the 8-yard line in the second overtime, Boykin found freshman receiver Kavontae Turpin streaking through the back of the end zone all alone for a touchdown. It was only Boykins 18th completion in 33 attempts on a tough day, but it was a massive play that gave TCU a 28-21 lead.

The Horned Frogs then stopped Baylor running back Devin Chafin behind the line of scrimmage on fourth down to win.

TOP PLAY: One of the most amazing punts youll ever see occurred with 5:04 left. TCUs Ethan Perry had to field a bad snap off the ground but had Baylor defensive end Shawn Oakman barreling down on him at 6-foot-9, 275 pounds.

Oakman, maybe not realizing Perry was still going to try to kick it, went for the tackle rather than a block. Oakman got a clean lick, but Perry was able to get his foot on the ball. Though it was just an eight-yard punt, TCU avoided disaster on the play in a tie game.

KEY STAT: The teams combined to go a remarkable 5-of-35 on third-down conversions in regulation, with TCU converting just one of 16. Baylor made up for it a bit by converting all three fourth-down tries, including a pair on their opening drive of the game that resulted in a touchdown.But it came up short on their final fourth-down attempt in overtime.

GALLERY: HOW THE TOP 25 FARED

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Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/big12/2015/11/28/baylor-tcu-college-football/76484024/

Friday, November 27, 2015

Can the Denver Broncos take down the undefeated New England Patriots?

Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Each week we ask you all for score predictions and until last week Mile High Report was the best score predictions across all of SB Nation. With Brock Osweiler getting his second start of his career he has the impossible task of taking down the undefeated New England Patriots.

The Denver Broncos got back to theirwinning ways last week with Brock Osweiler efficiently leading the offense to a 17-15 victory over the Chicago Bears. Frankly, the Broncos should have won the game by a wider margin, but a failed goal line attempt andsome officiating shenanigans made the game a lot closer than it should have been.

Meanwhile, the undefeated New England Patriots are looking a bit more mortal than usual despite their unblemished 10-0 record. The losses of Julian Edleman and Dion Lewis appear to have affected the offense somewhat and their patchwork offensive line is starting to create problems for Tom Brady.

Let"s just say the Broncos could not have asked for a better opportunity in this game. Can they seize it?

Broncos 24, Patriots 20 - Tim Lynch

If the Broncos are going to win this game they must have two things happen early on. First, the offense needs to score early on and second the defense needs to light it up early. I"m really hoping for a 17-6 kind of halftime score from the Broncos, because I am certain the Patriots will have some half time adjustments that will help them mount some points late in the second half.

At the end of the day, Osweiler will be tested and will need to answer a Patriots touchdown drive with one of his own. This is going to be a huge "eye test" kind of game for me personally. And right now, I think Brock will pass that test and win this football game.

Broncos 27, Patriots 20 - Pete Baron

The offense moved the ball up and down the field all day against the Bears who just beat the Packers. Brock looked fantastic, he really did. I saw him make "pro" throws. I want to remind people that "pro" throws doesn"t mean being a gunslinger and reckless with the ball. Just like holding can be called on every play, so too can you say "this wide receiver was wide open!" So when I see Brock find that wide open receiver or tight end and hit him in stride, that to me is a "pro" throw. I also saw the RB"s, TE"s, and WR"s play with fire and a smile. I haven"t seen that smile in a long long time.

As many of us correctly predicted, the change in quarterback did in fact improve the running game. The bootleg did in fact start freezing the defense and make them play honest. Lets not forget that the Bears do have a better defense than almost all the teams we played earlier in the year. But that"s not why I"m predicting the outcome that I"m predicting. Here"s why: Did you see what the "No Fly Zone" did against the Packers? Listen to me Brady and listen very carefully, "They"re coming for you, they"re coming!"

Broncos 28, Patriots 24 - Jon Heath

Brock will have some struggles, but Denver wins thanks to superb defensive play. Broncos win 28-24, leaving Brady both defeated and sore for the first time in 2015.

Commentary by Ian Henson

The Broncos will be under relentless pressure, but after Brock Osweiler masters the "toe throw" this week in practice, his incompletions will go up, but the New England Patriots sack numbers will go down. Oh and prior to the game Tom Brady"s four game suspension will be imposed thus preserving Brady/Manning 16 until the AFC Championship game.

Broncos 20, Patriots 17 - Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann

With Mile High Magic, the NFL"s No. 1 defense and an inspired running game, the Broncos will add another win at home against the Patriots, making the series 20-8 for games played in Denver. With Belichick up to his usual sneaky tricks, this game is going to come down to the defense stopping Brady and Osweiler doing what he did last week - protecting the ball and moving the chains. No heroics will be needed by the offense if Wade Phillips took good notes on Monday night. Broncos win, 20-17. Now if we could just get those refs toknow what the bleep they are doing...

Broncos 24, Patriots 16 - Kelly Fleming

The Broncos are out for revenge on Brady and Belichick. The Pats haven"t faced a top 10 defense yet this year with the exception of the Jets, who they beat by one score. They narrowly (if not by a bad officiating call) beat the Giants, with the 31st defense. Other than that they have faced the following ranks: 11, 17, 19, 22, 23, 26, and 27. If there is one team equipped to stop Brady and Gronk, it is the Broncos. Throw in the fact that their top 3 wide receivers are all injured and their starting RB is out for the season, and the Broncos" defense should be able to clean up. As long as Brock stays composed and doesn"t let Belichick use his barely legal play calls to confuse him, the Broncos should come out on top.

Broncos 23, Patriots 20 - Kyle Montgomery

The Patriots have the best offense in the NFL in 2015, but in November, they"ve come back down to earth a bit. Take this last Monday: the Bills were able to limit Rob Gronkowski to two catches, providing a blueprint for the Broncos defense to do the same. On the other side, Brock Osweiler will have a tall task against a Patriots defense that leads the league in points allowed, but I believe Broncos runners and tight ends can be utilized (as they were last week) to take the pressure off Brock. Broncos 23, Patriots 20, and Ian Henson and I (who will be at the game as fans) go buy Osweiler jerseys at the team store thereafter.

Give us your score predictions, Broncos Country!

Source: http://www.milehighreport.com/2015/11/27/9808190/will-the-broncos-beat-the-patriots-snf

Black Friday 2015: Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Amazon ads; Thanksgiving hours ...

Thanksgiving 2015 is here and that"s means Black Friday is only a day away.

That doesn"t mean you have to wait until tomorrow to cash in on the best bargains. Many major retailers are opening today or have posted tons of Black Friday deals online. Here"s a rundown and where you can shop today, who is opening tomorrow and what time and how you can plan your day to make sure you"re getting the best bargains.

Pros and cons of Black Friday

Before we look at bargains and hours, let"s look at the pros and cons of Black Friday shopping. Here"s some pluses and minuses from NerdWallet.com.

Pro: Stores offer giveaways, usually for being one of the first in line. This year Cabela"s is offering $15,000 in prizes to the first 500 people in line at 5 a.m. on Black Friday and Sports Authority: $15 in Sports Authority bucks (which go toward any purchase in the store) to the first 80 people in line at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving

Con: Sales are usually for a limited time and quantities are sometimes limited, too Most Black Friday ads say things like "while supplies last" or "limited quantity." That means you may not be able to find everything you want.

