Thursday, October 29, 2009

“Spanish King's Cup results - ESPN.com” plus 3 more

“Spanish King's Cup results - ESPN.com” plus 3 more

Spanish King's Cup results - ESPN.com

Posted: 29 Oct 2009 02:58 PM PDT

Oct 29 - Spanish King's Cup last 32, first leg results on on Thursday (numerals denote divisions). Salamanca (II) 1 Racing Santander 0 Real Valladolid 2 Real Mallorca 1 UD Puertollano (III) 1 Villarreal 1

Played on Wednesday. Cultural Leonesa (III) 0 Barcelona 2 CD Alcoyano (III) 0 Valencia 1 Celta Vigo (II) 2 Tenerife 1 Getafe 2 Espanyol 0 Hercules CF (II) 2 Almeria 1 Rayo Vallecano (II) 2 Athletic Bilbao 0 Real Murcia (II) 0 Deportivo Coruna 1 Real Zaragoza 1 Malaga 1 Xerez 1 Osasuna 2

Played on Tuesday. Alcorcon (III) 4 Real Madrid 0 CF Atletico Ciudad (III) 2 Sevilla 4 Recreativo Huelva (II) 1 Sporting Gijon 1 UD Marbella (III) 0 Atletico Madrid 2

(Compiled by Infostrada Sports; Edited by Patrick Johnston To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

This story is from ESPN.com's automated news wire. Wire index

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Brazil President assures Rio is capable of hosting safe 2016 Olympics - Washington Examiner

Posted: 29 Oct 2009 07:20 AM PDT

RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva says Rio de Janeiro is capable of hosting a safe 2016 Olympics and the city will show it deserved to win the games.

At the launch of a gym and cultural center inside a city slum Wednesday, Silva said Rio will be ready for the Olympics despite a recent wave of violence that has killed more than 40 people, mostly gang members, after a police helicopter was downed Oct. 17.

"We are not going to fail. We want to show that this country does not owe anything to Madrid, to Chicago and to Tokyo," Silva said, referring to the three other finalist cities. "We will host the Olympics better than these countries did in the past."

While Spain, the United States and Japan hosted previous Olympics, Rio will stage the first games in South America. Safety was always a concern related to Rio's bid, but the city was still able to beat its opponents in an International Olympic Committee vote on Oct. 2.

Following the recent violence, Silva's government offered nearly $76 million to improve safety in the city, and the total earmarked for fighting violence in Rio already surpasses $145 million.

"There is no limit to help Rio de Janeiro," Silva said. "For us, it is important to show the world that Brazil and its society are more powerful than organized crime."

Silva also said at the Mangueira slum that he expects Brazilian athletes to start preparation for the games as soon as possible to avoid disappointing performances in 2016.

"Brazil won't host the Olympics (and allow) the gringos to come here and win our medals," he said.

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Retailers go Grinch on holiday jobs - Newark Advocate

Posted: 29 Oct 2009 08:35 PM PDT

NEWARK -- The holiday-season job of stocking store shelves, running a register or wrapping gifts used to be as reliable as Santa at every mall.

That was before retailers faced millions of frugal shoppers and months of dropping sales. In 2009, national surveys predict holiday store staffing levels will be well below previous years.

Nationwide, only 220,000 seasonal jobs were added in 2008, compared to 600,000 in 2007, said Ellen Davis, vice president of the National Retail Federation. SnagAJob.com expects retailers to hire 16 percent fewer workers this holiday season compared to last.

Declining sales have prompted retailers to make adjustments throughout the year.

Through the first eight months of this year, Licking County is behind last year's sales tax collections by 7 percent, according a report from the Ohio Department of Taxation. Franklin County is down about 13 percent -- well behind the state's slide of 7.6 percent through August.

Retailers have countered by slashing operating expenses, reducing inventory, scaling back new-store openings and cutting hours at existing locations. Still, labor remains the biggest cost of all, Davis said.

