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Notebook: Low scores predicted for Classic – Sports – The Charleston Gazette – West Virginia News and Sports -

Gadget — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 20:10:12 +0000

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS – With just a handful of Greenbrier Classic players opting for early practice times Monday, two groups of people were found in abundance.

Red-shirted marshals, who were easing into a long week, and caddies. Members of the latter category could be seen buzzing around the greens, dissecting the slope, speed and undulation.

The players will largely define The Greenbrier Classic by the course's stunning setting, and the surrounding resort. But for now, there is one pressing item for most of the 156-player field: They've never played Old White.

Keep in mind the structure of the PGA Tour. many events are staged on the same course or group of courses, year after year.

Torry Pines. Pebble Beach. Riviera. TPC Scottsdale. Bay Hill, Harbour Town, Quail Hollow, Colonial and so on.

So here comes The Greenbrier Classic, in a corner of the world few Tour players have seen, on a course they might have heard about but surely have not played. With a $6 million purse and FedExCup points on the line, they hunt for every edge.

And so do the caddies, who get a cut of the winnings. they were hitting Old White pretty hard Monday.

That was the case for John Rathouz, a former caddy of John Merrick, who will be on Brett Wetterich's bag this week.

"last week, there was a new course [at the Canadian Open]," Rathouz said. "there are only four or five of those, if you don't include the majors. For the most part, there are repeats.

"this makes it a level playing field. these guys are pretty good at figuring it out, though."

Of a few caddies and players queried Monday, nobody expects par to make the cut. Some predictions of a 20-under winner have been bandied about, even though it would take an average of 5-under 65 each day to do it.

Last week's Canadian Open may provide a fair barometer. The cut came at 1-under, with winner Carl Pettersson winning at minus-14. He shot a 10-under 60 on the third day to thunder into contention after making the cut on the number.

Players seemed to love the course, in general. Some of the greens were tricky – many players were taking extra putts on Nos. 3 and 18, for instance.

The third hole contains the self-explanatory "Valley of Sin," a large dip separating the front and back of a large green. "It's the deepest I've seen," Rathouz said.

But the fairways and greens were soft, which could send scores plummeting even lower.

"The fairways are not that tight and they are soft," said Sam Saunders, one of the players who will compete this week. "you don't have to hit it right down the middle. Scores will be really low."

There is no mistake when John Daly shows up. He may not say a peep to anyone, but his clothes speak volumes. on Monday, it was a bright orange hat and shirt with multicolor checkered pants.

On the practice green, he tried out about eight different putters. He then headed to the practice range to chat with other players, then showed how he maneuvers through crowds as quickly – and anti-socially – as possible.

He crossed the ropes from driving range to practice green, fired up a cigarette and made a beeline for the 18th tee, where he was beginning his pro-am round. He didn't say much to anybody and ignored a number of television cameras and other media types.

He did sign a few autographs to a few adept fans, such as Daniel Lauffer of Hurricane.

"that was a little bit of a trick, as John said he was going to be late for the tee box," Lauffer said. "He walked right past me, but I stuck [my souvenir] in his hand and he signed it. as you can see, he signed it upside-down, but I've got John Daly's signature."

Five-time West Virginia Open champion David Bradshaw just did miss getting into the field, losing a five-way playoff for the last of four spots up for grabs at the qualifier at Glade Springs.

Dick Mast, a 59-year-old veteran of the PGA, Nationwide and Champions tours, blew away the Cobb Course with an 8-under par 64, tying Steve Fox's course record.

Mast, a resident of Forest, Va., has won four times on the Nationwide Tour, the last coming in 1999. His best PGA finish was second at the 1992 Greater Milwaukee Open, and his best Champions finish was third twice, the latest being the 2006 Senior British Open.

Taking the second spot was Bob Sowards of Dublin, Ohio, who fired a 66. Now 42, he played on the PGA Tour in 2008 before falling to the Nationwide the next year. this year, he has won the Ohio Open.

Alex Hamilton of Graniteville, S.C., was third with a 68. David Morland IV, a 41-year-old Canadian with 120 PGA starts, finished in a five-way tie at 69, joining Bradshaw, journeyman Len Mattiace and two others.