Pro: It"s a great time to buy electronics Electronics are usually one of the top items in every Black Friday sale. There are usually multiple retailers offering the same items so be sure to compare costs.

Con: Be wary of promotions NerdWallet found that 93 percent of Black Friday ads this year contains deals that have previously been offered by retailers. It also found many of the deals were available at other times of the year.

Pro: It can be fun For many people, Black Friday is a tradition and shoppers enjoy the thrill of the hunt.

Con: There are crowds Tons of people use Black Friday as the time to get most of their Christmas shopping done, which means you can expect large crowds. That sometimes means fights over the last item on the shelf and general Black Friday craziness.

What to expect this year?

BestBlackFriday.com is predicting Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales will see a huge boost from online buyers this year.

Thanksgiving day spending at brick and mortar stores is expected to be about $3.79 billion, up about 19 percent from 2014. That upswing is due mostly to the increased number of stores opening on Thanksgiving this year. Black Friday spending at brick and mortar stores is expected to be about $8.8 billion, a drop of about 3 percent.

How to survive Black FridayBlack Friday is right around the corner. For many people that means planning an early Thanksgiving dinner and then waiting in line all night for a chance at getting a discount on your Christmas shopping. If you are one of those people, weve put together a video on how to handle yourself when wading into the Black Friday crowds.

Online sales are where retailers will see the biggest change. Thanksgiving day online sales will be about $1.5 billion, an increase of 49 percent over 2014. Black Friday online spending will be $1.85 billion, up 23 percent.

And where are the biggest bargains?

Bestblackfriday.comdetermined the average discount on sale items for three major retailers. Amazon came in with an average discount of 25-30 percent; Walmart"s average discount was between 30-25 percent; and Target"s was 35-40 percent.

Who is open and who is closed?

If you"re curious about who is open on Thanksgiving, you can use this list as a guide. Local stores sometimes set their own hours so be sure to check. You can go to BestBlackFriday.com to see more.

Retailers closed on Thanksgiving

Ace Hardware (locally owned stores closed)
AT&T (customer service will remain open; retail stores will close)
Barnes & Noble
Bed Bath & Beyond
Burlington
Cabela"s
Costco
Crate and Barrel
Dillard"s
DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse
GameStop
Guitar Center
H&M
Harbor Freight
Hobby Lobby
Home Depot
HomeGoods
IKEA
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores
Lowe"s
Marshalls
Mattress Firm
Neiman Marcus
Patagonia
Petco
PetSmart
Pier 1 Imports
Publix
Saks Fifth Avenue
Sam"s Club
Staples
T.J.Maxx
True Value
Von Maur

Hours for major retailers

Many stores will open on Thanksgiving. Here are some of the Nov. 26-27 Thanksgiving/Black Friday sale hours.

Target 6 p.m. Thursday midnight Fridays
Walmart 6 p.m. Thursday
JC Penny 3 p.m. Thursday
Best Buy 5 p.m. Thursday 1 a.m. Friday
Belk 6 p.m. Thursday
Sears 6 p.m. Thursday 2 a.m. Friday

Check out the ads

(Click on the name to see Thanksgiving/Black Friday ads)

J.C. Penney

CVS

Amazon

Kmart

Kohl"s

Lowe"s

Macy"s

Michael"s

Office Depot and OfficeMax

Old Navy

Overstock

Rite Aid

Sam"s Club

Sears

Staples

Target

Toys R Us

Walgreens

Walmart

More ads and deals

Dell $149 laptop, $99 desktop, $49 Bose headphones

Wal-Mart toy book, $199 Apple iPad Mini 2

Wal-Mart Black Friday sales 2015: $29 iPod Shuffle, $199 Apple iPad Mini

Dell offers Xbox One for $299.99, Alienware 15 laptop for $1,199

Dollar General Thanksgiving Day sale, Rite Aid Black Friday sale

Amazon rolling out a deal every 5 minutes starting Friday

PetSmart, Sam"s, Five Below, Home Depot, GameStop, Michael"s, Ulta

Target, Amazon, K-Mart toy books

Sears, NY & Co., e-Bay, JCPenny, PetSmart, Walgreens

CVS, Ashley Furniture, Costco, Big Lots, Cabela"s, Zales

Lowe"s, Gander Mountain. Groupon, d**k"s, K-Mart

Ace Hardware"s Craftsman deals, hhgregg, Pier One

Belk will open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Nov. 26

Black Friday 2015 sales live now: Amazon, Walmart, Kohls, Belk, Best Buy, Macy"s, Toys R Us, Target

Walmart"s Black Friday sale is live online now: More deals to come

Black Friday 2015 sales live now: Amazon, Walmart, Kohls, Belk, Best Buy, Macy"s, Toys R Us, Target

Want some free shipping?

If you"re done with Black Friday shopping and still have a couple of items on your list, check out the online sales and their shipping terms. Here"s a list of those offering free or reduced shipping this year:

Apple Free shipping, no minimum
Best Buy Free shipping, no minimum
Dell Free shipping, no minimum
e-Bay Free shipping on select items, including deals of the day
Gander Mountain Free shipping, no minimum
Goody"s Free shipping, no minimum
hhgregg Free shipping, no minimum
Microsoft Free shipping, no minimum
Sports Authority Free shipping, no minimum
Target Free shipping, no minimum
Free shipping with minimum purchase
Amazon Free shipping with $35 minimum purchase
American Eagle Free shipping with $25 minimum purchase
Barnes and Nobles Free shipping with $25 minimum purchase
Bass Pro Shop Free shipping with $50 minimum purchase
Bed Bath and Beyond Free shipping with $49 minimum purchase
Belk Free shipping with $50 minimum purchase
Cabela"s Free shipping with $99 minimum purchase
Hallmark Free shipping with $50 minimum purchase
Harbor Freight Most items ship for $6.99
Home Depot Free shipping with $43 minimum purchase
K-Mart Free shipping with $49 minimum purchase
Kohl"s Free shipping with $75 minimum purchase
Lowe"s Free shipping with $19 minimum purchase
Macy"s Free shipping with $50 minimum purchase
Office Depot and Office Max Free shipping with $35 minimum purchase
Old Navy Free shipping with $50 minimum purchase
Overstock Free shipping and $50 minimum purchase
Petco Free shipping with $49 minimum purchase
Sears Free shipping with $49 minimum purchase
Staples Free shipping with $49 minimum purchase
Toys R Us Free shipping with $19 minimum purchase
Walgreens Free shipping with $35 minimum purchase
Wal-Mart Free shipping with $35 minimum purchase
Other
PetSmart 99 cent shipping with no minimum purchase

What"s next?

Cyber Monday is Nov. 30. We"ll be rolling out the Cyber Monday ads today and tomorrow.

Source: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/11/black_friday_2015_walmart_targ.html

Black Friday 2015: Walmart, Target, Best Buy, Amazon ads; Thanksgiving hours ...

Thanksgiving 2015 is here and that"s means Black Friday is only a day away.

Pros and cons of Black Friday

Before we look at bargains and hours, let"s look at the pros and cons of Black Friday shopping. Here"s some pluses and minuses from NerdWallet.com.

Pro: It can be fun For many people, Black Friday is a tradition and shoppers enjoy the thrill of the hunt.

What to expect this year?

BestBlackFriday.com is predicting Thanksgiving and Black Friday sales will see a huge boost from online buyers this year.

