8:00 PM CSN Baltimore has video of Marcus Smith, a U.S. soldier who dressed as a minor league umpire to surprise his children at a Bowie Baysox game with a home visit from Afghanistan.
7:45 PM A Japanese Harley-Davidson motorcycle that was swept out to sea during last year's tsunami washed up on a shore in British Columbia last month. The bike's owner asked that the motorcycle be displayed at the Harley-Davidson Museum in Milwaukee as a memorial to the tsunami victims.
7:30 PM Buffalo Bills receiver David Clowneytweeted the results of his HIV test which came back negative. And to the critics of his decision to share his results, Clowney added: "Some people are Ridiculously stupid ... And can't see the bigger picture about things that are important in this world."
In 2003 Arenas was popped for carrying an unlicensed gun. With that context, Berger duly noted:
“The U.S. Attorney will have to file charges for possession of a pistol without a license,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because he did not have jurisdiction over the case. “The prosecutor cannot simply walk away from this case.”
It gets worse.
“Given his prior offense, however, a judge might consider jail time in this case,” one of the law enforcement officials said. “It all depends on which judge he draws.”
Aren’t inadvisable draws what got him into this mess in the first place?
WASHINGTON POST Wizards beat writer Micheal Lee caught up to Gilbert Arenas today and asked him about Peter Vecsey’s claim in the NEW YORK POST today that he drew a gun on Javaris Crittenton over a gambling debt. Lee Tweets:
Arenas: “I saw the story. Very compelling. Some real O.K. corral stuff.”
I posted earlier today that Vecsey’s story about the incident seemed to be based solely on a single Crittenton acquaintance. That doesn’t make it wrong, but Arenas obviously is now disputing Crittenton’s friend’s claim.
An NBA investigation into Washington Wizards star Gilbert Arenas‘ possession of guns inside the team’s locker room has been linked to a confrontation with teammate Javaris Crittenton, multiple sources told Yahoo! Sports.
The league’s ongoing probe hopes to determine whether Arenas had accessed any of his unloaded firearms while engaged in the dispute prior to a team practice at the Verizon Center on Dec. 21 in Washington. Tensions between Arenas and Crittenton escalated because of a festering disagreement between the two players, sources said.
Arenas told reporters on Tuesday the District of Columbia police also are investigating the circumstances under which he brought the guns to the arena. The D.C. police issued a statement on Wednesday saying they were assisting the U.S. Attorney’s Office in a joint investigation into “an allegation that weapons were located inside a locker room at the Verizon Center.” The statement did not name any individuals
After the story broke, Peter Vecsey of the NEW YORK POST alleged more details about what happened between the two players.
Arenas stored unloaded guns in locked box w/out ammo at the Verizon Center and soon after notified team who notified authorities. He and wiz are cooperating.
Arenas said he took guns from his home after birth of daughter on Dec. 9 because he didn’t want them around his children.
A week later he turned the guns over to team security and asked them to turn them over to authorities because “I don’t want them anymore.”
“The Washington Wizards have learned that Gilbert Arenas stored firearms in a locked container in his locker, unloaded and without ammunition. The Wizards organization and Arenas promptly notified the local authorities and the NBA and are cooperating fully with law enforcement during its review of this matter and will have no further comment at this time.”
The NBA and Washington Wizards are investigating Gilbert Arenas’ alleged possession of a firearm and whether he violated league rules.
“The investigation will be concluded shortly,” said the person, who requested anonymity because the probe had not been completed. “The NBA is aware. There are no criminal charges.”
Accord to the league’s collective bargaining agreement between players and owners, players are not allowed to possess firearms on league property nor while conducting league business.
Yesterday I noted how THEYBF.com was once again reporting that Shaquille O’Neal was have an extramarital affair. (His wife Shaunie recently filed for divorce.) The same site in November reported that Shaq had sex with the fiancee and mother of Gilbert Arenas‘ children.
This time THEYBF.com accuses Shaq of having sex *shudder* with the girlfriend and baby momma of Minnesota Timberwolves player Damien Wilkins. Similar to the Arenas report, the website has what it claims is an email exchange between Shaq and Wilkins’ girlfriend, a “stripper from Atlanta” named LaTosha Lee. Read more…
First the folks at Young Black & Fabulous told us that Shaquille O’Neal was (allegedly) fooling around the Gilbert Arenas‘ baby momma and fiancee, and now THEYBF.com is back with an allegation that Shaq is hooking up with another NBA baller’s baby momma:
Shaq must make a habit out of making other NBA ballers’ baby mamas his jump-offs. TheYBF.com has just learned that Shaq cheated on Shaunie for the last year with Oklahoma Thunder baller Damien Wilkins’ baby’s mama. Latosha Lee–a stripper from Atlanta who now lives in Orlando–and Damien–originally from Georgia–share a son and are no longer a couple. But we have seen the risque and juicy emails between a very married Shaquille O’Neal and Ms. Lee.
Like the Arenas report, which included emails and was never denied by O’Neal, THEYBF.com claims to have emails between the two and even a nude image (above) sexted from Lee to Shaq. And that’s not even all the documentation! Read more…
Two weeks ago an urban gossip blog reported that the fiancee and baby momma of Gilbert Arenas, Laura Govan, was having a sexual relationship with Shaquille O’Neal. The blog even went so far to publish alleged email correspondence between the two.
The day after the blog report, O’Neal’s wife Shaunie, who is a friend of Govan’s, filed for divorce from Shaq. The Wizards and Cavaliers met last Wednesday in Washington, so there was plenty anticipation of a confrontation between O’Neal and Arenas, but Shaq contracted a “mysterious” shoulder ailment before the game and was a no-show.
