April 25th’s “HOT or NOT?” candidate was Jessica Paré. You voted. She’s:

Jessica Paré was born December 5, 1982. She has appeared in the films Stardom (2000), Lost and Delirious (2001), Wicker Park (2004), Hot Tub Time Machine (2010), and co-starred in the vampire horror-comedy Suck (2009). She plays Megan on the fourth and fifth seasons of the American TV series Mad Men.

Paré made her Hollywood film debut in the 2004 feature Wicker Park, directed by Paul McGuigan, as Josh Hartnett’s fiancee. Paré starred in Lives of the Saints that year, with Sophia Loren and Kris Kristofferson, a TV miniseries set in the 1960s. She was in the mockumentary See This Movie, with Seth Meyers and John Cho, and had a role on the teen drama series Jack & Bobby that year. The WB television series was about two brothers, one who grows up to be President of the United States; Paré’s character, Courtney Benedict, grows up to be First Lady.

Paré played a groupie opposite Craig Robinson in the 2010 comedy Hot Tub Time Machine. Paré appears in the Canadian comedy Peepers, written and directed by Seth W. Owen, along with Joe Cobden, Paul Spence, and Ricky Mabe. The film, about pleasures in voyeurism, competed in the Just for Laughs film festival in Montreal in July 2010.

In 2010, Paré began a role as Megan Calvet, Don Draper’s second wife and Sterling Cooper Draper Price copywriter, on the television series Mad Men. Paré’s character had a prominent role in the Season 5 opener of Mad Men, in which she danced and sang a version of the 1960 Gillian Hills hit “Zou Bisou Bisou”. Her recording of the song was subsequently released as a download and on vinyl.

Utah Sports Icon Joins The Bill Riley Show on Weekly Basis

SALT LAKE CITY (Tuesday, April 24, 2012) – The Utah DMA’s sports radio leader – ESPN 700 Sports Radio, also the home of University of Utah athletics and the flagship home for Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer – will welcome the most prominent athlete in Utah’s professional sports history to its weekly lineup with an introductory press conference TOMORROW, Wednesday, April 25, 2012.

WHAT: Media Availability for Utah Sports Icon / New ESPN700 Sports Radio Talent

WHEN: WEDNESDAY, April 25 – 2:45 p.m. MT

WHERE: 1903 W. Research Way (2800 South), West Valley City
(just west of Redwood Road – Clear Channel Studios)

WHO: ESPN700 Radio Executives & Talent

RSVP: via e-mail to Trey Fitz-Gerald at tfitz@RealSaltLake.com by Wed., 4/24 at 5:00 p.m.

ESPN 700 Sports Radio is the place where the all the local head coaches and senior decision-makers give their exclusive takes, as Utah Football Head Coach Kyle Whittingham and Real Salt Lake boss Jason Kreis join Bill Riley for their weekly coach’s shows, while Utah Men’s Basketball Head Coach Larry Krystkowiak’s show debuted last winter. RSL General Manager Garth Lagerwey’s weekly appearance each Wednesday (4:25 p.m.) continues through the 2012 season, while RSL defender Nat Borchers (Monday, 4:40p), midfielder Will Johnson (Friday, 3:40p) and defender Chris Wingert (Thursday, 4:40) will also have weekly slots on the top-rated “Bill Riley Show” throughout the squad’s eighth regular season..

ESPN 700 Sports Radio – as it does week-in, week-out – remains the Wasatch Front’s home for the most insightful local and national sports talk. Every weekday at 5:10 p.m. MT, Riley hosts the “Big Interview of the Day,” with a prominent guest for an extended segment. Each Thursday, Real Salt Lake Founder and former Utah Jazz President Dave Checketts is featured, with a variety of both local and national newsmakers featured other days throughout the week.

A roster of numerous local sports luminaries – including Utah Jazz owner Greg Miller, Univ. of Utah Athletic Director Dr. Chris Hill and new Offensive Coordinator Brian Johnson, and BYU basketball’s Dave Rose – have made recent appearances on the station. National guests to have spent time with the station on multiple occasions across the last year have included: Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott, “The Dan Patrick Show” producer Paul Pabst, Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl, ESPN NFL guru John Clayton, NBA analyst Jeff van Gundy, and All-Pro San Diego Chargers safety and former Ute Eric Weddle, among several others.