State pros Brad Westfall and John Ross shot 71s, two shots out of the running.

Back at The Greenbrier, there has been shuffling of the field from Friday's lineup. Dean Wilson, who finished second to Pettersson in Canada last week, entered the fold Monday morning, as did Kevin Stadler and Billy Mayfair. Out are Tommy Armour III and Shaun Micheel.

Two more changes came Monday evening: Parker McLachlin and Andres Romero withdrew, with Skip Kendall and Paul Stankowski taking their spots. One note about alternates: Steve Elkington has dropped from that list.

Pettersson is not the only freshly minted winner in the Greenbrier field.

Richard Johnson won the Scandinavian Masters last week in his native Sweden, making a 30-foot putt to beat Argentina's Rafa Echenique by a stroke. The field included British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa, who finished fourth.

The 34-year-old Stockholm native is trying to raise his game on this side of the Atlantic. He has made 12 of 19 PGA cuts but is 155th on the money list and 163rd in the FedExCup standings.

Pettersson, also a Swede, climbed from 66th to 24th in the money standings and shot up to 16th in the FedExCup standings with his win in Canada. He made the cut on the 1-under number, then went 13-under in the final 36 holes to seize the victory from Wilson, who led much of the way.

With the changes, 102 of the players participating in the Canadian Open are at The Greenbrier, including 59 who made the cut and nine of the top 12 (technically, all nine finished in the top four, including ties).

But a lot of them had trouble getting here. a charter from Toronto to Lewisburg was delayed so long that players and their families had to get off the plane, clear customs again and reboard.

Greenbrier owner Jim Justice said they were due in Lewisburg at 8:55 p.m. Sunday but instead arrived at 1:30 a.m. Monday.

Monday turned into a sunny day, which all involved would love to see from the opening round Thursday through Sunday's finale. At last forecast, Wednesday holds the best chance for thunderstorms, and a 40 percent chance is predicted on Thursday and a 30 percent chance Sunday.

Friday and Saturday are to be mostly sunny.

Reach Doug Smock at 304-348-5130 or dougsm…@wvgazette.com.

Notebook: Low scores predicted for Classic
– Sports –
The Charleston Gazette – West Virginia News and Sports -

NFL NOTEBOOK: Former Raider Tatum dies at 61

Gadget — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:40:13 +0000

He was called the “Assassin.”

Jack Tatum was one of the hardest hitters in the NFL, a Pro Bowl safety who intimidated opposing players with bone-jarring tackles that helped make his Oakland Raiders one of toughest teams of its era.

He’s also a player who will always be tied to one of the game’s most tragic moments – a hit in a preseason game that left New England Patriots receiver Darryl Stingley paralyzed from the neck down.

Tatum died Tuesday at age 61 in an Oakland hospital. the cause was a massive heart attack, according to friend and former Ohio State teammate John Hicks. Tatum had battled diabetes and other health problems for years, Hicks said.

The collision with Stingley happened Aug. 12, 1978, at Oakland Coliseum.

Stingley was cutting inside when he lunged for a pass which fell incomplete. Bearing down at full speed from the opposite direction, Tatum met Stingley while the receiver was off balance and leaning forward. Stingley crumpled to the ground, his fourth and fifth vertebrae severed.

Stingley spent the rest of his life in an electric wheelchair. He died in 2007.

There were never words of consolation or an apology from Tatum, and the two players never spoke after the hit.

“It was tough on him, too,” Hicks said of Tatum. “He wasn’t the same person after that (hit). For years he was almost a recluse.”

Tatum said he tried to visit Stingley at an Oakland hospital shortly after the hit but was turned away by Stingley’s family.

“It’s not so much that Darryl doesn’t want to, but it’s the people around him,” Tatum told the Oakland Tribune in 2004. “So we haven’t been able to get through that. every time we plan something, it gets messed up. getting to him or him getting back to me, it never happens.”

Tatum, though, showed no remorse for his headhunting ways in a 1980 book, “They call Me Assassin.”

After starring for Ohio State under coach Woody Hayes, Tatum was drafted in the first round by the Raiders in 1971. in nine seasons with Oakland, he started 106 of 120 games, had 30 interceptions and helped the Raiders win the 1976 Super Bowl. He played his final season with the Houston Oilers in 1980.

