BALTIMORE, Maryland March 22, 2015 - Brandon Lowe has three hits and Maryland has stormed from behind to take a 7-3 lead on Minnesota in the final game of a three-game series that opens the Big Ten Conference Schedule for both teams. The Terps, riding a 9-game win streak, won both ends of a doubleheader on Saturday after a Friday game was snowed out.
Sunday, March 22, 2015
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Netanyahu Sweeps to Victory in Israeli Elections; Obama's New Whopper of A Lie (This One is the Whopper of All of Obama's Whoppers); March Madness Starts, Maryland Holds Off Valparaiso, Prepares for West Virginia in Third Round; Terps Stop Minnesota, 5-1, Behind Shawaryn's Fifth Win
BALTIMORE, Maryland March 17, 2015 - BiBi Netanyahu swept to victory in the Israeli Elections Tuesday, assuring his continued presence on the international scene as Israeli Prime Minister. The highly regarded Statesman - who drew the ire of President Obama, and a dose of Obama's low-brow political thuggery - actually used the influx of foreign money supporting his socialist opponents to his advantage. Carolyn Glick, Deputy Managing Editor of the Jerusalem Post, told a large radio audience Tuesday on the Mark Levin Show that Israeli voters refused "to buckle" under foreign pressure. She told Levin that Obama's moves in dispatching nearly 200 political operatives and hundreds of thousands of dollars to Israel in an effort to throw the election to Netanyahu's socialist leftist candidates backfired as Israelis who may have been thinking of voting for other candidates instead swarmed back to Netanyahu in droves. In the end, Netanyahu won by a landslide. In days to come, Netanyahu will explore two or three different ways to form a coalition government typical of those that rule in many democratic nations, Glick said, including Israel. {A Bi-Partisan Panel in the United States Senate is invcstigating the sending of money and operatives to Israel by Obama. It has been alleged that the money sent to Israel is actually United States' taxpayer money. If so, Obama would have directly violated USA Law.}
Obama's Statement Qualifies as One of His Biggest Lies Yet: Narcissism on Display Leads to Ridiculous Statement (and Laughter)
President Obama told a television interviewer last week that President Bush was to blame for the rise of the Islalmic Terror Group ISIS. Really, he honestly said that. You'll recall that ISIS started and grew rapidly during Obama's two terms. And the only reason it was able to start and grow so rapidly was because Obama made the infantile mistake of removing every single American soldier and intelligence operative from Iraq early in his first term. Many of his own advisers, including respected former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, urged Obama to keep several thousand troops in Iraq as well as a vigorous intelligence operation for the sole purpose of preventing groups such as ISIS from starting in what was - without the Americans - a power vacuum. Obama would not. When all of the Americans were gone, there were no competent defensive personnel on scene to quell the growth of the Islamic Fascist terror operation. Thus grew ISIS.
News that Obama had tried to blame President Bush for ISIS was met with incredulity and then laughter. Obama's statement was compared to Former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain blaming Winston Churchill for the rise of the Nazi Party.
President Obama told a television interviewer last week that President Bush was to blame for the rise of the Islalmic Terror Group ISIS. Really, he honestly said that. You'll recall that ISIS started and grew rapidly during Obama's two terms. And the only reason it was able to start and grow so rapidly was because Obama made the infantile mistake of removing every single American soldier and intelligence operative from Iraq early in his first term. Many of his own advisers, including respected former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta, urged Obama to keep several thousand troops in Iraq as well as a vigorous intelligence operation for the sole purpose of preventing groups such as ISIS from starting in what was - without the Americans - a power vacuum. Obama would not. When all of the Americans were gone, there were no competent defensive personnel on scene to quell the growth of the Islamic Fascist terror operation. Thus grew ISIS.
News that Obama had tried to blame President Bush for ISIS was met with incredulity and then laughter. Obama's statement was compared to Former British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain blaming Winston Churchill for the rise of the Nazi Party.
NCAA Basketball Tournament Starts; Maryland Edges Valparaiso Behind Nickens, Wells, Trimble; Mississippi Rallies to Eliminate BYU in Breathtaking Scoring Festival, 94-90; Hampton Beats Back Manhattan Jaspars, 74-64; Georgia State Stuns Baylor
The 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament began Wednesday night at its traditional venue, Dayton, Ohio, and a capacity crowd of over 13,000 fans saw two games in which contrasting styles of basketball were put on vivid display. Two more games were played at Dayton on Wednesday, then the tournament, then down to 64 teams, spread out across the nation. By Saturday morning, only 32 teams, including Maryland, if only barely, were left standing.
The 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament began Wednesday night at its traditional venue, Dayton, Ohio, and a capacity crowd of over 13,000 fans saw two games in which contrasting styles of basketball were put on vivid display. Two more games were played at Dayton on Wednesday, then the tournament, then down to 64 teams, spread out across the nation. By Saturday morning, only 32 teams, including Maryland, if only barely, were left standing.
The selection committee for the NCAA has a lot of explaining to do. Start with a factual presentation on the reason for allowing UCLA, with their quite pedestrian record, into the tournament, while deserving teams are kept out. Some schools have to wonder if the fix is in. Is it? UCLA's only "good" win was a home victory over Utah. Then there are the teams that were kept out for unknown reasons while UCLA got in. The two teams that jump out at you as having deserved a berth but did not get one are Temple and Murray State. Temple lost in the A-10 Tournament to SMU after beating Memphis. Temple beat Kansas. They are 23-10 and in the NIT. Murray State is 27-5. You read that right. They lost the championship game of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament after going undefeated in the conference regular season. That one point loss to solid Belmont team broke a 25=game winning streak. After getting beat by Valparaiso on November 28, the Raeers did not lose again until March 7. But the committee couldn't find them an at-large bid. How do you go on a 25 game win streak in a season but not get an at-large berth? Some say that the Racers "didn't play anybody." That only goes so far. The Racers played a Division I Schedule, with lots of road games. They didn't lose a conference game. Not one. Then they lost the conference title game by one point, and they don't get a bid while UCLA was losing so often that nobody on the team thought they had a chance of getting in. The President of the NCAA needs to send a letter of apology to Murray State. And somebody needs to explain how UCLA got in.
Just as bad as UCLA getting in is the treatment that a couple of the teams nominally in the tournament received from the committee. Here I speak of BYU. This is the team that should be a poster child for the national tournament. They played a solid schedule against teams considered national powers. They were one of only two teams to beat No. 7 - in both polls - Gonzaga. And they were the only one to beat Gonzaga at the legendary "kennel" in Spokane where the Bulldogs play their games. They finished second in the WCC to Gonzaga, and made it to the conference tournament title game before bowing to the Zags. So on the selection show they are the very last team announced as having gotten in, and their seeding, as low as an at-large team can be - 11th - only got them a play-in game against an SEC team - Ole Miss - on Tuesday in Dayton. Ole Miss rallied from a 17 point halftime deficit to beat BYU, 94-90. It was about as thrilling and entertaining a game as one could hope to see.
The Maryland v. Valparaiso game was played at a snail's pace. Crusader coach Bryce Drew told an interviewer at halftime that his team was having trouble dealing with Maryland's length. Valparaiso was also stunned to have to deal with Jared Nickens and his 14 point outburst. Nickens kept Maryland in the game in the first half with 9 points, and he added 5 more in the second half. Nickens, Trimble and Dez Wells all had 14, while Trimble also contributed a game-high ten rebounds. Wells three-point play - the old-fashioned kind - in which he rebounded a Terp miss and scored, while being fouled, actually clinched the game for the Terps, although the Crusaders had the ball down three in the final seconds. Maryland Coach Mark Turgeon inserted reserve point guard Varuum Ram for the first time with just ten seconds left, and Ram blocked a Valpo three-point shot to clinch the game. Maryland now advances to the round of 32 and a collision with West Virginia on Sunday night at 8:40 pm.
Maryland Stops Minnesota, 5-1, in First of Two Games Saturday in College Park; Terps Run Win Streak to 8 in Winning Conference Opener; Shawaryn Throws 8 Strong Innings, Strikes Out 6
Mike Shawaryn threw 8 innings of one-run, 6 hit baseball, and Maryland struck for 5 runs in the third inning, the final two scoring on Jose Cuas' long home run, as the Terps opened their first Big Ten Conference Baseball Schedule with a 5-1 victory over Minnesota. The team teams will play a second game beginning at about 4:30 pm at Shipley Field in College Park.
Maryland, now 15-4 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten, have won 8 straight games, including 5 this calendar week. On Sunday and Monday the Terps beat Princeton to complete a three-game sweep. On Tuesday and Wednesday Maryland went to Elon, in Georgia, to take two games. They then returned home only to see their Friday game against Minnesota rained or snowed out, making today's doubleheader a necessity.
