Frank McCourt used cash advance to cover team payroll

Last week there were questions as to whether Frank McCourt could cover the team's payroll and keep his tenuous hold on ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers. After stories surfaced over the weekend that McCourt would be able cover paychecks, the next obvious question was...how?

According to ESPN the Magazine's Molly Knight, it may have come from some creative account management.

Current team sponsors were contacted and offered discounts on their annual bills and luxury box stadium seats in exchange for cash up front, according to two sources. It is not known which sponsors took the offer, or the depth of discount they were given.

If true, it continues a pattern of the organization offering deep discounts to try and generate any kind of revenue. On Monday, the team advertised $1 Dodger Dogs in an effort to fill the stadium...on Memorial Day, no less. It helped somewhat as the team announced its largest walk-up crowd of the season with 4,200 buying tickets at the gate. But overall, a fan boycott has led to a nearly 17 percent decline in attendance compared to the same point last year.

More importantly, it puts in serious doubt McCourt's ability to cover the next payroll which comes on June 15th. With a host of legal issues closing in on McCourt and Major League Baseball already keeping a close watch on the franchise's operations, it seems to be a matter of time before the keys are taken away from him permanently.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar questions Scottie Pippen's Choice of the NBA's G.O.A.T.

Last week, Scottie Pippen threw a conversation grenade when he said that LeBron James could end up being the greatest NBA player of all-time, surpassing Michael Jordan. He obviously hadn't had that discussion with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Kareem, who we last heard from when he recently complained about a lack of respect from the Lakers organization, wrote an open letter to Pippen, accusing the former Chicago Bull of having "limited perspective" when it comes to ranking the league's greatest. 

You obviously never saw Wilt Chamberlain play who undoubtedly was the greatest scorer this game has ever known. When did MJ ever average 50.4 points per game plus 25.7 rebounds? (Wilt in the 1962 season when blocked shot statistics were not kept). We will never accurately know how many shots Wilt blocked. Oh, by the way in 1967 and 68, Wilt was a league leader in assists. Did MJ ever score 100 points in a game? How many times did MJ score more than 60 points in a game? MJ led the league in scoring in consecutive seasons for 10 years but he did this in an NBA that eventually expanded into 30 teams vs. when Wilt played and there were only 8 teams.

Most of Abdul-Jabbar's points are valid although his last comment there may be a little flawed. Yes, there were fewer teams and fewer players. But today's athlete is bigger, faster, stronger and generally more talented. A lot of that is thanks to guys like Wilt and Kareem. As younger players watched the games of the greats, they were able to emulate and eventually elaborate on those skills. There's no denying the greatness of Bill Russell, but he never ran into anyone with the freakish combination of strength, size and speed that LeBron James possesses.

Kareem goes on in his letter to mention Russell's career accomplishments and says "the ring is the thing, and everything else is just statistics." Certainly rings have a lot to do with it, but championships are a team accomplishment. Kareem can't honestly believe he would have won six titles if he spent his whole career with the Milwaukee Bucks.

There are undoubtedly plenty of people who don't have the perspective to appreciate how good some of the NBA's legends truly were. In a fast-paced, Internet world, not a day goes by where something isn't declared The Greatest Thing/Person/Game Ever. And if everything else truly "is just statistics" as Kareem says, then it's disingenuous for him to lean on Wilt's numbers (but just two titles) to prove his superiority to Jordan or anyone.

But more than this...what's gotten into Kareem lately? It was never much of a secret that he was a grouchy fellow. But in the past he chose to live his curmudgeonly existence in relative silence. Recently, however, Cap has started firing shots every which way. While Russell has maintained his dignity and still remains one of the league's most respected figures with players past and present, Kareem is quickly turning into the old man yelling at the kids to get off his lawn.

Episode 31: Moving On

This week on NER...

The guys say goodbye to Oprah (sorta). Cacique gets excited about Mike Brown to the Lakers (kinda). Marcas comes to grips with USC's punishment (partially). And Barry Bonds is a good guy (for now).

Jose Canseco's thirst for Lady Gaga grows

Jose Canseco recently professed his love for Lady Gaga via Twitter. The former Major League Baseball slugger and erstwhile minor league manager tweeted earlier in the week that he wanted to marry the outspoken pop singer.

