Adrian Peterson reaches plea agreement in felony child-abuse case
By Charles Robinson-Yahoo Sports
Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has reached a plea agreement that will allow him to plead no contest to misdemeanor reckless assault, Yahoo Sports has confirmed.
The agreement was first reported by Pro Football Talk.
Peterson is expected to appear in a Montgomery County (Texas) courthouse Tuesday and agree to the plea, which will allow the Vikings star to avoid a felony child-abuse conviction. Peterson will instead be sentenced to probation and community service, as well as a monetary fine. The Pro Football Talk report said Peterson would be subject to 80 hours of community service and a $2,000 fine.
The Vikings’ star is charged with injuring his 4-year-old son after using a wooden switch to discipline him.
Judge Kelly Case could refuse to accept the agreement, and Peterson could still back out of the deal by Tuesday's 1:30 CST hearing, at which point Peterson's legal team would seek a Nov. 18 trial date. However, that appears unlikely.
Once the deal is completed, Peterson becomes subject to potential NFL discipline. He has already sat out eight games this season, as the legal process has moved forward.
The agreement was first reported by Pro Football Talk.
Peterson is expected to appear in a Montgomery County (Texas) courthouse Tuesday and agree to the plea, which will allow the Vikings star to avoid a felony child-abuse conviction. Peterson will instead be sentenced to probation and community service, as well as a monetary fine. The Pro Football Talk report said Peterson would be subject to 80 hours of community service and a $2,000 fine.
The Vikings’ star is charged with injuring his 4-year-old son after using a wooden switch to discipline him.
Judge Kelly Case could refuse to accept the agreement, and Peterson could still back out of the deal by Tuesday's 1:30 CST hearing, at which point Peterson's legal team would seek a Nov. 18 trial date. However, that appears unlikely.
Once the deal is completed, Peterson becomes subject to potential NFL discipline. He has already sat out eight games this season, as the legal process has moved forward.
UNC Admits Fake Classes for Athletes Were Widespread: Four Blunt Points
By Paul M. Barrett
The University of North Carolina on Wednesday admitted its academic-fraud-for-athletes scandal was worse than the public has previously been told. That’s saying something. After all, the practice at Chapel Hill of steering football and basketball players into fake classes had already made North Carolina the epicenter of a national debate about the corrupting effects of the $16 billion college athletics industry. Four blunt points:
1. The deceit was widespread and aimed at keeping athletes eligible. For years, UNC officials have resisted the obvious indications that academics were compromised to promote sports. That resistance has finally collapsed. The latest in a series of university-sponsored investigations revealed that over 18 years—from 1993 through 2011—some 3,100 students took “paper classes” with no faculty oversight and no actual class attendance. Almost half the students enrolled in the phony courses were athletes. Many of the basketball and football players “were directed to the classes by academic counselors” assigned to advise athletes, UNC said in a written statement. “These counselors saw the paper classes and the artificially high grades they yielded as key to helping some student-athletes remain eligible.”
In other words, to keep members of UNC’s top-rated basketball team on the court, professional “counselors” encouraged flat-out academic fraud.
2. Of all disciplines, it was black studies that hosted the fake classes.Kenneth Wainstein, the former federal prosecutor who led the latest investigation, found that the department formerly known as African & Afro-American Studies offered hundreds of “irregular classes.” Wainstein, now in private practice, said that two people formerly in the department—the ex-chairman, Julius Nyang’oro, and his top administrative aide, Deborah Crowder—oversaw the paper classes. “Various university personnel were aware of red flags,” UNC said, “yet did not ask questions. There was a failure of meaningful oversight by the university.”
Wainstein didn’t find wrongdoing outside the black studies department. “No current coaches were involved or aware,” the university added.
The corruption of African American studies is particularly offensive, as UNC’s elite athletic ranks are disproportionately African American: black students, many of them from modest economic backgrounds, who provide athletic services in exchange for the promise of a college education. That’s supposed to be a realeducation, not one built on no-show classes.
3. UNC is sorry. “I apologize first to the students who entrusted us with their education and took these courses,” said UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Carol Folt. “Mr. Wainstein has found that the wrongdoing at Carolina lasted much longer and affected more students than previously known. The bad actions of a few and the inaction of others failed the university’s students, faculty and alumni, and undermined the institution as a whole.” Folt, who became chancellor in in 2013, promised a variety of academic reforms and said that nine (unspecified) UNC employees would be fired or disciplined. “Others implicated in the [Wainstein] report include former university employees,” such as Nyang’oro and Crowder, the university said.
4. Questions remain. The National Collegiate Athletic Association is conducting a separate investigation. One hopes that with the skepticism of outsiders, the NCAA will address in more detail the role of top athletic officials and coaches—current and former—within a sports program that has won five national men’s basketball championships. How many members of UNC’s last championship team in 2009 took the no-show classes, and how many did they take? As a signal that academic integrity really outweighs sports accolades, should UNC consider taking down that 2009 championship banner? Has the message penetrated the school’s athletic department to the degree that highly valued athletes are no longer being steered into dubious classes that contribute little to the education they’re owed?
Today’s admission shouldn’t be the end of the inquiry.
1. The deceit was widespread and aimed at keeping athletes eligible. For years, UNC officials have resisted the obvious indications that academics were compromised to promote sports. That resistance has finally collapsed. The latest in a series of university-sponsored investigations revealed that over 18 years—from 1993 through 2011—some 3,100 students took “paper classes” with no faculty oversight and no actual class attendance. Almost half the students enrolled in the phony courses were athletes. Many of the basketball and football players “were directed to the classes by academic counselors” assigned to advise athletes, UNC said in a written statement. “These counselors saw the paper classes and the artificially high grades they yielded as key to helping some student-athletes remain eligible.”
In other words, to keep members of UNC’s top-rated basketball team on the court, professional “counselors” encouraged flat-out academic fraud.
2. Of all disciplines, it was black studies that hosted the fake classes.Kenneth Wainstein, the former federal prosecutor who led the latest investigation, found that the department formerly known as African & Afro-American Studies offered hundreds of “irregular classes.” Wainstein, now in private practice, said that two people formerly in the department—the ex-chairman, Julius Nyang’oro, and his top administrative aide, Deborah Crowder—oversaw the paper classes. “Various university personnel were aware of red flags,” UNC said, “yet did not ask questions. There was a failure of meaningful oversight by the university.”
Wainstein didn’t find wrongdoing outside the black studies department. “No current coaches were involved or aware,” the university added.
The corruption of African American studies is particularly offensive, as UNC’s elite athletic ranks are disproportionately African American: black students, many of them from modest economic backgrounds, who provide athletic services in exchange for the promise of a college education. That’s supposed to be a realeducation, not one built on no-show classes.
3. UNC is sorry. “I apologize first to the students who entrusted us with their education and took these courses,” said UNC-Chapel Hill Chancellor Carol Folt. “Mr. Wainstein has found that the wrongdoing at Carolina lasted much longer and affected more students than previously known. The bad actions of a few and the inaction of others failed the university’s students, faculty and alumni, and undermined the institution as a whole.” Folt, who became chancellor in in 2013, promised a variety of academic reforms and said that nine (unspecified) UNC employees would be fired or disciplined. “Others implicated in the [Wainstein] report include former university employees,” such as Nyang’oro and Crowder, the university said.
4. Questions remain. The National Collegiate Athletic Association is conducting a separate investigation. One hopes that with the skepticism of outsiders, the NCAA will address in more detail the role of top athletic officials and coaches—current and former—within a sports program that has won five national men’s basketball championships. How many members of UNC’s last championship team in 2009 took the no-show classes, and how many did they take? As a signal that academic integrity really outweighs sports accolades, should UNC consider taking down that 2009 championship banner? Has the message penetrated the school’s athletic department to the degree that highly valued athletes are no longer being steered into dubious classes that contribute little to the education they’re owed?
Today’s admission shouldn’t be the end of the inquiry.
Floyd Mayweather sued for alleged 31-minute sparring round
By Kevin Iole Yahoo Sports
LAS VEGAS – The sons of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman have sued Floyd Mayweather Jr., Mayweather Promotions and Showtime in Clark County District Court regarding sparring sessions at Mayweather's gym that were a part of the "All Access" series.
Hasim Rahman Jr., 23, and Sharif Rahman, 18, sued for battery, tortious assault, false imprisonment, negligent hiring, training, supervision and retention and unjust enrichment. Neither Rahman has fought professionally, though Rahman Jr. is scheduled to turn professional on Nov. 13.
The Rahman brothers both sparred British boxer Donovan Cameron at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas during Episode 2 of Showtime's "All Access" series that was broadcast on Sept. 6 and designed to promote Mayweather's rematch on Sept. 13 against Marcos Maidana.
Mayweather referred to the gym as the "dog house" on the episode.
"Guys fight to the death," a grinning Mayweather says during the Sept. 6 episode. "It's not right, but it's dog house rules."
But Mayweather testified in front of the Nevada Athletic Commission on Sept. 23 that much of what was shown during the "All Access" series was false, made up to help boost pay-per-view sales.
The commission subpoenaed Mayweather to appear after Showtime aired footage of what was alleged to be a continuous 31-minute round. Mayweather told the commission there were numerous breaks in the 31-minute round, though he was not put under oath facing penalty of perjury that day.
The Rahmans' suit, though, disputes that and alleges there was indeed a 31-minute sparring session. There are numerous video interviews with Rahman Jr. on YouTube and other Internet sites in which Rahman Jr. insists he sparred 31 minutes continuously against Cameron.
The suit also accuses the Mayweather Boxing Club of not having the proper license to allow amateurs to spar.
"Defendant Mayweather knowingly misrepresented facts while testifying before the Nevada State Athletic Commission," the suit reads. "Defendant Mayweather falsely testified that Hasim's 31-minute fight did not happen as aired, and that the fighters took several breaks. Defendant Mayweather also testified to the effect that the 'All Access' program is heavily edited to show footage the way he and Showtime want."
Vicki Greco, the Rahmans' attorney, declined to discuss the suit with Yahoo Sports.
"We're in the middle of a litigation and at this point, we have no comment," she said. "That's not to say that at some point in the future that that may not change, but now, we have no comment."
Shane Emerick, Mayweather's attorney, didn't return a telephone message seeking comment. Showtime spokesman Chris DeBlasio said the company has not seen the lawsuit and declined comment.
Francisco Aguilar, the chairman of the Nevada commission, said he could not comment on pending litigation.
The complaint alleges Sharif Rahman was injured during the sparring and had to seek medical care. In the suit, he said he was forced to spar rounds of five, six and seven minutes in length.
The suit alleges a bystander told Sharif to leave the ring because he was no longer able to effectively compete with Cameron. However, it goes on to say that Mayweather himself would not allow Sharif Rahman to quit. The suit charges Mayweather personally ordered Cameron to go after Sharif Rahman and continue the fight if he left the ring.
Mayweather "responded by telling Mr. Cameron and others that if Sharif left the ring to beat his ass outside the ring," the suit claims. "Sharif feared for his safety and was forced to continue to fight."
As a result, the lawsuit alleges that Rahman was injured. It claims he needs ongoing medical treatment to help him heal.
The suit further alleges that Hasim Rahman Jr. arrived and demanded to fight Cameron in essence to avenge the beating his younger brother took. The suit claims Mayweather said the Rahman Jr.-Cameron sparring session would be "a fight to the death," and that Mayweather bet large sums of money on Cameron to win.
The Rahmans also claim Showtime did not get a release from them and they did not consent to having their names and likenesses used in the program.
Hasim Rahman Jr., 23, and Sharif Rahman, 18, sued for battery, tortious assault, false imprisonment, negligent hiring, training, supervision and retention and unjust enrichment. Neither Rahman has fought professionally, though Rahman Jr. is scheduled to turn professional on Nov. 13.
The Rahman brothers both sparred British boxer Donovan Cameron at the Mayweather Boxing Club in Las Vegas during Episode 2 of Showtime's "All Access" series that was broadcast on Sept. 6 and designed to promote Mayweather's rematch on Sept. 13 against Marcos Maidana.
Mayweather referred to the gym as the "dog house" on the episode.
"Guys fight to the death," a grinning Mayweather says during the Sept. 6 episode. "It's not right, but it's dog house rules."
But Mayweather testified in front of the Nevada Athletic Commission on Sept. 23 that much of what was shown during the "All Access" series was false, made up to help boost pay-per-view sales.
The commission subpoenaed Mayweather to appear after Showtime aired footage of what was alleged to be a continuous 31-minute round. Mayweather told the commission there were numerous breaks in the 31-minute round, though he was not put under oath facing penalty of perjury that day.
The Rahmans' suit, though, disputes that and alleges there was indeed a 31-minute sparring session. There are numerous video interviews with Rahman Jr. on YouTube and other Internet sites in which Rahman Jr. insists he sparred 31 minutes continuously against Cameron.
The suit also accuses the Mayweather Boxing Club of not having the proper license to allow amateurs to spar.
"Defendant Mayweather knowingly misrepresented facts while testifying before the Nevada State Athletic Commission," the suit reads. "Defendant Mayweather falsely testified that Hasim's 31-minute fight did not happen as aired, and that the fighters took several breaks. Defendant Mayweather also testified to the effect that the 'All Access' program is heavily edited to show footage the way he and Showtime want."
Vicki Greco, the Rahmans' attorney, declined to discuss the suit with Yahoo Sports.
"We're in the middle of a litigation and at this point, we have no comment," she said. "That's not to say that at some point in the future that that may not change, but now, we have no comment."
Shane Emerick, Mayweather's attorney, didn't return a telephone message seeking comment. Showtime spokesman Chris DeBlasio said the company has not seen the lawsuit and declined comment.
Francisco Aguilar, the chairman of the Nevada commission, said he could not comment on pending litigation.
The complaint alleges Sharif Rahman was injured during the sparring and had to seek medical care. In the suit, he said he was forced to spar rounds of five, six and seven minutes in length.
The suit alleges a bystander told Sharif to leave the ring because he was no longer able to effectively compete with Cameron. However, it goes on to say that Mayweather himself would not allow Sharif Rahman to quit. The suit charges Mayweather personally ordered Cameron to go after Sharif Rahman and continue the fight if he left the ring.
Mayweather "responded by telling Mr. Cameron and others that if Sharif left the ring to beat his ass outside the ring," the suit claims. "Sharif feared for his safety and was forced to continue to fight."
As a result, the lawsuit alleges that Rahman was injured. It claims he needs ongoing medical treatment to help him heal.
The suit further alleges that Hasim Rahman Jr. arrived and demanded to fight Cameron in essence to avenge the beating his younger brother took. The suit claims Mayweather said the Rahman Jr.-Cameron sparring session would be "a fight to the death," and that Mayweather bet large sums of money on Cameron to win.
The Rahmans also claim Showtime did not get a release from them and they did not consent to having their names and likenesses used in the program.
NFL Bans Beats Headphones On Camera
Remember the television commercial that opens with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick arriving at an opposing team’s stadium, where he is greeted by a throng of screaming, projectile-throwing fans?
Kaepernick dons a pair of Beats by Dre noise-cancelling headphones to tune out the invective-spewing mob, affecting a stoic pose, as the slogan “Hear What You Want” appears on-screen.
The professional athlete still can hear whatever he wants, but Kaepernick and other NFL players must remove their Beats headphones around the television cameras.
Bose secured a league sponsorship deal that effectively allows it to elbow Beats — and any other rival headphone manufacturer — off the playing field.
Under terms of its agreement with the league, the NFL confirmed, Bose received a broad set of rights that entitle it to prevent players (or coaches) from wearing any other manufacturer’s headphones during televised interviews.
This ban extends to TV interviews conducted during pre-season training camps or practice sessions and on game day — starting before the opening kickoff through the final whistle to post-game interviews conducted in the locker room or on the podium. The restriction remains in place until 90 minutes after the play has ended.
The NFL, which enforces the terms of the agreement with Bose, defended the practice.
“The NFL has longstanding policies that prohibit branded exposure on-field or during interviews unless authorized by the league. These policies date back to the early 1990s and continue today,” an NFL spokesperson said in a statement. “They are the NFL’s policies – not one of the league’s sponsors, Bose in this case. Bose is not involved in the enforcement of our policies. This is true for others on-field.”
Beats issued a statement saying that its headphones have become part of the pre-game preparations for professional athletes like Kaepernick.
“Over the last few years athletes have written Beats into their DNA as part of the pre-game ritual,” a Beats spokesperson said. “Music can have a significant positive effect on an athlete’s focus and mental preparedness and has become as important to performance as any other piece of equipment.”
Bose isn’t the only luxury headphone manufacturer looking to squelch Beats’ marketing clout by blocking its access to athletes during high-profile sporting events. Such televised contests attract millions of television viewers — including those who typically bypass commercials when watching shows they’ve recorded for later viewing.
Sony kept its rivals off the pitch this summer, during the month-long World Cup soccer tournament. FIFA informed all 32 competing countries that Beats products were banned during media briefings and on match days.
The reason for the aggressive marketing tactics is clear: Beats by Dre, which Apple acquired for $3 billion earlier this year, accounts for 61 percent of the premium headphone market (costing $100 or more) in the U.S., according to researcher the NPD Group. Bose had a distant 22 percent — and Sony a paltry 2 percent, the firm reported
Kaepernick dons a pair of Beats by Dre noise-cancelling headphones to tune out the invective-spewing mob, affecting a stoic pose, as the slogan “Hear What You Want” appears on-screen.
The professional athlete still can hear whatever he wants, but Kaepernick and other NFL players must remove their Beats headphones around the television cameras.
Bose secured a league sponsorship deal that effectively allows it to elbow Beats — and any other rival headphone manufacturer — off the playing field.
Under terms of its agreement with the league, the NFL confirmed, Bose received a broad set of rights that entitle it to prevent players (or coaches) from wearing any other manufacturer’s headphones during televised interviews.
This ban extends to TV interviews conducted during pre-season training camps or practice sessions and on game day — starting before the opening kickoff through the final whistle to post-game interviews conducted in the locker room or on the podium. The restriction remains in place until 90 minutes after the play has ended.
The NFL, which enforces the terms of the agreement with Bose, defended the practice.
“The NFL has longstanding policies that prohibit branded exposure on-field or during interviews unless authorized by the league. These policies date back to the early 1990s and continue today,” an NFL spokesperson said in a statement. “They are the NFL’s policies – not one of the league’s sponsors, Bose in this case. Bose is not involved in the enforcement of our policies. This is true for others on-field.”
Beats issued a statement saying that its headphones have become part of the pre-game preparations for professional athletes like Kaepernick.
“Over the last few years athletes have written Beats into their DNA as part of the pre-game ritual,” a Beats spokesperson said. “Music can have a significant positive effect on an athlete’s focus and mental preparedness and has become as important to performance as any other piece of equipment.”
Bose isn’t the only luxury headphone manufacturer looking to squelch Beats’ marketing clout by blocking its access to athletes during high-profile sporting events. Such televised contests attract millions of television viewers — including those who typically bypass commercials when watching shows they’ve recorded for later viewing.
Sony kept its rivals off the pitch this summer, during the month-long World Cup soccer tournament. FIFA informed all 32 competing countries that Beats products were banned during media briefings and on match days.
The reason for the aggressive marketing tactics is clear: Beats by Dre, which Apple acquired for $3 billion earlier this year, accounts for 61 percent of the premium headphone market (costing $100 or more) in the U.S., according to researcher the NPD Group. Bose had a distant 22 percent — and Sony a paltry 2 percent, the firm reported
Russell Wilson speaks out on domestic violence: 'I’m just a recovering bully'
By Frank Schwab Shutdown Corner
When we think about Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, we think about how fantastic he is on the field and his over-the-top innocent persona off the field.
Wilson is well aware that's how he is viewed, and used that to make a point about domestic violence in The Players' Tribune, Derek Jeter's new project. In trying to make a point about domestic violence, Wilson said that he used to be much different than the reputation he has now.
"I used to beat people up," was how Wilson started his article. "Truthfully, I used to beat people up a lot. Many of you readers probably think I have been Mr. Goody Two-Shoes my whole life, but honestly, I was a bully growing up. In elementary and middle school, I threw kids against the wall. I rubbed their heads in the dirt at recess. I bit them. I even knocked teeth out."
There's probably someone who knew Wilson back when he was a kid who today is saying "See? I told you!"
Wilson went on to write that he had a lot of anger, until he was "saved by my faith" at 14 years old.
[Join FanDuel.com's $1.5 million Week 5 fantasy league: $25 to enter; $150,000 to first]
Wilson uses the article to talk about how domestic violence is a societal issue, and even though he admittedly has avoided discussing all controversial topics in his career, he felt the need to bring awareness to this one. About his fellow NFL players he said, "our hits, our anger, our aggressive behaviors need to be regulated and confined to the field." But he added that it isn't just an NFL issue.
"This issue is much bigger than NFL suspensions," Wilson wrote. "Domestic violence isn’t going to disappear tomorrow or the next day. But the more that we choose not to talk about it, the more we shy away from the issue, the more we lose."
Wilson plugged his new “Why Not You Foundation” and discussed an initiative to "Pass the Peace" to domestic violence victims.
It's an important issue, big enough that Wilson was willing to open up about a part of his life none of us would have guessed happened.
- - - - - - -
Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at[email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
Wilson is well aware that's how he is viewed, and used that to make a point about domestic violence in The Players' Tribune, Derek Jeter's new project. In trying to make a point about domestic violence, Wilson said that he used to be much different than the reputation he has now.
"I used to beat people up," was how Wilson started his article. "Truthfully, I used to beat people up a lot. Many of you readers probably think I have been Mr. Goody Two-Shoes my whole life, but honestly, I was a bully growing up. In elementary and middle school, I threw kids against the wall. I rubbed their heads in the dirt at recess. I bit them. I even knocked teeth out."
There's probably someone who knew Wilson back when he was a kid who today is saying "See? I told you!"
Wilson went on to write that he had a lot of anger, until he was "saved by my faith" at 14 years old.
[Join FanDuel.com's $1.5 million Week 5 fantasy league: $25 to enter; $150,000 to first]
Wilson uses the article to talk about how domestic violence is a societal issue, and even though he admittedly has avoided discussing all controversial topics in his career, he felt the need to bring awareness to this one. About his fellow NFL players he said, "our hits, our anger, our aggressive behaviors need to be regulated and confined to the field." But he added that it isn't just an NFL issue.
"This issue is much bigger than NFL suspensions," Wilson wrote. "Domestic violence isn’t going to disappear tomorrow or the next day. But the more that we choose not to talk about it, the more we shy away from the issue, the more we lose."
Wilson plugged his new “Why Not You Foundation” and discussed an initiative to "Pass the Peace" to domestic violence victims.
It's an important issue, big enough that Wilson was willing to open up about a part of his life none of us would have guessed happened.
- - - - - - -
Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at[email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
Muslim Husain Abdullah flagged for praying in the end zone
Posted by Darin Gantt - NBC Sports
When Chiefs safety Husain Abdullah picked offTom Brady and returned it for a touchdown, he said a quick prayer.
But unlike Tim Tebow doing the same thing when he got to the end zone, Abdullah was flagged.
The Muslim safety said he made a promise to himself that he’d show his respect if he ever scored.
“If I get a pick, I’m going to prostrate before God in the end zone,” Abdullah said, via Tod Palmer of the Kansas City Star.
Since he was running as he crossed the goal line, he slid through the end zone before bowing to his knees in prayer. He was promptly flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, a 15-yard penalty.
Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 (d) of the NFL rulebook prohibits “Prolonged or excessive celebrations or demonstrations by an individual player. Players are prohibited from engaging in any celebrations or demonstrations while on the ground. A celebration or demonstration shall be deemed excessive or prolonged if a player continues to celebrate or demonstrate after a warning from an official.”
Christian players have routinely gone unpenalized while kneeling in prayer, though there is no specific exception in the rulebook.
Abdullah said he thought he was flagged for the sliding portion rather than the prayer, but Chiefs coach Andy Reid wasn’t sure that should be the case.
“When you go to Mecca, you should be able to slide wherever you want,” Reid said. “We’ve got two priests in here. They’d probably vouch for me.”
Given the tolerance the league has shown for other religious celebrations, there should be no difference, and there should be an apology on the way.
But unlike Tim Tebow doing the same thing when he got to the end zone, Abdullah was flagged.
The Muslim safety said he made a promise to himself that he’d show his respect if he ever scored.
“If I get a pick, I’m going to prostrate before God in the end zone,” Abdullah said, via Tod Palmer of the Kansas City Star.
Since he was running as he crossed the goal line, he slid through the end zone before bowing to his knees in prayer. He was promptly flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, a 15-yard penalty.
Rule 12, Section 3, Article 1 (d) of the NFL rulebook prohibits “Prolonged or excessive celebrations or demonstrations by an individual player. Players are prohibited from engaging in any celebrations or demonstrations while on the ground. A celebration or demonstration shall be deemed excessive or prolonged if a player continues to celebrate or demonstrate after a warning from an official.”
Christian players have routinely gone unpenalized while kneeling in prayer, though there is no specific exception in the rulebook.
Abdullah said he thought he was flagged for the sliding portion rather than the prayer, but Chiefs coach Andy Reid wasn’t sure that should be the case.
“When you go to Mecca, you should be able to slide wherever you want,” Reid said. “We’ve got two priests in here. They’d probably vouch for me.”
Given the tolerance the league has shown for other religious celebrations, there should be no difference, and there should be an apology on the way.
Justin Lynch: US Swimming's Next Michael Phelps?
What do you do once you’ve beaten Michael Phelps’ record? At 16 years old?
For swimmer Justin Lynch, 18 last month, he just keeps practicing, chasing the dragon of his record-breaking memory, with an eye on the 2016 Rio Olympics.
That memory-making moment came at the USA Swimming finals last year. He’d broken a Phelps age-group record in the 100-meter butterfly at 14, but now competition was stiffer among the older swimmers. While many of his competitors in the 15–16 age group had already ballooned up with muscles and ripped six-packs, Lynch looked pretty ordinary, his appearance giving no hint at the beast in the water.
The moment was caught on tape. Once his outstretched fingertips hit the wall, Lynch lifted his head up to the outside world as the wave of water caught up with him. “I could hear my friends screaming at the end of the pool, but I didn’t know for sure until I turned around,” Lynch told OZY. He slowly, perhaps timidly, turned to see the four red numbers: 52.75. And a new era had begun. At only 16, Lynch had bested the best. He fought off a smile as it triggered on both sides of his mouth, but once his competitors began congratulating him, he gave in.
For swimmer Justin Lynch, 18 last month, he just keeps practicing, chasing the dragon of his record-breaking memory, with an eye on the 2016 Rio Olympics.
That memory-making moment came at the USA Swimming finals last year. He’d broken a Phelps age-group record in the 100-meter butterfly at 14, but now competition was stiffer among the older swimmers. While many of his competitors in the 15–16 age group had already ballooned up with muscles and ripped six-packs, Lynch looked pretty ordinary, his appearance giving no hint at the beast in the water.
The moment was caught on tape. Once his outstretched fingertips hit the wall, Lynch lifted his head up to the outside world as the wave of water caught up with him. “I could hear my friends screaming at the end of the pool, but I didn’t know for sure until I turned around,” Lynch told OZY. He slowly, perhaps timidly, turned to see the four red numbers: 52.75. And a new era had begun. At only 16, Lynch had bested the best. He fought off a smile as it triggered on both sides of his mouth, but once his competitors began congratulating him, he gave in.
Since then, Lynch has only gotten faster. He spoke with OZY from his home in Vallejo, California, where he grew up. He was packing before setting off for his first year at Berkeley, 45 minutes away, where he intends to major in business. He chose University of California, Berkeley, he says, in part for coach David Durden’sreputation for underwater work: the quiet, transitional parts of the race at the start and after turns. The Cal team is also the reigning NCAA champion in men’s swimming and diving. Lynch is headed for the big leagues.
He seems remarkably well-balanced and well-spoken for an 18-year old who’s getting fed a taste of fame. For every compliment he allows, he offers a slightly self-deprecating remark and a gentle laugh. He used the word “lucky” again and again, as if by sheer luck he had beaten Phelps’ times, and he’s quick to credit his peers and his coaches for his rising success.
…if I could help bring other minorities into the sport, that would be great.
College will seem familiar in many ways. “I know all of the guys on the team already — I’ve swam against most of them before, so I feel really comfortable there.” Which is a good thing, since he’ll be spending plenty of time with them: hours in the pool each afternoon, three-times-a-week morning sessions. On Sundays, rest. Or at least dry-off with land sessions.
His record-breaking swim made headlines in 2013, but not just for his time. With an African-American father and a Filipina mother, Lynch will be the only minority swimmer on the Cal team. Swimming is overwhelmingly white, perhaps a result of the history of discrimination in access to municipal swimming pools. The modern-day result can be tragic: nearly 70 percent of African-American children between the ages of 5 and 14 have little to no swimming ability, and they drown at rates three times that of white children.
Lynch appreciates the potential cultural impact of his swimming, along with the few other black swimmers, such as Cullen Jones, the four-time Olympic medalist and the first African-American to break a world record in swimming. “I think it would be cool to break down those barriers. Cullen Jones already got that started, but if I could help bring other minorities into the sport, that would be great,” Lynch says.
Why swimming? Thank his big sis. “She’s the one in the family who started swimming first, and I followed her.” He’s 6 feet 1 inch tall, and his dad saw basketball. “Most African-American kids play basketball or football, and I started with basketball because my dad liked it at the time, so he pushed it for me.” But Lynch kept an eye on his sister’s swimming experience and went for that. “Neither of my parents are swimmers, so it wasn’t necessarily an obvious choice.” But 6 feet 1 thrives not just on land but also in the water, and once he dove in, it was all over.
He admits he’s “not a party animal,” and his introverted tendencies likely made the silence of the pool more appealing than the commotion of the basketball court. Unlike most swimmers, he doesn’t listen to pump-up music on headphones before he swims. “I’ve tried it,” he says, “but I’d rather be in my own head and my own state of mind.”
He swam head-to-head against Phelps in a USA Swimming Grand Prix event in Mesa, Arizona, in April. Phelps, who was 28 and had recently returned to the sport after a brief retirement, and former Olympic teammate Ryan Lochte, then 29, took the top spots in the 100 butterfly. Lynch came in fourth, about a second and a half behind them, astonishing for a 17-year-old more than a decade younger than the Olympians. The meet defined Lynch as the event’s torch-carrier.
For Lynch, breaking such high-bar limits so early in his career is a blessing and a curse. The grueling Berkeley swim schedule on top of academics, and combined with almost impossible expectations, could be a recipe for burnout.
“My biggest challenge in the coming years will be staying motivated,” he acknowledges. “For me, I’m just thrilled to be able to train with a coach who really knows the details that can make the difference.”
He’ll spend the next two years in quiet training, hoping to make the cut for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. The games will come around right as Lynch hits 20, which is considered a peak age for male swimmers at the 100-meter distance. Fast from the start, he’ll get a chance to show he’s got the stuff to take it to the finish.
Shannon Sims is a writer, photographer and lawyer living in Brazil, and a recent Forest & Society Fellow of the Institute of Current World Affairs. Follow her: @simssh.
He seems remarkably well-balanced and well-spoken for an 18-year old who’s getting fed a taste of fame. For every compliment he allows, he offers a slightly self-deprecating remark and a gentle laugh. He used the word “lucky” again and again, as if by sheer luck he had beaten Phelps’ times, and he’s quick to credit his peers and his coaches for his rising success.
…if I could help bring other minorities into the sport, that would be great.
College will seem familiar in many ways. “I know all of the guys on the team already — I’ve swam against most of them before, so I feel really comfortable there.” Which is a good thing, since he’ll be spending plenty of time with them: hours in the pool each afternoon, three-times-a-week morning sessions. On Sundays, rest. Or at least dry-off with land sessions.
His record-breaking swim made headlines in 2013, but not just for his time. With an African-American father and a Filipina mother, Lynch will be the only minority swimmer on the Cal team. Swimming is overwhelmingly white, perhaps a result of the history of discrimination in access to municipal swimming pools. The modern-day result can be tragic: nearly 70 percent of African-American children between the ages of 5 and 14 have little to no swimming ability, and they drown at rates three times that of white children.
Lynch appreciates the potential cultural impact of his swimming, along with the few other black swimmers, such as Cullen Jones, the four-time Olympic medalist and the first African-American to break a world record in swimming. “I think it would be cool to break down those barriers. Cullen Jones already got that started, but if I could help bring other minorities into the sport, that would be great,” Lynch says.
Why swimming? Thank his big sis. “She’s the one in the family who started swimming first, and I followed her.” He’s 6 feet 1 inch tall, and his dad saw basketball. “Most African-American kids play basketball or football, and I started with basketball because my dad liked it at the time, so he pushed it for me.” But Lynch kept an eye on his sister’s swimming experience and went for that. “Neither of my parents are swimmers, so it wasn’t necessarily an obvious choice.” But 6 feet 1 thrives not just on land but also in the water, and once he dove in, it was all over.
He admits he’s “not a party animal,” and his introverted tendencies likely made the silence of the pool more appealing than the commotion of the basketball court. Unlike most swimmers, he doesn’t listen to pump-up music on headphones before he swims. “I’ve tried it,” he says, “but I’d rather be in my own head and my own state of mind.”
He swam head-to-head against Phelps in a USA Swimming Grand Prix event in Mesa, Arizona, in April. Phelps, who was 28 and had recently returned to the sport after a brief retirement, and former Olympic teammate Ryan Lochte, then 29, took the top spots in the 100 butterfly. Lynch came in fourth, about a second and a half behind them, astonishing for a 17-year-old more than a decade younger than the Olympians. The meet defined Lynch as the event’s torch-carrier.
For Lynch, breaking such high-bar limits so early in his career is a blessing and a curse. The grueling Berkeley swim schedule on top of academics, and combined with almost impossible expectations, could be a recipe for burnout.
“My biggest challenge in the coming years will be staying motivated,” he acknowledges. “For me, I’m just thrilled to be able to train with a coach who really knows the details that can make the difference.”
He’ll spend the next two years in quiet training, hoping to make the cut for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. The games will come around right as Lynch hits 20, which is considered a peak age for male swimmers at the 100-meter distance. Fast from the start, he’ll get a chance to show he’s got the stuff to take it to the finish.
Shannon Sims is a writer, photographer and lawyer living in Brazil, and a recent Forest & Society Fellow of the Institute of Current World Affairs. Follow her: @simssh.
Remember When Michael Sam Was Supposed To Be A Distraction For The Dallas Cowboys
By Tom Ryle -SB Nation
The great distraction that was supposed to come to Dallas with Michael Sam has all but vanished as the NFL is swamped with bad news.
As any long time reader here at BTB knows, I am loathe to point out when the esteemed members of the media who cover and comment on the Dallas Cowboys are totally, completely, ridiculously wrong. But it is hard to not notice that they were a teensy bit off on the dire predictions they made about a certain player signed to the Cowboys' practice squad.
Boy that Michael Sam has been a huge distraction in the NFL eh?
— trey wingo (@wingoz) September 17, 2014
Remember Michael Sam? He was briefly the hottest story in the NFL as the first openly gay player to be drafted. After he failed to make the roster or be signed to the practice squad with theSt. Louis Rams, the Cowboys' next opponent, there was some hand wringing about him being out of the league before Jerry Jones and his staff decided to bring him to join the Dallas practice squad. The team downplayed it, but the move made sense for a franchise looking for talent at rushing from the edge.
Maybe the Sam story would continue to attract attention in a normal year, but this is not a normal season for the NFL. Shortly after Sam arrived in Dallas, the sky fell in on the league. The full video of the Ray Rice assault on his then-fiance broke. Combined with the Greg Hardy and Ray McDonald situations, the NFL found itself engulfed in a firestorm of criticism following the incoherent and inconsistent way things were handled by the teams and the league. Then theAdrian Peterson child abuse indictment crashed in on top of that. With the foolish attempts by teams to find ways to get these players back on the field despite the tidal wave of negative coverage and growing public opinion that they should not be seen playing on national TV, at least until these issues are resolved legally, almost no one seems to be paying attention to the Sam story.
All the predictions about the huge distraction Sam would be in the harsh media glare seem quaint now. (Think for a moment: Were you even sure he was still with the team?) The Sam story seems totally insignificant when compared with professional athletes that brutally render the woman they supposedly love unconscious with a blow to the head, or a grown man whipping a child with a piece of a tree and leaving open wounds. The decision to bring Sam to Dallas has turned out be a very smart one, with a lot of benefits for all parties.
Without all the distractions.
Follow me @TomRyleBTB
As any long time reader here at BTB knows, I am loathe to point out when the esteemed members of the media who cover and comment on the Dallas Cowboys are totally, completely, ridiculously wrong. But it is hard to not notice that they were a teensy bit off on the dire predictions they made about a certain player signed to the Cowboys' practice squad.
Boy that Michael Sam has been a huge distraction in the NFL eh?
— trey wingo (@wingoz) September 17, 2014
Remember Michael Sam? He was briefly the hottest story in the NFL as the first openly gay player to be drafted. After he failed to make the roster or be signed to the practice squad with theSt. Louis Rams, the Cowboys' next opponent, there was some hand wringing about him being out of the league before Jerry Jones and his staff decided to bring him to join the Dallas practice squad. The team downplayed it, but the move made sense for a franchise looking for talent at rushing from the edge.
Maybe the Sam story would continue to attract attention in a normal year, but this is not a normal season for the NFL. Shortly after Sam arrived in Dallas, the sky fell in on the league. The full video of the Ray Rice assault on his then-fiance broke. Combined with the Greg Hardy and Ray McDonald situations, the NFL found itself engulfed in a firestorm of criticism following the incoherent and inconsistent way things were handled by the teams and the league. Then theAdrian Peterson child abuse indictment crashed in on top of that. With the foolish attempts by teams to find ways to get these players back on the field despite the tidal wave of negative coverage and growing public opinion that they should not be seen playing on national TV, at least until these issues are resolved legally, almost no one seems to be paying attention to the Sam story.
All the predictions about the huge distraction Sam would be in the harsh media glare seem quaint now. (Think for a moment: Were you even sure he was still with the team?) The Sam story seems totally insignificant when compared with professional athletes that brutally render the woman they supposedly love unconscious with a blow to the head, or a grown man whipping a child with a piece of a tree and leaving open wounds. The decision to bring Sam to Dallas has turned out be a very smart one, with a lot of benefits for all parties.
- The publicity for the Cowboys has been almost all positive, especially in the media.
- According to the limited reports, Sam has been doing well. Said reports consist mostly of a daily question answered by Bryan Broaddus on Twitter, who repeats time after time that the team thinks Sam is doing a good job.
- Sam, who was praised by Jeff Fisher, head coach of the Rams, as having NFL caliber talent (just not enough to get onto the admittedly deep D line in St. Louis) gets to work out and train with an NFL staff rather that sit and wait for a call while trying to stay in shape on his own. This greatly increases his chances of being signed by a team in need of a DE or 3-4 OLB.
- He gives Dallas a low-cost fallback plan should injury strike, or the team just wants to go with a different option if some of the current defensive ends on the 53 don't pan out. I think a late season call up with the Cowboys is his most likely (although far from certain) path to playing on Sundays. But keep in mind that Kenneth Boatright is also on the practice squad, and may be ahead of Sam in the eyes of the coaches.
Without all the distractions.
Follow me @TomRyleBTB
Watch Cris Carter take an emotional stand against child abuse on ESPN
By Eric Edholm Shutdown Corner
ESPN's Cris Carter might not be the easiest guy to agree with on some issues. But he nailed his assessment of domestic abuse as it pertains to racial, cultural and religious stereotypes and traditions, and how the NFL has to get it right on the issue that has gripped the league and the country this week.
"This goes across all racial lines, ethnicities, religious backgrounds," Carter said Sunday on "NFL Countdown."
"People believe in disciplining their children. People with any type of Christian background, they really believe in disciplining their children.
"My mom did the best job she could do. Raising seven kids by herself. But there are thousands of things that I have learned since then that my mom was wrong. It's the 21st century. My mom was wrong. She did the best she could, but she was wrong about some of that stuff she taught me. And I promise my kids I won't teach that mess to them."Carter doesn't get into specifics of how his mother raised him and his siblings, but he suggests that she used some form of corporal punishment as a method of discipline.
Still, fellow panelist Mike Ditka — who feels like the most addled and dark-aged commentator on the air at times — says physical abuse made him a better man as a child.
Carter takes exception. He looks at the Vikings' deactivation of Adrian Peterson in light of his indictment as the first positive step in one of the darkest weeks in NFL history.
"Thousands of things we have learned since then. And now we're to the point, the only thing I am proud about is the team that I played for, they did the right thing. Take him off the field.
"As a man, that's the only thing we respect. We don't respect no dang women. We don't respect no kids. The only thing Roger [Goodell] and them can do ... take them off the dang field."
"This goes across all racial lines, ethnicities, religious backgrounds," Carter said Sunday on "NFL Countdown."
"People believe in disciplining their children. People with any type of Christian background, they really believe in disciplining their children.
"My mom did the best job she could do. Raising seven kids by herself. But there are thousands of things that I have learned since then that my mom was wrong. It's the 21st century. My mom was wrong. She did the best she could, but she was wrong about some of that stuff she taught me. And I promise my kids I won't teach that mess to them."Carter doesn't get into specifics of how his mother raised him and his siblings, but he suggests that she used some form of corporal punishment as a method of discipline.
Still, fellow panelist Mike Ditka — who feels like the most addled and dark-aged commentator on the air at times — says physical abuse made him a better man as a child.
Carter takes exception. He looks at the Vikings' deactivation of Adrian Peterson in light of his indictment as the first positive step in one of the darkest weeks in NFL history.
"Thousands of things we have learned since then. And now we're to the point, the only thing I am proud about is the team that I played for, they did the right thing. Take him off the field.
"As a man, that's the only thing we respect. We don't respect no dang women. We don't respect no kids. The only thing Roger [Goodell] and them can do ... take them off the dang field."
Roger Goodell Is Either Incompetent or a Liar. Either Way, He’s Gotta Go.
By John Walters
It may be time for the National Football League to punt Roger Goodell.
On Tuesday afternoon the Associated Press, citing an anonymous source in law enforcement, reported that the notorious videotape that shows former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice delivering a single knockout punch to the face of his future wife, Janay Palmer, was sent to NFL offices in April. That revelation would appear to contradict the statement made by the NFL yesterday and repeated by NFL commissioner Goodell in an interview with CBS News on Tuesday that no one in his office had seen the tape…. as far as he knows.
According to the AP source, he or she sent the tape – both unsolicited and with authorization – because he or she wanted the NFL to have it before meting out punishment to Rice. The source played a 12-second voicemail from an NFL office number last April 9 in which a female voice expresses thanks and then says, “You’re right. It’s terrible.” The source could not confirm that anyone in the NFL offices watched the video.
Newsweek Magazine is Back In Print
The NFL still maintains that no league official has seen the video. “No,” Goodell told CBS’s Norah O’Donnell on Tuesday when asked if anyone at league offices in New York had watched the videotape before this week. “No one in our office has seen the tape, to my knowledge.”
After the AP story broke, the NFL dug its cleats in deeper, declaring again that no one in the league office had seen the videotape.
At the moment, then, Goodell and his officers retain at least a measure of plausible deniability. The AP report names no one. Until the source is willing to step forward, or the league official who allegedly left the voicemail is identified, this part of the story comes to a dead end.
That may not be enough for Goodell to save his job, though. As fiscally robust as the NFL may be – Sunday afternoon’s San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys game drew 28 million viewers, the second-highest ever for a Week 1 contest on FOX -- Goodell’s bungling of the Ray Rice domestic abuse case may have irretrievably damaged his credibility. High-visibility ESPN personalities such as Keith Olbermann and Bill Simmons have already called for Goodell’s resignation, as has Terry O’Neill, the president of the National Organization for Women (NOW).
