Stewart Mandel: USC loses, but Notre Dame, Florida St. make case to prove they're back

Everett Golson threw a 36-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter, but finished 14-of-32 in Notre Dame's upset of Michigan State.

Gregory Shamus/Getty Images

Week 3 Rewind

Top 25 team review: Week 3

Mandel: Cardinal top Trojans

Well, you knew this was coming. After a late night at Stanford Stadium recounting the Cardinal's takedown of preseason national title favorite USC, I woke up this morning to a bevy of e-mails and tweets like this one from @NikkiFree:

I FULLY expected #USC to fall. You guys in the media ram teams like USC down our throats because you WANT them to be relevant.

Hey, now. Don't go lumping me in with the masses. I did my part to warn people that the NCAA-impacted Trojans were no shoo-in to even win their own conference.

But if Nikki (if that's her real name) is right about one thing, it's this: We in the media do tend to get overexcited when a fallen power appears poised to return to glory. And by now, we all know the two annual champions of undue hype/subsequent on-field disappointment: Notre Dame and Florida State.

After eyebrow-raising performances by both, and with each facing a high-profile opponent this weekend, you might as well prepare now for a rash of "[Notre Dame or Florida State] is back" headlines should either or both prevail next Saturday.

So is this the year the buzz is actually merited? Or is this merely a prelude to slapping ourselves in the face for the umpteenth straight season?

At least for this week, the Irish deserve plenty of accolades for their defensive clinic in a 20-3 win at then No. 10 Michigan State. Notre Dame has had its share of offensive stars (Brady Quinn, Jimmy Clausen, Golden Tate, Michael Floyd) in recent years, but it hasn't fielded a truly elite defense since before some of its current players were born. Its first win in seven years over a top-10 team offered a strong case that may finally be changing.

"It's a big leap," said coach Brian Kelly. "It's a signature win."

Starting with a heroic performance by senior linebacker Manti Te'o (12 tackles, two pass breakups, a sack and a fumble recovery), who tragically lost both his girlfriend (to leukemia) and his grandmother within a 24-hour span last week, the Irish limited Spartans star Le'Veon Bell to 77 yards on 19 carries and allowed just 237 total yards. The game marked Michigan State's worst scoring output at home in 21 years.

While Kelly was hired largely for his Cincinnati teams' offensive prowess, the third-year coach made defense his top recruiting priority upon his arrival -- and it shows. Even after touted freshman defensive end Aaron Lynch transferred to USF during the offseason, Notre Dame finally boasts the type of disruptive defensive linemen (defensive ends Stephon Tuitt and Sheldon Day, nose guard Louis Nix) that were few and far between under Bob Davie, Tyrone Willingham and Charlie Weis.

"Our defense continues to be the group that we committed to in building when we started this process," said Kelly. "They're starting to get to that level that can play against anybody."

Now, the requisite caveats. Michigan State did not come in as an offensive juggernaut, as first-year starting quarterback Andrew Maxwell also struggled in the opener against Boise State. The Spartans' hallmark was their defense, and outside of an early 36-yard touchdown pass to John Goodman, Irish quarterback Everett Golson largely struggled (14-of-32 for 178 yards). And Notre Dame's inexperienced secondary suffered a significant blow when senior safety Jamoris Slaughter went down with a season-ending Achilles injury Saturday night.

The Irish -- which jumped from No. 20 to No. 11 in Sunday's AP poll -- play another primetime showcase Saturday against Michigan. After three straight last-second heartbreakers at the hands of Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson, Kelly's program would take another important step by beating the Wolverines. But in light of Alabama's season-opening rout of Michigan, a win should not merit national adulation. Those chances will come later this season, when the Irish take on No. 9 Stanford (Oct. 13) and No. 6 Oklahoma (Oct. 27).

No. 4 Florida State, on the other hand, requires no such patience. Its toughest test to date -- and possibly the highest-ranked opponent it will face all season -- comes to town Saturday when No. 10 Clemson visits Tallahassee.

Following a pair of tuneups against Murray State and Savannah State, the 'Noles finally faced a legitimate opponent last weekend in Wake Forest. Florida State proceeded to treat the Demon Deacons just the same as Murray State and Savannah State in a 52-0 whitewashing.

Wake Forest, mind you, had won four of its last six meetings with FSU and was coming off a 28-27 win over North Carolina. Deacons quarterback Tanner Price went 27-of-38 for 327 yards in that game against the Tar Heels. On Saturday, however, FSU's touted defense was even better than advertised. Relentless pressure from 'Noles defensive ends Tank Carradine (2.5 sacks) and Bjoern Werner (1.5 sacks) helped hold Price to a meager 8-of-22 for 82 yards, and Wake managed just 126 total yards on the day.

Meanwhile, running back Chris Thompson -- who suffered a season-ending injury in the same game last year, breaking two vertebrae -- made a dazzling return, breaking second-quarter touchdown runs of 74 and 80 yards.

"It was impressive watching them play today," Wake Forest coach Jim Grobe said of the 'Noles. "This is a really, really special football team."

On Saturday, Florida State's loaded defense will look to shut down Clemson's explosive offense, which has now regained the services of suspended star Sammy Watkins (he had a 58-yard run against Furman). But the real intrigue may be whether quarterback E.J. Manuel, whose services have barely been required thus far, can play a consistent game against a BCS bowl-caliber opponent.

From a national standpoint, beating Clemson doesn't hold the same water as beating Alabama or LSU, but thanks to those ever-generous preseason rankings, the 'Noles are already within two poll spots of Les Miles' Tigers. If FSU wins Saturday, it may essentially be "back" before we know for certain whether that's accurate.

If nothing else, perhaps the 'Noles will manage to ride that momentum longer than USC did.

Stanford's secondary shines

No. 21 Stanford topples No. 2 USC

Source: SI

Stewart Mandel analyzes the Cardinal's BCS-landscape-altering 21-14 victory over the Trojans.

The last time we saw Stanford face a top-10 opponent before Saturday, Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden and receiver Justin Blackmon shredded the Cardinal's secondary in last January's Fiesta Bowl. Under Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw, Stanford has produced NFL-caliber talent at almost every position on the field, but defensive back remained its notable Achilles' heel.

That being the case, the most impressive aspect of the Cardinal's 21-14 upset of USC was the spectacular job their new-look secondary did containing Marqise Lee and Robert Woods.

"Our defensive backs played as well tonight as they ever have since I've been here," said Shaw. "Those are the two best wide receivers in the nation and we held them to 254 [passing] yards."

Stanford lost three starters from last year's unit, including veteran safeties Michael Thomas and Delano Howell. Their replacements are less experienced but more athletic. Save for a 49-yard first-quarter catch and run by USC freshman Nelson Agholor, cornerbacks Terrence Brown, Barry Browning and Wayne Lyons, safeties Jordan Richards and Ed Reynolds and nickelbacks Usua Amanam and Ronnie Harris did a nice job keeping Lee and Woods in front of them. While it certainly helped that Matt Barkley was frequently under duress and was relegated to mostly short-yardage throws, Lee and Woods have broken more than a few of those for touchdowns. For the most part, Stanford's defensive backs wrapped up USC's receiving corps.

