Daily Loaf

This weekend is college football’s calm before the storm, so if you need to get some yard work done, this is the weekend to do it. Unless of course, you’re a Michigan or Ohio State fan. The three kings, Florida, Alabama and Texas, all have two regular season games, then a conference championship to determine who will play for the BCS title. This week, those three are such huge favorites against Florida International, Kansas and UT-Chattanooga that Las Vegas doesn’t even have a point spread in the ‘Bama-UTC game. Perhaps the Mocs are hoping Terrell Owens will once again suit up for his alma mater. The Buffalo Bills might secretly be hoping the same thing. In the NFL, Super Bowl contenders are starting to separate themselves from the early draftees, but that doesn’t mean we don’t have a few choice matchups to watch. One includes an undefeated team as a road underdog and two other conference games that could determine who gets into the playoffs and who stays out.

(10) OSU at Michigan – (Saturday, 12:00 pm – ABC – OSU minus 12)

Let’s face it. A Rose Bowl berth doesn’t mean anything to Ohio State if they don’t beat they’re arch rival. Losses in this series get coaches fired. Just ask John Cooper. (I probably just lost three Buckeyes readers for merely mentioning Cooper’s name.) Speaking from personal experience, the only thing more enjoyable than watching college football’s most storied rivalry with a drunken Buckeye fan is hearing him or her explain in excruciating detail how this is college football’s most storied rivalry. So they have that going for them… which is nice. Whoops, just lost three more Buckeye readers. Michigan is 1-6 in the Big Ten this year and Jimmy T has never lost to Michigan, so the Buckeyes have nothing to worry about this year, right?

(11) Oregon at Arizona – (Saturday, 8:00 pm – ABC – ORE minus 6)

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You only need $100 and a Mac to develop apps for the iPhone. If it’s Twitter, games, email, GPS navigation or Facebook, “there’s an app for that” on the iTunes App Store. The iPhone’s success is largely owed to the developers, ranging from big name studios to a few guys in a garage (a la Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak) who have made the device the Swiss army knife of phones.

Since its launch in July of 2008, the iTunes App Store has reached over 2 billion downloads and now has more than 100,000 unique applications available. What has made the rapid growth and success of the App Store possible are the more than 125,000 developers in Apple’s iPhone Developer Program.

What’s it like developing for the iPhone? Why are developers gravitating towards it? Where do developers see mobile gaming going? The Daily Loaf sat down with a few iPhone developers last week to answer these, and other, questions. Read the rest of this entry »

Sport has its array of thrilling moments. Major League Baseball has its game-saving catches and walk-off home runs. The NFL has its big hits and its hail maries. But there’s something about an NBA slam dunk that lifts fans out of their seats.

Right now, the Association boasts a number of athletes that can jump clear out of the gym. So for those of you who don’t have the good fortune of watching basketball highlights with Sportschump-like regularity, I’d like to present three dunkalicious reasons to love this game.

Ladies and gentlemen, I hereby give you Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and 5’11” Ty Lawson rudely introducing themselves to Paul Milsap, Anderson Varejao and DJ Mbenga: Read the rest of this entry »

If your family (like the one in the photo) is suffering from a severe style deficit — more Beverly Hillbillies than Beverly Hills — then this is the auction item for you. The Whole Aveda Salon Spa in Oldsmar is offering to spruce up the entire clan (up to 4 people) with a Whole Family Makeover just in time for the holidays. Get the Star Treatment for mom (customized facial and makeup, eyezone wrap, shampoo and style), the Manly Man for dad (massage, back treatment, pedicure and haircut) and haircuts for the kids. You’ll shine brighter than the neighbors’ 15,000-bulb Light-O-Rama!

Estimated value: $350. Suggested opening bid: $50

Bid for this item below:

The mixed martial arts (MMA) heavyweight fighter, Brendan Schaub, is now one step closer to winning a contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as he advances to the semifinals after defeating his team mate, Jon Madsen, last night on episode ten of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season ten.

