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Despite the fact no one gives Indiana a chance to stay within three or four touchdowns of Ohio State tomorrow afternoon, the game will serve a valuable purpose other than just another victory for the Buckeyes. It will provide some insight into just what kind of head coach Luke Fickell has become.
It will also likely determine how much longer Fickell will be head coach of the Buckeyes.
The outcome of the game is a foregone conclusion for many, but with more difficult opponents on the horizon – and his team back in the thick of the Big Ten title game chase – Fickell is charged this week with keeping his team's focus on the Hoosiers. That might not be the easiest of tasks since the Buckeyes are coming off such an emotional high following last week's last-second victory over Wisconsin.
A natural byproduct of the win over the Badgers would be a letdown this weekend, and that would be especially unsurprising with the opponent ranked near or at the bottom of the Big Ten in most offensive and defensive statistical categories.
However, the argument can and should be made that Ohio State is a team unable to afford the luxury of letting down against any opponent. The Buckeyes are just now beginning to show some life offensively and that uptick needs to continue. Likewise, it would be nice to see the defense – still the team's strength – put together a complete four-quarter game even if it is against a lesser opponent.
That is Fickell's main assignment this week. After eight games that have already featured a season's worth of ups and downs, it will be interesting to see how focused on thumping an inferior opponent the Buckeyes will be.
Extrapolating that theory even further, let's say the team is focused and takes care of business to the point that the game is out of hand by halftime. How much of a statement does Fickell want to make? Is he predisposed to taking his foot off the gas like his predecessor did so many times or does he more favor the more merciless style of Bret Bielema, who seems to delight in running up the score on lesser opponents.
One other thing to look for if the game gets out of hand early: Will Fickell rest his starters in favor of getting some meaningful playing time for his youngsters, i.e. new backup quarterback Kenny Guiton? One of the criticisms of Jim Tressel was that he sometimes stayed with his starters too long in games that were well in hand, sacrificing a chance to get some much-needed experience for part-timers.
Taking stock of the way the Buckeyes perform against Indiana will provide a window into Fickell's coaching acumen as well as his philosophy, something we haven't always been able to gauge because of the mostly frenetic nature of the past five months. It will be beneficial, of course, to dig a little deeper into the way Fickell goes about his business especially since every week from now through the end of the 2011 season will be a series of de facto job interviews for the coach.
Rumors persist that Urban Meyer will be head coach at Ohio State in 2012 regardless of how the Buckeyes finish this season. Yet, how could the university make a change if Fickell's team wins its final six regular-season games and earns a berth in the inaugural Big Ten Championship Game? Then, let's say OSU wins that game and goes to the Rose Bowl. That would mean a season with 10 victories and a record seventh straight conference title with Fickell the odds-on favorite to win Big Ten Coach of the Year honors. How does Ohio State proceed with a coaching change then?
Someone told me the other day that you make the change based solely on the fact that anytime you can get a coach with Meyer's impressive body of work, the number of victories, titles and awards don't matter. If you can get Meyer, you get him. End of story. Furthermore, you can head off any criticism of that decision by offering somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 million annually to Fickell to stay on as defensive coordinator and assistant head coach.
The more I thought about that scenario – and the more I hear from people who should be in the know about these matters – the more I am inclined to think this is the path on which Ohio State is headed. Perhaps it will all work out for the best. Meyer can be the great savior everyone believes him to be and allow Fickell to remain in his hometown and work at his alma mater with the opportunity to continue to pad his résumé and perhaps become head coach again someday.
In the end, everyone wins.
If it's such a great plan, though, why do I have such a sour taste about it?
** Ohio State and Indiana will be meeting for the 85th time on Saturday with the Buckeyes holding a lopsided 67-12-5 advantage in the series. That includes a 43-10-4 record in Ohio Stadium, including wins in each of the last nine games played in Columbus.
** The Buckeyes are currently enjoying a 16-game winning streak in the overall series. You have to go back to a 27-27 tie in 1990 to find the last time Ohio State failed to come away with a victory over Indiana. The Hoosiers' most recent win in the series was a 41-7 decision in Bloomington in 1988.
** Since the Hoosiers took a 32-10 victory at Ohio Stadium in 1951, they have a 1-30-1 record in the Horseshoe. The lone victory was a 31-10 decision in 1987 and the tie was a 0-0 deadlock in 1959.
** Ohio State in its history has more victories over Indiana than any other team. The Buckeyes have 67 wins vs. the Hoosiers, 64 over Illinois, 59 over Northwestern, 54 over Wisconsin and 45 over Iowa.
** Since 2005, the Buckeyes are 17-1 during the month of November. During the same time frame, Indiana is 3-17 during November.
** Ohio State head coach Luke Fickell will be going against Indiana for the first time as a head coach but he is a perfect 11-0 lifetime vs. the Hoosiers as a player and assistant coach. Fickell was 4-0 as a player from 1993-96 and 7-0 during his nine seasons as an assistant on Jim Tressel's staff.
** Despite its recent problems in the series, Indiana has historically made life difficult for Ohio State head coaches in their first season. Dating back to 1913, first-year OSU head coaches are only 4-4-1 against the Hoosiers. That includes losses by John W. Wilce (7-6 in 1913), Wes Fesler (7-0 in 1947), Woody Hayes (32-10 in 1951) and John Cooper (41-7 in 1988). Ohio State head coaches who beat Indiana in their inaugural seasons were Francis Schmidt (33-0 in 1934), Carroll Widdoes (21-7 in 1944), Earle Bruce (47-6 in 1979) and Jim Tressel (27-14 in 2001). Sam Willaman's first team in 1929 played the Hoosiers to 0-0 tie, and in case you're wondering about Paul Brown in 1941 and Paul Bixler in 1946, the Buckeyes and IU did not play in those seasons.
** Indiana head coach Kevin Wilson is in his first season with the Hoosiers and will be attempting to become only the second IU coach in the past 60 years to claim a victory over Ohio State. Bill Mallory, who coached the Hoosiers from 1984-96, claimed back-to-back wins over the Buckeyes in 1987 and '88. Before that, you have to go back to Clyde Smith, whose Indiana team took a 32-10 win over Ohio State in 1951.
** Wilson was offensive coordinator on the late Randy Walker's staff at Northwestern from 1999-2001 and was 0-1 vs. Ohio State during that time. The Buckeyes took a 38-20 win over the Wildcats in 2001.
** Indiana has 16 native Ohioans on its roster – 11 of which are on the Hoosiers' two-deep (including special teams) – while Ohio State has only two players from Indiana. They are redshirt freshman tailback/linebacker Rod Smith of Fort Wayne and freshman defensive lineman Joel Hale of Greenwood.
** Wilson also has three native Ohioans on his coaching staff. Co-offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Kevin Johns is from Piqua, running backs coach Deland McCullough is from Youngstown, and assistant head coach/co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Doug Mallory hails from Bowling Green. Mallory is the son of former Indiana head coach Bill Mallory, who was a member of Woody Hayes' coaching staff at Ohio State from 1966-68.
** Two more familiar names are serving on Wilson's staff as graduate assistants. Chris Shula, whose grandfather is Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Don Shula, is the GA in charge of defense while former Northwestern running back Noah Herron has the offense. Ohio State fans most likely remember Herron for his performance against the Buckeyes in 2004. He rushed for 113 yards and scored three times – including the game-winning touchdown in overtime – as the Wildcats scored a stunning 33-27 win in Evanston. That remains Northwestern's only victory in its last 29 games against OSU.
** While an Indiana upset of Ohio State would be stunning enough, the odds of the Hoosiers shutting out the Buckeyes would be astronomical. Indiana hasn't pitched a shutout against any opponent since a 10-0 win over Michigan State in October 1993 and hasn't blanked Ohio State since that 0-0 tie in 1959. IU hasn't won a game in which it shut out the Buckeyes since a 10-0 decision in 1937.
** OSU senior tailback Boom Herron's 160-yard rushing effort last weekend pushed his career total to 2,468, good for 13th on the school's all-time rushing list. Herron needs 182 more yards to pass Jim Otis (2,542, 1967-69), Calvin Murray (2,576, 1977-80) and Raymont Harris (2,649, 1990-93) and break into the all-time top 10.
** Herron failed to record a rushing touchdown last week for the first time in 13 games, so he remained 20th on the OSU career scoring list with 186 points. Immediately ahead of him on the list are Ryan Pretorius (190, 2005-08), Michael Wiley (200, 1996-99) and Chic Harley (201, 1916-17, '19).
** Indiana quarterback Tre Roberson is only the second true freshman in program history to start at QB. The other was Tim Clifford in 1977, who started only one game for the Hoosiers that season.
** Roberson threw for 169 yards and rushed for 121 during last Saturday's 59-38 loss to Northwestern. That marked the first time an Indiana quarterback had cracked the century mark through the air and on the ground since Kellen Lewis threw for 159 and ran for 148 during his team's 42-20 win over Ball State in 2008.
** Roberson and sophomore running back Stephen Houston (151) both topped 100 yards on the ground against Northwestern, and that was the first time two Hoosiers had cracked the century mark in the same game since BenJarvus Green-Ellis (136) and Brian Lewis (128) turned the trick during a 37-31 overtime loss to Northwestern in 2003.
** Houston, a JUCO transfer from Independence (Kan.) Community College, has strung together five straight games with 60 or more yards rushing. That is the longest streak of its kind by an Indiana running back since Levron Williams did it during the final eight games of the 2001 season.
** OSU sophomore kicker Drew Basil's field goals of 39 and 22 yards against Wisconsin gave him a streak of 10 consecutive field goals, making him only the fourth kicker in program history with at least 10 straight three-pointers. Mike Nugent (2001-04) holds the school record with 24 in a row while Vlade Janakievski (1977-80) had streaks of 15 and 10 straight. Dan Stultz (1996-2000) also made 10 in a row.
** Indiana sophomore kicker Mitch Ewald is a perfect 59 for 59 in career PATs. The IU school record of 107 extra points in a row is held by Pete Stoyanovich (1986-88), who never missed a PAT during his college career.
** This week's game will be telecast on a regional basis by the Big Ten Network with the announce crew of Tom Hart (play-by-play), former Minnesota tight end/long snapper Derek Rackley (color analysis) and Lisa Byington (sideline reports). Kickoff is set for shortly after 12 noon Eastern.
** The game will also be broadcast on Sirius satellite radio channels 128 as well as XM channel 196.
** Next week, Ohio State travels to Purdue with kickoff time and broadcast affiliates still TBA. The Big Ten will not make an announcement regarding any its Nov. 12 games until after this weekend's contests have been played.
** And then there were six. Only a half-dozen teams remain undefeated at the Division I-A level as we head into November. They are Alabama, Boise State, Houston, LSU, Oklahoma State and Stanford.
** Stanford had to go to three overtimes against USC before extending the nation's longest winning streak to 17 games. The Cardinal's 56-48 win over the Trojans also snapped a streak of 10 straight games Stanford had won by 26 points or more, the longest streak of its kind since 1936.
** New Mexico extended the nation's longest losing streak to 11 games when the Lobos dropped a 42-0 decision at home to Air Force. How bad has it gotten in Albuquerque? New Mexico has been outscored by a 160-7 margin the last three weeks. Meanwhile, Florida Atlantic didn't lose Oct. 29 because the Owls didn't play. The Lobos and FAU remain the only winless teams this season at the I-A level.
** Another losing streak of note: Duke's 14-10 loss to Virginia Tech marked the Blue Devils' 44th consecutive loss to ranked teams. Duke hasn't beaten a top-25 team since a 21-20 win over No. 22 North Carolina State in November 1993 and hasn't claimed a victory over a top-10 team since 1989 when Steve Spurrier was head coach. That was a 21-17 home win over No. 7 Clemson on Sept. 30, 1989.
** Top-rated LSU and second-ranked Alabama marks the 46th time in history No. 1 has taken on No. 2 and the top-ranked team has a 26-17-2 record in the previous meetings. Most recently, top-ranked Auburn took a 22-19 win over second-ranked Oregon in January in the BCS National Championship Game. The last time a 1 vs. 2 matchup was staged in the regular season (not counting conference title games): No. 1 Ohio State scored a 42-39 triumph over No. 2 Michigan on Nov. 18, 2006, in Ohio Stadium.
** How close are No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama? How about this: The Crimson Tide has scored 315 points and 40 touchdowns while the Tigers have 314 points and 41 touchdowns.
** You can argue all day and night about the level of competition against which he plays, but you cannot take the NCAA record for most career touchdown passes away from Houston QB Case Keenum. He shattered the mark last week by throwing for nine scores during his team's 73-34 win over Rice, and Keenum now has 139 career touchdown passes. This year alone, he has completed 218 of 303 attempts (72.0 percent) for 3,219 yards, 32 TDs and three INTs. Those numbers, plus the fact he is No. 2 in the country in pass efficiency and his Cougars remain undefeated are enough to make me seriously consider putting Keenum on my Heisman Trophy ballot.
** Of course, topping my Heisman ballot is still Stanford QB Andrew Luck, who rallied the Cardinal last weekend to a three-overtime win over USC. Luck has completed 174 of 242 attempts (71.9 percent) for 2,218 yards, 23 TDs and four interceptions, and has added 113 yards and a couple of touchdowns rushing. But perhaps the best measuring stick of Luck's leadership is how Stanford has performed this year in the red zone. The Cardinal are 45 for 46 in red-zone scoring chances, 36 for touchdowns.
** For everyone salivating over the prospect of Urban Meyer becoming the next head coach at Ohio State, we offer this nugget: Florida is in the throes of its first four-game losing streak since 1988 and the once-feared Gators offense scored a grand total of three touchdowns in four October games. That includes last week's 24-20 loss to Georgia during which Florida totaled minus-19 yards rushing. Yes, Meyer is gone, but he recruited most of the underachieving players on this year's UF roster.
** One of former Ohio State head coach John Cooper's favorite sayings was "One week you're sipping the wine, the next week you're stomping the grapes." Players and coaches from Michigan State, Miami (Fla.), Purdue, Syracuse and Texas Tech know what Coop was talking about. Each of those teams upset ranked opponents on Oct. 22 and then each of those teams lost last Saturday by a combined score of 156-55.
