General Motors Cuts Deep — 21,000 Jobs

21,000 jobs. Thousands of families. Tens of thousands of children. Hundreds of communities. Blood letting.

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk General Motors (GM) is to cut 21,000 US jobs this year and phase out its Pontiac brand, as it aims to meet a 1 June deadline to revamp its business. GM has to complete its restructuring by then to gain the government loans it needs to avoid bankruptcy protection. After shedding Pontiac by the end of 2010, GM will focus on its Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick and GMC brands. The firm also said it hoped to halve its debts by persuading bondholders to swap $27bn (£19bn) of bonds for shares. The loss of 21,000 blue-collar jobs includes an additional 7,000 to 8,000 employees from a plan submitted to the government on 17 February. The cuts mean that its American workforce will be reduced from 61,000 to 40,000. GM also wants the government to swap half its current loans for a 50% stake. The government has so far given GM $15.4bn in loans. Shares in General Motors rose 21%, or 35 cents, to $2.04.

Atlanta Hawks: On the Rise or Off the Road?

Are the Atlanta Hawks for real? Are you a believer after another convincing home victory in front of their newly dedicated fans? Do they actually need to win a game on the ROAD before you become convinced? What evidence of transformation do you require?

clipped from thestartingfive.net The Atlanta Hawks are transforming before our eyes. They are becoming aware of themselves. With that knowledge of self performances like the Thursday’s 106-91 thrashing of the Miami Heat will become more commonplace. The words of Nelson Mandela ring true here, “ Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate, it that we are powerful beyond measure.” These young Hawks are realizing just how powerful they are.

Details of Chrysler’s Bankruptcy Plan

Barack Obama and Fiat are partnering to “save” Chrysler. More details at the BBC. Click the link posted below.

clipped from news.bbc.co.uk US carmaker Chrysler will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection immediately and has formed an alliance with Fiat, President Obama has said. Chapter 11 protects firms from their creditors, allowing them to rearrange their finances while still trading. The move came after talks had broken down with Chrysler’s lenders late on Wednesday, the White House said. Chrysler chief executive Robert Nardelli said he will step down after the company emerges from bankruptcy. Mr Nardelli has been in charge at Chrysler since 2007 but said he felt it would be an appropriate time to leave after bankruptcy. Chrysler will receive a further $8bn in government aid, up from the $6bn the Treasury had promised it if it had successfully restructured the business by midnight. The White House described the move as a “surgical short bankruptcy” which should last between 30 and 60 days. President Obama said the “necessary steps” had been taken to give Chrysler “a new lease of life”.

Inside the 2009 NFL Draft: Evander Hood vs. B.J. Raji

In the 2009 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers and Pittsburgh Steelers both selected defensive tackles with the intention of anchoring their respective units.  B.J. Raji (Boston College), selected 9th overall, will be expected to start from Day 1 and be a high-impact player.  The Packers were strong on offense in 2008, but weak on the defensive side of the ball.  Raji’s power, quickness, agility and awareness should significantly improve the performance of this unit.

Evander “Ziggy” Hood (Missouri) was selected with the 32nd pick of the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Hood is not expected to make an immediate impact.  The Steelers anticipate that he will get playing time, but there is no rush for him to emerge as a star.  Hood has the luxury of serving an apprenticeship behind former University of Texas standout Casey Hampton.  Nose tackles not named Sam Adama tend to have short careers in the NFL.  It is difficult to avoid injury in the trenches and the sheer volume of talented lineman make it prohibitively difficult to stay relevant.  Hampton is still at or near the top of his game.  The Steelers like Hood’s energy and suspect that he’ll fit in nicely.

Here’s how they stacked up at the Combine.

Rear Admiral Michelle Howard

From Today’s Drum and Afro.com:

(April 26, 2009) – While the facts surrounding the kidnapping and rescue of the Maersk Alabama Captain Richard Phillips have been widely reported, less well-known is that ship which saved him was commanded by a black woman, Rear Admiral Michelle Howard.

Howard received the assignment of leading the U.S. Navy’s counter-piracy task force just three days before the Maersk Alabama was attacked by Somalia pirates.

“It’s probably one of the most exciting missions the Navy has been on in for a long while,” Howard told the Navy Times.

Howard is the first of her 1982 U.S. Naval Academy class to reach the rank of admiral. In 1999, Howard became the first African-American woman to command a U.S. Navy ship, the USS Rushmore.

She holds a masters degree in Military Science Arts and Sciences from the Army’s Command and General Staff College.

Howard said the mission of her unit, Combined Task Force 151, will remain deterring and disrupting piracy off the Horn of Africa.

“Right now, the policy is, fight piracy, and I am all about that policy,” she told the Navy Times. “We are quite capable of staying out here and doing this mission.”

Howard’s task force operates with U.S. warships deployed to the eastern Africa area as well as those sent from allied nations. Before her assignment to the strike group, Howard was the senior military assistant to the Secretary of the Navy.

