The Patriotic Thread

[Joseph]

REST IN PEACE Ian Porterfield

http://goal.com/en/Articolo.aspx?ContenutoId=411008

Sunderland Legend Porterfield Dies

Sunderland’s FA Cup hero Ian Porterfield has died of colon cancer at the age of 61.



Porterfield was best known for hitting the winning goal for Second Division Sunderland in the 1973 FA Cup final against Leeds United.

The result went down as one of the biggest shocks in FA Cup history as Leeds were one of the dominant teams of the age, winning the competition the year before. Sunderland were rank outsiders, being from outside the top-flight.

Porterfield grabbed the only goal of the game after 31 minutes, volleying home from close range with his weaker right foot.

After a successful playing career Porterfield then went into management. His list of clubs included Rotherham United, Sheffield United, Aberdeen, Reading and Chelsea.

Having enjoyed mixed fortunes in British football Porterfield went overseas, managing the likes of Zimbabwe, Zambia and Saudi Arabia. His most recent appointment was for the top job with the Armenian national team.

With Armenia Porterfield almost pulled off another underdog story, drawing 1-1 with Portugal less than a month ago.

The fact that the Sunderland hero kept on working throughout his battle with colon cancer was enough to gain the respect of football fans the world over.

Porterfield's widow Glenda said: "He may have been a football man all his life, but I know him best as a wonderful human being who was liked by everyone he came in contact with.

"Just over two weeks ago, we flew to Armenia for the Portugal game and I'll always remember what happened at the open training session at the stadium on the day before the game.

"The stadium was packed to see all the Portuguese stars like Ronaldo, Deco and the rest, but when Ian walked out, they all stood up and shouted his name. It was very moving."

Porterfield holds the honour of being the last person to succeed Sir Alex Ferguson in a job, when he took over at Aberdeen in 1986.

"His death so young is a tragedy for his family and for football,” Ferguson said.

"It isn't long ago when he was coaching in Korea that I spoke with him with the intention of getting a few young players over to United.

"I played against him when he was with Raith Rovers. He was an exceptional footballer, blessed with a lot of natural talent."

Goal.comUK

[Steph]

God go with you Ian.

[Joseph]

Kirk Kerkorian

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2007/54/richlist07_Kirk-Kerkorian_NINP.html

#7 Kirk Kerkorian
09.20.07, 6:00 PM ET

Net Worth $18.0 billion
Source MGM Mirage (quote: MGM), Investments, Self made
Age 90
Marital Status Divorced, 2 children, 3 divorces
Hometown Los Angeles, CA, United States
Education High School, Diploma


Son of Armenian immigrant fruit farmer dropped out of school in eighth grade. Trained U.S., British fighter pilots during WWII. Flew surplus Air Force planes across Atlantic after war before building charter flights company Trans International Airlines; sold for $104 million profit 1966. Acquired Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas 1967, built International Hotel 1969. Sold both properties to Hilton Hotels 1970. Went Hollywood: made billions buying and selling movie studio MGM, 3 times since 1969. Back to Vegas: nabbed Steve Wynn's Mirage Resorts for $6.4 billion 2000, then Mandalay Bay Resorts for $7.9 billion 4 years later. Today MGM Mirage owns more than half the hotel rooms on Las Vegas Strip; shares up 140% in past 12 months. Attempted to personally buy Bellagio casino, unfinished 76-acre resort complex CityCenter from MGM Mirage this spring; pulled out after company struck deal with Kerzner International to develop 40 acres of land on Strip. In August sold half of CityCenter, 9.5% chunk of MGM to Middle East investment firm Dubai World for $5 billion. Spent 20 frustrating months fighting to reshape General Motors; believed to have sold entire stake last November.

[Alexandros]

ARMENPAC MEMBERS SUPPORT JOE ARIYAN FOR NEW JERSEY SENATE - Armenian lawyer gaining momentum in targeted state senate campaign


September 19

Irving, Texas - Joe Ariyan, an Armenian-American attorney from Bergen County, New Jersey is running for State Senate on the Democratic ticket in the 39th Legislative District. Ariyan is running with the support of the Bergen County Democratic Organization in what will be one of the most well funded and hotly contested campaigns this election cycle in the Garden State.

To date, Ariyan has raised well-over $200,000 independently of the county and state Democratic organizations, a number that far exceeds the amount raised by any other senate challenger in the state and some incumbents.

"While it is true that Joe's early success can be partially attributed to the support of the Armenian community in New Jersey, Joe is proving to be a formidable candidate in his own right and needs the support of the entire Armenian-American community to succeed in this traditionally Republican district. He has been getting significant attention from the media and, state and county party leaders have been taking note of Ariyan's abilities as a candidate and his experience as Bergen County's first Public Advocate for Land Use, making this one of their most targeted races," noted ARMENPAC Executive Director Jason P. Capizzi.

Ariyan is a founding member of Ariyan, Khoury & Schildiner, LLP, and has a broad range of political experience. In addition to being Public Advocate for Land Use in Bergen County, his is currently a Commissioner on the Northwest Bergen County Utilities Authority and the Public Defender in the Borough of Hillsdale, and the former Public Defender in the Borough of River Edge. Ariyan's involvement in the Armenian community dates back to his childhood as a member of the St. Mary Armenian Church. He is past President of the New York region of the Armenian Network of America, a Fellow Trustee of the Armenian Assembly of America and, a supporter of the Armenian National Committee of America. Mr. Ariyan has also supported the Armenian General Benevolent Union, Children of Armenia Fund and other charitable organizations.

Recently, Mr. Ariyan was a featured speaker at the annual Armenian Youth Federation (AYF) Olympics. There, with an impassioned speech, he urged the youth of our community to get involved in the American political system. He believes that "we as a sector of the American community must become part of the process in this great country so as to realize the recognition of our history as Armenians."

If you would like to support Joe Ariyan's senate campaign, contributions can be made payable to Ariyan for Senate and mailed to 20 Court Street, Fourth Floor, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601. For more information about Joe Ariyan, please visit www.ariyanforsenate.com.


source

[Joseph]

http://www.bnd.com/news/spiers/story/144306.html

New book chronicles 1940 hoops state champs


"Men of Granite" is the story of how a group of kids who were second-class citizens in town helped give Granite City the 1940 state high school basketball championship.

The book, written by Dan Manoyan, a sportswriter for the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, is scheduled for publication in November and some people in Granite City want to make it a bestseller.

"I'm not doing the book, I'm just trying to hustle it," said Babe Champion, former Granite City coach and sports official and community activist. He spoke to the Granite City Rotary Club Tuesday about the book.

Champion wants civic clubs and organizations and other groups to buy and sell the book as a fundraiser. The book will retail for $24.95.

"I promised to sell 1,000," he said. "But I hope we do a lot better than that."

The book is the story of the 1940 Granite City High School basketball team that won the Illinois state championship, the isolation of the immigrants in town and how the team, with seven first-generation Americans, came together to win and make a town proud.

Manoyan said the stories in the book are great, such as future NBA star Andy Phillip getting his first pair of sneakers at the Lincoln Place Center and they didn't even match.

"But his wife said he kept them all his life," Manoyan said. "The book is not only about the team, it's about how their families happened to come to the town, what they left behind, and what they faced when they got there."

Manoyan was a sportswriter for a Waukegan newspaper in 1980 when he had time to look through an Illinois High School Association record book on a rainy spring night when all the baseball games were canceled.

He came across this team from Granite City with all these immigrant names. It attracted him because he is part Armenian.

But it wasn't until a year and a half ago when he was driving through St. Louis and saw the Granite City sign that it clicked in and he made time to stop and look around.

He was able to get in contact with surviving team members Andy Hagopian and John Markarian as well as the relatives of some other players. He also talked to a lot of Granite City people including Champion, who sent him all the newspaper stories about the team and other items.

The team had four Armenians, a Hungarian, a Yugoslavian and a Macedonian, Hagopian said. He said they had an advantage on the tip offs because he could talk to former center George Gage in Armenian without the opponents knowing.

He also recalled some of the adults who didn't know English listened to the game broadcasts with an interpreter at the Lincoln Place Center.

Champion said he couldn't be more impressed with the book.

"This is something Granite City needs to know about that time in Granite City and a lesson for now," Champion said.

For more information, you can send e-mail to [email protected] or write to: Men of Granite, P.O. Box 1493, Granite City, IL 62040.

Wally Spiers' column runs five days a week. Have a column idea? Call Wally at 239-2506 or (800) 642-3878; or e-mail: [email protected]

[Nick_A]

Hovhannes Aivazovsky 1817-1900

In later life his seascapes earned him a longstanding commission with the Russian Navy, and in 1845 his reputation reached the ears of Sultan Abdulmecid of Turkey who invited him to Istanbul to work as a court painter. During his long sojourn in Istanbul, Aivazovsky was commissioned for a number of paintings by the Ottaman Sultans Abdulmecid, Abdulaziz and Abdulhamid, 30 of which are currently on display in the Ottoman Imperial Palace, the Dolmabahce Museum and many others at various museums throughout the country. Aivazovsky was to travel to Turkey eight times during his life, but he never forgot where he came from and used the money he earned during his career to open an art school and gallery in his home town of Feodosiya.

Following the massacres of the Armenians in Turkey. many refugees came to Theodosia, where Aivazovsky provided shelter and food, and helped families relocate. So incensed was he with condemning the treatment of the Armenians in Turkey that he painted a series of paintings condemning the massacres which were exhibited in Moscow. He also renounced the medals which had been presented to him by the Sultan. His own emotional involvement with the massacres produced the paintings, "The Armenian Massacres of Trevizond", "Shiploaded Armenians," and "Armenians Thrown into the Sea Alive."

Excerpts taken from "Aivazovsky in America". edited by Iris Papazian and Andrew Shahinian.

For a beautiful video of some of the art of Aivazovsky, enjoy this You Tube video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NCGjP-xJ3U

[Gavur]

I love his paintings of Ararat!

[Nick_A]

I do also Gavur. Here is one sold as a poster

http://www.agniphoto.com/viewrepr_e.asp?id=5848

[Hovik]

Armenian chess players defeat Turkish and Azerbaijani teams

Armenian chess players defeat Turkish and Azerbaijani teams


/PanARMENIAN.Net/ During the 5th round of the 16th European Team Chess Championship 2007 in Heraklion, Greece, the Armenian national men team defeated Turks, while women gained a victory over the Azeri team with equal score 2,5:1,5.

The Armenian Chess Federation reported that Levon Aronyan-Mikhail Gurevich, Gabriel Sargsyan-Kivants Khaznedaroglu and Smbat Lputyan-Mert Erdoglu duels ended in a draw, while Vladimir Hakobyan won the game with Suat Atalik.

Elina Danielyan and Lilit Mkrtchyan defeated Zeynab Mammadyarova and Ilaha Kadymova. Siranush Andriasyan lost to Nargis Umudova. Nelly Aghinyan and Turkan Mammadyarova played a draw.

After 5 rounds, Russian men team is leading with 10 points. Azerbaijan, Israel and Slovenia have 8. Armenia, Ukraine, France, Bulgaria, Czechia and Hungary score 7.

Polish women took the pas with 9 points. Georgia, Russia and Slovenia garnered 8 followed by Hungary and Ukraine with 7 points. Armenia gained 6 points, Novosti Armenia reports.

[Steph]

Will they play?

Armenian draw no problem for Turkey
Tuesday, November 27, 2007

ÇETİN CEM YILMAZ
ISTANBUL - Turkish Daily News

Since the Turkish and Armenian national teams are drawn in the same qualifying group for the 2008 World Cup, curious eyes have set their sights for the future game between two countries but the Turkish side maintains that the game will not cause any trouble.

During the draw Sunday evening, Turkey has set its sights on Spain which is among the best teams of the continent, and definitely the strongest of the six teams in the group. Football-wise, this was not wrong, but there is little doubt that the Armenia games are going to cause more excitement, arguments and media coverage, as it confronts two politically troubled sides of Europe.

However, former diplomats object that big trouble will be witnessed.

�The games will be played,� Özdem Sanberk, director of the Turkish Economic and Social Studies Foundation (TESEV) told the Turkish Daily News. �The Armenians would be happy if Turkey refuses to go. It would be negative for Turkey,� he said.

What Sanberk pointed to may sound extraordinary, but bear in mind that an example validating his warning was recently set by Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Armenia and Azerbaijan, two countries with unresolved political issues, refused to welcome each for the the group games in the EURO 2008 qualifiers and ended up facing penalties by UEFA, European football's governing body. The games were not played and the two sides could not win any points from the fixtures.

Turkey is not planning to refuse, UEFA vice president and former Turkish Football Federation Chairman Şenes Erzik was quoted saying by the daily Milliyet. �Why should't we play? Turkey is playing Armenia on younger levels anyway,� he said.

Former Turkish Ambassador Yalım Eralp told the TDN that the game would not pose a problem, but the main issue may be the supporters' attitude.

�If the supporters act mature during the games, for example while the national anthems are played, there will not be any problems.�

In reponse to a question referring to Trabzonspor� who played against Anorthosis Famagusta of Greek Cyprus � which is not officially recognized by Turkey � Eralp said that the case was different because Turkey recognizes Armenia, even though there are no direct diplomatic relations.

Nevertheless, there are economic ties. Serdar Dinler, a member of Executive Team of the Turkish Armenian Business Development Council told the TDN that such relations exist but face difficulties because of the closed frontier making a longer route through Georgia or Iran.

Dinler is among those who believe that the games could be an opportunity to strengthen relations between the two countries.

�I am happy that the two teams are drawn, now the two sides will get closer. We will be watching the game live from Yerevan and the Armenians will be watching it from Istanbul,� said Dinler. �However, there is no need to wait an occasion like that,� he said.