Reports say, Tom Brady tweeted this too

Steelers play the Ravens on a Wednesday at 3:40 pm

Fwd: Book Musial Moments for your summer program

------ Forwarded message ----------

From: St. Louis Sports Commission's Sportsmanship Foundation

Book Musial Moments for your summer program The St. Louis Sports Commission has created an innovative program fostering civility, respect and selflessness among young people in the St. Louis region. Inspired by the great Stan Musial, the organization is visiting schools and summer programs in the metro area to introduce the concept of "Musial Moments" and to instill the qualities of sportsmanship on and off the field. Presentations are led by Solomon Alexander (a.k.a. The Sportsmanship Guy), the director of the Sports Commission's Sportsmanship Foundation. Through a fun and interactive 45-minute session, students are motivated to care about sportsmanship and to be good to those around them - just as Stan the Man did during his illustrious career and life. Funding from Sports Commission supporters enables this program to be offered at no cost to participating groups. To bring Musial Moments to your school or youth organization, call 314-345-5130 or email salexander@stlsports.org. The following schools and youth organizations have hosted Musial Moments assemblies since the program's inception in 2015: Bob McCormack's Youth Basketball Camp Bayless High School (2) Fort Zumwalt High School (2) McKinley High School  Duchesne High School Great Circle St. Rose of Lima (DeSoto, Mo.) Bristol Elementary Woerner Elementary (2) Forsyth Elementary Central Elementary (Roxana, Ill.) Mathews-Dickey Boys & Girls Club (2) Halls Ferry Elementary (2) McCluer High School Ritenour Middle Holman Elementary Robinson Elementary LeMasters Elementary Danforth Elementary Johnson-Wabash Elementary (2) Robinwood Elementary Commons Lane Elementary Sherwood Elementary Carondelet Leadership Academy Henderson Elementary Pembroke Hill School (Kansas City, Mo.) Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center The J in Creve Coeur St. Alban Roe School Hazelwood Northwest Middle Academy of the Sacred Heart (St. Charles, Mo.) St. Charles Borromeo School Shenandoah Valley Elementary Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis - Adams Park Christian Academy of Greater St. Louis Parkway South Middle St. Ferdinand School Fort Zumwalt North Middle Wohlwend Elementary Mary Queen of Peace School

St. Louis Sports Foundation, 308 N. 21st Street, Suite 500, St. Louis, MO 63103

My Quora Answer to a sports question:

How do you explain why people like sports to someone who doesn't like sports?

by Mark Rauterkus, Swim & Water Polo Coach

Sports are games. The games have rules. The realm of these rules and game play makes an alternative reality. This is pretend importance and escape from life. This is high drama of meaningless outcome. Entering the bubble of sports is fun.

Sport is unscripted too. Outcomes are uncertain. Think mystery. Who wins and who is the goat is for all to see. Sport often delivers new terms and jargon. The language gets twisted in sports with new meanings and pretend signals with superstition and superstar play. GOAT, for instance, means GREATEST OF ALL TIME.

Sports put humans at their very best in my opinion. We go higher, faster, longer in quests for greatness. Be the strongest and be a better self every week, every day, hour and minute growing a passion of excellence.

There are some take-home messages from sport for life. The lessons of sport can transcend into life. Sports should help, illustrate and encourage society and individuals to be better. Through sport and because of sport, rise up and be a better citizen, student, parent, professional.

If one does not like sports, well, fine. Different strokes for different folks. Try golf instead. Golf gets a pass into the world of sports because the thought of bashing small balls with such great force and accuracy is to scary to imagine out of the context of sports.

From the Pittsburgh Airport to Oakland, keep an eye out for this guy's visit. Hear he might be in town to interview and negotiate for a new job.

Let me know if anyone, perhaps an Uber driver, sees this guy around town. Pitt is on the prowl for a men's basketball coach.

