Her last day of being 29!!

Former New York Giant and Michigan State great Brad Van Pelt dies

The article below was taken from the New York Daily News...

By Hank Gola and Gary Myers
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITERS

Giants great Brad Van Pelt is dead of an apparent heart attack at age 57.

He was found in his chair by his fiancée Tuesday at the house they recently purchased together in his hometown of Owosso, Michigan, according to former teammates Harry Carson and Brian Kelley.

Together with Lawrence Taylor, they formed the unit known as the Crunch Bunch, considered one of the top linebacking corps in Giants history, from 1981 to '83. They have remained close ever since, doing everything from golf outings to charity work together.

"I'm saddened," Carson told the Daily News. "I lost a teammate and my very good friend, He went much too soon at 57."

"Un-frigging-believable," Kelley told the Daily News. "He didn't deserve this. He was just a good person, such a great guy who would give you the shirt off his back. He wasn't material, he didn't own a lot of things. My wife nailed it when she said he had the Peter Pan Syndrome. He just never wanted to grow up."

"Deanna (his fiancée) walked into the house. He was sitting up in the chair smiling but he wasn't moving," Kelley said. "She called 911 but he'd been gone for a couple of hours. I called her this morning. She said he was smiling so obviously he went peacefully."

Kelley said he called Taylor with news Tuesday night and all L.T, could say was, "No, no, no."

Van Pelt was the Giants' first draft pick out of Michigan State in 1973 and spent the first 11 years of a 14-year NFL career with them.

Although he enjoyed just one winning season as a Giant, when the team reached the playoffs in 1981, he was voted the team's Player of the Decade for the 1970s and was a five-time Pro Bowl selection. After leaving the Giants, he played two years for the Raiders before ending his career with Cleveland in 1986.

Van Pelt, who also starred in baseball and played basketball at Michigan State, was a two-time All American safety and the 1972 winner of the Maxwell Award as the nation's best player. He was inducted into the College Hall of Fame in 2001 and nominated for the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2005.

Van Pelt's son, Bradlee, was a backup quarterback for the Broncos and Texans and just two weeks ago, was given a tryout as a safety by the Giants. His father, Arnold, passed away from a heart attack at age 49 in 1976.

JLH showing off her elbow

Here is the Thursday photo shot of JLH who turns 30 on Saturday...

The countdown to 30

Here is our Wednesday snapshot of JLH...she looks so cute in this photo...

Energy booster??????

Energy booster????...LOL...seriously, I cannot stop laughing!!!!...

JLH looking fine

Here is our daily shot of JLH who turns 30 on Saturday...

Beanie going to the Browns?

Here is the latest mock NFL draft by NFLdraftscout.com...

1. Lions - Matthew Stafford, qb, Georgia
2. Rams - Michael Oher, ot, Ole Miss
3. Chiefs - Everette Brown, de, Florida State
4. Seahawks - Malcolm Jenkins, cb, Ohio State
5. Browns - Chris Wells, rb, Ohio State
6. Bengals - Eugene Monroe, ot, Virginia
7. Raiders - Michael Crabtree, we, Texas Tech
8. Jaguars - Jason Smith, ot, Baylor
9. Packers - Aaron Curry, olb, Wake Forest
10. 49ers - Andre Smith, ot, Alabama

11. Bills - Brian Orakpo, de, Texas
12. Broncos - Rey Maualuga, ilb, USC
13. Redskins - Brian Cushing, olb, USC
14. Saints - Vontae Davis, cb, Illinois
15. Texans - B.J. Raji, dt, Boston College
16. Chargers - Knowshon Moreno, rb, Georgia
17. Jets - Jeremy Maclin, wr, Missouri
18. Bears - Mark Sanchez, qb, USC
19. Buccaneers - Peria Jerry, dt, Ole Miss
20. Lions - James Laurinaitis, ilb, Ohio State

21. Eagles - Brandon Pettigrew, te, Oklahoma State
22. Vikings - Josh Freeman, qb, Kansas State
23. Patriots - Aaron Maybin, olb, Penn State
24. Falcons - Tyson Jackson, de, LSU
25. Dolphins - D.J. Moore, cb, Vanderbilt
26. Ravens - Clay Matthews Jr., olb, USC
27. Colts - Percy Harvin, wr, Florida
28. Eagles - Eben Britton, ot, Arizona
29. Giants - Hakeem Nicks, wr, North Carolins
30. Titans - Robert Ayers, de, Tennessee

31. Cardinals - LeSean McCoy, rb, Pitt
32. Steelers - Alex Mack, c, Cal

JLH - turns 30 this week

This Saturday, February 21st, my girl Jennifer Love Hewitt is turning the BIG THREE OH...to honor her, each day this week Stiles Points will post a photos of JLH...heck, I just turned 40-years-old last month, so 10 years is not a big difference in age - I'm just saying...cuz you know she just broke up with her fiancee...

