Column: Te'o, Smith, Barkley go pro a year late

The next time some college football fan gripes about his favorite player going to the NFL before his senior season, we'll have a ready reply.

Three of them, actually.

Manti Te'o. Geno Smith. Matt Barkley.

The trio returned for a fourth year of college football and look what it got them.

Heartache. Embarrassment. And, certainly in the case of Barkley, a much lighter wallet than he would've had a year ago.

The first round of the NFL draft came and went.

All three were left waiting by the phone. It never rang.

That's a harsh lesson every rising junior with pro aspirations should heed. Think only of yourself.

If there's a chance to dramatically improve your draft position, then stay in school. If you're already projected as a first-rounder, it's time to get started on your real job. Rest assured, the school will get along just fine without you. Sure, a college degree is great to have, but you can always finish up those last few classes in the offseason.

After getting passed over Thursday night, Te'o must've been having second thoughts.

We'll never know for sure if the Notre Dame linebacker would've been a first-round pick in 2012, as many projected, going on the assumption that he wouldn't done any better in the 40-yard dash than the painfully slow time he turned in at this year's combine. But at least he wouldn't have been lugging around all that off-the-field baggage ? a ruse of a relationship with a girlfriend that wasn't ? plus a stinker of a performance against Alabama in the national championship game.

Even if the whole sordid affair with the fake girlfriend had still occurred, chances are it wouldn't have been discovered until Te'o had already signed a pro contract. The money would've already been in the bank.

Instead, he's left to wonder how much money he left on the table by returning to the Fighting Irish for what seemed a dream season until it took an oh-so-wrong turn at the end.

Ditto for Smith, who blossomed as a junior in West Virginia's wide-open offense, throwing for more than 4,300 yards with 31 touchdowns and just seven interceptions. If he had decided to go pro at that point, the last bit of tape NFL scouts would've had on him was a 70-33 rout of Clemson in the Orange Bowl, when he threw for a record six touchdowns and 401 yards to earn the MVP award.

Smith kept it going through his first give games as a senior, when he was the hands-down favorite to win the Heisman Trophy and looked every bit like a guy who would be the top pick in the draft. He and the Mountaineers were unstoppable, averaging more than 50 points a game.

Unfortunately, the season still had eight games to go.

There was another side to the mountain, and it was all downhill.

Smith still put up some dazzling numbers ? 4,205 yards passing, 42 touchdowns, just six interceptions ? but West Virginia dropped six of its last eight, including a blowout loss to Syracuse in the Pinstripe Bowl. Suddenly, everyone was finding flaws in Smith's game. His confidence was shaky. He setup and delivery were faulty. He was too emotional, too loose with the ball.

Heck, some pointed out that he didn't play well in poor weather ? which comes off as the ultimate bit of nitpicking.

Even so, Smith still expected to go somewhere in the first round, maybe even among the top 10 picks. That's why he turned up at Radio City Music Hall in New York with all the other projected first-rounders. For most of them, their dreams came true. All Smith could do was look on glumly as one player after another went ahead of him ? even a teammate he helped look so good, receiver Tavon Austin, selected at No. 8 by the St. Louis Rams.

Te'o stayed away from New York, allowing him to sort out whatever anger or humiliation he was feeling in private. That was the right call, showing he does have the ability to make good decisions beyond the online dating world.

On Friday ? finally! ? both Te'o and Smith heard their names. Back to back, no less. The Notre Dame star went to San Diego in the second round with the 38th overall pick; Smith was selected next by the New York Jets.

Barkley was still waiting. Amazingly, he wasn't picked in the first three rounds ? passed over through a total of 97 selections. The last four rounds will be held Saturday.

The guess here is that Te'o will turn out to be a good, solid pro, while Smith has a shot at greatness. Certainly, no other rookies will have a bigger chip on their shoulders.

When asked to analyze Te'o, former NFL coach-turned-TV analyst Jon Gruden said, "He's got a real good football aptitude. He plays faster, I think, than people give him credit. I think he's a very good, instinctive, high-effort, well-coached inside linebacker that's got to prove he can play on every down. There is no question about that. But I'm really confident that he can do it."

As for Smith: "It's very underestimated what this kid can do from a football standpoint. He does a lot above the neck as well as making plays with his arm and his mobility."

