Womens World Cup and Russians playing in Bikinis?

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So back state side and scanning the news I've missed over the past week. Dodgers declared bankruptcy, NBA lockout becomes official, TechCrunch gets nasty on Groupon, Serena Williams has emotional win at Wimbledon, etc....

While in Europe for the past week, all the sports hype was on the Womens World Cup being hosted in Germany. Upon my return to Florida I'm reminded that soccer or futbol means very little in the states. In fact, if ESPN wasn't forcing it down peoples throat by airing it on it's premiere ESPN 1.0 channel then the three week tourney known as, "FIFA Womens World Cup" would pass with little if any fan fare here in the states. Obviously, Womens Soccer needs improvement in their marketing plan and a Russian Club team may have found the answer. (Disclaimer: I'm not sexist I'm just a mediator of the world me live in).

The three time Russian Women's Premier League Champions have promised that they'll play their next match in Bikinis. Their goal? To fill the seats of course. If your not aware, Womens soccer is increasingly popular throughout Europe yet the rapid development and growth hasn't filled seats in Russia. Busted Coverage provided a blurb from a representative of the club:

"I think that our soccer players are beautiful and attractive woman, brilliantly holding the ball, no way inferior to the well-known tennis players and gymnasts, – says Sergey Zhuravlev." According to head coach Tatiana Egorova, "the experience contributes to the promotion of women’s football, and the athletes themselves are starting to feel more confident."

My two cents......If the Lingerie Football League or the World Bikini Football League can establish itself in the United States then the Russians could be on too something.

I'd go as far to say that if womens soccer adapted a similar format in the US it would triple its attendance in less than a year. If not better! Is this demeaning for women? Absolutely, especially for professional athletes. Will the sport ever make it if it adapts this format? Not in the US where Women are valued much higher than other countries in the world. However, if there was ever a business opportunity that dropped on your lap then bikini soccer is it. Reality TV at it's best.

Pictures and story via Busted Coverage

Returning to action soon!

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Ladies and Gentlemen! Boys and Girls! I apologize for my absence over the past few days. However, one must always make time for one self and the past week was said time for me and my family. Thus, the traditional summer vacation.

With high speed trains to Germany, Belgium, France, and England I felt Amsterdam would be the best central point for an adventure in Europe. Unfortunately, my wife was less than thrilled when I was caught blogging via our apartment on Montmarte Hill (Six Blocks from Moulin Rouge in Paris). Thus, the recent lull in post.

I'm currently sitting in Schipol International Airport minutes from boarding for my journey back to the states. Great stories to tell. New post will be up tomorrow morning.

Until then........

Google vs. US Government

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It's about to go down! Google vs. US Government! The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is poised to serve Google Inc. with civil subpoenas in regards to a formal antitrust investigation into Google possibly abusing it's power over the web.

First, let me point out that both Google and the FTC declined to comment. So get ready for years of "no comment" from both sides. Never the less, both sides will create a buzz over a potentially monumental investigation.

Google has been the subject of antitrust investigations in the past but nothing more than the feds inquiring on M&A (merger acquisitions) details. What makes this investigation different? The FTC is investigating Google's main cash cow, Search Advertising. Specifically the FTC will investigate whether Google unfairly channels users to its own services at the expense of other competitors.

As you know, everyone uses Google. Even if your a loyal Microsoft (BING) follower you've checked out Google from time to time. Even if you still have your Yahoo email from 1999 you dabble in the Google mania here and there. The FTC knows this and estimates are that 1.2 Billion people from around the world use Google. With that kind of following many have suggested that Google has gone MAD with POWER! The FTC, protector of the American consumer, intends on ending the debate once and for all.


The FTC is preparing to send Google the formal demands for information within days. Meaning Round 1 of Google vs. US Government will have officially begun. In addition, the European Commission has already opened a formal investigation into allegations that it (Google) violated European Competition laws. Many companies, European and American alike, are expected to participate in the investigation by means of providing evidence of Google's antitrust anti-competition activities. The outcome of this investigation could very well be monumental. Stay Tuned.....

FBI most wanted MOBSTER caught!

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Infamous Boston mob boss James "Whitey" Bulger, wanted for his alleged role in 19 murders, was captured in California after 16 years on the lam and an international manhunt for the gangster.

The FBI finally caught the 82-year-old Bulger at a residence in Santa Monica along with his longtime girlfriend Catherine Greig on Wednesday, just days after the government launched a publicity campaign to locate the fugitive mobster.

"Recent publicity produced a tip which led agents to Santa Monica where they spotted both Bulger and Greig at a residence," FBI Special Agent Greg Comcowich said in a statement Thursday.

The FBI said the two are scheduled for an appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California.

The last sighting of Bulger, who was an inspiration for the 2006 Martin Scorsese film, "The Departed," was in London in 2002, the Boston Herald reports.

Authorities claim Buglar was behind gruesome mutilation murders of other gangsters and even former girlfriends, according to the newspaper.

One victim was shot between the eyes in a parking lot at his country club in Oklahoma. Another was gunned down in broad daylight on a South Boston street to prevent him from talking about the killing in Oklahoma. Others were taken out for running afoul of Bulger's gambling enterprises.

"He left a trail of bodies," said Tom Duffy, a retired state police major who was one of the lead investigators in the criminal case against Bulger. "You did not double-cross him. If you did, you were dead."

Bulger provided information on a rival gang to the FBI, then fled in January 1995 when a former agent told him he was about to be indicted.

