Netflix's New Deal For 'Breaking Bad' Spin-Off 'Better Call Saul' Could Be A Game Changer

After spending a year releasing original series, breaking entire distribution models and playing a game of moneyball with cancelled shows, the folks over at the internet’s most talked about new-media platform are at it again. Following the success the platform saw with recently concluded AMC series Breaking Bad, Netflix has struck a deal with Sony Pictures Television to bring the upcoming prequel/spin-off series Better Call Saul’s first season to the subscription based service the day after the conclusion of its freshman season. While other platforms such as iTunes and Amazon have offered services that allowed for next day episodes during the run of television seasons (including Breaking Bad), the move threatens to make Netflix the main-platform for casual viewers.
If audiences will be able to watch the first-season of Better Call Saul immediately following the season one finale through their standard $8 a month fee with Netflix, will they bother spending $20-$30 for a season pass through iTunes and Amazon? It’ll be interesting to find out come 2014. But there’s another, far more interesting fact to the deal that needs to be addressed, that of Better Call Saul’s international airing rights.
The international market has become a major player in television, as we learned with the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special.  According to the new deal, Netflix will be the exclusive home of Better Call Saul in Europe and Latin America, and the series will be made available to the overseas territories shortly after it begins airing in the United States. As television becomes more and more worldwide (HBO, for example, has begun releasing episodes of fantasy series Game of Thrones at the same time across all US and international territories through HBO Go) networks, like movie studios, are beginning to realize media isn’t just about the U.S. anymore.
While this isn’t the first time Netflix has tried closing the gap between first run and home release (the service attempted to release episodes of ABC Family series Greek the day after they would air on the network), it could end up being the most important. Thanks to the success of Breaking Bad, Netflix knows just what kind of audience they can expect for the series, and with that knowledge, one can only assume this is a smart play for a service that’s continuing to disrupt everything about a business that just wants things to stay the same. Sphere: Related Content

Mall at Short Hills victim defending wife from carjackers when shot: source

The victim, Dustin Friedland, 30, wasn't protecting his luxury SUV, says a source close to the investigation — but his beloved wife Jamie, already in the car. One thug had come close to her and ordered her out, but 'she got a look at him,' says the source.

The Hoboken lawyer killed by carjackers at an upscale New Jersey mall gave up his life — to protect his wife.
Dustin Friedland had just let his beloved Jamie into their luxury SUV and was walking around to the driver’s side when he was ambushed by two crooks who demanded the keys, a source close to the investigation told The Daily News.
“He knew his wife was in there and he refused,” the source said Monday.

Instead, the brave lawyer resisted and in the struggle four shots were fired, one of which mortally wounded Friedland, police said.
“Then one of them comes to her door and says, ‘Get out of the car’,” the source said. “She got a look at him.”
Friedland died later Sunday night with his heartbroken wife by his side.

His 2012 Range Rover, which is worth at least $70,000, was found Monday in the back of an abandoned Newark house, police said.
Heartbroken relatives described the 30-year-old Friedland as a sensible man who would avoided violence if at all possible.
But Jamie Friedland’s boss at the Manhattan law firm where she works as an attorney said he would have fought like a lion for her.

“Dustin was rational, intelligent and had great judgment,” said Adam Leitman Bailey. “I highly doubt that he fought the attackers to save his car. I do believe he would fight for his wife’s life.”

Bailey said the young couple had been planning to start their own family.

“She would just light up when he would walk in the room,” he said. “She was so happy to be married.”
The Adam Leitman Bailey law firm has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.
“What happened is unconscionable,” said Bailey. “Everybody is crying.”

Investigators suspect Friedland was targeted at The Mall at Short Hills by members of a carjacking ring who were after his silver-colored SUV.

The suspects were spotted scoping out potential targets while cruising through the parking lot in a green Subaru shortly before they attacked Friedland around 9 p.m. Sunday, officials said.
"We’re leaving all options open at this time,” said Katherine Carter of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, when asked about the reported ring. “We haven't eliminated anything at this juncture.”

In Hoboken, Yiba Diez, a waitress at Zafra restaurant, mourned the handsome young couple that regularly came by for brunch with pals on the weekends.
“He would come in early with his wife,” Diez, 40, said. “They were always happy, very happy together. Especially him, he was very friendly."
Diez said they were stunned when they heard what happened to one of their favorite customers.

“We were like, ‘Oh my God, no way’,” she said. “Very sad.”
Reached in Michigan, Friedland’s uncle said the killers didn’t need to shoot his nephew.

“I hope they catch and kill him,” he said. “I’m not a violent person, but this criminal doesn’t deserve to breathe.”
Friedland's parents live in Toms River, N.J., and their neighbors seconded the grieving uncle.
“Dustin would have given them the car,” one woman, who asked not to be identified, told the Newark Star-Ledger newspaper. “Dustin was sweet, kind, gentle, giving. I just can't believe God took him away so soon. He didn't deserve it."

Both Friedland and his wife were graduates of Syracuse University's law program, Bailey said. The slain man also had an engineering degree from Bucknell University.
Of late, Friedland was working as a project manager at Epic Mechanical, a firm based in Neptune, N.J., that "analyzed construction-related legal claims," according to his LinkedIn profile.
A woman who answered the phone at Epic declined to comment.

Meanwhile, police were asking for the public’s help in identifying the carjackers, who vanished after dumping the SUV.

 

The Range Rover has been impounded and crime investigators were looking for physical evidence that could help identify the culprits.
"We do not know why that car (was targeted), but it obviously was a car with some value," Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray said earlier.
The mall, which includes high-end stores like Bloomingdale’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue, usually closes at 6 p.m. on Sundays. But it was open later for holiday shoppers.

Workers arriving for their shifts said they were frightened.
"I hope the mall will take extra precautions and add security,” said an employee at Stuart Weitzman who declined to provide her name. “I’m not sure what the mall can do but it doesn’t feel so safe — especially after last night.”
The area where Friedland was gunned down continued to be cordoned off by police.
Mall officials declined to comment on the deadly shooting or on what safety measures they have taken in its aftermath. But this is not the first time the shopping mecca has been hit by carjackers:
- In 2009, a 56-year-old woman was carjacked by a knife-wielding Hillside man who forced his way into a car and demanded her dough.
- Back in 2006, a gun-toting crook robbed two women outside of a mall restaurant of their 2004 Jeep Liberty.
- And in 2002, a carjacker made off with a 76-year-old woman’s Cadillac from the parking lot near the Saks Fifth Avenue store.
Last month, the Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, N.J., was terrorized by a troubled pizza deliveryman with a death wish who killed himself with a high-powered rifle before cops closed in.

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Mega Millions jackpot climbs to $586 million

The Mega Millions jackpot inched toward a U.S. lottery record Monday as it soared to $586 million amid a frenzy of ticket purchases, raising the possibility that the prize could pass the once-unthinkable $1 billion mark by Christmas Eve should nobody win before then.

