text:
landing spot. will be interesting to see how he does.
big ten expansion
Unverified Voracity Complains About Gift Horses
Hatch Gameday. Via MLive:
Positioned on the Crisler court alongside coach John Beilein and ESPN's Rece Davis and Jay Williams, Michigan freshman Austin Hatch looked up at the arena scoreboard as a his tale of loss and triumph played on the video screen.
If, by chance, a pin had hit the hardwood, you'd have heard it.
Beilein brushed a tear from his eye. As images of the 2011 plane crash that claimed Hatch's father and step-mother and left him in an eight-week coma flashed on the screen, Beilein rested his hand on Hatch's leg.
Hatch gave him an "it's OK" glance.
The nonsense of a 14 team conference defined. UNC and Wake are playing nonconference games in 2019 and 2021, because they'd rather do that than wait a zillion years to play each other again. Congratulations, conference commissioners.
This is a bump. Harbaugh was supposedly getting 7-8 million a year; he is not. The gap between his deal and his rumored deal seems to be headed to his assistants:
Michigan's coaching staff will have a fund of $4-5 million for assistant coaches, not including strength staff.
— Nick Baumgardner (@nickbaumgardner) January 23, 2015
That bumps at the same rate Harbaugh does. Michigan was at 3.5 last year; the top end of that scale would see them third nationally behind LSU and Alabama, pending everyone else throwing money at their assistants.
Other contract details. Harbaugh's deal is pretty standard. It specifies that he gets a private plane for recruiting, which I think we're all happy with. Saving time as you flit about and not dealing with commercial air travel are things that make sense for the head man. The rest of the terms are as favorable as you think they might be for a guy in that kind of demand: if Michigan fires him they're on the hook for the whole deal anyway; if he leaves his buyout is a pro-rated portion of his two million dollar signing bonus. IE, nothing.
Izzo is really something. Walter Pitchford got tossed three minutes in to the MSU-Nebraska game for throwing an elbow at Matt Costello. Tim Miles:
"I thought Walt deserved to get kicked out, after seeing it," Miles said. "He made a mistake. I know he's sorry for that mistake. He's being held, he looks at the ref, but you don't do that. That's uncalled for. That's not us. Walt will learn from that."
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said Nebraska indirectly may have benefited from Pitchford's ejection.
"I thought it energized them," he said. "Calls went differently after that, like normally they do."
Izzo could complain about winning the lottery.
Caris evaluated. Draft Express took the opportunity to evaluate Caris LeVert after the information NBA teams will get before next year's draft was abruptly finished by his foot injury. The upshot:
LeVert will need to decide now whether or not to return to Michigan for his senior season. The feedback he gets from NBA teams in the next few months will likely play a large role in that. While this is not considered a weak draft at the moment, it does look fairly shallow at the guard positions, which could help LeVert's stock.
Most places still have him as first round pick, though now he's out of the lottery. As a young junior he still has a lot of upside he could explore in college. Unfortunately, it's often hard for guys to come back when they go into a year expecting it will be their last in college. We saw that with Glenn Robinson III last year. GRIII entered the draft knowing full well he wasn't getting a guaranteed contract because of that momentum.
This is reasonably nasty. Kyle Connor will be a freshman next year.
MUST SEE: @KyleConnor18 (@YtownPhantoms) scores a goal that is amazing, beautiful & unbelievable all at the same time pic.twitter.com/KQbdxvxE4M
— USHL (@USHL) January 24, 2015
He's projected as a first round pick.
So this guy exists. Not sure what job this gentleman landed:
Congrats to #Eagles pro personnel asst Joe Hastings (also a former #49ers WR) who just landed a job with U of Michigan football.
— Adam Caplan (@caplannfl) January 26, 2015
But he landed a job. Hastings played for D-II Washburn University, which I have just learned has one of the best logo/nickname combinations in college sports:
They are the Ichabods.
Anyway, after college Hastings kicked around the 49ers practice squad for a few years, then landed in the Eagles' front office. He's probably getting one of those analyst jobs Michigan was supposed to be adding.
Etc.: ESPN wants to move next year's semifinal playoff games from New Year's Eve because they're afraid of Ryan Seacrest. Seriously. Charles Pierce on deflategate is mandatory. Harbaughtweets power-ranked. Jon Falk on decals.
Unverified Voracity Has Ur Email
DIRECTORY STALKING IS THE NEW REAL ESTATE STALKING (WHICH WAS THE NEW FLIGHT AWARE). A couple of gentlemen with names matching prospective assistant coaches and no marker to indicate they're students, alumni, or faculty have popped up in the UMich directory: Tim Drevno and DJ Durkin. John Morton is also being kicked around, but if you log in it shows he's not that John Morton. It would be a bit of coincidence if the first two gentlemen were not football coaches, though. Not gospel, Bayesian estimate move, etc.
Fred Jackson, meanwhile, is listed as a retiree, disappointing many who had hoped he would be retained as Michigan's Director Of Reasonable Comparisons. Oh, and Brian Cole and Alex Malzone are on the thing now.
Remember when bloggers were the only people scouring the directory? Now who's in the basement? I don't even have a basement.
GALLON DOCUMENTARY. A full half hour:
Returning starters: we got 'em. Phil Steele compiles returning starters in the Big Ten:
Michigan has a 17th coming back in Desmond Morgan as well. Find a QB and some guys who can rush the passer and you're in business.
OUT AND FRUSTRATED. John Chavis left LSU for a DC spot at Texas A&M, and the reason is the same reason it's tough to watch LSU play most of the time:
The sources said the contract negotiations, the Aggies offered $340,000 more annually, were a non-issue in his decision to leave LSU and that Chavis simply felt it was time to go.
Chavis' frustrations reached a crescendo this season when LSU finished first in the SEC in total defense, No. 8 in the nation and second in scoring defense. LSU was 11th in total offense and last in passing offense in the SEC, resulting in an 8-5 record, tied for the worst in coach Les Miles' 10 seasons.
In the past four seasons, Chavis' LSU defenses finished no worse than No. 15.
"(Chavis) threw his hands up and felt he'd done all he could do," one source said. "They made zero progress offensively and it became a sore point, not that he was pointing fingers, but it led to some uncomfortable feelings.
LSU has a lot of returning starters, but I would not be surprised if this was the beginning of the Les Miles death spiral. Better in Baton Rouge than here.
THE NEW OC. Nick Baumgardner tracks down old Tim Drevno charges and asks them about Michigan's new man:
"When you're going through a coach Drevno individual period, you're going to be tough, or you're going to be looking to transfer," says Ben Muth, a former offensive tackle at Stanford during the early part of the Harbaugh era. "You're going to bang heads and there aren't a lot of blocking dummies used. You're going up against other guys, guys who get the hell beat out of them early in their careers.
"It's live. It's intense. And you're going to hit people with him."
Even if Michigan hires a separate OL coach expect Drevno to be heavily involved. Stanford split its coaching between interior line and OT/TE… I would expect something similar.
CHAIT ON HARBAUGH. On his return:
From Harbaugh's standpoint, if you think of college football as nothing more than a business, it is an act of professional irrationality. The only possible way to make sense of his choice is to consider the possibility that he actually believes what he said in 2004: that he believes he did not merely provide free labor in return for skill development but belonged to a community; that this community stands in his mind for something larger than the self-interest of its component parts; that all this talk about turning boys into men is not just hokum.
UH-OH. Dish announces a small package of channels they'll sell over the internet for twenty bucks. Two of those channels: ESPN and ESPN2. I've been complaining about the shortsightedness of adding Rutgers and Maryland for a lot of reasons, most of them much more important than the amount of money the league makes.
But since the amount of money the league makes is the only possible argument in favor of the expansion, I do take pains to point out that the era of stealing a dollar from New Jersey grannies who don't even know what Rutgers is was always an ephemeral one. Once the cable monopoly shatters in the face of the internet, the only people paying for your content are the people interested, and the fanbases of Maryland and Rutgers are not going to carry the freight. For a momentary bump in revenue the Big Ten galloped towards the nonsense that is a 14-team collegiate conference, but Jim Delany will be retired by then so he DGAF.
WE CAN ACCESS ABOUT ONE OF THESE GUYS. Texas may be in the market for a grad QB after Tyrone Swoopes fell flat this year. Barking Carnival runs down their options, many of whom are JUCOs Michigan isn't likely to acquire. They do mention Kevin Hogan as well:
While he hasn't yet announced formally for transfer, the Stanford graduate clashed withDavid Shaw over his conservative offense and had the unenviable task of replacingAndrew Luck - arguably the most gifted QB walking the planet. The rumor mill is running hard and fast that he wants out and would like a show case for his wares. While imperfect - and possessing a slow release that Shaun Watson could help him with - Hogan is a proven competitor with good athletic ability and a live arm. He has 48 touchdowns to 21 career interceptions, won a Rose Bowl, started 30+ games and has a career QB rating around 145. Yet people treat him as if he's chopped liver. He's not. He's also a sneaky running threat who isn't afraid of contact. He's an upgrade and wouldn't be particularly terrified taking a snap from under center in South Bend next year. He's roughly comparable to a sophomore David Ash, but with veteran experience. That's a significant upgrade from Swoopes. He could help us. Now forward him this post immediately and get the illegal contacts started.
FAREWELL. Lake The Posts is closing effective January 15th. Always sad when one of the originals hangs it up.
ETC.: If you were vaguely worried that Lavall Jordan would end up at Butler after their coach had to take medical leave, the Bulldogs have taken the interim title off of Chris Holtmann. Stephon Diggs heads to the draft. MVictors has entertaining Harbaugh/Yost trivia and old-timey player intros. Dylan Larkin had an awesome WJC.
Unverified Voracity Gets Rehab Profile
Basketball approaches. Save us, basketball.
Schlissel speaks. Mark Schlissel sat down with the Daily to talk about the future of the athletic department. Schlissel has mastered the executive's ability to talk without sending people running for the 72-point font, but there were some interesting bits in there. It seems like the timing here caught everyone off guard:
"I would imagine that we'll begin the process of organizing a search in the coming weeks," Schlissel said. "I can tell you with certainty I haven't talked to anybody at all — no matter what you read in the media — about whether they're interested in a permanent position here."
It seems like the decision-making process was winding towards that mid-November date when things got accelerated. Not sure I like the overtones of "begin the process of organizing a search in the coming weeks." That sounds like an extended timeline, and Michigan has some pressing priorities.