Fwd: Girls Golf Member Benefits

From: Eric Amato <tftpittsburgh@clubmailer.memfirst.net>

Dear Ladies of The First Tee,

The First Tee of Pittsburgh is proud to continue its partnership with the LPGA-USGA girls golf program.  This will be our fourth year participating in the program and we want everyone to sign up for the program.  For signing up  each girl will receive the following benefits

LPGA-USGA Girls Golf membership benefits include:

• • • Quality junior instruction from LPGA/PGA Professionals

    • An LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Membership Kit (equipped with Girls Golf logoed golf accessories)

    • FREE entry into all LPGA Tour, Symetra Tour and USGA Championships

    • Scholarship opportunities through the LPGA Foundation

    • Access to National Girls Golf events, including the Girls Golf Academy

    • LPGA-USGA Girls Golf e-Newslette

To enroll please follow the link below, enrollment is open to all members of The First Tee of Pittsburgh. If you know someone that would like to get involved please contact Coach Eric at eamato@thefirstteepittsburgh.org

Thanks and sign up today

LPGA Sign up

-- 

Eric Amato

Associate Executive Director

The First Tee Coach and National Trainer

The First Tee of Pittsburgh

5370 Schenley Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15217
eamato@thefirstteepittsburgh.org  
www.thefirstteepittsburgh.org 
412-622-0108
412-682-2405 (fax)

The mission of TFTP is To impact the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character, instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf.

The First Tee of Pittsburgh is a United Way Donor Choice Agency.  You may direct your United Way contribution to #1436656.  Please consider the environment before printing this email. 

Lifeguarding from the second floor balcony

http://www.usctrojans.com/blog/2014/08/shaw-injured.html#

Shaw Suffers Injury While Rescuing Nephew

By Jordan Moore

On Saturday night, USC senior cornerback Josh Shaw was named a team captain at the annual Salute to Troy dinner. For Shaw, leadership is bigger than how he acts on a football field, and he put that to the ultimate test later that night.

While attending a family social function at his cousin's apartment in his hometown of Palmdale, Shaw looked on from a second floor balcony to the pool below and saw his 7-year-old nephew, who cannot swim, in distress without help nearby. Shaw instinctively leaped off the balcony, landing painfully on the concrete below.

He was able to crawl into the pool and ushered his nephew to safety. Despite the intense pain in his legs, he was then able to grab the ladder and lift himself out of the pool with his upper body.

Shaw's nephew Carter is a bit "traumatized," but physically okay. Shaw was taken to the hospital and subsequently diagnosed with two high ankle sprains, which will sideline him indefinitely.

"I would do it again for whatever kid it was, it did not have to be my nephew," Shaw said today. "My ankles really hurt, but I am lucky to be surrounded by the best trainers and doctors in the world. I am taking my rehab one day at a time, and I hope to be back on the field as soon as possible."

Said head coach Steve Sarkisian: "That was a heroic act by Josh, putting his personal safety aside. But that's the kind of person he is. It is unfortunate that he'll be sidelined for a while and we will miss his leadership and play, but I know he'll be working hard to get back on the field as soon as possible."

Greatest Article of All Time -- Trib gets it right in coverage of our Summer Dreamers and visits with Elite Runners and the Liberty Mile Efforts

Thank you Karen Price.

By Karen Price
Thursday, July 31, 2014, 10:39 p.m.

Jordan McNamara stood in front of dozens of Summer Dreamers Academy campers at Helen S. Faison Arts Academy in Homewood on Wednesday and asked a question.

“Who likes to run?” he asked, followed by, “Why do you like to run?”
Hands shot in the air.

One boy said because he was the fastest kid in the world. A girl said because it helps her build muscles. Another child said it keeps her energized.

Before long, McNamara and two other professional runners in town for Friday's Liberty Mile race, Heather Kampf and Leo Manzano, were running through the grass with the kids. They jogged around the perimeter of the field, set up mini races and ended with some stretching and strengthening moves.

