Mammoth Blog

On this date in 1815 Napoleon abdicated his throne for the second time after his defeat at Waterloo. In 1981 Mark David Chapman pleaded guilty to killing rock musician John Lennon.

Miami Dolphins 2009 NFL Predictions, Win Total & 2010 Super Bowl Odds: It may be difficult for the 2009 Miami Dolphins to provide an encore performance to their improbable AFC East division title effort in 2008. Legendary Miami Dolphins GM Bill Parcells overhauled the team and the mentality of a Dolphins franchise that went 1-15 in 2007. Chad Pennington and the Wildcat offense caught everyone off guard in 2008 but this year no one will take Miami for granted. Head Coach Tony Sparano had a helluva a rookie coaching campaign and has the pieces in place to make another run at the AFC East title. The NFL predictions odds for the Miami Dolphins to win the 2010 Super Bowl is listed at 28-1 odds at Sportsbook.com.

Ronnie Brown and Chad Pennington are masters of the Wildcat offense with Brown's athleticism and Pennington's pinpoint accuracy. 2nd round draftee QB Pat White is ultra versatile, making Miami's Wildcat even more potent in year two under brilliant Offensive Coordinator Dan Henning. The Dolphins once disastrous O-Line is now a source of strength with studs Vernon Carey and Jake Long. The receiving corps is average but has some upside with youngsters Ted Ginn Jr., Greg Camarillo and soft handed TE Anthony Fasano. The NFL predictions odds for the Miami Dolphins to win the AFC championship is at 14 -1 odds.

LB\DE Jason Taylor is back and he will need to provide a much needed pass-rushing prescence alongside OLB Joey Porter. Porter is coming off a monster season when he recorded 17.5 sacks but he often was Miami's only consistent pass-rushing threat. The Dolphins leader on the D-line is NT Jason Ferguson who is stout in the middle but aging. LB Channing Crowder is at the crossroads and must be more consistent against the run. The secondary is a source of strength with some good coverage corners and two hard-hitting Safeties in Yeremiah Bell and Gibril Wilson.

Miami is headed in the right direction with Tony Sparano as the boss on the field and Bill Parcells pulling the trigger as the GM. The Dolphins will not sneak up on anybody this season however and an 9-7 finish is their most likely scenario. The NFL predictions odds on the season Win Total for the Miami Dolphins is listed at 8.0 WINS.

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Miami Dolphins 2009 NFL Predictions, Win Total & 2010 Super Bowl Odds: It may be difficult for the 2009 Miami Dolphins to provide an encore performance to their improbable AFC East division title effort in 2008. Legendary Miami Dolphins GM Bill Parcells overhauled the team and the mentality of a Dolphins franchise that went 1-15 in 2007. Chad Pennington and the Wildcat offense caught everyone off guard in 2008 but this year no one will take Miami for granted. Head Coach Tony Sparano had a helluva a rookie coaching campaign and has the pieces in place to make another run at the AFC East title. The NFL predictions odds for the Miami Dolphins to win the 2010 Super Bowl is listed at 28-1 odds at Sportsbook.com.

Ronnie Brown and Chad Pennington are masters of the Wildcat offense with Brown's athleticism and Pennington's pinpoint accuracy. 2nd round draftee QB Pat White is ultra versatile, making Miami's Wildcat even more potent in year two under brilliant Offensive Coordinator Dan Henning. The Dolphins once disastrous O-Line is now a source of strength with studs Vernon Carey and Jake Long. The receiving corps is average but has some upside with youngsters Ted Ginn Jr., Greg Camarillo and soft handed TE Anthony Fasano. The NFL predictions odds for the Miami Dolphins to win the AFC championship is at 14 -1 odds.

LB\DE Jason Taylor is back and he will need to provide a much needed pass-rushing prescence alongside OLB Joey Porter. Porter is coming off a monster season when he recorded 17.5 sacks but he often was Miami's only consistent pass-rushing threat. The Dolphins leader on the D-line is NT Jason Ferguson who is stout in the middle but aging. LB Channing Crowder is at the crossroads and must be more consistent against the run. The secondary is a source of strength with some good coverage corners and two hard-hitting Safeties in Yeremiah Bell and Gibril Wilson.

Miami is headed in the right direction with Tony Sparano as the boss on the field and Bill Parcells pulling the trigger as the GM. The Dolphins will not sneak up on anybody this season however and an 9-7 finish is their most likely scenario. The NFL predictions odds on the season Win Total for the Miami Dolphins is listed at 8.0 WINS.

