Not that this is much of a surprise or anything... but ex-NBA'er Javaris Crittenton waived his extradition rights and is heading back to Georgia to face the murder charge hanging over his head...
On the home side of the matter, Deidra Dukes from WAGA-TV caught up with some of the victim's family and the reaction is not unexpected...
((HT: MYFoxAtlanta))
The Nashville Predators, Belak's final team, have confirmed that he was found dead in a Toronto hotel this afternoon and is dead at the age of 35.
The OPP are not suspecting foul play and there are rumors floating around about an apparent suicide, but nothing is confirmed as of now...
The Predators released this statement:
“The entire Nashville Predators organization and family is shocked and saddened by the sudden and untimely passing of Wade Belak. Wade was a beloved member of the organization, a terrific teammate and wonderful father and husband who will be greatly missed. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Jennifer and children Andie and Alex. We offer our full support to them at this very difficult time.”
Belak played 15 games last season for the Predators, finishing with 18 penalty minutes and a minus-1 rating. He was placed on waivers by the club in February and retired shortly after clearing waivers unclaimed.
Belak is the third enforcer to die in the last four months and his death is now raising questions about whether or not the roles he, Rick Rypien, and Derek Boogaard have played a role in their deaths...
To remember what Velak was to the game, Jody Vance caught up with Belak during his time with the Preds and continued their "Wade A Minute" riff on LeafsTV...
((HT: jodyvancevids/LeafsTV))
This makes more sense. We, along with many others reported on Monday about Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson pleading to charges of assault. He was sentenced to 20 days in jail and fined.
Monday, Benson, or at least his attorney said the running back would wait until October, sandwiched around the Bengals bye week to serve his sentence.
So imagine the surprise of Travis County (Austin) jailers when Benson showed up last night to begin serving his sentence.
This makes more sense. It's been reported the 20-day sentence could be dropped to 7 with good behavior. And seven days just means Benson would miss his teams final exhibition game, one he wouldn't be playing in much anyway. It would allow him to return to Cincinnati next Wednesday, 4 days before the teams season opener. Plenty of time to prepare and he wouldn't miss any regular season time.
We don't know why he or his attorney didn't think of this Monday, but at least they finally figured it out.
Well, the 1st ripple of the Nevin Shapiro/University of Miami saga has already played itself out.
8 Current Miami players are facing various forms of suspension and repayment penalties per a release issued by the NCAA their ownselves.
Olivier Vernon will get the stiffest penaly, 6 games and repayment of the $1200 worth of benefits the NCAA determined he received.
Aravious Armstrong and Dyron Dye: 4 games and over $730 in repayments each. Vernon, Dye and Armstrong allegedly got their benefits while being recruited.
5 players got benefits while already there according to the NCAA: Marcus Fortson, Sean Ryan Spence, Adwale Ojomo, Travis Benjamin and Jacory Harris. All 5 of these guys will miss a game and repay anywhere from $140 to $400.
It's pretty obvious the NCAA has a detailed account of many of things alleged by former Miami booster Nevin Shapiro. And they seem to have a lot of it already documented.
Quite honestly, the current 'Canes are getting off fairly easy, though Mr. Vernon may have a challenge paying off the $1200.
The question is where do they go next. These infractions unto themselves, while serious, aren't nearly as deadly as many of the older allegations. And those allegations will be the hardest to prove.
This isn't the end of this story...and it probably isn't even the mid-point. So stay tuned, hold on, because there is much, much more to come.
Every player gets their day with the Cup and for the Bruins' Michael Ryder, it fell down and went boom...
This happened on the roof of a posh St. John's restaurant, at a media event attended by dignitaries including Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Kathy Dunderdale.
Ryder, who was about to leave St. John's to bring the Cup to his hometown of Bonavista, posed for photographs.
Well, that is certainly a change in the old career arc. Former Tennessee basketball coach Bruce Pearl, who essentially can't coach for a couple of years because of his NCAA violation issues, has taken a job working for a Knoxville area grocery wholesale company.
Pearl will, as of Sept. 1st, be the Vice President of Marketing for H.T Hackney Co. and while yeah, you can make jokes about hacking and basketball, it's a bit of a departure for the personable Pearl.
According to the govolsextra.com website, Pearl has a degree in marketing and economics from the Boston College School of Management.
