NFL Communications - NFL Creates ?Deacon Jones Award? ?

To permanently honor the impact of DEACON JONES on the NFL, beginning in 2013 and in each season beyond, the player with the most sacks will be presented with the ?DEACON JONES AWARD.?

The award will be featured annually on NFL Honors, the league?s primetime awards event held the night before the Super Bowl.

?Deacon Jones was an icon among icons,? said NFL Commissioner ROGER GOODELL.? ?Even with his fellow Hall of Famers, Deacon Jones held a special status.? He was a hard-charging football player and the original sack artist who coined the term.? He is warmly regarded by his peers not only as one of the greatest players in NFL history but also for his tremendous influence and sense of humor. ?This award will ensure that players, coaches, fans and the media will remember the impact that Deacon had on all of us and know that he represents unique qualities deserving of this kind of honor.?

Deacon Jones died on June 3 at the age of 74.? One of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, Jones was a fixture at defensive end from 1961-74 with the Rams, Chargers and Redskins, earning unanimous all-league honors in five consecutive seasons.? He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1980.

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Source: http://nflcommunications.com/2013/06/24/nfl-creates-deacon-jones-award/

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Breaking: Supreme Court punts affirmative action back to lower court (CNN)

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Hotel Reservations: Now Few Clicks Away - ArticleSnatch.com

The best thing about making the hotel reservations online is its simplicity and convenience. One does not have to ponder for one hotel to another after reaching at the desired destination for accommodation. With online transactions becoming handy, one can directly book a room in advance and compare the price of the various packages available. The hotel industry has witnessed a quantum jump in online bookings in the recent years. People are now more inclined towards this cutting-edge facility to manage their trips, be it for business or pleasure.

While the tourism industry and its associated companies depend on the online services to manage their entire official tours, people are also making use of the online media to layout their itineraries.
With an array of booking sites available and all reputed hotels having their official sites, making reservations in your favorite hotel is just a few clicks away.

Travelling was never so easy before. One can manage everything including hotel reservations, car rental, flight bookings and even reserving a table at one's favorite diner with the available online services. The transactions are secured making the online bookings quite reliable even for the first time users.

While thousands of customers trying to grab a desired space, the reservation sites on other hand effortlessly show results within no time. All this has been made possible with various online travel aggregators.

They easily show up the available rooms as per one's requirement and budget. There are some booking sites, which can take you through various hotels as per the parameter you've set and enable you to book a room at the spot. There are other sites which only offer you details of the availability of rooms and redirect through a third party for the bookings.

Unlike other online businesses, hotels have a limited supply, so first cum first service is always witnessed in such business. This kind of information prompts the users to book without wasting time in browsing other hotel/booking sites, especially during the peak seasons. The users are more convinced after reading the reviews of past customers, thereby making it easy for them to make desired bookings.

With so much of facilities available, one can now easily book online hotels to avail maximum comforts in a cost-effective way. These hotels are well equipped with the world class services and amenities that make the stay of the guests comfortable and pleasant.

About the Author:
The author is shared traveling experiences in India. If you are looking more details about Hotels Reservations and also more information Hotels in India or Business Hotels in India.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Hotel-Reservations--Now-Few-Clicks-Away/5115619

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The genome's 3-D structure shapes how genes are expressed

June 23, 2013 ? Scientists from Australia and the United States bring new insights to our understanding of the three-dimensional structure of the genome, one of the biggest challenges currently facing the fields of genomics and genetics. Their findings are published in Nature Genetics, online today.

Roughly 3 metres of DNA is tightly folded into the nucleus of every cell in our body. This folding allows some genes to be 'expressed', or activated, while excluding others.

Dr Tim Mercer and Professor John Mattick from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research and Professor John Stamatoyannopoulos from Seattle's University of Washington analysed the genome's 3D structure, at high resolution.

Genes are made up of 'exons' and 'introns' - the former being the sequences that code for protein and are expressed, and the latter being stretches of noncoding DNA in-between. As the genes are copied, or 'transcribed', from DNA into RNA, the intron sequences are cut or 'spliced' out and the remaining exons are strung together to form a sequence that encodes a protein. Depending on which exons are strung together, the same gene can generate different proteins.

Using vast amounts of data from the ENCODE project*, Dr Tim Mercer and colleagues have inferred the folding of the genome, finding that even within a gene, selected exons are easily exposed.

"Imagine a long and immensely convoluted grape vine, its twisted branches presenting some grapes to be plucked easily, while concealing others beyond reach," said Dr Mercer. "At the same time, imagine a lazy fruit picker only picking the grapes within easy reach.

"The same principle applies in the genome. Specific genes and even specific exons, are placed within easy reach by folding."

"Over the last few years, we've been starting to appreciate just how the folding of the genome helps determine how it's expressed and regulated,"

"This study provides the first indication that the three-dimensional structure of the genome can influence the splicing of genes."

"We can infer that the genome is folded in such a way that the promoter region -- the sequence that initiates transcription of a gene -- is located alongside exons, and they are all presented to transcription machinery."

"This supports a new way of looking at things, one that the genome is folded around transcription machinery, rather than the other way around. Those genes that come in contact with the transcription machinery get transcribed, while those parts which loop away are ignored."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/459JXnr-9hM/130623145058.htm

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Anouska Stahlmann: Best Scenes and Lines of ALL Time

Hello all! I'm now 15-years-old and I've realized I spend all my time watching films. I watch a lot of films and I suppose you could say I am quite good at movie trivia. What I find shocking is how many films aren't well-known when they're beyond amazing. There are some scenes that break your heart. There are some scenes that grip you and have you on the edge of your seat. There are those scenes that make your heart melt. There are those scenes that make you feel, cry, laugh and "aww." I've collected a list of 10 scenes. I've narrowed down all the scenes that have evoked so much emotion that I didn't know how to feel after watching the scene. This is my list of 10 scenes that are extra special and have that wow factor. These scenes are the ones that stared me down when I was scouring the earth for the scenes and screamed "I AM FABULOUS" or "I am the walrus" in number 8's case...

10. Schindler's List is directed by Steven Spielberg and is a film to inform audiences of the tragedy of the Holocaust but also the work of the heroic Oskar Schindler. The amazing Liam Neeson took the bull by the horns and managed to break the hearts of everyone in this epic work of art that is Schindler's list. The final scene of the actual film depicts a heartbroken Oskar breaking down over the fact that saving 1,200 Jews just wasn't enough. This is the second to last scene in the whole film but this is the last scene in the main action sequence. This black and white film sets the scene, but also sets us up for Oskar watching the Nazis drive the Jewish people out of the Ghetto and put them on their way to Auschwitz concentration camp and shows him following the girl in a little red outfit. She later appears being carried out of Auschwitz and I could feel my heartbreak as you fell in love with this little girl as she became the inspiration to Schindler to get as many out as possible and save them from the horrific fate they didn't have to face.

Overall, the last scene of the action was the one that made me cry as Liam Neeson portrayed a perfect breakdown, if possible, and drew me in as if I was him. Having been on the emotional rollercoaster that is Schindler's List, I highly recommend that everyone watches it as it truly does draw you in. This important film is huge and is a reminder of the tragedy suffered. It reminds us of the First World War saying, "Lest We Forget."

9. She's Having a Baby is directed by one of my favorite directors, John Hughes. Being THE director of the '80s, he created the Brat Pack and branded himself king of Teen and Coming of Age films. The romantic films he did were perfect and I bow down to him as a director because he really did capture everyone's hearts in his best moments.

This romantic comedy follows the life and marriage of Jake and Kristy Briggs, played by Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern. Jake narrates the film and it follows his life more so than Kristy's. With twists and turns, Kristy becomes pregnant. But with her labor looming, Jake is panicking and doing everything you can think of wrong but it's very funny. Until complications arise that the couple are unaware of and Jake's world is turned upside down as he is whipped from the room, his wife rushed into an emergency C-section and he doesn't even know what has hit him. "This Woman's Work" by Kate Bush begins to play and Jake remembers the times that made everything worthwhile with Kristy through all the difficult times. We watch as the tears begin to fall and he smiles as he remembers the good things as he worries about his baby and wife. This scene was heartbreaking to watch in so many ways that it's hard to describe. Imagine what it would be like to not know whether your unborn baby is going to be brought into this world alive or if your beloved wife will make it through the surgery and wake up on the other side. Exactly. You can't even begin to imagine all the pain and emotion that would be swirling round your mind.

8. Across the Universe was written around the Beatles fabulous music. Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson and Evan Rachel Wood star in this romantic drama musical type of thing. Jim Sturgess plays Jude ("Hey Jude") from Liverpool who travels to America to find his father. In the process he meets Max ("Maxwell's Silver Hammer"), Joe Anderson, who offers to house him. After meeting Max's sister, Lucy ("Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds"), Evan Rachel Wood, the boys go to New York to make a life for themselves after Max drops out of college. Lucy's boyfriend, Daniel, is fighting in the Vietnam War and due to come home. Unfortunately he is killed in action and Lucy begins to fall apart. In the 1967 Detroit Riot, Jojo's ("Get Back") little brother is killed. Before his death, he is shown singing "Let It Be." The funerals for Daniel and Jojo's brother are shown as the gospel choir at Jojo's brother's funeral continue "Let It Be" and your heart breaks because you feel connected with this little boy. I didn't feel a connection with Daniel. My heart bled for Lucy and Daniel's mother but I didn't feel anything for Daniel and I felt his death was insignificant. The little brother's death was heartbreaking for me because he was just a boy. The fact that in the Detroit Riot, children probably did die just kills me. This scene just connects you to the action and shows Jojo's background. It's so sad!

7. The Breakfast Club is, once again, a John Hughes film. Starring the Brat Pack, the story line follows five teenagers who have all been given detention. There is the "princess," Claire, who is played by the beautiful Molly Ringwald. Then you have the "athlete," Andrew (Emilio Estevez), the "brain," Brian (Anthony Michael Hall), the "basket case," Allison (Ally Sheedy), and the "criminal", John Bender (Judd Nelson). The reasons they've been put in detention is revealed and they become true friends. The choice of admitting their friendship or leaving it is one they face when they get stoned, thanks to the help of Bender. The hilarious dancing and the brutal honesty that happens in this friendship that is formed in a day shows the way teenage friendships are built. But the social cliques of teenage life get in the way. The triumphant end is accompanied by the letter the group write, signing it The Breakfast Club and giving themselves those titles, and the song "Don't You Forget About Me" by Simple Minds. The last shot was of Bender. It was just so perfect. This whole film radiates John Hughes' unique sense of film and knack for creating those memorable scenes. This film is a fitting epitaph for him.

6. King Kong was directed by Peter Jackson and released in 2005. This remake has one of the most beautiful scenes I have ever seen. The film begins and there is a lot going on all at once. Eventually, Ann, Naomi Watts, is on a prehistoric kind of island with a huge gorilla. The ins and outs are complex but with the man she loves desperate to get her back and her itching to get back to him, she has to escape from Kong, Andy Serkis, who seemed to be a very murderous gorilla. After spending a while with him, they have their ups and downs but he killed a T-Rex for her. YES, AS IN ONE OF THOSE HUGE MASSIVE MURDEROUS CARNIVORES THAT KILL EVERYTHING. He killed a T-Rex for her. That scene is pretty fly but it's not THE scene. The scene happens when King Kong arrives in New York. He's escaped and is roaming round New York with Naomi Watts in hand. Kong takes her to a frozen Central Park and they slide around on the ice together. This scene doesn't sound like much but it's the scene that made the film. I honestly love the scene so much. It just does it for me. Truly beautiful.

5. Surprisingly the only Tim Burton film on here, Edward Scissorhands makes it into my top five with a very beautiful scene. This scene is touching. Watching this about six years on and this film and scene has not lost the magic it always had. Johnny Depp is a fantastic actor. Put that with Tim Burton's amazing directing, Diane Wiest's kind face and Danny Elfman's stunning score, no wonder this film is breathtaking. Winona Ryder played the supporting role and love interest, Kim. I thought Kim was alright in the end but, however much I disliked what she did, she had to be with Edward because she needed dependable rather than crazy psycho. This scene has Edward carving an ice sculpture of Kim as an angel. The shedding ice falls like snow and enchants Kim who almost dances in it. Her blissful smile completes this scene as she gracefully moves through the ice flakes. It's just so stunning. Danny Elfman composed a beautiful song, Ice Dance, which fitted this scene so perfectly and made it magic.

4. Pretty in Pink is the third John Hughes film to hit my list. He seems to convey teenage angst better than teenagers can. This was the beginning for me. This was my beginning into the Brat Pack. She's Having a Baby was the first film I ever watched by John Hughes but this film is so different. This film sums up so much. Starring Molly Ringwald, the goddess of the Brat Pack, Jon Cryer and Andrew McCarthy, this film is perfect.

This film sums up high school with all the cliques and the places and everything so well. Jon Cryers' character Duckie has always been my favorite character in this film and it always will be. This film has the ability to make you laugh, cry and "aww" all at the same time. My favorite all-time dance sequence is the Duckie Dance. Duckie dances to "Try a Little Tenderness" by Otis Redding. The passion he puts into it kills me every time. I am genuinely wheezing every time. It's just too funny for me to handle.

3. Billy Elliot was released in 2000 and is a hit musical on Broadway and West End. The film is not a musical though. This film is about Billy's struggle with trying to accept his ballet passion but also his struggle for acceptance in 1980s London with a very macho father who is, to say the least, extremely disapproving. Including tracks from T. Rex and The Clash, this film is a smash hit. Following Billy's conflict within and struggle for acceptance, you begin to see the hardships for his father and Billy's best friend emerge. The final scene entails a grown up Billy, getting ready to dance the lead in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake. Flicking from Billy to his proud dad and then to the best friend. Adam Cooper's final leap at the end was stunning. It was, by far, better than any stag leap I could ever do! This scene is truly inspiring.

2. Breakfast at Tiffany's stars Audrey Hepburn as the eccentric, upbeat and quirky socialite, Holly Golightly. George Peppard stars alongside Audrey as the reserved writer, Paul Varjak, who is better known as Fred. Through this film we watch Holly and Paul's friendship strain due to whatever Holly has done. She has her plans and he has his but this unlikely duo begin to fall madly and deeply in love. Holly just refuses to acknowledge it because it doesn't fit with her plan. Holly finally breaks and as she builds her life up again, it seems to flop. Poor Holly! So, Paul and Holly quarrel and finally they have the most romantic kiss in the history of film kisses. The kiss that began it all! The kiss that made every female want a KISS IN THE RAIN! It's basically a fantasy and Breakfast at Tiffany's began it all!

1. Say Anything is top of my tip top fabby list! John Hughes, god of teenage films, tops my list. In this one film, he managed to raise so many emotions in each scene, create some of the most memorable moments in film, create photobombing and create the most famous scene ever.

Say Anything is set around the summer after graduation. John Cusack and Ione Skye star as the young new couple, Lloyd and Diane. This film focuses on them and the trials they face. Diane is the valedictorian and is going to study in England at the end of the summer. Lloyd is an average student and not in her league at all. Say Anything offers the best scene of all time. John Hughes' build up to this scene is gigantic. With our favorite couple going through troubling times, our unconventional hero of the film, Lloyd, is found standing outside Diane's window with a boombox playing their song, "In Your Eyes" by Peter Gabriel. This sweet song mixed with Lloyd's boombox, mac and car is the combo to creating the most perfect scene. Peter Gabriel has a stunning voice and this song is beautiful. So beautiful in fact that I made my dad give me his vinyl, which contains this song. So, this scene made me cry so much because of how sweet it is. Lloyd is socially awkward and I feel I can relate to him with it.

Set in the 1980s, I think Lloyd would be one of those guys that just kind of sits on Tumblr all day if he was in my generation. Diane would be a popular preppy girl just like she is in the film. Lloyd gets the girl of his dreams and treats her perfectly. This film is a must-watch purely for the scene. Just watch it, everyone!

So, that's my top 10 scenes. I scoured the earth and dug up a few dead bodies of films along the way. I sat and cried through films and used a lot of tissues and popcorn in the process but this is my top 10. Anyway!

All my love,
Anna x

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anouska-stahlmann/best-movie-scenes_b_3483071.html

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The Math Behind Cicadas' Bizarre 17-Year Life Cycle

It makes sense that an animal might hid away in the ground while it's maturing, but 17 years is a long, seemingly random amount of time. But it's not like cicadas picked a number out of hate and were stuck with it. There's a something specific about that number, and numberphile is sussing it out.

Read more...

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/U9r72Qf-FrY/the-math-behind-cicadas-bizarre-17-year-life-cycle-540212045

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Tried And True Web Marketing Tips And Advice - Maynas Eric

It may seem like you need to get started immediately with your online business, but you should take the time to learn about how to market your business online. Check out this article and you might just pick up on some useful hints.

One way to ensure visitors click on ads is to create clickable images that will take visitors to a description page of your product. If the text matches the rest of the article, you can include it inconspicuously. This will ensure that the ad does not appear to be an advertisement.

To turn your visitors into customers, give them an easy content page that will show them how good the product is, and what it will do for them ? a simple video works great. This helps them feel a bit more informed prior to purchasing anything. This educates them on your product without looking like a tacky sales pitch since they can decide to purchase it or pass.

TIP! Consider which methods you wish to employ on your website. Use search engine optimization techniques, social network media and blog posts for free Internet marketing.

Make sure you know what tools your competitors are using to drive business. It does not matter what your niche is, you will have competition at all times.

Start off your affiliate marketing efforts on the small side. Search engines also rank sites based on the number of indexed pages; therefore, it is essential to build your website with pertinent information and expanded it weekly with at least one blog entry.

Include your signature in all of your emails, regardless if they are business-related or not. This is just like handing out business cards. You want as many people to see your signature as possible. By allowing the recipients of your e-mails to see how your business really is, you are more likely to gain increased traffic and profits.

TIP! Always look for ways to garner feedback from your site?s visitors. This can be critical to the success of your venture, since others may perceive the looks of your site and the pricing very differently than you perceive them.

Many webmasters overlook that they need to keep their websites simple. Adobe Flash and other multimedia tools can be seductive to website owners, so professional website designers push these tools. Not everyone who wants to use your site will be able to, or want to, make use of the newest technologies. A site should be able to function well, without needing all the fancy technology.

Any claim you make about products on your site should always be backed up with proof. Just saying that something works is not nearly as effective as including a video backing up your claims. This helps show that you actually use your own product.

Emailing clients is a very important part in any Website marketing endeavor. You need to ensure that your mail stays safe. Therefore, stay away from free email services which deletes old messages, because access to these messages can be very important. Archive your emails, and keep them protected.

TIP! Find ways to utilize Facebook and Twitter throughout your Internet marketing. You can easily maintain a daily presence in the minds of your customers by using social networking websites.

Your website should have an easy format, the links need to be easily seen. Proper formatting ensures your website will retain your readers? interest and allow them to easily navigate your links.

If you are already using online marketing, you know which of your products are top sellers. Expand on the popularity of those products by bundling them with complementary products. Centered around your big selling products, identify and advertise all complementary products. This will help some of your other products get a sales boost from your best sellers, and they will require less advertising than other products that don?t have some kind of tie-in.

TIP! You should make sure your website offers a unique experience to your visitors. There are so many web sites out there that in order to drive more visitors to your website, you will need to make it stand out from the others.

If a business sells products online, no matter the volume, any third-party transactions should be secure. There are a lot of impartial, reputable services. McAffee, VeriSign, etc. will safeguard the financial exposure of both vendor and customer. They may cost a bit of money, but are absolutely necessary if you want to conduct online business.

Blogging is great for attracting more traffic to your site. The key is to ensure that you use timely, relevant, updated content. If your site has a constant stream of new information, visitors will come back frequently to see your latest content.

Take the time to make a supportive error page. This will happen when some database code you wrote decides to just stop working. Avoid the typical basic error message that lacks any real information. There are superior ways you can alert your visitors that you know about the problem and are fixing it.

TIP! A banner including a slogan should be on your site. Using a banner will impart a professional look to your website and provide useful information about your product or service.

Include excellent graphics on your website to showcase the products you are selling. It is very useful for potential buyers to see your product in as much detail as possible, as this helps them to decide if they will place an order or not. Include a ?customer image? section on your website. Before and after shots can be an effective selling tactic.

Make use of the websites that list freebies and giveaways by listing what you are offering on these sites. You could also send out your best articles to online magazines or newspapers your target audience is likely to read. The same holds up for any type of eBook directory, article directory, etc. Keep things specific to the freebie you?re offering.

It would take a huge encyclopedia to explain Online marketing, however, every successful businessperson started from somewhere. The learning is never-ending. Even the gurus are learning more each day as they progress.

TIP! Start small when launching a new website to introduce your offerings. Bulking up the number of pages on your website does not increase search engine visits.

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www.facebook.com/maynaseric

Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/tried-and-true-web-marketing-tips-and-advice

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Lil Twist & Lil Za: Driving Recklessly, Harassing Neighbors in Justin Bieber's Cars!

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Obama to lay out climate change plan in Tuesday speech (reuters)

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San Antonio Can?t Lose

Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs embraces LeBron James (L) of the Miami Heat as the Spurs' Tony Parker looks on after the Heat's Game 7 win in the 2013 NBA Finals.

Photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

In the wake of Thursday night?s grueling Game 7 defeat at the hands of the Miami Heat, it?s tempting to view this 2013 playoff run as the last gasp of a fading San Antonio Spurs dynasty. But while this year?s Spurs team featured the same key faces?Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich?as the team that won a championship a decade ago, it?s in fact a very different team and a franchise with an extremely bright future. The Heat are based, fundamentally, on the brilliance of LeBron James and the lie that he?s a roughly equal talent to his friends Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. As such, their dynasty-in-the-works is inherently fragile?just one spat or contract renegotiation from falling apart. The Spurs? success, by contrast, stems from top-to-bottom organizational competence and there?s every reason to think they?ll be playing deep into the playoffs for years to come.

While in retrospect the 2003 Spurs championship team?the first to feature the Big 3 of Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker?looks like the beginning of an era, at the time it was more like David Robinson?s swan song. The emergence of the Parker?Ginobili backcourt as a replacement for the Admiral and Stephen Jackson?s creativity on the wing was an example of successful rebuilding on the fly. And what we see emerging on this year?s Spurs team is a repeat performance.

Next season?s outlook for the Heat is bright in the sense that any team featuring James?especially in the weak Eastern Conference?is bound to be a contender. But Miami will have to spend the summer contemplating the 2014 free agency of James, Bosh, and Wade; the declining state of Wade?s knee; its aging cast of role players; a perilous lack of size; and an absence of cap flexibility with which to address these various problems.

By contrast, behind the aging Duncan and Ginobili the Spurs are now deep with young talent.

Danny Green disappointed in Game 7, but throughout the playoffs established himself as a sharpshooting force. (And even before the playoffs, Green ranked 10^th in NBA history in 3-point shooting percentage.) Kawhi Leonard, who averaged 15 points and 11 rebounds per game in the Finals while guarding James, is only 21. Parker and Tiago Splitter are both young enough to stay effective as the team?s young wings mature and improve. Young guards Nando de Colo and Patty Mills have both been effective in limited minutes this year, and the odds that at least one of them will have the skills to step up into a rotation role seem good.

And unlike other teams, the Spurs have a farm system.

San Antonio?s enduring success stems from a combination of canny player evaluation and patience. Since the team is good, and since everyone has confidence in each other, there?s little pressure to make panicky moves. San Antonio can afford to draft guys like Splitter and bring him to the states years later as a prime-age rookie.

Not coincidentally, lurking on the Spurs bench you might see a 26-year-old Australian rookie big man named Aron Baynes. He?s barely played this season and in fact only joined the team in January. But earlier in the year he played in the Euroleague, the highest level of European basketball, for Slovenia?s Union Olimpija. He scored 14 points and 10 rebounds a game in 26 minutes while making 59 percent of his field goals. He also started one playoff game this year, guarding a guy named Dwight Howard. Howard scored 7 points in the game and committed five turnovers, before getting ejected in the third quarter for excessive arguing.

Am I promising you that Baynes is going to be an NBA star? No. But nobody should be surprised at this point if the Spurs manage to find useful mid-20s players in Europe. And if Baynes doesn?t work out, there are eight more guys in Europe whom the Spurs own the rights to, and I?d be very surprised if one or two don?t turn out to be solid NBA talents.

Last but by no means least, the Spurs have that rarest of qualities for a championship contender?salary cap space. While their conference rivals in Memphis and Oklahoma City have been dumping salary to avoid the luxury tax, the Spurs in principle could sign a free agent to a max contract this summer by dumping Splitter and Boris Diaw and persuading Ginobili to return for the veterans? minimum. More plausibly, this means they have the luxury of shopping the free agent market prudently. If there are any good values to be had, general manager R.C. Buford has the money to make the deal. But he?s also under no pressure to make hasty moves. The team could simply preserve cap space and be in a good position to make an opportunistic mid-season trade when, inevitably, some other squad finds itself wanting to dump salary.

This is a staggering management achievement, whose only real precedent is?not coincidentally?the 2003 Spurs, a team that managed to win a ring and have the salary cap space to make a serious run at signing Jason Kidd. Repeating that performance would have been a beautiful thing, and it almost happened. If a few balls had bounced another way, San Antonio would be victorious and Miami?s ersatz dynasty would be on the way to dissolution. Victory ensures that the Heat superfriends will stay together for at least one more year, but even in defeat the more fundamentally sound Spurs juggernaut is poised to roll forward and keep contending for a long to come.

Source: http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2013/06/_2013_nba_finals_san_antonio_s_old_team_has_a_brighter_future_than_miami.html

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What Bill O'Reilly Got Out of the Immigration Deal

By holding out his explicit endorsement of the Senate's immigration bill until Thursday night, Fox News' Bill O'Reilly figured out how?he could play kingmaker on a major national issue. "It is time for the USA to pass immigration reform," O'Reilly said. He pointed to the latest agreement in the immigration negotiations, which calls for spending $30 billion to send 20,000 more agents to secure the border with Mexico. "For years I?ve called for a more secure southern border, you know that. And now it looks like the secure border is in reach. At least somewhat. So I hope this bill does become law." He cited the bill's plan to make undocumented immigrants go through 13 years of purgatory before getting full legal status: "Senator Rubio told me on the phone today that it would be at least 13 years - 13 -- before people in the country illegally right now could gain full legal working status, and even longer to achieve citizenship." Rubio immediately sent out a press release celebrating O'Reilly's endorsement. The news was picked up on conservative blogs like Hot Air, Breitbart.com, The Blaze.

RELATED: Frank Luntz's Secret Tape Reveals the Right-Wing Media's True Cruise Control

This is decision-making theater.?Watching the Republican Party and conservatives talk themselves into backing immigration reform is like watching someone with a cavity talk themselves into going to the dentist. They don't want to do it, but they've already decided they have to do it. Now they're torturing the rest of us with elaborate rituals showing they're finally really for real this time ready to do it. The Republican National Committee has said the party must embrace immigration reform. The Wall Street Journal is solidly behind it. And so is Fox.?Fox's Sean Hannity endorsed immigration reform the day after the election, even though he once opposed "amnesty." Fox News head Roger Ailes? said recently, "Republicans haven?t used the right language? They keep talking about illegal immigration." Ailes also said: "I don?t have any problem with a path to citizenship."?Fox News Latino uses ?the term "undocumented immigrant" instead of "illegal."

RELATED: Who Stands Where on the Immigration Reform Deal

As?The Weekly Standard's Bill Kristol said of the border security deal on Fox on Thursday night, "It may be enough to give political cover to Republican senators who want to vote for this bill anyway, and are looking for something to be able to say -- when they go back home -- 'Oh we've really toughened up that border security.'" That might go for Fox, too.?The New Yorker's Ryan Lizza reported that?Sens. John McCain, Lindsey Graham, and Rubio had privately lobbied O'Reilly, Hannity, and Neil Cavuto:

"God bless Fox," Graham said. "Last time, it was 'amnesty' every ?fteen seconds." He said that the change was important for his re?lection, because "eighty per cent of people in my primary get their news from Fox."?

O'Reilly denied he'd worked with the Senate's Gang of Eight, saying, "This is a no collusion zone." O'Reilly has his own constituents to worry about.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bill-oreilly-got-immigration-deal-143421828.html

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John Hodgman explains the end of the world to you

John Hodgman is the world's foremost expert on all things canny and uncanny, and everything in between. And today marks the release of Ragnarok, his one-hour comedy special about the apocalypse, via Netflix. To celebrate, we talked to him about the meaning of apocalyptic stories, and why he doesn't love zombies.

Last year, Hodgman did a comedy show about the apocalypse, timed to the supposed end of the world on December 21. And now it's available via Netflix, as of today. We talked to Hodgman on the phone for 20 minutes, and he told us all about the end of everything.

Where did the idea for doing an apocalypse-themed stand up tour and comedy special come from?

Well, I?m afraid of death. I?m unusual in that, I think. I turned forty a couple of years ago, and that is when a lot of humans start to really contemplate their mortality. Up until then it is pretty easy to pretend you are immortal, but when you turn forty it starts to come into focus that you are not beginning something but ending something and to think about what that ending is. Then I realized we were in the midst of this apocalyptic fervor surrounding the whole new age theory of the Mayan long-count calendar somehow encoding the end of the world or the end of some major period of human history.

And you know, apocalyptic visions are stories and books of the Bible and movies, and so on, are comforting ? even though they involve the death of millions of people ? because A) they usually involve one survivor or include in their story the idea that you are going to be the one who is going to be lifted up to Heaven or get to wander through the streets of empty New York or survive the zombie plague and finally get to shoot your former neighbors in the head. You know what I mean? So those are all kind of wish fulfillment.

And B) even if you imagine that you are not going to survive, there is something comforting in so far as? It's not merely that you die, it?s that when you die, you get take the whole world out with you in that apocalyptic situation. Your passing is noted with the passing of all civilization and life on Earth. That, in a dark way, is comforting because the alternative is, what is actually frankly true for most people: That your death will pass relatively unnoticed and over time will not be remembered at all.

There is a picture of H.P. Lovecraft on the set of the special. The thing that I think he understood ? the thing about horror ? is not merely the horror of the unknown, but the horror of your own insignificance. And that the Old Ones and the pan-dimensional monster creatures that inhabit the margins of his stories, what makes them terrifying is not just the tentacles, but the fact they predate human history by millennia and will post date human history by even more millennia. The idea that we are as cosmically insignificant as we are is terrifying. That?s all. That?s the most terrifying.

What?s your favorite type of apocalypse? Zombies, asteroids, plagues?

What apocalypse do I find most comfortable? Well, zombies ? I?m not as into [zombies] as the rest of the world is. Because I think, as I say, that the wish fulfillment fantasy there is pretty transparent and juvenile ? which is [that] you get to hurt people with impunity, in a world where laws no longer apply to you. And, you know your perverse desire to murder is justified entirely, because you are constantly in a kill-or-be-killed situation. There is no nuance to the zombies. They want only brains and they cannot be reasoned with, and therefore there is nothing you can do. You?ve got to just go on a murderous rampage yourself.

But I guess probably the one I find most [compelling] is the "last person on Earth" scenario. Because there is that element of getting to drive through the abandoned city at high speeds and get to wander into every [apartment]. You know I live in New York City, so 40% of my brain is filled with apartment and lifestyle envy, so getting to wander through all the different lives that used to inhabit there [is an attractive fantasy]. But I also find that it is appropriately discomforting as well, because what is worse than death? Being the last person on earth. That is the loneliness we are all going to face in our personal apocalypse.

A lot of my quote-unquote "research" for thinking about the apocalypse was reading Stephen King?s The Stand. And not just the short version either. The whole directors cut, that he put out once he got his money together. So I had never read it when I was younger. I read it for the first time, I?m embarrassed to admit, over the past couple of years ago, when I was starting to think about this material. I found it very compelling and relatively timeless. And chilling.

Do you think the apocalypse should be religious or secular?

I am a true agnostic, which as you know is the lazy person's atheism. Kind of don't want to take a side. And truly, I think that even though my dark instincts are that there is nothing beyond ? and I am willing to say that there is little to no compelling evidence that there is something beyond ? I am always the first to announce my ignorance, and willingness to accept there might be evidence that I haven't gotten yet. That may be just grasping for hope. The reality is that I just don't know. And the apocalypses, such as the Book of Revelation, have less purchase on my imagination, because it seems more likely that we will not be Raptured to a special place.

And [a story that has] far less blood and fury, and [is] far more terrifying, of course, is The Road, which s a totally compelling and realistic and fatalistic imagination of what would happen if society went away. The thing about that book was, it was unbearable to read. To the point of getting mad ? like, why would you put someone through this? And then you kind of experience what it would be like to go through something like that, in the sense that your sensibilities get callused over, your emotions get callused, as they would have to in any profoundly traumatic experience where you see something that you hope never to have seen. And you become caught up in going forward through the book, just as the guy gets caught up in going forward down the road, even though you as the reader, and he as the protagonist, know just how hopeless the whole exercise is. There is something profoundly true about the human dumb persistence in life that is given real relief if you do not believe in an afterlife.

That just got real deep, right?

But then I realized I hadn't really checked in with the biography of Cormac McCarthy in a long time. And he had kind of come out of seclusion to do some press for the movie of The Road when that came out. So there were some more recent interviews with him. So the story that he [shared] was, "I started thinking about The Road when I was on a trip through Ireland with my son, a couple of years ago, who was about the same age at the time [as the boy in the novel.]" And I was like, "Wait a minute. You have a twelve-year-old son, Cormac McCarthy? What's your age again? Oh yeah. You're 79, or whatever. Oh, you're a guy who had a son very late in life. You are not writing about the human condition, or a global apocalypse, you're writing about the personal apocalypse that you're facing. You realize that you're not going to see your son grow up." So I got mad at Cormac McCarthy for putting me through all that, when it turns out he was just working through his own dumb emotions. [Laughs]

I'm not really mad at Cormac McCarthy, but that book really did a number on me.

Has the apocalypse gotten more literary in the last decade? It used to be a lot more goofy, like in the days of Mad Max and Hell Comes to Frogtown.

Yeah, I miss those days. There's some really, really interesting [stuff happening now]. It was an interesting thing that happened when Cormac McCarthy wrote essentially a science fiction novel. Without any science in it. But a speculative fiction novel about a future apocalypse. And there's beautiful and moving and powerful and literary speculative fiction out there that is not ashamed of the genre. And I'm not suggesting that Cormac McCarthy was ? but the way that book was treated by most humans in the world was, "Finally someone has done a serious book [of speculative fiction.]"

And I was like, "That's not true." The fact that that book was treated better than other great works along the same theme ? including, for that matter, The Stand. Line by line, it's hard to find a better writer than Stephen King. This guy is up there. While it takes its own melodramatic turns, there are moments of abject sorrow and terror in there that rival anything I've read under the "literary" umbrella. And as human and as revelatory.

There is a general fascination, that maybe has come to its head or maybe is still going on, with this feeling that things ? particularly American culture and American primacy ? [are] kind of unraveling. And there is an anxiety, that is appropriate to the times, that we have done such damage to this planet that it may be irreversible. So there is an apocalyptic mood in general, culturally and politically, that is getting everyone's attention from the far-right doomsday preppers, who are underground and imagine the New World Order is coming... to the Chardonnay club of literary circles in New York, who read and discussed The Road.

But certainly, I think the success of that book and the acclaim it got opened the door for writers who might not necessarily have taken a look at these kinds of [topics, and] might not have felt comfortable working in genre before.

Are you going to see World War Z?

Sure. Only because I have to. As much as I malign the zombie thing, what Max Brooks did was more interesting than mass-murder wish fulfillment, so I'm definitely going to check it out.

People talk about the Soft Apocalypse, where everything is just super gradual. What would be the softest apocalypse?

Every day, as we're living it today. It's hard not to feel like frogs in a gently simmering pan at the moment. The softest apocalypse is the one we're living right now, and the one that we face every minute that passes, before the individual apocalypse that awaits the end of all of our days.

Thanks to Amanda Yesilbas for transcription.

Source: http://io9.com/john-hodgman-explains-the-end-of-the-world-to-you-521452635

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Finance blogger wisdom: fixing financial television | Abnormal Returns

• abnormalreturns
• June 20th, 2013

Abnormal Returns?is on hiatus this week. However that does not mean that we are content-free.?As we did last year, and the year before, we asked a panel of independent finance bloggers a series of (hopefully) provocative questions. We hope you enjoy these posts as much as we do putting them together. Check out answers to yesterday?s question on what the next big financial innovation might be. Feel free to jump in the comments with your own answers to the questions.

Question:?Can financial TV (CNBC/BBTV/Fox Business) be fixed? If so, what you do differently if you were in charge? (Answers in no particular order.)

Tom Brakke, tjb research, @researchpuzzler: I?m not sure that it can be fixed.? But it can be helped.? One small example:? Do the equivalent of a Charlie Rose show.? Thoughtful, insightful, in-depth interviews that (at least sometimes) get past the marketing spin and ?talking your book? to something deeper.? The business is full of niches with interesting people and ideas.? Wouldn?t it be nice to get a chance to explore some of them every now and then?? That never seems to happen on financial TV (although I gave up on it a long time ago).

Morgan Housel, The Motley Fool, @TMFHousel: When Jon Stewart had Jim Cramer on his show a few years ago, Cramer made the point that it?s hard offer valuable programing when you have 17 hours of live TV to fill each day. Stewart replied, ?Maybe you could cut down on that?? That?s ultimately what needs to happen to business news (and most online content).

30 years ago there was one hour of market TV per day, and handful of business newspapers and magazines. Today it?s 24 hours of news and an uncountable number of online outlets. What changed isn?t the volume of news, but the volume of drivel and interpretations of irrelevant events that we blow out of proportion.

Realistically, I?d like to see more focus on long-term business news, which Americans are still interested in, and less reactionary coverage to trading and speculation, which they aren?t.

Brian Lund, bclund, @bclund: No, it can never be fixed.? Any forum where monetization is driven by ratings is almost surely broken and can rarely be of true value to the viewer, because the best way for producers to drive ratings in to create conflict, putting people on who are on polar opposites of an issue and then letting them berate each other in the most over the top way.? It?s the financial version of gladiator fights, giving no value to the audience.? The real question should be how can make it so the next generation looks to themselves for financial information instead of the talking heads on TV?

Jeff Carter, Points and Figures, @pointsnfigures: ?No, financial TV wants viewers. How do you get more viewers?? be controversial, be loud. Turn it off and listen to Stocktwits.

Robert Seawright, Above the Market, @rpseawright: ?I am often entertained by financial television, and entertainment is what drives ratings.? Therefore, in that sense, there is little to fix. I would like less ?What?s going to happen today?? and more longer-term analysis, but I suspect that I?m in the minority on that. Moreover, it can be very damaging to the individual investor.? From that perspective, financial television can be fixed, but not in a way that would drive ratings success, because good investing for the vast majority of people should be boring and good television can?t be boring.

David Merkel, Aleph Blog, @alephblog: ?Financial TV is hopeless. Short-signal communications are almost always low value.? All the best ideas take time to communicate, and require a lot of thought.? Printed text will always beat video; more information per unit of time spent.

Bill Luby, VIX and More,? @VIXandMore: I probably average less than an hour of financial news TV per month, but when I do watch, I seem to get more out of the Asian and European versions than their U.S. counterparts.? The problem seems to be a mismatch between ratings, content quality and the target audience.? If you want to chase ratings, you are going to see something that resembles tabloid TV cross-bred with reality TV that seeks to appeal to a mass audience.? If I were in charge, I?d probably create a money-losing venture that focused on in-depth features.? Imagine a 60 Minutes of the financial world.? Alternatively, I just might leave the camera on Art Cashin all day just for the heck of it?

Dynamic Hedge, Dynamic Hedge, @dynamichedge: The job of the financial media two fold: sell advertising and provide programming. The relationship between these two groups is almost perfect. Viewers want seemingly random market movements and dry financial data explained in an emotionally appealing narrative. Advertisers, predominantly financial service firms, want lots of actionable ideas and opposing viewpoints to generate trade commissions. It?s a bonus if the overall investing process appears so complex that the viewer opts to give up and use one of their more comprehensive financial services.

The result of wanting the mundane explained as narrative is headlines (and segment lead-ins) like: Disappointing reports help push US stocks down and the subsequent Stocks open higher on Wall Street ahead of Fed. Blast those disappointing reports and their linear cause and effect on the stock market! Huzzah the subsequent expectation of a positive report and its opposing effect on the actual reports! Quick, bring in an octobox and find every single angle and opposing viewpoint. Now cut to advertisement for financial services to either ?take advantage? of these reports/viewpoints for one low flat rate, or services that have even more professionals make sense of these dueling ideas. Repeat for infinity.

The result is viewers churned to death trying to chase the narrative to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, or an abdication of their financial future to the firm with the best retirement fantasy montage (sailboat, vineyard, I?ll take two of both). Both are not optimal outcomes.

