Although the All Starr Band members come from varying corners of the music world, Rundgren says he expects them to be playing as a cohesive unit when they hit the stage.
“The rehearsals are copious — 10 days of rehearsal, I think, for what ultimately is a five-week tour,” he reveals. “That’s a lot of time for people to kind of relax when you learn stuff, but also to get to know each other.”
While Rundgren is excited about this year’s trek, he admits that he experienced a bit of unpleasantness with an unnamed All Starr Band member during his other times playing on the tour.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012 9:03 PM
“Every once in a while, there’ll be a very unhappy person and for some reason I am the magnet for their unhappiness,” he explains. “I’m having too much fun, I guess, and so they get especially indignant at me. But this time I think it’s [a] pretty even-keeled bunch of guys.”
Rolie, meanwhile, will be making his debut appearance on an All Starr Band outing. In preparing for the trek, he discovered some interesting details about Ringo’s career.
“I never realized how many hit songs he sang on until I started really looking at them,” he tells ABC News Radio.
With regard to participating in the tour, he says, “It’s just interesting as heck. You know, totally different from what I do, but I’m really looking forward to it. It’s gonna be a lot of fun and the group is great. The musicians are terrific.”
Tuesday, June 26, 2012 9:03 PM
The All Starr Band Tour is scheduled to run through a July 21 show at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. The trek’s entire schedule can be viewed at RingoStarr.com.
Copyright 2012 ABC News Radio
__________-
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band – “Photograph” – Live (HD) 2012 – Bethel, NY
Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band – Live – “Photograph” June 16, 2012 Bethel Woods Center For The Arts in Bethel, NY Ringo Starr, Steve Lukather, Gregg Rolie, Todd Rundgren, Richard Page, Mark Rivera, Gregg Bissonette Section 8 Canon SX230 HS – HD video
It was a promising sophomore season for Franklin, who added 981 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground to his considerable passing stats. What a dual threat he will be under center for Missouri, which will have to face off against SEC defenses for the first time in 2012.
Franklin appears ready for the challenge. It doesn’t hurt that the junior quarterback will have top overall recruit WR Dorial Green-Beckham as a top target. The Tigers’ offense certainly will have some playmakers.
Photo: Spruce Derden/US Presswire
Year: Junior
2011 Stats: 147-247 (59.5%) 17 TD, 6 INT
We’re looking for big things out of Bray this fall. The 6-foot-6 QB showed flashes of brilliance in 2011, collecting 14 TDs and just 2 INTs in the first five games of the season before going down with a thumb injury.
He returned with tepid results in the season’s final two games, perhaps rusty from the layoff and not completely healed. Bray should be primed for 2012 with WRs Justin Hunter and Da’Rick Rogers, when the furthering of his skill could result in a high selection in 2013 NFL draft. Derek Dooley wouldn’t mind the help, either.
One could argue that Murray was the best quarterback in the SEC last year, when he helped save coach Mark Richt’s job as the Bulldogs reeled off 10 straight wins after an 0-2 start. He put up some eye-popping numbers through most of the season as the offense ran through him.
However, it’s clear that Murray – known for his light-hearted antics off the field – needs to get serious in big games. The QB hit on just 16-of-40 passes in the SEC title game against LSU, then threw two picks in a three-overtime loss to Michigan State in the Outback Bowl. Something tells us that Murray will take the leap in 2012.
Photo: Kim Klement/US Presswire
Year: Senior
2011 Stats: 277-438 (63.2%), 24 TD, 6 INT
Wilson made Arkansas fans forget about Ryan Mallett in a hurry by leading the Hogs to an 11-2 season and putting up performances like a 510-yard, three-touchdown outing vs. Texas A&M that has Wilson as a frontrunner for the 2012 Heisman and 2013 NFL Draft’s No. 1 overall pick.
There are obstacles, though. Gone is offensive guru Bobby Petrino as the team’s head coach, offensive coordinator Garrick McGee to head UAB and Wilson’s talented receiver trio of Joe Adams, Greg Childs and Jarius Wright. Wilson has all the tools to be a franchise NFL quarterback and don’t expect a step back even with the challenges Wilson will face this fall.
I was enjoying my lunch at an extended family lunch that included about two dozen relatives from several states. Several of mine relatives have been dating Tennessee fans!!! Can you believe it? I must confess that my relatives themselves are fans of several different teams. Two of my sisters graduated from Ole Miss and one of them married a big Tennessee fan twenty years ago.