Madsen put his wrestling skills on display by taken the 4-inches taller Schaub down twice during the first round without effectively controlling him on the ground. Schaub, on the other hand, relied on his boxing skills and kept dishing out punches including two powerful right hooks in round two which quickly sent Madsen  to the floor resulting in a win via knockout for Schaub.

Being a former football player for the University of Colorado, Schaub is no stranger to employing an effective game plan. He revealed after the fight that his strategy included to let Madsen wear himself out with his wrestling moves and then to just finish him off with solid punches in order to avoid being at the judges’ mercy. Interestingly, this was Schaub’s first MMA career fight that actually made it past the first round as he won all his previous five bouts via TKO in round one.

Watch Schaub’s impressive knockout of Madsen after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Are you a technology obsessed person? Are you someone who has a lot of interest in reducing energy consumption and shrinking your carbon footprint? Perhaps you surround yourself with like-minded people and are hoping to find some cool, earth-friendly, and technology savvy gifts for your friends for the coming the holidays?

Well, there are a few innovative options available for those hoping to help the Earth by savvy gift-giving. Technology addicts will all appreciate receiving the Eco Button. This small USB device plugs into any active USB port on a computer and when it is triggered by the user it enters into an extreme energy saving mode. How much does it save? With a single click the average consumption drops from 80 Watts to roughly 2 Watts. To restart the system a user can tap any key on their keyboard and in just a few seconds their computer is back in action. The software included in the package also allows the user to view the total amount of energy they saved by simply triggering the device. This is a great way to help the planet while saving yourself and your friends a ton of money too.
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I’m a sports snob. I strongly believe there’s only a handful of truly great sports movies. It’s just too difficult for filmmakers to recreate the drama that takes place on the field. So when the Creative Loafers asked me to review The Blind Side, a sports movie I would never see starring an actress I really don’t like, I was skeptical.

I fell into my comfy leather chair at the Cobb Theater Cinebistro in Wesley Chapel, fully expecting to pan everything about the movie. Then a strange thing happened. The film turned out to be pretty good.

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I’m exhausted. It’s the good kind of exhausted though, like finally lying down in your bed after weeks of traveling on vacation. Dragon Age: Origins, the new high-fantasy role-playing game from Bioware really is an epic journey to a far off land, and like anyone whose traveled abroad knows, there are plenty of rough spots and minor annoyances as you go, but looking back all you’ll think about are the grand vistas, the strange cities, and the demon spawn you got to kill. With well over forty hours of play time (at least), Dragon Age: Origins is no weekend getaway. It requires commitment, endurance, a desire to learn new language and the patience to put up with some unsavory meals. In return you’ll get memories that will last a lifetime (or at least until Mass Effect 2 or Final Fantasy XIII come out).

Set in a fantasy world of Bioware’s own creation, Dragon Age: Origins tells a familiar but satisfying tale of evil hordes invading the mortal world, threatening to destroy all creation with their gnashing teeth and overly-spikey armor. The developers take pride in making their generic fantasy setting not totally generic. The elves are either slaves, serfs, or nomads, not scions of high civilization. The dwarves obsesses over politics and scheming and have American accents. The arch-demons are really dragons. Read the rest of this entry »

When you think about Marvel Comics, chances are you think about Spider-Man. The Hulk. Captain America. Iron Man. The X-Men.

But there have been just as many X-Women as -Men.

More of Marvel’s characters have called themselves Spider-Woman than Spider-Man, including the figurehead of last summer’s mega-crossover Secret Invasion.

She-Hulk was Marvel Chairman Emeritus Stan Lee’s final Marvel creation. A simple origin, but a lasting character.

Even so, Jennifer Walters — the cousin of Bruce Banner, The Hulk, has yet to smash her way to the big screen, in either an Ang Lee-adapted mess or much-deserved, subsequent relaunch several years later. And the only Spider-Woman your average person may recognize is a fat kid dressed as Spider-Man for Halloween. (I’m allowed to say that. It was me. They weren’t boobs, they were buds.)

