Search Results

Today is Thursday, July 29, the 211th day of 2004 with 155 to follow. The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Venus, Uranus, Saturn and Neptune. The evening stars are Mercury, Jupiter, Mars and Pluto. Those born on this date are under the sign of Leo. They include Grigoriy Rasputin, born in 1871; French historian Alexis de Tocqueville in 1805; novelist Booth Tarkington in 1869; Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1883; actress Theda Bara in 1885; composer Sigmund Romberg (The Student Prince, The Desert Song, Lover Come Back to Me, When I Grow Too Old to Dream), in 1887; actors William Powell in 1892 and Richard Egan in 1923; bluegrass star Homer Haynes, member of Homer and Jethro, in 1917; former Labor Secretary Elizabeth Dole in 1936 (age 68); TV anchorman Peter Jennings in 1938 (age 66); actor David Warner in 1941 (age 63); Marilyn Tucker Quayle in 1949 (age 55); documentary filmmaker Ken Burns in 1954 (age 50); country singer Martina McBride in 1966 (age 38); and actor Wil Wheaton ("Star Trek: The Next Generation") in 1972 (age 32).

Today is Monday, July 26, the 208th day of 2004 with 158 to follow. The moon is waxing. The morning stars are Venus, Uranus, Saturn and Neptune. The evening stars are Mercury, Jupiter, Mars and Pluto. Those born on this date are under the sign of Leo. They include artist George Catlin, painter of American Indian scenes, in 1796; playwright George Bernard Shaw in 1856; Carl Jung, founder of analytic psychology, in 1875; novelist Aldous Huxley in 1894; poet/author Robert Graves in 1895; Tennessee Sen. Estes Kefauver, who led the 1950-51 Senate investigation of organized crime, in 1903; comedian Gracie Allen in 1906; actress Vivian Vance in 1912; Erskine Hawkins, trumpet, band leader, in 1914; actor Jason Robards and movie producer Blake Edwards, both in 1922 (age 82); filmmaker Stanley Kubrick in 1928; storyteller Jean Shepherd in 1929; rock star Mick Jagger in 1943 (age 61); actress Helen Mirren in 1946 (age 58); tennis player Vitas Gerulaitis in 1954; and actors Kevin Spacey in 1959 (age 454) and Sandra Bullock in 1964 (age 40).

Today is Tuesday, July 29, the 210th day of 2003 with 155 to follow. The moon is new. . The morning stars are Saturn, Uranus, Venus, Mars and Neptune. The evening stars are Mercury, Jupiter and Pluto. Those born on this date are under the sign of Leo. They include Grigoriy Rasputin, born in 1871; French historian Alexis de Tocqueville in 1805; novelist Booth Tarkington in 1869; Italian dictator Benito Mussolini in 1883; actress Theda Bara in 1885; composer Sigmund Romberg (The Student Prince, The Desert Song, Lover Come Back to Me, When I Grow Too Old to Dream), in 1887; actors William Powell in 1892 and Richard Egan in 1923; bluegrass star Homer Haynes, member of Homer and Jethro, in 1917; former Labor Secretary Elizabeth Dole in 1936 (age 67); TV anchorman Peter Jennings in 1938 (age 65); actor David Warner in 1941 (age 62); Marilyn Tucker Quayle in 1949 (age 54); documentary filmmaker Ken Burns in 1954 (age 49); country singer Martina McBride in 1966 (age 37); and actor Wil Wheaton ("Star Trek: The Next Generation") in 1972 (age 31).