First, even without the more incriminating tape released on Monday, there was never any dispute that Rice had been involved in an elevator altercation with his future spouse that ended with her lying face-down and unconscious. For that, Goodell decreed just a two-game suspension back in July. By late August, with public sentiment – at least beyond a 40-mile radius of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor – decidedly against the ruling, the NFL announced a new, stricter initiative on punishing domestic abuse. “My disciplinary decision led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment, and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families,” Goodell said then. “I take responsibility both for the decision and for ensuring that our actions in the future properly reflect our values.
“I didn’t get it right.”
No, he didn’t. But at the time Goodell, who earns $44 million annually, appeared guilty only of insensitivity. When TMZ Sports unleashed the second video on Monday, Goodell’s – and the league’s -- integrity and competence were called into question. Had the league seen the video, as some high-profile reporters with excellent NFL contacts had written back in July? And if they had not, what prevented the most powerful sports league in North America, if not the world, one that employs former FBI agents as security officers, from obtaining a crucial video tape that it not only knew existed, but that had already been placed into the hands of Rice’s defense attorney?
Is Goodell’s job in jeopardy and does it deserve to be? Like that Cowboys team that found itself trailing 21-3 to the 49ers after one quarter on Sunday, Goodell put himself into a deep hole with that lenient two-game penalty. Ever since he has had to combat the widely held perception that the NFL does not appreciate how serious and heinous domestic abuse is. Goodell, and the league, squandered the opportunity to be the moral authority on this issue (so did the Atlantic County, N.J., prosecutor’s office, which put Rice into a pretrial diversion program that allowed him to avoid both a felony change and jail time, but that’s another debacle) from the beginning.
They’ve been playing catch-up ever since. And with this latest revelation from Associated Press, the clock is running out. While it once beggared credulity to believe that the NFL could not obtain that second videotape, though Goodell admitted the NFL knew of it, it seems even more incredible that the AP’s source and the accompanying voicemail are fabrications. Or that someone at the NFL would leave such a voicemail but that Goodell or other top officers had no knowledge of the tape’s presence within their office.
On Monday the NFL suspended Ray Rice for an “indefinite” period of time. By week’s end, the league just may dismiss Goodell, with nothing indefinite about it.
On Tuesday afternoon the Associated Press, citing an anonymous source in law enforcement, reported that the notorious videotape that shows former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice delivering a single knockout punch to the face of his future wife, Janay Palmer, was sent to NFL offices in April. That revelation would appear to contradict the statement made by the NFL yesterday and repeated by NFL commissioner Goodell in an interview with CBS News on Tuesday that no one in his office had seen the tape…. as far as he knows.
According to the AP source, he or she sent the tape – both unsolicited and with authorization – because he or she wanted the NFL to have it before meting out punishment to Rice. The source played a 12-second voicemail from an NFL office number last April 9 in which a female voice expresses thanks and then says, “You’re right. It’s terrible.” The source could not confirm that anyone in the NFL offices watched the video.
Newsweek Magazine is Back In Print
The NFL still maintains that no league official has seen the video. “No,” Goodell told CBS’s Norah O’Donnell on Tuesday when asked if anyone at league offices in New York had watched the videotape before this week. “No one in our office has seen the tape, to my knowledge.”
After the AP story broke, the NFL dug its cleats in deeper, declaring again that no one in the league office had seen the videotape.
At the moment, then, Goodell and his officers retain at least a measure of plausible deniability. The AP report names no one. Until the source is willing to step forward, or the league official who allegedly left the voicemail is identified, this part of the story comes to a dead end.
That may not be enough for Goodell to save his job, though. As fiscally robust as the NFL may be – Sunday afternoon’s San Francisco 49ers at Dallas Cowboys game drew 28 million viewers, the second-highest ever for a Week 1 contest on FOX -- Goodell’s bungling of the Ray Rice domestic abuse case may have irretrievably damaged his credibility. High-visibility ESPN personalities such as Keith Olbermann and Bill Simmons have already called for Goodell’s resignation, as has Terry O’Neill, the president of the National Organization for Women (NOW).
First, even without the more incriminating tape released on Monday, there was never any dispute that Rice had been involved in an elevator altercation with his future spouse that ended with her lying face-down and unconscious. For that, Goodell decreed just a two-game suspension back in July. By late August, with public sentiment – at least beyond a 40-mile radius of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor – decidedly against the ruling, the NFL announced a new, stricter initiative on punishing domestic abuse. “My disciplinary decision led the public to question our sincerity, our commitment, and whether we understood the toll that domestic violence inflicts on so many families,” Goodell said then. “I take responsibility both for the decision and for ensuring that our actions in the future properly reflect our values.
“I didn’t get it right.”
No, he didn’t. But at the time Goodell, who earns $44 million annually, appeared guilty only of insensitivity. When TMZ Sports unleashed the second video on Monday, Goodell’s – and the league’s -- integrity and competence were called into question. Had the league seen the video, as some high-profile reporters with excellent NFL contacts had written back in July? And if they had not, what prevented the most powerful sports league in North America, if not the world, one that employs former FBI agents as security officers, from obtaining a crucial video tape that it not only knew existed, but that had already been placed into the hands of Rice’s defense attorney?
Is Goodell’s job in jeopardy and does it deserve to be? Like that Cowboys team that found itself trailing 21-3 to the 49ers after one quarter on Sunday, Goodell put himself into a deep hole with that lenient two-game penalty. Ever since he has had to combat the widely held perception that the NFL does not appreciate how serious and heinous domestic abuse is. Goodell, and the league, squandered the opportunity to be the moral authority on this issue (so did the Atlantic County, N.J., prosecutor’s office, which put Rice into a pretrial diversion program that allowed him to avoid both a felony change and jail time, but that’s another debacle) from the beginning.
They’ve been playing catch-up ever since. And with this latest revelation from Associated Press, the clock is running out. While it once beggared credulity to believe that the NFL could not obtain that second videotape, though Goodell admitted the NFL knew of it, it seems even more incredible that the AP’s source and the accompanying voicemail are fabrications. Or that someone at the NFL would leave such a voicemail but that Goodell or other top officers had no knowledge of the tape’s presence within their office.
On Monday the NFL suspended Ray Rice for an “indefinite” period of time. By week’s end, the league just may dismiss Goodell, with nothing indefinite about it.
Ray Rice terminated by team, suspended by NFL after new violent video
By Jill Martin and Steve Almasy, CNN
(CNN) -- Running back Ray Rice was released by the Baltimore Ravens and suspended indefinitely by the NFL on Monday, the same day a shocking video surfaced showing the NFL star knocking out his future wife with a punch in February.
The news release from the Ravens was terse.
"The Baltimore Ravens terminated the contract of RB Ray Rice this afternoon," it read.
Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters Monday night that the team had not seen the video before it was released online by TMZ.
Ravens' coach: Nothing but hope for Ray
Ravens terminate Ray Rice's contract
"It was something we saw for the first time today, all of us. It changed things, of course. It made things a little bit different," he said.
Harbaugh said he and Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome called Rice to inform him of the decision. He declined to discuss what Rice said or how he reacted.
"I have nothing but hope and goodwill for Ray and Janay (now his wife)," Harbaugh added. "And we'll do whatever we can going forward to help them as they go forward and try to make the best of it."
Shortly after the team's announcement, the league said the three-time Pro Bowl selection was suspended indefinitely.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who had originally given Rice a two-game ban, increased the suspension after viewing the new video for the first time, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said on Twitter.
The NFL players' union didn't immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.
CNN also tried unsuccessfully to contact Rice's agent. The person who answered the phone at Todd France's office said France wasn't in.
Former teammate and ESPN analyst Ray Lewis said he had texted with Rice on Monday.
Lewis, who played with the Ravens from 1996 to 2012, said on "Monday Night Countdown" that he will meet with Rice soon to counsel and mentor him.
"I want to sit down and I want to know what is going on in his heart," said Lewis.
In a press conference in July, Rice said his actions were "inexcusable" and that he and his wife were in counseling. The couple married on March 28.
"We're taking the necessary steps to move forward," he said. "My job is to lead my family. My job is to lead my wife. My job is to lead in whatever I do. And If I'm not being the example, then my family crumbles."
Before Rice, 27, can play again in the NFL, any potential contract cannot be approved without further direction from the commissioner, Aiello told CNN.
The Canadian Football League said Monday night Rice is ineligible to play in the CFL while he is suspended by the NFL.
Video shows what happened inside elevator
The new video shows Rice punching Janay Palmer, who was his fiancee at the time, inside an elevator at a hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, seven months ago.
TMZ Sports posted the video Monday showing Rice and Palmer entering an elevator. Inside the elevator, Rice punches Palmer. Palmer lunges after Rice, and then Rice hits her again and she falls to the floor.
Previously, TMZ Sports had released hotel surveillance video of Rice dragging an unconscious Palmer out of the elevator. This is the first time video has been released that shows Rice punching her.
A few months after the incident, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Rice without pay and fined him an additional game check for "conduct detrimental to the NFL."
However, no one in the NFL offices, including Goodell, had seen the newly released footage of the incident until Monday, the league told CNN.
Ray Rice: 'My actions were inexcusable'
"We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident, including the video from inside the elevator," NFL senior vice president of communications Greg Aiello said. "That video was not made available to us and no one in our office has seen it until today."
Rice won't be prosecuted
The NFL has previously said that Rice entered a pretrial intervention program in May. Under the program, he won't be prosecuted, and the felony charge -- one count of third-degree aggravated assault -- will be expunged after one year.
CNN commentator and ESPN senior writer LZ Granderson said Monday that prosecutors let a lot of people down.
"A lot of people are mad at the NFL and the Ravens. I'm mad at the judicial system that failed this woman and society at large," he said. "Here you have clearly an act of violence. Clearly an act of violence. To give him a slap on the wrist, an opportunity to even have this wiped from his record, tells you how powerful money, fame and sports is in society."
Jeffrey Toobin, a senior legal analyst for CNN, said Rice's punishment was of the kind that teenagers get when they are caught spray painting graffiti.
"It is a tiny, tiny penalty that is an absolute disgrace," he said. "The D.A. (office) embarrassed the country, embarrassed themselves. And Roger Goodell did an appalling job then for the NFL. But ... law enforcement was horrendous here."
Goodell admitted punishment was too lenient
Goodell has already been scrutinized for suspending Rice for just two games, months after the first video aired. Many felt the suspension wasn't enough, and in August, the commissioner himself agreed.
In a letter to all NFL team owners, he said the league had fallen short of its goals in its handling of the Rice case: "We allowed our standards to fall below where they should be and lost an important opportunity to emphasize our strong stance on a critical issue and the effective programs we have in place."
"I didn't get it right. Simply put, we have to do better. And we will," he added.
Some NFL fans have questioned why Harbaugh would call Rice "one heck of a guy" after the news broke and why the Ravens would tweet out in May "Janay Rice says she deeply regrets the role that she played the night of the incident."
They have also questioned why Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon would be suspended for a year after testing positive for marijuana when Rice was suspended for just two games.
In his August letter to team owners, Goodell said the league will institute a six-game unpaid suspension for personnel who violate the league's personal conduct policy when it relates to domestic violence. A second domestic violence incident would be punished by a lifetime ban from the league.
Opinion: NFL, apologize to women for Ray Rice
CNN's Wayne Sterling and Chandler Friedman contributed to this report.
The news release from the Ravens was terse.
"The Baltimore Ravens terminated the contract of RB Ray Rice this afternoon," it read.
Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh told reporters Monday night that the team had not seen the video before it was released online by TMZ.
Ravens' coach: Nothing but hope for Ray
Ravens terminate Ray Rice's contract
"It was something we saw for the first time today, all of us. It changed things, of course. It made things a little bit different," he said.
Harbaugh said he and Ravens general manager Ozzie Newsome called Rice to inform him of the decision. He declined to discuss what Rice said or how he reacted.
"I have nothing but hope and goodwill for Ray and Janay (now his wife)," Harbaugh added. "And we'll do whatever we can going forward to help them as they go forward and try to make the best of it."
Shortly after the team's announcement, the league said the three-time Pro Bowl selection was suspended indefinitely.
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, who had originally given Rice a two-game ban, increased the suspension after viewing the new video for the first time, NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said on Twitter.
The NFL players' union didn't immediately respond to CNN's request for comment.
CNN also tried unsuccessfully to contact Rice's agent. The person who answered the phone at Todd France's office said France wasn't in.
Former teammate and ESPN analyst Ray Lewis said he had texted with Rice on Monday.
Lewis, who played with the Ravens from 1996 to 2012, said on "Monday Night Countdown" that he will meet with Rice soon to counsel and mentor him.
"I want to sit down and I want to know what is going on in his heart," said Lewis.
In a press conference in July, Rice said his actions were "inexcusable" and that he and his wife were in counseling. The couple married on March 28.
"We're taking the necessary steps to move forward," he said. "My job is to lead my family. My job is to lead my wife. My job is to lead in whatever I do. And If I'm not being the example, then my family crumbles."
Before Rice, 27, can play again in the NFL, any potential contract cannot be approved without further direction from the commissioner, Aiello told CNN.
The Canadian Football League said Monday night Rice is ineligible to play in the CFL while he is suspended by the NFL.
Video shows what happened inside elevator
The new video shows Rice punching Janay Palmer, who was his fiancee at the time, inside an elevator at a hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, seven months ago.
TMZ Sports posted the video Monday showing Rice and Palmer entering an elevator. Inside the elevator, Rice punches Palmer. Palmer lunges after Rice, and then Rice hits her again and she falls to the floor.
Previously, TMZ Sports had released hotel surveillance video of Rice dragging an unconscious Palmer out of the elevator. This is the first time video has been released that shows Rice punching her.
A few months after the incident, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Rice without pay and fined him an additional game check for "conduct detrimental to the NFL."
However, no one in the NFL offices, including Goodell, had seen the newly released footage of the incident until Monday, the league told CNN.
Ray Rice: 'My actions were inexcusable'
"We requested from law enforcement any and all information about the incident, including the video from inside the elevator," NFL senior vice president of communications Greg Aiello said. "That video was not made available to us and no one in our office has seen it until today."
Rice won't be prosecuted
The NFL has previously said that Rice entered a pretrial intervention program in May. Under the program, he won't be prosecuted, and the felony charge -- one count of third-degree aggravated assault -- will be expunged after one year.
CNN commentator and ESPN senior writer LZ Granderson said Monday that prosecutors let a lot of people down.
"A lot of people are mad at the NFL and the Ravens. I'm mad at the judicial system that failed this woman and society at large," he said. "Here you have clearly an act of violence. Clearly an act of violence. To give him a slap on the wrist, an opportunity to even have this wiped from his record, tells you how powerful money, fame and sports is in society."
Jeffrey Toobin, a senior legal analyst for CNN, said Rice's punishment was of the kind that teenagers get when they are caught spray painting graffiti.
"It is a tiny, tiny penalty that is an absolute disgrace," he said. "The D.A. (office) embarrassed the country, embarrassed themselves. And Roger Goodell did an appalling job then for the NFL. But ... law enforcement was horrendous here."
Goodell admitted punishment was too lenient
Goodell has already been scrutinized for suspending Rice for just two games, months after the first video aired. Many felt the suspension wasn't enough, and in August, the commissioner himself agreed.
In a letter to all NFL team owners, he said the league had fallen short of its goals in its handling of the Rice case: "We allowed our standards to fall below where they should be and lost an important opportunity to emphasize our strong stance on a critical issue and the effective programs we have in place."
"I didn't get it right. Simply put, we have to do better. And we will," he added.
Some NFL fans have questioned why Harbaugh would call Rice "one heck of a guy" after the news broke and why the Ravens would tweet out in May "Janay Rice says she deeply regrets the role that she played the night of the incident."
They have also questioned why Cleveland Browns receiver Josh Gordon would be suspended for a year after testing positive for marijuana when Rice was suspended for just two games.
In his August letter to team owners, Goodell said the league will institute a six-game unpaid suspension for personnel who violate the league's personal conduct policy when it relates to domestic violence. A second domestic violence incident would be punished by a lifetime ban from the league.
Opinion: NFL, apologize to women for Ray Rice
CNN's Wayne Sterling and Chandler Friedman contributed to this report.
Pam Oliver Breaks Silence on Being Replaced by Erin Andrews on Fox Sports SidelinesBy Debbie Emery- The Wrap
When Fox kicks off its NFL coverage on Sunday, Pam Oliver will not be in the prime role that she has held for almost two decades.
The 53-year-old sports reporter has been replaced from her usual spot on the field by “Dancing With the Stars” co-host Erin Andrews, with Oliver being moved to the number two Fox team with Kevin Burkhardt and John Lynch.
The official announcement sent ripples through the sports world when it was reported by Sports Illustrated in July, and now Oliver has broken her silence on the issue in a new interview with Essence magazine.
“Even before my bosses told me what was going on, there had been rumblings that my days as a sideline reporter were coming to an end,” she told Essence, after Andrews was hired from ESPN two years earlier. “I knew they hadn't brought her on just to be a benchwarmer.”
Rather than getting caught up in a catfight, Oliver's colleagues credited her for the classy way she handled the situation as she kept her head down and did her job, but “still, I was humiliated.”
Finally by April, her bosses called a meeting and flew out to look her “in the eye” when they delivered the news that there would be a “change of direction within the company” and she would be working on Fox Sports 1, the secondary cable sports channel that launched in 2013, to work on specials and longer form stories.
The only hitch was Oliver wanted to stay on the sidelines interviewing players and coaches in the middle of the action. ”It was important to me to have a twentieth season — to end on 19 is wack! I wanted 20,” revealed the veteran reporter who joined Fox in 1995 as part of the network's number-one broadcast team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. Oliver was eventually given a role on the sidelines for her final year, but not with her usual crew, and she said having the trio split up after over a decade was difficult. “It hurt,” she admitted.
With 36-year-old Andrews taking the top role and Oliver being demoted, the African-American reporter was repeatedly asked if she thought it was anything to do with race. “No. I definitely do not,” she replied steadfastly. Whether it was because of the 17-year age difference, “Well, maybe,” she confessed. “The business is very demographic-oriented. As one executive said to me, Fox Sports will look radically different in the coming years. I assume that means they want to look younger.
“It's not difficult to notice that the new on-air people there are all young, blond and ‘hot.’ That's not to say that Erin isn't capable,” she said of the “Dancing With the Stars” host who began her career in 2000 at Fox Sports Florida, before joining ESPN in 2004.
“She's also popular on Twitter and social media, so I can see how that would also make her highly sought after. Still, covering the NFL is a big deal,” Oliver went on to say. “Stations like ABC and NBC entrust their programming to veterans. So when people talk about all networks making a turn to a particular type of girl on the sidelines, it doesn't hold water.”
For a while Oliver admitted she was initially “lost in sadness,” she understands that she has a lot to be grateful for. ”At times I'm ashamed of how tragic I was making things out to be. It's just a job change. I'm not out on the streets. I'm not unemployed. Everybody wins: Fox gets its coveted reporter in the lead role and I get to do my sideline job for my twentieth and final year.
“I love being on the sidelines. I love the ins and outs of the game. But I'm headed into this season knowing it's time to say my good-byes,” she said, before heading to the field on Sunday. “I'm going savor every moment.”
A spokesperson for Fox Sports told TheWrap: “We are looking forward to another great NFL on FOX season and once again, Pam is going to be a huge part of our overall success.”
Erin Andrews’ representative has also been contacted for comment.
The 53-year-old sports reporter has been replaced from her usual spot on the field by “Dancing With the Stars” co-host Erin Andrews, with Oliver being moved to the number two Fox team with Kevin Burkhardt and John Lynch.
The official announcement sent ripples through the sports world when it was reported by Sports Illustrated in July, and now Oliver has broken her silence on the issue in a new interview with Essence magazine.
“Even before my bosses told me what was going on, there had been rumblings that my days as a sideline reporter were coming to an end,” she told Essence, after Andrews was hired from ESPN two years earlier. “I knew they hadn't brought her on just to be a benchwarmer.”
Rather than getting caught up in a catfight, Oliver's colleagues credited her for the classy way she handled the situation as she kept her head down and did her job, but “still, I was humiliated.”
Finally by April, her bosses called a meeting and flew out to look her “in the eye” when they delivered the news that there would be a “change of direction within the company” and she would be working on Fox Sports 1, the secondary cable sports channel that launched in 2013, to work on specials and longer form stories.
The only hitch was Oliver wanted to stay on the sidelines interviewing players and coaches in the middle of the action. ”It was important to me to have a twentieth season — to end on 19 is wack! I wanted 20,” revealed the veteran reporter who joined Fox in 1995 as part of the network's number-one broadcast team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman. Oliver was eventually given a role on the sidelines for her final year, but not with her usual crew, and she said having the trio split up after over a decade was difficult. “It hurt,” she admitted.
With 36-year-old Andrews taking the top role and Oliver being demoted, the African-American reporter was repeatedly asked if she thought it was anything to do with race. “No. I definitely do not,” she replied steadfastly. Whether it was because of the 17-year age difference, “Well, maybe,” she confessed. “The business is very demographic-oriented. As one executive said to me, Fox Sports will look radically different in the coming years. I assume that means they want to look younger.
“It's not difficult to notice that the new on-air people there are all young, blond and ‘hot.’ That's not to say that Erin isn't capable,” she said of the “Dancing With the Stars” host who began her career in 2000 at Fox Sports Florida, before joining ESPN in 2004.
“She's also popular on Twitter and social media, so I can see how that would also make her highly sought after. Still, covering the NFL is a big deal,” Oliver went on to say. “Stations like ABC and NBC entrust their programming to veterans. So when people talk about all networks making a turn to a particular type of girl on the sidelines, it doesn't hold water.”
For a while Oliver admitted she was initially “lost in sadness,” she understands that she has a lot to be grateful for. ”At times I'm ashamed of how tragic I was making things out to be. It's just a job change. I'm not out on the streets. I'm not unemployed. Everybody wins: Fox gets its coveted reporter in the lead role and I get to do my sideline job for my twentieth and final year.
“I love being on the sidelines. I love the ins and outs of the game. But I'm headed into this season knowing it's time to say my good-byes,” she said, before heading to the field on Sunday. “I'm going savor every moment.”
A spokesperson for Fox Sports told TheWrap: “We are looking forward to another great NFL on FOX season and once again, Pam is going to be a huge part of our overall success.”
Erin Andrews’ representative has also been contacted for comment.
NFL Player Says ESPN Is To Blame For Michael Sam Going Unsigned
The Huffington Post | By Michael Klopman
Michael Sam didn't make the St. Louis Rams' 53-man roster. Sam, the first openly gay player ever to be drafted into the NFL, didn't make the Rams' 10-man practice squad either. No other team claimed Sam on waivers over the weekend and now he is a free agent who can sign with any practice squad. But that hasn't happened yet, and Buffalo Bills center Eric Wood thinks he has an idea about why that is.
After Ross Tucker of the NBC Sports Network wondered on Twitter why Sam hasn't been signed to a practice squad despite his solid performance in the preseason (11 tackles and three sacks), Wood pointed to ESPN.
Earlier last week, ESPN reporter Josina Anderson discussed Sam's showering habits when asked on "SportsCenter" about how he was fitting in with his teammates. ESPN later apologized for the report, saying in a statement that "we collectively failed to meet the standards we have set in reporting on LGBT-related topics in sports."
Despite the apology, Rams coach Jeff Fisher ripped ESPN and called Anderson's piece"very, very unprofessional." The awkward report also drew Rams defensive end Chris Long's attention.
After releasing Sam -- who spoke publicly about his sexuality for the first time in interview with ESPN and The New York Times back in February -- Fisher told reporters that the 2013 SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year was not a distractionthroughout the team's training camp.
After Ross Tucker of the NBC Sports Network wondered on Twitter why Sam hasn't been signed to a practice squad despite his solid performance in the preseason (11 tackles and three sacks), Wood pointed to ESPN.
Earlier last week, ESPN reporter Josina Anderson discussed Sam's showering habits when asked on "SportsCenter" about how he was fitting in with his teammates. ESPN later apologized for the report, saying in a statement that "we collectively failed to meet the standards we have set in reporting on LGBT-related topics in sports."
Despite the apology, Rams coach Jeff Fisher ripped ESPN and called Anderson's piece"very, very unprofessional." The awkward report also drew Rams defensive end Chris Long's attention.
After releasing Sam -- who spoke publicly about his sexuality for the first time in interview with ESPN and The New York Times back in February -- Fisher told reporters that the 2013 SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year was not a distractionthroughout the team's training camp.
Pacquiao wins round in bruising Philippine tax fight
Manila (AFP) - Philippine world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao has won a Supreme Court reprieve in his battle to avoid paying tens of millions of dollars in extra taxes, authorities said Thursday.
Pacquiao will not have to post a cash bond of 3.3 billion pesos ($75.2 million) and the government is banned from seizing any of his assets while his income tax case is being heard, according to a Supreme Court ruling.
The ruling, handed down this week and sent to AFP by court spokesman Theodore Te on Thursday, also ordered the proceedings be carried out more quickly as they began last year and are still in the pre-trial stage.
Pacquiao expressed relief at the ruling, which came ahead of a China tour starting next week to promote the Macau defence of his World Boxing Organization welterweight title against unbeaten US challenger Chris Algieri in November.
"Let us now let the legal process take its course. For now, I am just glad I will be able to concentrate on training for my upcoming bout," he said in a statement.
The dispute arose from an initial assessment from the government that Pacquiao, 35, owed 2.2 billion pesos in unpaid taxes for 2008 and 2009.
President Benigno Aquino has waged a bruising campaign against tax evasion as part of a general crackdown on corruption during his four years in office.
Pacquiao, who has held world titles in eight separate weight divisions and is also a member of Congress, has become one of the highest-profile targets of the tax office's sweep.
The boxer has insisted he paid the 2008 and 2009 taxes in the United States, so did not need to do so in the Philippines because the two countries have an agreement allowing their citizens to avoid double taxation.
The tax office alleges Pacquiao failed to provide documents proving his US payments.
It also says that, even if Pacquiao did pay in the United States, he would still owe some money in the Philippines where there is a higher rate of taxation.
Last year the government froze several of Pacquiao's bank accounts and the financing on one of his properties in an exclusive gated community in Manila.
It also threatened to take the money owed by seizing and then selling off his assets.
The tax court agreed in April to lift the asset freeze on the condition Pacquiao posted the giant cash bond by August 17.
"We went to the Supreme Court to get the bond requirement removed, since it would defeat the purpose of the lifting of the asset freeze," Pacquiao's lawyer Tranquil Salvador told AFP on Thursday.
The cash bond is equivalent to the back taxes that Pacquiao allegedly now owes the government, plus interest, Salvador added.
The dispute is a civil case that does not involve prison penalties.
Pacquiao will not have to post a cash bond of 3.3 billion pesos ($75.2 million) and the government is banned from seizing any of his assets while his income tax case is being heard, according to a Supreme Court ruling.
The ruling, handed down this week and sent to AFP by court spokesman Theodore Te on Thursday, also ordered the proceedings be carried out more quickly as they began last year and are still in the pre-trial stage.
Pacquiao expressed relief at the ruling, which came ahead of a China tour starting next week to promote the Macau defence of his World Boxing Organization welterweight title against unbeaten US challenger Chris Algieri in November.
"Let us now let the legal process take its course. For now, I am just glad I will be able to concentrate on training for my upcoming bout," he said in a statement.
The dispute arose from an initial assessment from the government that Pacquiao, 35, owed 2.2 billion pesos in unpaid taxes for 2008 and 2009.
President Benigno Aquino has waged a bruising campaign against tax evasion as part of a general crackdown on corruption during his four years in office.
Pacquiao, who has held world titles in eight separate weight divisions and is also a member of Congress, has become one of the highest-profile targets of the tax office's sweep.
The boxer has insisted he paid the 2008 and 2009 taxes in the United States, so did not need to do so in the Philippines because the two countries have an agreement allowing their citizens to avoid double taxation.
The tax office alleges Pacquiao failed to provide documents proving his US payments.
It also says that, even if Pacquiao did pay in the United States, he would still owe some money in the Philippines where there is a higher rate of taxation.
Last year the government froze several of Pacquiao's bank accounts and the financing on one of his properties in an exclusive gated community in Manila.
It also threatened to take the money owed by seizing and then selling off his assets.
The tax court agreed in April to lift the asset freeze on the condition Pacquiao posted the giant cash bond by August 17.
"We went to the Supreme Court to get the bond requirement removed, since it would defeat the purpose of the lifting of the asset freeze," Pacquiao's lawyer Tranquil Salvador told AFP on Thursday.
The cash bond is equivalent to the back taxes that Pacquiao allegedly now owes the government, plus interest, Salvador added.
The dispute is a civil case that does not involve prison penalties.
NBA players' union elects attorney Michele Roberts as executive director
By Adrian Wojnarowski Yahoo Sports
The National Basketball Players Association elected Michele Roberts, a prominent Washington civil litigator, as its executive director.
Roberts, an attorney with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, is the first woman to lead a major North American sports league union.
Roberts was the recommendation of NBPA president Chris Paul and the nine-member executive committee, winning with 32 of 34 votes among committee members and team player representatives, sources said.
Roberts won over the players with a strong background as a civil criminal litigator and an unblemished character. She'll be replacing the deposed Billy Hunter, whose tenure was marked with labor negotiation failures, corruption and ethical entanglements.
The players passed on a career NBA executive with strong ties with the league office, Dallas Mavericks CEO Terdema Ussery.
"I liked her labor law experience," one player representative told Yahoo Sports in a text message. "That was a priority for me."
The process was littered with the NBPA's usual dysfunction, including a late bid by player agents to push back the vote and further study the finalists – or possibly dump them all together. Nevertheless, the vote played out on Monday in Las Vegas and the union will start to move forward with a leader again.
Roberts, an attorney with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, is the first woman to lead a major North American sports league union.
Roberts was the recommendation of NBPA president Chris Paul and the nine-member executive committee, winning with 32 of 34 votes among committee members and team player representatives, sources said.
Roberts won over the players with a strong background as a civil criminal litigator and an unblemished character. She'll be replacing the deposed Billy Hunter, whose tenure was marked with labor negotiation failures, corruption and ethical entanglements.
The players passed on a career NBA executive with strong ties with the league office, Dallas Mavericks CEO Terdema Ussery.
"I liked her labor law experience," one player representative told Yahoo Sports in a text message. "That was a priority for me."
The process was littered with the NBPA's usual dysfunction, including a late bid by player agents to push back the vote and further study the finalists – or possibly dump them all together. Nevertheless, the vote played out on Monday in Las Vegas and the union will start to move forward with a leader again.
LeBron James has chosen a new uniform number
BY BEN GOLLIVER
LeBron James will revert to his original jersey number 23 when he returns to the court for the Cavaliers this season.
The four-time MVP announced on Sunday that he will ditch No. 6, which he wore during four seasons with the Heat, to return to the jersey number he wore as a high school standout and during his first seven seasons with the Cavaliers.
"23 it is," James wrote on Instagram, before tweeting it out. "It's only right I go back. 2 * 3 = 6. We still family 6."
James also posted a set of photographs of himself wearing the No. 23 with the Cavaliers and at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, where he was named Ohio's Mr. Basketball on three occasions. Prior to his announcement, James had asked fans on social media whether he should wear No. 6 or No. 23.
The switch brings James back to the NBA's most revered jersey number, once donned by Bulls legend Michael Jordan. In 2010, James suggested that the NBA should retire the number as a tribute to Jordan because the league's logo was already taken by Hall of Famer Jerry West.
"It's time," James said four years ago, according to the Associated Press. "He's the best basketball player we've ever seen. Mike does it on the court and off the court. If you see 23, you think about Michael Jordan. You see guys flying through the air, you think about Michael Jordan. You see game-winning shots, you think about Michael Jordan. You see fly kicks, you think about Michael Jordan. He did so much, it has to be recognized, and not just by putting him in the Hall of Fame.
"He can't get the logo, and if he can't, something has to be done. I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. Nobody. If I'm not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it."
At that time, James explained that he wanted to wear jersey No. 6 — donned by NBA legends Bill Russell and Julius Erving — to honor the birthdays of his two sons. James also wore No. 6 while winning two Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball.
James' jersey has long ranked among the NBA's most popular. Back in April, the NBA announced that James' jersey was the league's top seller during the 2013-14 season. The Heat also placed No. 1 on the league's team merchandise rankings this season. When James left the Cavaliers following the 2009-10 season, he ranked No. 2 in jersey sales behind Lakers guard Kobe Bryant.
Earlier this month, James decided to leave Miami after four straight Finals trips to return to Cleveland, publishing his plans in an essay with Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins.
The four-time MVP announced on Sunday that he will ditch No. 6, which he wore during four seasons with the Heat, to return to the jersey number he wore as a high school standout and during his first seven seasons with the Cavaliers.
"23 it is," James wrote on Instagram, before tweeting it out. "It's only right I go back. 2 * 3 = 6. We still family 6."
James also posted a set of photographs of himself wearing the No. 23 with the Cavaliers and at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, where he was named Ohio's Mr. Basketball on three occasions. Prior to his announcement, James had asked fans on social media whether he should wear No. 6 or No. 23.
The switch brings James back to the NBA's most revered jersey number, once donned by Bulls legend Michael Jordan. In 2010, James suggested that the NBA should retire the number as a tribute to Jordan because the league's logo was already taken by Hall of Famer Jerry West.
"It's time," James said four years ago, according to the Associated Press. "He's the best basketball player we've ever seen. Mike does it on the court and off the court. If you see 23, you think about Michael Jordan. You see guys flying through the air, you think about Michael Jordan. You see game-winning shots, you think about Michael Jordan. You see fly kicks, you think about Michael Jordan. He did so much, it has to be recognized, and not just by putting him in the Hall of Fame.
"He can't get the logo, and if he can't, something has to be done. I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. Nobody. If I'm not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it."
At that time, James explained that he wanted to wear jersey No. 6 — donned by NBA legends Bill Russell and Julius Erving — to honor the birthdays of his two sons. James also wore No. 6 while winning two Olympic gold medals with USA Basketball.
James' jersey has long ranked among the NBA's most popular. Back in April, the NBA announced that James' jersey was the league's top seller during the 2013-14 season. The Heat also placed No. 1 on the league's team merchandise rankings this season. When James left the Cavaliers following the 2009-10 season, he ranked No. 2 in jersey sales behind Lakers guard Kobe Bryant.
Earlier this month, James decided to leave Miami after four straight Finals trips to return to Cleveland, publishing his plans in an essay with Sports Illustrated's Lee Jenkins.
Tony Dungy 'wouldn't have taken' Michael Sam in NFL draft
(USA Today) Super Bowl winning coach and current NBC analyst Tony Dungy told The Tampa Bay Tribune he wouldn’t have taken Michael Sam in the draft because of the potential distractions that will come from Sam being the first openly gay player on a NFL roster.
Dungy told Ira Kaufman:
“I wouldn’t have taken him. Not because I don’t believe Michael Sam should have a chance to play, but I wouldn’t want to deal with all of it. [...] It’s not going to be totally smooth … things will happen.”
Given Dungy’s 2007 support of an Indiana group hoping to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, some took the quotes as a repudiation of Sam’s sexuality. Others pointed out the hypocrisy of Dungy supporting Michael Vick after the quarterback was released from federal prison on dog fighting charges. Why was Vick’s distraction any different than Sam’s?
On the other hand, maybe Dungy feels a distraction is worth it in some cases (like when signing an All-Pro quarterback on the cheap) and not in others (like in drafting a seventh-round pick that will bring national media attention). Though that’s not the pioneering spirit you might want from the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl, or any coach for that matter, the “distractions aren’t always worth it” stance is a legitimate one. Did other teams believe it too? Before the St. Louis Rams took Sam, every other franchise passed on him multiple times.
Sam already had to cancel plans for a reality show with Oprah Winfrey’s network because, according to his agent, he wanted to “ensure no distractions to his teammates. If Sam acknowledges that the media frenzy over his courageous decision to come out might have caused a distraction, we shouldn’t necessarily sharpen the pitchforks for Tony Dungy because he said the same thing.
Dungy told Ira Kaufman:
“I wouldn’t have taken him. Not because I don’t believe Michael Sam should have a chance to play, but I wouldn’t want to deal with all of it. [...] It’s not going to be totally smooth … things will happen.”
Given Dungy’s 2007 support of an Indiana group hoping to define marriage as a union between a man and a woman, some took the quotes as a repudiation of Sam’s sexuality. Others pointed out the hypocrisy of Dungy supporting Michael Vick after the quarterback was released from federal prison on dog fighting charges. Why was Vick’s distraction any different than Sam’s?
On the other hand, maybe Dungy feels a distraction is worth it in some cases (like when signing an All-Pro quarterback on the cheap) and not in others (like in drafting a seventh-round pick that will bring national media attention). Though that’s not the pioneering spirit you might want from the first African-American coach to win a Super Bowl, or any coach for that matter, the “distractions aren’t always worth it” stance is a legitimate one. Did other teams believe it too? Before the St. Louis Rams took Sam, every other franchise passed on him multiple times.
Sam already had to cancel plans for a reality show with Oprah Winfrey’s network because, according to his agent, he wanted to “ensure no distractions to his teammates. If Sam acknowledges that the media frenzy over his courageous decision to come out might have caused a distraction, we shouldn’t necessarily sharpen the pitchforks for Tony Dungy because he said the same thing.
Why Bernard Hopkins, at almost 50, remains so driven in the ring
By Kevin Iole - Yahoo Sports
LAS VEGAS – Dinner has arrived in the massive ballroom at the MGM Grand, and reporters in town to cover the Canelo Alvarez-Erislandy Lara fight scurry for position in line.
Seated at the far west of the ballroom is light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins, though he's largely unnoticed because of the arrival of the food despite wearing a perfectly fitting white sports coat and matching slacks.
Hopkins slides into a chair at a radio broadcast position, his back to the room. Quickly, though, Hopkins gets up and takes a chair where he's able to survey the room.
"I don't like sitting with my back to the crowd," he says.
Hopkins learned long ago in his native Philadelphia not to show weakness to his opponents. And now, months before his 50th birthday and with a position as one of the greatest boxers who ever lived long since secure, he's still battling against opponents both real and imagined.
"Bernard Hopkins," he said, speaking slowly while choosing his words carefully, "is still that thorn in certain people's asses. I don't know who they are, but every now and then, they expose themselves and I do know who they are.
"It's the same spirit that will always be in me to understand that no matter how good you are, there are competitors out there who will try to discredit you. This is true whether it's in the ring or in the office. They want to try to harm your name, attack your credibility and damage your reputation."
His voice raises as he speaks and quickly, though he doesn't seem to notice, he's attracting attention. Those who are eating their dinners turn to look at him to see what has suddenly caused him to get so animated.
Hopkins leans forward in his chair and taps a reporter on the knee.
Their eyes connect, but Hopkins never blinks, never averts his gaze.
"Those people, those who would discredit my work and my accomplishments and what I stand for as a man, they don't understand one simple little fact," he said. "They are my biggest motivators to not lay down and die."
Hopkins holds the IBF and WBA light heavyweight titles and is gunning for a shot at either WBC champion Adonis Stevenson or WBO champion Sergey Kovalev. He wants to be the undisputed light heavyweight champion at 50.
He held the middleweight title for more than a decade, a good portion of it as undisputed champion and made 20 successful defenses of his belts. In 2011, he surpassed George Foreman to become the oldest man ever to win a major world title fight. He then broke his own mark in 2012, '13 and '14.
A day earlier, Hopkins went on a lengthy rant about a potential Kovalev fight, totally focused on his future in boxing.
On this day, though, he was a different, more introspective man. Those who have been around him a long time know never to ask him if the end of his career is near, because Hopkins delights in proving others wrong.
But he's one of the most misunderstood athletes in the world. He came from nothing – he grew up in one of the roughest sections of Philadelphia and was sentenced to a long term in the Graterford State Penitentiary in 1988 for strong-arm robbery and other felonies – but hasn't had a sniff of trouble with the law since.
He's renowned for his physical conditioning and Spartan lifestyle. Some laugh at him because he's so proud of having a Costco card, which allows him to get the bargains he loves so dearly.
Hopkins was blessed with the ability to talk, and boxing writers who have covered him for any length of time know he could go off on one of any of a thousand tangents at any time.
He's fully aware of what he has accomplished, but said he had no pangs of longing on June 8 when three of his one-time opponents, Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad and Joe Calzaghe, were inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Perhaps the two most significant wins of his career were his 2001 stoppage of Trinidad in the finale of Don King's middleweight championship tournament, and his 2004 knockout of De La Hoya in the richest fight of his life. He lost a narrow and hotly disputed decision to Calzaghe in a 2008 light heavyweight title fight.
Not for a moment, he insists, did he allow himself to think that he should be up there along with those three on their induction day.
"The votes of someone else are what get you officially into the Hall of Fame," Hopkins said. "But it's what you did in that ring, over your career, which truly identifies you as a Hall of Famer. I don't need anyone's vote to know. Is there anyone anywhere who would say I have not done enough to be in the Hall of Fame? Anyone? I have my career and I'm going to do it. I want to make my own history. I'm not worried about that. It will happen when I'm ready for it to happen."
He is, at least a little, worried about the perception of him in the public.
Hopkins tosses out small clues to the identity of his inner self all the time, but it's an extraordinarily large and complex puzzle that is hard to put together.
"To anybody who is paying attention and who wants to dig into my head and understand the person, [he or she] needs to understand what the motivation is to be a productive citizen when I wasn't always that way," he said. "Where did the drive come from to think this way and to be this disciplined? How do I stay on the tracks? And if you agree with me 50 percent of the time, or 60 percent, or 70 or 80 percent, because I never expect anyone to agree 100 percent with me, because if they say they do, they're lying, because they want to be my friend or they want something from me.
"But no matter how much you agree, where does the conviction I have to stand behind what I believe come from? One thing most people who know me can agree on is that I overthink, in a good way, everything I do. I didn't do that when I was a criminal-minded person. I didn't have the conscience at that particular point in my life to think how I would feel if somebody did that to me, or someone I loved."
Hopkins chuckles when he thinks of himself as a young man.
"When I had something in my mind, I was the guy you most definitely did not want to run into," he says.
He changed his life, he says, while he was in prison, but it didn't happen when the cell door closed behind him. It took him more than two years of "wilding out" once he was inside to start to ponder the circumstances that led him to Graterford.
Hopkins quickly gained in stature while he was in prison, and referred to himself as "one of the big dogs."
"I had a following, and people would do something to you because I said so," Hopkins said. "I had that type of influence and I was serious about who I believed I am, who I was."
Things changed dramatically for him when he saw prisoners awakening before the sun had risen to go off to work to make jeans, both for other prisoners and for sale at retail, for $22 a month in salary.
He looked around and realized that these tough, hard-nosed men, who were the kings of the street, had never held a job. They had no interest in jobs. And they had no chance at escaping their plight.
Hopkins had gotten his GED while he was in prison, but at first, he didn't use his mind, only his muscle.
He had 30 felonies, he said, and had given up much of his life because of his crimes. As he read, as he listened, as he thought, he slowly came to a realization about his life. He was pointed in the wrong direction, not understanding that by continually returning to prison, he would be part of a free work force that was making someone fabulously wealthy. He's not educated, but Hopkins eventually began to wonder who was profiting from the jeans that the prisoners were making. He knew someone was, and he knew for sure it wasn't the prisoners.
He didn't know it at the time, but those thoughts marked the beginning of his life's turnaround.
Someone on the outside, he eventually concluded, was making a fortune off the labor of men like him, who were being paid next-to-nothing. Whose fault is that, he asked himself, and why did so many men his age and in his circumstances find themselves making someone else rich off their labor?