And where are the biggest bargains?

Who is open and who is closed?

If you"re curious about who is open on Thanksgiving, you can use this list as a guide. Local stores sometimes set their own hours so be sure to check. You can go to BestBlackFriday.com to see more.

Retailers closed on Thanksgiving

Ace Hardware (locally owned stores closed)
AT&T (customer service will remain open; retail stores will close)
Barnes & Noble
Bed Bath & Beyond
Burlington
Cabela"s
Costco
Crate and Barrel
Dillard"s
DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse
GameStop
Guitar Center
H&M
Harbor Freight
Hobby Lobby
Home Depot
HomeGoods
IKEA
Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores
Lowe"s
Marshalls
Mattress Firm
Neiman Marcus
Patagonia
Petco
PetSmart
Pier 1 Imports
Publix
Saks Fifth Avenue
Sam"s Club
Staples
T.J.Maxx
True Value
Von Maur

Hours for major retailers

Many stores will open on Thanksgiving. Here are some of the Nov. 26-27 Thanksgiving/Black Friday sale hours.

Target 6 p.m. Thursday midnight Fridays
Walmart 6 p.m. Thursday
JC Penny 3 p.m. Thursday
Best Buy 5 p.m. Thursday 1 a.m. Friday
Belk 6 p.m. Thursday
Sears 6 p.m. Thursday 2 a.m. Friday

Check out the ads

(Click on the name to see Thanksgiving/Black Friday ads)

J.C. Penney

CVS

Amazon

Kmart

Kohl"s

Lowe"s

Macy"s

Michael"s

Office Depot and OfficeMax

Old Navy

Overstock

Rite Aid

Sam"s Club

Sears

Staples

Target

Toys R Us

Walgreens

Walmart

More ads and deals

Dell $149 laptop, $99 desktop, $49 Bose headphones

Wal-Mart toy book, $199 Apple iPad Mini 2

Wal-Mart Black Friday sales 2015: $29 iPod Shuffle, $199 Apple iPad Mini

Dell offers Xbox One for $299.99, Alienware 15 laptop for $1,199

Dollar General Thanksgiving Day sale, Rite Aid Black Friday sale

Amazon rolling out a deal every 5 minutes starting Friday

PetSmart, Sam"s, Five Below, Home Depot, GameStop, Michael"s, Ulta

Target, Amazon, K-Mart toy books

Sears, NY & Co., e-Bay, JCPenny, PetSmart, Walgreens

CVS, Ashley Furniture, Costco, Big Lots, Cabela"s, Zales

Lowe"s, Gander Mountain. Groupon, d**k"s, K-Mart

Ace Hardware"s Craftsman deals, hhgregg, Pier One

Belk will open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Nov. 26

Black Friday 2015 sales live now: Amazon, Walmart, Kohls, Belk, Best Buy, Macy"s, Toys R Us, Target

Walmart"s Black Friday sale is live online now: More deals to come

Black Friday 2015 sales live now: Amazon, Walmart, Kohls, Belk, Best Buy, Macy"s, Toys R Us, Target

Want some free shipping?

Apple Free shipping, no minimum
Best Buy Free shipping, no minimum
Dell Free shipping, no minimum
e-Bay Free shipping on select items, including deals of the day
Gander Mountain Free shipping, no minimum
Goody"s Free shipping, no minimum
hhgregg Free shipping, no minimum
Microsoft Free shipping, no minimum
Sports Authority Free shipping, no minimum
Target Free shipping, no minimum
Free shipping with minimum purchase
Amazon Free shipping with $35 minimum purchase
American Eagle Free shipping with $25 minimum purchase
Barnes and Nobles Free shipping with $25 minimum purchase
Bass Pro Shop Free shipping with $50 minimum purchase
Bed Bath and Beyond Free shipping with $49 minimum purchase
Belk Free shipping with $50 minimum purchase
Cabela"s Free shipping with $99 minimum purchase
Hallmark Free shipping with $50 minimum purchase
Harbor Freight Most items ship for $6.99
Home Depot Free shipping with $43 minimum purchase
K-Mart Free shipping with $49 minimum purchase
Kohl"s Free shipping with $75 minimum purchase
Lowe"s Free shipping with $19 minimum purchase
Macy"s Free shipping with $50 minimum purchase
Office Depot and Office Max Free shipping with $35 minimum purchase
Old Navy Free shipping with $50 minimum purchase
Overstock Free shipping and $50 minimum purchase
Petco Free shipping with $49 minimum purchase
Sears Free shipping with $49 minimum purchase
Staples Free shipping with $49 minimum purchase
Toys R Us Free shipping with $19 minimum purchase
Walgreens Free shipping with $35 minimum purchase
Wal-Mart Free shipping with $35 minimum purchase
Other
PetSmart 99 cent shipping with no minimum purchase

What"s next?

Cyber Monday is Nov. 30. We"ll be rolling out the Cyber Monday ads today and tomorrow.

Source: http://www.al.com/news/index.ssf/2015/11/black_friday_2015_walmart_targ.html

Meijer donates $300K to college prep program at Calvin College

GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- A college preparatory program at Calvin College will expand in 2016, thanks to a $300,000 gift from Meijer, the college announced.

The gift will enable Calvin"s Entrada Scholars program, which serves high-achieving minority high school juniors and seniors, to serve an additional 25 students, bringing total enrollment to 100.

"We are working to give all students access to higher education, regardless of income, color or creed. It shows our renewed commitment to diversity and how it contributes to the flourishing of G*d"s kingdom," said Nygil Likely, director of pre-college programs at Calvin.

The commitment is for $100,000 per year.

Entrada Scholars was created in 1991 and has served more than 1,100 students, 96 percent of whom went on to enroll in college. The program costs $500. The majority of the program"s students are from Michigan, but out-of-state students enroll, too.

"Our dad always believed that greater educational opportunities are invaluable," said Hank Meijer, co-chairman of the Grand Rapids, Mich.-based retailer. "We are pleased to help the Entrada Scholars Program at Calvin College enroll even more students who are interested in pursuing their goals in higher education."

About two percent of Calvin"s students are black, while three percent are Hispanic and four percent are Asian.

Brian McVicar covers education for MLive and The Grand Rapids Press. Email him at bmcvicar@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter

Source: http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2015/11/meijer_donates_300k_to_college.html

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Snoop Dogg gets kidnapped by Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Old Navy"s Black Friday ad

Old Navys Black Friday ad sees the return of Seinfeld actress Julia Louis-Dreyfus as she partners with comedian Kumail Nanjiani to kidnap Snoop Dogg in a $1m heist.

The five-time Emmy Award winner returns to the fold for Gaps premier jeans brand for its Black Friday promotion which promises shoppers who wait in line for Black Friday the chance to win $1m.

Rapper and marijuana entrepreneur, Snoop Dogg, is the focal point of the ad which shows him tied up in his living room as Dreyfus interrogates him as to the whereabouts of the $1m in cash he photographed and uploaded to Instagram. Louis-Dreyfus chimes in with a humorous insult of her own at one point, calling Snoop Dogg "Daddy Long Legs."

The 2 min 20 second ad, created by Chandelier Creative,stars Silicon Valley star, Kumail Nanjiani, as the getaway driver who at one point refers to Snoop Doggs famous 1994 hit Gin and Juice noting that he had a bad experience with the combination which he claims upset his stomach.