Read more from the Knoxville News-Sentinel website RIGHT HERE
While we congratulate Pearl on his move to "Civilian" life, we do have a question. How is it someone with no actual experience in the field he is now entering can start as a Vice President at a reasonably large company?
Oh, it's owned by former Tennessee trustee Bill Sansom. And H.T Hackney is a pretty big company to boot.
And it was enough for Pearl to turn down the chance to coach in the NBA's "D" league. But hey, congrats to ya Brucie. You are a strong enough personality that yeah, you'll probably be reasonably successful. And like all good coaches who get in trouble or fired, a year or two away, and it is amazing how much better your future coaching prospects become.
Austin Trenum committed suicide two days after suffering a concussion during a high school football game in northern Virginia nearly a year ago. He ran the ball three times for a total of three yards in a 48-14 loss. Two days later, he was found dead in his bedroom...
Now his parents are speaking out. Austin's parents donated their son's brain for research, and doctors found that Austin's brain had "structural damage" during the examination. One of the doctors says he thinks it's "more likely that not" the suicide was a result of the concussion.
Austin's father, Gil, is a member of the local school board in Prince William County, Maryland. He is working to put new guidelines in place at the county's schools for all athletes- not just football players. Austin's mom and dad are maintaining that "getting your bell rung" shouldn't be seen as something cool anymore...
The HQ is interesting in seeing if this works out there...
Who knew? Carolina Panthers tight end Jeremy Shockey made a life-saving move Monday afternoon in the teams lunchroom.
Shockey's teammate Ben Hartsock, also a tight end, was choking on a piece of pork and Shockey came to the rescue. After trying the Heimlich unsuccessfully, Shockey ended up hit Hartsock in the right place on his back, causing the meat to break free from Hartsock's throat.
Read the original story from the National Football Post RIGHT HERE
Much respect to Shockey for doing what he did. Needless to say, Hartsock easily could have died from that and his teammate essentially saved his life. How can you not respect that.
Both players are trying to play it off, but it is a significant deal. We don't know if the two are close or not, but they will now, probably be bonded together forever.
The dream is over. Or at least the debate is about to be.
To the surprise of very few, Texas A&M is about to put the finishing touches on what would essentially be the University buying its way out of the Big 12/10 (soon to be 9).
According to the New York Times, the school's president sent a letter to the conference board chairman that the Aggies are walking away, probably on Tuesday. That does however come with a cost. About $15 million.
This is your 1st step in what promises to be another, and bigger round, of conference realignment. It's pretty much a foregone conclusion that A&M will get an invite from the SEC. The SEC had to wait for them to withdraw so the Big 12/10 (soon to be 9), couldn't sue them.
A&M would like to play SEC sports in 2012 and may very well do that. Whether that gives Mike Slive and his boys a chance to add another team to make the conference 14, remains to be seen. It's understood that is the next step, but the timetable is still in question.
As for the Big 12/10 (soon to be 9), don't expect them to sit around and wallow in the loss. They won't. There is already rampant speculation they will go after Arkansas, which we don't buy. We think they'll end up staying in Texas with either Houston or SMU or try and go after Brigham Young to keep things at 10 teams.
The other question is who becomes SEC #14. The answer isn't a short one, but here are your contenders: Virginia Tech, North Carolina or North Carolina State and quite possibly Louisville.
Stay tuned reader, because this is only going to get more interesting.
So, enjoy your Texas 2-step.....
UPDATE:
The Houston Chronicle reports that Texas A&M denies sending a withdrawl letter to the Big 12 Conference.
Admittedly, when something hits you as close as the April tornadoes did the HQ, it makes you think...
And think hard...
So, as part of our TWTW coverage on the OSG High side, we're giving you a glimpse into the world of what we get to see every week during the summer and fall- small towns that wrap themselves around their football teams...
You see the work we do with Ringgold ((GA)) High and now, we'll keep you posted on Phil Campbell ((AL)) high as well... 38 people in a town of 1,200 or so were lost on that day four months ago...
And they haven't quit since...
Erika Odell has the story before and behind in their game with Cold Springs
We've chronicled the ups and downs of the Ringgold High School football team and the town after the April tornadoes that effected Alabama and Georgia...
Georgia high school football is in its second full week of doing games, and The Tigers had their season opener at their home away from home for the year- UTC's Finley Stadium- against rival Lakeview-Fort Oglethorpe ((or "LFO" as the locals say))...
Let's just say it was a good night...