"Because of my ignorance and because of the traps that my ignorance was attracted to, I put myself in there to be somebody's retirement plan," Hopkins said. "I started to listen to speakers, and I started reading. I didn't read in the streets; I didn't have the patience to even think about opening a book. I didn't go to school when I was in the streets. Life was about what was happening on the streets then.
"But then I realized that in this prison, they got all this free stuff [for the inmates] that you're paying for, and he's paying for, the taxpayers, and that was it: The tools to free ourselves were there all along. I asked myself, 'Why is the law clinic always empty? Why does no one go near the library, and why is the basketball gym, the boxing gym and the outside area with the weights always filled?' I had to educate myself, and I asked questions and I was nosy. I had a thirst for knowledge because I knew knowledge would better me and save me."
For the first time in his life, he picked up a book willingly and read it cover to cover. He doesn't remember the name, but it was a book about slavery.
It influenced the rest of his life.
He looked at life through a different prism. He wouldn't return to that prison, or any prison again, because he all of a sudden had knowledge. He had a fertile mind and it blossomed once he had access to education.
He gained a reputation early in his boxing career as difficult to work with. He wouldn't go along to get along. He'd learned the business and was damn sure going to do everything he could to exploit it rather than allowing it to exploit him.
So Hopkins always saw himself in a fight for justice and equality against an unknown, unseen enemy.
"I learned a lot from the era in which I was born," said Hopkins, who was born Jan. 15, 1965. "I've come to understand that things ain't equal, and that things will never be equal and they'll never be changed. But how do you function when you know things are going to be this way? That's the secret."
When Hopkins was paroled from Graterford, the warden said to him, "We'll see you again in six months when you're back."
Hopkins vowed never to return, to change his life, to take advantage not only of his physical gifts but his intellect. He wanted to use what he had to better his situation and, in essence, become the person who was benefiting by someone else making jeans for $22 a month.
He's trying to explain it, why all the fights and the battles and the rants and everything else make sense.
He grabs a reporter by the wrist and grins wanly.
"You got to hear this, and I want you to think about what I'm going to tell you very carefully," he said. "I educated myself and I learned what this life and this society is all about and that enabled me to stay out and to be a good and productive citizen and one who's paid over $15 million in taxes."
He sees the shock in the eyes of his interrogator and he laughs heartily.
"Imagine that," he says. "Can you believe that? I've paid $15 million plus in taxes in my career. That's a lot of money. Who would have thought that was possible? Who would believe that [inmate number] Y4145, uneducated at the time, an eighth-grade dropout who was written off, stabbed twice on the streets, would pay the government that kind of money? No one. No one. I went to jail for taking $50 and got 5 to 15.
"Think of that: I'm paying the government. I'm paying the government $15 million-plus. Do they really know who I am? Do they really understand who they've got here amongst them? From totally having no chance, to being put away, to now, where I'm sitting in front of you telling you, not happily but truthfully, that I've paid this government over $15 million in my lifetime. That is a story. That's the story."
Seated at the far west of the ballroom is light heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins, though he's largely unnoticed because of the arrival of the food despite wearing a perfectly fitting white sports coat and matching slacks.
Hopkins slides into a chair at a radio broadcast position, his back to the room. Quickly, though, Hopkins gets up and takes a chair where he's able to survey the room.
"I don't like sitting with my back to the crowd," he says.
Hopkins learned long ago in his native Philadelphia not to show weakness to his opponents. And now, months before his 50th birthday and with a position as one of the greatest boxers who ever lived long since secure, he's still battling against opponents both real and imagined.
"Bernard Hopkins," he said, speaking slowly while choosing his words carefully, "is still that thorn in certain people's asses. I don't know who they are, but every now and then, they expose themselves and I do know who they are.
"It's the same spirit that will always be in me to understand that no matter how good you are, there are competitors out there who will try to discredit you. This is true whether it's in the ring or in the office. They want to try to harm your name, attack your credibility and damage your reputation."
His voice raises as he speaks and quickly, though he doesn't seem to notice, he's attracting attention. Those who are eating their dinners turn to look at him to see what has suddenly caused him to get so animated.
Hopkins leans forward in his chair and taps a reporter on the knee.
Their eyes connect, but Hopkins never blinks, never averts his gaze.
"Those people, those who would discredit my work and my accomplishments and what I stand for as a man, they don't understand one simple little fact," he said. "They are my biggest motivators to not lay down and die."
Hopkins holds the IBF and WBA light heavyweight titles and is gunning for a shot at either WBC champion Adonis Stevenson or WBO champion Sergey Kovalev. He wants to be the undisputed light heavyweight champion at 50.
He held the middleweight title for more than a decade, a good portion of it as undisputed champion and made 20 successful defenses of his belts. In 2011, he surpassed George Foreman to become the oldest man ever to win a major world title fight. He then broke his own mark in 2012, '13 and '14.
A day earlier, Hopkins went on a lengthy rant about a potential Kovalev fight, totally focused on his future in boxing.
On this day, though, he was a different, more introspective man. Those who have been around him a long time know never to ask him if the end of his career is near, because Hopkins delights in proving others wrong.
But he's one of the most misunderstood athletes in the world. He came from nothing – he grew up in one of the roughest sections of Philadelphia and was sentenced to a long term in the Graterford State Penitentiary in 1988 for strong-arm robbery and other felonies – but hasn't had a sniff of trouble with the law since.
He's renowned for his physical conditioning and Spartan lifestyle. Some laugh at him because he's so proud of having a Costco card, which allows him to get the bargains he loves so dearly.
Hopkins was blessed with the ability to talk, and boxing writers who have covered him for any length of time know he could go off on one of any of a thousand tangents at any time.
He's fully aware of what he has accomplished, but said he had no pangs of longing on June 8 when three of his one-time opponents, Oscar De La Hoya, Felix Trinidad and Joe Calzaghe, were inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
Perhaps the two most significant wins of his career were his 2001 stoppage of Trinidad in the finale of Don King's middleweight championship tournament, and his 2004 knockout of De La Hoya in the richest fight of his life. He lost a narrow and hotly disputed decision to Calzaghe in a 2008 light heavyweight title fight.
Not for a moment, he insists, did he allow himself to think that he should be up there along with those three on their induction day.
"The votes of someone else are what get you officially into the Hall of Fame," Hopkins said. "But it's what you did in that ring, over your career, which truly identifies you as a Hall of Famer. I don't need anyone's vote to know. Is there anyone anywhere who would say I have not done enough to be in the Hall of Fame? Anyone? I have my career and I'm going to do it. I want to make my own history. I'm not worried about that. It will happen when I'm ready for it to happen."
He is, at least a little, worried about the perception of him in the public.
Hopkins tosses out small clues to the identity of his inner self all the time, but it's an extraordinarily large and complex puzzle that is hard to put together.
"To anybody who is paying attention and who wants to dig into my head and understand the person, [he or she] needs to understand what the motivation is to be a productive citizen when I wasn't always that way," he said. "Where did the drive come from to think this way and to be this disciplined? How do I stay on the tracks? And if you agree with me 50 percent of the time, or 60 percent, or 70 or 80 percent, because I never expect anyone to agree 100 percent with me, because if they say they do, they're lying, because they want to be my friend or they want something from me.
"But no matter how much you agree, where does the conviction I have to stand behind what I believe come from? One thing most people who know me can agree on is that I overthink, in a good way, everything I do. I didn't do that when I was a criminal-minded person. I didn't have the conscience at that particular point in my life to think how I would feel if somebody did that to me, or someone I loved."
Hopkins chuckles when he thinks of himself as a young man.
"When I had something in my mind, I was the guy you most definitely did not want to run into," he says.
He changed his life, he says, while he was in prison, but it didn't happen when the cell door closed behind him. It took him more than two years of "wilding out" once he was inside to start to ponder the circumstances that led him to Graterford.
Hopkins quickly gained in stature while he was in prison, and referred to himself as "one of the big dogs."
"I had a following, and people would do something to you because I said so," Hopkins said. "I had that type of influence and I was serious about who I believed I am, who I was."
Things changed dramatically for him when he saw prisoners awakening before the sun had risen to go off to work to make jeans, both for other prisoners and for sale at retail, for $22 a month in salary.
He looked around and realized that these tough, hard-nosed men, who were the kings of the street, had never held a job. They had no interest in jobs. And they had no chance at escaping their plight.
Hopkins had gotten his GED while he was in prison, but at first, he didn't use his mind, only his muscle.
He had 30 felonies, he said, and had given up much of his life because of his crimes. As he read, as he listened, as he thought, he slowly came to a realization about his life. He was pointed in the wrong direction, not understanding that by continually returning to prison, he would be part of a free work force that was making someone fabulously wealthy. He's not educated, but Hopkins eventually began to wonder who was profiting from the jeans that the prisoners were making. He knew someone was, and he knew for sure it wasn't the prisoners.
He didn't know it at the time, but those thoughts marked the beginning of his life's turnaround.
Someone on the outside, he eventually concluded, was making a fortune off the labor of men like him, who were being paid next-to-nothing. Whose fault is that, he asked himself, and why did so many men his age and in his circumstances find themselves making someone else rich off their labor?
"Because of my ignorance and because of the traps that my ignorance was attracted to, I put myself in there to be somebody's retirement plan," Hopkins said. "I started to listen to speakers, and I started reading. I didn't read in the streets; I didn't have the patience to even think about opening a book. I didn't go to school when I was in the streets. Life was about what was happening on the streets then.
"But then I realized that in this prison, they got all this free stuff [for the inmates] that you're paying for, and he's paying for, the taxpayers, and that was it: The tools to free ourselves were there all along. I asked myself, 'Why is the law clinic always empty? Why does no one go near the library, and why is the basketball gym, the boxing gym and the outside area with the weights always filled?' I had to educate myself, and I asked questions and I was nosy. I had a thirst for knowledge because I knew knowledge would better me and save me."
For the first time in his life, he picked up a book willingly and read it cover to cover. He doesn't remember the name, but it was a book about slavery.
It influenced the rest of his life.
He looked at life through a different prism. He wouldn't return to that prison, or any prison again, because he all of a sudden had knowledge. He had a fertile mind and it blossomed once he had access to education.
He gained a reputation early in his boxing career as difficult to work with. He wouldn't go along to get along. He'd learned the business and was damn sure going to do everything he could to exploit it rather than allowing it to exploit him.
So Hopkins always saw himself in a fight for justice and equality against an unknown, unseen enemy.
"I learned a lot from the era in which I was born," said Hopkins, who was born Jan. 15, 1965. "I've come to understand that things ain't equal, and that things will never be equal and they'll never be changed. But how do you function when you know things are going to be this way? That's the secret."
When Hopkins was paroled from Graterford, the warden said to him, "We'll see you again in six months when you're back."
Hopkins vowed never to return, to change his life, to take advantage not only of his physical gifts but his intellect. He wanted to use what he had to better his situation and, in essence, become the person who was benefiting by someone else making jeans for $22 a month.
He's trying to explain it, why all the fights and the battles and the rants and everything else make sense.
He grabs a reporter by the wrist and grins wanly.
"You got to hear this, and I want you to think about what I'm going to tell you very carefully," he said. "I educated myself and I learned what this life and this society is all about and that enabled me to stay out and to be a good and productive citizen and one who's paid over $15 million in taxes."
He sees the shock in the eyes of his interrogator and he laughs heartily.
"Imagine that," he says. "Can you believe that? I've paid $15 million plus in taxes in my career. That's a lot of money. Who would have thought that was possible? Who would believe that [inmate number] Y4145, uneducated at the time, an eighth-grade dropout who was written off, stabbed twice on the streets, would pay the government that kind of money? No one. No one. I went to jail for taking $50 and got 5 to 15.
"Think of that: I'm paying the government. I'm paying the government $15 million-plus. Do they really know who I am? Do they really understand who they've got here amongst them? From totally having no chance, to being put away, to now, where I'm sitting in front of you telling you, not happily but truthfully, that I've paid this government over $15 million in my lifetime. That is a story. That's the story."
The Decision Is Reversed, and Cleveland Is in a Forgiving Mood
By Scott Cacciola - NY Times
Four years after he bolted to Miami from Cleveland in pursuit of the N.B.A. championships that had eluded him, LeBron James is returning home.
At age 29 and with two N.B.A. titles now in his possession, James announced Friday that he would rejoin the Cavaliers, for whom he played in the first seven seasons of his storied professional career.
Vilified in Cleveland when he left for the Heat, denounced and mocked by the Cavaliers’ owner, James is likely to find that just about all is forgiven, and more, as he embarks on an effort to bring a championship to a city that has not celebrated one in any major sport in 50 years and that, in recent weeks and days, was almost comically looking for any clue at all to divine what James might be thinking.
In the end, everyone found out together when James, who grew up in nearby Akron, Ohio, and is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of his generation, made the announcement through Sports Illustrated’s website. “My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball,” he said at one point in an elaborate 952-word statement. “I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.”
In the statement, which he prepared with the sportswriter Lee Jenkins, James compared his time in Miami to going to college — an experience he never had after jumping straight to the N.B.A. from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron. But now, he wrote, he felt prepared to return and take a responsibility to be a leader, not just on the court but in his home state.
It was all in stark contrast to the way he announced his departure in 2010 — in a televised special on ESPN called “The Decision” that struck many viewers as self-serving, particularly when James stated that he was going to “take my talents to South Beach.” And a day later, when he was elaborately welcomed in Miami, he boastfully spoke of how many titles the Heat would now win, saying, “Not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven. ...”
This time, James was far more modest and circumspect. “I’m not promising a championship,” he said in Friday’s statement, as if to knowingly caution the city of Cleveland to calm down a bit. “I know how hard that is to deliver.”
He added: “Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process.”
James’s departure from Cleveland in 2010 left deep psychic wounds on the city. On the night of his televised decision, fans burned replicas of his jersey and tossed memorabilia into trash bins. Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers’ owner, posted a vitriolic letter to the city on the team’s website in which he referred to James as “our former hero” and described his move to Miami as a “cowardly betrayal.” Gilbert also pledged that the Cavaliers would win a championship before James did.
Gilbert, of course, was incorrect. But the letter remained online until early this week, when it was removed. By then, James had secretly met with Gilbert in Miami to clear the air and allow Gilbert to make amends.
In his statement, James described his meeting with Gilbert as “face-to-face, man-to-man.”
“We’ve talked it out,” James added. “Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?”
On Twitter on Friday, Gilbert essentially opened his arms to James and said no city was more deserving of a winner than Cleveland. Gilbert also wrote that his 8-year-old son had asked if this meant he could wear his LeBron jersey again. “Yes it does!” Gilbert wrote.
In James’s four-year absence, the Cavaliers were one of the league’s worst franchises, compiling a 97-215 record without making a single playoff appearance. But the team does feature a young, talented core led by Kyrie Irving, a 22-year-old point guard who recently signed a long-term extension. In his statement, James said he viewed himself as a “mentor” and an “old head” who could help Irving become one of the best players in the league.
James’s decision to return to Cleveland — where he is likely to be paid $88 million in a maximum four-year deal — came after a long run of rumors and speculation in which every little detail or oddity became a clue — photographs of James posing with friends from Akron on his Instagram account (that must mean something!), or the convoy of moving vans parked outside his home in Miami (although James always ships his cars to Ohio for the summer).
Then came the owl at the Cleveland Zoo who, alas, predicted that James would return to the Heat. But a clam that was said to have psychic abilities went with the Cavaliers. Meanwhile, commentators on ESPN spent an enormous number of hours attempting to analyze James’s decision-making process. But in the end, no one quite expected that James would make his announcement in the manner that he did.
In leaving Miami, and the Heat, James is ending a remarkable four-year partnership with Pat Riley, the Heat’s president, and with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, his co-stars on the team. It was Riley who figured out how to team up the three players and fit them within the league-imposed salary cap.
Once he did, it all quickly came together. The Heat went to the N.B.A. finals for four straight seasons and won the championship in two of them (2012 and 2013). And James collected his third and fourth Most Valuable Player awards along the way as he emerged as the league’s most unstoppable force, with an almost superhuman blend of speed, strength, skill and savvy.
Still, the past season concluded in sobering fashion for James, with the Heat swatted aside by the San Antonio Spurs in an N.B.A. finals that lasted only five games and exposed the Heat’s lack of depth. The series also made it clear that Wade, at 32, was a diminished player on chronically aching legs.
In the wake of the defeat, James opted out of his contract so he could explore free agency. It did not necessarily mean that he was leaving the Heat — he could always re-sign — but it seemed apparent that he wanted to see what sort of personnel moves Riley was capable of making to reshape the roster.
Other teams, meanwhile, got busy clearing financial space so they could potentially accommodate James’s salary. He delegated his agent, Rich Paul, to meet with officials from the Cavaliers, the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Rockets, the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers. The franchises lined up, eager to make their pitch.
But if the process itself felt familiar to 2010, with James entertaining offers from a smorgasbord of suitors, it was ultimately very different this time around.
On Wednesday, James met with Riley for about an hour in Las Vegas, where James was hosting an annual basketball camp for elite high school players. It was a chance for Riley to make his last pitch, to keep everyone together. On Thursday, James flew back to Miami, with Wade joining him on the plane.
It was a symbolic moment for the two players, a chance for them to be teammates one last time, on one final leg across the country. Wade is likely to remain with the Heat, as is Bosh, who, in a surprise, has apparently decided to turn down an $88 million free-agent offer from the Rockets, a deal everyone assumed Bosh would accept if James decided he would no longer be his teammate.
Earlier this week, Riley had also signed two capable veterans — Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger — as part of his effort to persuade James. As a result, Riley is not exactly bereft of talent, but for now, at least, he no longer has a title contender.
None of that is of any concern to Cleveland, which watched Riley steal James away four years ago. On Friday, the city was giddy to win him back.
“I looked at other teams,” James said in his statement, “but I wasn’t going to leave Miami for anywhere except Cleveland. The more time passed, the more it felt right. This is what makes me happy.”
Correction: July 11, 2014
An earlier version of this article misstated the Miami Heat’s seeding in the N.B.A. playoffs last season. They were seeded second in the Eastern Conference, not first.
At age 29 and with two N.B.A. titles now in his possession, James announced Friday that he would rejoin the Cavaliers, for whom he played in the first seven seasons of his storied professional career.
Vilified in Cleveland when he left for the Heat, denounced and mocked by the Cavaliers’ owner, James is likely to find that just about all is forgiven, and more, as he embarks on an effort to bring a championship to a city that has not celebrated one in any major sport in 50 years and that, in recent weeks and days, was almost comically looking for any clue at all to divine what James might be thinking.
In the end, everyone found out together when James, who grew up in nearby Akron, Ohio, and is widely regarded as the greatest basketball player of his generation, made the announcement through Sports Illustrated’s website. “My relationship with Northeast Ohio is bigger than basketball,” he said at one point in an elaborate 952-word statement. “I didn’t realize that four years ago. I do now.”
In the statement, which he prepared with the sportswriter Lee Jenkins, James compared his time in Miami to going to college — an experience he never had after jumping straight to the N.B.A. from St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron. But now, he wrote, he felt prepared to return and take a responsibility to be a leader, not just on the court but in his home state.
It was all in stark contrast to the way he announced his departure in 2010 — in a televised special on ESPN called “The Decision” that struck many viewers as self-serving, particularly when James stated that he was going to “take my talents to South Beach.” And a day later, when he was elaborately welcomed in Miami, he boastfully spoke of how many titles the Heat would now win, saying, “Not two, not three, not four, not five, not six, not seven. ...”
This time, James was far more modest and circumspect. “I’m not promising a championship,” he said in Friday’s statement, as if to knowingly caution the city of Cleveland to calm down a bit. “I know how hard that is to deliver.”
He added: “Of course, I want to win next year, but I’m realistic. It will be a long process.”
James’s departure from Cleveland in 2010 left deep psychic wounds on the city. On the night of his televised decision, fans burned replicas of his jersey and tossed memorabilia into trash bins. Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers’ owner, posted a vitriolic letter to the city on the team’s website in which he referred to James as “our former hero” and described his move to Miami as a “cowardly betrayal.” Gilbert also pledged that the Cavaliers would win a championship before James did.
Gilbert, of course, was incorrect. But the letter remained online until early this week, when it was removed. By then, James had secretly met with Gilbert in Miami to clear the air and allow Gilbert to make amends.
In his statement, James described his meeting with Gilbert as “face-to-face, man-to-man.”
“We’ve talked it out,” James added. “Everybody makes mistakes. I’ve made mistakes as well. Who am I to hold a grudge?”
On Twitter on Friday, Gilbert essentially opened his arms to James and said no city was more deserving of a winner than Cleveland. Gilbert also wrote that his 8-year-old son had asked if this meant he could wear his LeBron jersey again. “Yes it does!” Gilbert wrote.
In James’s four-year absence, the Cavaliers were one of the league’s worst franchises, compiling a 97-215 record without making a single playoff appearance. But the team does feature a young, talented core led by Kyrie Irving, a 22-year-old point guard who recently signed a long-term extension. In his statement, James said he viewed himself as a “mentor” and an “old head” who could help Irving become one of the best players in the league.
James’s decision to return to Cleveland — where he is likely to be paid $88 million in a maximum four-year deal — came after a long run of rumors and speculation in which every little detail or oddity became a clue — photographs of James posing with friends from Akron on his Instagram account (that must mean something!), or the convoy of moving vans parked outside his home in Miami (although James always ships his cars to Ohio for the summer).
Then came the owl at the Cleveland Zoo who, alas, predicted that James would return to the Heat. But a clam that was said to have psychic abilities went with the Cavaliers. Meanwhile, commentators on ESPN spent an enormous number of hours attempting to analyze James’s decision-making process. But in the end, no one quite expected that James would make his announcement in the manner that he did.
In leaving Miami, and the Heat, James is ending a remarkable four-year partnership with Pat Riley, the Heat’s president, and with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, his co-stars on the team. It was Riley who figured out how to team up the three players and fit them within the league-imposed salary cap.
Once he did, it all quickly came together. The Heat went to the N.B.A. finals for four straight seasons and won the championship in two of them (2012 and 2013). And James collected his third and fourth Most Valuable Player awards along the way as he emerged as the league’s most unstoppable force, with an almost superhuman blend of speed, strength, skill and savvy.
Still, the past season concluded in sobering fashion for James, with the Heat swatted aside by the San Antonio Spurs in an N.B.A. finals that lasted only five games and exposed the Heat’s lack of depth. The series also made it clear that Wade, at 32, was a diminished player on chronically aching legs.
In the wake of the defeat, James opted out of his contract so he could explore free agency. It did not necessarily mean that he was leaving the Heat — he could always re-sign — but it seemed apparent that he wanted to see what sort of personnel moves Riley was capable of making to reshape the roster.
Other teams, meanwhile, got busy clearing financial space so they could potentially accommodate James’s salary. He delegated his agent, Rich Paul, to meet with officials from the Cavaliers, the Dallas Mavericks, the Houston Rockets, the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers. The franchises lined up, eager to make their pitch.
But if the process itself felt familiar to 2010, with James entertaining offers from a smorgasbord of suitors, it was ultimately very different this time around.
On Wednesday, James met with Riley for about an hour in Las Vegas, where James was hosting an annual basketball camp for elite high school players. It was a chance for Riley to make his last pitch, to keep everyone together. On Thursday, James flew back to Miami, with Wade joining him on the plane.
It was a symbolic moment for the two players, a chance for them to be teammates one last time, on one final leg across the country. Wade is likely to remain with the Heat, as is Bosh, who, in a surprise, has apparently decided to turn down an $88 million free-agent offer from the Rockets, a deal everyone assumed Bosh would accept if James decided he would no longer be his teammate.
Earlier this week, Riley had also signed two capable veterans — Josh McRoberts and Danny Granger — as part of his effort to persuade James. As a result, Riley is not exactly bereft of talent, but for now, at least, he no longer has a title contender.
None of that is of any concern to Cleveland, which watched Riley steal James away four years ago. On Friday, the city was giddy to win him back.
“I looked at other teams,” James said in his statement, “but I wasn’t going to leave Miami for anywhere except Cleveland. The more time passed, the more it felt right. This is what makes me happy.”
Correction: July 11, 2014
An earlier version of this article misstated the Miami Heat’s seeding in the N.B.A. playoffs last season. They were seeded second in the Eastern Conference, not first.
State Trooper Threatens To Taser Cooperative NFL Player
(The Daily Caller) A highway patrolman has been suspended after he threatened to use a Taser during a traffic stop on an NFL player who seemed to be cooperative.
Dashcam footage shows South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. R.S. Salter pulling over Sam Montgomery, who was driving 89 mph in a 55 mph zone.
Montgomery, a 6-foot-3, 262-pound defensive lineman who recently signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, appeared calm throughout the stop.
In the video, obtained by the Associated Press, Salter, a 14 year veteran of the force, orders Montgomery out of his vehicle and informs him he is under arrest.
“Spread your feet. Spread your feet. Wider, wider, wider,” Salter barks.
“Reach out, palms up,” he yells twice.
Montgomery seems to be complying with Salter’s commands but appears to have trouble keeping up with their rapid-fire pace.
“Sir, if you cannot follow my orders, next thing you’re going to get is the Taser,” Salter says.
“Whoa, I’m not trying to cause any problems,” Montgomery replies.
“Spread your feet, palms up toward the sky, behind your back, do not move,” says Salter, as he slaps cuffs on Montgomery and informs him “25 over, you get arrested.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know,” Montgomery says.
Tension cleared after that point, as Salter tells Montgomery, “you could have killed somebody.”
Montgomery apologizes and says that he was trying to get home to visit his mother.
“Bad deal,” Montgomery says later. “Trying to get home. I’ll take the lick. I was wrong.”
Salter offered to come to court to help the player with his ticket.
Nevertheless, Montgomery spent the night in jail and was released the next morning on $355 bond.
Salter was suspended following a “self-initiated” internal investigation.
“Salter’s behavior during the traffic stop of Mr. Montgomery was not representative of professionalism displayed by our troopers and officers every day around the state,” the South Carolina highway patrol said in a statement released Monday.
Dashcam footage shows South Carolina Highway Patrol Lance Cpl. R.S. Salter pulling over Sam Montgomery, who was driving 89 mph in a 55 mph zone.
Montgomery, a 6-foot-3, 262-pound defensive lineman who recently signed with the Cincinnati Bengals, appeared calm throughout the stop.
In the video, obtained by the Associated Press, Salter, a 14 year veteran of the force, orders Montgomery out of his vehicle and informs him he is under arrest.
“Spread your feet. Spread your feet. Wider, wider, wider,” Salter barks.
“Reach out, palms up,” he yells twice.
Montgomery seems to be complying with Salter’s commands but appears to have trouble keeping up with their rapid-fire pace.
“Sir, if you cannot follow my orders, next thing you’re going to get is the Taser,” Salter says.
“Whoa, I’m not trying to cause any problems,” Montgomery replies.
“Spread your feet, palms up toward the sky, behind your back, do not move,” says Salter, as he slaps cuffs on Montgomery and informs him “25 over, you get arrested.”
“Sorry, I didn’t know,” Montgomery says.
Tension cleared after that point, as Salter tells Montgomery, “you could have killed somebody.”
Montgomery apologizes and says that he was trying to get home to visit his mother.
“Bad deal,” Montgomery says later. “Trying to get home. I’ll take the lick. I was wrong.”
Salter offered to come to court to help the player with his ticket.
Nevertheless, Montgomery spent the night in jail and was released the next morning on $355 bond.
Salter was suspended following a “self-initiated” internal investigation.
“Salter’s behavior during the traffic stop of Mr. Montgomery was not representative of professionalism displayed by our troopers and officers every day around the state,” the South Carolina highway patrol said in a statement released Monday.
Former Bears center has Marfan syndrome
WACO, Texas - Former Baylor center Isaiah Austin has been diagnosed with a career-ending medical condition. Genetic testing as part of preparation for the 2014 NBA Draft revealed that Austin suffers from Marfan syndrome."This is devastating news, but Isaiah has the best support system anyone could ask for, and he knows that all of Baylor Nation is behind him," head coach Scott Drew said. "His health is the most important thing, and while it's extremely sad that he won't be able to play in the NBA, our hope is that he'll return to Baylor to complete his degree and serve as a coach in our program."
Marfan syndrome is caused by a genetic mutation that leads to problems in connective tissues throughout the body. One feature of Marfan syndrome is aortic enlargement, which can be life-threatening. According to The Marfan Foundation, about one in 5,000 people have Marfan syndrome. For more information, visit www.marfan.org.
A 7-foot-1 center from Arlington, Texas, Austin revealed during his sophomore season that he is blind in his right eye as a result of a detached retina suffered as a teenager. He was expected to be the first to ever play in the NBA while partially blind.
Austin played two seasons at Baylor before declaring for the 2014 NBA Draft. He played in 73 games (72 starts) and averaged 12.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 28.9 minutes per game. Austin finished his Baylor career tied for second on the school's all-time blocked shots list with 177, and his 119 blocks as a sophomore led the Big 12 Conference. Baylor went a combined 49-26 during his two-year career, winning the 2013 NIT Championship and advancing to the 2014 NCAA Sweet 16
Marfan syndrome is caused by a genetic mutation that leads to problems in connective tissues throughout the body. One feature of Marfan syndrome is aortic enlargement, which can be life-threatening. According to The Marfan Foundation, about one in 5,000 people have Marfan syndrome. For more information, visit www.marfan.org.
A 7-foot-1 center from Arlington, Texas, Austin revealed during his sophomore season that he is blind in his right eye as a result of a detached retina suffered as a teenager. He was expected to be the first to ever play in the NBA while partially blind.
Austin played two seasons at Baylor before declaring for the 2014 NBA Draft. He played in 73 games (72 starts) and averaged 12.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in 28.9 minutes per game. Austin finished his Baylor career tied for second on the school's all-time blocked shots list with 177, and his 119 blocks as a sophomore led the Big 12 Conference. Baylor went a combined 49-26 during his two-year career, winning the 2013 NIT Championship and advancing to the 2014 NCAA Sweet 16
Spurs shake early deficit to snuff out Heat and win 5th NBA title
(ESPN) SAN ANTONIO -- Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, the winningest trio in NBA postseason history, shared hugs.
Players wrapped themselves in flags from around world, a reminder that the San Antonio Spurs look far beyond the border to build champions, as confetti fell from above.
Painfully denied 12 months ago by the Miami Heat, this victory party was worth the wait.
"It makes last year OK," Duncan said.
The Spurs finished off a dominant run to their fifth NBA championship Sunday night, ending the Heat's two-year title reign with a 104-87 victory that wrapped up the series in five games.
"We had a great first quarter, but from that point on they were the better team, and that's why they're the champions in 2014," said LeBron James, who led the Heat with 31 points and 10 rebounds.
San Antonio erased an early 16-point deficit and routed Miami for the fourth time in the series, denying the Heat's quest for a third straight championship. A year after the Spurs suffered their only loss in six Finals appearances -- a heartbreaking seven-game defeat -- they turned the rematch into no match at all.
"We wanted to redeem ourselves. I'm just glad we were able to do that," Parker said.
Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who added this title to the ones they won in 1999, 2003, '05 and '07. They nearly had another last year, but couldn't hold off the Heat.
"I've said many times, a day didn't go by where I didn't think about Game 6," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of the turning point in last year's finals. "So I think, just in general, for the group to have the fortitude that they showed to get back to this spot, I think speaks volumes about how they're constituted and what kind of fiber they have."
Not to mention tons of talent, and perhaps the best coaching in the game.
"They played exquisite basketball this series and in particular these last three games and they are the better team. There's no other way to say it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
The Spurs won four titles in nine years, but hadn't been back on top since 2007, making Foreigner's "Feels Like the First Time" an appropriate song choice after the final buzzer.
Duncan and Popovich have been here for all of them, and it was the fourth for Parker and Ginobili, who along with Duncan are once again the reigning Big Three in the NBA.
Chris Bosh finished with 13 points and Dwyane Wade just 11 on 4-of-12 shooting for the Heat.
The painful conclusion to last year's NBA Finals served as the fuel for this one, powering the Spurs to a league-best 62-win season and a rematch with Miami -- the first in the finals since Chicago beat Utah in 1997-98.
Round 2 went to the Spurs, but both teams have challenges to navigate if there is to be a rubber match.
San Antonio will face questions -- as it has for years -- about the age of its core, and whether Duncan, Ginobili and Popovich want to stick around. The Heat will brace for the potential free agency of James, Wade and Bosh, and will need younger, fresher pieces around the three All-Stars if they all stay.
But this moment belongs to the Spurs.
Playing a methodical, albeit winning, style for many years made San Antonio respected, but never beloved. The Spurs were TV ratings killers, casual viewers finding them not much fun to watch.
But Popovich opened up the offense a few years ago, making the Spurs an easy-to-like, tough-to-beat group that thrives on ball movement and 3-point shooting.
"You showed the world how beautiful this game is," commissioner Adam Silver told the Spurs during the postgame award ceremony.
A decade and a half after winning their first title in 1999, when Duncan was in his second season, the Spurs remain the NBA's model organization, a small-market team that simply wins big and hardly ever does it with a high draft pick. Instead, they found players overseas or in other organizations who would fit the Spurs' way of doing things and mesh with the Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, who have teamed for 117 postseason victories.
That included Leonard, acquired in a draft-night trade with Indiana after playing at San Diego State, and Patty Mills, an Australian national who scored 17 points off the bench.
In the end, the Spurs made winning their fifth title look stunningly easy -- much to the delight of the home crowd. After the slow start, they had their fans standing, chanting and dancing much of the second half.
Players wrapped themselves in flags from around world, a reminder that the San Antonio Spurs look far beyond the border to build champions, as confetti fell from above.
Painfully denied 12 months ago by the Miami Heat, this victory party was worth the wait.
"It makes last year OK," Duncan said.
The Spurs finished off a dominant run to their fifth NBA championship Sunday night, ending the Heat's two-year title reign with a 104-87 victory that wrapped up the series in five games.
"We had a great first quarter, but from that point on they were the better team, and that's why they're the champions in 2014," said LeBron James, who led the Heat with 31 points and 10 rebounds.
San Antonio erased an early 16-point deficit and routed Miami for the fourth time in the series, denying the Heat's quest for a third straight championship. A year after the Spurs suffered their only loss in six Finals appearances -- a heartbreaking seven-game defeat -- they turned the rematch into no match at all.
"We wanted to redeem ourselves. I'm just glad we were able to do that," Parker said.
Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who added this title to the ones they won in 1999, 2003, '05 and '07. They nearly had another last year, but couldn't hold off the Heat.
"I've said many times, a day didn't go by where I didn't think about Game 6," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of the turning point in last year's finals. "So I think, just in general, for the group to have the fortitude that they showed to get back to this spot, I think speaks volumes about how they're constituted and what kind of fiber they have."
Not to mention tons of talent, and perhaps the best coaching in the game.
"They played exquisite basketball this series and in particular these last three games and they are the better team. There's no other way to say it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said.
The Spurs won four titles in nine years, but hadn't been back on top since 2007, making Foreigner's "Feels Like the First Time" an appropriate song choice after the final buzzer.
Duncan and Popovich have been here for all of them, and it was the fourth for Parker and Ginobili, who along with Duncan are once again the reigning Big Three in the NBA.
Chris Bosh finished with 13 points and Dwyane Wade just 11 on 4-of-12 shooting for the Heat.
The painful conclusion to last year's NBA Finals served as the fuel for this one, powering the Spurs to a league-best 62-win season and a rematch with Miami -- the first in the finals since Chicago beat Utah in 1997-98.
Round 2 went to the Spurs, but both teams have challenges to navigate if there is to be a rubber match.
San Antonio will face questions -- as it has for years -- about the age of its core, and whether Duncan, Ginobili and Popovich want to stick around. The Heat will brace for the potential free agency of James, Wade and Bosh, and will need younger, fresher pieces around the three All-Stars if they all stay.
But this moment belongs to the Spurs.
Playing a methodical, albeit winning, style for many years made San Antonio respected, but never beloved. The Spurs were TV ratings killers, casual viewers finding them not much fun to watch.
But Popovich opened up the offense a few years ago, making the Spurs an easy-to-like, tough-to-beat group that thrives on ball movement and 3-point shooting.
"You showed the world how beautiful this game is," commissioner Adam Silver told the Spurs during the postgame award ceremony.
A decade and a half after winning their first title in 1999, when Duncan was in his second season, the Spurs remain the NBA's model organization, a small-market team that simply wins big and hardly ever does it with a high draft pick. Instead, they found players overseas or in other organizations who would fit the Spurs' way of doing things and mesh with the Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, who have teamed for 117 postseason victories.
That included Leonard, acquired in a draft-night trade with Indiana after playing at San Diego State, and Patty Mills, an Australian national who scored 17 points off the bench.
In the end, the Spurs made winning their fifth title look stunningly easy -- much to the delight of the home crowd. After the slow start, they had their fans standing, chanting and dancing much of the second half.
Michael Jordan Reportedly a Billionaire After Increasing Stake in Hornets
By Mike Chiari, Featured Columnist
Michael Jordan is considered by many to be the greatest basketball player of all time, and to put icing on the cake he is now a billionaire, too.
According to Mike Ozanian of Forbes, Jordan recently increased his ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets from 80 percent to 89.5 percent, which put MJ over the billionaire threshold. The Hornets are reportedly worth somewhere between $600 million and $625 million, so much of Jordan's net worth comes from owning the vast majority of the franchise.
The Hornets, who were formerly known as the Bobcats, have been one of the NBA's worst teams since entering the league in 2004. They reached the playoffs this past season, however, and there is plenty of excitement surrounding the team now that the name has been changed to reflect Charlotte's original NBA franchise.
After the New Orleans Pelicans dropped the Hornets nickname, it became available and Jordan jumped at the chance to bring it back home.
According to ESPN.com, Charlotte basketball fans wanted the Hornets nickname back in the fold, so His Airness decided to make it happen.
"Let's bring the buzz back, and bring that energy back on the basketball court and make this city proud again," Jordan said in May. "We spoke to our season ticket holders and fans, and overwhelmingly you guys wanted the Hornets name back. And we went out and brought the name back."
The name alone won't be enough to take the franchise back to prominence, but there is no question that the Hornets are also starting to move in the right direction on the court. As the team gets better and starts to make consistent playoff appearances, the value of the franchise is bound to increase.
That means Jordan's value will increase as well, but he has to be quite happy with the title of billionaire in the meantime.
As Kathryn Dill of Forbes pointed out, the appeal of Jordan simply hasn't worn off after all these years:
Jordan has been a major success across multiple platforms, so it shouldn't come as a huge surprise that he has reached mogul status.
His success as an owner is something that is absolutely fantastic for the league and it's nice to see he has been rewarded for everything he has contributed to the sport of basketball.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter
According to Mike Ozanian of Forbes, Jordan recently increased his ownership stake in the Charlotte Hornets from 80 percent to 89.5 percent, which put MJ over the billionaire threshold. The Hornets are reportedly worth somewhere between $600 million and $625 million, so much of Jordan's net worth comes from owning the vast majority of the franchise.
The Hornets, who were formerly known as the Bobcats, have been one of the NBA's worst teams since entering the league in 2004. They reached the playoffs this past season, however, and there is plenty of excitement surrounding the team now that the name has been changed to reflect Charlotte's original NBA franchise.
After the New Orleans Pelicans dropped the Hornets nickname, it became available and Jordan jumped at the chance to bring it back home.
According to ESPN.com, Charlotte basketball fans wanted the Hornets nickname back in the fold, so His Airness decided to make it happen.
"Let's bring the buzz back, and bring that energy back on the basketball court and make this city proud again," Jordan said in May. "We spoke to our season ticket holders and fans, and overwhelmingly you guys wanted the Hornets name back. And we went out and brought the name back."
The name alone won't be enough to take the franchise back to prominence, but there is no question that the Hornets are also starting to move in the right direction on the court. As the team gets better and starts to make consistent playoff appearances, the value of the franchise is bound to increase.
That means Jordan's value will increase as well, but he has to be quite happy with the title of billionaire in the meantime.
As Kathryn Dill of Forbes pointed out, the appeal of Jordan simply hasn't worn off after all these years:
Jordan has been a major success across multiple platforms, so it shouldn't come as a huge surprise that he has reached mogul status.
His success as an owner is something that is absolutely fantastic for the league and it's nice to see he has been rewarded for everything he has contributed to the sport of basketball.
Follow @MikeChiari on Twitter
Prosecutor: Hernandez killed 2 over spilled drink
By DENISE LAVOIE
BOSTON (AP) — A spilled drink in a Boston nightclub led former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez to kill two people in a drive-by shooting two years ago, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Prosecutors said Hernandez felt disrespected after a stranger bumped into him and spilled his drink, prompting him to follow the man and his friends then open fire on their car at a red light.
"I think I got one in the head and one in the chest," Hernandez told a friend as they fled the intersection, prosecutors said at the former gridiron star's arraignment.
Hernandez, already charged with killing another man last year, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to seven charges — including two counts of first-degree murder — in the July 2012 shooting that killed Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado. A third man was wounded.
In the months before the killings, Suffolk County First Assistant District Attorney Patrick Haggan told the court Hernandez had become increasingly convinced that people "had been testing, trying or otherwise disrespecting him when he frequented nightclubs in the area."
The night de Abreu and Furtado were killed, Haggan said Hernandez and a friend drove from Connecticut to a Boston nightclub called Cure. They were standing at the edge of the dance floor when de Abreu accidentally bumped into Hernandez, smiled at him and did not apologize, according to prosecutors. Haggan said de Abreu and his friends did not appear to recognize Hernandez and had no idea he was upset.
Hernandez became increasingly agitated and told his friend that de Abreu had deliberately bumped into him and "was trying him," Haggan said.
Surveillance video outside the club shows Hernandez pacing back and forth on the sidewalk as his friend tried to calm him down, Haggan said. Hernandez and his friend then crossed the street to another nightclub, where Hernandez thought he saw de Abreu and his friends come in, according to Haggan.
Hernandez then told his friend he believed he was "being targeted and being disrespected," Haggan said. In fact, de Abreu and his friends had not left the other club.
Haggan said Hernandez later drove around with his friend until he saw de Abreu, Furtado and others going to their car, then followed them and pulled up alongside their car at a red light.
"At this time, the victims were completely unaware there was any problem with the defendant," Haggan said.
Hernandez leaned out the driver's side, said "Yo, what's up now," followed by a racial slur, then fired at least five shots into the car, killing de Abreu and Furtado, and injuring a man sitting in the back seat, Haggan said.
Hernandez's attorney, Charles Rankin, objected, saying the prosecutor's account of the shooting was an attempt to poison the jury pool. Clerk Magistrate Gary Wilson dismissed the objection, saying it is standard procedure for prosecutors to describe evidence during arraignments in murder cases.
Family members of the victims filled four rows in the courtroom. One woman sobbed loudly as Hernandez entered his not guilty pleas.
De Abreu and Furtado were close friends who attended school and served in the military together in Cape Verde before coming to the United States, according to the attorney who represents their families in a $6 million civil suit against Hernandez.
The two men were shot about six weeks before Hernandez signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the Patriots. He went on to catch 51 passes and score five touchdowns that season, his last in the NFL.
Hernandez, 24, was released by the Patriots last summer after he was charged in the June 17 killing of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd, who was dating a sister of Hernandez's fiancee. Lloyd's body was found in an industrial area near Hernandez's home in North Attleborough.
Hernandez's lawyers have said he is looking forward to proving his innocence.
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley would not comment when reporters asked if Lloyd's killing was linked to the earlier killings of de Abreu and Furtado. He said Lloyd was not the friend who was with Hernandez the night the two men were killed.
Hernandez will continue to be held without bail. He is due back in court June 24 for a scheduling hearing.
Prosecutors said Hernandez felt disrespected after a stranger bumped into him and spilled his drink, prompting him to follow the man and his friends then open fire on their car at a red light.
"I think I got one in the head and one in the chest," Hernandez told a friend as they fled the intersection, prosecutors said at the former gridiron star's arraignment.