“Jack was a true Raider champion and a true Raider warrior. … Jack was the standard bearer and an inspiration for the position of safety throughout college and professional football,” the Raiders said in a statement.

AP Source: Bengals

reach deal with Owens

Cincinnati agreed to a contract with receiver Terrell Owens, who is expected to report to training camp in a couple of days, a person familiar with the situation tells the Associated Press.

Owens wanted to play for the Bengals, who offered a deal on Monday looking to add another deep threat to their offense. He accepted the offer Tuesday, said the person who confirmed the deal, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team had made no announcement.

Cowboys’ Bryant never expected pads to be issue

Dallas receiver Dez Bryant said he never expected his refusal to carry Roy Williams’ shoulder pads to become such a big issue.

And the Cowboys’ first-round pick said he didn’t know that rookies carrying the pads of veterans after practice was a long-standing ritual.

Bryant says he told Williams that if he had known the situation was going to turn out like this, the rookie would have carried all of Williams’ equipment.

While signing autographs Tuesday with fans shouting their support for him, Bryant insisted everything is fine between him and Williams, and all his teammates.

Also …

New England placed wide receiver Wes Welker on the active/physically unable to perform list. Welker had knee surgery in February, and could come off the list at any time. … Pittsburgh might not know until late in training camp whether quarterback Ben Roethlisberger’s suspension will be reduced from six to four games by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Goodell plans to visit the Steelers’ camp on Aug. 5. … New York Giants rookie safety Chad Jones is heading home to New Orleans after a nearly monthlong stay in the hospital because of serious injuries from an early morning car accident on June24. … Jacksonville struck a five-year deal with EverBank that includes changing the name of its stadium to EverBank Field. … Baltimore second-round pick Terrence Cody failed his conditioning test and was not allowed to participate in the team’s first training camp practice. … New England signed second-round pick Brandon Spikes. … Philadelphia signed safety Nate Allen, their second-round draft pick, to a four-year contract. … Denver signed wide receiver Eric Decker and offensive lineman Zane Beadles.

India sets out to build $35 tablet PC

Gadget — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:30:19 +0000

The Indian government has unveiled a prototype tablet PC system which it claims will cost just $35 (�22). Skip related content

Kapil Sibal, the country's minister for human resources development, said that the tablet system will connect with local universities in an effort to expand web access and improve education.

The tablet is reported to run on a version of Linux, and will feature 2GB of RAM and Wi-Fi connectivity. among the software said to be included is a web browser and PDF file viewer.

The Indian government said that the system will initially cost $35, although the eventual goal is to drop this to $10 (�6.45).

A number of campuses belonging to the India Institute for Technology have been enlisted to help research ways to improve the system and lower the cost.

The efforts are the latest to address the issue of providing computing tools and internet access to impoverished communities in rural areas and developing countries.

Nicholas Negroponte's one Laptop Per Child campaign has been the most visible of these initiatives so far. The organisation currently offers the $199 (�128) X1 notebook system, and plans to unveil a $75 (�48) prototype tablet at CES next year.

India sets out to build $35 tablet PC

Del Mar Notebook – Handicappers’ Edge

Gadget — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 03:30:11 +0000

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Phone: (800)354-9206editstaf@brisnet.com

DEL MAR NOTEBOOK

JULY 29, 2010

Trainer James Cassidy unleashed a couple potent runners on his competition during the much-anticipated opening week at Del Mar.

Eddie Read S. (G1): Don Van Racing et al’s THE USUAL Q. T. (Unusual Heat) left little doubt as to who is the best turf horse on the West Coast with a superb showing under pilot Victor Espinoza. the gelded four-year-old smoked nine grassy panels in 1:47 1/5 while a measured two lengths clear under the line for Cassidy.

San Clemente H. (G2): Tom and Marilyn Braly’s EVENING JEWEL (Northern Afleet) swept to the lead near midstretch and powered home a sharp heroine in this affair for Cassidy. the Grade 1 queen sped one mile on the firm oval in 1:35 1/5 under the guidance of Espinoza.

