Update treand: October 2013

Thursday, October 31, 2013

24 last-minute Halloween costumes for kids

coming

NBA Tip-Off: 6 Business Stories To Watch This Season

The NBA season gets started Tuesday night with a trio of games highlighted by a clash between the Derrick Rose-led Chicago Bulls and the two-time defending champion Miami Heat. Las Vegas has the Heat favored to win a third straight title with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers and Bulls among the next set of favorites. The NBA has been on a roll in recent years thanks to a bevy of stars, success by big market franchises and the international appeal of the game. Total revenues for the league were expected to approach a record $5 billion last season. Here are the business stories we are tracking this season.
LeBron James
The four-time MVP is story 1a, 1b and 1c in today’s NBA. We have not seen the focus on one player in the NBA since Michael Jordan hung up his high tops for a second time in 1998 after his second three-peat with the Bulls. ESPN The Magazine devoted its entire NBA preview issue to all-things LeBron and it is hard to blame them. The immediate questions are whether James can lead the Heat to another title and win a fifth MVP (the record is six by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, while Jordan and Bill Russell each won five).
The bigger long-term question is where James will be playing next year. He is expected to exercise his early termination option in his contract to make him a free agent in the summer of 2014, setting up The Decision 2.0. Three years after James’ departure from Cleveland, the franchise value of the Cavaliers is down 9% and the value of the Heat is up 71%. James said he will not address his free agency during the season, but the Heat, followed by the Cavs are expected to be the leaders in the race for his services.
TV Contract
The NBA’s current contract with partners ABC/ESPN and TNT runs through the 2015-2016 season and is worth $930 million a year on average, but negotiations on an extension are expected to be completed over the next 12 months. Look for the NBA to double its annual take with the craving for sports programming rights at an all-time high. The addition of NBC Sports Network and Fox Sports 1 as national entities bumps up the number of players bidding on the rights packages. TV ratings were down last season, but they hit 10-year highs the previous year. The 10.4 rating for the 2013 NBA Finals was the second highest in the past decade.
David Stern’s Retirement
Commissioner Stern will retire in February after 30 years in the NBA’s top spot. The league has exploded under his watch. When he took over, CBS was paying $22 million a year for broadcast rights to games and the playoffs (outside of the Finals) were shown on tape-delay. NBA teams were worth about $400 million collectively in 1984 and now are worth more than $15 billion. Long-time deputy Adam Silver will take the reins, and he is expected to be the driving force in the next round of TV deals. Silver has been an integral part of just about every major NBA decision in recent years, including the settlement of the 2011 lockout.
Brooklyn Nets
Billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov is channeling another 11-figure net worth NBA owner with his spending spree this summer. Paul Allen racked up $81 million in luxury tax bills over two seasons between 2002 and 2004 in his quest for the Portland Trail Blazers to win an NBA title with outsized payrolls unsupported by the team’s revenues. Allen spent $157 million in player costs and taxes for the 2002-03 season and the team lost $85 million by Forbes’ count. The Nets’ luxury tax alone is expected to be north of $80 million this year with the addition of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Jason Terry. Total players costs, including the tax, will clock in around $185 million leading to a loss of more than $50 million for Prokhorov. The Los Angeles Lakers had the NBA’s highest luxury tax bill last year at $29.3 million.
New Arenas
The NBA’s oldest arena, Madison Square Garden, just finished a three-year, $1 billion renovation that will further boost revenues for the NBA’s most valuable team. The signature features are two bridges with seating that run parallel to the floor and are located high off the ground. The Sacramento Kings, who play in the antiquated Sleep Train Arena, are on target to open their new arena for the 2016-17 season after a decade long fight to secure a new venue. Stern, who helped orchestrate the building’s approval earlier in the year after a tug-of-war for the team with Seattle, will be on hand at the Kings’ home opener Wednesday night. The only other teams playing in arenas opened before 1990 are the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. Both teams are looking for new venues.
Tankapalooza
Several teams, including the Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns and Orlando Magic, stripped down their rosters with hopes of landing one of multiple elite prizes of the 2014 draft led by Canadian Andrew Wiggins (check out the highlights here to see why everyone is wiggy for Wiggins). One GM admitted in an ESPN piece that his team was tanking. The payoff from landing a huge talent can be massive in the NBA. The Cavs went from one of the NBA’s least valuable teams to the top 10 after drafting James.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2013/10/29/nba-tip-off-6-business-stories-to-watch-this-season/

Uber is delivering kittens for National Cat Day

Celebrate National Cat Day with an Uber-delivered kitten!

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

In honor of the venerated holiday National Cat Day, startup Uber is temporarily expanding past taxi-hailing to ... kitten delivery service.

Uber usually lets its app users order a taxi, black car or SUV to come pick them up at their current location. Tuesday's promotion added a "Kittens!" option to the list. (Yes, exclamation point included.)

For $20, Uber will deliver a kitten for you to snuggle for fifteen minutes -- and even throw in a few cupcakes to add to all the sugary sweetness. The service is available for only a few hours on Tuesday in Seattle, New York and San Francisco.
Uber, which partnered with Internet meme site Cheezburger for the kitten service, will donate all of the fees to one animal shelter in each city,. Each of the kittens is available to adopt from the shelters: the Seattle Humane Society, New York's ASPCA and San Francisco's SPCA .

Grumpy Cat gets Hollywood movie deal

"The Internet is made for kittens," Uber wrote in its press release.
Truer words were never spoken.
News of Uber's Cat Day celebration quickly gained traction in blogs and social media, with people complaining they had been trying for hours to score a kitten, with no success. Some expressed concern that transporting shelter kittens back and forth is cruel, but most simply LOLed at the stunt.
Adding to the hilarity: "Uber for cats" is a semi-often-used joke for ridiculous and derivative startup ideas. CNN.com joked about "Mewber" in a post in May.
The real Uber is exciting to venture capitalists, though. The company is worth a reported
http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/29/technology/uber-kittens/

Seahawks hold Rams with goal-line stand to win ugly on the road

In a game that was ugly from start to finish, even Golden Tate’s 80-yard touchdown had room for improvement. (Michael Conroy/AP)

