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The power of Lance is pretty awesome. It is felt not only in the cycling world where media and fans simply can't get enough of him. But, it transcends the sport of cycling and the cycling community to America and most of the rest of the developed world. One only needs to know that Armstrong has over one million followers on Twitter to see the power of Lance.
This past Sunday, I got to see the power of Lance. The Texan was scheduled to ride the Nevada City Bicycle Classic. His appearance caused quite a stir in the tiny Northern California town and a local TV station stepped in to broadcast the race live. Team BMC professional rider Scott Nydam was supposed to be the color commentator for the broadcast, but he got the call to fly to Aspen to train with Levi, Lance and Chris and was unable to provide his insights.
I was at the event covering it for cyclingnews.com and was asked to step in and take Scott's place. I have done enough live radio and TV to know the drill so I agreed to get behind the camera. What was supposed to be just a local TV broadcast grew to epic proportions when Lance tweeted the web address for the broadcast. In an instant, our TV production was now a worldwide affair. It was a lot of fun and I continue to get comments from people across America who listened and viewed the broadcast.
Switching gears a bit, I love putting photos in my blog, when interesting and appropriate, so in keeping with the Lance and Nevada City Bicycle Classic, here are several photos of Lance and Levi warming up before the race. Those with a keen eye will notice that they are riding all-black Madones and not their usual steeds painted in Team Astana colors. These are clearly prototype bikes.
It seems that Trek is about to announce an updated version of the Madone; the new models will be unveiled to the press and public just before the start of the Tour de France in Monaco. Of course, it is a bit of speculation, but it appears that Trek is going to address one of the concerns of the current design of the Madone by modifying the integral seat mast and clamping mechanism to allow some side-to-side play.
This new design will make it easier to insure that you can dial in the direction of the nose of the saddle to meet your desires. The Madone re-design may include other changes. Keep your eyes peeled at the end of next week for more details.
Lance Armstrong won his first pro race since his comeback with a solo win at Sunday's Nevada City Bicycle Classic. Lance, Levi and Chris came to Northern California from their training camp in Aspen, looking to test their fitness and also ramp up the intensity a bit after multiple five to six hour rides in the Colorado high country. Long rides build and preserve endurance; the 90-minute effort at Nevada City was designed to add some snap.
The 1.3 mile criterium course is considered one of the most difficult in America with over 100 feet of climbing per lap. There is no place to hide and the pretenders are quickly separated from the contenders. Lance and Levi attacked early on in the 90 minute/35 lap event and went clear with only Ben Jacques-Maynes(Bissell Pro Cycling) able to catch the train.
Lance and Levi did all the work on the front. Jacques-Maynes realizing that he was over matched by these two Tour de France veterans. With about 10 laps remaining Armstrong and Leipheimer started trading attacks, Ben finally had to let Lance go and suddenly, Armstrong was solo and looking very good for the win. The crowd erupted in applause for the seven-time Tour winner. Clearly, it was a very, very popular victory.
After the race I talked with Lance and Levi. Lance is looking extremely fit with nary an ounce of body fat on his frame. He will be starting the Tour two kilos lighter than any of his seven victories in France crediting the hot weather and long, tough stages at the Giro, rather than Jenny Craig, for his trimmer self. A couple of weeks ago, I would have questioned his fitness to contend for the overall at the Tour. Now, I have to say that he looks ready to be very, very competitive.
Levi took some well-deserved time off after the Giro, but is now ramping up his training and feeling good though he did comment that it is hard to really gage ones fitness when you are training at 8000'.
If the Nevada City Bicycle Classic was any indication of what we will see in France, things are going to be looking very good for Team Astana and the three amigos.
With all the drama surrounding Lance Armstrong's comeback and his chances for another Tour win, lost a bit in the hysteria is the fact that his Team Astana might not be at the Tour. I want to say up front that I want them at the Tour because they are one heck of a good team witness their win of the team prize at the recent Giro d'Italia. But, just this past week, Team Astana boss Johan Bruyneel indicated that the sponsors have still not paid up all the money owed to the riders and the team as of June 1.
You might be thinking that it is less than a month before the Tour and that Lance, Johan or some additional sponsor could step in to make good on the money owed, but you have to remember that the governing body of the sport, the UCI, is the one who makes the decision to suspend a team for financial non-payment. The UCI usually does this to protect the riders. If a team is not paying its riders then the UCI has the power to suspend the team until all salaries are paid up-to-date.
So, while Johan and Lance are doing everything they can to keep the team afloat through the Tour, the UCI may step in and spoil the party. The UCI could suspend the team or it could revoke the team's Pro Tour license if no long-term solution is possible. If the team is suspended then Lance, Alberto, Levi, Chris, etc, will be sitting on the sidelines watching the Tour. If the UCI revokes Team Astana's Pro Tour license, then the team is basically disbanded.
If the team disbands, that means that all the riders' contracts are null and void which free the racers to seek employment with other teams. Rumours abounded at the Giro about the teams who were talking to Alberto Contador if the Astana did disband. Also a hot topic in Italy was the very real possibility that Johan Bruyneel would get Astana's Pro Tour license and he and Lance will have their own top-tier pro team in the very near future.
Personally, I don't think the UCI will revoke Astana's Pro Tour license or suspend the team. Johan Bruyneel is clearly frustrated at the Astana sponsors inability to satisfy their financial commitment, but I think everything will probably hang together long enough to get the team through the Tour. But, it is clear that the money is slow in coming and the UCI might just step in to set an example. Team Astana should have been at last year's Tour. Hopefully their exclusion won't happen again.
I stopped by the Team Astana bus during the Rome TT and spoke to Chechu Rubiera, Jani Brajkovic and Johan Bruyneel. Here is what they had to say on a variety of topics.
Chechu Rubiera
Bruce: it appears that, for the TT, the race organizers found every bad section of cobbles in central Rome.
Chechu: Not just in Rome, the whole Giro. We should start a business in Italy with asphalt. It is a good thing. You could make money here. The whole Giro had cobblestones and it has been really tough. It is the Centenario(100th anniversary) and the route was very nice with places like Rome, Venice, Vesuvio, but it was pretty damned dangerous. We were lucky it didn't rain because if it did rain this race could have been a big mess.
Bruce: You keep threatening to retire. Is this your last Giro?
Chechu: Maybe my last one. I didn't feel very good. I trained hard and I did my best, but I was pretty far from the best guys. It was a little bit of a disappointment.
Bruce: Will we see you at the Tour?
Chechu: No. I will be doing the Vuelta and not the Tour.
Jani Brajkovic
Bruce: how do you assess your performance in the Giro?
Jani: It was a pretty good Giro. I am pretty satisfied. We did a good job as a team also. I am not feeling super tired so I am happy. I was there to help Levi and Lance so I did that and I am happy about it.
Bruce: You seemed to excel as a climber in the Giro. Did you do anything special to become a better climber?
Jani: I think so far I have been quite a decent climber so I had no problems with that. I was not here to be a leader so there was no reason for me to go 100%. I tried to save as much energy as possible and use it on another day.
Bruce: what was it like riding for Lance and Levi?
Jani: Lance is incredible and Levi is also really strong. I am really happy to be racing with them. It is just incredible.
Bruce: for today's TT will you ride a road bike or a time trial bike?
Jani: Actually, I haven't decided yet. Maybe I will go on a road bike because I don't want to do it for the results. I just want to ride it because it is super-dangerous.
Johan Bruyneel
Bruce: what positives for Team Astana do you take away from the Giro?
Johan: For us it has been a race where we didn't start with the obsession to win it or anything like that. We thought 'OK we want to have some good results', but we were not obsessed with winning it or having to have stage wins. Ultimately we are going to win the team classification. It is always a good indication of what the team performance is like.
Bruce: how do you feel about the performances of Levi and Lance?
Johan: I think Levi's sixth place is good. It's not great. We hoped for a little better, but his crash right before the time trial and the fact that he is on high form already since February makes it really difficult to maintain in the last week of the race. The last week of a big tour is always hard. We are happy with his performance at the end of three weeks.
Lance has improved considerably and is able to ride comfortably in the mountains.That is also a good thing we take away from it(the Giro). It has been a good three weeks.
Bruce: what does Lance need to do to be at top form for the Tour de France?
Johan: He needs some time. He needs another month now to have some good training in June. He'll be in good shape for the Tour. I don't know how good that can be to be with the best, but he will be in good shape.
The 100th anniversary Giro d'Italia finished today with a 15km(9-mile) individual time trail around the streets of central Rome. The course passed a number of Rome's most famous landmarks including the Colosseum, Saint Peter's Basilica and Circus Circus. In the end, Denis Menchov's overall victory appeared to be a relatively easy affair, but that was far from the case.
It was a drama-filled final stage as the organizers seemed to try to heap additional difficulties on the riders by running the race on just about every poorly-cobbled street in central Rome. In fact, almost 7 miles of the 9-mile course was on cobbles and bad ones at that. It was a bumpy ride for all the contenders and with rain falling on and off, the outcome was far from certain.
Many riders not in contention for a high placing chose to ride a regular road bikes so as to have more control on the twisty, turny route which also included significant ups and downs. Also, riders looking to the Tour de France like Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer decided not to take any chances on the slick cobblestones and definitely rode within themselves.
The drama was provided by the rain which caused race leader Denis Menchov to crash in the final turn, but he was up quickly and lost little time. In the end Menchov was a deserving winner. He gained the bulk of his time in the race's 61km Cinque Terra time trial, but he rode consistently in the mountains, avoiding a single bad day, to keep his margin all the way to Rome.
Here are some photos. Race leader Denis Menchov(Rabobank) with 1.5 miles to go.
Danilo Di Luca(LPR Brakes), who finished second overall, negotiates a turn in the first kilometer.
Carlos Sastre(Cervelo Test Team) win two hard mountain stages and finished fourth overall. Look for him to be a factor in the Tour de France.
Lance Armstrong took it easy in the final TT. He will head to a high altitude training camp in the USA in the next few days.
The Roman Colosseum was the backdrop for both the start and finish of the stage.
ps - I shot a lot of photos and did a bunch of interviews. Look for them to be popping up once I get back to the states.
Even though there are two more stages to go in the 2009 Giro d'Italia the race is all but over as Danilo Di Luca was unable to drop overall leader, Denis Menchov, and gain any significant time before Sunday's concluding stage, a 9-mile individual time trial. Barring any sort of mechanical mishap or a crash, Menchov will undoubtedly best Di Luca in the race against the watch and wear the final pink jersey in Rome.
The last major climb of the Giro, Monte Vesuvio, showed once again that Carlos Sastre was the best climber in the race as he notched his second stage win in three mountain top finishes. The defending Tour de France champion on the newly formed Cervelo Test Team had been unable to produce the goods on the Blockhaus stage, but on the 6-mile, 2500 foot climb of the volcano he was unbeatable.
Lance Armstrong and Levi Leipheimer were in the lead group chasing Sastre with five kilometers remaining. Lance, who suffered a scary-looking crash early in the stage faded a bit at the end, but his condition is definitely improving.
Here are a few photos from the day. The first photo shows Carlos Sastre dropping Ivan Basso halfway up the climb.
I have posted a number of photos of Armstrong and Leipheimer, here is a shot of Michael Rogers of the Columbia-Highroad squad. He was the team's leader, but has faded over the last week. Jani Brajkovic is over his right shoulder.
Dave Zabriskie(Garmin-Slipstream), who won a stage of the Giro in 2005, has had a pretty quiet race. Here is a photo of him in the grupetto. As he came by I asked him how he was doing. "Eh, OK," was the reply.
Franco Pellizotti won the big Blockhaus stage. I snapped this photo him at the team busses after the race.
Tom Danielson(Garmin-Slipstream) has also had a quiet Giro. On Vesuvio, he climbed well and was close to the leaders at the finish. It is good to see Tommy D up at the front.
Today's stage 18 of the Giro d'Italia was a bit of a low-key affair after the epic struggle yesterday on the Blockhaus. It was great to see American's Danny Pate(Garmin-Slipstream) and Jason McCartney(Saxo Bank) in the breakaway going for the win. However, the focus of the Giro is on Friday's stage 19 and the ascent of the extinct volcano, Monte Vesuvio, which buried Pompei long before there was anything even remotely resembling American Idol.