Then on Friday, he kicked it up a notch, imagining what it would be like if the two of them were to reproduce.

If I had a child with lady gaga what would he or she be called

He went on to wonder if there was a woman out there who could "convert the most infamous athlete ever". First, it seems a little presumptuous for Canseco to consider himself "the most infamous athlete ever". Second, convert him to what?

In the meantime, he continues to manage the independent Yuma Scorpions and hopes that his "Lady Gaga Night" promotion can help connect him with his new crush.

Mark Cuban takes notice of "Save The Dodgers" movement

As we wrote about last week, a determined Dodger fan has started a campaign to convince Dallas Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban to buy the team from embattled owner Frank McCourt.

(For more about the site, check out my interview with Roger Arrieta.)

Turns out, there's been a little movement for the movement.

"I actually heard back from Mark Cuban," Arrieta said in a tweet. "He said he has seen the pics, didnt deny saying he wasnt interested, right now it's Mavs time."

It's easy to understand that Cuban's mind would be on other things right about now. But it's encouraging that he's taken notice of what's going on. Whether it's enough to pique his interest remains to be seen. Regardless, Arrieta has stepped up efforts by seeking donations for a billboard to advertise the website.

At this point, it may benefit Dodger fans to start wearing Maverick blue for the next couple of weeks. Perhaps the rush of winning a championship will convince Cuban to move on to new challenges...namely Major League Baseball. Plus, Laker fans can say they lost to the team that eventually won the title. Either way, it takes their minds off of watching the Dodgers for a few days.

NCAA Denies USC Appeal

It took four months, but the NCAA has finally spoken in regards to USC's appeal of the sanctions levied in light of the investigations in Reggie Bush and Todd McNair. USCFootball.com was the first to report that the appeal was completely denied.

The Trojans football team will be allowed to sign no more than 15 players to scholarships for the next three seasons (against a top limit of 25 for schools not under sanction).

And of even more immediate impact, USC would not be able to compete for the first-ever Pac-12 championship or appear in the first-ever postseason championship game in 2011 as well. 

Of further concern, the NCAA's unprecedented additional sanction allowing players affected by the postseason ban this year to immediately transfer to another institution without sitting out a season would still be in play for this year's seniors.

The school is unable to comment until the decision has been released to the public, which is expected to happen on Thursday.  There had been some hope that at least a portion of the appeal would be accepted in light of lesser punishments handed out to Auburn and Ohio State after recent infractions. However it appears that the NCAA will stand by their apparent decision to make an example of one of its marquee programs run amok.

Congratulations to the NCAA for finding the gumption to finally drop the hammer on one of its major programs for being caught in the act of major infractions. But with Jim Tressel being caught allegedly hiding violations and Cecil Newton shopping his kid out to at least one school, maybe consistency should be the next thing to work on.

Episode 30: R-E-S-P-E-C-T

NER celebrates a milestone. 30 episodes!

This week the guys talk about respect: why Dirk Nowitzki deserves more, why Kareem Abdul-Jabbar isn't getting more, ask if a pro athlete would get it after coming out and talk with Jerald Smith of Gentlemen Republic about instilling it.

Dodger Stadium Attack Suspect In Police Custody

After nearly two months of investigations, 17 full-time investigators and the constant upping of a reward, the Los Angeles Police Department announced on Sunday morning that one of the two men suspected in the attack of Bryan Stow was arrested.

Via the L.A. Times:

At about 7 a.m., the Los Angeles Police Department SWAT team descended on an East Hollywood apartment building with a warrant in hand. According to apartment building manager Maritza Camacho, police, using loudspeakers and with guns drawn, called out to the occupants of Apartment 25. Inside was one of the men police suspect in the March 31 beating that left Stow with brain damage.

Since the investigation into the second suspect is ongoing, police declined to release details of the arrest - including the name of the suspect in custody. Stow was moved to a San Francisco hospital last week where he opened his eyes, although he remains in critical condition and has a long recovery road still ahead of him.

Big 10 Conf Says "Play For Pay!"