Louis-Dreyfuss last performance for the clothing retailer saw her play an overbearing mother for the clothing brands back to school ad campaign. Snoop Dogg is expected to lend his distinctive voice to radio spots for the brand.

The approach expands on the brand"s recent drive to emphasize female comedians, which also includeAmy Poehler.

Source: http://www.thedrum.com/news/2015/11/23/snoop-dogg-gets-kidnapped-julia-louis-dreyfus-old-navys-black-friday-ad

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Not Just Another Boxing Movie. "Creed" Has Cred

Creed is billed as a Rocky spinoff but it"s actually something more interesting. It"s a spiritual remake of the 1976 film that retells the original story in an unexpected and involving way.

LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:

Remember Apollo Creed, Rocky Balboa"s boxing nemesis?

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "ROCKY III")

CARL WEATHERS: (As Apollo Creed) You got to remember now, you fight great, but I"m a great fighter.

WERTHEIMER: There"s a new film with his name on it, and critic Kenneth Turan reports on the action.

KENNETH TURAN, BYLINE: "Creed" is billed as a "Rocky" spinoff, but it"s actually something more interesting. It"s a spiritual remake of the 1976 film that retells the original story in an unexpected and involving way. That"s because after all those championship fights, it"s easy to believe that this series had fought its final round.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Right to the chin.

TURAN: Ryan Coogler, director of the indie hit "Fruitvale Station," had other ideas. He"s turned Rocky into a mentor to up-and-coming fighter Donnie Johnson, who just happens to be the illegitimate son of Rocky"s rival, Apollo Creed. Donnie, played by Michael B. Jordan, can"t shake a restless urge to box. He heads to Philadelphia to seek out the advice and counsel of the Italian stallion. Rocky, a Philly legend, is not hard to find.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "CREED")

SYLVESTER STALLONE: (As Rocky Balboa) So the girl said you wanted to talk about something.

MICHAEL B. JORDAN: (As Adonis Johnson) Yeah, I want to talk to you about training me.

STALLONE: (As Rocky Balboa) Training (laughter) I don"t do that stuff no more. Sorry about that. Listen, it"s getting kind of late, kid, so I"m going to close up.

JORDAN: (As Adonis Johnson) How good was he?

STALLONE: (As Rocky Balboa) Apollo, yeah, he was great. He"s the perfect fighter, ain"t nobody ever better.

JORDAN: (As Adonis Johnson) So how"d you beat him?

STALLONE: (As Rocky Balboa) Time beat him. Time, you know, takes everybody out. It"s undefeated.

TURAN: Donnie, desperate for the formal ring training he"s never had, is not easily put off. Before you know it - because there wouldn"t be any movie otherwise - Rocky is helping out, cluing Donnie into old-school training methods, like chasing chickens to increase speed. Rocky also dispenses homilies like they were going out of style.

(SOUNDBITE OF FILM, "CREED")

STALLONE: (As Rocky Balboa) Your father was special. To tell you the truth, I don"t if you"re special. Only you"re going to know that when the time is right. But you got to work hard. I swear to G*d, if you"re not going to do it, I"m out.

TURAN: Given that everyone works hard within the inevitable boundaries of a venerable franchise - this is a "Rocky" film after all - director Coogler and company do fine work convincing us that nothing we see is preordained, that anything can happen within the four corners of the ring. You can"t ask a "Rocky" film to do more than that.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

WERTHEIMER: Kenneth Turan reviews movies for MORNING EDITION and the LA Times.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPRs programming is the audio.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2015/11/25/457341951/movie-review-creed

Kissing bug prompts warnings in 26 states

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said a deadly insect known as the kissing bug has made its way into more than half of the United States.

The government has issued warnings about the bug in 26 states, including Kansas and Missouri.

The insect typically feeds on the blood of mammals, making it a threat to humans and pets. It only comes out at night, so its hard to see. If it gets into a home, its hard to get rid of.

What theyre looking for is any crack or crevice or entryway, said Pat Van Hooser of SOS Pest Control.

She said the bug is bad news.

Theyll bite you on your lips or the face, she said. Then what they do is pass a parasite to you and thats what causes the Chagas disease.

She said a tiny gap in the outside of a house is big enough for the bugs to come in. They can also get in through the roof or through gaps from cable or satellite wires.

A lot of times, we dont screen the vents up in our attic and so a lot of things get in that way, Van Hooser said. Sometimes youll find entry points where your cable wires and that kind of thing goes in.

Back yards are also prime real estate for the pest.

You come around here and you have a leaf pile and maybe some firewood. When you bring this firewood inside your home, you can be transporting all kinds of insects, she said.

Pets can also bring the unwanted guest in the house.

If you keep pets, theyll move into the dog house or those kinds of areas because theyre looking for shelter, too, she said.

She said the best prevention is keeping vegetation and tree limbs from touching the house and having a professional pest control company treat the home. Caulk can seal gaps in the foundation where hoses or cable wires come in.

Chagas disease that the kissing bug transmits can be fatal. More often, it becomes a chronic illness causing fever, fatigue, muscle pains and symptoms that can last for years.

Kissing bug bites are often mistaken for spider bites. Only a small percentage of people show signs of illness right away. Sometimes it can take years before Chagas disease is diagnosed in people who get bitten by the bug.

Source: http://www.kmbc.com/news/kissing-bug-prompts-warnings-in-26-states/36642882

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Pastor"s wife death: Men plead not guilty

Larry Taylor, 18, and Jaylen Watson, 21, were charged with murder in the death of Amanda Blackburn, who was shot and killed in a home invasion this month.

The next hearing in the case is set for January 8.

Earlier, a charging document stated that Taylor would face two counts of murder, murder while in the commission or attempted commission of one of a host of other crimes, burglary resulting in serious bodily injury, robbery resulting in serious bodily injury, two counts of burglary, criminal confinement while armed with a deadly weapon, three counts of theft of property valued between $750 and $50,000, auto theft and carrying a handgun without a license. All but the last charge are felonies.

Marion County Prosecutor Terry Curry said on Monday that Watson, 21, faced the same charges, with the exception that his charging document does not include criminal confinement or carrying a handgun without a license.

The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department violent crimes unit worked with the gangs unit and federal marshals to arrest Taylor. Chief Rick Hite praised the cooperation that led to the arrest.

A crime spree

Blackburn was killed at the end of a three-man crime spree, according to newly released court documents that contain information from an unnamed "cooperating individual."

Taylor, Watson and a third man are accused of breaking into a home and stealing car keys, a laptop and an iPhone from the sleeping occupant"s bedroom.

At some point during that robbery, the men discovered they were on surveillance video and disconnected the camera, the documents say. Taylor allegedly wanted to kill the occupant because he had been seen on camera, but Watson and the third man convinced him to leave.

They took off in a stolen car and drove to another home, where they stole televisions and a laptop, the documents say. The three men then turned their attention to a third target -- the Blackburns" home.

There, the documents say, Taylor hit Blackburn in the mouth with a gun and stayed behind as the other two attempted to use her ATM card to get money. He later told others that he killed Blackburn after "she charged at him and he shot her somewhere in the upper body so he would not be scratched."

"Taylor them told them that he leaned over her body and shot her in the back of the head. He leaned further, looked at her face, and watched her bleed," the documents say.

