Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI) articles from January 2006

Detroit Free Press (Detroit, MI) archives from January 2006

Ford's run of top Seniors event coming to an end.(Ford Senior Players Championship )
January 31, 2006... Byline: Carlos Monarrez DETROIT _ The Ford Senior Players Championship will leave Dearborn after this summer, following 17 years of hosting one of the Champions Tour's major events. Along with the tournament's departure, Ford Motor Co....

Off to Turin: U.S. confirms Winter Games roster.
January 31, 2006... Byline: (EDITORS: Fixes 3rd graf from `older' to `younger') By Jo-Ann Barnas (EDITORS: Fixes 3rd graf from `older' to `younger') By Jo-Ann Barnas DETROIT _ The U.S. Olympic Committee confirmed the roster for its team in Turin....

Oscars can change minds.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Terry Lawson One critic to another in a Sundance Film Festival lineup: Critic No. 1: "So, I guess this will be the gay Academy Awards." Critic No. 2: "I thought all the Academy Awards were gay." Before you conclude...

It was a dark and stormy Sundance Film Festival.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Terry Lawson PARK CITY, UTAH _ In "Half Nelson," a drama that coincidentally screened halfway though the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, Ryan Gosling plays Dan, a junior high school teacher who uses drugs and alcohol to cope with...

Petition calls for Wyandotte officials' ouster.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Joel Thurtell Jan. 30--Petitions for the removal of Wyandotte Mayor James DeSana and three city police and fire commissioners have been sent to Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a City Council member said Friday. However, according to...

Juries to hear about attack in Clawson: 3 are charged in shooting.
January 30, 2006... Byline: L.L. Brasier Jan. 30--The prosecution is to begin calling witnesses today in the simultaneous trials of three Albanian immigrants charged in the shooting of a fellow Albanian nearly two summers ago. Markiol Jaku, 20, of Warren...

Hearing on Target set tonight: Debate swirls over store in Southfield.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Gina Damron Jan. 30--Contention over a proposal to build a Target store in Southfield is expected to culminate tonight as the City Council hears from residents during a public hearing on the issue. Target is looking to develop...

IN THE LIBRARY: Berkley school in Oak Park explores the Last Frontier: Exhibits let kids discover Alaska.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Bill Laitner Jan. 30--"Let's go to the library and pan for gold!" You can if you're a student at Norup School in Oak Park. At Norup, part of the Berkley School District, turning the library into a museum on Alaska is a...

GOLD RUSH IN THE LIBRARY: Berkley school brings Alaska to its students: Traveling exhibits start in Oak Park.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Bill Laitner Jan. 30--"Let's go to the library and pan for gold!" You can if you're a student at Norup School in Oak Park. At Norup, part of the Berkley School District, turning the library into a museum on Alaska is a...

Muslim new year sacred time: Dearborn blood drive is symbolic.
January 30, 2006... Byline: David Crumm Jan. 30--As the sun sets tonight, Muslims around the world will welcome the New Year 1427. But don't expect a Dick Clark-style party. In Islam, a new year is not a universal cause for the kind of celebrations...

Pair get aid in cancer fight: Mt. Clemens show to help with bills.
January 30, 2006... Byline: John Bebow Jan. 30--The doctors told Steve Black his cancer-stricken wife could expect to live another two days to two months. Instead of listening to her work as Sabrina, the traffic reporter on WDFN-AM (1130), he was looking...

Chesterfield Twp. kids help out: They find cash for Mexican school hit by hurricane.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Andrea K. Farmer Jan. 30--Some say that it takes a village to raise a child. The students at Francis A. Higgins Elementary believe it takes a child to resurrect a village. Upon hearing that San Jose Del Mar, a small school in...

DAWSON BELL: Governor didn't quite stuff speech with food references.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Dawson Bell Jan. 30--By all accounts, Gov. Jennifer Granholm gave her usual bravura performance in delivering last week's State of the State address. I leave it to others to settle the style v. substance/rhetoric v. reality...

GAINING STRENGTH FROM OTHERS' SUPPORT: Concert in Mt. Clemens to help couple in cancer fight: Rockers to raise money for bills.
January 30, 2006... Byline: John Bebow Jan. 30--The doctors told Steve Black his cancer-stricken wife could expect to live another two days to two months. Instead of listening to her work as Sabrina, the traffic reporter on WDFN-AM (1130), he was looking...