Maybe something good will actually come out of the the whole Ohio State fiasco as the Big 10 Conference said on Friday that, there is a possibility that the conference could pay athletes beyond their scholarship checks.
Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany admits the conference has discussed cutting athletes a monthly check to help with their living expenses. This coming from a conference that is having a world of controversy dealing with the "Pristine" Coach Jim Tressel and the "Tattoo 5".
By paying players something you hope to curve the appetite for going to outside sources to get extra income. Delaney will like to some how bridge the gap between scholarship and needs to live in today's economy.

However, Detroit Free Press sports columnist Drew Sharp says players aren't taking money just to make ends meet.

"Athletes do no accept cash that they're not supposed to because they're trying to make ends meet. They're accepting the money because they feel they are entitled to this, because they have people telling them 24/7 you're being taken advantage of. You're basically a slave making all this cash for the man in the Big House there and you're getting nothing but crumbs," said Sharp.

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/andrea_isom/should-big-ten-athletes-get-paid-question-mark-20110520-wpms

Whatever the outcome of this whole ordeal, I do believe college athletes do need to be paid more than their scholarship checks in some way or fashion. I had a brother who played at Nebraska and they pretty much paid for everything for him, food;travel gear; medical care;tuition and so on so forth. What they didn't pay for was his rent;food for the house;clothes to wear for everyday;rent and money just going out be a college kid.
It's a problem that will never be solved but it can be derailed in some sort of fashion.

Is Playing For Arizona In The Cards For McNabb?

When you do this job, it is very easy to over analyze a situation once you hear about it. Then there are times when you call it like you see it or as my Mother would say, "You call a spade a spade."

In this instance not sure how it read into the reports from the Arizona Republic that Donavon McNabb is working out with Cardinal players during this time in the lockout. This is the same McNabb that is not welcomed back to the Redskins organization, the same McNabb that was benched by Mike Shanahan in favor of Rex Grossman. Yes, that Rex Grossman who is not with the Redskins at this point in time either. Can you really fathom that John Beck of the BYU Cougars Becks, looks like he will be the starter and not McNabb.

Has McNabb really fallen off that much that he can't shake a QB that was not wanted by the Dolphins who themselves have QB issues. I think that McNabb can work for the Cardinals, the only problem is that he will have to learn a different system that is not the West Coast Offense. He will have to accept some coaching for a change and not be stubborn when it comes to his delivery. Maybe that is why Donovan is working out with Arizona players so when there is EVER football to be played he is ready to go.

I just hope that McNabb doesn't have any immigrants as family because the laws have not changed as of yet and didn't B-Hop say that he was not Black. Sounds like a recipe for disaster! Tongue and Cheek.

Carlos Boozer Caught Up In The Rap Game....

I guess if Ron Artest can do it, so can Boozer.. Only difference is that Artest released it AFTER, the Lakers won the Championship. As you can see Carlos Boozer decided that the 85' Bears were his "Rap Idols" and has release a song with fellow brotha from "The City of Wind" Twista and Mr. Sucka for love Mario Winans. The song is called "Winning Streak" and Boozer sounds just as we thought he would....a basketball player trying to rap.

Boozer 1st Verse:
Mic check 1-2, 1-2 (4x)
Dream it, believe it, do it, let's go
Already know I cross 'em over, take 'em to the hole
Look back, thank God, look forward, trust God,
That's why when I'm in that paint, you know I go hard
Might go baseline, one time, and abuse ya
Run back down the court, like "You know it was Boozer!"
I used to be another little fella with some hoop dreams,
Now I got the game laced up, shoe strings.

Boozer 2nd verse:
ball for real, y'all n****** is Sam Bowie
And with the third pick, I made the earth sick
M.J., hem Jay, fade away, perfect



Boozer not known for rap game off the court but I hope that he finds his game on the court as we see Taj Gibson snatching his minutes more and more.

The Logo Is Taking His Talents To......Oakland?

When you think of Jerry West, the first thing comes up is the Logo and that is one hell of a legacy to have. The second is as a Laker GM he is the one who took a chance and traded his star center and acquired Kobe Bryant and the Lakers haven't looked back since. And maybe he had something to do with Pau Gasol being traded for little brother and helping the Lakers go to the finals 3 years in a arrow, winning Back To Back titles.

It's obvious that he needs a new challenge in his life as Tim Kawakami from the San Jose Mercury News reports: That Jerry West is being hired to be a consultant for the Golden State Warriors. Co-owners Joe Lacob and Peter Guber are trying to find the Midas touch and not the minus touch by taking on West and reverse the trend of horrible but talented teams.

