WASHINGTON -- Chrysler says it's recalling nearly 600,000 Dodge trucks and vans.
The company says it's addressing concerns that the vehicles could shift out of park without the key in the ignition.
Chrysler says there have been nine incidents involving injuries connected to the problem, but no fatalities have been reported.
The recall affects thousands of 2001 and 2002 Dodge Dakotas, Durangos and 2002 Dodge Rams.
Owners will be notified starting in January and dealers will replace the gearshift blocker and bracket assembly.
In the meantime, the company is advising vehicle owners to use the parking brake at all times when the vehicle isn't in use.
http://www.edmontonsun.com/Business/News/2007/12/08/4714371-sun.html
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Floyd Mayweather or Ricky Hatton Who Is For The Title?
Floyd Mayweather is a 12-5 favorite to defeat Ricky Hatton in this battle of unbeatens that will take place Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The stakes for this fight go far beyond Mayweather's WBC welterweight title. They include:
1. The pristine nature of their records. Mayweather is 38-0 with 24 knockouts while Hatton is 43-0 with 31 KOs. That means they have a combined record of 81-0 with 55 knockouts, and, as Michael Spinks famously declared before his showdown with Mike Tyson in 1988, "Someone's '0' has got to go."
2. Their place in the pound-for-pound rankings. Mayweather was elevated to the top of most lists following his spectacular knockout of Arturo Gatti and Bernard Hopkins' first defeat to Jermain Taylor, and while a good argument can be made for Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather still reigns supreme. As for Hatton, he occupies a spot in the middle to lower portions of most top 10s, but a victory over the king of the mountain would vault him dramatically upward.
3. Their historical standing. Mayweather has won portions of titles in five weight classes and is currently the Ring welterweight champion while Hatton is a two-division champion (including two reigns at 140) and Ring's junior welterweight titlist. Mayweather could further cement his legacy with a dominant victory over Hatton while a Hatton victory could make the Mancurian an unquestioned superstar on this side of the Atlantic.
Those who argue that Mayweather is boxing's best all-around fighter point to his dominance over his opposition. Few fighters have ever been as statistically superior to his opponents than Mayweather, who rarely loses rounds, much less fights. A recent CompuBox analysis determined that the "Pretty Boy" leads the sport in "plus-minus" rating — and not by a little. The "plus-minus" is the difference between a fighter's average connect percentage and that of his opponents, and Mayweather's plus-30 (46 percent to 16 percent) is seven percentage points ahead of his closest competition, Juan Diaz, who owns a plus-23.
Mayweather's rating compares favorably to the prime Roy Jones (plus-23) and Pernell Whitaker (plus-16). For the record, Hatton's rating is a plus-five (34 percent to 29 percent), which is tied for 16th with Jones, Bernard Hopkins, Joe Calzaghe and Juan Manuel Marquez.
Numbers often confirm what each fighter must do in order to give himself the best chance of success. For Mayweather, his plan consists of blunting Hatton's pressure, limit his opponent's offense and use his hand speed to build an insurmountable lead on the scorecards.
Mayweather's past proves that he can effectively deal with a full-frontal assault. On Nov. 10, 2001, Mayweather defended his WBC super featherweight crown for the final time against Mexican whirlwind Jesus Chavez. Chavez did not allow Mayweather's slickness to deter him as he unleashed an average of 103 punches per round, 66 of which were power punches.
On the positive side, Mayweather was forced to pick up his work rate slightly as he threw 51 punches per round as opposed to his 48 against Genaro Hernandez, Carlos Hernandez, Angel Manfredy and Goyo Vargas. But Chavez was unable to make his 925 punches count as he landed just 182 of them (20 percent) while Mayweather's accurate fists continually caught Chavez coming in, landing 197 of 456 total punches (43 percent) and a searing 51 percent of his power punches (163 of 317).
In his rematch with Jose Luis Castillo, Mayweather used his defensive skills and marksmanship to keep Castillo's offense at bay. The Mexican only managed to throw 50 punches per round and land 11 of them for 23 percent accuracy and connect on 24 percent of his 427 power shots. Meanwhile, Mayweather was effective and efficient as he landed 41 percent of his 33 punches per round overall and 45 percent of his 14 power attempts.
As Mayweather rose in weight, he remained boxing's version of Princeton's slow-down offense in college basketball. In his most recent outing against WBC super welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya this past May 5, Mayweather curbed "The Golden Boy's" output like few fighters ever have. Mayweather limited De La Hoya to 21 percent accuracy overall (122 of 587, an average of 49 punches thrown and 10 landed), 16 percent on his usually vaunted jab (40 of 246) and 24 percent of his power punches (82 of 341).