The FBI had been conducting surveillance in the area where Bulger was arrested, said police Sgt. Rudy Flores. Agents swarmed around Bulger's building late Wednesday, hours after the arrests in a neighborhood of two and three-story apartment buildings.

Bulger lived on the third floor of The Princess Eugenia, a three-story, 28-unit building of one and two-bedroom apartments three blocks from a bluff that overlooks the Pacific Ocean. Neighbors said the couple did not stand out.

Barbara Gluck, who lives on the same floor as Bulger and Greig, said she didn't know their names but recognized them from photos on the Internet after she heard about their arrest.

Gluck described Greig, a former dental hygienist, as "sweet and lovely" and said they would have "girl talk" when they ran into each other in the building. Bulger became angry whenever he saw the two of them talking, and would say, "Stop talking to her," Gluck said.

"He was nasty," she added. "At one point, (Greig) said (Bulger) has a rage issue."

Bulger faces a series of federal charges including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, narcotics distribution, extortion and money laundering, while the 60-year-old Greig is charged with harboring a fugitive.

The arrest brings an end to a manhunt that received worldwide attention as the FBI received reported sightings of Bulger and Greig from all over the United States and parts of Europe. In many of those sightings, investigators could not confirm whether it was Bulger who was spotted or a lookalike.

The investigation touched the highest level of Massachusetts politics. Bulger's younger brother, William, was one of the most powerful politicians in the state, leading the Massachusetts Senate for 17 years and later serving as president of the University of Massachusetts for seven years. He resigned his post in August 2003 amid pressure from Attorney General Thomas Reilly and then-Gov. Mitt Romney, who issued a statement Thursday, saying Bulgar's capture "brings to a close a sad and sordid chapter in recent Massachusetts history."

William Bulger had told a congressional committee that he spoke to his brother shortly after he went on the run in 1995 but had no idea about his whereabouts.

For many years, William Bulger was able to avoid any tarnish from his brother's alleged crimes. But in August 2003, he resigned his post as president of UMass amid pressure from then-Gov. Mitt Romney and Attorney General Thomas Reilly.

Bulger, nicknamed "Whitey" for his shock of bright platinum hair, grew up in a gritty South Boston housing project, and went on to become Boston's most notorious gangster.

Along with Stephen "The Rifleman" Flemmi, he led the violent Winter Hill Gang, a largely Irish mob that ran loan-sharking, gambling and drug rackets in the Boston area. U.S. Attorney Donald K. Stern said in 2000 that the two were "responsible for a reign of intimidation and murder that spanned 25 years."

Prosecutors said he went on the run after being warned by John Connolly Jr., an FBI agent in Boston who had made Bulger an informant 20 years earlier. Connolly was convicted of racketeering in May 2002 for protecting Bulger and Flemmi, also an FBI informant.

Bulger provided the Boston FBI with information on his gang's main rival, the New England Mob, in an era when bringing down the Mafia was one of the FBI's top national priorities.

But the Boston FBI office was sharply criticized when the extent of Bulger's alleged crimes and his cozy relationship with the FBI became public in the late 1990s.

A congressional committee, in a draft report issued in 2003, blasted the FBI for its use of Bulger and other criminals as informants, calling it "one of the greatest failures in the history of federal law enforcement."

After he fled, Bulger became one of the nation's most-hunted fugitives. With a place next to Usama bin Laden on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, he had a $2 million reward on his head.

In September 2002, the FBI received the most reliable tip in three years when a British businessman who had met Bulger eight years earlier said he spotted Bulger on a London street

After the sighting, the FBI's multiagency violent fugitive task force in Boston and inspectors from New Scotland Yard scoured London hotels, Internet cafes and gyms in search of Bulger. The FBI also released an updated sketch, using the businessman's description of Bulger as tan, white-haired and sporting a gray goatee.

On Monday, the FBI announced a new publicity campaign and accompanying public service ad that asked people, particularly women, to be on the lookout for Greig. The 30-second ad started running Tuesday in 14 television markets to which Bulger may have ties and was to air during programs popular with women roughly Greig's age.

The new campaign pointed out that Greig had several plastic surgeries before going on the lam and was known to frequent beauty salons.

On Thursday, Bulger's picture on the Ten Most Wanted list was spanned by a red banner that said "Captured." Greig's photo, with the same banner, was displayed prominently.

John Weiskopf, who lives across the street from Bulger's Santa Monica building, said he recognized Bulger when he saw his photo on the Internet.

"I recognized him. I said `Holy Smokes,"' he said.

"From what I understand, these were really gracious easy-going people," Weiskopf said. "They don't come out with fangs, they just blended in."

Clint Dempsey is too cool for school!

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Last night, USA Soccer advanced to the Gold Cup Finals by defeating Panama 1-0. The US squad has been under scrutiny since losing to Panama in the group stage 2-1. So why is everyone outraged? It's not that the US National team actually lost, the team is accustom to never winning the big game but rather they lost a game that wasn't big at all! They lost to Panama, which if your not aware isn't a dominating soccer nation like Brazil, Argentina, or even Russia. Their Panama which is only known for it's canal and nothing else.

The recent loss ruffled the feathers of the soccer brethren and unfortunately one particular play stood out the most. Clint Dempsey, one of the squads best players, lazily dribbled the ball 8 feet in front of Panama's goal and somehow managed not to score! The team was called out for lack of effort and in doing so Clint Dempsey received a large share of the blame.

Dempsey took incredible heat for what appeared to be just another lack luster performance. Last night Dempsey scored the game winning goal via an incredible pass from Landon Donovan.