If your a Laker Fan, maybe he could hook up Monte Ellis or Seth Curry in a trade for Curry's little brother who is at Duke, not likely but it could happen.

Attacked Giants Fan Bryan Stow Opens His Eyes

The continuing rehabilitation of Bryan Stow has been slow and difficult, but there is good news for the San Francisco Giants fan who was brutally attacked at Dodger Stadium on Opening Day.

Via the Associated Press:

A Giants fan brutally beaten on opening day at Dodger Stadium is opening his eyes but remains in critical condition at San Francisco General Hospital.

Chief neurosurgeon Dr. Geoff Manley said Wednesday that 42-year-old Bryan Stow has been weaned off of one of five anti-seizure medications since arriving Monday from a Los Angeles hospital.

In addition, Stow's brain showed slowed signs of seizure and doctors hope to be able to remove him from the rest of his seizure medication to see how his brain reacts. In all, it is a small step on what would be a very long road to recovery. However after friends and family feared the worst about his condition, any improvement is reason to be hopeful. Unfortunately, the LAPD investigation into who committed the attack on Stow remains at a standstill.

Dodger Fans Court Mark Cuban As Their Savior

Fan frustration is reaching an all-time high in Los Angeles. Owner Frank McCourt is continuing his legal fight to keep control of the team. The franchise is offering deep discounts to try and lure angry fans back into the park. Meanwhile on the field, the team is struggling and losing ground daily in the NL West standings. So the fans of Los Angeles have turned their eyes east, looking for a savior.

LetsGoNico posted a pic of this sticker that was being handed out around Dodger Stadium before Tuesday night's game against the Brewers.

Mark Cuban's name was immediately mentioned as a candidate to buy the team in the aftermath of Major League Baseball taking over operations. He was in town recently while the Mavericks were busy dusting off the Lakers in the NBA Playoffs, but declined to make a statement one way or other about acquiring the team. Certainly he has shown interest previously in trying to purchase a baseball team with failed efforts to acquire the Cubs and Rangers under his belt.

More than anything, this is another show of disgust from an embarrassed fan base toward an embattled owner. The trust between the two sides is so broken that McCourt's double talk, broken promises and continued poor stewardship of one of L.A.'s most beloved institutions is going to make for a nearly untenable summer at Chavez Ravine.

(H/T to TrueBlueLA)

Sugar Ray Leonard Says Coach Sexually Abused Him

Sugar Ray Leonard has a new book due out next month, titled "The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of the Ring". In it, he tells stories of problems with drinking, domestic violence and multiple near death experiences, but according to the New York Times, the biggest bombshell surrounds allegations that Leonard was molested by a former coach.

Leonard writes that when the coach accompanied him as a 15-year-old and another young fighter to a boxing event in Utica, N.Y., in 1971, he had the teenagers take a bath in a tub of hot water and Epsom salts while he sat on the other side of the bathroom. They suspected “something a bit inappropriate” was occurring but did not want to question a strong male authority figure.

Several years later, Leonard describes sitting in a car in a deserted parking lot across from a recreation center, listening intently as the same coach, said to be in his late 40s, explained how much a gold medal at the 1976 Olympics would mean to his future.

He was flattered, filled with hope, as any young athlete would be. But he writes: “Before I knew it, he had unzipped my pants and put his hand, then mouth, on an area that has haunted me for life. I didn’t scream. I didn’t look at him. I just opened the door and ran.”

The coach is unnamed in the book, but is described as a "prominent Olympic boxing coach". The 55-year old Leonard says he was motivated to tell his story after seeing actor Todd Bridges admit on the Oprah show to being sexually abused as a child.

It's cynical to say that it's easier for Leonard to make this admission through a book that will make him some extra money. But I can't imagine any amount of money would erase whatever pain, shame and embarrassment he feels from having to discuss what may have happened to him. In recent years, women's gymnastics has come under fire for allegations of sexual misconduct and an ABC News report learned of a slew of swimming coaches who have been banned for similar issues. Additionally, his story could help the U.S. Olympic Committee root out other possible cases of coaching predators.

