Slacker Adds ESPN Sports Content

The audio entertainment landscape is getting more interesting as well as more competitive. Slacker announced today that they are adding personalized ESPN sports coverage to their service. The unique aspect of this is that the sports coverage is fully customizable. This allows users to get the content they want and avoid the content they don’t. The ESPN sports coverage will be available on the web, smart phones, and in home devices.
This type of delivery and customization demonstrates the potential Internet radio can deliver. Sirius XM Internet radio is not yet capable of customization to this level, and Slacker’s move shows that Internet radio is no longer just about music. It will be interesting to see what types of features Satellite Radio 2.0 can offer up and whether or not they will take customization to this level.
Full customization of ESPN’s channels will be available to those that become Slacker subscribers. This is yet another facet of the service that demonstrates Slackers ongoing shift to gain subscribers for additional revenue.
Currently, Slacker employs a hybrid business model where free listenersare exposed to about 90 seconds oftargeted visual and audio advertising per hour while subscribers pay $3.99 per month to gain access to additional functionality, content, and an add free experience.

George Mason Uses a Little Magic to Advance

CLEVELAND - Mike Morrison returned to earth after the second of his thunderous two-handed dunks in thefinal minute wrapped up George Mason's 61-57 victory over Villanova, and was so happy he bounded the whole way down the court. Momentslater, his teammate Luke Hancock, whose stepback 3-pointer with 19.8 seconds gave the Patriots their final lead, left with court with both arms raised. Though trailing most of the game, eighth-seeded George Mason (27-6) took advantage of several Villanova miscues down the stretch to advance to the third round, winning its first N.C.A.A. game since its magical Final Four run in 2006. Villanova (21-12) finished its season with six consecutive losses. The Wildcats led, 54-48, with less than 4 minutes 40 seconds to play, but scored only 3 points the rest of the way, all on foul shots by Corey Fisher with 31.7 seconds left. In that stretch, the Patriots had scored eight consecutive points to go ahead - a 3-point jumper by Isaiah Tate, a conventional 3-point play by Ryan Pearson off a feed from Hancock, and Morrison's put-back dunk with under a minute to go. Meanwhile, Villanova's Antonio Penamissed two foul shots and Mouphtaou Yarou missed the front end of a one-and-one. After Fisher's foul shots and the 3-pointer by Hancock (18 points) made it 59-57 for George Mason, the Wildcats had two chances to go ahead, but could not convert. Maalik Wayns missed a driving layup,and the rebound came to Pearson sitting on the floor in the middle of the lane. Villanova tied him up for a jump ball and kept possession with 9.1 seconds left. But Corey Stokes (14 points), whose erratic 4-for-15 shooting included two air balls, badlymissed a jumper off the backboard, and Morrison (11 points, 10 rebounds) broke ahead of the field for his second dunk. Fisher finished with 20 points for Villanova.

via http://mobile.nytimes.com/2011/03/19/sports/ncaabasketball/19georgemason.xml

BBC News - Haiti ex-leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide 'returning home'

Jean-Bertrand Aristide spoke in 2010 of his desire to return

Haiti's former leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide has left South Africa to return to his home country after seven years in exile, officials say.

He is expected in Port-au-Prince early on Friday, two days before Haiti's presidential run-off vote. The US is deeply concerned that his return could destabilise the country.But Mr Aristide, a populist left-winger who was forced to flee in 2004 amid a rebellion, has said he will not seek an active role in politics.His return has been rumoured for weeks.

Mr Aristide was given back his diplomatic passport last month, and his lawyer has said he wanted to return quickly in case the winner of Sunday's election reversed the decision to allow him back.

Mr Aristide left Johannesburg late on Thursday and is expected back in Haiti by noon on Friday.

He still has many supporters, and last month thousands took to the streets to urge him to end his exile.

Another former leader, Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier, also recently returned to the country.

He is now being sued for torture and other crimes against humanity


Via BBC News - Haiti ex-leader Jean-Bertrand Aristide 'returning home'

Haiti's Aristide heads home before runoff vote | Reuters

Aristide, 57, who lived in South Africa after his 2004 ouster that he says Washington helped engineer, was flying home to Port-au-Prince in a charter plane with his family and was expected to arrive by noon (1 p.m. EDT) on Friday.

He has insisted on returning home just before Sunday's decisive presidential contest, which the United States and Western donors want to see produce a stable leadership to steer Haiti's arduous recovery from a destructive 2010 earthquake.

U.S. officials say the presence of the charismatic, leftist former Catholic priest, who still has a passionate following in his poor Caribbean homeland, could be "destabilizing" for the election, which is being protected by U.N. peacekeepers.

U.S. President Barack Obama called his South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma, to stress the importance of Aristide not returning before the poll. South Africa said it could not stop Aristide from going back to his country.

Via Haiti's Aristide heads home before runoff vote | Reuters

NFL Lockout Deadline: Clock Ticks Down On Labor Talks For Owners & Players

WASHINGTON — Unable to decide how to divvy up $9 billion a year, NFL owners and players put the country's most popular sport in limbo Friday by breaking off labor negotiations hours before their contract expired.

The union decertified, and 10 players, including MVP quarterbacks Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, sued the owners in federal court, putting the NFL on a path to its first work stoppage since 1987.