Anthony Papie opened the Terp third with a double, and he took third on Kevin Blondic's sacrifice bunt. With one out, Brandon Lowe singled Papio home to put the Terps ahead to stay. Lowe went to third when Kevin Smith followed with another single. Both Scored when Kevin Martir doubled. Cuas then homered to round out the five-run inning. Maryland's pitching did the rest. Shawaryn, who improved to 5-0 in this still-young season, struck out six and walked only one. Plus, the only Gopher run, which scored in the sixth, was unearned.
The Maryland v. Valparaiso game was played at a snail's pace. Crusader coach Bryce Drew told an interviewer at halftime that his team was having trouble dealing with Maryland's length. Valparaiso was also stunned to have to deal with Jared Nickens and his 14 point outburst. Nickens kept Maryland in the game in the first half with 9 points, and he added 5 more in the second half. Nickens, Trimble and Dez Wells all had 14, while Trimble also contributed a game-high ten rebounds. Wells three-point play - the old-fashioned kind - in which he rebounded a Terp miss and scored, while being fouled, actually clinched the game for the Terps, although the Crusaders had the ball down three in the final seconds. Maryland Coach Mark Turgeon inserted reserve point guard Varuum Ram for the first time with just ten seconds left, and Ram blocked a Valpo three-point shot to clinch the game. Maryland now advances to the round of 32 and a collision with West Virginia on Sunday night at 8:40 pm.
Maryland Stops Minnesota, 5-1, in First of Two Games Saturday in College Park; Terps Run Win Streak to 8 in Winning Conference Opener; Shawaryn Throws 8 Strong Innings, Strikes Out 6
Mike Shawaryn threw 8 innings of one-run, 6 hit baseball, and Maryland struck for 5 runs in the third inning, the final two scoring on Jose Cuas' long home run, as the Terps opened their first Big Ten Conference Baseball Schedule with a 5-1 victory over Minnesota. The team teams will play a second game beginning at about 4:30 pm at Shipley Field in College Park.
Maryland, now 15-4 overall and 1-0 in the Big Ten, have won 8 straight games, including 5 this calendar week. On Sunday and Monday the Terps beat Princeton to complete a three-game sweep. On Tuesday and Wednesday Maryland went to Elon, in Georgia, to take two games. They then returned home only to see their Friday game against Minnesota rained or snowed out, making today's doubleheader a necessity.
Anthony Papie opened the Terp third with a double, and he took third on Kevin Blondic's sacrifice bunt. With one out, Brandon Lowe singled Papio home to put the Terps ahead to stay. Lowe went to third when Kevin Smith followed with another single. Both Scored when Kevin Martir doubled. Cuas then homered to round out the five-run inning. Maryland's pitching did the rest. Shawaryn, who improved to 5-0 in this still-young season, struck out six and walked only one. Plus, the only Gopher run, which scored in the sixth, was unearned.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Burnley Stuns Manchester City, 1-0, Giving Great Hope to Claret's Chances of Avoiding Relegation
BALTIMORE, Maryland March 15, 2015 - Intrepid is the word I use to describe the Burnley Football Club. The 'Dictionary.com" web site defines intrepid as "resolutely fearless or dauntless". Burnley's lads are absolutely resolutely fearless. Saturday evening they played host to Premier League Power Manchester City. Understand that Manchester City was in second place in the Premier, with all sites set on Chelsea, the league leader. This is the Manchester City team that plays in the Europa League in the mid-week, along with the best club teams in Europe. This is the Manchester City team that plays in front of over 50,000 fans on a regular basis. But this is also the Manchester City team that lost yesterday, to Burnley. George Boyd's masterpiece of a shot in the 61st minute did Manchester City in.
And oh did Burnley need this victory and the three precious points that came with it. Relegation looms. Relegation back down to the Championship. Over 21,000 crammed into venerable Turf Moor pleading for what seemed impossible: a win against one of the world's real power-clubs. Against all of the odds, the wish of the Burnley faithful was granted. Kieran Trippier took a free kick, but City defender and captain Vincent Kompany moved into the path of the kick and attempted to clear the ball. He did not hit it well. Instead of clearing, it rolled to George Boyd. George Boyd did not mis-hit the ball; his shot was low and sinister, at least for the City Keeper - who is also the keeper for the English National Team - Joe Hart. Hart could not get to Boyd's shot, and Burnley moved in front to the pure delight of the Claret faithful. That darned Burnley defense then dug in and wouldn't budge. When the final whistle sounded, Burnley was still ahead. Three points were their's.
While the Claret offense has sputtered in the Premier, their defense is right at home, playing as if they never skipped a beat while being promoted from the Championship to the Premier. Early in the season the Burnley defense stood tall in a streak of three consecutive scoreless draws. Tom Heaton, Ben Mee, Kieran Trippier and company were at it again against Manchester City. Did I tell you that Manchester City never did score? No, they did not. There was some howling from the City bench - quite loud and quite long, we are told - about some alleged ittle disturbance during injury time, but referee Andre Mamner waived it off.
The most important question at this juncture is what the win and the three points mean to Burnley's struggle to avoid relegation. The teams which finish 18th, 19th and 20th in the Premier are relegated to the Championship League for the following season, replaced in the Premier by the first and second place finishers in the Championship, and the winner of a playoff between the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place teams in the Championship. Each team in the Premier plays 38 matches - a home match and an away match with every other team in the Premier. As it stands now, Leicester is in 20th in the Premier with 19 points through 28 matches. The Queens Park Rangers are in 19th place with 22 points. The Rangers have played 29 matches. Burnley has also played 29 matches, but they have 25 points, good for 18th place. They must move up to 17th place or higher to avoid relegation. Right now, Sunderland is in 17th place. Sunderland has only one more point - 26 - than does Burnley. Aston Villa and Hull City are tied for 15th/16th place with 28 points. Everton is in 14th place with 31 points.
The Claret will have more than a fair chance to move out of the relegation positions. They have 9 matches left, beginning next Saturday with a match at Sunderland. The other eight matches include road matches at Everton on April 18, at West Ham on May 2, at Hull on May 9, and at Aston Villa to end the season on May 24. The Claret also have four precious home matches remaining, including Tottenham on April 5, Arsenal on April 11, Leicester on April 25 and Stoke City in their final match of the season at Turf Moor on May 16. The question, of course, is whether the Stoke City match on May 16 will be the final Premier League match at Turf Moor for the forseeable future, or merely the final home match in the Premier until next August. If teams in critical positions end up tied, the tie is broken by goal differential. Say, for instance, that after the regular season ends, Burnley is tied for 17th/18th place with, say, Sunderland. If the season ended today, Sunderland would survive and Burnley would be relegated because Sunderland's GD (goal differential) is (-20) while Burnely is (-21). One goal difference over an entire season. Yikes! Take heart, though, because there is a ton of soccer left and one goal is not a lot to make up. If you're interested, other teams in the relegation struggle and their GD are: Everton (-5), Hull (-11), Aston Villa (-19), Queens Park (-22) and Leicester City (-20).
Manchester City's loss to Burnley yesterday kept them six points behind Chelsea in the battle for first place in the Premier. Chelsea has 64 points and a GD of 35 after drawing with Southampton on Saturday. City has 58 points and a GD of 51. Actually, the teams in second, third and fourth place in the Premier are very very close to each other. Arsenal is third with 57 points and a GD of 28. Manchester United is fourth with 56 points and a GD of 24. In fifth place is Liverpool with 51 points and a GD of 12. Southampton and Tottenham follow Liverpool - and very closely - each with 50 points. What's more, Southampton has a leader-like GD of 19, while Tottenham has a GD of 4. After Tottenham you drop all the way down to Stoke with 42 points and a negative GD. Every team in the Premier has played either 28 or 29 matches. The home stretch will be gloriously important to all of the sides involved.
And oh did Burnley need this victory and the three precious points that came with it. Relegation looms. Relegation back down to the Championship. Over 21,000 crammed into venerable Turf Moor pleading for what seemed impossible: a win against one of the world's real power-clubs. Against all of the odds, the wish of the Burnley faithful was granted. Kieran Trippier took a free kick, but City defender and captain Vincent Kompany moved into the path of the kick and attempted to clear the ball. He did not hit it well. Instead of clearing, it rolled to George Boyd. George Boyd did not mis-hit the ball; his shot was low and sinister, at least for the City Keeper - who is also the keeper for the English National Team - Joe Hart. Hart could not get to Boyd's shot, and Burnley moved in front to the pure delight of the Claret faithful. That darned Burnley defense then dug in and wouldn't budge. When the final whistle sounded, Burnley was still ahead. Three points were their's.
