Don`t touch my balls
Footbo Integrates Facebook Connect
Footbo – the Fastest-Growing Online Community for Worldwide Football (Soccer) Fans with 250,000 Members Since its June 2008 Launch – Announces Facebook Connect Functionality For their Users
Footbo.com, the fastest-growing online community for football (soccer) fans around the world, has now integrated Facebook Connect. This enables users to share information across the two platforms and log-in with their Facebook profile.
The access to Facebook’s activity stream enables Footbo users to connect their accounts to Facebook and share their football blog posts, discussion topics and comments with their friends on Facebook. New users coming to Footbo will be able to log-in with their Facebook account, without having to fully register on Footbo.
“Enabling our users to follow football conversations and activities on Facebook helps them stay updated with their greatest passion. The integration of Facebook Connect is the first step to becoming a more open platform,” said Mani Honigstein, co-founder and CEO of Footbo.
Footbo launched a Beta version in June 2008 and provides an elaborate set of football-specific features and applications, delivered in a social networking environment. Since its launch, more than 250,000 football fans have joined the community.
Footbo for Fans
Footbo is the ultimate destination for true football (or soccer) fans around the world.
Features include:
- Interaction with friends and more than 250,000 football fans from around the globe
- Live scores, fixtures and personalized news
- Blogs and forums
- Prediction Games
- Grading of players’ performances
- Photo and video sharing
- Team and player profiles – created by the Footbo community
- Fan groups of teams and players
First Ascent Team Summits Everest
Viesturs and Whittaker Return Eddie Bauer to the Top of the World
On the morning of May 19, two legendary mountaineers on the First Ascent “Return to Everest” expedition reached the highest point on Earth. Ed Viesturs and Peter Whittaker stood on the summit with members of their production crew before descending to High Camp at 26,000 feet. Forced to spend an extra 24 hours in the “death zone” while waiting for high winds and whiteout conditions to improve, the team began their final summit push around 11:00 p.m. on the evening of May 18. Their successful summit comes 46 years and 18 days after Whittaker’s uncle, Jim, became the first American to do so, on May 1, 1963.
The common thread between the two expeditions besides the Whittaker name: Eddie Bauer was the outfitter, then and now. First Ascent marks Eddie Bauer’s return to its heritage as America’s original expedition outfitter.
The Return to Everest expedition includes several of the world’s most celebrated mountain guides and has introduced breakthrough video and audio production techniques to make the extreme challenge of climbing Mt. Everest accessible in ways never before possible. The unprecedented, virtually live coverage of the dramatic climb to the top, including the First Ascent blog with daily posts from the climbers, has created an avid online following.
As Viesturs and Whittaker return to Base Camp, the other team members are moving up for their own summit push. Led by another renowned First Ascent guide, Dave Hahn, the second team includes Seth Waterfall, Melissa Arnot and a client. Dave Hahn has more Everest summits than any other non-Sherpa. If successful, this campaign will mark his eleventh summit.
With Whittaker and Viestur’s triumph, Eddie Bauer returns to its roots. In addition to outfitting the 1963 American Mt. Everest Expedition, Eddie Bauer outfitted many other historical first ascents in the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. For the past 18 months, Eddie Bauer has been working with their First Ascent guide team in developing the new First Ascent mountaineering gear. The “Return to Everest” expedition marks the expeditionary launch of the new line.
“This is a milestone for us,” Eddie Bauer President and CEO Neil Fiske says. “It puts us literally back on top of the world. We outfitted some of America’s most famous expeditions. And now with First Ascent and this team of climbers, we’re bridging our past with our future.”
Positioned as “guide built gear,” First Ascent takes a new approach to designing and developing gear. Fiske, along with Peter Whittaker, assembled a “dream team” of world-class mountain guides to lead every step of the development process. “Our goal was simple,” said Whittaker, “build the best gear in the world.” Every component of every First Ascent piece was signed-off on by the First Ascent guide team. Because in their words, “We live in the mountains. Our clothes are our life support.”
Five of the six First Ascent guides are participating in the Return to Everest climb. Those five include:
Ed Viesturs The only American to summit all fourteen 8,000-meter peaks without supplemental oxygen, Ed is recognized the world over as a mountaineering legend. This is his seventh Everest summit.
Peter Whittaker Co-owner of Rainier Mountaineering, Inc. (RMI), the largest guide service in the U.S., Peter has been a professional mountain guide for 25 years. This is his third Everest expedition and his first summit. Peter has said that part of his motivation on this 2009 climb was to restore some balance to the bragging rights at Whittaker family reunions. By mid-June, more than 50 RMI guides around the world (and many of their clients) will be outfitted in First Ascent gear.
Dave Hahn Acknowledged as America’s leading Himalayan guide, Dave has summited Everest more times (10) than any non-Sherpa in history. This year, he’s guiding a client, and many of his blog posts from the mountain outline the strategies for successfully climbing in the Himalaya.