Paula Otto, executive director of the Virginia Lottery and lead director for Mega Millions, said ticket sales are ahead of projections for Tuesday's drawing, increasing the likelihood it could shatter the current record of $656 million, set in a March 2012 Mega Millions drawing.

That was enough for Drew Gentsch to buy one ticket Monday morning. The attorney from Des Moines never plays, but the ballooning jackpot was too good to pass up.

"I think it's ridiculous but you have to dream big," he said. "The odds of winning are so low, there's no real reason to play. But it's fun to do so once in a while."

The large Mega Millions prize is the product of a major game revamp in October that dramatically lowered the odds of winning the jackpot. If a winner isn't selected Tuesday night and it rolls over past the next drawing scheduled Friday night, Otto predicts the jackpot will reach $1 billion — an unheard of amount for Mega Millions or Powerball, the nation's two main lottery games.

"We had predicted last week that if we are still on the same roll on Christmas Eve, we'll definitely be over a billion," she said.

Scott Norris, a mathematician from Southern Methodist University, said he estimates around 700 million more tickets must be sold without producing a winner for the jackpot to reach $1 billion on this run. He puts the odds of that around 6 percent.

Norris emphasized his calculation does not take into account the extra $1 that players can throw in for the Megaplier option, which allows them to increase their non-jackpot prize by up to five times.

John Hagerty, a spokesman for the Virginia Lottery, said officials can't confirm Norris' calculation. He said there's no clear number for sales if the jackpot rolls past Tuesday, so they can't accurately calculate what percentage of the possible combinations will be covered.

The current jackpot, which is the fourth largest in U.S. history and closely trails the $587.5 million and $590.5 million set by Powerball, has had heavy sales over the last several days. Otto noted that the higher the jackpot, the higher the sales. For example, when the jackpot was $99 million on Nov. 5, lottery officials sold just over $20 million worth of tickets. For Friday's then-$425 million jackpot, $168 million worth of tickets were sold.

Otto said it's likely the jackpot will be increased again after lottery officials meet Tuesday morning to discuss sales. Between 65 and 70 percent of the roughly 259 million possible number combinations will be in play when the numbers are drawn, Otto estimated.

"Lotto players are procrastinators. They tend to buy on the day of the draw," she said.

Some players were taken aback by the growing jackpot and the possibility that it could keep getting bigger if it rolls for a 22nd consecutive time.

Natali Justiniano Pahl, 47, bought five tickets Monday morning from a convenience store in downtown. She said the growing jackpot made her excited, albeit somewhat weary.

"It gets the excitement up, but there's a point when it's too much," said Justiniano Pahl, who works in human resources. "$5 million would be good; $550 million would be good. Either one would change your life."

Otto said officials have never had such a huge jackpot around this time of year, and it's unclear how holiday shoppers are driving sales.

"To have that kind of money on the line the week before Christmas, we've never had that happen before," she said, "What fun."

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Bindi Irwin Continues Dad’s Work

Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve Irwin, is very mature for her age of only fifteen, and has vowed to continue her dad’s work as a Wildlife Warrior.
Steve Irwin, known to many as the crocodile hunter, dedicated his whole life to his love of animals, especially reptiles. Sadly, in 2006, Steve suffered a tragic death after he was pierced in the heart by a stingray. Despite his death, Steve’s family has continued to work with the animals and the wildlife park Steve opened that is now called the Australia Zoo.
“I have spent my entire life living in a zoo, which is pretty crazy. Not many kids get to say that,” Irwin told E!News, “and it took me until I was about three years old to realize that we didn’t just come to the zoo every day, that we actually lived here.”
“Every day we’d wake up and come to the zoo and I’d think, ‘We’re coming to the zoo again. This is great!’ Until it hit me that we live here,” Bindi continued. “We literally live right in the middle of the zoo and it means that every day is a new experience and so much fun.”

Bindi went on to talk about what an amazing conservationist her father was, and how she plans on continuing his legacy.

He was the greatest dad on the planet. He was our inspiration, who we looked up to the most and, for us, we wanna carry on his legacy. We wanna make sure that his message of wildlife and conservation continues, because he was the world’s greatest conservationist and so we never want that message to die. With dad, he was the ultimate wildlife warrior and we admired him more than anything. Dad honestly was incredible. We never got nervous about him with animals, but I do remember he gave me a piece of advice that has stuck with me forever. He said, ‘You have to treat animals the way you wish to be treated.’ Which is so true. And I think that applies to all animals.
If you treat animals how you want to be treated, you’re a lot better off. So when he was working with venomous snakes or cheetahs, he just treated them in a way…it was never trying to overpower them or anything like that. He was just loving them. And he was teaching other people about how beautiful they are. Telling people how to respect snakes and respect crocodiles and to love them. And I think if you go about it with that kind of attitude, it’s brilliant.

Bindi hopes that by sharing their story and their love for the cause, that it will make more people want to become “Wildlife Warriors” as well. “We’ve shared what our passion is with certain people and hopefully empowered others to want to make a difference on planet earth,” Bindi said. “And so if we’re able to talk to people and encourage people to become wildlife warriors, then that’s brilliant.”

“You’ve got to think about the difference between normal and common. Because for us, our life is certainly not common,” she continued. “We live in the middle of a zoo. We’ve gotten to travel the world with our family and share our passion and love for wildlife with the world.” Sphere: Related Content

Check out this verse on YouVersion.com

Proverbs 16:9 KJV

"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps."

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Today's Verse

Acts 2:38 KJV

"Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."

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Emanuel Steward, famed boxing trainer, dies at 68

 Emanuel Steward, the owner of the legendary Kronk Gym and a standout trainer for boxers including Thomas Hearns, Evander Holyfield and Oscar De La Hoya, died Thursday. He was 68.

Victoria Kirton, Steward's executive assistant, said Steward died Thursday at a Chicago hospital. She did not disclose the cause of death.

Steward trained, helped train or managed some of the greatest fighters of the past 40 years out of the Kronk, a dingy, overheated basement gym that produced world champions like Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard and Lennox Lewis.

Steward was born in West Virginia and moved at the age of 12 to Detroit. In 1963, an 18-year old Steward, fighting as a bantamweight, won the national Golden Gloves tournament. According to a biography on his website, rather than go forward as a professional he went to work for the Detroit Edison Co. and in 1971 accepted a part-time position as head coach of the boxing program at the Kronk Recreation Center.

A dynasty was born.

The Kronk's first professional champion was Hilmer Kenty, a lightweight from Columbus, Ohio, who started training there in 1978 and won the WBA title two years later.

It was Hearns who really put Kronk — and Steward — on the map. The Hitman was the first man to win titles in four divisions — he won five overall — and topped his 155-8 amateur record by going 61-5-1 with 48 knockouts as a pro.

