LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – The results of the NFL Draft 2011 first round last night had few surprises but did get one notable reoccurring feature: boos for Roger Goodell. The NFL Draft 2011 first round action came after weeks of confusing lockouts, lawyering, legal appeals, and elaborated pleas to the public. But in the end last night, fans wanted to boo Roger Goodell off the stage.

Roger Goodell attempted to halt his boos by attempting to turn audience displeasure against him into praise. It didn’t work. A night that football fans weren’t even sure weeks ago was going to happen was marked by fan outage against Goodell from inside Radio City Music Hall. While teams couldn’t trade in the first round because of recent legal developments, fans did have the chance to express their opinions in the slightly informal setting of the telecast.

When asked to comment to news what he thought about being booed, Goodell said “everyone’s frustrated.” Of course, not everyone was booed last night, apparently only Goodell. “It’s the fans’ frustration, and I understand that.”

Of the top five selections in first round, all of them went exactly as Mel Kiper had predicted in his NFL Mock Draft. By the end of the evening, Cam Newton went to the Panthers; the Broncos selected Von Miller, the Bills chose Marcell Dareus, and Bengals picked A.J. Green.

Later, the Cardinals selected Patrick Peterson, the Falcons chose Julio Jones, and the 49ers went with Aldon Smith. Finally, the Titans selected Jake Locker, the Cowboys picked Tyron Smith, and the Jaguars drafted Blaine Gabbert.

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Did David Beckham wear his medal on the wrong side for the Royal Wedding 2011 today? David Beckham’s OBE medal was worn as he arrived at the Westminster Abbey today for the stunning Royal Wedding. But immediate critics wondered if Beckham knew, or didn’t know, that he was wearing his medal on the wrong side.

The item David wore was an OBE (Officer of the British Empire) medal. The medal however was worn by Beckham on the wrong side, immediately reported news analysts and he as Victoria Beckham arrived in Westminster Abbey in stunning form.

The OBE Medal that Beckham wore carries the words “For Meritorious Service” at the bottom. There are two versions of the medal. One is full-sized and another is small for formal occasions like today.

As news critics debated Beckman’s decision to wear the medal the wrong way, one insider speculated that Beckham may have know precisely what he was doing and wore the medal in that fashion to honor his father. Another news critic said “either way, perhaps David set a historic trend today.”

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – American Idol results tonight prompted the exit of Casey Abrams after weeks of stellar performances. While American Idol results for April 26, 2011 were not as he would have wished, Casey Abrams was told by the telecast tonight that he is heading home. It was an outcome inconsistent with news critics’ predictions.

Tonight’s Idol telecast brings viewers now closer to the harder question, namely, which contestants remain the top three in these final weeks.

Haley Reinhart drew lackluster reviews from news critics and the judges for her performance of Beautiful last night. Steven Tyler remarked “I just saw God. I heard God in your voice.” Jennifer Lopez liked it, exclaiming “Beautiful. Beautiful.” But Randy Jackson wasn’t so impressed, stating “I didn’t like the beginning but it got better in the end.”

Such was not the case for Casey Abrams last night. Abrams again dominated top praises, with judges saying Casey is unstoppable. Steven Tyler to Casey that he “definitely found your niche. It was beautiful.” Lopez agreed, telling the singer that he was in his “element.” Randy Jackson added “This song seem like it was written for you.”

So what went wrong?

News critics thought Scotty McCreery, especially with last night’s performance of “You’ve Got A Friend”, is simply hard to beat. Steven told Scotty that he had never sang better. Jennifer said the song showed Scotty’s vocal range. And Randy simply praised the performance as “flawless.”

Jacob Lusk had garnered top praised last night as well. Steven Tyler said “We all knew you could sing. That was beautiful.” But Jennifer wasn’t impressed, remarking “There were spaces where it wasn’t perfect.” Randy disagreed stating the “scatting was incredible.”

In results tonight, Haley Reinhart was told she is advancing; then James Durbin was announced as safe;  and finally Lauren Alaina was confirmed as continuing. After a break, Lusk and Scotty advanced.

But in the end, Casey Abrams was eliminated!

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – The Denver Broncos have selected Von Miller for their NFL Draft 2011 First Round pick. The Broncos’ selection of Von Miller is consistent with predictions, NFL Mock Draft databases, and news reports this week. Miller, the LB from Texas A&M, brings to Denver the explosion needed on the field. Insiders contend that Miller is versatile and talented enough to have instant affect on the Broncos’ line.

Meantime, there are questions about whether the NFL season will begin on schedule. As of Friday, NFL teams will return to facilities. The NFL advised teams today that they may return to facilities, begin training, and resume operations.

“Judge [Susan Richard] Nelson said it was up to us to determine how to proceed, and we think in light of the fact that the first round of the draft is tonight, clubs are fully focused on that,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a news statement today.

“The best way to proceed is for the veterans to start working out at facilities [Friday], and then we’ll set up the process of starting the league year, which would include player trades and player signings.”

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – The Carolina Panthers have selected Cam Newton as their NFL Draft 2011 First Round pick. Cam Newton tonight became the first overall NFL Draft 2011 pick. While Mel Kiper Jr. thought the Panthers would select Newton, fans thought that the Carolina Panthers were going to select Marcell Dareus, the DT from Alabama. But moments ago, Cam Newton was named the number overall draft pick for the NFL 2011 Draft.

Before tonight, there was no consensus about the number one overall pick. Most put predictions on Dareus, then Cam Newton, and then A.J. Green.

As many as twenty five players where in the Green Room tonight at Radio Center Music Hall. There are fifty six juniors at stake tonight. While fans hope professional football will start up this fall, those questions were put on hold tonight as the first round picks are revealed. On stage, the NFL first introduced the top incoming prospects before beginning tonight’s live broadcast.

Cam Newton Pictures
Cam Newton Photo 1
Cam Newton Photo 2
Cam Newton Photo 3

For Newton, the road to New York has not been an easy one.

At the Combine, Cam Newton’s workout didn’t go well. But his one-one team interviews and press conference couldn’t be better. News reporters were happy about how Newton responded to his “entertainer and icon” remarks and how he handled the Peter King issue.

King had asked Newton a question in the context of endorsements before the Combine But when the article was printed in Sports Illustrated, the question wasn’t printed, only the answer: an “entertainer and icon”. When asked by NFL TV why King omitted the question, Newton was respectful. Newton would later clarify the situation “The recent comments that were made during the announcement of my recent endorsement partnership” .

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