Arenas hasn’t addressed the rumors about his fiancee’s infidelity with O’Neal, but he did mention Shaq prominently in a recent video he posted on Twitter. A strange, somewhat ominous message directed at O’Neal. Read more…
All across America gigantic underpants are flying at half-staff today as it is learned that Shaunie O’Neal has filed for separation from her large, Cleveland Cavaliers-playing husband. This just a day after it was alleged by one web site that Shaq was canoodling with Gilbert Arenas‘ fiance, Laura Govan.
The site YOUNG, BLACK AND FABULOUS, which needless to say I have bookmarked, has some quite graphic emails purportedly sent back and forth between Shaq and Govan. And the papers that Shaunie O’Neal filed on Monday are just as graphic, with terms such as “community assets” and “separate property.” Anyway, Shaq’s back on the market, ladies. Form and orderly queue. Read more…
It was an incredibly tumultuous night in Cleveland, and the Cavaliers losing to the Wizards was the least shocking news of the night. (Although as the WASHINGTON POST’s Michael Lee points out, Washington joins the Lakers and Celtics as the only teams to beat Cleveland twice this season.) Yes, it’s not often that the best team in the league loses to the worst team in the league, but the Wizards are a unique case, with Gilbert Arenas and Brendan Haywood finally back playing after missing almost all of the season with injuries.
No, most of the evening drama in Cleveland involved the Browns. First came some fallout from Jay Cutler’s trade to the Bears, specifically reports that Cleveland had tried to work out a three-way deal with the Broncos and Redskins that would have sent Brady Quinn to Denver and Jason Campbell to Cleveland. Browns coach Eric Mangini spent Thursday night denying these reports; expect Quinn to demand a trade because the Browns tried to trade him sometime within the next week.
And later in the evening, there was news in the DUI manslaughter case against Browns WR Donte Stallworth, and it was more than just his first appearance at a court hearing. It turns out that Stallworth was already in the NFL’s substance abuse program at the time of his arrest, which opens him up to a whole range of punishment from the league. Of course, he’s facing charges that could land him in jail for at least eight years, and having a history of substance abuse issues is not going to help his case, so I’d say that Roger Goodell is the least of Stallworth’s problems right now.
Meanwhile, there were no problems at the opening of the Hard Rock Cafe Yankee Stadium yesterday, just a lot of unintentional comedy as reported by MLB.COM. What do I mean? How about Yankees’ Executive Vice President Hal “The Pretty One” Steinbrenner joining rock stars/C-list celebs with nothing better to do Ace Frehley of KISS, Scott Ian and Frank Bello of Anthrax, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Bernie Williams and members of the Seminole Nation to smash guitars instead of cutting a ribbon. And yes, this means rock and roll is officially dead.
(Oh yeah, “Late Show With David Letterman” band drummer Anton Fig was there, which only means one thing: even Paul Shaffer had too much dignity to show up to this thing.)
Other news while you were rioting in the streets of State College to celebrate Penn State’s NIT victory:
As PUCK DADDY notes, it must be like getting their hearts ripped out all over again for Hartford Whalers fans to see a Hurricanes jersey with the Whalers’ logo (and a God awful color combination). Although I’d love it if the Ravens wore Browns jerseys for “Turn Back The Clock” day against Cleveland.
While the Jay Cutler trade solved one long-running NFL saga, the Anquan Boldin/Arizona Cardinals mess continues to fester. The latest comes from NFL.COM which reports that Boldin told a Florida radio station that he would “love to” play in his home city of Miami.
I had hoped that the America’s Cup had gone the way of 1980s fads like The Lambada, Swatches and The California Raisins. But apparently it’s still happening, and it’s now the focus of lawsuits involving people with more money than they know what to do with. The AP has the latest news, as software tycoon Larry Ellison and his boat “Oracle” have won the right to challenge the current Cup holders, Judge Elihu Smails and his boat “The Flying Wasp” (seen below at its coronation):
If you’re a former NFL player who gets arrested on drug charges, you would hope that the headlines wouldn’t call you “forgettable.” But that’s just how NBC DALLAS FORT WORTH described former Cowboy Leonardo Carson, arrested yesterday on intent to sell charges, and I’ll be damned if they aren’t right.
Now that Tim Floyd has turned down Arizona, TUCSON CITIZEN columnist Anthony Gimino wants to know if there’s anyone left who wants the Wildcats’ coaching job. May I make a suggestion: Former Baylor coach Dave Bliss is available and ready to talk. Sure, he’s got a checkered past, but the guy knows how to win. Barring that, perhaps Jerry Tarkanian is available.
I can’t imagine why parents in Shenendehowa, NY are upset to find out that a part-time track coach had his teaching license revoked 11 years ago after an alleged sexual abuse case. WTEN-TV says that while Don Paretta was not convicted, he admitted to giving a former student a note at graduation saying he would “miss the student’s face and body.” And this guy coached pole vaulting: let the jokes commence.
According to the NEWARK STAR-LEDGER, Boston College DT B.J. Raji - a projected Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft - committed a crime worse than scoring single digits on the Wonderlic test: he reportedly flunked a drug test at the NFL Combine.
Finally, HOME RUN DERBY sends a hearty congratulations to Manatee Community College, which defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4 yesterday. Yes, those Pittsburgh Pirates, as in the “allegedly major league Pirates.” Bill Mazeroski would be rolling in his grave, if he were dead.
A 6-foot, 38-year-old former New York lawyer with no playing or coaching experience is the most sought-after personal trainer among NBA circles? Such is the aura & mystique of a man known as the Hoops Whisperer.
Hannah Karp of the WALL STREET JOURNAL bounces along the story of Idan Ravin, the attorney-turned-trainer who was raised an orthodox Jew, but has many NBA stars like Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul and Gilbert Arenas proclaiming “Mazeltov!” at his unorthodox training techniques.
