Source: http://www.carsession.com/car-news/aston-martin-concept-phone.html
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2011年3月31日木曜日
2011 Lexus GS Hybrid Fuel-economy Luxury Car with SRS Airbags
Press Release: The Lexus GS Hybrid 2011 ranks no 1 in hybrid cars and ranks in top 5 among luxury large cars. Our ranking is based analysis of different published reviews and the test drive data of Lexus GS Hybrid. Lexus GS 450h is a no compromise hybrid, and it is well said by Lexus. It offers extreme power of V8 with the fuel economy of V6 and the luxury interior that Lexus is famous for. It is the best handler, which gives you sporty ride. The Lexus GSH 2011 comes early ...Source: http://www.distrocars.com/2011-lexus-gs-hybrid
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Crazy collection of concepts from Bertone to be auctioned by RM at Villa d'Este
Filed under: Concept Cars, Auctions, Chevrolet, Lamborghini, Misc. Auto Shows, Lancia
1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero from the Bertone Museum - Click above for high-res image gallery
You can't make an omelet, or so the saying goes, without breaking some eggs. So while it's unfortunate that the restructuring at Bertone means the dissolution of its museum collection, it also means that its contents are going up for auction. And they'll be crossing the block at no less fitting a location than Villa d'Este.
Those in the know will recognize Villa d'Este for the Concorso d'Eleganza held there every year, where the most gorgeous and rare of classic cars mingle with the finest concept cars unveiled throughout the year. This year's concours will mark the first time that RM Auctions will be holding an event at the open-air show on picturesque Lake Como, and in addition to the myriad unspeakably beautiful classics on the docket, RM has just announced the consignment of six concept cars from the Bertone Museum, each one-of-a-kind in its own right and available to collectors for the first time.
The consignment includes the 1967 Lamborghini Marzal, 1970 Lancia Stratos HF Zero, 1963 Chevrolet Testudo, 1974 Lamborghini Bravo, 1980 Lamborghini Athon and 1978 Lancia Sibilo. Each was a seminal design for Bertone, and each is expected to fetch well into the six and even seven figures. The Marzal, particularly, which was driven by Prince Ranier and Princess Grace at the start of 1967 Monaco Grand Prix, and the Stratos, the first prototype for the iconic supercar rally machine of the same name, are expected to sell for between €1,000,000 and €1,800,000... that's as much as $2.5 million apiece in equivalent American funds.
Have a look at the collection (sans the Lancia Siblio, images for which are en route) in the high-resolution image gallery below, and follow the jump for the full details in the press release. Hat tip to Sea Urchin!
[Source: RM Auctions | Images: Tom Wood/RM]
Continue reading Crazy collection of concepts from Bertone to be auctioned by RM at Villa d'Este
Crazy collection of concepts from Bertone to be auctioned by RM at Villa d'Este originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 19:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Noah-less Bulls bounce back, rip Wolves (AP)
Derrick Rose and Kevin Love have played against each other since their days in AAU ball, worked out together in a steamy Los Angeles gym over the summer, and became fast friends as they've emerged as the faces of their respective franchises. Individually, they are on similar paths. In their third seasons, both have had career years, with Rose emerging as a front-runner for the MVP award in...
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Video: Watch split-screen action of 2011 Nissan GTR vs. Corvette ZR1
Filed under: Coupe, Videos, Chevrolet, Nissan
Click above to watch the video after the jump
Last week we told you about the fresh, faster Nürburgring track times of the Nissan GTR, with video that proves that Godzilla 2012 managed to shave 2.48 seconds off its best lap. We were under the impression that the GTR's new top time wasn't enough to best the Corvette ZR1, but a side-by-side (or rather a top-to-bottom) comparison video of both runs gives us the definitive answer.
Beyond the jump is a video pitting the in-car camera view of the ZR1 (top screen) versus the 2012 GTR (bottom screen). Pay close attention from the five minute mark to about 6:20 into the clip, as the vehicle with the lead loses it for good at this point in the race. Very entertaining little competition, but you'll have to hit the jump and watch to see the winner for yourself.
[Source: CarScoop]
Continue reading Video: Watch split-screen action of 2011 Nissan GTR vs. Corvette ZR1
Video: Watch split-screen action of 2011 Nissan GTR vs. Corvette ZR1 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Mar 2011 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/30/video-watch-split-screen-action-of-2011-nissan-gtr-vs-corvette/
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Could UConn ever become a blueblood?
UCLA. Kentucky. Kansas. North Carolina. Indiana. Duke. Any reasonable college hoops fan will recognize those six programs as the sport's true "bluebloods." Each is steeped in enough history, tradition, success, resources and fan interest to qualify as the elite of the elite in the sport. They're the six jobs every college hoops coach dreams of one day obtaining, the six teams you always expect to be good, the six programs that spend huge amounts of money and effort each and every year assuring that their fan bases never have to confront the frightening notion that the "good old days" are lost and gone forever.
UCLA, Kentucky, Kansas, North Carolina, Indiana and Duke are the all-time college hoops aristocracy. It might be hard to remember in this topsy-turvy modern college hoops world, where talent is diffuse and resources are widespread. Fans of college basketball's other 300-plus programs might not like the idea. But even in the midst of modern struggle, the blueblood label remains. For the past 25 years (since 1986), at least one of those six programs has been represented at the Final Four.