While the Claret offense has sputtered in the Premier, their defense is right at home, playing as if they never skipped a beat while being promoted from the Championship to the Premier. Early in the season the Burnley defense stood tall in a streak of three consecutive scoreless draws. Tom Heaton, Ben Mee, Kieran Trippier and company were at it again against Manchester City. Did I tell you that Manchester City never did score? No, they did not. There was some howling from the City bench - quite loud and quite long, we are told - about some alleged ittle disturbance during injury time, but referee Andre Mamner waived it off.
The most important question at this juncture is what the win and the three points mean to Burnley's struggle to avoid relegation. The teams which finish 18th, 19th and 20th in the Premier are relegated to the Championship League for the following season, replaced in the Premier by the first and second place finishers in the Championship, and the winner of a playoff between the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th place teams in the Championship. Each team in the Premier plays 38 matches - a home match and an away match with every other team in the Premier. As it stands now, Leicester is in 20th in the Premier with 19 points through 28 matches. The Queens Park Rangers are in 19th place with 22 points. The Rangers have played 29 matches. Burnley has also played 29 matches, but they have 25 points, good for 18th place. They must move up to 17th place or higher to avoid relegation. Right now, Sunderland is in 17th place. Sunderland has only one more point - 26 - than does Burnley. Aston Villa and Hull City are tied for 15th/16th place with 28 points. Everton is in 14th place with 31 points.
The Claret will have more than a fair chance to move out of the relegation positions. They have 9 matches left, beginning next Saturday with a match at Sunderland. The other eight matches include road matches at Everton on April 18, at West Ham on May 2, at Hull on May 9, and at Aston Villa to end the season on May 24. The Claret also have four precious home matches remaining, including Tottenham on April 5, Arsenal on April 11, Leicester on April 25 and Stoke City in their final match of the season at Turf Moor on May 16. The question, of course, is whether the Stoke City match on May 16 will be the final Premier League match at Turf Moor for the forseeable future, or merely the final home match in the Premier until next August. If teams in critical positions end up tied, the tie is broken by goal differential. Say, for instance, that after the regular season ends, Burnley is tied for 17th/18th place with, say, Sunderland. If the season ended today, Sunderland would survive and Burnley would be relegated because Sunderland's GD (goal differential) is (-20) while Burnely is (-21). One goal difference over an entire season. Yikes! Take heart, though, because there is a ton of soccer left and one goal is not a lot to make up. If you're interested, other teams in the relegation struggle and their GD are: Everton (-5), Hull (-11), Aston Villa (-19), Queens Park (-22) and Leicester City (-20).
Manchester City's loss to Burnley yesterday kept them six points behind Chelsea in the battle for first place in the Premier. Chelsea has 64 points and a GD of 35 after drawing with Southampton on Saturday. City has 58 points and a GD of 51. Actually, the teams in second, third and fourth place in the Premier are very very close to each other. Arsenal is third with 57 points and a GD of 28. Manchester United is fourth with 56 points and a GD of 24. In fifth place is Liverpool with 51 points and a GD of 12. Southampton and Tottenham follow Liverpool - and very closely - each with 50 points. What's more, Southampton has a leader-like GD of 19, while Tottenham has a GD of 4. After Tottenham you drop all the way down to Stoke with 42 points and a negative GD. Every team in the Premier has played either 28 or 29 matches. The home stretch will be gloriously important to all of the sides involved.
Saturday, March 14, 2015
Referees Help Michigan State Stop Maryland Run, 72-68; Loss Could Afford Turgeon Opportunity to Tweak Player Rotation Going Into NCAA Tournament
BALTIMORE, Maryland March 14, 2015 - I suppose, in the end, it was just a matter of when the boom would be lowered. The game officials looked like they were itching to drop it last night when Maryland stopped a desperate Indiana team in the Big Ten Tournament Quarterfinals. In the big tough Big Ten, the three game officials were calling touch foul after touch foul, driving the players on both teams to the point of distraction. But the best was saved for the second half of today's Semi-final between Michigan State and the Terps. Maryland jumped out to a 23-7 lead, but it was a false lead in the sense that it was achieved without meaningful contribution from Dez Wells, Jared Nickens and Jake Layman. Of Maryland's usual offensive stalwarts in this amazing season, only Melo Trimble was on target. Michigan State was stone cold. As Trimble cooled and Wells got into a bit of foul trouble, State rallied and cut the Terp lead to 8 points, 33-25, at the half. The second half was back and forth until the men in stripes got into the act. Three times Maryland blocked Michigan State shots cleanly, and three times a foul was called on Maryland. Twice in battles for rebounds the officials called very lame fouls on Evan Smotrych. But the three worst calls - and these were so bad that they each brought into discussion the mindless practice of the officials in not discussing real bad calls in an effort to get them correct. First, a Michigan State player muffed a pass to him near the basket, and allowed the ball to go out of bounds. But the official, who figured the Spartan player would catch the pass and go right up for a shot, whistled a shooting foul. Did the other two morons just miss the play, also. No. This one was so bad that any one in the top row of the arena would have seen it, but neither of the other two stepped in. Fat chance anyone was coming to Maryland's aide today, no matter how stupid it made the trio look. Later, Travis Trice walked or double dribbled - what he did qualified for both - but all three officials failed to make the call. Then, Trice got out on a breakaway, but was caught from behind by Wells, who jumped at the ball instead of Trice and blocked the shot cleanly while entirely avoiding Trice. Nonetheless, the foul was called. It was shown over and over on TV but so what? It was clear by this time that getting the call right was not on the agenda for these game officials.
And so Maryland's eight game win streak ended, as did their run at the Big Ten Tournament Title in their first year in the league. The loss has the possibility of working in Maryland's favor if it serves as a catalyst for some tweaking of the player rotation by Coach Turgeon. It's hard to do those kind of things when your team is on a run. But now the run is over and it is NCAA Tournament Time. Here are my humble suggestions:
(1) More time for Michael Cekovsky and less time for Damonte Dodd. Dodd struggled terribly in both of Maryland's games in Chicago. He is ill at ease receiving passes, and regularly fumbles them, negating superior inside passes that should be leading to easy hoops. I don't think Dodd should be forgotten, but I think it is time - really, it has been time - to get the big man into the line-up far more than he has been. Cekovsky is not like the big men of days past. He plays like a man 18 inches shorter, and dribbles the ball like a power forward. He uses his height to make opposing players miss their shots, even when he doesn't actually block them. This keeps him from getting in foul trouble like other big men. Cekovsky played a huge role in Maryland's victory over Wisconsin. He is the future of Maryland's inside game. It is time that he get into the line-up, because he can be the difference in a game like Maryland lost today against Michigan State, where the Terps were constantly out-rebounded in late game situations.
(2) More time for Jared Nickens. The freshman guard has been scoring in double figures so often that it is hard to believe he rarely gets 20 minutes on the floor. He is actually a better outside shooter than Trimble, although the Terps' star point guard is better, now, on the drive and at the foul line. Nickens has an inside game, too - remember how well he took it to the net against powerful Iowa State? - but he hasn't had the chance to use it because Turgeon wants him to shoot the three. Next season, when Wells is gone, Nickens will have to make up a lot of the difference. Why not let him get started now. Turgeon loves Richard Pack, and don't think I have anything against the MEAC refugee. He hustles, and he plays like a senior - which he is - even though it is his first year on Maryland's team. Turgeon believes Pack can guard the other team's best offensive player. I'm not that convinced. Against the Spartans, Turgeon found out Pack could not stop Travis Trice. And it is also true that Nickens has looked bad at times in man-to-man defenses. Friday, Turgeon yanked Nickens a few seconds after he went into the game because he pulled a matador routine when a Hoosier drove right by him. But that will change when he gets more time and isn't looking at the scorer's table when he is in to see who is replacing him when he misses a shot. The fact that he has continued to make huge contributions is a tribute to the first-year player's ability and determination. Today against Michigan State was the first time in over a month that Nickens did not score. In a four-point loss, you need look no further than the column next to his name for the reason. If the lad can get ten points in just a few minutes, imagine what he would do in 25 minutes. Beat Michigan State, for one. I hate to say it, but I have a bad feeling Nickens might transfer. He doesn't look happy even though Maryland has been winning. I believe that Nickens should be getting more minutes an Pack less. Pack is gone after this season no matter what. Nickens should have three left. I'm not justifying any pouting. He is getting plenty of chances for a freshman. But in these days when good players play one year then head for the NBA, Nickens might feel like he hasn't been given the opportunity to show just how good he is. Nickens knows that five players from last year's team transferred, and he might feel it is part of playing under Turgeon, who has a reputation for getting on players who aren't playing up to his expectations. He has toned that down this year, and everybody talks about how happy the kids on the team are with him and with each other. Winning will do that. But Maryland is not so good that it can afford to let Nickens fall away. Once Wells and his amazing ability to gone, somebody has to pick up the slack. Trimble will not be able to do it by himself. In fact, the fact that both Trimble and Wells are scoring in bunches keeps other teams from throwing all of their defense at one or the other. When Nickens is hot from long range, it just confounds other teams' defensive strategy.