Then there's Barkley, who was being mentioned in the same breath with Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III before last year's draft.

Not anymore.

Barkley, for some reason, returned to Southern Cal for one more year. Maybe he was counting on less competition at the quarterback position in the 2013 draft (and, indeed, only one QB was taken Thursday). Maybe he truly wanted to take another shot at a national championship with a team that was pegged as the preseason No. 1.

Whatever the case, Barkley couldn't have been more wrong in his decision, at least from a financial point of view. The Trojans didn't come close to living up to the hype, barely finishing with more wins than losses (7-6). He threw twice as many interceptions and wound up spraining his shoulder in a late-season game, which raised more doubts in the eyes of the scouts.

Barkley's stock dropped so severely that, frankly, it would've been a surprise if he had been picked in the first round.

"I think Barkley's going to be a starter in the league at some point," Gruden said, not sounding nearly as upbeat as he did about the other two. "He's going to be a guy that relies on his system, complete execution around him. I think his supporting cast is going to be important to him."

Now, Barkley will tell you that he has no regrets about his decision to return to USC. He'll tell you that getting the chance to be a leader during tough times will help him down the road.

Hogwash.

Barkley blew it.

So did Te'o and Smith.

All those juniors-to-be out there better not to make the same mistake.

___

Paul Newberry in a national writer for The Associated Press. Write to him at pnewberry(at)ap.org or www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/column-teo-smith-barkley-pro-221132848.html

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NRA threatens to punish lawmakers on gun control vote despite deal

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By Kasie Hunt, NBC News

The National Rifle Association said Wednesday the group is unequivocally opposed to the newly-struck compromise plan to expand background checks ? and threatened that it may seek to penalize lawmakers who vote for what it deems ?anti-gun? measures by giving them poor grades in their rating system.

The warning to members of Congress came just hours after a compromise on expanding background checks for? gun purchasers was announced, a deal that the NRA itself participated closely in.

"Expanding background checks, at gun shows or elsewhere, will not reduce violent crime or keep our kids safe in their schools," top NRA lobbyist Chris Cox wrote in a letter sent to senators Wednesday night. "Given the importance of these issues, votes on all anti-gun amendments or proposals will be considered in NRA's future candidate evaluations."

The NRA rates lawmakers based on how they vote on the group's priorities. The letter grades are highly influential and carry particular weight in rural states with a strong gun culture.

Cox was a ubiquitous presence during negotiations between Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W. Va., and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who announced the deal Wednesday morning to expand background checks to sales at gun shows and over the Internet.

Manchin has been careful to court the group's support; both he and Toomey both have "A" ratings from the NRA.

But despite their involvement, the NRA ultimately decided to come out against it.

Earlier Wednesday, a Senate Democratic aide had said that Democratic leaders were operating under the impression that the NRA will not throw its full weight behind opposing the background check bill, something which would have relieved pressure on moderate Democrats and Republicans to vote for the legislation.

Now, they have less cover.

Separately Wednesday, Sens. Patrick Leahy and Susan Collins announced they'd reached an agreement with the NRA on gun trafficking language that will be included in the overall gun bill. Cox did not mention the gun trafficking measure in his letter.

NBC News? Luke Russert contributed to this report.

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Update on Baby Boomer Divorce | Our Platinum Years

As strong and influential as our generation has been throughout time, we continue to set the pace, but not in a way many of us expected.? In the past 20 years as the divorce rate for those under 50 has plateaued or gone down (according to a Bowling Green University study); those in the 50+ plus age group has DOUBLED!? But even those who embraced this challenge learned more than they expected to.

The reasons for such dissolution are partly for the fact that as we live longer; staying in an unsatisfying relationship is no longer an option.? Many couples find it hard to rekindle what brought the two together after the children are out of the home.? And the stigma of divorce that we grew up with is no longer a valid reason to stay together.

What we didn?t figure on is the complexity of divorce after decades of marriage; nor the aspect of finding love that lasts the second time around.? According to The Coalition for Marriage, Family and Couples Education divorcees in all age groups seem to have only a 40% success rate in finding that special someone ? ?till death do them part? in a second marriage. ?Plus the accumulation of family, friends, assets, and even health issues presents an uphill battle that most younger marriages don?t have to sift through.

