The Weather Channel Rides Out The Storm With Its Highest Numbers Ever - Kansas City Star

By NEAL JUSTIN

Star Tribune (Minneapolis)

LOS ANGELES - It's been the worst year for extreme weather since Noah had to build an ark - unless you've invested in the Weather Channel.

Tornadoes, droughts, subzero temperatures and heat waves have already brought boffo numbers to the cable outlet, with hurricane season right around the corner.

"It's all about extremes," said meteorologist Stephanie Abrams, who co-hosts a morning show with Al Roker.

Nearly 46 million people followed the network's coverage on TV or online during the freeze that covered a third of the country on Groundhog Day, and nearly 50 million relied on its services when tornadoes devastated Joplin, Mo.

It wasn't long ago when the Weather Channel didn't go anywhere beyond the coffee room in its Georgia-based studio. When it was launched in 1982, coverage was limited to maps and radar screens, with anchors ticking off temperatures as if they were reading stock market numbers. Today, top personalities hopscotch around the world, trying to get to locations right before storms hit.

Abrams said she's collected enough miles this year to qualify as a diamond member of Delta's frequent-flier program. Jim Cantore, a Weather Channel veteran with 25 years on the job, said he's been in the studio for a solid week only twice this year. They also produce documentaries and series with names such as "Storm Riders" and "From the Edge."

Reporting from the eye of the storm has become big business.

"When I first started, it was a little easier to find places to park a satellite truck," Cantore said. "Now there are dozens of trucks on the scene."

The team scoffs at images of weather folks holding onto trees in a roaring hurricane or chasing tornadoes. Safety first. But Abrams said being on the scene makes her a stronger advocate for viewers.

"I know what it's like to live on Pop-Tarts and Sun Chips, so you can empathize with people because we've lived it, too," she said.

The Weather Channel team doesn't believe interest in weather will cool down anytime soon. Walker predicts there will be at least one catastrophic hurricane this year and Cantore said the world's climate changes will continue to be extreme.

"The question is: Have we tipped the bucket over?" he said. "Is there anything we can do to turn the climate back? That we just don't know."

Neal Justin: njustin@startribune.com

Man Hurt As Shots Fired At House - BBC News

2 August 2011 Last updated at 02:35 ET

A 25-year-old man was taken to hospital to be treated for his injuries

A man was shot after an argument broke out in the street outside a house in Liverpool.

The man, 25, sustained an elbow injury in the incident, in Garston on Monday, when shots were fired at the house.

Two children and three other adults, who were inside the McBride Street house when the gun was fired at about 18:50 BST, were unhurt.

A black car was seen leaving the scene and a man, 27, was later arrested on suspicion of attempted murder.

Police cordon

He was detained in Toxteth and is due to be questioned later.

Merseyside Police believe a row broke out between the injured man and three others, before the shots were fired.

There was some damage to the front windows of the house and the man was taken to hospital to be treated for his injuries.

The scene was cordoned off while investigators were at the scene.

Police said a black Vauxhall Vectra was found in Kelvin Grove in Toxteth a short time later.

Officers are appealing to anyone who may have seen a black car being driven erratically around McBride Street at the time of the shooting, or anyone who saw anything suspicious, to contact them.

Culinary SOS: Famous Dave's Mac 'n' Cheese - Sacramento Bee

Question: Would you get me the recipe for mac 'n' cheese from Famous Dave's? Thank you.

Answer: Famous Dave's was happy to share its creative and creamy version of this classic comfort food. Enjoy.

Famous Dave's mac 'n' cheese

Total time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Servings: 8 to 12

Note: Adapted from Famous Dave's.

