Saturday, June 4, 2016

Jamaica vs. Venezuela | Copa America Centenario Match Preview


Meet the U.S. MNT Roster for Copa America Centenario

Jamaica vs. VenezuelaCopa America Centenario Group CJune 5 | 5:00 pm ET | Soldier Field, Chicago, IllinoisTV: FOX, Univision, UDN

In a battle of what look to be the two bottom-feeders of Group C, Jamaica and Venezuela will meet on Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field in Chicago.

The two teams come in to Copa America Centenario as underdogs to reach the knockout stage as they were drawn into a group with Mexico, a de facto home team, and Uruguay, one of the best teams in the world over the last decade. The Reggae Boyz will be looking to build off their historic run to the final in last years Gold Cup, while Venezuela will be looking to reach the quarterfinals of the tournament for only the third time ever.

Here are three things were looking at in advance of Sundays game:

Boyz on the Rise

Jamaica came into last years Gold Cup after a Copa America appearance that saw them unable to score a goal in three games. This did not make them one of the favorites in CONCACAFs biennial tournament. But they proved those doubters wrong by winning a group that included World Cup quarterfinalists Costa Rica and then upsetting the US national team in the semifinals.

They ended up falling in the final to Mexico, but there was no doubt that they were the team of the tournament. Could they do it again this summer?

Get to the point

Venezuela have had very little success over the course of their national team history. They have failed to ever reach a World Cup and have been the quarterfinals of Copa America twice, with the most recent time coming in 2011 when they made it all the way to the semifinals. Times have been especially tough recently as they have won just once in their last 15 tries and enter Copa America with just a 16 percent chance of reaching the knockout stages according to ESPNs Soccer Power Index.

But their roster is not completely devoid of talent. They do have West Bromwich Albion striker Jose Salomon Rondon, who scored nine goals in the Premier League last season, and Juanmi, a Malaga midfielder who just happens to be the brother of Bernardo Aor, who is currently on loan from Sporting Kansas City. Behind these two, Venezuela will be looking to get off to a great start against the other underdog in the group; if they dont, they may not get a point in the tournament.

Where are the goals?

The Reggae Boyz didnt exactly rely on outscoring opponents in their run to the Gold Cup final last year, scoring just eight goals in six games, but lately the problem has become even more pronounced. Winfried Schafers team has scored just four goals in their last six games, part of which has come during a rough start to World Cup qualifying that has seen them fall behind Costa Rica and Panama in Group B. One of the heroes of the Gold Cup run, Houston Dynamo forward Giles Barnes, will be relied upon to provide the goals in this match and for the rest of the tournament.

Source: http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/06/03/jamaica-vs-venezuela-copa-america-centenario-match-preview

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Markham Tim Hortons robbed at gunpoint on National Donut Day


NATIONAL DONUT DAY 2015

Friday is National Donut Day.

But the celebration of deep-fried dough coated in sugar got off to a sour start after a Tim Hortons restaurant was robbed at gunpoint in Markham.

Even York Regional Police noted the gall of the robbers, tweeting Gutsy move robbing a Tim Hortons on National Donut Day.

In a release, police said two men entered the coffee shop near Steeles Avenue East and Don Mills Road just after midnight.

They both jumped over the counter. One of the suspects assaulted a female employee and made demands for cash while the other pointed a handgun at employees, assuring their compliance.

With cash in hand, the suspects fled to an awaiting car, which was last seen speeding south on Don Mills Road.

Police believe the same two suspects also robbed a Hasty Market convenience store in Barrie earlier in the night.

In that incident the suspects demanded money from two employees before one of the employees was assaulted.

The two employees complied, although were unable to open the cash register, Barrie police said in a release. As a result the one suspect struck an employee with a gun.

  • One suspectis described as a white male, six foot one, with a muscular build. He was wearing a blue hoodie, black pants and black running shoes. His face was covered with a white mask.
  • The other suspect is a black male, about five foot ten with a thin build. He was armed with a handgun and was wearing a blue jacket with green sleeves and blue running shoes. His face was covered with a white scarf.
  • The suspect vehicle is described as a silver Honda Civic.

If you know anything, contact police.

