MNF mainstay gearing up for start of NFL season

ORLANDO, Fla.—Standing on a makeshift football field atop a soundstage in the middle of flashing lights, dancing cheerleaders and screaming fans, Hank Williams, Jr. lifted his cowboy hat and belted out the words that for more than 20 years have become synonymous with the start of the NFL season.

Hank Williams, Jr., the man who popularized the lyrics "Are you ready for some football?" was in Florida on Thursday recording the opening promo an upcoming season that, right now at least, is still in limbo, with owners and players trying to strike a new labor deal.

Williams said he has sympathy for both the fans who are crossing their fingers that the season begins on time and those around the negotiating table. In more than two decades associated with the league, he said he feels like a man in the middle of a fight between his friends.

"We were in there recording the audio and I said, `Why are we doing that, they aren't gonna play it,'" Williams joked. "But I know a lot of people in the football world -- the owners, the players, the marketing directors, and some of the great retired (players). So I see where they're coming from. I said, `Well if we're going to Orlando to shoot this thing, I guess they're gonna play.'"

Whether or not Williams is right, what can't be disputed is that as much as famous broadcasters like Howard Cosell and Don Meredith were identified with "Monday Night Football," now too is the 62-year-old country star, who originally signed a one-year contract to be a part of the production in 1989.

His song "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night," is a remixed version of his 1984 hit song "All My Rowdy Friends are Coming Over Tonight." The retooled version of the song won him four Emmy Awards in the early 1990s as the opening theme to Monday Night Football.

"You think about it, 22 years, there's a whole generation of kids that are just getting out of college that don't know Monday Night Football without Hank Williams, Jr.," said Bob Toms, an ESPN vice president who was with ABC when Williams was initially hired. "That song has become an anthem and that line has become the catchphrase that says Monday night. Hank's face and outfit, etc., kind of says `Monday Night Football' to a lot of people."

ABC last produced the show for network television in 2005 before handing it over to fellow Walt Disney Company property ESPN full-time for the 2006 season. It was a seismic shift for a show that thrived outside of cable television for 35 years.

"I'm the only one, everybody else is gone. The true ABC Monday Night Football -- they're gone," Williams said.

He said he hasn't always been a fan of all the bells and whistles that have been tried during his tenure.

"I'm not gonna name any names, but when they used some of those other things...some of the hosts they had -- it didn't go over," Williams said. "But it's still great, no matter if they have Frank (Gifford) or Al or Mike Tirico hosting."

Dozens of extras were hired to be the background fans in Thursday's promo shoot. Wearing jerseys of NFL stars like Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, among others, they ranged in age from children to seniors.

Toms said it isn't lost on anyone involved with the production of the show that the sight of Williams in front of the cameras wearing his black and white cowboy hat enlivens their football spirit.

"I think the line `Are you ready for some football' means a more this year than it has in a lot of years," Toms said. "And when he says `Are you ready for some football?' I think a lot of people are ready to stop the business discussion, and start talking about teams, games, talent and get into the fun part about football and the part we all love about it.

"I know we're excited about it...and we'll keep our fingers crossed that it'll all be worked out and we'll be on the air soon enough."

No matter when the next Monday night game is broadcast, Williams said he will be watching from the comfort of his couch at one of his homes -- in Montana, Alabama and Florida. He said he plans to keep enjoying his job, for as long as he has it.

"I don't run to the TV anymore, I just wait for one of my kids to say `Daddy, you're on!'" Williams said. "The people I've worked with over the years, they know where I'm coming from and it's been a wonderful ride. And hopefully it's been very good for the game.

Squash unveils Olympics guru to mastermind 2020 Games bid success

The sport has fought a long battle to garner enough votes from the International Olympic Committee's executive board having missed out on inclusion to the 2012 and 2016 Games.

