Jacksonville Jaguars Tickets – Tucker, Purnell, More Join Staff

After finishing the 2008 season 5-11, the Jacksonville Jaguars were looking to make some definite coaching changes during the offseason. While head coach Jack Del Rio kept his position, others were not so fortunate. The split with defensive coordinator Gregg Williams was called amicable by Williams’ agent, and he will now be replaced by Mel Tucker. Special teams coordinator Joe DeCamillis joined the staff of the Dallas Cowboys, leaving an opening in Jacksonville that was filled with Russ Purnell. The defense struggled this season, ranking 17th in total defense and 24th in passing defense, allowing 224.1 yards per game. They also ranked 13 in rushing defense. The special teams didn’t fare much better, ranking number 18 in kick returns. Fans can see how the new coaches revamp the team with a Jacksonville Jaguars tickets http://www.stubhub.com/jacksonville-jaguars-tickets/.

Tucker was a player at the University of Wisconsin prior to becoming a coach. Tucker has both collegiate and pro coaching experience. He started coaching in 1997 as a graduate assistant at Michigan State, where he worked under head coach Nick Saban. He spent two years with MSU before becoming the defensive backfield coach at Miami of Ohio. After two seasons at Miami, he went with Saban to LSU in 2000, coaching defensive backs. From there, he worked with the Ohio State Buckeyes for four seasons. He moved from there to the Cleveland Browns defensive backs coach. In 2008, he was promoted to defensive coordinator. He was let go after coach Romeo Crennel as fired and much of the coaching staff was replaced.

Purnell was free to come to Jacksonville after being fired by the Colts following the 2008 season. He was hired by coach Tony Dungy in 2002. Dungy announced his retirement at the end of the 2008 season, and his replacement, Jim Caldwell, promptly fired Purnell. The Colts’ special teams suffered much criticism during Purnell’s tenure with the team. While their offense and defense did well in the rankings, their special teams often failed to reach the same levels. During the 2008 season, they finished 28th in kick returns. Prior to coaching the Colts, he has also spent time on the coaching staff of teams like the Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens and the Tennessee Titans.

On top of Tucker and Purnell, Del Rio also chose to hire new coaches in other positions. Johnny Cox takes over quality control coach duties while Charlie Jackson is the new defensive line assistant and Luke Richesson is the new conditioning coach. Cox started his career as the secondary coach at Fort Lewis in 1994 before becoming a graduate assistant at North Dakota State in 1996 and Texas in 1997. He moved back to Fort Lewis to become their offensive coordinator in 1999. From 2000-2002, he was the wide receivers coach for North Dakota State. He came to the Jaguars from Holy Cross, where he was the wide receivers and special teams coach. Jackson was brought to Jacksonville from the Denver Broncos, where he was a defensive coach for the last two seasons. Richesson comes from a position designing conditioning programs for NFL veterans and hopefuls.

New England Patriots Tickets – Defensive Woes

Add Tedy Bruschi to that long list of injured Patriots on the defensive side of the ball. Bruschi, a 13-year NFL veteran and New England Patriot since 1996, exited the Pats’ game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday in the fourth play of the second quarter, injuring his knee after a collision with teammate Mike Richardson left him on the ground. The standout linebacker flew back to Boston this week to undergo tests on his left knee, and this means that if nothing else Bruschi will miss next week’s game against the Oakland Raiders (though probably more than just that game).

With Bruschi out, the Patriots’ defense is getting smaller and smaller, and it has already been waning more every day as the season wears on. Left defensive end Ty Warren was out again this week for the second straight week in a row after suffering a groin injury, outside linebacker Pierre Woods is out with a broken jaw, safety Rodney Harrison has been out most of the season with a right quadriceps injury, linebacker Adalius Thomas is out with a broken arm and rookie cornerback Terrence Wheatley is also out with a broken left wrist, leaving the New England Patriots with one bruised and battered defense. New England signed former Patriot and 10-year NFL veteran Rosey Colvin last week in the wake of Thomas and Woods’ injuries, and later that week signed another former player, Junior Seau, to their defensive lineup as well. The news of Seau’s return to the Patriots is nothing but positive for New England, as the 39-year-old linebacker and former Pro Bowler will give the Patriots some of the depth and confidence the team’s defense has been lacking for the last few weeks.

