Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: 50th, all, basketball, Boston, Celtics, for, good, Happy, know, team, that, very, We
PHILADELPHIA – Doc Rivers noted that you don’t get a trophy for 50 wins in the regular season. Ray Allen said he’d look in his mailbox at home today to see if there was a prize for getting 50 wins. And Kevin Garnett basically couldn’t care less.
With their focus on the big picture of an NBA title, the Celtics were ho-hum about becoming the league’s first 50-win team after a 100-86 victory over the Sixers last night at the sold-out Wachovia Center.
“I didn’t even know we had 50 wins, to tell you the truth,” said Garnett, who had his 23d double-double of the season with 26 points and 12 rebounds. “I haven’t even looked at our record. I’ve looked at who we’ve played and the person I’m going to guard.
“Other than that, I [don't care] about the record. My focus is on who we play one game at a time. That’s it.”
At 50-12, these Celtics tied the second-fastest route to 50 wins in franchise history. The 1964-65 and 1985-86 teams both reached 50 wins with just 11 losses.
“It doesn’t really mean anything,” Allen said. “I haven’t thought about it. I don’t think any one of us has looked at the schedule or the record at 50 wins. I know 50 is 50.
“Any time you win 50 games in a season – and we have quite a few games left – it’s a pretty remarkable accomplishment. But I’m going to check my mailbox first to see if I’ve got any prizes in it for winning 50 games before I speak too soon. Other than that, you don’t win anything for 50.” (more…)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Field, for, Like, Looks, Mets, Nation, Red, Sox, Tradition
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Johan Santana received a pleasant round of applause when he was introduced as the Mets’ starting pitcher before Monday’s game. The fans, though, were just warming up their vocal cords. They were really waiting for the next player to be announced: “Leading off the game for the Boston Red Sox, the center fielder, No. 46, Jacoby Ellsbury.”
His name could barely be heard over the din. The Mets might have batted last and worn their white uniforms, but they were not the home team in Monday’s 10-inning 1-1 tie. Red Sox fans swooped into Fenway Park, er, Tradition Field, comprising a vocal majority of the largest paid crowd (7,353) in the stadium’s history.
A quick scan of the lower seating level could find Ortiz and Matsuzaka jerseys with every swivel of the head, although green Red Sox caps were popular, too. One man wore a T-shirt exhorting the Yankees to do, um, something not nice, but it was unclear where his allegiances stood Monday.
The Mets and the Red Sox, despite their memorable tussle in the 1986 World Series, are unofficial allies. They share a common enemy in the Yankees, whose senior vice president, Hank Steinbrenner, engaged in some kind-of, sort-of, not-really-unfriendly verbal jousting a week ago with Boston’s principal owner, John Henry, when Steinbrenner questioned the popularity of Red Sox Nation. (more…)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Billy, Crystal, Game, in, Join, Play, Spring, to, Training, Yankees
March 11 (Bloomberg) — Comedian Billy Crystal will sign a one-day contract with the New York Yankees and play in a spring- training game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on March 13, one day before his 60th birthday.
Crystal is a New York native and lifelong Yankees’ fan who frequently attends games at Yankee Stadium. In 2001, he directed and produced the film “*61,” which chronicled Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle as they sought to break Babe Ruth’s single-season home run record in 1961.
Crystal’s minor-league contract was approved by Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig and he’ll join the Yankees tomorrow for workouts at the team’s training facility in Tampa, Florida, according to a statement from the team.
“I’ve been waiting 50 years for this call,” said Crystal, who will wear uniform No. 60. “I’m overwhelmed by the generosity of the Yankees and Commissioner Selig. I know this (will) be tougher than the Broadway Softball League, but I’m looking forward to helping the younger players, which, by the way, is all of them.” (more…)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: at, beats, Federer, in, match, MSG, Sampras
The Federer-Sampras match at Madison Square Garden brought plenty of excitement to New York. Above: Roger Federer, left, shakes hands with Pete Sampras after his 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (8-6)win at MSG. (Getty Images Photo / March 10, 2008)
- | john.jeansonne@newsday.com
- March 11, 2008
Masters of the universe and tennis superheroes Pete Sampras and Roger Federer last night brought some comic-book wish fulfillment to sold-out Madison Square Garden, a mighty collision of generations for the benefit of sports archeologists.