Now becoming a college hoops blueblood is a little like becoming a tenured professor. Or a member at Augusta National. Or a reporter for "60 Minutes."
It's not easy to get there, but once you're in, you're seemingly in forever.
But what is a blueblood, exactly? How do you become one? What threshold must a program cross to earn that distinctive label?
And, more to the point: Will a program like Connecticut ever be able to cross it?
If Jim Calhoun's Huskies were to win the national title this year, UConn fans might have a reason to take a step back, survey the historic college hoops landscape, and ask "Why not us?" A win in 2011 would give Connecticut its third national title in the last 13 seasons. Since Calhoun took over in 1986, the Huskies have won 603 games, been to four Final Fours, notched nine Big East regular season championships, and recruited the best young college basketball players in the country on an annual basis.
If you were born around the time I was born -- August of 1985, to be exact -- you don't remember a time in which Connecticut wasn't one of college hoops' elite powers. You remember Donyell Marshall, Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton, Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon and Rudy Gay. You remember the always-cool uniforms with that unique UConn print. The Huskies are sort of like Florida is in college football. Although both have some proud "ancient" history, both really came on to the national scene around 1990 or so. So for my generation and younger, all we remember from those two is nothing but high-level success.
Does that make Connecticut a blueblood? Of course not. But would another national title seal the deal? Or is that exclusive club essentially closed to "outsiders" forever?
Answering these questions isn't exactly easy. "Blueblood" is a vague term. It doesn't come with a list of criteria. It's hard to quantify the opaque qualities we think of when we picture college basketball's elite. Before we delve into UConn, then, let's look at each team's all-time r�sum� and see exactly what level of success this term entails.
UCLA NCAA titles: 11
All-time wins: 1,709
Final Four appearances: 18
Defining coach: John Wooden
Defining era: From 1960 to 1975, the Wooden-led Bruins won 10 national titles, had four 30-0 seasons and built a nigh-untouchable record for consecutive wins at 88.
Kentucky NCAA titles: 7
All-time wins: 2,052
Final Four appearances: 14
Defining coach: Adolph Rupp
Defining era: Rupp coached UK from 1930 to 1972, and his consistent success (four national titles, 27 SEC regular-season championships, 876 total wins) and occasional brushes with controversy gave berth to the modern Kentucky hoops powerhouse we've seen since.
Kansas NCAA titles: 3
All-time wins: 2,038
Final Four appearances: 13
Defining coach: Dr. F.C. "Phog" Allen, Dr. James Naismith
Defining era: Kansas gets two defining coaches because one literally invented the game of basketball (Naismith), while the other (Allen) won the school's first national championship in 1952 and helped organize the first NCAA tournament.
North Carolina NCAA titles: 5
All-time wins: 2,033
Final Four appearances: 18
Defining coach: Dean Smith
Defining era: In 36 years as UNC's head coach, Smith didn't just recruit Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Phil Ford, Sam Perkins, and the rest of UNC's long line of first-round NBA draft picks. He also invented a handful of college hoops strategies that have since dug their way into the fabric of the game, while positioning North Carolina, like Kentucky and Kansas, as the epicenter of a state's collective consciousness.
Indiana NCAA titles: 5
All-time wins: 1,663
Final Four appearances: 8
Defining coach: Bob Knight
Defining era: From 1971-2000, Bob Knight lorded over Indiana basketball with a hegemony most sports figures never achieve. He also won. Knight coached the Hoosiers to 24 NCAA tournament appearances, three national titles, and the last undefeated season (1975-76) the sport may ever see.
Duke NCAA titles: 4
All-time wins: 1,944
Final Four appearances: 15
Defining coach: Mike Krzyzewski
Defining era: When Coach K took over at Duke in 1980, the Blue Devils had become a second-fiddle hoops program at a school known more for its elite academics than for its rowdy Crazies. Thirty years, 900 wins and four national titles later, Duke is the most recognizable program in college basketball.
How do UConn's all-time numbers stack up? The comparison is favorable in some areas, less so in others:
Connecticut NCAA titles: 2
All-time wins: 1,547
Final Four appearances: 4
Defining coach: Jim Calhoun
Defining era: Calhoun's 603 wins at UConn account for more than a third of the program's all-time total. In 25 seasons, the occasionally grumpy coach with the trademark Boston accent has transformed Connecticut from a middling Big East program (and before that, a little-known Yankee Conference stalwart) to one of the truly elite powers in all of college basketball.
There are some strong arguments to be made for the Huskies. The wins total is competitive with Indiana and Duke. And if UConn was to win the national title this season, it would tie Kansas with three national titles and be but one championship behind the Blue Devils. (Speaking of which, how does Kansas only have three national titles?)
Perhaps the best comparison is with Duke: Both programs were unknowns before iconic coaches took over, and both programs have dominated the sport in the decades since. But UConn hasn't been quite as dominant in the NCAA tournament: In 30 years, Coach K has taken Duke to 11 Final Fours, while the Huskies are making just -- ha, "just" -- their fourth appearance in that span.