No championship team has a constant string of obvious victories. Every team, no matter how good, will have to find ways to win ugly away from home despite sub-par performances from key players and groups. And in climbing to 7-1 on the season, the Seattle Seahawks did just that. They looked in no way like the team many expected before the season to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl, but if you’re of the opinion that wins are all that count, Seattle’s 14-9 win over the St. Louis Rams makes the books in that regard.
The game had a weird feel from the start. The Edward Jones Dome was half-full at best because most everyone in St. Louis was concentrating on the World Series performance of the Cardinals, who were also in town — the first time a World Series and a Monday Night Football Game crossed paths in the same city since 1986. And both teams played to that strange feeling.
Seattle had gained minus-1 yard at the end of the first quarter, quarterback Russell Wilson was sacked seven times and hit ceaselessly by St. Louis’ fierce front four, and a Seahawks run defense that is usually fairly stout gave up 200 yards on the ground over 37 plays — three fewer than Seattle’s offense had overall. It was only because of a defense that came up big when it had to, against Rams backup quarterback Kellen Clemens, that the Seahawks were able to escape with a narrow victory.
The crucible for the Rams came on a goal-line stand that ended the game. St. Louis had the ball for the final 5:41 of the game, and got the ball to the Seattle six-yard line with 46 seconds left on the clock. Given that the Seahawks seemed to have few answers for the Rams’ run game, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s playcalling from then on was curious, to say the least. After a Daryl Richardson run for four yards, Clemens threw incomplete to receiver Chris Givens. Then, another Richardson run for no gain that put the ball at the Seattle 1-yard line following an offside penalty on defensive end Chris Clemons, the Rams went with a Clemens pass to Brian Quick, which had no chance.
SI FLASHBACK: Distance on 4th-and-1 may be short, but the memories are long
That final drive summed up a night of missed opportunities for the Rams — they outgained the Seahawks, 339 yards to 135, and brought four drives inside the Seattle 15. But all they could amass were three field goals, and that final burst of futility.

“Well, the defense did a tremendous job,” Wilson told ESPN’s Lisa Salters after the game. “That was a huge stop right there [at the end]. You just keep praying that something will happen, and you keep believing in your guys. We found ways to make plays on offense when we needed to — we were struggling, obviously, and their defensive ends were coming all day. We were just able to find a way.”
As it has been through the last few games, the Seahawks were upended time and time again by a patchwork offensive line missing both of its starting tackles (Russell Okung, Breno Giacomini), and backups Paul McQuistan and Michael Bowie were not up to the task of containing Chris Long and Robert Quinn, the Rams’ defensive end combo. Quinn and Long may be the league’s best duo when it comes to quarterback disruption, and Seattle’s offensive line proved to be an easy mark. Quinn finished with three sacks, four tackles for loss, and five total quarterback hits, and Long matched Quinn’s effort with three sacks of his own. Wilson rarely had time to run the Seahawks’ staple pass play — the play-action deep ball — because he was trying to avoid getting hit on every play. Thus, screens and simple slants were the order of the day. And running back Marshawn Lynch, usually the epicenter of Seattle’s power offense, was muted — he gained just 23 yards on eight carries.
“We’ve got a long haul here,” head coach Pete Carroll said of his offensive line. “We’re halfway through the season, these are the guys we’re going with, and we’ve got to fix it. We knew that these guys would be a difficult matchup for us, and it just didn’t work out as well as we’d like. Russell did an excellent job again — he was pounded all night long. You could tell that he did a better job of being aware when he was getting hit, and getting the ball to the ground. Not a great positive, but it’s an improvement.”
The Rams defeated themselves more than the Seahawks did — they committed eight penalties for 53 yards, and several of those infractions wiped out big plays and killed extended drives. Their yards turned into empty calories, and the Seahawks proved to be the kind of team you don’t want hanging around for too long.
Clemens, seeing his first serious regular-season action since 2011, fared decently for his inexperience in place of Sam Bradford, out for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL in his left knee suffered against the Carolina Panthers last week. Clemens threw two howling interceptions, and appeared to be off track with his receivers at times, but he did enough to avoid losing. And the Rams’ running backs — who still haven’t scored a rushing touchdown all season — did enough to win.
Until it counted, that is.
Meanwhile, Wilson proved once again that even under constant duress, he will find ways to make it work. He completed just 10 passes on the night, but two were touchdowns to receiver Golden Tate. Of course, even the one pure splash play the Seahawks had still looked uglier than it should have. When Tate made an amazing jackknifing adjustment to catch Wilson’s pass in front of cornerback Janoris Jenkins with 3:45 left in the third quarter, he hot-dogged it all the way to the end zone, almost running out of bounds and nearly getting caught from behind on what eventually became an 80-yard score. Carroll did not hesitate to speak to Tate about it when Tate hit the sideline.
“That has nothing to do with our football,” the coach said. “That’s not the way we want to play. He has at times demonstrated more maturity than that, and we said something about it. He’s a playful, wonderful, spirited guy, but that was not the right thing to do. He knew it, and he apologized to everybody, but it kind of washes away a fantastic football play.”
And there were not enough fantastic football plays on either side to go around. For the Seahawks, the relief is that after a stretch in which they played four of five games on the road, they have three of their next four at home, and a bye to break it up. As for the Rams, their 3-5 record is a painful reminder of what might have been.http://nfl.si.com/2013/10/29/seatttle-seahawks-st-louis-rams-golden-tate/

Mark Chapman of Comstock Park High School named Detroit Lions HS football Coach of the Week

Coach Chapman led his Panthers to a 34-7 victory over Sparta on October 25 to end the regular season undefeated at 9-0. Comstock Park is currently ranked number #8 in Division 4. In his 23rd year of coaching and his 4th season as a head coach at Comstock Park, Chapman has directed the Panthers to playoff appearances in each of his 4 seasons, including state semifinal appearances in each of the last 2 seasons. Chapman is 39-8 at Comstock Park during this time. Chapman spent 3 years as a head coach at Grant (MI) High School, 9 years as an assistant coach at Grand Rapids Christian High School and 7 years as an assistant coach at Kenowa Hills High School. This Friday, Comstock Park will host the 6-3 Fremont Packers in a Division 4 pre-district playoff game.