Monte Vesuvio is most likely Danilo Di Luca's last chance to gain time on his chief(and probably only) rival Denis Menchov who holds a scant 26 second lead over the rider nicknamed 'The Killer'. Menchov is the better time trialist as he proved besting Di Luca in the 61km test in the Cinque Terra by almost two minutes.
If Di Luca cannot shake Menchov then the race will most like be decided before the final time trial. This scenario is reminiscent of one of the most famous moments in Tour de France history when Raymond Poulidor tried to take the yellow jersey off the shoulders of Jacques Anquetil on another extinct volcanic summit, Le Puy de Dome. Di Luca will need at least a minute over Menchov if he is to have a chance of taking the pink jersey off the Russian's shoulders.
Race Notes
There has been a lot of speculation on why Levi Leipheimer hasn't been more of a factor in the race. I spoke with his coach, Max Testa, who pointed out that at the beginning of the season, it was to be Lance Armstrong who was to be the team leader at the Giro. Levi was supposed to be taking it easy in May, resting up after a difficult spring campaign which began way back in February at the Tour of California. When Lance broke his collarbone, Levi was pressed into service and may just be feeling the effects of a very long period at top condition.
I also spoke with Astana Team Director Allain Gallopin about the situation and he also said that Levi was not really focused on this event at the beginning of the season. Gallopin added that to expect better results, Levi needs to make the Giro a priority in his racing program.
Thomas Voeckler (BBox) was in the early breakaway on the stage to the Blockhaus.His group of about nine riders reached a maximum lead of close to three minutes before they reached the base of the climb. Unfortunately, the gap was not big enough and all the escapees were caught and passed in the first 3 miles of the ascent. I asked Voeckler why the break failed. "No one was really motivated to do the work necessary to get a big enough gap to make the break work," said Voeckler. I asked him if it seemed like his companions were only looking for some TV time, "yeah it sure seemed that way," he said.
Below are a number of photos I thought you might find interesting. The first photo is of the electornic scoreboard we use in the press room to keep exact details of how the race is progressing. The time, distance and rider names and number. Pretty cool.
Lance has his own personal photographer, Elizabeth Kreutz who travels with him much of the time. This is a photo of Liz after she spent over seven hours on the back of a motorbike in 100 degree heat(did I mention how hot it was) on Monte Petrano taking photos of the race. Tough job.
Speaking of Lance, the race on the Blockhaus was close to L'Aquila where the devastating 6.8 earthquake leveled much of the town several months ago. The region,Abruzzzo, is recovering and put out the red carpet for Big Tex.
What would a bike race be without podium girls.
Just when you think you have seen everything at a bike race, along come a women riding up a 10% grade in 100 degree heat chatting on her cell phone.
I thought this photo was interesting. Some people use paint, others use chalk, but here is a fan using the local rock (limestone) to write a slogan on the race course.
Danilo Di Luca is from the Abruzzo. He has his own cool Fiat fan car. They would't give me a ride up the hill so I had to keep pedaling my bike.
The overall standings in the Giro d'Italia tightened significantly on the massive Blockhuas climb setting the stage for a dramatic finish when the race concludes with a 9-mile time trial around the streets of Rome. While Franco Pellizotti (Liquigas) won the stage, Danilo Di Luca not only beat race leader Denis Menchov by five seconds and added an 8-second time bonus to move within 26 seconds of Menchov.
Pellizotti's winning attack moved him up to third place overall, but it was the man who led the initial chase to bring back the Liquigas rider who made the biggest news of the day. Lance Armstrong launched from the main field containing all the favorites when Pellizotti attacked with 15km to go. For a while the gap between the two hovered at 8-10 seconds, but then the elastic seemed to break and Lance ended up with the group containing Carlos Sastre, Levi Leipheimer and Michael Rogers who ultimately finished about two minutes back.
I had a chance to talk to Astana directors Jonah Bruyneel and Viatcheslav Ekimov after the finish and that in itself is its own story. As I did on Monte Petrano, I rode the climb of the Blockhaus. As I was preparing to descend on my bike I saw Johan go by driving a team car. Several minutes later, Ekimov came by as well. Sensing an opportunity which only presents itself getting off big mountains in the grand tours, I took off after the Astana cars. It took me several minutes to catch Eki. I rolled up, tapped on his window and asked him what he thought about Lance's performance. "He looked really good. Really hot," was his reply.
Next I spotted Bruyneel's car several switchbacks below so I took off chasing his car down. When I caught up to Johan I asked him the same question. "He's coming. He's coming" was his reply. Sometimes a journalist has to take some unusual measures to get a comment or two. Chasing those guys down through a sea of cars, motorcycles, bicycles and pedestrians was some of the most fun I have had on a bike in years. BTW, it's not for the faint hearted.
Here are some photos of the finish. As you can see from the marker in the first photo, I was positioned about 40 meters from the finish line, which was a great place to catch the final action of the stage.
Here is Pellizotti driving hard to the line for the win.
Here is a photo of the sprint for second between Stefano Garzelli and Danilo Di Luca.
This is a photo of Denis Menchov in the pink jersey, head down, trying to lose as few seconds as possible to Di Luca.
The last photo is of a guy named Lance pacing Levi to the line with Carlos Sastre in tow.
Undoubtedly the most decisive stage,so far, of the 100th anniversary Giro d'Italia was fought out on the slopes of Monte Petrano as 2008 Tour de France champion Carlos Sastre proved that he is the real deal crossing the line first, 30 second ahead of an elite trio of Ivan Basso, Denis Menchov and Danilo Di Luca. Sadly for Americans, Levi Leipheimer was unable to keep pace on the brutal day that saw temperatures reach almost 100 degrees. He is now in sixth place overall, 3:20 behind Menchov.
The 140-mile stage from Pergola to the mountain-top finish at Monte Petrano was clearly the most difficult day in the Giro with three big climbs in the final 55-miles. Oh yeah, did I mention that it was hot? The silver lining for the Americans was that Lance Armstrong continues to improve his form and played a crucial role in pacing Leipheimer in the closing kilometers.
Given his superior time trialing skills, if Levi can avoid losing anymore time on the Blockhaus and Vesuvio stages he still has a shot at the podium. Leipheimer, always a class act, replied at the finish that his rivals were just stronger than him. BTW,he has a nasty looking bit of road rash on his left bicep from a crash on the stage into Genoa.
I talked with Saxo Bank rider Jen Voigt, who was in the early stage breakaway that featured Damiano Cunego and Yaroslov Popovych. I asked Jens to give a short description of the stage and he simply said, "too long. Too hard." That seemed to be the feeling in all the rider's minds. Did I mention that it was really hot?
I rode the final climb, Monte Petrano, before the pros(more on that below) and it struck me that if anyone wanted to do some serious damage that they would have to attack in the first two or three km's of the 10km, 800m ascent. So, I came back down the mountain and positioned myself at a seemingly key spot. Sure enough, Sastre attacked about 500m before where I was standing so I shot some photos of the winning breakaway developing.
Here is a photo of Sastre(black), Menchov(pink), Basso(green), and Di Luca(purple) just after the attack. Sastre and Basso are looking back to assess the damage they have done and to see who has tagged along.
Lance Armstrong came by about 30 seconds later.
Levi was about 20 seconds behind Lance. Lance would ultimately wait for Levi and then pace Leipheimer to the finish.
I had the unique opportunity of riding the final climb with Franceso Moser who is one of Italy's all-time great cyclists. He won the Giro in 1984. He also won Paris-Roubaix three times, the World Road Race championships, the World Pursuit Championships and set the World Hour record. It was a honor to ride with a living legend. We chatted a bit in Italian though he was reluctant to pick a winner of either the day's stage or the overall.
Here is an on-the-bike-photo.
Moser, at the top of the climb, looking like the classy rider he was, and still is.
The much anticipated 61km time trial(TT) at the Giro d'Italia produced a few surprises, some good, some bad proving, once again, that Italy's grand tour is never predictable. At the end of the day, Rabobank's Denis Menchov proved that his two overall wins at the Vuelta a Espana were no fluke as he time-trialed himself past Danilo Di Luca and into the maglia rosa, the pink leader's jersey.
For Americans, all eyes were on Levi Leipheimer who had the potential to not only win the stage, but take the maglia rosa. While the quiet Californian came up short in both the stage and the overall leads his second place, only 20 seconds back of Menchov, must be considered a success. Leipheimer also moved up to third overall and is clearly within striking distance of the race lead.
What I take from Levi's performance is that the Giro is not the same race as the Tour. Leiphemier has repeatedly remarked that he feels nervous when racing on the tight roads and tricky descents of the Giro which has already cost him time in the race for the overall. Not every race is for every rider. Hopefully, Levi will feel more comfortable as the race progresses.
Of course, a lot of attention was given to Levi's teammate, Lance Armstrong, who finished 13th about 2:30 back of Menchov. While some might be close to writing Lance off, I think this is another indication that Lance is finding the form he will need to be a factor at the Tour. It must be remembered that in 2004, Lance lost 2 minutes to Iban Mayo at the Mont Ventoux time trial in the Dauphine Libere. He came back to win the Tour, dominating the TT's, and winning by over six minutes.
So what's going to happen in the final week? Clearly, if Di Luca is going to have a chance to win his second Giro, he is going to have to go on the attack on Monte Petrano, the Blockhaus or Monte Vesuvio. Leipheimer is going to have to make Di Luca pay for all his aggression in the first week by putting pressure on the front of the climbs. Menchov is going to have to keep doing what he has been doing; ride "steady eddy" and avoid one bad day in the mountains that seems to plague him in some grand tours.
Remember that the final stage is a 15km TT around Rome's famous landmarks. Go watch "Angels and Daemons" and you will get a pretty good idea of what the rider's will see. I think Levi is a better flat time trialist than either Menchov or Di Luca so if the gaps remain about the same, Levi could ended winning it all. I haven't mentioned either Ivan Basso or Michael Rogers. These two guys are going to need an exceptional day to put themselves back into contention.
If you are living in Boulder, Colorado (is there any other Boulder?) then the future of cycling looks pretty bright. Sure, 18-year-old Taylor Phinney is from Boulder and he has been lighting the track on fire riding world class times in both the Kilometer and 4000m Pursuit. But, there are a number of other young riders in Boulder and the Colorado Front Range who have been distinguishing themselves as well.
At the recent Excel Sports Boulder North Boulder Park Criterium it was a veritable youth parade in the Senior events. Just to make my point even clearer, riders under the age of 18 have their own special classes in which to compete. This is to allow them to develop slowly and keep them from being beat up on by riders much more physically mature. But, at the North Boulder Park Criterium it was them youngens' who totally stole the show.
In the Senior Men's Category 4 event (novice riders 19-34 years old), Michael Dessau of Jonathan Vaughter's 5280 Team not only won most of the prime sprints, but also took the victory. Michael is only 13-years old. His teammate Zane Godby, all of 14-years-old, took third.
In the Men's Category 3 event (advanced riders 19-34 years old), Yannick Eckmann soled off the front halfway through the 60-minute race and won in convincing fashion. Yannick, who also rides for the 5280 Team is a mere 15-years-old. Yannick's older brother Robin placed 6th in the marquis event the Senior 1/2/Pro race beating Tour de France veterans in the process.
In the Women's Category 4 event, Maddie Godby (Zach's older sister) was victorious. She's 16-year's old.
Whoa! We call these riders "Senior Slayers" because they are winning against riders sometimes twice their age(and older). The future looks pretty bright for cycling if we can keep pumping out young riders who show such potential. Best of luck to Michael, Zach, Yannick, Robin, Maddie and all young riders working their way up to the senior ranks.
There has been some speculation on who the title sponsor will be for Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel's new team. One rumour has it that Livestrong will be prominent on the jersey. It must be rememebered that there are actually two Livestrongs out there.
The first is Livestrong.org which is Lance's very successful cancer charity. Lance and his people have raised millions to help fight the cruel disease. The second is Livestrong.com which was launched about a year ago and is a wellness web site that is dedicated to helping people get answers to basic health questions.
My guess is that if Livestrong is a sponsor of the team, Lance will not divert any of the cancer money, but will instead use the Livestrong.com site as the money source. Only time will tell, but that's my speculation.
Team Columbia-Highroad has been putting on a Bike Racing 101 clinic at the Giro.The squad has won four stages in the first nine days and they are doing it in classic racing fashion. The Giro is known for lots of crashes which sometimes produce lucky winners, but Columbia-Highroad's success has nothing to do with luck.