Wolverine became the first X-Men spin-off, beating Phoenix, Rogue or Storm. (Sorry, Halle.) And the only Marvel film with a female at the lead, Elektra, managed to do worse than its predecessor, Daredevil.

Why? Because comic books, and therefore their mainstream adaptations, tend to lend themselves more to the Y chromosome than the X.

But X has always been a key component to the success of Marvel Comics — and in March, coinciding with National Women’s History Month, the company will begin a year-long celebration of the women both on and behind its pages with Marvel Women. Read the rest of this entry »

Things are looking up for the Bucs and their new quarterback, so what better way to celebrate than with this kickin’ good item from the team and Miller Lite? The prize includes: four tickets on the Miller Lite Party Deck to the Jan. 3, 2010, game against the hated Atlanta Falcons; three complimentary Miller Lites for each guest and concession gift certificates; four Miller Lite/Bucs t-shirts; and maybe best of all, four pre-game sideline passes, which get you on the field before the game while the team warms up.

Estimated value: $750.

Current High Bid: $50

Place your bid below:

If you live in Sarasota or Pinellas County, you may have heard of the fitness club chain Youfit. They are a relatively new fitness club chain aiming to promote energy efficiency and an environmentally friendly atmosphere, as well as maintain low membership fees.

Right now, they are having a special for new members. You pay a $29 enrollment fee and only $10 per month for 12 months – that’s it! There are other specials as well that include unlimited tanning, drink specials, etc. They also have some of the most up-to-date fitness equipment, including cardio machines with individual televisions so clients can have a personal workout experience.
Read the rest of this entry »

So you think you throw the classiest shindigs, the sickest shit-fests the Bay has ever seen? Whatever. Your party will be forgotten as soon as the hangovers clear and you’re still fishing Solo keg cups out of the pool. What you need to make your event legendary is a media blitz. A quarter page ad and a featured spot on CL’s email blast. Coverage by CL’s Sex & Love editor Shawn Alff, who will immortalize your bash with photographs and a sweet-ass writeup. An online picture gallery and Youtube clips. A commemorative package you can keep for your grandchildren to show them you really knew how to party balls.

Suggested opening bid: $50

Place your bid below:

What makes a successful head coach? Or perhaps a better question is… what makes a once successful head coach suddenly forget how to coach?

Last week, the New Orleans Hornets announced that the services of their head coach and former NBA coach of the year, Byron Scott, would no longer be needed. The Hornets had gotten off to a less than satisfactory 3-6 start and someone had to be held accountable. It certainly couldn’t be ownership.

Scott has since been replaced by Jeff Bower, the team’s general manager. Tim Floyd, who coached the Hornets to a 41-41 record in 2003-4, has also been added back to the staff.

The Bower-Floyd combo hasn’t fared much better since taking over for Scott. In their home debut, the Hornets lost to Portland by 12. In that game, they lost their superstar Chris Paul for two-four weeks with a sprained ankle. In their first Paul-less game of the season, the Hornets lost to the Atlanta Hawks by 23.

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Technology gets more amazing every day. Satellites guide us from our driveways all the way to a grocery store in Ohio. A webcam enables a soldier in Afghanistan to talk face-to-face with his wife in Nebraska. And a new wave of iPhone apps allows individuals with disabilities to communicate with others — some, for the very first time.

At 235 megabytes, Proloquo2Go turns a standard iPhone into a fully functional augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. Co-designed by Penn State doctoral student Samuel Sennott and carried by iPhone app developer AssistiveWare, Proloquo2Go “provides a full-featured communication solution for people who have difficulty speaking,” such as individuals with autism, Lou-Gehrig’s Disease, Down syndrome or cerebral palsy. Like any other AAC device, it combines symbols, words, sounds and technology (source) to guide its user through an intuitive, hierarchical system of sentence-building software. Added to that, it hosts a minimum vocabulary of 7,000 words and life-like voices — and, at approximately $150 (not including the iPhone), costs a fraction of the $8,000- $10,000 families pay for cumbersome text-to-speech machines. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week the St. Petersburg Times’ Michael Kruse and Eric Deggans wrote about how in this era of lower ratings for television programs due to  splintered audiences, the  National Football League’s ratings have ascended in recent years.