** In its 41-7 loss to Iowa State, Texas Tech failed to record a touchdown pass for the first time in 70 games. The last time the Red Raiders hadn't scored a touchdown through the air was a 12-3 loss to TCU in 2006.
** By the way, that win over Texas Tech was the largest margin of victory over a ranked team for Iowa State in school history. The Cyclones' previous best was a 36-14 win over No. 20 Nebraska in 2002. The win over Texas Tech was also monumental in another way since Iowa State went into that game unranked. In their history as an unranked team playing a ranked opponent, the Cyclones are now 13-135.
** Congratulations to Missouri for its 38-31 overtime win over Texas A&M. It was an NCAA record 14th overtime game for the Tigers and they are 10-4 when working OT.
** Would you believe lowly Minnesota has a 2-3 record over its last five Big Ten games? Not only is that factoid true, both victories have come at the expense of Iowa. The Golden Gophers' latest success in the Floyd of Rosedale series, a 22-21 upset of the Hawkeyes last Saturday, gave Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz (he of the $3.7 million annual salary) a career Big Ten record of an extremely pedestrian 55-45.
** Congratulations to Ferentz anyway for coaching in his 100th career conference game, a milestone only 13 men before him have achieved – Amos Alonzo Stagg of Chicago (201, 1896-1932); Woody Hayes of Ohio State (196, 1951-78); Bo Schembechler (170, 1969-89); Hayden Fry of Iowa (164, 1979-98); Robert Zuppke of Illinois (150, 1913-41); Joe Paterno of Penn State (149, 1993-present); Barry Alvarez of Wisconsin (128, 1990-2005); Murray Warmath of Minnesota (126, 1954-71); Duffy Daugherty of Michigan State (125, 1954-72); Ray Eliot of Illinois (116, 1942-59); Bill Mallory of Indiana (105, 1984-96); Lloyd Carr of Michigan (104, 1995-2007); and John Cooper of Ohio State (104, 1988-2000).
** How bad has it gotten for Kansas? The Jayhawks totaled only 46 yards of total offense last weekend while the defense surrendered 590 during a 43-0 loss at Texas. Among the 120 schools playing Division I-A football, Kansas ranks 118th in pass defense, 119th in rush defense and 120th in both total and scoring defense.
** Finally, a shout-out to senior receiver Michael Zweifel of Division III Dubuque (Iowa), who has established a new NCAA all-division record with 440 career receptions. The old mark of 436 was held by Scott Pingel (1996-99) of D-III Westminster (Mo.). Zweifel has 117 receptions for 1,665 yards and 22 TDs for the Spartans, who were 8-1 through Oct. 29. Zweifel also carries a 3.90 GPA while majoring in health, wellness and recreation, and has been named a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete and finalist for the 2011 William V. Campbell Trophy, which recognizes the top scholar-athlete in the nation.
** On Nov. 2, 1985, eighth-ranked Ohio State toppled No. 1 Iowa by a 22-13 score in Ohio Stadium. Future College Hall of Fame linebacker Chris Spielman totaled 19 tackles, capped by a late fourth-down stop of Hawkeyes tailback Ronnie Johnson inside the OSU 10-yard line. Spielman also had two interceptions as the Buckeyes pressured Iowa QB Chuck Long into throwing four picks.
** On Nov. 3, 1962, third-ranked USC Trojans handed No. 9 Washington its first loss of the season with a 14-0 shutout in Los Angeles. Quarterback Pete Beathard threw and ran for a score to carry the Trojans to victory. The win helped propel USC to the first of four national titles won under College Football Hall of Fame coach John McKay.
** On Nov. 3, 1984, Ohio State rolled to a 50-7 victory over Indiana, giving future College Football Hall of Fame coach Earle Bruce his 100th career win.
** On Nov. 4, 1967, Miami (Fla.) ended Virginia Tech's regular-season winning streak at 14 with a 14-7 upset in Blacksburg.
** On Nov. 4, 2000, No. 23 Northwestern upset No. 12 Michigan in a 54-51 shootout in Evanston. Northwestern tailback Damien Anderson, who carried for 268 yards and two scores, dropped a fourth down pass in the end zone late in the game that seemingly sealed the Wildcats' fate. But on the ensuing Michigan possession, cornerback Sean Wieber forced Wolverines tailback Anthony Thomas to fumble, which was recovered by cornerback Raheem Covington. The turnover set up an 11-yard touchdown pass from NU quarterback Zak Kustok to wide receiver Sam Simmons with 20 seconds to play to clinch the victory.
** Also on Nov. 4, 2000, Utah State running back Emmett White established a new NCAA single-game record with 578 all-purpose yards as the Aggies took a 44-37 win over New Mexico State. White rushed for 322 yards, totaled 134 receiving and added another 122 on kickoff and punt returns.
** On Nov. 5, 1938, sixth-ranked Tennessee began a streak of 17 consecutive regular-season shutouts with a 45-0 win over Chattanooga. During the streak, the Volunteers won three SEC championships and two national titles while outscoring their opposition, 479-0.
** On Nov. 5, 1955, three future College Hall of Famers – coaches Bowden Wyatt of Tennessee and Bobby Dodd of Georgia Tech as well as UT tailback Johnny Majors – were all at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville as the Volunteers and Yellow Jackets played to a 7-7 tie.
** On Nov. 5, 1960, third-ranked Minnesota forced three turnovers and scored a 27-10 upset of top-ranked Iowa.
** On Nov. 6, 1869, Rutgers and Princeton squared off in Brunswick, N.J., for what has often been described as the first-ever game of American football. The 1869 game – won 6 "runs" to 4 by Rutgers – bore little resemblance to what football is known as today. For example, each side used 25 men on a 120-yard field and the rules were said to be a mixture of rugby and soccer. Players attempted to score by kicking the ball into the opposing team's goal, and throwing or carrying the ball was not allowed.
** On Nov. 6, 1971, Colgate and Bucknell combined to run the ball 141 times, setting an NCAA record for the most single-game rushes in college football history. The Raiders rushed 82 times while Bucknell racked up 59 carries, and the teams combined for 440 total rushing yards. Colgate won the game by a 47-24 score.
** On Nov. 6, 1976, Houston highlighted its first season as a member of the Southwest Conference with a stunning 30-0 victory over Texas. The Cougars were led by defensive tackle Wilson Whitley as the Longhorns were limited to only eight first downs in their worst conference loss ever under legendary head coach Darrell Royal.
** On Nov. 7, 1925, Andy "Swede" Oberlander threw a then-NCAA-record six touchdown passes as Dartmouth rolled to a 62-13 win over Cornell. One week later, the Big Green took a 33-7 victory over Chicago to finish the season with a perfect 8-0 record and the national championship.
** On Nov. 7, 1959, unranked Tennessee stopped Heisman Trophy winner Billy Cannon on a fourth-quarter two-point conversion run and preserved a 14-13 upset over No. 1 LSU, ending the Tigers' 19-game unbeaten streak.
** On Nov. 7, 1970, Northwestern fullback Mike Adamle set a new Big Ten record for carries by rushing 48 times for 192 yards and four touchdowns as his Wildcats took a 28-14 win over Minnesota.
** On Nov. 8, 1947, Wisconsin and Iowa became the first teams to combine for three punt returns for touchdowns in a single game during a 46-14 win by the Badgers in Madison.
** On Nov. 8, 1975, unranked Kansas ended No. 2 Oklahoma's 28-game winning streak by going into Norman and carving out a 23-3 upset victory. The defending national champion Sooners committed seven second-half turnovers and were held to their lowest scoring output in nine seasons. They rebounded, however, and went on to defeat Penn State in the Orange Bowl for a second consecutive national title.
** Also on Nov. 8, 1975, freshman cornerback Savann Thompson's interception with 59 seconds left set up the game-winning field goal as Stanford shocked No. 9 USC, 13-10, in the Los Angeles Coliseum.
It had to happen sometime. The highly-flying Forecast was grounded last weekend thanks to some unbelievable upsets – Iowa lost (again) to Minnesota and Texas Tech celebrated its win over Oklahoma a little too much and forgot to show up against four-loss Iowa State, dropping a 41-7 decision in the process.
Straight up, those were the only losses in an 8-2 week that puts us at 83-9 SU for the year. Unfortunately, we finally stumbled against the spread after three glorious weeks. Even with Ohio State's Upset Special win over Wisconsin, we were 4-6 ATS, leaving us still way ahead at 58-31-1 for the season but determined not to let one bad week turn into two.
Here are the games we like this week.
USC at Colorado: Time of give the devil his due. Lane Kiffin has taken a USC program reeling from NCAA sanctions and turned it into a pretty decent team. The Trojans came within an eyelash of knocking off national title contender Stanford last week, and get to use any leftover pent-up frustration tonight on the lowly Buffaloes. Colorado ranks dead last in the Pac-12 in pass efficiency defense, something that ought to play into the Trojans' strength, especially since QB Matt Barkley has thrown for 12 TDs in his last four games … USC 41, Colorado 14. (9 p.m. ET, ESPN)
No. 1 LSU at No. 2 Alabama: You can still argue about the overall depth of the SEC, but the discussion about the nation's two best teams begins and ends with the Tigers and the Crimson Tide. The game should be a black-and-blue defensive struggle. Bama boasts the nation's No. 1 defense in all four major categories – rush, pass efficiency, total yards and scoring – while LSU is among the top five in the same four categories. Scoring will be at a premium, meaning turnovers may play the huge role in determining the outcome. Neither team played last week, so they should both be more than ready to provide quite a show … Alabama 23, LSU 17. (8 p.m. ET, CBS)
No. 14 Kansas State at No. 3 Oklahoma State: The Cowboys have won their first four home games by a combined score of 227-100, so you have to wonder how the Wildcats are going to slow them down especially after last week's 58-17 loss to Oklahoma. The simple truth is that K-State will not be able to slow the Pokes down, but the Wildcats should be able to put a few more points on the board this week. While Okie State has one of the nation's top offenses, its defense ranks 111th nationally in yards allowed. Even so, this one should be another clinic by Cowboys QB Brandon Weeden (2,710 yards, 22 TDs) and top WR Justin Blackmon (74 catches, 834 yards, 10 TDs) … Oklahoma State 56, Kansas State 27. (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2)
No. 4 Stanford at Oregon State: After last week's triple-overtime scare at USC, you might tend to think the Cardinal will want to coast this week against the 2-6 Beavers. That shouldn't be the case, especially since one of the few things Stanford QB Andrew Luck has never accomplished in his career is a victory in the state of Oregon. The Cardinal's only blemish on last year's record was a 52-31 loss to the Ducks in Eugene, and two years ago Luck was on the losing end of a 38-28 decision to Oregon State. He returns to Corvallis trying to further cement his front-runner status in the Heisman race and hoping to keep his team tuned up for next week's home date against Oregon which will likely determine the champion of the Pac-12 North. It's tough to envision any scenario in which the offensively-challenged Beavers could engineer the upset … Stanford 41, Oregon State 10. (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2)
No. 5 Boise State at UNLV: The Broncos will be busy in Sin City, but you can bet they will have at least one eye on the Alabama-LSU scoreboard. The loser of that game will likely slip in next week's BCS standings, meaning Boise can inch closer to crashing the national championship part by taking care of business against the Rebels. That shouldn't be too difficult a task since UNLV doesn't do anything particularly well – the team ranks 116th nationally in total offense, 118th in scoring defense. Also, a win by the Broncos would push QB Kellen Moore's record as a starter to 46-2 and make him the winningest quarterback in NCAA history … Boise State 45, UNLV 13. (10:30 p.m. ET. CBS Sports Network)
Northwestern at No. 10 Nebraska: One thing we have learned about the Cornhuskers in their first season as Big Ten members – they are tough to beat at home. Ohio State had them by three touchdowns late in the third quarter and NU escaped with a 34-27 win. Then last week, Michigan State sailed into Lincoln as one of the hottest teams in the nation and sailed back out again on the wrong end of a 24-3 beatdown. Next up for Nebraska is Northwestern and its high-octane offense behind QB Dan Persa, who now seems fully healed from his Achilles heel injury. Persa leads a proficient offense; trouble is, the Wildcats can't seem to stop anyone on defense. They average 31.6 points per game offensively and give up an average of 31.5 defensively. That kind of ratio isn't going to get it done in Lincoln … Nebraska 37, Northwestern 24. (3:30 p.m. ET, BTN)
No. 13 Houston at UAB: Cougars QB Case Keenum already has the NCAA record for most touchdown passes in a career and he needs only 267 more passing yards to become college football's all-time leader in that department. Keenum might get that in the first half against the Blazers, who rank an abysmal 116th nationally in pass efficiency defense. As if Keenum wasn't enough, Houston also has KR Tyron Carrier, who has an NCAA-record tying seven career kickoff returns for a touchdown. This one should get ugly in a real big hurry … Houston 77, UAB 7. (7 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)
Minnesota at No. 17 Michigan State: The Gophers are feeling pretty good about themselves for a change after last week's 22-21 upset of Iowa. Contrast that with how Sparty feels after being run over by Nebraska. Actually, we should have foreseen both outcomes. Goldy beat Iowa for the second year in a row while the Huskers beat the Spartans for the sixth time in as many meetings. Last week was last week, however, and the smart money says look for an MSU bounce-back at home … Michigan State 35, Minnesota 13. (12 noon ET, BTN)
Purdue at No. 20 Wisconsin: College football is a game of emotion, but how difficult is it going to be for the Badgers to pick up the pieces after having their hearts cut out two weeks in a row? Well, playing the Boilermakers in Camp Randall should be just the tonic they need. The Badgers have won the last five meetings in the series by an average of nearly three touchdowns, and Purdue has dropped 13 straight road games to ranked opposition. Expect to be close very early and then watch Wisconsin keep its foot firmly planted on the accelerator … Wisconsin 52, Purdue 13. (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN2)
Indiana at Ohio State: After last week's emotion-filled victory over Wisconsin, the Buckeyes might be forgiven a little if they have trouble focusing this week. After all, the Hoosiers are likely the worst team in the Big Ten with a defense that would challenged to stop most high school teams. IU does have some offensive talent, most notably freshman QB Tre Roberson and JUCO transfer Stephen Houston at running back. Still, it's difficult to imagine how IU could pull off the unimaginable, especially considering OSU's current 16-0 run in the series … Ohio State 48, Indiana 14. (12 noon ET, BTN)
Here are the spreads for the above games: USC (-21) at Colorado; LSU at Alabama (-4½); Kansas State at Oklahoma State (-21); Stanford (-20½) at Oregon State; Boise State at UNLV (+42); Northwestern (+18) at Nebraska; Houston (-27) at UAB; Minnesota (+28) at Michigan State; Purdue at Wisconsin (-25½); Indiana at Ohio State (-27).
Enjoy the games and we'll visit again next week.


