McFadden coming to grips with problem

Published 5:43 am PDT Monday, May 12, 2008

ALAMEDA – Raiders running backs coach Tom Rathman fumbled just seven times in a nine-year career at fullback that included 864 total rushes and receptions. Rookie running back Darren McFadden fumbled 23 times in three seasons at Arkansas.

Guess what Rathman is going to be a stickler about with his prized pupil?

Extra emphasis is being placed on McFadden's ball security. It's a common theme with rookies, but when a player shows a propensity for fumbling, that player can expect to constantly be reminded about holding onto the ball.

Raiders running backs fumbled five times last season, and the team has too many plans for McFadden for him to sit because of fumbles.

"Ball security, it's the heartbeat of our offense," Raiders coach Lane Kiffin said. "We turn the ball over and we're not going to win any games. It's very important with (McFadden), but as you look at his fumbles, over half were at quarterback or on kickoff returns. There aren't as many as it looks right away when you look purely at a running back, but it's something we're looking at."

Rathman's charge is making sure the ball and McFadden don't become separated.

In his first meeting with McFadden, Rathman noticed something about McFadden's running style and relayed how to cut down on turnovers.

"I told him he's got to lock his elbow down," Rathman said. "A lot of times his elbow wasn't locked to the side, and obviously if you don't have that point, which is the most critical point in my opinion, as far as the four points of pressure, you're going to have some issues."

While holding the ball tighter sounds simple enough, McFadden is attempting to break a habit developed over years while he became college football's premier runner.

"It's something you just got to get used to because I've been carrying the ball my way of carrying it forever," McFadden said. "Seems like 14, 15 years and now they add a different twist to it. It's something you just have to get used to."

Rathman said McFadden was holding the ball well during practice. The focus will be on refining the details when he returns for the Raiders' mandatory minicamp June 3.

McFadden said the problem is "easily corrected" when he does what Rathman wants.

"I think the biggest problem is he didn't have proper ball leverage a lot of times," Rathman said. "He'd always carry it in his left hand. You're going to eliminate a lot of (fumbles) by just properly carrying the football – when it needs to be in my right hand, when it needs to be in my left hand. He'll be better from that aspect."

It's not as if McFadden can go very far without being reminded to hold onto the ball.

If coaches aren't on him, teammates will test his ball security at every turn.

"They tell you you've got to run 40 yards down the field and you've got to keep the ball high and tight," McFadden said. "And even when you're coming back to the huddle you've still got to keep it locked up because the defensive player is still coming at you going back to the huddle."

McFadden shouldn't expect that to change.

LMAO....

GO ISLANDERS....

And to think, you guys had a problem with me.....LOL

Hows that working out for you?

I happen to like your new sig...

Sweet.....Congrats!

Speaking of shame...

Posted by: PokerVertigo
In reply to: investorcg who wrote msg# 7884 Date:4/28/2008 2:25:15 PM
Post #of 8836

trending down on low volume is just the small fries getting out... they need beer money for tonight possibly... The big cats are still long and holding steady. And this is a no-brainer really... profitable financials coming out this week ... should put this at 0.03 at the least.

Yep you had better get out while you can....LOL

Posted by: Sportsjunkie
In reply to: None Date:5/8/2008 3:40:31 PM
Post #of 1249363

NSOL- MY MUST OWN RECESSION NEED A WINNER PLAY..

in 10 years of message board posting this might be the worst market during those years and that is why i am staking my 10 years of doing this to pay attention to this post...

i have it under great authority that in the week i am expecting a buyout of 3 to 5 times current stock price...

you are not competing against me to buy or sell into,this is a stock that the news itself will take care of the current price..

last time i gave this stock on the buyout offer it went from .40 to .75 the next day,now i have it that it will be accepted..

YOUR CALL...

NSOL FOR ALL THOSE THAT ARE STRUGGLING PLEASE PAY ATTENTION...


Posted by: Sportsjunkie
In reply to: None Date:5/8/2008 3:40:31 PM
Post #of 1249337

NSOL- MY MUST OWN RECESSION NEED A WINNER PLAY..

in 10 years of message board posting this might be the worst market during those years and that is why i am staking my 10 years of doing this to pay attention to this post...

i have it under great authority that in the week i am expecting a buyout of 3 to 5 times current stock price...

you are not competing against me to buy or sell into,this is a stock that the news itself will take care of the current price..

last time i gave this stock on the buyout offer it went from .40 to .75 the next day,now i have it that it will be accepted..

YOUR CALL...

Not a very good one by the looks of it.

You say tomato....

Cheaters don't usually get their reputations back...Ask Bonds!

SOMEONE IS HAVING FUN!!!

BUCA, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2008 Financial Results




BUCA, Inc. (Nasdaq: BUCA) today announced financial results for the first fiscal quarter of 2008. The Company reported a net loss of $4.2 million, or ($0.20) per share, in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 as compared to a net loss of $2.8 million, or ($0.14) per share, in the first quarter of fiscal 2007.

