VTB Arena
Former names	Dynamo Stadium
Location	Moscow, Russia
Coordinates	55°47′29″N 37°33′35″E / 55.79139°N 37.55972°E / 55.79139; 37.55972Coordinates: 55°47′29″N 37°33′35″E / 55.79139°N 37.55972°E / 55.79139; 37.55972
Construction cost	US$1,5 billion
Architect	Erick van Egeraat, David Manica
Capacity	Large arena: 45,000 Small arena: 15,000

VTB Arena is a planned multi-purpose stadium in Moscow, Russia.

The old Dynamo Stadium was closed for demolition in 2008. The final design of the new stadium was done by David Manica of Manica Architecture,^[1] and the construction is scheduled to be finished in 2016. The project is slated to be called VTB Arena but VTB Bank is currently attempting to sell the naming rights.^[1] The football stadium will have a capacity of 33,000 that can be adjusted up to 45,000 or down to an undisclosed number while the arena will have a base capacity of 12,000 that can be expanded up to 15,000 or down to another undisclosed number.^[2] The new complex will also include a shopping and entertainment center, office buildings, apartment buildings, a 5-star hotel, and a 1,600 car parking garage. The total investment is estimated to be US$1,5 billion. The new stadium is included in the Russia's bid for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.^[3] Other architects who submitted their projects for tender but lost included Perkins Eastman, Populous and Gerkan, Marg and Partners. Some of the elements from the losing bids might still end up used in the final design.^[4]

See also[link]

• Dynamo Stadium (Moscow) (1928)
• Dynamo (disambiguation)

References[link]

Links[link]

• Official site
• Official site #2

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Dynamo Stadium, Moscow

• The new stadium by designer Eric van Egeraat
• Project after adjustment by MANICA Architecture
• SkyscraperCity main thread (Russian)

References[link]

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9th Wonder
Background information
Birth name	Patrick Douthit
Also known as	9th Wonder, 9thmatic
Born	(1975-01-15) January 15, 1975 (age 37) Winston-Salem, North Carolina
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Record producer, record executive
Instruments	Akai MPC 2500, Turntables, Pro Tools, FL Studio[1]
Years active	1997–present
Labels	It's A Wonderful World Music Group, Jamla Records
Associated acts	Little Brother, Murs, David Banner, Buckshot, Erykah Badu

Patrick Douthit (born January 15, 1975 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina),^[2] better known as 9th Wonder is a hip hop record producer, record executive, DJ, lecturer, and lyricist from Durham, North Carolina, U.S. He began his career as the main producer for the group Little Brother, and has also worked with Mary J. Blige, Jean Grae, Wale, Jay-Z, Murs, Drake, Buckshot, Chris Brown, Destiny's Child, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, Erykah Badu, Ludacris, Mac Miller, and David Banner. As of 2010, 9th Wonder raps under the name of 9thmatic.^[3]

9th Wonder has a smooth and soulful production style that relies on samples from artists such as Al Green and Curtis Mayfield.^[4] He attributes the bass lines that he uses in production to DJ Premier, Pete Rock and J Dilla, while he claims to have learned "Aahs" from RZA.^{[4][clarification needed]}

Music career[link]

9th Wonder's first significant career breakthrough came in 2003 when, as an up-and-coming producer, he released an unofficial remix album of Nas' 2002 album God's Son entitled God's Stepson.^[5] Released through internet outlets, the album garnered significant attention and acclaim.^[5] The producer has said that he was not thinking in terms of using it to generate a buzz or promote his skills and that at that point: "I never thought any of this of me as a producer was going to happen."^[5] The album has since been credited as starting the now regular trend for unofficial 'home-made' remixes of whole albums.^[5]

9th Wonder began his career as the main producer for the group Little Brother. As part of Little Brother he gained recognition and critical acclaim for his production on their debut 2003 release, The Listening. [Jay-Z]]'s studio engineer Young Guru was impressed with his work, and contacted 9th Wonder, which led to 9th Wonder producing "Threat" for Jay-Z's 2003 The Black Album.^[5] The cut proved to be a mainstream breakthrough for 9th Wonder, most immediately in the major production role he secured on Destiny's Child's 2004 Destiny Fulfilled album that Jay-Z was instrumental in helping bring about.^[5] On the album, 9th Wonder produced the tracks "Girl" and "Is She the Reason," plus the bonus track "Game Over".

9th Wonder left Little Brother in 2007.^[6][7]

On October 29, 2007, 9th Wonder made a rare public appearance on BET's Rap City, alongside collaborator Talib Kweli. Madlib, Jean Grae and Erykah Badu appeared as well. In 2010, he appeared on BET's 106 & Park countdown with David Banner.