We usually have a lot of light-hearted give and take at these lunches especially if my Razorbacks are taking on the Vols in football. At the last lunch I made the comment, “Everyone knows that Tyler Wilson is the best quarterback in the SEC and may be the best in the nation.” Two at the table objected and actually said that Tennessee and Georgia had better quarterbacks than Wilson. (The Maxwell Watchlist includes our Razorback quarterback as well as both Tennessee and Georgia’s quarterbacks as reported on a link from Arkansas Sports 360)
However, I did notice on your link that all three are on the Maxwell watch list. To me it is obvious that Wilson is the best, but we just have to wait and see. May the best Razorback win.
Here are some thoughts of other publications throughout the nation(Football Nation ,247 sports) and here are some links to other rankings here :
This is where the rankings start to get interesting. The ACC and Pac-12 are head and shoulders above the rest of the nation when it comes to passing talent. For now, the Big 12 gets the nod over the SEC due to a few factors. First, if all the talent falls back into place in the Big 12 — Robert Griffin III, Landry Jones and Geno Smith — it would easily top the SEC. Second, can Mizzou’s James Franklin accomplish in the SEC what he produced in the Big 12? And lastly, half of this conference will have major question marks or unproven commodities under center in 2012.
At the top, Georgia’s Aaron Murray and Arkansas’ Tyler Wilson give the SEC a fantastic 1-2 punch. Wilson led the SEC in yards in his first season as the starter, and Murray led the conference in touchdown passes as he led the Dawgs back to the SEC title game. Georgia will once again be picked to win the East, and the Hogs have a schedule that sets up nicely to challenge LSU and Alabama.
Most important will be the influx of “new” talent. The SEC missed out on most of Tyler Bray’s 2011 season at Tennessee due to injury, and Big Orange faithful will welcome him back to campus for a full season in 2012. Bray might be the best pure passer in the entire conference and will certainly benefit from the return of injured star wideout Justin Hunter. Missouri will bring second-year dual-threat star Franklin to the East as well. The sophomore was dynamic all season long and claimed MVP honors by posting 132 yards passing and 142 yards rushing (and three touchdowns) against North Carolina’s SEC-type front seven in the Independence Bowl. How good he can be in his first season facing actual SEC defenses remains to be seen.
It also appears that LSU will go with the burly, highly touted UGA transfer Zach Mettenberger. The 6-foot-5, 225 pounder saw limited action in five games this fall with LSU and will be a junior next fall. The Tigers also reeled in the nation’s No. 2 incoming freshman quarterback in Gunner Kiel.
The development of A.J. McCarron at Alabama, Jordan Rodgers at Vanderbilt and Connor Shaw at South Carolina will likely determine just how good the quarterback play in the SEC will be in 2012. McCarron led all SEC passers with a 66.8% completion rate and appears poised for stardom next fall as he becomes the focal point of the offense. Other than Bray, he might be the best pure passer and top NFL prospect in the conference. Rodgers won’t have the veteran, opportunistic defense helping him next fall and will need to continue to prove himself. Shaw went 6-1 after Stephen Garcia was excommunicated, but doubts still remain about his ability to lead the Gamecocks to a championship.
While the top is very strong in this league, the bottom is full of more questions than any other conference. Mississippi State has options but none has been able to take the next step. Florida, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Kentucky and Auburn each have major issues at the position. The Gators, Aggies and Tigers have highly touted yet largely unproven players to choose from, while Kentucky and Ole Miss could be in for another long year.
The only three-time captain in the history of USC football has an idea of how he gets better.
“You do things you’ve never done before,” Matt Barkley says.
Tyler Bray’s promising 2011 was derailed by a thumb injury. (AP Photo)
Considering what Barkley has accomplished, that’s a scary thought. At least on an individual level.
For the second straight season, college football has a celebrity quarterback—and lock No. 1 pick in the 2013 NFL draft—returning to take one more shot at winning a championship.
And like last season when Stanford’s Andrew Luck returned, Barkley has dwarfed the rest of a talented group of quarterbacks. There will be at least three quarterbacks taken in the first round of the April NFL draft—maybe three in the top five picks—and there could be more than that in 2013.
A look at the next five quarterbacks after Barkley for the 2012 season:
1. Tyler Wilson, Arkansas, Sr.: He would have been a first-round pick had he left after this season, but decided to return to—what else?—try and win an SEC championship for the first time at Arkansas.
Why he’s here: All the measurables NFL teams crave: physical frame (6-3, 220 pounds), big arm, athleticism. Wilson plays in a pro-style system and knows (and thrives on) the NFL route tree.
How he can improve: Decision-making, accuracy. Both come with more game repetitions. Wilson has only played one full season, and one half of one game in 2010 of meaningful snaps.
An NFL scout says: “I love his moxie. I’ve seen him—over and over—stand tall in the pocket and just get drilled after delivering a strike. He has a big arm, and he has the right guy (Bobby Petrino) coaching him. There were a lot of people disappointed when he didn’t come out (early). I want to see him perform when they’re the hunted.”