2 tablespoons butter, plus 1/4 cup (1/2 stick), divided

3 tablespoons flour

2 cups milk

3/4cup half-and-half

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons barbecue sauce

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

4 ounces aged white cheddar cheese, shredded

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

11/2 cups sweet corn niblets

2 jalapenos, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 pound jumbo elbow macaroni, cooked and drained

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cubed

8 ounces Colby cheese, cubed

1/2 cup cracker crumbs

1/2 cup panko (Japanese-style) bread crumbs

1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large, heavy-bottom pot over medium heat. Whisk the flour into the butter until thoroughly combined to form a roux. Slowly whisk in the milk, then the half-and-half. Whisk in the mustard, barbecue sauce, salt and pepper.

3. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook, whisking constantly, 8 to 10 minutes to develop the flavors. Whisk in the white cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. Stir in the corn, jalapenos and parsley, then remove from heat.

4. Stir in the macaroni, then the cubed sharp cheddar and Colby cheeses. Spoon the macaroni and cheese into a buttered 13-by-9-inch baking dish.

5. Melt the remaining one-quarter cup of butter in a small sauce pan. In a medium bowl, combine the cracker, panko and unseasoned bread crumbs with the melted butter. Sprinkle the crumb mixture over the macaroni and cheese.

6. Bake the mac 'n' cheese until bubbly and browned on top, about 40 minutes.

Each of 12 servings: 530 calories; 21 grams protein; 43 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams fiber; 30 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 86 mg cholesterol; 4 grams sugar; 691 mg sodium

Marisa Miller's Beach Body Revealed Photo - Post Chronicle

Marisa Miller showed off her tight and skinny supermodel body in a black string bikini yesterday. The 32-year-old Victoria Secret model showed off all of her curves.

Her bust was busting, and her bottom bikini was so small it looked like it was falling off. Little was left to the imagination as she slubbed around with a young Colonel Sanders...I mean her husband Griffin Guess.

Marisa reportedly has a 23inch waist and stands at 5ft 8inches. She let her long blonde hair down and did her best to get a brown tan at the beach.

So how does she keep her body in beach body condition? Her secret is organic fruits and veggies along with lean protein and whole grains. No special diet here. (c) tPC

For a bigger photo - CLICK HERE

Apple's ICloud Portal Goes Live As Beta Site - PC Magazine

• August 1, 2011 09:46pm EST

Apple went live with its iCloud website Monday but the new portal for the company's big cloud-based services push appears to still be a work-in-progress. Access to the site is reportedly available only to existing MobileMe customers on Mac OS X desktops and notebooks.

Another big hint that iCloud.com isn't precisely ready for prime time—the prominent yellow "beta" banner attached to the log-in screen.

While some MobileMe users are reporting the ability to log into iCloud.com, where they can then access working apps, others are prompted to move their existing MobileMe mail, contacts, calendar, and bookmarks over to iCloud with a popup window that doesn't appear to be functional, according to AppleInsider.

A first attempt by PCMag editors to simply log into the site on a Mac met with no success other than a screen promising that iCloud is "coming soon." Later, when we tried installing the latest iOS update on an iPhone before a second try, our log in attempt on iCloud.com was still a no-go.

That may be because the insides of the new iCloud site haven't yet been made available to iOS devices, according to AppleInsider. Other iPad and iPhone users can access the iCloud.com landing page but apparently get stuck on the same "coming soon" screen we ourselves did.

"MobileMe Web apps are currently blocked from iOS mobile users, apparently because Apple's mobile browser does not support the 'real web' well enough to work acceptably with them," according to the site. "This prevents iOS users from accessing a secondary account."

Piecing together reports from around the Web, it seems only MobileMe customers using Macs with OS X Lion installed can get inside iCloud.com, and it's not entirely clear if those are the only criteria required.

Tablets and smartphones running Google's Android and other non-iOS mobile operating systems are also apparently able to access the "coming soon" screen which prompts visitors to "download the iOS native apps," though no such apps exist for those devices.

In the very early going, iCloud.com appears to be aimed only at developers, according to 9to5Mac.