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text: Vice Magazine: Tattoo Age, Freddy Corbin Episode II (VIDEO) [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjcEhwAwpbc&w=560&h=315] Courtesy of VICE.com: In this episode of Tattoo Age, we talk to Freddy about his rise as a tattoo artist -from the day he received an income tax return check in the mail for $75 that he used towards his first tattoo, to the unforgettable 9 a.m. phonecall from Ed Hardy with a job offer. We chat about everything from Freddy's Rock of Ages back piece to the post-punk industrial period of the 80s, and hear anecdotes of the tattoo greats (such as Ed Hardy, Henry Foldfield, Dan Higgs, and Sonny Tufts) that Freddy learned all his tricks from. [More info on expanded page] To see more Tattoo Age episodes visit VICE.com: http://www.vice.com/ (Freddy Corbin can be found at Temple Tattoo in Oakland, CA.)


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Walt Disney Studios' Martian action-adventure film "John Carter" was flagged many moons ago as a potentially catastrophic box office flop. Although the $250 million mega-budget fantasy epic nabbed some decent reviews and exceeded expectations internationally, the doomsday prophecies about the film's domestic financial prospects have been fulfilled: "John Carter" opened at $9.8 million on Friday and is set to earn approximately $30.1 million domestically for the weekend, according to the Hollywood Reporter— paltry sums for a high-profile project speculated to be one of the most expensive films in Hollywood history.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Disney stands to lose between $100 million to $165 million on "John Carter," a long-in-production adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs' classic science-fiction series "Barsoom" starring "Friday Night Lights" star Taylor Kitsch as the eponymous interstellar hero.
The film's $250 million budget places it somewhere in the top ten most costly American film productions of all-time, according to The Numbers.
U.S. & World
Universal and Illumination Entertainment's "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax," a family-friendly adaptation of the iconic 1971 children's book, will win the weekend with $40 million and earn an auspicious spot at the top of the 2012 box office chart. For point of comparison, "The Lorax" cost a relatively modest $70 million to make, according to Entertainment Weekly.
Disney packaged "John Carter" as an effects-ladden spectacle on par with "Avatar" and "Star Wars" — two Hollywood behemoths, both prominently name-dropped in the studio-produced TV spots and tweets, with wide appeal to the coveted young male demographic. But the 3D would-be blockbuster was beset from the outset with a range of handicaps that threatened widespread commercial appeal, including Kitsch's low name recognition and a head-scratchingly generic title.
"John Carter" reportedly also exceeded its massive budget and necessitated expensive late-in-the-game reshoots, The Wrap reported. (Stanton's inexperience with large-scale production — "John Carter" is the director's first live-action feature — may have also contributed to the film's poor reception).
The film is not the first mega-budget Hollywood spectacle to crash and burn at the U.S. box office. "Waterworld" ($252 million) and "Wild Wild West" ($224 million), to cite two recent examples, were enormous commercial failures — and, like "John Carter," blended science-fiction with action-adventure to dubious results.
Like Disney's 2010 sword-and-sorcery film "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," starring Jake Gyllenhaal in the title role, "John Carter" may offset a middling domestic run with international success. According to the Los Angeles Times, "John Carter" opened to strong sales in Russia, raking in $6.5 million — the biggest opening-day tally in Russian film history.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, however, "John Carter" may not even be a sure-thing across all overseas markets: Early audience response in Asia and throughout Europe is apparently tepid.


