Diego Sanchez Face: Diego Sanchez vs. BJ Penn

When a bloodied but unbowed Diego Sanchez had his hand raised in victory on Saturday March 3rd after his bout against Martin Kampmann it was hard not to look at Sanchez and recall his loss to B.J. Penn at UFC 107.

Penn and Sanchez met on that December 2009 fight card to do battle for Penn's UFC lightweight title.

Penn dominated the action in this fight, but Sanchez refused to quit, showing great heart over the course of the five round fight.

When Penn delivered a kick to the head of Sanchez in the fifth and final round a deep cut opened up on the forehead of Sanchez.

The cut was severe enough to warrant a visit from the cageside doctor who called a stop to the fight at the 2:37 mark of the fifth round.

HSP S7: Gabe Kaplan Out As Fans Vent Their Views

First there was the shock of AJ Benza being dropped from High Stakes
Poker (HSP) Season 6 only to be replaced by Kara Scott. Next, came the news that Season 7 would be absent of Full Tilt pros due to a dispute between the shows new sponsor PokerStars and their rival site.
Now, however, the once popular show known as High Stakes Poker has just dropped another bombshell after announcing that the HSP host of six seasons Gabe Kaplan has now been replaced by Saturday Night Live veteran Norm MacDonald.
Season 7 of the show is scheduled for its premiere on February 26th and in the meantime fans have been trying to get to grips with the upcoming show which now bears little resemblance to the one which hooked in an army of avid viewers back in 2006.
Understandably, many a fan on the 2+2 forum have been fondly reminiscing on the format of the original show, with poster DonkDonk writing:
“I was going to play a session but now I just want to watch an old AJ/Gabe HSP and reminisce about when it marketed itself as a sneak peek into the high stakes games in Vegas, as if the game would still play if the cameras weren’t there. Now it is some big corporate show and it’s losing it’s appeal fast.”
Forum poster Bawookles then focuses on the unique contribution Kaplan has made to the show over the years and explains how last season’s reorganisation had affected his enjoyment of the show. As he explains:

“Gabe was hilarious, at least when he had someone to bounce his jokes off of like AJ. Having him in the booth by himself last year was a disaster, and now not having him and FT players is a disaster. The glory days of the show are long gone.”
The point about the producers questionable decision to have Kaplan as a lone commentator on the show was further picked up by a number of posters, who would seem to agree that it was a terrible idea.
ItsRainingMen wrote; “..to be fair Gabe was pretty insufferable without Benza,” while Hotch wrote; “Don’t get me wrong, I like hearing Gabe talk… to other people.”
Even as the poker fans of the show continue to vent their views on what the upcoming HSP Season 7 may or may not bring, a lot will depend on how quickly new host Norm MacDonald will be able to endear himself to viewers. It has also been suggested that he will bring an extra edge and humor to the show which will help broaden its appeal to viewers outside of its current audience. 
With the show slated to air Saturday, February 26th at 8 p.m. EST on GSN, it at least will not be too long before we find out if the producers radical move to replace the popular host is a step in the right direction or not.

Gabe Kaplan TV Land Awards Welcome Back Kotter Reunion? (Video)

Will a Gabe Kaplan TV Land Awards “Welcome Back, Kotter” reunion be a bust? While it’s confirmed that a Welcome Back, Kotter reunion is planned, Gabe Kaplan may be a TV Land Awards reunion no-show.

Look for the TV Land Awards Welcome Back, Kotter reunion to air on April 17.

While Gabe Kaplan may be absent from the TV Land Awards reunion, John Travolta (Vinnie Barbarino), Ron Palillo (Arnold Horseshack), Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs (Freddie Washington) and Marcia Strassman (Mrs. Kotter) are reportedly set to appear.

Other reunions set for the TV Land Awards are The Cosby Show and Family Ties casts.

Gabe Kaplan not Joining “Welcome Back, Kotter” Reunion?

A recent announcement regarding the 35th anniversary reunion of the famous TV show “Welcome Back, Kotter” included a noticeable omission from the list of actors expected to accept a 2011 TV Land award. Gabe Kaplan, the actor who played Gabe Kotter in the 70s sitcom, was not listed as one of the actors that would receive an award, leading many people to believe he will not be a part of the reunion.

It appears that Kaplan would rather continue to pursue his poker career, which he has done quite admirably in since he started in the late 1970s. Since he began playing poker professionally, Kaplan has earned more than $1.7 million in poker tournaments around the world. In fact, he made $145,000 in 2010 alone. In addition to his playing poker, Kaplan has been a renowned poker announcer on popular shows such as “Poker After Dark” and “High Stakes Poker.”

Many Welcome Back Kotter fans will be disappointed that the reunion will not include one of the television program’s stars, but the reunion should not be affected that much. TV Land as already announced that the show’s other stars Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs, Ron Palillo, Marcia Strassman and John Travolta will be present to receive their awards.

Romance Report for March 4: Tushy-Touchers and Deep Thinkers

With estranged wife Scarlett Johansson playing public footsy with Sean Penn (more on that rumored hookup in a minute), Ryan Reynolds isn't about to be left behind. On Wednesday, the actor seemed to make it clear that he was moving on when he was photographed getting a pat on his posterior from smiley German model Agnes

Fischer on the South African set of his currently filming flick "Safe House."