Columbia-Highroad's first win, on the opening day's team time trial, was the picture of perfection. There didn't appear to be any strategy other than to have each rider give his all. There were no sacrificial lambs, everybody just rode their hearts out.
Norwegian Edvald Boasen-Hagen has recorded a second-first-second in stages 6-8; his win into Chiavenna on stage 7 was won on rain-slickened roads, but he didn't appear to be taking unnecessary risks.
Constantin Siutsov's victory into Bergamo was probably the best demonstration of classic bike racing tactics. Columbia-Highroad sent their GC man Michael Rogers up the road on the stage's final climb forcing overal racer leader Danilo Diluca's LPR Brakes team to initiate a furious chase. As soon as Rogers and his breakaway companions, which included Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner, were reeled in, Siutsov counter-attacked.
It was clear that the LPR riders were tired from chasing Rogers and Leipheimer and Siutsov quickly built a sufficient lead to take him all the way to the finish line. That is how you win a bike race.
The final chapter in team Columbia Highroad's racing primer was written in Milan when a near perfect leadout train in the final kilometers delivered uber-sprinter Mark Cavendish first across the line. Thus endeth the lesson, but I am guessing that Columbia-Highroad has a few more chapters to write before the end of the race.
A few more speculations on what will happen with Team Astana and the rollout with Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel's new team. It must be remembered that one of the strategies that Bruyneel and Armstrong used to help engineer Lance's seven tour wins was to acquire the competition.
Along that line of thinking, it would be better for Bruyneel and Armstrong to try and keep Team Astana together through the Tour so that they would have Contador on their squad. That's not to say that Bruyneel and Armstrong would try to keep Contador from winning. It just means that they would have more control over the situation. Only time will tell what happens.
While Lance may not be making big headlines on the bike at the Giro, what he is doing off the bike is generating some exciting news. To be fair, Lance did not come into the Giro in peak form and he is showing that he is the master of the three week race by riding within himself in Italy so he can go the full distance and not burn out too early.
It was reported last week in several Colorado newspapers that Lance had called Governor Bill Ritter to sound out the Governor on the potential of putting on a Tour of Colorado much like the Amgen Tour of California. Last summer Lance bought a house in Aspen and has been using that dwelling for his altitude training. Lance and many of us remember the glory days of the Coors Classic and the possibility of re-capturing those magical times is a huge motivation to bring big-time bike racing back to Colorado.
At this time the idea is only in the 'trial balloon' stage. My guess is that Lance was just testing the waters to see how receptive the Governor's office was to the idea as the state is key to pulling off such an event. It would most likely be 2011 at the earliest before any race could happen.
In the past several years, Medalist Sports who run both the Tour of California and the Tour of Missouri has been working with a group in the Vail Valley to bring a 3-4 day professional stage race to Colorado, but that event has yet to be held. Hopefully, Lance will have more success.
My rumours and speculation on some of the details of the new professional team run by Johan Bruyneel and Lance Armstrong generated lots of comments. Remember, the details of the team are all just speculation at this point.
One alternate scenario that is emerging is that the team will continue as Team Astana until after the Tour which would mean that Lance, Alberto and Levi would all be racing together in France in July. One good reason to keep the current squad intact through July is that if a new team emerges after the Giro, but before the Tour, it is not clear if that team would be allowed to start the Tour de France.
Given that the French National Anti-Doping Agency(AFLD) backed off on the "Showergate" incident, it seems clear that the French want Lance to start to the Tour. So, if the new team did emerge before the Tour there is a good possibility that a number of rules would be bent to allow them to participate.
My guess is that since Lance and Johan are pretty smart guys they have already contacted the Tour organizers and asked them if their new team would be allowed to start. The answer to that question will probably determine when the new team emerges.
We live in very interesting times!
Word coming from the Giro d'Italia is that it is all but a done deal that Lance Armstrong and Johan Bruyneel will have their own professional cycling team. Details are still a bit in the speculative stage, but it appears that an official announcement will be made on or about June 1st, the day after the conclusion of the Giro and also the day after the UCI's deadline for Team Astana to get it's financial situation in order has come and gone.
More than likely, the bulk of the team will come from the current roster of the Astana squad. Speculating on the exact roster, the new team should include Lance, Levi Leipheimer, Chris Horner, Yaraslov Popovych, Chechu Runiera, Daniel Noval, Jani Brajkovic, and a most of the remaining supporting characters (Gregory Rast, Steve Morabito, etc.)
One rider who is rumoured to not be part of the new team is Alberto Contador. He has been linked to Caisse d'Epargne, the team of Alejandro Valverde whose own participation in the Tour de France has been put in doubt by a recent two-year ban in Italy for his participation in Opercion Puerto. It is not clear if Contador's good friend and training partner, Jesus Jernandez, will follow him to Caisse. Obviously, if Contador does not come to the squad, all questions about who will lead the team at the Tour de France become moot!
Another rider whose future is uncertain is Andreas Kloden who has recently been linked to blood doping during the 2006 Tour and will almost certainly face some sort of disciplinary action. Also, it is unclear if any of the Kazhak riders currently on the team will be retained.
Rumour has it that Bruyneel and Armstrong have already produced the team kit with their new sponsors and will be unveiling it at the public announcement in the days after the finish of the Giro. Look for Armstrong to be wearing his new team colors as he trains with Leipheimer and Horner at his home in Aspen between the Giro and the Tour.
We will have to wait and see how this all shakes out, but suffice it to say, the excitement in pro cycling won't go into hiatus between the Giro and the Tour.
The Giro hit the mountains today and all eyes were on one rider. I don't think it matters if you were French, Italian or a good ol' American. Everybody wanted to know if Lance 3.0 could climb? If you remember, Lance 3.0 is the comeback Lance. The guy who gave up retired life to ride in rain, wind and snow and fight for position in the pack all while trying not to get knocked down by overzealous racers. Let's face it. Lance has enough money so I am pretty certain he isn't trying to get free travel and hotels by being part of a professional cycling team.
But, I digress, though Lance 3.0's motivation to return to the top level of pro racing is always a great topic for discussion. The fourth stage of the Giro was a warm-up of sorts in the Dolomites. The first major climb, the Croce d'Aune, came too far from the finish to be decisive and the final climb to the enchanting town of San Martino di Castrozza was not really long or steep enough to really answer any questions. To be sure, by the stage finish the contenders had been separated from the pretenders, but there were definitely a lot of contenders when the lead group went under the red kite with a kilometer to go.
Lance was in that group, but a sharp acceleration by riders looking for the stage win gapped him and put the Texan about 15 seconds back at the line. It might be worrying that Armstrong wasn't able to respond to the late surge by eventual stage winner Danilo Di Luca, but again, this wasn't a really decisive climb and anything can happen when 40+ riders contest a supposed mountain-top finish.
Wednesday's stage, which ends in a massive 5000' climb to the ski station at Alpe di Siusi, will provide a more valid answer to Lance's climbing form. Well, sort of. You must remember that Armstrong is still recovering from his broken collarbone. If Lance gets dropped then it can be speculated that he is still gaining the form he needs to be a factor at the Tour. If Lance is with the lead group in the final kilometer, then we will know that he can be counted on to help his teammate, Levi Leipheimer, in Levi's quest to win the Giro.
That sounds a bit slushy. Will we really learn anything from how Lance climbs towards Alpe di Siusi? Lance will certainly learn something and that is confidence. You need confidence to be able to climb well. Lance had it in spades during his reign at the Tour. Does he have it now or is he just bluffing.
Personally, I would like to have seen Lance up closer to the front of the group, where Levi was riding, during the final climb. That makes me think that he will not be in the lead group at the finish on Wednesday. But, what I saw a few days earlier is even more important, IMHO. What I saw before, during and after the team time trial is how much Lance seems to be enjoying being back in a grand tour. He looks reasonably fit, but more importantly really motivated to ride at his limit and be a factor at the Giro.
With two months to go before the Tour, I think Armstrong's motivation is more important than fitness. In the days before his collarbone accident, I thought I detected a loss of enthusiasm at the task ahead, that being riding both the Giro and the Tour. His collarbone injury could easily have put the nail in the coffin of his comeback. To see him energized and ready to suffer says to me that his comeback is back on track.
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A few years ago we instituted the Leadership Roundtable Best Practices award. This was an award that was established to recognize and promote best practices in the areas of Church management, finances and human resource development. The inaugural award was given to the Archdiocese of Boston for its level of financial reporting and for the extraordinary work it did to simplify and explain, and to make public and accessible a comprehensive Archdiocesan financial picture. It's been a real gift to the Church. Last year, the Leadership Roundtable honored the St. Vincent DePaul Society of Baltimore for implementing the Standards for Excellence: An Ethics and Accountability Code for Nonprofits. Hopefully you have all had the opportunity to use and review our versions of the Standards for Excellence, and hopefully you will all agree that it to will be a gift to the Church as it is rolled out across the country. Last year we also honored the Center for Social Concerns at the University of Notre Dame for the engagement of students and graduates in the leadership of the Church which has been a phenomenal performer and continues to be.
This year, our honoree reflects our emphasis on managerial excellence and visionary leadership. Tonight, we honor the Diocese of Memphis Catholic School System. The Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Memphis has established an extremely strong record of visionary leadership and management, a system change for a ten year period of time.
Bishop Steib articulated a strong and clear vision for the Catholic school mission and values in his diocese, and for reopening and sustaining Catholic schools in the inner urban section of his city. Dr. Mary C. McDonald, the superintendent of the Catholic school system, has carried out that mandate in an extraordinary fashion over the last few of years.
The schools office developed a clear ten-point statement of beliefs which guides the planning, the management, the development, and the evaluation of all the Catholic schools. The statement incorporates goals of faith formation, individual human development, supportive learning environments, high academic achievement, standards, performance, and collaboration and communication. It's a real benchmark for the country and as you learn more about it I think you'll see why we feel so strongly about it.
They also have developed a statement of system wide student expectations across seven formation skill sets. Performance and accountability requirements for teachers as well as students are set and maintained. Given the kinds of philosophies that you have heard coming from us for the last five years, you know that that is all music to our ears.
In 1999, Bishop Steib challenged the Memphis community to collaborate to reopen 8 Catholic primary schools that had closed. These schools are called "Jubilee" schools, and they were reopened and now enroll over 1,200 students. Private foundations and businesses donors contributed to the creation of the Catholic Memphis Urban Schools Trust that they created and that is currently capitalized at over $45 million. This trust, with the public board, and transparent accountability, enables the jubilee schools to operate without debt, charging going rates of tuition by supporting lower income student families to pay the tuition rates. The Catholic schools of Memphis reports student achievement rates that are superior to those of public schools in their same neighborhood. Memphis Catholic High School has incorporated strong partnerships of the business community by offering work experience internships with 28 Memphis businesses for students that want to participate in them. They have combined the ultimate motivation: a great education for kids, an understanding of the world of work, and they've developed that with an accountability system for everybody in the chain. The enrollment in the Catholic Memphis schools has grown to its highest level since 1975. They grew from 6,400 students in 1996, to just shy of 8,800 students in 2007. Every school in the diocesan school system, plus the system itself, has been accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is only the second diocese that we are aware of that has accomplished that.
Citation: Best practices award to the Diocese of Memphis Catholic School System, in recognition of your outstanding commitment to excellence and visionary leadership in Catholic education, presented by the National Leadership Roundtable on Church Management, June 26, 2008.