For the past five weeks, approximately 120 campers in the Pittsburgh Public Schools program have been training with a coach from the Liberty Mile in preparation for the race through the streets of Downtown on Friday. The Liberty Mile, in its third year, is produced by Pittsburgh Three Rivers Marathon Inc. A total of 1,200 runners competed last year.
McNamara, who has finished second at the Liberty Mile each of the past two years, said Pittsburgh is the only place where race organizers get the elite runners involved in the community at this level. The elite runners also visited campers at Langley K-8 on Thursday.

“There's always some level of involvement with the race but in terms of going to kids' elementary schools and all that, I think that's different. It's cool,” said McNamara, 25, of Eugene, Ore. “Liberty Mile is really the first race that takes the professionals and integrates them directly into the community at ground level, which I think is really special.”
Manzano, a two-time Olympian from Austin, Texas, told the children at Faison that he wasn't the fastest runner when he started in the fifth or sixth grade, but he wanted to be the best. He talked about perseverance, and the importance of never giving up. Then he told them about racing in the 1,500 meters in the London Olympics in 2012.

He was in ninth place early in the race, he told them, and wanted to give up. He started thinking about his family and his community and started to pass other runners. With 100 meters to go he was in sixth place and ultimately won the silver medal with a time of 3:34.79.

“Not giving up is the important message,” Manzano, 29, said. “I feel like it applies a lot to life as well. Sometimes in a race you come across hills or mountains and you have to continue and push past those, but you know that eventually things will be better. You'll be done and you'll be celebrating.”

Kampf, 26, of Minneapolis had a similar message and told the story of when she fell during the Big Ten Indoor Championships in 2008 and went from last place to first in the 600 meters.
“Running is the ultimate blue-collar sport,” she said. “It's just good, pure, hard effort.”
All three hoped to show the kids that while being a top runner takes hard work, running in general can be a sport they can enjoy their entire lives.

“A lot of these kids at this age, you can tell running is awful to them,” McNamara said. “For us to come in and introduce a little bit of seriousness, a little bit of inspiration but also playfulness and silliness, it makes it so they can associate running with fun and it will be something that they'll want to do and enjoy.”

Karen Price is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach her at kprice@tribweb.com or via Twitter @KarenPrice_Trib.


Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/otherlocal/6533055-74/mile-race-liberty#ixzz39HtHBCOu
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

Growing up hurt?

Thunderbirds hosted Swim & Water Polo at Cupples Stadium

Save the date. Saturday evening. Our athletes are getting to take the field at 5:30 pm with the professional team, the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds. Show up after 5 pm and before 5:30 to visit with the coach and volunteers.

Handout to Campers:

Our swimmers, water polo players, SKWIM athletes, staff and lifeguards -- plus family and friends -- are invited to join together for a special event this Saturday evening, tomorrow, July 15, 2017, at South Side's PPS Cupples Stadium for interactions on the field with Pittsburgh Thunderbirds, a city's professional ULTIMATE team.

Arrive after 5 pm to check in with Coach Mark, and be ready to hit the field from 5:30 to 6 pm with the players. Then we'll stay to watch and cheer for the team at its 7 pm game.

Meet up at the gates of the stadium AFTER 5pm and before 5:30 pm. Youngsters should be accompanied by an adult. This is an optional event. Everyone has to get there on their own.

Tickets (generally $10 each) to the game between the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds vs. Detroit have be obtained by Coach Mark for our group. Everyone who can attend the game needs to reserve their family's tickets by doing ONE of the following:

• EMAIL Mark@Rauterkus.com with the names of the people who are attending.
• TEXT Coach Mark at (412) 298-3432 with the names of the people attending. OR,
• Go to the site, https://Read.SwimISCA.org/ (you are here) and do "web join" and then leave a comment with the names and number of tickets of those who are attending.

At the game, Coach Mark hopes to visit with guardians and players and share some other insights into additional activities to come in our normal sessions slated for this summer -- plus some other optional activities too.