Asa Buchanan (Phil Carey) and Clint Buchanan (Clint Ritchie) dead

Over the weekend I was catching up on my newspapers when I came across the death notice of Phil Carey...the name will not ring a bell to most, but the name of the character he played sure will - Asa Buchanan (seated in photo)...

Carey played Asa Buchanan, the big Texas billionaire, on the soap opera One Life to Live from 1979 to 2008...Carey was 83-years-old and died of lung cancer on February 6, 2009 in New York...

Interestingly, while researching Carey's death, I came across the death notice of another former One Life to Live star - Clint Ritchie...Ritche played the role of Clint Buchanan (standing, right) , Asa's oldest son on the soap opera...

Ritchie, who died January 31, 2008, was 70-years-old and died in Roseville, California after a brief illness...

The following is a 3:02 honoring Phil Carey with clips from his last appearance on One Life to Live on December 29, 2008...

NBA All-Star Game MVP Facts

The NBA All-Star Game is this weekend in Phoenix...here are some interesting facts about the All-Star Game and its MVPs...

- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Patrick Ewing, Hakeem Olajuwon, and David Robinson were never named All-Star Game MVP...

- Less notable stars such as Mitch Richmond, Randy Smith, Adrian Smith, and Tom Chambers were all named All-Star Game MVPs...

- Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, and Larry Bird were only named MVP of the game once...

- Ed Macauley of the Boston Celtics was the first All-Star Game MVP...that game took place in 1951 and was played in Boston...

Happy 40th Birthday Jennifer Aniston

A SHOUT OUT TO JENNIFER ANISTON!!!...
Happy 40th Birthday Jennifer...I too just turned 40, so if you ever want to hang out, send me an email...BTW, I too am Greek, so maybe we can do something Greek-like...

P.S. - You are still looking great as was evident in your recent GQ cover shot!!!...

Aaron Curry - the best linebacker in the draft

Between now and the NFL Draft, Stiles Points will be highlighting various players who will be draft...this feature will be called "The Fast Feature"...today's Fast Feature is Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry...

Aaron Curry - outside linebacker
6'2", 246 lbs
40 time - 4.62
Compares to Keith Bulluck

Most know about linebackers such as James Laurinaitis from Ohio State and Rey Maualuga of USC...but the best of the linebacking class may be the 2008 Butkus Award winner Aaron Curry...

Curry is projected by some analysts to be taken by the Cleveland Browns with the 5th overall pick...he has long arms...is very good in pass coverage...able to close in on ball carrier...finished the 2008 season with 101 tackles - 15 TFL...wants to attend law school...

Musical Rewind - Randy Newman - I Love L.A.

Artist: Randy Newman
Song: I Love L.A.
Year: 1983
Album: Trouble in Paradise
Written by: Randy Newman
If you are from the 1980s, this is the song for you...it oozes of everything 80s - self-image, glitz, glamour, Showtime, etc....Newman wrote the song about how the American Dream was dying...however, in a 2001 interview, he states that he loves his hometown of Los Angeles but explained, ,"There's some kind of ignorance L.A. has that I'm proud of. The open car and the redhead, the Beach Boys... that sounds really good to me."...

Even to this day, you will hear the song jamming at L.A. sporting events...it was the theme song of the Magic Johnson-led Los Angeles Lakers Showtime era...

Favorite line: When the music cranks up and the scene shifts to L.A., Newman hits the first few line right on the money...I love how he describes the woman with him - not just a readhead, but a "big nasty" redhead at his side...
Rollin’ down the imperial highway
With a big nasty redhead at my side
Santa Ana wind blowin’ hot from the north
And we was born to ride

I Love L.A. Lyrics

Video: I love the video and footage of Los Angeles...pay attention around the 3:35 mark when they show a bunch of old rich people dancing in a hot tub...the old lady in the middle is funny as she tries to dance or something...

Eagles Jim Johnson has cancer

During their last two playoffs games, Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Johnson was calling the defense from the press box instead of his usual spot on the field...at the time it was reported that he had a bad back and could not stand for a long period of time...well, for the past two weeks, with all the football news being about the Super Bowl, it was revealed that Johnson is suffering from cancer of the spine...hopefully everything goes well for one of the best defensive coordinators in the game and that he is back on the sidelines next season...