And so Maryland's eight game win streak ended, as did their run at the Big Ten Tournament Title in their first year in the league. The loss has the possibility of working in Maryland's favor if it serves as a catalyst for some tweaking of the player rotation by Coach Turgeon. It's hard to do those kind of things when your team is on a run. But now the run is over and it is NCAA Tournament Time. Here are my humble suggestions:
(1) More time for Michael Cekovsky and less time for Damonte Dodd. Dodd struggled terribly in both of Maryland's games in Chicago. He is ill at ease receiving passes, and regularly fumbles them, negating superior inside passes that should be leading to easy hoops. I don't think Dodd should be forgotten, but I think it is time - really, it has been time - to get the big man into the line-up far more than he has been. Cekovsky is not like the big men of days past. He plays like a man 18 inches shorter, and dribbles the ball like a power forward. He uses his height to make opposing players miss their shots, even when he doesn't actually block them. This keeps him from getting in foul trouble like other big men. Cekovsky played a huge role in Maryland's victory over Wisconsin. He is the future of Maryland's inside game. It is time that he get into the line-up, because he can be the difference in a game like Maryland lost today against Michigan State, where the Terps were constantly out-rebounded in late game situations.
(2) More time for Jared Nickens. The freshman guard has been scoring in double figures so often that it is hard to believe he rarely gets 20 minutes on the floor. He is actually a better outside shooter than Trimble, although the Terps' star point guard is better, now, on the drive and at the foul line. Nickens has an inside game, too - remember how well he took it to the net against powerful Iowa State? - but he hasn't had the chance to use it because Turgeon wants him to shoot the three. Next season, when Wells is gone, Nickens will have to make up a lot of the difference. Why not let him get started now. Turgeon loves Richard Pack, and don't think I have anything against the MEAC refugee. He hustles, and he plays like a senior - which he is - even though it is his first year on Maryland's team. Turgeon believes Pack can guard the other team's best offensive player. I'm not that convinced. Against the Spartans, Turgeon found out Pack could not stop Travis Trice. And it is also true that Nickens has looked bad at times in man-to-man defenses. Friday, Turgeon yanked Nickens a few seconds after he went into the game because he pulled a matador routine when a Hoosier drove right by him. But that will change when he gets more time and isn't looking at the scorer's table when he is in to see who is replacing him when he misses a shot. The fact that he has continued to make huge contributions is a tribute to the first-year player's ability and determination. Today against Michigan State was the first time in over a month that Nickens did not score. In a four-point loss, you need look no further than the column next to his name for the reason. If the lad can get ten points in just a few minutes, imagine what he would do in 25 minutes. Beat Michigan State, for one. I hate to say it, but I have a bad feeling Nickens might transfer. He doesn't look happy even though Maryland has been winning. I believe that Nickens should be getting more minutes an Pack less. Pack is gone after this season no matter what. Nickens should have three left. I'm not justifying any pouting. He is getting plenty of chances for a freshman. But in these days when good players play one year then head for the NBA, Nickens might feel like he hasn't been given the opportunity to show just how good he is. Nickens knows that five players from last year's team transferred, and he might feel it is part of playing under Turgeon, who has a reputation for getting on players who aren't playing up to his expectations. He has toned that down this year, and everybody talks about how happy the kids on the team are with him and with each other. Winning will do that. But Maryland is not so good that it can afford to let Nickens fall away. Once Wells and his amazing ability to gone, somebody has to pick up the slack. Trimble will not be able to do it by himself. In fact, the fact that both Trimble and Wells are scoring in bunches keeps other teams from throwing all of their defense at one or the other. When Nickens is hot from long range, it just confounds other teams' defensive strategy.
NCAA Basketball: Maryland Stops Indiana, 75-69, in Big Ten Tournament Quartefinal; Terps Face Michigan State for Third Time in Semi-Final Showdown Today; NCAA Baseball: Terps Still 16th in D1 Rankings, Rout Princeton, 15-0, as Shawaryn Wins Fourth Game
BALTIMORE, Maryland March 13, 2015 - Mark Turgeon was interviewed by a TV reporter on his way to the lockeroom after the first half of Friday Night's Quarterfinal game with Indiana. He said the Terps needed to close the Hoosiers off the boards and do a couple of other things a little better. At the time, Maryland led Indiana, 42-40 in the third meeting of the season with the up and down Hoosiers. As an observer, it seemed like Turgeon was avoiding the obvious: Maryland had played abhorent defense for the first 20 minutes, the worst I'd seen them play all year. And yet, they were ahead mainly because their offense was as good as their defense was bad. As it turned out, the wise and cagey Maryland coach was merely playing his cards close to his vest. After Indiana torched Maryland in the first half, they were all but shut down in the second. Throw in a ten-point explosion from Freshman Jared Nickens - who took only one shot in the first half - and you have the makings of Maryland's eighth straight victory. Dez Wells was wonderful, mixing a variety of jaw-dropping dunks with dependable mid-range shooting and free throw proficiency. He led the Terps with 22 points. Melo Trimble was equally amazing, finishing with 17. Nickens and Jake Layman were also in double figures with ten each. Today, Maryland plays Michigan State in a semi-final showdown that is scheduled to begin some 25 minutes after the other semi-final between Wisconsin and Purdue.
Baseball After Maryland (10-4, 0-0) dropped two out of three to UNC Wilmington last weekend, two of the five College Baseball Polls dropped the Terps from their Rankings. However, two of the most prestigious, including one that has not treated the Terps well in the past, still have the Terps Ranked. Maryland is No. 16 in the D1 Poll, one in which they have been as high as 8th. The venerable NCBWA has the Terps at No. 25 in their Top 30 Poll. Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America have dropped Maryland from their rankings. The USA Today Coach's Poll was not updated this week, at least on the NCAA website. The better news for Maryland is their success since last weekend. On Wednesday Night, the Terps whacked a good Richmond team, 8-3, at Harford Community College in Bel Air, a venue the Terps turned to last season early on when Shipley Field was deemed unplayable. Shipley was playable today, however, and Maryland used their first true home game as the setting for a 15-0 destruction of the Princeton Tigers. Sophmore Mike Shawaryn improved to 4-0 by pitching seven strong scoreless innings and striking out eleven Tigers. Freshman Jack Piekos, a 6'2" southpaw from Blue Point, New York pitched a scoreless 8th inning, and Redshirt Freshman Andrew Green, a 6'6" rightie from Blairstown, New Jersey, pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out two of the three Tigers he faced, to complete the shutout. The two wins improved Maryland to 10-4. with the Princeton series continuing Saturday at 1 pm and Sunday at 2 pm. The Terps then travel to Elon for games Tuesday and Wednesday, before returning home Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 20-22, to open their Big Ten Schedule with a three game series against Minnesota. The Friday night game begins at 6:30 pm The hitting star for the Terps on Friday was Anthony Papio, who went 4-4 with a home run, two runs batted in and a walk. Joes Cuas, the Terp 3B, contributed a bases loaded, 3 RBI double in Maryland's five-run third inning that broke open a scoreless tie. Papio had led off the third with his home run.
