An Energy Drink...??? You're Kidding, Right...???

Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo believes an "energy drink" he bought at a gas station led to his 10-game suspension.

Mayo spoke about his suspension for the first time Saturday before the Grizzlies' game against the Washington Wizards, saying he didn't know the drink "had any bad substances in it."

The NBA suspended Mayo on Thursday for testing positive for DHEA- which is on the league's list of banned performance-enhancing drugs.

The shooting guard said it wasn't as if he "ordered some supplement off the Internet."

No, but the HQ would believe someone could have done that for Mayo...
Allegedly...

"An energy drink..."

DEVELOPING: OJ Mayo Gets 10-Game Suspension

((HT: NBA))

From the NBA their own selves...

O.J. Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies has been suspended without pay for 10 games for violating the terms of the NBA/NBPA Anti-Drug Program. His violation of the program
involved a positive test for dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA).

Mayo’s suspension will begin with tomorrow night’s game between the
Grizzlies and the Philadelphia 76ers.

Mayo said in a statement quote:
"I'm extremely disappointed that I'm going to miss the next 10 games, particularly as our team is making a push for the playoffs. I had no idea that the over-the-counter supplement that I took was a substance banned by the NBA. It was an honest mistake, but I take full responsibility for my actions. I apologize to my fans, teammates and the Grizzlies organization for regrettably not doing the necessary research about what supplements I can put in my body."

More when we know more...

In the meantime, here's a story ESPN's E;60 unit did on him before all his stardom...
((HT: ESPN/youtube))

Grizzlies Fight On Plane...???

Memphis Grizzlies guards O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen got into a fight on the team's charter flight Monday after a card game.

Mayo, apparently, owed Allen money (($1,000 to $1,500- depending on who you ask)) following the game and became increasingly angry toward Allen when asked to settle up. Several players had to break them up at 25,000 feet.

Grizzlies GM Chris Wallace said in an e-mail: "On the teams charter flight home to Memphis on Monday, Jan. 3, one day after the Grizzlies 104-85 victory at the Los Angeles Lakers, there was a brief altercation between Tony Allen and O.J. Mayo. The club considers the matter closed and will not comment further.”

Of course you do...

Here's Chris McKendry and Chris Broussard discussing...
((HT: ESPN))

OJ Mayo's Dad Arrested Again

Officers with the Huntington ((WV)) Police Department say 39-year-old Kenneth Zeigler ((pictured, thanks WCHS-TV)) was arrested near Artisan Avenue around 3:30 Thursday morning.

Officers were looking for a suspect wanted on several warrants. They say they weren't looking for Zeigler, but he took off in a car and nearly hit one of the officers.

Zeigler is charged with attempted murder on a police officer, fleeing in a vehicle as well as drug related charges. He also had several outstanding warrants.

Zeigler is the father of NBA star OJ Mayo, who currently plays for the Memphis Grizzlies.

Ziegler was being held Thursday at the Western Regional Jail in Huntington. Police say there also are outstanding warrants charging him with fleeing, driving on a suspended license and burglary. According to police, about 85 grams of marijuana and several chunks of crack cocaine were found in the vehicle as well.

Huntington attorney Jason Goad, who is representing Ziegler, declined to comment.

OJ Mayo was aware of the incident, but he declined to comment through a team spokesman after Grizzlies' practice in Memphis. Mayo didn't live with his father growing up. But Ziegler did help Mayo's mother, Alisha, hand out turkeys and hams in Huntington, West Virginia, last month on behalf of their son.

USC Gets Their Own Update Now... Chow Down And Hold The Mayo...

((HT: KCBS-TV/ESPN))

Two things... looks like Norm Chow is staying at UCLA for as third season...

Head coach, and Chief Passion Bucket himself, Rick Neuheisel said as much today...

The HQ thinks that Chow wouldn't have gotten along with Changing Lane in the long-term, anyway...

And, according to Kelly Naqi at ESPN, OJ Mayo ((to the HQ's shock and surprise)) has not cooperated with the internal investigation the school made on illegal gifts and benefits, Rodney Guillory, stop us if you've heard all this before...