Don't get me wrong. I'm glad we won and most people are going to write something about how the US redeemed itself and how the 2011 Gold Cup Final against Mexico is going to be a great game (It will be!). However, when watching the game last night I was reminded of a great article I read in regards to Dempsey and is cool demeanor and how it contradicts the typical US fans belief in sports. Below is the article in full:

Barry Petchesky —Clint Dempsey Is Casual And Cold-BloodedWhen Clint Dempsey tried to walk the ball in against Guadeloupe, it was predictably disrupted, and he was predictably blasted for being too casual. It's a particularly biting critique for soccer, the one sport where we expect American athletes' effort to outpace their skill, rather than the other way around. But it misses the essence of what makes Dempsey Dempsey, and attempts to paint a strength as a weakness.

Dempsey is an absolute product of his upbringing in Nacogdoches, learning the game alongside the immigrant kids, and later, playing against former pros from the Mexican leagues. There's an ease of movement to his paths on the pitch that wouldn't look out of place on El Tri, all swooping arcs and mutable positioning rather than the staccato stop-start-long ball which characterizes the USMNT attack. It's how he can be the best striker in the nation even when playing his preferred position on the wing. He's got technique, yes, but it's an improvisational technique. He tries things that aren't in the manual, and no one else on that team would even consider. Often they're spectacular failures, but at least they're the yield of a creative brain. Or, perhaps, the reptilian brain: Dempsey operates on instinct more often than not, and he's usually right to trust his. That's 100 percent due to his rearing outside the traditional US youth soccer system.

If it's possible to glean insights from off-the-field action, there's Dempsey's rapping style to parse (he's not embarrassing, which is high praise). Half-formed plosives, approximated sibilants, a viscous gush of words, "Deuce's" flow is like his game: all conservation of momentum. You get the feeling there's not one superfluous jaw movement on his tracks, not one wasted step on the pitch. It's not being casual. It's being fluid.

It's also being confident. Dempsey is one of the few American players who holds their own in top-level international competition, and he's the only one who plays like he knows it. It's cocky, to believe you can just go through the motions and still stand out against the best CONCACAF has to offer, but it's not false. It's almost as if he's playing in a lower gear for games like these, which would be infuriating if he didn't kick it up a notch for the matches that really matter; just look at his performance in the Confed Cup and World Cup qualifiers. Bring on the "casual" criticisms if he doesn't find an extra step for Panama or Mexico.

No matter the opponent, Dempsey maintains his composure. Most US players' eyes grow wide when they see the net, and tunnel vision takes over. A swift boot to an bouncing ball sends it wide, or high, or otherwise off-target. In the 41st minute yesterday, Jermaine Jones had a tough angle but an open look, and somehow managed to block his own shot. But Dempsey's different. He takes a few moments after the touch to gather his wits, survey his position, and weigh his options. Sometimes it bites him: on the Guadeloupe choke, he would have been better off just dumping it straight ahead rather than making sure he had the ball settled. Other times it makes all the difference.

Clint Dempsey Is Casual And Cold-Blooded On yesterday's goal against Jamaica, Agudelo's cross found him a split second before the onrushing keeper. No one would have blamed him for trying a quick chip, with uncertain results. Instead, he sidestepped Donovan Ricketts, and was able to slot the ball, and the match, away without a fuss. That doesn't happen if he panics.

What a paradox we have in Clint Dempsey. His composure provides results. Those results give him confidence. That confidence makes him appear casual. And in the end, the biggest criticism we can muster is that Dempsey makes the game look easy, all the while his teammates make soccer look so hard.

Highly Anticipated Pottermore.com details emerge!

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On Thursday, JK Rowling, author of the Harrpy Potter Series, announced details surrounding her mysterious new site Pottermore.

The site will go live in October but Rowling implied that some may get to enter the site as early as July 31st. She wasn't direct in how or who the lucky souls will be BUT she dropped a clue for those gunning for early admittance, "Follow the Owl."

Our previous post consisted of educated guesses as to what pottermore.com might offer. Some suggestions included an online gaming site similar to "The World of Warcraft". This assumption seemed baseless as Rowling made no mention of gaming which undoubtedly would have been a large part of the sites development.

Instead, Rowling announced that the site will be an interactive reading experience that hasn't yet been experienced. Tall order if you ask me. In any case, Pottermore will include tons of additional information that didn't quite make the books plus exclusive audio books and the first ever, "Harry Potter ebook."

Pottermore, is a collaboration between Rowling and Sony, and seems to be living up to its billing. To get all the details from JK Rowling click here for the YouTube release.

Below are screen shots of the new site:

Twins Drop Case Against Facebook

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A fight that inspired a movie about Facebook Inc. has seen its finale.

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, Harvard University classmates and former business partners of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, have decided not to further appeal a settlement in their long-running dispute over the origins of the social-networking site.

But the Winklevoss twins—former Olympic rowers—and fellow business partner Divya Narendra still will walk away with stock that should be worth hundreds of millions of dollars, following a fight that was dramatized last year by the Hollywood film "The Social Network."

On Wednesday the Winklevosses and Mr. Narendra, who founded a company called ConnectU, filed papers with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in San Francisco saying that after "careful consideration" they wouldn't file a petition to take their battle to the Supreme Court.

A Facebook spokesman said, "We've considered this case closed for a long time, and we're pleased to see the other party now agrees."

It wasn't immediately clear what triggered the decision by the Winklevosses to drop the case, which has dragged on since Mr. Zuckerberg created Facebook in his Harvard dorm room in 2004. A lawyer for the Winklevosses and Mr. Narendra declined to comment.

