New York Times | Supreme Court Rejects Contraceptives Mandate for Some Corporations New York Times The contraception coverage requirement was challenged by two corporations whose owners say they try to run their businesses on religious principles: Hobby Lobby, a chain of crafts stores, and Conestoga Wood Specialties, which mak es wood cabinets. In Hobby Lobby Case, the Supreme Court Chooses Religion Over Science Supreme Court Rules Hobby Lobby Doesn't Have to Cover Birth Control Supreme Court rules in favor of Hobby Lobby in birth-control mandate case |
Monday, June 30, 2014
Supreme Court Rejects Contraceptives Mandate for Some Corporations - New York Times
Live updates: France Vs Nigeria - Football World Cup 2014 - 3News NZ
Hello and welcome to coverage of Brazil taking on Chile in the World Cup round of 16 action from the Estádio Nacional de Brasilia, Brasília.
France face a side that pushed Argentina in their last game and who won't be afraid to fight if push comes to shove. Nigeria know they can score goals now with Ahmed Musa firing.
France were held to a goalless draw by Ecuador in their last game out and will be looking to return to scoring ways.
We bring you live streaming written commentary, video highlights (be sure to refresh your browser) and all the action. ALL VIDEO NOW UP.
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LIVE COMMENTARY… France 2 – 0 Nigeria
FULLTIME: It's all over! FRANCE ARE THROUGH!
94 Min: Sissoko comes on late and he'll only play for about 90 seconds...
90 Min: Another late corner for France who will most likely keep this one there...But they don't, Valbuena crosses in low and Griezmann finishes! GOAL!
90 Min: Five minutes of added time! Can Nigeria pull one back??
87 Min: Another corner for the French and Pogba's goal means we've already had more goals in this World Cup than through out the entire 2010 tournament.
82 Min: Wonderful ball down the left for Griezmann who is onside! Griezmann has a shot from the left of the box! Keeper makes another great save!
78 Min: Another corner for France, Enyeama comes out and punches it to Pogba at the back post who heads it home! GOAL! FINALLY!
77 Min: Free-kick to France whipped into the box and Benzema meets it with his head! Enyeama with another wonderful save!!
76 Min: Valbuena puts in the corner and it's fallen to Benzema at the back post and he shoots across goal! Ambrose clears which falls to Pogba who shoots! Off the crossbar! Nigeria living dangerously!
75 Min: Pogba continues to drive through the middle as he skips away from a few defenders. Gives it to Griezmann who rips in a cross which Enyeama has to five off his line to save and it's a corner to France...
73 Min: Benzema getting keen now as he has a shot from distance but drags it wide.
72 Min: We've come very close to goals and now that's all this game needs!
70 Min: Benzema nice dribble, beats two defenders and plays the one-two at the top of the box and Benzema is in! Benzema's shot is saved by the keeper but the ball bobbles towards the line and Victor Moses is there to clear it away! What a chance!
68 Min: Great ball from deep for Musa into the box and he goes to the byline and fires a low cross for Emenike! Koscielny clears it behind for a corner...Odemwingie puts into the box but it's over everyone's head and away.
66 Min: Valbuena delivers the freekick which is aimed at the back post for Benzema but Nigeria clear back to Valbuena who goes to the byline and delivers another cross and Enyeama comes out to punch it but misses! Ball falls to Pogba! No, Ambrose just gets a touch to nick it away!
65 Min: Pogba goes down and milks a free-kick on the wing...
64 Min: France looking reall lacklustre on attack. Nigeria win the ball back and Odemwingie cuts across the top of the box and finds space for the shot! Saved by Lloris!
62 Min: Nigeria have been on the front foot for awhile now. Matuidi fouls Odemwingie who will have a chance to put this in the box which they do early but there's no Nigerian attackers in the middle to aim for.
62 Min: Olivier Giroud's day is over as Antoine Griezmann comes on for the Arsenal striker.
61 Min: Ball breaks for Ambros who passes to Emenike who tries to dink a cross into the box but the ball isn't strong enough and is headed away.
60 Min: Emenike brings the ball down on the left. Cuts inside and takes a shot at goal but he can't keep it down.
58 Min: Touch to Odemwingie in plenty of space down the right! Fires in a cross which Koscielny deals with! Turns out Azeez isn't coming on but instead Gabriel is.
56 Min: Corner for Nigeria and Azeez still isn't on...Odemwingie delivers but France clear with ease.
55 Min: So, Onazi who was injrued in the first half but stayed on, is definitely coming off this time afte that Matuidi tackle. He's loaded up onto the stretcher and Azeez replaces him.
54 Min: Matuidi is shown the first yellow card of the match after flying in on Onazi.
53 Min: Varane seems to have gotten himself caught up in the goal net and the physios comes on because he has gone down injured. France playing with 10 men at the moment.
52 Min: Nigeria nice move finds Moses down the right, gives it to Ambrose who flicks it back to Moses in the box! Moses tries to juggle the ball over the defender and eventually loses it when he had the shot on.
50 Min: France win a corner...Benzema gets up and nearly gets his head on it!
48 Min: Nigeria storm forward with Moses down the right who delivers a dangerous low pass into the box! Put behind for a corner...Odemwingie takes it and it's headed away by the first defender.
47 Min: Giroud wins the ball back down in the corner and delivers a poor cross wasting a decent opportunity.
46 Min: France kick-off and we're back into it!
HALFTIME: The ref brings a close to the first half and what a half it was! One offside goal, one offside sitter, one wonderful save by Enyeama and a lot of end-to-end play! Join us for all the action from the second half in 15 minutes.
47 Min: Nigeria concede a late free-kick and France have the opportunity to whip this one into the box...Valbuena delivers and it's a decent free-kick! Ball headed straight up! Enyeama comes out to claim it but Koscielny heads it ahead of him to an offside player.
46 Min: Moses go down after running into Matuidi on the edge of the box but the ref doesn't award anything.
44 Min: Emenike in some space down the right, has Odemwingie in support but smashes a shot at goal instead! Lloris saves right into the path of Moses! Who was offside...
42 Min: Brilliant ball from Matuidi through for Debuchy who manages to keep the ball in play with a cross but it's over everyone's head in the middle.
41 Min: Evra and Giroud link up down the left and Evra pulls the ball back for Benzema but Mikel slices the clearance into the arms of his own keeper.
40 Min: Pogba dances away from his man in the midfield and again goes on one of those brilliant drives. Plays it wide to Valbuena who gves it back inside for Debuchy storming into the box! Debuchy hits it first time! Well wide.
38 Min: Oshaniwa plays a tantalising ball into the box for Emenike to chase and Varane is forced to put it behind for a corner...Musa delivers and Yobo nearly gets his head on to it but it goes behind for a goal kick.
36 Min: Valbuena loses the ball after being surrounded by defenders. Nigeria try to break and Mikel plays it to Odemwingie out on the right but the French defence deal with him.
35 Min: Pogba breaks through the middle! Terrible pass straight to the Nigerian defence who give the ball right back to him! Pogba plays it out wide right to Debuchy in space! But the pass has a little too much weight on it.
34 Min: Evra with a deep cross, only Giroud to aim for the and the ball is over him, falls to Debuchy out the back who shoots! Slices it wide.
33 Min: Valbuena to Pogba to Debuchy on the right but for once he doesn't have any room down there...
32 Min: France goes down the other end and Matuidi wins a corner which is floated to the back post and away for a throw in.
31 Min: Another inviting cross by Moses has to be headed behind for a corner. Corner again not effectively dealt with and Lloris is forced to come out and take the ball out of the air.
30 Min: Odemwingie up to Emenike who holds the ball up nicely and gives it off to Odemwingie again! Odemwingie shoots! Blocked by a defender.
29 Min: Giroud sends a little elbow at Mikel off the ball. Referee steps in to tell them to cut it out.
28 Min: Pogba launches a shot from deep in midfield but it's dragged into the box and blocked by Yobo, nearly falls for Benzema! Cleared away.
27 Min: Debuchy finds space down the right again and puts in the cross! But it's too high for Benzema in the middle.
26 Min: Moses wins another corner for Nigeria...
Headed away by Giroud to Valbuena in plenty of space and ready to counter...but he's fouled and it's a free-kick to France.25 Min: Nigeria regather and Moses has the ball down the right, whips a cross in and it's headed into the air by Koscielny before Lloris gets up and saves.
24 Min: Corner to Nigeria now...It's flat and a poor one and France clear.
23 Min: Corner to France...Valbuena puts it in but Nigeria head to safety.
22 Min: Pogba strides forward and beats his man in the middle, gives it out wide right to Debuchy who crosses it back to Pogba with the volley!! Stunning save by Eneyeama!
21 Min: Giroud takes the ball down and gives it back to Valbuena who curls in a lovely ball and Benzema is in the open in front of goal! Misses the cross! His blushes are spared because it was offside anyway.
20 Min: Debuchy fails to deal with a cross and Musa puts in a great ball for Emenike! Emenike toes it into the back of the net!!! NO, The flag has been raised and that is offside by the most fractional of margins!
19 Min: Pogba delivers a high foot to the face of Moses and is penalised.
18 Min: Terrible free-kick from Emenike is blasted over.
17 Min: Great touch from Musa down the left. Crosses to Odemwingie back in the midfield and Matuidi comes flying out of nowhere and bundles Odemwingie over 24 yards out and right in front of goal.
16 Min: Valbuena slips the ball down the left for Benzema who passes to Giroud at the top of the box but the pass is behind him. Giroud tries to make space for the shot but he blazes it over the bar. Onazi is back on for Nigeria.
15 Min: Nigeria free-kick to the back post and Mikel is free! Can't do anything with the header though and Lloris claims the ball.
14 Min: Onazi has stayed down after that challenge on Pogba and he's been stretchered off. Nigeria going to play with 10 men for now.
13 Min: Pogba charges forward from midfield to the edge of the box but he's gone down under a challenge and the ref says all good. Meanwhile Nigeria head back down the other end of the pitch and Emenike is fouled by Cabaye in the corner. Free-kick in a good position for Nigeria.
12 Min: Sweeping ball to Emenike from the back but Koscielny is equal to it and heads away.
9 Min: Mikel gets possession in the middle and gives it to Emenike and Nigeria are on a 3 on 3 break but the final ball is poor and nothing comes of it.
8 Min: Mikel gets away from his man in the middle, turns on the ball and plays a nice ball down the wing for Moses! But there's a tad too much weight on that pass.
7 Min: Nigeria quick to close down Giroud through the middle...and Musa is working really hard on defence.
6 Min: Odemwingie with the ball down the right and his lofted cross is nice into the area! Musa can't control it and loses the ball in a good position.
5 Min: Pogba passes to Matuidi who goes left to Giroud who goes to the byline and plays it back inside for Matuidi! Yobo cuts the pass out and puts it out for a corner...Whipped in by Valbuena and its a goal kick.
4 Min: First corner and it's for Nigeria...Musa delivers and the ball is cleared away with ease.
3 Min: Here come the French and they pass the ball nicely from one side to the other before Debuchy passes into the box and the ball almost falls to Benzema before it's nicked away by Yobo.
2 Min: Debuchy makes the first attacking run and and looks like he is fouled by Musa but nothing given.
1 Min: Nigeria kick-off and we are underway!
Evra and Pogba on yellows ahead of the match while Mikel, Omeruo and Oshaniwa are all on yellows for Nigeria.
Odemwingie with a cheeky wink to the camera during Nigeria's national anthem...Rousing stuff from both teams!
Please stand for the national anthems.
These two sides have only ever met once in a friendly. The players walk out on to the pitch!
It was decided before the game that there won't be any cooling breaks despite the temperature on the pitch reaching 30 degrees.
The teams take their places in the tunnel!
Whenever France have survived the group stage in their last four World Cups, they've gone on to make a final. That's a great stat to have on your side.
Can Nigeria join the likes of Senegal and Cameroon today to reach the World Cup quarterfinals? It's a tough ask against France.
It is a sunny day today with temperatures getting up there. Not as much humidity in Fortaleza but we may see more cooling breaks in today's game.
Seems like France have gone for experience with their line-up today. Griezmann and Schneiderlin are gone for Giroud and Cabaye. They'll be hoping experience can get them the goals they lacked against Ecuador.
Kick-off isn't far away but in the meantime you can watch the latest episode of 4-4-2 with all of the hottest topics from the World Cup and more.
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Teams:
France: Lloris, Debuchy, Varane, Koscielny, Evra, Pogba, Cabaye, Matuidi, Valbuena, Giroud, Benzema
Subs: Landreau, Mavuba, Sagna, Remy, Ruffier, Sakho, Schneiderlin, Sissoko, Mangala, Cabella, Griezmann, Digne
Nigeria: Enyeama, Ambrose, Yobo, Oshaniw, Omeruo, Musa, Onazi, Obi-Mikel, Moses, Odemwingie, Emenike
Subs: Ameobi, Ejide, Uchebo, Nwofor, Azeez, Agbim, Oboabona, Egwuek, Gabriel, Uzoenyi, Odunlami
Pregame Banter:
By Tom Williams
After flashes of magnificent football in the group phase, France will look to confirm their World Cup credentials in their last-16 tie against Nigeria.
In previous World Cups, France have always reached at least the semi-finals after qualifying from the group phase, but circumspection has become the order of the day in the French camp this week.
While Didier Deschamps's side garnered plaudits by sweeping past Honduras 3-0 and crushing Switzerland 5-2, a much-changed team could only draw 0-0 in their final Group E fixture against Ecuador on Wednesday (Thursday AEST).
Both Bacary Sagna and Morgan Schneiderlin suggested that France were potential champions after the stalemate at the Maracana, but centre-back Laurent Koscielny has since introduced a note of caution as Les Bleus prepare for Monday's game in Brasilia.
It is only seven months since France had to overcome a 2-0 deficit to beat Ukraine in their qualifying play-off and the Arsenal defender says that it would be unwise to look too far ahead.
"The first objective was to get through the group phase. Now it's to go as far as possible," he said.
"We are competitors and we are ambitious, but we know that we have opponents against us and that we might lose.
"We're aware of our qualities. Something changed after the Ukraine game, but anything is possible in a knockout match and for the moment we're only focusing on the last 16."
Koscielny could line up in central defence alongside Raphael Varane at the Mane Garrincha National Stadium as Mamadou Sakho is doubtful due to a thigh injury.
The Liverpool centre-back, who avoided punishment from FIFA despite appearing to elbow Ecuador's Oswaldo Minda, had to go off in the 61st minute of Wednesday's game and trained on his own on Saturday.
Yohan Cabaye will come into the team in place of Schneiderlin after missing the Ecuador game due to suspension, but Paul Pogba's place is under threat from Moussa Sissoko.
Having been rested against Ecuador, Mathieu Valbuena is also in line to return, while Deschamps must choose between Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud to complete France's front line alongside Karim Benzema.
Nigeria's preparations for the game were disrupted by a dispute over bonuses, an issue which delayed the squad's arrival at last year's Confederations Cup, but the matter was resolved following the reported intervention of Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan.
After a laborious 0-0 draw with Iran in their opening game, Stephen Keshi's side booked their place in the last 16 by edging Bosnia-Herzegovina 1-0 and then impressed in a 3-2 loss against Argentina.
CSKA Moscow winger Ahmed Musa twice produced immediate replies to goals from Lionel Messi, only for Argentina left-back Marcos Rojo to net a 50th-minute winner.
"We need to defend well, take our chances up front and learn from the Argentina game," Musa told BBC Sport.
"In the second round, it's winner takes all. I know with hard work and God's support we shall make history.
"But prayers without hard work is nothing, so we need to be at our best against France to make it happen."
Chelsea forward Victor Moses missed the Argentina game due to a muscular complaint, but he trained with the squad in Brasilia on Saturday.
Winger Michael Babatunde is out after his wrist was fractured by a shot from teammate Ogenyi Onazi during the match against Argentina, but Keshi has an otherwise fully fit squad to choose from.
France will hope to get the better of a familiar foe in the shape of Nigeria goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama, who went 1,062 minutes without conceding a goal for Lille in Ligue 1 last season.
It will be Nigeria's first World Cup knockout match since the 1998 tournament in France and victory would see the West African nation reach the quarter-finals for the first time in their history.
3 News/AFP
In Hobby Lobby Case, the Supreme Court Chooses Religion Over Science - Mother Jones
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled that most private companies are not required to provide contraceptive coverage to their employees, as mandated by Obamacare. Four years after the high court ruled that corporations have free speech rights in its controversial Citizens United decision, the decision gives broad new privileges to corporations, granting them religious rights for the first time.
The decision in Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores Inc., the most closely-watched case of the year, says that certain companies—those with more than half of their stock owned by fewer than five people—do not have to adhere to the Obamacare mandate that employee insurance plans cover birth control, if the owners have a religious objection. This 5-4 ruling applies to about 90 percent of all American businesses, and 52 percent of America's workforce.
The majority decision, written by Justice Samuel Alito, held that if Hobby Lobby's owners believe that the contraceptives at issue cause abortions, the mandate is a burden on their religious beliefs: "[W]e must decide whether the challenged…regulations substantially burden the exercise of religion, and we hold that they do," Alito wrote. "The owners of the businesses have religious objections to abortion, and according to their religious beliefs the four contraceptive methods at issue are abortifacients."
Alito and the four other conservative justices on the court were essentially overruling not just an Obamacare regulation, but science. According to the Food and Drug Administration, all four of the contraceptive methods Hobby Lobby objects to—Plan B, Ella, and two intrauterine devices—do not prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg into the uterus, which is the medical definition of abortion. These methods prevent fertilization.
Yet this scientific determination did not guide the five justices. In his opinion, Alito contends that these four contraception methods "may have the effect of preventing an already fertilized egg from developing any further by inhibiting its attachment to the uterus." He does not cite any science to back this up. Instead, in a footnote, Alito concedes that Hobby Lobby's religious-based assertions are contradicted by science-based federal regulations: "The owners of the companies involved in these cases and others who believe that life begins at conception regard these four methods as causing abortions, but federal regulations, which define pregnancy as beginning at implantation, do not so classify them." Still, he and the other conservative justices are saying that in a conflict between a religious view and scientific research, religion wins.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, in a stinging dissent, called the majority opinion a "decision of startling breadth."
The exemption from Obamacare's contraception mandate does not apply to other types of medical procedures that might draw religious objections, including blood transfusions or vaccinations. The majority ruled that the government can pay for contraception for women whose employers object, noting that the government already does so in cases involving religious institutions and religiously-affiliated nonprofits.
Here's more background on the case:
What did Hobby Lobby argue is unconstitutional about Obamacare? Hobby Lobby, a private, for-profit chain of arts and crafts stores, is owned by the billionaire Green family, who are evangelical Christians. The Greens say they have a moral objection to 4 of the 20 FDA-approved birth control methods covered by Obamacare. They believe these contraceptives cause abortions (even though they don't), and they requested the government grant Hobby Lobby a religious exemption to Obamacare's requirement that company insurance plans fully cover contraception.
(The ruling in the Hobby Lobby case was issued jointly with a similar case called Conestoga Wood Specialties Corp. v. Sebelius, which was brought by a private cabinet-making company that wants to be exempt from covering Plan B and Ella, but not IUDs. Dozens of companies claim religious objections to covering birth control.)
What exactly did the Supreme Court have to decide? Under a 1993 law called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), Americans are not required to follow federal laws that "substantially burden religious exercise," unless the government has a "compelling…interest" at stake that outweighs that individual burden.
In 2012, Hobby Lobby sued Kathleen Sebelius, then the head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), arguing that Obamacare's contraception mandate placed a substantial burden on the firm because if the company chooses not to cover the birth control methods it finds objectionable, then it would have to pay a penalty of $100 per per day for each of its 13,000 employees.
The Supreme Court had to decide whether the RFRA applies not only to people but to private commercial enterprises, a determination no court has ever made. And if Hobby Lobby was significantly burdened by the contraception mandate.
This corporate personhood thing sounds familiar. Does this case have anything to do with Citizens United? In 2010, the Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission that corporate political spending is speech protected by the First Amendment. This decision opened the door to the legal argument that corporations may also have religious rights under the Constitution. The court's Monday ruling in Hobby Lobby takes corporate personhood to a whole new level.
How does this affect me? A pro-Hobby Lobby ruling could have endangered not only Obamacare, but labor rights, gay rights, and women's rights. Here's what actually happened:
1. Access to contraception: Women's health advocates worried that a pro-Hobby Lobby ruling would have jeopardized access to affordable birth control for millions of women who work at private companies with religious owners, forcing those women purchase certain contraception on their own. But since the court noted that the government can provide a workaround, there may end up being no gap in birth control coverage.
2. Access to other health benefits under Obamacare: The ruling could have endangered other provisions of the health care law. A company run by Jehovah's Witnesses could have objected to covering blood transfusions. A business helmed by devout Christian Scientists might not want to cover vaccinations. "Scientology-believing employers could insist on noncoverage of its nemesis, psychiatry," the Reverend Barry Lynn, the executive director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, told Forbes. And so on. But Alito made clear that the exemption granted in Monday's decision applies only to contraception.
3. Workers' rights: Observers worried that if the religion of a private company's owner could dictate the health plans offered, other companies would have been free to argue they have the right to cite religious views of the owners and fire an employee for being single and pregnant or for having an abortion. Corporations with fundamentalist owners of any religion might object to paying women as much as men. Fundamentalist Muslim-owned companies could force female employees to wear burkas. Private companies might be able to legally deny employment to LGBT people. But the Supreme Court made clear that employers should not be able to use this decision to discriminate under the guise of religion.
'The Leftovers' brings conventional morality back to cable - Washington Post
“The Leftovers,” HBO’s adaptation of Tom Perrotta’s novel about the people left behind when two percent of the world’s population disappears on an otherwise ordinary Oct. 14, is easy to describe as bleak, overpowering and grief-stricken.
But while those adjectives would not necessarily set “The Leftovers” apart from the grim menu that cable television so often serves up, this drama, which premiered last night, struck me as original in another way. Unlike many other shows, which hold out ambiguity and flexibility as the highest marks of ethical sophistication, “The Leftovers,” which comes to us from “Lost” veteran Damon Lindelof, is a profoundly moral show, one in which doing right is valuable, but where the path to goodness is full of great pain and confusion.
The very nature of the catastrophe in “The Leftovers” is proportioned very differently from the shakeups in the show’s cable-television peers. Rather than a zombie apocalypse or a savage continental war, the vanishing is utterly inexplicable. The means by which the two percent disappeared and the reason those people were taken while others were left behind — “The pope, I get. But Gary f—ing Busey?” a bartender muses — remain a profound mystery.
In a lesser show, such stakes might not register for an audience accustomed to series that wrench characters away from the implications of events, distracting them and us with the imperative to survive. But in “The Leftovers,” there is nothing to distract the survivors, or us, from the absence of those 140 million gone. There are no battles to fight, palace intrigues to circumvent or serial killers to grapple with. There is only life, but with holes in it, hours once spent with other people that now need to be filled.
“The Leftovers” also distinguishes itself in examining the solutions its characters find for that emptiness.
In the absence of an end goal, the show does not fetishize manipulation or amorality. The one character who might be described that way, Holy Wayne (Paterson Joseph), a cult leader who claims to be able to release people’s pain with hugs, is hardly the charismatic anti-hero he might have been on another program. He does not even really feel impressive. Instead, Wayne’s eyes always seem open a little too wide. His taste for Asian teenage girls is described with disgust by law enforcement and viewed with some suspicion by Tom Garvey (Chris Zylka), one of Wayne’s followers. When he embraces one of the girls, his eyes are on Tom, hungrier for the boy’s reaction than the young woman’s touch.
Outside Wayne’s compound, the characters stumble about, blinded by their pain. Tom’s sister Jill (Margaret Qualley) has essentially moved her sour, sexy classmate Aimee (Emily Meade) into her family’s home to take up the space formerly occupied by her mother, Laurie (Amy Brenneman), who has joined a cult called the Guilty Remnant. Kevin Garvey (Justin Theroux), Jill and Tom’s father, is distracted by his job as the town sheriff, recurrent dreams about his own father’s breakdown and a newcomer to town who has been shooting stray dogs.
Jill’s drift into effective parentlessness has the weight that in another show might be observed by a significant character’s death, except that it isn’t a shock and “The Leftovers” does not move on from it.
When she goes to a party at a friend’s house in the pilot, the debauchery has a genuine moral and physical menace to it. The kids play a spin-the-bottle-style game with an iPhone, but with sex acts instead of kisses. When the spinner pairs up Aimee and Jill’s crush for sex, Jill encourages Aimee to go ahead with it: the boy moves toward her with an unmistakably predatory intent. Jill’s turn assigns her to choke one of her classmates while he masturbates. The camera focuses on her tearful face while they are in bed together. For once, HBO is not trying to get away with saying something serious about sex while also showing off an actress’ body.
All the characters have in “The Leftovers” are little things. A preacher, Matt Jamison, tries to reassure himself that he was not left out of the Rapture by disparaging the dead. Nora Durst (Carrie Coon), who lost her whole family in the disappearance, humbles herself, wishing that she could relive a day when she and her husband and children were gravely ill, not even daring to hope that she could have their best day back. In a subsequent episode, Kevin finds himself worked up over a bagel that goes missing after he puts it into the toaster.
And when, on the anniversary of the disappearance, members of the Guilty Remnant disrupt a commemoration, holding up signs that spell out “Stop Wasting Your Breath,” the response is cruelly human-scale. A man puts down his sign and walks toward the cult members. A younger woman pushes an older woman holding up one of the signs. Another woman hits a cult member with a bottle. These people have no power beyond that supplied by their rage and grief, and no real weapons, but the damage they do to their neighbors cuts deeper than more grandiose displays of violence.
“We are the living reminders,” reads a Guilty Remnant slogan painted above the sink in one of the cult’s houses. “The Leftovers” stands as testimony to how valuable it can be to focus on everyday things and everyday people.
Alyssa Rosenberg blogs about pop culture for The Washington Post's Opinions section.
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The Unimpeachable Songs of Bobby Womack - New Yorker (blog)
Bobby Womack’s death is a huge loss. There are other soul singers and songwriters who are ranked higher in the pantheon because they’re considered auteurs: Marvin Gaye, obviously, and Curtis Mayfield, and Sly Stone. But Womack belongs among them, now and forever. He started out with his brothers in Cleveland, in a family gospel act; first hit the charts as a teen after the group, renamed the Valentinos, was discovered by Sam Cooke; wrote that first hit, “Lookin’ for a Love”; also wrote one of the early classics of the rock-and-roll era (“It’s All Over Now,” famously covered by the Rolling Stones); became an in-demand session guitarist (for Aretha Franklin and others) and songwriter (for Wilson Pickett and others); went solo; stayed solo; released a string of albums through the early seventies that combined his increasingly sophisticated compositions, his profoundly soulful covers of other people’s hits, and long between -song monologues; co-wrote “Breezin’,” later for George Benson; continued to write, record, and tour; became an elder statesman; appeared on the Gorillaz’s “Plastic Beach”; had a comeback record produced by Damon Albarn; was diagnosed with cancer; beat cancer; was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s; and, finally, Friday, left the earth a far better place than he had found it.
The songs are unimpeachable: “Harry Hippie,” “Across 110th Street,” “Understanding,” “Communication,” “That’s the Way I Feel About Cha,” “Woman’s Gotta Have It,” “You’re Welcome, Stop On By.” The message was located right near the heart of what we think of as soul music: love and struggle, hard work, flashes of rueful humor. The emotion conveyed by his vocals was bottomless. There’s no way to do justice to a sixty-year career in a single post, except by urging everyone to go back to the beginning. Start with “Lookin’ for a Love” and go forward from there, song by song. You will pass these two along the way: Womack’s cover of James Taylor’s “Fire and Rain” and the title song to his 1971 album “Communication.”
Photograph by Velthoven/Redux.
'Designing Women' Star Meshach Taylor Dies At 67 - NPR
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images
Meshach Taylor, who played a lovable ex-convict surrounded by boisterous Southern belles on the sitcom Designing Women and appeared in numerous other TV and film roles, died of cancer at age 67, his agent said Sunday.
Taylor died Saturday at his home near Los Angeles, according to agent Dede Binder.
Taylor got an Emmy nod for his portrayal of Anthony Bouvier on Designing Women from 1986 to 1993. Then he costarred for four seasons on another successful comedy, Dave's World, as the best friend of a newspaper humor columnist played by the series' star, Harry Anderson.
Other series included the cult favorite Buffalo Bill and the popular Nickelodeon comedy Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide.
Taylor's movie roles included a flamboyant window dresser in the 1987 comedy-romance Mannequin as well as Damien: Omen II.
He guested on many series including Hannah Montana, The Unit, Hill Street Blues, Barney Miller, Lou Grant, The Drew Carey Show, and, in an episode that aired in January, Criminal Minds, which stars Joe Mantegna, with whom Taylor performed early in his career as a fellow member of Chicago's Organic Theater Company. Taylor also had been a member of that city's Goodman Theatre.
The Boston-born Taylor started acting in community shows in New Orleans, where his father was dean of students at Dillard University. He continued doing roles in Indianapolis after his father moved to Indiana University as dean of the college of arts and sciences.
After college, Taylor got a job at an Indianapolis radio station, where he rose from a "flunky job" to Statehouse reporter, he recalled in an interview with The Associated Press in 1989.
"It was interesting for a while," he said. "But once you get involved in Indiana politics you see what a yawn it is."
Resuming his acting pursuit, he set up a black arts theater to keep kids off the street, then joined the national touring company of Hair. His acting career was launched.
After Hair, he became a part of the burgeoning theater world in Chicago, where he stayed until 1979 before heading for Los Angeles.
Taylor played the assistant director in Buffalo Bill, the short-lived NBC sitcom about an arrogant and self-centered talk show host played by Dabney Coleman. It lasted just one season, 1983-84, disappointing its small but fervent following.
Seemingly his gig on Designing Women could have been even more short-lived. It was initially a one-shot.
"It was for the Thanksgiving show, about halfway through the first season," Taylor said. But producer Linda Bloodworth-Thomason told him if the character clicked with audiences he could stay.
It did. He spun comic gold with co-stars Jean Smart, Dixie Carter, Annie Potts and Delta Burke, and never left.
Meanwhile, his real life worked its way into one episode.
"We were doing some promotional work in Lubbock, Texas, and somehow Delta Burke and I got booked into the same hotel suite," he said. They alerted their respective significant others to the mix-up, then muddled through with the shared accommodations.
"When we got back I told Linda, and she put it into a show: We got stranded at a motel during a blizzard and ended up in the same bed!"
Taylor is survived by his four children and his wife, Bianca Ferguson.
Let's Talk About 'Transformers 4' - And What's Really Up With the Dinobots - Mashable
What's This?
Grimlock -- the "T. Rex dinobot" -- from "Transformers: Age of Extinction." Image: Paramount Pictures
2014-06-30 04:14:05 -0400
Editor's note: Every week Mashable presents "Let’s Talk About," a look back at the biggest WTF stuff from the weekend’s new releases. If you haven’t seen the movie, be warned: This is a SPOILER MINEFIELD.
This week: Let's talk about Transformers 4: Age of Extinction ...
If you've been to a movie theater lately you may have seen a striking and enormous three-dimensional “standee.” There is Optimus Prime, the Great Leader of Men and Robots Who Change Into Cars, valiantly holding aloft his sword and riding Grimlock, a Dinobot, into battle.
I don't care if you've hated every previous Transformers movie, never watched the cartoon, never hummed “The Touch” or never even entered a Toys R Us — it is likely you saw that and that conceded “yes, I'd like to know more about how this happens, please.”
SEE ALSO: Let's Talk About That Hysterical 90s R&B Moment In 'Think Like A Man Too'
Transformers: Age of Extinction, universally reviled by critics but netting an enormous $100 million domestic and just over $300 million worldwide in its opening weekend, promised us the introduction of cinematic Dinobots and it ... kinda delivered. So if you haven't found the 17 spare hours to see this movie yet, here's what actually happens.
At the two-hour and 15-minute mark (and, no, that part isn't a joke) Optimus Prime and his small posse of surviving Autobots realize that Lockdown (an evil Lamborghini that, unfortunately, does NOT have a Chico Marx accent) and his gigantic, magnetized spaceship are just too powerful. Hong Kong (where the final of many Transformer battles takes place) is being ripped apart and it looks like evil Kelsey Grammar is going to set off a device that will kill millions of civilians.
So: Optimus returns to the part of the spacecraft that he and Hound (the John Goodman-voiced Transformer) stole from Lockdown. In it are imprisoned robots-in-disguise, including “The Mighty Warriors.” The other Autobots (Ken Watanabe's Drift and John DiMaggio's Crosshairs) think Optimus is nuts to free these guys, and take a step back. Then the four Dinobots appear.
A dinobot from "Transformers: Age of Extinction."
Image: Paramount Pictures
We never get their names (and they're never called Dinobots), but longtime fans will recognize Grimlock (a T. Rex), Strafe (a flying Pterandon), Slug (a Triceratops) and Scorn (a Spinosaurus.) Optimus Prime, in his deep, resonant tones, announces that they are free — that is, if they agree to fight on his side.
There is a quick slugfest between Optimus and the Dinobots, and as the smackdown rages Optimus continues to spout platitudes about duty and honor. It's a weird scene.
Optimus Prime prepares to face down Grimlock in "Transformers: Age of Extinction."
Image: Paramount Pictures
But the mighty talking truck gets his point across, and soon he is, indeed, riding the T. Rex into the streets of Hong Kong, brandishing a sword. When the robo-beast blasts his firebreath it is, unquestionably, pretty cool.
The rest of the battle is typical Michael Bay — you either like this sort of thing or you don't. There are two cool Dinobot-specific moments, however, that are worth mentioning. In one, Bumblebee rides the flying Dinobot and in the other, when the magnet ship hovers over the creatures, they are sucked upward from a plaza and through a building into the sky. There's something about seeing a massive, flailing Triceratops penetrating glass and steel that will stick with me for some time. Other than that, I think most will agree, the Dinobots are something of a letdown.
After the baddies are driven off, Optimus Prime delivers a number of wrap-up speeches. As many audience members will already be hitting the bathrooms, he turns to the Dinobots and says “YOU ARE FREE!” And then these colossal and powerful creatures beholden to no one race off into the hills beyond Hong Kong. Yikes. We'll see if Optimus is held to task for this in the sequel.
Do you want more Dinobots for the sequel, or was a cameo enough? Wait — you actually think about this stuff? Sound off in the comments.
Chris Brown Returns To The Stage & More: BET Awards' Best Moments - Hollywood Life
The 2014 BET Awards was filled with exciting performances and surprises — including Chris Brown, Nicki Minaj, and more. Here’s a look at the show’s best moments!
From Chris Brown‘s return to the stage, to Pharrell‘s multiple award wins, and of course Nicki Minaj‘s sexy performance — the BET Awards on Sunday, June 29 totally blew our minds. Click inside for a review of the night’s top moments, performances, and so much more!
Chris Brown Returns To The Stage At The BET Awards
Let’s be honest, the 2014 BET Awards were filled with some very exciting moments! But let’s get down to the best of the best, shall we?
First and foremost, Pharrell’s opening performance of “Come Get It BAE” was SO fun. He was surrounded by dancers in vintage-inspired cheerleader costumes, and each of them rocked the word “BAE” embroidered across their chests. Sexy!
BET Awards 2014 Winners — Full List: Drake & More
Then, much to everyone’s surprise, Pharrell brought out Missy Elliott — talk about a throwback! The duo performed an oldie but definitely a goodie: “Pass That Dutch.”
Chris Rock hosted the awards show, and he was hilarious throughout. Of course, he made a few jabs at artists like Chris Brown and Justin Bieber — but he was entertaining nonetheless.
Next up, presenters Regina Hall and Gabrielle Union proved that America’s ladies are not quite over Jeremy Meeks just yet. At first the presenters tried to chastise us for swooning over this criminal, but by the end of their speech they were totally on our team. He’s irresistible!
The second performance of the night was Lil Wayne, and he rocked the house with a performance of his latest hits “Krazy” and “Believe Me.” Sadly, there was no Drake cameo.
John Legend took a break from performing “All of Me” to perform another Chrissy Teigen inspired hit, “You and I.” Then, as an encore, he introduced the soulful Jhene Aiko for a duet of her song, “The Worst.” We loved it!
One of the most exciting moments of the night? Chris Brown’s return to the stage! Lil Wayne opened up their hit song “Loyal,” and soon enough Chris was back where he belongs — showing us that he has still got some super smooth dance moves.
Also, did he borrow Wayne’s shirt? Too bad he kept it buttoned up!
Pharrell Dedicates Award Wins To Wife Helen & Son Rocket
Let’s take a break from the performances and awards for a hilarious Chris Rock moment — when he referred to Paris Hilton as a Kardashian. Eek!
“You’re really getting your Kardashian on tonight, huh?” the comedian asked. Thankfully, Paris took it in stride with a big smile. After all, she and Kim were friends for a long time back in the day!
Another notable performance? Usher‘s medley hits! The R&B singer performed a ton of his songs in an awesome medley, including “Confessions,” “Yeah,” and “You Don’t Have to Call.” It was amazing to see him push out so many songs in just one performance!
A sweet moment during the show? When Pharrell won Video of the Year for his hit song “Happy” and quickly turned to kiss his wife, Helen Lasichanh, on the cheek. Still swooning!
Little did he know this was not his last award of the night. “This one’s for my son Rocket,” Pharrell told the audience while accepting the award for Best Male R&B Album.
Later, Jennifer Hudson slayed the BET Awards in a super sexy leather dress. She sang her fun song “Walk It Out” as she made her way through the audience, dancing and interacting with different people — especially the handsome men!
Once she got to the stage, she switched to “It’s Your World,” and the stage quickly turned into a roller disco. Dancers skated around her in circles on the stage — so cool.
Beyonce & Jay Z Close The Show From ‘On The Run’
In case anyone in the audience needed a break, host Chris Rock came around and passed out Roscoe’s chicken and waffles to everyone. Yes, really! Even Paris Hilton and Snoop Dogg got some. Lucky!
If Chris Brown’s performance left you wanting more, you were in luck. He came out as a surprise guest during August Alsina‘s set! He remixed “I Luv This Shit” along with the help of Trey Songz. Epic!
Nicki Minaj showed us a little bit of her sexy side when she started off her performance on the back of a motorcycle with a handsome driver at the wheel. Then, she hit the second stage to sing “Pills N Potions” amidst a strange backdrop that included a giant mushroom and a man in a bunny costume. We love seeing Nicki back on stage!
Speaking of powerful and sexy women, Iggy Azalea joined T.I. for “No Mediocre” before stealing the stage and getting the crowd on their feet with her record-breaking hit, “Fancy.” We are still not tired of that song!
Things became a little more serious when Pharrell took the stage yet again to honor the Lifetime Achievement award winner, Lionel Richie. The presentation was followed by touching performance from John Legend, who sang “Hello” and “Lady” in Lionel’s honor.
Lionel took the stage shortly after the performance to accept his award, thanking everyone from his family to God. The legendary performer then had a little bit of fun singing his own songs, including “Easy Like Sunday” and the always fun “All Night Long.”
Another touching moment came when Myrlie Evers-Williams was honored with the Humanitarian Award by BET’s CEO, Debra Lee.
Towards the end of the show, Robin Thicke dedicated his performance of “Forever Love” to his estranged wife, Paula Patton. “I miss you, and I’m sorry,” he told the camera, obviously speaking to Paula. So sad.
Who better than to close out the show than Jay Z and Beyonce? Um, no one. Even though the royal couple of hip hop and R&B could not be there in person, they put on a ridiculously sexy performance of “Partition” live from their “On The Run” tour.
And that’s a wrap, folks! Now tell us, HollywoodLifers — What was YOUR favorite moment of the BET Awards? Let us know below!
– Lauren Cox
More 2014 BET Awards News:
- Iggy Azalea Gets The Crowd On Their Feet With ‘Fancy’ At The BET Awards
- Chris Rock Was A Hilarious BET Awards Host; Should Host Everything
- Pharrell Kisses Wife Helen Lasichanh After Winning Big At The BET Awards
T.I. Performs Hit 'No Mediocre' With Iggy Azalea At BET Awards Jun29 What's better than a T.I. performance? Well, a T.I. and Iggy… Read Article►→ 
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Chris Brown Releases First Song Since Jail -- Listen To 'New Flame' Jun29 As if the night wasn't crazy enough! Chris Brown stole the show… Read Article►→ 
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Usher Performs Epic Medley Of Past Hits At The 2014 BET Awards Jun29 Talk about bringing down the house! Not only did Usher perform a… Read Article►→ 
Pharrell Wins Video of the Year At BET Awards For Smash Hit 'Happy' Jun29 Pharrell must be so happy! The singer left the 2014 BET Awards… Read Article►→ 
Paris Hilton's Nip Slip: Suffers Wardrobe Malfunction At BET Awards Jun29 Oh no! The star wound up showing off way more than she bargained… Read Article►→ 
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John Legend Performs 'You And I' & Duets With Jhené Aiko At BET Awards Jun29 When has John Legend NOT made us swoon? The sexy singer… Read Article►→ Sunday, June 29, 2014
Winners and Losers of the 2014 NHL Draft - Yahoo Sports (blog)
PHILADELPHIA – The 2014 NHL Draft ended with a whimper, as trade activity involving roster players was handcuffed once again by the salary cap. The James Neal trade between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators was the lone blockbuster; the biggest other news was made over wh at didn’t happen.
Here’s a look at some of the winners and losers in the 2014 NHL Draft from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia:
Winners: NHL Legacies
There were several players with NHL bloodlines take in the draft, including Kasperi Kapanen (son of Sami), Daniel Audette (son of Donald Audette), Ryan Donato (son of Ted Donato), Josh Wesley (son of Glen Wesley), Brendan Lemieux (son of Claude Lemieux), Ryan MacInnis (son of Al MacInnis), Jack Ramsey (son of Mike Ramsey), Lukas Sutter (son of Rich Sutter) and Dominic Turgeron (son of Pierre Turgeon). In the cases of Audette, Donato and Wesley, they were drafted by teams their fathers played for; in the case of Kapanen, he was drafted by the same man that originally drafted his father, Jim Rutherford.
Losers: Character Issues
Anthony DeAngelo was supposed to be the defenseman whose suspensions and locker room issues in juniors might drop him from the first round. Josh Ho-Sang was the unfiltered loose cannon who was too risky to take in the first round. Welp, DeAngelo went at No. 19 to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Islanders moved up to take Ho-Sang at No. 28. So take that, character issues!
Winner: Patric Hornqvist
The Predators forward is a big body in front of the net. Now he gets to be one on a power play with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. That sound you just heard was fantasy hockey owners checking his status in their keeper leagues.
Loser: Mike Ribeiro
Not only was his long-term deal with the Arizona Coyotes bought out, he was embarrassingly dumped as GM Don Maloney cited “behavioral issues” as the catalyst.
Winner: The United Kingdom
The U.K. produced two draft picks, as Brendan Perlini (born in Guildford, England) and Nathan Walker (from Cardiff) went to the Coyotes and the Capitals respectively. Walker was an especially good story, becoming the first Australian player to be selected in the NHL Draft.
Loser: Canada
The inventors of hockey (well, maybe) saw their numbers slip from 96 players in 2013 to 77 players taken in 2014. Some of this was due to an increase in American-born players being selected, as 67 U.S.-born players were taken, representing its highest percentage (32%) of total selections ever. But most of the Canada decline was due to the dive in QMJHL players, as 17 were taken in 2014 after 31 were selected in 2013.
Winner: Chicago Blackhawks’ Comedy
Both GM Stan Bowman and director of amateur scouting Mark Kelley made references to the Blackhawks’ 2010 Cup victory in Philadelphia, which was some Grade-A trolling of the Flyers fans at the Draft.
Losers: Gary Bettman’s Comedy
Try as he might, Bettman couldn’t overpower the jeering Philly fans with his usual brand of Draft whimsy. “Isn’t this supposed to be the City of Brotherly Love?” /rimshot
Winners: No-Trade Clauses
Ryan Kesler got his wish, which was a move out of Vancouver to division rival Anaheim. Jason Spezza prevented a trade to Nashville with his. NTCs rule the hockey world.
Losers: Teams That Hand Out No-Trade Clauses
On the flip side, the Canucks got the kind of value you’d expect when a player has a one-team trade market, and the Senators had to admit that Spezza killed a trade with the Predators, potentially leading to Dany Heatley Version 2.0 for Bryan Murray.
Robert Fabbri pulls on a St. Louis Blues sweater after being ch osen 21st overall during the first round of the …
Winners: St. Louis Blues
Losers: Toronto Maple Leafs
Roman Polak is the kind of defenseman that you can literally hear Leafs fans tearing apart for his ineffectiveness by midseason. While William Nylander was a solid first-round choice, the rest of the draft was way more “what if?” than filling needs. But hey, at least they didn't re-sign Dave Bolland.
Winner: Brendan Lemieux's Angst
Son of Claude Lemieux, he said this of the teams who passed him over until the Sabres took him in Round 2: “I’m definitely to love going in their arenas and really making it hard on their guys because they decided to pass me over, so I’m just going to use this as fuel. They gave one of the more fiery guys in the draft, I’d like to say, a lot more fire.”
Loser: NHL Teams' Congrats
Look, can we end the masochistic tradition of teams giving the Stanley Cup champion no-hearted "congratulations"? Only four teams should have to, and it's the teams that lose to them.
Winner: Kasperi Kapanen
He fell longer than expected but still made the first round and ended up in a rather promising place: The Pittsburgh Penguins.
Loser: Ivan Barbashev
The Russian QMJHL player was projected to be a mid first-rounder but ended up at No. 33 with the St. Louis Blues. Operative word: “Russian.”
Samuel Bennett stands with Calgary Flames officials after being chosen fourth overall during the first round of …
Winners: Calgary Flames
Sam Bennett could blossom into a star and the rest of their draft was very solid, including Mason McDonald (goalie, No. 34) and a big body Hunter Smith (RW, No. 54). And they even added a little truculence with a ring for Brian Burke in Chicago's Brandon Bollig.
Losers: Pittsburgh Penguins
The James Neal trade has Penguins fans questioning the direction of the team even more than they already were, which is quite a feat. While Kasperi Kapanen was a nice pick in Round 1, the Penguins didn’t have another one until No. 113.
Winners: Skilled Forwards
Skill was the name of the game in Round 1, which Kevin Fiala (No. 11, Nashville), Jakub Vrana (No. 13, Washington) and Sonny Milano (No. 16, Columbus) moving up higher than expected.
Losers: Defensemen
After Aaron Ekblad went No. 1, only three other defensemen went in the first round after nine were taken in the first round last season.
Winners: The Philadelphia Fans
The incessant jeering of the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils carried through both days of the draft, but it was the “SUCKS!” they added after every name of the roll call on Day 1 and the cascading boos that greeted Gary Bettman that were the most memorable. It was like watching the NFL Draft if the crowd were entirely comprised of NY Jets fans. So, in essence, it was like watching the NFL Draft.
Loser: The Viewers At Home
The lack of trades and the relative lack of a big-name draft picks made the first round fizzle a bit. It also didn’t help that NBCSN dumped out of draft coverage to switch to track and field.
- Sports & Recreation
- Ice Hockey
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Kasperi Kapanen
- Nashville Predators
- NHL
- Donald Audette
- Philadelphia
- Glen Wesley
- Ted Donato
- Claude Lemieux
Winners and Losers of the 2014 NHL Draft - Yahoo Sports (blog)
PHILADELPHIA – The 2014 NHL Draft ended with a whimper, as trade activity involving roster players was handcuffed once again by the salary cap. The James Neal trade between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators was the lone blockbuster; the biggest other news was made over wh at didn’t happen.
Here’s a look at some of the winners and losers in the 2014 NHL Draft from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia:
Winners: NHL Legacies
There were several players with NHL bloodlines take in the draft, including Kasperi Kapanen (son of Sami), Daniel Audette (son of Donald Audette), Ryan Donato (son of Ted Donato), Josh Wesley (son of Glen Wesley), Brendan Lemieux (son of Claude Lemieux), Ryan MacInnis (son of Al MacInnis), Jack Ramsey (son of Mike Ramsey), Lukas Sutter (son of Rich Sutter) and Dominic Turgeron (son of Pierre Turgeon). In the cases of Audette, Donato and Wesley, they were drafted by teams their fathers played for; in the case of Kapanen, he was drafted by the same man that originally drafted his father, Jim Rutherford.
Losers: Character Issues
Anthony DeAngelo was supposed to be the defenseman whose suspensions and locker room issues in juniors might drop him from the first round. Josh Ho-Sang was the unfiltered loose cannon who was too risky to take in the first round. Welp, DeAngelo went at No. 19 to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Islanders moved up to take Ho-Sang at No. 28. So take that, character issues!
Winner: Patric Hornqvist
The Predators forward is a big body in front of the net. Now he gets to be one on a power play with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. That sound you just heard was fantasy hockey owners checking his status in their keeper leagues.
Loser: Mike Ribeiro
Not only was his long-term deal with the Arizona Coyotes bought out, he was embarrassingly dumped as GM Don Maloney cited “behavioral issues” as the catalyst.
Winner: The United Kingdom
The U.K. produced two draft picks, as Brendan Perlini (born in Guildford, England) and Nathan Walker (from Cardiff) went to the Coyotes and the Capitals respectively. Walker was an especially good story, becoming the first Australian player to be selected in the NHL Draft.
Loser: Canada
The inventors of hockey (well, maybe) saw their numbers slip from 96 players in 2013 to 77 players taken in 2014. Some of this was due to an increase in American-born players being selected, as 67 U.S.-born players were taken, representing its highest percentage (32%) of total selections ever. But most of the Canada decline was due to the dive in QMJHL players, as 17 were taken in 2014 after 31 were selected in 2013.
Winner: Chicago Blackhawks’ Comedy
Both GM Stan Bowman and director of amateur scouting Mark Kelley made references to the Blackhawks’ 2010 Cup victory in Philadelphia, which was some Grade-A trolling of the Flyers fans at the Draft.
Losers: Gary Bettman’s Comedy
Try as he might, Bettman couldn’t overpower the jeering Philly fans with his usual brand of Draft whimsy. “Isn’t this supposed to be the City of Brotherly Love?” /rimshot
Winners: No-Trade Clauses
Ryan Kesler got his wish, which was a move out of Vancouver to division rival Anaheim. Jason Spezza prevented a trade to Nashville with his. NTCs rule the hockey world.
Losers: Teams That Hand Out No-Trade Clauses
On the flip side, the Canucks got the kind of value you’d expect when a player has a one-team trade market, and the Senators had to admit that Spezza killed a trade with the Predators, potentially leading to Dany Heatley Version 2.0 for Bryan Murray.
Robert Fabbri pulls on a St. Louis Blues sweater after being ch osen 21st overall during the first round of the …
Winners: St. Louis Blues
Losers: Toronto Maple Leafs
Roman Polak is the kind of defenseman that you can literally hear Leafs fans tearing apart for his ineffectiveness by midseason. While William Nylander was a solid first-round choice, the rest of the draft was way more “what if?” than filling needs. But hey, at least they didn't re-sign Dave Bolland.
Winner: Brendan Lemieux's Angst
Son of Claude Lemieux, he said this of the teams who passed him over until the Sabres took him in Round 2: “I’m definitely to love going in their arenas and really making it hard on their guys because they decided to pass me over, so I’m just going to use this as fuel. They gave one of the more fiery guys in the draft, I’d like to say, a lot more fire.”
Loser: NHL Teams' Congrats
Look, can we end the masochistic tradition of teams giving the Stanley Cup champion no-hearted "congratulations"? Only four teams should have to, and it's the teams that lose to them.
Winner: Kasperi Kapanen
He fell longer than expected but still made the first round and ended up in a rather promising place: The Pittsburgh Penguins.
Loser: Ivan Barbashev
The Russian QMJHL player was projected to be a mid first-rounder but ended up at No. 33 with the St. Louis Blues. Operative word: “Russian.”
Samuel Bennett stands with Calgary Flames officials after being chosen fourth overall during the first round of …
Winners: Calgary Flames
Sam Bennett could blossom into a star and the rest of their draft was very solid, including Mason McDonald (goalie, No. 34) and a big body Hunter Smith (RW, No. 54). And they even added a little truculence with a ring for Brian Burke in Chicago's Brandon Bollig.
Losers: Pittsburgh Penguins
The James Neal trade has Penguins fans questioning the direction of the team even more than they already were, which is quite a feat. While Kasperi Kapanen was a nice pick in Round 1, the Penguins didn’t have another one until No. 113.
Winners: Skilled Forwards
Skill was the name of the game in Round 1, which Kevin Fiala (No. 11, Nashville), Jakub Vrana (No. 13, Washington) and Sonny Milano (No. 16, Columbus) moving up higher than expected.
Losers: Defensemen
After Aaron Ekblad went No. 1, only three other defensemen went in the first round after nine were taken in the first round last season.
Winners: The Philadelphia Fans
The incessant jeering of the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils carried through both days of the draft, but it was the “SUCKS!” they added after every name of the roll call on Day 1 and the cascading boos that greeted Gary Bettman that were the most memorable. It was like watching the NFL Draft if the crowd were entirely comprised of NY Jets fans. So, in essence, it was like watching the NFL Draft.
Loser: The Viewers At Home
The lack of trades and the relative lack of a big-name draft picks made the first round fizzle a bit. It also didn’t help that NBCSN dumped out of draft coverage to switch to track and field.
- Sports & Recreation
- Ice Hockey
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Kasperi Kapanen
- Nashville Predators
- NHL
- Donald Audette
- Philadelphia
- Glen Wesley
- Ted Donato
- Claude Lemieux
Winners and Losers of the 2014 NHL Draft - Yahoo Sports (blog)
PHILADELPHIA – The 2014 NHL Draft ended with a whimper, as trade activity involving roster players was handcuffed once again by the salary cap. The James Neal trade between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Nashville Predators was the lone blockbuster; the biggest other news was made over wh at didn’t happen.
Here’s a look at some of the winners and losers in the 2014 NHL Draft from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia:
Winners: NHL Legacies
There were several players with NHL bloodlines take in the draft, including Kasperi Kapanen (son of Sami), Daniel Audette (son of Donald Audette), Ryan Donato (son of Ted Donato), Josh Wesley (son of Glen Wesley), Brendan Lemieux (son of Claude Lemieux), Ryan MacInnis (son of Al MacInnis), Jack Ramsey (son of Mike Ramsey), Lukas Sutter (son of Rich Sutter) and Dominic Turgeron (son of Pierre Turgeon). In the cases of Audette, Donato and Wesley, they were drafted by teams their fathers played for; in the case of Kapanen, he was drafted by the same man that originally drafted his father, Jim Rutherford.
Losers: Character Issues
Anthony DeAngelo was supposed to be the defenseman whose suspensions and locker room issues in juniors might drop him from the first round. Josh Ho-Sang was the unfiltered loose cannon who was too risky to take in the first round. Welp, DeAngelo went at No. 19 to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Islanders moved up to take Ho-Sang at No. 28. So take that, character issues!
Winner: Patric Hornqvist
The Predators forward is a big body in front of the net. Now he gets to be one on a power play with Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang. That sound you just heard was fantasy hockey owners checking his status in their keeper leagues.
Loser: Mike Ribeiro
Not only was his long-term deal with the Arizona Coyotes bought out, he was embarrassingly dumped as GM Don Maloney cited “behavioral issues” as the catalyst.
Winner: The United Kingdom
The U.K. produced two draft picks, as Brendan Perlini (born in Guildford, England) and Nathan Walker (from Cardiff) went to the Coyotes and the Capitals respectively. Walker was an especially good story, becoming the first Australian player to be selected in the NHL Draft.
Loser: Canada
The inventors of hockey (well, maybe) saw their numbers slip from 96 players in 2013 to 77 players taken in 2014. Some of this was due to an increase in American-born players being selected, as 67 U.S.-born players were taken, representing its highest percentage (32%) of total selections ever. But most of the Canada decline was due to the dive in QMJHL players, as 17 were taken in 2014 after 31 were selected in 2013.
Winner: Chicago Blackhawks’ Comedy
Both GM Stan Bowman and director of amateur scouting Mark Kelley made references to the Blackhawks’ 2010 Cup victory in Philadelphia, which was some Grade-A trolling of the Flyers fans at the Draft.
Losers: Gary Bettman’s Comedy
Try as he might, Bettman couldn’t overpower the jeering Philly fans with his usual brand of Draft whimsy. “Isn’t this supposed to be the City of Brotherly Love?” /rimshot
Winners: No-Trade Clauses
Ryan Kesler got his wish, which was a move out of Vancouver to division rival Anaheim. Jason Spezza prevented a trade to Nashville with his. NTCs rule the hockey world.
Losers: Teams That Hand Out No-Trade Clauses
On the flip side, the Canucks got the kind of value you’d expect when a player has a one-team trade market, and the Senators had to admit that Spezza killed a trade with the Predators, potentially leading to Dany Heatley Version 2.0 for Bryan Murray.
Robert Fabbri pulls on a St. Louis Blues sweater after being ch osen 21st overall during the first round of the …
Winners: St. Louis Blues
Losers: Toronto Maple Leafs
Roman Polak is the kind of defenseman that you can literally hear Leafs fans tearing apart for his ineffectiveness by midseason. While William Nylander was a solid first-round choice, the rest of the draft was way more “what if?” than filling needs. But hey, at least they didn't re-sign Dave Bolland.
Winner: Brendan Lemieux's Angst
Son of Claude Lemieux, he said this of the teams who passed him over until the Sabres took him in Round 2: “I’m definitely to love going in their arenas and really making it hard on their guys because they decided to pass me over, so I’m just going to use this as fuel. They gave one of the more fiery guys in the draft, I’d like to say, a lot more fire.”
Loser: NHL Teams' Congrats
Look, can we end the masochistic tradition of teams giving the Stanley Cup champion no-hearted "congratulations"? Only four teams should have to, and it's the teams that lose to them.
Winner: Kasperi Kapanen
He fell longer than expected but still made the first round and ended up in a rather promising place: The Pittsburgh Penguins.
Loser: Ivan Barbashev
The Russian QMJHL player was projected to be a mid first-rounder but ended up at No. 33 with the St. Louis Blues. Operative word: “Russian.”
Samuel Bennett stands with Calgary Flames officials after being chosen fourth overall during the first round of …
Winners: Calgary Flames
Sam Bennett could blossom into a star and the rest of their draft was very solid, including Mason McDonald (goalie, No. 34) and a big body Hunter Smith (RW, No. 54). And they even added a little truculence with a ring for Brian Burke in Chicago's Brandon Bollig.
Losers: Pittsburgh Penguins
The James Neal trade has Penguins fans questioning the direction of the team even more than they already were, which is quite a feat. While Kasperi Kapanen was a nice pick in Round 1, the Penguins didn’t have another one until No. 113.
Winners: Skilled Forwards
Skill was the name of the game in Round 1, which Kevin Fiala (No. 11, Nashville), Jakub Vrana (No. 13, Washington) and Sonny Milano (No. 16, Columbus) moving up higher than expected.
Losers: Defensemen
After Aaron Ekblad went No. 1, only three other defensemen went in the first round after nine were taken in the first round last season.
Winners: The Philadelphia Fans
The incessant jeering of the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils carried through both days of the draft, but it was the “SUCKS!” they added after every name of the roll call on Day 1 and the cascading boos that greeted Gary Bettman that were the most memorable. It was like watching the NFL Draft if the crowd were entirely comprised of NY Jets fans. So, in essence, it was like watching the NFL Draft.
Loser: The Viewers At Home
The lack of trades and the relative lack of a big-name draft picks made the first round fizzle a bit. It also didn’t help that NBCSN dumped out of draft coverage to switch to track and field.
- Sports & Recreation
- Ice Hockey
- Pittsburgh Penguins
- Kasperi Kapanen
- Nashville Predators
- NHL
- Donald Audette
- Philadelphia
- Glen Wesley
- Ted Donato
- Claude Lemieux
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