Bettye Berry: Caring educator taught, nurtured many children in Detroit schools.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Cassandra Spratling Jan. 30--Bettye Jean Montgomery Berry was the mom of two children, but she mothered hundreds of others she welcomed into her northwest Detroit home or nurtured in her 36 1/2 years as a teacher, counselor and...

EDITORIAL: Pit Bull Ban: City ordinance would not make anyone safer.(Editorial)
January 30, 2006... Jan. 30--Detroit City Council members are right to want to do something to reduce the danger of attacks by vicious dogs. But a proposed city ordinance banning pit bulls would do nothing to solve the problem, unfairly penalize most owners, and...

EDITORIAL: SUPER BOWL XL: Wet, Wonderful: Think deep, or get soothed, at airport water feature.(Editorial)
January 30, 2006... Jan. 30--This is the first in a series of editorials about things interesting or unusual for Super Bowl visitors to take in this week in the Detroit area. Most of the people who arrive in Detroit by air do so on Northwest Airlines,...

PISTONS CORNER: Zen Master's wisdom for winning 70.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Krista Latham Jan. 30--Lakers coach Phil Jackson thought it would be a few decades before any team came close to nearing the 70-win mark that his Chicago Bulls team eclipsed in the 1995-96 season. But at 37-5, the Pistons are...

Henderson will coach defense: Lions keep 5 aides, mum on Martz, others.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Nicholas J. Cotsonika Jan. 30--The Lions announced Sunday they had hired Donnie Henderson as defensive coordinator and retained five assistants from the previous coaching staff. But they declined to comment on reports former...

ESPN will be all over the XL.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Mike Duffy Jan. 30--Live from downtown Detroit, it's Team ESPN with Super Bowl XL coverage all week. The ESPN programs, primarily anchored from the Wintergarden Atrium at the Renaissance Center, include: "Mike and Mike in the...

This time Johnnie and Gladys can stay home for the Bus.(Jerome Bettis)
January 30, 2006... Byline: Mitch Albom DETROIT _ There was a night game in Arizona when they got stranded, no cabs, and they had to walk until they found civilization. There was a game in Denver when angry fans threw peanuts at their heads. There was a...

At some Super Bowl parties, the VIPs could be MIA.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Kelley L. Carter DETROIT _ Everyone wants to get in the game. And by game, I mean parties. And not just any parties _ the big expensive parties that promise VIPs, famous faces, famous voices and people famous for being...

Late-blooming Hasselbeck now flourishing in the NFC.(Matt Hasselbeck)
January 30, 2006... Byline: Shawn Windsor DETROIT _ He's not the most recognizable face in the franchise. That would be running back Shaun Alexander, or better yet coach Mike Holmgren. He's not the most talented player on the team, or the best player...

Roethlisberger makes NFL transition look like child's play.(Ben Roethlisberger )
January 30, 2006... Byline: Nicholas J. Cotsonika DETROIT _ "He's..." Thump. "He's come back..." Laugh. "He's gotten better, and obviously it's showing this year in the postseason." It's Friday, three days before the Steelers leave...

Seahawks got to Super Bowl by making all the right moves.
January 30, 2006... Byline: Chris Silva DETROIT _ Like the perfect pair of jeans or sneakers, everything has fit just right for the Seattle Seahawks this season. The personnel. The schemes. The personnel. The 2004 season, however, was a different...

A Wild scramble as Red Wings hold off Minnesota.(Detroit Red Wings versus Minnesota Wild)
January 30, 2006... Byline: Helene St. James ST. PAUL, Minn. _ Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock has certain phrases he likes to use, like "holy mackerel" and "holy mackerel " and sometimes, for emphasis, "holy mackerel." Monday night he used the...

The show goes on for Winans, minus one.(gospel music festival)
January 29, 2006... Byline: Kelley L. Carter Jan. 29--He misses the Showman. He misses his singing voice, he misses his funny stories and most of all, Carvin Winans misses looking over his shoulder and seeing his brother standing near him. It's hard...

EDITORIAL: THE NEEDLE.(current events)(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 29, 2006... Jan. 29--PAUL ALLEN Seattle Seahawks owner and Microsoft billionaire finally gets team to Super Bowl. Too bad Jimi Hendrix isn't around to play anthem. PEOPLE MOVER Little train expects workout this week for Winter Blast and Super Bowl....

Par for the course: 'True Swing' brings golf to the Nintendo DS portable.
January 29, 2006... Byline: Jim Schaefer Jan. 29--My golfing skills are questionable. I once swung and missed three times in a row. By that measure, "True Swing Golf" for the Nintendo DS lives up to its name, because -- get this -- I actually swung and...