Hernandez, already charged with killing another man last year, pleaded not guilty Wednesday to seven charges — including two counts of first-degree murder — in the July 2012 shooting that killed Daniel de Abreu and Safiro Furtado. A third man was wounded.
In the months before the killings, Suffolk County First Assistant District Attorney Patrick Haggan told the court Hernandez had become increasingly convinced that people "had been testing, trying or otherwise disrespecting him when he frequented nightclubs in the area."
The night de Abreu and Furtado were killed, Haggan said Hernandez and a friend drove from Connecticut to a Boston nightclub called Cure. They were standing at the edge of the dance floor when de Abreu accidentally bumped into Hernandez, smiled at him and did not apologize, according to prosecutors. Haggan said de Abreu and his friends did not appear to recognize Hernandez and had no idea he was upset.
Hernandez became increasingly agitated and told his friend that de Abreu had deliberately bumped into him and "was trying him," Haggan said.
Surveillance video outside the club shows Hernandez pacing back and forth on the sidewalk as his friend tried to calm him down, Haggan said. Hernandez and his friend then crossed the street to another nightclub, where Hernandez thought he saw de Abreu and his friends come in, according to Haggan.
Hernandez then told his friend he believed he was "being targeted and being disrespected," Haggan said. In fact, de Abreu and his friends had not left the other club.
Haggan said Hernandez later drove around with his friend until he saw de Abreu, Furtado and others going to their car, then followed them and pulled up alongside their car at a red light.
"At this time, the victims were completely unaware there was any problem with the defendant," Haggan said.
Hernandez leaned out the driver's side, said "Yo, what's up now," followed by a racial slur, then fired at least five shots into the car, killing de Abreu and Furtado, and injuring a man sitting in the back seat, Haggan said.
Hernandez's attorney, Charles Rankin, objected, saying the prosecutor's account of the shooting was an attempt to poison the jury pool. Clerk Magistrate Gary Wilson dismissed the objection, saying it is standard procedure for prosecutors to describe evidence during arraignments in murder cases.
Family members of the victims filled four rows in the courtroom. One woman sobbed loudly as Hernandez entered his not guilty pleas.
De Abreu and Furtado were close friends who attended school and served in the military together in Cape Verde before coming to the United States, according to the attorney who represents their families in a $6 million civil suit against Hernandez.
The two men were shot about six weeks before Hernandez signed a five-year, $40 million contract with the Patriots. He went on to catch 51 passes and score five touchdowns that season, his last in the NFL.
Hernandez, 24, was released by the Patriots last summer after he was charged in the June 17 killing of semi-pro football player Odin Lloyd, who was dating a sister of Hernandez's fiancee. Lloyd's body was found in an industrial area near Hernandez's home in North Attleborough.
Hernandez's lawyers have said he is looking forward to proving his innocence.
Suffolk District Attorney Daniel Conley would not comment when reporters asked if Lloyd's killing was linked to the earlier killings of de Abreu and Furtado. He said Lloyd was not the friend who was with Hernandez the night the two men were killed.
Hernandez will continue to be held without bail. He is due back in court June 24 for a scheduling hearing.
James: Players want no Sterlings to own Clippers
By BRIAN MAHONEY (AP Basketball Writer)
NEW YORK (AP) -- LeBron James understands it will take time, but he wants Donald Sterling out of the NBA.
And he said Sunday that players believe nobody in Sterling's family should be able to own the Los Angeles Clippers if he's gone.
Sterling has been banned for life for making racist comments and Commissioner Adam Silver has urged owners to force Sterling to sell the franchise. While Silver has said no decisions had been made about the rest of Sterling's family, NBA spokesman Mike Bass released a statement Sunday night clarifying the league's authority in the matter.
''Under the NBA constitution, if a controlling owner's interest is terminated by a three-quarter vote, all other team owners' interests are automatically terminated as well,'' Bass said. ''It doesn't matter whether the owners are related as is the case here. These are the rules to which all NBA owners agreed to as a condition of owning their team.''
Shelly Sterling, Sterling's estranged wife, said she intends to keep her 50 percent of the franchise.
''As players, we want what's right and we don't feel like no one in his family should be able to own the team,'' James said after the Miami Heat practiced for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Brooklyn.
But Shelly Sterling told ABC News' Barbara Walters that she doesn't believe she should be punished for what her husband said.
''I will fight that decision,'' she said in the interview. ''To be honest with you, I'm wondering if a wife of one of the owners, and there's 30 owners, did something like that, said those racial slurs, would they oust the husband? Or would they leave the husband in?''
James was one of the first and strongest voices to speak out after a recording of Donald Sterling's remarks to V. Stiviano were posted on TMZ's website last month, saying the comments were unacceptable and that there was no place in the league for Sterling.
The league is trying to act quickly to remove him. Dick Parsons has been installed as the Clippers' interim CEO, and the owners' advisory/finance committee has held conference calls each of the last two weeks to discuss that process and timeline for a forced sale. That would require a three-fourths vote of owners.
But Donald Sterling, who bought the team in 1981 and is the NBA's longest-tenured owner, could choose to fight those attempts by the league.
''At the end of the day, this is going to be a long litigation when it comes to that,'' James said. ''This guy who's owned the team since the '80s is not going to just give the team up in a day. So we understand it's going to be long, but we want what's right.''
In his first public comments since being banned, Donald Sterling apologized Sunday for the racist comments captured on tape, saying they were a ''terrible mistake.''
''I'm not a racist,'' Sterling told CNN's Anderson Cooper in excerpts posted from an interview taped Sunday and set to air Monday. ''I made a terrible mistake. I'm here to apologize.''
Sterling said years of good behavior as an owner should count toward his future.
''I'm a good member who made a mistake,'' Sterling said. ''Am I entitled to one mistake, am I after 35 years? I mean, I love my league, I love my partners. Am I entitled to one mistake? It's a terrible mistake, and I'll never do it again. ... If the owners feel I have another chance, then they'll give it to me.''
And he said Sunday that players believe nobody in Sterling's family should be able to own the Los Angeles Clippers if he's gone.
Sterling has been banned for life for making racist comments and Commissioner Adam Silver has urged owners to force Sterling to sell the franchise. While Silver has said no decisions had been made about the rest of Sterling's family, NBA spokesman Mike Bass released a statement Sunday night clarifying the league's authority in the matter.
''Under the NBA constitution, if a controlling owner's interest is terminated by a three-quarter vote, all other team owners' interests are automatically terminated as well,'' Bass said. ''It doesn't matter whether the owners are related as is the case here. These are the rules to which all NBA owners agreed to as a condition of owning their team.''
Shelly Sterling, Sterling's estranged wife, said she intends to keep her 50 percent of the franchise.
''As players, we want what's right and we don't feel like no one in his family should be able to own the team,'' James said after the Miami Heat practiced for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against Brooklyn.
But Shelly Sterling told ABC News' Barbara Walters that she doesn't believe she should be punished for what her husband said.
''I will fight that decision,'' she said in the interview. ''To be honest with you, I'm wondering if a wife of one of the owners, and there's 30 owners, did something like that, said those racial slurs, would they oust the husband? Or would they leave the husband in?''
James was one of the first and strongest voices to speak out after a recording of Donald Sterling's remarks to V. Stiviano were posted on TMZ's website last month, saying the comments were unacceptable and that there was no place in the league for Sterling.
The league is trying to act quickly to remove him. Dick Parsons has been installed as the Clippers' interim CEO, and the owners' advisory/finance committee has held conference calls each of the last two weeks to discuss that process and timeline for a forced sale. That would require a three-fourths vote of owners.
But Donald Sterling, who bought the team in 1981 and is the NBA's longest-tenured owner, could choose to fight those attempts by the league.
''At the end of the day, this is going to be a long litigation when it comes to that,'' James said. ''This guy who's owned the team since the '80s is not going to just give the team up in a day. So we understand it's going to be long, but we want what's right.''
In his first public comments since being banned, Donald Sterling apologized Sunday for the racist comments captured on tape, saying they were a ''terrible mistake.''
''I'm not a racist,'' Sterling told CNN's Anderson Cooper in excerpts posted from an interview taped Sunday and set to air Monday. ''I made a terrible mistake. I'm here to apologize.''
Sterling said years of good behavior as an owner should count toward his future.
''I'm a good member who made a mistake,'' Sterling said. ''Am I entitled to one mistake, am I after 35 years? I mean, I love my league, I love my partners. Am I entitled to one mistake? It's a terrible mistake, and I'll never do it again. ... If the owners feel I have another chance, then they'll give it to me.''
L.A. Clippers owner Donald Sterling told his GF he does NOT want her bringing black people to his games ... including Magic Johnson
TMZ Sports
TMZ Sports has obtained audio of Sterling making the racist declaration during a heated argument on April 9th with V. Stiviano ... after she posted a photo on Instagram posing with Magic.
Sterling rails on Stiviano -- who ironically is black and Mexican -- for putting herself out in public with a black person (she has since taken the pic down). But it doesn't end there. You have to listen to the audio to fully grasp the magnitude of Sterling's racist worldview. Among the comments:
-- "It bothers me a lot that you want to broadcast that you’re associating with black people. Do you have to?" (3:30)
-- "You can sleep with [black people]. You can bring them in, you can do whatever you want. The little I ask you is not to promote it on that ... and not to bring them to my games." (5:15)
-- "I’m just saying, in your lousy f******* Instagrams, you don’t have to have yourself with, walking with black people." (7:45)
-- "...Don't put him [Magic] on an Instagram for the world to have to see so they have to call me. And don't bring him to my games." (9:13)
Sterling has a documented history of allegedly racist behavior -- he's been sued twice by the federal government for allegedly refusing to rent apartments to Blacks and Latinos.
He was also sued by former Clippers exec Elgin Baylor for racial discrimination -- though a jury was ultimately not convinced and shot down Baylor's case.
Sterling has been separated from his wife Shelly for years. She remains a key player in running the team and sources tell us she's "mortified" by Sterling's comments.
We have made several calls to Sterling and his people ... so far, no word back. Listen below
Allen Iverson's 2014 Documentary Set for April 27 Premiere
(I4U.com) Allen Iverson's 2014 documentary is set for an April 27 premiere.
The documentary's premiere has a 9:30 p.m. show time at New York's Tribeca Film Festival, per Cara Cusumano of TribecaFilm.com:
"Iverson is the ultimate legacy of NBA legend Allen Iverson, who rose from a childhood of crushing poverty in Hampton, Virginia, to become an 11-time NBA All-Star and universally-recognized icon of his sport.
"Off the court, his audacious rejection of NBA convention and unapologetic embrace of hip-hop culture sent shockwaves throughout the league and influenced an entire generation.
"Told largely in Iverson's own words, the film charts the career highs and lows of one of the most distinctive and accomplished figures the sport of basketball has ever seen."
The film, which is 97 minutes in length and directed by Zatella Beaty, stars Iverson, Tom Brokaw, Larry Brown, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, according to the website.
Iverson himself thanked the Tribeca Film Festival "for bringing my story out to the world" via Twitter on April 7.
His No. 3 jersey was retired by the Sixers on March 1 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. ESPN described the historic moment:
"Iverson officially retired in October after last playing in 2010. He won four scoring titles for the Sixers and was the 2001 MVP when he led them to the NBA Finals. He never won a championship, the lone omission in a career that is destined for the Hall of Fame.
"The Sixers may as well have turned the arena into an AI museum. Four banners greeted fans at the main concourse entrance, and photos of him were plastered all around the arena.
"The merchandise stands sold Iverson jerseys for $130, and lower-level tickets were going for as much as for $1,280 on StubHub about an hour before the 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
"It was StubHub's highest-priced 76ers home game this season, with the median ticket going for $109.
"The fans loved him, and he blew them kisses after the No. 3 was raised to show how much he loved them back.
"'I am Philly,' Iverson said. 'It's always going to be that way.'"
Washington Wizards guard John Wall, who scored 17 points and dished out 16 assists that night, recorded Iverson's halftime ceremony.
He told ESPN Iverson was his role model growing up.
"He was my role model and I looked up to him. Being a small guard, that's where I took a lot of my game from. The city embraced him and let him be who he was as a person. He always gave his best effort."
The 38-year-old Iverson, the first overall pick of the 1996 NBA draft, averaged 26.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.2 steals during a 14-year pro career, per Basketball-Reference.com.
Philly.com's Matt Mullin confirms tickets for the premiere are all sold out in his April 8 update.
For more of the hottest sports news, check out Sport Balla today.
The documentary's premiere has a 9:30 p.m. show time at New York's Tribeca Film Festival, per Cara Cusumano of TribecaFilm.com:
"Iverson is the ultimate legacy of NBA legend Allen Iverson, who rose from a childhood of crushing poverty in Hampton, Virginia, to become an 11-time NBA All-Star and universally-recognized icon of his sport.
"Off the court, his audacious rejection of NBA convention and unapologetic embrace of hip-hop culture sent shockwaves throughout the league and influenced an entire generation.
"Told largely in Iverson's own words, the film charts the career highs and lows of one of the most distinctive and accomplished figures the sport of basketball has ever seen."
The film, which is 97 minutes in length and directed by Zatella Beaty, stars Iverson, Tom Brokaw, Larry Brown, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, according to the website.
Iverson himself thanked the Tribeca Film Festival "for bringing my story out to the world" via Twitter on April 7.
His No. 3 jersey was retired by the Sixers on March 1 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. ESPN described the historic moment:
"Iverson officially retired in October after last playing in 2010. He won four scoring titles for the Sixers and was the 2001 MVP when he led them to the NBA Finals. He never won a championship, the lone omission in a career that is destined for the Hall of Fame.
"The Sixers may as well have turned the arena into an AI museum. Four banners greeted fans at the main concourse entrance, and photos of him were plastered all around the arena.
"The merchandise stands sold Iverson jerseys for $130, and lower-level tickets were going for as much as for $1,280 on StubHub about an hour before the 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
"It was StubHub's highest-priced 76ers home game this season, with the median ticket going for $109.
"The fans loved him, and he blew them kisses after the No. 3 was raised to show how much he loved them back.
"'I am Philly,' Iverson said. 'It's always going to be that way.'"
Washington Wizards guard John Wall, who scored 17 points and dished out 16 assists that night, recorded Iverson's halftime ceremony.
He told ESPN Iverson was his role model growing up.
"He was my role model and I looked up to him. Being a small guard, that's where I took a lot of my game from. The city embraced him and let him be who he was as a person. He always gave his best effort."
The 38-year-old Iverson, the first overall pick of the 1996 NBA draft, averaged 26.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.2 steals during a 14-year pro career, per Basketball-Reference.com.
Philly.com's Matt Mullin confirms tickets for the premiere are all sold out in his April 8 update.
For more of the hottest sports news, check out Sport Balla today.
Has Floyd Mayweather grown up or simply recognized when to turn it on and off?
By Kevin Lole Yahoo Sports
LAS VEGAS – Bright orange traffic cones blocked the parking spaces immediately in front of the Mayweather Boxing Club on Tuesday, awaiting the arrival of the proprietor who was, predictably, fashionably late.
A group of men the size of the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line kept watch in case anyone was bold enough to try to move the cones and slip into the prime parking spots by the door.
It was a scene that has played out dozens of times over the years – the big top come to the boxing gym with the lure of hearing a few words from the world's greatest fighter and the opportunity to watch him go through his paces.
As familiar as the surroundings appeared, however, this was a very different Floyd Mayweather who spoke with the media Tuesday.
As with every public figure, the real man is far different from the one the public sees on television and reads about online.
And Mayweather, who is preparing for a pay-per-view bout against Marcos Maidana on May 3 at the MGM Grand, is decidedly different in real life from the character "Money May" that he shows to the public.
Mayweather is boxing's best fighter and by far its greatest attraction. His last seven fights have exceeded a million in pay-per-view sales and the May 3 bout is expected to make that eight.
He was built, partly, by the star power of Oscar De La Hoya. When Mayweather defeated "The Golden Boy" in a 2007 fight that sold more than 2.5 million on pay-per-view, the outrageous, flamboyant figure he played on HBO's "24/7" series turned him into a star the likes of which boxing has rarely seen.
He did everything to excess. He pulled back the curtain to show the world his fleet of six-figure cars, jewels that were worth more than any of his cars and a tastefully decorated home he refers to as "The Big Boy Mansion."
He flashed outrageous amounts of jewelry and money. He hobnobbed with A-list celebrities and said the most outlandish things, just so long as the cameras were rolling. When he got into a dispute with his father, it was loud and very public.
A large segment of the population ate it all up. A sizeable portion hated it, but bought his fights in the hope of seeing him get his comeuppance.
This character he plays is a born salesman who figured out how to hawk pay-per-views better than anyone who lived.
But he's the father of four young children – Son Koraun is 13, daughter Iyanna and son Zion are 12 and daughter Jirah is 9 – and he often speaks of them in reverential tones.
It's a tough challenge to live the crazy public life that Mayweather leads and to raise children to be normal and balanced, but he said he speaks to them frequently about his job.
He's taken the time to explain to them that, at heart, their father is an entertainer and that a lot of the outrageous things he does are to push his image and sell tickets.
"When my children are tuning in to [Showtime's] All-Access [preview show], they see things like us using foul language and us talking about women, and I explain to them that it's just like a movie," Mayweather said. "It's entertainment. Your father is there to sell tickets. It's how we put food on the table. One day, once you all get older, you'll understand. This is a business.
"The things I say on All-Access, it's about being fun and it's about being entertaining. You have to understand the difference between entertainment and real life."
He came across Tuesday as a measured, thoughtful man – one who admitted he had made mistakes in the past and who apologized for them.
He was in a controlled environment and wasn't being pushed or challenged, but still showed a side of himself not frequently seen in the public.
One reporter asked him if he'd done anything over the years that, later in private, he regretted having done.
And Mayweather immediately brought up his 2012 jail sentence when he pleaded guilty to domestic violence charges in an incident with the mother of three of his children.
"Things happen for a reason and the only thing you can do is at nighttime, get on your knees and ask God for forgiveness for anything that you did that you didn't feel was right," Mayweather said. "Just like with my jail situation, even though I know I didn't stomp, kick and beat a woman, it could have been something else that God was punishing me for. So the one thing that I did was I got on my knees and I apologized and said, 'Make me a better person.' "
A cordial half-hour interview with familiar reporters, who asked questions that he had to expect were coming, proves nothing.
But there was something about his tone and his tenor that suggested this was no act. When he was asked about comments his bitter rival, promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, made about his fight with Maidana, Mayweather demurred.
In similar interview situations throughout his lengthy career, Mayweather would have taken the opportunity to unload upon Arum.
But in this situation, he didn't prod the rival promoter.
"The only thing we can do is pray for Bob Arum," Mayweather said. "You know, just pray for him. I don't want to say nothing negative about Bob Arum. I wish Bob Arum nothing but the best and we're doing what we're doing over here [at Mayweather Promotions]."
His comments were astute and apt, and many wouldn't have shown the same self control as he did when he declined to take a shot.
At the post-fight news conference following Manny Pacquiao's win over Timothy Bradley at the MGM Grand on April 12, Arum decried the Mayweather-Maidana fight as a 15-1 mismatch (it's actually 8-1) and urged the media to boycott.
That was an obvious attempt to take money out of Mayweather's pocket, and nobody could have or would have blamed Mayweather if he'd chosen to get his licks in.
That he didn't react could just be that he happened to be in a good mood on Tuesday, but it could also mean that he's matured and understands more about the world and his place in it.
He's 37 and has been a professional for nearly half his life. He was just 19 when he turned pro on Oct. 11, 1996, by stopping Roberto Apodaca at a tiny casino in North Las Vegas, Nev.
Almost 18 years later, he remains unbeaten and is the holder of the two biggest fights in pay-per-view history, both by unit sales and by revenue. He'll hold every significant pay-per-view and earnings mark by the time he retires.
Including the May 3 Maidana fight, he has just four fights left, meaning he could be walking away from the sport he's dominated in the fall of 2015.
If Tuesday is any indication, it will be a much wiser, astute man who says his goodbyes in 2015 than the bold and outspoken teen who took the sport by storm in 1996.
And without question, that's a very good thing for all concerned.
A group of men the size of the San Francisco 49ers' offensive line kept watch in case anyone was bold enough to try to move the cones and slip into the prime parking spots by the door.
It was a scene that has played out dozens of times over the years – the big top come to the boxing gym with the lure of hearing a few words from the world's greatest fighter and the opportunity to watch him go through his paces.
As familiar as the surroundings appeared, however, this was a very different Floyd Mayweather who spoke with the media Tuesday.
As with every public figure, the real man is far different from the one the public sees on television and reads about online.
And Mayweather, who is preparing for a pay-per-view bout against Marcos Maidana on May 3 at the MGM Grand, is decidedly different in real life from the character "Money May" that he shows to the public.
Mayweather is boxing's best fighter and by far its greatest attraction. His last seven fights have exceeded a million in pay-per-view sales and the May 3 bout is expected to make that eight.
He was built, partly, by the star power of Oscar De La Hoya. When Mayweather defeated "The Golden Boy" in a 2007 fight that sold more than 2.5 million on pay-per-view, the outrageous, flamboyant figure he played on HBO's "24/7" series turned him into a star the likes of which boxing has rarely seen.
He did everything to excess. He pulled back the curtain to show the world his fleet of six-figure cars, jewels that were worth more than any of his cars and a tastefully decorated home he refers to as "The Big Boy Mansion."
He flashed outrageous amounts of jewelry and money. He hobnobbed with A-list celebrities and said the most outlandish things, just so long as the cameras were rolling. When he got into a dispute with his father, it was loud and very public.
A large segment of the population ate it all up. A sizeable portion hated it, but bought his fights in the hope of seeing him get his comeuppance.
This character he plays is a born salesman who figured out how to hawk pay-per-views better than anyone who lived.
But he's the father of four young children – Son Koraun is 13, daughter Iyanna and son Zion are 12 and daughter Jirah is 9 – and he often speaks of them in reverential tones.
It's a tough challenge to live the crazy public life that Mayweather leads and to raise children to be normal and balanced, but he said he speaks to them frequently about his job.
He's taken the time to explain to them that, at heart, their father is an entertainer and that a lot of the outrageous things he does are to push his image and sell tickets.
"When my children are tuning in to [Showtime's] All-Access [preview show], they see things like us using foul language and us talking about women, and I explain to them that it's just like a movie," Mayweather said. "It's entertainment. Your father is there to sell tickets. It's how we put food on the table. One day, once you all get older, you'll understand. This is a business.
"The things I say on All-Access, it's about being fun and it's about being entertaining. You have to understand the difference between entertainment and real life."
He came across Tuesday as a measured, thoughtful man – one who admitted he had made mistakes in the past and who apologized for them.
He was in a controlled environment and wasn't being pushed or challenged, but still showed a side of himself not frequently seen in the public.
One reporter asked him if he'd done anything over the years that, later in private, he regretted having done.
And Mayweather immediately brought up his 2012 jail sentence when he pleaded guilty to domestic violence charges in an incident with the mother of three of his children.
"Things happen for a reason and the only thing you can do is at nighttime, get on your knees and ask God for forgiveness for anything that you did that you didn't feel was right," Mayweather said. "Just like with my jail situation, even though I know I didn't stomp, kick and beat a woman, it could have been something else that God was punishing me for. So the one thing that I did was I got on my knees and I apologized and said, 'Make me a better person.' "
A cordial half-hour interview with familiar reporters, who asked questions that he had to expect were coming, proves nothing.
But there was something about his tone and his tenor that suggested this was no act. When he was asked about comments his bitter rival, promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, made about his fight with Maidana, Mayweather demurred.
In similar interview situations throughout his lengthy career, Mayweather would have taken the opportunity to unload upon Arum.
But in this situation, he didn't prod the rival promoter.
"The only thing we can do is pray for Bob Arum," Mayweather said. "You know, just pray for him. I don't want to say nothing negative about Bob Arum. I wish Bob Arum nothing but the best and we're doing what we're doing over here [at Mayweather Promotions]."
His comments were astute and apt, and many wouldn't have shown the same self control as he did when he declined to take a shot.
At the post-fight news conference following Manny Pacquiao's win over Timothy Bradley at the MGM Grand on April 12, Arum decried the Mayweather-Maidana fight as a 15-1 mismatch (it's actually 8-1) and urged the media to boycott.
That was an obvious attempt to take money out of Mayweather's pocket, and nobody could have or would have blamed Mayweather if he'd chosen to get his licks in.
That he didn't react could just be that he happened to be in a good mood on Tuesday, but it could also mean that he's matured and understands more about the world and his place in it.
He's 37 and has been a professional for nearly half his life. He was just 19 when he turned pro on Oct. 11, 1996, by stopping Roberto Apodaca at a tiny casino in North Las Vegas, Nev.
Almost 18 years later, he remains unbeaten and is the holder of the two biggest fights in pay-per-view history, both by unit sales and by revenue. He'll hold every significant pay-per-view and earnings mark by the time he retires.
Including the May 3 Maidana fight, he has just four fights left, meaning he could be walking away from the sport he's dominated in the fall of 2015.
If Tuesday is any indication, it will be a much wiser, astute man who says his goodbyes in 2015 than the bold and outspoken teen who took the sport by storm in 1996.
And without question, that's a very good thing for all concerned.
Manny Pacquiao won impressively over Timothy Bradley, but lacks pop of the past
By Kevin Iole Yahoo Sports
LAS VEGAS – Manny Pacquiao took baby steps toward getting back to the form he displayed in 2008-09, when he might have been the most devastating fighter in boxing since Mike Tyson's prime.
The halcyon days of those two years may be gone forever for Pacquiao, but he will beat plenty of the world's best fighters if he continues to box as he did Saturday before 15,601 crazed fans at the MGM Grand Garden.
He thoroughly out-boxed Timothy Bradley, winning a unanimous decision to regain the WBO welterweight title he'd lost when judges took a fight from him in 2012 that most felt he'd won handily.
Pacquiao expertly used angles and made a mid-fight adjustment to counter an unexpected Bradley strategy. Bradley attacked Pacquiao, winging big punches, turning the fight into a slugfest.
In the fourth round, he cracked Pacquiao with a big overhand right and Pacquiao's knees buckled, but Pacquiao quickly recovered.
"I thought he did pretty well, but we didn't expect that style," Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said. "It threw us a bit, because we thought he'd box. We didn't think he'd be going for the home run all night."
Despite Roach's urging, Pacquiao failed to take a step back and then crack Bradley with the straight left hand that could have taken out Bradley.
Bradley said Pacquiao hit him very hard, but the results aren't what they once were for the sure-fire Hall of Famer.
"He did have that sharp snap in his punches," Bradley said, though he added Pacquiao hit him harder in their 2012 match.
But the results don't lie. Since the start of 2010, Pacquiao is 6-2 with zero knockouts.
Though Roach correctly said he thought, "Manny's killer instinct was still there," the impact of his punches isn't the same as it was.
Fighters aren't reacting the same way they once did to his shots.
"He's still a top fighter pound-for-pound, and it's pretty clear the legs are still there, but obviously, you have to wonder where the punching power has gone," Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti said.
What made Pacquiao one of the world's most popular fighters was that hard-to-believe pop he had when he was able to decimate much bigger men.
He was a highly accurate, highly aggressive puncher who could end a punch with one well-placed shot.
He's no longer that fighter, though he's still obviously among the elite.
"Pacquiao was the better man tonight and he showed what he's made of," said Bradley, who strained his right calf in the first round but later refused to speak about it. "The dude still has it. One of the reasons I love Pacquiao so much is he never ducks an opponent.
"He's always willing to face the best and he faced one of the best tonight. He came out on top and that's why he's so good."
The fight was even on two cards, with Pacquiao up 58-56 on the other, after six rounds. But Pacquiao roared down the stretch to claim the win.
He took the final seven rounds on Glenn Trowbridge's card. He took six of the last seven on the other two.
But there was no highlight reel moment from Pacquiao like there was in the past. He did his job and he did it well, but he did nothing to stir a neutral observer.
The Pacquiao diehards among the crowd of 15,601 roared whenever Pacquiao came close to landing a punch. But there was never that magnificence that came to define him en route to capture Fighter of the Decade honors.
He was wary of getting into trouble, particularly with Bradley fighting in a manner he didn't expect, and he did what he had to do to win but didn't do more.
"I didn't want to get careless," said Pacquiao, who made an error going for a knockout in a 2012 bout with Juan Manuel Marquez and got put to sleep with a perfectly placed counter right hand. "I picked up more steam in the second half. I made the adjustments Freddie gave me in the corner."
If you are one who likes to keep a pound-for-pound list, Pacquiao clearly belongs on it, though he's a distance behind his archrival, Floyd Mayweather.
The curtain has dropped, though, on Pacquiao as a mini-Tyson. He'll be within a month of his 36th birthday by the next time he fights and it will have been a full five years since he scored a knockout.
He'll do well and he'll sell a lot of tickets and a lot of pay-per-views. He'll continue to gain the undying love of his large fan base.
But Manny Pacquiao the destroyer is no more. That version of the fighter has been committed to the history books.
The halcyon days of those two years may be gone forever for Pacquiao, but he will beat plenty of the world's best fighters if he continues to box as he did Saturday before 15,601 crazed fans at the MGM Grand Garden.
He thoroughly out-boxed Timothy Bradley, winning a unanimous decision to regain the WBO welterweight title he'd lost when judges took a fight from him in 2012 that most felt he'd won handily.
Pacquiao expertly used angles and made a mid-fight adjustment to counter an unexpected Bradley strategy. Bradley attacked Pacquiao, winging big punches, turning the fight into a slugfest.
In the fourth round, he cracked Pacquiao with a big overhand right and Pacquiao's knees buckled, but Pacquiao quickly recovered.
"I thought he did pretty well, but we didn't expect that style," Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said. "It threw us a bit, because we thought he'd box. We didn't think he'd be going for the home run all night."
Despite Roach's urging, Pacquiao failed to take a step back and then crack Bradley with the straight left hand that could have taken out Bradley.
Bradley said Pacquiao hit him very hard, but the results aren't what they once were for the sure-fire Hall of Famer.
"He did have that sharp snap in his punches," Bradley said, though he added Pacquiao hit him harder in their 2012 match.
But the results don't lie. Since the start of 2010, Pacquiao is 6-2 with zero knockouts.
Though Roach correctly said he thought, "Manny's killer instinct was still there," the impact of his punches isn't the same as it was.
Fighters aren't reacting the same way they once did to his shots.
"He's still a top fighter pound-for-pound, and it's pretty clear the legs are still there, but obviously, you have to wonder where the punching power has gone," Top Rank vice president Carl Moretti said.
What made Pacquiao one of the world's most popular fighters was that hard-to-believe pop he had when he was able to decimate much bigger men.
He was a highly accurate, highly aggressive puncher who could end a punch with one well-placed shot.
He's no longer that fighter, though he's still obviously among the elite.
"Pacquiao was the better man tonight and he showed what he's made of," said Bradley, who strained his right calf in the first round but later refused to speak about it. "The dude still has it. One of the reasons I love Pacquiao so much is he never ducks an opponent.
"He's always willing to face the best and he faced one of the best tonight. He came out on top and that's why he's so good."
The fight was even on two cards, with Pacquiao up 58-56 on the other, after six rounds. But Pacquiao roared down the stretch to claim the win.
He took the final seven rounds on Glenn Trowbridge's card. He took six of the last seven on the other two.
But there was no highlight reel moment from Pacquiao like there was in the past. He did his job and he did it well, but he did nothing to stir a neutral observer.
The Pacquiao diehards among the crowd of 15,601 roared whenever Pacquiao came close to landing a punch. But there was never that magnificence that came to define him en route to capture Fighter of the Decade honors.
He was wary of getting into trouble, particularly with Bradley fighting in a manner he didn't expect, and he did what he had to do to win but didn't do more.
"I didn't want to get careless," said Pacquiao, who made an error going for a knockout in a 2012 bout with Juan Manuel Marquez and got put to sleep with a perfectly placed counter right hand. "I picked up more steam in the second half. I made the adjustments Freddie gave me in the corner."
If you are one who likes to keep a pound-for-pound list, Pacquiao clearly belongs on it, though he's a distance behind his archrival, Floyd Mayweather.
The curtain has dropped, though, on Pacquiao as a mini-Tyson. He'll be within a month of his 36th birthday by the next time he fights and it will have been a full five years since he scored a knockout.
He'll do well and he'll sell a lot of tickets and a lot of pay-per-views. He'll continue to gain the undying love of his large fan base.
But Manny Pacquiao the destroyer is no more. That version of the fighter has been committed to the history books.
Wrestlemania XXX Results: Daniel Bryan Victorious, Undertaker Streak Ends
NEW ORLEANS (AP/CBS Philly) — The Hulkster showed he can host, 30 years later.
Three decades after he took part in the first “WrestleMania” at Madison Square Garden, Hulk Hogan presided over the 30th version of World Wrestling Entertainment’s signature event at the Superdome. The 60-year-old sported a sleeveless red T-shirt that showcased his still-considerable pythons, and a red bandanna with “Hulkamania” on it in bright yellow letters.
“This all started with me and Mr. T,” Hogan said. Vince McMahon had the vision to make this entertainment as big as he did,” Hogan said. “Fast forward to 30 years later and now I’m the host? I would have never believed that 30 years later I would still be here and people would be treating me in New Orleans like I’m still the champion.”
The man who helped popularize the athletic spectacle when he bodyslammed all 500-plus pounds of Andre the Giant was there with a microphone in his hand, overseeing the mayhem for 75,000-plus fans, and countless more watching on TV.
And what a scene it was. Cesaro won the Battle Royal — named for Andre the Giant this year for the first time — by heaving the sizeable Big Show over the top rope.
In the night’s shocker Brock Lesnar defeated The Undertaker, ending his 21-consecutive match Wrestlemania winning streak. The shocking result defied the odds, as Undertaker was a 1/30 favorite to win the match at Bovada.
In other events, The Shield also beat the team of the New Age Outlaws and Kane in a six-man tag team match and A.J. Lee defending the WWE Divas Championship.
John Cena got his second consecutive WrestleMania victory with a defeat of Bray Wyatt. WWE superstar Triple H, McMahon’s son in law, was defeated by crowd favorite Daniel Bryan in opening match of WrestleMania 30.
Daniel Bryan defeated Triple HHH, assuring his inclusion in the night’s main event, a three-way title match between Batista, Randy Orton, and Bryan. Bryan then went on to win that match, winning both WWE titles.
Hogan was joined in the opening by a pair of other WWE legends in “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin — who ribbed him for flubbing the name of the stadium.
The event was shown on the fledgling WWE Network by-subscription streaming service, which launched Feb. 24.
Three decades after he took part in the first “WrestleMania” at Madison Square Garden, Hulk Hogan presided over the 30th version of World Wrestling Entertainment’s signature event at the Superdome. The 60-year-old sported a sleeveless red T-shirt that showcased his still-considerable pythons, and a red bandanna with “Hulkamania” on it in bright yellow letters.
“This all started with me and Mr. T,” Hogan said. Vince McMahon had the vision to make this entertainment as big as he did,” Hogan said. “Fast forward to 30 years later and now I’m the host? I would have never believed that 30 years later I would still be here and people would be treating me in New Orleans like I’m still the champion.”
The man who helped popularize the athletic spectacle when he bodyslammed all 500-plus pounds of Andre the Giant was there with a microphone in his hand, overseeing the mayhem for 75,000-plus fans, and countless more watching on TV.
And what a scene it was. Cesaro won the Battle Royal — named for Andre the Giant this year for the first time — by heaving the sizeable Big Show over the top rope.
In the night’s shocker Brock Lesnar defeated The Undertaker, ending his 21-consecutive match Wrestlemania winning streak. The shocking result defied the odds, as Undertaker was a 1/30 favorite to win the match at Bovada.
In other events, The Shield also beat the team of the New Age Outlaws and Kane in a six-man tag team match and A.J. Lee defending the WWE Divas Championship.
John Cena got his second consecutive WrestleMania victory with a defeat of Bray Wyatt. WWE superstar Triple H, McMahon’s son in law, was defeated by crowd favorite Daniel Bryan in opening match of WrestleMania 30.
Daniel Bryan defeated Triple HHH, assuring his inclusion in the night’s main event, a three-way title match between Batista, Randy Orton, and Bryan. Bryan then went on to win that match, winning both WWE titles.
Hogan was joined in the opening by a pair of other WWE legends in “The Rock” Dwayne Johnson and “Stone Cold” Steve Austin — who ribbed him for flubbing the name of the stadium.
The event was shown on the fledgling WWE Network by-subscription streaming service, which launched Feb. 24.
FSU under investigation for handling of Jameis Winston case
Rachel Axon, USA TODAY Sports
The U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights has opened an investigation of Florida State University into whether its handling of the Jameis Winston rape allegations violated Title IX laws, according to a letter confirming the decision that was obtained by USA TODAY Sports.
A spokesman for the Department of Education confirmed the school is being investigated for a Title IX complaint.
An FSU student said she was raped by Winston on Dec. 7, 2012. Deadspin reported Thursday that school officials met with Winston in late January to discuss the alleged assault. But as it attempts to comply with Title IX, the school might have further violated the law. Both a lengthy delay in conducting the investigation and a meeting only with Winston contradict guidance given to schools in 2011 by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
CASE DETAILS: 911 call, interviews
Sexual harassment and violence are considered forms of sex discrimination under the 1972 federal law, which requires colleges and universities that receive federal funds to investigate claims of sexual assault and provide a timely and impartial grievance procedure to resolve those claims. Non-compliance with the law can result in the department revoking federal funding, although that has never happened.
Florida authorities announced on Dec. 5 that Winston would not face criminal charges, but an OCR investigation will put the case back in the spotlight. The woman filed her complaint with OCR in early March, 15 months after she reported the incident.
In a campus setting, accused students are judged in disciplinary hearings under a much lower "preponderance of evidence" standard than in criminal courts. At FSU, and virtually every other school, a campus disciplinary body determines if an accused student is responsible or not responsible and administers punishments that can range from writing a paper to suspension or expulsion.
MORE: No criminal charges
While developing those disciplinary procedures is left up to each school, OCR advises, "These procedures must apply to all students, including athletes. If a complaint of sexual violence involved a student athlete, the school must follow its standard procedures for resolving sexual violence complaints."
In its 2011 "Dear Colleague Letter", OCR said, "Conduct may constitute unlawful sexual harassment under Title IX even if the police do not have sufficient evidence of a criminal violation. In addition, a criminal investigation into allegations of sexual violence does not relieve the school of its duty under Title IX to resolve complaints promptly and equitably."
Florida State released a statement to USA TODAY Sports on Thursday afternoon, saying, "State and federal privacy laws prohibit the university from commenting on any individual case. Generally speaking, students at any time have the right to avail themselves of the Student Code of Conduct, which sets high expectations for the university community and provides a way to adjudicate grievances. The Code of Conduct imposes no time limits on when an aggrieved student may file a complaint or when new information can be considered. The university evaluates all information it receives and acts on it when appropriate. We take seriously the trust and privacy of the entire university community."
If Florida State did pursue an investigation in January, it did so without consulting with the woman. A freshman at the time of the alleged assault, she left the school in November after the police investigation dominated national headlines and she became the target of death threats on social media. USA TODAY Sports does not name victims of alleged sexual assaults without their consent.
At the time, Winston was a Heisman Trophy favorite, an award he ultimately won, and FSU was in the midst of a season that would end with the team as undefeated national champions. Baine Kerr, a high-profile Title IX attorney retained by the woman, says school officials still have not spoken to his client. "The university went for the better part of a year without requesting her cooperation in any proceedings," he said. "She's consistently been willing to cooperate and assist a university investigation. She remains so.
"She remains willing to respond to any reasonable request for further information from the university so long as her safety is protected."
The woman's lawyers recently offered to provide all interviews she gave during the criminal investigation but said they have not yet heard back from the university. In announcing its decision not to file criminal charges in December, the state attorney's office made public 248 pages of case files that include the woman's account of what happened.
Later Thursday, Florida State updated its statement to say, "Mr. Kerr's representations to USA TODAY about our treatment of his client are flat-out false.
"It is our consistent practice to inform complainants at numerous steps in the counseling process about their options to pursue either criminal or university proceedings — or both.
"We empower complainants by giving great weight to their wishes about what process to pursue and when. We place no time limits on when an aggrieved student may file a complaint or when new information can be considered. We take seriously the safety, trust and privacy of the entire university community."
To this point, Winston has not given his version of events. Through his attorney, he has denied any wrongdoing and said the sexual encounter was consensual. Winston was never interviewed by Tallahassee police or the state attorney. He refused to cooperate with FSU officials in the January meeting, according to Deadspin.
But that meeting in itself might represent a further violation of Title IX.
According to OCR's 2011 letter, "A school should not conduct a pre-hearing meeting during which only the alleged perpetrator is present and given an opportunity to present his or her side of the story, unless a similar meeting takes place with the complainant."
It's unclear whether that meeting was part of the school's investigation or whether it would fit the definition of a "pre-hearing meeting" under the letter.
Kerr said the woman was not notified of the meeting.
As it is, OCR will examine whether FSU violated the requirement to provide a "prompt, thorough, and impartial" investigation into sexual assault claims independent of any criminal inquiry.
Although schools can delay an investigation until police have had time to collect evidence, the "Dear Colleague Letter" advises that is typically no longer than 10 days. Colleges are advised not to wait for the conclusion of a criminal investigation to begin their own Title IX investigation. According to the letter, a typical investigation takes 60 days.
The alleged assault was first reported to Florida State police almost immediately after it happened. In her initial recollection, the woman said she did not know the identity of her alleged assailant, but she recognized Winston a month later when she learned his name in roll call in class at the start of spring semester. She informed TPD Det. Scott Angulo on Jan. 10, 2013.
INCREASED ENFORCEMENT
OCR has increased its enforcement as colleges have drawn added scrutiny for their handling of these cases in recent years. A 2007 study by the National Institute of Justice found 1 in 5 women has been the victims of attempted or completed sexual assaults in college.
FSU joins a growing list of schools under investigation for their handling of sexual assault cases, including Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Penn State and UConn.
At Michigan, a change in policy led to the expulsion of kicker Brendan Gibbons. In 2009, he was accused of raping another athlete at a party. The woman reported the alleged assault to campus and local police, but Gibbons was never charged.
The school revised its sexual misconduct policy since then, and The Michigan Daily reported that Gibbons was expelled in December after the Office of Student Conflict Resolution reviewed the case and found him responsible based on a preponderance of evidence.
Doug Smith, a former professor at the school, filed a Title IX complaint in August and OCR opened an investigation in February.
As of mid-March, 47 colleges were under investigation with 38 involving complaints and nine compliance reviews initiated by OCR.
OCR received 11 Title IX complaints related to sexual violence in both the 2009 and 2010 fiscal years. That number jumped to 30 by the 2013 fiscal year. Nearly midway through this year, 25 complaints have been filed.
OCR has initiated four compliance reviews this fiscal year. It conducted only 10 in the previous five years.
The renewed focus on the issue has come since OCR issued the "Dear Colleague Letter."
"That really was seminal," said Brett Sokolow, executive director of the Association of Title IX Administrators. "Procedures have changed dramatically. There's no question. I think in a sense, victims have more rights than they had before and there's value in that."
In January, President Obama appointed the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. It will work with the Education and Justice departments to develop a coordinated federal effort to provide best practice for preventing and responding to sexual assault, build on enforcement efforts and improve transparency.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., has her staff surveying colleges around the country to see what they do to protect students from sexual assaults.
POLICE INVESTIGATION
The allegation against Winston dominated national headlines in November and December after State Attorney Willie Meggs opened an investigation. The case was inactive for nine months, from February 2013 until November, and police notified the state attorney's office after receiving news media requests for records related to the case.
