Spurs running out of time to find mojo

The first time Matt Bonner started a game at small forward, it was a gift.

This was back in 2005, Bonner’s second season in Toronto. The Raptors were playing a preseason game against Boston in Manchester, N.H., not far from Bonner’s hometown of Concord. Coach Sam Mitchell put the local kid in the starting lineup for the benefit of friends and family in the stands.

“I scored 13 points on Paul Pierce,” recalled the 6-foot-10 Bonner, a big man by trade. “Honestly, I don’t think he was trying very hard.”

In Monday’s loss at Golden State, Bonner was back in the starting lineup as a supersized small forward, this time in the regular season, forced to chase smaller, quicker perimeter players around the arc.

“Once I got my fourth wind, I was OK,” Bonner said.

With one game left in the regular season, the Spurs are still searching for their second.

Boondoggled by injuries, attrition and their coach’s stubborn insistence on keeping older veterans fresh for the postseason grind to come, the Spurs have lost seven of their past 12 games heading into Wednesday night’s finale against Minnesota.

The team that began March atop the Western Conference at 46-14 has gone 12-9 since and is desperately seeking a foothold before the playoffs begin this weekend.

Assured of the No. 2 seed, the Spurs have nothing tangible left for which to play. So Wednesday against the Timberwolves, they will play for the intangible.

“Going into the playoffs, you want to be clicking on all cylinders,” guard Gary Neal said. “You want that game for everybody to play well, that way you can have confidence in the playoffs.”

Mired in a month-long slump that has tested coach Gregg Popovich’s patience and even their hardiest fans’ resolve, the Spurs have one more shot at gaining confidence before the postseason begins.

It is a far cry from last season, when the Spurs soared into the playoffs on a 10-game winning streak, then won 10 more in a row to start the playoffs before fizzling in the Western Conference finals.

Popovich has indicated he might approach Wednesday’s game with something resembling a full deck. Even sixth man Manu Ginobili, who has missed the past nine games healing a right hamstring strain, could suit up.

It is a playoff tune-up, and though Popovich won’t tax his older players to win it, he certainly sees value in playing well.

“You certainly don’t want to go into the playoffs playing like a dog,” Popovich said.

It could be argued there is nothing wrong with the Spurs that an influx of healthy bodies won’t repair.

Tony Parker has been in and out of the lineup since spraining an ankle March 1. Ginobili has been largely absent. Boris Diaw is out for the start of the playoffs after surgery to have a cyst excised from his back.

Some players have had to play comically out of position (see Bonner’s small forward debut). Others, such as backup point guards Cory Joseph and Nando De Colo and reserve forward DeJuan Blair, have had larger roles thrust upon them.

Tuesday, the Spurs signed 33-year-old former scoring champion Tracy McGrady, and he will have to be integrated.

“I’m sure it’s not a perfect situation,” Bonner said. “We all try to stay focused on getting better no matter what the lineup is. You try to get something out of it.”

At a time when Popovich would prefer to be putting together a plan for the playoffs, he has instead been forced to occasionally rely on lineups that will never appear in the postseason.

It hasn’t been an optimal April.

And now the Spurs’ month-long and mostly fruitless search for postseason momentum is down to its last shot.

“It’s a weird situation,” Neal said. “You can’t look too much at the record because we weren’t whole as a group. We’ll be whole Wednesday. We’ll try to build from there.”

Source  http://blog.mysanantonio.com/spursnation/2013/04/17/spurs-running-out-of-time-to-find-mojo/

Utah Liquor Bill Aims to Take Down 'Zion Curtains'

 Wine spritzers are a favorite at Rovali's near Salt Lake City. Behind the bar, in full view of patrons, waiters siphon soda and syrup into glasses of ice — then they duck behind a fake olive tree and a barricade to add the chardonnay.

Utah's famously strict liquor laws forbid the restaurant from pouring alcohol in front of customers. The ban is based on the idea that the state should shield the mixing of cocktails and pouring of drinks from children. The so-called "Zion curtains" went up around the state as part of a compromise after lawmakers lifted a mandate in 2010 requiring bars to operate as members-only social clubs.

But this year, the curtains may be coming down.

Utah lawmakers are considering whether to repeal the requirement, a move that would ease restrictions and encourage new business. Right now, the requirement applies to restaurants that have been in operation for less than three years.

Doing away with the curtain would mark yet another small step by the state to relax its liquor laws.