Think of it; at this age we have less time to recover financially from such a split, less time to recoup losses (like a home, personal belongings, assets of all types), a greater chance to experience future health issues alone, and what about the decades of friendships and acquaintances that may lost or need to be restructured.

If you are considering divorce in your Platinum years, don?t rush into it. Get help first.

The cost may be prohibitive! Consider that decades of intertwined finances can be a legal cost that may not be an option for you.? The more you can decide on your own, the less the legal fees can be.? And if you choose to cash out and divvy up investments, IRAs, or selling assets like your home? you both can lose a lot on capital gains taxes.? You may be ?together? financially for the long haul if you need to recoup what you have lost over the past few years.

Consider counseling.? If not for the kids and your own wellbeing, remember breakups after decades is much harder and we are facing a time where no matter how much we hate our ex there are some ties we may never be able to break.? Retirement and Social Security issues may be insurmountable under some circumstances.? Don?t forget about health insurance.? This may be the most difficult part of divorce in our time.? Many insurance companies have strict rules about divorce; this is something you need to check before considering any sudden moves.

There is help out there besides marriage counseling and a divorce attorney.? There are certified divorce financial analysts who can also give you a new perspective.? And there are some who are starting ?gray divorcee? support groups and clubs.? Despite the considerations and limitations, the decision to end the marriage at our age will be more prevalent as more baby boomers come of age.

Source: http://www.ourplatinumyears.com/2013/04/10/update-on-baby-boomer-divorce/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=update-on-baby-boomer-divorce

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Google Play cleans out nasty apps, updates its look

Suzanne Choney , NBC News ? ? ? 1 hr.

Google Play, the app store for Android phones and tablets, is not only rolling out a cleaner look, it's cleaning house, so far removing a reported 60,000 apps that were of questionable quality.

"The largest category of apps they cracked down was the MP3s and ringtones, which were heavily abused by slightly dodgy apps," Chester Wisniewski, Sophos senior security advisor, told NBC News Tuesday.

The apps "weren't technically illegal" as to violate Google Play rules, but were "heavily intrusive marketing vehicles that barely delivered on their promise," he said.

Google Play has 675,000 apps, and unlike "Uncle Apple," Wisniewski said, Google does "not prescreen apps using humans, there's an automated system" for apps to be allowed into the store.

The purging of the apps, he said, was done in February. "The fact that Google got rid of tens of thousands of apps that were duping people, upsetting users, is great. What we don't know is how have they changed their processes to make sure those apps don't come back in a week."

Problems with questionable ? and sometimes dangerous ? apps were becoming such an issue that in February 2012, Google introduced "Bouncer," a scanning service designed to identify malicious apps in Google Play.

NBC News has contacted Google for comment about the recent purge, and will update this post when we hear back.

When Bouncer was introduced, a Google Android engineering exec noted on the company's blog:

While it?s not possible to prevent bad people from building malware, the most important measurement is whether those bad applications are being installed from Android Market - and we know the rate is declining significantly.

Wisniewski said to be safe, Android users and buyers should make sure they have the latest version of Android that they can get on their devices. Phones and tablets with Android 4.0 and higher "have a whole ton of safety and security improvements on them," he said.

"There's still a whole bunch of cheaper ones out there running older OS's that are more vulnerable ? Android 2.2, or 2.1 ? really, really old versions of Android that are more vulnerable."

In the meantime, Google Play group product manager Michael Siliski shared news of the app store redesign, writing on a blog that the new look "focuses on bigger images that jump off the page. Similarly themed content is grouped together so you can hone in on a magazine to read or an app to try."

Google has also "simplified purchasing so you can breeze through checkout," he wrote.

The new look starts rolling out immediately for Android phones and tablets that use Android 2.2. and higher, and will be available around the world "in the next few weeks."

Check out Technology, GadgetBox, TODAYTech and InGame on Facebook, and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

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White House celebrates the sounds of Memphis soul

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama said he'd been looking forward to a White House celebration of Memphis soul music for one reason.

"Let's face it, who does not love this music?" he asked Tuesday, opening the night's concert in an East Room bathed in amber light and transformed by the addition of a stage and backup musicians.

