LAS VEGAS (AP) — Getting money down on your favorite sports team is getting a little easier in Nevada with the first-ever legal wagering application for smart phones. It won’t work in the U.S. outside the Silver State – the only place where sports gambling is legal – but its technology is sophisticated enough to let visitors from other states conveniently place bets while they’re here, even if they’re not inside a casino. American Wagering Inc. is launching the program for BlackBerry devices in time for the start of college football and the NFL regular season. The public company, which operates nearly 60 Leroy’s Horse and Sports Place sports books throughout Nevada, plans to launch new apps for iPhones, Droids, and Windows-based phones soon. “I’m all-in on this,” said Vic Salerno, American Wagering’s chief executive. “We’ve reinvented the company entirely.” Salerno said it took 14 months to develop the application and get it approved by Nevada gambling regulators. Each version for other phone operating systems requires separate approval from the Nevada Gaming Control Board, which will scrutinize their security systems and other features. The application requires bettors to appear at a sports book in person just once, when first creating their account with Leroy’s. That allows the company to verify a person’s age and tie their account to one specific phone. When that person then logs into the system, a combination of GPS and cellular tower coordinates verify he or she is within Nevada’s borders before allowing them to place a bet. Placing bets on sports through phones isn’t new in Nevada, said John English, the company’s senior vice president for business development. A beeper system, affectionately known as a “wager pager,” lets gamblers call in their bets and verify their position through a code sent to the beeper from a limited-range tower, he said. Salerno and English said custom versions of the apps will likely be offered in future years to major gambling operators like Harrah’s Entertainment, Inc., MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Wynn Resorts Ltd. An American Wagering subsidiary, Computerized Bookmaking Systems, Inc., currently supplies equipment and software for 85 percent of the race and sports books in the state. ? 2010 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .
September 1, 2010 | Posted in
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NEW YORK (AP) — Jessica Brunelli is a fan of “Jersey Shore” and “The Real World,” so the 17-year-old race car driver knows just how addictive reality TV can be. Addictive enough to draw in viewers who don’t know Jeff Gordon from Jeff Burton? That’s the gamble behind “Changing Lanes,” a new show that airs not on a sports network but BET. Yes, BET. Where better to reach a completely new audience? “Changing Lanes” chronicles 10 young female and minority racers in NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program as they compete for four spots on a team. “I’ve got friends here who don’t know about racing, and they’re going to watch it and I think give it a lot more respect,” said 16-year-old driver Darrell Wallace Jr. It’s got all the staples of reality TV: contestants living in a house together and getting eliminated one by one. Well, not all the staples – Brunelli is relieved the show sticks to the drama on the track and in the drivers’ back stories. Rapper/actor Ludacris narrates the eight-episode series, which premieres Wednesday night. The show is the brainchild of Max Siegel, who spent two seasons running Dale Earnhardt Inc. until the team merged with Chip Ganassi Racing. His sports marketing agency now runs the Drive for Diversity program, which has struggled to produce racers for NASCAR’s top series. Siegel’s team, Revolution Racing, fields cars for the contestants on the show. This is a sport where sponsorship is critical to success and each driver is like his or her mini-corporation. Siegel figures there’s nothing like a reality show to introduce companies to the personalities of up-and-coming racers. “That’s a hope,” Brunelli said, “that someone takes a liking to you personally.” ? 2010 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .
September 1, 2010 | Posted in
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CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. (AP) – Gov. Charlie Crist has reinstated two Coral Springs commissioners who were charged with violating the state’s open government law in March. The governor’s office announced the reinstatement of Commissioners Vincent Boccard and Tom Powers Friday. A judge had dismissed the charges against the officials last week, saying there wasn’t enough evidence. Authorities had said Boccard and Powers met secretly with two police union representatives on March 11 at a Coconut Creek sports bar to talk about a salary freeze and union negotiations. Florida’s Government in the Sunshine Law requires such conversations to be held in a public forum. Defense attorneys said the conversation focused only on past issues – nothing that was scheduled to be voted on. Related Articles School bus accident in Cape Coral Forget the Grinch – Lee Co. government could end paid holidays Cape Coral cold case to get national attention Palin criticizes Obama, Crist on abortion issues
August 27, 2010 | Posted in
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WINDERMERE, Fla. (AP) — Tiger Woods’ ex-wife Elin Nordegren says she has “been through hell” since learning of her husband’s infidelity but she never hit him. In an interview with People magazine, Nordegren says she and Woods tried for months to reconcile the relationship. In the end, she says a marriage “without trust or love” wasn’t good for anyone. On Thanksgiving night, Woods drove his SUV over a fire hydrant and into a tree, setting off shocking revelations that sports’ biggest star had been cheating on his wife through multiple affairs. Nordegren tells the magazine that she never hit Woods, calling speculation that she hit him with a golf club “truly ridiculous.” She appears on the cover of this week’s issue, just two days after the couple officially divorced. ? 2010 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .
August 25, 2010 | Posted in
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Tiger Woods and his Swedish-born wife officially divorced Monday, nine months after his middle-of-the night car crash outside their home set off shocking revelations that the world’s most famous athlete had been cheating on her through multiple affairs. “We are sad that our marriage is over and we wish each other the very best for the future,” Woods and Elin Nordegren said in a joint statement released by their lawyers. The divorce was granted in Bay County Circuit Court in Panama City, Fla., about 375 miles away from their Isleworth home outside Orlando. The couple had married in October 2004 in Barbados and have a 3-year-old daughter, Sam, and a 19-month-old son, Charlie. The marriage was described in court documents as “irretrievably broken” with no point in trying to reconcile. Terms of the divorce were not disclosed, except that they will “share parenting” of their two children. “We love Elin, and we are so proud of the grace and strength she has shown during this difficult time,” said Nordegren’s father, Thomas Nordegren, a talk show host at national broadcaster Swedish Radio. “We know that she will come out of this even stronger and has a bright future in front of her.” The divorce was finalized by Bay County Circuit Judge Judy Pittman Biebel during a brief hearing in a conference room in her chambers, according to Biebel’s judicial assistant Kim Gibson. The hearing lasted no more than 10 minutes. Woods and Nordegren were present, along with their lawyers, Gibson said. “I don’t comment on active cases,” Thomas J. Sasser, Woods’ divorce attorney, said. When asked why they chose to file in Panama City, Sasser said it was a joint decision by the lawyers. Nordegren’s attorneys – which included her twin sister, London-based Josefin Lonnborg – referred all questions to the statement. Woods’ agent, Mark Steinberg, declined comment when asked if the couple had a prenuptial agreement or terms of the settlement. “We’re not commenting beyond what was in the release,” he said. Nordegren’s mother, Barbro Holmberg, also declined comment. Nordegren, who once worked as a nanny for Swedish golfer Jesper Parnevik, asked to have her maiden name restored as Elin Maria Pernilla Nordegren. The couple signed a marital settlement agreement on July 3 and July 4, the weekend of the AT&T National outside Philadelphia, where Woods failed to break par in a PGA Tour event for the first time in 11 years. The sordid sex scandal cost Woods three major corporate sponsors – Accenture, AT&T and Gatorade – worth millions of dollars, and he lost his image as the gold standard in sports endorsements. A month after the scandal became public, Woods spent two months in therapy at a Mississippi clinic with hopes of saving his marriage. “While we are no longer married, we are the parents of two wonderful children and their happiness has been, and will always be, of paramount importance to both of us,” they said in the statement. … “The weeks and months ahead will not be easy for them as we adjust to a new family situation, which is why our privacy must be a principal concern.” According to court documents, Woods completed the American Safety Institute’s four-hour course on “Parent Education and Family Stablization” on July 10, the day before he left to play the British Open at St. Andrews. Woods, who had won the previous two times at St. Andrews by a combined 13 shots, tied for 23rd. Nordegren completed her four-hour class through FloridaParentingClass.com on Aug. 16, the day after Woods tied for 28th in the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Documents also show the two children lived at their primary home at Isleworth until November 2009 – Woods crashed his SUV over the fire hydrant and into a tree on Nov. 27 – and that Nordegren had moved out to a nearby residence since then. Woods is to play this week at The Barclays, where he needs a good performance to extend his PGA Tour season and try to show he is worth picking for the Ryder Cup. It will be his first tournament as a single man since he finished ninth in a World Golf Championship in Ireland in October 2004. Since returning to golf at the Masters, Woods has not come close to winning a tournament. He tied for fourth in the Masters and in the U.S. Open, both times taking himself out of contention early in the final round. One example of how the impending divorce has affected him came last month when he played in a charity pro-am in Ireland, which ended on Tuesday. Instead of staying overseas to practice on links courses, Woods flew home to Florida for six days to see his children, then returned to Scotland for the British Open. Woods has won 82 times worldwide – 36 times and six majors while married – in his professional career. His last victory came at the Australian Masters on Nov. 15, his last trip before his serial infidelity was uncovered. — Associated Press Writers Curt Anderson and Lisa Orkin in Miami contributed to this report. ? 2010 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .
August 23, 2010 | Posted in
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Newcomer Rooney Mara has landed one of the most-coveted roles in Hollywood, co-starring alongside James Bond star Daniel Craig in the English-language remake of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” Sony Pictures announced Monday that Mara, 25, will play Lisbeth Salander, a fearless genius tormented by a terrible childhood, in the crime thriller based on the first book in Stieg Larsson’s best-selling series. Craig is portrating journalist Mikael Blomkvist, who teams up with Lisbeth to delve into a string of decades-old murders. “Dragon Tattoo” is directed by David Fincher, who cast Mara in “The Social Network,” a drama about the founders of Facebook due in theaters Oct. 1. Along with television guest spots on “ER” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” Mara’s credits include roles in this year’s remake of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and the upcoming sports comedy “The Winning Season.” “Dragon Tattoo” begins shooting next month in Sweden and is due out Dec. 21, 2011. ? 2010 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .
August 16, 2010 | Posted in
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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Newcomer Rooney Mara has landed one of the most-coveted roles in Hollywood, co-starring alongside James Bond star Daniel Craig in the English-language remake of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” Sony Pictures announced Monday that Mara, 25, will play Lisbeth Salander, a fearless genius tormented by a terrible childhood, in the crime thriller based on the first book in Stieg Larsson’s best-selling series. Craig is portrating journalist Mikael Blomkvist, who teams up with Lisbeth to delve into a string of decades-old murders. “Dragon Tattoo” is directed by David Fincher, who cast Mara in “The Social Network,” a drama about the founders of Facebook due in theaters Oct. 1. Along with television guest spots on “ER” and “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” Mara’s credits include roles in this year’s remake of “A Nightmare on Elm Street” and the upcoming sports comedy “The Winning Season.” “Dragon Tattoo” begins shooting next month in Sweden and is due out Dec. 21, 2011. ? 2010 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .
August 16, 2010 | Posted in
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CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) – Two young children were home during a Gulf coast home invasion that resulted in a shootout. Authorities say two men who fled the scene and were later caught were transported to the hospital with injuries. A 3-year-old boy and 2 year-old boy were in the home with five adults. Police say two men showed early Thursday and one man had a shotgun and another had a handgun. They entered the home and one of the residents fired at them. The shootout followed. The children were unharmed, but two adults were injured. Police showed up to a call of shots fired and then chased the two men who fled in a sports utility vehicle. Both men were taken to the hospital, one with a gunshot wound and the other with injuries from a police dog. Related Articles Police: Robbery suspect shot dead by police 69-year-old Fla. man with cane fights off robber UF police fires campus officer in shooting Fort Myers Police celebrate 125th anniversary
August 12, 2010 | Posted in
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WASHINGTON (AP) — An automobile technician by day, Miguel Ramirez often returns home in a mostly white Dallas suburb to a world of romantic telenovelas, futbol or the latest U.S. news on Spanish-language TV. “When there is a Mexican soap opera that is really juicy, my wife and her mother are so focused on watching you can’t talk to them,” Ramirez, 52, of Frisco, Texas, said with a chuckle. “It’s a chance for my young daughters to watch and learn since they don’t get to speak Spanish in school.” An Associated Press-Univision poll finds many U.S. Hispanics who, like the Ramirez family, mainly speak English are turning to Spanish-language TV and radio. The main appeal: sports and entertainment, a cultural connection and a nagging feeling among some Latinos that English-language media portray them negatively. The enduring interest in Spanish media has helped fuel a surge of Spanish marketing in a bid to reach the fast-growing U.S. Latino demographic of 48 million people – from Spanish music and college recruiting to a bit of politics – even as many cities and states consider English-only policies amid a contentious immigration debate. “In the political world, there is this angst,” said Jose Cancela, author of “The Power of Business en Espanol” and a 30-year veteran of Spanish-language radio and television. “But the business and multinational world understand: To be engaged with the consumer you want to use every opportunity to create a touch point.” The nationwide poll, also sponsored by The Nielsen Company and Stanford University, found U.S. Latinos spent at least some time each day – in many cases, several hours – consuming Spanish-language media. They included almost 90 percent of Hispanics who mostly speak Spanish who watched TV and roughly 75 percent who listened to Spanish radio. Among Latinos who spoke mostly English, about 4 in 10 said they turned to either Spanish TV or Spanish radio for news, entertainment or sports, which