Seattle takes chance on undersized QB Russell Wilson in 3rd round; takes LB Wagner in 2nd

RENTON, Wash. — Finally, Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks took a draft pick that everyone knew.

And yet there were still questions about what drafting Russell Wilson in the third round on Friday night might mean for the Seahawks.

Seattle took Wilson, the star QB that led Wisconsin to the Rose Bowl last season, with the 75th overall pick in third-round, after addressing another need by taking Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner in the second round. The Seahawks are hopeful that Wagner’s huge production at a smaller college will carry over into the NFL and he can develop into their starting middle linebacker of the future.

While Wagner will have the more immediate impact, it’s the selection of Wilson that grabbed attention.

“We think more than anybody else that was alive in the draft, this guy gives you the chance to have a great player,” Carroll said of Wilson. “It’s going to be really exciting to see what he can bring. All he’s ever done is be great. And the way he finished at Wisconsin last year with the great finishing efforts, the extraordinary ability to control a game, and then knowing what kind of kid he is and the great all-around athleticism he has, he’s just a fantastic chance for us to take.”

Quarterback was an offseason theme for Seattle. The Seahawks signed Matt Flynn, one of the hottest free agents, to a three-year deal in March. Last season’s starter, Tarvaris Jackson, has one year remaining on his contract and won over much of the Seahawks locker room by playing through a painful pectoral injury for more than half the season. The Seahawks were also high on young undrafted free agent Josh Portis, who was the No. 3 quarterback for most of last season.

But Carroll and general manager John Schneider have said since they arrived that they will look every year at adding a quarterback in the draft. And even though his height was a deterrent for some, it’s hard to argue against Wilson’s production.

After starring at North Carolina State, giving pro baseball a brief try and eventually ending up at Wisconsin, Wilson was one of the best QBs in the country last season. He set the NCAA record for pass efficiency for Wisconsin with a 191.8 rating, while throwing for 33 touchdowns against just four interceptions. He led Wisconsin to the Big Ten title and a spot in the Rose Bowl, where he threw for two touchdowns and ran for another in the Badgers’ 45-38 loss to Oregon.

The concerns about Wilson seemed to be solely based on his height. He measured just shy of 5-foot-11 at the NFL combine, but questions about Wilson’s height followed him to North Carolina State, then to Wisconsin and now to the NFL with the Seahawks.

This is the highest Seattle has drafted a quarterback since taking Rick Mirer with the No. 2 overall pick in the 1993 draft. Wilson had lengthy conversations with Schneider and Carroll at the Senior Bowl and could tell the Seahawks were very interested.

“I knew I had the talent. The only knock on me was my height. I think the main thing was just showing teams through my film that I could really play,” Wilson said.

Jack Robinson

Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson (January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972) was an American baseball player who became the first black Major League Baseball (MLB) player of the modern era. [1] Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. As the first black man to play in the major leagues since the 1880s, he was instrumental in bringing an end to racial segregation in professional baseball, which had relegated black players to the Negro leagues for six decades. [2] The example of his character and unquestionable talent challenged the traditional basis of segregation, which then marked many other aspects of American life, and contributed significantly to the Civil Rights Movement. [3][4] In addition to his cultural impact, Robinson had an exceptional baseball career. Over ten seasons, he played in six World Series and contributed to the Dodgers' 1955 World Championship. He was selected for six consecutive All-Star Games from 1949 to 1954, [5] was the recipient of the inaugural MLB Rookie of the Year Award in 1947, and won the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949—the first black player so honored. [6] Robinson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962. In 1997, Major League Baseball retired his uniform number, 42, across all major league teams. Robinson was also known for his pursuits outside the baseball diamond. He was the first black television analyst in Major League Baseball, and the first black vice-president of a major American corporation. In the 1960s, he helped establish the Freedom National Bank, an African-American-owned financial institution based in Harlem, New York. In recognition of his achievements on and off the field, Robinson was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal.

Review of tablets for kids

Since the advent of the game-changing Apple iPad early in 2010, tablet computers have been one of the hottest electronics products on the market. Much as adults love them, though, children may just love them even more, as tablet-owning parents can verify.

Toy makers have taken note as well, and this year several companies—Fisher-Price, LeapFrog, and Vtech—have come out with tablet-like toys that feature at least some of the capabilities of real tablets, albeit in less sophisticated, less expensive form. They’re each built of hard plastic that feels as though it’ll take a fair amount of abuse. You’ll find such features as touch screens, music players, cameras and video recorders, and photo-editing apps.

We purchased three of these toy tablets and tested them in our lab and with children within the manufacturer-recommended age ranges to see how well they work—and whether kids will actually settle for toy versions of the real thing. Our conclusion: The child tablets have fewer features than standard tablets, but their learning apps and child-friendly content make them ideal for children. Children can have fun with the toy tablets, particularly the LeapPad. But they may still clamor to play with your responsive, feature-rich tablets and smart phones.

