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Philadelphians are proud and strong-minded Americans, who just happen to be some of the most loyal and passionate sports fans in the country. The City of Brotherly Love is host to some of the toughest pro sports teams in the nation. The Phillies, Eagles, 76ers and Flyers, have all claimed their individual sports ultimate prize - A Word Championship.

Philadelphia sports fans have no patience for anything less than the best, so it is extremely peculiar that they are forced to settle for less than the best, when it comes to choosing a service to watch their teams. Comcast, the local cable television provider and owner-distributor of Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, has been using a local, legal loophole to prevent CSN Philadelphia, home of the Phillies, 76ers and Flyers, from being distributed via satellite. Seemingly leaving Philadelphia sports fans without the same choices enjoyed by the rest of the country.

A comparison of Comcast and satellite TV leader Dish Network reveals just what Philadelphian's are missing out on. Both services deliver high quality digital channels, DVR service and High-Definition programming, but that is where the similarities end. Dish Network's top package, America's Everything Pak costs $87.98 per month, compared to Comcast's top shelf, Digital Platinum package at $108.95. Wait, we’re just getting started. If you want more than one television to have service Comcast will charge $8.95 for each additional digital box per month. Compared to Dish Network's $4.99 per month. Dish Network also has Duo receivers that can operate two televisions (with both enjoying full-functionality and programming), eliminating the need for an extra charge altogether.

Of particular interest to sports fans, and among the more startling advantages for Dish Network is their Multi-Sports package, which allows customers to access nearly 30-regional sports networks, (of course not Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia, thanks to Comcast) from around the country. For example an NBA fan in Philadelphia can watch the Cleveland Cavaliers or Los Angeles Lakers without having to buy NBA League Pass. Best of all, the Multi-Sports Pak is included in Dish Network's America's Everything Pak. Comcast subscribers will need to pay for NBA League pass which costs $189 for the season.

Some customers in Philadelphia subscribe to both Comcast and Dish Network, which is another problem Comcast may not have considered. Having both services side-by-side makes for an easy consumer comparison. Advantages for Dish Network become even more apparent, in terms of their feature-rich receivers and 140-HD channels, which is nearly five times the amount Comcast offers to residents of Philadelphia.

Perhaps we now know the reason behind Comcast's legal stance. If sports fans truly had a choice in Philadelphia, Comcast, which provides less and costs more, would most assuredly be benched!

The day has come when the families who lost loved ones to John Allen Muhammad also known as the “Beltway Sniper” can finally see justice served. Muhammad a former Gulf  War soldier is set for execution by lethal injection today at Greensville Correctional Facility at 9pm, a day before Veterans Day.

In 2002 Muhammad mastermind various sniper attacks all across the nations capital suburbs resulting in 10 deaths and 3 more wounded, every victim was picked at random and they never saw it coming. For three weeks Muhammad and his partner Lee Boyd Malvo made residents all over Maryland and Virginia feel unsafe leaving their homes at all times. During the killing spree they demanded $10 million for the shootings to stop.

Once the trial started Malvo agreed to testify against Muhammad and gave the prosecutors all the details they needed to prove their case. Malvo who is serving a life sentence in a Virginia prison testified that they planned to kill up two up to 6 people for 30 days leading up to the ultimate plane of killing Muhammad’s ex-wife in order to get custody of his three kids while making it look like she was also a victim.

The pair was finally caught at a truck stop when one of Muhammad’s Army acquaintances told authorities that Muhammad should be investigated. After the capture Malvo later revealed to prosecutors that they plan to use the $10 million to open a combine in Canada to train others on how to commit terrorist attacks aimed toward the United States.

Look out Directv, the good old satellite television provider known as Dish Network is thriving in today’s difficult economy. The new Dish motto “Why Pay More?” has drawn the attention of satellite TV customers across the nation. Many people ordered Directv because they were told that it offers the most high definition and delivers a better signal but the truth is both services a very much alike. Customers decide to switch their service to Dish for many reasons, the most important one being price.

