Patriots" Nate Ebner Living Olympic Rugby Dream Following Unspeakable Tragedy
FOXBORO -- Bill Belichick and several members of the Patriots coaching staff showed theirsupport for Patriots safety Nate Ebner, who is competing in Rio on the U.S. Olympic rugby team, by wearing a USA Rugby shirt with Ebners nameon the back.
Ebner, a safety and special teams ace who re-signed with the Patriots this offseason after hitting free agency,has been granted a leave from Patriots training camp to compete in the Games. The U.S. played its first match Tuesday, a 17-14 loss to Argentina.
It takes on Brazil at 5 p.m. Tuesday night, and the Patriots will be watching.
Belichick informed his team that it would be catching the second game -- which consists of two seven-minute halves -- as a group at Gillette Stadium.
"Im mad we missed the first game," said Patriots safety Devin McCourty. "But well go in there and a lot of us will watch that game at 5 o"clockand get to cheer our guy on."
Though USA Rugby Men"s Sevens coach Mike Friday once placed Ebner"s odds of making the Olympic roster at about 50-50, the former Ohio State rugby star earned one of the team"s 12 spots after a few months of training with USA Rugby.He came off the bench for the U.S.in the second half of the loss to Argentina.
When the Patriots watch Ebner on Tuesday night, they"ll be glued, McCourty said.
"Nate is a very popular guy on the team," McCourty said. "Everybody loves Nate, his work ethic and what he brings to the team. A lot of us cant wait to get in there and watch him do something that hes very passionate about.
"I think in the secondary, we know he talked to us about trying out for the Olympics before it even came up, so to now see it come full circle and get a chance to watch him in the Olympics is going to be a cool experience."
Tim Tebow: The Man, The Legend, The Future MLB Star?
Former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tim Tebow was in the news today when it became known he hopes to make another comeback attempt. This time, on the baseball diamond and not the gridiron.
Tebow plans to hold a workout to allow every MLB team to see his skills.
But the Reading Fightins have already made their decision. They"re all set in the outfield and sent the below tweet.
They"re not wrong. The Fightins have been red hot this season.Reading has been dominant all season, led by the home run prowess of outfielder Dylan Cozens (32 HR, 103 RBIs) and first baseman Rhys Hoskins (34 and 101). Catcher Jorge Alfaro has also been a steady force in the three-hole for the team with the best record in all of professional baseball.
Tebow will probably need to say his prayers if he wants any shot of making that squad.
We already know Philadelphians love throwing things, so why not choose something a bit sharper?
How about some axes.
That"s the idea behindEast Kensington"s Urban Axes.
"Its like darts, only bigger and more satisfying,"says Krista Poll, one of the owners of the new joint.
We sent a camera crew over to Urban Axes to get a firsthand look at what throwing axes is like and we"re not going to lie, throwing axes is as enjoyable as expected.
They"re taking group bookings with dates starting on September 15th and later. Go throw some things. Take out some of that aggression. It will feel good.
More info on their website here.
Chase Utley hit 233 career home runs for the Philadelphia Phillies. On Monday night he hit his first against them.
The Phils are out on the west coast this week for an emotional reunion with their legendary second baseman before Chase and his new squad come back to Philadelphia next week to give fans an emotional reunion with a franchise favorite.
But just because Chase is so beloved in Philly doesn"t mean he won"t hurt us like he did last night.
Utley reminded us of that sweet, short swing last night when he took a Zach Efflin fastball down the line for a home run.
So many mixed emotions. Don"t really know how to feel. Don"t like it one bit.
But, I guess, the Phils aren"t going anywhere this season so maybe we root for Chase to get one more World (bleeping) Championship.
Would like to see Efflin get his stuff together though. More on the ugly loss and Efflin"s struggles here.
Tim Teeball?
Unable to find regular work playing the sport he dedicated his life to excel at (football), former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tim Tebow is going to give a different sport a try: baseball.
The Tebow baseball news comes from ESPN"s Adam Schefter who points out that despite not having played organized baseball in over a decade, Tebow has been trying to get back into the baseball thing for months and plans to hold a workout for MLB teams later this month.
