Mammoth Blog

With a third box set of catalog upgrades looming, a reunion of Genesis' revered 1971-75 lineup is still in the ether -- but hardly in stone.

"We've never said never about it, you know," keyboardist Tony Banks tells Billboard.com. "I know Phil (Collins) would be quite happy with the idea of just playing the drums; it would be quite fun for him. Mike (Rutherford) and I are certainly happy to do it. I know Steve (Hackett) is keen as well. I think it'd be down to Peter (Gabriel) more than anyone else."

Gabriel was actually the first to broach the idea of reuniting that Genesis lineup, initially for a handful of performances of the 1974 concept piece "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway," in 2004. He later pulled back in order to concentrate on a solo album he's still making. It did lead to Banks, Collins and Rutherford reuniting for a tour in 2007, and there are still hopes that the older roster will eventually do something together.

"It would be fun to do something like that purely for the fun of working together again and seeing where it takes you," Rutherford notes. Hackett adds that, "I think we should do this before one of us dies; we're not getting any younger, to quote one of the songs, so maybe one day it'll happen." Banks, meanwhile, says that rather than merely "The Lamb...," he'd like to see the group "do a sort of best-of from that era. You want to do things like 'Supper's Ready,' I think, and 'The Musical Box,' definitely."

All of that music is showcased on "Genesis: 1970-1975," a seven-CD and six-DVD box set that includes upgraded editions of all five albums the group recorded between those years. Each has a DVD of time-appropriate performance footage and new interviews, as well as a set of rare "Extras." It's the third in a series of boxed reissues, saved for last even though they're earlier recordings.

"I think they're the ones there's possibly more anticipation for," Banks says. "These albums have a reputation but they probably didn't sell as many in the first place, so there's a feeling that they have a chance to do something now."

Banks says Genesis is considering some further catalog reissues, including a possible boxed set of the group's several live albums as well as issuing single shows for sale via band's Web site. He's also put together a remastered version of his 1979 solo album "A Curious Feeling" that he plans to release in 2009. Source>>>

Pistons Acquire Allen Iverson

Detroit Pistons President of Basketball Operations Joe Dumars announced today that the club has acquired guard Allen Iverson from the Denver Nuggets in exchange for guard Chauncey Billups, forward Antonio McDyess and center Cheikh Samb.

After apparently setting a new Guinness world record for radio interviews, Fall Out Boy has revealed a few dates in support of the band's forthcoming new studio effort.

The band's Patrick Stump and Pete Wentz set the new world record for "Most Interviews On Radio In a 24 Hour Period By A Pair of Two"--which still must be verified by Guinness before it becomes official--by conducting 72 radio interviews in 24 hours last week, besting the previous mark of 57 radio stations in 24 hours, set in May.

The group previously attempted to set a different Guinness record earlier this year by performing live on all seven continents within nine months, but failed when bad weather forced the cancellation of the scheduled record-breaking gig in Antarctica.

Inclement weather will probably not be a problem for the band when it kicks off a four-city outing Nov. 6 in suburban Boston. The group will also hit Philadelphia (11/7), Seattle (12/4) and Denver (12/6) on the trip, which the band is calling a "small club run" on its website. Details are below.

The December shows will come just a few days ahead of the Dec. 16 release of "Folie a Deux," the band's third album for Island Records and fifth overall. The set, which reportedly features guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Pharrell, Panic at the Disco and Blondie's Debbie Harry, was originally scheduled for release Tuesday (11/4) before the group decided not to compete with Election Day for the public's attention.

"Six months ago we thought it would be a fun idea to release our album on election day but this is not the election to be cute," the band said in a press statement. "We felt as though rather than making a commentary we were only riding the wave of the election. This seemed less and less like what we intended to do and more of a gimmick."

The new set follows last year's "Infinity on High," which was the group's first No. 1 album in the US, and spawned a pair of Top 10 singles in "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" and "Thnks Fr Th Mmrs."

TOUR ITINERARY

November 2008
6 - Allston, MA - Harpers Ferry
7 - Philadelphia, PA - Northstar

December 2008
4 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theater
6 - Denver, CO - Ogden Theatre

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While the pool of celebrities continues to dwindle on ABC-TV's "Dancing with Stars," fans can take heart in knowing many of their favorites will return to the dance floor during the show's fourth annual tour.

