Dick Clark Still Bringing In The New Year

Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, hosted mainly by Ryan Seacrest returns to ABC tonight, according to USA Today. Though it's unclear how much airtime Clark, 79, will have, he's scheduled to appear for the fourth straight year and the 36th of 37 shows since it premiered in 1972.

"Dick will do the countdown and bring the ball in, and we'll do a bunch of (short segments) with him," says longtime show producer Larry Klein.

Clark, who has made limited appearances since his stroke in 2004 — often speaking haltingly and using a walker or wheelchair — told the Associated Press in an e-mail interview, "I am one of the fortunate ones who survived and have been minimally impaired, so I'm just thankful I'm still able to enjoy this once-a-year treat of bringing in the New Year."

Says Seacrest, 34: "I saw him recently, and he was in a fantastic mood. I know he loves this show and loves being in Times Square. What's great about Dick is he doesn't need much of a plan."

ABC's 31/2 hours of programming begins at 10 ET (tape delay PT). Seacrest will host live performances from Times Square, where Idol finalist Kellie Pickler will serve as a roving on-air "correspondent." After a break for local news, ABC will air performances from Hollywood and Times Square, plus the traditional countdown, until after 2 a.m.

Lionel Ritchie, Taylor Swift and the Jonas Brothers will perform from New York. Natasha Bedingfield, Fall Out Boy, Jesse McCartney, Ne-Yo, Solange and Robin Thicke will perform during the Hollywood segments, hosted by singer Fergie. Her Black Eyed Peas bandmate, will.i.am, also is scheduled to play.

Zune Frozen

Last night at approximately 2 AM, every 30GB Zune model on crashed at the exact same time. The Zunes reset, powered up, then froze on the loading bar screen, and no conventional method of resetting them appears to work. People are calling the situation Y2K9.

This whole debacle is presumed to be some sort of software malfunction, as the devices aren’t connected to the internet which might land them a rampant virus like this.

What hasn't been determined is why these devices are failing. The evidence seems to point to a software glitch, but simple resets aren't providing any relief. Some reports indicate that only Zunes with the latest firmware are affected, but this hasn't yet been confirmed.

NFL Playoff Schedule

The NFL playoff schedule if finally set.

Wild Card Weekend
Saturday, Jan. 3, 2009.

AFC Wild Card Game : 8:00 pm EST (NBC) No. 5 Indianapolis Colts at No. 4 San Diego Chargers


NFC Wild Card Game : 4:30 pm EST (NBC) No. 5 Atlanta Falcons at No. 4 Arizona Cardinals


Sunday, Jan. 4, 2009.

AFC Wild Card Game : 1:00 pm EST (CBS) No. 6 Baltimore Ravens at No. 3 Miami Dolphins

NFC Wild Card Game : 4:30 pm EST (FOX) No. 6 Philadelphia Eagles at No. 3 Minnesota Vikings


Divisional Playoffs :
Saturday, Jan. 10, 2009.

AFC Divisional Playoff Game : 4:30 pm EST (CBS) TBD at No. 1 Tennessee Titans

NFC Divisional Playoff Game : 8:15 pm EST (FOX) TBD at No. 2 Carolina Panthers


Sunday, Jan. 11, 2009.

AFC Divisional Playoff Game : 4:45 pm (CBS) TBD at No. 2 Pittsburgh Steelers

NFC Divisional Playoff Game : 1:00 pm EST(FOX) TBD at No. 1 New York Giants


Conference Championships :
Sunday, Jan. 18, 2009.

AFC Championship Game : 6:30 pm EST (CBS) TBD at TBD

NFC Championship Game : 3:00 pm EST (FOX) TBD at TBD

Super Bowl XLIII
Sunday, Feb. 1, 2009 - Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida

AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion (NBC)


AFC-NFC Pro Bowl
Sunday, Feb. 8, 2009 - Aloha Stadium, Honolulu, Hawaii

Detroit Lions 0-16

The Detroit Lions lost to the Green Bay Packers 31-21 today to become the first team in National Football League history to finish a season with a 0-16 record.