"While it certainly helps companies (to pay fewer workers), it's not great news for people who work in the retail industry," Davis said.

Windy Murphy, employment specialist at the Licking County Department of Job and Family Services, said more employers have been submitting job leads, but that doesn't necessarily translate into more positions.

"Most of the places that hire seasonally look to us" she said. "We're probably posting for more companies than we have in the past."

Employers might be posting fewer positions because the high number of unemployed workers are approaching businesses earlier than in years past for holiday openings, said Bob Mercer, supervisor at the Muskingum County Opportunity Center.

MORE HOURS FOR EXISTING WORKERS

SnagAJob.com surveyed 1,000 hiring managers this summer to learn their holiday hiring plans. Many said they'd avoid costs and time associated with training new people by encouraging existing employees to pick up more hours.

It's a strategy Meijer has used for years, and one that Target will employ for the first time this year.

Existing staff will have the opportunity to add hours or learn new roles within their stores from October through January, Target spokeswoman Beth Hanson said.

"Overall from a companywide standpoint, we are hiring fewer seasonal team members," Hanson said. "It's a cost savings for us to have someone who is already trained and understands the culture."

Spokespeople at Wal-Mart, Sears, Kmart and Kohl's either declined to comment on their temporary hiring projections or said it would be determined on a store-by-store basis and no local figures were available.

Mary Kerr, vice president of public relations for Bon-Ton, the parent company of Elder-Beerman, said the economic environment appears to be improving, but the company "will continue to be conservative in our expectations and plan accordingly."

She also endorsed the model of cross-training existing employees and said Elder-Beerman plans "to hire slightly less people this year than in past years."

SOME RETAILERS HIRING MORE

Still, many retailers are rosy on holiday sales and hiring prospects. Toys "R" Us has been vocal about its intent to hire 35,000 seasonal workers nationally, the same number as the past two holiday seasons.

Best Buy CEO Brian Dunn has said he expects the electronics retailer to grow its seasonal sales year over year and will be hiring more people to account for that.

Macy's also plans to keep its hiring levels steady this year, said Andrea Schwartz, vice president of media relations for Macy's North and Midwest divisions.

Harry & David, a gift-basket producer with a call center and distribution facility in Hebron, will be hiring "within the general range of last year," spokesman Bill Ihle said.

Longaberger made news earlier this month when it announced the recall of 50 basketmakers largely because of the success of the basketmaker's professional and college football lines.

Tom Matthews, spokesman for the company, said in addition to the Team Spirit collection, Longaberger also is gearing up for its traditional holiday products. He said in the past 15 temporary workers were brought in for seasonal positions in packaging and assisting the basketmakers.

They will stay on at least through mid-November, he said, and possibly longer depending on the strength of sales.

SEASONAL JOBS CAN HELP WITH HUNT

Murphy said seasonal jobs previously meant work for high school or college students on break from classes or extra money for the already employed.

But in today's climate, she said, the temporary job not only can provide some support to the unemployed, but also a way to make them more marketable in their continuing job hunts.

"If you're looking for work and you take one of these seasonal positions, that at least gets you in the door," Murphy said.

Employers might decide to keep temps on if they are impressed by their work ethic. These type of positions are an effective platform for networking with other seasonal workers who may have full-time jobs and can provide leads for openings, she said.

A holiday job also can serve to break up gaps of long unemployment on a résumé for people who have been unable to find a job for an extended period, she said.

Fewer people on a sales floor can mean reduced customer service during the holidays, said Crystal Kendrick, CEO of the Voice of Your Customer, a Cincinnati-based retail and customer service consultant. She encourages shoppers to do more research in advance of shopping so they know what they are looking for and don't need as much guidance in the store.

But some retailers have found ways to automate processes or simplify the buying process to eliminate the need for as many workers. Examples are speed lines, pick-up lines or call-ahead programs, Kendrick said.

Still others have focused on training their existing staff to be more helpful salespeople.

"Some of the smarter organizations are going for more experienced seasonal workers -- those that can manage large numbers of customers and are a little more professional with a higher rate of education or experience," she said.