"Apple has just opened up the iCloud.com Web interface for developers," the site reports. "The website is in beta and features all new Web apps for Mail, Calendar, Contacts, and more. In addition, it appears that iCloud.com will offer a portal for users to view their iWork documents that are stored in the cloud via iCloud. On top of all of this, Find my iPhone is an integrated Web application."

The first user to report successfully logging into Apple's new iCloud service was Rafael Fischmann of the Brazilian MacMagazine blog, according to AppleInsider.

For the top stories in tech, follow us on Twitter at @PCMag.

Lake Wales To Address Noise, Sewers, Transit - News Chief

Published: Monday, August 1, 2011 at 6:31 a.m.

Last Modified: Monday, August 1, 2011 at 6:31 a.m.

LAKE WALES - City commissioners, in Tuesday's meeting, are expected to address issues of noise, sewers, transportation and restaurant seating in the downtown.

In a workshop before the meeting, the City Commission is also expected to discuss possible regulation of "pill mills" and the need to inspect and test water customers' backflow preventers.

The workshop starts at 5 p.m. and the regular meeting is at 6 p.m. in the Commission Chambers at City Hall.

NOISE

Loud car stereos driving past Mayor Mike Carter's house late at night prompted a revamp of the city ordinance.

It is modeled after a state law recently struck down as unconstitutional by the 2nd District Court of Appeal for not being "content neutral" and for making exemptions for political or commercial messages.

On July 19, city commissioners asked staff to correct such problems in the city ordinance and bring it back for a vote.

SEWER

The city has had problems with sewers in the C Street area for some time, including flushing manholes, lines running above ground and sewage backing up into at least one resident's house.

An estimated cost for the fix is $2.12 million, said City Manager Judy Delmar, and the city has only $1.06 million allocated for the project.

The commission will consider using $250,000 of the sewer project funds to get a $750,000 community development block grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The grant could reduce the amount of money the city would need to borrow for the project, Delmar said.

WHAT

The Winter Haven Area Transit System provides transportation service to six cities, including Lake Wales.

The Polk Transit Authority is going ahead with plans to consolidate local transit services into one service despite the failure of funding tax measure last year.

Under an interlocal agreement, Lake Wales pays part of the cost of WHAT to maintain its current level of service.

The Transit Authority expects some cost increases starting Oct. 1, but Lake Wale's $5,433 share will remain the same.

'PILL MILLS'

As part of a workshop, city commissioners will discuss whether to pursue an ordinance governing pain management clinics in an effort to fight or prevent illegal prescription clinics.

So-called "pill mill" clinics are a major concern for local governments since many have been operating in Central Florida.

BACKFLOW

As part of a workshop, city commissioners will discuss how the city can make sure commercial and irrigation water customers have devices in their plumbing that prevent water from flowing back into the city water system.

OUTDOOR SEATING

Smokey's Piano Bar, 216 Stuart Ave., is requesting to have two tables on the sidewalk out front for customers.

The Lake Wales Planning and Zoning Board approved the request July 26, and the City Commission is expected to vote on the matter Tuesday.

phil.attinger@newschief.com

Gabrielle Giffords Returns To DC To Vote In Passage Of Debt Bill - New York Post

WASHINGTON -- Cheers and applause broke out on the House floor Monday evening as Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) returned to Washington, D.C. to vote for the debt limit compromise bill, which the House of Representatives passed in a 269-161 vote.

There was a standing ovation as she arrived in the House and members began clapping again as she lodged her vote. She was hugged by a number of her fellow members after the vote, many of whom were crying.

AP

In this image from House Television, Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., appears on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Shortly beforehand, her Twitter account announced, "Gabrielle has returned to Washington to support a bipartisan bill to prevent economic crisis."

Giffords, 41, was seriously injured in a shooting rampage in Tucson, Ariz., on Jan. 8 that killed six and left the lawmaker plus 12 others wounded.

It was Giffords' first return to the nation's capital since the shooting and first vote she has cast since that event.