2. Tyler Bray, Tennessee, Jr.: We haven’t seen nearly enough of the Vols’ rising star (12 career starts) because he didn’t play soon enough as a freshman in 2010, and sustained a thumb injury in 2011.
Why he’s here: Potential—and loads of it. The biggest jump in production and grasp of the game for quarterbacks comes from the freshman to sophomore seasons. Bray was on his way to a big season last year (14 TDs, 2 INTs before thumb injury), and struggled to grip the ball the last two games of the season (3 TDs, 4 INTs) when he returned and played with pain.
How he can improve: Accuracy and maturity. Bray tries too often to use his strong arm to force throws. Much of that isn’t necessarily knowledge; it’s maturity. Knowing when to back off. He must become more of a vocal leader on the team.
An NFL scout says: “A lot to like about him. He’s a little thin, but I don’t anticipate weight being an issue. You watch him, and some of the time it looks like he’s just chucking it around in his backyard. I want to see him get serious—about the game and his position.”
3. Mike Glennon, N.C. State, Sr.: Here’s all you need to know about Glennon, who was unfairly put in position as the fall guy for coach Tom O’Brien’s decision to cut ties with Russell Wilson: O’Brien thinks Glennon can be as good as Matt Ryan—who has turned into an elite NFL quarterback.
Why he’s here: While we all focused on Wilson and his Big Ten championship season at Wisconsin, we lost sight of Glennon’s breakthrough season (31 TDs, 12 INTs, 3,054 yards). Late in the year, with N.C. State at 5-5 and desperate for wins to reach the postseason, Glennon threw for 823 yards, 11 TDs and 2 INTs in victories over Clemson, Maryland and Louisville in the Belk Bowl.
How he can improve: Accuracy and wins. Every scout says the same thing: your game tape is your resume. Glennon must prove he can carry his team (like he did the last three games of 2011) through an entire season.
An NFL scout says: “He has a very high football IQ; a guy that can step right in and run a system. Get him in the weight room, and he’ll develop into that slight frame (6-6, 225 pounds). His accuracy changes with each route. Needs to be more consistent there.”
4. James Franklin, Missouri, Jr.: The wild card of the group. Franklin last season looked magnificent and mind-bogglingly lost at various times. His arm strength and athletic ability remind scouts of Robert Griffin III, but he’s much too inconsistent.
Why he’s here: Physically, the total package. A legitimate Cam Newton-type player: a strong arm and pass-first mentality and the ability (and want) to punish defenses in the run game. Find some video of last year’s Texas A&M game, and see why the Newton comparisons are easy to make.
How he can improve: Cut down on turnovers and poor decisions, and accuracy. Franklin already is under the gun before the season begins: Missouri offensive coordinator David Yost told Sporting News earlier this spring that he’d be shocked of Franklin weren’t the best quarterback in the SEC in 2012 (there are three other SEC quarterbacks on this list).
An NFL scout says: “It’s going to be very interesting to see him play against SEC defenses. That’s a man’s league on defense; the defensive lines, the coverages, the confusion they create. It’s not only a good physical test, but a tremendous mental and emotional challenge.”
5. Aaron Murray, Georgia, Jr.: Without Zach Mettenberger’s legal problems in the 2010 offseason, Murray may not even be in this position. Or at Georgia. Instead, he’s primed to leave early for the NFL with a big season in 2012.
Why he’s here: A strong arm and a high quarterback IQ. He has terrific leadership skills and a rare toughness. He doesn’t have the same skill set as former Georgia star (and No. 1 overall pick) Matthew Stafford, but who does in the last two decades? Of the group of five, the best pure football player.
How he can improve: Accuracy. Simply put, you can’t complete less than 60 percent of your passes in college—where the passing lanes and windows are much greater than the NFL—and expect to succeed at a high level in the NFL.
An NFL scout says: “I want to see improvement on the intermediate throws; the throws you have to make in our league. He has nice touch on the deep throws, and he understands the position. He just has to refine mechanics and throw with confidence; it’s all workable stuff.”
Photo: Rob ShannahanThe 13th installment of Ringo Starr‘s All Starr Band Tour kicks off Thursday night in Toronto. Joining the Beatles drummer on the 2012 edition of the trek are Todd Rundgren, ex-Santana/Journey singer/keyboardist Gregg Rolie, Toto guitarist Steve Lukather and Mr. Mister‘s Richard Page, as well as longtime Billy Joel saxophonist Mark Rivera and veteran session drummer Gregg Bissonnette. As usual, the jaunt will feature the various artists performing some of their own hits, as well as backing Ringo on his solo and Fab Four classics.