It is ridiculous during a time when every dollar counts to spend more money on one provider when you can get the same thing for less through another. That’s like asking someone which Snickers bar they want to buy- the one that costs $1.00 or the one that costs $1.25. There is just no doubt that people who are educated about their television service would not switch to another service of the same quality for less money. This is a no win situation for Directv unless they cut their monthly cost, upfront deposits, receiver charges and give more advanced equipment, if not dual receivers, to first time customers.

Directv has lost the Versus channel even though they’ve spent years talking about how Dish is the provider that doesn’t want to spend extra money to carry great networks. Dish Network has Versus and it also has more premium channels for the money including Showtime Beyond (horror and sci-fi movies), 5StarMax (Cinemax channel dedicated to award winning films only), Starz Comedy, Starz Kids & Family and HBO Comedy, HBO Zone (all movies in HD). Directv requires customers to pay extra for the Encore premium channels but Dish offers them in the package below America’s Everything Package.

Dish Network does not have the NFL Sunday Ticket but football fans will still have access to Red Zone for $5.99 per month. Directv requires customers to subscribe to the Ticket before they can order Superfan on top of it, then customers are able to get Red Zone $400.00 later. Football fans that are mostly interested in game-only content available in HD will be more than satisfied with Red Zone.

Dish is being humble in their approach when they ask you why you would pay more for the same service because they have so much more to offer than Directv including International channels. As a previous Directv customer with the Premier Package, 1 HD receiver and 2 standard receivers, I can attest to the fact that Dish Network is better. I switched and was able to change my boring existing equipment to 1 HD-DVR that records and plays on 2 different TVs (1 standard-def TV and 1 HD TV) as well as 1 HD only receiver. I had no upfront cost. I have America’s Everything Package and will save a total of $1,044 in the next two years because I have finally made an educated decision.

If my testimony is not enough, let’s look at the facts. The CEO of Dish Network has just announced a dividend of $2.00 on each of the company’s shares. The 3Q09 report also reflected that Dish has exceeded expectations with its gain of 241,000 new subscribers. Dish closed the market day with 5.17% at $20.14- Not too shabby.

To no big surprise after trying to find his was out of Kansas City the last two years, the Chief’s have finally released 2-time pro bowl running back Larry Johnson. Hs release came right after he was suppose to return from a 2 game suspension stemming from an incident in which Johnson used twitter to voice his negative opinions of Chief’s head coach Todd Haley. The last suspension was his second in two years, and the more he complained the more he became a cancer to his team.

Over the course of this season Johnson has averaged a dismal 2.7 yards per carry and only 434 total yards. Even with the horrible rushing numbers the blame cannot completely be targeted at Johnson alone. Going into their last game the Chief’s had arguably the worst offensive line in the league. Even with the signing of quarterback Matt Cassel in the off-season, together they could not help the Chief’s offense move the ball effectively all season. With the departure of Johnson second year running back Jamal Charles out of the University of Texas should get the majority of the carries and become the featured back.

Even though he had a bad split from Kansas City there is going to be another team that will take a chance on signing the troubled star. His numbers may not show it but Johnson is healthy and is in good physical condition, given the right opportunity he could return back to his pro bowl form.

Around the league there are definitely some teams that could use his service. The Seattle Seahawks who just released Edgerrin James could use a big punishing back to help open up the field for quarterback Matt Hasslebeck. Also the Indianapolis Colts who have struggled to run the ball in short yard situations could really benefit from having him on the field along with Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Dallas Clark.

Johnson leaves the Chief’s only 75 yards shy of becoming the franchise all-time leading rusher.

It was a happy moment for everyone who attended or watched as Syracuse Jim Boeheim won his 800th game as the head coach of the Orange. What’s more stunning is that Boeheim was able to accomplish such a great milestone in only 1088 games, he also holds the record with 356 wins in the Big east conference. With the win Boeheim became the 8th coach in division 1 to reach the 800 plateaus, and is one of only four active coaches in division 1 with 800 wins currently coaching.

Boeheim was able to get the win in his team season opener as the Orange took on the Albany Great Danes in the Carrier Dome home to the Syracuse Orange basketball and football teams. From the beginning the Orange controlled the game jumping out to an 8-0 lead and led 38-20 at halftime. In the second half the Orange where able to use their trademark zone defense to create 32 turnovers, which helped the Orange win by a final score of 75-43.