John T. Bettin, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and President commented, “The first quarter was clearly difficult for us, but not without its accomplishments. Our net loss of ($0.20) per share for the first quarter of fiscal 2008 included charges of approximately ($0.04) per share related to the impact of severance payments associated with our $2.1 million reduction in force executed in January of this year, and approximately ($0.03) per share related to the settlement of a wage and hour lawsuit in California. Despite a downturn in comparable restaurant sales of 2.5% for the period, our restaurants still did an excellent job of managing prime costs (the combination of product and labor costs), including lowering labor costs by 80 basis points as compared to the prior year. I am very proud of their tenacity and unwavering commitment to our Company during these most difficult of times for our industry. Although the environment will no doubt continue to be challenging on a number of fronts, we continue to have confidence that several of our new initiatives, including the recently expanded roll-out of catering and the upcoming launch of a new lunch menu, will help us weather the casual dining storm.” First Quarter 2007 Results Total restaurant sales in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 were $60.1 million compared to $62.8 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2007. The decrease in restaurant sales was primarily the result of the closure of four restaurants since the beginning of fiscal 2007 as well as the decrease in comparable restaurant sales, partially offset by the addition of New Year’s Eve to the first quarter of fiscal 2008 as compared to the same period of the prior year.

Comparable restaurant sales decreased 2.5% for the first quarter of fiscal 2008 as compared to the same period last year.

Product costs were $15.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 compared to $15.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2007. Product costs as a percentage of sales increased to 25.4% in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 from 24.5% in the first quarter of fiscal 2007. The decrease in product costs in dollars was primarily due to reductions in sales and the closure of four restaurants. The increase in product costs as a percentage of sales was primarily driven by the elimination of the Company’s Paisano Conference in first quarter 2008. The Paisano Conference is the Company’s annual strategic and celebratory meeting of its Paisano Partners, Divisional Vice Presidents and company executives. Because a portion of our Paisano Conference is typically sponsored by selected vendors, vendor sponsorship payments are accounted for as a reduction in product costs. The cancellation of the conference in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 has a corresponding negative impact on product costs as a percentage of sales.

Labor costs were $20.4 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 compared to $21.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2007. The decrease in labor cost dollars was primarily related to the closure of four restaurants. Labor cost as a percentage of sales decreased to 34.0% in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 from 34.8% in the first quarter of fiscal 2007. The decrease in labor costs as a percentage of sales was primarily related to a decrease in medical claims in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 as compared to the first quarter of fiscal 2007 and reductions in non-exempt staffing resulting from the Company’s labor management initiative, partially offset by increases in restaurant-level management staffing.

General and administrative expenses were $6.2 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 as compared to $5.6 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2007. General and administrative expenses as a percentage of restaurant sales were 10.2% in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 as compared to 8.9% in the comparable period of fiscal 2007. The increase in general and administrative expenses in the first quarter of fiscal 2008 was primarily related to severance costs associated with the Company’s previously announced reduction in force as well as the settlement of a wage and hour lawsuit in California, partially offset by the savings from the reduction in force.

Conference Call BUCA, Inc. will host a conference call on Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (3:30 p.m. Central Time) to discuss these results. John T. Bettin, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and President, and Dennis J. Goetz, the company’s Chief Financial Officer, will be hosting the call. The conference call will be webcast and can be accessed from the following link: http://viavid.net/dce.aspx?sid=00004FE3. For those who are unable to listen to the webcast live, a telephone replay will be available for one week beginning at 7:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) on May 6, 2008, and can be accessed by dialing 1-888-203-1112 or 1-719-457-0820 (international callers) and entering pin number 5821244.

About the Company: BUCA, Inc. owns and operates 89 highly acclaimed Italian restaurants under the name Buca di Beppo in 25 states and the District of Columbia BUCA, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (in thousands, except share and per share data) (Unaudited) Thirteen Weeks Ended March 30,

2008 April 1,

2007 Restaurant sales $ 60,105 $ 62,811 Restaurant costs: Product 15,237 15,378 Labor 20,417 21,860 Direct and occupancy 19,134 19,047 Depreciation and amortization 2,689 2,954 Loss on disposal of assets 20 100 Total restaurant costs 57,497 59,339 General and administrative expenses 6,211 5,624 Loss on impairment of long-lived assets 31 50 Lease termination charges - (3 ) Operating loss (3,634 ) (2,199 ) Interest income 27 137 Interest expense (592 ) (561 ) Loss before income taxes (4,199 ) (2,623 ) Income taxes - - Net loss from continuing operations (4,199 ) (2,623 ) Net loss from discontinued operations - (172 ) Net loss $ (4,199 ) $ (2,795 ) Net loss from continuing operations per share—basic and diluted $ (0.20 ) $ (0.13 ) Net loss from discontinued operations per share—basic and diluted $ - $ (0.01 ) Net loss per share—basic and diluted $ (0.20 ) $ (0.14 ) Weighted average common shares outstanding—basic and diluted 20,533,247 20,410,184 BUCA, Inc. and Subsidiaries Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (in thousands, except share data) (Unaudited) March 30,