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You Cant Lead What You Fit In With:
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Created on January, 22, 2000 and was first used in commercce the same day, You Cant Lead What You Fit In With is one of Savvy Turtle's top sellers and trending designs to date almost twenty years later. Over the years there has been many copycats and even counterfeiters but no one has been able to beat or surpass Savvy Turtle as we will always remain the Originals in Unique trending designs.
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January 22, 2000


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#30 Miriam McAlister
|Nashville,Tenn. (David Lipscomb HS)
2007-2008: Pleyed in first seven games of the season before being sidelined due to medical reasons. ...Scored season-high nine points and grabbed a season-high five rebounds against Kentucky (11/25/07). ...Made five blocked shots against Bowling Green State (11/15/07). ...Member of Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team.
2006-2007:Played in only two games this year due to medical reasons. ...In the two games she played she averaged 11.5 points per game and 10 rebounds per game. ...Was the leading scorer and rebounder in both of the games she played in. ...Scored a season high 14 points against Jacksonville (Nov. 30), and had a season high 10 rebounds against Jacksonville (Nov. 30) and North Florida (Dec. 2). ...Member of Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team.
2005-2006: Named to the Atlantic Sun All-Freshman Team. ... Led team in scoring five times. ...Led team in rebounding in six games, tied for lead twice. ...Led team in blocked shots four times, tied for lead once. ...Scored a season team-high 23 points against ETSU. (Feb. 16)...Scored in double figures in five games. ...Also attempted a season team-high nine field goals against ETSU (Feb. 16). ...Tied for single-game team high in free throws made with nine vs. Florida Atlantic (March 2) and free throw attempts with 13 vs. Jacksonville (Jan. 28). ....Grabbed 11 rebounds at Kennesaw State (Dec. 1). ...Hit a perfect 9-of-9 from the line against Florida Atlantic (March 2). ...Tied for second highest single-game rebound total with 13. ...Also tied for second in blocked shots in a single game with six vs. Memphis (Nov. 29). ...Credited with four steals at Campbell (Feb. 11). ...Played a season-high 32 minutes at Gardner-Webb (Feb. 9). ...Member of Atlantic Sun All-Academic Team.
High School: Averaged 12.3 points and a team-leading 6.1 rebounds per game as a senior in 35 games as the David Lipscomb Lady Mustangs finished 31-5. ... All-Region and All-District team member. ...All-Region Tournament MVP. ...Shot 54.7 percent from the field (152-of-278) and 71.6 percent from free throw line (101-for-141). ...Led team in blocked shots with 60 and in steals with 76. ...Member of All-Tournament team in DLHS Christmas Tournament. ...As a junior she played in 28 games, averaging 12.9 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. ...She also blocked 84 shots. ...Named to All-District and All-Region teams as a junior. ...A versatile athlete. ...She was named as Most Improved Player on the David Lipscomb volleyball team as a junior. ...Vice-President of Student Body.


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Eight Mile Style, a company that handles the rights to rapper Eminem's music, is suing Facebook and its ad agency for unauthorized use of his song "Under the Influence," according to a report.
Eight Mile Style consists of Eminem, also known as Marshall Mathers, and producers Mark and Jeff Bass, and their 12-page complaint filed in Detroit federal court alleges that the Facebook ad for Facebook Home was broadcast on April 4, according to Billboard.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
The 30-second ad, called "Airplane" by ad agency Wieden+Kennedy of Portland, Ore., was featured in a webcast by Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg to launch Facebook Home, according to USA Today. The complains contends that the ad agency used the music to "curry favor" with Zuckerberg, who reportedly likes Eminem's music and has referred to himself as "Slim Shady," another Eminem persona.
Facebook and the ad agency declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Previously Eight Mile Style sued Apple and Audi for unlawful use of Eminem's "Lose Yourself". Both companies agreed to out-of-court settlements.
In today's world with YouTube and cameras everywhere, it's nearly impossible to try to hide possible copyright infringement. So far, it also seems Eight Mile Style is also very active in monitoring its song rights and licensing. With such a successful lawsuit track record, you might think there would be fewer ad agencies willing to take a risk on sounding like Eminem.


