Dent fails to gain entry into Pro Football Hall of Fame

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – Although Richard Dent was a finalist for the fourth time in five years, the Bears’ all-time sack leader failed to gain entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Defensive end Richard Dent registered at least 10 sacks in eight of 10 seasons with the Bears from 1984-93.The Class of 2008 chosen by the Hall of Fame’s board of selectors Saturday at the Super Bowl site in Phoenix consists of defensive end Fred Dean, cornerbacks Darrell Green and Emmitt Thomas, wide receiver Art Monk, linebacker Andre Tippett and tackle Gary Zimmerman.
Dent survived the cut from 17 finalists to 10 Saturday, but he was eliminated when the list was pared to five.
Dent played 12 of his 15 NFL seasons with the Bears, registering 124½ sacks. He was named Super Bowl XX MVP, was an integral part of a championship defense that is considered one of the best in NFL history and was chosen to four Pro Bowls.
Dent joined the Bears as an eighth-round draft pick from Tennessee State in 1983 and blossomed into one of the NFL’s most dominant defensive ends.
The 6-5, 265-pounder led the NFC with a team-record 17½ sacks in 1984 before recording 17 sacks in 1985 to help the Bears win their first league title in 22 years.Dent was a premier defensive end for the Bears for more than a decade. He registered 10 or more sacks in five straight seasons from 1984-88 and in eight of 10 years from 1984-93. The only times he failed to reach double digits in that span was when he had 9 sacks in 1989 and 8½ in 1992.
The Bears compiled a 119-72 record in his 12 seasons. In Dent’s first six years, the Bears went 70-25 with no losing seasons, winning at least 10 games five straight years from 1984-88.
Selected All-Pro four times and All-NFC five times, Dent still holds Bears post-season records with 10½ career sacks and 3½ sacks in a game Jan. 5, 1986 against the New York Giants.
The Bears have an NFL-high 26 Hall of Famers, including three of Dent’s former teammates: running back Walter Payton, middle linebacker Mike Singletary and defensive lineman Dan Hampton.

From:http://www.chicagobears.com/

Pre-Fight Interview with Brock Lesnar's Coach

Is wrestling superstar Brock Lesnar ready for his UFC debut?
His coach thinks so.
As the head trainer at Minnesota Martial Arts Academy, Greg Nelson is one of the top instructors in the sport with a team including Sean Sherk, Nick "The Goat" Thompson, Brock Larson and Kaitlin Young, just to name a few.
Now, with a 265-pound monster like Lesnar in his club, Nelson says that the UFC heavyweight division is in trouble.
"Brock's a great listener," he says. "His wrestling is phenomenal. His striking and jiu-jitsu defense is doing great. Plus, he's used to being in front of hundreds of thousands of people. He can handle it very good. Training has been going great."
Facing former heavyweight champion Frank Mir, Nelson says the UFC chose the perfect opponent for Lesnar's first fight in the octagon.
"I think if they'd given him anyone else, who's just coming up, and he would've won, they would've said 'so what'? But, being that Frank Mir was a former champion, and he's a very good jiu jitsu guy for a heavyweight; if he beats Frank it'll give him a step up on the pedestal. Because instead of some tomato can, it'll be a win over a guy who's done some damage in there."
"Mir says psychologically that he's fit for this fight," Nelson continues, "but we'll see how he is once he feels the pressure that Brock is going to bring on. Brock is really going to be loose with his hands. He's got powerful punches and when he gets down he can really go. His conditioning is phenomenal."
Although Mir once wore the belt, both his conditioning and his mental toughness have failed him in the past. That's something that Lesnar's coach plans to attack.
"He's always had that thing where he either gets tired or he mentally breaks and the fight turns," Nelson says, "and you saw that with the [Marcio]'Pe De Pano' [Cruz] fight, where Pe De Pano looks like he doesn't even know how to strike, but he's just totally man-handling Mir."
"That's our goal in the fight," he explains, "to go in there and pressure him, try to hurt him and break his spirit, then go from there, and for the first few minutes, just watch out for some leglock or armlock, which he'll most likely try to do. He'll try to wing something out. So the whole goal with Brock is to stay tight, keep a good defensive base and then just keep the leather in his face the whole fight."
Make your bet on Lesnar in the Bodog Sportsbook.
Watch MMA fighting every week with Bodog Fight: The Vault or check your local listings for Bodog Fight on The Fight Network and on The Score.
All lines subject to change.

From:http://beat.bodoglife.com/

UFC 81 And Blind Date Have Something In Common

UFC 81: Breaking Point is tonight. It will feature two big fights between 4 big guys. (Who all made weight)
The big story tonight is former professional wrestler Brock Lesnar making his UFC debut against former heavyweight champion Frank Mir.
In addition we get the interim heavyweight title fight between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Tim Sylvia. If you want to read more of my thoughts on tonight’s fight and watch as I call out Fan House’s Michael David Smith you can read that here.
But if you just want to see Tim Sylvia on Blind Date then watch the video after the jump.

