mosi tatupu

Mosi Tatupu, one of the most popular players in New England Patriots history known for his inspired special teams play, has died.

Tatupu died Tuesday at Sturdy Memorial Hospital in Attleboro, hospital spokeswoman Ashley O'Brien said. He was 54. The hospital could not disclose a cause of death.

The Plainville Fire Department responded to Tatupu's home on Tuesday and took him to the hospital, Lt. Richard Ball said.

"I know that I share a heavy heart today with Patriots fans everywhere who have learned of Mosi Tatupu's passing," team owner Robert Kraft said in a statement.

Photo: Mosi Tatupu played 13 seasons for the Patriots and also starred at USC. (AP)

"He was a dominant special teams player and a punishing rusher who loved the Patriots as much as the fans did," he said.

Tatupu was chosen by the Patriots in the eighth round of the 1978 draft out of Southern California and played 13 of his 14 NFL seasons with the team, wrapping up his career with the Los Angeles Rams in 1991.

The bruising 227-pound fullback rushed for 2,415 yards and 18 touchdowns, including a career best 578 yards in 1983. He thrived on snowy and icy fields, running for 128 yards on a snow-covered field in a win over New Orleans that season.

While never a superstar, Tatupu was beloved by Patriots fans for his play on kickoff and punt teams and even had his own cheering section known as "Mosi's Mooses." He was selected to the 1986 Pro Bowl as a special teams player.

"As a teammate, he was one of the best," former Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan said. "He was one of those guys that made life fun whether it was in the locker room or on the practice fields. He had a smile that radiated."

Tatupu was selected to New England's 50th anniversary team last season.

After his retirement as a player, Tatupu was the head coach at King Philip Regional High School in Wrentham, where he coached his son Lofa, now a linebacker with the Seattle Seahawks.

He also served as an assistant at Curry College in Milton from 2002-2007, coaching running backs and special teams.

"Mosi was a vital part of the success of our program," said Vinnie Eruzione, athletic director at the Division III school. "There was no better guy."

Tatupu was born in Pago Pago, American Samoa, and was a high school football star in Hawaii. His Hawaii high school career rushing record of 3,367 yards stood for 17 years, according to the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame Web site.
sources from:http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/02/patriots-fan-favorite-mosi-tatupu-dies-at-54.html

cheltzie lee

Australian figure skater Cheltzie Lee has more than justified her late call-up to the Winter Olympics with her best ever short program, earning the 16-year-old a start in Thursday’s free skating.

The Sydney high school student was at one stage third reserve for the Games, but ultimately got the nod to compete in Vancouver three weeks ago when Israeli skater Tamar Katz was withdrawn by her Olympic committee.

And Lee took full advantage on Tuesday, showing no nerves to finish the night in 18th spot with a score of 52.16 points.

“I’m thrilled,” she said. “That’s the best score I’ve ever got in my short program and it was pretty good to do it at the Olympics.”

Earning the appreciation of locals by skating to music by Canadian Michael Buble, Lee immediately beat the score of another four skaters with a very tidy routine.

By the end of competition she was in 18th place and on her way to the next stage of competition.

Twenty four skaters qualify for the free skating component.

“Ever since I found out about (qualifying) I’ve been training my butt off,” she said.

Coach Kylie Fennell was delighted, particularly as Lee had struggled in other competitions when she’d sought direct qualifying to the Games.

“We’ve always known she had it in her, it was a matter of putting it down on the night. We were quietly confident going in,” Fennell said.

“Tonight, she even surprised me with (her) maturity and confidence.”

South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na (78.50) set a new world mark in the short program to lead Japanese rival Mao Asada (73.78) and Canadian Joannie Rochette (71.36).

In bobsleigh the Australian women’s crew of Astrid Loch-Wilkinson and Cecilia McIntosh were 19th of 21 teams after the first two competition heats on Tuesday.

The pair were 3.33 seconds off the pace set by Canadians Kaillie Humphries and Heather Moyse.

The Australians had to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to get a start in Vancouver and were successful four days out from the Games.

The Australian men’s four-man bob had earlier pulled out of the event as two of the team were injured in crashes on the notorious track and failed to recover.

Duncan Harvey is still suffering from back pain following a crash on the second training run of the two-man competition on Wednesday last week.