This will be Rundgren’s third go-round on an All-Starr Band trek, having previously been part of the 1992 and 1999 lineups. The prolific singer/songwriter recently told ABC News Radio that he’s really looking forward to hitting the road with Starr.
“It’s always a pleasure to play with and hang out with Ringo, because he’s just a ray of sunshine,” notes Rundgren. “He’s always looking on the bright side and he’s always giving the peace sign and he’s bringing the entertainments to the peoples, and that’s where I want to be when I’m 70. I want to do it until I can’t do it anymore.”
There is some uncertainty whether Dick Burnett himself wrote the song. One claim is that it was sung by the Mackin clan in 1888 in Ireland and that Cameron O’Mackin emigrated to Tennessee, brought the song with him, and performed it. In an interview he gave toward the end of his life, Burnett himself indicated that he could not remember:
Charles Wolfe: “What about this “Farewell Song” – ‘I am a man of constant sorrow’ – did you write it?”
Richard Burnett: “No, I think I got the ballad from somebody – I dunno. It may be my song…”[1]
If Burnett wrote the song, the date of its composition, or at least of the editing of certain lyrics by Burnett, can be fixed at about 1913. Since it is known that Burnett was born in 1883, married in 1905, and blinded in 1907, the dating of two of these texts can be made on the basis of internal evidence. The second stanza of “Farewell Song” mentions that the singer has been blind six years, which put the date at 1913. According to the Country Music Annual, Burnett “probably tailored a pre-existing song to fit his blindness” and may have adapted a hymn. Charles Wolfe argues that “Burnett probably based his melody on an old Baptisthymn called “Wandering Boy”.[2]
During 1918, Cecil Sharp collected the song and published it as “In Old Virginny” (Sharp II, 233).
Sarah Ogan Gunning’s re-writing of the traditional “Man” into a more personal “Girl” took place about 1936 in New York, where her first husband, Andrew Ogan, was fatally ill. The text was descriptive of loneliness away from home and anticipated her bereavement; the melody she remembered from a 78 rpm hillbilly record (Emry Arthur, probably Vocalion Vo 5208, 1928) she had heard some years before in the mountains.
“Man of Constant Sorrow” is probably two or three hundred years old. But the first time I heard it when I was y’know, like a small boy, my daddy – my father – he had some of the words to it, and I heard him sing it, and we – my brother and me – we put a few more words to it, and brought it back in existence. I guess if it hadn’t been for that it’d have been gone forever. I’m proud to be the one that brought that song back, because I think it’s wonderful.”
Stanley’s autobiography is titled Man of Constant Sorrow.[4]
The embedded lists in this article may contain items that are not encyclopedic. Please help out by removing such elements and incorporating appropriate items into the main body of the article. (January 2011)
1928 – The song was recorded in 1928 by Emry Arthur.
1951 – It was popularized by the Stanley Brothers, on Columbia 20816, Recorded: Nov. 3, 1950, Released: May 1951.
1959 – The Stanley Brothers re-recorded it on King Records 45-5269, Recorded: Sep. 15, 1959, Released: Oct. 1959. This version is probably the first with a very similar vocal arrangement as the one used in the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou?, where it is performed by the fictitious group Soggy Bottom Boys (recorded by Dan Tyminski, Harley Allen, and Pat Enright).
1960 – A version of the song, “Girl of Constant Sorrow”, is included on the remastered version of the album Joan Baez, first released in 1960 on the Vanguard label.[5]
1961 – Recorded by Roscoe Holcomb (Daisy Kentucky) in 1961–1962 with an arrangement more like Dylan’s than that of the Stanleys.(Music of Roscoe Holcomb and Wade Ward,Smithsonian Folkways, Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.)
1970 – It was also recorded by Ginger Baker’s Air Force on their eponymous debut album in 1970, sung by Air Force guitarist and vocalist (and former Moody Blues, future Wings member) Denny Laine. The band used the same melody, and for the most part the same lyrics (but substituted ‘Birmingham’ for ‘Colorado’). The arrangement differed, though, as this was a loosely improvised live version, with violin and saxophones, that stays very much in the major scales of A, D and E, unlike its future bluesier brethren. It was the only band single; it charted #36 on the U.S. country charts and #86 in UK.
1972 – Some of the lyrics were used verbatim in the Rolling Stones song “Let It Loose” from the 1972 LP Exile on Main St.
1993 – “Man of Constant Sorrow” was one of many songs recorded by Jerry Garcia, David Grisman, and Tony Rice one weekend in February 1993. Jerry’s taped copy of the session was later stolen by his pizza delivery man, eventually became an underground classic, and finally edited and released in 2000 as The Pizza Tapes.[citation needed] Jerry Garcia also sang an a cappella version on June 11, 1962, at the Jewish Community Center in San Carlos, California, with the Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers.[citation needed] Though unreleased, it has been widely circulated among traders at least since the 1980s.[citation needed]
2000 – Jackson Browne and Irish accordionist Sharon Shannon recorded their version of the song in 2000. It also appeared in Shannon’s album The Diamond Mountain Sessions.