People reports the pixie-cut blonde, 25, has been a regular visitor during filming (she has a small role in the thriller) and has appeared "chummy" with the reigning Sexiest Man Alive, 34, on set and off. The pretty pair's hang-time has reportedly included stepping out for a caffeine fix in Cape Town a few days back.

As for Scarlett, who split with Ryan in December after two years of marriage, read on for the latest on her coziness with Penn …

Ryan Reynolds' Alleged New Girlfriend Is German Model Agnes Fischer

Agnes Fischer, a German model, is allegedly the girl who is lucky to be currently dating Ryan Reynolds. The couple was spotted together around the set of his movie "Safe House" in Cape Town, South Africa on Thursday, March 3 but her identity has just been unraveled by several sites a day later.

The twosome was pictured getting intimate with the blonde beauty putting her hand on Ryan's waist. She reportedly watched and waited as he shot his scenes. They later got coffee together at the Old Biscuit Mill, so GQ South Africa reported.

Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson filed for divorce in December last year after being married for two years. The "Iron Man 2" actress was recently caught having a romantic getaway with Sean Penn.

Face of Heart Attack Grill Dies at Age 29, 572 Pounds

CHANDLER - A 29-year-old valley man who served as spokesman for the ultra unhealthy eatery Heart Attack Grill has died.

At 6'8", 572 lbs., River gained attention from around the globe after signing on to be the larger-than-life spokesman for Chandler's Heart Attack Grill last fall. There, servers are dressed like nurses and the owner wears a doctor's lab coat, but the menu is the opposite of health-conscious.

When we talked to Blair River back in November about his modeling contract, he told us he felt healthy and had no regrets about the way he lived his life.

Jon Basso, the restaurant's founder, teared up a bit Wednesday when we asked him about the 29-year-old's sudden death.

"We all have a very very brief time on this earth, and the measure of a man is how he leaves the world after he's been here, and I can tell you Blair River was my friend," says Basso.

But many criticize the eatery that offers meals in excess of 8,000 calories. They fry their fries in pig lard and they're not shy about it. A sign in front of the building reads, "Caution. This establishment is bad for your health."

The cause of River's death is unknown, though some have cited a battle with the flu leading to pneumonia in blog posts.

Basso says he expects the criticism, but the message beneath the outrageous menu is one of caution. Even some diners agree -- it's your choice to eat there or not to eat there.

"We are absolutely guilty for glorifying obesity, it's what we do, but if you stop and think about why we glorify obesity and come into the Heart Attack Grill diet center I think you'll get it," says Basso.

River was a genuine person who told us the Heart Attack Grill gig, at $100 an hour, was all in good fun. Basso wants him to be remembered as a gentle giant and not someone who represented poor eating habits.

River started as a state champion high school football player and wrestler from Payson, Ariz. He leaves behind a young daughter.

Heart Attack Grill Guy Dead at 29

LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Heart Attack Grill spokesperson Blair River is dead at 29. Blair River’s cause of death was pneumonia following the flu. Heart Attack Grill today is remembering River, its 6′8” 575 lb beloved spokesperson who brought the restaurant to national fame two years ago.

In 2009, LALATE detailed the of the Heart Attack Grill of Chandler, Arizona and its incredible offering of 8,000 calorie burgers. River helped bring the Chandler establishment national fame and overwhelming news coverage that year, promoting it as a place as “where you can almost feel your arteries clogging.”

The grill was founded in 2005.

The menu offered a “Single”, “Double”, “Triple”, and “Quadruple Bypass” hamburgers, fries cooked in pure lard, unfiltered cigarettes, even Jolt cola and Mexican Coke produced with pure sugar.

The diner doesn’t have waitresses but nurses, not orders but prescriptions. The front door entrance has a warning sign for the Surgeon General that reads “Go away, if you come in this place, it’s going to kill you.”

Restaurant founder Jon Basso tells news today that River wasn’t just his spokesperson, he was his best friend.

Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Face of Heart Attack Grill Dies at Age 29, 572 Pounds: MyFoxPHOENIX.com

Was Heart Attack Grill Menu Responsible for Blair River's Death?

Did the Heart Attack Grill menu ultimately cost the restaurant spokesperson, Blair River, his life?  River was the main spokesperson for the Heart Attack Grill which featured some rather hefty burgers on the menu, leading many to think so.

The restaurant in question mocks good nutrition, and if it had been a popular national chain, would have likely taken a lot of heat away from McDonald's. Heart Attack Grill even gives preference to those who weigh over 350-pounds and calls their diet a special health prescription, using a fake doctor to pitch the concept in their video.

The Heart Attack Grill menu features items with "bypass" in the name, but Blair River died of pneumonia.  However, a recent LA Times report has an interesting take.  They have noted that at least one published study indicates obese individuals may be more likely to catch pneumonia.  Additionally, obesity can increase the likelihood of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, various cancers and stroke.  So the argument will continue as to whether River's death is due to his poor nutrition and size, or simply due to a bad case of pneumonia.