Here's Nate, Dave, and Darrell with the story...
Week 2 puts the Tigers in Murphy, North Carolina against Murphy High...
Javaris Crittenton's attorney, Brian Steel, says his client plans to surrender to authorities to face murder charges in Atlanta.
Steel says that Crittenton will be leaving Los Angeles and should arrive in Atlanta early Tuesday. He also maintains his client's innocence...
Atlanta police obtained a murder warrant for Crittenton in the Aug. 19 shooting of 22-year-old Jullian Jones. Police say Jones was walking with two men when she was shot and they believe one of the men with her was the target.
Crittenton was, allegedly, in the process of trying to track down the individual or individuals that he thought stole some personal effects...
FOSG's Deidra Dukes and Russ Spencer explain...
((HT: MyFoxAtlanta))
In retrospect, perhaps the former Georgia Tech star and NBA washout shouldn't have announced he was coming back.
The reason....the FBI was there waiting for him before he boarded his flight to Atlanta...and arrested him on the spot.
The Atlanta Journal-Constistution says Crittenton was taken into custody without incident. There is not yet an indication when he will be extradited back to Atlanta.
Wow! Current Cincinnati Bengals running back Cedric Benson will apparently spend the 20-days in jail as punishment for an assault that took place at an Austin, Texas bar in 2010.
Benson pleaded no contest to assault charges and will along with the sentence, be fined $4,000.
He'll serve the sentence after the Bengals play on October 13th. In order to complete the time, he'll miss the bye week on the 20th and the Bengals game with the Seahawks on the 27th.
That however, is not the end of Mr. Benson's problems. He is also facing an assault charge from a fight with his former roommate back in August. There's a hearing on that case scheduled for later in the week.
Your TV story from KVUE-TV, before the agreement was released:
Well, we guess it is a matter of perspective, but it is kind of odd.
The Miami Dolphins announced they will be honoring Tim Tebow and the 2009 University of Florida national championship team during halftime of the Dolphins vs. Broncos game on October 23rd.
Okay. That's swell. They are after all in the state of Florida.
But...that's not the rub. The rub is, they'll be doing it at SunLight/Landshark/Joe Robbie or whatever they call it stadium that both the Dolphins...and...wait for it, the Miami Hurricanes play in.
Read more from Dave Hyde of the Ft.Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel RIGHT HERE
Okay, yeah, we'll just say it. Sure, Miami fans shouldn't be that petty. Surely there are some Gator fans in South Florida and certainly some from North Florida will make the trip down (a) to see their beloved Tebow and (b) because they are Dolphin fans.
But, yeah, if I'm a Hurricanes fan, I'd probably be a little pissed off. And while Tebow, along with Mike Pouncey of the Dolphins are the only 2 Gators playing in the game (though supposedly--Urban Meyer will be there too), they are going to get a lot of boos.
Lots of them.
But we wish the Dolphins luck, and while they are and will always be our favorite team, we don't pretend to understand many of the things they've done of late. And no, they haven't been successful.
Who knows, maybe we'll be wrong and this will payoff with a sell-out, but we kind of doubt it.
And no, we have no earthly idea who Jason Sereno is. Though he apparently has access to NBA Basketball player Al Harrington and someone to shoot video interviews for him for his website.
The premise here is pretty simple, and yes, it was posted almost a week ago. But we haven't seen it until now.
Sereno goes to interview Harrington about training to become an MMA fighter. Why Harrington wants to do that, we don't know. The two men talk and Sereno offers to spar with Harrington. One clutch and a right hook later (about 5 sec.) and down goes Sereno.
Now, we don't know if this is a work of some sorts. It could be. But it is kind of funny since Sereno is just basically a schlub who scored a semi-name interview and a shot at YouTube fame.
Your Sparring session from YouTube/JasonSereno.com:
Those of you that follow the Premier League, and the HQ is a new convert, know that Arsenal is in trouble... in a lot of ways, and we're only at week 4 of the season...
Manager Arsene Wenger has had to deal with- the exoduses of Fabregas and Nasry are the two new examples- without suitable financial, athletic replacements on the roster sheet currently...
So, their last opponent was Manchester United at Old Trafford... and it was the worst beating The Gunners took since 1896. It was also the first time ManU scored 8 since 1999...
It was fugly... not just ugly...