Mayo has referred all questions to his agent, LaPoe Smith, who isn't answering questions and told the LA Times last week that "(w)e can't talk about innuendoes..."

The HQ wishes AD Mike Garrett with all that...

USC Says Hold The Mayo... And The Season...

((HT: KCBS-TV))

USC tries to be pro-active and nukes their own 2009-2010 basketball season...

AD Mike Garrett found out that, shockingly, rules were violated during OJ Mayo's one season with the Trojans under former coach Tim Floyd.

Mayo did his one-and-done and now is in Memphis playing for the Grizzlies.
Some people would say that doing that is sanction enough...

The sanctions call for:
A one-year ban on all postseason play for this season,
A loss of one scholarship for this season and next,
A loss of one coach able to recruit this summer, and
20 less recruiting days next season...

Whatever in the hell that means in the grand scheme of things... they're also blowing up the 21 wins from that season.

SportsCentral's Jim Hill and Steve Hartman look at the fallout of the self-imposed ban and try to figure out where in the hell Mike Garrett and Kevin O'Neill go from here...



Mike Garrett's full statement is here on the USC website...

The HQ long has wondered what Kevin O'Neill was thinking when he took the job after Floyd abruptly resigned...

We're still wondering...

Mayo Talks To Feds

((HT: ESPN/Naqi-Katz))

Memphis Grizzlies guard O.J. Mayo has communicated with the U.S. Attorney's office amid allegations that federal laws may have been violated when Mayo's former advisor gave him money and gifts during his high school and college career, according to a source with knowledge of the case. The source would not elaborate on Mayo's contact with federal authorities.

The development comes as the NCAA is looking into whether Mayo's brother Todd Mayo, a high school basketball player, also received improper benefits.

Dan Goodman, the deputy criminal chief of the U.S. Attorney's office for the Central District of Los Angeles, said: "We couldn't comment whether there's an ongoing investigation or not."

Federal authorities are investigating Rodney Guillory, the advisor, for possible tax evasion and misuse of charitable organization funds, according to reports.

The NCAA, Pac-10, FBI, IRS and U.S. Attorney's office have been interested in speaking with Mayo since they began investigating questions raised in a May, 2008, "Outside the Lines" report that detailed how Mayo had accepted about $30,000 in cash and other benefits from Guillory.

The "Outside the Lines" report included an interview with former Guillory associate Louis Johnson, who said he helped Guillory provide Mayo with money, meals, clothes, a flat-screen television and other goods until 2008, shortly before Mayo finished his freshman season at USC. The gifts and cash began when Mayo was in high school at North College Hill in Cincinnati.

The 6-foot-4 Mayo left USC after his freshman season and was taken with the third pick in the NBA draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. After a trade, he played this season with the Grizzlies and averaged 18.5 points a game.

While Mayo has responded to inquiries from law enforcement, for more than a year he has declined requests to set up a meeting with NCAA investigators looking into the allegations. After the "Outside the Lines" report aired, Mayo told reporters he planned to cooperate with the NCAA. Mayo could not be reached for comment.

In a concurrent investigation, federal authorities are investigating whether Bill Duffy Associates Sports Management (BDA Sports) funneled up to $250,000 to Guillory in exchange for Mayo signing a contract with Duffy's agency.

After he declared for the NBA draft, Mayo signed with agent Calvin Andrews of BDA Sports, but they split shortly after the "Outside the Lines" report aired. Andrews was suspended from representing players for one year by the National Basketball Players Association in connection with the Mayo case. Mayo is now represented by agent Leon Rose. In the latest development of the NCAA's investigation, the enforcement staff wants to know whether Guillory paid for a flight for Mayo's younger brother, Todd Mayo, from Los Angeles to Columbus, Ohio, in 2007 while O.J. Mayo was in summer school at USC, Johnson's attorneys Anthony Salerno and David Murphy confirmed. The attorneys also confirmed that NCAA investigators want to know whether Guillory paid for Todd Mayo's cell-phone service while O.J. Mayo was in college.