At a time when it feels athletes and sports executives are coming out on a daily basis, hopefully this sparks a discussion about a much more serious and relevant issue of sexuality in sports.

Episode 29: One Love

This week, your faithful hosts honor the passing of Bob Marley. Darryl Howerton from Hoop Magazine stops by to reassure Lakers, Celtics and Spurs fans that the end really isn't near. We wonder what exactly Bernard Hopkins has against Donovan McNabb and why does the Fox News crowd hate Common?

Troy Polamalu: Super Bowl Champion, Pro Bowler...College Graduate

Friday was Commencement Day at USC and among the hosts of student-athletes that received diplomas was a face very familiar to NFL fans.

Troy Polamalu was among those who celebrated graduation day in Los Angeles after returning to finish a degree in history. But he wasn't the only former Trojan football player who returned to school. Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Keith Rivers went back to finish a degree in Public Policy Development and Planning.

(H/T to Arash Markazi)

Will The Lakers Let Brian Shaw Walk In Favor Of Rick Adelman Or Mike Dunleavy?

Once upon a time (think April), the Los Angeles Lakers figured they would win their third straight championship. They would send legendary coach Phil Jackson off into the sunset with his 12th title and hand the keys to the kingdom over to Brian Shaw.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the perfect ending. The Lakers dream cruise crashed on the Dallas Mavericks' rocks, sending the franchise into a tumultuous state that they hadn't known for a number of years. Now as talk swirls about whether the band is breaking up, there are questions as to whether L.A. still wants Shaw as their front man.

Immediately after the Lake Show was dispatched from the playoffs, ESPN's J.A. Adande reported that the coaching search would be "wide open". That has certainly been the case with stories surfacing in the past couple of days that Los Angeles has shown interest in both Rick Adelman and Mike Dunleavy. All the while, the Lakers have granted the Golden State Warriors permission to speak with both Shaw and assistant coach Chuck Person about their vacant head coaching job.

Allowing Shaw to walk likely would drastically change the team's offensive dynamic. Since Jackson first took over as Lakers coach, he brought Tex Winter's triangle offense with him. Recently, owner Jerry Buss and VP of Player Personnel Jim Buss have reportedly considered moving away from the triangle which could mean Shaw won't be the choice.

Of course, this wouldn't be Dunleavy's first rodeo with the Lakers. His first NBA head coaching job was with L.A. in the early '90s. But Laker fans have also been able to get an up close look at his recent work since he shared Staples Center as the head coach of the Clippers for seven seasons. It wasn't pretty...although the Clipper Curse (bka Donald Sterling) has been known to do that to people. Regardless, early reaction to the Dunleavy rumors hasn't been encouraging. All of that would seem to make Adelman the front-runner.

Then again, this could all be a smokescreen and Shaw could end up with the job anyway.

McNabb Is Not Black Enough!

You know, I don't understand why people need to talk about other people (Hence I write a blog) when we can care less about their opinions at this state in their careers.

Enter Bernard "B-Hop" Hopkins. Bernard is a great fighter at a weight division that Roy Jones Jr. made famous and no one else. If you ever really watched a B-Hop fight it like two Republicans having a debate, not really fighting but something just happened and a person was hurt.
If you didn't know, Hopkins has a fight coming up soon.....wait, you wouldn't have known because its boxing and no one watches boxing. for those who are interested the fight is Saturday May 21, great set your calender. This post is not about boxing it has nothing to do about boxing it has everything to do with just stop talking about people who have nothing to do with you.

B-Hop seems to still have issues with Ex-Philly Eagle and soon to be Ex-Redskins QB Donovan McNabb. The feud goes back to the Terrell Owens days, when he questioned McNabb's leadership and how the players in the locker room were following T.O. and not Donovan because he couldn't hold his chow in the Super Bowl.

According to: www.blacksportsonline.com/home/2011/05/bernard-hopkins-thinks-donovan-mcnabb-isnt-black-enough/, He is questioning his Blackness as a person. In other words he is as "Uncle Tom" as they come. Wayne Brady might have somthing to do with that..(Dave Chapelle reference) He might as well had called him a "House Nigger". It just bothers me, that this is another form of black on black crime that is not needed or warranted by B-Hop. This seems like a shameless way to promote his fight for a fighter that time has forgotten.