Federer, rightful heir to the Sampras throne of the previous decade, needed all of his powers for a 6-3, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (8-6) victory amid the true dynamics of a champions’ showdown. Sampras offered glimpses of the old chain-saw serve and slam-dunk volley to make Federer earn his keep, which he did with his elegant athleticism, stylish as the faux-tuxedo black attire he favors.
Sampras, as was always his custom, played the proven serve-and-volley fundamentals of an earlier era in the appropriate “classic whites.” And not raggedly, either.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: go, Mary, report, Saint, still, to, tournament, WCC, Will
Will former USD assistant Randy Bennett’s team get an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament, or will it get passed over?“I’ve said all along that I think they should (make the NCAAs),” USD head coach Bill Grier said last night. “I’ve been in their shoes before (at Gonzaga) and you certainly don’t want to leave it up to a committee to make that decision.“But if you look at their résumè and what they’ve done this season, I think they deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament.”
Saint Mary’s regular season stunningly ended with a 25-6 record. As of yesterday, according to realtimerpi.com, the Gaels had an RPI of 40 and strength of schedule of 136. The former number would seem a strong endorsement for inclusion in the 64-team event although some bracketologists might latch on to the strength of schedule and things like “good wins, bad losses” in attempting to make a case against the Gaels. (more…)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: bids, Diego, Folarin, from, get, means, memorable, San, should, team, teams, the, WCC, win
George Mason — The nation’s ultimate Cinderella story from two years ago is back dancing after knocking off William & Mary to capture the CAA tournament title and an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. It was only fitting that two holdovers from the memorable team, Folarin Campbell and Will Thomas, combined for 38 points in the championship game on Monday night.
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Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: Emma, già, Marcegaglia, Our Family, Picture, regina, Rylee
Dal sondaggio dei tre «saggi»emerge il 95% dei consensi
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: anno, delle, Le, nel, ossa, Regno, soccorso, solo, staminali, Unito
Le staminali arrivano in soccorso delle ossa e delle cartilagini, in particolare in presenza di malattie come l’artrite o in caso di fratture e altre lesioni. Lo affermano ricercatori britannici, per i quali il trapianto di cellule “bambine” accelera la riparazione di questi tessuti e potrebbe anche aiutare il recupero delle vittime di incidenti o dei malati di tumori ossei. Tra i soggetti che potrebbero beneficiare di questa tecnica, spiccano in particolare gli anziani che muoiono a seguito della frattura dell’anca: si tratta di 14.000 soggetti all’anno solo nel Regno Unito. La osteoartrite è causata dal deterioramento della cartilagine e nelle forme più gravi può essere curata solo chirurgicamente, con la sostituzione dell’anca o delle ginocchia con parti artificiali.
I ricercatori dell’università di Edimburgo stanno mettendo a punto una tecnica, chiamata “impalcatura bioattiva” , per proteggere le cellule staminali e incoraggiarne la crescita una volta impiantate nelle ossa o nella cartilagini. Gli esperti stanno utilizzando staminali “riprogrammate”, tratte dal sangue o dal midollo del paziente, che svolgono bene la funzione riparatrice in laboratorio, ma presentano qualche difficoltà una volta immesse nell’organismo umano. Per proteggerle e aiutarle a svilupparsi, gli esperti stanno mettendo a punto una rete rigida, appunto l’impalcatura bioattiva, che consenta alle cellule di crescere più rapidamente e accelerare la ripresa del paziente.
La tecnica potrebbe essere particolarmente utile quando si cura la cartilagine, un tessuto che non si rigenera mai del tutto da sé – una forte percentuale di coloro che subiscono danni alla cartilagine da giovani, sviluppa infatti l’artrite in tarda età – ma anche nel sanare i traumi troppo profondi per guarire da soli o riparare le ossa danneggiate da tumori. Nei prossimi due anni, l’”impalcatura” verrà testata su 30 pazienti, per passare poi a una sperimentazione più ampia se la prima fase avrà avuto successo.
Sostiene Brendon Noble, dell’Mrc Centre per Regenerative Medicine dell’Università di Edimburgo: “Le numerose ricerche condotte finora stanno chiarendo cosa porterà le cellule staminali a specializzarsi e divenire uno specifico tipo di cellula. Il passo successivo sarà pensare al modo innovativo in cui incoraggiarle a farlo all’interno dell’organismo: spesso riusciamo a realizzare facilmente gli obiettivi in laboratorio, ma tendiamo a dimenticare che il primo impatto delle cellule con il paziente non è facile”.