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New England Patriots 2009 NFL Predictions, Win Total & 2010 Super Bowl Odds: The New England Patriots are still the class of the AFC East and are going to recapture their division throne in 2009. Quarterback Tom Brady will return to a New England team that went 11-5 with backup QB Matt Cassell who was dealt to Kansas City along with defensive leader Mike Vrabel and personnel chief Scott Pioli. Also departed is offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels who is now the coach of the Denver Broncos. What does all this turnover mean? Not much. If there is one thing that New England Head Coach Bill Bellichick has proven it is that his team adapts and always performs at a high level. The NFL predictions odds for the New England Patriots to win the 2010 Super Bowl is listed at 4-1 odds at Sportsbook.com.

Celebrity QB Tom Brady makes his return in 2009 after a serious knee injury sidelined him for all of last season. Brady may experience some decreased mobility and rust due to the injury but still must be considered a Top-3 NFL QB. The Patriots have retooled their offense for Brady with a deep core of receivers and a new running back in Fred Taylor. WR Randy Moss is still the premier target with his ability to stretch the defense with his speed and get open because of his tremendous football I.Q. #2 wideout Wes Welker is also an outstanding slot receiver that consistently gets open underneath. Competition for the starting RB position will be held between Fred Taylor, Laurence Maroney, Sammy Morris and Kevin Faulk. Faulk is the most versatile, Taylor is the most established and Maroney has the most upside. Whoever wins the starting RB position will be running behind a stout offensive line that does an excellent job of opening running lanes and protecting Tom Brady. The NFL predictions odds for the New England Patriots to win the AFC championship is at 2 -1 odds.

The Patriots 3-4 defense is Head Coach Bill Bellichick's baby with its variety of different blitzes and nickel packages. The Patriots 8th ranked defense from a year ago could be even better with new additions added in free-agency and the draft. The defense is aging but they are still excellent across the board. The D-Line is arguably the best in the NFL with pocket collapsing DT Vince Wilfork leading the charge. The linebackers in the Patriots scheme are depended on to provide a pass-rush and this could be a breakout year for last season's #1 pick ILB Jerod Mayo. Mayo was the NFL Defensive Rookie Of The Year and will need to pick up the slack for departed playmaker Mike Vrabel. Consistent CB Shawn Springs was added to bolster a deep secondary with a couple of talented safeties in Brandon Merriweather and James Sanders. Some wonder if Springs is past his prime, but only time will tell. Special Teams are a source of strength with a well-rounded unit that has a sniper accurate Kicker in Stephen Gostkowski.

The Patriots offensive juggernaut is in place for them to contend for a Superbowl in 2009. For the last 15 years New England has more wins than any other NFL franchise. Bill Bellichick simply reloads every season no matter what personnel he has to replace. Look for the Patriots to win the AFC East and make another trip to the 2010 Superbowl. The NFL predictions odds on the season Win Total for the New England Patriots is listed at 11.5 WINS.

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Football Hall of Famer Jim Brown blasts Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods for their lack of social activism in an interview that is to appear on HBO's "Real Sports" Tuesday night.

Of Woods, Brown said, "This cat is a mamajama; he is a killer. He'll run over you, he'll kick your ass. But as an individual for social change or any of that kind of -- , terrible. Terrible.''

Brown criticized Woods in January 2008 for not speaking out against the Golf Channel's Kelly Tilghman after she used the word "lynch'' in a joking reference to him.

Of Woods and Jordan, Brown said, "I know they both know better, OK? And I know they both can do better without hurting themselves.'' source>>>

Six-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle La'Roi Glover is retiring after 13 NFL seasons.

Glover, who turns 35 on July 4, started nine of 16 games in 2008 during his third season with the St. Louis Rams and was not re-signed.

Glover was three years removed from a stretch in which he was selected to six straight Pro Bowls.

"I'm blessed that I was able to play this game that I love for so long," Glover said in a news release. "It has been such an incredible journey."

A fifth-round draft pick by the Oakland Raiders in 1996 out of San Diego State, Glover played with the New Orleans Saints from 1997-2001 and the Dallas Cowboys from 2002-2005.

He led the NFL with 17 sacks in 2000 and finished his career with 83.5, tied for 37th on the all-time list. He was tied for fifth among active players.