EDITORIAL: Smarten Up Standards: Michigan must do all it can to put more education requirements behind diploma.(Editorial)
January 29, 2006... Jan. 29--Recent disheartening news should add fuel to Michigan's push for more rigorous high school standards. More than 50% of soon-to-graduate students at four-year colleges, and more than 75% at a two-year schools, lack the quantitative...

ANY GIVEN PARKING LOT: The Commissioner of tailgating grills his way across America to Detroit.(Joe Cahn)
January 29, 2006... Byline: Erin Chan Jan. 29--Darkness devoured Detroit last week just a few hours after the Commissioner of Tailgating slid into the city. A concrete building once belonging to the Loyal Order of Moose on the corner of Cass and...

Forward passes.
January 29, 2006... Byline: Georgea Kovanis Jan. 29--Tired of meeting the same old people? The Super Bowl may be the best thing to happen to your social life in ages. There'll be new people in town -- athletes, celebrities, fans, corporate bigwigs (they...

Jimmy Kimmel ? Detroit: The late-night host makes nice as he brings his show to the city.(Jimmy Kimmel Live)(Television Program Review)
January 29, 2006... Byline: Julie Hinds Jan. 29--Two years ago, Jimmy Kimmel and Detroit went through a rough patch. It was more of a spend-the-night-on-the-couch thing than a bitter divorce. And Kimmel did what a guy in the doghouse is supposed to do....

EDITORIAL: SUPER BOWL XL: Welcome Bowl: Ignore naysayers; make super impressions.(Editorial)
January 29, 2006... Jan. 29--Might as well be honest about it. The Super Bowl is the most glamorous annual sporting event in the country, but Detroit is not one of the country's glamour cities. It is not the usual Super Bowl venue. This is Up North to most of...

Low-key luger steers toward historic medal.(Tony Benshoof)(Brief Article)
January 29, 2006... Byline: Jo-Ann Barnas Judging by this season's results, the best hope for a U.S. medal in luge at next month's Turin Games lies not with a pair of two-time Olympic medalists, but with an athlete who goes it alone. You won't see...

Pistons' team effort exceeds Bryant's 39.(Detroit Pistons versus Los Angeles Lakers)
January 29, 2006... Byline: Krista Latham AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ The Detroit Pistons don't mind letting an opponent _ an individual opponent, that is _ score big. So when Lakers guard Kobe Bryant scored 39 on Sunday at the Palace, the Pistons could live...

XL-sized smiles will greet skeptical visitors to Detroit.
January 29, 2006... Byline: Mitch Albom DETROIT _ I remember my first time. I was nervous. I was embarrassed. I was already in my 20s and had never done it before. But I did it. And I liked it. I came to Detroit. Perhaps you are doing...

No stars at this Super Bowl? Just wait . . .(Super Bowl XL)
January 29, 2006... Byline: Michael Rosenberg DETROIT _ Judging from the initial reaction to the Steelers-Seahawks matchup, this Super Bowl features no stars and no dominant teams _ no Tom Brady and the Patriots, no Joe Montana and the 49ers, no John Elway...

MARKETING: Firms tout ads before the bowl.
January 28, 2006... Byline: Kortney Stringer Jan. 28--With Super Bowl ads, any publicity is good publicity. And no publicity -- well, that's just not an option. It's no longer good enough to produce the Monday-morning-water-cooler-top-conversation...

Robinson's daughter wrong on Clemente.(Sharon Robinson on retiring baseball shirt numbers)
January 28, 2006... Byline: Drew Sharp DETROIT _ There's nothing dishonorable about protecting a family's legacy. But the First Daughter of racial inclusion in baseball should understand better than anybody else that courage and inspiration aren't limited...

Plane crash kills 2 at Oakland County airport: Cause isn't known; experienced pilots had been practicing landings.
January 28, 2006... Byline: Frank Witsil and Cecilia Oleck Jan. 28--The tower gave clearance for the plane to land and seconds later, at 9:26 a.m. Friday, the small single-engine aircraft plummeted to earth, killing the two men on board. Both were rated as...

State pushes online courses.
January 28, 2006... Byline: Lori Higgins Jan. 28--Michigan is on track to dramatically alter its image from a state that requires only a civics course to graduate from high school to being the only state in the nation to mandate online learning. That...

The big games are never sold out: Ticket brokers take risks to make some major dough.
January 28, 2006... Byline: John Bebow Jan. 28--You want Super Bowl tickets? Joel Schwartz has Super Bowl tickets. He always has tickets. Prime concert seats. Center court Pistons seats. You name it. For more than a quarter-century, Schwartz, 45, has...