"We tried to make them one-dimensional and throw the ball," said Shaw. "That sounds crazy to put it in the hands of that quarterback and those receivers, but we knew we could play smart, sound football and keep those receivers in front of us."

With quarterback Josh Nunes still growing into his role, Stanford may need to win more games behind the strength of its defense than during the Andrew Luck era. Saturday's performance should give the Cardinal confidence as they prep for a season-long gauntlet of facing Pac-12 aerial offenses, a slate that continues a week from Thursday at Washington and quarterback Keith Price.

17 Sep, 2012

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Don Banks: Gostkowski's big miss caps wild day in Foxborough; more Snaps

SEATTLE -- Musings, observations and the occasional insight as we digest a wild and eventful Week 2 in the NFL...

• The weirdness was seemingly everywhere Sunday at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots simply don't lose home openers. The Arizona Cardinals are supposed to blink first when they're heavy road underdogs. Kevin Kolb and Tom Brady aren't expected to trade places for the day. And as for Ryan Williams, well, running backs aren't supposed to give the game away with a mind-boggling last-minute fumble and live to tell.

But both Williams and the Cardinals survived somehow, thanks to New England kicker Stephen Gostkowski going all Billy Cundiff on us and missing wide left on the game-winning 42-yard field goal with one second remaining. It was that kind of upside down afternoon in Foxboro, and when it was over, we had the league's most surprising 2-0 team in Arizona, and we had a fresh round of questions to consider about the defending AFC champion Patriots (1-1).

For starters, where was Wes Welker early on in the Cardinals' 20-18 win, with New England choosing to start Julian Edelman and wait until late in the first quarter before using their most proven pass catcher? And how much of an impact will the first-quarter ankle injury to tight end Aaron Hernandez make in New England? The Patriots played with very little intensity or effectiveness in his absence, and they spent the rest of the game trying to shake themselves out of their lethargy. So much for the notion that tight end Rob Gronkowski is the key to the Patriots' Brady-led passing game; it looked as if Hernandez was the irreplaceable component on this day. After the game, he was in a walking boot and used crutches to get around, leading you to believe his will not be a short-term injury.

As bad as New England looked, especially in the first half when they could muster just two field goals, give Ken Whisenhunt's undefeated Cardinals plenty of credit for that. Kolb wasn't masterful -- 15 of 27 for 140 yards, one touchdown, no interceptions and the game-deciding 5-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter -- but he was efficient and guided Arizona to its first win over the Patriots since September 1991, when the immortal Tom Tupa was flinging 'em for the Cardinals.

I wonder what Oakland's Tommy Kelly thinks of Kolb now? Kolb got the win in relief of the injured John Skelton last week against Seattle, and just won his first start of 2012 in one of the league's toughest road venues. For the foreseeable future, these Cardinals are Kolb's team again, and Arizona's quarterback quandry is a thing of the past.

But the best news in Arizona is the play of the defense. Coordinator Ray Horton's unit gave up 387 yards and 25 first downs to New England, but Cardinals defensive ends Calais Campbell (two sacks) and Darnell Dockett (four tackles) were handfuls for New England to contend with all day, and cornerback Patrick Peterson added an interception and a nifty 17-yard rush from the Wildcat formation. Even Arizona special teams contributed mightily, with linebacker Quentin Groves blocking a Zoltan Mesko punt in the red zone to set up the Cardinals' go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter. Groves also had one of Arizona's four sacks.

The Cardinals have now held Seattle to 16 points and New England to 18, and that kind of defense makes up for a lot of mistakes on offense, like when Williams stunningly fumbled deep in his own territory with 1:01 remaining and the Patriots out of timeouts. The Cardinals are living dangerously this season, squeaking out a win last week against the Seahawks in a game that went down to the final play, but they're finding a way to win ugly, and that's all that counts.

• Speaking of inartistic victories, the Eagles picked up another one at home against Baltimore in Week 2, and now Philadelphia prepares for next week's trip to Arizona and a showdown with its fellow 2-0 starter. I'm not sure how the Eagles are doing it, but it is a bottom-line league. Philadelphia has committed nine turnovers in two weeks, and three of the four Eagles miscues on Sunday came in the red zone, where the price of that kind of error is magnified.

No matter. Philadelphia has a pair of one-point wins over Cleveland and Baltimore, and embattled Eagles quarterback Michael Vick has led two fourth-quarter game-winning touchdown drives. Like Arizona, Philadelphia is unbeaten largely because its defense is getting the job done. Newly acquired middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans has been especially stout, with rookie defensive tackle Fletcher Cox and cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie both turning in strong games against a Ravens offense that came in red-hot off its big Monday night win at home against Cincinnati.

Maybe this is what we should expect from Vick this season, a highwire act every week. But No. 7 got hit a ton again on Sunday, and at this rate I can't see him lasting past Week 4 without an injury issue cropping up.

• For the longest time on Sunday, it looked like both of last season's Super Bowl teams were going down to galling homefield defeats at the hands of sun-belt teams, but unlike the Patriots, the Giants refused to lose, rallying to put up 25 fourth-quarter points and beat Tampa Bay 41-34.

Eli Manning's day was interesting. His three first-half interceptions nearly doomed New York, with all three leading to Bucs touchdowns. But Manning, as he often does, saved his best for last, bringing the Giants back in the fourth quarter and winding up with a staggering 510 yards passing and three touchdowns. And yes, that was a career high in terms of yardage.

Manning got huge days from both Hakeem Nicks (10 catches for 199 yards and a touchdown) and Victor Cruz (11 for 179 yards and a touchdown), with Cruz bouncing back superbly from his three-drop showing in the opening-week loss to Dallas. Cruz had an 80-yard touchdown catch on Sunday, already his fifth career score of at least 70 yards in the past two seasons.

The Giants won the game, but they're losing the war of attrition. Already out are cornerback Prince Amukamara and linebacker Keith Rivers. On Sunday, running back Ahmad Bradshaw (neck), right offensive tackle David Diehl (knee), and receiver Domenik Hixon (concussion) all were forced to the sideline and lost for the game.

• As thrilling as the Bucs-Giants game was, maybe the best theatre came after it, when the head coaches, Tom Coughlin and Greg Schiano, had an animated discussion at midfield. Here we are, just a few hours before the "Handshake Bowl'' in San Francisco, with the Lions' Jim Schwartz and the 49ers' Jim Harbaugh renewing hostilities Sunday night, and Coughlin and Schiano nearly stole their thunder.

Coughlin didn't like how aggressive the Bucs defense was on the game's final kneel-down play, with Manning getting bowled over by someone, and he made sure and let Schiano know his displeasure.

"I don't think you do that,'' a still-annoyed Coughlin said in his post-game press conference. "I don't think you jeopardize the offensive line, I don't think you jeopardize the quarterback.''

Especially after he throws for 510 yards and wins you the game.