"I still love the game with the same passion I had as a young player in high school, so I plan to always be attached to it in some way, whether commentating, working in the front office, or scouting," Glover said in the release. "But who knows what opportunities await in the next chapter of my life." source>>>

Major League Baseball will host Missouri native and nine-time Grammy Award winner Sheryl Crow for the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Charity Concert presented by Pepsi on Saturday, July 11 under the iconic Gateway Arch at the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial. The concert, which will be free to fans, is the culmination of a day-long celebration of baseball history and will feature a $1 million donation by Major League Baseball to Stand Up To Cancer. In addition, fans will be able to make donations to Stand Up To Cancer after the concert. The concert will be streamed live on MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, and fans watching the live stream will be encouraged to donate to Stand Up To Cancer.

The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Charity Concert presented by Pepsi is part of a series of charitable events and activities leading up to the MLB All-Star Game. This year's All-Star activities are focused on MLB and its business partners giving back to important charitable causes and celebrating the importance of community service. In addition to Pepsi, MLB sponsors Budweiser, Sharp and Taco Bell are also supporting this event.

The concert will begin at 8:00 p.m. CT on Saturday, July 11. Prior to the concert, the St. Louis Cardinals vs. Chicago Cubs game on FOX will be aired live on big screen televisions at the concert location for fans to view. All visitors will be screened at security checkpoints before entering the Arch grounds. The following are prohibited: alcohol, glass containers, pets and bicycles.

Major League Baseball has responded to United States of America President Barack Obama's call for community service through "United We Serve," a program which begins today to encourage all Americans to be part of building a new foundation for America by engaging in sustained and meaningful community service. The initiative will focus on four key areas: energy and the environment, health care, education, and community renewal. The concert will be an environmentally focused event featuring the Major League Baseball Green Team, a group that will collect recyclable bottles and cans at the show. Pepsi and Aquafina are supplying more than 100 recycling bins that will be located around the Arch grounds. Major League Baseball has a relationship with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), who advises MLB on ways for the League and its Clubs to implement practices and policies that are environmentally-friendly.

"I am honored to team up with Major League Baseball to come home and perform a free show that will support Stand Up To Cancer, an organization with the noble and ambitious goal of eradicating all forms of cancer," said Crow, a cancer survivor. "The dedication of Major League Baseball to being a part of the environmental movement gives me the chance to put on a show while supporting two causes that I feel strongly about."

"Sheryl Crow is a wonderful performer who deserves enormous credit for using her fame to shine a light on causes that are important to the health and welfare of our country," said Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig. "As a social institution, Major League Baseball will use this concert and the All-Star festivities to entertain our fans while recognizing the importance of addressing important social needs, and we thank Pepsi for making this great event happen."

"All of us at Stand Up To Cancer are very grateful to Sheryl Crow and Major League Baseball, for their dedication and support in the fight against cancer," said Sue Schwartz, member of the Stand Up to Cancer Executive Leadership Council. "We are thrilled to have a tremendous platform like the All-Star Game to invigorate and activate the public in the fight against this vicious disease."

"Pepsi is fortunate to have the opportunity to merge two of America's favorite pastimes -- baseball and music -- into one event," said Jeff Dubiel, VP of Sports Marketing, Pepsi-Cola North America Beverages. "By teaming up with Major League Baseball and Sheryl Crow, we're not only giving fans an amazing show, but we're raising awareness and funding for an important cause -- Stand Up To Cancer."

Free-spirited, fearless and fierce, Sheryl Crow has garnered nine Grammys, performed duets with musical luminaries such as Sting and Mick Jagger, released seven studio albums which sold more than 35 million records worldwide, and launched her very own clothing line Bootheel Trading Co., is a cancer survivor and passionate humanitarian and has performed for President Obama. From humble beginnings as a jingle and back-up singer, Crow has reached the pinnacle of professional solo success. Crow explores both personal and global issues on her most recent LP, Detours (produced by Bill Bottrell, who last worked with Crow on her 1993 debut, the seven-times platinum Tuesday Night Music Club).

In the span of just a year, Stand Up To Cancer raised more than $100 million due in large part to a historic hour-long program simultaneously broadcast on ABC, CBS and NBC, September 5, 2008. In May 2009, SU2C announced its first funding of more than $73 million to five dream team collaborations comprised of more than 38 principal investigators from over 20 leading institutions, with 337 individuals participating in total.

