Blizzard 2015: WWE 'Monday Night Raw' event in Hartford postponed

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HARTFORD, Conn. - After Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble, fans were so upset they started a Twitter campaign to pull the plug on the WWE Network.

So far, that wish hasn't come true, but anyone hoping to see the match's fallout will have to wait. The impending snowstorm has forced the postponement of tonight's "Monday Night Raw" event at the XL Center.

Gov. Dannel Malloy, in anticipation of at least two feet of snow and four-foot-high snowdrifts, ordered a statewide travel ban starting at 9 p.m. Monday.

The three-hour wrestling event was scheduled to start at 8 p.m.

"Tickets for tonight's show in Hartford will be honored for a 'SmackDown' event this Thursday, January 29 that will air live on Syfy," the WWE said in a press release. "Fans with tickets to (Tuesday's) event in Boston will have the option of either exchanging tickets for an upcoming WWE event on Saturday, June 27 or obtaining a refund at point of purchase."

Stay with MassLive.com for continuing coverage of the region's first major snowstorm of 2015. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Source: http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2015/01/blizzard_2015_wwe_monday_night.html

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Josh Gordon Fails Drug Test: Twitter Reacts to Latest Report, Likely Suspension

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Cleveland Browns wide receiver Josh Gordon may be looking at another major suspension after reportedly violating the league's substance-abuse policy.

ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news on Sunday, noting the All-Pro wideout would be out for a year:

Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio added that any appeal from Gordon likely won't prove fruitful:

Florio also reported that alcohol was the substance for which Gordon tested positive:

New Orleans Saints tight end Benjamin Watson, who played with Gordon in 2012, shared his reaction to the news:

Former teammate D'Qwell Jackson also commented:

The MMQB's Peter King took the same attitude:

Bleacher Report's Matt Miller and Pro Football Focus' Sam Monson both bemoaned how such a talented player is seemingly shooting himself in the foot time and again:

Pro Football Talk's Michael David Smith wonders if Gordon might be the most egregious case of wasted potential ever:

This is far from the first time the 23-year-old has run afoul of league rules.

Last summer, the NFL suspended Gordon for the entire 2014 season after he violated the league's substance-abuse policy. After the league and players' union agreed to a new drug-testing policy in September, the NFLreducedhis suspension to 10 games.

The Browns also suspended Gordon for the team's regular-season finale. Mike Loykoof NEPatriotsDraft.com is one of many who feel Gordon's time in Cleveland is over:

CBSSports.com's Dane Brugler tweeted that Gordon's predicament only heightens the Browns' need for another top-end wide receiver:

Gordon has appeared in 35 NFL games over three years, catching 161 passes for 2,754 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Should he be suspended, the earliest fans would get to see Gordon on an NFL field again is likely 2016.

Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2341990-josh-gordon-fails-drug-test-twitter-reacts-to-latest-report-likely-suspension

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Pro Bowl 2015: Time, TV schedule, rosters, rule changes, and online streaming

The 2015 Pro Bowl is here, and we've got all you need to know heading into the game.

It's finally here -- the biggest game of the season, featuring the best talent in the league. It's the one you've all been waiting for ... the 2015 Pro Bowl! Of course, that's how the league would like reality to look, and that's certainly how they try and bill it, but the Pro Bowl has struggled to maintain viewers in recent years.

Whatever the case, the latest iteration of the game continues to evolve as the league tries to find the sweet spot that keeps people interested, and it's set for Sunday night on ESPN. This year, they had two former players serve as captains to draft the respective teams to play in the Pro Bowl, something they started doing last year. That event drew some attention, though it also did as much last year while the game itself saw its ratings drop.

This year, it's Michael Irvin and Cris Carter captaining the two teams. Irvin, naturally, grabbed a whole bunch of Dallas players for his team, including Tony Romo, DeMarco Murray, Tyron Smith and Jason Witten. Carter ended up with some big-name players, including Andrew Luck and J.J. Watt.

Rule changes

There's been plenty of rule tweaks for this year's game. First off: there will be no kickoff, for whatever reason. It might be that the league doesn't want players to get injured in an exhibition game, but whatever the case, the coin toss will determine who gets the ball first, and said ball will be placed at the 25-yard line.