Cincinnati Enquirer reporter Laura Baverman can be reached at lbaverman@enquirer.com. Advocate reporter Russ Zimmer can be reached at razimmer@nncogannett.com.

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Super Bowl - Seattle Post Intelligencer

Posted: 29 Oct 2009 08:35 PM PDT

Remember when we all loved Tim Ruskell? Seems like a long time ago, right? Hey, he's going after "high character" guys who just "love football" and will be "great in the locker room." If a guy has a red-flag next to his name for some actual or perceived character issues, forget about him. Write him off because he won't be a Seahawk. Even if a guy is undersized, he's a great fit for Ruskell because when the hard times come, the player will be able to fight through it because he's got high character. Sounds good, right? Who wouldn't want a bunch of guys who get by on team unity and solidarity and who stand strong in the face of bad times?

One problem (well, many actually) though. Doesn't that line of thinking presuppose that bad times are coming? If a GM's philosophy is "let's get guys in here who have the character to handle rough patches," then doesn't that mean the GM expects rough patches? Shouldn't the GM be more concerned about winning and then winning some more?

Perhaps the biggest fallacy in sports is that fans won't support bad guys. Well, allow me to channel my inner DJ Kool, "(cough, cough) Let Me Clear My Throat": BULLS**T!!!!

Sadly, my voice isn't loud enough to properly exclaim B.S. at the appropriate volume.

I mean we supported Brian Blades, and that dude killed his cousin! So, please, don't bring that nonsense in here.

Fans support winners. Always have. Always will. I'll be the first in line at confessional, to tell the padre that it would be nice if the guys on the teams we support were great guys who did tons of charitable things in the community, who gave tons of autographs, who read to the blind, who rocked babies at Children's Hospital, and who drank gallons of milk, and said their prayers before bedtime. That would be swell. But if those same guys consistently cranked out 4-12 seasons, we'd want them to rot in hell. Well, maybe not that, but we'd at least want them to get the hell out of town.

What I'm saying is true, and I won't believe otherwise because, frankly, it's not believable. I don't watch sports or root for local teams because I love the players. I love that they play for the team that I root for. Big, big, big difference.

But there's a twist. If a player for a team we root for performs well on the field we do one of two things regarding his personality, temperament, and behavior off of the field: (1) we amplify any of the good things and (2) downplay and ignore any bad things. If he sucks, then we do the exact opposite: (1) we downplay and ignore the good things and (2) amplify the bad things. And we also focus on his horrible play on the field and want him gone.

In short we make excuses and justify when it suits us. All fans do this. It's just what we do.

For an example, we need to look no further than Jerramy Stevens. He was both loved and hated by the same fan base in a very short period of time (and I'm being liberal here because not all Seahawks fans are UW football fans, but you must admit that there is considerable overlap). He was loved at UW because he was an incredible tight end for the program. In fact, he was one of the best in a long line of highly successful tight ends to come out of UW. While at UW, he allegedly rape a girl (charges dropped under fishy circumstances), hit and ran twice (by hitting a car and then later drunkenly hitting a retirement home), and otherwise drove recklessly.

And the biggest complaint of the UW fanbase? What did I constantly hear about him? "We need to get him the ball more! He's 6'7 with speed and hands!" If people were outraged that he was playing football and not behind bars (and there were some) their voices were ignored outright. Why? Because he was an outstanding football player who was productive (he holds the record for UW tight ends for most single-season receptions and is second for single-season yards). We made excuses for him. Not only did fans justify his behavior, but so did the media. We kept hearing how Stevens was such a smart guy, that he was articulate, and that he comes from a great family. Fine. But he was a heel. There is simply no getting around that. His conduct showed us who he was. So what if he spoke articulately and if he seemed contrite? He behaved in a way that belied what he wanted us to think about him. But alas, none of that mattered because he was drafted in the first round and became an instant millionaire. And I was right there with everyone else. He was a legitimate menace to society, but he could play football. And let's face it, big-time football really isn't part of "society" at least not any society I'm personally involved in.