There is also the Vinci Tab (from Vinci), an Android tablet that’s customized for toddlers and young children. It’s quite a bit more expensive than the toy tablets—ours cost $480—and though it lacks wireless-Web capability, it has specs and features comparable to “grownup” tablets. We acquired the Vinci Tab, curious as to whether it’s really worth the extra money. Our conclusion here is that the Vinci didn’t really deliver for the price.

The child-tablet companies make various “learning” claims for their products. Each tablet includes media such as interactive storybooks that read aloud and let children click on words and other elements, spelling and counting games, and creative activities, and more can be purchased as downloads or add-on cartridges. (We aren’t evaluating the educational efficacy of the tablets in this report.)

The toy tablets each have a modest price, at least compared with prices of standard tablets, which can cost as much as $800—but of course, don’t expect the same functionality. And each one requires parental help with adding content or media, especially the Vinci, which has a younger target audience than the others.

All the child tablets can be connected to a PC for new content downloads and software upgrades and to transfer media onto and off the devices. The LeapFrog LeapPad also syncs with the company’s Learning Path website, so parents can check up on what their children are playing and how well they’re doing. Vtech has a similar site that keeps track of kids’ activities on its InnoTab.

Each tablet has a color touch screen display and features at least a few preloaded learning games and apps; you can add to your content by downloading more or buying insertable cartridges. All the devices but the LeapFrog have a memory card slot for additional storage, all but the Vinci have a headphone jack and stylus, and all use four AA batteries, except for the Vinci, which has a built-in rechargeable battery. None of the models have wireless Web connectivity.

Finally, to a greater or lesser extent, all the tablets require parental participation to get new content onto the devices, set up profiles, sync for updates, and so on. So parents, be prepared to help out, at least initially.

Best tablet for kids: Kurio ICS 4.0 dream prices

With the ever-rising popularity of tablet devices, buyers seem more than happy to stump up the cost of an outright purchase or even sign up to a 24-month contract. With this new technology entering more and more of our homes, the chances of the younger generation having access to these slates, could cause concern to the grown ups. While we try to introduce our children into this new era, the costly outlay can restrict willingness to let young fingers get involved. This is now to change with the new Kurio tablet from tablet maker Inspiration Works. Running with Android’s new Ice Cream Sandwich 4.0 OS, the Kurio has been designed with children from 4-15 years and adults in mind. Available in three sizes being 7-inch, 8-inch and 10-inch with a capacitive touchscreen, the new ICS tablet will bring with it 4GB of storage with an SD card to expand it to 32GB, other specs still remain a little vague, although on the smaller 7-inch the Kurio will pack a .3MP camera whilst the bigger 8-inch and 9-inch pack a 0.3MP front with 2MP to the rear, with an average battery time of 6 hours. As to its processor and amount of RAM, this still remains a mystery, but the Kurio will arrive as pocketlint.com reported, with a USB socket for linking up a camera or joystick, with parental controls being a benefit. Available in the UK in July with accessories to match such as cases, car headrest kit and headphones that have a limited volume, for a price of £150, £180 with £200 being at the top end of the scale. Do you have young children, are you keen to introduce them to this amount of technology? What age do you think you can justify spending out for a tablet with this level of spec?