9th Wonder, E. Jones, and rapper J. Cole served as the lead producers of the soundtrack to the EA Sports video game NBA Elite 11. 9th Wonder and J. Cole also appear as "secret characters" in NBA Jam with a team name of Cole & Wonder.

9th Wonder debuted his rapping alter-ego 9thmatic in late 2009. 9thmatic appeared on songs with Khrysis and Sean Boog, Big Remo, Murs and Thee Tom Hardy.

9th Wonder worked with Mississippi rapper David Banner on a collaborative album entitled Death of a Pop Star which was released on December 21, 2010.

It's A Wonderful World Music Group, Jamla Records[link]

In January 2009, 9th Wonder announced plans to start two independent record labels, Jamla and The Academy, under his imprint It's A Wonderful World Music Group (IWWMG). Jamla originally consisted of Skyzoo, GQ, Rapsody, Tyler Woods and Big Remo, while The Academy consisted of Thee Tom Hardy, Actual Proof (Sundown & Enigma), TP, and The Away Team (Khrysis & Sean Boog). The Academy artists were later folded into the Jamla label. Halo and Heather Victoria were announced as the newest members of IWWMG in October 2010.

In July 2010, 9th Wonder officially debuted his production team for IWWMG. The Soul Council consists of Khrysis, E. Jones, Fatin "10" Horton, Ka$h Don't Make Beats, AMP, eric g., and 9th Wonder himself.

Recent and current projects[link]

In 2010, independent filmmaker Kenneth Price documented 9th Wonder's travels for an entire year. This included his times in the studio, classes he taught at Duke University, and performances with Murs at the 2010 Rock the Bells Festival, along with interviews with 9th Wonder about his life and career. All of this was compiled in a Lifted Research Group-sponsored documentary film titled The Wonder Year. The film features appearances by Drake, DJ Premier, DJ Green Lantern, J. Cole, Murs, Lucas Rivers, Sha Money XL, Young Guru, The Alchemist and others. Price went on to direct music videos for artists on 9th Wonder's Jamla Records label.

In August 2010, Drake exchanged tweets with 9th Wonder on Twitter, expressing his desire to work with him again (the first time being the production of "Think Good Thoughts" featuring Phonte and Elzhi for his 2007 mixtape Comeback Season). It was revealed in October 2010 that 9th Wonder would be producing for Drake on his sophomore album Take Care, which was released on November 15, 2011.^[8] However, a month prior to the release, 9th Wonder said in an interview that he would not appear on Take Care due to A&R issues.^[9]

Singer Chris Brown recorded a series of rap freestyles over 9th Wonder beats. The first was released on July 18, 2011 on YouTube under the title "Real Hip Hop #3." This was followed a day later by "Real Hip Hop #4" featuring Kevin McCall. These tracks were included in Brown's rap mixtape Boy In Detention, released on August 5, 2011.^[10]

Hip hop professor[link]

2007 saw a sideline move into music academia for 9th Wonder when, along with Christopher "Play" Martin from hip hop group Kid-n-Play, he was appointed Artist-In-Residence by the Chancellor of North Carolina Central University, and began instructing a hip hop history class in NCCU's Music Dept.^[11]

His role as a music professor has proven an ongoing one as in January 2010 it was announced that 9th Wonder would co-teach a class titled "Sampling Soul" with Dr. Mark Anthony Neal at Duke University.^[12] In an interview with HitQuarters, he explained the reason for the move into academia: "Educating the youth on where hip-hop comes from and the history of it, using the records we use, gives hip-hop a longer life. I decided to become an advocate of that."^[5]

9th has only continued his trek into the world of education, recently receiving acceptance from Harvard University to become a fellow in the Hip Hop Archive. 9th will spend three years working on a research project at Harvard’s W.E.B. Dubois Institute. For 9th's project titled "These Are The Breaks" he will be researching the original records that created his top 10 produced albums. He recently told XXL that he one day hopes to leave producing behind for good to focus on academics. A documentary will also be created by Kenneth Price, chronicling 9th's journey as a Harvard fellow. The blog www.theharvardfellow.com will help fans follow the progression.

