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At around 7 a.m. on Friday in the conference room of an Indianapolis hotel, an NFL representative will flip a specially minted coin with a Carolina Panthers logo on one side and a Miami Dolphins logo on the other.

The winner of that coin flip will pick No.8 in April’s NFL draft. The loser will pick No.9. No matter what happens, both teams will have a chance to get a very good player.

“I think anytime you’re in a coin flip or any kind of competitive situation, you’d rather come up first than second,” Panthers general manager Marty Hurney said. “But if you lose the coin flip, I don’t think there’s a lot of disappointment or panic or anything like that.”

The Panthers and Dolphins must do this because they both finished with the same 6-10 record and their strength of schedule also turned out to be exactly equal. But there’s no guarantee that the No.8 pick will turn out better than the No.9.

Two quick examples: In 2000, Plaxico Burress was picked No.8. Brian Urlacher was No.9. Both have had fine NFL careers. But Urlacher’s has been better even if you discount the fact that Urlacher never shot himself and served jail time on a gun charge, as Burress did.

In 1996, the Panthers picked running back Tshimanga Biakabutuka No.8 and Oakland picked tight end Rickey Dudley at No.9. Dudley ultimately lasted three more years in the league and scored 19 more TDs than the injury-plagued Biakabutuka.

Now it is true that winning the flip will give the Panthers a bit more leverage at No.8 if they ultimately trade the pick away. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King writes: “The difference in one spot on the draft trade value chart – the chart most teams use to divine value when making draft-day trades – between picks that high is 50 points. That’s roughly the equivalent of a mid- to low-fourth-round pick on the chart.”

This got me thinking about coin flips through the years. The Panthers won a big one with Jacksonville back in 1994 to obtain the No.1 pick in the 1995 NFL draft (which they later traded away, choosing Kerry Collins at No.5 overall).

There have been many more important coin flips through the years, in and out of sports. Here are five of my favorites.

5. Hakeem the dream: In 1984, the NBA conducted a coin flip between Houston and Portland to decide which team got the No.1 overall pick. Houston won and picked Hakeem Olajuwon. Portland lost and picked Sam Bowie. But Chicago, who wasn’t involved in the flip at all, really won by picking Michael Jordan at No.3.

4. That’s not quite what I meant: Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck once correctly called an overtime coin flip in a playoff game, then brashly declared, “We want the ball and we’re going to score!” Hasselbeck then threw an interception that Green Bay returned for a touchdown.

3. Heads-Tails: On Thanksgiving Day in 1998, Pittsburgh’s Jerome Bettis called “heads-tails” while the coin was in the air to decide whether the Steelers or Detroit would get the ball in overtime. The coin landed on “tails,” referee Phil Luckett declared Bettis had called “heads” and a controversy ensued. Detroit won the game. That flip led to the NFL rewriting its coin-flip rule – you now have to call the flip before the coin is tossed.

2. Tail of two cities: In 1851, two men founded a large city in Oregon together. One was from Maine and wanted to name it “Portland.” The other was from Massachusetts and wanted to name it “Boston.” A coin flip decided “Portland” as the winner.

1. The Wright stuff: In December 1903, the Wright brothers were oh-so-close to flying. Their aircraft had room for only the pilot, so Orville and Wilbur conducted a coin flip.

Wilbur won. But his attempt on Dec.14, 1903, stalled out, lasted barely over three seconds and wasn’t successful. Orville, the coin-flip loser, ended up going for 12 seconds and 120 feet in Kitty Hawk, N.C., three days later to begin the aviation era with the historic “first flight.”

Whether the Panthers win or lose the coin flip Friday, it won’t matter much. Because as Wilbur Wright could have told you, fate can be as fickle as a flying machine.

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The tail end of coin flips

I was holding a meeting with a group of people from Business New Zealand in my office on the ninth floor of the Beehive in Wellington. We were going through a number of issues when there was a reasonably violent shake and everyone stopped talking. It carried on for a few moments.

We thought it was just another shake in Wellington and didn't think much of it at that point.

Probably about two or three minutes later my door opened and my Chief of Staff came in and said, "That wasn't an earthquake in Wellington it was an earthquake in Christchurch".