Todd Mayo is a basketball player himself. This past season he averaged 23 points a game as a junior at Houston High School in suburban Memphis. Attorneys for Johnson confirmed on Wednesday that NCAA investigators asked Johnson about two documents from the "Outside the Lines" report that are linked to Todd Mayo.

One of the documents the NCAA is reviewing is a copy of a Nov. 4, 2007 T-mobile invoice charged to a non-profit foundation run by Guillory. Johnson told "Outside the Lines" that Guillory paid $192.33 for Todd Mayo's cell service.

Johnson said Guillory paid for Todd Mayo's phone bill as a favor to O.J. Mayo and not out of any attempt to "recruit" the younger Mayo. Murphy said even though Todd was the recipient of the phone service, Guillory paid it to curry favor with the older Mayo brother. "Given Todd Mayo's relationship to O.J., any benefit that was given to Todd Mayo could reflect upon the [NCAA investigation] as it pertains to O.J.," Murphy said.

Johnson's attorneys further confirmed that the NCAA has a copy of another document that "Outside the Lines" obtained: a handwritten receipt with Todd Mayo's name on it, dated Aug. 2, 2007. The receipt is from L.A. Traveling Tours for the amount of $395.80 ($345.80 for the ticket and $50 commission, the receipt says).

Johnson said Todd Mayo was visiting his brother, who attended summer school at USC during the summer of 2007. Johnson said he was with Guillory and Todd Mayo when Guillory purchased in cash the one-way ticket for Todd Mayo from Los Angeles to Columbus. Todd Mayo lived in Ohio. Even though Guillory paid for the ticket, according to Johnson, the receipt shows the purchaser's name as "Ovinton Mayo." Johnson said Guillory made sure it appeared that O.J. Mayo had paid for his brother's flight home.

"He needed [the receipt] to say that O.J. bought the ticket," Johnson said Wednesday. "It doesn't have Rodney's name on it ... because Rodney was deemed a runner by the NCAA and because there was a lot of scrutiny on him because of his relationship with O.J."

The NCAA could rule that Todd Mayo received preferential treatment if it's proved that he received gifts from Guillory. It was unclear how his high school eligibility or college recruitment could be affected by such a ruling.

Here's the update from the four-letter with Naqi

Yahoo: Floyd Made Cash Payments For Mayo

((HT: YahooSports/Robinson and Cole))

USC men’s basketball coach Tim Floyd made a direct cash payment to a man who helped deliver O.J. Mayo to the Trojans program, according to Louis Johnson, a former member of Mayo’s inner circle.

Johnson, a one-time Mayo confidant, has told both NCAA investigators and federal authorities – including the FBI, IRS and U.S. Attorney’s Office – that Floyd gave at least $1,000 in cash to Rodney Guillory, a man who allegedly lavished Mayo with improper benefits while the guard starred for the Trojans.

Such an act would constitute a major NCAA violation for USC, which is the subject of an ongoing three-year investigation into alleged improprieties in both the football and men’s basketball programs.

Approached by Yahoo! Sports at his California residence on Friday, Guillory declined to comment. A message left on Floyd’s cell phone Tuesday was not immediately returned. The NCAA and USC also declined to comment.

“As you know, USC can’t comment on any issue that’s the subject of an ongoing NCAA and Pac-10 investigation,” USC general counsel Carol Mauch Amir said.

The revelation involving Floyd is the latest allegation put forth by Johnson, who described Guillory to Yahoo! Sports as a long-time “runner” who steered Mayo to the Bill Duffy Associates (BDA) sports agency. Johnson said Guillory received between $200,000 and $250,000 from BDA Sports for his efforts, which resulted in Mayo initially signing with BDA when he left USC after one season for the NBA in April 2008.

BDA spokesperson Ilana Nunn declined to comment on the relationship between BDA and Guillory.

Johnson also said Mayo received approximately $30,000 in extra benefits from Guillory while playing for the Trojans. He first made those allegations to ESPN’s “Outside The Lines” in May 2008, producing a litany of receipts to back up his claims, including purchases of food, clothing and a 42-inch flat screen TV for Mayo. Mayo broke off his relationship with BDA Sports shortly after the ESPN report aired. Mayo denied those allegations to reporters on several occasions. His agent, Leon Rose, didn’t return calls to his office and cell phone.