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Pratt, KS, looks like a typical small American town. Brick-paved streets line the downtown area, and two large water towers stand as sentinels over town. Two-story homes with wide front porches grace the neighborhoods. But walk downtown, and you're likely to hear the grunts of a karate class emanating through the windows of a building on Third Street or the sounds of the latest hit song wafting from the second floor windows. Keith and Elaine Ray own the Star Martial Arts Health and Fitness Center on the first floor of the building, while Leon and Kristina Kaufman operate Bodies Elite Gym and Fitness upstairs.
Business is booming in Pratt, which has a population of 6,570 and is located in the south central part of Kansas. Pratt is the kind of small town where Kaufman is comfortable asking a member to watch his 11,000-square-foot club while he runs an errand.
"I trust them with it," he says, noting that members even take phone messages for him. "I don't think you could do that in a larger community."
Small towns, often derided as being behind the times in fashion, fads and fitness, have joined the rest of America in one trend they may wish they had left behind — obesity. In fact, rural America has surpassed the rest of the country when it comes to expanding waistlines and increasing obesity-related health risks.
It wasn't always so. Prior to 1980, obesity was more prevalent in large metropolitan areas than rural communities, according to a literature review titled "Nutrition and Overweight Concerns in Rural Areas." While few current national studies are available on rural obesity, some state studies show that obesity is a growing problem not only for adults but also for children living in small towns (see sidebar on page 39).
The increasing obesity levels in rural areas means fitness centers are in demand in small-town America. Stepping up to the plate to serve these communities often are locals — some perhaps with little business or fitness background — who know the importance of fitness and who often run their small clubs not to become rich but instead to serve the communities in which they grew up.
Kaufman, who grew up near Kingman, KS, opened his first club in Kingman with an eye on Pratt, 32 miles to the west.
"I kept looking at the town and thinking someone was going to do something big over there, but no one did," Kaufman says. His 5,000-square-foot Kingman facility had a good reputation and with his background in bodybuilding, he received requests to open a gym in Pratt.
Keith Ray is from Pratt, but his family moved away during high school. As an adult, he returned to the town of his childhood, opening the martial arts facility and working as a technology instructor at the local community college.
Four years ago, David Smith also came home again — at least home to his wife's hometown of Dothan, AL. The two bought an 11,000-square-foot facility, Paradise Fitness for Women, in the farming town of 61,000. They had been managing partners in three fitness facilities in larger towns in Texas and Florida before coming to Dothan to slow the pace of their lives and focus on helping people, Smith says.
Being the Hub
Locals as well as outsiders who open health clubs in a "hub town" — a small town that people from the smaller towns around it come to on a regular basis to do business — often achieve more success than those who start a business in an outlying rural community, says Bruce Carter, owner of Optimal Fitness Design Systems International, a business that has consulted with many small-town club owners. While metropolitan areas may pull members from just a few blocks' radius up to a 5-mile radius, clubs in smaller towns often pull from longer distances. People in small towns may drive 25 to 30 minutes to a health club, says Michael Scott Scudder, owner of MSS FitBiz Connection, an online consulting and training company.
The Rays pull students from as far away as Burlington, OK, a 70-mile drive. Some of the Kaufman's members drive 50 miles to work out at the facility. Energy Fitness in Paducah, KY (a town of 26,000), draws patrons from nearby Metropolis, IL, as well as other nearby communities.
"There are a lot of small towns that aren't well served by health clubs just across the river or down the road," says Jeff James, who bought a Gold's Gym in 2001 and then dropped the Gold's licensing and opened Energy Fitness in 2003. "We have 20 to 30 percent of our members who are outside of a 10-mile radius."
The 4,777 residents of New Boston, NH, were faced with a 40-minute drive to the nearest gym before Kim Messa opened the New Boston Health and Wellness Center in a refurnished 4,800-square-foot barn last September. Residents commute to work in the big city of Manchester, NH, and fairly affluent, 40-year-old moms make up most of New Boston Health and Wellness Center's membership.
"Typically, the male goes to work and mom is with the kids, and they don't have time to travel outside of town. They were so excited to be able to exercise and be close," Messa says.
But whether a hub or not, towns that draw from a population of 5,000 or less often find it difficult to be successful, Carter says.
"At some point you are too small, and there's not enough people," he says.
Because of that limited population, successful small town clubs tend to be the ones that are something to everybody, meaning they have equipment for the 18-year-old lifter but they are warm and user friendly for the housewife.
However, some clubs in rural communities are challenging the one-for-all notion. Regina Courchine opened TrainerTown Personal Training Center in Wrentham, MA, in January 2004, but two years later moved to a larger space with more visibility in the town of Plainville, MA (population 7,926), and started offering more group training after learning that the cost of one-on-one personal training was a deterrent to many.
While TrainerTown's client list is usually comprised of 40- to 50-year-olds who are more established in their career and lifestyles, she hopes to "niche" into reaching more children.
"For us it's about being a smaller spot, and we're very good at getting people who don't want to belong to a traditional large gym," she says.
Turning a Profit
Whether niched or not, an important factor in making money in a small town is to locate in one with a median household income of $50,000 or more, says Carter.
Plainville, with a median household income of $57,155 and New Boston, with a median household income of $66,020, fit that theory, but Dothan's median household income is just $35,000. Still, Smith has managed to carve out a living for himself in Dothan, which, admittedly, is on the larger side for a "small town." He increased his club's revenues from $180,000 the first year of ownership to $567,000 in 2005 with a monthly average of $15,000 in personal training despite competition from six other fitness facilities and four church fitness centers.
However, Doug Mahlum, owner of Montana Athletic Club, has had his financial challenges in Bigfork, MT, where the median household income is $36,116.
In retrospect, Mahlum says he wouldn't have opened the Bigfork facility because of the tremendous effort to build the membership in this summer resort town of 1,400 year-round residents.
"I guess it's been good in one way because it's taught me how clubs run in smaller communities and what has to be done to make clubs successful in small communities," Mahlum says.
Business smarts are definitely required.
"You have to be a smart business person in this industry or you won't make it," Mahlum says. "This isn't the oil business or Wal-Mart. There are thin margins. I tell people, 'If it doesn't make business sense, don't do it.' If you build a business and it's not financially feasible or stable, you've ruined yourself, the business and created a bad taste in the community towards clubs."
Building a successful health club in a small town can be capital intensive, Energy Fitness' James says.
"It's fairly challenging because just like any other business, it takes quite a while to build up the sales revenue and membership to start becoming profitable," James says. "Once you get there, you have to work hard to stay that way."
Another part of business ownership in a small town is taking care not to overbuild or to overspend on maintenance and salaries, says Scudder. Club owners who overbuild can find it difficult to maintain their facilities, which can cause them to lose members.
Some club owners are fortunate enough to have another revenue source, which helps them to invest in their clubs without getting in the hole. James works for a family-owned marine business, which allows him to raise enough capital to reinvest in his health club.
Cherrel Schwintek, owner of Curves franchises in Eldon, MO, and Versailles, MO, however, depends on her clubs as her only source of income.
"I will never be rich because I give a lot back," says Schwintek, who applied for a loan from the Small Business Administration to start up the Curves in Missouri.
Financing Growth
For many small town club owners who decide to reinvest in their fitness facilities, getting financing for a new club, an expansion or new equipment is as simple as calling their local banker, possibly a friend of theirs, and asking for some money.
"I can make a phone call to the bank and the president will get on the phone and talk to me," says Smith. "The last loan, the money was in our account before we signed the papers."
Mahlum recently completed an equipment expansion at the Bigfork club, and his financing came from a member — the president of the local bank.
"That's one of the advantages of being a small town," Mahlum says. "The banker is probably a member of your facility and knows the operation that you run and will be more willing to take risks if he knows you run a good operation.
However, not all small town banks are so free with their money. It often depends on the history a club owner has with the business and the bank.
"The fitness industry doesn't have the best reputation when talking to bankers and lending institutions," Kaufman says. "When I first opened my business and met my banker, he said, 'I can't believe I'm making a loan on a gym. That's about as bad as a restaurant.' [The industry has] a bit of that reputation."
Hiring Help
The industry in general also has a reputation for staff retention issues, and it's no different in a small town. Unfortunately, small towns have an even harder time filling vacant positions because of the limited number of people from which a rural area can draw.
"You can't just go out on any street corner and hire anybody," Ray says.
Mahlum, who wears many hats at the Montana Athletic Club, says he is his own cheapest labor. While revenue has increased every year at the Bigfork club, the facility still doesn't earn enough for Mahlum to hire a manager. He says it's almost impossible to find and keep good employees, although he is happy with his staff.
"This is the Catch 22 — you find a good person and want to pay them, but you don't have enough members to increase their pay, and if you don't keep a good person, you won't be able to keep members," Mahlum says.
Lack of qualified staff can sometimes hamper expansion. Kaufman has considered opening another club, but lack of qualified staff has prevented him from doing so thus far. He employs one full-time person and one part-time person in Kingman. In Pratt, he has one full-time person and three part-time people.
Word of Mouth
Hiring qualified employees is one of the challenges faced by health clubs in small towns, but marketing to draw in new members can prove to be even more of an obstacle. Newspapers may print only once a week and may go out to a broader area than a club owner wants to market.
While Kaufman has experimented with radio and is considering TV ads, he's concerned the cost is too great when only a small percentage of those listening are in his target area.
Mahlum, whose Bigfork club sits in a 75-mile wide by 60-mile long valley with three bigger towns, has found that radio advertising isn't targeted enough to Bigfork, so he spends most of his money on direct mail.
The Curves franchises in Eldon and Versailles, which were both founded before Curves International mandated that franchises locate in towns with more than 5,000 people, advertise in the town newspapers and print fliers. Curves also airs national ads on TV, which helps Schwintek with her local marketing efforts, she says.
At Energy Fitness, which is located in a 38,000-square-foot building with other tenants like a dermatology clinic, chiropractor and a restaurant, James spends between $5,000 to $8,000 a month for newspaper ads and air time. In a small town, club owners can get more bang for their marketing buck, he says. At the same time, Paducah has experienced minimal population growth, which makes it challenging to pull in new members. Several plant closings in the region have limited some members' disposable income.
"You have to work harder in a small town to get new traffic," he says. "You're marketing to the same people over and over again."
Despite the success of other forms of paid advertising, the best advertising is still free — word of mouth. In a small town everyone knows each other, are related or know a family member, Smith says.
"If you take care of someone, your positive word of mouth will travel, but if your service is bad, word of mouth will travel even faster," he says.
That word of mouth is helped along when a club gets involved in community causes and activities. Mahlum's club participates in the town cleanup, Ray's martial arts school raises money for a charity that helps troubled youth and Smith's facility participates in health fairs.
"In a small town, your community involvement has to be ratcheted up to enormous levels," Mahlum says. "In a small town, you get the tight-knit group, and if you become a part of that, they will support you."
Small-Town Living
While it's not easy to be a small-town club owner, many derive satisfaction from simply being able to help people in their community and do their part to battle the rural obesity epidemic.
"In a larger market, you don't have the time to foster those relationships because it is so fast paced and volume is key," Smith says. "When a member thanks you outside the club for what you were able to do for their grandmother or parent, it is a true blessing."
Kaufman says owning the two small-town health clubs in Pratt and Kingman is a labor of love.
"This is something I love to do," he says. "For the first seven years I put in 90 hours a week because I love doing it."
That love of their communities and fitness helps rural club owners face the challenges — turning a profit, getting financing, attracting new members, marketing their health clubs, and hiring qualified and experienced employees. And in the end, they see the difference they make in their communities as they help to shape up rural America one town at a time.
A Big Fish in a Small Town
While not all small towns are alike, they often have more similarities that make for certain truisms. To operate in a small town, club owners should consider the following:
Locate your facility in a "hub" town. In many rural areas, several smaller towns feed into a larger town, which is the center of activity with several churches, a grocery store and some fast food restaurants. This is the type of small town a club owner wants to be in, says Bruce Carter, owner of Optimal Fitness Systems International.
Do the demographic homework. Towns of less than 5,000 people generally are not a good bet for a successful club, says Carter. In addition, the median household income should be $50,000.
Offer something for everybody and do not intimidate a part of the market. A facility in a large town can create a niche club, but a small-town club must appeal to everyone because there are fewer people from which to draw members.
Be careful what you spend when building/expanding. If you're operating a club in a small town, you may not have the income to pay for costly renovations or expansions.
Give good service. If you treat members like they're part of a big family and show that everyone cares about each other, it makes for a better atmosphere.
Include in your club a social area such as a juice bar or cafe. Doug Mahlum's 20,000-square-foot club in Bigfork, MT, has a juice bar that brings in more than just a small amount of extra revenue — it brings in members. "In Bigfork, we have several members who come in at 5 a.m. and drink coffee and talk to members and never work out, but they are members," says Mahlum.
Rural Areas Show Higher Obesity Rates
Obesity is more common in rural areas than urban areas, according to a national literature review, "Nutrition and Overweight Concerns in Rural America."
For adult men, the prevalence of obesity steadily increases with declines in population density. Obesity prevalence is lowest in large, central, metropolitan areas and highest in counties with no city greater than 10,000 residents (see chart below right). The highest prevalence of obesity for women is also in rural areas. In fact, rural white men and women are more likely to be overweight than their urban counterparts, even when controlling for demographics and other variables such as energy intake and expenditure.
When it comes to rural children, the research isn't conclusive on a national scale, and few recent studies have been published, but smaller statewide studies suggest that childhood obesity is higher in rural communities. When comparing sixth graders in two rural South Carolina counties to the national average, a researcher found that 49 percent of the sixth graders were obese compared to a national obesity average of 21 percent. Another study compared the obesity levels of 1,000 rural and 1,000 urban children in North Carolina and found that the odds of being obese were 50 percent higher for rural children.
How is this possible? Larry D. Hensley, professor of physical education and the coordinator of the University of Northern Iowa Cedar Falls, IA-based Physical Activity and Nutrition Among Rural Youth project, says that more research points to environmental factors as a significant influence on physical activity behaviors.
"The customary belief of high physical demands of rural life may be a thing of the past as mechanization and technology have significantly changed life in rural areas," Hensley says. "Despite efforts to promote healthy eating, the traditional 'meat and potatoes' diet is still commonplace."
Name: Pratt, KS
Population: 6,397*
Number of Fitness Facilities: 2
Median Household Income: $33,646
Unemployed Rate: 3 percent
Interesting Fact: Years ago, teenagers spray painted "hot" and "cold" on the city's two water towers. The city council decided the idea was catchy, repainting the words permanently on the towers.
Name: Bigfork, MT
Population: 1,421**
Number of Fitness Facilities: 2
Median Household Income: $36,116
Unemployed Rate: 4.4 percent
Interesting Fact: The summer resort town's population swells to 8,000 or more people during the summer.
Name: Plainville, MA
Population: 7,926 *
Number of Fitness Facilities: 1
Median Household Income: $57,155
Unemployed Rate: 3.6 percent
Interesting Fact: A strong supporter of youth athletics, the town is in the process of building a Field of Dreams complex to enhance recreation sports offerings.
Name: Eldon, MO
Population: 4,923*
Number of Fitness Facilities: 2
Median Household Income: $27,103**
Unemployed Rate: 4.8 percent
Interesting Fact: Eldon, which has a state recreation area, is close to the Lake of the Ozarks, one of Missouri's largest lakes.
Name: Paducah, KY
Population: 25,545 *
Number of Fitness Facilities: 3
Median Household Income: $26,137
Unemployed Rate: 7.7 percent
Interesting Fact: Paducah is know as Quilt City USA for its Museum of American Quilter's Society, which educates visitors about the art, history and heritage of quilt making.
Name: New Boston, NH
Population: 4,777 *
Number of Fitness Facilities: 1 (unless you drive to larger neighboring towns)
Median Household Income: $66,020
Unemployed Rate: 2.5 percent
Interesting Fact: The Great Village Fire of May 11, 1887, destroyed nearly 40 buildings in the town as well as some permanent records, leaving gaps in New Boston's history.
Name: Dothan, Alabama
Population: 61,287 *
Number of Fitness Facilities: 11 (seven for-profits and four church facilities)
Median Household Income: $35,000
Unemployed Rate: 5.8 percent
Interesting Fact: Dothan's already exploding population grew even more when those affected by the hurricanes relocated there.
Note: *Estimated population from July 2004, based on changes in 2000 census population data
**Based on 2000 census data
Source: www.city-data.com
Rural Resources
Small-town club owners can visit these Web sites for more information.
United States Small Business Administration
Center for Rural Affairs
Internal Revenue Source
USDA Rural Development
Rural Policy Research Institute
Rural Information Center
Rural Assistance Center


