VANCOUVER -- Taking bets on sporting events must surely be one of the world's oldest professions.
There had to be bookies in ancient Greece who laid odds on the results of chariot races. Maybe they even sold daily form charts with past performances.
So it's a natural progression for modern-day sports teams to enter into marketing and sponsorship arrangements with gambling companies. Both businesses appeal to a similar audience.
But leagues walk a razor-thin line between maintaining a symbiotic business relationship with gambling interests and upholding the integrity of their games. Public relations horror stories ensue when league players or officials get caught up in gambling scandals.
Just think of the fallout after it was revealed disgraced superstar Pete Rose bet on baseball games when he managed the Cincinnati Reds in 1987 or when former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced this year to 15 months in prison for betting on basketball games.
The NHL reinstated former Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach Rick Tocchet earlier this year after he dealt with charges related to his involvement in a New Jersey-based gambling ring. None of the charges involved betting on hockey.
"You can't have any perception among fans that anything about your game can be subject to any outside influence," NHL spokesperson John Dellapina said in an interview. "That's why the basic ban on betting on hockey exists for anybody involved with the league."
While NHL players can't bet on hockey, referees and linesmen can't even go to a casino or racetrack or poker hall or Jai-Alai facility. The game officials' collective bargaining agreement with the league forbids them from associating with gamblers or other "notorious undesirable characters."
The NBA won't let its referees visit casinos during the season, but will permit it in the off-season if the officials notify the league in advance. The CFL allows its game officials to go to casinos, but reminds them they carry higher expectations, based on the nature of their business and the integrity of the game.
But with all those anti-gambling rules in place, NHL teams can still make business deals with casinos and provincial and state lottery corporations.
The Vancouver Canucks recently signed a multi-year partnership with Great Canadian Casinos that includes changing the name of the GM Place club section to "The River Rock Club" -- a reference to Great Canadian's flagship Richmond, B.C., casino.
A news release said the "official casino of the Vancouver Canucks and General Motors Place" will host two VIP road trips and VIP hosting nights as part of their promotions this season.
Great Canadian vice-president Howard Blank said the casino operator has business relationships with the CFL's B.C. Lions and its Hastings Racecourse property has a marketing relationship with the Western Hockey League's Vancouver Giants. The company's Boulevard Casino in Coquitlam, B.C., features a Lions Den bar dedicated to the football club.
"The teams obviously look for integrity issues and want to make sure we don't try to market to minors," he said. "But we see ourselves as having the exact same demographic -- adult entertainment."
Friday, December 12, 2008
JOE 'NOT CONFIDENT' OVER OWEN
Newcastle boss Joe Kinnear has admitted he is not confident about persuading Michael Owen to sign a new contract.
The 61-year-old will sit down with his captain and a series of other soon-to-be out-of-contract players on Tuesday to put offers to them, but he is well aware that the England international will have options.
Kinnear said: "I'm not confident, to be honest. I'm going to sit down with Michael on Tuesday.
"I'm pretty confident about everybody else, but Michael is a different kettle of fish.
"He is looking at his options, I assume, but I won't go into those details until Tuesday."
The 61-year-old will sit down with his captain and a series of other soon-to-be out-of-contract players on Tuesday to put offers to them, but he is well aware that the England international will have options.
Kinnear said: "I'm not confident, to be honest. I'm going to sit down with Michael on Tuesday.
"I'm pretty confident about everybody else, but Michael is a different kettle of fish.
"He is looking at his options, I assume, but I won't go into those details until Tuesday."
Chris Brown Pairs With Rihanna, McGraw
Still riding high on the success of his 2007 sophomore Jive set "Exclusive," which has sold 1.9 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, Chris Brown is wrapping up a banner 2008.Not only did he snare two more Grammy Award nominations -- best pop collaboration (with Jordin Sparks on "No Air") and best male R&B vocal ("Take You Down") -- he emerges as Billboard's top pop artist of the year (click here for Billboard's Year in Music special section).Brown says he's content to let the album "die down," although a new single, "Superhuman" featuring Keri Hilson, was recently released. "Then I'm going to go away for a little while so people won't get tired of me," he says with a laugh. "After that I'll come back and give them some bangers."In the meantime, Brown is plenty busy with other projects, including new music with girlfriend Rihanna. "I actually have a couple of songs written already that would be dope collaborations between me and her," he says. "And I'm writing for her new album now."Among other outside writing projects, Brown says he "did a couple of songs for the Jonas Brothers, but I don't know if they took any of them. And I did a couple of songs with the Backstreet Boys and the Pussycat Dolls. I've also been writing songs for several new girl groups who are coming out."
But his most surprising collaboration is with Tim McGraw, on a song called "Human" which has yet to be released. "It's incredible, he says. "I wanted to do something more along the country line. That's a bigger and different audience for me. I also did a song with the Japanese group called the Teriyaki Boys out of Pharrell's camp."Next year will see the release of Brown's first artist on his CBE label through Interscope, 13-year-old Scooter Smiff. Brown appears on Smiff's first single, "Head of My Class." "I will also have another label through Jive that's still in the works," he says. "Urban acts are the hardest to pick because of the competition level that's out there right now. You don't want to choose a novelty artist who's only going to give you one record."
But his most surprising collaboration is with Tim McGraw, on a song called "Human" which has yet to be released. "It's incredible, he says. "I wanted to do something more along the country line. That's a bigger and different audience for me. I also did a song with the Japanese group called the Teriyaki Boys out of Pharrell's camp."Next year will see the release of Brown's first artist on his CBE label through Interscope, 13-year-old Scooter Smiff. Brown appears on Smiff's first single, "Head of My Class." "I will also have another label through Jive that's still in the works," he says. "Urban acts are the hardest to pick because of the competition level that's out there right now. You don't want to choose a novelty artist who's only going to give you one record."
Exclusive: Eminem Talks New Album, Book
Eminem has revealed details of his long-awaited new album, "Relapse," in an exclusive interview with Billboard, conducted via email. The set is due next spring from Shady/Interscope.Eminem is working on "Relapse" with longtime collaborator Dr. Dre, who put his own album, "Detox," on the backburner to help bring the project to completion."Me and Dre are back in the lab like the old days, man," Eminem says. "Just him banging away on tracks and me getting that little spark that makes me write to it. I don't have chemistry like that with anyone else as far as producers go -- not even close. Dre will end up producing the majority of the tracks on Relapse.' We are up to our old mischievous ways ... let's just leave it at that."A handful of songs intended for "Relapse" have leaked online, most recently "Crack a Bottle," leaving Eminem "really heated. It wasn't close to finished, and it even has me doing guide vocals for Dre as a suggestion of how he could lay his verses down. It's like someone catches you peeping in your window before you got the Spider Man costume all zipped up! Nobody is supposed to see that. We are gonna finish it up though and get it out there how it's supposed to be."Eminem also responded to producer Swizz Beats' recent comment that he'd submitted a track for the project described as a sequel to the hit single "Stan," telling Billboard, "I haven't worked with Swizz on this album.
