Promises Of An Entourage Movie Heat Up As The Final Season Begins

Entourage creator Doug Ellin fired up fans of his show starring Adrian Grenier at the Television Critics Press Tour yesterday by making a promise he may not be able to keep.
As HBO's Entourage enters its final season, Ellin told members of the press "we're going to do a movie." There's no story or timetable yet, but he's fully committed to ensuring it happens.


Series executive producer Mark Wahlberg and star Jeremy Piven agreed that they'd like to see a film as well. Added Wahlberg, "I certainly hope it has a chance to bcome a feature film." He even backed up a previous claim that if he had to finance the film himself to get it done, then that's what he'd do.


Many pieces have to fall into place before an Entourage movie can happen. The ensemble cast will each find work on new projects after appearing together for potentially the last time for the press tour. Pulling them all back together for a film will require aligning of many schedules.


But with the final season of Entourage now airing on HBO, the movie rumors are flying faster than ever, and have moved up to the person who actually has the power to make it happen, namely creator and executive producer Doug Ellin. During the TCA press tour, that week where the creators of every show gather with every television critic in the country to be barraged with questions, both Wahlberg and Ellin sounded very confident about the possibility of a movie. "If I had to finance it myself, I would do it," Wahlberg said-- and that's no empty promise, considering he could probably actually do that. And here's what Ellis had to say:


"We’re going to do a movie. We’re going to do it, the question is when and how quickly. Hopefully we'll come down with an idea and make it happen."


I like how Ellin says they'll "come down" with an idea, as if it's the flu or a nasty STD. Either way, their enthusiasm shouldn't be mistaken for actual plans-- this is the strong face they present to critics as they promote the final season of their show, and it may not bear any resemblance to financial or creative reality. If an Entourage movie is going to happen, it ought to happen now, so who knows-- we may not be done with Vincent Chase after all until we see him up on the big screen.

Movie Review Captain America: The First Avenger

A few things you should note before moving forward. Yes, an "Avengers" trailer has found its way online. But it's not the full trailer that was shown after the credits of "Captain America: The First Avenger" — this is just a tease of the teaser.




Furthermore, in order to see this "Avengers" trailer, you have to sit through the final scene of "Captain America." So if you haven't seen "Cap" yet, you'll need to cross some spoiler-filled waters to get to Earth's Mightiest Heroes. Unless you just want to jump to the 34 second mark; that's an option, too!




The "Avengers" teaser doesn't reveal too much — indeed, all the shots seem to be lifted from one scene that gathers the ragtag team of superheroes in one room, perhaps for the first time. It's a rapid-fire succession of quick cuts that show all seven members of the squad in their modern-day, Joss Whedon-directed duds, combined with a final few seconds that cut straight to business.


"Gentlemen," a collected Nick Fury addresses the gathered heroes, with a very pensive looking Thor the most prominent of the bunch, "you're up."


Tony Stark, sans Iron Man armor but fully decked out in dark jacket, shirt and tie, swings by the aforementioned God of Thunder and taps him twice on the shoulder. "You've got a mean swing.


Chris Evans is Steve Rogers/Captain America, a nazi-beating badass in a superhero costume. Rejected by the military numerous times, a doctor (played by Stanley Tucci) takes Steve Rogers in and conducts an experiment to make him stronger, faster and better. Obviously this works and he begins his crusade against the organization known as Hydra. His nemesis in this movie is The Red Skull, which is played by Hugo Weaving. These actor's names alone should get you curious enough to catch a show of Captain America. But, if you are still having doubts, let me reassure you that this movie is not only action-packed, it also has a good amount of witty dialogue and interesting plot to keep you going throughout the entire movie.
With a running time of two hours and five minutes, this movie doesn't feel that long because it keeps your attention with all the action and special effects. Although everything looks old to us (it's set in WWII time, why wouldn't it be) it still is quite visually appealing. I feel like most people would actually like this movie, regardless if you know or even like superheroes. Also, if you didn't already know that you should stay at the end of a Marvel movie, then you apparently have been living under a rock. Hint: It's an Avengers teaser trailer, and it's pretty cool. Although, if you don't want to stay till the end of the credits, I'm sure it's on Youtube somewhere.


Overall, this movie is a really good summer popcorn flick that will not disappoint fans of the series and/or newcomers.

Amy Winehouse's Dad Gives Her Clothes To Fans

Fans gathered outside Amy Winehouse's London home received some surprising gifts: Amy's own clothes, jewelry and trinkets.
A fan with a T-shirt that belonged to the late Amy Winehouse.
Father Mitch Winehouse doled out belongings to mourners, saying "it's what she would have wanted," The Sun reports. "These are Amy's T-shirts," Mitch told the crowd. "This is what she would have wanted, for her fans to have her clothes."
Some of the fans who received the clothes noted how much the items meant to them: Brigitte Pividial told the paper of the red vest she received, "I will cherish this for the rest of my life." And another fan, John Gallagher, made a note of what a pair of sunglasses and a T-shirt revealed about Amy's stature. "They were very small in size and skinny, like her figure.


Mitch surprised some of those gathered outside by handing out a few of Amy's clothes and accessories, including several tank tops, sunglasses and other trinkets, according to The Sun. "There are Amy's T-shirts. This is what she would have wanted — for her fans to have her clothes," he told the stunned fans, as he walked away with a pair of Winehouse's signature ballet shoes in his back pocket. "God bless Amy Winehouse," he said before hopping in a taxi.