While the immediate future of linebacker Tedy Bruschi is yet unknown, the Patriots will continue using their offensive strength to overcome any deficits the team’s defense might leave. Matt Cassel continues his hot streak on the offensive side while Randy Moss and Wes Welker both give the Pats’ offense the little boost they’ve needed these last few weeks to slide past the Seahawks, Dolphins and Bills. As New England approaches the end of the regular season in games against the Raiders, Cardinals and Bills, however, Bruschi is one key player that may miss them all. No matter whether or not Bruschi returns this season, Patriots fans can get New England Patriots tickets from http://www.stubhub.com/new-england-patriots-tickets and cheer on the rest of the team as the Pats continue posting up wins in the regular season in search of a shot at the playoffs.

Bruschi, no stranger to playoffs and Super Bowl championships, has been loyal to the Patriots since 1996, when he was picked by New England in the third round of the NFL Draft out of Arizona. The star linebacker has averaged 112 tackles over the last five seasons, and he has led the Patriots in tackles for the last two seasons (with 124 in 2006 and 99 in 2007.) In his 12 seasons with New England, Bruschi has played in 22 playoff games and five Super Bowls, one of the highest of any player in the league.

Carolina Panthers Tickets – Panther-Heavy Pro Bowl

Anyone who has overlooked the Carolina Panthers this year has probably been surprised to see the cats dominating the NFC South this late in the season, but this week’s Pro Bowl selections have solidified Carolina’s status as a leading team in the league, sending four key players to Hawaii in February for an AFC/NFC showdown at Honolulu’s Aloha Stadium. While DeAngelo Williams and John Kasay are two of the Panthers’ best players whose names were left off this year’s Pro Bowl roster, other standout players Jordan Gross, Julius Peppers, Steve Smith and Jon Beason will all be representing Carolina as part of the NFC’s 2009 Pro Bowl team.

Offensive tackle Jordan Gross was selected as a starting tackle alongside Seattle’s Walter Jones as part of the NFC’s Pro Bowl team, and defensive end Julius Peppers was also selected as a starter alongside the Giants’ Justin Tuck on the defensive side of the game. Wide receiver Steve Smith will take his place on the Pro Bowl team as a reserve receiver behind Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, and linebacker Jon Beason will play backup inside linebacker to San Francisco’s Patrick Willis. This year’s Pro Bowl will be Gross and Beason’s first time to make the team, and it will also be Smith and Peppers’ fourth appearance on the team.

While several Panthers have solidified something in the post-season to look forward to, for now the team is focused on only one thing: the playoffs. Carolina’s up-and-down season has been looking solid from the second half of the regular season, and last week’s win against Denver gave the Panthers another step forward in clinching a playoff spot. The 11-3 Panthers currently sit atop the NFC South, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons are tied for second place with 9-5 records and the New Orleans Saints fall behind with a 7-7 standing.

The Carolina Panthers have been strong this year from the very beginning, shocking the football world with wins against the San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears in the team’s first two games of the season – without Pro Bowler Steve Smith, who was sitting out with a two-game suspension for sucker-punching teammate Ken Lucas in training camp. The Panthers next equally shocked the nation by losing to the Vikings in their next game of the regular season, and have since been an extremely on or off team. The Panthers are currently on a three-game winning streak (against the Green Bay Packers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Denver Broncos) and the team’s agility will be tested to the max this week in Week 16 of the regular season of the NFL, as the Panthers take on the defending Super Bowl champions the New York Giants in what could be a very telling game for the postseason. If you’ve missed the quadruple offensive threat of DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart, Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad this season, watch them all play together while you can and get Carolina Panthers tickets from http://www.stubhub.com/carolina-panthers-tickets before the 2008-2009 season is over!