Detroit, MI—The Detroit Lions have named Mark Chapman of Comstock Park High School the week nine recipient of the 2013 High School Football Coach of the Week Program.
Coach Chapman led his Panthers to a 34-7 victory over Sparta on October 25 to end the regular season undefeated at 9-0. Comstock Park is currently ranked number #8 in Division 4. In his 23rd year of coaching and his 4th season as a head coach at Comstock Park, Chapman has directed the Panthers to playoff appearances in each of his 4 seasons, including state semifinal appearances in each of the last 2 seasons. Chapman is 39-8 at Comstock Park during this time. Chapman spent 3 years as a head coach at Grant (MI) High School, 9 years as an assistant coach at Grand Rapids Christian High School and 7 years as an assistant coach at Kenowa Hills High School. This Friday, Comstock Park will host the 6-3 Fremont Packers in a Division 4 pre-district playoff game.
In addition to the accomplishments on the field, Chapman, the football coaching staff and the members of the Comstock Park Athletic Department are First Aid and CPR certified and trained as first responders. All sports follow the Michigan High School Athletic Association guidelines for concussion protocol and heat awareness. Student-athletes are also administered the ImPACT baseline concussion test at the beginning of the season.
Each week throughout the 2013 nine-week high school football regular season, one coach that best develops his players’ character, discipline, and football skill in addition to emphasizing player health and safety in their program, will be recognized for his commitment to the team, school, and community. The winner is selected by a panel of high school football media members—Mick McCabe (Detroit Free Press), Hugh Bernreuter (Saginaw News), Bret Bakita (WOOD Radio-106.9 FM, ESPN 96.1 FM-Fox 17/Grand Rapids) and Scott DeCamp (Mlive.com/Muskegon).
This season’s program will award $11,000 to aid in the development and promotion of high school football in the state of Michigan thanks to contributions from the Detroit Lions and the National Football League.
Each winning coach throughout the regular season will receive a $1,000 donation to his school’s football program. At the conclusion of the 2013 Michigan High School Football season, the Lions will also select the High School Football Coach of the Year. This season’s Coach of the Year will receive a $2,000 donation to his team’s football program.
In addition to the monetary award, all winners receive a certificate signed by Lions’ head coach Jim Schwartz and National Football League (NFL) commissioner Roger Goodell. Winning coaches also receive a personalized game ball and a Detroit Lions “Coach of the Week” hat.
Currently in its’ 17th year, the Detroit Lions High School Coach of the Week program has awarded $312,000 to high school football programs throughout the state of Michigan. For more information on the Detroit Lions High School Coach of the Week program, contact Chris Fritzsching, Lions’ Director of Youth Football, at
http://www.detroitlions.com/news/article-1/Mark-Chapman-of-Comstock-Park-High-School-named-Detroit-Lions-HS-football-Coach-of-the-Week/177ab1d7-a0c6-4b17-b913-e35943caf1b3

Bruce Irvin picks off Kellen Clemens (GIF)

Back in May, Seattle defensive end Bruce Irvin was suspended for violating the NFL’s policy on performance enhancing drugs. He missed the first four games of the season due to the violation, and has been trying to work himself back in the rotation.
Plays like this one will certainly help.

“He’s really excited to be here,’’ linebackers coach Ken Norton Jr. said, according to the Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta. “He really understands what he did wrong, and he is very happy to be back playing football. Just talking to him, he really appreciates this game a little bit more. Sometimes things have got to happen to you to appreciate it, and we are expecting a lot from him.”
Irvin recorded 8 sacks last year, and was apologetic about the situation to begin the season.
”I want to apologize to my teammates, coaches and Seahawks fans for making a mistake when I took a substance that is prohibited in the NFL without a medical exemption,” Irvin said in a statement released by the team, via foxsports.com and the Associated Press. ”I am extremely disappointed in the poor judgment I showed and take full responsibility for my actions. I will not appeal the discipline and instead will focus my energy on preparing for the season so I can begin earning your trust and respect again. I look forward to contributing to the team the moment I return.”
Seattle trails the St. Louis Rams 3-0 in the second quarter on Monday Night Football.http://fansided.com/2013/10/28/bruce-irvin-picks-kellen-clemens-gif/

World Series Game 4 ends in first-ever game-ending pickoff

The Red Sox entered the bottom of the ninth inning of Sunday night’s World Series Game 3 with a 4-2 lead over the Cardinals and dominant closer Koji Uehara taking the mound. But St. Louis threatened when Allen Craig singled to bring the tying run to the plate with one out.
Kolten Wong pinch-ran for the hobbled Craig, then Matt Carpenter popped out to second for the second out of the inning. The ever-dangerous Carlos Beltran came to the plate next, but wound up staying there.

Wong, the pinch runner, did the main thing pinch runners should not do. Maybe stealing second would have taken away the force, but just getting to scoring position isn’t going to make a huge difference when the tying and winning runs are behind you. But then those are risks a manager takes when he uses a 23-year-old with all of 38 games on his Major League resume in a big spot in a World Series games.
One night after they lost the first World Series game to ever end on an obstruction call, the Red Sox won the first World Series game to ever end on a pickoff.

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2013/10/world-series-game-4-ends-in-first-ever-game-ending-pickoff/

Latest News and Rumors Surrounding WWE 2K14 for Oct. 28

Wwe-2k14-undertaker_vs_batista_crop_north

Photo: 2K Sports

Tie your virtual wrestling boots—it's finally WWE 2K14 time.

The video game celebrating WrestleMania, The Undertaker and the spectacle that is WWE arrives Tuesday in North America and Friday internationally. For those who can't wait that long, 2K Sports has partnered with Gamestop and Best Buy to release the game at 12 a.m. local time early Tuesday morning in several cities in the United States.
A full list of cities hosting these midnight openings is here.
Is the game so good that fans have to grab it right away? The opinions found in the various available reviews vary.

Reviews
Despite its flaws and the fact that it is so much like WWE 13, the praise for WWE 2K14 has come flooding in.
The game appeared to even speak to one of the most critical reviewers. Tom McShea of Gamespot.com gave it only a 6 out of 10. He found fault with the counter-attack system and felt that the striking was weak.
Still, the 30 Years of WrestleMania mode brought back childhood memories for him. McShea writes that he "got a warm glow" in his chest as he played it, telling gamers to "be prepared to be swept away in a tide of nostalgia."

A 30 Years of WrestleMania tutorial

It was that mode that was the focus of many reviewers.
Liam Martin of DigitalSpy.com said of it, "It's a fascinating game mode, whether you're a long-term fan, or a recent convert hoping to learn more about WWE history." The 45 matches spanning the early years of WrestleMania to this year's event earned a number of thumbs up, as did the Beat the Streak mode.

