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A former football player at Southwest Baptist University

was charged Wednesday in a videotaped assault at a group home for children.

Viavia Manuma, 24, is jailed in Polk County on $50,000 bond on one count of child abuse

and two counts of first-degree assault in the July incident at Home Court Advantage Inc. in Bolivar. Manuma’s attorney, Matthew Weatherman, said through an assistant that he had no comment.

The school dismissed two students over the allegations Monday but hasn’t identified

them, citing student privacy laws. Manuma, who grew up in Pago Pago, American Samoa, recently completed his last season of eligibility. The defen-sive lineman ranked among the program’s top pass rushers.

After the charges were announced, the school said in a statement that the people

involved in the video apparently worked at the group home. The statement said the university immediately called law enforce-ment and a child welfare hotline upon learning of the video last week.

A Polk County sheriff’s deputy wrote in the probable cause statement that the video shows Manuma hitting a male under the age of 18. The deputy wrote that the juvenile went limp the second time he was struck in the face and that the person who was videotaping the confrontation then appeared to kick the juvenile in the head. A person could be heard in the background saying “oh yeah” and making other encouraging statements, the detective wrote. When the juvenile regained consciousness, Manuma and a third staff member could be seen helping him to his feet, the probable cause statement said.

The juvenile told investiga-tors the confrontation began when Manuma grabbed him from behind and pushed him into a bathtub, according to the probable cause statement. The juvenile said he grabbed a shower rod and swung it at Manuma, who then began hit-

ting him. The person the juve-nile identified as kicking him in the head hasn’t been charged.

The home phone number for Jack McCrimmon, who is registered as the president of Home Court Advantage, rang unanswered Tuesday and Wednesday. McCrimmon is a former basketball player at Southwest Baptist University and financial booster of the school.

A woman who answered the phone at the group home but declined to give her name declined to comment. The Department of Social Services privately contracts with such facilities for residential treat-ment services, Tim Decker, the director of the Missouri Chil-dren’s Division, said Monday. He said a residential licensing unit is conducting a review of the facility after the incident. The facility houses 64 children with special needs such as psy-chiatric problems and develop-mental disabilities.

Several state agencies, including law enforcement, are involved in the ongoing investigation.

Bolivar is more than 100 miles southeast of Kansas City.

Former Southwest Baptist University football player Viavia Manuma charged

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Viavia Manuma

HOUSTON (AP) — Any-body using Uber in Houston during Super Bowl week can thank the big game for their ride.

Up until a couple of months ago, it was unclear if the pop-ular ride-hailing service would be helping shuttle many of the more than 1 million people expected to take part in Super Bowl-related activities in the host city.

Uber had threatened to leave Houston ahead of the festivi-ties, insisting various city regu-lations, including fingerprint background checks of drivers, were too burdensome and pre-vented drivers from working.

Houston officials and Uber reached a compromise in November, keeping the service in the city through at least the Super Bowl. But the dispute highlights the ongoing debate

many cities across the country have had with the app over how to balance sufficient regulation and public safety.

Kyle Chank, director of transportation and operations with the Houston Super Bowl Host Committee, said orga-nizers are “definitely glad” Uber will be one of transportation choices for people.

“The clientele that’s coming to the Super Bowl, they expect to use their Uber app to help get them around the city,” he said. “It represents a much-needed (transportation) alternative.”

Kevin DePaola, one of the many Uber drivers in Houston expecting to see a boost in their incomes thanks to the Super Bowl, said he had been con-cerned about Uber’s departure. He depends on his driving to help supplement his income since losing his job in seismic

imaging in October 2015. Many in Houston have lost jobs as oil prices have dropped.

He said it will be difficult for Houston to drive off a transpor-tation option like Uber from a city that — while it has made great strides in its mass transit system — is still very much a place where a car is a necessity.

“It’s already begun to build up a consumer base. If Houston chases them out, I think they are going to hear it,” said DePaola, 50, who has also worked as an aerospace engineer with NASA.

Since it began operating in Houston in 2014, Uber and the

city have been at odds over reg-ulation. While Uber criticized many of the city’s require-ments, including a drug test and a physical for drivers, the main sticking point has been the fingerprint background check. Last year’s compromise elimi-nated the drug test and physical and reduced licensing costs but kept the fingerprint check.

Uber has pulled out of cities that have required a fingerprint background check, including Austin, which voted in May to keep rules requiring ride-hailing company drivers to undergo such checks. Last year, Chicago

dropped a proposed finger-printing requirement when Uber threatened to leave.

Ginger Goodin, director of the policy research center at the Texas A&M Transporta-tion Institute, said while 38 states have laws regulating ride-hailing services like Uber, none of these states require fingerprint background checks for drivers. Texas is not one of those states, but it’s an issue that is being reviewed during the current legislative session.

Sarfraz Maredia, Uber’s general manager for Texas, said Houston’s regulations have pre-vented more than 25,000 people who had been qualified by Uber to be drivers from being licensed by Houston. Maredia said Uber’s background screening of drivers is thorough and covers a person’s driving history. He criticized fingerprint background checks as relying on incomplete databases and possibly being discriminatory.

