Prop 19 supporters use Lincecum's likeness at hazy World Series

SAN FRANCISCO — As we learned from Metroplex TV guy Newy Scruggs on Wednesday, you don't have to go far in this town to get someone else's toke, er, take on marijuana use.

To be, uh, blunt, a noticeable storyline at the World Series so far has been bud at the ballpark — as you might have expected when San Francisco reached the Fall Classic.

Among some of the other homegrown headlines:

• We spied proponents of the upcoming Prop 19 election issue — which would legalize and tax marijuana in California — were seen marching around with signs that featured a picture of Tim Lincecum(notes) (above). Somehow, I doubt that they approved their usage with Lincecum, Major League Baseball or the MLBPA first.

• Josh Hamilton(notes) told the New York Post that weed "wasn't my deal," but that he could smell plenty of it wafting from the center field bleachers during Wednesday's Game 1. 

"It was crazy," Hamilton said. "I was looking at the cops a couple of times during the game."

• Lincecum discussed his pot bust with ESPN's Colleen Dominguez on Tuesday (below) and even talked about all the "Let Timmy Smoke" T-shirts you see around the city.

"We got a pretty open city here in San Francisco. I think it allows that, that free nature. You know, I think it's all in good fun." 

• TMZ reports that there's a San Francisco pot shop offering its customers one free joint for each home run that the Giants hit during the World Series:

But the team spirit doesn't stop there -- we're also told the bud bank will offer a discounted "bright orange" strain of marijuana and a THC-infused orange drink aptly named "Giant Punch."

I believe the customers have to be present at the actual time of a home run, so I'm wondering what the scene was like there when Juan Uribe(notes) broke through in the fifth inning of Game 1. Waves of Doritos flying through the air? Lots of giggling?

• Finally, it wouldn't be a World Series if fans weren't flocking to CraigsList to offer illicit goods in exchange for a pass into the ballpark. In Philadelphia, it was a housewife offering sex. In San Francisco, it's a guy with an abundant stash.

All about local priorities, I suppose.

Follow Big League Stew all through the postseason on Twitter and on Facebook.

Related: Josh Hamilton, Tim Lincecum, Juan Uribe, 2010 Postseason, 2010 World Series, Duk at the 2010 World Series

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Wolves chief realizes Wenger double standard, tells him to shut up

David Brent. I mean, Jez Moxey. 

Wolves chief executive Jex Moxey has finally reached a point in his life where he has realized that sometimes people treat things done by those close to them differently than things done by strangers. Especially people named Arsene Wenger.

Moxey said Wenger moans that hard challenges are unfair on his team yet defended Jack Wilshere over his recent sending off for a reckless tackle.

"It is an absolute nonsense. Well, I hope he hears this: 'keep your mouth shut'," Moxey told BBC Radio 5 live.

"Play the game, play aggressive, let everybody play."

He added: "Wilshere and your [Wenger's] other players are going to make similar challenges."

Moxey, whose club have been criticised by some for having an over-physical approach, continued: "I had a big, wry smile listening to Arsene Wenger trying to defend Jack Wilshere for the challenge.

"All he said was exactly the same as every other manager has and yet he is one of the managers who goes on the front foot, moaning and complaining and bitching about it because it is unfair on his team."

Why, that's almost as unseemly as a Premier League executive going on the radio and telling an opposing manager to keep his mouth shut. 

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The Shutdown Corner Interview: Steve Johnson, Pt. 1

He may be best known for the incident after a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers in which he angrily Tweeted God after dropping five passes in the game, but Buffalo Bills receiver Steve Johnson has actually become one of the most productive and efficient pass-catchers in the NFL. We recently got to catch up with Steve, talking about everything from his (abbreviated) high school football days to how he's helping the Bills become - if not a winning team - at least a team that can bring close games and surprise wins against better squads. This is part one of two.

Shutdown Corner: You had 12 catches total in your first two years, but things have just exploded this season. What's been the primary difference?

Steve Johnson: Well, it's crazy going from 12 to 60 or 70 catches, but this is all an opportunity. We had some voids, and I felt like I've been here a couple years, but I really haven't had the chance to show Buffalo what I can do. Losing Josh (Reed) and Terrell (Owens) opened things up for me, and that was pretty much it - I had my opportunity to play, and I'm just trying to show it.

SC: The thing that stands out most to me about you is your ability to get open in short spaces and beat coverage in tight windows - you've got good speed, but your suddenness really jumps off the tape. How do you develop that, and what do you think are your other attributes as a player?