Source: http://www.citynews.ca/2016/06/03/markham-tim-hortons-robbed-at-gunpoint-on-national-donut-day/

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Prince"s death sheds light on fentanyl use in DMV


fentanyl overdose epidemic!

Matt Yurus, WUSA6:08 PM. EST June 03, 2016

WASHINGTON (WUSA9) -- The powerful synthetic painkiller that took the life of Prince is contributing to the death of users in the Washington, D.C. area as well.

The opiate is fentanyl, heroin"s deadlier cousin. Doctors prescribe it to cancer and hospice patients to curb severe pain. Dealers, however, sell heroin laced with fentanylbecause cost is low and supply and demand are high.

"I think when people first start using heroin, said Brie Smelser, a recovering addict, you don"t know what you are going to get, but as your tolerance builds, you look for heroin that"s cut with fentanyl."

Smelser described this lethal cocktail as euphoric. It is 50- to 100 times more potent than morphine, according to experts. Smelser said, I had a miniscule amount of heroin cut with fentanyl when my heart stopped.

It was December 2015. Smelser had been using for nearly a decade a habit she started after her brother lost his life to heroin. Narcan a drug often used by paramedics to reverse or block an overdose was injected into her nose. Her heart began to beat.

"After years of using, you just want to stop and you can"t, and it"s a very sad thing," Smelser said.

Police in Fairfax County told WUSA9 that fentanyl is being manufactured on the streets. Other experts confirmed that fentanyl street use does not originate with U.S. pharmaceutical companies or in doctors offices. (Fairfax County Police did encounter one case where a grandson stole his grandfathers prescribed fentanyl.)

Fentanyl looks like heroin, leaving some users unaware of what they are injecting, snorting or swallowing. Others, like Smelser, look for the heroin that kills you.

CSB Residential Treatment Services placed Smelser at a substance abuse program based out of a house in Vienna, Virginia, where she lives with other recovering addicts.

Smelser has been clean for five months. The track marks on her arm remind her of where she has been. Her journey, however, is far from over. She is out on bond for burglary, carrying a weapon and other charges. All crimes that she allegedly committed while she was high on heroin. She faces up to 25 years in jail.

When asked why she did it, the 26-year-old was momentarily speechless, trying to suppress her emotions.

Source: http://www.wusa9.com/news/local/dc/princes-death-sheds-light-on-fentanyl-use-in-dmv/230636868

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Friday, June 3, 2016

Doris Burke Says Drake Liked Her Style At A Raptors" Game


Doris Burke with the handles while wearing heels! 🔥👠

Toronto, ON - The Toronto Raptors made a good run at the NBA Finals and apparently, Drake took a go at ESPN"s Doris Burke during their last home game at Air Canada Centre against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The veteran analyst and sideline reporter recalled how Drizzy set his "Views" on her aura and even hit her with a heart sign sometime during May 27th"s contest.

"Can I tell you something about the last time I was there?" Burke, 50, recalled to Rembert Browne of New York Magazine. "I just could not believe this happened. Drake turned aroundmy seat at Game 6 was right behind himmakes a heart shape [with his hands] and points at me. I"m looking around behind me to see who"s there, turn back to him and then he points and he does it again. I texted my daughter and said, "You need to know Drake just did this to me.""

The Raptors would go on to get waxed by as score of 113-87, making it two L"s for Team Toronto that day, seeing that Burke didn"t reciprocate the lovey-dovey sentiment on her end.

His team was minutes away from being eliminated and he just needed one dance. What was difficult to comprehend about that, Doris?

Source: http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.39074/title.doris-burke-says-drake-liked-her-style-at-a-raptors-game

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The Whole Ghostbusters Gang, Past and Present, Is Getting Back Together


Original GhostBusters Theme Song
Dear TIME Readers,

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The TIME Team

Source: http://time.com/4356943/ghostbusters-new-old-bill-murray-reunion/

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Vanderbilt pitcher Donny Everett drowns while fishing


Donny Everett (Vanderbilt Commit) - Baseball Highlights

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Vanderbilt freshman pitcher Donny Everett drowned while fishing in Tennessee a day before the Commodores were to open the NCAA Tournament on Friday. He was 19.