2008 December 30, 2007 ASSETS CURRENT ASSETS: Cash $ 819 $ 1,070 Accounts receivable 3,542 4,260 Inventories 5,947 6,084 Prepaid expenses and other 4,069 4,470 Total current assets 14,377 15,884 PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net 96,725 98,327 OTHER ASSETS 3,121 3,186 $ 114,223 $ 117,397 LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY CURRENT LIABILITIES: Accounts payable $ 7,948 $ 6,634 Unredeemed gift card liabilities 2,369 3,738 Accrued payroll and benefits 6,477 7,483 Accrued sales, property and income tax 3,177 3,897 Other accrued expenses 4,371 4,876 Line of credit borrowing 3,510 - Current maturities of long-term debt and capital leases 325 296 Total current liabilities 28,177 26,924 LONG-TERM DEBT AND CAPITAL LEASES, less current maturities 15,904 15,993 DEFERRED RENT 17,917 18,002 OTHER LIABILITIES 3,671 3,962 Total liabilities 65,669 64,881 COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY: Undesignated stock, 5,000,000 shares authorized, none issued or outstanding - - Common stock, $.01 par value per share, 30,000,000 shares authorized; 21,438,453 and 21,088,651 shares issued and outstanding, respectively 214 211 Additional paid-in capital 173,081 172,903 Accumulated deficit (123,877 ) (119,678 ) Notes receivable from employee shareholders (864 ) (920 ) Total shareholders’ equity 48,554 52,516 $ 114,223 $ 117,397

That has been my entire trading strategy for a few years now...

Mine has been green for a while as well....As for the other stuff.....BLAH!

My only green screen today...

Oil prices rise to record over $122 a barrel on prediction of $200 oil, supply concerns

NEW YORK (AP) -- Oil futures blasted to a new record over $122 a barrel Tuesday, gaining momentum as investors bought on a forecast of much higher prices and on any news hinting at supply shortages. Retail gas prices edged lower, but appear poised to rise to new records of their own in coming weeks.
A new Goldman Sachs prediction that oil prices could rise to $150 to $200 within two years seemed to motivate much of Tuesday's buying, although a falling dollar and increasing concerns about declining crude production in Mexico and Russia contributed, analysts say.

Light, sweet crude for June delivery jumped to a new record of $122.47 a barrel before retreating slightly to trade up $1.29 at $122.26 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Oil prices have nearly doubled from about $62 a barrel a year ago, which Goldman sees as a sign that the world is in the midst of a "super spike" in oil prices. Analyst Arjun Murti said in a research note released Monday that prices would ultimately force demand to fall sharply.

Not everyone shares Goldman's view. Tim Evans, an analyst at Citigroup Inc., countered Goldman's analysis with a note predicting that crude prices could as easily fall to $40 a barrel as rise to $200 over the next two years because supplies are, as Evans put it, comfortable.

James Cordier, president of Tampa, Fla., trading firms Liberty Trading Group and OptionSellers.com, said Goldman's prediction isn't necessarily new: "We've heard numbers like these out of Goldman Sachs, especially over the last 12 months."

Indeed, it's not the first time Murti has espoused a super spike theory; in an April 2005 note, he predicted the oil market was in the early stages of an unprecedented rally that would send prices from a then-record of about $57 a barrel to $105.

But some investors respond to such predictions by buying, Cordier said.

A falling dollar on Tuesday also gave traders reason to buy. Investors often buy commodities such as oil as a hedge against inflation when the dollar falls, and a weaker greenback makes oil cheaper to investors overseas. Many analysts feel the dollar's protracted decline is the real reason oil prices have nearly doubled since last year.

Cordier said investors are also increasingly concerned about falling oil production in Russia and Mexico, which are both major oil producers. And prices are still supported by the concerns about supply disruptions in Nigeria and northern Iraq that first drove crude past $120 a barrel on Monday. Militant attacks in Nigeria over the weekend cut some production at a Royal Dutch Shell PLC facility. In Iraq, Kurdish rebels warned they could launch suicide attacks against American interests to punish the U.S. for sharing intelligence with Turkey after Turkey bombed rebel bases in Iraq on Friday.

At the pump, meanwhile, the national average price of a gallon of regular gas slipped 0.1 cent overnight to $3.61, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Analysts are split over how high gas will go; while prices have slipped lower since May 1, leading some analysts to say gas is close to peaking, others predict the fuel will follow oil's upward surge.

"You're going to see new highs for gas prices, probably for the weekend," said Cordier, who predicts an average price of $4 a gallon in the coming weeks.

In other Nymex trading Tuesday, June gasoline futures rose 5.58 cents to $3.1087 a gallon after earlier setting a new trading record of $3.1163. June heating oil futures rose 5.32 cents to $3.3597 a gallon after rising to their own trading record of $3.3634, and June natural gas futures rose 16 cents to $11.338 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In London, June Brent crude futures rose $2.59 to $120.72 on the ICE Futures exchange.

Oil prices rise to record over $122 a barrel on prediction of $200 oil, supply concerns

NEW YORK (AP) -- Oil futures blasted to a new record over $122 a barrel Tuesday, gaining momentum as investors bought on a forecast of much higher prices and on any news hinting at supply shortages. Retail gas prices edged lower, but appear poised to rise to new records of their own in coming weeks.
A new Goldman Sachs prediction that oil prices could rise to $150 to $200 within two years seemed to motivate much of Tuesday's buying, although a falling dollar and increasing concerns about declining crude production in Mexico and Russia contributed, analysts say.

Light, sweet crude for June delivery jumped to a new record of $122.47 a barrel before retreating slightly to trade up $1.29 at $122.26 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Oil prices have nearly doubled from about $62 a barrel a year ago, which Goldman sees as a sign that the world is in the midst of a "super spike" in oil prices. Analyst Arjun Murti said in a research note released Monday that prices would ultimately force demand to fall sharply.

Not everyone shares Goldman's view. Tim Evans, an analyst at Citigroup Inc., countered Goldman's analysis with a note predicting that crude prices could as easily fall to $40 a barrel as rise to $200 over the next two years because supplies are, as Evans put it, comfortable.

James Cordier, president of Tampa, Fla., trading firms Liberty Trading Group and OptionSellers.com, said Goldman's prediction isn't necessarily new: "We've heard numbers like these out of Goldman Sachs, especially over the last 12 months."

Indeed, it's not the first time Murti has espoused a super spike theory; in an April 2005 note, he predicted the oil market was in the early stages of an unprecedented rally that would send prices from a then-record of about $57 a barrel to $105.

But some investors respond to such predictions by buying, Cordier said.

A falling dollar on Tuesday also gave traders reason to buy. Investors often buy commodities such as oil as a hedge against inflation when the dollar falls, and a weaker greenback makes oil cheaper to investors overseas. Many analysts feel the dollar's protracted decline is the real reason oil prices have nearly doubled since last year.

Cordier said investors are also increasingly concerned about falling oil production in Russia and Mexico, which are both major oil producers. And prices are still supported by the concerns about supply disruptions in Nigeria and northern Iraq that first drove crude past $120 a barrel on Monday. Militant attacks in Nigeria over the weekend cut some production at a Royal Dutch Shell PLC facility. In Iraq, Kurdish rebels warned they could launch suicide attacks against American interests to punish the U.S. for sharing intelligence with Turkey after Turkey bombed rebel bases in Iraq on Friday.

At the pump, meanwhile, the national average price of a gallon of regular gas slipped 0.1 cent overnight to $3.61, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Analysts are split over how high gas will go; while prices have slipped lower since May 1, leading some analysts to say gas is close to peaking, others predict the fuel will follow oil's upward surge.

"You're going to see new highs for gas prices, probably for the weekend," said Cordier, who predicts an average price of $4 a gallon in the coming weeks.

In other Nymex trading Tuesday, June gasoline futures rose 5.58 cents to $3.1087 a gallon after earlier setting a new trading record of $3.1163. June heating oil futures rose 5.32 cents to $3.3597 a gallon after rising to their own trading record of $3.3634, and June natural gas futures rose 16 cents to $11.338 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In London, June Brent crude futures rose $2.59 to $120.72 on the ICE Futures exchange.

Oil prices rise to record over $122 a barrel on prediction of $200 oil, supply concerns

NEW YORK (AP) -- Oil futures blasted to a new record over $122 a barrel Tuesday, gaining momentum as investors bought on a forecast of much higher prices and on any news hinting at supply shortages. Retail gas prices edged lower, but appear poised to rise to new records of their own in coming weeks.
A new Goldman Sachs prediction that oil prices could rise to $150 to $200 within two years seemed to motivate much of Tuesday's buying, although a falling dollar and increasing concerns about declining crude production in Mexico and Russia contributed, analysts say.

Light, sweet crude for June delivery jumped to a new record of $122.47 a barrel before retreating slightly to trade up $1.29 at $122.26 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Oil prices have nearly doubled from about $62 a barrel a year ago, which Goldman sees as a sign that the world is in the midst of a "super spike" in oil prices. Analyst Arjun Murti said in a research note released Monday that prices would ultimately force demand to fall sharply.

Not everyone shares Goldman's view. Tim Evans, an analyst at Citigroup Inc., countered Goldman's analysis with a note predicting that crude prices could as easily fall to $40 a barrel as rise to $200 over the next two years because supplies are, as Evans put it, comfortable.

James Cordier, president of Tampa, Fla., trading firms Liberty Trading Group and OptionSellers.com, said Goldman's prediction isn't necessarily new: "We've heard numbers like these out of Goldman Sachs, especially over the last 12 months."

