Judge Freezes Assets Of Louisiana Film Studio

((HT: NOLA.com via Howard Bloom))

A judge Friday froze most of the assets of a movie studio at the heart of a $1.9 million investment dispute involving members of the New Orleans Saints.

U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Elizabeth Magner took the action against Louisiana Film Studios LLC, the target of an involuntary bankruptcy suit by several buyers of state movie industry tax credits peddled by studio chief executive Wayne Read.

The buyers were supposed to be paid $1.33 on March 31 for each dollar invested. But since then, state film office officials have said Read never even applied for the credits.

Magner set a hearing for Aug. 7 on whether to appoint a court-supervised financial overseer. Read, who was not at the hearing, signed an agreement late Thursday saying he would not dispose of any of the studio's assets.

Read has not hired an attorney for the studio, but lawyer William Patrick appeared at the hearing on the studio's behalf, saying he had not yet accepted a retainer. When attorneys said Read had been spotted at the federal courthouse complex, Patrick tried to reach him by telephone at the judge's order.

"I'd like to see the whites of this individual's eyes," Magner said.

Read never appeared. After that, Magner met with attorneys behind closed doors, then put the agreement Read signed into effect.

Among the current and former members of the Saints pursuing the bankruptcy suit are linebacker Scott Shanle, former Saints punter Mitch Berger and long snapper Kevin Houser, now with the Seattle Seahawks, who thought they were buying tax credits. Other buyers included Coach Sean Payton, quarterback Drew Brees and former star Archie Manning.

Read has said he ran into higher-than-expected expenses and lower-than-forecasted revenues in starting up the studio. He said the tax credits were never applied for at the end of 2008 because of confusion over what expenses qualified for credits. He has said he plans to pay back the buyers after finding other investors.

No criminal charges have been filed. Jimmy Castex, an attorney representing a construction company also pushing the involuntary bankruptcy suit, has said the FBI has contacted parties involved in the case.

Illinois court records show Read paid $452,000 on January 21 to settle a dispute over another failed investment involving the movie business.

Girizzlies Release ENTIRE Scouting Staff

But Geoff Calkins puts the appropriate spin on the act..

((HT: Memphis Commercial Appeal/Calkins))

The Grizzlies really should get rid of their ushers.

The seat numbers are right there on the tickets, aren't they? Can't people find their own seats?

Then they should cut back on dancers. So many dancers. Wouldn't one really good dancer be enough? Especially if it were Linea?

One ball boy should be plenty, too. Let the kid run back and forth between the two hoops.

And one combination radio/TV guy. Why should the Grizzlies pay for Pete Pranica and Eric Haseltine to call the same game?

I bring this up because the Grizzlies recently decided to let go of their scouts. Yes, all of their scouts.

"I prefer a smaller group," said Chris Wallace, the Grizzlies GM.

You have to love Wallace, don't you? He could have put a positive spin on the yellow fever epidemic.

"I prefer a smaller city," he'd have said.

Last season, the Grizzlies had five full-time amateur scouts. David Booth, Ryan West, Ed Manning, Ray Jones and Marin Sedlacek.

This season, the Grizzlies will have no full-time college scouts. Booth, West, Manning, Jones and Selacek are all gone.

A couple of them fled the building; a few more were let go. The Grizzlies will use a part-time scout to help them keep on eye on players in Europe. They do not plan to make any hires.

"We had a restructuring," said Wallace, and I guess you could call it that.

The Grizzlies restructured their scouting department the way the city restructured the old Baptist Hospital. With well-placed dynamite.

To be sure, it's highly possible that a vacant scouting department could do just as well as the former scouting department. Wonder where Troy Bell is today?

Wallace makes the point -- a fair one -- that scouting in the NBA is not like scouting in the NFL. A team makes a couple of picks a year. Any moron can identify the top few players. Wallace, Tony Barone, Tony Barone Jr. and Kenny Williamson -- all still with the franchise -- can get out there and see those players themselves.

But it's hard not to look at this move as additional evidence that the Grizzlies care less about basketball than the bottom line. No scouts? For a team that has said it is committed to building through the draft?

Of course, who needs basketball people around when the owner doesn't pay attention to what they say? If he did, Hakim Warrick ((pictured, thanks Lance Murphey MCA file)) would still be on the team. Nobody on the basketball side endorsed Heisley's decision to let Warrick walk.

Heading into the offseason, Wallace described Warrick as "one of the most potent bench scorers in the league." At the press conference introducing Hasheem Thabeet, head coach Lionel Hollins said he'd be mixing up the names "Hasheem" and "Hakim" all year long.

Or, not, as it turns out. The Grizzlies pulled their offer to Warrick because they didn't want to give him $3 million a year, or exactly as much as the Milwaukee Bucks then agreed to pay the guy.

Never mind that the Grizzlies said they needed more scoring off the bench. Never mind that they said they needed more veteran leadership.

The Grizzlies' second unit now consists of three rookies (Thabeet, Sam Young and DeMarre Carroll), one second-year player (Darrell Arthur) and one free agent (Marcus Williams, though the signing isn't official yet) who wasn't able to stick with the Nets or the Warriors.

So how do you put a positive spin on that? If you're not Wallace, I mean?

How do you resist the conclusion that Heisley has settled on a strategy that values dollars over wins?

He can't sell the franchise so he'll run it as cheaply as possible. He'll use the Grizzlies' cap space to facilitate trades for other teams. The Grizzlies will be rewarded with "cash considerations." They'll be the Memphis Grizzlies & Money Launderers.

If Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo develop into stars and the fans come back, great. If not, Heisley can hang on, keeping his losses down, and sell the team to an out-of-town owner when the penalty for breaking the lease is less prohibitive.

It's not a bad strategy for running a business, actually. Just a demoralizing way to build a basketball team.

No scouts. No Warrick. No scorers off the bench.

Someone better call Linea.