Lawmakers have introduced a handful of pending bills this year that would ease Utah liquor regulations, including a measure allowing customers to order a drink before they order food and another to make more liquor licenses available to restaurants.

They are scheduled to discuss whether to do away with the curtains Wednesday; the measure has not yet been voted on by either chamber.

The Zion curtains have a long history in the state, and its nickname nods to Utah's legacy as home to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The barriers first went up decades ago in the social clubs that existed before bars were legalized in 2009, unmistakable glass walls separating customers from bartenders.

Those who oppose the Zion curtains say the law forces restaurant owners to waste money and space on configurations to keep bartenders out of sight of patrons using barriers or strategically positioned service bars. Curtain opponents also say the law hinders tourism by annoying outsiders and reinforcing their perception of Utah as staunchly sober.

At Rovali's, an Italian restaurant in Ogden that opened in 2010, waiters explain the state's befuddling liquor laws to out-of-towners and, Montanez said, "you see the eye roll."

"That kind of stifles guests," he said. "They're a little rankled by these weird laws."

Some lawmakers warn that removing the mandate could encourage underage drinking and influence customers to drink too much.

The majority of Utah legislators and residents belong to the Mormon church, which teaches its members to abstain from alcohol.

"Alcohol is a drug," said Sen. John Valentine, R-Orem, who opposes the law. "It has social costs. We have DUIs. We have underage drinkers. We have problems that are caused by drinking."

Valentine said he would consider supporting the proposal if the state promised trade-offs such as bulking up police presence around restaurants and nearby roads, or a measure keeping children from entering restaurants serving liquor.

For restaurant owners moving into existing spaces, the law presents a nightmare, said Rep. Ryan Wilcox, R-Ogden. Restaurants sometimes have to cut into floor space, he said, where more tables should be.

"It really just hampers the new guys, the little guys," Wilcox said. "A lot of these guys, too, they're not large operators. They've got one shop: 'This is my restaurant. My lifelong dream. I've invested everything into this.'"

 At Rovali's, Montanez plays sommelier for guests who order wine service, setting off a presentation that underscores the patchwork nature of current laws. Montanez opens the wine at the table and invites guests to sniff the cork. If they purchase the bottle, he can pour and serve the bottle. If they order by the glass, however, he must slip away to pour the drink behind a partition.

"Everything we do is show," Montanez said, likening the visible pouring of drinks to a dessert cart.

The display of pastries and sweets bolsters dessert sales at the restaurant by about 15 percent, he said. In comparison, Montanez estimates that removing the curtain would boost wine sales by a similar margin.

"You can't get creative, that's for sure," he said of the partition. "You have to stick with the rules."

Melva Sine, president of the Utah Restaurant Association, said the curtain mandate confuses diners and raises eyebrows. Utah should impose one set of rules for all restaurants, regardless of their start date, Sine said.

"It lessens consumer confidence: What's the reason that you're doing this in the back room?" she said.

Sine rejects the notion that the visible flow of liquor would tempt youngsters to drink.

"We have got to stop feeling like everyone who drinks alcohol is doing something wrong," she said. "We all want people to go out and enjoy themselves and be responsible."

Source  abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/utah-liquor-bill-aims-zion-curtains-18604821

Seahawks' Sherman may learn his fate from NFL today

The Seattle Seahawks kicked off their final week practice of the regular season Wednesday with cornerback Richard Sherman on the field, but they did so still not knowing if they'll have one of their best players available for Sunday's game against St. Louis or beyond.

Sherman, who on Friday had his appeal of a four-game suspension heard by the NFL, still had not learned his fate as of Wednesday afternoon. So Sherman practiced with his team as usual Wednesday, but did so not knowing if it would be his last practice of the season. And while ESPN has reported a ruling will occur by today, Sherman said he still didn't know when he'll learn his fate from the NFL.

"No," he said when asked if he knows the timeline for this process. "I don't know much more than what you all know."

So while the Seahawks practiced with their best cornerback Wednesday, they did so knowing he may not be available later in the week if his suspension for violating the league's policy on performance enhancing substances is upheld. Seahawks coach Pete Carroll, who like Sherman said he does not know when the team will hear from the league, said in a press conference prior to practice that he planned to do things a little differently because of the uncertainty.

"Just a bit," Carroll said. "Just a bit, in that we don't know what's going to happen, so we're not going to go blindly into it. So we are going to get our guys in the rotation a little differently. It won't change much though. He's going to get some work today and the other guys will get work as well, but we have it in our minds. We have to be prepared for that."

As he prepared for Wednesday's practice, not knowing what his future holds, Sherman was asked if this waiting game is weird for him.

"It's not weird at all," he said. "Either the truth is going to come out or it's not, that's pretty much all it comes down to. . . It's going to be as normal as it always is. I'll go out there and practice. Shoot, I'll be happy if (Carroll) rotates more people in, I'll get some rest. I have no problems with that. It's going to be normal."

Asked about the appeals process, Sherman repeated much of what he said after Sunday's game--that the there were flaws in the testing process, but that that may not help him win his appeal.

"They don't care if you took it or you didn't take it, if the sample's tainted or it isn't tainted, they say it doesn't matter," Sherman said.

Sherman added, "They're the judge and the jury."

Sherman said if he loses this appeal, he likely doesn't have other avenues to pursue that will keep him on the field, but that he'll still try to do anything he can to fight to clear his name.

"I can't get back playing regardless, I could just sue the league, and that's what I'll probably attempt to do if they suspend me," he said. ". . . I'll take it to a neutral court, because in a neutral court the playing field is even, and we'd win easily.

"I'll definitely look into it, but hopefully they'll just do the right thing and the truth will come out, and I'll still be playing next week."

If Sherman loses his appeal and is suspended four games, that suspension would carry into the postseason, meaning he would not be eligible to return this season unless Seattle made the Super Bowl. In the unlikely event Seattle jumped up to the No. 2 seed and earn a first-round by, a four-game suspension would end Sherman's season even if the Seahawks reach the Super Bowl. The Seahawks will have cornerback Brandon Browner, who is serving the final week of his four-game suspension, back for their playoff opener.

Injury update

Cornerback Marcus Trufant, who has missed fours straight games with a hamstring injury, practiced fully and is no longer listed on the injury report. Walter Thurmond, who also has a hamstring injury, did not practice Wednesday and his status remains in question. Linebacker Leroy Hill missed practice with a hamstring injury suffered in Sunday's game, but linebacker Malcolm Smith, who Carroll said had a "groin issue" was able to practice fully and was not on the injury report.
 

Source  http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20121227/SPORTS/712279883

Squirrel dinner prep maybe sparked Michigan fire

Authorities say a blaze that displaced dozens of people from a southwest Michigan apartment complex may have been sparked by a resident trying to cook a squirrel with a propane torch.

Fire Chief Jim Kohsel tells MLive.com that the resident apparently planned to eat the animal and was burning off its fur on a third-floor deck at the building in Ottawa County's Holland Township when the fire broke out Wednesday. Flames spread to the roof. Kohsel says eight apartments are destroyed and others damaged.

The resident's name wasn't immediately released.

Kohsel says a firefighter broke a toe. No residents were injured.

Resident Tiffany Camburn told The Holland Sentinel that she and her neighbors had to evacuate their apartments.

The American Red Cross arranged temporary shelter and clothing for displaced residents. 

Source  www.bradenton.com/2012/10/11/4234618/squirrel-dinner-prep-maybe-sparked.html

Read more here: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/10/11/4234618/squirrel-dinner-prep-maybe-sparked.html#storylink=cpy

Browns' family night practice turns out to be one weird night

The highest-drafted player on offense and the highest-drafted player on defense being involved in a double knockout (however temporary) was only the beginning.

The new owner showed up upstairs with fans, downstairs with fans, on the Jumbotron, talking to Tom Heckert and then Pat Shurmur, and everywhere else on “family night” at Browns Stadium.
The family business, concerning the Browns, has specialized in weirdness. Wednesday will go down as one of the weirdest days in team history.

The Browns said 19,412 fans went through the turnstiles for a glorified practice. They had hoped to see No. 3 overall draft pick Trent Richardson, but he was in Pensacola, Fla., awaiting “minor” knee surgery today.

From field level, it looked like a big crowd — it was jammed around the lower bowl — and the people did get to see new No. 1 quarterback Brandon Weeden for the first time. He threw interceptions to Dimitri Patterson and Buster Skrine on his last set.

Some odd group reaction of surprise or disappointment rose into the August night.

Cornerback Joe Haden practiced then signed autographs, then kept his mouth glued shut as to reports he tested positive for a banned substance, Adderall. He could face a four-game suspension.

The first question from the press was about “the situation.” Everybody knew what the question was about, but Haden took a stab at diversionary tactics.

“Everybody had picks,” he said. “The defense did awesome.”

He soon got around to acknowledging an issue.

“It’s a league matter,” he said. “I can’t comment. I really have nothing to say. I can’t comment at all.”
He kept getting asked, and he kept saying the same thing.

Head coach Pat Shurmur was coy, saying that even if he knew what was going on with Haden, he wouldn’t be allowed to say.

Veteran Josh Cribbs acknowledged a problem and came as close as anyone to hinting at a general team fear of a suspension.

“It’s unfortunate,” Cribbs said. “That’s my boy. We move on. We’re gonna get through it.
“This is a ship. The ship moves on. He’d treat it that way if it was us.”

Richardson reportedly has a small bit of loose cartilage in a knee that was operated on shortly after he helped Alabama win a national championship. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen said sources told him the procedure was not invasive to the extent Richardson might even be able to play in the preseason finale and should be recovered in plenty of time for the season opener on Sept. 9.

Source  http://www.cantonrep.com/browns/x521654161/Browns-family-night-practice-turns-out-to-be-one-weird-night

Contractor wanted on a repair fraud charge

A charge of home repair fraud has been filed against an Okeene man this week in Garfield County District Court and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

The felony charge against James Quenton Johnson, aka “Booger” Johnson or “Weird Beard” Johnson, was filed Wednesday and the warrant issued for his arrest.

Johnson is accused of entering into a contract for home repair with a Garber woman in late August while having no intent to perform the work, according to the charges.

Johnson, 46, entered into the contract Aug. 26 to build a patio cover for $3,300 and was paid $1,500 before the job began to buy supplies, according to an affidavit filed in the case. The woman told Deputy Laura Roberts that Johnson wrote a contract for the job, which was to begin Aug. 29 and finish no later than Sept. 2, and both of them signed it.

On Aug. 29, the woman said Johnson did not show up for the job, so she went to run some errands after calling Johnson several times without getting a response. When she returned, there was a handwritten note from Johnson saying he would return in the morning.

When he returned, Johnson said he had paid a man $400 to be his helper and was now unable to contact him and told the woman he had “made a bad decision,” according to the affidavit. He said he could not start the job because he did not have enough money for the supplies and asked the woman for a “draw” to purchase the supplies needed.

The woman said she told Johnson she would not give him a draw but pay the extra money to have the supplies delivered and subtract that total from the rest of contracted pay. The woman said the total needed for the rest of the supplies was $128.46. Johnson had ordered about $600 supplies with the $1,500 she already had paid him, according to the affidavit.

Johnson told the woman he was going to “roust out” the man he hired as a help, left and never returned, according to the affidavit.

On Sept. 2, the woman said she received a text message from Johnson asking for her address so he could return her money. The woman tried to contact Johnson several times but did not get a response.

Home repair fraud is punishable by up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $5,000. Bond on the warrant for Johnson’s arrest was set at $5,000.

Source http://enidnews.com/localnews/x744034952/Contractor-wanted-on-a-repair-fraud-charge

Wednesday Gets Weird With The New Movement Improv

Big Brother tonight, why not go for something unscripted? Beginning at 8 p.m., Get Weird Wednesday hits The Mink for a night of open improv hosted by Chris and Tami of The New Movement improv troupe.

The New Movement (TNM) got its start in Austin in 2009 when founders Chris Trew and Tami Nelson met during an improv training class. TNM's approach to the craft has been to highlight the "irrational or bizarre" with an experimental and absurdist nature. If improv were an animal, TNM might just be a platypus. Up until recently, Houstonians had to travel to distant lands (Austin and New Orleans) to learn improv The New Movement way. Beginning this summer, however, TNM has opened classes up to the Houston community, with the next round kicking off in September.

Get Weird Wednesday occurs the fourth Wednesday of every month, and this month's will be especially weird. From 8 - 8:30 p.m., special guests Chris and Tami will bring their irreverent style to Houston to perform their two-person, long form show. After that, Chris and Tami encourage the audience to jump up and join them and other TNM performers for "The Shootaround," which is open to anyone, improv masters or newbies.

If you are a little gun shy and would rather share your talents solo, stick around until 9:30 for the anything goes Block Party. Performers are invited to bring their best comedy stylings, standup, music, character monologues, poems, sketches, video and anything in between, for 5 minutes of fame.

Source http://blogs.houstonpress.com/artattack/2011/07/your_wednesday_just_got_weirde.php