Thank you Pittsburgh Thunderbirds. The game of ULTIMATE is a disk-game much like our aquatic game of SKWIM. Seeing these players and their teamwork, passing, defense, hustle and sportsmanship can inspire our play and help us become better athletes.

In other news:

We're going to be playing SKWIM and water polo from 6 to 7:45 pm every TUESDAY and THURSDAY evenings for the weeks to come at the outdoor Citiparks AMMON Swim Pool, Bedford Ave & Memory Lane, Hill District. -- Weather permitting.

Mark Rauterkus     Mark@Rauterkus.com
 PPS Summer Dreamers' Swim & Water Polo Camp Executive Coach
 Swimming Coach with The Pittsburgh Project
 Varsity Boys Swim Coach, Pittsburgh Obama Academy
 Pittsburgh Combined Water Polo Team
 https://SwimISCA.org
 (412) 298-3432 = cell

https://youtu.be/Uc9RkIP06hU

 

Fwd: Not just a suicide, NFL petition

---------- Forwarded message ----------

Players on 21 NFL teams have faced domestic assault or sexual assault charges. Ask the NFL to require counseling and intervention services for players who have committed domestic violence. Sign My Petition Mark - On December 1st, pro football player Jovan Belcher killed Kasandra Perkins, the mother of their three month old daughter, before he killed himself in front of coaches at a Kansas City Chiefs practice facility. The media was shocked by his suicide, but they seemed to forget about the murder. The National Football League (NFL) has a disturbing history of domestic violence. In August, Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson was arrested for headbutting his wife. Last March, Brandon Marshall was accused of punching a woman in the face outside a nightclub. Those aren't even all the assaults this year. In fact, out of 32 NFL teams, players on 21 have at some point faced domestic assault or sexual assault charges. As a professional child therapist, I work with families in domestic violence situations at an organization called House of Ruth Maryland. I know how devastating violence can be for partners, children, and even the perpetrators themselves. And the sad truth is that without proper treatment, it's a vicious cycle that goes on and on. That's why I started a petition on Change.org calling on the NFL to require counseling and intervention services for any player convicted with domestic violence. Click here to add your name. This isn't just an issue that affects NFL players and their partners -- it also affects women all over America. 1 in 4 women will face domestic violence in her lifetime, and studies show that violence goes up by 10% when the local NFL team lost a game it was expected to win. The NFL has shown an admirable commitment to women's health and mental health, promoting breast cancer awareness as well as providing counseling services for players who need it. But for players who have assaulted their partners or family members, the NFL must do more. People have used petitions on Change.org to help victims of domestic violence before: just this fall, petitions convinced Verizon and Sprint to change their policies so victims won't have to pay to break their cell phone contracts. I know that if enough people sign my petition, we can convince the NFL to take a stand and intervene when players have committed domestic violence. Click here to sign my petition demanding that the NFL require counseling and intervention services for all players convicted of domestic violence. Thank you, Gretchen Tome Baltimore, Maryland

PSU predictions N@

Do the victims expand (be it at a much smaller measure) to include the 55 men on the football team today, and the 20 woman volleyball squad in 2014 if $20-M evaporates at PSU because of an abrupt removal of people due to a wicked backlash?

It is an honest question.

An airplane pilot can be pulled out of the drivers seat because a co pilot some years ago became an accused rapist. But there is a full plane of different people still in flight. Auto pilot can't land that jumbo jet with confidence. We have time, space and relationship problems and these matters need to be measured in real time.

My guess is Jo Pa is in the press box on Saturday in Nebraska and is not on the sidelines or even in the stadium the final two regular season games. He will get to talk to the team a few more times. He will get to game prep with film and such. All the assistants will be gone after the regular season. A bowl game might be declined. Who in the world hires the next staff is for another day.