"He brought the very, very best out of me," Hearns once said of Steward.

The gym for years was seen as a way to keep kids out of trouble and off the streets in southwestern Detroit. In 2006, Detroit shut down the recreation center that houses the gym because of a major budget shortfall. The gym was allowed to remain open, but it put Steward in a difficult financial situation and he rented space at a gym in Dearborn so his young fighters could train.

Steward, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, also worked closely with Lewis during his title run, and current heavyweight champion Wladimir Klitschko as recently as July. Klitschko has trained recently without Steward for his fight against Mariusz Wach next month in Germany.

"His spirit is always here," Klitschko said. "I can hear his voice in sparring while doing things, whispering in my ear. As the famous saying goes, 'The show must go on,' and that's exactly the case."
Steward also worked since 2001 as a boxing analyst for HBO.

"Manny was a respected colleague who taught us so much not only about the sweet science but also about friendship and loyalty," HBO Sports President Ken Hershman said. "His energy, enthusiasm and bright smile were a constant presence. Ten bells do not seem enough to mourn his passing."

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Actor Michael Clarke Duncan dead at 54

 Michael Clarke Duncan the hulking, prolific character actor whose dozens of films included an Oscar-nominated performance as a death row inmate in "The Green Mile" and such other box office hits as "Armageddon," ''Planet of the Apes" and "Kung Fu Panda," is dead at age 54.

Duncan died Monday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where he was being treated for a heart attack, said his fiancée, reality TV personality Rev. Omarosa Manigault, in a statement released by publicist Joy Fehily.

The muscular, 6-foot-4 (1.96 meter) Duncan, a former bodyguard who turned to acting in his 30s, "suffered a myocardial infarction on July 13 and never fully recovered," the statement said. "Manigault is grateful for all of your prayers and asks for privacy at this time. Celebrations of his life, both private and public, will be announced at a later date."

In the spring of 2012, Duncan had appeared in a video for PETA, the animal rights organization, in which he spoke of how much better he felt since becoming a vegetarian three years earlier.

"I cleared out my refrigerator, about $5,000 worth of meat," he said. "I'm a lot healthier than I was when I was eating meat."

Duncan had a handful of minor roles before "The Green Mile" brought him an Academy Award nomination for best supporting actor. The 1999 film, based on the Stephen King novel of the same name, starred Tom Hanks as a corrections officer at a penitentiary in the 1930s. Duncan played John Coffey, a convicted murderer with a surprisingly gentle demeanor and extraordinary healing powers.

Duncan's performance caught on with critics and moviegoers and he quickly became a favorite in Hollywood, appearing in several films a year. He owed some of his good fortune to Bruce Willis, who recommended Duncan for "The Green Mile" after the two appeared together in "Armageddon." Duncan would work with Willis again in "Breakfast of Champions," ''The Whole Nine Yards" and "Sincity."

His industrial-sized build was suited for everything from superhero films ("Daredevil") to comedy ("Talledega Nights," ''School for Scoundrels"). His gravelly baritone alone was good enough for several animated movies, including, "Kung Fu Panda," ''Delgo" and "Brother Bear." Among Duncan's television credits: "The Apprentice," ''The Finder," ''Two and a Half Men" and "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody."

Born in Chicago in 1957, Duncan was raised by a single mother whose resistance to his playing football led to his deciding he wanted to become an actor. But when his mother became ill, he dropped out of college, Alcorn State University, and worked as a ditch digger and bouncer to support her. By his mid-20s, he was in Los Angeles, where he looked for acting parts and became a bodyguard for Will Smith, Jamie Foxx and other stars. The murder of rapper Notorious B.I.G., for whom Duncan had been hired to protect before switching assignments, led him to quit his job and pursue acting full-time.

Early film and television credits, when he was usually cast as a bodyguard or bouncer, included "Bullworth," ''A Night at the Roxbury" and "The Players Club."

Jose
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Katherine Jackson 'Drugged' Up

 Katherine Jackson called her home in Calabasas at 2 AM today and again at 4 AM, sounding "drugged" and ordering that the security team be fired and replaced by Janet Jackson's security ... TMZ has learned.

A lawyer in court today made reference to "an incident" last night -- this is the incident.  Sources involved in the situation tell TMZ ... people in the house were "alarmed and nervous" after hearing Katherine sounding heavily drugged.

In addition to attempting to 86 the security team, Katherine ordered Trent Jackson off the property.  You may recall, Jackson's security -- and Trent in particular -- thwarted Monday's attempt by Randy, Jermaine and Janet to take the kids to Arizona.

Our sources say the prevailing view is that Randy and company have drugged their mom.

We're also told Jackie Jackson is furious at his conspiratorial siblings for what they've done and what they are trying to do.

We were unable to get Randy for comment. 

Katherine's lawyer, Perry Sanders, tells TMZ ... "I'm waiting on Katherine to get back in town and I'm looking forward to getting a hold of her to ascertain what's been going on."



Jose
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Mariah Carey Could Be New J-Lo; Sylverster Stallon's son and more nd more

Bookies are placing the early money on Mariah Carey in the Idol judging sweepstakes. Also today: Sylvester Stallone's son, Sage Moonblood Stallone, was found dead from an apparent overdose, and George R.R. Martin likes to talk about sex, baby.

With Jennifer Lopez leaving American Idol to devote her full attention to making Fiat ads, there are now two holes to fill on the judging panel. Apparently one of those holes could be filled by Mariah Carey. The singer is in "serious talks" with Idol to become the new judge. In terms of, you know, actual vocal talent Carey would be a huge step up from J-Lo. But doesn't she seem like the kind of judge who'd be a little too nurturing? Couldn't you see her bringing cookies for everyone to the auditions? She has kids now! She's going to be "the nice one."

This is really sad. Police found Sylvester Stallone's son, Sage Moonblood Stallone, dead in his Hollywood apartment on Friday. He was only 36. Friends asked police to go for a "welfare check" after they had failed to contact him. His attorney told the New York Post Stallone "was in good spirits, and working on all kinds of projects," and that he was planning on getting married. One source told the Post his movie production company recently faced financial hardships, but Sage refused to go to his father for help. Sage was Sylvester's first son with his first wife, Sasha Czack. Pills were found at the scene leading to a suspicion of an overdose being the cause of death, but it's not yet known if the death was an accident or a suicide.