Days like yesterday demonstrate why pro football has such a grip on the mass public’s attention.

In a triple header for viewers in the Tampa Bay area, the hometown Buccaneers, who have struggled mightily all season long and seen home attendance plummet in recent weeks, suffered a heartbreaking last second loss to the Miami Dolphins yesterday, 25-23.

The loss occurred despite field goal kicker Conner Barth’s record tying three field goals of 50 yards or longer, as well as a spirited effort by number one draft choice, quarterback Josh Freeman, who was lauded today by Times columnist Gary  Sheldon as giving Buc fans now “a reason to believe” (also depressing some who are hoping the team continues to falter to be in position to have the number one draft choice in 2010).

But speaking as a fan of two teams who in recent years spent boatloads of money on the number one selection in the draft, it sometimes ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Because of TV and NFL scheduling, viewers in the Tampa market were treated to a game between two of the worst teams in the league, the Kansas City Chiefs and the Oakland Raiders, at 4:05 p.m. on the local CBS affiliate, WTSP.  (Channel 10 had only one game to show yesterday, and wisely programmed that at 4 p.m., so as not to run head to head against Tampa/Miami).

Being a native of the San Francisco Bay Area and a passionate fan of both the 49ers and Oakland Raiders, I was happy not to have to go to a local tavern to watch the game.  But I suppose in retrospect that the only benefit of watching from home  was that at least I could hear the  home town boos.

The Oakland Raiders committed over $25 million in guaranteed money a couple of years ago to JaMarcus Russell, their number one quarterback selection from LSU.  The problem is: he’s terrible, and doesn’t appear to be working very hard at geting better.

A good friend of mine has season tickets to the Raiders, but informed me that not only would be not be attending yesterday’s game, but also made sure not to give them away to friends.  He wanted to make a statement by having tv cameras glide over his empty seats.

While those 2 games featured some lackluster play, they still had some drama, particularly in Miami.

But the big event of the day (and of the season) took place in Indianapolis, where the New England Patriots/Indianapolis Colts have developed the fiercest rivalry in all of sports, and as great as the Dallas/SF rivalry of the 90’s (and yes, go ahead and invoke Al-Frazier for the ultimate rivalry).

The Colts won in stunning, dramatic, last second fashion last night, 35-34, but the big news today is the radical move by Pats head coach Bill Belichick not to eschew a punt and go for a first down on his own 28 yard line with just over two minutes to go.

The Pats failed to get the first, and Peyton Manning soon had the Colts in the end zone.

The call will be debated for time immemorial, but one thing is for certain: Outside of New England and other spots on the globe were Patriot Nation dominates, fans across the country are reveling in Belichick’s faulty move this morning.

Although Belichick’s decision will be debated until the next time the clubs meet, Peyton Manning’s brilliance in the 4th quarter demonstrates why he may soon win an unprecedented 4th MVP later this year.

As my friends continue to prove unable to handle their liquor, this hopes to become a series of helpful hints and amusing anecdotes which more experienced party-goers can use to ridicule friends who ill-advisedly drink beyond their means. It also sets up some pretty good photography. Here’s hoping they’ll still hang out with me.

A while back at our weekly poker game, one of our regulars decided to partake in a little Smirnoff 100. For those of you who haven’t ever had the misfortune of drinking this godforsaken beverage, Smirnoff 100 is just like regular vodka… except stronger. It is 100 proof rather than 80 proof, hence the name. Making it 20, carry the two, 10% more alcohol. I was told there would be no math.

At the beginning of the evening, I distinctly told my colleague to go easy drinking that stuff, as it would surely catch up with him. And it did.

