Final Four can also refer to:

In sports:

* The Final Four of the Euroleague basketball competition
* The Final Four of the NCAA Men’s Volleyball Championship
* The Frozen Four, the final two rounds of each of the four NCAA Ice Hockey Championships
* The teams in the semifinal round of tournaments in college basketball in the Philippines, and, by analogy, other college sports in that country
o UAAP Final Four

In television:

* The last four contenders in StarStruck, a Philippine TV series
* The last four contestants on many reality shows, such as Survivor

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Xa4q5DXcN0

Since then I have made hundreds of Talons for elite soldiers around the world. Various Special Forces Groups, SEALS, Delta Force, Security Forces, Marines, Army, Navy, Bomb Squads, Department of Justice etc., can be seen toting a Talon or two along with all the other tons of equipment these kind of guys carry. It has been a pleasure and an honor to work with these folks – they are fun to work with and they put it on the line everyday for the rest of the United States.

Why a Tactical Tomahawk?

The tomahawk has served as an effective field tool and weapon for over 300 years, and the physics behind the tomahawk give it many advantages over a knife. The user can choke up on the grip to use the tomahawk like a knife. Held at the normal grip, the cutting power is multiplied several times over because of the leverage of the long handle.

Features of the Eagle Talon Tactical Tomahawk:

· The spike can be used for general hole punching, and is capable of punching through a standard Kevlar helmet. It can also be used for climbing.

· The forward cutting edge is flat ground for general cutting purposes.

· The beard of the tomahawk is hollow ground and sharpened, allowing the user to hook and rip his adversary at the same time.

· The all-steel integral design ensures that there will never be a head-handle separation.

· The Micarta scales can be removed and the handle wrapped with para-cord. A figure eight wrap provides an excellent gripping surface and provides the user with over 22 feet of cord if needed. The Micarta scales also have 4 feet of 4mm nylon cord laced in them.

The Eagle Talon is equally at home in urban warfare as it is in the mountains and forests. In the woods the Eagle Talon can be used for climbing, digging, chopping wood and clearing brush. In urban situations the Talon excels as an entry/exit tool and as a rake and break tool for windows. The Eagle Talon can even be used to chop through a standard cinder block wall.

To read more about these axes, click the links below.

Kelly Rowan stars as Teresa Spring, a real-life woman who spent over a week in 2001 searching against all hope for her son Joe, who went missing in the rough interior of BC.

In May of 2001, Joe Spring set out from Aldergrove, BC on a long, lonely drive down the desolate winding roads of British Columbia’s rugged interior. A few hours into his journey, his sports car drifted off the highway, soaring down a steep embankment. His body broken, Joe lay trapped in the crumpled wreck of his car for eight days without food or water, where he clung to life, awaiting a miracle. The riveting story made headlines across the country and around the world.

Eight Days to Live is the sixth original movie in CTV’s “Heroes, Champions and Villains” production strand that focuses on remarkable Canadian personalities, characters and stories. Previous titles that have enjoyed critical and ratings success include the two-part mini-series Lives of the Saints; TERRY, the story of Terry Fox’s remarkable Marathon of Hope; and, most recently, The Man Who Lost Himself, the true story of football hero Terry Evanshen which earlier this week became the most-watched Canadian television movie of the year.

Eight Days to Live celebrates the surprising heroism of an ordinary family transformed by loss and redeemed by hope. While the media counts off the days, Spring’s mother Teresa (Rowan), his father Tim (Shawn Doyle), his younger sister Becca (Teagan Moss) and younger brother Will (Ryan McDonell) – along with a RCMP helicopter pilot (Gwynyth Walsh) – make a pledge to find Joe Spring (Dustin Milligan) against all odds. Their story offers inspiration and courage in a heartwarming, suspenseful tale that audiences of all ages will embrace.

“Kelly brings a major international profile to the role of Teresa Spring,” said Susanne Boyce, CTV’s President of Programming and Chair of the Media Group. “As the determined mother who would not quit when all hope was gone, Kelly is the perfect actor to bring to life this wonderful story of indomitable Canadian courage.”

“Joe Spring’s story is one that all families can relate to,” said Christina Jennings, Executive Producer, Shaftesbury Films. “A mother’s love knows no bounds and this story shows how true that is. While others doubted, she never stopped believing that her son would be found alive. Shaftesbury is proud to follow up the recent success of TERRY with another remarkable story of the human experience.”

Rowan, the Canadian-born actor and Gemini award winner (Adrift), has come home not only to star in the movie but also to serve as one of the Executive Producers for Eight Days to Live. Known internationally for her role as Kristen Cohen on CTV’s The O.C., Kelly also appeared with Samuel L. Jackson in the thriller feature film 187 and in Hook with Dustin Hoffman.

