Groupon IPO to test nascent private stock markets (Reuters)

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) ? Groupon Inc's IPO may be the biggest test yet for the nascent private stock exchanges that allow investors to trade the shares of hot start-ups like Facebook Inc before they go public.

The daily deals website is the first major company set to price its initial public offering at a valuation far below what it fetched in private exchanges, raising the question of whether Groupon could take the wind out of private markets like SecondMarket and SharesPost.

Venture capitalists say some participants of the so-called secondary market could pull back if they suffer huge losses in Groupon. Others argue that such losses are a sign of the market maturing and sophisticated investors should know prices do not always rise.

"They're certainly going to be a lot more cautious," said Vladimir Belinsky, president of Hermitage Advisors, which invests in hedge funds and venture capital for wealthy people.

He said he would advise his clients to be careful investing in the secondary market. "This is a good thing for the employees -- they get liquidity and have been able to sell into a frenzied market and get more money," Belinsky said. "But I don't think it's so good for investors."

Books are expected to close on Thursday for Groupon's IPO, which has an indicative price range that values the company at $10.1 billion to $11.3 billion.

There is talk that Groupon may nudge the IPO price higher, but it is unlikely to go anywhere near the value of close to $20 billion that the company fetched in the secondary market this summer.

That's bad news for investors such as GSV Capital Corp, an investment fund run by Michael Moe that bought Groupon shares in the secondary market in August at an implied valuation of $16 billion.

If Groupon shares do not rise to near that figure after they start trading on Nasdaq, GSV will have to eventually write down the investment to reflect the decline in value, Moe said.

"It does speak to the pluses and minuses of participating in private shares," Moe told Reuters. "Our calculations haven't changed, but market sentiment changed in August and September and there were some specific problems with Groupon."

MORE ART THAN SCIENCE

Moe, former head of technology investment bank ThinkEquity Partners, shepherded GSV through its own IPO this spring, raising about $50 million. The company completed a follow-on offering on Oct 3 to raise more than $29 million.

GSV is using the money to invest in private technology companies, often through secondary market transactions.

These private exchanges grew up in the wake of the dot-com bust in 2000, set up to match the financing needs of start-ups when IPOs got tough. Their growth has been fueled by keen investor appetite for social networking companies like Facebook and LinkedIn Corp.

SharesPost, run by former J.P. Morgan tech banker Dave Weir, and SecondMarket, started by Barry Silbert, are two of the largest such exchanges. Liquidnet launched in October.

On SecondMarket, the most followed companies at the end of September were Facebook, Twitter, Groupon, Zynga and Foursquare. It completed a record $167 million worth of private company stock transactions in the third quarter. Such trades in the first three quarters of the year were up 75 percent from the same period last year, at $435 million.

Asset managers, hedge funds and venture capital funds made up more than a third of the buyers on SecondMarket in the third quarter. Other accredited investors are wealthy individuals.

The concern is that if secondary market investors lose a lot of money in Groupon, some of them may stop buying private company stock. That would reduce liquidity and make the market less attractive to other start-ups.

GSV has also bought shares of Facebook in the secondary market. "If people think there's a no-lose proposition in secondary market trading, that's wrong," Moe said. "We're trying to acquire shares in the best private companies at a price we think makes sense for intermediate and long-term returns, but it's definitely an art and science."

He added, "Information is less available than with public companies and there's less trading history, so you're depending on your analysis more."

Groupon traded at implied valuations of above $19 billion in June and July, according to Wedbush Securities, which makes markets in pre-IPO stock. If Groupon completes its IPO at a valuation of $11.3 billion, that would be more than 40 percent below those levels -- a sharp contrast to LinkedIn and Pandora Media, which priced at above secondary market values.

LinkedIn shares closed on Tuesday at $88.90, near double their IPO price of $45, while Pandora shares have fallen to $14.47 compared with their IPO price of $16.

SharesPost said it has not facilitated any transactions in Groupon shares. A spokeswoman for SecondMarket declined to comment.