A commercial seen below shows a humorous look at the Heart Attack Grill and its main spokesperson, although this shouldn't be taken lightly.  River's weight was nearly 600-pounds and that often leads to a variety of health problems.  Eating foods known as the "Quadruple Bypass Burger" might give someone a popular reputation, but it could also cause a shortened lifespan if its a person's main diet.

NAACP Image Awards 2011 in LA on Friday, March 4

NAACP Image Awards 2011 has announced its winners at a live ceremony in Los Angeles, California on Friday, March 4. In music, John Legend and The Roots dominated the pack. They bagged two gongs, one for Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration and the other for Outstanding Album.
This year, the prize-giving event comes under fire for celebrating Jay-Z, Minaj, P. Diddy, Kanye and other artists who often use offensive lyrics and derogatory images. “It is unconscionable that the NAACP would sully its brand, squander its legacy, and take such a stand contrary to the aspirations and dreams of the mainstream of the African-American community,” said Reverend Delman Coates, senior pastor of the Mt. Ennon Baptist Church.
“While artists are free to produce their own art, it is not acceptable for public corporations and established civil right organizations to sanction the kinds of lyrics promoted by some of these artists,” he continued. “These are the wrong images for a civil rights organization to nominate and endorse.”
In response to the criticisms, the Pasadena branch of the NAACP promised to review the complaints to see if they are valid. “I think the national office is going to review the policy of the nominees and the participants,” said NACCP President Joe Brown. “Hopefully this will eliminate inviting those whose lyrics are considered disdainful.”
Outstanding New Artist: Willow Smith
Outstanding Male Artist: Usher
Outstanding Female Artist: Mary J. Blige
Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration: John Legend and The Roots
Outstanding Jazz Album: “From Billie Holiday to Edith Piaf – Live in Marciac” – The Wynton Marsalis Quintet and Richard Galliano
Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary): “You Are Not Alone” – Mavis Staples
Outstanding World Music Album: “VOCAbuLarieS” – Bobby McFerrin
Outstanding Music Video: “Un-thinkable (I’m Ready)” – Alicia Keys
Outstanding Song: “Bittersweet” – Fantasia Barrino
Outstanding Album: “Wake Up!” – John Legend and The Roots.

NAACP Image Awards 2011 Winners

The Complete NAACP Image Awards 2011 winners have been named tonight, March 4. See the list of winners below.

TV:

* Outstanding Comedy Series: “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne”
* Outstanding Actor in a Comedy Series: David Mann – “Meet the Browns”
* Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series: Vanessa Williams – “Desperate Housewives”
* Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series: Ice Cube – “Are We There Yet?”
* Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series: Sofia Vergara – “Modern Family”
* Outstanding Drama Series: “Grey’s Anatomy”
* Outstanding Actor in a Drama Series: LL Cool J – “NCIS: Los Angeles”
* Outstanding Actress in a Drama Series: Regina King – “Southland”
* Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series: Terrence Howard – “Law & Order: Los Angeles”
* Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series: S. Epatha Merkerson – “Law & Order”
* Outstanding TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: “Sins of the Mother”
* Outstanding Actor in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: Idris Elba – “Luther”
* Outstanding Actress in a TV Movie, Mini-Series or Dramatic Special: Jill Scott – “Sins of the Mother”
* Outstanding Actor in a Daytime Drama Series: Rodney Saulsberry – “The Bold and the Beautiful”
* Outstanding Actress in a Daytime Drama Series: Tatyana Ali – “The Young and the Restless”
* Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special): “Unsung”
* Outstanding Talk Series: “The View”
* Outstanding Reality Series: “Sunday Best”
* Outstanding Variety (Series or Special): “UNCF An Evening of Stars Tribute to Lionel Richie”
* Outstanding Children’s Program: “True Jackson, VP”
* Outstanding Performance in a Youth/Children’s Program (Series or Special): Keke Palmer – “True Jackson, VP”
* Outstanding Documentary (Theatrical or Television): “For Love of Liberty: The Story of America’s Black Patriots”
* Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series: Aaron McGruder – “The Boondocks”
* Outstanding Writing in a Dramatic Series: Shonda Rhimes – “Private Practice” – (Did You Hear What Happened to Charlotte King?)
* Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series: Kevin Rodney Sullivan – “Modern Family” (Game Changer)
* Outstanding Directing in a Dramatic Series: Millicent Shelton – “Men of a Certain Age” (Go with the Flow)

Film

* Outstanding Motion Picture: “For Colored Girls”
* Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Denzel Washington – “The Book of Eli”
* Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Halle Berry – “Frankie and Alice”
* Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Samuel L. Jackson – “Mother and Child”
* Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Kimberly Elise – “For Colored Girls”
* Outstanding Independent Motion Picture: “Frankie and Alice”
* Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture: “Biutiful”
* Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television): Mary King, Anna Waterhouse, Joe Shrapnel, Marko King, Jonathan Watters, Cheryl Edwards – “Frankie and Alice” and Michael Elliot – “Just Wright”
* Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television): Tyler Perry – “For Colored Girls”