Women&Cancer magazine (www.womenandcancermag.com), the leading print and online resource for women and families affected by a cancer diagnosis, will be on hand at the MLB All-Star Charity Concert offering magazines and information. Women&Cancer is proud to support Stand Up To Cancer and Major League Baseball. Each quarterly issue of Women&Cancer offers breaking news about treatment, insightful articles devoted to emotional, spiritual, and wellness issues, and inspiring stories of survivorship. source>>>

2009 Big Ten Preview

It never fails, every year the Big Ten plays a role in the national title. Since they don't have a championship game and two weeks off at the end of the year there is always controversy if one team from the Big ten plays for the National Championship. This year they are loaded with talent and ready to put their mark on the 2009 football season! The preview will list the teams in predicted order of finish in the Big Ten.

1. Penn St. Nittany Lions--Joe Pa is back and will be coaching in his 44th season and it is still amazing to see the energy he brings every year. This year he will bring energy and a shot at the Big Ten title to Penn St. They have plenty of talent coming back from last year's squad to include Darryll Clark at QB and Evan Royster who ran for over 1,200 yards last year. The only weakness will be in the secondary because the Lions have to replace some veterans from last year. The rest of the defense will make up for this but they need to learn quickly. Ohio St has to play in Happy Valley late this year and that will determine the champions of the Big Ten.

2. Ohio St. Buckeyes--Ohio St. is ready for another good season. They lose some significant talent every year and they just restock as they recruit better than anyone in the conference. Beanie Wells is gone, but Dan Herron got plenty of touches last year when Wells was hurt. This will keep a solid running game intact. Terrelle Pryor gets to run the show this year and with a season under his belt he will only get better. He needs to rely on his arm more but his mobility will make him a dual threat. On defense Ohio St lost some serious all-stars but they are deep and they have veterans up front and in the secondary. Jim Tressel is known for getting the most out of his talent and Ohio St will fight for the Big Ten title and be in the mix for the big game.

3. Iowa Hawkeyes--Kirk Ferentz has a solid team this year and is looking forward to building off last year's great finish. The Hawkeyes have one of the best offensive lines in the country and that will allow Ricky Stanzi to build on his great resume. Shonn Greene is gone but Iowa is deep at tailback and will let Jewell Hampton carry the load. The experience is back at wideout and this offense will impress. The defense is in place and they are deep at linebacker and great experience in the secondary. The schedule could be the only hurdle as the go to Happy Valley and the Horse Shoe to play Ohio St.
Author Poll

Who will win the Big Ten?

* Penn St.
* Ohio St
* Michigan St
* Iowa
* Illinois
* Other Team

vote to see results

4. Michigan St. Spartans--the loss of Javon Ringer will be felt by the Spartans as they enter this year. Head Coach Mark Dantonio will make sure that the Spartans will be ready in his second year, but he has some holes on the offense. He will have some tough decisions to make with six people vying for running back and a healthy competition at quarterback. The good news is he gets 8 starters back on defense and that will be enough to let the offense catch up. Greg Jones is the heart of this defense and will make sure the Spartans defense is playing at their best.

5. Minnesota Golden Gophers -- The Gophers will have a chance at stunning some teams in the Big Ten. There is plenty of excitement in the air as they play in a new stadium this year. The new open air stadium will bring an edge in winter and Head Coach Tim Brewster has planned for it and looks to make his team more physical. If they can run the ball that will make superstar wideout Eric Decker a bigger threat. The entire offensive line is back and that will help with the ground game. The defense is deep and returns plenty of key players, if you're looking for a dark horse in the Big Ten it's Minnesota.

6. Illinois Fighting Illini -- Ron Zook is back and he is bringing back Juice Williams at quarterback for his fourth year. This experience will make Illinois an offensive threat. Martez Wilson is superb at linebacker but is the only standout on a suspect defense. They need the defense to stand up if they want to compete. The schedule is one of the hardest in the conference with eight bowl eligible teams on the horizon to include an opener against Missouri in St. Louis. Ron Zook could be in for his last year at Illinois.

7. Michigan Wolverines--Last year was very disappointing for Rich Rodriquez in his first year as head coach in Michigan. The loss to Appalachian St was hard to swallow so early in the season. He will finally get to implement his spread offense with freshman Tate Forcier at the helm. He is a great talent but will need help from Brandon Minor in the backfield to keep pressure off of him. The defense is workable but the Wolverines are just hoping for a bowl game this year.

8. Wisconsin Badgers--This team looks good on paper but will disappoint. They start the season off with four games at home but don't be fooled, if they start off hot, they will collapse. Tailback John Clay will be a killer in the backfield and will put up some good numbers on the ground but that should be the lone bright spot. They will rotate at the quarterback position and at the running back position and that will be hard to maintain consistency. The defense is suspect and look for the badgers to stumble late in the year like they did in 2008.