Aubrey Sitterson and Bryan Williams discuss the Beat the Streak mode.

The biggest complaints zeroed in on parallels between this game and the last installment. With 2K Sports taking over the franchise, perhaps folks expected more wholesale changes, a reimagining rather than a revamp.
Garrett Martin from Paste Magazine wrote, "It plays almost exactly like the last few WWE games," and Liam Martin said, "The game offers very few innovations."
Mostly though, reviewers' scores were high, including an 8.7 out of 10 from Vincent Ingenito of IGN.com.
Johnny Luchador of Destructoid.com gave it a 9 out of 10, as did ChicagoNow.com. However, beyond numbers, the raving reviewers make the game sound like a must-buy. Luchador called it "a hallmark of excellence," while Chris Plante of Polygon.com said it was "the closest a game has come to understanding what works about wrestling."
The depth of the game, the varied choices and gameplay tweaks earned it high marks in general, while reversals and game flow seemed to be the biggest sources of nitpicks. There aren't enough negatives among these reviews to dissuade fans from buying the game, and the few that pop up will probably just temper any extreme expectations.

Latest Word On Features
The Defend the Streak mode looks and feels a lot like the Slobber Knocker mode from previous games, and playing the former well enough can earn you the latter in WWE 2K14.
Players control The Undertaker and take on an unending number of Superstars, one by one. Take out enough of these foes, and you can unlock the Slobber Knocker mode. Cory Ledesma of WWE Games explains.
With your damage carrying over after every battle, getting to that number is going to be a grueling journey.
Another mode option is a Gold Rush tournament like the one Eric Bischoff set up in 2005. Aubrey Sitterson from 2K Sports wrote of the mode, "You can pop into Exhibition Mode to set up one of these tournaments, connected to a specific title, and the winner walks away with that title."
Sitterson says that the results of this tourney won't affect the Universe mode.
While in Universe mode, players can customize and recreate the WWE experience, including having a number of notable managers at one's side. Paul Heyman announced that he was in the game on his Heyman Hustle YouTube channel.

He will join Mr. Perfect, Ricardo Rodriguez and Bobby Heenan as managers available to players.

New Entrance and Finisher Videos
The WWE Games YouTube channel shared a number of new videos showcasing more of the game's Superstars. These offer a look at the character models and animations while also helping to get fans pumped about the game.
The newest batch of preview clips include the entrances and signature moves for the following:

Lita, one of the more accurate models of the Divas, looks fantastic. Undertaker's entrance is nearly as haunting as it is in real life, while Hogan's entrance, like much of the game, will bring many fans back to their childhoods.
Hogan's entrance music, Howard Finkel's voice and the vintage screen effects team up to create that "warm glow" that McShea talked about.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1828071-latest-news-and-rumors-surrounding-wwe-2k14-for-oct-28

Aaron Rodgers makes Minnesota’s night miserable in 44-31 win

By Chris Burke

Aaron Rodgers was a perfect 10 for 10 throwing on third down against Minnesota Sunday night. (Jim Mone/AP)

When Aaron Rodgers performs at his absolute best, his game is less domination than it is teasing and taunting Green Bay’s opponents until their will is broken.
So it was Sunday in Minnesota. Time and again, the Vikings forced Rodgers’ offense into third downs. Almost without fail, Rodgers found his way out of the mess. On one particular occasion, a 3rd-and-2 in Minnesota territory, Rodgers avoided the pass rush to scramble for 14 yards. After trotting out of bounds, the Packers’ QB looked back to ensure there were no flags on the play, then turned, smirked and playfully signaled first down.
The Vikings’ defense was a mouse being pawed at by a cat. A donkey ignorantly chasing down a carrot out of its reach.
Green Bay faced 18 third-down situations in its 44-31 win. Rodgers converted 13 of them — with two Vikings stops coming in the fourth quarter, with the game already decided. Just for good measure, the Packers moved the sticks on two fourth-down tries, too: a seven-yard completion to John Kuhn and later an eight-yarder to Jordy Nelson, both so comically easy that Rodgers would be forgiven if he let out a little chuckle along the way.

Minnesota needed some magic to even think about an upset here, in front of a home crowd heavily infiltrated by Packers fans. The necessary jolt of life came early, as Cordarrelle Patterson raced the opening kickoff back 109 yards for a touchdown.
BURKE: Watch Patterson’s 109-yard kickoff return
The Packers’ response: Who cares?
Their ensuing possession lasted 15 plays and chewed up 90 yards. Rodgers capped it with an absolutely ludicrous completion to a fully-covered Jordy Nelson from 11 yards out. That pair worked their magic again in the second quarter, right after Minnesota knotted the game up at 10. On 3rd-and-6, with momentum threatening to swing toward the Vikings, Rodgers somehow found a microscopic window and hit Nelson on the run for what became a 76-yard score.
“The first throw was a tight one, [Nelson] got his head around just in time and made the catch,” Rodgers told NBC’s Michelle Tafoya. “The second one … he made an amazing catch and run. It’s no surprise he’s playing this well.”
It helps that Nelson has Rodgers delivering him the football.
Greek mythology tells us the story of Tantalus, doomed to hunger and thirst by the gods, forced to stand forever in a pool that receded when he coveted a drink and below a tree that hid its fruit when he asked for food.
Perhaps Minnesota’s Week 8 was not quite as torturous as that existence. But it may have felt like it for the three hours or so that this matchup lasted. The home team had chance after chance … after chance after chance after chance … to bury Rodgers and force a punt.
It failed to seal the deal even once. The Packers had eight possessions Sunday night. They scored on seven and took a knee to end the game on the final one, with a Micah Hyde punt-return TD mixed in.
“We got a great team, very well-coached, guys are ready to play,” Rodgers said. “It was loud in here, a tough environment, but guys stepped up.”
Minnesota’s story will come back, as it has throughout this season, to the play of its quarterback. Christian Ponder proved indecisive again in a 14-of-21 showing that hardly gave his team a chance. Seemingly for each Rodgers’ third-down conversion, Ponder took a sack or badly overthrew a receiver.
By the end of the night, he heard those all-too-familiar boos from the Vikings faithful, who no doubt are tired of wondering if their franchise ever will find a QB to complement the transcendent Adrian Peterson.
Blaming this latest setback fully on Ponder, though, ignores that Minnesota’s defense endured a helpless 60 minutes against one of the top quarterbacks in football. The result was on Ponder’s shoulders only in that he was not capable of doing for the Vikings’ offense what Aaron Rodgers did for his. But that is a bar not many quarterbacks can reach on a consistent basis.
“Aaron managed this thing so well,” Packers coach Mike McCarthy told Milwaukee’s NBC affiliate. “I can’t say enough about his management skills, let alone his playing ability.”
As Rodgers pointed out after his team’s fifth win of the season, there were others in the mix. Nelson, for one, made difficult grab upon difficult grab, often in critical spots. Meanwhile, running backs Eddie Lacy and James Starks combined for 151 yards and two touchdowns, continuing the Packers’ ongoing discovery of a potent run game.
Still, this Green Bay victory — so many Green Bay victories — would not have happened without Rodgers locking into a groove from the get-go. Minnesota tried everything it could think of on defense, from adjusting coverages to changing pressure packages. None of it worked, and Rodgers seemed to know from the first moments Sunday night that nothing would.
“He’s the top quarterback in the league, in my opinion,” said Nelson of Rodgers on NBC’s postgame show. “He’s going to lead this team … and make sure guys know what they’re doing.”
http://nfl.si.com/2013/10/28/aaron-rodgers-green-bay-packers-minnesota-vikings-christian-ponder/