Duncan Pugh was concussed when his sled turned over in the opening run of competition on Saturday.
Source from:http://365daynews.com/cheltzie-lee-gets-her-skates-on.html

octomom on the view

NEW YORK - Octuplets mother Nadya Suleman says she doesn't plan on having more children unless she gets married someday "far" in the future. She says if that ever happens, she would only have one child.

Widely known as "Octomom," Suleman has six older children. She appeared Wednesday on ABC's daytime talk show "The View," where she has been a frequent topic of debate.

Suleman's octuplets celebrated their first birthday in January.

All of her children were conceived by in vitro fertilization, and she has been criticized for having a huge family as a single mother on public assistance.

She says her children are her priority and she is looking into various opportunities, including writing a book, to support them.

"If someday far, far, far, far in the future, when they're older, if I meet somebody. ... I'm not going to say 100 percent 'no,'" Suleman said when asked if she planned to have more children. "I'm not going to say someday far in the future (I will) get married and want a baby with that person."

In case you had doubts that Nadya Suleman is bat$h!t insane, and royally sucks in general, consider them cleared up thanks to her visit to The View today.

Dressed in a low-cut mini-dress with go-go boots, definitely appropriate attire for the mother of half the U.S. population, Octomom babbled incoherently.

We're talking even more than usual!

The hosts asked about her exercise regimen and showed published Nadya Suleman pictures showing the drain on society wearing a small bathing suit.
Octomom said of that photo shoot, “I did this for revenue. I’m very up front about that.” She then denied doing it for money and said her babies come first.

So it went, asserting one thing one minute, denying it the next, acting generally unstable and mixing in painfully annoying hyena laughs for good measure.

So unnerved were hosts Joy Behar and Sherri Shepherd that they insinuated how Nads is probably not right in the head. Octomom proceeded to tweak out.

yoshimi inaba

At About 5:50 p.m. | Akio Toyoda ended his testimony a few minutes ago, but not before Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, tore into his apologies for what she called “sudden death acceleration.”

“I am not satisfied with your testimony,” she said. “I do not feel it reflects sufficient remorse for those who have died, and I do not think you have accurately reflected the large number of complaints that have been filed for more than a decade.”

“Where is the remorse?”

Waving a copy of “The Toyota Way,” the seminal book about the company’s culture, Kaptur questioned how Toyota’s focus on quality squared with evidence the company had ignored thousands of sudden acceleration complaints for years. She brings up the death of a Flint woman in a crash believed to be caused by sudden acceleration.

“Do you know how many people died in Japan because of what your company did?” Kaptur asks.

Toyoda reiterated his sorrow.

“I feel deeply sorry for those people who lost their lives or were injured in traffic accidents, especially those in our cars, and I extend condolences to them from the bottom of my heart,” he said.

Toyota’s reaction time questioned

4:40 p.m. | Akio Toyoda delivered another apology to people hurt by Toyotas in sudden acceleration accidents. His lieutenant provided most of the other information revealed so far by the committee.

“I extend my condolences from the deepest part of my heart” to those hurt, Toyoda said.

But the apologies went only so far with lawmakers.

Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., pressed the Toyota executives on why they didn’t spot the problems sooner. Toyoda’s answer that the automaker had trouble reproducing many of the complaints of sudden acceleration.

“Your answer, which goes to we’ll see if this is duplicated, is in some ways very troublesome. Because that is such a serious problem, because once that is reported one time, you have a huge problem on your hands.”

Patriots bring back David Patten

The Patriots have announced that they have signed David Patten, who was a hero on New England's first Super Bowl championship team.

Patten spent last season out of football after he failed to make the Cleveland Browns' opening-day roster.

Patten played 54 regular-season and six postseason games for the Patriots from 2001 to 2004. In the march to the 2001-02 Super Bowl championship, Patten had touchdown catches in both the AFC Championship Game, against the Steelers, and the Super Bowl, against the Rams (right). Patten also has the distinction of being the receiver on the longest pass play in team history, a 91-yard touchdown reception from Tom Brady on Oct. 21, 2001, at Indianapolis.

Since his Patriots tenure ended, the 12-year veteran has played for the Washington Redskins and the New Orleans Saints. He was a New York Giant and Cleveland Brown before arriving in New England in 2001.