"There isn't a 'Stan 2,' and there won't be," he says. "Stan drove his car off a bridge and I'm not writing a song as Stan's ghost. That would just be really corny."While working on "Relapse," Eminem was also writing his autobiography, "The Way I Am," with Sacha Jenkins. The book has received favorable reviews and has spent time in the top 20 of the New York Times hardcover nonfiction best-sellers list."For me, writing an album is an entirely different process from making this book," he says. "The album requires a certain focus of mine that I can't really explain -- let's just say it's all I can really do while I'm doing it. With the book, the process was much more spread out, like, 'Let's get you together with Sacha for a few hours next week. Let's go thru these photos and artwork, etc.' The book was a lot more of a focus here-and-there thing as opposed to music, which totally consumes me every second." Eminem goes into great detail in "The Way I Am" about how much he was impacted by the 2006 shooting death of fellow Detroit rapper Proof, who was one of his best friends."Opening the book with Proof's chapter was real important for me," Eminem says. "Everything from my past moving into my future is marked by his passing. It's sort of like life when Proof was with us, and life after -- a real dividing factor. He means more to me than a book chapter could describe, but I'm glad I was able to put him first, like he did for me so many times." As for Shady Records' 2009 roster, Eminem says 50 Cent's delayed "Before I Self Destruct" will be out in February. "He's still working on it and getting back together with me and Dre next week to finish up," he says. "I have a couple of tracks on there with him. It's sick."Afterward, Ca$his will release the follow-up to his 2007 "County Hound EP." Says Eminem, "People are going to be surprised what he is capable of. I produced a bunch of records on there as well."
"There isn't a 'Stan 2,' and there won't be," he says. "Stan drove his car off a bridge and I'm not writing a song as Stan's ghost. That would just be really corny."While working on "Relapse," Eminem was also writing his autobiography, "The Way I Am," with Sacha Jenkins. The book has received favorable reviews and has spent time in the top 20 of the New York Times hardcover nonfiction best-sellers list."For me, writing an album is an entirely different process from making this book," he says. "The album requires a certain focus of mine that I can't really explain -- let's just say it's all I can really do while I'm doing it. With the book, the process was much more spread out, like, 'Let's get you together with Sacha for a few hours next week. Let's go thru these photos and artwork, etc.' The book was a lot more of a focus here-and-there thing as opposed to music, which totally consumes me every second." Eminem goes into great detail in "The Way I Am" about how much he was impacted by the 2006 shooting death of fellow Detroit rapper Proof, who was one of his best friends."Opening the book with Proof's chapter was real important for me," Eminem says. "Everything from my past moving into my future is marked by his passing. It's sort of like life when Proof was with us, and life after -- a real dividing factor. He means more to me than a book chapter could describe, but I'm glad I was able to put him first, like he did for me so many times." As for Shady Records' 2009 roster, Eminem says 50 Cent's delayed "Before I Self Destruct" will be out in February. "He's still working on it and getting back together with me and Dre next week to finish up," he says. "I have a couple of tracks on there with him. It's sick."Afterward, Ca$his will release the follow-up to his 2007 "County Hound EP." Says Eminem, "People are going to be surprised what he is capable of. I produced a bunch of records on there as well."
Exclusive: Eminem Talks New Album, Book
Eminem has revealed details of his long-awaited new album, "Relapse," in an exclusive interview with Billboard, conducted via email. The set is due next spring from Shady/Interscope.Eminem is working on "Relapse" with longtime collaborator Dr. Dre, who put his own album, "Detox," on the backburner to help bring the project to completion."Me and Dre are back in the lab like the old days, man," Eminem says. "Just him banging away on tracks and me getting that little spark that makes me write to it. I don't have chemistry like that with anyone else as far as producers go -- not even close. Dre will end up producing the majority of the tracks on Relapse.' We are up to our old mischievous ways ... let's just leave it at that."A handful of songs intended for "Relapse" have leaked online, most recently "Crack a Bottle," leaving Eminem "really heated. It wasn't close to finished, and it even has me doing guide vocals for Dre as a suggestion of how he could lay his verses down. It's like someone catches you peeping in your window before you got the Spider Man costume all zipped up! Nobody is supposed to see that. We are gonna finish it up though and get it out there how it's supposed to be."Eminem also responded to producer Swizz Beats' recent comment that he'd submitted a track for the project described as a sequel to the hit single "Stan," telling Billboard, "I haven't worked with Swizz on this album.
"There isn't a 'Stan 2,' and there won't be," he says. "Stan drove his car off a bridge and I'm not writing a song as Stan's ghost. That would just be really corny."While working on "Relapse," Eminem was also writing his autobiography, "The Way I Am," with Sacha Jenkins. The book has received favorable reviews and has spent time in the top 20 of the New York Times hardcover nonfiction best-sellers list."For me, writing an album is an entirely different process from making this book," he says. "The album requires a certain focus of mine that I can't really explain -- let's just say it's all I can really do while I'm doing it. With the book, the process was much more spread out, like, 'Let's get you together with Sacha for a few hours next week. Let's go thru these photos and artwork, etc.' The book was a lot more of a focus here-and-there thing as opposed to music, which totally consumes me every second." Eminem goes into great detail in "The Way I Am" about how much he was impacted by the 2006 shooting death of fellow Detroit rapper Proof, who was one of his best friends."Opening the book with Proof's chapter was real important for me," Eminem says. "Everything from my past moving into my future is marked by his passing. It's sort of like life when Proof was with us, and life after -- a real dividing factor. He means more to me than a book chapter could describe, but I'm glad I was able to put him first, like he did for me so many times." As for Shady Records' 2009 roster, Eminem says 50 Cent's delayed "Before I Self Destruct" will be out in February. "He's still working on it and getting back together with me and Dre next week to finish up," he says. "I have a couple of tracks on there with him. It's sick."Afterward, Ca$his will release the follow-up to his 2007 "County Hound EP." Says Eminem, "People are going to be surprised what he is capable of. I produced a bunch of records on there as well."
"There isn't a 'Stan 2,' and there won't be," he says. "Stan drove his car off a bridge and I'm not writing a song as Stan's ghost. That would just be really corny."While working on "Relapse," Eminem was also writing his autobiography, "The Way I Am," with Sacha Jenkins. The book has received favorable reviews and has spent time in the top 20 of the New York Times hardcover nonfiction best-sellers list."For me, writing an album is an entirely different process from making this book," he says. "The album requires a certain focus of mine that I can't really explain -- let's just say it's all I can really do while I'm doing it. With the book, the process was much more spread out, like, 'Let's get you together with Sacha for a few hours next week. Let's go thru these photos and artwork, etc.' The book was a lot more of a focus here-and-there thing as opposed to music, which totally consumes me every second." Eminem goes into great detail in "The Way I Am" about how much he was impacted by the 2006 shooting death of fellow Detroit rapper Proof, who was one of his best friends."Opening the book with Proof's chapter was real important for me," Eminem says. "Everything from my past moving into my future is marked by his passing. It's sort of like life when Proof was with us, and life after -- a real dividing factor. He means more to me than a book chapter could describe, but I'm glad I was able to put him first, like he did for me so many times." As for Shady Records' 2009 roster, Eminem says 50 Cent's delayed "Before I Self Destruct" will be out in February. "He's still working on it and getting back together with me and Dre next week to finish up," he says. "I have a couple of tracks on there with him. It's sick."Afterward, Ca$his will release the follow-up to his 2007 "County Hound EP." Says Eminem, "People are going to be surprised what he is capable of. I produced a bunch of records on there as well."
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Winslow wants to be back with Browns
BEREA, Ohio (AP)—Despite a disappointing season and an ugly dispute with Cleveland’s front office, Kellen Winslow wants to stay with the Browns.
Winslow will miss Monday night’s game in Philadelphia with a badly sprained left ankle, and the oft-injured tight end isn’t sure if he’ll return to the field for Cleveland’s last two games. Earlier this season, he was briefly suspended by the Browns for making disparaging remarks about the organization following his hospitalization with a staph infection.
“I love being a Cleveland Brown,” he said Wednesday. “The guys here, we don’t know who’s going to be here next year. You just have to focus on this year. That’s all you can do. … I do want to be back here. I love being here. I love playing here. The fans have stuck by me.”
Winslow said he has a “very good relationship” with Browns owner Randy Lerner, who will wait until after the season before deciding on the fates of coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Phil Savage.