Things got weird at the Game of Thrones Comic-Con panel. Series author George R.R. Martin was the moderator and he kept making awkward references to boobs and sex scenes. Everyone was uncomfortable. It started when he cracked a joke about the Saturday Night Live sketch that riffed on the show's nudity, but got weird when he started listing the characters Alfie Allen's Theon has slept with, and wondered why Allen's never thanked him for it. "Have I even gotten a box of chocolates? What’s it like doing all those sex scenes?" Allen played it off, saying he wanted to get in shape for it anyway." A fan asked Allen what his favorite scene was and Allen said it was the speech he gave right before being knocked out. "So you liked getting hit in the back of the head very hard more than naked sex scenes?" Martin asked. Cool it, scary sex man! But there's more. When a fan asked about costumes helping the actors get into character, Martin seized the opportunity to complain that Daenerys’ Quarthian gown was altered for the show to cover both breasts when in the book she has one of her breasts on display. We're going to go and wash our hands. While we do that, George R.R. Martin should take a cold shower. 

This is some of the strangest casting we've ever heard of. Joel McHale, the fast talking pretty one whose contract on Community says he must take of his shirt at least 7.8 times per season, is going to have a multi-episode arc in Sons of Anarchy's fifth season. According to TV Line, McHale will be Warren, "a handsome con man who picks the wrong person to double-cross." So, what, he's going to be Sawyer from Lost? Was Josh Holloway really that busy?

Apparently everyone at Comic-Con is horny. The very first fan question during the panel for Resident Evil: Retribution was about sex. Specifically, sex with Michelle Rodriguez. More specifically, it was the fan asking Michelle Rodriguez if she'd have sex with him. Gross! "Big fan of your work. You're a heavenly blessed beauty, I just had to throw that in," started the man dressed as Buzz Lightyear. "In terms of the Resident Evil series, would you ever consider having sex with me?" How that relates to Michelle Rodriguez boning Buzz Lightyear in some disgusting, cross-universe fan-fiction is beyond us. And he didn't even ask her for dinner first! Some space ranger this guy is. Rodriguez responded with a story of finding a crazy man in her backyard "doing something I can't even mention in public." Fortunately, she had a gun in one hand (gifted to ehr by Samuel L. Jackson, natch) and a sword in the other. "He looked just like you!" 

 

Jose
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Charlie Sheen quits Twitter, shuts down #winning feed

 Charlie Sheen wished his army of followers "dogspeed" as he seemingly pulled the plug on his Twitter feed late this week.  "Reach for the stars, everyone," Sheen wrote Thursday on #winning. "Dogspeed, Cadre. Out."

The sign-off message was accompanied by a photo taken out of an airplane cockpit showing a bottle of Tabasco sauce on the dashboard. But one had to read fast because by Friday night the Twitter page in question was no longer available, the Chicago Tribune said.

Sheen used #winning for more than a year to vent, posture and philosophize about his full-throttle lifestyle and his angry public departure from the CBS comedy hit "Two and a Half Men." The crowd following Sheen in cyberspace reached about 8 million before Thursday's grand finale.
Sheen, who has landed a new gig on "Anger Management," seemed to lose his enthusiasm in recent weeks, the Tribune said.

Sheen told "Rolling Stone" he had been using #winning to declare victory at a time he was actually floundering in "quicksand."
"How does he consider any of it a victory?," Sheen said. "I was in total denial."



Jose A. Aviles
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Gretzky's girl strikes again

Gretzky is in the news again. And no, it has nothing to do with hockey. 

Paulina Gretzky, daughter of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, has had a history using Twitter and Instagram to send out racy pictures of herself for the world to see.
It should come to no one's surprise that the 23-year-old was back at it again on Wednesday, this time posing with a friend by the pool.
Gretzky tweeted out a picture with Kimberly Alexis Howe, a model who also works as a Rev girl for the New England Revolution. The two took the picture on the set of Adam Sandler's upcoming movie, "Grown Ups 2," which both women will appear in.
Gretzky is no stranger on the internet, but Ms. Howe turned a lot of heads her way with the picture. With her modeling experience and new friendship with Gretzky, we expect to see a lot more of Howe down the line.



Jose A. Aviles
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1990s LA police beating victim Rodney King found dead

Rodney King, whose videotaped beating by police in 1991 sparked the L.A. riots, was found dead at his California home on Sunday. He was 47.

Police said King's fiancée discovered him at the bottom of the swimming pool at their Rialto, Calif., home, about 55 miles east of Los Angeles.

Police responded to a call at 5:25 a.m., pulled King out of the pool and attempted CPR, but could not revive him.

King's representative Suzanne Wickman confirmed to his death to KABC-TV.
The cause of death is unknown, but police are investigating it as a drowning. Rialto Police Capt. Randy DeAnda told CNN there were no preliminary signs of foul play.


King was beaten by four white LAPD officers following a DUI stop on March 3, 1991. Footage captured by an amateur videographer showed the officers hitting King 56 times with wooden batons.
"I just got lucky that night to have the cameras on me," King said in April, marking the 20th anniversary of the L.A. riots. "When I saw the tape, I was so happy that it was on tape and then looking at it, it was like I was in another body. I felt like I had died in that one, and was just watching it."

The four officers were acquitted of criminal charges, sparking the riots that left 53 people dead.
"It felt like Armageddon," King said of the acquittal. "It felt like the end of the world. I was hurt. I was past upset."

"I was raised not to be violent, and not to be rioting and carrying on like a wild man," he added, "but at the same time, there was a side of me saying, 'What else can you do?' I didn't agree with it, but I understood."

Jose A. Aviles
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Mesothelioma Treatment Options

 Mesothelioma treatment can entail a number of therapies intended to kill cancerous cells, prevent the tumor from spreading or alleviate the symptoms of the disease. Each patient’s situation is unique and will shape their treatment plan. Factors such as the stage and form of mesothelioma, treatment history, patient’s location, ability to travel and financial situation are all important to consider when seeking treatment.

Types of Mesothelioma Treatment

If a patient’s diagnosis and health indicates that their response to curative treatment may be positive, their doctor may develop a course of treatment to remove the tumor(s) and attempt to prevent metastasis throughout the body. If the patient is dealing with a late-stage cancer, the treatment is more likely to be palliative in nature, addressing the symptoms while improving the patient’s quality of life. The following treatment options may be either palliative or curative, depending on the patient’s case: 

The right treatment plan is essential when fighting mesothelioma. Make sure you are informed on all of the options available – get our treatment guide sent to you overnight.

Surgery

Surgery is one of the most common treatments for mesothelioma. Patients whose cancer was diagnosed before it spread beyond the lymph nodes may be eligible for curative surgery that removes the tumors. Depending upon the patient’s diagnosis and overall health, mesothelioma surgeries can be either curative or palliative, and may fall somewhere in between if surgery efforts are effective. Mesothelioma surgery is commonly followed by other treatments such as chemotherapy or radiation in an attempt to kill any remaining cancer cells.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy has shown to be the most effective and least invasive form of treatment to extend life expectancy. Depending upon the location of the cancer, some patients may be eligible for heated chemotherapy, a treatment commonly used for cases of peritoneal mesothelioma. Cisplatin, the most commonly used chemotherapy drug for mesothelioma, is frequently used in conjunction with pemetrexed to achieve the most advantageous results in reducing tumors.