PAVE THE WAY

Groupon is being closely watched because a good debut could bode well for social games company Zynga, which plans to go public later this month, as well as for Facebook, arguably the most hotly anticipated Internet IPO since Google Inc.

Hermitage Advisors's Belinsky owns shares of Facebook, Zynga, Groupon and Twitter through investments in funds of funds, which had exposure to VC firms holding such stakes.

He said the holdings are at "early venture-stage valuations," apart from Facebook, which was purchased at a $25 billion valuation.

"I loved to see these valuations go sky high. But my fear is that by the time these companies go public the bloom is off the rose and valuations won't be as high," Belinsky said. "We will still get a great return on our investments. But later investors may not generate such big returns."

Tom Conaghan, a partner at law firm McDermott Will & Emery, which represents secondary trading platform Gate Technologies, thinks the Groupon IPO may be a sign that the secondary market is maturing.

"While early pre-IPO trades in Facebook, Zynga, Twitter and LinkedIn may have made money, ironically enough, losses by pre-IPO Groupon traders may present the true validation for the legitimacy of these secondary markets," he said.

"Real investors in healthy markets know that it is not 'all up all the time,'" he added. "I suspect that even those who may incur losses on Groupon will not give up on secondary markets."

(Reporting by Alistair Barr, editing by Tiffany Wu, Gary Hill)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111101/bs_nm/us_groupon_privatestock

serena williams the falling man the falling man mermaid roger federer drake corset

Afghan MPs from Kandahar against speedy transition (AP)

KABUL, Afghanistan ? Lawmakers from Kandahar said Tuesday that Afghan forces are far from ready to assume full security responsibility in the province that was the birthplace of the Taliban, stressing it should be among the last regions where NATO forces hand over control to Afghan counterparts.

Meanwhile, a roadside bomb killed two NATO service members Tuesday in east Afghanistan, the coalition said, providing no further details. The deaths ? three days after a suicide truck bombing in Kabul killed five service members and eight civilian contractors ? raised to 491 the number of NATO troops killed so far this year in Afghanistan.

Flanked by fellow Kandahar parliamentarians, lawmaker Khalid Pashtun pointed to a deadly Taliban attack Monday in the provincial capital as a clear example of why they need NATO forces long after Afghan troops assume sole responsibility in other parts of Afghanistan. In that attack, five people, including three working for the U.N.'s refugee agency, were killed.

The Kandahar legislators fear their province will be on the second list that President Hamid Karzai is expected to announce in the coming weeks as regions where security is to be handed over to Afghan forces.

The concerns come as NATO, which plans to withdraw its combat forces by 2014, recently shifted its thinking on the transition process, with an eye on handing over not only relatively peaceful areas but also some violent regions, where coalition forces are still in a position to provide backup.

"We have too many security problems in Kandahar," Pashtun said, adding that since the start of the U.S.-led invasion, the province has been the epicenter of Afghanistan's security woes. "We believe that transition of security should happen. But considering the ... situation in Kandahar and some other provinces in the south," it should not be on the second or even third transition list.

Instead of a six-stage transition process, U.S. Marine Gen. John Allen, the coalition's top commander in the country, has said the plan is to now achieve the transition in five steps, with the last starting as early as the fall of 2013 instead of later that year or early 2014.

Initially, the idea was to have Afghan security forces take charge in the most peaceful areas first. But Allen said in a recent interview with The Associated Press that Afghan, coalition officials and others recently decided it would be unwise to transfer the most volatile provinces in 2014, when the international force's footprint will be shrinking.

Although Kandahar was not on a recently publicized draft list for next transition sites, which includes all or part of 17 of the country's 34 provinces, Pashtun said there has been talk it would be included on the third list. It should be at "the end of the transition," he said.

"We want the international community to keep its presence in Kandahar," he said, and appealed for an acceleration in NATO's training of Afghan forces, as well as for equipment and weapons to allow them handle the Taliban alone.