Secondo il professor Chris Moran, membro della Associazione degli Ortopedici britannici ed esperto in chirurgia ortopedica all’University of Nottingham, questo tipo di ricerche nel futuro consentirà ai chirurghi di sanare anche le fratture finora considerate irrecuperabili e addirittura rimpiazzare il tessuto osseo consumato da un tumore. “Ma prima di trasferire questa tecnologia dai laboratori alle camere operatorie, bisogna rendere l’impalcatura compatibile con l’organismo umano ed evitarne il rigetto”. Gli esperti prevedono che, per arrivare a mettere a punto questa nuova tecnica, occorreranno almeno due anni di studi.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: After, Bush, for, his, support, Tennesee, the, to, Tornadoes, Visit
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Bush will visit Tennessee on Friday to comfort victims of the devastating string of tornadoes that ripped through that state, the White House said Wednesday.
At least 54 people were killed and hundreds injured Tuesday and Wednesday by dozens of tornadoes that plowed across Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Alabama. It was the nation’s deadliest barrage of twisters in almost two dozen years.
White House deputy press secretary Scott Stanzel said Tennessee was hit particularly hard.
“So the president is going there to express his support for the people who have been impacted by these devastating storms,” he said. (more…)
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: behind, Debt, gift, giving, Hangover, Holiday, Remedies, season, the
While the holidays might have been brutal on your pocketbook, tips from LendingTree.com can help you pay off your credit card bill before it becomes a long-term financial burden.
Charlotte, NC (PRWEB) January 6, 2008 — It’s easy to get caught up in the holiday spirit and spend more than you should. But with the gift giving season behind us and your credit card bill looming, the reality of overspending has likely started to set in. Don’t panic – here are a few helpful tips from LendingTree.com to help ease your holiday debt hangover:
Pay as much as you can each month
The best way to pay off credit card debt is to maximize monthly payments. Creating a simple budget can help determine where costs can be cut from everyday and monthly expenses, freeing up cash to put towards credit card bills.
Look for a lower interest rate
If you have multiple credit cards or an account with a high interest rate, you may want to consider consolidating or transferring your existing balance(s) to a new card with a lower interest rate. There are a variety of credit card deals out there, so shop around and see what offers are available. However, if you go this route, make sure you read the fine print so you know there are no strings attached or hidden fees.
Negotiate with your credit card provider
Believe it or not, a lower credit card interest rate could be only a phone call away. That’s right, your current credit card provider may be willing to work with you to lower your interest rate. This could not only help now, but in the future as well. It’s as simple as phoning your credit card company and asking what they can do.
Use your rainy day fund
We know – you had a holiday budget in tact but it got a little out of control. How about paying off the extra balance with your savings? That holiday bonus, tax return or rainy day fund was supposed to be a trip to the Bahamas or a new flat screen TV. However, with a large credit card balance that has quickly grown, you may want to rethink that vacation or big ticket item and use your extra savings to pay off your card, especially one with a high interest rate.
While the holidays might have been brutal on your pocketbook, these tips can help you pay off your credit card bill before it becomes a long-term financial burden. And, when the next holiday season rolls around, consider using cash or a debit card instead of your credit cards. Your wallet will thank you.
For more budget tips to help you get rid of unruly debt, check out the LendingTree Smart Borrower Center: www.lendingtree.com/smartborrower.
About LendingTree, LLC
LendingTree, LLC is the nation’s number one online lending exchange, providing a marketplace that connects consumers with multiple lenders that compete for their business. Since inception, LendingTree has facilitated more than 23 million loan requests and $185 billion in closed loan transactions. LendingTree provides access to mortgages and refinance loans, home equity loans/lines of credit, auto loans, personal loans, credit cards and high-yield savings accounts via www.lendingtree.com“>www.lendingtree.com and 800-555-TREE.
Launched in 1998 with headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina, LendingTree, LLC also owns and operates LendingTree Loans sm, LendingTree Settlement Services, LLC, GetSmart®, and HomeLoanCenter.com. LendingTree, LLC is an operating company of IAC.
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