SJ: I developed that as a young kid, playing Pop Warner. I went through a lot of different position - from running back to cornerback ... I never played receiver at all until I got to college. Playing safety, corner, linebacker (before), I feel like after I catch the ball, I know where the defenders will be, and I just go off of instincts.

SC: The touchdown against the Dolphins last week, where you popped into the screen out of nowhere - what was that play?

SJ: It was a deep post, and we actually worked that all week in practice - working in the post to see if we could get a (cornerback) to flip his hips. Sean Smith(notes), he really didn't flip his hips, but I kind of lulled him to sleep with my route - I kind of straightened him up and used a little speed, decelerated and accelerated again at the top of the route. He was lost a little bit, and that gave me enough space for Ryan (Fitzpatrick) to put the ball in. I made the play and came down with it.

SC: What are you still working on in your game?

SJ: Everything. As far as blocking and trying to stay mentally-focused as far as on plays when it's not coming my way or when it really shouldn't come my way. And blocking and just watching overall film on everybody on the field instead of just cornerback. Watching what the safeties are doing, and watching what linebackers are doing. There's still a lot for me to learn. I still hook up with Lee (Evans) a lot throughout the week and try to break down defensive schemes and stuff.

SC: Bills head coach Chan Gailey is known for going into systems, finding undervalued assets, and making the most of good players. What's it like working with him, and how is the offense different now?

SJ: It's great working with Coach Gailey - it doesn't show in our record, but we've been putting up yards and points. He seems to be an offensive mastermind - he knows how to use his players. Me personally, I just want to go all out for him anyway, because he took this job when a lot of coaches didn't. I just want to give my all for him, because he took a chance on us.

SC: Ryan Fitzpatrick(notes) is another guy surprising a lot of people. What's your assessment of him?

SJ: He's a gunslinger. Period. He throws the ball wherever and whenever. Everybody's live. That's what it's been like since I've been playing receiver for him on the scout team. He's been throwing it short, flat, medium--when you don't expect him to throw it, he'll throw it to you. Everybody's live. Ryan, he's a gunslinger and I love playing for him.

SC: Just looking at it from a talent point of view, the Bills might have more underrated players than any other NFL team right now. There's you, Fitzpatrick, Kyle Williams ... who else on your team is really standing out that the national media needs to pay attention to?

SJ: We can break it down by position. At receiver, we got a couple of undrafted guys--David Nelson(notes) and Donald Jones(notes). Naaman Roosevelt(notes), he's been getting his opportunities now. (inaudible) We got a guy, Corey McIntyre(notes), who does a lot on special teams. He's our fullback, he does a real good job. Freddie (Jackson), everybody pretty much knows about Freddie now. We got a few guys, the thing is, there all guys that nobody know about, but they can ball. We've seen ‘em ball throughout practice and since they've been here with the Buffalo Bills. So we've seen ‘em ball, but the world hasn't yet, but they will. Also Arthur Moats(notes) has a great motor and he's ballin' out now.

SC: We have to cover the whole "Tweeting God" thing - what was behind that, what was the fallout from people, and do you regret it?

SJ: No, I don't regret it because I know what I meant by it. It was bad for...everybody was coming at me different ways and everything, but I knew what I meant by it. I know the Lord is 100% good and I was simply asking why, you know. It was nothing to where I'm blaming him for anything. Not at all. But I don't take it back at all, because I know what I meant by it.

SC: More fun was the "Why So Serious" shirt - what was behind that?

SJ: To be flat-out honest, I think yeah, I think it is a little out of hand. (inaudible) "Why So Serious?" we're having fun and you can get fined $5,000 for that. It's pretty wild, you know. Guys are getting hit and they're fining ‘em for it instead of suspending cats. I don't understand that, but why would you take the money instead of suspending them. I don't understand it. It's supposed to be football, it's supposed to be fun, it's entertainment. I know a lot of people don't really like the flashiness of players, but I know some people that do appreciate that and want to turn the TV on and see some entertainment, you know. That's all, we're trying to have fun and nobody's trying to do anything to damage another guy's reputation or anything, it's just all in fun.

Related: , Ryan Fitzpatrick, Donald Jones, Arthur Moats, Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers

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Why Companies Made Major Marketing Shift in 2010 (free whitepaper)

SEO.com releases whitepaper outlining a radical change in marketing spending across the country, and identifies the return on investment for search marketing.

SALT LAKE CITY – In this ever-changing digital age, marketing has made a momentous change. Companies of all sizes are shifting advertising and marketing budgets from traditional strategies to search engine optimization and other forms of online marketing.