Music

* Outstanding New Artist: Willow Smith
* Outstanding Male Artist: Usher
* Outstanding Female Artist: Mary J. Blige
* Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration: John Legend and The Roots
* Outstanding Jazz Album: “From Billie Holiday to Edith Piaf – Live in Marciac” – The Wynton Marsalis Quintet and Richard Galliano
* Outstanding Gospel Album (Traditional or Contemporary): “You Are Not Alone” – Mavis Staples
* Outstanding World Music Album: “VOCAbuLarieS” – Bobby McFerrin
* Outstanding Music Video: “Un-thinkable (I’m Ready)” – Alicia Keys
* Outstanding Song: “Bittersweet” – Fantasia Barrino
* Outstanding Album: “Wake Up!” – John Legend and The Roots

Literature

* Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction: Getting to Happy by Terry McMillan
* Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander
* Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author: The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America’s Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
* Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Auto-Biography: You Don’t Know Me: Reflections of My Father, Ray Charles by Ray Charles Robinson, Jr.
* Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional: A Boy Should Know How to Tie a Tie: And Other Lessons for Succeeding in Life by Antwone Fisher
* Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry: 100 Best African-American Poems by Nikki Giovanni
* Outstanding Literary Work – Children: My Brother Charlie by Holly Robinson Peete, Ryan Elizabeth Peete (Authors), Shane W. Evans (Illustrator)
* Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens: Condoleezza Rice: A Memoir of My Extraordinary, Ordinary Family and Me by Condoleezza Rice.

2011 NAACP Image Awards Winners in Movie: 'For Colored Girls' & 'Frankie and Alice'

The 42nd annual NAACP Image Awards has unveiled its winners on March 4 and big nominee "For Colored Girls" came out as one of the big winners as well. It snatched three gongs including the coveted Outstanding Motion Picture award. It beat out "Just Wright", "The Book of Eli", "The Kids Are All Right" and "Why Did I Get Married Too?" for the title.

The movie also led Kimberly Elise to win Outstanding Supporting Actress kudo which was eyed by her co-stars Anika Noni Rose, Phylicia Rashad and Whoopi Goldberg, as well as Jill Scott of "Why Did I Get Married Too?". The other honor received by the based-on-play drama was Outstanding Directing for Tyler Perry.

Another movie from Perry, "Why Did I Get Married Too?", went home empty handed despite getting multiple nominations. Meanwhile, another big winner at the Friday event was "Frankie and Alice" starring Halle Berry with three nods.

The psychological drama helped Berry land Outstanding Actress prize, edging out Janet Jackson ("Why Did I Get Married Too?"), Kerry Washington ("Night Catches Us"), Queen Latifah ("Just Wright") and Zoe Saldana ("The Losers"). It was additionally *tied with "Just Wright" as the winners in Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture category and chosen as Outstanding Independent Motion Picture.

"Biutiful" was named Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture, while Denzel Washington ("The Book of Eli") and Samuel L. Jackson ("Mother and Child") also celebrated that night for they won Outstanding Actor and Outstanding Supporting Actor respectively.

This year's NAACP Image Awards was held at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California and aired live on FOX. In addition to movie, the prize-giving event recognized the best achievements by people of color in TV, music and literature.

Winners list of 42nd annual NAACP Image Awards in movie:

    * Outstanding Motion Picture: "For Colored Girls"
    * Outstanding Actor in a Motion Picture: Denzel Washington - "The Book of Eli"
    * Outstanding Actress in a Motion Picture: Halle Berry - "Frankie and Alice"
    * Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture: Samuel L. Jackson - "Mother and Child"
    * Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture: Kimberly Elise - "For Colored Girls"
    * Outstanding Independent Motion Picture: "Frankie and Alice"
    * Outstanding Foreign Motion Picture: "Biutiful"
    * Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television): Michael Elliot - "Just Wright"
    * Outstanding Directing in a Motion Picture (Theatrical or Television): Tyler Perry - "For Colored Girls"

*UPDATE (Mar 05, 2011 04:01 GMT): After this news was released, 42nd annual NAACP Image Awards updated its official site to highlight "Just Wright" as the only winner for Outstanding Writing in a Motion Picture instead of sharing the honor with "Frankie and Alice". Thus, "Frankie and Alice" only took home two trophies in total.

Chilling news brings back horrific memories for Saginaw dad who lost son on court

A chill ran down the back of Saginaw boys basketball coach Lou Dawkins as he read the report of the death of a Fennville High basketball player.

Dorian Styles Dawkins died June 13, 2009. He was 14 years old. He collapsed after shooting a free throw on a basketball court during a summer camp in East Lansing a day earlier. The cause of death was acute myocardial ischemia. Simply, Dawkins had a defect in his left coronary artery.

"You should never have a heart attack at that age," Dawkins said. "It's really so sad. It cuts me. You don't know."

Fennville junior Wes Leonard made a winning shot in overtime of a 57-55 victory over Bridgman on Thursday. During the postgame celebration, he collapsed with cardiac arrest, and later died at a West Michigan hospital. He was 16.

The exact cause of Leonard's death was dilated cardiomyopathy, or an enlarged heart, according to reports.

"For them to celebrate and then two seconds later …," Dawkins said. "I'm feeling for the parents ever since I read it."