subset: commoncrawl


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Buffalo' tag.
Click here for posts from lots of other years. In today's post, you'll see almost all blue-and-gold before the parade, i.e., heading for the muster
It was great to have two covered barges for events.
Urger exits the low side of lock 2 and . . .
enters the Hudson.
The federal lock at Troy leads into the rest of the Hudson . . .
After the dignitaries are picked up,
the flotilla heads back north into the Troy lock,
the parade has begun.
All photos by Will Van Dorp. Many thanks to tug44 as host and photo boat.
For more photos, check these from the Daily Gazette.
It's the weekend after Labor Day in Waterford, time to call a muster.
And stuff starts happening. Atlantic Hunter arrives via the highway.
Tug-of-the-Year Gowanus Bay travels from the south.
Buffalo parades from Waterford back to Waterford.
Grand Erie travels as the dais.
As the parade approaches the Waterford Visitors Center, a water salute awaits Eighth Sea,
Frances, Margot, and Benjamin Elliott . . .
as well as Cornell and Iron Chief.
Parts B and more soon. All fotos by Will Van Dorp, who met great people, missed many others, and heard fabulous stories to be followed up on soon.
Here are parts A B and C from 2012. More links to past roundups tomorrow also.
My library for the time period January 1, 2012 until today contains 11,244 fotos. Starting from tomorrow, any 2012 fotos will be taken along the road. So I decided to choose ONE foto per month, quite subjectively and without regard for this foto having previously been featured here. I don't claim these are the best of the month. Only 12 fotos, one per month.
January, Sandmaster . . . waiting to refuel. Today, Dec 22 . . . Sandmaster was out there doing what it usually does, mining sand.
February . . . Eagle Beaumont escorted in the Arthur Kill by Charles D. McAllister.
March . . . side by side, CSAV Suape and bulker Honesty, Pacific bound through the Miraflores locks, demonstrating graphically what panamax means.
April . . . red-trimmed Taurus west bound on the KVK, cutting past Advance Victoria. And just today, I saw Taurus, now blue-trimmed, heading north between Manhattan and Jersey City.
Choosing just one foto per month is tough, but for May, here's Swan packed and almost ready to go hulldown toward Africa with these specimens of the Crowley, Reinauer, and Allied fleets.
June . . . Weeks Shelby tows shuttle Enterprise from JFK toward Manhattan.
July and an unforgettable 4th using Pegasus as subject under the rocket's glare
August . . . and coal-fired Badger heads into the sunset . . . and Wisconsin.
September, and a parade of vessels including Urger and Buffalo leave the Federal Lock bound for Waterford. My inimitable platform here is Fred's Tug44.
At the start of the Great Chesapeake Schooner race, crew is setting sail on the unique tugantine Norfolk Rebel. In the distance, it's Pride of Baltimore 2.
Coming into the home stretch from Montreal, it's Atlantic Salvor delivering segments of the WTC1 antenna.
And December . . . it's Stena Primorsk looming over the USCG vessels. At this time, Stena Primorsk was impatient to load that first hold with "north dakota crude," only to experience the malfunction that has left her temporarily disabled upriver, its outer hull gashed open.
Tomorrow I hit the road . . . gallivanting and visiting season. I thank all of you for reading, many of you for helping me get these fotos, lots of you for correcting my errors and supplying missing info. Happy New Year and let's pray for much-needed Peace on Earth . . . .