Three Coaches Discuss the 2009 NFL Draft

Actions speak louder than words.  That may be true, but sometimes words say more than we know.  This morning, I took a second to look at the NFL Draft videos of three coaches.  What follows are some of the keywords from those coaches used to describe the players drafted and to describe the roles those players will play going forward.

Coach 1:

• body of work
• leader
• high-quality individual
• tough
• smart
• durable
• quick study
• position coaches visited player

Coach 2:

• something to prove
• athletic talent
• upside ahead
• physical skills
• confident in coaches ability to work with player

Coach 3:

• tremendous production
• performed well
• improved at Senior Bowl
• big targets in the Green Zone
• versatile; attacks the passer
• impressive visit

Living the Dream: Steelers Draft High School Teammates

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

In addition to being a 157-pound cornerback, Keenan Lewis was a kick and punt returner his senior season at O. Perry Walker High School in New Orleans. And a pretty good one, too, according to one of his former coaches.

But, after the third game of the 2003 season, Chargers coach Frank Wilson decided he needed to find a way to get the fastest player on his team on the field. So he replaced Lewis with a junior wide receiver named Mike Wallace.

“The rest, as they say, is history,” said David Johnson, who was the offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach at Perry Walker. “Keenan never returned a kick again.”

That was the beginning of Wallace’s career as a return specialist, and all he did his senior season in high school was return four kickoffs for touchdowns, four punts for touchdowns, and have another seven called back. It was part of a spectacular season in which he scored 27 touchdowns for the Chargers and accepted a scholarship to Oregon State.

2009 NFL Draft – The Day After Day 1

Winners and Losers?

Philosophically, I believe that the team which drafts the BEST player in the draft must always be listed among the winners.  The strange psychology of the NFL draft and its salary structure is such that an elite super star player may not be drafted first simply based on the position he plays.  This year, the consensus pick for best player in the draft is Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry.  (Watch how he plays this reverse and beats two blockers in a tight game…2:35)

2009 NFL Draft — Live Blog

2009 NFL Draft.

Check Meebo for added live commentary.

It’s official.  Roger “Burn those Tapes” Goodell is at the podium.

1.  The Detroit Lions are on the clock.  The Detroit Lions are off the clock.  That was quick.

Matthew Stafford, QB.  Georgia.  The fans at the draft booed this pick.  I agree.  I’m not a hater, but I do not love Stafford.

The Lions always seem to draft like they’ve been backed into a corner.

Steeler Nation: Why I Never Worry About the NFL Draft

Five reasons:

1. Team Philosophy. The team has a philosophy of personnel to which they generally adhere.  This means that the team will usually draft someone who can be called “A Steeler.”  This is markedly different than someone who can drive to the training camp.  There is a certain temperament, disposition, and style associated with the team.  Usually, players who are not Steelers do not get drafted by the Steelers.  There have been exceptions to the rule.  This doesn’t mean that the Steelers never miss on Draft Day.  It simply means that they don’t usually make the kind of mistakes that can cripple a franchise.  The team has been consistently good.  They’ve only had 3 relatively high first round draft picks in 20 years.  They took Ben Roethlisberger, Troy Polamalu and Tim Worley.  I can live with that.
2. Always Solid, Never Desperate. The Steelers philosophy has been to focus on a few core positions to ensure dominance.  Linebacker is clearly the position of focus for this franchise.   No NFL team is even remotely close to the Steelers in the number of high-quality linebackers drafted over the past four decades.  The other position that has been a focal point for the franchise is center.  The thing is — they’ve done it so well, they rarely have to do it.  This is a year when the team needs to recapture the magic of a Mike Webster or Dermontii Dawson.  It’s time for a new guy to hold down this position until my children go to college.
3. They Just Won the Super Bowl. I just don’t have great expectations for the draft this season.  I expect them to do well, but not to make a huge splash.  I expect that the team will draft for starters in Rounds 1 and 2…and draft for depth in the succeeding rounds.  If they ever decide that Willie Parker might be more effective with a fullback, they may find some value on the 2nd day.  It’s worth a look.  Either way, I’m fine with how this plays out because there will not be many open roster spots for rookies in the fall.
4. Ohio. Thank goodness for the Browns and the Bengals.
5. Shock and Awe. I’m shocked they won the Super Bowl this season.  The team was flawed.  Parker missed significant time.  They’re getting long in the tooth along the defensive line.  The offensive line was maligned beginning in Week 2 until the end of the season.  At no point in time were the Steelers obviously superior to their opponents.  The team has tremendous potential to become more dominant on both sides of the ball.  The players and coaches should be awed by the prospect of achieving a measure of greatness that only a few teams have known.

I plan to enjoy the day and watch as fans of franchises with track records of desperation and exasperation try to reinvent themselves — again.  Whatever happens on Saturday and Sunday, I am absolutely certain it’ll all work out.  I’m going to miss Bryant McFadden, but this is a business.  I’m very happy for him and his family.  This career does not last long — nor do many of the men who play it.  It’s a killer.

One for the Tall Man  in 2010.  (What do you do with 7 rings, anyway??)