For almost the past year, Tebow has been training in Arizona and Los Angeles to hone his play as a professional batter and outfielder in a sport he has not played on a full-time basis since he was in high school in 2005.
Tebow was an All-State baseball player in Florida and hit .494 as a junior, helping Nease High School reach the final four of the Florida state playoffs.
Tebow"s camp hopes that all 30 MLB teams will come to watch him work out. Whether or not that will actually happen remains to be seen.
Obviously, Tebow should end up playing for the Angels.
Chris Harrison on Chad Johnson"s "Bachelor in Paradise" Debut: "He Really Pissed Me Off"
Erin Jensen, USA TODAY 9:29 a.m. EDT August 9, 2016
Josh Murray steps up to the "Bachelor in Paradise" plate.(Photo: Rick Rowell, ABC)
Josh Murray entered Bachelor in Paradise just in the Nick of time.
On Monday, Andi Dorfman"s ex-fianc,the hunky former baseball player with teeth that would get lost in a snowstorm, caused a little bit of trouble.
Looking to "find a wife more than anything" and armed with a date card, Josh upset the palapa equilibrium when he asked Amanda Stanton out on a date. The night before she received a rose from Nick Viall, the runner-up from AndiandKaitlyn Bristowe"sseasons.
Nick wondered if Josh only asked Amanda out to torment him, and was concerned about some of the allegations Andi made in her book,It"s Not Okay: Turning Heartbreak into Happily Never After.In the memoir, released in May, Andi wrote thatJosh"often behaved like an emotional abuser."
"Quite honestly some of the stuff that is written about Josh is pretty aggressive and a little disturbing," Nick confessed to the camera."I know at least the things written about me aren"t fictional. There"s at least some accuracy to them. So, it"s hard to imagine that that"s not the case for Josh."
Amanda Stanton and Josh Murray on their date, probably not thinking about Nick Viall.(Photo: Rick Rowell, ABC)
While sailing with Amanda, Josh admitted that dealing with his ex"s tell-all hasbeen tough.
"She had some not-so-kind things to say, and it"s very unfortunate that she would depict me in such a false way," Josh told the mother of two from Ben Higgins" season of The Bachelor."It"s like, how am I supposed to comment on these excerpts that people are sending me to a fictional story, something that"s just not true at all? It"s definitely frustrating, but it doesn"t affect me until somebody asks me about it."
Josh continued."You have to be a bigger person no matter what kind of lies or egregious things are said about you. You have to try to take the high road...Honestly, it doesn"t affect me at all. G*d knows what the truth is. Like, that"s all that matters."
In an interview, Andi told us that her revelations weren"t an attempt to drag her exes."Ididn"t want any story that was in there just to be gratuitous or just to burn someone," she said."That was not my intention." Whenwe reached out to Joshs camp for comment, wedidnt receivea reply.
To theBachelor in Paradisecameras, Josh again wrote the book off as being "a fictional story.""There"s stuff that"s so ludicrous," he said."How do you comment on something like that?"
Josh"s explanation satisfied Amanda"s curiosity.
"I thought he gave a really good answer, and I trust him. And, I can tell how genuine he is. So, it"s not really something I"m worried about," she said in an interview. "I"m just excited to see where things go from here."
We can think of someone who isn"t so excited.
See how Nick deals with this possible new coupling when Bachelor in Paradiseairs onMondays and Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Cole, Marmalade & NEW Cat Toys! #InternationalCatDay
Don"t fret or stew over this one: There are actually multiple occasions on the annual calendar spotlighting felines in all of their whiskery and wondrous ways, including National Cat Day, which falls a couple of days ahead of Halloween.
But International Cat Day is its own entity, and has a distinct vibe and reason for being. Begun by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, International Cat Day invites we humans to not simply coo over our cats (though, of course, that"s always encouraged) but to ponder how we can work to make their catly worlds better, safer, healthier, and loved.
Think of it as quite proactive, if you like, and pause to ponder how you can help cat rescue, animal organizations, or even your own at-home cuddler on Aug. 8 and every day of the year.
One such day is on the horizon, and tickets are available now. It"s Kitten Rescue"s 8th annual Furball at the Skirball, an eveningtime event with a plant-based dinner at its center.