Dawkins learned of Leonard's death after turning on his computer Friday morning. Dawkins doesn't need to be reminded of his son's death. Dawkins thinks about his son every hour of every day. On Friday morning, though, the memories of his son reached a new chapter.

An autopsy is expected on Leonard. Dawkins said the heart defect that caused his son's death was undetectable with an EKG or routine examinations.

"Only with an MRI could you find it," Dawkins said. "It's rare. Dorian fell into a 0.02 percentage. In regular physicals, this won't show up. The doctor who worked on Dorian said the insurance company, your family insurance, won't pay for it. It hurts. It hurts every single second."

Like Leonard, Dawkins was a star basketball player with a bright future. Many considered Dawkins, who was about to enter the ninth grade at Saginaw High, the area's best basketball player in his grade.

"Dorian never showed signs of being tired," Dawkins said. "We wish we could have seen signs."

Dawkins said his son, though, had complained to those around him of being fatigue shortly before he collapsed.

Leonard, meanwhile, apparently had flu-like symptoms recently.

"For the parents and the Fennville community all you can do now is ask questions and pray to God," Dawkins said. "I know we're still grieving."

So are others who've been in similar situations.

Detroit Kettering boys basketball coach Arvis Young remembers that first day of practice as one would a nightmare. On Nov. 13, 2007, Deandre Brown, a senior who had recently completed his final season as a football player at the school, collapsed on the basketball court and died.

Young, a head coach for 12 years, said autopsy reports revealed Brown had an enlarged heart.

"It brings back memories," Young said of the death of Leonard. "That day, it was the first day, we really weren't doing much. He was standing in line for a drill. It was a simple drill where the players would slide from the baseline to the free-throw line. There was really no exertion, not like what happened to (Leonard).

"Everything was in place. (Brown) took all the physicals."

Fennville (20-0) is scheduled to open state tournament play at 7 p.m. Wednesday in a Class C district semifinal at Lawrence.

Fennville High’s Wes Leonard Collapses and Dies After Making Game-Winning Shot

There was an absolute tragedy on Thursday night in Fenneville, Michigan when high school basketball player Wes Leonard collapsed and died after making the winning shot in his team’s game. Leonard had just made the layup that gave Fennville the lead in overtime and sealed their perfect 20-0 season. Fans rushed the floor and Leonard collapsed shortly after making the winning shot. He was taken to the hospital where the 16-year-old was pronounced dead.

Opposing coach Mike Miller of Bridgeman High said Leonard was “by far the best player on that basketball team – outstanding athlete.” In addition to scoring over 1,000 points in his career for Fennville, Leonard played quarterback on the football team, having thrown for seven touchdown passes in a game in October.

We’ve seen tragic stories before of athletes passing away during games, but this has to rank as one of the most sad and bizarre. Wes happens to be the second Fennville athlete to die recently as wrestler Nathaniel Hernandez died in January last year after suffering a seizure at home following his participation in a high school wrestling match.

It’s truly a sad story and LBS’ thoughts and prayers are with Leonard’s family and the Fennville community. Here’s some video from Thursday night’s game courtesy of WOODTV. You can see that Leonard was a player:

Fennville teen hits winning shot, dies: woodtv.com

Fennville’s Wes Leonard much more than star athlete

Fennville, MI —

Never had I witnessed such a momentous shift in emotions as Thursday night at
Fennville High School.

The entire Fennville community rallied round its undefeated boys basketball team during a season that was already unforgettable — then became so for tragic reasons.

But transcending it all — from the time Wes Leonard led his team to a come-from-behind victory over the Bridgman Bees to after his shocking collapse — was that the Fennville community supported him.

As Leonard led the turnaround by scoring 10 points in the third quarter, the home crowd exploded with cheers while he made those first five shots. They erupted in jubilation when his swooping finger-roll layup won the game 57-55 in overtime.

Then as Leonard lay on the court before being taken to Holland Hospital, where he was pronounced dead about two hours later, the tears and prayers showed that Leonard meant much, much more to this community than just his athletic prowess.

I was privileged to have a chance to experience a small sample of what they had become used to seeing out of Leonard, both on and off the court.

The first time I interviewed Leonard, he held a handful of balloons as we talked about his team’s win over Bangor on Feb. 11. He greeted me with a welcoming smile that became a regular occurrence during the handful of times I talked to him.

Engaging, smart, humble and insightful, I could count on him to put a voice to the action.

He received the balloons as part of a celebration that night for him surpassing 1,000 career points in the previous game.

It struck me as humorous to see him holding them, hinting at a gentler, lighthearted side after he spent the previous couple of hours fending off double teams in the paint, playing with relentless effort and toughness.

Other times, such as making five consecutive jumpers in the third quarter and the game-winning layup, Leonard made it look effortless.

As hard as he played and as good as he was, he never showboated in the games I covered, never complained about not getting the foul called — trust me, he could have argued a few — despite constant physical defense while posting up.

He just played.

And his stunning performance was supposed to be the story last night.
Obviously, when something as devastating as that happens, five pages of game notes become meaningless.

But last night’s game embodied what made him special as a player. He was a gamer in the truest sense of the word.