The nationally-syndicated “Dan Patrick Show” – which runs midday from 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. – also ranks #1 in both 18+ and 18-34 once again, while ESPN Radio’s 8:00-11:00 a.m. live property, “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” moved atop the ratings to give ESPN 700 Sports Radio a clean sweep across the board for each daypart among Men 18-34.

About ESPN 700 Sports Radio

Kicking off each day with ESPN Radio’s “Mike & Mike in the Morning” from 4:00-8:00 a.m. MT, ESPN 700 Sports Radio continues with “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” from 8:00-11:00 a.m. before “The Dan Patrick Show” runs from 11:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m. MT. Local “ESPN 700 SportsCenter” breaks are featured throughout the national programming, prior to the “Bill Riley Show” delving deep into the issues of the day from 2:00-6:00 p.m. MT. ESPN 700 is the longtime “Home of the Utes,” providing the call for every University of Utah football and men’s and women’s basketball contest, and also serves as the flagship station of 2009 MLS Cup champion Real Salt Lake.

Back-up quarterback Adam Schulz engineered the game-winning drive and threw a 50-yard touchdown pass to Reggie Dunn in a 22-21 victory by the Red team in the Utah Spring Game Saturday afternoon at Rice-Eccles Stadium. 

Returning starter Jordan Wynn and Jon Hays, who took over for Wynn when he was injured last season, both threw for touchdowns as well. Redshirt freshman running back Jarrell Oliver ran for two touchdowns and 24 yards on five carries. 

A crowd of 13,503 enjoyed a sunny 78-degree afternoon as the Utes wrapped up their 2012 spring drills. The offenses, under the direction of first-year coordinator Brian Johnson, were impressive as both teams combined for 413 passing yards. 

“[We had] a lot of guys making plays,” said eighth-year Ute head coach Kyle Whittingham. “We have quarterbacks that are very good. Travis Wilson and Chase Hansen did some really good things. Adam Schulz with the Red team in the fourth quarter was impressive as well. It is a good problem to have, but we have to start to sort that out early in fall camp to determine who the guys are going to be that we invest the reps in.” 

Wynn, a junior who is back for his fourth year as the starter after injuring his left (non-throwing) shoulder in the fourth game last season, connected on 8-of-11 passes for 124 yards. He also showed some rustiness by throwing two picks and fumbling a snap on the second play of the game. 

After Wynn’s fumble, the White team took over at its own 37-yard line and put together a seven play drive for the game’s first points. Hays threw a 29-yard pass to Kenneth Scott at the 3-yard line. Oliver then ran three yards on the next play to give the White team a 7-0 lead. 

The Red team responded quickly. On the fifth play of the next drive, Wynn threw a 48-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline to Dres Anderson, knotting the game at 7-7 with 4:16 to play in the first quarter. 

Wynn threw a pick on his third series to Dave Fagergren, who returned it 33 yards to the Red 27-yard line. Six plays later, Oliver went in from one yard out to put the White team back in front 14-7 with 7:21 remaining in the first half. 

Wynn’s fourth series ended with a pick as well, but it could have just as easily resulted in a score. A holding penalty brought back Wynn’s 21-yard TD pass to Westlee Tonga, then on the next play he was picked off by Tyler Cahoon in the end zone for a touchback.

The White team’s ensuing 12-play drive stalled on fourth and goal at the 1-yard line when they didn’t get the play off in time as the first half ended. 

The White jumped in front 21-7 after opening the second half with a four-play drive that culminated with a 28-yard pass from Hays to Sean Fitzgerald down right seam. 

True freshman Chase Hansen, a product of Lone Peak High School, started the rally for the Red team. Hansen ran five times for 36 yards, including a five-yard TD run, drawing the Red within 21-14 with 1:35 left in the third quarter. 

With a continuous clock and 10-minute quarters in the second half, the game moved quickly ahead to the Red team’s next possession after forcing a punt by the White. 

