October 2, 2015

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Sports October 2, 2015

Cubs Fans Try To Make Up For Sending Another Cubs Fan Death Threats In 2003

Remember that Chicago Cubs fan who may or may not have cost his team a crucial out in Game 6 of the 2003 National League Championship series against the Marlins?

No? Well, let’s take a jaunt down memory lane:

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The infamous Steve Bartman incident, a muffed catch followed by outfielder Moises Alou’s tantrum, was painted as a turning point in the Cubs’ pennant chase. Chicago went on to lose Game 6 and then lost Game 7, falling short of making the World Series and relegating Bartman to the deepest circle of sports fandom hell.

To put it mildly, Cubs fans were not kind. Bartman had to be escorted from the stadium after Game 6, as debris rained down upon him. He received death threats. TV cameras and trucks swarmed in front of his home. Even four years later, KFC — in an attempt to make light of the situation or perhaps to make money — mailed a letter to Bartman’s home offering him free food if he stayed away from playoff games.

Since the incident, Bartman has basically disappeared. Despite requests for interviews, appearances, deals and promotions, Bartman has stayed completely out of public life. There have been newspaper profiles, fake social media accounts and even an ESPN 30 for 30 documentary called “Catching Hell,” which defends his actions. Bartman has steered well clear of it all, communicating only occasionally through a spokesman.

In fact, the last time Bartman had a public presence was the day after that fateful game, when his brother-in-law issued an apologetic statement on his behalf.

Now, 12 years later, with the Cubs teetering on the edge of the playoffs, some Cubs fans want to “make amends.” A GoFundMe account has been set up to raise $5,000 to pay for Bartman’s tickets and expenses to attend the National League Wild Card game against the Pittsburgh Pirates next week.

The description on the page says:

“Lifelong Cubs fan wants to make amends for 2003, lets make it happen. First we need to find him to get him to the big game. If anyone knows where he is at, tell him we are looking for him. The money would pay for his expenses including his ticket, hotel room, flights and a little spending money.

“If he cannot be found by time of the big game all the proceeds raised will be donated to the Alzheimer’s Association.”

As of Friday evening, 287 people had pitched in to raise $3,390 in three days.

The gesture, purportedly well-intentioned, was ultimately unsuccessful.

“It’s nice of these people to think of Steve, but he won’t be taking advantage of the offer,” Frank Murtha, a family friend and longtime spokesman, said to ESPN. “He’s perfectly capable of attending the game on his own, though he has no intention of being at the wild-card game.”

“Steve is glad the money will go to a good cause and will be cheering on the Cubs as always,” Murtha said.

Business October 2, 2015

Coca-Cola, McDonald's Among Sponsors Calling For FIFA President's Resignation

FIFA President Sepp Blatter is being investigated by both U.S. and Swiss authorities for alleged corruption. Michael Probst/AP hide caption

itoggle caption Michael Probst/AP

Following last week’s announcement that FIFA President Sepp Blatter is facing criminal proceedings in Switzerland for alleged corruption, Coca-Cola and McDonald’s, two major FIFA World Cup Sponsors, called for his immediate resignation.

The company released a statement, saying:

“Every day that passes, the image and reputation of FIFA continues to tarnish. FIFA needs comprehensive and urgent reform, and that can only be accomplished through a truly independent approach.”

Joining Coca-Cola in calling for Blatter’s resignation is another high-profile FIFA sponsor: McDonald’s. The company released a statement:

“The events of recent weeks have continued to diminish the reputation of FIFA and public confidence in its leadership. We believe it would be in the best interest of the game for FIFA President Sepp Blatter to step down immediately so that the reform process can proceed with the credibility that is needed.”

Budweiser owner Anheuser-Busch and Visa also added their calls for Blatter to step down, Reuters reports.

Blatter responded to the pressure almost immediately, but he reiterated that he would not give up his post. Blatter said through his U.S. lawyer, Richard Cullen, that he would not resign and that his leaving office would not be in FIFA’s best interest or advance the reform process, Reuters reports.

When Blatter announced in June that he was going to resign, Coca-Cola, McDonald’s and Visa praised the news and called for reform. Coca-Cola called it “a positive step for the good of sport, football and its fans.” Blatter, however, then said that his resignation would not take immediate affect and that he would step down in 2016.

Today’s calls for his resignation are the strongest indications yet that big name sponsors that have long been associated with FIFA are serious about reform.

While neither Coca-Cola nor McDonald’s has gone so far as to threaten to stop sponsoring the World Cup, it would be a significant blow if FIFA were to lose the support of high-profile, long-time sponsors.