Track Stats

From a total of 45 races held over the coastal racetrack during the five-day race week, favorites won at a 31 percent clip and the top two betting choices combined for 49 percent of the wins. from 29 frays contested on the Polytrack oval, seven animals won in wire-to-wire fashion (24 percent), while none of the 16 grassy tussles went all the way on the lead.

We learned after last summer that front runners don’t have the greatest of chances on most occasions at Del Mar, and opening week further backed our observations. while you don’t have to be closing from the clouds, it still helps to be settled a few lengths back early.

We’re surprised at the amount of winning favorites and second choices (49 percent combined), considering the change in locale and surface, as well as the presence of many bigger fields. good work public!

Horses breaking wider than post 6 fared best this week, and it seemed that racing a few lengths off the rail was a good thing for the majority of the week.

Meet Totals

RACES: 45 POLYTRACK: 29 TURF: 16 FAVORITES: 14 (31 percent) 2ND CHOICES: 8 (18 percent) TURF WIRE: 0 (0 percent) POLY-WIRE: 7 (24 percent)

HORSES TO WATCH

3RD — PINK DIAMOND (Mineshaft) ran huge in here to just miss to a fine runner by a nose in this turf dash for trainer Marcelo Polanco. We’re still curious why this lass was in for $8,000 a few starts back.

5TH — We’ve long liked WAVELINE (Stravinsky) and were glad to see the talented mare return from a long break in such fine fashion for Ben Cecil. the five-year-old had been off for more than a year, but she showed no rust in cruising past a solid group.

6TH — Trainer James Cassidy had a week to remember at Del Mar, and it started with exciting sophomore turf runner KID EDWARD (Ire) (Singspiel [Ire]) in this one. Unraced since December, the three-year-old colt flew home in :29 2/5 for his final five-sixteenths and should be a major player in the turf stakes ranks throughout this campaign.

Saturday (7/24)

3RD — LAURA BEASLEY (Walk that Walk) finally broke through while appearing to be much the best in here for conditioner Matthew Chew. It’s possible this win will be a sign of good things to come after numerous placings.

6TH — we loved the way BURG BERG (Johannesburg) ran in here, settling off a clear early leader, kicking on turning for home and battling to the wire in a sharp second-place showing for trainer Juan Paco Gonzalez.

7TH — JUST IMAGINE (Unbridled’s Song) was heavily backed and impressed from a visual standpoint with his late stride, so we’ll keep an eye on this Doug O’Neill pupil.

8TH — the Usual Q. T. has to be among the top two turf horses in the country and continues to improve. his connections said he might have been a bit short for this race, too!

Sunday (7/25)

4TH — DAZZLING DISPLAY (Dehere) put forth a big effort in her debut for Bob Baffert in this one, finishing well clear in second while being live on the board throughout. the prospect should be very tough next out and could easily be of stakes quality.

A Look Ahead

Sunday’s $250,000 Bing Crosby S. (G1) highlights a trio of graded races at Del Mar this weekend, with the $200,000 San Diego H. (G2) on Saturday and Friday’s $125,000 Cougar II H. (G3) also slated.

more Notebooks:

Saratoga Notebook

Arlington Park Notebook

Calder Notebook

Saratoga Notebook

Hollywood Notebook

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New face for the video market

Gadget — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 01:40:21 +0000

Quanta Computer, the worlds largest ODM notebook manufacturer, is hoping to make a splash in Europe with the launch of its videoconferencing subsidiary faceVsion. Skip related content

The firm is launching the Touch�cam N1 webcam, which it claims is the first to be approved by Skype for HD calls.

Darren Chen, European managing director of faceVsion, said this initial

offering would primarily be a consumer play and that more SME-focused products will follow next year.

Imago has been brought on board as master distributor for the UK. a more generalist IT distributor will be added in 2011, said Chen.

Chen claimed faceVsions technology has the edge over rivals Microsoft and Logitech.

We are the only ones that can bring HD to Skype, he said. Maybe some resellers think of [Skype] as a threat, but it is booming. you cannot just ignore the trend.

The vendor is due to open a UK office and Chen said that Quantas financial muscle will help it make an impact.

Imago managing director Ian Vickerage said: we see the next big growth in videoconferencing coming from the proliferation of video throughout the organisation. more and more people want to use it on their desktop.

New face for the video market