Alaska Adventure! How to Get a Job in the Alaska Commercial Fishing Industry

Work in the Alaska commercial fishing industry is a great way to save up a lot of money in a short amount of time. After the fishing season many employees use the time and money that they now have for college, to buy property, to start a new business, or to travel the world. The industry employs over 65,000 people every year, so there is plenty of room for newcomers to get a job.

Work hours generally range from 12 to 16 hours a day, up to seven days a week. Typically processors make $750 to $1,500 a week. Fishermen earn around $1,000 to $2,500 a week (and sometimes more!). Besides the pay, many employers in the industry also offer free room and board and free round-trip airfare from the point of hire (usually Seattle, WA) to Alaska.

Throughout the year there are many different fishing seasons. But generally speaking there is the winter “A” season and the summer “B” season. It is best to apply for a job three months before the season starts, and be sure to send out applications to several companies to increase your chances of getting a job.

Processing jobs are the easiest to get. Usually no experience is required, but any experience working long hours or in factories is a big plus in convincing potential employers that you’re right for the job.

Potential employees are given an interview and are asked to attend an orientation meeting, which will help prepare you for the job and answer your questions. When hired you will need to sign a contract that details the conditions of the job, pay rate, duties, and length of employment.

Contracts usually run from one to four months, with the standard being three. After your contract is finished you will have the option of returning to the company for the next fishing season if you have done a good job. Most processing companies work almost all year long, so you’ll have a job waiting for you whenever you need it.

Work in Alaska whenever you need to raise cash quickly, work for six months then take six months off to travel the world, or make the Alaska commercial fishing industry your career. Alaska fishing jobs allow for a lot more freedom over traditional day jobs and you will have an experience that you’ll never forget.

Some of the bigger employment companies in Alaska are:

http://www.americanseafoods.com

http://www.icicleseafoods.com

http://www.starboats.com

http://www.tridentseafoods.com

http://www.unisea.com

http://www.westwardseafoods.com

St. Louis Rams Tickets- Two More Players Placed on Injured Reserve

In a season that has been difficult to say the least, the St. Louis Rams got dealt another blow after week 15 when they were forced to place both kick returner Derek Stanley and linebacker Gary Sills on injured reserve. The Rams have had more than their fair share on injuries. Also on the injured reserve are wide receiver Drew Bennett, left tackle Brandon Gorin, kick returner Dante Hall, cornerback Tye Hill, cornerback Justin King, center Nick Leckey, running back Brian Leonard, cornerback Ricky Manning Jr., tight end Randy McMichael and left guard Mark Setterstrom. The Rams still have two games left, one against the San Francisco 49ers and another against the Atlanta Falcons. See them finish their season with St. Louis Rams tickets from http://www.stubhub.com/st-louis-rams-tickets where you can buy or sell tickets all year long.

Stanley suffered a tear in the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during week 15′s game against the Seattle Seahawks, which the Rams lost 23-20. He will need surgery on the knee and will be out for six to eight months after that. Stanley has been with the Rams since they selected him in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. His first year, he played in three games. That season, he returned 20 kicks for 509 yards, and 17 of his returns were over 20 yards. So far this season, he has played in 10 games with 25 returns for 620 yards and 20 over 20 yards. He has also returned 11 punts this season for 101 yards as well as tallied two tackles. With Stanley out, Travis Minor will be the new go-to man on kick returns with Jonathan Wade moving up from third team to second team. Dane Looker will be the new first team player on punt returns.

Gary Stills has been playing much of this season with left knee bone chips and went on injured reserve in order to have surgery. He first entered the league in 1999 when he was picked in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. By his fourth year with the Chiefs, he was playing in every game. In 2003, he had 35 tackles, one pass defended, three sacks and three forced fumbles, a career-high for Stills. He signed with the Baltimore Ravens as a free agent in 2006 and spent two seasons there. This year is his first with the Rams and he has seen action in every game prior to his injury. The Rams won’t have to worry about replacing Stills as he was already behind Chris Draft, Will Witherspoon and David Vobora on the depth chart.

The Rams are hoping to improve on their 2-12 record with wins at the end of the season. They have been through a mid-season coaching change this year along with the multiple injuries. The team has not won a game this season since their 34-14 win over the Dallas Cowboys during week seven. Since then, they have lost five out of eight games by more than two touchdowns.