2000 – The song appears in the 2000 film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, under the title “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow.” Performed by the fictitious Soggy Bottom Boys in the movie, it was recorded by Dan Tyminski, Harley Allen, and Pat Enright. It was a hit in the movie for the Soggy Bottom Boys and later became a hit single in real life. It received a CMA for “Single of the Year” and a Grammy for “Best Country Collaboration with Vocals” and it peaked at #35 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Dan Tyminski performed this song at the Crossroads Guitar Festival with Ron Block and live with Alison Krauss. The version used in the film is closest in lyrics and singing style to Ralph Stanley’s.
2000– The folk group Donna the Buffalo did a reggae-influenced cover on their album Positive Friction.
2001 – A version entitled “Soul of Constant Sorrow” appears on the 2001 album Mountain Soul by country singer Patty Loveless.
2003 – In 2003, musicians Skeewiff remixed “Man of Constant Sorrow.” The song was so popular in Australia that it featured at #96 in the Triple J’s hottest 100 songs of 2003. That same year, the O Brother Where Art Thou? version of the song ranked #20 in CMT’s 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music.
2012 – The hard-rock band Charm City Devils released a video of their cover of the song on their YouTube channel.[7] The lyric video video was a montage of images and footage from old black and white movies over which were superimposed the song’s lyrics in an ornate but damaged font consistent with the band’s branding.
2012 – The poet and rapper George Watsky released a cover/remix of the song on his YouTube channel.[8] The video shows similar themes to the film O Brother, Where Art Thou?. This version of the song adds hip-hop elements (such as Watsky’s rapping for the verse).
Tom Landry’s faith in Christ was the most important thing in the world to him.
I got to ask Pat Summerall a question at the Little Rock Touchdown Club meeting back in October of 2010. Summerall had pointed out that Tom Landry was the defensive coordinator and Vince Lombardi was the offensive backfield coach when he played for the Giants. Summerall had shared how he had recovered from his drinking habit and put his faith in Christ and was baptized.
I simply asked him if he had a chance to interact with any Christian Coaches like Tony Dungy or Tom Landry about his conversion. He said that he told Landry about his conversion and that was the only time he ever saw Landry smile. Walt Garrison told Summerall that he never saw Landry smile but he only played for him for 9 years.
NFL Hall of Fame, 20 consecutive winning seasons, 13 division championships, five trips to the Super Bowl, two world championship titles: he went to the top and always wore his trademark hat.
Tom Landry was one of the most easily recognized men in the USA: a man so identified with his job that he was usually called “Coach Tom Landry”. As head coach of the Dallas Cowboys football team for nearly thirty years, Coach Landry compiled a winning record that few professional coaches have since matched. But that success did not come easily. Beginning with the expansion team in 1960, Landry and the Cowboys suffered through five straight losing seasons. Their ledger during those first five years reads only 18 wins, 46 losses and 4 ties. Not exactly the kind of record a dynasty is built on!
“People were wondering whether or not we were going to make it,” Landry once remarked. Of course, the Cowboys did make it! In 1965 they broke even, and in the years that followed they compiled one of the best records in NFL history.
Running a professional football team can be a hectic job, but Coach Landry completed the task successfully because his priorities were in order. “Winning a football game isn’t the end of all things,” he once said. “It’s got a priority, but it’s not number one in my life. This creates for me a certain amount of calmness, even though I’m human enough to suffer when we lose.”
Landry’s greatest legacy – and his highest priority in life – was his Christian faith. “This is really the most important factor in my life, my faith in Jesus Christ.” Landry continued, “When you accept Christ, He becomes first in your life. It’s this priority that gives me peace.”
Peace was something Coach Landry did not always enjoy, however. For a long time he sought fulfillment in his own achievements: “I had a very restless feeling inside me that I wanted to accomplish something, but I really didn’t know what it was.” As a boy in the small town of Mission, Texas, Tom Landry was a regular attendee of Sunday school and church, but thought that football seemed more important. So young Tom began to set goals – specific goals for his budding football career. In high school he told himself, “If I could just be part of a championship team, be an all-district halfback, then I would have everything I wanted.” In his senior year Landry saw that dream fulfilled, but, in his own words, the thrill “wore off quickly.”