That’s when Schulz came in, and the redshirt freshman from Muskego, Wis., completed 4 of 5 passes for 95 yards during a six-play drive that started at his own 2-yard line. The last completion was a 50-yard bullet down the left sideline to Dunn, who had a short stroll into the end zone. 

Down 21-20 with 3:02 left, the Red team elected to go for the go-ahead two-point conversion. Harvey Langi took a toss to the right side on a run-throw option, and passed to Quinton Pedoza in the end zone to give the Red team a 22-21 lead. 

The Red defense held the White offense to a four-and-out on the next series with an incomplete pass by Wilson on fourth and four at the White 41-yard line. 

Wilson, a true freshman from San Clemente, Calif., completed 8-of-12 passes for 72 yards. Junior college transfer Kelvin York had eight carries to lead all running backs, gaining 24 yards. Sophomore tight end Jake Murphy led all receivers with eight catches for 51 yards. 

Former running back Thretton Palamo, who moved to defensive end this spring, had an eight-yard sack. Sean Sellwood made two punts for and average of 54.0 yards. 

“A lot of progress was made in many areas,” said Whittingham as he evaluated the spring overall. “Always, the most critical thing for us is to get fundamentals and technique sound during spring football. There is some scheme we will also put in with the change of coordinators. But overall, this was a very positive spring. We stayed very healthy, which is always something in question. It is still a work in progress, but with each successive recruiting class we have been able to add to the depth.” 

Utah opens its 2012 season on Thursday, Aug. 30 against Northern Colorado at Rice-Eccles Stadium.

April 18th’s “HOT or NOT?” candidate was Melissa Joan Hart.  You voted. She’s:

Melissa Joan Catherine Hart was born April 18, 1976. Hart is perhaps best known for her title roles in the television series Clarissa Explains It All (1991–1994), the live action version of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (1996–2003), and Melissa & Joey (2010–present).

Hart’s career has mixed movie work with television, including appearances in the popular TV shows Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and That ’70s Show. Hart has been married to musician Mark Wilkerson since 2003; together, they have two children and a third is on the way.

Excitement continued to build for new offensive coordinator Brian Johnson’s play calling in today’s scrimmage but the defense also drew cheers from a chilled crowd in Rice-Eccles Stadium.

“There was a lot of give and take today, which is what you want to see in a scrimmage. The offense started slowly, picked up momentum and then the defense rallied,” said head coach Kyle Whittingham after the Utes ran through around 70-80 plays.

On the first series, the No. 1 defense sacked Wynn twice, but the offensive line “settled in” shortly thereafter according to Whittingham and the quarterbacks began finding open receivers.

“Brian (Johnson) wants to take more shots downfield than we have recently and we can do that now because we have the speed in the wideouts to create separation and we have quarterbacks who can throw with accuracy,” said Whittingham. “Our quarterback situation is the best it has been in years,” he added.

Jordan Wynn and Travis Wilson got the most reps, with Wynn completing 7 of 12 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown, Travis Wilson connecting on 6 of 8 passes for 56 yards. Wilson also rushed for two touchdowns. Three other QBs also played, highlighted by dart that split the defenders thrown by walk-on Adam Shulz to Kenneth Scott for a 7-yard touchdown.

Kelvin York returned to action from a sore knee and showed no ill effects, rushing for 41 bruising yards and a touchdown on 11 rushes. Also seeing time with the first string was Jarrell Oliver (7 carries for 21 yards). Harvey Langi missed the scrimmage to attend a class and John White again sat out for precautionary reasons, giving Lucky Radley an opportunity for carries. Radley led all rushers with 13 carries for 77 yards (long of 35) and a touchdown.

The quarterbacks found 12 different receivers and DeVonte Christopher’s two catches for 70 yards led the group.

The scrimmage began with Dave Kruger sacking Jordan Wynn. Others with sacks were Trevor Reilly, who played sparingly as a defensive end in passing situations, and LT Filiaga. Reilly, slated to start at stud linebacker, has not played the position during the two scrimmages to allow younger linebackers to get reps. He made the most of his limited time, adding a pass breakup to his sack.

Terrell Reese had the big play for the defense, intercepting a Jon Hays’ pass and returning it 42 yards.