Monday's attack on the compound housing U.N. and international aid groups' offices showed that the Taliban remain a potent threat, despite thousands of troops NATO poured into the area.

After smashing an explosives-filled truck into a checkpoint, several insurgents entered the compound and battled with Afghan forces for seven hours before they were killed.

NATO officials and their Afghan counterparts have said that while they are making significant gains across the country, the presence of insurgent safe havens in Pakistan remains a threat to stabilizing and securing Afghanistan.

The coalition, however, touts the gains in the south. Adm. James Stavridis, NATO's top military commander said the U.S.-led coalition has reduced the Taliban to carrying out media-attention grabbing attacks "because they can't control the ground, because they've lost influence."

"I would argue that we have arrested the momentum of the Taliban and that we have reversed it, particularly in the south," Stavridis told the AP in Brussels on Monday. "I am cautiously optimistic about the transfer of (security responsibility) in the south."

U.S. and Afghan officials have pressured Islamabad to take stronger action against militants that use Pakistan as a staging ground for attacks in Afghanistan, particularly the al-Qaida and Taliban-linked Haqqani network.

Even as NATO and Afghan officials daily announce wins against insurgents, violence continues in the country.

In the eastern province of Wardak, four children from one family were killed Monday when a mine detonated in the field in the provincial capital, Maidan Shah, the governor's office said Tuesday.

___

Associated Press writers Tarek El-Tablawy and Slobodan Lekic in Brussels contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111101/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

us news and world report college rankings us news and world report college rankings dishnetwork bill monroe nike pro combat nike pro combat gardasil

Comcast profit rises, overcomes NBC drag (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Comcast Corp's profit rose 5 percent thanks to healthy results from its cable business, calming recent worries that the industry was succumbing to pressures from a weak economy and poor housing market.

Comcast relied on its cable business to offset a weak quarter from two of its newer media properties, the NBC television network and Universal Pictures.

"Unfortunately, the public face of NBC Universal is the broadcast network and that is just struggling," said Craig Moffett, an analyst with Sanford Bernstein. "The turnaround of a television network doesn't happen overnight. They are showing a lot of resolve but it is not an easy challenge."

The largest U.S. cable operator, and majority owner of NBC Universal, reported third-quarter net income on Wednesday of $908 million, or 33 cents a share, up from $867 million, or 31 cents a share, in the period a year ago.

Analysts expected Comcast to report earnings of 40 cents a share, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. Comcast blamed part of the shortfall on swings in its investment income from quarter to quarter.

Revenue rose about 5 percent to $14.3 billion.

While Comcast lost basic video customers, it slowed the bleeding during the quarter, losing 165,000 customers compared to a 275,000 in the period a year ago. It also added a better-than-expected 261,000 Internet subscribers.

Overall, it added 229,000 telephone, video and Internet customers, which calmed worries that arose last week when Time Warner Cable and Cablevision Systems Corp, two rivals, posted disappointing subscriber numbers.

While cable companies have been losing customers to phone companies such as Verizon Communications, a more immediate worry has been the economy. Without jobs, people are far less likely to pay up for premium cable packages; and if they aren't moving into new homes, they aren't signing up for new services.

Cablevision's earnings report sent its shares plunging as much as 16 percent on Friday and dragged down other stocks in the sector, including Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Dish Network and DirecTV.

"In the context of relatively weak results from Time Warner and Cablevision last week, these results were a welcome relief," Moffett said of Comcast's numbers.

Revenue from Comcast's cable business climbed 5 percent.

NBC Universal also posted higher revenue, but the cost of investing in the media division hurt its profit. The NBC broadcast network, which Comcast has said is a long-term turnaround project, posted a operating cash flow loss of $7 million. And its Universal Pictures movie division saw its profit drop by 17 percent.

Comcast shares crept up 1.6 percent to $23.35 in light premarket trading.

