Diane Pucin of the LOS ANGELES TIMES has the delightful news that 50 Cent’s entourage roughed up Marv Albert as the broadcaster waited to guest on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night.

 As Albert arrived, with an entourage of one, TNT public relations specialist Jeff Pomeroy, there was a sudden scuffle when a multitude of 50 Cent protectors seemed unfamiliar with Albert. There was shouting (”It’s Marv Albert,” yelled a Kimmel show guard, a pronouncement that seemed to have no effect on the 50 Cent phalanx.) There were obscenities. A fist or two flying. A “Don’t you put your hands on me” pronouncement.

And finally Albert made it to his waiting room, relatively unruffled but slightly puzzled. “Did you see that?” Albert said. “I thought they were kidding, but then I realized they weren’t.”

Ironic, when you consider Marv and Fitty have so much in common.

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There’s not much worse than hearing nonsense about your favorite fringe sport not getting enough “respect”. You don’t want respect for your sport!  You want to lock the doors and shutter the windows when you start getting “respect” because that’s when the marketers and advertisers start sniffing around your beloved activity and determining the best way to suck the life force out as quickly as possible.

(Best of three synergistic cross-promotional opportunities, anyone?)

Sorry, ping pong; the last paragraph totally isn’t true.  There’s nothing but good that can come from finding out that Budweiser (via their new owner, InBev) has been sniffing around your sport because “Bud Light is a fun brand” and they’d love to be associated with your tournament and ESPN wouldn’t mind broadcasting the finals because this might be an inroad to China’s consumers they love the game.

Run!  Grab your paddles and run for your lives!

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Some athletes are just so insane that what would be considered to be completely off-the charts bonkers for the average player is yawn-inducing coming from them. A perfect example: Ron Artest. Honestly, if you read an interview with him where he went into great detail about imaginary friend Harvey the Rabbit, would you surprised at all?

But his answers to a “My Profile” piece for SPORTING NEWS TODAY are gloriously loopy even by his standards. One of the highlights? When asked what was in his iPod, he gave two answers. One was “my own music,” which is predictably self-serving. But the other answer is so bizarre that if it was someone other than Ron Artest who gave it, you would be sure it was a joke: Celine Dion.

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SPORTAPHILE reports confirmation that 50 Cent and Floyd Mayweather recently had a slap fight street brawl during a celebrity basketball game held by Mayweather. (”I’m beatin’ your #*%#$ for the children, Fitty.”)

(The cheeky young boys in better times)

Apparently, someone reneged on a prop bet (first to immolate their career with ridiculous choices?) and these two fine young men debated in the traditional format for a hardcore rapper and a boxing champion: Oxford rules.
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