The family also carted off some other possessions, including Amy's guitars and her lyric books.


Some of Winehouse's pals and family got together to celebrate her life at her favorite jazz club on Thursday night. Her divorced parents were joined by Traviss and friends that included Kelly Osbourne and Eliza Doolittle at the Jazz After Dark club in London's Soho district. Also on hand was producer Mark Ronson, who paid tribute to his muse the during a concert the night before, when he performed a selection of Amy's songs.

Here comes Tiger back

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Tiger Woods returns to golf under a new set of circumstances.


He no longer has the caddie he employed for the last 12 years, having fired Steve Williams a month ago. He no longer is among the top 20 in the world, his lowest ranking since Allen Iverson was an NBA rookie. And he might not even be eligible to play on the PGA Tour after a couple of weeks.


After missing two majors during an 11-week break to make sure his left leg was fully healed, Woods announced Thursday evening on Twitter and on his website that he would return next week at the Bridgestone Invitational.


"Feeling fit and ready to tee it up at Firestone next week. Excited to get back out there!" he tweeted.


By missing three months - but only four tournaments he would typically play - Woods has gone from No. 81 to No. 133 in the FedEx Cup standings. Only the top 125 players qualify for the opening round of the playoffs at The Barclays, likely leaving him only the Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship next week to make up ground. Otherwise, he would have at least five weeks off without being able to play on the PGA Tour.


This was the third-longest layoff of his career, and there is as much uncertainty as ever about his future. He has gone more than 20 months without winning, and was last seen in golf shoes on May 12 at The Players Championship when he hobbled off the course after a 6-over 42 on the front nine and withdrew.


He already has had four surgeries on his left knee, and the left Achilles' gave him just as much trouble. He hurt both of them during the third round of the Masters, although the injuries were described as "minor" when he first mentioned the pain in May.


Along with his health, there has been change off the golf course. Woods left IMG when the contract of longtime agent Mark Steinberg was not renewed. The only endorsement deal for Woods since he returned from a devastating sex scandal was with a Japanese company to promote a heat rub.


Then came the firing of Williams, who caddied for Adam Scott at the U.S. Open, then angered his boss by working for the Australian again at the AT&T National without seeking permission.


The Golf Channel reported Thursday night that Bryon Bell, a childhood friend and president of Tiger Woods Design, would caddie for him at the Bridgestone Invitational. Bell has caddied for Woods three times - a win at the 1999 Buick Invitational, a tie for second at the Buick Invitational when Woods gave him a chance to help defend, and a tie for second in 2003 at the Disney Classic when Woods gave Williams the week off for a car race in New Zealand.


Steinberg declined to confirm Bell would be on the bag, saying in a text message that "no long term been discussed yet as he just decided tonight he was fit and ready to go next week."


Bell would bring a level of familiarity to Woods, although Bell was implicated during Woods' sex scandal as allegedly arranging travel for one of his mistresses.


Tiger returns. Next week, in fact, at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone, in Akron, Ohio. Woods, who has not played since May 12 because of knee and Achilles injuries, announced via his Twitter account that he is "feeling fit." Probably also feeling like he needs to pick a new caddie. Maybe it won't matter at Firestone, where he has won more than any other place in his career, an amazing seven times.

Fantasy Baseball Breaking News

Jon Heyman reports that "there's a sense out there" that if the Phillies include Domonic Brown instead of Jonathan Singleton in a package for Hunter Pence, a deal will get done.

Well, we should hope so. It was reported previously that the Astros might take a Singleton/Jarred Cosart offer from the Phils, but it appears they're seeking a Brown/Cosart combo instead. We doubt the Phillies would be willing to give up Brown, and if that's truly what it will take, they might set their sights on Carlos Quentin or someone else.

From superstars to Single-A prospects Rotoworld has analyzed, projected, and profiled over 1,000 players and the Draft Guide also features a wide assortment of articles covering everything from prospects, keeper-league strategy, and mock drafts to sleepers, busts, and new-school stats to help you better evaluate pitching. You also get customizable, printable cheat sheets, updated depth charts for all teams, ADP data, and much, much more. One-stop shopping to dominate your draft.

Bill Belichick goes way back with Chad Ochocinco

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- A few quick hits from Bill Belichick's news conference to kick off Day 2 of training camp at Gillette Stadium:

Tight-lipped on trade acquisitions: Belichick opened his conference by noting he still couldn't say much on the trades that are expected to bring Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco to New England.

Process of working through the trades with Albert and Chad. They still haven’t officially been completed yet, so there’s really nothing I can comment on them. We're working through the process and when it's complete -- if it's complete -- we can talk about it then. It was good to get on the field yesterday, good to see the team actually come out of the huddle, line up in a formation, run some pays -- start getting underway. We obviously have a long long long way to go. But all thing considered, I thought the players had some recall, tried to do what we asked them to do, but we just got a lot of work to do. We’ll take it one step at a time, try to get better each time we step onto the field, each time we come out of a meeting. Try to take advantage of all of them. Day 2 here, we’re on step further than we were yesterday, which isn’t very far, but it’s a step in the right direction.”

Pressed on the trades, Belichick noted, "As it relates to Albert or Chad, any comment would be premature. We are in the process, no doubt about it. But they are not officially on our team and, until they are, I don’t think it's appropriate to talk about it as is they are.

It was the beginning of an affair that came to fruition yesterday when Belichick sent two late-round, future draft picks to Cincinnati for Ochocinco, who then restructured his contract into a three-year deal.

