Emmys 2011: The Social Media Recap

The 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards have concluded, with Modern Family, Mad Men and Downton Abbey taking home the big awards.
The big social buzz kicked off before the award show started with the revelation that FOX removed Alec Baldwin’s phone hacking joke from the ceremony. This sparked a lot of discussion via Twitter and in our Emmy live blog, with most agreeing that FOX made a mistake in dropping the joke.
The Emmy’s had a robust social media campaign this year that achieved mixed success. In our live chat, viewers loved the celebrity smartphone photos, but were less thrilled with the backstage cameras that were offered.
The biggest winners this year were Modern Family and Downton Abbey. ABC’s comedy series has a large social following, but for PBS to beat out front-runner HBO was the big surprise of the evening.
Of course, as tends to be the case with award shows, some of the most interesting bits and pieces took place online and off-air. This included a Twitter conversation between Ashton Kutcher and Charlie Sheen.
Looking at the Emmys, especially through the lens of social TV, we again can’t help but notice the disconnect that exists between the direction that networks and programs are headed and the types of shows that tend to win awards.
Moving forward, what will the Emmys need to do to become more social? How can the social conversations that take place around the show be better integrated into  into the show and the second screen experience? Let us know your thoughts, as well as what you thought of the show, in the comments.

Auburn's 17-game winning streak ends courtesy of Clemson

Sporting News helps you kick off Week 3 of the season with a look at three games that started at Noon ET.

CLEMSON, S.C.—At least now the pressure’s off Auburn

In the first two weeks of 2011, the Tigers miraculously avoided their first defeat since 2009, pulling off thrilling victories against Utah State and Mississippi State.

Despite some obvious flaws and still-unanswered questions, expectations, which hadn’t necessarily been too high coming into the season, started to build.

Because really, it’s easy to get caught up in a 17-game winning streak, especially when the most recent victory came against the well-regarded Bulldogs.

And nobody saw the 2010 Auburn squad winning a national championship, either, but that group survived a few close games early and went on to great things. With the last-minute comeback against Utah State and the goal-line stand against Mississippi State, this 2011 team started to pick up the scent of destiny, too.

That wasn’t the smell after Clemson finished crushing the defending national champs, 38-24.

The host Tigers rolled up more than 600 yards of total offense—one of those disregarded Auburn flaws was an inability to tackle, which was on full display Saturday afternoon—and trounced the visiting Tigers. That’s the most any Clemson team has ever put up against an SEC team. The previous best, by the way, was 524 against Auburn in 1951, the last time Clemson had beaten Auburn.

Maybe that’s a good thing for Auburn. If Gene Chizik’s squad would have somehow gotten past Clemson, a win next week against Florida Atlantic would have moved them to 4-0 and a likely top 15 ranking heading into a brutal stretch of games.

Auburn plays at No. 10 South Carolina, at No. 14 Arkansas, at home against No. 16 Florida and then at No. 3 LSU. No way were the Tigers going to get through that carwash unscathed. Now, with expectations back to reasonable levels—a bowl game, respectable finish in the SEC Western Division—maybe it won’t hurt so much after they finish those four tough games.

HALFTIME UPDATES

AUBURN AT CLEMSON

CLEMSON, S.C.—Maybe it just took a few minutes for Clemson to adjust to that legendary “SEC speed.”

Maybe it was butterflies in the first game against a BCS conference school. Maybe it was just poor execution. Whatever happened, the host Tigers failed to put up any points on their first three drives against Auburn, and they watched the visiting Tigers sprint out to a 14-0 lead.

And, sure, Clemson had come from behind in each of its first two games, but rallying for victories against Troy and FCS squad Wofford isn’t quite the same as trying to claw back from a double-digit deficit against the defending national champs.

At least it’s not supposed to be as easy.

But Clemson pulled the trick off Saturday afternoon, rolling up three second-quarter touchdowns to send the game into halftime tied 21-21.

Quarterback Tajh Boyd had 171 yards passing and a couple of touchdown throws for the host Tigers. For Auburn, sophomore tailback Michael Dyer scored on a 52-yard run on his first carry of the day and finished the half with 86 yards and a pair of touchdown runs.

The past two games between Auburn and Clemson have been decided by the final play of the game—Auburn has won both; in fact, those Tigers have won 14 consecutive games in the series—and this one figures to follow a similar trajectory.