Italy And Canada Not So Friendly

((HT: RAISportPlus))

An international friendly between Team Canada and Team Italy turned ugly Saturday, as Toronto Raptors players Andrea Bargnani and Marco Belinelli tried to play peacekeeper to prevent an all-out brawl.

The trouble began after Italy's Stefano Mancinelli delivered an elbow to the back of the head of Canada's Aaron Doornekamp.

Both benches soon cleared, and a video posted on YouTube shows Bargnani and Belinelli trying to diffuse the tensions.

The video also shows Team Canada head coach Leo Rautins and an unidentified member of the Italian staff in a heated verbal exchange.

On Aug. 5 Italy will begin its quest to qualify for September's Eurobasket tournament against France.

Canada was using the game as a tune-up for the late-August start of the 2009 Tournament of the Americas, in which four spots in the 2010 World Championships are up for grabs.

Here you go...

Garber: MLS Targeting Montreal For Expansion...

((HT: Canwest News Service))

Montreal is at the top of Major League Soccer’s list for potential expansion cities MLS commissioner Don Garber told Forbes.com in a recent interview.

Speaking last week, Garber told the website MLS ((TFC and New England are pictured, thanks, Brian Snyder/Reuters)) would like to expand to 20 teams at some point in the future and he appears to be pencilling in Montreal for one of the two available spots.

“Montreal is one of those. We’re pretty focused on that 19th team,” he said. “We’ve been in discussions with Montreal.”

Montreal was on the short list during the last round of expansion but withdrew its bid before the final selection process was complete. Vancouver and Portland got the two spots and will begin play in 2011.

The Montreal Impact currently play in the United Soccer Leagues First Division.

“We’ve had great success in Canada,” Garber told the website. “Toronto FC plays in a new stadium in downtown Toronto, every game is sold out with 15,000 people on the waiting list for season tickets. Montreal will probably be a market that looks like that.”

Montreal appears close to nailing down the 19th spot, but Garber said the 20th team is still up for grabs.

“We’re looking at St. Louis, Miami, Atlanta, perhaps a second team in New York,” he said.

Gatti's Will Changed 3 Weeks Before Death

((HT: CP))

Arturo Gatti's will was changed just three weeks before the ex-boxing champ died, his brother Fabrizio confirmed Sunday.

"It's the truth," he said when asked during a brief phone call for confirmation of reports the former fighter had bequeathed everything to his wife, Amanda Rodrigues.

Family friend and sports journalist Jeremy Filosa told The Canadian Press that on June 17, Gatti ((Pictured, thanks Al Bello/Getty)) and Rodrigues changed the ex-boxer's will, leaving his full inheritance in her name.

"Everything that Arturo Gatti owns -- past, present and future -- goes to his wife. Nothing goes to his children or mother or brothers or sisters," said Filosa.

Gatti's widow was also named executor of his will and stands to receive $1 million from a life insurance policy, Filosa said, adding the family was made aware of the changes on Friday.

Brazilian police said Friday that Gatti's death was being ruled a suicide -- a conclusion rejected by Gatti's friends and family, who asked a Quebec coroner to re-examine the body, buried July 20 in Montreal.

Rodrigues was released Friday after having been held for nearly three weeks in a Brazilian jail on suspicion of murder.

On Saturday, a celebrity pathologist hired by the ex-boxing champ's family said Brazilian authorities overlooked bruises on Gatti's body in the initial autopsy.

"There were some surprises," Dr. Michael Baden said in an interview with The Canadian Press after a seven-hour forensic follow-up in Montreal.

"The first surprise was that it was a partial autopsy, and not a full autopsy; the second was that there were some important findings, like the injuries that had not been identified."

Partial autopsies are unusual in suspected homicides, said Baden, noting that in this case, the body's organs had not been examined.

Montreal medical examiners will perform further toxicology tests in Canada and are also awaiting more information on the scene of death from investigators in Brazil.

"There were definite injuries that had not been seen by Brazilian authorities," Baden said.

"But one needs all of the information -- including the toxicology, which is not available yet -- to be able to come to the conclusion as to whether it's homicide or suicide."

Second autopsies often take longer than the first but have the advantage of fresh information, he added. "We had a better idea of what to look for because of the issues that have been raised."

Baden will continue to share information with the Montreal medical examiners overseeing the latest investigation into Gatti'sdeath.

The two Canadian pathologists, described by Baden as "first-rate," will evaluate the additional information before releasing a report on the ex-boxer's death in the coming weeks.

Baden, a U.S. pathologist, is no stranger to high-profile cases. He's the host of the HBO cable TV show "Autopsy," a popular documentary series investigating mysterious and controversial deaths.

Baden has also testified for the defence or prosecution in a number of celebrity cases, including the criminal trials of O.J. Simpson and Phil Spector. He recently performed the second autopsy on the late Hollywood actor David Carradine.

Here's Global Montreal's TV coverage of the Gatti death...
Paola Samuel is standing in front of a green screen tossing to full screens and voicing over tape...

Ex-Hockey Coach To Stand Trial On Sex Charges

((HT: MyFoxDetroit))

A judge ordered a hall-of-fame prep hockey coach to stand trial Thursday on charges of sexual assault after a young man said he was 14 and 15 when he was paid $150 to have oral sex at the ex-coach's suburban Detroit home.

There is no dispute that the sex acts occurred, but Robert Bopp's attorney argued that his client didn't know the alleged victim was a minor at the time. The judge, however, said that's no defense.

The legal burden was on Bopp to determine the boy's age, 23rd District Court Judge William Sutherland said after hearing a few hours of testimony.

Bopp, 51, was fired as coach at Grosse Pointe South High School after he was charged in June. He led the Blue Devils to a state championship game in 2007 and is a member of the hall of fame for Michigan prep hockey coaches.

