Schwarzesbrett » good about that. We have been in winning situations

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- A handcuffed Jerry Sandusky testified by video link for nearly three hours Tuesday about his Penn State retirement deal and ties between the university and the youth charity he founded, as a hearing began to determine if he should get retirement benefits cancelled over his child molestation conviction. Speaking from the western Pennsylvania prison where he is serving a 30- to 60-year sentence, Sandusky described how he retired from Penn State in mid-1999 to take advantage of an early retirement incentive, and then was immediately rehired on a temporary basis to coach one last season. A hearing examiner is taking evidence about the post-retirement benefits Sandusky received and the universitys connection to The Second Mile charity as part of Sanduskys appeal of the pension forfeiture. Sandusky said that after the 1999 season, he never received another paycheque or W-2 tax form from Penn State, never held himself out to be a Penn State employee and was even given a retirement party. At issue is whether he could be considered a school employee about a decade later, when he committed sex crimes against two boys that meet the states standards for forfeiture. Sandusky disputed documents that claim he received dozens of payments from Penn State after 1999. "I dont know the exact number for sure, but I know it was in the neighbourhood of three," he said. "It was far from 71." Sandusky was the only witness called by his lawyers, and the afternoon session began with a retirement system employee reading a timeline that outlined the former coachs history with the pension agency, starting when he was hired by Penn State in 1969. He lost a $4,900-a-month pension in October 2012, the day he was sentenced for 45 counts of child sexual abuse. The decision also precluded his wife, Dottie Sandusky, from collecting benefits. She attended the hearing Tuesday in Harrisburg. The State Employees Retirement System (SERS) ruled that his convictions for involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and indecent assault fell under Pennsylvanias Public Employee Pension Forfeiture Act. Sandusky had opted to participate in the state-sponsored retirement system while at Penn State, which is a "state-related" university, but he was not a state employee. At the heart of the dispute is whether Sanduskys ties to the university after his retirement, including some payments, made him a "de facto" Penn State employee while committing the crimes in question. His lawyer has argued he was not and that his employment contract was not renewed after the forfeiture law took effect in 1978 so its terms do not apply to him. Sandusky attorney Charles Benjamin has said Penn State made only six payments to Sandusky between 2000 and 2008, and three of them involved travel costs. The other three were speaking fees of $100, $300 and $1,500. In a Dec. 9 filing, Benjamin also argued that Sandusky did not fit the definition of "school employee" under the forfeiture law. "No reported case in the history of Pennsylvania jurisprudence has ever applied a de facto employee analysis to deny someone his retirement earnings, and SERS should not bow to political pressure and mob rule to deny claimant his retirement earnings," Benjamin wrote. In recent weeks, there was a dispute over the SERS witness list, which included two former Penn State administrators facing allegations of a criminal coverup about Sandusky, former athletic director Tim Curley and former vice-president Gary Schultz. A SERS lawyer said at the start of the hearing that both men asserted their Fifth Amendment rights not to testify. There is currently no trial date set for Curley and Schultz, who are being prosecuted in the Dauphin County Courthouse, about two blocks from the SERS headquarters. It likely will be several months before the hearing examiner, Michael Bangs, produces his written recommendation to the retirement system board. If the board rules against Sandusky, he may appeal to Commonwealth Court. Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed by Joe Paternos family and others against the NCAA needs the schools involvement in order for parts of it to proceed, a state judge ruled Tuesday. The 25-page opinion by Judge John Leete delivered a mixed decision by dismissing some elements, keeping others alive and leaving the door open for an amended lawsuit to be filed. Leete said breach of contract claims, however, cannot continue without Penn States participation because the school is an "indispensable party," given that the lawsuit could affect the universitys interests and contractual rights. The lawsuit seeks to void a consent decree between the NCAA and Penn State over handling of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal, an agreement that imposed a $60 million fine, a four-year ban on post-season play, a reduction in scholarships and other penalties. "If the consent decree is declared void, as plaintiffs request, Penn State would lose the benefits it bargained for, including avoiding harsher sanctions and limiting further loss that could result from a prolonged investigation," Leete wrote. He added that the NCAA had indicated earlier that the football program could be shut down if the decree was invalidated. Paterno family attorney Wick Sollers said the decision allows the critical claims in the lawsuit to go forward. The ruling will let "the bright light of legal discovery" shine on the facts and records, he said. Paterno died in 2012, weeks after the scandal erupted and he was fired as football coach. A Penn State spokesman declined to comment. "We are exceedingly pleased that the court rejected the plaintiffs effort to undo the consent decree," NCAA chief legal officer Donald Remy said in a statement. "As this was the last remaining legal challenge to the validity of the consent decree, we hope the courts decision