Today is Monday, July 28, the 209th day of 2003 with 156 to follow. The moon is waning, moving toward a new phase. The morning stars are Saturn, Uranus, Venus, Mars and Neptune. The evening stars are Mercury, Jupiter and Pluto. Those born on this date are under the sign of Leo. They include Beatrix Potter, author and illustrator of the Peter Rabbit stories for children, in 1866; surrealist artist Marcel Duchamp in 1887; comedian Joe E. Brown in 1892; singer/actor Rudy Vallee in 1901; composer Richard Rodgers ("Oklahoma!" "South Pacific") in 1902; conductor Carmen Dragon in 1914; former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in 1929; Peter Duchin (pianist, bandleader; son of musician Eddy Duchin. In 1937 (age 66); Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori in 1938 (age 65); former Sen. and NBA star Bill Bradley in 1943 (age 60); "Garfield" creator Jim Davis in 1945 (age 58); actresses Linda Kelsey in 1946 (age 57) and Sally Struthers in 1948 (age 55); former baseball pitcher Vida Blue in 1949 (age 54); and actress Lori Loughlin in 1964 (age 39).

Report: Rose, Selig talk about reinstatement CINCINNATI, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Pete Rose apparently met with Commissioner Bud Selig in Milwaukee two weeks ago to discuss a possible reinstatement to baseball for the game's all-time hits leader. A Cincinnati television station aired a report about the meeting Monday night. Major League Baseball declined to address the meeting, which also has been reported by ESPN.com and MLB.com. "There have been a number of stories alleging conversations and meetings between Commissioner Selig and Pete Rose," said Bob DuPuy, President and Chief Operating Officer of MLB. "Pete Rose applied for reinstatement to Commissioner Selig several years ago. The application has been pending since that time. Given the pendency of that application, neither the Commissioner nor anyone else in our office will comment on the Pete Rose matter."

Battie suspended for hitting referee NEW YORK, Dec. 10 (UPI) -- Boston Celtics forward Tony Battie was suspended by the NBA for one one game for striking an official with a kicked basketball. League senior vice president of operations Stu Jackson announced the suspension on Tuesday. The 6-11, 240-pound Battie kicked a basketball off referee Mark Wunderlich's backside with 6:04 remaining in the third quarter of Monday's win over the Orlando Magic. Battie was whistled for a technical foul after arguing with Wunderlich about a play under the basket. The six-year veteran was given a second technical and ejected after kicking the ball.

Yao Ming struggles in debut INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 31 (UPI) -- Jermaine O'Neal scored 24 points Wednesday night and gave Yao Ming a harsh introduction to the NBA in his much-anticipated debut as the Indiana Pacers posted a season-opening, 91-82 victory over the Houston Rockets. Houston wasted a 39-point effort from Steve Francis. Yao, the top overall pick in the June draft, entered the game at the start of the second quarter and Jonathan Bender went right at him for an easy basket. The 7-5 Chinese rookie pulled down his first rebound with 8:45 left in the half and later had an assist to fellow first-rounder Bostjan Nachbar. Otherwise, Yao was a non-factor on offense, showing little willingness to aggressively post up.

Capsule summaries from the NFC East: Dallas Cowboys Coach: Dave Campo had back-to-back 5-11 seasons in his first two years as coach, but drew praise from his peers. After using four different starting quarterbacks last season, the Cowboys split their last six games. Dumped offensive coordinator Jack Reilly and hired Bruce Coslet to install a West Coast offense after the passing game ranked 31st last season. Mike Zimmer runs the defense and HBO "Hard Knocks" star Joe Avezzano is a special teams master. 2001 season: Finished last in the NFC East at 5-11 and that was with Arizona in the division.

Defensive end Reggie White, quarterback Dan Marino and safety Ronnie Lott were among 13 players named to the College Football Hall of Fame on Tuesday. In addition to the 13 players, Earle Bruce and Carmen Cozza were selected as coaches. "With so many strong candidates on the ballot, our goal to select a class that represented the many positions in the game as well as different areas of the country was difficult," said College Hall of Fame Honors Court Chairman Gene Corrigan. "By selecting an extremely talented, diverse group of athletes, I feel we have accomplished our goal."

Bill Parcells is a finalist for the Pro Football of Fame -- at least for now. Parcells, who coached the New York Giants to Super Bowl titles in 1986 and 1990 and guided the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl in 1996, was one of 15 finalists for the Hall of Fame announced Thursday. Quarterback Jim Kelly, Baltimore Ravens owner Art Modell and punter Ray Guy were among the other finalists for the Class of 2002, which will be announced Feb. 2 in New Orleans.