Authorities have urged young people to step forward if they have similar allegations of sexual misconduct but no one has contacted police in Taylor, where Bopp lives, Assistant Prosecutor Lora Weingarden told The Associated Press.

Separately, the FBI has said it seized photos from Bopp's home showing him having sex with minors. The government made the disclosure a few weeks ago when it filed a lawsuit to seize his home because it was used to exploit children. No federal charges have been filed relating to those photos. Bopp's attorney, Christopher Andreoff, has said he'll respond to those allegations in court.

"The FBI is still going through what they seized. They've only gotten through 25 percent. The investigation is ongoing," Weingarden told the judge when Andreoff asked that Bopp be released from jail on bond.

Weingarden presented one witness, the alleged victim, who is now 17. He testified that he was 14 and 15 when he twice had oral sex with Bopp. He was not a hockey player and doesn't live in Grosse Pointe or Taylor.

He said he agreed to the sex acts and to be photographed because he wanted $150 to feed his drug habit. The young man said he was introduced to Bopp -- he knew him as "Justin" -- through an acquaintance, James McBee.

He said he and McBee, now 20, engaged in sex acts in Bopp's presence. McBee was also ordered to stand trial on sexual-assault charges.

"The proof of guilt is great," Weingarden told the judge, referring to pictures that were part of the evidence.

Andreoff and McBee's lawyer, John Freeman, tried to cast doubt on the young man's story, especially whether he had said he was 17 when he was at Bopp's house. The alleged victim acknowledged that he abused heroin and probably has made conflicting statements to police. The Associated Press does not identify alleged sexual assault victims.

"There is no evidence in the record that (Bopp) knew he was under 17," Andreoff insisted.

But the prosecutor, noting Bopp's background as a hockey coach, dismissed the argument.

"Mr. Bopp is better than anyone else in assessing the age of a teenage boy," she told the judge.

Bopp and McBee remain in the Wayne County jail.

Here's your coverage from WJBK/MyFoxDetroit
Bill Gallagher was in Taylor County court...

Heatley May Still Get To Exit Ottawa

((HT: Ottawa Sun/Bruce Garrioch))

Dany Heatley’s ((pictured, thanks Sun Media file)) quest to get out of Ottawa isn’t dead yet.

Senators GM Bryan Murray confirmed in an e-mail to Sun Media that he could have “an option” to move the disgruntled left winger, but with the clock ticking toward the opening of training camp Sept. 12 at Scotiabank Place, the club will have to move quickly.

Sources say the San Jose Sharks have more than a passing interest in the two-time 50-goal scorer, but if they’re going to make the deal, they might have to get a third team involved — possibly the Montreal Canadiens — because the Senators won’t accept what the Sharks have on the table.

The Senators don’t want anything to do with winger Jonathan Cheechoo, who has been offered as part of a package along with defenceman Christian Erhoff and a first-round selection.

The Sharks have never offered Patrick Marleau, who is only a year away from being an unrestricted free agent.

“If the Sharks don’t have what the Senators want, then (GM) Doug Wilson might have to go get it from another team,” said a league executive Saturday. “The Senators want a proven scoring winger in return and that means you might have to get a third team involved.”

A source said that a third team could be the Habs, but wasn’t sure what San Jose could acquire from Montreal to satisfy the Senators’ needs to deal Heatley.

It should be noted the Habs, Sharks and Senators are all up against the $56.8-million US salary cap.

“Every team has cap issues one way or another,” said a league executive

“It’s difficult for San Jose to take on Heatley’s salary (cap hit of $7.5 million a season over the next five years) and I’m sure that’s what is holding them back. This is a big gamble, especially if it doesn’t work out. Nobody wants to take that kind of gamble in the salary cap era.”

The Sharks talk comes a day after the Edmonton Oilers announced they’re out of the running for Heatley and have moved on.

Indications are the Heatley camp informed Oilers GM Steve Tambellini during a B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony last weekend in Penticton that Heatley had no intention of going to Edmonton. Heatley and Tambellini were both in Penticton to take part in festivities.

It’s believed Heatley, who played in a charity hockey game, informed Tambellini there was no sense in the Oilers continuing to pursue the trade after several attempts to convince Heatley to come to Edmonton failed.

Speaking to a San Jose newspaper Friday, Wilson was non-committal about moves.

He told reporters during his state-of-the-union address following the Sharks’ first-round exit that he was going to make changes in the off-season, but Wilson has a reputation as a “tire kicker” when it comes to trades.

Heatley, however, would be willing to waive his no-movement clause to go to the Sharks.

“This is all up to Doug Wilson. If he wants to make big changes, this is the biggest one he can make,” said a league executive.

Here's coverage dating to when Heatley initially requested out of Ottawa.
Brent Wallace fronts the piece, thanks to our friends at TSN...

High School Football Player Dies In Kentucky

((HT: WKRN-TV))

The Ft. Campbell community is mourning the loss of a high school football player who passed away Wednesday after he was hospitalized following practice on Tuesday.

Tim Williams, a 16-year-old going into his junior year at Ft. Campbell High School ((pictured, thanks WKRN-TV)), was said to be feeling disoriented after practice and was taken to the hospital.

He died Wednesday evening at Vanderbilt children's hospital in Nashville.

Shawn Berner, head football coach at the school, said Thursday Williams was fine until the end of practice.

"We finished sprints and huddled as a team and he seemed lethargic looking," he recalled.

Berner said Williams got immediate medical attention and was quickly taken to the hospital.

While temperatures were in the 70s Tuesday, weather has not been ruled out as a possible cause of death.

"We have a great system of hydration. We break every 20 minutes and sometimes every 15 minutes, it's built into the schedule," said Berner. "We have a medical trainer that's on site with us every single practice."

Williams was an offensive lineman, competing for a starting spot going on the team.

Berner said his death is baffling.

"He was a kid that was here everyday, worked out in the off season. He did what he was asked to do," he said.

This season was going to be special for Williams.