Meanwhile, Mayweather got a lot of work done with his 40 punches per round as he landed 207 of 481 blows overall (43 percent), 69 of his 240 jabs (29 percent) and 138 of 241 power punches (a scintillating 57 percent). Mayweather topped 60 percent efficiency in his power punches in five rounds and peaked at 78 percent and 82 percent in rounds two and three respectively.
Unlike the De La Hoya fight, Mayweather enters the fight as the bigger man. At 5-foot-8 he stands two inches taller and his 72-inch reach is a full seven inches longer, so he has the physical equipment and know-how to control the flow of the fight. It would also help Mayweather's cause if Hatton repeats the form he showed in his one previous welterweight bout against Luis Collazo on May 13, 2006.
Though he registered a knockdown in the first minute, the slick southpaw Collazo held his own and had Hatton holding on in the final round before losing a close but unanimous decision. In that fight Hatton outlanded Collazo by a slim 259-213 (less than four punches more per round) overall, and landed just five of his 104 attempted jabs. Hatton outlanded Collazo 254-167 in power punches, but aside from the flash knockdown Hatton's punches lacked the heft of his days at 140.
For Hatton to win he must not only follow, but add on to, the blueprint Jose Luis Castillo used to give Mayweather his toughest night as a pro. On April 20, 2002 most observers believed that the defending WBC lightweight champ deserved the nod against Mayweather and the numbers bear that out. The 5-to-1 underdog outlanded "The Pretty Boy" 203-157 in total punches, including a hefty 173-66 edge in connected power punches, many of which targeted the body.
Castillo, who on this night landed more punches against Mayweather than any other opponent tracked by CompuBox, got stronger as the fight went on as he out-connected Mayweather in each of the final eight rounds. Castillo averaged 42 total punches thrown in the round to Mayweather's 37, but the real key was his 46 percent accuracy in power punches.
Hatton has already proven that he can impose his smothering style against a Hall of Fame caliber fighter. On June 4, 2005 in Manchester, Hatton squared off against Kostya Tszyu, who at 35 was chronologically past his best days but was still considered a favorite against the hometown hero.
Though their numbers were remarkably similar (200 of 647 for Hatton overall and 200 of 619 for Tszyu and a 172-162 connect edge for Hatton in power punches) it was Hatton's consistently escalating pressure that proved to be the difference. Fueled by an adoring, singing throng, Hatton belabored Tszyu with withering shots to the body and head as well as energy-sapping roughhousing maneuvers to suck the energy out of the Russian-Australian. An exhausted Tszyu and a compassionate Johnny Lewis chose to halt the contest before the start of the final round.
"The Mad Hatter" couldn't have had a better lead-in to a career-defining fight as he did on June 23 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. There he used a scathing hook to the liver to leave Jose Luis Castillo a pain-wracked wreck after less than four rounds of action. Hatton outlanded Castillo in every round, with his advantage being most pronounced in the power punch category. There, he out-connected Castillo 38-18 in the first two rounds and 76-47 overall. Hatton's work-rate, usually in the low 50s, was at 58 in the first three rounds and he topped 20 connects in each stanza. But it was that final hook that told the world that he was ready for "The Pretty Boy."
Who will remain "Undefeated" after Dec. 8? The career numbers are similar. Mayweather is an 11-year pro while Hatton has 10 years of service.
Mayweather has fought 265 rounds while Hatton amassed 240. Mayweather has four first-round knockouts (none since seventh pro fight) while Hatton has five (none since his ninth fight). Mayweather's longest inactive period was 244 days (from May 2004 to January 2005) while Hatton's was 251 days (May 2006 to January 2007). But their styles couldn't be more different, and that's why this is such an interesting fight.
"The Hit Man" must turn up the heat and keep it high throughout the fight. Zab Judah troubled Mayweather in the first four rounds by fighting his fight and not letting Mayweather dictating the terms of battle, and he ended up losing it — both strategically and emotionally — because he couldn't sustain it. Hatton needs to get in Mayweather's chest, push him up against the ropes and pound away at every available target, whether it be arms, torso or ribs. His thousands of raucous supporters will do its best to keep Hatton's spirits high — and perhaps sway the judges to give him the close rounds.
For Mayweather to win, he must do what he has always done — slow the tempo, use his defense to induce frustration and land enough eye-catching punches to win rounds and perhaps tear open Hatton's sensitive scar tissue around the eyes. The fact that they will be welterweights wearing 10-ounce gloves as opposed to 140-pounders wearing eight-ouncers will bode well for Mayweather because of the extra padding that will protect his brittle hands while softening the impact of Hatton's punches.