At the Pro Bowl following the 2006 season, the relationship really took off. When the Bengals visited the Pats a few preseasons ago, Ochocinco wound up kicking an extra point. Belichick gushed about him afterward.

“He’s a fun-loving guy, very competitive,” Belichick said in August 2009. “When he’s on the field, he loves to compete and he works very hard, practices hard. He challenges guys in every situation. I respect that, I think he’s a terrific player. I love his competitiveness. He’s a hard guy to compete against. He’s very good.”

Unhappy with the Bengals and the path they were headed, Ochocinco took his feelings public in January by tweeting this Herald reporter: @RapSheet, PePe and Bill #EPIC.” “Pepe” is his alter ego.

Bengals coach Marvin Lewis answered the suggestion that the pair could be united by telling the Herald during the Senior Bowl, “Belichick’s smarter than that.” Wrong.

Albert Haynesworth

Albert Haynesworth, III (born June 17, 1981 in Hartsville, South Carolina) is an American football defensive lineman for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Tennessee Titans in the first round (15th overall) of the 2002 NFL Draft. He played college football at Tennessee.
Haynesworth has been selected to two Pro Bowls in his career and was considered "the most dominant defensive tackle in the league" when he signed a seven-year, $100 million contract with the Washington Redskins in February 2009.


Early years
Haynesworth went to Hartsville High School in Hartsville, South Carolina, and was then recruited to the University of Tennessee. Haynesworth was listed by SuperPrep as the No. 14 prospect in the nation.


College career
At the University of Tennessee, Haynesworth was a three-year letterman and lined up at right defensive tackle next to John Henderson. He compiled 66 tackles, five sacks, 31 quarterback pressures, 20 tackles for a loss and nine pass deflections during his career. He earned Sporting News Freshman All-American honors in 1999 and was named Second Team All-Southeastern Conference after his junior season.

Personal

Arrest warrants were issued against Haynesworth in two Tennessee counties in May 2006 stemming from a traffic incident on Interstate 40. Both sets of charges were dropped in June 2006. The judge in the Putnam County case tossed the charges on the grounds that the alleged offense happened out of their jurisdiction. In Smith County, the district attorney dismissed the charges. In March 2009, Haynesworth was indicted on two misdemeanor traffic charges stemming from a December 2008 car accident in Tennessee. In an accident on Interstate 65, Corey Edmonson was partially paralyzed after colliding with Haynesworth's car. Haynesworth was driving his Ferrari at speeds in excess of 100 mph when he struck Edmonson's vehicle, which struck a concrete barrier.

On June 22, 2010, it has been reported that Clayton Bank & Trust is suing the NFL lineman, alleging that Haynesworth has failed to make payments on a loan in the amount of more than $2.38 million. The suit was filed in the Knox County Chancery Court on June 18, 2010. According to papers, Haynesworth entered a commercial loan agreement for the original principal amount of $2,381,688.58 on June 27, 2009. On February 27, 2009 the two parties entered into an Extension Agreement with an effective date of February 27, 2010, according to the suit. The attorney for Clayton Bank & Trust, Hugh B. Ward, Jr., is seeking a little over $2.4 million. 

In 2010, Silvia Mena, a stripper from New York, claimed in a $10 million lawsuit that Haynesworth impregnated her and left her with no financial assistance.

In 2011, Haynesworth allegedly threw a punch to the nose of Joel Velazques, 38, of Leesburg, Va. during a traffic altercation 

Albert is a Christian, as he has a tattoo bearing the name Jesus Christ.

Professional career
Considered "potentially a brutal run-stopper" by The New York Times, Haynesworth went 15th overall in the 2002 NFL Draft, picked by the Tennessee Titans. He was the fourth defensive tackle selected from a draft class considered to be loaded with talented defensive linemen. At Tennessee's Pro Day in 2002, when he was just 20 years old, Haynesworth measured at 6-foot-6, 317 pounds, ran a 4.82 40-yard dash, had a 39-inch vertical jump and an 8-foot, 7-inch broad jump. He did not workout at the 2002 NFL Combine.
Pre-draft measureables
Ht Wt 40-yd dash 10-yd split 20-yd split 20-ss 3-cone Vert Broad BP Wonderlic
6 ft 5⅝ in 317 lb 4.82 s 39 in 8 ft 7 in 17 rep
All values from Tennessee Pro Day


Tennessee Titans
Haynesworth was elected to the Pro Bowl for the first time for the 2007 NFL season. During this season following the stomping incident, he ranked second on the team with six sacks in his 11 games played up to the selection, led or tied for the team-high in total tackles three times that season, and led or tied the team-high in quarterback pressures five times. At the point where the Pro Bowl selection was made, the Titans were 8–3 in games in which Haynesworth started and 0–3 in games in which he did not play.
Haynesworth said of his Pro Bowl selection, "It’s an awesome feeling. It’s kind of a load off my back because I didn’t want last year’s suspension to define my career. It was a difficult time in my life, but I was determined to keep working hard to get to this point and earn the respect of my teammates, coaches and fans." Haynesworth failed to sign with Tenneesse due to the deadline of signing a franchise tagged player.
An incident occurred at a Titans training camp in 2003, where Haynesworth kicked his former teammate, center Justin Hartwig, in the chest, and had to be restrained by other teammates.


