• Rick Pitino’s reputation has taken a huge hit, as the Louisville b-ball coach impregnated the woman who’s been trying to extort him, then paid $3,000 for the abortion.

And now Karen Sypher says her marriage to Cardinals equipment manager Tim was all just a sneaky plot by Pitino to keep an eye on her. But hey, don’t blame Rick - blame 9/11!

• The release party for the new Miami Dolphins cheerleaders bikini calendar was quite the spectacle.

• Jay Mariotti denies that he’s going to be writing for the Chicago Tribune. Can’t wait to see Jay’s debut column in the Trib on September 1st!

• Manny Ramirez gets a memorable reception from San Francisco Giants fans - the same kind of reception that Barry Bonds used to get everywhere else except in the Bay Area.

• Engaged Malibu fashion designer Ali Kay may have encouraged Reggie Miller’s unwanted advances by sending the ex-NBA star photos of herself in bed & in a bikini. At least Ali’s still pretty good at making clothes.

Read more…

• Rick Pitino paid $3,000 to escape the possibility of parenthood with the woman accused of extorting him. Will Louisville keep Rick in the Cards?

• No wonder Reggie Miller has been so smitten with Ali Kay - she’s quite the fashion designer.

• The Pittsburgh Steelers show their own version of the shotgun formation.

• Kids at a Virginia basketball camp learn that Michael Vick is a wholesome, blameless creature.

• Whoever took it, please give Baron Davis’ laptop back - he has some “private images” he’d like to keep private.

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I don’t particularly buy into the Phil Jackson-as-Coaching-God theory — when you’re blessed with Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and a young Shaquille O’Neal, probably the top three players of this generation, you had better win 10 NBA titles. So whether or not he stays with the Lakers holds no special interest for me. Others, as I understand it, care a whole lot.

That would include Lakers vice president Jeanie Buss, who happens to be Jackson’s longtime girlfriend. With former Lakers assistant and Jackson protege Kurt Rambis headed to the Timberwolves, Buss made a somewhat surprising observation recently on ESPN Radio in Los Angeles: Rambis’ departure could mean that Jackson could stick around in LA longer than anticipated. Read more…

This week I haven’t sensed the huge buzz that normally accompanies the SPORTS ILLUSTRATED swimsuit issue. And apparently I’m not alone.

(Perhaps trauma of this swimsuit encounter played a role in the decision)

Brian Perdue of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER reports that perhaps the SI swimsuit issue isn’t exciting high profile female sex symbols as much as it used to:

Lakers beat writer Janis Carr said that the Lakers turned down an offer to include Laker Girls in the spread. Still, the omission is comparable to leaving the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders out of an NFL cheerleader photo shoot.

The amazing thing about it, according to Perdue, is that it wasn’t the Lakers organization that scuttled the idea. Read more…

I had dinner last night with someone who works in close proximity to the Lakers front office, and we were chuckling about how the NBA franchise is known as a model organization in the pro sports industry.

What many don’t know is that because of Jerry Buss’ general lack of funds, the organization is run on a shoestring. There’s essentially five full-timers in the entire front office. Five. That said, many NBA teams are learning that perhaps that isn’t such a bad business model. Especially in the current economic climate.

Because Buss isn’t as financially fit as most pro sports owners, it’s safe to say that if the Lakers hadn’t had their remarkable run of championships during his tenure, he probably would’ve lost control of the franchise long ago. In other words, if he ran the team the way Donald Sterling has run the Clippers, the Lakers wouldn’t have been such a cash-generating machine, and Buss probably would’ve had to sell at some point.

What also makes the Lakers so wonderfully unique is the way septugenerian Buss galivants around in the company of females 50 years his junior. And of course his daughter Jeanie posing for Playboy and *dating* 61-year-old Phil Jackson. It really can’t get any better than that, can it?

Actually, it can.