Black Sabbath"s Geezer Butler is an honoree, as is Mr. Butler"s wife Gloria. Both are devoted cat aficionados, and both Butlers gladly lend a helpful hand to groups who assist felines in a multitude of ways, from health concerns to home placement.
Furball at the Skirball is on Saturday, Sept. 10 and tickets? They"re here.
Perhaps securing your seat at the sweet soiree is how you approach World Cat Day, or perhaps a play session, on the floor, with your own kitty is how you mark the occasion.
However you celebrate our constant, tumbling, meowing, snoozing, kneading, loving companions is your choice. But, of course, if your choice arrives with a bit of yarn, and a toy, or a check for a rescue, well... that is meow-worthy, too.
George P. Bush Sworn in as 28th Texas Land Commissioner
The Bush family has finally embraced Donald Trump. Well, at least George P. Bush, the son of "low-energy" Jeb Bush, has.
Without naming Trump, the Texas land commissioner gave Trump a tepid endorsement this weekend: "From Team Bush, it"s a bitter pill to swallow, but you know what? You get back up and you help the man that won, and you make sure that we stop Hillary Clinton," Bush said, speaking as the Texas GOPs victory chair, tasked with ensuring the election of Texas Republicans in November.
Jeb Bush, George W. Bush, and George H.W. Bush have been steering clear of the new Trump brand of conservatism. Last week,W chided Trumps policies of "isolationism, nativism, and protectionism" also without naming the nominee at an Ohio fundraiser for Sen. Rob Portman, and none of the Bushes attended the Republican National Convention in July.
But George P. Bush is a more active Republican than his father, uncle, and grandfather, and therefore has more at stake with Trump. In many ways, he perfectly encapsulates the difficulty many Republicans face this fall: They need Trumps supporters to back them, but they also need people who dont support Trump to back them.
As Club for Growth director David McIntosh told the New York Times: "You hope Trump does well so that the base Republican vote comes out and is strong. But you also have to plan for if he doesnt do well."
As an active Republican, Bush is under pressure to support Trump to avoid devastating down-ballot losses
George P. Bush"s role as victory chair is to get conservative victories up and down the ballot. But with his family publicly critical of the GOPs nominee, his nomination struck ire with some state Republicans.
"Its a very surprising decision, particularly in light of the father, the uncle and the grandfather making it abundantly clear they are not going to endorse Donald Trump for November," a former GOP Texas chair and Trump delegate,Tom Pauken, told the Austin American-Statesman when Bush was nominated. "If you dont have your own family on board, how do you encourage others?"
According to GOP strategist Matt Mackowiak, this is pressure enough to push Bush to come out in support of Trump.
But there are other reasons that might have pushed Bush to break ranks with his family, namely that being an active Republican means you have to play along with the party.
House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell have both gotten in line, supporting, but not endorsing, Trump although Trumps controversial statements often put them in some awkward denouncing-but-still-supporting situations.
As Talking Points Memo editor Josh Marshall points out, Jeb Bush isnt going to be running for reelection, but his son is only at the start of his career.
And as Ted Cruz showed at the RNC convention, treading the line with Trump can be dangerous. Cruzs approval favorability rating plummeted after his speech at the convention, during which he pointedly refused to endorse Trump, National Journals Josh Kraushaar points out:
Author Terry Pratchett once said, "In ancient times, cats were worshipped as gods; they have not forgotten this."
Humans have worshipped cats for thousands of years - and it"s not difficult to see why. In Ancient Egypt, no animal was held in as high esteem as the cat, and that has arguably continued until today.
Perhaps it is because they seem to hold themselves in high esteem - somehow they"ve manipulated the situation so we feel lucky if they let us stroke or feed them - but there are many reasons it is just natural to assume cats are better than humans.
After all, they"ve had us at their beck and call longer than any monarch or state leader has.
Here are a few reasons why cultures throughout history were right to love and worship our feline friends.
Olympic Diving Trials | David Boudia Qualifies For Rio, Will Defend Olympic Title
David Boudiawatched his first Olympic games in 1996 when he was 7. He vividly remembers his excited family gathering in front of the television. Boudia was already a talented gymnast thriving in competitions and seeing the U.S. athletes march in the opening ceremony filled him with awe.