Winslow missed two games with the staph infection and has just 43 catches after making 82 as a Pro Bowl selection last season.
“It’s been a tough year all along through the stuff that’s happened to me, it just hasn’t gone my way,” Winslow said. “I’m going to continue to fight and try to be a consistent player.”
Winslow will miss Monday night’s game in Philadelphia with a badly sprained left ankle, and the oft-injured tight end isn’t sure if he’ll return to the field for Cleveland’s last two games. Earlier this season, he was briefly suspended by the Browns for making disparaging remarks about the organization following his hospitalization with a staph infection.
“I love being a Cleveland Brown,” he said Wednesday. “The guys here, we don’t know who’s going to be here next year. You just have to focus on this year. That’s all you can do. … I do want to be back here. I love being here. I love playing here. The fans have stuck by me.”
Winslow said he has a “very good relationship” with Browns owner Randy Lerner, who will wait until after the season before deciding on the fates of coach Romeo Crennel and general manager Phil Savage.
Winslow missed two games with the staph infection and has just 43 catches after making 82 as a Pro Bowl selection last season.
“It’s been a tough year all along through the stuff that’s happened to me, it just hasn’t gone my way,” Winslow said. “I’m going to continue to fight and try to be a consistent player.”
Daly snatches camera, smashes it into a tree
SYDNEY, Australia (AP)—John Daly smashed a spectator’s camera into a tree while shooting a 6-over 78 in the first round of the Australian Open on Thursday, making it likely he will miss the cut for the third consecutive week Down Under.
After pushing his tee shot wide on the ninth hole—his last—Daly walked into a clump of trees, where spectator Brad Clegg tried to take a picture at close range.
Daly snatched the camera and smashed it against the nearest tree, telling the man, “You want it back, I’ll buy you a new one.”
He later released a statement via tournament organizers saying Clegg got too close.
“I was looking to take a drop and a camera was 6 inches away from my face. If I was 10 under, I would have felt the same,” Daly said in the brief statement. “My eyes are still burning from the flash of the camera.
“I feel it was very rude to put a camera that close to somebody’s face in any situation. The guy that had the camera had already taken a dozen shots at close range.”
Without saying another word, Daly took his penalty drop, finished the hole with a bogey and stormed off the course immediately after signing his card.
Asked if he would seek compensation, Clegg told the Australian Associated Press: “I don’t think I’ll be chasing him for the money. He’s a big bloke!”
Daly, who missed the cut at the Australian Masters and the PGA in the last two weeks and is being paid an appearance fee for his three-tournament trip to Australia, had three double bogeys, three bogeys and four birdies.
Clegg said he didn’t think he provoked Daly by going so close.
“I was bold, but I wasn’t unreasonable,” Clegg said.
Terms and conditions for tickets at the Australian Open prohibit the use of cameras on the course for spectators.
Tournament director Trevor Herden told reporters the episode was “an unfortunate incident,” but Daly would not face sanctions and confirmed the 42-year-old American would tee off in the second round on Friday.
PGA of Australasia commissioner Ben Sellenger said the tour has the power to impose a fine or other sanctions, but this will remain confidential.
“We’re reviewing the incident to see if any action is appropriate,” Sellenger said.
Herden said he spoke to Clegg and the spectator realized he should not have been using the camera without proper accreditation. Organizers offered Clegg tickets for the weekend, but he declined.
Daly is sensitive about cameras on the course, having required surgery earlier this year to fix a torn muscle in his stomach that he said he injured at the Honda Classic in 2007 when he tried to stop his swing after hearing the click of a fan’s camera.
Daly is making his first visit to Australia since 2002, when he left in controversial circumstances.
After taking a triple-bogey 7 on his last hole at the Australian PGA at Coolum that year, Daly threw his putter and ball into a greenside pond and later failed to sign for a 78 on his scorecard, disqualifying himself from a tournament.
Daly was later fined $5,600 by the Australasian PGA Tour and was ordered to write a letter of apology to a tour official he verbally abused, and to Craig Parry and his other playing partner, Greg Norman.
Daly is trying to finish a difficult year on a positive note.
He spent a night in jail on Oct. 27 after being found “extremely intoxicated and uncooperative,” police said, outside a Hooters restaurant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Daly hasn’t had a PGA Tour card since 2006, when his two-year exemption expired from his last victory at the Buick Invitational in 2004. He made only five cuts in 17 starts on the PGA Tour this year and earned $56,000.
His only bright spot in the past month was a final-round 62 at the Hong Kong Open en route to a 17th-place tie.
After pushing his tee shot wide on the ninth hole—his last—Daly walked into a clump of trees, where spectator Brad Clegg tried to take a picture at close range.
Daly snatched the camera and smashed it against the nearest tree, telling the man, “You want it back, I’ll buy you a new one.”
He later released a statement via tournament organizers saying Clegg got too close.
“I was looking to take a drop and a camera was 6 inches away from my face. If I was 10 under, I would have felt the same,” Daly said in the brief statement. “My eyes are still burning from the flash of the camera.
“I feel it was very rude to put a camera that close to somebody’s face in any situation. The guy that had the camera had already taken a dozen shots at close range.”
Without saying another word, Daly took his penalty drop, finished the hole with a bogey and stormed off the course immediately after signing his card.
Asked if he would seek compensation, Clegg told the Australian Associated Press: “I don’t think I’ll be chasing him for the money. He’s a big bloke!”
Daly, who missed the cut at the Australian Masters and the PGA in the last two weeks and is being paid an appearance fee for his three-tournament trip to Australia, had three double bogeys, three bogeys and four birdies.
Clegg said he didn’t think he provoked Daly by going so close.
“I was bold, but I wasn’t unreasonable,” Clegg said.
Terms and conditions for tickets at the Australian Open prohibit the use of cameras on the course for spectators.
Tournament director Trevor Herden told reporters the episode was “an unfortunate incident,” but Daly would not face sanctions and confirmed the 42-year-old American would tee off in the second round on Friday.
PGA of Australasia commissioner Ben Sellenger said the tour has the power to impose a fine or other sanctions, but this will remain confidential.
“We’re reviewing the incident to see if any action is appropriate,” Sellenger said.
Herden said he spoke to Clegg and the spectator realized he should not have been using the camera without proper accreditation. Organizers offered Clegg tickets for the weekend, but he declined.
Daly is sensitive about cameras on the course, having required surgery earlier this year to fix a torn muscle in his stomach that he said he injured at the Honda Classic in 2007 when he tried to stop his swing after hearing the click of a fan’s camera.
Daly is making his first visit to Australia since 2002, when he left in controversial circumstances.
After taking a triple-bogey 7 on his last hole at the Australian PGA at Coolum that year, Daly threw his putter and ball into a greenside pond and later failed to sign for a 78 on his scorecard, disqualifying himself from a tournament.
Daly was later fined $5,600 by the Australasian PGA Tour and was ordered to write a letter of apology to a tour official he verbally abused, and to Craig Parry and his other playing partner, Greg Norman.
Daly is trying to finish a difficult year on a positive note.
He spent a night in jail on Oct. 27 after being found “extremely intoxicated and uncooperative,” police said, outside a Hooters restaurant in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.
Daly hasn’t had a PGA Tour card since 2006, when his two-year exemption expired from his last victory at the Buick Invitational in 2004. He made only five cuts in 17 starts on the PGA Tour this year and earned $56,000.
His only bright spot in the past month was a final-round 62 at the Hong Kong Open en route to a 17th-place tie.
Lindsay Davenport returns with Aussie Open entry
SYDNEY, Australia (AP)—Three-time Grand Slam-winner Lindsay Davenport has signaled a return to the WTA Tour by entering the Australian Open.
