Wednesday, November 30, 2016

Odell Beckham Jr. could be adding a new role for Giants


Odell Beckham Jr. Goes Off for 222 Yards & 2 TDs! (Week 6 Highlights) | Ravens vs. Giants | NFL

The New York Giants" best punt returner doubles as their top receiver. Who knows, he may also be their best running back, cornerback and kicker as well.

Its actually quite simple -- Odell Beckham Jr. is the Giants" best playmaker, which puts coach Ben McAdoo in a sticky situation considering the damage Beckham did as a punt returner on Sunday in Cleveland.

The Giants resisted the temptation to use Beckham to return punts for most of his first three seasons. But they were so displeased with Dwayne Harris decision-making and Bobby Raineys lack of ball security as punt returners that they turned to Beckham last Sunday. After seeing the results against the Browns, the Giants might change their minds on Beckham"s special-teams role with the team entering a tough stretch run -- beginning this Sunday on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Beckham, 24, had punt returns of 12, 28 and 59 yards against the Browns. The last of the three went for a touchdown but was negated by a penalty. The 28-yard return was also brought back by a penalty.

Would the potential reward from using Odell Beckham Jr. as a returner be worth the added injury risk?Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports

It was still more than enough to open the coaches" eyes. Harris and Rainey havent produced a return of more than 17 yards this season.

Beckham at punt returner could be the added weapon the Giants need considering their struggle to score points this season.

It was electric, McAdoo said following the 27-13 victory over the Browns. When he has the opportunity to get his hands on the ball, hes sure-handed back there. Hes electric with the ball in his hands.

The dilemma the Giants face is weighing whether the added risk of Beckham getting injured while returning punts outweighs the potential reward from getting the ball in the hands of their best player a few more times each game. Beckham was averaging six touches per game entering last week. Adding punt-returning responsibilities would boost that total.

Antonio Brown is considered by many to be the best wide receiver in the NFL and he serves as the Steelers primary punt returner. It allows Pittsburgh to put the ball in his hands more.

Brown is averaging 8.5 touches per game and it hasnt resulted in an injury. He has played in 64 straight regular-season games for the Steelers.

The Giants must look at the rate of injury before making their decision. They must also factor in Beckhams injury history, which includes a hip problem earlier this season and thumb pain that forced him to leave Sundays game for a few plays.

McAdoo wouldnt commit Monday to using Beckham as the Giants full-time or part-time punt returner.

Well take a look at it and talk through it in the game plan meetings this week, he said.

Beckham wouldnt seem to mind, especially with the Giants having trouble putting the ball in his hands at times this season. He had just three touches in the first three quarters of the previous weeks win over the Chicago Bears. He finished with five touches in the contest.

Adding punt-return responsibilities would increase the potential for big plays.

Youre going to have to talk with Coach about that one, Beckham said after the win over the Browns. Between us, I wouldnt mind doing it. You never know. Maybe I might get back there. It just depends. With Dwayne being as banged up as he is -- this guy really comes out and gives us his all every day, he had the touchdown on offense [Sunday]. It was great. He really gives us his all every day and we appreciate it.

But Beckham may be able to give the Giants even more on punt returns. The solution may be to use him part-time in that role.

Dont be surprised to see the Giants pick their spots -- late in games, against top teams or in the playoffs -- with Beckham as their punt returner.

Source: http://www.espn.com/blog/new-york-giants/post/_/id/49654/odell-beckham-jr-could-be-adding-new-role-for-giants-down-stretch

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Sunday, August 21, 2016

There are two versions of Frank Ocean"s "Blonde"


Frank Ocean Debuts "Nikes" Video on Apple Music
There are two different versions of Frank Ocean"s new album "Blonde".

The singer released his third album, which was originally called "Boys Don"t Cry", this morning (August 21).

A physical version of the record was sold at pop-up shops in London, New York, Los Angeles and Chicago with copies of Ocean"s Boys Don"t Cry magazine.

Fans noticed that the tracklisting for the physical version differs to that available to stream online. As The Fader notes, the physical version features two songs that are not included on the digital copy, "Mitsubishi Sony" and "Easy".