That will occur after scores, but also at the start of each quarter. The league is adding a two-minute warning to the first and third quarters, and the ball will change possession at that point. The thinking here is that two-minute drills are more exciting for fans. Also along that same vein, cover two and press coverage will be allowed in the game.

Outside of that, the rest has to do with the game clock. The clock will stop if the offense does not gain at least one yard in the final two minutes of each quarter, preventing stalling to let the clock run out. The clock will start after an incomplete pass after the signal of a referee outside of the last two minutes of the first half and the last five minutes of the second half. There will also be a 35-second/25-second play clock as opposed to the typical 40-second/25-second play clock.

How to Watch

Date: Sunday, Jan. 25Time: 8 p.m. ETLocation: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.TV: ESPNAnnouncers: Mike Tirico, Jon GrudenOnline Streaming: WatchESPN

Here are the rosters for the game:

Team CarterCoach

John Harbaugh

Offense

QB Andrew LuckQB Drew BreesQB Andy DaltonRB Jamaal CharlesRB Justin ForsettRB Alfred MorrisFB John KuhnWR Antonio BrownWRA.J. GreenWRT.Y. HiltonWR Jordy NelsonTE Martellus BennettTE Greg OlsenOT Joe StaleyOT Duane BrownOT Ryan CladyOG Josh SittonOG Evan MathisOG Mike PounceyOC Maurkice PounceyOC Jason Kelce

Defense

DEJ.J. WattDE Mario WilliamsDE Calais CampbellDT Marcell DareusDT Dontari PoeDT Kyle WilliamsOLB Justin HoustonOLB Connor BarwinOLBTamba HaliILBC.J. MosleyILB Lawrence TimmonsCB Patrick PetersonCB Antonio CromartieCB Aqib TalibCB Sam ShieldsSDonte WhitnerSGlover QuinSAntoine Bethea

Special teams

KCody ParkeyPPat McAfeePR Devin HesterST Justin BethelLS Jon Dorenbos

Team IrvinCoach

Jason Garrett

Offense

QB Tony RomoQB Matthew StaffordQB Matt RyanRBDeMarco MurrayRB Mark IngramRBC.J. AndersonFB Marcel ReeceWR Odell Beckham Jr.WR Randall CobbWR Emmanuel SandersWR Golden TateTE Jimmy GrahamTE Jason WittenOT Tyron SmithOT Joe ThomasOT Trent WilliamsOG Zach MartinOG Marshal YandaOG Kyle LongOC Travis FrederickOC Nick Mangold

Defense

DE Cameron WakeDE Robert QuinnDE DeMarcus WareDT Aaron DonaldDT Geno AtkinsDT Sheldon RichardsonOLB Von MillerOLB Clay MatthewsOLB Elvis DumervilILB Luke KuechleyILB D'Qwell JacksonCB Joe HadenCB Vontae DavisCB Brent GrimesCB Chris HarrisST.J. WardSEric WeddleSMike Adams

Special teams

KAdam VinatieriPKevin HuberPR Darren SprolesST Darrell StuckeyLSL.P. Ladouceur

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2015/1/25/7885783/2015-pro-bowl-rosters-rule-changes-tv-coverage-watch-online

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Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore 'Mutually Decided to End Their Marriage'

Ryan Adams' 2014 self-titled album was one of the moredowncast, melancholic LPsin the singer-songwriter's vastcatalog. While much of Ryan Adams' moodier tone was likely the result of his struggle with the debilitating Mnire's disease and the death of his grandmother, this too perhaps informed his latest album: Ryan Adams and Mandy Moore announced they are divorcing after nearly six years of marriage.Us Weeklyconfirms that the unlikely couple he a prolificrocker, she a former pop star are splitting up.

Sidebar Ryan Adams' Road to Recovery

In a joint statement, the couple said, "Mandy Moore and Ryan Adams have mutually decided to end their marriage of almost six years. It is a respectful, amicable parting of ways and both Mandy and Ryan are asking for media to respect their privacy at this time."

Adams and Moore married in March 2009 in Savannah, Georgia, just four weeks after announcing their engagement. Throughout the years, the two have collaborated with one another: In 2012, Moore revealed that she had been working with Adamson her next studio album. Moore also contributed background vocals to Adams' 2011 album Ashes & Fire and Ryan Adams' "Trouble" and "Am I Safe."