PENN STATE AT TEMPLE

Penn State has won 28 straight games against Temple, but the Owls are threatening to break through today, as they lead 10-7 early in the third quarter.

Bernard Pierce gave the Owls a 7-0 lead on Temple’s first drive of the game. The team marched 82 yards on eight plays.

Rob Bolden started the game for Penn State, but gave way to Matt McGloin after Bolden couldn’t put any points on the board. McGloin led a TD drive on his first possession under center, and it ended with a 17-yard score from Silas Redd.

Bolden re-entered the game midway through the third quarter, but threw an interception on the Penn State 48.

PITT AT IOWA

The first half of the Panthers-Hawkeyes game hasn’t been the most crisply played, but Pitt holds a 10-3 halftime lead despite committing two turnovers to Iowa’s one.

The Panthers got on the board on a 66-yard TD pass from Tino Sunseri to Devin Street, and padded their lead with Kevin Harper’s 37-yard field goal. Iowa’s Mike Meyer booted a 22-yard field goal, but missed from 40 yards out just before halftime.

Sunseri committed both turnovers, throwing an interception and fumbling one. Iowa QB James Vandenberg tossed an INT for the Hawkeyes’ only turnover of the half.

Pitt holds a 1-yard total yards advantage in the first half, 201-200.

WEST VIRGINIA AT MARYLAND

Geno Smith and West Virginia put their first-half woes from the first two games out of mind against Maryland, as they hold a 27-10 lead at the break in College Park, Md.

Smith has completed 21-of-28 passes for 232 yards, but doesn’t have any touchdowns. Those have gone to RBs Andrew Buie and Vernard Roberts.

WVU also has scored a defensive touchdown, as Terence Garvin intercepted a Danny O’Brien pass and took it to the house from 37 yards out.

If the Mountaineers can hold on in the second half, it will be their sixth straight victory vs. the Terrapins. They hold a 302-176 edge in total yards in the first half.

PREGAME COVERAGE

Nobody was quite sure what to expect from Auburn heading into the season. Same thing, though with a lesser degree of national intrigue, for Clemson.

Two weeks in, not much has changed.

Auburn has given up 72 points in its first two games—at home, mind you—and needed a dramatic comeback against Utah State to avoid what could have been the worst loss ever by a defending national champion. If that comeback would have happened, for example, against LSU or Alabama, it would have been deemed “epic” and been woven into Auburn lore.

Against Utah State, it was “face-saving” at best.

Then, though, the Tigers upended No. 16 Mississippi State in their SEC opener last Saturday, stuffing the Bulldogs at the goal line in the waning seconds to move to an improbable—though entertaining—2-0 start to the season.

Meanwhile, Clemson started the season with a new quarterback and middle-of-the-ACC expectations, though some pundits pegged the team as a potential sleeper in the conference. Kyle Parker, the quarterback for the previous two seasons, left eligibility on the table to pursue his baseball career in the Colorado Rockies’ organization full-time.

And coach Dabo Swinney has been tough to peg, too. He’s bringing in top-level talent, but on-field results have been mixed. Clemson was 4-3 after Swinney took over for Tommy Bowden in October 2008, then 9-5 in 2009. But last year’s 6-7 record was a disappointment and a big reason for the uncertain projections for this season.

This year, Clemson trailed Troy at halftime in the opener before blowing out the Trojans in the second half. Last Saturday, the Wofford Terriers—a Football Championship Subdivision squad—traveled down Interstate 85 and trailed by just one point until new quarterback Tajh Boyd hit DeAndre Hopkins for a fourth-quarter touchdown that provided the final eight-point margin.

So, like the Auburn Tigers, the Clemson Tigers are 2-0 this season. It hasn’t been pretty, but it is what it is. Auburn can impress with a road victory against a BCS-conference team. Clemson can impress with a home win against the defending national champs.

One way or the other, we’ll know a little bit more about the Tigers after this one.

Pitt at Iowa

While this game showcases two strong runners in the Panthers’ Ray Graham, who leads all of Division I with 156.5 yards per game, and the Hawkeyes’ Marcus Coker, take instead a look at who Pitt has lining up under center.

Tino Sunseri seemed like a poor fit for Pitt’s new spread offense, and the two interceptions he threw against Maine last week did nothing to ensure his job security.

Trey Anderson played the final two series of that game vs. Maine, leading one touchdown drive and getting the Panthers into field-goal territory before Kevin Harper missed from 39 yards out.