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IMF Executive Board Concludes 2013 Article IV Consultation with Republic of LithuaniaPublic Information Notice (PIN) No. 13/34
March 28, 2013
Public Information Notices (PINs) form part of the IMF's efforts to promote transparency of the IMF's views and analysis of economic developments and policies. With the consent of the country (or countries) concerned, PINs are issued after Executive Board discussions of Article IV consultations with member countries, of its surveillance of developments at the regional level, of post-program monitoring, and of ex post assessments of member countries with longer-term program engagements. PINs are also issued after Executive Board discussions of general policy matters, unless otherwise decided by the Executive Board in a particular case. The staff report (use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this pdf file) for the 2013 Article IV Consultation with Lithuania is also available
On March 22, 2013, the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) concluded the Article IV consultation with Lithuania.1
Since the 2008-09 crisis, significant progress has been made in reducing macroeconomic imbalances, and the economic recovery is well underway. Growth registered 3½ percent in 2012, supported by strong exports and a bumper harvest. Private consumption was also robust, reflecting rising consumer confidence and improving labor market conditions. Unemployment fell to 13.2 percent and has been on a declining trend for both youth and the long-term unemployed. Inflation slowed to 3.2 percent in 2012 as the effects of rising global commodity prices moderated. Core inflation, meanwhile, remained fairly subdued at 2 percent. Strong export growth and an improvement in the terms of trade helped reduce the current account deficit to 0.9 percent of GDP in 2012.
The fiscal deficit narrowed from 9½ percent of GDP in 2009 to 5½ percent of GDP in 2011, and to an estimated 3 percent of GDP in 2012. The government successfully raised about €1¾ billion in international markets in 2012 and redeemed €1 billion maturing in early March.
The largely foreign-owned banking system, overall, remained well capitalized, liquid, and profitable. Credit growth remains weak and nonperforming loans, while declining, are still high. Along with falling interest rate margins, this led to a decline in bank profitability.
Four credit institutions were intervened since the last Article IV consultation—two domestically-owned banks and two credit unions—due to insolvency. This has removed an important threat to financial stability and strengthened the overall soundness of the financial system, while accesses to guaranteed deposits and financial stability have been maintained.
The government has announced its intention to seek euro adoption in 2015.
Executive Board Assessment
Executive Directors welcomed the ongoing recovery and the impressive macroeconomic rebalancing since the 2008–09 crisis. The reduction in the fiscal and current account deficits has significantly reduced vulnerabilities, and competitiveness gains have laid the foundation for an export-led recovery. Directors agreed that investment and continued structural reforms will be critical to sustain competitiveness gains, reduce unemployment, and support growth in the medium term.
Directors commended the strong fiscal adjustment undertaken to date. They noted that the 2013 budget balances the need to support the recovery with further consolidation. Looking ahead, Directors agreed that further reductions in the structural fiscal deficit will be needed to rebuild buffers. They encouraged the authorities to shift the composition of fiscal adjustment to the revenue side, and stressed the importance of high quality measures to ensure sustainability while reducing income inequality. They saw merit in expanding wealth and property taxes and broadening the tax base, noting that improvements in tax administration should accompany any new revenue measures. Directors also called for strengthening the fiscal framework and further reform of the pension system.
Directors commended the authorities for the intervention in four insolvent credit institutions which has strengthened the overall soundness of the financial system. They underscored the importance of continuing enhanced supervision, including stepped-up on-site inspections, strict stress testing, and close monitoring of banks' loan loss provisions. Directors agreed that the financial sector has an essential role to play in supporting growth and investment, and emphasized that credit should not be unduly constrained going forward. To foster sound credit growth, they supported a review of obstacles to timely resolution of nonperforming loans and welcomed steps to improve the insolvency framework.
Directors stressed that maintaining competitiveness, addressing labor market inefficiencies, and enhancing the business and investment environment will be key to sustain growth and reduce unemployment over the medium term. They underscored that future wage growth should not outpace productivity growth. They encouraged the authorities to support job creation through training, active labor market policies, and addressing any disincentives to work in the benefits system. Efforts are also needed to reduce administrative burdens and improve energy efficiency. Directors welcomed the authorities' goal of joining the euro area in 2015 from a strong and sustainable base.


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Physicists at Scotland's Heriot-Watt University have created a 3D imaging camera system capable of resolving depth on a millimeter scale at distances of up to one kilometer. Working much like a laser version of radar, the "Time-of-Flight" (ToF) measurement system "pings" a low-powered infrared laser beam off distant objects and records a pixel-by-pixel map using a detector that counts and positions individual photons as they arrive back at the source.Read More
The Global Positioning System (GPS) has proved a boon for those with a bad sense of direction, but the satellite-based system isn't without its shortcomings. Something as simple as going indoors or entering a tunnel can render the system useless. That might be inconvenient for civilians, but it's potentially disastrous for military users for whom the system was originally built. DARPA is addressing such concerns with the development of a self-sufficient navigation system that can aid navigation when GPS is temporarily unavailable.Read More
Presented as an amalgamation of the mini-van, station wagon and hatchback, Citroen's new C4 Picasso is 308 lb (140 kg) lighter than its predecessor, thanks to a variety of tricks like an aluminum hood, composite tailgate and other lightweight materials. Read More
For the past few years, a consortium of six European research institutes has been collaborating on a project known as RoboEarth. Essentially a "worldwide web for robots," the idea is that it will allow robots to access a shared online database of each others' software, thus allowing them to learn how to perform new tasks from one another. The first phase of the project, Rapyuta: The RoboEarth Cloud Engine, is now up and running. Read More
We've already seen several underwater robots that mimic the swimming abilities of fish. The European FILOSE research project, however, is also interested in copying another feature of our finned friends – their lateral line. The result could be swimming robots that use differences in water pressure to navigate and save energy. Read More
If you've ever watched a fly trying to find its way around a house, you might have noticed that it didn't take a particularly graceful approach – it probably bounced off a lot of windows and walls, until by process of elimination, it found a route that was clear. Well, researchers at Switzerland's EPFL Laboratory of Intelligent Systems are taking that same approach with the latest version of their autonomous AirBurr UAV – it's built to run into things, in order to map and navigate its environment.Read More
If your hobbies include using a soldering iron and spending time exploring the great outdoors, then the North Paw Directional Anklet Kit from ThinkGeek may be of interest. It's a self-build vibrating compass which straps to the ankle, allowing the user to always tell which direction magnetic north lies. Read More
Many of us use our vehicle navigation systems on a daily basis, and as self-driving cars come into common use – assuming they do – such systems will become even more important. Unfortunately, however, the GPS technology that's integral to vehicle navigation can be thwarted by obstacles such as tall buildings. A team of researchers at Spain's Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) are attempting to address that problem, with a system that is said to drastically boost GPS accuracy in city driving. Read More
If you're in charge of a parts warehouse, a distribution center, or some other big building full of things that need to be moved around, the Adept Lynx might be just what you need. Made by California-based Adept Technology, the autonomous indoor vehicle (AIV) is able to find its own way as it carries cargo from point to point, within "challenging environments."Read More
As anyone who's tried to use GPS indoors can tell you, global positioning systems have their limitations. For them to work properly, you have to be outdoors and you need a clear view of the sky. If you're in the military, you also have to be sure that the enemy isn't jamming the satellite signal. For this reason, the US Air Force has awarded Canberra-based firm Locata a "sole source" contract to install a ground-based version of GPS over 2,500 square miles (6,475 sq/km) of the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico as part of a program to develop a practical supplement to GPS.Read More
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Black and white pastors are hoping the movie Selma will renew efforts toward racial reconciliation in Sanford that started with the death of Trayvon Martin. The film brings those conversatio... Read more
In November the Film Club blazed into action with Ken Fero's powerful new film BURN. This important documentary has now been released free to watch online in solidarity with Ferguson. Read more
"A few months ago, a local public meeting was held. The posters all featured a photo of Trayvon. No caption, no explanation. But everyone in this area knows that similar things happen here." Read more
Feature documentary-shot over 10 years, three, observational, emotionally linked visual stories of life on the streets of Ramallah, Erbil and Baghdad. Read more
There is a crisis today in America's prison system which has little to do with crime. It contributes to the abuse and even the deaths of some prisoners at the hands of those paid to take car... Read more
Featuring an extended version of Rubin "Hurricane" Carter's passionate 1994 speech that was featured in Democracy Now!'s look back at his life and legacy. Read more
Initially to be launched in Birmingham and surrounding areas from in late 2014, the Film Club with feature films by thought-provoking filmmakers from Migrant Media, CY Film Productions, Expo... Read more
The power of film to document stories, inspire action and agitate for change has run hand in hand with revolutionary cells, social struggles and mass movements. One of the critical points of... Read more


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Men's Spring Apparel – Classic & Stylish
What does "tradition with a twist" mean?
We've said it before: Great style has something of the moment and something that's timeless. This is reflected in all Paul Fredrick clothing, and bears repeating. We carefully merchandise each season's collection to give you the widest possible range of choice to find your own style, with a discerning eye for apparel that is timely without being trendy.
Our clothes have a relevancy that will give you the confidence of being "on the ball," but without a six-month expiration date that starts ticking the moment you open the package. And with our fit guarantee and quality standard, everything you choose can be worn for years to come.
So what does tradition-with-a-twist actually mean when put into play? Mostly it's about staying true to basic forms and just giving the details a twist.
- For example, a herringbone sport coat is as timeless as it gets, but we gave ours a detail of distinction by adding a velvet collar. And as that's a twist that harkens back to Edwardian times, this might just be in style for another hundred years.
- Often we put our twist on a perennial classic by digging into the archives of menswear history. The side adjusters on our D-Ring Waistband Pleated Trousers are straight from the 1930s, the so-called Golden Age of American Menswear. But we're offering them in timely white denim.
- Tradition with a twist means taking traditional seersucker fabric and making a tan one button seersucker suit rather than the traditional blue striped seersucker that has two or three buttons. And with our fit guarantee, people might just think you had it custom made.
- It means taking an iconic shoe like a driving moccasin, and then updating it with boat-shoe style lacing and offering it in navy and maize in addition to brown.
- It means taking a classic like the cardigan sweater, offering a luxurious linen-cotton blend cardigan, perfect for spring, anchoring it in the classic color combo of navy and tan. Add to that, button-through flap pockets and buttoned epaulets for a true twist on a traditional cardigan.
- It's making a sport shirt with vibrant colors and contrast trim.
- It's pinpoint oxford dress shirts, but making them in a large gingham and colors like pink yellow and purple.
- And finally, tradition-with-a-twist means combining a classic striped tie with an elegant floral motif in our Navy Satin Botanical Stripe Tie.
boat shoe, cardigan, d-ring, Dress Shirts, driving mocassin, herringbone, linen, pants, pinpoint, seersucker, Shoes, Sportcoats, striped ties, Suits, tie, Ties, Trousers
2 Comments to "Men's Spring Apparel – Classic & Stylish"
Re: D-ring trousers are so comfortable….I hope PF will consider doing D-ring trousers in linen for Spring and Summer, plus a fine-wale corduroy for year-round. If the corduroys were machine washable,and the colors looked great as they faded over time, we would have a great pair of trousers for a fall football game or a summer evening sail. I would replace them as they aged, but keep the older pairs for casual wear…sailing, barbecues, etc.. They are comfortable, and look great with polos, sweaters and deck shoes. Thanks for your consideration. Wm Sutro