It was at that point we realised it was obviously a very significant shake to have felt it so distinctly in Wellington so the meeting ended pretty much immediately.

Then, as quickly as we could, we tried to get a sense of what was happening in Christchurch.

Our first worrying fear was a major earthquake had taken place at a time when Cantabrians were going about their business. was a very busy time of day, with people at work and children at school.

It quickly became clear that my old home town had suffered enormous destruction and it was likely lives had been lost.

Immediately, I thought of my sister and her family who live in Christchurch. I sent her a text asking if she was OK. Thankfully she was able to text me back to say she was, but she told me it was really bad.

I made the decision I needed to get down to Christchurch for a first-hand look as quickly as possible to assess the situation and identify what resources we needed to mobilise at a national level to help the people of Christchurch.

From the moment the earthquake struck, things began to move very quickly - the National Crisis Management Centre in the bunker of the Beehive was activated and information began to trickle in. Communications out of Christchurch were limited.

We were due to go into the House for question time at 2pm, but that was cancelled once we realised just how serious the situation was in Christchurch. Instead, I went down to the House and gave a brief ministerial statement on what we knew at that point.

I called an emergency Cabinet meeting for 3pm. Immediately after that, I jumped on to a King Air flight to Christchurch.

While I was in the air, deputy prime minister Bill English gave a press conference in the Beehive at 4.15pm with the latest developments.

It was a fast-moving situation - details were sketchy and rumours were rife. We wanted to get as much accurate information out as possible to keep New Zealanders informed of what was happening in our second-largest city.

Once I arrived in Christchurch, we drove into the central city and went to the Civil Defence emergency centre, which had been established at the Christchurch Art Gallery.

There was quite a state of shock and panic - there was a lot of noise, a lot of sirens blaring, and helicopters with monsoon buckets whirred overhead. It had obviously been a huge earthquake and people were shaken. It was just a sheer state of chaos - dust was heavy in the air, roads had been ripped apart and there was also a thick smell of smoke.

After talking to the mayor and police at the art gallery, I went down to Latimer Square to give an update to the media.

While I was there, I looked down the road and could see the CTV building was on fire.

The devastation in that area was just immense.

It was everywhere you looked.

When I came down to Christchurch after the first earthquake on September 4, 2010, people were a bit shocked and reasonably quizzical about how bad the damage was and grateful nothing really serious had happened.

February 22 was a completely different atmosphere as everyone knew it was really bad.

I remember telling the media this could be New Zealand's darkest day.

We knew at that point that 65 people had lost their lives and there may be many more casualties.

During the course of the day, I was focused on trying to deal with the issues that were coming up, and ensuring we had all of the resources deployed.

It was a full-scale emergency.

We were worried about people being trapped in buildings, we were in the process of trying to mobilise the international effort, including the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams. While this was happening, there were violent aftershocks rocking the city, which were quite intimidating.

At one point during the day, I remember thinking: "This is the city I grew up in, I knew it really well, and it was destroyed".

It was like a war zone. Christchurch was a city that had been brought to its knees. The noise, the smell and the people are the things I will remember most about the day.

To a degree, there was a sense of hopelessness. On the other side of the coin, there was a lot happening.

We were doing everything we could but the sheer scale of it was a bit overwhelming for everyone.

Overall, February 22 was a bit of a blur, but moments from that day and the days following will remain etched in my mind, as I witnessed first-hand just how destructive nature could be.

One of the most heart-warming things was the huge outpouring of support and grief we received from other countries.

From memory I had calls from a number of foreign leaders including Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, British Prime Minister David Cameron, and United States President Barack Obama, as well as the Queen and the Prince of Wales all offering their sympathies and support.

The Australians were remarkable - they just dispatched resources and nothing was too much of a problem. I remember seeing on television the Australian police landing in Christchurch Airport and everyone just stopped and started clapping. That was one clear example of the sense of family we share with Australia.

Many other countries also offered their support over the coming days. I can't thank them enough for that support.

Long term the Christchurch CBD will look much different to what it did in the past.

I think it will be vibrant, it will be new, and it will be a great place to live.