His dad had recently returned from Iraq and was looking forward to watching his son and the rest of the Ft. Campbell team compete for a third straight state championship.

"I think of all 85 kids as my own and it's been a loss," said Berner.

"Our hearts go out to his parents and family and friends as we share their grief and pain," said Assistant Superintendent Jo Blease.

The cause of Williams' death remains under investigation.

Autopsy results have not yet been released.

Jamey Tucker has the story from Fort Campbell for our friends at WKRN-TV/News 2
Bob Mueller is your anchor...


Jake Lowary continues coverage from The Tennessean chain of newspapers in black...

Hornaday Sets Truck Series Record With 5th Straight Win

((HT: Tennessean/Kreager))

The Camping World Truck Series master added to history Saturday night.

Ron Hornaday, Jr. ((pictured, thanks Larry McCormack/Tennessean)) led 115 of 154 laps at Nashville Superspeedway and won the Toyota Tundra 200 by .941 seconds over Brian Scott.

The win is Hornaday's fifth consecutive in the truck series — a series record. He set the record a week ago with four straight at Indianapolis.

Hornaday's five wins tie him with Richard Petty and Bobby Allison for the second most consecutive wins in any of NASCAR's top three series. Petty has the NASCAR record with 10 straight Cup wins in 1967. Petty and Allison each won five consecutive in 1971.

"You can never compare someone to the King or Bobby Allison," said Hornaday, who drives the No. 33 truck for Kevin Harvick Inc. "I'm just glad I'm in the same book with them."

Hornaday's win was his first in five truck starts at Nashville. He was fifth here last year and runner-up in 2007. The win is his 45th victory in 239 starts in the truck series. Hornaday has had 12 top-10 finishes in 13 races this season.

"I finally got a Sam Bass guitar (trophy)," Hornaday said. "Five (in a row) — can you believe that?"

Hornaday raised the Les Paul Gibson Guitar in Victory Circle after the race and gave it a kiss.

"That thing will be polished," Hornaday said. "This thing means so much to me.

"This is beautiful. I'm going to have to get smaller trophies because I don't think I can afford a Gibson guitar for the whole crew."

Kyle Busch won the Nationwide Series race here in June and then smashed the guitar trophy. Hornaday said he didn't think Busch considered the fallout that he would receive.

"I think it was a little disrespectful," Hornaday said. "I don't think Kyle really thought about it that way."

Sam Bass, who designs the artwork on the guitars, said this week that Busch has ordered three more guitars, which cost $1,700.

Hornaday leads the truck series by 216 points over Matt Crafton. Mike Skinner slipped from second to third, 248 points out of first, after finishing 14th.

"Right now, the KHI stuff with (Ron) Hornaday Jr. — they are in their own zip code," Skinner said.

The win marked the 27th win in the truck series for Hornaday's crew chief Rick Ren, who is now the all-time winningest crew chief in the series.

"That's an honor," Ren said. "A lot of people don't really realize how hard that is to do. What I really feel good is that I've done that with five different drivers."

Hornaday led 115 of the 154 laps. Several of the final laps came in a slight drizzle. He took the lead from polesitter Timothy Peters on lap 34, two laps before a competition yellow. Hornaday restarted fifth after the race's fourth caution, but charged to the front.

He made a three-wide pass at the start-finish line, passing Jason White and Scott four laps later.

The race ended with a green-white-checker finish. after Terry Cook spun and hit the wall in turn two with two laps to go. There were six caution periods in the race, including one for three laps near the midway point caused by rain.

"He's awesome," Scott said of Hornaday. "He's the master in the truck series. He's a legend."

Baden: Gatti's 2nd Autopsy Yields "Surprises"

((HT: CP))

Bruising on the body of slain fighter Arturo Gatti was overlooked by the Brazilian authorities who conducted the initial autopsy, a celebrity pathologist hired by the ex-boxing champ's family said Saturday after a seven-hour forensic follow-up.

"There were some surprises," Dr. Michael Baden said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

"The first surprise was that it was a partial autopsy, and not a full autopsy; the second was that there were some important findings, like the injuries that had not been identified."

Brazilian authorities said earlier this week that Gatti had committed suicide at a resort in the northeastern part of the country on July 11. His 23-year-old Brazilian wife, Amanda Rodrigues, was released Friday after being held for nearly three weeks on suspicion of murder.

Partial autopsies are unusual in suspected homicides, said Baden, who described the overlooked injuries as bruises that weren't cited in the initial forensic report.

Baden, who assisted in the autopsy at the family's request, said the Montreal medical examiners will perform further toxicology tests in Canada and are also awaiting more information on the scene of death from investigators in Brazil.

"There were definite injuries that had not been seen by Brazilian authorities," Baden said.

"But one needs all of the information -- including the toxicology, which is not available yet -- to be able to come to the conclusion as to whether it's homicide or suicide."

Second autopsies often take longer than the first but have the advantage of fresh information, he added. "We had a better idea of what to look for because of the issues that have been raised."

Baden will continue to share information with the Montreal medical examiners overseeing the latest investigation into Gatti'sdeath.

The two Canadian pathologists, described by Baden as "first-rate," will evaluate the additional information before releasing a report on the ex-boxer's death in the coming weeks.

Baden, a U.S. pathologist, is no stranger to high-profile cases. He's the host of the HBO cable TV show "Autopsy," a popular documentary series investigating mysterious and controversial deaths.

Baden has also testified for the defence or prosecution in a number of celebrity cases, including the criminal trials of O.J. Simpson and Phil Spector. He recently performed the second autopsy on the late Hollywood actor David Carradine.

Brazilian police said Friday that Gatti hanged himself with a bag strap that he tied around a wooden staircase column more than two metres off the ground, looping it around his neck before stepping off a stool.

That conclusion was rejected by Gatti's friends and family, who asked a Quebec coroner to exhume the body, which was buried July 20 in Montreal.

Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said the government also formally asked Brazilian authorities for more information on the investigation into Gatti's death.

Gatti, a Montreal native who held two world titles in his 16-year pro career, retired in 2007 with a record of 40-9.

Moyes: Reinsdorf Wants Special Taxing District

((HT: Arizona Republic/Sanders))

A flurry of filings in U.S. Bankruptcy Court on Friday illuminated several aspects of the potential sale of the Coyotes and what it might take to keep them in the Valley.

Among the revelations were:

• Some details of what Chicago sports mogul Jerry Reinsdorf seeks from the city of Glendale, which owns the team's home, Jobing.com Arena.

• Rival group Ice Edge Holdings LLC formally submitted a bid for the team. It also proposed holding five "home games" in Canada.

• Current owner Jerry Moyes, a major creditor, laid out his objections to the bids.

• The bankruptcy judge set a hearing for Monday to consider delaying the auction of the team, scheduled for Wednesday, until September.

Reinsdorf, owner of the Chicago White Sox and Bulls, has offered $148 million for the team if he can negotiate a deal with Glendale to raise millions in yearly revenue, according to filings by Moyes' attorneys. The team has lost as much as $30 million each season.

The filings say Reinsdorf has asked for a special taxing district to be created in Glendale's sports and entertainment district that would provide as much as $23 million next fiscal year through a "voluntary" surcharge on retail sales.

Additionally, if the team were still losing money after five years, Glendale would have to pay Reinsdorf $15 million each year of losses or allow the team to be sold and relocated, according to Moyes' filing.

There was no indication that Glendale officials had agreed to any of these conditions, nor has a City Council meeting to approve such a deal been scheduled.

Ice Edge, a group of Canadian and American investors, submitted a formal bid two weeks later than the deadline. Previously, the group had declared it intended to offer $150 million for the team.

Sports business observers have said the group's proposal to play five games in Canada per season was highly unusual. Ice Edge has called it an innovative way to raise revenue, but some experts have warned it could create a fan backlash.

Moyes blasted both offers as invalid. He said neither group had shown secure financial backing nor put up the hard cash required in the bankruptcy procedures.

A $1 million deposit was required July 24 for parties wishing to bid at auction on Wednesday, at which time $10 million is needed.

Moyes also criticized Reinsdorf's offer for excluding some creditors. Moyes himself has a $104 million claim that would be left unsatisfied.

He favors a $212.5 million bid by Canadian businessman Jim Balsillie ((pictured, thanks GlobeSports file)), which would move the team to Ontario and satisfy more of the West Valley trucking magnate's claim.

In response to pleas by the NHL and Glendale to postpone the auction, giving the two bidders more time to finalize their plans, bankruptcy Judge Redfield Baum agreed to hold a hearing Monday. He will decide then whether to delay or continue with the current schedule.

Coyotes Auction Unlikely Wednesday

((HT: GlobeSports/Shoalts, Waldie))

On a day that saw Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes and would-be buyer Jim Balsillie ((pictured, thanks GlobeSports file)) intensify their legal war with the NHL and a third – albeit incomplete – bid for the team finally emerge, the only near-certainty at the end of a blizzard of court filings is that the auction sale planned for next Wednesday is unlikely to proceed.

Almost all of the parties involved asked the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to either postpone or cancel the sale, which is restricted to bidders who want to keep the Coyotes in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale. By late last night, the only major party which did not make the request was the bidding group led by Chicago White Sox and Chicago Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

A hearing is tentatively scheduled for Monday afternoon in Phoenix for Judge Redfield T. Baum to hear arguments about delaying or even cancelling Wednesday’s sale.

Ice Edge Holdings LLC, a group of Canadian and American businessmen, filed a $150-million (all currency U.S.) offer for the Coyotes with the court yesterday and it included a request to postpone the sale until September. The group said it needs time to complete its due diligence, finish lease negotiations with Glendale, convince the Coyotes’ major creditors to accept new terms and to find more investors.

Ice Edge and Reinsdorf, whose bid is for $148-million, are the only bidders who promise to keep the team in Glendale. Balsillie, the only other bidder, wants to move the Coyotes to Hamilton. The Ice Edge bid was quickly followed last night by filings from Moyes and Balsillie that said both the Reinsdorf and Ice Edge bids failed to meet the qualifications demanded by the court and should be rejected. They want the court to proceed directly to the auction planned for Sept. 10, which is to consider bids for relocating the team if the Glendale bids were not accepted.

One of the oddest filings during the busy day was one from the NHL which appeared to object in part to Reinsdorf's bid, one which the league has been championing for months. In its filing, the league objected to proposed settlement amounts for various contracts owed to NHL and people or companies connected to it.

However, the filing was made to ensure the league's rights were protected because negotiations with Reinsdorf have not been completed.

Balsillie, the co-CEO of Research In Motion, also filed a new version of his $212.5-million bid. The key difference in this one is that a provision that would have paid Coyotes head coach and minority owner Wayne Gretzky as much as $22.5-million was removed. Instead, all of the purchase price will be in cash with no designated amounts.

Like Moyes, Balsillie charged that neither Reinsdorf nor Ice Edge offered any cash for the creditors and their bids should not be considered by the court. His filing also accused NHL commissioner Gary Bettman of having a personal bias against him and that the league governors’ rejection of him as a potential owner was a sham.

“It is clear to Mr. Balsillie that commissioner Bettman and a number of the governors have a personal grudge against Mr. Balsillie,” the filing said, “and that the root of the problem is Mr. Balsillie making prudent business decisions, in each case within his contract terms, instead of spending vast amounts of money for an unprofitable team with no right to apply for relocation.”

The court document went on to say Balsillie believes his rejection by the NHL was connected to a last-minute dispute in 2006 over his right to move the Pittsburgh Penguins that caused him to withdraw an offer for the team.