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Catherine Scott
Catherine Scott is a British feminist writer who has been commentating on feminism, politics and the media in her blog All That Chas since 2008. She has written for Bitch magazine, the Guardian, the Times Literary Supplement and Herstoria magazine. She recently worked for Ms. magazine in Los Angeles, and regularly contributed to the Ms. blog.
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Having consulted Geena Davis, who has played her share of strong female characters, the author asks, are two successful female-driven action movies released in one year a sign of good times to come for heroic women on screen? More »
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Okay, it's a comedy. But does the most recent pregnancy-themed film have to trivialize women by ignoring any and all real issues about giving birth? More »
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Retro-sexist advertising may be presented as ironic, but it features the same, familiar images feminists rallied against decades ago, argues the author. What to do? More »


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Record was one of the options available on a Time Pad of the Great Clock. It allowed Clank to start recording on a Time Pad, and then use it to step onto a button to open doors, bring down platforms, and perform other actions.
- Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time (first appearance)


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Ronald Gatlin came to NISD in 2009 to serve as a biology teacher and wrestling coach. He had the opportunity be a charter staff member at Byron Nelson High School. As a part of his assignment he showed leadership skills in beginning a wrestling program that has produced State placers in a very short time period. He organized a very strong feeder team that included kids from 3 years old all the way thru 8th grade. This feeder team encompassed his vision of having a long lasting superior wrestling team in North Texas.
Prior to coming to NISD he taught and coached in Oklahoma. He coached at Putnam City West High School for 3 years and Mayfield middle school for 1 year. Mr. Gatlin was also a certified athletic trainer and he has functioned as a head athletic trainer at the high school and D1 university level. This experience has strengthened his management and leadership qualities.
Mr. Gatlin obtained his BS in Health and Physical Education from Oklahoma State University and his MEd in education with emphasis in curriculum writing from the University of Central Oklahoma. More recently Mr. Gatlin has completed his Principal certification thru Lamar University.
In the classroom Mr. Gatlin has lead his team in innovation. He relentlessly searches for better teaching methods, especially when they involve technology integration. Mr. Gatlin loves to find techniques that work for students and he shares his success with other teachers and teaches them to implement the strategies in their own practice.


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Any advertisement seen above this text is not related to the J/J/J project web page
Co-administrator- Sherrie Boone
Pedigree Policy: Each participant has been asked to submit his own pedigree and all effort is being made to present the pedigrees as received. As one would expect, this administrator will not alter any pedigree. However, I may add notes or comments (before, within or after a pedigree chart) in parenthesis and signed ("HJ"). Whether short or long, famous or not, each pedigree is of equal importance in trying to solve the problems of genealogical research where records have been lost or have not existed.
Jacob Strauder Johnston, b. 1809 in AL
+Lucinda Riddle
└── Richard Cairl Johnson, b. 1848 in Juno, TN, d. 1894 in Madison Co., TN
+Maggie Fretwell
└── Richard Cathey Johnson, b. 1891 in Juno, TN
+Iva E. King
└── Emmitt Bernice Johnson
+Lula Mae Dudley
└── Michael Lee Johnson, (Kit # 68849)
Member of
Created under Copyright© Provisions
January 2006
By Lee Johnson
Notice: Neither this project's administrator and/or it's group leaders receive any monetary benefits from this project. Their work is voluntary in support of the belief that this information should be shared freely with the genealogical community, however the individual participants as contributors and I reserve copyright privileges lest anyone attempt to publish the reports, in whole or in part, for profit or any other purposes. Lee Johnson
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Hugh Grant's Favorite Cheerleaders
September 20, 1995 by Bill
Filed under Catalyst Online, Features
English actor and "Hollywood john" Hugh Grant made a revealmg statement after he was nabbed with a woman whose oxymoronic name is Divine. Grant admitted that "I've always had a crush on cheerleaders. Catholic cheerleaders-my double favorite."
Considering how Grant amuses himself with his crushes we at the Catholic League find little amusement in his confession.


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Certificate of Excellence award 2012, 2013 and 2014 Read the Reviews
It can all be a little overwhelming, the city may not be huge but the culture, activities, events, eateries etc. is vast. So we have taken it upon ourselves to amalgamate our local 12 years experience in the city via our blog. Whether you are planning on coming over for the festivals, want to find out vegan eats or general insider information, we will keep you in the loop.
El Petit Bangkok – Grand Thai cuisine
El Petit Bangkok
El Petit Bangkok is a cute restaurant nestled in the tiny streets near Plaza Molina, offering authentic Thai cuisine. The owner is Catalan and his wife is Thai and they welcome you in to a beautiful establishment with colourful lampshades, photos, bird and floral wallpaper and decadent fixtures.Originally set up as a cafe, due to public demand they decided to expand and operate as a restaurant.
If you love Thai food you will not be disappointed as the dishes are full of flavor, beautifully presented and served by friendly staff. I can recommend the Pho Pia Sod, which are rolls of fresh rice pasta with prawns, vegetables and mint leaves – the taste of the mint explodes in your mouth. The massaman curry and woks also prove popular as the tasty dishes set you back to that of a traditional Thai cafe. El Petit Bangkok offers succulent dishes, original Thai sauces and a balance of flavors that any palate will appreciate. Reserve in advance to avoid disappointment.
[…] in the upscale Sant Gervasi area and is just 5 minutes walk from our favorite Thai restaurant El Petit Bangkok. Bursting with an abundance of brands such as House Doctor, Affari there is an array of products to […]
July 20th, 2012 at 8:27, posted by Destination BCN Apartments – News and Views on Barcelona » Estilo Nordico: Hidden Nordic gem in Barcelona
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We look forward to participating in your health care!
McKinney Foot Care is a full service surgical and general foot care practice, specializing in diabetic footcare and foot and ankle surgery, as well as common conditions such as hammertoes, bunions, heel and arch pain, and more. We also provide customized orthotics and diabetic foot wear.
We have office hours from 9 am to 5 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and 1pm to 9 pm on Friday.
We are located at the corner of Lake Forest and University Drive, at 5337 W University Drive, Suite 100. We're just south of Baylor Scott & White Medical Center at McKinney..
Click on Request Appointment above to request an appointment, and then click on New Patients above to get all the paperwork you'll need.
And as always, you can also phone us at 972.542.FOOT (3668) with any questions you may have or to schedule your appointment by telephone. Have a general question? Just click Contact Us above to send us a message, and we'll respond within 24 business hours.
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Originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Dr. Richard Swails attended Phillips University where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Biology in 1997.
Upon completion of his undergraduate studies, Dr. Swails pursued his podiatric medical education at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was there that he earned his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine degree in 2001.
Dr. Swails continued his specialty training in Kansas City as a surgical resident in the Medical Center of Independence Podiatric Surgical Residency Program from 2001 to 2003. His program focused on all aspects of Podiatric medicine and surgery including reconstructive surgery of the foot and ankle and diabetic limb salvage. Dr Swails joined his Residency Director in private practice in Kansas City from 2003 to 2006 and is board certified in foot surgery by the American Board of Podiatric Surgery.
Dr. Swails started private practice in McKinney in July of 2006, working with Dr Paul Leon. Dr Swails moved to his new office near Lake Forest and University Drive in April 2013.
Fellow of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons (FACFAS)
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A sperm donor will have to pay child support to a lesbian couple after he responded to an online ad and "donated" his sperm for them to have a baby. On Jan. 22, MSN reported that a judge ruled on the case, deciding that the man, William Marotta, will have to pay child support because he didn't "donate" sperm through an agency and the woman that he impregnated wasn't artificially inseminated by a licensed physician.
"The Kansas Department for Children and Families filed the case in October 2012 seeking to have Marotta declared the father of a child born to Jennifer Schreiner in 2009," MSN reported.
The sperm donor child support case was opposed by Marotta who said that he reached out to the couple that he had helped and they had proof that he signed a "waiver" saying that he wouldn't have any paternal responsibilities when it came to the child. However, the state claimed that the right to child support lied with the child and not with the child's parents -- and the "waiver" that Marotta signed was considered null and void because proper protocol wasn't followed.
"The state was seeking to have Marotta declared the child's father so he can be held responsible for about $6,000 in public assistance the state provided, as well as future child support," MSN reported.
So the sperm donor will pay child support -- no word on whether or not he plans to file an appeal.
© Effie Orfanides 2014
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Oct 23, 2011 11:07 AM
We love the idea of room dividers, but aren't really sure how to best utilize them in our homes. However, these Crestview Doors Redi-Screens ($213 and up) make us want to knock out a few walls so we can fit them into our decor. These maple screens come in seven different patterns based on vintage textiles, and are even available with a translucent acrylic backing to provide a little more privacy. We're not sure where we're putting them, but we're hoping they'll turn our ho hum digs into a swanky Palm Springs resort, stat.
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text: farmers market Farmers Market Sales May Have Hit Peak By Luke Runyon • Feb 5, 2015 Peggy Lowe/Harvest Public Media file photo Call it "peak farmers market." Or maybe the plateau of "know your farmer." What's Happening at Iowa Farmers' Markets By Charity Nebbe & Ben Stanton • Jun 5, 2013 Photo by Phil Roeder Many farmers' markets in Iowa have grown over the last couple decades. Host Charity Nebbe talks with market directors from around the state to hear about why that has happened. She hears from Director of the Downtown Farmers' Market in Des Moines Kelly Foss, Cedar Falls Farmers' Market Master Joe Bohr, and Washington Farmers' Market Master Bob Shepherd. Also, get to the heart of the matter with author of "Farmers' Markets of the Heartland" Janine MacLachlan, who traveled to eight Midwestern states to document her farmers' market tour.