Of course, all that only covers each program's sheer success. It's much harder to define what those programs mean to fans, how they're perceived throughout college basketball, and how the nature of their place in the sport affects that vague blueblood status.
Is UConn a blueblood? Why? Why not? And how many more titles would they need to win and how many years would need to go by before the Huskies are considered a historic program? Even with all the history in front of you, this is not an easy question to answer. The year 1990, after all, won't always be considered "modern times."
One thing is clear: If Connecticut wins the 2011 national title, not only will Jim Calhoun go down as one of the greatest coaches the sport has ever seen, but the program he built from the ground up will deserve a place in the conversation -- if not in the pantheon -- as one of college hoops' greatest and most historic entities.
It's a hard club to crack, but UConn might just have a shot. Your move, Huskies.
Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/28886/could-uconn-ever-become-a-blueblood
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First Cup: Tuesday
- Randy Youngman of The Orange County Register: "NBA Sacramento Kings co-owner Joe Maloof, in his first public comments related to ongoing negotiations to move the Kings to Anaheim, reacted angrily Monday night after learning a Sacramento city official had sent a letter to an Anaheim city official advising Anaheim officials to 'cease negotiating with the Kings.' 'It's not for the mayor or anybody (in the City of Sacramento) to interfere with our business. That's what I think they're doing, and it's not right,' Maloof told The Orange County Register. 'We would appreciate that they not interfere with our business.' John Dangberg, Sacramento's assistant city manager, sent a letter earlier Monday to Anaheim City Manager Thomas Wood, expressing concern that actions taken by the Anaheim City Council tonight might cause 'irreparable harm to the City of Sacramento.' ... 'That letter is completely wrong, and it was uncalled for -- below the belt -- and it's a shame it had to come out of his office,' Maloof said. 'We tried to be classy and not get in arguments in the media, but I (have to) make this comment. We will continue on with our business and do what is best for the viability of the franchise -- what's best for the franchise and what's best for the league.' "
- Joseph Goodman of The Miami Herald: "The Heat’s commitment to physical play will be tested Tuesday when it plays at Cleveland for the second time this season. The first trip there was a watershed moment for the Heat, which rallied together amid the harshest of environments. A repeat of December’s vitriolic atmosphere isn’t expected, but the Heat again is preparing for the worst. 'We’re expecting shenanigans,' Chris Bosh said. The Heat arrived in Cleveland on Monday, giving LeBron James time to visit family and friends in nearby Akron, his hometown. 'It can’t get any worse than it was Dec.?2,' James said. 'I know that. I know that for a fact.' "
- Alan Hahn of Newsday: "Desperation turned into inspiration. And inspiration produced Carmelo Anthony's most impressive performance since he arrived in New York more than a month ago. Anthony, who earlier in the day called the game a must win, scored 39 points to lead the
Knicks to a 113-106 overtime win over the Magic Monday night at the Garden. It snapped their losing streak at six games and was their second win in 11 games. 'It was definitely a must win for us,' said Anthony, who had 10 rebounds. 'We showed from the first play of the game, just with the intensity that we had, everybody, the starters, the bench. We did a great job, especially on the defensive end.' ... When the buzzer sounded, Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire enjoyed a happy embrace. 'Winning,' said Stoudemire (20 points, nine rebounds), 'always cures all problems.' " - Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: "The mounting odds and the New York Knicks were too much to overcome for the Orlando Magic – or what was left of them. The Magic had only eight players available in the second half, and fell to the struggling Knicks 113-106 Monday night in overtime at Madison Square Garden. They also lost Dwight Howard in the extra period after he fouled out and picked up his 17th technical foul (one more tech and he will be suspended for a game). 'It was tough after that,' coach Stan Van Gundy said. Howard protested his sixth foul on an offensive rebound with one minute, 17 seconds left, and Orlando behind 108-106. He angrily flung the ball to the other end of the floor. 'It was one of those crazy games,' Magic point guard Chris Duhon. How crazy? Duhon injured his right thumb and was unable to play in the second half, leaving the Magic (47-27) with only one point guard -- Gilbert Arenas -- and just eight players."
- Gerry Callahan of the Boston Herald: "Teams go through bad stretches. It happens. Even America’s team, Virginia Commonwealth, lost 11 times this season. The Celtics are going through an ugly stretch right now -- they have lost 6-of-11 and scored 90 points just three times in that span -- and there are more theories for their tailspin than tattoos on Delonte West’s torso. The new guys are still learning. The old guys are pacing themselves. Everyone is waiting for one O’Neal or the other to show up. The top spot in the East means everything to Chicago and to Miami, and not so much to the Celtics, who went to Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals after finishing fourth in the regular season. The Celtics can blame their slump on any number of factors, but there is one thing they definitely cannot, they must not, attribute it to: The Trade. Sorry, but The Trade isn’t the reason for the slide. The Trade is just an excuse, and a lame one at that. When he played, Kendrick Perkins [stats] was an average player for this team — good defender, decent rebounder, and not much more than a compulsive moving picker on the offensive end. All in all, a good role player who was surrounded by stars who made him look better every night. If the loss of that guy is the reason for this funk, then maybe general manager Danny Ainge did make a mistake. He assumed the four stars could carry on without Kendrick Abdul-OlajuEwing. Maybe he gave them too much credit. Maybe they’re not as mentally tough as he thought."