In April, an appeals court ruled that the ConnectU partners had to live with a settlement they struck with Facebook in 2008 to resolve their claim that Mr. Zuckerberg stole their idea for a social network for Harvard students. The original settlement awarded them $20 million in cash and $45 million worth of private Facebook stock at a time the company was valued at $15 billion. On private exchanges, Facebook shares subsequently have changed hands at prices valuing the company at as much as $70 billion.

Almost immediately after the settlement, the Winklevosses complained that Facebook left out important information during the negotiations, which resulted in them receiving fewer Facebook shares than they might have. They began legal proceedings to throw out the settlement, but a series of courts ruled that it had to stay in place.

The twins' move to abandon the case doesn't bring an end to legal challenges concerning Facebook's early days. Mr. Zuckerberg is currently fighting a battle with Paul Ceglia, a New York state wood-pellet salesman who has argued that a 2003 contract with Mr. Zuckerberg gives him claim to a large stake in the company. Facebook has called Mr. Ceglia's claims "fraudulent."

Via WSJ

An Actual Bill to End the Federal Marijuana Prohibition

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I'm not going to present a position either way but I found it interesting that an ACTUAL BILL is being presented to legalize Marijuana. Jim Newell @ Gawker.com It would seem natural, given America's many current, profound problems that need to be resolved to avoid its total destruction, that more people nowadays would view federal investigators and their coordinated SWAT teams equipped with auctioned-off military weapons chasing around pot dealers as a waste of limited government resources.

Well, at least we're heading in the right direction now, as two prominent congressmen plan to introduce the first-ever bill ending the federal war on marijuana.

The Marijuana Policy Project shares this exciting news about a bill that will never pass, but at least, for once, exists:

Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) and Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) will introduce bi-partisan legislation tomorrow, June 23, ending the federal war on marijuana and letting states legalize, regulate, tax, and control marijuana without federal interference. Other co-sponsors include Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN), Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO), and Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA). The legislation would limit the federal government's role in marijuana enforcement to cross-border or inter-state smuggling, allowing people to legally grow, use or sell marijuana in states where it is legal. The legislation is the first bill ever introduced in Congress to end federal marijuana prohibition.

There's some appetite on the state level for this. Connecticut recently became the 13th state to decriminalize marijuana. California's ballot initiative to legalize marijuana in the last election ended up failing, but it attracted more consideration than usual. And now some people in Washington state, with the help of the travel guy from PBS, are vying for their own initiative. Because why do we still do this on the federal level, 40 years after Richard Nixon? Shouldn't we be telling kids how good drugs are in such an advanced society?

JK Rowling to release info on highly anticiapted pottermore.com

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Via the boys at wired.com

J.K. Rowling will end a week of speculation Thursday by revealing details about her mysterious new Harry Potter-themed site, Pottermore.com.

Currently a mere holding page featuring the word Pottermore, it has had fans frantically guessing what could be in store for them. Wired.co.uk has gathered together the leading theories.

Harry Potter Encyclopedia:
Rowling has hinted that she would create a Harry Potter reference guide of sorts on a number of occasions. In 2007, she told Today’s Meredith Vieria that she “probably will” publish a Potter encyclopaedia, which would offer up details about the characters, their family trees and the fate of the wizarding world.

An unofficial encyclopedia, called the Harry Potter Lexicon, was published by RDR Books in 2007, listing characters, places, creatures, spells and magical tools. Rowling and Warner Bros. sued for copyright infringement, saying that her efforts to stop the publishing of the Lexicon had stifled her creativity. She said that she was not sure if she has “the will or the heart” to publish her own encyclopedia.

The judge ruled that the Lexicon appropriated “too much of Rowling’s creative work for its purposes as a reference guide.” The author, Steve Vander Ark, released a revised and much shorter version that was approved for publication in 2009, called The Lexicon: An Unauthorized Guide to Harry Potter Fiction.

Social Network for Muggles:
The Harry Potter books have a huge fan base which gather together across a range of different fan-created platforms — such as Mugglenet, HPANA and The Leaky Cauldron. If Pottermore were a social networking site, it would unite fans in a single, author-originated destination, allowing them to meet like-minded fans and share their thoughts about the mind-bogglingly popular books and the characters and story lines within them.

By being in control of the fan base, Rowling will get all of the demographic information, e-mail addresses and other data that is conventionally held by the publisher or retailer. Not only does this mean a direct way of promoting any new initiatives to her fans, there is also the possibility for her to even take on sponsors who can promote selected partner content to the network.

Magical E-Books:
In the past, Rowling has said that she wouldn’t release the Potter stories as e-books because of concerns about online piracy and the desire for readers to experience the books on paper. However, where there’s a will there’s a way and this hasn’t stopped people from pirating the books anyway — through scanning the texts and uploading them to file sharing sites.

Since the last book was published in 2007, the e-book and e-reader industry has flourished, with a host of devices including the iPad, Kindle, Sony Reader and Nook launching. By publishing official digital versions of her books, she would offer e-book fans a legitimate and legal alternative to pirating and net a tasty profit in the process.

Interestingly it is Rowling, rather than her publishers Bloomsbury and Scholastic, who retains the rights to her e-books. When her first book was published in the mid 1990s, e-book rights wouldn’t have been a feature of publishing contracts since there wasn’t a market for them. However, these days, publishing deals will almost certainly bundle the digital rights together with print rights. I’d be surprised if her publishers didn’t fight for the digital rights when renegotiating deals for her later books — perhaps they did and her skepticism about the digital publishing marketplace was a foresighted bluff.