Even more dramatic was watching the U.S. gymnastic team, the Magnificent Seven. The image of Kerri Strug suffering after her painful ankle injury from the first vault and then hobbling off the mat stayed with him. At her second attempt, she looked at her coach, Bela Karolyi, who famously repeated You can do it. You can do it. Ill never forget Karolyi carrying Strug up to the podium and the look of joy on their faces, says Boudia. Watching the Magnificent Seven win that medal stoked my competitive fires. Competing in the Olympics became my focus, my inspiration, my dream, my G*d. I was going to be an Olympian.
By 2000, when a close family friend won diving lessons in an auction, Boudia was invited to join. He had already loved swimming and discovered that diving was as thrilling as gymnastics. I got to flip through the airand be acrobatic. In essence, diving was gymnastics over water I was now landing on my head instead of on my feet, says Boudia. I loved the thrill that came with the free fall and the adrenaline that surged through my body when I flipped through the air.
Boudia began taking diving lessons and competing. He practiced five or six days a week at a pool in Indianapolis about an hour drive from home. With a powerful drive to win, he ultimately advanced to nationals. By 2004, at 15, he qualified for the Olympic Trials. Although he didnt make the team, he came close.
From that point,he knew the 2008 Olympics were within his grasp. Boudia won first place in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials. He was heading to Beijing. However, at the Olympics he finished in tenth place overall (5th place individually) and was devastated. Determined to do better, he went to Purdue University and continued to compete in diving.
Boudia began winning again. He regularly won Big Ten Diver of the Week, swept all the diving events and became USA Diving Athlete of the Year. But he was also miserable. Because the Olympics were my dream for so long, I put everything I had and was so focused on the destination of making them, he explains. My life was all about going toward winning the gold medal which I thought would bring me happiness. But when I reached that pinnacle, it proved to be hollow because I was always longing for something more. Feeling empty and hopeless, he drank often and also smoked.
Hitting rock bottom Boudia finally cried out for help. I had gotten to a point where I thought if this is all that this life has to offer than I dont really want to be in this life. he says. He texted one of his teammates who thankfully encouraged Boudia to share his feelings with his coach Adam Soldati.
In his passionately candid new memoir Greater than Gold: From Olympic Heartbreak to Ultimate Redemption, (Nelson Books), Boudia describes how Soldati and his wife Kimiko inspired and led him to his faith. I had been constantly feeding what I call my me monster, Boudia shares. But I discovered thats not my lifes purpose. I came to an awakening that this life isnt about me. Its about loving G*d and loving others around me.
In Greater than Gold which chronicles Boudias journey, his dream is to inspire people who are facing their own challenges. People struggle constantly, but they dont have to mask it, he says. I found that hope was through my faith. Thats how I learned to be real with myself and then change. And I want to provide people with hope when theyre struggling in their day-to day life.
With a new sense of focus and deep core values, he competed in the 2012 Olympics. The outcome was entirely different from the 2008 experience. But it wasnt just because he won the gold medal for the mens individual 10-meter (along with the bronze medal for the mens synchronized 10-meter.) So much in him had changed. The 2008 Olympics were all about a destination to be conquered. But the 2012 Olympics became more about the journey, he explains. I focused on the process: taking baby steps, valuing the day-to-day and enjoying it more instead of being overwhelmed with what I could get at the end of it.
Accepting his gold medal at the 2012 Olympics Boudia stepped onto the podium a transformed man. I saw the flag being raised and had an overwhelming feeling of thankfulness knowing that it wasnt me alone that got to this point, he says. I wasnt the only one standing up on this platform. It was my coach, who put in the hours, my parents and my fianc, who is now my wife, who made sacrifices. There are dietitians, massage therapists. So many people play a big role in my winning.
Boudia competes in Rio at his third Olympic games. Im ready to really enjoy this experience with my family, which is something I havent been able to do the past two Olympics, says Boudia who has a daughter with his wife. Even with his hectic schedule and all his obligations, he has a deep sense of whats most important to him. As he explains, theres so much more joy when you share this with your family.