Schlissel flat out admitted that the names being floated in the media are people he's "never heard of before," which again shows his refreshing ability to say "I don't know" but I hope doesn't extend to the Michigan guys—at this point you'd hope he had a handle on the Long/Manuel/Bates group. He also said the usual bit about how they're not going to focus exclusively on Michigan guys.
In a second article, Schlissel cited Brandon's resignation as a reason he couldn't say much about exactly what went down but did offer this:
"One thing I will say is I expect everybody who works at this public university to treat the public with respect," Schlissel said. "That's a sort of condition of working at this university.
"Everybody should be respectful to the public we serve."
That's the general outline; I'll round up the AD chatter in a separate post.
A bit of a difference. Nebraska folk are looking at their schedule and that of various Big 12 teams and noticing that one is not like the other:
Let's pretend that Nebraska stayed in the Big 12 and West Virginia never received an invitation. Let's give NU the Mountaineers' 2014 home conference schedule. Ready?
Kansas State
I don't have enough exclamation points at my disposal for that list. I get pumped just thinking about it. That's a schedule from paradise, full of teams with speed and skill (OK, not so much Kansas). Or maybe it just seems that way based on Nebraska's rice-cake diet this fall. Ready? Are you sure?
I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Look at those two schedules. Look at 'em! The latter looks like an old catcher's mitt. It must be a sick joke, right?
This really hits home when you look at the basketball schedules: single-plays everywhere, even less balance than previously. Bleah. If the league was as responsive to legit criticisms as individual schools were, Delany would get run out of town on the same rail Brandon's on. But he's got that insulation.
Chaos in Bloomington. The last time things got so wild in central Indiana, Lucy left the barn door open and one of the cows got stuck in a police car. In the immediate aftermath of a freshman hitting one of his own teammates with a car, while intoxicated, Troy Williams and Stanford Robinson have been hit with four-game drug suspensions. That brings the number of IU players involved in drug-and-alcohol-related incidents up to 6.
And guess which newspaper just hired the human molotov cocktail that is Gregg Doyel?
Firing Crean for his team's fifth alcohol-related incident in a year could be expensive.He has a $12 million buyout this year unless he's fired "for cause." Would nearly 40 percent of his roster -- five of 13 scholarship players -- being cited for alcohol-related offenses count as "for cause"? A judge might have to decide, if it gets that far. But if a fifth IU player is cited, then that's where it should go. Because the coach overseeing that program, I don't care how much I like the guy, would have to go.
Yep. The Indy Star. Dan Dakich, meanwhile, went off on his radio show:
"Gregg Doyel was dead on. Indiana players, you're getting ready to get your coach fired... I love Indiana basketball down to my core. It's who I am. But not this crap...
"When did you fans become so soft, become so accepting of mediocrity, promotion and crap?"
Sounds kind of like a blogger there.
It's funny because we suck. If we did not suck it would be somewhat less funny.
Something like injury information. Gardner is not right and it's obvious; he limped around to finish the Penn State game and is still hobbled:
After a play broke down in the second half against Indiana, Michigan's fifth-year senior quarterback tucked the ball near the 50-yard line and took off.
His mind said go, but his sore ankle wouldn't let him. He ended up rushing for a first down, but it was obvious things have changed.
"(A year ago) I probably would've scored," Gardner smiled Monday. "But I got the first down, that's what the team needed, it kept the chains moving."
Let's just put that on the pile then. Soon we will ski down Mount Devin Gardner Problems.
Please? The Hoover Street Rag points out that fixing the current schedule imbalance in the Big Ten East is not a difficult thing as long as 1) MSU is also amenable to that change and 2) IU doesn't care:
Since Indiana is in the East, both Michigan and Michigan State play them every season. Fortutiously, Indiana played MSU at home and Michigan on the road this year. Therefore, all you have to do is flip the Indiana game from a home game to an away game and flip MSU from an away game to a home game. Everyone still ends up with the same number of home and away games, and the bottleneck is cleared.
Current 2016 Schedule
UM at MSU, at OSU, vs IU
MSU vs UM, vs OSU, at IU
OSU at MSU, vs UM, vs IU
IU vs MSU, at UM, at OSU
Proposed 2016 Schedule
UM vs MSU, at OSU, at IU
MSU at UM, vs OSU, vs IU
OSU at MSU, vs UM, vs IU
IU at MSU, vs UM, at OSU
Seems like all three programs in the MSU/OSU/M troika would prefer to have one at home and one on the road for balance and ticket sales reasons.
Alert! Alarm! The word from Boston:
If I ran Boston College, I'd be worried about losing AD Brad Bates to Michigan
— Dan Shaughnessy (@Dan_Shaughnessy) November 4, 2014
Never! Mind! The word from Boston:
This is a big bowl of awkward.
Tommy Amaker is set to coach No. 12 seed Harvard against No. 5 seed Cincinnati in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Thursday, and when the Crimson lose their next game, Amaker is gone. He's Jacoby Ellsbury gone. Harvard's loss will be Boston College's gain.
BC hired Ohio coach Jim Christian instead. On the bright side for Shaughnessy, Jacoby Ellsbury was never found again.
Number one. Would you like a lot of quotes about Jim Hackett? Angelique has them for you:
"Number one, he's nice," Gilmour said. "Number two, thoughtful. Number three, clearly deep. … He is a thoughtful and organized person. And he may be the interim (athletic director) but he won't be a caretaker. He will be moving the athletic department ahead."
The Schiano rehabilitation project begins now. A long Pete Thamel piece on Peter Kings site finds Greg Schiano looking up at nothing in particular while exposing his teeth for reasons he doesn't understand.
I know that feeling of panic whenever someone points a camera at you and says "look like a human being," bro.
Anyway, Schiano makes breakfast, he is enamored with Urban Meyer's juice, he sings songs about chores to Red Hot Chili Peppers songs, he won't be an enormous Brandon to NFL scouts anymore, etc. Schiano's image was run through the woodchipper over his two years in Tampa and he's trying to be… well… that guy above instead of the guy who has his players go after people on a victory formation play.
(Also, what is that diagram? Is he demonstrating Notre Dame's last touchdown in 2011? WHAT DOES IT MEAN?)
Etc.: I was on Drew and Marc Friday talking about what happened and what's next. Hackett intro. Niyo on Hoke chatter. The Brandon timeline. Slate on the ouster. Drake Johnson breakdown.
2015 GA SG Jaylen Brown, the #1 kid nationally, will take a visit to Michigan. Ricky Doyle is going to be critical. Good think he doesn't look like a freshman physically.
Stuffing the Passer is now an animated comic strip, because of course it is.
Hokepoints Never Really Knew Purdue Anyway
It's was sunny and lovely out yesterday in Michigan. Sunday night's storm swept the humidity aside and deposited rain where it belongs: on my lawn. So why did it feel like that sun was a little darker, that sky a little hazier, this July a little less nice than the June that preceded it? Oh, right.
The first official piece of Maryland @bigtenconf apparel presented to @kbaterp and Commissioner Jim Delany! pic.twitter.com/zHpA2Nul6X
— Maryland Athletics (@umterps) June 30, 2014
It's official: our moms are forcing us to play with Scott Malkinson.
Why is this happening again? Well they're joining for the money: both schools have had relatively bad athletic departments who over-leveraged themselves in the big sport facility and coaching arms races, Rutgers less so than Maryland, but then Rutgers was about to wind up trapped in the sinking ship of the Big East/American. Maryland has massive debt from its building projects and the ACC ain't gonna pay them, so they were ready to whore themselves out to whichever conference came along, even if it meant an end to their relationship with Duke.
(No, Penn State fans don't care about either as rivals.)
The real question is why in the heck we'd want them. It's cable TV. Starting with the Big Ten, the big conferences have been getting in on the great scam of cable bundling. Cable providers have monopolies in their markets, and are second only to the military-industrial complex in political spending, all so they can force subscribers into all-or-nothing tiers of hundreds of channels to get one they want (and try to charge people extra to not get their internet slowed).
|Big Ten's Expansion Plan: rip off the cable companies after they rip off America. [Image credit: HuffPo]
This works out very well for the cable giants but leaves them a particular vulnerability to any network with a sports license. Fiercely loyal college football fans will scream at their cable providers if they can't watch the game, and advertisers lust after sports because they're the last of the DVR-proof live events, so cable providers pay out the nose for the network with the game. Then they place that network on a relatively accessible tier that everybody in that market must pay for, and raise prices accordingly.
In this way, if there are just enough A&M fans in Dallas, every cable subscriber in Dallas will pay an extra $5/month to the SEC and its partner (ESPN). If there are just enough Missouri fans in St. Louis, if there just enough Maryland fans in D.C. metro area, if there are just enough Rutgers fans in New York City, etc. The Big Ten schools are gambling on there being enough Rutgers fans to scam $5/month from everyone in New York. So far they've already got New Jersey and Maryland.
The gamble for the schools is they think they'll sell out the stadiums no matter who's visiting, so who gives a damn if it's Maryland visiting instead of Wisconsin. The fans aren't going to see a dime of the Comcast deal (at least not at Michigan—most schools are a little less adversarial to their fans) and just have to decide to put up with the new faces, or not.
In the list of downsides, there are worse things that can happen than having Wisconsin disappear forever, or the invention of more derived, ugly trophies. So long as it ends with Ohio State and MSU is in there, it's a Michigan season, while any Notre Dame or Minnesota you can sprinkle in is appreciated. To put the loss in context I thought I'd look through Michigan's history with the conference with respect to the frequency we've faced various conference rivals.
A History of Western/Big Ten Conference Scheduling
Early years (1892-1906): Prior to the invention of the conference, Michigan already played some of its future rivals. They played Chicago twice in 1893 (both on the road), and even after joining the conference Michigan had an extra (non-conference) game against Chicago's med students.
|Hey, just 'cause we left you guys aren't supposed to be rivals. [Chicago vs. Minnesota in 1916.]
There were seven teams in the original 1896 conference—Michigan, Wisconsin, Illinois, Minnesota, Northwestern, Purdue, and Chicago—with Indiana and Iowa joining in 1899. Teams customarily only played games in October and November, and Michigan played anywhere from two to five conference opponents a year. The 1906 team (the last before leaving the conference for a time) played just one conference game (Illinois) among five games plus an alumni exhibition.