Harry Potter Videogame:
There are some suggestions that Pottermore could be an online game. After all, Warner Bros., which own the rights to the videogames, registered the trademark “Pottermore” in 2009, describing it as providing “multiple-user access to a global computer information network.”

There has been speculation that Pottermore stands for Potter Multiplayer Online Role-playing Experience and that visitors will be able to take part in a magical MMORPG. This would add weight to the rumors dating from 2008 that Warner Bros.-owned developer Turbine (which also build the Lord of the Rings Online experience) had been given $40 million of funding to work on a Potter MMO.

Warner Bros. already publishes a number of Harry Potter games with Electronic Arts, where the characters and scenery are designed with the same look and feel as the movies. So far, the styling of the owls that you can see on the Pottermore YouTube video countdown appear slightly different than the animations within existing games.
Another Book?

This is the least likely of the proposed theories, given that Rowling’s PR company, Stonehill Salt, has issued a statement denying that there is a new book. However, in the past, Rowling has told Oprah Winfrey that she could “definitely write an eighth, ninth and 10th book.”

Whatever it is, the timing is critical. The last movie installment of the Harry Potter franchise — Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 — launches July 15. Pottermore will no doubt be able to ride on the multimillion-dollar marketing wave that precedes the movie debut.

Mark Cuban Files The Ultimate "Fuck You" Legal Brief

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Via deadspin.com

"Scoreboard," the defendant said.

When Ross Perot Jr. sold the team to Mark Cuban a decade ago, he kept 5 percent of the team. Two years ago he filed a number of lawsuits, accusing Cuban of mismanaging the team, even doing illegal things with the money. (Ironically, one of the complaints was that Cuban was putting too much cash back into the team, instead of giving it to Perot and other partners.)

This morning, Cuban's lawyers filed a brief to their motion to dismiss the suits:

On June 12, 2011, the World Champion Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat to claim the franchise's first NBA championship. A true and correct photo of one of the many victory celebrations is incorporated herein:

[They inserted a GIANT PHOTO at this point OF MAVERICKS CELEBRATING WITH TROPHY]

Under Hillwood's ownership, the team was deemed the "worst franchise" in all of professional sports. Under Cuban's stewardship the Mavericks have become one of the league's most successful teams and are now NBA champions. Accordingly, there can be no genuine question that Hillwood's claims of mismanagement lack merit and Hillwood's claims should be disposed of on summary judgment.

Basically, "I can't be mismanaging the team if we're the best." It's clear that Mark Cuban, who just completed the best mid-life crisis ever, is just trying to make sure his championship goes down in the legal record. On the other hand, he's kind of right.

If you go over to the Dallas Observer you will find the FULL Legal Brief.

University of North Carolina Football Major NCAA Violations

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Another day another NCAA allegation. University of North Carolina has been under investigation since the infamous "Miami Party" in which numerous NCAA top prospects received preferential treatment at club LIV (Where the Mavericks partied after the NBA Finals). One of the top prospects included in the investigation was UNC's Marvin Austin and this led to the NCAA's investigation of the football program. Today, the NCAA issued their official notice of allegations.

First, the allegations state that football players received preferential treatment and accepted impermissible benefits. Nothing new here. However, the NCAA also alleges that former UNC defensive line coach John Blake and tutor Jennifer Wiley didn’t cooperate with the investigation and that Blake worked to steer Tar Heel football players to NFL agent Gary Wichard. Major Violation if proved

UNC released the details of the NCAA allegations on its website.

Allegations against former tutor Jennifer Wiley:

1)Unethical conduct for refusing to provide information to the NCAA enforcement staff and to the institution.

2)Provided extra benefits to student-athletes in the form of travel and parking expenses and tutoring.

3)Allegations of academic fraud against student-athletes and the tutor.

Allegations against former assistant coach John Blake:

1)Unethical conduct for providing false and misleading information to the NCAA enforcement staff and to the institution and for failure to cooperate with the investigation.

2)Marketed athletic abilities of student-athletes to agent Gary Wichard.

3)Received outside income that he did not report to the institution. That included a failure to report $31,000 in outside income from Wichard’s firm, Pro Tect Management LLC, from May 2007 to October 2009.

Other allegations:

1)Allegations that student-athletes received preferential treatment and accepted impermissible benefits.

2)Allegations against a former student-athlete for unethical conduct.

3)Failure by the institution to adequately monitor the conduct of Chris Hawkins, an individual triggering NCAA agent legislation; the social media activity of the football team for a period in 2010; and possible extra benefits to a student-athlete triggered by agent legislation.

The university has 90 days to respond to the allegations.

“I feel terrible that these allegations occurred under my watch,” said UNC head football coach Butch Davis in a statement. “I especially regret that the university has had to endure this scrutiny because of the football program. The responsibility for correcting any problems that put us in this position is mine, and I take that responsibility very seriously.”

University representatives are scheduled to appear before the NCAA Committee on Infractions on Oct. 28.

Women grunting too loud?

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Via our boys at Alltap.com

With Belarus’ Victoria Azarenka’s grunts reaching a whopping ninety-five decibels, tennis officials are saying enough is enough.

Ian Ritchie, chief executive of the All England Lawn and Tennis Club said the league has gotten a number of complaints about the habit of all players, not just women, grunting, but for women in the sport, it’s been a growing issue: “The players have an ability to complain about it, if one player is grunting too much and the other player doesn’t like it and it is distracting, they can complain to the umpire,” he said “We have discussed it with the tours and we believe it is helpful to reduce the amount of grunting.”

Barcode ART! Barcodes on products and Art?

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Package design has become so artful, it has come to this: Even the barcode, the style runt of product labeling, is getting gussied up.