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Officials: CIA drone targets al-Qaida's No. 2
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A CIA drone strike Monday targeted al-Qaida's second in command, Abu Yahia al-Libi, in Pakistan, but it was unclear whether he was among those hit, U.S. officials said.
Fewer than five people were hit in two days of strikes in Pakistan during a period of a half-dozen strikes in less than two weeks, as the U.S. pushed ahead with the controversial drone program despite Pakistani demands to stop. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the classified drone program.
U.S. officials said they did not know yet whether al-Libi was among those killed, but said they were "optimistic."
Al-Libi would be the latest in the dozen-plus senior commanders removed in the clandestine U.S. war against al-Qaida since Navy SEALs killed Osama bin Laden last year.
The White House maintains a list of terrorist targets to be killed or captured, compiled by the military and the CIA and ultimately approved by the president.
The State Department's Rewards for Justice program had set a $1 million reward for information leading to the Libyan-born fugitive, who had filmed numerous propaganda videos urging attacks on U.S. targets after he escaped a prison at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan in 2005.
Al-Libi took the second-in-command spot when Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahri took charge of al-Qaida after bin Laden's death. As al-Qaida's de facto general manager, al-Libi oversaw the group's day-to-day operations in Pakistan's tribal areas and managed outreach to al-Qaida's regional affiliates.
"This is one of the more prominent names" among the targets of drone strikes in Pakistan, which helps bolsters the CIA's push to continue the drone program despite the continued political resistance from Pakistan and collateral damage, added former CIA officer Paul Pillar.
Al-Libi's death would be "another reason not to accept Pakistan's demand for an end to drone wars," added Brookings Institute's Bruce Riedel, a former CIA officer and adviser to the White House on Afghanistan and Pakistan policy.


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2 years & up. Toddlers will enjoy art because it is at their height. Adjust the height of the double painting surfaces from 8 1/2" to 16" high. Minimal assembly and folds flat for storage. Easel is 40"H, work panel is 24" W x 24" H. Mat sold separately.
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text: The International Space Station (ISS) has a new permanent resident, one that will assist astronauts and become a valued member of the space station team. Robonaut 2 (R2) arrived at the ISS this week, delivered by STS-133 on the final flight of the Space Shuttle Discovery. Initially, Robonaut 2 will be a stationary resident, to be installed in the Unity Node until it can perform more complex mobile tasks.


