UPDATE (6:36p ET): ESPN Radio in Portland (KFXX 1080 AM) reports this afternoon that police found Oregon Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli’s fingerprints on “stolen property” that was reported missing from the same Oregon fraternity house where the football player was accused of theft.

KFXX show host Jason Scukanec added on-air that the stolen property was a Macbook Pro laptop computer that alleged theft victim Max Wolfard reported stolen and was subsequently recovered.

KFXX also reports that LaMichael James will “plead down” to a harassment charge tomorrow and face no suspension. James initially pleaded not guilty to five misdemeanor assault charges.

I’ve been told that Chip Kelly will not speak to the media until next week, though a statement from the coach may come tomorrow.

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Two Portland-based ESPN Radio staffers are claiming that Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who will arraigned tomorrow on a felony burglary charge, has had his Oregon football locker “cleaned out.”

One of the on-air personalities is also claiming that LaMichael James will not face any suspension despite a looming “changed” plea to multiple charges of misdemeanor assault tomorrow. James had previously pleaded not guilty to all charges. Read more…

John Canzano of the PORTLAND OREGONIAN emailed me this afternoon to report that Oregon starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has been charged with one count of second degree burglary for his role in an incident at an Oregon fraternity house on Jan. 24.

Former Oregon player Garrett Embry has also been charged with one count of burglary. The two will be arraigned on Friday morning at the Lane County courthouse in Eugene, Oregon.

KVAL-TV has more details on the case. Read more…

John Hunt and Jeff Smith of the PORTLAND OREGONIAN have an informative follow to the news of Oregon football player LaMichael James‘ incarceration:

(”We do a very good job educating those young men on the right things to do“)

James has been charged with fourth-degree assault, which is a misdemeanor that carries a potential one-year prison term, as well as with strangulation and menacing, both misdemeanors. He will be arraigned this afternoon.

According to Sgt. Tom Borchers of the Springfield Police Department, James was taken into custody Tuesday, a day after getting into a fight with his girlfriend.

James’ girlfriend, according to the police report, said the running back grabbed her around the neck and pushed her to the ground. She complained of pain to her neck and of abrasions from being pushed down in a parking lot.

This isn’t the first time James has been charged by cops with a form of battery. Before signing with the Oregon football program, James faced charges in 2008 of disorderly conduct and third-degree battery in Texas. The claims were dropped in 2009.

Now for the delightful response of Oregon Athletic Director Mike Bellotti to James and other legal problems currently facing Oregon football players:

Read more…

Yet another notch on the police blotter for the Oregon football team, as the OREGON DAILY EMERALD reports today:

Oregon placekicker Rob Beard, 19, of Fullerton, Calif., was charged with fourth-degree assault by the Eugene Police Department on Tuesday because of his role in an incident on January 24.

According to Eugene police spokesperson Melinda Kletzok, the charge is a misdemeanor and not considered a felony. Beard has been cited in lieu of custody, which means he will not report to jail but rather attend a mandatory court appearance.

The assault charge stems from an altercation Beard had with Tavia Jo Ames, 19, of Eugene. Kletzok could not comment as to the exact nature of the altercation.

Perhaps not coincidentally, Beard’s alleged victim James is Facebook friends with Maurice Peterson. Peterson happens to be one of the men who later (allegedly) rearranged Beard’s face.

Read more…

An Oregon-based source reported to me Sunday that the case involving a Univ. of Oregon student’s allegation that he had personal items stolen from his fraternity house room on Jan. 24 by Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli has gone to a grand jury.

In a correspondence, my source claimed: “The grand jury has this in front of them. It will be difficult to charge Masoli, though it appears he probably was involved.”

Read more…

Last week University of Oregon football players Garrett Embry and Jeremiah Masoli were accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of stuff from a frat house on the University of Oregon campus. The theft allegedly took place on Jan 24.

(Theft suspect Embry was expendable for Oregon Coach Chip Kelly)

Yesterday Oregon football coach Chip Kelly announced that Embry was, “dismissed from the program on Jan. 8 for a violation of team rules.”