"Dancing with the Stars - The Tour" is set to launch Dec. 17 in San Diego, CA, and make its way across the US, wrapping Feb. 8 in Philadelphia. The 37-city outing includes a stop in Toronto and a two-night stand in Uncasville, CT. Tickets go on sale beginning Nov. 10 and the full itinerary is listed below.

Meanwhile, the drama on the reality show continued to build last week as award-winning actress Cloris Leachman got the boot. In recent weeks, the judges had been gunning for the 82-year-old, who consistently received low scores but remained in the competition thanks to viewer votes, according to the Associated Press.

Celebrities remaining in the competition are television host/actress Brooke Burke, 'NSync singer Lance Bass, retired NFL star Warren Sapp, Olympic track star Maurice Greene, "Hannah Montana" actor Cody Linley and soap opera veteran Susan Lucci. Those eliminated in earlier rounds are Grammy-winning singer Toni Braxton, celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito, reality-TV star Kim Kardashian, actor Ted McGinley and comedian Jeffrey Ross. Olympic beach volleyball champ Misty May-Treanor was forced to drop out of the competition after rupturing her tendon during rehearsals, according to reports.

In other DWTS drama, Linley's professional dance partner, Julianne Hough, went missing from the ballroom floor last week because she had surgery to remove her appendix, AP reported. Pro Edyta Sliwinska will fill in for Hough while she recuperates.

In addition to being the most demanding season ever, this year's "Dancing with the Stars" marks the largest cast assembled to date and features the oldest (Leachman) and youngest (Linley) competitors ever, according to a press release.

Starting this week, the competition grows more fierce as the dancers have to learn two new routines for each performance.

TOUR ITINERARY

December 2008
17 - San Diego, CA - San Diego Sports Arena
18 - Ontario, CA - Citizens Business Bank Arena
19 - San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
21 - Reno, NV - Reno Events Center
22 - Sacramento, CA - ARCO Arena
27 - Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
28 - Glendale, AZ - Jobing.com Arena
29 - Las Vegas, NV - Orleans Arena
30 - Salt Lake City, UT - E Center

January 2008
2 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center
4 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
5 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
7 - Kansas City, MO - Sprint Center
8 - Moline, IL - i wireless Center
9 - Rosemont, IL - Allstate Arena
11 - Detroit, MI - Joe Louis Arena
12 - Toronto, Ontario - Air Canada Centre
13 - Cleveland, OH - Wolstein Center
15 - Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse
16 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center
17 - Cincinnati, OH - US Bank Arena
18 - Columbus, OH - Nationwide Arena
20 - Nashville, TN - Sommet Center
22 - Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
23 - Sunrise, FL - BankAtlantic Center
24 - Orlando, FL - Amway Arena
25 - Atlanta, GA - Gwinnett Center
27 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum
28 - Raleigh, NC - RBC Center
29 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
30, 31 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena

February 2009
2 - Providence, RI - Dunkin Donuts Center
3 - Wilkes Barre, PA - Wachovia Arena
4 - Uniondale, NY - Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
6 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
7 - Atlantic City, NJ - Boardwalk Hall
8 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center

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In Indianapolis, Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri made his longest field goal in six years and a Bob Sanders interception made it stand up as Indianapolis improved to 4-4..
Bengals 21, Jaguars 19
In Cincinnati, Ryan Fitzpatrick threw a pair of touchdown passes to Chad Ocho Cinco and the Bengals stopped a late two-point conversion for their first victory.
Jets 26, Bills 17
In Buffalo, N.Y., Abram Elam returned a Trent Edwards pass 92 yards for a touchdown as the Jets handed the host Bills their third loss in four games.
Bears 27, Lions 23
In Chicago, Rex Grossman, replacing injured quarterback Kyle Orton, scored the go-ahead touchdown. Detroit is now 0-8.
Bucs 30, Chiefs 27, OT
In Kansas City, Mo., Jeff Garcia hit a touchdown pass and a two-point conversion with 19 seconds left to force overtime, and Matt Bryant's overtime field goal gave Tampa Bay a win after it had trailed by 21.
Vikings 28, Texans 21
In MInneapolis, the Vikings got three touchdown passes from Gus Frerotte and forced three Houston turnovers to climb back to .500 at 4-4. Adrian Peterson finished with 139 yards on 25 carries for the Vikings.
Ravens 37, Browns 27
In Cleveland, the Ravens trailed 27-13 in the third quarter but scored the game's last 24 points, capped by linebacker Terrell Suggs' 42-yard interception return for a touchdown with 2:43 left.
Dolphins 26, Broncos 17
In Denver, Miami intercepted three Jay Cutler passes, with cornerback Will Allen returning one for a touchdown. The Broncos lost for the fourth time in five games.
Falcons 24, Raiders 0
In Oakland, Calif., Atlanta held the Raiders to negative yards and zero first downs in the first half on the way to Oakland's lowest yardage total in 47 years. The Raiders' 77 yards were their fewest since they gained 58 against San Diego in 1961. Raiders owner Al Davis was a San Diego assistant then.
Eagles 26, Seahawks 7
In Seattle, the Seahawks got a team-record 90-yard scoring pass on their first play, then punted on 10 consecutive possessions. Donovan McNabb threw for 349 yards and two touchdowns for the Eagles. source>>>