He took a charge in the third quarter, and Fennville took its first lead of the game on the next play. In overtime, the Blackhawks had the ball with the score tied and 56.5 seconds remaining. An entry pass to Leonard under the basket went low, and he had to save it from going out — a fingernail’s length from the boundary line.

About 40 seconds remained and he reset the offense at the top of the key. He then saw an opening and took the ball from six feet past the 3-point line straight through the middle of the defense. He elevated higher than he had all game and laid it in.

Twenty-six seconds of defense and a missed 3-pointer at the buzzer later and the whole gym rocked with Blackhawks glory, everyone wanting to celebrate with their hero.

I had so many questions for Leonard.

How did he do it? What did he see on that last play? What inspired his play in the third quarter?

Those questions, and others about how and why a 16-year-old with such a bright future could have his life end suddenly, will be left unanswered.
As for the question of how Leonard will be remembered?

Some things go without saying.

Troubled Macco Properties lists its portfolio

Troubled Macco Properties has taken the unusual step — for owner Lew McGinnis — of signing an exclusive listing agreement to try to sell a large portfolio of Class C properties here and in Wichita, Kan.
More Info
At a glance
Properties or sale

Oklahoma City

• The Brooks Apartments, 2500 W Brooks St., Norman, 160 units, $4 million.

• Twin Lakes Apartments, 6103 NW 63, Warr Acres, 296 units, $9.25 million.

• Newport/Granada Apartments, 3407 NW 39 and 3405 NW 40, 132 units, $3.7 million.

• Emerald Court Apartments, 4746 NW 23, 111 units, $3.05 million.

• Remington Apartments, 7125 S Santa Fe Ave., Oklahoma City, 220 units, $7.95 million.

• Sovereign Business Park, 1220 and 1300 Sovereign Row, 48,000 square feet, $3 million.

• Charter Business park, 4219 Charter Ave., 21,600 square feet, $600,000.

• Northgate Office Park, 4010 N Lincoln, 42,297 square feet, $1.8 million.

• MacArthur Executive Building, 4614 N MacArthur Blvd., 20,000 square feet, $550,000.

• Former Riviera Drive In, 8 SE 59, 12 acres, $600,000.

Wichita, Kan.
Macco, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November, is offering six apartment complexes, three office parks, a freestanding office building and 12 acres of vacant land in Oklahoma City, and seven apartment properties in Wichita for a combined $85,975,000.

The offering totals 3,001 individual apartments and 138,897 square feet of commercial space, said broker David Dirkschneider of Price Edwards & Co., who has the listing.

Some distressed
Two of the apartment properties in Oklahoma City and three of the apartment complexes in Wichita are part of the bankruptcy proceeding, court records show. Last fall, First Enterprise Bank sought foreclosure on several Macco-owned properties, including two of the office parks and one of the Wichita apartment properties, but the dispute was settled by mid-October.

“I have personally managed many of these properties in the past and know firsthand that they would make a great investment for the right buyer. Some of the locations are phenomenal,” Dirkschneider said.

Two of the Wichita properties are on the Arkansas River downtown where a revitalization effort is in the works; several of the apartment complexes here have “excellent visibility;” and the office buildings range from “needs some work” to “built out to a higher quality than the rest of the area,” he said.

Not new offerings
Most if not all of the properties have been for sale for months if not a few years, pointed out Mike Buhl, apartment broker and owner of Commercial Realty Resources in Norman. He said the metro-area apartments are priced at the top end of what the seller might reasonably expect.

“The pricing is certainly indicative of more of a Class B-type property than Class C,” he said.

Buhl said what makes this marketing effort different is the exclusive listing agreement with Dirkschneider and the repackaging of the properties as a portfolio — although Dirkschneider said Macco would consider selling them individually or in any combination.

“All in all, this portfolio is a great investment opportunity for a large multifamily owner to move into the market and gain an immediate strong presence,” Dirkschneider said. “They would be able to do what the current owner does and capitalize on volume to keep expenses low.”

What if Google got sloppy?

The Search Operators from Yuin Chien on Vimeo.

What if something went really wrong the next time you tried to make a Google search? What if the "I feel lucky" button refused to work, the search bar started yawning, and every search term got jumbled?

A project called Sloppy Google will show you what that would be like.

According to TechCrunch, the project's creator, Yuin Chein, an MFA at Pasadena’s Art Center College of Design, wanted to show us what life would be like if Google were a sloppy, lazy, rude person who entered all our search queries for us:

What if searching – the everyday digital routine of our lives is somehow different? What if Google is represented by humanistic operators who type in keywords and submit search request for you? In contrary to auto correct your spelling, it messes up your search results by misspelling your keywords; it yawns at your face just like a careless customer service agent would have done to you. Having a lazy Google is surprisingly comforting to some! Machine isn’t perfect, it makes mistakes, and it needs rest just like everyone of us.

The result? A search for "cute kittens" turned into a search for "cut kittens," "love songs" turns into "lov songs," "vampire story" into "revamp roy," and so on.

You can check out the Sloppy Google search yourself by heading to this site, but we have a hunch that you'll rush to switch back to the real thing very quickly.