A promise

The arrests came 10 days after top police officials vowed to bring the killer to justice.

"We"re coming to get you," Hite said at a November 13 news conference.

His assistant commander of investigations, Maj. Eric Hench, also promised results: "To the individual that committed this crime, you are not as good as you think you are. You left behind evidence. We will find it. We have found it. We will find you and we will not stop until we get you."

Police were called to the Blackburns" home on the morning of November 10 and found Amanda Blackburn, an IMPD news release said.

"When officers arrived, they located the victim at the home, unresponsive, and suffering from apparent signs of trauma," the release said.

She was taken to Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital, where she died the following day.

Amanda Blackburn, 28, was married to Resonate Church Pastor Davey Blackburn and was pregnant when she died, according to a statement from her husband that recounted how a gunman critically wounded his wife and "the next day Amanda and her unborn daughter, Everette "Evie" Grace Blackburn, passed away as a result of her injuries."

One of the family"s representatives, Suzanne Swift, told CNN that Amanda Blackburn was 13 weeks pregnant.

"Everything inside of me wants to hate"

The couple"s 1-year-old son, Weston, was home when the shooting occurred. He was unharmed. Davey Blackburn, 30, discovered his wife after returning from the gym that morning, the couple"s church said.

The Blackburns moved to Indianapolis in 2012 to start Resonate Church, and "Amanda made it her life"s calling to love and serve everyone she knew. Even more, she has made it her life"s mission to see as many people as possible come to know Jesus as their personal Savior," a statement said.

Following news of Monday"s arrests, Davey Blackburn commended the IMPD"s compassion and professionalism, and he put forth three hopes he has for the case: that the courts have the "wisdom on how to prosecute this man," that the perpetrator faces "great consequences" for his crimes and experiences the "life-transforming power" of mercy and grace, and "that Jesus would give me and our family a heart of forgiveness."

Davey Blackburn further said police had assured him that they have a "solidly built case" against the suspect.

"Though everything inside of me wants to hate, be angry, and slip into despair I choose the route of forgiveness, grace and hope," Davey Blackburn said in his statement. "If there is one thing I"ve learned from Amanda in the 10 years we were together, it"s this: Choosing to let my emotions drive my decisions is recipe for a hopeless and fruitless life. Today I am deciding to love, not hate."

CNN"s Joe Sutton and Tiffany Ap contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/24/us/indiana-amanda-blackburn-killing/index.html

Watch as Elisabeth Hasselbeck Scolds Josh Earnest on the Air Over Obama Admin ...

Elisabeth Hasselbeck confronted White House press secretary Josh Earnest with a tough line of questioning on Fox & Friends Wednesday morning, criticizing the Obama administrations verbiage in the aftermath of the Paris terrorist attacks.

Fox News

Following this initial attack in Paris where 129 people were brutally killed, the president of the United States referred to this as something that was a setback. Secretary John Kerry then, in trying to draw a line of comparison between the Charlie Hedbo attacks and these recent Paris attacks, said that those attacks at Charlie Hebdo were understandable, she said.

She then asked, Do you understand at this point who the verbiage needs to change a bit? Because everyone in this world right now sees them as aloof, apathetic and quite cavalier about these lives being lost at the hands of ISIS.

Earnest noted that President Barack Obama also called the attacks sickening and expressed profound sorry.

I would encourage you to spend just as much time focusing on the presidents actions as you do his words, Earnest said.

His words matter, Josh, Hasselbeck shot back. I have to stop you there. The President of the United States words matter. I will focus on my presidents words, Josh.

After some heated crosstalk, Hasselbeck again accused Obama and his administration of using cavalier language when talking about the attack, Earnest repeated his previous talking point.

Elisabeth, if you would consider the presidents remarks, you will note that he called the attacks sickening and expressed profound sorrow of what precisely had occurred, he said.

(H/T: Mediaite)

Source: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2015/11/18/watch-as-elizabeth-hasselbeck-scolds-josh-earnest-on-the-air-over-obama-admins-reaction-to-paris-attacks/

Golden State Warriors: Attack of the Killer Shrimp

Nov. 23, 2015 6:55 p.m. ET

Its already clear that the Golden State Warriors are better this season than they were when they won the NBA title last season. Theyre off to a 15-0 start and can break the leagues record for the best opening ever with a win Tuesday against the lowly Los Angeles Lakers. Almost everything else about the team has improved, too. Stephen Curry is even shooting bettersomething that didnt seem humanly possible.

But what really makes the Warriors unstoppable is a lineup they bust out only when they have to. This lineup is the Warriors cheat code. No one in the NBA has figured out how to beat it, because the NBA has never seen anything like it.

The deadly lineup consists of five playersCurry, Klay Thompson, Andre Iguodala, Harrison Barnes and Draymond Greenwho are all shooting threats and shorter than 6-foot-8. This small-ball unit, in which the shooting guard is the same size as the center, has scored a total of 200 points in 56 minutes this year. That is silly. This lineup also has been 70.8 points per 100 possessions better than whatever the other team puts on the court. That is sillier. Since the NBA started tracking these statistics in 2008, no lineup with at least 100 minutes has had a net rating better than 36 points, let alone anything in the same area code as 70 points.

The person who is most responsible for the Warriors unleashing this weapon may be the only NBA player who can do anything about it: LeBron James. Golden State used this lineup for only 102 total minutes on its way to a 67-15 record last season. But then came the NBA Finals, when Jamess brilliance made the Warriors tweak their strategy after falling behind two games to one. They turned to their small lineup to start the game. They didnt lose again.

They still havent. This lineup has proven especially useful for the Warriors in an emergency. In a game against the Los Angeles Clippers last week, for example, the Warriors were down 10 in the fourth quarter when their superhero lineup assembled. It ticked off a remarkable 25-6 run to win the game.

The same thing happened when Golden State tied the NBA record Sunday. The Warriors were down one in the second quarter. They went small, and they were up nine two minutes later. But the first half was the last time this lineup played that night. Golden State was up by enough in the fourth quarter that it wasnt necessary.

Source: http://www.wsj.com/articles/golden-state-warriors-attack-of-the-killer-shrimp-1448322930

Miami Heat President Pat Riley"s Praise Of Golden State Warriors Is Manipulative

Getty Images

Pat Riley recently said that the Golden State Warriors have dynastic potential, and he is right about that. However, he is also being competitive. Riley is obviously someone who knows a thing or two about dynasties. He was a part of one while coachingMagic Johnsons Los Angeles Lakers and witnessed one in the Chicago Bullswhen leading theNew York Knicks.

Riley even went so far as to compare Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson to Jerry West and Gail Goodrich as one of the best backcourts of all time. Here is the thing. Of course, Riley doesnt want to say anything that cant be backed up by facts, but he is also an arrogant guy who has faith in his team building abilities. He probably thinks the Miami Heatwill be back on top of the basketball world in the next two to three years, and he is trying to inflate the Warriors egos in the hopes that theyll lose some playoff games. The following comments to me are manipulative on Rileys part.

They are in the beginning of something that can be dynastic, he said to ESPN. Theyre in the beginning stages of it, and thats the scary part, versus somebody that catches lightning in a bottle one time. Theyre at the beginning because all of their key players, all of them, are young and theyre talented. The ones that arent have what I call youth age, like Andre Iguodala, Andrew Bogut, Shaun Livingston those guys bring an element to the team is incredible.