(Additional reporting by Jim Finkle in New York; Editing by Derek Caney)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111102/bs_nm/us_comcast

dean ornish yom kippur yom kippur diamondbacks wolf creek wolf creek arizona diamondbacks

Change in crack sentencing means early releases

(AP) ? Darryl Flood thought he would have to wait until 2013 to get out of prison, more than a decade after he pleaded guilty to being part of a conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine.

But if all goes as planned this week, the 48-year-old will walk out of a Kentucky prison two years early and take a bus back to his sister's home in Virginia. Flood is one of thousands of federal inmates who will benefit from a change that goes into effect Tuesday reducing recommended sentences for crack cocaine crimes so they are more in line with the penalties for powder cocaine.

Flood's sister, Susan Cardwell, said she cried after getting a phone call from his defense attorney Monday saying his release has been approved by a Virginia judge.

"He wants to get out, get a job and get his life back together," said Cardwell, a resident of Haymarket, Va. "He says he'll work two jobs if he has to."

The disparity in sentences for crack versus powder cocaine had long been criticized as racially discriminatory because it disproportionately affected black defendants. Under a law passed in the 1980s, a person convicted of crack possession got the same mandatory prison term as someone with 100 times the amount of powdered cocaine. Five grams of crack, about the weight of five packets of Sweet N'Low, brought a mandatory five years behind bars; it took 500 grams of powdered cocaine to get the same sentence.

The law was seen as racially unfair since blacks made up the majority of people convicted of crack crimes, while whites were more likely to be found guilty of offenses involving powdered cocaine.

The Fair Sentencing Act passed by Congress in 2010 and signed by President Barack Obama reduced the disparity in prison sentences for future cases. This summer the U.S. Sentencing Commission, which sets federal sentencing policy, decided to apply the act to inmates already serving time.

The commission estimates about 12,000 inmates could benefit overall. The effect of the change will largely be spread out over the next several years, with inmates getting an average of three years shaved off. But nearly 1,900 prisoners are estimated to be eligible for immediate release Tuesday.

It's not clear how many individuals will go free on the first day inmates are eligible.

Chris Burke, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons, said Monday that officials had already received hundreds of orders for early release from judges and the number has been going up daily, "if not hourly." Prison officials have been given a grace period of several days to release certain inmates.

Those releases and others are the result of months of work by prosecutors, public defenders and judges across the country. Some public defender offices reviewed hundreds of files of potentially affected inmates.

In some districts, defense attorneys and prosecutors agreed that certain individuals' sentences should be reduced to time served based on Tuesday's new guidelines and asked judges to enter orders that go into effect the same day.

The number of affected inmates varies in each federal district.

In San Antonio, Texas, the federal public defender's office had about 15 to 20 cases where the inmate is eligible for immediate release, according to assistant federal public defender Kurt May. In St. Louis, public defender Lee Lawless said his office reviewed a list of 400 people who might be affected and ultimately submitted between 30 and 50 petitions asking for inmates' immediate release. In the eastern district of Virginia, which has the highest number of affected inmates anywhere in the country, public defender Michael Nachmanoff said that by Monday evening judges had ordered the immediate release of approximately 75 people for Tuesday.

Jim Wade, the federal public defender for Harrisburg, Pa., said he canceled vacation for his 10 attorneys until the first wave of releases is over.

"We're trying to make sure you don't serve one more day than necessary. That's the goal," Wade said.

For families who have loved ones affected by the change, days make a difference. Susan Cardwell said the last time she saw her brother was the day he went to prison. She can't wait to see him, she said, and has already promised an all-you-can-eat buffet dinner to celebrate his return.

"After jail food for all those years, I'm sure he's going to pig out," she said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-11-01-Freeing%20Crack%20Prisoners/id-b26d084c724e4a51b0928b5b494db44c

db cooper jackie evancho wild flag wild flag stevie wonder gurkha cobra starship

Transocean claims indemnity under BP contract (AP)

NEW ORLEANS ? Transocean Limited, the company that owned the drilling rig that exploded in the Gulf of Mexico last year, is arguing that its contract with BP shields it from having to pay for the largest offshore spill in the nation's history.