If there was any pattern to this, it's that Michigan and Chicago would play every year except 1899 and 1906. There were a few stretches of other rivals lasting not more than four years. The newcomers (Indiana 1900-'03, Iowa 1900-'02) apparently were guaranteed some starter games with Michigan. Wisconsin (1899, 1902-'05) was the next-most regular. Northwestern and Michigan only played twice before M left. Once we did, we played Minnesota twice but nobody else.
[after the jump, we lose Chicago, gain worse]
Unverified Voracity Was Bonkers Yesterday
- 2014 ncaa softball tournament
- big ten expansion
- carol hutchins
- dave brandon creates the future
- ed obannon lawsuit
- give money to someone elseeeeee
- lolncaa
- mascots that give me the willies
- nba draft
- ncaa: the hypocrisy and how to fix it
- ncaa: the lawsuits
- nik stauskas
- not just a shooter
- notre dame
- Softball
- unverified voracity
HELLO LADIES (not like that). If you took in yesterday's softball double-header you got 14 innings of tension, home runs, and dugout gibbering capped by what has to be the nuttiest final inning I've seen in the sport: Michigan, down one, clubs back-to-back first-pitch homers off one of the best pitchers in the country to go up one, then puts someone on base for the final batter, who hits a rocket that…
…NOPE. Michigan had just blasted a ball over the centerfield fence that none of the outfielders bothered to move on, and this particular ball seemed harder-hit than that. It must have been on more of a line or really temporarily heavy or something. CF Lindsay Doyle was given an opportunity for the walk-off rob of a potential walk-off homer, which she took.
Even Carol Hutchins, an outpost of Red-like reserve in a sport that has a lot of jumping up and down, was momentarily baffled into GIF-worthiness.
You and me both. The catch was Sportcenter's #1 play, which is pretty remarkable on a day that had plenty of baseball and NBA action.
Michigan advances to their ninth super regional in ten years of the current format; they'll travel to Tallahassee to take on the #8 overall seed Florida State. FSU is hosting their first super ever at an impressive 53-6. The best two of three series kicks off Thursday at 7 on ESPN.
Victory. The Michigan money cannon remains undefeated:
EDSBS Bowl 2K14 closed at midnight last night, and the total for the week's fundraising is staggering and very much awesome: $33,250.85 raised for Refugee Resettlement and Immigration Services of Atlanta, all from your contributions. …
University of Michigan $10,183.68
University of Georgia $4,024.20
Notre Dame $2,249.32
University of Alabama $1,977.55
Georgia Institute of Technology $1,969.72
Auburn University $1,716.40
Well done, gentlemen. I have excellent news: in honor of the cannon, RRISA is naming their conference room something Michigan themed. Orson has asked us for suggestions, so I throw it open to the MGoPeanutGallery. Please keep in mind that we are trying to retain people's goodwill, so something like "Leaders and Best (unlike all non grads)" would not be good.
[11:27 AM] Spencer Hall: If there's a huge Michigan painting, they'll put it up there
[11:27 AM] Spencer Hall: seriously
Anyone that wants to provide a candidate shoot me an email.
Stauskas time. Nik Stauskas didn't shoot at the NBA combine but that's not to say he didn't shoot at all in the past week. A few gents put on a workout beforehand, and Stauskas proved that he is the unstoppable workout freak($) that you may have seen on youtube:
None of them disappointed Monday. During early shooting drills, Stauskas had the lead early, hitting 47 of his first 50 attempts. At the end of the workout, it was McDermott who couldn't miss, beating everyone with 13 3-pointers in 35 seconds. … Each player takes roughly 100 3-point attempts during a workout. On most days, Stauskas and McDermott are shooting about 85 percent. That's really remarkable.
That is nuts.
Chad Ford also notes that Stauskas looked "terrific" in the various ballhandling drills at this workout and is… wait for it… also grab a beer… "making a play to be more than just a shooter." While Stauskas isn't likely to be an NBA PG unless his team wants him to gently escort opposing points to the basket, his ability to get his own shot and excellent P&R skills will see him be more than just a shooter. Ford has Stauskas #12 now and thought he was upwardly mobile even before he put up impressive combine numbers:
Michigan's Nik Stauskas and Creighton's Doug McDermott really shined, as well. Stauskas was especially impressive. He measured with a 35.5-inch max vert, a 10.79 lane agility score, a 2.92 shuttle run and a 3.27 sprint. Those were all very good numbers and should boost his draft stock.
I know you are thinking about what I am thinking: what about the Pistons? Detroit needs shooting, and they need someone who can run a pick and roll with Andre Drummond without resorting to miserable off-balance jumpers. DX's latest mock has them taking McDermott. While that makes sense, as currently constituted Detroit could use a guy who can play 1-3 with bad defense a lot more than a guy who can play 3-4 with bad defense. Also, McDermott seems constitutionally incapable of being an okay defender because he's such a tweener; a hypothetical NBA Stauskas coached by Stan Van Gundy could be all right down the road, especially if Caldwell-Pope can be the 3-and-D guy.
If Detroit stays at eight I'd say there's a pretty good chance Stauskas ends up being the player who makes the most sense. Other than McDermott, guards/wings available at eight are likely to include Tyler Ennis, James Young, Rodney Hood, Gary Harris, and Zach LaVine. Only Hood and McDermott are in Stauskas's universe as a shooter, and Gary Harris being more 6'2" than 6'4" probably eliminates him.
Also in Michigan draftee news, DX's post-combine mock has Robinson and McGary as the last two picks of the first round.
All right, all right. Eighty-seven people have emailed or tweeted me about the latest indicator that things aren't going well on the season ticket front, so I am compelled to reproduce it:
The existence of such a thing isn't much of a surprise… except you'd think they'd translate "Added Value Opportunities" into English before releasing it to the world. The outstanding quality of the athletic department is how remarkably ham-handed they are at being marketers. This is supposedly Brandon's expertise and he's throwing powerpoint slides at the public.
The lord's work. Deadspin continues its excellent series demolishing bad arguments the NCAA tries to muster in its favor. The latest to meet the guillotine: competitive balance.
…my own research in 2011 showed that of the 1,000 top recruited athletes over a decade, 99.3 percent went to power conference schools. … the truth is that the current rules seem to lock in imbalance, and prevent would-be upstarts from building recruiting momentum.
That makes intuitive sense. A team can't put its money where its mouth is if it really really wants a guy that another school wants. When compensation is fixed* all choices are about things other than compensation.
And since it's currently impossible to make the system more unbalanced…
*[I guess it does technically move based on the value of a degree from school X. That is not going to be a huge consideration for many football players. See: every player ever citing academics as a reason he went to school Y, no matter what that school is. "I have chosen Wyoming School Of Finger Twiddling for its excellent academics," etc.]
Pyrrhic press conferences for 1000. When the press gets the temerity to ask a question that leads to this answer…
"No buyer's remorse at all," Delany said Wednesday after the Big Ten administrators' meetings. "When I go to Jersey, I go to New York, I go to support, not to judge."
…things are not going well in the PR realm. Jim Delany just described visiting his sister in rehab.
No surrender. O'Bannon plaintiffs have asked the court to ditch the individual damages in their lawsuit and, as a side effect, ditch the jury.
The plaintiffs' lead attorney, Michael Hausfeld, told ESPN that forgoing the effort to seek damages for the individuals who are named in the lawsuit streamlines the case, making it all about stopping the NCAA from continuing to prevent athletes from sharing in the media revenues they help generate. …
The filing by the plaintiffs aims to focus all of the attention on whether the NCAA's economic model should be changed. It's an attempt to avoid the messiness of sorting out who may have been harmed for past wrongs, and to what degree.
That would be the NCAA's worst nightmare, as judge Claudia Wilken is the person issuing statements like "I don't think amateurism is going to be a useful word here." It seems like the NCAA's best shot is to bamboozle a jury with the arguments Deadspin is currently blowing up.
As with any story about the O'Bannon lawsuit, we have a new opportunity to point and laugh at the NCAA's beleaguered lawyers.
The NCAA objected to the new move by Hausfeld to drop the damages claim. The association's lawyers wrote Wednesday night that they were "surprised and troubled by the Plaintiffs' last minute and abrupt decision to attempt to avoid having a jury decide" the case, calling it a "last ditch effort to change course in this litigation."
…Hausfeld dismissed the NCAA's argument.
"There's always been a damages claim and an injunctive claim," he said. "If they haven't been paying attention to the injunctive claim, it's inexplicable."
Well, they are very busy these days.
It'll be a while. Brian Kelly said something about playing Michigan, so everyone gets asked about it again. Dave Brandon has had "zero talks" with Notre Dame about resuming the series. It would take a lot of pride-swallowing for Brandon to do such a thing. The chances of that seem… low.
The earliest Michigan and ND will talk about playing again will be after both places have new athletic directors, and even then they'll be scheduling ten years out. This year's game is the last for probably 20 years. Well done, college football.
Old mascots are always the best. If you could guarantee me that Michigan's hypothetical mascot would look like it was put together at the local insane asylum's arts and crafts night, I would be on board. Hellmascot part 4,210 is MSU, 1966:
No, no money for athletes. Somehow all of this manages to get sucked up despite MSU not adding sports:
"I think it was about 2000, our budget was right around $25 million and today it's $94 million," Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis said. "And it's real easy to take a quick look on where the allocation of those funds have gone, and so much of it — there is the coaching salary component that kind of stands out."
Wait, save that!
"But there's a much larger chunk that has gone to escalation of scholarships and services provided."
All right. What might these things be?
"It used to be a coach and a trainer kind of handled everything. Well now there's somebody to teach you how to cook, there's somebody on some campuses that do the cooking, that show you how to shop."
They have to invent ways to burn this money. That is the situation. They are so far up their own butts that they think they should be taught to cook and shop like they're in finishing school with Betty Draper. How about you give them the money and they decide whether they should spend it on a guy teaching them how to shop* or, like, anything else.
Meanwhile, Michigan made a profit of 90 million dollars from 2007-08 to 12-13, an average profit of $15 million per year. That's going to be great when I get my dividend check.
*["So this green stuff I have… I hand it to the man behind the counter. You don't get any green stuff. But if you had some green stuff, you could give it to the man behind the counter"]
Etc.: I still can't believe Gordon F. Gee was paid like 12 times what an average university president makes. GRIII did well at the combine. No beer at Michigan, because I would do anything for money but I won't do that. Good on Mark Schissel for making Michigan's compensation structure more transparent. Maryland previewed. TJ Leaf has a top four and is visiting soon.