finally brings closure to this issue and allows the Penn State community to continue to move forward under the consent decree and the athletic integrity agreement." The judge threw out a claim of interference with contractual relations but kept in place civil conspiracy and commercial disparagement elements. "Plaintiffs identified disparaging statements accusing Joe Paterno of enabling and concealing child sexual abuse and knowledge or reckless disregard with respect to their falsity," Leete wrote. He said that although the family did not meet a legal standard generally required in disparagement claims, the requirement is lifted when the disparaging statements are libelous. Leete also tossed parts of the defamation allegations, except as they apply to university trustee Alvin Clemens and two former coaches who sued, William Kenney and Jay Paterno, Joe Paternos son. Running Shoes Wholesale Uk . Mauer drove in two runs before leaving with an injury, Eduardo Nunez homered and the Minnesota Twins beat the Kansas City Royals 10-2 on Tuesday night. Running Shoes Sale Uk Online .com) - Eric Fehrs goal 42 seconds into overtime lifted the Washington Capitals to a 5-4 come-from-behind victory over Columbus, halting the Blue Jackets seven-game win streak. http://www.clearancerunningshoesuk.com/ . Yet now its time for the most important pick of them all; the Grey Cup. The thought of going 5-0 with the correct choice is quite intoxicating, I dont think I have ever gone perfect in my CFL futuristic playoff speculations and would take great pride in guessing - I mean analyzing - correctly. Running Shoes Outlet Online Uk . Bowditch, the 30-year-old Australian seeking his first PGA Tour title, shot a 4-under 68 to reach 12 under at TPC San Antonio. Matt Kuchar and Andrew Loupe were tied for second. Kuchar shot 65, and Loupe had a 70. Running Shoes Uk Online . He also had some help Monday night.Hibbert scored a season-high 29 points to help Indiana beat the Utah Jazz 97-86 Monday night, ending the Pacers six-game losing streak.RENTON, Wash. - At some point every week, Pete Carroll will describe the upcoming opponent as a championship opportunity.Every week. Without fail. No matter the quality of the competition or the setting of the game. The end goal is that when a big game arrives — like last Februarys Super Bowl, or Sundays NFC West showdown with Arizona — its handled in the same way as any other week.Were not going into this game thinking were unfamiliar with it or its going to be something we dont know how to handle or whats up. We dont feel like that at all, Carroll said Wednesday. That comes from years of experience and being through it and a bunch of young guys now that theyre pretty well experienced at the timing of these kinds of games.That attitude and approach took a while to kick in. Richard Sherman first noticed it when Seattle won at Washington in the 2012 NFC playoffs. Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett — newcomers during Seattles title run in 2013 — started to understand where Carroll was coming from about midway through the regular season.Its all about preparing the same, dont get too high because its a Monday night game or because its a 1 p.m. game or whatever, Avril said. Treat every game the same and youll get probably the same results.Clearly what Carroll has implemented has worked. For the fourth time in Carrolls five seasons with Seattle, the Seahawks are in contention for a division title going into the final weeks of the regular season.But after being in control of home-field advantage and the No. 1 seed for most of last season, this Week 16 showdown with Arizona is significant.A win by the Cardinals gives them the NFC West title and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, needing just two wins to play in the Super Bowl on their home field.For the Seahawks, a victory wouldnt guarantee a playoff spot unless they get some help earlier in the day. But it would potentially leave Seattle needing just a home victory over St. Louis in Week 17 to clinch the division title and home-field advantage.ddddddddddddTwo wins would give Seattle the No. 1 seed in the NFC as long as it doesnt finish in a tie at 12-4 with Dallas, in which case the Cowboys would hold the tiebreaker. Seattle would win any two-way tiebreakers with Detroit, Green Bay or Arizona and all three-way tiebreakers go in favour of the Seahawks.Why is that important for Seattle? Over the past three seasons, playoffs included, the Seahawks are 23-2 at home and have outscored opponents by an average of 14 points per game.I think its important that if youre going to play at your best and perform at a very high level you have to be comfortable with the setting, and if youre uncomfortable and unsure it can make a difference and distract you some, Carroll said. We have that going for us. We feel very good about that. We have been in winning situations in December and its been the chance for us to do some really good things and weve come through for a good part of that.While Seattle tries to keep important games on the same level as every other matchup, Arizona coach Bruce Arians said Wednesday he wants his players to embrace the scope of Sundays matchup.You dont get to play for the damn thing very often so its not like Seattles played for it for a hundred damn years. Im sure theyre embracing it also, Arians said. So you fight your (rear) off all year to play for this game and sure you embrace it but you dont change how you prepare for it, its still the same process.NOTES: Seattle C Max Unger (ankle/knee) did not practice Wednesday. Carroll said Unger struggled to recover from his work last week. Hes missed the last four games. ... LT Russell Okung (chest) is still in the mix for Sunday but was scheduled to have additional exams on Thursday to check his recovery from a bruised lung. ... G J.R. Sweezy (ankle) did not practice Wednesday.___AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFL ' ' '