• NBC can't be happy the highly anticipated Week 3 rematch of last year's AFC Championship Game -- New England at Baltimore, next Sunday night -- lost a little luster in Week 2. Both teams lost a nail-biter.

Not that we won't watch or anything. It's still Tom Brady versus Joe Flacco, with neither team in the mood to drop to 1-2 after winning in Week 1.

• Ronde Barber was the defensive hero for Tampa Bay last week, but he looked every bit his 37 years old on that game-tying 80-yard to bomb to Giants receiver Cruz in the fourth quarter. Cruz blew past Barber like the Bucs' elder statesman was a lamp post.

Until the fourth quarter on Sunday, the return of the Bucs defense looked like one of the biggest stories of this young NFL season. But then a Manning changed all that.

• We'll never be able to fully quantify the impact of Sean Payton's absence in New Orleans. But clearly something vital is missing for the 0-2 Saints, who are just one loss away from tying their 2011 total of regular-season defeats. I loved the hiring of ex-Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo as defensive coordinator in New Orleans, but he has had no answers so far for the Saints.

It's important to remember Spagnuolo was under heavy criticism in his first season in New York in 2007, when the eventual Super Bowl champion Giants started 0-2. But that bit of five-year-old history isn't going to make up for the disarray New Orleans is showing on defense. In their past three meaningful games, the Saints are 0-3, having given up 36 points to San Francisco in the NFC divisional round playoffs, 40 points to Washington last week at home, and 35 to the run-heavy Panthers (213 rushing yards) on Sunday.

If there's any good news in Saints-land, it's that next week game is home against winless Kansas City (0-2). The Chiefs can only throw quarterback Matt Cassel at New Orleans, after the Saints just endured this year's rookie QB sensation in Washington's Robert Griffin III, and last year's rookie QB sensation in Carolina's Cam Newton.

• Not quite sure why Jay Cutler's sideline demeanor Thursday night in Green Bay was a surprise to anyone. Cutler has never been a warm and fuzzy type, and his bad mood might have had something to do with wearing Packers linebacker Clay Matthews like an appendage all night. Chicago has bigger issues to contend with than Cutler's whiny and at times petulant behavior. Like an offense line that looks sieve-like once again, and that Matt Forte ankle injury.

• I thought the Raiders always drafted for speed? How is it that this Oakland team looks rather slow, especially on defense, where Miami's Reggie Bush ran away from the Raiders all game long? Bush finished with 172 yards rushing, 25 receiving, and on his two long touchdown runs (23 and 65 yards), he either broke tackles or just left the Oakland defenders in his dust.

• Injured Buffalo running back Fred Jackson is going to hear his share of Wally Pipp jokes this week, but at least the Bills know they're okay with C.J. Spiller carrying the rushing load. Spiller had another monster game in Buffalo's much-needed win over Kansas City, racking up 123 yards and two touchdowns on just 15 carries (8.2 average). Last week against the Jets, Spiller went for 169 yards and a touchdown on a mere 14 carries (12.1 average).

Do the math. Spiller has 29 carries for 292 yards this season, good for 10.1 yards per carry. That will work.

• Even in defeat Sunday, Cleveland Browns fans at least saw a glimpse of the future in the 34-27 loss at Cincinnati, and it was pretty impressive. First-round Browns running back Trent Richardson rumbled for 109 yards rushing on 19 carries, and added 36 more receiving yards. He scored twice, once in spectacular fashion on a 23-yard catch and run, breaking at least three tackles along the way.

Cleveland first-round quarterback Brandon Weeden also rebounded from his embarrassing Week 1 performance, completing 26 of 37 passes for 322 yards and a pair of touchdown passes. Weeden looked as ready to play Sunday as he looked shaky in last week's home loss to Philadelphia. The Browns are 0-2 for the sixth time in seven years, but at least there's hope after Sunday's developments.

• The Texans (2-0) handled their business in the season's opening two weeks, beating teams in Miami and Jacksonville that they should beat. But now the Houston schedule is about to get tougher, with a trip to Denver looming next week, and then dates at the Jets (Week 5), and home against both Green Bay (Week 6) and Baltimore (Week 7) to come.

We can't yet measure the Texans' strength against the likes of the Dolphins and Jaguars, but that Houston defense is going to be good against anyone. Jacksonville had a franchise low 117 yards of offense against the Texans, with Jags quarterback Blaine Gabbert completing just seven passes for 53 yards before leaving the game with a leg injury in the second half.

• Sorry, but this replacement ref fiasco has got to end. Some of these folks are simply in over their heads. You can say that overall the stand-ins have done a credible job, but some of their work is getting tough to watch. The Ravens-Eagles game was this week's case in point. It was a chippy game that nearly got out of control at times, and the refs did little to establish credibility with the players on Baltimore and Philadelphia.

Sloppy is the best way to describe the execution of the officiating, with issues in correctly marking out penalties, turning on microphones to announce penalties, and keeping the pace of the game moving along. It took three and a half hours to play this one, and the players are starting to grow frustrated with some of the raggedness. Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco called out the replacement refs after the loss in Philly, saying they are impacting the "integrity of the game.''

Couldn't agree more, Joe. It's time for the NFL to get a deal with the original refs and remove this storyline from the league's landscape.

• Did I hear this right: It was fake mustache day in both Jacksonville (in honor of new owner Shad Kahn) and St. Louis (a tip of the hat to new Rams head coach Jeff Fisher)? Who says the NFL has no new ideas in the push to get people out of their homes and into the stadiums around the league?

17 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://si.com/2012/writers/don_banks/09/16/patriots-cardinals/index.html?eref=si_writers
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Cary Estes: Five things we learned from Chicagoland

Brad Keselowski took over the points lead after his Chicagoland win.

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

JOLIET, Ill -- Brad Keselowski apparently feels his future is so bright in this year's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship that he has to wear shades, regardless of what anybody else wants him to do.

The 12 drivers who qualified for this year's Chase gathered in Millennium Park in downtown Chicago on Wednesday for a publicity photo in advance of Sunday's opening Chase race at Chicagoland Speedway. It was a sparkling sunny day, but the photographer wanted the drivers to pose without wearing sunglasses.

GALLERIES: CHASE PARTICIPANTS | 2012 NASCAR CUP WINNERS

All the drivers complied, except for Keselowski. Despite pleas from NASCAR officials, team reps and even his fellow racers, Keselowski steadfastly refused to remove his shades. When the photo was finally taken, there was Keselowski in the middle of the line of drivers, eyes carefully covered. Taking a cue from singer Frank Sinatra, who considered Chicago to be his kind of town, Keselowski is determined to do things his way.

It is hard to argue with the results so far. Keselowski won Sunday's Geico 400 at Chicagoland for his fourth victory of the season and his 10th top-10 run in the past 11 races. Keselowski now leads the standings by three points over five-time champion Jimmie Johnson and by eight points over defending champ Tony Stewart.

"There's no better place to start than in the lead. Why not go from there?" Keselowski said. "Our team did a phenomenal job of executing and got my car running really, really strong.

"It feels like round one of a heavyweight title fight, but it's a 10-round fight. We might have won the round, but we haven't by any means knocked them out. ... The Chase isn't about one particular weekend, it's about 10. And there's still a long way to go."