Golf is like any other game or sport, it requires that you be properly equipped to take full part in the game. This article will give you an idea of basic golf equipment a golfer needs to be proficient to understand and play golf.

Let's get started with golf balls. Golf balls are always dimpled, they are tiny , and vital to your game of golf. They are designed to fly much further distances when 'driven' hard during your game.

The next thing in golf equipment is a 'golf club' or 'driver'. The Golf 'drivers' are made in many differing varieties. This is because a golf course has different landscapes and various golf clubs are required to create the proper drive. It depends so much on the landscape, could be sand, maybe grass or, in some cases, even cement, a club is absolutely essential to make that perfect drive.

Pro golfers invariably have a couple of golf club bag trolleys to provision to their golf needs. Most golf stores and sports kit outlets sell golf clubs. Some golf clubs are sold in sets whilst other are sold individually.

To protect your golf equipment, such as your golf club, a golf bag golf club cover is important. A golf bag will, of course, hold your golf club in one spot and will make it easier for your caddy to bring your many golf clubs. Golf baggage can also hold golf balls and other golf equipment like a drinks bottle to quench your thirst while under the sun or an additional shirt or your regular shoes.

On the other side of the coin, a golf club sleeve covers the edge of your golf club. This is necessary so to protect your golf club from those accidental scratches and dents. Dents can make your drive to go from OK to bad.

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VCLK 7.16, -0.24, -3.2%) , today announced that it is celebrating its ten-year anniversary as one of the first global affiliate marketing networks. The company was the first to introduce the concept of the open marketplace in which the performance metrics of advertisers and publishers are available to all network members. The transparency of this model contributes to the "network effect" in which advertisers and publishers have an incentive to partner and perform well for each other, effectively building the largest network to the mutual benefit of all members. Get more information on the benefits of affiliate marketing at www.cj.com/affiliatemarketingsolutions.
Throughout its ten-year history, Commission Junction has continually introduced best practices that have been widely adopted by the affiliate marketing industry, including:
-- Single Service Agreement: Commission Junction was the first to provide a single source for enabling publishers to work with an unlimited number of advertisers via one interface by completing a single service agreement, which also delivers the added benefits of consolidated reporting and payments.
-- Earnings Per Click (EPC): EPC, a performance metric that measures earnings per 100 clicks, was introduced by Commission Junction to ensure that advertisers were paying commissions and that publishers were producing sales and leads. Advertisers use EPC to determine their rankings against other advertisers in the network and in their own categories so that they can remain competitive. Publishers can view the trends for each advertiser's EPC to reveal whose are increasing over time so that they can partner with those whose offers convert best.
-- Program Term: To more effectively define the criteria by which a commission was paid, Commission Junction introduced the Program Term, which enabled advertisers to define the length of time post-click that they would pay commissions to publishers for subsequent sales or leads. The Program Term additionally enables advertisers to offer commissions for a defined number of sales following the click and to offer commissions for an unlimited number of sales during a defined referral period.
-- CJ Performer(TM) Program: Commission Junction introduced the industry's first recognition program for top-performing publishers, which benefits both publishers and advertisers by making it easier for them to form partnerships with the best performers in the verticals to which they market.
-- International Program Support: Commission Junction is the first and only affiliate marketing network that enables advertisers and publishers to set up programs in their preferred languages and local currencies and to work with partners who have different languages and currencies.
In addition to the recognition it has garnered for establishing best practices, Commission Junction is renowned in the industry for the highly-personalized attention that its account management teams provide to clients.
Melissa Salas, Director of Marketing for Buy.com, a leading online retailer with affordable prices on millions of brand name products, was pleased with Buy.com's choice to move their affiliate program from another provider to Commission Junction in 2005. "Commission Junction provides superior customer service to its clients and we are pleased that they continue to grow our affiliate program," said Salas. "With Commission Junction, Buy.com has the necessary tools to run our affiliate program more efficiently and pinpoint areas for optimization that enable us to maximize our revenue."
"The dedication of all our teams to putting our clients first contributes to our longevity," said Kerri Pollard, General Manager of Commission Junction. "Many Internet-based companies that were founded in the dotcom heyday of the last decade are no longer around. The fact that we are still successful after 10 years is a testament to the fantastic partnerships we have with our clients."
For more information on the benefits of affiliate marketing, go to www.cj.com/affiliatemarketingsolutions. source>>>