As for the league approving Reinsdorf as an owner and not him, Balsillie’s filing said, “It is telling that the NHL conditionally approved the Reinsdorf transfer application even though the individuals comprising the Reinsdorf group have not been determined. It appears to PSE [the company Balsillie formed to handle the sale] that the outcome of the NHL’s deliberations was scripted to advance the NHL’s objectives in relation to matters before the court.”

Daryl Jones, one of the leaders of Ice Edge, said his group’s offer differs from Reinsdorf’s in three key areas. Ice Edge is offering to modify Gretzky’s employment contract where as Reinsdorf has excluded Gretzky’s contract from his bid. Ice Edge will also pay off more secured creditors – including Moyes – Jones said. And the group has pledged to cover the costs of winding down the Coyotes once the Chapter 11 process is over. While Jones declined to provide an estimate for how much that could cost, it typically runs into the millions.

“This is another positive step forward for us,” he said. “Our constraint has always been time and with this we’re sending a real signal to the court that we’re serious.”

Another condition of the Ice Edge offer is that Glendale agrees to allow up to five regular-season and additional NHL playoff games to be played elsewhere. The group hopes to receive NHL approval to play those games in Saskatoon.

The Coyotes’ largest creditor, meanwhile, broke its silence yesterday. SOF Investments Ltd., a fund owned by computer tycoon Michael Dell and that is owed at least $80-million by the Coyotes, also filed an objection to Wednesday’s sale.

Lawyers for SOF joined Moyes and Balsillie in saying neither bid consists of any cash but only the assumption of debt and a condition that new deals be worked out with some creditors while others would be left out in the cold. Both Moyes and Balsillie pointed out neither bid put up a $10-million deposit by yesterday, which was part of the court’s terms.

The SOF filing noted that only Balsillie’s offer would pay the investment fund in full. However, SOF also reserved its right to accept a bid from Reinsdorf or Ice Edge if an acceptable deal could be made.

Also joining the fray was AEG, the company owned by Los Angeles Kings owner Philip Anschutz, and the Goldwater Institute, a conservative watchdog group that may sue Glendale if it feels too much money is given away in lease concessions.

AEG, which has the contract to manage Jobing.com Arena, objected to Wednesday’s sale because of a dispute with Reinsdorf over how much money AEG is owed. The Goldwater Institute, which lost a bid in another court yesterday to make public all of the arena lease negotiations, asked the judge to keep the interests of Glendale taxpayers in mind concerning the Reinsdorf and Ice Edge bids.

Hornsby Indicted, Released From Ole Miss

((HT: Jackson Clarion-Ledger/Brandt))

Jamar Hornsby ((Pictured, thanks Clarion-Ledger file)) was given a second chance by Ole Miss when he signed a football scholarship in February.

On Friday, coach Houston Nutt said there would be no third chance.

A week before Ole Miss players are scheduled to report to campus to begin practice for the 2009 season, Hornsby was kicked off the team after being indicted on a felony aggravated assault charge in Oktibbeha County Circuit Court.

Hornsby, a 6-foot-3, 200-pound junior who played last year at East Mississippi Community College, pleaded not guilty to allegations that he assaulted Benjamin Jenkins at a McDonald's in Starkville on March 2.

But the damage to his football career is already done.

"I am releasing Jamar Hornsby and he will not be a member of our football team," Nutt said in a statement released by the school. "We wish him nothing but the best in the future."

Nutt did not return messages seeking further comment.

Hornsby was considered a four-star recruit (out of five stars) by Rivals.com and a three-star by Scout.com. He was expected to compete for playing time at safety, one of the team's thinnest positions.

Hornsby, 22, was on probation when he signed with Ole Miss after being convicted of four misdemeanor counts of credit card fraud in Alachua County, Fla. He used a friend's credit card following her death in October 2007, buying almost $3,000 worth of gas.

Hornsby was kicked off the Florida team, but when Hornsby signed with the Rebels Nutt said he deserved another chance to play.

"We talked to everybody involved," Nutt said in February. "We talked to (Florida coach) Urban Meyer. We talked to the judge. We talked to his family. We wouldn't have signed him if we weren't confident he would represent our program in the right way."

In the original complaint, Hornsby was accused of using brass knuckles in the assault, but that was not a part of Friday's indictment.

"As we've said all along, there were never any brass knuckles involved," Hornsby's attorney, Steve Farese, said. That the brass knuckles allegation was not part of the indictment is "great news," Farese said. "It semi-vindicates us as far as this was just a fight."

Hornsby was released on his original bond of $15,000. The trial is scheduled for Nov. 2.

Baden: Brazilian Autopsy On Gatti "Incomplete"

((HT: CP))

The celebrity pathologist hired by the family of Arturo Gatti to oversee the second autopsy in the death of the ex-boxing champ says that elements were missed in the initial examination of the body.

"The Brazilian autopsy was not a complete autopsy," Dr. Michael Baden told reporters gathered outside the coroner's office in Montreal Saturday.

"There were a lot of additional findings that were not found by the Brazilian pathologists. It has to await further investigation."

Baden, who assisted the autopsy at the request of the Gatti family, said the Montreal medical examiners will perform further toxicology tests in Canada and they are waiting for more information on the scene of death from investigators in Brazil.

The U.S. pathologist is no stranger to high-profile cases. He's the host of the HBO cable TV show "Autopsy," a popular documentary series investigating mysterious and controversial deaths.

Baden has also testified for the defence or prosecution in a number of celebrity cases, including the criminal trials of O.J. Simpson and Phil Spector. He recently performed the second autopsy on the late Hollywood actor David Carradine.

Brazilian authorities said earlier this week that Gatti had committed suicide at a resort in the northeastern part of the country on July 11.

Gatti's 23-year-old Brazilian wife, Amanda Rodrigues, held since July 12 on suspicion of murder, was released Friday.