Next it was college, but even his success at the prestigious University of Texas and trips to the Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl were not enough to satisfy him. Even professional football didn’t do it. Landry discovered that his restlessness had followed him even to the NFL. Although Landry didn’t know it, he was experiencing the reality of Luke 12:15. “A man’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (or achievements!). Landry never imagined that his problem was basically a spiritual one. After all, he had been going to church all his life. He already WAS a Christian, wasn’t he?
An invitation to a Bible discussion group in 1958 changed his thinking and gave him an answer to his quest for peace. God began to open Coach Landry’s eyes to the difference between a mere churchgoer – a “good” person – and a true Christian. As he related, “I committed my life to Christ and discovered what Jesus meant when He said, ‘I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full'” (John 10:10). What was it that Coach Landry discovered? He found the source of his restlessness: separation from God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Then he realized the discomforting truth that he was a sinner, and sin was causing his alienation from God. In fact, because we all have sinned, each one of us has experienced this same separation from God.
But Landry also discovered some good news! Romans 6:23 says it best: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” As the coach said, “All we have to do is recognize that Jesus did die on the cross for our sins, that we are sinners, and that it’s only through Jesus Christ that we can have our sins forgiven.” For Coach Tom Landry, placing his faith in Christ brought an end to his restless search for life’s meaning.
David Boaz is the executive vice president of the Cato Institute and has played a key role in the development of the Cato Institute and the libertarian movement.
Every successful company finds out that it can’t just work on improving its products and serving consumers. Sooner or later, it’s going to have to deal with politicians and regulators sniffing around its business.
Yes, Apple — praised to the skies for being an innovator and job creator by Washington politicians when that narrative serves their interests — has become the latest target of the political class.
According to Politico, the daily newspaper of lobbyists and political consultants, industry giant Apple spent a mere $500,000 in Washington in the first quarter of 2012, compared to more than $7 million Google and Microsoft spent on lobbying and related activities from January through March of this year.
Then Politico lowers the boom: “The company’s attitude toward D.C. — described by critics as ‘don’t bother us’ — has left it without many inside-the-Beltway friends.”
With a rising position in the market has come endless, reflexive scrutiny.
“Don’t bother us”? I say, amen. But Washington says, no way. The attitude on the Potomac is: “Nice little company ya got there, shame if anything happened to it.”
The core problem, as far as Washington sees it? After years as a cute little niche player, Apple has suddenly started producing wildly popular products such as the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad.
With a rising position in the market has come endless, reflexive scrutiny.
The biggest example: The Federal Trade Commission has started rumbling about Apple’s threat to competition. Note the absurdity here. Apple creates whole new products and industries, consumer benefits that didn’t exist before — and the federal government wrings its hands about the possibility that it’s somehow going to “limit” competition in a market it created.
David Boaz is the executive vice president of the Cato Institute and has played a key role in the development of the Cato Institute and the libertarian movement.
It’s not just the FTC. The Justice Department’s antitrust division is investigating Apple’s e-book pricing arrangements. The U.S. International Trade Commission has conducted investigations into Apple’s wireless patents (finally clearing Apple in one recent case).
And congressional committees regularly pressure the company about how smartphone apps — which a very savvy consumer marketplace is perfectly capable of monitoring on its own — might threaten privacy or enable illegal activity.
Make no mistake: This will continue unless and until Apple gets with the program and starts spending a few million a year on Washington lobbying.
And even then, it will not stop.
Heard of “too big to fail”? Well, to Washington, Apple is now too big not to nail.
Sadly, I get to write this same column every time a new company makes enough money to draw the attention of the wielders of money and power in Washington. Remember Microsoft? For more than a decade, Microsoft went about its business, developing software, selling it to customers and — legally — making money.
Washington politicians and journalists sneered at the company’s naiveté. A congressional aide said, “They don’t want to play the D.C. game, that’s clear, and they’ve gotten away with it so far. The problem is, in the long run they won’t be able to.”
A major antitrust case and a few other inquiries later, Microsoft got the message. They now play the game.
A decade later, it was Google. After a humble start as a research project by two Stanford students, Google delivered a terrific product — and became the biggest success story of the early 21st century.
But in our modern politicized economy, which author Jonathan Rauch called the “parasite economy,” no good deed goes unpunished for long. Policymakers worried about the company’s size and influence — including in many markets it had ostensibly created — started threatening Google.
Sure enough, Google opened a Washington office, hired well-connected lobbyists and ramped up its spending.
And now Apple.
Make no mistake: A growing drumbeat of questions from Washington puts a damper on innovation. Reflecting on Microsoft’s decline after its decade-long antitrust case, tech expert Adam Thierer wrote in Forbes, “When antitrust hangs like the Sword of Damocles, every decision about how to evolve and innovate becomes a calculated gamble.”
A bigger and bigger priority becomes how to bend the tax and regulatory system so it causes as little pain as possible.