Stomping incident
On October 1, 2006 in the third quarter of a game against the Cowboys, running back Julius Jones scored on a rushing play. Center Andre Gurode fell to the ground, and his helmet was removed by Haynesworth.
Haynesworth tried to stomp on Gurode's head, but missed. A second stomp opened a severe wound on Gurode's forehead, narrowly missing his right eye. The referee assessed Haynesworth with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty, to which Haynesworth protested by taking off his helmet and throwing it into the turf; Haynesworth was then assessed an additional 15-yard penalty and ejected.
Gurode later received 30 stitches just above and below his right eye. After the game, Titans coach Jeff Fisher apologized on behalf of the Titans organization to Cowboys coach Bill Parcells. After the game, Haynesworth apologized, saying "What I did out there was disgusting. It doesn't matter what the league does to me. The way I feel right now, you just can't describe it."
Video evidence of the play shows Haynesworth bend down towards Gurode prior to his helmet being off and prior to the stomps. Because the view is partially blocked by other players it is unclear whether Haynesworth manually removes the helmet. Therefore, most media outlets reported simply that Gurode's helmet was off. However, hometown columnist Mickey Spagnola of DallasCowboys.com argued that Haynesworth pulled off Gurode's helmet.
On October 2, 2006, Haynesworth was suspended for five games without pay by the NFL. The suspension is the longest in modern NFL history for an on-the-field incident, more than twice as long as the previous longest suspension, given in 1986 by Commissioner Pete Rozelle to Green Bay nose tackle Charles Martin. Based on his 2006 base salary of $646,251, Haynesworth forfeited more than $190,000. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who had only been on the job a month, stated that there was "absolutely no place in the game, or anywhere else" for Haynesworth's behavior. However, ESPN′s Mark Schlereth, a 12-year NFL veteran, felt that Haynesworth should have been suspended for the rest of the season. ESPN′s Merril Hoge harshly criticized the officials for not ejecting Haynesworth immediately after the stomp.
Gurode later said that he would not seek criminal charges against Haynesworth. He continued to experience headaches and blurred vision as of October 2006.
The NFL Players Association initially planned to appeal the suspension, calling it too severe. However, Haynesworth said on October 3 that he would not appeal, after personally apologizing to Gurode in the same day. In a press conference on October 5, Haynesworth apologized to all who watched the game and said he had entered counseling to control his emotions. He also said that he would work with children in the Nashville area.
Haynesworth was eligible to return on November 19 for the Titans' game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Even then, there was no guarantee that he would play. Fisher told Parcells after the game that the Titans would punish Haynesworth themselves if they felt the NFL's punishment wasn't harsh enough. On the same day as Haynesworth's press conference, Fisher told a national radio show that the Cowboys game may have been Haynesworth's last as a Titan. The team had the option of either deactivating him for the final seven games of the season or releasing him.
On September 9, 2007, in the Week 1 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Haynesworth was called for unnecessary roughness when he slammed running back Maurice Jones-Drew to the ground after a tackle.
He was fined $5,000 by the NFL for this incident. Afterwards, when asked if he would be gentler during play, he commented, "I'm not going to be any gentler or whatever. Maybe I'll just help them up."


Washington Redskins
An unrestricted free agent in the 2009 offseason, Haynesworth signed a seven-year, $100 million contract with the Washington Redskins on the first day of free agency, February 27, 2009. The deal is expected to pay Haynesworth $32 million in the first 13 months, includes $41 million guaranteed and could reach $115 million if all incentives are met. Tennessee’s final offer to Haynesworth reportedly amounted to a four-year package worth $34 million total, with about $20 million in guarantees. Haynesworth reported on SIRIUS Blitz that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offered him a $120 million deal that could potentially increase by 20%. He says that he took a discount to play with the Redskins because of their large fan base and media outlet, something that he also did not have in Tennessee.
In April 2009, the Titans asked the NFL to consider tampering charges against the Redskins, claiming that the Redskins contacted Haynesworth before the free agency period began on February 27.
Twice as a member of the Redskins, Haynesworth has been penalized with personal fouls while coming to the aid of a teammate. In an October 2009 Sports Illustrated poll, Haynesworth was voted by his fellow NFL players as the most dominant defender in the game.
After a 45-12 loss to the New York Giants on Monday Night in 2009, Haynesworth questioned the scheme of defensive coordinator Greg Blache, and stated that he could not "survive another season in this system if it stays the way it is.
On December 7, 2010, it was announced that Haynesworth will be suspended for the rest of the season. There had been conflicts throughout the 2010 pre-season with Haynesworth and the coaching staff. After a dispute over his absence at a practice in which Haynesworth claimed to be ill, the team suspended him for "conduct detrimental to the club." Coach Mike Shanahan said the suspension followed a refusal by Haynesworth to cooperate in a series of ways and not only because of the practice absence.
During the 2010 season, Haynesworth had a career-low 13 tackles and just 2.5 sacks in 8 games.


New England Patriots
Haynesworth was traded to the New England Patriots on July 28, 2011 for a 5th round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft.


In popular culture
In a humorous response to Haynesworth’s failure to pass the Redskins conditioning test in July of 2010, the August 27, 2010 edition of The Onion ran the headline (with an accompanying photo), "Report: Albert Haynesworth Just A Mound Of Ice Cream And Hot Dogs.

The Albert Haynesworth rap sheet

Earlier this summer, Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett confirmed what everyone had already heard: Albert Haynesworth can be a real pain in the locker room, the meeting room, etc.