The number of children who take medication for chronic diseases has jumped dramatically, another troubling sign that many of the youngest Americans are struggling with obesity, doctors say.

The number of children who take pills for type 2 diabetes -- the kind that's closely linked to obesity -- more than doubled from 2002 to 2005, to a rate of six out of 10,000 children. That suggests that at least 23,000 privately insured children in the USA are now taking diabetes medications, according to authors of the new study in today's Pediatrics.

Doctors also saw big increases in prescriptions for high cholesterol, asthma and attention deficit and hyperactivity. There was smaller growth for drugs for depression and high blood pressure.

"We've got a lot of sick children," says author Emily Cox, senior director of research with Express Scripts, which administers drug benefit programs for private insurance plans. "What we've been seeing in adults, we're also now seeing in kids."

Type 2 diabetes was once known as adult-onset. But Cox says her records show kids as young as 5 being treated with prescription diabetes drugs.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Pediatrics | Express Scripts | Emily Cox

Cox based her study on prescription records of nearly 4 million children a year, ages 5 to 19, covered by Express Scripts. She says her findings may not apply to the 40% of children who are uninsured or covered by government health plans.

Unless these children make major changes -- such as eating healthier and exercising more -- they could be facing a lifetime of illness, Cox says.

"These are not antibiotics that they take for seven to 10 days," Cox says. "These are drugs that many are taking for the rest of their lives."

Cox couldn't explain one surprising finding: Most of the increase in drugs for diabetes, attention deficit/hyperactivity and depression was seen in girls. The gender gap was most striking in diabetes: While the number of boys taking medication grew by 39%, the number of girls using them climbed by 147%, Cox found. source>>>

BANGKOK: A host of international acts including the Click 5, are headed for the Asian region later this November to campaign against human trafficking.

Cambodia is the first stop of the campaign against human trafficking which will see a series of events and concerts across Asia organised by MTV Networks(Asia),MTV Europe Foundation and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

There will be four concerts in Cambodia with the highlight being a concert held at the famed Angkor Wat temple complex.

The concert at the UNESCO World Heritage Site on 7 December will feature US-band The Click Five, winner of the Knockout Award at the recent MTV Asia Awards, as well as other artists to be announced shortly.

Two other concerts will be held before that in November at Ochheuteal Beach in Sihanoukville and a Football Stadium in Kampong Cham, while the final concert will be held at Phnom Penh's Olympic Stadium on 12 December in recognition of Cambodia's National Day to Combat Human Trafficking.

The Cambodian tour is the first of seven national campaigns in Asia that will continue into 2009 and draw support from well-known local and international artists who will make appearances alongside anti-trafficking organizations and government agencies to distribute information about exploitation and human trafficking.

The concerts tie in with the MTV EXIT (End Exploitation and Trafficking)campaign, a youth-oriented initiative to stop human trafficking - defined by the United Nations as "the recruitment, transportation, and receipt of a person for sexual or economical exploitation by force, fraud, coercion, or deception" in order to make a profit.

The anti-trafficking and labor exploitation campaign will be part of a series of television programs produced by MTV EXIT to be broadcast in Cambodia and on MTV Channels internationally.

These specials will combine concert footage, interviews with the bands, NGOs and other activists about the dangers of trafficking, as well as clips from MTV EXIT's other anti-trafficking programming, including documentaries, animated works and short films.

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On November 4, Blue Man Group will be experienced for the first time in high definition with the Rhino Blu-ray release of HOW TO BE A MEGASTAR LIVE! This Blu-ray delivers full 1080/24p high definition picture, high resolution 5.1 surround sound, and stereo audio. In addition, the disc contains the following bonus features: the video for "I Feel Love," the comedic parody "Mono Makes a Plea - Save the TVs" campaign, and the critically acclaimed Blue Man Group documentary Inside the Tube. Also included are the Blue Man hits "Sing Along," "Above," "Time to Start," "Light Suits," "One Of These Days," and "Rock And Go."