Radiation

Radiation therapy directly applies radiation to the cancerous locations. This is through either sealed or unsealed source radiation. Patients of all stages are eligible to receive radiation therapy, as it can be used in conjunction with other treatments to reduce tumor growth and ease symptoms.

Emerging & Alternative Treatments

While surgical procedures, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are considered the most common types of mesothelioma treatment, a number of new therapies are currently in development. Immunotherapy manipulates the patient’s immune system into attacking the tumors, while photodynamic therapy exposes cancer cells to photosensitizing drugs and specific lights. Gene therapy is another experimental treatment that attempts to correct defective genes that may lead to cancerous changes.

Multimodal Therapy

Multimodal therapy is one of the most common approaches to treating mesothelioma, combining two or more treatments that may be completed simultaneously or in a planned sequence. A mesothelioma specialist can most adequately analyze a patient’s condition and develop a treatment regimen that will best benefit the patient.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are used to test experimental treatments before they are approved for widespread clinical use. These trials often explore new procedures and drugs and compare them to the current standard of mesothelioma treatment.

Alternative & Complementary Treatments

When choosing a therapy plan, some patients consider alternative and complementary mesothelioma treatments. Alternative treatments refer to any unconventional treatment methods, and complementary treatments refer to an alternative therapy used to supplement one or more conventional treatments. A number of mesothelioma survivors credit their remission to alternative therapies.

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You might know 50 shades of grey, but colour expert says there are a lot more

 Gray is, in fact, a grey area. There is such a wide sliding scale between black and white that it's hard to pinpoint the colour.
You might guess there are 50 shades, thanks to the much-buzzed-about E L James book "Fifty Shades of Grey," but there are hundreds of versions — maybe thousands.
"We have only touched the surface of grey," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, the research division of Pantone Inc., which creates colour standards for the fashion, beauty and home industries. "In our guide, you'd see grey on 'grey' pages, but you'd see some degrees of grey in the green families, in blues and browns. Gray is often on the cusp of another colour."
Grey can be closer to black, like a charcoal, and it extends all the way to almost white. Rocks versus doves.
"In our word association study on grey, people are more apt to think of it in terms of environmental nature — the rocks and stones as opposed to a flying feathery dove," Eiseman says, noting that it's common for people to place colours outdoors when asked to think about them.
There's a weather association, too, she adds. "I live in Seattle and we know grey! A lot of people think of grey as — from their childhood — standing against the window, nose pressed, and hearing your mother say, 'You have to stay inside.' And you would wait for grey clouds to disappear."
Some greys have more cool blue undertones, which are supposed to symbolize intelligence, and others are warmer and more beige, which will be more approachable.
Still, grey has a bit of a downer reputation and not too many people name it as a favouritecolour, Eiseman says. There are those, however, who appreciate its sophistication, especially people with expensive tastes, she explains. You'll see a lot of calming, soothing grey as paint in living rooms and in the closets of hip urbanites.
It works as a background for all of this year's popular brights, including hot pink, tangerine orange and turquoise. Personally, Eiseman likes the pairing of grey and yellow.
It might seem as if grey is being used more now that the book is so popular, but it's always been there, she explains. It's like when you buy a new car and suddenly it seems as if everyone else has bought the same one. You'd be hard-pressed to find a fashion designer or decorator who didn't already treat it as a must-have.
"Grey is a very solid colour, it's not trendy at all," Eiseman declares. "It's something you can hold on to."


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Military Moms Breastfeeding in Uniform Stir Controversy

At a time when breastfeeding in public is already controversial, pictures of two military moms doing so while wearing their uniforms is sparking outrage.

The photo is part of a local breastfeeding awareness campaign by Mom2Mom of Fairchild Air Force Base, a support group launched in January by Crystal Scott, a military spouse and mother of three. Among the intimate close-ups of smiling young mothers cuddling their adorable babies, the images of the two airmen stand out.  "People are comparing breastfeeding in uniform to urinating and defecating in uniform. They're comparing it to the woman who posed in "Playboy" in uniform [in 2007]" Scott told Yahoo! Shine in an interview. "We never expected it to be like this."

"I'm an X-ray tech and I breastfeed in my uniform all the time," Scott says. "Granted they're scrubs. But people do it all the time in their uniforms. If you have a hungry baby, why would you take the time to change completely?" Terran Echegoyen-McCabe, a member of the Air National Guard who was photographed in uniform nursing her 10-month-old twin daughters, says that she's surprised by the reaction to the photos.

"I have breastfed in our lobby, in my car, in the park ... and I pump, usually in the locker room," she told the "Today" show, adding that she usually nurses her babies while on her lunch break during drill weekends. "I'm proud to be wearing a uniform while breast-feeding. I'm proud of the photo and I hope it encourages other women to know they can breastfeed whether they're active duty, guard or civilian."

All of the women in the photos volunteered to appear in the awareness campaign, and Echegoyen-McCabe is featured -- wearing civilian clothing -- in a few of the other candid shots. None of the photos are posed; the women are simply feeding their babies the way they usually do. But even though some of the other photographs are just as revealing, only the ones of Echegoyen-McCabe and her friend Christina Luna in uniform have been criticized.

"The Air Force has never endorsed these photos," the photographer, Brynja Sigurdardottir points out on her website, where she posted several other photos from the Mom2Mom campaign. "These women just happen to be in the Air Force, in their uniform, breastfeeding their babies."

When it comes to talking about breastfeeding in public, comparing it to other bodily functions -- and even sex -- is common, in spite of the fact that breastfeeding is legal and protected while defecating or having sex in public is not. But the fact that two of the moms are shown breastfeeding in public while wearing military uniforms makes the entire controversy more complicated. The Army, for example, didn't even come up with a combat uniform for women until 2010, so accepting the idea of a uniformed soldier breastfeeding a baby may be especially jarring. And the uniforms themselves come with their own sets of rules. According to Military Spouse Central, public displays of affection -- even something as innocuous as holding hands -- are not allowed while wearing a military uniform. Also forbidden while in uniform: eating, drinking, or talking on a cell phone while walking, carrying an umbrella that's not black, and (in some cases) smoking or even chewing gum. While there is no policy that addresses breastfeeding in uniform, Air Force spokesperson Captain Rose Richeson told MSNBC: "Airmen should be mindful of their dress and appearance and present a professional image at all times while in uniform." Military moms who are still breastfeeding are encouraged to pump and bottle-feed their babies while they're in uniform.

Scott suggests that the issue might have less to do with the uniform and more to do with our own internal conflicts. "I think a lot of people think that you can't be a mom and be a soldier," she says. "This is not something that's out of norm for them. They breastfeed in uniform all the time -- it's just not something that's usually captured on film."


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'Bachelorette' Emily Maynard Unimpressed With Suitors' Weird Entrances

The men really pulled out some bizarre entry stunts to get noticed by "The Bachelorette" Emily Maynard on last week's season premiere.
There was a guy who showed up with a glass slipper, a guy dressed up like an elderly person and even one guy who showed up with an egg. On "GMA" (weekdays, 7 a.m. ET on ABC) Monday morning, Lara Spencer asked Emily what she thought of the strange entrances. "What were you thinking when these guys were coming out? ... These are my selections?"
"Umm ...kind of, to be honest," Emily replied. "Those guys that I normally would have usually said, 'No way,' I was forced to really get to know them. I was surprised by them.”
"The Bachelorette" wasn’t the only one wondering about the selection of guys for this season. Last week, Kelly Ripa told "Bachelor" and "Bachelorette" host Chris Harrison that she thought he might be a better prospect than all the guys on the show. Harrison wasn't so sure.“If I’m the star of the show, we’re in big trouble!" Harrison quipped.
"First of all ... have you seen the latest installment of ‘The Bachelorette?’" Ripa shot back.
What if "Bachelorette" Emily Agrees? Yeah, that probably won’t happen.
Spencer also asked her if there would be a happy ending this season, but all Emily would say was, “I was happy when the show started and I’m happy now.”
"The Bachelorette" airs on Monday nights at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.



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Erin Andrews Reportedly Dating Chace Crawford: Why She Should Embrace the Cougar

ESPN reporter (and national treasure) Erin Andrews as old—or even older—until today. She's only 34 years old, so it doesn't have anything to do with her actual age. I've always known she is about four years older than me, so it's not like she's actually any older than I originally thought.
It's just that when you take a premature step over to Cougar Town, it can age you considerably. And that's just what Andrews has done by reportedly hooking up with 26-year-old Gossip Girl actor Chace Crawford. Not only is Crawford eight years her junior, he's also got a baby face and wouldn't look entirely out of place at a high school party.

Us Weekly reports that the two have been spotted out on the town together and are still "getting to know each other." It's not clear when Andrews first met Crawford, who happens to be the brother-in-law of Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo. The couple was photographed together at the 2012 Super Bowl in Indianapolis.

Andrews was rumored to be dating Cougar Town actor Josh Hopkins in summer 2011, but now Andrews has apparently made the jump to actual cougar to kick off summer 2012. Given, all of this is according to the unsubstantiated gossip of the supermarket tabloids. But if the rumor is true, and that's a very big 'if', is this whole cougar thing good or bad for her football Barbie image?

Personally, I think it's a good thing. I write about the lovely Ms. Andrews on the regular and, despite people still voraciously consuming gossip about her, I've been noticing a certain level of Erin Andrews fatigue. Amongst readers and commentators as well as the real world human beings in my life. Which is why I think a drastic change could be beneficial for her career long-term.

I'm not saying that her career is any jeopardy at all at the moment—she is still as stunning as she's ever been. But her time at the top as the most lusted after sports reporter on the planet is likely coming to an end. Every time ESPN hires some 21-year-old former cheerleader on the off chance that she could be "the next Erin Andrews," the real Erin Andrews diminishes a bit in influence.

But that's only because she's playing the part of the perky blond Barbie with a brain and that's a young girl's game! The seductive temptress who can rip out a man's heart with a sigh and an eye roll—that's a lot tougher for the young girls to pull off. And it's a lot more powerful. Right now, Andrews is walking the line between the two, but is starting to veer towards the latter.

And not a moment too soon. I've loved Erin Andrews for years, but like a lot of people, I've grown tired of her sorority girl style. As those idiots on Bravo say, "she's a grown ass woman," and I think it's time for a new direction. I never even considered the cougar thing an option for her until today—but I'm definitely digging the idea.

Erin Andrews: From sorority Barbie to seductive Cougar. I'm in, are you?

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Superstar Whitney Houston dies at 48

Whitney Houston, who ruled as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singerBobby Brown, died Saturday. She was 48.

Beverly Hills police Lt. Mark Rosen told reporters outside the Beverly Hilton that Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. in her room on the fourth floor of the hotel. Her body remained there and Beverly Hills detectives were investigating.

"There were no obvious signs of any criminal intent at this time," Rosen said.

Houston's publicist, Kristen Foster, said Saturday that the cause of her death was unknown.

Houston's death came on the eve of music's biggest night — the Grammy Awards. It's a showcase where she once reigned, and her death was sure to cast a heavy pall on Sunday's ceremony.

Her longtime mentor Clive Davis was to hold his annual concert and dinner Saturday, and a representative of the show said it would proceed.

Houston was supposed to appear at the gala, and Davis had told The Associated Press that she would perhaps perform: "It's her favorite night of the year ... (so) who knows by the end of the evening," he said.

Houston had been at rehearsals for the show Thursday, coaching singers Brandy and Monica, according to a person who was at the event but was not authorized to speak publicly about it. The person said Houston looked disheveled, was sweating profusely and liquor and cigarettes could be smelled on her breath.

Two days ago, she performed at a pre-Grammy party with singer Kelly Price.

Rosen said police received a 911 call from hotel security about Houston at 3:43 p.m. Saturday, and paramedics were already at the hotel because of a Grammy party. Paramedics unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate the singer, the lieutenant said.

The Rev. Al Sharpton said he would call for a national prayer Sunday morning during a service atSecond Baptist Church in Los Angeles.

"The morning of the Grammys, the world should pause and pray for the memory of a gifted songbird," Sharpton said in a written statement.

At her peak, Houston was the golden girl of the music industry. From the middle 1980s to the late 1990s, she was one of the world's best-selling artists. She wowed audiences with effortless, powerful, and peerless vocals that were rooted in the black church but made palatable to the masses with a pop sheen.

Her success carried her beyond music to movies, where she starred in hits like "The Bodyguard" and "Waiting to Exhale."

She had the perfect voice and the perfect image: a gorgeous singer who had sex appeal but was never overtly sexual, who maintained perfect poise.

She influenced a generation of younger singers, from Christina Aguilera to Mariah Carey, who when she first came out sounded so much like Houston that many thought it was Houston.

But by the end of her career, Houston became a stunning cautionary tale of the toll of drug use. Her album sales plummeted and the hits stopped coming; her once serene image was shattered by a wild demeanor and bizarre public appearances. She confessed to abusing cocaine, marijuana and pills, and her once pristine voice became raspy and hoarse, unable to hit the high notes as she had during her prime.

"The biggest devil is me. I'm either my best friend or my worst enemy," Houston told ABC's Diane Sawyer in an infamous 2002 interview with then-husband Brown by her side.

It was a tragic fall for a superstar who was one of the top-selling artists in pop music history, with more than 55 million records sold in the United States alone.

She seemed to be born into greatness. She was the daughter of gospel singer Cissy Houston, the cousin of 1960s pop diva Dionne Warwick and the goddaughter of Aretha Franklin.

