2011 U.S. and Women’s Chess Champions Crowned in St. Louis
Grandmaster Gata Kamsky and International Master Anna Zatonskih win prestigious Championship titles
The Chess Club and Scholastic Center of Saint Louis (CCSCSL) crowned Grandmaster Gata Kamsky, 36, of New York City, the 2011 U.S. Chess Champion. In a repeat of last year’s championship, Kamsky once again bested GM Yury Shulman of Chicago in the finals. In addition, the CCSCSL crowned International Master Anna Zatonskih, 32, the 2011 Women’s Chess Champion.
The prestigious tournaments are part of the “Triple Crown” of chess championships held in the United States this year. The third event is the 2011 Junior’s Championship, a tournament for players under the age of 21, which takes place June 15-25. It also will be held at the CCSCSL.
“There are two types of players: those who are aggressive and want to kill their opponent, like Yury [Shulman], and there are people like me who simply enjoy chess, and they look at it like an art,” Kamsky said. “My style is sort of efficient, economic. It allows me to not go for those brutal heart-attack sessions where you have every piece hanging and a lot of tactics.” Read more
National Fan Day Declared for April 30, 2011
Official day of recognition for fans of college and professional sports teams across the nation
Fans will compete to name “America’s Team,” voice their opinions on a Fan Bill of Rights, and be able to access special savings from national online retailers
With labor strife in the NFL and looming for the NBA, ever rising ticket prices, and difficult economic conditions, fans across the country are suffering. My Fan Rewards, a loyalty provider for sports and entertainment brands, has decided to do something about it. In partnership with Affinity Solutions and professional sports teams from the NFL, NBA, and NHL, My Fan Rewards is officially declaring April 30, 2011 “National Fan Day” – an official day of recognition where it is formally acknowledged that without the fans, the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Stanley Cup, the NBA Finals, March Madness, the BCS Championship Game, and all forms of live entertainment would not exist. Read more
MLB.com Sets New Standards: Records Include 142 Million Page Views on April 20
MLB.com, the official Web site of Major League Baseball, on April 20 drew the largest page view day in its history as fans visited 142.3 million pages. Overall during over the first 20 days of the season (March 31 – April 19), baseball fans have shattered traffic records at MLB.com and the 30 club sites, including daily averages of 7 million video streams delivered and 11.5 million visitors.
“We are gratified fans responded so favorably to the material changes we made this off-season across our web sites, mobile applications and live game products,” said Dinn Mann, Executive Vice President, Content, MLB.com. “As we do every season, we will continue to develop and deploy additional technology and content offerings to further daily fan engagement with the game.”
Among the traffic records established at MLB.com during the first days of the season (March 31 – April 19) include:
- Fans watched 7 million video streams per day during the season’s opening 20 days, including 1 million live video streams per day.
- MLB.com averaged 11.5 million visitors per day, representing an increase of 17 percent from 2010 (9.8 million), highlighted by its single-highest visited day ever in the month of April with 13 million visitors on Friday, April 8.
- MLB.com averaged 122 million page views per day, 48% higher than the comparable 2010 average, and reached 2 billion page views earlier than ever before.
- MLB.com’s mobile sites have totaled 992 million page views across all Internet-enabled devices, a 138% increase from the 2010 season’s first 20 days.
- At Bat 11, the #1 selling suite of mobile applications available on iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Android and BlackBerry, has been accessed 35 million times since Opening Day, a daily average of 1.75 million accesses and a 115 percent increase over the 2010 comparable time period.
Fans Select Mark Ingram as NCAA Football 12 Cover Athlete
Heisman Trophy Winner Becomes First Fan-Selected Cover Athlete in Franchise History
Electronic Arts announced Mark Ingram, former University of Alabama running back, has been chosen by fans to be featured on the cover of EA SPORTS NCAA Football 12, set to hit retail shelves on Tuesday, July 12. The NCAA Football 12 “U Want ME” campaign was the first-ever online consumer vote for a cover athlete in franchise history.
Throughout the month of March, fans logged on to the EA SPORTS NCAA Football Facebook page to vote for one of four standouts from the 2010 college football season – Auburn University defensive lineman, Nick Fairley, University of Alabama running back, Mark Ingram, University of Oklahoma running back, DeMarco Murray, and University of Washington quarterback, Jake Locker. More than 140,000 votes were cast, and in the end, Mark Ingram became the first fan-voted cover athlete in NCAA Football franchise history.
Following his outstanding 2009 season, Ingram captured college football’s two biggest prizes: the Heisman Trophy and the National Championship. During a decorated career at Alabama, Ingram rushed for more than 3,000 yards and 42 touchdowns, including 17 touchdowns and more than 1,600 yards during his Heisman Trophy-winning sophomore season. In Alabama’s 37-21 victory over Texas in the 2010 BCS National Championship Game, Ingram capped his sophomore season by scoring two touchdowns and rushing for 116 yards on 22 carries, being named the Offensive MVP.
NCAA Football 12 takes the journey of the college athlete to the next level of depth and authenticity. Experience the pride and pageantry of gameday Saturday like never before as players go from high school superstar to top college player to head coach in the Road to Glory and Dynasty modes. With an enhanced in-game presentation, new traditions, and an all-new collision system, players make an impact by leading their team to the National Championship in NCAA Football 12.
Developed in Orlando, Florida by EA Tiburon, and licensed by The Collegiate Licensing Company, NCAA Football 12 will be available on the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system and the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system.
Virgin London Marathon 2011: 35 new Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, the official authority on record-breaking, confirmed that 35 new Guinness World Records were achieved at the 2011 Virgin London Marathon; more than at any time in the event’s history. 150 runners were provided with on-the-spot verification as they attempted to break records ranging from the Fastest Marathon Juggling a Football to the Most Rubik’s Cubes Solved Whilst Running a Marathon.
Superman, AKA David Stone from Exmouth in Devon, flew through the finish line in a time of 2 hours 42 minutes and 46 seconds, smashing the record for the Fastest Marathon Dressed as a Superhero in the process. Hot on his heels was Sheffield’s Jon Morgan who, dressed as Fred Flintstone, recorded a time of 2hours 46minuted and 59seconds breaking the Guinness World Record for the Fastest Marathon Dressed as a Cartoon Character.
Male runners wearing ‘female nurse’ uniform always go down well with the marathon spectators, but Kevin Harvey, a 36 year-old physiotherapist from Birmingham, proved no laughing matter with a finish time of 2hours 52minutes and 26seconds, breaking the Guinness World Record for the Fastest Marathon in a Nurse’s Uniform. Arguably the most impressive run on the day came from Carl Creasey who attempted the Fastest Marathon Carrying 60 lb pack. A Sergeant serving in the Royal Marines, Carl from Ipswich achieved an agonising new record in a time of 4hours 50minutes and 56seconds.
Marathon stalwart John Sandford Hart from Mudeford achieved two Guinness World Records with Fastest Marathon Completed on Crutches – one leg (6h 24m 48s) and Most Marathons Completed on Crutches (6). Read more