Much lost in win

It had all the pomp of a Fenway Park [map] opener, from the American flag draped over the Green Monster to the twin first pitches thrown by the retired Tim Wakefield [stats] and Jason Varitek [stats]. And it produced a convincing victory for a Red Sox [team stats] team that needed one in the worst way. But it also featured a look the Sox hoped never to see again from Jacoby Ellsbury [stats]. It was a grimace reminiscent of when Ellsbury broke five ribs in an April 11, 2010 collision with then-teammate Adrian Beltre. Ellsbury missed all but 18 games that season, and without their leadoff-hitting Gold Glove center fielder, the Red Sox missed the playoffs. So, when Ellsbury walked off the field, his right arm pinned to his body, after the fourth inning of yesterday’s 12-2 win against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Red Sox held their breath. And when he left Fenway to go for tests at Massachusetts General Hospital, they only could hope his right shoulder injury looked much worse than it actually was. “That looked painful,” said David Ortiz [stats], who winced and shouted an expletive after seeing the replay on a clubhouse television. “Hopefully things don’t go the way it looked like in the video. He’s our leadoff hitter. You’re not going to get any better by losing him for a while. We’ll see.” Ellsbury’s right arm was trailing behind his body as he slid into second base to try to break up a double play in the bottom of the fourth inning. Rays shortstop Reid Brignac leaped in the air to make the pivot and landed with his full weight on Ellsbury’s shoulder. By the time manager Bobby Valentine got out to second base, Ellsbury was writhing on the dirt. Shortly thereafter, when Ortiz went to check on him in the trainer’s room, Ellsbury was having difficulty raising his arm high enough to take off his jersey. “The only thing we’ve even heard is probably the same thing that everyone has been hearing, which is that it felt like something moved a little bit,” third baseman Kevin Youkilis [stats] said. “We always hope for the best. We know that if it’s for the best, then it won’t be long, and Jake will come back and do great things for this team.” For now, the Red Sox are making contingency plans. Valentine said they likely will make a roster move before today’s game. Outfield prospect Che-Hsuan Lin was scratched from the lineup last night for Triple-A Pawtucket and may be on the way to Boston. The injury overshadowed an otherwise perfect day for the Red Sox, who got eight brilliant innings from Josh Beckett [stats] and a long-awaited eruption against Rays ace David Price by an offense that led the majors in runs scored last season. Backup catcher Kelly Shoppach, who spent the past two seasons with Tampa Bay, led the 16-hit barrage by going 3-for-4 with three runs scored, two RBI and his first career stolen base, which featured a slide that could serve as the lead-in to any baseball blooper reel. The Red Sox won their eighth consecutive home opener, extending a club record. Today, they will attempt to win back-to-back games for the first time since sweeping a doubleheader last Aug. 27. Beckett set the tone, while also allaying some of Valentine’s lingering concerns about a bothersome right thumb that required the opinions of two specialists last week. After being pounded for seven runs last Saturday in Detroit, Beckett gave up a second-inning RBI single by Jeff Keppinger, then retired 21-of-24 batters. “It was just what the doctor ordered,” Valentine said, medical pun unintended. “We were wondering and hoping, and he relieved all doubt. That’s the performance we were looking for.” Added Adrian Gonzalez: “Josh did what Josh does. He had an incredible year last year. We know he’s going to do it again this year.” A few more outings like that and Beckett won’t hear any of the boos that greeted him during pregame introductions, a product of his role in last year’s beer-and-chicken flap.

Santorum's daughter defies odds with Trisomy 18

At age 3, Rick Santorum’s daughter Bella, who has been hospitalized for the second time during his presidential campaign, has outlived the majority of children born with Trisomy 18, a relatively common chromosomal defect that occurs in one out of every 3,000 to 5,000 live births and is three times more common in girls than boys.

Children with Trisomy 18, also known as Edwards syndrome, have three copies of chromosome 18, instead of the normal two, in their cells. Many pregnancies with affected fetuses miscarry, and half of all affected babies who are carried to term will be stillborn, according to the Trisomy 18 Foundation. Most cases aren’t inherited but occur as a random error in cell division during the formation of eggs and sperm, according to the National Library of Medicine.

Navy jet crashes into Virginia Beach apartment building

VIRGINIA BEACH, Virginia (AP) – A fighter jet that malfunctioned just after takeoff hurtled into a Virginia Beach apartment complex on Friday in a spectacular crash that sent flames and black smoke billowing from the rubble.

The two pilots managed to eject just before impact, suffering minor injuries along with five others on the ground. Several residents described hearing a loud explosion and looking out their windows to see the red and orange blaze. In the confusion that followed, two men helped one of the bloodied pilots from the two-seat F18 Hornet move to safety.

"Oh, my God, I heard three really loud explosions, then the black smoke went up high in the sky," said 71-year-old Felissa Ezell, who lives in a townhouse near the crash site.

Amanda Bynes arrested on suspicion of DUI in WeHo

Amanda Bynes was arrested early Friday morning on suspicion of DUI in West Hollywood after she allegedly hit the rear corner of a sheriff's cruiser while trying to pass it.

That is most certainly not "What a Girl Wants."

In the wake of her 3 a.m. arrest, the "She's the Man" actress and former Nickelodeon star was in custody at the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station, L.A. Now reported, before being released around 10:30 a.m. on $5,000 bail. She was arrested near the intersection of Robertson and Santa Monica boulevards.

Bynes has been hitting the Hollywood party scene recently, according to TMZ, which had late-night St. Patrick's Day footage taken outside a club where the photographer cautioned the valet against letting her drive — a caution that was ignored as the actress left in her Range Rover with a friend.

Yes, we did say "actress," though it's hard to tell sometimes: Bynes retired from acting for a whole month in the summer of 2010, only to announce her return via Twitter a bit ahead of the release of "Easy A," which she appeared in with Emma Stone. That September 2010 release is still her most recent.

And about that hair in the mug shot above — it would appear to be the latter days of lilac, as Bynes broadcast a month ago on Twitter, "Did I mention I dyed my hair lilac?!?!?! LILAC !!!!!!!!"

Just when we were really starting to miss Lindsay ...