The Rhino release of Blue Man Group HOW TO BE A MEGASTAR LIVE! On Blu-ray will be in stores across the country and at www.rhino.com for a suggested list price of $19.99.

Blue Man Group's Megastar World Tour is a live rock show that takes the audience through a satirical "workshop" on how to create "the perfect rock concert experience." In the process, they celebrate, skewer and otherwise deconstruct rock stardom in all of its narcissistic glory. The Blue Men download a new "how-to manual" that takes the audience through a uniquely clever and interactive show that guarantees to deliver hypnotic entertainment for all ages.

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Carl Edwards used fuel mileage strategy to win his second straight Sprint Cup Series race and tighten up the Chase championship with his victory in Sunday's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

Edwards and crew chief Bob Osborne made a huge gamble in trying to stretch the final fuel load a stunning 69 laps, and it paid off with the No. 99 team's second straight victory.

With Jimmie Johnson finishing 15th, Edwards was able to chop 77 points off the Chase lead and now trails the defending series champion by 106 with only two races left.

"Bob came up with a way to win that thing anyway," Edwards said. "I am really glad it worked out. It's unreal."

Edwards was the class of the field in the early going and led 199 of the first 264 laps. But it wasn't until the fuel stops began to cycle through for the leaders at the end of the race that the winning strategy was able to secure a series-leading eighth win of the season.

Edwards explained how the strategy played out.

"First Bob said, 'We're two-tenths of a lap short, so conserve.' Then he came back and said, 'No, we're four laps short, just go real hard and we'll pit.' Then he came back again and said, 'We'll conserve.' So just by all that I kind of knew that he wasn't too sure about it, but I'm really glad it worked out."

The win was Edwards' third career Sprint Cup Series victory at Texas and gave him a sweep of 2008 races there after his April triumph.

Like last week in Atlanta, Johnson suffered early race problems and fell a lap behind. But unlike a week ago, he wasn't able to charge his way back to the front of the field and had to settle for the 15th-place finish.

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Jeff Gordon had to employ some fuel mileage strategy of his own to score a runner-up finish to Carl Edwards in Sunday's Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway.

After starting from the pole, Gordon slid back in the field as Sunday's race wore on and at one point fell off the lead lap.

But he was able to get back to the front of the field and conserving some fuel as the race wound down notched a second-place finish.

"Yeah, I was pretty optimistic when the green flag dropped," Gordon said. "Took off there, the car felt great. We started. Car started going away a little bit. But we maintained top five. Every time, typical Texas, we just started losing the handle on it as the sun went down. Lost that track position on one run where we got real loose.

"Man, what a struggle it was when that happened. Just holding on tight. We lost a lap. But the cautions fell our way. The team never gave up. Real proud of them. Then Steve Letarte made a great call there. It kind of fell our way. But he still thought about if it went all the way on fuel, and that's what it takes to come home second on a day like today."

The strategy salvaged what could have been a disappointing day for Gordon but kept alive his winless streak, which has now reached 38 races.

"Well, I mean, we're not going to give up, that's for sure," Gordon said. "I know it's late in the season, we haven't won yet, but that doesn't mean we're laying down. We're certainly not going to do that. Just like going for the pole on Friday, I mean, we're doing everything we possibly can.

"You know, I'd be a little bit more excited about our chances if we had run up front and ran in that second position all night or all day. I mean, the thing is, we're gonna look at any possible way to win races. We're going to try to make the car go as fast as we can. When we have that opportunity to make it on fuel, you know, we're going to. source>>>

Just like his many friends and colleagues, the loved ones of Def Jam Vice President Shakir Stewart can't make any sense of his death Saturday afternoon. It appears that he took his own life.

On Sunday (November 2), his fiancée, Michelle Rivers, released a joint statement with the rest of his family.

"We would like to thank Shakir's friends for the tremendous outpouring of love and support we have received during this difficult time," the statement reads. "It has helped us to cope with our overwhelming grief and sadness. It is difficult to express or explain in words what led to the tragic occurrence on Saturday. Over the past several weeks, Shakir's behavior was inconsistent with the man we all know and love. As much as we all tried to help him, Shakir was in deep pain and largely suffering in silence. Please remember Shakir for who he was ... a wonderful father, partner, son and friend."