Indeed, it's not the first time Murti has espoused a super spike theory; in an April 2005 note, he predicted the oil market was in the early stages of an unprecedented rally that would send prices from a then-record of about $57 a barrel to $105.

But some investors respond to such predictions by buying, Cordier said.

A falling dollar on Tuesday also gave traders reason to buy. Investors often buy commodities such as oil as a hedge against inflation when the dollar falls, and a weaker greenback makes oil cheaper to investors overseas. Many analysts feel the dollar's protracted decline is the real reason oil prices have nearly doubled since last year.

Cordier said investors are also increasingly concerned about falling oil production in Russia and Mexico, which are both major oil producers. And prices are still supported by the concerns about supply disruptions in Nigeria and northern Iraq that first drove crude past $120 a barrel on Monday. Militant attacks in Nigeria over the weekend cut some production at a Royal Dutch Shell PLC facility. In Iraq, Kurdish rebels warned they could launch suicide attacks against American interests to punish the U.S. for sharing intelligence with Turkey after Turkey bombed rebel bases in Iraq on Friday.

At the pump, meanwhile, the national average price of a gallon of regular gas slipped 0.1 cent overnight to $3.61, according to AAA and the Oil Price Information Service. Analysts are split over how high gas will go; while prices have slipped lower since May 1, leading some analysts to say gas is close to peaking, others predict the fuel will follow oil's upward surge.

"You're going to see new highs for gas prices, probably for the weekend," said Cordier, who predicts an average price of $4 a gallon in the coming weeks.

In other Nymex trading Tuesday, June gasoline futures rose 5.58 cents to $3.1087 a gallon after earlier setting a new trading record of $3.1163. June heating oil futures rose 5.32 cents to $3.3597 a gallon after rising to their own trading record of $3.3634, and June natural gas futures rose 16 cents to $11.338 per 1,000 cubic feet.

In London, June Brent crude futures rose $2.59 to $120.72 on the ICE Futures exchange.

The Cheesecake Factory Opens in Glendale, California
The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE) today announced the opening of its 140th Cheesecake Factory restaurant at the Americana at Brand in Glendale, California on May 2, 2008. The restaurant contains approximately 11,500 square feet and 330 seats.

About The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated created the upscale casual dining segment in 1978 with the introduction of its namesake concept and continues to define it today with the two highest productivity concepts in the industry. The Company operates 140 restaurants throughout the U.S. under The Cheesecake Factory® name with an extensive menu of more than 200 items and fiscal 2007 average annual unit sales of approximately $10.4 million. Grand Lux Cafe®, the Company’s second concept, has 13 units in operation across the U.S. offering a broad menu of more than 150 items and average annual unit sales of approximately $12.7 million in fiscal 2007. The Company also operates two bakery production facilities in Calabasas Hills, CA and Rocky Mount, NC that produce over 60 varieties of quality cheesecakes and other baked products. Additionally, the Company operates one self-service, limited menu express foodservice operation and licenses two bakery cafe outlets to another foodservice operator under The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Cafe® mark. For more information, please visit thecheesecakefactory.com.


The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated
Jill Peters, 818-871-3000

The Cheesecake Factory Opens in Glendale, California
The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated (NASDAQ:CAKE) today announced the opening of its 140th Cheesecake Factory restaurant at the Americana at Brand in Glendale, California on May 2, 2008. The restaurant contains approximately 11,500 square feet and 330 seats.

About The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated

The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated created the upscale casual dining segment in 1978 with the introduction of its namesake concept and continues to define it today with the two highest productivity concepts in the industry. The Company operates 140 restaurants throughout the U.S. under The Cheesecake Factory® name with an extensive menu of more than 200 items and fiscal 2007 average annual unit sales of approximately $10.4 million. Grand Lux Cafe®, the Company’s second concept, has 13 units in operation across the U.S. offering a broad menu of more than 150 items and average annual unit sales of approximately $12.7 million in fiscal 2007. The Company also operates two bakery production facilities in Calabasas Hills, CA and Rocky Mount, NC that produce over 60 varieties of quality cheesecakes and other baked products. Additionally, the Company operates one self-service, limited menu express foodservice operation and licenses two bakery cafe outlets to another foodservice operator under The Cheesecake Factory Bakery Cafe® mark. For more information, please visit thecheesecakefactory.com.


The Cheesecake Factory Incorporated
Jill Peters, 818-871-3000

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Continues Virginia Expansion with Opening of Manassas Restaurant
Casual dining restaurant to donate 50 cents from every gourmet burger sold to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children during opening week
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (Red Robin) will open its 16th Virginia restaurant in Manassas, located at 9945 Sowder Village Square, off Route 28 near the new Super Target, on Monday, May 19, at 11 a.m. Red Robin serves high-quality gourmet burgers, appetizers, entrees, salads and beverages in a kid- and family-friendly atmosphere. As part of its grand opening celebrations, the Manassas Red Robin(R) restaurant will host a Burgers With A Heart(R) fundraiser to benefit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Through Burgers With a Heart(R), Red Robin will donate 50 cents from every gourmet burger sold to NCMEC during grand-opening week from May 19 to 25. NCMEC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation; help find missing children; and assist victims of child abduction and sexual exploitation, their families, and the professionals who serve them. The money raised will help bring prevention education to children nationwide.