Award-winning actor Shawn Doyle (The Eleventh Hour, Scar Tissue) joins the cast as Joe Spring’s father Tim. Playing Joe Spring’s sister Becca is Teagan Moss (Alice I Think, Sea People). Joe Spring is played by Dustin Milligan (DaVinci’s City Hall, Dead Zone), Gwynyth Walsh (Taken, DaVinci’s Inquest) plays the helicopter pilot Jodeen and Brian Markinson (The Life, 100 Days in the Jungle) plays RCMP Sgt. Al Ramey.

Cast

* Joe Spring – Dustin Milligan
* Becca Spring – Tegan Moss
* Tim Spring – Shawn Doyle
* Teresa Spring – Kelly Rowan
* Will Spring – Ryan McDonell
* Craig – Ty Olsson
* Jodeen – Gwynyth Walsh
* Anderson – James Parks
* Weaver – Michael Eklund
* Al – Brian Markinson
* Lucinda – Katharine Isabelle

Plot

At the beginning of the American Revolution, Benjamin Martin (Gibson) is a South Carolina veteran of the French and Indian War and a widower raising his seven children on his farm. Gabriel (Ledger), the eldest, is anxious to join the American forces fighting the British in the Revolutionary War. Knowing war from personal experience, Ben tries to discourage his son’s ambitions, but his son enlists anyway.

Gabriel returns home two years later, stumbling wounded into the family home and carrying military dispatches. The next day, a military skirmish have the Martins caring for the wounded from both sides. British soldiers – the ruthless Green Dragoons cavalry – arrive and kill the Colonial wounded, burn down the Martin house and arrest Gabriel as a spy, intending to hang him. Ben’s next eldest son Thomas (Smith) is shot and killed by the leader of the Green Dragoons, Colonel William Tavington (Isaacs).

Making use of his knowledge of fighting in the wilds, Ben and his two younger sons, Nathan (Morgan) and Samuel (Chafin) set forth to ambush the British column in the woods. They manage to kill most of the soldiers in an ambush and free Gabriel. The boys are horrified at their first glimpse of their father’s ferocity. Gabriel rejoins the cause against his father’s will again, stating it is his duty as a soldier. Ben decides to join as well, leaving the rest of the children in the care of their aunt Charlotte (Joely Richardson), Ben’s sister-in-law.

Continental Army Colonel Harry Burwell (Cooper), having fought alongside Ben in the French and Indian War, asks him to organize a militia designed to keep British General Cornwallis (Wilkinson) in the south until the French navy arrives to assist. French officer Jean Villeneuve (Karyo), is present to help train the militia.

Ben’s South Carolina militia is called uses guerrilla warfare, attacking the British supply lines. To combat the militia, Cornwallis has Tavington track Ben’s family to their refuge with Charlotte and burns down her plantation. However, the family escapes, and are led to a safe haven by Gabriel. Gabriel also marries his childhood friend Anne (Brenner). Soon after, Anne and her family, along with all the townspeople, are ordered burned alive whilst locked in the church by Tavington.

A grief-stricken Gabriel rides out with others to avenge their loss. During the ensuing fight, Tavington kills Gabriel and escapes. Ben is devastated and his zeal for combat extinguished, but soon returns to the Continentals to avenge his sons, and manages to kill Tavington. The tide of battle quckly turns and Cornwallis is forced to retreat and eventually surrenders.

Martin and his family return to their home to find the militia helping to rebuild it. Occam (Jones) tells Ben, “Gabriel said that if we won the war, we could build a whole new world. Just figured we’d get started right here, with your home.” Benjamin smiles.

Plot summary

The film is told through the perspective of Scotty Smalls, who is reminiscing on his first summer in Los Angeles. In 1962, Smalls moves with his mother and stepfather to a new neighborhood, and struggles to make new friends. One afternoon, he decides to follow a group of neighborhood boys, and watches them play an improvised game of baseball at a small field, which they call the “sandlot.” Smalls is reluctant to join their game, as he fears he will be ridiculed on account of his inexperience. Nevertheless, he chooses to play with them, but fails to catch a simple fly ball and properly throw the ball back to his infielders. All the other players, except for Benny Rodriguez, begin to jeer Smalls for committing defensive miscues, prompting him to leave the sandlot in embarrassment. Benny, who is the best player in the neighborhood, shields Smalls from the insults of his peers, and invites him to rejoin their game. He proceeds to give Smalls advice and helps him earn the respect of the other players. In time, Smalls is accepted and becomes an integral part of the team.