EDITORIAL: Winterize: No better time for the season to pitch in with tastes of snow, cold.(Editorial)
January 28, 2006... Jan. 28--Dear Mother Nature, Geez, Friday was a humdinger. The kind of day we dream about in January, especially after so many dreary ones around the new year. Crisp air with just a touch of warmth. Perfect azure sky. That big shining...

EDITORIAL: LEONARD PITTS JR.: Expect, again, a national campaign with fear at its heart.(Editorial)
January 28, 2006... Jan. 28--BY LEONARD PITTS JR. KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS Karl Rove said in a speech last week that this year's mid-term election will be about security. So you know it will be about fear. It'd be nice to be able to take President George W....

EDITORIAL: P.S.(Editorial)
January 28, 2006... Jan. 28--Futurist Magazine reports that since 1980, more than half of all people turning 65 have chosen to keep working instead of retire. There's no data, but it's a safe bet that more than half the people who were counting on promotions are...

WHY THE SEAHAWKS WILL WIN: No one knows how good they are * Hasselbeck guides efficient offense * Defense has current, future stars.
January 28, 2006... Byline: Shawn Windsor Jan. 28--The Seattle Seahawks can beat the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XL because they know a few things. They know, as ex-Wolverine and current Seahawk left guard Steve Hutchinson said, in Detroit "you...

SUPER BOWL XL PLAYERS: Tackling life after the game: Most NFL pros find the adjustment difficult.
January 28, 2006... Byline: Alejandro Bodipo-Memba Jan. 28--For most of the 106 men on the 53-player rosters of the Seattle Seahawks and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the fanfare surrounding Super Bowl XL will be the most intense professional sporting experience...

COLLEGE BASKETBALL: MSU's men can catch up in Big Ten: Team's schedule eases up today.
January 28, 2006... Byline: Shannon Shelton Jan. 28--EAST LANSING -- After Wednesday's loss at U-M, the Michigan State men's team probably would like to move up its Feb. 18 rematch with the Wolverines to, say, today. But revenge will have to wait. The...

A giant leap for Kwan: Ex-U.S. champ is going to Olympics.
January 28, 2006... Byline: Jo-Ann Barnas Jan. 28--Five-time world figure skating champion Michelle Kwan proved Friday on home ice that she's fit enough for a third try at that elusive gold medal at next month's Winter Olympics. Almost two weeks after...

Detroit Free Press Drew Sharp column: Robinson's daughter wrong on Clemente.
January 28, 2006... Byline: Drew Sharp Jan. 28--There's nothing dishonorable about protecting a family's legacy. But the First Daughter of racial inclusion in baseball should understand better than anybody else that courage and inspiration aren't limited to...

Bold colors back as way to show individuality.(Cars become brighter)
January 27, 2006... Byline: Dan Shine DETROIT _ For Elisha Jakubowski of Rochester, Mich., buying a new car has as much to do with Martha Stewart as Jackie Stewart. Sure, Jakubowski looks at engine size, performance, styling and gas mileage when picking...

`Big Momma's House 2'.(Movie Review)
January 27, 2006... Byline: John Monaghan Call it Hollywood's greatest growth industry: Someone is making big money putting actors into fat suits. Martin Lawrence dons one for a second time in "Big Momma's House 2," a sequel to the surprise hit from...

EDITORIAL: P.S.(Editorial)
January 27, 2006... Jan. 27--The 35-5 record of the Detroit Pistons after Wednesday's win over Milwaukee matches the spectacular start of the 1984 Tigers, who became world champions of baseball. And then, of course, came two decades of futility... ...

EDITORIAL: Hamas' Victory: Vote poses new challenges, not roadblocks, to peace.(Editorial)
January 27, 2006... Jan. 27--Astunning and disturbing election victory by Hamas in the West Bank need not freeze the peace process if it pushes Palestinians and Israelis into more pragmatic positions. The Middle Eastern peace process has stalled for years,...

EDITORIAL: People's Pastor: May Bishop Gumbleton's voice of justice carry on.(Editorial)
January 27, 2006... Jan. 27--For those who've grown up in his nearly continual presence in southeast Michigan, it's sometimes easy to forget that Thomas Gumbleton's voice carries across the nation and world. The Roman Catholic auxiliary bishop and pastor of St....

Amid flap, van Gogh back on display at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
January 27, 2006... Byline: Mark Stryker Jan. 27--The Vincent van Gogh masterpiece at the heart of a brewing controversy at the Detroit Institute of Arts will be back on view at the museum starting this weekend. But the fight over the painting's...

Tigers pitchers warm up to Rogers.
January 27, 2006... Byline: Chris Lau Jan. 27--We've all heard a lot from Kenny Rogers since his midsummer cameramen assault and December signing with the Tigers. But we haven't heard much about Rogers, especially from his newest colleagues. Rogers...

Michigan governor reassures autoworkers group.
January 27, 2006... Byline: Joe Guy Collier Jan. 27--As she talked to a room of autoworkers Thursday morning at a DaimlerChrysler AG plant in Detroit, Gov. Jennifer Granholm was hit by a question that's on the top of the minds of many people in Michigan....

WHERE TEEN DRINKING LED: Criminals? Or just having some fun?
January 27, 2006... Byline: Bill Laitner Jan. 27--The judge had chastised nine students caught drinking at a Troy high school prom last spring. That would be the end of it, he figured. It was, until Judge Michael Martone stumbled across a Web site...

Pistons win 10th in a row for 36-5 start.(Detroit Pistons versus Memphis Grizzlies)
January 27, 2006... Byline: Krista Latham AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ Few teams can survive poor shooting, foul trouble and a higher than normal turnover count and still be in position to win in the final minutes. But these Pistons aren't like most teams....

Detroit Free Press Tom Walsh column.
January 26, 2006... Byline: Tom Walsh Jan. 26--As Super Bowl XL approaches, we can't help but worry about the prospect of mayhem in the streets. The television images of the past are seared into our memory. Cops in riot gear using tear gas, pepper...

Red Wings' Chelios, 44, plays the role of master mentor, too.(Chris Chelios)
January 26, 2006... Byline: Helene St. James DETROIT _ When Dan Cleary showed up in Chicago in 1997 as a rookie, Chris Chelios was there to help. After every game they'd go out to get something to eat and talk about things. Chelios never treated Cleary like...

Cool cars make their debuts at Detroit's big auto show.
January 26, 2006... Byline: Cathy Collison Every year, we're wowed by what we see at the North American International Auto Show. And this year was no different. What's fun about the show is the chance to see all the cool cars and concepts in one place....

Video-game review: `Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble'.(Product/Service Evaluation)
January 26, 2006... Byline: Craig Campbell, 12 "Viewtiful Joe: Red Hot Rumble," three stars (out of four); Capcom for GameCube, $39.99; rated: T (Teen). ___ My first impression of "Viewtiful Joe" was not good. But after I took more time, I found...

Why GM lost $8.6 billion in 2005.
January 26, 2006... Byline: Michael Ellis DETROIT _ General Motors Corp. warned of more cutbacks after the company capped a disastrous 2005 by reporting on Thursday an $8.6 billion loss for the year, the second-largest loss in the history of Detroit...

Once out of the game, LeSueur answers the call for Seahawks.(Jeremy LeSueur)(Interview)
January 26, 2006... Byline: Shawn Windsor KIRKLAND, Wash. _ He was back home in Holly Springs, Miss., when the call came three weeks ago. The Seattle Seahawks were interested in his services. Could he get on a plane and help the team practice? Before...

Shanahan nets 100th game-winner as Red Wings top Canucks.(Detroit red Wings versus Vancouver Canucks)
January 26, 2006... Byline: George Sipple DETROIT _ Brendan Shanahan could definitely be proud of scoring his latest goal. Shanahan hit the century mark on game-winning goals as the Red Wings beat the Vancouver Canucks, 2-1, Thursday night at Joe Louis...

Margo Jefferson bio.(Brief Article)(Biography)
January 25, 2006... Margo Jefferson bio: Claim to fame: Pulitzer Prize-winning cultural critic for the New York Times and author of ``On Michael Jackson.'' Home: Greenwich Village in Manhattan. Grew up in Chicago's Hyde Park. Age: 58 ...

Michael Joe Jackson bio.(Brief Article)(Biography)
January 25, 2006... Michael Joe Jackson bio: 1958: Born in Gary, Ind., the seventh of the nine children of Joe and Katherine Jackson: Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon, Michael, Randy and Janet. 1963: Joins brothers in what becomes the...

Never can say good-bye: In a new book, author reminds us that, like it or not, Michael Jackson is part of our cultural history.(On Michael Jackson)(Book Review)
January 25, 2006... Byline: Marta Salij What on earth are we supposed to do about Michael Jackson? Shrug and dismiss him as just plain crazy? Put a bookmark on www.awfulplasticsurgery.com and check daily for photos of a new Michael Jackson nose? ...

Smoochy and squeezy stories add sweetness, with a snap.(Children's Review)
January 25, 2006... Byline: Michele Siuda Jacques Get ready for Valentine's Day reading with lots of XOXO's between two covers. "I Will Kiss You (Lots & Lots & Lots!)" by Stoo Hample (Candlewick, $15.99) is an adorable book depicting all the silly ways...

Forget the Scarlet Pimpernel _ romances chase the `Pink Carnation' and the `Black Tulip'.(Book Review)
January 25, 2006... Byline: Marcia Abramson ``Size 12 Is Not Fat'' by Meg Cabot; HarperCollins ($12.99) ``Sweet Water'' by Anna Jeffrey; Penguin ($6.99) ___ What happens to Harvard history students when they haven't produced? "From what I...

`The Sempster's Tale': Nun battles bigots to save her friends.(Book Review)
January 25, 2006... Byline: Ron Bernas ``The Sempster's Tale'' by Margaret Frazer; Berkley Prime Crime ($24.95) ___ Dame Frevisse is in it right up to her wimple in "The Sempster's Tale," Margaret Frazer's latest tale featuring the tough, tart...

Motor City quickly turns to Steel City.(Super Bowl predictions)
January 25, 2006... Byline: Mitch Albom DETROIT _ Not to rush things, but we've already picked our team. In fact, less than five minutes after the Super Bowl foes were determined, Detroit had its mind made up. We're going with Pittsburgh, We...

Something new: Michigan topples Michigan State.(college basketball)
January 25, 2006... Byline: Mark Snyder ANN ARBOR, Mich. _ Finally, after half a season of waiting, Michigan provided proof. Proof that this a team capable of competing for the Big Ten title. Proof that it's able to beat a ranked opponent. And...

Pistons return home to work overtime and defeat Bucks.(Detroit Pistons versus Milwaukee Bucks)
January 25, 2006... Byline: Krista Latham AUBURN HILLS, Mich. _ All week, the Pistons heard about the Tigers' 35-5 start in 1984. They heard about it so much that after tying the mark with a turbulent 106-102 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on...

Bettis is in a world of his own, balancing a Super schedule.(Jerome Bettis)
January 25, 2006... Byline: Nicholas J. Cotsonika PITTSBURGH _ It all seems surreal to Jerome Bettis. Is he really playing in his first Super Bowl? Is the Super Bowl really in Detroit? Can he really give his Hall of Fame career a fairy tale ending by...

Tatupu, a little big man in Seattle.(Lofa Tatupu)
January 25, 2006... Byline: Shawn Windsor KIRKLAND, Wash. _ As if it weren't enough trying to bust out of his father's Pro Bowl shadow, Seattle Seahawks middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu had to navigate a few other obstacles on his way to the Super Bowl. ...

Pill-splitting plan could be big cost saver.
January 24, 2006... Byline: Katie Merx A new and controversial pill-splitting program at the University of Michigan could save $1.3 million and its health-plan members could save $190,000 this year if 45 percent of eligible members join. The university...

What's new in music racks.(Sound Recording Review)
January 24, 2006... ROSANNE CASH "Black Cadillac" (Capitol) 4 stars In a span of barely two years, Rosanne Cash lost her father, Johnny Cash, stepmother, June Carter Cash, and mother, Vivian Liberto Cash Distin. Given this litany of loss, it's no...

The punk side of Tom Snyder.(The Tomorrow Show: Punk and New Wave)(Video Recording Review)
January 24, 2006... Byline: Terry Lawson One of my all time favorite ledes _ journalese for the all-important first sentence designed to draw you into a story _ was written by TV critic Tom Shales contrasting two television talkers: Tom Brokaw, who had...

New video game releases.(Brief Article)
January 24, 2006... Most-ordered games going on sale this week at Amazon.com, including title, platform and ESRB rating: 1. "Payout Poker & Casino," PlayStation Portable, Teen 2. "Torino 2006," PlayStation 2, Everyone 3. "True Swing Golf," Nintendo...

DCX to cut 6,000 positions among white-collar staff.
January 24, 2006... Byline: Joe Guy Collier DETROIT _ DaimlerChrysler AG announced Tuesday the company will cut 6,000 white-collar jobs, or about 20 percent of the administrative staff, by 2008 and encourage more collaboration between divisions. The...