Melissa Arnot This is Melissa’s second Everest expedition. In 2008, she reached the top as part of EVEREST TEAM INSPI(RED) to help raise awareness for the organization (RED) and its work for people in Africa suffering from HIV/AIDS.
Seth Waterfall While this is his first trip to the Himalaya, Seth has guided on Rainier, Kilimanjaro and Denali; and he has multiple first ski descents to his credit. He’ll be assisting Dave in guiding their client up the mountain.
The continuing drama is unfolding daily on the Born Out There blog: blog.firstascent.com. Groundbreaking video, still photography and written personal accounts by the climbers create a stunning, enthralling experience.
Eddie Bauer’s mountaineering history:
1953 – K2, Pakistan/China
1953 – Logan & Cook, Yukon
1953 – Inca Highway Expedition, South America
1954 – Makalu, Nepal/Tibet
1955 – Lhotse, Nepal/Tibet
* 1958 – Gasherbrum I, Pakistan/China
1958 – Antarctica
1958 – Slick-Johnson Snowman Expedition, Nepal
1959 – Eastern Kanjroba Himal, Nepal
1960 – Andes, South America
* 1960 – Masherbrum, Pakistan/India
1960 – McKinley/Denali, Alaska
** 1963 – Everest (South Col), Nepal/Tibet
* 1963 – Everest (West Ridge), Nepal/Tibet
1964 – McKinley/Denali, Alaska
* 1965 – Kennedy, Yukon
1965 – Antarctica
1966 – McKinley/Denali, Alaska
* 1966 – Vinson Massif, Antarctica
1967 – Andes, Peru
1967 – McKinley/Denali, Alaska
1971 – Everest, Nepal/Tibet
** 1973 – Dhaulagiri, Nepal
** 1974 – Peak Lenin, Russian Pamirs
1974 – Coppermine River, Northwest Territories
1975 – Mt. Logan, Yukon
* 1976 – Nanda Devi (North Ridge), India
1976 – Brooks Range, Alaska
1976 – Thule-Grise Fjord, Canadian Arctic
* 1977 – Great Trango Tower, Pakistan
1978 – Baffin Island, Canadian Arctic
1979 – Vatnajokull Glacier, Iceland
** 1980 – Makalu, Nepal/Tibet
1980 – Dhaulagiri, Nepal
1980 – Ellesmere Island, Canadian Arctic
1981 – Spitsbergen Island, Norway
1981 – Rainier (Pelion Project), Washington State
1981 – Everest, Nepal/Tibet (2)
1982 – Ama Dablam, Nepal
1982 – Ellesmere Island, Canadian Arctic
* 1983 – Everest (East Face), Tibet
1983 – Northwest Passage, Canadian Arctic
2008 – Cotopaxi, Ecuador
2009 – Aconcagua, Argentina
* First Ascent ** First American Ascent
To learn more, visit blog.firstascent.com.
Source: Eddie Bauer
SIRIUS XM Radio Delivers Bountiful Sports Buffet for Memorial Day Weekend
SIRIUS XM offers motorsports tripleheader on Sunday, May 24, with F1(TM) Monaco Grand Prix, Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR Coca-Cola 600
Throughout the weekend listeners nationwide get live play-by-play from the racetrack, diamond, ice, hardwood, golf course and soccer pitch
SIRIUS XM Radio announced that it will offer sports fans a full lineup of sports programming over Memorial Day Weekend, featuring live play-by-play action from IndyCar Series racing, Formula One(TM), NASCAR, Major League Baseball, the NBA and NHL playoffs, PGA TOUR, English Premier League soccer and college baseball.
MOTORSPORTS: On Sunday, May 24, SIRIUS XM will broadcast the ultimate auto racing trifecta, featuring three of the biggest events on the motorsports calendar: the Formula One(TM) Grand Prix de Monaco (8:00 am ET on SIRIUS channel 126 and XM channel 242), the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar Series race (1:00 pm ET, XM channel 145 and SIRIUS channel 211 (“Best of XM”)), and the Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race (5:45 pm ET, SIRIUS channel 128 and XM channel 128 (“Best of SIRIUS”)).
SIRIUS XM will also broadcast the Carquest Auto Parts 300 NASCAR Nationwide Series race on Saturday, May 23 (7:30 pm ET, SIRIUS channel 128 and XM channel 128 (“Best of SIRIUS”)).
NBA: SIRIUS XM will broadcast every game of the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Finals, carrying the team radio broadcasts of the Cavaliers, Magic, Lakers and Nuggets. (XM channels 232 and 233, SIRIUS channels 219 and 220 (“Best of XM”)). Visit www.xmradio.com/nba and www.sirius.com/nba for listings.