Here's the highlights... and there are a lot of them... <a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/video?vid=835b6cc5-279d-45f4-83d8-032ddd88f924" target="_new" title="">The Red Devils bring the fire!</a>
So Rooney scores three, Young scores two, and three others tallied. And the chant from the Red fans was "You're getting sacked tomorrow" toward Wenger.
But the larger question is: Will Arsenal make a move to be competitive or will they stay in the middle of the pack...???
This is the first time that the HQ can remember something like this ever going down...
Lincoln County ((GA)) High School's Red Devils are coached by Larry Campbell. Coach Campbell has been around as head coach since 1972 and is 7th in the nation in career wins.
Garrison Hearst...??? Played under Campbell... the list of stars for all of Campbell's Class A state titles is huge, and when you see what can happen if you play under Campbell- you want to chase the bright lights.
Harlem High lost to LCHS 69-6 last weekend...
Their star running back, sophomore Mike McIntyre, after grinding out 60 yards in the loss transferred to Lincoln County...
McIntyre's eligibility is currently in question and evaluation by the Georgia High School Association and Coach Campbell has held McIntyre out of practice until he gets a final ruling...
Interesting case study... and Coach Campbell don't play...
Highlights of the Lincoln County-Harlem game are below with FOSG Chris Kane
Fast forward to the 5:20 mark...
Hey, did you know we wrote a book on Georgia high school football...???
This is just plain sad, mostly because it is someone that we spent time covering and thought much, much better of.
Former NBA basketball player and Georgia Tech star Javaris Crittenton wanted on murder charges in his hometown of Atlanta. Police say Crittenton shot a 23-year old mother of four on August 19th, while driving down the street. According to police, he thought he was shooting at someone he believed had robbed him a few days before.
This really upsets us because Crittenton, who was a High School star at Southwest Atlanta Christian (same school as Dwight Howard) and played one moderately successful year at Georgia Tech was highly regarded in the Atlanta community. He said and did all the right things growing up, though we were aware there was a troubled upbringing in his background. At 6-5, 200 lbs, quick and creative, his future looked bright.
Many believed he went to the NBA far too soon and the proved to be true. After being a 1st round draft pick by the LA Lakers in 2007, he bounced around the NBA and was mostly known for the "Gun" incident with Gilbert Arenas while with the Washington Wizards in 2009.
While covering him, we certainly thought he wasn't mature enough to handle what he was stepping into--the NBA, we never thought it would end for him like this. And yes, while we know you are innocent until proven guilty, the stigma attached to these kind of charges alone will never go away. It is truly a shame to see where he came from, where he was headed and where it appears that he will be ending up. Very sad.
After turning themselves in to Baton Rouge police, LSU starting QB Jordan Jefferson and LB Josh Johns have been suspended indefinitely pending a review of their case in the assault a week ago...
"Jordan and Josh have been suspended indefinitely," LSU head coach Les Miles said in a statement. "We will continue to cooperate with the authorities in an effort to find out exactly what took place during the incident.
"As sad as this incident is, it's important that we learn from this and that we take away a valuable lesson. This has weighed on all of us. It's time for us to come together as a team and focus on what we are here to do."
More when we know more...
1215 UPDATE: According to the Baton Rouge Advocate newspaper, police secured arrest warrants for second-degree battery on the two. Both men went to Parish Prison this morning with their attorney, Nathan Fisher, where they are being booked on the felony counts.
Eyewitness accounts differ on who started what during the brawl last weekend. One account say that the players started the assault on Andrew Lowery where others say that Lowery threw the first punch after being escorted out of Shady's Bar...
The Baton Rouge Police Department has secured arrest warrants for LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson and linebacker Josh Johns on second degree battery. That is a felony in the State of Louisiana.
Clay Travis of OutkickTheCoverage.com had this tweet:
"Nathan Fisher [Jefferson and Johns' attorney] tells @theoktc he is with Jordan Jefferson and Josh Johns at jail turning them in right now."
Travis also tweeted that Fisher hopes Jefferson and Johns will be released without bail.
And what this action does, really, is force the NCAA into a more immediate investigation into the eligibility (or lack thereof) of the athletes involved in the current Nevin Shapiro entanglement...
The HQ gets this gambit completely...
Auburn did the same thing with Cam Newton and forced the NCAA's hand into declaring him eligible. Miami is hoping the same thing will happen with their ineligibilities...