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It was only a matter of time before the iPhone came to the most populous country on the planet. Apple has started taking pre-orders for the iPhone 4 on Friday, which goes on sale September 25th.
Apple is so fired up about the iPhone 4 coming to China that a new store in Beijing is even opening up on September 25th to coincide with the iPhone launch. The 16GB model will retail for CNY4,999 and the 32GB goes for CNY4,999; about $745 and $893 respectively. This is a big time for Apple as the iPad made its debut in China on Friday.


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25 Crazy Things You'll Only Find In Chinese Walmarts— Aug 13, 2015
Wlamart +China= WTF
A high school student from Columbia, Missouri, was arrested on suspicion of felony property damage after she allegedly changed a classmate's last name in the yearbook to "Masturbate."
17-year-old Kaitlyn Booth's "prank" affected some 720 yearbooks — known as the Hickman Cresset — and would have set Hickman High School back over $41,000, but a last-minute decision was made to spend 12 hours placing stickers over the student's name instead.
The victim, Raigan Mastain, told the Columbia Tribune she was "kind of annoyed" at Kaitlyn's actions, but "wasn't that upset."
Raigan and Kaitlyn were both members of the yearbook committee, and got along fine before the incident.
"I was disappointed, but I didn't know her well enough to be personally affected," Raigan said.
Despite Kaitlyn's attempt to humiliate her for reasons yet unknown, Raigan told the Tribune she hoped her classmate wouldn't be permanently stained by "typical high school" shenanigans.
"What she did wasn't right," she said, "but I don't think it should affect her for the rest of her life."
[mug shot via the Columbia Tribune, yearbook cover via Kewpie.net, story via Gawker]


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If you've been lost in the wasteland that is holiday TV programming, fear not. Santa Claus has left the building and new episodes of your favorite shows are coming to town.
Heroes kicks off the week with a two-hour event. Now that Simon has amassed his own team of supers, what's he going to do with them? Will Hiro ever find Charlie? And will Sylar really save the world?
Heroes airs tonight on NBC at 8 PM/7c. Next week, January 11, it moves to 9 PM/8c.


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The following students were named to the Medical Lake High School honor roll for fall trimester 2012-13. To qualify, students must earn a GPA of 3.50 or higher.
For access to this article please sign in or subscribe.
Sydney E. Ahlf, Tiffany E. Allen, Luke H. Alvarado, Dominique N. Anderson, Andrew C. Bliss, Joshua T. Bonsant, Danielle B. Burris, Harrison K. Cochran, Rachel R. Crofoot, Sabrina R. Earle, Amanda Gallagher, Florian A. Geiger, Naomi E. Guidry, Seth N. Hansen, Nikolaus T. Hofer, Teresa G. Jensen, Annabelle L. Jones, Tracie M. Jones, Anton P. King, Zebulon T. Klemke, Kaitlyn M. Lang, Ethan P. Lewan, Daniel J. Lewis, John P. Lo...


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Techniques for Painting the Difficult Surfaces
Almost anyone can paint a room in your house. But there are certain techniques & guidelines to follow that will make your painting project shine.
Trim, molding, and corners – If you're repainting or adding a new color to a room, the first thing you want to do is paint the woodwork and trim. Then, move on to surface areas around outlets, knobs and those hard-to-reach corners. This should give you a nice outline of the room. Now mask off any areas that you don't want painted, and finish the walls and ceilings with a roller. This spreads the paint out evenly and quickly.
Brick walls or masonry – Use a drop cloth and roller to keep the floor or patio clean from paint speckles. Outside painting of garage walls may require some prep work. Scrape off old paint and built-up dirt. Paint the wall with a roller and then use a brush for areas that can only be reached by hand. Window trim and doors should also be painted by hand.
Vinyl siding – The home's vinyl siding is usually maintenance-free, but if you have some touch-up work to do, the best route is exterior paint. Make sure to purchase paint made specifically for vinyl siding. This type of siding will expand & contract with the temperature. You'll need paint that's made specifically for vinyl siding. And don't add a darker color. This can do damage to the siding because of the additional heat it will absorb.
Wood siding - First, remove damaged or rotting wood. You might have to cut away some of the vegetation to get to the wood, but this will help you when painting the new siding. Now that you have a clear view of the siding, scrape away old paint. Before installing the new boards, sand down the planks so that the primer soaks into the wood more easily. After the primer has dried, add a couple coats of paint, and your new siding should be good for at least 4-5 years.
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- Glossy Paint, the Easiest to Clean, the Most Resistant to Stains
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There won't be much in this game that the New Orleans Saints haven't seen from Atlanta, and vice versa. The teams know each other very well and are bound to play a close game. With both teams playing at a high level, it is becoming one of the most recognizable rivalries league-wide.
This time around, the Saints are playing for a chance to clinch the NFC South championship for the second time in three seasons and the third time under Coach Sean Payton. A New Orleans victory would also keep intact that no team in NFC South history has won back-to-back division crowns.
Payton has had much success against the Falcons, going 9-2 against the Dirty Birds since becoming the Saints' coach in 2006, and New Orleans has taken five of the past six meetings. The Saints look to have an advantage because the game is being played on Monday night. The teams have played five times on "Monday Night Football," and the Saints are 4-1. This is the third consecutive season the teams are playing on "MNF."
Matt Ryan passed for 351 yards the last time they met, but historically Ryan hasn't been at his best against the Saints. In six career starts against New Orleans, Ryan is 2-4, and the Saints are one of the two teams Ryan has played more than once against whom he doesn't have a winning record (Philadelphia is the other).
Still, Ryan is having a career season and has more than receiver Roddy White to thank for it. In the offseason, the Falcons gave up a lot in the draft to get Julio Jones, and the rookie receiver is paying off. He has 42 catches for 755 yards and five touchdowns and is developing into a deep threat. And Tony Gonzalez, the ageless wonder at tight end, is second on the team in receptions (74), yards (755) and touchdown catches (seven).
White is again looking like one of the top receivers in the game. He has had three 100-yard receiving games in his past five after having just one such game in his first nine. In his past five games, White has 38 receptions for 537 yards and five touchdowns. He had 10 catches for 135 yards and two scores in last week's 41-14 win against Jacksonville. He's third in the league in catches (85), eighth in yards (1,100) and ninth in touchdowns (eight).
But running back Michael Turner is still the key figure in the Falcons' attack. In Atlanta's nine wins this season, Turner has averaged 90.3 yards per game and scored eight touchdowns. However, in the Falcons' five losses, he only has averaged 63.2 yards per game and scored one touchdown. Taking out a 10-carry, 100-yard performance in Week 1 against Chicago, Turner is only averaging 3.4 yards per carry in the losses. Turner did rush for 96 yards the last time he played the Saints.
John Abraham is coming off one of his best games after posting 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles against the Jaguars. He was the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. Abraham needs just 1.5 sacks to have his seventh season of 10 sacks or more. He anchors a defense that is ninth in the league in yards allowed per game and fourth against the run. The Saints struggled in this aspect last game, gaining only 41 yards.
Sean Witherspoon, a player many Saints fans coveted in the 2010 draft, has 107 tackles and is tied with Lawrence Sidbury for second on the team, with four sacks. Curtis Lofton leads the team in tackles with 124, fifth in the league. Lofton finished with nine tackles against the Saints last time and has made 10 or more tackles six times.
Atlanta's secondary is primed to get a boost, as Brent Grimes and Kelvin Hayden are looking to return from injury. Grimes has missed three games because of a knee injury, and Hayden has been out since Nov. 20 with a toe injury. Grimes has one interception but leads the team with 12 pass deflections.
Eric Weems was one of the best return men in the league last season but has been mediocre this season, as the Falcons rank 18th in punt-return and kick-return averages. Weems is averaging 23.3 yards per kick return and 9.9 yards per punt return and has yet to return one for a touchdown.
Kicker Matt Bryant has been a steady force this season. After making 90.3 percent of his field-goal attempts last season, Bryant is hitting 92 percent (23-of-25) this season. Bryant, who once kicked a 62-yarder with Tampa Bay, has a long this season of 50.
Matt Bosher has placed 26 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, sixth-most in the NFL. He's averaging 42.1 yards per punt and a 39.1 net averag,e and only three of his punts have been touchbacks. Opponents are only averaging 4.7 yards a return against Atlanta this season.
Nov. 13, 2011, Georgia Dome
John Kasay kicked a 26-yard field goal in overtime to give the Saints a 26-23 victory. New Orleans seemingly had things in control when Kasay kicked a 44-yarder to give the Saints a 23-13 lead with 7:13 remaining, but the Falcons stormed back. Ryan threw a career-high 52 passes for 351 yards and two touchdowns. Harry Douglas gave the Saints' defense fits and finished with eight receptions for 133 yards. Saints safety Roman Harper finished with a season-high 13 tackles, including a sack, two tackles for losses and one pass deflection and was credited with two quarterback hits.