Baseball After Maryland (10-4, 0-0) dropped two out of three to UNC Wilmington last weekend, two of the five College Baseball Polls dropped the Terps from their Rankings. However, two of the most prestigious, including one that has not treated the Terps well in the past, still have the Terps Ranked. Maryland is No. 16 in the D1 Poll, one in which they have been as high as 8th. The venerable NCBWA has the Terps at No. 25 in their Top 30 Poll. Collegiate Baseball and Baseball America have dropped Maryland from their rankings. The USA Today Coach's Poll was not updated this week, at least on the NCAA website. The better news for Maryland is their success since last weekend. On Wednesday Night, the Terps whacked a good Richmond team, 8-3, at Harford Community College in Bel Air, a venue the Terps turned to last season early on when Shipley Field was deemed unplayable. Shipley was playable today, however, and Maryland used their first true home game as the setting for a 15-0 destruction of the Princeton Tigers. Sophmore Mike Shawaryn improved to 4-0 by pitching seven strong scoreless innings and striking out eleven Tigers. Freshman Jack Piekos, a 6'2" southpaw from Blue Point, New York pitched a scoreless 8th inning, and Redshirt Freshman Andrew Green, a 6'6" rightie from Blairstown, New Jersey, pitched a scoreless ninth, striking out two of the three Tigers he faced, to complete the shutout. The two wins improved Maryland to 10-4. with the Princeton series continuing Saturday at 1 pm and Sunday at 2 pm. The Terps then travel to Elon for games Tuesday and Wednesday, before returning home Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 20-22, to open their Big Ten Schedule with a three game series against Minnesota. The Friday night game begins at 6:30 pm The hitting star for the Terps on Friday was Anthony Papio, who went 4-4 with a home run, two runs batted in and a walk. Joes Cuas, the Terp 3B, contributed a bases loaded, 3 RBI double in Maryland's five-run third inning that broke open a scoreless tie. Papio had led off the third with his home run.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Scientists Baffled By Brilliant Lights on Ceres, the largest Asteroid; Four Police Officers Risk Lives To Save Submerged Child, Get Instructions From Inside the Vehicle, But From Who?; Teams Every Coach Wants to Avoid in March Madness
BALTIMORE, Maryland March 9, 2015 - On March 8, the Dawn Spacecraft went into a controlled orbit around the largest Asteroid in the Asteroid Belt, whose thousands of celestial bodies orbit the Sun in the area between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Achieving orbit, in itself, is a remarkable accomplishment by those at the Jet Propulsion Labratory and their European Partners in Italy and Germany. But the headlines from the Dawn flight are far more mysterious. Ceres - itself a mystery because of its remarkably spherical shape compared to the "chunk" and "rough hewn" shapes of all of its fellow Asteroids - has two brilliant lights shining out from the bottom of an otherwise unremarkable crater. The crater is near the asteroid's equator. The Dawn took photos of the lights as it approached Ceres. Scientists are said to be "puzzled," and this 'puzzling' is far more remarkable than any puzzling that they expected to pique their collective interests. To attemp to categorize or orient the amount of mystery about the lights in the astronomical community is difficult because these folk have planned for millions of contingencies. These lights, however, have stunned them to the core. Really, they have. These two lights are downright amazing. According to experts, the two lights are quite intense and their source is quite small - exactly the opposite of what one might expect. Although called 'reflective,' the fact is that the lights are said to be no more than 40% reflective, while ice, which some scientists had thought the lights were, is sometimes up to 100% reflective. Jet Propulsion scientists are said to have ideas about what the source of the lights are, but no more than that. Although the orbit is achieved, we are told that better photos are to come, and at some date in early April the photos will be amazingly close. There was wild speculation on the web in recent days, some of which sought to raise questions about the lack of pictures subsequent to the original photographs. I, for one, believe this is benign since the spacecraft was programmed before it took off from Earth in 2007. At that time, there was no clue that the photographs approaching Ceres would raise such controversy, and there was no reason to waste energy on photographs during the approach, other than the ones already taken. Go to Wikipedia for more info on Ceres, generally, and the lights. The picture of the lights that most web sites have is also there. The Jet Propulsion Lab has a dedicated web page for the Dawn Mission at http://dawn.jpl.nasa.gov/ Bloomberg has a speculative article about the lights at "http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-08/opec-s-el-badri-says-oil-oversupply-is-about-2m-bbl-day-in-1h".
The actual discovery of Ceres came it bits and pieces, fits and starts. According to Wikipedia, the brilliant Johannes Kepler first noticed the gap between Mars and Jupiter in 1596. Johann Elert Bode, in 1772, first suggested that an undiscovered planet could exist between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Then, n 1800, a group headed by Franz Xaver von Zach, editor of the Monatliche Correspondenz, an astronomical journal, sent requests to twenty-four experienced astronomers (dubbed the "celestial police"), asking that they combine their efforts and begin a methodical search for the expected planet. Although they did not discover Ceres, they later found several large asteroids. Before he received his invitation from von Zach, the Italian Astronomer, Giuseppe Piazzi of the Academy of Palermo, Sicily, discovered Ceres on January 1, 1801, while searching for a star in the same part of the sky. Piazzi subsequently observed Ceres 23 more times from January 1, 1801 through February 11, 1801, when illness interrupted his observations. His discovery was announced on January 24, 1801 in letters he sent to two other astronomers. One was his compatriot, Barnaba Oriani of Milan. The other was Bode. Piazzi said in his correspondence that the object was a comet, but he added that "since the movement is so slow and rather uniform, it has occurred to me several times that it might be something better than a comet." In April, Piazzi sent his complete observations to Oriani, Bode and Jerome Lalande in Paris. The findings were then published in Monatliche Correspondenz in September, 1801.
Twice since its discovery Ceres has been classified as a planet, most recently in the last decade at the same time that the controversy about Pluto's status came about. The same protocol that sought to keep Pluto catogorized as a planet also made Ceres a full-fledged planet again. But the protocol was never adopted in the proposed form, and language was added that insisted that any planet must fully occupy its orbit doomed those on Earth who believed Ceres should be in the same category as was Earth, Mars, Jupiter and the other known planets. This is because Ceres, in the Asteroid Belt with thousands of other bodies, does not nearly 'fully occupy' its orbit. The Hubble Space Telescope - which orbit Earth - photographed Ceres in 2004, and the lights appear on these photos as a very large very bright area. The photos from such a distance nonetheless made clear that the asteroid had light coming from it.
And why we visit the obscure and mysterious, how about this weekend tidbit from, of all places, the New York Daily News, and other mainline newspapers. The subject's amazing subject is confirmed by the diecision of the Daily News to assign one of its own reporters to the story, which, save for its amazing nature, is really just a police rescue in a rural area of Utah.
FROM NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: See the original article at: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/mysterious-voice-leads-police-baby-car-crash-article-1.2142732
'Mysterious voice' led Utah Officers to child who survived for 14 hours in submerged car
BY JOEL LANDAU NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Published: Monday, March 9, 2015, 12:11 PM Updated: Monday, March 9, 2015, 4:36 PM
The officers who rescued a Utah toddler from death’s doorstep in a submerged car on Sunday said their adrenaline-fueled heroics were triggered by a mysterious plea.
“We could see a person in the front seat and then we heard a voice saying, ‘Help me, we’re in here.’ It was clear as day,” said Officer Tyler Beddoes of the Spanish Fork Police Department, one of four men who pulled an unconscious 18-month-old from a car — which had been submerged in near-freezing water for 14 hours — as her mother lay dead in the driver’s seat.
Beddoes and his fellow first responders braved the chilly waters long enough to turn the red Dodge sedan, which was upside down, and pull little Lily Groesbeck out of her car seat, in which she had been suspended since her mother Jennifer Groesbeck apparently lost control of the car the previous evening.
“We could see her eyes fluttering so there was some life but as far as movements or consciousness there was nothing that we could see,” Beddoes told the Daily News on Monday.
The four officers and three firefighters formed an assembly line and transported the child back to shore. The first responders started performing CPR, and Lily later regained consciousness in a Salt Lake City hospital. Her condition was upgraded to stable on Monday.
Jennifer Groesbeck, 25, was driving to her home in Springville, but when crossing a bridge in Spanish Fork, the single mom hit a cement barrier and drove off the roadway, police said.
The vehicle crashed into the river around 10:30 p.m., according to a witness who told
police he heard the accident. The car was not visible from the roadway, and was not discovered until 14 hours later, when a fisherman spotted it at 12:24 p.m. Saturday and called police.
That’s when Beddoes and his partners arrived. The witness told them that he could see an arm through the window, and the four men plunged into the freezing rapids to see if they could find any survivors.
Then, suddenly, they started hearing the distinct sound of a woman’s voice, calling to them to help.
We heard a voice saying 'help me, we're in here.' It was clear as day. We replied back 'hang in there, we're trying what we can.'
The voice motivated them to push harder because they believed there may be someone inside who was still alive. With their adrenaline pumping they pulled the heavy, water-filled car onto its side and discovered the driver was dead.
The officers had no explanation for the mysterious voice that appeared to come from inside the car. Beddoes said he said he wouldn’t believe it really happened had not the other officers heard it, as well.
“I don’t know what I thought I heard,” he said. “I’m not a typically religious guy. It’s hard to explain — it was definitely something. Where and why it came from, I’m not sure.”
The little girl was hanging upside down, but her head was not touching the water. The responders did not even see her, initially, but when they got the car turned over they spotted her and raced to get her out.
Groesbeck, the youngest of five children, was enrolled at Provo College and hoped to become a medical assistant, her sister Jill Sanderson told KSL TV in Salt Lake City.
“She was very compassionate and a very loving person and always willing to bend over backwards for her loved ones,” she told the station. “Her baby was the love of her life. She was an amazing mother.”