"Nikes", "Be Yourself", "Self Control", "Good Guy", "Solo (Reprise)", "Facebook Story" and "Close To You" are all exclusive to the online version.

The tracklistings for both versions are as follows:

Physical version:

"Pretty Sweet""Mitsubishi Sony""Ivy""Pink & White""Solo""Easy""Skyline To""Night.s""White Ferrari""Seigfried""Godspeed""Futura Free"

Digital version:

"Nikes" "Ivy""Pink + White""Be Yourself""Solo""Skyline To""Self Control""Good Guy""Nights""Solo (Reprise)""Pretty Sweet""Facebook Story""Close to You""White Ferrari""Seigfried""Godspeed""Futura Free"

Source: http://www.nme.com/news/frank-ocean/95829

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Saturday, August 20, 2016

"Now You See Me 2" Conjuring Record China Weekend Bow For Lionsgate Intl Box Office


Now You See Me 2013 | best Crime movies 2013 | Mystery movies 2013, new Thriller movies 2013

Lionsgate on Friday had its biggest opening day ever in China with Now You See Me 2, and is now looking at a record three-day. The sequel to the 2013 summer hit pulled $14.8M out of its hat yesterday in the Middle Kingdom a magical increase of 790% in local currency and 679% in U.S. dollars versus the first film. Through Saturday, the two-day total is $36.4M (240.4M rmb) sending the film to a potential $50M China weekend which would be Lionsgates biggest ever opening in the market. Its previous biggest bow was 2013s Escape Plan with $22.8M.

According to unofficial local estimates, Now You See Me 2 is No. 1 in China, topping Independence Day: Resurgence which looks to be at about $28M after today. From helmer Jon M Chu, NYSM2 stars Jesse Eisenberg, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson, Dave Franco, Daniel Radcliffe and Lizzy Caplan.

In another sign of how important a local marketing partner in China can be, Now You See Me 2 which includes scenes shot on location in Macau isbenefiting from a strong campaign run by local Lionsgate partner Leomus Pictures. And, its got a secret weapon in Asian superstar singer-songwriter Jay Chou who also features in the film. He previously provided the theme song to Kung Fu Panda 3. The original NYSM nabbed a foreign cume $234m.

Source: http://deadline.com/2016/06/now-you-see-me-2-china-lionsgate-international-box-office-1201779165/

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Friday, August 19, 2016

What you need to know for "Bring Your Own Cup Day" at 7-Eleven


7-11 Bring Your Own Cup Day #DAGO Style ...They shouldnt have never did it lol

A perfect way to stay cool in the heat- bring your own cup to 7-Eleven.

Gabe Trujillo, KPNX 9:37 AM. MST August 19, 2016

An illustration of Two, 7-Eleven Slurpees on October 27, 2010 in Washington, DC. (Photo: TIM SLOAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Slurpee fans have an extra reason to be excited this weekend.

On Aug. 19 and 20 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., customers can fill up their own cups with their favorite Slurpee flavor for $1.50 during "Bring Your Own Cup Day."

But before you decide to grab your nearest bucket to fill up, there are a few ground rules. Any cup you bring to a participating location:

- Must be able to fit upright through a 10-inch hole.

- Needs to be safe for food.

- Should be water tight.

- Only one cup per person.

Those who decide to grab a Slurpee in their own cup are encouraged to share photos of their drinks using the hashtag "#BYOCUPDAY."

To find a participating 7-Eleven location near you, visit the Slurpee website.

Copyright 2016 KPNX

Source: http://www.12news.com/opinion/talker/what-you-need-to-know-for-bring-your-own-cup-day-at-7-eleven/302772816

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Team USA couldn"t stop Australia"s offense. It"ll be hard for anyone else to stop it either


Olympics: USA Women"s Basketball Returning To Gold Medal Game

With vicious screens and ample player movement, the Aussies nearly handed Team USA its first Olympic defeat since 2004.

As Australia carved up the vaunted USA mens basketball team with yet another backdoor cut, you could imagine the Serbian and French players feeling a little better about themselves.

Both of those teams entered this Olympic tournament as the top challengers to Team USA in Group A. Both of those teams left their games against Australia dizzy from the Boomers chaotic player movement and bruised from an avalanche of vicious Andrew Bogut screens.