The guess here is that Mayweather will pick and stick his way to a close, but unanimous decision.
http://msn.foxsports.com/boxing/story/7538572
The stakes for this fight go far beyond Mayweather's WBC welterweight title. They include:
1. The pristine nature of their records. Mayweather is 38-0 with 24 knockouts while Hatton is 43-0 with 31 KOs. That means they have a combined record of 81-0 with 55 knockouts, and, as Michael Spinks famously declared before his showdown with Mike Tyson in 1988, "Someone's '0' has got to go."
2. Their place in the pound-for-pound rankings. Mayweather was elevated to the top of most lists following his spectacular knockout of Arturo Gatti and Bernard Hopkins' first defeat to Jermain Taylor, and while a good argument can be made for Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather still reigns supreme. As for Hatton, he occupies a spot in the middle to lower portions of most top 10s, but a victory over the king of the mountain would vault him dramatically upward.
3. Their historical standing. Mayweather has won portions of titles in five weight classes and is currently the Ring welterweight champion while Hatton is a two-division champion (including two reigns at 140) and Ring's junior welterweight titlist. Mayweather could further cement his legacy with a dominant victory over Hatton while a Hatton victory could make the Mancurian an unquestioned superstar on this side of the Atlantic.
Those who argue that Mayweather is boxing's best all-around fighter point to his dominance over his opposition. Few fighters have ever been as statistically superior to his opponents than Mayweather, who rarely loses rounds, much less fights. A recent CompuBox analysis determined that the "Pretty Boy" leads the sport in "plus-minus" rating — and not by a little. The "plus-minus" is the difference between a fighter's average connect percentage and that of his opponents, and Mayweather's plus-30 (46 percent to 16 percent) is seven percentage points ahead of his closest competition, Juan Diaz, who owns a plus-23.
Mayweather's rating compares favorably to the prime Roy Jones (plus-23) and Pernell Whitaker (plus-16). For the record, Hatton's rating is a plus-five (34 percent to 29 percent), which is tied for 16th with Jones, Bernard Hopkins, Joe Calzaghe and Juan Manuel Marquez.
Numbers often confirm what each fighter must do in order to give himself the best chance of success. For Mayweather, his plan consists of blunting Hatton's pressure, limit his opponent's offense and use his hand speed to build an insurmountable lead on the scorecards.
Mayweather's past proves that he can effectively deal with a full-frontal assault. On Nov. 10, 2001, Mayweather defended his WBC super featherweight crown for the final time against Mexican whirlwind Jesus Chavez. Chavez did not allow Mayweather's slickness to deter him as he unleashed an average of 103 punches per round, 66 of which were power punches.
On the positive side, Mayweather was forced to pick up his work rate slightly as he threw 51 punches per round as opposed to his 48 against Genaro Hernandez, Carlos Hernandez, Angel Manfredy and Goyo Vargas. But Chavez was unable to make his 925 punches count as he landed just 182 of them (20 percent) while Mayweather's accurate fists continually caught Chavez coming in, landing 197 of 456 total punches (43 percent) and a searing 51 percent of his power punches (163 of 317).
In his rematch with Jose Luis Castillo, Mayweather used his defensive skills and marksmanship to keep Castillo's offense at bay. The Mexican only managed to throw 50 punches per round and land 11 of them for 23 percent accuracy and connect on 24 percent of his 427 power shots. Meanwhile, Mayweather was effective and efficient as he landed 41 percent of his 33 punches per round overall and 45 percent of his 14 power attempts.
As Mayweather rose in weight, he remained boxing's version of Princeton's slow-down offense in college basketball. In his most recent outing against WBC super welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya this past May 5, Mayweather curbed "The Golden Boy's" output like few fighters ever have. Mayweather limited De La Hoya to 21 percent accuracy overall (122 of 587, an average of 49 punches thrown and 10 landed), 16 percent on his usually vaunted jab (40 of 246) and 24 percent of his power punches (82 of 341).
Meanwhile, Mayweather got a lot of work done with his 40 punches per round as he landed 207 of 481 blows overall (43 percent), 69 of his 240 jabs (29 percent) and 138 of 241 power punches (a scintillating 57 percent). Mayweather topped 60 percent efficiency in his power punches in five rounds and peaked at 78 percent and 82 percent in rounds two and three respectively.
Unlike the De La Hoya fight, Mayweather enters the fight as the bigger man. At 5-foot-8 he stands two inches taller and his 72-inch reach is a full seven inches longer, so he has the physical equipment and know-how to control the flow of the fight. It would also help Mayweather's cause if Hatton repeats the form he showed in his one previous welterweight bout against Luis Collazo on May 13, 2006.