The Coffee County Sheriff"s Department said in a statement Friday that Everett was with two teammates and two other people when he tried to swim across Normandy Lake near a bridge. The lake is about 60 miles southeast of Nashville.

Everett was halfway across when he asked for help, but friends told Deputy Charles Taylor that they thought Everett was joking because he was smiling. One person went into the water and pulled Everett several feet before letting go, still thinking Everett was joking and struggling to stay afloat himself. When he looked back, Everett had gone under and did not re-surface.

Divers with the county rescue squad found Everett just before 7 p.m. Thursday in 25 feet of water some 15 feet from shore. His body was taken to Nashville for autopsy by the state medical examiner.

Vanderbilt was the College World Series runner-up last year and won the 2014 national title. The school was scheduled to open the NCAA Tournament on Friday night by hosting Xavier. The Commodores were deciding whether to play the game.

""As you can imagine, the team, the athletic department and the university are trying to come to terms with this tragedy,"" Vanderbilt athletic director David Williams said in a statement on Friday. ""His parents and loved ones are on our minds and in our prayers as we share in their grief.""

Everett was a right-hander from Clarksville, Tennessee, who had gone 0-1 with a 1.50 ERA and 13 strikeouts in 12 innings this season. The 2015 Gatorade player of the year for Tennessee enrolled at Vanderbilt after being drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 29th round last year. Baseball America had ranked Everett 21st among prospects for the 2015 draft.

http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/vanderbilt-pitcher-donny-everett-drowns-while-fishing-060316?cmpid=feed:-sports-FOX-News

Source: http://www.foxnews.com/sports/2016/06/03/vanderbilt-pitcher-donny-everett-drowns-while-fishing.print.html

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Muhammad Ali hospitalized, could pose serious issues


Muhammad Ali - Amazing Speed
Muhammad Ali is hospitalized in the Phoenix area with what two people familiar with his condition say may be more serious problems than his previous hospital stays.

The 74-year-old boxing great is fighting respiratory issues that are complicated by the Parkinson"s that he was diagnosed with in the 1980s, the people told The Associated Press on Thursday.

The two spoke separately in describing Ali"s condition that they say is concerning to family members. They declined to be identified because they were not speaking on behalf of the family.

A spokesman for Ali said in a statement earlier Thursday that the former heavyweight champion is being treated at an unidentified hospital for a respiratory issue. Spokesman Bob Gunnell said Ali was in fair condition, and a brief hospital stay was expected.

Ali"s longtime Parkinson"s doctor declined comment when reached by the AP Thursday night.

"I can"t really say much more than what"s in the papers," said Dr. Abraham Lieberman of the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix.

Ali has been hospitalized several times in recent years, most recently in early 2015 when he was treated for a severe urinary tract infection initially diagnosed as pneumonia.

Ali has looked increasingly frail in public appearances, including April 9 when he wore sunglasses and was hunched over at the annual Celebrity Fight Night dinner in Phoenix, which raises funds for treatment of Parkinson"s.

His last formal public appearance before that was in October when he appeared at the Sports Illustrated Tribute to Muhammad Ali at The Muhammad Ali Center in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, along with former opponents George Foreman and Larry Holmes.

Ali has suffered from Parkinson"s for three decades, most famously trembling badly while lighting the Olympic torch in 1996 in Atlanta. Despite the disease he kept up a busy appearance schedule until recently, though he has not spoken in public for years.

Doctors say the Parkinson"s likely was caused by the thousands of punches Ali took during a career in which he traveled the world for big fights.

An iconic figure who at one point was perhaps the most recognized person in the world, Ali has lived quietly in the Phoenix area with his fourth wife, Lonnie, whom he married in 1986.

News of his hospitalization brought well wishes from boxers and others on Twitter, including Sugar Ray Leonard, who modeled his career after Ali"s.

"Prayers & blessings to my idol, my friend, & without question, the Greatest of All Time MuhammadAli ! #GOAT," Leonard wrote.

(Copyright 2016 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Source: http://abc7.com/news/muhammad-ali-hospitalized-could-pose-serious-issues/1369794/

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