“When we look at the numbers out there, it’s very revolutionary,” said Nelson James, president of SEO.com. “What used to be the main strategy for marketers has taken a back seat.”

Forrester Research said marketers spent $26 billion in 2010 in Internet marketing, which rivals all spending on cable/satellite TV and radio. Search Engine Marketing Professional Organization (SEMPO) said nearly half all companies have decreased spending on traditional areas and are investing more in online marketing.

“We started investing in SEO for the first time this year, and the payoff has been tremendous,” said Sarah Huizingh, marketing manager for Spillman Technologies, a company that specializes in public safety software. Huizingh said Spillman took money out of the print advertising budget to invest in SEO.

Traditional strategies that are taking the biggest hit include print and direct mail. A recent SEMPO survey reported that 49 percent of companies are shifting money from their print advertising budget and putting it toward search engine optimization services, pay per click management and social media marketing. In 2010, 36 percent moved money away from their direct mail budget and 17 to 24 percent of companies made a similar shift away from conferences and exhibits, yellow page ads, and TV and radio ads.

So, what are the reasons for this change in behavior?

“It really comes down to three things,” James said. “Especially in a poor economy, people are looking for marketing solutions that target their demographic better, are highly measurable and show how each spent marketing dollar makes money.”

Strategies like SEO and PPC target customers at the moment they want to buy. Social media has the potential to engage millions of customers. Through analytics, marketers can accurately track where customers come from, how long they stay on a site, what campaigns bring in the most sales and more.

On average, SEO.com clients that have been doing search marketing for six months or more, receive an average return on investment of nearly 2,500 percent – or the equivalent of receiving $25 for every $1 spent.

“Online marketing enables companies to track each spent penny and is proven to deliver a really big ROI,” James said. “It’s probably the biggest reason why more are shifting their marketing budgets. As a result, traditional advertising is getting the leftovers of the marketing budget.”

For more detailed information, images, graphs and statistics about this shift in the marketing world, and the average ROI of 2,500 percent, read the whitepaper “Shift: From Traditional to Online Search Marketing” here: http://www.seo.com/Shift_Whitepaper.pdf

About SEO.com
SEO.com is a SEO firm that delivers a big ROI for its clients by driving traffic to their websites through aggressive search engine optimization, pay per click advertising, and social media marketing. SEO.com then turns those visitors into sales through user-friendly design and conversion optimization. Clients range from small startups to Fortune 100 companies.

Tags: internet marketing, marketing spending, Marketing trends, online marketing, Pay Per Click, Search marketing roi, seo, Social Media, traditional marketing

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Jessica Szohr Is 'Not Dating' Aaron Rodgers

Sorry, I could not read the content fromt this page.

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2010 Year In Entertainment Review: January

2010 was an incredible year in the world of showbiz, with the usual headline-grabbing antics, scandal, sleaze, celebrity births, star weddings, and bitter break-ups.

Here, WENN takes a look back at 2010...
January
Matthew McConaughey became the first new celebrity dad of 2010 when he and Camila Alves welcomed baby Vida into the world, but they weren't the only couple celebrating births. Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell experienced the joys of fatherhood all over again, while supermodel Claudia Schiffer and actress Monica Bellucci were bursting with excitement after announcing their pregnancies.
Love was certainly in the air - actor Josh Duhamel renewed his vows with Fergie, and British model Sophie Dahl became Mrs. Jamie Cullum. Russell Brand confirmed plans to wed Katy Perry, and Michael Buble got down on bended knee to propose to model Luisana Lopilato.
The same couldn't be said for Charlize Theron and Stuart Townsend - they called it quits after nine years together. A cancer-stricken Dennis Hopper filed for divorce from his wife, and sporting pair Chris Evert and Greg Norman finalized the dissolution of their 18-month marriage.
There were new troubles for embattled celebrity offspring - Farrah Fawcett and Ryan O'Neal's boy Redmond was jailed after another drugs bust, and the future was bleak for Michael Douglas' actor son Cameron, who prepared for a lengthy prison sentence after pleading guilty to drug trafficking charges.
Meanwhile, illusionist David Copperfield was cleared of rape allegations, and actor Rip Torn was arrested after he was found passed out on the floor of a Connecticut bank, clutching a gun. "Diff'rent Strokes" star Gary Coleman was arrested on allegations of domestic assault and then hospitalised following a number of seizures.
Bad health also struck Dexter's Michael C. Hall, who was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma, just as Andrew Lloyd Webber revealed he had overcome prostate cancer.
The music industry mourned the death of R&B legend Teddy Pendergrass when he lost his battle with colon cancer, while the literary world was hit hard with the passing of beloved author J.D. Salinger.
Awards season was in full swing and Beyonce, Kings of Leon and Taylor Swift ruled the 2010 Grammy Awards, while director James Cameron's "Avatar" collected top honours at the Golden Globes and the Critics' Choice Movie Awards.
In the TV world, Simon Cowell confirmed he was stepping down as an American Idol judge, Miley Cyrus announced she was turning her back on "Hannah Montana," and "Ugly Betty" got the axe from network executives.
Elsewhere, George Clooney led the Hope For Haiti Now telethon to raise funds for the Haitian victims of the 12 January earthquake, enlisting pals Jack Nicholson, Ben Affleck and Mel Gibson to man the phones as Madonna, Bono and Beyonce performed for charity. Clooney, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Sandra Bullock and Gisele Bundchen all led by example and donated huge sums to the relief efforts, and the telethon raised more than $57 million.
Jessica Biel and Emile Hirsch fronted another big charity drive when they joined a team of stars to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, drawing attention to Africa's chronic water shortage. They reached the Tanzanian peak for the Summit on the Summit: Kilimanjaro campaign on 12 January, six days after embarking on the challenge.