As Smalls continues to play with the team, he begins to learn many of the customs of the sandlot, while experiences many misadventures with his new friends. He learns that players avoid hitting home runs over the sandlot’s fences, as the property is guarded by a ferocious dog, called “the beast.” One day, Benny hits a ball so hard, that he ruptures its leather, causing the balls entrails to come out. The group cannot afford to buy another baseball, and is forced to retire for the afternoon. However, Smalls runs to his father’s trophy room, and steals an autographed baseball, in hopes of preserving the game. The team is impressed with Smalls’ gesture, and allows him to have the first at bat with the ball. He proceeds to hit the ball out of the sandlot, but is shortly enveloped by fear once he realizes that he has lost his stepfather’s ball. The situation is further worsened when Smalls realizes that the ball was autographed by Babe Ruth, and is almost irreplaceable.

Smalls and his friends begin engineering elaborate plans to recover the ball from the beast. After five failed rescue attempts, Smalls prepares to accept his fate. Around the same time, Benny has an enlightening dream, where he is visited by Babe Ruth, who encourages him run into the sandlot, and use his speed to recover the ball and escape. Ruth leaves Benny with the words, “Heroes are remembered, but legends never die.” Benny rallies his friends the following morning at the sandlot, and prepares to recover Smalls’ baseball. Using his PF Flyers, he steals the ball from the Beast, and successfully manages to elude the dog as it chases him through town. At the end of the race, the Beast is injured after a fence collapses on it. Smalls feels responsible for the ordeal, and helps the Beast (whose real name is revealed to be “Hercules”) escape the rubble. Benny and Smalls then decide to tell the dog’s owner, Mr. Mertle (James Earl Jones), about the ordeal. They eventually learn that Mertle played with the 1927 New York Yankees, and was teammates with Babe Ruth. Mertle, whose career shortened after he was blinded by a stray pitch, agrees to give Smalls a ball signed by Murderers’ Row – several of the best Yankee hitters in the late 1920s. In exchange, the boys are to visit Mertle once a week to talk about baseball. Smalls proceeds to give his stepfather that ball that Mertle gave him.

While his stepfather is still mad at him, they eventually get over the issue. He then goes on to explain what became of all his friends, and the future careers they pursued. The film then jumps twenty years into the future, where Smalls is a radio commentator for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez is one of the team’s star players. While he is in the twilight of his career, Benny manages to steal home in the movie’s final comments, before flashing a thumbs-up to Smalls in the press box.

After being run at Aurora Downs Racetrack in 1938, the race was on hiatus until 1963 when it was revived at Sportsman’s Park Racetrack where it remained util 2003.

Since 2001, the Illinois Derby is a prep race to the Kentucky Derby. Prior to that it was run between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. The 2002 Illinois Derby won by War Emblem was the last one run at Sportsman’s Park Racetrack.

2004 winner Pollard’s Vision, a colt whose right eye is blind, was named in honor of Seabiscuit’s jockey Red Pollard, who also lost sight in his right eye.

In 1997, at Sportsman’s Park, Wild Rush set the record for the fastest time in the Illinois Derby at 1:47.51.

The Illinois Derby was first run in 1923 at Hawthorne Race Course located in Stickney/Cicero, Illinois just west of Chicago. After being run at Aurora in 1938, it was discontinued and was only revived at Sportsman’s Park in 1963.

Discuss Illinois Derby Picks & Tips in the horse racing handicapping forum.

Apparently, horse racing handicappers convinced Bill Johnston, the late Sportsman’s Park president, into resurrecting the 1 1/8-mile race.

“Good idea, Dave,” Johnston said when it was first suggested in 1960. But his racing secretary, the late Robert P. McAuliffe, said, “Feldman is crazy. This race won’t draw flies at 1 1/8 miles.”

The purse, at that time, was only $25,000, but a full field competed, and Lemon Twist won it before a packed house.

The Illinois Derby was such a success that owners and trainers started to ship horses from everywhere. The race has grown to be one of the richest for 3-year-olds.

Since 2001, the Illinois Derby is a prep race to the Kentucky Derby. Prior to that it was run between the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes. The 2002 Illinois Derby won by War Emblem was the last one run at Sportsman’s Park Racetrack.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KVARrDKYcI

Now run at a distance of 1 1/8 miles (9 Furlongs), for the first three years it was 1 1/16th miles, and at 1 1/4 miles in 1947.

Prep races to the Santa Anita Derby include the San Rafael Stakes, San Miguel Stakes, San Felipe Stakes, Sham Stakes, San Vicente Stakes and the Santa Catalina Stakes, all run at Santa Anita Park.

As a result of World War II, there were no races held from 1942 to 1944.

Records:

* At age 17, Pat Valenzuela became the youngest jockey to win the Santa Anita Derby when he rode Codex to victory in the 1980 race.
* In 2000, Jenine Sahadi became the first woman trainer to win the Santa Anita Derby.
* In 2005, Jeff Mullins became the first trainer to win three consecutive editions of the Santa Anita Derby.