In Sports from United Press International Baseball owners, union can't agree The winter meetings are coming to an end and so is the short-lived goodwill between Major League Baseball and the Players Association. Major League Baseball president Paul Beeston issued a statement Thursday acknowledging that negotiations for the settlement of the contraction grievance that were taking place in New York have broken off. Players Association executive director Donald Fehr responded by scolding baseball executives for going public with the tone and topic of the discussions. The issue is headed for arbitration. Although the Minnesota Twins and Montreal Expos have emerged as the likely candidates for contraction, the prevailing belief is that litigation and logistics would prevent it from happening before baseball's target date of next season.

Top defensive line prospects in the NFL Draft Ends Justin Smith 6-4, 277, Missouri Smith's decision to leave Missouri following his junior season looks like it was the right one. Following impressive offseason workouts, Smith's stock has been rising and he is a virtual lock to be selected as a top-five pick. Impressive junior season, when he won All-Big 12 Conference honors for the second straight year while collecting 81 tackles, 24 stops for losses and 11 sacks. Also astute in the classroom, where he was an Academic All-American in 1999. Not a complete product yet, but he is getting there. A high-motor, high-intensity player with speed to rush off the edge. Relentless in pursuit and never slows down. Always seems to play hard and compete well. Has been very durable in college, starting Missouri's last 33 games. Did not get the recgonition he deserved in college.

Top defensive line prospects in the NFL Draft Ends Justin Smith 6-4, 277, Missouri Smith's decision to leave Missouri following his junior season looks like it was the right one. Following impressive offseason workouts, Smith's stock has been rising and he is a virtual lock to be selected as a top-five pick. Impressive junior season, when he won All-Big 12 Conference honors for the second straight year while collecting 81 tackles, 24 stops for losses and 11 sacks. Also astute in the classroom, where he was an Academic All-American in 1999. Not a complete product yet, but he is getting there. A high-motor, high-intensity player with speed to rush off the edge. Relentless in pursuit and never slows down. Always seems to play hard and compete well. Has been very durable in college, starting Missouri's last 33 games. Did not get the recgonition he deserved in college.

Controversial call helps Seahawks The race for premier spots in the AFC playoffs took a dramatic turn Saturday thanks to a controversial call that turned an almost certain Oakland victory into a shocking Raiders loss. The next-to-last weekend of the NFL's regular season began with an emotional farewell in Pittsburgh, but the key moment of Saturday's action came at the end of a wild play that went from a potential Seattle touchdown to a devastating fumble to an unexpected safety call by the officials that gave the Seahawks hope. Seattle took advantage of that controversial call by scoring on a nine-yard pass from Jon Kitna to Darrell Jackson with 28 seconds remaining, Saturday, giving the Seahawks a 27-24 victory over the Raiders. The surprising outcome, produced on a rain-soaked, windy afternoon, put the Denver Broncos in position to grab the AFC West title away from the Raiders and also increased the Tennessee Titans' chances to gain home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. Oakland, which already has claimed a playoff berth, seemed certain of a victory Saturday when the Raiders opened an 11-point lead on Randy Jordan's seven-yard touchdown run 3:12 into the final period.

In the midst of another disappointing season, the Kansas City Chiefs kept the faith in Carl Peterson Saturday, signing him to a new five-year contract as general manager. Financial terms were not disclosed.

In a statement released by the team Monday morning, the New Orleans Saints confirmed that John Bunting has resigned his post as the team's linebackers coach to accept an offer to become the head coach at his alma mater, the University of North Carolina. A news conference in Chapel Hill has been set for later today. Bunting has been with the Saints for less than a year. He was hired Feb. 9 to serve on the staff of first-year coach Jim Haslett after serving in the same capacity as well as handling the job of defensive coordinator last season for the world champion St. Louis Rams.