P'Tones Records[link]

9th Wonder and Black Jeruz are the spokespeople for the Durham-P'Tones Records Studio which is partnered with North Carolina Central University. The new location for the P'Tones studio is currently being decided. 9th Wonder still resides in North Carolina. He has announced his dedication to the community in Durham, NC by joining P'Tones Records, whose Mission Statement statement is "to create constructive opportunities for inner city youth through no-cost neighborhood music programs." The organization's goal is to give students the opportunity to run a record label, creating music and merchandise while learning about the music industry. Former Professor Kawachi Clemons and founder (of P'Tones) Oren Rosenbaum opened the NCCU-P'Tones studio. The program is set to begin February 2010. Dr. Smith has replaced Dr. Clemons as the point man from NCCU. As of August 1, P'Tones is fundraising through the Pepsi Refresh Project.^[13]

Discography[link]

Solo albums[link]

• 2005: Dream Merchant Vol. 1
• 2007: Dream Merchant Vol. 2
• 2010: 9th's Opus: It's a Wonderful World Music Group Vol.1
• 2011: The Wonder Years
• 2012: Tutankhamen (Valley of the Kings)

Collaboration albums[link]

• 2003: The Listening (with Little Brother)
• 2003: Shake N Beats (Instrumental LP) (with Spectac)
• 2003: Legsclusives (with L.E.G.A.C.Y.)
• 2004: Murs 3:16: The 9th Edition (with Murs)
• 2005: The Minstrel Show (with Little Brother)
• 2005: Chemistry (with Buckshot)
• 2005: Spirit of '94: Version 9.0 (with Kaze)
• 2005: 9th Gate (with Access Immortal)
• 2006: Murray's Revenge^[14] (with Murs)
• 2006: Cloud 9: The Three Day High (with Skyzoo)
• 2007: Class is in Session (with Pete Rock)
• 2008: The Formula (with Buckshot)
• 2008: Jeanius (with Jean Grae)
• 2008: Sweet Lord (with Murs)
• 2008: The Corner of Spec & 9th (with Spectac)
• 2010: Fornever (with Murs)
• 2010: Death of a Pop Star (with David Banner)
• 2012: The Solution (with Buckshot)

Collaboration mixtapes[link]

• 2006: Battle of the Beats Round 1–2 (with The Alchemist & DJ E.Nyce)
• 2007: 9th Year Freshman (with CHOPS)
• 2007: The Graduate (with Kanye West, Mick Boogie & Terry Urban)
• 2008: The W.ide W.Orld of W.Rap (with E.Ness)
• 2008: Album Mixtape Volume One (with Cans)
• 2008: 9 Wonders (NYOIL verses 9th Wonder) (with NYOIL)
• 2009: The R&B Sensation Mixtape (with Tyler Woods)
• 2009: Back to the Feature (with Wale & LRG)
• 2009: The Hardy Boy Mystery Mixtape: Curse of Thee Green Faceded (with Thee Tom Hardy & Don Cannon)
• 2010: To Hanses Mall (with Akello Light)
• 2010: Album Mixtape Part 2 (with Cans)
• 2010: The (Free)EP (with Actual Proof)
• 2011: TP is my Hero (with TP)
• 2011: Spring Cleaning (with Mike Schpitz)^[15]

Compilation and remix albums[link]

• 2003: 9th invented the Remix
• 2003: God's Stepson – Nas (remix of Nas's album God's Son)
• 2004: Black Is Back! – Jay-Z (Remix of Jay-Z's The Black Album)
• 2005: The Remix EP (Remixed Songs of Smif-N-Wessun)
• 2009: Wonder Years – 9th Wonder Golden Years Remix LP
• 2010: 9th invented the Remix...Again
• 2010: Loose Joints
• 2010: Food for Thought
• 2012: Tutankhamen

References[link]

External links[link]

• 9thwonder.com

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (May 2009)

Gustavus Ferdinand von Tempsky
Gustav von Tempsky , ca. 1868
Born	(1828-02-15)15 February 1828 Braunsberg, Prussia
Died	7 September 1868(1868-09-07) (aged 40) Te Ngutu o Te Manu ("The Bird's Beak", Titokowaru's main Pa), New Zealand
Occupation	Adventurer, artist, newspaper correspondent and soldier
Spouse	Emelia Bell
Children	Randal, Louis, and Lina
Parents	Karoline Henriette Friederike Wilhelmine von Studnitz and Julius Louis von Tempsky

Major Gustavus Ferdinand von Tempsky (Polish: Gustaw Ferdynand Tempski) (15 February 1828 – 7 September 1868) was a Polish-Prussian adventurer, artist, newspaper correspondent and soldier in New Zealand, Australia, California, Mexico and the Mosquito Coast of Central America. He was also an amateur watercolourist who painted the New Zealand bush and the military campaign.^{[clarification needed]}

Early life[link]

Gustav von Tempsky was born in Braunsberg, Prussia (now Braniewo, Poland) into a Prussian noble family of Polish origin. The family had branches in Silesia and elsewhere and had a long military tradition. Von Tempsky was brought up in Liegnitz in Lower Silesia. After this time he was sent to a junior cadet school in Potsdam and then a cadet school in Berlin. His cousin was the German writer Valeska von Gallwitz. In 1844 he was commissioned into his father’s regiment in the Royal Prussian Army, possibly the Garde-Fusilier Regiment (in which his brother, Benno Waldemar von Tempsky was a second lieutenant).