Here are five things we learned at Chicago ...

1: Jeff Gordon's mustache has lost its mystical powers -- After making an amazing rally to barely squeak into the final Chase position, Gordon followed through on a promise me made several weeks ago to regrow the infamous mustache he sported early in his career if he made the Chase. But his championship chances might be over before the stache reaches full form.

After running near the front for much of the day, Gordon said his throttle stuck as he entered the first turn on lap 189 of the 267-lap race and he slammed hard into the wall. The wreck dropped Gordon to a 35th-place finish, a devastating blow in the 10-race Chase. He is now 47 points behind Keselowski and 21 points out of 11th place.

"In this deal, you can't afford to have issues like that," Gordon said. "It's very disappointing."

2: Dale Earnhardt Jr. continues to show his maturity -- As he stood next to his No. 88 Chevy minutes before the green flag waved, Earnhardt predicted a top-10 run, even though he was starting in the rear of the field because his team changed engines after qualifying. "We've had great speed all year and this car is no different," Earnhardt said confidently. "We'll be just fine."

Earnhardt then authored a quietly solid race, which is what he has done all season. Mostly using the high-line around the 1.5-mile oval, Earnhardt steadily worked his way through the field and finished eighth. In years past, Earnhardt's lap times usually fell off as races progressed -- it was, by far, his biggest flaw -- but this season he has consistently passed cars as the laps have wound down, which is what he did Sunday.

Earnhardt does not possess the raw speed of some of the top competitors, so for him to win the championship, he likely will need to string together nine more top-five and top-10 runs while hoping that others make a mistake at some point in the Chase and suffer finishes of 20th or worse. Earnhardt should be fast next weekend at New Hampshire International Speedway, where he finished fourth in July.

"We're still in the fight," said Earnhardt, who trails Keselowski by 17 points. "So we'll go on to the next one still with a shot."

3: Kyle Busch might do more than just run around in circles during the Chase -- Three weeks ago, Busch declared if he didn't make Chase, he would be "just another race car out there on the racetrack running around in circles." In other words, there wouldn't really be any purpose in racing if he wasn't eligible to win the championship.

Well, Busch didn't make the Chase, losing the final position to Jeff Gordon last week. But while the championship is no longer a possibility, there are still races that can be won, and Busch must have realized that at some point during the week leading up to Chicago. Busch put in some serious practice time on Friday, running 48 laps during the first session (the sixth most of any driver) and then turning another 40 laps during the second session. By the time practice was over, Busch had posted the second-fastest lap of the day at 181.507 mph.

The work paid off, as Busch finished fourth, his first top-five in seven races. Busch will not win the championship this season, but if he is willing to keep his head in the game, do not be surprised if he wins another race.

4: Goose is cooked for lame-duck Matt Kenseth -- As soon was it was announced in June that Kenseth would be leaving Roush-Fenway Racing at the end of the season, there was speculation his championship hopes were over because the team would not be able to maintain the chemistry needed for a title run. Of course, last year crew chief Darian Grubb was told midway through the Chase he was being let go from Tony Stewart's No. 14 team at the end of the season, and that discord didn't prevent Stewart from winning the championship.

Kenseth's crew is still working hard for him. During Friday's second practice session, Kenseth ran one lap and said the car was extremely loose. He immediately returned to the garage and the team worked on the car for more than a half-hour. Kenseth went back out on the track, ran two more laps and said the car was better but still too loose. So it was back to the garage for some more adjustments. Finally, with the practice session winding down, Kenseth managed to sneak in four more laps. He hit 180.905 mph during one of them, which was the eighth-fastest speed of the session.

It appeared that performance was going to carry over into Sunday's race, as Kenseth was running in the top 10 most of the afternoon. But he began fading following a restart with a little more than 100 laps to go, and eventually his right front shock fell completely out of the car. Kenseth dropped all the way back to 24th before a caution allowed his team to make the needed repairs. It wasn't enough to salvage the day, however, as he finished 18th. Kenseth has only three top-10 finishes and one top-five over the past nine races. After leading the point standings for six consecutive weeks midway through the season, Kenseth has now dropped to 11th.

5: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. is a star in the making -- One of the best young drivers in NASCAR was not on the track Sunday. He had punched the clock a day earlier, and in the process demonstrated once again he might be the future of the sport.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won Saturday's Nationwide Series race at Chicago for his fifth victory of the year, and extended his lead over Elliott Sadler in the series standings to nine points. Stenhouse is vying for his second consecutive Nationwide Series championship. The last two drivers to win back-to-back Nationwide titles, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Martin Truex Jr., are both in this year's Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Stenhouse might soon be a Chase contender as well. He is replacing Kenseth in the No. 17 Sprint Cup car next year, and team owner Jack Roush has already declared that Stenhouse will go down as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history. While that statement is definitely a bit over the top -- let him win at least one Cup race first -- there appears to be little doubt that Stenhouse will quickly become one of the sport's better drivers.

"Ricky Stenhouse is going to be a force in this sport," said fellow Roush-Fenway driver Carl Edwards. "It's the beginning of a new era for our sport to have Ricky in the car."

17 Sep, 2012

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NHL Lockout Day 1: Talking to the fans, not each other

While neither side in the NHL's lockout of the players had anything to say at midnight when the CBA expired, on Sunday the messaging war began.

The league issued the following statement at 9 AM on NHL.com:

"Despite the expiration of the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the National Hockey League has been, and remains, committed to negotiating around the clock to reach a new CBA that is fair to the Players and to the 30 NHL teams.

"Thanks to the conditions fostered by seven seasons under the previous CBA, competitive balance has created arguably the most meaningful regular season in pro sports; a different team has won the Stanley Cup every year; fans and sponsors have agreed the game is at its best, and the League has generated remarkable growth and momentum. While our last CBA negotiation resulted in a seismic change in the League's economic system, and produced corresponding on-ice benefits, our current negotiation is focused on a fairer and more sustainable division of revenues with the Players — as well as other necessary adjustments consistent with the objectives of the economic system we developed jointly with the NHL Players' Association seven years ago. Those adjustments are attainable through sensible, focused negotiation — not through rhetoric.

"This is a time of year for all attention to be focused on the ice, not on a meeting room. The League, the Clubs and the Players all have a stake in resolving our bargaining issues appropriately and getting the puck dropped as soon as possible. We owe it to each other, to the game and, most of all, to the fans."

That was followed at around 1 PM Sunday afternoon by the release of this very slickly produced video by the NHLPA:

On their websites, many clubs reran the league's message. A third of them — Columbus, Dallas, Edmonton, Florida, Minnesota, Islanders, Phoenix, St. Louis, San Jose and Vancouver — crafted messages of their own to fans and sponsors. Some , teams that feel they made major offseason strides, reinforced that effort in their communiques. It's rare that the clubs or team executives have said anything at all about the talks or the lockout — they have been prohibited by the NHL from making statements under the threat of a million dollar fine. It's quite possible that all these messages had to cleared by the league office prior to publication.