Photo Credits: PR Photos; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation. All rights reserved Download Avril Lavigne's New Single, 'What The Hell,' Free On New Year's Day 2010 Year In Entertainment Review: February

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InterTubing: More great grabs and some nifty slams

How do you know when one sports season is fading into another? The proliferation of slam dunk highlights at the expense of touchdown grabs is one pretty good sign. That's been the case over the past couple of weeks (InterTubing was off in a tryptophan-induced nap last week), with some pretty amazing slams and buzzer beaters popping up. Until they're completely out, however, we have to start with the touchdown grabs which won't stick around for much longer.

• Shaban Shatku, Tottenville (N.Y.) vs. Curtis (N.Y.): We've tripped across plenty of impressive one-handed grabs over the course of the 2010 season, but none may have been more impressive than this grab by Shatku, who helped lift Tottenville to an impressive win on Staten Island with a miraculous, bobbling one-handed grab. It's a wonder he wasn't using stick'em on those gloves ...

• Dominic Camacho, San Pedro (Calif.) vs. Narbonne (Calif.) and Carson (Calif.): Two is better than one, right? With that in mind, enjoy these two amazing grabs from San Pedro wide receiver Dominic Camacho, who somehow stayed in bounds on the first to eke out a game-winning touchdown against Narbonne in his team's season-finale. That game followed an earlier matchup in which he sold out for an astounding diving catch on a fourth-quarter, fourth down play against Carson.

• Rodney Purvis, Upper Room Christian Academy (N.C.): How good is Upper Room Christian Academy's Rodney Purvis? Just check out this clip from the team's home-opening win, in which the blue chip recruit threw down a filthy slam, then hit a game-winning three-pointer as time expired. Suddenly, Rick Pitino's salivating make a bit more sense.

• Christian Jones, Arlington Bowie (Texas): During the DFW Thansgiving Hoopfest, tournament organizers decided to add in a dunkfest. That turned out to be a typically terrific idea, featuring a host of amazing dunks, but none more impressive than this effort from Christian Jones: a reverse 360 with an under-the-legs revolution.

• Austin Rivers, Winter Park (Fla.) vs. Evans (Fla.): Austin Rivers is the top hoops prospect in the country for a reason. Or, more accurately, for a number of reasons. One of them is his athleticism, which was on full display on this fastbreak, where he threw down a dunk off a backboard alley-oop in the middle of a game. Somewhere, Coach K is smiling already.

• Ryan Skurdal, Rocky Mountain (Idaho): At the end of games, Rocky Mountain High School has already developed a standard protocol: Get the ball to junior guard Ryan Skurdal and get the heck out of the way. Amazingly, that worked brilliantly twice in the past week, with Skurdal connecting on two buzzer-beaters for wins against Idaho rivals.

• Trevor Peterson, Leigh (Calif.) vs. Milpitas (Calif.): Leigh and Milpitas found themselves incredibly evenly matched in the two teams' season openers, but the Longhorns had one last ace up their sleeves: A 35-foot three-pointer from junior guard Trevor Peterson, which lifted Leigh to a dramatic come-from-behind win. The guard also nailed a three with less than 20 seconds left to pull Leigh within a point, setting the stage for his bigger heroics.

Want more on the best stories in high school sports? Visit RivalsHigh or connect with Prep Rally on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

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