The wide receiver David Patten contracted with the Patriots again after 5yrs upon Wed.

David Patten is going to be thirty-six yrs old in Aug. David Patten was among the cardinal component of the rise up of Patriots to a dynastic position in the beginning of this decade. He was a part of fifty-four regular-season matches for them from 2001 to 2004, and as well took part in 6 postseason matches with 3 starts.

Without doubt, David Patten had among the most unforgettable independent games within the chronicles of NFL upon October twenty-one, 2001, inside the RCA domed stadium in the capital of Indiana.

David Patten turned the 1st sportsmen in the history of the franchise as well as just the 6th sportsman in the NFL from1960 to make several records in a single match.

David Patten, who belongs to west Carolina, has the experience of being a part of twelve NFL times of year with the NY Giants from 1997 to 1999. He was also a part of New Orleans Saints, Washington Redskins, the Patriots as well as the Cleveland Browns. David Patten attended preparation camp accompanying Cleveland during 2009 but was given up before the commencement of the full-time season and passed the yr away from the football game.

David Patten is not getting to dispute for his previous function at the mature age of thirty-six, just the Patriots require to bolster up the profoundness of their team, particularly because Wes Welker is expected to be sidelined from the games as he is recovering his hurt knee joint.

The conditions of the contract signed by David Patten have not been declared.

Brian Westbrook Espn

Brian Westbrook Espn: latest news about updates in Brian Westbrook Espn, brian westbrook, brian westbrook howard stern, brian westbrook sportscenter, brian westbrook prank call, brian westbrook news, Brian Westbrook could break open a game from almost anywhere on the field.

Lined up in the slot, he could run a slant, beat a linebacker and take off with no one able to catch No. 36. His defining moment with the Philadelphia Eagles came on an 84-yard punt return that stunned the New York Giants in 2003.

Out of the backfield, he was a 1,000-yard rusher who always kept defences guessing — and flailing.

But in his later years, it was injuries that defined Westbrook more than his dynamic offensive skills. His age, salary and lengthy list of beaten body parts led the Eagles to release him Tuesday and save the team US$7.5 million due next year.

“I think we all know that Brian is one of the all-time great Philadelphia Eagles,” coach Andy Reid said. “For what we’ve done here over the years, Brian has been just a huge part of building this program to the level that we’re at now. My heart will always be a Brian Westbrook fan as we go forward here.”

A former all-pro, the 5-foot-10 Westbrook led the league in yards from scrimmage in 2007 with 2,104. He rushed for 1,333 yards and accounted 12 touchdowns that season.

But he spent much of last season on the sidelines, missing eight games with a pair of concussions and an ankle injury. Westbrook had only two touchdowns in 2009.

Reid said he called Westbrook with the news Tuesday morning. Reid said Westbrook should still have an opportunity to play for another team and said he thinks Westbrook still wants to play. “I don’t know that for a fact, but I think he might want to do that.”

LeSean McCoy, who rushed for 637 yards with four touchdowns in 16 games as a rookie, will become Philadelphia’s No. 1 running back.

Westbrook’s season went south on Oct. 26 when his helmet collided with Washington linebacker London Fletcher’s right knee and he suffered a concussion. Westbrook missed the last five games after suffering his second concussion in three weeks against San Diego on Nov. 15. He was cleared to return for the post-season.

He has rushed for 5,995 yards in eight seasons in Philadelphia and caught 426 passes for 3,790 yards. The 30-year-old Westbrook has scored 68 touchdowns rushing, receiving and on punt returns.

“He had no weaknesses,” Reid said. “There wasn’t any one thing that you could pick out that he was not good at; he was brilliant. There are just certain guys that are just football smart and he was one of those guys.”

Westbrook, a third-round pick out of Villanova in the 2002 draft, is Philadelphia’s career leader in yards from scrimmage (9,785). He also ranks second in yards rushing (5,995) behind Wilbert Montgomery and third in receptions (426) behind Harold Carmichael and Pete Retzlaff.

Cormier ban appealed

QUEBEC — The Rouyn-Noranda Huskies are appealing the latest Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s decision to uphold the season-long suspension of their forward Patrice Cormier.