Despite two extensions to the collective bargaining agreement during 16 days of talks overseen by a federal mediator – and previous months of stop-and-start negotiating – the sides could not agree on a new deal. The league said it hadn't decided as of Friday evening whether to lock out the players, who, meanwhile, went to court to request an injunction to block such a move.

As was clear all along, the dispute came down to money. In the end, it appeared the sides were about $185 million apart on how much owners should get up front each season for certain operating expenses before splitting the rest of the revenues with players – a far cry from the $1 billion that separated the sides for so long.

But the NFL Players Association refused to budge any further without getting detailed financial information for each team.

"I would dare any one of you to pull out any economic indicator that would suggest that the National Football League is falling on hard times," NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said. "The last 14 days, the National Football League has said, 'Trust us.' But when it came time for verification, they told us it was none of our business."

By dissolving and announcing it no longer represents the players in collective bargaining, the union cleared the way for class-action lawsuits against the NFL, which opted out of the CBA in 2008. The antitrust suit – forever to be known as Brady et al vs. National Football League et al – attacked the league's policies on the draft, salary cap and free-agent restrictions such as franchise-player tags.

Invoking the Sherman Act, a federal antitrust statute from 1890 that limits monopolies and restrictions on commerce, the players are seeking triple the amount of damages they've incurred. That means the stakes here could be in the hundreds of millions.

It could take a month for there to be a ruling on the union's injunction request, and antitrust judgments should take longer.

NFL Lockout Deadline: Clock Ticks Down On Labor Talks For Owners & Players

Syracuse Basketball: Syracuse Moves on by Beating St John’s 79-73 – Bleacher Report

Kansas City Star Syracuse Basketball : Syracuse Moves on by Beating St John's 79-73 Bleacher Report Syracuse is back in the semifinals of the Big East conference tournament after beating cross-town rival St. John's, 79-73. Syracuse let its youth do its talking in this contest, as two underclassmen had probably the best day of their young careers.

Syracuse started 18-0 this season, then lost four in a row and six of eight. The Orange then won their last five in a row to close the regular season, ...

Video: Calhoun on UConn Victory

CBSSports.com

Kemba Walker’s Game-Winning Buzzer-Beater Against Pitt at Madison Square Garden

Kemba Walker got the ball with about 15 seconds left and the UConn-Pitt game tied at 74. For some reason Pittsburgh starting center Gary McGhee switched onto Walker and was thoroughly embarrassed for that decision. Walker shaked, baked and left McGhee crumpled on the ground as he buried the step-back jumper while time expired. His status as an MSG legend now official, Walker scored 24 points and played every minute for the Huskies.

Kemba Walker Buzzer Beater: UConn Beats Pittsburgh In Big East Tournament (VIDEO)

As the first half was winding down in Tuesday night's soccer match between Shakhtar Donetsk and Roma, the referee handed out a controversial yellow card to Shakhtar's captain Darijo Srna. The video below shows Roma's Daniele De Rossi delivering a nasty elbow to Srna's head away from the ball. Srna fell to the ground and once he got up to argue with referee Howard Webb, he received a yellow card. Shakhtar still went on to win 3-0. Scroll down to watch the video.

WATCH:

Via http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/09/darijo-srna-daniele-de-rossi_n_833591.html

Tressel suspended two games, fined $250,000

COLUMBUS - Ohio State suspended football coach Jim Tressel for two games and fined him $250,000 on Tuesday for violating NCAA rules by failing to notify the school about information he received involving two players and questionable activities involving the sale of memorabilia.

Tressel also will receive a public reprimand and must make a public apology. The NCAA is investigating and could reject the self-imposed penalties and impose additional sanctions.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20110308/SPT01/303080074/Report-Tressel-won-t-lose-job

Question of the Day: If Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel knew his players were selling memorabilia?

Question of the Day: If Ohio State Coach Jim Tressel knew his players were selling memorabilia well in advance of official notification, what should be his punishment?

Writers from around Tribune Co. weigh in on the controversy surrounding the Ohio State coach. Check back throughout the day for more responses, and feel free to leave a comment of your own.

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times

This is a big IF, but IF Jim Tressel knew of the allegations months in advance of the announcement he should be severely reprimanded/suspended ... and that's just for appetizers. Start with grounding him for five games next season, the same punishment his players received after being graciously/ridiculously allowed to lead their team to Sugar Bowl glory.

This story stinks, it always has, and right now down at THE Ohio State A&P, there's a huge cleanup on aisle 2. We are open-minded and all ears waiting to hear the school's official response, and suspicious of any story citing one "anonymous" source. It is so "old media" now to wait until all facts are in before pronouncing judgment, but also no downplaying the potential seriousness of the charge or what it could mean to the reputation and future of an honorable institution.

Jim Tressel and Ohio State Could Face Major Violations For Not Disclosing Memorabilia Scandal

Yahoo’s harbinger of doom has struck again. Charles Robinson and Dan Wetzel have a source who claims Jim Tressel knew about players selling memorabilia in April 2010, not December as previously claimed. If substantiated, both Tressel and Ohio State could face major NCAA violations. Emphasis on the “if substantiated.”Ohio State said it had no prior knowledge of players selling memorabilia to tattoo shop owner Edward Rife until Dec. 7, 2010, when alerted by federal officials. The Yahoo! source says “a concerned party” contacted Tressel and he “indicated that he would investigate the matter and take appropriate action.” No apparent action was taken. Both parties would be held accountable, but the degree will depend on whether Tressel informed other school officials or not.