Philadelphia Daily News

Philadelphia Daily News - Sidebar

Kobe vs. LeBron - it doesn't get any better

Mark Heisler of the Los Angeles Times writes how LeBron may be the best player, but this is Kobe's era... "Between 1997 and 1999, Utah's Karl Malone won two MVPs to Michael Jordan's one. Jordan's Bulls won the '97 and '98 titles, giving them six in the decade, which is why no one talks about a Mailman Era. If James, currently the front-runner, becomes the MVP, it won't matter a bit if Bryant's Lakers win the title." ...

Mark Heisler

Bill Livingston of The Plain Dealer writes how not only do the fans, but also other players will be focusing on the Kobe vs. LeBron match-up... "Sunday at The Q, Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers face LeBron James' Cavaliers in one of the season's most anticipated games. It is not only a meeting of two of the NBA's top teams, but also of the two leading Most Valuable Player contenders. A detailed statistical study before the season on America Online predicted James would be the MVP, based on his higher average percentile rank than Bryant last season in a bewildering number of categories." ...

Bill Livingston

Ohio State's Alex Boone - another of Jim Tressel's "men"

Earlier this year Ohio State wideout Ray Small said that he chose Ohio State over Southern Cal because at Ohio State, they "teach you to be men"...so is this how a man acts?....

Associated Press

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. -- Ohio State offensive lineman Alex Boone was arrested after being subdued with a Taser during an alleged drunken tirade, authorities said Monday.

Boone, 21, was taken into custody late Sunday for investigation of resisting arrest after Orange County sheriff's deputies responded to a disturbance call outside of a home in Aliso Viejo.

When they arrived, the 6-foot-8, 312-pound tackle had been jumping on car hoods, yanking on a tow truck cable and trying to break a window, said sheriff's spokesman Jim Amormino.

Boone ran away from deputies and was found hiding underneath a patio, authorities said. Boone was combative and uncooperative and had to be taken down with a stun gun, Amormino said.

"He was yelling obscenities at deputies and had a strong smell of alcohol," Amormino said. "His blood-alcohol level was at least three times the legal amount."

Boone was taken to a hospital and then to a jail medical ward, where he remained. He had not been booked yet.

Boone, who was selected All-Big Ten this year, could be selected in the NFL draft in April.

Ohio State spokeswoman Shelly Hoffman said Monday that she was unaware of the arrest and could not comment.

Hot women should never stand in front of boys going through puberty

Come up with a caption to this photo that I found on Sports Illustrated's website...obviously this kid will relive this moment hundreds of times as he passes through puberty...

Michael Phelps - what a disappointment!

Obvious, winning all those gold medals has gotten into the head of Michael Phelps...back in November 2008, he was photographed taking a hit from a bong...what a disappointment!!!...he should get the same treatment as any other athlete who is nailed for pot use...

News of the World

John Mitchell - a pioneer in the Civil Rights Movement

Sean D. Hamill of The New York Times writes a fascinating feature on Steelers assistant coach John Mitchell, who was the first African-American to play football at the University of Alabama... "John Mitchell, the Steelers’ defensive line coach, will say again and again that he is no hero, no great man and certainly not worthy of mention as a figure of the civil rights era." ...

Sean D. Hamill

Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and John Candy lead 49ers to Super Bowl XXIII comeback

Twenty years ago Joe Montana made history in Super Bowl XXIII at Joe Robbie Stadium in Miami...Montana and teammate Jerry Rice put together one of the greatest Super Bowl final drives in history as San Francisco beat Cincinnati 20-16 in what was Bill Walsh's last game as head coach of 49ers...

During the regular season, it looked like the 49ers were not even going to make the playoffs until a late season hot streak...once in, the Niners made it to the big show once again...

The Bengals were 3:30 away from the Super Bowl aftr Jim Breech's 40-yard field goal put head coach Sam Wyche's team up 16-13...as the Niners huddled at their own 8-yard line, Montana broke the tension by pointing out the late comedian John Candy in the stands to his teammates...

Over the next 2:46, Montana hit Rice, Roger Craig, and John Frank as they cut through the Bengals defense...with 39 seconds remaining, his last completion when to John Taylor (photo) for a 10-yard TD and a Super Bowl victory...that would be Taylor's only reception of the game...

On that final drive, Montana went 8 for 9 passing for 102 yards...the game MVP went to Rice who had 11 receptions for 215 yards and 1 TD...