Davenport, 32, who won the 2000 Australian Open, has not played a tournament since the U.S. Open in August, fueling speculation she was planning to retire.
“We are really excited that she has entered,” tournament director Craig Tiley said Thursday. “She is a world class player and a great ambassador for our sport.”
As well as her Australian Open singles title, Davenport won Wimbledon in 1999 and the U.S. Open in 1998. She took part in this year’s Australian Open, losing to eventual champion Maria Sharapova in the second round.
Davenport took a break from the WTA Tour for part of the 2006 and 2007 seasons before giving birth to a son, Jagger, in June 2007.
Entries for next year’s Open have closed and the top 100 men and women are all on the list for the main draws.
Davenport, 32, who won the 2000 Australian Open, has not played a tournament since the U.S. Open in August, fueling speculation she was planning to retire.
“We are really excited that she has entered,” tournament director Craig Tiley said Thursday. “She is a world class player and a great ambassador for our sport.”
As well as her Australian Open singles title, Davenport won Wimbledon in 1999 and the U.S. Open in 1998. She took part in this year’s Australian Open, losing to eventual champion Maria Sharapova in the second round.
Davenport took a break from the WTA Tour for part of the 2006 and 2007 seasons before giving birth to a son, Jagger, in June 2007.
Entries for next year’s Open have closed and the top 100 men and women are all on the list for the main draws.
Nash upset as Suns trade Bell, Diaw for Richardson
PHOENIX (AP)—Raja Bell and Boris Diaw have left Phoenix, and Steve Nash says their departure leaves him “emotionally drained.”
The Suns pulled off an unexpected five-player trade Wednesday that sent Diaw and Bell to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for high-scoring guard Jason Richardson.
The trading of Bell especially bothered Nash.
“All I can say is that he’s my best buddy and my best friend,” Nash said after the short-handed Suns lost to the Lakers. “The guys loved him, and Boris, too. It’s hard you know. I have a hard time committing to this as a business. I take this personally.”
Nash already was having a tough time dealing with the changes brought on by the departure of coach Mike D’Antoni and the arrival of Terry Porter and his more deliberate style of play.
“I take my career home with me and I care about my teammates,” Nash said. “When you lose two of your best friends on the team, it’s hard. We’re not only recreating chemistry, we’re changing our style. But we’ve got lots of time to build.”
Nash, a two-time league MVP in D’Antoni’s system, said it’s back to work, though, in this extreme team makeover.
“We’ve got two good players in return,” Nash said, “so we’ll try to build with what we have and try to see how good we can get.”
Rookie point guard Sean Singletary also went to Charlotte, while the Suns got small forward Jared Dudley and a 2010 second-round draft pick.
The dynamic Richardson was the center of the deal, though.
“We felt like we needed to shake things up a little bit,” Suns general manager Steve Kerr said. “We wanted to add a great scorer in the backcourt to give us better balance to take some of the pressure off of Steve.”
The 6-foot-6 Richardson is a two-time NBA slam dunk champion and an accomplished 3-point shooter who is averaging 18.7 points this season and 18.8 for his pro career.
“I think it was an opportunity for us to get better,” Porter said, “a guy who can get 20 points a night, adds athleticism for us.”
Charlotte coach Larry Brown said the Suns “just added an unbelievable piece.”
Bell, a first-team all-defensive selection in 2006-07 and second team last season, had made it clear he was not happy with the Suns’ switch from D’Antoni’s high-flying style to Porter’s more deliberate approach. Bell is averaging 9.4 points this season.
The versatile Diaw had seen his playing time dwindle behind Amare Stoudemire. The Suns still liked the Frenchman’s skills but not his salary. He is getting $9 million this season and has three more years on his contract.
“I think it’s going to be a little bit of a shock to those guys when you start a season and you have a legitimate chance to win a championship and all of a sudden go with a team that’s trying to go and find an identity and get better,” Charlotte coach Larry Brown said.
Dudley, a 6-foot-7 second-year pro, started seven games for Charlotte this season.
The 32-year-old Bell came to the Suns as a free agent in 2005 and thrived under D’Antoni’s up-tempo system, gaining notoriety when he was suspended for a 2006 playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers after throwing Kobe Bryant to the floor.
But Bell didn’t like the coaching change or the new system. Nash was a tough sell, too, and his adjustment has been made more difficult, the Suns believe, by the lack of a major scoring threat at the other backcourt position.
“Raja was a great teammate,” Stoudemire said. “Whenever there are changes, you’ve got to accept that. We’re going to build this chemistry again and get it rolling. I don’t think it will take too long.”
The deal marks a continuation of Kerr’s change in Phoenix’s makeup. The big move came in a trade that brought Shaquille O’Neal from Miami late last season.
Trading Richardson is the first major move for the Bobcats since Larry Brown took over as coach—and comes less than two years after managing partner Michael Jordan acquired Richardson in a draft-night deal with Golden State.
“I’ve watched Jason for a long time,” said Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins, who also was with Richardson in Golden State. “Just watching him grow, he grew from where he started to where he is today with his ability to score the basketball.”
Diaw will help Charlotte with Brown’s biggest complaint, a thin frontcourt. Diaw could start right away in place of struggling power forward Sean May.
“We needed to become bigger,” Higgins said.
Bell provides Charlotte with another wing player, while Singletary could serve as the No. 3 point guard behind Raymond Felton and rookie D.J. Augustin. Brown has requested another consistent point guard.
But Richardson’s offense will be missed from a team that entered Wednesday last in the league in scoring.
“You have opportunities now for other guys to develop,” Higgins said. “Some guys are going to have different opportunities. We’ll figure it out as we go on.”
AP Sports Writers John Nadel in Los Angeles; Mike Cranston in Charlotte, N.C.; and Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.
The Suns pulled off an unexpected five-player trade Wednesday that sent Diaw and Bell to the Charlotte Bobcats in exchange for high-scoring guard Jason Richardson.
The trading of Bell especially bothered Nash.
“All I can say is that he’s my best buddy and my best friend,” Nash said after the short-handed Suns lost to the Lakers. “The guys loved him, and Boris, too. It’s hard you know. I have a hard time committing to this as a business. I take this personally.”
Nash already was having a tough time dealing with the changes brought on by the departure of coach Mike D’Antoni and the arrival of Terry Porter and his more deliberate style of play.
“I take my career home with me and I care about my teammates,” Nash said. “When you lose two of your best friends on the team, it’s hard. We’re not only recreating chemistry, we’re changing our style. But we’ve got lots of time to build.”
Nash, a two-time league MVP in D’Antoni’s system, said it’s back to work, though, in this extreme team makeover.
“We’ve got two good players in return,” Nash said, “so we’ll try to build with what we have and try to see how good we can get.”
Rookie point guard Sean Singletary also went to Charlotte, while the Suns got small forward Jared Dudley and a 2010 second-round draft pick.
The dynamic Richardson was the center of the deal, though.
“We felt like we needed to shake things up a little bit,” Suns general manager Steve Kerr said. “We wanted to add a great scorer in the backcourt to give us better balance to take some of the pressure off of Steve.”
The 6-foot-6 Richardson is a two-time NBA slam dunk champion and an accomplished 3-point shooter who is averaging 18.7 points this season and 18.8 for his pro career.
“I think it was an opportunity for us to get better,” Porter said, “a guy who can get 20 points a night, adds athleticism for us.”
Charlotte coach Larry Brown said the Suns “just added an unbelievable piece.”
Bell, a first-team all-defensive selection in 2006-07 and second team last season, had made it clear he was not happy with the Suns’ switch from D’Antoni’s high-flying style to Porter’s more deliberate approach. Bell is averaging 9.4 points this season.