"He can do almost anything he wants. He doesn’t want to do anything. To me that’s the issue,” Haslett told 101 ESPN Radio in St. Louis. “He’s one of those guys you walk in a meeting and you tell him, ‘Put down the phone.’ The next day you have to tell him to put down the phone. The next day, you tell him to put down the phone.


“You tell him, ‘Don’t read the newspaper in meetings.’ The next day you have to tell him the same thing. It doesn’t stick; it’s an every-day thing.”


If only those were the worst of Haynesworth's problems.


The irritable defensive tackle has a propensity for breaking the law, almost breaking the law, and being accused of breaking the law. He has racked up a significant rap sheet ever since his college days at Tennessee. Here's a list of his most infamous indiscretions, including the one that put his volatile personality on the map: the stomp heard 'round the NFL.


At the University of Tennessee in November 2000, Haynesworth, a sophomore, got mad at Volunteers offensive tackle Will Ofenheusle. Haynesworth left the practice field and returned with what multiple reports described as a "long pole," but Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer intervened.


In training camp of 2003, Haynesworth started a team brawl by kicking Titans center Justin Hartwig. Then, in December 2003, Titans coach Jeff Fisher deactivated Haynesworth for one game after Haynesworth hit Matt Martin in the back of the head during an argument.


In the first game of the regular season, Haynesworth is called for unnecessary roughness when he slams Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew to the ground after a tackle. He is fined $5,000 by the NFL. Afterward, when asked if he should have been less rough on the play, he comments, "I'm not going to be any gentler or whatever. Maybe I'll just help them up."


Haynesworth faces a grand jury after receiving the police clock him traveling more than 100 mph in a 70-mph zone.


Haynesworth is fined $5,000 for an unnecessary hit on San Diego Chargers QB Philip Rivers during a playoff game. The late-hit penalty leads to the go-ahead touchdown for the Chargers, who go on to eliminate Tennessee from the playoffs.


Haynesworth is indicted on two misdemeanor traffic charges stemming from a December 2008 car accident in Tennessee. In the accident on Interstate 65, driver Corey Edmonson is partially paralyzed after colliding with Haynesworth's car. Police say Haynesworth was driving his Ferrari at speeds in excess of 100 mph when he struck Edmonson's vehicle, which struck a concrete barrier.


In his first year as a member of the Washington Redskins, Haynesworth questions the scheme of defensive coordinator Greg Blache, and states that he (Haynesworth) could not "survive another season in this system if it stays the way it is.''


Clayton Bank & Trust sues Haynesworth, alleging that he has failed to make payments on a loan in the amount of more than $2.38 million. According to papers, Haynesworth entered a commercial loan agreement for the original principal amount of $2,381,688.58 on June 27, 2009. On Feb. 27, 2009, the two parties entered into an Extension Agreement with an effective date of Feb. 27, 2010, according to the suit. The attorney for Clayton Bank & Trust, Hugh B. Ward, Jr., is seeking a little more than $2.4 million.


Haynesworth and new Redskins coach Mike Shanahan enter into a heated controversy because Haynesworth is unhappy about playing nose tackle in the new 3-4 defense. He refuses to attend early training camps and shows up to preseason practice out of shape. Shanahan refulses to allow Haynesworth to practice until he passes a fitness test first. Haynesworth is unable to do so for several weeks, during which the divide between he and Shanahan grows deeper. Haynesworth's play in 3-4 proves to be shoddy at best, and his relationship with Shanahan worsens to a point that on Dec. 7, Haynesworth is suspended for the season's final four games for conduct detrimental to the team.




Silvia Mena, a stripper from New York, claims in a $10-million lawsuit that Haynesworth impregnated her and refuses to pay child support.


Haynesworth is accused of throwing a punch to the nose of Joel Velazques, of Leesburg, Va. during a traffic altercation. The parties reach an out-of-court settlement.


-Haynesworth is indicted on sexual assault charges after allegedly fondling a waitress while paying his bill at a hotel in Washington, D.C. Haynesworth rejects a plea offer in May and tells investigators the waitress was upset because he is not attracted to black women. If convicted, he faces up six months in jail and a fine of $1,000. The trial is set to begin next week.

Patriots trade for Albert Haynesworth, Chad Ochocinco

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Randy Moss and Corey Dillon were malcontents when they joined the New England Patriots. Rodney Harrison arrived with a reputation as a dirty, washed-up player.
All of them fit in very well with their new team.
Now Albert Haynesworth and Chad Ochocinco are coming and “The Patriot Way” will be tested once again.


After a season-long feud with Washington coach Mike Shanahan, the 335-pound Haynesworth was traded to the Patriots on Thursday for a fifth-round draft choice in 2013. Haynesworth will team with Vince Wilfork to give New England a formidable defensive line.


Later Thursday, the Patriots obtained Ochocinco from Cincinnati and gave the wide receiver a new three-year contract. It was not known what the Bengals received.


Each transaction was confirmed by a person familiar with the deals who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because none of the teams had announced the moves.


The outspoken Ochocinco and reticent Patriots coach Bill Belichick have opposite public images. But they have developed a friendship, in part from interacting at Pro Bowl practices.


Haynesworth and Redskins Coach Mike Shanahan never clicked. Haynesworth will go down as the most expensive bust in Washington history so far, seeing as the Redskins gave him a seven-year, $100-million contract in 2009, with $41 million guaranteed.


Haynesworth is scheduled to make $5 million this season.


"He'll see how we do things around here, point blank," Patriots defensive lineman Vince Wilfork told reporters. "We had guys come through here with a rap sheet and [people] say he can't be handled, this guy can't do this, and you know what, it worked out fine for us.