Last week squash was shortlisted again by the IOC for a potential place in 2020 alongside seven other sports, including baseball and softball, karate and roller sports.
Now, the World Squash Federation has turned to Vero Communications, run by public relations strategist Mike Lee, who previously worked on the successful summer Olympic bids for London 2012, Rio 2016 and the Qatar 2022 football World Cup bid. Squash clearly feels it can't afford to miss out at the final hurdle for a third time.
"Mike Lee is hugely respected by the Olympic fraternity and his incredible success rate on behalf of bid teams in various sporting contexts speaks for itself," said WSF chief Andrew Shelley. "After helping to bring the 2018 Winter Olympic Games to PyeongChang in South Korea, we hope he can sprinkle some magic our way next.”
At an IOC vote in Singapore six years ago, squash was one of two sports put forward for 2012 after baseball and softball where ejected from the Beijing Games.
However, squash and karate failed to obtain a two-thirds majority vote. The IOC then amended its 2004 charter for the 2016 vote where only a single majority was deemed necessary for golf and rugby sevens’ recommendation. Lee will also be aware of squash's position having played a role in rugby's successful bid for Rio.
Lee, who set up Vero in 2006, said: "Our aim is to help squash put forward a compelling case to the IOC programme commission and wider Olympic Family."
Squash insiders say the sport ticks most of the boxes when it comes to assessing the sport's Olympic credentials. As the great Jahangir Khan put it this week: "It will be the biggest honour [i.e. the highest accolade] for squash players to feature in an Olympic spectacle."
However Lee's biggest hurdle will be convincing the IOC - who will make their decision in late 2013 - of the sport's global appeal, TV exposure and economic benefits.
Lee added: "There is a long road ahead in the campaign but we are excited by the challenge."

Tom Hanks: 'Hollywood is like high school

In Larry Crowne, Hanks plays an amiable ex-Navy man who is "downsized" out of his job at a big American store.

One minute he is skipping into work to ELO's Hold on Tight, and the next he is shown the door by his superiors.

"Timing's a bitch," says one of them, with a crocodile smile.

Burdened by a mortgage, and with time on his hands, Larry Crowne signs up at the local college to get some qualifications and re-invent himself.

"What we try to deal with is the fight against cynicism," says Tom Hanks, when we meet during his recent visit to London for the Larry Crowne premiere.

"Cynicism and sadness and bitterness can enter into the fray particularly when you've lost your job and when you've done everything right, and you still find yourself in these kind of straits."

Rom-com reunion

Although there is much in Larry Crowne that chimes with today's tough economic times, Hanks began developing the story years earlier with Nia Vardalos (My Big Fat Greek Wedding).

He also drew on his own experiences of attending college as a teenager in the 1970s.

"I only went to three years of college and two of them were at a community college much like the one that Larry goes to," recalls Hanks.

"I started when I was 17, and there were people in class who were twice as old as me and had families and once had businesses."

Larry Crowne reunites Hanks on-screen with Julia Roberts, who plays college lecturer Mercedes Tainot. The pair had previously worked together on 2007's Charlie Wilson's War.

Both actors had starred in some of the biggest romantic comedies of the 1990s. In Larry Crowne, Hanks's character develops a crush on on Roberts's public-speaking teacher - just as her marriage is falling apart.

"I'm in my 50s so that's not exactly fertile territory for romantic comedy," laughs Hanks.

"In Larry Crowne we do it in the way it happens in real life - you just happen to bump into somebody and it turns into one of the greatest things that ever happens to you.

"It's not so much boy meets girl, it's more a man meets woman story - not exactly the nature of old school rom-coms."

This is Hanks's second shot at movie writing and directing after 1996's That Thing You Do!

His breakthrough movie was in Ron Howard's Splash and he went on to to star in '80s comedies The Money Pit, Bachelor Party, Big and Turner & Hooch.

He won an Oscar in 1994 for Philadelphia and again the following year for Forrest Gump.

Other key films include Sleepless in Seattle, Saving Private Ryan, Cast Away, Road to Perdition and the Toy Story series.

He most recently reprised the roles of Woody in Toy Story 3 and Robert Langdon in Angels and Demons.

After such a long career, I ask him, what is Hollywood really like?

"Hollywood is exactly like high school," Hanks says. "With money!"

He adds: "It's filled with just as much pettiness, sadness and jealousy as well as fun and senior proms and parties."

And how has he survived more than three decades in showbiz? "I laugh more than I shake."

Hornets' David West opts out of contract to test free agency

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — David West is uncertain whether his NBA future lies in New Orleans or elsewhere.