Team USA understands their pain. Though the Americans escaped with a 10-point victory, they werent any more successful at slowing the Boomers equal-opportunity system. Only clutch shot making from Carmelo Anthony and Kyrie Irving saved the U.S. from its first international defeat in a decade.

Even in victory, Team USAs performance should make Mike Krzyzewskis blood boil because it fits the rough outline of inattention that caused the programs lowest moments a decade ago. But as France and Serbia can attest, its really difficult to stop Australias offensive system in a FIBA game. Theres a reason Team USA had a lot of trouble doing it, and it goes beyond taking the Boomers lightly.

There are rough parallels between this Australia offense and the spread pick-and-roll attacks of "04 Argentina and "06 Greece that flummoxed Team USA. All three teams moved the ball beautifully and caught Team USAs perimeter defenders napping at critical points.

But as the NBA slowly adopted the style that defined top international teams of the past, their competitive advantages faded. Top American teams could spread the floor and play with pace in half-court situations, except with far better players. It wasnt enough to simply spread them out anymore and use speed to confuse them.

Australias approach adds an important layer on top of the old formula. Aided by FIBAs more physical style, Andrej Lemanis, the teams resourceful coach, has built an offensive system that takes advantage of his rosters two biggest strengths: the off-ball speed of Patty Mills and the bone-crushing screens of big man Andrew Bogut. Together, Mills and Bogut form the bedrock of a system that combines speedy guards, multiple playmakers and big men that operate in the high post while flocking to anyone in the vicinity that can be picked off.

Boguts screen setting is the key to unlocking Australias potential. He has always been one of the NBAs best at getting teammates open, but as hes aged, the speed of the NBA game and his inability to score has chipped away at that skill. Increasingly, hes been unable to move himself into proper position, choosing instead to compensate with tactics that may or may not be legal. If not for his reputation, he would have been called for far more offensive fouls.

Despite a knee injury that recently ended his NBA Finals, he looks revived in Rio. Because the three-point line is shorter, FIBA teams run their offenses within a smaller surface area, which allows Bogut to get into proper screening position on the move more effectively. That allows Lemanis to layer cascading off-ball movement on top of crushing Bogut screens that get players open.

In a sense, this style actually resembles what the Warriors did with Bogut at center. Mills isnt Stephen Curry of course, but hes supremely quick for a FIBA guard and is very dangerous shooting off screens. Joe Ingles and Matthew Dellavedova dont come close to resembling Draymond Green or Andre Iguodala, but they can each handle the ball as Mills swerves around Bogut. And while Australia certainly cant bomb threes like the Splash Brothers, it generates enough confusion through movement to allow Bogut to slide in and give Mills or anyone else the separation they need to shoot or drive.

Bogut is more than just a screen setter. He remains a beautiful passer, which helps him slip passes in tight spaces to make up for the spacing crunch that comes from starting two centers.

And while Boguts scoring ability completely fell off the map in the NBA over the past few years, his lefty hooks and little runners have returned in Rio. Whenever Team USA left him, he made them pay.

Its overstating it to expect Bogut to carry this level of production over to Dallas next year. FIBA play is contested in tighter quarters, which masks Boguts lack of foot speed and puts him closer to more bodies to bounce straight into his large chest -- or anywhere else on his body, really. FIBA referees are more judicious with screening contact, so Bogut gets away with some of the more underhanded tactics that might be called in the NBA.

In Rio, though, his presence is essential in getting other Boomers open. Bogut is great at down screens, ball screens, back screens and any other sort of screen Australia needs. That skill, combined with Australias many playmakers in Mills, Dellavedova and Ingles, allows Lemanis to set up an offense that tosses in a decoy action on one side while simultaneously running a second option on the other. Defenses arent ready for Boguts screens and cant recover once they make their impact.

As Wednesdays game went along, Team USA tried switching all of these actions, much like the Cavaliers switched away to stifle the Warriors offense in the NBA Finals. In theory, this is a fine solution to the style Australia plays. But such an approach requires a level of defensive coordination thats tough for any national team to achieve with so little practice time. Bogut has made a living slipping to the basket against FIBA teams that mistime their off-ball switches.