Read the rest of this entry »

TAMPA, Fla., Nov.13, 2009– The Real Fighting Championships (RFC) lightweight title belt is moving to the U.K. after challenger, Jason Ball, defeated defending champion, Edson Berto, during five grueling rounds last night at a sold out A La Carte Pavilion.

Berto surprised Ball with an unprecedented level of aggressiveness and a whole new fight strategy that included a ground game as much as a well-rounded stand-up arsenal of kicks and punches in the first round.

It took Ball until the end of the first round to adjust to Berto’s new and more intense style, which he then countered: for every one of Berto’s punches Ball shot back at least five of his own. While Berto was unloading his fists on Ball at a rate of a semi-automatic weapon, Ball unleashed the fire of a machine gun on Berto.  Read the rest of this entry »

Wanna bet?

Las Vegas sports books have been taking a bath lately and I don’t mean comfortably inside a lavish Bellagio hot tub. Weeks ago, Vegas reported its biggest losses in years. The reason? The disparity between the haves and the have-nots in the NFL is so broad that when these teams play each other, bookmakers can’t set the lines big enough for gamblers to bet on the underdogs.

In the NFL, a 14-17 point spread generally indicates one team is significantly better the other. But even with lines that high, the stronger team has still been covering the number.

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A-Rod redeemed: How to win a World Series in ten days

Okay… deep breath. Congratulations to the New York Yankees for knocking off the Phillies en route to their 27th World Series title. There… I said it. Now Red Sox hat placed firmly back on my head.

A particular congratulations to Alex Rodriguez who proved us all wrong by showing he could become part of a championship team. He hit .365 this post-season with 6 home runs and 18 RBI. Nice numbers if you can get ‘em.

The media’s been hard on A-Rod over the years but the golden boy is now having the last laugh. His 2009 Yankees were confident, relaxed and businesslike, even more so as the season progressed. They proved without a doubt they were the best team in the majors by out-hitting, out-pitching and out-fielding the Philadelphia Phillies. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week we learned that Nintendo President of Japan Satoru Iwata felt the Wii is not in a “healthy” state and with the release of Electronic Art’s earning report yesterday it seems that EA, being the most prolific third party publisher on the Wii, can’t seem to avoid having the same feelings. Although EA is making the most profit with the Wii than any other console, “revenue is well below expectations due to underperformance of the Wii platform,” EA’s John Schappert told a conference call full of investors.

“I think the Wii platform has been a little weaker than we had certainly anticipated. And there is no lack of frustration to be doing that at precisely the time where we have the strongest third-party share,” EA CEO John Riccitiello said. “. . . we are reaching out to Nintendo to find ways to partner to push third-party software harder. I frankly think they need more beats in the year than they get out of a first-party slate to be able to have the Wii software platform perform as well as they would like and we are building the products that I think are the most highly rated on the platform and at this point in time, generating the most revenue of any third party platform.” Read the rest of this entry »

It’s rare that we at SportsChump.net are blessed with a photo that needs no doctoring or no explanation. It stands alone on its own freakish merit.

Such is the case this week.

Most of the major names surrounding baseball’s steroid scandal, i.e. Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Rafael Palmeiro, have disappeared into obscurity… until recently, when sports fans were shocked to see the emergence of a new-look Sammy Sosa.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that’s him.

Read the rest of this entry »

The curtain is closing on college football’s regular season. The top three teams in the nation are all double-digit road favorites (Florida at South Carolina, Alabama at Mississippi State, Texas at Baylor), but they are slowly running out of opportunities to stumble. Nobody expects them to lose but stranger things have happened. The NFL is starting to provide fans with a little separation between the playoff-bound and the also-rans. This Sunday, we’ll witness a key clash between the top two teams in the NFL’s best division as well as two legendary quarterbacks squaring off once again.