9. Northwestern Wildcats--The cats surprised last year and Pat Fitzgerald will have this team ready to play again this year. Mike Kafka gets the call under center and he has proven that he can run the ball. The problem is there are several questions at running back and wide receiver and it may make the offense one dimensional. The defense will keep them in games as the entire secondary comes back but how fast key players recover from injuries may be the real question. Northwestern is not surprising anyone this year.

10. Indiana Hoosiers--The Hoosiers have a long way to go to compete with the top tier teams in the Big Ten, but they are getting there. Ben Chappel is the best choice for QB and will get a chance to run the spread. The offense should move with experience and depth at the running back spot. The real question is can the defense improve after allowing 35 points per game last year? With nine starters back if Indiana wants to go bowling the defense will have to step up.

11. Purdue Boilermakers -- Joe Tiller is gone and he may have seen the writing on the wall as it looks like Purdue will be at the bottom of the Big ten in 2009. The offense has lost everyone in key positions and will look to replace QB, RB, and WR. The defense has plenty of returning starters but that won't be enough to keep them in many games this year.

Big Ten Winner: Penn St. Nittany Lions
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Did anybody in Nashville remember to thank the 56,000 guests who came from across the U.S. and around the world to attend the recent CMA Music Festival? Were there large white banners with red lettering that welcomed country music fans to our city? And were there goodbye banners thanking them for coming with the message, "Hope to see you next year"? If not, there should have been.

Even with the sudden storms, fans were royally entertained while sometimes being soaked to the skin. Let me humbly thank each one who came to the festival. I hope you enjoyed our town. And I hope you made it home safe and are already making plans to return in 2010 to see the biggest and best array of talent ever assembled.

Festival Proves Country Music Still Thriving
As long as there are reports of Jamey Johnson singing George Jones' "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" while the entire audience is waving their lit cell phones and singing along, I'd bet country music is still legit and bankable. When Jamey sang the song, some of the audience members answered the question by yelling, "You will!"

Trace Adkins let his long hair hang loose and curly. As long as he sings hits that his fans love to hear, Trace will continue to hit over-the-fence homers. As much as the fans went nuts for Jamey Johnson, they went just as crazy for Trace. With three young daughters at home who listen to music by Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus, it has to be a joy to go onstage and play his hits. Trace is on tour with Toby Keith. Two former oil drillers singing country music. Who would've thought?

As long as Kid Rock can get Martina McBride to sing "Picture" with him, you know country music remains healthy. He was the surprise guest at one of the evening concerts at LP Field, and the crowd went crazy when he hit the stage. He has recorded at Martina and husband John McBride's Nashville studio, so he has become friends with them.

By the way, Martina's annual auction during the music fest raised more than $72,000 for YWCA.

One of the big moments during the festival was when the Judds performed. Fans who remember them and their hits were thrilled to hear the duo sing together again. The young fans of Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Kellie Pickler may not be familiar with the Judds' music, but I'll bet they'd love it if they heard it. Nobody has those grand pipes like Wynonna.

Country music is in good shape as long as we've got stars willing to hang around during a three-hour weather delay and then perform at midnight. That was the situation one night during the concert at LP Field where Brad Paisley and Dierks Bentley waited until the storm cleared enough that the fans were safe and relatively dry from the rain. Folks like Brad and Dierks realize those attending the CMA Music Festival are the A-list country fans who save their money all year to travel to Nashville. Brad and Dierks will always stand strong with these solid fans.

While the weather was more favorable the night he appeared, Kenny Chesney was another artist who stayed up late to perform at LP Field. The show already had a lineup that included Jack Ingram, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry, Heidi Newfield, John Rich and Taylor Swift. Kenny was supposed to be the surprise guest, but the CMA changed its mind and decided to announce his appearance in advance. Playing for that many loyal fans is something Kenny wanted to be a part of.

Highlights From CMT Music Awards
Believe it or not, Keith Urban drove his own car to the CMT Music Awards and parked across from the Sommet Center in downtown Nashville. Fans mobbed him and almost made him late for the big show.

It was cool seeing Keith and his pal, Brad Paisley, in a manly embrace when they were declared winners in the collaborative video category for "Start a Band." It made me smile just thinking about two hillbillies in their denim britches married to beautiful movie stars. Nicole Kidman and Kimberly Williams-Paisley were not present for the awards show. Both were obviously home with their babies, as was Dierks Bentley's wife, Cassidy. Dierks did bring along a special "date" for the evening -- his dog, Jake.