What the Hornets' leading scorer knew for sure on Monday was that he wasn't going to allow recent reconstructive surgery on his left knee to scare him away from free agency.
"It's about making the best decision right now for my family," West said in a phone interview in which he explained his decision to opt out of the final year of his contract.
"It's not taking New Orleans out of the equation, just an opportunity to sign a better deal, and an opportunity to make sure the decision I make for the next three to four years puts me in the best possible situation to win — not just winning and making the playoffs, but legitimately having a chance to compete for championships."
West, a two-time All-Star who was drafted 18th overall by New Orleans in 2003, started 70 games last season, averaging 18.9 points to go with 7.6 rebounds before tearing his left anterior cruciate ligament during a victory at Utah on March 24.
While the injury could undermine his value on the open market, West, whose offseason hobbies include boxing, said he was not inclined to succumb to fear of the unknown.
After gauging the progress of his rehabilitation and mulling options with his agent, Lance Young, West walked away from the $7.5 million he would have made to play in New Orleans next season.
Hornets general manager Dell Demps said he still hoped to bring West back.
"We have had open communication with David this entire season about his option and knew with either decision that our intention is to pursue David so he can finish his career as a Hornet," Demps said.
West had surgery April 12 and his rehabilitation is expected to take six to eight months, but he said he already is jogging on a treadmill, keeping up his weight training and even doing some low-impact work on the basketball court, such as set shots.
"Two days after surgery I dove headfirst into rehab. I haven't let up. I'm going six days a week," said West, who'll be 31 on Aug. 29. "I'm really attacking it and I feel good. I haven't had any pain."
It is not clear when free agency will begin because the NBA's collective bargaining agreement expires at the end of this month and a lockout is widely expected to follow. However, West said he was confident that "players and owners are going to get something worked out, whether sooner or later, that's fair on both sides."
Even if the lockout drags on, that could help West by giving him more time to recover before free agency begins.
West's decision means the Hornets must find a starting power forward through free agency, whether that means bringing back West with a new deal, re-signing fellow free agent Carl Landry, or finding someone else.
New Orleans did not add to its roster during last week's draft. Because of past trades, the Hornets did not have a first-round pick and only one pick in the middle of the second round, which they sold to the New York Knicks for about $750,000.
After West went down last season, Landry, who had been acquired in a trade that sent Marcus Thornton to Sacramento in February, moved into West's starting power forward spot. The Hornets won five of their last 10 regular season games to finish at 46-36, good enough for the seventh playoff seed in the Western Conference.
If Landry also chooses to go elsewhere, that would leave the Hornets thin at power forward.
New Orleans currently has only five players under contract: guards Chris Paul and Jarrett Jack; center Emeka Okafor; small forward Trevor Ariza; and second-year swingman Quincy Pondexter. Center Aaron Gray also opted out of the last year of his contract on Monday, while shooting guard Marco Belinelli and forward Jason Smith are both restricted free agents whose future with the Hornets remains uncertain.
West said he spoke to Paul on Monday morning about his decision and that Paul, who has played with West his whole career, took it well.
"He understands what's going on," West said. "I'm not leaning any particular way or anything. It's just an opportunity to see what's out there, and a chance to play on that (championship) stage late in the year."
If New Orleans is unable to lure West back or otherwise put together a competitive roster by next season, the club could be more inclined to see what they can get in a trade for Paul. The Hornets have so far rebuffed trade offers for Paul, a four-time All-Star and 2008 Olympic gold medalist who is the face of the franchise. But Paul will have the right to opt out of his contract after next season, meaning the Hornets would lose him without getting anything in return if they failed to either trade him or sign him to an extension.
The direction the Hornets go on that front may depend on who owns the team by then. Currently, the NBA owns the club, but the league wants to find new owners who are committed to keeping the Hornets in New Orleans.
In order to assure prospective buyers that the franchise will be able to financially stay afloat on the bayou, the club has called on the community to help them reach a season ticket base of 10,000. The Hornets have sold about 8,300 season tickets so far, but it remains to be seen how tough of a sell season tickets will become now that one of their best players has confirmed his decision to enter free agency.
West was popular in New Orleans not only for his steady production on the court but his charitable work in the region. He often spoke of being moved by his interaction with people who suffered during Hurricane Katrina, particularly children, and took part in numerous activities to promote the city's recovery.
"I've enjoyed my time in New Orleans," West said. "Off the court, my wife, myself, my family, we tried to be as productive in the community as we could. It was important to us."
West also stressed that he liked playing for Monty Williams, who in his first year as an NBA head coach led the Hornets back into the playoffs this past season.
"In terms of my production last season, I felt like he was a really big part of that because of the way his basketball mind is, his approach to the game and his approach to work," West said. "He knows where I am in terms of wanting to win and wanting to make sure that the team is going in the right direction."

Bengals in depth: What lies ahead if Carson Palmer is gone?

The NFL lockout has dampened the usual offseason analysis of each team's comings and goings. But, lockout or not, the league will still be moving on at some point -- hopefully in time for the 2011 regular season to start on time on Sept. 8. And during the labor impasse, USA TODAY will focus back on the field by breaking down the five biggest questions facing each team for the 2011 season.