Beer, granola, juice and olives are sporting barcodes that integrate famous buildings, blades of wheat and bubbles into the ubiquitous black and white rectangle of lines and numbers. Consumer-goods companies hope these vanity barcodes will better connect with customers.

The trend is popular with smaller companies, and even one of the world's largest food companies, Nestle SA, is trying out vanity barcodes on its smaller brands.

When Sixpoint Brewery planned to launch a line of canned beer this year, the Brooklyn, N.Y., company set out to fashion the perfect can design. It soon realized, "you need this big, ugly barcode so people can scan them," says Shane Welch, president of Mad Scientists Brewing Partners LLC, which owns Sixpoint. "I thought, why can't we do our own custom barcode?" Launched last month, the silver cans bear a barcode that integrates the Statue of Liberty and skyscrapers.

A handful of companies that specialize in making vanity barcodes have cropped up in recent years, though some companies create them in-house.

More companies are choosing specially designed vanity barcodes on their grocery and drug store products. Sarah Nassauer shows us some of them.

Some vanity-barcode designs aim to be elegant, others quirky. Design Barcodes Inc., a Tokyo-based ad and design firm, created barcodes with lines that look like water flowing over a waterfall or the rails on a train track. Yael Miller, co-owner of Vanity Barcodes LLC, in Lakewood, N.J., says one of her favorites is a hand mixer design she created to look as if the barcode is mixing up the numbers below it.

Some companies are hesitant to tinker with the barcode, says Steve Rosen, co-founder of Pacarc LLC, which distributes Japanese products in the U.S. and is the exclusive U.S. partner of Design Barcodes. If a barcode doesn't scan it could "really put the retailer in a pinch," says Mr. Rosen. A manufacturer might have to reprint all the packaging. He says Design Barcodes' products are tested before going on the market.

Barcodes are what allow retailers to track products through their stores and change pricing without needing to retag every item. Alan L. Haberman, a supermarket executive from Massachusetts and the person credited with bringing the barcode, formally known as the universal product code, to retail prominence, died last week.

Every retail barcode number in the U.S. and 107 other countries is assigned by GS1, a nonprofit standards organization created in the early 1970s when barcode technology entered the retail landscape. A company applies to GS1 for a barcode number specific to that company. It then creates (or hires a firm to create) the barcode to match that number.

Adding a vanity barcode can be expensive because new packaging is needed.

Nestle has gradually included vanity barcodes when redesigning packaging or launching new products. The company started in 2008 with smaller brands and those that don't come in many flavors (and therefore require fewer barcode variations). Nestle's Juicy Juice Sparkling Fruit Juice Beverage, which comes in three flavors, has bubbles rising up from its barcodes. Its Skinny Cow low-calorie dessert line is currently rolling out barcodes shaped like a cow's spot.

Bear Naked granola added a blade of wheat grass growing out of its barcodes during a package redesign in 2007. Bear Naked is currently owned by Kellogg Co.

Food manufacturer GLK Foods LLC had initial concerns that tinkering with its barcodes could interfere with their ability to scan, says Ryan Downs, vice president of the Bear Creek, Wisc.-based company. Ms. Miller of Vanity Barcodes, who is also a principal at branding and design firm Miller Creative LLC, suggested GLK add an olive tree to the barcode of its Verdi Italian-food line. After testing, the olive-tree-adorned barcodes scanned properly.

Since then, GLK has also added olives to the design of its mobile barcode, a different type of ID increasingly being used on consumer products. Shoppers are able to snap a picture of the code with a smartphone and automatically be directed to a website about the product, a coupon or a marketing campaign.
Breaking Out of the Box

On a barcode, "there are certain things you can change, certain things you can't and then there is sort of a gray area," says Ms. Miller. For a scanner to read a barcode it usually needs to be about a half inch high, blank space is needed on either side, and the lines can't be made out of some colors the scanner can't see, like red, yellow or orange, she says.

GS1 tests barcodes in a small lab in Lawrenceville, N.J., that is filled with new and old flat-bed scanners, hand-held scanners, and overhead scanners. For a fee, GS1 gives each barcode a grade—A through F—based on how consistently it scans. Many of the vanity-barcode designs go against GS1 guidelines, says Jon Mellor, a spokesman for GS1's U.S. arm. For instance, some new designs are shorter than the organization recommends, even though they may scan the product information accurately, he says. Still, GS1 doesn't object to vanity barcodes because its role is to help companies create the barcodes they prefer, he says.

Meanwhile, Walgreens Co.'s Duane Reade chain likes the vanity-barcode concept so much it added classic New York scenes like the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge in a barcode design to the packages of its store-brand products in 2009. The vanity barcodes aren't meant to scan.

"It's not functional, and it's not intended to be. It's being used as a unique design element," says Paul Tiberio, senior vice president of merchandising and marketing for Duane Reade.

The simple rectangular barcode, which the cashier swipes at the checkout line, is still on the back of each package.