The last time an NFL team lost every game in a season was an expansion team, the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, in their first year in the league. The Lions have played in Detroit for over 70 years.

Since the end of World War II, the only other NFL team that has not won a game in a full season has been the 1960 Dallas Cowboys, who were 0-11-1 in their first year. In 1982, the Baltimore Colts went 0-8-1 during a strike- shortened season.

Stolen 850-Pound Emerald Recovered

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has recovered the stolen Bahia Emerald. The 850-pound emerald’s estimated worth is $379 million.

The gem was stolen from a secured vault in South El Monte in September and later warehoused in Las Vegas, said Lt. Thomas Grubb of the Major Crimes Bureau. "The way it was stolen was through falsification of paperwork," Grubb said. "They flimflammed some papers and were able to get it released from the vault."

When the suspects learned that deputies were hot on their trail, they agreed to hand over the gem. On Dec. 19, sheriff's investigators arrived in Las Vegas with a court order and took possession of the stone. No arrests were made.

The emerald has since been returned to L.A. County and will remain in the custody of the Sheriff's Department until ownership is resolved." A judge is going to have to rule on who the rightful owner is," Grubb said. "We got one side telling us it belongs to them, and another side saying no, it belongs to us. "The Bahia Emerald, was originally unearthed in Brazil and is believed to be the second-largest stone of its kind.

Palin Calendar Is Best Seller

A 2009 calendar of the former Republican vice-presidential candidate is currently the top item on Amazon.com's list of “Office Products and Supplies.”

The calendar is the product of former Wasilla deputy mayor and Palin friend Judy Patrick, an Anchorage based photographer who went through her professional and personal photos of the governor and her family to create the calendar.

Patrick’s was hoping to sell enough of the $15.95 calendars to put a down payment on a new home.

According to a Gallup Poll released today, Palin is the second most admired woman in America, behind New York Sen. Hillary Clinton and ahead of talk show host Oprah Winfrey.

Paul Rhoads Hired As ISU Football Coach

Paul Rhoads was hired as Iowa State’s football coach to a five-year deal worth $5.75 million. His contract also includes incentives that could increase his salary.

"Paul Rhoads is an outstanding and intelligent football coach, a highly successful national recruiter and has nearly 10 years of experience as a BCS coordinator," Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard said in a statement on Saturday. "He was the one candidate that clearly demonstrated both extensive experience and an extreme passion for and familiarity with our institution.

"In addition, and most importantly, he also has a comprehensive plan for how to be successful at Iowa State."

"In my two face-to-face meetings with Paul this week, it was obvious that his enthusiasm, energy and warm personality would be well-received by our players, fans and university community," Pollard said. "He has a presence with a 'look-you-in-the-eye' style that makes you feel comfortable."

Brittany Zimmerman killed while waiting for 911 response

A slain 21 year old student, Brittany Zimmerman, who was being attacked by a stranger called 911, but no one came in time to her rescue, according to reports. Questions have been raised about whether a prompt response might have saved Zimmerman's life

The dispatcher who took the April 2 call from Brittany Zimmermann's phone shortly before she was murdered told investigators that she either didn't hear a scream or that "it didn't register as a scream."

The length of delay between the mishandled 911 call and when police were sent to her apartment to find her brutally murdered haven't been made known to the public, but the Wisconsin State Journal reported that the delay time was 48 minutes.

Police are still looking for her killer, and they believe Zimmerman was attacked by a stranger. Her apartment door showed signs of forced entry.

Macaulay Culkin’s Sister Killed

Dakota Culkin, the sister of “Home Alone” star Macaulay Culkin, died Wednesday after being hit by a car.

Dakota Culkin was walking in Los Angeles on Tuesday and was hit by a car when she stepped off a curb. The 29-year-old Culkin was taken to the UCLA Medical Center, where she died of her injuries Wednesday afternoon.

So far, no arrests have been made in the case, which is under investigation by the LAPD.

