The NBA has lost its longest tenured owner. Abe Pollin has passed away, aged 85. The very popular sports mogul,  best known for firing Michael Jordan and for also being credited for initiating the revival of downtown Washington.  Arrived 75 years ago, the son of a Russian metal worker, named Morris Polinovsky. Pollin worked through decades with unstoppable will to rise to the top of the business world, philanthropy and sports.

Pollin even spending $220 million out of his own pocket to build a sports and entertainment arena which would change the face of downtown Washington for ever.

When Pollin fired Michael Jordan he was harshly criticized for doing so, and when asked by the Associated Press  about his decision he said:

“I agonized over it for days and nights, thinking, ‘What is it that I have to do?’ ” he recalled. “I’m going to think very hard about these decisions and make the best decisions that I think are best for the franchise.”

Jordan deemed Pollin’s decision as “callous” after not allowing Jordan a chance to state his case or to outline team plans. It all ended after about 20 minutes.

Pollin later recalling: “I had made my decision … and that was it,”  “I felt by sticking to my decision, I would have less embarrassment for him because if I had made him lay out some of his plans that he had maybe in mind that he was going to do for the team, and then I would say, ‘I’m not accepting them,’ I thought I would hurt him worse. So I tried to be as gentle as I could with Michael because I have great respect for him.”

Pollin’s decision to change the name of his team from “Bullets” to “Wizards” to promote peace was recalled to The                  New York Times as follows:

“They heard I had a tennis court,” Pollin said. “They asked if I would like to play with the new ambassador, Yitzhak Rabin. Oh, boy. We became friends. His wife. My wife. Our children. Last summer I took my whole family to Israel to see him. It’s a tremendous loss.”

At that time Pollin was planning to move the team from Maryland to the proposed arena in Washington.

He said about changing the name “I stood in the place where Rabin spoke,” Pollin recalled. “It was a peace gathering. He was about to leave, but he walked back again. They were rejoicing for peace. I walked those steps. I realized it was time to get this done.”

Pollin’s death was after battling a rare neurological disease.

Terre Haute, saw a great day for this NCAA Cross Country Championships 2009.  Along with some great races, it also came along with it’s own fair share of drama.

Liberty’s Sam Chelanga dominated the men’s race, with only the course record as a challenge. His biggest competitor Chris Derrick fell behind a sizeable lead by the Kenyan, even after holding back in the first 1k. He continued his lead and won the new course in a record time of 28:41. Leaving Derrick, David McNeil from Nothern Arizona and Mississippi’s Barnabus Kirui in his wake.

He broke last years mark set by Galen Rupp by 22 seconds. With McNeil coming in second place and Derrick taking the stand in third.

Oklahoma State placed three in the top 15 leading the championships. Prior to the day is was supposed to be Stanford versus Oklahoma State, but this isn’t how it panned out. It seeming that Stanford just not able to handle the pressure. Oregan ran well, taking a runner- up trophy, with their Sophomore Luke Puskedra taking a 21st place finish. Alabama’s Tyson David came in 22nd. In tenth place overall Stanford after coming in to the competition as strong favourites. Finished on 227 points behind Oklahoma State.

The women’s race was not a good one for 2008 Olympian Jenny Barringer of Colorado, who suffered a collapse leaving her without a collegiate cross country title.

She set out well being trailed by Susan Kuijken from Florida State, But just after the 2k mark she slumped, falling behind Kuijken. Later in the race cameras even capturing Barringer falling to the ground. Although getting back up she finished in XX place.

Angela Bizzarri of Illinois and Kendra Schaff of Washington were the leaders who fought out the race to it’s finality with Bizzarri, taking out her first NCAA cross country title with her amazing last 400m. Sophomore Schaff took the runner up title and Kuijken crossing the line 3rd.

Barringer said about her performance, “I didn’t feel so good about halfway in to it and every time I tried to push it I had to stop.”

The Villanova Wildcats took the team side’s national championship, from the defending champions, and #1 ranked, Washington Huskies. The Wildcats led with 6th-place finisher Amanda Marino and 13th-place finisher Sheila Reid. Florida State made runner-up position, led by Kuijken’s third-place run. The Huskies only made it to a third-place finish, after coming to the comp as favourites.

“These pink slips are a call for fiscally responsible and constitutionally responsible Americans,” said Rep. Steve King of Iowa.

The pink slips are a symbol of job dismissal. With Rep. Trent Franks, R-Arizona, saying members need to vote the will of the people or be fired in the next election.

Franks stood in front of plasterboards with dozens of the pink pieces of paper which had been attached, where he told reporters, “You are looking at just a sample of the 5 million pink slips that Americans have sent to Congress.”

Those Americans, he said, are “people who are saying to members of Congress that ‘we are fed up with the absolute out-of-control spending, and we are going to respond and do what we can to take our country back.’ ”

They dont mention which political party are being targeted as part of the campaign protest.

Although the website WorldNetDaily may hold some answers as in their online store for just $30 you can order to have one ( a “notice” ) delivered to every member of Congress.

The notices say lawmakers should oppose “government health care”, “cap and trade”, “hate crimes” and “any more spending”.

This campaign started in September and a commercial firm hired by the website delivers the “notices”.

World Net Daily, also offers such things as the online sale of a bumper sticker that says “You lie!” The words have become a slogan against a range of Democratic issues, popularized after an outburst in September by Republican Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina during a presidential speech about health care.