Entertainment Notes

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Via Gawker

Amy Winehouse- After her trainwreck performance in Serbia, Amy Winehouse canceled a couple stops on her European tour. Now, she's canceled the entire tour. No word whether she's going back to rehab, or just returning to her sad, messy life in England, smoking crack in a house full of half-eaten junk food, dirty laundry, and the feces of mice. [AP, images via WENN]

Hugh Hefner is letting runaway bride Crystal Harris keep her $90,000 engagement ring. Over/under on how soon she pawns it to forestall getting a job? [Radar]

Chris Brown might have sexted Rihanna, and he might have even done it on Twitter! He pulled a Weiner last night and accidentally tweeted a message he meant to DM: "@RIHANNA you got that pic I sent you?" He immediately deleted the tweet, but "sources close to" Breezy say the "pic" in question was totally another dick pic, because they are maybe-probably flirting again. (He can't assault her if they keep it cyber?) Unless Chris is just harassing Riri on the internet. Or trying to send her a picture of tasteful window treatment he saw. Hard to say. [MediaTakeout]

Kanye West "will not be sipping from a girlie martini glass," and recently requested that a frilly fruity beverage be transferred into a normal-looking tumbler, so he could drink it without shame. Are we sure that was an image thing, though? Personally, I hate martini glasses because they are designed specifically to maximize spills. [P6]

Aretha Franklin tripped over a high-heel Jimmy Choo, fell, and broke her toe. This is the one and only time that we can say "just like Kim Kardashian" about the queen of Soul. [People]

Mariah Carey's first baby pictures are set to sell for $200K, way under the multimillion payday she was hoping for. Nick Cannon's reticence to photograph the babies when they were still fresh from the womb (they are now 7 weeks old) drove down the price. America wants to see your babies before they open their eyes! Covered in afterbirth! Newborn or bust! [P6]

Paris Hilton and Cy Waits have officially called it quits. Turns out the couple that hotboxes together does not always stay together. [Us]

51-year-old actor Doug Hutchison married 16-year-old aspiring country singer Courtney Alexis Stodden. Her mom had to sign the marriage license, because Courtney is too young, and said this: "Courtney was a virgin when she married Doug. She is a good Christian girl." Also, this: "She is a beautiful girl. She has real breasts, real lips." She will either have a massive quarter-life crisis and become a militant gender-queer feminist theorist, or move into the Playboy mansion next year. Or maybe the marriage will work! Who are we to say otherwise? [Radar]

Rory McIlroy’s Dad Can Make Over $300,000 if Rory Wins British Open by 2014

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Rory McIlroy gave his father, Gerry McIlroy, possibly the best Father’s Day gift: his first major win on Sunday. Now he has the chance to give his father possibly an even better present. Gerry McIlroy stands to pocket 200,000 pounds if Rory wins the British Open by 2014. Follow me on the this one.

When Rory was 15 years old, his father combined with three friends to bet 400 pounds (100 each) that Rory would win the Claret Jug by the age of 25. They received 500:1 odds, so the payoff is 200,000 pounds.

McIlroy is 22 years old and coming off a record-setting performance at the U.S. Open. Before that, he led the Master’s by four strokes entering the final round of play until he blew the tournament. He also was the leader after the first round of the British last year. McIlroy is proving he’s the top golfer in the world, so you have to like their chances of cashing.

We’ve seen someone hit on an even more improbable bet, but this would have to be infinitely more satisfying if it does come true. If you think about it, what’s 100 pounds when your son is that good? Cashing that ticket will be sweet.

LulzSec Mastermind Suspect Arrested in Essex, England

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Via Mashable.com

A 19-year-old suspected to be the mastermind behind the hacker group LulzSec has been arrested in Wickford, Essex in England, in a joint action by the Scotland Yard and the FBI, Sky News reports.

LulzSec recently got the public’s attention by hacking Sony’s servers, capturing hundreds of thousands of personal user records.

The same group also claims to have attacked the servers of several major online games, such as EVE Online and Minecraft, as well as Nintendo, the CIA and the U.S. Senate.

“The arrest follows an investigation into network intrusions and distributed denial of service attacks against a number of international business and intelligence agencies by what is believed to be the same hacking group. Searches at a residential address in Wickford, Essex, following the arrest last night have led to the examination of a significant amount of material,” said a Scotland Yard spokesman.

Not long after news of the suspect’s arrest, LulzSec issued its own sort of statement via Twitter:

MLB denies TV deal to Dodgers. Law Suits to follow?

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The "Dodgers" are one of the most recognizable sports franchises in the world. From Brooklyn and the days of Jackie Robinson to Tommy Lasorda and the World Series of 1977 the Dodgers have been considered one of baseballs best franchises. The Dodgers kept this mystic through the 1994 strike, steroid era, and even the Manny days.

Jamie McCourt purchased the Dodgers from News Corp. in 2004 for 430 million dollars. Since McCourt's ownership the Dodgers have been the worlds first MLB shooting star. That is, they burned bright for a short period of time (2004-2009) only to burn out and fall further than was ever imaginable.

Yesterday, Bud Selig, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, vetoed a 17 year 2.1 billion dollar television deal between Fox Sports and Jaime McCourt's Dodgers. If your not aware of the back story, Jamie McCourt has been involved with a highly publicized divorce which through the proceedings as revealed that the McCourts borrowed heavily against the Dodgers to support a lavish lifestyle. Specifically, the McCourt's borrowed over 100 million dollars to purchase lavish homes in California. This discretion, in Major League Baseballs opinion, has led to the recent financial concerns and solvency of the LA Dodgers and led in the commissioners decision to veto any television deal that financial involves the McCourts personal life. Two months ago, MLB's commissioner Bud Selig, vetoed the Fox Sports deal as 100 million of the 385 million loan was allocated to the divorce settlement between himself and his wife. Mr. Selig followed the veto by seizing control of the day to day operations of the Dodger franchise.