Up today: The Cincinnati Bengals

1. Will the Bengals be better off making a fresh start without unhappy quarterback Carson Palmer?

It's hard to make a case for that, especially this coming season. Palmer, who sustained a major knee injury in the 2005 season, isn't as mobile as he once was. He missed most of the 2008 season with an injury to his throwing elbow. But in the past seven seasons with the Bengals, he has thrown for 154 touchdowns.He knows the defenses of the division rival Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. Now, he wants out, though Bengals owner Mike Brown said he won't trade Palmer. The quarterback put his Cincinnati home up for sale in March. Whether the Bengals trade him or he retires, it certainly appears he is finished in Cincinnati. Maybe the Bengals can find a veteran quarterback in free agency. As of now, the veteran QBs on the Cincinnati roster are Jordan Palmer (three seasons) and Dan LeFevour (one season). Neither has started an NFL game. Rookie Andy Dalton, a second round pick from TCU, will compete for the starting spot. It would have been ideal to have him watch and learn behind Palmer for a season. Now, Cincinnati could be starting over at the quarterback position in a division where Pittsburgh has Ben Roethlisberger and Baltimore has Joe Flacco.

2. Will the Bengals be better off without T.O. & Ocho combo at wide receiver?

The potential definitely is there. Terrell Owens had a one-year contract last season and won't be back. Chad Ochocinco has a year left on his Bengals contract but it remains to be seen whether they keep him. But help is on the way. With the fourth pick in this year's draft, the Bengals selected wide receiver A.J. Green from Georgia. "I had a lot of people speak to me about what a dynamic player he is. He gives us a great threat, plays at a high level, does a great job running after the catch and has been a complete receiver," coach Marvin Lewis said after the pick. In addition, Jordan Shipley had 52 catches for 600 yards and three touchdowns last season. Jordan Simpson, going into his fourth season, had a pair of big games in the final two weeks of last season (18 catches, 247 yards and three touchdowns). That adds up to promise for the future. The Owens-Ochocinco combo didn't offer that.

3. Can Marvin Lewis deliver a consistent winner?

In eight seasons under Lewis, the Bengals have been a roller coaster team. They won the AFC North in 2005 with an 11-5 record. They won it again in 2009 with a 10-6 mark. But those are his lone winning seasons in Cincinnati, and he's 0-2 in the postseason. Last season, the Bengals were among the league's bigger disappointments as they dropped to 4-12. But Lewis agreed to a contract extension in early January. He's been in this position before. In 2008, the Bengals were 4-11-1. They rebounded in 2009 with their division title run. That year the Bengals had Palmer at quarterback, Cedric Benson ran for 1,251 yards, the defense played solidly and Lewis was chosen as Coach of the Year. Palmer wants out this year. Whether the Bengals can retain Benson remains uncertain with NFL free agency on hold. But when he agreed to an extension, Lewis sounded like a coach making a fresh start. "I feel there is a conviction behind what my vision is. I think that the beams are more focused," he said.

4. What is the Bengals' top free-agent priority?

Keep Benson. He has run for 2,362 and 13 TDs in the past two seasons. He is a workhorse. The Bengals will especially need that if Dalton becomes their quarterback. After last season, Cincinnati parted ways with longtime offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski. They have replaced him with Jay Gruden, a former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive assistant under his brother, Jon. Gruden could be busy enough nurturing Dalton. "He's going to be a great quarterback in this league, in my opinion," Gruden said after the draft. But having a runner such as Benson in the backfield would be a key asset if Dalton is under center.

5. What are the Bengals' biggest problems ahead?

There are two of them: the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the AFC North, these are two teams that build solidly through the draft. They play with consistency year after year. Both have talented, franchise quarterbacks. In other words, right now they are everything the Bengals have not been. It will take a major about-face for the Bengals to get to that level. Pittsburgh and Baltimore aren't going away. The four games against them represent one-quarter of the Bengals' schedule. In 2009, Cincinnati swept the division, also including the Cleveland Browns, at 6-0. Matching that is a tall order, but Cincinnati at least has to get competitive again with the big two.

Strong quakes again rock shaken New Zealand city

A series of aftershocks rattled New Zealand's quake-devastated city of Christchurch again Monday, toppling one of the few buildings still standing downtown and sinking thousands of homes into darkness.

