Owners pass 2 rules changes

PHOENIX (AP) ? Concerned with how it will be officiated, NFL owners delayed voting Tuesday on a rule change that would ban offensive players from using the crown of their helmets against defenders in the open field.

After approving two other rule changes to enhance player safety, they stalled on the more contentious issue. NFL senior vice president of football operations Ray Anderson said the owners plan to vote on it Wednesday before the meetings end.

The owners outlawed peel-back blocks anywhere on the field; previously, they were illegal only inside the tackle box. A player makes a peel-back block when he is moving toward his goal line, approaches an opponent from behind or the side, and makes contact below the waist.

The penalty will be 15 yards.

"... really under no circumstances will you be permitted to block low below the waist when you're blocking back towards your own end line," said Rams coach Jeff Fisher, co-chairman of the competition committee.

Also banned is overloading a formation while attempting to block a field goal or extra point. Defensive teams can now have only six or less players on each side of the snapper at the line of scrimmage. Players not on the line can't push teammates on the line into blockers, either.

The alignment violation is a 5-yard penalty. The pushing penalty is 15 yards for unnecessary roughness.

"There were injuries, yes," Fisher said. "Talking to coaches and the players, it's just not something they look forward to doing. It's like, 'Oh, we scored again? We have to go out there and protect, kick an extra point or try?'"

But the potential change that has drawn the most attention ? yes, even more than eliminating the infamous tuck rule, which seems to be a foregone conclusion and will be voted on Wednesday ? is prohibiting ball carriers outside the tackle box from lowering their helmets and making contact with defenders with the crown.

New York Giants owner John Mara, a member of the competition committee that has recommended the change, said there was "a chance" a vote could be tabled until the May meetings in Boston.

"There was a spirited discussion," Mara said.

Many coaches have said they are concerned about officiating such a new rule.

"In all fairness it's going to be tough on the officials, it's going to be tough to make that determination at live speed with one look," said John Harbaugh of the Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens.

Harbaugh noted that in the competition committee's examination of one week of play last season, it found five instances where a ball carrier was not protecting the ball or himself and lowered his helmet to make contact with a defender.

Dean Blandino, recently promoted to vice president of officiating, noted that five in 16 games was significant enough to consider banning the act.

Added Fisher:

"We want to make a serious attempt to get the shoulder back into the game. We are not saying the ball carrier cannot get small. We are not saying the ball carrier cannot protect the football, because if he is going to go down to cover the football, if the shoulder goes down, we know the head goes down, we understand that.

"Protecting the football is OK, providing you do not strike with the crown of your helmet, and that is what we are trying to differentiate."

Blandino said the league wants flags thrown only on the obvious calls. He also said in cases where a player is not penalized, he could still be subject to a fine if video review after the game determines he made contact with the crown.

The penalty will be a spot foul for 15 yards.

New senior director of officiating Alberto Riveron said if the offensive and defensive player are both committing the foul, it would be an offsetting penalty and the down replayed.

Riveron said the key to officiating the play is in showing the officials more plays that are legal.

"That will be a great way to train because as we know it, most of the shots we have seen are legal, most of the contact is legal," he said. "We are trying to get that one individual situation where the head is lowered ? and you can see on the field, you can see a player put his head down ? and the contact is with the crown and you can see it."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/owners-pass-2-rules-changes-185849490--nfl.html

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The RNC?s recipe for disaster (Powerlineblog)

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This Is the Pirate Bay's Oldest Torrent

The Pirate Bay will be turning ten this year, quite the ripe old age for any website, much less one that's been the target of such controversy. In preparation for celebrating that birthday, TorrentFreak went looking for the oldest Pirate Bay torrent they could find, and came across Revolution OS. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/lLd-YkQ9APw/this-is-the-pirate-bays-oldest-torrent

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Pope Francis breaks tradition on first Sunday as head of church

By FRANCES D?EMILIO Associated Press March 17, 2013 8:14AM

Pope Francis delivers his Angelus prayer from the window of his studio overlooking St. Peter's Square, at the Vatican, Sunday, March 17, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

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Updated: March 17, 2013 1:48PM

VATICAN CITY ? Breaking with tradition, Pope Francis delivered off-the-cuff remarks about God?s power to forgive instead of reading from a written speech for the first Sunday window appearance of his papacy.

He also spoke only in Italian ? beginning with ??buon giorno? (Good day) and ending with ??buon pranzo? (Have a good lunch) ? instead of greeting the faithful in several languages as his last few predecessors had done.

His comments and humor delighted a crowd of more than 150,000 in St. Peter?s Square, drawing cheers and laughter.

In just five days, Francis? straightforward, spontaneous style has become immediate hallmark of his papacy.

Earlier Sunday, he made an impromptu appearance before the public from a side gate of the Vatican, startling passers-by and prompting cheers, before delivering a six minute homily ? brief by church standards ? at the Vatican?s tiny parish church.

Before he entered St. Anna?s church to celebrate Mass, he heartily shook hands with parishioners and kissed babies.

After Mass, Francis put his security detail to the test as he waded into the street just outside St. Anna?s Gate. As the traffic light at the intersection turned green, Francis stepped up to the crowd, grasping outstretched hands. The atmosphere was so casual that several people even gripped Francis on the shoulder.

A few minutes later as the traffic light turned red, Francis ducked back inside the Vatican?s boundaries to dash upstairs for the window appearance from the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace.

The studio window was opened for the first time since Francis? predecessor, Benedict XVI, gave his last window blessing on Sunday, Feb. 24. Four days later, Benedict went into retirement, the first pontiff to do so in nearly 600 years.

Francis, the first pope from Latin America, was elected on March 13. He has been staying in a hotel on the Vatican?s premises until the papal apartment in the palace is ready.

Hundreds of extra traffic police were deployed Sunday morning to control crowds and vehicles, for it was also the day of Rome?s annual marathon.

Bus routes were rerouted and many streets were closed off in an attempt to channel the curious and faithful up the main boulevard from the Tiber river to St. Peter?s square.

Giant video screens were set up so the huge crowd could get a close-up look at Francis, and dozens of medical teams were on hand for any emergencies.

After the Mass, the pope stepped out jauntily from St. Anna?s Church and waved to a crowd of hundreds kept behind barriers across the street, and then greeted the Vatican parishioners one by one. One young man patted the pope on the back ? an indication of the informality that has been evident from the first moment of his papacy.

?Francesco! Francesco!? children shouted his name in Italian from the street. As he patted one little boy on the head, he asked ?Are you a good boy?? and the child nodded.

??Are you sure?? the pope quipped.

In his homily, Francis said the core message of God is ?that of mercy.? He said God has an unfathomable capacity to pardon and noted that people are often harder on each other than God is toward sinners.

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Daniela Petroff contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.suntimes.com/18914054-418/pope-francis-breaks-tradition-on-first-sunday-as-head-of-church.html

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Bobby Brown sentenced to jail over DUI charges

Michael Loccisano / Getty Images file

By Bruna Nessif and Claudia Rosenbaum, E! Online

Bobby Brown's getting put away.?Los Angeles City Attorney Spokesperson Frank Mateljan tells E! News that the singer was sentenced to 55 days in jail after pleading no contest Tuesday to driving under the influence and to driving on a suspended license (the license is suspended due to a prior conviction for driving under the influence.)

But that's not all.

Bobby Brown pleads not guilty to latest round of DUI charges

In addition to his jail time, Brown was placed on 48 months of summary probation, ordered to pay a $500 fine plus penalty assessment, complete the an 18-month alcohol program and comply with standard DUI conditions for his first charge.

On the second count, the he was placed on 36 months of summary probation, ordered to pay a $300 fine plus penalty assessment, install an ignition interlock device -- an alcohol Breathalyzer that prohibits the driver from starting the car if they blow above the limit.

Brown, who was not present in court today but represented by his attorney Tiffany Feder, will report to jail on March 20. As a condition of his surrender terms, he is to attend three AA classes a week.?

Bobby Brown slapped with multiple DUI counts

In November, the "Every Little Step" singer pleaded not guilty in a Los Angeles court to the multiple DUI charges resulting from his drunken driving bust the month prior, E! News has learned.

Brown was pulled over around 1 a.m. on Oct. 24, 2012, for driving carelessly near the city of Tarzana, Calif., and officers discovered he was behind the wheel without his court-mandated dashboard Breathalyzer.

Take a look at these celebs' court appearances

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Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/02/27/17115743-bobby-brown-sentenced-to-55-days-in-jail-over-dui-charges?lite

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