In 1846, tiring of routine, he left the regiment after only nine months for the Prussian settlement on the Mosquito Coast of Central America. He accepted a commission to command a force of Mosquito Indians, which had been set up by Britain. In 1850 he went to the new California goldfields, but did not strike gold. In 1853 he returned to the Prussian Colony, via Mexico, Guatemala and Salvador, and later wrote a book, Mitla, about his journey. He had been courting Emelia Ross Bell at the nearby British settlement of Bluefields (or Blewfields) before he left, but her father did not approve, probably because of his youth and lack of prospects. After his return, on 9 July 1855 at Bluefields, he married Emelia, the elder daughter of the British government agent from Scotland, James Stanislaus Bell. In 1858 a son, Louis von Tempski, was born in Glasgow, Scotland. The family moved to Australia in 1858 and New Zealand in 1862.

Joins the Forest Rangers[link]

Following the collapse of the Mosquito Coast colony, von Tempsky travelled to Australia in 1858, to the goldfields around Bendigo. From there he travelled to New Zealand in 1862, settling on the Coromandel Peninsula, as a goldminer and newspaper correspondent.

Upon the outbreak of war in 1863 von Tempsky moved to Drury just south of Auckland. Here he quickly struck up a friendship with Captain Jackson and the officers of the Company of Forest Rangers and was soon invited to accompany them on their patrols. Soon afterwards, on 26 August 1863, Governor Grey responding to a suggestion by Captain Jackson granted von Tempsky British citizenship and made him an officer of the Forest Rangers.

The Forest Rangers were an irregular force intended to take the war into the bush and to fight the enemy Māori on their own ground. Jackson was a cautious officer who was determined to give his men a thorough training. Von Tempsky relied more on dash and élan; he was also a tireless self-publicist, avid for glory and admiration.

In November 1863 the Forest Rangers were disbanded, not because they were unsuccessful but because their period of enlistment was finished. However Jackson was immediately authorized to form a new company along similar lines.

A formal portrait of Gustavus Ferdinand van Tempsky. Probably taken by Hartley Webster circa 1868

A few days later von Tempsky was promoted to captain and also commissioned to raise a second company of Forest Rangers. From then onwards he and Jackson were always in competition for men, resources and glory.

During the early stages of the Waikato War the Forest Rangers were used to protect the army's supply lines from marauding Māori, patrolling mainly in the Hunua Ranges south of Auckland and trying to intercept enemy war parties before they reached the Great South Road. It was during this time that von Tempsky emerged as a very effective leader who was able to inspire great loyalty in his men. He was known to the Māori as Manurau, "the bird that flits everywhere".

Later the Forest Rangers were moved to the front and took part in the siege of Paterangi. It was during this period that they were involved in a dramatic rescue of some soldiers ambushed by the Māori while swimming in the Waikato River. Both Jackson and von Tempsky received an honourable Mention in Despatches and Von Tempsky later painted a well known water colour showing himself in a very dramatic light. However it was another officer, Charles Heaphy, who was awarded the Victoria Cross as a result of his bravery in this action. It was later said that von Tempsky felt slighted by this and determined to win a Victoria Cross for himself, a decision that may have caused his subsequent unnecessary death.

The Forest Rangers were involved in the siege of Orakau, and then heavily implicated in the massacre which followed the breakout of the defenders.

By 1865 Jackson had resigned his commission and von Tempsky, now a major, was in command of the Forest Rangers. They were soon involved in the Second Taranaki War. This was a frustrating period because of the conflicting loyalties and objectives of Government forces. The commanders of the British Imperial Troops had had enough of fighting what they saw as unnecessary wars on behalf of the New Zealand Government. On the other hand the New Zealand-raised units such as the Forest Rangers wanted to pursue the war with vigour. The deadlock was only broken when Governor Grey personally took command of the New Zealand forces. Von Tempsky however missed the subsequent action being laid low by rheumatism.

Court-Martial[link]

After a brief holiday in Auckland, von Tempsky became involved in the Tauranga Campaign (though it is not clear how) and was present at the siege of Opotiki. From there he sailed to Wellington and resumed command of the Forest Rangers who meantime had mutinied and were refusing to embark and sail for the East Cape War. Finding that when he got there he would be expected to serve under an officer he considered junior to himself von Tempsky joined the mutiny and refused to accept any further orders.