In court documents filed Tuesday, Transocean Ltd. claims a contract it signed with BP PLC., to drill the well indemnifies Transocean from paying fines or for damages.

A trial designed to assign shares of fault to the companies is scheduled to start Feb. 27. The trial also will aim to determine whether rig owner Transocean can limit what it pays claimants under maritime law.

Transocean says BP broke its contractual promises by suing Transocean.

BP did not immediately comment on the allegations.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/environment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111101/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill_litigation

charlie daniels band charlie daniels band the thing carrie steve wozniak steve wozniak legarrette blount

Live WWE Raw SuperShow results: October 31, 2011

ATLANTA ? On any other program, the sudden appearance of a talking frog and a pig who knows karate would seem bizarre. On WWE Raw SuperShow, it was just another part of a night that included a trick from R-Truth, a treat for CM Punk and a very Happy Halloween for John Cena.

John Cena def. The Miz (WATCH | PHOTOS)
Fired up after finding out that The Rock will team with him against The ?Awesome Truth? at Survivor Series, John Cena gave The Awesome One a little taste of what to expect on Nov. 20. Smashing The Miz in the same city where they clashed at WrestleMania XXVII, the Cenation leader was almost stopped by a fan dressed as Ghostface from the Scream movies. As it turned out the attacker was actually R-Truth who got a taste of Cena?s rage before the West Newbury, Mass., native put Miz away with the STF. The powerful Superstar then nailed Truth with an Attitude Adjustment to make it one unhappy Halloween for The "Awesome Truth."

1251839491001|01:30Miss Piggy beat up Hornswoggle (WATCH | PHOTOS)
Hornswoggle sure picked a bad time to meet The Muppets. The little leprechaun is such a huge fan of the colorful puppets that he has nearly the whole group tattooed on his ankle, (PHOTOS) so he should have known better than to interrupt Miss Piggy in the presence of a handsome man. Ruining the moody porker?s chances with the abdominally inclined John Morrison, Hornswoggle stole a kiss from the pig and ended up getting nailed with a karate chop he won?t soon forget.

Michael Cole postponed ?The Michael Cole Challenge? (WATCH)
If there?s one thing Michael Cole is good at, it's beating a dead horse. After daring Jim Ross to face him in a ?Michael Cole Challenge? last week, the sniveling announcer revealed that the competition will have to wait until next Monday, because J.R. was out of action with inflammatory bowel disease. Let?s just hope Good Ol? J.R. shows up to shut this worm?s mouth once and for all.

Zack Ryder def. United States Champion Dolph Ziggler in a Title-Free Match (WATCH | PHOTOS)
Moments after his associate Jack Swagger was defeated by Santino Marella thanks to a little help from The Muppets, Dolph Ziggler suffered a similar fate when he was beaten by Zack Ryder. Luckily for the United States Champion, his title wasn?t on the line, but he?ll think twice before he messes with Gonzo again. (WATCH)

1251829082001|02:56Santino Marella def. Jack Swagger (WATCH | PHOTOS)
We?re not sure if it was the furry body or the strange accent, but something gave Santino Marella a serious kinship with The Muppets. With Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy watching from the entrance ramp and Animal sitting in as special guest timekeeper, the Italian Superstar scored a big victory over The All-American American when Beaker slipped Santino a mysterious potion, which The Milan Miracle used to blind Swagger and grab the win.

Big Show def. WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio in a Title-Free Match; Del Rio vs. Punk set for Survivor Series (WATCH | PHOTOS)
It looks like Alberto Del Rio will be defending his WWE Title against CM Punk after all. After being knocked out cold by Big Show?s mighty fist, The Mexican Aristocrat awoke to find himself in the wrenching agony of The Straight Edge Superstar?s Anaconda Vise.

With no choice but to agree to Punk?s demands for a WWE Title Match at Survivor Series or risk having his arm broken, Del Rio consented and the bout became official. Now that?s what you call hostile negotiations. (WATCH)

Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes & Wade Barrett def. WWE Tag Team Champions Air Boom in a Title-Free Match (WATCH | PHOTOS)
Wade Barrett continued to breathe new life into his career tonight as he teamed with the sinister Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes to defeat the WWE Tag Team Champions. Not content just to claim the victory, the SmackDown villains laid waste to Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston after the bell with some help from the underhanded Christian. The trio?s beating may have caused some serious damage if it wasn?t for the last minute heroism of a very aggressive Sheamus.

1251781143001|01:54Sheamus came face-to-face with Beaker (WATCH | PHOTOS)
Ever notice how much Sheamus looks like Beaker from The Muppets? It turns out it?s not just a passing resemblance. When The Celtic Warrior stopped Christian from bothering Beaker and Bunsen as they prepped their latest science experiment, he gave his puppet doppelganger a knowing nod before adding, ?I?m afraid I can?t make it to the family reunion this year.?

Eve won a No. 1 Contender?s Diva Halloween Costume Battle Royal (WATCH | PHOTOS)
Not to be overshadowed by The Muppets, the gorgeous Divas slipped into their sexiest Halloween costumes and rumbled in a Battle Royal to determine who would be the next competitor to challenge Beth Phoenix for the Divas Championship.(WATCH: DIVAS DISCUSS THEIR COSTUMES)

Showing how determined these women are to capture that title, every Diva fought hard, but the brawl came down to Eve, Alicia Fox, Kelly Kelly and Natalya. Putting partnerships aside, the four Divas collided in the ring, but when the smoke cleared, Eve was the only one standing.

1251773966001|03:50The WWE Universe met The Muppets (WATCH | PHOTOS)
Leave it to Vickie Guerrero to ruin a good time. As soon as Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy had a chance to meet the WWE Universe, the talking animals were interrupted by a cougar. Getting into a oinking match with Miss Piggy while Jack Swagger threatened Kermie, Vickie was finally silenced by Santino Marella who revealed that he will face The All-American American tonight while Zack Ryder locks up with United States Champion Dolph Ziggler.

World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry def. CM Punk by Disqualification (WATCH | PHOTOS)
In a bout set by Interim Raw General Manager John Laurinaitis on WWE.com, CM Punk had to defeat The World?s Strongest Man if he wanted to face Alberto Del Rio for the WWE Title at Survivor Series.

It was a massive undertaking, but one The Straight Edge Superstar was more than willing to accept. That was until Del Rio?s flunky, Ricardo Rodriguez, hit the ring and jumped on Henry?s back, leading the official to award the bout to the World Heavyweight Champion via disqualification. Clearly, The Mexican Aristocrat wants nothing to do with Punk.

1251829049001|06:33The Rock accepted John Cena?s offer (WATCH)
Finally, The Rock has come back to Survivor Series! Seven days after John Cena invited The Great One to team with him against The Miz & R-Truth at the same event where Rock made his WWE debut, The People?s Champion appeared via satellite to accept the Cenation leader's offer. Admitting that an outpouring of support from the WWE Universe helped sway his decision, The Brahma Bull revealed that he's ready to whoop The "Awesome Truth" on Nov. 20. And with that, the most charismatic tag team in WWE history is born. (MATCH PREVIEW)

If that wasn't enough, it was announced that The Great One will return to WWE Raw SuperShow on Nov. 14 for a live three-hour special when Raw gets Rocked! (WATCH)

MATCHES

  • World Heavyweight Champion Mark Henry def. CM Punk by Disqualification
  • Eve won a No. 1 Contender?s Diva Halloween Costume Battle Royal
  • Intercontinental Champion Cody Rhodes & Wade Barrett def. WWE Tag Team Champions Air Boom in a Title-Free Match
  • Big Show def. WWE Champion Alberto Del Rio in a Title-Free Match
  • Santino Marella def. Jack Swagger
  • Zack Ryder def. United States Champion Dolph Ziggler in a Title-Free Match
  • John Cena def. The Miz

Source: http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2011-10-31/results

prospect park no child left behind no child left behind vince young vince young byu skylab

Stepcase Presents Chaopin, A Photo Viewer And Fashion Tracker

chaopin-appStepcase, the Hong Kong based-startup behind 7.5 million-strong photo community Step.ly, is launching a photo viewer tailored for Sina Weibo to provide users with consistent, intuitive and light-weight photo-viewing experience. According to Leon, founder of Stepcase, the idea of creating Chaopin stems from an experimental concept to create, design and develop an app in just two week to meet Chinese users? needs of browsing Weibo pictures.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/sfxSYQ7lN5M/

headless horseman brandon lloyd brandon lloyd publishers clearing house scare tactics gunsmoke stacy keibler

Giants Beat Dolphins: Eli Manning-Victor Cruz TD Pass Keeps Miami Winless

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. ? Tom Coughlin told his Giants to watch out for the winless Miami Dolphins and they came real close to missing the message.

Luckily for New York, Eli Manning was there to pick up everyone ? and put embattled Dolphins coach Tony Sparano under even more pressure.

Manning threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Victor Cruz with 5:58 to play and the Giants barely avoided a post-bye letdown, keeping Miami winless with a 20-17 victory Sunday.

Manning hit 31 of 45 passes for 345 yards and two touchdowns in rallying the Giants from an 11-point first-half deficit. Mario Manningham caught the other touchdown, a 7-yard play that got New York (5-2) back into the game late in the first half.

Lawrence Tynes kicked two short field goals, and New York's defense got four sacks on the Dolphins' final two drives. Corey Webster iced it with his third interception in the last two games.

Steve Slaton and Matt Moore (13 of 22 for 138) capped the Dolphins' first two drives with 1-yard runs. But Miami could only muster a 40-yard third-quarter field goal by Dan Carpenter the rest of the way.

The Giants' winning drive covered 53 yards in six plays and came after the defense forced Miami (0-7) to punt from its 22.

Ahmad Bradshaw, who missed much of the second half getting his right foot X-rayed, had runs of 2 and 11 yards to get the drive started and Manning hit Hakeem Nicks for 17 yards to the Miami 23.

The quarterback found a wide open Cruz over the middle and the New Jersey native spun out of Will Allen's attempted tackle at the 5-yard line. Cruz seemingly was flung into the end zone by the former first round pick of the Giants.

A kickoff return by Slaton to the Dolphins 45 resulted in nothing when New York got two sacks, the last by a combination of Mathias Kiwanuka and Justin Tuck, who was playing for the first time in four games.

Miami, which wasted two timeouts early, got the ball back at its 16 with 3:35 to play and quickly got a 24-yard completion to Davone Bess.

However, Osi Umenyiora and Kiwanuka got sacks for 10-yard losses on consecutive plays to set up Webster fourth-down pick.

Coughlin spent most of the week telling his team not to take the Dolphins lightly and for the first two series it looked like nobody on the defense listened.

Miami, which came in having scored seven touchdowns in its first six games, scored on its first two series.

Moore, who made the Giants look foolish two years ago in their last game in Giants Stadium, looked like Tom Brady ? next week's opponent ? in leading the Dolphins on scoring drives of 66 and 90 yards. He had a 15-yard third-down scramble to set up Slaton's 1-yard run, and an 11-yard third-down run on the longer drive that he capped with a fourth-down 1-yard bootleg.

After walking into the end zone, he spiked the ball with a vengeance.

Trailing 14-3, Manning hit 9 of 10 passes on a 13-play, 84-yard that he capped with a 7-yard fade to Manningham in the corner of the end zone.

New York earlier settled for a 25-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes after a drive that reached the Dolphins 12 was short-circuited by consecutive penalties.

'; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/30/giants-dolphins-eli-manning-victor-cruz_n_1066268.html

marco rubio groupon ipo groupon ipo wvu football meteor shower tonight district 9 district 9