(25) West Virginia at (5) Cincinnati – (Friday, 8:00 pm – ESPN – Cincy minus 9)

Cincinnati just might do it. With three games left, they might make it through a perfect season. Pittsburgh might have something to say about that on December 5, but so will Noel Devine and West Virginia this Friday. Devine is second in the Big East in rushing, averaging over 112 yards a game. Zach Collaros has filled in admirably for the injured Tony Pike. Collaros will start but Pike is expected to see some playing time after being out a month. Cincinnati hasn’t lost at home in two years. The last team to beat them there? The Mountaineers.

(10) Iowa at (11) Ohio State – (Saturday, 3:30 pm – ABC – OSU minus 16.5)

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In episode nine of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season ten Roy “Big Country” Nelson defeated Justin Wren via split decision (20-18, 20-18, 19-19) in the first quarter-final bout of the season. Nelson now advances to the semi-finals where he will most likely face one of the other members from Team Rashad.

While Wren seemed to dominated Nelson for most of the first and second round, Nelson went into over-drive at the end of the second round, apparently leaving a favorable impression on the judges. In lieu of calling a draw and adding a third round to the bout, they awarded Nelson the win via split decision, proving once again that judges are only human and certainly not perfect.

Watch the fight video (after the break) and decide for yourself:

Read the rest of this entry »

Are you wound up and stressed from all of the holidays coming up? Have you already been eating lots of junk food and feel like you need to revamp your body and mind? Then this local cruise might be just the thing you need to get back into mental and physical shape.

Royal Carribean’s 3rd Annual Yoga cruise is set to depart from the Port of Tampa on Thursday, December 3rd, sails to Cozumel, Mexico, and returns on Monday, December 7th. The cruise pricing starts as low as $400 per person and includes yoga classes throughout the cruise (a minimum of four per day are available for each yoga cruiser), port charges, and taxes.
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It was 7 a.m. on a Saturday when my alarm sounded. The pounding headache, the unsteady vision, and the smeared mascara under my eyes confirms that I, Caitlin Reagan, had lived my Friday night to its fullest potential.  After one cup of coffee, two aspirin, one bowl of cereal, four glasses of water and a quick drive across Gandy Bridge, I found myself standing in the group fitness room of the YMCA beginning a 90-minute cardio-strength conditioning class.

“Up, down, up, down, alright everyone! Go! Go! Push it!” the instructor yelled to everyone.  Her motivation was unusual — the demeanor of a pyramid-schemer.  She was sly, steadfast, and domineering all while maintaining her smile and composure.

With my flushed cheeks and Sir-Mix-A-Lot thumping through the speakers, I fist-pumped one dumbbell back and forth in a squat all while trying to ignore the water fountain in the back of the room.

Humorously, I thought how oddly similar a group fitness class reminded me of the night before — a Friday evening full of friends, booze, and bars. Read the rest of this entry »

“Dream Momma, One morning I had a dream about Phelps in the pool with Obama and they were eating smoked turkey.” (sic)

Dream Momma understands why they were together in a pool “swimming” in the limelight. They have a lot on common.

For example, in no particular order:

They are both winners.

They broke records.

They are both known to be very focused.

They are top competitors.

Both wrote memoirs.

They were two of GQ’s Men of the Year and graced the GQ magazine cover together (along with Jon Hamm and DiCaprio).

Both came from broken homes and were raised by single moms.

They were selected by Barbara Walters as two of the top ten most fascinating individuals in 2008.

It was rumored that Phelps would be Obama’s running mate.

Almost hosted SNL together (Obama had to cancel because of Hurricane Ike (guest appearance).

They are both described as “incredibly invested” in the people they care about.

Dream Momma suspects that once one gets the full glare of the media, one must eat a lot of smoked turkey. Read the rest of this entry »

Saying Borderlands is my favorite combination of first person shooter and role-playing game is like saying Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups are my favorite mass market peanut butter and chocolate candy – sure there’s not a lot of competition, but damn they’re both really good.