For the past two months, McCourt has argued that MLB's takeover was "UnAmerican" and possibly against the law. Unfortunately for McCourt, Bud Selig is a Marquette Law alumnus and very astute in legal regulations and governing laws. Thereby, making it unlikely that Selig legally over stepped his bounds. Specifically, Bud Selig was able to seize control of the team in response to the Opening Day beating outside Dodger Stadium. It was found that Dodger Stadium security was less than adequate and the teams lack of financial solvency led to the decision to lower security standards which directly led to safety concerns for fans/customers and the overall image of MLB's ability to provide a family oriented product.

McCourt has continued to push for the Fox Sports deal and has argued that all financial concerns would be eliminated with the deal. So is this true? The Wall Street Journal reports, the deal with Fox would have given Mr. McCourt a 35% stake in the regional sports network Prime Ticket, which broadcasts the team's games. It included a $385 million loan to Mr. McCourt to be paid off with his share of future profits from sports network. So, yes. I believe McCourt would have had the capital injection needed to continue operating the team within the financial guidelines of MLB laws. McCourt also had the deal approved by the courts and supposedly met all standards required by MLB laws.

However, Bud Selig, again, vetoed the television deal yesterday stating, "Such a diversion of assets would have the effect of mortgaging the future of the franchise to the long-term detriment of the club and its fans. We owe it to the legion of loyal Dodger fans to ensure that this club is being operated properly now and will be guided appropriately in the future."

McCourt may take the issue to court. According to the Wall Street Journal, who is owned by News Corp. and who also owns Fox Sports, has reported that Jamie McCourt plans to vigorously fight MLB's decision. MLB and Bud Selig didn't comment on any pending suit.

McCourt's argument is that MLB can only seize control of the team itself and not the companies that support it. What does that mean? The Wall Street journal reports that when McCourt purchased the Dodgers in 2004, he did so with two purchases. First, 300 million for the team itself and secondly a 100 million dollar purchase of the stadium and the land surrounding it. Furthermore, the Wall Street Journal reports, the team was broken into several companies such as putting the team itself into a holding company known as The McCourt Broderick Limited Partnership. The stadium was then held by an entity known as LA Real Estate LLC. The land is held by Blue Landco LLC. Dodgers Tickets LLC controls the team's ticket-selling operations. The latter company made two deals in 2005 and 2007 to borrow a total of $367 million against future ticket sales. The first $10 million in ticket sales each year goes to pay down debt on the interest-only loans, with Mr. McCourt using the additional ticket revenues to pay for team expenses.

With the television deal dead, McCourt will most likely be unable to meet payroll obligations past June. At that time, Major League Baseball will seize control of the entire team (all assets included) and most likely auction them off to the highest bidder. Of course, that's if McCourt doesn't file suit against MLB before hand. Stay tuned.

New FDA cigarrette smoking label is graphic!

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Quitting cigarettes was the hardest thing I've ever done. After smoking a pack a day for ten years it had become a part of me. Every morning I awoke with an intense craving and every night the same feeling followed. What eventually made me quit was seeing someone with a hole in their neck. It simply, FREAKED me out! The person was in the grocery store and said, "excuse me", in their best Darth Vader impression. If the voice box wasn't enough the oxygen tube in their throat did me in.

It took five attempts for me to actually quit. I tried everything from the patch, gum, skoal (nicotine replacement), electronic cigarettes and so forth. In the end, I simply talk to myself. I simply said ALOUD, "I don't want a hole in my throat. If I stop now I'm young enough to live a long and healthy life. I don't want a hole in my throat." This is literally how I was able to quit.

The Wall Street Journal posted the following article (Click Here or Here) in regards to the FDA's recent cigarettes box warnings. It highlights a picture of a man blowing smoke out of a tracheotomy hole in his throat. I've been smoke free for 12 months but with the new FDA label I might have never smoked to begin with.

Decide for yourself.

"Jackass" star Ryan Dunn dead at 34

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Ryan Dunn, the 34-year-old "Jackass" star, died in a fatal car crash on Sunday night in Pennsylvania, MTV News confirmed Monday (June 20).

According to TMZ, the accident occurred at 3 a.m. on Route 322 and New Street in West Goshen Township. While it's unknown who was driving at the time, an unidentified passenger also died in the crash. April Margera, the mother of Dunn's "Jackass" co-star Bam, broke the news to WMMR 93.3's "Preston and Steve" radio show.

In the last photo Dunn posted to Twitter, he and two friends are seen drinking what may be alcoholic beverages. TMZ also reported that the car caught fire in the crash. A tow truck was later sent to the scene to remove the car. A photo obtained by an NBC affiliate in Pennsylvania, showed the wrecked car on the side of the road. As of press time, no further information was known about the accident.

Dunn kicked off his career doing crazy stunts and skateboard tricks in a series of online videos, which eventually led to his part in MTV's "Jackass" in 2000. The daredevil was a key member of the crew, appearing in "Jackass" spin-offs like "Viva La Bam" and "Bam's Unholy Union," as Bam's sidekick and often acting as the voice of reason within the zany crew. Dunn's new show "Proving Ground," in which he and co-host Jessica Choban test out action sequences from TV, games and movies, premiered on G4 last Tuesday.

When MTV News sat down with the "Jackass" crew last year, they named Dunn's first stunt for the show as one of their favorites in 10 years of the TV show and movies. "I loved when [Bam Margera] made Ryan jump into the poo factory, the 'Poo Dive' I think we called it," creator Jeff Tremaine said. " 'Cause that was horrible, but the best part was ... revealing his tattoos that we didn't know about. That was the first time we ever met Ryan."

He appeared in all three "Jackass" flicks and even took a stab at Hollywood, with a role in non-"Jackass" projects like the Jessica Simpson flick "Blonde Ambition" and on the NBC procedural staple "Law & Oder: SVU."