Jimmy Graham hauls in 2 TD catches

NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans Saints tight end Jimmy Graham technically was limited in his return from a foot injury in Sunday's 35-17 victory over the Buffalo Bills.
But that depends on the definition of the term "limited."

[+] Enlarge Jimmy Graham

Chris Graythen/Getty ImagesDespite battling a painful foot injury, Jimmy Graham had two touchdown catches Sunday against Buffalo.

Graham still caught three passes for 37 yards and two touchdowns while playing less than 20 snaps because of a partially torn plantar fascia.
His second touchdown -- a 13-yarder in the third quarter -- came on his only snap in the second half.
"It's gonna hurt. But football hurts. That's just how it is," Graham said. "It's just, 'How much pain can you endure?' And you know, I'm pretty good at that."
According to both Graham and Saints coach Sean Payton, there is not a serious risk of suffering further injury if he continues to play. It's a matter of pain management -- which is pretty significant with a partially torn plantar fascia.
In some cases, it's actually even better for a plantar fascia to tear completely if the tear is significant enough. But Graham didn't specify if that is the case with him.
"I mean, that's an oxymoron, right?" Graham said. "I've heard a couple different things by a couple different doctors. I've talked to a lot of people, and I'm not sure. I guess we'll see.
"You know me, it doesn't matter how I feel. I'm very competitive, and I want as many opportunities as I can get to help this team. But I'm just gonna do what (Payton) asks me to do and what my body allows me to do, and I'm just gonna take it day by day."

Get the latest NFL injury news

Who's out? Who's good to go? Who's questionable? We've got all the latest injury news from around the NFL. Injury Wire

The Saints didn't make the final decision to play Graham on Sunday until they watched him run and cut on the foot in a pregame workout.
Graham was mostly limited to red-zone snaps. He also played throughout a hurry-up drive late in the second quarter, which ended with his first touchdown catch -- a 15-yarder that put the Saints up 21-10.
Graham's second touchdown catch put the Saints up 28-10, which made New Orleans' decision to keep him off the field for the rest of the game easier.
Graham, a former college basketball player, even had to make an adjustment to his trademark touchdown celebrations after his touchdowns -- dunking the ball over the goalpost. But true to form, Graham didn't let the injury stop him.
"I still dunked it. But I dunked off my right foot, because I can do both," said Graham, who now has eight touchdown catches this season. "So this time I just jumped off the right foot and dunked with the left. There will never be a moment I won't dunk it."
http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/9888681/jimmy-graham-new-orleans-saints-active-buffalo-bills

2013 Marine Corps Marathon: Girma Bedada win men’s race; Kelly Calway wins women’s

View Photo Gallery — Marine Corps Marathon: The 38th Marine Corps Marathon route winds its way through Arlington, up Rock Creek Parkway, along the monuments and past the Pentagon, finishing at the Marine Corps War Memorial.

By Roman Stubbs, Published: October 27 E-mail the writer

Girma Bedada grabbed an energy snack and took a few bites during the 13th mile of the Marine Corps Marathon, a mid-run picnic as he cruised around Hains Point along the Potomac River. He looked calm. Boats glided in the water. Helicopters buzzed overhead. Fans cheered for Bedada, without another runner in sight. There was the applause for him Sunday, and then there was the applause for everyone else.
Bedada created separation at the gun and never looked back during a dominant performance, finishing in 2 hours 21 minutes 32 seconds to win the 38th annual Marine Corps Marathon on a brisk morning in Washington. Alexandria’s Patrick Fernandez finished second with a time of 2:22:52. Colorado resident Kelly Calway finished first among the women (2:42:16) with Virginia Beach’s Gina Slaby (2:48:04) second in a race that drew nearly 30,000 total participants.

Video

Running alongside their fellow marathoners thousands of miles away in Washington D.C., troops in Afghanistan also took part in the Marine Corps Marathon.

Graphic

Map of 38th Marine Corps Marathon route.

In a stark contrast from last year’s finish, Sunday’s result came as no surprise: Bedada, from Ethiopia, was one of the favorites heading into the race. But his margin of victory was particularly stunning. The 33-year-old became a one-man pack shortly after the first mile, pulling away from the durable Fernandez, who won the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon in May. Burkeville’s Richard Morris finished third in the men’s competition with a time of 2:24:02.
Bedada “was way out of sight. It would’ve been nice to be able to catch him, but there’s always more race,” said Fernandez, who took control of the second spot near Hains Point. “I hadn’t realized he had got that far ahead.”
Aside from ramped-up security in the wake of April’s Boston Marathon bombing, the event also featured a slightly restructured course that flattened the terrain between its sixth and ninth miles. Runners ventured through Rock Creek Park instead of a steep stretch past Georgetown Reservoir as in years past, which contributed to faster times.
Like Bedada in the men’s division, Calway trampled the course — and the field. She stayed within striking distance through the first eighth of the race, which weaves from Arlington to the District, took over the lead around mile 8 “and I said I wasn’t looking back,” she said. Calway, 29, said she didn’t train for this marathon because of her job as a captain in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Carson, Colo., and that made for a more “painful” and punishing race.
“I was hurting,” she said.
She still found her second wind and controlled the end of the marathon, which she first ran in 2008. Calway said she will deploy next week to Kuwait. That made Sunday a big day. Calway spent time with her 6-year-old daughter and the rest of her family, who cheered for her at the race. She relished talking to Marines, getting a kick out of them calling her “Ma’am.”
And she ran. It was the last trip she wanted to take before leaving for the Middle East, and she will leave Washington with a battered body and a major marathon win.
“It’s awesome to win this race, representing the United States Army. . . . This race is amazing,” Calway said. “It’s the last thing I’m doing before shipping out. So it means the world to win this race.”
http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/othersports/2013-marine-corps-marathon-girma-bedada-win-mens-race-kelly-calway-wins-womens/2013/10/27/5f501e9c-3f26-11e3-9c8b-e8deeb3c755b_story.html