Brazilian police released more details about the incident Friday, saying Gatti hanged himself with a bag strap that he tied around a wooden staircase column more than two metres off the ground, looping it around his neck and then kicking the stool from underneath him.

That conclusion was rejected by Gatti's family and friends.

A Quebec coroner agreed to exhume the body of the former boxer at the family's request.

Foreign Affairs Minister Lawrence Cannon said the government also formally asked Brazilian authorities for more information on the investigation into Gatti's death.

F1's Mosley Signs Concorde Agreement

((HT: TSN))

FIA president Max Mosley ((pictured, thanks CP)) has signed a new Concorde Agreement, the document that governs Formula One racing.

The FIA said Saturday the signing heralds "a renewed period of stability" for Formula One.

Motor sports' world governing body says that the document was signed late Friday and features a "slightly revised" set of technical regulations for the 2010 season. The FIA says all of the teams - with the exception of BMW-Sauber - have agreed to the changes, which will be published shortly.

BMW announced this week that it was withdrawing from Formula One at the end of the current season. They have reportedly been given until August 5 to sign on in the event that the manufacturer elects to sell the team to a potential buyer.

The Concorde Agreement is a contract between the FIA, F1's commercial rights holder and the participating teams sets out the basis on which all teams take part in the series and what their share is of the commercial wealth. The deal runs through 2012 and carries forward the procedures which were first set out in the 1998 deal. Decisions and changes will be decided upon by working groups and commissions with all teams having specific voting rights. Any changes must be formally approved by the World Motor Sport Council.

The deal also includes a "resource restriction agreement" which all the team's agreed to back on June 24, 2009. It calls for team budgets to fall back to the levels of the early 1990's.

Schumi Visits Massa In Hospital

((HT: CBSSports))

Michael Schumacher visited injured Formula One driver Felipe Massa on Saturday at the Hungarian hospital where the 28-year-old Brazilian is recovering from his high-speed crash.

Schumacher, who is coming out of retirement to stand in for Massa at Ferrari, left the AEK hospital with former Ferrari boss Jean Todt, but did not talk to reporters. He later posted a message about the visit on his personal website.

"Good that I finally made it to see Felipe, I feel better now," Schumacher wrote. "I am surprised at his extreme positive condition, as the accident was only one week ago. We sat together for around three hours and were chatting with each other."

"I really feel [relieved] now," Schumacher said.

The seven-time world champion, who retired in 2006, used a 2007 version of the Ferrari F1 car to test drive at an Italian track on Friday.

"I have to say that today I feel muscles I was not even aware anymore they exist," Schumacher said. "But then it was clear that you cannot test for a day after such a lot of time without feeling anything, and I am curious to see what will happen in the coming days."

Massa's family doctor Dino Altman ((pictured, thanks Balazs Mohai/EPA/Guardian)) said Saturday that the Brazilian was "doing well" and was "anxious to go home."

According to Altman, Massa will fly home to Sao Paulo in a private jet on Monday to continue his recovery.

Massa said Thursday that he was thinking about racing again, but Altman said he did not know how soon the runner-up behind Lewis Hamilton in the 2008 Formula One championship could return to the track.

"There's no hurry to bring him back to drive," Altman said. "The most important [thing] is to have him fully recovered, in a safe situation."

Massa underwent surgery on multiple skull fractures after he was hit in the helmet by a loose part from another car and crashed into a protective tire barrier during qualifying at the Hungarian Grand Prix last Saturday.

Paul Chapman has the update from Hungary, thanks to our friends at Reuters...

Organizers Plan Vick "Celebration" Next Weekend

((HT: Virginian-Pilot))

Some residents of Michael Vick's hometown are preparing a "celebration" for the former NFL quarterback, and Vick is expected to make an appearance at the event, an organizer said Friday.

The event is being sponsored by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. The SCLC chapter president in Vick's hometown of Newport News, Andrew Shannon, said Vick is scheduled to speak at the event intended to promote Martin Luther King Jr.'s teachings of nonviolence.

"We believe (Vick) has made atonement and we are hopeful that the public at large gives this young man a chance to move forward with his life," Shannon said.

He said he expects anywhere from 500 to 1,000 people to attend the family oriented event, which will feature face painting, pony rides, music and other festivities. Retailer DTLR was also among the organizers.

"It was his idea," John Eley, one of the organizers, told The Associated Press on Friday. "Vick wanted to give back to the community, like he always does."

The Aug. 8 event will include Vick, who grew up on the city's tough east side, Eley said. He said the city was providing a tent and chairs for the "Michael Vick Community Celebration."

Andrew Shannon, the local SCLC president, did not immediately return telephone messages left by The Associated Press. Calls and e-mails to Vick's attorneys and his family also were not returned.

Vick has been conditionally reinstated in the NFL after completing a 23-month federal sentence for running a dogfighting ring.

Eley said many in Newport News have remained loyal to Vick, who he said donated toys and sports uniforms to needy children in the community as his fortunes rose in the NFL.

"He's an awesome guy," said Eley, a hair stylist who described himself as a friend. "I think he deserves a second chance. We all make mistakes."

Eley said Vick's interest in the celebration was inspired, in part, by a "Community Hug for Michael Vick," a July 2007 event that was intended to show the city's solidarity with Vick. About 100 people attended.

It was held the same month Vick and three others were charged with federal dogfighting charges.

WAVY-TV Sports Director Bruce Rader caught up with Vick friend DeAngelo Hall to ask about the new and improved 7...

At Least He's Wearing The Old English D...

((HT: Deadspin))

They're trying to figure out where these pictures of Lions savior Matthew Stafford were taken...

This one's our personal favorite...


Our journalistic dutires here at OSG HQ forced us to look in the mirror and ask the following question after perusing the entire sequence...

"Which one of these ladies is his girlfriend...???"

Our money's on the blonde...
Carry on...