Unverified Voracity Can Stop With The Terror Books
I'll miss you, terror books. Not really.
Aaand it falls off. I've been doing annual APR posts the past few years because Michigan was in a dodgy spot after the Carr/Rodriguez transfer year saddled Michigan with a horrendous 897. That plus an also-dismal 918 in Carr's last year put Michigan within shouting distance of penalties, which they avoided by putting up a series of nice numbers. Since Hoke's arrival Michigan has largely avoided academic risks, so it was just matter of time before that 897 fell off and Michigan shot up. It just did.
Drumroll… Michigan's football APR is now 975. The constituent scores:
- 2010: 942
- 2011: 984
- 2012: 981
- 2013: 985
Their 975 places them fourth in the Big Ten, behind Northwestern, Wisconsin, and Nebraska; if they continue on their current mid-980s rate they'd pass Nebraska but still remain third if everyone else is static.
So hooray. The main upshot of this is that OSU assistants can't send out APR lists in novelty fonts claiming "the stats don't lie" or make charts that aren't even sorted correctly because their players managed to get through Pokémon 401. (But not Sort Function In Excel 330.) OSU's APR is now worse than Michigan's.
Oh, and the NCAA will not do bad things. Meanwhile, at Southern University…
Oooooof. RT @JonSolomonCBS: All Southern University teams also have APR postseason bans due to unusable data. Ouch.
— Bill Connelly (@SBN_BillC) May 14, 2014
…several people just got fired with prejudice.
Reload and fire at will. EDSBS Bowl reaches day four with Michigan still staggeringly far out ahead of the pack with 5.4k to Auburn's 1.3k. Give us the significance of your donation in the comments.
When in need of vague hand-waving that means nothing, call in the right man. Dave Brandon and Mark Hollis will testify for the NCAA in the Ed O'Bannon case. Hollis will claim that his deposition would better on an aircraft carrier on the moon; Brandon will tell the opposition lawyer that he "knows a little something about branding" 18 times. After each, the lawyer will calmly explain the question had nothing to do with branding.
Well then. Alabama tailback Derryck Henry took a photograph of himself in front of an expensive new car that he said was his, creating little "BAGMAN!" tornadoes across the internet. These are the natural order. This is a bit outside of it:
I'm a little dubious that title was on the table for White, a nondescript three-star recruit, but it could be one of those deals like the Clarett/Pryor thing where the dealership lets you "test drive" the car for months. In any case, yes some guy gave this dude a car or money or whatever and the NCAA will not do anything about it so our choices are to be uselessly smug or repeal all this crap that's not getting enforced anyway.
An odd fit, yes. Will Leitch makes a good point about replay in basketball: because of the nature of the game, sometimes there are things that are going to be both wrong and right at the same time. An event from late in the Clippers/Thunder game 6 blew up twitter, demonstrating the problem.
… it is clear that Barnes fouled Jackson; even more clear, perhaps, than that the ball was off Jackson last. At this point, the referees had a decision to make. Should they follow the rules of replay to the letter and award the ball to the Clippers? Or should they make the right call, which was to give the ball to the Thunder?
They gave the ball to the Thunder, which Leitch describes as "vigilante officiating." That stuff happens all the time on out of bounds situations. Fouls are committed but let go when the ball goes out of bounds and is awarded to the other team. Once you start reviewing those you upset the delicate balance there. Basketball replay is inherently goofy because of that.
At least those reviews sometimes amount to something, unlike college basketball's unceasingly tedious replays for flagrant fouls that never, ever come back with a flagrant.
I would be in favor. With Notre Dame due to become a fading memory and replacements ranging from yawn to moderately interesting, I would be down with Tom Fornelli's radical solution to college football breaking itself:
ACC, Big Ten and SEC could solve all their scheduling problems in one simple step. Ditch non-conference games, stay within your conference, continue to foster the regional rivalries that made this sport so popular to begin with, and then send your champion to the playoff to take on the winners of the other conferences.
This is more of a problem for the ACC and SEC, which have a number of annual rivalries that would be set on fire by this. The Big Ten has none of those now. ND-MSU, you say? Mark Hollis just admitted that their series with the Irish is "gone," save for occasional games in the future.
So, yeah, I'd be happier with Michigan dumping MAC games and playing a near-round-robin against the conference. It will never ever happen in a million billion years, I acknowledge. But it would be better.
Numbers. Bill Connelly's got a charting project going that returns numbers. With the disclaimer that not all games were charted and therefore things might be skewed by sampling bias (12 NW games are in versus two Wisconsin games, but then again there were only 2 A&M games versus ten for Tommy Tuberville's Cincinnati), here are some overall trends:
49% [of plays] took place without a huddle, 51% came with a huddle.
Without a huddle does not necessarily mean hurrying, of course. Lots of outfits don't huddle but will use chunks of the playclock for check-with-me. I'm actually surprised the no-huddle percentage isn't higher.
56% came from a shotgun formation, 26% with the quarterback under center, and 18% from the pistol.
Would be fascinated to see how this developed over the last ten years.
On pass plays, the defense rushed four defenders at the passer 61% of the time, five 19% of the time, three 11% of the time, six or more 8% of the time, and one or two just 0.3% of the time.
Michigan was not far away from this, FWIW.
On standard downs, 26% of pass attempts were marked as a play-action attempt of some kind. On passing downs, 11% were play-action.
Every single one of the passing down play action plays was Al Borges running a waggle from a big formation on second and eleven. Holy crap. I can't believe he did that with the running game he had. This joke isn't funny anymore.
Etc.: 2015 hockey commit Kyle Connor might be a big deal: THN ranks him 9th for next year's NHL draft. Stay away from killer robots (and the OHL), Kyle.
Penn State fan loses respect for NFL because Michael Sam got drafted. How Iowa makes NFL recruits. Man no one should listen to says playoff will stay at 4 teams. Iowa, preseason darling? Soccer announces a tough schedule. The next time someone tells you that athletic departments don't make a profit, remind them that the scholarship money counted as debt is fiction.
Michigan adds Jon Jansen to their broadcast team.


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Friday, June 20, 2008
Chicks Think Evil is Hot
Draw your own conclusions.
21 comments:
- 729 said...
So, while it looks like women are pretty pathetic in their admiration of borderline psychopaths, at the same time, they're dealing with vast numbers of foolish men, most of whom *also* only want to get laid. (Some of whom actually pay good money to these exact same psychopaths. (1)) It's not like there are all these utterly wonderful, brilliant, "really nice guys," who *never* just want to get laid that are being ignored by women. Think about it: A few psychopaths with game. Tons of losers with no game but wish they had it so they, too, could get over on women. And the seventeen really balanced, terrific guys left in the state, all of whom are married.
Doom all around. That's all. Nothing special.
(1) Are you aware that there are already a good number of websites and "courses" that basically teach men who seek to improve their "scoring," how to go about developing precisely these "dark-triad" traits (or, more correctly, how to imitate them), and utilize different prepared patterns to increase their scoring? Think the "Seduce and Destroy" program in the film "Magnolia." Those classes really exist. The guys who run them make truckloads of cash. The guys who are shelling out the cash? Suckers.
- June 21, 2008 at 11:46 PM
- 729 said...
Another hysterical Amazon customer review set (like the Tuscan Whole Milk) of a $500 connector cable:
Hilarious tags customers associated with this product:
- June 23, 2008 at 1:59 AM
- 729 said...
Drat!!! The links didn't paste correctly. Sorry!!!
Search amazon:
Denon AKDL1 Dedicated Link Cable
- June 23, 2008 at 2:01 AM
729: The physics inside jokes that are present in the snarky reviews had me falling off my chair. Thanks for the good laugh. I hope this is a joke product.
- June 23, 2008 at 11:14 AM
- Spiros said...
Good post! I had totally forgotten that character from *Magnolia*.
Doom all around.
- June 23, 2008 at 11:20 AM
- Spiros said...
The reviews of the Denon AKDL1 Dedicated Link Cable are CLASSIC! Thanks!
- June 23, 2008 at 11:21 AM
- 729 said...
Doom for all ages and occasions!
I realized after I posed that comment that my real complaint was that the study works on an unquestioned assumption about what constitutes a "normal" moral status that operates comparatively in supporting the "findings." I am trying to figure out what fallacy this is--it looks like a kind of compositional fallacy. You would be able to sort that out better than I can. (A part of a whole has property D (dark triad), so the other part of the whole must have property Not-D, (assumed to be) N (normal). Women prefer D to N. Oh my! But, the whole contains D* (Doom, misogyny, idiocy, irresponsibility and immaturity not associated with psychosis, ennui, etc.), so women's preference to D just as likely contrasts with aversions to D*, not N. In the context of making a claim about *dating* and sexual preferences, preference for D does not tell anything about the state of Not-D. Assuming it is N, and that N has no troubling aspects is unjustified.)
I once wrote a paper in response to a certain person's published paper on Happiness and Morality/Immorality. I analyzed the misuse of the idea of "being a good person," and how this default belief that most humans have of "being a good person" amounts to an unjustified belief in their moral merit, and an erroneous psychological tendency to believe further that they deserve, because they are "fundamentally good people," reward (in terms of happiness) from an unjust and recalcitrant universe. At the time, the person did not like this paper that much, but I still think I had some good points. This sort of "study," seems to me an example of the sort of beliefs I was attacking: A whole-scale tendency to believe, well, I'm not a psychopath, so I must really be just a nice, good guy who, undeservedly "finishes last." The world is so unfair! (No doubt there is a version of this for women, no doubt at all).
I'm glad you found the Denon cable reviews as funny as I did! It is, by reports I've seen, a real product.
- June 23, 2008 at 5:07 PM
- Spiros said...
Interesting... So the thought is that property D might be correlative with the lack of some other property, say, B (for boring and boyish), which is prevalent among non-D males. So maybe the women are attracted to not-B rather than D.
- June 23, 2008 at 7:21 PM
- 729 said...
Yes! That's the ticket.
And in a context (dating) in which all the men are trying to "score," Non-B qualities trump B and long-term consequences of D. Women's preference shifts from irrationally preferring psychopaths, to much more rationally preferring to avoid losers (who, in the dating context, also want to score with them as much as the psychopaths do).