San Francisco 49ers Tickets – 2008-09 Season Review

The 49ers finished 2008-09 with a 7-9 record, good for second in their NFC West, one of the weakest divisions in the NFL. They had a -42 point differential and a -17 turnover differential. Usually, those are signs of a miserable existence. Yet, most Niners fans walk away from the season with a feeling of optimism, an overall sense that things are getting better. The season was turbulent, but the 49ers showed they were capable of fighting through adversity and succeeding. San Francisco 49ers tickets ought to spike in popularity at the beginning of next year. Here’s how the season went, and where the Niners might want to take things in the near future.

Schedule Breakdown
Mike Nolan began the season with a loss to the Cardinals at home, but then won two in a row, including a nice, near-blowout win over Detroit. However, things quickly went south. Nolan and the Niners lost four in a row (to the Saints, Patriots, Eagles and Giants), while giving up over 32 points per game. While the teams they were loosing to were more than decent, the 49ers needed a change. Mike Singletary, previously the assistant coach, was promoted to head coach when Nolan was fired. At first things weren’t going well with Singletary either. The Niners lost badly to divisional opponent Seattle, and then dropped a frustrating Monday Night game to Arizona, a team they needed a win against to keep playoff hopes somewhat alive. At this point, the Niners were 2-7. The Arizona loss made the coaching staff look foolish with their play calling on the potential game-winning drive. Players were getting called out, coaches were dropping trough, and with Prop 8 barely passing the Bay Area mood was snappish to say the least. But those were the darkest hours before the dawn. San Fran rallied behind their new leaders, Shaun Hill and Mike Singletary, and won five of the last seven, including a last-second victory versus Washington which seemed to mirror in reflex the last-second loss to the Cardinals when the Niners were reeling. Truly, it was a tale of two cities, the best of times and the worst of times, in San Francisco. Ending strong made all the difference, though, which should be evident in next year’s San Francisco 49ers tickets sales numbers at http://www.stubhub.com/san-francisco-49ers-tickets.

Stats Highlights
Despite missing a few games, Frank Gore finished the year with his third-straight 1,000 yard rushing effort. He gained 1,409 yards from scrimmage total, scored 8 touchdowns while fumbling six times. Offseason pickup Isaac Bruce led the team in receiving with 835 yards and seven touchdowns. Patrick Willis continued tackling like it was his job, notching 109 on the year. He also had an 86 yard interception return for a touchdown. Rushing defense was one of the team’s strengths.

Stats Lowlights
There were some ugly stats this season. Perhaps the most ghoulish was the 55 sacks the 49ers gave up- the most in the NFL. In a related note, J.T. O’Sullivan threw 11 interceptions in 9 games. Shaun Hill’s 8 interceptions in 9 games were only slightly less awful. This led to a turnover differential of -17, the second worst in the league.

Possible Offseason Moves
The 49ers were coming together near the end, but they still lacked a few things which could be improved over the offseason. If the 49ers want to shore up their turnovers they might want to invest in some offensive line help. It’s not as though Hill and O’Sullivan were making excellent decisions all season, but the sacks, knockdowns and hurried passes sure didn’t help. Frank Gore will probably continue to cough the ball up about every other week, but the interceptions just killed this team’s chances of getting to the next level. The 49ers should draft an O-lineman or two, then try like hell to get Tim Tebow (Steve Young 2.0) in the 2010 draft.

America’s Best Female Comedian Is Irreverent But Hardly Irrelevant

Copyright © 2009 Ed Bagley

Wanda Sykes: Tongue Untied – 4 Stars (Excellent) Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired – 3 Stars (Good)

After experiencing a Wanda Sykes comedy routine for the first time, you might ask yourself, “How could a college graduate in a secure position with the National Security Agency degenerate into a foul-mouthed, unladylike joker with no job security.