The family set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her funeral
expenses and Lily’s medical treatment.
Her baby was the love of her life. She was an amazing mother.
The child was being treated at Primary Childrens Hospital, where a her condition was “stable and improving,” a spokeswoman said Monday.
“She is doing remarkably well considering the circumstance. The doctors have been hopeful so far,” Sanderson told reporters. “We would like to express our appreciation to the Spanish Fork rescue team for saving the babys life.”
Beddoes, who spent at least 20 minutes in the frigid waters, said he and his colleagues were so focused on the rescue they didn’t realize the impact it was having on their bodies. The 6-foot-tall officer said the water level was often at his neck, sometimes higher.
“I didn’t feel the cold — I wasn’t paying attention to myself,” he said. “After several minutes in the water I started to feel the effects.”
The four officers and three firefighters were treated for hypothermia and released Saturday night.
Police are still trying to determine what caused the accident. Spanish Fork Lt. Matt Johnson told the Daily News there were no skid marks or evidence of evasive maneuvers at the bridge. A toxicology report on Jennifer Groesbeck is pending.
The men who jumped into the water to save the infant should be commended, Johnson said.
“It’s a very courageous effort on their part,” he added. “They were willing to risk their lives and enter the water to make sure there were no other occupants in the vehicle. This is what public service is all about.”
CUTLINES FOR PICTURES EMBEDDED IN NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ARTICLE: (1)Spanish Fork police officer Tyler Beddoes, center, was one of the first people to respond to the scene. He and his fellow officers said they heard a female voice call for help as they approached the vehicle.
(2)JENNIFER GROESBECK VIA FACEBOOK
Jennifer Groesbeck, 25, died in a car accident Friday night in Spanish Fork, Utah. Her 18-month-old daughter Lily was found 14 hours later and is listed in critical condition.
NCAA Men's Basketball: Some Teams To Watch Out For, Especially If They Get Into the Field of 68
The field for the 2015 NCAA Championship is to be announced Sunday evening. If you have at least a passing interest in the event, you know that the story line for the tournament as a whole will be about Kentucky and whether they can remain unbeaten and win the National Title for a Second Consecutive Time. Playing the Wildcats is almost like playing an NBA team; Kentucky has been that dominant. On only a couple of occasions have other teams been able to remain competitive with the Wildcats throughout the game. Twice, Kentucky has been pressed in Lexington. Ole Miss took Kentucky into overtime before losing in Rupp Arena on January 6, 89-86. Before that, the Wildcats were unexpectedly stretched by Columbia of the Ivy League on December 10. The Lions scored the first 11 points of the game, played in front of over 22,000 fans at Rupp Arena. In fact, Columbia did not surrender the lead until there was 13:18 left to play in the second half. Four days after the Ole Miss game, Kentucky went into College Station, Texas to play the Texas A & M Aggies. Texas A & M played tough throughout but bowed at last, 70-64, in double overtime. Thay have not been pressed or stretched much at all in their last seven games, and during that stretch only Georgia, in a game at Athens, Ga., lost by less than ten points (72-64).
But there are teams that will be in the NCAA field that can scare Kentucky, some of them (Duke, Virginia, Wisconsin) are obvious. I believe there are five teams that are at least extremely interesting and capable of pulling huge upsets. They are teams not many experts believe will do anything or at least, very little, in the month-long tournament. I think Maryland and Wichita State have huge upsides to their abilities and their prospects. Both have wonderful backcourts - Maryland has Melo Trimble, Dez Wells, and, off the bench, Jared Nickens, each of which have unlimited shooting range, jarring shooting touches, and the ability to score as many points as the Terps need them to score. Maryland is ranked No. 8 this week by the AP and the Coaches' Poll, and while they might not have a lot to prove on the surface this weekend at the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago, the truth is that a No. 2 seed in the Big Show is there for the taking, but it will probably mean gaining a title in the conference show. Wichita State lost to Illinois State in their conference tourney semi-finals. Illinois State then lost to Northern Iowa in the Ohio Valley Title Game. Both Northern Iowa and Wichita State will make the big show, while Illinois State and their in-state buddies at Illinois will be in the NIT unless the latter at least makes the title game in the Big Ten Tournament. A third nationally known team that, I think, might be able to make a lot of noise in the big show is Baylor. They are big inside, quick outside, and murderous on the boards. Watch them.
Then there are two other teams who probably don't have the firepower to get out of the first week of games, but that being said, they also have the ability to lay one or two of the big boys to waste if they do wiggle in. As I finish this, one of the two, Valparaiso, is playing Green Bay for the Horizon League's automatic bid. They almost certainly have to win to get in, even though they have a marvelous record. As I finish the article, Valpo has rallied dramatically late in the second half to beat snakebitten Green Bay, which hasn't been to the big show since the late 1990's. Valpo, some might recall, fought their way into the Sweet 16 one year, but that was when their coach, Bryce Drew, was their best player. In one tournament game, he drilled a long three at the buzzer to win against the SEC's Mississippi State. Bryce Drew is also a very good coach - even though ESPN Commentator and Coaching Legend Jim Calhoun insisted on calling him Drew Bryce - and he'll have time to get ready for the first round opponent. A second team that has the ability to make life really miserable for any team in the tourney - if they get a bid - is BYU. The Cougars and their brilliant coach, Dave Rose, will be having sleepless nights between now and Sunday because Gonzaga whacked them last night in a thrilling game. The Bulldogs thus win the West Coast Conference and stake a hard claim on a number two national seed. Currently ranked seventh, the Zags have only two losses. One was in overtime at powerful Arizona, and the other was a week ago in Spokane to BYU. Mark Few, the outstanding Gonzaga coach, admitted his team took BYU lightly and it cost them their long home win streak. Going into the game, ESPN's Bracket guru, Joe Lunardi, had BYU as one of the last four into the tournament, so the wait will be terrible. BYU made it to the WCC title game by beating Santa Clara and Portland. Nobody is going to want to play BYU in the NCAA tourney. They have three prolific guards in Tyler Haws, Kyle Collinsworth and Skyler Halford. Halford sustained a leg injury late in the game against Gonzaga and his availability for the post-season must be questionable. The Cougars have one of the highest point per game averages in the nation. In the semi-final against the University of Portland, Collinsworth got his fifth triple-double of the season. Last night, Collinsworth exploded for 28 points. Haws can positively go off on some nights and he makes other teams paranoid. Halford looks like a computer geek but scores like he owns the gym. He scores from three point land like he's done it everynight of his life. Standing only six-foot, one-inch, he nonetheless drives to the basket fearlessly, as do Collinsworth and Haws. This is a fun team to watch and a scary one to play. They fully deserve to be in the tournament regardless of what happened against Gonzaga on Tuesday night.
The actual discovery of Ceres came it bits and pieces, fits and starts. According to Wikipedia, the brilliant Johannes Kepler first noticed the gap between Mars and Jupiter in 1596. Johann Elert Bode, in 1772, first suggested that an undiscovered planet could exist between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Then, n 1800, a group headed by Franz Xaver von Zach, editor of the Monatliche Correspondenz, an astronomical journal, sent requests to twenty-four experienced astronomers (dubbed the "celestial police"), asking that they combine their efforts and begin a methodical search for the expected planet. Although they did not discover Ceres, they later found several large asteroids. Before he received his invitation from von Zach, the Italian Astronomer, Giuseppe Piazzi of the Academy of Palermo, Sicily, discovered Ceres on January 1, 1801, while searching for a star in the same part of the sky. Piazzi subsequently observed Ceres 23 more times from January 1, 1801 through February 11, 1801, when illness interrupted his observations. His discovery was announced on January 24, 1801 in letters he sent to two other astronomers. One was his compatriot, Barnaba Oriani of Milan. The other was Bode. Piazzi said in his correspondence that the object was a comet, but he added that "since the movement is so slow and rather uniform, it has occurred to me several times that it might be something better than a comet." In April, Piazzi sent his complete observations to Oriani, Bode and Jerome Lalande in Paris. The findings were then published in Monatliche Correspondenz in September, 1801.
Twice since its discovery Ceres has been classified as a planet, most recently in the last decade at the same time that the controversy about Pluto's status came about. The same protocol that sought to keep Pluto catogorized as a planet also made Ceres a full-fledged planet again. But the protocol was never adopted in the proposed form, and language was added that insisted that any planet must fully occupy its orbit doomed those on Earth who believed Ceres should be in the same category as was Earth, Mars, Jupiter and the other known planets. This is because Ceres, in the Asteroid Belt with thousands of other bodies, does not nearly 'fully occupy' its orbit. The Hubble Space Telescope - which orbit Earth - photographed Ceres in 2004, and the lights appear on these photos as a very large very bright area. The photos from such a distance nonetheless made clear that the asteroid had light coming from it.