- Jason Quick of The Oregonian: "It wasn't pretty, it wasn't dominating, and it wasn't against the full cast of the San Antonio Spurs, but the Blazers' 100-92 victory over the league leaders counted just as much as any other win, which pushed the Blazers (43-31) closer to the playoffs. 'We won,' said Andre Miller, who led Portland with 26 points. 'That's all that matters.' ... Less than an hour before the game, a buzz started circulating among the Blazers when they saw Parker on the court in a business suit. Eventually, Blazers forward Nicolas Batum went over to talk to Parker, a friend and fellow Frenchman. Parker told Batum that he was being held out along with starting power forward Antonio McDyess because Popovich wanted to prevent Parker from joining the injured ranks of Duncan (sprained ankle) and Ginobili (thigh bruise). Only small forward Richard Jefferson was among the normal starters for the Spurs, who sent out two rookies (Tiago Splitter and James Anderson) and two efficient reserves, sharp-shooting Matt Bonner and high-scoring George Hill. Immediately, Blazers coach Nate McMillan said the contest became 'a trap game' because of the way the mind works, thinking the game was suddenly going to be easier."
- Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times: "There were plenty of blunders earlier this season -- and, yes, some as recently as last month -- but the Lakers finally see something ahead of them. It's not the finish line. It's the staggering San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers suddenly have a Texas-sized carrot in front of them for their final nine games: San Antonio is down to a 31/2 -game lead atop the Western Conference after another loss Monday. ... Not all the Lakers are showing interest in the Spurs. 'It doesn't matter to us whether we catch them or not,' Kobe Bryant said. 'We try to win every game. If we catch them, so be it. If we don't, so be it.' Before the Lakers took the court Sunday against New Orleans, Derek Fisher walked past a TV in the locker room just as Memphis was finishing off San Antonio. Fisher showed no expression. In fact, he didn't even stop. For what it's worth, the Lakers trail the Spurs in the season series, 2-1."
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: "As far as Tom Thibodeau is concerned, the Bulls lost their first home game since Jan. 18 on Monday morning as much as they did on Monday night. A sluggish, unfocused shootaround led to a sluggish, unfocused start and double-digit first-quarter deficit, and the 76ers held on for a 97-85 triumph. That snapped the Bulls' home win streak at 14 and dropped them to 32-5 at the United Center. 'There are really no excuses,' Joakim Noah said. 'It's a wake-up call. We don't have anything figured out. People are telling us, 'Oh, you're going to win this game. It's easy.' Nothing is easy in this league. We didn't start this game with the right mindset. And it bit us in the ass.' About the only saving grace came when the Celtics lost again, this time on the road to the Pacers."
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News: "Mike D'Antoni's decision not to hold game-day shootarounds isn't about rest or X's and O's. Instead, it comes down to rush hour traffic. 'New York's a little bit different than other places,' D'Antoni said Monday. 'I just don't know if Amar'e being in a car for two hours in the morning of a game is the way to go. If we can get a shootaround the day before, if we can get our work done, then I don't think that's the way to go. If we can't get our work done then yeah, we'll do this.' Monday, the Knicks held their first home morning shootaround, which is standard operating procedure for most teams. D'Antoni does conduct game-day shootarounds on the road but has passed on holding them for home games. It's a questionable decision since the Knicks went 18-23 at home last year and were 19-17 entering Monday night's game against Orlando. ... Donnie Walsh suggested that getting the team out of bed for an early game-day workout isn't such a bad thing. 'When you're losing a lot you change something,' Walsh said. 'We'll see if the change helps us.' "
- Herb Gould of the Chicago Sun-Times: "Derrick Rose’s whirling-dervish moves to the basket are the talk of the town as well as the NBA. But the MVP front-runner points to something else when asked about the Bulls’ hopes of making good on their NBA championship promise. Tough defense. 'If you want to win, to separate yourself from all other teams in the NBA, you’ll do it,’ Rose said. 'We have good guys on this team. They’re winners. They do extra stuff. You don’t want to be the one who messes up a practice because other teams are having great practices. That could put you back a little bit. We just try to come in and work hard every day, especially on the defensive side.’ That has added up to a defense that -- before Monday’s games -- ranked first in opponents’ field-goal shooting (42.8 percent), opponents’ three-point shooting (32.7 percent) and second in points allowed (91.1 a game) and rebounds per game (44.4) and fifth in blocks per game (5.72)."
- Tom Enlund of the Journal Sentinel: "Bucks guard Michael Redd, coming back from a major knee injury, played in his first game since Jan. 10, 2010, and went scoreless with four assists in 15 minutes. He missed all three of his shots. Forward Drew Gooden, coming back from a foot injury that had sidelined him since late January, returned and had two points, eight rebounds and four fouls in 16 minutes. Redd had looked forward to playing in a game again for a long, long time. 'One of my greatest games ever,' said Redd. 'To come back from two ACLs. Just to be back on that court tonight. I put up a doughnut but was productive and had a blast being out there with the guys. I hate that we lost, but just to be out there was probably one of the best nights of my career.' Redd got the call early, first entering the game with 9:54 left in the first quarter after John Salmons picked up two quick fouls. 'I sprinted (to the scorers' table) as if I was a rookie,' said Redd."
- Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: "I’ll ask this question for the second time in as many games: Have you seen a more confusing team than the Pacers? They looked bad in losses to Sacramento and Detroit, but then they go out and beat the Boston Celtics on Monday. Go figure. ... 'When I’m old and gray I’m going to look back and wonder what was wrong with us, why we couldn’t beat teams like Sacramento and Detroit, but we can beat Boston and Chicago,' Pacers forward Danny Granger said. 'I don’t know, we’re going to have to figure it out at some point.' The Pacers have to figure it out because four of their final seven games are against teams with a losing record."
- Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: "Consider it good news that the Mavericks' next three games on this road trip are against Pacific Division teams. After they overwhelmed Phoenix at the finish line Sunday night, the Mavericks now own a 12-1 record against the Pacific Division. The lone loss was against the Lakers a couple weeks ago in Dallas. The Mavericks are 3-0 against Golden State, 2-0 against the Clippers, 1-1 against the Lakers, 3-0 against Sacramento and 3-0 against the Suns. Their next three games: Clippers, Lakers, Warriors. Of course, the Pacific Division is looking more and more like a one-hit wonder. The Lakers are among the championship favorites, of course. But the other four teams are all lottery bound."
- Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register: "Because of ongoing misinformation from a variety of sources and skeptics, let me clarify again as the Mavericks-Lakers big game nears: In case of a tie with Dallas in the regular-season standings, the Lakers are positioned in this case to have the first tiebreaker, which would be if one team is a division champion but the other is not. Yes, I did clarify this with the NBA office. I really, really did. The Lakers have already clinched the Pacific Division, and the Mavericks continue to trail the slumping Spurs for the Southwest Division. So even if the Mavericks beat the Lakers on Thursday night to win the season series, 2-1, that would not be the primary tiebreaker in this case. Head-to-head record would be the second tiebreaker if Dallas winds up passing San Antonio and still finishing tied with the Lakers. The NBA tweaked the rule in 2008 to give division champions a little extra pull primarily to avoid a situation where in a three-way tie a team that didn’t win its division could wind up the conference’s No. 1 seed (based on head-to-head records against the other teams)."
- John Rohde of The Oklahoman: "In two games against OKC this season, Stephen Curry has averaged 42.0 minutes, 31.0 points, 9.5 assists, 2.0 steals and is shooting 63.2 percent from the field. As a rookie last season, he averaged 21.0 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds. General manager Sam Presti and coach Scott Brooks obviously won't discuss what the Thunder might be with Curry on its roster, which would be disrespectful to Curry, James Harden and all teammates. However, Presti and Brooks freely confirm Curry and Harden are superb fits precisely where they are. Harden particularly has excelled since the Thunder's trades 16 games ago with Boston and Charlotte. The 21-year-old Harden is sandwiched between a pair of 22-year-old All-Stars in Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on the league's third-youngest roster. The 23-year-old Curry plays alongside a should-be All-Star in fellow guard Monta Ellis. To those longing for a Curry-Harden swap, a reality check: You can't simply swap stats. Statistically, Curry dwarfs Harden. But this is the NBA, not a fantasy league. Players have to blend, feed off each other and make each other better. It's about chemistry, not raw numbers. ... Would Curry also have spurred a 27-win improvement? Maybe, maybe not, but it's hard to argue with what has transpired without him. The Thunder is 98-56 (.636) with Harden on its roster and will advance to the playoffs for a second straight season."
- Monte Poole of The Oakland Tribune: "The music has stopped, the snacks are gone and the party is over. Any euphoria felt by Warriors fans with the fall of the Chris Cohan era has given way to anxieties and debate over the capability of the new regime. Joe Lacob and Peter Guber, the men now atop the organizational chart, haven't been instant saviors. They haven't delivered miracles or engineered dramatic improvement. And with the new Warriors looking a lot like the old Warriors, impatient fans are growing restless. Moreover, clouds of skepticism are forming above Oracle Arena -- directly over the head of Lacob, the managing member of ownership. It's much too early to conclude that Lacob won't find the right answers. That wouldn't be fair to a man who has been on the job since November. It's not reasonable or rational to expect him to so quickly repair and redirect a vessel adrift for all but a few moments over the past 16 years. It's not unfair, however, to wonder if he can repair and redirect the thing at all. By all accounts, Lacob already has influenced the culture at Warriors headquarters. He's asking questions, prodding and probing. It's apparent he wants everyone on the payroll working to improve the product. He projects energy. He said he'd be an active owner and he has been precisely that. But action isn't always productive or effective. Some of Lacob's words and actions suggest he might perceive himself as not just the managing owner but the unofficial general manager. That's perilous territory. ... Clueless or genius is a game fans play with their GM. They don't want to play it with the owner. Ever. And Lacob would be wise to avoid it altogether, no matter how much he trusts his instincts."
- Stephenson of The Star-Ledger: "Anthony Morrow has quietly become the Nets’ top offseason acquisition. He is averaging 13.2 points and shooting 42.4 percent from 3-point range in 43 starts, the most of his career. His career 3-point shooting percentage trails only Steve Kerr (.454) in NBA history. 'I’ve only played with one other shooter similar to him and that’s Kyle Korver, a guy that’s just a dead-eye 3-point shooter,' Nets point guard Deron Williams said. 'Guys like that are a point guard’s dream, because you’re pretty much mad when they miss.' "
- Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: "Kevin Drurant already taken seven more 3-pointers this year than he did last season. And there's still 10 games left to play. AND if he plays each of the remaining 10, he'll still be four shy of last year, when he played all 82 games. The numbers have been shocking. He seems to have diversified his game much more in his fourth season. But his 3-point attempts are staggering."
- Kaye Fagan of The Philadelphia Inquirer: "Let's just take a minute to address this drama surrounding Saturday night's Lil Wayne concert. The details are simple: Lou Williams and a few others 76ers attended Saturday night's concert despite having a noon game the following day vs. the Sacramento Kings. After the loss, Lou, believing their attendance at the concert had already been brought up, commented on it, saying that some guys who went to the concert played well (Jrue Holiday, Spencer Hawes), while other guys didn't play so well (Lou himself). Pretty quickly, this became a very big deal with folks saying the Sixers were being unprofessional and immature, staying out until 3:30 a.m. in the morning, and jeopardizing their preparation for the game -- an overtime loss to the Kings. Before tonight's game against the Chicago Bulls, we went straight to Lou himself to get an explanation about exactly how all of this blew up on them. Later, I went back to Lou to ask him if he really was out until 3:30 a.m. and he denied that, saying he has a kid now and he can't be out all night like that. He seemed exasperated by all of this and didn't want to keep talking about it."
- Bob Young of The Arizona Republic: "Gary Bender announced his retirement from broadcasting Monday, effective at the conclusion of the Suns season. He will return to Kansas, where he attended graduate school and once served as voice of the Jayhawks, to serve as a consultant for the KU Alumni Association. 'It's going back to my roots,' Bender said. Bender has called Suns TV games for nearly two decades. 'Gary defines the word 'professional' in the broadcasting industry,' Suns President and CEO Rick Welts said. 'His class, talent and character have combined to give Suns fans 18 years of great memories and unforgettable moments lived through his words.' In addition to the Suns, Bender has been the TV or radio voice of five pro football, basketball or baseball teams. And as a network broadcaster for CBS and ABC he called some of the more memorable sports moments in history, including Michael Jordan's game-winning shot for North Carolina in the 1982 NCAA Tournament title game and North Carolina State's 1983 upset of Houston that sent coach Jim Valvano running onto the court looking for someone to hug."
- David Rowell of The Washington Post: "When head coach Flip Saunders emerged from the tunnel before tipoff against the Milwaukee Bucks, he had the pained expression of a teacher who had just been assigned to teach summer school. Now Terrance Briscoe, 6 feet 2 inches tall, was stepping onto the court to stretch, gripping the toe of his size-15 sneaker. The shrill whine of Guns N’ Roses’ ubiquitous “Welcome to the Jungle” blasted over a crowd still finding their seats. As if hit with an electric bolt, Briscoe’s knees collapsed, and his arms began to flail to the chainsawlike grind of the guitars. As his hips swung from side to side, he had the look of a scarecrow trying to get out of the path of a hurricane. And then just as quickly, his body snapped back into place, and he sprinted up the closest aisle and waved his hands, which are as big as cutting boards, to see if he could get a few fist pumps in the air. And he did: a few. The Wizards reject the term male cheerleader, and they don’t like male dancer, either. They describe Briscoe as a Hype Guy. But he does dance, and he does cheer, and his smile, which he flashes all night long, is as wide as the backboard he frequently dances behind. And as a man doing these things for thousands of fans every home game, he occupies an exceptionally rare position in all of professional sports. Can we all be okay with that?"
Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/26888/first-cup-tuesday-148
Mikko Kozarowitzky Anthony Wayne Stewart Kevin Harvick Andrew Bynum Baron Davis Golden State Warriors
2011年3月30日水曜日
PSA: Pickup owners prone to pilfered tailgates
Filed under: Truck, Government/Legal, Safety
The Detroit News reports that tailgate thieves are overrunning southeast Michigan, costing truck owners and insurance companies between $1,200 and $3,600 per theft. The problem is so bad in part because stealing a tailgate only takes a few seconds when unlocked, and under a minute when they are locked. Thieves can reportedly remove a tailgate using only their fingers or with the aid of a regular old screwdriver - no specialized tools are needed.
To combat this problem, some auto dealers are displaying their trucks sans gate, or parking those trucks right up against a wall so thieves don't have room to operate. Not even a law making tailgate theft a felony worthy of up to five years in prison appears to be scaring off thieves. St. Clair Shores, MI police detective Dave Centala adds that the speed of the crime makes thieves difficult to catch, adding "they come at night, make no noise and we have never caught one in the act or recovered the part." Centala tells the DetNews that five were stolen in one night in St. Clair Shores, and in other cities the tailgates are being stolen in chunks.