Then again, you might quickly realize that you have just been listening to and enjoying the most original, funniest female comedian in America today. There is currently no second to Wanda Skyes if you want unrestrained, pure laughter. If you cannot filter out language and put it into perspective, your experience will be slightly less funny. Wanda Sykes does use the f-word.

Sykes is the counterpart to Chris Rock, the most original, funniest male comedian in America today. Both Sykes and Rock have something in common—their humor has a nasty way of unmasking the truth of our life. It can hit so close to home that you have no alternative but to laugh.

Between the f-words, sexual images and raw emotion, Sykes is really handing out some needed social commentary for society’s ugly underbelly.

So how did the daughter of an Army colonel father and a banker mother earn a marketing degree from Hampton University and end up at the National Security Agency? Who cares? What matters is that an appearance at a Washington, DC talent showcase convinced Wanda that comedy was her true calling.

She got a break opening for Chris Rock and was soon hired to write for “The Chris Rock Show”, and took advantage of the opportunity to win a writing Emmy. That led to winning the American Comedy Award for Outstanding Female Stand-Up Comic in 2001. The rest is history, including another Emmy.

Two presentations will make you quickly aware of Wanda’s sassy, squeaky delivery and sharp tongue. The first is “Wanda Sykes: Tongue Untied” when Wanda takes on the stock market, national security and some Catholic priests among others. The second is “Wanda Sykes: Sick & Tired” at Seattle’s Moore Theatre, where Wanda turns comic truth and common sense into some thought-provoking humor.

Please do not buy or rent either of these presentations unless you are willing to laugh so hard that you might fall off of your chair. If laughter is truly the best medicine, then you may address Wanda as Dr. Sykes.

One thing is for sure: Wanda Sykes is the best current female comedian.

NFL Week 10 – NFL Scores 2009- November 15, 2009

Well, as I watched the NFL scores from NFL week 10 of the 2009 season roll in I watched my first two picks go down in flames.  Denver losing to the Redskins?  Really?  And the Steelers losing to the Bengals for a second time this season? At home too.  That’s why I’m sitting here writing this post and not out in Vegas at the Bellagio sportsbook handicapping games.  My picks from my earlier article.

If I asked you before the Broncos vs Redskins game which team would have two turnovers who would you have chosen?  Yeah, I would have chosen the Redskins too.  But it was the Broncos who gave up the ball twice, once on a fumble, once on an interception.  To sum it up, the now 3 – 6 Redskins outplayed the once highly touted Denver Broncos who were 6 – 0 just a few weeks ago and ranked near the top of everybody’s power rankings list.  Now the Broncos have dropped three games in a row and are in a tie for first place in the AFC West with San Diego.  The two teams will battle for first place in the division next week in Denver.

After the Steelers lost to the Bengals again my first two picks of Sunday were 0 – 2.  My hopes of salvaging one win out of my three picks lays in the hands of my home team Patriots.  They are looking pretty good right now (knock on wood) as they lead the Colts 31 – 14 in the fourth quarter.  Come on Pats!!

NFL Scores 2009 – NFL Week 10

Thursday Night Football

San Francisco 10, Chicago 6

Sunday, November 15

New Orleans 28, St. Louis 23

Miami 25, Tampa Bay 23

Minnesota 27, Detroit 10

Jacksonville 24, NY Jets 22

Tennessee 41, Buffalo 17

Cincinnati 18, Pittsburgh 12

Washington 27, Denver 17

Carolina 28, Atlanta 19

Kansas City 16, Oakland 10

Arizona 31, Seattle 20

Green Bay 17, Dallas 7

San Diego 31, Philadelphia 23

New England 31, Indianapolis 14

4th Qtr

Monday Night Football

Time (EST)

Baltimore at Cleveland

8:30 PM

NFL Week 10 – NFL Scores 2009

Well, as I watched the NFL scores from NFL week 10 of the 2009 season roll in I watched my first two picks go down in flames.  Denver losing to the Redskins?  Really?  And the Steelers losing to the Bengals for a second time this season? At home too.  That’s why I’m sitting here writing this post and not out in Vegas at the Bellagio sportsbook handicapping games.  My picks from my earlier article.