Houston first started singing in the church as a child. In her teens, she sang backup for Chaka Khan, Jermaine Jackson and others, in addition to modeling. It was around that time when music mogul Clive Davis first heard Houston perform.

"The time that I first saw her singing in her mother's act in a club ... it was such a stunning impact," Davis told "Good Morning America."

"To hear this young girl breathe such fire into this song. I mean, it really sent the proverbial tingles up my spine," he added.

Before long, the rest of the country would feel it, too. Houston made her album debut in 1985 with "Whitney Houston," which sold millions and spawned hit after hit. "Saving All My Love for You" brought her her first Grammy, for best female pop vocal. "How Will I Know," ''You Give Good Love" and "The Greatest Love of All" also became hit singles.

Another multiplatinum album, "Whitney," came out in 1987 and included hits like "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" and "I Wanna Dance With Somebody."

The New York Times wrote that Houston "possesses one of her generation's most powerful gospel-trained voices, but she eschews many of the churchier mannerisms of her forerunners. She uses ornamental gospel phrasing only sparingly, and instead of projecting an earthy, tearful vulnerability, communicates cool self-assurance and strength, building pop ballads to majestic, sustained peaks of intensity."

Her decision not to follow the more soulful inflections of singers like Franklin drew criticism by some who saw her as playing down her black roots to go pop and reach white audiences. The criticism would become a constant refrain through much of her career. She was even booed during the "Soul Train Awards" in 1989.

"Sometimes it gets down to that, you know?" she told Katie Couric in 1996. "You're not black enough for them. I don't know. You're not R&B enough. You're very pop. The white audience has taken you away from them."

Some saw her 1992 marriage to former New Edition member and soul crooner Bobby Brown as an attempt to refute those critics. It seemed to be an odd union; she was seen as pop's pure princess while he had a bad-boy image, and already had children of his own. (The couple had a daughter, Bobbi Kristina, in 1993.) Over the years, he would be arrested several times, on charges ranging from DUI to failure to pay child support.

But Houston said their true personalities were not as far apart as people may have believed.

"When you love, you love. I mean, do you stop loving somebody because you have different images? You know, Bobby and I basically come from the same place," she told Rolling Stone in 1993. "You see somebody, and you deal with their image, that's their image. It's part of them, it's not the whole picture. I am not always in a sequined gown. I am nobody's angel. I can get down and dirty. I can get raunchy."

It would take several years, however, for the public to see that side of Houston. Her moving 1991 rendition of "The Star Spangled Banner" at the Super Bowl, amid the first Gulf War, set a new standard and once again reaffirmed her as America's sweetheart.

In 1992, she became a star in the acting world with "The Bodyguard." Despite mixed reviews, the story of a singer (Houston) guarded by a former Secret Service agent (Kevin Costner) was an international success.

It also gave her perhaps her most memorable hit: a searing, stunning rendition of Dolly Parton's "I Will Always Love You," which sat atop the charts for weeks. It was Grammy's record of the year and best female pop vocal, and the "Bodyguard" soundtrack was named album of the year.

She returned to the big screen in 1995-96 with "Waiting to Exhale" and "The Preacher's Wife." Both spawned soundtrack albums, and another hit studio album, "My Love Is Your Love," in 1998, brought her a Grammy for best female R&B vocal for the cut "It's Not Right But It's Okay."

But during these career and personal highs, Houston was using drugs. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey in 2010, she said by the time "The Preacher's Wife" was released, "(doing drugs) was an everyday thing. ... I would do my work, but after I did my work, for a whole year or two, it was every day. ... I wasn't happy by that point in time. I was losing myself."

In the interview, Houston blamed her rocky marriage to Brown, which included a charge of domestic abuse against Brown in 1993. They divorced in 2007.

Houston would go to rehab twice before she would declare herself drug-free to Winfrey in 2010. But in the interim, there were missed concert dates, a stop at an airport due to drugs, and public meltdowns.

She was so startlingly thin during a 2001 Michael Jackson tribute concert that rumors spread she had died the next day. Her crude behavior and jittery appearance on Brown's reality show, "Being Bobby Brown," was an example of her sad decline. Her Sawyer interview, where she declared "crack is whack," was often parodied. She dropped out of the spotlight for a few years.

Houston staged what seemed to be a successful comeback with the 2009 album "I Look To You." The album debuted on the top of the charts, and would eventually go platinum.

Things soon fell apart. A concert to promote the album on "Good Morning America" went awry as Houston's voice sounded ragged and off-key. She blamed an interview with Winfrey for straining her voice.

A world tour launched overseas, however, only confirmed suspicions that Houston had lost her treasured gift, as she failed to hit notes and left many fans unimpressed; some walked out. Canceled concert dates raised speculation that she may have been abusing drugs, but she denied those claims and said she was in great shape, blaming illness for cancellations.

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Fired Penn State coach Joe Paterno dead at 85

Joe Paterno, the longtime Penn State coach who won more games than anyone in major college football but was fired amid a child sex abuse scandal that scarred his reputation for winning with integrity, died Sunday. He was 85.

His family released a statement Sunday morning to announce his death: "His loss leaves a void in our lives that will never be filled."

"He died as he lived," the statement said. "He fought hard until the end, stayed positive, thought only of others and constantly reminded everyone of how blessed his life had been. His ambitions were far reaching, but he never believed he had to leave this Happy Valley to achieve them. He was a man devoted to his family, his university, his players and his community."

Paterno built his program on the credo "Success with Honor," and he found both. The man known as "JoePa" won 409 games and took the Nittany Lions to 37 bowl games and two national championships. More than 250 of the players he coached went on to the NFL.

"He will go down as the greatest football coach in the history of the game," Ohio State coach Urban Meyer said after his former team, the Florida Gators, beat Penn State 37-24 in the 2011 Outback Bowl.

Paterno's son Scott said on Nov. 18 that his father was being treated for lung cancer. The cancer was diagnosed during a follow-up visit for a bronchial illness. A few weeks after that revelation, Paterno also broke his pelvis after a fall but did not need surgery.

Paterno had been in the hospital since Jan. 13 for observation for what his family had called minor complications from his cancer treatments. Not long before that, he conducted his only interview since losing his job, with The Washington Post. Paterno was described as frail then, speaking mostly in a whisper and wearing a wig. The second half of the two-day interview was conducted at his bedside.

"As the last 61 years have shown, Joe made an incredible impact," said the statement from the family. "That impact has been felt and appreciated by our family in the form of thousands of letters and well wishes along with countless acts of kindness from people whose lives he touched. It is evident also in the thousands of successful student athletes who have gone on to multiply that impact as they spread out across the country."

The final days of Paterno's Penn State career were easily the toughest in his 61 years with the university and 46 seasons as head football coach.