Stewart was 34 years old. Cobb County Police spokeswoman Cassie Reece was quoted in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, telling the paper that his body was found in the bathroom of his home around 4 p.m. Saturday. He was taken to the Kenne Hospital with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound and later pronounced dead.

The Oakland, California, native was known in the music industry for his hard work and an ear for talent. He was recently instrumental in fattening Def Jam's roster with Southern rap staples Rick Ross and Young Jeezy. Both MCs released albums that debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts.

Def Jam released a statement Saturday night in the aftermath of the tragedy.

"L.A. Reid and all of us at Island Def Jam Music Group are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend and colleague Shakir Stewart," the statement reads. "Shakir was an amazing man, in every sense of the word. A truly incredible friend and father who was an inspiration to not only our artists and employees, but to his family and the many people who had the privilege of counting him as a friend. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family at this very difficult time." source>>>

Hundreds of people got the Adrenalin rush of scoring a ticket at the last minute to Saturday's Texas Tech-Texas game only to find out they'd been scammed.

A Tech official said Sunday that an estimated 500 people bought counterfeit tickets around campus. They were denied entry to Jones AT&T Stadium, because the phony tickets showed seat locations that had already been sold.

Tickets are scanned at the gate for admission, where invalid bar codes revealed the fraud.

"They got robbed is what it was,'' said Dave Welsh, Tech assistant athletic director for ticket operations. "These (counterfeiters), I think they hit the big-time bowl games and the Super Bowl and so forth. They look just like our regular season-ticket stock, but the bar codes obviously aren't going to match. It was heartbreaking seeing all these people get ripped off.''

About 1,600 tickets remained for Saturday's Texas Tech-Oklahoma State game as of early Sunday afternoon.

Tech officials expect the potential for more of the same problem with a battle of top-10 teams in Lubbock for the second straight week. Tech was No. 2 in The Associated Press Top 25 and No. 3 in the USA Today coaches' poll released Sunday, and Oklahoma State is No. 8 in both.

Welsh said many of the victims indicated they'd bought tickets in areas just off campus, especially just east of the stadium. Tech became aware there was problem about four hours before game time. Welsh said when gates opened, he went to Gate 1 and personally handled about 200 cases of counterfeit tickets.

He said $200 was the most commonly heard amount for which the phony tickets had been sold.

"Despite the historic nature of the victory,'' Welsh said, "for us in the ticket office, it was kind of demoralizing to see people get scammed like that, because there was not a thing we could do about it. There were no other tickets to sell to people who got ripped off. It was just a bad situation.''

The Tech-UT game, which Tech won 39-33, was sold out early in the season.

Welsh said one of those victimized was a Tech football player trying to buy a ticket for a friend.

Tech began using the bar-coding system in 2005. Had a similar scam cropped up before then, Welsh said the logistical nightmare would've been worse because of the potential for friction between fans.

"If you keep them out of the stadium, that helps prevent people getting the same seat in the same section and having to determine which (ticket) is good, which one is the bad,'' Welsh said. "It's fortunate that we actually bar-code tickets, because it does prevent this thing actually getting into the stadium.'' source>>>

When matches are made in the UFC, specifically title matches, the two major determining factors are the fighter's record, and the fighter's recognition. Unfortunately importance is often on the latter.

Perennial fan favorite Chuck Liddell was put to the front of the line for a title shot when it was announced that the winner of his fight with Rashad Evans would next face Forrest Griffin for the light heavy weight belt.

While Evans has certainly earned his shot at a title shot with a 7-0-1 UFC record, Liddell was coming off a one win streak after consecutive losses.

One could argue that Liddell is always a contender, and while this might be true, it can't be ignored that there were other fighters in the very talent rich light heavy weight division that were more deserving of the shot at a title shot. Specifically Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva, who have run up five and four fight win streaks respectively.
Author Pol

Record alone won't sell pay-per-views and Rashad is certainly the most recognized fighter out of the win streak trio because of his time spent on The Ultimate Fighter so I have no argument against him challenging Forrest Griffin.

However what if Liddell had won instead of Evans? Just throw the records out the window?

As the leader in MMA the UFC is often compared to the NFL, MLB, and the NBA. On the surface these comparisons are fair because each organization is hands down the leader in their sport. The major difference between these organizations is that the UFC can unbalance the scales since they ultimately make the matches that set up the title shots.

An analogy I've been using lately when discussing this comes from the hype that was generated by fans and journalists about the possibility of the Dodgers playing the Red Sox in the World Series.

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