"So I don't think it will be a big problem."


It wasn't Coach Bill Belichick's only eye-catching move of the day. According to multiple reports, he also traded for Twitter-happy Cincinnati receiver Chad Ochocinco, the Bengals' all-time leader in receptions (751), yards receiving (10,783) and touchdown catches (66).


Among the league's more active players on Twitter, Ochocinco was uncharacteristically quiet after the deal, simply tweeting: "God is so good."


As of Thursday afternoon, the Patriots had not announced their trades, and neither had the Redskins or Bengals. That was in keeping with the murkiness of this unprecedented week of eleventh-hour transactions. Teams can make trades and release players but are not allowed to sign unrestricted free agents until 3 p.m. PDT Friday.


Still, handshake deals have been going on all over the league this week, promising for an interesting month of training camps before the regular season starts in six weeks.


Some of the notable moves Thursday:


• In a trade that was telegraphed for quite a while, Philadelphia sent quarterback Kevin Kolb to Arizona for cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second-round draft choice. That came a day after news that Minnesota had worked out a trade with the Redskins for quarterback Donovan McNabb. Not so long ago, the Eagles' depth chart once read, 1. McNabb, 2. Kolb, 3. Michael Vick.


• Brad Smith, the ultra-versatile receiver for the New York Jets, agreed to terms with Buffalo, stirring speculation that the Bills will use him frequently as a Wildcat quarterback.


• Two former starting quarterbacks were shown the door, with Cleveland releasing Jake Delhomme and Tennessee saying goodbye to Vince Young.


• Miami reportedly made a trade with New Orleans for running back Reggie Bush. Nine years ago, the Dolphins made a swap with the Saints for another Heisman Trophy-winning running back, Ricky Williams. Although Williams wound up winning a rushing title in Miami, the Dolphins have not won a playoff game since making that deal.

Tiger is back so what does that mean for golf fans?

Tiger Woods ended an 11-week absence from the PGA Tour Thursday night with the surprising announcement that he would play next week at the W.G.C.-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club.


It is not surprising that Woods would return to a golf course where he has won seven times. What is surprising is that he is coming back to the golf course where his most recent memory is of playing probably the worst 72 holes of his professional career — shooting 18 over par and finishing 78th in the 80-man field last year.


Then there are the other uncertainties. How much has he been able to strengthen the two injuries — a strained medial collateral ligament in his left knee and the strained Achilles’ tendon that was previously torn — that have kept him out of action since May 12?


And how much work has he done on his game to prepare for Firestone’s bowling-alley fairways? None to speak of, according to his swing coach, Sean Foley, on CBSsports.com on Wednesday. Foley was confirming as much in text messages to friends late Thursday night, saying he and Woods would be getting back to work Friday for the first time since May.


There is still the uncertainty about how Woods will fare without the familiar figure of Steve Williams on the bag. Williams, who caddied for Woods for 13 years and 13 of Woods’s 14 major championship wins, was fired last month during the AT&T National, ending one of golf’s most successful player-caddie relationships.


He's shed the weight of a couple of swing coaches, a swing, a caddie, a No. 1 ranking and a marketing agency. He has not won in 20 months but has seven career victories at Firestone.


But he's got his health and that means he's got everything.


The knee and Achilles injuries that sidelined him for 11 weeks seem to have healed enough for him to return to competition. He's scheduled to work with swing coach Sean Foley today.


Now ranked No. 21, Woods tweeted that he's "feeling fit and ready to tee it up at Firestone next week. Excited to get back out there!"


The Golf Channel is reporting the Bryon Bell, a childhood friend of the golfer, will replace Steve Williams as caddie. Bell, president of Tiger Woods design has toted Woods clubs three other times.


Woods' agent Mark Steinberg e-mailed USA TODAY to say "no long-term caddie has been discussed with Tiger as of yet."


Tiger is ready to return. What will that mean for us and golf?

Tamoxifen Gives 15-Year Breast Cancer Protection

Patricia Kearns from Banbridge was diagnosed with breast cancer after being screened in 2009.


"In October 2008 my sister put both our names down in Gordon's Chemists as it was breast cancer awareness month," she said.


Three months later she got a call from Action Cancer to arrange an appointment.


She went to Action Cancer in February and had a mammogram.


Within a week she was recalled: "I had no lumps or history."


"I attended the City Hospital in Belfast where I had five little white pin dots, which they had picked up, removed," she said.


"I was told I could have cancer in any part of my body within a year, five years or 10 years down the line.


"In May I went and had a mastectomy and reconstruction where I had six lymph nodes removed and three of those had cancer cells."


Five years of tamoxifen can prevent a high proportion of recurrences and potentially cure many patients, rather than simply delay an inevitable event," Chia and Wolff note.


Tamoxifen works only on the most common form of breast cancer: the form that needs the female hormone estrogen in order to grow. These cancers carry proteins, called receptors, that bind estrogen. Tamoxifen makes it impossible for these receptors to bind estrogen.


Importantly, the EBCTCG study shows that tamoxifen works even on breast cancers that carry only small numbers of estrogen receptors.


"Therefore, another crucial message from this [study] is the need for accurate and sensitive [tests] ... to detect even low concentrations of estrogen receptor and thus further identify potential candidates for ... tamoxifen treatment," Chia and Wolff suggest.