If I asked you before the Broncos vs Redskins game which team would have two turnovers who would you have chosen?  Yeah, I would have chosen the Redskins too.  But it was the Broncos who gave up the ball twice, once on a fumble, once on an interception.  To sum it up, the now 3 – 6 Redskins outplayed the once highly touted Denver Broncos who were 6 – 0 just a few weeks ago and ranked near the top of everybody’s power rankings list.  Now the Broncos have dropped three games in a row and are in a tie for first place in the AFC West with San Diego.  The two teams will battle for first place in the division next week in Denver.

After the Steelers lost to the Bengals again my first two picks of Sunday were 0 – 2.  My hopes of salvaging one win out of my three picks lays in the hands of my home team Patriots.  They are looking pretty good right now (knock on wood) as they lead the Colts 31 – 14 in the fourth quarter.  Come on Pats!!

NFL Scores 2009 – NFL Week 10

Thursday Night Football

San Francisco 10, Chicago 6

Sunday, November 15

New Orleans 28, St. Louis 23

Miami 25, Tampa Bay 23

Minnesota 27, Detroit 10

Jacksonville 24, NY Jets 22

Tennessee 41, Buffalo 17

Cincinnati 18, Pittsburgh 12

Washington 27, Denver 17

Carolina 28, Atlanta 19

Kansas City 16, Oakland 10

Arizona 31, Seattle 20

Green Bay 17, Dallas 7

San Diego 31, Philadelphia 23

New England 31, Indianapolis 14

4th Qtr

Monday Night Football

Time (EST)

Baltimore at Cleveland

8:30 PM

Scientific Sales Recruitment: It is an Employer’s Market

As the world waits to learn if the long fall of the recession is leveling off, recruitment in scientific sales industry is showing the benefits the tech markets have traditionally shown. Though job losses during the first quarter of 2009 have been in excess of 84,000 in Silicon Valley and elsewhere, hiring has continued in many places and increased in those industries already gaining a flush of new money from stimulus spending, or which expect new growth as a result of current economic shifts. For those involved in scientific sales recruitment that means opportunity opening up doors in many directions.

The end sense is one of fluid change, rather than catastrophic loss. Many trained scientific workers are available for new work and concerned enough to look farther afield than they might once have. This provides recruiters with a cadre of experienced, educated skilled workers primed and ready to be picked up by companies that in other times might not have been hiring. The hardest hit workers continue to be incoming workers just out of college — a change from previous recessions.

For recruiters the situation is very promising. With a vast reservoir of trained workers, and a changing environment, there is enormous potential for finding prospective workers with the extreme skill levels to serve as representatives for high tech companies, but without the narrow range of skills needed to transfer directly into the production departments. On the other hand there will be enormous pressure in both new and old companies to expand representative staff.

Older companies who have experienced a loss of revenue during the recession have only two ways to improve their financial standing: they can cut back costs by laying off workers, or they can improve sales, which often means taking on new and highly educated employees who can present compelling reasons for purchase to educated and discriminating clients. Newer companies or companies in tech fields who are experiencing new growth, though, will need to build a scientific sales team for the first time.

The areas to focus on will relate to both geography and field. There are very promising signs that New England, with its extreme diversity of high tech companies, its unusually strong medical and biotech industry, and its stable business environment, will see an upsurge in growth and diversification before the year is out. Seattle is similarly showing the first sprouts of new growth. Traditional computer-intensive technology appears to be recovering a bit more slowly. This is likely to cause a continuing stream of job cuts…but for the recruiter this is a chance to gain workers with a solid background in engineering and device design, and often strong secondary education in bio-science.

It may take as long as six months to evolve a clearer sense of where sales growth is going to occur. Vital aspects related to current governmental stimulus, and governmental regulation remain in flux, pending the outcome of the current Presidential administration’s progress in advancing health care initiatives, modifying bio-tech restrictions, and promoting new green technologies. However the speed and effectiveness of the moves to date allow for great optimism from the position of the scientific sales recruiter. The potential need for his or her services will be high, and the basic balance of workers to jobs should allow for maximum employment for recruiters for several years to come.

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