After the game was over Boeheim was presented with a framed jersey with the number 800 in honor of his monumental achievement. To many basketball fans Boeheim is the foundation of the schools basketball program, having coached there since November 26 1976. He is one of a few select coaches that when you think of a schools basketball team you automatically think of him. He will forever be part of college basketball elite list of coaches that include Dukes Mike Kryzyzewski, Uconn Jim Calhoun, UNC Roy Williams, along with retired legends like Bob knight, Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp, and the great John Wooden.

Over the years Boeheim has seen many great players come through his program and go on to the NBA or successful professional careers. Most of the players that Boeheim has coached over the years can be seen back at school throughout the year to show support for their former coach and mentor. Not only has Boeheim helped guide shape the lives for the better for many players through college but also on the NBA level. He was an assistant for the USA Olympic basketball teams in 1996, 2006, and 2008.

Currently there are 6 players in the NBA that have played under coach Boeheim including Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony who helped Boeheim and the university win it’s first National Championship in 2003. Still till this day the two are very close, and Anthony considers Boeheim a father figure in his life. Anthony has also contributed $3 million toward a new practice facility for the Orange basketball team to help show his support.

Whenever the day comes that Boeheim decides to retire it will be a sad day for the Syracuse program and many fans around the world. Even with his 800th victory still fresh on his mind Boeheim will still be the first person in the Gym the next day and last one to leave

10. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2) at Denver Broncos (6-1) 11/9/09 8:30 ESPN – The Steelers who looked shaky at the beginning of the season have turned things around and are currently 5-2 and is hoping to stay on track to defend their super bowl title. The Broncos lost their first game of the season last week to the Baltimore Ravens. After reviewing one of their problem areas during last week’s game, the broncos went out and signed veteran cornerback Ty Law to give them probably the best secondary in the NFL.

9. Philadelphia Eagles (5-3) at San Diego Chargers (5-3) 11/15/09 4pm CBS – The Chargers are looking good lately especially after handing the NY Giants their 4th straight loss of the year. The Eagles on the other hand looks to be a one-dimensional team without leading running back Brian Westbrook. The eagles lost Sunday nights home game to the surging Dallas cowboys 20-16 on a go-ahead touchdown pass from Tony Romo to his favorite wide receiver Miles Austin.

8. Cleveland Cavaliers (4-3) at Orlando Magic (5-2) 11/11/09 8pm ESPN – The Cavaliers who came into the 2009-10 season with high hopes after signing Shaquille O’Neal are not looking like the same team that had the best regular season record last year. The Magic are looking a lot better after adding slasher Vince Carter to their line up.

7. Dallas Mavericks (4-2) at San Antonio Spurs (2-3) 11/12/009 8:30pm FOXSW – The Mavericks resigned veteran guard Jason Kidd in the off-season to allow them to contend in the strong western conference. The Spurs signed Richard Jefferson to give them another scoring option and drafted DeJuan Blair to give them another rebounder down low.

6. 25West Virginia Mountaineers (7-2) at 5Cincinnati Bearcats (9-0) 11/13/09 8pm ESPN2 – This has all the potential to be a very high scoring game. The Mountaineers are use to scoring fast thanks to running back Noel Devine. The Bearcats who are undefeated get their starting quarterback back this week for a Big East showdown.

5. 10Iowa Hawkeye’s (9-1) at 11Ohio State Buckeyes (8-2) 11/14/09 3:30pm ABC – Iowa is looking to bounce back from their first up setting loss of the season to Northwestern on Saturday. Buckeyes are riding high off a win at Penn St that featured Buckeyes quarterback Tyrell Pryor returning home to face his childhood team.

4. Dallas Cowboys (6-2) at Green Bay Packers (4-4) 11/15/09 4:15pm FOX – The Cowboys are now in first place of the NFC East after beating the Philadelphia Eagles. The Packers are looking to bounce back from a rough outing last week, becoming the first team this year to lose to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

3. 16Utah Ute’s (8-1) at 4 TCU Horned Frogs (9-0) 11/14/09 7:30pm ABC – This game means a lot for the Mountain West Conference as TCU has climbed within an arms reach of making it to the BCS championship bowl game. On the other hand if Utah can pull off an upset they can help their chances of getting closer to one of the top 3 bowl games.