recently included the World Cup soccer championships – won this year by Spain. English-speaking Latinos also were somewhat skeptical of English-language news and programs. About 35 percent said English media portrayed Hispanics mostly in a negative way, nearly three times the share who said it was mostly positive. Still, 50 percent of Hispanics considered the English-language media neutral. “In the movie programs, it’s like the bad guy has a Spanish name like Carlos who is from ‘the hood’ or the slums, or the characters are maids,” said Damaris Marrero, 34, a home health aide from Puerto Rico who lives in Oviedo, Fla. “They never portray Spanish people who are successful and who live a good life.” Ramirez says he will sometimes flip to a Spanish channel to get a different news take on the Latino community. “From what I see most of the time on English TV, it’s always about Hispanics and immigration, and how we’re all here illegally presumably,” he said. “Spanish TV has more interviews with Hispanic people in terms of what’s going on.” The media consumption of Hispanics is drawing increased attention as many businesses and political groups battle for their loyalty. The nation’s largest minority group, Hispanics now represent 16 percent of the U.S. population, a number that is projected to grow to about 30 percent by 2050. The Census Bureau estimates roughly 3 out of 4 U.S. Latinos speak some Spanish at home. The Latin influence has been evident for years in the music industry, where Spanish-speaking performers Ricky Martin and Shakira made it big by singing in English, and stars such as Beyonce, Jennifer Lopez and Nelly Furtado then kicked it the other way with music in Spanish. The impact has now spread. Organizations such as the Boy Scouts and colleges such as Bryn Mawr, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Texas-El Paso are stepping up their outreach to Hispanic families, offering Spanish translations of their handbooks, brochures or websites. White House candidates in 2008 participated in the first presidential debates broadcast in Spanish, an acknowledgment of the strength of Spanish-language media and Hispanic voters. President Barack Obama has since given numerous interviews to Hispanic media, while Republicans taped Spanish-language versions of their response to Obama’s State of the Union address. Other AP-Univision poll findings: -Hispanics who have children in the home are more likely to have a computer: Seventy-one percent of mostly English-speaking households without children have a computer, compared with 85 percent for those with children. -There are some limits to the influence of Spanish-language media. Mostly English-speaking Latinos often favored English media when making big decisions, such as finding news about a disaster or information on major purchases. -Less than one-third of Hispanics who prefer English reported spending any time going to Spanish-language Internet sites. Almost one-half of mostly Spanish-speaking Hispanics said they spent time on English-language websites. The AP-Univision poll was conducted from March 11 to June 3 by the National Opinion Research Center at the University of Chicago. Using a sample of households provided by The Nielsen Company, 1,521 Hispanics were interviewed in English and Spanish, mostly by mail but also by telephone and the Internet. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. Stanford University’s participation in the study was made possible by a grant from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. — Associated Press Polling Director Trevor Tompson and AP News Survey Specialist Dennis Junius contributed to this report. — Online: AP-Univision Poll: http://surveys.ap.org ? 2010 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .
August 12, 2010 | Posted in
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WASHINGTON (AP) — John Madden misses the broadcast booth. “I haven’t gotten used to it yet,” he says. It’s been a little over a year since he retired from a 30-year career as a color commentator on NFL games. “Last year, there was an emptiness,” Madden acknowledges. “When you love doing something so much, you miss it when it’s over.” Still, Madden’s namesake video game lives on. And with “Madden NFL” entering into its third decade, publisher EA Sports is trying to bring more casual football fans back to the gridiron. The 2010-11 edition introduces GameFlow, in which you can let the artificial intelligence choose your plays instead of scrambling through a massive playbook before every down. “We always want to make the game easy to start and impossible to master,” says Madden. And series veterans will still be able to choose and edit plays all they want. “If you stop at simple, the next thing is boredom,” Madden says. The legendary broadcaster and coach has been touring training camps this summer with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “It’s brought back some good memories,” he says. However, like most fans he’s worried about the persistent buzz concerning a possible work stoppage before the 2011-12 season. “The game is so good, you hate to see it fouled up,” Madden says. “Doggone it, they’re the custodians of the game – the owners and the players – and they can’t let the fans down.” — EA Sports is a subsidiary of Electronic Arts Inc. ? 2010 The Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use .
August 11, 2010 | Posted in
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