Looking at the big picture, it isn't as if the B quality men guarantee successful relationships; relationships come and go, and marriages fall apart more often than flourish. D's don't make good long term partners, but why kid ourselves about Bs? Very few people manage to make good long term partners. Most people fail at it. Most of these people are in the B group (according to the study, since D's don't stick around at all, only B's are the men who are mostly failing at relationships and marriages). Starting out with B is close to asking someone to sign on to a doomed relationship from the get go. Avoiding B and choosing Not-B (which turn out often to be D), might mislead with respect to the long-term consequences of D, but at the same time the avoidance of B (preference of Not-B) is reasonable with respect to the doom it represents.
I'm sorry if I'm ranting a bit. But this study really irked me.
- June 23, 2008 at 9:25 PM
- Spiros said...
Sounds right to me.
- June 23, 2008 at 10:14 PM
I'm pretty much in agreement with 729 except for it being about women preferring D's to B's for long term relationships. The study was questioning college students about e.g. how many and what kind of sexual experiences they had. I get the impression that the preferences uncovered have less to do with who the women questioned want to be in long term relationships with and more to do with who they want to fuck.
- June 24, 2008 at 7:30 AM
- Spiros said...
Very observant. Tolerate love, practice fuck.
- June 24, 2008 at 10:59 AM
729 & G-Unit: Great stuff! So to use set theory, if there is of a total population of men:
Set MF (those men that women want to fuck)
Set NF (those men that women do not want to fuck)
Set GF (those men that women have fucked)
Set LW (those men that women are in long term relationships with)
Set NW (those men that women are not in long term relationships with)
Set DT (those men that posses dark triad of personality)
Set NT (those men that lack the dark triad of personality)
The intersection of sets of MF & GF does not necessarily follow that the population of the union of the set will be the exclusive replication of the population belonging to set DT. Nor does it follow that the intersection of MF and DT will result with both populations consisting of exclusively the same members. Nor will the sets LW and DT necesarily share all the same members exclusively.
Did I understand this correctly?
- June 24, 2008 at 11:59 AM
- Spiros said...
May I engage in some armchair phenomenology? But wait! Isn't all phenomenology armchair? Ok. May I engage in a little amateur phenomenology? But wait! Isn't all phenomenology amateur? (If you're even slightly amused by that last sentence, you're a certified Geek). No matter... SO:
I someone who thankfully has long been out of the dating/mating game, I wonder whether it's not the case that available and desirable ladies such as yourself don't actively seek out the *absence* of certain traits in potential sig-oths, rather than the presence other traits. Given the obscene condition of adult males, I suspect the *screen out* strategy is more efficient than the *test for* strategy. Does this make sense? Am I correct?
- June 24, 2008 at 12:46 PM
Santa: Knowing set theory is item number four in the dark tetrad.
- June 24, 2008 at 3:19 PM
- Spiros said...
- June 24, 2008 at 5:39 PM
imipolex: Now that was awesome! LOL!
Spiros: I concur with the "screen out" methodology being more successful than a "test for" methodology, though I too have been out of the dating/mating scene for some time.
- June 25, 2008 at 8:36 AM
- Spiros said...
- June 25, 2008 at 12:31 PM
- 729 said...
I hadn't seen the growth of the discussion. Wow.
Santa:Yes! That was beautiful.
Impolex: Yes, you're right about the study. What I see I was unclear about was that Not-B and D overlap, but aren't always identical. No way to tell at first glance whether a genuinely amazing, exciting, assertive and spontaneous guy (Not boring and boyish) is actually a psychopath/borderline disorder. The D types get over appearing like a what would be a great match. To a good extent I was riffing, and not all that precise.
Spiros: Phenomenologically speaking, I would have to say that both screening out *and* testing-for go on. It might be something like screening out occurs when a red flag comes up, but just as essential, seduction isn't neutral. Something positive in terms of attraction has to happen--some sort of preference/s get/s very much involved. Maybe, it isn't so much testing-for, but some "mark" needs to be hit--something has to happen that meets an expectation, surpasses it, surprises. Does that make sense?
- July 1, 2008 at 2:47 AM
- Spiros said...
- July 3, 2008 at 12:03 PM
A fabulous gift idea that any mom & grandma links of london sale would be glad to accept is a mother's ring. There are countless styles to pick from london links charms and every one permits each of a mother's children's birthstone to be placed in the ring so mom & grandma can remember her children wherever she goes.Jewelry links london bracelet that is personalized or engraved makes great jewelry gifts for mom. You can have a particular word or meaningful expression engraved inside a ring, necklace or bracelet links of london earrings to demonstrate to your mother the depths of your feelings.Stylish watches are an additional idea for great jewelry gifts for mom. Your mother sweetie bracelet needs a stylish watch to go with her favorite outfit and perhaps even a few to go with her entire wardrobe.Another example of mom's & grandma's jewelry that makes a great gift is mother's earrings.
- August 13, 2010 at 9:46 PM

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Following my previous post I thought I'd do a quick update now we're a month in.
Result: 55GB old e-mail migrated in, 74 happy users, getting ready for 5.0.18 -> 6.0 upgrade.
Thanks to the community for the support so far, I will attempt to pay-it-forward as we go on.


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Hi all,
Just saw this post today on arstechnica about the work going into firefox for:
- a native JSON parser
- support for worker threads, which provide support for concurrent execution in JavaScript
- The HTML 5 video element
Mozilla demos impressive Firefox 3.1 features at SCALE - Ars Technica
The video down the bottom is particularly impressive - motion tracking video with javascript?!?!
I'm no web dev guru, but it looks exciting. What are peoples' opinions about what zimbra could do with this sort of tech?
The worker threads (no locking up the interface) look particularly interesting to the responsiveness of the webui.
I sure there a lot of caveats with this though, particularly that its not cross-browser atm. (although I'm sure webkit/opera will jump on with canvas support)
anyway, what do you all think?


text:
Iowa State App for iPad and iPhone
The Iowa State iPad App and iPhone App provides the latest in Cyclone Athletics in a simple, interactive interface on your second generation or newer iPad. Among the info included is latest news, scores, schedules, rosters, and photo galleries for all your favorite Iowa State teams! In addition, live stats are available for selected sports.
Download the iPad and iPhone app and enjoy access to Cyclones on demand video and live audio. These apps are a one-time charge for the current school year, and will expire at the end of the spring sports season.
Exclusive to the iPad: Watch select live video from Cyclones.tv. Iowa State live events will be added through the year. In order to watch live on the iPad, you must have an active Cyclones.tv account. If you are not currently a member, visit Cyclones.tv to sign up.
>>Download the Iowa State iPhone app in the iTunes App Store!


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All from Utah? Beautiful bucks. Deep back forks on the one on the far right. And velvet on the other 2! Archery?
I got my buck back from the taxidermist this past week, so I thought a picture of the bucks we've taken over the years was in order. I think it turned out pretty good. Great memories with the boys and their hunts. It's interesting how your focus changes as you get older. As my boys started to hunt, my focus turned from my success to the their success and I'm just as proud of the bucks they've taken.
All from Utah? Beautiful bucks. Deep back forks on the one on the far right. And velvet on the other 2! Archery?
Monte Miles
Beyond Addiction Adventures
Yes, all from Utah (northern) and two in velvet with archery and the other with rifle. We have an area where the alfalfa brings them in for miles around during the archery hunt.
Nice Bucks Guys!!!
"You can't cheat the mountian Pilgrim"
Great deer guys!
Awesome deer, wish I had a spot like that to hunt! You have had some great memories with your boys, when those grand kids get older it will only add to the fun.
Shoot STR8
I know I'm always welcome, and I am great full for the time I have got to spend on your place. I have even been successful a time or two, nothing like what you and your boys have killed. But I have always had fun!
Shoot STR8
WOW!!! Nice trophy bucks. thanks for sharing your good fortune.
"If you choose not to decide, you still have made a choice."
WOW!! Those are some toads!!


text:
Coco Austin (a.k.a. Mrs. Ice T) is a hilarious presence in the world. She has a physics-defying body and an adorable sense of humor, and she's not afraid to show off either of them. She also seems pretty happy! So when Buzzfeed posted two Q+A's with her, I was listening. Here are some things that I learned.
(Via Buzzfeed)


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Hello to everyone... and welcome to my first mini-tutorial and it's all about getting that nice mangled edge to "treasure maps". Coyotemax did one for the September Big Challenge... and I had no clue how to do a nice one but I think I've found a nice shiney way that is all thanks to RobA Captain of the River Police...
So, credit where credit is due: RobA's Realistic Map Creation Tutorial is the basis for this little trick.
This should work in PhotoShop, but I don't know the names of the commands for Photoshop, just the GIMP terms.
STEP 1: Make your map.
Use whatever methods you usually do to make your nice olde-style map on parchment. The point is to have a finalised map to work with.
STEP 2: Add in a layer on NORMAL mode (say called MASK)
Fill the whole thing with WHITE. Plain-ol' 256-256-256 white.
STEP 3: Gaussian blur
Blur the edges, the heavier the blur the more damage your map will take. For a map at 1024x768 I'd personally suggest a 50px - 75px blur.
STEP 4: Add ANOTHER layer on OVERLAY mode (Say called CLOUD)
Fill this with a randomised solid noise cloud. Put the detail to 15, X to 16, Y to 16, click the "randomized" tick-box and create your cloud. Make sure this layer is ABOVE the layer called MASK
STEP 5: Fidget with the Levels of your Cloud
Use the LEVELS dialogue to manipulate the CLOUD layer to adjust the scraggly edges of the MASK layer.
STEP 6: Selecting the undamaged part
Take the Select-by-Colour (finger pointing at the RGB) Tool. Check the SAMPLE MERGED tick-box. Select all of the MASK layer, then using the Select-by-Colour in "Subtract Mode", click near the edges of the blurry scraggly white, click around the edges until you like the rough shape. Fine tune the scraggly shape with the Lasso (to remove any "islands").
STEP 7: Selection to Mask
Selection > Save to Channel
STEP 8: Add Layer Mask
Add a layer mask to your MAP layer. From the options in the list choose "Channel" at the bottom of the list and click Add.
You now have an edge-damaged map suitable for any childhood dress-up day at school to do with Pirates and there were no candles involved...
For an example check out the entry I made to the October Big Challenge...
(click here)


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This seems like an issue that would already have been reported/addressed but my forum searches didn't turn anything up.