Set on the a sci-fi western/post apocalyptic planet called Pandora, Borderlands puts you behind the gun sights of one of four different mercenaries trying to find an ancient alien Vault and the presumed techno-treasures sealed therein. Each character has a different specialty: Roland the soldier, Lilith the elementalist siren, Mordecai the hunter, and Brick the berserker. Each has unique skill trees giving them special powers that define a large part of how they play. For example, the siren can turn invisible for short periods of time, the hunter has a helpful and deadly hawk companion, the soldier can deploy auto-turrets, and the berserker can pound people to a pulp with his bare hands. All the characters and the world they inhabit are rendered in a striking, almost painterly style that gives Borderlands a look that helps it stand out among virtual worlds.

One thing all these characters have in common, the unifying force that ties all of Borderlands together into a giant, violent, explosive ball of fun is the panoply of guns. There are pistols, revolvers, SMGs, assault rifles, shotguns, rocket launchers, sniper rifles, grenades, and even alien weaponry. Within each category weapons vary by damage, elemental effects, clip size, rate of fire, accuracy, and other special features. Although the some characters specialize in some weapons, all of them are useful and most characters routinely run around with at least one or two of each type. Enemies and monsters drop guns when you kill them, boxes scattered around the landscape hold guns, vending machines sell guns, piles of trash have guns in them. The game advertises “Bazillions of Guns!” and they ain’t lying. The constant quest for new weapons, something just a little better or a lot different or both drives you to keep playing, to keep shooting, to keep exploring It’s every bit as addictive as it’s meant to be. Read the rest of this entry »

Rated as best mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter pound-for-pound worldwide, Fedor Emalienko proved that bigger is not always better when he defeated the five-inch taller Brett Rogers via TKO at 1:48 in round two during the Strikeforce main event at the Sears Center in Chicago, Ill. last night. The event was also broadcast live on CBS.

Rogers did not just roll over and play dead, however. In fact, it looked like the fight was going his way when he landed a devastating punch to Fedor’s nose early in the first round. As a result, Fedor had trouble breathing and missed a few shots aimed at Rogers while the blood flowed freely from the cut on his nose.

Naturally, Fedor took the fight to the ground to avoid Rogers’ powerful fists and to finally gain the advantage in this bout by submitting Rogers with an arm bar. But Rogers proved to be an escape artist just as the first round came to a close.

Watch round two of Fedor vs. Rogers in the fight video after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Remember those sharply dressed fellows in last week’s What to Watch? You know … the ones desperately trying to gain entry into that South Beach BCS night club? Their names were Iowa, TCU, Cincinnati, Boise State and LSU. Well, the lights are coming on and last call is rapidly approaching. This weekend, one of those teams has the opportunity to finagle its way to the front of the line. The others must continue to sit back and watch, hoping the BCS voters who work the door look favorably upon them, which is unlikely if Florida, Texas and Alabama continue to handle their business. The NFL doesn’t rely on doormen, but its season is no less exciting. This Sunday, the NFL reaches its midseason. As one avid SportsChump reader pointed out, we have six games pitting over-.500 teams against each other this weekend, a rarity for this late in the season. Sounds like a separation Sunday worth watching. Read the rest of this entry »

“Hi!  I live in Tampa. A while ago, I dreamt that I was getting married. Everything seemed to be normal at the wedding, until I looked at a picture that someone had taken. My gown was black, as were my bridesmaids. The whole male wedding party was also wearing nothing but black! I’m only 14 years old, don’t have a boyfriend, and definitely DON’T want to be married. Can you tell me what this means?” (sic)

It’s interesting that at an age when young girls fantasize about boys, weddings, marriage, etc., you are sooo adamant that you DON’T want to get married.  What’s up with that?

I’ll tell you. Read the rest of this entry »

On Halloween, I was hopelessly spending most of the day huddled in my apartment researching the United States’ media coverage on Iran. I had purposely not made plans to celebrate the evening dressed as media sensation Balloon Boy, a firefighter with red-hot lipstick and heels, or even a cat. Instead, six weeks prior, I’d committed myself to the Hob Gobl’n 5K Race, hosted by the Dunedin House of Beer.