Yankees Close To Signing Sabathia

C. C. Sabathia is close to signing a deal with the New York Yankees. The Yankees started negotiations last month with a contract offer that was the richest for any pitcher in baseball history, and now they have topped it.

ESPN's Buster Olney said that in order for the deal to happen, the Yanks "added a seventh year to their original six-year, $140-million offer, bringing the total package to seven years and $160 million -- by far the biggest contract for any pitcher in history."

There are still contract details to be worked out before he can be scheduled for a physical, but there are no doubts within the organization that the Yankees have their man. There are now no major obstacles remaining for a deal.

The Yankees’ opening offer had been for six years and $140 million, a bit more than the previous record for a pitcher, Johan Santana’s six-year, $137.5 million deal with the Mets. In adding a seventh season, the Yankees committed themselves to Sabathia through 2015, when he will turn 35.

The team’s general manager, Brian Cashman, flew to San Francisco to meet in person with Sabathia for the third day in a row. In two previous meetings the Yankees had talked mainly about lifestyle concerns with Sabathia, a native of Vallejo, Calif., who ideally wanted to pitch close to home.

Sabathia won the American League Cy Young Award in 2007, while pitching for Cleveland. He was 11-2 with a 1.65 earned run average last year for the Milwaukee Brewers, after acquiring him from Cleveland in a trade in July. Sabathia has a career record of 117-73 in his eight year major league career. The Brewers offered Sabathia $100 million to keep him.

Ron Santo

Ron Santo was again denied entrance into the Hall of Fame on Monday, by voting of the Veterans Committee.

Candidates must receive 75 percent of the vote for induction. Joe Gordon, a nine-time All-Star second baseman for the New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians, was the only player elected. Gordon received 10 votes from the 12-person committee selecting candidates from 1942 or earlier.

With 64 living Hall of Famers voting in the post-1942 portion of the ballot, candidates needed 48 votes. Santo came the closest with 39, followed by Jim Kaat (28), Tony Oliva (33), Gil Hodges (28), Joe Torre (19), Maury Wills (15), Luis Tiant (13), Vada Pinson (12), Al Oliver (9) and Dick Allen (7).

Santo was a nine-time All-Star and won five Gold Gloves, while hitting .277, with 342 home runs and 1,331 runs batted in, during his 15-year career

During regular balloting of sportswriters, Santo never came close to receiving the necessary 75 percent, climbing to just 43 percent in 1998, his final year of eligibility. Now, it is up to the veteran’s committee, which votes every two years.

"To me, two years, because of what I have with the diabetes and [getting] older, it's like eternity," he said. "If I do get in, I'd like to enjoy it."

Santo received the most votes on the 2007 ballot with 57 of 82 votes cast, but he was still five votes short of 75 percent, when for the third straight time, no player was elected by the Veterans Committee.

Santo is worried he won’t be around long enough to experience the thrill of getting in, especially after having both legs amputated below the knee in 2001 and '02. When the Cubs retired his jersey number 10 in a ceremony at Wrigley Field in 2003, an emotional Santo said to the crowd, "This is my Hall of Fame."

Santo was distraught about the result in '07. He referred to the process as "torture."

"I'll be honest," he said. "Maybe it's just not in the cards [for me]."

Donovan McNabb Twins

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb’s wife, Roxie, gave birth to twins (a boy and a girl) early Tuesday. The McNabbs also have a 4-year-old daughter.

McNabb talked about his family at a news conference on Wednesday. "People talk about how family is the most important thing in your life and it is," McNabb said. "No matter what happens out on the football field, you always know that you go home to the loving individuals who just truly love you for who you are, not what you do."

BCS Selection Show

The big question will be answered tonight when FOX airs the BCS Selection Show at 8 p.m. EST.

Florida and Oklahoma seem to have the inside track to play for the title with big victories this week. The big controversy happened last week when Oklahoma jumped ahead of Texas in the rankings. Watch tonight to see the pairings for all the BCS games.