It was because Paterno was a such a sainted figure — more memorable than any of his players and one of the best-known coaches in all of sports — that his downfall was so startling. During one breathtaking week in early November, Paterno was engulfed by a scandal and forced from his job, because he failed to go to the police in 2002 when told a young boy was molested inside the football complex.

"I didn't know which way to go ... and rather than get in there and make a mistake," he said in the Post interview.

Jerry Sandusky, the former defensive coordinator expected to succeed Paterno before retiring in 1999, was charged with sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years. Two university officials stepped down after they were charged with perjury following a grand jury investigation of Sandusky. But attention quickly focused on an alleged rape that took place in a shower in the football building, witnessed by Mike McQueary, a graduate assistant at the time.

McQueary testified that he had seen Sandusky attacking the child and that he had told Paterno, who waited a day before alerting school authorities. Police were never called and the state's top cop later said Paterno failed to execute his moral responsibility by not contacting police.

"You know, (McQueary) didn't want to get specific," Paterno said in the Post interview. "And to be frank with you I don't know that it would have done any good, because I never heard of, of, rape and a man. So I just did what I thought was best. I talked to people that I thought would be, if there was a problem, that would be following up on it."

On the morning of Nov. 9, Paterno said he would retire following the 2011 season. He also said he was "absolutely devastated" by the abuse case.

"This is a tragedy," the coach said. "It is one of the great sorrows of my life. With the benefit of hindsight, I wish I had done more."

But the university trustees faced a crisis, and in an emergency meeting that night, they fired Paterno, effective immediately. Graham Spanier, one of the longest-serving university presidents in the nation, also was dismissed.

According to Lanny Davis, an attorney retained by the trustees as an adviser, board vice chairman John Surma regretted having to tell Paterno the decision over the phone.

The university handed the football team to one of Paterno's assistants, Tom Bradley, who said Paterno "will go down in history as one of the greatest men, who maybe most of you know as a great football coach."

Thick, smoky-lens glasses, rolled up khakis, jet-black sneakers, blue windbreaker — Paterno was easy to spot on the sidelines. His teams were just as easy to spot on the field; their white helmets and classic blue and white uniforms had the same old-school look as the coach.

Paterno believed success was not measured entirely on the field. From his idealistic early days, he had implemented what he called a "grand experiment" — to graduate more players while maintaining success on the field.

He was a frequent speaker on ethics in sports, a conscience for a world often infiltrated by scandal and shady characters.

His teams consistently ranked among the best in the Big Ten for graduating players. As of 2011, it had 49 academic All-Americans, the third-highest among schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision. All but two played under Paterno.

"He teaches us about really just growing up and being a man," former linebacker Paul Posluszny, now with the NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars, once said. "Besides the football, he's preparing us to be good men in life."

Paterno certainly had detractors, as well. One former Penn State professor called his high-minded words on academics a farce. He was criticized for making broad critiques about the wrongs in college football without providing specifics. A former administrator said his players often got special treatment compared to non-athletes. His coaching style often was considered too conservative. Some thought he held on to his job too long. There was a push to move him out in 2004 but it failed.

But the critics were in the minority, and his program was never cited for major NCAA violations. However, the child sexual abuse scandal prompted separate investigations by the U.S. Department of Education and the NCAA into the school's handling.

Paterno played quarterback and cornerback for Brown University and set a defensive record with 14 career interceptions, a distinction he boasted about to his teams all the way into his 80s. He graduated in 1950 with plans to go to law school. He said his father hoped he would someday be president.

When he was 23, a former coach at Brown was moving to Penn State to become the head coach and persuaded Paterno to come with him as an assistant.

"I had no intention to coach when I got out of Brown," Paterno said in 2007 at Beaver Stadium in an interview before being inducted into the Hall of Fame. "Come to this hick town? From Brooklyn?"

In 1963, he was offered a job by the late Al Davis — $18,000, triple his salary at Penn State, plus a car to become general manager and coach of the AFL's Oakland Raiders. He said no. Rip Engle retired as Penn State head coach three years later, and Paterno took over.

At the time, the Lions were considered "Eastern football" — inferior — and Paterno courted newspaper coverage to raise the team's profile. In 1967, PSU began a 30-0-1 streak.

But Penn State couldn't get to the top of the polls. The Lions finished second in 1968 and 1969 despite perfect records. They went 12-0 in 1973 and finished fifth. Texas edged them in 1969 after President Richard Nixon, impressed with the Longhorns' bowl performance, declared them No. 1.

"I'd like to know," Paterno said later, "how could the president know so little about Watergate in 1973, and so much about college football in 1969?"

A national title finally came in 1982, in a 27-23 win over Georgia at the Sugar Bowl. Penn State won another in 1986 after the Lions picked off Vinny Testaverde five times and beat Miami 14-10 in the Fiesta Bowl.

They have made several title runs since then, including a 2005 run to the Orange Bowl and an 11-1 campaign in 2008 that earned them a berth in the Rose Bowl, where they lost 37-23 to Southern California.

In his later years, physical ailments wore the old coach down. Paterno was run over on the sideline during a game at Wisconsin in November 2006 and underwent knee surgery. He hurt his hip in 2008 demonstrating an onside kick.

An intestinal illness and a bad reaction to antibiotics prescribed for dental work slowed him for most of the 2010 season. Paterno began scaling back his speaking engagements that year, ending his summer caravan of speeches to alumni across the state.

Then a receiver bowled over Paterno at practice in August, sending him to the hospital with shoulder and pelvis injuries and consigning him to coach much of the season from the press box.

"The fact that we've won a lot of games is that the good Lord kept me healthy, not because I'm better than anybody else," Paterno said two days before he won his 409th game and passed Eddie Robinson of Grambling State for the most in Division I. "It's because I've been around a lot longer than anybody else."

Paterno could be conservative on the field, especially in big games, relying on the tried-and-true formula of defense, the running game and field position.

"They've been playing great defense for 45 years," Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said in November.

Paterno and his wife, Sue, raised five children in State College. Anybody could telephone him at his modest ranch home — the same one he appeared in front of on the night he was fired — by looking up "Paterno, Joseph V." in the phone book.

He walked to home games and was greeted and wished good luck by fans on the street. Former players paraded through his living room for the chance to say hello. But for the most part, he stayed out of the spotlight.

Paterno did have a knack for joke. He referred to Twitter, the social media, as "Twittle-do, Twittle-dee."

He also could be abrasive and stubborn, and had his share of run-ins with his bosses or administrators. And as his legend grew, so did the attention to his on-field decisions, and the questions about when he would retire.

Calls for his retirement reached a crescendo in 2004. The next year, Penn State went 11-1 and won the Big Ten. In the Orange Bowl, PSU beat Florida State, whose coach, Bobby Bowden, left the Seminoles after the 2009 season after 34 years and 389 wins.

Like many others, he was outlasted by "JoePa."

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