Another five players, all believed to be footballers, were not declared ineligible because the school believes the value of the gift was less than $100.
Here's Al Golden having to answer questions about stuff he shouldn't have to answer...
((HT: WFOR-TV Miami))
The only downside to the whole reinstatement process is that the NCAA looks at each case individually, so Miami will have to wait. Golden was set to name all of his eligible players Tuesday as preparation for the game against Maryland...
UPDATE:
Here's Miami head coach Al Golden Friday morning before practice. (Thanks Canes All Access)
Former all-star outfielder Lenny Dykstra, a frequent contributor to the "Athlete's with Legal Issues" part of our world, continues to pile on said "Issues".
This time it's a little warped.
Apparently, Dykstra is charged with Indecent Exposure after authorities learned hew was posting online ads looking for personal assistants or house keepers. He would upon meeting the women who applied, expose himself to them and told them the job required they give him a massage.
KTLA-TV has a good account of Dykstra's history, you can read it RIGHT HERE
It's sad to see what happened to the guy once called "Nails" though this could--potentially explain the current charge he is facing too. (Couldn't resist--sorry)
With all the other legal problems the guy is facing, jail time is probably on the way. He pleaded "Not Guilty" to multiple felony and drug charges back in June, so that trial is on the horizon as well.
Believe it or not, some producers tried to put together a "Lenny Dykstra" reality show. It didn't get very far, but here's a part of what it would look like (reducer1):
Really? That's all it takes? Talking to a teammate about an NCAA investigation. One that you are a part of.
Well, we didn't see that coming and we are guessing neither did The Mad Hatter (Les Miles).
Junior wide receiver Russell Shepard, one of LSU's best players and featured receiver is out for the season opener versus Oregon and may be out for quite a bit longer.
The reason: He violated an NCAA bylaw. He told a teammate about what was going on. Shepard has been one of the players involved with the issues LSU is being investigated for and because of that, the NCAA wanted to talk with him. We get that. Maybe it is like being a juror and you can't discuss the case with anyone. Who knows? Even the NCAA admits they don't understand their own rulebook half the time.
Coach Les Miles says it will be 10 days to 2 weeks before finding out exactly how bad the violation is. And then the NCAA gets to decide what to do. Unfortunately, Shepard won't get to play during that time which could...or couldn't end up being dragged out through the season.
Considering the issues facing quarterback Jordan Jefferson and others right now, this is the last thing LSU needs. The Tigers open with Oregon next week at Cowboys Stadium and it is beginning to look like they will be nowhere near 100-percent.
Because we can, we give you Les at his best from a few years ago during the SEC Championship game. We were actually there our ownselves to hear it live, but the video...well it will live on forever.
The Texas A&M to the SEC courtship has reached another level.
Thursday Texas A&M president R. Bowen Loftin sent a letter to Big 12 Commissioner Dan Beebe informing Beebe that the University is exploring its options.
Here's the letter:
Dear Commissioner Beebe:
As you know, the Texas A&M Board of Regents has authorized me to take action relating to Texas A&M University's ("Texas A&M") conference alignment. While this letter is not a notice of Texas A&M's withdrawal from the Big 12 Conference (the "Conference"), we are exploring our options. There has been a great deal of speculation and comment in the media about Texas A&M leaving the Conference, including discussions of other institutions joining the Conference.
If Texas A&M withdraws from the Conference, we want to do so in a way that complies with the Bylaws and is supportive of your efforts to seek a new member of the Conference. We would appreciate your conferring with the other member institutions and outlining for us the process to be followed by Texas A&M should it withdraw from the Conference.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
R. Bowen Loftin
President
This is the strongest indication yet that Texas A&M has no interest in staying in the Big 12 Conference. While president Bowen did not say that Texas A&M is withdrawing from the Big 12 the administration wants information on the process.
Nebraska sent a similar letter to Commissioner Beebe before they left for the Big Ten Conference.
Texas A&M has not applied for membership into the SEC but you have to think the application is on president Bowen's desk. The SEC has not extended an invitation either and doesn't seem to be in any hurry to accept Texas A&M into the conference.
The drama in College Station, TX continues
As does Dallas, since SMU AD Steve Orsini now thinks his 'Stangs are ready to play in a Bee-Cee-Ess conference- and would like to explore the idea with the folks in the 12/10...