NHL: SIRIUS XM will also broadcast every game of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs, carrying the team radio broadcasts of the Penguins, Hurricanes, Red Wings and Blackhawks (XM channels 204 and 205, SIRIUS channels 208, 211 and 212 (“Best of XM”)). Visit www.xmradio.com/nhl and www.sirius.com/nhl for listings.
MLB: XM listeners will get every Major League Baseball game from coast-to-coast throughout the weekend on XM channels 175 to 189. (Schedule available at www.xmradio.com/mlb). Fans can also tune in to MLB Home Plate, the only radio channel dedicated to covering MLB seven days a week, 365 days a year, for daily baseball talk and analysis (XM channel 175 and SIRIUS channel 210 (“Best of XM”)).
PGA: SIRIUS XM will offer live hole-by-hole coverage of the HP Byron Nelson Championship PGA TOUR event this Thursday, May 21, through Sunday, May 24, on The PGA TOUR Network (XM channel 146 and SIRIUS channel 209 (“Best of XM”)).
EPL: On Sunday, May 24, SIRIUS XM will broadcast two English Premier League soccer matches: Chelsea v. Sunderland (11:00 am ET, SIRIUS channel 125 and XM channel 102 (“Best of SIRIUS”)) and Newcastle United v. Aston Villa (11:00 am ET, SIRIUS channel 126 and XM channel 103 (“Best of SIRIUS”)).
NCAA Baseball: On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, XM subscribers and SIRIUS subscribers with the “Best of XM” can hear college baseball conference tournament games from the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten and SEC. Visit www.sirius.com/collegesports and www.xmradio.com/collegesports for listings.
Mad Dog Radio: On Memorial Day, May 25, Chris ‘Mad Dog’ Russo, host of Mad Dog Unleashed on SIRIUS XM’s Mad Dog Radio channel (SIRIUS channel 123 and XM channel 144) will host a two-hour special examining baseball’s all-time greatest teams. The program, airing at 8:00 am ET, 1:00 pm ET, 6:00 pm ET and 11:00 pm ET, will determine the greatest all-time team from each of the 30 MLB franchises and will feature interviews with baseball historians and some of the game’s greatest players, including Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer, 9-time all-star catcher and 1971 NL MVP Joe Torre, 16-time Gold Glove-winner Jim Kaat and others. The 30 highlighted teams, plus two wild card teams, will be seeded into a tournament bracket posted at www.sirius.com/maddogbaseball and on Tuesday, May 26, fans can log on and begin casting their votes to determine the greatest baseball team of all-time.
BorgWarner Celebrates Centennial Era at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Awarding Excellence Since 1909, a BorgWarner Tradition for 100 Years
On May 24, thirty-three drivers will rev up their engines during the first race of the Centennial Era at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The winner of “the Greatest Spectacle in Racing” will cruise down Victory Lane at the legendary Brickyard, earning a place in racing history as well as a place on the prestigious BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy(R).
“From the founding of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to the annual presentation of the BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy(R), BorgWarner is proud to be part of a century-long tradition of achievement, competitive performance and technological leadership,” said Tim Manganello, BorgWarner Chairman and CEO. “We’re looking forward to helping the Speedway celebrate its Centennial Era by presenting the BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy(R) to this year’s winner in Victory Lane.”
Construction began on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in March 1909. The first auto racing program was a three-day event beginning on August 19. Louis Schwitzer, an innovative engineer and founder of an early turbocharger business later acquired by BorgWarner, won the very first auto race at the Speedway, a two-lap, standing-start dash.
As the Speedway was under construction, Frank Wheeler (one of four original founders of the Speedway) and George Schebler commissioned a trophy from Tiffany & Company on behalf of the Wheeler-Schebler Carburetor Company, which later merged with several other companies to become part of Borg-Warner Corporation. The sterling silver urn originally cost $8,000 and stood eight feet tall. At that time, it was the most expensive trophy for any athletic event in the world. The trophy was retired in 1932 when car owner Harry Hartz won it three times. When the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame was established in 1956, Hartz donated the historic trophy to the museum.
In 1936, the BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy made its inaugural appearance at the Speedway when it was presented to winner Louis Meyer. Featuring the sterling silver visage of every Indianapolis 500 winner, the Trophy is a tribute to 100 years of racing history. Two new bases have been added to the original Trophy to make room for future winners through 2034. Made of over 100 pounds of sterling silver and standing five feet, six inches tall, the Trophy originally cost $10,000 and is currently valued at $1.5 million.
The BorgWarner Indianapolis 500 Trophy(R) stays on permanent display at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum. To give the winner and team owners a personal keepsake of their victory, BorgWarner established the BorgWarner Championship Driver’s Trophy(TM) (also known as the “Baby Borg”) in 1988 and the BorgWarner Team Owner’s Trophy(TM) in 1998. Both are sterling silver replicas of the Indianapolis 500 Trophy(R).
For more information, visit www.borgwarner.com and choose “The Indianapolis 500″ from the “About BorgWarner” pull-down menu at the top of the home page.