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On Sunday, millions of people will be watching as celebrities descend upon Hollywood Boulevard to walk the red carpet before heading into the Dolby Theater for the 86th annual Academy Awards.
Last year, we stopped by the Dolby Theater to get a better look at what exactly it takes to prepare for the most-watched red carpet event of the year.
While workmen are quickly trying to transform Los Angeles' Hollywood Boulevard into a red carpet area, the street is anything but glamorous before the Oscar's take it over.This is what the red carpet looks like during arrivals for the Academy Awards.
But before Sunday's big show, the glamorous red carpet area is just a blocked off, busy street in the middle of a touristy area in Hollywood.
To the right of the carpet, there is a Forever 21 clothing store and Johnny Depp look-a-like from "Pirates of the Caribbean."
To the left, there is a pizzeria, tattoo parlor, and Harley Davidson store.
In front of the Dolby Theater, where the Oscars take place, there is the famous El Capitan Theater.
It's where Jimmy Kimmel is filmed nightly and where his star-studded Oscars after-show takes place.
On Wednesday, workers were still setting up the carpet for Sunday's show.
The fan bleachers were empty.
And the red carpet hadn't even been unraveled.
But press assignments have already been placed.
The golden curtain has been drawn back in anticipation for Sunday's Academy Awards.
And Oscar is almost ready!
A far cry from the snazzy scene presented on television.
Now see what celebs take home from the big show ...
Here's Everything Inside The $85,000 Oscar Nominee Swag Bag >
See Also:22 Photos That Prove The Oscars Were Ridiculously Fun In The '70sHere's Everything Inside The $85,000 Oscar Nominee Swag BagHere's What The Inside Of An Oscar Envelope Looks Like


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By Jessica Remitz
Just like every other pet owner, veterinarians are responsible for giving their pets the best possible exercise, nutrition, and care needed to keep them happy and healthy. But how does their chosen profession give them a leg up on the rest of us? And are there any tips they can share for keeping our pets healthy? Here's a look at the ways veterinarians provide a healthy lifestyle for their pets.
Nutrition and Exercise
Feeding your pet a well-balanced diet will help prevent obesity, and the various conditions associated with being overweight, as well as help your pet manage existing health conditions and food allergies. Fortunately, many commercial pet foods are now sophisticated enough to help maintain your pet's health in addition to their teeth and coat, says Katie Grzyb, DVM and emergency clinician at the Veterinary Emergency and Referral Group in Brooklyn, New York.
For Camille DeClementi, DVM and senior director of medical records at the ASPCA, feeding her greyhound a healthy and nutritious diet was essential from the day she brought her home.
"When my greyhound came off of the racetrack, she was very thin and her coat was dry because of bad nutrition. When she got back on a proper diet, her hair grew back in,"according to Dr. DeClementi. "If our nutrition isn't good, it shows in our hair and nails, just like our pets."
It's important to discuss any questions you have about your pet's diet with your veterinarian and be sure to follow the recommended serving sizes on food labels to help prevent overfeeding and obesity. Dr. DeClementi also recommends being cautious of feeding your pet any people food that may be poisonous to them, including raisins, grapes, and onions.
When it comes to exercise, it's essential to learn about the ways your pet likes to be active and encourage them to engage in moderate activity on a regular basis. "Cats can be entertained with catnip, toys and stairs to get to their food," Dr. DeClementi says, "while a look at your dog's breed and lifestyle will determine the right fit for their exercise regimen."
"Since my dog was bred to run, I need to make sure she gets some running in. Make sure they have opportunities to get out bursts of energy and play with other dogs, it's important both physically and mentally," she says. Jogging, swimming, walking and a long game of fetch at the dog park are also great ways to keep your pup fit and active.
Grooming and Oral Care
Because they see the issues that go hand in hand with a lack of grooming and trimming your pet's nails, veterinarians are generally good about keeping up with their pet's coat and nails, says Louise Murray, DVM, DACVIM and vice president of the ASPCA Bergh Memorial Animal Hospital.
"We see animals that come in with matting so severe that it causes discomfort and health problems, and see older cats come in with nails so long, they've grown into their paw pads and are extremely uncomfortable," Dr. Murray says. "The best thing you can do is keep your pet's coat clean and their nails short."
While the grooming needs of your pet will vary depending on their breed, coat length and the time of year, pets with long hair will generally need more frequent brushing and bathing than those with shorter coats. Dr. DeClementi suggests talking to your breeder or shelter about your pet's grooming needs when you take them home to get an idea of what will work for your pet.
Frequent grooming will also allow you to check in on the condition of your pet's skin and catch any irregularities before they become an issue. Fleas and ticks can be difficult to spot on pets with long coats, and grooming them regularly will help you to know when to treat your pet with preventative medication. "Just remember to use the proper products for your cat or dog," Dr. DeClementi says, "as many flea and tick medications are safe for only one species."
The hollow bodily organ that holds the embryo and fetus and provides nourishment; only found in female animals.
A medical condition in which the gums become inflamed


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About Doug D
A gentle push like the Titanic (the publisher) nudging that iceberg (the government) I'm sure. And we all know who's going to win that shoving match.
Don't forget to ask Wells Fargo and Chase about criminals banking with them. Once a person has been accused of a crime (that's close enough to a conviction, right?) the banks should have to document how much they have made from that criminal's accounts and why they weren't actively working to stem the criminal deposits.
As the pro-gun argument goes, "When seconds count, the police are just minutes away." As I don't know any of the circumstances I'm not saying the victim owning a gun would have prevented this murder, but the cops knew it was going to happen and still were only able to get there after the fact.
I don't think you could use "truth as a defense" if Fox sued. The key term is "disparage the show" and they would be sued under breach of contract, which isn't the same as defamation. But then I'm not a lawyer nor do I play one on TV.
As far as it being a good decision to trot out the gag order,this is the same Fox that wigged out about non-licensed Jayne hats so I'm convinced they really don't understand publicity or want a fan base.
They brought in Carmen Ortiz to write the T&C. She never plans to use that ability, just hold it over your head so the week-long ban from the beta test looks totally reasonable.
Did you miss the part about "not being in the same market"? A DVD Box set will never be used as a high-end travel case. Not one in my life have I thought I needed a good brief case and the New Releases in Best Buy was the place to go look. If, to pick something random, they sold a box set of the classic Get Smart TV show in a replica of his shoe phone, I don't think anyone would buy that hoping for comfy footwear.
The FBI doesn't currently have the ability to manufacture their own terrorist plots officials say. But if the Agency develops the ability, then they will be much more likely to create security theater according to industry experts.
Oh wait, never mind. Too late.
As much as I am not Obama's fan, I'm not sure anyone in Washington is any better. They're all doing away with our liberties wholesale and we keep voting them back into office anyway.
I'm still a fan of term limits. Maybe if you know you will be "one of the masses" in a few years you'll be a little more careful about what laws you write for "everyone else" to follow.
You think that the "Browncoat" fans of Firefly are equated to the South in the civil war? Really?
The Browncoats were fighting for their independence from an overbearing government that wanted to control how they live. I can see some vague connection to how people view the civil war, but only if you don't actually understand the impetus behind it. Associating them to the Tea Party might fly on some level, but still make you look like a damned fool none the less.
Why? I have a BlackBerry for my work. I work for a global company as well and get emails at all hours of the night. I'm not on call and therefore not required to do unpaid work when I'm at home. That said I will sometimes respond to emails while on vacation/off work because I choose to. That's a choice I make for a variety of reasons but VW isn't giving their employees any choice at all.
4) He assumes all these countries will outsource the job to India, boosting their employment numbers.
Actually, the article is about an anti-piracy company pirating music (via broken contracts) in an anti-piracy advertisement. That is pretty much the definition of hypocrisy.
I'll play devil's advocate for a moment on this one. There may be a line of thinking that says the pirated version on PC will result in fewer sales on other platforms. If 30,000 people did not buy the XBox/PS3 version after stealing it on the PC, then they may not cover their port costs. I don't have any numbers to support this thinking on any level, just trying to explain their possible logic.
No no, art is in the eye of the Police and they see no apparent esthetic value in this display.
This was my thought too. How about when Rush campaigns to have every one of his 10 Million + listeners call in and tell Congress what they think. He's caused them untold headaches before.
On the other hand, the Union hired an autodialer to spam the voicemail. And when Pulte came to them 4 days later the union refused to stop. I think the email claims are garbage of a poorly designed network, but the phone may have been what pushed them over the line.
In my opinion, there are two reasons:
1) It's the law and they're required to. The reason for the law is ...
2) The whole point is to keep people from driving drunk. The cops are trying to keep you off the road by advertising heavy enforcement. They want to catch the drunks but they would rather there be fewer drunks in the first place.
Anything can be art. Not everything is art.
AC is commenting on the fact that people have lost sight of that second part in defining "art" today.
You miss his point. Blocking Texting would not stop the kids from using FB. Just as dangerous, just as stupid, still totally possible at 50 MPH.
The security breach happened a month ago. They found out about it on Sunday. They shut things down Monday. I'm not claiming they're innocent and should be exonerated, but I don't think they can be accused to sitting on this for any period of time.
"Publisher: Cowman Publication (November 30, 0002)"
The book is over 2000 years old. Yhey're adjusting for inflation on the original price of 3 denarii, 99 as.


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Google will debut the latest version of its Android operating system, Android 4.2 and two new devices at its Oct. 29 even in New York City.
The event will feature the new operating system, a new high-end tablet from Samsung and LG's Nexus 4, according to CNET. There will also be a new 32GB Nexus 7 tablet, the Next Web reported. This could be considered Google's biggest Nexus event, at least from apparent buzz in the press.
U.S. & World
News from around the country and around the globe
Google's Nexus back history has been a mixture of manufacturers, from the first from HTC, then Samsung and a cheapie $199 Nexus 7 from Asus. The new Nexus 10 tablet by Samsung isn't expected to be a bargain, but close to the price of the Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 (starting at $349).
The new Nexus 4 smartphone from LG will features a quad-core SnapDragon processor and 2 MB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It will also have a 1280 by 768 display and an 8 megapixel camera.
While this event is unlikely to get the same press as Apple's announcement this week, it's still one to watch.


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FAYETTEVILLE — Arkansas boasted a variety of skill position stars in 2012, placing veterans like quarterback Tyler Wilson, receiver Cobi Hamilton, running back Knile Davis and tight end Chris Gragg on watch lists for preseason awards.
This summer is proving Arkansas' best players line up in the trenches.
Center Travis Swanson and defensive end Chris Smith earned more preseason honors on Thursday, when the Football Writers Association of America announced watch lists for the Outland and Bronko Nagurski trophies.
Swanson was named to the Outland Trophy watch list, which awards the nation's top interior lineman. The senior has started every game of his Arkansas career and is regarded as one of the top centers in the nation. He was named to the Rimington Trophy watch list — which honors the nation's top center — late last month.
Smith was named to the Nagurski Trophy watch list, which is presented to college football's best defensive player. The senior led Arkansas with 9 ½ sacks last season and has 13 in his career. Smith also was named to the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list — which is presented annually to college football's defensive player of the year by the Maxwell Football Club — earlier this month.
Both players have been selected to represent Arkansas next week at Southeastern Conference Media Days in Hoover, Ala., along with fullback Kiero Small. The three, along with Arkansas coach Bret Bielema, will meet with the media on Wednesday.