Tallahassee police were largely criticized by victim advocates and the news media for their handling of the case. Although Winston's DNA was found on the woman's clothing, a DNA sample was not collected until 10 months after the woman identified him to Angulo. Police records indicate surveillance video from Potbelly's — a bar where the woman and two of Winston's teammates confirm they were with him that night — was never collected.
Angulo said the case was moved to inactive as a result of the woman's unwillingness to cooperate, which she has refuted through her local attorney, Patricia Carroll. According to Carroll, Angulo advised her that Tallahassee is a "big football town" and that the woman should reconsider accusing Winston because "she will be raked over the coals and her life will be made miserable."
After concluding the state attorney's investigation, Meggs announced in December that no charges would be filed because a conviction was unlikely.
While Winston has not given his version of events, statements from teammates Chris Casher and Ronald Darby could lead to them being disciplined through Florida State's conduct policy.
In November, the players, who had been out with Winston that night, provided sworn affidavits through Winston's attorney that they witnessed a consensual sexual encounter between Winston and the woman.
Both admitted to watching through an open door, which would not close because the latch was broken. In a police interview, Casher admitted to going into the room to try to have sex with the woman as well.
"(H)owever, the female saw him and told him to get out," the police report reads. "A little while later, Casher stated he tried to video tape Winston and the female; however, when the female saw him she again told him to leave."
Hours after she reported the alleged attack, the woman told police she remembered "the suspect roommate entered the room and told the suspect to stop."
Under Florida statute, it is illegal to secretly videotape a person while he or she is "dressing, undressing or privately exposing the body" without that person's knowledge or consent. It is a misdemeanor just to observe a person in such a situation.
Meggs said Thursday he would need the video to press charges.
"The whole thing is disgusting, but that doesn't make it a crime," he said. "If we don't have the video, the admission would not even be admissible. All we have is his statement that it was done."
Casher told police he had deleted the video and discarded the phone by the time he was interviewed 11 months later. Meggs said he did not know what type of phone it was.
It's unclear if Tallahassee police or the state attorney's office tried to recover it through any sort of back-up storage, such as iCloud.
"When we tried to get the video, he said he got rid of it," Meggs said. "All I can tell you is we did everything we knew how to do to get a copy of the video. We do not have a copy of the video. If it's in the cloud, I don't know where it
A spokesman for the Department of Education confirmed the school is being investigated for a Title IX complaint.
An FSU student said she was raped by Winston on Dec. 7, 2012. Deadspin reported Thursday that school officials met with Winston in late January to discuss the alleged assault. But as it attempts to comply with Title IX, the school might have further violated the law. Both a lengthy delay in conducting the investigation and a meeting only with Winston contradict guidance given to schools in 2011 by the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).
CASE DETAILS: 911 call, interviews
Sexual harassment and violence are considered forms of sex discrimination under the 1972 federal law, which requires colleges and universities that receive federal funds to investigate claims of sexual assault and provide a timely and impartial grievance procedure to resolve those claims. Non-compliance with the law can result in the department revoking federal funding, although that has never happened.
Florida authorities announced on Dec. 5 that Winston would not face criminal charges, but an OCR investigation will put the case back in the spotlight. The woman filed her complaint with OCR in early March, 15 months after she reported the incident.
In a campus setting, accused students are judged in disciplinary hearings under a much lower "preponderance of evidence" standard than in criminal courts. At FSU, and virtually every other school, a campus disciplinary body determines if an accused student is responsible or not responsible and administers punishments that can range from writing a paper to suspension or expulsion.
MORE: No criminal charges
While developing those disciplinary procedures is left up to each school, OCR advises, "These procedures must apply to all students, including athletes. If a complaint of sexual violence involved a student athlete, the school must follow its standard procedures for resolving sexual violence complaints."
In its 2011 "Dear Colleague Letter", OCR said, "Conduct may constitute unlawful sexual harassment under Title IX even if the police do not have sufficient evidence of a criminal violation. In addition, a criminal investigation into allegations of sexual violence does not relieve the school of its duty under Title IX to resolve complaints promptly and equitably."
Florida State released a statement to USA TODAY Sports on Thursday afternoon, saying, "State and federal privacy laws prohibit the university from commenting on any individual case. Generally speaking, students at any time have the right to avail themselves of the Student Code of Conduct, which sets high expectations for the university community and provides a way to adjudicate grievances. The Code of Conduct imposes no time limits on when an aggrieved student may file a complaint or when new information can be considered. The university evaluates all information it receives and acts on it when appropriate. We take seriously the trust and privacy of the entire university community."
If Florida State did pursue an investigation in January, it did so without consulting with the woman. A freshman at the time of the alleged assault, she left the school in November after the police investigation dominated national headlines and she became the target of death threats on social media. USA TODAY Sports does not name victims of alleged sexual assaults without their consent.
At the time, Winston was a Heisman Trophy favorite, an award he ultimately won, and FSU was in the midst of a season that would end with the team as undefeated national champions. Baine Kerr, a high-profile Title IX attorney retained by the woman, says school officials still have not spoken to his client. "The university went for the better part of a year without requesting her cooperation in any proceedings," he said. "She's consistently been willing to cooperate and assist a university investigation. She remains so.
"She remains willing to respond to any reasonable request for further information from the university so long as her safety is protected."
The woman's lawyers recently offered to provide all interviews she gave during the criminal investigation but said they have not yet heard back from the university. In announcing its decision not to file criminal charges in December, the state attorney's office made public 248 pages of case files that include the woman's account of what happened.
Later Thursday, Florida State updated its statement to say, "Mr. Kerr's representations to USA TODAY about our treatment of his client are flat-out false.
"It is our consistent practice to inform complainants at numerous steps in the counseling process about their options to pursue either criminal or university proceedings — or both.
"We empower complainants by giving great weight to their wishes about what process to pursue and when. We place no time limits on when an aggrieved student may file a complaint or when new information can be considered. We take seriously the safety, trust and privacy of the entire university community."
To this point, Winston has not given his version of events. Through his attorney, he has denied any wrongdoing and said the sexual encounter was consensual. Winston was never interviewed by Tallahassee police or the state attorney. He refused to cooperate with FSU officials in the January meeting, according to Deadspin.
But that meeting in itself might represent a further violation of Title IX.
According to OCR's 2011 letter, "A school should not conduct a pre-hearing meeting during which only the alleged perpetrator is present and given an opportunity to present his or her side of the story, unless a similar meeting takes place with the complainant."
It's unclear whether that meeting was part of the school's investigation or whether it would fit the definition of a "pre-hearing meeting" under the letter.
Kerr said the woman was not notified of the meeting.
As it is, OCR will examine whether FSU violated the requirement to provide a "prompt, thorough, and impartial" investigation into sexual assault claims independent of any criminal inquiry.
Although schools can delay an investigation until police have had time to collect evidence, the "Dear Colleague Letter" advises that is typically no longer than 10 days. Colleges are advised not to wait for the conclusion of a criminal investigation to begin their own Title IX investigation. According to the letter, a typical investigation takes 60 days.
The alleged assault was first reported to Florida State police almost immediately after it happened. In her initial recollection, the woman said she did not know the identity of her alleged assailant, but she recognized Winston a month later when she learned his name in roll call in class at the start of spring semester. She informed TPD Det. Scott Angulo on Jan. 10, 2013.
INCREASED ENFORCEMENT
OCR has increased its enforcement as colleges have drawn added scrutiny for their handling of these cases in recent years. A 2007 study by the National Institute of Justice found 1 in 5 women has been the victims of attempted or completed sexual assaults in college.
FSU joins a growing list of schools under investigation for their handling of sexual assault cases, including Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Penn State and UConn.
At Michigan, a change in policy led to the expulsion of kicker Brendan Gibbons. In 2009, he was accused of raping another athlete at a party. The woman reported the alleged assault to campus and local police, but Gibbons was never charged.
The school revised its sexual misconduct policy since then, and The Michigan Daily reported that Gibbons was expelled in December after the Office of Student Conflict Resolution reviewed the case and found him responsible based on a preponderance of evidence.
Doug Smith, a former professor at the school, filed a Title IX complaint in August and OCR opened an investigation in February.
As of mid-March, 47 colleges were under investigation with 38 involving complaints and nine compliance reviews initiated by OCR.
OCR received 11 Title IX complaints related to sexual violence in both the 2009 and 2010 fiscal years. That number jumped to 30 by the 2013 fiscal year. Nearly midway through this year, 25 complaints have been filed.
OCR has initiated four compliance reviews this fiscal year. It conducted only 10 in the previous five years.
The renewed focus on the issue has come since OCR issued the "Dear Colleague Letter."
"That really was seminal," said Brett Sokolow, executive director of the Association of Title IX Administrators. "Procedures have changed dramatically. There's no question. I think in a sense, victims have more rights than they had before and there's value in that."
In January, President Obama appointed the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. It will work with the Education and Justice departments to develop a coordinated federal effort to provide best practice for preventing and responding to sexual assault, build on enforcement efforts and improve transparency.
Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., has her staff surveying colleges around the country to see what they do to protect students from sexual assaults.
POLICE INVESTIGATION
The allegation against Winston dominated national headlines in November and December after State Attorney Willie Meggs opened an investigation. The case was inactive for nine months, from February 2013 until November, and police notified the state attorney's office after receiving news media requests for records related to the case.
Tallahassee police were largely criticized by victim advocates and the news media for their handling of the case. Although Winston's DNA was found on the woman's clothing, a DNA sample was not collected until 10 months after the woman identified him to Angulo. Police records indicate surveillance video from Potbelly's — a bar where the woman and two of Winston's teammates confirm they were with him that night — was never collected.
Angulo said the case was moved to inactive as a result of the woman's unwillingness to cooperate, which she has refuted through her local attorney, Patricia Carroll. According to Carroll, Angulo advised her that Tallahassee is a "big football town" and that the woman should reconsider accusing Winston because "she will be raked over the coals and her life will be made miserable."
After concluding the state attorney's investigation, Meggs announced in December that no charges would be filed because a conviction was unlikely.
While Winston has not given his version of events, statements from teammates Chris Casher and Ronald Darby could lead to them being disciplined through Florida State's conduct policy.
In November, the players, who had been out with Winston that night, provided sworn affidavits through Winston's attorney that they witnessed a consensual sexual encounter between Winston and the woman.
Both admitted to watching through an open door, which would not close because the latch was broken. In a police interview, Casher admitted to going into the room to try to have sex with the woman as well.
"(H)owever, the female saw him and told him to get out," the police report reads. "A little while later, Casher stated he tried to video tape Winston and the female; however, when the female saw him she again told him to leave."
Hours after she reported the alleged attack, the woman told police she remembered "the suspect roommate entered the room and told the suspect to stop."
Under Florida statute, it is illegal to secretly videotape a person while he or she is "dressing, undressing or privately exposing the body" without that person's knowledge or consent. It is a misdemeanor just to observe a person in such a situation.
Meggs said Thursday he would need the video to press charges.
"The whole thing is disgusting, but that doesn't make it a crime," he said. "If we don't have the video, the admission would not even be admissible. All we have is his statement that it was done."
Casher told police he had deleted the video and discarded the phone by the time he was interviewed 11 months later. Meggs said he did not know what type of phone it was.
It's unclear if Tallahassee police or the state attorney's office tried to recover it through any sort of back-up storage, such as iCloud.
"When we tried to get the video, he said he got rid of it," Meggs said. "All I can tell you is we did everything we knew how to do to get a copy of the video. We do not have a copy of the video. If it's in the cloud, I don't know where it
NFL: Freeway Upset After ESPN Posts Picture of Him to Prove DeSean Jackson Affliated With Gangs
(InFlexWeTrust) Yesterday news broke that the Philadelphia Eagles released wide receiver DeSean Jackson. The news wasn’t much of a surprise after there were numerous reports that the team was trying to trade him and would release him if they couldn’t. What was surprising however was the Eagles reasoning. Many people speculated what would cause them to release Jackson after having such a successful season. Well it turns out to be his suspected gang affiliation. SportsCenter covered the story and erroneously posted a photo of Jackson with rappers Freeway and Neef to prove Jackson’s gang affiliation.
The picture sent Twitter into an uproar after ESPN posted the photo without doing any research at all. ESPN went through Jackson’s Instagram photos and like other outlets just used whichever photos appeared to show gang signs using their hands.
Freeway was appalled that his photo was used in conjunction with the speculation and took to his Instagram account to set the record straight.
TMZ also posted a photo of Jackson with Freeway but that photo also included rapper Nipsey Hussle who reportedly is an LA crip.
Jackson maintains his innocence that he is not in anyway apart of or affiliated with any gangs. There are reportedly five different teams interested in the wide receiver. I hope he’s able to move on from this situation and continue a successful career.
The picture sent Twitter into an uproar after ESPN posted the photo without doing any research at all. ESPN went through Jackson’s Instagram photos and like other outlets just used whichever photos appeared to show gang signs using their hands.
Freeway was appalled that his photo was used in conjunction with the speculation and took to his Instagram account to set the record straight.
TMZ also posted a photo of Jackson with Freeway but that photo also included rapper Nipsey Hussle who reportedly is an LA crip.
Jackson maintains his innocence that he is not in anyway apart of or affiliated with any gangs. There are reportedly five different teams interested in the wide receiver. I hope he’s able to move on from this situation and continue a successful career.
Kobe Bryant: African Americans Shouldn’t Have Supported Trayvon Martin Just Because He’s Black
(AllHipHop News) Kobe Bryant wants to know all the facts before he shows any support for anyone. In a recent interview with The New Yorker, Kobe spoke on how African Americans’ support of Trayvon Martin was not “progress” if those people supported him without knowing all the facts.
On March 26th 2013, less than a month after Trayvon Martin was murdered by George Zimmerman, the Miami Heat players took a photo donning Black hoodies with the caption “#WeAreTrayvonMartin”. Even though the Heat’s head coach Erik Spolestra called it a “powerful move”,Kobe informed The New Yorker that it was indicative of a larger problem in the African American community and was not “progress”:
I won’t react to something just because I’m supposed to, because I’m an African-American. That argument doesn’t make any sense to me. So we want to advance as a society and a culture, but, say, if something happens to an African-American we immediately come to his defense? Yet you want to talk about how far we’ve progressed as a society? Well, we’ve progressed as a society, then don’t jump to somebody’s defense just because they’re African-American. You sit and you listen to the facts just like you would in any other situation, right? So I won’t assert myself.
While Kobe did not publicly show support for Trayvon Martin, he did show support on his personal Twitter account for the fallen 15 year old Hadiya Pendleton less than a month after she was murdered in late January of 2012. Ironically, he displayed his support on the day Trayvon Martin was murdered.
On March 26th 2013, less than a month after Trayvon Martin was murdered by George Zimmerman, the Miami Heat players took a photo donning Black hoodies with the caption “#WeAreTrayvonMartin”. Even though the Heat’s head coach Erik Spolestra called it a “powerful move”,Kobe informed The New Yorker that it was indicative of a larger problem in the African American community and was not “progress”:
I won’t react to something just because I’m supposed to, because I’m an African-American. That argument doesn’t make any sense to me. So we want to advance as a society and a culture, but, say, if something happens to an African-American we immediately come to his defense? Yet you want to talk about how far we’ve progressed as a society? Well, we’ve progressed as a society, then don’t jump to somebody’s defense just because they’re African-American. You sit and you listen to the facts just like you would in any other situation, right? So I won’t assert myself.
While Kobe did not publicly show support for Trayvon Martin, he did show support on his personal Twitter account for the fallen 15 year old Hadiya Pendleton less than a month after she was murdered in late January of 2012. Ironically, he displayed his support on the day Trayvon Martin was murdered.
How Floyd Mayweather has stayed unbeaten and on top of boxing
By Kevin Iole Yahoo Sports
LAS VEGAS – Floyd Mayweather arrived at the MGM Grand Saturday a little after 1 p.m. PT for a breakfast news conference to formally announce his May 3 bout with Marcos Maidana.
Of course, it was breakfast for Mayweather, who stepped to the podium not long after just waking up.
"I was up gambling [at the MGM] half the night last night," Mayweather said, struggling to appear alert. "I was here causing a riot."
As he was rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he looked around the crowded ballroom seeking out familiar faces. He spotted his daughter in the crowd and asked her to join him on the dais.
A few seconds later, he called his mother up to join him.
"Come on up, Mom," he said. "We ain't dressed the best, but we're getting paid."
Most of his remarks from the podium were little more than self-aggrandizement. But when he sat down for a half-hour to talk with the media, it became clear why he's 45-0 and the highest-paid athlete in the world.
Maidana got the fight by beating Adrien Broner on Dec. 14 in San Antonio. Broner was a heavy favorite and was outright dismissive of Maidana's skills.
It showed how little Broner understands about the sport, and Mayweather touched on that when he related a story about a time before the Maidana fight when he tried to give Broner advice.
Mayweather understands the necessity to put all of his attention on his upcoming opponent. He is one of the few boxers who does not have an opponent in the hole.
Many fighters go into a bout knowing if they win it, they'll get a certain other bout. That's great banter for fans and media, but for an athlete in a sport that can end in a split-second, it's a killer.
Mayweather doesn't do that.
Broner is a talented guy and tries to pass himself off as the second coming of Mayweather, but in terms of being a complete package, Broner is about as close to Mayweather as Jimmer Fredette is to LeBron James.
When Mayweather tried to help, Broner resisted and it cost him the fight.
"I don't want to say anything bad about Adrien Broner. You have to know when to turn it on and when to turn it off," Mayweather said. "Adrien Broner was at my house and we sat down and I talked to him and I tried to teach him some things about the sport of boxing. I tried to tell him about certain moves he needed to make and certain fights.
"He asked me a question and when I was telling him or teaching him different things, he said, 'Nah, big brother. I got this. I got it. I got it.' I said, 'Listen. Listen to me. It's different at this level. The same way you're treating them D-level and C-level fighters, the way you're treating them, you're not going to be able to do that against A- and B-level fighters.' It's totally different, and things happen."
But they haven't happened to Mayweather because he learned long ago the risks a boxer faces. The biggest problem a fighter has is letting fame impact his effort.
So many boxers make it to a certain level and they revel in the fruits of their labor. They get used to the fancy hotel suites and the first-class fights and the women who throw themselves at them and the things that their money can buy.
Mayweather lives a lavish lifestyle to be sure, but to this day, he still has a Spartan work ethic. He began training camp on Monday and sparred three times in the first five days.
His father, trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr., loved what he saw.
"My Dad was impressed, very impressed and I know if I impressed him in the first week, I was doing something right," he said.
Mayweather is not for everybody. There are many who dislike him because of he's outspoken and he flaunts his success.
There are others who believe he's been protected and don't like that he handpicks his opponents. Specifically, they're angered he won't agree to a fight with Manny Pacquiao.
None of it impacts Mayweather. He's going to live his life and run his career his way and won't let anyone deter him from doing what he wants to do.
"After 18 years, I've earned the right to pick and choose who I fight," Mayweather said. "And if you don't like it, don't watch. Nobody is forcing you to watch."
And despite all the success and all the riches and the planes and cars and jewels and girls and everything else, this remains a truism 18 years after he began his boxing career:
When it's time to work, no one in the sport works harder than Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Of course, it was breakfast for Mayweather, who stepped to the podium not long after just waking up.
"I was up gambling [at the MGM] half the night last night," Mayweather said, struggling to appear alert. "I was here causing a riot."
As he was rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he looked around the crowded ballroom seeking out familiar faces. He spotted his daughter in the crowd and asked her to join him on the dais.
A few seconds later, he called his mother up to join him.
"Come on up, Mom," he said. "We ain't dressed the best, but we're getting paid."
Most of his remarks from the podium were little more than self-aggrandizement. But when he sat down for a half-hour to talk with the media, it became clear why he's 45-0 and the highest-paid athlete in the world.
Maidana got the fight by beating Adrien Broner on Dec. 14 in San Antonio. Broner was a heavy favorite and was outright dismissive of Maidana's skills.
It showed how little Broner understands about the sport, and Mayweather touched on that when he related a story about a time before the Maidana fight when he tried to give Broner advice.
Mayweather understands the necessity to put all of his attention on his upcoming opponent. He is one of the few boxers who does not have an opponent in the hole.
Many fighters go into a bout knowing if they win it, they'll get a certain other bout. That's great banter for fans and media, but for an athlete in a sport that can end in a split-second, it's a killer.
Mayweather doesn't do that.
Broner is a talented guy and tries to pass himself off as the second coming of Mayweather, but in terms of being a complete package, Broner is about as close to Mayweather as Jimmer Fredette is to LeBron James.
When Mayweather tried to help, Broner resisted and it cost him the fight.
"I don't want to say anything bad about Adrien Broner. You have to know when to turn it on and when to turn it off," Mayweather said. "Adrien Broner was at my house and we sat down and I talked to him and I tried to teach him some things about the sport of boxing. I tried to tell him about certain moves he needed to make and certain fights.
"He asked me a question and when I was telling him or teaching him different things, he said, 'Nah, big brother. I got this. I got it. I got it.' I said, 'Listen. Listen to me. It's different at this level. The same way you're treating them D-level and C-level fighters, the way you're treating them, you're not going to be able to do that against A- and B-level fighters.' It's totally different, and things happen."
But they haven't happened to Mayweather because he learned long ago the risks a boxer faces. The biggest problem a fighter has is letting fame impact his effort.
So many boxers make it to a certain level and they revel in the fruits of their labor. They get used to the fancy hotel suites and the first-class fights and the women who throw themselves at them and the things that their money can buy.
Mayweather lives a lavish lifestyle to be sure, but to this day, he still has a Spartan work ethic. He began training camp on Monday and sparred three times in the first five days.
His father, trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr., loved what he saw.
"My Dad was impressed, very impressed and I know if I impressed him in the first week, I was doing something right," he said.
Mayweather is not for everybody. There are many who dislike him because of he's outspoken and he flaunts his success.
There are others who believe he's been protected and don't like that he handpicks his opponents. Specifically, they're angered he won't agree to a fight with Manny Pacquiao.
None of it impacts Mayweather. He's going to live his life and run his career his way and won't let anyone deter him from doing what he wants to do.
"After 18 years, I've earned the right to pick and choose who I fight," Mayweather said. "And if you don't like it, don't watch. Nobody is forcing you to watch."
And despite all the success and all the riches and the planes and cars and jewels and girls and everything else, this remains a truism 18 years after he began his boxing career:
When it's time to work, no one in the sport works harder than Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Allen Iverson sees his No. 3 retired by the 76ers
(CBS NEWS) PHILADELPHIA - Allen Iverson cupped his hand to his left ear and asked to hear his favorite tune one more time.
With that command, 20,000 roaring Philadelphia 76ers fans gave AI the standing ovation he earned by stamping himself as one of the franchise's all-time greats.
Iverson, emotional as he thanked former teammates and friends, had his No. 3 retired at halftime of Saturday's game against Washington.
High above the Wells Fargo Center court, Iverson's banner slipped between Maurice Cheeks' No. 10 and Charles Barkley's No. 34.
"They all wanted me to talk about how much y'all loved me," Iverson said, "but trust me, the feeling was mutual."
Iverson officially retired in October after last playing in 2010. He won four scoring titles for the Sixers and was the 2001 MVP when he led them to the NBA Finals. He never won a championship, the lone omission in a career that is destined for the Hall of Fame.
The Sixers may as well have turned the arena into an AI museum. Four banners greeted fans at the main concourse entrance, and photos of him were plastered all around the arena. The merchandise stands sold Iverson jerseys for $130, and lower level tickets were going for as much for $1,280 on Stubhub about an hour before the 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
The fans loved him, and he blew them kisses after the No. 3 was raised to show how much he loved them back.
"I am Philly," Iverson said. "It's always going to be that way."
Iverson's return injected a rare dose of excitement into a franchise playing some of the worst basketball in the league. The Sixers, in full-blown rebuilding mode, had lost 12 straight entering Saturday's game.
The losing didn't matter much Saturday, just the memories.
The Sixers wore special "Iverson Forever" patches on their jerseys and Iverson's 3 on their pregame warmup shirts.
"It's a great example of how this city responds to somebody that they clearly think the world of and brought such exciting times to the city of Philadelphia," Sixers coach Brett Brown said.
The Sixers' retirement gift was a boat named in honor of his nickname, "The Answer."
"It feels good," Iverson said after the ceremony, "but some part of my heart hurts because I know it's over."
Iverson joined Cheeks, Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain and Julius Erving among the eight retired numbers in franchise history. Erving attended the ceremony. Moses Malone, Dikembe Mutombo, Theo Ratliff, Gary Payton and former team president Pat Croce also were at the celebration.
Former coach Larry Brown, who both clashed with and loved Iverson over their tenure, sent a videotaped message.
"I just want to tell you, and I say this fondly: God put me there to coach you," Brown said.
Iverson said Brown was the player who molded him into one of the NBA's best.
"I always had raw talent," he said. "I needed Larry Brown to polish it up."
Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft and spent his first 10 seasons in Philadelphia. He also played for Denver, Detroit, and Memphis before returning to Philadelphia for a 25-game stint in 2009-10.
Iverson, who mashed hip-hop culture and hoops like no player before him, was perhaps at his peak in his fifth NBA season. The 165-pound guard averaged 31.1 points, was the MVP of the All-Star game and propped an entire franchise on his 6-foot frame all the way to the finals.
Led by Brown, the Sixers needed Game 7 wins in consecutive series for the right to play the Lakers. Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers swept their way through the postseason before Game 1 in Los Angeles.
Iverson had 48 points in 52 minutes of an overtime victory. The Sixers didn't have enough to go the distance and the Lakers won the next four games.
He's 21st on the NBA's career scoring list with 24,368 points over 914 career games. Iverson, drafted out of Georgetown, scored 30-plus points 345 times and was an 11-time All-Star.
His No. 3 jersey was a best seller around the globe, the headband wrapped snugly around his cornrows, and the tattoos were as much a part of his image as the way he ricochets around the court. Play every game like it was his last was more than a catchphrase, it was a lifestyle.
"Who could not be an Allen Iverson fan?" said Thaddeus Young, the lone current Sixers player who played with Iverson. "It got no bigger than him in Philadelphia."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was at the game for AI's night.
"Allen was a special player," Silver said before the game. "The great things he did for the league far outweigh the occasional headache. I always thought even at the time of Allen Iverson's prominence in the league, he was representative of his generation."
With that command, 20,000 roaring Philadelphia 76ers fans gave AI the standing ovation he earned by stamping himself as one of the franchise's all-time greats.
Iverson, emotional as he thanked former teammates and friends, had his No. 3 retired at halftime of Saturday's game against Washington.
High above the Wells Fargo Center court, Iverson's banner slipped between Maurice Cheeks' No. 10 and Charles Barkley's No. 34.
"They all wanted me to talk about how much y'all loved me," Iverson said, "but trust me, the feeling was mutual."
Iverson officially retired in October after last playing in 2010. He won four scoring titles for the Sixers and was the 2001 MVP when he led them to the NBA Finals. He never won a championship, the lone omission in a career that is destined for the Hall of Fame.
The Sixers may as well have turned the arena into an AI museum. Four banners greeted fans at the main concourse entrance, and photos of him were plastered all around the arena. The merchandise stands sold Iverson jerseys for $130, and lower level tickets were going for as much for $1,280 on Stubhub about an hour before the 7:30 p.m. tipoff.
The fans loved him, and he blew them kisses after the No. 3 was raised to show how much he loved them back.
"I am Philly," Iverson said. "It's always going to be that way."
Iverson's return injected a rare dose of excitement into a franchise playing some of the worst basketball in the league. The Sixers, in full-blown rebuilding mode, had lost 12 straight entering Saturday's game.
The losing didn't matter much Saturday, just the memories.
The Sixers wore special "Iverson Forever" patches on their jerseys and Iverson's 3 on their pregame warmup shirts.
"It's a great example of how this city responds to somebody that they clearly think the world of and brought such exciting times to the city of Philadelphia," Sixers coach Brett Brown said.
The Sixers' retirement gift was a boat named in honor of his nickname, "The Answer."
"It feels good," Iverson said after the ceremony, "but some part of my heart hurts because I know it's over."
Iverson joined Cheeks, Barkley, Wilt Chamberlain and Julius Erving among the eight retired numbers in franchise history. Erving attended the ceremony. Moses Malone, Dikembe Mutombo, Theo Ratliff, Gary Payton and former team president Pat Croce also were at the celebration.
Former coach Larry Brown, who both clashed with and loved Iverson over their tenure, sent a videotaped message.
"I just want to tell you, and I say this fondly: God put me there to coach you," Brown said.
Iverson said Brown was the player who molded him into one of the NBA's best.
"I always had raw talent," he said. "I needed Larry Brown to polish it up."
Iverson was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft and spent his first 10 seasons in Philadelphia. He also played for Denver, Detroit, and Memphis before returning to Philadelphia for a 25-game stint in 2009-10.
Iverson, who mashed hip-hop culture and hoops like no player before him, was perhaps at his peak in his fifth NBA season. The 165-pound guard averaged 31.1 points, was the MVP of the All-Star game and propped an entire franchise on his 6-foot frame all the way to the finals.
Led by Brown, the Sixers needed Game 7 wins in consecutive series for the right to play the Lakers. Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and the Lakers swept their way through the postseason before Game 1 in Los Angeles.
Iverson had 48 points in 52 minutes of an overtime victory. The Sixers didn't have enough to go the distance and the Lakers won the next four games.
He's 21st on the NBA's career scoring list with 24,368 points over 914 career games. Iverson, drafted out of Georgetown, scored 30-plus points 345 times and was an 11-time All-Star.
His No. 3 jersey was a best seller around the globe, the headband wrapped snugly around his cornrows, and the tattoos were as much a part of his image as the way he ricochets around the court. Play every game like it was his last was more than a catchphrase, it was a lifestyle.
"Who could not be an Allen Iverson fan?" said Thaddeus Young, the lone current Sixers player who played with Iverson. "It got no bigger than him in Philadelphia."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver was at the game for AI's night.
"Allen was a special player," Silver said before the game. "The great things he did for the league far outweigh the occasional headache. I always thought even at the time of Allen Iverson's prominence in the league, he was representative of his generation."
No Such Thing as "Too Sexy" to be a Rapist
EbonyMag
Earlier this week, Tempe, Arizona police released documents that detail even more rape allegations against former NFL star Darren Sharper, who today will appear in court to face rape charges stemming from separate incidents in Los Angeles. In total, Sharper's alleged to have drugged 11 people and raped 7 women across 4 states. It's shocking when anyone faces charges of being a serial rapist, but in the case of Sharper, folks have expressed an added undercurrent of confusion over how a man that good looking could do something that horrible. But he's handsome! Handsome men don't need to rape women!
The story of Darren Sharper's alleged double life is so fucked up that it seems almost tailor made to be a RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES episode of Law & Order: SVU or a Lifetime Original movie called "Unsportsmanlike Conduct." In addition to having an impressive career with several teams in the NFL, the 38-year-old commentator on the NFL network was active in pro-woman charities. He participated in a breast cancer charity called Get Checked or Check Out, was a vocal cheerleader of a women's sports camp called Football Camp for Her (on November 1st, he touted a charity event for the organization on Twitter, telling women that if they attended they would be "touched in many ways"). He contributed to a book called "NFL Dads Dedicated to Daughters," when, according to WWLT, he wrote,
My daughter makes me mindful of how women are treated: undervalued and exploited. Which is why I feel compelled to take advantage of this opportunity to speak up about domestic violence.
Sharper was pretty beloved on a superficial level, too, a regular in Sexiest Players In The NFL slideshows. Blog posts raved about his dimples (and speculated about his sexuality, on account of the fact that he's so pretty). Pinterest users regularly featured him on their requisite sexy dude boards. He even dated Gabrielle Union for a spell. Despite allegations that, as a Minnesota Viking in 2005, he participated in that team's infamous "pleasure cruise" scandal, his reputation was pretty clean to the casual NFL observer.
Meanwhile, Sharper was allegedly up to all kinds of awful shit. According to court documents filed in Los Angeles last week, Sharper drugged 11 people — 10 women and one man — and raped 7 women between September of last year and mid-January of this year. The MO in all of the allegations is chillingly similar — victims reported meeting Sharper at a nightclub, being invited back to his hotel room or apartment, and then given a drink by Sharper. The victims report that shortly thereafter, they passed out. Some say they woke up while Sharper was sexually assaulting them; others say they woke up the next day in varying states of undress and with no memory of what happened the night before except for a feeling that they'd been sexually assaulted. In at least a couple of the incidents, one woman reported seeing Sharper sexually assaulting her passed out friend. Here's the LA Times with more on that.
The first case mentioned in court documents occurred Sept. 22, when the alleged victim met Sharper at an event for the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans police said the woman reported drinking a beverage provided by Sharper. Her next memory was several hours later, waking up "to Defendant Sharper on top of her sexually assaulting her." She was examined at a hospital the next day and Sharper's DNA was found, court records said.
Less than 24 hours after that alleged assault occurred, Sharper was attending a charity event for his women's football camp. Touched in many ways, indeed.
Sharper's appearing in court today to face charges regarding allegations that he raped two women on two separate incidents that he met in the same Los Angeles night club, as well as charges that he drugged 5 people with a combination of morphine and Ambien in conjunction with those rapes. If he's convicted, he could face 30 years in prison. But even if he's exonerated as his lawyers are being paid to insist he will be, he's not off the hook by any means; in Las Vegas, Louisiana, and Tempe, Arizona, investigations are still ongoing. Tempe police say that they're close to filing charges in the incident that occurred there detailed in documents released Tuesday.
Sharper has been suspended indefinitely from his job at the NFL network. (No word yet from the NFL if having him back in the broadcasting booth would be more of a "distraction" than having a gay player suit up.)
Things do not look good for the good-looking Darren Sharper, and there will almost certainly be more developments as more facts come to light. But the Sharper scandal has brought bubbling to the surface something deeply fucked up about the way people think who rapes, why they rape, and how they rape.
If we ignore the deeply racist, deliberately trolly comments on stories about the allegations against Sharper, a shocking amount of commentary about the rapes comments on perceived tension between Sharper's good looks and his "need" to rape, as though rape is something that only ugly, poor guys do because women don't pay attention to them. Here are some things people — some bloggers, some Tweeters, some commenters — actually wrote about Sharper in the wake of the rape charges:
Darren is a sexy man!!! Can't imagine him having to rape anybody to get some!!
I doubt it. He does not need to rape a beaux! They give it up willingly for a high price! But if you cross him watch out.
Darren Sharper Can't Get The Willing Coochie Anymore???
Darren Sharper is too fine to be raping people... (That has nothing to do with him being sick but still)
Darren Sharper too fine to be out here living that roofie life. Unless his peepee is just SUPER itty bitty...
Whaaaat! With dimples like that why would he have to rape anyone? Damn, I hope it's not true I used to love him on the Saints.
SMH I don't get it. Why would Darren Sharper fine ass need to rape somebody? It's a hoax for sure! Has to be.
Darren sharper too fine to do the raping...he should be fighting from getting raped by women
Darren sharper is sexy and handsome, hoes probably tryna set him up. I know them hoes lying.
Despite the mounting evidence against him, some people seem to believe that a good looking man couldn't possibly be a monster. If moral people aren't always usually exceptionally good looking, then has Disney been leading me astray all these years? Sick garbage-people come in all colors, shapes, sizes, and, yeah, sometimes they're handsome and maybe they once dated Gabrielle Union and maybe they do charity work. Maybe they have money and look really good in suits. None of this means they're incapable of rape. Allowing an alleged rapist's attractiveness and money to cast doubt on his innocence or guilt displays a profound lack of understanding of what rape is, what it's about, and who does it. It also gives people yet another excuse to doubt rape victims. These hoes are lying, obviously. Because of course they wanted to fuck him. Because everybody wanted to fuck him.
Rapists do not want to fuck. They want to rape.
Read it at Jezebel.
Read more at EBONY http://www.ebony.com/black-listed/news-views/no-such-thing-as-too-sexy-to-be-a-rapist-981#ixzz2tyMCU8z2
Follow us: @EbonyMag on Twitter | EbonyMag on Facebook
The story of Darren Sharper's alleged double life is so fucked up that it seems almost tailor made to be a RIPPED FROM THE HEADLINES episode of Law & Order: SVU or a Lifetime Original movie called "Unsportsmanlike Conduct." In addition to having an impressive career with several teams in the NFL, the 38-year-old commentator on the NFL network was active in pro-woman charities. He participated in a breast cancer charity called Get Checked or Check Out, was a vocal cheerleader of a women's sports camp called Football Camp for Her (on November 1st, he touted a charity event for the organization on Twitter, telling women that if they attended they would be "touched in many ways"). He contributed to a book called "NFL Dads Dedicated to Daughters," when, according to WWLT, he wrote,
My daughter makes me mindful of how women are treated: undervalued and exploited. Which is why I feel compelled to take advantage of this opportunity to speak up about domestic violence.
Sharper was pretty beloved on a superficial level, too, a regular in Sexiest Players In The NFL slideshows. Blog posts raved about his dimples (and speculated about his sexuality, on account of the fact that he's so pretty). Pinterest users regularly featured him on their requisite sexy dude boards. He even dated Gabrielle Union for a spell. Despite allegations that, as a Minnesota Viking in 2005, he participated in that team's infamous "pleasure cruise" scandal, his reputation was pretty clean to the casual NFL observer.
Meanwhile, Sharper was allegedly up to all kinds of awful shit. According to court documents filed in Los Angeles last week, Sharper drugged 11 people — 10 women and one man — and raped 7 women between September of last year and mid-January of this year. The MO in all of the allegations is chillingly similar — victims reported meeting Sharper at a nightclub, being invited back to his hotel room or apartment, and then given a drink by Sharper. The victims report that shortly thereafter, they passed out. Some say they woke up while Sharper was sexually assaulting them; others say they woke up the next day in varying states of undress and with no memory of what happened the night before except for a feeling that they'd been sexually assaulted. In at least a couple of the incidents, one woman reported seeing Sharper sexually assaulting her passed out friend. Here's the LA Times with more on that.
The first case mentioned in court documents occurred Sept. 22, when the alleged victim met Sharper at an event for the New Orleans Saints. New Orleans police said the woman reported drinking a beverage provided by Sharper. Her next memory was several hours later, waking up "to Defendant Sharper on top of her sexually assaulting her." She was examined at a hospital the next day and Sharper's DNA was found, court records said.
Less than 24 hours after that alleged assault occurred, Sharper was attending a charity event for his women's football camp. Touched in many ways, indeed.
Sharper's appearing in court today to face charges regarding allegations that he raped two women on two separate incidents that he met in the same Los Angeles night club, as well as charges that he drugged 5 people with a combination of morphine and Ambien in conjunction with those rapes. If he's convicted, he could face 30 years in prison. But even if he's exonerated as his lawyers are being paid to insist he will be, he's not off the hook by any means; in Las Vegas, Louisiana, and Tempe, Arizona, investigations are still ongoing. Tempe police say that they're close to filing charges in the incident that occurred there detailed in documents released Tuesday.
Sharper has been suspended indefinitely from his job at the NFL network. (No word yet from the NFL if having him back in the broadcasting booth would be more of a "distraction" than having a gay player suit up.)
Things do not look good for the good-looking Darren Sharper, and there will almost certainly be more developments as more facts come to light. But the Sharper scandal has brought bubbling to the surface something deeply fucked up about the way people think who rapes, why they rape, and how they rape.
If we ignore the deeply racist, deliberately trolly comments on stories about the allegations against Sharper, a shocking amount of commentary about the rapes comments on perceived tension between Sharper's good looks and his "need" to rape, as though rape is something that only ugly, poor guys do because women don't pay attention to them. Here are some things people — some bloggers, some Tweeters, some commenters — actually wrote about Sharper in the wake of the rape charges:
Darren is a sexy man!!! Can't imagine him having to rape anybody to get some!!
I doubt it. He does not need to rape a beaux! They give it up willingly for a high price! But if you cross him watch out.
Darren Sharper Can't Get The Willing Coochie Anymore???
Darren Sharper is too fine to be raping people... (That has nothing to do with him being sick but still)
Darren Sharper too fine to be out here living that roofie life. Unless his peepee is just SUPER itty bitty...
Whaaaat! With dimples like that why would he have to rape anyone? Damn, I hope it's not true I used to love him on the Saints.
SMH I don't get it. Why would Darren Sharper fine ass need to rape somebody? It's a hoax for sure! Has to be.
Darren sharper too fine to do the raping...he should be fighting from getting raped by women
Darren sharper is sexy and handsome, hoes probably tryna set him up. I know them hoes lying.
Despite the mounting evidence against him, some people seem to believe that a good looking man couldn't possibly be a monster. If moral people aren't always usually exceptionally good looking, then has Disney been leading me astray all these years? Sick garbage-people come in all colors, shapes, sizes, and, yeah, sometimes they're handsome and maybe they once dated Gabrielle Union and maybe they do charity work. Maybe they have money and look really good in suits. None of this means they're incapable of rape. Allowing an alleged rapist's attractiveness and money to cast doubt on his innocence or guilt displays a profound lack of understanding of what rape is, what it's about, and who does it. It also gives people yet another excuse to doubt rape victims. These hoes are lying, obviously. Because of course they wanted to fuck him. Because everybody wanted to fuck him.
Rapists do not want to fuck. They want to rape.
Read it at Jezebel.
Read more at EBONY http://www.ebony.com/black-listed/news-views/no-such-thing-as-too-sexy-to-be-a-rapist-981#ixzz2tyMCU8z2
Follow us: @EbonyMag on Twitter | EbonyMag on Facebook
Suffocating, swarming, dominant, Seattle's D leads team to first title
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Offense still predominates in today's NFL, attracting most of the attention, glory and fantasy football style points. But on Sunday night at MetLife Stadium, Seattle's defense was virtually the whole reason the Seahawks rule the league for the first time in franchise history.
All together now, let's remind ourselves of an oldie but a goodie that just came back in vogue: Defense wins championships.
If there were a lesson to be learned from Super Bowl XLVIII, it's that all No. 1's are not created equal. Denver's No. 1-ranked offense was simply no match for Seattle's No. 1-ranked defense. And the Seahawks' unexpectedly huge 43-8 margin of victory proved that in this strength against strength glamor matchup, only Seattle's side brought the muscle.
MORE COVERAGE: Best and worst | Super Bowl Snaps | What happened to Broncos?
Suffocating, swarming and dominant from start to finish, Seattle's "Legion of Boom''-led defense stole the entire show in this much-anticipated Super Bowl, playing a near-perfect game and rendering Denver's record-breaking offense an afterthought. All game long, there was little or no room for the Broncos to do much of anything, and the Seahawks seemingly had the answer for everything Denver tried.
The Broncos couldn't run, couldn't pass effectively and couldn't hold onto the football, committing four turnovers. Denver had 11 possessions and only one ended in points, an impossibly weak showing by a team that averaged almost 38 points per game in the regular season and broke the NFL's all-time single-season scoring record with 606 points.
And it was Seattle's relentlessly hard-hitting defense that made Denver's nightmare scenario unfold, scoring a safety on the game's first snap from scrimmage and never slowing down.
"The thing that I was most impressed about was that we played the style and fashion that we're accustomed to,'' Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said. "We're fast, we're physical and we played this game on our terms. That was one of the things we went into the game saying. For us to go into the game in that way and have it come true, that was awesome.''
The backbone of Seattle's victory was straightforward. The Seahawks attacked Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, disrupted his timing and rhythm and consistently forced him off his spot in the pocket due to pass pressure. He was only sacked once, but Manning felt the heat generated by Seattle, and the Seahawks pass rush directly contributed to both of his interceptions -- the second of which was returned 69 yards for a touchdown by Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith, an outside linebacker.
Manning looked rattled at times, turned sloppy and mistake-prone, and never remotely came close to finding enough breathing room and gaps in the Seattle defense to do any consistent damage. The NFL's reigning MVP looked mortal, for the first time all season, and the Broncos offensive line basically self-destructed in front of him.