2. FIU at 4UNC 11/9/09 7pm ESPNU – The Tar heels are looking to defend last years national title starting with the season opener against FIU. What makes this game special is FIU new head coach Isiah Thomas promises this game will be close. Even though they don’t seem to have a chance on paper Thomas promises his team will go into the game determined to win.

1. New England Patriots (6-2) at Indianapolis Colts (8-0) 11/15/09 8:20pm NBC – The Patriots just knocked off division foe Miami Dolphins behind Randy Moss 147 receiving yards. The Colts escaped a close game against the Houston Texans to remain undefeated, thanks to a missed field goal at the end by the Texans.

Action movie fans check out Encore Action and Showtime Extreme with Dish Network!

I watched a surprisingly great movie over the weekend. I wouldn’t have normally rented an action movie but my husband grabbed it at the video store so I thought I’d give it a shot. The Taking of Pelham 123 starring John Travolta, Denzel Washington and John Turturo was a blast! Most of us have seen so many action movies involving hostage situations that the whole idea tends to lose its flair after a while. I was looking forward to seeing Travolta and Washington in a movie together and Turturo always delivers a great performance but the only thing I could think about the plot is, here we go again.

There are many action movies for which the directors over do everything with the fast, flashy camera shots meant to cause suspense when all it does is make me dizzy and aggravated that I can’t see everything that’s happening long enough before the camera jumps to something else. A good example would be Cloverfield. The Taking of Pelham 123 had effective and creative directing. There were fast camera shots but they were used selectively and at the right time. The director cut in close on the character experiencing the most tension while we see everything in the background go racing by in fast motion. This was very interesting because it really captivated the character’s alienated feeling of panic, not to mention captured some great acting moments. For a split second, I though it was going to be the infamous Spike Lee style close up shot that we’ve seen before, but it had a little twist I wasn’t expecting.

I liked John Travolta in the tough guy role. He was much more believable than expected and something about his character made him attractive again- maybe the rugged look. John Turturo is looking much older and very skinny but his great acting hasn’t changed one iota. He did a wonderful job playing the New York City lieutenant of the Emergency Service Unit. I had this strange feeling that this film brought Denzel Washingtion back to life. I’m sure I’ll get plenty of arguments on this but I felt that there was something missing about the actor we know and love in many of the movies he’s made recently. He is always phenomenal and has a great knack for choosing films that bring across important messages to society but there was just something missing. His acting in this movie was nothing shy of perfect. He seemed so relaxed, focused and at home with his character that he made his role come to life while playing on our heart strings in the process.

You have an idea of the directing and acting in this movie but I obviously don’t want to spoil it for you with too much information. What I can say about the story is that it is suspenseful and fairly unique. The effects are captivating and it's such a great ride that you'll want to watch it again the second it’s over! Let’s hope we see these three actors together again soon because they are a strong team and really know how to make a movie a guaranteed blockbuster hit!

Here are some of my favorite movies starring Denzel Washington:

#1 Malcom X
Antwone Fisher
Training Day
Man on Fire
The Great Debaters
John Q

Now for some of my favorite Travolta movies:

#1 Pulp Fiction
Grease
Saturday Night Fever
The Punisher
Ladder 49
Wild Hogs

Great John Turturo movies:

#1 Do the Right Thing
Fearless
Jungle Fever
The Big Lebowski
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
Barton Fink

Keep your eyes open for more great movies by director Tony Scott like the remake of the 1979 movie The Warriors coming next year!

Here are some of the great movies Tony Scott has directed in the past:

Man on Fire
Enemy of the State
True Romance
The Last Boy Scout
Top Gun
Domino

The University of North Carolina Tar Heels played in the last college basketball game of the 2008-09 basketball season when they knocked off Michigan State on their way to the National Championship. This year the Tar Heels will be the first team to kickoff the new season when they host Florida International and new head coach NBA hall of famer Isiah Thomas at 7pm on ESPNU. Even with the loss of three first round draft picks Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, and 2nd round draft pick Danny green the tar Heels are still a 30 point favorite to beat FIU.