Anderson, a freshman from Pearland, Texas, is well-versed in a spread offense scheme. He told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that he has run one since the eighth grade, and the Panthers’ coaching staff is gaining confidence in him.

If Sunseri fails to deliver vs. Iowa, it may mean even more chances for Anderson, who completed 5-of-7 passes for 33 yards against Maine.

West Virginia at Maryland

Maryland hasn’t played since Labor Day, when the team’s state flag-inspired uniforms created quite a stir.

But the more interesting story line is figuring out which first-year coach (Dana Holgorsen or Randy Edsall) will incur their first loss with their respective programs.

West Virginia has won the last five in this series, which might give some type of edge to Holgorsen’s Mountaineers, who are 2-0 after beating Marshall and Norfolk State. But Holgorsen’s offense has struggled offensively in the first halves of both games—surprising for a coach noted for powerful offenses.

The Mountaineers will have to be on their game from the start to match a strong Terrapins offense led by Danny O’Brien, who threw for 348 yards in the opening win vs. Miami. Granted, the Hurricanes were missing several starters due to suspension in that game, but there’s no doubt that O’Brien is talented enough to move Maryland on just about anyone.

O’Brien will have to do without WR Ronnie Tyler, who was suspended after being charged with second-degree assault earlier this week.

New planet; deep space exploration: is NASA bouncing back?

Two months ago, it seemed as if the whole world was composing a dirge for NASA. With the space shuttle program ending after 30 years, the media wondered if the agency would ever be able to find its footing. Then, the shuttle backup plan — catching a ride on Russian flights — was delayed, and the possibility of shuttering the International Space Station rose for the first time since 2000.
This week, though, a series of news-catching announcements seems to suggest the agency is doing just fine, with or without its shuttle program.
Space fans were introduced to two planet discoveries and a giant shuttle planned for deep space exploration.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden participates in a news conference to introduce the design of the new Space Launch System. On Monday, NASA announced a “Super Earth,” a planet that could possibly have water and may be habitable.
On Wednesday, the agency announced plans for a massive rocket capable of lifting 70 to 100 metric tons that will explore the deep reaches of space.
On Thursday, an even more exciting announcement for Sci-Fi fans: plucked from the “Star Wars” script, astronomers discovered a planet with two suns, much like the famous “Star Wars” home of Luke Skywalker, Tatooine.
(Brian Vastag got this memorable quote from one of the planet’s discovery team members, astronomer Alan Boss of the Carnegie Institution of Washington: “It’d be a weird cocktail hour. The sun would go down, and you’d have a drink, and then, a few hours later, the other sun would go down while you have another drink.”)
The Post’s Vastag said that while the planet discoveries are definitely exciting, the shuttle plans were still uncertain, as Congress has yet to fund it.
Despite some Senate backing for the plan, the House has yet to support it. The estimated five-year price tag for the project is $18 billion. The House has been the most adamant about cutting NASA’s budget. The House proposal for the 2012 fiscal year is $2 billion less than for 2011. Seeking House approval for an $18 billion project may be a tough sell.
Even if it doesn’t become a reality, NASA still proved this week it has the power to inspire great dreams.

We have World Peace: Ron Artest gets name change

The former Ron Artest's ballyhooed switch to Metta World Peace is approved during a brief court session. The Lakers star skips the hearing because of a 'jam-packed schedule' for 'Dancing With the Stars.'

The most ballyhooed name change of the year became official Friday morning when a Los Angeles County Superior Court commissioner approved the former Ron Artest's request to become Metta World Peace.

Amid labor discord that threatens to delay, if not wipe out, the NBA season, there is World Peace.
He is 6 feet 7, wears No. 15 for the Lakers and once participated in the infamous "Palace brawl."

Anyone now making his acquaintance will be meeting Metta World Peace. Those on a first-name basis can call him Metta, while those a little further removed can buy jerseys with his last name of World Peace stretched across the back.

The most ballyhooed name change of the year became official Friday morning when a Los Angeles County Superior Court commissioner approved the former Ron Artest's request.

World Peace was expected to attend the hearing, but about an hour after the court doors opened, his attorney, Nahla Rajan, announced that the Lakers forward was not coming. A few minutes later, Commissioner Matthew C. St. George approved the name change in a hearing that lasted about 30 seconds.

St. George: "Mr. Artest has requested a name change to Metta World Peace?"

Rajan: "Yes, your honor."

St. George: "And it's for personal reasons, he said?"