Newer drugs, called aromatase inhibitors, also block estrogen. But these drugs don't work in premenopausal women. Moreover, it's still not known how long their benefits last.


"Access to accurate estrogen-receptor testing, and to tamoxifen (a relatively inexpensive drug) or other endocrine therapies is a public health imperative for all women with breast cancer," Chia and Wolff conclude.

Washington’s Not-So-Adult Moment

Europe followed Asian markets lower and Wall Street was set to open down. The FTSE 100 fell 56 points - or 1pc - to 5,815.90, while France's CAC-40 shed 1pc and Germany's DAX lost 0.9pc.


We're basically standing on the edge of an abyss peaking over, with the bottom nowhere to be seen," said IG Markets strategist Ben Potter in a report.
He warned that without a deal by Monday, markets could "risk significant fear-based selling that could rapidly get out of control."
House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner's failure to round up enough support for his plan on Thursday exposed a rift in the Republican Party that is hampering efforts to reach a compromise to raise the US debt ceiling before next Tuesday.
President Barack Obama says that unless Democrats and Republicans strike a deal, the government will start being unable to pay all its bills on August 2, a once unthinkable prospect that is increasingly unnerving.


With only four full days left, the Treasury could unveil as early as Friday an emergency plan explaining how the government would function and pay its obligations if Congress does not agree to raise its borrowing limit from $14.3 trillion (£8.8 trillion).
Despite warnings of dire economic consequences, lawmakers appear as far apart as ever as conservative Republicans demand an end to what they say is out-of-control government spending and Democrats seek to protect spending on social programs.
In a sign of growing international alarm over the US impasse, China's state-run news agency sharply criticized US politicians, saying the world's largest economy has been "kidnapped" by "dangerously irresponsible" politics.
Some conservatives declared the bill “not good enough” and “too small,” while others had wondered aloud why they would vote for an imperfect bill in the House, only to see it killed in the Senate.
”
The trouble for the leadership began Thursday afternoon, when his whip operation, led by Rep. Kevin McCarthy, realized they were falling short of the 216 GOP yes votes they needed from to pass Boehner’s package.


Adding to their headaches, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi had announced earlier that although five Democrats had broken ranks to vote for the Republicans’ “Cut, Cap, and Balance” bill, none would support Boehner’s pared-down plan now.


“The Boehner bill will not pass because it has Democratic votes,” Pelosi said.


As time ticked toward the evening vote, an announcement rippled through the lobby of the House floor that the vote would be delayed for perhaps an hour, maybe more, an ominous sign for Capitol Hill veterans that Boehner was in trouble.


Still short of the commitments he needed, Boehner launched his own furious brand of shuttle diplomacy, rounding up a parade of no’s and maybe’s, and asking what they needed to get to “yes.”


Some conservatives declared the bill “not good enough” and “too small,” while others had wondered aloud why they would vote for an imperfect bill in the House, only to see it killed in the Senate.


Rep. Louie Gohmert went to Boehner’s ornate Capitol office as a no and came out a no, “bloodied and beaten,” as he described it. Like Gohmert, Rep. Jim Jordan, the chair of the House GOP’s internal think tank, went in against the bill and emerged unchanged.


On his way into the office of Whip McCarthy, no vote Rep. Steve Southerland of Florida told CBS News that the only way he would change his vote would be “if the Lord takes me home right now.”


The leaders had more luck with other freshmen. Rep. Bill Posey (Fla.) and two other undecided freshmen went in as “maybes.” One of them, Rep. Chuck Fleishmann emerged a “yes.”


As the hold-outs were worked over by Boehner, McCarthy and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, a handful of GOP freshmen sought solace in the House chapel. Rep. Jeff Duncan (S.C.) called fellow South Carolinian Mick Mulvaney to join him in the chapel to pray for Republican leaders. “I think they need it,” Duncan told Fox News.


As 6 p.m. turned to 7, some Republicans were still unsure how they would vote. Posey was spotted walking through the Capitol, again in search of Boehner, who remained in the throes of trying to convince Posey to come over to his side.


By 8 p.m. Boehner and Co. were still summoning their members and leaning on their sense of duty, loyalty and prudence--or just asking a really, really big favor. Tall stacks of Al’s Pizza boxes were delivered to the Whip office as the night wore on.


Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) was uwavering in the hours before the vote, insisting that he had already compromised by voting for the Cut, Cap and Balance bill and needed a measure bigger and bolder than the plan Boehner had concocted. “I want something systemic that transcends election cycles,” he said. Even after an evening visit to Boehner’s chambers, Gowdy held firm.


Knowing that they lacked the votes to close their deal, McCarthy announced at 10:30 that the vote would be delayed at least until Friday. McCarthy did not say whether Boehner’s current bill would the one brought up for a vote, but staffers were told to prepare for changes to the bill.


Even if GOP members can agree on a package, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid wasted no time promising to kill in the Democratic-controlled Senate whatever comes over from the House, and to do it as soon as possible.
“As soon as the House completes its vote, the Senate will move to take up that bill, and it will be defeated,” Reid said.


Despite the threats between the chambers, the proposals from Boehner and Reid are more similar than different, with both raising the debt limit, cutting trillions from the budget, and creating commissions to come up with future federal cuts down the road. But while Reid’s plan would punt another vote until after the 2012 elections, Boehner’s envisions another bill, with another debate, less than a year from now—before President Obama faces the voters.


Rep. Sander Levin, the top Democrat on the Ways and Means committee, called the bill an “abdication of responsibility.”