The versatile Diaw had seen his playing time dwindle behind Amare Stoudemire. The Suns still liked the Frenchman’s skills but not his salary. He is getting $9 million this season and has three more years on his contract.
“I think it’s going to be a little bit of a shock to those guys when you start a season and you have a legitimate chance to win a championship and all of a sudden go with a team that’s trying to go and find an identity and get better,” Charlotte coach Larry Brown said.
Dudley, a 6-foot-7 second-year pro, started seven games for Charlotte this season.
The 32-year-old Bell came to the Suns as a free agent in 2005 and thrived under D’Antoni’s up-tempo system, gaining notoriety when he was suspended for a 2006 playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers after throwing Kobe Bryant to the floor.
But Bell didn’t like the coaching change or the new system. Nash was a tough sell, too, and his adjustment has been made more difficult, the Suns believe, by the lack of a major scoring threat at the other backcourt position.
“Raja was a great teammate,” Stoudemire said. “Whenever there are changes, you’ve got to accept that. We’re going to build this chemistry again and get it rolling. I don’t think it will take too long.”
The deal marks a continuation of Kerr’s change in Phoenix’s makeup. The big move came in a trade that brought Shaquille O’Neal from Miami late last season.
Trading Richardson is the first major move for the Bobcats since Larry Brown took over as coach—and comes less than two years after managing partner Michael Jordan acquired Richardson in a draft-night deal with Golden State.
“I’ve watched Jason for a long time,” said Bobcats general manager Rod Higgins, who also was with Richardson in Golden State. “Just watching him grow, he grew from where he started to where he is today with his ability to score the basketball.”
Diaw will help Charlotte with Brown’s biggest complaint, a thin frontcourt. Diaw could start right away in place of struggling power forward Sean May.
“We needed to become bigger,” Higgins said.
Bell provides Charlotte with another wing player, while Singletary could serve as the No. 3 point guard behind Raymond Felton and rookie D.J. Augustin. Brown has requested another consistent point guard.
But Richardson’s offense will be missed from a team that entered Wednesday last in the league in scoring.
“You have opportunities now for other guys to develop,” Higgins said. “Some guys are going to have different opportunities. We’ll figure it out as we go on.”
AP Sports Writers John Nadel in Los Angeles; Mike Cranston in Charlotte, N.C.; and Brett Martel in New Orleans contributed to this report.
Pearl Jam Raids Vaults For 'Ten' Reissue
Pearl Jam has unearthed a host of unreleased tracks and special surprises from its vaults for a deluxe reissue of its fabled 1991 debut album, "Ten." Four different editions will be available March 24 from Epic; pre-orders begin today (Dec. 10) at PearlJam.com.Each version includes a digitally remastered version of the original album as well as a completely new remix of the set by longtime producer Brendan O'Brien, who did not work on "Ten" but produced Pearl Jam's subsequent four albums. Bassist Jeff Ament and designer Andy Fischer teamed to revamp the artwork.The O'Brien disc also includes six previously unreleased songs from the era: early versions of "Breath" and "State of Love and Trust," "Brother" (with vocals, not the instrumental version from the 2003 rarities collection "Lost Dogs"), "Just a Girl," "Evil Little Goat" and "2,000 Mile Blues," a Stevie Ray Vaughan-inspired jam with improvised vocals from frontman Eddie Vedder.Band members have been asking O'Brien to take a crack at a complete remix for years, and he gave the idea a trial run when he remixed the "Ten" tracks "Once," "Black" and "Alive" for Pearl Jam's 2004 greatest hits album "Rearviewmirror.""The original 'Ten' sound is what millions of people bought, dug and loved, so I was initially hesitant to mess around with that," says O'Brien of the album, which has sold 9.58 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and vaulted Pearl Jam to global superstardom. The Recording Industry Association of America has certified it for U.S. shipments of 12 million copies. "After years of persistent nudging from the band, I was able to wrap my head around the idea of offering it as a companion piece to the original -- giving a fresh take on it, a more direct sound."
The "Legacy" edition of "Ten" adds a DVD of Pearl Jam's previously unreleased 1992 performance on "MTV Unplugged," including a never-aired version of "Oceans." The audio has been remixed in 5.1 surround sound. Fans can also opt for a double-vinyl version featuring the original "Ten" on one LP and O'Brien's remix on the other.But the package sure to send hardcore fans into a tizzy is the "Super Deluxe Edition," which features two CDs, a DVD and four vinyl records. It is housed in a linen-covered, slip-cased clamshell box with a replica of an item second to none in Pearl Jam lore.In 1990, when bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard and Mike McCready were getting the nascent Pearl Jam going in Seattle, they recorded three instrumentals to send to the then-unknown Eddie Vedder, who'd been recommended by Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons.Vedder, then living in San Diego, overdubbed vocals onto the tape, in the process creating the songs "Alive," "Once" and "Footsteps" (he was invited to join the band within weeks). Poor quality bootlegs of the demo, dubbed "Momma-Son," have circulated for years, but the "Super Deluxe Edition" will include a crystal-clear dub of the tape on a replica cassette.In addition, fans will receive Pearl Jam's previously unreleased Sept. 20, 1992, concert at Seattle's Magnuson Park (dubbed Drop in the Park) on two vinyl LPs and a replica of Vedder's composition notebook packed with notes, photos and memorabilia from the "Ten" era. This version will sell for $140.The "Ten" reissue is the first piece of a two-year campaign culminating with the band's 20th anniversary in 2011. Additional details have yet to be announced.Meanwhile, Pearl Jam is recording its ninth studio album (its first with O'Brien producing since 1998's "Yield"), which is expected for release next year.
The "Legacy" edition of "Ten" adds a DVD of Pearl Jam's previously unreleased 1992 performance on "MTV Unplugged," including a never-aired version of "Oceans." The audio has been remixed in 5.1 surround sound. Fans can also opt for a double-vinyl version featuring the original "Ten" on one LP and O'Brien's remix on the other.But the package sure to send hardcore fans into a tizzy is the "Super Deluxe Edition," which features two CDs, a DVD and four vinyl records. It is housed in a linen-covered, slip-cased clamshell box with a replica of an item second to none in Pearl Jam lore.In 1990, when bassist Jeff Ament and guitarist Stone Gossard and Mike McCready were getting the nascent Pearl Jam going in Seattle, they recorded three instrumentals to send to the then-unknown Eddie Vedder, who'd been recommended by Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons.Vedder, then living in San Diego, overdubbed vocals onto the tape, in the process creating the songs "Alive," "Once" and "Footsteps" (he was invited to join the band within weeks). Poor quality bootlegs of the demo, dubbed "Momma-Son," have circulated for years, but the "Super Deluxe Edition" will include a crystal-clear dub of the tape on a replica cassette.In addition, fans will receive Pearl Jam's previously unreleased Sept. 20, 1992, concert at Seattle's Magnuson Park (dubbed Drop in the Park) on two vinyl LPs and a replica of Vedder's composition notebook packed with notes, photos and memorabilia from the "Ten" era. This version will sell for $140.The "Ten" reissue is the first piece of a two-year campaign culminating with the band's 20th anniversary in 2011. Additional details have yet to be announced.Meanwhile, Pearl Jam is recording its ninth studio album (its first with O'Brien producing since 1998's "Yield"), which is expected for release next year.