And what happened when he got to the Seahawks? We loved him. Transgressions be damned. He was another weapon for Mike Holmgren's offense. He set records for receiving yards for a tight end in 2005 (with 551, now bested by John Carlson) and was one of the key contributors to the Super Bowl team in 2005. But he was the same guy, the same inebriated fool off of the field. His buffoonery did not end with his days at UW. He was arrested for DUI and driving with a suspended license while with the Seahawks, and while we, as fans, certainly didn't like to root for him, we did. Either directly or indirectly because that's what you do if you're a fan. You will root for him if he plays on your team. You may grudgingly pump your fist when he scores a TD, but pump your fist you shall. Don't kid yourself.

Eventually, Stevens fell out of favor in Seattle, but not because of his conduct off of the field, but because his play slipped. He made a somewhat innocuous statement during Super Bowl Media Day about Jerome Bettis being from Detroit (a completely stupid, overdone story). Stevens said:

It's a heartwarming story and all that, but it will be a sad day when he leaves without that trophy.

Pittsburgh's Joey Porter grabbed a hold of it and it became a gigantic story leading up to the game. And then what happened? Well, Stevens played an absolutely horrible game that would have been the worst of his career if he hadn't caught a touchdown pass. He dropped three or four passes depending on who is counting. He ended up with 3 catches for 25 yards and the TD. He also caught a pass that got the Seahawks down to the one-yard line, but it was nullified by a horrible holding call on Sean Locklear, and then Hasselbeck threw that interception and was called for that absurd penalty for blocking below the waist when he was trying to make a tackle and the game was over.

We perceived that Stevens ran his mouth and then followed it up with a poor performance and we resented him for it. In 2006 his production dropped precipitously (22 receptions as compared to 45 and 231 yards as compared to 554 but he did have 4 TDs as compared to 5). The damage was done. He could be forgiven for the injustices to society at large, but not for the injustices on the football field, because to fans, that's all that matters. Finally, we could turn on him because he performed poorly. Our boos were finally justified. But none of that would have happened if he continued to play well.

So what does all of this mean? It means that when it comes down to it, I don't care who plays on the team I root for. I just want them to be good at what they're being paid to do. I will never spend any time with these guys "in the community" so what do I care if they are good guys or if they are jerks. I just want them to produce.

Do you think that the people in Pittsburgh honestly care that James Harrison is a social misfit who didn't think it was necessary for him to accompany his team to the White House after winning the Super Bowl? Let me answer that for you. No, they don't care. Not even a little bit. But what they do care about is that he's one of the best linebackers in the league who consistently makes big plays, none bigger than that game-changing, superhuman, quite possibly the best play in Super Bowl history 100-yard interception return against Arizona last year.

(God I hate Pittsburgh, but I cannot help but envy that defense. They are ridiculously good and that play above is just so incredible...could somebody please take this shotgun out of my mouth, please? It's hard to type with it in there. Thanks.)

I know it's easier to root for a guy who is nice and who is funny and who is great "for the community." But to me, that's a bonus. It's probably the fourth thing that I want out of a player behind:

  1. being good
  2. playing well
  3. playing well within the scheme and with teammates

A guy who just might typify Ruskell's "good guy/bad producer" player profile is Deion Branch. From all accounts, Branch is a great guy. I've heard him on interviews and I've seen him in person at a charity event. He's a good dude. He's a down-to-earth person who has his head on straight. All of those trite clichs apply to Branch. But he has done next to nothing from a production standpoint for this team. He's had flashes, but I would think that the Seahawks front office expected more than a few plays here and there especially since they gave up a first round pick for him and are currently paying him preposterous money. Branch is a good guy but a bad producer.

Branch is not the only mistake that Ruskell has made during his tenure, which brings me to the point of all of this:

He's got to go.

Later, I'll look at each of his moves (regarding players) since he took over as team president in 2005.

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