Craig James discusses that, but does not discuss the EDSBS claim of offing people when he was on campus... *wink*
((HT: ESPN))
LSU head football coach Les Miles's contract could be amended soon, pending on approval by the LSU Board of Supervisors.
If the board approves, the amendment would not change his basic annual pay of $3.751 million, but would increase incentives for meeting certain post-season and academic achievements.
Academic achievements...??? Bully for you, sir...
It would also increase the maximum amount LSU would owe if Miles was fired without cause. The grounds for termination with cause remain unchanged.
From a press release from Herb Vincent:
"Should the coach be terminated without cause during the term of the contract, liquidated damages amounts, which are established by the contract in advance, would be reduced by the amount of compensation previously paid during the year of termination, and further reduced by any compensation the coach receives in subsequent employment. Miles would remain under a continuing good-faith obligation to seek similar or related employment for which LSU would receive credit against the stated liquidated damages if there were a termination without cause."
The worst kept secret in NASCAR isn't a secret anymore...
Danica Patrick is racing a full-time Nationwide schedule and some Sprint Cup races in the No. 7 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet in 2012.
"We are pleased Danica Patrick has chosen to race full time in NASCAR in 2012," NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France said in a statement. "She has demonstrated a strong desire to compete and NASCAR provides the best opportunity to race against the top drivers in the world with the largest and most loyal fan base in motorsports on a week-to-week basis."
Here's some of the Q-and-A... for the really important stuff, like Daytona...
Here's CNBC's Darren Rovell talking about Danica's economic impact...
((HT: ESPN))
What is that saying...Ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it or something like that? It's something that now applies to the life...and driving habits of former NBA star and current Duluth, Georgia resident Ralph Sampson.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the former NBA legend spent his Tuesday night behind bars after trying to go through a drivers license checkpoint with expired tags on his car. And no, that wasn't the only reason he was jailed.
Sampson also had a suspended license because he didn't meet child support obligations and had a 2008 Insurance violation.
Tis a sad, sad state that Mr. Sampson is in. We came across him several times in our time in the A-T-L area and though we did not bother him, he was always amiable and friendly to people who did. He obviously has some issues to deal with and we hope he isn't one of those who are broke after making millions as a pro athlete.
We give you video of the largest man to ever compete in the Slam Dunk contest, circa 1984:
Miami head coach Al Golden has not released the Hurricanes depth chart for the season opener against Maryland Labor Day night.
According to CBS Sports.com Golden confirmed that at least 12 players will most likely be ruled ineligible by the university in hopes they will be cleared by the NCAA before the season opener.
Al Golden addressed the media Thursday morning before practice.
One of Baltimore's baseball legends was found dead on a trail near his home Wednesday afternoon. Mike Flanagan was a Cy Young winner, a TV Analyst, Orioles team executive and one of the teams most popular former players.
According to reports, the 59-year-old Flanagan was found dead on his property and Police are investigating the potential cause of death.
Interestingly, Police will not confirm it's Flanagan, though it is and has widely been reported at this time.
Said Orioles owner Peter Angelos in a statement: It is with deep sadness that I learned of the death of my friend Mike Flanagan earlier this evening. In over a quarter century with the organization, Flanny became an integral part of the Orioles family, for his accomplishments both on and off the field. His loss will be felt deeply and profoundly by all of us with the ballclub and by Orioles fans everywhere who admired him. On behalf of the club, I extend my condolences to his wife Alex; and daughters Kerry, Kathryn and Kendall."
Since Police have yet to officially release his name nor a cause of death, no arrangements have been made.
--UPDATED--The coroner has ruled a cause of death. Unfortunately it appears to be a "Self-inflicted" gunshot wound to the head.
Police searched Jordan Jefferson's off-campus apartment as part of their investigation into last week's fight that witnesses said involved LSU football players- four of whom are being questioned, including Jefferson.
Baton Rouge police officers left with bags of evidence...
Sgt. Don Stone confirmed that it was part of the investigation and he said the apartment was where Jefferson told police he was living during their interview.
So far no arrests have been made in this investigation.
The hammer has officially dropped on former Tennessee men's basketball coach Bruce Pearl- three years of a show-cause penalty while his assistants during his tenure each get one-year penalties.
Tony Jones, Steve Forbes and Jason Shay all got ones according to the full report released by the Committee On Infractions. The failure to monitor the program charge translates into a two-year probation through 2013.
Pearl violated the bump rule and failed to disclose the bump during an investigation.