"I have closely followed the debate over our debt ceiling and have been deeply disappointed at what's going on in Washington," Giffords said in a statement.

"After weeks of failed debate in Washington, I was pleased to see a solution to this crisis emerge. I strongly believe that crossing the aisle for the good of the American people is more important than party politics.

"I had to be here for this vote. I could not take the chance that my absence could crash our economy."

The bill was passed in a 269-161 vote.

Giffords was released from a Houston rehabilitation center in June and since then has been recovering at the Houston home of her husband, astronaut Capt. Mark Kelly.

"The vote taking place today is the single most important vote taken this year by the House of Representatives. The congresswoman insisted on participating," Giffords' spokesman C.J. Karamargin told Tucson Weekly.

"Congresswoman Giffords has been following this debate closely over the past two weeks.

"Like the vast majority of Americans, she is extremely disappointed at Washington's inability to confront the debt ceiling issue in a timely and thoughtful manner."

Jared Lee Loughner was charged over the Tucson shooting spree and, if convicted, could face the death penalty.

But Loughner's trial is on hold after US District Court Judge Larry Burns, who is overseeing the Arizona proceedings, declared him incompetent to stand trial in May.

Ryan Kwanten's Nude Photo Is Fake, Rep Insists - AceShowbiz

August 02, 2011 03:14:50 GMT

A representative for the 'True Blood' star is quick to come out with a denial after a low-resolution shot of the actor with his pants down leaked out.

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has been hit with a false naked photo scandal. A low-resolution shot of the "" star leaked out on Monday, August 1, and it gives a look at the 34-year-old Aussie actor exposing his private part by pulling down his pants.

While Ryan often went shirtless while portraying Jason Stackhouse on the hit HBO series, his representative was quick to disassociate him from the alleged nude picture. To Us Weekly, the rep simply clarified that the scandalous image is fake.

Ryan has previously given advice to actors who are preparing to take on nude scenes. Sharing his tips to PEOPLE back in 2010, he said that they need "to tie the 'modesty sock' on really tight, because you don't want that thing coming off, because there will be evidence of that forever."

The former "Home and Away" star is the latest celebrity who falls victim to the nude picture scandal. In late May, was forced to come out with after photos of a blond girl who looks like her standing naked in front of a mirror in the bathroom spread across the web.

© AceShowbiz.com

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The Night El Bulli Danced: The World's Most Influential Restaurant Shuts Down - TIME

Ferran Adrià, chef and co-owner of El Bulli, at a press event marking the closing of his world-famous restaurant. Behind him are top chefs, many of whom trained at the restaurant over the years

Albert Gea / Reuters

This past weekend, a handful of the world's best chefs, including Rene Redzepi, Joan Roca and Grant Achatz, gathered in the speckled morning sunlight of Spain's Cala Montjoi to commemorate a passing. It should have been a sad occasion. But the man who had brought them all together emphasized that there was no death, only transformation. "My brother Albert said we had to kill the monster," said Ferran Adrià. "But I said, No, we have to tame it."

The monster to which Adrià referred is El Bulli, the restaurant that he and his brother — along with, over the past 25 years, roughly 2,000 other chefs, cooks, waiters and captains — have made the most acclaimed and influential of our time. As anyone even mildly interested in food knows by now, El Bulli served its last meal as a restaurant on July 30. But for the journalists who came from around the world for that morning's press conference, as well as for the close friends and longtime patrons lucky enough to dine that night, the occasion felt like anything but a wake. (See why making a reservation at El Bulli was so challenging.)

Admittedly, some of the chefs were in a reflective mood. Massimo Bottura of Modena's Osteria Francescana remembered the long hours he put in as an apprentice in 1999. "We would start at 8:30 in the morning and work straight until 1:30 a.m.," he said. "But I never got tired because the commitment to the group was so strong." Recalling the impact of his own apprenticeship, Redzepi, whose Copenhagen restaurant Noma is currently ranked first in the world, observed, "The courage and freedom to do what we do in Noma came from here. I thank El Bulli for helping free my imagination."

But any pensiveness dissolved in the face of the 90-lb. meringue bulldog (the restaurant's emblem) that master pastry chef Christian Escribà had made for the occasion, adorning its neck with a sugar-paste collar that hid appropriately culinary references like oysters and fried eggs. As Adrià took congratulatory calls from admirers like French master chef Michel Guerard, his front-of-house staff — dressed in T-shirts bearing the words "The Last Waltz" — passed celebratory glasses of cava. They were aided by minibar chef José Andrés' three young daughters, who did a stellar job serving air baguettes and brie-stuffed blini.

The festive air could be attributed in part to the knowledge that, in 2014, El Bulli will reopen as a foundation dedicated to culinary creativity. Blueprints for the new center, which will be located on the same site as the restaurant, were on display at the press conference. They depicted a spectacular new structure with archives and an audiovisual room as well as spaces dedicated to more esoteric things like an "empathic tree experience." Construction on the center is scheduled to begin in January 2012. (See more on Ferran Adrià's plans for El Bulli now that it has closed.)

For Adrià, the foundation — that "taming" of which he spoke — represents an opportunity to free himself and his staff from the obligations and drudgery that accompany the running of a high-end restaurant. Now they will be able to devote themselves to what they do best, which is create. "I'm not nostalgic at all," he told TIME. "In fact, I'm happier than ever. It's almost as if we're going back to our origins in 1993, '94, '95, when we were just boiling over with new ideas. Now we have the chance to make El Bulli into something new every day."

But the happiness also stemmed from the knowledge of what had been accomplished. El Bulli was born as a beachside snack bar in the 1960s, though by the time Adrià joined it in 1983, it had become a respectable restaurant specializing in French nouvelle cuisine. About a decade later, Adrià, having risen quickly through the kitchen's ranks, began the radical experiments that would transform not only his own menu but also the face of haute cuisine. Among the general public he is perhaps most famous for the new techniques, like liquid nitrogen and foam, that he applied to cuisine. But among chefs his supreme accomplishment was more philosophical. By interrogating fine dining's assumptions — does soup have to be liquid? Does dessert have to be sweet? — Adrià opened the way for food as a form of artistic expression.

See pictures of Grant Achatz's culinary masterpieces.

Paul Krugman And Ron Paul Agree: Debt Ceiling Deal Sucks - Forbes (blog)

"Don't Steal, the government hates competition" says the sign on Ron Paul's desk - RonPaul.com

As markets await a final vote on the debt ceiling deal reached by Democrats, with President Obama as their chief negotiator, and Republicans huddled behind House Speaker John Boehner, experts on both sides of the ideological coin have come out against the new plan.  Nobel laureate Paul Krugman, representing liberals, and Congressman Ron Paul, on the right, both have blasted the new plan for its false promises.

The new Obama-Boehner-Reid plan cuts the deficit by about $2.1 trillion by 2021, according to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO).  The first tranche of cuts will total $917 billion, coupled with a $900 billion debt ceiling increase; a special committee tasked with cutting an additional $1.5 trillion will be set up to get the rest of the task done by Thanksgiving.

The truth, according to Rep. Ron Paul (R, Texas), is that there are actually no cuts at all in the new plan.  “The ‘cuts’ being discussed are illusory, and are not cuts from current amounts being spent, but cuts in projected spending increases,” wrote Ron Paul.  With only 2% of cuts taking place before the next presidential election, according to Zerohedge, the truth is that Washington is about to pass “a bigger budget than ever” despite heavy rhetoric, said Ron Paul, who put it like this:

[The debt ceiling deal] is akin to a family “saving” $100,000 in expenses by deciding not to buy a Lamborghini, and instead getting a fully loaded Mercedes, when really their budget dictates that they need to stick with their perfectly serviceable Honda.