However, for the most part, Adams and Moore kept their marriage out of the headlines. "I'm a private person and I'll be a gentleman and say I'm not talking about my marriage ever. I'll never talk about it. Ever," Adams said last year. Adams, whose Austin City Limits episode coincidentally airs tonight, will hit the road with Jenny Lewis for a joint tour this spring.

Source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ryan-adams-mandy-moore-end-marriage-divorce-20150124

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Mortdecai

To get it out of the way: This is not a great movie. And at an hour and 47 minutes, there could definitely be less of Mortdecai. But its current 8% rating on Rotten Tomatoes seems a little harsh for a film this silly and harmless and intermittently amusing; it's like the drunk British uncle who puts his hand on your knee at a funeral, then falls over in the hedgerow. (The plot and characters are taken from a deeply crumpet-y 1973 comic novel by Kyril Bonfiglioli called Don't Point That Thing At Me.)

Johnny Depp stars as Bonfiglioli's Charlie Mortdecai, an amoral art-dealing fop with a posh wife, Johanna (Gwyneth Paltrow, hamming it up in jodhpurs), a loyal Cockney manservant, Jock Strapp (Paul Bettany, who deserves better) and a hefty debt in overdue back taxes.

Mortdecai's dire financial straights impel him to take a job tracking down a legendary Goya painting that's gone missing, and possibly fallen into the hands of international terrorists. His search leads to a series of pinballing, straining-madly-for-madcap scenes involving n**i war crimes, Russian thugs, a shifty Los Angeles billionaire and his nymphomaniac daughter (Jeff Goldblum and Olivia Munn, respectively) and a government agent (Ewan MacGregor) who is also an old rival for the affections of Johanna.

The travel budget seems unlimited, and the setpieces look alarmingly expensive. But mostly it's all just a showcase for Depp's preening, prat-falling, out-of-time aristocrat; he's less a characterthan a mincing bundle of mannerisms and secondhand David Niven-isms. (An inordinate number of gags revolve around his mustache, which looks like two wet baby ferrets nuzzling before a warm fire.)

The movie is too odd and randy to play for kids on an Austin Powers level, and too broad to really work as farce. But Depp, G*d bless him, fully commits, and finds a few genuinely funny moments amidst all the outsize mugging and mild sociopathy. Go if you're a raging Anglophile with an afternoon to burn or you just love Depp, even at his hammiest. Otherwise, don't point this thing at you. C-

Source: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20483133_20895199,00.html

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NASCAR Legend Jeff Gordon To Retire From Racing

One of NASCAR's greatest is planning a pit stop. Four-time cup champion Jeff Gordon says this season will be his last as a full-time driver.

For more than two decades, Jeff Gordon has been the man behind the wheel of number 24 racking up 92 career victories, including four championships.

But now the NASCAR superstar - who ranks third in all time race wins - says it's time to hit the brakes.

"This is certainly something I've been thinking about for years.//I always said I wanted to step away on my own terms if possible," Gordon tells CBS News.

A clean-cut California native, the 43-year-old helped transcend the sport of race car driving beyond its southern roots, elevating NASCAR to a national obsession.

"Jeff Gordon became the poster boy for NASCAR and as NASCAR grew, Jeff Gordon fit the image that Nascar wanted to court," says Nick Bromberg, Sports Editor for Yahoo! "Not only was he good, he was popular, he was polarizing but he was also marketable to the entire country."

"Marketable" on and off the track. He hosted Saturday Night Live and has been a popular pitchman for Pepsi and other brands.

Gordon's announcement comes after one of his best seasons in years.

But one that also saw him knocked out of contention for the championship, following a collision with driver Brad Keselowski that led to an all out scuffle.

Gordon says a number of factors contributed to his decision including recurring back pain."It wasn't just one thing. Yeah the back thing played a role. I think that just more confirmed things for me than anything else."

Still, he stopped short of calling it a retirement."The way I see myself in the world is that retirement means you go off to a beach somewhere or sit on the rocking chair on the front porch// That's not me I plan on working. I'm actually gonna have to get a real job now," he laughs.