Gus Johnson Leaves CBS

This is a sad day for all college basketball fans who love watching the NCAA tournament strictly to see a close, buzzer beating game called by the "Blackest" play-by-play man in the business. Gus Johnson is leaving old ass CBS for the fun loving Fox Sports.

The AP reports:


NEW YORK — Popular announcer Gus Johnson is joining Fox as its top college football play-by-play voice.

Johnson had worked for CBS since 1995. He called NFL games but was best known for the way his excitable style fit the NCAA Tournament.

Fox announced Tuesday that Johnson would team this season with analyst Charles Davis for Big 12, Conference USA and Pac-12 games on FX; a conference championship game; and the Cotton Bowl. Starting in 2012, they'll call games on Fox under its new deal with the Pac-12.

Johnson will work some Fox NFL games after the college football regular season is over. He'll continue to do college basketball for the Big Ten Network.

"I am beyond excited to join the FOX Sports family today," Johnson said in a statement. "Being able to call play-by-play for the nation's premier collegiate football conferences like the Big Ten, Pac-12 and Big 12 is a tremendous honor and I can't wait to get started! Is it August yet?"

Johnson calls giving up March Madness "a very difficult thing." A CBS source told the New York Daily News on Monday that some of the network's college basketball talent was unhappy with Johnson's rise in popularity.

Me being on the west coast will love this move more than anything, as I'm in Pac-12 territory, it would be nice to hear the future Keith Jackson. Anyone who has there own soundboaed is always going to be welcomed to my ears.

Angels Fans Set Record !

(Credit: Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

There is being creative and then there is being very creative. The marketing staff for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is one of the most creative in the business, with the Thunder stick and the ever so famous Rally Monkey.

This time the people of Anaheim have taken it a step forward to become infamous,it is not like the Angels are starving for fans as their cross-town rivals are literately begging for butts in the seats and who can blame them, I don't want to get my ass kicked either.

Back to the subject at hand and we are talking breaking records as the Angels searched for their inner "Nacho Libre" and set a new Guinness world record for most costume masks worn at one gathering. It is a fantastic sight to see all those soon to be Mexican Wrestlers everywhere.
This is the reason why the Angels are 4Th best in attendance and will continue to climb those records.

Pau Gasol Clears The Air:-No Riff With He And Kobe

As the Lakers had their exit interviews today it was clear that big story in the NBA is not that the Lakers did't advance, but that Andrew Bymun can't keep his hands to himself and that Pau Gasol's horendus play in this years playoffs was due to the fact that he was having a fued with "The Black Mamba" Kobe Bryant. Not only was there beef with them but some how Vanessa was dragged into this whole reality T.V. matter.



Thank God we have some real reporting going on in this biz and we got some quotes from "The Camel", I mean Pau Gasol as he talked to Ramona Shelburne of http://www.espnla.com/ reports:



Lakers forward Pau Gasol denied recent internet reports and speculation in several major media outlets that there has been any conflict between Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa and Gasol's girlfriend Silvia Lopez Castro.





One report even intimated that Gasol's situation had spilled into the Lakers locker room and caused an argument between him and Bryant because Bryant's wife became involved in Gasol's relationship issues.





On Tuesday, Gasol called rumors of a rift between he and Bryant or a breakup with his girlfriend "absolutely false."





"My girlfriend and I are fine, we're happy, we're doing well. Kobe and I are fine," Gasol told ESPNLosAngeles.com



"She [Lopez Castro] was suffering because she saw me suffering. And I was suffering because I was seeing her suffering. When you add that to other stuff to what's already happening, it's tough."

Well, I'm glad that we got this settled, so then why did you suck ass in the playoffs.

Dodgers Begging Fans To Buy Tickets

You may have heard that times are tough for the Los Angeles Dodgers. Whether it's opposing fans being severely beaten in the parking lot, the ongoing divorce and financial problems of team owner Frank McCourt or just an inability to string wins together, there's not much going right for the Blue Crew nowadays.

But you'd never imagine it would be so bad that management would have to implore fans to come out to the stadium. After all, the Dodgers have consistently been among baseball's attendance leaders - drawing more than 3 million fans a year in 14 of the last 15 seasons.