As for the owners and players speaking to each other about reaching a new collective bargaining agreement, there were no formal talks today and none are scheduled. Katie Strang of ESPN New York tweeted that a phone discussion between NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and NHLPA special counsel Steve Fehr took place sometime Sunday and that they plan to speak again Tuesday evening. These two have kept the lines of communication open even as the sides have remain committed to their now-entrenched positions. But as for anything productive coming from their chat, RDS's Renaud Lavoie tweeted, "Nothing new to report."

17 Sep, 2012

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Will Carroll: Be wary of Mathews, Gore and Eagles WRs in Week 2

An ailing top pick playing in a late game, Ryan Mathews is one of the toughest lineup decisions for fantasy owners in Week 2.

Denis Poroy/AP

"Upgrade" is pretty self-explanatory term, but it seems a couple of you are confused about what it means here in the Med Check. An upgrade here means that a health situation for a player or a complementary player will result in more fantasy value than expected absent that situation. You'll see below that Kevin Kolb is an upgrade and it's easy to understand why: he's getting the start. That doesn't mean that I think Kolb is a good fantasy play. He's a questionable backup at this stage with a very tough matchup. Some upgrades come because a key matchup is tilted by injury. Not having Darrelle Revis on the field opens things up for Ben Roethlisberger. Downgrades work the same. Denarius Moore is downgraded because he's unlikely to see his full complement of targets as he comes off injuries. It's worth noting for those that are excited about the return of the Raiders WR. Use these as guidelines based on your current projections. They're best suited for double-checking against injuries and for making those "on the fence" decisions when all else is equal. I hope that helps. Of course, you can always ask your questions during the Sunday chat. It's going to be later (11:30 a.m. ET) and longer (going right up to game time) this week. Hope to see you there. Be sure to check here for all the updates as well.

11:15 a.m. Updates

NYJ: There were some rumblings going around that Darrelle Revis wasn't as "out" as the Jets had said Friday as late as this morning. They turn out to be just rumbles -- Revis is out.

IND: Austin Collie is out for this week's game.

SD: Adam Schefter is reporting that Ryan Mathews won't play. It's a late game, so it depends on how much you trust Schefter (and who your other RB option is.) If Mathews doesn't play, Curtis Brinkley and Ronnie Brown will split carries.

10 a.m. Updates

CAR: All signs point to Steve Smith not only starting, but getting his normal WR1 targets. Smith's only downside this week is the Panthers' focus on running, with Cam Newton and a healthier Jonathan Stewart.

NYG: The Giants have had a lot of time off since their kickoff game. That bought Prince Amukamara the time he needed. He'll play in Week 2.

9 a.m. Updates

PHI: The Eagles think they'll have both Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson starting today. Maclin is the riskier play, with his hip limiting his explosiveness and separation. With Michael Vick well aware of the talk about his interceptions last week, he's less likely to throw into tight spaces.

SEA: The Seahawks get Golden Tate back this week, pushing Braylon Edwards to the bench more. Edwards will still play, though Tate is expected to get the WR2 targets.

DAL: Both DeMarco Murray (wrist) and Felix Jones (ribs) are a bit banged up, but will play against the Seahawks physical defense. Philip Tanner is a name to keep in mind, especially if you see him used today in goal line situations.

8:30 a.m. Updates

WAS: Sources tell Jason La Canfora that Pierre Garcon won't play. He's still a GTD, but I was able to confirm that Garcon's foot is still a big problem. "He made no progress this week. It's not that bad, but it didn't get better." This will come down to pain tolerance.

PHI: It looks like DeSean Jackson will play today, but it's less likely (but possible) that Jeremy Maclin will be there as well. Damaris Johnson could be the fill-in if one or both can't go.

CIN: Bernard Scott is looking like a go. The Bengals staff will take a look at him in warm ups, but if he plays, he'll get a split with BenJarvus Green-Ellis.

Chiefs @ Bills

UPGRADE: C.J. Spiller

DOWNGRADE: none

With Fred Jackson out for a month, the Bills are going to have to hope C.J. Spiller can build on what he did last week. He'll get the touches, but there's some question as to whether he'll wear down. He didn't in college, so I have hopes that he can do it, especially this early in the season. The Chiefs could get Brandon Flowers back, which won't help Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Saints @ Panthers

UPGRADE: Jonathan Stewart

DOWNGRADE: Devery Henderson

Jonathan Stewart was back at practice Thursday, but there's some question about whether he'll play and how much. If he's available, he'll get the normal split and try to help Cam Newton by having some sort of running game. On top of the normal football injuries, the Panthers have an illness moving through the locker room. That could affect depth, availability and stamina. Keep an eye out for last-minute changes for the Panthers. The Saints won't have Devery Henderson on Sunday, but Drew Brees has plenty of other targets. Jabari Greer should be back, which will help confuse comparisons between Newton and Robert Griffin.

Browns @ Bengals

UPGRADE: Trent Richardson

DOWNGRADE: none

The Browns gave Richardson 19 carries, even as they tried to ease him in. Granted, some of that was desperation as Brandon Weeden melted down in front of him. Richardson came out of it okay and while he's not full-speed yet, he came out of Week 1 as well as can be expected. Until he gets some help, he's not the best fantasy play, but he's getting better. The Bengals defense could get Carlos Dunlap back, which would help their pass rush, not that Brandon Weeden needs any more complications.

Vikings @ Colts

UPGRADE: Adrian Peterson

DOWNGRADE: Austin Collie

After last week, do I really need to explain why playing Adrian Peterson against a poor run defense is the smart play? I hope not. The Vikings have no other significant injuries. Troubling news on Austin Collie, who is now very unlikely to play. He is still having concussion symptoms after activity and is not cleared to play.

Texans @ Jaguars

UPGRADE: Maurice Jones-Drew.

DOWNGRADE: none

With Rashad Jennings out, Maurice Jones-Drew will get the bulk of carries. Jennings' window to establish himself is firmly closed and Jones-Drew gets back to elite status quickly, assuming he's ready for that kind of workload. The Jags will be missing Eben Britton, so Jones-Drew is going to have to do more himself. The Texans have no significant injuries.

Raiders @ Dolphins

UPGRADE: none

DOWNGRADE: Denarius Moore

The Raiders get Denarius Moore back, but the hamstring isn't fully healed. He is very likely to play, but will get a limited number of snaps and even less in the way of targets. Even his routes will be a bit limited so that he's not forced to really extend his hamstring. When the team is game planning to keep you from breaking a long run, you're probably not a good fantasy play. With Daniel Thomas out, Reggie Bush will have no competition for touches or targets, though it could expose him a bit.

Cardinals @ Patriots

UPGRADE: Kevin Kolb

DOWNGRADE: none

John Skelton hasn't been officially ruled out, but it's going to be Kevin Kolb under center on Sunday. We'll see how he does in a tough matchup and see whether this positive news on Skelton translates into a Week 3 return. Don't worry about Patrick Peterson being questionable, unless you get points for him in the return game. The Pats have no significant injuries.