Floyd’s alleged financial involvement with Guillory is a potentially damaging new twist for USC, and was disclosed to Yahoo! Sports last week by Johnson’s attorneys, Anthony V. Salerno and David Murphy. The attorneys confirmed that Johnson had gone on the record with his account of the payment twice: first in a group interview in front of the FBI, IRS and U.S. Attorney’s Office on May 28, 2008, and then again in the second of two interviews with NCAA investigators, which took place last week. Two members of USC’s outside counsel also took part in the second NCAA interview and heard Johnson’s account of Floyd’s alleged payment. Salerno added that Johnson’s account to federal authorities carried the threat of potential prosecution if Johnson was found to be lying.

“It was clearly money in contemplation of inducing O.J. to go through with the decision [to play at USC]. That was the understanding that Louis had – that this was money from Floyd to Guillory for them to go out and have a great weekend. It was the inducement for Guillory’s efforts in delivering [Mayo to sign with USC].”– David Murphy, Louis Johnson’s attorney

“Louis knew that if he didn’t tell the truth in that meeting, he’d be in the same boat that Martha Stewart was in for deceiving federal authorities,” Salerno said. “The agreement that he was under, the explicit agreement was that he had to be completely truthful in his statement. Lying to a federal agent is a whole crime unto itself. If you’re going to talk to them at all, you have to tell the truth.”
Johnson also confirmed his allegation of Floyd’s payment to Yahoo! Sports.

“It’s a complete and accurate depiction of the event I observed between Tim Floyd and Rodney Guillory,” Johnson said.

Johnson told the NCAA and federal authorities the payment took place in the week leading up to the 2007 NBA All-Star weekend in Las Vegas – three months after Mayo committed to USC while finishing his final year of high school. His attorneys said Johnson perceived the payment as an extension of Floyd’s gratitude for Guillory’s delivery of Mayo to USC.

“It was clearly money in contemplation of inducing O.J. to go through with the decision [to play at USC],” Murphy said. “That was the understanding that Louis had –that this was money from Floyd to Guillory for them to go out and have a great weekend. It was the inducement for Guillory’s efforts in delivering [Mayo to sign with USC].”
The following is Johnson’s account of the payment as told to Yahoo! Sports.

Mayo And Bush Probes Combined

The NCAA has combined its investigations of two former USC star athletes into a single probe of the Trojans' athletic program, the Los Angeles Times reported.

In separate investigations, the NCAA has been looking into allegations that Heisman Trophy winner Reggie Bush and NBA lottery pick O.J. Mayo both received improper benefits while at USC ((both pictured, thanks LA Times)).

The attorneys for Louis Johnson, a former associate of Mayo, said that in a meeting with a Pacific 10 Conference executive, they were told that the NCAA had combined the two probes into a larger investigation of whether USC had shown a lack of institutional control, according to the Times.

"It makes sense," attorney Anthony V. Salerno said, according to the Times. "The NCAA looks at the program as a whole, and you may be talking about systemic problems in these cases of payments by agents. Yes, these were different teams and coaches. Rather than do it piecemeal, look at the institution."

Salerno and David Murphy represent Johnson, a former associate of Mayo and Rodney Guillory, who Johnson says received more than $200,000 in cash and gifts from a representative of the BDA Sports Management agency and passed along some of those gifts to Mayo.

Bush is alleged to have accepted thousands of dollars in benefits for himself and his family in the form of rent owed on a home owned by a would-be sports marketer.

Both athletes have said they did nothing wrong.

The NCAA and a Pac-10 investigator declined to comment, while Pac-10 commissioner Tom Hanson could not be reached for comment, the Times reported.

USC basketball coach Tim Floyd said he hasn't talked to the NCAA since May and has "never, ever heard" that the investigations were being combined, the Times reported. Football coach Pete Carroll could not be reached for comment, according to the report.