'Saturday Night Live' recap: Edward Norton is here to scare -- VIDEO

By Shirley Li on Oct 27, 2013 at 10:34AM

Image Credit: Dana Edelson/NBC

Edward Norton may seem like a host out of left field, considering his lack of anything to promote at the moment, but the Fight Club actor gave a solid performance with his first-time SNL hosting gig. His aw-shucks manner carried several sketches without seeming too awkward or over-the-top. And no, Norton isn’t known for his comedic chops, so the decision to amp up his boyish mannerisms helped spotlight his strong suits, from his physical comedy to his impressions, including a take on Woody Allen in the opening monologue that was top-notch.
And speaking of the opening monologue, Alec Baldwin and Miley Cyrus stopped by (came in like a wrecking ball, if you will?) to give the first-time host some tips. While Baldwin’s more understandable — the guy’s hosted 15 times, has a talk show to promote, can play off Norton — Cyrus’ appearance is just a head-scratcher. Sure, she’s there to announce her 2014 tour, but her interjection and tongue joke fell flat in an otherwise well-done lead-in to the show.
Overall, this latest SNL had more hits (e.g., actual screen time for Nasim Pedrad) than misses (e.g., the “Drug Deal” sketch). That said, it felt like the show had more sketches than usual — following a two-week break, and a Halloween/autumnal theme to play off of, the writers clearly ended up with a lot of material. It even led to a shortened Weekend Update. And with a dependable actor like Norton, the show seemed to have an easier time integrating him into sketches without worrying about the characters he’ll have to tackle or the implications of his appearance on the show. His range certainly came in handy for two wildly different sketches of the night:

Best Sketch
SNL‘s been doing on-the-nose parodies so far this season (see: Girls), and this one — a riff on Wes Anderson films — is not only hilarious, but effectively captures those signature Anderson ticks that make his films mesmerizing. As an Anderson alum, Norton does a solid impression of Owen Wilson, and his deadpanning, twanged delivery of the dialogue coupled with Alec Baldwin’s narration make this a hit. All that, along with the symmetrically shot references to films like The Royal Tenenbaums and Moonrise Kingdom made for a great sketch.
Best… er, Something
Maybe it’s because it aired at 12:50 a.m., maybe because it’s just one-liner after one-liner, or maybe because Edward Norton is the only actor who could have pulled this off-the-rocker but sassy “Dad” character off — everything in this sketch was crazy enough to work at the end of the show. Plus, the relish Norton uses with the line, “Psych, it’s a boogie” after asking the camera to zoom in on a “single Nerd” is too delicious to miss. Have a Spooktacular Halloween!