The field goal kickers had a better day than the first scrimmage, with Coleman Petersen making 4 of 5 field goals, missing only on a 54-yard attempt. Nick Marsh made 3 of 5 attempts.

Spring camp concludes this week with two practices and the Red-White Spring Game (Saturday, April 21).

Utah men’s basketball has signed point guard Brandon Taylor to a National Letter of Intent, head coach Larry Krystkowiak announced Wednesday. A native of West Hollywood, Calif., the 5-foot-10 Taylor led Pacific Hills High School to a state championship this season.

“Brandon has a really good feel for the game of basketball,” said Krystkowiak. “He is a tremendous shooter and a natural leader. He’s a great floor general, with the ability to score and distribute the basketball. Brandon’s teammates flock to him and love to play with him, and if there is one person on the floor who you want to have that quality, it’s your point guard.” 

As a senior, Taylor averaged 19.8 points per game to go with 7.5 assists and 3.8 rebounds per contest. He was named the CIF Div. 4A Player of the Year, the Alpha League Most Valuable Player, the co-MVP of the National Prep Classic and was also the Torrey Pines Tournament MVP.

The 3,000-plus fans who attended Utah’s first spring scrimmage enjoyed plenty of offense and some big defensive plays on a sunny morning in Rice-Eccles Stadium. Eighth-year head coach Kyle Whittingham termed the 97-play scrimmage as “overall very productive and very positive,” while reserving special praise for the four quarterbacks, receiver Dres Anderson, running back Harvey Langi, the offensive line and the linebackers. 

“Dres and Harvey stood out for the offense and I was very pleased with our offensive line, which has just nine healthy bodies. They are getting better each day,” said Whittingham. “On defense, I like how the young linebackers are coming along. They had a good day.” 

Anderson caught seven passes for 96 yards and a 22-yard touchdown from rookie quarterback Travis Wilson. Langi (9 rushes for 42 yards) and Jarrell Oliver (11 rushes for 49 yards and a touchdown) carried the ground game while Heisman Trophy candidate John White watched. 

Starter Jordan Wynn completed 11 of 27 passes for 103 yards and two touchdowns, the first to fullback Max Moala and later to tight end Jake Murphy. Murphy finished with three catches for 40 yards. Wynn also engineered a nice touchdown drive against the first-string defense that finished with DeVonte Christopher running a 3-yard reverse into the end zone with no one near him. 

Backup QBs Wilson, Chase Hansen and Jon Hays performed well with the Wilson and Hansen getting their first taste of college defenders in a live scrimmage situation (Wynn was the only Ute off limits to tacklers). Wilson finished 9 of 11 passing for 106 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The new freshman’s interception proved costly as cornerback Keith McGill returned it 35 yards for a touchdown. Hansen was 3 of 4 passing for 10 yards and Hays completed all four of his pass attempts for 55 yards. 

Even with All-America candidate Star Lotulelei and linebacker Trevor Reilly sitting out the entire scrimmage to allow some youngsters compete, the defense brought the heat. Joe Kruger finished with three of the defense’s five sacks, Joape Pela had a sack and two tackles for loss and V.J. Fehoko, Joseph Smith and Jacoby Hale each had two tackles for loss. 

Kruger also broke up a pass—one of seven breakups on the day. One of the most impressive was a Tyler White knock down in the end zone on a Wynn to Christopher pass. 

The kicking game was inconsistent with Coleman Petersen going 3-of-5 from 20-40 yards out and 1-of-5 from 50 yards out (his longest make was a 51-yarder). Nick Marsh was 2-of-4 in field goals with a long make of 29 yards.

The University of Utah men’s basketball team confirmed Thursday that Dijon Farr has been released from his scholarship.

“We really want to thank Dijon for all of his efforts this year and we wish him the best of luck in the future,” said head coach Larry Krystkowiak.

The University of Utah men’s basketball team confirmed Tuesday that Javon Dawson, Chris Hines, George Matthews and Kareem Storey have been released from their scholarships.

“We really want to thank these young men for all of their efforts here at Utah in their commitment to basketball, academics and our community,” said head coach Larry Krystkowiak. “They are fantastic people and we wish them nothing but the best in their future endeavors.”