From:http://thebiglead.com

NFL ‘open’ to dialogue on Maroons

An unprecedented week of publicity for the Pottsville Maroons came to a close Friday with a conversation between “Breaker Boys” author David Fleming and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell about opening a new line of dialogue within the NFL about the legendary football team.
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Fleming said he briefly spoke to Goodell in Phoenix, Ariz., site of Sunday’s Super Bowl XLII.“I was pleasantly surprised,” Fleming said. “I told him the town (Pottsville) just wants to tell their story.”On Wednesday night, HBO’s “Inside the NFL” ran a segment about the Maroons and the curse on the Arizona Cardinals franchise, which lays controversial claim to the 1925 NFL title.On Thursday, a new issue of ESPN the Magazine hit shelves, featuring a new Fleming article detailing the woes of the Cardinals, who have won only one playoff game since 1947.Fleming said Goodell planned to read “Breaker Boys” during the offseason and Goodell told him the NFL is “always open” to hearing the discussion.“In four months, the book (“Breaker Boys”) has reached the commissioner of the NFL, the president of the United States, Hollywood and London,” Fleming said.In December, Fleming received a letter from President George W. Bush, who called the book “illuminating.”In October, Patrick Rizzotti, who is a partner of Fortress Features, Los Angeles, said a script about the team was finished and could go before the cameras as early as spring.Samuel Munson, who runs footballdiner.com in the UK, said international support for the Maroons is growing.“Anyone who tends to be into their NFL history tends to be a fan of them,” Munson said in an e-mail to the REPUBLICAN & Herald. “I’ve yet to encounter somebody who’s heard the story and doesn’t have some kind of goodwill towards them.”“Breaker Boys: The NFL’s Greatest Team and the Stolen 1925 Championship” was released Oct. 9 and renewed public interest in the famous football team.The Maroons defeated the Chicago Cardinals 21-7 in what was widely considered the NFL title game in 1925.Six days later, the Maroons played an exhibition game against the famed Notre Dame four horsemen squad, a non-NFL team, and were stripped of the title shortly after.The Cardinals, who have since moved to Arizona, claimed the title in 1933 when the Bidwill family bought the franchise.At an October NFL owners meeting in Philadelphia, Goodell told the REPUBLICAN & Herald he hadn’t thought much about the Maroons since a 2003 vote closed the possibility of new discussions on the 1925 title.Fleming said Goodell told him he was “caught off guard” by questions about the Maroons at that time. During Friday’s conversation, Fleming said Goodell was “incredibly friendly and informed” about the topic.Ian Lipton, a member of Lasting Legacy of Pottsville, said there will be a push aimed at NFL owners this spring.“We’re hoping to get that (Maroons discussion) on the agenda for the owners meeting in May,” Lipton said.Lipton also said a debate between Fleming and a representative of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Maroons’ adversary Joe Horrigan, is still very possible.“We have to wait until after the Super Bowl and after the Pro Bowl,” Lipton said.

From:http://www.republicanherald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=19257131&BRD=2626&PAG=461&dept_id=532624&rfi=6

R.I.P. Shell Kepler

Nurse Amy from "General Hospital" passed away in Portland, Oregon yesterday reports TMZ. Shell Kepler played Nurse Amy from 1979-2002. She died of renal failure. She was 49.
I loved Nurse Amy! I watched that show in the early 90s. She was in practically every single episode during her run and was a major gossip.
R.I.P. Nurse Amy!!!

From:http://dlisted.com

Silver ETF Takes A New Shine

Silver has long been in the shadow of its golden counterpart, and focused exchange traded funds (ETFs) mirror that from 2006. Last year, gold finished up 28% while silver added 18%. That was after suffering a few volatile swings, though.
iShares Silver Trust ETF (SLV) has seen its rate of accumulation slow, but the addition of a silver ETF in the UK and Switzerland are turning the trend around, reports Jane Louis for Resource Investor. Demand for the commodity dipped somewhat with the advent of digital photography, as silver is a major component in developing film.
But there is still no shortage of other uses for the metal. Industrial applications are the main source of silver demand in the market, as it is a good thermal conductor, electrical conductor, batteries use it, along with water filtration systems.
Silver will be growing in popularity as new uses are being developed, such as a wood preservative. In addition to SLV, PowerShares DB Silver (DBS) tracks the metal.

From:http://www.etftrends.com/

Jeannie Mai : contract with Quixtar has ended.

Hi Everyone!
I understand there has been a lot of speculation about why my contract with Quixtar has come to an end. First off, let me say that this relationship has ended on the best of terms and at a natural point where both Quixtar and I wished to pursue other projects.
My life has actually been entirely changed ever since I discovered the heartbeat behind what Quixtar was really about. I still remember the first excited conversation with an anxious IBO in Hawaii three years ago, and the feeling of meeting family every time I'd greet the passionate people within the corporation. I can recall the pride to be a part of something so revolutionary as I toured the laboratories behind the research of every product distributed. As awesome as the concept to becoming a successful IBO was, I was most attracted to the fellowship that was bonded as every dreamer would work to reach their goals--together. Each time I spoke the words "Never Accept Ordinary", I was praying it over every single heart that was blessed to have a stab at an opportunity like this.
Now that my contract has ended, my work to "never accept ordinary" has actually become my heartbeat. I've made valuable friends for life from this role I had the privilege to experience, not to mention gain a fabulous husband whose qualities that made him an IBO are exactly what I desired to have as my life partner. This corporation has been a dream turn reality, and I wish the same continues for every person who has the chance to experience it from this point on.
Love so much,Jeannie Mai Harteis

From: http://zakuta.blogspot.com/