Riley is right about the Warriors youth; however, he also knows how fragile championship chemistry is. The Heats path towards contention still appears unclear to me, but the team president certainly has some trade targets and free agents that h**l be looking at in the next few seasons. Kevin Durant will obviously be on top of the Heats list, but they might have to get in line behind the Oklahoma City Thunder and Washington Wizardsfor a meeting. The main point is that Riley believes what he says about the Warriors while also secretly hoping that he is setting them up for a fall from grace. One injury can change everything in the NBA landscape, and that is just the sad reality of the world we live in. Riley knows this and is using it to his advantage.

Dave Daniels is a Featured Writer for RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter: @AllDave_AllDay, like him on Facebook here or add him to your network on Google.

Source: http://www.rantsports.com/nba/2015/11/23/miami-heat-president-pat-rileys-praise-of-golden-state-warriors-is-manipulative/

Monday, November 23, 2015

One Direction wins big at American Music Awards; Celine Dion pays tribute to ...

One Direction might have debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard charts behind Justin Bieber, but they won the top award at Sundays American Music Awards.

This is a testament to how incredible our fans are, Louis Tomlinson said onstage at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

We just want to thank everyone thats helped us in the last five years, Liam Payne added.

The band won the top award at last years show as a quintet with Zayn Malik. They also won favorite duo or group pop/rock Sunday night.

Bieber, who won best collaboration with Diplo and Skrillex, closed the night with a medley of his hits, including Sorry, Where Are U Now and What Do You Mean. Purple laser lights beamed from the stage as the singer danced and sang for the loud audience. He ended it drenched after standing under a waterfall.

Billboard announced Sunday his new album, Purpose, will debut at No. 1 on its charts Monday after selling 649,000 equivalent albums. It beat out One Directions Made In the A.M., which sold 459,000 equivalent albums.

Biebers performance wasnt the only well-received one: Celine Dion paid tribute to the victims of the recent Paris attacks by singing Edith Piafs Hymne LAmour in French as some audience members cried.

Jared Leto, who introduced Dion, said his band 30 Seconds to Mars recently performed at the Bataclan, the Paris concert hall where 89 people were killed in the Nov. 13 attack.

Dion earned a rousing applause after her performance, which started with the Eiffel Tower projected behind her.

The Weeknds performance was also a favorite, and he walked away with two awards, and presented the first one from Prince.

Make some noise for Prince, ladies and gentlemen, the singer said after picking up favorite album soul/R&B for Beauty Behind the Madness.

Nicki Minaj was also a double winner, taking home favorite artist and album rap/hip-hop. She encouraged her feverish fans to find their voice.

I want to just thank you, the fans, for allowing me to change and have a different voice every time I come back out (with a new album), Minaj said. And please find your voice and find your purpose before its too late. Love you.

Other girls at the awards show encouraged their peers: Zendaya and Hailee Steinfeld danced excited as Selena Gomez performed onstage; Fifth Harmony and Rebel Wilson sang as Demi Lovato was in strong form with Confident; and Gomez sang as Grande performed Focus in a shimmery number.

Meghan Trainor and Charlie Puths performance got additional attention after the singers made out onstage after singing their song, Marvin Gaye, which features the lyrics: Lets Marvin Gaye and get it on.

Im still laughing at Charlie and Meghan smooching, Bryan said onstage after winning favorite male artist country.

Bryan beat out Jason Aldean and Sam Hunt, who won new artist of the year.

Host Jennifer Lopez kicked off the AMAs in a dance routine that highlighted some of the years biggest hits like Where Are U Now, Anaconda, Uptown Funk! and Hotline Bling. She also impressively sang in almost a cappella form.

Taylor Swift, who is out of the country shooting a music video, was the top nominee with six. She won song of the year for Blank Space, favorite album pop/rock for 1989 and favorite artist adult contemporary

Swift lost favorite female artist pop/rock to Grande, who was shocked when accepting the honor.

I think I owe a lot of this to my nonna who made sure to remind me that she voted. She goes, Ariana, I went on the computer, I voted, so I think youll win, Grande said in an Italian accent.

The three-hour show, which aired on ABC, also included a clip from the upcoming Star Wars film. Performers included Coldplay, Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette, 5 Seconds of Summer and Carrie Underwood, who won favorite female artist country.

Source: http://www.saratogian.com/general-news/20151123/one-direction-wins-big-at-american-music-awards-celine-dion-pays-tribute-to-paris-victims

Chargers-Chiefs, quarter by quarter

First quarter

CHIEFS 6, CHARGERS 0

Key play: Chiefs 346-pound nose tackle Dontari Poe banged into the end zone on fourth down, giving the Chiefs a 6-0 lead.

Key stat: The Chargers began with four handoffs to rookie Melvin Gordon, netting eight yards.

What happened: The Chargers regained Manti Teo, Corey Liuget and Ladarius Green, all activated before the game. The Chiefs de-activated two starting linemen, Ben Grubbs and Allen Bailey. The Chargers chose to kick off. On the visitors second drive, Chiefs RB Charcandrick West gained 47 yards off a short pass, leading to the TD. West was unchallenged as he ran with the ball through a vast void over the defenses middle. On the scoring play, Poe ran up the middle and launched into the end zone, bouncing off a defender. Following a Travis Kelce penalty, Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos missed a 43-yard point after touchdown.

Second quarter

CHIEFS 12, CHARGERS 3

Key play: Chiefs QB Alex Smith ran out of Melvin Ingrams grasp late in the first half, prolonging a drive that led to three points.

Key stat: The Chargers threw no passes to TE Antonio Gates in the first half

What happened: Josh Lambos 52-yard field goal pulled the Chargers to 6-3. Dontrelle Inmans 17-yard catch on third-and-10 prolonged the scoring drive. Chargers LB Ingram flung TE Kelce to the ground prevent a first down. Chiefs WR Maclin and TE Demetrius Harris caught third-down passes to spark a drive, leading to Santos 28-yard kick that made it 9-3. On third-and-6 at his 18, Chiefs QB Smith got away from Ingram, denying him a sack, and gained 10 yards. The Chargers stood to receive a punt and take over near midfield; instead, the Chiefs went down for Santos second field goal, coming after Kelces TD catch was overturned.

Third quarter

CHIEFS 19, CHARGERS 3

Key play: Chiefs linebacker Justin Houston intercepted a Philip Rivers pass and returned it 17 yards for a touchdown.

Key stat: The Chargers gained 1.9 yards per carry through three quarters.

What happened: Chargers LT King Dunlap gave up two sacks to Tamba Hali and was flagged for holding. Dunlap then left the game and was announced with an ankle injury. Chargers CB Jason Verrett forced a Chiefs punt by tackling RB Charcandrick West in the open field. With his fifth sack in his last five games against the Chiefs, DE Liuget forced a punt. Houston picked off a pass meant for RB Danny Woodhead. The crowd booed Chargers failed offensive plays. The Chargers announced NT Sean Lissemore, concussed in the first half, wouldnt return. Mike Scifres, showing better form than before the bye, had a 57-yard punt.

Fourth quarter

CHIEFS 33, CHARGERS 3

Key play: The Chargers Javontee Herndon fumbled a punt, and the Chiefs recovered at San Diegos 44 early in the quarter.