He was arrested and court-martialled. The outcome could have been serious but a fortunate change in government brought new personalities to the scene and von Tempsky was given a second chance. While the bulk of the Forest Rangers went off to the East Cape von Tempsky and the other mutineers were allowed to return to Wanganui where he took part in McDonnell's and Chute's later Taranaki campaigns against the Hau Hau.

The Taranaki Wars[link]

The Forest Rangers were finally disbanded in Te Awamutu in mid 1866. Von Tempsky was immediately invited to take command of No. 5 Division of the Armed Constabulary. When Titokowaru's War broke out in 1868 von Tempsky and his division were very soon drafted and sent to the front.

On 12 July 1868 there occurred an incident which is still a matter of controversy among New Zealand historians. While in command of the fort at Patea von Tempsky was told that an unfinished redoubt about seven kilometers away was under heavy attack. Giving his second-in-command strict orders to hold the fort he immediately rushed off on foot to join the battle. By the time he arrived ten of the defenders were dead and another six injured while the attackers were able to escape. Had he chosen instead to send out the mounted troopers he had available they could have arrived on the scene in time to prevent some of the deaths. But that would have meant the glory going to someone else.

von Tempsky's death in fighting against Titokowaru at Te Ngutu o te Manu, 1868 by Kennett Watkins

The Government was anxious for a quick end to the conflict and they pressured McDonnell into making a premature attack on Titokowaru's main Pa, Te Ngutu o Te Manu or The Bird's Beak. The defenders were ready and waiting when the militia arrived and they came under heavy and accurate fire. Wisely McDonnell very soon decided to withdraw as he was well aware of the futility of trying to attack a defended Māori Pa. This was too tame for Von Tempsky, who protested and then began to advance on the Pa. Within a few moments he was dead, killed by a bullet through his forehead, one of the fifty or so killed and wounded in the engagement.

James Shanaghan, an eyewitness, reported how von Tempsky died:

I had not gone far when a man of our company was shot. The Major went to his assistance, and was shot, the bullet entering the centre of his forehead. He fell dead on top of the man to whose assistance he was going. That was how Von Tempsky died.^[1]

Von Tempsky was held in high esteem by the Maori due to his warrior skills and was named "Manu-Rau" by them. Maori oral history states that von Tempsky was eaten by the Maori (claimed by some to have been a sign of respect)^{[citation needed]} and to this day, Maori have refused to disclose where his bones were laid to rest. The local Maori returned his sword sheath to his widow and it is held these days by the Thomsons in Hawkes Bay. There is some mystery surrounding the whereabouts of the sword as it was a treasured prize. It is rumoured to lie under the whare which is said to attract good luck. However, Pakeha Maori Kimble Bent told his biographer that he saw Von Tempsky's body, and that it was not eaten. Bent stated that Titokowaru ordered that Von Tempsky's body be placed onto a funeral pyre in the centre of the marae. Other Pakeha dead were stacked on top so that Von Tempsky's corpse could not be reached for eating. According to Kimble, the bodies were burned to ashes and were not eaten. The corpses of some other soldiers were eaten.^[2]

His contemporaries said later that it was his hunger for glory and particularly his desire to win the Victoria Cross which drove him to attack in such a desperate situation. This may seem to be a harsh judgment but von Tempsky had written earlier: "Heaphy has the Cross and I want it."

After the loss of their leader his unit fell apart. Many of the men mutinied and then deserted refusing to serve under any other commander. At the end of September the 5th Division of the Armed Constabulary was disbanded and never reformed.

Family[link]

His widow, Emelia, died in 1900. His daughter lived in New Zealand. Two of his three sons, Ronald and Louis moved to Hawaii where they became ranchers. Louis managed the Haleakala Ranch. Armine von Tempsky, a daughter of Louis, became one of Hawaii's best-known writers. They sometimes used the alternate spelling of their surname, (von) Tempski.

More descendants of von Tempsky remain in New Zealand and especially in the Hawkes Bay area (Thomson family).