All this makes Australias offense a riddle that even a dominant Team USA cannot fully solve. In a short international tournament like the Olympics, its hard to see anyone that can execute the air-tight scheme needed to hold the Boomers scoring down. If Team USA faces Australia again in the gold medal game, they may have to accept that Australia will score against them and hope its own offense is even better. Better preparation should help, but Australia forces opponents to make so many decisions that its hard for opponents keep track of all the items on the scouting report in real time. And as soon as opponents get a handle on whats actually happening on the floor, theyre slammed out of the play by a Bogut lead block.

In an international world where traditional powers like France and Spain are on the downswing, Australias Bogut-heavy system has allowed them to fill the power vacuum next to Team USA. The Boomers shouldnt relinquish that spot, not with young stars like Ben Simmons, Thon Maker and Dante Exum on the way. Wednesday should only be the first close battle in a budding international rivalry.

But that way-way-way-closer-than-expected game against Team USA was also a warning shot to the other teams in this tournament. Australia has the goods on an offensive system that can get them a medal right now. And if the U.S. isnt careful in a potential rematch, maybe theres a tiny chance that medal will be a different color than anyone could have possibly expected.

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2016/8/11/12432950/australia-team-usa-basketball-olympics-rio-2016-andrew-bogut

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Amber Heard Donates Entire $7 Million Divorce Settlement to Charity


Johnny Depp & Amber Heard: The Explosive Fight (TMZ Live)

Amber Heard has donated her entire $7 million divorce settlement from Johnny Depp to two charities.

$3.5 million will be given to the ACLU, to prevent violence against women, and the other half will go the Children"s Hospital of Los Angeles, where Heard has volunteered for the past 10 years.

d**n.

The actress maintained her stance that the divorce and allegations of emotional and physical abuse at the hands of Depp had zero to do with financial gain--a rumor unfairly perpetuated by the media/internet trolls.

Heard says she hopes the donation will "help those less able to defend themselves."

A true queen.

Header photo via BFA

Source: http://www.papermag.com/amber-heard-donates-entire-divorce-settlement-to-charity-1978997584.html

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U.S. files appeal of men"s 4x100 relay team"s disqualification


Tirico explains the U.S." successful appeal in 4x100 relay
USA Track and Field has officially filed an appeal after the men"s 4x100-meter relay team was disqualified from Friday night"s final at the Rio Olympics.

The U.S. finished the race third but was disqualified because leadoff runner Mike Rodgers was ruled to have passed the baton to Justin Gatlin outside the first exchange zone of the relay, won by Usain Bolt and Jamaica. The DQ elevated Canada to the bronze.

Video replays show a clean handoff from Rodgers to Gatlin, but are less clear about whether Gatlin had taken possession of the stick before Rodgers got it inside the start of the 20-meter passing zone.

Rule 170.07 in the track and field handbook reads: "The baton shall be passed within the takeover zone. The passing of the baton commences when it is first touched by the receiving athlete and is completed the moment it is in the hand of only the receiving athlete. In relation to the takeover zone, it is only the position of the baton which is decisive. Passing of the baton outside the takeover zone shall result in disqualification."

Hours earlier, down on the track, the runners huddled around a TV monitor and nodded their heads when they saw the replay.

"It was the twilight zone. It was a nightmare," said Gatlin, who along with his teammates found out about the DQ while parading the U.S. flag around the track. "You work so hard with your teammates, guys you compete against almost all year long. All that hard work just crumbles."

Gay, who ran the third leg for the Americans, called it bad luck.

"It"s always something weird, stupid, simple mistakes that always cost us, and I don"t understand," he said. "We had great sticks in practice, great everything, and something so simple -- I can"t say anything but bad luck."

If the ruling stands, it will mark the ninth time since 1995 the U.S. men have been disqualified or failed to get the baton around at Olympics or world championships.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

(Copyright 2016 ESPN Internet Ventures. All rights reserved.)

Source: http://abc7chicago.com/sports/us-files-appeal-of-mens-4x100-relay-teams-disqualification/1477417/

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