Beyonce Announces European Tour Plans
Beyonce will begin a month-long European tour April 26 in Zagreb, in support of her just-released third solo album, "I Am ... Sasha Fierce." The overseas leg wraps May 31 in Belfast.Designer/director Thierry Mugler will serve as the creative advisor and costume designer on the "I AM..." tour, which will hit North America in the summer.Having already debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200, "I Am ... Sasha Fierce" has spawned No. 1 hits in Norway, Sweden, South Africa, Korea, Brazil and Denmark.Here are Beyonce's European tour dates: April 26: Zagreb (Arena)April 28: Vienna (Stadthalle)April 29: Budapest (Arena)April 30: Prague (O2)May 2: Rotterdam, Holland (Ahoy)May 5: Paris (Bercy)May 6: Strasbourg, France (Zenith)May 7: Antwerp (Sportpalais)May 8: Berlin (O2)May 10: Herning, Denmark (MCH Arena)May 11: Gothenburg, Sweden (Scandinavium)May 13: Stockholm (Globen)May 15: Cologne, Germany (Arena)May 16: Zurich (Hallenstadion)May 18: Lisbon (Atlantico)May 19: Madrid (Palacio Desportes)May 20: Barcelona (Palau St. Jordi)May 23: Birmingham, England (NIA)May 25: London (02)May 27: Manchester, England (MEN)May 29: Dublin (02)May 31: Belfast (Odyssey Arena)
Britney Debuts Big, But T.I. Tops Hot 100
T.I.'s "Live Your Life" flips 2-1 with Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It)" on the Billboard Hot 100 to score its sixth non-consecutive week at the top. Meanwhile, Britney Spears scores her first top 10 debut as "Circus" starts at No. 3.The song, which she performed live on ABC's "Good Morning America" the day her No. 1 album of the same name hit retail, also opens at No. 1 on Hot Digital Songs with 212,000 downloads. With her former No. 1 single "Womanizer" at No. 10 on the Hot 100, Spears places two tracks simultaneously in that chart's top 10 for the first time in her career.On the Hot 100, Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" featuring Colby O'Donis rises 5-4, trading places with T.I.'s "Whatever You Like." Beyonce's "If I Were a Boy" slides 3-6, as Katy Perry's "Hot N Cold" inches up 8-7.Kanye West's "Love Lockdown" jumps 13-8 thanks to a 14% digital uptick to 98,000 copies. Ne-Yo's "Miss Independent" slides 7-9 to round out the top 10. Akon's "Beautiful" featuring Colby O'Donis and Kardinal Offishall debuts at No. 19 with digital sales of 92,000.On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, "Single Ladies" remains No. 1 for a fourth week. Jay-Z's "Brooklyn Go Hard" featuring Santogold is the top debut at No. 62. The song is included on Bad Boy's "Notorious" soundtrack.
Montgomery Gentry zooms 3-1 on Hot Country Songs with "Roll With Me," its fifth chart-topper there. Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas," with contemporary vocal overdubs from Martina McBride, is the top debut at No. 43.Kings Of Leon scores its first No. 1 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart with "Sex on Fire," which unseats the Offspring's "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" after an 11-week reign. There's a new leader on Mainstream Rock as well, as Apocalyptica "I Don't Care" featuring Adam Gontier jumps 2-1 to dethrone AC/DC's "Rock'n'Roll Train" after three weeks.
Montgomery Gentry zooms 3-1 on Hot Country Songs with "Roll With Me," its fifth chart-topper there. Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas," with contemporary vocal overdubs from Martina McBride, is the top debut at No. 43.Kings Of Leon scores its first No. 1 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart with "Sex on Fire," which unseats the Offspring's "You're Gonna Go Far, Kid" after an 11-week reign. There's a new leader on Mainstream Rock as well, as Apocalyptica "I Don't Care" featuring Adam Gontier jumps 2-1 to dethrone AC/DC's "Rock'n'Roll Train" after three weeks.
Keyshia Cole: Screen Siren
Keyshia Cole knows what she wants -- and what the dynamic diva wants right now is a turkey sandwich on wheat bread with nothing on it but mayo and mustard. But the waitstaff at the restaurant adjacent to the Affinia Dumont Hotel in Manhattan can't quite seem to get that right. The sandwich first comes out with lettuce and tomatoes. But Cole is allergic to tomatoes -- "My face gets puffy," she says -- so she sends it back. No one can argue that Cole isn't forthright about what she wants -- and, beyond the sandwich, she's hungry for success. On Dec. 16 Imani/Geffen/Interscope will release her third album, "A Different Me," which will drop in the wake of the 360 deal Cole signed with Interscope that includes a movie based on her life.But right now, Cole needs to eat. Several minutes later, the sandwich comes back piled with bean sprouts and dripping with seeds -- remnants of the tomatoes that were removed from its earlier incarnation. Back again.The third time the sandwich comes out, Cole repeats her order, emphasizing she would like regular mustard. Instead, the waitress returns with a small paper cup filled with spicy mustard.Cole sends her assistant across the street to buy a small bottle of French's yellow mustard. "Dijon mustard is New York-style," she says. "It's the one thing I hate when I come out here."
Cole's single-minded scrappiness has served her well -- she used it to hammer out a music career forged on the gritty streets of Oakland, Calif., and in three years, her street-honed soul has sparked two consecutive platinum albums, eight top 10 singles on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (including three No. 1s) and a top-rated reality show on BET.All these professional achievements belie the pain-filled personal saga that first introduced Cole to the spotlight. Many of the singer/songwriter's biggest hits -- "I Should Have Cheated," "Love," "Let It Go," "I Remember" and "Heaven Sent" -- are songs that simultaneously evoke vulnerability and a fierce, don't-mess-with-me confidence. "When I met her, she had a real street attitude," says manager Manny Halley. "She didn't sugarcoat; she didn't hide anything. When I heard her sing, I could hear the pain and tear in her voice."After her first two wrenching albums, 2005's "The Way It Is" and 2007's "Just Like You," Cole's forthcoming "A Different Me" finds the singer/songwriter having more fun. "The first two albums were more . . . painful," she says. "It's a different me this time: a young woman who's still growing and finding myself, exploring life through different routes musically and in other areas. I wrote more about other people's situations than my own. I'm moving forward.""A Different Me" features Cole collaborating with a combination of marquee names and newcomers, including Polow Da Don, the Runners, Neffu, Kwame, Orthodox & Ransom and the Trackmasters. On her previous albums, Cole worked with such songwriter/producers as Greg Curtis, Missy Elliott, Scott Storch, Bryan-Michael Cox, Rodney Jerkins and Sean Garrett."When I hear something, I hear it -- it doesn't take me three, four, five times to hear a song and say, 'OK, let's write,' " Cole says about her songwriting process. "If I don't write to it right off the bat, it's not working."She's reflective and coy on the melodic lead single "Playa Cardz Right" featuring a posthumous Tupac Shakur; the track originally appeared on his 2006 album "Pac's Life," but dressed up with a new verse and arrangement by Cole and producers Fair, Carvin Haggins and Ivan Barias.A girl-talk intro colorfully sets up Cole's duet with real-life friend Monica on "Trust," while Polow Da Don taps into Cole's upbeat side on the pulsating "Make Me Over." Cole further hones her ballad skills on the track "You Complete Me" and flashes a sultry side on a cover of R. Kelly's 1992 No. 1 R&B hit, "Honey Love."While Cole's rise may seem fast to the public, the 27-year-old singer first began dabbling in music when she was 12, recording with MC Hammer and being mentored by Shakur. Born to a drug-addicted mother and adopted by a family friend when she was 2, Cole is the younger sister of Oakland-based rapper Nutt-So."Other people recognized my talent before I did," Cole says. "There were times when Hammer, Pac or other people from around my way would say, 'That little girl can sing. Sing something.' And I'd say, 'You got $5?' "Cole says the idea of seriously pursuing a music career didn't kick in until Shakur died -- "he saw it in me," she says. That sorrow -- and heartbreak brought on by a cheating boyfriend -- pushed Cole to Los Angeles and a renewed focus on her career.That hard work eventually led to an audition for her A&R rep Ron Fair, who signed her initially to a contract with A&M/Interscope in 2004. As Cole