“This bill is going nowhere. It tries to bind the wounds of a divided Republican caucus,” Levin said. “We should do better. We have to do better.”


As Republicans hunted for votes and Democrats promised to block any progress the GOP makes, Rep. Elijah Cummings said that with so much dysfunction between the House and Senate, it is time for Obama to reengage in the talks or face a massive default.


“I think he has to get in there and sit down, even if he has to lock the doors, say, ‘Look guys there are no alternatives,’” the Maryland Democrat said. “And I don’t think they should come out until they’re done.”


Pelosi agreed that that once the votes are over, and both chambers prove they cannot pass each other’s bills, Obama needs to work with Reid, McConnell and Boehner to come up with a plan far better than what failed in the House on Thursday, which she warned would cripple entitlements to the point that seniors should “kiss Medicare goodbye.

Boehner failed. Now what

Washington awoke Friday morning to a possibility that has been widely shrugged off for weeks, but suddenly seems chillingly real: Could the government actually default?

The delay and disintegration of a House vote on the debt limit late Thursday is the latest sign that Congress is mired in legislative gridlock just four days before the Aug. 2 deadline for lifting the country’s borrowing authority.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) vowed to return to his bill Friday, but Thursday’s chaos — hours of private meetings, praying and postponed votes — raises fresh concerns that the country is stumbling toward a possible default and downgrade of its credit rating.

“I felt for some time that a default was likely,” Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), the top Democrat on the House Financial Services Committee, told POLITICO. “Now, it’s more likely than not.”

Democrats predicted the postponed vote would provide the leverage they need to convince Boehner to take a different course, one that involves striking an agreement that can pass the House and Senate with bipartisan support.

Despite the disarray, Democrats and Republicans actually aren’t that far apart on a possible compromise. It’s really just a question of whether the White House and congressional leaders, particularly the House speaker, choose to seal the deal.

Boehner is the wild card. He will quickly need to decide if he should push a bill through the House with Democratic votes — a move certain to infuriate conservatives already angry with the direction of the talks. That appears to be the only way Congress will avert a default.

But Boehner has shown no willingness to take this step, alarming the White House and Senate leaders who have been quietly shaping the contents of a deal that could move through Congress rapidly by the deadline or within a few days of it.

Another possibility is that Boehner pulls back and moves to his right. His speakership is undoubtedly endangered, and it's possible he will choose to shore up his flank rather than raise the debt ceiling. That would be dangerous for the economy, but it is not, given last night's humiliation, unthinkable.

Perhaps the primary wild card is what happens when the market opens today. If Wall Street assesses this as yet another day of Washington nonsense en route to an inevitable deal, then congressional leaders will find they have a bit more time to dawdle and negotiate. If the market decides that Boehner's inability to control his caucus is evidence that things really are different this time, it could drop precipitously. If that happens, the leadership of both parties might dispense with the legislation meant to message and figure out how to pass the legislation meant to lift the debt ceiling. It would be about time.

It's really not that hard to see what the final deal will eventually look like. And in a sense, last night's vote -- or, more to the point, non-vote -- is irrelevant to it. Boehner was aways going to need to assemble a coalition of more moderate Republicans and Democrats to get a deal. Last night's vote was a referendum on Boehner, but it had little to do with reaching an actual deal. So the optimistic spin is that the GOP's failure will move the Republican leadership to embrace the bipartisan strategy they were always going to have to adopt at the end. The pessimistic spin is that they now know pushing a compromise bill through the House could truly harm their careers and will hide from it. But they can only hide for so long. That's the problem with being in the leadership. Eventually, you have to lead.

Cowboys and Aliens' review: Genre mashup not quite firing on all cylinders

Set in the old West desert town of Absolution, Cowboys & Aliens has almost everything you'd expect to see in a classic Western: gunslingers, shoot-outs, saloons ... and aliens.

Just think of it as gourmet comfort food.

"Hopefully it's a really, really smart version of a very simplistic concept," actor-turned-director Jon Favreau tells NPR's Mary Louise Kelly.

As a director, Favreau is best known for his Iron Man mega-hits, but he says he was cautious not to let his latest film devolve into a sci-fi action popcorn movie.

"The trick is to discipline it so that the scale of the film remains a Western all the way through," he says. "Make it feel like a Western, don't immediately turn it into Independence Day."

Before they can settle their score, however, the other half of the movie's title -- the aliens -- finally figure into things, laying siege to Absolution in a midnight raid and carrying away a number of its residents.

Favreau has proven before that he can direct action sequences, and he does it again here, with a scene that is intense, prolonged and just plain big. The problem is that it takes so dadgum long to happen. We all know aliens will come into play -- it's right there in the title -- but Favreau insists on playing it coy, teasing us with the pretend mystery of what's in store for unsuspecting Absolution.

It takes a shade over 30 minutes before the aliens finally make their entrance, and even then we only see their shiny, trilobite-like ships. Another 15 minutes are wasted before we actually see one of the creatures.

That "make-'em-wait" conceit worked in Spielberg's "Jaws." Here, though, it's so self-consciously done that it feels as if Favreau is simply killing time, sacrificing story for the sake of his big reveal.

In between, there's a lot of chatting, a lot of attempted one-liners, a lot of Craig's character piecing together his past, as the human characters -- friend and foe alike -- band together to rescue their loved ones and defend their dusty little corner of the universe.

They end result is a genre mashup that does a decent job of serving both genres -- sci-fi and Western -- but one that doesn't really excel at either.