On the flip side is liberal economist Paul Krugman, who in his New York Times opinion column called the deal “a disaster.”  Krugman notes that the economics of the plan are completely flawed given that cutting spending in a weak economy will lead to further weakness.  Indeed, it will actually worsen the budget situation, making the economy weaker and reducing revenues.

Krugman thinks Obama conceded too much - newsrealblog.com

“Pay no attention to those who invoke the confidence fairy, claiming that tough action on the budget will reassure businesses and consumers, leading them to spend more. It doesn’t work that way, a fact confirmed by many studies of the historical record,” Krugman writes. The economist notes that given historically low interest rates, “spending cuts now will do little to reduce future interest costs.”

Krugman also had a handy-dandy analogy to explain the deal, taking a stab at Republicans:

So those demanding spending cuts now are like medieval doctors who treated the sick by bleeding them, and thereby made them even sicker.

Both Ron Paul and Krugman present alternative scenarios.  Rep. Ron Paul proposes freezing spending at current levels, noting “a simple freeze in spending would be a much bigger ‘cut’ than any plan being discussed.”  The Congressman for Texas explains that with revenues at $2.2 trillion and outlays at $3.7 trillion, freezing spending at current levels would cut $400 billion over the next few years; “it would only take us 5 years to ‘cut’ $1 trillion, in Washington math.” (Read Donald Trump: It’s Time For Republicans To Fix The Country, I Could Be Back In The Race).

Essentially calling the President a flop, Krugman explained that giving in to Republican demands have weakened his bargaining position.  Obama should’ve demanded an increase in the debt ceiling back in December, said the Nobel laureate.  “At the very least, Mr. Obama could have used the possibility of a legal end run to strengthen his bargaining position. Instead, however, he ruled all such options out from the beginning,” said Krugman.

If the most recent deal passes in both chambers of Congress, both parties, and the economy, can let out a cumulative sigh of short-term relief.  Default will have been avoided and maybe even a downgrade could be waived if Standard & Poor’s is feeling generous.  The reality, though, is that there are many problems with the current deal and that the U.S.’ fiscal and budgetary position remains untenable.  Even after a deal, Washington faces a steep climb. (Read Debt Ceiling Ripples Spread To Money Markets, Repos, Volatility).

Nancy Pelosi 'Absolutely' Voting Yes On Debt Ceiling Deal Despite Drawbacks - ABC News

With the House poised for a nail-biting vote to raise the debt ceiling and avoid a U.S. default, Republican House Speaker John Boehner and Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi both voiced confidence the bill can pass, despite significant public opposition from within their parties.

In an interview with ABC News' Diane Sawyer, Pelosi said she will "absolutely" vote yes on the compromise package, even though she agreed with one colleague who called it a "Satan sandwich."

"It probably is – with some Satan fries on the side," Pelosi said.

Still, Pelosi said she's supporting the deal – and believes a sufficient number of House Democrats will follow suit – because it meets three key criteria: it extends the debt limit for 18 months without any cuts to Social Security, Medicare or Medicaid, and it establishes a balance of cuts between discretionary spending and defense.

Republican aides said Pelosi will need to secure at least 70 Democratic votes for the bill to pass – an outcome that is far from certain. "Where they have their comfort level, that's where they'll vote," she said of her colleagues.

But when asked if it will be necessary for President Obama to come to Capitol Hill to urge Democrats to vote yes, Pelosi said, "that won't be necessary."

"We have to get this over with," Pelosi told Sawyer. "We have to get to work putting people back to work. We've got to get on with job creation. Every day we were stuck on this negotiation we weren't doing everything in our power to create jobs. So that's where we have to go."

In an earlier interview with Sawyer, Speaker Boehner signaled he's confident the bill will pass even though many Republicans fundamentally oppose an increase in the debt ceiling, or one without simultaneous passage of a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.