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|Head Coach
|Alma Mater:
|Washington, 1984
|4 Years
On December 10, 2011, former Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks head coach Jim Mora was named UCLA's 17th head coach in school history.
The 2015 season saw Mora equal Terry Donahue's school-best four-year win mark of 37 contests, extend the school's win streak in games away from the Rose Bowl to a school record total of 12 and participate in a fourth straight bowl game. Eight Bruins, including first-round selection Kenny Clark and second-round pick Myles Jack, were chosen in the 2016 NFL Draft, the most by the program since 1988. The total of eight players selected in the draft was the most of any Pac-12 school and the most UCLA has ever had picked in the seven round draft format.
In addition, the Bruins achieved numerous individual school marks in 2015, including kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn, the program's second Lou Groza Award winner, becoming the conference's all-time leading scorer; Jordan Payton emerging as the school's all-time leading receiver; running back Paul Perkins producing a second-straight 1,000-yard season; freshman quarterback Josh Rosen establishing multiple school milestones. The team set a school mark for the most 500-yard total offense games in a season (6) and recorded its first road shutout since 1987 while keeping as many as three opponents out of the end zone for the first time since the 1988 season.
In 2014, Coach Mora guided the Bruins to the ninth 10-win season in school history, matching the school record for wins in a season. It marked the third straight year in which Mora's Bruins had produced at least nine wins, a first in program history, and included a third consecutive win over USC. His 29 total wins are the most-ever by a UCLA coach in his initial three seasons on the job.
Following the victory in the 2015 Valero Alamo Bowl, UCLA had captured wins in 10 straight games away from the Rose Bowl to match that school record, including a school-best 7-0 slate in 2014. That bowl win was also the team's third victory of the season over an AP Top-15 ranked opponent, which was the most by the program since it defeated four such teams in 1952. The Bruins capped off the year ranked No. 10 in the final AP poll, the highest for the program since 1998.
Linebacker Eric Kendricks, who became the school's all-time leading tackler during the season, went on to be UCLA's first recipient of the Butkus Award and second-straight winner of the Lott IMPACT Trophy. Quarterback Brett Hundley set numerous school career records, including bests for most touchdown passes and total offense. Kendricks, Hundley and defensive lineman Owamagbe Odighizuwa were selected in the 2015 NFL Draft. Perkins led the Pac-12 in rushing, the first time for a Bruin since 2001, and produced the second-highest rushing yardage total in school history.
In 2013, Mora led the Bruins to the eighth 10-win season in school history, tying the school mark for most wins in a season. His total of 19 wins during his first two seasons at the helm is the most ever by a UCLA head coach in their initial couple of seasons on the job. The team captured its 10th win by besting Virginia Tech in the Hyundai Sun Bowl. UCLA remained in the AP rankings throughout the full 2013 season for the first time since 1998. Linebacker Anthony Barr was selected as a first-team All-America and as the school's first winner of the Lott IMPACT Trophy. A school record 18 true freshmen saw action during the season and seven true freshmen position players started in a game to match that school record. Five Bruins, the most by the program since 2002, were selected in the 2014 NFL Draft, headed by Barr's pick at No. 9 overall by the Minnesota Vikings.
In his first year, Mora guided the Bruins to the 2012 South Division Championship of the Pac-12 Conference and matched the school-record for wins by a first-year coach, with nine. The Bruins, who played in the Holiday Bowl, set numerous offensive records during the course of the 2012 season, including establishing a new school rushing leader, in Johnathan Franklin, and several passing marks achieved by Hundley. On defense, Barr emerged as one of the most dynamic performers in the country in his first season as a linebacker and led the nation in sacks for a good portion of the year. Kendricks led the conference in tackles, ranking 11th in the country. Four players were selected in the 2013 NFL Draft, including defensive lineman Datone Jones in the first round by the Green Bay Packers.
Mora, a former NFC Coach of the Year, came to UCLA after spending part of 2010 and most of 2011 as an analyst and contributor for the NFL Network and the NFL on FOX. He brought 25 years of NFL coaching acumen with him to UCLA, including four years of NFL head coaching experience while at the helm of the Atlanta Falcons (2004-06) and the Seattle Seahawks (2009).
Mora took over for Mike Holmgren as head coach of the Seahawks in 2009. He had served as assistant head coach and defensive backs coach for Seattle in the 2007 and 2008 campaigns. The Seahawks went 10-6 and finished first in the NFC West in the 2007 season and won the Wild Card game in the playoffs.
In his initial season as the head coach of Atlanta in 2004, Mora directed the team to an 11-5 record, becoming just the eighth rookie head coach in NFL history to win 11 games and the 11th to bring home a Division title. The Falcons captured the NFC South title and earned an appearance in the NFC Championship Game for only the second time in franchise history. Mora was selected as the NFC Coach of the Year.
The Falcon's defense improved from a league ranking of 32nd in 2003 to No. 14 overall the next season, fueled by a league-leading and franchise record 48 quarterback sacks. Atlanta topped the NFL in rushing in all three of Mora's seasons as head coach. In 2006, Michael Vick became the first quarterback in NFL history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a season. Mora had joined the Falcons following a seven-season stint with the San Francisco 49ers (1997-2003). He spent his last five seasons in San Francisco as the defensive coordinator. In his first year, the 49ers finished No. 1 in the NFL in total defense, No. 2 in pass defense (25 interceptions), takeaways (41) and run defense, as well as finishing No. 3 in the League in sacks (54). The 1998 squad tied for No. 1 in the NFC, and No. 4 in the NFL in interceptions, with 21. In the 2002 and 2003 seasons with San Francisco, the defense finished no lower than fourth in the NFL versus the run and in 2003, produced 42 sacks, to tie for second in the conference. The 1997 team advanced to the NFC Championship Game and had three defensive players voted to the Pro Bowl, while the 1998 and 2002 squads captured Wild Card Game wins.
From 1992-1996, Mora worked on the staff of his dad, Jim E. Mora, as the secondary coach with the New Orleans Saints. His defensive expertise began to take shape and the Saints boasted the No. 1 pass defense in the NFL during his first two years.
In 1985, Mora broke into the NFL coaching ranks with the San Diego Chargers, under head coach Don Coryell. He spent seven seasons with the Chargers, advancing from the league's first quality control coaching position to defensive backs coach, while working for head coaches Coryell, Al Saunders and Dan Henning.
NFL Pro Bowlers who have played under coach Mora over the years include -- Julian Peterson, LB-Seattle and San Francisco; Marcus Trufant, DB-Seattle; Allen Rossum, DB-Atlanta; Patrick Kerney, DL-Atlanta; Roderick Coleman, DL-Atlanta; Keith Brooking, LB-Atlanta; DeAngelo Hall, DB-Atlanta; Michael Vick, QB-Atlanta; Alge Crumpler, TE-Atlanta; Warrick Dunn, RB-Atlanta; Bryant Young, DL-San Francisco; Lance Schulters, DB-San Francisco; Merton Hanks, DB-San Francisco; Eric Allen, DB-New Orleans; Tyrone Hughes, DB-New Orleans; Gill Byrd, DB-San Diego.
Mora began his coaching career, in 1984, at the University of Washington. He joined the staff of head coach Don James, in the role of defensive assistant, following a four-year playing career as a defensive back for the Huskies. While at UW, Mora had the opportunity to be a part of two Rose Bowl teams as a player (1981-loss to Michigan; 1982-win over Iowa), and helped the Huskies land a berth in the 1985 Orange Bowl (win over Oklahoma) as a graduate assistant coach. During his five seasons in the Husky program, Washington compiled a 48-12 record, ranked among the nation's Top 10 teams on three occasions, and did not finish lower than second in the Pac-10 standings.
Outside of his role as a coach and then, broadcaster, Mora and his wife, Shannon, founded the Jim Mora Count on Me Foundation in 2005, which strives to support children in need by affording them the opportunity to realize their potential and dreams, help create more stability in their lives, support advocacy for children, and support channels that allow children to have a voice. Mora and his wife have four children - Cole, Lillia, Ryder and Trey.
2012-Present: UCLA Head Coach
2009: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS Head Coach
2007-08: SEATTLE SEAHAWKS Defensive Coordinator
2004-06: ATLANTA FALCONS Head Coach
1999-2003: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS Defensive Coordinator
1997-98: SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS Secondary
1992-96: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS Secondary
1989-91: SAN DIEGO CHARGERS Secondary
1985-88: SAN DIEGO CHARGERS Defensive Quality Control
1984: UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON Graduate Assistant


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UMass Stings AIC With Big Second Half, 83-56
Nov. 24, 2010
Box Score | Notes | Buy Your Own Copy Of This Game: $9.99
AMHERST, Mass. - After leading by just one at halftime, UMass used aggressive defense to outscore American International, 48-22 in the second half, led by a 17-0 run over a 3:57 span midway through the period to give the Minutemen (5-0) a 83-56 victory over the Yellow Jackets (3-2) on Wednesday night at the Mullins Center. UMass is now 5-0 for the first time since 1995-96 leading into Saturday's 3 p.m. game against Holy Cross at the Curry Hicks Cage.
Anthony Gurley once again led the UMass offense with 22 points to lead four Minutemen in double-figures. Sampson Carter scored 13 points, Gary Correia scored 12 and was 3-of-3 from 3-point range, and Javorn Farrell added 10.
The 27-point victory is UMass' biggest in the Derek Kellogg era.
Between the 13:32 and 9:35 marks of the second half, the Minutemen went on a 16-0 run, finished off by five points from Riley on a dunk and then a 3-pointer, to take a commanding 67-42 lead.
After leading by one at the half, 35-34, UMass opened the second half by outscoring AIC, 13-5 over the first five minutes, led by six points from Gurley. The Minutemen continued to crank up the defensive pressure as Gurley and Freddie Riley each had breakaway dunks off steals and a Gurley 3-point play off a steal forced an AIC timeout at the 11:49 mark with the Minutemen leading by 17, 59-42.
UMass shot 50 percent for the game, including 57.6 percent in the second half, and were 6-of-12 from behind the arc. The Minutemen held the Yellow Jackets to 34.5 percent shooting, including 28.6 percent in the second half. UMass enjoyed a 46-30 advantage on the boards and forced 18 AIC turnovers.
The teams went back and forth in the first half, trading leads 13 times. The Minutemen shot 41.9 percent in the first half, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range, while AIC shot 40.7 percent and was 7-for-12 on 3-pointers, but the real story of the opening 20 minutes was the 14 fouls called on UMass, including a technical assessed on the bench at the 6:02 mark, but the Yellow Jackets made just 5-of-15 at the free throw line. AIC was whistled for seven fouls in the half.
Gurley led all scorers in the first half with 11 points and led the way on the boards as well with seven. AIC's Byron Richards was 3-of-4 from long range and, along with Isiah Richards, had nine points in the half.
The latter portion of the first half turned into a 3-point shooting contest. Between the 5:02 and 3:13 marks, six field goals in a row, three for each club, were from behind the arc and they swapped leads four times in that span.
Both offenses started the game slow. At the first media timeout just over four minutes in, the Minutemen were 2-of-8 shooting and AIC was 1-of-5 with four turnovers.
The Minutemen return to action on Saturday when they host Holy Cross in a 3 p.m. game at the Curry Hicks Cage, their first game at the historic venue since 1993.
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