'Defriend Day' on Facebook: One Less Egg to Fry

Happy Defriend Day is today on Facebook. It's not a sloppy Google day; it is a time to get rid of the friend clutter.
If ever there was a special day to do something to improve one's life, it's today. The world is always looking for better ways to do things, to make the 9 to 5 a bit easier to stomach, and a way to stick to the New Year's resolution.
Today is your lucky day because it's Defriend Day on Facebook. No, it's not another word or phrase du jour that originated on the popular social media site.
Instead, it’s an excuse for you to breathe easier and not think twice about things that are weighing you down.
Face it; Facebook is a breeding pool for non-friends, free-loaders, snooping employers, cheaters, and back-stabbers. With the click of a button, they can send you a "friend request." And what's the result? You're suckered into accepting the request.
Now, you're forced to talk to them, pretend you've read their cluttered news feed, and read their never-ending app transmissions. Don't even mention the Mafia Wars peeps! That's an entirely different post.
But now you have a reason to fry one less egg today because on Defriend Day on Facebook, you WILL hit that delete button and send your faux-friends into the stratosphere.
Once you do it, you will unload so much social pressure, and get back to basics, like doing you. With one less friend to send you an invite to Hooters or the Green Iguana, you're on your way to living life according to your terms.
Will you take advantage of De-friend Day on Facebook?

Sloppy Google: What If Google Got Lazy? (VIDEO)

Google does a lot of interesting stuff, but nothing quite like "Sloppy Google."

The project, which is a mash-up of html5 canvas, javascript, processing.js, jQuery, Google Search API, according to the site's about page, aims to help people reimagine how the web could work.

It's also a lot of fun to see what types of results it comes up with.

The modified search engine frequently misspells words, returns random results, and in generally sloppy. The "hand-drawn" interface also transforms in odd ways.

The lazy google search plays on the concept of a real human being behind the machine, manually doing searches, reports TechCrunch. The "I'm Feeling Lucky" button is always out of service.

School reacts to Wes Leonard's death

FENNVILLE, Mich. (WZZM)- Fennville High School coaches and student-athletes had tears in their eyes and lumps in their throats Friday. The shock of Wes Leonard's death was still sinking in.

"It shouldn't have been like this," said senior teammate Adam Siegel, holding back tears. "Wes shouldn't have gone like this. Wes was a real good friend, and too young."

Leonard scored the winning basket Thursday night in overtime against Bridgman to cap an undefeated season. A brief celebration followed but as the team assembled for a team photo, Leonard collapsed.

"Thirty seconds earlier he was laying in the winning bucket," said head coach Ryan Klingler. "Then seconds later it was like having everything pulled out from under you. Just out of nowhere."

Leonard was the point guard on Fennville's first-ever 20-0 basketball team. He also was the starting quarterback for the Blackhawks' varsity football team. Only a junior, he was thought to have a promising athletic career ahead. His coaches Friday agreed he would have been among the best athletes to come out of Fennville in decades.

The basketball team and the school's administration on Friday had not made a decision whether Fennville will compete in the district playoffs which begin Monday night in Lawrence. Overcoming grief was the first priority. "Wes was a special kid," said Klingler. "The Leonards are a special family to me. So really I don't want to process it."

Wes Leonard: Tragic Death Brings Hank Gathers Back to the Forefront Again

Wes Leonard Tragedy Brings Back Horrific Memories Of Hank Gathers

In a sad and tragic turn of events, Wes Leonard, a high school basketball player from Michigan, hit a game-winning shot for his Fennville team, which allowed them to finish the season with a perfect 20-0 record, but as fans and teammates were rushing the court to celebrate Leonard collapsed to the floor and died.

Leonard had no history of illness or anything that would lead you to believe such an awful thing would happen to someone who was just entering the prime of his life.

This situation is similar to the Hank Gathers tragedy at Loyola Marymount in 1989-90. Gathers was one of the leaders, along with Bo Kimble, on that exciting team. They scored a ton of points every game, and they made you tune in because you knew you would see something that you had never seen in a college game before.

Gathers collapsed in a game against UCSB in December, 1989. He was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat and prescribed medication for the condition.

On March 4, 1990, Loyola Marymount was playing against Portland in the West Coast Conference tournament. Gathers scored on an alley-oop, but collapsed to the floor again. He tried to get up, but as soon as he did he stopped breathing. He was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Now, 21 years to the day that Gathers died, the family of Wes Leonard is left with millions of questions and no answers. Surely they will find something in the autopsy that will tell them what happened, but there's nothing that anyone can say to the parents of a 16-year old who was here one minute and then gone in the blink of an eye.

Life is like that, unfortunately. We are left with far too many questions and no answers.