'On behalf of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, I would like to thank Red Robin for their generous support of our mission,' said Robbie Callaway, NCMEC co-founder and past Chairman of the Board. 'It is important that we empower families to make safer decisions for their children, and communication and education are vital tools in that effort. With Red Robin's support, we are able to reach many more families across the country with our messages of child safety.'

'We are thrilled to be expanding the Red Robin family of restaurants in Virginia, while also supporting such a wonderful family-oriented cause,' said Eric Houseman, Red Robin president and chief operating officer. 'We invite everyone to come to Red Robin and enjoy one of our more than two dozen high-quality gourmet burgers to support the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children as we open our newest restaurant in Manassas.'

Red Robin focuses its philanthropic support on local and national causes that promote the health, welfare and education of children, families and citizens in the communities it serves. Because Red Robin is all about kids and families, its ongoing partnership with NCMEC has continued to grow through the company's new restaurant openings and additional programs such as 'The Next Gourmet Burger Kids' Recipe Contest' since 2006.

The 5,690-square-foot Manassas Red Robin(R) restaurant will seat 198 guests. Red Robin has 15 additional restaurants in Virginia, including two locations in Chesapeake and one each in Ashburn, Chantilly, Charlottesville, Christiansburg, Dulles, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Glen Allen, Newport News, Richmond, Roanoke, Virginia Beach and Woodbridge.

For more information about Red Robin and to find additional restaurant locations, please visit http://www.redrobin.com.

About Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (Nasdaq: RRGB)

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (http://www.redrobin.com), a casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1969 that operates through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Red Robin International, Inc., serves up wholesome, fun, feel-good experiences in a kid- and family-friendly environment. Red Robin(R) restaurants are famous for serving more than two dozen insanely delicious, high-quality gourmet burgers in a variety of recipes with Bottomless Steak Fries(R), as well as salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, desserts, and signature Mad Mixology(R) Beverages. There are more than 380 Red Robin(R) restaurants located across the United States and Canada, including corporate-owned locations and those operating under franchise agreements.

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children(R) (NCMEC)

NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping protect children from abduction and sexual exploitation. NCMEC's congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 570,000 leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more than 138,400 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 121,500 children. For more information about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit http://www.missingkids.com.

SOURCE Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.



Source: PR Newswire (May 5, 2008 - 12:59 PM EDT)

News by QuoteMedia
www.quotemedia.com

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Continues Virginia Expansion with Opening of Manassas Restaurant
Casual dining restaurant to donate 50 cents from every gourmet burger sold to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children during opening week
GREENWOOD VILLAGE, Colo., May 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (Red Robin) will open its 16th Virginia restaurant in Manassas, located at 9945 Sowder Village Square, off Route 28 near the new Super Target, on Monday, May 19, at 11 a.m. Red Robin serves high-quality gourmet burgers, appetizers, entrees, salads and beverages in a kid- and family-friendly atmosphere. As part of its grand opening celebrations, the Manassas Red Robin(R) restaurant will host a Burgers With A Heart(R) fundraiser to benefit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Through Burgers With a Heart(R), Red Robin will donate 50 cents from every gourmet burger sold to NCMEC during grand-opening week from May 19 to 25. NCMEC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to help prevent child abduction and sexual exploitation; help find missing children; and assist victims of child abduction and sexual exploitation, their families, and the professionals who serve them. The money raised will help bring prevention education to children nationwide.

'On behalf of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, I would like to thank Red Robin for their generous support of our mission,' said Robbie Callaway, NCMEC co-founder and past Chairman of the Board. 'It is important that we empower families to make safer decisions for their children, and communication and education are vital tools in that effort. With Red Robin's support, we are able to reach many more families across the country with our messages of child safety.'

'We are thrilled to be expanding the Red Robin family of restaurants in Virginia, while also supporting such a wonderful family-oriented cause,' said Eric Houseman, Red Robin president and chief operating officer. 'We invite everyone to come to Red Robin and enjoy one of our more than two dozen high-quality gourmet burgers to support the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children as we open our newest restaurant in Manassas.'

Red Robin focuses its philanthropic support on local and national causes that promote the health, welfare and education of children, families and citizens in the communities it serves. Because Red Robin is all about kids and families, its ongoing partnership with NCMEC has continued to grow through the company's new restaurant openings and additional programs such as 'The Next Gourmet Burger Kids' Recipe Contest' since 2006.