In 1948 Edmund L. Kowalczyk published in the Polish American Historical Association about Gustav von Tempsky and erroneously claimed him as "One of the most colorful Polish Argonauts...born in Lignice 1828.^[3]"

Further reading[link]

• Belich, James The New Zealand Wars (Penguin Books, 1986)
• King, Michael and Young, Rose G. F. von Tempsky, artist and adventurer (1981)
• Parnham, W. T. Von Tempsky: Adventurer (Hodder & Stoughton, London, 1969) SBN 340 10798 7
• Stowers, Richard Forest Rangers (Self-published, Hamilton, 1996)
• Von Tempsky, G. F. Mitla: A Narrative of Incidents and Personal Adventures on a Journey in Mexico, Guatemala and Salvador in the years 1853 to 1855 (London, 1858)
• Walker, W. The War in Nicaragua (New York, 1860)
• Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels, Adelige Häuser B Band V, Verlag C. Starke (Limburg 1961)

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Gustavus von Tempsky

• Biography in the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography
• Entry in 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand
• Artworks by Von Tempsky in the collection of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa
• Notes by Una Platt
• NZETC; search website for "Von Tempsky" for many paintings and photos

Clarence^[1] "Sonny" Weems (born July 8, 1986 in West Memphis, Arkansas^[2]) is an American basketball player who last played for Zalgiris Kaunas. Weems was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the 2008 NBA Draft and shortly thereafter traded to the Denver Nuggets. Weems played collegiate basketball at the University of Arkansas and the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. At 6'6" (1.98 m), Weems is able to play both guard and small forward, although his skill set makes him more suited to play the former.

High school and college basketball[link]

Weems played basketball at West Memphis High School where he was named first team all-state as a senior after leading his team to the 5A state championship, and was also a 6-10 high jumper in track and field. In Weems' high school career, West Memphis posted a record of 68-10. Weems averaged over 20 points per game as sophomore and junior, and 14.0 rebounds per game as a senior.

After high school, Weems attended junior college at the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, and was named 3rd team All-American, as well as all-conference and all-region as a freshman. Ranked as the number one junior college player in the nation by Rivals.com and Street & Smith's, Weems took UAFS to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) National Championship in 2006. Weems was named Honorable Mention All-American and was selected for the all-tournament team. In two seasons at UAFS, Weems led the team to a 62-7 record and back-to-back Bi-State Conference Eastern Division titles.^[2]

Weems signed with the Arkansas Razorbacks as a junior, which was also Stan Heath's final season as head coach. He averaged 11.8 points per game and was named to all-tournament teams at the Old Spice Classic and the SEC Tournament as he helped the Razorbacks to their third consecutive winning season and their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance, losing to the USC Trojans in the first round.

Weems played his senior season with a new head coach, John Pelphrey, and earned first team All-SEC with per game averages of 15.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists.^[3] Weems led the Razorbacks to their first NCAA tournament win in nine years with an upset victory of Indiana University. He finished the game with 31 points, out-dueling the much heralded freshman Eric Gordon, who was held to only eight points.^[4] After his team lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament, Weems later won the College Slam Dunk Championship held at the Final Four.^[5]

Professional career[link]

Weems accepted an invitation to participate in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, but later decided not to attend.^[6] Instead, Weems worked out for several teams: the Memphis Grizzlies, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics, Golden State Warriors, New Jersey Nets, New Orleans Hornets, and Portland Trail Blazers, receiving increased interest because of his high scores in speed and agility drills.^[7] Weems was selected with the 39th pick of the 2008 NBA Draft by the Bulls, but he was traded almost immediately to the Denver Nuggets for a second-round pick in the 2009 NBA Draft in a three-team trade involving the Portland Trail Blazers.^[8][9]

NBA Development League[link]

On December 10, 2008, the Nuggets, for whom he had yet to play because of a surgery for sports hernia and then a groin strain, assigned Weems to their Development League affiliate the Colorado 14ers.^[10][11]

Weems averaged 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 10 games for the 14ers.^[12][13] On December 14, Weems led the 14ers with 20 points, including 9-of-14 field goals, in a 129-108 home win over Reno.^[14] Other notable Weems performances include a team-leading 24 points in a thrilling 99-98 loss to Sioux Falls on December 17,^[15] a 26-point effort in a 111-104 loss to the Tulsa 66ers on December 20,^[16] 25 points in a 99-95 victory over the 66ers on December 23,^[17] and 24 points and 10 rebounds in a 131-120 14ers win over Fort Wayne on December 30.^[18] On January 6, 2009, Weems was recalled from the 14ers back to the Denver Nuggets.^[12]

NBA[link]

Weems taking a jumpshot for the Raptors in a game against Miami, November 20, 2009

Weems scored 4 points in his NBA regular season debut with the Nuggets on January 17, 2009, when he substituted for Anthony Carter with 3:31 remaining in a 106-88 loss to Orlando.^[19]

On July 31, 2009, he was traded along with Walter Sharpe and cash considerations to the Milwaukee Bucks for Malik Allen.^[20]

On August 18, 2009, Weems was traded to the Toronto Raptors along with Amir Johnson in exchange for Carlos Delfino and Roko Ukić.^[21]

Weems has the distinction of assisting a slam dunk competitor in back to back All Star Games: J.R. Smith in 2009 and DeMar DeRozan in 2010.