Brad also won the male video award for "Waitin' on a Woman," shot on the outer banks of North Carolina with resident Andy Griffith. He also shared the CMT performance of the year honor with Dierks, George Strait and Alan Jackson for "Country Boy," Alan's song that was featured on an episode of CMT Giants.

The fan-voted video awards were also kind to Taylor Swift, who took home trophies for best female video and the big prize -- video of the year -- for "Love Story."

Trace Adkins and Toby Keith didn't win anything, but if awards were given for the best singers of the night, those big boys would have sure been in the running. Both of them sang their butts off. Trace sang "You're Gonna Miss This" while Toby did "God Love Her."

The group video award went to Rascal Flatts' "Every Day." Their current album is titled Unstoppable, and that's what they're calling their summer tour, too. But that ain't all. They've teamed up with the Denny's restaurant chain for the Rascal Flatts' Unstoppable Breakfast that includes a biscuit topped with country-fried steak, your choice of eggs, American cheese, country gravy and three strips of bacon with a side of hash browns. Lead singer Gary LeVox says he likes to eat at Denny's after performing.

CMT's Wide Open Country video award went to Kid Rock for his excellent "All Summer Long," the top summer song for 2008. This award goes to an artist considered to be outside the mainstream of country music. It really didn't matter to me about the genre of Kid Rock's video. In all my years in the biz of music, I never heard a song that fit the season as well as "All Summer Long." If you can't tell, I happen to be Kid Rock fan.

The duo video trophy went to Sugarland for "All I Want to Do." The duo was joined by the B-52s on the rock group's "Love Shack." These performances gave Kristian Bush an opportunity to showcase his vocal talent -- something he seldom gets to do since Jennifer Nettles does most of the singing in Sugarland. People enjoyed hearing his solo voice. I sure did.

Congratulations to my friend, Zac Brown. He and his band received the USA Weekend breakthrough video award for "Chicken Fried." I'm so proud of Zac. On the awards show, I didn't see Zac's band member who wore a trucker's hat, an unbuttoned shirt and Daisy Duke cutoffs. He stood off to the side. I missed that altogether, but a photo I saw from the awards show red carpet made me say, "Oh, Lordy!"

Congratulations to Roger Cook
Congratulations to songwriter Roger Cook, who was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame during ceremonies in New York City this past week. Roger is the father of CMT's own Katie Cook. His songwriting credits include Crystal Gayle's "Talking in Your Sleep," Don Williams' "I Believe in You" and George Strait's "One Night at a Time." He also wrote the Hollies' pop hit, "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress," along with the New Seekers' "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing."

See the new Hot Dish recipe of the week: Homemade Pimento Cheese. source>>>

Julianne Hough is reportedly close to signing on for a lead role in the film remake of Footloose. Sources close to Hough have confirmed to E! Online, as well as CMT.com, that Hough is still in negotiations to star with Chace Crawford in the musical which is expected to be released in June 2010 by Paramount Pictures. Hough is currently on tour with George Strait. Crawford was recently named People magazine's hottest bachelor. source>>>

Leave it to Taylor Swift to be an overachiever. "Thug Story," her humorous rap collaboration with T-Pain, now holds the record as the most-streamed video premiere ever on CMT.com. Not bad, especially considering that the two artists spent all of 90 minutes in the studio to put the finishing touches on the lyrics and record the audio track. (It can often take that long to set the volume and EQ levels on the microphones in the studio.) When the producers of the CMT Music Awards were looking for an unexpected way to open the show, Swift was excited when approached about working with T-Pain. Accepting the offer, she quickly arrived at a different take on one of her hits and said, "We'll take 'Love Story' and make it 'Thug Story.'"seeVideo

She initially planned to write the entire thing herself, but she ran out of time because of her tour schedule. With her approval, CMT execs tossed the assignment to a young rock band -- Hot Chelle Rae, a Nashville-based outfit that includes lead vocalist Ryan Follese and guitarist Nash Overstreet. (Huge fans of both Swift and T-Pain, the band will release their major label debut album this summer on Jive Records.) In about eight hours, the two musicians submitted the lyrics and an audio track for the song. (They even slid in a sly reference to "I'm on a Boat," T-Pain's previous music video collaboration with comedian Andy Samberg for Saturday Night Live.) Swift and T-Pain provided additional lyrics to "Thug Story," tweaking things before recording their vocals.