Russell Erxleben, a former star field goal kicker for the University of Texas and later the New Orleans Saints, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison Monday after pleading guilty to defrauding nearly 500investors of an Austin foreign currency firm he operated. U.S. District Judge James Nowlin also ordered Erxleben, 43, U.S. to pay a $1 million fine, and repay more than $28 million he bilked from his investors.

In Sports from United Press International Steve Young calls it quits Steve Young, who had to overcome the legend of Joe Montana to become one in his own right, Monday announced his retirement after a 15-year pro football career. In the wake of a career in which he was plagued by a series of concussions, the 38-year-old Young really was left with no choice. Doctors had given him clearance to play, but warned him of the dangers of another serious episode. A couple of other teams expressed some interest in his services, but Young wanted to retire a 49er. He announced his decision at a news conference the team's training facility in Santa Clara, Calif.

Steve Young, who had to overcome the legend of Joe Montana to become one in his own right, Monday announced his retirement after a 15-year pro football career. In the wake of a career in which he was plagued by a series of concussions, the 38-year-old Young really was left with no choice. Doctors had given him clearance to play, but warned him of the dangers of another serious episode. A couple of other teams expressed some interest in his services, but Young wanted to retire a 49er. He announced his decision at a news conference the team's training facility in Santa Clara, Calif.

GREEN BAY, Wis., Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Green Bay Packers coach Mike Sherman Wednesday made the first two new additions to his coaching staff, naming Tom Rossley offensive coordinator and Ed Donatell defensive coordinator. Rossley had been the Kansas City Chiefs' quarterbacks coach and Donatell the Denver Broncos' defensive backs coach. They are not the first members of Sherman's staff as strength and conditioning coach Barry Rubin was retained from Ray Rhodes' group.

All-time NFL sack leader Reggie White officially called it quits Wednesday. White revealed his decision at an afternoon news conference where he said he made his decision before the Packers' 30-27 loss at San Francisco in Sunday's NFC wild card matchup.

Doug Flutie came on for an injured Rob Johnson early in the first quarter and passed for 213 yards and two touchdowns Sunday to lead the Buffalo Bills to a 31-24 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. Johnson did not return after suffering bruised ribs on the third play from scrimmage when he was sacked by defensive tackle Larry Chester.

Dick Vermeil added yet another sexagenarian to his staff with the St. Louis Rams Monday, hiring former Oakland Raiders head coach Mike White as his assistant head coach and tight ends coach. The 61-year-old White was fired on Christmas Eve after guiding the Raiders to a 7-9 record last season after an 8-8 campaign in 1995.

Former National Football League Commissioner Pete Rozelle, whose leadership helped turned his sport into a corporate giant, died Friday night. He was 70. Rozelle died at his home, seven years after retiring from the post he hadheld for almost 30 years. During his three decades as commissioner, Rozelle created the Super Bowl and Monday Night Football, forged a merger with the American Football League and instituted a revolutionary plan for sharing television revenue. The NFL grew from 12 to 28 teams before his retirement in 1989, when he was succeeded by current commissioner Paul Tagliabue. Rozelle was elected the fourth commissioner of the NFL in 1960, replacing Bert Bell, who had died of a heart attack. Rozelle, then a 33- year-old executive for the Los Angeles Rams, was a compromise candidate elected on the 23rd ballot. Seeking to take advantage of the growth of television, Rozelle moved the league offices to New York City. In 1962, the NFL agreed to a deal with the CBS Television to televise all regular season games for $4.65 million annually. CBS remained a part of the league for three decades and Rozelle later signed deals with NBC as well as ABC, which began broadcasting Monday night games in 1970. The final television deal negotiated by Rozelle was worth $1.428 billion over three years. Rozelle insisted that all television revenue be shared equally, convincing the owners that the financial health of teams in smaller markets was to the benefit of larger teams as well.

Atlanta Falcons free agent signee Ricky Sanders failed his team physical. The physical revealed shoulder damage that could prevent Sanders from playing, a team spokesman said.