Right after the UNC game at 9pm the 25th ranked Syracuse Orange will host the Albany Great Danes at the Carrier Dome. For Syracuse even though they are playing at home against a team the should easily beat, they are without three of their top scores from last Johnny Flynn, Paul Harris, and Eric Devandorf who all left for the NBA draft. But thanks to Wes Johnson who transferred from Iowa State the Orange should be o.k. this year. They will still have their main 3-point shooting weapon in Andy Rautins.

Even though the California Golden Bears will be without leader Harper Kamp who is still out with a Knee injury, that shouldn’t stop them from being able to handle the up tempo attack from the Murray St Racers in the first game of the year for both teams tonight at 11pm. The Golden Bears still have Patrick Christopher, and Jamal Boykin’s to help lead the 12th ranked team in the country.

In all there are four top 25 teams playing today, including three of the teams that are highlighting the schedule tonight on ESPNU. The other ranked team looking to start off the new season on a good note is the 17th ranked Ohio State who will host Akron St for a in state showdown tonight at 7pm.

Dish Network is loaded with the best HD programming available on television and it all costs less that Directv! The amount of phenomenal shows, movies and sports available in high definition packed into a 24-hour period is amazing. The following is a list of the entertainment available to you today, November 9, 2009 all listed according to Eastern Standard Time.  This lineup will keep you glued to your TV set from 3:15 p.m. to the next day!

1. The Nanny Diaries on Showtime 2 at 3:15 p.m.
This movie is PG-13 and family friendly! It stars Scarlett Johansson as a nanny who is hired by an upscale Manhattan couple to care for their spoiled child. She encounters many funny obstacles along the way! There is a great cast in this film including Paul Giamatti, Laura Linney and Alicia Keys.

2. Inside the Actor’s Studio on BRAVO at 7:00 p.m.
Hilary Swank will be inside the studio with James Lipton tonight as he interviews her about her professional and personal life. Watch and learn about one of America’s best contemporary actresses and star of the hit movie Amelia.

3. Are You Smarter than a Fifth-Grader? On CMT at 8:00 p.m.
Test your smarts along with your family and laugh along the way. This is a great way to spend time with your kids and maybe even learn a little too!

4. Tyler Perry’s Diary of a Mad Black Woman on BET at 8:30 p.m.
This movie is not meant for the whole family so be sure all children are tucked away for show time. You will laugh, cry and be held in suspense throughout this whole movie. This heart warming and realistic family tale will have you entertained for two and a half hours!

5. Sports Center on ESPN at 11:00 p.m.
Get the latest sports news with highlights, commentaries and scores!

Just like Bo Jackson and Deion “Prime Time” Sanders, Boston Celtics forward Glenn Davis wants to also play professional football not in the Canadian league but the NFL. Unlike Jackson and Sanders who both played Football and Baseball in college before going pro, Davis has not played football since high school.

Even though Davis was a multiple star athlete in high school it does not mean he can be one as a pro even though others have. Davis is not the first NBA or professional player who was a multiple sports star at a young age that could of gone pro in either sport. New York Yankees 3rd baseman Alex Rodriguez received as much attention as a quarterback coming out of high school as he did in baseball. Even Miami Dolphins running back Ricky Williams was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies out of high school while becoming an All American on the Football field.

It’s not that Davis cannot make it as a NFL player he definitely has the size at 6’9 and weighing in at 289 pounds, but by not playing football since high school makes a big difference. It’s hard for most athletes to go from high school to college then on to the NFL, but from high school to the NFL that’s a big leap for any professional athlete.

Right now Davis says he is content with playing in the NBA, and does not plan on following his dreams to the NFL until he makes the All Star team a couple of times and is satisfied with his NBA career. However with the fact that he plays behind superstars Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, along with the new addition of Rasheed Wallace it could take a while.

As the NBA season gets underway Davis is sidelined for six weeks with a broken right thumb he sustained in a fight with one of his best friends. One thing Davis needs to keep in mind is while in the NBA a broken thumb keeps you on the sidelines, in the NFL it just gets wrapped up and your sent back on the field and expected to do your job or you will be replaced by the next guy in line just waiting for his turn.