Speed Record:
Three horses share the record for the fastest winning time of 1:47.00:

* Lucky Debonair (1965)
* Sham (1973)
* Indian Charlie (1998)

Most wins by an owner:

* 3 – Rex C. Ellsworth
* 2 – Calumet Farm, C.V. Whitney

Most wins by a jockey:

* 9 – Gary Stevens
* 8 – Bill Shoemaker
* 7 – Laffit Pincay, Jr.

Most wins by a Trainer:

* 5 – Bob Baffert (1996, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2009)
* 4 – D. Wayne Lukas (1980, 1982, 1983, 1988)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMeDe2JCs7U

Lou was outstanding as Claude in the wonderful seriocomic indie sleeper gem “Last Night at the Alamo” (1984). Alternately funny and pitiable, Perryman as the despondent and excitable Claude spends a sizable amount of his screen time angrily (and profanely) berating his estranged wife on the phone while making game, albeit futile attempts at reconciling with her. Perryman brings a lovely, touching pathos and rueful, rumpled dignity to the role of Claude that’s a true joy to behold. Lou was likewise memorable and personable as affable radio station engineer L.G. McPeters in “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2″ (1986). (Perryman worked behind the scenes on the classic ’74 original as an assistant cameraman.)

Moreover, Perryman had nice small parts as a hostile redneck bar patron in “The Blues Brothers” (1980), a construction worker in “Poltergeist” (1982), and the sheriff Hilary Swank relates in flashback what happened to her to in the acclaimed award-winning indie hit “Boys Don’t Cry” (1999). Among the plays Lou has appeared in are “The Time of Your Life,” “Fool for Love,” and the especially well-received “In the West” (Perryman also co-wrote this latter play). He’s also acted under the alternate names of Lou Perry and Louis Perryman.

McElwain was diagnosed with autism at a young age, he had trouble interacting with other kids, but during his teenage years he began to develop social skills and make friends. McElwain had a passion for basketball, so Greece Athena High School basketball coach Jim Johnson appointed him manager of the team.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fw1CcxCUgg

On February 15, 2006, Greece Athena was playing Spencerport High School for a division title. Greece Athena got a large lead, so Johnson decided to let McElwain play in the last four minutes. After initially missing two shots, McElwain made six three-point shots and one two-pointer. After the final buzzer rang, the crowd dashed onto the court in celebration.

A year to the day after he stunned everyone by coming off the bench to score 20 points in four minutes in a high-school basketball game, autistic teen-ager Jason McElwain says he hopes his story is still inspiring others to set goals and achieve their dreams.

“What more can you want?” the 18-year-old Rochester, N.Y.-area boy said in an interview on TODAY Thursday morning, as he recounted his year in the spotlight, which included a meeting with President Bush. “My life has changed from going to just an ordinary kid with autism to someone who is a hero.”

Jason, then 17, was thrust into the spotlight when Greece Athena High School basketball coach Jim Johnson decided to send him onto the floor for a little play in the team’s final regular season game against Spencerport on Feb. 16, 2006. Jason had never made the team but stayed on as team manager, and Coach Johnson thought a little playing time would be a fitting show of gratitude for his dedication.

Jason set the crowd into a frenzy when, after missing his first shot, he sank six three-pointers and a jump shot in the final four minutes. His achievement, captured on videotape, made him a national sensation.

Jason, known as “J-Mac” to friends in his upstate New York suburb, made appearances at the ESPY awards, the NCAA Final Four and the NBA finals. In addition to the president, he got to meet Oprah Winfrey, Peyton Manning and Jessica Simpson.

Letters still pour in from all over the world. People with autism write to thank Jason for serving as a beacon of hope for others.

“Can you look back at all and tell me what is has been like, Jason, to live in your shoes?” TODAY’s Matt Lauer asked.

“It’s been fun and amazing,” said Jason.

Still playing basketball
In addition to his part-time job at a supermarket, Jason still plays in nightly pickup games at the “Y,” but admits he has never been able to repeat the feat that got his name in newspapers and magazines from coast to coast.

“When you play with your buddies, do they kind of expect you to make every single shot?” Lauer asked.

“The expectations are really high, but not exactly,” Jason said, laughing.

His parents, David and Debbie McElwain, who appeared on TODAY with Jason and his older brother Josh, said they still can’t believe all of the attention Jason’s performance has received.

“After that game when he scored 20 points, I thought, ‘Gee, his name might be in the paper,’ ” David McElwain said.

Now there are even discussions about turning his life story into a book and movie. (Jason said that he thought Matthew McConaughey should portray him on film.)

‘On a roll’
Debbie McElwain admitted that Jason sometimes can get “cocky” about his fame, but she and Josh bring him back down to Earth. She said she hopes Jason’s story will encourage other families with autistic children to identify the symptoms early and get treatments designed to foster communication skills before it is too late.