Tailgate thefts are nothing new, and The Detroit News is only reporting on thefts in Michigan, but given the ease with which tailgates are being swiped, we're inclined to believe this continues to be a problem on the national level. Owners looking to protect their trucks can purchase an aftermarket lock, or they can park their vehicle in a garage or in a spot that gives thieves little room to remove the tailgate. Hopefully automakers will tune into this situation and make stealing tailgates far more difficult in the future.
[Source: The Detroit News]
PSA: Pickup owners prone to pilfered tailgates originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Read | Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/29/psa-pickup-owners-prone-to-pilfered-tailgates/
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Mercedes SLS AMG RSK8 by Lorinser
Wait, is this yet another tuning package for the Mercedes SLS AMG? Well, color us surprised! This vehicle has seen so many tuning projects, we’re beginning to think people have forgotten what a standard model looks like. But have no fear, this latest package only adds a new set of wheels courtesy of Lorinser and a tweak to improve the Mercedes’ handling.
The Mercedes SLS AMG RSK8 by Lorinser is set apart from its standard brethren with a new set of three-part forged wheels with seven spokes and stainless steel bolts. These light-alloy wheels are offered in 9.5 x 20" for the front axle and 11 x 21" at the back, and should be accompanied by 275/30 and 295/25 tires, respectively.
Since weight for a sports car is always an area that can be improved upon, Lorinser has taken extra care of the SLS AMG by making sure that the new rims are one of the lightest available on the market. This reduction in weight improves the unsprung mass and therefore improves the braking response and the handling of the two-seater. And here we thought they just looked good.
Mercedes SLS AMG RSK8 by Lorinser originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 March 2011 17:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/mercedes/2011-mercedes-sls-amg-rsk8-by-lorinser-ar107168.html
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VCU fans are going streaking
The below video (hat tip: Quickish) was taken after VCU's win over Kansas Sunday. It should be noted that this is just a YouTube video; it's not a live feed of the VCU campus or the downtown Richmond area. But it should be. This is what I like to imagine Richmond looks like right this very second: VCU students pouring out of bars into the street, chants of "We want Butler! We want Butler!" ringing out, a massive ongoing unorganized celebration by a group of fans taken on the most remarkable run in NCAA history. This is how VCU students should be spending every waking moment: just freaking out.
Then, on Thursday night, VCU students and fans should be packing the nearest car they can find -- carpooling is teamwork, and what better example than Shaka Smart's Rams? -- and driving said car the 21 hours and 39 minutes it will take to get from Richmond, Va. to Houston. Who cares if you can't get, or can't afford, a ticket to the game? If you're a VCU fan, you have to at least be in the vicinity this weekend. Once-in-a-million trips to the Final Four don't happen every year.
In other words: Road trip, bros! Epic!
Man, it would be fun to be a VCU student right now. Holy cow.
Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/28841/vcu-fans-are-going-streaking
Regan Smith Oklahoma City Thunder Travis Kvapil Old Spice Office Depot Chevrolet Nicola Larini Jamie McMurray
Reptile Hybrid Concept is 700 HP, Open Wheeled Goodness
It’s open season for racers everywhere and this latest vehicle may just put a few more people in the mood to grab some asphalt and take off! Problem is, the Reptile Hybrid is just a concept with little hope of ever being produced. Bummer.
The Reptile Hybrid is a two-seater sportscar designed by Arturo Ari�o from Barcelona, Spain. His intention was to create a lightweight racing car that could also be used on the streets. The concept features an open-wheel layout with a sporty interior and two seats. The exterior design has a futuristic air to it with the rear spoiler and the side wings being integrated into one component. The white exterior paint is broken up with sweeping red sides that act as a guide for air flow.
Being that it is a hybrid, of course, the Reptile combines a 2.7 liter rear-mounted Wankel engine that develops a total of 700 HP with a 4-pole electric induction motor. When driving, the electric batteries are recharged while the wheels are spinning, but with a touch of the "Race" button, the Wankel engine gets to work.
Do we think this vehicle stands a chance at ever seeing glimpses of the production line? Probably not, but at least there are people out there that are headed in the right direction in terms of design and power. It won’t be long before cars like the Reptile Hybrid Concept and many other hybrid variations are all we see on the track and the streets. Lightweight and hybrid just seems to be the way to go for everyone.
Reptile Hybrid Concept is 700 HP, Open Wheeled Goodness originally appeared on topspeed.com on Tuesday, 29 March 2011 12:00 EST.
Mattias Ekstrom Jud Larson Memphis Grizzlies Lamar Odom Dwayne Wade Cleveland Cavaliers
James set for second return to Cleveland (AP)
Trapped in an arena where venom and disgust filled nearly all 20,000 seats, LeBron James survived. He handled the boos, the "Akron hates you" chants, the obscene taunts coming at him from every direction, from fans he considered family. At his homecoming, James was an outcast. He's returning on Tuesday, and nearly four months since his last visit, the Miami superstar isn't...