The football team also had 12 violations- all minor, but still significant- during Lane Kiffin's one year in Knoxville before he was almost burned at the stake by Vols fans who congregated outside the Athletics office during his resignation presser.
The NCAA was perturbed, but didn't do anything else to the football program or Cuonzo Martin's basketball program.
"I'm very grateful to the NCAA, the committee on infractions and its chairman, Dennis Thomas, for a very fair and thorough process. I'm also very grateful that we were able to accurately and fairly present the facts in our case and that no action was taken against us. I'm pleased that the NCAA based its decision on the facts and not on perception. I'm also very grateful that the Tennessee football program was cleared of any wrongdoing. As I have said before, we always have been committed to following NCAA rules and bylaws both at Tennessee and now at USC, and we always will be. Now that this has reached its conclusion, I am looking forward to continuing to prepare our team for the upcoming season."
More when we know more...
PM UPDATE: We know more...
Steve Phillips from our friends at WBIR-TV has the lead in team coverage...
Janzen Jackson's time on the Tennessee campus has always been somewhat checkered...
Two years ago, it was because of an attempted armed robbery charge. Back in February, he announced his intention to bolt, but returned to think he could play in July...
So much for that idea... Jackson is gone, done, and otherwise out the door...
"Our program has devoted a tremendous amount of energy, resources, support, and care in an effort to help Janzen manage his personal challenges. I will always be there to help him as a person, but there comes a time when a player's actions preclude him from the privilege of playing for the University of Tennessee football team.
"Although I'm disappointed with this outcome, we will never compromise the long-term organizational values and goals we maintain here at Tennessee," Dooley said.
Dooley even talked about Jackson at practice...
Yesterday...
((HT: Knoxnews))
"Extra points, when the odds are in the 99 percent range, it is not a play." Belichick said. "Let's move the ball back to the 15-20 yard line and not make it a tap-in."
Does Belichick take back those comments should he win or lose a game by a point?
And it wasn't his first DWI charge either. Latrell Scott, who was getting ready to begin his second season as head football coach at the University of Richmond, resigned Tuesday. The reason, he was charged with a DWI late Monday night in a Richmond area suburb.
It was Scott's second DWI charge since 2004. He faced similar charges then while an assistant coach at VMI. In that incident, his license was suspended for 12-months and he spent 5-days in jail.
The school knew about the first one. And they were willing to hire Scott with the understanding that something like that never happens again. It did.
Scott regins after going 6-5 in 2010. Offensive coordinator Wayne Lineburg will take over the team for the season, since the season starts in just 10-days.
Check out the play-by-play of what happened from the Richmond Times Dispatch RIGHT HERE
Sadly, this may end Scott's career before it ever really blossomed. Scott had a ton of experience as an assistant and had a mildly successful 1st season with the Spiders.
But two DWI's in 7-years is not good. It's not going to be looked upon well by other schools and wouldn't be looked at well by any employer in any business.
We hope Scott gets things together and finds a way to get past this, but it is going to take some time. A lot of time.
Friend of the OSG Lane Casadante from WTVR-TV has the TV story:
But you'll have to click on the link HERE and go to the bottom of the page to see it on WTVR's very poorly designed Website.
The high school football season is either underway or just about to be underway in the state of Georgia. One eastern Georgia school is having to switch head coaches on the fly after a big no-no...
And, in the modern day and age of making sure everything is covered before your kids take the practice field, much less the field, this is huge...
FOSG Chris Kane has the rundown...
The HQ knows Blount is a good coach and cares a lot about his small town, and the HQ also knows it wasn't meant maliciously...
Haha! We are betting that Kyle's Sprint Cup competitors probably don't think this is so funny.
Driver Kyle Busch pleaded guilty this afternoon to speeding in an incident we first reported on back in May. Busch was cited for driving 128 in a 45 mph zone in Statesville, North Carolina. Yes, he was going that fast.
As a result, young Mr. Busch will lose his driver's license for the next 45 days and was told by the judge to "Not drive any car during that time" along with fining him $1000.
Read the full story from thatsracin.com RIGHT HERE
While what Busch did was truly scary, we respect that he at least stepped up and took responsibility for it. And he accepted his punishment. No, the license revocation will not keep him off the track. He doesn't need a drivers license to race in any of the races. And oh, by the way, baby Busch is your current Sprint Cup points leader.