On April 7, 2010, Weems was placed in the starting lineup and scored a then career-high 21 points to lead the Raptors, but the Raptors lost the game to the Boston Celtics. His current career-high in points is 25 which he scored on November 17, 2010 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Zalgiris[link]

On July 8, 2011, Weems signed with Zalgiris Kaunas on a one year contract.^[22][23] His contract was terminated in March 2012 after he suffered a season-ending injury.^[24]

NBA career statistics[link]

Regular season[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• NBA.com profile
• Euroleague.net profile
• Sonny Weems on Twitter

Alley Oop is a syndicated comic strip, created in 1932 by American cartoonist V. T. Hamlin, who wrote and drew the popular and influential strip through four decades for Newspaper Enterprise Association. Hamlin introduced an engaging cast of characters, and his storylines entertained with a combination of adventure, fantasy and humor.

Alley Oop, the strip's title character, was a sturdy citizen in the prehistoric kingdom of Moo. He rode his pet dinosaur, Dinny, carried a stone war hammer and wore nothing but a fur loincloth. He would rather fight dinosaurs in the jungle than deal with his fellow countrymen in Moo's capital (and only) cave-town. In spite of these exotic settings, the stories were often satires of American suburban life.

Characters and story[link]

• Alley Oop - A time-traveling caveman
• Ooola - Oop's pretty girlfriend
• Foozy - Oop's pal, who talks in rhyme
• Dinny - Oop's pet dinosaur
• King Guzzle - Ruler of Moo
• Queen Umpateedle - Queen of Moo
• The Grand Wizer - Advisor to the king
• Dr. Elbert Wonmug - 20th-century scientist and inventor
• G. Oscar Boom - Rival and partner to Wonmug

The first stories took place in the Stone Age and centered on Alley Oop's dealings with his fellow cavemen in the kingdom of Moo. Oop and his pals had occasional skirmishes with the rival kingdom of Lem, ruled by King Tunk. The names Moo and Lem are references to the fabled lost continents of Mu and Lemuria.

On April 5, 1939, Hamlin introduced a new plot device, which greatly expanded his choice of storylines: a time machine, invented by the 20th-century scientist Dr. Elbert Wonmug, who bore a rather suspicious resemblance to the Grand Wizer. The name Wonmug was a bilingual pun on Albert Einstein; "ein" is German for "one", and a "stein" is a form of drinking mug.

Abducted to the 20th century by an early test of the machine, Oop was hardly upset by the incident and apparently did not find modern society to be any different from his own. He then became Dr. Wonmug's man in the field, embarking on expeditions to various periods and places in history, such as Ancient Egypt, the England of Robin Hood and the American Old West. Oop met such historical or mythical figures as Cleopatra, King Arthur and Ulysses in his adventures. In addition to the time machine, other science fiction devices were introduced. Oop once drove an experimental electric-powered race car, and in the 1940s, he traveled to the moon. During his adventures he was often accompanied by his girlfiend Ooola and by the sometimes villainous, sometimes heroic G. Oscar Boom (G.O. Boom), Dr. Wonmug's rival and occasional partner. A new lab assistant, Ava, joined the cast in recent years.

Syndication history[link]

Alley Oop's name derived from the "let's go" phrase allez, hop!, used as a cue by French gymnasts and trapeze artists.^[1] Initially, Alley Oop was a daily strip which had a run from December 5, 1932 to April 26, 1933. Beginning August 7, 1933, the strip was distributed by NEA syndicate, and the early material was reworked for a larger readership. The strip added a full page Sunday strip, on September 9, 1934. It also appeared in half page, tabloid and half tab formats, which were smaller and/or dropped panels. During World War II, the full page vanished, and newspapers were offered a third of a page version that dropped panels, so more strips could fit on a page.

When Hamlin retired in 1971, his assistant Dave Graue took over. Graue had been assisting Hamlin since 1950 and had been doing the daily solo since 1966, although co-signed by Hamlin. The last daily signed by Hamlin appeared December 31, 1972, and his last signed Sunday was April 1, 1973. From his North Carolina studio, Graue wrote and drew the strip through the 1970s and 1980s until Jack Bender took over as illustrator in 1991. Graue continued to write the strip until his August, 2001 retirement. Four months later, on December 10, 2001, the 75-year-old Graue was killed in Flat Rock, North Carolina when a dump truck hit his car. The current Alley Oop Sunday and daily strips are drawn by Jack Bender and written by his wife Carole Bender.^[2]

At its peak, Alley Oop was carried by 800 newspapers. Today, it appears in more than 600 newspapers. The strip and albums were popular in Mexico (under the name Trucutú) and in Brazil (Brucutu). In 1995, Alley Oop was one of 20 strips showcased in the Comic Strip Classics series of commemorative US postage stamps.