*) Advanced Search with reading pane off
*) Set of messages are returned, one per line
*) Use *mouse wheel* to scroll down through the list of returned messages and find the one I was really looking for
*) When I click on the message I want, I'm returned to the top of the list not to the message I've just attempted to select.
If I use the scroll bar on the right side to scroll through the messages, this behavior doesn't seem to happen.
Is this fixable, i.e. should I log a bugzilla?


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Canadian soloist returns to Bach Festival for repeat performance of 'Elijah'
A popular oratorio from the early days of the 22-year-old Shenandoah Valley Bach Festival at Eastern Mennonite University will return this summer. The 2014 festival, held June 8-15, will feature Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah, performed by an orchestra, choir and four soloists. One of the soloists, Canadian bass Daniel Lichti, sang in the first ...More


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Note that for the hills, I have very small bits of shadows with lot's of "smudge" so that there are a lot less "lines" of shadow and just slight hints. Also, anywhere that the lines end, either on mountains (note the left and right top mountains where the line just ends), you want to continue pulling down the color with the smudge tool.
One you have all the inner body of the mountains smudged down, switch over to the outline layer and smudge down a bit of the outlines for any lines which are hanging loose. You may want to lower the rate a bit or if using a tablet, lighten up on the pressure. For these lines, don't just pull straight down in the same direction, but begin pulling down in the same direction as the original line and then "curl" the line a bit as the smudging begins to "fade".
After a few more touch-ups, here is the final with all the smudging done
Optionally, if you feel like it, you can select the outline layer and reduce the opacity to make the outlines much fainter. In this case, I went down to around 30% or so:
I hope this helps anyone who would like some nice ISO mountains, but is a bit hesitant to give it a try. Please remember to rate the thread and post any comments, questions, or examples of your work.


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Every relationship faces obstacles and you either get through them and become a stronger couple, or you break up because it's too much to handle. Slacker and Steve-being the "degenerate gamblers" they are- wanted to guess whether or not you weathered the storm or
called it quits.
Steve smoked Slacker when it came to guessing the outcome of each obstacle and Steve figured this because he's on the "outside looking in"- because people in relationships are too much in the thick of it all that they don't know what or who they are anymore.
What obstacles have you faced in your relationships?
I haven't faced a ton of relationship obstacles- maybe my relationships are perfect… just kidding- but I do know what would break my relationship: any person who cheats, lacks a proper understanding of general hygiene, has every album released by Creed, hates my cat… the usual, I guess ;)
Stay classy!
Intern Kirstyn
(photo courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net)


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WASHINGTON, D.C. (WUSA) - D.C. Council incumbent Michael Brown had once been a candidate for Mayor. Now he's fighting off a challenge just to hold on to his at large seat.
And Attorney David Grosso, a veteran D.C. council staffer, now in his own first campaign, is trying to unseat Brown.
It would have been a walk for Brown, except for unpaid taxes and rent, loss of driving privileges, and the disappearance of a huge sum of money from his campaign:
Brown supporters point out that reporters helped Grosso to keep a 20-year-old marijuana conviction out of the debate until recently.
The challenger has endorsements from the Washington Post, City Paper and other publications. Brown has name recognition, and organized labor, which is making up for much of the missing campaign funds.
A recent polls shows Brown leading Grosso by 5 percentage points.
Council member Michael Brown contacted 9News on Tuesday night to say that he never fails to pay his taxes and that he was put on a payment plan. He also said that he was only two days late in paying his rent.


text:
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THE OKLAHOMAN You're viewing an article from The Oklahoman's newsroom. Print subscribers have Full Access to a premium experience at Oklahoman.com.
Community bids farewell to Aubrey McClendon
As he built Chesapeake Energy Corp. into the nation's second largest natural gas producer and did his part to develop his hometown into a big league city, Aubrey McClendon has become one of the most recognizable people in Oklahoma City.
Now McClendon is poised to embark on a new chapter in his life, leaving the company he co-founded in 1989 with partner Tom Ward after losing a power struggle with Chesapeake's newly remade board.
The board has not named McClendon's successor, but the only chief executive in Chesapeake history will not soon be forgotten.
The Oklahoman received dozens of responses after asking readers what they wanted to say to McClendon, and the sentiment was strongly positive. The ratio of messages that were pro-Aubrey to those that had negative views was about 10-to-1. We tried to reflect that in these published comments.
No one person has done more for Oklahoma City than Aubrey McClendon. Ever. He is a looming figure with an immaculate aesthetic, and a character in the most positive sense."
Terri Savage
Thank you, Aubrey, for creating a great place to work and for working toward a better community, state and country. Thank you for not giving up when the government would not get behind you to carry out your vision of a better country with cleaner skies, cheaper energy and more jobs for Americans. I feel blessed to have worked for you. Chesapeake will not be the same without you. God bless you for your vision and for treating employees like they matter."
Amanda Clark
We are all changed because of Aubrey. He didn't just change the landscape at 63rd and Western. His brilliance and fortitude in the oil and gas industry have been transformational in our communities, our city and our state. Oklahoma is making the 'hip and cool lists' that we never dreamed of making before. Aubrey's personal generosity and that of Chesapeake to the nonprofit sector have allowed hundreds of thousands to be impacted and changed forever. And personally, I feel my own children will experience a better life in Oklahoma, with great thanks to our local energy companies. As a nonprofit business leader, and a proud Oklahoman, I thank you Aubrey. His office address may be changing, but we all know this has a Schwarzenegger ending, 'He will be back!'"
Deborah McAuliffe Senner, CEO of Allied Arts
No argument that McClendon has done a lot of good for OKC, but it is easy to give away money that is not yours and then personally reap the rewards of those donations. The money given by McClendon is really the money of all shareholders of Chesapeake. That is the reality. The owner of Hobby Lobby can give all he wants, as there are no shareholders and it is his own to donate or give away, not shareholders' money. Big difference when comparing the two. Donating other people's money is easy and as the saying goes 'nobody is more frugal with money than its owner.'"
John Petree
Aubrey truly has Oklahoma in his heart! His leadership and generosity has touched so many and we will never know its depth, nor will it ever be forgotten! It lives on in all the beautification projects, schools, individuals, churches, businesses, government agencies, nonprofits, etc. There were so many random acts of kindness that his name, and (wife) Katie's, will always be remembered by kids and adults alike for lifetimes! A summer intern program, for example, personally funded by the McClendons, gave teens an opportunity to learn the meaning of hard work and to appreciate the value of a dollar. Their pay was based on the quality of their work, respect for their peers and a good attitude Hundreds of teens over the years were given this opportunity for professional and personal growth. Aubrey and Chesapeake are like milk and cookies! Hard to imagine one without the other! He raised CHK to be a shining star, from its dedicated and philanthropic-minded employees who do everything from mentoring 'at risk' children, to gobs of vegetables from the employee garden donated to the Food Bank, to its beautiful campus as a destination for weddings, engagements, kid photos, fundraising events and so much more! Tiptoeing through the tulips in spring and cuddling under the fairyland of Christmas lights in the winter are the little details that many of us will never take for granted! All thanks to Aubrey's incredible vision and his huge heart for sharing! What incredible gifts to the community, gifts that so many look forward to annually! He challenged others to step up to the plate and join in the giving to our city, big or small, every penny counted! We went from 'Oklahoma is OK' to 'Oklahoma Proud' because one man believed we were way better than just OK! Oklahoma City's quality of life is on top now. Hey, we finally have Whole Foods! Aubrey, the legacy you gave this city will live on, just as your name and Katie's will! With such an incredible first phase, we will all be on pins and needles waiting for what's around the corner in the second phase of your career! Thank you is certainly an understatement. We owe you so much more!"
Linda Horn
Visionaries are few and far between. Aubrey McClendon was a man with a vision for his company, his community, his city and his state, so he made a lot of money for himself. Why should he not? Just look at all the thousands he employed with good wages and benefits. Just look at all the mineral interest owners he made prosperous. Just look at all the well service companies he made money for. Just look at the schools, charities, arts and sciences he helped support. Now imagine what losses those people and entities might face under the cold blooded leadership of the corporate raiders. All of Aubrey's vision will disappear in the blink of an eye and Oklahoma City will be stuck with the consequences. I think all Oklahomans who can afford to buy shares in Chesapeake should do so. Perhaps the ownership majority can come back to Oklahoma so that we can vote Aubrey back in so he can complete his vision. There may not be another person of his vision and passion in Oklahoma City for a long time to come. That will be a real shame."
Robert White
There is MORE to this story about a man of power, who has a questionable vision of a future, who must possess, control and bully. Nichols Hills and Oklahoma City will be better off WITHOUT this kind of CEO or chairman of the board."
William Elliott
Chesapeake without McClendon is like Apple without Steve Jobs. Aubrey McClendon has enriched my life since childhood. He is a genius, a friend and a noble champion. That is why I challenge all others who have benefited from him to buy shares of CHK and restore the vision and leadership our country needs, now more than ever. I am buying shares today, are you?"
Stephen B. White
Thank you for all that you have done for this city! My Oklahoma City University scholarship was a direct result of your private university gift. I was able to receive a top-of-the-line education because of your generosity. Thank you!"
John Riesenberg
What would I say to Aubrey McClendon? Thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done for the Oklahoma City community. For supporting the growth of our community, the arts, the Boys & Girls Clubs, our medical facilities and many other unrecognized charities and nonprofits that you have funded throughout the years. Your unselfish generosity has changed Oklahoma City for the better."
Gary Schones, senior membership manager for Greater Oklahoma City Chamber
For years I have enjoyed the perky pansies that brightened a glum winter day along my way to work on Western. Then later the pink tulips, and in the heat of summer, the pretty mix of colors everywhere. And, oh the Christmas lights! Thank you for not only the beauty on and near the Chesapeake campus but at Belle Isle, Northwest Expressway, Horace Mann Elementary School, the Oklahoma River. Wherever Chesapeake was, there was great improvement. My appreciation for all that Oklahoma City has received from Aubrey McClendon and Chesapeake. Well done! May your future be as bright as your past."
June White
What can be said about/to Aubrey other than thank you, thank you! Aubrey, you brought your big ideas, endless optimism and eternal tolerance for risk to bear on Oklahoma City and propelled us into the national spotlight. Above all, you and Chesapeake made incredible investments in hundreds of Oklahoma institutions like Price College at OU and we will be eternally grateful and forevermore changed for the better. Bless you."