"Our guys know how to rush,'' Quinn said of Seattle's ability to penetrate and invade a quarterback's personal space. "We knew when you face a quarterback like [Manning], you better be able to affect him. We didn't talk about the size of the hits, we talked about can we get him off the spot? It's just another example of how we have a really deep front. Some days you have to play really hard ball against a running team, and there's times like tonight where it's going to be more featured pass rush.''
That pass rush and the ability to affect Manning had plenty to do with Seattle scoring a Super Bowl-record 36 consecutive points to open the game, and holding Denver under 17 points for the first time in the team's 35-game Manning era. Manning hadn't trailed by more than 29 points in any game since his Colts lost 41-0 to the Jets in the first round of the 2002 playoffs.
"It was a fantastic night on defense,'' said Pete Carroll, a former defensive assistant in the NFL. "We didn't get to [Manning] as much as we'd like to, but we got to him in key situations and made the ball come our way. We had four turnovers. They got none. That's all about how the defense is getting after it, and also the offense is taking care of it.''
Smith won the game MVP honors for his interception and a later fumble recovery, but the entire Seattle defense seemingly got involved in the destruction of Denver. Defensive end Cliff Avril was constantly in Manning's grill, and his pressure accounted for both interceptions. Safety Kam Chancellor picked off Manning late in the first quarter, leading to a Seattle touchdown and a 15-0 lead, and defensive endChris Clemons contributed a sack, two forced fumbles and a key pass defensed.
Seattle never let Denver get comfortable on offense, collecting those four takeaways and keeping the Broncos from picking up a first down until 10:30 remained in the first half. By that point, the Seahawks had scored four times. In the tone-setting first quarter, Denver ran just seven plays for 11 yards, with just 3:19 of possession time. When the game was still in doubt, the Seahawks' level of domination was that thorough and that all encompassing.
"We thought we could hold them to zero points,'' Seattle middle linebacker Bobby Wagner said. "That would have been even better. We felt that they haven't played a defense like ours. We were fast, and hitting. Those pick routes weren't working on us and it showed.
"Everything, from the special teams to the offense to the defense, I feel like everybody was clicking. Everybody was doing their job and we peaked at the right time."
Manning didn't disagree with that assessment, but he repeatedly cited Seattle's ability to get an early lead as the game's deciding factor. The disaster started as almost as early as possible for Denver, when center Manny Ramirez snapped the ball over Manning's head and into the end zone for a safety on the Broncos' first play from scrimmage. Twelve seconds into the game, Denver trailed 2-0, and the hole only grew larger from there.
"They have an excellent defense,'' said Manning who set a Super Bowl record for completions, with a 34-of-49 showing for 280 yards that somehow still lacked for impact. "But certainly to get behind and give them the lead played into their hands. That's what they do to a lot of teams. We certainly didn't want to do that. We got behind early and never could make a run to catch up. From that standpoint, it was disadvantage for us and an advantage for them.''
It was a statement game for Seattle that came through loud and clear. The Seahawks made their case for being mentioned among the best defenses in league history, and Exhibit A was their humbling of Manning and a Denver offense that was thought unstoppable.
"We showed them that we're up there,'' said Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman, of the greatest defense debate. "We're a bunch of misfits, in some ways ... with a lot of guys that not a lot of people have heard of. But I think [the world] learned how complete of a team we are and how complete our defense is.''
Indeed it did. Offense may still rule the NFL, but the triumphant Seahawks got the job done their way, and showed the football world there's still room at the top for defense.
sportsillustrated.cnn.com
All together now, let's remind ourselves of an oldie but a goodie that just came back in vogue: Defense wins championships.
If there were a lesson to be learned from Super Bowl XLVIII, it's that all No. 1's are not created equal. Denver's No. 1-ranked offense was simply no match for Seattle's No. 1-ranked defense. And the Seahawks' unexpectedly huge 43-8 margin of victory proved that in this strength against strength glamor matchup, only Seattle's side brought the muscle.
MORE COVERAGE: Best and worst | Super Bowl Snaps | What happened to Broncos?
Suffocating, swarming and dominant from start to finish, Seattle's "Legion of Boom''-led defense stole the entire show in this much-anticipated Super Bowl, playing a near-perfect game and rendering Denver's record-breaking offense an afterthought. All game long, there was little or no room for the Broncos to do much of anything, and the Seahawks seemingly had the answer for everything Denver tried.
The Broncos couldn't run, couldn't pass effectively and couldn't hold onto the football, committing four turnovers. Denver had 11 possessions and only one ended in points, an impossibly weak showing by a team that averaged almost 38 points per game in the regular season and broke the NFL's all-time single-season scoring record with 606 points.
And it was Seattle's relentlessly hard-hitting defense that made Denver's nightmare scenario unfold, scoring a safety on the game's first snap from scrimmage and never slowing down.
"The thing that I was most impressed about was that we played the style and fashion that we're accustomed to,'' Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn said. "We're fast, we're physical and we played this game on our terms. That was one of the things we went into the game saying. For us to go into the game in that way and have it come true, that was awesome.''
The backbone of Seattle's victory was straightforward. The Seahawks attacked Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, disrupted his timing and rhythm and consistently forced him off his spot in the pocket due to pass pressure. He was only sacked once, but Manning felt the heat generated by Seattle, and the Seahawks pass rush directly contributed to both of his interceptions -- the second of which was returned 69 yards for a touchdown by Super Bowl MVP Malcolm Smith, an outside linebacker.
Manning looked rattled at times, turned sloppy and mistake-prone, and never remotely came close to finding enough breathing room and gaps in the Seattle defense to do any consistent damage. The NFL's reigning MVP looked mortal, for the first time all season, and the Broncos offensive line basically self-destructed in front of him.
"Our guys know how to rush,'' Quinn said of Seattle's ability to penetrate and invade a quarterback's personal space. "We knew when you face a quarterback like [Manning], you better be able to affect him. We didn't talk about the size of the hits, we talked about can we get him off the spot? It's just another example of how we have a really deep front. Some days you have to play really hard ball against a running team, and there's times like tonight where it's going to be more featured pass rush.''
That pass rush and the ability to affect Manning had plenty to do with Seattle scoring a Super Bowl-record 36 consecutive points to open the game, and holding Denver under 17 points for the first time in the team's 35-game Manning era. Manning hadn't trailed by more than 29 points in any game since his Colts lost 41-0 to the Jets in the first round of the 2002 playoffs.
"It was a fantastic night on defense,'' said Pete Carroll, a former defensive assistant in the NFL. "We didn't get to [Manning] as much as we'd like to, but we got to him in key situations and made the ball come our way. We had four turnovers. They got none. That's all about how the defense is getting after it, and also the offense is taking care of it.''
Smith won the game MVP honors for his interception and a later fumble recovery, but the entire Seattle defense seemingly got involved in the destruction of Denver. Defensive end Cliff Avril was constantly in Manning's grill, and his pressure accounted for both interceptions. Safety Kam Chancellor picked off Manning late in the first quarter, leading to a Seattle touchdown and a 15-0 lead, and defensive endChris Clemons contributed a sack, two forced fumbles and a key pass defensed.
Seattle never let Denver get comfortable on offense, collecting those four takeaways and keeping the Broncos from picking up a first down until 10:30 remained in the first half. By that point, the Seahawks had scored four times. In the tone-setting first quarter, Denver ran just seven plays for 11 yards, with just 3:19 of possession time. When the game was still in doubt, the Seahawks' level of domination was that thorough and that all encompassing.
"We thought we could hold them to zero points,'' Seattle middle linebacker Bobby Wagner said. "That would have been even better. We felt that they haven't played a defense like ours. We were fast, and hitting. Those pick routes weren't working on us and it showed.
"Everything, from the special teams to the offense to the defense, I feel like everybody was clicking. Everybody was doing their job and we peaked at the right time."
Manning didn't disagree with that assessment, but he repeatedly cited Seattle's ability to get an early lead as the game's deciding factor. The disaster started as almost as early as possible for Denver, when center Manny Ramirez snapped the ball over Manning's head and into the end zone for a safety on the Broncos' first play from scrimmage. Twelve seconds into the game, Denver trailed 2-0, and the hole only grew larger from there.
"They have an excellent defense,'' said Manning who set a Super Bowl record for completions, with a 34-of-49 showing for 280 yards that somehow still lacked for impact. "But certainly to get behind and give them the lead played into their hands. That's what they do to a lot of teams. We certainly didn't want to do that. We got behind early and never could make a run to catch up. From that standpoint, it was disadvantage for us and an advantage for them.''
It was a statement game for Seattle that came through loud and clear. The Seahawks made their case for being mentioned among the best defenses in league history, and Exhibit A was their humbling of Manning and a Denver offense that was thought unstoppable.
"We showed them that we're up there,'' said Seattle cornerback Richard Sherman, of the greatest defense debate. "We're a bunch of misfits, in some ways ... with a lot of guys that not a lot of people have heard of. But I think [the world] learned how complete of a team we are and how complete our defense is.''
Indeed it did. Offense may still rule the NFL, but the triumphant Seahawks got the job done their way, and showed the football world there's still room at the top for defense.
sportsillustrated.cnn.com
Mayweather top fighter for 2nd time
By Dan Rafael | ESPN.com
Pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr., who dominated both of his world title fights in two different weight divisions in 2013, was voted winner of the Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter of the Year award in balloting results announced by the Boxing Writers Association of America on Tuesday.
It is the second time Mayweather has won the award. He also won in 2007, the last time he fought at least two times in a calendar year.
"It is a great honor to be voted by the BWAA as fighter of the year. To be recognized by this organization is special and I truly appreciate it," Mayweather said in a statement given to ESPN.com. "I also want to congratulate the other winners and also recognize my fellow nominees, whose achievements in the ring this past year afforded them nominations too."
Mayweather (45-0, 26 KOs), who turns 37 on Feb. 24, was as dominant as ever last year, easily outpointing interim titlist Robert Guerrero to retain his welterweight world title in May and doing the same against Canelo Alvarez in a junior middleweight unification fight in September. The Mayweather-Alvarez fight also shattered numerous financial records, including domestic pay-per-view revenue ($150 million) and live gate ($20 million).
"I have dedicated my whole career to being the best and because of that I have been on top for 17 years," Mayweather said. "Hard work and dedication got me there and awards like these help keep me there too. On behalf of myself and the entire Money Team, I thank you so very much."
The Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier Fight of the Year award went to the brutal slugfest between Timothy Bradley Jr. and Ruslan Provodnikov, who slugged it out in a dramatic battle on March 16 in Carson, Calif. Bradley was nearly knocked out in the first and second rounds and was knocked down in the final seconds of a fight, but he also dished out a lot of punishment in a fight that featured tremendous ebb and flow. Bradley won a close unanimous decision to retain his welterweight world title.
Stung by criticism that he was a boring fighter, Bradley said afterward that he had purposely tried to engage Provodnikov, a noted brawler, because he wanted to prove that he could be exciting.
"It's unbelievable. I can't even imagine, Timothy Bradley in a fight of the year," Bradley said after ESPN.com had informed him that he had won. "It takes two people willing to engage in that type of action so I gotta give major props to Ruslan Provodnikov for bringing the best out of me. We put it all on the line. We put our lives on the line. I hope that all the fans really appreciated that night.
"I have talked to so many different people who say it was the best fight they have seen in a long time or that it is the best fight they have ever seen, and I'm a part of it. Who would think Timothy Bradley would be in a fight of the year and win the fight of the year? It's a huge accomplishment."
Freddie Roach won his sixth Eddie Futch Trainer of the Year award, a BWAA record, thanks in large part to his work with Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto and Provodnikov.
Pacquiao rebounded to dominate Brandon Rios in November for a lopsided decision victory after having been knocked out in his previous fight in 2012. Working with Cotto for the first time, Roach had him well-prepared for his crushing third-round knockout of Delvin Rodriguez in October as Cotto shook off a two-fight losing streak and looked as good as he had in ages. Later in October, Provodnikov knocked out Mike Alvarado in the 10th round in Alvarado's hometown of Denver to win a junior welterweight world title. Although Roach was not in the corner on fight night because of another obligation, he trained Provodnikov for the bout.
"It's nice to be back in the mix. We had a bad year (in 2012) and we had a much better year (in 2013)," Roach told ESPN.com. "No. 6? I love being recognized for what we do but without the fighters I wouldn't be here."
Roach also won the award -- which is named for the late Hall of Famer Futch, Roach's mentor and trainer during his boxing career -- in 2003, 2006 and 2008-2010.
The Cus D'Amato Manager of the Year went to Al Haymon, whose list of clients is long and impressive, including Mayweather, junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia, welterweight titleholders Marcos Maidana and Shawn Porter, former welterweight titlists Adrien Broner and Devon Alexander, interim welterweight titlist Keith Thurman, junior welterweight contender Lucas Matthysse, junior featherweight titlist Leo Santa Cruz and top heavyweight prospect Deontay Wilder. All of them have earned career-high purses under the powerful Haymon's guidance.
Other awards:
The Barney Nagler Long and Meritorious Service award to boxing was a tie between Top Rank publicist Lee Samuels and famed broadcaster Colonel Bob Sheridan.
The Sam Taub award for excellence in broadcast journalism went to former two-division titleholder Paulie Malignaggi, who is still an active fighter but has blossomed in his role as a color analyst on Showtime and Fox Sports 1 boxing telecasts.
The Marvin Kohn Good Guy award will be collected by ring announcer Jimmy Lennon, who was also inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in June.
Former welterweight titleholder Paul Williams, whose career end abruptly when he was paralyzed from the waist down in a motorcycle crash in 2012, has kept an inspiring upbeat attitude and was voted winner of the Bill Crawford award for courage in overcoming adversity.
In previously announced awards, this writer was voted winner of the 2013 Nat Fleischer award for excellence in boxing journalism, a career achievement award that can only won once and is voted on by past winners, and Sandy Grady was selected as the A.J. Liebling award winner for outstanding boxing writing.
Winners will be honored at the BWAA annual awards banquet, which will take place in May or June at a site to be determined.
Pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr., who dominated both of his world title fights in two different weight divisions in 2013, was voted winner of the Sugar Ray Robinson Fighter of the Year award in balloting results announced by the Boxing Writers Association of America on Tuesday.
It is the second time Mayweather has won the award. He also won in 2007, the last time he fought at least two times in a calendar year.
"It is a great honor to be voted by the BWAA as fighter of the year. To be recognized by this organization is special and I truly appreciate it," Mayweather said in a statement given to ESPN.com. "I also want to congratulate the other winners and also recognize my fellow nominees, whose achievements in the ring this past year afforded them nominations too."
Mayweather (45-0, 26 KOs), who turns 37 on Feb. 24, was as dominant as ever last year, easily outpointing interim titlist Robert Guerrero to retain his welterweight world title in May and doing the same against Canelo Alvarez in a junior middleweight unification fight in September. The Mayweather-Alvarez fight also shattered numerous financial records, including domestic pay-per-view revenue ($150 million) and live gate ($20 million).
"I have dedicated my whole career to being the best and because of that I have been on top for 17 years," Mayweather said. "Hard work and dedication got me there and awards like these help keep me there too. On behalf of myself and the entire Money Team, I thank you so very much."
The Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier Fight of the Year award went to the brutal slugfest between Timothy Bradley Jr. and Ruslan Provodnikov, who slugged it out in a dramatic battle on March 16 in Carson, Calif. Bradley was nearly knocked out in the first and second rounds and was knocked down in the final seconds of a fight, but he also dished out a lot of punishment in a fight that featured tremendous ebb and flow. Bradley won a close unanimous decision to retain his welterweight world title.
Stung by criticism that he was a boring fighter, Bradley said afterward that he had purposely tried to engage Provodnikov, a noted brawler, because he wanted to prove that he could be exciting.
"It's unbelievable. I can't even imagine, Timothy Bradley in a fight of the year," Bradley said after ESPN.com had informed him that he had won. "It takes two people willing to engage in that type of action so I gotta give major props to Ruslan Provodnikov for bringing the best out of me. We put it all on the line. We put our lives on the line. I hope that all the fans really appreciated that night.
"I have talked to so many different people who say it was the best fight they have seen in a long time or that it is the best fight they have ever seen, and I'm a part of it. Who would think Timothy Bradley would be in a fight of the year and win the fight of the year? It's a huge accomplishment."
Freddie Roach won his sixth Eddie Futch Trainer of the Year award, a BWAA record, thanks in large part to his work with Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto and Provodnikov.
Pacquiao rebounded to dominate Brandon Rios in November for a lopsided decision victory after having been knocked out in his previous fight in 2012. Working with Cotto for the first time, Roach had him well-prepared for his crushing third-round knockout of Delvin Rodriguez in October as Cotto shook off a two-fight losing streak and looked as good as he had in ages. Later in October, Provodnikov knocked out Mike Alvarado in the 10th round in Alvarado's hometown of Denver to win a junior welterweight world title. Although Roach was not in the corner on fight night because of another obligation, he trained Provodnikov for the bout.
"It's nice to be back in the mix. We had a bad year (in 2012) and we had a much better year (in 2013)," Roach told ESPN.com. "No. 6? I love being recognized for what we do but without the fighters I wouldn't be here."
Roach also won the award -- which is named for the late Hall of Famer Futch, Roach's mentor and trainer during his boxing career -- in 2003, 2006 and 2008-2010.
The Cus D'Amato Manager of the Year went to Al Haymon, whose list of clients is long and impressive, including Mayweather, junior welterweight champion Danny Garcia, welterweight titleholders Marcos Maidana and Shawn Porter, former welterweight titlists Adrien Broner and Devon Alexander, interim welterweight titlist Keith Thurman, junior welterweight contender Lucas Matthysse, junior featherweight titlist Leo Santa Cruz and top heavyweight prospect Deontay Wilder. All of them have earned career-high purses under the powerful Haymon's guidance.
Other awards:
The Barney Nagler Long and Meritorious Service award to boxing was a tie between Top Rank publicist Lee Samuels and famed broadcaster Colonel Bob Sheridan.
The Sam Taub award for excellence in broadcast journalism went to former two-division titleholder Paulie Malignaggi, who is still an active fighter but has blossomed in his role as a color analyst on Showtime and Fox Sports 1 boxing telecasts.
The Marvin Kohn Good Guy award will be collected by ring announcer Jimmy Lennon, who was also inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in June.
Former welterweight titleholder Paul Williams, whose career end abruptly when he was paralyzed from the waist down in a motorcycle crash in 2012, has kept an inspiring upbeat attitude and was voted winner of the Bill Crawford award for courage in overcoming adversity.
In previously announced awards, this writer was voted winner of the 2013 Nat Fleischer award for excellence in boxing journalism, a career achievement award that can only won once and is voted on by past winners, and Sandy Grady was selected as the A.J. Liebling award winner for outstanding boxing writing.
Winners will be honored at the BWAA annual awards banquet, which will take place in May or June at a site to be determined.
Tito Ortiz Charged with Two Counts of DUI Stemming From Jan. 6 Car Crash and Arrest
(Yahoo Sports) Former UFC light heavyweight champion and current Bellator MMA fighter Tito Ortiz was in court on Monday where he was officially charged with two counts of DUI.
The charges stem from an early morning accident on Jan. 6, where Ortiz crashed his white 2012 Porsche Panamera into a concrete median on I-405 in Los Angeles. Ortiz, 38, was arrested and taken into custody following the accident. He was released three hours later after posting a $15,000 bond.
Ortiz had two passengers in the vehicle at the time of the accident, but no one suffered any injuries. It’s his first offense, but he could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Last week, during a media conference call, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebeny addressed Ortiz’s arrest.
“My hope is that he can put that behind him. Thankfully, no one, including himself, was injured in the situation. That is the most important thing,” said Rebney. “It’s a serious issue. It’s not a joke. It’s a serious issue. It’s something we take seriously. It’s something everybody should take seriously. That’s basically my take on it. I’ll deal with that independently with Tito.”
The charges stem from an early morning accident on Jan. 6, where Ortiz crashed his white 2012 Porsche Panamera into a concrete median on I-405 in Los Angeles. Ortiz, 38, was arrested and taken into custody following the accident. He was released three hours later after posting a $15,000 bond.
Ortiz had two passengers in the vehicle at the time of the accident, but no one suffered any injuries. It’s his first offense, but he could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Last week, during a media conference call, Bellator CEO Bjorn Rebeny addressed Ortiz’s arrest.
“My hope is that he can put that behind him. Thankfully, no one, including himself, was injured in the situation. That is the most important thing,” said Rebney. “It’s a serious issue. It’s not a joke. It’s a serious issue. It’s something we take seriously. It’s something everybody should take seriously. That’s basically my take on it. I’ll deal with that independently with Tito.”
Richard Sherman Is No Thug. Let’s Just Start With That
By Michael Skolnik
Richard Sherman is no thug. Let’s just start with that. The definition of a thug is “a violent person, especially a criminal.” Richard Sherman plays professional football in the National Football League, with no criminal record and in the process of getting his Master’s Degree from Stanford University. So, for all of those in our nation who want to use coded language, like “thug,” as a disguise for a word that you know is unacceptable, I got news for you. America is passing you by.
Just a few days prior to Richard Sherman sending his team to the Super Bowl, there was a very important hockey game played between the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames. I watched it. Within TWO seconds of the game, four FIGHTS between EIGHT players broke out. FIGHTS. Punching each other in the face. Blood. Violence. And they were all thrown out of the game for misconduct. On top of that, the coach of the Canucks, during the first intermission, went into the hallway of the Flames’ locker room, and attempted to basically fight the whole team. Not sure if I heard anyone calling these guys “thugs” or talking about how they “don’t want their children to grow up to be like them” or that they are “immature” or “embarrassed the sport of hockey.” We just accepted it as part of the game, and moved on.
But, for some reason (insert: sarcasm), when Richard Sherman gives an emotional interview after the most important game of his career, and talks a little trash, we want to lock dude up, like he just knifed somebody. There is certainly an argument to be had about his level of sportsmanship without attempting to put a prison number on Richard Sherman’s uniform. But, if we want to watch these guys try to knock each other’s heads off during 60 minutes of battle, then what do we expect them to say when they just made the biggest play of their career? As my dear friend, Super Bowl Champion Brendon Ayanbadejo said on Monday morning, “Most people are willing to eat the cow but they don’t want to see it slaughtered.” This game is brutal. It causes severe brain injuries for some. It ends the ability to walk for others. It knocks people unconscious and breaks bones. Case and point: the nasty injury 49ers linebacker, NaVorro Bowman incurred during the game (hope he has a speedy recovery). And we watch this brutal sport, with beers in our hands, eating all kinds of junk food, yelling and screaming at the television, and betting billions of dollars on the outcome. And we expect the players to act nice?
Richard Sherman was in survival mode when the microphone went in front of his face. He was hyped, as he should have been. And surely, Erin Andrews, might have been a little dazed and confused by his brashness, but that doesn’t mean he just murdered Michael Crabtree. It means that what he said might have been a little too much, and I think he even realizes that now. But, in the moment, I don’t make a judgment, as Richard Sherman got caught up in the excitement of the game. And who can blame him? All game, they don’t throw to his side, knowing he is the best player on the field. And the last play, the play to win the game, the play that the 49ers are hoping ends the Seattle Seahawks season, they try to show him up. And instead of showing him up, he shuts them down and ends the game. Down goes Liston! I’m the King of the World. Somewhere Muhammad Ali is smiling.
Richard Sherman is a passionate, educated football player who wears his emotions on his sleeve. Any team in the league would dream to have him on their squad. He is in a contract year, and I can promise you that he will get a big pay-day this off-season for his talent on the field and off (started his own charity). He is a guy who grew up in a tough environment (Compton), watched his father drive a trash truck in Los Angeles for 30 years and his mother work with disabled children, graduated with a 4.2 GPA from high school (second in his class) and walked across the stage at Stanford University to receive his college diploma. If he wants to pound his chest to proclaim his greatness, then pound your damn chest, like Superman. And I will surely tell my son that Richard Sherman is an American success story that all of us should emulate. But, sadly some of us just can’t stomach it.
I watched for two days the aftermath of Sherman’s comments, and finally, I couldn’t stomach it anymore…so I had to write this. The nasty, racist comments that I saw on twitter and facebook need to be drowned out by those of us who know exactly what calling a black man a “thug” really means. Surely, Richard Sherman’s comments might have crossed the line of sportsmanship, but that gives no one the right to cross the line of racism. Those days of America are coming to an end. For those who want to hold on to some 1957 idea of America, your reign at the top is finished. A new, multi-racial generation has proudly emerged to rip the torch out of the hands of those who want to stop this country from becoming a more perfected union. And if it takes a loud, brash cornerback’s comments after a thrilling victory to teach us this, we will graciously accept the lesson.
~Michael Skolnik
Michael Skolnik is the Editor-In-Chief of GlobalGrind.com and the political director to Russell Simmons. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Trayvon Martin Foundation. Previously, Michael was an award-winning filmmaker. Follow him on twitter @MichaelSkolnik
Just a few days prior to Richard Sherman sending his team to the Super Bowl, there was a very important hockey game played between the Vancouver Canucks and the Calgary Flames. I watched it. Within TWO seconds of the game, four FIGHTS between EIGHT players broke out. FIGHTS. Punching each other in the face. Blood. Violence. And they were all thrown out of the game for misconduct. On top of that, the coach of the Canucks, during the first intermission, went into the hallway of the Flames’ locker room, and attempted to basically fight the whole team. Not sure if I heard anyone calling these guys “thugs” or talking about how they “don’t want their children to grow up to be like them” or that they are “immature” or “embarrassed the sport of hockey.” We just accepted it as part of the game, and moved on.
But, for some reason (insert: sarcasm), when Richard Sherman gives an emotional interview after the most important game of his career, and talks a little trash, we want to lock dude up, like he just knifed somebody. There is certainly an argument to be had about his level of sportsmanship without attempting to put a prison number on Richard Sherman’s uniform. But, if we want to watch these guys try to knock each other’s heads off during 60 minutes of battle, then what do we expect them to say when they just made the biggest play of their career? As my dear friend, Super Bowl Champion Brendon Ayanbadejo said on Monday morning, “Most people are willing to eat the cow but they don’t want to see it slaughtered.” This game is brutal. It causes severe brain injuries for some. It ends the ability to walk for others. It knocks people unconscious and breaks bones. Case and point: the nasty injury 49ers linebacker, NaVorro Bowman incurred during the game (hope he has a speedy recovery). And we watch this brutal sport, with beers in our hands, eating all kinds of junk food, yelling and screaming at the television, and betting billions of dollars on the outcome. And we expect the players to act nice?
Richard Sherman was in survival mode when the microphone went in front of his face. He was hyped, as he should have been. And surely, Erin Andrews, might have been a little dazed and confused by his brashness, but that doesn’t mean he just murdered Michael Crabtree. It means that what he said might have been a little too much, and I think he even realizes that now. But, in the moment, I don’t make a judgment, as Richard Sherman got caught up in the excitement of the game. And who can blame him? All game, they don’t throw to his side, knowing he is the best player on the field. And the last play, the play to win the game, the play that the 49ers are hoping ends the Seattle Seahawks season, they try to show him up. And instead of showing him up, he shuts them down and ends the game. Down goes Liston! I’m the King of the World. Somewhere Muhammad Ali is smiling.
Richard Sherman is a passionate, educated football player who wears his emotions on his sleeve. Any team in the league would dream to have him on their squad. He is in a contract year, and I can promise you that he will get a big pay-day this off-season for his talent on the field and off (started his own charity). He is a guy who grew up in a tough environment (Compton), watched his father drive a trash truck in Los Angeles for 30 years and his mother work with disabled children, graduated with a 4.2 GPA from high school (second in his class) and walked across the stage at Stanford University to receive his college diploma. If he wants to pound his chest to proclaim his greatness, then pound your damn chest, like Superman. And I will surely tell my son that Richard Sherman is an American success story that all of us should emulate. But, sadly some of us just can’t stomach it.
I watched for two days the aftermath of Sherman’s comments, and finally, I couldn’t stomach it anymore…so I had to write this. The nasty, racist comments that I saw on twitter and facebook need to be drowned out by those of us who know exactly what calling a black man a “thug” really means. Surely, Richard Sherman’s comments might have crossed the line of sportsmanship, but that gives no one the right to cross the line of racism. Those days of America are coming to an end. For those who want to hold on to some 1957 idea of America, your reign at the top is finished. A new, multi-racial generation has proudly emerged to rip the torch out of the hands of those who want to stop this country from becoming a more perfected union. And if it takes a loud, brash cornerback’s comments after a thrilling victory to teach us this, we will graciously accept the lesson.
~Michael Skolnik
Michael Skolnik is the Editor-In-Chief of GlobalGrind.com and the political director to Russell Simmons. He is also on the Board of Directors of the Trayvon Martin Foundation. Previously, Michael was an award-winning filmmaker. Follow him on twitter @MichaelSkolnik
Richard Sherman: "Thug is Just an Acceptable Way to Say the N-Word"
eattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman said Wednesday that his postgame comments Sunday were ''misdirected and immature" but he is not a villain or a thug. "We're talking about football here, and a lot of people took it further than football," Sherman said. "I was on a football field showing passion. Maybe it was misdirected and immature, but this is a football field. I wasn't committing any crimes and doing anything illegal. I was showing passion after a football game.
"It is what it is. Things like that happen and you deal with the adversity. I come from a place where it's all adversity, so what's a little more or people telling you what you can't do. I really was surprised. If I had known it was going to blow up like that I would have approached it differently, just in terms of the way it took away from my teammates. That's the thing I feel regretful about."
Sherman tipped away a pass in the end zone that was intended for San Francisco 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree in the final seconds of Seattle's 23-17 victory Sunday in the NFC Championship Game. Seattle linebacker Malcolm Smith intercepted the tipped pass to seal the victory. Moments later, Sherman was interviewed on Fox Sports and was asked to describe the play. "I'm the best corner in the game,'' Sherman said, yelling. "When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that's the result you're gonna get. Don't you ever talk about me." Sherman then was asked who was talking about him. "Crabtree,'' he said. "Don't you open your mouth about the best, or I'm gonna shut it for you real quick."
Sherman's comments became a national rage and caused a firestorm of criticism on Twitter. Sherman was most concerned by the people who called him a thug.
"The reason it bothers me is it seems that's the accepted way now to call someone the N-word," Sherman said. "They say thug, and that takes me aback. Maybe I'm talking loudly on the field and saying things I'm not supposed to, but there was hockey game where they didn't even play hockey. They just threw the puck aside and started fighting. I thought, 'Oh man. I'm the thug? Geez.'"
Sherman was referring to the Vancouver Canucks-Calgary Flamesgame last Saturday when a brawl took place two seconds into the game.
"I know some real thugs, and they know I'm the farthest thing from a thug,'' Sherman said. "I fought that my whole life because of where I've come from [the Compton neighborhood in Los Angeles]. You have a guy from Compton or Watts, they just think he's a thug. He's a gangster. You fight it for so long, and to have it come back up and hear people use it again is frustrating."
Sherman's postgame rant has led some pundits to dub the Super Bowl matchup against the Denver Broncos and quarterbackPeyton Manning as The Villains versus The Virtuous.
"That's hilarious," Sherman said. "Any time you label [Seahawks quarterback] Russell Wilson a villain, it's got to be a joke. It's funny. We have too many great players who don't deserve that label and don't deserve to be looked at in that light. Russell Wilson and [Seattle safety] Earl Thomas have done nothing to deserve that.
"Now if they label me a villain, OK. Maybe my actions caused that, but I don't think I'm a villain. It's the old cliché: Don't judge a book by its cover. But they are judging the book by its cover. Judge me off the football field, not on the field right after a game is different. Now if I had gotten arrested 10 times, I could accept being a villain. But I've done nothing villainous."
Wilson came to Sherman's defense Wednesday.
"Richard has tremendous character,'' Wilson said. "He got fired up and I guess you would call it a mistake. But I know that's not how he is. He is one of the most intelligent people you will ever meet. He's one of my good friends, and I love him to death.
"Richard is an unbelievable football player. I have tons of respect for him. He plays the game of football with tons of passion and tons of fire. It was one of those things where he just got excited. I know he apologized. He's a great teammate who always is focused on how he can improve and how he can help us win. He didn't mean to blow it all up."
Sherman said he was grateful for the people who came to his defense the past few days, including baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.
"There were countless individuals, and Hank Aaron was one of them," Sherman said. "A lot of people reached out with support and I appreciate all of it, people who really know who you are and what you stand for. They are not as quick to judge."
Sherman said he has regrets, but he won't change who he is.
"I really don't know how to be anybody else,'' he said. "I can only be myself. I obviously will learn from my mistakes, try to do better in word situations and be more mature in understanding the moment.
"But I can't be someone else. I've tried it multiple times, and it cuts my game. If I put my all into it, you may catch me doing something like I did at the end of that game."
"It is what it is. Things like that happen and you deal with the adversity. I come from a place where it's all adversity, so what's a little more or people telling you what you can't do. I really was surprised. If I had known it was going to blow up like that I would have approached it differently, just in terms of the way it took away from my teammates. That's the thing I feel regretful about."
Sherman tipped away a pass in the end zone that was intended for San Francisco 49ers receiver Michael Crabtree in the final seconds of Seattle's 23-17 victory Sunday in the NFC Championship Game. Seattle linebacker Malcolm Smith intercepted the tipped pass to seal the victory. Moments later, Sherman was interviewed on Fox Sports and was asked to describe the play. "I'm the best corner in the game,'' Sherman said, yelling. "When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that's the result you're gonna get. Don't you ever talk about me." Sherman then was asked who was talking about him. "Crabtree,'' he said. "Don't you open your mouth about the best, or I'm gonna shut it for you real quick."
Sherman's comments became a national rage and caused a firestorm of criticism on Twitter. Sherman was most concerned by the people who called him a thug.
"The reason it bothers me is it seems that's the accepted way now to call someone the N-word," Sherman said. "They say thug, and that takes me aback. Maybe I'm talking loudly on the field and saying things I'm not supposed to, but there was hockey game where they didn't even play hockey. They just threw the puck aside and started fighting. I thought, 'Oh man. I'm the thug? Geez.'"
Sherman was referring to the Vancouver Canucks-Calgary Flamesgame last Saturday when a brawl took place two seconds into the game.
"I know some real thugs, and they know I'm the farthest thing from a thug,'' Sherman said. "I fought that my whole life because of where I've come from [the Compton neighborhood in Los Angeles]. You have a guy from Compton or Watts, they just think he's a thug. He's a gangster. You fight it for so long, and to have it come back up and hear people use it again is frustrating."
Sherman's postgame rant has led some pundits to dub the Super Bowl matchup against the Denver Broncos and quarterbackPeyton Manning as The Villains versus The Virtuous.
"That's hilarious," Sherman said. "Any time you label [Seahawks quarterback] Russell Wilson a villain, it's got to be a joke. It's funny. We have too many great players who don't deserve that label and don't deserve to be looked at in that light. Russell Wilson and [Seattle safety] Earl Thomas have done nothing to deserve that.
"Now if they label me a villain, OK. Maybe my actions caused that, but I don't think I'm a villain. It's the old cliché: Don't judge a book by its cover. But they are judging the book by its cover. Judge me off the football field, not on the field right after a game is different. Now if I had gotten arrested 10 times, I could accept being a villain. But I've done nothing villainous."
Wilson came to Sherman's defense Wednesday.
"Richard has tremendous character,'' Wilson said. "He got fired up and I guess you would call it a mistake. But I know that's not how he is. He is one of the most intelligent people you will ever meet. He's one of my good friends, and I love him to death.
"Richard is an unbelievable football player. I have tons of respect for him. He plays the game of football with tons of passion and tons of fire. It was one of those things where he just got excited. I know he apologized. He's a great teammate who always is focused on how he can improve and how he can help us win. He didn't mean to blow it all up."
Sherman said he was grateful for the people who came to his defense the past few days, including baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.
"There were countless individuals, and Hank Aaron was one of them," Sherman said. "A lot of people reached out with support and I appreciate all of it, people who really know who you are and what you stand for. They are not as quick to judge."
Sherman said he has regrets, but he won't change who he is.
"I really don't know how to be anybody else,'' he said. "I can only be myself. I obviously will learn from my mistakes, try to do better in word situations and be more mature in understanding the moment.
"But I can't be someone else. I've tried it multiple times, and it cuts my game. If I put my all into it, you may catch me doing something like I did at the end of that game."
Jets TE Kellen Winslow Jr. denies he was masturbating outside Target before pot arrest
NFL BY TIM POLZER
Jets tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. was arrested for possession of synthetic marijuana in New Jersey last November, but details of a police report are drawing the spotlight away from the pot.
NJ.com reports court documents reveal police were called to the scene in a Target parking lot because a woman alleged she saw Winslow masturbating in his vehicle. The woman told police she parked her vehicle in a spot to the right of a black Cadillac Escalade in which Winslow was sitting with the window open.
As she exited her vehicle, she commented to the male regarding how cold it was. As she stood near the open driver side window of the Escalade, she observed the males [sic] erect penis. She stated that she believed he was masturbating. [The woman] provided a written statement regarding her account.
The redacted incident report from East Hanover police shows that on Nov. 19 at 5:30 p.m., cops responded to a call from a woman who said she had parked her vehicle in a spot to the right of a black Cadillac Escalade outside the Target along Route 10. A man was sitting inside the Escalade with the window open, said the woman, whose name was redacted in the incident report. That man would later be identified as Winslow, 30, who lives in Madison.
Winslow’s representative later denied the ”unfounded and ridiculous claim” that he was seen masturbating in his car via Twitter.
The statement includes Winslow’s claim that he was changing clothes in his vehicle “so as not to smell like smoke” from a substance he thought at the time was a legal. He claims nothing inappropriate took place.
According to the police report, an officer found Winslow allegedly “slouched in his seat and moving around.” Winslow sprang to an upright position and allegedly told the officer he was looking for Boston Market but was lost.
The officer wrote that “his genitals were not exposed” but “two open containers of Vaseline [were visible] on his center console.” The report also cites the presence of plastic bags marked “Mr. Happy” and empty plastic containers of “Funky Monkey” scattered throughout the vehicle.
Winslow reportedly told police he smoked the “Mr. Happy” and “Funky Monkey” to relax and that the NFL doesn’t drug test for it. Police reported he consented to a vehicle search after which a few items were seized into evidence and Winslow was free to go.
NJ.com reports court documents reveal police were called to the scene in a Target parking lot because a woman alleged she saw Winslow masturbating in his vehicle. The woman told police she parked her vehicle in a spot to the right of a black Cadillac Escalade in which Winslow was sitting with the window open.
As she exited her vehicle, she commented to the male regarding how cold it was. As she stood near the open driver side window of the Escalade, she observed the males [sic] erect penis. She stated that she believed he was masturbating. [The woman] provided a written statement regarding her account.
The redacted incident report from East Hanover police shows that on Nov. 19 at 5:30 p.m., cops responded to a call from a woman who said she had parked her vehicle in a spot to the right of a black Cadillac Escalade outside the Target along Route 10. A man was sitting inside the Escalade with the window open, said the woman, whose name was redacted in the incident report. That man would later be identified as Winslow, 30, who lives in Madison.
Winslow’s representative later denied the ”unfounded and ridiculous claim” that he was seen masturbating in his car via Twitter.
The statement includes Winslow’s claim that he was changing clothes in his vehicle “so as not to smell like smoke” from a substance he thought at the time was a legal. He claims nothing inappropriate took place.
According to the police report, an officer found Winslow allegedly “slouched in his seat and moving around.” Winslow sprang to an upright position and allegedly told the officer he was looking for Boston Market but was lost.
The officer wrote that “his genitals were not exposed” but “two open containers of Vaseline [were visible] on his center console.” The report also cites the presence of plastic bags marked “Mr. Happy” and empty plastic containers of “Funky Monkey” scattered throughout the vehicle.
Winslow reportedly told police he smoked the “Mr. Happy” and “Funky Monkey” to relax and that the NFL doesn’t drug test for it. Police reported he consented to a vehicle search after which a few items were seized into evidence and Winslow was free to go.
Jameis Winston's Alleged Victim Will 'Absolutely' Sue the FSU Quarterback
By MATT GUTMAN and ALYSSA NEWCOMB | Good Morning America
The attorney for Jameis Winston's alleged rape victim said she "absolutely" plans to file a civil lawsuit against the Florida State University star quarterback and the Tallahassee Police Department.
"I want heads to roll," Pat Carroll, the attorney for the woman who claims Winston raped her in December 2012, told ABC News in an exclusive interview.
Carroll said the Tallahassee Police Department was negligent in handling her client's case against the 20-year-old Heisman Trophy winner. He claims the way police handled the allegations led to a prosecutor's decision to drop the case.
"Absolutely you're going to see a civil suit," Carroll said. "You can not have law enforcement that is not held accountable."
Carroll said, “The family is proceeding, with civil action against the TPD and Jameis Winston. And possibly the university.”
The Tallahassee Police Department and representatives for Winston did not immediately return ABC News' request for comment.
In December, Tallahassee Police Chief Tom Coe said in a statement that his department "took the case seriously, processed evidence and conducted an investigation based on information available at that time."
No Charges Against FSU Quarterback in Sexual Assault Case
Winston's attorney has claimed the athlete and his alleged victim had consensual sex, however in a video released Tuesday by Tallahassee police, Jenna Weisberg, the accuser's friend who called police on her behalf that night, told a different story.
"She remembers the roommate trying to get him to stop. He walked in and was like, 'Stop she doesn't want to,'" Weisberg said in the video.
Attorney Says Accuser Told to Stay Away From School
As FSU celebrates Monday's national championship victory, in which Winston was named MVP, Carroll told ABC News her client has been warned by authorities to stay away from school for her own safety.
"I inquired if…if she could return to FSU and they told me absolutely not," Carroll said. "They too had the impression she would be in physical danger."
Carroll said that warning came from Georgia Cappleman, deputy assistant state attorney in Florida.
But Cappleman told ABC News she had no opinion as to whether the accuser should return to FSU and said she did not recall ever warning her to stay away from campus.
Carroll said her client has been on the receiving end of anger from FSU football fans who learned her identity, despite her desire to remain anonymous.
The woman claims she was raped by Winston in a Tallahassee apartment Dec. 7, 2012, according to a heavily redacted police report. However, the case did not reach prosecutors until nearly one year later.
In December, State Attorney Willie Meggs said there was not enough evidence to pursue charges against Winston due to what he said were gaps in the accuser's story.
"I want heads to roll," Pat Carroll, the attorney for the woman who claims Winston raped her in December 2012, told ABC News in an exclusive interview.
Carroll said the Tallahassee Police Department was negligent in handling her client's case against the 20-year-old Heisman Trophy winner. He claims the way police handled the allegations led to a prosecutor's decision to drop the case.
"Absolutely you're going to see a civil suit," Carroll said. "You can not have law enforcement that is not held accountable."
Carroll said, “The family is proceeding, with civil action against the TPD and Jameis Winston. And possibly the university.”
The Tallahassee Police Department and representatives for Winston did not immediately return ABC News' request for comment.
In December, Tallahassee Police Chief Tom Coe said in a statement that his department "took the case seriously, processed evidence and conducted an investigation based on information available at that time."
No Charges Against FSU Quarterback in Sexual Assault Case
Winston's attorney has claimed the athlete and his alleged victim had consensual sex, however in a video released Tuesday by Tallahassee police, Jenna Weisberg, the accuser's friend who called police on her behalf that night, told a different story.
"She remembers the roommate trying to get him to stop. He walked in and was like, 'Stop she doesn't want to,'" Weisberg said in the video.
Attorney Says Accuser Told to Stay Away From School
As FSU celebrates Monday's national championship victory, in which Winston was named MVP, Carroll told ABC News her client has been warned by authorities to stay away from school for her own safety.