Though he registered a knockdown in the first minute, the slick southpaw Collazo held his own and had Hatton holding on in the final round before losing a close but unanimous decision. In that fight Hatton outlanded Collazo by a slim 259-213 (less than four punches more per round) overall, and landed just five of his 104 attempted jabs. Hatton outlanded Collazo 254-167 in power punches, but aside from the flash knockdown Hatton's punches lacked the heft of his days at 140.
For Hatton to win he must not only follow, but add on to, the blueprint Jose Luis Castillo used to give Mayweather his toughest night as a pro. On April 20, 2002 most observers believed that the defending WBC lightweight champ deserved the nod against Mayweather and the numbers bear that out. The 5-to-1 underdog outlanded "The Pretty Boy" 203-157 in total punches, including a hefty 173-66 edge in connected power punches, many of which targeted the body.
Castillo, who on this night landed more punches against Mayweather than any other opponent tracked by CompuBox, got stronger as the fight went on as he out-connected Mayweather in each of the final eight rounds. Castillo averaged 42 total punches thrown in the round to Mayweather's 37, but the real key was his 46 percent accuracy in power punches.
Hatton has already proven that he can impose his smothering style against a Hall of Fame caliber fighter. On June 4, 2005 in Manchester, Hatton squared off against Kostya Tszyu, who at 35 was chronologically past his best days but was still considered a favorite against the hometown hero.
Though their numbers were remarkably similar (200 of 647 for Hatton overall and 200 of 619 for Tszyu and a 172-162 connect edge for Hatton in power punches) it was Hatton's consistently escalating pressure that proved to be the difference. Fueled by an adoring, singing throng, Hatton belabored Tszyu with withering shots to the body and head as well as energy-sapping roughhousing maneuvers to suck the energy out of the Russian-Australian. An exhausted Tszyu and a compassionate Johnny Lewis chose to halt the contest before the start of the final round.
"The Mad Hatter" couldn't have had a better lead-in to a career-defining fight as he did on June 23 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. There he used a scathing hook to the liver to leave Jose Luis Castillo a pain-wracked wreck after less than four rounds of action. Hatton outlanded Castillo in every round, with his advantage being most pronounced in the power punch category. There, he out-connected Castillo 38-18 in the first two rounds and 76-47 overall. Hatton's work-rate, usually in the low 50s, was at 58 in the first three rounds and he topped 20 connects in each stanza. But it was that final hook that told the world that he was ready for "The Pretty Boy."
Who will remain "Undefeated" after Dec. 8? The career numbers are similar. Mayweather is an 11-year pro while Hatton has 10 years of service.
Mayweather has fought 265 rounds while Hatton amassed 240. Mayweather has four first-round knockouts (none since seventh pro fight) while Hatton has five (none since his ninth fight). Mayweather's longest inactive period was 244 days (from May 2004 to January 2005) while Hatton's was 251 days (May 2006 to January 2007). But their styles couldn't be more different, and that's why this is such an interesting fight.
"The Hit Man" must turn up the heat and keep it high throughout the fight. Zab Judah troubled Mayweather in the first four rounds by fighting his fight and not letting Mayweather dictating the terms of battle, and he ended up losing it — both strategically and emotionally — because he couldn't sustain it. Hatton needs to get in Mayweather's chest, push him up against the ropes and pound away at every available target, whether it be arms, torso or ribs. His thousands of raucous supporters will do its best to keep Hatton's spirits high — and perhaps sway the judges to give him the close rounds.
For Mayweather to win, he must do what he has always done — slow the tempo, use his defense to induce frustration and land enough eye-catching punches to win rounds and perhaps tear open Hatton's sensitive scar tissue around the eyes. The fact that they will be welterweights wearing 10-ounce gloves as opposed to 140-pounders wearing eight-ouncers will bode well for Mayweather because of the extra padding that will protect his brittle hands while softening the impact of Hatton's punches.
The guess here is that Mayweather will pick and stick his way to a close, but unanimous decision.
http://msn.foxsports.com/boxing/story/7538572
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Front Runners For Grammy Nominations Are Winehouse And West
It looks as if Amy Winehouse is in line to scoop at the Grammys, this dispite her well publcised personal issues and the health issuses that have caused her to cancel some of her shows.
Another who has had to cope with their share of personal issuses is Kanye West, who's mother passed away last month, is also in line to do well at the Awards.
Other artists are Foo Fighters, Akon, Fergie, Vince Gill, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Jam, Kinkin Park and Taylor.
Another who has had to cope with their share of personal issuses is Kanye West, who's mother passed away last month, is also in line to do well at the Awards.
Other artists are Foo Fighters, Akon, Fergie, Vince Gill, Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Jam, Kinkin Park and Taylor.
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