And why we visit the obscure and mysterious, how about this weekend tidbit from, of all places, the New York Daily News, and other mainline newspapers. The subject's amazing subject is confirmed by the diecision of the Daily News to assign one of its own reporters to the story, which, save for its amazing nature, is really just a police rescue in a rural area of Utah.
FROM NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: See the original article at: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/mysterious-voice-leads-police-baby-car-crash-article-1.2142732
'Mysterious voice' led Utah Officers to child who survived for 14 hours in submerged car
BY JOEL LANDAU NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Published: Monday, March 9, 2015, 12:11 PM Updated: Monday, March 9, 2015, 4:36 PM
The officers who rescued a Utah toddler from death’s doorstep in a submerged car on Sunday said their adrenaline-fueled heroics were triggered by a mysterious plea.
“We could see a person in the front seat and then we heard a voice saying, ‘Help me, we’re in here.’ It was clear as day,” said Officer Tyler Beddoes of the Spanish Fork Police Department, one of four men who pulled an unconscious 18-month-old from a car — which had been submerged in near-freezing water for 14 hours — as her mother lay dead in the driver’s seat.
Beddoes and his fellow first responders braved the chilly waters long enough to turn the red Dodge sedan, which was upside down, and pull little Lily Groesbeck out of her car seat, in which she had been suspended since her mother Jennifer Groesbeck apparently lost control of the car the previous evening.
“We could see her eyes fluttering so there was some life but as far as movements or consciousness there was nothing that we could see,” Beddoes told the Daily News on Monday.
The four officers and three firefighters formed an assembly line and transported the child back to shore. The first responders started performing CPR, and Lily later regained consciousness in a Salt Lake City hospital. Her condition was upgraded to stable on Monday.
Jennifer Groesbeck, 25, was driving to her home in Springville, but when crossing a bridge in Spanish Fork, the single mom hit a cement barrier and drove off the roadway, police said.
The vehicle crashed into the river around 10:30 p.m., according to a witness who told
police he heard the accident. The car was not visible from the roadway, and was not discovered until 14 hours later, when a fisherman spotted it at 12:24 p.m. Saturday and called police.
That’s when Beddoes and his partners arrived. The witness told them that he could see an arm through the window, and the four men plunged into the freezing rapids to see if they could find any survivors.
Then, suddenly, they started hearing the distinct sound of a woman’s voice, calling to them to help.
We heard a voice saying 'help me, we're in here.' It was clear as day. We replied back 'hang in there, we're trying what we can.'
The voice motivated them to push harder because they believed there may be someone inside who was still alive. With their adrenaline pumping they pulled the heavy, water-filled car onto its side and discovered the driver was dead.
The officers had no explanation for the mysterious voice that appeared to come from inside the car. Beddoes said he said he wouldn’t believe it really happened had not the other officers heard it, as well.
“I don’t know what I thought I heard,” he said. “I’m not a typically religious guy. It’s hard to explain — it was definitely something. Where and why it came from, I’m not sure.”
The little girl was hanging upside down, but her head was not touching the water. The responders did not even see her, initially, but when they got the car turned over they spotted her and raced to get her out.
Groesbeck, the youngest of five children, was enrolled at Provo College and hoped to become a medical assistant, her sister Jill Sanderson told KSL TV in Salt Lake City.
“She was very compassionate and a very loving person and always willing to bend over backwards for her loved ones,” she told the station. “Her baby was the love of her life. She was an amazing mother.”
The family set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for her funeral
expenses and Lily’s medical treatment.
Her baby was the love of her life. She was an amazing mother.
The child was being treated at Primary Childrens Hospital, where a her condition was “stable and improving,” a spokeswoman said Monday.
“She is doing remarkably well considering the circumstance. The doctors have been hopeful so far,” Sanderson told reporters. “We would like to express our appreciation to the Spanish Fork rescue team for saving the babys life.”
Beddoes, who spent at least 20 minutes in the frigid waters, said he and his colleagues were so focused on the rescue they didn’t realize the impact it was having on their bodies. The 6-foot-tall officer said the water level was often at his neck, sometimes higher.
“I didn’t feel the cold — I wasn’t paying attention to myself,” he said. “After several minutes in the water I started to feel the effects.”
The four officers and three firefighters were treated for hypothermia and released Saturday night.
Police are still trying to determine what caused the accident. Spanish Fork Lt. Matt Johnson told the Daily News there were no skid marks or evidence of evasive maneuvers at the bridge. A toxicology report on Jennifer Groesbeck is pending.
The men who jumped into the water to save the infant should be commended, Johnson said.
“It’s a very courageous effort on their part,” he added. “They were willing to risk their lives and enter the water to make sure there were no other occupants in the vehicle. This is what public service is all about.”
CUTLINES FOR PICTURES EMBEDDED IN NEW YORK DAILY NEWS ARTICLE: (1)Spanish Fork police officer Tyler Beddoes, center, was one of the first people to respond to the scene. He and his fellow officers said they heard a female voice call for help as they approached the vehicle.
(2)JENNIFER GROESBECK VIA FACEBOOK
Jennifer Groesbeck, 25, died in a car accident Friday night in Spanish Fork, Utah. Her 18-month-old daughter Lily was found 14 hours later and is listed in critical condition.
NCAA Men's Basketball: Some Teams To Watch Out For, Especially If They Get Into the Field of 68
The field for the 2015 NCAA Championship is to be announced Sunday evening. If you have at least a passing interest in the event, you know that the story line for the tournament as a whole will be about Kentucky and whether they can remain unbeaten and win the National Title for a Second Consecutive Time. Playing the Wildcats is almost like playing an NBA team; Kentucky has been that dominant. On only a couple of occasions have other teams been able to remain competitive with the Wildcats throughout the game. Twice, Kentucky has been pressed in Lexington. Ole Miss took Kentucky into overtime before losing in Rupp Arena on January 6, 89-86. Before that, the Wildcats were unexpectedly stretched by Columbia of the Ivy League on December 10. The Lions scored the first 11 points of the game, played in front of over 22,000 fans at Rupp Arena. In fact, Columbia did not surrender the lead until there was 13:18 left to play in the second half. Four days after the Ole Miss game, Kentucky went into College Station, Texas to play the Texas A & M Aggies. Texas A & M played tough throughout but bowed at last, 70-64, in double overtime. Thay have not been pressed or stretched much at all in their last seven games, and during that stretch only Georgia, in a game at Athens, Ga., lost by less than ten points (72-64).
But there are teams that will be in the NCAA field that can scare Kentucky, some of them (Duke, Virginia, Wisconsin) are obvious. I believe there are five teams that are at least extremely interesting and capable of pulling huge upsets. They are teams not many experts believe will do anything or at least, very little, in the month-long tournament. I think Maryland and Wichita State have huge upsides to their abilities and their prospects. Both have wonderful backcourts - Maryland has Melo Trimble, Dez Wells, and, off the bench, Jared Nickens, each of which have unlimited shooting range, jarring shooting touches, and the ability to score as many points as the Terps need them to score. Maryland is ranked No. 8 this week by the AP and the Coaches' Poll, and while they might not have a lot to prove on the surface this weekend at the Big Ten Tournament in Chicago, the truth is that a No. 2 seed in the Big Show is there for the taking, but it will probably mean gaining a title in the conference show. Wichita State lost to Illinois State in their conference tourney semi-finals. Illinois State then lost to Northern Iowa in the Ohio Valley Title Game. Both Northern Iowa and Wichita State will make the big show, while Illinois State and their in-state buddies at Illinois will be in the NIT unless the latter at least makes the title game in the Big Ten Tournament. A third nationally known team that, I think, might be able to make a lot of noise in the big show is Baylor. They are big inside, quick outside, and murderous on the boards. Watch them.