Except this year, attendance is down more than 13 percent. So it's just another sign of McCourt's mismanagement that the Dodgers are now offering deep discounts to try and get more butts in the seats. First, Yelp subscribers in the Los Angeles area woke this morning to find an email in their inbox advertising  reduced prices for a pair of games against the rival San Francisco Giants.

If that wasn't bad enough - and it's hard to imagine it getting much worse - later in the day the team announced a sale for Monday night's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. In honor of Andre Ethier's recent 30-game hitting streak (the game is on May 16th, Ethier wears #16), the team is offering $30 field level seats for 30 hours. They are also giving 30% off any Ethier-related merchandise on the day of the game.

Many fans have decided that they will not return to Dodger Stadium until McCourt is out of ownership. McCourt, however, has decided to fight any and all attempts to have him relinquish the team. This promises to drag out for some time, which means we may not have seen the last of the Dodger Blue Light Specials.

Andrew Bynum Suspended Five Games For Hit On J.J. Barea

The punishment that we all knew was coming has finally been leveled by the NBA. On Tuesday, the league announced that Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum will be suspended for the first five games of next season for his late game cheap shot on Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea. In addition he was also fined $25,000 for removing his jersey before he left the floor.

Bynum should consider himself fortunate that the suspension wasn't longer. Even though Barea was able to walk away from the collision, the intent was purely malicious. 

It completes what was a total meltdown for the Lakers. Ron Artest was forced to sit for a game after clotheslining Barea earlier in the series. Phil Jackson was fined $35,000 for "public comments about the officiating". Now the Bynum suspension and fine...it's going to be a long summer in Lakerland.

Coach Pulls Swimmer By Hair!

Coach didn't like the effort that they swimmer was giving up because they were losing meet. The girls parent called police and filed asault charges.

Is Kobe Snitching Again?

I hoped that Kobe Bryant learned his lesson from his last transgressions from Colorado, snitching is not cool. If I remember correctly that Bryant to police that Shaq used to pay his mistresses to keep quiet about their affairs. This info was so damaging to Kobe's street cred that other players didn't want to play with him. At least that's the word on the street.

Well it looks like Kobe's wife Vanessa is sticking her nose where it doesn't belong. http://www.mediatakeout/ is reporting that Vanessa broke up a happy home in the Laker Locker Room getting in the business of Pau Gasol and his Ex-Fiance Silvia Lopez Castro. It was obvious that Gasol was not his usual self throughout these playoffs and not playing like "The Spaniard" like Laker fans have become accustomed to seeing.

Kobe Bryant told J.A. Adande that reports of his wife causing Pau Gasol’s breakup with his fiancé are bogus. ESPN’s J.A. Adande tweeted “Kobe was shown internet report that’s floating around Reax: “They barely know each other.” [U can fill in the gaps. I'm done].”

Episode 28: Champagne Room With A View

On the latest episode of NER...Should the Steelers be forced to apologize for Rashard Mendenhall's tweets? Marcas continues his weekly bitching about Frank McCourt's mismanagement and Cacique convinces everyone that strip clubs are the place to be.

President Obama on Death of Osama bin Laden (SPOOF)

Obama's Unreleased Public Address Speech on the capture and killing of Osama Bin Laden (Spoof)

Thought this was hilarious and down-right GENIUS!!

David Price Has The Greatest Home Run Trot Ever

It's not very often that American League pitchers get the chance to swing the bat. So when they do something big, you can forgive them for being overly exuberant.

Case in point: Tampa Bay Rays' starter David Price who muscled up to hit the long ball during batting practice recently and used the opportunity to go into a home run trot that any Little Leaguer would love to emulate.

(H/T to Hot Clicks via Deadspin)

Twitter Gets U-Dub Recruit In Trouble & People Fired

The Social Network is a very powerful tool, it is put at our disposal for good to be accomplished. Well, most of the time it is for that purpose. Our youth these days have taken to it like wildfire and being naive is a trait that we all have, some more than others.

It is funny how some words can be put on a message board that is as harmless as a Priest conducting bible study for the youth group. Maybe that is a bad example, so sue me.

The Washington Huskies are probably going to ban twitter like most college coaches have already done, this will more than likely trickle down to recruits as well.