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2011年3月29日火曜日
Hamann Motorsports Legacy
The founder of Hamann Motorsports, Richard Hamann, has passed away after an elongated battle with lung cancer. Most popular for his tuning company, he also was an accomplished race car driver in his own right. Friends remember his passion for the automobile and tuning engines. When he created Hamann in 1986 he was already famous for tuning German automobiles better than anyone else.
Hamann Motorsports has made the statement, ?Richard Hamann was a craftsman, an artist and his memory will continue to prevail in all the cars he built. In the honour of Richard, The Hamann Motorsport team will go on with running the company according to the wish of the maestro himself.?
Throughout his illustrious career Hamann competed in over 700 racing events. Of those he crossed the finish line in a top 3 spot 300 times. He recorded victories in 103 of them. Furthermore, Hamann was an integral part of the BMW M1 racing legend and won 3 Touring Car trophies behind the wheel of one of these mystic machines. As his racing career began to wind down, the tuning business expanded rapidly. Starting with what he knew best, BMW, the company was specific to German manufacturers competing against the likes of Brabus and AC Schnitzer. As the company has grown and become the juggernaut we know today, they have expanded to Lamborghini, Land Rover, Maserati, Rolls Royce, Aston Martin, Mini, and Ferrari tuning in addition to the classic German brands.
Hit the jump for more details on Hamann Motorsports.
Hamann Motorsports Legacy originally appeared on topspeed.com on Monday, 28 March 2011 12:00 EST.
Source: http://www.topspeed.com/cars/car-news/hamann-motorsports-legacy-ar106936.html
Hernandez Yeley Chris Bosh Kevin Conway Minnesota Timberwolves Chauncey Billups Chico Landi
'Melo scores 36, but Knicks continue slide
While it's March Madness in numerous cities around the country, it's "March Sadness" in New York City as the New York Knicks dropped their sixth straight, falling to the Charlotte Bobcats. Despite new personnel, these struggles are nothing new in the month of March for New York.
The Knicks have posted losing records this month in each of the last seven seasons and have the lowest win percentage in the NBA during March since the 2004-05 season.
Carmelo Anthony set his Knicks career-high with 36 points, doing so on 25 field goal attempts, the most he has taken in a game since his first with the Knicks (also 25).
He did not receive much help from the rest of the Knicks’ perceived "Big Three" though, as Chauncey Billups and Amar'e Stoudemire combined for just 28 points on 29 shots including just six points on five field goal attempts in the fourth quarter.
Billups continued to struggle from three-point range, making just 1-of-6 attempts. New York is just 1-8 since he returned from injury and 3-10 overall when the point guard plays since the trade.
The Knicks have won four of the six games he missed, and have averaged over eight more points per game without him, while also recording five more assists per game.
While the Knicks continue to slide, the Bobcats' victories on consecutive nights, coupled with two losses by the Indiana Pacers, and Charlotte finds themselves just one game behind Indiana for the eighth spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Bobcats have 10 games left compared to just eight for the Pacers, but Indiana swept the season series between the teams meaning Charlotte would lose the tiebreaker if the two teams finish with the same record.
Elsewhere around the NBA:
• The Chicago Bulls outscored the Milwaukee Bucks by 13 points in the fourth quarter of their win. On the year the Bulls have been dominant in the fourth, outscoring their opponents by 201 points. No other team has outscored its opponents by even 100 points in the final frame this season.
• The Atlanta Hawks clinched a playoff berth for the fourth consecutive season with their victory over the New Jersey Nets. The streak of four straight playoff appearances is the longest for the franchise since making it in seven straight seasons from 1992-99.
Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/26802/anthony-scores-36-but-knicks-continue-free-fall
Dwayne Wade Cleveland Cavaliers Elliott Sadler Masami Kuwashima Luis Scola Kurt Busch
2012 Volvo S60 earns IIHS Top Safety Pick award
Filed under: Sedan, Safety, Volvo, Luxury
2012 Volvo S60 IIHS crash tests - Click above for high-res image gallery
Volvo can stick another feather in its safety cap. The 2012 S60 has officially been awarded an IIHS Top Safety Pick judgement by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. That means the sedan managed to net top ratings in all IIHS crash tests, including front, side, rollover and rear evaluations. Vehicles awarded the Top Safety Pick designation must also come standard with electronic stability control.
According to the IIHS, it's been a while since the S60 has carried the institute's highest honor. The vehicle's previous generation had no problem netting good ratings in both front and rear tests, but was only rated as acceptable in side impact evaluations. Additionally, the new roof strength tests weren't in place for the vehicle's last iteration. IIHS says that Volvo improved the design of the S60 enough to net higher side impact ratings and pass the new rollover tests with flying colors.
IIHS says that the roof of the S60 stood up to 4.95 times the weight of the vehicle. Currently, the federal standard is only requires a vehicle to withstand a force equivalent to 1.5 times its weight. Hit the jump for the full press release.
[Source: IIHS]
Continue reading 2012 Volvo S60 earns IIHS Top Safety Pick award
2012 Volvo S60 earns IIHS Top Safety Pick award originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Mar 2011 18:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Email this | CommentsSource: http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/28/2012-volvo-s60-earns-iihs-top-safety-pick-award/
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