Mary Lurry, executive director of development and alumni relations at the University of Oklahoma's Price College of Business
I think Tom Ward's article said it all and we all do owe you a huge thank you and debt of gratitude for what you have accomplished and done for our city and state. You are wished the best both personally and professionally. Your vision and contributions will live on and hopefully Chesapeake will also. It is a sad day."
Beverly Cramer
With the successes Mr. McClendon has brought to Chesapeake I admire him a bunch. The only thing I think he is guilty of is the same thing that has taken over the whole world: GREED."
Mel Kohn
I've seen and visit at his son's games from Little League on up, visit with Aubrey's dad as both grandfathers (myself & his dad) looked on, what a gentleman! The support he gave his son and team was great. Like a regular dad. What he's done for our city is just wonderful. Aubrey hope you remain a friend to OKC. Thanks for all you've done."
Robert Maness
What are your long-term plans for Pops in Arcadia? And do you plan to develop any other areas in that town for Route 66?"
Ron Warnick
As a former director of several nonprofit organizations, I want to thank Aubrey McClendon for the tremendous generosity he and Chesapeake have shown toward many organizations who help people. I really appreciate it when someone who has done well shares their wealth with others who need help. Under McClendon's leadership, private giving in central Oklahoma was ratcheted up several notches. Other companies jumped on the 'giving bandwagon.' No doubt thousands of lives were changed for the better. It has also been wonderful to see an Oklahoma company do so well and provide so many good jobs, bringing people into Oklahoma. Having worked with a number of Chesapeake employees over the years, I appreciate their professionalism and enthusiasm for their work. I wish Aubrey success in his future endeavors."
Jo Ann Pearce
I am very appreciative of Mr. Aubrey McClendon. In 2006 I was living in a condo at King's Court Condominiums on 63rd, close to Western. When Chesapeake acquired these condos, I was paid handsomely for my small dwelling. I will always be grateful for the generosity shown by Mr. McClendon and Chesapeake.
Marla Balentine
Coming from an Oklahoma family who has 88 years invested in the state's oil field, I have witnessed many Oklahoma oilmen who were undone by their unorthodox management styles including my late grandfather, Ray E. Christian, who was a 1960s pioneer in Oklahoma's workover and well service industry. Although they rise quickly to the pinnacle of success, and often fade into the next 'bust' which always seems to come, they all have two things in common: an unquenchable desire to succeed, and a spirit of generosity that makes Oklahoma a better place to call home. Today, Oklahoma residents enjoy the cumulative generosity of these men, whether they know about the back room battles fought on behalf of our state or not, but there is one who stands above the rest when it comes to advancing Oklahoma City, Chesapeake Energy founder Aubrey McClendon. Aubrey has been instrumental in transforming our town into a metropolitan city that we all can be proud of a city that suffered from a 25-year-old hangover after the 1980 soireé of $40 oil busted a few years later and turned downtown into a ghost town, and Wiley Post Airport into a parking lot of 'bank-owned' corporate jets. Until Oklahoma City became the beneficiary of Aubrey McClendon's vision and generosity, we did not have much to 'Thunder Up' about. Although he is certainly not the only Oklahoman responsible for our city's recent revitalization, he has been the most courageous from a financial point a view, and has suffered at the hands of outside interests, mainly East Coast hedge fund managers who have never been fond of new 'Okie billionaires.' Ironically, the same Wall Street insiders who engineered credit default swaps have derailed the second largest producer of natural gas in the U.S., along with its CEO and board of directors, all in the name of 'financial accountability.'
Wall Street's criticism of McClendon's spending on Oklahoma has overshadowed his contributions to our national energy infrastructure. Chesapeake's development of shale oil and gas technologies have resulted in historic increases to U.S. oil and gas production and Aubrey McClendon is largely responsible for this fact. After all of the good McClendon brought to Oklahoma over the past two decades, there will be some who say he overbuilt, inflated real estate values and left numerous projects unfinished. Since he did not get to finish the job, these unfair criticisms may become convenient truths to his critics who are currently warming their frigid Northeastern offices with Chesapeake natural gas. One thing is for certain, Aubrey McClendon's abilities and unquenchable desire to succeed will bring him back stronger and more determined than ever, and like the majority of other Oklahomans who appreciate his efforts, I hope his return to the industry is sooner rather than later."
Mark S. Christian
It isn't often one gets to share happenings with others. To elucidate, when Christmas season rolls around, it is a most pleasant time for me. Aubrey and Chesapeake have provided a 'soul-stirring' sight in the Christmas lights that encompass their properties. Taking pictures of the trees lit up does not do justice to the scene. My family makes it a point to drive over to the Chesapeake campus numerous times to look at the setting. I wrote to Aubrey and expressed my appreciation for the display. He responded back to me by sending me a large box filled with Chesapeake mementos. Clearly a box of thank-you items from a generous man and his company. To say that we will miss him is an understatement. I am not a stockholder, just a person filled with admiration for this unique man and the company he founded. Oklahoma City is poorer with his departure."
Ross L. Arnold
Many do not know the extent of your kindness and community stewardship. The involvement of you and your employees I have seen personally. From five employees showing up on a Saturday after a tornado destroyed my friend's home. They came with front loader and worked all day. Then over 10 years your employees have provided a sack of groceries and a Christmas stocking to 50 seniors. Then a Christmas tree covered with food and supplies for teen moms at Emerson Alternative School. Or the 50 books on the beginning of the oil drilling in Oklahoma City that you donated so my grandson could give to his hosts in China. Giving and community responsibility starts at the top and trickles downward. I am ever grateful for you and allowing me to witness your goodness."
Evelyn H. McCoy
Having owned Chesapeake stock for a number of years and knowing a large number of former and current Chesapeake employees Aubrey's actions were both irresponsible and reckless. He had been using public company assets for personal gain for countless years and had people on the payroll managing his personal assets full time. This is a chief executive not knowing the difference between managing shareholder value and using the company as his personal piggy bank. Too many executives get away with this reckless behavior because of the lack of over site within some publicly traded companies. The board of directors either is too scared or to inept to enact any measures of responsibility and Aubrey got away with his unethical behavior for too long. Hopefully the SEC does what it is supposed to do and brings him to justice. I am glad to see him go as the head of Chesapeake. Hopefully the future will be brighter for both employees and shareholders."
Chris Couture
What Aubrey has done for this community is immeasurable. Generosity and greatness are two words that describe him to a tee. He will end up on top again without a doubt. Good luck and God bless to him."
Judy Love, co-founder of Love's Country Stores
Thank you for a job well done, Mr. McClendon! OKC is a nicer place to live and visit because of you. Please continue your efforts."
Anny Castoro
I've watched with awe and admiration as you've made the transformation of OKC into a world-class city part of your business plan. The contributions you've made eclipse, in generosity and vision, anything the previous generation of elders did for the city and I look forward to the unveiling of a suitable monument to you and your passion for our city. On behalf of my family, who's been here for a century, I sincerely thank you and look forward to your next venture."
Joe Mallonee
Aubrey is brilliant and resilient. As entrepreneurs those are 'must-have' traits for major success. In business, we all have ups and downs. It's what we do when we are down that counts! I believe Aubrey will create another major successful firm and will continue his incredible philanthropic efforts to make Oklahoma a greater place to live. Let's also don't forget his activity in public policy. He lives the term, if you run a business and you aren't involved in politics, then politics will run your business."
Terry Neese, CEO of Institute for Economic Empowerment of Women
Thanks for your generosity and everything you did for Oklahoma City. I pray that the Lord continues to richly bless you."
Walter E. Harris
Thank you for your vision, and all that you have done to better our city."
Doug Waggonner
OKC has benefitted greatly from your ingenuity and we will need your Midas touch once more for our growing community. You have created a stellar company and no doubt you can do it again! Every setback can be a catalyst to greater, more substantial things! I look forward with anticipation to see what you will accomplish next!"
Landon Loud
Aubrey McClendon's tenure at Chesapeake has been an example of how a business leader can have such a positive effect on a community. With McClendon's leadership, he has contributed to OKC's growth and national prominence to an extent no other prior business leader has done. OKC will forever be indebted to Mr. McClendon for his leadership. His departure from Chesapeake will be a sad day for OKC. He deserves a statue!"
Bob O'Bar
To a true visionary whose leadership will be missed greatly at Chesapeake, may your best be yet to be."
Sarah Rodriguez
God bless you and best of luck. You did a lot for us Oklahomans."
Mark Gantt
I only can speak of what I know. I have been fortunate to have been in the oil field starting in 1974. There have been slowdowns and busts but for the most part, we living here have been able to put food on the table throughout the years. Things are fixing to change, we can only hope for the better. Thanks again."
Aubrey has set trends in the oil field that not any one owner of a major or independent oil company will ever duplicate. He has taken risks that not one other operator would ever think about taking. What people don't realize is that because of his forward approach, Oklahoma has made it through the toughest economical times of my knowledge and probably previous hard times as well. Everyone that does or has strapped on a pair of steel-toed boots in any state where drilling exploration is going on should thank Aubrey for his run at keeping thousands of men and women working and gas flowing to the delight of thousands of land and mineral owners who benefit from Aubrey's leadership. One thing is for sure: Change. Oklahoma and all other states will see a difference without Aubrey at the wheel. Chesapeake will too. Chances are it will not be good."
Joe Bill Moad
Not only have Aubrey and Tom (forgive my informality) been tremendously generous and important to OKC, they have a positive impact of those of us who live in Enid and other towns and cities throughout Oklahoma. These two men have made a huge impact on the entire State. OKC is a No. 1 destination for those of us who enjoy many nice venues, restaurants, events and other enterprises which are owned, supported and sponsored by these two men, including the OKC Thunder. We have relatives who moved from Texas to work for Chesapeake. We have other relatives in Enid who have businesses that are contracted by SandRidge. There is much to lose if things change from the generous business relationship these two men and their companies have shared with OKC and the entire state of Oklahoma. Aubrey and Tom have shared their success which we appreciate very much."
Gene Brown
Thanks for all you have done for not only Oklahoma City but for the state of Oklahoma. I don't think a lot of people realize how much you and Chesapeake do and have done. Best wishes on your next adventure. Can't wait to see what's up your sleeve next."
Justin McGavock
Aubrey McClendon is hero to our industry and is a legend in this business!
No one can or will replace him! We love you, Aubrey!"