“We were proud to work with the mayor and the city council to reach a compromise that allowed us to continue operating through this important week. We want to be a partner to the city for these major events,” Maredia said.

Lara Cottingham, deputy assistant director of Houston’s Administration and Regula-tory Affairs Department, which handles licensing procedures for vehicles for hire, said the city has continued to insist on having fingerprint background checks, believing it’s the best way to ensure public safety.

“It was important to put this issue to rest because with the Super Bowl, all eyes (will) be on the city of Houston,” she said. “You don’t want transpor-tation to be a problem.”

Maredia said he continues to work with local officials on the fingerprint requirement but is optimistic Uber will be in Houston “for decades to come.”

Josh Weekly, an Uber driver working this week, said while he supports efforts to ensure drivers are properly vetted, he also doesn’t want the city to make the licensing process so burdensome that the ride-hailing service leaves.

Page B2 samoa news, Friday February 03 2017

In this Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2017 photo, a sign marks an Uber designated pick-up point near the NFL Experience in downtown Houston. Thanks to the Super Bowl, people taking part in the festivities surrounding the game in Houston will have Uber as one of their transportation choices. The ride sharing service and the city had been at odds over rules regulating how the ride sharing services operates in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Super Bowl serves as

peacemaker between Uber and Houston

samoa news, Friday February 03 2017 Page B3

ATLANTA (AP) — The New England Patriots have the Super Bowl history and experi-ence going for them Sunday, but they can’t com-pete with the Atlanta Falcons when it comes to an entourage of celebrity fans.

The Falcons have been known for having fickle fans who abandon the team when it struggles, but this season, the sidelines have been overflowing with rappers, actors and athletes from other sports . Rapper T.I. says he’s no bandwagon jumper. The lifelong Falcons fan says he remem-bers when Deion Sanders high-stepped into end zones, Michael Vick dashed by defenders and the “Dirty Birds” danced to the Super Bowl in 1999.

Those were some of the most memorable moments in Falcons history, but there were many more forgettable years. No matter the outcome, T.I. remained faithful.

“We’re always down for the home team,” T.I. said. “We’ve had our highs and lows. But this team is different. We are rooting for them.”

Usher, Future, Jeezy and Bow Wow have been spotted cheering from the sidelines during Falcons home games this season . Rapper Gucci Mane was shown giving fans high-fives from at a playoff game in the Georgia Dome.

Ludacris performed at halftime in the Falcons’ NFC divisional round win against the Seattle Seahawks then returned the following week to deliver another show in the team’s final home game at the Georgia Dome in a victory against the Green Bay Packers. The rapper recently nar-rated a short video clipped called “A City Waits” in honor of the Falcons . Some might think celeb-rities are jumping on Falcons’ bandwagon. But star receiver Julio Jones says that’s not case.

“The Atlanta celebrities, all the artists in Atlanta, they’ve definitely been behind us throughout the years, even when we weren’t to this point,” Jones said. “I have a relationship with a lot of those guys. They’ve always supported us. It hasn’t changed. But they’re out here now. They’re talking about it in their music, in inter-views, everything.”

One of the most notable Falcons supporters is actor Samuel L. Jackson, who created a commer-

cial in 2014 for the team. He recently appeared on ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live” about his Super Bowl-bound squad and discussed how he tried to forewarn his team about an Aaron Rodgers trick play in warmups before the NFC Championship game. “I tweeted it out to make sure, you know, somebody from the Falcons discovered the play,” Jackson said. The actor is originally from Ten-nessee, but became a Falcons fan years ago. Jackson worked concessions at games when he attended Morehouse College.

“Samuel L is probably my only competition as a Falcons fan,” said The-Dream, a Grammy-winning singer-producer whose basement is filled with Falcons paraphernalia from flags, jer-seys and a helmet from Sanders. “I think all of us compete for who is the biggest Atlanta fan,” he continued. “The most non-celebrated fan of the Falcons would be me. We walk around these streets and across the world telling them about Atlanta. All of us have this sense of pride, because we grew up here.”

The-Dream gave props to quarterback Matt Ryan and Jones for leading the Falcons to the franchise’s second Super Bowl appearance, but credits owner Arthur Blank for changing the Fal-cons culture when the billionaire purchased the team in 2002. The Falcons lost to the Denver Broncos 34-19 in Super Bowl 33.

“I think our success before was kind of luck,” he said. “There was no plan, a plan for change. But Arthur was that change. He brought a culture of winning. It’s almost like seeing two different franchises, basically.” T.I. firmly believes the underdog Falcons can claim the Vince Lombardi Trophy with a win over the Patriots. “We open every season thinking it’s our year,” he said. “Matt Ryan is having an MVP-caliber season, Julio is at the top of his game and the defense has been playing well. We’ve been clicking on all cylinders. This is our year.”

T.I. and several other music artists, from Big Boi, Jeezy and Ludacris, are attending the game in Houston. However, The-Dream said he is pur-posely watching the game from his Atlanta home for superstitious reasons.

FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 22, 2017, file photo, actor Samuel L. Jackson has some fun before the NFL football NFC championship game between the Green Bay Packers and the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta. With the Falcons on the verge of their first-ever NFL championship, many celebrities based in the city are showing their hometown team major support. Usher, Samuel L. Jackson and Lud-acris have been spotted cheering from the sidelines at home games along with showing appreciation through social media with the team’s slogan #riseup. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File_

Atlanta celebrities ‘rise up’ for Super Bowl-bound Falcons

NEW YORK (AP) — The international group that gov-erns basketball is close to eliminating a longstanding ban on religious headgear in competition, clearing the way for athletes to wear hijabs and yarmulkes in international competitions.

FIBA told its playing rules committee at a recent meeting to create a proposal that out-lines how headgear can be worn safely during games. The goal is to approve the changes at a meeting in May, the orga-nization announced earlier this week.

The move comes following a two-year study and not long after a letter published on social media and sent to FIBA president Horacio Muratore. It called for the end of the rule, and was signed by a dozen WNBA players including Bre-anna Stewart, tennis greats Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova and U.S. Olympic fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad.

“I am a Muslim, and I think anybody should have the right (to wear headgear),” said Nug-gets forward Kenneth Faried, who also signed the letter and won a gold medal with the U.S. in the 2014 Basketball World Cup.

“Jewish — hey, if you’re Gothic, whatever your religion is, Muslim, Christian, Catholic, it doesn’t matter. You should be able to support your religion and wear whatever it is part of your religion.”

The rule banning religious headgear was enacted 20 years ago and wasn’t meant as a ban against any religion, and stood without complaint until recently.

Some groups have inter-preted the provisions of the rules on uniforms as a ban against the participation of players of certain faiths.

According to FIBA, head-gear was banned for safety reasons in case it fell off and someone would slip on it or become entangled.

Other sports have already relaxed such regulations.

The International Foot-ball Association Board, soc-cer’s governing body, in 2012 approved headscarves for women Muslim players, reversing a ban that had been enforced since 2007.

FIFA, soccer’s governing body, said the following year

that men could wear head covers during matches, pro-vided they were the same color as the jersey, had a “profes-sional appearance” and did not “pose any danger.”

“I am against discrimina-tion in all forms and the head-gear ban serves to discriminate based on religion and unfairly impacts the participation of women and girls,” Stewart said.

“There is no legitimate safety concern, so why have it? Sports should be acces-sible to everyone and we have the opportunity as a basketball community to lead the way in that effort so we should.”

Athlete Ally — an orga-nization dedicated to end homophobia and transphobia in sports and educate ath-letic communities to stand up against anti-LGBT discrimina-tion — joined with Shirzanan, a media and advocacy organi-zation for Muslim female ath-letes, to send the letter to FIBA on Jan. 25, urging leaders to “immediately lift the ban on religious headgear.”

“There’s a growing need of intersectional membership,” Athlete Ally founder Hudson Taylor said.

“If there are any groups of people isolated and excluded in sports or otherwise in the sports community, we feel we should support them.”

The committee that will figure out how to change the rule includes U.S. wom-en’s coach Geno Auriemma and NBA vice president of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe. Auriemma was in favor of change.

“I know that sports is the one great place where race, religion and ethnicity and poli-tics shouldn’t enter into it, but unfortunately it always does encroach upon it,” Auriemma told The Associated Press. “Anything that encourages participation.

Let’s get as many people playing as possible. Make the game as inclusive as possible within reason.

You don’t want to put people in a position on the floor where it could cause a problem for the player or the opponent. I’m sure if enough intelligent people get together, they can come up with an intelligent solution to this.”

Basketball inches closer

to ending ban on religious headgear

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SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Gregg Popovich greeted his latest career milestone with his usual self-deprecation and deflection, insisting he only achieves these records because he is old.

Friends and players rarely disagree with the San Antonio Spurs’ emotional coach. But, they did this time.

Popovich tied the NBA record for the most career wins with a single franchise, earning his 1,127th in the Spurs’ 102-86 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.

Popovich matched Jerry Sloan of Utah for the league mark, but did so while saying he’s not the equal of the coach who resigned in 2011 after 23 seasons with the Jazz.

“He’s in a different league than me,” Popo-vich said.

Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said that’s nonsense. He spent 11 seasons with San Antonio before joining the 76ers and is one of Popovich’s closest friends.

“In 2017, where professional sports are so ruthless and cutthroat, survival rates and people that can last are rare,” Brown said. “He would say, ‘Well, that must mean I’m old.’ I think it means he’s good, really good.”

Popovich’s abilities are evident this season. San Antonio has seven new players on its roster and lost franchise stalwart Tim Duncan to retire-ment in the offseason.

Despite the turnover, the Spurs maintained the league’s second-best record at 38-11 with their 12th straight victory at home over Philadelphia and 11th straight overall against the 76ers.

“It’s amazing,” Spurs veteran Tony Parker said. “To have Pop up there, he’s going to keep going. It looks like he’s not getting tired, he’s not going to stop anytime. It’s very impressive to coach that long and keeping your team motivated with the same message, it’s not easy.”

San Antonio had 15 steals and forced 23 turn-

overs, both season highs, as both teams played short-handed.

The frontcourts for both teams were depleted, with San Antonio missing LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol, and Philadelphia without Joel Embiid, Nerlens Noel and Robert Covington. Aldridge and Embiid were both late scratches with minor knee ailments.