recalls, "That was the easiest part: Ron saying I was signed after hearing one verse of 'Love' and the chorus." In between finishing "Me," Cole reteamed with director Benny Boom to shoot the video for "Playa Cardz Right"; performed at the music industry's annual City of Hope benefit Oct. 15 in Los Angeles, singing Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon in the Sky"; flew to Atlanta a couple of days later to serve as an award presenter at BET's Hip-Hop Awards; and squeezed in three parties between L.A. and Atlanta during that period to celebrate her 27th birthday.She and Halley also found time to negotiate a 360 deal with Interscope. One of the offshoots of the new deal is a movie the trio is developing based on Cole's life. Halley, Cole's team hired a screenwriter to go on the road with her next year and begin developing the script.Sitting in the restaurant, Cole is the epitome of style with her black Chanel ankle boots and wavy, short-cropped 'do. Peeking out from under the sleeves and above the collar are various tattoos, including one on her neck with the words "Have Faith" emblazoned just below a red heart -- evidence of the scrappy young girl who's starting to live her dream."I haven't reached my goal yet," says Cole, who says that down the road she wants to live in a log cabin and own horses, operate a veterinary hospital and pet store -- "I'm a dog person," she adds -- plus a coffee shop on the side. "I want that real bad. I can just see the couches and the fireplace going."But to get there," she continues, "I have to first accomplish my musical goals. To quote Tupac, 'I got my money right, I got my mind right, and now I want war.' "
Cole's single-minded scrappiness has served her well -- she used it to hammer out a music career forged on the gritty streets of Oakland, Calif., and in three years, her street-honed soul has sparked two consecutive platinum albums, eight top 10 singles on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart (including three No. 1s) and a top-rated reality show on BET.All these professional achievements belie the pain-filled personal saga that first introduced Cole to the spotlight. Many of the singer/songwriter's biggest hits -- "I Should Have Cheated," "Love," "Let It Go," "I Remember" and "Heaven Sent" -- are songs that simultaneously evoke vulnerability and a fierce, don't-mess-with-me confidence. "When I met her, she had a real street attitude," says manager Manny Halley. "She didn't sugarcoat; she didn't hide anything. When I heard her sing, I could hear the pain and tear in her voice."After her first two wrenching albums, 2005's "The Way It Is" and 2007's "Just Like You," Cole's forthcoming "A Different Me" finds the singer/songwriter having more fun. "The first two albums were more . . . painful," she says. "It's a different me this time: a young woman who's still growing and finding myself, exploring life through different routes musically and in other areas. I wrote more about other people's situations than my own. I'm moving forward.""A Different Me" features Cole collaborating with a combination of marquee names and newcomers, including Polow Da Don, the Runners, Neffu, Kwame, Orthodox & Ransom and the Trackmasters. On her previous albums, Cole worked with such songwriter/producers as Greg Curtis, Missy Elliott, Scott Storch, Bryan-Michael Cox, Rodney Jerkins and Sean Garrett."When I hear something, I hear it -- it doesn't take me three, four, five times to hear a song and say, 'OK, let's write,' " Cole says about her songwriting process. "If I don't write to it right off the bat, it's not working."She's reflective and coy on the melodic lead single "Playa Cardz Right" featuring a posthumous Tupac Shakur; the track originally appeared on his 2006 album "Pac's Life," but dressed up with a new verse and arrangement by Cole and producers Fair, Carvin Haggins and Ivan Barias.A girl-talk intro colorfully sets up Cole's duet with real-life friend Monica on "Trust," while Polow Da Don taps into Cole's upbeat side on the pulsating "Make Me Over." Cole further hones her ballad skills on the track "You Complete Me" and flashes a sultry side on a cover of R. Kelly's 1992 No. 1 R&B hit, "Honey Love."While Cole's rise may seem fast to the public, the 27-year-old singer first began dabbling in music when she was 12, recording with MC Hammer and being mentored by Shakur. Born to a drug-addicted mother and adopted by a family friend when she was 2, Cole is the younger sister of Oakland-based rapper Nutt-So."Other people recognized my talent before I did," Cole says. "There were times when Hammer, Pac or other people from around my way would say, 'That little girl can sing. Sing something.' And I'd say, 'You got $5?' "Cole says the idea of seriously pursuing a music career didn't kick in until Shakur died -- "he saw it in me," she says. That sorrow -- and heartbreak brought on by a cheating boyfriend -- pushed Cole to Los Angeles and a renewed focus on her career.That hard work eventually led to an audition for her A&R rep Ron Fair, who signed her initially to a contract with A&M/Interscope in 2004. As Cole recalls, "That was the easiest part: Ron saying I was signed after hearing one verse of 'Love' and the chorus." In between finishing "Me," Cole reteamed with director Benny Boom to shoot the video for "Playa Cardz Right"; performed at the music industry's annual City of Hope benefit Oct. 15 in Los Angeles, singing Stevie Wonder's "Ribbon in the Sky"; flew to Atlanta a couple of days later to serve as an award presenter at BET's Hip-Hop Awards; and squeezed in three parties between L.A. and Atlanta during that period to celebrate her 27th birthday.She and Halley also found time to negotiate a 360 deal with Interscope. One of the offshoots of the new deal is a movie the trio is developing based on Cole's life. Halley, Cole's team hired a screenwriter to go on the road with her next year and begin developing the script.Sitting in the restaurant, Cole is the epitome of style with her black Chanel ankle boots and wavy, short-cropped 'do. Peeking out from under the sleeves and above the collar are various tattoos, including one on her neck with the words "Have Faith" emblazoned just below a red heart -- evidence of the scrappy young girl who's starting to live her dream."I haven't reached my goal yet," says Cole, who says that down the road she wants to live in a log cabin and own horses, operate a veterinary hospital and pet store -- "I'm a dog person," she adds -- plus a coffee shop on the side. "I want that real bad. I can just see the couches and the fireplace going."But to get there," she continues, "I have to first accomplish my musical goals. To quote Tupac, 'I got my money right, I got my mind right, and now I want war.' "
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Ticket resale
Ticket resale is the act of reselling tickets for admission to events. Tickets are bought from licensed sellers and are then sold for a price determined by the individual or company in possession of the tickets. Tickets sold through secondary sources may be sold for less or more than their face value depending on demand, which itself tends to vary as the event date approaches. When the supply of tickets for a given event available through authorized ticket sellers is depleted, the event is considered "sold out", generally increasing the market value for any tickets on offer through secondary sellers.
Ticket resale is a form of arbitrage that arises when the amount demanded at the sale price exceeds the amount supplied (that is, when event organizers charge less than the equilibrium prices for the tickets).
In British English, one who resells tickets is often called a tout, and in American English, Canadian English, and Australian English, such a person is often called a scalper, and the practice is called scalping. However, these are colloquial terms used to refer to individuals selling tickets on the street or other nearby public places outside a venue or event. Established companies in the business of reselling tickets refer to themselves as ticket brokers. Registered businesses reselling tickets to popular events are bound by laws, such as local and state laws in the United States, and must operate within those laws to maintain their status as a legitimate business. Like the scalpers of old, however, there are no restrictions on how much ticket prices can be marked up.
Ticket resale is a form of arbitrage that arises when the amount demanded at the sale price exceeds the amount supplied (that is, when event organizers charge less than the equilibrium prices for the tickets).