"These songs get us on the dance floor," Obama said. "They get stuck in our heads. We go back over them again and again. And they've played an important part in our history."

Memphis, Tenn., was segregated in the 1960s, but blacks and whites came together despite the institutional racism to create a soulful blend of gospel and rhythmic blues music that sought to "bridge those divides, to create a little harmony with harmony," Obama said.

He noted that two of the night's guests, Booker T. Jones and Steve Cropper, helped form one of the city's first integrated bands.

"They weren't allowed to go to school together. They weren't always allowed to travel or eat together," the president said. "But no one could stop them from playing music together."

"And that was the spirit of their music ? the sound of Soulsville, U.S.A., a music that, at its core, is about the pain of being alone, the power of human connection, and the importance of treating each other right," Obama said. "After all, this is the music that asked us to try a little tenderness. It's the music that put Mr. Big Stuff in his place. And it's the music that challenged us to accept new ways of thinking with four timeless words: 'Can you dig it?'"

And with that, Obama took his seat and the show opened with Sam Moore, half of the duo Sam & Dave, and "American Idol" finalist and gospel singer Joshua Ledet belting out Moore's "Soul Man," followed minutes later by Justin Timberlake and Cropper's rendition of Otis Redding's (Sittin' on) "The Dock of the Bay."

Obama, first lady Michelle Obama and their daughters, Malia and Sasha, sat in the front row. The president and first lady at times clapped their hands and bobbed and weaved their heads to the pulsating rhythms.

The concert was the 10th in the "In Performance at the White House" series since Obama took office. Other performers included Alabama Shakes, Ben Harper, Cyndi Lauper, Charlie Musselwhite, Mavis Staples , Queen Latifah and William Bell. Latifah also was the host and Jones led the band.

Earlier in the day, Bell said the concert reaffirmed years of hard work that began in the 1960s when Stax Records was created in Memphis, and the label cranked out one soul and R&B hit after another for more than a decade.

Redding, Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Bell and Sam & Dave were among the company's artists.

"As kids coming up, we didn't think it would last this long," the 73-year-old Bell said during a rehearsal break. He later performed his hit, "You Don't Miss Your Water."

Al Green had been scheduled to perform but, about an hour before the show, the White House released a statement from the singer's spokesman who said Green had suffered a back injury and would be unable to attend.

Hours before the show, Michelle Obama kicked off a workshop featuring Moore, Staples, Timberlake, Musselwhite and Harper for students from 16 schools and organizations in Virginia, California, Memphis, New York City, Maryland, Florida and Washington, D.C., who got to question the artists.

She noted Memphis' history as the birthplace of Elvis Presley's rock and roll and B.B. King's blues.

"And while you can hear both of those influences in Memphis soul, this music has a style and a story uniquely its own," Mrs. Obama said, before launching into the story of Stax Records.

She noted that the label also represented "somebody my husband thinks he sounds like" ? Green. "Let's just tell him he does, OK? Since he is the president, we like to boost him up a little bit."

It was a reference to Obama singing a few bars of Green's "Let's Stay Together" during a Democratic fundraiser at New York's Apollo Theater in February 2012.

Obama also joked about his singing during his brief remarks opening the concert.

"Tonight, I am speaking not just as a president, but as one of America's best-known Al Green impersonators," he said to laughter.

At the workshop, Mrs. Obama also tried to encourage the students, including some aspiring musicians, by noting that it took years of perfecting their talent for the artists perched on stools in front of them to get where they are.

She recalled playing the piano as a young girl and said she regretted not sticking with it. But she said the skills one learns by studying music are useful in other areas of life.

"The discipline, the patience, the diligence I learned through the study of music, those are all skills that I apply every single day in my life," Mrs. Obama said. "I applied them as a student, as a lawyer, as a first lady, and definitely as a mother."

Since February 2009, "In Performance at the White House" has highlighted the music of Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Burt Bacharach and Hal David, plus Hispanic music, music from the civil-rights era, Motown and the blues, Broadway and country music. The series itself dates to 1978.

The Memphis soul concert is set to air next Tuesday on PBS stations. It will also be broadcast at a later date over the American Forces Network for service members and civilians at Defense Department locations worldwide.

___

Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-celebrates-sounds-memphis-soul-164730499.html

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