Bubba Smith, NFL Star and Actor, Dies at 66

Bubba Smith, an outsize presence in the National Football League who went on to a prolific career in television and the movies, was found dead on Wednesday at his home in Los Angeles. He was 66.

The cause was not yet known, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County coroner’s office said, adding, “There is no indication of anything other than natural death."

The 6-foot-7 (or possibly 6-foot-8), nearly300-pound Smith, a defensive lineman, was the No. 1 draft pick for the Baltimore Colts in 1967. He spent nine seasons in theN.F.L., playing on two Pro Bowl teams, in 1970 and 1971. In 1971 he helped propel the Colts to a 16-13 victory over the DallasCowboys in Super Bowl V.

Traded to the Oakland Raiders before the start of the 1972 season, Smith played two seasons with them before winding uphis career with the Houston Oilers. He retired after the 1976 season.

Afterward, Smith made a career of playing rather large men on film and television. He was best known for his role as Moses Hightower, the mild-mannered florist-turned-lawman in the film comedy “Police Academy” (1984) and many of its sequels.



Read more at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/04/sports/football/bubba-smith-nfl-star-and-actor-dies-at-66.html

Yao Ming Retiring? Chinese Fans Hope Not Yet

Beijing (CNN) -- Yao Ming fans in China reacted with shock and disbelief when they learned from U.S. media reports Friday night that their basketball idol has decided to retire.

Fans took to the Internet Friday to express their feelings about the basketball star, who plays with the Houston Rockets in the NBA.

"I did not expect his retirement to come so soon!" said a Netizen called Yilubaijiahei in a Sina Weibo microblog.

Another person who went by the name Tuzitouda in another tweet wrote: "I feel a little bit of sadness. If Big Yao retires, it is not only the end of an era, but also the end of my NBA-syndrome including those seasons when Yao played with the Rockets."

Major news portals in China put the news on their front pages.

"The U.S. media say Yao has formally decided to retire, Chinese superstar says goodbye to NBA," reads the headline of Tencent Sports.

But Sina Sports, a section of Sina. com, one of China's biggest web portals, says its reporter reached Zhang Mingji soon after hearing the media reports.

Zhang, who is one of Yao's agents, said Yao did not announce his retirement and did not inform the NBA and the Houston Rockets that he was doing so, as reported by the U.S. media.

Yao's agent told CNN that he is giving a news conference in Shanghai on July 20 to talk about "his future career plans."

Chinese sports writers and fans believe that Yao's retirement, of course, will happen sooner or later, although they hope it will be later.











Read more at http://edition.cnn.com/2011/SPORT/07/09/yao.ming/

Men hide behind an injunction and it's the girl who winds up getting hated. It is unfair

Gags aren't funny ... Divine Brown is not a fan of injunctions


THE rich and famous men who hide behind super-injunctions while leaving their lovers to hang out to dry have been slammed - by a woman who should know.


Divine Brown, the LA hooker who infamously got caught performing a sex act on actor Hugh Grant, said:"Getting an injunction and hiding their own name while the women get slandered is just terrible.
The case of Big Brother beauty Imogen Thomas - who is being publicly abused for her fling with married Ryan Giggs - has further fuelled Divine's rage.
Imogen, 28, is powerless to put her full side of the story because of a super-injunction taken out by the footballer.


Divine added: "These days women like Imogen should stand up for themselves. We have to take all the heat and the men act like we don't exist.


"Next thing you know we've got hate mail, we're liars. It'sjust straight-up bulls**t. We don't want our names shamed and slandered.


"I'd tell Imogen to hang in there, be strong. Hopefully one day we can meet and talk because I understand what she's going through.
"My heart goes out to her. Stay strong, sweet girl - and be more careful who you fall in love with.


"I believe when you've been busted, stand up and be counted.Own up and take responsibility."
However, Imogen's case is very different to Divine and Grant's and there is no suggestion whatsoever that Imogen was ever involved in prostitution.


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