Rajan: "Yes, your honor."

St. George: "OK. All right. He'll now be known as Metta World Peace. Thank you."

World Peace's publicist, Courtney Barnes, said his client had been contemplating the switch for years, "but it took many years of research and soul-searching to find a first name that was both personally meaningful and inspirational." Metta is a Buddhist term that means loving kindness and friendliness toward others.

"Changing my name was meant to inspire and bring youth together all around the world," World Peace said in a statement. "I'm glad that it is now official."

World Peace had hoped to adopt his new moniker last month but was rebuffed because of an outstanding traffic ticket. He was cited for driving without a license and faced an additional charge after missing a court date, Rajan said.

Ticket paid, World Peace can now reign.

And it may be spreading fast. Barnes confirmed reports that World Peace's 8-year-old daughter, Diamond, wants to adopt her father's new surname.

"They wanted to wait until this was fully done before" starting the process, Barnes said.

Rajan said changing the name of a child requires the consent of both parents.

World Peace must now obtain a new driver's license and passport. Barnes said his client would more fully explain his name change Monday when he appears on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars."

Though World Peace was not required to attend Friday's hearing, Barnes said his client was on his way a few minutes before the court session was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Artest's name was listed first on the docket.

When World Peace had not arrived by 9:30, St. George told others waiting to have their names changed that he would hear their cases first. Shortly thereafter, Rajan said her client was not coming.

Asked why World Peace had not come, Barnes said, "He's got a jam-packed schedule based on 'Dancing With the Stars.'"

Boise State football hit with NCAA scholarship reductions

Boise State's football program will lose three scholarships each of the next three seasons as part of major NCAA violations in the school's athletics department. The scholarship penalties started this season and run through the 2013-14 academic year. The team will also have its practice time reduced because of the violations.

The football program was found to have committed recruiting, impermissible housing and transportation violations involving 63 student-athletes from between 2005 and 2009.
The individual amounts of the violations ranged from $2.34 to a maximum of $417.55 and have been reimbursed.
The school self-imposed a penalty of three scholarships on the football team during the course of two years. The committee on infractions added to that punishment.
"The committee considered careful that these violations in football had occurred over the period of five summers of five years and involved both the benefits provided and ... access to athletic activities," Southeastern Conference associate commissioner and NCAA committee on infractions member Gregory Sankey said. "In deliberating the penalties it determined that the level that has been identified in that penalty section was appropriate and it was, as you noted, in addition to what the institution had proposed."
The athletic department was cited for lack of institutional control and placed on three years' probation in the NCAA investigation that centered on major violations in men's and women's track and men's and women's tennis.
Athletics director Gene Bleymaier was fired last month after 30 years at the school. Bleymaier was responsible for installing the blue field at Bronco Stadium and oversaw the development of the football program from a I-AA team to one that played in two Bowl Championship Series games and its move to the Mountain West.
Women's tennis received a one-year postseason ban and scholarship reductions, and former coach Mark Tichenor was given a four-year show cause penalty for providing prospective student-athletes impermissible cash payments, educational expenses, entertainment, lodging, transportation and practice sessions. One student-athlete was allowed to compete a year beyond her eligibility.
A former assistant men's track coach was given a two-year show cause penalty and was cited for unethical conduct in the recruitment of a prospective student-athlete.
"This was a major case," Sankey said. "I think the extent of the report indicates the number of allegations. They occurred in five sports exceeding five years and, as was noted in the introductory comments, exceeded 75 either prospective student-athletes or student-athletes involvement."
In responding to the punishment, Boise State President Bob Kustra noted the changes made by the school to deal with compliance issues. That office now reports directly to the president's office, rather than the athletics department.
"We defended the athletic program to the best of our abilities at the hearing and had hoped our self-imposed sanctions and corrective measures would be sufficient," Kustra said.
"A number of decisions have been made since the beginning of the investigation that have demonstrated our commitment to the NCAA process. Boise State will have a diligent and meticulous approach to compliance, with a new level of leadership and accountability. The infractions and subsequent penalties have left us no margin for error going forward and have changed the nature of oversight required."

Braintree Residents Walk for Jimmy Fund

The Jimmy Fund supports Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, helping to raise funds for adult and pediatric cancer care and research and improve the chances of survival for cancer patients around the world.  