In British English, one who resells tickets is often called a tout, and in American English, Canadian English, and Australian English, such a person is often called a scalper, and the practice is called scalping. However, these are colloquial terms used to refer to individuals selling tickets on the street or other nearby public places outside a venue or event. Established companies in the business of reselling tickets refer to themselves as ticket brokers. Registered businesses reselling tickets to popular events are bound by laws, such as local and state laws in the United States, and must operate within those laws to maintain their status as a legitimate business. Like the scalpers of old, however, there are no restrictions on how much ticket prices can be marked up.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Labels Look To Bundle Artists On iPhone Game
EMI Music is the first major label to line up multiple artists for the popular game Tap Tap on the iPhone. It's a move likely to be followed by the other three majors. On Thursday, EMI Music announced a new version of the series of music rhythm games called Tap Tap Dance.The game uses dance music from five EMI artists -- Moby, the Chemical Brothers, Digitalism, Daft Punk and Basement Jaxx -- as well as independent artists Justice, Junkie XL, Soul Magic Orchestra and Morgan Page.In addition, EMI will distribute an as-yet-untitled digital soundtrack to the game, with both its artists as well as the independent acts on it.Developed by Palo Alto, Calif-based company Tapulous, there are several Tap Tap applications, which focus on the music of a single artist such as Katy Perry or Nine Inch Nails. One is comprised of six Christmas songs performed by Weezer, and will also be released on Thursday.Despite the involvement of EMI Music, the company says it wants the majority of the promotion of the game to come from the artists involved. "Artists will promote on their Web sites and reach out to fans," EMI Music executive VP of global brand partnership, licensing and synchronization says. "We're talking to them about ways of letting their fan base know through existing social networks."Tapulous CEO Bart Decrem says that he is talking to the remaining majors and expects to have another application with multiple artists on it in the Apple store early next year. "We are close to having a formula that the artists, labels, publishers, and Apple are all happy with," he says.
Labels Look To Bundle Artists On iPhone Game
EMI Music is the first major label to line up multiple artists for the popular game Tap Tap on the iPhone. It's a move likely to be followed by the other three majors. On Thursday, EMI Music announced a new version of the series of music rhythm games called Tap Tap Dance.The game uses dance music from five EMI artists -- Moby, the Chemical Brothers, Digitalism, Daft Punk and Basement Jaxx -- as well as independent artists Justice, Junkie XL, Soul Magic Orchestra and Morgan Page.In addition, EMI will distribute an as-yet-untitled digital soundtrack to the game, with both its artists as well as the independent acts on it.Developed by Palo Alto, Calif-based company Tapulous, there are several Tap Tap applications, which focus on the music of a single artist such as Katy Perry or Nine Inch Nails. One is comprised of six Christmas songs performed by Weezer, and will also be released on Thursday.Despite the involvement of EMI Music, the company says it wants the majority of the promotion of the game to come from the artists involved. "Artists will promote on their Web sites and reach out to fans," EMI Music executive VP of global brand partnership, licensing and synchronization says. "We're talking to them about ways of letting their fan base know through existing social networks."Tapulous CEO Bart Decrem says that he is talking to the remaining majors and expects to have another application with multiple artists on it in the Apple store early next year. "We are close to having a formula that the artists, labels, publishers, and Apple are all happy with," he says.
Lil Wayne, Coldplay Lead Grammy Nominee Field
Already on track to have the best-selling album of 2008, rapper Lil Wayne leads the nominations for the 51st Annual Grammy Awards with eight, including album of the year and best rap album for "Tha Carter III," best rap song for "Lollipop" and best rap/sung collaboration for "Got Money" featuring T-Pain.Other leading artists are Coldplay, who earned seven nominations, and Jay-Z, Ne-Yo and Kane West, who each scored six.In album of the year, the nominees were: Coldplay for "Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends," Lil Wayne for "Tha Carter III," Ne-Yo for "Year of the Gentlemen," Robert Plant and Alison Krauss for "Raising Sand" and Radiohead for "In Rainbows."For record of the year, the nominees were: Adele for "Chasing Pavements," Coldplay for "Viva La Vida," Leona Lewis for "Bleeding Love," M.I.A. for "Paper Planes" and Plant & Krauss for "Please Read the Letter."Song of the year nominees include: "American Boy," by songwriters William Adams, Keith Harris, Josh Lopez, Caleb Speir, John Stephens, Estelle Swaray and Kanye West; "Chasing Pavements" by songwriters Adele Adkins and Eg White; "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz; "Love Song" by Sara Bareilles; and "Viva La Vida" by songwriters Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin.
Two of West's nominations came for his production on "Tha Carter III" and "American Boy." He is also up against himself in the best rap performance by a duo or group category, for "Swagga Like Us" with Jay-Z & T.I. and featuring Lil Wayne and "Put On" with Young Jeezy. Jay-Z also faces off against himself in that category, with "Swagga" going up against his collaboration with Wayne on "Mr. Carter."In the best new artist category, Adele, Duffy, the Jonas Brothers, Lady Antebellum and Jazmine Sullivan received nominations. In the best pop collaboration category with vocals, the nominees were: Alicia Keys and John Mayer for "Lessons Learned," Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland for "4 Minutes," Plant and Krauss for "Rich Woman," Rihanna and Maroon 5 for "If I Never See Your Face Again" and Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown for "No Air."Brooks & Dunn's "God Must Be Busy," Lady Antebellum's "Love Don't Live Here," Rascal Flatts' "Everyday," the SteelDrivers' "Blue Side of the Mountain" and Sugarland's "Stay" are up for best country performance by a duo or group with vocals.Danger Mouse, Nigel Godrich, Johnny Karkazis, Rick Rubin, and will.i.am are nominated for producer of the year, non-classical.For the first time this year, the Recording Academy unveiled nominations in the top categories via a primetime concert special on CBS. Co-hosted by Taylor Swift and LL Cool J from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, it featured performances by Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Mayer and B.B. King and the Foo Fighters, all singing their favorite songs that have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.Proceeds will benefit the Grammy Museum, which opens Dec. 6 at the L.A. Live complex in downtown Los Angeles.Grammy ballots will be mailed Dec. 17; they are due back on Jan. 14, 2009. The 51st Annual Grammy Awards will be held Feb. 8, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and again broadcast on CBS.
Two of West's nominations came for his production on "Tha Carter III" and "American Boy." He is also up against himself in the best rap performance by a duo or group category, for "Swagga Like Us" with Jay-Z & T.I. and featuring Lil Wayne and "Put On" with Young Jeezy. Jay-Z also faces off against himself in that category, with "Swagga" going up against his collaboration with Wayne on "Mr. Carter."In the best new artist category, Adele, Duffy, the Jonas Brothers, Lady Antebellum and Jazmine Sullivan received nominations. In the best pop collaboration category with vocals, the nominees were: Alicia Keys and John Mayer for "Lessons Learned," Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland for "4 Minutes," Plant and Krauss for "Rich Woman," Rihanna and Maroon 5 for "If I Never See Your Face Again" and Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown for "No Air."Brooks & Dunn's "God Must Be Busy," Lady Antebellum's "Love Don't Live Here," Rascal Flatts' "Everyday," the SteelDrivers' "Blue Side of the Mountain" and Sugarland's "Stay" are up for best country performance by a duo or group with vocals.Danger Mouse, Nigel Godrich, Johnny Karkazis, Rick Rubin, and will.i.am are nominated for producer of the year, non-classical.For the first time this year, the Recording Academy unveiled nominations in the top categories via a primetime concert special on CBS. Co-hosted by Taylor Swift and LL Cool J from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, it featured performances by Mariah Carey, Celine Dion, Mayer and B.B. King and the Foo Fighters, all singing their favorite songs that have been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.Proceeds will benefit the Grammy Museum, which opens Dec. 6 at the L.A. Live complex in downtown Los Angeles.Grammy ballots will be mailed Dec. 17; they are due back on Jan. 14, 2009. The 51st Annual Grammy Awards will be held Feb. 8, 2009 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and again broadcast on CBS.
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