Cormier was banned from playing until the end of the season, including the playoffs, after elbowing Quebec Remparts defenceman Mikael Tam on Jan. 17.

The Huskies called the sanction “excessive” and appealed the decision of the league’s disciplinary committee. But QMJHL commissioner Gilles Courteau said last Friday the league found the suspension to be justified and reasonable and upheld it.

The Huskies said in a short statement Tuesday they are appealing that decision to an independent arbitrator.

Cormier’s hit sent Tam in convulsions on the ice and he suffered a brain injury and had a few broken teeth. He told a news conference after the incident he doesn’t remember taking the hit.

Cormier, 19, of Cap-Pele, N.B., was selected by the New Jersey Devils in the second round of the 2008 NHL entry draft, but was traded to the Atlanta Thrashers Feb. 4 as part of the deal that sent Ilya Kovalchuk to the Devils. He was also the captain of Canada’s silver-medal winning entry at the 2010 IIHF world junior hockey championship.

NFL salary cap in doubt

NEW YORK — NFL Players Association executive director DeMaurice Smith says in a memo to players and their agents that it is likely no new collective bargaining agreement will be reached and the upcoming season will be played without a salary cap.

In the memo distributed Tuesday, Smith outlines the union’s talks with the league, but makes it clear he doesn’t think a new deal will occur before the March 5 deadline — giving the NFL its first uncapped season since 1993.

Smith says the union’s most recent proposal contains an offer to keep the current capped system for another year to allow both sides to continue negotiations. He added that another general bargaining session is scheduled for Thursday at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis.

Kornheiser suspended

MELVILLE, N.Y. — ESPN has suspended Tony Kornheiser from Pardon the Interruption for two weeks after comments he made on his radio show poking fun at the wardrobe of SportsCenter anchor Hannah Storm.

Kornheiser revealed the network’s action on his radio show Tuesday, referencing his “intemperate and stupid remarks” about Storm. He had apologized directly to Storm and on the air but still was “sent to the sidelines” for two weeks.

Last week Kornheiser called Storm’s outfit “horrifying” and said she wore a “typically very, very tight shirt so she looks like she’s got a sausage casing wrapped around her upper body.”

He said her “Catholic school plaid skirt” was “way too short for somebody” her age. Storm is 47.

During his comments about Storm, Kornheiser also made a thinly veiled reference to ESPN host Chris Berman’s weight.

“Tony Kornheiser’s comments about Hannah Storm were entirely inappropriate,” said John Skipper, ESPN’s executive vice-president for content. “Hurtful and personal comments such as these are not acceptable and have significant consequences. Tony has been suspended from PTI for two weeks. Hannah is a respected colleague who has been an integral part of the success of our morning SportsCenter.”

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 25th, 2010 at 3:53 pm and is filed under Sports News.

sea world trainer killed

One minute, Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old trainer at SeaWorld Orlando was walking around the outside of the tank, explaining facts about whales to a rapt audience. The next, she was being thrashed from side to side violently by a whale called Telly, short for Tilikum. Given the whale is 13,500 pounds, there wasn’t much that could be done to save Brancheau’s life. She died in one of the most horrific accidents in SeaWorld history. The saddest thing is that this should never have been allowed.

If you believe the news reports, Tilikum has killed before. Is it really that surprising that he’d kill again? In 1991, Telly was one of three whales at Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia, that killed a trainer. In 1999, 27-year-old Daniel Dukes was found dead in Telly’s tank at SeaWorld in Orlando. The official cause of Dukes was drowning, but he was bitten by the whale either before or after his death.

Given the situation, I think it’s time that Telly either finds himself set free in the ocean or turned into fish sticks. If he was a person, he’d still be in prison (probably on death row) by now. Otherwise, he’ll kill again.

Dawn Brancheau was a well known whale trainer. She was working in Sharmu Stadiom in Sea World and killed by a Whale.

This incident happened 2:00 PM, when she was preparing for live performance in the front of crowd.

While she was walking near the tank, she slipped, Whale grabbed her body and pulled her into the deep water.

Jim Solomon’s Spokesperson for the Orange Country Sheriff’s Department conducted a press meet at 4:30 and officially declared about her death.

In 1999, a nude dead body was found in Tilly’s tank. In 1991 Tilikum killed his traine during a performance at Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia.