Cut Throat Bay

Reigning lightweight champ BJ Penn entered his main event battle against welterweight kingpin Georges St. Pierre looking to become the first man in UFC history to simultaneously hold titles in two weight classes. GSP never gave him the chance to make history, as he stopped Penn after four increasingly dominant rounds to retain his belt with a TKO victory and make a compelling case for being the pound for pound best fighter in mixed martial arts.

Both fighters had considerable fan support, with vocal, flag waving delegations from the Hawaiian Islands and Canada in evidence. During ring introductions, both men received enthusiastic cheers tempered with a few boos. After the opening horn sounded, however, the Penn backers had little to cheer about while the champions supports broke out in G-S-P chants on several occasions.

Boxing guru Freddy Roach recently praised Penn as the best technical puncher in MMA, but he had no opportunity to bring this weapon to bear as he had trouble finding the range from the outset. GSP mixed up his look perfectly, either staying just outside Penns range using his 6 reach advantage effectively or more often smothering his opponent on takedown attempts. St. Pierre was unable to complete any takedowns during the first round, but easily dictated the pace and style of the bout.

GSP began to assert his dominance in round two”with Penn starting to fatigue he was no longer able to fend off St. Pierres single leg takedown attempts by balancing on one leg. GSP got a takedown early in the frame and began to mount a ground and pound assault while moving around in Penns legendary guard almost at will moving from half guard to side control with frightening ease.

The eventual outcome was foretold between rounds two and three, as the obviously exhausted Penn required a pep talk from his entourage to continue. Across the cage, GSP calmly sipped water and listened intently to trainer Greg Jacksons instructions looking for all the world that he could go 12 rounds if necessary.

Round three was similar to the previous one, with GSP taking his opponent to the mat with a decreasing level of resistance and mauling him with punches and elbows once he got there. His complete control over the BJJ black belt Penn was incredible. That may be the most exceptional thing about Georges St. Pierre”his willingness to attack his opponents strengths and success at doing so.

The fourth round was a wall to wall rout for the Canadian welterweight champion, who started by effectively trading strikes with Penn before taking him down once again and resuming his highly successful ground based attack. Penn survived the round on instinct alone, moving around just enough to keep the referee from stopping the proceedings. After the horn sounded to end the fourth round, however, it was evident that Penn had nothing physically or emotionally left. As he leaned headfirst against the cage in exhaustion, an impromptu conference amongst his handlers on whether or not to continue became moot when the fight was stopped by Dean on advice from the ringside physician. There was no argument whatsoever from Penn or his entourage.

Displaying his characteristic class, GSP delayed his celebration until he had crossed the cage and kneeled by his vanquished foe to honor his competitive spirit. After a quick celebration among GSP and his team, he faced his next challenger in the person of Thiago Alves.

In the co-feature attraction, Lyoto Machida kept his undefeated professional MMA record intact with a first round TKO victory over Thiago Silva. Silva had no answer for Machidas well rounded skills and unorthodox Shotokan karate based style. Machida may be the best in the world at fighting while backing up, and Silva found his aggressive style working against him. Machida took his opponent down and knocked his opponent down twice”all counters as Silva was coming forward and Machida backing away. As the first round entered its final seconds, it appeared that Silva started to ease up in anticipation of the horn. Machida used this opportunity for another takedown, and then nailed his surprised opponent with a powerful punch that ended the fight.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and noted authority on baseball betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Matthew Stafford has yet to play a regular season NFL game and hes already the Detroit Lions starting quarterback. Detroit coach Jim Schwartz named Stafford as his starter for the teams opening game of the NFL regular season against the New Orleans Saints. Stafford beat out veteran Daunte Culpepper for the spot, though Schwartz went out of his way to stress that the rookie won the job.

In announcing Stafford as the starting QB for the Lions, Schwartz made clear that hes very confident with his personnel at the position:

“I’ve had a lot of very tough decisions in the last few days — guys making the 53-man roster or not making it — but none more difficult than at quarterback. We announced to our team this morning that Matt Stafford is going to be our starting quarterback.”

“I’m very, very comfortable with the quarterback position here, not just one and two, but also three. What made this decision difficult was that I think we can win with Daunte Culpepper, I think we can with Matt Stafford, and I think we can win with Drew Stanton.

Stafford indicated that while hes always been confident that hed be named the teams starter he didnt know for sure until Schwartz gave him the word:

“I definitely thought I was going to be the guy, but as competitive as Daunte is, I’m sure he thought he was going to be the guy, too. Coach Schwartz called me in this morning and told me, and I went out and practiced with the first team. That was exciting.”

Despite the Lions dismal 0-16 record a year ago, Stafford stressed that hes not just happy to be in the NFL”he wants to win:

“I’m going to try to win football games. I think, just like everyone else on this team, that we can go out on Sunday and be competitive against the Saints and give ourselves a chance to win the game. That’s our job.”

Schwartz said that he plans to give his quarterback the opportunity to work through rookie mistakes:

“This isn’t an internship. This isn’t a trial basis. He’s our starting quarterback. We said that, to win the job, he had to be ready, and he had to be our best quarterback, and that’s what he has shown.”

He continued with praise for Culpepper:

“Daunte Culpepper is back — there’s no doubt in my mind and there’s no doubt around this league. He’s going to be back as a starting quarterback in this league, and with a high level of success.”

Stafford had some props for Culpepper as well:

“I’m sure it is tough for him, but Daunte’s been great for me and he will continue to be. I can’t think of a better guy to learn from and to have in my corner.”

The Lions will look for their first regular season win in over a year as they start the NFL regular season at New Orleans on Sunday. Theyll play the following two games at home, hosting the Minnesota Vikings in week #2 and the Washington Redskins on Sunday, September 27.

Ross Everett is a experienced freelance writer experienced in travel, poker and NFL football handicapping. He is a consulting handicapper for Anatta Sports where he is responsible for providing daily sports picks. In his spare time he enjoys fine dining, falconry and scuba diving. He lives in Southern Nevada with four dogs and a pet coyote.

On January 31, 2000, the historic Mapes Hotel in Reno was imploded by 75 pounds of explosives tucked into the art-deco structures support columns. The destruction of the Mapes put an end to years of efforts to preserve the building via lawsuits, redevelopment proposals, and grass roots action. The National Trust for Historic Preservation took up the cause of the Mapes, and challenged the destruction in a suit that eventually reached the Nevada Supreme Court.

While the logic and necessity of demolishing the Mapes is very questionable, one thing that is certain is that the hotel was an important part of Northern Nevada history. The opening of the Mapes in’47 ushered in a new era in casino gambling, and changed the economy and way of life in Nevada forever. The Mapes was actually the first property in the country to combine a hotel, casino and live entertainment under the same roof. It also became the hotel of choice for celebrities staying in Northern Nevada. Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe stayed at The Mapes during the filming of ‘The Misfits’. Joseph McCarthy, America’s famed anti-Communist crusader, admitted to a reporter over cocktails in the Mapes Lounge that he really didn’t have a list of Communists in the US despite his frequent and vitriolic insistence to the contrary.

In the 50s and 60s it became, along with Lake Tahoes Cal-Neva Lodge the place to be seen in Northern Nevada. The top floor, window-walled Sky Room showcased performances by the legends: Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jackie Gleason, Louis Prima, Mae West, Milton Berle, Sammy Davis, Jr., and the Marx Brothers among others. Subsequent years were not kind to downtown Reno but the Mapes continued to do well during the 60’s and 70’s. The hotel finally closed in’82, due more to financial difficulties experienced by the Mapes family caused by one of their other Northern Nevada gaming properties than anything else.

Reno has yet to experience the sort of growth that has been seen in Southern Nevada, and for that reason the destruction of the Mapes is more open to debate than the hotel demolitions to the south. Even the demolition of The Sands–perhaps the most historically significant casino in the state–is hard to argue against given the inability of such a small property to compete in the current Las Vegas marketplace and in light of the value of the mid-strip real estate.

This is not the case in Reno, where land and buildings for development in virtually every casino area are abundant. The official reason that the Mapes had to come down was that the city needed the land–which sits along the banks of the Truckee River–to expand its riverside district of art galleries, restaurants and shops. The revitalization of downtown Reno is definitely needed and a legitimate goal, but at the same time it is hard to think that the Mapes was a barrier to this. Indeed, a number of proposals for redevelopment including office space, artists lofts and upscale senior housing would have probably served to enhance the livability of the downtown area. For whatever reason, the City Redevelopment Authority wouldn’t approve any of the proposals and the fate of the Mapes was sealed.

The behavior of the City Redevelopment Authority throughout the process has come into question. Overlooking the Truckee River, the hotel was perfectly placed between the downtown casino area and the riverfront district. In’96, the city purchased the htoel and began accepting proposals for redevelopment. Despite receiving a number of proposals that made sense both in terms of their financial workability and positive impact on the downtown area, the City Redevelopment Authority nixed all of them and insisted that the hotel be razed.

Following the 2000 demolition, the lot remained vacant for over a year until a temporary ice skating rink was hastily constructed the following winter. The site now houses a permanent ice skating rink which, while not a bad use for the land, isn’t the sort of game changing improvement suggested by the City Redevelopment Agency and their adamant insistence that the building be demolished. To the contrary, it appears they had no specific plan or even general idea of what to do with the land but for some reason wanted to see the hotel come down. This has led to all manner of speculation, ranging from financial self interest to a rumor that the structure was ‘haunted’ and needed to be destroyed to forestall future paranormal activity in Washoe County. Whatever the reason, the city of Reno lost a valuable landmark that played a significant part in the economic growth of the entire state.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and highly respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and a kangaroo. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

Despite the fact that we are in the middle of a recession, and a lot of you are in debt, there is no reason that you can’t throw a really great Super Bowl Party.

Try to focus on not overdoing it. Make just one extravagant dish and play the rest off of that. A vat of chili, if properly seasoned is able to serve twelve people for twenty dollars. Chicken wings are quite cheap and easy to make. Coils of kielbasa, priced around five bucks are a cheap and delicious snack.

Because the Super Bowl is a special occasion, opt for hot food. Ordering large trays of Chinese takeout are less expensive and time consuming than cooking your own food.

Children at Superbowl parties can be tough to please. Vegetables, juice, chips, and a carvel football shaped ice cream cake priced at $22.99 will keep them at bay.

Drinks? The best choice for shoppers on a budget is beer and wine. A keg will save you about 40% according to experts. The wine doesn’t have to be fancy – a five liter boxed wine will be more than acceptable. If you encounter the troublesome guest who insists on liquor, get discount vodka, a half gallon for just fourteen dollars. Its cheap, and blends with about anything.

Even in tough times, it is a requirement to make the most of your game-viewing experience. A medium to large flatscreen is completely necessary. But if you don’t own one, rent one. Websites list 42 inch TVs for as low as $26.99 a week.

And about those annoying people who don’t watch football. A pool for small gifts like a store certificate or CD might inspire people who aren’t the least bit interested in football at all if a prize is awarded at the end of every quarter. Try to have experienced fans explain what is going on. Then, sit back, and enjoy your game.

Mallory Megan is employed by a debt collection company. She also writes stories on business, finance, consumer spending and collection agencies.

A birthday is a special occasion for everyone. It always feels nice to receive warm wishes, gifts and surprise birthday parties. People belonging to different age groups love to celebrate their birthdays with friends and family. Birthday parties should be arranged to make unforgettable memories for the birthday person.

If you are planning a birthday party for your younger siblings, you can arrange a game, which is known as Find the Dime. You have to insert a dime into one of the balloons and inflate around 40 balloons. Spread all these balloons on the floor and ask your siblings and their friends to search for the dime in the balloons. Whoever finds the dime is the winner.

If you want to throw a birthday party, make it interesting by implementing the idea of a theme party. A theme will help you in making arrangements as well. The decoration and the setting of the venue will be according to the theme. The theme will also make guests look forward to something different.

Balloon-pumping race is one of the most well known fun filled activities. Previously, people used to blow the balloons with their mouths, as a result of which this activity was resisted mostly by adults; but due to the availability of hand pumps nowadays, even adults have started taking part in this activity.

Dopey Donuts is a game which involves the adults predominantly. In this game, you are blindfolded and have only 15 seconds to search for a donut. You have to eat as much as you can in 15 seconds. Another similar game can be played by dividing the party members into two teams and feed each team with as much marsh mellows as they can. Whichever group eats the most shall win the game.

If you can arrange your party at a restaurant, cinema or a bowling alley, it will be a lot of fun for the guests as they will have other activities to do as well. While deciding the activities, always keep in mind the likes and dislikes of the birthday person. After all, the entire event is being organized for him and it is important that he should like it.

Apart from these, there are some famous places where you can enjoy fun filled activities. Regent Park near London Zoo is also known for its leisure providing activities. You can explore the park and have a look at all the animals with your friends who are there to celebrate your birthday. Then you can cut your cake and have a nice dinner at the picturesque Regent Park.

These were few of the ways in which you can celebrate a fun filled birthday party. Apart from these, card games, dice games, ice breakers and pool games are the most commonly played fun activities at birthdays. You can also visit various online websites to find out such interesting games.

Looking for birthday party ideas? We have a wide range of face paints and other Face Painting Ideas for every occasion.