Ann Hallam
Thank you Aubrey McClendon (and family) for everything."
Cathy Davis
It's both sad and expected that there would be repercussions from the overspending and borderline illegal movement of funds from Chesapeake to McClendon's private use. Unfortunately, in my professional experience, that behavior isn't all that unusual. Those people with great vision but not a lot of self-discipline need people around them to remind them that the organization they've created is not their personal possession to use for their private benefit. Oklahoma is watching two examples of why many of us loathe vulture capitalism and would never have voted for one of its leaders for president. They find vulnerable situations like Chesapeake and SandRidge, finagle to get control, and then take them apart piece by piece while sucking them dry with fees, commissions and expenses that benefit their friends. They and their cronies end up with lots of money; the former company ends up leveraged to the hilt or bankrupted. These people don't have their hearts in Oklahoma like Mr. McClendon and Mr. Ward, so it's hard to imagine that near the contributions that we've seen to OKC would continue with these new company leaders. My hope is that McClendon and Ward will be able to continue in a new way with perhaps a new vision to benefit themselves and Oklahoma."
Julia Burns
I applaud Aubrey McClendon's vision, his action and his incredibly creative abilities which have set Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma as a whole on a path of economic success. While doing this he has beautified and instilled in the community a wonderful realism that we are as fine as the lyrics to our state song claims. Aubrey's talent to transform and redeem real property, morale, investment and our private nonprofit entities have made Oklahoma City in particular a gleaming example of how to grow a healthy city benefiting everyone. I am proud of what he has infused into our city from beautiful community sector rehabilitation to Thunder pride to a booming economy. For anything he has done wrong, he has done so much more that is right."
Carol Hefner
I would like Aubrey to know how much I appreciate all he's done for the metro area. He's a true visionary. I wish him the best of luck and would like to see him continue to be successful in Oklahoma City!"
Phyllis Bennett
I'm not one to write things like this, but after meeting Aubrey and seeing his genius over the past 20 years, he has impressed me to be one of the greats in the business and one of the greatest citizens of our community. Looking back and seeing him invest so much into our community and groups within, he should be honored for years to come. On the other hand, after seeing the childish greed of (Carl) Icahn for close to 30 years and his damage he causes where ever he goes, it hurts me to see what he's done to our state and city. He does more damage than a killing armed robber, but has found a way to use the law to his advantage to make him a billionaire, not out of good, not out of great leadership or entrepreneurial skills, but by using the weapon of his 'stolen' funds all in the name of some of the darkest sides of capitalism. He has gone to great lengths to make Gordon Gecko of 'Wall Street' to look like a saint, if any comparison was worthy of having to mention his name. Now, he's out to destroy one of the last great computer companies of the USA in his attack upon Dell. Aubrey, you showed us real leadership, real philanthropy, real compassion and what a real Oklahoman is. I am honored and proud to have known you. God bless your future and family,"
Larry Wickline
Thanks to Mr. McClendon for all he has already contributed to Oklahoma City.
With his middle name being Kerr and being a descendant of Sen. Robert S. Kerr,
I believe he has only just begun. Reminded of the book authored by Sen. Kerr, 'Land, Wood and Water," I expect Mr. McClendon to make further contributions in those natural resources as well as helping move the United States toward independence in oil and gas."
J.R. Cook, United National Indian Tribal Youth Inc.
Aubrey, you are a brilliant visionary and risk taker, so why did you blow it? Why did the natural gas industry use a new technology to glut the country with natural gas and destroy its own market? Why is the industry trying to justify the exporting of natural gas when our own country won't use it? It is a far superior fuel to coal in every way, yet even the state of Oklahoma is suing the EPA so our own electric utilities can continue to use coal to generate electricity with no penalty for polluting the environment. How does this make sense, unless we give ZERO VALUE to the environment in our economic decisions? Are you going to be a champion of natural gas, including CNG, in your next business ventures?"
Mark J. Haden
Thank you, Aubrey, for all you have done for Oklahoma City and our community. Your vision and investment is very much appreciated."
Darla Cain
I was let go from Chesapeake in 2009 for the simple fact that I acquired Type 1 diabetes shortly after starting at Chesapeake. Then three years later some of my old co-workers get let go because they were over 55 years old. What kind of compassion do you possibly have? No wonder you having troubles with what was once your company."
Shairell Smith
As a former employee who thoroughly enjoyed three and a half years at Chesapeake, I would like to say thank you for letting me workout and play sports at lunch."
Shea Shelby
Since I moved to Oklahoma City in 1990, Mr. McClendon has made a positive impact on more Oklahomans' lives than any other individual. I am saddened with what has transpired over the past few months. Unfortunately, I believe five years from now OKC will see the impact: financially, culturally and within sports and entertainment. People have no idea of all Aubrey and Tom (Ward) have done for this city. Easily a $1 billion impact!"
Brad Lund, Sold Out Strategies
Thank you for supporting OKC and all you have done. You will be greatly missed, as you have helped OKC change for the better."
Loretta Woolley
I am grateful to Aubrey for dreaming big dreams and bringing them to fruition, for the thousands of families who benefit from jobs he created and for his generous investments in our great community. It will be exciting how he next puts his shoulder to the wheel!"
Paul Moore
Thank you for your leadership! Our city owes you a lifetime of respect and gratitude for what you've accomplished for and through Chesapeake Energy. I hope the sequel ("Aubrey, Part Deux") is as good or better than the original."
Rob Crissinger
Say what you will about Aubrey McClendon but you have to agree, he was selfless in his vision for Oklahoma City. His heart was always in the right place. Sure there are those that would chastise Aubrey for his wealth but again, I see how he used that in a positive manner. We all have the same opportunities he had but some just choose to ignore the possibilities and hope luck will put them in the right place at the right time."
Bill Smock
Aubrey McClendon had no respect for the shareholders of Chesapeake Energy. He disregarded the shareholders and used the company as his own personal piggy bank. Whatever Aubrey did for the city of Oklahoma City came at the expense of the shareholders of the company. Aubrey and Chesapeake's lead attorney, Henry Hood, stonewalled shareholders and the SEC for years as they demanded more disclosure about the Founders Well Participation Program. Aubrey would have fit in well with Ken Lay, Jeff Skilling, Andy Fastow, and the highly leveraged looters at ENRON. Throw in Frank Keating, Don Nickles and the rest of the overpaid 'yes men' that comprised Aubrey's 'on-the-take' board of directors. Aubrey McClendon has been thrown out of the company he founded for one reason: He never accepted the fact that he NO LONGER OWNED the company once he took it public."
Lea Cabrerra
We loves old Aubrey!"
Jamie Pitts
The city needs to prepare to get along without SandRidge and Chesapeake. Neither of the groups that are taking control of these companies care one iota about the community or the people of these companies. They are in it for one reason only, suck all the money out they can and then sell them. I think within five years neither of these companies will be located in Oklahoma City nor any city."
LuVern Dokter
I'm a first-grade teacher in Oklahoma City. Mr. McClendon started a mentoring program at our school. Every child has a mentor. The mentors come once a week. At Christmas, Santa comes and brings each child a backpack filled with our school's uniform clothing, including coats, hats and gloves. Of course, each mentor buys Christmas gifts and we have a Christmas party. Most of these mentors stay with the students through middle and high school. These are Title I students. They are from one parent, foster parents or grandparent homes. This program opens up a whole new world of hope. Mr. McClendon also has our yard taken care of, it's won awards. He provides us with a printer and has it serviced. Oklahoma City teachers are underpaid and underappreciated. Mr. McClendon has made a positive impact on the teachers and students of Oklahoma City. Thank you. Oklahoma City is a better place because of Aubrey McClendon."
Jeanne Fisher
I am sorry to see Mr. McClendon leaving Chesapeake. He built a great company here in Oklahoma City. This has helped our economy very much. I wish him the best in his next business."
L.M. Satterlee


text:
Worked With:
Gene Hackman
Birth Name: Gene Hackman
Born: 01/30/1930
Birth Place: San Bernardino, California, USA
Born: 01/30/1930
Birth Place: San Bernardino, California, USA
Born on Jan. 30, 1930 in San Bernardino, CA, Hackman endured a nomadic childhood with his father, Eugene, and his mother, Lyda, before finally settling in Illinois, where he was raised by his maternal grandmother, Beatrice. Unchallenged by school, he dropped out at age 16 and lied about his age to enlist in the U.S. Marines. Trained as a radio operator, Hackman served in China where his radio background helped land him work as a disc jockey. While suffering from two broken legs following a 1950 motorcycle accident, Hackman decided to pursue a career in radio, moving to New York City after his discharge to study at the School of Radio Technique. Throughout the early part of the decade, he wo... Continue Bio >>
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text:
The Jackrabbits have their second win of the season.
South Dakota State got double-doubles from both Cody Larson and Jordan Dykstra and a career night from Anders Broman, as the Jackrabbits downed Howard on Monday night in the Progressive Legends Classic by a 77-65 score.
"Offensively, let's face it, we're not playing very well, and we still won by 12," head coach Scott Nagy said. "We got to the free throw line a lot, and if Cody can continue to shoot free throws like that, and we don't expect that he's going to go 12 of 13 every night, but if he can shoot 75 percent, he's going to start getting double teamed and he's a good passer, and when we do start to shoot it, we're going to be in a pretty good spot offensively."
The Jackrabbits, who host Lehigh on Tuesday at 8 p.m., improve to 2-4 with the win, while the Bison, who fall to 2-5, take on Texas Southern at 5:30 p.m.
Larson led the way for the Jackrabbits with a career-high 24 points, with 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the season, adding three assists, three blocks and a pair of steals. Dykstra posted his third double-double of the year with 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Broman set a new career-mark with 16 points, while Chad White pitched in with 10 points.
James Daniel all players in the game with 27 points, while Prince Okoroh finished with 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds for the visiting Bison.
SDSU opened the game with a 12-0 run and never trailed in the game. Howard would cut the lead to six points on two occasions in the first half before the Jacks took a 37-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.
The Jacks led by eight points at 41-33 with 17 minutes and 17 seconds left, when Broman the first of a trio of 3-pointers over the next five minutes to push the SDSU lead to 16 points at 57-41. The Jacks never let the Bison any closer than nine points the rest of the way.
The Jackrabbits look to make it three in a row at home on Tuesday, when they host Lehigh in the Brookings Subregional championship at 8 p.m.