   On Sept. 18, 14 residents from Braintree will walk up to 26.2 miles along the historic route of the Boston Marathon^® in the 23^rd annual Boston Marathon^® Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai. They will be among the nearly 9,000 walkers expected to participate with the collective goal of raising more than $7.5 million for lifesaving adult and pediatric patient care and cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund.
The Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk presented by Hyundai is the only event, other than the Boston Marathon itself that is sanctioned by the Boston Athletic Association to use the official course from Hopkinton to Boston. The Walk is the largest single-day participatory event benefiting the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Since its 1989 inception, the Walk has raised more than $73 million.
“We are thankful to everyone involved in the Walk who is committed to raising funds for cancer care and research at Dana-Farber,” says Ann Beach, director of the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. “Through the event, walkers are united by the common goal of funding cures for all cancers.”
Participants may choose to walk one of four routes: the entire 26.2-mile Hopkinton to Boston route, the 13.1-mile Babson to Boston route, the 5-mile Boston College route, or the 3-mile route starting at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Those unable to participate on Walk Day can become “virtual walkers” and still fundraise for the Jimmy Fund.
Walkers begin in Hopkinton between 5:30-7:30 a.m.; at Babson College between 8:30-10:30 a.m.; at Boston College between 10 a.m. and noon; and in Boston between noon and 1:15 p.m. At the Copley Square finish area, walkers are treated to complimentary food, beverages, a speaking program, and entertainment.
All walkers must raise a minimum of $250, except for walkers 12 years old and younger who have a fundraising minimum of $100. Pacesetters are extraordinary fundraisers who raise $1,250 or more.  Young Pacesetters are children 12 years old and younger who raise at least $500.
To register for the 23^rd annual Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, to support a walker, or to volunteer, visit www.JimmyFundWalk.org or call (866) 531-9255.

Celebrating Constitution Day 2011

On Saturday, September 17, our country celebrates its 224th birthday. Constitution Day commemorates the drafting of the U.S. Constitution and the 39 statesmen who signed it that day in 1787. This year, since the anniversary falls on a Saturday, the holiday is observed on Friday, September 16.
John Adams said the Constitution was the result of "the greatest single effort of national deliberation that the world has ever seen." His praise was not exaggerated; by this document the Founding Fathers framed a republican form of government unique in history, restrained within strictly defined lawful bounds. It set up limited powers for the legislative, executive and judicial branches. Because its authors knew governments tend toward corruption, they added a Bill of Rights - the original 10 amendments to the Constitution - stipulating all the things the Federal government is not allowed to do.
Sadly, many Americans today undervalue the worth of our founding documents and the safeguards of freedom they provide. A Pew Poll taken in May found a minority of 45 percent of Americans believe the Supreme Court should base its rulings on the original intent of the U.S. Constitution. This number is made up largely of Republicans, Tea Party members, and older Americans. Fifty percent say the Court should interpret the document based on "current-day understanding." Democrats and younger Americans tend to hold this opinion.
How much do citizens really know about the Constitution and the intent of its authors? A national survey conducted by FindLaw in 2006 revealed 78 percent of adults in this country believe the Constitution and its amendments guarantee the right to vote. (It protects against voting discrimination, but there is no right-to-vote provision.) Another 64 percent say a right to pursue happiness is covered, but that is actually among the list of "inalienable rights" mentioned in the Declaration of Independence.
Twenty-eight percent think a right to public education is constitutionally protected; 12 percent believe both a right to housing and a right to healthcare are. Yet none of these terms is even mentioned once.
How well do you know our country's founding document? You can test your knowledge at the website ConstitutionFacts.com, which provides a 10-question quiz and a 50-question test to challenge your patriotic prowess. Each year in honor of Constitution Day, the website tallies results of the quizzes based on the home states of the respondents. This year, New Hampshire placed first with the highest average score on the short quiz of 6.56. Massachusetts brags the top spot with the most respondents, 13.8 percent, who achieved perfect scores. To see how your state measures up, you can access the complete survey results here.
But the findings also reveal "questions that were answered correctly least often concerned the powers of the federal government." Most people could not accurately answer questions about what kinds of laws Congress can make, which Article of the Constitution lists the primary powers of Congress, or the number of votes required to pass a Constitutional amendment.
If you want to boost your chances to score well, first watch this 30-minute tutorial, Overview of America, produced by The John Birch Society. It provides everything you need to know about what our founders intended for us and teaches an appreciation for the timeless moral principles that make our Constitution great.
Happy Constitution Day, and God bless America!