Proving that she understands importance of irony in a project like this, it was Swift's idea to rap about living with her parents and bragging about her involvement in such gangsta activities as baking cookies and knitting. She also came up the erroneous bleeped in part of her lyrics. Now that the song is so popular, you have to wonder if Swift will add it to the set list for her summer tour. source>>>

Last year's winning bid for lunch with legendary investor Warren Buffett topped $2.1 million, but given the economic turmoil, it's questionable this year's bidding will approach that level.

Yet Buffett has built a devoted following, as demonstrated by the crowd of 35,000 people at his recent Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting, and he offers only one lunch per year.

The online bidding begins at $25,000 Sunday in a charity auction that benefits the Glide Foundation, which provides social services to the poor and homeless in San Francisco. The bids will likely escalate significantly before the auction closes Friday evening at 10 p.m. EDT.

Glide's founder, Rev. Cecil Williams, said last year's big bid arrived just in time because demand for Glide's programs jumped roughly 20 percent in the past year with the recession. Glide relies on donations for most of its $17 million budget, so Williams is hoping for another big bid.

"We depend greatly on these people and their bidding," Williams said.

Buffett's late first wife, Susan, introduced the billionaire investor to Williams and the Glide Foundation. Buffett says he enjoys being able to help Glide with the lunch.

Buffett, who is Berkshire's chairman and chief executive, is primarily known for his investing success. Berkshire owns more than 60 subsidiaries including insurance, furniture, clothing, jewelry and candy companies, restaurants, natural gas and corporate jet firms and has major investments in such companies such as Coca-Cola Co. and Wells Fargo & Co.

But Buffett is also known for his philanthropy.

In 2006, he announced his long-term plan to give away the bulk of his roughly $36 billion fortune. Most of his shares of Berkshire stock will go to five charitable foundations, with the largest chunk going to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

The auction's winner and up to seven friends will lunch with Berkshire's chairman and chief executive. The owners of the Smith and Wollensky restaurant in New York contributed $10,000 to Glide and will again host the lunch.

Last year's winner, Zhao Danyang of the Hong Kong-based Pureheart China Growth Investment Fund, is scheduled to collect his prize by dining with Buffett on Wednesday.

"I am looking forward to enjoying lunch with Warren Buffett," Zhao said. "This is truly the chance of a lifetime."

Last year's winning bid on lunch with Buffett was the most expensive charity item eBay had ever sold.

Previously, the most expensive charity item ever sold on eBay was a letter from Democratic senators blasting conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh for using the phrase "phony soldiers" on his program. The letter signed by 41 senators sold for $2.1 million on eBay in October 2008.

The proceeds from Limbaugh's auction went to the Marine Corps-Law Enforcement Foundation, which provides scholarships to children of Marines or federal law enforcement personnel who were killed while serving their country. And he matched the bid.

Buffett has been auctioning off lunches online for seven years but began auctioning the lunches for Glide off-line in 2000. source>>>

Chris Anderson amongst others is announced as a keynote speaker. As Editor-In-Chief of Wired, and Author of The Long Tail Chris' presentation topic:
Free Vs Paid: Developing Money Models In A Cashless Economy will be an insight into the changing face of online selling, and how to give the most value to your customers.

In addition to Chris a number of other ecommerce and affiliate gurus will be sharing their expertise at the show including:

There are strategies to keep revenue up and find hidden opportunities in a downturn economy. By staying focused on the customer, not the market, you will see a jump in your profit even in current trying times.

eComXpo, taking place July 8-9, is the leading virtual and free affiliate and marketing forum where thousands of online attendees gather to discuss what's new in the industry.

eComXpo speaker, Joe Pulizzi, Founder of Junta42, and the recipient of 2008 Custom Media Innovator of the Year award, said:
"There are strategies to keep revenue up and find hidden opportunities in a downturn economy. By staying focused on the customer, not the market, you will see a jump in your profit even in current trying times."

Debra Haym, Executive Director of eComXpo at New York based conference organizer, Worldwide Business Research, said:

"The research for this conference with high caliber marketing executives indicates an intense interest in seeking out the opportunity to discuss many pressing and urgent issues of the day. We have worked hard to create a speaker line up to provide the best catalyst for fresh thinking and energized debate. We expect eComXpo to provide an exceptional platform and that, going forward, it will be viewed as having been a significant and influential gathering."

eComXpo is completely online and free to attend. For additional information visit www.ecomxpo.com. source>>>

- In a final hour packed with emotion, Lucas Glover played a steady hand to win the U.S. Open.