Licensing and promotion[link]

During the 1970s, Alley Oop was adapted to animation as a segment of Filmation's Saturday morning cartoon series Fabulous Funnies, appearing intermittently alongside other comic strip favorites: The Captain and the Kids, Broom-Hilda, Moon Mullins, Smokey Stover and Nancy.

In 2008, "to celebrate Alley Oop's 75th year," the Benders conducted a contest for "Dinosaur Drawings from Our Young Readers"; the entry Tyrannosaurus Rex holding a banner wishing "Happy Birthday" to Alley Oop, by 12-year-old Erin Holloway of Hammond, Louisiana, was published in the comic strip on 2009 January 17.^[3]

In 2002, Dark Horse Comics produced a limited edition figure of the character in a brightly-illustrated tin container. Alley Oop was issued as statue #28—part of their line of Classic Comic Characters collectibles.

Popular culture[link]

The long-running success of the strip made the character a pop culture icon referenced in fiction, pop music, dance and sports:

• An educated Neanderthal known as "Alley Oop" is a character in Clifford D. Simak's science fiction novel The Goblin Reservation (1968).
• "O. Paley" (a quasi-anagram of "Alley Oop") was the central figure in Philip José Farmer's The Alley Man, a 1959 novella about the last Neanderthal who has survived into the 20th century.
• The character was the subject of the 1960 #1 single "Alley Oop," which was the only hit for short-lived studio band The Hollywood Argyles. It was written in 1957 by Dallas Frazier, and musicians on the record included Kim Fowley and Sandy Nelson. Lead vocalist Norm Davis, who was paid a one-time flat fee of $25, is currently a poet and poetry teacher in Rochester, New York. The song was later covered by Dante & the Evergreens and George Thorogood & the Destroyers, and it was included in choreographer Twyla Tharp's 1970s ballet Deuce Coupe.

Collections and reprints[link]

Many Alley Oop daily strips and a few Sundays have been reprinted by Dragon Lady Press, Comics Revue, Kitchen Sink Press, Manuscript Press and SPEC Books. The following titles are all by V. T. Hamlin unless otherwise noted:

• Alley Oop and Dinny A Big Little Book #763 (1935) Whitman Publishing
• Alley Oop in The Invasion of Moo (1935) (Cocomalt Premium) Whitman
• Alley Oop and Dinny in the Jungles of Moo A Big Little Book #1473 (1938) Whitman
• Alley Oop and the Missing King of Moo A Penny Book (1938) Whitman
• Alley Oop and the Cave Men of Moo (Pan-Am Premium) (1938) Whitman
• Alley Oop and the Kingdom of Foo (Pan-Am Premium) (1938) Whitman
• Alley Oop: Taming a Dinosaur (Pan-Am Premium) (1938) Whitman
• Alley Oop sheet music (1960) Kavelin-Maverick Music (USA), Leeds Music (Australia, New Zealand)
• Alley Oop Coloring Book (1962) Treasure Books
• Alley Oop Fun Book (1981) Happy House Books
• Alley Oop: The Sawalla Chronicles" (1983) Ken Pierce Inc.
• Alley Oop #1: The Legend Begins (1987) Dragon Lady Press
• Alley Oop #2: Enter the Time Machine (1987) Dragon Lady
• Alley Oop #3: Oop vs. Hercules (1988) Dragon Lady
• Alley Oop Volume 1: The Adventures of a Time-Traveling Caveman (1990) Kitchen Sink
• Alley Oop Volume 2: The Sphinx and Alley Oop (1991) Kitchen Sink
• Alley Oop Volume 3: First Trip to the Moon (1995) Kitchen Sink
• Alley Oop: Book 4 (2003) Manuscript Press

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Caveman: V.T. Hamlin & Alley Oop (2005), an award-winning documentary by Max Allan Collins, narrated by Michael Cornelison and featuring interviews with Will Eisner and Dave Graue, was released on DVD by VCI Home Video in 2008.

External links[link]

• 1957 Alley Oop sequence
• Alley Oop
• Caveman: V.T. Hamlin & Alley Oop
• I Love Comix Archive: Alley Oop
• Clark J. Holloway on Alley Oop
• Alley Oop at Don Markstein's Toonopedia. Archived from the original on April 4, 2012.
• University of Missouri: V.T. Hamlin Archives
• Alley Oop is a Texan? by C. F. Eckhardt