The 5,690-square-foot Manassas Red Robin(R) restaurant will seat 198 guests. Red Robin has 15 additional restaurants in Virginia, including two locations in Chesapeake and one each in Ashburn, Chantilly, Charlottesville, Christiansburg, Dulles, Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Glen Allen, Newport News, Richmond, Roanoke, Virginia Beach and Woodbridge.

For more information about Red Robin and to find additional restaurant locations, please visit http://www.redrobin.com.

About Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (Nasdaq: RRGB)

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc. (http://www.redrobin.com), a casual dining restaurant chain founded in 1969 that operates through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Red Robin International, Inc., serves up wholesome, fun, feel-good experiences in a kid- and family-friendly environment. Red Robin(R) restaurants are famous for serving more than two dozen insanely delicious, high-quality gourmet burgers in a variety of recipes with Bottomless Steak Fries(R), as well as salads, soups, appetizers, entrees, desserts, and signature Mad Mixology(R) Beverages. There are more than 380 Red Robin(R) restaurants located across the United States and Canada, including corporate-owned locations and those operating under franchise agreements.

About the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children(R) (NCMEC)

NCMEC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to helping protect children from abduction and sexual exploitation. NCMEC's congressionally mandated CyberTipline, a reporting mechanism for child sexual exploitation, has handled more than 570,000 leads. Since its establishment in 1984, NCMEC has assisted law enforcement with more than 138,400 missing child cases, resulting in the recovery of more than 121,500 children. For more information about NCMEC, call its toll-free, 24-hour hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST or visit http://www.missingkids.com.

SOURCE Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, Inc.



Source: PR Newswire (May 5, 2008 - 12:59 PM EDT)

News by QuoteMedia
www.quotemedia.com

The Dodgers, who were on the road when Buzzie Bavasi died last Thursday at age 93, held a poignant pregame tribute to their former general manager (1951-68) and the architect of four championship clubs in Brooklyn and Los Angeles. Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully spoke glowingly from the TV booth of Bavasi's accomplishments, while the video screen displayed a slide show depicting one of the people most responsible for giving Jackie Robinson, Don Newcombe and Roy Campanella a chance to break the color barrier in the major leagues. Newcombe, flanked at home plate by Tommy Davis and Lou Johnson, told the crowd of 44,181: "I'll never forget Buzzie Bavasi and what he did for me. I always thought of Buzzie Bavasi as my father."

Dodgers beat Mets for ninth win in past 10 games May 6, 2008

LOS ANGELES -- Matt Kemp celebrated his first NL player of the week award the best way possible -- with a home run.

Rafael Furcal and Blake DeWitt also connected against beleaguered Oliver Perez, and the surging Los Angeles Dodgers beat the New York Mets 5-1 on Monday night.

Furcal hit his 23rd career leadoff homer and DeWitt hit his first in the major leagues, helping the Dodgers win for the ninth time in 10 games.

"I'm excited about winning the player of the week, but that's just one step. We should have been team of the week, if anything," Kemp said with a grin. "They should give an award for that. We've been playing really well, and it shows. We're all having good at-bats and we're battling, trying to do whatever it takes to score runs and help the team win."

Chad Billingsley (2-4) allowed a run and five hits in six-plus innings, striking out four and walking four in his first career start against the Mets. The right-hander worked with men on base in every inning except the first, and stranded four runners in scoring position.

Perez (2-3) lost his third straight start, allowing five runs and six hits over six innings. It was his first outing since Mets closer Billy Wagner's public criticism of the left-hander, who gave up a combined total of 12 runs, eight hits and nine walks against Washington and Pittsburgh in his previous two starts.

Perez's woes continued in the opener of this three-game series, as the switch-hitting Furcal drove an 0-2 pitch to left-center for his 11th leadoff homer with the Dodgers.

Juan Pierre followed with a single, then stole second with one out and Jeff Kent batting. The former Met hit a vicious line drive that struck Perez right in the bread basket, but the pitcher recovered in time to throw him out as Pierre took third. Russell Martin drove in Pierre with a single, and Perez retired 10 of his next 11 batters before giving up three more runs in the fifth.

"If you're talking about me getting frustrated with him or giving up on him, it's not going to happen," Mets manager Willie Randolph said. "It's not all about pitching. It's about preparation, it's about your mind-set and your thought process. It's his responsibility to hone his skills and harness that energy that he has and put into a consistent basis on the field. And once he learns to channel that emotion, that's when he's going to take off. That's all part of maturity."

DeWitt, in his second stint with the Dodgers this season because of Nomar Garciaparra's strained left calf, drove a 1-0 pitch over the center-field fence leading off the fifth. Perez had allowed only one home run over 29 innings in his previous six starts this season.

"Oliver kept us relatively in the ballgame after a shaky start, but the gopher balls hurt him," Randolph said. "I don't go into a game thinking that he's going to repeat what he did last time out. I feel like he's going to get better. We need him to be better. And if he wants to help this team win, he has to be better."

Pierre drew a two-out walk and Kemp followed with his third homer, a drive into the pavilion seats in right-center that gave the Dodgers a 5-0 lead.