WDUQNews: Civic Arena Hearing

WDUQNews: Civic Arena Hearing Civic Arena Hearing
Pittsburgh City Council held a public hearing in Uptown to hear testimonials from residents about whether the Civic Arena should stay or go.

If city council grants the arena historic status, it could save the building from being knocked down. And a lot of people have a lot to say about that.

On Monday night over 70 people had something to say about it – either in favor of re-purposing the building, or knocking it down and redeveloping the land. A little more than half believed the arena should be saved. They gave testimonial to five council members in a church sandwiched between the old arena and the recently constructed one.

Among the speakers was Sala Udin, former councilman and actor who wants the building to come down.

'The redevelopment can begin the healing process to preserve the people,' he said.

From its inception, the arena and the 28 acres surrounding it has been controversial – displacing 8,000 Lower Hill District residents and destroying a community. Last year, after the arena was shuttered for a new neighboring complex, the Sports and Exhibition Authority voted to knock down the building.

Local groups have filed for historic status. Among them, Preservation Pittsburgh, which helped organize a 50th Anniversary of the arena celebration just before Monday’s meeting. Scott Lieb, president of the group said although the arena is a remnant of urban renewal, it is here now and should be used to benefit the community. He also said the building is unique and is part of the fabric of the city.

"This building was revolutionary when it was built in 1961. It was the first retractable dome building in the US. It really is a part of Pittsburgh’s brand, it uses technology from Westinghouse, from US Steel, from American bridge," he said at the celebration.

The city’s historic and review and planning commissions have already rejected historic status.

Council has until mid-August to take a final vote.

Our Beautiful Sport: No shitski!

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2011/05/our-beautiful-sport/

Good sights.

Save it!

Go here too and pass it on:

http://www.causes.com/causes/609476-reuse-the-igloo/about

http://www.change.org/petitions/reuse-the-igloo-pittsburgh-civic-arena#?opt_new=f&opt_fb=t
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Reuse-the-Igloo-Mellon-Arena/222742696638
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=77267039224

This is why we do not play hockey

Dave mixes sports and politics in a movie

Before you talk about Barry Bonds, read up about jury nullification

This is a great place to start:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jury_nullification

Sports Headline: Lucky to get zero. These guys got ripped!

I love the sports reporting abroad. Here is annalysis of a rugby game between my old home town of Christchurch / Canteberry Crusaiders of New Zealand and South Africa's Blue Bulls. The Bulls are defending champions from last season. Those Bulls didn't do so well, it seems.

I get a kick out of the tone of the reporting. (pun), all within a single article:

+ Lucky to get zero
+ No threat of All Star players. All teams have their best players get lifted for stints on national teams. That's a good thing, generally.
+ Guys throwing away their names.
+ thrashed
+ Darkest day
+ thrashed
+ pathetic performance
+ unable to catch, unable to tackle, unable to think
+ showed about as much heart as a French soldier during the opening weeks of the Second World War.
+ Players have completely lost the plot.
+ Simple ease of making mistakes.
+ Senior players can't point fingers after his own poor effort
+ Not showing enough courage and passion.
+ display a shocking inability to master the basic skills of the game.
+ we could not keep hold of the ball
* It’s nice to read about a new living room set or a snazzy garden from a player in family magazines, but to gain respect from fans, you should as least be able to catch a ball and wear your jersey with pride. This characteristic is absent among the current crop of players.
+ did not belong on the same field.
+ Best ever example of simply cannot perform worse.
+ half-hearted attempted tackles
+ it was one-way traffic.
+ one handling error after the other halted them from posing any real threat
+ harsh reality: urgent introspection from every member is surely required.

Full article:

Bulls lucky to get zero

Pretoria - The one positive the Blue Bulls Company should take from yesterday's woeful Bulls performance is that they probably won’t lose any players for the Currie Cup competition.

It is incredibly hard to envision them producing any Springboks for the World Cup if they keep on performing like they did against the Crusaders.

The Crusaders thrashed the (current) champions 27-0.