Buccaneers @ Giants

UPGRADE: Doug Martin

DOWNGRADE: Hakeem Nicks

LaGarrette Blount was back at practice, but the touches are clearly tilting toward Doug Martin. The Bucs are also watching RT Jeremy Trueblood closely. His absence won't help Josh Freeman any with the Giants' rush. The Giants think they'll have Prince Amukamara back, but watch out for Hakeem Nicks. The Giants did a good job of using routes to keep him from overtaxing his foot, but it did limit him in ways. I'd imagine it to be much the same this week.

Ravens @ Eagles

UPGRADE: none

DOWNGRADE: Jeremy Maclin, DeSean Jackson

It's worrisome for any team to have their WR1 and WR2 hurt at the same time. It's worse for the Eagles. Michael Vick doesn't need temptation to run and having his secondary WRs locked up in coverage might just lead to that. Andy Reid is prepping Nick Foles just in case, which is smart. Maclin's hip flexor will affect his technical style more, while DeSean Jackson can shift it down a gear and still get things done. Both are game-time decisions, with Jackson more likely to contribute. On the other side, Ed Reed will be limited a bit by a hamstring strain, but is likely to play.

Cowboys @ Seahawks

UPGRADE: Miles Austin, Jason Witten

DOWNGRADE: none

The flipside of the Thursday schedule is the rest. That really helped the Cowboys. Miles Austin is healthier. Dez Bryant is healthier. Jason Witten was given ten days to heal up, key time for an internal injury. It's almost all good news for the Cowboys (they will miss Jay Ratliff and Phil Costa, but they've had time to adjust) and bad news for the Seahawks defense. The Seahawks will have Marshawn Lynch again. His back didn't seem to trouble him much in Week 1, so the painkillers and therapy are likely to hold up again.

Redskins @ Rams

UPGRADE: none

DOWNGRADE: Pierre Garcon

Pierre Garcon's foot had a mild setback on Friday, making him a GTD+, but he's still likely to play. He's a bit more of a risky play, with a bruised foot on turf for a second week complicating matters. Worse, it's a late game, so at best, Garcon should be a flex play. The Rams might get Rodger Saffold back this week, surprising after he was carted off in Week 1. He practiced on Friday and is a GTD-.

Jets @ Steelers

UPGRADE: Ben Roethlisberger

DOWNGRADE: Rashard Mendenhall, Darrelle Revis, Troy Polamalu

It's not a real surprise that Darelle Revis is out. Revis was cleared to practice this week, but didn't. He was not cleared to play and won't be tested again before Sunday. This benefits the whole Steelers passing game, but I can't make an accurate prediction on who will get the best of it. Depth is such an issue that Joe McKnight took some snaps at CB. The Steelers probably won't have Rashard Mendenhall again this week. He's closer, but it looks like the Steelers are confident that Jonathan Dwyer can do enough to get by, letting Mendenhall continue to heal. Word from Pittsburgh on Saturday is that Troy Polamalu will not play, but be sure to confirm that on Sunday morning.

Titans @ Chargers

UPGRADE: Jake Locker

DOWNGRADE: Antonio Gates, Ryan Mathews, Kenny Britt

Ryan Mathews is one of the toughest fantasy decisions this week. He's a top pick playing in a late game as a GTD. His return to practice on Thursday gave a lot of hope, but while he's more likely to play this week, it's not clear if he'll be a good fantasy options. He took very limited contact, so there was no real test of his clavicle. As I said before, I think it's better to sit back and watch for a week if there's any sort of option. Antonio Gates is likely to play in his normal role. The Chargers will be missing Jared Gaither, but they've adjusted here. The Titans will have Jake Locker, who'll be able to play despite last week's off-shoulder injury. There's more questions about Kenny Britt, coming off suspension and knee surgery. He's a watch-and-wait this week, especially with Nate Washington available.

Lions @ 49ers

UPGRADE: Randy Moss

DOWNGRADE: Frank Gore

With Louis Delmas and Chris Houston out again, the Lions secondary can be exploited a bit. This could be where Randy Moss is most likely to succeed, as a tall "post up" WR in the red zone. Watch to see if Frank Gore has a few less touches. He took a big hit on his highlight TD that had to be checked. He practiced well, but be aware that even with Brandon Jacobs out, Gore could share more with Kendall Hunter this week.

Monday Notes

The Broncos new defensive backfield looks solid, but they'll have no bigger challenge than the Falcons. That is, unless Roddy White is limited. A groin strain has the Falcons worried right now ... Demaryius Thomas was back at practice on Friday, but a shoulder injury might make it tougher on him in the red zone. If he comes up just short on a reaching catch, you'll know why (and so will Peyton Manning.) ... Watch to see if Tyson Clabo is able to go at RT. If not, the Falcons are down to their RT3 and Von Miller could shift to exploit that weakness

Errata: I had a note on Russell Okung in Thursday's column that was an error. I accidentally paged down, seeing his previous injury note, and did not realize I was writing up something that had happened last December. It is entirely my fault and I apologize.

16 Sep, 2012

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Source: http://si.com/2012/writers/will_carroll/09/15/med-check-week-2-ryan-mathews/index.html?eref=si_writers
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Sarapan agar Sehat jantung

Sarapan agar Sehat jantung Penyakit jantung kerap dianggap sebagai silent killer. Banyak yang terlambat menyadari gejalanya hingga muncul serangan fatal. Karena itu, penting melakukan tindakan pencegahan dengan kontrol asupan makanan.

Seperti dikutip Times of India, salah satu tindakan pencegahan yang dapat dilakukan adalah memperbanyak konsumsi buah-buahan mengandung zat antioksidan dan likopen, seperti semangka dan leci.

Studi Florida State University telah mengungkap bahwa konsumsi semangka dapat menurunkan tekanan darah tinggi, yang mendukung stabilitas kondisi jantung.

Temuan yang dipublikasikan dalam American Journal of Hypertension ini menunjukkan, senyawa alami semangka berperan "melebarkan" pembuluh darah, sehingga jantung tak harus bekerja keras memompa darah ke seluruh tubuh.

WHO Food juga mendukung temuan ini. Semangka tak hanya sebagai sumber vitamin C dan vitamin A yang baik, tapi juga mengandung zat antioksidan serta likopen yang berperan menetralisasi radikal bebas, dan mengoksidasi kolesterol.

Kemampuan semangka mengoksidasi kolesterol yang menempel pada dinding pembuluh darah itulah yang dikaitkan dengan penurunan risiko atau pencegahan serangan jantung dan stroke.

Selain semangka, pencegahan penyakit jantung juga bisa dilakukan dengan memperbanyak konsumsi leci. Kandungan polifenol alami yang cukup tinggi di dalamnya memiliki efek kardioproteksi, menghambat agregrasi trombosit, memiliki efek vasorelaksasi, juga melindungi sel endotel pembuluh darah dari stres oksidatif Sarapan agar Sehat jantung

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Promo Member Alfamart Minimarket Lokal Terbaik Indonesia

Promo Member Alfamart Minimarket Lokal Terbaik Indonesia merupakan promosi Yang dilakukan Oleh Minimarket Lokal Terbesar dan Minimarket Pertama Terbaik Indonesia guna untuk menarik Simpati dan Perhatian lebih dari masyarakat untuk menjadi Member Alfamart dan khususnya pecinta Informasi internet dengan menyelenggarakan Promo Indonesia Kontes SEO Alfamart 2012.

Member Alfamart Adalah sebutan untuk para pelanggan setia Alfamart.Para member Alfamart akan mendapatkan berbagai macam keuntungan dan kejutan special dari Alfamart seperti: HematKu, Kalender Belanja, Specialku dan Hadiahku,serta program ekslusif lainnya. Member Alfamart adalah pelanggan yang memiliki dan bergabung dalam keanggotaan Kartu AKU, A Card Flazz atau Kartu AKU BNI Promo Member Alfamart Minimarket Lokal Terbaik Indonesia

Bagi anda yang suka berbelanja tentunya tidak asing lagi dengan minimarket yang satu ini. Sebagai Minimarket Pertama yang memiliki member terbanyak di Indonesia Alfamart memberikan banyak inovasi untuk memanjakan membernya. Salah satunya adalah dengan konsisten 2 minggu sekali  memberikan Promo khusus untuk member-membernya baik untuk berbelanja di Alfamart atau pun di merchant-merchant yang banyak bekerja sama dengan Alfamart untuk memberikan potongan harga atau harga spesial.

Promo Member Alfamart Minimarket Lokal Terbaik Indonesia. Promo Indonesia ini diberikan oleh Alfamart sebagai Minimarket pertama yang mempunyai member terbanyak di Indonesia. Ketika mendengar kata "promo" pasti semua orang tertarik, karena pada setiap kegiatan promo pasti akan ada diskon, hadiah atau sesuatu yang menguntungkan lainnya. Dan kabar gembiranya, Alfamart sebagai minimarket besar Indonesia sedang mengadakan penawaran yang menarik, yaitu Promo Member Alfamart Minimarket Lokal Terbaik Indonesia. Promo Indonesia ini diberikan Alfamart untuk para calon member dan juga member Alfamart.

Minimarket Alfamart yang berdiri sejak tahun 1994 oleh PT. Sumber Alfaria Trijaya Tbk ini yang sekarang sudah memiliki banyak member dan merupakan member terbesar di Minimarket Indonesia. Pertumbuhan  Alfamart di Indonesia sangatlah pesat bak "jamur di musim hujan", terbukti dengan berdirinya cabang-cabang Alfamart yang tidak hanya di kota-kota besar tapi sampai ke pelosok-pelosok kecamatan di seluruh negeri Indonesia.

Alfamart Minimarket Pertama yang memiliki member terbanyak di Indonesia Alfamart Memberikan Motivasi dan Inspirasi serta Inovasi untuk memanjakan membernya. Salah satunya adalah dengan konsisten 2 minggu sekali  memberikan Promo Indonesia khusus untuk Member Alfamart baik untuk berbelanja di Alfamart Minimarket atau pun di merchant-merchant yang banyak bekerja sama dengan Alfamart Minimarket untuk memberikan potongan harga atau harga spesial.

KARTU AKU Promo Member Alfamart Minimarket Lokal Terbaik Indonesia

    Kartu Aku

Adalah kartu member yang pertama kali diluncurkan Alfamart pada tahun 2005. Dengan Kartu AKU, Member akan dapat memperoleh manfaat dan berbagai macam keuntungan serta Promo Indonesia menarik yang tidak dapat diikuti oleh pelanggan lain yang bukan merupakan member Kartu AKU. Kartu AKU berlaku Nasional di Alfamart seluruhIndonesia.

A CARD FINAL Promo Member Alfamart Minimarket Lokal Terbaik Indonesia
    A Card Flazz

Adalah Kartu Member Alfamart yang di luncurkan pada 15 Mei 2010 bekerja sama dengan Flazz BCA, yang selain berfungsi sebagai kartu member juga dapat digunakan sebagai alat pembayaran/transaksi karena A Card Flazz merupakan Kartu Prepaid (kartu non rekening yang dapat menyimpan uang untuk keperluan berbagai transaksi).

A Card Flazz dapat digunakan sebagai alat pembayaran tidak hanya diseluruh outlet Alfamart, Alfamidi ataupun Alfaexpress tetapi juga diseluruh merchant Flazz antara lain restoran, salon, toko buku, parkir, bioskop dan masih banyak lagi. Untuk sementara ini, A Card Flazz berlaku di Jabodetabek,Surabaya

KARTU AKU BNI Promo Member Alfamart Minimarket Lokal Terbaik Indonesia
    Kartu Aku BNI

Merupakan salah satu Kartu Member Alfamart yang di luncurkan pada 1 Januari 2010, merupakan kerjasama antara Alfamart dengan Bank BNI. Kartu AKU BNI merupakan kartu multifungsional, yang selain berfungsi sebagai kartu member, juga berfungsi sebagai alat pembayaran. Pengguna Kartu AKU BNI juga akan mendapatkan berbagai keuntungan dan kejutan spesial dari Alfamart serta tentunya dapat mengikuti program-program eksklusif khusus member di Alfamart. Untuk saat ini, Kartu AKU BNI berlaku di Alfamart Jabodetabek.
8 Keuntungan Member Alfamart

   1. Hematku dan Kalender Belanja
   2. Spesialku dan Hadiahku
   3. Special Big Program for "Member Alfamart"
   4. Redemption For "Member Alfamart"
   5. Member Alfamart" Thematic Promo
   6. Special Treatment for "Member Alfamart" Birthday
   7. Special Event/Activities For "Member Alfamart"
   8. Merchant For "Member Alfamart"

 

Demikianlah penjelasan singkat tentang  Promo Member Alfamart Minimarket Lokal Terbaik Indonesia Semoga dapat bermanfaat dan memberikan pengetahuan Lebih kepada masyarakat agar dapat bergabung menjadi Member Alfamart dan pastikan anda mendapakan keuntungan dan manfaat lebih dari Alfamart Minimarket Lokal Terbaik Indonesia

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Hidup Mesra Tak Kenal Usia

Hidup Mesra Tak Kenal Usia Lionel, 99, dan Ellen Buxton, 100, seolah tak terpisahkan. Menikah 76 tahun silam, pasangan asal Inggris itu membuktikan janji setianya.

Sejak memutuskan berumah tangga pada 1936, pasangan itu hanya sekali menghabiskan malam terpisah satu sama lain.

Raga yang melemah tak menghalangsi letupan kemesraan keduanya yang menakjubkan. "Kami selalu bahagia, kami adalah teman baik juga suami dan istri yang baik," kata Ellen, seperti dikutip mirror.co.uk.

Selama puluhan tahun itu pula mereka memiliki kebiasaan menghabiskan malam indah bersama. Tak melulu makan malam romantis, tapi juga sekadar bersenang-senang bermain bingo.

Mereka kebetulan juga memiliki ketertarikan sama di bidang olahraga seperti memanag, dan sepakbola.