How about the club hiring a nude model, Bonnie-Jill Laflin (above), as a scout? You might remember our previous reportage on her somewhere among those dusty SbB back issues in your basement - right next to the nudie mags you saw her splayed out in.

I’m happy to report that thanks to the kooks at PETA, Laflin she has freshened up her nude modeling resume. New pic after the jump. Read more…

When Hugh Hefner makes his way to Staples Center on Tuesday, there’s one Lakers front-office employee the Playboy purveyor will most certainly have his eye on - Bonnie-Jill Laflin.

Laflin is a former model-slash-actress-slash-TV reporter who serves as a scout for the L.A. b-ball squad. But when she sits herself down at courtside to watch prospective players, who’s checking out who?

Read more…

If you travel this space regularly, you know I’m going to be moving from South Beach to L.A. shortly. Now if I’m able to make it back home by this weekend, I’ll goto Game Five of the NBA Finals at Staples between the C’s and Lakers. And have coverage on SbB.

(We’d rather have poker pro Lacey Jones play with our stack too, ol’ Doc Buss)

I didn’t make it to the first two games of the Finals in Boston, which isn’t all that surprising. But what may have left some Boston fans befuddled is that Lakers Owner Jerry Buss and daughter Jeanie Buss (also Phil Jax’s GF) didn’t go either.

Jeanie stayed back in her Marina home, ordering in (C & O?) for the games. Meanwhile, her father decided a poker tournament in Vegas was a higher priority, which means “double-down” is now taking on a whole new meaning for ol’ Doc Buss.

Now, anyone who follows the Lakers is in no way surprised at this revelation. In the case of elder Buss, this is the same guy who refused to come home from a vacation in Italy to attend to the final, fateful Shaq-Kobe blowup - which eventually led to O’Neal’s ouster (hindsight: that was Buss’ plan all along).

(Jeanie’s priority #2 - after Phil’s Doan’s pills - score Hef courtside seats)

The only thing surprising regarding Jerry passing on Game 1 & 2 in The Bean is that he didn’t do it from the O.G. in Vegas.

Wait a minute, who said he didn’t?

And of course, Jeanie has her priorities too, like setting up Hef for his Game 3 digs on 1111 South Fig. Playboy’s Hugh Hefner will make a rare appearance at a Lakers game on Tuesday. More importantly, he’s bringing his three fake girlfriends with him.

(Yes, the old goat will be courtside too)

So, I think I might be able to make it out of Miami by Tuesday night. If I do, I’ll be filing from the road. Hopefully I’ll be able to scare up something interesting along the way but don’t hold your breath. Read more…

The Lakers were on fire Sunday - almost as much as the Nuggets’ pre-game bus ride - as Kobe & Crew clobbered Denver 128-114. Pau Gasol notched 36 points in the win, his first-ever playoff victory - which isn’t too hard to fathom, since the Spaniard’s previous 12 visits were with the Grizzlies.

While Gasol was having a gas, Carmelo Anthony wasn’t having as good of a time. As the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER reveals, some Staples Center spectators reminded #15 of his recent adventures behind the wheel:

Read more…

So, Charles Barkley, Stuart Scott & Mr. Belding walk into a bar…

• Drunken Jaguars DB Brian Williams rants & raves & threatens arresting officers - then offers them to have sex with his date.

• A pair of Portland State basketball players were accused of brutally beating a tour worker in Mexico.

• When out on the course nowadays, John Daly needs to have his nipples kneaded.

• Diners get medieval in trying to obtain Rashard Lewis’ autograph.

Read more…

We all have a show or two we don’t want to admit we watch - when we get the chance. National Geographic Channel’s “Dog Whisperer” is that show for us. We really, really love it, mainly for the unintentional comedic content (which is why we’re also obsessed with late night infomercials).

True Hoop’s Henry Abbott comes through with a classic clip of Jeanie Buss and Phil Jackson on the show, doting over their dogs (Princess Cujo?) in the eternal quest for “dominance.” Read more…