It is not often that you see guys throwing away their names in 80 minutes of rugby like we saw yesterday, which is probably the Bulls' darkest day in recent Super Rugby history.

You would have to go back to 2005, when they also scored zero points (against the Higlanders), to find a more pathetic performance like the one in Timaru yesterday.

The Bulls were unable to catch, unable to tackle, unable to think, and showed about as much heart as a French soldier during the opening weeks of the Second World War.

Yes, they were lucky to get zero.

Bulls coach Frans Ludeke simply cannot continue ignoring the reality of the performance from some of his players.

Pierre Spies, Wynand Olivier and Fourie du Preez, to name a few, have completely lost the plot.

And, if they want to have any chance whatsoever against the Reds next week, Ludeke has to make some drastic changes.

Every player makes mistakes, but the simple ease with which players like Spies and Olivier knocks the ball on, is simply unacceptable.

A clearly frustrated Victor Matfield admitted that those mistakes are unacceptable, but he could hardly point any fingers after his own poor effort.

Chris Jack taught him a lesson at lineout time, and his own handling error just after halftime resulted in the second Crusaders try at a crucial juncture in the match.

But, this is their problem. The senior players are not showing enough courage and passion and display a shocking inability to master the basic skills of the game.

"Not once could we build phases, simply because we could not keep hold of the ball," Matfield complained afterwards.

It’s nice to read about a new living room set or a snazzy garden from a Bulls player in family magazines, but to gain respect from rugby fans, you should as least be able to catch a rugby ball and wear your jersey with pride.

Unfortunately, this characteristic is absent among the current crop of Bulls.

However, one should not take away anything from the Crusaders, who currently play top-notch rugby, even without the likes of Dan Carter and Ritchie McCaw.

Sonny Bill Williams is the all beast he’s been made out to be, and the disregard he showed for the Bulls defence to score his team’s first try, shows exactly just how much better he is than the Bulls centre pairing.

The Crusaders completely dominated their opponents in every aspect of the game.

The Bulls simply did not belong on the same field.

If there’s ever been an example of one team giving it as good as they’ve got, and one who simply cannot perform worse, then yesterday’s match was just that.

Williams’ try, after he easily broke through half-hearted attempted tackles by Morne Steyn and Wynand Olivier, and three penalties from flyhalf Matt Berquist, gave the Crusaders a handy, though not unassailable lead at halftime.

Matfield’s blunder though, resulted in a try by Israel Dagg, and after that it was one-way traffic.

The Bulls tried to get momentum, with guys like Zane Kirchner, Francois Hougaard and Dean Greyling giving their best, but one handling error after the other halted them from posing any real threat to the Crusaders line.

The Bulls only chance for points came in the first half, when Morne Steyn missed a penalty.

This is the harsh reality for a team, where urgent introspection from every member is surely required.

And Bruce Kraus thought I gave him a hard time. Ha.

Parker: Don't take RWC away - the-press | Stuff.co.nz

Those who will be missing the NFL next fall can turn a lonely eye to Rubgy.

Parker: Don't take RWC away - the-press | Stuff.co.nz

Christchurch is ''utterly'' committed to holding its Rugby World Cup matches, despite the damage wreaked on the city by last week's earthquake, Mayor Bob Parker says.

Questions have been raised about whether the city will be able to host the event, given predictions that it may take months to get essential services up and running following last week's 6.3-magnitude quake.

Christchurch is scheduled to host five pool games and two quarterfinals in the Cup which begins on September 9, 2011.

The comments in the article are interesting. They want to bring in cruise ships to give housing to the guest when the world cup for Rugby comes. But why wait. Thousands are without homes and safe sleeping quarters now. Bring in the ships to Christchurch now and then you'd have some support for the tourists in the months to come.

In other news, icebergs now cover a quarter of the 5km by 2km Tasman Lake, which is about 200km west of Christchurch on New Zealand's South Island.