Key stat: The Chargers have not scored an offensive touchdown in the last seven quarters.

What happened: Rookie LB Denzel Perryman sacked the Chiefs Smith for a 14-yard loss, leading to a punt. Teo sacked Smith for a 1-yard loss. Chiefs RB Spencer Ware went 52 yards off off right guard to San Diegos 25. He capped the drive with a 3-yard scoring run. The officials overturned a Rivers completion to Stevie Johnson, leading to fourth-and-1. Safety Eric Berry stopped Gordon short, putting the Chiefs on San Diegos 24. Three rushes from Ware, the third from three yards, finished the scoring. The Chargers announced safety Jahleel Addae left with a concussion.

Source: http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/2015/nov/22/chargers-chiefs-quarter-by-quarter/

Sunday, November 22, 2015

Latest from NFL: Tony Romo back in action for Cowboys

The latest from NFL games around the league on the 11th Sunday of the season (all times EST):

6:42 p.m.

If only Tony Romo had Jason Witten"s longevity streak or fortune when it comes to health, the Dallas Cowboys" Super Bowl drought wouldn"t be so long.

Witten broke Bob Lilly"s franchise record for consecutive games played with his 197th today in the Cowboys" 24-14 win in Miami.

Tony Romo returned from a broken collar bone that had sidelined him seven games and helped the Cowboys snap a seven-game losing skid.

Since Week 2 of last season, the Cowboys are 16-3 when Romo starts and 0-8 when he doesn"t.

___

5:58 p.m.

LaDainian Tomlinson has been inducted into the San Diego Chargers" Hall of Fame and his No. 21 retired.

Tomlinson, whose brilliant tenure with the Chargers included winning the 2006 NFL MVP Award and setting the single-season touchdown record, was inducted by former fullback Lorenzo Neal.

Tomlinson joins Hall of Famers Dan Fouts (14) and Lance Alworth (19), and the late Junior Seau as having his number retired by the Chargers.

Tomlinson thanked the Chargers organization, drawing boos from the crowd. The boos turned to cheers when L.T. mentioned the fans.

Fans are angry that Chargers chairman Dean Spanos wants to move the team to an industrial suburb of Los Angeles. Dean Spanos was not on the dais for the ceremony, but his sons, A.G. and John, were.

___Bernie Wilson reporting from San Diego.

___

5:45 p.m.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater left the game late in the first half against the Green Bay Packers with an injured left shoulder.

The Vikings are calling his return probable.

Bridgewater hit the turf hard when he was tackled by Packers linebacker Mike Neal.

He left the game and jogged to the locker room, being replaced by backup Shaun Hill.

Bridgewater was 9 for 10 for 104 yards and a touchdown in the first half. He"s also been sacked three times.

__ Jon Krawczynski reporting from Minneapolis.

___

5:25 p.m.

Phillip Rivers has broken Hall of Famer Dan Fouts" Chargers record of 3,297 career completions.

Rivers came in needing four completions to break Fouts" record.

He got it with a seven-yard pass to Stevie Johnson, giving him 3,298. Rivers added to the record two plays later when he hit Johnson again for three yards.

Rivers is on pace to rewrite all of the team"s season passing records.

__Bernie Williams reporting from San Diego.

___

5:19 p.m.

The Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts both improved to .500 behind backup QBs and are tied atop the middling AFC South at 5-5.

T.J. Yates threw two TD passes to DeAndre Hopkins in Houston"s 24-17 win over the Jets. Yates was signed last month and started in place of Bryan Hoyer, who was out with a concussion.

Matt Hasselbeck threw a pair of TDs while filling in for an injured Andrew Luck and the Colts beat the Falcons 24-21 on Adam Vinatieri"s last-minute field goal.

In Chicago, Brock Osweiler won his first NFL start in place of an injured and ineffective Peyton Manning. He threw for 250 yards and two TDs in Denver"s 17-15 win as the Broncos (8-2) snapped a two-game skid.

Cam Newton threw a career-high five touchdowns passes and the Panthers improved to 10-0 with a 44-16 win over Washington. Jameis Winston tied a rookie record with five TD passes in the Buccaneers" 45-17 rout of Philadelphia.

In other games, Detroit beat Oakland 18-13, Dallas beat Miami 24-14 and Baltimore edged St. Louis 16-13 but lost stars Joe Flacco (knee) and Justin Forsett (arm) to season-ending injuries.

___

4:58 p.m.

More devastating injury news for the Baltimore Ravens.

Quarterback Joe Flacco will miss the rest of the season after tearing knee ligaments late in the fourth quarter of Baltimore"s 16-13 win over the St. Louis Rams.

The Ravens also lost running back Justin Forsett to a broken right arm in the game.

Flacco has never missed a game since starting the season opener in 2008. His run of 122 straight starts will end next week.

He played the final series Sunday despite being injured and moved the offense to set up the winning field goal by Justin Tucker. Flacco went 27 for 44 for 299 yards.

___

4:47 p.m.

Alex Smith has broken the Kansas City Chiefs" record for consecutive passes without an interception while playing against his hometown San Diego Chargers.

Smith, who played at nearby Helix High where Reggie Bush was his teammate came in needing six passes without a pick to break Steve DeBerg"s record set in 1990.

Smith got it on a big one, a 47-yard completion to running back Charcandrick West on the Chiefs" second possession. That was his 234th consecutive pass without an interception.

That helped set up a 1-yard touchdown plunge by defensive tackle Dontari Poe for a 6-0 lead. The PAT failed.

__Bernie Wilson reporting from San Diego.

___

4:34 p.m.

It"s been a big day for several NFL quarterbacks.

Can Newton threw a career-high five touchdowns passes, and the Panthers improved to 10-0 on the season with a 44-16 win over Washington.

Jameis Winston tied a rookie record with five touchdown passes in Tampa Bay"s 45-17 rout of Philadelphia.

Tony Romo made a successful return to action, Brock Osweiler won his starting debut and Matt Hasselbeck filled in nicely for Andrew Luck again.

Romo returned from a collarbone injury and threw for two TDs as the Cwboys won for the first time since he was hurt in Week 2, beating the Miami Dolphins 24-14.

Osweiler also threw for two TDs, leading Denver to a 17-15 win at Chicago. He was 20 of 27 for 250 yards.

Hasselbeck led the Colts to a 24-21 win over the Falcons.

___

4:13

It"s a happy 25th birthday for Brock Osweiler.

He led Denver to a 17-15 win over Chicago in his first NFL start today while subbing for an injured and ineffective Peyton Manning.

Osweiler, a fourth-year pro making his first start since the 2011 MACCO Bowl for Arizona State, threw TD passes to Demaryius Thomas and Cody Latimer. It was Latimer"s first career touchdown.

The Bears scored their first TD on Jeremy Langford"s short run with 29 seconds left but his 2-point conversion try failed when safety T.J. Ward was unblocked and tripped him up.

Thomas gathered in Robbie Gould"s onside kick and Denver improved to 8-2, snapping a two-game skid.

3:39 p.m.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell is in Minnesota for the NFC North showdown against Green Bay, planning to watch the first half from the seats on a brisk afternoon with a temperature in the low 30s.

The Vikings are playing their last season outdoors at their temporary home at the University of Minnesota before moving into their $1 billion new stadium downtown in 2016.