Bricks came crashing down in the cordoned-off city center, where only workers have tread since it was devastated in February's major earthquake. About 200 people were there when the quakes struck Monday, and two were briefly trapped in a church. In all, 10 people were injured in the city.
"We are being enveloped with dust," Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker told New Zealand's National Radio. "It is very, very scary."
All across the city, people fled buildings in panic when a 5.2-magnitude quake struck during lunchtime; just over an hour later, a 6.0 hit, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Other smaller quakes were also recorded.
In the central city and nearby suburbs, several buildings were damaged.
"All the shops have fallen down," said Renee Murray, who works at a Domino's Pizza in a suburb. "Half of the roof has fallen in (but) they have not fully collapsed."
The city has been shaken by thousands of aftershocks since the 6.3-magnitude quake killed 181 people on Feb. 22. Like that tremor, Monday's two biggest quakes were very shallow, both around six miles (10 kilometers) deep, according to the USGS.
The shallow depth of the February quake and its proximity to the city helped magnify its destructive force.
On Monday, about 47,000 homes in the city's eastern suburbs were without power as they headed into a cold winter night. Rocks tumbled down hills in the area, which was among the hardest hit in February, and slit bubbled up from the earth — a process known as liquefaction that sometimes happens during a quake.
After the February quake, 300,000 tons of silt had to be scraped away, and the silt alone made thousands of homes uninhabitable.
On one road Monday, an SUV tipped front-first into a sinkhole that opened in the tarmac as it drove past. A police car sank into another.
Roger Sutton, chief executive of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, said the extra damage to the city center means that some buildings that had been salvageable "are now seriously damaged and will have to be brought down."
The group's demolition manager "was driving (during the 6.0 quake), and there were buildings coming down in front of him, coming down behind him," Sutton said. "He's very lucky to be alive."
Ten people have been taken to hospitals with minor injuries from falling debris, an ambulance service said. Two of them were salvaging windows from St. John's Church when the building's facade, the last wall standing after February's quake, collapsed. Police said they were rescued and taken to a hospital with cuts and bruises.
Another building nearby fell, according to police, and the dean of the city's cathedral said the collapsed building suffered new damage.
"This has been a setback for Christchurch and its people, but it does not lessen our resolve to rebuild," Prime Minister John Key told reporters. "The people of Christchurch should know all New Zealanders are thinking of them and will continue to support and stand by them in this very difficult time."

Eskimos 'rookie' knocks the rust off

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EDMONTON - Daniel Porter is a rookie all over again.

The reigning Edmonton Eskimos nominee for Most Outstanding Rookie is enrolled in this week’s rookie camp, despite exploding onto the CFL scene with four consecutive 100-yard-rushing games to end the 2010 season.

“I played six games, so that’s why I came back. I’m happy to be back, though,” said Porter, who wouldn’t have been eligible for the early sessions had he played one more game last year.

He didn’t need any more to make his impact felt. The late addition came off the practice roster to fill in for the injured Arkee Whitlock, amassing 603 yards on 86 carries for an average of 7.0 yards per rushing attempt and a pair of touchdowns. While those numbers were stretched out over six games, the bulk came from the four he started, which all tipped the 100-yard mark to earn the team’s nomination for Most Outstanding Rookie.wholesale jerseys

“I came from college, Louisiana Tech, I was doing 100 yards every game anyway,” said Porter, who set the school’s career rushing record in 2009. “And last year, we had a great offensive line. We just pushed behind and got behind them. We just had that bond and went from there, rushed for 100 yards every time.

“I give it all to my offensive line.”

While he’s used to setting the bar high for himself, Porter said he’s not expecting to just come in and pick things up where he left off.

“You never start where you leave off, I’ll just come out here and rebuild,” he said. “I know I’ve got to work hard again. It’s a new season, a new me and everything. I’ve just got to work my way back up there again.”
And what better place to start than some initial steps prior to Sunday’s main camp?

“Better for him, better for us,” said new running backs coach Dennis McKnight. “I don’t care how many years you’ve been in the league, the technique through the off-season gets a little rusty.

“To come in early, I’ve got to believe that by the time the main camp starts, he’s that much ahead with a jump on people.”

Besides, it’s not like he’s going to be put through the ol’ rookie hazing routine.

“Like I told him: ‘You can’t get caught up in that,’ “ said McKnight, who spent 11 seasons as an offensive lineman in the NFL. “I was in my fifth year with the Chargers and I was still coming to camp early with the rookies. Why? I’m taking reps away from that guy trying to get my job.

“You can’t get caught up in egos. If you don’t check them at the practice field or the door, you’re in trouble.”

DAY 1: It’s been a long time coming for Kavis Reed, who took to the field for his first practice as a CFL head coach.

“I’m just excited to be back on the field,” he said. “I saw a lot of very good things from a lot of young guys.”

The coach singled out the performances of ex-NFL receiver Jonathan Holland and Dinos receiver Nate Coehoorn from Wednesday’s session.

IN AND OUT: Eskimos top draft pick OL Scott Mitchell hadn’t completed his medical evaluation in time for Wednesday’s session, while DB Ron Kelly failed his.