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Worst Sketch
A drug deal goes down, 1 million dollars is handed over, and the recipient brings in his “numbers savant” to count it, except his “savant” is no savant at all. That’s it; that’s the joke. Yet this sketch drags on and on after its premise, giving Norton and the cast little to do but continue to gawk at Norton’s character struggling to count the money (though Norton’s skittish delivery is a bright spot in an otherwise dull sketch).
Best Use of Underused Aidy Bryant Award
The “12 Days Not a Slave” sketch follows a questionable premise, and it nearly hurtles itself off the cliff and into “Worst Sketch” territory, until Aidy Bryant comes in with the line “These have been the best 12 days of my life!” The look she then gives the camera is comedic gold, and not even Miley’s cameo in the sketch — as a girl twerking on the staircase — could top that. As for the rest? Jay Pharaoh is just fine as the overly optimistic freed slave Cecil, and Norton does his best as the straight man, but the joke — that racism isn’t over, even though the slaves are freed — doesn’t really feel like a joke at all.
Best Musical Moment
Janelle Monae performed “Dance Apocalyptic” on a black-and-white set and, at least on screen, looked like she was having the time of her life singing and strutting across stage. The performance (as well as her later varsity jacket-donning set for “Electric Lady”) was energetic, fun, and arguably the best so far this season.
Throwback Saturday Sketch
Kate McKinnon carried the cold open as Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, who addresses the technical glitches of healthcare.gov by suggesting some alternatives, ranging from restarting your computer to visiting kayak.com to buy airline tickets to Canada. The highlight, though, came with her announcing that all letters of complaint will receive a response in six to eight weeks complete with pamphlets titled “So you want to do computer?” along with Encarta ’95 and 1,000 free hours of AOL. Top it all off with Bobby Moynihan as an IT guy with a baseball bat, the spinning Mac beach ball of buffering-slash-death, and you’ve got a topical and political cold open that doesn’t bring the show to an early halt.
Best Single Punchline Sketch
It’s another one-joke sketch, but this one works because of its physical comedy. Norton and the cast play sex-crazed waiters who loudly explain possible scenarios for when they get a little “somethin’ somethin’.” Aidy Bryant takes the straight man role as a hostess — “None of this is sex,” she says — and with moves like Norton’s “slippery on ice” and Mike O’Brien’s inspired “turn of the century southern woman,” this sex-charades sketch plays out its punchline well.
Best Ed Norton as a Teacher sketch
Norton played a variety of characters — a mullet-haired pest control worker’s best friend, a Rain Man-like numbers guy, Owen Wilson — but he mostly played the teacher, or mentor in sketches like “School Visit,” as a police officer teaching children about the danger of meeting strangers (shout-out to Nasim Pedrad, who finally got some significant screen time). Even his “12 Days Not a Slave” character was more a mentor than a fully formed personality. The best, though, out of all of these, was his appearance as pun fan Mr. Pickler in “Halloween on the Steve Harvey Show” with Kenan Thompson. His enthusiasm for punny costumes, which turns into exasperation at Harvey’s ineptitude at understanding the basic costumes — “It’s Satan breakfast!” Thompson exclaims at a couple dressed as “deviled eggs” — helps this sketch stand out.
Cast MVP
The ladies win this round. Between the fauxmercial for “Autumn’s Eve” and the gang’s appearance in “12 Days Not a Slave,” the women of SNL shined last night, thanks to some memorable one-liners and absurd characters. Not only did Kate McKinnon do a solid job as Kathleen Sebelius, her appearances bolstered later sketches. Same goes for the underused Nasim Pedrad and Aidy Bryant, and even Vanessa Bayer, in her brief appearances, helmed many of the scenes.
Best Lines
- “My personal area can smell like Thanksgiving all season long.” Frankly, most of the lines in the fauxmercial got me, if only because everything these days is pumpkin-flavored or autumnal in some way. (Not that that’s a bad thing!)
- Fake review from the New York Times: “You had me at ‘Wes Anderson.’”
- Nasim Pedrad: “I guess you could say I’m the vans of acting.”
- Steve Harvey on “wordplay”: “What’s that, when you find little words in your soup?”
- Norton to Pharoah right before the camera pans to Cyrus twerking: “Once they see you dance, they will try and dance like you.”
- Pretty much everything from the nutty final “Crazy Halloween” sketch: “This is a little Snickers, they say it’s fun size, no arguments from me, wink.” “Now this looks like a Reese’s cup, but guess what’s inside? Kale chip! Gotcha, fatty.” “This is a peanut scotch-taped to an M&M because that’s just how my mind works.” “Now this, this is the movie Cars 2, but look what happens when you open the case. No DVD, now who’s in control?” “These are razor blades but they’re still in the pack, so this time they’ll have to arrest me for generosity!” It just gets progressively weirder.
Extras
- Anyone think of Kate Micucci in everything she’s done when Nasim Pedrad did her character in the school visit sketch?
- According to Alec Baldwin, SNL is like a “three-wheel bus careening towards a blown-out bridge.” Does he mean “has become” or “has always been”? Hmm.
- The “Critter Control” sketch felt like a miss, but Norton’s “Russell” was a highlight. “I can’t tell if he was a leader or just a charismatic citizen” is a great line about a dead possum and its possum memorial service. Then again, how many sketches are there about possum memorial services?
- Chris Kattan heard about Ed Norton’s shout-out to him in his opening monologue. Still no update on how he feels about it, though.
- Courtesy of the SNL team, here’s Edward Norton as all the people in Edward Hopper’s “Nighthawks.”
- Serious question: How many jelly beans do you think were really in that jar?
- That Halloween Candy sketch is just so 1 a.m.-y of the show. The razor blades reveal, the Cars 2 line — anyone want to take a gander at Norton’s character’s background? Who’s adult Ruth anyway?
So what’s your take on Norton’s first time hosting? Spooktacular or more of the same? Sound off in the
http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/10/27/snl-recap-edward-norton-janelle-monae/

Chiefs Top Browns 23-17, Move to 8-0

The team closes out its three-game home stand in winning fashion

The Kansas City Chiefs hit the field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday to face the Cleveland Browns and close out their final matchup of a three-game home stand in front of another unbelievable crowd; they did so in victorious fashion, winning 23-17.

The Chiefs didn't waste time getting to work as they elected to receive and began with a game-opening drive that was highlighted by a 24-yard pass from Chiefs QB to RB . However, Kansas City's drive later stalled, before Chiefs K was called on for a field goal attempt, which he nailed from 42 yards out.
Following the game, Jamaal referenced the screen pass as another way that he can be involved with the team's offensive game plan.
"That's the goal," Charles said. "They do a great job of calling plays and getting me the ball and I can't say anything more; I'm just happy to be a part of this team and I was happy at the beginning of the season, when I saw the playbook and I saw the schemes. I was excited about what they can do, getting me the ball, so I can help my team."

Kansas City 3 Cleveland 0.
Kansas City's defense forced a three-and-out series by the Browns on Cleveland's first offensive drive.
The Chiefs took their next possession and moved right down the field, thanks to a seven-yard pass from Alex Smith to Chiefs WR , then a seven-yard rush by Charles and later two-straight completions to Chiefs WR . Smith then found Chiefs TE for a 22-yard gain to the Browns 16-yard line, but three plays later, Cleveland stopped Kansas City on third-and-eight, which led to Ryan Succop's 35-yard FG.
Kansas City 6 Cleveland 0.

SECOND QUARTER
Following a Browns punt, the Chiefs offense moved down the field, during the second quarter, in convincing fashion and punched it in for six, when Smith found Chiefs RB for a 12-yard TD pass.
After the game, Sherman described his first-career NFL TD.
"That was the natural progression of that play," Sherman said. "I was the number one read and if it wasn't open, he had other guys to go to; it ended up that I was open and it worked out."
Kansas City 13 Cleveland 0.
Later in the second quarter, the Chiefs again crossed into Browns territory, before calling on Succop for a 52-yard FG attempt, which just missed to the left.
Following the miss, the Browns offense used two plays to cover 58 yards as Jason Campbell found Browns WR Josh Gordon for a 39-yard TD pass.
Kansas City 13 Cleveland 7.

The Chiefs offense responded in quick fashion. Kansas City went on a drive that lasted six plays, covered 75 yards in 1:33, before Smith found McCluster with a laser pass for a 28-yard TD.
"It's a play we've been working on," McCluster said. "The defense, it's almost like they forgot about me; I don't know if they saw me, because I'm 5'8, I'm short, but Alex saw the open man and he threw the ball where it needed to be and we were able to connect and get six points."
Kansas City 20 Cleveland 7.
The Cleveland Browns answered with a scoring drive of their own as Jason Campbell led a seven-play drive that covered 54 yards in 1:01, before Browns K Billy Cundiff made good on a 44-yard FG.
Kansas City 20 Cleveland 10.
The score remained the same into halftime.
THIRD QUARTER
The Browns opened the second half with a drive that featured throws from Campbell to Josh Gordon for 14 and 23 yards, eventually leading to the Chiefs 23-yard line. Facing a third-and-five, Campbell rushed for four yards, bringing up a fourth-down-and-one situation, which Cleveland converted, following RB Willis McGahee's two-yard gain.
On the very next play, Campbell threw a 17-yard TD pass to Browns RB Fozzy Whittaker, helping to narrow the Chiefs lead to three.
Kansas City 20 Cleveland 17.
FOURTH QUARTER
During the Browns second drive of the fourth quarter, Jason Campbell dropped back and tried to connect with Browns FB Chris Ogbonnaya, but Chiefs LB had other plans, lowering his shoulder into the fullback, jarring the ball loose for the pass breakup.
DJ described his hit on Ogbonnaya, after the game.
"I was in zone coverage," DJ said. "I just read (Jason) Campbell's eyes and Chris Ogbonnya is a Texas guy, so I had to give him a little taste of what we do over here at the Chiefs."
Campbell went right back to the air for the next two plays, including a 37-yard completion to Browns TE Jordan Cameron.