Kawhi Leonard scored 19 points and Dewayne Dedmon had 13 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double for the Spurs.

“I think Dewayne Dedmon was the star of the show tonight,” Popovich said. “Everything he did was great.”

The 76ers’ frontcourt got 25 points and 10 rebounds from Ersan Ilyasova, and Dario Saric added 14 points.

Philadelphia was held to 33 points in the second half, and San Antonio outscored the 76ers 31-20 in the third quarter after losing an eight-point lead in the second. Philadelphia only made 10 shots in the second half.

“I think defense was the key in the second half,” said rookie Davis Bertans, who finished with 12 points. “If you can keep teams to 33 points a half, I think you’ll win all the games.”

Ilyasova had seven points during a 14-2 run beginning midway through the second quarter that gave the Sixers their first lead at 44-40.

TIP-INS76ers: Noel missed the game with an upper

respiratory infection ... Covington sat out with a bruised right hand. ... Philadelphia has not won in San Antonio since Jan. 3, 2004 — 83-77. ... The 76ers were also without assistant coach Jim O’Brien. The 64-year-old coach is battling the flu, but will be with the team Saturday in Miami. ... Philadelphia has missed 167 games due to injury, illness or rest.

Spurs: Aldridge sat out with a sore right knee. He has missed three games this season, including

Philadelphia 76ers forward Richaun Holmes, center, reaches for the rebound against San Antonio Spurs’ Joel Anthony (30) and David Lee during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Darren Abate)

Spurs’ Popovich ties NBA mark for wins

with 1 franchise

PAT GRAHAM, AP Sports Writer

On training runs through the woods, two-time Olympian Lopez Lomong’s mind fre-quently wanders back in time.

He thinks about arriving in this country as one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan ,” with nothing more than a book featuring the Statue of Liberty on the cover. He remembers becoming a U.S. citizen in 2007 after being among the thousands of young civil war refugees brought to the nation. And proudly wearing the red, white and blue as the middle-distance runner carried the American flag at the 2008 Beijing Games.

That’s the inviting country he knows — the one to which he brought two brothers from Africa so they could run at American colleges. The one that hopefully someday wel-comes his mom and sister, who remain back in Africa.

Now, Lomong’s new home created fresh fear with Presi-dent Donald Trump’s order to suspend all immigration for cit-izens of seven majority-Muslim countries for 90 days.

It weighs on him.“I’ve been crying since I was

6 years old when I was taken away from my family. I don’t want to cry again,” Lomong said in a phone interview from Flagstaff, Arizona, where he’s training. “I don’t have tears anymore.”

Lomong was a child when rebels kidnapped him from the arms of his mother at a church service in his village in South Sudan. He escaped from the rebel camp with three older boys, running for three days before being taken by Kenyan border patrol troops to a refugee camp. aThere, he stayed for a decade before being told about the “Lost Boys of Sudan” pro-gram. He wrote an essay about his life, and was selected to live with an adoptive family in the United States. He arrived on July 31, 2001, with nothing more than the clothes on his back — and that book featuring Lady Liberty.

“It was a blessing to come to this country,” said Lomong, who attended Northern Arizona University and rose to the ranks of All-American.

In 2008, Lomong was part of a U.S. men’s 1,500-meter con-tingent headed to the Olympics that was truly diverse, joining Leo Manzano, who was born in Mexico, and Bernard Lagat, from Kenya.

“We were one team, wearing the same uniform, wearing the same colors. To me, that right there is what America is all about,” said the 32-year-old Lomong, who is making

a movie about his lifelong journey. “We were one.”

He counts being picked to carry the flag for his new country in Beijing as one of his most treasured honors. He couldn’t stop grinning on his trip around the stadium.

Thousands of miles away, two young boys were watching from a one-bedroom apartment in Kenya, on a television bought for them by their big brother. Peter and Alex Lomong vividly remember the feeling of pride as they watched Lopez repre-senting America that day.

They wanted to follow in his footsteps. He helped open the door.

Peter and Alex each attended Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia, because their future coach/guardian saw an “HBO’s “Real Sports” episode on Lopez and was so touched that he reached out to the family. The brothers moved in with coach Winston Brown and his wife in 2009 — and flourished. Both siblings are now runners in col-lege — Peter a sophomore at Northern Arizona, and Alex a freshman at Ohio State.

“They were fantastic addi-tions to not just our family but to the community,” Brown wrote in an email. “The most remarkable part was Lopez’s trust in Beth and I. He is a one-in-a-billion human being.”

Peter echoes that sentiment.“I’m able to read, able to

speak English, able to tell myself I have a future — all because of my big brother,” Peter said. “He’s an idol to me.”

And constantly looking out for them, which is why Trump’s order is so distressing to Lopez. It pauses America’s entire refugee program for months, and temporarily freezes immi-gration from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Yemen and Sudan.

He just wants his brothers — all immigrants — to have a chance at success. He also wants his siblings close, so he doesn’t have to worry about them.

“They’re just kids and want to learn. They want to do some-thing to change their lives,” said Lopez, who also made the U.S. team for the 2012 London Games. “My brothers are here, and doing so great. I want them to be safe. I don’t want to lose anybody else.”

Lately, he’s experienced quite a bit of loss.

At the 2016 Olympic Trials, he was running with a heavy heart. He said he lost his dad and two other brothers in Africa — all within a span of a few months and with no explana-tion. He didn’t get to attend their funerals.

Refugee travel ban brings sad-

ness to “Lost Boy” Lopez Lomong

samoa news, Friday February 03 2017 Page B5

HOUSTON (AP) — Dwight Howard repeatedly insisted that this had nothing to do with revenge.

Howard scored 24 points and grabbed 23 rebounds in his first game in Houston since signing with Atlanta in the off-season, leading the Hawks to a 113-108 victory over the Rockets on Thursday night.

“I didn’t really think about it like that,” Howard said. “It wasn’t like, ‘Aww, we’ve got to beat Houston because it’s my first time back.’ I just knew we needed the win.”

The Hawks trailed by as many as 20 points and entered the fourth quarter down 13 before Howard led a late comeback.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had a career-high 33 points for Atlanta, including a driving dunk with less than a minute remaining that gave Atlanta a three-point lead. Hardaway scored 23 points in the fourth quarter, going 8 for 11 from the field, 3 for 5 from the 3-point line and 4 for 5 from the foul line.

Howard said Hardaway gets a scary look on his face when he’s angry enough to take over a game, and he saw it in the fourth quarter.

Teammates teased Hardaway in the postgame locker room, jokingly pro-viding him special services, such as bringing him deodorant and offering to make him a plate for his dinner.

“These guys can play all they want, but what was working was DeAndre’ Bembry -- you’ve got to give him all the credit,” Hardaway said. “He took

the challenge of guarding possibly the MVP of the season, it’s a hard task, but he stayed discipline.”

Bembry matched up with James Harden for nearly the entire fourth quarter, holding him to just six points.

Harden finished with 41 points, eight assists and eight rebounds, but the Rockets struggled to make shots down the stretch. Clint Capela had 22 points and nine rebounds.

Houston lost its lead when Hardaway was fouled on a driving layup and con-verted the free throw to give Atlanta a one-point lead with two minutes remaining.

During the fourth-quarter rally, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer made the bold call to leave starters Paul Millsap and Dennis Schroder on the bench to keep the streaking unit in the game.

“I think it speaks to the character of the team to keep fighting until you find the right group that gave us the chance to win,” Budenholzer said. “That group found a way without two of our best players and that was special.”

Howard, who spent the last three seasons in Houston, received a mostly warm welcome by the Toyota Center crowd, with some light, scattered boos.

“I appreciated my time here. I chose this city in free agency, and I chose it for a reason,” Howard said. “I think Houston is a great place, but with the business of basketball, I felt like coming home would be great for my career.”

Howard dominated the game early,

winning the tip against Capela and scoring eight points in the first four min-utes. He had a double-double before halftime.

After a back-and-forth first half that featured 13 lead changes, the Rockets held a slim 50-47 lead at the break. Houston got separation early in the second half when Harden drained three 3-pointers in the first two minutes of the third quarter. Harden scored Houston’s first 13 points of the quarter, extending the lead to nine.

After hitting one fadeaway jumper in his red-hot third quarter, Harden ges-tured to a sideline spectator in a newsboy cap and gold chain: boxer Floyd May-weather, who was in town for the Super Bowl.

“Man, we just relaxed,” Harden said. “Honestly, we did a good job in the first three quarters, and in the fourth quarter, I don’t know what happened. Obviously, we didn’t make shots, but defensively, we just relaxed. We didn’t follow our principles.”

TIP-INSHawks: Thabo Sefolosha missed his

third straight game with a groin injury. Hardaway started in his place. ... Mike Dunleavy left the game early in the fourth quarter with an apparent ankle injury and did not return.

Rockets: Before the game, SG Eric Gordon was selected as one of the eight participants in the 3-point shooting con-test during NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans on Feb. 18. Gordon ranks second in the NBA with 170 3-pointers

made, shooting 38.6 percent from the 3-point line.

LATE ARRIVALSThe nationally televised game was

sparsely attended for much of the first half. With a sizeable area of downtown blocked off for nearby Super Bowl fes-tivities, traffic was heavy, parking was difficult and fans were rerouted around usual routes, causing a late-arriving crowd. Two courtside spectators who arrived on time to sit midcourt courtside next to Rockets owner Les Alexander were Hall of Fame centers Hakeem Ola-juwon and Dikembe Mutombo.

HONORING BATTIERAs part of their ongoing celebra-

tion of the franchise’s 50th season, the Rockets honored former small forward Shane Battier with a video montage during the first half. Battier played five seasons in Houston from 2006 to 2011 and was named to the Rockets’ all-decade team for the 2000s. At one point during the third quarter, Battier returned to his baseline seat to find a familiar face occupying his chair: former teammate and 7-foot-6 Hall of Famer Yao Ming.

LIVE BY THE 3Houston went 13-for-51 (25.5 per-

cent) from 3-point range, recording 50 3-point attempts for the sixth time this season. Only one other team has recorded 50 3s in a single game in NBA history. Houston has made 15 3s only twice in the past 11 games after doing so in 15 of 20 games prior.

Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) loses the ball as he drives between Atlanta Hawks forward Paul Millsap, left, and Dwight Howard (8) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Feb. 2, 2017, in Houston. (AP Photo/George Bridges)

Howard has 24 points, 23 rebounds in Hawks’ win over Rockets

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — This is where the magic happens, here in the New Eng-land Patriots locker room.

John Duke Logan will be walking through as the players are taping up their ankles or put-ting on pads and one of them — most often backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett — will shout at him, “What do you have for me today?” Logan reaches into his back pocket and pulls out a deck of cards, and soon a crowd is gathered around.

“I saw him in there a couple of weeks ago and he did some amazing things,” quarter-back Tom Brady said. “I think everyone is blown away by a little magic.”

As Brady spoke at his weekly news conference, Logan was in the back of the media workroom at Gillette Stadium, shooting video for his actual job as digital content associate for the Patriots website. But it’s as a sort of official team magician that he has attracted a following among the AFC champions, who will be playing the Atlanta Falcons in the Super Bowl on Sunday.

“Anytime you can kind of take your mind off of football when you’re in the locker room, it’s a nice little break from the reality of what we do every day,” fullback James Develin said. “It just keeps things light and it’s fun to come to work every day.”

A 23-year-old native of nearby Hanover, Massachu-setts, Logan was 12 when he posted a trick on YouTube and attracted the attention of a talent manager. (When the caller tried pitch some gigs, Logan told him, “I’ll have to ask my mom.”) By the time he gradu-ated with two majors (entre-preneurship, marketing) and a minor (communications) from Bryant College in Rhode Island, where the Patriots used to train, Logan had already written two books about using the principles of magic as a tool to accomplish one’s life goals.

One of his mantras: “Magic isn’t about tricking people, it’s about proving to people that impossible is just a word.”

A longtime Patriots fan, Logan applied for a job in the team’s digital department. During the interview, his future boss proposed the idea that became the “Magic Moments” section on the website .

Each week this season, he produced a video performing a magic trick with a player or group of cheerleaders. Tai-loring the routines to the spe-cific player, he used Jamaican

songs with Jamaica native Patrick Chung ; with Malcom Butler, whose interception clinched New England’s last Super Bowl win, the trick was called “A Perfect Catch” and was also timed to appear during the NFL’s breast cancer aware-ness month.

But Logan quickly became a celebrity among celebrities. He has a few rules in the locker room: He won’t approach players in the locker room, but he will perform a trick if requested.

“I realize they have a job to do. The last thing I want is to be a distraction to them,” he said. “Jacoby wanted to see a trick this week and last week, too, and I said, ‘Jacoby, I want you to focus on the game.’”

As a part-time Patriots employee, Logan didn’t travel with the team to Houston; instead, he was planning to head down midweek to perform at Guy Fieri’s tailgate party. In an interview near the sta-dium during Super Bowl week, Logan reached into the pocket of his Patriots jacket and pulled out a deck of cards. (“I always travel with a deck of cards,” he said. “You never know what’s going to happen.”)

First, he used Siri on his iPhone to correctly guess a reporter’s card (the three of dia-monds) — a version of the trick he recorded with Chung for the website. Other tricks made cards move from one end of the deck to another, or seem to change their spots in his hands.

Watching such accom-plished athletes dissolve in befuddlement is the real feat, Logan said.

“Magic isn’t the trick. It’s what happens after the trick,” he said. “I thought Devin McCourty was this big, tough guy — which he is. But when you do magic, it brings them back to their childhood.”

As a New England high school football player who has done magic half his life, Logan has apparently apparated into his dream job. There’s only one problem: Being the unofficial magician for an organization that has twice been convicted by the NFL of trickery makes some out-of-towners even more suspicious.

“People don’t like the Patriots. They hate them. It’s kind of New England against the world,” Logan said. “I was afraid people would say, ‘Oh, it’s another way they’re cheating.’”

But, he insists, there’s no hocus-pocus that the rest of the league needs to worry about.

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Pick a card, any card: Magician lightens mood

for Patriots

FILE - In this July 30, 2016, file photo, New England Patriots wide receiver Matthew Slater (18) signs autographs during NFL football training camp practice in Foxborough, Mass. New England’s special team captain since 2011, the six-time Pro Bowl selection remains one the most respected players in the Patriots’ locker room. He’ll be trying for his second Super Bowl ring in Houston, a day after he receives the Bart Starr Award for character and leadership, which is voted on by his NFL peers. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)

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samoa news, Friday February 03 2017 Page B7

ANNE M. PETERSON, AP Sports Writer

An emphasis on player-driven leadership has brought encour-aging signs in the talks for a new contract between the women’s national team and U.S. Soccer, Becky Sauerbrunn said.

The winners of the 2015 Women’s World Cup have been without a contract since Dec. 31. Talks were stalled when the players parted ways in late December with attorney Rich Nichols, who had been executive director of the U.S. Women’s National Team Player Associa-tion since late 2014.

The USWNTPA on Thursday night formally announced new legal representation, Bredhoff & Kaiser, in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agree-ment. The union also confirmed that Sauerbrunn, Meghan Klin-genberg and Christen Press were elected player representatives at the team’s January training camp. Additionally, the players hired Becca Roux as the union’s interim executive director.

“We have committed our-selves to changing the tone of negotiations, and really working with the federation to come to a contract where both sides are going to leave feeling they got a fair and just deal,” said Sauerb-runn, a defender who has been with the senior national team since 2008. At a news conference earlier in the day to announce A&E Networks’ purchase of a stake in the National Women’s Soccer League, USSF President Sunil Gulati also said he was encouraged by the progress in talks. The sides met during the training camp and there are sev-eral meetings scheduled in the coming weeks. Gulati said the union is being represented in col-lective bargaining by Bredhoff & Kaiser’s Mady Gilson.

“The tone is just completely different, and everyone wants to get a deal done. The players want to play. We want to have a fair CBA, so I have no doubt we’ll get a deal done,” Gulati said. The USWNTPA created new com-mittees within its operating struc-ture, including groups to engage alumni and assist new members. A collective bargaining com-mittee, which will be involved in talks with the federation, includes Sauerbrunn, Press, Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Kelley O’Hara, and Sam Mewis. The team felt very strongly that the approach be player driven, Sauerbrunn said. Rapinoe said the players remain united in their desire for fair compensation. “I think the tone is really positive at this point,” Rapinoe said in a phone interview with The Asso-ciated Press. “I think that we’re excited to collaborate with U.S. Soccer and hopefully get the best

deal, not only for us but for them as well in this partnership going forward. I think we’re still very committed to the mission and the goals that we’ve had from the beginning for this CBA, and that’s to get a deal that fairly reflects the work we do on and off the field and our value on the market.”

The negotiations had been acrimonious at times in the past.

Last March a group of players filed a complaint with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that alleged wage discrimination by the federation. The players maintained that their male national team counterparts earned in many cases far more than they did.

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US women’s national team players’ union

makes changes

FILE - Tuesday, March 29, 2016 file photo of Iceland’s Birkir Bjarnason controling the ball during a friendly soccer match against Greece at Georgios Karaiskakis stadium in Piraeus port, near Athens. Bjarnason has left Swiss champion Basel to join former European Cup winner Aston Villa. The English club says the 28-year-old Bjarnason signed a contract through June 2020. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, File)

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samoa news, Friday February 03 2017 Page B9

Page B10 samoa news, Friday February 03 2017

DEAR ABBY: I’m a 15-year-old boy. I’m happy with my life, except for one thing. My mom believes in God, and Dad doesn’t. I believe in God, but I don’t support my mom’s religion. My friends and neighbors think I’m in that religion, but I don’t believe in their beliefs. It’s really uncomfortable when people ask why I haven’t been in church.

Mom signs me up for church activities, and I don’t like going. I feel awkward when I try to talk to my parents about it. I’m not close to them, and I don’t know what to do. I have been feeling stressed out lately. I don’t want to hurt my mother’s feelings. Can you help me? -- TEEN IN OGDEN, UTAH

DEAR TEEN: I can try. What you should NOT do is allow your mother’s devout faith and your lack of it to become a contest of wills or a basis for argument.

At 15, you are entering adulthood, and these are important years in your life. Thank your mother for the great foundation she has given you. Tell her you love her, and you hope she will continue to love you as you explore what your beliefs are on your spiritual journey -- because it IS a journey. A wise clergyman once told me something I will share with you: The opposite of faith is not doubt; it is certainty.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •DEAR ABBY: I have had one major and one minor bout with cancer. Everyone I know treated me

the same and were helpful except for one longtime friend I’ll call Brandy. You see, I changed and grew as a result of having cancer. The others seemed to accept this, but

not Brandy. She still expects me to “snap back” and do everything I liked to do before. She can’t accept that I want to try new things and have let go of others, sends me “gloom and doom” articles about cancer, and even tried to fix me up with someone even though I am happily married. Brandy treated me like an invalid, even after I recovered.

She does not like change and became angry when I suggested that both of us had changed -- perhaps too much to sustain the friendship. I tried explaining it to her, but she didn’t understand. A therapist advised ending the friendship as gently as possible, so I did.

Do you think I did the right thing? We used to have so much in common. -- NOTHING’S THE SAME IN NEW YORK

DEAR NOTHING’S: Although you used to have a lot in common with Brandy, your cancer changed you. Someone who sends “gloom and doom” articles about the disease and tries to destroy your marriage by fixing you up is not a friend but a saboteur. You absolutely did the right thing by following your therapist’s suggestion.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •DEAR ABBY: My girlfriend pins me up against a wall to kiss me every chance she gets. What does

this mean? -- LIP LOCKED IN L.A.DEAR LIP LOCKED: I don’t know what it means to her, but to me it means she may have seen it

in a movie and is trying to show you how passionate she is about you. If you don’t like it, speak up and say so -- and if you do like it, speak up and say so.

Happy Birthday: Let your creativity take over, but not your emotions. Size up the situations you face and consider whether each one is worth your while or not. Avoid getting involved in other people’s affairs or concerns that will keep you from accomplishing the personal goals you want to achieve. Put your energy into what will bring the highest returns. Your numbers are 4, 12, 23, 29, 34, 41, 45.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Someone with ulterior motives will take advantage of your energetic, helpful nature. Gullibility will cost you financially, physically and emotionally. Question everything you hear and assess each situation before you get involved. 3 stars

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Be creative in the way you handle people. Offer incentives and sugges-tions that will raise greater awareness about your concerns. An emotional plea will generate greater consciousness in your community. Don’t lose sight of your goals. Make your vote count. 3 stars

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): Be careful how you deal with household responsibilities. Take care of your home in case friends or family members stop by for an unexpected visit. Physical activity will improve your health and well-being. 3 stars

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Don’t deliberate about what you think should be done -- put your plans into motion. Taking action will show that you are capable and responsible. Refrain from making an impul-sive personal change. Leave the past behind and don’t go over budget. 4 stars

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Take time out for yourself. Educational pursuits or making time for love and romance are highlighted. Don’t let an emotional matter at home rain on your parade. Take a short trip or make a commitment to live a healthy life. 2 stars

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Check out different cultures or ways of doing things. Interacting with people from all walks of life will open your mind to all sorts of ideas and concepts. Don’t feel threatened by change. New beginnings will inspire you. 5 stars

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Getting upset over financial matters can be expected if you take a risk. Opt for the safe route and only spend what’s necessary to ensure your comfort and security. A partnership will have its limitations if you choose discord over passion. 3 stars

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Live life your own way. Don’t fall into someone else’s routines. Make a point to look the way you want and to style your life to suit your own needs. A passionate approach to the way you move forward will leave a lasting impression. 3 stars

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Put more effort into making personal gains. Setting goals that will help you improve your health and physical strength is encouraged. Romantic gestures, suggestions and long-term plans will bring you closer to someone you love. 3 stars

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Don’t get angry; get moving. Take hold of whatever situation you face and rely on yourself to get things done. Finding the right balance of old and new ideas will help you reach your goals. 5 stars

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Use your time wisely. Refrain from letting your emotions lead to a no-win situation. Consider what’s important to you and don’t take any detours. Finish what you start and let others do their own thing. 2 stars

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Proceed with caution no matter what you are faced with. Carelessness will result in minor injury or illness that will limit your ability to take care of pressing matters. Good nutri-tion and physical strength are crucial. 4 stars

Birthday Baby: You are refined, careful and unique. You are adaptable and disciplined.

ACROSS 1 Does more

than whimpers

6 Made a choice

11 Place for pigs 14 Type of

committee 15 Pamphlet

relative 16 Misery

resulting from affliction

17 How the worst pros play?

19 Victorian, historically

20 Travolta musical

21 Superb 23 Having

scruples 26 Certain

bridge players

27 Definitely not as nice

28 Put a pharaoh on layaway?

30 Naval lockup 31 “Seinfeld”

character Braun

32 “___ only a game”

35 Be human, according to a saying

36 Victims of many triple slaps

38 Word that frequently follows me?

39 A little gob 40 Soft, moist

parts of fruit 41 One with

top billing 42 Good for

tilling

44 An authoritative command

46 Attraction 48 Hiding places

for wild game 49 Mosquito

relative 50 Mask of

death 52 Asian tie 53 Like one

cracking knuckles before playing the piano?

58 Large coffee container

59 Covered with greenery, as some walls

60 Appraisal determination

61 Joplin piece “Maple Leaf ___”

62 Capital city on the Aare (var.)

63 Brought the curtain down on

DOWN 1 Part of a

Breathalyzer 2 “Now,

without further ___ ...”

3 “Horton Hears a ___”

4 Sleeping accommoda-tions

5 Like rationing candidates

6 Butcher’s garbage

7 “Not only that ...”

8 Scrabble piece

9 It can be electric

10 Clothing or textiles merchandise

11 British beer with a little sugar?

12 Bat mitzvah reading source

13 Irish poet William Butler

18 Don 22 It’s in a pina

colada 23 Fix firmly in

concrete 24 ___ firma 25 Barber’s job? 26 Swelling on

an eyelid 28 Run away

to marry 29 Christmas

quaffs 31 Laze on deck 33 Breakfast

staple 34 Arranges into

various piles 36 Meaty thing

at a barbecue

37 Toothpaste container

41 Tank type 43 Area or

throw, e.g. 44 Leg entangler

of cattle 45 Participate

in Darwin’s theory?

46 Love at the foot of Mount Etna

47 Certain astrological sign

48 Bonnie’s partner in crime

50 It beats an ace high

51 Vital port of Yemen

54 One of the first to inhabit Eden

55 Ancient 56 Serve

papers on 57 Danson of TV

Universal CrosswordEdited by Timothy Parker February 3, 2017

PREVIOUS PUZZLE ANSWER

© 2017 Andrews McMeel Syndicationwww.upuzzles.com

COME BACK YOU (OXY) MORON By Timothy E. Parker2/3

2/2

BOY’S BELIEF IN GOD DOESN’T INCLUDE BELIEF IN MOM’S CHURCH

Dear AbbyDear Abbyby Abigail Van Buren

Friday Feb-ruary 03 2017

samoa news, Friday February 03 2017 Page B11

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