For about 30 bucks, I agreed to run 3.1 miles in exchange for three beers of my choice, a t-shirt, and a wonderful spaghetti and meatball dinner. Oh, and a portion of my $30 went to the Dunedin Doggie Rescue — but that wasn’t the best part. The best part was that runners were not required to wear a costume.

I suckered my classmate Manny into running in the event, too. While the purpose of my participation was to avoid the annual Halloween costume stress, Manny signed up because — well, I don’t know exactly why he participated, especially since he treated the entire event as though it were a brisk walk down a scenic trail. Read the rest of this entry »

The 28-year-old mixed martial arts fighter, War Machine, a.k.a. Jon Koppenhaver announced his official debut as porn star, War Machine XXX, on twitter last month. He was last seen in Tampa at the mixed martial arts event, XFC 9, where he defeated Mikey Gomez (fully clothed) via TKO in round three. Maybe his loss to David Mitchell at TPF 1 on Oct. 8, 2009 inspired him to start a new career doing what he loves most next to fighting: adult entertainment.

“I’m a full time Alpha Male. I get paid to fight and to fuck….what more could I ask for,” War Machine states in his twitter bio.

With a fight record of  10 wins and 3 losses after almost six years as professional fighter War Machine might just hang up his gloves for good. His career highlight was the win over Jared Rollins at TUF 6 Finale in Dec. 2007 immediately followed by his devastating loss to Yoshiyuki Yoshida at UFC 84 in May 2008.

Ever since, his MMA star has been falling while he floated around regional MMA events without leaving his mark or earning a title. As much as he claims to love fighting, he seems to lack the direction to take his career to the next level.

Watch the fight video of War Machine vs. Mikey Gomez at XFC 9 after the break.

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“Dream Momma, I had dream while I was away from my family studying in Norway, I was at my brother’s house up where it was behind the hospital. My brother and I were watching TV, and these people came to the door. Just as there are people who stop you when you are in your car and start washing your windows and then demand money, these people, like young kids, various ages, came to the door and started doing lawn care and landscaping. I knew they were going to charge us for it afterwards, and I didn’t want to be taken advantage of. They were immigrants, so I started yelling gibberish at them so they would stop. They got mad because they knew I was making fun of their English skills, but they got back into their big van/suburban, and drove off. As I sat back on the sofa, I saw a flash from the car, and I knew they had shot a gun, and I felt the hot metal entering my skull. As I collapsed, I told my brother, tell mom and dad I love them. So mellow dramatic. then I woke up.” (sic)

This dream is about a split psyche based on the guilt you feel for leaving your family. Read the rest of this entry »

The former Tampa Bay Buccaneer, Marcus Jones, defeated the UFC veteran, Mike Wessel, on episode eight of The Ultimate Fighter season ten (TUF 10) last night. After two months of restless waiting Jones finally got his chance to prove his worth in the octagon as the last fighter on Team Rampage, after being labeled as ’softy’ and ‘drama queen’ by his coach, Rampage Jackson.

Maybe Coach Rampage wanted to save the best for last, as he finally put some effort into preparing Jones for his upcoming fight against Wessel by sharpening his submission techniques. Rampage’s extra attention pays off when Jones sets a shining example for Rampage’s coaching skills by swiftly submitting Wessel in round one via arm bar.

Watch the video of Jones paying tribute to TUF 10 after the break.

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The Tampa based mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter, Real Fighting Championships (RFC) is offering Jason Ball from the UK a shot at the the RFC lightweight title on Nov. 13, 2009 at the A La Carte Pavilion in Tampa. If Ball defeats current RFC Lightweight Champion, Edson Berto from Winter Haven, Fla., the belt might move to England for the very first time in Tampa MMA history.

The match up of the two professional MMA fighters, however, is not a first time by any means, since they already faced each other at RFC 18 last July. In spite of Berto’s home turf advantage Ball took the win via split decision after a three-round slug fest that could have very well taken place in a boxing ring as a stand-up battle of fists.

Watch the Ball vs. Berto fight video (RFC 18) after the break.

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