"I inquired if…if she could return to FSU and they told me absolutely not," Carroll said. "They too had the impression she would be in physical danger."
Carroll said that warning came from Georgia Cappleman, deputy assistant state attorney in Florida.
But Cappleman told ABC News she had no opinion as to whether the accuser should return to FSU and said she did not recall ever warning her to stay away from campus.
Carroll said her client has been on the receiving end of anger from FSU football fans who learned her identity, despite her desire to remain anonymous.
The woman claims she was raped by Winston in a Tallahassee apartment Dec. 7, 2012, according to a heavily redacted police report. However, the case did not reach prosecutors until nearly one year later.
In December, State Attorney Willie Meggs said there was not enough evidence to pursue charges against Winston due to what he said were gaps in the accuser's story.
Rodman visits North Korea to train national team
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Former NBA star Dennis Rodman arrived in North Korea on Thursday to help train the national team and renew his friendship with the North's young leader, Kim Jong Un, a visit unaffected by the recent execution of Kim's uncle in a dramatic political purge.
Rodman was met at Pyongyang's airport by Vice Sports Minister Son Kwang Ho. He made no public comments, but told a mob of reporters earlier at Beijing's airport that he expected, as on previous visits, to meet with Kim and make final arrangements for a Jan. 8 exhibition game in Pyongyang marking the leader's birthday.
"I know (Kim) is waiting for me to come back. So hopefully we will have some conversation about some things that's going to help the world," Rodman said.
His visit comes less than a week after North Korea announced the execution of No. 2 official Jang Song Thaek, an unprecedented fall from grace of one of the most powerful figures in the country.
Jang's execution marks North Korea's most serious political upheaval in decades and has sent North Korea watchers speculating over the stability of the Kim dynasty. However, Rodman's visit — should it proceed uneventfully — could be a sign that Kim is firmly in charge and unconcerned with any potential challenges to his rule.
Asked about the execution, Rodman said that had nothing to do with his visit. He said he wasn't worried about his personal safety in the North, despite the recent detentions of two Americans there, one of whom, Kenneth Bae, has been held for more than two years.
Rodman and Kim have struck up an unlikely friendship since the Hall of Famer traveled to the secretive Communist state for the first time in February with the Harlem Globetrotters for an HBO series produced by New York-based VICE television.
He remains the highest-profile American to meet Kim since the leader inherited power from father Kim Jong Il in 2011.
Known as much for his piercings, tattoos and bad behavior as he was for basketball, Rodman has mostly avoided politics in his dealings with the North. He's mainly focused on using basketball as a means of boosting understanding and communication and studiously avoided commenting on the North's human rights record, regarded as one of the world's worst by activists, defectors and the U.S. State Department.
Defectors have repeatedly testified about the government's alleged use of indiscriminate killings, rapes, beatings and prison camps holding as many as 120,000 people deemed opponents of Kim, the third generation of his family to rule.
Rodman said he planned to return to North Korea in two weeks with a roster of 12 American basketball players, but offered no names.
"I hope this game brings a lot of countries together, because as I said, sports it is so important to people around the world," Rodman said. "So I hope this is going to engage American people, especially (President Barack) Obama, to just to try to talk to them."
Rodman was met at Pyongyang's airport by Vice Sports Minister Son Kwang Ho. He made no public comments, but told a mob of reporters earlier at Beijing's airport that he expected, as on previous visits, to meet with Kim and make final arrangements for a Jan. 8 exhibition game in Pyongyang marking the leader's birthday.
"I know (Kim) is waiting for me to come back. So hopefully we will have some conversation about some things that's going to help the world," Rodman said.
His visit comes less than a week after North Korea announced the execution of No. 2 official Jang Song Thaek, an unprecedented fall from grace of one of the most powerful figures in the country.
Jang's execution marks North Korea's most serious political upheaval in decades and has sent North Korea watchers speculating over the stability of the Kim dynasty. However, Rodman's visit — should it proceed uneventfully — could be a sign that Kim is firmly in charge and unconcerned with any potential challenges to his rule.
Asked about the execution, Rodman said that had nothing to do with his visit. He said he wasn't worried about his personal safety in the North, despite the recent detentions of two Americans there, one of whom, Kenneth Bae, has been held for more than two years.
Rodman and Kim have struck up an unlikely friendship since the Hall of Famer traveled to the secretive Communist state for the first time in February with the Harlem Globetrotters for an HBO series produced by New York-based VICE television.
He remains the highest-profile American to meet Kim since the leader inherited power from father Kim Jong Il in 2011.
Known as much for his piercings, tattoos and bad behavior as he was for basketball, Rodman has mostly avoided politics in his dealings with the North. He's mainly focused on using basketball as a means of boosting understanding and communication and studiously avoided commenting on the North's human rights record, regarded as one of the world's worst by activists, defectors and the U.S. State Department.
Defectors have repeatedly testified about the government's alleged use of indiscriminate killings, rapes, beatings and prison camps holding as many as 120,000 people deemed opponents of Kim, the third generation of his family to rule.
Rodman said he planned to return to North Korea in two weeks with a roster of 12 American basketball players, but offered no names.
"I hope this game brings a lot of countries together, because as I said, sports it is so important to people around the world," Rodman said. "So I hope this is going to engage American people, especially (President Barack) Obama, to just to try to talk to them."
911 Caller Says Jameis Winston's Accuser Claimed She Was Hit, 'Very Shaken Up'
By MATT GUTMAN and SABRINA PARISE | Good Morning America
Florida State University quarterback Jameis Winston's alleged rape victim claimed she was struck in the head and couldn't recall everything that happened to her the night of the reported incident, according to newly released 911 tapes.
The woman's friend called 911 during the early morning hours of Dec. 7, 2012 and told a Florida State University police that the alleged victim was "very shaken up."
"She got hit? Does she know what she got hit with?" the dispatcher asked.
"No she says she like kept blacking out, like she only remembers pieces. She keeps trying to tell me the story but it's very in pieces," the woman replied.
FSU's Jameis Winston to Be 'More Mature' After Sex Assault Case
State Attorney Willie Meggs said last week that Winston, a Heisman Trophy hopeful, would not be charged with sexual battery because there was not enough evidence to win a conviction. Meggs also said there were too many gaps in his accuser's story.
Police said it took the alleged victim, whose name has not been released, a month to identify her accuser as Winston.
Also included in the public records release Wednesday were video recordings of recent police interviews with Winston's friends, who acknowledged that the star quarterback and his accuser had sex that night, but it was consensual.
Fellow FSU football players Ronald Darby Chris Casher told police that they walked in on Winston and his accuser having sex.
No Charges Against FSU Quarterback in Sexual Assault Case
"We walked into the room and the girl was like, 'What are you doing?'" Darby told police. "She was like, 'get out.' So, Chris was like 'My bad.'"
"Was there anything she said that made you think she didn't want to have sex?" an officer asked Darby, who insisted that what he saw seemed consensual.
Eyewitness say they told police Winston took the girl home a few minutes later and quickly returned to the apartment, according to the newly released documents.
Winston, 19, said last Saturday after a win over Duke that the sexual assault allegations taught him that he needs to be "more mature."
The undefeated Seminoles will play in the BCS National Championship game in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 6 against Auburn.
Winston will be in New York City this Saturday at the Heisman Trophy presentation. But Winston's accuser continues to insist she was raped. On Friday, the day before the award presentation, her attorney says he'll hold a press conference to reveal more information and a statement from the accuser's family.
The woman's friend called 911 during the early morning hours of Dec. 7, 2012 and told a Florida State University police that the alleged victim was "very shaken up."
"She got hit? Does she know what she got hit with?" the dispatcher asked.
"No she says she like kept blacking out, like she only remembers pieces. She keeps trying to tell me the story but it's very in pieces," the woman replied.
FSU's Jameis Winston to Be 'More Mature' After Sex Assault Case
State Attorney Willie Meggs said last week that Winston, a Heisman Trophy hopeful, would not be charged with sexual battery because there was not enough evidence to win a conviction. Meggs also said there were too many gaps in his accuser's story.
Police said it took the alleged victim, whose name has not been released, a month to identify her accuser as Winston.
Also included in the public records release Wednesday were video recordings of recent police interviews with Winston's friends, who acknowledged that the star quarterback and his accuser had sex that night, but it was consensual.
Fellow FSU football players Ronald Darby Chris Casher told police that they walked in on Winston and his accuser having sex.
No Charges Against FSU Quarterback in Sexual Assault Case
"We walked into the room and the girl was like, 'What are you doing?'" Darby told police. "She was like, 'get out.' So, Chris was like 'My bad.'"
"Was there anything she said that made you think she didn't want to have sex?" an officer asked Darby, who insisted that what he saw seemed consensual.
Eyewitness say they told police Winston took the girl home a few minutes later and quickly returned to the apartment, according to the newly released documents.
Winston, 19, said last Saturday after a win over Duke that the sexual assault allegations taught him that he needs to be "more mature."
The undefeated Seminoles will play in the BCS National Championship game in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 6 against Auburn.
Winston will be in New York City this Saturday at the Heisman Trophy presentation. But Winston's accuser continues to insist she was raped. On Friday, the day before the award presentation, her attorney says he'll hold a press conference to reveal more information and a statement from the accuser's family.
Jay Z to sports mega-agents: You are on notice
By Ed Kiersh, Special to CNBC
Just a week ago, skeptics were laughing at Shawn "Jay Z" Carter, wannabe sports agent.
Not any more.
The New York media and sports agent rivals this year derisively dubbed Jay Z the "Rookie" after he seduced Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano away from super-agent Scott Boras. Watching him make missteps, while even lesser-known agents were cashing in on $1 billion worth of new contracts this off-season, critics scoffed that Jay Z was playing out of his league.
Then last Thursday, only hours before his nine Grammy nominations were announced, the hip hop power broker (reportedly worth $500 million) found a willing suitor for Cano in the Seattle Mariners-Nintendo (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 7974.T-JP) owns a 55 percent controlling share of the team-and landed the player $240 million for 10 years. It's the third largest free agent contract in history.
Just a week ago, when it had leaked to the New York media that Cano wanted $310 million for 10 years, rival agents were pointing out the "Rookie's" mistakes to CNBC.
(Read more: The highest paid players in major sports )
"The key is to create mystery, speculation on who's bidding. If you don't create mystery, you lose bidders immediately," said an agent who represents a prominent Dodger player and who asked not to be named.
"The Dodgers said, 'We are not in the bidding.' You must keep things like that as quiet as possible. The best thing is to say as little as possible. No one should know what's going on. A team has to be scared that they're losing a player. ... The first mistake was letting that $310 million figure out there. Being quiet is the best and only strategy in a market that's hotter than ever."
"The perception is that it's all Jay Z's victory," said Florida sports lawyer Darren Heitner, founder of the Sports Agent Blog.
"This deal takes Cano until he's 41 years old, meaning players still have leverage," Heitner said. "I thought 10-year deals were dead. Though there's a $70 million discount off that $310 figure (that Cano wanted), it's a fantastic agreement. Ripped by the media, the deal now lets Jay Z be perceived as the able negotiator."
Jay Z and Boras did not respond to requests for comment.
The Cano deal has its flaws: He had to be moved to Seattle, a full continent away from media-charged New York, where Cano could possibly garner millions in endorsements. Still, Jay Z fulfilled his primary responsibility: He showed Cano the money. It barely matters if the Mariners were only desperate to boost their lackluster brand. The Yankees adamantly refused to agree to 10 years and objected to giving their All-Star, .300-plus hitter more than a seven-year, $175 million pact.
Jay Z certainly faced challenges with Cano. Skeptics charged that his agency, Roc Nation, failed to create enough bidders for the second baseman. Teams were scared away by media reports suggesting the 31-year-old Cano demanded $310 million for 10 years after he was lured away from Boras this year.
Jay Z, who also represents basketball's Kevin Durant and football wide receiver Victor Cruz, brashly congratulated himself earlier this year after he wooed Cano away from Boras, who still holds the records for negotiating the first- and second-most valuable baseball contracts in history, both for Yankee Alex Rodriguez.
(Read more: Holiday gifts that will make a sports lover cheer )
Dissing Boras in the song "Crown," Jay Z says, "Scott Boras, you over baby, Robinson Cano, you coming with me."
Boras countered in The Wall Street Journal, "Anyone who thinks playing the game of baseball is like being an artist knows nothing about the game. ... I don't worry about others. ... When your agent wears a Yankee hat, how seriously are they going to take you?"
Columnist Mike Lupica, whose New York Daily News prematurely reported that the Seattle deal was dead when Jay Z demanded 10 years, still savaged the "Rookie" outsider after the Mariners contract was done.
"In this case the dumb owner is Nintendo, usually a smart corporation," wrote Lupica. "Maybe if this thing dragged on a few more weeks, Jay Z would have delivered Cano to Japan. Or the moon."
Feeling the Cano deal bolsters the rapper's aura of "invincibility," Zack O'Malley Greenburg, the author of Jay Z bio "Empire State of Mind," told CNBC: "Athletes look up to Jay Z for his business moves. This deal only strengthens his attractiveness to other players, certainly if a guy wants headlines."
It remains unclear how aggressive Jay Z will become in luring other marquee athletes to Roc Nation. He recognizes his brand only suits a select player, and would be diminished if he pursued a plethora of athletes.
But one thing is likely. Lesser sports brokers representing elite, soon-to-be free agents are looking over their shoulders.
-By Ed Kiersh, special to CNBC.com.
Just a week ago, skeptics were laughing at Shawn "Jay Z" Carter, wannabe sports agent.
Not any more.
The New York media and sports agent rivals this year derisively dubbed Jay Z the "Rookie" after he seduced Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano away from super-agent Scott Boras. Watching him make missteps, while even lesser-known agents were cashing in on $1 billion worth of new contracts this off-season, critics scoffed that Jay Z was playing out of his league.
Then last Thursday, only hours before his nine Grammy nominations were announced, the hip hop power broker (reportedly worth $500 million) found a willing suitor for Cano in the Seattle Mariners-Nintendo (Tokyo Stock Exchange: 7974.T-JP) owns a 55 percent controlling share of the team-and landed the player $240 million for 10 years. It's the third largest free agent contract in history.
Just a week ago, when it had leaked to the New York media that Cano wanted $310 million for 10 years, rival agents were pointing out the "Rookie's" mistakes to CNBC.
(Read more: The highest paid players in major sports )
"The key is to create mystery, speculation on who's bidding. If you don't create mystery, you lose bidders immediately," said an agent who represents a prominent Dodger player and who asked not to be named.
"The Dodgers said, 'We are not in the bidding.' You must keep things like that as quiet as possible. The best thing is to say as little as possible. No one should know what's going on. A team has to be scared that they're losing a player. ... The first mistake was letting that $310 million figure out there. Being quiet is the best and only strategy in a market that's hotter than ever."
"The perception is that it's all Jay Z's victory," said Florida sports lawyer Darren Heitner, founder of the Sports Agent Blog.
"This deal takes Cano until he's 41 years old, meaning players still have leverage," Heitner said. "I thought 10-year deals were dead. Though there's a $70 million discount off that $310 figure (that Cano wanted), it's a fantastic agreement. Ripped by the media, the deal now lets Jay Z be perceived as the able negotiator."
Jay Z and Boras did not respond to requests for comment.
The Cano deal has its flaws: He had to be moved to Seattle, a full continent away from media-charged New York, where Cano could possibly garner millions in endorsements. Still, Jay Z fulfilled his primary responsibility: He showed Cano the money. It barely matters if the Mariners were only desperate to boost their lackluster brand. The Yankees adamantly refused to agree to 10 years and objected to giving their All-Star, .300-plus hitter more than a seven-year, $175 million pact.
Jay Z certainly faced challenges with Cano. Skeptics charged that his agency, Roc Nation, failed to create enough bidders for the second baseman. Teams were scared away by media reports suggesting the 31-year-old Cano demanded $310 million for 10 years after he was lured away from Boras this year.
Jay Z, who also represents basketball's Kevin Durant and football wide receiver Victor Cruz, brashly congratulated himself earlier this year after he wooed Cano away from Boras, who still holds the records for negotiating the first- and second-most valuable baseball contracts in history, both for Yankee Alex Rodriguez.
(Read more: Holiday gifts that will make a sports lover cheer )
Dissing Boras in the song "Crown," Jay Z says, "Scott Boras, you over baby, Robinson Cano, you coming with me."
Boras countered in The Wall Street Journal, "Anyone who thinks playing the game of baseball is like being an artist knows nothing about the game. ... I don't worry about others. ... When your agent wears a Yankee hat, how seriously are they going to take you?"
Columnist Mike Lupica, whose New York Daily News prematurely reported that the Seattle deal was dead when Jay Z demanded 10 years, still savaged the "Rookie" outsider after the Mariners contract was done.
"In this case the dumb owner is Nintendo, usually a smart corporation," wrote Lupica. "Maybe if this thing dragged on a few more weeks, Jay Z would have delivered Cano to Japan. Or the moon."
Feeling the Cano deal bolsters the rapper's aura of "invincibility," Zack O'Malley Greenburg, the author of Jay Z bio "Empire State of Mind," told CNBC: "Athletes look up to Jay Z for his business moves. This deal only strengthens his attractiveness to other players, certainly if a guy wants headlines."
It remains unclear how aggressive Jay Z will become in luring other marquee athletes to Roc Nation. He recognizes his brand only suits a select player, and would be diminished if he pursued a plethora of athletes.
But one thing is likely. Lesser sports brokers representing elite, soon-to-be free agents are looking over their shoulders.
-By Ed Kiersh, special to CNBC.com.
LeBron's wife to open Miami juice bar
By Darren Rovell
ESPN.com
After years of hearing her husband talk about his business projects, LeBron James' wife Savannah will start her own juice business next month.
"I would listen to him talk about his conversations with Warren Buffett or Jerry Jones," she said. "But I wanted to get into business, too."
The store, called The Juice Spot, is expected to open in the Brickell neighborhood in Miami in the first week of December.
The idea of selling juice, Savannah James said, came from making healthy potions with her trainer to get in shape for the couple's wedding in September.
James said her husband will stand behind her, but that this will very much be her own project.
"LeBron's connection to my company is that he supports me," she said. "But this going to my baby."
The business will sell cold-pressed juices, a relatively recent phenomenon where fruits and vegetables are squeezed at high pressure to create a more dense product that some believe help preserve the ingredients better than putting them in a blender. Cold-pressed juices are known to have a much shorter shelf life than bottled smoothies and often cost double the price.
The cold-pressed juice business has quickly turned into a business worth at least $200 million in the US, according to John Craven, CEO of BevNet, which publishes a monthly magazine on the beverage industry. Big players like Hain Celestial and Starbucks recently acquired a majority stake in cold-pressed juice brands Blueprint and Evolution Fresh, respectively.
James said 16-ounce bottles of juice at her store will cost between $6 and $10 each.
"I would listen to him talk about his conversations with Warren Buffett or Jerry Jones," she said. "But I wanted to get into business, too."
The store, called The Juice Spot, is expected to open in the Brickell neighborhood in Miami in the first week of December.
The idea of selling juice, Savannah James said, came from making healthy potions with her trainer to get in shape for the couple's wedding in September.
James said her husband will stand behind her, but that this will very much be her own project.
"LeBron's connection to my company is that he supports me," she said. "But this going to my baby."
The business will sell cold-pressed juices, a relatively recent phenomenon where fruits and vegetables are squeezed at high pressure to create a more dense product that some believe help preserve the ingredients better than putting them in a blender. Cold-pressed juices are known to have a much shorter shelf life than bottled smoothies and often cost double the price.
The cold-pressed juice business has quickly turned into a business worth at least $200 million in the US, according to John Craven, CEO of BevNet, which publishes a monthly magazine on the beverage industry. Big players like Hain Celestial and Starbucks recently acquired a majority stake in cold-pressed juice brands Blueprint and Evolution Fresh, respectively.
James said 16-ounce bottles of juice at her store will cost between $6 and $10 each.
Upbeat Woods targets Major success in 2014
Belek (Turkey) (AFP) - Tiger Woods, third in the Turkish Open on Sunday, has one event remaining this year but he’s already focussing on next year’s Majors and returning to three of four venues where he has tasted success in the past.
Woods left Istanbul with a share of third place,four shots behind surprise winner, Victor Dubuisson of France.
The world No. 1 could look back to the disappointment Thursday’s weather-delayed opening round when he shot a two under par 70 in a round whee he managed to find only three fairways.
And while Woods’ driving improved marginally he averaged 66 over the next three days.
Woods will not play again to his final event of the year when he hosts the December 5 commencing World Challenge at Thousand Oaks in Los Angeles, an event he has captured five times since its inception in 1999.
The 14-time Major winner will then make his 2014 debut in the 25th anniversary Dubai Desert Classic starting on January 30.
Next year will be six years since Woods last won a Major Championship in capturing the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines.
However Woods remains quietly confident of moving closer to Jack Nicklaus’ all-time record of 18 Majors given the Masters, the British Open at Royal Liverpool and PGA Championship at Valhalla will be staged in 2014 on venues where he has won in the past.
Woods has won four times at Augusta National while he won the 2006 British Open when last staged at Royal Liverpool and he defeated fellow American Bob May in a play-off to capture the PGA Championship at Valhalla when last staged on the Kentucky course in 2000.
The US Open will be held at Pinehurst where Woods was runner-up in 2005 to New Zealander Michael Campbell.
“Next year is really good for one for me in the Majors, and on top of having won at three of the four venues, I’ve had a third and a second at Pinehurst and hopefully I can keep improving there,” he smiled.
“I’m looking forward to the four venues. I like them and obviously I’ve played well on them.”
And Woods played down criticism in not having captured a 15th Major arguing he won five times this season on the PGA Tour as well as returned to No. 1 in the world.
“Compared to this time last year, I’ve got, what, five more wins since then, so I think my game has gotten a little better,” he said.
“So the way I have played this year as a whole has been very encouraging.
“A couple of years ago, there were a lot of guys, so many guys here (in the media) that were saying I could never win again. I’ve got eight wins since then, so it’s been good and I’m very happy with the progress I’ve made.
“I’ve won on some venues that were very tough this year, and also being a part of the Presidents Cup with Freddie (Couples) and winning that point, too, was another special moment.”
While Woods sounds upbeat current European No. 1 Henrik Stenson faces an anxious few days to ascertain if his right wrist will be alright ahead of the final event of the 2013 European Race to Dubai.
Stenson is considering pulling out of the World Tour Championship starting on Tuesday as he had to do at the recent BMW Masters in Shanghai.
“The problem with the tendons in my wrist is going to affect my preparations but it’s been like that for the last three weeks,” he said.
“My only concern is that long-term, I just hope I’m not damaging anything that’s going to take longer to get fixed later on.
“But I am going to speak to my physio and see what he wants me to do.”
Stenson shared seventh in Turkey but with the Swede seeing his lead cut from 343,866 euros to 213,468 euros while the leading four contenders for the European No. 1 title are now separated by 343,906 and with this week’s event carrying a first prize of 1.14 million euros.
Woods left Istanbul with a share of third place,four shots behind surprise winner, Victor Dubuisson of France.
The world No. 1 could look back to the disappointment Thursday’s weather-delayed opening round when he shot a two under par 70 in a round whee he managed to find only three fairways.
And while Woods’ driving improved marginally he averaged 66 over the next three days.
Woods will not play again to his final event of the year when he hosts the December 5 commencing World Challenge at Thousand Oaks in Los Angeles, an event he has captured five times since its inception in 1999.
The 14-time Major winner will then make his 2014 debut in the 25th anniversary Dubai Desert Classic starting on January 30.
Next year will be six years since Woods last won a Major Championship in capturing the 2008 US Open at Torrey Pines.
However Woods remains quietly confident of moving closer to Jack Nicklaus’ all-time record of 18 Majors given the Masters, the British Open at Royal Liverpool and PGA Championship at Valhalla will be staged in 2014 on venues where he has won in the past.
Woods has won four times at Augusta National while he won the 2006 British Open when last staged at Royal Liverpool and he defeated fellow American Bob May in a play-off to capture the PGA Championship at Valhalla when last staged on the Kentucky course in 2000.
The US Open will be held at Pinehurst where Woods was runner-up in 2005 to New Zealander Michael Campbell.
“Next year is really good for one for me in the Majors, and on top of having won at three of the four venues, I’ve had a third and a second at Pinehurst and hopefully I can keep improving there,” he smiled.
“I’m looking forward to the four venues. I like them and obviously I’ve played well on them.”
And Woods played down criticism in not having captured a 15th Major arguing he won five times this season on the PGA Tour as well as returned to No. 1 in the world.
“Compared to this time last year, I’ve got, what, five more wins since then, so I think my game has gotten a little better,” he said.
“So the way I have played this year as a whole has been very encouraging.
“A couple of years ago, there were a lot of guys, so many guys here (in the media) that were saying I could never win again. I’ve got eight wins since then, so it’s been good and I’m very happy with the progress I’ve made.
“I’ve won on some venues that were very tough this year, and also being a part of the Presidents Cup with Freddie (Couples) and winning that point, too, was another special moment.”
While Woods sounds upbeat current European No. 1 Henrik Stenson faces an anxious few days to ascertain if his right wrist will be alright ahead of the final event of the 2013 European Race to Dubai.
Stenson is considering pulling out of the World Tour Championship starting on Tuesday as he had to do at the recent BMW Masters in Shanghai.
“The problem with the tendons in my wrist is going to affect my preparations but it’s been like that for the last three weeks,” he said.
“My only concern is that long-term, I just hope I’m not damaging anything that’s going to take longer to get fixed later on.
“But I am going to speak to my physio and see what he wants me to do.”
Stenson shared seventh in Turkey but with the Swede seeing his lead cut from 343,866 euros to 213,468 euros while the leading four contenders for the European No. 1 title are now separated by 343,906 and with this week’s event carrying a first prize of 1.14 million euros.
Dolphins Player Jonathan Martin Allegedly Endured 'Malicious Physical Attack'
By MATT GUTMAN | Good Morning America
(Yahoo.com) A lawyer for Miami Dolphins player Jonathan Martin, who was allegedly bullied by teammate Richie Incognito, says his client endured a "malicious physical attack" in addition to harassment from unnamed teammates that went far beyond the traditional locker room hazing.
Attorney David Cornwell, who has defended such athletes as Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, made the allegations in a statement Thursday night. Cornwell's statement alleges that an unidentified Dolphins player made a vulgar comment about having sex with Martin's sister.
Cornwell's statement makes no mention of Incognito.
WATCH: Richie Incognito Suspended After Bullying Scandal
"Jonathan Martin's toughness is not at issue," Cornwell said in his statement. "Jonathan has started every game with the Miami Dolphins since he was drafted in 2012.
"The issue is Jonathan's treatment by his teammates. Jonathan endured harassment that went far beyond the traditional locker room hazing. ... Beyond the well-publicized voice mail with its racial epithet, Jonathan endured a malicious physical attack on him by a teammate, and daily vulgar comments. These facts are not in dispute," hel added.
Incognito was suspended by the Dolphins Sunday for conduct detrimental to the team amid accusations he bullied and used racially charged terms against Martin.
WATCH: Richie Incognito -- 'Just Trying to Weather the Storm'
"I'm just trying to weather the storm right now," Incognito told a Florida reporter Tuesday. "This will pass."
Incognito's representatives have not responded to ABC News' request for comment.
Cornwell's statements came after ABC News affiliate WPLG-TV uncovered a police report in which Incognito is accused of harassing a female volunteer at a Dolphins golf tournament in 2012. The woman reportedly told police that Incognito had been drinking at the event. No charges were ever filed against Incognito after the alleged incident, the station reported.
The police report detailed how Incognito allegedly harassed a 34-year-old female volunteer at the Turnberry Resort & Club in Aventura in May 2012, according to WPLG.
Incognito "used his golf club to touch her by rubbing it up against her vagina, then up her stomach then to her chest. He then used the club to knock a pair of sunglasses off the top of her head," the report states.
"After that, he proceeded to lean up against her buttocks with his private parts as if dancing, saying 'Let it rain! Let it rain!'" according to the police report. "He finally finished his inappropriate behavior by emptying bottled water in her face."
The woman has declined to talk because she had signed a confidentiality agreement, WPLG reported.
As for Martin, he has since left the team and reportedly checked himself into a hospital last week seeking treatment for emotional distress. Martin was spotted leaving his parents' Los Angeles home Thursday.
Dolphins' players have defended Incognito and praised him as a loyal teammate with leadership skills. Teammates have been less passionate in their support of Martin, saying he and Incognito behaved like best friends.
"They did a lot of stuff together," tackle Tyson Clabo said. "So if he had a problem with the way he was treating him, he had a funny way of showing it."
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill said, "If you had asked Jon Martin a week before who his best friend on the team was, he would have said Richie Incognito.
"The first guy to stand up for Jonathan when anything went down on the field, any kind of tussle, Richie was the first guy there. When they wanted to hang out outside of football, who was together? Richie and Jonathan," he added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Attorney David Cornwell, who has defended such athletes as Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Braun, made the allegations in a statement Thursday night. Cornwell's statement alleges that an unidentified Dolphins player made a vulgar comment about having sex with Martin's sister.
Cornwell's statement makes no mention of Incognito.
WATCH: Richie Incognito Suspended After Bullying Scandal
"Jonathan Martin's toughness is not at issue," Cornwell said in his statement. "Jonathan has started every game with the Miami Dolphins since he was drafted in 2012.
"The issue is Jonathan's treatment by his teammates. Jonathan endured harassment that went far beyond the traditional locker room hazing. ... Beyond the well-publicized voice mail with its racial epithet, Jonathan endured a malicious physical attack on him by a teammate, and daily vulgar comments. These facts are not in dispute," hel added.
Incognito was suspended by the Dolphins Sunday for conduct detrimental to the team amid accusations he bullied and used racially charged terms against Martin.
WATCH: Richie Incognito -- 'Just Trying to Weather the Storm'
"I'm just trying to weather the storm right now," Incognito told a Florida reporter Tuesday. "This will pass."
Incognito's representatives have not responded to ABC News' request for comment.
Cornwell's statements came after ABC News affiliate WPLG-TV uncovered a police report in which Incognito is accused of harassing a female volunteer at a Dolphins golf tournament in 2012. The woman reportedly told police that Incognito had been drinking at the event. No charges were ever filed against Incognito after the alleged incident, the station reported.
The police report detailed how Incognito allegedly harassed a 34-year-old female volunteer at the Turnberry Resort & Club in Aventura in May 2012, according to WPLG.
Incognito "used his golf club to touch her by rubbing it up against her vagina, then up her stomach then to her chest. He then used the club to knock a pair of sunglasses off the top of her head," the report states.
"After that, he proceeded to lean up against her buttocks with his private parts as if dancing, saying 'Let it rain! Let it rain!'" according to the police report. "He finally finished his inappropriate behavior by emptying bottled water in her face."
The woman has declined to talk because she had signed a confidentiality agreement, WPLG reported.
As for Martin, he has since left the team and reportedly checked himself into a hospital last week seeking treatment for emotional distress. Martin was spotted leaving his parents' Los Angeles home Thursday.
Dolphins' players have defended Incognito and praised him as a loyal teammate with leadership skills. Teammates have been less passionate in their support of Martin, saying he and Incognito behaved like best friends.
"They did a lot of stuff together," tackle Tyson Clabo said. "So if he had a problem with the way he was treating him, he had a funny way of showing it."
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill said, "If you had asked Jon Martin a week before who his best friend on the team was, he would have said Richie Incognito.
"The first guy to stand up for Jonathan when anything went down on the field, any kind of tussle, Richie was the first guy there. When they wanted to hang out outside of football, who was together? Richie and Jonathan," he added.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
African-American driver makes history with NASCAR win, car gets towed
By JEFF GLUCK
FORT WORTH, Texas – Darrell Wallace Jr. had a pretty great week going until he showed up at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday morning and had his car towed.
You might have heard Wallace’s name this week. Last weekend at Martinsville Speedway, he became the first black driver to win a NASCAR national series race since 1963 and has been all over the media since then. This week alone, the 20-year-old (who also goes by “Bubba”) did interviews with the Arsenio Hall Show, the New York Times, CNN, the Wall Street Journal and, of course, ESPN’s SportsCenter.
He even got a follow on Twitter from Tyra Banks – which he said was the “coolest thing that happened” in the aftermath of his win.
But the excitement quickly wore off on Friday morning when his dad told him their car got towed out of the infield.
Fortunately, it wasn’t his race vehicle – he’s scheduled to participate in Friday night’s Camping World Truck Series race – but getting towed is always a bummer.
“It’s like, what the heck?” Wallace said. “All that excitement and then we get towed. Back to reality, I guess.”
Wallace said he and his dad found a perfect spot in the front row of the parking lot and parked inside the lines. But since his dad was driving, the elder Wallace drew car retrieval duty while the son focused on racing.
“My dad was like, ‘We got towed!’” Wallace said, then added with a laugh: “I was like, ‘That’s your problem, not mine.’”
In all seriousness, though, Wallace said he didn’t know where to tell his dad to pick up the car.
“Do you know where they take them from here?” he asked reporters.
You might have heard Wallace’s name this week. Last weekend at Martinsville Speedway, he became the first black driver to win a NASCAR national series race since 1963 and has been all over the media since then. This week alone, the 20-year-old (who also goes by “Bubba”) did interviews with the Arsenio Hall Show, the New York Times, CNN, the Wall Street Journal and, of course, ESPN’s SportsCenter.
He even got a follow on Twitter from Tyra Banks – which he said was the “coolest thing that happened” in the aftermath of his win.
But the excitement quickly wore off on Friday morning when his dad told him their car got towed out of the infield.
Fortunately, it wasn’t his race vehicle – he’s scheduled to participate in Friday night’s Camping World Truck Series race – but getting towed is always a bummer.
“It’s like, what the heck?” Wallace said. “All that excitement and then we get towed. Back to reality, I guess.”
Wallace said he and his dad found a perfect spot in the front row of the parking lot and parked inside the lines. But since his dad was driving, the elder Wallace drew car retrieval duty while the son focused on racing.
“My dad was like, ‘We got towed!’” Wallace said, then added with a laugh: “I was like, ‘That’s your problem, not mine.’”
In all seriousness, though, Wallace said he didn’t know where to tell his dad to pick up the car.
“Do you know where they take them from here?” he asked reporters.
Randy Moss’ son, Thad Moss, may be Rhode Island’s most versatile football star
By Cameron Smith Prep Rally
In November 2012, Thad Moss earned headlines here at Prep Rally and elsewhere when he transferred to a school in his famous father's hometown to try and jump start his prep basketball career. Now Randy Moss' son is earning second glances in the sport in which his father became famous after heading north.
As noted by MaxPreps, Thad Moss has emerged as the breakout star for Lincoln High (Lincoln, R.I.) in his second scholastic year. This is the sophomore's first year at Lincoln after he split his freshman year between Boone County High (Florence, Kent.) and St. Albans School (Charleston, W. Va.), where he transferred in search of basketball glory.
After those basketball goals fell short, Moss moved to the northeast and Lincoln High. For Lincoln, Moss has emerged as an uber-versatile threat, starting the year as a defensive end and tight end and adding part time roles as a quarterback and wide receiver, among others, as the season has advanced.
So far, there are very few things the younger Moss hasn't done on the football field at Lincoln. He is still growing into his body -- Moss currently stands 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds -- and has the same strength that his father combined with blazing speed to become one of the NFL's most feared receivers of all time.
You can see the younger Moss in action on both the defensive line and as a tight end in the highlight reel above.
It will be some time before we learn if the younger Moss can capture some of his father's speed or enough attention to land a major scholarship, just as his sister did at Boone County.
He still has two years to add to his bona fides and attract top flight recruiters to New England, assuming he doesn't take his talents to a fourth school in as many sporting seasons.
Want more on the best stories in high school sports? Connect with Prep Rally on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
As noted by MaxPreps, Thad Moss has emerged as the breakout star for Lincoln High (Lincoln, R.I.) in his second scholastic year. This is the sophomore's first year at Lincoln after he split his freshman year between Boone County High (Florence, Kent.) and St. Albans School (Charleston, W. Va.), where he transferred in search of basketball glory.
After those basketball goals fell short, Moss moved to the northeast and Lincoln High. For Lincoln, Moss has emerged as an uber-versatile threat, starting the year as a defensive end and tight end and adding part time roles as a quarterback and wide receiver, among others, as the season has advanced.
So far, there are very few things the younger Moss hasn't done on the football field at Lincoln. He is still growing into his body -- Moss currently stands 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds -- and has the same strength that his father combined with blazing speed to become one of the NFL's most feared receivers of all time.
You can see the younger Moss in action on both the defensive line and as a tight end in the highlight reel above.
It will be some time before we learn if the younger Moss can capture some of his father's speed or enough attention to land a major scholarship, just as his sister did at Boone County.
He still has two years to add to his bona fides and attract top flight recruiters to New England, assuming he doesn't take his talents to a fourth school in as many sporting seasons.
Want more on the best stories in high school sports? Connect with Prep Rally on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
Grambling State players don’t board buses to travel to Jackson State; game is forfeited
By Nick Bromberg
Grambling players didn't board the buses to go to Jackson State Friday afternoon. Grambling was originally scheduled to leave at 2:30 p.m. CT but no players showed up. The school said the departure time had been pushed back to 3:30 p.m., but after that deadline, there were still no players in sight. At 3:50 p.m., the buses left the lot empty.
An unidentified Grambling player had told ESPN Friday afternoon that the players had decided not to play.
At a Friday afternoon news conference, athletic director Aaron James and university president Frank Pogue said that they were expecting to play the game. However, that was before the scheduled departure times.
"We're going to Jackson and we're going to play Jackson State for their homecoming," Pogue said.
The players are unhappy with Pogue, the university's facilities, transportation and the dismissal of coach Doug Williams, a Grambling alum and former Super Bowl winning quarterback with the Washington Redskins.
The team bused to games in Kansas City and Indianapolis, the latter of which was 900 miles away. Any repercussions for the players refusing to board the buses on Friday haven't been identified.
"I don’t see the players as being in control," Pogue said at the news conference. " I have never lost control of an institution."
A Sports Illustrated story published Friday detailed the dire financial situation at Grambling, which has seen drastic funding cuts over the past several years. Those cuts have affected the entire university, a historically black college in Louisiana. It's where Eddie Robinson became a football coaching legend, amassing 408 wins in his 56 years as Grambling head coach.
From SI:
Since 2007-08, overall state funding for Grambling has gone from $31.6 million to $13.8 million. The school has attempted to bridge that gap by increasing tuition, but it has fallen short, and cuts have been made across the board. Approximately 127 staff members have been laid off since 2008 and furloughs are common. Professors have also been asked to teach an extra class each year for free. Generally, the school has "cut to the bone," says Leon Sanders, Grambling's vice president for finance.
When he was coach at Grambling, Williams, with the help of donors, moved to get new flooring for the weight room, which is described in the SI piece as in need of serious repair. However, he did not go through the channels in which James and Pogue wanted him to to secure the funding, adding another layer to an already conflicted relationship. (If you have a few minutes, check out the entire Sports Illustrated story. This encompasses much more than the football team.)
Williams was fired in September after starting 0-2. The team went 1-10 last season and is currently 0-7. The tensions this week came to a boil on Tuesday, when players walked out of a meeting with James and Pogue and on Wednesday the team boycotted practice. Interim coach George Ragsdale, Williams' replacement, was dismissed Thursday evening, and Dennis Winston was appointed head coach.
Grambling players didn't board the buses to go to Jackson State Friday afternoon. Grambling was originally scheduled to leave at 2:30 p.m. CT but no players showed up. The school said the departure time had been pushed back to 3:30 p.m., but after that deadline, there were still no players in sight. At 3:50 p.m., the buses left the lot empty.
An unidentified Grambling player had told ESPN Friday afternoon that the players had decided not to play.
At a Friday afternoon news conference, athletic director Aaron James and university president Frank Pogue said that they were expecting to play the game. However, that was before the scheduled departure times.
"We're going to Jackson and we're going to play Jackson State for their homecoming," Pogue said.
The players are unhappy with Pogue, the university's facilities, transportation and the dismissal of coach Doug Williams, a Grambling alum and former Super Bowl winning quarterback with the Washington Redskins.
The team bused to games in Kansas City and Indianapolis, the latter of which was 900 miles away. Any repercussions for the players refusing to board the buses on Friday haven't been identified.
"I don’t see the players as being in control," Pogue said at the news conference. " I have never lost control of an institution."
A Sports Illustrated story published Friday detailed the dire financial situation at Grambling, which has seen drastic funding cuts over the past several years. Those cuts have affected the entire university, a historically black college in Louisiana. It's where Eddie Robinson became a football coaching legend, amassing 408 wins in his 56 years as Grambling head coach.
From SI:
Since 2007-08, overall state funding for Grambling has gone from $31.6 million to $13.8 million. The school has attempted to bridge that gap by increasing tuition, but it has fallen short, and cuts have been made across the board. Approximately 127 staff members have been laid off since 2008 and furloughs are common. Professors have also been asked to teach an extra class each year for free. Generally, the school has "cut to the bone," says Leon Sanders, Grambling's vice president for finance.
When he was coach at Grambling, Williams, with the help of donors, moved to get new flooring for the weight room, which is described in the SI piece as in need of serious repair. However, he did not go through the channels in which James and Pogue wanted him to to secure the funding, adding another layer to an already conflicted relationship. (If you have a few minutes, check out the entire Sports Illustrated story. This encompasses much more than the football team.)
Williams was fired in September after starting 0-2. The team went 1-10 last season and is currently 0-7. The tensions this week came to a boil on Tuesday, when players walked out of a meeting with James and Pogue and on Wednesday the team boycotted practice. Interim coach George Ragsdale, Williams' replacement, was dismissed Thursday evening, and Dennis Winston was appointed head coach.
LeBron James talks role models
ESPN.com news services
LeBron James says he watches a lot of tape. Who does he look at?
Michael Jordan and ... Allen Iverson?
"I watch Jordan more than anybody, for sure," James told ESPN's Chris Broussard for a story in the upcoming issue of ESPN The Magazine. "But I'll watch tapes of AI, too. I don't take anything from AI. Well, I do -- his will. They say he was 6 feet, but AI was like 5-10½. Do we even want to say 160? 170 [pounds]? Do we even want to give him that much weight? And he played like a 6-8 2-guard. He was one of the greatest finishers we've ever seen. You could never question his heart. Ever. He gave it his all. AI was like my second-favorite player growing up, after MJ."
What James loved about Jordan was the very attribute that he works to establish -- having no fear.
"MJ wasn't perfect. MJ had bad games. He had turnovers. He had games where he felt like he should've been better," James said. "But I think the greatest thing about MJ was that he never was afraid to fail. And I think that's why he succeeded so much -- because he was never afraid of what anybody ever said about him. Never afraid to miss the game-winning shot, never afraid to turn the ball over. Never afraid."
Despite two straight NBA titles and four MVPs, James is still afraid to fail.
"That's one of my biggest obstacles. I'm afraid of failure," James said in the interview. "I want to succeed so bad that I become afraid of failing."
Before winning a title in his seventh season, Jordan had to listen to critics say he was too much of a scorer and couldn't be enough of a team player to capture a championship. Before winning it all in his ninth season, James had to listen to critics who said he was too much of a team player and needed to take over games down the stretch like Jordan did.
"The so-called gurus of basketball want LeBron to be Bernard King. I'm not Bernard King," James said. "I'm not a flat-out scorer like that. That's not all that I do. I do a little bit of everything. I averaged 31 in Cleveland my third or fourth year, and that didn't get us anywhere. I led the league in scoring. People forget that."
What has become more important, however, is being a team leader. James said he recognizes that Dwyane Wade has had to make sacrifices for the sake of winning championships. And Wade has his own critics who say that he's not the player he used to be. When James senses that Wade is getting frustrated with his touches, he'll make sure to get him the ball.