"When the season first started, he wasn't getting the kind of playing time he thought he should get," said Kemp's agent, four-time 20-game winner Dave Stewart. "It took him a while to get past that, but I explained to him that his time is going to come. Now it has, and it's going to be tough to get him out of the lineup."

Kemp is hitting .330 through his first 30 games with three homers and 24 RBI. Last season he batted .342, the fourth-highest average by a Dodgers player since the team moved to Los Angeles in 1958. In 2006, he homered four times in his first 10 games in the big leagues.

"He's going to be a solid major league player for a long time," Stewart said. "The more he plays, the better he's going to be at this game. It's a good situation for him to be in. You like to have that kind of competition with Juan Pierre, Andre Ethier and Andruw Jones. I don't know how long that rotation is going to stay like that. I mean, at some point, you may eventually have to move one of those guys."

Moises Alou, playing in his third game since coming off the disabled list, drove in the Mets' run with a sixth-inning single after a leadoff triple by Carlos Beltran.

How in the hell did Boston get ranked #1 this week. They lose five in a row only to come back to beat the Jays and Devil Rays and so that get you the #1 slot....LMAO East Coast bias I believe...

Sure is nice to get another crack at this thing...

If you had bet you would have but you decided against it.

I have been paying that for 5 weeks now...

BUCA, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2008 Earnings Call
BUCA, Inc. (Nasdaq: BUCA) announced today that it will release its financial results for its first quarter of fiscal 2008 (ended March 30, 2008) after the market close on Tuesday, May 6, 2008.

Management will host a conference call on the same day at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (3:30 p.m. Central Time). The conference call will be webcast and can be accessed by cutting the following link into your browser: http://viavid.net/dce.aspx?sid=00004FE3.

A telephone replay will also be available for one week beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, May 6, 2008, and can be accessed by dialing 888-203-1112, or 719-457-0820 for international callers, and entering pin number 5821244. For those who are unable to listen to the webcast live, an indexed recording of the call will be available for one year at: http://viavid.net/dce.aspx?sid=00004FE3.

About the Company:

BUCA, Inc. owns and operates 89 highly acclaimed Italian restaurants under the name Buca di Beppo in 25 states and the District of Columbia.


Investor Relations:
ICR
Kathleen Heaney, 203-803-3585

Agreed!

New immune treatment may control AIDS virus
Fri May 2, 2008 7:00pm EDT
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A new type of treatment that trains immune system cells to better recognize the AIDS virus may help control the deadly and incurable infection, Australian researchers reported on Friday.

Tests on monkeys infected with a similar virus shows the treatment controlled the infection, although it does not cure it, and tests are already planned in people.

The treatment is called OPAL, for Overlapping Peptide-pulsed Autologous Cells, and would be categorized as an immunotherapy technique, or a so-called therapeutic vaccine, Stephen Kent of the University of Melbourne and colleagues said.

Writing in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Pathogens, they said the treatment involves mixing a patient's own blood cells with tiny bits of protein from the virus.

These cells are then re-infused into the patient.

"Levels of virus in vaccinated monkeys were 10-fold lower than in controls, and this was durable for over one year after the initial vaccinations," they wrote.

"The immunotherapy resulted in fewer deaths from AIDS. We conclude this is a promising immunotherapy technique. Trials in HIV-infected humans of OPAL therapy are planned."

The AIDS virus infects more than 33 million people globally and has killed 25 million since it was identified in the 1980s.

While there is no cure and no vaccine, cocktails of drugs can control the virus. But they have side-effects, are expensive and eventually often stop working.

Kent's team took small bits of the virus called peptides and placed them in lab dishes with both whole blood and isolated immune system cells.

This helped train the cells to recognize the virus and attack it more effectively, they wrote in the paper, freely available here

The macaque monkeys were infected with a related virus called SIV or simian immunodeficiency virus.

HIV is tricky to treat because it attacks the immune system. It specifically goes after immune cells called CD4 T cells, the very cells that are supposed to attack and kill viruses.

"Virus-specific CD4 T cells are typically very weak in HIV-infected humans or SIV-infected macaques; dramatic enhancement of these cells were induced by OPAL immunotherapy and this may underlie its efficacy," they wrote.

The treatment appears to work best if started right after someone becomes infected.

"Although it may be challenging to identify humans within three weeks of infection, this is when HIV-1 subjects typically present (show up at a doctors office) with acute infection," they wrote.

(Editing by Todd Eastham)

Well I guess you will just have to ask him if he bet and that will clear it up for you.

He didn't take the bet...I would gladly pay had he bet and I lost but again he decided not to bet. In a pm he admitted that he had knowledge that the structure could possibly change and wanted to adjust the bet accordingly. I told him the bet was that it would change from what it currently was and so he wouldn't agree. Simply enough!

Turns out he wouldn't bet me since he was already in the know about the increased shares....Funy I know!

MFAD...