Goodell took part in a question-and-answer session with 75 selected season-ticket holders in the morning at the team"s preview center across from the construction site. Then he toured the towering new facility with team owners and officials, before heading to the Packers-Vikings game.

__Dave Campbell reporting from Minneapolis

___

3:24 p.m.

Jameis Winston has thrown five touchdown passes, tying the NFL rookie record for most in one game.

Matthew Stafford also had five TD passes for Detroit against Cleveland on Nov. 22, 2009. Both Winston and Stafford were the No. 1 overall pick.

Winston hadn"t thrown more than two TDs in one game before tossing four in the first half to four different receivers against the Eagles.

His fifth came in the third quarter to Cameron Brate, an 8-yard toss.

__ Rob Maaddi reporting from Philadelphia.

___

3:18 p.m.

An unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for dancing and the ensuing short kick proved costly for the Dallas Cowboys in the final moments of the first half at Miami.

Tony Romo and Terrance Williams teamed up for a 31-yard scoring pass play that gave Dallas a 14-0 lead. Williams and Dez Bryant were then penalized for doing the dab, a dance that is becoming trendy in the NFL.

The penalty forced Dallas to kick off from its 20. Dan Bailey followed with a short, high 40-yard kick that was fielded by Miami"s Zack Vigil and returned to the Dolphins 46.

That helped set up Ryan Tannehill"s 12-yard TD pass to Jordan Cameron to pull Miami within 14-7 with 16 seconds remaining in the half.

___Steven Wine reporting from Miami.

___

3:09 p.m.

Brock Osweiler"s big feet cost the Denver Broncos a touchdown

The 6-foot-8 quarterback handed off to Ronnie Hillman on fouth-and-1 from the Chicago 2, but his right foot tripped up Hillman, who stumbled short of the first down.

That left the Broncos clinging to a 10-6 lead late in the third quarter.

The Broncos failed to capitalize on Danny Trevathan"s interception, Denver"s first takeaway since Week 6 in Cleveland.

___

3 p.m.

After a listless first half, the Oakland Raiders finally scored thanks to a key penalty on a Detroit defensive back.

Nevin Lawson was called for holding, negating an interception thrown by Oakland"s Derek Carr, and the Raiders eventually scored on a 1-yard run by Latavius Murray in the third quarter. Oakland still trails 9-7.

The Lions controlled the first half but managed only three field goals by Matt Prater.

Calvin Johnson reached another milestone, catching the 700th pass of his career.

Noah Trister reporting from Detroit.

___

2:48 p.m.

Ed Reed is now a member of the Baltimore Ravens Ring of Honor.

Reed was drafted by Baltimore in 2002. Although he spent a small portion of his career with Houston and the New York Jets, he retired as a Raven last May after signing a one-day contract.

The team paid homage to the nine-time Pro Bowl free safety Sunday at halftime of its game against the Rams. Reed also was part of the pre-game introductions.

The ceremony was attended by many of previous inductees, including Jonathan Ogden, Jamal Lewis, Todd Heap and Michael McCrary.

___Dave Ginsburg reporting from Baltimore.

___

2:34 p.m.

Cam Newton had never thrown four TD passes in a game before today.

He"s accomplished that feat in the first half against the Washington Redskins.

Newton has thrown TD passes to Jonathan Stewart, Mike Tolbert, Ted Ginn Jr. and Greg Olsen to give the Panthers a 28-14 lead.

Newton"s previous career high was three TD passes in a game.

The four TDs is a franchise record.

Steve Reed reporting from Charlotte, North Carolina

___

2:28 p.m.

Tampa Bay"s Doug Martin has 174 yards against the Eagles on 11 carries and it"s only the middle of the second quarter.

Martin has runs of 58 and 84 yards, but was tackled short of the end zone on both. The Buccaneers lead the Eagles 21-14.

Martin"s career-best was 251 yards rushing as a rookie at Oakland on Nov. 4, 2012. Adrian Peterson has the NFL record with 296 yards rushing for Minnesota against San Diego on Nov. 4, 2007.

__ Rob Maaddi reporting from Philadelphia.

___

2:10 p.m.

Falcons fullback Patrick DiMarco has tripled his career touchdowns in the first half against the Indianapolis Colts.

Used mainly as a blocker, DiMarco was left wide open in the end zone on a 15-yard touchdown catch late in the first quarter.

Then, he pushed Atlanta to a 14-0 lead with a 1-yard scoring reception in the second period.

DiMarco came into the game with only one TD in his four-year career a 1-yard scoring catch against Minnesota last season.

Paul Newberry reporting from Atlanta.

___

2 p.m.

The Atlanta Falcons clearly spent their bye week putting in more plays for Roddy White.

The leading receiver in team history has been nearly invisible this season, coming into Sunday"s game against the Indianapolis Colts having been targeted only 30 times, with a mere 17 receptions.

But White was targeted five times in the opening quarter, more than he has in any game since he was the intended receiver eight times in the season opener against Philadelphia.

White has two catches for 17 yards.

Paul Newberry reporting from Atlanta.

___

1:50 p.m.

Washington running back Alfred Morris has left the Redskins" game against the Carolina Panthers in the first quarter with a rib injury.

Morris was getting his ribs taped by trainers on the sideline and appears as though he may return. The team has officially said his return is questionable.

Morris, who has rushed for 404 yards in nine games this season, was injured on the team"s first offensive possession.

He"s been replaced by rookie Matt Jones.

Steve Reed reporting from Charlotte, North Carolina

___

1:30 p.m.

This wasn"t the way Tony Romo envisioned his return to action.

Romo"s first completion back in pouring rain was left-handed toss out of end zone to avoid a safety. It was complete but short of the first down.

It was raining so hard, he went to the sideline to use a towel while the officials discussed a penalty.

Romo is playing in his first game since Sept. 20.

He missed seven games all Dallas losses with a broken left collarbone. Since Week 2 of 2014, the Cowboys are 15-3 when Romo starts and 0-8 when he doesn"t.

___

1:15 p.m.

Brock Osweiler"s off to a good start in his first NFL start.

The longtime backup to Peyton Manning drove Denver on its first opening touchdown drive this season.

He hit Demaryius Thomas on a 48-yarder to give the Broncos a quick 7-0 lead after the Broncos had forced Chicago to go three-out-out on the Bears" first drive.

Osweiler is starting in place of Manning, whose franchise record 57-game starting streak came to an end because of a variety of injuries.

___

12:55 p.m.

Peyton Manning"s longtime backup Brock Osweiler is preparing to make his first NFL start today in Chicago. The Denver Broncos quarterback is celebrating his 25th birthday and making his first start since the 2011 MAACO Bowl for Arizona State.

Manning stayed behind in Denver to continue getting treatment on a variety of injuries.

Another backup is making his first start of the season today as Mark Sanchez gets the nod in Philadelphia because Sam Bradford has a concussion and injured left shoulder.

And in Atlanta, Matt Hasselbeck gets his third start of the season for the Colts with Andrew Luck sidelined with a lacerated kidney he sustained on a hard hit two weeks ago from Denver"s Vance Walker and Danny Trevathan.

___

AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://www.register-herald.com/region/latest-from-nfl-tony-romo-back-in-action-for-cowboys/article_ed9dbef2-30bf-5339-afdc-5bccbf409567.html