(Elaine Quijano, CBS News)

Source: http://www.ozarksfirst.com/story/d/story/nascar-legend-jeff-gordon-to-retire-from-racing/41364/UksF8IiZlUyQH5-DsFspww

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In The Trenches: 2015 Senior Bowl

The 2015 Senior Bowl being played at 4 p.m. today at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. features some of the best talent college football has to offer.

With every player on both the North and South rosters looking to make an impression on NFL scouts, team personnel and coaches, theres always a heightened sense of competition in the Senior Bowl practices leading up to the game.

This years game features a great deal of depth in the trenches, both on the offensive and defensive lines. As he watched a practice session this week, NFL Media draft expert Mike Mayock gave his quick takes on the offensive and defensive linemen that have stood out to him in this years Senior Bowl class.

On defensive tackle Danny Shelton (Washington):Yeah, we just saw the Haloti Ngata local light, Danny Shelton with numbers ripped off. He might be the best player in this game and this is a drill where the defense can dominate. [Its a] one-on-one drill, its pass protection. Theres no place to hide. He has that old Reggie White, Howie Long pump-pump move.

On guard Laken Tomlinson (Duke):Laken Tomlinson, the guard from Duke. I think I have a higher grade on him than most the people Ive seen. Hes a big, square, tough guy. [Hes a] road grater in the run game, but I think hes a better pass protector. This might be a Top 10 pick at the end of the day. Tomlinson is having a good day, folks. You see at the end of the play when the defender runs toward the quarterback, b***s gone.

On tackle T.J. Clemmings (Pittsburgh):This is left tackle, T.J. Clemmings. He played two years of high school football, had basketball scholarship offers Seton Hall and Providence I believe. I believe at the end of the day, if things play out, he can be a Top 10 pick. His physical traits are all left tackle. Hes got beautiful feet, hes a dancing bear, and hes a guy thats pass protection first. He just needs to clean up technique and get stronger in his core areas. Clemmings, a little bit of reacher, but he did a great job that time. Hes got the build of a Tyron Smith from the Cowboys and hes got the feet.

On guard Robert Myers (Tennessee State):Thats the Division-II player, Myers from Tennessee State whos got some ability, but looked really slow trying to power step, meaning that inside step, that inside move taking an inside step driving down across the line of scrimmage.

On tackle Rob Havenstein (Wisconsin):Havenstein from Wisconsin at 6-feet, 8-inches against [linebacker Zack] Hodges. They dont have 6-feet, 8-inches in the Ivy League. Hodges is not used to that.

On tackle Jamil Douglas (Arizona State):Douglas played a lot of tackle at Arizona State, but I think his future is inside at guard. h**l be really good. A lot of these guys are tackles in college who are going to have to move inside. Hes one of them.

On tackle Donovan Smith (Penn State):Not many people saw him coming out, but understand, hes almost 6-feet, 6-inches, 341 pounds, hes got long arms. This kid can be a better football player than I think people understand. A lot of us got on him late because we did not expect him to come out.

On defensive tackle Louis Trinca-Pasat (Iowa):Trinca-Pasat can get up field every now and again, but hes not quite as stout against the run. Hes a movement guy. He gets stoned at the point unless hes on the move.

On tackle Ali Marpet (Hobart):[Ali Marpets] a left tackle at Hobart but I think hes a center. The thing that will help Ali Marpet is if he can play all three interior positions. Really smart kid obviously, but he needs to get on a practice squad and get bigger and stronger.

On defensive end Henry Anderson (Stanford):Henry Anderson has length. Hes so long. He could play several different positions. Hes 6-feet, 6-inches, 287 pounds. He could line up, up and down the defensive line of scrimmage. Thats what I saw from [Henry] Anderson all year long thee quickness and length to win.

On defensive end Nate Orchard (Utah):Nate Orchard is an intriguing prospect whos long. He converts speed to power and thats what he did to Havenstein right there, got up under him and jacked him. You could only hope that every tackle will go straight up like that and just rock him back to the quarterback.

RELATED LINKS:-- Receivers Coates, Smith Make Senior Bowl Splash-- Tight End Clive Walford Shines At Senior Bowl

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Source: http://www.redskins.com/news-and-events/article-1/In-The-Trenches-2015-Senior-Bowl/55808d89-4d3a-4872-9d1c-318c448a81db

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