As long as humans prefer their information in narrative format and financial service firms have something to sell, we?re going to have this problem. My personal feeling is that none of this is implicit or somehow dishonest or disingenuous. The financial service providers are providing services and so is the financial media. The users of the respective products have the final say on who gets their money and attention. The fact is markets mostly fluctuate day-to-day because of buyers and sellers, unknown to one another,? making decisions they feel will better their lot in life for a variety or reasons. If there is a problem with the financial media, it is that the producers are too good at getting into the ?variety of reasons?. The only true solution is to ignore these day-to-day happenings. This would result in a lot of dead airtime and will never happen. The way to mitigate the damage to the investing public more responsible voices on air advocating for the viewer (just have to make sure they can hold their own). Remember, the viewer decides whether or not they will pay attention to the Octobox. You can always turn it off.

Jared Woodard, Condor Options, @condoroptions: I?d carve out some grown-up time where the eyeball-maximizing, circus business model gives way to whatever smart guests really want to talk about. Professional jargon is allowed as long as you explain yourself, segments last longer than 30 seconds, and there?s a debate show, like the old Crossfire show on CNN, where you have to present evidence for your conclusions. I would cut out all the goldbug/anti-government stuff, which has limited appeal in a stable economy. Also, I would get Bart Chilton to commit to a regular story time / pop culture review segment.

Wesley R. Gray, Ph.D., TurnkeyAnalyst & Empiritrage, @turnkeyanalyst & @empiritrage: I love being entertained. Why change it?

Kid Dynamite, Kid Dynamite?s World, @kiddynamiteblog: This is related to the mandatory savings question.? The answer is NO ? financial TV cannot be fixed because people are greedy, stupid, and lazy.? Financial TV is catered toward the TELL ME HOW TO MAKE EASY MONEY NOW mentality that dominates the American financial psyche.?? No one wants to watch intelligent financial discourse ? they just want to read 140 character trade recos on Stocktwits?

Josh Brown, The Reformed Broker, @reformedbroker: Duh, the Josh Brown show. And my show is about investing ? INVESTING, portfolio management, matching capital with liabilities, retirement income, strategies, probabilistic planning, financial technology breakthroughs and career advice. It is definitely not about stock picks or ?trading the news?, there?s plenty of that already.
??

Thanks to everyone for their participation. Stay tuned for another question tomorrow.

Abnormal Returns is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you click on my Amazon.com links and buy anything, even something other than the product advertised, I earn a small commission, yet you don't pay any extra. Thank you for your support.

The information in this blog post represents my own opinions and does not contain a recommendation for any particular security or investment. I or my affiliates may hold positions or other interests in securities mentioned in the Blog, please see my Disclaimer page for my full disclaimer.

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Source: http://abnormalreturns.com/finance-blogger-wisdom-fixing-financial-television/

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US: No sector should be kept out of EU talks

BRUSSELS (AP) -- The United States sees no reason to keep the movie and television industry out of upcoming trans-Atlantic free-trade negotiations with the European Union, despite France insisting that sector should be excluded, a high-level U.S. official said Thursday.

U.S. Ambassador to the EU, William E. Kennard also said that his country has not tried to keep any sector out of the negotiations with the 27-nation EU, countering French claims that Washington would exclude financial services.

The talks are expected to kick off next month after President Barack Obama and EU leaders announced on Monday that they would seek a free trade deal between the world's two mightiest economic regions. Such a pact would create a market with common standards and regulations across countries that together account for nearly half the global economy.

For weeks, France has piled on pressure on the other EU nations to keep the cultural sector off limits and last week the EU agreed on a negotiating mandate that included France's demand ? but with the proviso that it could possibly come back as an issue later in the negotiations.

"No one is saying that you cannot talk about audiovisual," Kennard told a small group of reporters on Thursday. "I don't think it is completely accurate to say it is a complete carve-out. It is more of a constraint," he said.

For years now, Paris has sought to protect its cultural industries from the cultural clout of Hollywood through subsidies and quotas. Since the EU is a patchwork of often tiny countries with their own languages and cultures, such protection has become a fully acceptable practice in the bloc.

That is why France insisted that the issue be kept out of the negotiations. EU Trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht, who will negotiate on behalf of the 27 countries based on a unanimous mandate, had always argued that the mandate should be as open as possible since there always would be enough guarantees to protect EU culture.

The United States also wants as level a playing field as possible.

"Frankly, we are happy that we are only talking about audiovisual as a constraint right now and not lots of other things that are politically sensitive on both sides," Kennard said.

He denied the U.S. was trying to keep the financial services out of the talks.

"That is not accurate because we already have a separate track dealing with the whole array of financial services issues," Kennard said. The issues are being dealt with through the G-20 group of the world's 20 leading industrial and developing countries and through dialogue between financial regulators, he added.

He said those talks should move in parallel with the trans-Atlantic free trade talks.

An EU-commissioned study shows that a trade pact could boost the 27-country bloc's economic output by 119 billion euro ($159 billion) a year and the U.S. economy's by 95 billion euros ($127 billion). Another estimate showed eliminating tariffs alone would add $180 billion to U.S. and EU gross domestic product in five years' time while boosting exports on both sides by about 17 percent. That could add about 0.5 percent annually to the EU's GDP and 1 percent to the U.S.

____

Follow Raf Casert on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rcasert

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-no-sector-kept-eu-191411737.html

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LeBron leads Heat to second straight title

The Miami Heat's LeBron James holds the the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy after Game 7 of the NBA basketball championship against the San Antonio Spurs, Friday, June 21, 2013, in Miami. The Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 to win their second straight NBA championship. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

The Miami Heat's LeBron James holds the the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy after Game 7 of the NBA basketball championship against the San Antonio Spurs, Friday, June 21, 2013, in Miami. The Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 to win their second straight NBA championship. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

The Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) shoots against the San Antonio Spurs during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Steve Mitchell, Pool)

The Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) shoots against the San Antonio Spurs' Danny Green (4) during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championships, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)

The San Antonio Spurs' Tim Duncan (21) embraces Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (3) as Miami Heat's LeBron James (6) looks on during the first half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championship, early Friday morning, June 21, 2013, in Miami. The Miami Heat defeated the San Antonio Spurs 95-88 to win their second straight NBA championship. (AP Photo/Steve Mitchell, Pool)

Miami Heat s forward LeBron James (6) reacts after he was fouled during the second half in Game 7 of the NBA basketball championship against the San Antonio Spurs, Thursday, June 20, 2013, in Miami. The Miami Heat won 95-88. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

MIAMI (AP) ? LeBron James and the Miami Heat remain atop the NBA, and not even a proud push from the San Antonio Spurs could knock them down.

James led the Heat to their second straight title, scoring 37 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a 95-88 victory Thursday night in a tense Game 7 that was tight until Miami pulled away in the final minute.

Winning the title they needed to validate their best season in franchise history ? and perhaps the three-superstar system they used to build it ? the Heat ran off with the second straight thriller in the NBA's first championship series to go the distance since 2010.

"It took everything we had as a team," Dwyane Wade said. "Credit to the San Antonio Spurs, they're an unbelievable team, an unbelievable franchise. This is the hardest series we ever had to play. But we're a resilient team and we did whatever it took."

Two nights after his Game 6 save when the Heat were almost eliminated, James continued his unparalleled run through the basketball world, with two titles and an Olympic gold medal in the last 12 months.

"I work on my game a lot, throughout the offseason," said James, who was MVP for the second straight finals. "I put a lot of work into it and to be able to come out here and (have) the results happen out on the floor is the ultimate. The ultimate. I'm at a loss for words."

He made five 3-pointers, defended Tony Parker when he had to, and did everything else that could ever be expected from the best player in the game.

The Heat became the NBA's first repeat champions since the Lakers in 2009-10, and the first team to beat the Spurs in the NBA Finals.

Players and coaches hugged each other after the game. The respect between the sides was obvious from the opening tipoff of Game 1 through the final buzzer.

Fans stood, clapped and danced as the clock ticked down, when every score was answered by another score, each stop followed by a better stop. The Heat pushed their lead to six points a few times midway through the fourth but San Antonio kept coming back.

The Spurs, a whisker away from a fifth title two nights earlier, couldn't find a way to win it all in what was perhaps the last shot Tim Duncan, Parker and Manu Ginobili will ever get together.

"In my case I still have Game 6 in my head," Ginobili said. "Today we played an OK game, they just made more shots than us. LeBron got hot. Shane, too. Those things can happen. But being so close and feeling that you are about to grab that trophy, and seeing it vanish is very hard."

They were trying to become the first team to win a Game 7 on the road since Washington beat Seattle in 1978, but those old guys ran out of gas just before the finish.

Duncan had 24 points and 12 rebounds for the Spurs, but missed a shot and follow attempt right under the basket with about 50 seconds left and the Spurs trailing by two.

James followed with a jumper ? the shot the Spurs were daring him to take earlier in the series ? to make it 92-88, sending San Antonio to a timeout as Glenn Frey's "The Heat Is On" blared over the arena's sound system.

He then came up with a steal and made two free throws for a six-point lead, and after Ginobili missed, James stalked toward the sideline, knowing it was over and that he was, once again, the last one standing.

Wade had 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Heat, who overcame a scoreless Chris Bosh by getting six 3-pointers and 18 points from Shane Battier.

Streamers fell from the arena ceiling onto the fans for the second year in a row, but this one meant so much more. A narrow escape in Game 6 was still fresh in everyone's mind.

They were down 10 in the fourth quarter of that one before James led the charge back, finishing with a triple-double in Miami's 103-100 overtime victory. This one was nearly as tight, neither team leading by more than seven and the game tied 11 times.

Kawhi Leonard had 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Spurs, who had been 4 for 4 in the championship round. Ginobili had 18 points but Parker managed just 10 points on 3-of-12 shooting.

The Heat and coach Erik Spoelstra collected the Larry O'Brien trophy again from Commissioner David Stern, presiding over his final NBA Finals before retiring next February.

He couldn't have asked for a better way to go out.

James avenged his first finals loss, when his Cleveland Cavaliers were swept by the Spurs on 2007. That helped send James on his way to South Florida, realizing it would take more help to win titles that could never come alone.

He said he would appreciate this one more because of how tough it was. The Heat overpowered Oklahoma City in five games last year, a team of 20-something kids who weren't ready to be champions yet.

This came against a respected group of Spurs whose trio has combined for more than 100 playoff victories together and wanted one more in case this was San Antonio's last rodeo.

Duncan is 37 and Ginobili will be a 36-year-old free agent next month, the core of a franchise whose best days may be behind them.

Meanwhile, it's a potential dynasty along Biscayne Bay, but also one with a potentially small window. Wade's latest knee problems are a reminder that though he came into the NBA at the same time as James and Bosh, he's a couple of years older at 31 with wheels that have seen some miles.

James can become a free agent again next summer with another decision ? though hopefully not another Decision ? to make. He's comfortable in Miami and close with Wade, and the Heat have the leadership and commitment from owner Micky Arison and president Pat Riley to keep building a championship core around him.

Why would he want to leave?

San Antonio's most recent title came at James' expense. The Spurs exploited the weaknesses in James' game though knew someday they would be gone, Duncan telling him afterward that the league would someday belong to James.

And James simply isn't giving it back.

He came in averaging 33.8 points in Game 7s, already the best in NBA history, and was even better in this one.

He can't be defended the way he was six years ago, too strong inside and too solid from the outside. He drove Danny Green back like a tackling dummy to convert a three-point play in the second quarter, then knocked down a 3-pointer for the Heat's next score.

Heat fans, criticized over the last two days after many bolted before the finish Tuesday and then tried to force their way back in, weren't going anywhere early in this one. The game was too good.

And there was another celebration to watch.

The Heat had the classic championship hangover through the first few months of this season, too strong to lose at home but not committed enough to win on the road, where they were just 11-11 following a 102-89 loss in Indiana on Feb. 1.

They won in Toronto two nights later on Super Bowl Sunday and didn't lose again until well into March Madness, running off 27 straight victories before falling in Chicago on March 27 and finishing a franchise-best 66-16.

The small-market Spurs have always been a ratings killer, but interest grew throughout this series in their attempt to toppled the champs. Game 6 drew more than 20 million viewers, a total that Game 7 was expected to top.

And the games got better, too. Games 2-5 were all decided by double digits, neither team able to carry its momentum from one game to the next.

This one was back and forth for more than three quarters, with Mario Chalmers' 3-pointer at the buzzer giving Miami a 72-71 lead heading to the final 12 minutes of the season.

Game 6 could have shaken the Spurs, who were so close to holding the trophy that officials were preparing the championship presentation before Miami's rally. The Spurs held a team dinner late that night, figuring the company was better than having to dwell on the defeat alone in their rooms.

The pain of that game or the pressure of this one had little effect on their veterans but brought out a change in their leader, the subject of some rare second-guessing for his rotations near the end of the collapse.

The famously blunt Gregg Popovich was in a chatty mood pregame, actually preferring to stay and talk even when there were no more questions, saying the busier he was, the less he'd worry.

"It's torture," he said of Game 7s. "It's hard to appreciate or enjoy torture."

But it sure was beautiful to watch.

The sport's most pressure-packed game had a nervous start, each team making just seven baskets in the first quarter and combining for seven turnovers. The Spurs took an early seven-point lead, but a pair of 3-pointers by Battier during an 8-0 run helped Miami take an 18-16 lead.

The Heat nursed a narrow lead for most of the second quarter, and after San Antonio went ahead in the final minute of the period, James tipped in a miss before Wade knocked down a jumper with 0.8 seconds left to send the Heat to the locker room with a 46-44 edge.

Notes: Home teams are 15-3 in Game 7s of the NBA Finals. ... Miami improved to 5-3 all-time in Game 7s in the postseason and became the fourth team to win the final two games at home since the finals went to a 2-3-2 format in 1985, joining the Lakers in 1988 and 2010, and Houston Rockets in 1994. ... Green was just 1 for 12, going 1 for 6 behind the arc. He started the series by making 25 3s in the first five games, a finals record for an entire series.

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Follow Brian Mahoney on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Briancmahoney

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-06-21-NBA%20Finals/id-ef3a6409a3a145548a5e3b1c7d57460f

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