McNamee Sues Clemens For Defamation

((HT: CP))

Roger Clemens' former personal trainer sued him Friday over allegations of steroid use, claiming the Major League Baseball star ruined his reputation by branding him a liar.

The defamation lawsuit filed in federal court in Brooklyn alleges Clemens launched an "intense and co-ordinated public relations offensive" against Brian McNamee ((pictured, thanks Chip Somodevilla/Getty)) after the trainer told federal investigators and Congress that he injected Clemens more than a dozen times with steroids and human growth hormone from 1998 through 2001.

In his own testimony and interviews, the seven-time Cy Young Award winner has repeatedly denied using performance-enchancing drugs.

"Rather than acknowledging the truth of McNamee's allegations, Clemens waged a defamatory public relations campaign against McNamee," the suit says. "Clemens' campaign ... was intended to deceive the public and Congress into falsely believing that McNamee is a liar."

The lawsuit quotes Clemens saying in a YouTube video in 2007 that McNamee "did not inject steroids into my body either when I played in Toronto for the Blue Jays or the New York Yankees."



It also cites an interview with ESPN in May in which Clemens, when asked about McNamee, responded that it was a case of "somebody out there that is really crawling up your back to make a buck."

The suit, which seeks unspecified damages, claims Clemens' statements have "humiliated McNamee, destroyed his reputation, both personally and professionally, and caused him severe emotional distress."

The former pitcher's lawyer, Rusty Hardin, said the suit wouldn't hold up in court.

"I mean, think about it," Hardin said. "Essentially, we have a lawsuit saying (McNamee's) reputation was harmed by saying, 'No, you, you did not give me illegal drugs."'

Clemens is under investigation by a federal grand jury in Washington that is trying to determine whether he lied when he told a congressional committee in 2008 that he had not used steroids.

He has a pending defamation claim against McNamee in a Houston court.

We figured we'd also go ahead and re-post the interview Clemens did with Mike Wallace and "60 Minutes." Here's Part 1, thanks to our friends at CBS

McMakin Suspended 30 Days, Takes Voluntary Paycut

((HT: Honolulu Advertiser/Asato))

University of Hawai'i head football coach Greg McMackin ((pictured, thanks Norman Shapiro/Honolulu Advertiser)) was suspended without pay for 30 days and will take a voluntary 7 percent pay cut from his $1.1 million salary after he used a gay slur during a Western Athletic Conference press conference yesterday in Salt Lake City, school officials announced today.

McMackin, who will lose approximately $169,000, will be allowed to coach the team "as a volunteer" during the suspension, and the money from his suspension will be used to fund an intern for a gay/lesbian group as well for other awareness efforts, UH athletic director Jim Donovan said.

McMackin's pay cut ($77,000) matches the voluntary cut Donovan said he would take earlier this week in response to the state's budget crisis.

An emotional McMackin broke down during today's press conference, while making another apology.

"I just made a big mistake," McMackin said. "I apologize to everyone and anyone I offended. I'm committed to do whatever I can as a life lesson to learn from my mistake."
McMackin left the press conference without taking any questions.

"We all recognize that yesterday Coach McMackin made a serious mistake that has hurt many people and brought negative attention to our state and university," UH-Manoa Chancellor Virginia S. Hinshaw said at a press conference today. "He is clearly remorseful — as well he should be. This has been a painful experience for all involved, but we must now consider actions that will help everyone learn from this very negative event."
Members of some of the campus gay/lesbian groups were at today's athletic department press conference at the Stan Sheriff Center.

"I am entirely devoted to providing every opportunity for Coach McMackin and the department of athletics to serve as advocates for change in support of LGBT people in Hawai'i," said Camaron Miyamoto, UH coordinator of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Student Services. "Today will strengthen a positive and on-going working relationship between LGBT Student Services, the UH commission on the status of LGBTI Equality and the department of athletics."

Dozens of football team members also attended to support McMackin.

"It was very emotional for him, and for us. (Came) to show support for coach," senior offensive lineman Aaron Kia said. "To let him know we're here for him in times of trouble."
Said Raphael Ieru, senior offensive lineman: "It was hard to watch him break down.

"I think the punishment was fair. "We've got to support our coach."

Here's your standard local reaction piece from our friends at KHNL/NBC8 and Zahid Arab. Plenty of stereotypic sound bites...


More player reaction can be found here in black...thanks again to the Advertiser...

Donovan said McMackin has agreed to coach the team for those 30 days "because he doesn't want the team or the university to be harmed from his mistake."

McMackin met with Hinshaw and Donovan earlier today.

McMackin left Hawaii Hall about 1:30 p.m. without speaking to the media.

Earlier today, Notre Dame football coach Charlie Weis said that McMackin "demonstrated poor judgment" yesterday in making a slur about gays while describing the Fighting Irish.

McMackin made the reference in describing Notre Dame's team dance at a banquet prior to the Dec. 24 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl in which the Fighting Irish beat the Warriors, 49-21.

In a prepared release, Weis said: "Yesterday, Coach McMackin demonstrated poor judgment when, while making comments critical of our football program, he used a derogatory word.
"Speaking only for our football program, we were offended by the remarks.

"This afternoon I received a phone call from Coach McMackin and he apologized to me and asked I pass that along to my players and coaches. We accept his apology and we will move on."

McMackin ignited a firestorm of national outrage when he repeatedly used the slur in his press conference with football writers at the Western Athletic Conference Football Media Review in Salt Lake City before apologizing.

He returned to Hawaii last night and has spent much of this morning apologizing further on radio shows.

In his statement, Weis also noted that as a parent of a daughter with global developmental delays "I am especially sensitive to offensive characterizations like the one at issue here."

Still, Weis says, "in no way do I believe Coach McMackin's comments were intended to be offensive.

"In our phone conversation today, I expressed those sentiments. It is now time to put this incident behind us and return focus to the 2009 season.


Here's his apology, thanks to CSTV/XXL/ESPN...