Busch has had more than his fair share of problems on the track with other racers too. From Richard Childress trying to give him a noogie, to the war of words with Jimmie Johnson and others, he's sort of become NASCAR's "Bad Boy". No, rest easy, there won't be any suspension forthcoming though we suspect that Busch and his team owner Joe Gibbs have had more than one conversation with the good Mister Mike Helton.
We could not think of any video more appropriate here:
Former Washington Redskins DE Albert Haynesworth wandered into court today... with as much effort as he showed playing for the Redskins...
Sorry, it was too easy...
He pleaded no contest to simple assault to put an end to the case where he was accused of touching the breast of a waitress at a Washington hotel. He had been scheduled to go to trial tomorrow on a misdemeanor charge of sexual abuse.
He was trying to pay his tab and either brushed the waitresses wardrobe accidentally or on purpose with the hand that was holding his credit card...
If he had been convicted of the sexual abuse charge, he could have faced up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $1,000. But the plea will stick as long as Haynesworth stays out of trouble for the next year-and-a-half.
Miami president Donna Shalala says university compliance officers are looking into the eligibility of 15 Hurricanes players who have been implicated by Nevin Shapiro's conversation with Charles Robinson.
In a video message released Monday, Shalala says the university "will move through the process thoroughly."
Here's her message to the community...
Five months ago, NCAA officials say that they started investigating Shapiro's claims. President Shalala says Miami has retained attorneys who specialize in NCAA investigations to assist with the process.
Of course, she has... she needs to keep an eye on her career dissipation light as well... remember the photo of her at the bowling alley...???
The Oakland Raiders selected former Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor in the third round of the supplemental draft.
Davis loves quarterbacks with a big time arm and Pryor has that.
Would you be shocked if Pryor started a game toward the end of the 2011 season, that is if the Raiders have no chance to make the NFL playoffs.
Selecting Pryor in the supplemental draft is straight from the Al Davis playbook. If a player is an athlete, fast and some kind of questionable background that player qualifies to be a Raider.
Of course Pryor is suspended for the first five games for what he did at Ohio State. That makes sense.
Four teens that play football for Mainland Regional high School in Linwood, New Jersey were remembered at their football stadium as a vigil was held to recall the lives lost when the van they were travelling in lost control on a highway. The teens were part of the team caravan heading to a team meal over the weekend.
a day after four high school football players were killed and four were injured when their SUV crashed on Garden State Parkway on their way to have brunch with some teammates.
Students, parents, community members, and football team players donned in game jerseys turned out to mourn their loss. Some of the survivors in the crash were among the more than 3,000 in attendance.
Photos of the four teens killed in the crash were placed at the center of the football field...
Cathy Gandolfo has the latest...
Sgt. Julian Castellanos, a New Jersey state police spokesman, said the driver, 17-year-old Casey Brenner, apparently lost control of the vehicle as it went around a crest on the parkway and came upon heavy traffic.
The vehicle overturned several times, ejecting two passengers, one of whom was struck by a passing car, Castellanos said.
The team's first game is scheduled for September 9, three days before the school year begins.
Two men are fighting for their lives after being wounded at Candlestick Park after Saturday night's 49ers-Raiders pre-season game when two men were shot in the stomach.
One was wearing a T-shirt that had some rather unflattering things to say about the Niners. He is in critical condition.
The other was shot and suffered superficial face wounds. He is also hospitalized. Police think the shootings are related.
A man wearing a Raiders T-shirt, who was pulled off a party bus, is being called a suspect.
During the game itself, in a bathroom at the Oakland Coliseum, another man was found unconscious with severe head injuries. He is also in critical condition.
Police may have a suspect in the bathroom attack- a man described as a Pacific Islander male, between 25 and 30 years old, 6'3" to 6'5" weighing 250 lbs. with a goatee and long curly hair in a ponytail. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and blue jeans.
Obviously, someone that you didn't need to piss off in any way...
Here's the latest from the California version of British hooliganism...
The HQ knew that the Nashville Sounds' Logan Schafer could use his head, but what is below is ridiculous...
If you're scoring at home, or even on the road, the HQ thinks that is an 8-4-3 triple play...
Milb.com caught up with Schafer... "I felt like I didn't have enough time to turn around and I reached up my glove. [The ball] went straight up, hit me in the head and I tried to scoop it up. It was a whole lot of luck and it was pretty crazy."