Why? Because government is a weed. The federal budget has grown steadily over the last 60 years or so to about $3.7 trillion. The number of pages in the Federal Register, where new regulations are printed, now grows by about 70,000 every year.
No wonder total spending on lobbyists has doubled in the past decade, to $3.3 billion in 2011.
Dragging Apple into the political swamps is just the latest tragic example.
When it comes to college football stadiums, for some teams, it is simply not fair. Home-field advantage is a big thing in college football, and some teams have it way more than others.
There are 124 FBS college football teams, and when it comes to the stadiums they play in, they are obviously not all created equal.
There is a monumental difference from the top teams on the list to the bottom teams on the list. Either way, here it is: a complete ranking of the college football stadiums 1-124.
_________________
I remember like yesterday the great games that Arkansas and Texas used to have. Here is an article from ESPN from 2003 that goes back over some of the great games in that series.
AUSTIN — In its heyday, no rivalry was better than Texas vs. Arkansas.
It was a regular showdown on the third Saturday in October, one week after UT played Oklahoma.
It was about the grudge between border states, with Southwest Conference supremacy usually at stake. It took on national significance from 1960-70 as eight games featured at least one team ranked in the Top 10.
It was Ken Hatfield’s punt return for a touchdown that sent Arkansas to an undefeated season and a claim for a national title in 1964, one year after Texas won its first championship.
It was “The Big Shootout” of ’69, when President Nixon watched the No. 1 Longhorns beat the No. 2 Razorbacks 15-14 and declared them national champions.
It was the sideline battle of wits between coaches Darrell Royal and Frank Broyles, close friends who announced after the ’76 game that they were both retiring.
And then it came to and end.
Arkansas bolted the old Southwest Conference for the SEC after the 1991 season and the Hogs and Horns haven’t met during the regular season since.
Until now, when Arkansas (1-0) travels to Austin on Saturday to face No. 6 Texas (1-0).
“It’s good for these two programs,” said James Street, the UT quarterback in 1968 and ’69. “It’s good for football.”
^——=
Taken as a whole, the rivalry is lopsided. The Longhorns won the first meeting in 1894, Arkansas won the last in the 2000 Cotton Bowl, and the Longhorns hold the all-time lead of 54-20.
But what makes it so special is the handful of memorable plays, the overlapping excellence in the era of Royal and Broyles and the rivalry that’s typical between bordering states.
For Arkansas, the only SWC school not in Texas, there was always the feeling of wanting to take down its big, cocky neighbor — even though its roster was peppered with natives of the Lone Star State.
“Arkansas pride and insecurity both played a role,” said Terry Frei, author of the book “Horns, Hogs, & Nixon Coming — Texas vs. Arkansas in Dixie’s Last Stand” about the 1969 season and “The Big Shootout.”
“Here we were, this outpost in northwest Arkansas,” said Bill Montgomery, a Dallas-area native who was the Razorbacks’ quarterback 1968-70. “It was a great source of pride for the state.”
In 1961, No. 3 Texas rolled to a 33-7 victory over No. 10 Arkansas. The Longhorns were No. 1 when they beat the seventh-ranked Razorbacks 7-3 a year later, spurred by a goal-line stand in the third quarter.
Arkansas won 14-13 in ’64 behind Hatfield’s electrifying punt return. The play is still diagramed in detail in the school’s media guide.
It was Texas’ only loss that year and Royal went into the Arkansas locker room to warn the Razorbacks that if they lost later in the season, the Longhorns would be waiting.
Arkansas didn’t give up another point in the next five games and finished the regular season 10-0, but was ranked second to Alabama in the final wire-service polls, which did not include bowl games. The Football Writers Association did, however, and they crowned the Razorbacks as national champions after they beat Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl and Texas knocked off ‘Bama in the Orange Bowl.
When they met again in ’65, third-ranked Arkansas beat top-ranked Texas 27-24 with Razorbacks quarterback Jon Brittenum scoring the winning touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Those back-to-back losses still stand out to Royal as much as his 167 wins and two undisputed national titles.
“I always think about the ones that got away,” he said.
THE game was played in Fayetteville in 1969 amid swirling changes on the field and throughout society.
The Longhorns, about to become the last all-white national champions, had perfected their run-based Wishbone offense. The military had started a new lottery system in which low numbers meant get ready for the unpopular war in Vietnam, a conflict that drew protesters everywhere, including a small demonstration within view of the stadium on game day.
Anticipating a blockbuster end to college football’s centennial celebration, the game was moved from its usual midseason matchup to Dec. 6, making it the only game in the country that day. It was the perfect move as Texas came in ranked No. 1 and Arkansas was No. 2.
President Nixon, an avid football fan, flew in via helicopter to watch. The Rev. Billy Graham gave the invocation.