- © Fairfax NZ News

Link:
John Key recalls earthquake

Jo-Ann Heslin, food and nutrition columnist for the website, Health News Digest,  has some tips for being healthier. Some of them are a bit surprising as they tamper with commonly accepted practices. But every coin has a flip side.

1. Watch less TV.

Do something active. Take a walk. Go Bowling. Even one night a week of no TV watching will add up. Take a walk or go bowling.

2. Don’t clear leftovers off the table while you are still eating.

Recent research showed that when leftover chicken wing bones were left on the table, people watching a football game ate 27 percent less than those who had no visual clue of how much they had eaten.

3. Eat some walnuts daily.

One ounce of nuts, 14 walnut halves, gives 185 calories of heart-healthy nutrients, including antioxidants.

4. Drink coffee.

People who drink four or more cups of coffee a day have a lower risk for diabetes.

5. Sleep more.

People who get too little sleep are hungrier. The lack of sleep disrupts appetite regulation in the brain.

6. Drink milk to get smarter.

Milk drinkers consistently do better at taking tests than people who don't drink milk.

7. Read food labels to control sodium.

Most sodium comes from processed food. Check the labels: Aim for less than 600 milligrams per serving in main dishes; 400 milligrams for snacks.

8. Yogurt with active cultures boosts the immune system.

Friendly bacteria help protect from harmful bacteria in the intestinal tract.

9. Eat fish at least once a week.

Fish is high in heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids; fish eaters tend to be healthier and live longer. Even a tuna sandwich or sardines and crackers serves the purpose.

10. Eat a rainbow every day.

Instead of calculating nutrients in foods, just pick a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables. Even a dab of salsa or ketchup on your lunch contributes to your health.

11. Eat whole wheat bread rather than white bread.

Whole wheat is made from the entire kernel of wheat and is rich in fiber, vitamin and minerals. Aim for three whole grain servings a day.

12. Eat potassium-rich foods each day.

Potassium helps to lower blood pressure and most Americans need to get more. Foods high in potassium include: white and sweet potatoes, oranges and orange juice, tomatoes and tomato juice, milk, yogurt, beans, bananas, avocados and spinach.

Heslin is a registered dietitian and author of several books on healthy nutrition.

 

Follow health reporter Harry Jackson Jr. on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/STLhealth for coverage of health, outdoors, health gadgets and tips from fitness trainers.

The rest is here:
12 tips to be healthier

Tom Hopkins

Retro-game homage Retro City Rampage is headed to PS3 and PS Vita.

Published on Feb 20, 2012

Retro City Rampage is coming to the PS Vita and PS3 SOny and indie developer Brian Provinciano have revealed.

For those not familiar with RCR, it’s an over the top open-world crime game that combines everything you loved in classic games and mashes them up into a “toon town” of nostalgia and parody," Provinciano wrote on the PS EU blog. "Steal cars, and then jump on pedestrians for big shiny coins. Collect power-ups and outrun the law while rampaging the city, shooting a light gun or swinging your bionic arm."

The top-down game features 8-bit-inspired visuals and has an over-arching GTA-type system of vehicles.

"Fans of Grand Theft Auto will feel right at home with RCR, but the missions extend far beyond driving and shooting. They fuse classic gaming and modern mechanics to span virtually every genre, from stealth to platforming, adventure, rhythm and more - there are even underwater levels. What I’m most proud of is that everything flows together using the same mechanics and visuals. Even missions inspired by ’80s coin-op games seamlessly take place in the open-world," Provinciano explained.

Retro City Rampage currently hs no release date, but is also headed to Steam, Xbox Live and WiiWare. Check out the game in action below:

 

The rest is here:
Retro City Rampage: Indie GTA, 8-Bit Mash-Up Headed To PS3, PS Vita

Williams in a breeze over Ishida - Cloud nips Campillo via split verdict... by George Elsasser
 

Showtime Saturday night twin-bill delivered the goods with mixed bag of busy ring action that had a bit of everything for the enthusiastic fans in attendance - show opens with l/heavyweight action - hard punching undefeated IBF champion Tavoris Cloud in with veteran Gabriele Campillo that would leave little to the imagination over twelve busy stanzas.

Cloud was the quicker out of the gate bringing it to a cautious Campillo - then bingo when late in the stanza a Cloud straight right hand found the mark and Campillo is down - beats the count but looks shaky that has the one called "Thunder" is all over him with a barrage and the game Spaniard falls against the ring strands - third hack in charge Mark Nelson directs Cloud to neutral corner and gives it a standing eight count.

On that note the opening three minutes go into the books as a Cloud 10-7 point advantage - it also takes on the appearance of a quickie for the defending champion.

But not to be, as Campillo surprises the entire joint including Cloud, with an assorted variety of solid punches from both sides of the plate - jabs, hooks and inside uppercuts that has "Thunder" assuming a defensive stance.

The one called "Chico Guapo" would have a big candle three before Cloud would regroup with strong finish to grab numero cuatro - but is also seen bleeding from cut over the left eye.

The entertaining battle for the IBF bauble continued to the final bell with most rounds a coin flip that would be scored in a beauty in the eyes of the beholder that would go in favor of the defending champion to the tune of Cloud 116-110,114-112; Campillo 114-112.

My unofficial saw it Campillo 114-112 in points and 8-4 under the more reliable round by round method.

Post Scripts: Cloud (24-0, 19 KOs) ~ age 30 (5'10") -- No surprise here the "Thunder" sobriquet fits to the letter - mega-power in both mittens. Would like to see him work in style ala Joe Frazier with the bob-and- weave from a crouch. Still, my dime goes with him in return. Gave credit to the taller southpaw with the longer reach.

Campillo (21-4-1, 7 KOs ) ~ age 33 (6'2") -- Tall southpaw uses the long reach with effective jabs and combinations - also unorthodox in movement. Were he a big puncher he'd not have been a stranger to these shores.

…...................................................................................

The Paul Williams-Nobuhiro Ishida main event that followed surely had a tough act to follow - but not a chance, altho not due to lack of effort. It was simply a matter of too much Paul Williams in size and quality over the brave Ishida of Osaka, Japan.

Both tall jr. middles - Williams at 6'2" and Ishida 6'1-½" in size - but biggest edge was the bigger, stronger and harder punching Williams busy style while working from the port side.

Only pride, and strong chin construction kept Nobuhiro upright and battling back over the full twelve one-sided stanzas.

Official scoring went Williams 120-108 - my unofficial agreed Williams 120-108 in points and 12-0 under round by round method.

Post Scripts: Paul Williams ( 41-2, 27 KO) ~ age 30 - "Punisher" sobriquet pretty much fits with the fast pace from start to finish. Mixes the offense targeting both body and head. Would have no objections to a Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. … or maybe Miguel Cotto. Flip a coin, on paper it sounds A-OK for the viewer.

               Nobuhiro Ishida (24-7-2, 9KO) ~ age 36 - no loss of face - came to fight while armed with smaller caliber than his opponent - but never tossed in the towel.

 GEO  

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Post-Fight Quotes: Tavoris Cloud and Eric Molina from Corpus Christi

Tavoris Cloud:  "I feel like I won the fight.  I knocked him down a few times and was the aggressor throughout.  I wanted to put him away but sometimes you get it and sometimes you don't.

"I wanted to stay busy and be aggressive.  I did that.  He was a busy fighter, and that's what the crowd here in Corpus Christi responded to.  The difference is I was landing the power shots, and that's what the judges responded to.

"I give Campillo credit.  He's a good fighter and he hung around with me.  I think he looked bad in the judges' eyes for celebrating in the ring thinking he had it won while the fight was still going on.  He forgot he was still in a fight.

"When he was throwing the left uppercut, he was catching me with the laces on his wrist, and I think that caused the cuts over my eyes.

"I was never hurt to the point I couldn't keep coming forward and throwing shots.  I closed the distance between us in the later rounds trying to go to the body and stop him from throwing flurries.

He was another bouncy-bouncy guy.  He couldn't deter me from coming forward."

Eric Molina: "I said before this fight that if I had Arreola hurt I would come right at him, and I did just that.  I landed some big right hands.  He was in trouble and holding on for dear life, but he caught me.  I did my best."

 

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Williams in a breeze over Ishida - Cloud nips Campillo via split verdict... by George Elsasser