Then there are two other teams who probably don't have the firepower to get out of the first week of games, but that being said, they also have the ability to lay one or two of the big boys to waste if they do wiggle in. As I finish this, one of the two, Valparaiso, is playing Green Bay for the Horizon League's automatic bid. They almost certainly have to win to get in, even though they have a marvelous record. As I finish the article, Valpo has rallied dramatically late in the second half to beat snakebitten Green Bay, which hasn't been to the big show since the late 1990's. Valpo, some might recall, fought their way into the Sweet 16 one year, but that was when their coach, Bryce Drew, was their best player. In one tournament game, he drilled a long three at the buzzer to win against the SEC's Mississippi State. Bryce Drew is also a very good coach - even though ESPN Commentator and Coaching Legend Jim Calhoun insisted on calling him Drew Bryce - and he'll have time to get ready for the first round opponent. A second team that has the ability to make life really miserable for any team in the tourney - if they get a bid - is BYU. The Cougars and their brilliant coach, Dave Rose, will be having sleepless nights between now and Sunday because Gonzaga whacked them last night in a thrilling game. The Bulldogs thus win the West Coast Conference and stake a hard claim on a number two national seed. Currently ranked seventh, the Zags have only two losses. One was in overtime at powerful Arizona, and the other was a week ago in Spokane to BYU. Mark Few, the outstanding Gonzaga coach, admitted his team took BYU lightly and it cost them their long home win streak. Going into the game, ESPN's Bracket guru, Joe Lunardi, had BYU as one of the last four into the tournament, so the wait will be terrible. BYU made it to the WCC title game by beating Santa Clara and Portland. Nobody is going to want to play BYU in the NCAA tourney. They have three prolific guards in Tyler Haws, Kyle Collinsworth and Skyler Halford. Halford sustained a leg injury late in the game against Gonzaga and his availability for the post-season must be questionable. The Cougars have one of the highest point per game averages in the nation. In the semi-final against the University of Portland, Collinsworth got his fifth triple-double of the season. Last night, Collinsworth exploded for 28 points. Haws can positively go off on some nights and he makes other teams paranoid. Halford looks like a computer geek but scores like he owns the gym. He scores from three point land like he's done it everynight of his life. Standing only six-foot, one-inch, he nonetheless drives to the basket fearlessly, as do Collinsworth and Haws. This is a fun team to watch and a scary one to play. They fully deserve to be in the tournament regardless of what happened against Gonzaga on Tuesday night.
Thursday, March 5, 2015
Netanyahu, a Leader for Our Time.
BALTIMORE, Maryland March 2, 2015 - Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu appeared Tuesday before a Joint Session of the United States Congress, and delivered a message of profound importance for the survival of the Western World. He lambasted in clear and convincing language the deal being brokered by the United States that would ostensibly be between Iran and several Western Nations, including these United States. The deal would, on its face, force Iran to wait as long as ten years before moving unhindered toward possession of a nuclear weapon. In Netanyahu's view, it is the key phrase, the phrase that does indeed allow Iran to move unhindered to possession of nuclear weapons, that makes the deal untenable. Ten years, he said, is but the blink of an eye in the history of nations. Ten years from now - when today's newborns would still not wven be teenagers - the most vicious and debauched nation on earth today would strut the world stage replete with nuclear weapons if the deal said to be on the table were adopted and if both sides adhered to it. "This is a bad deal," Netanyahu said, forcefully, and with supreme earnestness in his strong sure voice. As he said "bad," his voice dipped in tone to tones that would have made Pavrotti proud.
Although the respected stateman did not utter a direct negative word about President Obama, and, in fact, praised him several times in warm tones, the speech dripped with vivid descriptions of the long list of Obama's abject foreign policy failures as President, and sent his supporters into an express and, most assuredly, pre-planned tizzy. For his part, Obama said he didn't watch the speech although his subsequent remarks made it clear that he had. There were no new solutions offered by Netanyahu, Obama charged, as he admitted to taking "a look" at the transcript of the speech. Obama forgot that he ordered a spokesman to warn Netanyahu publicly not to reveal terms of the deal, which must be agreed to within the next few weeks, or forever fall to the wayside. Obama's entire tone and body language was one of the petulent child, having had his minions fail to pay homage to him. In fact, Netanyahu publicly thanked Obama for all of the aide he has sent Israel's way, some of which, he conceded, could not be made public.
In the past, Netanyahu said, Jews around the world would often be plundered, pillaged, tortured and killed without any real means to fight back. In the past there never was a Jewish nation. In the past, there never was a Jewish army. But the days of no push back by the Jewish people are over, Netanyahu said to prolonged standing ovation and loud approving shouts from all corners of a jam-packed Congressional chamber. The legendary IDF (Israeli Defense Force) has unlimited courage and supreme ability, Netanyahu announced. If necessary, Israel will go against Iran by itself. Once again, the Congressional Chamber erupted. But that won't happen, he said with assurance, because America will be with Israel on that fateful day. Again, there was loud and prolonged applause and shouts of approval.
But it is this last sentence that troubles many Americans. Even though a huge majority of Americans view the two nations - the United States and Israel - as virtually inseparable, a perverted view of this relationship has a vigorous life among the rulers of these United States. Sadly, Barack Obama is Anti-Semitic. Some of his most trusted advisors are Virulently Anti-Semitic. Credible and Incisive has reported often on the immature nature of the American Electorate in electing Obama. Electing him once was bad enough. Electing him twice was unconscionable. Allowing someone so unprepared and so idealogically debauched to rule this powerful and noble nation for eight years has to go down as one of the most ridiculous acts as there has ever been.
It was reported recently by a newspaper in Kuwait that the United States told Netanyahu flat out that it would shoot down any Israeli plane heading toward Iran. There have been other reports that the aircraft necessary to transport and drop the necessary ordnance on the site of the Iranian Nuclear Bomb manufacturing plant are not in Israel's arsenal. They would need a plane - a C140 Transport to be precise - from the United States. Obama is said to have rejected a request for such a plane. On Tuesday, Netanyahu said that the IDF will do what is necessary and will be successful. I believe that they will and my prayers will be with them.
Although the respected stateman did not utter a direct negative word about President Obama, and, in fact, praised him several times in warm tones, the speech dripped with vivid descriptions of the long list of Obama's abject foreign policy failures as President, and sent his supporters into an express and, most assuredly, pre-planned tizzy. For his part, Obama said he didn't watch the speech although his subsequent remarks made it clear that he had. There were no new solutions offered by Netanyahu, Obama charged, as he admitted to taking "a look" at the transcript of the speech. Obama forgot that he ordered a spokesman to warn Netanyahu publicly not to reveal terms of the deal, which must be agreed to within the next few weeks, or forever fall to the wayside. Obama's entire tone and body language was one of the petulent child, having had his minions fail to pay homage to him. In fact, Netanyahu publicly thanked Obama for all of the aide he has sent Israel's way, some of which, he conceded, could not be made public.
In the past, Netanyahu said, Jews around the world would often be plundered, pillaged, tortured and killed without any real means to fight back. In the past there never was a Jewish nation. In the past, there never was a Jewish army. But the days of no push back by the Jewish people are over, Netanyahu said to prolonged standing ovation and loud approving shouts from all corners of a jam-packed Congressional chamber. The legendary IDF (Israeli Defense Force) has unlimited courage and supreme ability, Netanyahu announced. If necessary, Israel will go against Iran by itself. Once again, the Congressional Chamber erupted. But that won't happen, he said with assurance, because America will be with Israel on that fateful day. Again, there was loud and prolonged applause and shouts of approval.
But it is this last sentence that troubles many Americans. Even though a huge majority of Americans view the two nations - the United States and Israel - as virtually inseparable, a perverted view of this relationship has a vigorous life among the rulers of these United States. Sadly, Barack Obama is Anti-Semitic. Some of his most trusted advisors are Virulently Anti-Semitic. Credible and Incisive has reported often on the immature nature of the American Electorate in electing Obama. Electing him once was bad enough. Electing him twice was unconscionable. Allowing someone so unprepared and so idealogically debauched to rule this powerful and noble nation for eight years has to go down as one of the most ridiculous acts as there has ever been.
It was reported recently by a newspaper in Kuwait that the United States told Netanyahu flat out that it would shoot down any Israeli plane heading toward Iran. There have been other reports that the aircraft necessary to transport and drop the necessary ordnance on the site of the Iranian Nuclear Bomb manufacturing plant are not in Israel's arsenal. They would need a plane - a C140 Transport to be precise - from the United States. Obama is said to have rejected a request for such a plane. On Tuesday, Netanyahu said that the IDF will do what is necessary and will be successful. I believe that they will and my prayers will be with them.
Jet Skids Off Runway at LaGuardia in New York; 23 Hurt, Airport Closed
BALTIMORE, Maryland March 5, 2015 - A Jet has just skidded off of a runway at LaGuardia Airport in New York. While some 23 injuries have been reported, of which six were hospitalized with what are called non-life-threatening injuries, the plane did not break apart. The only visible damage is just to the right of the nose of the aircraft, but less than a foot behind the cockpit. Nevertheless, the 11:09 am incident, which occurred in a snowstorm, caused officials to close the large airport, one of two in New York.
The Delta Jet is photographed after the incident with its nose and front landing gear on top of a small embankment, and the rest of the plane on a lower area.
The Delta Jet is photographed after the incident with its nose and front landing gear on top of a small embankment, and the rest of the plane on a lower area.
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