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HONOLULU - Scott Piercy made it look like a breeze Thursday in the Sony Open.
Coming off a wild and windy week at Kapalua, Piercy kept bogeys off his card on a day of gentle wind just south of Waikiki Beach for a 6-under 64, giving him a one-shot lead over Jeff Overton among the early starters at Waialae Country Club.
The only disappointment might have been a pair of birdies on the lone par 5s. Piercy, who spent most of his round poking his way around the course to keep it in play, unleashed his driver on the two longest holes. That led to a 12-foot eagle putt on the ninth and a 6-foot eagle putt on the 18th. He missed them both.
Tim Herron, who by one shot kept his PGA Tour card last year, overcame a slow start with a 30 on the back nine and joined the group at 66 that included Matt Kuchar, Charles Howell III and PGA Tour rookie Morgan Hoffman.
Ben Kohles, another rookie who won his first two starts on the Web.com Tour last year right after turning pro, was in the group at 67.
Kapalua winner Dustin Johnson reached 3 under on the back nine until he made three bogeys on the last six holes. On the par-5 ninth, Johnson's second shot from the back side of a bunker sailed right and bounced off a tent and onto the road, out-of-bounds. He reloaded, hit the middle of the green and two-putted for a bogey, which felt like a double bogey at best on the easiest hole at Waialae.
"Anything under par would have been good," said Johnson, trying to become the first player in 10 years to sweep the Hawaii swing. "I was pleased with my round until that last hole. That kind of ruined it."
It was a solid start for Piercy, and the best news of all was that he finished.
Piercy, the Canadian Open champion, was among 20 players who started their season last week on Maui, even though it took until the fourth day - when the Tournament of Champions was supposed to end - that the tournament actually began.
He tied for 13th and said waiting three days for the tournament to start might have been more draining than playing a 54-hole tournament in 29 hours.
"I think I was almost as tired those days as I was after the 36-hole day. More mentally tired," he said.
He was at the course Wednesday for more than eight hours, mostly on the putting greens. "Seven three-putts and a four-putt last week," he said before leaving.
No two courses are more different in consecutive weeks on the PGA Tour than these two - the Plantation Course at Kapalua build on the side of a mountain, with dramatic changes in elevation and fairways some 80 yards wide, the other built along the shores of Oahu, with tight fairways that wind through skinny palms.
And then there was the wind.
"The wind wasn't even blowing today compared to last week," Piercy said. "I just played solid today, hit it in a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens, made two fairly key putts and took care of the par 5s."
Most pleasing to Piercy was a 5-iron that he hit to about 18 inches for birdie on the par-3 11th.
Overton felt like a new man at the start of a new season, though not so much from his golf. A former Ryder Cup player, he still is looking for his first win. The change was in the offseason, when he took his girlfriend to Italy and got engaged. But there was still time for work, particularly his bunker play.
"I don't think I've ever shot this low here," Overton said. "It's been weird because I should play good here because all the other courses that are extremely windy I generally play good. But I think I was a lot more prepared this year."
Some of the rookies made a quick impression. Hoffman made an 8-foot eagle on the 18th to get within two shots of the early lead. Also at 67 with Kohles was Brad Fritsch of Canada, who is wearing an Ottawa Senators logo to support his hometown team. At least hockey is getting ready to start.
Fritsch wasn't the only hockey supporter at Waialae. Johnson's companion the last few weeks is Paulina Gretzky. Her parents - Wayne and Janet - joined her in the gallery to watch Johnson, who hit some powerful drives, made an amazing par save from well behind the seventh green and was generally pleased with his week on Oahu until bogeys on his last two holes.


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WASHINGTON | President Barack Obama's nominee for defense secretary on Thursday defended his views of the military and global threats in a combative confirmation hearing, pushing back against criticism of his past statements on Israel, Iran, Iraq and nuclear weapons. Chuck Hagel told senators that America "must engage — not retreat — in the world," and insisted that his record is consistent on that point.
WASHINGTON | President Barack Obama's nominee for defense secretary on Thursday defended his views of the military and global threats in a combative confirmation hearing, pushing back against criticism of his past statements on Israel, Iran, Iraq and nuclear weapons. Chuck Hagel told senators that America "must engage — not retreat — in the world," and insisted that his record is consistent on that point.
The former two-term Republican senator faced strong GOP resistance and was forced to explain past remarks and votes even as he appeared on a path to confirmation as Obama second-term defense secretary and the nation's 24th Pentagon chief.
His fiercest exchange came with Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., a fellow Vietnam veteran, onetime close friend and a potential vote that would carry considerable sway. Politics and Hagel's evolving opposition to the Iraq war caused a split between the two men that was on full display at the confirmation hearing.
McCain pressed Hagel on whether he was right or wrong about his opposition to the influx of 30,000 U.S. troops in Iraq in 2007. Hagel, who voted to authorize military force in Iraq, later opposed the conflict, comparing it to Vietnam and arguing that it shifted the focus from Afghanistan.
"Were you right? Were you correct in your assessment?" McCain asked.
"I would defer to the judgment of history to sort that out," Hagel said as the two men talked over each other.
"The committee deserves your judgment as to whether you were right or wrong about the surge," McCain insisted.
Unable to elicit a simple answer, McCain said the record should show that Hagel refused to answer.
McCain made it clear that he would have the final word — with his vote, which he said would be influenced by Hagel's refusal to answer yes or no.
"I think history has already made a judgment about the surge, sir, and you're on the wrong side of it. And your refusal to answer whether you were right or wrong about it is going to have an impact on my judgment as to whether to vote for your confirmation or not," he said.
Hagel was the lone witness in a jam-packed hearing room at a session that could be crucial in determining whether he will win Senate confirmation and join Obama's second-term national security team. He spoke out forcefully for a strong military while trying to explain 12 years of Senate votes and numerous statements.
"No one individual vote, no one individual quote or no one individual statement defines me, my beliefs, or my record," Hagel told the Senate Armed Services Committee. "My overall worldview has never changed: that America has and must maintain the strongest military in the world; that we must lead the international community to confront threats and challenges together; and that we must use all tools of American power to protect our citizens and our interests."
Hagel, 66, a decorated Vietnam combat veteran, would be the first enlisted man to become defense secretary, a point that Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin, D-Mich., highlighted.
"It would be a positive message for our soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in harm's way around the world to know that one of their own holds the highest office in the Department of Defense and that he has their backs," Levin said.
Two former committee chairmen — Democrat Sam Nunn and Republican John Warner — introduced the nominee.
"War for Chuck Hagel is not an abstraction," Nunn said.
Hagel has the announced backing of about a dozen Democrats and the tacit support of dozens more who are unlikely to embarrass the president by defeating his Cabinet pick. One Republican — Sen. Thad Cochran of Mississippi — has said he will vote for his former colleague.
Seven Republicans, including four members of the Armed Services panel, have said they will oppose Hagel's nomination. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., announced his opposition on Thursday, saying Hagel's views "are too apart from what I believe to be the way forward for preserving America's proper role in the world."
Democrats hold a 55-45 advantage in the Senate.
In a later exchange with Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., Hagel sought to explain that his wartime experience in which he was wounded twice informed his decisions and votes.
"It does condition you," he said. "I'm not shaped, framed, molded, consumed by that experience. Of course not. But it's part of me."
Hagel would be the lone Republican in the Obama Cabinet if the Senate confirms him, but the prospect has failed to placate GOP senators in a post-election atmosphere that remains as politically divisive as the fierce 2012 campaign.
Once the hearing was under way, the Republican National Committee put out a news release titled, "Chuck Hagel is the Wrong Choice for Secretary of Defense," and contending that he would weaken the nation's military.
Responding specifically to attacks from outside GOP-leaning groups, Hagel repeated his regrets about using the term "Jewish lobby" to refer to pro-Israel groups. He said he should have used another term.
"I should have used another term and I'm sorry and I regret it," Hagel said. "On the use of intimidation, I should have used 'influence,' I think would have been more appropriate."
Hagel said he was committed to Obama's goal of ensuring that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon, and insisted that all options, including military force, are on the table.
"My policy is one of prevention, and not one of containment — and the president has made clear that is the policy of our government," Hagel said.
Under questioning, Hagel said he always supported multilateral sanctions against Iran, but acknowledged that he cast votes against unilateral sanctions on a case-by-case basis. He argued that in some cases, such as votes in 2001-2002, he was taking into account the concerns of Republican President George W. Bush.
He also countered with votes and letters against Iran and Hezbollah.
"There's a more complete record than just one or two or three or four" votes, Hagel said, insisting that he has been on the record many times saying Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorist organizations and Iran is a state sponsor of terrorism.
He also expressed support for maintaining a strong, modern nuclear arsenal, a position that has been challenged because of his support for the Global Zero organization's recommendation of nuclear cuts.
"We are not going to unilaterally disarm," Hagel said.
The hearing was the first time Hagel publicly addresses the criticism that he is not sufficiently pro-Israel or tough enough on Iran. In the past, Hagel has questioned the efficacy of unilateral sanctions on Iran, arguing that penalties in conjunction with international partners made more sense.