"It's about letting him know who he still is," James said in a separate story in this week's ESPN The Magazine. "'You're still D-Wade and no matter what people say you can still get it done.'"
While James says that he and Wade are both alphas, Heat president Pat Riley leaves no doubt as to who is the leader of the pack.
"Dwyane realizes that he's playing with the real deal and that in the biggest moments the ball will be in LeBron's hands," Riley said. "And he realizes that doesn't make a difference. If they keep winning and make sure that's [priority] No. 1, they'll go down as one of the greatest [teams] in history."
Michael Jordan and ... Allen Iverson?
"I watch Jordan more than anybody, for sure," James told ESPN's Chris Broussard for a story in the upcoming issue of ESPN The Magazine. "But I'll watch tapes of AI, too. I don't take anything from AI. Well, I do -- his will. They say he was 6 feet, but AI was like 5-10½. Do we even want to say 160? 170 [pounds]? Do we even want to give him that much weight? And he played like a 6-8 2-guard. He was one of the greatest finishers we've ever seen. You could never question his heart. Ever. He gave it his all. AI was like my second-favorite player growing up, after MJ."
What James loved about Jordan was the very attribute that he works to establish -- having no fear.
"MJ wasn't perfect. MJ had bad games. He had turnovers. He had games where he felt like he should've been better," James said. "But I think the greatest thing about MJ was that he never was afraid to fail. And I think that's why he succeeded so much -- because he was never afraid of what anybody ever said about him. Never afraid to miss the game-winning shot, never afraid to turn the ball over. Never afraid."
Despite two straight NBA titles and four MVPs, James is still afraid to fail.
"That's one of my biggest obstacles. I'm afraid of failure," James said in the interview. "I want to succeed so bad that I become afraid of failing."
Before winning a title in his seventh season, Jordan had to listen to critics say he was too much of a scorer and couldn't be enough of a team player to capture a championship. Before winning it all in his ninth season, James had to listen to critics who said he was too much of a team player and needed to take over games down the stretch like Jordan did.
"The so-called gurus of basketball want LeBron to be Bernard King. I'm not Bernard King," James said. "I'm not a flat-out scorer like that. That's not all that I do. I do a little bit of everything. I averaged 31 in Cleveland my third or fourth year, and that didn't get us anywhere. I led the league in scoring. People forget that."
What has become more important, however, is being a team leader. James said he recognizes that Dwyane Wade has had to make sacrifices for the sake of winning championships. And Wade has his own critics who say that he's not the player he used to be. When James senses that Wade is getting frustrated with his touches, he'll make sure to get him the ball.
"It's about letting him know who he still is," James said in a separate story in this week's ESPN The Magazine. "'You're still D-Wade and no matter what people say you can still get it done.'"
While James says that he and Wade are both alphas, Heat president Pat Riley leaves no doubt as to who is the leader of the pack.
"Dwyane realizes that he's playing with the real deal and that in the biggest moments the ball will be in LeBron's hands," Riley said. "And he realizes that doesn't make a difference. If they keep winning and make sure that's [priority] No. 1, they'll go down as one of the greatest [teams] in history."
Angry Red Sox fan thrown out for HR ball toss also allegedly ranted racist remarks in stands
By Jeff Passan Yahoo Sports
BOSTON – The fan who ripped a home run ball out of a woman's hands and threw it back onto the field allegedly spent Game 2 of the American League Championship Series uttering racist remarks, including a parting shot to an African-American man as he was ejected from Fenway Park: "Bye, Trayvon."
The man was not immediately identified, and stadium security declined to provide his name. But fans in Section 42 of the stadium confirmed that he directed multiple slurs at 25-year-old Angelo Sikoutris, a Detroit Tigers fan from Brooklyn, including a reference to Trayvon Martin, the Florida teenager whose shooting death sparked a national firestorm and prompted fierce debate about modern-day racism.
"He was talking all game," Sikoutris told Yahoo Sports from his seat in Row 1, right above the Tigers' bullpen, two innings after the man was escorted out by security after throwing back a home run hit by Detroit catcher Alex Avila.
Video of the man taking the ball from a woman sitting next to him and chucking it onto the field quickly went viral as Boston faced a five-run deficit. The Red Sox came back for a dramatic 6-5 victory to even the ALCS at one game apiece.
Sikoutris, who attended the game with his father, wore a Prince Fielder jersey, which prompted the man to allegedly call him "Prince Fielder's crackhead brother." In addition, Sikoutris said, the man yelled at another African-American Tigers fan walking through the section, saying: "Go back to the ghetto."
Another fan near the altercation, Dan Cook, confirmed Sikourtis' account, as did a woman who declined to provide her name.
Security led the man and a woman, who fans said attended the game with him in Row 5 of Section 42, out through the stadium's Gate C. On the way out, Sikoutris, who fans said had been level-headed dealing with the man, said: "Bye-bye."
The response from the man: "Bye, Trayvon."
The man was not immediately identified, and stadium security declined to provide his name. But fans in Section 42 of the stadium confirmed that he directed multiple slurs at 25-year-old Angelo Sikoutris, a Detroit Tigers fan from Brooklyn, including a reference to Trayvon Martin, the Florida teenager whose shooting death sparked a national firestorm and prompted fierce debate about modern-day racism.
"He was talking all game," Sikoutris told Yahoo Sports from his seat in Row 1, right above the Tigers' bullpen, two innings after the man was escorted out by security after throwing back a home run hit by Detroit catcher Alex Avila.
Video of the man taking the ball from a woman sitting next to him and chucking it onto the field quickly went viral as Boston faced a five-run deficit. The Red Sox came back for a dramatic 6-5 victory to even the ALCS at one game apiece.
Sikoutris, who attended the game with his father, wore a Prince Fielder jersey, which prompted the man to allegedly call him "Prince Fielder's crackhead brother." In addition, Sikoutris said, the man yelled at another African-American Tigers fan walking through the section, saying: "Go back to the ghetto."
Another fan near the altercation, Dan Cook, confirmed Sikourtis' account, as did a woman who declined to provide her name.
Security led the man and a woman, who fans said attended the game with him in Row 5 of Section 42, out through the stadium's Gate C. On the way out, Sikoutris, who fans said had been level-headed dealing with the man, said: "Bye-bye."
The response from the man: "Bye, Trayvon."
Reports: Adrian Peterson’s son in critical condition; mother’s boyfriend in custody
BY DOUG FARRAR
(NFL SI.COM) Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson missed practice Thursday to travel to South Dakota for personal reasons. Several reports have indicated that a two-year old boy in critical condition in a Sioux Falls hospital is Peterson’s son, though police would not reveal details about the boy’s family in a Friday morning press conference. Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press said via Twitter on Friday morning that he spoke with Nelson Peterson, Adrian’s father, who told him that the child is indeed Adrian’s.
“We are asking for prayers and for respect for our family as deal with this tragic situation,” Nelson Peterson told Jensen.
TMZ.com reported on Friday morning that Peterson’s son was in critical condition after he suffered a severe beating at the hands of 27-year-old Joseph Patterson, who had been dating the boy’s mother. Law enforcement officials told TMZ that emergency responders arrived at the house on Wednesday afternoon, only to find the boy unresponsive, with multiple head injuries that were “consistent with abuse.” (Update: City Pages, a newspaper in Minneapolis, is now reporting that the child “is not expected to survive” his injuries.)
TMZ first misreported that the boy was Adrian Peterson, Jr.
Stu Whitney, sports editor of the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, reported via Twitter on Thursday that “Adrian Peterson is still in Sioux Falls, dealing with medical issue involving young family member that will likely be a police matter.” Per Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Peterson was back with the team on Friday.
According to the Argus Leader, Patterson is being held without bond in the Minnehaha County Jail on charges of aggravated assault and aggravated battery of an infant. According to Sioux Falls Police Lt. Blaine Larsen, Patterson was the only one home with the boy, and it was Patterson who called 911 to report a choking
The Argus Leader also clarified that “the assault on an infant charge involves blows, shaking or causing a child’s head to sustain impact with an object in a manner that causes bleeding or swelling on the brain. The crime is punishable by up to 25 years in prison.”
“We are asking for prayers and for respect for our family as deal with this tragic situation,” Nelson Peterson told Jensen.
TMZ.com reported on Friday morning that Peterson’s son was in critical condition after he suffered a severe beating at the hands of 27-year-old Joseph Patterson, who had been dating the boy’s mother. Law enforcement officials told TMZ that emergency responders arrived at the house on Wednesday afternoon, only to find the boy unresponsive, with multiple head injuries that were “consistent with abuse.” (Update: City Pages, a newspaper in Minneapolis, is now reporting that the child “is not expected to survive” his injuries.)
TMZ first misreported that the boy was Adrian Peterson, Jr.
Stu Whitney, sports editor of the Argus Leader in Sioux Falls, reported via Twitter on Thursday that “Adrian Peterson is still in Sioux Falls, dealing with medical issue involving young family member that will likely be a police matter.” Per Chip Scoggins of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Peterson was back with the team on Friday.
According to the Argus Leader, Patterson is being held without bond in the Minnehaha County Jail on charges of aggravated assault and aggravated battery of an infant. According to Sioux Falls Police Lt. Blaine Larsen, Patterson was the only one home with the boy, and it was Patterson who called 911 to report a choking
The Argus Leader also clarified that “the assault on an infant charge involves blows, shaking or causing a child’s head to sustain impact with an object in a manner that causes bleeding or swelling on the brain. The crime is punishable by up to 25 years in prison.”
Widow of Murdered NBA Player, Lorenzen Wright, Spends $1 Million in 10 Months
by Marcelle English
If you can remember back to 2010 when NBA player Lorenzen Wright was killed by a gunshot to the head, you will remember how tragic the entire story was for this young athlete and his family.
Wright earned over $55 million during his career and was divorced only a couple of months before his death from Sherra Robinson-Wright. After Robinson-Wright was cleared of being a suspect in the shooting, she received an insurance check for $1 million dollars. After only 10 months that million is almost gone.
Here’s what she spent it on:
• $32,000 for a Cadillac Escalade
• $26,000 for a Lexus
• $69,000 on furniture
• $11,750 for a New York trip
• $339,000 for purchase and improvement to a new home
• $7,100 for a pool deposit
• $5,000 for lawn equipment
• $34,000 on legal fees
The money was left and supposed to go towards taking care of Wright’s six children.
The money was left and supposed to go towards taking care of Wright’s six children. The mismanagement of money was brought to the attention of the Memphis courts and after an investigation a judge took the remaining money away from Robinson-Wright and gave the remainder for Lorenzen Wright’s father. The other money that the family received as death benefits from the NBA was also frozen.
When Wright died, he was paying $16,650 per month in child another $10,000 in alimony, giving his ex-wife a total of $319,000 per year.
This story is so sad for the children. Not only do they not have a father anymore, their mother is throwing away what money they do have to keep up with the Jones’.
Marcelle English is a co-founder of JerseyGirlSports.com
Wright earned over $55 million during his career and was divorced only a couple of months before his death from Sherra Robinson-Wright. After Robinson-Wright was cleared of being a suspect in the shooting, she received an insurance check for $1 million dollars. After only 10 months that million is almost gone.
Here’s what she spent it on:
• $32,000 for a Cadillac Escalade
• $26,000 for a Lexus
• $69,000 on furniture
• $11,750 for a New York trip
• $339,000 for purchase and improvement to a new home
• $7,100 for a pool deposit
• $5,000 for lawn equipment
• $34,000 on legal fees
The money was left and supposed to go towards taking care of Wright’s six children.
The money was left and supposed to go towards taking care of Wright’s six children. The mismanagement of money was brought to the attention of the Memphis courts and after an investigation a judge took the remaining money away from Robinson-Wright and gave the remainder for Lorenzen Wright’s father. The other money that the family received as death benefits from the NBA was also frozen.
When Wright died, he was paying $16,650 per month in child another $10,000 in alimony, giving his ex-wife a total of $319,000 per year.
This story is so sad for the children. Not only do they not have a father anymore, their mother is throwing away what money they do have to keep up with the Jones’.
Marcelle English is a co-founder of JerseyGirlSports.com
Magic Johnson Warns Jay Z: Cano Price Too High For Dodgers
(Forbes) Los Angeles Dodgers part-owner Magic Johnson told the New York Post that New York Yankees free-agent Robinson Cano would likely be too expensive for his team.
Johnson’s quote: “You can’t have two guys, I mean, come on man, anybody who knows numbers. A year from now, two, here comes Hanley [Ramirez]. We’ve got guys we need to keep. When it is all said and done the numbers probably don’t add up.’’
The Dodgers, who won the National League West and lead the Atlanta Braves 1-0 in the Division Series, currently have a $235 million payroll and are on the hook for $165 million in guaranteed contracts next season, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Ramirez is slotted to make $16 million next season and then will become a free agent. The shortstop hit .345 this season.
More important for the Dodgers is signing All-Star pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who earned signed a two-year deal with the team before last season for $19 million, is eligible for arbitration after this season and becomes a free-agent after the 2014 season.
Cano is represented by Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA Sports under the umbrella of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. As I wrote last week, not only is the 10-year, $310 million Cano’s reps are asking for too high, but even the seven-year, $161 million the Yankees are offering Cano is too rich.
A study by Ray C. Fair that looked at the relationship between performance–measured by on-base percentage (OBP) and OBP plus slugging percentage (OPS)–and age for major league baseball players from 1921 to 2004 indicates that Cano, who is 31, will produce sharply declining hitting numbers in a couple of years.
No matter how much money the Dodgers get from their new television deal with Time Warner Cable, Johnson is too smart to get bogged down with an Albert Pujols type contract.
Johnson’s quote: “You can’t have two guys, I mean, come on man, anybody who knows numbers. A year from now, two, here comes Hanley [Ramirez]. We’ve got guys we need to keep. When it is all said and done the numbers probably don’t add up.’’
The Dodgers, who won the National League West and lead the Atlanta Braves 1-0 in the Division Series, currently have a $235 million payroll and are on the hook for $165 million in guaranteed contracts next season, according to Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Ramirez is slotted to make $16 million next season and then will become a free agent. The shortstop hit .345 this season.
More important for the Dodgers is signing All-Star pitcher Clayton Kershaw, who earned signed a two-year deal with the team before last season for $19 million, is eligible for arbitration after this season and becomes a free-agent after the 2014 season.
Cano is represented by Brodie Van Wagenen of CAA Sports under the umbrella of Jay-Z’s Roc Nation. As I wrote last week, not only is the 10-year, $310 million Cano’s reps are asking for too high, but even the seven-year, $161 million the Yankees are offering Cano is too rich.
A study by Ray C. Fair that looked at the relationship between performance–measured by on-base percentage (OBP) and OBP plus slugging percentage (OPS)–and age for major league baseball players from 1921 to 2004 indicates that Cano, who is 31, will produce sharply declining hitting numbers in a couple of years.
No matter how much money the Dodgers get from their new television deal with Time Warner Cable, Johnson is too smart to get bogged down with an Albert Pujols type contract.
Lamar Odom Breaks Silence, Defends the Kardashians
Elizabeth Durand omg!
After being charged with a DUI, reportedly checking in and out of rehab, and taking a nearly two-month hiatus from Twitter, Lamar Odom is speaking out — and he's got a lot to say.
The NBA-turned-reality-TV star returned to the social media platform on Tuesday to tell the world exactly how he feels about both his own father and his Kardashian family.
"Won't continue 2 speak on this but I have got 2 let this out real quick," Odom began. "I have let this man and many others get away with a lot of s***. He wasn't there 2 raise me. He was absent ALL of my life due to his own demons. My mother and grandmother raised me. Queens raised me," Khloé Kardashian's husband lamented.
Continuing to lash out against his biological dad, Joe Odom, who recently granted a scathing interview in which he blamed the Kardashians for Lamar's troubles, the NBA free agent shared, "That man wasn't even invited to my wedding. He has never met my mother in law and some of my other family. How can a man who has NOT once called me to check on my well being have the nerve to talk so recklessly about his own 'son.' He is my downfall! His own demons may be the ONLY thing he gave 2 me. He disrespecting the ONLY FAMILY that has loved me without expecting anything in return."
But it was the tail end of the extended tweet where Lamar turned his attention to the Kardashians and defended the impact they have had on his life.
"They are the ONLY ones that have been here consistently 4 me during this dark time. Only person 2 blame is myself. Say what you want about me but leave the ones who have done nothing but protect and love me out of this! This goes to out to everyone!" he declared.
For many, this defense of the Kardashian family is somewhat unexpected, as Lamar and his wife have reportedly been living apart for the past few weeks while rumors of a separation have been reaching a fever pitch. Just Monday, Khloé changed her name on Instagram from "Khloé Kardashian Odom" to simply "Khloé."
Lamar is slated to appear before a judge on September 27 — the same day as his fourth wedding anniversary — and NBA training camps open next week. While we're sure this drama hasn't played out just yet, hopefully Lamar will be out of one court and onto the other sooner rather than later.
The NBA-turned-reality-TV star returned to the social media platform on Tuesday to tell the world exactly how he feels about both his own father and his Kardashian family.
"Won't continue 2 speak on this but I have got 2 let this out real quick," Odom began. "I have let this man and many others get away with a lot of s***. He wasn't there 2 raise me. He was absent ALL of my life due to his own demons. My mother and grandmother raised me. Queens raised me," Khloé Kardashian's husband lamented.
Continuing to lash out against his biological dad, Joe Odom, who recently granted a scathing interview in which he blamed the Kardashians for Lamar's troubles, the NBA free agent shared, "That man wasn't even invited to my wedding. He has never met my mother in law and some of my other family. How can a man who has NOT once called me to check on my well being have the nerve to talk so recklessly about his own 'son.' He is my downfall! His own demons may be the ONLY thing he gave 2 me. He disrespecting the ONLY FAMILY that has loved me without expecting anything in return."
But it was the tail end of the extended tweet where Lamar turned his attention to the Kardashians and defended the impact they have had on his life.
"They are the ONLY ones that have been here consistently 4 me during this dark time. Only person 2 blame is myself. Say what you want about me but leave the ones who have done nothing but protect and love me out of this! This goes to out to everyone!" he declared.
For many, this defense of the Kardashian family is somewhat unexpected, as Lamar and his wife have reportedly been living apart for the past few weeks while rumors of a separation have been reaching a fever pitch. Just Monday, Khloé changed her name on Instagram from "Khloé Kardashian Odom" to simply "Khloé."
Lamar is slated to appear before a judge on September 27 — the same day as his fourth wedding anniversary — and NBA training camps open next week. While we're sure this drama hasn't played out just yet, hopefully Lamar will be out of one court and onto the other sooner rather than later.
Judge C.J. Ross surrenders role
C.J. Ross, the embattled boxing judge whose draw scorecard from Saturday night's Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Saul "Canelo" Alvarez junior middleweight championship fight ignited a firestorm of controversy, has stepped down.
Ross, 64, of Las Vegas, sent Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer an email on Tuesday saying that she would step away from the sport she has judged for more than 20 years.
"I will be taking some time off from boxing but will keep in touch," Ross wrote.
Ross turned in a scorecard that read 114-114 for Mayweather-Alvarez, by far the sport's biggest fight this year. It seemed everyone else viewed the fight as one-sided in favor of Mayweather, who won by majority decision. The two other judges scored the fight for Mayweather 117-111 and 116-112, also too close in the eyes of many but clearly a victory for Mayweather, the world's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.
Even Alvarez and his team did not dispute Mayweather's victory in their comments after the fight.
"We respect her decision, and appreciate her love of the sport she has served for over 20 years," Kizer said. "She came into the [commission] office [on Tuesday] and spoke with chairman [Bill] Brady, commissioner [Francisco] Aguilar and me."
Although they did not review video together, they did discuss her scoring of the fight.
"She did not get too in depth, especially without a DVD of the bout," Kizer said. "She referenced it was round-by-round scoring, and that overall she thought Mayweather outperformed Alvarez."
Ross' scorecard was the second one she has rendered in the past 15 months that has come under intense scrutiny. She also was one of the two judges who awarded Timothy Bradley Jr. a split decision victory, and a welterweight world title, against Manny Pacquiao in June 2012, drawing worldwide condemnation because many believed Pacquiao had won with ease.
Still, Ross was surprisingly recommended to serve as a judge on Mayweather-Alvarez by Kizer and then approved unanimously by the Nevada commission at a meeting a couple of weeks before the fight.
It is possible that Ross could judge fights again, but it seems unlikely. Nevada judging licenses are issued annually and Ross' will expire at the end of the year. If she does look to renew it next year, the commission has the authority to decline.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Brady spoke Tuesday about the bad publicity Nevada has received over the decision with Gov. Brian Sandoval, who appoints commission members.
"I apologized to the governor for any embarrassment we may have caused the state," Brady told the newspaper. "He made me aware of his concerns. He wants things done right."
That means changing the process for selecting officials -- typically a rubber stamp of Kizer's suggestions -- beginning Sept. 25. That is when the commission is set to appoint officials to work Bradley's title defense against Juan Manuel Marquez on Oct. 12 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
"There will be more questions asked, and Keith will be held accountable for his recommendations," Brady told the Review-Journal. "We won't be a rubber stamp anymore."
Ross, 64, of Las Vegas, sent Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer an email on Tuesday saying that she would step away from the sport she has judged for more than 20 years.
"I will be taking some time off from boxing but will keep in touch," Ross wrote.
Ross turned in a scorecard that read 114-114 for Mayweather-Alvarez, by far the sport's biggest fight this year. It seemed everyone else viewed the fight as one-sided in favor of Mayweather, who won by majority decision. The two other judges scored the fight for Mayweather 117-111 and 116-112, also too close in the eyes of many but clearly a victory for Mayweather, the world's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.
Even Alvarez and his team did not dispute Mayweather's victory in their comments after the fight.
"We respect her decision, and appreciate her love of the sport she has served for over 20 years," Kizer said. "She came into the [commission] office [on Tuesday] and spoke with chairman [Bill] Brady, commissioner [Francisco] Aguilar and me."
Although they did not review video together, they did discuss her scoring of the fight.
"She did not get too in depth, especially without a DVD of the bout," Kizer said. "She referenced it was round-by-round scoring, and that overall she thought Mayweather outperformed Alvarez."
Ross' scorecard was the second one she has rendered in the past 15 months that has come under intense scrutiny. She also was one of the two judges who awarded Timothy Bradley Jr. a split decision victory, and a welterweight world title, against Manny Pacquiao in June 2012, drawing worldwide condemnation because many believed Pacquiao had won with ease.
Still, Ross was surprisingly recommended to serve as a judge on Mayweather-Alvarez by Kizer and then approved unanimously by the Nevada commission at a meeting a couple of weeks before the fight.
It is possible that Ross could judge fights again, but it seems unlikely. Nevada judging licenses are issued annually and Ross' will expire at the end of the year. If she does look to renew it next year, the commission has the authority to decline.
According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Brady spoke Tuesday about the bad publicity Nevada has received over the decision with Gov. Brian Sandoval, who appoints commission members.
"I apologized to the governor for any embarrassment we may have caused the state," Brady told the newspaper. "He made me aware of his concerns. He wants things done right."
That means changing the process for selecting officials -- typically a rubber stamp of Kizer's suggestions -- beginning Sept. 25. That is when the commission is set to appoint officials to work Bradley's title defense against Juan Manuel Marquez on Oct. 12 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.
"There will be more questions asked, and Keith will be held accountable for his recommendations," Brady told the Review-Journal. "We won't be a rubber stamp anymore."
Mayweather vs. Canelo ends with easy win for Mayweather
( AP LAS VEGAS) -- Canelo Alvarez proved nothing more than easy money for Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Mayweather turned one of the richest fights ever into just another $41.5 million payday Saturday night, dominating Alvarez from the opening bell and winning a majority decision in a masterful performance that left no doubt who the best fighter of his era is.
Fighting off his shortest layoff in years, Mayweather was sharp, efficient and sometimes brutal in dismantling an unbeaten fighter who was bigger and was supposed to punch harder. He frustrated Alvarez early, pounded him with big right hands in the middle rounds, and made him look just like he said he would - like any other opponent.
Mayweather was favored 117-111 and 116-112 on two ringside scorecards while a third inexplicably had the fight 114-114. The Associated Press scored it 119-109 for Mayweather.
"I just listened to my corner, listened to my dad," Mayweather said. "My dad had a brilliant game plan, and I went out there and got the job done."
Mayweather remained unbeaten in 45 fights and added another piece of the junior middleweight title to his collection in a fight that was fought at a 152-pound limit. Alvarez weighed in at that weight, but was an unofficial 165 pounds when he got into the ring while Mayweather, who weighed in at 150 1/2 pounds, was an even 150.
The extra weight did Alvarez no good and the punching power that brought him 30 knockouts in 43 fights wasn't a help either. The Mexican star was seldom able to land a solid punch, with most of his punches either missing or glancing off of Mayweather.
"No doubt he's a great fighter, a very intelligent fighter," Alvarez said. "There was no solution for him."
Mayweather said he actually had to put on weight during the day to even get close to what he weighed the day before.
"When I woke up this morning, I was 146 pounds, so I had to call my chef and get something in my system," he said.
Mayweather's speed was the difference all night as he was able to land straight rights and left jabs, then get out of the way before Alvarez was able to respond. But while Mayweather used great defense, he wasn't afraid to attack often and at different angles, finding Alvarez with punches he couldn't anticipate.
"He's very talented, very elusive," Alvarez said.
When it was over, Mayweather didn't even celebrate, walking over to a corner to look at the crowd. Just another payday, just another win for Money May. The only surprise came when it was announced the decision wasn't unanimous, with judge C.J. Ross scoring it even.
"I can't control what the judges do," Mayweather said.
Alvarez was supposed to be Mayweather's greatest challenge and he did his best to force the action. Like others, though, he couldn't solve the puzzle that is Mayweather and spent much of his night punching at an opponent who had already moved away from him.
"I didn't know how to get him, it's extremely simple," Alvarez said. "He's a great fighter, very intelligent. The frustration was getting in there, but he's a great fighter. We tried to catch him."
Alvarez said before the fight that he had the game plan to solve Mayweather's tricky defense and fast hands. If it failed, he said, he had other game plans he would implement to win the fight.
But he had no plan that worked once he got into the ring and found out just how difficult Mayweather can be.
"At the same time, he also missed me a lot," Alvarez said. "His punches landed on my gloves."
Ringside punch stats showed Mayweather dominance, crediting him with landing 232 of 505 punches to 117 of 526 for Alvarez.
The sellout crowd of 16,746 at the MGM Grand on Mexican Independence weekend tried its best to urge Alvarez (42-1-1) on, but the cheers of "Canelo! Canelo!" were faint and wistful by the late rounds. Mayweather was so much in charge that the only question was whether the ringside judges would allow him to pitch a shutout.
They didn't, but that was the only disappointment on a night that Mayweather solidified his claim to being one of the best ever and padded his bank account in a way no other fighter has ever done.
Mayweather came out aggressive and used his speed to hit Alvarez with one or two shots in the early rounds and then get safely out of the way. Alvarez tried to stalk Mayweather and throw right hands, but Mayweather was usually safely out of the way by the time the punches arrived.
"He's a tough competitor," Mayweather said. "A tough competitor."
Alvarez kept trying to force the fight, but every time he went after Mayweather he paid for it with a counter right or a combination to the head. By the fourth round he was beginning to get frustrated, landing a low blow that angered Mayweather, who was further angered when Alvarez refused to touch gloves with him to resume the fight.
The fight was one of the richest ever - if not the richest ever - with a live gate of $20 million and at least another $100 million from pay-per-view. Tickets were so hot that celebrities were actually offering to buy them and some tickets were being offered online for as much as $29,000.
Mayweather was the big beneficiary of that, making a guaranteed $41.5 million to $5 million for Alvarez. Add in his purse from his win over Robert Guererro in May and Mayweather made $73 million in two fights - easily making him the highest-paid athlete in the country.
Alvarez had some star power himself, with his red hair, good lucks and big punching power winning over most of his native Mexico. The fight was on free TV in Mexico, and some estimates were that 70 million people would watch.
Mayweather turned one of the richest fights ever into just another $41.5 million payday Saturday night, dominating Alvarez from the opening bell and winning a majority decision in a masterful performance that left no doubt who the best fighter of his era is.
Fighting off his shortest layoff in years, Mayweather was sharp, efficient and sometimes brutal in dismantling an unbeaten fighter who was bigger and was supposed to punch harder. He frustrated Alvarez early, pounded him with big right hands in the middle rounds, and made him look just like he said he would - like any other opponent.
Mayweather was favored 117-111 and 116-112 on two ringside scorecards while a third inexplicably had the fight 114-114. The Associated Press scored it 119-109 for Mayweather.
"I just listened to my corner, listened to my dad," Mayweather said. "My dad had a brilliant game plan, and I went out there and got the job done."
Mayweather remained unbeaten in 45 fights and added another piece of the junior middleweight title to his collection in a fight that was fought at a 152-pound limit. Alvarez weighed in at that weight, but was an unofficial 165 pounds when he got into the ring while Mayweather, who weighed in at 150 1/2 pounds, was an even 150.
The extra weight did Alvarez no good and the punching power that brought him 30 knockouts in 43 fights wasn't a help either. The Mexican star was seldom able to land a solid punch, with most of his punches either missing or glancing off of Mayweather.
"No doubt he's a great fighter, a very intelligent fighter," Alvarez said. "There was no solution for him."
Mayweather said he actually had to put on weight during the day to even get close to what he weighed the day before.
"When I woke up this morning, I was 146 pounds, so I had to call my chef and get something in my system," he said.
Mayweather's speed was the difference all night as he was able to land straight rights and left jabs, then get out of the way before Alvarez was able to respond. But while Mayweather used great defense, he wasn't afraid to attack often and at different angles, finding Alvarez with punches he couldn't anticipate.
"He's very talented, very elusive," Alvarez said.
When it was over, Mayweather didn't even celebrate, walking over to a corner to look at the crowd. Just another payday, just another win for Money May. The only surprise came when it was announced the decision wasn't unanimous, with judge C.J. Ross scoring it even.
"I can't control what the judges do," Mayweather said.
Alvarez was supposed to be Mayweather's greatest challenge and he did his best to force the action. Like others, though, he couldn't solve the puzzle that is Mayweather and spent much of his night punching at an opponent who had already moved away from him.
"I didn't know how to get him, it's extremely simple," Alvarez said. "He's a great fighter, very intelligent. The frustration was getting in there, but he's a great fighter. We tried to catch him."
Alvarez said before the fight that he had the game plan to solve Mayweather's tricky defense and fast hands. If it failed, he said, he had other game plans he would implement to win the fight.
But he had no plan that worked once he got into the ring and found out just how difficult Mayweather can be.
"At the same time, he also missed me a lot," Alvarez said. "His punches landed on my gloves."
Ringside punch stats showed Mayweather dominance, crediting him with landing 232 of 505 punches to 117 of 526 for Alvarez.
The sellout crowd of 16,746 at the MGM Grand on Mexican Independence weekend tried its best to urge Alvarez (42-1-1) on, but the cheers of "Canelo! Canelo!" were faint and wistful by the late rounds. Mayweather was so much in charge that the only question was whether the ringside judges would allow him to pitch a shutout.
They didn't, but that was the only disappointment on a night that Mayweather solidified his claim to being one of the best ever and padded his bank account in a way no other fighter has ever done.
Mayweather came out aggressive and used his speed to hit Alvarez with one or two shots in the early rounds and then get safely out of the way. Alvarez tried to stalk Mayweather and throw right hands, but Mayweather was usually safely out of the way by the time the punches arrived.
"He's a tough competitor," Mayweather said. "A tough competitor."
Alvarez kept trying to force the fight, but every time he went after Mayweather he paid for it with a counter right or a combination to the head. By the fourth round he was beginning to get frustrated, landing a low blow that angered Mayweather, who was further angered when Alvarez refused to touch gloves with him to resume the fight.
The fight was one of the richest ever - if not the richest ever - with a live gate of $20 million and at least another $100 million from pay-per-view. Tickets were so hot that celebrities were actually offering to buy them and some tickets were being offered online for as much as $29,000.
Mayweather was the big beneficiary of that, making a guaranteed $41.5 million to $5 million for Alvarez. Add in his purse from his win over Robert Guererro in May and Mayweather made $73 million in two fights - easily making him the highest-paid athlete in the country.
Alvarez had some star power himself, with his red hair, good lucks and big punching power winning over most of his native Mexico. The fight was on free TV in Mexico, and some estimates were that 70 million people would watch.
Serena Williams captures U.S. Open crown
NEW YORK — Serena Williams leapt into the air and didn't want to come back down to earth. So she kept jumping, up and down, over and over, screaming with joy and radiating relief.
It had taken longer than most anyone had imagined and a much tougher opponent than she'd faced all tournament, but Williams had proved victorious. She was the U.S. Open champion, again — for the fifth time. She beat a relentless Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (6-8), 6-1 for her 17th Grand Slam singles title, one fewer than Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on the all-time list.
MEN'S FINAL: Expect long, grueling rallies
This one didn't come easy for the top-seeded Williams.
"When you're always trying to write history, or join history in my case, maybe you just get a little more nervous than you should," Williams said. "I got a little uptight."
First, there was the wind, blustering and swirling all evening, even blowing Williams' dress around at times when she was trying to serve. Her groundstrokes were inconsistent, missing by feet when she typically misses by inches (if at all). Whether it was the conditions or nerves, Williams appeared rattled.
Most important — and for the first time all tournament — Williams looked beatable.
Azarenka certainly thought so, never relenting at any point in the match, even when she was down a set. Even when she was down a set and two breaks. And Azarenka did come all the way back, evening the match at a set apiece in an exhilarating second set tiebreak.
Williams twice served for the match in that second set, at 5-4 and 6-5, and both times the owner of the best serve in women's tennis history was broken. She had been broken twice the entire tournament leading into Sunday.
"Vika's such a great opponent; she's such a fighter," Williams said on court after the match. "It was never over until match point."
During those service games and in the subsequent second-set tiebreak, Williams complained about the wind, calling it "unbelievable" after the match. Her shots would go long, and she would throw her hands up; the scene replayed itself quite a few times on Sunday. Down 6-4 in the tiebreak, Williams threw her racket to the ground, partly frustrated by the wind and partly flabbergasted that she hadn't won the match yet.
"I thought, 'This is outrageous that I'm still out here,' because I had had a great opportunity to win already," Williams said. "So I thought — you know what? — I just have to relax, calm down, and play smarter tennis."
The third set — the match was Williams' first three-setter of the entire tournament — proved easier. Williams broke Azarenka's serve twice (including once on an Azarenka double fault), and then Williams finally successfully served out the match.
"From the first point, the tension, the battle, the determination, it was raising. Really, you know, kind of like boiling water," Azarenka said. "I fought as hard as I could. But I lost to a great champion."
Afterward, Williams and Azarenka embraced at the net, a touching moment to cap what has become one of women's tennis's most entertaining and friendliest, and best, rivalries. Azarenka later said she feels special to have the opportunity to play someone who might very well end up being the greatest female tennis player of all time.
The two had faced off here last year in another three-set thriller, which Williams won, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. Azarenka said, despite the parallels, that she has grown as a player and this year's final felt nothing like last year's. Both stung, however.
"I'm not going to lie, it hurts bad," Azarenka said.
For Williams, this title felt different because of its significant effect on her place in the sport's history. She's now a bit higher on the all-time major championship lists and tied with men's recordholder Roger Federer, who also has 17 majors. In a nod to her contemporary counterpart — born less than a month apart — Williams smiled and called it an honor to be tied with him.
For the U.S. Open victory, plus the $1 million bonus for winning the US Open Series, Williams takes home a record $3.6 million.
Sunday's victory continues one of the best years of Williams' career, in which she has gone 67-4 and won nine tournaments — and counting. Williams admitted, with a sigh of relief, that this title helps when she looks back to evaluate the level of success she had this year.
"Absolutely," Williams said. "I felt almost disappointed with my year, to be honest. I felt like, yeah, I won the French Open, but I wasn't happy with my performances in the other two Slams. … I definitely feel a lot better with at least a second Grand Slam under my belt this year."
It had taken longer than most anyone had imagined and a much tougher opponent than she'd faced all tournament, but Williams had proved victorious. She was the U.S. Open champion, again — for the fifth time. She beat a relentless Victoria Azarenka 7-5, 6-7 (6-8), 6-1 for her 17th Grand Slam singles title, one fewer than Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova on the all-time list.
MEN'S FINAL: Expect long, grueling rallies
This one didn't come easy for the top-seeded Williams.
"When you're always trying to write history, or join history in my case, maybe you just get a little more nervous than you should," Williams said. "I got a little uptight."
First, there was the wind, blustering and swirling all evening, even blowing Williams' dress around at times when she was trying to serve. Her groundstrokes were inconsistent, missing by feet when she typically misses by inches (if at all). Whether it was the conditions or nerves, Williams appeared rattled.
Most important — and for the first time all tournament — Williams looked beatable.
Azarenka certainly thought so, never relenting at any point in the match, even when she was down a set. Even when she was down a set and two breaks. And Azarenka did come all the way back, evening the match at a set apiece in an exhilarating second set tiebreak.
Williams twice served for the match in that second set, at 5-4 and 6-5, and both times the owner of the best serve in women's tennis history was broken. She had been broken twice the entire tournament leading into Sunday.
"Vika's such a great opponent; she's such a fighter," Williams said on court after the match. "It was never over until match point."
During those service games and in the subsequent second-set tiebreak, Williams complained about the wind, calling it "unbelievable" after the match. Her shots would go long, and she would throw her hands up; the scene replayed itself quite a few times on Sunday. Down 6-4 in the tiebreak, Williams threw her racket to the ground, partly frustrated by the wind and partly flabbergasted that she hadn't won the match yet.
"I thought, 'This is outrageous that I'm still out here,' because I had had a great opportunity to win already," Williams said. "So I thought — you know what? — I just have to relax, calm down, and play smarter tennis."
The third set — the match was Williams' first three-setter of the entire tournament — proved easier. Williams broke Azarenka's serve twice (including once on an Azarenka double fault), and then Williams finally successfully served out the match.
"From the first point, the tension, the battle, the determination, it was raising. Really, you know, kind of like boiling water," Azarenka said. "I fought as hard as I could. But I lost to a great champion."
Afterward, Williams and Azarenka embraced at the net, a touching moment to cap what has become one of women's tennis's most entertaining and friendliest, and best, rivalries. Azarenka later said she feels special to have the opportunity to play someone who might very well end up being the greatest female tennis player of all time.
The two had faced off here last year in another three-set thriller, which Williams won, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5. Azarenka said, despite the parallels, that she has grown as a player and this year's final felt nothing like last year's. Both stung, however.
"I'm not going to lie, it hurts bad," Azarenka said.
For Williams, this title felt different because of its significant effect on her place in the sport's history. She's now a bit higher on the all-time major championship lists and tied with men's recordholder Roger Federer, who also has 17 majors. In a nod to her contemporary counterpart — born less than a month apart — Williams smiled and called it an honor to be tied with him.
For the U.S. Open victory, plus the $1 million bonus for winning the US Open Series, Williams takes home a record $3.6 million.
Sunday's victory continues one of the best years of Williams' career, in which she has gone 67-4 and won nine tournaments — and counting. Williams admitted, with a sigh of relief, that this title helps when she looks back to evaluate the level of success she had this year.
"Absolutely," Williams said. "I felt almost disappointed with my year, to be honest. I felt like, yeah, I won the French Open, but I wasn't happy with my performances in the other two Slams. … I definitely feel a lot better with at least a second Grand Slam under my belt this year."
Victoria Duval pulls US Open upset in front of father, Jean-Maurice, who survived being buried alive after earthquake in Haiti
By Stefan Bondy / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
After the final point of the most dramatic match of this Open, Jean-Maurice Duval raised his good arm and shook it furiously with delight, high-fiving the family members who were celebrating his daughter’s victory.
This was an unlikely moment for many reasons.
About three years ago, Jean-Maurice Duval was buried alive in Haiti, a victim of the earthquake that decimated his home country.
Duval dug himself out of the rubble that day, fighting through crippling injuries and emergency surgery in a backyard. He was left with a paralyzed left arm, but wore a persistent smile Tuesday while watching his 17-year-old daughter, Victoria, triumph over former Open champ Samantha Stosur, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
It was the tournament’s biggest upset, and perhaps the birth of this year’s Flushing darling.
“That’s the joy,” Jean-Maurice Duval told the Daily News.
Victoria, an American ranked No. 296 in the world, needed to win three matches just to qualify for the Open. But the tiny teenager from Miami overcame a deficit and a late surge from Stosur, seeded 11th, exhibiting a fight that may very well be genetic.
Stosur, 29, fought off two match points and was one shot away from placing Victoria on the ropes, but the youngster finished Stosur with a forehand winner.
Victoria, who was eliminated in the first round of last year’s Open by Kim Clijsters, next faces No. 48 Daniela Hantuchova.
At 7 years old, Victoria and her cousins were held hostage at gunpoint by robbers.
“I’ve been very fortunate. A couple family members have helped me,” she said. “Hopefully with this win, that will change a little bit.”
Jean-Maurice Duval, a gynecologist and obstetrician dubbed the “Miracle Doc” after climbing out of concrete, watched this unfold while sitting on a railing in a corner of Armstrong Stadium. Buried halfway under his collapsed home in Haiti, he never thought such a moment was possible.
But Duval somehow wrestled himself free, finding his cell phone and calling rescuers. Unable to see a doctor at the overcrowded hospital, Duval had to undergo emergency surgery in somebody’s backyard to help him breathe.
Among his injuries: fractured vertebrae, a punctured lung, a broken arm and five broken ribs.
“I just forget about it,” Duval said. “Because I’m thinking, you get into a big accident on your way and you can’t stand back and look at it. You fight again, fight for the next step and not thinking about the past.”
On Tuesday, Victoria took a page from her resilient father.
This was an unlikely moment for many reasons.
About three years ago, Jean-Maurice Duval was buried alive in Haiti, a victim of the earthquake that decimated his home country.
Duval dug himself out of the rubble that day, fighting through crippling injuries and emergency surgery in a backyard. He was left with a paralyzed left arm, but wore a persistent smile Tuesday while watching his 17-year-old daughter, Victoria, triumph over former Open champ Samantha Stosur, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
It was the tournament’s biggest upset, and perhaps the birth of this year’s Flushing darling.
“That’s the joy,” Jean-Maurice Duval told the Daily News.
Victoria, an American ranked No. 296 in the world, needed to win three matches just to qualify for the Open. But the tiny teenager from Miami overcame a deficit and a late surge from Stosur, seeded 11th, exhibiting a fight that may very well be genetic.
Stosur, 29, fought off two match points and was one shot away from placing Victoria on the ropes, but the youngster finished Stosur with a forehand winner.
Victoria, who was eliminated in the first round of last year’s Open by Kim Clijsters, next faces No. 48 Daniela Hantuchova.
At 7 years old, Victoria and her cousins were held hostage at gunpoint by robbers.
“I’ve been very fortunate. A couple family members have helped me,” she said. “Hopefully with this win, that will change a little bit.”
Jean-Maurice Duval, a gynecologist and obstetrician dubbed the “Miracle Doc” after climbing out of concrete, watched this unfold while sitting on a railing in a corner of Armstrong Stadium. Buried halfway under his collapsed home in Haiti, he never thought such a moment was possible.
But Duval somehow wrestled himself free, finding his cell phone and calling rescuers. Unable to see a doctor at the overcrowded hospital, Duval had to undergo emergency surgery in somebody’s backyard to help him breathe.
Among his injuries: fractured vertebrae, a punctured lung, a broken arm and five broken ribs.
“I just forget about it,” Duval said. “Because I’m thinking, you get into a big accident on your way and you can’t stand back and look at it. You fight again, fight for the next step and not thinking about the past.”
On Tuesday, Victoria took a page from her resilient father.