On it’s website, FIFA says that Coca-Cola is “one of the longest-standing corporate partners of FIFA, with a formal association since 1974 and an official sponsorship of FIFA World Cup that began in 1978.”

It adds that “Coca-Cola has had stadium advertising at every FIFA World Cup since 1950.”

The latest allegations of wrongdoing surrounding Blatter have to do with questionable payments to two FIFA officials. As we previously reported:

“Blatter is primarily being investigated for a financial transaction involving UEFA (Europe’s soccer governing body) President Michele Platini and another linked to indicted former FIFA official Jack Warner, according to the statement.

“Blatter is accused of making a ‘disloyal payment’ of 2 million Swiss francs to Platini in 2011 for work Platini performed between 1999 and 2002. The New York Times notes that the payment was made” three months before Mr. Blatter won a fourth term as FIFA president” in June 2011.

“The statement from Swiss authorities also alleges that Blatter signed a contract with the Caribbean Football Union, of which Jack Warner was president at the time, that ‘violated his fiduciary duties and acted against the interest of FIFA.'”

Health October 2, 2015

Let Me Show You What Keeps Me From Being Healthy

What do you see in your community that helps you be heart healthy, and what gets in your way? People who live in the “stroke belt,” an area in the Southeast with high rates of heart disease and stroke, can show you.

“The idea was to have community residents take photos of their individual take on the topic of barriers to heart health,” says Sarah Kowitt, a study author and graduate student in public health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.

The teen and adult volunteers took photos of what they think creates barriers to good heart health in Lenoir County, N.C., where they live. The study, published Thursday in Preventing Chronic Disease, is part of Heart Healthy Lenoir, a community-based project aimed at creating long-term strategies to reduce heart disease in a community at high risk.

Lenoir County is rural, low-income and mostly African-American. While cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., there are “big disparities in income and disease among African-Americans” when compared with people of other races and ethnicities, Kowitt says.

This was a tiny study, just nine adolescents and six adults. But just look at some of these photos, and what people have to say about them.

Barriers To Good Health

Family Influences

“He wasn’t raised where health was an issue in the household. There was nobody talkin’ about health, probably nobody talking about not smoking or drinking or unhealthy practices, what it could lead to. There was nobody talkin’ about that.” National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion hide caption

itoggle caption National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
No Safe Place To Play

“We live on a busy road … but if you branch off there’s little neighborhoods like this. There’s a branch where you can go ride your bike. But where we live at, you walk out [laughter] you won’t be walkin’ no more.” National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion hide caption

itoggle caption National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Candy At The Front Of The Store

“Have you ever noticed, like when you walk in the store, like most of the time right upfront where the cash registers are it’s candy, candy. All the healthy stuff is in the back, and right upfront is the candy, so it’s the first thing you see ’cause everybody knows you’re gonna buy it ’cause it’s good. It’s advertised good. People like it!” National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion hide caption

itoggle caption National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Fast-Food Avenue

“What I’m showing here is the amount of fast-food places on [omitted] Avenue within a mile. I would say less than a half a mile! Four pizza joints … you got Moons, then you got a steakhouse right next to it. So you get your Chinese food and then your greasy sub sandwiches here; Burger King’s … you have Bojangles; the Mexican joint.” National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion hide caption

itoggle caption National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

In discussion groups following the photo sessions, adults and teens dug into these and other stressors in the community. Adults often pointed to racial prejudice and the stress it causes, saying that “as a people, this whole stress thing is new; we just think this is how it is.”

Bottom line, the photos and discussion sessions started a conversation about the importance of heart health and the difficulties many people face in maintaining it. According to co-investigator Alexandra Lightfoot, participants saw this as an opportunity to explore barriers to good health and rally the community to bring about needed changes.

Some great ideas emerged, says Lightfoot, including ways to “entice residents toward the healthy food” section in grocery stores and fast-food establishments, initiate nutrition education in the schools and even encourage rap stars to incorporate positive health messages in lyrics. All a great beginning, they say, in getting the community involved in helping make positive changes that are good for the heart.

What hurts or helps your health? Show us. Post your photos on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #NPRmyhealth.

AssociatedNews.info

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October 2, 2015

Best of the Week: New 'Back to the Future' Film Teaser, Fantastic Fest Reviews and More

Cubs Fans Try To Make Up For Sending Another Cubs Fan Death Threats In 2003

Coca-Cola, McDonald's Among Sponsors Calling For FIFA President's Resignation

Let Me Show You What Keeps Me From Being Healthy

Barriers To Good Health

Family Influences

No Safe Place To Play

Candy At The Front Of The Store

Fast-Food Avenue