Ellen dan Lionel pertama kali bertemu pada 1930, saat bekerja di pabrik kabel di Woolwich. Ellen yang menjadi teknisi di pabrik itu kerap meminta bantuan Lionel yang menjadi insinyur magang.

"Saya selalu menantikan dia meminta bantuan, jadi saya punya kesempatan untuk berbicara dengannya. Dia begitu baik. Dia cantik," kata Lionel, yang enam bulan lebih muda dari Ellen.

Berbagai liku kehidupan selama puluhan tahun rupanya tak mengikis kemesraan mereka. Termasuk saat Ellen bergulat dengan penyakit kanker dengan kemoterapi yang menyakitkan.

"Kami lebih cinta sekarang dari sebelumnya. Kami terus saling pergi. Kami bukti bahwa cinta sejati tidak pernah memudar," kata pasangan yang telah memiliki empat cucu itu.

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Kesedihan Yang Mematikan

Kesedihan Yang Mematikan Kesendirian tak hanya berbuah kesedihan. Hasil penelitian terbaru mengungkap bahwa kesendirian bisa memacu penyakit kronis hingga memicu kematian lebih cepat.

John Cacioppo dari University of Chicago melakukan penelitian tentang efek biologis kesendirian. Ia memaparkan hasil penelitiannya di ajang Social Psychology and Perception Meeting di San Diego, Februari lalu.

Berdasarkan hasil penelitiannya, Cacioppo mengungkapkan bahwa kesendirian bisa berdampak pada pengerasan arteri, memicu tekanan darah tinggi, pembengkakan tubuh dan masalah ingatan.

Cacioppo juga menganalisis perubahan sistem kekebalan tubuh pada orang yang diisolasi. Spesifiknya, peneliti meneliti ekspresi gen tertentu pada pribadi yang mengalami kesendirian.

Ilmuwan menemukan bahwa gen yang terkait pembengkakan dan aktivasi sistem kekebalan siekspresikan berlebihan. Sementara, gen lain yang terkait kkebalan virus dan produksi antibodi kurang diekspresikan.

Ditemukan pula bahwa sistem kekebalan tubuh pribadi yang mengalami kesendirian cenderung fokus menyerang bakteri. Akibatnya, pribadi ini lebih rentan pada serangan virus serta penyakit yang terkait.

Pada tingkat hormonal, kesendirian merangsang sekresi hormon kortisol, kesendiriang menimbulkan tekanan darah tinggi serta menyebabkan serangan jantung. Kesendirian juga mengurangi kualitas tidur.

"Kesendirian bisa menimbulkan hiperreaktifitas pada perilaku buruk orang lain, jadi orang yang kesepian melihat perlakuan itu lebih dalam. Ini membuatnya jatuh lebih dalam pada perasaan kesepian," kata Cacioppo seperti dikutip Livescience, Jumat (2/3/2012).

Pada pribadi yang mengalami kesendirian atau kesepian, Cacioppo mengatakan bahwa upaya terbaik adalah adalah melatih kemampuan sosial tertentu sehingga melihat dunia lebih positif serta memupuk kemauan untuk berbagi.

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Layanan Tradisional di Rumah Sakit

Layanan Tradisional di Rumah Sakit  Meskipun  55 persen penduduk Indonesia menggunakan ramuan tradisional  untuk memelihara kesehatannya, dan sebesar 96 persen mengakui ramuan tradisional yang digunakan sangat bermanfaat bagi kesehatan namun hingga saat ini baru sedikit rumah sakit atau dokter yang mau memadukan layanan herbal dengan kedokteran modern.

Padahal, amanat UU 36 tahun 2009 tentang kesehatan menyebutkan bahwa pelayanan tradisional masuk sebagai bahagian dari 17 pelayanan kesehatan.
"Memadukan pelayanan kesehatan yang konvensional dan tradisional di rumah sakit bukanlah perkara mudah," ucap Dr. Slamet Riyadi Yuwono, selaku Direktur Jenderal Bina Gizi dan Kesehatan Ibu dan Anak Kementerian Kesehatan, saat acara temu media, di Gedung Kementerian Kesehatan, Jumat (2/3/2012).

Slamet mengatakan, diperlukan sebuah diskusi yang panjang untuk dapat memadukan pelayanan kesehatan tradisional di dalam rumah sakit terutama kepada para guru besar dan dokter.  "Karena mereka sudah bertahun-tahun ilmunya diajari dengan evidence based, sehingga untuk menerimanya butuh upaya pembuktian ilmiah supaya bisa diterima oleh kaum ilmuwan," tambahnya.

Sementara itu Dr. Abidinsyah Siregar, Direktur Direktorat Bina Pelayanan Kesehatan Tradisional, Alternatif dan Komplementer Direktorat Jenderal Bina Gizi dan KIA mengungkapkan bahwa tidak sulit sebenarnya untuk mengintegrasikan pelayanan kesehatan tradisional di seluruh tingkat fasilitas layanan kesehatan.

"Kita cuma butuh waktu antara lain perlu sosialisasi dan penjelasan bahwa ini sudah diamanatkan Undang-undang. Kalau sudah diamanatkan Undang-undang kan berarti sudah permintaan masyarakat dan harus disediakan," jelasnya.

Integrasi pelayanan diartikan sebagai penggabungan sebagian atau seluruh aspek pengobatan tradisional yang akan memberikan manfaat atau khasiat pengobatan yang lebih baik (sebagai komplementar-alternatif) pada pelayanan kesehatan disemua tingkatan fasilitas kesehatan, termasuk aspek regulasi, pembiayaan, serta kebijakan mengenai penyelenggaraan pelayanan dan obat yang digunakan.

"Dalam rangka penyediaan layanan pengobatan tradisional di seluruh tingkatan fasilitas kesehatan kita harus mulai membangun manajemen, organisasi, melatih tenaga kesehatan, menyusun norma, standar, pedoman dan regulasi. Inilah yang memakan waktu," ungkapnya.

Abidinsyah melanjutkan, jika pelayanan kesehatan tradisional sudah dapat diintegrasikan ke seluruh tingkatan fasilitas layanan kesehatan (rumah sakit atau puskesmas), maka penegakkan diagnosa tetap harus dilakukan secara konvensional. Misalnya dengan pemeriksaan darah di laboratorium.

Tetapi perbedaannya, pilihan terapi yang diberikan dokter bisa beragam yakni dapat berupa konvensional saja, konvensional plus komplementer atau murni alternatif.

"Terapi dapat diberikan oleh dokter yang telah memiliki sertifikat kompetensi dan tenaga kesehatan yang mendapat pelatihan khusus di bidang tradisional komplementer," ucapnya.

Abidin menambahkan, meski kini pelajaran tentang herbal sudah di masukkan ke dalam kurikulum kedokteran, tetapi hal tersebut dianggapnya masih belum cukup. "Pengajaran di fakultas kedokteran tidak menjelaskan cukup banyak tentang herbal. Oleh karena itu kita berharap, para dekan di Indonesia mendorong supaya materi pengajaran soal herbal ditambah," tutupnya.

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