“That same Watergate crowd, we had them all there,” Royal said. “How much bigger can it get?”
Arkansas led 7-0 at halftime, then stretched it to 14-0 in the third quarter. Street made it 14-8 with a 42-yard touchdown run and a 2-point conversion
Then came the play Texas fans remember as fondly as Arkansas fans recall Hatfield’s weaving run. On a fourth-and-3, Royal stunned even Street by calling for “53 veer pass,” a play that had rarely worked all season.
Street told tight end Randy Peschel to get enough yards for a first down. “But if you can get behind him, run like hell,” he said. They connected for 44 yards to set up Jim Bertlesen’s winning touchdown.
Afterward, Nixon greeted Royal in the locker room with a plaque proclaiming Texas the national champion.
“He was going around shaking everybody’s hand and somebody yells `Thank you Mr. President!” Street said. “He says, `No, you boys deserve it.’ The guy shouts back `I’m thanking you for my high lottery number!”‘
Nixon also visited the subdued Arkansas locker room.
“The president reminded us he knew all too well the taste of defeat,” said Bill Montgomery, the Arkansas quarterback that day. “He could identify with what we were feeling. It was quite touching.”
The rivalry remained intense, then turned bittersweet once Arkansas bolted the dying SWC four years before it collapsed. In their finale meeting as conference foes, the Hogs won 14-13.
Nostalgic feelings were stirred before the 2000 Cotton Bowl meeting. Razorbacks coach Houston Nutt added an edge to it by flashing an upside down Hook ’em Horns hand gesture following his team’s 27-6 romp.
As for the in-season renewal of the rivalry, Texas coach Mack Brown began lobbying for it soon after arriving in Austin before the 1998 season.
He thought it would be good for season-ticket sales, a nice excuse to celebrate Royal and Broyles, “and it would honor the history of college football,”Brown said.
Broyles said Arkansas wanted four games. Texas would give them only two.
The second comes next year in Fayetteville, 35 years after “The Big Shootout.”
This story is from ESPN.com’s automated news wire. Wire index
18. Doak Campbell Stadium: Florida State Seminoles
There are few things in college football more distinct and noticeable than the incessant Florida State Seminole chant.
Doak Campbell Stadium has been home to the Seminoles since it opened in 1950, and to that chant as well.
It seats 84,300 and is one of the best stadiums as far as the ACC is concerned.
Also known as Bobby Bowden Field, perhaps one of the highlights is when Chief Osceola rides out on Renegade before he throws a flaming spear into the middle of the field.
17. Spartan Stadium: Michigan State Spartans
Spartan Stadium is old and large. It opened in 1923 and seats 75,005 fans. All of which are certain to be screaming throughout.
It actually looks larger than it is and is much louder than many people would imagine 75,000 people could be.
The marching band is excellent here and is one of the reasons why the atmosphere here is so great. The student section is loud, and the bleacher seats are the typical metal that are not comfortable, but it doesn’t really matter.
16. Darrell Royal Texas Memorial Stadium
The Texas Longhorns have the sixth-largest stadium in college football with a capacity of 100,119. It was built in 1924 and has undergone many renovations over the years.
Texas has been dominant at home since the stadium opened and has won nearly 80 percent of their home games during that time.
There is so much tradition and history at Texas that going to a game is certain to give just about anybody chills.
Bevo is a mainstay here and is as well-known as just about anybody in the state of Texas.
This is where the rankings start to get interesting. The ACC and Pac-12 are head and shoulders above the rest of the nation when it comes to passing talent. For now, the Big 12 gets the nod over the SEC due to a few factors. First, if all the talent falls back into place in the Big 12 — Robert Griffin III, Landry Jones and Geno Smith — it would easily top the SEC. Second, can Mizzou’s James Franklin accomplish in the SEC what he produced in the Big 12? And lastly, half of this conference will have major question marks or unproven commodities under center in 2012.
2. Tyler Wilson, Arkansas (SR)
Tyler Bray’s promising 2011 was derailed by a thumb injury. (AP Photo)
Uploaded by 
Share Article 
Photo: Rob ShannahanThe 13th installment of Ringo Starr‘s All Starr Band Tour kicks off Thursday night in Toronto. Joining the Beatles drummer on the 2012 edition of the trek are Todd Rundgren, ex-Santana/Journey singer/keyboardist Gregg Rolie, Toto guitarist Steve Lukather and Mr. Mister‘s Richard Page, as well as longtime Billy Joel saxophonist Mark Rivera and veteran session drummer Gregg Bissonnette. As usual, the jaunt will feature the various artists performing some of their own hits, as well as backing Ringo on his solo and Fab Four classics.
The Daily Hatch 