Ken Goe of the PORTLAND OREGONIAN correctly observes that after the Embry alleged theft on Jan. 24, “Oregon officials refused to confirm he had been dismissed (from the team).”

But if he was dismissed on Jan. 8, why did Kelly wait until yesterday to announce it?

Read more…

I’ve unearthed some interesting coincidences involving the Jeremiah Masoli theft accusation and the severe beating of Oregon kicker Rob Beard.

(Assault suspect Hawkins, Masoli accuser Wolfard were H.S. teammates)

The most recent suspect arrested in connection to Beard’s beating is a 19-year-old named Kirby Hawkins. Hawkins happened to be teammates with Max Wolfard on the Lincoln High School football team in Portland in 2007. Wolfard is the student who accused University of Oregon star quarterback Masoli of stealing two laptops and a guitar from him out of a fraternity house.

Read more…

Greg Bolt of the EUGENE REGISTER-GUARD has a follow today on the recent theft incident at a Univ. of Oregon frat house. At least one report by a Eugene TV station yesterday indicated that Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was named in a report of the incident but that police did not consider him a suspect.

(Also revealed: Why ESPN isn’t covering Masoli story)

Not true, according to the Eugene Police Department spokesperson today.

Read more…

UPDATE (3:35p ET): The Mac-centric site CultofMac.com reported last Thursday that Phil Knight gave 550 laptops at a cost of $1M to Oregon athletes that were specially engraved to prevent theft.

Engraver Joe Mansfield:

The 550 laptops were gifted to the University of Oregon by Nike (Phil Knight).

I pitched the idea of branding the laptops with laser engraving both for aesthetic and security reasons. The laptops have a unique identifier number engraved on the underside for inventory purposes.

Mind-boggling irony given what UO athletes Masoli and Embry stand accused of today.

Lindsay Schnell of the PORTLAND OREGONIAN confirms this afternoon that University of Oregon starting quarterback Jeremiah Masoli, who has served jail time in the past for admitted armed robberies, has been accused of theft in a Univ. of Oregon fraternity house:

The Eugene Police Department confirmed this morning that its officers are investigating an alleged theft, and the student who filed the report has told The Oregonian that the men he accuses in it are University of Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli and wide receiver Garrett Embry.

Fraternity member Max Wolfard filed a police report alleging that the players took two MacBook Pro computers valued at $2,000 apiece and a $900 guitar from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house at 812 E. 14th Ave. in Eugene early Sunday.

Wolfard was quoted by the Oregonian about the incident.

Read more…

Winston Ross of the EUGENE REGISTER-GUARD reports today:

University of Oregon football placekicker Rob Beard was hospitalized in critical condition early Sunday morning after he took a beating on the streets of Eugene, according to police.

The 19-year-old redshirt freshman from Fullerton, Calif., was at a gathering of between 20 and 40 people at 12:31 a.m. Sunday when police got a 911 call reporting a fight.

At one point, Beard stepped in to help his friend, Mike Bradley Bowlin, 18, a fellow placekicker involved in the fight, Kletzok said. Beard wound up on the ground, getting kicked by several people until he was unconscious.

Megan Higgens of KMTR-TV in Eugene reported around 1:30pm ET today, “UO kicker Rob Beard upgraded to fair condition. Moved to the ICU.”

Police reportedly have good leads on the suspected attacker.

Police are searching for a male in a red sweatshirt who may have left the scene in a vehicle with Washington license plates, Kletzok said.

Anyone with information about the fight was asked to call 541-682-8888.

In what may or may not be an unrelated story, Ross also reports today,

A University of Oregon student has accused two of the school’s football players of stealing several items from a campus fraternity early Sunday morning, UO Athletic Department spokesman Dave Williford confirmed Sunday.

Williford said a university communications office representative contacted Eugene Police Department officials on Sunday about the accusation, but hadn’t heard back, which is why Williford said he considers the claim to be “unsubstantiated.”

“At this point, we’re just waiting to see if anything comes of it,” Williford said

Police apparently took fingerprints at the scene but have declined to publicly announce any suspects.

Higgens though reports, “Jeremiah Masoli named in Eugene theft report but police say he’s not a suspect.”

Read more…