"We got there, but we got to get the bill passed and I think we will. But so far so good," Boehner told Sawyer.

"I understand that some people want more. I'd like to do more. It's not perfect," he said, "but it is a good step in the right direction."

After the vote, which could come as early as tonight, where does the speaker expect to be tomorrow morning?

"Hopefully hiding somewhere," he said.

Moss Retires After Career Of Thrills And Conflict - New York Times

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: August 1, 2011

Wide receiver Randy Moss is retiring after 13 seasons as one of the most dynamic and polarizing players the N.F.L. has seen.

Moss’s agent, Joel Segal, said Monday that Moss, 34, had been considering offers from several teams, but made the decision to retire. Segal declined to comment specifically on the offers, instead saying Moss felt the time was right to step away.

“Randy has weighed his options and considered the offers and has decided to retire,” Segal said.

If this indeed is the end for Moss, he leaves the game with some of the gaudiest statistics ever posted by a receiver. His 153 touchdowns are tied with Terrell Owens for second on the career list, and he is fifth in yards (14,858) and tied with Hines Ward for eighth in receptions (954).

Those numbers, and his status as perhaps the best deep threat in N.F.L. history, will make him a strong candidate for the Hall of Fame. But voters will also be weighing those numbers and his six Pro Bowl seasons against a history of boorish behavior and a penchant for taking plays off when he lost interest during games.

His career started with seven electric seasons with the Minnesota Vikings before he went dormant for two years in Oakland. He re-emerged as a force with the New England Patriots in 2007, hauling in a single-season record 23 touchdown passes from Tom Brady to help the Patriots reach the Super Bowl. Moss was traded back to the Vikings in October of last season, but the reunion lasted just four weeks. Fed up with his behavior, Vikings Coach Brad Childress cut Moss in November, a stunning move that played a role in Childress’s dismissal a few weeks later.

Moss finished the season with eight games in Tennessee but made little impact. Segal said this summer that Moss was training hard and determined to prove to the doubters that he could still dominate.

Moss’s combination of size, speed and intelligence has rarely been seen in a player at his position, and he deserves some credit for the influx of Cover 2 defenses throughout the N.F.L. that were designed in large part to prevent Moss from wreaking so much havoc down the field.

Trouble off the field in high school prevented Moss from attending Notre Dame or Florida State, so he landed at Marshall and scored 54 touchdowns in two electrifying seasons with the Thundering Herd.

The off-field questions hurt Moss in the 1998 draft. He fell to the Vikings at pick No. 21 and spent the next seven years making every general manager in the league who passed on him regret it. He scored 17 touchdowns as a rookie to help the Vikings reach the N.F.C. title game and only once failed to score at least 10 touchdowns in a season in his first tour with the team.

He was also involved in several controversies, bumping a traffic cop in downtown Minneapolis, squirting a referee with a water bottle during a game and leaving the field early in a game against Washington, among other incidents. The Vikings traded Moss to Oakland in 2005, where he spent two quiet seasons before his career was revived in New England.

MEETING ON RETIREES ORDERED The N.F.L., its players union and lawyers for a group of retired players have been told to meet this month with a federal judge, who is likely to order them into mediation to address concerns raised by the retired players.

A group of retired players, led by Carl Eller, joined the players’ antitrust lawsuit against the N.F.L. But on Monday, the retired players sent a letter to the National Labor Relations Board saying the current players had prevented retired players from negotiating directly for retiree benefits, even though they were supposed to be part of mediated talks earlier this summer. It also said that the union had improperly negotiated retiree benefits while it was decertified as part of a negotiating strategy.

While the antitrust case, Brady v. N.F.L., will be withdrawn as part of the new collective bargaining agreement, the Eller group said it would not willingly dismiss its case. The group wants retiree benefits, which total nearly $1 billion in the new deal, separated from the new collective bargaining agreement. JUDY BATTISTA