Matt Norlander of cbssportsline.com and The Seattle Times' Mason Kelly are reporting:

Tony Wroten, Jr., an elite, Class of 2011 recruit from greater Seattle who has committed to play at the University of Washington, nearly didn't qualify for such a chance.

The Seattle Times' Mason Kelly is reporting that, last year, Wroten (right, with ball) was essentially given a free pass in a Spanish class that didn't exist at Garfield High School, where Wroten attends. A recent investigation by the Seattle Public Schools schoolboard uncovered the academic fraud, which has led to the firing of Garfield athletic director Jim Valiere, who arranged the obfuscation, according to the Times. After being placed on leave last October, Valiere was officially fired on April 11.

Attempts by CBSSports.com to reach Wroten for comment were unsuccessful. The Times' report states UW head coach Lorenzo Romar said he had no idea any of this was happening in Wroten's life. Worth clarifying: neither Washington nor Wroten currently face any sort of investigation from the NCAA over his eligibility. This is a problem that was discovered and scrubbed out by Seattle Public Schools officials.

Wroten is one of the most active, vocal, charismatic 2011 high school recruits on Twitter, and it's because of his penchant for blasting out a stream of consciousness that Valiere was fired. In February, Wroten tweeted that he was in a three-person Spanish class, which caught the eye of some because, duh, high school Spanish classes are seldom so small.

From there, the Times began digging. Turns out Valiere was able to originally arrange a phony Spanish class on Wroten's transcript because he does have a certification to teach the language in the state of Washington. But, according to local officials, the former AD had broken a number of rules in order to help out varsity athletes at Garfield.

Chris Rock's On how To Be Pulled Over.

Hines Ward Held At Gunpoint!

If it wasn’t tough enough to be a Steeler this day and age (Thanks a lot Bin Laden) , then it must be really hard to be a Dancing With The Stars contestant. Not only to compound the problem you’re DWB (Driving While Being Black) as well. In this case is DWK&B? That is driving while being Driving While Being Korean and Black for all of those who are not down.
Apparently Hines Ward of your Pittsburgh Steelers was pulled over for being this just thing.

http://www.tmz.com/ reports:
Ward, in Southern California while competing on the ABC reality show "Dancing With The Stars", was a passenger in a Honda Civic when LAPD officers pulled the car over around 2 a.m. Soon after, he and the driver, an unnamed woman, were removed from the vehicle at gunpoint.
Sources told TMZ when the officers ran the license plate of the Civic, they discovered it was a car that had been reported stolen. The woman explained she had been the one who reported the vehicle was stolen, but then failed to notify authorities when she eventually recovered her car.
Ward also reportedly was very patient and cooperative with the officers while the confusion was being sorted out. Law enforcement officials told TMZ that he and the woman were then allowed to drive off "without further incident."

At least she didn't scream "He got weed, he got weed!"

Justice Department Starts BCS Anti-Trust Probe

Lest you think the NFL is the only football operation in the country coming under legal scrutiny, college football isn't off the hook yet either.

The United States Justice Department says it has opened an inquiry into whether the much-despised Bowl Championship Series violates anti-trust laws. This step has likely been a long time coming, especially with Utah senator Orrin Hatch having been a vocal opponent of the BCS.

Justice Department officials informed the NCAA of the probe via a letter before holding a meeting with reporters to discuss the reasons why.

Via CNN:

The decision to release the letter came hours after Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, a major opponent of the current system, demanded further consideration of the issue in a face-to-face appearance with Attorney General Eric Holder at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. Holder then disclosed the Justice Department had sent the letter to the NCAA on the issue. 

In her letter, Varney asked Emmert to explain why college football does not have a playoff when so many other college sports do. She also asked what steps, if any, the NCAA has taken to create a playoff, and whether the NCAA has determined that there are aspects of the BCS system that do not serve interests of fans, colleges, universities, and players.

While most fans (myself included) would love to see the demise of the BCS, it still isn't the kind of issue that the U.S. government needs to be getting involved with. However, it should shake college football's gatekeepers a little bit. Especially after BCS mouthpiece Bill Hancock said less than a month ago that he had not been contacted since, in his belief, "they know the BCS complies with the law."

Of course with the Pac-12 just signing a monster television contract, it means more money in the coffers of another BCS conference. That means a stronger claim on any BCS games and the revenue they bring. Stay tuned, this could just be getting started.