However, Kansas City's defense refused to budge, thanks to a sack by and later, a third-down stop by , forcing a Browns punt.
In the locker room, after the win, Houston talked about his QB sack against Campbell.
"Honestly," Houston admitted, "I have to go watch the film. I don't know what I was doing; I'm just rushing and it's a reaction."
Kansas City was forced to punt on its next drive, but regained possession after Chiefs LB recovered the fumble during the Browns punt return by WR Davone Bess.
The Chiefs were unable to capitalize after the turnover, leading to Colquitt punt.
The Browns offense was facing not only the Chiefs defense, but the passionate Arrowhead Stadium crowd. With 2:12 left in the fourth quarter, the Browns attempted to convert on fourth-and-seven, before Campbell's pass attempt fell incomplete.
http://www.kcchiefs.com/news/article-2/Chiefs-Top-Browns-23-17-Move-to-8-0/045255c1-20f4-44a1-8eff-8e48c7f2901f

Happy Halloween! But ... what's powering your pumpkin?

This Halloween, the debate over the future of US energy has made it all the way to the jack-o'-lantern. On one side is the US Department of Energy, promoting clean energy and efficiency with a set of energy-themed stencils for pumpkin carving. Not to be outdone, the American Petroleum Institute, an oil and gas lobbying firm, has released its own set of stencils to make a "high energy pumpkin" blazoned with the image of an oil barrel or a full gas tank.
So the question this Halloween isn't so much trick or treat? It's renewables or fossil fuels?

RECOMMENDED: US energy in five maps (infographics)

Judging by DOE's stencils, the future is in cleaner energy and less of it. The stencils depict wind turbines, solar panels, compact fluorescent light bulbs, and other emblems of alternative energy, with DOE encouraging would-be carvers to "energize your neighborhood" this "Energyween." It's a fitting end to October, which was designated National Energy Action Month by President Obama in late September.
"[S]o while you’re stocking up on pumpkins, fall sweaters and Halloween candy, it's also a great time to think about actions you can take to save energy and money at home," reads a post announcing the stencils on DOE's website from earlier this month.
Shorter days and cooler weather come together in October to begin a steady annual rise in electricity use as homeowners turn up the heat and keep lights on longer. In 2011, commercial and residential lighting made up about 12 percent of the nation's total electricity use. In 2009, space heating made up 41.5 percent of total residential energy use.
But the stencils don't exactly offer a comprehensive look at US energy – at least not according to the American Petroleum Institute (API), which represents the nation's oil and gas companies.

http://www.csmonitor.com/Environment/Energy-Voices/2013/1031/Happy-Halloween!-But-what-s-powering-your-pumpkin

"[W]hen the Energy Department blog highlighted ways to 'energize your neighborhood' with a series of energy-themed pumpkin stencils in time for Halloween – but didn’t include any for the sources of 62 percent of the energy Americans use – we thought maybe it was some kind of holiday trick," reads a post on API's website.
Renewables made up 12 percent of the nation's electricity mix in 2012, and while solar and wind showed tremendous growth last year, most analysts predict fossil fuels will continue to dominate the electric grid in coming decades.
So it's a tall order for the Obama administration, which wants to reduce the 40 percent of carbon emissions that come from fossil-fuel power plants. It's no surprise, though, that it's turbines and photovoltaics on DOE's Halloween pumpkins, instead of oil and gas.
Happy "Energyween!"

Tara Lynn Featured On The Cover Of Elle

Tara Lynn is featured in the November edition of Spain’s Elle magazine. The cover displays the plus size model wearing short shorts, a black top, and a leather jacket. The magazine includes a seven-page editorial highlighting Lynn’s unconventional beauty.
On the cover, the curvy model is labeled as “Mujer Real,” which is Spanish for Real Woman. Fashion blogger Alissa Wilson said the cover is a “coup for curvy women.” In the past, Elle has been criticized for only featuring women who are thin. Using a plus size model on the cover was a bold move. However, it is a welcome change.

As reported by Yahoo, Wilson said plus size women are often excluded from fashion magazines:

“It’s in part, a business decision — the European fashion world has received lots of flak for using too-skinny models in the past, so their media has become more inclusive.”

Wilson calls Tara Lynn’s cover a “step in the right direction.” Rather than cloaking the model’s shape, the photos accentuate her curves. Although the blogger loved the photos, she said the stylists should have added more color to Lynn’s wardrobe.
Elle is getting a lot of praise for featuring a curvy model, but their decision to label her as a “real woman” has received criticism. Writer Carrie Murphy said the practice of labeling plus size women as “real” is offensive.
Murphy said the label is harmful to all women:

“Headlines like this, campaigns like this… only put up more barriers between women and serve to perpetuate the idea that there are only two ways to be a woman… You can be a thin model type or you can be a ‘real woman.’”

As Murphy points out, real women come in all sizes, shapes, and colors. Excluding thin women is just as offensive as excluding those who are overweight.
Elle also featured a more curvy model on their “Women in Hollywood” edition. The cover of the magazine’s US edition featured a photo of Melissa McCarthy. However, unlike the other models featured in the special edition, McCarthy was pictured in several layers of wool and cashmere.
Critics said Elle was obviously trying to cloak McCarthy’s curves, as the other models were wearing bikinis. Despite their decision to use a more curvy model, many found the cover offensive.
In addition to appearing on Spain’s Elle cover, Tara Lynn also appeared on the cover of Elle France and Vogue Italia.