So many amazing stories belonged to contenders all around him Monday at Bethpage Black, from Phil Mickelson's stirring bid to win for his beloved wife as she battles breast cancer, to David Duval coming out of nowhere to nearly win for the first time in eight years.

Glover kept his cap tugged low and played the kind of golf that wins a U.S. Open under any conditions.

He made only one birdie in the rain-delayed final round, and it could not have been timed any better. Glover holed a 6-foot putt on the 16th hole to break one last tie for the lead, then held on with pars to close with a 3-over 73 for a two-shot victory.

"It was a test of patience, that's for sure," Glover said. "It was just heart today."

It was sheer heartache for Mickelson.

His wife, Amy, is due to have surgery for breast cancer next week. She left cards and text messages asking him to bring home the silver trophy from a U.S. Open that has taunted Lefty for a decade.

Right when it was in his grasp, Mickelson let it slip away again.

He missed a 3-foot par putt on the 15th hole, and another par putt from 8 feet on the 17th that ended his dream finish. Mickelson closed with a 70 and wound up in a three-way tie for second with Duval and 54-hole leader Ricky Barnes.

Mickelson left Bethpage Black with the wrong kind of distinction. He set the U.S. Open record with his fifth runner-up finish.

"Certainly I'm disappointed," Mickelson said, "but now that it's over, I've got more important things going on.

"And," he added, then paused, "oh, well."

Even more stunning was the revival of Duval.

The former No. 1 player in golf came to the U.S. Open as a qualifier who had plunged to No. 882 in the world. Showing remarkable resiliency throughout the week, Duval recovered from another big number - a triple bogey from a plugged lie in a bunker - and surged into a share of the lead with three straight birdies.

Tied for the lead with two holes to play, his 5-foot par putt on the 17th cruelly caught the back of the lip and spun 180 degrees out on the other side. He shot 71 for his best finish on the PGA Tour since he won the British Open eight years ago.

Barnes, who set the 36-hole Open scoring record, never had much of a chance. His swing got him into more trouble than he could handle as he went out in 40, 5 over par, and never quite recovered until it was too late.

That left Glover the most unlikely champion.

The 29-year-old from South Carolina, who chews tobacco and listens to Sinatra, had not won since holing out a bunker shot on the final hole at Disney nearly five years ago.

But this was no fluke.

Once he was handed the lead by Barnes' collapse, Glover was rock-solid on a water-logged course. And when he hit two of his best shots of the final round to the 16th green for his lone birdie, it made for an anticlimactic finish to a U.S. Open that had more delays than drama.

It was the first time the U.S. Open ended on a Monday without a playoff since 1983, courtesy of relentless rain. source>>>

I'm not sure if you've been paying real close attention to the Cincinnati Bengals lately, but they've been bad, real bad the last while. No one would blame you if you haven't thought much about this lightweight from the AFC North division. But if you are into sports betting, you need to be looking at all NFL teams and checking where they're at compared to the NFL future odds market.

The reason the Bengals are being mentioned at this point before NFL pre-season betting gets going is because one of their problem-children, Chad Ochocinco (yes, that's Chad Johnson, but he is now known as Chad Ochocinco) stepped up to a microphone and guaranteed his team will make the playoffs.

He might not be getting it done on the football field, but Ochocinco can still entertain. So can they make the playoffs? Can they take a run at the AFC North division title? What about going even further.

The big question from a sports betting viewpoint is whether there is any value in betting on the Bengals considering their NFL odds.

NFL Odds:
Online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com has all the NFL lines up for pre-season betting on the teams who will win their division, their conference and the Super Bowl. You'd be correct of you guessed the Bengals are not one of the favorites in any of those categories.

AFC Division Odds:
Cincy are currently sitting at +1000 to win the AFC North at most online sportsbooks. That means a $10 bettor would make a $100 if they did win the division.

What about being a real threat to win the Lamar Hunt trophy and thus the AFC?

Not so much. The Bengals are listed at +5000 to win the AFC championship this season.

And of course the odds keep getting steeper as the talk gets crazier about a possible Cincinnati Bengal hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy. Although that said, how many predicted the Arizona Cardinals would come within a last minute play from winning it all.
Anyway, the NFL betting volume on the Bengals to win the Super Bowl has been low so far this year. They are a +10,000 longshot to win it all. source>>>