Teammates and coaches remember Wes Leonard

Two teammates and coaches told fond memories of Wes Leonard, 16, and remember his sudden death Thursday night after a basketball game.
"He was great. A perfect teammate I guess. A leader, strong for us when we needed him. Just did everything right," said teammate Adam Siegel, a senior at Fennville.
Leonard scored 21 points on Thursday, including the game winning points in overtime.
"He just made a great play right down the middle of the lane and we defended well enough down the other side and the buzzer sounded and everybody was darn excited," said basketball coach Ryan Klingler.
As the team and fans celebrated, Leonard suddenly collapsed.
"I was heading into the locker room just around the corner and I just heard someone screaming for me. Just the scream that I knew something was wrong," said Klingler.
An EMT who happened to be in the crowd then began performing CPR on the young All-American.
"He just collapsed on the court everybody saw it. His teammates were around him. Telling him they loved him and everything and then he just collapsed. I didn't know why he had collapsed or anything. when he collapsed they wanted the team in the locker room and Wes, he was my best friend and I didn't want anything to happen to him, so when I got back into the locker room I just cried. I couldn't hold it back," said teammate DeMarcus McGee, a senior at Fennville.
Leonard was pronounced dead at 10:40 p.m. at a local hospital. A forensic pathologist said his death was caused by an enlarged heart.
"He just got taken. Taken right out from under us. i don't want him gone. He was part of my family like these guys are and his family is part of my family and it's like loosing someone so close. I can't believe it could all happen like this," said Klingler.
Coaches and teachers called for unity as the school tries to move passed this tragic death.
"I'm sure the community is going to help us out, be there. And we're going to lean on our friends and family, just like any other circumstance, you've got to find help within each other," said Klingler.
Leonard is the second athlete to suddenly die after a game. Last January, Freshman Nathaniel Hernandez died of a seizure three hours after winning a wresting match.
His family said Hernandez had a history of seizures and was taking medication at the time.
A memorial for Leonard is scheduled for Sunday from 2p.m to 4p.m. and 6p.m to 8p.m. at Fennville United Methodist Church. The funeral will be held at 10:30a.m. at Christ Memorial Church in Holland.

Coach: No one knew Wes Leonard had heart trouble

He collapsed, astonishingly, amid a moment of small-town bliss. Amid the bedlam following his game-winning shot, 16-year-old Wes Leonard's heart stopped, and rescuers could not get it to beat again.

The incident brings renewed focus on the safety of high school athletes -- whether students are adequately screened for cardiac problems, and the importance of proper medical equipment and people trained to use it in emergencies.

Wes' death also underscored the difficult nature of heart conditions that often strike fatally, with no warning. A medical examiner ruled the cause of death was cardiac arrest, brought on by dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition medical experts say is difficult to detect and often goes unnoticed.

Fennville varsity coach Ryan Klingler said no one had an inkling Wes' heart was sick.
When death seems to make no sense

West Michigan high school basketball star Wes Leonard died of cardiac arrest from a heart condition he and his family may not have known he had, a medical examiner ruled Friday.

His death raised fresh urgency to concerns about cardiac dangers that often go undetected in otherwise healthy, even elite young athletes.

Dr. David Start, a forensic pathologist and chief medical examiner for Ottawa County, announced that Wes' collapse and heart stoppage was brought on by dilated cardiomyopathy, a condition that enlarges and weakens a heart's muscles, impeding its ability to pump blood.

Medical experts say the condition often goes undetected until a fatal attack.

The 16-year-old collapsed on the basketball court at Fennville High School on Thursday night soon after he scored an overtime lay-up that clinched a 57-55 win over Bridgman -- and a perfect season for the Holland-area school.

School officials said the player was tended to first by a parent EMT who happened to be at the game, and then by emergency personnel who arrived by ambulance.

Wes arrived at Holland Hospital about 9:20 p.m. in cardiac arrest, and doctors were unable to restart his heart, hospital spokesman Tim Breed said Friday. He was pronounced dead about 10:40 p.m.

Make good use of Facebook Defriend Day

Facebook Defriend Day can innocently be considered an opportunity for you to remove all those people who are in your friends list just for the sake of it. On Defriend Day, you can remove all those extra people, which may include an old school class fellow you have never talked to in year, your ex-boyfriend or girlfriend, the kid who used to be your lab partner in high school, those random strangers you added to help you out with Farmville and many other people.

Today, people are busy defriending on Facebook in order to clean their friends list a little, and keep only those people in the list with whom they have a constant interaction.

Facebook’s Defriend Day is a new and weird concept just like Farmville initially was. Defriend all those useless people, and organize your friends list a little.

Jimmy KimmelJimmy Kimmel also proposed to defriend all those extra people who you don’t really know that well, yet they are busy stalking you on Facebook. It’s time folks!

Defriend Day Etiquette: Why It's OK To Unfriend On Facebook (POLL)

If you haven't heard, it's Defriend Day today, March 4, 2011, at least according to author Mark Dice.

Dice posted an article on InfoWars and an accompanying video (scroll down to view it) outlining reasons you should consider going on a de-friending spree today. He says it's totally OK to defriend and here are some of the reasons why:

* They may be "an acquaintance [you're never] ever going to see in real life ever again"
* They could be stalking you
* They could be screwing you over

It just isn't worth having more friends than others by accepting people at random, because you have mutual friends or because you met them once at a party, Dice explains. "You open up your world to them," he said.

Not content with Dice's explanation? Make sure to check out these seven reasons you may defriend someone on Facebook. And if you're a gamer, you may want to read this post, which looks at whether the defriending should also apply to your gaming friends.

To defriend someone, you have to scroll down to "unfriend" on that person's Facebook page. Watch the full video about Defriend Day below and don't forget to take our poll.

WATCH: