Blogs

kovalsky
Test title
Posted January 19, 2010 by kovalsky

Test message

<!-- FINISH 'webTools' --> <!-- START 'sponsorBanner : default' FILE: /.element/ssi/story/1.0/DEFAULT/.branding/default/sponsorBanner.html --><!-- FINISH 'sponsorBanner' -->

1027lakers1608.jpg
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers will have plenty to smile about when they see their championship rings.
Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Lakers' new rings get full Hollywood bling treatment

By Adena Andrews, NBA.com
Posted Oct 27 2009 10:31AM

It wasn't enough that the Los Angeles Lakers notched their 15th championship last season in their 30th NBA Finals appearance, more appearances than any other NBA franchise. They had to go and rub it in with what can only be described as the most fabulous of NBA championship rings yet.

<!-- REAP --><!--startclickprintexclude-->
<table align="right" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" height="333" width="270"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff">
The Lakers' new championship rings boast 15 diamonds to commemorate L.A.'s 15 NBA championships.
Special to NBA.com
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<!--endclickprintexclude--><!-- /REAP -->

The Lakers went true Hollywood style and contracted a jeweler to the stars (and some of their players) to bling out their 2008-09 championship rings. Lakers fans better have their shades ready during the ring presentation on Tuesday night because this ring is sure to blind.

Some key facts on the the Lakers' championship ice:

Laker gold -- Most rings are 14-karat gold but the Lakers' high-profile jeweler, Jason of Beverly Hills, created a special batch of 15-karat Laker gold to commemorate their 15th NBA championship. The ring is made of both white and yellow gold and was built from seven different parts that had to be assembled. Most rings are built as one unit.

Bling that'll blind -- The ring is comprised of 15 diamonds weighing in at 2.85 carats.

Home court advantage -- The Lakers' rings mirror the shape of the exterior of their home arena, the Staples Center. When viewed from the side, you can see the "roof" and "sides" of the Lakers' home court.

Personalization -- In the past every player has had their name and number on the side of their ring. The Lakers went a step above that and laser engraved the image of each player's face on his ring.

Lock-down defense -- Each ring boasts a hand-selected, diamond-engraved "L". The "L" is placed in a different position on each player's ring and is only viewable with a high-powered microscope. This helps authenticate each players piece. For further security and authentification, every ring has a serial number which is stored in a database that only the Lakers themselves and the jeweler can access.

<!-- REAP --><!--startclickprintexclude-->
<table align="right" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" width="300"><tbody><tr><td bgcolor="#ffffff">
Each player will receive a ring that features a laser engraving of their face on the side of the ring.
Special to NBA.com
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<!--endclickprintexclude--><!-- /REAP -->

Hollywood packaging, too -- Each ring will be presented in an oversized box roughly the size of a watch box. When opened, each box has two built-in LED spotlights that shine on the ring. Even the ring itself gets royal treatment: it is mounted on a rotating mechanical platform.

The Lakers' own 'Iceman'

The company responsible for this freak of nature championship ring is Jason of Beverly Hills. Thirteen years ago, the company was just the dream of a struggling UCLA student, Jason Arasheben. He's now become the established jeweler of choice for over 200 NBA players and world-renowned celebrities seeking one-of-a-kind diamond pieces.

Arasheben's company has never created a championship ring for an NBA team before, but with clients such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Andrew Bynum and Carmelo Anthony, he has become well-versed in the tastes of NBA players.

That established relationship with players, as well as some unmatched technology, helped Jason of Beverly Hills develop a ring that players could adore and have exemplify their personal style.

Jason of Beverly Hills was specifically selected out of numerous companies, some of whom have manufactured NBA championship rings before, to bring the bling to the Lakers' championship ring.

"We knew we were the new breed and we knew that the Lakers took a huge chance with us when we haven't had a track record in this type of championship ring business," Arasheben said. ''So we knew we had to exceed expectations and that's exactly what we did."

"We are bringing a little more flair and a little more of LA's lifestyle to this piece which has never been seen before.

"What is really unique about this particular ring is that it's not just a regular ring, it actually has tons of hidden meanings within the ring that give the ring a story. A story unlike any other ring has ever had."

Bdizzil
Indy Car Results
Posted October 10, 2009 by Bdizzil
<FORM id=submit_comment></FORM>
Written by: Marshall Pruett   
10/10/2009
Homestead, FL
 
Of the three drivers in contention for the 2009 IndyCar Series championship, only two looked on pace to secure the title for the majority of the season finale. Except for the initial laps Dario Franchitti led from pole position, the race quickly became a two horse race as Scott Dixon and Ryan Briscoe motored into the distance, nearly lapping Franchitti through 175 of the 200 laps on the Homestead-Miami oval.
He looked set for a third place finish for most of the day, but as Briscoe and Dixon needed a splash of fuel, Franchitti's economy run surprised the entire field and earned him a 2nd IndyCar title. (LAT) » More Photos

But what looked like a weakness on Franchitti's part was actually a cunning piece of race strategy crafted by team owner Chip Ganassi and the Scotsman. As Franchitti's Target car began to lose ground to Dixon and Briscoe, Ganassi shifted their strategy to one of fuel conservation, which in the end, made the difference between winning and losing.

In the first race in IndyCar history that ran without a caution flag, the 2007 Series champion was able to repeatedly stretch his fuel farther that his two rivals at each stop, and in the race's final stanza, a leaned-out Franchitti was able to keep lapping to the finish while Dixon and Briscoe were forced to pit for a splash of fuel with less than ten laps remaining.

It wasn't spectacular, and he nearly fell into the clutches of his teammate and the Penske Racing driver while soft-pedaling his Dallara-Honda, but the gamble paid off as Franchitti crossed the finish line ahead of Briscoe and Dixon to claim his fifth win of the year and his second IndyCar championship.

"We're always trying to go a little farther," said Franchitti, "the car lost its balance in the first balance, so we went into fuel conservation mode. It's a great team effort. Who'd have thought of this a year ago? I was thinking, 'come on baby, don't run out!."' He also dedicated his championship to the late Greg Moore, lost ten years ago this month in a crash at California Speedway.

The three cars lapped all the way up to fourth place Tony Kanaan, followed by Helio Castroneves, Hideki Mutoh, Mario Moraes, an impressive Alex Lloyd on his first race since Indy, Tomas Scheckter and Justin Wilson in tenth.

A full report will follow.

Results Saturday of the Firestone Indy 300 IndyCar Series event at the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript> dc_tile = dc_tile + 1; document.write('<SCR'+'IPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript1.1" SRC="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/sptv.auto-racing/indy-car;tile=' + dc_tile + ';pos=1;sz=300x250;ord=' + ord + '?" ></SCRIPT>'); </SCRIPT> <SCRIPT language=JavaScript1.1 src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adj/sptv.auto-racing/indy-car;tile=3;pos=1;sz=300x250;ord=539533 627219684900?"></SCRIPT> <!-- Copyright DoubleClick Inc., All rights reserved. --><!-- This code was autogenerated @ Fri Mar 06 14:39:44 EST 2009 --> <SCRIPT src="http://m1.2mdn.net/879366/flashwrite_1_2.js"></SCRIPT> <NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT> <SCRIPT> if ((!document.images && navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Mozilla/2.") >= 0) || navigator.userAgent.indexOf("WebTV")>= 0) { document.write(''); document.write(''); } </SCRIPT> <NOSCRIPT></NOSCRIPT>
Speedway, with order of finish, starting position in parentheses, driver, chassis-engine, laps completed and reason out (if any):


1. (1) Dario Franchitti, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
2. (3) Ryan Briscoe, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
3. (2) Scott Dixon, Dallara-Honda, 200, Running
4. (15) Tony Kanaan, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
5. (11) Helio Castroneves, Dallara-Honda, 199, Running
6. (19) Hideki Mutoh, Dallara-Honda, 198, Running
7. (10) Mario Moraes, Dallara-Honda, 198, Running
8. (5) Alex Lloyd, Dallara-Honda, 198, Running
9. (12) Tomas Scheckter, Dallara-Honda, 197, Running
10. (13) Justin Wilson, Dallara-Honda, 197, Running
11. (6) Graham Rahal, Dallara-Honda, 197, Running
12. (4) Ed Carpenter, Dallara-Honda, 197, Running
13. (21) Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dallara-Honda, 196, Running
14. (9) Raphael Matos, Dallara-Honda, 196, Running
15. (20) Mike Conway, Dallara-Honda, 195, Running
16. (18) E.J. Viso, Dallara-Honda, 194, Running
17. (17) Milka Duno, Dallara-Honda, 194, Running
18. (16) Sarah Fisher, Dallara-Honda, 187, Running
19. (7) Danica Patrick, Dallara-Honda, 185, Running
20. (22) Robert Doornbos, Dallara-Honda, 166, Mechanical
21. (14) Dan Wheldon, Dallara-Honda, 150, Contact
22. (8) Marco <NOBR style="COLOR: darkgreen; FONT-SIZE: 100%; FONT-WEIGHT: normal" id=itxt_nobr_28_0>Andretti</NOBR>, Dallara-Honda, 58, Mechanical
23. (23) Jaques Lazier, Dallara-Honda, 23, Mechanical


Race Statistics

Winner's average speed: 201.420 mph

Time of race: 1:28:28.3117

Margin of victory: 4.7888 seconds

Cautions: No caution flags

Lead changes: 12 among 4 drivers

Lap leaders: Franchitti 1-5, Dixon 6-47, Franchitti 48-50,

Castroneves 51-52, Dixon 53-62, Briscoe 63-95, Franchitti 96-

100, Briscoe 101-105, Dixon 106-123, Briscoe 124-144, Franchitti 145-150, Briscoe 151-194, Franchitti 195-200.

Point standings: Franchitti 616, Dixon 605, Briscoe 604,

Castroneves 433, Patrick 393, Kanaan 386, Rahal 385, Andretti 380, Wilson 354, Wheldon 354.
thepinkpleasure
$500 Contexst
Posted September 27, 2009 by thepinkpleasure

Bdizzil
ACND Football
Posted September 16, 2009 by Bdizzil

How many kudos members are in this photo?

Displaying 1 to 5 of 47